Public-private partnership case studies: Profiles of success in providing environmental services (September 1990)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-09-01

The report examines 23 case studies of public-private partnerships throughout the United States. They are organized by three environmental service areas: solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. The introduction explains the types and benefits of public-private partnerships and Chapter II lists the attributes of successful partnerships. The remainder of the report emphasizes case study examples in solid waste, wastewater treatment, and drinking water. Individual chapters are devoted to each of the three environmental service areas. Each case study is presented in a similar format which provides the reader with basic information on how the partnership was formed and implemented, as well as characteristics of the community.

Using Multimedia Case Studies to Advance Pre-Service Teacher Knowing

Science.gov (United States)

Pfister, Christina C.; White, Daniel L.; Masingila, Joanna O.

2006-01-01

This paper uses Baxter Magolda's (1992) framework on ways of knowing to examine the effects of using multimedia case studies with beginning pre-service teachers (PSTs). Baxter Magolda referred to these ways of thinking as absolute, transitional, independent, and contextual. The written responses to two sets of tasks were analysed for 36 PSTs…

Case Study – Idling Reduction Technologies for Emergency Service Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laughlin, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Owens, Russell J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-01-01

This case study explores the use of idle reduction technologies (IRTs) on emergency service vehicles in police, fire, and ambulance applications. Various commercially available IRT systems and approaches can decrease, or ultimately eliminate, engine idling. Fleets will thus save money on fuel, and will also decrease their criteria pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-10-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Oumlil, A; Rao, C P

1992-01-01

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

Civil Service Reform in Ghana: A Case Study of Contemporary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Civil Service Reform in Ghana: A Case Study of Contemporary Reform Problems in Africa. Joseph R.A Ayee. Abstract. (A. J. of Political Science: 2001 6(1): 1-41). Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajps.v6i1.27319 · AJOL African ...

Exploring the service-oriented enterprise : Drawing lessons from a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.

2008-01-01

The service-oriented enterprise (SOE) is often considered as the future model of organization. Yet there is little empirical research in this domain and limited insight into the benefits and disadvantages. In this paper we analyze a case study of a large, multinational banking company. This company

Pre-Service Teachers' Defensive Pessimism in Situ: Two Case Studies within a Mathematics Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Merz, Alice H.; Swim, Terri Jo

2008-01-01

In this study, defensive pessimism is reviewed in relation to anxiety, self-esteem, expectations, self-regulation, and self-handicapping. Then, two case studies of American pre-service teachers in a mathematics classroom are provided that move the research beyond survey and correlational studies. In the case analyses, defensive pessimists'…

The Application Study in Solar Energy Technology for Highway Service Area: A Case Study of West Lushan Highway Low-Carbon Service Area in China

OpenAIRE

Qin, Xiaochun; Shen, Yi; Shao, Shegang

2015-01-01

A lot of research works have been made concerning highway service area or solar technology and acquired great achievements. However, unfortunately, few works have been made combining the two topics together of highway service areas and solar energy saving to make a systemic research on solar technology application for highway service area. In this paper, taking West Lushan highway low-carbon service area in Jiangxi Province of China as the case study, the advantages, technical principles, and...

Designing Optical Spreadsheets-Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Simulation (S-TPACK): A Case Study of Pre-Service Teachers Course

Science.gov (United States)

Thohir, M. Anas

2018-01-01

In the 21st century, the competence of instructional technological design is important for pre-service physics teachers. This case study described the pre-service physics teachers' design of optical spreadsheet simulation and evaluated teaching and learning the task in the classroom. The case study chose three of thirty pre-service teacher's…

Mapping Civic Engagement: A Case Study of Service-Learning in Appalachia

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Jessica; Casebeer, Daniel

2016-01-01

This study uses social cartography to map student perceptions of a co-curricular service-learning project in an impoverished rural community. As a complement to narrative discourse, mapping provides an opportunity to visualize not only the spatial nature of the educational experience but also, in this case, the benefits of civic engagement. The…

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Lindström

2018-02-01

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

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...

IS supported service work: a case study of global certification

OpenAIRE

Berntsen, Kirsti Elisabeth

2011-01-01

The thesis approaches the issue of IS support for service work, understood as distributed knowledge work taking place as a negotiation between diverse interests. It is based on an ethnographically inspired, longitudinal case study of certification auditing according to a formal generic standard. A handful of certification auditors are followed closely, periodically and comprehensively over three years. Observations are combined with interviews of subjects and colleagues, added by exploration ...

Service Quality of Online Shopping Platforms: A Case-Based Empirical and Analytical Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsan-Ming Choi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Customer service is crucially important for online shopping platforms (OSPs such as eBay and Taobao. Based on the well-established service quality instruments and the scenario of the specific case on Taobao, this paper focuses on exploring the service quality of an OSP with an aim of revealing customer perceptions of the service quality associated with the provided functions and investigating their impacts on customer loyalty. By an empirical study, this paper finds that the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function is significantly related to the customer loyalty. Further analytical study is conducted to reveal that the optimal service level on the “fulfillment and responsiveness” function for the risk averse OSP uniquely exists. Moreover, the analytical results prove that (i if the customer loyalty is more positively correlated to the service level, it will lead to a larger optimal service level, and (ii the optimal service level is independent of the profit target, the source of uncertainty, and the risk preference of the OSP.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-01-01

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

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

OpenAIRE

Turunen, Susanna

2011-01-01

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

Salutogenic service user involvement in nursing research: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mjøsund, Nina Helen; Vinje, Hege Forbech; Eriksson, Monica; Haaland-Øverby, Mette; Jensen, Sven Liang; Kjus, Solveig; Norheim, Irene; Portaasen, Inger-Lill; Espnes, Geir Arild

2018-05-12

The aim was to explore the process of involving mental healthcare service users in a mental health promotion research project as research advisors and to articulate features of the collaboration which encouraged and empowered the advisors to make significant contributions to the research process and outcome. There is an increasing interest in evaluating aspects of service user involvement in nursing research. Few descriptions exist of features that enable meaningful service user involvement. We draw on experiences from conducting research which used the methodology interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore how persons with mental disorders perceived mental health. Aside from the participants in the project, five research advisors with service user experience were involved in the entire research process. We applied a case study design to explore the ongoing processes of service user involvement. Documents and texts produced while conducting the project (2012-2016), as well as transcripts from multistage focus group discussions with the research advisors, were analysed. The level of involvement was dynamic and varied throughout the different stages of the research process. Six features: leadership, meeting structure, role clarification, being members of a team, a focus on possibilities and being seen and treated as holistic individuals, were guiding principles for a salutogenic service user involvement. These features strengthened the advisors' perception of themselves as valuable and competent contributors. Significant contributions from research advisors were promoted by facilitating the process of involvement. A supporting structure and atmosphere were consistent with a salutogenic service user involvement. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

An Investigation of Strategic Decision Making in Service Marketing through Case Study Development and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rosetti, Joseph L.; Maceiko, Meghan

2009-01-01

Through the collaborative efforts of an undergraduate student and a professor of marketing, this paper focuses on a case study and corresponding teaching notes developed as a final component of an independent study in service marketing. The case utilizes the hospitality industry as the template for analysis of the appropriateness of marketing…

Evaluating perceived quality of CELPE service: A Brazilian power company case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paes de Barros Filho, Joao; Fritsch Damasio da Silva, Cleriston; Nascimento Melo, Maria Auxiliadora do; Dumke de Medeiros, Denise

2009-01-01

This paper presents an application of a methodology for the diagnosis and analysis of the service quality perceived by a Particular Group of CELPE Corporate Customers, a Brazilian power company at Pernambuco State. Concepts, on the power sector, of Quality in Services, Performance Objectives and Critical Factors of Success have been used to develop the analysis. Next, the Critical Factors for a power company were determined and classified in accordance with the performance objectives: Quality, Dependability, Speed and Flexibility. From the factors established, a questionnaire was created to collect data. The case studied involves quantitative research on CELPE's private corporate principal customers using statistical tests to measure internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire scales and to identify underlying concepts, in the four groups analyzed, through which the private corporate customers perceive quality in the given services. Among the goals of this study are to improve the relationship with principal Private Corporate Clients, to create customer loyalty, and to maximize efforts in providing the power supply service, all of them with a view to improving and determining the Global Satisfaction Index

Evaluating perceived quality of CELPE service: A Brazilian power company case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paes de Barros Filho, Joao [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Center of Technology and Geosciences, 5th floor, Academico Helio Ramos av., Cidade Universitaria, Recife, PE 50.670-901 (Brazil)], E-mail: joaopaes@celpe.com.br; Fritsch Damasio da Silva, Cleriston [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Center of Technology and Geosciences, 5th floor, Academico Helio Ramos av., Cidade Universitaria, Recife, PE 50.670-901 (Brazil)], E-mail: cleriston_silva@yahoo.com.br; Nascimento Melo, Maria Auxiliadora do [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Center of Technology and Geosciences, 5th floor, Academico Helio Ramos av., Cidade Universitaria, Recife, PE 50.670-901 (Brazil)], E-mail: manmelo@ufpe.br; Dumke de Medeiros, Denise [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Center of Technology and Geosciences, 5th floor, Academico Helio Ramos av., Cidade Universitaria, Recife, PE 50.670-901 (Brazil)], E-mail: ddm@ufpe.br

2009-04-15

This paper presents an application of a methodology for the diagnosis and analysis of the service quality perceived by a Particular Group of CELPE Corporate Customers, a Brazilian power company at Pernambuco State. Concepts, on the power sector, of Quality in Services, Performance Objectives and Critical Factors of Success have been used to develop the analysis. Next, the Critical Factors for a power company were determined and classified in accordance with the performance objectives: Quality, Dependability, Speed and Flexibility. From the factors established, a questionnaire was created to collect data. The case studied involves quantitative research on CELPE's private corporate principal customers using statistical tests to measure internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire scales and to identify underlying concepts, in the four groups analyzed, through which the private corporate customers perceive quality in the given services. Among the goals of this study are to improve the relationship with principal Private Corporate Clients, to create customer loyalty, and to maximize efforts in providing the power supply service, all of them with a view to improving and determining the Global Satisfaction Index.

Evaluating perceived quality of CELPE service. A Brazilian power company case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Barros Filho, Joao Paes; Da Silva, Cleriston Fritsch Damasio; Do Nascimento Melo, Maria Auxiliadora; De Medeiros, Denise Dumke [Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Center of Technology and Geosciences, 5th floor, Academico Helio Ramos av., Cidade Universitaria, Recife, PE 50.670-901 (Brazil)

2009-04-15

This paper presents an application of a methodology for the diagnosis and analysis of the service quality perceived by a Particular Group of CELPE Corporate Customers, a Brazilian power company at Pernambuco State. Concepts, on the power sector, of Quality in Services, Performance Objectives and Critical Factors of Success have been used to develop the analysis. Next, the Critical Factors for a power company were determined and classified in accordance with the performance objectives: Quality, Dependability, Speed and Flexibility. From the factors established, a questionnaire was created to collect data. The case studied involves quantitative research on CELPE's private corporate principal customers using statistical tests to measure internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire scales and to identify underlying concepts, in the four groups analyzed, through which the private corporate customers perceive quality in the given services. Among the goals of this study are to improve the relationship with principal Private Corporate Clients, to create customer loyalty, and to maximize efforts in providing the power supply service, all of them with a view to improving and determining the Global Satisfaction Index. (author)

Environmental Impacts of the Use of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Birdwatching

Science.gov (United States)

Kronenberg, Jakub

2014-09-01

The main reason for promoting the concept of ecosystem services lies in its potential to contribute to environmental conservation. Highlighting the benefits derived from ecosystems fosters an understanding of humans' dependence on nature, as users of ecosystem services. However, the act of using ecosystem services may not be environmentally neutral. As with the use of products and services generated within an economy, the use of ecosystem services may lead to unintended environmental consequences throughout the `ecosystem services supply chain.' This article puts forward a framework for analyzing environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services, indicating five categories of impact: (1) direct impacts (directly limiting the service's future availability); and four categories of indirect impacts, i.e., on broader ecosystem structures and processes, which can ultimately also affect the initial service: (2) impacts related to managing ecosystems to maximize the delivery of selected services (affecting ecosystems' capacity to provide other services); (3) impacts associated with accessing ecosystems to use their services (affecting other ecosystem components); (4) additional consumption of products, infrastructure or services required to use a selected ecosystem service, and their life-cycle environmental impacts; and (5) broader impacts on the society as a whole (environmental awareness of ecosystem service users and other stakeholders). To test the usefulness of this framework, the article uses the case study of birdwatching, which demonstrates all of the above categories of impacts. The article justifies the need for a broader consideration of environmental impacts related to the use of ecosystem services.

Service quality that improves customer satisfaction in a university: a case study in Institut Teknologi Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Theresia, L.; Bangun, R.

2017-12-01

Universities should provide better service quality to get more customers. The purpose of this study was to find service quality which has impact on the increasing of customer satisfaction in a university. This study is a case study in Institut Teknologi Indonesia (ITI). The result of the study will help ITI to improve its service quality to increase customer satisfaction. This study employs path analysis technique. The data were collected through questionnaires developed from the literature. Questionnaires have two parts namely 1) service quality and 2) customer satisfaction. Service quality is measured through 22 questions with five service quality dimensions: 1) Tangibles, 2) Reliability, 3) Responsiveness, 4) Assurance and 5) Empathy. Customer Satisfaction is measured through 4 questions. The data then are processed by SPSS. The results showed that the students preferred to tangible quality improvement than intangible aspect.

A Case Study on Pre-Service Secondary School Mathematics Teachers' Cognitive-Metacognitive Behaviours in Mathematical Modelling Process

Science.gov (United States)

Sagirli, Meryem Özturan

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to investigate pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' cognitive-metacognitive behaviours during the mathematical problem-solving process considering class level. The study, in which the case study methodology was employed, was carried out with eight pre-service mathematics teachers, enrolled at a university in…

Evaluation of Outsourcing in Nursing Services: A Case Study of Kashani Hospital, Isfahan in 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdosi, Masoud; Farahabadi, Ehsan; Mofid, Maryam; Rejalian, Farzaneh; Haghighat, Maryam; Naghdi, Parnaz

2013-01-01

Background: Hospitals need to focus on their core activities, thus outsourcing of services may be effective in some instances. However, monitoring and supervision is a vital mechanism to preserving and enhancing the quality of outsourced services, and to identify the benefits and losses occurred. The purpose of this study is evaluation of nursing services outsourced in a general hospital from different point of views. Methods: This is a descriptive and applied study done by case study (before and after) method. Outsourcing nursing services of clinical wards (ENT and Neurosurgery) of Kashani Hospital in 2011 has been studied. We extracted data from a handmade questionnaire about internal customer’s satisfaction and semi-structured interviews with officials, and also survey of financial and administrative documents and records related to the topic. Results: The findings indicate an increased number of graduated nurses per bed to fulfill the main objective of outsourcing in this case. But achieving this objective is accompanied with remarkable increased costs per bed after outsourcing. Besides, we noticed minor changes in internal customer satisfaction rate. Conclusion: While outsourcing should bring about staff and patients’ satisfaction and increase the efficiency and effectiveness, outsourcing nursing workforce singly, leaded to a loss of efficiency. Therefore, the applied outsourcing has not met the productivity for the hospital. PMID:23678338

Evaluation of outsourcing in nursing services: a case study of kashani hospital, isfahan in 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdosi, Masoud; Farahabadi, Ehsan; Mofid, Maryam; Rejalian, Farzaneh; Haghighat, Maryam; Naghdi, Parnaz

2013-03-01

Hospitals need to focus on their core activities, thus outsourcing of services may be effective in some instances. However, monitoring and supervision is a vital mechanism to preserving and enhancing the quality of outsourced services, and to identify the benefits and losses occurred. The purpose of this study is evaluation of nursing services outsourced in a general hospital from different point of views. This is a descriptive and applied study done by case study (before and after) method. Outsourcing nursing services of clinical wards (ENT and Neurosurgery) of Kashani Hospital in 2011 has been studied. We extracted data from a handmade questionnaire about internal customer's satisfaction and semi-structured interviews with officials, and also survey of financial and administrative documents and records related to the topic. The findings indicate an increased number of graduated nurses per bed to fulfill the main objective of outsourcing in this case. But achieving this objective is accompanied with remarkable increased costs per bed after outsourcing. Besides, we noticed minor changes in internal customer satisfaction rate. While outsourcing should bring about staff and patients' satisfaction and increase the efficiency and effectiveness, outsourcing nursing workforce singly, leaded to a loss of efficiency. Therefore, the applied outsourcing has not met the productivity for the hospital.

The applicability of constructivist user studies: how can constructivist inquiry inform service providers and systems designers? Constructivist inquiry, Case study, Systems design, User behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Pickard

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper has attempted to clarify the ways in which individual, holistic case studies, produced via the process of constructivist inquiry, can be tested for trustworthiness and applied to other, similar situations. Service providers and systems designers need contextual information concerning their users in order to design and provide systems and services that will function effectively and efficiently within those contexts. Abstract models can only provide abstract insight into human behaviour and this is rarely sufficient detail upon which to base the planning and delivery of a service. The methodological issues which surround the applicability of individual, holistic case studies are discussed, explaining the concept of 'contextual applicability.' The relevance and usefulness of in-depth case study research to systems designers and service providers is highlighted.

Service Journalism in the Association Magazine: A Case Study of the "Angus Journal."

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffers, Dennis W.

Examining the role of service journalism in association magazines (magazines focusing on technical and educational information relating to specific practices of association members), a case study of the "Angus Journal" (a monthly magazine devoted to the beef breeding industry) investigated the problem of determining the amount of service…

E-Service Quality Evaluation on E-Government Website: Case Study BPJS Kesehatan Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Rasyid, A.; Alfina, I.

2017-01-01

This research intends to develop a model to evaluate the quality of e-services on e-government. The proposed model consists of seven dimensions: web design, reliability, responsiveness, privacy and security, personalization, information, and ease of use. The model is used to measure the quality of the e-registration of BPJS Kesehatan, an Indonesian government health insurance program. The validation and reliability testing show that of the seven dimensions proposed, only four that suitable for the case study. The result shows that the BPJS Kesehatan e-registration service is good in reliability and responsiveness dimensions, while from web design and ease of use dimensions the e-service still needs to be optimized.

Investigating the role of Fuzzy as confirmatory tool for service quality assessment (Case study: Comparison of Fuzzy SERVQUAL and SERVQUAL in hotel service evaluation)

Science.gov (United States)

Wahyudi, R. D.

2017-11-01

The problem was because of some indicators qualitatively assessed had been discussed in engineering field. Whereas, qualitative assessment was presently used in certain occasion including in engineering field, for instance, the assessment of service satisfaction. Probably, understanding of satisfaction definition caused bias if customers had their own definition of satisfactory level of service. Therefore, the use of fuzzy logic in SERVQUAL as service satisfaction measurement tool would probably be useful. This paper aimed to investigate the role of fuzzy in SERVQUAL by comparing result measurement of SERVQUAL and fuzzy SERVQUAL for study case of hotel service evaluation. Based on data processing, initial result showed that there was no significant different between them. Thus, either implementation of fuzzy SERVQUAL in different case or study about the role of fuzzy logic in SERVQUAL would be interesting further discussed topic.

Provision of prehospital emergency medical services in Punjab, Pakistan: Case study of a public sector provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Sriram, Veena M; Naseer, Rizwan; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-12-01

The availability and quality of emergency medical services in low- and middle-income countries, including Pakistan, are extremely limited. New models for prehospital emergency medical services provision have recently emerged across multiple sectors, and research on these models is urgently needed to inform current and future emergency medical services systems in low-resource settings. The objective of this case study was to provide a comprehensive description of the organizational structure and service delivery model of a public sector provider in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, Rescue 1122, with a focus on operations in Lahore. We used case study methodology to systematically describe the organizational model of Rescue 1122. Qualitative data were collected during an in-person site visit to Lahore in June 2013. Three sources were utilized-semi-structured in-depth interviews, document review, and nonparticipant observation. Data were analyzed according to the health system "building blocks" proposed by the World Health Organization. Rescue 1122 is based on a legal framework that provides public financing for EMS, resulting in financial stability for the service. The organization has also reportedly taken positive steps in engaging with communities, and in coordinating across EMS, fire and rescue. We noted benefits and challenges in scaling up the service to all districts in Punjab. Finally, some areas of improvement include supply chain management and expanded data utilization. Our case study highlights key components of the model, areas for strengthening, and opportunities for further research. Rescue 1122 provides an example of a government-financed and operated emergency medical system in a low-resource setting. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.Michael Greenwood

2015-07-01

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

Learning Statistics at the Farmers Market? A Comparison of Academic Service Learning and Case Studies in an Introductory Statistics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Hiedemann, Bridget; Jones, Stacey M.

2010-01-01

We compare the effectiveness of academic service learning to that of case studies in an undergraduate introductory business statistics course. Students in six sections of the course were assigned either an academic service learning project (ASL) or business case studies (CS). We examine two learning outcomes: students' performance on the final…

The service industry strategy-A case study of tourism hotel in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chunwei; Huang, Jui-Chan; Wen, Hao-Ming; Hairui, Ji

2017-06-01

Regarding to raising living standard in Taiwan, service industry had stand more than 65% GDP and manufacturing is around 35% recently. The data from Council for Economic Planning and Development of Taiwan, in 2015, the service industry stand more than 73% of GDP, and the tourism industry has played one of the most important rules. In service industry, recently, the policy of Taiwan government encourages overseas tourists come to Taiwan for resort and it made many new tourism hotels built, and they also had to do the overall reform to satisfy their customers of global, especially respecting on Eastern Asia. In this study, experts and scholars in the fields of industry academia were interviewed. Survey were issued to the object companies and a comparative case study was conducted to analyze the influencing factors and extent to which differences on the competitive edge and strategies of Taiwan tourism hotels and those which benefit most or least from business operation current situation that conducted with governments' support and internal management. By primary data and literature reviews, this study hope that an effective reference for improving industrial competitiveness and models of competitiveness could be available for the governments and the companies.

Did the Ebola Outbreak Disrupt Immunisation Services? A Case Study from Liberia

OpenAIRE

Wesseh, C; Najjemba, R; Edwards, J; Owiti, P; Tweya, H; Bhat, P

2017-01-01

Setting: All health facilities providing routine immunisation services in Liberia. Objective: To compare the number of routine facility-based and outreach immunisations and measles cases before, during and after the Ebola outbreak. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Results: Immunisation coverage for fully immunised children before the Ebola outbreak was 73%. Immunisation coverage for all antigens declined by half compared to baseline during the outbreak. These findings were similar...

The Application Study in Solar Energy Technology for Highway Service Area: A Case Study of West Lushan Highway Low-Carbon Service Area in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaochun Qin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A lot of research works have been made concerning highway service area or solar technology and acquired great achievements. However, unfortunately, few works have been made combining the two topics together of highway service areas and solar energy saving to make a systemic research on solar technology application for highway service area. In this paper, taking West Lushan highway low-carbon service area in Jiangxi Province of China as the case study, the advantages, technical principles, and application methods of solar energy technology for highway service area including solar photoelectric technology and solar water heating technology were discussed based on the analysis of characteristics of highway low-carbon service area; the system types, operation mode, and installing tilt angle of the two kinds of solar systems suitable for highway service areas were confirmed. It was proved that the reduction of the cost by electricity savings of solar system was huge. Taking the investment of the solar systems into account, the payback period of solar photoelectric systems and solar water heating systems was calculated. The economic effect of the solar systems in West Lushan highway service area during the effective operation periods was also calculated and proved very considerable.

Implementing service improvement projects within pre-registration nursing education: a multi-method case study evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baillie, Lesley; Bromley, Barbara; Walker, Moira; Jones, Rebecca; Mhlanga, Fortune

2014-01-01

Preparing healthcare students for quality and service improvement is important internationally. A United Kingdom (UK) initiative aims to embed service improvement in pre-registration education. A UK university implemented service improvement teaching for all nursing students. In addition, the degree pathway students conducted service improvement projects as the basis for their dissertations. The study aimed to evaluate the implementation of service improvement projects within a pre-registration nursing curriculum. A multi-method case study was conducted, using student questionnaires, focus groups with students and academic staff, and observation of action learning sets. Questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS v19. Qualitative data were analysed using Ritchie and Spencer's (1994) Framework Approach. Students were very positive about service improvement. The degree students, who conducted service improvement projects in practice, felt more knowledgeable than advanced diploma students. Selecting the project focus was a key issue and students encountered some challenges in practice. Support for student service improvement projects came from action learning sets, placement staff, and academic staff. Service improvement projects had a positive effect on students' learning. An effective partnership between the university and partner healthcare organisations, and support for students in practice, is essential. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amazon Web Services- a Case Study

OpenAIRE

Narendula, Rammohan

2012-01-01

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a set (more than 25) of proprietary web-based services owned by Amazon.com. All these services ranging from simple storage to sophisticated database services constitute the cloud platform oered by Amazon. An extensive list of customers for AWS include Dropbox, UniLever, Airbnb, Nasdaq, Netflix. As of 2007, there are more than 300K developers actively using AWS. It is one of the pioneers which brought the cloud computing closer to masses helping number of start...

SME Customer Service Excellence: A Singaporean Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koh Kelly Sze Wee

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In Singapore, service sectors are dominated by SMEs. This study set out to investigate customer satisfaction as a critical factor in SME survival and indeed in helping to maintain the overall health of the economy. In this study, data were collected from a Singaporean SME which supplies and installs glass for construction projects. Departments involved were Sales & Marketing, Administration, and Installation. A questionnaire survey was administered to every customer of the company in 2013 in order to evaluate the services provided by the three departments. Customers were categorized into five groups: main contractors, designers/sub-contractors, property managers, home owners and commercial owners. Data were analyzed in terms of thirteen customer service variables identified from the literature. Statistical methods were applied to data analysis and findings were arrived at. Findings were found to be sufficiently significant to permit the formulation of a Total Customer Service Excellence Model for SMEs in Singapore.

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

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Olanrele O. O.

2014-01-01

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

The Use of Qualitative Case Studies as an Experiential Teaching Method in the Training of Pre-Service Teachers

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Arseven, Ilhami

2018-01-01

This study presents the suitability of case studies, which is a qualitative research method and can be used as a teaching method in the training of pre-service teachers, for experiential learning theory. The basic view of experiential learning theory on learning and the qualitative case study paradigm are consistent with each other within the…

Effects of Ramadan on Forensic Cases Presenting to Emergency Service

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F. Sarı Doğan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The term "forensic case" is defined as disruption of physical and/or mental health of an individual due to external factors. Forensic cases are most frequently encountered in emergency services. Ramadan, the ninth month of Islamic calendar, is a month of fasting throughout which Muslims from all around the world worship by observing fasting. There are many studies focusing on the effects of fasting on health. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Ramadan on forensic cases presenting to emergency service.

Describing an Environment for a Self-Sustaining Technology Transfer Service in a Small Research Budget University: A Case Study

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Nieb, Sharon Lynn

2014-01-01

This single-site qualitative study sought to identify the characteristics that contribute to the self sustainability of technology transfer services at universities with small research budgets through a case study analysis of a small research budget university that has been operating a financially self-sustainable technology transfer service for…

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

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Tuomo Eskelinen

2017-06-01

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

The challenges to gender integration in the career fire services: a comparative case study of men in nursing

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

pdf. 191 David F. Burrelli, Women in the Armed Forces (CRS Report No. 92008) ( Washington , DC: Congressional Research Service, 1998), 1, https...IB92008) Washington , DC: Congressional Research Service, 1998. https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=718051. Carreiras, Helena. Gender and the Military: Women ...GENDER INTEGRATION IN THE CAREER FIRE SERVICES: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF MEN IN NURSING by Anna L. Schermerhorn-Collins March 2017

Using secure web services to visualize poison center data for nationwide biosurveillance: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Savel, Thomas G; Bronstein, Alvin; Duck, William; Rhodes, M Barry; Lee, Brian; Stinn, John; Worthen, Katherine

2010-01-01

Real-time surveillance systems are valuable for timely response to public health emergencies. It has been challenging to leverage existing surveillance systems in state and local communities, and, using a centralized architecture, add new data sources and analytical capacity. Because this centralized model has proven to be difficult to maintain and enhance, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been examining the ability to use a federated model based on secure web services architecture, with data stewardship remaining with the data provider. As a case study for this approach, the American Association of Poison Control Centers and the CDC extended an existing data warehouse via a secure web service, and shared aggregate clinical effects and case counts data by geographic region and time period. To visualize these data, CDC developed a web browser-based interface, Quicksilver, which leveraged the Google Maps API and Flot, a javascript plotting library. Two iterations of the NPDS web service were completed in 12 weeks. The visualization client, Quicksilver, was developed in four months. This implementation of web services combined with a visualization client represents incremental positive progress in transitioning national data sources like BioSense and NPDS to a federated data exchange model. Quicksilver effectively demonstrates how the use of secure web services in conjunction with a lightweight, rapidly deployed visualization client can easily integrate isolated data sources for biosurveillance.

The Distribution of Health Services in Iran Health Care System: A Case Study at East Azerbaijan

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Hassan Almaspoor-khangah

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: It is necessary that various aspects of health information and statistics are identified and measured since health problems are getting more complex day by day. Objective: This study is aimed to investigate the distribution of health services in the health care system in Iran and the case of study is East Azerbaijan province. Methods: This research was a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study. The statistical population included all health service providers in East Azerbaijan Province in the public, private, charity, military, social security, and NGO sectors. In this study, the data from all functional health sectors, including hospitals, health centers, and clinical, rehabilitation centers and all clinics and private offices were studied during 2014. The data relevant to performance were collected according to a pre-determined format (researcher- built checklist which was approved by five professionals and experts Health Services Management (content validity. Results: The study findings showed that the public sector by 45.28% accounted for the highest share of provided services and the private sector, social security, military institutions, charities and NGOs institutions by 25.47%, 18.92%, 4.37%, 3.3%, and 2.66% next rank in providing health services in East Azerbaijan province have been allocated. Conclusion: The results show that most of the health services in East Azerbaijan Province belongs to the public sector and the private sector has managed to develop its services in some parts surpassed the public sector. According to the study findings, Policies should be aimed to create balance and harmony in the provision of services among all service providers.

Law-Based Ontology for E-Government Services Construction - Case Study: The Specification of Services in Relationship with the Venture Creation in Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Khadraoui, Abdelaziz; Opprecht, Wanda; Léonard, Michel; Aïdonidis, Christine

The compliance of e-government services with legal aspects is a crucial issue for administrations. This issue becomes more difficult with the fast-evolving dynamics of laws. This chapter presents our approach to describe and establish the link between e-government services and legal sources. This link is established by an ontology called “law-based ontology.” We use this ontology as means to define and to construct e-government services. The proposed approach is illustrated with one case study: the specification of services in relationship with the venture ­creation in Switzerland and in the State of Geneva. We have selected the Commercial Register area which mainly encompasses the registration of a new company and the modification of its registration.

How Are Service Dogs for Adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Integrated with Rehabilitation in Denmark? A Case Study.

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Glintborg, Chalotte; Hansen, Tia G B

2017-04-25

A severe mental illness like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is known to have psychosocial consequences that can lead to a decreased quality of life. Research in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) has revealed that the presence of a dog can have a positive effect on health, e.g., increase quality of life and lessen depression and anxiety. However, canine companionship is not a catch-all solution. Previous research has revealed methodological limitations that prohibit any clear conclusions, as well as a sparsity of critical reflection in anecdotal reports and case studies, which means that more research is needed to contextualize the findings. There has been an increasing interest in animal-assisted intervention in Denmark in recent years. Previously, authorities could only grant service dogs to adults with physical disabilities, but now this has been extended to adults with mental illnesses. Therefore, it has become important to explore how these service dogs are incorporated into rehabilitation practices in mental health, and how rehabilitation professionals react to the use of service dogs. This paper is a case study of a person who suffers from PTSD. This study examines how the person describes the significance of having a dog during her rehabilitation process, and how this is integrated with existing rehabilitation. The case study has been developed based on a semi-structured interview. A Thematic Content analysis was used to reveal dominant patterns and categories. This study revealed a lack of communication and collaboration between public administration (social service), service dog providers, health rehabilitation services, and providers of psychological treatment. It also revealed limited access for the dog to public services, limited success in incorporating the dog into goal-directed treatment and rehabilitation procedures, a strongly felt emotional support from the dog, and a perceived stigma by having the dog wearing a vest with he words "mentally ill

The challenge of implementing peer-led interventions in a professionalized health service: a case study of the national health trainers service in England.

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Mathers, Jonathan; Taylor, Rebecca; Parry, Jayne

2014-12-01

Policy Points: In 2004, England's National Health Service introduced health trainer services to help individuals adopt healthier lifestyles and to redress national health inequalities. Over time these anticipated community-focused services became more NHS-focused, delivering "downstream" lifestyle interventions. At the same time, individuals' lifestyle choices were abstracted from the wider social determinants of health and the potential to address inequalities was diminished. While different service models are needed to engage hard-to-reach populations, the long-term sustainability of any new service model depends on its aligning with the established medical system's characteristics. In 2004, the English Public Health White Paper Choosing Health introduced "health trainers" as new members of the National Health Service (NHS) workforce. Health trainers would offer one-to-one peer-support to anyone who wished to adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Choosing Health implicitly envisaged health trainers working in community settings in order to engage "hard-to-reach" individuals and other groups who often have the poorest health but who engage the least with traditional health promotion and other NHS services. During longitudinal case studies of 6 local health trainer services, we conducted in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and analyzed service activity data. Rather than an unproblematic and stable implementation of community-focused services according to the vision in Choosing Health, we observed substantial shifts in the case studies' configuration and delivery as the services embedded themselves in the local NHS systems. To explain these observations, we drew on a recently proposed conceptual framework to examine and understand the adoption and diffusion of innovations in health care systems. The health trainer services have become more "medicalized" over time, and in doing so, the original theory underpinning the program has been threatened. The

Evaluation of service quality by using fuzzy MCDM: A case study in Iranian health-care centers

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Leili Afkham

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Service quality plays an important role in health care systems since hospitals are responsible for people's lives. This study presents an effective approach for evaluating and comparing service qualities of four hospitals. Service quality consists of different attributes and many of them are intangible and difficult to measure. Therefore, we propose a fuzzy method to resolve the ambiguity of the concepts, which are associated with human judgments. SERVQUAL model is used to evaluate the respondents' judgments of service quality and multi attribute decision making approach is implemented for the comparison among hospitals. The paper use analytical hierarchy process (AHP for obtaining criteria weight and TOPSIS for ranking the cases.

Emerging Business Models in Education Provisioning: A Case Study on Providing Learning Support as Education-as-a-Service

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Loina Prifti

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims to give a deeper understanding on emerging business models in the context of education. Industry 4.0/the Industrial Internet in general and especially recent advances in cloud computing enable a new kind of service offering in the education sector and lead to new business models for education: Education-as-a-Service (EaaS. Within EaaS, learning, and teaching contents are delivered as services. By combining a literature review with a qualitative case study, this paper makes a three-fold contribution to the field of business models in education: First, we provide a theoretical definition for a common understanding of EaaS. Second, we present the state-of-the-art research on this new paradigm. Third, in the case study we describe a “best practices” business model of an existing EaaS provider. These insights build a theoretical foundation for further research in this area. The paper concludes with a research agenda for further research in this emerging field.

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

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

2003-03-01

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

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

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Richard Weeks

2011-12-01

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

Wind Energy Applications for Municipal Water Services: Opportunities, Situation Analyses, and Case Studies; Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flowers, L.; Miner-Nordstrom, L.

2006-01-01

As communities grow, greater demands are placed on water supplies, wastewater services, and the electricity needed to power the growing water services infrastructure. Water is also a critical resource for thermoelectric power plants. Future population growth in the United States is therefore expected to heighten competition for water resources. Many parts of the United States with increasing water stresses also have significant wind energy resources. Wind power is the fastest-growing electric generation source in the United States and is decreasing in cost to be competitive with thermoelectric generation. Wind energy can offer communities in water-stressed areas the option of economically meeting increasing energy needs without increasing demands on valuable water resources. Wind energy can also provide targeted energy production to serve critical local water-system needs. The research presented in this report describes a systematic assessment of the potential for wind power to support water utility operation, with the objective to identify promising technical applications and water utility case study opportunities. The first section describes the current situation that municipal providers face with respect to energy and water. The second section describes the progress that wind technologies have made in recent years to become a cost-effective electricity source. The third section describes the analysis employed to assess potential for wind power in support of water service providers, as well as two case studies. The report concludes with results and recommendations.

Marine and coastal ecosystem services on the science–policy–practice nexus: challenges and opportunities from 11 European case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drakou, E.G.; Kermagoret, C.; Liquete, C.; Ruiz-Frau, A.; Burkhard, K.; Lillebø, A.I.; van Oudenhoven, A.P.E.; Ballé-Béganton, J.; Rodrigues, J.G.; Nieminen, E.; Oinonen, S.; Ziemba, A.; Gissi, E.; Depellegrin, D.; Veidemane, K.; Ruskule, A.; Delangue, J.; Böhnke-Henrichs, A.; Boon, A.; Wenning, R.; Martino, S.; Hasler, B.; Termansen, M.; Rockel, M.; Hummel, H.; El Serafy, G.; Peev, P.

2017-01-01

We compared and contrasted 11 European case studies to identify challenges and opportunitiestoward the operationalization of marine and coastal ecosystem service (MCES) assessments inEurope. This work is the output of a panel convened by the Marine Working Group of theEcosystemServices Partnership

Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing for Inter-Library Services: A Case Study in a University

Science.gov (United States)

Pernot, Eli; Roodhooft, Filip; Van den Abbeele, Alexandra

2007-01-01

Although the true costs of inter-library loans (ILL) are unknown, universities increasingly rely on them to provide better library services at lower costs. Through a case study, we show how to perform a time-driven activity-based costing analysis of ILL and provide evidence of the benefits of such an analysis.

Provision of a Medicines Information Service to Consumers on Facebook: An Australian Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Benetoli, Arcelio; Chen, Timothy F; Spagnardi, Sarah; Beer, Troy; Aslani, Parisa

2015-11-23

Social networking sites (SNSs) have changed the way people communicate. They may also change the way people seek health advice. This study describes the provision of a medicines information service on Facebook to individual consumers. It aimed to discuss the pros and cons, and inform health and pharmacy stakeholders and researchers about the opportunities and challenges of providing such a service. We adopted an exploratory approach using a case study method. NPS MedicineWise, an independent, not-for-profit Australian organization, runs a public question-and-answer service on Facebook, dubbed Pharmacist Hour. Consumers following the organization's Facebook page are invited to post medication-related questions often with a suggested health topic. A wide range of questions and comments are posted related to medication usage. The pharmacist answers the queries, providing evidence-based medicines information and using consumer-friendly language, during the specific 1-hour period. The most popular questions in the past 12 months were related to adverse effects, treatment options for conditions, and drug interactions. The service had a mean number of engagements (defined as a like or share of the Pharmacy Hour post) of 38 (SD 19) people and a mean 5 (SD 3) questions per session. The Pharmacist Hour Facebook service addresses the medicines information needs of consumers and indirectly promotes other appropriate and relevant NPS MedicineWise products and services to further assist consumers. The service offers a new medium for a quality use of medicines organization committed to promoting awareness about the correct and safe use of medicines in Australia.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2006-04-01

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shang-Liang Chen

2014-03-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-01-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-03-28

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

The outcomes of partnerships with mental health service users in interprofessional education: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Di; Carpenter, John; Dickinson, Claire

2006-09-01

This paper reports findings from a 5-year evaluation (1998-2003) of a postqualifying programme in community mental health in England which made a sustained attempt to develop partnerships with service users. Users were involved in the commissioning of the programme and its evaluation, as trainers and as course members. The evaluation employed mixed methods to assess: learners' reactions to user-trainers and users as course members; changes in knowledge, attitudes and skills; and changes in individual and organisational practice. Data were collected from participant observation of training, 23 individual and 18 group interviews with students and their managers (n=13), and student ratings of knowledge and skills at the beginning and end of the programme (n=49). The quality of care provided by students was rated by service users (n=120) with whom they worked, using a user-defined questionnaire. The quality of care, and mental health and quality of life outcomes were compared to those for two comparison groups (n=44) in areas where no training had taken place. In general, the students reported positive learning outcomes associated with the partnership orientation of the programme, and learning directly from and with service users. A higher proportion of programme users reported good user-centred assessment and care planning, and showed greater improvement in life skills compared to the comparators. This case study provides evidence of the value of partnership working with service users in interprofessional postqualifying education in mental health. The success is attributed to the design of the programme and the responsiveness of the programme board, which included service users. It may provide a useful model for programmes elsewhere and for other user groups. The case study itself provides a possible model for the systematic evaluation of partnerships with users in education and training.

It Takes a Toll on Pre-Service Teachers and Programs: Case Studies of Teacher Candidates Who Withdrew from a Teacher Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Pei-Ying; Childs, Ruth A.; Zhang, Jingshun

2016-01-01

Previous studies have examined patterns of withdrawal from initial teacher education (ITE) programs and have found that pre-service teachers are more likely to withdraw if they are male or older than the typical pre-service teacher. This study presents case studies based on semi-structured interviews with older male pre-service teachers who…

Facilitating a stakeholder-led approach to the development of Mediterranean climate services: co-ordinating the CLIM-RUN case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Goodess, C. M.

2012-04-01

The CLIM-RUN case studies provide a real-world context for bringing together experts on the demand and supply side of climate services. They are essential to the CLIM-RUN objective of using iterative and bottom-up (i.e., stakeholder led) approaches for optimizing the two-way information transfer between climate experts and stakeholders. The region of interest for CLIM-RUN is the Mediterranean, which is a recognised climate change hotspot (i.e., a region particularly sensitive and vulnerable to global warming) and which does not currently have developed climate service networks such as exist in a number of Central and Northern European countries. The case studies focus on the energy and tourism sectors, but also include a cross-cutting study on wild fires (an issue of increasing concern in the Mediterranean) as well as a cross-sectorial integrated case study for the Venice lagoon. They span coastal (e.g., Tunisia and Croatia), island (e.g., Cyprus) and mountain (e.g., Savoie) environments, the eastern (e.g., Greece) to western (e.g., Spain, Morocco) Mediterranean regions, and regional to local foci. Stakeholder involvement has been critical from the start of the project in March 2011, with a series of targeted workshops helping to define the framework for each case study. Two specific workshop objectives were to (i) better understand who are the climate services stakeholders and (ii) what they need/want from climate services (both in terms of data products and broader knowledge). Many of the workshops were held in local languages to maximise stakeholder participation, with expert knowledge provided by the CLIM-RUN climate and stakeholder expert teams (the CET and SET). Following the workshops, CET members are 'translating' the user needs into specific requirements from climate observations and models and identifying areas where additional modelling and analysis are required. As part of the central co-ordination of the case studies, a perception and data needs

Ecosystem Services Mapping Uncertainty Assessment: A Case Study in the Fitzroy Basin Mining Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenyu Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Ecosystem services mapping is becoming increasingly popular through the use of various readily available mapping tools, however, uncertainties in assessment outputs are commonly ignored. Uncertainties from different sources have the potential to lower the accuracy of mapping outputs and reduce their reliability for decision-making. Using a case study in an Australian mining region, this paper assessed the impact of uncertainties on the modelling of the hydrological ecosystem service, water provision. Three types of uncertainty were modelled using multiple uncertainty scenarios: (1 spatial data sources; (2 modelling scales (temporal and spatial and (3 parameterization and model selection. We found that the mapping scales can induce significant changes to the spatial pattern of outputs and annual totals of water provision. In addition, differences in parameterization using differing sources from the literature also led to obvious differences in base flow. However, the impact of each uncertainty associated with differences in spatial data sources were not so great. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of uncertainty assessment and highlight that any conclusions drawn from ecosystem services mapping, such as the impacts of mining, are likely to also be a property of the uncertainty in ecosystem services mapping methods.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Stafrace, Simon; Lilly, Alan

2008-08-01

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

Education Technology Services at Indiana University: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bichelmeyer, B. A.; Hara, Noriko; Yi, Jessi; Dennen, Vanessa; Avers, Dale; Tzeng, Jeng-Yi

1998-01-01

This paper, based on a qualitative research study, describes the technology resources available in the Indiana University School of Education, explains the range of services provided by Education Technology Services (ETS), documents the organizational structure of ETS, and describes the key processes and culture of ETS. (Author/AEF)

A Case Study of Student Engagement in Collaborative Group Learning in a Blended Community Based (Service) Learning Module

OpenAIRE

McGarrigle, John G.

2009-01-01

Abstract: A participatory action research case study employed mixed methods to examine student collaboration and engagement in a Community Based (Service) learning module. A quasi experimental testing of Coates (2007) typology of student engagement found low agreement between students and lecturers in assigning the terms, passive, intense, independent or collaborative to student postings to discussion fora. Evidence from this case study found greater student collaboration in discussion fora w...

Supporting User Generated Content for Mobile News Services: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christos K. Georgiadis

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Web 2.0 applications encourage users to contribute to the production of richer content. In this context, our work mainly focuses on providing mobile users the ability to share content and to support user generated content production. Specifically, in our case study, features both for a mobile Web and for a mobile native application are implemented, capable of providing news services enriched with indicative social networking elements. The results of our work are largely related to the understanding of the required proper solutions, based on the investigation of serious technical challenges: the XML‐RPC library for the Android platform is exploited, as well as a specific Backend Joomla! component is built (Rsstoa to handle consistently external content sources, such as feeds and multipart emails.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2009-06-01

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

Project Photofly: New 3d Modeling Online Web Service (case Studies and Assessments)

Science.gov (United States)

Abate, D.; Furini, G.; Migliori, S.; Pierattini, S.

2011-09-01

During summer 2010, Autodesk has released a still ongoing project called Project Photofly, freely downloadable from AutodeskLab web site until August 1 2011. Project Photofly based on computer-vision and photogrammetric principles, exploiting the power of cloud computing, is a web service able to convert collections of photographs into 3D models. Aim of our research was to evaluate the Project Photofly, through different case studies, for 3D modeling of cultural heritage monuments and objects, mostly to identify for which goals and objects it is suitable. The automatic approach will be mainly analyzed.

Factors Affecting Customer’s Perception of Service Quality: Comparing Differences among Countries - Case study: Beauty salons in Bandung and Tokyo

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Keiko Nakashima

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines a holistic study of analyzing several factors affecting service quality andtheir correlation with characteristic of customers based on value and life style. Furthermore,customer’s perception of service quality can be drawn from those relationships. Exploratoryfactor analysis and quantitative analysis is employed with case study of beauty salon serviceat Bandung and Tokyo. The results indicate how the quality of services is perceived differentlyby customers who have different value and life style, and also describe significant relationshipbetween value and life style with the affecting factors of service quality.Key words : service quality, value and life style, customer perception, beauty salon.

Coastal Zone Ecosystem Services: from science to values and decision making; a case study.

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Luisetti, T; Turner, R K; Jickells, T; Andrews, J; Elliott, M; Schaafsma, M; Beaumont, N; Malcolm, S; Burdon, D; Adams, C; Watts, W

2014-09-15

This research is concerned with the following environmental research questions: socio-ecological system complexity, especially when valuing ecosystem services; ecosystems stock and services flow sustainability and valuation; the incorporation of scale issues when valuing ecosystem services; and the integration of knowledge from diverse disciplines for governance and decision making. In this case study, we focused on ecosystem services that can be jointly supplied but independently valued in economic terms: healthy climate (via carbon sequestration and storage), food (via fisheries production in nursery grounds), and nature recreation (nature watching and enjoyment). We also explored the issue of ecosystem stock and services flow, and we provide recommendations on how to value stock and flows of ecosystem services via accounting and economic values respectively. We considered broadly comparable estuarine systems located on the English North Sea coast: the Blackwater estuary and the Humber estuary. In the past, these two estuaries have undergone major land-claim. Managed realignment is a policy through which previously claimed intertidal habitats are recreated allowing the enhancement of the ecosystem services provided by saltmarshes. In this context, we investigated ecosystem service values, through biophysical estimates and welfare value estimates. Using an optimistic (extended conservation of coastal ecosystems) and a pessimistic (loss of coastal ecosystems because of, for example, European policy reversal) scenario, we find that context dependency, and hence value transfer possibilities, vary among ecosystem services and benefits. As a result, careful consideration in the use and application of value transfer, both in biophysical estimates and welfare value estimates, is advocated to supply reliable information for policy making. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Business Models for Mobile Media Services : A case study in China mainland market

OpenAIRE

Huang, Jin

2012-01-01

Mobile media OTT service such as mobile music and mobile video is believed to be the next big revenue driver for mobile operator’s mobile broadband business. The media industry is willing to take mobile distribution channel to increase the content value. In Europe, there are already several successful cooperation cases between online media service provider and mobile operator, such as Spotify and Telia. However, with more complicated market and business environment in China, the mobile media ...

Forensic Investigation of Cooperative Storage Cloud Service: Symform as a Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Teing, Yee-Yang; Dehghantanha, Ali; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Dargahi, Tooska; Conti, Mauro

2017-05-01

Researchers envisioned Storage as a Service (StaaS) as an effective solution to the distributed management of digital data. Cooperative storage cloud forensic is relatively new and is an under-explored area of research. Using Symform as a case study, we seek to determine the data remnants from the use of cooperative cloud storage services. In particular, we consider both mobile devices and personal computers running various popular operating systems, namely Windows 8.1, Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9.5, Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS, iOS 7.1.2, and Android KitKat 4.4.4. Potential artefacts recovered during the research include data relating to the installation and uninstallation of the cloud applications, log-in to and log-out from Symform account using the client application, file synchronization as well as their time stamp information. This research contributes to an in-depth understanding of the types of terrestrial artifacts that are likely to remain after the use of cooperative storage cloud on client devices. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Price discrimination in obstetric services--a case study in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Mohammad; Hanson, Kara; Mills, Anne

2004-06-01

This article examines the existence of price discrimination for obstetric services in two private hospitals in Bangladesh, and considers the welfare consequences of such discrimination, i.e. whether or not price discrimination benefited the poorer users. Data on 1212 normal and caesarean section patients discharged from the two hospitals were obtained. Obstetric services were chosen because they are relatively standardised and the patient population is relatively homogeneous, so minimising the scope and scale of product differentiation due to procedure and case-mix differences. The differences between the hospital list price for delivery and actual prices paid by patients were calculated to determine the average rate of discount. The welfare consequences of price discrimination were assessed by testing the differences in mean prices paid by patients from three income groups: low, middle and high. The results suggest that two different forms of price discrimination for obstetric services occurred in both these hospitals. First, there was price discrimination according to income, with the poorer users benefiting from a higher discount rate than richer ones; and second, there was price discrimination according to social status, with three high status occupational groups (doctors, senior government officials, and large businessmen) having the highest probability of receiving some level of discount. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Intra-firm knowledge transfer-a qualitative case study of knowledge transfer and its implications in a soft service firm

OpenAIRE

Zheleva, Denitsa; Viklund, Alexandra

2014-01-01

The following case study aims to explore the knowledge transfer and its implications in the context of a soft service firm. The complexity of knowledge itself and the knowledge transfer process in service firms brings new challenges. The phenomenon was investigated by the application of grounded theory. Interviews were conducted with employees at a company present in the Quick Service Restaurant segment. It resulted in several findings that were not reported by previous literature. Firstly, w...

How Are Service Dogs for Adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Integrated with Rehabilitation in Denmark? A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Glintborg, Chalotte; Hansen, Tia G. B.

2017-01-01

Simple Summary The use of service dogs for adults with mental illnesses has become generally accepted. With reference to a single case study of a client with Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD), this study illustrates some of the potential advantages, but also note an important concern that appears to have gone unnoticed. The provision of service animals/therapy animals for adults with mental illnesses must be sufficiently informed by relevant knowledge and integrated with concurrent rehabilitation ...

Using customer-focused research and design to build a self-service online store: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmadi MB

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Michael B Ahmadi,1 William Trefzger,2 Rich Morey,1 Ileana Quintas31Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, 2Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, 3IQ Solutions, Inc, Rockville, MD, USAAbstract: American government information centers need to be responsive to an increasingly customer driven information environment while ensuring the sustainability of operations. Enhanced self-service options offer one avenue for addressing both of these needs. This article presents a case study of how the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration used extensive stakeholder research and a customer-centric design to reframe its service model by building a self-service online store that integrates access to more than 1300 behavioral health publications previously housed in two separate clearinghouses. The redesigned Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Store offers users a modern e-commerce website that not only helps customers find, order, download, and share products, but also encourages serendipitous content exploration, which has led to increased orders containing both substance abuse and mental health publications.Keywords: customer research, taxonomy, usability testing, web analytics, web design

A case-mix in-service education program.

Science.gov (United States)

Arons, R R

1985-01-01

The new case-mix in-service education program at the Presbyterian Hospital in the City of New York is a fine example of physicians and administration working together to achieve success under the new prospective pricing system. The hospital's office of Case-Mix Studies has developed an accurate computer-based information system with historical, clinical, and demographic data for patients discharged from the hospital over the past five years. Reports regarding the cases, diagnoses, finances, and characteristics are shared in meetings with the hospital administration and directors of sixteen clinical departments, their staff, attending physicians, and house officers in training. The informative case-mix reports provide revealing sociodemographic summaries and have proven to be an invaluable tool for planning, marketing, and program evaluation.

The CASE Project: Evaluation of Case-Based Approaches to Learning and Teaching in Statistics Service Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Fawcett, Lee

2017-01-01

The CASE project (Case-based Approaches to Statistics Education; see www.mas.ncl.ac.uk/~nlf8/innovation) was established to investigate how the use of real-life, discipline-specific case study material in Statistics service courses could improve student engagement, motivation, and confidence. Ultimately, the project aims to promote deep learning…

The determinations of remote sensing satellite data delivery service quality: A positivistic case study in Chinese context

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jiahua; Yan, Xiangbin; Tan, Qiaoqiao; Li, Yijun

2014-03-01

With the development of remote sensing technology, remote-sensing satellite has been widely used in many aspects of national construction. Big data with different standards and massive users with different needs, make the satellite data delivery service to be a complex giant system. How to deliver remote-sensing satellite data efficiently and effectively is a big challenge. Based on customer service theory, this paper proposes a hierarchy conceptual model for examining the determinations of remote-sensing satellite data delivery service quality in the Chinese context. Three main dimensions: service expectation, service perception and service environment, and 8 sub-dimensions are included in the model. Large amount of first-hand data on the remote-sensing satellite data delivery service have been obtained through field research, semi-structured questionnaire and focused interview. A positivist case study is conducted to validate and develop the proposed model, as well as to investigate the service status and related influence mechanisms. Findings from the analysis demonstrate the explanatory validity of the model, and provide potentially helpful insights for future practice.

The determinations of remote sensing satellite data delivery service quality: A positivistic case study in Chinese context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Jiahua; Yan, Xiangbin; Tan, Qiaoqiao; Li, Yijun

2014-01-01

With the development of remote sensing technology, remote-sensing satellite has been widely used in many aspects of national construction. Big data with different standards and massive users with different needs, make the satellite data delivery service to be a complex giant system. How to deliver remote-sensing satellite data efficiently and effectively is a big challenge. Based on customer service theory, this paper proposes a hierarchy conceptual model for examining the determinations of remote-sensing satellite data delivery service quality in the Chinese context. Three main dimensions: service expectation, service perception and service environment, and 8 sub-dimensions are included in the model. Large amount of first-hand data on the remote-sensing satellite data delivery service have been obtained through field research, semi-structured questionnaire and focused interview. A positivist case study is conducted to validate and develop the proposed model, as well as to investigate the service status and related influence mechanisms. Findings from the analysis demonstrate the explanatory validity of the model, and provide potentially helpful insights for future practice

Analysis of additional hotel services in the international luxury hotels – a case-study from Budapest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juhász-Dóra Katalin

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The investigation of additional services from the aspect of local embeddedness is a novelty in the academic literature related to the tourism and hotel industry. The primary function of hotels is to provide accommodation and other services for the hotel-guests. Secondarily, they may also offer complementary-services and a community space for the city-residents and for non-hotel guests. Due to the globalization, the change in the consumer behaviour and global firms, the question of location and local resources are becoming more and more significant especially in the case of international hotel chains. The international hotel company is a member of a hotel market at a specific location, and it is surrounded by a sociological environment, local people, culture and traditions which have an impact on the competitiveness of the hotel. The author explains the results with the application of the multidimensional scaling model, finding answers for the questions in which ways the local embeddedness can have an effect on the competitiveness of a hotel based on a case-study carried out in a five-star hotel (member of an international chain of Budapest in 2016.

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2015-01-01

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

Service engineers in change: count your words : A case study into professional discourse and culture within three Dutch organizations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drs Jos Pieterse

2014-01-01

This doctoral thesis describes three case studies of service engineers participating in organizational change, interacting with managers and consultants. The study investigates the role of differences in professional discourse and culture when these three professional groups interact in

A University of Greenwich Case Study of Cloud Computing – Education as a Service

OpenAIRE

Chang, Victor; Wills, Gary

2013-01-01

This chapter proposes a new Supply Chain Business Model in the Education domain and demonstrates how Education as a Service (EaaS) can be delivered. The implementation at the University of Greenwich (UoG) is used as a case study. Cloud computing business models are classified into eight Business Models; this classification is essential to the development of EaaS. A pair of the Hexagon Models are used to review Cloud projects against success criteria; one Hexagon Model focuses on Business Mode...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2012-01-01

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

Architectural Principles for Orchestration of Cross-Organizational Service Delivery: Case Studies from the Netherlands

Science.gov (United States)

van Veenstra, Anne Fleur; Janssen, Marijn

One of the main challenges for e-government is to create coherent services for citizens and businesses. Realizing Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) requires government agencies to collaborate across their organizational boundaries. The coordination of processes across multiple organizations to realize ISD is called orchestration. One way of achieving orchestration is to formalize processes using architecture. In this chapter we identify architectural principles for orchestration by looking at three case studies of cross-organizational service delivery chain formation in the Netherlands. In total, six generic principles were formulated and subsequently validated in two workshops with experts. These principles are: (i) build an intelligent front office, (ii) give processes a clear starting point and end, (iii) build a central workflow application keeping track of the process, (iv) differentiate between simple and complex processes, (v) ensure that the decision-making responsibility and the overview of the process are not performed by the same process role, and (vi) create a central point where risk profiles are maintained. Further research should focus on how organizations can adapt these principles to their own situation.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2015-02-01

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

IT Audit of IT Service Provider Using COBIT 4.1 Framework: Case Study at PT. XYZ

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Muhammad Malik Hakim

2017-11-01

Full Text Available IT service providers often campaign for the importance of having a high level of IT maturity to its customers. However, not all IT companies have a high commitment to IT management within their own organisation. As a case study, this paper attempts to measure the IT maturity level of PT. XYZ that now is a growing IT services provider. Data collection is done by interview, document study, and direct field observation. The measurement of IT maturity level is conducted using 4 domains of COBIT 4.1 Framework, consists of Plan and Organize (PO, Deliver and Support (DS, Acquire and Implement (AI, and Monitor and Evaluate (ME. The result shows a value of 2.5 which indicates that IT maturity level is at level 2 (Repeatable but Intuitive which means low enough for companies that should have a high awareness of IT governance and commitment. This study shows that the level of IT maturity in IT service provider is not always as high as its campaign.

Study on fracture and stress corrosion cracking behavior of casing sour service materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sequera, C.; Gordon, H.

2003-01-01

Present work describes sulphide stress corrosion cracking and fracture toughness tests performed to high strength sour service materials of T-95, C-100 and C-110 oil well tubular grades. P-110 was considered as a reference case, since it is one of the high strength materials included in specification 5CT of American Petroleum Institute, API. Sulphide stress corrosion cracking, impact and fracture toughness values obtained in the tests show that there is a correspondence among them. A decreasing classification order was established, namely C-100, T-95, C-110 and P-110. Special grades steels studied demonstrated a better behavior in the evaluated properties than the reference case material grade: P-110. Results obtained indicate that a higher sulphide stress corrosion cracking resistance is related to a higher toughness. The fracture toughness results evidence the hydrogen influence on reducing the toughness values. (author)

Communication and Collaboration in Library Technical Services: A Case Study of New York University in Abu Dhabi

Science.gov (United States)

Parrott, Justin

2016-01-01

New York University Abu Dhabi Library has developed new strategies to increase efficiency in technical services processing between units based in New York and Abu Dhabi. This case study discusses the challenges specific to the international context and the methods used to overcome them, increase speed processing, and ultimately improve patron…

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Paletto

2015-04-01

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

Tacit knowledge of public health nurses in identifying community health problems and need for new services: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshioka-Maeda, Kyoko; Murashima, Sachiyo; Asahara, Kiyomi

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the tacit knowledge of public health nurses in identifying community health problems and developing relevant new projects. Previous research only roughly showed those skills for creating new community health services, such as lobbying. Nine Japanese public health nurses who had created new projects in their municipalities were selected by theoretical sampling and interviewed in 2002-2003. Yin's Case Study Method, especially the multiple-case study design, was used. All 9 public health nurses used similar approaches in identifying community health problems and the need for creating new services, even though their experiences differed and the kinds of projects varied. They identified the difficulties of clients, recognized clients who had the same problems, elucidated the limitations of existing services, and forecasted outcomes from the neglect of the clients' problems. Then they succeeded in creating a new project by examining individual health problems in the context of their community's characteristics, societal factors, and using existing policies to support their clients. This is the first study to explore the skills of public health nurses and their intention to use such skills in creating new projects as well as the exact process. They could identify community health problems that will be the basis for developing new services to provide care for individual clients. This is different from the traditional community assessment approach that requires the collection of a huge amount of information to clarify community health problems. The tacit knowledge of public health nurses will help to create needs-oriented new services more smoothly.

Care Models of eHealth Services: A Case Study on the Design of a Business Model for an Online Precare Service.

Science.gov (United States)

van Meeuwen, Dorine Pd; van Walt Meijer, Quirine J; Simonse, Lianne Wl

2015-03-24

With a growing population of health care clients in the future, the organization of high-quality and cost-effective service providing becomes an increasing challenge. New online eHealth services are proposed as innovative options for the future. Yet, a major barrier to these services appears to be the lack of new business model designs. Although design efforts generally result in visual models, no such artifacts have been found in the literature on business model design. This paper investigates business model design in eHealth service practices from a design perspective. It adopts a research by design approach and seeks to unravel what characteristics of business models determine an online service and what are important value exchanges between health professionals and clients. The objective of the study was to analyze the construction of care models in-depth, framing the essential elements of a business model, and design a new care model that structures these elements for the particular context of an online pre-care service in practice. This research employs a qualitative method of an in-depth case study in which different perspectives on constructing a care model are investigated. Data are collected by using the visual business modeling toolkit, designed to cocreate and visualize the business model. The cocreated models are transcribed and analyzed per actor perspective, transactions, and value attributes. We revealed eight new actors in the business model for providing the service. Essential actors are: the intermediary network coordinator connecting companies, the service dedicated information technology specialists, and the service dedicated health specialist. In the transactions for every service providing we found a certain type of contract, such as a license contract and service contracts for precare services and software products. In addition to the efficiency, quality, and convenience, important value attributes appeared to be: timelines, privacy and

Achieving Research Impact Through Co-creation in Community-Based Health Services: Literature Review and Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Jackson, Claire; Shaw, Sara; Janamian, Tina

2016-06-01

Co-creation-collaborative knowledge generation by academics working alongside other stakeholders-is an increasingly popular approach to aligning research and service development. It has potential for "moving beyond the ivory towers" to deliver significant societal impact via dynamic, locally adaptive community-academic partnerships. Principles of successful co-creation include a systems perspective, a creative approach to research focused on improving human experience, and careful attention to governance and process. If these principles are not followed, co-creation efforts may fail. Co-creation-collaborative knowledge generation by academics working alongside other stakeholders-reflects a "Mode 2" relationship (knowledge production rather than knowledge translation) between universities and society. Co-creation is widely believed to increase research impact. We undertook a narrative review of different models of co-creation relevant to community-based health services. We contrasted their diverse disciplinary roots and highlighted their common philosophical assumptions, principles of success, and explanations for failures. We applied these to an empirical case study of a community-based research-service partnership led by the Centre of Research Excellence in Quality and Safety in Integrated Primary-Secondary Care at the University of Queensland, Australia. Co-creation emerged independently in several fields, including business studies ("value co-creation"), design science ("experience-based co-design"), computer science ("technology co-design"), and community development ("participatory research"). These diverse models share some common features, which were also evident in the case study. Key success principles included (1) a systems perspective (assuming emergence, local adaptation, and nonlinearity); (2) the framing of research as a creative enterprise with human experience at its core; and (3) an emphasis on process (the framing of the program, the nature of

Service procurement in manufacturing companies: results of three embedded case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valk, van der W.

2008-01-01

An increasing part of companies' purchasing expenditures is being spent on (business) services. At the same time, the interactive character of business services has so far largely been neglected in purchasing and supply management studies. The success of a service purchase is however established

TELECOMMUTING AND HRM: A CASE STUDY OF AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE PROVIDER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Fernandes Bernardino

2012-08-01

Full Text Available With the development in information technology resources, a way of working has been standing out: telecommuting. This manner of working from a distance may offer a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining highly skilled professionals. The purpose of the research presented in this article is to identify guidelines for the implementation and management of telecommuting, as an alternative to overcome the shortage of qualified professionals in Information Technology (IT. The results, based on a case study of a Brazilian subsidiary of a multinational organization that provides IT services, shown that telecommuting (1 contributes to attracting and retaining qualified professionals in IT, (2 should be based on trustworthy relationships, (3 has to be supported by a strategy of decentralization of both structure and organizational assets.

Library services and user satisfaction in developing countries: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mairaj, Muhammad Ijaz; Naseer, Mirza Muhammad

2013-12-01

Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) is a recognised teaching hospital for cardiac care in the Punjab province of Pakistan. PIC has established a library to fulfil the research and information needs of health care professionals. This study aims to evaluate the satisfaction of users with the services of PIC library. A purposive sample of 15 health care professionals was selected. A semistructured interview technique based on an interview guide was used for collection of data. The data were qualitatively analysed using a thematic approach. Users of PIC library were satisfied with the library collection, organisation, reference and circulation services, staff attitudes, cooling and heating. They were concerned about library space, hours, furniture and environment, and suggested more availability of electronic library services, newer collections, better Internet access and comfortable furniture. The study proved useful to investigate users' satisfaction with the services of PIC library. It concludes that the PIC library should maintain and strengthen the services with which users are satisfied, and improve those about which they are concerned. The study will be useful to libraries in other developing countries for improvement in their services. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group.

Spatial Evolution of Producer Service Sectors and Its Influencing Factors in Cities: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yizhou Wu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Producer service industries are an important feature in the current development of a metropolis. Researchers from different countries are increasingly concerned about location changes and the motives of producer service sectors in cities. Given the rapid development of producer service sectors in developing countries, this study examines changes in the distribution of producer service sectors over the past decade and factors influencing them in a case study using the city of Hangzhou in China. Results show that Hangzhou’s producer service sector is still mainly concentrated in the central business district (CBD. However, a distinct trend of diffusion to suburban areas was observed, which formed several secondary clusters on the periphery of the city. Locations of the CBD, sub-centers, and professional clusters of producer service sectors established by the government are the most important factors that affect the spatial distribution of producer service sectors. The main influencing factors for the spatial evolution of producer service sectors are: (1 the high development cost and residential suburbanization of the central areas of the city promote the development of producer service sectors toward the periphery; (2 city planning has guided the clustering of producer service sectors on the city’s CBD and secondary city centers; (3 city renewal has provided personalized and diversified development space for producer service sectors; (4 incentive policies introduced by the government, such as rentals, and taxes have enhanced the orderly aggregation of producer service sectors.

LYNX community advocacy & service engagement (CASE) project final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-14

This report is a final assessment of the Community Advocacy & Service Engagement (CASE) project, a LYNX-FTA research project designed : to study transit education and public engagement methods in Central Florida. In the Orlando area, as in other part...

Social Service Professionals' Perceptions of Nonoffending Caregivers in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfteich, Paula M.; Cline, Monica L.

2013-01-01

This study was designed to assess social service workers' perceptions of nonoffending caregivers in cases of child sexual abuse. Attributions of blame were examined by administering questionnaires to staff at local social service agencies. It was hypothesized that social service workers who worked in the field longer, were male, or had less…

A protocol for the development of Mediterranean climate services based on the experiences of the CLIM-RUN case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Goodess, Clare; Ruti, Paolo; Rousset, Nathalie

2014-05-01

During the closing stages of the CLIM-RUN EU FP7 project on Climate Local Information in the Mediterranean region Responding to User Needs, the real-world experiences encountered by the case-study teams are being assessed and synthesised to identify examples of good practice and, in particular, to produce the CLIM-RUN protocol for the development of Mediterranean climate services. The specific case studies have focused on renewable energy (Morocco, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus), tourism (Savoie, Tunisia, Croatia, Cyprus) and wild fires (Greece) as well as one cross-cutting case study (Veneto region). They have been implemented following a common programme of local workshops, questionnaires and interviews, with Climate Expert Team and Stakeholder Expert Team members collaborating to identify and translate user needs and subsequently develop climate products and information. Feedback from stakeholders has been essential in assessing and refining these products. The protocol covers the following issues: the overall process and methodological key stages; identification and selection of stakeholders; communication with stakeholders; identification of user needs; translation of needs; producing products; assessing and refining products; methodologies for evaluating the economic value of climate services; and beyond CLIM-RUN - the lessons learnt. Particular emphasis is given to stakeholder analysis in the context of the participatory, bottom-up approach promoted by CLIM-RUN and to the iterative approach taken in the development of climate products. Recommendations are also made for an envisioned three-tier business model for the development of climate services involving climate, intermediary and stakeholder tiers.

Care Models of eHealth Services: A Case Study on the Design of a Business Model for an Online Precare Service

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Background With a growing population of health care clients in the future, the organization of high-quality and cost-effective service providing becomes an increasing challenge. New online eHealth services are proposed as innovative options for the future. Yet, a major barrier to these services appears to be the lack of new business model designs. Although design efforts generally result in visual models, no such artifacts have been found in the literature on business model design. This paper investigates business model design in eHealth service practices from a design perspective. It adopts a research by design approach and seeks to unravel what characteristics of business models determine an online service and what are important value exchanges between health professionals and clients. Objective The objective of the study was to analyze the construction of care models in-depth, framing the essential elements of a business model, and design a new care model that structures these elements for the particular context of an online pre-care service in practice. Methods This research employs a qualitative method of an in-depth case study in which different perspectives on constructing a care model are investigated. Data are collected by using the visual business modeling toolkit, designed to cocreate and visualize the business model. The cocreated models are transcribed and analyzed per actor perspective, transactions, and value attributes. Results We revealed eight new actors in the business model for providing the service. Essential actors are: the intermediary network coordinator connecting companies, the service dedicated information technology specialists, and the service dedicated health specialist. In the transactions for every service providing we found a certain type of contract, such as a license contract and service contracts for precare services and software products. In addition to the efficiency, quality, and convenience, important value attributes

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

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Shane W; Stein, Catherine H

2013-02-01

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

The Victorian State Computer Education Committee’s Seeding Pair In-Service Program: Two Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Keane , William ,

2014-01-01

International audience; Following the introduction of microcomputers into schools in the late 1970s, National Policy was developed which focused on the use of computers in non-computing subjects. The Victorian strategy for the implementation of the National Computers in Education Program was the development of a week-long in-service course which aimed to develop seeding pairs of teachers who would act as change agents when they returned to school. This chapter looks back at the case studies o...

Regions for Servicing Old People: Case study of Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drobne Samo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Aging is one of the most serious problems that most developed countries are facing in the 21st century. In the European Union, Member States are responsible for the planning, funding and administration of health care and social protection systems. Local authorities and state governments should undertake research toward developing an appropriate array of community-based care services for old people. Objectives: This study analyses the regions of Slovenia for servicing old people in the 2000-2010 time horizon. Methods/Approach: Sets of functional regions were modelled for each year in the analysed period using the Intramax method. Functional regions were evaluated based on the attractiveness of central places for labour commuters and the propensity to commute between regions. Results: The results show that in addition to the nominally declared regional centres of Slovenia, there are also some other local centres that should be potentially included in the functional areas for servicing old people. Conclusions: The results suggest that the regionalization into seven functional regions is the most convenient for servicing old people in the region. Furthermore, some additional functional regions at a lower level are suggested.

Numbers, systems, people: how interactions influence integration. Insights from case studies of HIV and reproductive health services delivery in Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayhew, Susannah H; Sweeney, Sedona; Warren, Charlotte E; Collumbien, Martine; Ndwiga, Charity; Mutemwa, Richard; Lut, Irina; Colombini, Manuela; Vassall, Anna

2017-11-01

Drawing on rich data from the Integra evaluation of integrated HIV and reproductive-health services, we explored the interaction of systems hardware and software factors to explain why some facilities were able to implement and sustain integrated service delivery while others were not. This article draws on detailed mixed-methods data for four case-study facilities offering reproductive-health and HIV services between 2009 and 2013 in Kenya: (i) time-series client flow, tracking service uptake for 8841 clients; (ii) structured questionnaires with 24 providers; (iii) in-depth interviews with 17 providers; (iv) workload and facility data using a periodic activity review and cost-instruments; and (v) contextual data on external activities related to integration in study sites. Overall, our findings suggested that although structural factors like stock-outs, distribution of staffing and workload, rotation of staff can affect how integrated care is provided, all these factors can be influenced by staff themselves: both frontline and management. Facilities where staff displayed agency of decision making, worked as a team to share workload and had management that supported this, showed better integration delivery and staff were able to overcome some structural deficiencies to enable integrated care. Poor-performing facilities had good structural integration, but staff were unable to utilize this because they were poorly organized, unsupported or teams were dysfunctional. Conscientious objection and moralistic attitudes were also barriers.Integra has demonstrated that structural integration is not sufficient for integrated service delivery. Rather, our case studies show that in some cases excellent leadership and peer-teamwork enabled facilities to perform well despite resource shortages. The ability to provide support for staff to work flexibly to deliver integrated services and build resilient health systems to meet changing needs is particularly relevant as health

A Service-Oriented Healthcare Message Alerting Architecture in an Asia Medical Center: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Shin Lai

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This paper illustrates how our development team has used some information technologies to let physicians obtain an instant abnormal laboratory result report for critical patient care services. We have implementeda healthcare message alerting system (HMAS on a healthcare short message service (HSMS engine and the distributed healthcare-oriented service environment (DiHOSE in the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH. The HSMS engine has a general interface for all applications which could easily send any kind of alerting messages. Fundamentally, the DiHOSE uses HL7 standard formats to process the information exchange behaviors and can be flexibly extended for reasonable user requirements. The disease surveillance subsystem is an integral part of NTUH new hospital information system which is based on DiHOSE and the disease surveillance subsystem would send alerting messages through the HSMS engine. The latest cell phone message alerting subsystem, a case study, in NTUH proved that the DiHOSE could integrate the user required functions without much work. We concluded that both HSMS and DiHOSE can generalize and extend application demands efficiently.

The Recent Development of Commercial Services in the Context of Globalization. Case Study: Bucharest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu Săgeată

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The fall of the communist regime and the demise of the bipolar political order have been factors for the development of globalizing connections on the levels of the urban systems in Central and East-European states. The main social impact of this complex phenomenon is the expansion of the diffusion area for the products of global consumerism, which involves the development and the diversification of commercial services. Their localization is still a direct consequence of financial segregation; the determining agent for the degree of penetration of global consumer goods at a local level is the localization of banking investments. Considering this context, this article is correlatively analyzing localization and dispersion factors for financial (banks and banking units and commercial services (malls, international networks of hyper- and supermarkets, restaurants etc., having as case studies the Romanian urban system at a larger scale and its capital city at a micro scale.

Network-Based Coordination of Civil-Service Training: Lessons from the Case of Estonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metsma Merilin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The focus of this article is on the coordination of civil-service training in a decentralized civil-service system. The Estonian case is studied. The article investigates network-based coordination, analyzes the power sources of the central coordinator and discusses the opportunities and limitations of creating coherence through network-type cooperation. The article concludes that the key power sources for the central coordinator are financial, human and technical resources paired with knowledge, leadership and commitment. The case study shows that, in a decentralized civil service system, a common understanding on training and development can be fostered by intense collaboration through networks.

Eco-services for solar thermal systems. Case studies. The Netherlands and Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermelj, M.; Djazalov, A.; Esser, P.; Freire, I.; Grafakos, S.; Kovacs, C.; Villalba, M.P.; Rafaj, P.

1999-04-01

To satisfy the consumption requirements from society the demand of materials and energy is increasing. Nowadays the use of conventional energy sources in all economical sectors has negative environmental impacts. The household sector contributes significantly to the CO2 emissions through the use of fossil fuels, as domestic energy sources. The majority of the energy consumed by this sector covers demand for space beating and hot water supply. Some systems, which use renewable energy resources, as solar thermal systems (STS), could be used for the same purpose. If they are integrated in dwellings for hot water provision, the quantity of conventional energy can be reduced significantly. The two main objectives of the study are: (1) Assess the most sustainable consumption pattern for STS (individual or collective use); (2) Assess the most sustainable ownership pattern for STS (owning, leasing or renting) for both consumption patterns. To achieve these two objectives the group focuses the research on the comparison of the consumption and ownership patterns of STS in The Netherlands and Spain. The analysis of environmental, economic and comfort aspects is carried out using the data from relevant case studies in both countries. Each combination of the product/service that results in an environmental benefit without decreasing the economic and comfort benefits is considered as eco-service. The results from this analysis and the recommendations for the target group (European Commission and National governments) are summarised bellow. refs

Case Study: The Role of eLearning in Midwifery Pre-Service Education in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Appiagyei, Martha; Trump, Alison; Danso, Evans; Yeboah, Alex; Searle, Sarah; Carr, Catherine

The issues and challenges of implementing eLearning in pre-service health education were explored through a pilot study conducted in six nurse-midwifery education programs in Ghana. Case-based, interactive computer mediated eLearning modules, targeted to basic emergency and obstetrical signal functions, were delivered both online and offline using a free-for-use eLearning platform, skoool HE(®). Key success factors included broad stakeholder support, an established curriculum and student and tutor interest. Challenges included infrastructure limitations, large class sizes and added workloads for tutors and information technology staff. National scale up is planned.

Designing for Diverse Learning: Case Study of Place-Based Learning in Design and Technologies Pre-Service Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Marnie; MacGregor, Denise; Price, Deborah

2017-01-01

Place-based learning experiences in Design and Technologies education connect people and place with design processes and products. Drawing on place-based learning, this case study shares the experiences of eight final year pre-service Design and Technologies education students from the University of South Australia as they collaborated with…

Moving from the Classroom to the Workplace: A Service-Learning Case Study of a Media Production Capstone Course

Science.gov (United States)

Giese, Mark

2013-01-01

This is a case study of how a capstone course, Producing and Directing, evolved into a service-learning course designed to provide graduating students with real-world workplace experience. It will examine issues including course structure, grading issues, course and client logistics, unaddressed skill sets, group work, and work-product quality…

A 12-Year Retrospective Study of Avulsion Cases in a Public Brazilian Dental Trauma Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesquita, Gabriela Campos; Soares, Priscilla Barbosa Ferreira; Moura, Camilla Christian Gomes; Roscoe, Marina Guimarães; Paiva, Saul Martins; Soares, Carlos José

2017-01-01

This study assessed the epidemiological characteristics and management of the permanent teeth avulsion cases attended in a Brazilian dental trauma service from December 2005 to August 2016. A retrospective study was conducted of case records of 93 patients involving 139 avulsed teeth. Data included sex, age, trauma etiology, location of the accident, number and position of avulsed teeth, and presence and type of associated traumatic lesions. Management of the avulsed teeth was addressed as: time elapsed until teeth were retrieved from the accident's location; teeth's cleaning method and storage media; time elapsed until seeking treatment and replantation. The majority of the patients were children from 6-10 (31.2%) and 11-15 years old (26.9%). Male patients were more affected than female. Bicycle accident was the main etiological factor (31.2%). In 56 (60.2%) cases, traumatic lesions to neighboring teeth were present. In 55 (59.1%) cases, lesions to adjacent soft tissues were reported. In 82 (88.2%) cases, patients requested treatment at the same day of the accident. Sixty-four teeth (46.0%) were immediately retrieved and 28 (20.1%) were not found. Forty-two teeth (30.2%) were kept dry. Only one tooth (0.7%) was immediately replanted at the accident's site, while 51 teeth (36.7%) were not replanted. Numerous avulsed teeth were inappropriately managed and immediate replantation was not frequent. Public policies must be created to raise awareness towards the particularities of avulsion cases.

Cross-Cultural Communication in Teacher Education: A Case Study of an Australian Pre-Service Teacher Placement in Liaoning, China

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Aijing; Cooper, Maxine; Golding, Barry

2016-01-01

This paper presents a case study of the experiences and reflections of four fourth year pre-service teachers from Federation University Australia who completed their three-week teaching placement in Anshan, Liaoning Province, China, in April 2014. The study also explores the perspectives and opinions of both the Chinese mentor teachers and Chinese…

A Soil Service Index: Peatland soils as a case study for quantifying the value, vulnerability, and status of soils

Science.gov (United States)

Loisel, J.; Harden, J. W.; Hugelius, G.

2017-12-01

What are the most important soil services valued by land stewards and planners? Which soil-data metrics can be used to quantify each soil service? What are the steps required to quantitatively index the baseline value of soil services and their vulnerability under different land-use and climate change scenarios? How do we simulate future soil service pathways (or trajectories) under changing management regimes using process-based ecosystem models? What is the potential cost (economic, social, and other) of soil degradation under these scenarios? How sensitive or resilient are soil services to prescribed management practices, and how does sensitivity vary over space and time? We are bringing together a group of scientists and conservation organizations to answer these questions by launching Soil Banker, an open and flexible tool to quantify soil services that can be used at any scale, and by any stakeholder. Our overarching goals are to develop metrics and indices to quantify peatland soil ecosystem services, monitor change of these services, and guide management. This paper describes our methodology applied to peatlands and presents two case studies (Indonesia and Patagonia) demonstrating how Peatland Soil Banker can be deployed as an accounting tool of peatland stocks, a quantitative measure of peatland health, and as a projection of peatland degradation or enhancement under different land-use cases. Why peatlands? They store about 600 billion tons of carbon that account for ⅓ of the world's soil carbon. Peatlands have dynamic GHG exchanges of CO2, CH4, and NOx with the atmosphere, which plays a role in regulating global climate; studies indicate that peatland degradation releases about 2-3 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually. These ecosystems also provide local and regional ecosystem services: they constitute important components of the N and P cycles, store about 10% of the world's freshwater and buffer large fluxes of freshwater on an annual basis

Pre-service elementary science teaching self-efficacy and teaching practices: A mixed-methods, dual-phase, embedded case study

Science.gov (United States)

Sangueza, Cheryl Ramirez

This mixed-method, dual-phase, embedded-case study employed the Social Cognitive Theory and the construct of self-efficacy to examine the contributors to science teaching self-efficacy and science teaching practices across different levels of efficacy in six pre-service elementary teachers during their science methods course and student teaching experiences. Data sources included the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) for pre-service teachers, questionnaires, journals, reflections, student teaching lesson observations, and lesson debriefing notes. Results from the STEBI-B show that all participants measured an increase in efficacy throughout the study. The ANOVA analysis of the STEBI-B revealed a statistically significant increase in level of efficacy during methods course, student teaching, and from the beginning of the study to the end. Of interest in this study was the examination of the participants' science teaching practices across different levels of efficacy. Results of this analysis revealed how the pre-service elementary teachers in this study contextualized their experiences in learning to teach science and its influences on their science teaching practices. Key implications involves the value in exploring how pre-service teachers interpret their learning to teach experiences and how their interpretations influence the development of their science teaching practices.

A case-control study of men with non-gonococcal urethritis at Auckland Sexual Health Service: rates of detection of Mycoplasma genitalium.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilton, Jackie; Azariah, Sunita; Reid, Murray

2010-03-01

Previous studies have identified Mycoplasma genitalium as a cause of urethritis in men. As there is no New Zealand data, a case-control study was conducted to determine whether this organism is a significant cause of urethritis in men presenting to Auckland Sexual Health Service. Enrollment for the study commenced in March 2006 and finished in February 2008. Inclusion criteria for cases of non-gonococcal urethritis were onset of urethritis symptoms within one month confirmed by urethral Gram staining showing >or=10 polymorphonuclear leucocytes per high-powered field. Controls were men presenting during the same time period for asymptomatic sexual health screening. All participants were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, M. genitalium, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Information regarding symptoms, sexual behaviour and treatment was collected using a standard questionnaire. We recruited 209 cases and 199 controls with a participation rate of 96%. The prevalence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium in non-gonococcal urethritis cases was 33.5% and 10% respectively. Co-infection with these organisms was uncommon (1.9%). C. trachomatis and M. genitalium were diagnosed in 4% and 2% of controls, respectively, and both infections were detected significantly less often than in the cases (P urethritis was a significant predictor of current symptoms (P urethritis in men presenting to our service.

Challenges for a Local Service Agency to Address Domestic Violence –A Case Study From Rural Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Hayati, Elli Nur; Emmelin, Maria; Eriksson, Malin

2014-01-01

Since the launch of a Zero Tolerance Policy in Indonesia, several policies to address domestic violence have been enacted. The obligation of local governments to establish service units for women survivors of domestic violence is one of them. Since domestic violence is a sensitive and complex issue in Indonesia it is important to understand how governmentally regulated services function in practice. This case study aimed to explore challenges faced by a local service agency in managing service provision for women survivors of domestic violence in rural Indonesia. Data from one focus group discussion (12 participants), four individual interviews, six short narratives, two days of participant observation, as well as archive reviews were collected. All data were analyzed using Grounded Theory Situational Analysis. The major challenge faced by the local agency was the low priority that was given them by the local authorities, mirrored also in low involvement by the assigned volunteers in the daily service. The study also identified a gap between the socio-cultural arena and the law & policy arena that needs to be bridged to avoid that the two arenas address domestic violence in a contradictory way. Budget allocation to support the sustainability of the daily routines of service agencies has to be given priority. There is also a need for careful considerations regarding the composition of personnel involved within daily management of service agencies addressing domestic violence. To bridge the gap between the legal systems and traditional cultural values, culturally adjusted alternative justice systems could be developed to increase women’s access to legal support. PMID:25363105

Strategic logistics service provider selection influenced by relationships, cost and market dynamics - a multi-factorial case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tambo, Torben

2012-01-01

Selection of logistics service providers (LSPs) is regarded critical and complex. Relationships tend to last for many years and have a critical role in the architecting of supply chains. Occasionally, relationships between buyer and LSP come to a crossroad of termination, extension or change......; attrition of relationships can be caused by poor quality, changed market conditions, changed management, changed operational conditions on either side, and moves from competitors. This study uses a case-based methodology to provide an in-depth account of business motivations in relationship development...... in LSP selection. The study presents a tendering process as a fulcrum of "non-conformant‟ behaviour and unexpected outcome. Major findings are that contract-bound services and cost structures seem to drift into less transparent and informal patterns of interactions over time; this is wearing...

Exploring the interaction of activity limitations with context, systems, community and personal factors in accessing public health care services: A presentation of South African case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mji, Gubela; Braathen, Stine H; Vergunst, Richard; Scheffler, Elsje; Kritzinger, Janis; Mannan, Hasheem; Schneider, Marguerite; Swartz, Leslie; Visagie, Surona

2017-02-08

There are many factors that influence access to public health services, such as the context people live in, the existing health services, and personal, cultural and community factors. People with disabilities (activity limitations), through their experience of health services, may offer a particular understanding of the performance of the health services, thus exposing health system limitations more clearly than perhaps any other health service user. This article explores how activity limitations interact with factors related to context, systems, community and personal factors in accessing public health care services in South Africa. We present four case studies of people with disabilities from four low-resource diverse contexts in South Africa (rural, semi-rural, farming community and peri-urban) to highlight challenges of access to health services experienced by people with activity limitations in a variety of contexts. One case study of a person with disabilities was chosen from each study setting to build evidence using an intensive qualitative case study methodology to elucidate individual and household experiences of challenges experienced by people with activity limitations when attempting to access public health services. In-depth interviews were used to collect data, using an interview guide. The analysis was conducted in the form of a thematic analysis using the interview topics as a starting point. First, these four case studies demonstrate that equitable access to health services for people with activity limitations is influenced by a complex interplay of a variety of factors for a single individual in a particular context. Secondly, that while problems with access to public health services are experienced by everyone, people with activity limitations are affected in particular ways making them particularly vulnerable in using public health services. The revitalisation of primary health care and the introduction of national health

CASE STUDY: Uzbekistan — Competition research improves services

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

2010-12-22

Dec 22, 2010 ... Small Grants Competition for Distribution Sector Research ... restrictive business practices in international money transfer services and find ways to .... through its own methodology on analyzing the financial services market [.

A Geo-Event-Based Geospatial Information Service: A Case Study of Typhoon Hazard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Zhang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Social media is valuable in propagating information during disasters for its timely and available characteristics nowadays, and assists in making decisions when tagged with locations. Considering the ambiguity and inaccuracy in some social data, additional authoritative data are needed for important verification. However, current works often fail to leverage both social and authoritative data and, on most occasions, the data are used in disaster analysis after the fact. Moreover, current works organize the data from the perspective of the spatial location, but not from the perspective of the disaster, making it difficult to dynamically analyze the disaster. All of the disaster-related data around the affected locations need to be retrieved. To solve these limitations, this study develops a geo-event-based geospatial information service (GEGIS framework and proceeded as follows: (1 a geo-event-related ontology was constructed to provide a uniform semantic basis for the system; (2 geo-events and attributes were extracted from the web using a natural language process (NLP and used in the semantic similarity match of the geospatial resources; and (3 a geospatial information service prototype system was designed and implemented for automatically retrieving and organizing geo-event-related geospatial resources. A case study of a typhoon hazard is analyzed here within the GEGIS and shows that the system would be effective when typhoons occur.

INCREASING THE QUALITY OF SERVICE : Case Service Desk

OpenAIRE

Åhlgren, Niklas

2014-01-01

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

The case of sustainability assurance: constructing a new assurance service

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O'Dwyer, B.

2011-01-01

This paper presents an in-depth longitudinal case study examining the processes through which practitioners in two Big 4 professional services firms have attempted to construct sustainability assurance (independent assurance on sustainability reports). Power’s (1996, 1997, 1999, 2003) theorization

Marketing, Information, and Parental Choice: A Comparative Case Study of Third-Party, Federally Funded Out-of-School-Time Services

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Molly S.; Good, Annalee G.

2016-01-01

Information and promotional marketing play central but complex roles in market-based educational programs. This in-depth qualitative study examines these complexities using the case of Supplemental Educational Services, a parental choice program providing federally funded tutoring to low-income students in K-12 public schools. Examining the…

Technical Review on Fitness-for-Service for Buried Pipe by ASME Code Case N-806

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sang Kyu; Lee, Yo Seop; So, Il Su; Lim, Bu Taek

2012-01-01

Fitness-for-Service is a useful technology to determine replacement timing, next inspection timing or in-service when nuclear power plant's buried pipes are damaged. If is possible for buried pipes to be aged by material loss, cracks and occlusion as operating time goes by. Therefore Fitness-for-Service technology for buried pipe is useful for plant industry to perform replacement and repair. Fitness-for-Service for buried pipe is studied in terms of existing code and standard for Fitness-for-Service and a current developing code case. Fitness-for-Service for buried pipe was performed according to Code Case N-806 developed by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

Impact of socioeconomic development on ecosystem services and its conservation strategies: a case study of Shandong Province, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shujun; Liu, Jian; Wang, Renqing; Ni, Zirong; Xu, Shipeng; Sun, Yueyao

2012-05-01

Ecosystems and their components provide a lot of benefits for the welfare of human beings. Coupled with increasing socioeconomic development, most of the rapidly developing and transitional countries and regions have been experiencing dramatic land use changes. This has resulted in a large amount of forestland, grassland, and wetland being occupied as residential and industrial land or reclaimed for arable land, which in turn results in a sharp deterioration of ecosystem services around the world. Shandong Province, an economically powerful province of China, was chosen as a case study in order to capture the impact of socioeconomic development on ecosystem services. By way of the study, land uses and their changes were categorized between 1980 and 2006, and the ecosystem services capital and changes of 111 counties of Shandong Province in different phases were evaluated, as well as the total ecosystem services capital, followed by the zoning of ecosystem services function region of Shandong Province. We found that the counties in mountainous areas and wetlands, where generally the prefectural-level cities are located with a rapid socioeconomic development, experienced a successive deterioration of ecosystem services especially during the 2000s. Finally, three conservation strategies for managing and improving ecosystem services were proposed and discussed with the aim of achieving coordinate and sustainable development of the socioeconomy, environment, and ecosystems not only in Shandong Province but also in other provinces of China, as well as in other developing and transitional countries and regions.

Reorienting health services with capacity building: a case study of the Core Skills in Health Promotion Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeatman, H R; Nove, T

2002-12-01

This paper presents a case study of the application of a framework for capacity building [Hawe, P., King, L., Noort, M., Jordens, C. and Lloyd, B. (2000) Indicators to Help with Capacity Building in Health Promotion. NSW Health, Sydney] to describe actions aimed at building organizational support for health promotion within an area health service in New South Wales, Australia. The Core Skills in Health Promotion Project (CSHPP) arose from an investigation which reported that participants of a health promotion training course had increased health promotion skills but that they lacked the support to apply their skills in the workplace. The project was action-research based. It investigated and facilitated the implementation of a range of initiatives to support community health staff to apply a more preventive approach in their practice and it contributed to the establishment of new organizational structures for health promotion. An evaluation was undertaken 4 years after the CSHPP was established, and 2 years after it had submitted its final report. Interviews with senior managers, document analysis of written reports, and focus groups with middle managers and service delivery staff were undertaken. Change was achieved in the three dimensions of health infrastructure, program maintenance and problem solving capacity of the organization. It was identified that the critically important elements in achieving the aims of the project-partnership, leadership and commitment-were also key elements of the capacity building framework. This case study provides a practical example of the usefulness of the capacity building framework in orienting health services to be supportive of health promotion.

[Coordination between pharmaceutical services for integrated pharmacotherapy: the case of Catalonia].

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Karen Sarmento; Goldbaum, Moisés; Guayta-Escolies, Rafel; Modamio, Pilar; Mariño, Eduardo Luis; Tolsá, José Luis Segú

2017-08-01

Pharmaceutical policies have been considered strategies to contribute to the guarantee of care coordination and clinical integration. This study sought to describe the pharmaceutical services developed at different levels of care in the health network in Catalonia, as well as to identify and analyze the mechanisms and instruments that act as facilitators and/or barriers to the coordination of pharmacotherapy. This is a descriptive study of 12 cases of hospital pharmacy services, primary care and community pharmacies. Advances related to the perception, formalization and clinical and assistance coordination of the pharmaceutical services were identified. However, weaknesses and potential improvements in coordination were observed. The conclusion drawn was that the different tools and instruments implemented appear to facilitate a greater possibility of integration between pharmaceutical services and the latter with the health services network to contribute to integrated pharmacotherapy.

Measuring Service Quality in Higher Education: A South African Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Paul

2014-01-01

The goal of this paper is to report on the SERVQUAL gap which causes unsuccessful service delivery at a University of Technology in South Africa. Using a quantitative research design, the study adopts a SERVQUAL model adapted to a tertiary environment containing five dimensions of service quality (tangibles, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and…

Analysis of Social Return on Investment in two systems of support for people with severe disabilities: personal assistance and residential service. A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agustín Huete García

2014-06-01

Full Text Available At present, there are several alternatives to support daily life of people with disabilities, which require different resources: human, institutional, technical, material, financial, etc. In addition, these alternatives involve different impacts on both the life of people with disabilites and their immediate environment. This paper presents a case study that compares an user of personal assistance services of the Program for Independent Living (PAVI with an user of a residential service. The study method used is based on the approach of Social Return on Investment (SROI. It also specifies the selection of cases, the partners consulted to gather concepts and values, data collection, variables and formulas for calculating and monetization. Despite its limited scope, it is possible to draw conclusions about the social return on investment in a “standard profile” receiving personal assistance services compared with a “standard profile” in a residential service.

Assessment and Classification of Service Learning: A Case Study of CS/EE Students

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu-Tseng; Lai, Pao-Lien; Chen, Jen-Yeu

2014-01-01

This study investigates the undergraduate students in computer science/electric engineering (CS/EE) in Taiwan to measure their perceived benefits from the experiences in service learning coursework. In addition, the confidence of their professional disciplines and its correlation with service learning experiences are examined. The results show that students take positive attitudes toward service learning and their perceived benefits from service learning are correlated with their confidence in professional disciplines. Furthermore, this study designs the knowledge model by Bayesian network (BN) classifiers and term frequency-inverse document frequency (TFIDF) for counseling students on the optimal choice of service learning. PMID:25295294

Assessment and Classification of Service Learning: A Case Study of CS/EE Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han-Ying Kao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the undergraduate students in computer science/electric engineering (CS/EE in Taiwan to measure their perceived benefits from the experiences in service learning coursework. In addition, the confidence of their professional disciplines and its correlation with service learning experiences are examined. The results show that students take positive attitudes toward service learning and their perceived benefits from service learning are correlated with their confidence in professional disciplines. Furthermore, this study designs the knowledge model by Bayesian network (BN classifiers and term frequency-inverse document frequency (TFIDF for counseling students on the optimal choice of service learning.

Who Benefits from Ecosystem Services? A Case Study for Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Suwarno, Aritta; Hein, Lars; Sumarga, Elham

2016-02-01

There is increasing experience with the valuation of ecosystem services. However, to date, less attention has been devoted to who is actually benefiting from ecosystem services. This nevertheless is a key issue, in particular, if ecosystem services analysis and valuation is used to support environmental management. This study assesses and analyzes how the monetary benefits of seven ecosystem services are generated in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, are distributed to different types of beneficiaries. We analyze the following ecosystem services: (1) timber production; (2) rattan collection; (3) jelutong resin collection; (4) rubber production (based on permanent agroforestry systems); (5) oil palm production on three management scales (company, plasma farmer, and independent smallholder); (6) paddy production; and (7) carbon sequestration. Our study shows that the benefits generated from these services differ markedly between the stakeholders, which we grouped into private, public, and household entities. The distribution of these benefits is strongly influenced by government policies and in particular benefit sharing mechanisms. Hence, land-use change and policies influencing land-use change can be expected to have different impacts on different stakeholders. Our study also shows that the benefits generated by oil palm conversion, a main driver for land-use change in the province, are almost exclusively accrued by companies and at this point in time are shared unequally with local stakeholders.

Who Benefits from Ecosystem Services? A Case Study for Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Suwarno, Aritta; Hein, Lars; Sumarga, Elham

2016-02-01

There is increasing experience with the valuation of ecosystem services. However, to date, less attention has been devoted to who is actually benefiting from ecosystem services. This nevertheless is a key issue, in particular, if ecosystem services analysis and valuation is used to support environmental management. This study assesses and analyzes how the monetary benefits of seven ecosystem services are generated in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, are distributed to different types of beneficiaries. We analyze the following ecosystem services: (1) timber production; (2) rattan collection; (3) jelutong resin collection; (4) rubber production (based on permanent agroforestry systems); (5) oil palm production on three management scales (company, plasma farmer, and independent smallholder); (6) paddy production; and (7) carbon sequestration. Our study shows that the benefits generated from these services differ markedly between the stakeholders, which we grouped into private, public, and household entities. The distribution of these benefits is strongly influenced by government policies and in particular benefit sharing mechanisms. Hence, land-use change and policies influencing land-use change can be expected to have different impacts on different stakeholders. Our study also shows that the benefits generated by oil palm conversion, a main driver for land-use change in the province, are almost exclusively accrued by companies and at this point in time are shared unequally with local stakeholders.

A case for increased private sector involvement in Ireland's national animal health services.

Science.gov (United States)

More, Simon J

2008-02-01

Non-regulatory animal health issues, such as Johne's disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and mastitis will become increasing important, with ongoing globalisation of markets in animals and animal products. In response, Ireland may need to broaden the scope of its national animal health services. However, there have been concerns about the respective roles and responsibilities (both financial and otherwise) of government and industry in any such moves. This paper argues the case for increased private sector involvement in Ireland's national animal health services, based both on theoretical considerations and country case studies (the Netherlands and Australia). The Dutch and Australian case studies present examples of successful partnerships between government and industry, including systems and processes to address non-regulatory animal health issues. In each case, the roles and responsibilities of government are clear, as are the principles underpinning government involvement. Furthermore, the roles and responsibilities (financial and otherwise) of the Dutch and Australian industry are determined through enabling legislation, providing both legitimacy and accountability. There are constraints on the use of EU and national government funds to support non-regulatory animal health services in EU member states (such as Ireland and the Netherlands).

A case for increased private sector involvement in ireland's national animal health services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

More Simon J

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Non-regulatory animal health issues, such as Johne's disease, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR and mastitis will become increasing important, with ongoing globalisation of markets in animals and animal products. In response, Ireland may need to broaden the scope of its national animal health services. However, there have been concerns about the respective roles and responsibilities (both financial and otherwise of government and industry in any such moves. This paper argues the case for increased private sector involvement in Ireland's national animal health services, based both on theoretical considerations and country case studies (the Netherlands and Australia. The Dutch and Australian case studies present examples of successful partnerships between government and industry, including systems and processes to address non-regulatory animal health issues. In each case, the roles and responsibilities of government are clear, as are the principles underpinning government involvement. Furthermore, the roles and responsibilities (financial and otherwise of the Dutch and Australian industry are determined through enabling legislation, providing both legitimacy and accountability. There are constraints on the use of EU and national government funds to support non-regulatory animal health services in EU member states (such as Ireland and the Netherlands.

Running a postmortem service - a business case and clinical experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2015-01-01

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

Running a postmortem service - a business case and clinical experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2015-04-01

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

Case-Based Pedagogy Using Student-Generated Vignettes: A Pre-Service Intercultural Awareness Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Cournoyer, Amy

2010-01-01

This qualitative study investigated the effectiveness of case-based pedagogy as an instructional tool aimed at increasing cultural awareness and competence in the preparation of 18 pre-service and in-service students enrolled in an Intercultural Education course. Each participant generated a vignette based on an instructional challenge identified…

Factor selection for service quality evaluation: a hospital case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ameryoun, Ahmad; Najafi, Seyedvahid; Nejati-Zarnaqi, Bayram; Khalilifar, Seyed Omid; Ajam, Mahdi; Ansarimoghadam, Ahmad

2017-02-13

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to predict service quality dimension's influence on service quality using a novel analysis based on data envelopment and SERVQUAL. Design/methodology/approach To assess hospital service quality in Tehran, expectation and perception of those who received the services were evaluated using SERVQUAL. The hospital service quality dimensions were found by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). To compare customer expectation and perception, perceived service quality index (PSQI) was measured using a new method based on common weights. A novel sensitivity approach was used to test the service quality factor's impact on the PSQI. Findings A new service quality dimension named "trust in services" was found using EFA, which is not an original SERVQUAL factor. The approach was applied to assess the hospital's service quality. Since the PSQI value was 0.76 it showed that improvements are needed to meet customer expectations. The results showed the factor order that affect PSQI. "Trust in services" has the strongest influence on PSQI followed by "tangibles," "assurance," "empathy," and "responsiveness," respectively. Practical implications This work gives managers insight into service quality by following a systematic method; i.e., measuring perceived service quality from the customer viewpoint and service factors' impact on customer perception. Originality/value The procedure helps managers to select the required service quality dimensions which need improvement and predict their effects on customer perception.

Safety Case for Service Contracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez, Israel L.

2014-07-01

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

Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria

Science.gov (United States)

Maltzkait, Anika; Pfurtscheller, Clemens

2014-05-01

Multihazard risk analysis and disaster planning for emergency services as a basis for efficient provision in the case of natural hazards - case study municipality of Au, Austria A. Maltzkait (1) & C. Pfurtscheller (1) (1) Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria The extreme flood events of 2002, 2005 and 2013 in Austria underlined the importance of local emergency services being able to withstand and reduce the adverse impacts of natural hazards. Although for legal reasons municipal emergency and crisis management plans exist in Austria, they mostly do not cover risk analyses of natural hazards - a sound, comparable assessment to identify and evaluate risks. Moreover, total losses and operational emergencies triggered by natural hazards have increased in recent decades. Given sparse public funds, objective budget decisions are needed to ensure the efficient provision of operating resources, like personnel, vehicles and equipment in the case of natural hazards. We present a case study of the municipality of Au, Austria, which was hardly affected during the 2005 floods. Our approach is primarily based on a qualitative risk analysis, combining existing hazard plans, GIS data, field mapping and data on operational efforts of the fire departments. The risk analysis includes a map of phenomena discussed in a workshop with local experts and a list of risks as well as a risk matrix prepared at that workshop. On the basis for the exact requirements for technical and non-technical mitigation measures for each natural hazard risk were analysed in close collaboration with members of the municipal operation control and members of the local emergency services (fire brigade, Red Cross). The measures includes warning, evacuation and, technical interventions with heavy equipment and personnel. These results are used, first, to improve the municipal emergency and crisis management plan by providing a risk map, and a

Deep Attack Weapons Mix Study (DAWMS) Case Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bexfield, James

2001-01-01

.... This report describes the process used to conduct the Deep Attack Weapons Mix Study (DAWMS) in 1995-1997. This case study focuses on the weapons being procured by the Services and whether a joint viewpoint would result in a more effective mix...

Measuring Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry: A Case Study in Hue City, Vietnam

OpenAIRE

Le, Ngoc Liem; Inaba, Yushi

2015-01-01

This research is a study on service quality in the hospitality industry in the context of a developing country. The key purposes of this study are twofold. First, it examines the conceptualization and measurement of service quality in the hotel setting. Second, the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and repurchase intention are taken into considerations. The findings from this study confirm that there are three determinants affecting statistically on service quality...

Combining Multifunctionality and Ecosystem Services into a Win-Win Solution. The Case Study of the Serchio River Basin (Tuscany—Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Rovai

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Post-war development—characterized by intensive processes of urbanization, concentration of agriculture on the most fertile lands, and abandonment of mountainous and marginal areas—brought about negative environmental and socio-economic consequences. They have been particularly severe in terms of increase of hydrogeological risk, which is high in most Italian regions. Over time, there has been an increasing awareness of the multiple functions played by agriculture in terms of provision of Ecosystem Services (ES, which contribute fundamentally to human well-being. In particular, some ES provided by farmers may help to reduce the hydrogeological risk of territories prone to landslides and floods. In this framework, the paper presents as a case study the project “Farmers as Custodians of a Territory.” This project was implemented in the Serchio River basin, Tuscany (Italy, and combines a multifunctional farm strategy of diversification with the provision of Ecosystem Services related to the hydraulic and hydrogeological protection of the river-basin territory. Although this case study should be read within the framework of the theories of agricultural multifunctionality and ES provision, it nevertheless took a very pragmatic and innovative approach, which differentiates it from most of the case studies given in the literature. Results of our analysis show that, by involving farmers as custodians of the territory, it is possible to reach a “win-win” solution characterized, on the one hand, by better services for the community at a lower cost for the Land Reclamation Consortia involved with hydrogeological risk prevention, thus improving the effectiveness and efficiency of ES provision; and on the other hand, by improving the economic situation and survival chances of local farms.

A multidimensional approach to case mix for home health services

Science.gov (United States)

Manton, Kenneth G.; Hausner, Tony

1987-01-01

Developing a case-mix methodology for home health services is more difficult than developing one for hospitalization and acute health services, because the determinants of need for home health care are more complex and because of the difficulty in defining episodes of care. To evaluate home health service case mix, a multivariate grouping methodology was applied to records from the 1982 National Long-Term Care Survey linked to Medicare records on home health reimbursements. Using this method, six distinct health and functional status dimensions were identified. These dimensions, combined with factors describing informal care resources and local market conditions, were used to explain significant proportions of the variance (r2 = .45) of individual differences in Medicare home health reimbursements and numbers of visits. Though the data were not collected for that purpose, the high level of prediction strongly suggests the feasibility of developing case-mix strategies for home health services. PMID:10312187

Transformative Learning of Pre-Service Teachers during Study Abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Vatalaro, Angela; Szente, Judit; Levin, Judith

2015-01-01

The present paper explores the transformative learning of five pre-service teachers participating in a two-week study abroad program to Reggio Emilia, Italy. The study was conducted in order to understand how a study abroad program could contribute to pre-service teachers' content knowledge, teaching practices, and global competence. Through a…

A cloud-based production system for information and service integration: an internet of things case study on waste electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xi Vincent; Wang, Lihui

2017-08-01

Cloud computing is the new enabling technology that offers centralised computing, flexible data storage and scalable services. In the manufacturing context, it is possible to utilise the Cloud technology to integrate and provide industrial resources and capabilities in terms of Cloud services. In this paper, a function block-based integration mechanism is developed to connect various types of production resources. A Cloud-based architecture is also deployed to offer a service pool which maintains these resources as production services. The proposed system provides a flexible and integrated information environment for the Cloud-based production system. As a specific type of manufacturing, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) remanufacturing experiences difficulties in system integration, information exchange and resource management. In this research, WEEE is selected as the example of Internet of Things to demonstrate how the obstacles and bottlenecks are overcome with the help of Cloud-based informatics approach. In the case studies, the WEEE recycle/recovery capabilities are also integrated and deployed as flexible Cloud services. Supporting mechanisms and technologies are presented and evaluated towards the end of the paper.

[Multi-scenario simulation and prediction of ecosystem services as affected by urban expansion: A case study in coastal area of Tianjin, North China].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huan-Chun; Yun, Ying-Xia; Miao, Zhan-Tang; Hao, Cui; Li, Hong-yuan

2013-03-01

Based on the modified Logistic-CA model, and taking the coastal area of Tianjin as a case, this paper simulated the spatial evolution patterns of ecosystem services as affected by the urban expansion in 2011-2020 under the scenarios of historical extrapolation, endogenous development, and exogenous development. Overall, the total ecosystem services of the study area under the three scenarios were generally the same, and the functional region with the lowest level ecosystem services had the identical spatial pattern. However, the spatial evolution patterns of the ecosystem services of the study area under the three scenarios had a great difference. The functional regions with lower-level ecosystem services grew in a cross-shaped pattern, with the Tanggu downtown as a center, and finally formed a full connectivity area along the Haihe River and coastal zone.

Improved workflow modelling using role activity diagram-based modelling with application to a radiology service case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Nagesh; Keast, John E; Ceglarek, Darek

2014-10-01

The modelling of complex workflows is an important problem-solving technique within healthcare settings. However, currently most of the workflow models use a simplified flow chart of patient flow obtained using on-site observations, group-based debates and brainstorming sessions, together with historic patient data. This paper presents a systematic and semi-automatic methodology for knowledge acquisition with detailed process representation using sequential interviews of people in the key roles involved in the service delivery process. The proposed methodology allows the modelling of roles, interactions, actions, and decisions involved in the service delivery process. This approach is based on protocol generation and analysis techniques such as: (i) initial protocol generation based on qualitative interviews of radiology staff, (ii) extraction of key features of the service delivery process, (iii) discovering the relationships among the key features extracted, and, (iv) a graphical representation of the final structured model of the service delivery process. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study of a magnetic resonance (MR) scanning service-delivery process in the radiology department of a large hospital. A set of guidelines is also presented in this paper to visually analyze the resulting process model for identifying process vulnerabilities. A comparative analysis of different workflow models is also conducted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy implementation in practice: the case of national service frameworks in general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Checkland, Kath; Harrison, Stephen

2004-10-01

National Service Frameworks are an integral part of the government's drive to 'modernise' the NHS, intended to standardise both clinical care and the design of the services used to deliver that clinical care. This article uses evidence from qualitative case studies in three general practices to illustrate the difficulties associated with the implementation of such top-down guidelines and models of service. In these studies it was found that, while there had been little explicit activity directed at implementation overall, the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease had in general fared better than that for older people. Gunn's notion of 'perfect implementation' is used to make sense of the findings.

Interdependence and dynamics of essential services in an extensive risk context: a case study in Montserrat, West Indies

Science.gov (United States)

Sword-Daniels, V. L.; Rossetto, T.; Wilson, T. M.; Sargeant, S.

2015-05-01

The essential services that support urban living are complex and interdependent, and their disruption in disasters directly affects society. Yet there are few empirical studies to inform our understanding of the vulnerabilities and resilience of complex infrastructure systems in disasters. This research takes a systems thinking approach to explore the dynamic behaviour of a network of essential services, in the presence and absence of volcanic ashfall hazards in Montserrat, West Indies. Adopting a case study methodology and qualitative methods to gather empirical data, we centre the study on the healthcare system and its interconnected network of essential services. We identify different types of relationship between sectors and develop a new interdependence classification system for analysis. Relationships are further categorised by hazard conditions, for use in extensive risk contexts. During heightened volcanic activity, relationships between systems transform in both number and type: connections increase across the network by 41%, and adapt to increase cooperation and information sharing. Interconnections add capacities to the network, increasing the resilience of prioritised sectors. This in-depth and context-specific approach provides a new methodology for studying the dynamics of infrastructure interdependence in an extensive risk context, and can be adapted for use in other hazard contexts.

Good to Great in IT Service Management: A Case Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gilbert Gilbert Silvius; Eric Brugh, van der

2009-01-01

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

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2015-01-01

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

Healthcare professionals' perceptions related to the provision of clinical pharmacy services in the public health sector of Mexico: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz de León-Castañeda, Christian; Gutiérrez-Godínez, Jéssica; Colado-Velázquez, Juventino Iii; Toledano-Jaimes, Cairo

2018-04-22

In Mexico, the Modelo Nacional de Farmacia Hospitalaria (MNFH, or National Hospital Pharmacy Model), published in 2009, mainly aims to promote the provision of clinical pharmacy services in private and public hospitals. However, there is little scientific documentation about the quality of these services. To explore healthcare professionals' perceptions related to the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. A case-study based on a qualitative approach was performed at the pharmaceutical services unit at a public hospital located in Mexico City, which operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Health. Donabedian's conceptual model was adapted to explore health care professionals' perceptions of the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with pharmacists, physicians and nurses and then transcribed and analyzed via discourse analysis and codification techniques, using the software package Atlas. ti. Limitations in pharmaceutical human resources were identified as the main factor affecting coverage and quality in clinical pharmacy services provision. However, the development in pharmacy staff of technical competences and skills for clinical pharmacy service provision were recognized. Significant improvements in the rational use of medicines were associated with clinical pharmacy services provision. The perception analysis performed in this study suggested that it is necessary to increase pharmacy staff in order to improve interprofessional relationships and the quality of clinical pharmacy services provision. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Arbitration Intervention Services on Psychosocial Functioning: A Follow-Up Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dembo, Richard; Wareham, Jennifer; Poythress, Norman G.; Cook, Brittany; Schmeidler, James

2006-01-01

We report the impact of case management services on drug use and self-reported delinquency for youths involved in a clinical trial of the Juvenile Arbitration program. The project evaluated an innovative intervention service providing 16 weeks of intensive case management services to youths and their families. The present study examines interview…

Providing Health Sciences Services in a Joint-Use Distributed Learning Library System: An Organizational Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Enslow, Electra; Fricke, Suzanne; Vela, Kathryn

2017-01-01

The purpose of this organizational case study is to describe the complexities librarians face when serving a multi-campus institution that supports both a joint-use library and expanding health sciences academic partnerships. In a system without a centralized health science library administration, liaison librarians are identifying dispersed programs and user groups and collaborating to define their unique service and outreach needs within a larger land-grant university. Using a team-based approach, health sciences librarians are communicating to integrate research and teaching support, systems differences across dispersed campuses, and future needs of a new community-based medical program.

'Demand pull' government policies to support Product-Service System activity: The case of Energy Service Companies in the UK

OpenAIRE

Hannon, MJ; Foxon, TJ; Gale, WF

2015-01-01

Product-Service Systems (PSSs) constitute a family of service-based business models designed to satisfy our societal needs in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. To date however PSS application has remained niche due to a variety of critical barriers. This paper explores how ‘demand pull’ national government policies could support PSS activity by addressing these barriers and cultivating market demand. Lessons are drawn from a case study of how regulatory, economic incenti...

Quality Assessment of Family Planning Sterilization Services at Health Care Facilities: Case Record Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathur, Medha; Goyal, Ram Chandra; Mathur, Navgeet

2017-05-01

Quality of sterilization services is a matter of concern in India because population control is a necessity. Family Planning Sterilization (FPS) services provided at public health care facilities need to be as per Standard Operating Procedures. To assess the quality of FPS services by audit of case records at selected health care facilities. This cross-sectional study was conducted for two and a half year duration at selected public health care facilities of central India by simple random sampling where FPS services were provided. As per the standards of Government of India, case records were audited and compliance was calculated to assess the quality of services. Results of record audit were satisfactory but important criteria like previous contraceptive history and postoperative counselling were found to be deviated from standards. At Primary Health Centres (PHCs) only 89.5% and at Community Health Centres (CHCs) 58.7% of records were having details of previous contraceptive history. Other criteria like mental illness (only 70% at CHCs) assessment were also inadequate. Although informed consent was found to be having 100% compliance in all records. Quality of care in FPS services is the matter of concern in present scenario for better quality of services. This study may enlighten the policy makers regarding improvements needed for providing quality care.

Spicy Stonehenge : Proposing a SOA Case Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Espinha, T.A.; Chen, C.; Zaidman, A.E.; Gross, H.G.

2012-01-01

Prepint of paper published in: ICSE Workshop on Principles of Engineering Service Oriented Systems (PESOS), 4 June 2012; doi:10.1109/PESOS.2012.6225940 Maintenance research in the context of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is currently lacking a suitable standard case study that can be used by

A case study of the counterpart technical support policy to improve rural health services in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background There is, globally, an often observed inequality in the health services available in urban and rural areas. One strategy to overcome the inequality is to require urban doctors to spend time in rural hospitals. This approach was adopted by the Beijing Municipality (population of 20.19 million) to improve rural health services, but the approach has never been systematically evaluated. Methods Drawing upon 1.6 million cases from 24 participating hospitals in Beijing (13 urban and 11 rural hospitals) from before and after the implementation of the policy, changes in the rural–urban hospital performance gap were examined. Hospital performance was assessed using changes in six indices over-time: Diagnosis Related Groups quantity, case-mix index (CMI), cost expenditure index (CEI), time expenditure index (TEI), and mortality rates of low- and high-risk diseases. Results Significant reductions in rural–urban gaps were observed in DRGs quantity and mortality rates for both high- and low-risk diseases. These results signify improvements of rural hospitals in terms of medical safety, and capacity to treat emergency cases and more diverse illnesses. No changes in the rural–urban gap in CMI were observed. Post-implementation, cost and time efficiencies worsened for the rural hospitals but improved for urban hospitals, leading to a widening rural–urban gap in hospital efficiency. Conclusions The strategy for reducing urban–rural gaps in health services adopted, by the Beijing Municipality shows some promise. Gains were not consistent, however, across all performance indicators, and further improvements will need to be tried and evaluated. PMID:23272703

Assessment of veterinary services in central Ethiopia: A case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

services, and black-market drug dealers were found to be challengers associated .... veterinary service, private veterinarians, traditional healers and NGOs mainly ... timeliness, effectiveness and affordability of the veterinary service providers.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Prendergast, Michael; Cartier, Jerome J

2008-01-01

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

The Energy Services Company (ESCo) as business model for heat entrepreneurship-A case study of North Karelia, Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suhonen, Niko; Okkonen, Lasse

2013-01-01

Energy Services Companies are widely implemented for improving energy efficiency both in the public sector and industry. The model has also been introduced as a business model for biomass-based heat entrepreneurship. However, the residential sector has been problematic with regard to ESCo adoption and constitutes a minor share of ESCo operations. The barriers, both social and economic, are many. This paper focuses on the application of ESCo as a business model for heat entrepreneurship in Finland. First, we present the ESCo model and a review of the main barriers. Second, we present the modelling with aspects of profitability and risk sharing. Third, we demonstrate the operation in the residential sector by using 26 housing associations as a case study. We simulate the energy investment, profitability of operation, and the sharing of risks between the customer and the ESCo. The results indicate that the ESCo model is challenging in our case area. Low profit levels and the assumed customer's preference for achieving cost savings from the beginning of energy renovation can result in long contract periods tying up the capital. The ESCo model is unattractive in the current business climate, requiring modifications or integration with other maintenance services of housing associations. - Highlights: • We simulate the ESCo business model in a challenging sector of residential heating services. • We provide a detailed and replicable method for ESCo business modelling. • Simulation and conclusions stimulate further ESCo business model development

A STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF CASE BASED LEARNING FOR PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS AN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

OpenAIRE

Alpat, Sibel Kılınç; Uyulgan, Melis Arzu; Özbayrak, Özge; Alpat, Şenol

2011-01-01

It is aimed to analyze the change of the pre-service science teachers‘ attitudes towards chemistry laboratories using case-based learning, an active learning method, in this research. This research is an semiexperimental study with a control group. The sample of this research was originated by the second-year students (N=61) of the department of science education in Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Buca Education. In the first stage of the research, a case about the experiment of determinin...

E-public services: the case of e-taxation in Slovenia

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Maja Klun

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The paper discuses e-taxation, one of the services offered by many governments in the world today. It argues that although this service can be developed well, according to the many benchmarking models in the world and become very familiar to members of the public , it can also be used poorly. The empirical results in the paper prove this. The case of Slovenia is presented, with a placement of Slovenia on the European map of e-government and a thorough description of the different electronic taxation services available to Slovenian citizens. Slovenia ranks above the EU average in online availability and in sophistication. The supply side of e-taxation services is then compared to the demand side and the results of different research studies and questionnaires are discussed and compared. Since e-taxation services, especially concerned with personal income tax, are still to be used more widely by Slovenian citizens, different existing approaches that have tried to correct the situation are analysed and new possibilities are suggested.

Total cost of ownership in the services sector: A case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K. Hurkens (Krisje); W. van der Valk (Wendy); J.Y.F. Wynstra (Finn)

2006-01-01

textabstractFew detailed studies exist of the trade-offs to be made when developing a comprehensive, strategically focused total cost of ownership (TCO) model. Moreover, most studies of TCO have been conducted in manufacturing firms, with little or no TCO research directed toward service

Embedding health literacy into health systems: a case study of a regional health service.

Science.gov (United States)

Vellar, Lucia; Mastroianni, Fiorina; Lambert, Kelly

2017-12-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to describe how one regional health service the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District embedded health literacy principles into health systems over a 3-year period. Methods Using a case study approach, this article describes the development of key programs and the manner in which clinical incidents were used to create a health environment that allows consumers the right to equitably access quality health services and to participate in their own health care. Results The key outcomes demonstrating successful embedding of health literacy into health systems in this regional health service include the creation of a governance structure and web-based platform for developing and testing plain English consumer health information, a clearly defined process to engage with consumers, development of the health literacy ambassador training program and integrating health literacy into clinical quality improvement processes via a formal program with consumers to guide processes such as improvements to access and navigation around hospital sites. Conclusions The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has developed an evidence-based health literacy framework, guided by the core principles of universal precaution and organisational responsibility. Health literacy was also viewed as both an outcome and a process. The approach taken by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District to address poor health literacy in a coordinated way has been recognised by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care as an exemplar of a coordinated approach to embed health literacy into health systems. What is known about the topic? Poor health literacy is a significant national concern in Australia. The leadership, governance and consumer partnership culture of a health organisation can have considerable effects on an individual's ability to access, understand and apply the health-related information and services available to them

Towards an Integrated Approach to Cabin Service English Curriculum Design: A Case Study of China Southern Airlines' Cabin Service English Training Course

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaoqin, Liu; Wenzhong, Zhu

2016-01-01

This paper has reviewed the history of EOP (training) development and then illustrated the curriculum design of cabin service English training from the three perspectives of ESP, CLIL and Business Discourse. It takes the cabin crew English training of China Southern Airlines (CZ) as the case and puts forward an operational framework composed of…

Job coach factors associated with community-based employment service programme outcome measures for people with disabilities--a Taiwan case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun-Tung, Wang

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore whether/which job coach factors were significantly associated with the community-based employment service (CBES) programme outcome measures in Taiwan. This study used the 2003-2005 CBES programme for People with Disabilities Database in Taipei City in Taiwan (n = 3924) to do a secondary data analysis using hierarchical multiple linear regression. This study found that 'occurrences of the services provided by the job coaches' variable was definitely the dominant predictor and explained additional 19.6% and 27.8% of the variances of annual salary and annual working month outcome measures, respectively. In addition, among six composition variables of 'occurrences of the services provided by the job coaches', 'occurrences of follow-up guidance', 'occurrences of intensive guidance', and 'occurrences of consultation before interviews with employer/director of human resources' were more powerful than the other three in predicting outcomes. Job coach factors in this study were significantly correlated with CBES programme outcome measures for people with disabilities in Taiwan after controlling for the socio-demographic variables. It indicates that the more inputs in the people with disabilities made by job coaches equates to better outcomes in this Taiwan case study.

Pre-service mathematics teachers' attitudes towards learning English: A case study in Yogyakarta

Science.gov (United States)

Setyaningrum, Wahyu

2017-08-01

This study investigated attitudes of pre-service mathematics teachers towards English as one of the subject at the university. It is a qualitative study in which questionnaire and face-to-face interview were employed to collect the data. The participants of this study were sixty students of mathematics education department at one of the university in Yogyakarta. The main research question was concern with how pre-service mathematics teachers perceive the importance of learning English. This study found that most of the participants perceive English as an important language that should be acquired by mathematics teachers. Their beliefs about the importance of English were mostly due to instrumental orientation rather than integrative orientation, such as getting a good job, getting a scholarship and understanding learning sources that are written in English. The data also revealed some obstacles faced by pre-service mathematics teachers in learning English as an additional language for them. The main obstacles were related to the differences between English for mathematics and English in daily life including its vocabulary and structure. Most of the participants argued that several mathematics vocabularies had precise meaning and different from daily English. In addition, they found difficult to understand some sentences used in the paper journal due to its structure. This study therefore, provided an insight into the pre-service mathematics teachers' perception and obstacles when learning English that could be use in improving pre-service teachers' education.

Patient satisfaction with health care services: a case study of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: There are various factors which influence patient satisfaction with healthcare services as documented in the literature but a knowledge gap exists in the study area regarding this. Hence this study tried to determine these factors and how they affect patient satisfaction and to generate policy relevant ...

SERVANT LEADERSHIP THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric James RUSSELL

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This qualitative study explored the influence a distance learning servant leadership course had on the emergency service students’ understanding of leadership. The research study utilized a case study design in order to tell the story of the lived experiences of the participants. The setting for the study was a state university in Utah, with the six participants being declared, undergraduate emergency services majors that underwent a 15-week distance learning servant leadership class. The data used in the study consisted of the post-hoc online eJournal writings of the participants. The data analysis revealed to two themes that formed the individual case descriptions presented in results section. The literature review acknowledged the problem of bureaucracy within the emergency services and identified the practice of servant leadership as a possibility for overcoming the often-bureaucratic approach towards leadership. In addition, the literature review identified commonalities between established constructs of servant leadership and the emergency services. The findings of the study seem to demonstrate that undergoing a class on servant leadership left lasting impressions on becoming a servant leader and overall was a positive experience for the student. This study’s findings add to the existing body of knowledge associated with servant leadership within emergency service academia.

Uncertain Context Factors in ERP Project Estimation are an Asset: Insights from a Semi-Replication Case Study in a Financial Services Firm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daneva, Maia

This paper reports on the findings of a case study in a company in the financial services sector in which we replicated the use of a previously published approach to systematically balance the contextual uncertainties in the estimation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects. The approach is

Transitioning from child and adolescent mental health services with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Ireland: Case note review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatlow-Golden, Mimi; Gavin, Blanaid; McNamara, Niamh; Singh, Swaran; Ford, Tamsin; Paul, Moli; Cullen, Walter; McNicholas, Fiona

2018-06-01

In a context of international concern about early adult mental health service provision, this study identifies characteristics and service outcomes of young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reaching the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) transition boundary (TB) in Ireland. The iTRACK study invited all 60 CAMHS teams in Ireland to participate; 8 teams retrospectively identified clinical case files for 62 eligible young people reaching the CAMHS TB in all 4 Health Service Executive Regions. A secondary case note analysis identified characteristics, co-morbidities, referral and service outcomes for iTRACK cases with ADHD (n = 20). Two-thirds of young people with ADHD were on psychotropic medication and half had mental health co-morbidities, yet none was directly transferred to public adult mental health services (AMHS) at the TB. Nearly half were retained in CAMHS, for an average of over a year; most either disengaged from services (40%) and/or actively refused transfer to AMHS (35%) at or after the TB. There was a perception by CAMHS clinicians that adult services did not accept ADHD cases or lacked relevant service/expertise. Despite high rates of medication use and co-morbid mental health difficulties, there appears to be a complete absence of referral to publicly available AMHS for ADHD youth transitioning from CAMHS in Ireland. More understanding of obstacles and optimum service configuration is essential to ensure that care is both available and accessible to young people with ADHD. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-01-01

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

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah Kahan

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

Factors Affecting Customers’ Satisfaction and Perception: Case Study of Islamic Banks’Service Quality

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Yayah Cheriyah

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the perception and expectation of the Islamic bank customers on the banks’ service quality, and how these factors affect their satisfaction and their intention to buy and to use the Islamic banks products and services.This finding implies that the Islamic banks should have pay more attention to their service quality since it would have a positif influence on customer satisfaction and purchase intention.

Transformational leadership, transnational culture and political competence in globalizing health care services: a case study of Jordan's King Hussein Cancer Center

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Pappas Gregory

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Following the demise of Jordan's King Hussein bin Talal to cancer in 1999, the country's Al-Amal Center was transformed from a poorly perceived and ineffectual cancer care institution into a Western-style comprehensive cancer center. Renamed King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC, it achieved improved levels of quality, expanded cancer care services and achieved Joint Commission International accreditation under new leadership over a three-year period (2002–2005. Methods An exploratory case research method was used to explain the rapid change to international standards. Sources including personal interviews, document review and on-site observations were combined to conduct a robust examination of KHCC's rapid changes. Results The changes which occurred at the KHCC during its formation and leading up to its Joint Commission International (JCI accreditation can be understood within the conceptual frame of the transformational leadership model. Interviewees and other sources for the case study suggest the use of inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation, four factors in the transformational leadership model, had significant impact upon the attitudes and motivation of staff within KHCC. Changes in the institution were achieved through increased motivation and positive attitudes toward the use of JCI continuous improvement processes as well as increased professional training. The case study suggests the role of culture and political sensitivity needs re-definition and expansion within the transformational leadership model to adequately explain leadership in the context of globalizing health care services, specifically when governments are involved in the change initiative. Conclusion The KHCC case underscores the utility of the transformational leadership model in an international health care context. To understand leadership in globalizing health care services, KHCC

easuring the quality of health services provided at a Greek Public Hospital through patient satisfaction. Case Study: The General Hospital of Kavala

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Vasiliki A. Georgiadou

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the quality of hospital services as perceived by patients in terms of patient satisfaction with services. Design/Methodology/Approach: A conceptual framework of quality of hospital services, developed by Padma et al. (2009, composed by eight quality dimensions, applied the performance measurement model (SERVPERF, was used for the approach. The Quality Score Tool was a two-part questionnaire that quantified patient satisfaction with benchmarks of the quality dimensions. In order to investigate the above model, the case study method was utilized. The survey was conducted in a public regional hospital. Findings: Five (5 quality dimensions (5Qs have found having a significant impact on overall quality of service, measure of patient satisfaction in the hospital. These dimensions are on a hierarchical scale: "clinical care", "social responsibility", "staff quality", "infrastructure" and "Hospital reliability". Originality/Value: The results of this study can be used as a source of feedback to hospital management, meaning that they can essentially lead to improved adjustments or serve as a basis of process reengineering.

Representing climate change on public service television: A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Debrett, Mary

2017-05-01

Publicly funded broadcasters with a track record in science programming would appear ideally placed to represent climate change to the lay public. Free from the constraints of vested interests and the economic imperative, public service providers are better equipped to represent the scientific, social and economic aspects of climate change than commercial media, where ownership conglomeration, corporate lobbyists and online competition have driven increasingly tabloid coverage with an emphasis on controversy. This prime-time snapshot of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's main television channel explores how the structural/rhetorical conventions of three established public service genres - a science programme, a documentary and a live public affairs talk show - impact on the representation of anthropogenic climate change. The study findings note implications for public trust, and discuss possibilities for innovation in the interests of better public understanding of climate change.

Human Resources Performance in Service Encounters – A Customer Service Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia GRIGORE

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Efficiency is generally defined as the extent to which resources or effort is employed in order to achieve a certain purpose or objective. As per an economic perspective, this term may also mean a minimum quantity of supplies which can generate a maximum result. But can we talk about efficiency in terms of human resources and their allocation to a specific task? And how one asses the activity of the employees when considering service encounters? This study aims to provide an answer to these two questions from an emotional labor perspective: individuals employ their emotional abilities in order to perform a certain job. This is a process under a commercial perspective: the wage represents the exchange value for these competencies.

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

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

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

APPLICATIONS OF CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES IN EDUCATION – CASE STUDY

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Tomasz Cieplak

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Applications of Cloud Computing in enterprises are very wide-ranging. In opposition, educational applications of Cloud Computing in Poland are someway limited. On the other hand, young people use services of Cloud Computing frequently. Utilization of Facebook, Google or other services in Poland by young people is almost the same as in Western Europe or in the USA. Taking into account those considerations, few years ago authors have started process of popularization and usage of Cloud Computing educational services in their professional work. This article briefly summarizes authors’ experience with selected and most popular Cloud Computing services.

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers on Mentor Teachers' Roles in Promoting Inclusive Practicum: Case Studies in U.S. Elementary School Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Maddamsetti, Jihea

2018-01-01

This case study examines a Chinese and Korean-Chinese pre-service teachers' perceptions of their mentor teachers' role in supporting inclusive practicum experiences in USA elementary school contexts. The findings demonstrate that a mentor teacher's open conversations and willingness to host those students bring positive influence on their learning…

Time, costs and farmers’ perceptions: The case of livestock service delivery in tamilnadu

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G kathiravan

2011-10-01

Full Text Available A study was undertaken in southern peninsular State of India, the Tamil Nadu State, (i to ascertain the time costs of animal health care and bovine breeding services, and (ii to comprehend the perceptions of farmers on the livestock services rendered by different service providers. The districts of the state were categorized as 'Livestock Developed' (LD and 'Livestock Under Developed' (LUD based on initial base line developed. Travel, waiting and service time were among the primary non-price factors that affected service quality. Average travel time was highest for visiting the public veterinary centre in both LUD (23.05 min. and LD (21.32 min. districts. Waiting time with regard to veterinarians providing home services in LUD districts was highest (23.01 min., followed by public veterinary centre services at LUD districts (22.35 min., home services by para-veterinarians (22.01 min. and public veterinary centre services at LD districts (20.10 min.. Both travel and waiting time were much higher in case of breeding services compared to curative services, which could be due to the fact that the farmers preferred Artificial Insemination (AI over its close substitute, the natural service. However, the service time was relatively less in case of insemination services vis-à-vis curative services both in LUD and LD districts. The quality perceptions of farmers on livestock services revealed that the home services rendered by veterinarians as the best one (0.83, followed by private veterinary clinics (0.75, home services by para-veterinarians (0.74, public veterinary centres (0.64 and co-operative veterinary centres (0.48. [Vet. World 2011; 4(5.000: 209-212

Using Service Scenarios to Model Business Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bækgaard, Lars

The purpose of the paper is to present and evaluate the notion of service scenarios. A service is work done by a service executor in interaction with a service consumer. A service scenario is a model of a service system and the roles that are played by the actors participating and interacting...... during the execution of a service. The model represents the roles and the interactions between the participants. Service scenarios can be used to model specific services and roles played by human beings and IT systems in the execution of services. The use of service scenarios is demonstrated by means...... of a case study in a public library. The case study indicates that service systems should be understood as socio-technical systems in which service executors and service consumers co-create value in mutual interaction with each other and with a set of shared resources....

Unilateral liberalisation of services: a case study of the mobile phone sector in Bangladesh

OpenAIRE

Yusuf, Mohammad Abu

2017-01-01

Unilateral liberalisation of trade in goods and services has been considered an important policy objective. Most trade in services liberalisation in the developing world has taken place unilaterally; but it is not common among Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Among LDCs Bangladesh is a forerunner in pursuing unilateral liberalisation of mobile telephone services. There is a dearth of empirical studies on Bangladesh’s unilateral liberalisation of mobile phone services and its impact on use...

Conceptual service architecture for adaptive mobile location services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou, Saowanee

2008-01-01

This paper presents a conceptual service architecture for adaptive mobile location services designed to be used on the next generation wireless network. The developed service architecture consists of a set of concepts, principles, rules and guidelines for constructing, deploying, and operating...... the mobile location services. The service architecture identifies the components required to build the mobile location services and describes how these components are combined and how they should interact. As a means of exploring the developed conceptual service architecture, an illustrative case study...... of a new-concept tracking service is chosen to demonstrate the applicability of the architecture. Through the case study, the service request and response processes will be illustrated. New possible service functions provided by the developed service architecture will be examined and discussed...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-11-24

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

Field Tested Service Oriented Robotic Architecture: Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Utz, Hanz

2012-01-01

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software methods and technologies applied to the robotic world. Based on a Service Oriented Architecture and robust middleware, SORA extends its reach beyond the on-board robot controller and supports the full suite of software tools used during mission scenarios from ground control to remote robotic sites. SORA has been field tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The results of these high fidelity experiments are illustrated through concrete examples that have shown the benefits of using SORA as well as its limitations.

Ecosystem Services and Border Regions. Case Study from Czech – Polish Borderland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Spyra

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Land-use management and planning of cross-border regions is a complex problem. Different legislatures, development visions and interests on both sides of the border make it even more complicated. Introducing ecosystem services concept into land-use planning and management at cross-border regions is a challenge.  However not much is said about this issue in literature.This paper aims to present result of the study concerning to ecosystem services concept in the context of cross-border part of Pradziad Euroregion. The studyed area is situated within Czech – Polish borderland. First part of the research concerns to land-cover analyze of the region. The second one to Czech and Polish land-use strategies, which are binding at NUTS 4 and 5 level in the studyed area.Resoults of the research indicates asymmetry of the cross-border landscape of the analyzed region. The asymmetry is indicated by different types, biodiversities and areas of ecosystems identified on both sides of the border. It is also identified by differences in land-use strategies concerning to the region.It is discussed to what extend ecosystem services concept can be implemented in planning legislature of the cross-border region.

Ecosystem services valuation to support decisionmaking on public lands—A case study of the San Pedro River watershed, Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Semmens, Darius; Winthrop, Rob; Jaworksi, Delilah; Larson, Joel

2012-01-01

-profile cases for which additional resources are available for tool application or in case-study regions where place-specific models have already been developed. To improve the value of these tools in decisionmaking, we suggest scientific needs that agencies such as U.S. Geological Survey can help meet—for instance, development and support of data archives. Such archives could greatly reduce resource needs and improve the reliability and consistency of results. Given the rapid state of evolution in the field, periodic follow-up studies on ecosystem services tools would help to ensure that the Bureau of Land Management and other public land management agencies are kept up to date on new tools and features that bring ecosystem services closer to readiness for use in regular decisionmaking.

Assessing Family Planning Service Quality And User Experiences In Social Franchising Programme - Case Studies From Two Rural Districts In Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Azmat, Syed Khurram; Ali, Moazzam; Hameed, Waqas; Awan, Muhammad Ali

2018-01-01

Studies have documented the impact of quality family planning services on improved contraceptive uptake and continuation, however, relatively little is known about their quality of service provision especially in the context of social franchising. This study examined the quality of clinical services and user experiences among two models in franchised service providers in rural Pakistan. This facility-based assessment was carried out during May-June 2015 at the 20 randomly selected social franchise providers from Chakwal and Faisalabad. In our case, a franchise health facility was a private clinic (mostly) run by a single provider, supported by an assistant. Within the selected health facilities, a total 39 user-provider interactions were observed and same users were interviewed separately. Most of the health facilities were in the private sector. Comparatively, service providers at Greenstar Social Marketing/Population Services International (GSM/PSI) model franchised facilities had higher number of rooms and staff employed, with more providers' ownership. Quality of service indices showed high scores for both Marie Stopes Society (MSS) and GSM/PSI franchised providers. MSS franchised providers demonstrated comparative edge in terms of clinical governance, better method mix and they were more user-focused, while PSI providers offered broader range of non-FP services. Quality of counselling services were similar among both models. Service providers performed well on all indicators of interpersonal care however overall low scores were noted in technical care. For both models, service providers attained an average score of 6.7 (out of the maximum value of 8) on waste disposal mechanism, supplies 12.5 (out of the maximum value of 15), user-centred facility 2.7 (out of the maximum value of 4), and clinical governance 6.5 (out of the maximum value of 11) and respecting clients' privacy. The exit interviews yielded high user satisfaction in both service models. The

Public Service Integrity Perception: Case Study In Kutai Kartanegara Regency, Indonesia

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Dyah Mutiarin

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper was aimed to measure the integrity of public service at Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Borneo Province, Indonesia. The public service integrity can be seen from many perspective such as how the citizens satisfied with the public services provided by the government, how the public perception on combating corruption, and how success the government providing minimum service standard to the public at large. This three forms of public service integrity was the main focuses of this research in Kutai Kartanegara regency. The phenomenon of public service in Kutai Kartanegara Regency shown out of the tracks and missing to convey the importance of public service values, characterized by uncertainty of charges, time, and procedures. The research used the quantitative methods by scoring 3 indexes, which are the Citizen Satisfaction Index, Corruption Perception Index, and Minimum Service Standard Index. This research used Non-probability Sampling method, also Judgment Sampling procedure, in the development and compilation of the citizens satisfaction index. There were 57 local government agencies that served as the samples. The results of this research were the public service integrity perceptions in Kutai Kartanegara regency was need to be improved on the quantity and quality of public service delivery, commitment and efforts to create a clean government, transparency and accountability especially on e-procurement and to implement minimum service standards in every government offices.

The Transfer Pricing Problem in a Service Firm : A Case Study on a Swedish Multinational Enterprise

OpenAIRE

Husain, Shakir; Yilmaz, Emre

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to answer the research question of how a service company (ServiceCo) could achieve a transfer price of its services. This is of particular interest, due to the growth of service firms that have rapidly increased and surpassed the manufacturing firms, as well as the dominant logic shifting towards services. However, the problem with this field of study is that transfer pricing with regards to the service industry, is a rather unexplored phenomenon in which the guid...

Design and validation of a model to offer environmental consulting services to minimize oil pollution at gas stations: case study: a gas station in Costa Rica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calderon Hernandez, Teresita

2016-01-01

An environmental consulting service was designed and validated to minimize hydrocarbon contamination at gas stations, to be used by Migliore S.A. in order to strengthen and increase the number of services offered in the market niche of these companies. A matrix was synthesized with tools such as SWOT, deployment of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and international analysis. With the standardized protocols it will be possible to increase in a fluid way, the offer of consulting services. The final validation of the model allowed to verify the functionality of the same, through the generation of solid evaluation criteria that allowed a good knowledge of the gas station, case study, to offer a timely solution to your particular case, in a simple way and harmonious. The company providing environmental consulting services Migliore S.A. can count on a better commercial development, using the designed model [es

Case study: IBM Watson Analytics cloud platform as Analytics-as-a-Service system for heart failure early detection

OpenAIRE

Guidi, Gabriele; Miniati, Roberto; Mazzola, Matteo; Iadanza, Ernesto

2016-01-01

In the recent years the progress in technology and the increasing availability of fast connections have produced a migration of functionalities in Information Technologies services, from static servers to distributed technologies. This article describes the main tools available on the market to perform Analytics as a Service (AaaS) using a cloud platform. It is also described a use case of IBM Watson Analytics, a cloud system for data analytics, applied to the following research scope: detect...

Examining the Effectiveness of the In-service Training Program for the Education of the Academically Gifted students in Turkey: A Case Study

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Hasan Said TORTOP

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, examining the effectiveness of in-service training for gifted education has been conducted. In the study, 30 Classroom, Science, Mathematics and Preschool teachers working at schools in different cities of Turkey, took part as volunteer participants. Moreover, some criteria were specified for determining the participants. In this in-service training, teachers have received theoretical and practical training in the academicians who study on gifted education. In this process, they have designed units in groups according to the Education Program for Gifted Student Bridge with University (EPGBU curriculum. The research has been designed as a case-study research which is one of the qualitative research models. In the study, some data tools (scales, interview form and the documents were utilized Two of data collection tools were developed by research. These were Science Fair Mentorship Self-efficacy Scale for Teachers (SFMSST and Gifted Education Self-efficacy Scale for Teachers (GESST. As a result of a one-week in-service training, it has been determined that the teachers’ perception of self-efficacy for scientific research mentorship and gifted education increased.

A case management agency and bank create a service innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, K S; Stowe, A W

1992-01-01

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

Co-Producing Sustainability: Involving Parents and Civil Society in the Governance of School Meal Services. A Case Study from Pisa, Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Galli

2014-03-01

Full Text Available There is a rising awareness of the power of the public sector in enhancing sustainable consumption and production practices, in particular related to food procurement and its social, ethical, economical and environmental implications. School meal services have a high resonance in the debate on collective catering services because of the implications on the education to sustainable dietary habits and the orientation of the production system. This contribution focuses on the reciprocal relationship between professionals and users of school meal services as a driver to mobilize new resources—according to the theory of co-production—that steer service innovation and a shift towards more sustainable practices. We illustrate this through a case study on the school meal system in Pisa (Italy, where the Canteen Committee represents an institutional arena for participation and empowerment of actors that has gradually gained a central role in shaping this school meal service. Despite the challenges and obstacles, the institutionalized co-production of services allows consolidation of trust among key players and the introduction of innovations in the service, in the form of several projects oriented to sustainability which would not take place without the joint effort of actors involved, parents in the first place.

Web services as applications' integration tool: QikProp case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Laoui, Abdel; Polyakov, Valery R

2011-07-15

Web services are a new technology that enables to integrate applications running on different platforms by using primarily XML to enable communication among different computers over the Internet. Large number of applications was designed as stand alone systems before the concept of Web services was introduced and it is a challenge to integrate them into larger computational networks. A generally applicable method of wrapping stand alone applications into Web services was developed and is described. To test the technology, it was applied to the QikProp for DOS (Windows). Although performance of the application did not change when it was delivered as a Web service, this form of deployment had offered several advantages like simplified and centralized maintenance, smaller number of licenses, and practically no training for the end user. Because by using the described approach almost any legacy application can be wrapped as a Web service, this form of delivery may be recommended as a global alternative to traditional deployment solutions. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-01-01

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

Economic valuation of flood mitigation services: A case study from the Otter Creek, VT.

Science.gov (United States)

Galford, G. L.; Ricketts, T.; Bryan, K. L.; ONeil-Dunne, J.; Polasky, S.

2014-12-01

The ecosystem services provided by wetlands are widely recognized but difficult to quantify. In particular, estimating the effect of landcover and land use on downstream flood outcomes remains challenging, but is increasingly important in light of climate change predictions of increased precipitation in many areas. Economic valuation can help incorporate ecosystem services into decisions and enable communities to plan for climate and flood resiliency. Here we estimate the economic value of Otter Creek wetlands for Middlebury, VT in mitigating the flood that followed Tropical Storm Irene, as well as for ten historic floods. Observationally, hydrographs above and below the wetlands in the case of each storm indicated the wetlands functioned as a temporary reservoir, slowing the delivery of water to Middlebury. We compare observed floods, based on Middlebury's hydrograph, with simulated floods for scenarios without wetlands. To simulate these "without wetlands" scenarios, we assume the same volume of water was delivered to Middlebury, but in a shorter time pulse similar to a hydrograph upstream of the wetlands. For scenarios with and without wetlands, we map the spatial extent of flooding using LiDAR digital elevation data. We then estimate flood depth at each affected building, and calculate monetary losses as a function of the flood depth and house value using established depth damage relationships. For example, we expect damages equal to 20% of the houses value for a flood depth of two feet in a two-story home with a basement. We define the value of flood mitigation services as the difference in damages between the with and without wetlands scenario, and find that the Otter Creek wetlands reduced flood damage in Middlebury by 88% following Hurricane Irene. Using the 10 additional historic floods, we estimate an ongoing mean value of $400,000 in avoided damages per year. Economic impacts of this magnitude stress the importance of wetland conservation and warrant the

Form follows function? Proposing a blueprint for ecosystem service assessment studies based on reviews and case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seppelt, R.; Fath, B.; Burkhard, B.; Fisher, J.L.; Gret-Regamay, A.; Lautenbach, S.; Pert, P.; Hotes, S.; Spangenberg, J.; Verburg, P.H.; van Oudenhoven, A.P.E.

2012-01-01

Ecosystem service assessments (ESA) hold the promise of supporting the quantification and valuation of human appropriation of nature and its goods and services. The concept has taken flight with the number of studies published on the topic increasing rapidly. This development, and the variation of

Case studies of beliefs of two in-service primary school teachers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Within the mathematics teacher education program, a variety of teaching strategies and theories are discussed with the aim of changing the student teachers views about mathematics and its teaching. This study was conducted with two in-service primary school teachers as they progressed through a 4-year degree ...

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

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

2015-07-02

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

Veterans' Transitions to Community College: A Case Study

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Wheeler, Holly A.

2012-01-01

Veterans on college campuses are not new; however, the recent influx of veterans returning home from war-time service present challenges to the colleges they attend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the transition process experienced by veterans leaving military service and attending community college for the first time.…

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

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

2017-12-01

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

Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology into inquiry-based science education: Three case studies in The Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, Trinh-Ba; Ed van den Berg, Ed; Beishuizen, Jos; Ellermeijer, Ton

2015-01-01

Integration of technology (e.g. measuring with sensors, video measurement, and modeling) into secondary-school science teaching is a need globally recognized. A central issue of incorporating these technologies in teaching is how to turn manipulations of equipment and software into manipulations of ideas. Therefore, preparation for pre-service teachers to apply ICT tools should be combined with the issues of minds-on inquiring and meaning-making. From this perspective, we developed a course within the post-graduate teacher-education program in the Netherlands. During the course, pre-service teachers learnt not only to master ICT skills but also to design, teach, and evaluate an inquiry-based lesson in which the ICT tool was integrated. Besides three life sessions, teachers’ learning scenario also consisted of individual tasks which teachers could carry out mostly in the school or at home with support materials and online assistance. We taught three iterations of the course within a design-research framework in 2013, 2014 and collected data on the teacher learning processes and outcomes. The analyses of these data from observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documents were to evaluate implementation of the course, then suggest for revisions of the course set-up, which was executed and then assessed again in a subsequent case study. Main outcomes of the three case studies can be summarized as follows: within a limited time (3 life sessions spread over 2–3 months), the heterogeneous groups of pre-service teachers achieved a reasonable level of competence regarding the use of ICT tools in inquiry-based lessons. The blended set-up with support materials, especially the Coach activities and the lesson-plan form for an ICT-integrated inquiry-based lesson, contributed to this result under the condition that the course participants really spent considerable time outside the life sessions. There was a need for more time for hands-on, in-group activities in life

Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology into inquiry-based science education: Three case studies in The Netherlands

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Trinh-Ba; van den Berg, Ed; Ellermeijer, Ton; Beishuizen, Jos

2016-05-01

Integration of technology ( e.g. measuring with sensors, video measurement, and modeling) into secondary-school science teaching is a need globally recognized. A central issue of incorporating these technologies in teaching is how to turn manipulations of equipment and software into manipulations of ideas. Therefore, preparation for pre-service teachers to apply ICT tools should be combined with the issues of minds-on inquiring and meaning-making. From this perspective, we developed a course within the post-graduate teacher-education program in the Netherlands. During the course, pre-service teachers learnt not only to master ICT skills but also to design, teach, and evaluate an inquiry-based lesson in which the ICT tool was integrated. Besides three life sessions, teachers' learning scenario also consisted of individual tasks which teachers could carry out mostly in the school or at home with support materials and online assistance. We taught three iterations of the course within a design-research framework in 2013, 2014 and collected data on the teacher learning processes and outcomes. The analyses of these data from observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documents were to evaluate implementation of the course, then suggest for revisions of the course set-up, which was executed and then assessed again in a subsequent case study. Main outcomes of the three case studies can be summarized as follows: within a limited time (3 life sessions spread over 2-3 months), the heterogeneous groups of pre-service teachers achieved a reasonable level of competence regarding the use of ICT tools in inquiry-based lessons. The blended set-up with support materials, especially the Coach activities and the lesson-plan form for an ICT-integrated inquiry-based lesson, contributed to this result under the condition that the course participants really spent considerable time outside the life sessions. There was a need for more time for hands-on, in-group activities in life

Addressing the human resources crisis: a case study of the Namibian health service

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Awases Magda

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper addresses an important practical challenge to staff management. In 2000 the United Nations committed themselves to the ambitious targets embodied in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs. Only five years later, it was clear that poor countries were not on track to achieve them. It was also clear that achieving the three out of the eight MDGs that concern health would only be possible if the appropriate human resources (HR were in place. Methods We use a case study based on semi-structured interview data to explore the steps that Namibia, a country facing severe health problems that include an alarmingly high AIDS infection rate, has taken to manage its health workers. Results In the fifteen years since independence, Namibia has patiently built up a relatively good strategic framework for health policy in the context of government policy as a whole, including strong training arrangements at every level of health staffing, and it has brought HIV/AIDS under the strategic umbrella through its National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. Its major weakness is that it has not kept pace with the rise in HIV/AIDS and TB infection: the community counselling service, still at the pilot stage at the time of this study, was the only specific response. That has created a tension between building long-term capacity in a strategic context and responding to the short-term demands of the AIDS and TB crisis, which in turn affects the ability of HR to contribute to improving health outcomes. Conclusion It is suggested that countries like Namibia need a new paradigm for staffing their health services. Building on the existing strategic framework, it should target the training of 'mid-level cadres'. Higher-level cadres should take on the role of supporting and monitoring the mid-level cadres. To do that, they will need management training and a performance management framework for staff support and monitoring.

Poverty and Environmental Services: Case Study in Way Besai Watershed, Lampung Province, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Suyanto

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Local communities in developing countries are often forbidden to earn their livelihood from state-owned forests, but nonetheless local people commonly manage these lands and depend on them to survive. In these places, community participation is the key to successful conservation programs intended to rehabilitate environmental functions and produce environmental services for beneficiaries outside the area. This paper reviews the relationship between poverty and environmental services and briefly discusses the main ways in which approaches that rely on payment for environmental services are thought likely to alleviate poverty. It also discusses the poverty profile and inequality of upland dwellers in the Sumberjaya watershed in Indonesia's Lampung Province, using income, education, and land-holding indicators. Data related to these three indicators were collected from intensive household surveys and interviews and used via Gini decomposition to measure inequality. In addition, analysis of data on stem at breast height and horizontal root diameter of coffee and other noncoffee trees planted on coffee farms showed that index of root shallowness could be used as an estimator of environmental services. This study revealed that state forest land in Lampung Province, Indonesia, not only provides important income for poor farmers but also leads to a more equitable distribution of income and land holdings. These farmers have also successfully rehabilitated degraded land by establishing coffee-based agroforestry. As found in other recent studies, these findings show that coffee-based agroforestry can perform watershed service functions similar to those of natural, undisturbed forests. This supports the argument that poor farmers who provide environmental services through their activities in state-owned forests should be rewarded with land rights as a policy to alleviate poverty.

Evaluation Services from Needs Assessment to Follow-up: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Broadbooks, Wendy J.

This paper describes the nature and scope of evaluation services provided within the training division of Arthur Andersen & Company, and highlights some of the evaluation results. The cycle of assessment began with a needs assessment study at the curriculum level. Curriculum planning was undertaken for first-year trainees in the Tax Division.…

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-10-22

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

Teaching Enzymes to Pre-Service Science Teachers through POE (Predict, Observe, Explain) Method: The Case of Catalase

Science.gov (United States)

Güngör, Sema Nur; Özkan, Muhlis

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to teach enzymes, which are one of the biology subjects in understanding which students have a big difficulty, to pre-service teachers through POE method in the case of catalase, which is an oxidoreductase. Descriptive analysis method was employed in this study in which 38 second grade pre-service teachers attending Uludag…

Rehabilitating mangrove ecosystem services: A case study on the relative benefits of abandoned pond reversion from Panay Island, Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Clare; Primavera, Jurgenne H; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Thompson, Julian R; Loma, Rona Joy A; Koldewey, Heather J

2016-08-30

Mangroves provide vital climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) ecosystem services (ES), yet have suffered extensive tropics-wide declines. To mitigate losses, rehabilitation is high on the conservation agenda. However, the relative functionality and ES delivery of rehabilitated mangroves in different intertidal locations is rarely assessed. In a case study from Panay Island, Philippines, using field- and satellite-derived methods, we assess carbon stocks and coastal protection potential of rehabilitated low-intertidal seafront and mid- to upper-intertidal abandoned (leased) fishpond areas, against reference natural mangroves. Due to large sizes and appropriate site conditions, targeted abandoned fishpond reversion to former mangrove was found to be favourable for enhancing CCMA in the coastal zone. In a municipality-specific case study, 96.7% of abandoned fishponds with high potential for effective greenbelt rehabilitation had favourable tenure status for reversion. These findings have implications for coastal zone management in Asia in the face of climate change. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A study on important factors influencing innovation in service: A case study of hotel industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koorosh Kohyari Haghighat

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Hotel industry plays important role on developing tourism industry and having better services in this industry always help increase market share. The proposed study of this paper considers the effects of four variables including collaboration with staff, collaboration with customers, collaboration with partners and business owners and finally mechanism of integration of knowledge on innovation on service. The population of this survey includes 259 hotels where we send our questionnaire to 179 and manage to collect 170 ones. Cronbach alpha for four variables including collaboration with staff, collaboration with customers, collaboration with partners and business owners and finally mechanism of integration of knowledge were calculated as 0.78, 0.865, 0.743 and 0.890, respectively. The proposed study uses structural equation modeling to study the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable and the effects of four variables are confirmed when the level of significance is five percent.

A Comparative Study on Evaluating the Service Quality Attributes based on Kano Model: A Case of Low-cost Carrier and Full-service Carrier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byun Hyojeong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The emergence and development of low-cost carriers(LCC with competitive price is heating up the competition in the aviation market more, especially between low-cost carriers(LCC and full-service carriers(FSC. Therefore, it became more important than ever to implement service differentiation strategies of each airline for securing customers and competitiveness. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to compare and assess the different expectations of the customers for airline service attributes pursued by FSCs and LCCs. Three main dimensions of airline service quality attributes (physical, human, and system service, were selected and this study clarified the service quality attributes of each airline carrier using Kano Model. Data were collected from Korean passengers who experienced both LCCs and FSCs for international or domestic flights. As results, this study demonstrated several differences in airline service quality attributes between FSCs and LCCs, which imply that each airline needs to adopt differential strategies to be more competitive. In particular, most physical-related attributes for FSCs were a ‘must-be’ dimension while the majority of attributes for LCCs was clarified ‘one-dimensional’ attribute. The current study also presented implications to be helpful in developing the quality of service and establishing marketing strategies for improvement in customer satisfaction.

Privatisation in reproductive health services in Pakistan: three case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravindran, T K Sundari

2010-11-01

Privatisation in Pakistan's health sector was part of the Structural Adjustment Programme that started in 1998 following the country's acute foreign exchange crisis. This paper examines three examples of privatisation which have taken place in service delivery, management and capacity-building functions in the health sector: 1) large-scale contracting out of publicly-funded health services to private, not-for-profit organisations; 2) social marketing/franchising networks providing reproductive health services; and 3) a public-private partnership involving a consortium of private players and the government of Pakistan. It assesses the extent to which these initiatives have contributed to promoting equitable access to good quality, comprehensive reproductive health services. The paper concludes that these forms of privatisation in Pakistan's health sector have at best made available a limited range of fragmented reproductive health services, often of sub-optimal quality, to a fraction of the population, with poor returns in terms of health and survival, especially for women. This analysis has exposed a deep-rooted malaise within the health system as an important contributor to this situation. Sustained investment in health system strengthening is called for, where resources from both public and private sectors are channelled towards achieving health equity, under the stewardship of the state and with active participation by and accountability to members of civil society. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in marketing library services in urban areas: A case study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article presents the findings of a study that was undertaken in Kampala City, Uganda, in nine libraries belonging to the private sector, government, academic and diplomatic- related institutions. The aim of the study was to establish trends in marketing library services in urban areas with a view to identify marketing ...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-01-01

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

Survival analysis for customer satisfaction: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Hadiyat, M. A.; Wahyudi, R. D.; Sari, Y.

2017-11-01

Most customer satisfaction surveys are conducted periodically to track their dynamics. One of the goals of this survey was to evaluate the service design by recognizing the trend of satisfaction score. Many researchers recommended in redesigning the service when the satisfaction scores were decreasing, so that the service life cycle could be predicted qualitatively. However, these scores were usually set in Likert scale and had quantitative properties. Thus, they should also be analyzed in quantitative model so that the predicted service life cycle would be done by applying the survival analysis. This paper discussed a starting point for customer satisfaction survival analysis with a case study in healthcare service.

KUD SERVICE LEVEL IN FARMER SUBSIDIZE FERTILIZER (Case Study in District Banguntapan Bantul Yogyakarta

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Sipri Paramita

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to determine: (1 the level of service in the provision of subsidized fertilizer cooperatives of farmers on the timeliness, accuracy number, precision type, right quality, right place and the right price, (2 factors that affect the level of service cooperatives in the procurement of subsidized fertilizer at the farm level. Descriptively and purposive of the 90 samples taken at random, were analyzed with analysis of the test sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov, the proportion of single test, and correlation analysis. Obtained results: (1 service cooperatives in the procurement of subsidized fertilizer at the farm level right time, right quantity, right price, right quality and the right target is good, (2 service cooperatives have an inverse correlation with the presence of other distributors. Other factors not directly affect the effectiveness of the service cooperatives

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-12-01

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

Development and evaluation of SOA-based AAL services in real-life environments: a case study and lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Stav, Erlend; Walderhaug, Ståle; Mikalsen, Marius; Hanke, Sten; Benc, Ivan

2013-11-01

The proper use of ICT services can support seniors in living independently longer. While such services are starting to emerge, current proprietary solutions are often expensive, covering only isolated parts of seniors' needs, and lack support for sharing information between services and between users. For developers, the challenge is that it is complex and time consuming to develop high quality, interoperable services, and new techniques are needed to simplify the development and reduce the development costs. This paper provides the complete view of the experiences gained in the MPOWER project with respect to using model-driven development (MDD) techniques for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) system development in the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) domain. To address this challenge, the approach of the European research project MPOWER (2006-2009) was to investigate and record the user needs, define a set of reusable software services based on these needs, and then implement pilot systems using these services. Further, a model-driven toolchain covering key development phases was developed to support software developers through this process. Evaluations were conducted both on the technical artefacts (methodology and tools), and on end user experience from using the pilot systems in trial sites. The outcome of the work on the user needs is a knowledge base recorded as a Unified Modeling Language (UML) model. This comprehensive model describes actors, use cases, and features derived from these. The model further includes the design of a set of software services, including full trace information back to the features and use cases motivating their design. Based on the model, the services were implemented for use in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) systems, and are publicly available as open source software. The services were successfully used in the realization of two pilot applications. There is therefore a direct and traceable link from the user needs of the

Development of PCR for WWTP based on a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Borghi, A.; Gallo, M.; Strazza, C.; Gaggero, P.L.

2009-01-01

In order to apply the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to products or services, specific rules (PCR, Product Category Rules) have to be issued to ensure comparability among different declarations within the same service group. The aim of the present study is to describe the reasons leading to each choice in the development of PCR applied to collecting and treatment service of municipal wastewater and to evaluate, through life cycle analysis (LCA), their influence on the potential environmental impact of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), analysed as a case study. Specific data were collected during the year 2003 from an Italian active sludge treatment plant with separate wastewater and sludge treatment lines. The life-cycle approach applied to the case study shows that LCA represents an environmental management tool able both to communicate environmental information by the Type 3. environmental label EPD, and to look for different scenarios that can improve the environmental performance of the Collecting and Treatment Service of Municipal Wastewater. [it

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

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Naser Azad

2013-04-01

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

BioFleet case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

These six case studies examined the use of different biodiesel blends as fuel supply sources for businesses in British Columbia (BC). In the first case study, 6 municipalities participated in a pilot program designed to compare the performance of biodiesel and diesel fuels. Each municipality operated 2 base vehicles running on conventional diesel along with 2 similar vehicles which used biodiesel. Real time emissions tests and analyses of the vehicles using biodiesel were also conducted by 2 of the participating municipalities. All municipalities participating in the study agreed to purchase significant volumes of biodiesel. The second case study described a pilot study conducted by the City of Vancouver's equipment services branch in 2004. As a result of the study, the city now has over 530 types of equipment that use biodiesel. The third case study described a program designed by TSI Terminals in Vancouver to assess the emission reduction impact of using biodiesel at its port facility. Six different pieces of equipment were used to confirm that biodiesel could be used throughout the terminal. Test results confirmed that biodiesel blends could be used to reduce emissions. Overall emissions were reduced by 30 per cent. The fourth case study described a waste renderer that used a fleet of 36 trucks to deliver raw products to its plants. The company made the decision to use only biodiesel for its entire fleet of trucks. Since July 2005, the company has logged over 1.7 million km using biodiesel blends. The fifth case study described a salmon hatchery that switched from diesel to biodiesel in order to reduce emissions. The biodiesel blends are used to fuel the hatchery's 2 diesel generators. The hatchery has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by an estimated 1800 tonnes annually. The sixth case study described how the Township of Langley has started using biodiesel for its entire fleet of of approximately 250 pieces of equipment. The township has not

Users' Satisfaction with Library Services: A Case Study of Delta State University Library

Science.gov (United States)

Ikolo, Violet E.

2015-01-01

The study focused on users' satisfaction with library services at the Delta State University main Library, Abraka, Delta State. The objective was to find out if users are satisfied with the services, facilities, the library environment, information sources and staff of the library. Using the descriptive survey design, the population for the study…

Carbon sequestration through urban ecosystem services: A case study from Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuittinen, Matti; Moinel, Caroline; Adalgeirsdottir, Kristjana

2016-09-01

Plants and soil are natural regulators of atmospheric CO2. Whereas plants sequester atmospheric carbon, soils deposit it for decades. As cities become increasingly more densely built, the available land area for such ecosystem services may decrease. We studied seven different housing areas in the Finnish city of Espoo to ascertain the extent to which site efficiency affects to the ecosystem services if the full life-cycle GHG emissions of these areas are taken into account. The results show that the impact of CO2 uptake through carbon sinks in growing plants and the uptake of soil organic carbon vary greatly. Its share of all emissions varied from a marginal value of 1.2% to a more considerable value of 11.9%. The highest potential was calculated for a detached house located on a large site, while the weakest was calculated for compact apartment blocks. The study revealed that in order to quantify this potential more accurately, several knowledge gaps must first be addressed. These include impartial growth algorithms for Nordic wood species, missing accumulation factors for soil organic carbon in cold climates and statistical maintenance scenarios for gardens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Creating demand for cataract services: a Cambodian case study

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Seng Sophal

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Following decades of civil disturbance in Cambodia, by the early 1990s there were few doctors remaining in the country, and little in the way of eye care services.With NGO support, training centres were established to train medical graduates and nurses as ‘basic eye doctors’ and ‘basic eye nurses’. These workers were then placed in provincial eye units to serve the eye care needs of those provinces. However, it soon became clear that, despite evidence that blindness, including cataract blindness, was prevalent, patients were not attending these provincial eye units. Attention was therefore given to finding out more about the barriers preventing patients benefiting from these services.

The relationship between childhood trauma and adult psychosis in a UK Early Intervention Service: results of a retrospective case note study

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Reeder FD

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Francesca D Reeder,1 Nusrat Husain,2 Abdul Rhouma,3 Peter M Haddad,2 Tariq Munshi,4 Farooq Naeem,4 Davit Khachatryan,4 Imran B Chaudhry2 1School of Medicine, 2Neurosciences and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, 3Early Intervention Service, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, UK; 4Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Aim: There is evidence that childhood trauma is a risk factor for the development of psychosis and it is recommended that childhood trauma is inquired about in all patients presenting with psychosis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood trauma in patients in the UK Early Intervention Service based on a case note review.Methods: This is a retrospective case note study of 296 patients in an UK Early Intervention Service. Trauma history obtained on service entry was reviewed and trauma experienced categorized. Results were analyzed using crosstab and frequency analysis.Results: The mean age of the sample was 24 years, 70% were male, 66% were White, and 23% Asian (ethnicity not documented in 11% of the sample. Approximately 60% of patients reported childhood trauma, 21% reported no childhood trauma, and data were not recorded for the remaining 19%. Among those reporting trauma, the prevalence of most frequently reported traumas were: severe or repeated disruption (21%, parental mental illness (19%, bullying (18%, absence of a parent (13%, and ‘other’ trauma (24% – the majority of which were victimization events. Sixty-six percent of those reporting trauma had experienced multiple forms of trauma.Conclusion: A high prevalence of childhood trauma (particularly trauma related to the home environment or family unit was reported. This is consistent with other studies reporting on trauma and psychosis. The main weakness of the study is a lack of a control group reporting experience of childhood trauma in those without psychosis. Guidelines recommend that all patients with

Applying social innovation theory to examine how community co-designed health services develop: using a case study approach and mixed methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Jane; Carlisle, Karen; Dickson-Swift, Virginia; Teasdale, Simon; Kenny, Amanda; Taylor, Judy; Croker, Felicity; Marini, Karen; Gussy, Mark

2018-01-31

Citizen participation in health service co-production is increasingly enacted. A reason for engaging community members is to co-design services that are locally-appropriate and harness local assets. To date, much literature examines processes of involving participants, with little consideration of innovative services are designed, how innovations emerge, develop and whether they sustain or diffuse. This paper addresses this gap by examining co-designed initiatives through the lens of social innovation - a conceptualisation more attuned to analysing grassroots innovation than common health services research approaches considering top-down, technical innovations. This paper considers whether social innovation is a useful frame for examining co-designed services. Eighty-eight volunteer community-based participants from six rural Australian communities were engaged using the same, tested co-design framework for a 12-month design and then 12-month implementation phase, in 24 workshops (2014-16). Mixed, qualitative data were collected and used to formulate five case studies of community co-designed innovations. A social innovation theory, derived from literature, was applied as an analytical frame to examine co-design cases at 3 stages: innovation growth, development and sustainability/diffusion. Social innovation theory was found relevant in examining and understanding what occurred at each stage of innovation development. Innovations themselves were all adaptations of existing ideas. They emerged due to local participants combining knowledge from local context, own experiences and exemplars. External facilitation brought resources together. The project provided a protective niche in which pilot innovations developed, but they needed support from managers and/or policymakers to be implemented; and to be compatible with existing health system practices. For innovations to move to sustainability/diffusion required political relationships. Challenging existing practice

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

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J. Michael Greenwood

2012-06-01

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

Designing a New Car Rental Service Using Location-Based Services

OpenAIRE

Dessie, Solomon

2015-01-01

This thesis concentrates on improving the car rental services offered by the case company by introducing location-based services. For many years, the company has conducted a rental business in a similar manner with other car rental companies, and now it is introducing a new service system based on online interaction and location-based services. The outcome of the study is a blueprint for the case company regarding the design of a car rental service using location-based services. This stud...

Transfer of Service Knowledge: A case from the oil industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Saeema; Vianello, Giovanna

2009-01-01

The general trend in engineering design is to consider issues related to the product lifecycle during the design of a product. Hence, the capture of knowledge arising during the operation phase (service) and the feedback of this to engineering designers is an important aspect of complex products....... A case study of drilling machinery for offshore oil rigs has been selected. This choice arose from the unique characteristics of this industry where solutions are specific for each rig, so re-design or adaptation of machineries and assembly is required in each project and it’s imperative to have...... a correct set of requirements and design. As the drilling machines are one-off machines, the transfer of experience between projects and knowledge from operational experience is essential. Interviews with the project team from the company owning the rig (drilling contractor), and the service engineers from...

PERSPECTIVES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WELLNESS SERVICES IN HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES: THE CASE OF HOTELS OF VLADIVOSTOK

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Natalya Petrovna Ovcharenko

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Wellness tourism is a growing segment in the world tourism market and tourism is not possible without hospitality properties. The popularity of the hotel, its attendance and profit can be significantly increased in case of implementation of wellness services in the hotel. In the article the authors examine perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. The study is held through the example of hotels of Vladivostok. The authors note the diversity of wellness services and their growing popularity among consumers of tourism services and, therefore, the expediency of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. Purpose: the study of perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties, aimed to evaluate the relevance of such services at the market of hospitality properties of Vladivostok and to find out the different forms of delivering of wellness services. Methodology: comparison method, questionnaire approach, statistical method, literature analysis of the investigated problem. Results: the conclusions on wellness services market in hospitality properties of Vladivostok were made. The preferences of citizens of Primorsky Krai concerning different types of wellness services were discovered. Recommendations on promotion of wellness services in hospitality properties were proposed. Practical implications: the results of the study may be useful for workers of hospitality industry, travel agencies and tour operators, business representatives in the wellness sphere and everybody who are interested in wellness conception.

Criminal investigations in child protective services cases: an empirical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Theodore P; Chuang, Emmeline; Helton, Jesse J; Lux, Emily A

2015-05-01

This study analyzed the frequency and correlates of criminal investigation of child maltreatment in cases investigated by child protective service (CPS), using national probability data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. Criminal investigations were conducted in slightly more than 25% of cases. Communities varied substantially in percentage criminally investigated. Sexual abuse was the most frequent type of maltreatment criminally investigated followed by physical abuse. Logistic regression results indicated that criminal investigations were more likely when caseworkers perceived greater harm and more evidence; when CPS conducted an investigation rather than an assessment; when a parent or a legal guardian reported the maltreatment; and when cases were located in communities in which CPS and police had a memorandum of understanding (MOU) governing coordination. Most variation between communities in criminal investigation remained unexplained. The findings suggest the potential of MOUs for communities wanting to increase criminal investigation. © The Author(s) 2014.

Floodwater utilisation values of wetland services - a case study in Northeastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, S. B.; Xu, S. G.; Feng, F.

2012-02-01

Water plays a significant role in wetlands. Floodwater utilisation in wetlands brings a wide range of wetland services, from goods production and water regulation to animal protection and aesthetics related to water supply in wetlands. In this study, the floodwater utilisation values of wetland services were estimated within the Momoge wetland and Xianghai wetland in western Jilin province of northeastern China. From 2003 to 2008, the floodwater diverted from the Nenjiang and Tao'er River is 381 million m3, which translates into a monetary value of approximately 1.35 billion RMB in 2008 (RMB: Chinese Currency, RMB 6.80 = US 1), and the ratio of economic value, eco-environmental value, and social value is 1:12:2. Besides the monetary value of the water itself, excessive floodwater utilisation may bring losses to wetlands; the threshold floodwater utilisation volumes in wetlands are discussed. Floodwater utilisation can alleviate water shortages in wetlands, and the evaluation of floodwater utilisation in wetland services in monetary terms is a guide for the effective use of the floodwater resources and for the conservation of wetlands.

MAPPING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES SUPPLY IN MOUNTAIN REGIONS: A CASE STUDY FROM SOUTH TYROL (ITALY

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U. Schirpke

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Mountain regions provide many ecosystem services and spatially explicit assessments have to account for their specific topographic and climatic conditions. Moreover, it is fundamental to understand synergies and trade-offs of multiple ecosystem services. In this study, ecosystem services supply, including forage production, timber production, water supply, carbon sequestration, soil stability, soil quality, and the aesthetic value, was quantified in bio-physical terms on the landscape scale for South Tyrol. Mean ecosystem services values of the 116 municipalities were grouped in 5 clusters. The results indicate that carbon stock is the prevailing ecosystem service of valley municipalities. On contrast, they suffer from water deficit and depend on water supply from high mountain municipalities. Trade-offs can be also found between the aesthetic value on one hand and timber production, carbon sequestration and soil stability on the other hand. The latter are characteristic for municipalities dominated by forest. The resulting maps can support landscape planning, ecosystem management and conservation of biodiversity.

Guidelines of the Development and the Supporting Learning Resources by the Community Participatory of Case Study for the Schools Under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24

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Wisan Payungwong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This research aimed 1 to study the components of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24 and 2 to investigate guidelines of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24. This research was conducted into two phases. The first phase was investigated the components and indicators of guidelines of the development and the supporting learning resources by the community participatory of case study for the schools under Secondary Education Service Area Office 24. The samples group were five respondents to provide the information by an assessment form. The second phase was conducted to find out the guidelines of development and supporting learning resources by community participatory of case study which included four steps. The first step was the focus group of case study schools with best practice. The samples were fourteen key informants from 2 schools. There were school directors, deputy director of academic administration, head of learning, village leaders, wisdom villagers and religious leaders. The data were collected by using focus group discussion form. The second step was draft the develop management guideline of academic administration. The sample group were 7 professionals. The data were collected by using the evaluation from of propriety/feasibility/utility of the develop management guideline of academic administration. The data were analyzed in average ( and standard deviation (S.D.. The third step was group discussion for evaluated the applying of the develop management guideline of academic administration. The samples group were 14 key informants from 2 schools. There were school directors, deputy director of academic administration, head of learning, village leaders

Ethical decision making within the bureaucratic context: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Kathryn

2003-01-01

Balancing the polarized notions of quality and quantity of service and care is a challenge for the 21st century health and social service system. The expectation of transparent decision making at both the policy and the practice level of case management has forced practitioners to seek guidance in ethical decision making. Case management, as a system, has potential to lead this new practice approach by incorporating the principles of ethical decision making in planning and coordinating care. A recent case study of ethical decision making within the bureaucratic context offers some insight and learning and may help inform future practice.

Is it Possible to Design a Math-Art Instructional Practice? Cases of Pre-service Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Işıkhan UĞUREL

2013-10-01

Full Text Available To many people, establishing relationships between mathematics and art is difficult or surprising. However, these two disciplines are quite interrelated. Today, the literature of mathematics reveals that there has been an increasing interest in interaction between these two disciplines. As also observed in our country, the studies on relationships between mathematics and art have gained more popularity in mathematics education. There is a course entitled, “Mathematics and Art” offered as one of elective courses and taught for ten years to juniors of the Department of Secondary Mathematics Education, Dokuz Eylül University. The course covers a wide range of activities derived from relationships between mathematics and music to activities derived from those between mathematics and handicraft. In this study, cases of pre-service teachers attending this course were analysed. They were asked to do an instructional design integrating mathematics into art at secondary education level. Their designs were analyzed based on the use of art in which contexts and for what purposes. Furthermore, their designs were analyzed in terms of whether they enhance learning. This qualitative study had a case study design. The participants were 43 pre-service mathematics teachers voluntarily selected from students taking the course. Descriptive analysis was done to analyze the data. As a consequence of the analysis, math-art instructional practices developed by pre-service teachers were clustered under three primary categories (good, average and inadequate. The majority of math-art instructional practices were categorized under the average category. In the study, these categories were described and cases in each category were discussed.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Koc, Mustafa

2011-01-01

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

Analysis of importance level and quality achievement aspect in dental health service (A case study on Waru Sidoarjo Community Dental Health Service

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Taufan Bramantoro

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients as customers of health services actually have expectation and assessment of health services perceived. During the initial interview conducted at Waru Sidoarjo Community Dental Health Service (Waru Sidoarjo CDHS, it is known that one hundred percent of initial respondents were not satisfied with dental care service provided. All of those respondents assessed that Waru Sidoarjo CDHS still has not met their expectations of service quality factors considered to be important for them. It is even known that there is usually a gap between the expectations of quality dental care service and the assessment of services perceived. As a result, further researches are needed to be conducted regarding the level of importance and achievement-related with factors that affect the quality of health services. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of importance and achievement of the quality aspects of the health service provided by Waru Sidoarjo CDHS. Methods: This study can be considered as a descriptive observational study. The instrument used in this study was measurement instruments of service quality. Respondents in the study were 200 patients who visited to dental care services in Waru Sidoarjo CDHS in July 2011. Results: All of the attributes had a mean value of dominant importance and assessments at four. The attributes of the appearance feasibility of medical staffs had the highest interest, about 4.780. Meanwhile, the mean value of the lowest importance was on the attributes of the service suitability, about 4.595. During the observation of the service value, it is also known that the highest mean value was on the non-discriminative services, about 4.600. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there were attributes considered to be important for patients, but still not being fully met by health services provided by the service provider or Community Dental Health Care. Those attributes involving waiting room

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

Developing and sustaining adolescent-friendly health services: A multiple case study from Ecuador and Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Goicolea, Isabel; Coe, Anna-Britt; San Sebastián, Miguel; Hurtig, Anna-Karin

2017-08-01

Adolescent-Friendly Health Services (AFHSs) are those that are accessible, acceptable, equitable, appropriate and effective for different youth sub-populations. This study investigated the process through which four clinics in two countries - Peru and Ecuador - introduced, developed and sustained AFHSs. A multiple case study design was chosen, and data from each clinic were collected through document review, observations and informant interviews. National level data were also collected. Data were analysed following thematic analysis. The findings showed that the process of introducing, developing and sustaining AFHSs was long term, and required a creative team effort and collaboration between donors, public institutions and health providers. The motivation and external support was crucial to initiating and sustaining the implementation of AFHSs. Health facilities' transformation into AFHSs was linked to the broader organisation of country health systems, and the evolution of national adolescent health policies. In Peru, the centralised approach to AFHSs introduction facilitated the dissemination of a comprehensive national model to health facilities, but dependency on national directives made it more difficult to systemise them when ideological and organisational changes occurred. In Ecuador, a less centralised approach to introducing AFHSs made for easier integration of the AFHSs model.

Integrated Marketing Communication to Enhance Active User of Internet Banking Service: Case Study Bank XYZ

OpenAIRE

Prawitasari, Larasati; Hudrasyah, Herry

2012-01-01

Internet banking is a form of self-service technology. In the global banking business, Internet banking has a big role for doing the business. In developing country, Internet banking received relatively little attention although has been deployed for years. Only 3% of customer Bank XYZ in Indonesia using Internet banking service actively, although has been 9 years Bank XYZ introduced Internet banking service. This study addressed what factor that drives and influences Internet banking accepta...

Assessment of Passenger Satisfaction with Public Bus Transport Services: A Case Study of Lucknow City (India

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Singh Sanjay

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study is threefold. First, it tries to assess the passenger satisfaction with public bus transport services in the city of Lucknow in India. Second, it tries to examine the service quality attributes that influence the passenger satisfaction. Third, it tries to evaluate the relative importance of service quality attributes to find out the priority for service quality improvements to enhance passenger satisfaction. The study is based on a survey of objective as well as subjective questions conducted between May and July 2014. Five major bus stops of Lucknow were selected for the survey. Total 148 respondents were randomly selected to elicit their overall satisfaction and factors that influence their satisfaction in the use of public bus transport services in Lucknow using a self-rated questionnaire. The collected sample of responses is subjected to principal component analysis, a statistical technique for dimensionality reduction of the dataset, and descriptive analysis. The result of theses analyses shows that passengers are mostly dissatisfied with public bus transport services in Lucknow. Using principal component analysis, five underlying factors were extracted that influenced passenger satisfaction with public bus transport services in the city. Out of these five factors, comfort and safety has the greatest impact on overall satisfaction, followed by the adequacy of capacity of public bus transport services, orderly and clean environment inside buses, elegant design of buses and bus stops, and accessibility to public bus transport services in the city. The study thus provides a direction for public bus transport administration in the city to understand the gaps that exist and try to fill them to improve its services so that passenger satisfaction can be enhanced and consequently more people can be attracted towards public bus transport.

Interoperability of Services in an Open Broadband Market : Cases from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burgmeijer, J.

2006-01-01

End-to-end interoperability of broadband services and networks is a condition for an open broadband market. A business model for broadband service interoperability is given. Two cases from the Netherlands, of initiatives from the market to reach interoperability, are presented: E-norm and FIST VoIP.

Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction of automated teller machine service: case study of a private commercial joint stock bank in Vietnam

OpenAIRE

Phan, Chi; Nham, Phong

2015-01-01

One of key challenge for Vietnamese commercial banks is how to compete in the market place with commonly undifferentiated services. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of service quality performance on customer satisfaction on ATM service in a commercial bank in Vietnam. This study applies SERVPERF framework to analyze the data collected from a questionnaire survey and found that ASSURANCE and TANGIBLES factors significantly impact on the customer satisfaction.

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

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McEvoy, Phil; Escott, Diane; Bee, Penny

2011-01-01

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

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

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Bismark Sarfo

2017-01-01

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

A case study of continuing teacher professional development ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We consider the professional development of in-service teachers and review traditional development efforts that have been used in the past. An alternative form of professional development using Japanese lesson study is proposed and discussed as a possibility. A case study involving the Mpumalanga Secondary Science ...

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

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Lazarus Nabaho

2012-12-01

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

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

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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

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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

Automatic WSDL-guided Test Case Generation for PropEr Testing of Web Services

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Konstantinos Sagonas

2012-10-01

Full Text Available With web services already being key ingredients of modern web systems, automatic and easy-to-use but at the same time powerful and expressive testing frameworks for web services are increasingly important. Our work aims at fully automatic testing of web services: ideally the user only specifies properties that the web service is expected to satisfy, in the form of input-output relations, and the system handles all the rest. In this paper we present in detail the component which lies at the heart of this system: how the WSDL specification of a web service is used to automatically create test case generators that can be fed to PropEr, a property-based testing tool, to create structurally valid random test cases for its operations and check its responses. Although the process is fully automatic, our tool optionally allows the user to easily modify its output to either add semantic information to the generators or write properties that test for more involved functionality of the web services.

Servant Leadership through Distance Learning: A Case Study

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Russell, Eric James

2013-01-01

This qualitative study explored the influence a distance learning servant leadership course had on the emergency service students' understanding of leadership. The research study utilized a case study design in order to tell the story of the lived experiences of the participants. The setting for the study was a state university in Utah, with the…

Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction of automated teller machine service: case study of a private commercial joint stock bank in Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi Phan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available One of key challenge for Vietnamese commercial banks is how to compete in the market place with commonly undifferentiated services. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of service quality performance on customer satisfaction on ATM service in a commercial bank in Vietnam. This study applies SERVPERF framework to analyze the data collected from a questionnaire survey and found that ASSURANCE and TANGIBLES factors significantly impact on the customer satisfaction.

Service Redesign Using Factor Analysis, TRIZ, and Service Blueprint (Case study on Garuda Indonesia’s sales and service office at Senayan City

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Suzianti Amalia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Indonesia is a country that has potential to be the one of the biggest airline industry. This potential leads the competition in airline industrymore aggressive. Garuda Indonesia as the leading airline must maintains its position as a leader in Indonesian airline industry. To maintain its position, Garuda Indonesia has repaired all of its aspects, one of them is service. The most important service area that give the most complete facilities to customers and contributions to Garuda Indonesia, is sales and service office (SSO. This research is trying to suggest recommendations of service redesign on Garuda Indonesia’s SSO in order to create better customer satisfaction. This research uses factor analysis to analyze the factors that contribute to the customer preferences. The result shows the duration of service delivery, facilities in waiting area and frontliner’s competencies are the major factors that contribute to the failure points in sales and service office. In the next stage, the TRIZ contradiction analysis is used resulting twelve inventive principles. Furthermore, new service design of Indonesia airline’s sales and service office is proposed following the principles generated in TRIZ through service blueprint.

PERSPECTIVES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF WELLNESS SERVICES IN HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES: THE CASE OF HOTELS OF VLADIVOSTOK

OpenAIRE

Natalya Petrovna Ovcharenko; Viktoriya Vladimirovna Chistyak

2018-01-01

Wellness tourism is a growing segment in the world tourism market and tourism is not possible without hospitality properties. The popularity of the hotel, its attendance and profit can be significantly increased in case of implementation of wellness services in the hotel. In the article the authors examine perspectives of implementation of wellness services in hospitality properties. The study is held through the example of hotels of Vladivostok. The authors note the diversity of wellness ser...

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

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

2010-01-01

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

Digging Deeper: A Case Study of Farmer Conceptualization of Ecosystem Services in the American South.

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Quinn, Courtney E; Quinn, John E; Halfacre, Angela C

2015-10-01

The interest in improved environmental sustainability of agriculture via biodiversity provides an opportunity for placed-based research on the conceptualization and articulation of ecosystem services. Yet, few studies have explored how farmers conceptualize the relationship between their farm and nature and by extension ecosystem services. Examining how farmers in the Southern Piedmont of South Carolina discuss and explain the role of nature on their farm, we create a detail-rich picture of how they perceive ecosystem services and their contributions to the agroeconomy. Using 34 semi-structured interviews, we developed a detail-rich qualitative portrait of these farmers' conceptualizations of ecosystem services. Farmers' conceptualization of four ecosystem services: provisioning, supporting, regulating, and cultural are discussed, as well as articulation of disservices. Results of interviews show that most interviewees expressed a basic understanding of the relationship between nature and agriculture and many articulated benefits provided by nature to their farm. Farmers referred indirectly to most services, though they did not attribute services to biodiversity or ecological function. While farmers have a general understanding and appreciation of nature, they lack knowledge on specific ways biodiversity benefits their farm. This lack of knowledge may ultimately limit farmer decision-making and land management to utilize ecosystem services for environmental and economic benefits. These results suggest that additional communication with farmers about ecosystem services is needed as our understanding of these benefits increases. This change may require collaboration between conservation biology professionals and extension and agriculture professionals to extended successful biomass provisioning services to other ecosystem services.

E-services for citizens: the Dutch usage case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, Johannes A.G.M.; Pieterson, Willem Jan; Ebbers, Wolfgang E.; van Deursen, Alexander Johannes Aloysius Maria

2007-01-01

In most countries, the maturity of eService delivery is measured by the supply of electronic service delivery. However, in many countries there is a gap between the supply and demand of eServices. We studied the actual use of eServices and the potential use of eServices in the Netherlands. We found

eServices for Citizens : The Dutch Usage Case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, Jan; Pieterson, Willem; van Deursen, Alexander; Ebbers, Wolfgang; Wimmer, Maria A.; Scholl, Jochen; Grönlund, Åke

2007-01-01

In most countries, the maturity of eService delivery is measured by the supply of electronic service delivery. However, in many countries there is a gap between the supply and demand of eServices. We studied the actual use of eServices and the potential use of eServices in the Netherlands. We found

Organizational factors affecting successful adoption of innovative eHealth services: a case study employing the FITT framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsiknakis, Manolis; Kouroubali, Angelina

2009-01-01

The paper presents an application of the "Fit between Individuals, Task and Technology" (FITT) framework to analyze the socio-organizational-technical factors that influence IT adoption in the healthcare domain. The FITT framework was employed as the theoretical instrument for a retrospective analysis of a 15-year effort in implementing IT systems and eHealth services in the context of a Regional Health Information Network in Crete. Quantitative and qualitative research methods, interviews and participant observations were employed to gather data from a case study that involved the entire region of Crete. The detailed analysis of the case study based on the FITT framework, showed common features, but also differences of IT adoption within the various health organizations. The emerging picture is a complex nexus of factors contributing to IT adoption, and multi-level interventional strategies to promote IT use. The work presented in this paper shows the applicability of the FITT framework in explaining the complexity of aspects observed in the implementation of healthcare information systems. The reported experiences reveal that fit management can be viewed as a system with a feedback loop that is never really stable, but ever changing based on external factors or deliberate interventions. Management of fit, therefore, becomes a constant and complex task for the whole life cycle of IT systems.

Context matters in NGO-government contracting for health service delivery: a case study from Pakistan.

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Zaidi, Shehla; Mayhew, Susannah H; Cleland, John; Green, Andrew T

2012-10-01

Contracting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for health service provision is gaining increasing importance in low- and middle-income countries. However, the role of the wider context in influencing the effectiveness of contracting is not well studied and is of relevance given that contracting has produced mixed results so far. This paper applies a policy analysis approach to examine the influence of policy and political factors on contracting origin, design and implementation. Evidence is drawn from a country case study of Pakistan involving extensive NGO contracting for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention services supported by international donor agencies. A multilevel study was conducted using 84 in-depth interviews, 22 semi-structured interviews, document review and direct observation to examine the national policy design, provincial management of contracting and local contract implementation. There were three main findings. First, contracting origin and implementation was an inherently political process affected by the wider policy context. Although in Pakistan a combination of situational events successfully managed to introduce extensive and sophisticated contracting, it ran into difficulties during implementation due to ownership and capacity issues within government. Second, wide-scale contracting was mis-matched with the capacity of local NGOs, which resulted in sub-optimal contract implementation challenging the reliance on market simulation through contracting. Third, we found that contracting can have unintended knock-on effects on both providers and purchasers. As a result of public sector contracts, NGOs became more distanced from their grounded attributes. Effects on government purchasers were more unpredictable, with greater identification with contracting in supportive governance contexts and further distancing in unsupportive contexts. A careful approach is needed in government contracting of NGOs, taking into account acceptance of

Enabling the participation of marginalized populations: case studies from a health service organization in Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Montesanti, Stephanie R; Abelson, Julia; Lavis, John N; Dunn, James R

2017-08-01

We examined efforts to engage marginalized populations in Ontario Community Health Centers (CHCs), which are primary health care organizations serving 74 high-risk communities. Qualitative case studies of community participation in four Ontario CHCs were carried out through key informant interviews with CHC staff to identify: (i) the approaches, strategies and methods used in participation initiatives aimed specifically at engaging marginalized populations in the planning of and decision making for health services; and (ii) the challenges and enablers for engaging these populations. The marginalized populations involved in the community participation initiatives studied included Low-German Speaking Mennonites in a rural town, newcomer immigrants and refugees in an urban downtown city, immigrant and francophone seniors in an inner city and refugee women in an inner city. Our analysis revealed that enabling the participation of marginalized populations requires CHCs to attend to the barriers experienced by marginalized populations that constrain their participation. Key informants outlined the features of a 'community development approach' that they rely on to address the barriers to marginalized peoples' involvement by strengthening their skills, abilities and leadership in capacity-building activities. The community development approach also shaped the participation methods that were used in the engagement process of CHCs. However, key informants also described the challenges of applying this approach, influenced by the cultural values of some groups, which shaped their willingness and motivation to participate. This study provides further insight into the approach, strategies and methods used in the engagement process to enable the participation of marginalized populations, which may be transferable to other health services settings. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethical Disputes and Public Service Televison. Case Study: Otvoreno Political Talk Show, Broadcasted on 21st of January, 2010

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Gordana Škaljac Narančić

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Ratings of the television programs as well as commercial effects become crucial measures of the media success and journalists’ efficiency neglecting minimal ethical standards. The profit maximisation logic and mere survival in times of the economic crisis also has the impact on preserving the sensitive ethical standards. In this respect, the television, as the most influential medium, especially public television, has the biggest responsibility. Violation of the ethical norms on public television means that it does not fulfil its key role – the role of public service. In important cases of the violation of ethical rules, the lack of clear responses of the regulators is the other side of the problem. The case study in this text shows us how easy it is to turn to the contempt of the professional journalistic standards and, consequently, ethical norms. This leads us to think how difficult is today to remain professional and ethical in times of the tangible commercialism and sensationalism.

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

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

2015-01-01

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

Cost-benefit study of school nursing services.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li Yan; Vernon-Smiley, Mary; Gapinski, Mary Ann; Desisto, Marie; Maughan, Erin; Sheetz, Anne

2014-07-01

In recent years, across the United States, many school districts have cut on-site delivery of health services by eliminating or reducing services provided by qualified school nurses. Providing cost-benefit information will help policy makers and decision makers better understand the value of school nursing services. To conduct a case study of the Massachusetts Essential School Health Services (ESHS) program to demonstrate the cost-benefit of school health services delivered by full-time registered nurses. Standard cost-benefit analysis methods were used to estimate the costs and benefits of the ESHS program compared with a scenario involving no school nursing service. Data from the ESHS program report and other published studies were used. A total of 477 163 students in 933 Massachusetts ESHS schools in 78 school districts received school health services during the 2009-2010 school year. School health services provided by full-time registered nurses. Costs of nurse staffing and medical supplies incurred by 78 ESHS districts during the 2009-2010 school year were measured as program costs. Program benefits were measured as savings in medical procedure costs, teachers' productivity loss costs associated with addressing student health issues, and parents' productivity loss costs associated with student early dismissal and medication administration. Net benefits and benefit-cost ratio were calculated. All costs and benefits were in 2009 US dollars. During the 2009-2010 school year, at a cost of $79.0 million, the ESHS program prevented an estimated $20.0 million in medical care costs, $28.1 million in parents' productivity loss, and $129.1 million in teachers' productivity loss. As a result, the program generated a net benefit of $98.2 million to society. For every dollar invested in the program, society would gain $2.20. Eighty-nine percent of simulation trials resulted in a net benefit. The results of this study demonstrated that school nursing services provided in

The Cost of Health Services Delivery in Health Houses of Alborz: A Case Study

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Javad Ghoddousinejad

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives : Health houses play an active role to improve health status of rural population.Furthermore, it is important to know the costs of provided services. This research was designed to determine the costs of healthcare delivery in health houses of ALBORZ district. Material and Methods : In this cross-sectional descriptive study, Activity Based Costing (ABC was used to analyze the costs of services. Results : The average Direct Costs (DC of healthcare delivery in health houses was estimated 37033365 Rials. Direct and Indirect Costs (IC of service delivery in health houses were 65.91% and 34.09% of Total Costs (TC respectively. Conclusion : Since human resources play the most important role in determining the costs of health services delivery in healthcare, reforming payment mechanisms would be a suitable solution to reduce extra costs. Moreover, in order to decrease extra costs, it is essential to modify activities and eliminate parallel tasks.

Why carers use adult day respite: a mixed method case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Stirling, Christine M; Dwan, Corinna A; McKenzie, Angela R

2014-06-06

We need to improve our understanding of the complex interactions between family carers' emotional relationships with care-recipients and carers use of support services. This study assessed carer's expectations and perceptions of adult day respite services and their commitment to using services. A mixed-method case study approach was used with psychological contract providing a conceptual framework. Data collection was situated within an organisational case study, and the total population of carers from the organisation's day respite service were approached. Fifty respondents provided quantitative and qualitative data through an interview survey. The conceptual framework was expanded to include Maslow's hierarchy of needs during analysis. Carers prioritised benefits for and experiences of care-recipients when making day respite decisions. Respondents had high levels of trust in the service and perceived that the major benefits for care-recipients were around social interaction and meaningful activity with resultant improved well-being. Carers wanted day respite experiences to include all levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs from the provision of physiological care and safety through to the higher levels of belongingness, love and esteem. The study suggests carers need to trust that care-recipients will have quality experiences at day respite. This study was intended as a preliminary stage for further research and while not generalizable it does highlight key considerations in carers' use of day respite services.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2010-05-01

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

Digitizing and Preserving Law School Recordings: A Duke Law Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

White, Hollie; Bordo, Miguel; Chen, Sean

2015-01-01

Written as a case study, this article outlines Duke Law School Information Services' video digitization, preservation, and access initiative. This article begins with a discussion of the case study environment and the cross-departmental evaluation of in-house video production and processing workflows. The in-house preservation reformatting process…

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

Hegemonic Masculinity in Sport Education: Case Studies of Experienced In-Service Teachers with Teaching Orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, YuChun; Curtner-Smith, Matthew

2013-01-01

Research has revealed that while pre-service teachers (PTs) with coaching orientations reinforce sexism and masculine bias, those with teaching orientations combat and reject it. The purpose of this study was to examine four sport education (SE) seasons taught by two experienced in-service teachers for the presence or absence of sexism and…

Multiple Case Studies of Public Library Systems in New York State: Service Decision-Making Processes

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Ren, Xiaoai

2012-01-01

This research examined the functions and roles of public library systems in New York State and the services they provide for individual libraries and the public. The dissertation further studied the service decision-making processes at three selected New York State cooperative public library systems. Public library systems have played an important…

Migrating an Online Service to WAP - A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Klasen, Lars

2002-01-01

Discusses mobile access via wireless application protocol (WAP) to online services that is offered in Sweden through InfoTorg. Topics include the Swedish online market; filtering HTML data from an Internet/Web server into WML (wireless markup language); mobile phone technology; microbrowsers; WAP protocol; and future possibilities. (LRW)

On the comparability of knowledge transfer activities - a case study at the German Baltic Sea Coast focusing regional climate services

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Meinke, Insa

2017-06-01

In this article the comparability of knowledge transfer activities is discussed by accounting for external impacts. It is shown that factors which are neither part of the knowledge transfer activity nor part of the participating institution may have significant impact on the potential usefulness of knowledge transfer activities. Differences in the potential usefulness are leading to different initial conditions of the knowledge transfer activities. This needs to be taken into account when comparing different knowledge transfer activities, e.g., in program evaluations. This study is focusing on regional climate services at the German Baltic Sea coast. It is based on two surveys and experiences with two identical web tools applied on two regions with different spatial coverage. The results show that comparability among science based knowledge transfer activities is strongly limited through several external impacts. The potential usefulness and thus the initial condition of a particular knowledge transfer activity strongly depends on (1) the perceived priority of the focused topic, (2) the used information channels, (3) the conformity between the research agenda of service providing institutions and information demands in the public, as well as (4) on the spatial coverage of a service. It is suggested to account for the described external impacts for evaluations of knowledge transfer activities. The results show that the comparability of knowledge transfer activities is limited and challenge the adequacy of quantitative measures in this context. Moreover, as shown in this case study, in particular regional climate services should be individually evaluated on a long term perspective, by potential user groups and/or by its real users. It is further suggested that evaluation criteria should be co-developed with these stakeholder groups.

Recent and lifetime utilization of health care services by children and adolescent suicide victims: a case-control study.

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Renaud, Johanne; Berlim, Marcelo T; Séguin, Monique; McGirr, Alexander; Tousignant, Michel; Turecki, Gustavo

2009-10-01

In the present paper we describe a case-control study on the utilization of health care services prior to suicide (across different time periods) among children and adolescents aged 11 to 18 years in the Province of Quebec, Canada and matched healthy controls. Utilization of services (i.e., contact with general practitioners, mental health professionals, psychiatrists and/or youth protection groups) was examined at different time periods in 55 child and adolescent suicide victims and 54 matched community controls using proxy-based interviews and questionnaires. In addition, we examined the rates of detection of psychopathology by health care professionals, the use of psychotropic medications and the subjects' compliance with treatment. Although more than 90% of child and adolescent suicide completers in our sample suffered from mental disorders, a significant proportion of them were left without appropriate healthcare support (including psychiatric consultation) in the period preceding their suicide. Also, 20% of suicide completers and no control subject made prior suicide attempts. More specifically, over two-thirds of suicide completers had no treatment contact within the month prior to the completion, while only 12.7% (n=7) of them were in contact with psychiatric services during that same period. Moreover, 56.4% (n=31) of the suicide completers had not been diagnosed as having a mental disorder at the time of their death, and 54.5% of the subjects' that received treatment (12 out of 22) were considered poorly compliant or not compliant at all according to their medical/psychosocial records. Finally, we also found that females seemed to have more psychiatric and mental health service contacts in the past month, that subjects with depressive and anxious disorders received more psychiatric and general mental health services in the past year, and that past month hospitalization was more often associated with alcohol abuse and psychosis. Relatively small sample size

Factors affecting the nurses’ motivation for participating in the in-service training courses: A case study

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Zahra Sajjadnia

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Due to the vital role of nurses and the effects of scientific advances on nursing care, providing high quality nursing services is not possible without participating in the in-service training programs and becoming familiar with the new techniques. This study aimed to determine the motivational factors influencing the participation in the in-service training courses among nurses working in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2013. Method: This was an applied, cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study. A sample of 216 nurses working in the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences was selected using stratified sampling proportional to size and simple random sampling methods. The required data were collected using a questionnaire determining the motivational factors influencing the nurses’ participation in the in-service training courses, including personal factors, organizational factors, and those related to the profession and the training courses planning. SPSS 18.0 and some statistical tests including ANOVA, Independent-Samples T-Test, as well as Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used to analyze the collected data. Results: The results showed that the mean score of nurses’ motivation for participating in the in-service training programs was 3.41±0.5. Also, the highest and lowest means of motivational factors affecting the studied nurses’ participation in the in-service courses were associated with the factors related to the profession (3.75 ± 0.71, and those related to the training courses planning (3.20 ± 0.59, respectively. In addition, there were significant associations between the personal factors (p=0.037 and factors related to the profession (p=0.047 and the studied nurses’ positions, between the organizational factors and their employment status (p=0.007, and between the factors related to the training courses planning and the

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

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

2015-01-01

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

Using Research-Based Video-Cases to Help Pre-Service Primary Teachers Conceptualize a Contemporary View of Mathematics Teaching

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Lin, Pi-Jen

2005-01-01

The study inquired into the effect of research-based video-cases on pre-service teachers conceptualizing their understanding of contemporary mathematics teaching. The 43 participants enrolled in a Mathematics Method Course viewed and discussed 5 video-cases of primary teachers teaching. Journal entries, lesson plans, and microteaching observations…

Developing new services using fuzzy QFD: a LIFENET case study.

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Rahman, Zillur; Qureshi, M N

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to suggest the fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) method to assess LIFENET customers' spoken and unspoken needs in order to achieve the various objectives like: how to decide optimum portfolio for health services strategically; how to assess competitors' market position in order to reckon the market position of LIFENET; and how to set the revised target in order to satisfy the customers' demand and to fetch profit in order to satisfy managers' mission and vision in a competitive market. A fuzzy QFD method has been devised to take care of the various LIFENET objectives. Fuzzy logic's use has been recommended to remove the uncertainty, vagueness, and impreciseness from data obtained to assess customers' spoken and unspoken needs. Symmetric triangular fuzzy numbers (STFNs) may be used to assess various needs to enhance data accuracy. House of quality (HOQ), an in-built QFD matrix, may be constructed to take care of LIFENET's various requirements in order to satisfy internal and external customers. Fuzzy QFD plays a vital role in assessing customers' need in terms of WHATs. Various WHATs thus obtained can be accomplished by incorporating technical parameter HOWs'. The QFD HOQ offers various vital comparisons for instance, WHATs vs HOWs, HOWs vs HOWs, NOWs vs WHATs, etc. to obtain important inferences, which help to revise target to remain competitive in the market Fuzzy QFD helps devise a management strategy to follow customers' needs in health industry successfully. Accessing Indian customers' needs poses many challenges as the decision to opt for a given healthcare service is most uncertain because it varies from person to person. The set of parameters that influence individual decisions to opt for healthcare services are costs, treatment response time, disease/risk, and health service satisfaction. Fuzzy QFD may help LIFENET promoters to consider customers' favored health services thereby helping strategically in their attempt for

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-01-01

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

Marketing mix across cultures : A case study: Binh Quoi Tourist Village's wedding services to France and Japan

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, Le Thuy Dung

2011-01-01

As the domestic wedding market in Vietnam becomes more and more saturated, foreign customers turn out to be new targets. Therefore, a strategic marketing plan for a Vietnamese organization to reach overseas customers is extremely necessary. The goal of this thesis is to assist a case company - Binh Quoi Tourist Village - a Vietnamese company operating in entertainment and restaurant industry to attract the French and Japanese to use its wedding services. In the theoretical part, dat...

A Case Study on Specialised Content Knowledge Development with Dynamic Geometry Software: The Analysis of Influential Factors and Technology Beliefs of Three Pre-Service Middle Grades Mathematics Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Zambak, Vecihi S.; Tyminski, Andrew M.

2017-01-01

This study characterises the development of Specialised Content Knowledge (SCK) with dynamic geometry software (DGS) throughout a semester. The research employed a single-case study with the embedded units of three pre-service middle grades mathematics teachers. Qualitative data were collected, and factors affecting these three teachers' SCK…

Characterizing the influence of transportation infrastructure on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in urban area-A case study of Seoul, South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Jungwoo; You, Myoungsoon; Yoon, Yoonjin

2017-01-01

In highly urbanized area where traffic condition fluctuates constantly, transportation infrastructure is one of the major contributing factors to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) availability and patient outcome. In this paper, we assess the impact of traffic fluctuation to the EMS first response availability in urban area, by evaluating the k-minute coverage under 21 traffic scenarios. The set of traffic scenarios represents the time-of-day and day-of-week effects, and is generated by combining road link speed information from multiple historical speed databases. In addition to the k-minute area coverage calculation, the k-minute population coverage is also evaluated for every 100m by 100m grid that partitions the case study area of Seoul, South Korea. In the baseline case of traveling at the speed limit, both the area and population coverage reached nearly 100% when compared to the five-minute travel time national target. Employing the proposed LoST (Loss of Serviceability due to Traffic) index, which measures coverage reduction in percentage compared to the baseline case, we find that the citywide average LoST for area and population coverage are similar at 34.2% and 33.8%. However, district-wise analysis reveals that such reduction varies significantly by district, and the magnitude of area and population coverage reduction is not always proportional. We conclude that the effect of traffic variation is significant to successful urban EMS first response performance, and regional variation is evident among local districts. Complexity in the urban environment requires a more adaptive approach in public health resource management and EMS performance target determination.

Liverpool Telecare Pilot: case studies

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Nigel Barnes

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Telecare services use information and communications technology (ICT to support the provision of care to people in their own homes. This paper describes a pilot telecare service employed by Liverpool (UK City Council to support a sample of their frail and elderly social services users. The pilot has been running for over two years and has been deployed for 21 individuals in Liverpool. In this paper we present the pilot system and provide real example cases which help to illustrate the benefits of such a system.

Low Volume, Funding, Staffing and Technical Problems are Key Reasons for Discontinuation of Chat Reference Services. A review of: Radford, Marie L., and M. Kathleen Kern. “A Multiple‐case Study Investigation of the Discontinuation of Nine Chat Reference Services.” Library & Information Science Research 28.4 (Sept. 2006: 521‐47.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie R. Walker

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Objective – To investigate the reasons behind the cessation of 9 virtual (chat reference services.Design – Multiple case‐study investigationSetting – Academic, public, and special libraries in the United States.Subjects – Five academic libraries, 1 public library, and 3 library consortia.Methods – The initial method used to identify discontinued chat reference services was via a posting to DIG_REF, the digitalreference services listserv. From this initial posting, librarians on the list also suggested other cases, for a total of 7. Two cases later came to the authors’ attention and were added. The 9 cases included academic libraries, a public library, and consortia who used tools provided by four major software vendors, giving a good cross‐section of the types of libraries participating in VR and the major software packages available at the time. A contact person for each discontinued service was invited to participate. The participants were geographically scattered, so data were collected via e‐mail questionnaires, telephone interviews, and examination of available documents describing the services, audiences, demographics, operations, and any decision‐making processes either for starting or discontinuing the service. The authors then compared and contrasted results obtained from the 9 services. The authors analysed reasons for discontinuation of services, the decision making processes, volume of questions, service hours, marketing, evaluation, and whether the service might be restarted atsome time in the future.Main Results – Although the VR services discussed were being delivered by diverse organizations, some commonalities emerged. All 9 services used existing staff and added chat reference to their duties. In all but one case, the hours of service offered when VRbegan were within the hours that the libraries were already open to the public. In the exception (Case E, there were hours of service after the libraries were

THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISTIC SERVICES THROUGH INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING. STUDY CASE: ROMANIA AND SPAIN

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Dan Popescu

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The present research aims to establish and to design the development strategies for services in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs that activate in the tourism field of activity (hotels and other accommodation establishments, restaurants, passenger transport, travel agencies, cultural tourism agencies. Organizational learning is focused on the learning process in the organization which has direct influence on the goods and services produced. Learning activities, carried out individually, are not easily transferred at the organizational level. Moreover, in order to better highlight the weaknesses and the strengths of touristic services management approaches and to define recommendations, our research theme is developed as comparative study: similarities and differences within SMEs touristic services and learning organization practices in Romania and other European Union’s country members (the example of Spain was considered.

Residential tourism and migration of foreign retirees in Mexico: A case study on the environmental impacts and public services in Baja California Sur

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Diego Armando Casas-Beltrán

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Migration of foreign retirees in Mexico has increased, especially in Los Cabos, where settlements trailer type are increasing and are moving into rural coastal areas of high ecological value, without the knowledge of impacts that may result. Thus the aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of this type of settlement, by documenting a case study, the characteristics of their community, their environmental impacts and implications for the provision of public services. We conclude that the town will become a short-term retreat site, because while it does not have high densities, its environmental implications are significant and broad coverage. Its current demand for services is minimal, but may cause conflicts in the future, especially with the water

Connections and consequences in complex systems: insights from a case study of the emergence and local impact of crisis resolution and home treatment services.

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Hannigan, Ben

2013-09-01

In this article the broad contours of a complexity perspective are outlined. Complexity ideas are then drawn on to frame an empirical examination of the connections running between different levels of organisation in health and social care, and to underpin investigation into the intended and unintended local system consequences of service development. Data are used from a study conducted in the UK's mental health field. Here, macro-level policy has led to the supplementing of longstanding community mental health teams by newer, more specialised, services. An example includes teams providing crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) care as an alternative to hospital admission. Using an embedded case study design, where 'the case' examined was a new CRHT team set in its surrounding organisational environment, ethnographic data (with interviews predominating) were generated in a single site in Wales over 18 months from the middle of 2007. In a large-scale context favourable to local decision-making, and against a background of a partial and disputed evidence base, the move to establish the new standalone service was contested. Whilst users valued the work of the team, and local practitioners recognised the quality of its contribution, powerful effects were also triggered across the locality's horizontal interfaces. Participants described parts of the interconnected system being closed to release resources, staff gravitating to new crisis services leaving holes elsewhere, and the most needy service users being cared for by the least experienced workers. Some community mental health team staff described unexpected increases in workload, and disputes over eligibility for crisis care with implications for system-wide working relations. Detailed data extracts are used to illustrate these connections and consequences. Concluding lessons are drawn on the use of evidence to inform policy, on the significance of local contexts and system interfaces, and on anticipating the

eHealth in Denmark: a case study.

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Kierkegaard, Patrick

2013-12-01

Denmark is widely regarded as a leading country in terms of eHealth integration and healthcare delivery services. The push for eHealth adoption over that past 20 years in the Danish health sector has led to the deployment of multiple eHealth technologies. However, in reality the Danish healthcare suffers from eHealth system fragmentation which has led to eHealth's inability to reach full potential in delivering quality healthcare service. This paper will presents a case study of the current state of eHealth in the Danish healthcare system and discuss the current challenges the country is facing today.

Making optimal investment decisions for energy service companies under uncertainty: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Qianli; Jiang, Xianglin; Zhang, Limao; Cui, Qingbin

2015-01-01

Varied initial energy efficiency investments would result in different annual energy savings achievements. In order to balance the savings revenue and the potential capital loss through EPC (Energy Performance Contracting), a cost-effective investment decision is needed when selecting energy efficiency technologies. In this research, an approach is developed for the ESCO (Energy Service Company) to evaluate the potential energy savings profit, and thus make the optimal investment decisions. The energy savings revenue under uncertainties, which are derived from energy efficiency performance variation and energy price fluctuation, are first modeled as stochastic processes. Then, the derived energy savings profit is shared by the owner and the ESCO according to the contract specification. A simulation-based model is thus built to maximize the owner's profit, and at the same time, satisfy the ESCO's expected rate of return. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach, the University of Maryland campus case is also presented. The proposed method could not only help the ESCO determine the optimal energy efficiency investments, but also assist the owner's decision in the bidding selection. - Highlights: • An optimization model is built for determining energy efficiency investment for ESCO. • Evolution of the energy savings revenue is modeled as a stochastic process. • Simulation is adopted to calculate investment balancing the owner and the ESCO's profit. • A campus case is presented to demonstrate applicability of the proposed approach

The Multimedia Case as a Tool for Professional Development: An Analysis of Online and Face-to-Face Interaction among Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers, In-Service Teachers, Mathematicians, and Mathematics Teacher Educators

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McGraw, Rebecca; Lynch, Kathleen; Koc, Yusuf; Budak, Ayfer; Brown, Catherine A.

2007-01-01

In this study, we consider the potential of multimedia cases as tools for teacher professional development. Specifically, we examined online and face-to-face discussions that occurred within groups composed of pre-service mathematics teachers, in-service mathematics teachers, mathematicians, and mathematics teacher educators. Discussions within…

How to Integrate HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Namibia, the Epako Clinic Case Study

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Tomas Zapata

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: During the past two decades, HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health services in Namibia have been provided in silos, with high fragmentation. As a consequence of this, quality and efficiency of services in Primary Health Care has been compromised.  Methods: We conducted an operational research (observational pre-post study in a public health facility in Namibia. A health facility assessment was conducted before and after the integration of health services. A person-centred integrated model was implemented to integrate all health services provided at the health facility in addition to HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Comprehensive services are provided by each health worker to the same patients over time (longitudinality, on a daily basis (accessibility and with a good external referral system (coordination. Prevalence rates of time flows and productivity were done.  Results: Integrated services improved accessibility, stigma and quality of antenatal care services by improving the provider-patient communication, reducing the time that patients stay in the clinic in 16% and reducing the waiting times in 14%. In addition, nurse productivity improved 85% and the expected time in the health facility was reduced 24% without compromising the uptake of TB, HIV, outpatient, antenatal care or first visit family planning services. Given the success on many indicators resulting from integration of services, the goal of this paper was to describe “how” health services have been integrated, the “process” followed and presenting some “results” from the integrated clinic.  Conclusions: Our study shows that HIV and SRH services can be effectively integrated by following the person-centred integrated model. Based on the Namibian experience on “how” to integrate health services and the “process” to achieve it, other African countries can replicate the model to move away from the silo approach and contribute to

Integrating Educational Technologies into Teacher Education: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Rawlins, Peter; Kehrwald, Benjamin

2014-01-01

This article is a case study of an integrated, experiential approach to improving pre-service teachers' understanding and use of educational technologies in one New Zealand teacher education programme. The study examines the context, design and implementation of a learning activity which integrated student-centred approaches, experiential…

Creating Service Concepts for Finnish Elderly Care : Case: Virtual Interactive Care Service

OpenAIRE

Nwagu, Promise

2016-01-01

This thesis looks at creating service concept by evaluating the research project of Virtual Interactive Care Service. The research project was initiated and implemented by the author together with Hovi Group Oy and Suomen kotilääkäripalvelu Oy. The goal was to provide a virtual care service business that uses interactive and stimulating activities to improve the wellbeing of elderly people in Finland. The study employed qualitative research method by reviewing existing works particularly...

Motivation Change of Pre-Service English Teachers: A Hong Kong Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Icy; Yuan, Rui

2014-01-01

This paper reports a study that investigated the motivations towards teaching of six pre-service English teachers enrolled on a teacher education course in Hong Kong. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, using data gathered from pre- and post-course interviews with individual participants, their dialogue journals with the teacher…

Determinants of Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality-The Case of Romanian Public Services-

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Horia Mihai RABOCA

2006-02-01

Full Text Available The present study portrays customer satisfaction and service quality as a multidimensional construct and investigates the link between customer satisfaction determinants and service quality determinants. Based on arguments that customer satisfaction should be operationalized along the same determinants/factors and dimensions (and the corresponding items on which service quality is operationalized, the results of study indicate that the two constructs are indeed independent but closely related, implying that an increase in one is likely to lead to an increase in another.

IT Service Departments Struggle to Adopt a Service-Oriented Philosophy

OpenAIRE

Aileen Cater-Steel

2009-01-01

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

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

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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.

A Universal Design Approach to Government Service Delivery: The Case of ChileAtiende.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval, Leonardo

2016-01-01

A common challenge for government administrations that aim to improve the delivery of information and services to citizens is to go beyond a government-centred approach. By focusing on citizens and the needs of a wide range of citizens, Universal Design (UD) can help to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of government services. This paper examines the case of an internationally recognised Chilean government service delivery programme inspired by UD principles known as ChileAtiende ("ChileService"). A brief account of its creation and current status is provided.

Form follows function? Proposing a blueprint for ecosystem service assessments based on reviews and case studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seppelt, R.; Fath, B.; Burkhard, B.; Fisher, J.L.; Grêt-Regamey, A.; Lautenbach, S.; Pert, P.; Hotes, S.; Spangenberg, J.; Verburg, P.H.; Oudenhoven, van A.P.E.

2012-01-01

Ecosystem service assessments (ESA) hold the promise of supporting the quantification and valuation of human appropriation of nature and its goods and services. The concept has taken flight with the number of studies published on the topic increasing rapidly. This development, and the variation of

Case studies in ultrasonic testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, V.; Satheesh, C.; Varde, P.V.

2015-01-01

Ultrasonic testing is widely used Non Destructive Testing (NDT) method and forms the essential part of In-service inspection programme of nuclear reactors. Main application of ultrasonic testing is for volumetric scanning of weld joints followed by thickness gauging of pipelines and pressure vessels. Research reactor Dhruva has completed the first In Service Inspection programme in which about 325 weld joints have been volumetrically scanned, in addition to thickness gauging of 300 meters of pipe lines of various sizes and about 24 nos of pressure vessels. Ultrasonic testing is also used for level measurements, distance measurements and cleaning and decontamination of tools. Two case studies are brought out in this paper in which ultrasonic testing is used successfully for identification of butterfly valve opening status and extent of choking in pipe lines in Dhruva reactor systems

Using technology to enhance the quality of home health care: three case studies of health information technology initiatives at the visiting nurse service of New York.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, David; Rosenfeld, Peri; Ames, Sylvia; Rosati, Robert J

2010-01-01

There is a growing recognition among health services researchers and policy makers that Health Information Technology (HIT) has the potential to address challenging issues that face patients and providers of healthcare. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), a large not-for-profit home healthcare agency, has integrated technology applications into the service delivery model of several programs. Case studies, including the development and implementation, of three informatics initiatives at VNSNY are presented on: (1) Quality Scorecards that utilize process, outcomes, cost, and satisfaction measures to assess performance among clinical staff and programs; (2) a tool to identify patients at risk of being hospitalized, and (3) a predictive model that identifies patients who are eligible for physical rehabilitation services. Following a description of these initiatives, we discuss their impact on quality and process indicators, as well as the opportunities and challenges to implementation. © 2010 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Comparative study: TQ and Lean Production ownership models in health services.

Science.gov (United States)

Eiro, Natalia Yuri; Torres-Junior, Alvair Silveira

2015-01-01

compare the application of Total Quality (TQ) models used in processes of a health service, cases of lean healthcare and literature from another institution that has also applied this model. this is a qualitative research that was conducted through a descriptive case study. through critical analysis of the institutions studied it was possible to make a comparison between the traditional quality approach checked in one case and the theoretical and practice lean production approach used in another case and the specifications are described below. the research identified that the lean model was better suited for people that work systemically and generate the flow. It also pointed towards some potential challenges in the introduction and implementation of lean methods in health.

Passengers’ Perspective Toward Airport Service Quality (ASQ (Case Study at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

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Ridha Kurniawan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Passenger satisfaction towards airport service quality is influenced by the level of service at the previous service quality. It causes the new facility is expected to exceed the previous service quality. Service quality improvement of people mover system in Grand Design of Soekarno Hatta International Airport (SHIA expected to support increasing airport service quality management. People mover existing conditions that occur on a free shuttle bus has caused some customer complaint. The purpose of this thesis is providing strategic support as complaint handling on people mover system to enhancing SHIA service quality. The discussion involves a passenger's perspectives, passengers’ satisfaction, and airport service quality to get a purpose of research. This thesis utilizes Fodness and Murray (2007 theory regarding the accurate scale to measure SHIA service quality by using Servqual method and Kano Model approach. Airport Service Quality (ASQ aims to give an airport more competitive in the relationship between business and operations. In this thesis offers support strategy in service quality attributes and considerations to assist airport management in improving airport service quality. This thesis finds the value gap between airport management and passengers’ perspectives that serve as accurate scale in each service attributes on people mover facility at SHIA that must be met to achieve satisfaction based on passengers’ perspectives. Also, this thesis finds several services attributes that must be met on people mover facility at SHIA as a basic service needs by passengers need. Airport management at SHIA should focus on the improved operating system of people mover system related to attributes punctuality, free of charge, information about the schedule, headway, and safety. This thesis presents the relationship between the value gap with service attributes that must be met by passengers’ perspectives, passengers’ satisfaction, and

Characterizing the influence of transportation infrastructure on Emergency Medical Services (EMS in urban area-A case study of Seoul, South Korea.

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Jungwoo Cho

Full Text Available In highly urbanized area where traffic condition fluctuates constantly, transportation infrastructure is one of the major contributing factors to Emergency Medical Service (EMS availability and patient outcome. In this paper, we assess the impact of traffic fluctuation to the EMS first response availability in urban area, by evaluating the k-minute coverage under 21 traffic scenarios. The set of traffic scenarios represents the time-of-day and day-of-week effects, and is generated by combining road link speed information from multiple historical speed databases. In addition to the k-minute area coverage calculation, the k-minute population coverage is also evaluated for every 100m by 100m grid that partitions the case study area of Seoul, South Korea. In the baseline case of traveling at the speed limit, both the area and population coverage reached nearly 100% when compared to the five-minute travel time national target. Employing the proposed LoST (Loss of Serviceability due to Traffic index, which measures coverage reduction in percentage compared to the baseline case, we find that the citywide average LoST for area and population coverage are similar at 34.2% and 33.8%. However, district-wise analysis reveals that such reduction varies significantly by district, and the magnitude of area and population coverage reduction is not always proportional. We conclude that the effect of traffic variation is significant to successful urban EMS first response performance, and regional variation is evident among local districts. Complexity in the urban environment requires a more adaptive approach in public health resource management and EMS performance target determination.

Introducing New Peer Worker Roles into Mental Health Services in England: Comparative Case Study Research Across a Range of Organisational Contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillard, Steve; Holley, Jess; Gibson, Sarah; Larsen, John; Lucock, Mike; Oborn, Eivor; Rinaldi, Miles; Stamou, Elina

2015-11-01

A wide variety of peer worker roles is being introduced into mental health services internationally. Empirical insight into whether conditions supporting role introduction are common across organisational contexts is lacking. A qualitative, comparative case study compared the introduction of peer workers employed in the statutory sector, voluntary sector and in organisational partnerships. We found good practice across contexts in structural issues including recruitment and training, but differences in expectations of the peer worker role in different organisational cultures. Issues of professionalism and practice boundaries were important everywhere but could be understood very differently, sometimes eroding the distinctiveness of the role.

Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about the Roles of Thesis Supervisors: A Case Study

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Tapia Carlín, Rebeca Elena

2013-01-01

Trainee beliefs about the roles of thesis supervisors can exert an important influence on timely and successful completion of theses. This research article explores pre-service teacher beliefs about the roles of thesis supervisors through the analysis of their learning diaries. The aim of this study is to identify ways to improve supervisory…

Handheld Versus Wearable Interaction Design for Professionals - A Case Study of Hospital Service Work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stisen, Allan; Blunck, Henrik; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

2014-01-01

With the blooming of new available wrist worn devices there are potentials for these to support the work done in many professional domains. One such domain is hospital service work. This paper explores two wearable prototypes with regards to challenges and opportunities to support future hospital...... service work. This explorative study was conducted with 4 experienced hospital orderlies who interacted with an application across two wearable concepts, and one handheld smartphone in five scenarios in a hospital environment. The interaction was video recorded with a chest-mounted video afterwards semi...... structured interviews with each participant was conducted. This study shows that wearable computers can effectively support the maintenance work of the orderlies and has domain specific advantages over the handheld smartphone, e.g., the former support glancing at the task information. Furthermore, we outline...

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

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

2015-04-23

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

Ecological Production Functions Linking Multiple Stressors to Ecosystem Services – A Case Study

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The ecosystem services concept is being used to frame environmental protection goals that guide management of the risks of chemicals. Ecosystem services link changes in ecological systems to the benefits received by people. The use of ecosystem services in risk assessments and th...

Public Use of Mobile Medical Applications: A Case Study on Cloud-Based Medical Service of Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chen-Luan; Yan, Yu-Hua

2016-01-01

The use of smart mobile devices has been getting increasingly popular. The focus of this study is an attempt to explore the development of mobile medical App by medical centers and regional hospitals of Taiwan and the function of the App for comparison. The results show indicated that many hospitals developed Apps for the public for mobile medical service, of which 26 medical centers (100%) and 72 regional hospitals (84.7%) availed appointment making service via Apps. The result indicated variance at significant level (p < 0.01). There are 23 medical centers (88.5%) and 74 regional hospitals (87.1%) availed Apps for checking service progress. The result indicated insignificant variance level (p > 0.01). We can see that mobile medical service is gradually emerging as a vital issue. Yet, this is a new domain in medical service. With the mushrooming of medical applications in smart mobile devices, the medical service system is expected to be installed in these devices to enhance interactive mode of operation and inquiry services, such as medication and inquiries into physical examination results. By then, people can learn the status of their health with this system.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, K. A.

2014-12-01

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

[Regional Study of Patient Safety Incidents (ERIDA) in the Emergency Services].

Science.gov (United States)

Alcaraz-Martínez, J; Aranaz-Andrés, J M; Martínez-Ros, C; Moreno-Reina, S; Escobar-Álvaro, L; Ortega-Liarte, J V

2016-01-01

Evaluate the patient safety incidents that occur in the emergency departments of our region. Observational study conducted in all the hospital emergency departments in the Regional Health Service of Murcia. After systematic random sampling, data were collected during care and a week later by telephone survey. Health professionals of each service were trained and collected the information, following the methodology of the National Study of Adverse Events Related to Hospitalization -ENEAS- and the Adverse Events Related to Spanish Hospital Emergency Department Care -EVADUR-. A total of 393 samples were collected, proportional to the cases treated in each hospital. In 10 cases (3.1%) the complaint was a previous safety incident. At least one incident was detected in 47 patients (11.95%; 8.7 to 15.1%). In 3 cases there were 2 incidents, bringing the number of incidents to 50. Regarding the impact, the 51% of incidents caused harm to the patients. The effects more frequent in patients were the need for repeat visits (9 cases), and mismanagement of pain (8 cases). In 24 cases (51.1%) health care was not affected, although 3 cases required an additional test, 11 cases required further consultation, and led to hospitalisation in 2 cases. The most frequent causal factors of these incidents were medication (14) and care (12). The incidents were considered preventable in 60% of cases. A rate of incidents in the emergency departments, representative of the region, has been obtained. The implications of the results for the population means that 12 out of every 100 patients treated in emergency departments have an adverse event, and 7 of these are avoidable. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Life in the Cloud: A WorldShare Management Services Case Study

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Hartman, Robin R.

2012-01-01

A small, private academic library took the risk of moving from a traditional integrated library system to adopting a system "in the cloud." This case study presents the setting, history, and local needs of the library, including staffing challenges, and explains the decision-making rationale and process. A description of the library's transition…

Epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases in Greater Noida: Hospital Based Study

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Rupali Roy

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road accidents are associated with numerous problems each of which needs to be addressed separately [1]. Accidents, therefore, can be studied in terms of agent, host and environmental factors and epidemiologically classified into time, place and person distribution [2]. Objectives: 1.To assess the prevalence of RTAs coming to hospital and 2.To know the epidemiological factors related to RTAs and associated prevalence in hospital based study. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at SMSR, Gr Noida, in 2012. The study group consisted of all the RTA victims reporting to casualty in the last one year. The victims of the accidents were interviewed on a pretested semi structured performa. Results: In that one year period total number of reported accident cases was 144. The age groups of the study subjects were between 13-65 years. Out of total study subjects, only 16 were female. Again out of the total accident cases 45% were attended by police and of all injured, 45.8% were driver by occupation (7% without driving license. Among these drivers, 11% were not attentive during driving because of various reasons. Ambulance services had reached in 46.5% cases. Fracture was the most common type (60% of injury among all types of injuries. Among the applicable population only 33% wore helmet or seat belts. Conclusions: Only half of the total accident cases were attended by police and again only half of them received ambulance services. One third injuries were because of not wearing seat belt and helmets.

Epidemiological study of road traffic accident cases in Greater Noida: Hospital Based Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rupali Roy

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Road accidents are associated with numerous problems each of which needs to be addressed separately [1]. Accidents, therefore, can be studied in terms of agent, host and environmental factors and epidemiologically classified into time, place and person distribution [2]. Objectives: 1.To assess the prevalence of RTAs coming to hospital and 2.To know the epidemiological factors related to RTAs and associated prevalence in hospital based study. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at SMSR, Gr Noida, in 2012. The study group consisted of all the RTA victims reporting to casualty in the last one year. The victims of the accidents were interviewed on a pretested semi structured performa. Results: In that one year period total number of reported accident cases was 144. The age groups of the study subjects were between 13-65 years. Out of total study subjects, only 16 were female. Again out of the total accident cases 45% were attended by police and of all injured, 45.8% were driver by occupation (7% without driving license. Among these drivers, 11% were not attentive during driving because of various reasons. Ambulance services had reached in 46.5% cases. Fracture was the most common type (60% of injury among all types of injuries. Among the applicable population only 33% wore helmet or seat belts. Conclusions: Only half of the total accident cases were attended by police and again only half of them received ambulance services. One third injuries were because of not wearing seat belt and helmets.

A case study of culturally appropriate conservation education

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David N. Bengston; Michele Schermann

2016-01-01

Create culturally appropriate conservation education materials for Hmong Americans, including new refugees and elders with little proficiency in English, as well as the broader, multigenerational Hmong community. This case study discusses an organizational response from the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with others, to better serve the Hmong American community....

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

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Nerida Hyett

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12, social sciences and anthropology (n=7, or methods (n=15 case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

Science.gov (United States)

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners. PMID:24809980

The effect of service delivery in public ‘community service centres’: A case of an emerging economy

OpenAIRE

Ndabazinhle Ngobese; Roger B. Mason; Mandusha Maharaj

2017-01-01

This study investigated public perceptions of the service delivery provided by the Community Service Centres (CSC) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Durban, South Africa. The study focuses on measuring service quality and service delivery. SERVQUAL was used to compare clients’ perceptions against expectations of service quality. Four hundred respondents were surveyed at three community service centres (previously known as ‘police stations’), with expectations and perceptions being as...

A socio-ecological perspective of access to and acceptability of HIV/AIDS treatment and care services: a qualitative case study research

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Bereket Yakob

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Access to healthcare is an essential element of health development and a fundamental human right. While access to and acceptability of healthcare are complex concepts that interact with different socio-ecological factors (individual, community, institutional and policy, it is not known how these factors affect HIV care. This study investigated the impact of socio-ecological factors on access to and acceptability of HIV/AIDS treatment and care services (HATCS in Wolaita Zone of Ethiopia. Method Qualitative case study research was conducted in six woredas (districts. Focus group discussions (FGDs were conducted with 68 participants in 11 groups (six with people using antiretroviral therapy (ART and five with general community members. Key informant interviews (KIIs were conducted with 28 people involved in HIV care, support services and health administration at different levels. Individual in-depth interviews (IDIs were conducted with eight traditional healers and seven defaulters from (ART. NVIVO 10 was used to assist qualitative content data analysis. Results A total of 111 people participated in the study, of which 51 (45.9 % were male and 60 (54.1 % were female, while 58 (53.3 % and 53 (47.7 % were urban and rural residents, respectively. The factors that affect access to and acceptability of HATCS were categorized in four socio-ecological units of analysis: client-based factors (awareness, experiences, expectations, income, employment, family, HIV disclosure and food availability; community-based factors (care and support, stigma and discrimination and traditional healing; health facility-based factors (interactions with care providers, availability of care, quality of care, distance, affordability, logistics availability, follow up and service administration; and policy and standards (healthcare financing, service standards, implementation manuals and policy documents. Conclusions A socio-ecological perspective

Case Study: IBM Watson Analytics Cloud Platform as Analytics-as-a-Service System for Heart Failure Early Detection

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Gabriele Guidi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In the recent years the progress in technology and the increasing availability of fast connections have produced a migration of functionalities in Information Technologies services, from static servers to distributed technologies. This article describes the main tools available on the market to perform Analytics as a Service (AaaS using a cloud platform. It is also described a use case of IBM Watson Analytics, a cloud system for data analytics, applied to the following research scope: detecting the presence or absence of Heart Failure disease using nothing more than the electrocardiographic signal, in particular through the analysis of Heart Rate Variability. The obtained results are comparable with those coming from the literature, in terms of accuracy and predictive power. Advantages and drawbacks of cloud versus static approaches are discussed in the last sections.

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

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Lanese, Bethany

2016-09-19

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

Role of green structure and ecological services: a case study of bahawalpur city, pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafqat, A.; Arshad, S.

2014-01-01

Cities can make broader contribution to achieve the goals of sustainable development as they are considered major consumers of resources and ecological services. Ecological services provide a range of benefits at local, regional and global levels. Terrestrial ecosystem has different components in urban environment that provides ecological services to its inhabitants. Cities not only benefit from the internal urban ecosystem but also depend upon other ecosystems beyond the city limit. Green structure is an important component in terms of making city more sustainable and habitable. Green structure in urban environment means green infrastructure that is planned and supports sustainable that is planned and supports sustainable urban development. From planning perspective, spatial structure of green space provides a basis for sustainable urban development. In sustainable perspective, green structure more than the sum of green spaces. It is considered as spatial network of open spaces, public and private gardens and parks, sports fields, allotment gardens, woodlands and recreational grounds. Therefore, it is considered as a significant part of built-up environment and major source of ecological services. To structure urban areas of sustainable development, it is necessary to develop a proportion between grey and green cities. Keeping in view, research has been conducted to investigate spatial network of green structure in planned areas of Bahawalpur City of Pakistan. This study analyzes the ecological services generated from the investigated green structures, and helped develop an approach of inter-relation between green environment and urban society. Moreover, strategies for better land-use planning in green and sustainable perspective have been proposed. (author)

Factors impacting on employee performance: A case study of the royal Swaziland police service

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Nirmala Dorasamy

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The principal challenge for most organisations is to ensure that the performance of employees will result in the effectiveness and success of any organisation. The Royal Swaziland Police Service (RSPS, in order to differentiate itself from other organisations and ensure survival effectiveness and competitiveness, must render services of high quality. The key findings of the RSPS study suggest that the most positive factors of job satisfaction are receiving respect from the community and relations with colleagues, while the negative aspects are that salaries are not equal to effort put into the job and fear of victimization after voicing a personal opinion.

Business Case Analysis: Reconfiguration of the Frederick Memorial Healthcare System Courier Service

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Rauch, Nathan C

2008-01-01

This business case projects the likely benefits and costs to Frederick Memorial Hospital that would result from a decision to reconfigure its courier service by way of vehicle diversification and route realignment...

Day Service Provision for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study Mapping 15-Year Trends in Ireland

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Padraic; McGilloway, Sinead; Barry, Sarah

2017-01-01

Background: Day services for people with intellectual disabilities are experiencing a global paradigm shift towards innovative person-centred models of care. This study maps changing trends in day service utilization to highlight how policy, emergent patterns and demographic trends influence service delivery. Methods: National intellectual…

Semantic Service Search, Service Evaluation and Ranking in Service Oriented Environment

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Dong, Hai; Hussain, Farookh Khadeer; Chang, Elizabeth

The theory of Service Oriented Environment (SOE) emerges with advanced connectivity of the Internet technologies, openness of business environment and prosperousness of business activities. Service, as a critical object impenetrating every corner of SOE, is a hot research topic in many research domains. Software Engineering (SE), as a subject in engineering field, its researchers pay more attention to supporting advanced technologies for promoting service activities in SOE. In this paper, we draw the position in the research field of semantic service search, service evaluation and ranking in SOE. By means of the case study and literature review research approach, we discover the research motivations and research issues in this field.

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

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Jackowski, Mick; Gullion, Laurie

1998-01-01

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

Patient involvement in rheumatology outpatient service design and delivery: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Savia; Galloway, James; Simpson, Carol; Chura, Radka; Dobson, Joanne; Gullick, Nicola J; Steer, Sophia; Lempp, Heidi

2017-06-01

Patient involvement is increasingly recognized as important within the UK National Health Service to ensure that services delivered are relevant to users' needs. Organizations are encouraged to work with service users to achieve excellence in care. Patient education can improve health outcomes and reduce health-care costs. Mobile technologies could play a vital role in this. Patient-centred development of innovative strategies to improve the experience of rheumatology outpatients. The Group Rheumatology Initiative Involving Patients (GRIIP) project was set up in 2013 as a joint venture between patients, clinicians, academics and management at a London hospital. The project saw (i) the formation of an independent patient group which provided suggestions for service improvement - outcomes included clearer signs in the outpatient waiting area, extended phlebotomy opening hours and better access to podiatry; (ii) a rolling patient educational evening programme initiated in 2014 with topics chosen by patient experts - feedback has been positive and attendance continues to grow; and (iii) a mobile application (app) co-designed with patients launched in 2015 which provides relevant information for outpatient clinic attendees and data capture for clinicians - downloads have steadily increased as users adopt this new technology. Patients can effectively contribute to service improvement provided they are supported, respected as equals, and the organization is willing to undergo a cultural change. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Case studies in rural recycling. Public service report series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cosper, S.D.; Hallenbeck, W.H.; Brenniman, G.R.

1994-02-01

Due to state planning requirements and federal landfill regulations, solid waste management in rural areas (particularly recycling) has received much attention in recent years. The growth of recycling during the 1980s occurred mainly in urban and suburban areas. Therefore, rural recycling is still a relatively new enterprise. This report presents several rural recycling case studies from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Ontario, Canada to provide examples of successes and problems. This report also discusses the current issues of cooperative marketing of recyclables and municipal solid waste flow control. With respect to recycling, a rural region does not have ready access to markets for collected materials and has difficulty in generating easily marketable quantities of recyclables. (Copyright (c) 1994 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.)

Service Quality in Higher Education--A Case Study of Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Science.gov (United States)

Alani, Farooq; Yaqoub, Yasir; Hamdan, Mahani

2015-01-01

No one doubts the value and importance of quality education, and quality assurance is one major driving force to achieve this. Measuring the performance of service quality of education services of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), as part of the quality assessment, was assessed based on Parasuraman's five Servqual dimensions. The assessment was…

Treatment for cases of violence by Brazilian emergency services focusing on family relationships and life cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Avanci, Joviana Quintes; Pinto, Liana Wernersbach; Assis, Simone Gonçalves de

2017-09-01

This article analyzes data regarding cases of domestic violence treated by the emergency services through the following: the sociodemographic characteristics of the people who were treated; the events themselves; the evolution of care (from childhood to old age by gender); and the factors that differentiate cases of domestic violence compared to those committed by non-family members. Data from 24 Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District were analyzed, comprising 86 emergency services: a total of 4,893 individuals were surveyed. Of those people who were treated by emergency services, 26.6% suffered domestic violence: 40.0% were children/adolescents, 57.2% were adults and 2.8% were elderly. The adjusted model, which compared victims of violence committed by other family members with those who were not family members, showed that males were less likely to suffer from domestic violence; those that had fewer years of education were at increased risk; and that women were more likely to commit domestic violence compared to the category of "both genders". This study reinforces the fact that health sector professionals need to be able to deal with domestic violence by providing support, performing good practices, abiding by care protocols, taking care of injuries, and facilitating access to other services.

Integrated landscape planning and remuneration of agri-environmental services. Results of a case study in the Fuhrberg region of Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

V Haaren, Christina; Bathke, Manfred

2008-11-01

Until now, existing remuneration of environmental services has not sufficiently supported the goals of spending money more effectively on the environment and of motivating farmers. Only a small share of the budgets for agriculture in the EU, as well as in US and other countries, is available for buying environmental goods and services beyond the level of good farming practice (GFP). This combined with the insufficient targeting of compensation payments to areas where special measures are needed leads to an unsatisfactorily low impact of agri-environment measures compared to other driving forces that stimulate the intensification of farming. The goal of this paper is to propose a management concept that enhances the ecological and cost efficiency of agri-environment measures. Components of the concept are a comprehensive environmental information base with prioritised goals and targets (available in Germany from landscape planning) and new remuneration models, which complement conventional compensation payments that are based upon predetermined measures and cost. Comprehensive landscape planning locates and prioritises areas which require environmental action. It contains the information that authorities need to prioritise funding for environmental services and direct measures to sites which need environmental services beyond the level of GFP. Also appropriate remuneration models, which can enhance the cost efficiency of public spending and the motivation of the farmers, can be applied on the base of landscape planning. Testing of the planning methodology and of one of the remuneration models (success-oriented remuneration) in a case study area ("Fuhrberger Feld" north of Hanover, Germany) demonstrated the usability of the concept and led to proposals for future development of the methodology and its application in combination with other approaches.

Alternative Service Delivery in Africa: The Case for International Regional Organisations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moses N. Kiggundu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Alternative service delivery (ASD is generally confined to the provision opublic services within the boundaries of a single nation state. This paper extends thisconceptualization and practice beyond a single nation state by focusing on services provided  by international regional organizations (IROs, which encompass more than a single country. Recognizing that the regional approach may not be suitable under all circumstances, the papertakes a contingency approach and discusses with illustrations the conditions under which the regional or continental approaches may provide superior public services to the wider population. Three examples from the East African Community (EAC, Africa’s riparian river basins, and cross-border illicit trade of conflict minerals in the Great Lakes region are given as illustrative cases. Noting that Africa’s growing aspirations for inclusive development and rapid transformation call for better governance and quality public services, the paper ends by calling for more scholarly work and field experiments on ASD and other models applicable at local, national, regional and continental levels.

System Dynamics Modeling for Intellectual Disability Services: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Duryan, Meri; Nikolik, Dragan; van Merode, Godefridus; Curfs, Leopold

2012-01-01

Organizations providing services to persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) are complex because of many interacting stakeholders with often different and competing interests. The combination of increased consumer demand and diminished resources makes organizational planning a challenge for the managers of such organizations. Such challenges…

Service Innovation In Academic Libraries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scupola, Ada; Nicolajsen, Hanne Westh

2010-01-01

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

29 CFR 102.45 - Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service; transfer of case to the Board; contents...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... and Transfer of Case to the Board § 102.45 Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service... administrative law judge's decision and of the order transferring the case to the Board shall be complete upon... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service...

29 CFR 102.153 - Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service; transfer of case to the Board; contents...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Expenses § 102.153 Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service; transfer of case to the Board... administrative law judge's decision and of the order transferring the case to the Board shall be complete upon... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Administrative law judge's decision; contents; service...

On the comparability of knowledge transfer activities – a case study at the German Baltic Sea Coast focusing regional climate services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Meinke

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this article the comparability of knowledge transfer activities is discussed by accounting for external impacts. It is shown that factors which are neither part of the knowledge transfer activity nor part of the participating institution may have significant impact on the potential usefulness of knowledge transfer activities. Differences in the potential usefulness are leading to different initial conditions of the knowledge transfer activities. This needs to be taken into account when comparing different knowledge transfer activities, e.g., in program evaluations. This study is focusing on regional climate services at the German Baltic Sea coast. It is based on two surveys and experiences with two identical web tools applied on two regions with different spatial coverage. The results show that comparability among science based knowledge transfer activities is strongly limited through several external impacts. The potential usefulness and thus the initial condition of a particular knowledge transfer activity strongly depends on (1 the perceived priority of the focused topic, (2 the used information channels, (3 the conformity between the research agenda of service providing institutions and information demands in the public, as well as (4 on the spatial coverage of a service. It is suggested to account for the described external impacts for evaluations of knowledge transfer activities. The results show that the comparability of knowledge transfer activities is limited and challenge the adequacy of quantitative measures in this context. Moreover, as shown in this case study, in particular regional climate services should be individually evaluated on a long term perspective, by potential user groups and/or by its real users. It is further suggested that evaluation criteria should be co-developed with these stakeholder groups.

Computer-aided system of evaluation for population-based all-in-one service screening (CASE-PASS): from study design to outcome analysis with bias adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li-Sheng; Yen, Amy Ming-Fang; Duffy, Stephen W; Tabar, Laszlo; Lin, Wen-Chou; Chen, Hsiu-Hsi

2010-10-01

Population-based routine service screening has gained popularity following an era of randomized controlled trials. The evaluation of these service screening programs is subject to study design, data availability, and the precise data analysis for adjusting bias. We developed a computer-aided system that allows the evaluation of population-based service screening to unify these aspects and facilitate and guide the program assessor to efficiently perform an evaluation. This system underpins two experimental designs: the posttest-only non-equivalent design and the one-group pretest-posttest design and demonstrates the type of data required at both the population and individual levels. Three major analyses were developed that included a cumulative mortality analysis, survival analysis with lead-time adjustment, and self-selection bias adjustment. We used SAS AF software to develop a graphic interface system with a pull-down menu style. We demonstrate the application of this system with data obtained from a Swedish population-based service screen and a population-based randomized controlled trial for the screening of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer, and one service screening program for cervical cancer with Pap smears. The system provided automated descriptive results based on the various sources of available data and cumulative mortality curves corresponding to the study designs. The comparison of cumulative survival between clinically and screen-detected cases without a lead-time adjustment are also demonstrated. The intention-to-treat and noncompliance analysis with self-selection bias adjustments are also shown to assess the effectiveness of the population-based service screening program. Model validation was composed of a comparison between our adjusted self-selection bias estimates and the empirical results on effectiveness reported in the literature. We demonstrate a computer-aided system allowing the evaluation of population-based service screening

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nardelli, Giulia; Broumels, Marcel

2018-01-01

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

Case history of a 94 MVA turbo-generator retired after 190.000 hours of service by defects revealed by boresonic in-service inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porro, F.; Santoro, M.

1990-01-01

The case-history of a turbogenerator manufactured by Ansaldo on 1957 and turned on operation on 1958 then retired after 30 years of operation, with a total of 190.000 hours of service, by defects revealed trough boresonic inspections, will be presented. The rotor was inspected a first time after 130.000 hours of service and was overbored in order to allow further service operations. After other 60.000 hours of service operation the rotor underwent to a new in-service inspection that showed an unacceptable condition. The rotor, retired from service, has been destined to destructive tests in order to verify non-destructive predictions

Logistics services and Lean Six Sigma implementation: a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gutierrez Gutierrez, L.; de Leeuw, S.L.J.M.; Dubbers, R.

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the application of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) framework for supporting continuous improvement (CI) in logistics services. Both the lean philosophy and the Six Sigma methodology have become two of the most important initiatives for CI in organizations. The combination of

Heavy physical work under time pressure: the garbage collection service--a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Camada, Ilza Mitsuko de Oliveira; Pataro, Silvana Maria Santos; Fernandes, Rita de Cássia Pereira

2012-01-01

The increased generation of garbage has become a problem in large cities, with greater demand for collection services. The collector is subjected to high workload. This study describes the work in garbage collection service, highlighting the requirements of time, resulting in physical and psychosocial demands to collectors. Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA) - a method focused on the study of work in real situations was used. Initially, technical visits, global observations and unstructured interviews with different subjects of a garbage collection company were conducted. The following step of the systematic observations was accompanied by interviews conducted during the execution of tasks, inquiring about the actions taken, and also interviews about the actions, but conducted after the development of the tasks, photographic records and audiovisual recordings, of workers from two garbage collection teams. Contradictions between the prescribed work and activities (actual work) were identified, as well as the variability present in this process, and strategies adopted by these workers to regulate the workload. It was concluded that the insufficiency of means and the organizational structure of management ensue a situation where the collection process is maintained at the expense of hyper-requesting these workers, both physically and psychosocially.