[Comparative quality measurements part 3: funnel plots].

PubMed

Kottner, Jan; Lahmann, Nils

2014-02-01

Comparative quality measurements between organisations or institutions are common. Quality measures need to be standardised and risk adjusted. Random error must also be taken adequately into account. Rankings without consideration of the precision lead to flawed interpretations and enhances "gaming". Application of confidence intervals is one possibility to take chance variation into account. Funnel plots are modified control charts based on Statistical Process Control (SPC) theory. The quality measures are plotted against their sample size. Warning and control limits that are 2 or 3 standard deviations from the center line are added. With increasing group size the precision increases and so the control limits are forming a funnel. Data points within the control limits are considered to show common cause variation; data points outside special cause variation without the focus of spurious rankings. Funnel plots offer data based information about how to evaluate institutional performance within quality management contexts.

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 14: Introduction to Quality Assurance/Quality Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Grade Validity of Online Quantitative Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faurer, Judson C.

2013-01-01

Are prospective employers getting "quality" educated, degreed applicants and are academic institutions that offer online degree programs ensuring the quality control of the courses/programs offered? The issue specifically addressed in this paper is not with all institutions offering degrees through online programs or even with all online…

Grade Validity of Online Quantitative Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faurer, Judson C.

2009-01-01

Are prospective employers getting "quality" educated degreed applicants and are academic institutions that offer online degree programs ensuring the quality control of the courses/programs offered? The issue specifically addressed in this paper is not with all institutions offering degrees through online programs or even with all online…

Teaching Evaluation Is Very Necessary at Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daren, Huang

2009-01-01

Government supervision over the quality of higher education by means of evaluations, examinations and verifications, or accreditations is a common international practice in terms of monitoring and controlling the quality of higher education. Many countries stipulate by law that institutions of higher education must submit to evaluation by the…

Quality Control Specialist | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),

Gap Analysis for Chinese Drug Control Institutes to Achieve the Standards of World Health Organization Medicine Prequalification.

PubMed

Mao, Xin; Yang, Yue

2017-02-01

The study aims to explore the challenges and the gaps faced by Chinese Drug Control Institutes in achieving the standards of World Health Organization (WHO) Medicine Prequalification. The study was undertaken with 6 Provincial Drug Control Institutes in China from November 2012 to November 2013. The study assessed key elements required to comply with WHO Good Practices for Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratories (GPPQCL). For GPPQCL, the study found gaps in quality management system, control of documentation, data-processing equipment, premises and equipment, contracts, reagents (water), reference substances and reference materials, calibration, verification of performance and qualification of equipment, instruments and other devices, analytical worksheet, evaluation of test results, personnel, and validation of analytical procedures. The study indicates that gaps are attributed to differences between the standards of Chinese Accreditation Standards and WHO-GPPQCL. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 480.120 - Information subject to disclosure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs... explicitly identify individual patients, practitioners or reviewers; (8) Quality review study information... institutions has been deleted; and (9) Information describing the characteristics of a quality review study...

42 CFR 480.120 - Information subject to disclosure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs... explicitly identify individual patients, practitioners or reviewers; (8) Quality review study information... institutions has been deleted; and (9) Information describing the characteristics of a quality review study...

42 CFR 480.120 - Information subject to disclosure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs... explicitly identify individual patients, practitioners or reviewers; (8) Quality review study information... institutions has been deleted; and (9) Information describing the characteristics of a quality review study...

42 CFR 480.116 - Notice to individuals and institutions under review.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... 480.116 Section 480.116 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality...

42 CFR 480.114 - Limitation on data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Qio Access to Information § 480.114 Limitation on data collection. A QIO or any agent, organization, or institution acting...

42 CFR 480.114 - Limitation on data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Qio Access to Information § 480.114 Limitation on data collection. A QIO or any agent, organization, or institution acting...

42 CFR 480.114 - Limitation on data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Qio Access to Information § 480.114 Limitation on data collection. A QIO or any agent, organization, or institution acting...

42 CFR 37.10 - Standards incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Department, Medical Physics Publishing, 4513 Vernon Blvd., Madison, WI 53705, http://www.aapm.org/pubs... Automatic Exposure Control Devices, published by the American Institute of Physics for AAPM, January 1985... Institute of Physics, July 1990, into § 37.44(g). (4) AAPM Report No. 74, Quality Control in Diagnostic...

42 CFR 37.10 - Standards incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Department, Medical Physics Publishing, 4513 Vernon Blvd., Madison, WI 53705, http://www.aapm.org/pubs... Automatic Exposure Control Devices, published by the American Institute of Physics for AAPM, January 1985... Institute of Physics, July 1990, into § 37.44(g). (4) AAPM Report No. 74, Quality Control in Diagnostic...

"How to Strike the Right Balance between Quality Assurance and Quality Control in the Perceptions of Individual Lecturers": A Comparison of UK and Dutch Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teelken, Christine; Lomas, Laurie

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the way lecturers observe, feel restrained by and cope with quality management systems that have been implemented in the higher education systems of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. As two sides of the same coin, quality enhancement and quality control are of increased significance in European Higher Education…

Microelectronics Failure Analysis Techniques. A Procedural Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

Process Control ." Scanning Electron Microscopy/1976, lIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, April 1976, pp. 515-519. 49. Cunningham, R.F. "Sample...Character- ization and Quality Control ." Scanning Electron Microscopy/1977 vol. I, lIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, March 1977, pp. 201-210. 151...reference purposes. Neither the United States Government, the General Electric Company nor the lIT Research Institute warrant the accuracy of this

General principles of institutional risks influence on pension systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nepp, A. N.; Shilkov, A. A.; Sheveleva, A. Y.; Mamedbakov, M. R.

2016-12-01

This paper examines the tools used to study the influence of institutional factors on investment returns. The research object are the tools used in the evaluation of institutional risks in the pension system, in particular, the correlation model of factors impacting on the `anti-director' index, econometric estimates combining the different determinants of savings, the model of endogenous institutional change, etc. Research work focusing on issues of institutional factors affecting pension systems (authored by La Porta, Guiso, Gianetti, El-Mekkaouide Freitas, Neyapti B., and others) is reviewed. The model is examined in terms of the impact of institutional risks on pension systems, especially with regard to the funded part. The study identified the following factors that affect financial institutions, including pension institutions: management quality, regulation quality, rule of law, political stability, and corruption control.

GenePRIMP: A software quality control tool

ScienceCinema

Amrita Pati

2017-12-09

Amrita Pati of the DOE Joint Genome Institute's Genome Biology group describes the software tool GenePRIMP and how it fits into the quality control pipeline for microbial genomics. Further details regarding GenePRIMP appear in a paper published online May 2, 2010 in Nature Methods.

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 33: Control Systems I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 34: Control Systems II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

LOVE CANAL MONITORING PROGRAM. GCA QA/QC (QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL) SUMMARY REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

One of the most important responsibilities of the Love Canal prime contractor was the institution and maintenance of a quality assurance program. An important objective of the quality assurance program was to alert the subcontractors to the importance of high quality work on thei...

[Quality control at the Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia patologica at the Università di Bologna].

PubMed

Alampi, G; Baroni, R; Berti, E; Ceccarelli, C; Dina, R; Eusebi, V; Giangaspero, F; Grigioni, F W; Lecce, S; Losi, L

1994-04-01

The growing importance in medical practice of a standardized diagnosis in cyto- and histopathology and the recent recommendations for the adoption of standardized schemes for quality control in anatomic pathology by International Committees stimulated the medical staff of the Institute of Anatomic Pathology of the University of Bologna to adopt a pertinent method. The method used by the Department of Pathology of the Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut, USA) was chosen. A Committee for the quality control was appointed and two kinds of controls were set up: an External Quality Assessment (review of the difficult cases by external experts, slide seminars) and an Internal Quality Assessment performed by the members of the Committee on the diagnostic and laboratory routine of the Institute. Such a survey is periodically monitored during the monthly meetings of the Committee and described in the monthly reports. The present paper illustrates the method adopted and the preliminary results obtained in order to stimulate the discussion of such a critical theme in contemporary Anatomic Pathology at a national level.

Perceptions of quality of life and disability in homeless persons with schizophrenia and persons with schizophrenia living in non-institutional housing.

PubMed

van der Plas, A G M; Hoek, H W; van Hoeken, D; Valencia, E; van Hemert, A M

2012-11-01

Homelessness is common in persons with schizophrenia. It is unclear how housing conditions and homelessness affect their quality of life and their disability. To explore the self-perceived quality of life and disability of homeless persons with schizophrenia and of those of persons with schizophrenia living in non-institutional housing. Seventy-six not-homeless and 50 homeless persons with schizophrenia were assessed using the World Health Organization's Quality of Life - short version (WHOQOL-Bref) and Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-II). Univariate comparisons of the two groups were made for sociodemographic variables, clinical characteristics, perceived quality of life and disability. A regression model was used to adjust for potential confounding factors between quality of life, disability and housing. After controlling for age, gender, marital status and age of first hospital admission, homeless persons had more positive scores for the quality of life domain 'health', for the disability domain 'getting along with people' and for the total disability score than persons in non-institutional housing. Contrary to our expectations, the persons in non-institutional housing reported a lower quality of life and more disability than the homeless people. Future research should clarify whether non-institutional housing in and of itself can improve the well-being of people with schizophrenia.

42 CFR 480.133 - Disclosure of information about practitioners, reviewers and institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Disclosure of information about practitioners...

42 CFR 480.111 - QIO access to records and information of institutions and practitioners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Qio Access to Information § 480.111 QIO access to records and...

Issues of Teaching Metrology in Higher Education Institutions of Civil Engineering in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pukharenko, Yurii Vladimirovich; Norin, Veniamin Aleksandrovich

2017-01-01

The work analyses the training process condition in teaching the discipline "Metrology, Standardization, Certification and Quality Control." It proves that the current educational standard regarding the instruction of the discipline "Metrology, Standardization, Certification and Quality Control" does not meet the needs of the…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 6: Instrumentation and Control of Reactors and Plant Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

76 FR 33188 - Quality Assurance Requirements for Respirators; Notice of Withdrawal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... Quality Assurance Requirements for Respirators; Notice of Withdrawal AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control... approved under 42 CFR Part 84 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). NIOSH has...

Preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer: a comparative study of quality control adherence at two cancer hospitals in Spain and Poland

PubMed Central

Fundowicz, Magdalena; Macia, Miguel; Marin, Susanna; Bogusz-Czerniewicz, Marta; Konstanty, Ewelina; Modolel, Ignaci; Malicki, Julian; Guedea, Ferran

2014-01-01

Background We performed a clinical audit of preoperative rectal cancer treatment at two European radiotherapy centres (Poland and Spain). The aim was to independently verify adherence to a selection of indicators of treatment quality and to identify any notable inter-institutional differences. Methods A total of 162 patients, in Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) 68 and in Greater Poland Cancer Centre (GPCC) 94, diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer and treated with preoperative radiotherapy or radio-chemotherapy were included in retrospective study. A total of 7 quality control measures were evaluated: waiting time, multidisciplinary treatment approach, portal verification, in vivo dosimetry, informed consent, guidelines for diagnostics and therapy, and patient monitoring during treatment. Results Several differences were observed. Waiting time from pathomorphological diagnosis to initial consultation was 31 (ICO) vs. 8 (GPCC) days. Waiting time from the first visit to the beginning of the treatment was twice as long at the ICO. At the ICO, 82% of patient experienced treatment interruptions. The protocol for portal verification was the same at both institutions. In vivo dosimetry is not used for this treatment localization at the ICO. The ICO utilizes locally-developed guidelines for diagnostics and therapy, while the GPCC is currently developing its own guidelines. Conclusions An independent external clinical audit is an excellent approach to identifying and resolving deficiencies in quality control procedures. We identified several procedures amenable to improvement. Both institutions have since implemented changes to improve quality standards. We believe that all radiotherapy centres should perform a comprehensive clinical audit to identify and rectify deficiencies. PMID:24991212

Preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer: a comparative study of quality control adherence at two cancer hospitals in Spain and Poland.

PubMed

Fundowicz, Magdalena; Macia, Miguel; Marin, Susanna; Bogusz-Czerniewicz, Marta; Konstanty, Ewelina; Modolel, Ignaci; Malicki, Julian; Guedea, Ferran

2014-06-01

We performed a clinical audit of preoperative rectal cancer treatment at two European radiotherapy centres (Poland and Spain). The aim was to independently verify adherence to a selection of indicators of treatment quality and to identify any notable inter-institutional differences. A total of 162 patients, in Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) 68 and in Greater Poland Cancer Centre (GPCC) 94, diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer and treated with preoperative radiotherapy or radio-chemotherapy were included in retrospective study. A total of 7 quality control measures were evaluated: waiting time, multidisciplinary treatment approach, portal verification, in vivo dosimetry, informed consent, guidelines for diagnostics and therapy, and patient monitoring during treatment. Several differences were observed. Waiting time from pathomorphological diagnosis to initial consultation was 31 (ICO) vs. 8 (GPCC) days. Waiting time from the first visit to the beginning of the treatment was twice as long at the ICO. At the ICO, 82% of patient experienced treatment interruptions. The protocol for portal verification was the same at both institutions. In vivo dosimetry is not used for this treatment localization at the ICO. The ICO utilizes locally-developed guidelines for diagnostics and therapy, while the GPCC is currently developing its own guidelines. An independent external clinical audit is an excellent approach to identifying and resolving deficiencies in quality control procedures. We identified several procedures amenable to improvement. Both institutions have since implemented changes to improve quality standards. We believe that all radiotherapy centres should perform a comprehensive clinical audit to identify and rectify deficiencies.

Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education

PubMed Central

Hasan, Tayyab

2010-01-01

Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products. PMID:23745059

Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education.

PubMed

Hasan, Tayyab

2010-01-01

Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products.

42 CFR 480.133 - Disclosure of information about practitioners, reviewers and institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality...). (3) A QIO must disclose quality review study information only as specified in § 480.140. [50 FR 15359... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Disclosure of information about practitioners...

42 CFR 480.111 - QIO access to records and information of institutions and practitioners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false QIO access to records and information of...

42 CFR 480.111 - QIO access to records and information of institutions and practitioners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false QIO access to records and information of...

42 CFR 480.111 - QIO access to records and information of institutions and practitioners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false QIO access to records and information of...

42 CFR 480.133 - Disclosure of information about practitioners, reviewers and institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality...). (3) A QIO must disclose quality review study information only as specified in § 480.140. [50 FR 15359... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Disclosure of information about practitioners...

KPMG Peat Marwick LLP GreatLakes Composites Consortium, Inc. Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 1995

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-25

The objective of a quality control review is to assure that the audit was conducted in accordance with applicable standards and meets the auditing...requirements of the OMB Circular A-133. As the cognizant agency for the Institute, we conducted a quality control review of the audit working papers. We...focused our review on the qualitative aspects of the audit : due professional care, planning, supervision, independence, quality control, internal

Localizing College Retention Efforts: The Distance between Theoretical Orientation and Institution-Specific Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Yonghong Jade

2017-01-01

The study used a theoretically guided questionnaire to examine student experience in college and to gain a better understanding about how college environment affects student persistence. Data were collected from a single four-year institution; the findings suggest that institutional control over academic quality is the most critical factor in…

Quality Control in Christian Higher Education: The Importance of Evaluating What We Do

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatia, Sukhwant S.

2009-01-01

In contrast to the long-standing history of assessment in secular higher education, religious institutions have not been at the cutting edge of assessment, evaluation, and research. However, external pressures on institutions have led to a self-examined life, use of reliable indicators of institutional performance, and development of comprehensive…

Statistical monitoring of data quality and consistency in the Stomach Cancer Adjuvant Multi-institutional Trial Group Trial.

PubMed

Timmermans, Catherine; Doffagne, Erik; Venet, David; Desmet, Lieven; Legrand, Catherine; Burzykowski, Tomasz; Buyse, Marc

2016-01-01

Data quality may impact the outcome of clinical trials; hence, there is a need to implement quality control strategies for the data collected. Traditional approaches to quality control have primarily used source data verification during on-site monitoring visits, but these approaches are hugely expensive as well as ineffective. There is growing interest in central statistical monitoring (CSM) as an effective way to ensure data quality and consistency in multicenter clinical trials. CSM with SMART™ uses advanced statistical tools that help identify centers with atypical data patterns which might be the sign of an underlying quality issue. This approach was used to assess the quality and consistency of the data collected in the Stomach Cancer Adjuvant Multi-institutional Trial Group Trial, involving 1495 patients across 232 centers in Japan. In the Stomach Cancer Adjuvant Multi-institutional Trial Group Trial, very few atypical data patterns were found among the participating centers, and none of these patterns were deemed to be related to a quality issue that could significantly affect the outcome of the trial. CSM can be used to provide a check of the quality of the data from completed multicenter clinical trials before analysis, publication, and submission of the results to regulatory agencies. It can also form the basis of a risk-based monitoring strategy in ongoing multicenter trials. CSM aims at improving data quality in clinical trials while also reducing monitoring costs.

78 FR 57631 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Ambient...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

..., tribal entities, environmental groups, academic institutions, industrial groups) use the ambient air... System (AQS) database. Quality assurance/quality control records and monitoring network documentation are...

42 CFR 84.42 - Proposed quality control plans; approval by the Institute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES... determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for...

42 CFR 84.42 - Proposed quality control plans; approval by the Institute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES... determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for...

42 CFR 84.42 - Proposed quality control plans; approval by the Institute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES... determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for...

42 CFR 84.42 - Proposed quality control plans; approval by the Institute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES... determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for...

42 CFR 84.42 - Proposed quality control plans; approval by the Institute.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVAL OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE DEVICES... determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for...

42 CFR 480.120 - Information subject to disclosure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations... institutions has been deleted; and (9) Information describing the characteristics of a quality review study... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Information subject to disclosure. 480.120 Section...

42 CFR 480.133 - Disclosure of information about practitioners, reviewers and institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.133 Disclosure of... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Disclosure of information about practitioners...

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 31: Quality-Assurance Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

42 CFR 480.133 - Disclosure of information about practitioners, reviewers and institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Disclosure of information about practitioners..., AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.133 Disclosure of...

Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP): Is It Value-Added for Clinical Microbiology?

PubMed Central

Miller, Melissa B.; Hindler, Janet

2015-01-01

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) recently published their Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP [https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/CLIA/Individualized_Quality_Control_Plan_IQCP.html]), which will be the only option for quality control (QC) starting in January 2016 if laboratories choose not to perform Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) [U.S. Statutes at Large 81(1967):533] default QC. Laboratories will no longer be able to use “equivalent QC” (EQC) or the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards alone for quality control of their microbiology systems. The implementation of IQCP in clinical microbiology laboratories will most certainly be an added burden, the benefits of which are currently unknown. PMID:26447112

Web Implementation of Quality Assurance (QA) for X-ray Units in Balkanic Medical Institutions.

PubMed

Urošević, Vlade; Ristić, Olga; Milošević, Danijela; Košutić, Duško

2015-08-01

Diagnostic radiology is the major contributor to the total dose of the population from all artificial sources. In order to reduce radiation exposure and optimize diagnostic x-ray image quality, it is necessary to increase the quality and efficiency of quality assurance (QA) and audit programs. This work presents a web application providing completely new QA solutions for x-ray modalities and facilities. The software gives complete online information (using European standards) with which the corresponding institutions and individuals can evaluate and control a facility's Radiation Safety and QA program. The software enables storage of all data in one place and sharing the same information (data), regardless of whether the measured data is used by an individual user or by an authorized institution. The software overcomes the distance and time separation of institutions and individuals who take part in QA. Upgrading the software will enable assessment of the medical exposure level to ionizing radiation.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Meditation Compared to Exposure Therapy and Education Control on PTSD in Veterans

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

alternative therapy for PTSD. Our collaborative group (Maharishi University of Management Research Institute, VA San Diego Healthcare System, University of...Prolonged Exposure, and PTSD Health Education, and are supervised by the research team for quality control . No study-related adverse events have...by the research team for quality control . For home practice, over 70% of subjects have indicated compliance with their home practice program (at

Aligning Teaching Quality Indicators with University Reward Mechanisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulski, Martijntje; Groombridge, Barbara

2004-01-01

Teaching quality emerged as a significant issue in higher education during the 90s. This led to the implementation of numerous quality control, assurance and enhancement schemes as institutions attempted to stay abreast of demands from various stakeholders in a rapidly changing educational environment. More recently, with the establishment of the…

Automating PACS quality control with the Vanderbilt image processing enterprise resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esparza, Michael L.; Welch, E. Brian; Landman, Bennett A.

2012-02-01

Precise image acquisition is an integral part of modern patient care and medical imaging research. Periodic quality control using standardized protocols and phantoms ensures that scanners are operating according to specifications, yet such procedures do not ensure that individual datasets are free from corruption; for example due to patient motion, transient interference, or physiological variability. If unacceptable artifacts are noticed during scanning, a technologist can repeat a procedure. Yet, substantial delays may be incurred if a problematic scan is not noticed until a radiologist reads the scans or an automated algorithm fails. Given scores of slices in typical three-dimensional scans and widevariety of potential use cases, a technologist cannot practically be expected inspect all images. In large-scale research, automated pipeline systems have had great success in achieving high throughput. However, clinical and institutional workflows are largely based on DICOM and PACS technologies; these systems are not readily compatible with research systems due to security and privacy restrictions. Hence, quantitative quality control has been relegated to individual investigators and too often neglected. Herein, we propose a scalable system, the Vanderbilt Image Processing Enterprise Resource (VIPER) to integrate modular quality control and image analysis routines with a standard PACS configuration. This server unifies image processing routines across an institutional level and provides a simple interface so that investigators can collaborate to deploy new analysis technologies. VIPER integrates with high performance computing environments has successfully analyzed all standard scans from our institutional research center over the course of the last 18 months.

Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP): Is It Value-Added for Clinical Microbiology?

PubMed

Sharp, Susan E; Miller, Melissa B; Hindler, Janet

2015-12-01

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) recently published their Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP [https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/CLIA/Individualized_Quality_Control_Plan_IQCP.html]), which will be the only option for quality control (QC) starting in January 2016 if laboratories choose not to perform Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) [U.S. Statutes at Large 81(1967):533] default QC. Laboratories will no longer be able to use "equivalent QC" (EQC) or the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards alone for quality control of their microbiology systems. The implementation of IQCP in clinical microbiology laboratories will most certainly be an added burden, the benefits of which are currently unknown. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

[State of supply services for industrial hygiene and safety in Colombia].

PubMed

Varona, Marcela E; Torres, Carlos Humberto; Díaz, Sonia M; Palma, Ruth Marién; Checa, Diana Milena; Conde, Juan Vicente

2012-01-01

Institutions that supply occupational health services must offer services that are reliable and of high quality across the spectrum of industrial hygiene and safety needs. Services for occupational health were identified at several institutions, and the technical quality and reliability of these services were compared in different regions of Colombia. This descriptive study identified the services available for industrial hygiene and safety in 15 cities of Colombia. A survey was conducted in 192 institutions offering such services and a statistical analysis of these results was undertaken. This sample was taken from a nationwide list of institutions purportedly licensed for this activity. Thirty-two percent (61) of the evaluated institutions provided hygiene services, and 48% (93) provided safety services. The range of health services was provided on a subcontract basis both for professional personnel and the equipment. Six institutions in the area of industrial hygiene and 1 in the area of industrial security were supplying services with pending or suspended institutional licenses. Deficiencies in the quality, infrastructure and levels of automation were identified at institutions that supply services of hygiene and industrial security. The resulting recommendatios are that the Ministry of the Social Protection fortifies mechanisms for (1) the evaluation and control of the supplied services, and (2) verify that the institutional activity is in accordance with current and valid licensing.

[Construction and operation status of management system of laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions in Hubei Province].

PubMed

Zhao-Hui, Zheng; Jun, Qin; Li, Chen; Hong, Zhu; Li, Tang; Zu-Wu, Tu; Ming-Xing, Zeng; Qian, Sun; Shun-Xiang, Cai

2016-10-09

To analyze the construction and operation status of management system of laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions in Hubei Province, so as to provide the reference for the standardized detection and management of schistosomiasis laboratories. According to the laboratory standard of schistosomiasis at provincial, municipal and county levels, the management system construction and operation status of 60 schistosomiasis control institutions was assessed by the acceptance examination method from 2013 to 2015. The management system was already occupied over all the laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions and was officially running. There were 588 non-conformities and the inconsistency rate was 19.60%. The non-conformity rate of the management system of laboratory quality control was 38.10% (224 cases) and the non-conformity rate of requirements of instrument and equipment was 23.81% (140 cases). The management system has played an important role in the standardized management of schistosomiasis laboratories.

42 CFR 480.111 - QIO access to records and information of institutions and practitioners.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Qio Access to Information § 480.111 QIO access to records and... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false QIO access to records and information of...

From Good Institutions to Generous Citizens: Top-Down Incentives to Cooperate Promote Subsequent Prosociality But Not Norm Enforcement

PubMed Central

Stagnaro, Michael N.; Arechar, Antonio A.; Rand, David G.

2018-01-01

What makes people willing to pay costs to help others, and to punish others’ selfishness? Why does the extent of such behaviors vary markedly across cultures? To shed light on these questions, we explore the role of formal institutions in shaping individuals’ prosociality and punishment. In Study 1 (N=707), American participants who reported living under higher quality cooperation-enforcing institutions (police and courts) gave significantly more in a Dictator Game (DG), but did not punish significantly more in a Third-Party Punishment Game (TPPG). In Study 1R (N=1,705), we replicated the positive relationship between reported institutional quality and DG giving observed in Study 1. In Study 2 (N=516), we experimentally manipulated institutional quality in a repeated Public Goods Game with a centralized punishment institution. Consistent with the correlational results of Study 1 and 1R, we found that centralized punishment led to significantly more prosociality in a subsequent DG compared to a no-punishment control, but had no significant direct effect on subsequent TPPG punishment (only an indirect effect via increased DG giving). Thus we present convergent evidence that the quality of institutions one is exposed to “spills over” to subsequent prosociality but not punishment. These findings support a theory of social heuristics, suggest boundary conditions on spillover effects of cooperation, and demonstrate the power of effective institutions for instilling habits of virtue and creating cultures of cooperation. PMID:28249658

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 27: Metrology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Colleges Turn to Private Companies To Build and Run Student Housing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Werf, Martin

1999-01-01

Increasingly, colleges and universities are privatizing housing, attracted to the limited financial outlay and involvement in management. Critics fear that institutions' financial positions will be compromised if the private developers have problems, and that institutions will lose control of financial aspects and quality of residence-hall life,…

Expediting the Quest for Quality: The Role of IQAC in Academic Audit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitonde, Rohidas

2016-01-01

Academic Audit is an important tool to control and maintain standards in academic sector. It has been found highly relevant by the experts across the world. Academic audit helps institutions to introspect and improve their quality. The present paper intends to probe into the possible role of Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) in Academic Audit…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 35: Systems and Components.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course l: Radiation Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 10: Power Plant Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 7: Reactor Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 22: Advanced Radionuclide Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 19: Radiation Shielding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 9: Reactor Auxiliary Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 13: Power Plant Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 17: Radiation Protection II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 18: Radiological Emergencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 2: Radiation Protection I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 12: Reactor Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 28: Welding Inspection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 30: Mechanical Inspection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 23: Nuclear Chemical Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Quality Assurance through ISO 9000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuckerman, Amy

2000-01-01

Created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization, in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO 9000 is attempting to develop a world standard to help companies and other institutions measure and monitor their quality-control efforts. This article describes four school districts' successful efforts to secure ISO 9000 certification. (MLH)

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 29: Civil/Structural Inspection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Quality management for the international transport of laboratory animals.

PubMed

Leary, Steven L

2008-01-01

Increased collaboration between investigators at different institutions has increased the number of laboratory animals being transported. The current system of laws and regulations governing animal shipments is inconsistent and government agencies often have areas of overlapping regulatory management. Furthermore, the lack of industry-wide shipping standards and good practices contributes to confusion among those responsible for shipment. One answer to these quality control issues would be the establishment of independent, industry-regulated 'good practices' for animal transport, similar to those used in laboratories for experimental design. These good practices could be based on the existing International Air Transport Association Live Animals Regulations, with contributions from representatives of the specialties involved. Additionally, quality control under the current system of patchwork regulations could be improved if each institution, both academic and commercial, would designate a single point of contact to follow each shipment from start to finish.

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 5: Introduction to Nuclear Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 16: Mechanical Component Characteristics and Specifications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 11: Radiation Detection and Measurement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 4: Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 20: Radiation Monitoring Techniques (Radiochemical).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 24: Nuclear Systems and Safety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 32: Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Techniques II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 15: Metallurgy and Metals Properties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 26: Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Techniques I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 21: Radioactive Materials Disposal and Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 25: Radioactive Material Handling Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

75 FR 18575 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-12

... perfluorocarbon QA/QC quality assurance/quality control R&D research and development RFA Regulatory Flexibility... Climate Change.'' Joint Global Change Research Institute, Battelle Pacific Northwest Division. PNWD-3602... research, demonstration, and deployment programs throughout the world, are building confidence that...

Nuclear Technology Series. Course 3: Principles of Process Instrumentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Waco, TX.

This technical specialty course is one of thirty-five courses designed for use by two-year postsecondary institutions in five nuclear technician curriculum areas: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and control technician, (3) nuclear materials processing technician, (4) nuclear quality-assurance/quality-control…

Quality Assurance in Dietetic Services Workshop for the Dietetic Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This workshop guide is a unit of study for teaching dietetic assistants to work with quality control in a nursing home or hospital. The objective of the unit is to enable the students to develop and expand a dietetic services administrative and clinical quality assurance program in his or her own institution. Following the unit objective, the unit…

Gauging food and nutritional care quality in hospitals

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Food and nutritional care quality must be assessed and scored, so as to improve health institution efficacy. This study aimed to detect and compare actions related to food and nutritional care quality in public and private hospitals. Methods Investigation of the Hospital Food and Nutrition Service (HFNS) of 37 hospitals by means of structured interviews assessing two quality control corpora, namely nutritional care quality (NCQ) and hospital food service quality (FSQ). HFNS was also evaluated with respect to human resources per hospital bed and per produced meal. Results Comparison between public and private institutions revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the number of hospital beds per HFNS staff member (p = 0.02) and per dietitian (p < 0.01). The mean compliance with NCQ criteria in public and private institutions was 51.8% and 41.6%, respectively. The percentage of public and private health institutions in conformity with FSQ criteria was 42.4% and 49.1%, respectively. Most of the actions comprising each corpus, NCQ and FSQ, varied considerably between the two types of institution. NCQ was positively influenced by hospital type (general) and presence of a clinical dietitian. FSQ was affected by institution size: large and medium-sized hospitals were significantly better than small ones. Conclusions Food and nutritional care in hospital is still incipient, and actions concerning both nutritional care and food service take place on an irregular basis. It is clear that the design of food and nutritional care in hospital indicators is mandatory, and that guidelines for the development of actions as well as qualification and assessment of nutritional care are urgent. PMID:22954229

Using Statistical Process Control to Enhance Student Progression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Mark D.; Raichura, Nilesh; Bernardes, Ednilson

2012-01-01

Public interest in educational outcomes has markedly increased in the most recent decade; however, quality management and statistical process control have not deeply penetrated the management of academic institutions. This paper presents results of an attempt to use Statistical Process Control (SPC) to identify a key impediment to continuous…

Proceedings of the Acquisition Research Symposium: Imagnination, Innovation, and Implementation, 1991. Volume 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Construction Industry Institute, Austin, Texas, April 1990. 6. Ishikawa , Kaoru , What is Total Quality Control? The Japanese Way, Prentice-Hall, N.J., 1985. 7...customer. Ishikawa , a leading Japanese management and line personnel, and where authority on quality management, claims that appropriate, the customer

Report on Quality Control Review of the Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP FY 2009 Single Audit of the Riverside Research Institute

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-07

compliance was based on a determination that 10 of the 14 compliance requirements were applicable to the Institute. However, the audit working papers...for all 14 of the compliance requirements were not adequate to support conclusions on applicability, internal control, and the audit opinion on...compliance with laws, regulations, and award provisions applicable to the R&D cluster program. In addition, the audit firm did not appropriately report an

Real-time product attribute control to manufacture antibodies with defined N-linked glycan levels.

PubMed

Zupke, Craig; Brady, Lowell J; Slade, Peter G; Clark, Philip; Caspary, R Guy; Livingston, Brittney; Taylor, Lisa; Bigham, Kyle; Morris, Arvia E; Bailey, Robert W

2015-01-01

Pressures for cost-effective new therapies and an increased emphasis on emerging markets require technological advancements and a flexible future manufacturing network for the production of biologic medicines. The safety and efficacy of a product is crucial, and consistent product quality is an essential feature of any therapeutic manufacturing process. The active control of product quality in a typical biologic process is challenging because of measurement lags and nonlinearities present in the system. The current study uses nonlinear model predictive control to maintain a critical product quality attribute at a predetermined value during pilot scale manufacturing operations. This approach to product quality control ensures a more consistent product for patients, enables greater manufacturing efficiency, and eliminates the need for extensive process characterization by providing direct measures of critical product quality attributes for real time release of drug product. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The Individualized Quality Control Plan - Coming Soon to Clinical Microbiology Laboratories Everywhere!

PubMed

Anderson, Nancy

2015-11-15

As of January 1, 2016, microbiology laboratories can choose to adopt a new quality control option, the Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP), under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). This voluntary approach increases flexibility for meeting regulatory requirements and provides laboratories the opportunity to customize QC for their testing in their unique environments and by their testing personnel. IQCP is an all-inclusive approach to quality based on risk management to address potential errors in the total testing process. It includes three main steps, (1) performing a risk assessment, (2) developing a QC plan, and (3) monitoring the plan through quality assessment. Resources are available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Society for Microbiology, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, and accrediting organizations, such as the College of American Pathologists and Joint Commission, to assist microbiology laboratories implementing IQCP.

Curing of Furfuryl Alcohol-Impregnated Parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, J. W.; Brayden, T. H.

1983-01-01

Delamination problem in reinforced carbon/carbon parts impregnated with oxalic acid-catalyzed furfuryl alcohol overcome by instituting two additional quality-control tests on alcohol and by changing curing conditions.

Many roads may lead to Rome: Selected features of quality control within environmental assessment systems in the US, NL, CA, and UK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Günther, Markus, E-mail: markus.guenther@tu-berlin.de; Geißler, Gesa; Köppel, Johann

As there is no one-and-only concept on how to precisely define and establish quality control (QC) or quality assurance (QA) in the making of environmental assessments (EA), this paper presents selected features of international approaches that address quality in EA systems in the USA, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Based on explanative case studies, we highlight the embedding of specific quality control features within the EA systems, the objectives and processes, and relevant transparency challenges. Such features of QC/QA approaches can be considered in cases where substantial quality control and assurance efforts are still missing. Yet further researchmore » needs to be conducted on the efficacy of these approaches, which remains beyond the scope of this study. - Highlights: • We present four tools for quality control and assurance from different EA systems. • Approaches vary in institutional setting, objectives, procedures, and transparency. • Highlighted features might provide guidance in cases where QC/QA is still lacking.« less

Gynecologic Oncology Group quality assurance audits: analysis and initiatives for improvement.

PubMed

Blessing, John A; Bialy, Sally A; Whitney, Charles W; Stonebraker, Bette L; Stehman, Frederick B

2010-08-01

The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) is a multi-institution, multi-discipline Cooperative Group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to conduct clinical trials which investigate the treatment, prevention, control, quality of survivorship, and translational science of gynecologic malignancies. In 1982, the NCI initiated a program of on-site quality assurance audits of participating institutions. Each is required to be audited at least once every 3 years. In GOG, the audit mandate is the responsibility of the GOG Quality Assurance Audit Committee and it is centralized in the Statistical and Data Center (SDC). Each component (Regulatory, Investigational Drug Pharmacy, Patient Case Review) is classified as Acceptable, Acceptable, follow-up required, or Unacceptable. To determine frequently occurring deviations and develop focused innovative solutions to address them. A database was created to examine the deviations noted at the most recent audit conducted at 57 GOG parent institutions during 2004-2007. Cumulatively, this involved 687 patients and 306 protocols. The results documented commendable performance: Regulatory (39 Acceptable, 17 Acceptable, follow-up, 1 Unacceptable); Pharmacy (41 Acceptable, 3 Acceptable, follow-up, 1 Unacceptable, 12 N/A): Patient Case Review (31 Acceptable, 22 Acceptable, follow-up, 4 Unacceptable). The nature of major and lesser deviations was analyzed to create and enhance initiatives for improvement of the quality of clinical research. As a result, Group-wide proactive initiatives were undertaken, audit training sessions have emphasized recurring issues, and GOG Data Management Subcommittee agendas have provided targeted instruction and training. The analysis was based upon parent institutions only; affiliate institutions and Community Clinical Oncology Program participants were not included, although it is assumed their areas of difficulty are similar. The coordination of the GOG Quality Assurance Audit program in the SDC has improved data quality by enhancing our ability to identify frequently occurring deviations and develop innovative solutions to avoid or minimize their occurrence in the future.

Institutional factors and HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.

PubMed

Simmonds, Stephanie

2008-01-01

This paper outlines the principal institutional factors affecting the slow progress in reaching agreed targets in Africa regarding the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. It focuses on three key factors: political analysis, strategic business approach and international inputs. Most of the analyses tend to look at the technical aspects of disease prevention and control, of political analysis there is a marked absence. Yet, we know that wider contextual or macro factors such as power and political decision making can make or break a programme. Many senior managers in public sector institutions are preoccupied with day-to-day work. Successful businesses in the private sector have some things in common with each other. Outstanding leadership, a strategic and action orientated culture, highly focused on comparative strengths on priorities and quality being some of the key ones. Adopting such successful business characteristics might make the difference to public institutions. The move to results based institutions by focussing on outputs and outcomes is for the better. However, we still need to rigorously examine the quality of inputs that the increasing availability of funds is being used on. This is especially so in relation to needing a better balance between aid for health services and that for institutional and health systems development. In addition, technical advisers from development partners need to work more across a ministry of health on institutional and management change to have a greater impact on achieving targets. 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Autonomy vs. Control: Quality Assurance and Governmental Policy in Flanders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Wit, Kurt; Verhoeven, Jef C.

2004-01-01

Higher education in Flanders has seen some major changes in the 1990s. One of the key elements of the new higher education regulations was the quality assessment system. This exemplified best the government's policy of granting all institutions of higher education autonomy, making them responsible for their policies, while still keeping the…

Quality Control in the Administration of Sport Management Internships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Dennie Ruth

2004-01-01

The quality of an intern's learning experience is the joint responsibility of the academic internship coordinator, the administrator of the sport management program, and the agency supervisor. The purpose of this article is to identify the areas of administrative concern in the three major components of an internship: the institution granting…

[Development of quality assurance/quality control web system in radiotherapy].

PubMed

Okamoto, Hiroyuki; Mochizuki, Toshihiko; Yokoyama, Kazutoshi; Wakita, Akihisa; Nakamura, Satoshi; Ueki, Heihachi; Shiozawa, Keiko; Sasaki, Koji; Fuse, Masashi; Abe, Yoshihisa; Itami, Jun

2013-12-01

Our purpose is to develop a QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) web system using a server-side script language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), which can be useful as a tool to share information about QA/QC in radiotherapy. The system proposed in this study can be easily built in one's own institute, because HTML can be easily handled. There are two desired functions in a QA/QC web system: (i) To review the results of QA/QC for a radiotherapy machine, manuals, and reports necessary for routinely performing radiotherapy through this system. By disclosing the results, transparency can be maintained, (ii) To reveal a protocol for QA/QC in one's own institute using pictures and movies relating to QA/QC for simplicity's sake, which can also be used as an educational tool for junior radiation technologists and medical physicists. By using this system, not only administrators, but also all staff involved in radiotherapy, can obtain information about the conditions and accuracy of treatment machines through the QA/QC web system.

Antenatal care service quality increases the odds of utilizing institutional delivery in Bahir Dar city administration, North Western Ethiopia: A prospective follow up study.

PubMed

Ejigu Tafere, Tadese; Afework, Mesganaw Fanthahun; Yalew, Alemayehu Worku

2018-01-01

In Ethiopia, more than 62% of pregnant women attend antenatal care at least once, yet only about one in four women give birth at health facility. This gap has fueled the need to investigate on the quality of ANC services at public health facilities and its link with the use of institutional delivery. To assess the linkage between ANC quality and the use of institutional delivery among pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities of BDR City Administration. A facility based prospective follow up study was conducted. and nine hundred seventy pregnant women with gestational age ≤ 16 weeks who came for their first ANC visit were enrolled.Women were followed from their first ANC visit until delivery. Longitudinal data was collected during consultation with ANC providers using structured observation checklist. ANC service was considered as acceptable quality if women received ≥75th percentile of the essential ANC services. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was carried out to control cluster effect among women who received ANC in the same facility. Among 823 pregnant women who completed follow up, only about one third (27.6%) received acceptable quality of ANC services. In one health facility syphilis test was not done at all for the last two years. The odds of giving birth at health institution among pregnant women who received acceptable ANC quality service was about 3.38 times higher than among pregnant women who received unacceptable ANC quality service (AOR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.67, 6.83). In this study the quality of ANC service provision in public health facilities was compromised/low. Provision of quality ANC service had a great role in promoting institutional delivery. Therefore the local authorities at each level of health sector or the nongovernmental organizations working to improve maternal health need to provide training on focused antenatal care protocol for ANC providers.

Antenatal care service quality increases the odds of utilizing institutional delivery in Bahir Dar city administration, North Western Ethiopia: A prospective follow up study

PubMed Central

Afework, Mesganaw Fanthahun; Yalew, Alemayehu Worku

2018-01-01

Background In Ethiopia, more than 62% of pregnant women attend antenatal care at least once, yet only about one in four women give birth at health facility. This gap has fueled the need to investigate on the quality of ANC services at public health facilities and its link with the use of institutional delivery. Objective To assess the linkage between ANC quality and the use of institutional delivery among pregnant women attending ANC at public health facilities of BDR City Administration Methods A facility based prospective follow up study was conducted. and nine hundred seventy pregnant women with gestational age ≤ 16 weeks who came for their first ANC visit were enrolled.Women were followed from their first ANC visit until delivery. Longitudinal data was collected during consultation with ANC providers using structured observation checklist. ANC service was considered as acceptable quality if women received ≥75th percentile of the essential ANC services. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was carried out to control cluster effect among women who received ANC in the same facility. Results Among 823 pregnant women who completed follow up, only about one third (27.6%) received acceptable quality of ANC services. In one health facility syphilis test was not done at all for the last two years. The odds of giving birth at health institution among pregnant women who received acceptable ANC quality service was about 3.38 times higher than among pregnant women who received unacceptable ANC quality service (AOR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.67, 6.83). Conclusion and recommendation In this study the quality of ANC service provision in public health facilities was compromised/low. Provision of quality ANC service had a great role in promoting institutional delivery. Therefore the local authorities at each level of health sector or the nongovernmental organizations working to improve maternal health need to provide training on focused antenatal care protocol for ANC providers. PMID:29420598

Discussion of the quality control and performance testing of ultrasound diagnostic equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Junjie

2018-03-01

In recent years, with the rapid development of ultrasonography, the application and popularization of new technology used in ultrasound equipment, the level of providing diagnostic information for doctors enhances unceasingly, which has become the indispensable diagnostic tool for medical institutions. The performance of equipment is directly related to the doctor’s diagnosis and the patient’s health, therefore, it is very important to choose a good method for quality control and performance testing.

ESP Teaching at the Institutions of Higher Education in Modern Russia: Problems and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prudnikova, Nadezhda

2013-01-01

The author analyses ESP teaching at the institutions of higher education in modern Russia, explains the main problems and suggests the ways of their solving, details the quality control system of the students' progress improvement, presents the complex approach to interactive ESP teaching and views it as an integral part of up-to-date…

Teacher Drain from China's Higher Education Institutions and Some Consequences of This Drain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shufeng, Xu; Shihua, Cui; Zhaoping, Sun; Xianlei, Zhang

2005-01-01

Teachers are where the major strength of organizational control lies in the educational process; it is mainly they who restrict the quality of education and teaching and who are the irreplaceable factor in determining how well a school is run and its overall image. Therefore, once a teacher drain from higher education institutions begins, it is…

Nurse-Led Programs to Facilitate Enrollment to Children's Oncology Group Cancer Control Trials.

PubMed

Haugen, Maureen; Kelly, Katherine Patterson; Leonard, Marcia; Mills, Denise; Sung, Lillian; Mowbray, Catriona; Landier, Wendy

2016-09-01

The progress made over the past 50 years in disease-directed clinical trials has significantly increased cure rates for children and adolescents with cancer. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) is now conducting more studies that emphasize improving quality of life for young people with cancer. These types of clinical trials are classified as cancer control (CCL) studies by the National Cancer Institute and require different resources and approaches to facilitate adequate accrual and implementation at COG institutions. Several COG institutions that had previously experienced problems with low accruals to CCL trials have successfully implemented local nursing leadership for these types of studies. Successful models of nurses as institutional leaders and "champions" of CCL trials are described. © 2015 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.

Flow Control and Design Assessment for Drainage System at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-24

Council BMP Best Management Practice CASQUA California Storm Water Quality Task Force CRREL Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory DS...ponds The California Storm Water Quality Task Force (CASQUA 1993) defines a sediment basin as “a pond created by excavation or constructing an em...British Standards Institution. California Storm Water Quality Task Force (CASQUA). 1993. ESC41: Check Dams. In Stormwater Best Management Practices

Routing UAVs to Co-Optimize Mission Effectiveness and Network Performance with Dynamic Programming

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Heuristics on Hexagonal Connected Dominating Sets to Model Routing Dissemination," in Communication Theory, Reliability, and Quality of Service (CTRQ...24] Matthew Capt. USAF Compton, Improving the Quality of Service and Security of Military Networks with a Network Tasking Order Process, 2010. [25...Wesley, 2006. [32] James Haught, "Adaptive Quality of Service Engine with Dynamic Queue Control," Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright

New & Special Grad School Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Steven S.

1988-01-01

Discusses some special Master of Science in engineering (MS) programs including manufacturing and quality control, safety engineering, transportation engineering, and computer related areas. Gives a table showing MS degrees, institutions, and faculty. (YP)

The Effects of Training Institution Practice Costs, Quality, and Other Characteristics on Future Practice

PubMed Central

Phillips, Robert L.; Petterson, Stephen M.; Bazemore, Andrew W.; Wingrove, Peter; Puffer, James C.

2017-01-01

PURPOSE Medicare beneficiary spending patterns reflect those of the 306 Hospital Referral Regions where physicians train, but whether this holds true for smaller areas or for quality is uncertain. This study assesses whether cost and quality imprinting can be detected within the 3,436 Hospital Service Areas (HSAs), 82.4 percent of which have only 1 teaching hospital, and whether sponsoring institution characteristics are associated. METHODS We conducted a secondary, multi-level, multivariable analysis of 2011 Medicare claims and American Medical Association Masterfile data for a random, nationally representative sample of family physicians and general internists who completed residency between 1992 and 2010 and had more than 40 Medicare patients (3,075 physicians providing care to 503,109 beneficiaries). Practice and training locations were matched with Dartmouth Atlas HSAs and categorized into low-, average-, and high-cost spending groups. Practice and training HSAs were assessed for differences in 4 diabetes quality measures. Institutional characteristics included training volume and percentage of graduates in rural practice and primary care. RESULTS The unadjusted, annual, per-beneficiary spending difference between physicians trained in high- and low-cost HSAs was $1,644 (95% CI, $1,253–$2,034), and the difference remained significant after controlling for patient and physician characteristics. No significant relationship was found for diabetes quality measures. General internists were significantly more likely than family physicians to train in high-cost HSAs. Institutions with more graduates in rural practice and primary care produced lower-spending physicians. CONCLUSIONS The “imprint” of training spending patterns on physicians is strong and enduring, without discernible quality effects, and, along with identified institutional features, supports measures and policy options for improved graduate medical education outcomes. PMID:28289113

Designing the Framework Conditions for Assuring Academic Standards: Lessons Learned about Professional, Market, and Government Regulation of Academic Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dill, David D.; Beerkens, Maarja

2013-01-01

The new demands of mass systems of higher education and the emerging environment of global academic competition are altering the traditional institutions for assuring academic standards in universities. As a consequence many nations are experimenting with new instruments for academic quality assurance. Contemporary government control of academic…

Quality in the Basic Grant Delivery System: Volume 3, Methodology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advanced Technology, Inc., McLean, VA.

The research methodology of a study to assess 1980-1981 award accuracy of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOG), or Pell grants, is described. The study is the first stage of a three-stage quality control project. During the spring of 1981 a nationally representative sample of 305 public, private, and proprietary institutions was…

The Validity of Higher-Order Questions as a Process Indicator of Educational Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renaud, Robert D.; Murray, Harry G.

2007-01-01

One way to assess the quality of education in post-secondary institutions is through the use of performance indicators. Studies that have compared currently popular process indicators (e.g., library size, percentage of faculty with PhD) found that after controlling for incoming student ability, these process indicators tend to be weakly associated…

Healthy Building Design for the Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Marketplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, William A.

Building design and construction that helps deliver both superior air quality and occupant thermal comfort, while minimizing energy consumption, are examined. The paper explores an integrated building systems approach that combines the principles of "directed air flow control" and "demand controlled ventilation" where ventilation is effectively…

Energy intensity and the energy mix: what works for the environment?

PubMed

El Anshasy, Amany A; Katsaiti, Marina-Selini

2014-04-01

In the absence of carbon sequestration, mitigating carbon emissions can be achieved through a mix of two broad policy approaches: (i) reducing energy intensity by improving energy efficiency and conservation, and (ii) changing the fuel mix. This paper investigates the long-run relationship between energy intensity, the energy mix, and per capita carbon emissions; while controlling for the level of economic activity, the economic structure measured by the relative size of the manufacturing sector, and the differences in institutional qualities across countries. We aim to answer two particularly important policy questions. First, to what extent these policy approaches are effective in mitigating emissions in the long-run? Second, which institutional qualities significantly contribute to better long-run environmental performance? We use historical data for 131 countries in a heterogeneous panel framework for the period 1972-2010. We find that less dependence on fossil fuel and lower energy intensity reduce emissions in the long run. A goal of 10% reduction in CO2 levels in the long-run requires reducing the share of fossil fuel in total energy use by 11%, or reducing energy intensity by 13%. In addition, specific institutional qualities such as better corruption control and judiciary independence contribute to mitigating levels of emissions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Analysis on 2011 quality control results on aerobic plate count of microbiology laboratories in China].

PubMed

Han, Haihong; Li, Ning; Li, Yepeng; Fu, Ping; Yu, Dongmin; Li Zhigang; Du, Chunming; Guo, Yunchang

2015-01-01

To test the aerobic plate count examining capability of microbiology laboratories, to ensure the accuracy and comparability of quantitative bacteria examination results, and to improve the quality of monitoring. The 4 different concentration aerobic plate count piece samples were prepared and noted as I, II, III and IV. After homogeneity and stability tests, the samples were delivered to monitoring institutions. The results of I, II, III samples were logarithmic transformed, and evaluated with Z-score method using the robust average and standard deviation. The results of IV samples were evaluated as "satisfactory" when reported as < 10 CFU/piece or as "not satisfactory" otherwise. Pearson χ2 test was used to analyze the ratio results. 309 monitoring institutions, which was 99.04% of the total number, reported their results. 271 institutions reported a satisfactory result, and the satisfactory rate was 87.70%. There was no statistical difference in satisfactory rates of I, II and III samples which were 81.52%, 88.30% and 91.40% respectively. The satisfactory rate of IV samples was 93.33%. There was no statistical difference in satisfactory rates between provincial and municipal CDC. The quality control program has provided scientific data that the aerobic plate count capability of the laboratories meets the requirements of monitoring tasks.

Implementation of a clinical quality control program in a mammography screening service of Brazil.

PubMed

DE Souza Sabino, Silvia Maria Prioli; Silva, Thiago Buosi; Watanabe, Anapaula Hidemi Uema; Syrjänen, Kari; Carvalho, André Lopes; Mauad, Edmundo Carvalho

2014-09-01

To evaluate the effect of a clinical quality control program on the final quality of a mammography screening service. We conducted retrospective assessment of the clinical quality of 5,000 mammograms taken in a Mammography Screening Program between November 2010 and September 2011, following the implementation of a Clinical Quality Control Program based on the European Guidelines. Among the 105,000 evaluated quality items, there were 8,588 failures (8.2%) - 1.7 failures per examination. Altogether, 89% of the failures were associated with positioning. The recall rate due to a technical error reached a maximum of 0.5% in the early phase of the observation period and subsequently stabilized (0.09%). The ongoing education and monitoring combined with personalized training increased the critical thinking of the involved professionals, reducing the technical failures and unnecessary exposure of patients to radiation, with substantial improvement in the final quality of mammography. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Role of technology in supporting quality control and treatment fidelity in a family caregiver clinical trial.

PubMed

Farran, Carol J; Etkin, Caryn D; McCann, Judith J; Paun, Olimpia; Eisenstein, Amy R; Wilbur, Joellen

2011-11-01

This article describes how a family caregiver lifestyle physical activity clinical trial uses research technology to enhance quality control and treatment fidelity. This trial uses a range of Internet, Blaise(®) Windows-based software and Echo Server technologies to support quality control issues, such as data collection, data entry, and study management advocated by the clinical trials literature, and to ensure treatment fidelity concerning intervention implementation (i.e., design, training, delivery, receipt, and enactment) as proposed by the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium. All research staff are trained to use these technologies. Strengths of this technological approach to support quality control and treatment fidelity include the comprehensive plan, involvement of all staff, and ability to maintain accurate and timely data. Limitations include the upfront time and costs for developing and testing these technological methods, and having support staff readily available to address technological issues if they occur.

Video on Diet Before Outpatient Colonoscopy Does Not Improve Quality of Bowel Preparation: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Rice, Sean C; Higginbotham, Tina; Dean, Melanie J; Slaughter, James C; Yachimski, Patrick S; Obstein, Keith L

2016-11-01

Successful outpatient colonoscopy (CLS) depends on many factors including the quality of a patient's bowel preparation. Although education on consumption of the pre-CLS purgative can improve bowel preparation quality, no study has evaluated dietary education alone. We have created an educational video on pre-CLS dietary instructions to determine whether dietary education would improve outpatient bowel preparation quality. A prospective randomized, blinded, controlled study of patients undergoing outpatient CLS was performed. All patients received a 4 l polyethylene glycol-based split-dose bowel preparation and standard institutional pre-procedure instructions. Patients were then randomly assigned to an intervention arm or to a no intervention arm. A 4-min educational video detailing clear liquid diet restriction was made available to patients in the intervention arm, whereas those randomized to no intervention did not have access to the video. Patients randomized to the video were provided with the YouTube video link 48-72 h before CLS. An attending endoscopist blinded to randomization performed the CLS. Bowel preparation quality was scored using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS). Adequate preparation was defined as a BBPS total score of ≥6 with all segment scores ≥2. Wilcoxon rank-sum and Pearson's χ 2 -tests were performed to assess differences between groups. Ninety-two patients were randomized (video: n=42; control: n=50) with 47 total video views being tallied. There were no demographic differences between groups. There was no statistically significant difference in adequate preparation between groups (video=74%; control=68%; P=0.54). The availability of a supplementary patient educational video on clear liquid diet alone was insufficient to improve bowel preparation quality when compared with standard pre-procedure instruction at our institution.

What can we learn from a decade of database audits? The Duke Clinical Research Institute experience, 1997--2006.

PubMed

Rostami, Reza; Nahm, Meredith; Pieper, Carl F

2009-04-01

Despite a pressing and well-documented need for better sharing of information on clinical trials data quality assurance methods, many research organizations remain reluctant to publish descriptions of and results from their internal auditing and quality assessment methods. We present findings from a review of a decade of internal data quality audits performed at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, a large academic research organization that conducts data management for a diverse array of clinical studies, both academic and industry-sponsored. In so doing, we hope to stimulate discussions that could benefit the wider clinical research enterprise by providing insight into methods of optimizing data collection and cleaning, ultimately helping patients and furthering essential research. We present our audit methodologies, including sampling methods, audit logistics, sample sizes, counting rules used for error rate calculations, and characteristics of audited trials. We also present database error rates as computed according to two analytical methods, which we address in detail, and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of two auditing methods used during this 10-year period. Our review of the DCRI audit program indicates that higher data quality may be achieved from a series of small audits throughout the trial rather than through a single large database audit at database lock. We found that error rates trended upward from year to year in the period characterized by traditional audits performed at database lock (1997-2000), but consistently trended downward after periodic statistical process control type audits were instituted (2001-2006). These increases in data quality were also associated with cost savings in auditing, estimated at 1000 h per year, or the efforts of one-half of a full time equivalent (FTE). Our findings are drawn from retrospective analyses and are not the result of controlled experiments, and may therefore be subject to unanticipated confounding. In addition, the scope and type of audits we examine here are specific to our institution, and our results may not be broadly generalizable. Use of statistical process control methodologies may afford advantages over more traditional auditing methods, and further research will be necessary to confirm the reliability and usability of such techniques. We believe that open and candid discussion of data quality assurance issues among academic and clinical research organizations will ultimately benefit the entire research community in the coming era of increased data sharing and re-use.

[The placement courses and the subjective quality of life of 6- to 11-year-old children living in child welfare institutions].

PubMed

Bacro, F; Rambaud, A; Humbert, C; Sellenet, C

2015-10-01

Besides diseases, the concept of quality of life is increasingly used to account for the consequences of other vulnerability situations that may be encountered by individuals, including young children. However, very few studies have examined children's perception of their quality of life in the context of child welfare and protection, and they yielded mixed results. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare the subjective quality of life of children placed in institution with that of children living in their families, by controlling for child sex, age, socioeconomic and familial status, and (2) to examine its relations with their placement course in the child welfare system. The sample of this study was composed of 56 children aged 6 to 11, 28 of which were placed in a child welfare institution. Information about the placement course of institutionalized children was given by their social workers and the quality of life of all participants was assessed with the AUQUEI questionnaire. This self-report, which is based on children's conception of their quality of life, allows assessment of four distinct dimensions in addition to the overall score: leisure, performances, relations and family life, and separation. According to the results, the quality of life of children placed in institutions did not differ from that of children living in their families. However, its perception was closely related to the placement course of institutionalized children in the child welfare system. Whereas maltreated children obtained lower overall and performance scores than their neglected peers, children placed in foster families before institution had a poorer perception of their quality of life in the domains of family life and separations. These results are interpreted in light of attachment research and theory. Indeed, the relations between children's quality of life and their placement course could be explained by their high level of attachment disorganization. Finally, the results of this study suggested that children were well aware of their difficulties and that they can easily be identified by directly assessing the children's quality of life. Copyright © 2014 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

SU-G-TeP4-14: Quality Control of Treatment Planning Using Knowledge-Based Planning Across a System of Radiation Oncology Practices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Masi, K; Ditman, M; Marsh, R

Purpose: There is potentially a wide variation in plan quality for a certain disease site, even for clinics located in the same system of hospitals. We have used a prostate-specific knowledge-based planning (KBP) model as a quality control tool to investigate the variation in prostate treatment planning across a network of affiliated radiation oncology departments. Methods: A previously created KBP model was applied to 10 patients each from 4 community-based clinics (Clinics A, B, C, and D). The KBP model was developed using RapidPlan (Eclipse v13.5, Varian Medical Systems) from 60 prostate/prostate bed IMRT plans that were originally planned usingmore » an in-house treatment planning system at the central institution of the community-based clinics. The dosimetric plan quality (target coverage and normal-tissue sparing) of each model-generated plan was compared to the respective clinically-used plan. Each community-based clinic utilized the same planning goals to develop the clinically-used plans that were used at the main institution. Results: Across all 4 clinics, the model-generated plans decreased the mean dose to the rectum by varying amounts (on average, 12.5, 2.6, 4.5, and 2.7 Gy for Clinics A, B, C, and D, respectively). The mean dose to the bladder also decreased with the model-generated plans (5.4, 2.3, 3.0, and 4.1 Gy, respectively). The KBP model also identified that target coverage (D95%) improvements were possible for for Clinics A, B, and D (0.12, 1.65, and 2.75%) while target coverage decreased by 0.72% for Clinic C, demonstrating potentially different trade-offs made in clinical plans at different institutions. Conclusion: Quality control of dosimetric plan quality across a system of radiation oncology practices is possible with knowledge-based planning. By using a quality KBP model, smaller community-based clinics can potentially identify the areas of their treatment plans that may be improved, whether it be in normal-tissue sparing or improved target coverage. M. Matuszak has research funding for KBP from Varian Medical Systems.« less

Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

2017-12-01

A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

77 FR 9651 - National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Teleconference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Teleconference AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Office of... teleconference meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) and...

Secured web-based video repository for multicenter studies

PubMed Central

Yan, Ling; Hicks, Matt; Winslow, Korey; Comella, Cynthia; Ludlow, Christy; Jinnah, H. A; Rosen, Ami R; Wright, Laura; Galpern, Wendy R; Perlmutter, Joel S

2015-01-01

Background We developed a novel secured web-based dystonia video repository for the Dystonia Coalition, part of the Rare Disease Clinical Research network funded by the Office of Rare Diseases Research and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. A critical component of phenotypic data collection for all projects of the Dystonia Coalition includes a standardized video of each participant. We now describe our method for collecting, serving and securing these videos that is widely applicable to other studies. Methods Each recruiting site uploads standardized videos to a centralized secured server for processing to permit website posting. The streaming technology used to view the videos from the website does not allow downloading of video files. With appropriate institutional review board approval and agreement with the hosting institution, users can search and view selected videos on the website using customizable, permissions-based access that maintains security yet facilitates research and quality control. Results This approach provides a convenient platform for researchers across institutions to evaluate and analyze shared video data. We have applied this methodology for quality control, confirmation of diagnoses, validation of rating scales, and implementation of new research projects. Conclusions We believe our system can be a model for similar projects that require access to common video resources. PMID:25630890

[Batch release of immunoglobulin and monoclonal antibody products].

PubMed

Gross, S

2014-10-01

The Paul-Ehrlich Institute (PEI) is an independent institution of the Federal Republic of Germany responsible for performing official experimental batch testing of sera. The institute decides about the release of each batch and performs experimental research in the field. The experimental quality control ensures the potency of the product and also the absence of harmful impurities. For release of an immunoglobulin batch the marketing authorization holder has to submit the documentation of the manufacture and the results of quality control measures together with samples of the batch to the PEI. Experimental testing is performed according to the approved specifications regarding the efficacy and safety. Since implementation of the 15th German drug law amendment, the source of antibody is not defined anymore. According to § 32 German drug law, all batches of sera need to be released by an official control laboratory. Sera are medicinal products, which contain antibodies, antibody fragments or fusion proteins with a functional antibody portion. Therefore, all batches of monoclonal antibodies and derivatives must also be released by the PEI and the marketing authorization holder has to submit a batch release application. Under certain circumstances a waiver for certain products can be issued with regard to batch release. The conditions for such a waiver apply to the majority of monoclonal antibodies.

Recovering from Early Deprivation: Attachment Mediates Effects of Caregiving on Psychopathology

PubMed Central

McGoron, Lucy; Gleason, Mary Margaret; Smyke, Anna T.; Drury, Stacy S.; Nelson, Charles A.; Gregas, Mathew C.; Fox, Nathan A.; Zeanah, Charles H.

2014-01-01

Objective Children exposed to early institutional rearing are at risk for developing psychopathology. The present investigation examines caregiving quality and the role of attachment security as they relate to symptoms of psychopathology in young children exposed to early institutionalization. Methods Participants were enrolled in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), a longitudinal intervention study of children abandoned and placed in institutions at or shortly after birth. Measures included observed caregiving when children were 30 months of age, observed attachment security at 42 months and caregiver reports of children’s psychopathology at 54 months. At 54 months, some children remained in institutions, others were in foster care, others had been adopted domestically, and still others had been returned to their biological families. Thus, the children had experienced varying amounts of institutional rearing. Results After controlling for gender, quality of caregiving when children were 30 months old was associated with symptoms of multiple domains of psychopathology at 54 months of age. Ratings of security of attachment at 42 months mediated the associations between quality caregiving at 30 months and fewer symptoms of psychopathology at 54 months. Conclusions Among deprived young children, high quality caregiving at 30 months predicted reduced psychopathology and functional impairment at 54 months. Security of attachment mediated this relationship. Interventions for young children who have experienced deprivation may benefit from explicitly targeting caregiver-child attachment relationships. PMID:22721591

Overcoming systemic roadblocks to sustainability: The evolutionary redesign of worldviews, institutions, and technologies

PubMed Central

Beddoe, Rachael; Costanza, Robert; Farley, Joshua; Garza, Eric; Kent, Jennifer; Kubiszewski, Ida; Martinez, Luz; McCowen, Tracy; Murphy, Kathleen; Myers, Norman; Ogden, Zach; Stapleton, Kevin; Woodward, John

2009-01-01

A high and sustainable quality of life is a central goal for humanity. Our current socio-ecological regime and its set of interconnected worldviews, institutions, and technologies all support the goal of unlimited growth of material production and consumption as a proxy for quality of life. However, abundant evidence shows that, beyond a certain threshold, further material growth no longer significantly contributes to improvement in quality of life. Not only does further material growth not meet humanity's central goal, there is mounting evidence that it creates significant roadblocks to sustainability through increasing resource constraints (i.e., peak oil, water limitations) and sink constraints (i.e., climate disruption). Overcoming these roadblocks and creating a sustainable and desirable future will require an integrated, systems level redesign of our socio-ecological regime focused explicitly and directly on the goal of sustainable quality of life rather than the proxy of unlimited material growth. This transition, like all cultural transitions, will occur through an evolutionary process, but one that we, to a certain extent, can control and direct. We suggest an integrated set of worldviews, institutions, and technologies to stimulate and seed this evolutionary redesign of the current socio-ecological regime to achieve global sustainability. PMID:19240221

A system identification approach for developing model predictive controllers of antibody quality attributes in cell culture processes.

PubMed

Downey, Brandon; Schmitt, John; Beller, Justin; Russell, Brian; Quach, Anthony; Hermann, Elizabeth; Lyon, David; Breit, Jeffrey

2017-11-01

As the biopharmaceutical industry evolves to include more diverse protein formats and processes, more robust control of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) is needed to maintain processing flexibility without compromising quality. Active control of CQAs has been demonstrated using model predictive control techniques, which allow development of processes which are robust against disturbances associated with raw material variability and other potentially flexible operating conditions. Wide adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical cell culture processes has been hampered, however, in part due to the large amount of data and expertise required to make a predictive model of controlled CQAs, a requirement for model predictive control. Here we developed a highly automated, perfusion apparatus to systematically and efficiently generate predictive models using application of system identification approaches. We successfully created a predictive model of %galactosylation using data obtained by manipulating galactose concentration in the perfusion apparatus in serialized step change experiments. We then demonstrated the use of the model in a model predictive controller in a simulated control scenario to successfully achieve a %galactosylation set point in a simulated fed-batch culture. The automated model identification approach demonstrated here can potentially be generalized to many CQAs, and could be a more efficient, faster, and highly automated alternative to batch experiments for developing predictive models in cell culture processes, and allow the wider adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical processes. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1647-1661, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Approaching the Challenge of Student Retention through the Lens of Quality Control: A Conceptual Model of University Business Student Retention Utilizing Six Sigma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenicke, Lawrence O.; Holmes, Monica C.; Pisani, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Student retention in higher education is a major issue as academic institutions compete for fewer students and face declining enrollments. A conceptual model of applying the quality improvement methodology of Six Sigma to the problem of undergraduate student retention in a college of business is presented. Improvement techniques such as cause and…

Analysis of Management Practices in Lagos State Tertiary Institutions through Total Quality Management Structural Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AbdulAzeez, Abbas Tunde

2016-01-01

This research investigated total quality management practices and quality teacher education in public tertiary institutions in Lagos State. The study was therefore designed to analyse management practices in Lagos state tertiary institutions through total quality management structural framework. The selected public tertiary institutions in Lagos…

[Evaluation of social medicine expert assessment].

PubMed

Piechowiak, H

1989-10-01

There are only few scientific publications in literature on medical expertising in social medicine. Although this deficit may be explained by several facts, it cannot be justified. Evaluation is a systematic set of data collection and analysis activities undertaken to place social practice on a more rational basis, i.e. greater efficiency and justice. These aims also hold good for social medicine. Evaluation, however, is only the first step within a broader research programme for quality control and quality improvement efforts, which can be successfully performed only in cooperation with the social insurance institutions. Within their medical services these institutions should provide the organisational prerequisites to enable qualified scientific research in practical social medicine.

Relevance of Google-customized search engine vs. CISMeF quality-controlled health gateway.

PubMed

Gehanno, Jean-François; Kerdelhue, Gaétan; Sakji, Saoussen; Massari, Philippe; Joubert, Michel; Darmoni, Stéfan J

2009-01-01

CISMeF (acronym for Catalog and Index of French Language Health Resources on the Internet) is a quality-controlled health gateway conceived to catalog and index the most important and quality-controlled sources of institutional health information in French. The goal of this study is to compare the relevance of results provided by this gateway from a small set of documents selected and described by human experts to those provided by a search engine from a large set of automatically indexed and ranked resources. The Google-Customized search engine (CSE) was used. The evaluation was made using the 10th first results of 15 queries and two blinded physician evaluators. There was no significant difference between the relevance of information retrieval in CISMeF and Google CSE. In conclusion, automatic indexing does not lead to lower relevance than a manual MeSH indexing and may help to cope with the increasing number of references to be indexed in a controlled health quality gateway.

Institutional Quality of a Higher Education Institution from the Perspective of Employers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodman, Karmen; Biloslavo, Roberto; Bratoz, Silva

2013-01-01

The present paper proposes a theoretical model of institutional quality of a higher education institution (HEI) which, in addition to the internal dimensions of quality, incorporates also the external dimension, i.e. the outcomes dimension. This dimension has been neglected by the quality standards and models examined in our paper. Furthermore,…

Reflections on Post-Evaluation of Baccalaureate Programs: Revisiting Education Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jianrong, Sun

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the distinction between two types of educational quality: quality at the institutional level and quality at the student learning level. The key element for continuous institutional improvement after completion of the evaluation of institutional teaching should be on redefining quality in student learning and developing a…

What can we learn from a decade of database audits? The Duke Clinical Research Institute experience, 1997–2006

PubMed Central

Rostami, Reza; Nahm, Meredith; Pieper, Carl F.

2011-01-01

Background Despite a pressing and well-documented need for better sharing of information on clinical trials data quality assurance methods, many research organizations remain reluctant to publish descriptions of and results from their internal auditing and quality assessment methods. Purpose We present findings from a review of a decade of internal data quality audits performed at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, a large academic research organization that conducts data management for a diverse array of clinical studies, both academic and industry-sponsored. In so doing, we hope to stimulate discussions that could benefit the wider clinical research enterprise by providing insight into methods of optimizing data collection and cleaning, ultimately helping patients and furthering essential research. Methods We present our audit methodologies, including sampling methods, audit logistics, sample sizes, counting rules used for error rate calculations, and characteristics of audited trials. We also present database error rates as computed according to two analytical methods, which we address in detail, and discuss the advantages and drawbacks of two auditing methods used during this ten-year period. Results Our review of the DCRI audit program indicates that higher data quality may be achieved from a series of small audits throughout the trial rather than through a single large database audit at database lock. We found that error rates trended upward from year to year in the period characterized by traditional audits performed at database lock (1997–2000), but consistently trended downward after periodic statistical process control type audits were instituted (2001–2006). These increases in data quality were also associated with cost savings in auditing, estimated at 1000 hours per year, or the efforts of one-half of a full time equivalent (FTE). Limitations Our findings are drawn from retrospective analyses and are not the result of controlled experiments, and may therefore be subject to unanticipated confounding. In addition, the scope and type of audits we examine here are specific to our institution, and our results may not be broadly generalizable. Conclusions Use of statistical process control methodologies may afford advantages over more traditional auditing methods, and further research will be necessary to confirm the reliability and usability of such techniques. We believe that open and candid discussion of data quality assurance issues among academic and clinical research organizations will ultimately benefit the entire research community in the coming era of increased data sharing and re-use. PMID:19342467

Vision-related quality of life in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

PubMed

Türkcü, Fatih Mehmet; Şahin, Alparslan; Bez, Yasin; Yüksel, Harun; Cinar, Yasin; Kürşat Cingü, Abdullah; Çaça, İhsan

2015-07-01

To evaluate vision-related quality of life in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Prospective, cross-sectional study. The interviewer-administered National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) was used in 30 adult consecutive patients with chronic CSCR patients. The controls were 30 gender- and age-matched people with normal visual function who came from the same socioeconomic and educational background as the participants. Patients with CSCR had statistically significant lower scores than controls for all the subscales, except for general health. In the study group, all subscale scores of vision-related quality of life, except general health, showed statistically significant negative correlations with the visual acuity. People with CSCR have worse vision-related quality of life than people without the condition.

VERIFICATION TESTING OF TECHNOLOGIES TO CLEAN OR FILTER VENTILATION AIR

EPA Science Inventory

Because of the importance of indoor air quality, Research Triangle Institute's Air Pollution Control Technology is adding indoor air products as a new technology category available for testing. This paper discusses RTI's participation in previous Environmental Technology Verifica...

Resilience and Professional Quality of Life in Staff Working with People with Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behavior in Community Based and Institutional Settings.

PubMed

Søndenaa, Erik; Lauvrud, Christian; Sandvik, Marita; Nonstad, Kåre; Whittington, Richard

2013-01-02

Staff in forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are expected to deal with a wide range of emotional challenges when providing care. The potential impact of this demanding work has not been systematically explored previously. This article explores the professional quality of life (QoL) and the resilience (hardiness) of the staff in this setting. The Professional QoL questionnaire and the Disposional Resilience Scale were completed by staff (n=85, 80% response rate) in the Norwegian forensic service for ID offenders. Responses from staff working in institutional settings were compared to those from staff in local community services. Staff in the local community services had higher resilience scores compared to the staff in the institutional setting, (t=2.19; P<0.05). However in the other QoL and resilience domains there were no differences between the staff in the two settings. The greater sense of resilient control among community staff may be a function of both the number of service users they work with and the institutional demands they face. Even though these participants worked with relatively high risk clients, they did not report significantly impaired quality of life compared to other occupations.

Resilience and Professional Quality of Life in Staff Working with People with Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behavior in Community Based and Institutional Settings

PubMed Central

Søndenaa, Erik; Lauvrud, Christian; Sandvik, Marita; Nonstad, Kåre; Whittington, Richard

2013-01-01

Staff in forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are expected to deal with a wide range of emotional challenges when providing care. The potential impact of this demanding work has not been systematically explored previously. This article explores the professional quality of life (QoL) and the resilience (hardiness) of the staff in this setting. The Professional QoL questionnaire and the Disposional Resilience Scale were completed by staff (n=85, 80% response rate) in the Norwegian forensic service for ID offenders. Responses from staff working in institutional settings were compared to those from staff in local community services. Staff in the local community services had higher resilience scores compared to the staff in the institutional setting, (t=2.19; P<0.05). However in the other QoL and resilience domains there were no differences between the staff in the two settings. The greater sense of resilient control among community staff may be a function of both the number of service users they work with and the institutional demands they face. Even though these participants worked with relatively high risk clients, they did not report significantly impaired quality of life compared to other occupations. PMID:26973892

Establishing a Quality Control System for Stem Cell-Based Medicinal Products in China

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Stem cell-based medicinal products (SCMPs) are emerging as novel therapeutic products. The success of its development depends on the existence of an effective quality control system, which is constituted by quality control technologies, standards, reference materials, guidelines, and the associated management system in accordance with regulatory requirements along product lifespan. However, a worldwide, effective quality control system specific for SCMPs is still far from established partially due to the limited understanding of stem cell sciences and lack of quality control technologies for accurately assessing the safety and biological effectiveness of SCMPs before clinical use. Even though, based on the existing regulations and current stem cell sciences and technologies, initial actions toward the goal of establishing such a system have been taken as exemplified by recent development of new “interim guidelines” for governing quality control along development of SCMPs and new development of the associated quality control technologies in China. In this review, we first briefly introduced the major institutions involved in the regulation of cell substrates and therapeutic cell products in China and the existing regulatory documents and technical guidelines used as critical references for developing the new interim guidelines. With focus only on nonhematopoietic stem cells, we then discussed the principal quality attributes of SCMPs as well as our thinking of proper testing approaches to be established with relevant evaluation technologies to ensure all quality requirements of SCMPs along different manufacturing processes and development stages. At the end, some regulatory and technical challenges were also discussed with the conclusion that combined efforts should be taken to promote stem cell regulatory sciences to establish the effective quality control system for SCMPs. PMID:25471126

Managing quality of teaching and learning in the ophthalmic nursing course.

PubMed

Law, M L

2000-02-01

With auditing of teaching and learning in earnest by the Quality Assurance Agency for the Higher Education Funding Council, the nature of quality in education is top on the agenda for educational stakeholders. However, the nature of quality is difficult to define and measure. This is because quality is essentially a subjective perception and can mean different things to different individuals. Therefore, attempt to quantify and measure quality is difficult and problematic but is necessary for personal, professional, bureaucratic, political and stakeholder demands for accountability, and demonstration of efficiency, effectiveness and value for money. Using a total quality management framework, the internal controls of quality in the ophthalmic nursing course and at the faculty level are considered. The wider contexts of quality control from the institutional, political and at the customer's levels are explored. This paper concludes that the various methods used to control and measure quality may provide useful information for service clarity and a basis for service development. However, such information needs to be treated with caution and interpreted in the context and environment in which this information is generated. Ultimately, the issues of quality in teaching and learning may be addressed by the teacher's commitment to be developed as a reflective practitioner.

Fit for purpose frozen tissue collections by RNA integrity number-based quality control assurance at the Erasmus MC tissue bank.

PubMed

Kap, Marcel; Oomen, Monique; Arshad, Shazia; de Jong, Bas; Riegman, Peter

2014-04-01

About 5000 frozen tissue samples are collected each year by the Erasmus Medical Center tissue bank. Two percent of these samples are randomly selected annually for RNA isolation and RNA Integrity Number (RIN) measurement. A similar quality assessment was conducted during centralization of a 20-year-old tissue collection from the cancer institute, a 15-year-old liver sample archive (-80°C), and a 13-year-old clinical pathology frozen biopsy archive (Liquid Nitrogen). Samples were divided into either high-quality (RIN ≥6.5) or low-quality overall categories, or into four "fit-for-purpose" quality groups: RIN <5: not reliable for demanding downstream analysis; 5 ≤RIN <6: suitable for RT-qPCR; 6 ≤RIN <8: suitable for gene array analysis; and RIN ≥8: suitable for all downstream techniques. In general, low RIN values were correlated with fatty, fibrous, pancreatic, or necrotic tissue. When the percentage of samples with RIN ≥6.5 is higher than 90%, the tissue bank performance is adequate. The annual 2011 quality control assessment showed that 90.3% (n=93) of all samples had acceptable RIN values; 97.4% (n=39) of the cancer institute collection had RIN values above 6.5; and 88.6% (n=123) of samples from the liver sample archive collection had RIN values higher than 6.5. As the clinical pathology biopsy collection contained only 58.8% (n=24) acceptable samples, the procurement protocols used for these samples needed immediate evaluation. When the distribution of RIN values of the different collections were compared, no significant differences were found, despite differences in average storage time and temperature. According to the principle of "fit-for-purpose" distribution, the vast majority of samples are considered good enough for most downstream techniques. In conclusion, an annual tissue bank quality control procedure provides useful information on tissue sample quality and sheds light on where and if improvements need to be made.

Effectiveness of a multi-component quality improvement intervention on rates of hyperglycaemia

PubMed Central

Franco, Thérèse; Aaronson, Barry; Brown, Laurel; Blackmore, Craig; Rupp, Stephen; Lee, Grace

2017-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted, hospital-wide glycaemic control quality improvement programme. Methods The quality improvement intervention comprised three components, derived through root cause analysis: standardising and simplifying care (including evidence-based order sets), increasing visibility (through provider access to clinical data and direct feedback) and educational outreach (directed at the entire institution). Effectiveness was determined at a single urban acute care hospital through time-series analysis with statistical process control charts. Primary outcomes included rate of hyperglycaemia and rate of hypoglycaemia. Results The study included 70 992 hospital admissions for 50 404 patients, with 3 35 645 patient days. The hyperglycaemia ratio decreased 25.2% from 14.1% to 10.5% (95% CI 3.3 to 3.9 percentage points, p<0.001). The ratio of patient days with highly elevated blood glucose (>299 mg/dL) decreased 31.8% from 4.8% to 3.3% (95% CI 1.4 to 1.7 percentage points, p<0.001). Hypoglycaemia ratio decreased from 5.2% to 4.6% (95% CI 0.27 to 0.89 percentage points, p<0.001) in patients with diabetes, but increased in patients without diabetes from 1.2% to 1.7% (95% CI 0.46 to 0.70 percentage points, p<0.001). Conclusions We demonstrate improved hospital-wide glycaemic control after a multifaceted quality improvement intervention in the context of strong institutional commitment, national mentorship and Lean management PMID:29450273

The utilization of six sigma and statistical process control techniques in surgical quality improvement.

PubMed

Sedlack, Jeffrey D

2010-01-01

Surgeons have been slow to incorporate industrial reliability techniques. Process control methods were applied to surgeon waiting time between cases, and to length of stay (LOS) after colon surgery. Waiting times between surgeries were evaluated by auditing the operating room records of a single hospital over a 1-month period. The medical records of 628 patients undergoing colon surgery over a 5-year period were reviewed. The average surgeon wait time between cases was 53 min, and the busiest surgeon spent 291/2 hr in 1 month waiting between surgeries. Process control charting demonstrated poor overall control of the room turnover process. Average LOS after colon resection also demonstrated very poor control. Mean LOS was 10 days. Weibull's conditional analysis revealed a conditional LOS of 9.83 days. Serious process management problems were identified in both analyses. These process issues are both expensive and adversely affect the quality of service offered by the institution. Process control mechanisms were suggested or implemented to improve these surgical processes. Industrial reliability and quality management tools can easily and effectively identify process control problems that occur on surgical services. © 2010 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

The Pan European Phenological Database PEP725: Data Content and Data Quality Control Procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkovic, Anita; Hübner, Thomas; Koch, Elisabeth; Lipa, Wolfgang; Scheifinger, Helfried; Ungersböck, Markus; Zach-Hermann, Susanne

2014-05-01

Phenology - the study of the timing of recurring biological events in the animal and plant world - has become an important approach for climate change impact studies in recent years. It is therefore a "conditio sine qua non" to collect, archive, digitize, control and update phenological datasets. Thus and with regard to cross-border cooperation and activities it was necessary to establish, operate and promote a pan European phenological database (PEP725). Such a database - designed and tested under cost action 725 in 2004 and further developed and maintained in the framework of the EUMETNET program PEP725 - collects data from different European governmental and nongovernmental institutions and thus offers a unique compilation of plant phenological observations. The data follows the same classification scheme - the so called BBCH coding system - that makes datasets comparable. Europe had a long tradition in the observation of phenological events: the history of collecting phenological data and their usage in climatology began in 1751. The first datasets in PEP725 date back to 1868. However, there are only a few observations available until 1950. From 1951 onwards, the phenological networks all over Europe developed rapidly: Currently, PEP725 provides about 9 million records from 23 European countries (covering approximately 50% of Europe). To supply the data in a good and uniform quality it is essential and worthwhile to establish and develop data quality control procedures. Consequently, one of the main tasks within PEP725 is the conception of a multi-stage-quality control. Currently the tests are stepwise composed: completeness -, plausibility -, time consistency -, climatological - and statistical checks. In a nutshell: The poster exemplifies the status quo of the data content of the PEP725 database and incipient stages of used and planned quality controls, respectively. For more details, we would also like to promote and refer to the PEP725 website (http://www.pep725.eu) and invite additional institutions and regional services to join our program.

Recovering from early deprivation: attachment mediates effects of caregiving on psychopathology.

PubMed

McGoron, Lucy; Gleason, Mary Margaret; Smyke, Anna T; Drury, Stacy S; Nelson, Charles A; Gregas, Matthew C; Fox, Nathan A; Zeanah, Charles H

2012-07-01

Children exposed to early institutional rearing are at risk for developing psychopathology. The present investigation examines caregiving quality and the role of attachment security as they relate to symptoms of psychopathology in young children exposed to early institutionalization. Participants were enrolled in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), a longitudinal intervention study of children abandoned and placed in institutions at or shortly after birth. Measures included observed caregiving when children were 30 months of age, observed attachment security at 42 months, and caregiver reports of children's psychopathology at 54 months. At 54 months, some children remained in institutions, others were in foster care, others had been adopted domestically, and still others had been returned to their biological families. Thus, the children had experienced varying amounts of institutional rearing. After controlling for gender, quality of caregiving when children were 30 months old was associated with symptoms of multiple domains of psychopathology at 54 months of age. Ratings of security of attachment at 42 months mediated the associations between quality caregiving at 30 months and fewer symptoms of psychopathology at 54 months. Among deprived young children, high-quality caregiving at 30 months predicted reduced psychopathology and functional impairment at 54 months. Security of attachment mediated this relationship. Interventions for young children who have experienced deprivation may benefit from explicitly targeting caregiver-child attachment relationships. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Published methodological quality of randomized controlled trials does not reflect the actual quality assessed in protocols

PubMed Central

Mhaskar, Rahul; Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Magazin, Anja; Soares, Heloisa P.; Kumar, Ambuj

2011-01-01

Objectives To assess whether reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reflect the actual methodological quality, and to evaluate the association of effect size (ES) and sample size with methodological quality. Study design Systematic review Setting Retrospective analysis of all consecutive phase III RCTs published by 8 National Cancer Institute Cooperative Groups until year 2006. Data were extracted from protocols (actual quality) and publications (reported quality) for each study. Results 429 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Overall reporting of methodological quality was poor and did not reflect the actual high methodological quality of RCTs. The results showed no association between sample size and actual methodological quality of a trial. Poor reporting of allocation concealment and blinding exaggerated the ES by 6% (ratio of hazard ratio [RHR]: 0.94, 95%CI: 0.88, 0.99) and 24% (RHR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.05, 1.43), respectively. However, actual quality assessment showed no association between ES and methodological quality. Conclusion The largest study to-date shows poor quality of reporting does not reflect the actual high methodological quality. Assessment of the impact of quality on the ES based on reported quality can produce misleading results. PMID:22424985

High-Quality Foster Care Mitigates Callous-Unemotional Traits Following Early Deprivation in Boys: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Humphreys, Kathryn L; McGoron, Lucy; Sheridan, Margaret A; McLaughlin, Katie A; Fox, Nathan A; Nelson, Charles A; Zeanah, Charles H

2015-12-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in childhood are a developmental precursor to psychopathy, yet the origins and etiology of CU traits are not known. We examined CU traits among 12-year-old children exposed to severe early deprivation and evaluated whether a high-quality foster care intervention mitigated the development of high levels of CU traits. Participants were from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care for children in institutions. Children were recruited from institutions in Bucharest, Romania, along with age- and sex-matched children who were never institutionalized. Children raised in institutional settings were randomized (mean age = 22 months) to either a foster care group (n = 68) or a care-as-usual group (n = 68). CU traits were assessed at age 12.75 years in available participants from the randomized trial (n = 95) and children who were never institutionalized (n = 50). Children who experienced institutional rearing as young children had significantly higher levels of CU traits in early adolescence compared to children who were never institutionalized. Intent-to-treat analysis indicated that, among boys, CU traits were significantly lower among those who received the foster care intervention compared to those randomized to care as usual. Caregiver responsiveness to distress, but not caregiver warmth, mediated the intervention effect on CU traits in boys. These findings provide the first evidence to date that psychosocial intervention can prevent the onset of CU traits. Although severe early deprivation predicted higher levels of CU traits, high-quality foster care that emphasized responsive caregiving reduced the impact of deprivation on CU trait development for boys. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project; http://clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00747396. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Application of the Key Technologies for the Quality Control and Inspection of National Geographical Conditions Survey Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Zhang, L.; Ma, W.; Zhang, P.; Zhao, T.

2018-04-01

The First National Geographical Condition Survey is a predecessor task to dynamically master basic situations of the nature, ecology and human activities on the earth's surface and it is the brand-new mapping geographic information engineering. In order to ensure comprehensive, real and accurate survey results and achieve the quality management target which the qualified rate is 100 % and the yield is more than 80 %, it is necessary to carry out the quality control and result inspection for national geographical conditions survey on a national scale. To ensure that achievement quality meets quality target requirements, this paper develops the key technology method of "five-in-one" quality control that is constituted by "quality control system of national geographical condition survey, quality inspection technology system, quality evaluation system, quality inspection information management system and national linked quality control institutions" by aiming at large scale, wide coverage range, more undertaking units, more management levels, technical updating, more production process and obvious regional differences in the national geographical condition survey and combining with novel achievement manifestation, complicated dependency, more special reference data, and large data size. This project fully considering the domestic and foreign related research results and production practice experience, combined with the technology development and the needs of the production, it stipulates the inspection methods and technical requirements of each stage in the quality inspection of the geographical condition survey results, and extends the traditional inspection and acceptance technology, and solves the key technologies that are badly needed in the first national geographic survey.

[Evaluation of quality of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland].

PubMed

Parczewski, Miłosz; Madaliński, Kazimierz; Leszczyszyn-Pynka, Magdalena; Boroń-Kaczmarska, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim of this work was quality assessment of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland, including human and technical resources as well as laboratory practice. Sixty questionnaires were distributed among diagnostic centers to obtain qualitative data. Basing on the survey data serological control using coded panels of HIV-1/2 samples was performed. Thirty-one filled questionnaires were received (50.8%). Surveyed laboratories perform from 350 to 5500 serological screening tests per year. In most of laboratories fourth generation assays are available, while Blood Donation Centers screen the blood both with serological assays and by HIV-RNA detection. Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations and academic laboratories hold the ISO/IEC 17025 or IS0 9001:2001 accreditation, five of the surveyed centers participate in Labquality assurance and two in Quality Control in Molecular Diagnostics programs. Data of control serological testing were received from 21 centers. In the quality control assessment 194 analyses were performed with 91 true negative, 2 false negative, 96 true positive and 5 false positive results. False negative rate of % and false positive rate of 5.2% was noted for this study. Currently, virtually no guidelines related to the HIV-diagnostics quality assurance and control in Poland are in delineated. Development of the national unified quality control system, basing on the central institution is highly desirable. National certification within the frames of the quality control and assurance program should be mandatory for all the diagnostic labs, and aim at improvement of reliability of the result distributed among clinicians and patients.

Managing Both Quality and Access at Higher Educational Institutions in Tobago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julien Sealey, Beverley

2011-01-01

This paper will focus on the island of Tobago and indicate what practical solutions are best suited for administrators to manage quality and access at higher educational institutions on the island. The key areas to managing quality identified are the inclusiveness of a quality plan, administrators desire to see quality as an institutional culture…

[Architecture and design of mental health institutions].

PubMed

Richter, Dirk; Hoffmann, Holger

2014-04-01

The physical environment of mental health institutions is regarded as a therapeutic agent within the treatment. There is only little scientific evidence on the consequences of architecture and design on psychiatric patients available. A systematic review was conducted on studies from adult mental health institutions. 25 studies were included into the review. Pre-post-studies and control group conditions were predominant study designs. Randomized controlled trials were not available. Interventions reached from art installations up to entire ward renovations. Outcome indicators were rather heterogeneous, including psychopathology, behavioural observations and aggression incidents. Overwhelmingly, the studies revealed positive results of interventions into the physical environment. We found positive outcomes independent from the intervention in detail. This result should be interpreted in the light of the generally low study quality and further methodological problems. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A Survey Data Quality Strategy: The Institutional Research Perspective. IR Applications, Volume 34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Qin

2012-01-01

This discussion constructs a survey data quality strategy for institutional researchers in higher education in light of total survey error theory. It starts with describing the characteristics of institutional research and identifying the gaps in literature regarding survey data quality issues in institutional research and then introduces the…

A Survey Data Quality Strategy: The Institutional Research Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Qin

2009-01-01

This paper intends to construct a survey data quality strategy for institutional researchers in higher education in light of total survey error theory. It starts with describing the characteristics of institutional research and identifying the gaps in literature regarding survey data quality issues in institutional research. Then it is followed by…

Design of a cluster-randomized minority recruitment trial: RECRUIT.

PubMed

Tilley, Barbara C; Mainous, Arch G; Smith, Daniel W; McKee, M Diane; Amorrortu, Rossybelle P; Alvidrez, Jennifer; Diaz, Vanessa; Ford, Marvella E; Fernandez, Maria E; Hauser, Robert A; Singer, Carlos; Landa, Veronica; Trevino, Aron; DeSantis, Stacia M; Zhang, Yefei; Daniels, Elvan; Tabor, Derrick; Vernon, Sally W

2017-06-01

Racial/ethnic minority groups remain underrepresented in clinical trials. Many strategies to increase minority recruitment focus on minority communities and emphasize common diseases such as hypertension. Scant literature focuses on minority recruitment to trials of less common conditions, often conducted in specialty clinics and dependent on physician referrals. We identified trust/mistrust of specialist physician investigators and institutions conducting medical research and consequent participant reluctance to participate in clinical trials as key-shared barriers across racial/ethnic groups. We developed a trust-based continuous quality improvement intervention to build trust between specialist physician investigators and community minority-serving physicians and ultimately potential trial participants. To avoid the inherent biases of non-randomized studies, we evaluated the intervention in the national Randomized Recruitment Intervention Trial (RECRUIT). This report presents the design of RECRUIT. Specialty clinic follow-up continues through April 2017. We hypothesized that specialist physician investigators and coordinators trained in the trust-based continuous quality improvement intervention would enroll a greater proportion of minority participants in their specialty clinics than specialist physician investigators in control specialty clinics. Specialty clinic was the unit of randomization. Using continuous quality improvement, the specialist physician investigators and coordinators tailored recruitment approaches to their specialty clinic characteristics and populations. Primary analyses were adjusted for clustering by specialty clinic within parent trial and matching covariates. RECRUIT was implemented in four multi-site clinical trials (parent trials) supported by three National Institutes of Health institutes and included 50 associated specialty clinics from these parent trials. Using current data, we have 88% power or greater to detect a 0.15 or greater difference from the currently observed control proportion adjusting for clustering. We detected no differences in baseline matching criteria between intervention and control specialty clinics (all p values > 0.17). RECRUIT was the first multi-site randomized control trial to examine the effectiveness of a trust-based continuous quality improvement intervention to increase minority recruitment into clinical trials. RECRUIT's innovations included its focus on building trust between specialist investigators and minority-serving physicians, the use of continuous quality improvement to tailor the intervention to each specialty clinic's specific racial/ethnic populations and barriers to minority recruitment, and the use of specialty clinics from more than one parent multi-site trial to increase generalizability. The effectiveness of the RECRUIT intervention will be determined after the completion of trial data collection and planned analyses.

Using statistical process control for monitoring the prevalence of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Kottner, Jan; Halfens, Ruud

2010-05-01

Institutionally acquired pressure ulcers are used as outcome indicators to assess the quality of pressure ulcer prevention programs. Determining whether quality improvement projects that aim to decrease the proportions of institutionally acquired pressure ulcers lead to real changes in clinical practice depends on the measurement method and statistical analysis used. To examine whether nosocomial pressure ulcer prevalence rates in hospitals in the Netherlands changed, a secondary data analysis using different statistical approaches was conducted of annual (1998-2008) nationwide nursing-sensitive health problem prevalence studies in the Netherlands. Institutions that participated regularly in all survey years were identified. Risk-adjusted nosocomial pressure ulcers prevalence rates, grade 2 to 4 (European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel system) were calculated per year and hospital. Descriptive statistics, chi-square trend tests, and P charts based on statistical process control (SPC) were applied and compared. Six of the 905 healthcare institutions participated in every survey year and 11,444 patients in these six hospitals were identified as being at risk for pressure ulcers. Prevalence rates per year ranged from 0.05 to 0.22. Chi-square trend tests revealed statistically significant downward trends in four hospitals but based on SPC methods, prevalence rates of five hospitals varied by chance only. Results of chi-square trend tests and SPC methods were not comparable, making it impossible to decide which approach is more appropriate. P charts provide more valuable information than single P values and are more helpful for monitoring institutional performance. Empirical evidence about the decrease of nosocomial pressure ulcer prevalence rates in the Netherlands is contradictory and limited.

The Evolution of Marketing in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Brent

1982-01-01

Looks at the progression of educational institutions through the five stages of Kotler's marketing process. Identifies anticipated changes and three activities critical for meeting the marketing challenge: research to predict consumer habits, attitudes, and needs; material and research development changes; and strict quality control and relevance…

Expanding the scope of practice for radiology managers: radiation safety duties.

PubMed

Orders, Amy B; Wright, Donna

2003-01-01

In addition to financial responsibilities and patient care duties, many medical facilities also expect radiology department managers to wear "safety" hats and complete fundamental quality control/quality assurance, conduct routine safety surveillance in the department, and to meet regulatory demands in the workplace. All managers influence continuous quality improvement initiatives, from effective utilization of resource and staffing allocations, to efficacy of patient scheduling tactics. It is critically important to understand continuous quality improvement (CQI) and its relationship with the radiology manager, specifically quality assurance/quality control in routine work, as these are the fundamentals of institutional safety, including radiation safety. When an institution applies for a registration for radiation-producing devices or a license for the use of radioactive materials, the permit granting body has specific requirements, policies and procedures that must be satisfied in order to be granted a permit and to maintain it continuously. In the 32 U.S. Agreement states, which are states that have radiation safety programs equivalent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission programs, individual facilities apply for permits through the local governing body of radiation protection. Other states are directly licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and associated regulatory entities. These regulatory agencies grant permits, set conditions for use in accordance with state and federal laws, monitor and enforce radiation safety activities, and audit facilities for compliance with their regulations. Every radiology department and associated areas of radiation use are subject to inspection and enforcement policies in order to ensure safety of equipment and personnel. In today's business practice, department managers or chief technologists may actively participate in the duties associated with institutional radiation safety, especially in smaller institutions, while other facilities may assign the duties and title of "radiation safety officer" to a radiologist or other management, per the requirements of regulatory agencies in that state. Radiation safety in a medical setting can be delineated into two main categories--equipment and personnel requirements--each having very specific guidelines. The literature fails to adequately address the blatant link between radiology department managers and radiation safety duties. The breadth and depth of this relationship is of utmost concern and warrants deeper insight as the demands of the regulatory agencies increase with the new advances in technology, procedures and treatments associated with radiation-producing devices and radioactive materials.

Variables Control Charts: A Measurement Tool to Detect Process Problems within Housing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luna, Andrew

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use quality improvement tools to determine if the current process of supplying hot water to a high-rise residence hall for women at a southeastern Doctoral I granting institution was in control. After a series of focus groups among the residents in the hall, it was determined that they were mostly concerned about…

Creating an Impetus for Institutional Analysis in South America: Quality Assurance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middaugh, Michael; Silva, Moises; Ramirez, Soledad; Reich, Ricardo

2008-01-01

Institutional research (IR) in Latin America is experiencing dramatic growth due, in no small measure, to the need for quality assurance in educational institutions developing trained workforces for emerging economies. Quality can be assured only where it can be measured, and that is at the core of institutional research in countries to the south…

ProSens: integrated production control by automated inspection planning and efficient multisensor metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Ulf; Li, Zhichao; Bichmann, Stephan, II; Pfeifer, Tilo

2003-05-01

By China's entry into the WTO, Chinese as well as German companies are facing the question, how to minimize the risk of unfamiliar cooperation partners when developing products. The rise of customer demands concerning quality, product diversity and the reduction of expenses require flexibility and efficiency with reliable component suppliers. In order to build and strengthen sino-german cooperations, a manufacturing control using homogenized and efficient measures to assure high quality is of vital importance. Lack of unifications may cause identical measurements conducted at subcontractors or customers to be carried out with different measurement processes which leads to incomparable results. Rapidly growing company cooperations and simultaneously decreasing of manufacturing scope cause substantial difficulties when coordinating joint quality control activities. "ProSens," a sino-german project consortium consisting of industrial users, technology producers and research institutes, aims at improving selected production processes by: Creation of a homogeneous quality awareness in sino-german cooperations. Sensitization for process accompanying metrology at an early stage of product development. Increase of the process performance by the use of integrated metrology. Reduction of production time and cost. Unification of quality control of complex products by means of efficient measurement strategies and CAD-based inspection planning.

Audits of radiopharmaceutical formulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castronovo, F.P. Jr.

A procedure for auditing radiopharmaceutical formulations is described. To meet FDA guidelines regarding the quality of radiopharmaceuticals, institutional radioactive drug research committees perform audits when such drugs are formulated away from an institutional pharmacy. All principal investigators who formulate drugs outside institutional pharmacies must pass these audits before they can obtain a radiopharmaceutical investigation permit. The audit team meets with the individual who performs the formulation at the site of drug preparation to verify that drug formulations meet identity, strength, quality, and purity standards; are uniform and reproducible; and are sterile and pyrogen free. This team must contain an expertmore » knowledgeable in the preparation of radioactive drugs; a radiopharmacist is the most qualified person for this role. Problems that have been identified by audits include lack of sterility and apyrogenicity testing, formulations that are open to the laboratory environment, failure to use pharmaceutical-grade chemicals, inadequate quality control methods or records, inadequate training of the person preparing the drug, and improper unit dose preparation. Investigational radiopharmaceutical formulations, including nonradiolabeled drugs, must be audited before they are administered to humans. A properly trained pharmacist should be a member of the audit team.« less

A proteomics performance standard to support measurement quality in proteomics.

PubMed

Beasley-Green, Ashley; Bunk, David; Rudnick, Paul; Kilpatrick, Lisa; Phinney, Karen

2012-04-01

The emergence of MS-based proteomic platforms as a prominent technology utilized in biochemical and biomedical research has increased the need for high-quality MS measurements. To address this need, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference material (RM) 8323 yeast protein extract is introduced as a proteomics quality control material for benchmarking the preanalytical and analytical performance of proteomics-based experimental workflows. RM 8323 yeast protein extract is based upon the well-characterized eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae and can be utilized in the design and optimization of proteomics-based methodologies from sample preparation to data analysis. To demonstrate its utility as a proteomics quality control material, we coupled LC-MS/MS measurements of RM 8323 with the NIST MS Quality Control (MSQC) performance metrics to quantitatively assess the LC-MS/MS instrumentation parameters that influence measurement accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. Due to the complexity of the yeast proteome, we also demonstrate how NIST RM 8323, along with the NIST MSQC performance metrics, can be used in the evaluation and optimization of proteomics-based sample preparation methods. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Prevalence and Determinants of Controlled Substance Discrepancies in a Level I Trauma Hospital

PubMed Central

Anyanwu, Chukwuma; Egwim, Oliver

2016-01-01

Background Healthcare institutions are often faced with challenges and accreditation requirements for improving treatment quality, reducing waste, and avoiding diversion of drugs, particularly controlled substances. Many automated systems have replaced manual systems but may be fraught with challenges, especially when multiple users are involved. Objective To describe the characteristics of controlled substance discrepancies observed in a Level I trauma hospital for Medicare. Methods Discrepancy data were captured for each user involved in a transaction for a controlled substance at the Level I trauma hospital (in Ben Taub Hospital, Houston, TX), and the information was stored in a computerized database repository. Data for the 1-year study period (from January 1 through December 31, 2013) were collected for Medicare beneficiaries, using an Excel 2013 spreadsheet, and were analyzed according to basic discrepancy characteristics and descriptive statistics. Results During the 12-month study period, 114,000 controlled substance discrepancies were found for 100,000 Medicare patients at this Level I trauma hospital. Vending activities accounted for the majority (52.6%) of these discrepancies. Discrepancies were most likely to occur on Wednesdays, and the medications involved most frequently were combination drugs of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Conclusion Approximately 1 (1.14) discrepancy involving a controlled substance occurred for each Medicare patient treated at the study facility. Healthcare institutions need to improve their efforts to ensure high-quality care and prevent diversion of drugs. PMID:27606038

Report: Weiss, Sugar, Dvorak & Dusek, Ltd., Single Audit of the Delta Institute and Affiliates for Year Ended June 30, 2003

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2006-S-00004, August 17, 2006. Weiss, Sugar, Dvorak & Dusek, Ltd., did not have sufficient quality control review procedures in place to ensure that all audit work performed was adequately supported by documentary evidence.

Progressing quality control in environmental impact assessment beyond legislative compliance: An evaluation of the IEMA EIA Quality Mark certification scheme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bond, Alan, E-mail: alan.bond@uea.ac.uk; Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University; Fischer, Thomas B, E-mail: fischer@liverpool.ac.uk

The effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) systems is contingent on a number of control mechanisms: procedural; judicial; evaluative; public and government agency; professional; and development aid agency. If we assume that procedural and judicial controls are guaranteed in developed EIA systems, then progressing effectiveness towards an acceptable level depends on improving the performance of other control mechanisms over time. These other control mechanisms are either absent, or are typically centrally controlled, requiring public finances; this we argue is an unpopular model in times of greater Government austerity. Here we evaluate a market-based mechanism for improving the performance of evaluativemore » and professional control mechanisms, the UK Institute of Environmental Management and Assessments' EIA Quality Mark. We do this by defining dimensions of effectiveness for the purposes of our evaluation, and by identifying international examples of the approaches taken to delivering the other control measures to validate the approach taken in the EIA Quality Mark. We then evaluate the EIA Quality Mark, when used in combination with legal procedures and an active judiciary, against the effectiveness dimensions and use time-series analysis of registrant data to examine its ability to progress practice. We conclude that the EIA Quality Mark has merit as a model for a market-based mechanism, and may prove a more financially palatable approach for delivering effective EIA in mature systems in countries that lack centralised agency oversight. It may, therefore, be of particular interest to some Member States of the European Union for ensuring forthcoming certification requirements stemming from recent amendments to the EIA Directive. - Highlights: • Quality control mechanisms in EIA are identified. • Effectiveness of EIA is conceptualised for evaluation purposes. • The UK IEMA EIA Quality Mark is introduced as a market-based mechanism. • The EIA Quality Mark is found to progress quality in many, but not all, areas.« less

Langley Wind Tunnel Data Quality Assurance-Check Standard Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hemsch, Michael J.; Grubb, John P.; Krieger, William B.; Cler, Daniel L.

2000-01-01

A framework for statistical evaluation, control and improvement of wind funnel measurement processes is presented The methodology is adapted from elements of the Measurement Assurance Plans developed by the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) for standards and calibration laboratories. The present methodology is based on the notions of statistical quality control (SQC) together with check standard testing and a small number of customer repeat-run sets. The results of check standard and customer repeat-run -sets are analyzed using the statistical control chart-methods of Walter A. Shewhart long familiar to the SQC community. Control chart results are presented for. various measurement processes in five facilities at Langley Research Center. The processes include test section calibration, force and moment measurements with a balance, and instrument calibration.

Quality of life assessment in ocular toxoplasmosis in a Colombian population.

PubMed

de-la-Torre, Alejandra; González-López, Gilberto; Montoya-Gutiérrez, Johanna Milena; Marín-Arango, Viviana; Gómez-Marín, Jorge Enrique

2011-08-01

To assess the quality of life in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis. The participants were 29 otherwise healthy patients with retinochoroidal lesions consistent with Toxoplasma infection. The controls were 29 gender and age-matched people with normal visual function who came from the same socioeconomic and educational background as the participants. The authors used the version of the National Eye Institute 25-item visual function questionnaire (NEI VFQ25). Patients with ocular toxoplasmosis had statistically significant lower scores than controls for all the subscales, except for color vision. Patients with bilateral lesions were more affected in the mental health, difficulties role, and specific vision subscales. The median of the compound score for the participants was 79 (range 35-99) and for the controls was 95 (range 72-98). People with ocular toxoplasmosis have worse vision-related quality of life than people without the condition, especially if they have bilateral lesions and more recurrences.

Can We Really Trust Anyone Who Profits from Ranking Higher Education Institutions, or How Would One Evaluate Institutional Quality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micceri, Ted

2005-01-01

Although numerous quality ratings exist in today's media-centric environment (Money Magazine, and U.S. News and World Report, etc.), it is quite difficult to provide any reasonably meaningful estimates of institutional quality, either qualitative or quantitative. Global ratings of university "quality" abound, despite the fact that there…

Community infection control: what is the evidence?

PubMed

Ward, Deborah

2002-06-01

Evidence-based practice is the conscientious use of current best evidence in decision-making about care or the delivery of health services (National Institute for Public Health, 1996). Evidence-based health care is one aspect of the quality improvement activities of clinical governance as a main component of the programme of quality in the NHS (Hek, 2000). Practitioners working in clinical areas are therefore being required to deliver care that has been shown to be effective. (Playle, 2000).

Forming social capital--does participatory planning foster trust in institutions?

PubMed

Menzel, Susanne; Buchecker, Matthias; Schulz, Tobias

2013-12-15

Participatory planning that includes interest groups and municipal representatives has been presented as a means to deal with the increasing difficulty to reach arrangements due to progressively scarce land resources. Under dispute is whether collaborative forms of planning augment social capital or whether they might actually cause the destruction of such a valuable social commodity. In this paper we focus on trust in institution as a specific dimension of social capital because we argue that this is one of the effects the convenors of such participatory planning procedures are most interested in. We pursue a pre-post design and survey advisory group members of five on-going river-related planning processes in Switzerland. Controlling for generalised trust, we investigate how trust in institutions is affected over time by the quality of such processes and the degree of participation they offer. We find that generalised trust is highly correlated with initial levels of trust and so is process quality. Particularly the latter finding challenges the usually assumed direction of causality according to which process quality influences trust building. Additionally, we find a positive (non-significant) effect of process quality on changes in trust, while a higher degree of participation rather seems to hinder trust building. We suppose this indicates that under the conditions of limited time and resources more attention should be paid to how to improve the quality of participatory processes than putting much effort in increasing the degree of participation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Published methodological quality of randomized controlled trials does not reflect the actual quality assessed in protocols.

PubMed

Mhaskar, Rahul; Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Magazin, Anja; Soares, Heloisa P; Kumar, Ambuj

2012-06-01

To assess whether the reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reflects the actual methodological quality and to evaluate the association of effect size (ES) and sample size with methodological quality. Systematic review. This is a retrospective analysis of all consecutive phase III RCTs published by eight National Cancer Institute Cooperative Groups up to 2006. Data were extracted from protocols (actual quality) and publications (reported quality) for each study. Four hundred twenty-nine RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Overall reporting of methodological quality was poor and did not reflect the actual high methodological quality of RCTs. The results showed no association between sample size and actual methodological quality of a trial. Poor reporting of allocation concealment and blinding exaggerated the ES by 6% (ratio of hazard ratio [RHR]: 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88, 0.99) and 24% (RHR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.43), respectively. However, actual quality assessment showed no association between ES and methodological quality. The largest study to date shows that poor quality of reporting does not reflect the actual high methodological quality. Assessment of the impact of quality on the ES based on reported quality can produce misleading results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

National Survey on Internal Quality Control for HbA(1c) Analytical Instruments in 331 Hospital Laboratories of China.

PubMed

Zeng, Rong; Wang, Wei; Zhao, Haijian; Fei, Yang; Wang, Zhiguo

2015-01-01

The narrow gap of HbA1 value of mass fraction between "normal" (< 6.0%) and "diabetes" (≥ 6.5%) necessitates tight control of inter-assay standardization, assay precision, and trueness. This survey was initiated to obtain knowledge of the current situation of internal quality control (IQC) practice for HbA(1c) in China and find out the most appropriate quality specifications. Data of IQC for HbA(1c) in 331 institutions participating in the national proficiency testing (PT) programs in China were evaluated using four levels of quality specifications, and the percentages of laboratories meeting the quality requirement were calculated to find out the most appropriate quality specifications for control materials of HbA(1c) in China. The IQC data varied vastly among 331 clinical laboratories in China. The measurement of control materials covered a wide range from 4.52% to 12.24% (inter-quartile range) and there were significant differences among the CVs of different methods, including LPLC, CE-HPLC, AC-HPLC, immunoturbidimetry, and others. Among the four main methods, CE-HPLC and AC-HPLC achieved a better precision. As we can see, the performance of laboratories for HbA(1c) has yet to be improved. Clinical laboratories in China should improve their performance with a stricter imprecision criteria.

[Potentials of cooperative quality management initiatives: BQS Institute projects, January 2010 - July 2013].

PubMed

Veit, Christof; Bungard, Sven; Hertle, Dagmar; Grothaus, Franz-Josef; Kötting, Joachim; Arnold, Nicolai

2013-01-01

Alongside the projects of internal quality management and mandatory quality assurance there is a variety of quality driven projects across institutions initiated and run by various partners to continuously improve the quality of care. The multiplicity and characteristics of these projects are discussed on the basis of projects run by the BQS Institute between 2010 and 2013. In addition, useful interactions and linking with mandatory quality benchmarking and with internal quality management are discussed. (As supplied by publisher). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Using a mentoring approach to implement an inpatient glycemic control program in United States hospitals.

PubMed

Rushakoff, Robert J; Sullivan, Mary M; Seley, Jane Jeffrie; Sadhu, Archana; O'Malley, Cheryl W; Manchester, Carol; Peterson, Eric; Rogers, Kendall M

2014-09-01

establishing an inpatient glycemic control program is challenging, requires years of work, significant education and coordination of medical, nursing, dietary, and pharmacy staff, and support from administration and Performance Improvement departments. We undertook a 2 year quality improvement project assisting 10 medical centers (academic and community) across the US to implement inpatient glycemic control programs. the project was comprised of 3 interventions. (1) One day site visit with a faculty team (MD and CDE) to meet with key personnel, identify deficiencies and barriers to change, set site specific goals and develop strategies and timelines for performance improvement. (2) Three webinar follow-up sessions. (3) Web site for educational resources. Updates, challenges, and accomplishments for each site were reviewed at the time of each webinar and progress measured at the completion of the project with an evaluation questionnaire. as a result of our intervention, institutions revised and simplified formularies and insulin order sets (with CHO counting options); implemented glucometrics and CDE monitoring of inpatient glucoses (assisting providers with orders); added new protocols for DKA and perinatal treatment; and implemented nursing, physician and patient education initiatives. Changes were institution specific, fitting the local needs and cultures. As to the extent to which Institution׳s goals were satisfied: 2 reported "completely", 4 "mostly," 3 "partially," and 1 "marginally". Institutions continue to move toward fulfilling their goals. an individualized, structured, performance improvement approach with expert faculty mentors can help facilitate change in an institution dedicated to implementing an inpatient glycemic control program. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differences in the use of outsourcing in public and private institutions providing medical services.

PubMed

Czerw, Aleksandra I; Kowalska, Mariola; Religioni, Urszula

2014-06-29

The costs of health care in Poland are continuously increasing. Thus, almost every institution providing medical services aims at their limitation. One of the costs rationalisation methods in the health care sector is outsourcing. The study was conducted in 153 randomly selected institutions providing medical activities. The tool was a questionnaire, available via a web browser. Over 30% of public institutions identified the need for financial savings, as the main reason for outsourcing the cleaning function. Among private institutions, the dominant reason for this is too high maintenance cost of the cleaning staff (less than 40% of responses). The huge number of medical institutions use the services of an external company for laundering. Over 30% of public institutions identified as the most common reason for separation of functions laundering lack of resources to upgrade and modernize facilities. Less than 27% of public institutions indicate too high costs of kitchen staff as the main reason for ordering function of feeding. Another reason is the need for financial savings (22% response rate). Some institutions indicate a desire to focus on key areas (20% of responses) and lack of financial resources to upgrade and modernize the kitchen (20% response rate). Public and private institutions exercise control over the quality and method performed by an external service (71% of public institutions and 59% of private institutions). Private institutions often informally exercise external control (difference confirmed - Fisher's exact test). Less than 90% of public institutions indicated satisfaction with the services provided by external companies. The adaptation of outsourcing in medical facilities leads to financial efficiency improvement. Through the separation of some medical functions and entrusting their realisation to external companies, medical institutions can focus on their basic activity that is the provision of health services.

Strategies to Improve Marketing and Promotion of Foods and Beverages at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014

2014-01-01

Food and beverage marketing often appears throughout schools in the form of posters, vending machine fronts, in-school television advertisements, school newspapers, textbook covers, sports equipment, and scoreboards. Many foods marketed in schools are of poor nutritional quality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute of…

Management Information Systems for Higher Education. Studies in Institutional Management in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, K. M., Ed.

Contents include an introduction to information systems (basic concepts and life-cycle); development of an information system (design, implementation, testing, and conversion); operation (evaluation and maintenance, quality control, and economics); and case studies of such systems at the New University of Lisbon, Bath University, Laval University…

Enabling Process Improvement and Control in Higher Education Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Gary; Warwick, Jon; Kennedy, Mike

2009-01-01

The emergence of "managerialism" in the governance and direction of UK higher education (HE) institutions has been led by government demands for greater accountability in the quality and cost of universities. There is emerging anecdotal evidence indicating that the estimation performance of HE spreadsheets and regression models are poor.…

78 FR 25484 - Public Access to Federally Supported Research and Development Data and Publications: Two Planning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Public Access to Federally Supported Research and Development Data and... for Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control... Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National...

TQM Can Address Higher Ed's Ills. Westinghouse Executive Offers Advice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melissaratos, Aris; Arendt, Carl

1992-01-01

Each of the Total Quality Management principles used in industry can be appropriately and usefully applied in a college or university, with some change in vocabulary and emphases. Institutions will find the method helpful in competition for students, controlling costs, and answering demands for accountability. (MSE)

Ontology Based Quality Evaluation for Spatial Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yılmaz, C.; Cömert, Ç.

2015-08-01

Many institutions will be providing data to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Current technical background of the NSDI is based on syntactic web services. It is expected that this will be replaced by semantic web services. The quality of the data provided is important in terms of the decision-making process and the accuracy of transactions. Therefore, the data quality needs to be tested. This topic has been neglected in Turkey. Data quality control for NSDI may be done by private or public "data accreditation" institutions. A methodology is required for data quality evaluation. There are studies for data quality including ISO standards, academic studies and software to evaluate spatial data quality. ISO 19157 standard defines the data quality elements. Proprietary software such as, 1Spatial's 1Validate and ESRI's Data Reviewer offers quality evaluation based on their own classification of rules. Commonly, rule based approaches are used for geospatial data quality check. In this study, we look for the technical components to devise and implement a rule based approach with ontologies using free and open source software in semantic web context. Semantic web uses ontologies to deliver well-defined web resources and make them accessible to end-users and processes. We have created an ontology conforming to the geospatial data and defined some sample rules to show how to test data with respect to data quality elements including; attribute, topo-semantic and geometrical consistency using free and open source software. To test data against rules, sample GeoSPARQL queries are created, associated with specifications.

76 FR 67429 - National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Meeting AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Office of... submissions comply with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, or be submitted in an...

76 FR 51014 - National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Office of Postsecondary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Office of Postsecondary Education; Meeting AGENCY: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of December 14-16...

Lessons from industry: one school's transformation toward "lean" curricular governance.

PubMed

Stratton, Terry D; Rudy, David W; Sauer, Marlene J; Perman, Jay A; Jennings, C Darrell

2007-04-01

As medical education grapples with organizational calls for centralized curricular oversight, programs may be compelled to respond by establishing highly vertical, stacked governance structures. Although these models offer discrete advantages over the horizontal, compartmentalized structures they are designed to replace, they pose new challenges to ensuring curricular quality and the educational innovations that drive the curricula. The authors describe a hybrid quality-assurance (QA) governance structure introduced in 2003 at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine (UKCOM) that ensures centralized curricular oversight of the educational product while allowing individualized creative control over the educational process. Based on a Lean production model, this approach draws on industry experiences that strategically separate institutional accountability (management) for a quality curriculum from the decision-making processes required to ensure it (production). In so doing, the authors acknowledge general similarities and key differences between overseeing the manufacture of a complex product versus the education of a physician-emphasizing the structured, sequential, and measurable nature of each process. Further, the authors briefly trace the emergence of quality approaches in manufacturing and discuss the philosophical changes that accompany transition to an institutional governance system that relies on vigorous, robust performance measures to offer continuous feedback on curricular quality.

The psychology of drinking water quality: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syme, Geoffrey J.; Williams, Katrina D.

1993-12-01

Perceptions of drinking water quality were measured for residents at four locations in Western Australia. The total dissolved solid levels for the locations varied. Four scales of drinking water satisfaction were measured: acceptability of water quality; water quality risk judgment; perception of neighborhood water quality; and attitudes toward fluoride as an additive. Responses to each of these scales did not appear to be highly related to total dissolved solids. The relationship between attitudes toward water quality and a variety of psychological, attitudinal, experiential, and demographic variables was investigated. It was found that responses to the acceptability of water quality and water quality risk judgment scales related to perceived credibility of societal institutions and feelings of control over water quality and environmental problems. For the remaining two scales few significant correlations were found. The results support those who advocate localized information and involvement campaigns on drinking water quality issues.

German MedicalTeachingNetwork (MDN) implementing national standards for teacher training.

PubMed

Lammerding-Koeppel, M; Ebert, T; Goerlitz, A; Karsten, G; Nounla, C; Schmidt, S; Stosch, C; Dieter, P

2016-01-01

An increasing demand for proof of professionalism in higher education strives for quality assurance (QA) and improvement in medical education. A wide range of teacher trainings is available to medical staff in Germany. Cross-institutional approval of individual certificates is usually a difficult and time consuming task for institutions. In case of non-acceptance it may hinder medical teachers in their professional mobility. The faculties of medicine aimed to develop a comprehensive national framework, to promote standards for formal faculty development programmes across institutions and to foster professionalization of medical teaching. Addressing the above challenges in a joint approach, the faculties set up the national MedicalTeacherNetwork (MDN). Great importance is attributed to work out nationally concerted standards for faculty development and an agreed-upon quality control process across Germany. Medical teachers benefit from these advantages due to portability of faculty development credentials from one faculty of medicine to another within the MDN system. The report outlines the process of setting up the MDN and the national faculty development programme in Germany. Success factors, strengths and limitations are discussed from an institutional, individual and general perspective. Faculties engaged in similar developments might be encouraged to transfer the MDN concept to their countries.

The Armstrong Institute: An Academic Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, Research, Training, and Practice.

PubMed

Pronovost, Peter J; Holzmueller, Christine G; Molello, Nancy E; Paine, Lori; Winner, Laura; Marsteller, Jill A; Berenholtz, Sean M; Aboumatar, Hanan J; Demski, Renee; Armstrong, C Michael

2015-10-01

Academic medical centers (AMCs) could advance the science of health care delivery, improve patient safety and quality improvement, and enhance value, but many centers have fragmented efforts with little accountability. Johns Hopkins Medicine, the AMC under which the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Health System are organized, experienced similar challenges, with operational patient safety and quality leadership separate from safety and quality-related research efforts. To unite efforts and establish accountability, the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality was created in 2011.The authors describe the development, purpose, governance, function, and challenges of the institute to help other AMCs replicate it and accelerate safety and quality improvement. The purpose is to partner with patients, their loved ones, and all interested parties to end preventable harm, continuously improve patient outcomes and experience, and eliminate waste in health care. A governance structure was created, with care mapped into seven categories, to oversee the quality and safety of all patients treated at a Johns Hopkins Medicine entity. The governance has a Patient Safety and Quality Board Committee that sets strategic goals, and the institute communicates these goals throughout the health system and supports personnel in meeting these goals. The institute is organized into 13 functional councils reflecting their behaviors and purpose. The institute works daily to build the capacity of clinicians trained in safety and quality through established programs, advance improvement science, and implement and evaluate interventions to improve the quality of care and safety of patients.

Institutions and poverty.

PubMed

Tebaldi, Edinaldo; Mohan, Ramesh

2010-01-01

This study utilises eight alternative measures of institutions and the instrumental variable method to examine the impacts of institutions on poverty. The estimates show that an economy with a robust system to control corruption, an effective government, and a stable political system will create the conditions to promote economic growth, minimise income distribution conflicts, and reduce poverty. Corruption, ineffective governments, and political instability will not only hurt income levels through market inefficiencies, but also escalate poverty incidence via increased income inequality. The results also imply that the quality of the regulatory system, rule of law, voice and accountability, and expropriation risk are inversely related to poverty but their effect on poverty is via average income rather than income distribution.

Compliance with AAPM Practice Guideline 1.a: CT Protocol Management and Review — from the perspective of a university hospital

PubMed Central

Bour, Robert K.; Pozniak, Myron; Ranallo, Frank N.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe our experience with the AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline 1.a: “CT Protocol Management and Review Practice Guideline”. Specifically, we will share how our institution's quality management system addresses the suggestions within the AAPM practice report. We feel this paper is needed as it was beyond the scope of the AAPM practice guideline to provide specific details on fulfilling individual guidelines. Our hope is that other institutions will be able to emulate some of our practices and that this article would encourage other types of centers (e.g., community hospitals) to share their methodology for approaching CT protocol optimization and quality control. Our institution had a functioning CT protocol optimization process, albeit informal, since we began using CT. Recently, we made our protocol development and validation process compliant with a number of the ISO 9001:2008 clauses and this required us to formalize the roles of the members of our CT protocol optimization team. We rely heavily on PACS‐based IT solutions for acquiring radiologist feedback on the performance of our CT protocols and the performance of our CT scanners in terms of dose (scanner output) and the function of the automatic tube current modulation. Specific details on our quality management system covering both quality control and ongoing optimization have been provided. The roles of each CT protocol team member have been defined, and the critical role that IT solutions provides for the management of files and the monitoring of CT protocols has been reviewed. In addition, the invaluable role management provides by being a champion for the project has been explained; lack of a project champion will mitigate the efforts of a CT protocol optimization team. Meeting the guidelines set forth in the AAPM practice guideline was not inherently difficult, but did, in our case, require the cooperation of radiologists, technologists, physicists, IT, administrative staff, and hospital management. Some of the IT solutions presented in this paper are novel and currently unique to our institution. PACS number: 87.57.Q PMID:26103176

Federal Research Funding for Family Medicine: Highly Concentrated, with Decreasing New Investigator Awards.

PubMed

Cameron, Brianna J; Bazemore, Andrew W; Morley, Christopher P

2016-01-01

A small proportion of National Institutes of Health and other federal research funding is received by university departments of family medicine, the largest primary care specialty. That limited funding is also concentrated, with roughly a quarter of all National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality funding awarded to 3 departments, almost half of that funding coming from 3 agencies, and a recent trend away from funding for new investigators. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Establishing an academic biobank in a resource-challenged environment.

PubMed

Soo, Cassandra Claire; Mukomana, Freedom; Hazelhurst, Scott; Ramsay, Michele

2017-05-24

Past practices of informal sample collections and spreadsheets for data and sample management fall short of best-practice models for biobanking, and are neither cost effective nor efficient to adequately serve the needs of large research studies. The biobank of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience serves as a bioresource for institutional, national and international research collaborations. It provides high-quality human biospecimens from African populations, secure data and sample curation and storage, as well as monitored sample handling and management processes, to promote both non-communicable and infectious-disease research. Best-practice guidelines have been adapted to align with a low-resource setting and have been instrumental in the development of a quality-management system, including standard operating procedures and a quality-control regimen. Here, we provide a summary of 10 important considerations for initiating and establishing an academic research biobank in a low-resource setting. These include addressing ethical, legal, technical, accreditation and/or certification concerns and financial sustainability.

Establishing an academic biobank in a resource-challenged environment

PubMed Central

Soo, C C; Mukomana, F; Hazelhurst, S; Ramsay, M

2018-01-01

Past practices of informal sample collections and spreadsheets for data and sample management fall short of best-practice models for biobanking, and are neither cost effective nor efficient to adequately serve the needs of large research studies. The biobank of the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience serves as a bioresource for institutional, national and international research collaborations. It provides high-quality human biospecimens from African populations, secure data and sample curation and storage, as well as monitored sample handling and management processes, to promote both non-communicable and infectious-disease research. Best-practice guidelines have been adapted to align with a low-resource setting and have been instrumental in the development of a quality-management system, including standard operating procedures and a quality-control regimen. Here, we provide a summary of 10 important considerations for initiating and establishing an academic research biobank in a low-resource setting. These include addressing ethical, legal, technical, accreditation and/or certification concerns and financial sustainability. PMID:28604319

Health care providers' assessments of the quality of advanced-cancer care in Latin American medical institutions: a comparison of predictors in five countries: Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.

PubMed

Torres-Vigil, Isabel; Aday, Lu Ann; Reyes-Gibby, Cielito; De Lima, Liliana; Herrera, Angelica P; Mendoza, Tito; Cleeland, Charles S

2008-01-01

This paper describes an innovative Pan-American survey on advanced-cancer care and examines the quality-of-care provided by Latin American institutions. A convenience sample of 777 physicians and nurses who treat cancer patients in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru were surveyed. Providers were identified through mass mailings, distribution at professional meetings and conferences, collaboration with regional institutions, professional organizations, and PAHO and online posting. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of quality-of-care assessments in each country. The five predictive models were subsequently compared descriptively. Higher access to care ratings and greater availability of end-of-life services corresponded with improved institutional quality-of-care ratings for all five countries. Barring respondents from Cuba, providers from the other four nations who practice in public institutions rated the quality of advanced-cancer care in their own institutions lower than those practicing in private hospitals or specialized cancer centers. Other institutional quality-of-care predictors included type of city, affordability-of-care ratings, availability of opioid analgesics, where patients die, barriers to cancer pain management, and the provider's specialty and gender. These findings highlight the need for providing accessible care and services to improve the quality of advanced-cancer care in Latin American institutions. Efforts should be aimed at improving the care offered in public institutions and addressing other types of disparities that may exist within countries by creating supportive and palliative cancer care programs that are accessible and affordable to those most in need.

The Effect of Institutional Leadership on Quality of Higher Education Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garwe, Evelyn Chiyevo

2014-01-01

The study was carried out with the aim of examining the effect of institutional leadership on the quality of educational provision in higher education institutions in Zimbabwe. The study analysed the indicators determining provision of quality higher education in state and private universities and how they are influenced by institutional…

Quality Assurance and Its Impact from Higher Education Institutions' Perspectives: Methodological Approaches, Experiences and Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bejan, Stelian Andrei; Janatuinen, Tero; Jurvelin, Jouni; Klöpping, Susanne; Malinen, Heikki; Minke, Bernhard; Vacareanu, Radu

2015-01-01

This paper reports on methodological approaches, experiences and expectations referring to impact analysis of quality assurance from the perspective of three higher education institutions (students, teaching staff, quality managers) from Germany, Finland and Romania. The presentations of the three sample institutions focus on discussing the core…

Ocean Wireless Networking and Real Time Data Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, J.; Orcutt, J. A.; Vernon, F. L.; Braun, H. W.; Rajasekar, A.

2001-12-01

Recent advances in technology have enabled the exploitation of satellite communications for high-speed (> 64 kbps) duplex communications with oceanographic ships at sea. Furthermore, decreasing costs for high-speed communications have made possible continuous connectivity to the global Internet for delivery of data ashore and communications with scientists and engineers on the ship. Through support from the Office of Naval Research, we have planned a series of tests using the R/V Revelle for real time data delivery of large quantities of underway data (e.g. continuous multibeam profiling) to shore for quality control, archiving, and real-time data availability. The Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) were funded by the NSF Information Technology Research (ITR) Program, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology [Cal-(IT)2] and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for research entitled: "Exploring the Environment in Time: Wireless Networks & Real-Time Management." We will describe the technology to be used for the real-time seagoing experiment and the planned expansion of the project through support from the ITR grant. The short-term goal is to exercise the communications system aboard ship in various weather conditions and sea states while testing and developing the real-time data quality control and archiving methodology. The long-term goal is to enable continuous observations in the ocean, specifically supporting the goals of the DEOS (Dynamics of Earth and Ocean Systems) observatory program supported through a NSF Major Research Equipment (MRE) program - a permanent presence in the oceans. The impact on scientific work aboard ships, however, is likely to be fundamental. It will be possible to go to sea in the future with limited engineering capability for scientific operations by allowing shore-based quality control of data collected and videoconferencing for problem resolution. Costs for shipboard measurements will be reduced significantly while, at the same time, the quality of data collected will increase and ex-post-facto data archiving will no longer be necessary.

Accreditation and Institutional Research: The Traditional Role and New Dimensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brittingham, Barbara; O'Brien, Patricia M.; Alig, Julie L.

2008-01-01

American regional accreditation serves two basic functions: quality assurance and quality improvement. Through its public function of quality assurance, accreditation signals to prospective students, parents, employers, and others that the institution meets fundamental standards of quality. Through its private function of quality improvement,…

Relationship between climatic factors and air quality with tuberculosis in the Federal District, Brazil, 2003-2012.

PubMed

Fernandes, Fernanda Monteiro de Castro; Martins, Eder de Souza; Pedrosa, Daniella Melo Arnaud Sampaio; Evangelista, Maria do Socorro Nantua

Despite the high rate of tuberculosis indicators in Brazil, the Federal District shows a low prevalence of the disease. To analyze the relationship between climatic factors and air quality with tuberculosis in the Brazilian Federal District. This was an ecological and descriptive study comparing 3927 new cases of Tuberculosis registered at the Federal District Tuberculosis Control Program with data from the National Institute of Meteorology, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Brazilian Agricultural Research Institute, Brasilia Environmental Institute, and the Federal District Planning Company. From 2003 to 2012, there has been a higher incidence of Tuberculosis (27.0%) in male patients in the winter (27.2%). Patients under 15 years of age (28.6%) and older than 64 years (27.1%) were more affected in the fall. For youth and adults (15-64 years), the highest number of cases was reported during winter (44.3%). The disease was prevalent with ultraviolet radiation over 17MJ/m 2 (67.8%; p=<0.001); relative humidity between 31.0% and 69.0% (95.8% of cases; p=<0.00); 12h of daily sunlight or more (40.6%; p=0.001); and temperatures between 20°C and 23°C (72.4%; p=<0.001). In the city of Taguatinga and surrounding area, pollution levels dropped to 15.2% between 2003 and 2012. Smoke levels decreased to 31.9%. In the Sobradinho region, particulate matter dropped to 13.1% and smoke to 19.3%, coinciding with the reduction of Tuberculosis incidence rates during the same period. The results should guide surveillance actions for Tuberculosis control and elimination and indicate the need to expand observation time to new climate indicators and air quality. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Principles of Water Quality Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tebbutt, T. H. Y.

This book is designed as a text for undergraduate civil engineering courses and as preliminary reading for postgraduate courses in public health engineering and water resources technology. It is also intended to be of value to workers already in the field and to students preparing for the examinations of the Institute of Water Pollution Control…

77 FR 38843 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: Post-Award Reporting Requirements Including New...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB..., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) grantees... investigators. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 112,986...

24 CFR 902.64 - PHAS scoring and audit reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... necessary as a result of the independent public accountant (IPA) audit. (2) Each PHA (or RMC) shall post a... review. HUD may undertake a quality control review of the audit work papers or as part of the Department... Attestation Engagements issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or Generally Accepted...

24 CFR 902.64 - PHAS scoring and audit reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... necessary as a result of the independent public accountant (IPA) audit. (2) Each PHA (or RMC) shall post a... review. HUD may undertake a quality control review of the audit work papers or as part of the Department... Attestation Engagements issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or Generally Accepted...

24 CFR 902.64 - PHAS scoring and audit reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... necessary as a result of the independent public accountant (IPA) audit. (2) Each PHA (or RMC) shall post a... review. HUD may undertake a quality control review of the audit work papers or as part of the Department... Attestation Engagements issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or Generally Accepted...

24 CFR 902.64 - PHAS scoring and audit reviews.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... necessary as a result of the independent public accountant (IPA) audit. (2) Each PHA (or RMC) shall post a... review. HUD may undertake a quality control review of the audit work papers or as part of the Department... Attestation Engagements issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants or Generally Accepted...

78 FR 22840 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Delaware; State Board Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

... (SIP) revision submitted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control... as a direct final rule without prior proposal because EPA views this as a noncontroversial submittal... received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. EPA will not institute a...

Identifying the Sources Contributing to PM Exceedances in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Using Passive Aerosol Sampling Coupled with Computer-Controlled Microscopy

EPA Science Inventory

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted a multi-pollutant source apportionment study in 2012 to quantify the impact of regional as well as local sources on air quality in the Ostrava metropolitan area...

77 FR 48506 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Institute of Education Sciences; What Works Clearinghouse

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

...-related interventions. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 13... system of high-quality reviews of studies of the effectiveness of education-related interventions. In... studies, interventions, and toics to review, as well as evaluator and randomized controlled trials...

CDRH RF phantom for hyperthermia systems evaluations.

PubMed

Allen, S; Kantor, G; Bassen, H; Ruggera, P

1988-01-01

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored clinical evaluations of investigational 'regional' hyperthermia systems at four clinical institutions. To support this project, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) developed a series of test instruments to evaluate the magnitude and repeatability of the induced heating by radiofrequency (RF) systems. Data from three institutions using the same model hyperthermia system have been analyzed. After heating, the average temperature from measurements taken at several points in the test phantom at each institution agree within +/- 0.002 degrees C. These differences are about equal to the measurement uncertainty. Thus, this technique can be used for preclinical evaluation and quality control of the total system operation. After one of the institutions relocated its hyperthermia system, a subsequent set of data showed inconsistencies compared to their earlier data. Investigation traced this to cable loss and power meter interference. From the analysis of the data from the three institutions, the utility of the CDRH RF phantom for hyperthermia systems evaluation is demonstrated.

Ethics Issues Arising in the Transition to Learning Health Care Systems: Results from Interviews with Leaders from 25 Health Systems.

PubMed

Morain, Stephanie R; Kass, Nancy E

2016-01-01

There is increased interest in transitioning to a "learning health care system" (LHCS). While this transition brings the potential for significant benefits, it also presents several ethical considerations. Identifying the ethical issues faced by institutions in this transition is critical for realizing the goals of learning health care so that these issues can be anticipated and, where possible, resolved. 29 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with leaders within 25 health care institutions. Respondents were recruiting using purposive sampling, targeting institutions considered as LHCS leaders. All interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. NVIVO10 software was used to support qualitative analysis. Respondents described seven ethical challenges: (1) ethical oversight of learning activities; (2) transparency of learning activities to patients; (3) potential tensions between improving quality and reducing costs; (4) data sharing and data management; (5) lag time between discovery and implementation; (6) transparency to patients about quality; and (7) randomization for quality improvement initiatives. To move towards LHCS, several ethical considerations require further attention, including: the continued appropriateness of the research-treatment distinction; policy frameworks for privacy and data sharing; informing patients about learning activities; obligations to share data on quality; and the potential for trade-offs between quality improvement and cost control. To our knowledge, this is the first project to ask leaders from health care systems committed to ongoing learning about the ethical issues they have faced in this effort. Their experiences can provide guidance on relevant ethical issues, and what might be done to resolve them.

Quality control concept and recent developments of the light climatic observatory at Arosa: Ozone measuring station of the Swiss Meteorological Institute (LKO)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoegger, Bruno; Viatte, Pierre; Levrat, Gilbert; Bader, Juerg; Ribordy, Pascale; Schill, Herbert; Staehelin, Johannes

1994-01-01

Total ozone observations of two Dobson instruments (D15 and D101, C- and AD wavelength pair observations) and of two Brewer instruments (Br40 and Br72) are currently performed at the LKO at Arosa. A quality control concept is presented in order to make best use of the large number of quasi-simultaneous measurements. The longest ozone series of the world is mainly based on the measurements of the Dobson instrument D15 (wavelength pair C). Since the last years D15 has suffered from instrumental problems. The transformation of the longterm series to the measurements of D101(AD) is described.

Quality Control Practices for Chemistry and Immunochemistry in a Cohort of 21 Large Academic Medical Centers.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Matthew W; Flood, James G; Melanson, Stacy E F; Baumann, Nikola A; Marzinke, Mark A; Rai, Alex J; Hayden, Joshua; Wu, Alan H B; Ladror, Megan; Lifshitz, Mark S; Scott, Mitchell G; Peck-Palmer, Octavia M; Bowen, Raffick; Babic, Nikolina; Sobhani, Kimia; Giacherio, Donald; Bocsi, Gregary T; Herman, Daniel S; Wang, Ping; Toffaletti, John; Handel, Elizabeth; Kelly, Kathleen A; Albeiroti, Sami; Wang, Sihe; Zimmer, Melissa; Driver, Brandon; Yi, Xin; Wilburn, Clayton; Lewandrowski, Kent B

2018-05-29

In the United States, minimum standards for quality control (QC) are specified in federal law under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment and its revisions. Beyond meeting this required standard, laboratories have flexibility to determine their overall QC program. We surveyed chemistry and immunochemistry QC procedures at 21 clinical laboratories within leading academic medical centers to assess if standardized QC practices exist for chemistry and immunochemistry testing. We observed significant variation and unexpected similarities in practice across laboratories, including QC frequency, cutoffs, number of levels analyzed, and other features. This variation in practice indicates an opportunity exists to establish an evidence-based approach to QC that can be generalized across institutions.

Study Quality in Higher Education Institution: Philosophy and Praxeology of Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juodaityte, Audrone

2004-01-01

This article defines total quality philosophy, its transformations and significance for study quality in higher education institution. It reveals the concepts, principles and problems of study quality management and provides overview of implementation of study quality management at today's European universities. The experience of two European…

Quality Systems and ISO 9000 in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundquist, Robert

1997-01-01

Examines quality assurance systems in higher education in general and of ISO 9000, a set of international quality standards, in particular. Reports on a survey of 23 institutions worldwide concerning implementation of quality systems and application of the ISO 9000 standards. Concludes that while institutions have found the quality assurance…

Turning Continuous Quality Improvement into Institutional Practice: The Tools and Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornesky, Robert A.

This manual is intended to assist managers of support units at institutions of higher education in the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). The purpose is to describe a cooperative model for CQI which will permit managers to evaluate the quality of their units and institution, and by using the described tools and techniques, to…

The Relationship between Quality of Pre-School Child Care Institutions and Teachers' Teaching Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Õun, Tiia; Tuul, Maire; Tera, Signe; Sagen, Kelli; Mägi, Helena

2018-01-01

Various factors of the quality of preschool child care institutions influence the development of children and their future success in school. The activities of preschool child care institutions in Estonia are based on the national curriculum. Several indicators of structural quality have been determined on the national level. The aim of the…

Adopting Self-Accreditation in Response to the Diversity of Higher Education: Quality Assurance in Taiwan and Its Impact on Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Karen Hui-Jung; Hou, Angela Yung-Chi

2016-01-01

In 2012, Taiwan implemented a dual-track quality assurance system comprising accreditation and self-accreditation in higher education institutions. Self-accrediting institutions can accredit their programs without requiring approval from external quality assurance agencies. In contrast to other countries, the Ministry of Education of Taiwan…

Selection of chemical markers for the quality control of medicinal plants of the genus Cecropia.

PubMed

Rivera-Mondragón, Andrés; Ortíz, Orlando O; Bijttebier, Sebastiaan; Vlietinck, Arnold; Apers, Sandra; Pieters, Luc; Caballero-George, Catherina

2017-12-01

Several Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) species are traditionally used in Latin America for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diabetes, arterial hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, anxiety, and inflammation. At present, a number of commercial products based on these plants have been introduced into the market with very little information on methods for guaranteeing their quality and safety. This work proposes potential chemical markers for the quality control of the raw materials of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol., Cecropia peltata L., Cecropia glaziovii Snethl., Cecropia pachystachya Trécul, and Cecropia hololeuca Miq. The Herbal Chemical Marker Ranking System (Herb MaRS) developed by the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at the University of Western Sydney was used for selecting chemical markers for the quality control of selected medicinal species of Cecropia. This review covers the period from 1982 to 2016. Chlorogenic acid, flavonoidal glycosides (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin), catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins (B2, B5, and C1), steroids (β-sitosterol), and triterpenoids (α-amyrin, pomolic, tormentic and ursolic acids) were selected as chemical markers for the quality control of the leaves. It is necessary to establish comprehensive standards for guaranteeing quality, safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. The selection of adequate chemical markers for quality control purposes requires a good knowledge about the chemical composition of medicinal plants and their associated biological properties. To the best of our knowledge this review article is the first to address the identification and quantitative determination of the chemical markers for the genus Cecropia.

Quality in Postgraduate Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuber-Skerritt, Ortrun, Ed.; Ryan, Yoni, Ed.

This collection of papers discusses issues of quality, institutional research culture, and processes which encourage, achieve, sustain, and assure high quality teaching and research in universities, primarily from a British and Australian perspective. Part 1 is titled "Issues of Quality and Institutional Research Culture" and contains…

ECG compression using non-recursive wavelet transform with quality control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Je-Hung; Hung, King-Chu; Wu, Tsung-Ching

2016-09-01

While wavelet-based electrocardiogram (ECG) data compression using scalar quantisation (SQ) yields excellent compression performance, a wavelet's SQ scheme, however, must select a set of multilevel quantisers for each quantisation process. As a result of the properties of multiple-to-one mapping, however, this scheme is not conducive for reconstruction error control. In order to address this problem, this paper presents a single-variable control SQ scheme able to guarantee the reconstruction quality of wavelet-based ECG data compression. Based on the reversible round-off non-recursive discrete periodised wavelet transform (RRO-NRDPWT), the SQ scheme is derived with a three-stage design process that first uses genetic algorithm (GA) for high compression ratio (CR), followed by a quadratic curve fitting for linear distortion control, and the third uses a fuzzy decision-making for minimising data dependency effect and selecting the optimal SQ. The two databases, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) arrhythmia, are used to evaluate quality control performance. Experimental results show that the design method guarantees a high compression performance SQ scheme with statistically linear distortion. This property can be independent of training data and can facilitate rapid error control.

Impact on quality of life in teachers after educational actions for prevention of voice disorders: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Pizolato, Raquel Aparecida; Rehder, Maria Inês Beltrati Cornacchioni; Meneghim, Marcelo de Castro; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Mialhe, Fábio Luiz; Pereira, Antonio Carlos

2013-02-27

Voice problems are more common in teachers due to intensive voice use during routine at work. There is evidence that occupational disphonia prevention programs are important in improving the quality voice and consequently the quality of subjects' lives. To investigate the impact of educational voice interventions for teachers on quality of life and voice. A longitudinal interventional study involving 70 teachers randomly selected from 11 public schools, 30 to receive educational intervention with vocal training exercises and vocal hygiene habits (experimental group) and 40 to receive guidance on vocal hygiene habits (control group control). Before the process of educational activities, the Voice-Related Quality of Life instrument (V-RQOL) was applied, and 3 months after conclusion of the activities, the subjects were interviewed again, using the same instrument. For data analysis, Prox MIXED were applied, with a level of significance α < 0.05. Teachers showed significantly higher domain and overall V-RQOL scores after preventive intervention, in both control and experimental groups. Nevertheless, there was no statistical difference in scores between the groups. Educational actions for vocal health had a positive impact on the quality of life of the participants, and the incorporation of permanent educational actions at institutional level is suggested.

Impact on quality of life in teachers after educational actions for prevention of voice disorders: a longitudinal study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Voice problems are more common in teachers due to intensive voice use during routine at work. There is evidence that occupational disphonia prevention programs are important in improving the quality voice and consequently the quality of subjects’ lives. Aim To investigate the impact of educational voice interventions for teachers on quality of life and voice. Methods A longitudinal interventional study involving 70 teachers randomly selected from 11 public schools, 30 to receive educational intervention with vocal training exercises and vocal hygiene habits (experimental group) and 40 to receive guidance on vocal hygiene habits (control group control). Before the process of educational activities, the Voice-Related Quality of Life instrument (V-RQOL) was applied, and 3 months after conclusion of the activities, the subjects were interviewed again, using the same instrument. For data analysis, Prox MIXED were applied, with a level of significance α < 0.05. Results: Teachers showed significantly higher domain and overall V-RQOL scores after preventive intervention, in both control and experimental groups. Nevertheless, there was no statistical difference in scores between the groups. Conclusion Educational actions for vocal health had a positive impact on the quality of life of the participants, and the incorporation of permanent educational actions at institutional level is suggested. PMID:23445566

Austrian Daily Climate Data Rescue and Quality Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkovic, A.; Lipa, W.; Adler, S.; Albenberger, J.; Lechner, W.; Swietli, R.; Vossberg, I.; Zehetner, S.

2010-09-01

Checked climate datasets are a "conditio sine qua non" for all projects that are relevant for environment and climate. In the framework of climate change studies and analysis it is essential to work with quality controlled and trustful data. Furthermore these datasets are used as input for various simulation models. In regard to investigations of extreme events, like strong precipitation periods, drought periods and similar ones we need climate data in high temporal resolution (at least in daily resolution). Because of the historical background - during Second World War the majority of our climate sheets were sent to Berlin, where the historical sheets were destroyed by a bomb attack and so important information got lost - only several climate sheets, mostly duplicates, before 1939 are available and stored in our climate data archive. In 1970 the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna started a first attempt to digitize climate data by means of punch cards. With the introduction of a routinely climate data quality control in 1984 we can speak of high-class-checked daily data (finally checked data, quality flag 6). Our group is working on the processing of digitization and quality control of the historical data for the period 1872 to 1983 for 18 years. Since 2007 it was possible to intensify the work (processes) in the framework of an internal project, namely Austrian Climate Data Rescue and Quality Control. The aim of this initiative was - and still is - to supply daily data in an outstanding good and uniform quality. So this project is a kind of pre-project for all scientific projects which are working with daily data. In addition to routine quality checks (that are running since 1984) using the commercial Bull Software we are testing our data with additional open source software, namely ProClim.db. By the use of this spatial and statistical test procedure, the elements air temperature and precipitation - for several sites in Carinthia - could already be checked, flagged and corrected. Checking the output (so called- error list) of ProClim is very time consuming and needs trained staff; however, in last instance it is necessary. Due to the guideline "Your archive is your business card for quality" the sub-project NEW ARCHIVE was initialized and started at the end of 2009. Our paper archive contains historical, up to 150 year-old, climate sheets that are valuable cultural assets. Unfortunately the storage of these historical and actual data treasures turned out to be more than suboptimal (insufficient protection against dust, dirt, humidity and light incidence). Because of this fact a concept for a new storage system and archive database was generated and already partly realized. In a nutshell this presentation shows on the one hand the importance of recovering historical climate sheets for climate change research - even if it is exhausting and time consuming - and gives on the other hand a general overview of used quality control procedures at our institute.

PRECISE:PRivacy-prEserving Cloud-assisted quality Improvement Service in hEalthcare

PubMed Central

Chen, Feng; Wang, Shuang; Mohammed, Noman; Cheng, Samuel; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2015-01-01

Quality improvement (QI) requires systematic and continuous efforts to enhance healthcare services. A healthcare provider might wish to compare local statistics with those from other institutions in order to identify problems and develop intervention to improve the quality of care. However, the sharing of institution information may be deterred by institutional privacy as publicizing such statistics could lead to embarrassment and even financial damage. In this article, we propose a PRivacy-prEserving Cloud-assisted quality Improvement Service in hEalthcare (PRECISE), which aims at enabling cross-institution comparison of healthcare statistics while protecting privacy. The proposed framework relies on a set of state-of-the-art cryptographic protocols including homomorphic encryption and Yao’s garbled circuit schemes. By securely pooling data from different institutions, PRECISE can rank the encrypted statistics to facilitate QI among participating institutes. We conducted experiments using MIMIC II database and demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed PRECISE framework. PMID:26146645

PRECISE:PRivacy-prEserving Cloud-assisted quality Improvement Service in hEalthcare.

PubMed

Chen, Feng; Wang, Shuang; Mohammed, Noman; Cheng, Samuel; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2014-10-01

Quality improvement (QI) requires systematic and continuous efforts to enhance healthcare services. A healthcare provider might wish to compare local statistics with those from other institutions in order to identify problems and develop intervention to improve the quality of care. However, the sharing of institution information may be deterred by institutional privacy as publicizing such statistics could lead to embarrassment and even financial damage. In this article, we propose a PRivacy-prEserving Cloud-assisted quality Improvement Service in hEalthcare (PRECISE), which aims at enabling cross-institution comparison of healthcare statistics while protecting privacy. The proposed framework relies on a set of state-of-the-art cryptographic protocols including homomorphic encryption and Yao's garbled circuit schemes. By securely pooling data from different institutions, PRECISE can rank the encrypted statistics to facilitate QI among participating institutes. We conducted experiments using MIMIC II database and demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed PRECISE framework.

JV Task 94 - Air Quality V: Mercury, Trace Elements, SO3, and Particulate Matter Conference

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas A. Erickson

2007-01-31

This final report summarizes the planning, preparation, facilitation and production, and summary of the conference entitled 'Air Quality V: Mercury, Trace Elements, SO{sub 3}, and Particulate Matter,' held September 18-21, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia. The goal of the conference was to build on the discussions of the first four Air Quality Conferences, providing further opportunity for leading representatives of industry, government, research institutions, academia, and environmental organizations to discuss the key interrelationships between policy and science shaping near-term regulations and controls and to assist in moving forward on emerging issues that will lead to acceptable programs and policies to protectmore » human health, the environment, and economic growth. The conference was extremely timely, as it was the last large conference prior to publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final regulations for mercury control from coal-fired utilities, and provided a forum to realistically assess the status of mercury controls in relation to the new regulations.« less

Fold-Back: Using Emerging Technologies to Move from Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Simon N.; Fitzgerald, Robert N.; Bacon, Matt

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies offer an opportunity for the development, at the institutional level, of quality processes with greater capacity to enhance learning in higher education than available through current quality processes. These systems offer the potential to extend use of learning analytics in institutional-level quality processes in addition…

Quality controls for gamma cameras and PET cameras: development of a free open-source ImageJ program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlier, Thomas; Ferrer, Ludovic; Berruchon, Jean B.; Cuissard, Regis; Martineau, Adeline; Loonis, Pierre; Couturier, Olivier

2005-04-01

Acquisition data and treatments for quality controls of gamma cameras and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cameras are commonly performed with dedicated program packages, which are running only on manufactured computers and differ from each other, depending on camera company and program versions. The aim of this work was to develop a free open-source program (written in JAVA language) to analyze data for quality control of gamma cameras and PET cameras. The program is based on the free application software ImageJ and can be easily loaded on any computer operating system (OS) and thus on any type of computer in every nuclear medicine department. Based on standard parameters of quality control, this program includes 1) for gamma camera: a rotation center control (extracted from the American Association of Physics in Medicine, AAPM, norms) and two uniformity controls (extracted from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, IPEM, and National Electronic Manufacturers Association, NEMA, norms). 2) For PET systems, three quality controls recently defined by the French Medical Physicist Society (SFPM), i.e. spatial resolution and uniformity in a reconstructed slice and scatter fraction, are included. The determination of spatial resolution (thanks to the Point Spread Function, PSF, acquisition) allows to compute the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) in both modalities of cameras. All the control functions are included in a tool box which is a free ImageJ plugin and could be soon downloaded from Internet. Besides, this program offers the possibility to save on HTML format the uniformity quality control results and a warning can be set to automatically inform users in case of abnormal results. The architecture of the program allows users to easily add any other specific quality control program. Finally, this toolkit is an easy and robust tool to perform quality control on gamma cameras and PET cameras based on standard computation parameters, is free, run on any type of computer and will soon be downloadable from the net (http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins or http://nucleartoolkit.free.fr).

Validation of a proposal for evaluating hospital infection control programs.

PubMed

Silva, Cristiane Pavanello Rodrigues; Lacerda, Rúbia Aparecida

2011-02-01

To validate the construct and discriminant properties of a hospital infection prevention and control program. The program consisted of four indicators: technical-operational structure; operational prevention and control guidelines; epidemiological surveillance system; and prevention and control activities. These indicators, with previously validated content, were applied to 50 healthcare institutions in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2009. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the hospitals and indicator scores, and Cronbach's α coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency. The discriminant validity was analyzed by comparing indicator scores between groups of hospitals: with versus without quality certification. The construct validity analysis was based on exploratory factor analysis with a tetrachoric correlation matrix. The indicators for the technical-operational structure and epidemiological surveillance presented almost 100% conformity in the whole sample. The indicators for the operational prevention and control guidelines and the prevention and control activities presented internal consistency ranging from 0.67 to 0.80. The discriminant validity of these indicators indicated higher and statistically significant mean conformity scores among the group of institutions with healthcare certification or accreditation processes. In the construct validation, two dimensions were identified for the operational prevention and control guidelines: recommendations for preventing hospital infection and recommendations for standardizing prophylaxis procedures, with good correlation between the analysis units that formed the guidelines. The same was found for the prevention and control activities: interfaces with treatment units and support units were identified. Validation of the measurement properties of the hospital infection prevention and control program indicators made it possible to develop a tool for evaluating these programs in an ethical and scientific manner in order to obtain a quality diagnosis in this field.

Interlaboratory Analytical Comparison of Fatty Acid Concentrations in Serum or Plasma

PubMed Central

Schantz, Michele M.; Powers, Carissa D.; Schleicher, Rosemary L.; Betz, Joseph M.; Wise, Stephen A.

2016-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conducting an accuracy-based program for improving the comparability of individual fatty acid measurements in serum and plasma. To date, two exercises of the Fatty Acid Quality Assurance Program (FAQAP) were conducted with 11 and 14 participants, respectively. The results from these two exercises indicate the need to improve the within-lab repeatability and between-lab reproducibility thus providing more confidence in the comparability of fatty acid measurements. PMID:27662814

Reframing Teaching Relationships: From Student-Centred to Subject-Centred Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobson, Julia; Morrison-Saunders, Angus

2013-01-01

At a time when the context of teaching in higher education is difficult for many number of factors such as: reduced funding, changing demographics of students and demands to teach in flexible times and spaces, there are also higher levels of quality control, transparency and accountability over teaching which are exerted by institutions. This…

U.S. Panel Warns Colleges to Cut Costs or Risk an "Erosion of Public Trust."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burd, Stephen

1998-01-01

The National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education has rejected calls for federal intervention to reduce college costs, but warned that if institutions do not control costs, the government will be forced to intervene, which could destroy academic quality. While colleges appreciate the panel's sensitivity to college autonomy, some observers…

The System of Checks and Balances in General Education Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kravtsov, Sergei

2015-01-01

The project of modernization of regional education systems is now in its second year, but by no means all schools in Russia currently meet modern requirements. The division between strong and weak schools is still preserved. Quality control is frequently regarded as a formality and the effectiveness of how a specific educational institution is run…

Costs of Preservation Microfilming at Research Libraries: A Study of Four Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kantor, Paul B.

The purpose of this study was to identify the central values and the range of variability for costs associated with selecting and preparing books for microfilm preservation, filming, and maintaining quality control and adequate records. The study was based on data supplied by the libraries at the University of Chicago and Columbia University, the…

Estimated Flying Qualities of the Martin Model 202 Airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weil, Joseph; Spear, Margaret

1947-01-01

The flying qualities of the Martin model 202 airplane have been estimated chiefly from the results of tests of an 0.0875-scale complete model with power made in the Wright Brothers tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and from partial span wing and isolated vertical tail tests made in the Georgia Tech Nine-Foot Tunnel. These estimated handling qualities have been compared with existing Army-Navy and CAA requirements for stability and control. The results of the analysis indicate that the Martin model 202 airplane will possess satisfactory handling qualities in all respects except possibly in the following: The amount of elevator control available for landing or maneuvering in the landing condition is either marginal or insufficient when using the adjustable stabilizer linked to the flaps . Moreover, indications are that the longitudinal trim changes will be neither large nor appreciably worse with a fixed stabilizer than with the contemplated arrangement utilizing the adjustable stabilizer in an attempt to reduce the magnitude of the trim changes caused by flap deflection.

Differences in the use of outsourcing in public and private institutions providing medical services

PubMed Central

Kowalska, Mariola; Religioni, Urszula

2014-01-01

Introduction The costs of health care in Poland are continuously increasing. Thus, almost every institution providing medical services aims at their limitation. One of the costs rationalisation methods in the health care sector is outsourcing. Material and methods The study was conducted in 153 randomly selected institutions providing medical activities. The tool was a questionnaire, available via a web browser. Results Over 30% of public institutions identified the need for financial savings, as the main reason for outsourcing the cleaning function. Among private institutions, the dominant reason for this is too high maintenance cost of the cleaning staff (less than 40% of responses). The huge number of medical institutions use the services of an external company for laundering. Over 30% of public institutions identified as the most common reason for separation of functions laundering lack of resources to upgrade and modernize facilities. Less than 27% of public institutions indicate too high costs of kitchen staff as the main reason for ordering function of feeding. Another reason is the need for financial savings (22% response rate). Some institutions indicate a desire to focus on key areas (20% of responses) and lack of financial resources to upgrade and modernize the kitchen (20% response rate). Public and private institutions exercise control over the quality and method performed by an external service (71% of public institutions and 59% of private institutions). Private institutions often informally exercise external control (difference confirmed – Fisher's exact test). Less than 90% of public institutions indicated satisfaction with the services provided by external companies. Conclusions The adaptation of outsourcing in medical facilities leads to financial efficiency improvement. Through the separation of some medical functions and entrusting their realisation to external companies, medical institutions can focus on their basic activity that is the provision of health services. PMID:25097595

A Conceptual Analysis of Quality in Quality Function Deployment-Based Contexts of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matorera, Douglas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to assess and evaluate how higher education institutions (HEIs) using Quality Function Deployment draw out the relevancy and potential of the model in shaping their concept of "Quality" and how that Quality can be assured in higher education institutions' (HEIs') programmes. An intensive literature review was…

Quality Improvement Initiatives in Sepsis in an Emerging Country: Does the Institution's Main Source of Income Influence the Results? An Analysis of 21,103 Patients.

PubMed

Machado, Flavia R; Ferreira, Elaine M; Sousa, Juliana Lubarino; Silva, Carla; Schippers, Pierre; Pereira, Adriano; Cardoso, Ilusca M; Salomão, Reinaldo; Japiassu, Andre; Akamine, Nelson; Mazza, Bruno F; Assunção, Murillo S C; Fernandes, Haggeas S; Bossa, Aline; Monteiro, Mariana B; Caixeita, Noemi; Azevedo, Luciano C P; Silva, Eliezer

2017-10-01

We aimed to assess the results of a quality improvement initiative in sepsis in an emerging setting and to analyze it according to the institutions' main source of income (public or private). Retrospective analysis of the Latin American Sepsis Institute database from 2005 to 2014. Brazilian public and private institutions. Patients with sepsis admitted in the participant institutions. The quality improvement initiative was based on a multifaceted intervention. The institutions were instructed to collect data on 6-hour bundle compliance and outcomes in patients with sepsis in all hospital settings. Outcomes and compliance was measured for eight periods of 6 months each, starting at the time of the enrollment in the intervention. The primary outcomes were hospital mortality and compliance with 6-hour bundle. We included 21,103 patients; 9,032 from public institutions and 12,071 from private institutions. Comparing the first period with the eigth period, compliance with the 6-hour bundle increased from 13.5% to 58.2% in the private institutions (p < 0.0001) and from 7.4% to 15.7% in the public institutions (p < 0.0001). Mortality rates significantly decreased throughout the program in private institutions, from 47.6% to 27.2% in the eighth period (adjusted odds ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.32-0.64). However, in the public hospitals, mortality diminished significantly only in the first two periods. This quality improvement initiative in sepsis in an emerging country was associated with a reduction in mortality and with improved compliance with quality indicators. However, this reduction was sustained only in private institutions.

Institutional Response to the Swedish Model of Quality Assurance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nilsson, Karl-Axel; Wahlen, Staffan

2000-01-01

Evaluates the Swedish model of quality assurance of higher education by examining the response of institutions to 27 quality audits and 19 follow-up interviews. Discusses the relationship between top-down and bottom-up approaches to internal quality assurance and suggests that, with growing professionalization, more limited result-oriented audits…

Quality Assurance in Psychology Programmes across Europe: Survey and Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marques, J. Frederico

2013-01-01

The present article examines how different institutions that offer psychology study cycles across Europe have adopted quality principles and have taken up particular quality assurance initiatives to raise standards and enhance quality. Thirty-eight different institutions from 32 countries who were members of a European psychology network responded…

[Analysis of academic impact of publications from National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention based on SCIE database in recent five years].

PubMed

Zhen, Li; Bin, Zheng

2017-03-02

To describe the academic impact of publications from National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, so as to give the quantity evidence for scientific research decision making. The SCIE papers of NIPD published from 2011-2015 were searched and statistically analyzed. The number of published papers, citation frequencies, h-index, and funding resources were analyzed. The academic impact of the institute was assessed according to these data. A total of 361 papers were published by NIPD, and the quantity increased year by year. The majority type is original articles. The total citations were 1 641 times, the average citation per paper was 5.19 and h-index was 17. The majority of these papers were published in foreign professional periodicals, whose impact factors were between 1.194 and 6.751. The major resources of NIPD were from China, and NIPD also had good collaborations with institutions in US and Switzerland. In China and Asia, NIPD led the research in the field of parasitology and tropical medicine. The quantity and quality of annual published papers of NIPD are on the rise. However, NIPD lagged behind the leading institutions in the world.

A methodology model for quality management in a general hospital.

PubMed

Stern, Z; Naveh, E

1997-01-01

A reappraisal is made of the relevance of industrial modes of quality management to the issues of medical care. Analysis of the nature of medical care, which differentiates it from the supplier-client relationships of industry, presents the main intrinsic characteristics, which create problems in application of the industrial quality management approaches to medical care. Several examples are the complexity of the relationship between the medical action and the result obtained, the client's nonacceptance of economic profitability as a value in his medical care, and customer satisfaction biased by variable standards of knowledge. The real problems unique to hospitals are addressed, and a methodology model for their quality management is offered. Included is a sample of indicator vectors, measurements of quality care, cost of medical care, quality of service, and human resources. These are based on the trilogy of planning quality, quality control, and improving quality. The conclusions confirm the inadequacy of industrial quality management approaches for medical institutions and recommend investment in formulation of appropriate concepts.

Evaluation of care quality for disabled older patients living at home and in institutions.

PubMed

Chang, Shu-Ching; Shiu, Ming-Neng; Chen, Huey-Tzy; Ng, Yee-Yung; Lin, Li-Chan; Wu, Shiao-Chi

2015-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the level of care quality received by disabled older patients residing at home vs. those residing in institutions. Taiwan has an aging society and faces issues of caring for disabled older patients, including increasing needs, insufficient resources and a higher economic burden of care. Retrospective study extracting patient data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. We enrolled 76,672 disabled older patients aged 65 years and older who resided at home or institutions and had submitted claims for coverage of National Health Insurance for home care received for the first time between 2004-2006. Propensity score matching was applied to create a home-care group and an institutional-care group with 27,894 patients each. Indicators of care quality (emergency services use, hospitalisation, infection, pressure ulcers, death) within the first year were observed. The home care group had significantly higher emergency services use, fewer hospital admissions and fewer infections, but had significantly higher occurrence of pressure ulcers. The institutional-care group had significantly lower time intervals between emergencies, fewer deaths, lower risk of emergencies and lower pressure ulcer risk. Males had significantly higher emergency services use than females, and higher risk of hospital admission and death. Care quality indicators for elder care are significantly different between home care and institutional care. The quality of home care is associated with higher emergency services use and pressure ulcer development, and institutional care is associated with number of infections and hospitalisations. Care quality indicators were significantly different between home-care and institutional-care groups and were closely associated with the characteristics of individual patients' in the specific settings. Nursing capabilities must be directed towards reducing unnecessary care quality-related events among high-risk disabled older patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chest CT in children: anesthesia and atelectasis.

PubMed

Newman, Beverley; Krane, Elliot J; Gawande, Rakhee; Holmes, Tyson H; Robinson, Terry E

2014-02-01

There has been an increasing tendency for anesthesiologists to be responsible for providing sedation or anesthesia during chest CT imaging in young children. Anesthesia-related atelectasis noted on chest CT imaging has proven to be a common and troublesome problem, affecting image quality and diagnostic sensitivity. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a standardized anesthesia, lung recruitment, controlled-ventilation technique developed at our institution to prevent atelectasis for chest CT imaging in young children. Fifty-six chest CT scans were obtained in 42 children using a research-based intubation, lung recruitment and controlled-ventilation CT scanning protocol. These studies were compared with 70 non-protocolized chest CT scans under anesthesia taken from 18 of the same children, who were tested at different times, without the specific lung recruitment and controlled-ventilation technique. Two radiology readers scored all inspiratory chest CT scans for overall CT quality and atelectasis. Detailed cardiorespiratory parameters were evaluated at baseline, and during recruitment and inspiratory imaging on 21 controlled-ventilation cases and 8 control cases. Significant differences were noted between groups for both quality and atelectasis scores with optimal scoring demonstrated in the controlled-ventilation cases where 70% were rated very good to excellent quality scans compared with only 24% of non-protocol cases. There was no or minimal atelectasis in 48% of the controlled ventilation cases compared to 51% of non-protocol cases with segmental, multisegmental or lobar atelectasis present. No significant difference in cardiorespiratory parameters was found between controlled ventilation and other chest CT cases and no procedure-related adverse events occurred. Controlled-ventilation infant CT scanning under general anesthesia, utilizing intubation and recruitment maneuvers followed by chest CT scans, appears to be a safe and effective method to obtain reliable and reproducible high-quality, motion-free chest CT images in children.

Certified reference material of volatile organic compounds for environmental analysis: BTEX in methanol.

PubMed

Neves, Laura A; Almeida, Renato R R; Rego, Eliane P; Rodrigues, Janaína Marques; de Carvalho, Lucas Junqueira; de M Goulart, Ana Letícia

2015-04-01

The Brazilian Metrology Institute (National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology, Inmetro) has been developing a certified reference material (CRM) of the volatile organic compounds benzene; toluene; ethylbenzene; and ortho, meta, and para-xylenes (BTEX) in methanol, to ensure quality control for environmental-analysis measurements. The objective of this paper is to present the results of certification studies: uncertainty estimates related to characterization, a homogeneity study, and a stability study on a single lot of CRM composed of BTEX in methanol. The method used analysis of variance (ANOVA), a statistical tool, to evaluate the homogeneity and stability of the BTEX CRM, which complies with ISO Guide 30 series. The homogeneity and stability of the BTEX CRM was confirmed for all analytes and their respective properties. All the procedures used in this study complied with ISO GUIDE 34, ISO GUIDE 35, and the guide to the expression of uncertainty of measurement (GUM).

The April 1994 and October 1994 radon intercomparisons at EML

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fisenne, I.M.; George, A.C.; Perry, P.M.

1995-10-01

Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) are the backbone of many commercial and research processes and programs. QA/QC research tests the state of a functioning system, be it the production of manufactured goods or the ability to make accurate and precise measurements. The quality of the radon measurements in the US have been tested under controlled conditions in semi-annual radon gas intercomparison exercises sponsored by the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) since 1981. The two Calendar Year 1994 radon gas intercomparison exercises were conducted in the EML exposure chamber. Thirty-two groups including US Federal facilities, USDOE contractors, national and state laboratories, universities andmore » foreign institutions participated in these exercises. The majority of the participant`s results were within {+-}10% of the EML value at radon concentrations of 570 and 945 Bq m{sup {minus}3}.« less

Identification of Free Radical Scavengers from Brazilian Green Propolis Using Off-Line HPLC-DPPH Assay and LC-MS.

PubMed

Zhang, Cuiping; Shen, Xiaoge; Chen, Jiawei; Jiang, Xiasen; Hu, FuLiang

2017-07-01

Brazilian green propolis is known as an appreciable natural antioxidant with abundant polyphenolic compounds. For quality control, a fingerprint-efficacy study of Brazilian green propolis was carried out in this work. Chemical fingerprints of Brazilian green propolis from 22 different sources were determined by HPLC and investigated by similarity analysis. The fingerprint-efficacy relationships between chemical fingerprint and DPPH radical-scavenging activity were established. The results showed that 14 characteristic common peaks were identified, and 9 compounds were discovered with free radical-scavenging activities. Caffeoylquinic acids and artepillin C might be the major effective components for quality control of Brazilian green propolis due to their specificity and strong antioxidant activity. This study provides new markers for the quality assessment of Brazilian green propolis and its derived products. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

[Quality assurance and quality improvement. Personal experiences and intentions].

PubMed

Roche, B G; Sommer, C

1995-01-01

In may 1994 we were selected by the surgical Swiss association to make a study about quality in USA. During our travel we visited 3 types of institutions: Hospitals, National Institute of standard and Technology, Industry, Johnson & Johnson. We appreciate to compare 2 types of quality programs: Quality Assurance (QA) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). In traditional healthcare circles, QA is the process established to meet external regulatory requirements and to assure that patient care is consistent with established standards. In a modern quality terms, QA outside of healthcare means designing a product or service, as well as controlling its production, so well that quality is inevitable. The ideas of W. Edward Deming is that there is never improvement just by inspection. He developed a theory based on 14 principles. A productive work is accomplished through processes. Understanding the variability of processes is a key to improve quality. Quality management sees each person in an organisation as part of one or more processes. The job of every worker is to receive the work of others, add value to that work, and supply it to the next person in the process. This is called the triple role the workers as customer, processor, and supplier. The main source of quality defects is problems in the process. The old assumption is that quality fails when people do the right thing wrong; the new assumption is that, more often, quality failures arise when people do the wrong think right. Exhortation, incentives and discipline of workers are unlikely to improve quality. If quality is failing when people do their jobs as designed, then exhorting them to do better is managerial nonsense. Modern quality theory is customer focused. Customers are identified internally and externally. The modern approach to quality is thoroughly grounded in scientific and statistical thinking. Like in medicine, the symptom is a defect in quality. The therapist of process must perform diagnostic test, formulate hypotheses of cause, test those hypotheses, apply remedies, and assess the effect of remedies. Total employee involvement is critical. A power comes from enabling all employees to become involved in quality improvement. A great advantage of CQI is the prevention orientation of the concept. The CQI permeated a collegial approach, people learn how to work together to improve. CQI is a time consuming procedure. During our travel we learned the definition of quality as the customer satisfaction. To build a CQI concept in employed time but all employed are involved in quality improvement. Applying CQI we could be able to refuse Quality control programs.

Quality Control Specialist | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases. CMRP’s collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program’s mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale. The Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides analytical experience to work on innovative T-cell therapy for cancer treatment, and responsible for development and execution of analytical assays for generation lot release assays and product CoAs in support of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Surgery Branch (SB). KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES-THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING APPROVAL Collaborates on the development of templates and processes to enhance the performance of the program Provides organizational and document support including preparation of documents (spreadsheets, web pages, written narrative, meeting minutes) and timely communication with committee and working group members through email contact and websites Establishes, implements and maintains standardized processes and assess performance to make recommendations for improvement Prepares technical reports, abstracts, presentations and program correspondence concerning assigned projects through research and analysis of information relevant to government policy, regulations and other relevant data Monitors all assigned programs for compliance Facilitates communication through all levels of staff by functioning as a liaison between internal departments, senior management, and the customer Attends weekly meetings to discuss upcoming events, tasks, special projects and implementation plans Develops and implements procedures/programs to ensure effective and efficient business and operational processes Identifies potential bottlenecks in the upcoming development process and works with all team members and senior management to resolve them Analyzes and tracks initiatives and contracts Coordinates and reviews daily operations and logistics, including purchasing and shipping of miscellaneous equipment, lab and office supplies to ensure compliance with appropriate government regulations Aids in measuring, monitoring, problem solving, and reporting of research, operational and business issues Reviews operational requirements for development of or changes to staffing Perform all tasks associated with the manufacture of clinical product (vector or cell) Cross-trains on SOPs and procedures required to support both vector and cell production Follows batch records and SOPs Executes GMP runs in close collaboration with Process Development and Quality Assurance and Quality Control groups Assists in the development of SOPs, batch records, deviations and change controls Troubleshoots processing and equipment issues Participates in investigations regarding out of specifications/trend (OOS/OOT) results; addresses and manages deviations to manufacturing procedures

Challenges in Routine Implementation and Quality Control of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria–Rufiji District, Tanzania

PubMed Central

McMorrow, Meredith L.; Masanja, M. Irene; Abdulla, Salim M. K.; Kahigwa, Elizeus; Kachur, S. Patrick

2018-01-01

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) represent an alternative to microscopy for malaria diagnosis and have shown high sensitivity and specificity in a variety of study settings. Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for quality control of RDTs provide detailed instructions on pre-field testing, but offer little guidance for quality assurance once RDTs are deployed in health facilities. From September 2006 to April 2007, we introduced a histidine-rich protein II (HRP2)-based RDT (Paracheck) for suspected malaria cases five years of age and older in nine health facilities in Rufiji District, Tanzania, to assess sensitivity and specificity of RDTs in routine use at rural health facilities. Thick blood smears were collected for all patients tested with RDTs and stained and read by laboratory personnel in each facility. Thick smears were subsequently reviewed by a reference microscopist to determine RDT sensitivity and specificity. In all nine health facilities, there were significant problems with the quality of staining and microscopy. Sensitivity and specificity of RDTs were difficult to assess given the poor quality of routine blood smear staining. Mean operational sensitivity of RDTs based on reference microscopy was 64.8%, but varied greatly by health facility, range 18.8–85.9%. Sensitivity of RDTs increased with increasing parasite density. Specificity remained high at 87.8% despite relatively poor slide quality. Institution of quality control of RDTs based on poor quality blood smear staining may impede reliable measurement of sensitivity and specificity and undermine confidence in the new diagnostic. There is an urgent need for the development of alternative quality control procedures for rapid diagnostic tests that can be performed at the facility level. PMID:18784230

Quality control of positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals: An institutional experience.

PubMed

Shukla, Jaya; Vatsa, Rakhee; Garg, Nitasha; Bhusari, Priya; Watts, Ankit; Mittal, Bhagwant R

2013-10-01

To study quality control parameters of routinely prepared positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals. Three PET radiopharmaceuticals fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG), N-13 ammonia (N-13 NH3), and Ga-68 DOTATATE (n = 25 each), prepared by standardized protocols were used. The radionuclide purity, radiochemical purity, residual solvents, pH, endotoxins, and sterility of these radiopharmaceuticals were determined. The physical half-life of radionuclide in radiopharmaceuticals, determined by both graphical and formula method, demonstrated purity of radionuclides used. pH of all PET radiopharmaceuticals used was in the range of 5-6.5. No microbial growth was observed in radiopharmaceutical preparations. The residual solvents, chemical impurity, and pyrogens were within the permissible limits. All three PET radiopharmaceuticals were safe for intravenous administration.

Shift work and quality of sleep: effect of working in designed dynamic light.

PubMed

Jensen, Hanne Irene; Markvart, Jakob; Holst, René; Thomsen, Tina Damgaard; Larsen, Jette West; Eg, Dorthe Maria; Nielsen, Lisa Seest

2016-01-01

To examine the effect of designed dynamic light on staff's quality of sleep with regard to sleep efficiency, level of melatonin in saliva, and subjective perceptions of quality of sleep. An intervention group working in designed dynamic light was compared with a control group working in ordinary institutional light at two comparable intensive care units (ICUs). The study included examining (1) melatonin profiles obtained from saliva samples, (2) quality of sleep in terms of sleep efficiency, number of awakenings and subjective assessment of sleep through the use of sleep monitors and sleep diaries, and (3) subjective perceptions of well-being, health, and sleep quality using a questionnaire. Light conditions were measured at both locations. A total of 113 nurses (88 %) participated. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding personal characteristics, and no significant differences in total sleep efficiency or melatonin level were found. The intervention group felt more rested (OR 2.03, p = 0.003) and assessed their condition on awakening as better than the control group (OR 2.35, p = 0.001). Intervention-ICU nurses received far more light both during day and evening shifts compared to the control-ICU. The study found no significant differences in monitored sleep efficiency and melatonin level. Nurses from the intervention-ICU subjectively assessed their sleep as more effective than participants from the control-ICU.

Quality of Ground Water in the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, 1996-1998, with Emphasis on Contaminants

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Blasland, Bouck, and Lee, Inc., 1992), arsenic and copper used as fungicide on grape - fruit and as a wood preservative (Sherwood and others, 1973), and...for nematode control (400 pounds per acre from Noling and Gilreath, 1998) would provide 44.8 grams per square meter to the soil. The decomposition... nematode control: A south Florida synopsis: Gainesville, University of Florida, Institute for Food and Agricultural Science: accessed October 8, 2002

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Construction and Operation of Space Launch Complex 7. Volume 2. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-15

non -point source pollution managementprograms, and implement controls to improve water quality. Controls should be implemented for any project...Businesses or other for- Vandenberg AFB, and the launching of on the proposed information collection profit, non -profit institutions Ithe Titan Centaur. In...communications. The Titan Centaur launch vehicle is a modified Titan 34D designed to deliver a payload of up to U 32,000 pounds directly into polar orbit from VAFB

[Users' and community leaders' perceptions of their capacity to influence the quality of health care: case studies of Colombia and Brazil].

PubMed

Delgado-Gallego, María Eugenia; Vázquez, María Luisa

2009-01-01

Health system reforms in Colombia and Brazil introduced policies that promote social participation in health care quality control. The objective of this paper was to analyze users' and leaders' perceptions of their capacity to achieve changes in the countries' health services. An exploratory and descriptive qualitative study was performed with individual interviews and focus groups of users and leaders in Colombia and Brazil. Most informants perceived themselves as having the capacity to induce changes to improve the quality of health services. They attributed this capacity primarily to internal factors related to their participatory behavior, plus only one external factor, the availability of institutional participatory spaces. The lack of capacity to influence change was only related to passive attitudes and fear of retaliation in Colombia. The existence of a population with high self-perceived capacity to achieve change appears as a potential factor to be strengthened, while institutional democratic space needs to improve in order to enhance the effectiveness of social participation in health policies.

Applying a Continuous Quality Improvement Model To Assess Institutional Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Keith

This handbook outlines techniques and processes for improving institutional effectiveness and ensuring continuous quality improvement, based on strategic planning activities at Wisconsin's Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). First, institutional effectiveness is defined and 17 core indicators of effectiveness developed by the Wisconsin…

Evaluating Quality of Students' Support Services in Open Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nsamba, Asteria; Makoe, Mpine

2017-01-01

Evaluating the quality of students' support services in distance education institutions is vital because by nature Open Distance Learning (ODL) is a high-involvement service industry, with multiple student support service encounters. Most quality evaluation models tend to view quality from the institutional perspective. As a result, little is…

Quality of Institutional Care and Early Childhood Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, Paula Salgado; Fearon, R. M. Pasco; Belsky, Jay; Fachada, Inês; Soares, Isabel

2015-01-01

Institutional rearing adversely affects children's development, but the extent to which specific characteristics of the institutional context and the quality of care provided contribute to problematic development remains unclear. In this study, 72 preschoolers institutionalised for at least 6 months were evaluated by their caregiver using the…

[The state of quality management implementation in ambulatory care nursing and inpatient nursing].

PubMed

Farin, E; Hauer, J; Schmidt, E; Kottner, J; Jäckel, W H

2013-02-01

The demands being made on quality assurance and quality management in ambulatory care nursing and inpatient nursing facilities continue to grow. As opposed to health-care facilities such as hospitals and rehabilitation centres, we know of no other empirical studies addressing the current state of affairs in quality management in nursing institutions. The aim of this investigation was, by means of a questionnaire, to analyse the current (as of spring 2011) dissemination of quality management and certification in nursing facilities using a random sample as representative as possible of in- and outpatient institutions. To obtain our sample we compiled 800 inpatient and 800 outpatient facilities as a stratified random sample. Federal state, holder and, for inpatient facilities, the number of beds were used as stratification variables. 24% of the questionnaires were returned, giving us information on 188 outpatient and 220 inpatient institutions. While the distribution in the sample of outpatient institutions is equivalent to the population distribution, we observed discrepancies in the inpatient facilities sample. As they do not seem to be related to any demonstrable bias, we assume that our data are sufficiently representative. 4 of 5 of the responding facilities claim to employ their own quality management system, however the degree to which the quality management mechanisms are actually in use is an estimated 75%. Almost 90% of all the facilities have a quality management representative who often possesses specific additional qualifications. Many relevant quality management instruments (i. e., nursing standards of care, questionnaires, quality circles) are used in 75% of the responding institutions. Various factors in our data give the impression that quality management and certification efforts have made more progress in the inpatient facilities. Although 80% of the outpatient institutions claim to have a quality management system, only 32.1% of them admit to having already been (or be in current preparation to be) certified, a figure that was 41.5% among the inpatient facilities. These percentages are smaller when one relies on information provided by the certifying institutions themselves rather on the nursing facilities. Most frequent is the certification according to the DIN EN ISO 9001 standard, since the care-specific certification procedures most widespread on the market enable facilities to combine a care-specific certificate with one according to DIN norms. Quality management has become very widespread in nursing facilities: every third institution claims to have been certified, and the trend to become certified has clearly intensified over the last few years. We observe overall very great acceptance of both internal quality management and external quality assurance. We suspect that the current use of quality management instruments in many nursing facilities will not fall behind such efforts in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Quality Control Review of the Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP FY 2014 Single Audit of Logistics Management Institute

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-29

independent, relevant, and timely oversight of the Department of Defense that supports the warfighter; promotes accountability , integrity, and...compliance testing for the allowable costs/cost principles compliance requirement to ensure the review of indirect costs is adequately performed...consulting services in logistics, acquisition and financial management, infrastructure management, information management, organizational improvement, and

2008 Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Postsecondary Food Production and Management Technology. (Program CIP: 12.0508 - Institutional Food Workers)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carver, Matthew; Hoff, Jody; Little, Lisa; Samuel, Carolyn

2008-01-01

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

Peer Review and the Dilemmas of Quality Control in Programme Accreditation in South African Higher Education: Challenges and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Michael; Naidoo, Devika

2011-01-01

The paper scrutinises the dynamics and the nature of peer review in the programme evaluation and accreditation process within the context of diverse individual and institutional legacies in South Africa. It analyses the peer review process and highlights the contestation at political, policy and epistemological levels. The paper argues that,…

A National Assessment of the Impact of the Institutes for Higher Education Academy on School Health Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huelskamp, Amelia C.; Dake, Joseph A.; Telljohann, Susan K.; Tappe, Marlene K.; Jordan, Timothy

2016-01-01

Background: Many school health teacher preparation programs do not train teacher candidates in the use of online resources available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some CDC resources, such as the School Health Index, could significantly improve the quality of school health programs. To address this, the CDC and the…

76 FR 22406 - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Study of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-21

... research study to assess the efficacy of a specific interactive Web-based teaching module in the field of... directly to the public to survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services they want and... controlled trial design that compares the group that receives educational exposure to the set of new...

Official control of plant protection products in Poland: detection of illegal products.

PubMed

Miszczyk, Marek; Płonka, Marlena; Stobiecki, Tomasz; Kronenbach-Dylong, Dorota; Waleczek, Kazimierz; Weber, Roland

2018-04-03

Market presence of illegal and counterfeit pesticides is now a global problem. According to data published in 2012 by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), illegal products represent over 10% of the global market of plant protection products. Financial benefits are the main reason for the prevalence of this practice. Counterfeit and illegal pesticides may contain substances that may pose a threat to the environment, crops, animals, and humans, inconsistent with the label and registration dossier. In Poland, action against illegal and counterfeit plant protection products is undertaken by the Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection (PIORiN), the police, the prosecution, and the pesticide producers. Results of chemical analyses carried out by the Institute of Plant Protection - National Research Institute Sośnicowice Branch, Pesticide Quality Testing Laboratory (PQTL IPP-NRI Sosnicowice Branch) indicate that a majority of illegal pesticides in Poland are detected in the group of herbicides. Products from parallel trade tend to have the most irregularities. This article describes the official quality control system of plant protection products in Poland and presents the analytical methods for testing pesticides suspected of adulteration and recent test results.

Radiation therapy and internet - what can patients expect? homepage analysis of german radiotherapy institutions.

PubMed

Janssen, Stefan; Meyer, Andreas; Vordermark, Dirk; Steinmann, Diana

2010-12-01

the internet as a source of medical information has emerged during the last years. There is a confusing amount of medical websites with a great diversity of quality. Websites of radiotherapy institutions could offer a safe and an easy-to-control way to assist patients' requests. 205 internet appearances of German radiotherapy institutions were analyzed in June 2009 (nonuniversity hospitals n = 108, medical practices n = 62, university hospitals n = 35). For the evaluation of each homepage verifiable criteria concerning basic information, service and medical issues were used. the quality of information published via internet by different radiotherapy institutions showed a large variety. Basic information like telephone numbers, operating hours, and direction guidance were provided in 96.7%, 40%, and 50.7%, respectively. 85% of the websites introduced the staff, 50.2% supplied photos and 14% further information on the attending physicians. The mean amount of continuative links to other websites was 5.4, the mean amount of articles supplying medical information for patients summed up to 4.6. Medical practices and university hospitals had statistically significant more informative articles and links to other websites than nonuniversity hospitals. No statistically significant differences could be found in most other categories like service issues and basic information. internet presences of radiotherapy institutions hold the chance to supply patients with professional and individualized medical information. While some websites are already using this opportunity, others show a lack of basic information or of user-friendliness.

To What Extent is Drinking Water Tested in Sub-Saharan Africa? A Comparative Analysis of Regulated Water Quality Monitoring.

PubMed

Peletz, Rachel; Kumpel, Emily; Bonham, Mateyo; Rahman, Zarah; Khush, Ranjiv

2016-03-02

Water quality information is important for guiding water safety management and preventing water-related diseases. To assess the current status of regulated water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa, we evaluated testing programs for fecal contamination in 72 institutions (water suppliers and public health agencies) across 10 countries. Data were collected through written surveys, in-person interviews, and analysis of microbial water quality testing levels. Though most institutions did not achieve the testing levels specified by applicable standards or World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines, 85% of institutions had conducted some microbial water testing in the previous year. Institutions were more likely to meet testing targets if they were suppliers (as compared to surveillance agencies), served larger populations, operated in urban settings, and had higher water quality budgets (all p < 0.05). Our results indicate that smaller water providers and rural public health offices will require greater attention and additional resources to achieve regulatory compliance for water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa. The cost-effectiveness of water quality monitoring should be improved by the application of risk-based water management approaches. Efforts to strengthen monitoring capacity should pay greater attention to program sustainability and institutional commitment to water safety.

To What Extent is Drinking Water Tested in Sub-Saharan Africa? A Comparative Analysis of Regulated Water Quality Monitoring

PubMed Central

Peletz, Rachel; Kumpel, Emily; Bonham, Mateyo; Rahman, Zarah; Khush, Ranjiv

2016-01-01

Water quality information is important for guiding water safety management and preventing water-related diseases. To assess the current status of regulated water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa, we evaluated testing programs for fecal contamination in 72 institutions (water suppliers and public health agencies) across 10 countries. Data were collected through written surveys, in-person interviews, and analysis of microbial water quality testing levels. Though most institutions did not achieve the testing levels specified by applicable standards or World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines, 85% of institutions had conducted some microbial water testing in the previous year. Institutions were more likely to meet testing targets if they were suppliers (as compared to surveillance agencies), served larger populations, operated in urban settings, and had higher water quality budgets (all p < 0.05). Our results indicate that smaller water providers and rural public health offices will require greater attention and additional resources to achieve regulatory compliance for water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa. The cost-effectiveness of water quality monitoring should be improved by the application of risk-based water management approaches. Efforts to strengthen monitoring capacity should pay greater attention to program sustainability and institutional commitment to water safety. PMID:26950135

Quality Matters[TM] Accessibility Survey: Institutional Practices and Policies for Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frey, Barbara A.; King, Denise K.

2011-01-01

Quality Matters (QM) is a professional organization that offers a faculty-centered, peer review process to certify the quality of online and blended courses. The purpose of this white paper is to share the results of a Quality Matters accessibility benchmarking study administered to 84 subscriber institutions. The primary goal of the survey was to…

78 FR 47674 - Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-06

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of.... ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive...

Continuity and Change: Building a Quality Culture in the Romanian Educational System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunda, Nicoleta Ramona; Baciu, Livia Loredana

2009-01-01

Educational objectives, like educational quality, are contextual and evolving--they may exhibit both continuity and change. This paper capitalizes on the role of neo-institutionalism and on the contribution of Douglass North (one major representative of the neo-institutionalism trend) in identifying the institutional impact upon cognitive…

Web-Based Engine for Program Curriculum Designers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamam, H.; Loucif, S.

2009-01-01

Educational institutions pay careful attention to the design of program curricula, which represent a framework to meet institutional goals and missions. Of course, the success of any institution depends highly on the quality of its program curriculum. The development of such a curriculum and, more importantly, the evaluation of its quality are…

Quality Assessment Parameters for Student Support at Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sajiene, Laima; Tamuliene, Rasa

2012-01-01

The research presented in this article aims to validate quality assessment parameters for student support at higher education institutions. Student support is discussed as the system of services provided by a higher education institution which helps to develop student-centred curriculum and fulfils students' emotional, academic, social needs, and…

Guiding and Modelling Quality Improvement in Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Daniel

2015-01-01

The article considers the process of creating quality improvement in higher education institutions from the point of view of current organisational theory and social-science modelling techniques. The author considers the higher education institution as a functioning complex of rules, norms and other organisational features and reviews the social…

Rectal Cancer: Treatment, Research and Quality of Life, Facebook Live Event

Cancer.gov

The National Cancer Institute hosted a Facebook Live to discuss rectal cancer treatment, research, and quality of life. The event featured subject matter experts Carmen Allegra, MD, of the National Cancer Institute and University of Florida Health, Deborah Schrag, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and moderator

Revisiting the Relationship between Institutional Rank and Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zilvinskis, John; Louis Rocconi

2018-01-01

College rankings dominate the conversation regarding quality in postsecondary education. However, the criteria used to rank institutions often have nothing to do with the quality of education students receive. A decade ago, Pike (2004) demonstrated that institutional rank had little association with student involvement in educational activities.…

[Total quality management in times of crisis. The case of Argentina].

PubMed

Larroca, Norberto

2003-01-01

Healthcare organizations were faced with so great a challenge following the financial slump that they were forced to 'sharpen their wits' in order to survive. Integrated Quality Management (in Spanish GIC), proved the ideal instrument. GIC has four foundational elements, the application of which allow for successful management of crisis situations. They are as follows: TRAINING of human resources EVALUATION of healthcare institutions SELF-EVALUATION by institutions QUALITY ACCREDITATION of institutions All our organizations have the appropriate tools to carry out these activities which form the basis of our project: CAES (Argentinean Chamber of Healthcare Institutions) -training-, CIDCAM (Inter-institutional Committee for Quality Development in Medical Care) -evaluation and self-evaluation-, CENAS (Specialist Centre for the Standardization and Accreditation in Health Care)-accreditation-. In times of crisis, we play an active part, that is, instead of withdrawing our efforts, we do our best to achieve the best and most adequate objective in order to meet the needs of the population through Integrated Quality Management. Eventually, when the results are examined, medical care that meets the best quality standards is found to be, after all, the most economical (that is best results, better satisfaction of healthcare users and providers as well as less mistakes).

Assessment of quality and relevance of curricula development in health training institutions: a case study of Kenya.

PubMed

Mumbo, Hazel M; Kinaro, Joyce W

2015-08-13

The World Health Organization lists Kenya among African countries experiencing health workforce crisis catalysed through immigration, underproduction, inconsistent quality of production and unequal distribution. Strengthening health training institutions to increase production of high-quality health workers is acknowledged as a measure to mitigate the crisis.IntraHealth International's USAID-funded FUNZOKenya Project (2012-2017) undertook an assessment to identify the bottlenecks to increasing the number and quality of pre-service graduates in Kenya. The assessment, a cross-sectional descriptive study, collected data through structured respondent interviews among faculty, students in health training institutions, key informants and desk review. The assessment purposively selected 14 institutions from 18 institutions identified for initial collaboration with the project towards strengthening health workforce training. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) application helped analyse quantitative data and quotes used to illustrate perceptions on the quality of curricula.The findings revealed major gaps in quality and adequacy of curricula in the training institutions. A national standard framework to guide curricula review process is lacking. Further, curricula did not adequately prepare students for clinical placement, as most failed to directly respond to national health needs. The study recommended reviews of curricula to ensure their responsiveness to emerging issues in the health sector, the formation of curriculum committees to review curricula, development of official curricula review standards and an integrated mechanism to disseminate policies and guidelines.

A quality improvement project using statistical process control methods for type 2 diabetes control in a resource-limited setting.

PubMed

Flood, David; Douglas, Kate; Goldberg, Vera; Martinez, Boris; Garcia, Pablo; Arbour, MaryCatherine; Rohloff, Peter

2017-08-01

Quality improvement (QI) is a key strategy for improving diabetes care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study reports on a diabetes QI project in rural Guatemala whose primary aim was to improve glycemic control of a panel of adult diabetes patients. Formative research suggested multiple areas for programmatic improvement in ambulatory diabetes care. This project utilized the Model for Improvement and Agile Global Health, our organization's complementary healthcare implementation framework. A bundle of improvement activities were implemented at the home, clinic and institutional level. Control charts of mean hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and proportion of patients meeting target HbA1C showed improvement as special cause variation was identified 3 months after the intervention began. Control charts for secondary process measures offered insights into the value of different components of the intervention. Intensity of home-based diabetes education emerged as an important driver of panel glycemic control. Diabetes QI work is feasible in resource-limited settings in LMICs and can improve glycemic control. Statistical process control charts are a promising methodology for use with panels or registries of diabetes patients. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Radiation protection program for early detection of breast cancer in a mammography facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villagomez Casimiro, Mariana; Ruiz Trejo, Cesar; Espejo Fonseca, Ruby

2014-11-01

Mammography is the best tool for early detection of Breast Cancer. In this diagnostic radiology modality it is necessary to establish the criteria to ensure the proper use and operation of the equipment used to obtain mammographic images in order to contribute to the safe use of ionizing radiation. The aim of the work was to implement at FUCAM-AC the radiation protection program which must be established for patients and radiation workers according to Mexican standards [1-4]. To achieve this goal, radiation protection and quality control manuals were elaborated [5]. Furthermore, a quality control program (QCP) in the mammography systems (analog/digital), darkroom included, has been implemented. Daily sensitometry, non-variability of the image quality, visualizing artifacts, revision of the equipment mechanical stability, compression force and analysis of repetition studies are some of the QCP routine tests that must be performed by radiological technicians of this institution as a set of actions to ensure the protection of patients. Image quality and patients dose assessment were performed on 4 analog equipment installed in 2 mobile units. In relation to dose assessment, all equipment passed the acceptance criteria (<3 mGy per projection). The image quality test showed that most images (70%)- presented artifacts. A brief summary of the results of quality control tests applied to the equipment and film processor are presented. To maintain an adequate level of quality and safety at FUCAM-AC is necessary that the proposed radiation protection program in this work is applied.

Does integrated care lead to both improved service quality and lower care cost

PubMed Central

Waldeyer, Regina; Siegel, Achim; Daul, Gisela; Gaiser, Karin; Hildebrandt, Helmut; Köster, Ingrid; Schubert, Ingrid; Stunder, Brigitte; Stützle, Yvonne

2010-01-01

Purpose and context ‘Gesundes Kinzigtal’ is one of the few population-based integrated care approaches in Germany, organising care across all health service sectors and indications. The management company and its contracting partners (the physicians’ network in the region and two statutory health insurers) strive to reach a higher quality of care at a lower overall cost as compared with the German standard. During its first two years of operation (2006–2007), the Kinzigtal project achieved surprisingly positive financial results compared with its reference value. To gain independent evidence on the quality aspects of the system, the management company and its partners provided a remarkable budget for its evaluation by independent scientific institutions. Case description and data sources We will present interim results of a population-based controlled cohort study. In this study, quality of care is checked by relying on health and service quality indicators that have been constructed from health insurers’ administrative data (claims data). Interim results are presented for the intervention region (Kinzigtal area) and the control region (the rest of Baden-Württemberg, i.e., Southwest Germany). Preliminary conclusions and discussion The evaluation of ‘Gesundes Kinzigtal’ is in full progress. Until now, there is no evidence that the surprisingly positive financial results of the Kinzigtal system have been achieved at the expense of care quality. Rather, Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care seems to be about to increasingly realize comparative advantages regarding health service quality (in comparison to the control region).

Quality of institution and the FEG (forest, energy intensity, and globalization) -environment relationships in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin; Adom, Philip Kofi

2017-07-01

The current share of sub-Saharan Africa in global carbon dioxide emissions is negligible compared to major contributors like Asia, Americas, and Europe. This trend is, however, likely to change given that both economic growth and rate of urbanization in the region are projected to be robust in the future. The current study contributes to the literature by examining both the direct and the indirect impacts of quality of institution on the environment. Specifically, we investigate whether the institutional setting in the region provides some sort of a complementary role in the environment-FEG relationships. We use the panel two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to deal with the simultaneity problem. Data consists of 43 sub-Saharan African countries. The result shows that energy inefficiency compromises environmental standards. However, the quality of the institutional setting helps moderate this negative consequences; countries with good institutions show greater prospects than countries with poor institutions. On the other hand, globalization of the region and increased forest size generate positive environmental outcomes in the region. Their impacts are, however, independent of the quality of institution. Afforestation programs, promotion of other clean energy types, and investment in energy efficiency, basic city infrastructure, and regulatory and institutional structures, are desirable policies to pursue to safeguard the environment.

Total Quality Management: Institutional Research Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heverly, Mary Ann

Total Quality Management (TQM), a technique traditionally reserved for the manufacturing sector, has recently spread to service companies, government agencies, and educational institutions. TQM places responsibility for quality problems with management rather than on the workers. A principal concept of TQM is the management of Process Variation,…

Can the national surgical quality improvement program provide surgeon-specific outcomes?

PubMed

Kuhnen, Angela H; Marcello, Peter W; Roberts, Patricia L; Read, Thomas E; Schoetz, David J; Rusin, Lawrence C; Hall, Jason F; Ricciardi, Rocco

2015-02-01

Efforts to improve the quality of surgical care and reduce morbidity and mortality have resulted in outcomes reporting at the service and institutional level. Surgeon-specific outcomes are not readily available. The aim of this study is to compare surgeon-specific outcomes from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and 100% capture institutional quality data. We conducted a cohort study evaluating institutional and surgeon-specific outcomes following colorectal surgery procedures at 1 institution over 5 years. All patients who underwent an operation by a colorectal surgeon at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2012 were identified. Thirty-day mortality, reoperation, urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, pneumonia, superficial surgical site infection, and organ space infection were the primary outcomes measured. We compared annual and 5-year institutional and surgeon-specific adverse event rates between the data sets. In addition, we categorized individual surgeons as low-outlier, average, or high-outlier in relation to aggregate averages and determined the concordance between the data sets in identifying outliers. Concordance was designated if the 2 databases classified outlier status similarly for the same adverse event category. In the 100% capture institutional data, 6459 operative encounters were identified in comparison with 1786 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program encounters (28% sampled). Annual aggregate adverse event rates were similar between the institutional data and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. For annual surgeon-specific comparisons, concordance in identifying outliers between the 2 data sets was 51.4%, and gross discordance between outlier status was in 8.2%. Five-year surgeon-specific comparisons demonstrated 59% concordance in identifying outlier status with 8.2% gross discordance for the group. The inclusion of data from only 1 academic referral center is a limitation of this study. Each surgeon was identified as a "high outlier" in at least 1 adverse event category. Comparisons at the annual and 5-year points demonstrated poor concordance between our 100% capture institutional data and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data.

[Managing a health research institute: towards research excellence through continuous improvement].

PubMed

Olmedo, Carmen; Buño, Ismael; Plá, Rosa; Lomba, Irene; Bardinet, Thierry; Bañares, Rafael

2015-01-01

Health research institutes are a strategic commitment considered the ideal environment to develop excellence in translational research. Achieving quality research requires not only a powerful scientific and research structure but also the quality and integrity of management systems that support it. The essential instruments in our institution were solid strategic planning integrated into and consistent with the system of quality management, systematic evaluation through periodic indicators, measurement of key user satisfaction and internal audits, and implementation of an innovative information management tool. The implemented management tools have provided a strategic thrust to our institute while ensuring a level of quality and efficiency in the development and management of research that allows progress towards excellence in biomedical research. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Transnational Research Networks in Chinese Scientific Production. An Investigation on Health-Industry Related Sectors.

PubMed

Rubini, Lauretta; Pollio, Chiara; Di Tommaso, Marco R

2017-08-29

Transnational research networks (TRN) are becoming increasingly complex. Such complexity may have both positive and negative effects on the quality of research. Our work studies the evolution over time of Chinese TRN and the role of complexity on the quality of Chinese research, given the leading role this country has recently acquired in international science. We focus on the fields of geriatrics and gerontology. We build an original dataset of all scientific publications of China in these areas in 2009, 2012 and 2015, starting from the ISI Web of Knowledge (ISI WoK) database. Using Social Network Analysis (SNA), we analyze the change in scientific network structure across time. Second, we design indices to control for the different aspects of networks complexity (number of authors, country heterogeneity and institutional heterogeneity) and we perform negative binomial regressions to identify the main determinants of research quality. Our analysis shows that research networks in the field of geriatrics and gerontology have gradually become wider in terms of countries and have become more balanced. Furthermore, our results identify that different forms of complexity have different impacts on quality, including a reciprocal moderating effect. In particular, according to our analysis, research quality benefits from complex research networks both in terms of countries and of types of institutions involved, but that such networks should be "compact" in terms of number of authors. Eventually, we suggest that complexity should be carefully taken into account when designing policies aimed at enhancing the quality of research.

[The impact of physical therapy on the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis].

PubMed

Mustur, Dusan; Vujasinović-Stupar, Nada

2007-01-01

This open, uncontrolled study examined the effects of physical therapy and rehabilitation on the quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The study included a total of 109 patients (69 with RA and 40 with PsA). Patients came from Norway for a four-week rehabilitation period at the Institute of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation & Rheumatology--Igalo from June till October, 2003. This was a self-controlled, pretest/posttest study. All patients had six days of physical therapy per week, during a four-week stay, which made a total of 24 therapy days. Basic therapy included mud packs/baths, kinesitherapy, hydrokinesitherapy and electrotherapy with analgesic effects. Quality of Life measurements were conducted two times (on admission and discharge) using questionnaire EuroQoL (EQ-5D). The research also included evaluation of ACR improvement. Pain/disability scale and the well being scale showed that quality of life in patients with PsA was significantly lower in comparison with RA patients. However, after 4 weeks, quality of life was much better in most dimensions of the EuroQoL questionnaire. Patients showed no improvement in self-care activities (in both group.) and daily activities (in group with PsA). Significant improvement was measured also in ACR improvement criteria (around 30%). Physical therapy at the Igalo Institute and good climate conditions have significantly improved the Health-Related-Quality-of-Life in both groups of patients. ACR index showed great

Want to Know about Quality in Higher Education? Ask an Academic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watty, Kim

2006-01-01

How would you decide on the quality of a higher education institution? Would you (1) ask the academic registrar (or equivalent); (2) look up the most recent quality audit report; or (3) contact the teaching staff directly to discuss their perceptions about the quality of the services provided in their institution? While there is no one correct…

Intravenous thrombolysis guided by a telemedicine consultation system for acute ischaemic stroke patients in China: the protocol of a multicentre historically controlled study

PubMed Central

Yuan, Ziwen; Wang, Bo; Li, Feijiang; Wang, Jing; Zhi, Jin; Luo, Erping; Liu, Zhirong; Zhao, Gang

2015-01-01

Introduction The rate of intravenous thrombolysis with tissue-type plasminogen activator or urokinase for stroke patients is extremely low in China. It has been demonstrated that a telestroke service may help to increase the rate of intravenous thrombolysis and improve stroke care quality in local hospitals. The aim of this study, also called the Acute Stroke Advancing Program, is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of decision-making concerning intravenous thrombolysis via a telemedicine consultation system for acute ischaemic stroke patients in China. Methods and analysis This is a multicentre historically controlled study with a planned enrolment of 300 participants in each of two groups. The telestroke network consists of one hub hospital and 14 spoke hospitals in underserved regions of China. The usual stroke care quality in the spoke hospitals without guidance from the hub hospital will be used as the historical control. The telemedicine consultation system is an interactive, two-way, wireless, audiovisual system accessed on portable devices. The primary outcome is the percentage of patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis within 4.5 h of stroke onset. Ethics and dissemination The project has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Xijing Hospital. The results will be published in scientific journals and presented to local government and relevant institutes. Trial registration number NCT02088346 (12 March 2014). PMID:25979867

English-Medium Instruction and Self-Governance in Higher Education: The Journey of a Vietnamese University through the Institutional Autonomy Regime

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Huong Thu; Hamid, M. Obaidul; Moni, Karen

2016-01-01

As neoliberal ideals of deregulation, accountability, quality and financial autonomy take hold of education worldwide, higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing economies are adopting strategies to improve educational quality; attract local and international students; enhance institutional ranking and global competitiveness; and, more…

Institutional Audits: A Comparison of the Experiences of Three South African Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botha, Jan; Favish, Judy; Stephenson, Sandra

2008-01-01

South Africa's external quality assurance agency, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), commenced its first cycle of institutional audits in 2004. During 2005, three public higher education institutions were audited, namely the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch and Rhodes University. The process of preparing for and…

Balanced Scorecard in Higher Education Institutions: Congruence and Roles to Quality Assurance Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reda, Nigusse W.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to highlight the congruence and roles of the balanced scorecard in the quality assurance practices in higher education institutions, and second, to propose a balanced scorecard model for higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive literature review was used to…

Scenarios of Quality Assurance of Stakeholder Relationships in Finnish Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyytinen, Anu; Kohtamäki, Vuokko; Kivistö, Jussi; Pekkola, Elias; Hölttä, Seppo

2017-01-01

Although the role and significance of the external stakeholders of higher education institutions has grown in recent years, quality assurance of stakeholder relationships remains a new phenomenon in the management practices of higher education institutions and in higher education research. Based on interviews and expert panel data, this article…

Handcuffing Institutional Research and Quality Assurance to the Student Experience: 50 Shades of Grey?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schofield, Mark

2014-01-01

Institutional Research (IR), as a concept, has been gaining traction in the UK and across the world, as evidenced by the growing number of European, African, Australasian and North American associations, communities, conferences and publications. This paper stresses the need for high-quality (Institutional) research behaviours, aligned with and…

Quantitative Procedures for the Assessment of Quality in Higher Education Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Tom; Rowse, Glenwood

The development of procedures designed to provide quantitative assessments of quality in higher education institutions are reviewed. These procedures employ a systems framework and utilize quantitative data to compare institutions or programs of similar types with one another. Three major elements essential in the development of models focusing on…

Measuring Service Quality in a Nontraditional Institution Using Importance-Performance Gap Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mugdh, Mrinal

2004-01-01

nd wants of these students, nontraditional colleges have adopted research strategies that take into account both student expectations as well as their perception of satisfaction to assess service quality at their institutions. As one of the model adult learner focused institutions, Empire State College used Noel-Levitz Adult Learner Inventory in…

Performance Indicators, Accountability, and Quality: An Analysis of Key Indicators at Two Georgia Postsecondary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christopher, Minolar T.

2010-01-01

Quality in higher education today is often measured by institutional accountability indicators. The purpose of this study was to examine trends and explore correlational relationships of the performance indicators deemed important to the stakeholders of two postsecondary institutions in the State of Georgia--retention rate, graduation rate, and…

Internal Quality Assurance Systems: "Tailor Made" or "One Size Fits All" Implementation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardoso, Sónia; Rosa, Maria J.; Videira, Pedro; Amaral, Alberto

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to look at the characteristics of internal quality assurance (IQA) systems of higher education institutions to understand whether these systems tend to reproduce a given model, externally defined and suggested to institutions, or rather to be shaped by institutions' features and interests. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Nutritional quality of lunches consumed by Korean workers: Comparison between institutional and commercial lunches

PubMed Central

Kim, Won Gyoung; Choi, Injoo

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The nutritional quality of lunches is an important factor related to workers' health. This study examined the nutritional quality of Korean workers' lunches with a focus on comparing institutional and commercial lunches. SUBJECTS/METHODS The data from a 1-day, 24-hour dietary recall from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2012) were analyzed. A total of 2,192 subjects aged 19 to 64 years, who had consumed lunches served by institutional or commercial food service vendors, were included for analysis. The nutritional quality of the lunches of the institutional lunch group (n=626) and the commercial lunch group (n=1,566) was compared in terms of the number of servings, food groups, nutrient intake, Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR), and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR). RESULTS The NAR and MAR were significantly higher in the institutional lunches than in the commercial lunches, but more than half of workers in both groups obtained over 65% of their energy from carbohydrate. The average sodium intake from the lunches exceeded the daily intake goal (2,000 mg) in both groups. More than half of workers in both groups presented less than one-third of their respective recommended daily intake of riboflavin and calcium. With the exception of riboflavin, the nutrient intake from lunches accounted for more than 35% of the daily nutrient intake. CONCLUSIONS The overall nutritional quality of institutional lunches was higher than that of commercial lunches. However, institutional lunches had room for improvement in terms of nutritional quality. PMID:27909558

Metrologies for quantitative nanomechanical testing and quality control in semiconductor manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, Jon R.; Kramar, John A.; Newell, David B.; Smith, Douglas T.

2005-05-01

If nanomechanical testing is to evolve into a tool for process and quality control in semiconductor fabrication, great advances in throughput, repeatability, and accuracy of the associated instruments and measurements will be required. A recent grant awarded by the NIST Advanced Technology Program seeks to address the throughput issue by developing a high-speed AFM-based platform for quantitative nanomechanical measurements. The following paper speaks to the issue of quantitative accuracy by presenting an overview of various standards and techniques under development at NIST and other national metrology institutes (NMIs) that can provide a metrological basis for nanomechanical testing. The infrastructure we describe places firm emphasis on traceability to the International System of Units, paving the way for truly quantitative, rather than qualitative, physical property testing.

Understanding Quality Assurance: A Cross Country Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choon Boey Lim, Fion

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of understanding between an Australian university and its offshore partner institution, on quality assurance. It attempts to highlight the dynamics of quality assurance policy implementation within and across institutions for an offshore degree. Design/methodology/approach: The study used…

Institutional Consequences of Quality Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joao Rosa, Maria; Tavares, Diana; Amaral, Alberto

2006-01-01

This paper analyses the opinions of Portuguese university rectors and academics on the quality assessment system and its consequences at the institutional level. The results obtained show that university staff (rectors and academics, with more of the former than the latter) held optimistic views of the positive consequences of quality assessment…

77 FR 36263 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of Postsecondary Education; Higher...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-18

... institutions of higher education (IHEs) on the quality of teacher preparation and state teacher certification... of Collection: Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) Title II Reporting Forms on Teacher Quality... institutions of higher education (IHEs) on the quality of teacher preparation and state teacher certification...

Does the EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme Contribute to Quality Improvement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavares, Diana Amado; Rosa, Maria Joao; Amaral, Alberto

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to reflect on the relevance of the Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) of the European University Association (EUA) to universities' quality improvement. It aims to analyse IEP follow-up reports to determine whether the programme contributes to the development of a quality improvement culture.…

The Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH): an observational instrument for assessing the physical environment of institutional settings for persons with dementia.

PubMed

Sloane, Philip D; Mitchell, C Madeline; Weisman, Gerald; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Foley, Kristie M Long; Lynn, Mary; Calkins, Margaret; Lawton, M Powell; Teresi, Jeanne; Grant, Leslie; Lindeman, David; Montgomery, Rhonda

2002-03-01

To develop an observational instrument that describes the ability of physical environments of institutional settings to address therapeutic goals for persons with dementia. A National Institute on Aging workgroup identified and subsequently revised items that evaluated exit control, maintenance, cleanliness, safety, orientation/cueing, privacy, unit autonomy, outdoor access, lighting, noise, visual/tactile stimulation, space/seating, and familiarity/homelikeness. The final instrument contains 84 discrete items and one global rating. A summary scale, the Special Care Unit Environmental Quality Scale (SCUEQS), consists of 18 items. Lighting items were validated using portable light meters. Concurrent criterion validation compared SCUEQS scores with the Professional Environmental Assessment Protocol (PEAP). Interrater kappa statistics for 74% of items were above.60. For another 10% of items, kappas could not be calculated due to empty cells, but interrater agreement was above 80%. The SCUEQS demonstrated an interrater reliability of.93, a test--retest reliability of.88, and an internal consistency of.81--.83. Light meter ratings correlated significantly with the Therapeutic Environment Screening Survey for Nursing Homes (TESS-NH) lighting items (r =.29--.38, p =.01--.04), and the SCUEQS correlated significantly with global PEAP ratings (r =.52, p <.01). The TESS-NH efficiently assesses discrete elements of the physical environment and has strong reliability and validity. The SCUEQS provides a quantitative measure of environmental quality in institutional settings.

[The collection of fungi cultures of "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine].

PubMed

Fernández Andreu, Carlos Manuel; Martínez Machín, Gerardo; Perurena Lancha, Mayda R; Illnait Zaragozí, María Teresa; Valdés Hernández, Ileana

2005-01-01

A review was made on the collection of fungi cultures of "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine" that was created in 1980 to give an answer to the increasing needs of the newly established laboratory of Mycology of that institution at that time. The collections of microbial cultures are more important every day as a way for the ex situ conservation of the microbial biodiversity. They are in charge of collecting, saving, identifying and preserving those strains of interest for biomedical research, teaching, industry, agriculture, etc. At present, the collection of the institute has a total of 262 strains from 81 species of fungi, actinomycetes and algae, all of them of interest for Medical Mycology. The main methods for the maintenance of the cultures have been the conservation in distilled water and freeze-drying, in additions to the periodical mincing in agar media, refrigeration and freezing. The service of reference and control of quality, the identification of strains, teaching, the taxonomic studies, and the safeguard, among others, are some of the main functions developed by this collection. Nowadays, the collections of fungus cultures must face the challenges represented by the emerging pathogenic fungi, as well as the incorporation of molecular techniques confirming the quality of the strain preservation methods. These collections should play an important strategic role in the preservation of the biodiversity, taking into account legal and biosafety aspects, too.

[Attachment and child development in a residential institution in Kinshasa].

PubMed

Mbiya Muadi, F; Mampunza, S; Symann, S; Habimana, L; D'Hoore, W; Malengreau, M; Hermans, D; Aujoulat, I; Charlier-Mikolajczak, D

2014-11-01

Attachment proves the child's need for a presence as well as physical and psychological protection. It contributes to the development of social and emotional skills. However, the relation between attachment, cognitive development, and physical development remains to be established. To evaluate the effect of the quality of attachment on the cognitive and physical development of children placed in institutions for abandoned children in Kinshasa through a first study of this kind in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eighty-four participants, aged 4-7 years, 42 abandoned children placed in residential institutions and 42 children living in families. The evaluation focused on the quality of attachment, cognitive performance, and physical development of these children. attachment story completion task (ASCT), Raven's colored progressive matrices (CPM) and growth vision. The Student t-test was used to compare the children's quality of attachment, cognitive performance, and physical development. For the ASCT, secure attachment was more frequently found among children living in families (66.7%) than in institutions (33.3%). The CPM showed obtained a higher mean value (19.3) for children living in a family than for children living in institutions (13.3). Moreover, for children with secure attachment, the mean CPM value and height-for-age ratio were, respectively, 83.7% in family situations and 73.1% in institutions. The mean values for children with insecure attachment were lower than for those with secure attachment in families (80.7%) and institutions (70.9%). However, despite the quality of attachment, the mean values obtained in families were higher than those obtained in institutions. These results suggest that the child's development, both cognitive and physical, depends on the quality of attachment. Life in the family gives better potentialities than life in an institution regardless of the quality of attachment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[External quality assurance in inpatient medical rehabilitation and prevention centers for mothers, fathers and children: development of instruments for assessing structural quality].

PubMed

Saupe-Heide, M; Gerlich, C; Lukasczik, M; Musekamp, G; Neuderth, S; Vogel, H

2013-12-01

As required by German law, inpatient institutions offering prevention and rehabilitation measures for mothers, fathers and children are obliged to implement external quality assurance measures. In 2 pilot projects funded by the German federal association of health insurance funds, external quality assurance procedures for in-hospital prevention and rehabilitation of mothers and fathers were analyzed with the aim of developing a set of instruments for the description of structural characteristics in this area of health care and to evaluate its appropriateness. Concerning structure-related quality, the project included a) designing and evaluating a questionnaire, b) the definition of assessment criteria for subsequent comparative data analyses, and c) the description and documentation of the current state in the field of rehabilitation and prevention for mothers, fathers and children. To document structural quality comprehensively, a modular questionnaire was developed and tested in a survey of 115 inpatient prevention and rehabilitation institutions for mothers, fathers and children. Involving an expert panel, preliminary basic and selection criteria were defined in order to assure a conducive assessment with regard to structural attributes. The majority of institutions had provider agreements for both prevention and rehabilitation. Measures for mothers/fathers with children were predominant; only 7 institutions exclusively treated mothers and fathers. Institution sizes varied strongly. Major indications included psychosomatics, dermatology, and pneumology. Overall, structural conditions of the institutions showed a high standard. Potential for development was found with regard to some aspects of the conceptual framework of institutional practice and the implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in diagnostics. In this article, the degrees of fulfillment with relation to the structural dimensions are presented, referring to the analysis of the preliminary basic criteria. The developed modular questionnaire tapping structural features of inpatient mother/father-child institutions has proven to be a useful instrument to describe the structural quality in future routine practice of quality assurance. In addition, the data can be used for the definition of the final set of criteria. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Improving Symptom Control, QOL, and Quality of Care for Women with Breast Cancer: Developing a Research Program on Neurological Effects via Doctoral Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-01

Institute 2003;95(4):263-281. 126. Gralla RJ, Casper ES, Kelsen DP, et al. Cisplatin and vindesine combination chemotherapy for advanced carcinoma of the...etoposide, and cisplatin in extensive stage small cell lung cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 1999;5(3419-3424. 155. Kelsen DP, Gralla RJ, Stoopler M, et al

Educational Innovation between Freedom and Fixation: The Cultural-Political Construction of Innovations in Early Childhood Education in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Oers, Bert

2013-01-01

As in many countries, in the Netherlands, governmental policy regulates the decisions of schools and care providers that concern and the control of the quality of education and care. Article 23 of the Dutch Constitution defines a fundamental right of freedom in matters of education within the context of institutions such as schools and other…

Developmental Scientist | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Within the Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.’s Clinical Research Directorate, the Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides high-quality comprehensive and strategic operational support to the high-profile domestic and international clinical research initiatives of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Clinical Center (CC), National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Since its inception in 2001, CMRP’s ability to provide rapid responses, high-quality solutions, and to recruit and retain experts with a variety of backgrounds to meet the growing research portfolios of NCI, NIAID, CC, NHLBI, NIAMS, NCATS, NINDS, and NIMH has led to the considerable expansion of the program and its repertoire of support services. CMRP’s support services are strategically aligned with the program’s mission to provide comprehensive, dedicated support to assist National Institutes of Health researchers in providing the highest quality of clinical research in compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines, maintaining data integrity, and protecting human subjects. For the scientific advancement of clinical research, CMRP services include comprehensive clinical trials, regulatory, pharmacovigilance, protocol navigation and development, and programmatic and project management support for facilitating the conduct of 400+ Phase I, II, and III domestic and international trials on a yearly basis. These trials investigate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of, and therapies for cancer, influenza, HIV, and other infectious diseases and viruses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malaria, and Ebola virus; heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions; parasitic infections; rheumatic and inflammatory diseases; and rare and neglected diseases. CMRP’s collaborative approach to clinical research and the expertise and dedication of staff to the continuation and success of the program’s mission has contributed to improving the overall standards of public health on a global scale. The Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides quality assurance and regulatory compliance support to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), Surgery Branch (SB). KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES - THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING APPROVAL The Developmental Scientist will: Provide support and advisement to the development of the T Cell receptor gene therapy protocols. Establishes, implements and maintains standardized processes and assesses performance to make recommendations for improvement. Provides support and guidance to the cellular therapy or vector production facilities at the NIH Clinical Center engaged in the manufacture of patient-specific therapies. Manufactures cellular therapy products for human use. Develops and manufactures lentiviral and/or retroviral vectors. Prepares technical reports, abstracts, presentations and program correspondence concerning assigned projects through research and analysis of information relevant to government policy, regulations and other relevant data and monitor all assigned programs for compliance. Provides project management support with planning and development of project schedules and deliverables, tracking project milestones, managing timelines, preparing status reports and monitoring progress ensuring adherence to deadlines. Facilitates communication through all levels of staff by functioning as a liaison between internal departments, senior management, and the customer. Serves as a leader/mentor to administrative staff and prepares employee performance evaluations. Develops and implements procedures/programs to ensure effective and efficient business and operational processes. Identifies potential bottlenecks in upcoming development processes and works with team members and senior management for resolution. Analyzes and tracks initiatives and contracts. Coordinates and reviews daily operations and logistics, including purchasing and shipping of miscellaneous equipment, laboratory and office supplies to ensure compliance with appropriate government regulations. Coordinates the administrative, fiscal, contractual, and quality aspects of all projects. Ensures that internal budgets, schedules and performance requirements are met. Monitors workflow and timelines to ensure production operations are on schedule and adequate raw materials and supplies are available. Ensures all activities are in compliance with applicable federal regulations and guidelines and proper testing/validation activities have been scheduled and conducted. Regularly interacts with senior or executive management both internally and externally, on matters concerning several functional areas such as operations, quality control and quality assurance. Participates in planning facility or operations modifications, upgrades and renovations. Performs technical audits of outsourced contractors in conjunction with Quality Assurance and or Quality Control. Assists in the evaluation and selection of staff, planning and coordination of training, assigning of tasks and scheduling workloads and evaluating overall performance. This position is located in Bethesda, Maryland.

The effect of normative social forces on managed care organizations: implications for strategic management.

PubMed

Kirby, E G; Sebastian, J G

1998-01-01

Drawing on institutional theory, this study examines how adherence to a number of "institutional" and "technical" environmental forces can influence the business success of managed care organizations (MCOs). The standards studied include: (1) institutional forces: socially accepted procedures for delivering care (access to quality care, availability of information, and delivery of care in a personal manner); and (2) technical forces: industry standards for cost control and efficient use of financial and medical resources. The most significant finding is that successful MCOs must conform to both institutional and technical forces to be successful. MCOs that conform to either one or the other type of standard were no more successful than those that conformed to neither. These findings have several important implications for MCO strategy. First, to be successful, MCO executives must understand the external environment in which they operate. They must anticipate and respond to shifts in that environment. Second, this understanding of the external environment must place equal emphasis on societal demands (e.g., for accessible care and information) and on technical demands (e.g., for cost-efficient care). These findings may well reflect that once managed care penetration reaches relatively high levels, marketshare can no longer be gained through cost-efficiency alone; rather, enrollee satisfaction based on societal demands becomes a key factor in maintaining and gaining marketshare. Institutional theory provides' some strategies for accomplishing these goals. Cost-containment strategies include implementing policies for cutting costs in areas that do not affect the quality of care, such as using generic drugs and reducing administrative excesses and redundancies. At the same time, MCOs must implement strategies aimed at improving conformity to prevailing societal perceptions of appropriate care, including providing patients more freedom to choose their physicians and encouraging and rewarding care providers for being friendly and personable. An MCO should work to inform the public of the organization's efforts to provide high-quality, low-cost medical care in a friendly, convenient manner.

Techniques for designing rotorcraft control systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yudilevitch, Gil; Levine, William S.

1994-01-01

Over the last two and a half years we have been demonstrating a new methodology for the design of rotorcraft flight control systems (FCS) to meet handling qualities requirements. This method is based on multicriterion optimization as implemented in the optimization package CONSOL-OPTCAD (C-O). This package has been developed at the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) at the University of Maryland at College Park. This design methodology has been applied to the design of a FCS for the UH-60A helicopter in hover having the ADOCS control structure. The controller parameters have been optimized to meet the ADS-33C specifications. Furthermore, using this approach, an optimal (minimum control energy) controller has been obtained and trade-off studies have been performed.

Improving the Quality of Academic Services through Implementation of Internal Quality Assurance System in State Institute of Islamic Studies STS Jambi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iskandar

2017-01-01

Implementation of quality assurance systems in IAIN STS Jambi implemented in early 2012, through the build system of internal quality assurance based on ISO 9001: 2008, in the process of implementation required strong reasons behind not growing atmosphere of academic standards of accreditation of study programs and institutions that are reflected…

[Methodology for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of performance of activities of medical and social experts].

PubMed

Moskalenko, V F; Gorban', Ie M; Marunich, V V; Ipatov, A V; Sergiieni, O V

2001-01-01

The paper scientifically substantiates methodology, approaches, criteria, and control indices for assessment of activities of establishments of medical-and-social performance. Most indices for efficiency and certain indices for week points in the work of establishments of the service depend on interaction thereof with curative- and prophylactic institutions; the best results with the problem of prevention of disability and rehabilitation of invalids are supposed to be achieved through collaborative efforts. Other criteria and intermediate indices having an effect on the quality of activities reflect the resource- and trained personnel supplies of establishments of the service, amount of work, organizational measures designed to raise the quality of medical-and-social expert performance.

Relationship among family environment, self-control, friendship quality, and adolescents’ smartphone addiction in South Korea: Findings from nationwide data

PubMed Central

Kim, Hye-Jin; Min, Jin-Young; Lee, Tae-Jin; Yoo, Seunghyun

2018-01-01

Background Many studies have examined the negative impact on smartphone addiction in adolescents. Recent concerns have focused on predictors of smartphone addiction. This study aimed to investigate the association of adolescents’ smartphone addiction with family environment (specifically, domestic violence and parental addiction). We further investigated whether self-control and friendship quality, as predictors of smartphone addiction, may reduce the observed risk. Methods We used the 2013 national survey on internet usage and utilization data from the National Information Agency of Korea. Information on exposure and covariates included self-reported experience of domestic violence and parental addiction, sociodemographic variables, and other variables potentially related to smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction was estimated using a smartphone addiction proneness scale, a standardized measure developed by national institutions in Korea. Results Adolescents who had experienced domestic violence (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.23–2.45) and parental addiction (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.24–3.27) were found to be at an increased risk for smartphone addiction after controlling for all potential variables. Furthermore, on classifying adolescents according to their level of self-control and friendship quality the association between domestic violence and parental addiction, and smartphone addiction was found to be significant in the group with adolescents with lower levels of self-control (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.68–4.90 and OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.34–2.83) and friendship quality (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.41–3.85 and OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.26–2.64). Conclusion Our findings suggest that family dysfunction was significantly associated with smartphone addiction. We also observed that self-control and friendship quality act as protective factors against adolescents’ smartphone addiction. PMID:29401496

Relationship among family environment, self-control, friendship quality, and adolescents' smartphone addiction in South Korea: Findings from nationwide data.

PubMed

Kim, Hye-Jin; Min, Jin-Young; Min, Kyoung-Bok; Lee, Tae-Jin; Yoo, Seunghyun

2018-01-01

Many studies have examined the negative impact on smartphone addiction in adolescents. Recent concerns have focused on predictors of smartphone addiction. This study aimed to investigate the association of adolescents' smartphone addiction with family environment (specifically, domestic violence and parental addiction). We further investigated whether self-control and friendship quality, as predictors of smartphone addiction, may reduce the observed risk. We used the 2013 national survey on internet usage and utilization data from the National Information Agency of Korea. Information on exposure and covariates included self-reported experience of domestic violence and parental addiction, sociodemographic variables, and other variables potentially related to smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction was estimated using a smartphone addiction proneness scale, a standardized measure developed by national institutions in Korea. Adolescents who had experienced domestic violence (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.23-2.45) and parental addiction (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.24-3.27) were found to be at an increased risk for smartphone addiction after controlling for all potential variables. Furthermore, on classifying adolescents according to their level of self-control and friendship quality the association between domestic violence and parental addiction, and smartphone addiction was found to be significant in the group with adolescents with lower levels of self-control (OR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.68-4.90 and OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.34-2.83) and friendship quality (OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.41-3.85 and OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.26-2.64). Our findings suggest that family dysfunction was significantly associated with smartphone addiction. We also observed that self-control and friendship quality act as protective factors against adolescents' smartphone addiction.

Levey-Jennings Analysis Uncovers Unsuspected Causes of Immunohistochemistry Stain Variability.

PubMed

Vani, Kodela; Sompuram, Seshi R; Naber, Stephen P; Goldsmith, Jeffrey D; Fulton, Regan; Bogen, Steven A

Almost all clinical laboratory tests use objective, quantitative measures of quality control (QC), incorporating Levey-Jennings analysis and Westgard rules. Clinical immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing, in contrast, relies on subjective, qualitative QC review. The consequences of using Levey-Jennings analysis for QC assessment in clinical IHC testing are not known. To investigate this question, we conducted a 1- to 2-month pilot test wherein the QC for either human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) or progesterone receptor (PR) in 3 clinical IHC laboratories was quantified and analyzed with Levey-Jennings graphs. Moreover, conventional tissue controls were supplemented with a new QC comprised of HER-2 or PR peptide antigens coupled onto 8 μm glass beads. At institution 1, this more stringent analysis identified a decrease in the HER-2 tissue control that had escaped notice by subjective evaluation. The decrement was due to heterogeneity in the tissue control itself. At institution 2, we identified a 1-day sudden drop in the PR tissue control, also undetected by subjective evaluation, due to counterstain variability. At institution 3, a QC shift was identified, but only with 1 of 2 controls mounted on each slide. The QC shift was due to use of the instrument's selective reagent drop zones dispense feature. None of these events affected patient diagnoses. These case examples illustrate that subjective QC evaluation of tissue controls can detect gross assay failure but not subtle changes. The fact that QC issues arose from each site, and in only a pilot study, suggests that immunohistochemical stain variability may be an underappreciated problem.

[50 years of the Institute for Research in Pharmacy and Biochemistry].

PubMed

Trcka, V

2003-05-01

After the nationalization of pharmaceutical industry and establishment of the United Pharmaceutical Enterprises in 1946, the Research and Control Institute (VKU) was established in Prague in 1947 to support the development of research, manufacture, and control of drugs. After other measures of nationalization and unification of research, in 1951 the research sections of the VKU and the pharmaceutical sections of the Research Institute of CCHZ were fused to form the Research Institute for Pharmacy and Biochemistry (VUFB). The section the VUFB taking care of the quality of production was transformed into the Pharmaceutical Control Institute (KUF). Each of the institutes had its own farm for breeding experimental animals outside Prague. In 1958, KUF was transformed into the Research Institute of Medicinal Plants (VULERO) and later, in 1960, into the Research Institute of Natural Substances (VUPL), which eventually fused with VUFB in 1967. During the years of increasing activities of VUFB, a chemical pilot plant was established in Olomouc, and a department of clinical pharmacology in Plzen. Research activities of VUFB were aimed to search for original drugs and to develop non-proprietary medicines in the field of the central and vegetative nervous systems, blood circulation, inflammatory processes, microbial infections, carcinostatic drugs, etc. In natural substances, the greatest attention was paid to ergot alkaloids, but the extent of research also included the constituents of the poppy, periwinkle, and other plants. An important part of the programme was also the breeding and cultivation of selected medicinal plants. The results of research were continuously published in both inland and foreign scholarly journals and at conferences and congresses. Every year, usually more than 100 papers were published and 40-50 for patents applications were submitted. The activity of the Institute resulted in the production of 30 original substances which were introduced into therapeutic practice. Twenty of them are still commonly prescribed. Some of these original substances got into foreign markets, particularly Prothiaden and Trimepranol represented important exports. In addition, 83 non-proprietary drugs were introduced into the inland market.

Assessment and the Quality of Educational Programmes: What Constitutes Evidence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shay, Sueellen; Jawitz, Jeff

2005-01-01

In a climate of growing accountability for Higher Education, there is an increased demand on assessment to play an evaluative role. National, professional and institutional quality assurance systems expect that the assessment of student performance can be used to evaluate the quality of teachers, learners, programmes and even institutions for the…

Does National Quality Monitoring Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahlen, Staffan

2004-01-01

This article analyses the impact of national quality audit of Swedish higher education institutions between 1995 and 2002. It also looks at the programme and subject reviews that have succeeded the audits, in order to compare results. It is found that the audits have resulted in the development of policy and structure of institutional quality work…

Information Technology and the Baldrige Quality Award: The Role and Impact of Information, Systems, and Service Quality at a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noble Burak, Deborah

2010-01-01

Educational institutions, especially community colleges, are facing challenges to provide accessible, affordable, and quality learning opportunities to a growing number of both traditional and nontraditional students. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems facilitate institutional operations and provide an integrated platform for information…

Colonised by Quality? Teacher Identities in a Research-Led Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelton, Alan

2012-01-01

This article explores the impact of quality assurance and enhancement initiatives on teacher identities in higher education. Data from an interview-based study of a research-led institution in the United Kingdom are drawn upon to consider the implications of quality--for example, whether it has captured the inner assumptive worlds of higher…

Institutionalisation of Internal Quality Assurance: Focusing on Institutional Work and the Significance of Disciplinary Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vukasovic, Martina

2014-01-01

The study suggests that institutionalisation of a comprehensive and systematic approach to internal quality assurance of higher education institutions inspired by the Bologna Process has regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive dimensions. It includes development of structures and procedures for quality assurance, as well as boosting of the…

Can Institutions Have Quality Programming without Utilizing a Systematic Outcomes-Based Assessment Process?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiner, Lauren; Bresciani, Marilee J.

2011-01-01

The researchers explored whether implementation of a systematic outcomes-based assessment process is necessary for demonstrating quality in service learning programs at a two-year and a four-year institution. The findings revealed that Western Community College and the University of the Coast maintained quality service-learning programs, which met…

A Novel Approach for Quality Education towards Industry Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santhiyakumari, N.; Babu, C.; Gomathi, C.; Rajesh, K.; Shenbagapriya, M.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a new method to improve the quality in technical education in order to meet the industry expectations. The quality of education and training being imparted in the technical education institutions varies from excellent to poor, with some institutions comparing favourably with the best in the world. Few others are suffering from…

Quality Assurance Toolkit for Distance Higher Education Institutions and Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rama, Kondapalli, Ed.; Hope, Andrea, Ed.

2009-01-01

The Commonwealth of Learning is proud to partner with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Higher Education and UNESCO to produce this "Quality Assurance Toolkit for Distance Higher Education Institutions and Programmes". The Toolkit has been prepared with three features. First, it is a generic document on quality assurance, complete with a…

Using Quality of Student Life Indicators at Three Cooperating Colleges: The Cycles Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royer, Paula Nassif; Kegan, Daniel

The problems of developing a low cost, quality institutional research program capable of longitudinal research, continuous broad bandwidth monitoring and data comparisons with other institutions, led to the development of the Hampshire Cycles Survey as an initial set of student quality of life indicators. Cycles is a multidimensional survey…

The Practice of Quality in Assuring Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Erica; Summers, Jane; Kinash, Shelley; Lawson, Romy; Taylor, Tracy; Herbert, James; Fallshaw, Eveline; Hall, Cathy

2014-01-01

There remains a lack of published empirical data on the substantive outcomes of higher learning and the establishment of quality processes for determining them. Studies that do exist are nationally focused with available rankings of institutions reflecting neither the quality of teaching and learning nor the diversity of institutions. This article…

Interlaboratory Study of Quality Control Isolates for a Broth Microdilution Method (Modified CLSI M38-A) for Testing Susceptibilities of Dermatophytes to Antifungals▿

PubMed Central

Ghannoum, M. A.; Arthington-Skaggs, B.; Chaturvedi, V.; Espinel-Ingroff, A.; Pfaller, M. A.; Rennie, R.; Rinaldi, M. G.; Walsh, T. J.

2006-01-01

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI; formerly National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, or NCCLS) M38-A standard for the susceptibility testing of filamentous fungi does not specifically address the testing of dermatophytes. In 2003, a multicenter study investigated the reproducibility of the microdilution method developed at the Center for Medical Mycology, Cleveland, Ohio, for testing the susceptibility of dermatophytes. Data from that study supported the introduction of this method for testing dermatophytes in the future version of the CLSI M38-A standard. In order for the method to be accepted by CLSI, appropriate quality control isolates needed to be identified. To that end, an interlaboratory study, involving the original six laboratories plus two additional sites, was conducted to evaluate potential candidates for quality control isolates. These candidate strains included five Trichophyton rubrum strains known to have elevated MICs to terbinafine and five Trichophyton mentagrophytes strains. Antifungal agents tested included ciclopirox, fluconazole, griseofulvin, itraconazole, posaconazole, terbinafine, and voriconazole. Based on the data generated, two quality control isolates, one T. rubrum isolate and one T. mentagrophytes isolate, were identified and submitted to the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) for inclusion as reference strains. Ranges encompassing 95.2 to 97.9% of all data points for all seven drugs were established. PMID:17050812

[Testing of medicinal products produced from pooled plasma].

PubMed

Unkelbach, U; Hunfeld, A; Breitner-Ruddock, S

2014-10-01

Medicinal products produced from human plasma fall under the administrative batch release procedure of the competent authority. In Germany, this has been carried out since 1995 by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), the responsible state control agency for blood products. Medicinal products released for the European and national market are tested for quality, efficacy and safety. Experimental testing of the final product and the starting materials, the plasma pools, as well as control of the production documentation guarantee a constantly high product safety. In the 28,000 batches tested since the beginning of the state controlled batch release testing of these blood products at the PEI, there has been no transmission of infectious viruses (HIV, HBV and HCV) to any patient. The batch release has made a contribution to the improvement of product quality. This procedure is still an important tool to ensure safety of blood products. The PEI is integrated in the batch release network of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Health Care (EDQM) in Strasbourg. Regulations and guidelines for official control authority batch release (OCABR) ensure harmonized procedures for mutual recognition of batch release on the European level. The EU certificates and German national certificates are requested and accepted in over 70 countries worldwide. Experimental testing in the EU and the requisite certificates have developed into a seal of quality for the world market.

[A valid quality system for mental health care: from accountability and control in institutionalised settings to co-creation in small areas and a focus on community vital signs].

PubMed

van Os, J; Delespaul, P H

In a given year, around 25% of the Dutch population may experience significant mental health problems, much more than the mental health service can attend to, given a maximum capacity of 6% of the population per year. Due to the lack of a public mental health system, there is fierce competition over who gets to receive care from mental health services and little control over how the level of needs can be matched with the appropriate intensity of care. As a result, resources are being wasted and both overtreatment and undertreatment are prevalent.
AIM: To propose a valid quality system that benefits the mental health of the entire population and does not simply attend to the symptoms of a strategically selected group.
METHOD: Literature review from an epidemiological and public mental health perspective.
RESULTS: In our view, a valid quality system for mental health care needs to focus on two distinct areas. The first area involves the analysis of about 20 quantitative population parameters or 'Community Vital Signs' (care consumption, pharmaco-epidemiological indicators, mortality, somatic morbidity, social care, housing, work, benefits, involuntary admissions). This analysis will reveal regional variation in the mental health of the entire population rather than in the relatively small, selected group receiving mental health care. The second area to which attention needs to be directed comprises a system of simple qualitative visits to mental health care institutions based on 10 quality parameters that currently remain invisible; these parameters will measure the impact at local community level. The focus of these will be on a transition from accountability and control in large institutions to provision of care in small areas that was co-designed with users and other stakeholders.
CONCLUSION: A valid quality system for mental health care is within reach, provided it is combined with a novel system of public mental health and transition of care to a system of co-design with users in small areas.

Private health care expenditure and quality in Beveridge systems: cross-regional differences in the Italian NHS.

PubMed

Del Vecchio, Mario; Fenech, Lorenzo; Prenestini, Anna

2015-03-01

Private health care expenditure ranges from 15% to 30% of total healthcare spending in OECD countries. The literature suggests that there should be an inverse correlation between quality of public services and private expenditures. The main objective of this study is to explore the association between quality of public healthcare and private expenditures in the Italian Regional Healthcare Systems (RHSs). The institutional framework offered by the Italian NHS allows to investigate on the differences among the regions while controlling for institutional factors. The study uses micro-data from the ISTAT Household Consumption Survey (HCS) and a rich set of regional quality indicators. The results indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between quality and private spending per capita across regions. The study also points out the strong association between the distribution of private consumption and income. In order to account for the influence of income, the study segmented data in three socio-economic classes and computed cross-regional correlations of RHSs quality and household healthcare expenditure per capita, within each class. No correlation was found between the two variables. These findings are quite surprising and call into question the theory that better quality of public services crowds out private spending, or, at the very least, it undermines the simplistic notions that higher levels of private spending are a direct consequence of poor quality in the public sector. This suggests that policies should avoid to simplistically link private spending with judgements or assessments about the functioning or efficacy of the public system and its organizations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enantiomer fractions of polychlorinated biphenyls in three selected Standard Reference Materials.

PubMed

Morrissey, Joshua A; Bleackley, Derek S; Warner, Nicholas A; Wong, Charles S

2007-01-01

The enantiomer composition of six chiral polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in three different certified Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): SRM 1946 (Lake Superior fish tissue), SRM 1939a (PCB Congeners in Hudson River Sediment), and SRM 2978 (organic contaminants in mussel tissue--Raritan Bay, New Jersey) to aid in quality assurance/quality control methodologies in the study of chiral pollutants in sediments and biota. Enantiomer fractions (EFs) of PCBs 91, 95, 136, 149, 174, and 183 were measured using a suite of chiral columns by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Concentrations of target analytes were in agreement with certified values. Target analyte EFs in reference materials were measured precisely (<2% relative standard deviation), indicating the utility of SRM in quality assurance/control methodologies for analyses of chiral compounds in environmental samples. Measured EFs were also in agreement with previously published analyses of similar samples, indicating that similar enantioselective processes were taking place in these environmental matrices.

Preventing and controlling foodborne disease in commercial and institutional food service settings: a systematic review of published intervention studies.

PubMed

Viator, Catherine; Blitstein, Jonathan; Brophy, Jenna E; Fraser, Angela

2015-02-01

This study reviews the current literature on behavioral and environmental food safety interventions conducted in commercial and institutional food service settings. A systematic search of the published literature yielded 268 candidate articles, from which a set of 23 articles reporting intervention outcomes was retained for evaluation. A categorization of measured outcomes is reported; studies addressed multiple outcomes ranging from knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of personal hygiene and food safety to management practices and disease rates and outbreaks. This study also investigates the quality of reported research methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions, using a nine-point quality index adapted by the authors. The observed scores suggest that there are opportunities to improve the design and reporting of research in the field of foodborne disease prevention as it applies to food safety interventions that target the food service industry. The aim is to aid researchers in this area to design higher quality studies and to produce clearer and more useful reports of their research. In turn, this can help to create a more complete evidence base that can be used to continually improve interventions in this domain.

Analysis of the sources of uncertainty for EDR2 film‐based IMRT quality assurance

PubMed Central

Shi, Chengyu; Papanikolaou, Nikos; Yan, Yulong; Weng, Xuejun; Jiang, gyu

2006-01-01

In our institution, patient‐specific quality assurance (QA) for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is usually performed by measuring the dose to a point using an ion chamber and by measuring the dose to a plane using film. In order to perform absolute dose comparison measurements using film, an accurate calibration curve should be used. In this paper, we investigate the film response curve uncertainty factors, including film batch differences, film processor temperature effect, film digitization, and treatment unit. In addition, we reviewed 50 patient‐specific IMRT QA procedures performed in our institution in order to quantify the sources of error in film‐based dosimetry. Our study showed that the EDR2 film dosimetry can be done with less than 3% uncertainty. The EDR2 film response was not affected by the choice of treatment unit provided the nominal energy was the same. This investigation of the different sources of uncertainties in the film calibration procedure can provide a better understanding of the film‐based dosimetry and can improve quality control for IMRT QA. PACS numbers: 87.86.Cd, 87.53.Xd, 87.57.Nk PMID:17533329

Transfer of technology for production of rabies vaccine: Memorandum from a WHO Meeting*

PubMed Central

1985-01-01

The important challenge of prevention and control of rabies in the world will require international efforts to increase the availability and use of high quality cell-culture rabies vaccines for use in man and animals. An important aspect of activities to ensure such availability is transfer of technologies to developing countries for production of these vaccines. This article, which is based on the report of a WHO Consultation, outlines the technical options for vaccine production. The principles and economic aspects of technology transfer are considered, and a WHO assistance programme is outlined. It is concluded that technology transfer should be mediated through a framework of national institutes, expert panels, WHO collaborating centres, production and control laboratories, and other relevant institutions. On this basis, recommendations are made concerning the mechanisms of technology transfer for production of cell-culture rabies vaccines. PMID:3878738

Perceived service quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction and happiness of outlook for long-term care institution residents.

PubMed

Lin, Jesun; Hsiao, Chih-Tung; Glen, Robert; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Zeng, Sin-Huei

2014-06-01

To investigate the psychometric properties and relationships of perceived service quality, perceived value and overall satisfaction for residents with respect to their long-term care institutions. The five-point Likert scale questionnaire administered through facetoface interviews. Fourteen long-term care institutions located in central and southern Taiwan stratified according to services and accommodation population. One hundred and eighty long-term institutional care residents. Perceived service quality (the SERVPERF model), perceived value and overall satisfaction (models based on the literature on perceived value and satisfaction). Student's t-test on institutional location shows a significant difference between overall satisfaction for central and southern institution long-term care recipients. The correlation test revealed that the higher a resident's level of education, the higher the scores for perceived value. The factor loading results of confirmation factor analysis show acceptable levels of reliability and index-of-model fits for perceived service, perceived value and overall satisfaction. In addition, the results suggest that an additional construct, a positive attitude (happiness of outlook) towards long-term care institutions, is also an important factor in residents' overall satisfaction. The primary goal of long-term institutional care policy in Taiwan, as in other countries, is to provide residents with practical, cost-effective but high-quality care. On the basis of the results of in-depth interviews with long-term institutional care residents, this study suggests long-term care institutions arrange more family visit days to increase the accessibility and interaction of family and residents and thereby increase the happiness of outlook of the residents. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Quality control an assessment system. Its location within a program for food, nutrition and metabolic intervention].

PubMed

Santana Porbén, S

2012-01-01

A design proposal for a HQCAS Hospital Quality Control and Assessment System of the nutritional and feeding care processes conducted in a hospital environment is presented in this article. The design proposal is accompanied of the results of inspections conducted by the hospital NST Nutritional Support Group between 2005-2010. The system design includes quality policies that should rule the useful and safe conduction of such processes, the recording and documentary foundations of the System, and the quality control and assessment exercises for the continuous verification of such established policies. The current state of the conduction of these processes was documented from secondary records opened by the NST after satisfying consultation requests from the medical care teams of the institution. Inspections conducted by the NST revealed that less than half of clinical charts contained information minimally enough for elaborating nutritional judgments, almost one-fifth of the assisted patients were on Nils Per Oris, for whom no nutritional support schemes were prescribed, and a low prescription and usage of artificial nutrition schemes. Corrective measures adopted by the NST served to significantly increase the rates of successful completion of inspected processes. Quality assurance of feeding and nutritional care processes is a practical as well as an intellectual activity subjected to constant remodeling, in order to always warrant the fulfillment of quality policies advanced by the NST, and thus, that the patient benefits from the prescribed nutritional intervention strategy.

Quality Characteristics of Wholemeal Flour and Bread from Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L subsp. durum Desf.) after Field Treatment with Plant Water Extracts.

PubMed

Carrubba, Alessandra; Comparato, Andrea; Labruzzo, Andrea; Muccilli, Serena; Giannone, Virgilio; Spina, Alfio

2016-09-01

The use of selected plant water extracts to control pests and weeds is gaining growing attention in organic and sustainable agriculture, but the effects that such extracts may exert on the quality aspects of durum wheat are still unexplored. In 2014, 5 plant water extracts (Artemisia arborescens, Euphorbia characias, Rhus coriaria, Thymus vulgaris, Lantana camara) were prepared and distributed on durum wheat cv Valbelice to evaluate their potential herbicidal effects. After crop harvesting, the major physicochemical and technological parameters of wholemeal flours obtained from each treatment were measured and compared with those from chemical weeding and untreated controls. A baking test was also performed to evaluate the breadmaking quality. In wholemeal flours obtained after the treatment with plant extracts protein and dry gluten content were higher than in control and chemical weeding. Wholemeal flours obtained after chemical weeding reached the highest Mixograph parameters, and that from durum wheat treated with R. coriaria extract demonstrated a very high α-amylase activity. We concluded that the treatments with plant water extracts may influence many quality traits of durum wheat. This occurrence must be taken into account in overall decisions concerning the use of plant extracts in pest and weed management practice. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

The Impact Discounts and the Price-Quality Effect Have on the Choice of an Institution of Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quigley, Charles J., Jr.; Bingham, Frank G., Jr.; Notarantonio, Elaine M.; Murray, Keith

1999-01-01

A survey of 303 potential college students and their parents found that high price and low price institutions are evaluated higher on quality attributes than are moderately priced institutions. Further, discounts (such as financial aid) were found to have little effect on the attendance decision. Implications for the pricing strategies used by…

The Long Road--How Evolving Institutional Governance Mechanisms Are Changing the Face of Quality in Portuguese Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarrico, Cláudia S.; Veiga, Amélia; Amaral, Alberto

2013-01-01

While a lot has been written regarding the changing management and governance arrangements in higher education, less is known about how this progression relates to quality in higher education. The purpose of this article is to describe the context of governance in Portuguese higher education institutions and how institutional governance…

A Quality Framework for Continuous Improvement of e-Learning: The e-Learning Maturity Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Stephen

2010-01-01

The E-Learning Maturity Model (eMM) is a quality improvement framework designed to help institutional leaders assess their institution's e-learning maturity. This paper reviews the eMM, drawing on examples of assessments conducted in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA to show how it helps institutional leaders assess and compare their…

Quality Control Methodology Of A Surface Wind Observational Database In North Eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucio-Eceiza, Etor E.; Fidel González-Rouco, J.; Navarro, Jorge; Conte, Jorge; Beltrami, Hugo

2016-04-01

This work summarizes the design and application of a Quality Control (QC) procedure for an observational surface wind database located in North Eastern North America. The database consists of 526 sites (486 land stations and 40 buoys) with varying resolutions of hourly, 3 hourly and 6 hourly data, compiled from three different source institutions with uneven measurement units and changing measuring procedures, instrumentation and heights. The records span from 1953 to 2010. The QC process is composed of different phases focused either on problems related with the providing source institutions or measurement errors. The first phases deal with problems often related with data recording and management: (1) compilation stage dealing with the detection of typographical errors, decoding problems, site displacements and unification of institutional practices; (2) detection of erroneous data sequence duplications within a station or among different ones; (3) detection of errors related with physically unrealistic data measurements. The last phases are focused on instrumental errors: (4) problems related with low variability, placing particular emphasis on the detection of unrealistic low wind speed records with the help of regional references; (5) high variability related erroneous records; (6) standardization of wind speed record biases due to changing measurement heights, detection of wind speed biases on week to monthly timescales, and homogenization of wind direction records. As a result, around 1.7% of wind speed records and 0.4% of wind direction records have been deleted, making a combined total of 1.9% of removed records. Additionally, around 15.9% wind speed records and 2.4% of wind direction data have been also corrected.

[Quality of life in institutionalized elderly people of Medellín].

PubMed

Estrada, Alejandro; Cardona, Doris; Segura, Angela María; Chavarriaga, Lina Marcela; Ordóñez, Jaime; Osorio, Jorge Julián

2011-01-01

Many factors contribute to the deteriorating quality of life of elderly people living in care institutions. Some of these problems are a consequence of few contacts with relatives and friends, and being alone with a feeling of isolation. The conditions of quality of life are explored for elderly people living in care institutions. In a cross sectional study, 276 subjects were selected from 39 long term institutions located in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The sex ratio was female: male 60:40% with a mean age of 79.2 ± 8.0. Elderly subjects with cognitive problems or not living in the institution were excluded. The World Health Organization Quality of Life of Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) questionnaire was applied; in additional, capacity and cognitive functional scales of Pfeffer, the anxiety scale of Goldberg, and the Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage were administered. Mininutritional assessment scales and complementary questionnaires about demographics, health perception, social support system were also included. The information was analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression method. Most (71%) considered themselves autonomous for undertaking daily, habitual activities. Other statistics included the following: 45.7% with depression, 33.0% with anxiety, 28.3% with functional problems, and 54.3% at risk of malnutrition. A negative quality-of-life assessment was associated with the following factors: female, diabetes, depression, anxiety and high functional capacity. A positive quality-of-life assessment was associated with individuals who voluntarily came to the institution. Quality of life for elderly people living in care institutions can become deteriorated when they are not capable to do the usual activities necessary for daily living. Exacerbating factors included sex, symptoms of depression, anxiety, or perceived mistreatment by their families.

[On the issues of functioning of the clinic of research institute of balneology].

PubMed

2012-01-01

The article presents the results of analysis of effectiveness of application of main resources in organizing and quality supporting of medical diagnostic care to patients in the clinic of research institute of balneology profile. The result data points out the insufficient effectiveness of application of these resources; the defects in organization and quality of curative diagnostic and rehabilitation care. They determine the priority directions of enhancement of functioning of the institution being a clinical base of research institute of balneology.

Setting quality and safety priorities in a target-rich environment: an academic medical center's challenge.

PubMed

Mort, Elizabeth A; Demehin, Akinluwa A; Marple, Keith B; McCullough, Kathryn Y; Meyer, Gregg S

2013-08-01

Hospitals are continually challenged to provide safer and higher-quality patient care despite resource constraints. With an ever-increasing range of quality and safety targets at the national, state, and local levels, prioritization is crucial in effective institutional quality goal setting and resource allocation.Organizational goal-setting theory is a performance improvement methodology with strong results across many industries. The authors describe a structured goal-setting process they have established at Massachusetts General Hospital for setting annual institutional quality and safety goals. Begun in 2008, this process has been conducted on an annual basis. Quality and safety data are gathered from many sources, both internal and external to the hospital. These data are collated and classified, and multiple approaches are used to identify the most pressing quality issues facing the institution. The conclusions are subject to stringent internal review, and then the top quality goals of the institution are chosen. Specific tactical initiatives and executive owners are assigned to each goal, and metrics are selected to track performance. A reporting tool based on these tactics and metrics is used to deliver progress updates to senior hospital leadership.The hospital has experienced excellent results and strong organizational buy-in using this effective, low-cost, and replicable goal-setting process. It has led to improvements in structural, process, and outcomes aspects of quality.

Radiation protection program for early detection of breast cancer in a mammography facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mariana, Villagomez Casimiro, E-mail: marjim10-66@ciencias.unam.mx, E-mail: cesar@fisica.unam.mx; Cesar, Ruiz Trejo, E-mail: marjim10-66@ciencias.unam.mx, E-mail: cesar@fisica.unam.mx; Ruby, Espejo Fonseca

Mammography is the best tool for early detection of Breast Cancer. In this diagnostic radiology modality it is necessary to establish the criteria to ensure the proper use and operation of the equipment used to obtain mammographic images in order to contribute to the safe use of ionizing radiation. The aim of the work was to implement at FUCAM-AC the radiation protection program which must be established for patients and radiation workers according to Mexican standards [1–4]. To achieve this goal, radiation protection and quality control manuals were elaborated [5]. Furthermore, a quality control program (QCP) in the mammography systemsmore » (analog/digital), darkroom included, has been implemented. Daily sensitometry, non-variability of the image quality, visualizing artifacts, revision of the equipment mechanical stability, compression force and analysis of repetition studies are some of the QCP routine tests that must be performed by radiological technicians of this institution as a set of actions to ensure the protection of patients. Image quality and patients dose assessment were performed on 4 analog equipment installed in 2 mobile units. In relation to dose assessment, all equipment passed the acceptance criteria (<3 mGy per projection). The image quality test showed that most images (70%)– presented artifacts. A brief summary of the results of quality control tests applied to the equipment and film processor are presented. To maintain an adequate level of quality and safety at FUCAM-AC is necessary that the proposed radiation protection program in this work is applied.« less

Using Students' Experiences to Derive Quality in an E-Learning System: An Institution's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Shirley; Golja, Tanja

2007-01-01

Higher education institutions undertake a range of approaches to evaluating and making judgments about the quality of their e-learning provision. This paper begins by exploring benchmarking as one current strategy in common use in universities to identify and implement quality practices: from the use of checklists (for example, of best practices…

The University of Santo Tomas Viewed from the Lens of Total Quality Management: Implications to Total Quality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Torres, Josefina R.

2004-01-01

Considered as a major management approach for improving organizational performance and competitive advantage, Total Quality Management (TQM) poses a challenge to dynamic institutions to adopt a systemic philosophy that places emphasis on customer needs and a commitment to a culture of excellence. Higher education institutions (HEIs) as learning…

How Do Management Students Perceive the Quality of Education in Public Institutions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narang, Ritu

2012-01-01

Purpose: Keeping in mind the urgent need to deliver quality education in higher education institutes, the current paper seeks to measure the quality perception of management students in India. Design/methodology/approach: Based on an exploratory study a modified version of SERVQUAL was employed as the research instrument. Data were collected from…

Policy Development of Quality Assurance: A Critical Perspective on Past and Future Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Westhuizen, L. J.

2000-01-01

Provides an overview of the initiatives and development of policies to establish a workable quality assurance system for institutions of higher education in South Africa in the last decade. Notes challenges such as the government's emphasis on programs of study and its requirement that quality assurance systems include institutional auditing,…

Academics' Perceptions of the Impact of Internal Quality Assurance on Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavares, Orlanda; Sin, Cristina; Videira, Pedro; Amaral, Alberto

2017-01-01

Internal quality assurance systems are expected to improve the institutions' core mission of teaching and learning. Using data gathered through an online survey, distributed in 2014/2015, to the teaching staff of all Portuguese private and public higher education institutions, this paper examines the impact of internal quality assurance systems on…

A Conceptual Framework to Help Evaluate the Quality of Institutional Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettunen, Juha

2008-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to present a general conceptual framework which can be used to evaluate quality and institutional performance in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The quality of higher education is at the heart of the setting up of the European Higher Education Area. Strategic management is widely used in higher education…

A Statistical Analysis of Education Service Quality Dimensions on Business School Students' Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seng, Ernest Lim Kok; Ling, Tan Pei

2013-01-01

This study aims to investigate student satisfaction on quality education services provided by institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. Their level of satisfaction based primarily on the data collected through five dimensions of education service quality. A random sample of 250 students studying in an institution of higher learning was selected…

MO-A-16A-01: QA Procedures and Metrics: In Search of QA Usability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sathiaseelan, V; Thomadsen, B

Radiation therapy has undergone considerable changes in the past two decades with a surge of new technology and treatment delivery methods. The complexity of radiation therapy treatments has increased and there has been increased awareness and publicity about the associated risks. In response, there has been proliferation of guidelines for medical physicists to adopt to ensure that treatments are delivered safely. Task Group recommendations are copious, and clinical physicists' hours are longer, stretched to various degrees between site planning and management, IT support, physics QA, and treatment planning responsibilities.Radiation oncology has many quality control practices in place to ensure themore » delivery of high-quality, safe treatments. Incident reporting systems have been developed to collect statistics about near miss events at many radiation oncology centers. However, tools are lacking to assess the impact of these various control measures. A recent effort to address this shortcoming is the work of Ford et al (2012) who recently published a methodology enumerating quality control quantification for measuring the effectiveness of safety barriers. Over 4000 near-miss incidents reported from 2 academic radiation oncology clinics were analyzed using quality control quantification, and a profile of the most effective quality control measures (metrics) was identified.There is a critical need to identify a QA metric to help the busy clinical physicists to focus their limited time and resources most effectively in order to minimize or eliminate errors in the radiation treatment delivery processes. In this symposium the usefulness of workflows and QA metrics to assure safe and high quality patient care will be explored.Two presentations will be given:Quality Metrics and Risk Management with High Risk Radiation Oncology ProceduresStrategies and metrics for quality management in the TG-100 Era Learning Objectives: Provide an overview and the need for QA usability metrics: Different cultures/practices affecting the effectiveness of methods and metrics. Show examples of quality assurance workflows, Statistical process control, that monitor the treatment planning and delivery process to identify errors. To learn to identify and prioritize risks and QA procedures in radiation oncology. Try to answer the question: Can a quality assurance program aided by quality assurance metrics help minimize errors and ensure safe treatment delivery. Should such metrics be institution specific.« less

[The development of the nongovernmental public health sector in a transitional economy].

PubMed

Golukhov, G N; Shilenko, A Iu; Shilenko, Iu V

1996-01-01

The authors compare the development of state and non-state public health. They analyze the potentialities of non-state noncommercial medicine and the peculiarities of its development. With this aim in view, they consider the forms of property and numerous organizational and legal forms of institutions and organizations in public health, as well as the mechanisms of quality control within the framework of non-state public health.

Adoption of Clinical Information Systems in Health Services Organizations

PubMed Central

Austin, Charles J.; Holland, Gloria J.

1988-01-01

This paper presents a conceptual model of factors which influence organizational decisions to invest in the installation of clinical information systems. Using results of previous research as a framework, the relative influence of clinical, fiscal, and strategic-institutional decision structures are examined. These adoption decisions are important in health services organizations because clinical information is essential for managing demand and allocating resources, managing quality of care, and controlling costs.

Quality Control in K-12 Digital Learning: Three (Imperfect) Approaches. Creating Healthy Policy for Digital Learning. A Working Paper Series from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick M.

2011-01-01

Digital learning makes possible the "unbundling" of school provisions--that is, it allows children to be served by providers from almost anywhere, in new and more customized ways. At the same time, because it destandardizes and decentralizes educational delivery, digital education is far harder to bring under the yoke of the…

Improving Quality Using Architecture Fault Analysis with Confidence Arguments

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

CMU/SEI-2015-TR-006 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY iii List of Figures Figure 1: Architecture-Centric...Requirements Decomposition 5 Figure 2: A System and Its Interface with Its Environment 6 Figure 3: AADL Graphical Symbols 8 Figure 4: Textual AADL Example...8 Figure 5: Textual AADL Error Model Example 9 Figure 6: Potential Hazard Sources in the Feedback Control Loop [Leveson 2012] 11 Figure 7

Quality Improvement Process in a Large Intensive Care Unit: Structure and Outcomes.

PubMed

Reddy, Anita J; Guzman, Jorge A

2016-11-01

Quality improvement in the health care setting is a complex process, and even more so in the critical care environment. The development of intensive care unit process measures and quality improvement strategies are associated with improved outcomes, but should be individualized to each medical center as structure and culture can differ from institution to institution. The purpose of this report is to describe the structure of quality improvement processes within a large medical intensive care unit while using examples of the study institution's successes and challenges in the areas of stat antibiotic administration, reduction in blood product waste, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and medication errors. © The Author(s) 2015.

Service quality and corporate social responsibility, influence on post-purchase intentions of sheltered employment institutions.

PubMed

Chen, Chao-Chien; Lin, Shih-Yen; Cheng, Chia-Hsin; Tsai, Chia-Ching

2012-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of service quality and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction toward post-purchase intentions from sheltered employment institutions. Work experience plays an important role in career development for those people with intellectual disabilities. When they are not yet capable of obtaining a job in the open market, they must receive job training and daily care in sheltered employment institutions. If the sheltered employment institutions cannot operate properly, they will greatly affect intellectual disabilities. From the study of "Children Are Us Bakeries and Restaurants" sheltered employment institutions are one kind of food service business that has been found to request and improve service quality and execution of CSR. These are two main factors which can enhance brand value and create a good reputation for sheltered employment institutions. The questionnaire results indicate that perceived service quality has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction and the reliability dimension is the most important factor for customers to assess service quality. Meanwhile, correlation analysis shows that customer satisfaction regarding service quality influences post-purchase intentions, indicating that friendly and helpful employees can please customers and enhance their satisfaction level and also induce positive post-purchase intentions of consumers. Regarding the CSR of "Children Are Us Bakeries and Restaurants" sheltered employment institutions, the analysis reveals a statistical significance: the greater customer satisfaction of CSR, the higher the post-purchase intention. In addition, in the work, paired-sample t test analysis reveals there is a significant difference (p<.05) in service quality and CSR in terms of "perceived" and "expected" responses. In summary, since those with intellectual disabilities usually are enthusiastic at work and do their best to provide good service and execute CSR well, the value of sheltered employment institutions establishments should be recognized by all should receive continued support and there should be a willingness to hire these intellectually disabled citizens. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Professional formation and its accreditation in medicine. A paradigm to sustain public confidence].

PubMed

Rosselot, Eduardo; Norero, Colomba; Hanne, Christel; Mateluna, Ester

2002-05-01

Sustaining quality control of learning programs for health professions has become a central issue in university systems, under the pressure of an unexpected merging of new medical schools in Chile, during the last decade, and the massive arrival of other Latin American physicians. Accreditation of institutions and programs represents valid safeguards used in most countries where professional training processes take place. Due guarantee of its quality is required to assure proper health care to people. The authors provide specific arguments to support systematic evaluation and accreditation processes, as those introduced in our country to fulfill the requirements of a high level medical practice.

IMI's teaching design, feedback system and its localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Tingting; Zhang, Xuexin

2017-08-01

In Britain, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) sets the National Occupational Standards for all sectors of the automotive industry. The IMI certificate and associated training programs are well recognized for its high quality both in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally. Using China's first groups studying IMI Level 3 certificate for teachers and Level 2 certificate for students as a sample, we analyzed the seven central aspects in IMI teaching, namely, assessment standard, environment, method, content, procedure, quality control and feedback. We then proposed strategies and guidelines for its localization in China, which would be particularly important for the establishment and expansion of IMI centers.

Student quality-of-life declines during third year surgical clerkship.

PubMed

Goldin, Steven B; Wahi, Monika M; Farooq, Osman S; Borgman, Heather A; Carpenter, Heather L; Wiegand, Lucas R; Nixon, Lois L; Paidas, Charles; Rosemurgy, Alexander S; Karl, Richard C

2007-11-01

Choosing surgery as a career is declining among U.S. medical students. The 8-wk third year surgery clerkship at our institution can be an intense learning experience, and we hypothesized that during this clerkship medical student quality-of-life would drop significantly from baseline, and that this drop would be greater among certain subgroups, such as women students not interested in pursuing a surgical career, and those who place a high value on a controllable lifestyle. At clerkship orientation (baseline), students were asked to complete a survey that measured quality-of-life on an 84-point scale, and depression on a 40-point scale. The quality-of-life scale was composed of select questions from the Medical Outcomes Study, and the Harvard Department of Psychiatry/NDSD brief screening instrument was used to measure depression. Students were also asked the typical number of hours they slept per night. Demographics, attitude toward a controllable lifestyle, and top three specialties of interest were also gathered at baseline. On week 6 of the clerkship, students were surveyed on the same quality-of -life and depression scales, and asked average hours of sleep per night for the previous week. From June 2005 through December 2006, 143 of 177 (81%) students agreed to participate, and after exclusions for missing data, 137 students were included in the analysis. Sixty-nine students were women (51%), and the average age was 25.8 (sd 2.6). Mean quality-of-life at baseline was 57.0 (sd 11.3) and at week 6 was 50.4 (sd 10.1) representing a statistically significant average decline of 6.6 points (P < 0.0001). Mean depression at baseline was 14.4 (sd 3.8) and at week 6 was 15.1 (sd 3.6), representing a small but significant average decline of 0.7 points (P = 0.0155). Mean sleep at baseline was 6.3 h/night (sd 0.9) and at week 6 was 5.7 h/night (sd 1.2), representing a statistically significant average decline of 0.6 h/night (P < 0.0001). Declines were similar on all outcomes between men versus women, those who ranked surgery in their top three career choices versus those who did not, and those who ranked controllable lifestyle as "very important" versus all other categories. Quality-of-life and sleep declines and depression increases significantly in third-year medical students from orientation to week 6 of their surgery clerkship at our institution. We look forward to studying quality-of-life on other clerkships for comparison, assessing whether the magnitude of this decline in quality-of-life predicts students avoiding a future career in surgery, and testing interventions to prevent this decline in quality-of-life during the clerkship.

Asthma Outcomes: Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Wilson, Sandra R.; Rand, Cynthia S.; Cabana, Michael D.; Foggs, Michael B.; Halterman, Jill S.; Olson, Lynn; Vollmer, William M.; Wright, Rosalind J.; Taggart, Virginia

2014-01-01

Background “Asthma-related quality of life” refers to the perceived impact that asthma has on the patient’s quality of life. Objective National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutes and other federal agencies convened an expert group to recommend standardized measures of the impact of asthma on quality of life for use in future asthma clinical research. Methods We reviewed published documentation regarding the development and psychometric evaluation; clinical research use since 2000; and extent to which the content of each existing quality of life instrument provides a unique, reliable, and valid assessment of the intended construct. We classified instruments as core (required in future studies), supplemental (used according to the study’s aims and standardized), or emerging (requiring validation and standardization). This work was discussed at an NIH-organized workshop convened in March 2010 and finalized in September 2011. Results Eleven instruments for adults and 6 for children were identified for review. None qualified as core instruments because they predominantly measured indicators of asthma control (symptoms and/or functional status); failed to provide a distinct, reliable score measuring all key dimensions of the intended construct; and/or lacked adequate psychometric data. Conclusions In the absence of existing instruments that meet the stated criteria, currently available instruments are classified as either supplemental or emerging. Research is strongly recommended to develop and evaluate instruments that provide a distinct, reliable measure of the patient’s perception of the impact of asthma on all of the key dimensions of quality of life, an important outcome that is not captured in other outcome measures. PMID:22386511

An insight into the drinking-water access in the health institutions at the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) after 40years of conflict.

PubMed

Vivar, M; Pichel, N; Fuentes, M; Martínez, F

2016-04-15

Drinking water access in the Saharawi refugee camps located in the Algerian desert is a challenge that is still an on-going problem after 40years of conflict. This work presents an analysis of the situation with emphasis on the water supply in health institutions (quantity and quality) including both sanitary inspections and a comprehensive water quality study. Results from sanitary inspections show that only half of the water supply installations at the hospitals are in adequate conditions and the rest present high risk of microbiological contamination. Water access in small medical community centres on the other hand present issues related to the non-availability of food-grade water tanks for the institutions (70%), the use of small 10l containers as the main water supply (40%), poor maintenance (60% under antihygienic conditions and 30% with damaged covers), and insufficient chlorine levels that prevent microbiological contamination. Regarding water quality analyses, raw water supply in Smara, El Aiun and Awserd camps present high conductivity and high levels of fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate, but dropping to normal levels within the drinking-water standards after water treatment via reverse osmosis plants. But for the case of El Aiun and Awserd, the reverse osmosis plant only provides treated water to the population each 20days, so the population receives raw water directly and health risks should be evaluated. Finally, Dakhla water supply is the best in terms of physico-chemical parameters quality, currently providing safe drinking water after a chlorination stage. In summary, drinking water access has improved dramatically in the last years due to the efforts of local and international authorities but several issues remain to be solved: access to treated water for all the population, improved water quality controls (especially in Dakhla), expansion of distribution networks, and adequate storage systems and maintenance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The quality movement in higher education in the United States.

PubMed

Buchanan, H S

1995-09-01

Continuous quality improvement (CQI), often implemented as part of an integrated management system called total quality management (TQM), has been institutionalized within many manufacturing, military and service organizations in the USA as a response to declining market share, low productivity and customer complaints about poor quality. Signs and symptoms suggest that higher education has similar problems which are systematic and relate to the quality ot higher education, financing, facilities, curriculum and graduates. In the 1990S, the quality movement has begun to spread to the field of education as a means of diagnosing and treating the problems widely recognized as residing in US educational institutions, especially in colleges and universities. Many business leaders and authors believe that 'quality is the most important strategic issue facing top management in the 1990s'. This belief arises partly due to the fact that managers are beginning to understand the relationship between healthy, high quality organizations and healthy profits. This article traces the recent US quality movement from its roots in manufacturing and the military, its adoption by service institutions, and its more recent application by higher education institutions.

Perceived service quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction and happiness of outlook for long‐term care institution residents

PubMed Central

Lin, Jesun; Hsiao, Chih‐Tung; Glen, Robert; Pai, Jar‐Yuan; Zeng, Sin‐Huei

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective  To investigate the psychometric properties and relationships of perceived service quality, perceived value and overall satisfaction for residents with respect to their long‐term care institutions. Design  The five‐point Likert scale questionnaire administered through facetoface interviews. Setting  Fourteen long‐term care institutions located in central and southern Taiwan stratified according to services and accommodation population. Participants  One hundred and eighty long‐term institutional care residents. Main outcome measures  Perceived service quality (the SERVPERF model), perceived value and overall satisfaction (models based on the literature on perceived value and satisfaction). Results  Student’s t‐test on institutional location shows a significant difference between overall satisfaction for central and southern institution long‐term care recipients. The correlation test revealed that the higher a resident’s level of education, the higher the scores for perceived value. The factor loading results of confirmation factor analysis show acceptable levels of reliability and index‐of‐model fits for perceived service, perceived value and overall satisfaction. In addition, the results suggest that an additional construct, a positive attitude (happiness of outlook) towards long‐term care institutions, is also an important factor in residents’ overall satisfaction. Conclusion  The primary goal of long‐term institutional care policy in Taiwan, as in other countries, is to provide residents with practical, cost‐effective but high‐quality care. On the basis of the results of in‐depth interviews with long‐term institutional care residents, this study suggests long‐term care institutions arrange more family visit days to increase the accessibility and interaction of family and residents and thereby increase the happiness of outlook of the residents. PMID:22429448

Fidelity considerations in translational research: Eating As Treatment - a stepped wedge, randomised controlled trial of a dietitian delivered behaviour change counselling intervention for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

PubMed

Beck, Alison Kate; Baker, Amanda; Britton, Ben; Wratten, Chris; Bauer, Judith; Wolfenden, Luke; Carter, Gregory

2015-10-15

The confidence with which researchers can comment on intervention efficacy relies on evaluation and consideration of intervention fidelity. Accordingly, there have been calls to increase the transparency with which fidelity methodology is reported. Despite this, consideration and/or reporting of fidelity methods remains poor. We seek to address this gap by describing the methodology for promoting and facilitating the evaluation of intervention fidelity in The EAT (Eating As Treatment) project: a multi-site stepped wedge randomised controlled trial of a dietitian delivered behaviour change counselling intervention to improve nutrition (primary outcome) in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. In accordance with recommendations from the National Institutes of Health Behaviour Change Consortium Treatment Fidelity Workgroup, we sought to maximise fidelity in this stepped wedge randomised controlled trial via strategies implemented from study design through to provider training, intervention delivery and receipt. As the EAT intervention is designed to be incorporated into standard dietetic consultations, we also address unique challenges for translational research. We offer a strong model for improving the quality of translational findings via real world application of National Institutes of Health Behaviour Change Consortium recommendations. Greater transparency in the reporting of behaviour change research is an important step in improving the progress and quality of behaviour change research. ACTRN12613000320752 (Date of registration 21 March 2013).

An institutional review board-based clinical research quality assurance program.

PubMed

Lad, Pramod M; Dahl, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Despite the acknowledged importance of quality assurance in the clinical research process, the problem of how such a program should be implemented at the level of an academic teaching hospital or a similar institution has not been addressed in the literature. Despite the fact that quality assurance is expected in programs which certify and accredit Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), very little is known about the role of the IRB in programs of clinical research quality assurance. In this article we consider the definition of clinical research quality assurance, and describe a program designed to achieve it. The key elements of such a program are education at the site level, which has both mandatory and voluntary components, and an auditing and monitoring program, which reinforces the education on quality assurance. The role of the IRB in achieving the program goals and the organizational placement of the quality assurance program within the IRB structure and function are important items of discussion.

The Integration of Quality Management Functions within a University: A Systems Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brits, H. J.

2011-01-01

According to a recent study, institutions of higher learning in South Africa fail to a great extent to integrate the key management functions that are fundamental to effective quality management. This article argues that the effective promotion of quality of a university's core business depends to a large extent on the ability of an institution's…

Total Quality Management (TQM) in Self-Financed Technical Institutions: A Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Force Field Analysis Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thakkar, Jitesh; Deshmukh, S. G.; Shastree, Anil

2006-01-01

Purpose: To explore the potential for adoption of TQM in self-financed technical institutions in the light of new demands and challenges posed by customers/students and society. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents use of quality function deployment (QFD) which prioritizes technical requirements and correlates them with various…

75 FR 2552 - NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Enhancing Use and Quality of Colorectal Cancer Screening

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Enhancing Use and Quality of Colorectal Cancer Screening Notice is hereby given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the ``NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Enhancing Use and Quality of Colorectal Cancer Screening'' to be held...

One or Multiple Paths to Quality Assurance of Higher Education Institutions in the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashour, Sanaa

2017-01-01

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven autonomous emirates that follow different economic models. There is a process for quality assurance at the federal level, however, each emirate takes its own approach to assure the quality of its institutions. This has resulted in different procedures and varying levels of oversight and…

Use of Multiple Methodologies for Developing a Customer-Oriented Model of Total Quality Management in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahney, Sangeeta

2016-01-01

Purpose: Educational institutes must embrace the principles of total quality management (TQM) if they seek to remain competitive, and survive and succeed in the long run. An educational institution must embrace the principles of quality management and incorporate them into all of their activities. Starting with a theoretical background, the paper…

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Service Quality: The Moderating Role of the Institutional Aspects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duževic, Ines; Ceh Casni, Anita

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore key attributes of service quality in the Croatian higher education system. In particular, the study aims to compare student and faculty perceptions of service quality and to identify institutional aspects that may affect the perceptions of these two customers. Principal component analysis is used to define…

A system identification approach for developing model predictive controllers of antibody quality attributes in cell culture processes

PubMed Central

Schmitt, John; Beller, Justin; Russell, Brian; Quach, Anthony; Hermann, Elizabeth; Lyon, David; Breit, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

As the biopharmaceutical industry evolves to include more diverse protein formats and processes, more robust control of Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) is needed to maintain processing flexibility without compromising quality. Active control of CQAs has been demonstrated using model predictive control techniques, which allow development of processes which are robust against disturbances associated with raw material variability and other potentially flexible operating conditions. Wide adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical cell culture processes has been hampered, however, in part due to the large amount of data and expertise required to make a predictive model of controlled CQAs, a requirement for model predictive control. Here we developed a highly automated, perfusion apparatus to systematically and efficiently generate predictive models using application of system identification approaches. We successfully created a predictive model of %galactosylation using data obtained by manipulating galactose concentration in the perfusion apparatus in serialized step change experiments. We then demonstrated the use of the model in a model predictive controller in a simulated control scenario to successfully achieve a %galactosylation set point in a simulated fed‐batch culture. The automated model identification approach demonstrated here can potentially be generalized to many CQAs, and could be a more efficient, faster, and highly automated alternative to batch experiments for developing predictive models in cell culture processes, and allow the wider adoption of model predictive control in biopharmaceutical processes. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1647–1661, 2017 PMID:28786215

Variations in institutional infrastructure, physician specialization and experience, and outcome in ovarian cancer: a systematic review.

PubMed

du Bois, Andreas; Rochon, Justine; Pfisterer, Jacobus; Hoskins, William J

2009-02-01

Ovarian cancer outcome varies among different institutions, regions, and countries. This systematic review summarizes the available data evaluating the impact of different physician and hospital characteristics on outcome in ovarian cancer patients. A MEDLINE database search for pertinent publications was conducted and reference lists of each relevant article were screened. Experts in the field were contacted. Selected studies assessed the relationship between physician and/or hospital specialty or volume and at least one of the outcomes of interest. The primary outcome was survival. Additional parameters included surgical outcome (debulking), completeness of staging, and quality of chemotherapy. The authors independently reviewed each article and applied the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The quality of each study was assessed by focusing on strategies to control for important prognostic factors. Forty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Discipline and sub-specialization of the primary treating physician were identified as the most important variable associated with superior outcome. Evidence showing a beneficial impact of institutional factors was weaker, but followed the same trend. Hospital volume was hardly related to any outcome parameter. The limited evidence available showed considerable heterogeneity and has to be interpreted cautiously. Better utilization of knowledge about institutional factors and well-established board certifications may improve outcome in ovarian cancer. Patients and primary-care physicians should select gynecologic oncologists for primary treatment in countries with established sub-specialty training. Policymakers, insurance companies, and lay organizations should support development of respective programs.

[Accession to the PIC/S and pharmaceutical quality system in Japan].

PubMed

Katori, Noriko

2014-01-01

In March, 2012, Japan made the application for membership of the Pharmaceutical Inspection convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation scheme (PIC/S) which is an international body of a GMP inspection. The globalization of pharmaceutical manufacturing and sales has been a driving force behind the decision to become a PIC/S member. For the application for membership, Japan's GMP inspectorate needs to fulfill PIC/S requirements, for example, the inspection organization has to have a quality system as a global standard. One of the other requirements is that the GMP inspectorate can access Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCL) having high analytical skills and also have a quality system based on ISO 17025. I would like to describe the process to make up a quality system in the National Institute of Health Sciences and also the circumstances around the PIC/S application in Japan.

[Quality of life in patients with age-related macular degeneration - medical and social problem].

PubMed

Muzyka-Woźniak, Maria; Misiuk-Hojło, Marta; Wesolowska, Alicja

2011-01-01

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness over the age of 50 in western countries. People with AMD are suffering from serious vision-related disability and their social life is compromised. The aim of our study was to assess quality of life (QoL) in patients with exudative AMD. The study group was 100 patients treated for AMD, the control group were 30 age and sex matched subjects without ophthalmic disorders. Patients were treated with anti-VEGF therapy, by means of National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). As well as visual function, the NEI-VFQ investigates social functioning, mental health and dependency. There was statistically significant difference in QoL overall score between study group and control group. Patients with AMD obtained 51.1 (+/- 20.5 ) overall score, control group reached 83.7 (+/- 11.7) overall score, p = 0.001. Detailed analysis of study group revealed low acceptance of the disease and strong dependency. QoL in patients with AMD assessed with NEI VFQ-25, is significantly impaired. Low quality of life and difficulties in performing daily activities point at the need of formal psychological and social care.

Challenges in Credentialing Institutions and Participants in Advanced Technology Multi-institutional Clinical Trials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibbott, Geoffrey S.; Followill, David S.; Molineu, H. Andrea

The Radiological Physics Center (RPC) has functioned continuously for 38 years to assure the National Cancer Institute and the cooperative groups that institutions participating in multi-institutional trials can be expected to deliver radiation treatments that are clinically comparable to those delivered by other institutions in the cooperative groups. To accomplish this, the RPC monitors the machine output, the dosimetry data used by the institutions, the calculation algorithms used for treatment planning, and the institutions' quality control procedures. The methods of monitoring include on-site dosimetry review by an RPC physicist and a variety of remote audit tools. The introduction of advancedmore » technology clinical trials has prompted several study groups to require participating institutions and personnel to become credentialed, to ensure their familiarity and capability with techniques such as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, and brachytherapy. The RPC conducts a variety of credentialing activities, beginning with questionnaires to evaluate an institution's understanding of the protocol and their capabilities. Treatment-planning benchmarks are used to allow the institution to demonstrate their planning ability and to facilitate a review of the accuracy of treatment-planning systems under relevant conditions. The RPC also provides mailable anthropomorphic phantoms to verify tumor dose delivery for special treatment techniques. While conducting these reviews, the RPC has amassed a large amount of data describing the dosimetry at participating institutions. Representative data from the monitoring programs are discussed, and examples are presented of specific instances in which the RPC contributed to the discovery and resolution of dosimetry errors.« less

Nature of air pollution, emission sources, and management in the Indian cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guttikunda, Sarath K.; Goel, Rahul; Pant, Pallavi

2014-10-01

The global burden of disease study estimated 695,000 premature deaths in 2010 due to continued exposure to outdoor particulate matter and ozone pollution for India. By 2030, the expected growth in many of the sectors (industries, residential, transportation, power generation, and construction) will result in an increase in pollution related health impacts for most cities. The available information on urban air pollution, their sources, and the potential of various interventions to control pollution, should help us propose a cleaner path to 2030. In this paper, we present an overview of the emission sources and control options for better air quality in Indian cities, with a particular focus on interventions like urban public transportation facilities; travel demand management; emission regulations for power plants; clean technology for brick kilns; management of road dust; and waste management to control open waste burning. Also included is a broader discussion on key institutional measures, like public awareness and scientific studies, necessary for building an effective air quality management plan in Indian cities.

Trends in the number and the quality of trial protocols involving children submitted to a French Institutional Review Board.

PubMed

Gautier, Isabelle; Janiaud, Perrine; Rollet, Nelly; André, Nicolas; Tsimaratos, Michel; Cornu, Catherine; Malik, Salma; Gentile, Stéphanie; Kassaï, Behrouz

2017-08-23

There is a great need for high quality clinical research for children. The European Pediatric Regulation aimed to improve the quality of clinical trials in order to increase the availability of treatments for children. The main purpose of this study was to assess the evolution of both the number and the quality of pediatric trial protocols that were submitted to a French Institutional Review Board (IRB00009118) before and after the initiation of the EU Pediatric Regulation. All protocols submitted to the IRB00009118 between 2003 and 2014 and conducting research on subjects under eighteen years of age were eligible. The quality of randomized clinical trials was assessed according to the guidelines developed by the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network and ranked using the Jadad score. Out of 622 protocols submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), 21% (133/622) included children. Among these 133 pediatric protocols, the number of submitted pediatric protocols doubled between the two studied periods. From 2003 to 2008, 47 protocols including 21 institutionally sponsored were submitted to the IRB and from 2009 until 2014, 86 protocols including 48 institutionally sponsored were submitted. No significant trend was observed on the quality of RCTs. The overall median score of RCTs on the Jadad scale was high (3.5), 70.0% of protocols had a Jadad score ≥ 3, and 30.0% had a score < 3. Following the EU Pediatric Regulation, the number of pediatric protocols submitted to the IRB00009118 tends to increase, but no change was noticed regarding their quality.

[Comparative evaluation of information products regarding cancer screening of German-speaking cancer organizations].

PubMed

Hofmann, Julia; Kien, Christina; Gartlehner, Gerald

2015-01-01

Evidence-based information materials about the pros and cons of cancer screening are important sources for men and women to decide for or against cancer screening. The aim of this paper was to compare recommendations from different cancer institutions in German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) regarding screening for breast, cervix, colon, and prostate cancer and to assess the quality and development process of patient information materials. Relevant information material was identified through web searches and personal contact with cancer institutions. To achieve our objective, we employed a qualitative approach. The quality of 22 patient information materials was analysed based on established guidance by Bunge et al. In addition, we conducted guided interviews about the process of developing information materials with decision-makers of cancer institutes. Overall, major discrepancies in cancer screening recommendations exist among the Austrian, German, and Swiss cancer institutes. Process evaluation revealed that crucial steps of quality assurance, such as assembling a multi-disciplinary panel, assessing conflicts of interest, or transparency regarding funding sources, have frequently not been undertaken. All information materials had substantial quality deficits in multiple areas. Three out of four institutes issued information materials that met fewer than half of the quality criteria. Most patient information materials of cancer institutes in German-speaking countries are fraught with substantial deficits and do not provide an objective source for patients to be able to make an informed decision for or against cancer screening. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

The Relationship between Experience and Self-Perceptions of Knowledge and Relevance of Teaching Competencies of Faculty in a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stedman, Nicole L. P.; Roberts, T. Grady; Harder, Amy; Myers, Brian E.; Thoron, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

There has been a call for faculty at academic institutions to improve the quality of their educational programs. Previous research findings have found that the size and focus of the institution impacts the quality and resources given to instructional activities. However, it has been noted that traditionally research-focused institutions now are…

Bringing Equity and Quality Learning Together: Institutional Priorities for Tracking and Advancing Underserved Students' Success. Key Findings from a Survey and In-Depth Interviews among Administrators at AAC&U Member Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2015

2015-01-01

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) surveyed Chief Academic Officers at member institutions from July-October 2015 concerning priorities related to learning outcomes, assessment, general education design, high-impact practices, and data tracking and goal setting around equity and quality learning. With support from…

Characterization of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation process for production of a therapeutic recombinant protein using a multivariate Bayesian approach.

PubMed

Fu, Zhibiao; Baker, Daniel; Cheng, Aili; Leighton, Julie; Appelbaum, Edward; Aon, Juan

2016-05-01

The principle of quality by design (QbD) has been widely applied to biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Process characterization is an essential step to implement the QbD concept to establish the design space and to define the proven acceptable ranges (PAR) for critical process parameters (CPPs). In this study, we present characterization of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation process using risk assessment analysis, statistical design of experiments (DoE), and the multivariate Bayesian predictive approach. The critical quality attributes (CQAs) and CPPs were identified with a risk assessment. The statistical model for each attribute was established using the results from the DoE study with consideration given to interactions between CPPs. Both the conventional overlapping contour plot and the multivariate Bayesian predictive approaches were used to establish the region of process operating conditions where all attributes met their specifications simultaneously. The quantitative Bayesian predictive approach was chosen to define the PARs for the CPPs, which apply to the manufacturing control strategy. Experience from the 10,000 L manufacturing scale process validation, including 64 continued process verification batches, indicates that the CPPs remain under a state of control and within the established PARs. The end product quality attributes were within their drug substance specifications. The probability generated with the Bayesian approach was also used as a tool to assess CPP deviations. This approach can be extended to develop other production process characterization and quantify a reliable operating region. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:799-812, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Correlation of hospital magnet status with the quality of physicians performing neurosurgical procedures in New York State.

PubMed

Bekelis, Kimon; Missios, Symeon; MacKenzie, Todd A

2018-01-24

The quality of physicians practicing in hospitals recognized for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center has not been studied before. We investigated whether Magnet hospital recognition is associated with higher quality of physicians performing neurosurgical procedures. We performed a cohort study of patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures from 2009-2013, who were registered in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database. Propensity score adjusted multivariable regression models were used to adjust for known confounders, with mixed effects methods to control for clustering at the facility level. An instrumental variable analysis was used to control for unmeasured confounding and simulate the effect of a randomized trial. During the study period, 185,277 patients underwent neurosurgical procedures, and met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 66,607 (35.6%) were hospitalized in Magnet hospitals, and 118,670 (64.4%) in non-Magnet institutions. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that undergoing neurosurgical operations in Magnet hospitals was associated with a 13.6% higher chance of being treated by a physician with superior performance in terms of mortality (95% CI, 13.2% to 14.1%), and a 4.3% higher chance of being treated by a physician with superior performance in terms of length-of-stay (LOS) (95% CI, 3.8% to 4.7%) in comparison to non-Magnet institutions. The same associations were present in propensity score adjusted mixed effects models. Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of neurosurgical patients in New York State we identified an association of Magnet hospital recognition with superior physician performance.

Using standard treatment protocols to manage costs and quality of hospital services.

PubMed

Meyer, J W; Feingold, M G

1993-06-01

The current health care environment has made it critically important that hospital costs and quality be managed in an integrated fashion. Promised health care reforms are expected to make cost reduction and quality enhancement only more important. Traditional methods of hospital cost and quality control have largely been replaced by such approaches as practice parameters, outcomes measurement, clinical indicators, clinical paths, benchmarking, patient-centered care, and a focus on patient selection criteria. This Special Report describes an integrated process for strategically managing costs and quality simultaneously, incorporating key elements of many important new quality and cost control tools. By using a multidisciplinary group process to develop standard treatment protocols, hospitals and their medical staffs address the most important services provided within major product lines. Using both clinical and financial data, groups of physicians, nurses, department managers, financial analysts, and administrators redesign key patterns of care within their hospital, incorporating the best practices of their own and other institutions. The outcome of this process is a new, standardized set of clinical guidelines that reduce unnecessary variation in care, eliminate redundant interventions, establish clear lines of communication for all caregivers, and reduce the cost of each stay. The hospital, medical staff, and patients benefit from the improved opportunities for managed care contracting, more efficient hospital systems, consensus-based quality measures, and reductions in the cost of care. STPs offer a workable and worthwhile approach to positioning the hospital of the 1990s for operational efficiency and cost and quality competitiveness.

Development of quality control procedures for mass produced and released Bactrocera Philippinensis (Diptera: Tephritidae) for sterile insect technique programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Resilva, S.; Obra, G.; Zamora, N.

Quality control procedures for Bactrocera philippinensis Drew and Hancock 1994 (Diptera: Tephritidae) used in sterile insect technique (SIT) programs were established in the mass rearing facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. Basic studies on pupal irradiation, holding/packaging systems, shipping procedures, longevity, sterility studies, and pupal eye color determination in relation to physiological development at different temperature regimes were investigated. These studies will provide baseline data for the development of quality control protocols for an expansion of B. philippinensis field programs with an SIT component in the future. (author) [Spanish] Los procedimientos de control de calidad para Bactrocera philippinensis Drewmore » y Hancock 1994 (Diptera: Tephritidae) usados en programas de la tecnica de insecto esteril (TIE) fueron establecidos en la facilidad de cria en masa del Instituto Filipino de Investigacion Nuclear. Estudios basicos sobre la irradiacion de las pupas, sistemas de almacenaje/empaque, procedimientos del envio, longevidad, estudios de esterilidad y la determinacion del color de ojo de la pupa en relacion con el desarrollo fisiologico en regimenes diferentes de temperatura fueron investigados. Estos estudios proveeran una linea de informacion basica para el desarrollo de protocolos de control de calidad para una expansion de los programas de campo para B. philippinensis con un componente de TIS en el futuro. (author)« less

Review of Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) Schools. Volume II: Quantitative Analysis of Educational Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

most enlightening sources found on how to approach the problem were as follows: 1. Eric A. Hanushek and Others, Making Schools Work, Improving... Hanushek traces the history of educational inputs and outputs in the United States. Since the 1950s, test scores have not increased, while...important inputs see Eric A. Hanushek and Others, Making Schools Work: Improving Performance and Controlling Costs, The Brookings Institution, 1994 and

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the chest and abdomen with use of controlled apnea in children.

PubMed

Saleh, Roya S; Patel, Swati; Lee, Margaret H; Boechat, M Ines; Ratib, Osman; Saraiva, Carla R; Finn, J Paul

2007-06-01

To retrospectively determine if controlled apnea improves the image quality of contrast material--enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the chest and abdomen in children. Institutional review board approval and waiver of informed consent were obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study. The authors evaluated contrast-enhanced MR angiographic procedures performed in the chest, abdomen, or both, in 23 children (14 boys, nine girls; age range, 1 month to 8 years) who were under general anesthesia. All patients underwent mechanical ventilation with preoxygenation (100% oxygen) prior to controlled apnea during image acquisition. In control subjects, the authors assessed contrast-enhanced MR angiographic procedures performed in the chest, abdomen, or both, in 23 children (matched for age and type of study with children in the controlled apnea group; 11 boys, 12 girls; age range, 1 month to 8 years) who were under general anesthesia (n=15) or deep sedation (n=8) and were breathing spontaneously during image acquisition. MR angiograms of the chest, abdomen, or both, were assessed for image quality, motion artifacts, and vessel definition by two radiologists working in consensus with a subjective grading scale. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess differences in measurements. Image quality was rated excellent in 97% (30 of 31) of studies with controlled apnea and in 30% (nine of 31) of control studies (P<.001). Motion artifacts were absent in 97% (30 of 31) of studies with controlled apnea and 13% (four of 31) of control studies (P<.001). Vessel sharpness was rated as being significantly better on images obtained with controlled apnea (P<.05). There were no complications caused by anesthesia or sedation in either group. Controlled apnea is highly effective in children for eliminating respiratory motion artifacts with contrast-enhanced MR angiographic studies, resulting in greatly improved image quality and spatial resolution. (c) RSNA, 2007.

[Function and structure of the Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care in consideration of patient involvement].

PubMed

Mühlbauer, V; Teupen, S

2014-01-01

The Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care have become important players in the German health care system, not only since the benefit assessment of pharmaceuticals and the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) were established. However, the manifold tasks and duties these institutions have besides the benefit assessment of pharmaceuticals is less known, just as the role the patient's representatives play. The function and structure of the Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care as well as their collaboration in consideration of patient involvement will be explained in this article. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Aligning Teaching Methods for Learning Outcomes: A Need for Educational Change in Management Education Using Quality Function Deployment Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakhru, Kanupriya Misra

2018-01-01

In the present scenario managerial skills are required in every sphere of life. With the increase in the number of management education institutes these days, quality of knowledge imparted in these institutes has become a subject of debate. Quality is vital for every customer and their requirements cannot be ignored. No sector in the economy is…

Towards evidence-based, quality-controlled health promotion: the Dutch recognition system for health promotion interventions

PubMed Central

Brug, Johannes; van Dale, Djoeke; Lanting, Loes; Kremers, Stef; Veenhof, Cindy; Leurs, Mariken; van Yperen, Tom; Kok, Gerjo

2010-01-01

Registration or recognition systems for best-practice health promotion interventions may contribute to better quality assurance and control in health promotion practice. In the Netherlands, such a system has been developed and is being implemented aiming to provide policy makers and professionals with more information on the quality and effectiveness of available health promotion interventions and to promote use of good-practice and evidence-based interventions by health promotion organizations. The quality assessments are supervised by the Netherlands Organization for Public Health and the Environment and the Netherlands Youth Institute and conducted by two committees, one for interventions aimed at youth and one for adults. These committees consist of experts in the fields of research, policy and practice. Four levels of recognition are distinguished inspired by the UK Medical Research Council's evaluation framework for complex interventions to improve health: (i) theoretically sound, (ii) probable effectiveness, (iii) established effectiveness, and (iv) established cost effectiveness. Specific criteria have been set for each level of recognition, except for Level 4 which will be included from 2011. This point of view article describes and discusses the rationale, organization and criteria of this Dutch recognition system and the first experiences with the system. PMID:20841318

[Role of medium-sized independent laboratories in control of healthcare-associated infection].

PubMed

Anzai, Eiko; Fukui, Toru

2009-05-01

In 2006, the Ministry of Health and Welfare revised the regulations regarding the Medical Service Law. The amendments stipulate that all healthcare institutions are required to implement infection control programs. However, small hospitals and clinics have no clinical microbiology laboratories, whereas medium-sized hospitals have few medical technologists and the outsourcing of microbiology tests to independent laboratories is common. The decreasing number of laboratories and recent outsourcing tendency reflect the increasing commercialization, and, with it, the escalating number of commercially operating chains. Each independent laboratory is responsible for supporting activities related to the surveillance, control, and prevention of healthcare-associated infections in the associated small and medium-sized hospitals. The people responsible for infection control in these hospitals usually do not have a background in microbiology. The evaluation of communication between independent laboratory staff and hospital personnel, and rapid turnaround time of microbiology laboratory test reports are important elements ensuring the quality of independent laboratory work. With the pressures of financial constraints in the Japanese medical insurance system, the development of a cost-effective and practical protocol for quality assurance is a real dilemma.

Long-term Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery: A National Institutes of Health Symposium

PubMed Central

Courcoulas, Anita P.; Yanovski, Susan Z.; Bonds, Denise; Eggerman, Thomas L.; Horlick, Mary; Staten, Myrlene A.; Arterburn, David E.

2017-01-01

Importance The clinical evidence base demonstrating bariatric surgery’s health benefits is much larger than it was when the NIH last held a Consensus Panel in 1991. Still, it remains unclear whether ongoing studies will address critical questions about long-term complication rates and the sustainability of weight loss and comorbidity control. Objective The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) convened a multidisciplinary workshop in May 2013 to summarize the current state of knowledge of bariatric surgery, review research findings on the long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery, and establish priorities for future research directions. Evidence Review The evidence presented at the workshop was selected by the planning committee for both its quality and duration of follow up. The data review emphasized RCTs and large observational studies with long-term follow up, with or without a control group. Findings Several small RCTs showed greater weight loss and T2DM remission compared to non-surgical treatments within the first 2 years of follow-up after bariatric surgery. Large, long-term observational studies show durable (>5 years) weight loss, diabetes and lipid improvements with bariatric surgery. Still unclear are predictors of outcomes, long-term complications, long-term survival, micro- and macro-vascular events, mental health outcomes, and costs. The studies needed to address these knowledge gaps would be expensive and logistically difficult to perform. Conclusions and Relevance High-quality evidence shows that bariatric surgical procedures result in greater weight loss than non-surgical treatments and are more effective at inducing initial T2DM remission in obese patients. More information is needed about the long term durability of comorbidity control and complications after bariatric procedures and this evidence will most likely come from carefully designed observational studies. PMID:25271405

Effect of sorghum flour addition on in vitro starch digestibility, cooking quality, and consumer acceptability of durum wheat pasta.

PubMed

Khan, Imran; Yousif, Adel M; Johnson, Stuart K; Gamlath, Shirani

2014-08-01

Whole grain sorghum is a valuable source of resistant starch and polyphenolic antioxidants and its addition into staple food like pasta may reduce the starch digestibility. However, incorporating nondurum wheat materials into pasta provides a challenge in terms of maintaining cooking quality and consumer acceptability. Pasta was prepared from 100% durum wheat semolina (DWS) as control or by replacing DWS with either wholegrain red sorghum flour (RSF) or white sorghum flour (WSF) each at 20%, 30%, and 40% incorporation levels, following a laboratory-scale procedure. Pasta samples were evaluated for proximate composition, in vitro starch digestibility, cooking quality, and consumer acceptability. The addition of both RSF and WSF lowered the extent of in vitro starch digestion at all substitution levels compared to the control pasta. The rapidly digestible starch was lowered in all the sorghum-containing pastas compared to the control pasta. Neither RSF or WSF addition affected the pasta quality attributes (water absorption, swelling index, dry matter, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, and springiness), except color and hardness which were negatively affected. Consumer sensory results indicated that pasta samples containing 20% and 30% RSF or WSF had acceptable palatability based on meeting one or both of the preset acceptability criteria. It is concluded that the addition of wholegrain sorghum flour to pasta at 30% incorporation level is possible to reduce starch digestibility, while maintaining adequate cooking quality and consumer acceptability. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

The Application of an Evidence-Based Clinical Nursing Path for Improving the Preoperative and Postoperative Quality of Care of Pediatric Retroperitoneal Neuroblastoma Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial at a Tertiary Medical Institution.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Mo, Lin; Tang, Yan; Wang, Qiuhong; Huang, Xiaoyan

A clinical nursing path (CNP) that encourages patients and their families to become actively involved in healthcare decision-making processes may improve outcomes of pediatric retroperitoneal neuroblastoma (NB) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility and value of an evidence-based CNP provided to pediatric retroperitoneal NB patients undergoing resection surgery. One hundred twenty NB cases were assigned to a control group or a CNP group. The control group was provided with standard nursing care. The CNP group was provided with nursing care in accordance with an evidence-based CNP. The utility and value of the CNP were compared with standard nursing care. Outcome measures included rates of postoperative complications, lengths of hospital stay, and cost of hospitalization, as well as preoperative and postoperative quality of care and patient satisfaction with care. The rates of postoperative complications, length of preoperative hospitalization, total length of hospital stay, and costs of hospitalization were significantly lower for patients receiving the CNP compared with the control group. Preoperative and postoperative quality of care and patient satisfaction with care were significantly higher in patients receiving the CNP compared with the control group. Adoption of a CNP for preoperative and postoperative care of pediatric retroperitoneal NB patients undergoing resection surgery improves clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction with care. A CNP can increase families' participation in a patient's recovery process, enhance nurses' understanding of the services they are providing, and improve the quality of healthcare received by patients.

Comparing clinical quality indicators for asthma management in children with outcome measures used in randomised controlled trials: a protocol.

PubMed

Choong, Miew Keen; Tsafnat, Guy; Hibbert, Peter; Runciman, William B; Coiera, Enrico

2015-09-08

Clinical quality indicators are necessary to monitor the performance of healthcare services. The development of indicators should, wherever possible, be based on research evidence to minimise the risk of bias which may be introduced during their development, because of logistic, ethical or financial constraints alone. The development of automated methods to identify the evidence base for candidate indicators should improve the process of indicator development. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between clinical quality indicators for asthma management in children with outcome and process measurements extracted from randomised controlled clinical trial reports. National-level indicators for asthma management in children will be extracted from the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) database and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards. Outcome measures will be extracted from published English language randomised controlled trial (RCT) reports for asthma management in children aged below 12 years. The two sets of measures will be compared to assess any overlap. The study will provide insights into the relationship between clinical quality indicators and measurements in RCTs. This study will also yield a list of measurements used in RCTs for asthma management in children, and will find RCT evidence for indicators used in practice. Ethical approval is not necessary because this study will not include patient data. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Preliminary enquiry into the availability, price and quality of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in the private health sector of six malaria-endemic countries.

PubMed

Albertini, A; Djalle, D; Faye, B; Gamboa, D; Luchavez, J; Mationg, M L; Mwangoka, G; Oyibo, W; Bennett, J; Incardona, S; Lee, E

2012-02-01

This enquiry aimed to provide a snap-shot of availability, price and quality of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in private health facilities at selected sites in six malaria-endemic countries in Africa, South East Asia and South America. In each study site, data collectors surveyed private healthcare facilities which were selected based on accessibility from their home institution. Using a questionnaire, information was recorded about the facility itself and the malaria RDT(s) available. Where possible, a small number of RDTs were procured and quality control tested using a standardized procedure. Of the 324 private healthcare facilities visited, 35 outlets (mainly private clinics and hospitals) were found to supply 10 different types of RDTs products. RDT prices across the six countries ranged from US$1.00 to $16.81. Five of the 14 malaria RDTs collected failed quality control testing. In the private outlets sampled, the availability of RDTs was limited. Some of the RDTs whose quality we tested demonstrated inadequate sensitivity. This presents a number of risks. Given the more widespread distribution of antimalarials currently planned for private sector facilities, parasite-based diagnosis in this sector will be essential to adhere to the WHO guidelines for effective case management of malaria. Considerable regulation and quality control are also necessary to assure the availability of accurate and reliable RDTs, as well as adequate case management and provider adherence to RDT results. Public sector engagement is likely to be essential in this process. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

River Water Pollution Status and Water Policy Scenario in Ethiopia: Raising Awareness for Better Implementation in Developing Countries.

PubMed

Awoke, Aymere; Beyene, Abebe; Kloos, Helmut; Goethals, Peter L M; Triest, Ludwig

2016-10-01

Despite the increasing levels of pollution in many tropical African countries, not much is known about the strength and weaknesses of policy and institutional frameworks to tackle pollution and ecological status of rivers and their impacts on the biota. We investigated the ecological status of four large river basins using physicochemical water quality parameters and bioindicators by collecting samples from forest, agriculture, and urban landscapes of the Nile, Omo-Gibe, Tekeze, and Awash River basins in Ethiopia. We also assessed the water policy scenario to evaluate its appropriateness to prevent and control pollution. To investigate the level of understanding and implementation of regulatory frameworks and policies related to water resources, we reviewed the policy documents and conducted in-depth interviews of the stakeholders. Physicochemical and biological data revealed that there is significant water quality deterioration at the impacted sites (agriculture, coffee processing, and urban landscapes) compared to reference sites (forested landscapes) in all four basins. The analysis of legal, policy, and institutional framework showed a lack of cooperation between stakeholders, lack of knowledge of the policy documents, absence of enforcement strategies, unavailability of appropriate working guidelines, and disconnected institutional setup at the grass root level to implement the set strategies as the major problems. In conclusion, river water pollution is a growing challenge and needs urgent action to implement intersectoral collaboration for water resource management that will eventually lead toward integrated watershed management. Revision of policy and increasing the awareness and participation of implementers are vital to improve ecological quality of rivers.

Assurance of Medical Device Quality with Quality Management System: An Analysis of Good Manufacturing Practice Implementation in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Tu, Pei-Weng; Wu, Shiow-Ing

2015-01-01

The implementation of an effective quality management system has always been considered a principal method for a manufacturer to maintain and improve its product and service quality. Globally many regulatory authorities incorporate quality management system as one of the mandatory requirements for the regulatory control of high-risk medical devices. The present study aims to analyze the GMP enforcement experience in Taiwan between 1998 and 2013. It describes the regulatory implementation of medical device GMP requirement and initiatives taken to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in compliance with the regulatory requirement. Based on statistical data collected by the competent authority and industry research institutes, the present paper reports the growth of Taiwan local medical device industry after the enforcement of GMP regulation. Transition in the production, technologies, and number of employees of Taiwan medical device industry between 1998 and 2013 provides the competent authorities around the world with an empirical foundation for further policy development. PMID:26075255

Assurance of medical device quality with quality management system: an analysis of good manufacturing practice implementation in Taiwan.

PubMed

Li, Tzu-Wei; Tu, Pei-Weng; Liu, Li-Ling; Wu, Shiow-Ing

2015-01-01

The implementation of an effective quality management system has always been considered a principal method for a manufacturer to maintain and improve its product and service quality. Globally many regulatory authorities incorporate quality management system as one of the mandatory requirements for the regulatory control of high-risk medical devices. The present study aims to analyze the GMP enforcement experience in Taiwan between 1998 and 2013. It describes the regulatory implementation of medical device GMP requirement and initiatives taken to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in compliance with the regulatory requirement. Based on statistical data collected by the competent authority and industry research institutes, the present paper reports the growth of Taiwan local medical device industry after the enforcement of GMP regulation. Transition in the production, technologies, and number of employees of Taiwan medical device industry between 1998 and 2013 provides the competent authorities around the world with an empirical foundation for further policy development.

[Antimicrobial resistance in gram negative bacteria isolated from intensive care units of Colombian hospitals, WHONET 2003, 2004 and 2005].

PubMed

Miranda, María Consuelo; Pérez, Federico; Zuluaga, Tania; Olivera, María del Rosario; Correa, Adriana; Reyes, Sandra Lorena; Villegas, Maria Virginia

2006-09-01

Surveillance systems play a key role in the detection and control of bacterial resistance. It is necessary to constantly collect information from all institutions because the mechanisms of bacterial resistance can operate in different ways between countries, cities and even in hospitals in the same area. Therefore local information is important in order to learn about bacterial behaviour and design appropriate interventions for each institution. Between January 2003 and December 2004, the Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) developed a surveillance project in 10 tertiary hospitals in 6 cities of Colombia. Describe the trends of antibiotic resistance among the isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacter cloacae, five of the most prevalent nosocomial Gram negative pathogens. The susceptibility tests were performed by automated methods in 9 hospitals and by Kirby Bauer in 1 hospital. Antibiotics with known activity against Gram negatives, according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, were selected. The laboratories performed internal and external quality controls. During the study period, the information was downloaded monthly from the databases of each microbiology laboratory and sent to CIDEIM where it was centralized in a database using the system WHONET 5.3. The high resistance rates reported especially for A. baumannii, evidenced the presence of multidrug resistant bacteria in both ICUs and wards at every studied institution. The creation of a national surveillance network to improve our capabilities to detect, follow up, and control the antibiotic resistance in Colombia is urgently needed.

Quality Management in Hungarian Higher Education: Organisational Responses to Governmental Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Csizmadia, Tibor; Enders, Jurgen; Westerheijden, Don F.

2008-01-01

This article focuses on responses of higher education institutions to governmental policy. We investigate the influence of organisational characteristics on the implementation of quality management in Hungarian higher education institutions. Our theoretical framework is based on organisational theories (resource dependency and…

Academic Quality: An Alternative View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuh, George D.

1980-01-01

An alternative view to a 1979 study on institutional quality done by Astin and Solomon is presented. The study indicates significant changes in rank have occurred among the 25 most selective four-year undergraduate institutions. Kuh proposes naturalistic inquiry research. A rebuttal by Astin is appended. (MLW)

[Quality assurance versus regulation--the perspective of a lawyer].

PubMed

Meister, Jörg

2003-11-01

In February 2003, the German Federal Ministry of Health presented a concept for establishing a German National Institute for Clinical Excellence. In sharp contrast to this concept, a closer look at other medical quality assurance activities in Germany shows that there is no area of responsibility in the German health care system where such an institution might prove useful. In Germany, the institutions of self-administration were the first to organise and promote medical quality assurance activities. The German Hospital Federation, the Association of Sickness Funds for salaried employees, the Association of Private Health Insurers, the professional organisations of German physicians and other organisations of self-administration entered into contracts pertaining to a medical quality partnership in order to create maximal benefit for all patients, i.e. to exactly address the patients' needs and treat their diseases with the best possible outcome. Such a framework of self-administration renders redundant the requirement for a German National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

The influence of institutional pressures on hospital electronic health record presence.

PubMed

Fareed, Naleef; Bazzoli, Gloria J; Farnsworth Mick, Stephen S; Harless, David W

2015-05-01

Electronic health records (EHR) are a promising form of health information technology that could help US hospitals improve on their quality of care and costs. During the study period explored (2005-2009), high expectations for EHR diffused across institutional stakeholders in the healthcare environment, which may have pressured hospitals to have EHR capabilities even in the presence of weak technical rationale for the technology. Using an extensive set of organizational theory-specific predictors, this study explored whether five factors - cause, constituents, content, context, and control - that reflect the nature of institutional pressures for EHR capabilities motivated hospitals to comply with these pressures. Using information from several national data bases, an ordered probit regression model was estimated. The resulting predicted probabilities of EHR capabilities from the empirical model's estimates were used to test the study's five hypotheses, of which three were supported. When the underlying cause, dependence on constituents, or influence of control were high and potential countervailing forces were low, hospitals were more likely to employ strategic responses that were compliant with the institutional pressures for EHR capabilities. In light of these pressures, hospitals may have acquiesced, by having comprehensive EHR capabilities, or compromised, by having intermediate EHR capabilities, in order to maintain legitimacy in their environment. The study underscores the importance of our assessment for theory and policy development, and provides suggestions for future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Present systems and future needs for risk assessment of veterinary biologicals in Australia: the perspective of the regulator.

PubMed

Doyle, K A

1995-12-01

The increasing range and complexity of biologicals, and the greater demand for these products, have resulted in a greater volume of trade in animal-based biological material. This has given rise, in turn, to many approaches to the regulation of importation of these materials, as countries seek protection against the introduction of disease. Harmonization of these regulatory approaches would contribute significantly to the availability of veterinary biologicals, to their manufacture and trade, and to disease security. Australia has developed systems for the categorisation and evaluation of biologicals, control by import permits, and specific procedures at point-of-entry and in institutions where these products are used. Computerised records and precedents assist in evaluation and in the issuing of permits. Recognition that some materials must be subject to further control has led to a system of registration of institutions based on levels of biosecurity, and approved use and disposal programmes. Institutions vary from high-security animal health laboratories to human in vitro fertilisation clinics, which use animal-derived media and materials. Such institutions are regulated through quality assurance contracts. Quarantine authorities have linkages with other agencies which have an interest in these products. These linkages reflect the administrative structures of government in Australia, and provide for management of all forms of risk. The author describes these systems and overviews their biological basis.

Advanced model-based control strategies for the intensification of upstream and downstream processing in mAb production.

PubMed

Papathanasiou, Maria M; Quiroga-Campano, Ana L; Steinebach, Fabian; Elviro, Montaña; Mantalaris, Athanasios; Pistikopoulos, Efstratios N

2017-07-01

Current industrial trends encourage the development of sustainable, environmentally friendly processes with minimal energy and material consumption. In particular, the increasing market demand in biopharmaceutical industry and the tight regulations in product quality necessitate efficient operating procedures that guarantee products of high purity. In this direction, process intensification via continuous operation paves the way for the development of novel, eco-friendly processes, characterized by higher productivity and lower production costs. This work focuses on the development of advanced control strategies for (i) a cell culture system in a bioreactor and (ii) a semicontinuous purification process. More specifically, we consider a fed-batch culture of GS-NS0 cells and the semicontinuous Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification (MCSGP) for the purification process. The controllers are designed following the PAROC framework/software platform and their capabilities are assessed in silico, against the process models. It is demonstrated that the proposed controllers efficiently manage to increase the system productivity, returning strategies that can lead to continuous, stable process operation. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:966-988, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Higher prices, higher quality? Evidence from German nursing homes.

PubMed

Herr, Annika; Hottenrott, Hanna

2016-02-01

This study investigates the relationship between prices and quality of 7400 German nursing homes. We use a cross section of public quality reports for all German nursing homes, which had been evaluated between 2010 and 2013 by external institutions. Our analysis is based on multivariate regressions in a two stage least squares framework, where we instrument prices to explain their effect on quality controlling for income, nursing home density, demographics, labour market characteristics, and infrastructure at the regional level. Descriptive analysis shows that prices and quality do not only vary across nursing homes, but also across counties and federal states and that quality and prices correlate positively. Second, the econometric analysis, which accounts for the endogenous relation between negotiated price and reported quality, shows that quality indeed positively depends on prices. In addition, more places in nursing homes per people in need are correlated with both lower prices and higher quality. Finally, unobserved factors at the federal state level capture some of the variation of reported quality across nursing homes. Our results suggest that higher prices increase quality. Furthermore, since reported quality and prices vary substantially across federal states, we conclude that the quality and prices of long-term care facilities may well be compared within federal states but not across. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of quality improvement in disease management: a statewide tuberculosis control success story.

PubMed

Fos, Peter J; Lee, Jae Eun; Sung, Jung Hye; Zuniga, Miguel A; Amy, Brian W

2005-01-01

This study describes Mississippi's statewide latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) control management efforts to improve treatment outcomes using scientific quality improvement tools. LTBI medication completion rates were observed by month and by nine administrative health districts for a 12-month period. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to see if there was any significant change between preintervention and postintervention in medication completion rates. Regression analysis was performed to test the linearity of change across the monthly rates. A change from a rate of 79.7 percent to 90.5 percent completion of the LTBI medication regimen was observed after the quality improvement intervention was instituted. During the quality improvement intervention, the mean reached 96.5 percent completion, followed by a slight decline at the end of the intervention to 90.5 percent. The analysis revealed that the mean LTBI medication completion rate across the nine administrative health districts was significantly increased and variability was decreased across all administrative health districts, with minor exceptions. A quality improvement team approach was shown to be effective in disease management by increasing LTBI medication completion. New baseline expectations can be established when quality improvement initiatives are implemented. This success can be linked, in part, to the use of scientific methods, precise and valid data, persuasive and clear goal setting, appropriate feedback, and ongoing monitoring.

A Study on Financial Reporting Standards and Accounting Quality- Evidence from China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Cheng-Hwai

2013-02-01

According to institutional theorists, the forms and business models of corporation are mainly shaped by factors such as politics, regulations, social norms and cultures. This paper examines how the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and institutional environment influence the accounting quality, in response to the threat of political extraction in China. We took mainland China as an example instead in our study, following the accounting quality definition of Barth et al. [2], we found that the developments of Chinese government performance audit are conspicuously different by region; to reflect such differences, we elaborated our research by dividing mainland China into 31 categories (provinces or cities). We set 2003-2010 as the time horizon for this study. After testing the Regression model, our empirical research achieved two conclusions: 1) IFRS adoption in China should significantly improve the accounting quality, and 2) IFRS and institutional environment should synthetically influence the quality of accounting as well.

Symptomatic endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac is associated with impaired sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia: a case-control study.

PubMed

Leone Roberti Maggiore, Umberto; Bizzarri, Nicolò; Scala, Carolina; Tafi, Emanuela; Siesto, Gabriele; Alessandri, Franco; Ferrero, Simone

2017-02-01

To assess the impact of endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac on quality of sleep, average daytime sleepiness and insomnia. This age-matched case-control study was conducted in a tertiary referral centre for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis between May 2012 and December 2013. It included 145 women with endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac (cases; group E) and 145 patients referred to our Institution because of routine gynaecologic consultations (controls; group C). This study investigated whether sleep is impaired in patients with endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and insomnia were assessed using the following self-administered questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth sleepiness scale and the Insomnia Severity Index, respectively. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate sleep quality in the two study groups. Secondary outcomes of the study were to assess average daytime sleepiness and insomnia in the two study groups. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was significantly higher in group E (64.8%) than in group C (15.1%; p<0.001). The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness was significantly higher in group E (23.4%) than in group C (12.9%; p=0.033). Patients of group E experienced subthreshold insomnia (29.0%) and moderate clinical insomnia (16.6%) significantly more frequently than patients in group C (24.4% and 5.0%; p=0.002). A substantial proportion of women with endometriosis of the posterior cul-de-sac experiences poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness and insomnia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining the Effectiveness and Evaluating the Implementation Process of a Quality/Performance Circles System Model to Assist in Institutional Decision Making and Problem Solving at Lakeshore Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ladwig, Dennis J.

During the 1982-83 school year, a quality/performance circles system model was implemented at Lakeshore Technical Institute (LTI) to promote greater participation by staff in decision making and problem solving. All management staff at the college (N=45) were invited to participate in the process, and 39 volunteered. Non-management staff (N=240)…

National BTS bronchiectasis audit 2012: is the quality standard being adhered to in adult secondary care?

PubMed

Hill, Adam T; Routh, Chris; Welham, Sally

2014-03-01

A significant step towards improving care of patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis was the creation of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) national guidelines and the quality standard. A BTS bronchiectasis audit was conducted between 1 October and 30 November 2012, in adult patients with bronchiectasis attending secondary care, against the BTS quality standard. Ninety-eight institutions took part, submitting a total of 3147 patient records. The audit highlighted the variable adoption of the quality standard. It will allow the host institutions to benchmark against UK figures and drive quality improvement programmes to promote the quality standard and improve patient care.

Digitizing dissertations for an institutional repository: a process and cost analysis.

PubMed

Piorun, Mary; Palmer, Lisa A

2008-07-01

This paper describes the Lamar Soutter Library's process and costs associated with digitizing 300 doctoral dissertations for a newly implemented institutional repository at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Project tasks included identifying metadata elements, obtaining and tracking permissions, converting the dissertations to an electronic format, and coordinating workflow between library departments. Each dissertation was scanned, reviewed for quality control, enhanced with a table of contents, processed through an optical character recognition function, and added to the institutional repository. Three hundred and twenty dissertations were digitized and added to the repository for a cost of $23,562, or $0.28 per page. Seventy-four percent of the authors who were contacted (n = 282) granted permission to digitize their dissertations. Processing time per title was 170 minutes, for a total processing time of 906 hours. In the first 17 months, full-text dissertations in the collection were downloaded 17,555 times. Locally digitizing dissertations or other scholarly works for inclusion in institutional repositories can be cost effective, especially if small, defined projects are chosen. A successful project serves as an excellent recruitment strategy for the institutional repository and helps libraries build new relationships. Challenges include workflow, cost, policy development, and copyright permissions.

Quality of life in patients after total pancreatectomy is comparable with quality of life in patients who undergo a partial pancreatic resection.

PubMed

Epelboym, Irene; Winner, Megan; DiNorcia, Joseph; Lee, Minna K; Lee, James A; Schrope, Beth; Chabot, John A; Allendorf, John D

2014-03-01

Quality of life after total pancreatectomy (TP) is perceived to be poor secondary to insulin-dependent diabetes and pancreatic insufficiency. As a result, surgeons may be reluctant to offer TP for benign and premalignant pancreatic diseases. We retrospectively reviewed presenting features, operative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes of all patients who underwent TP at our institution. Quality of life was assessed using institutional questionnaires and validated general, pancreatic disease-related, and diabetes-related instruments (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire [EORTC QLQ-C30 and module EORTC-PAN26], Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life), and compared with frequency-matched controls, patients after a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Continuous variables were compared using Student t-test or analysis of variance. Categorical variables were compared using χ(2) or Fisher exact test. Between 1994 and 2011, 77 TPs were performed. Overall morbidity was 49%, but only 15.8% patients experienced a major complication. Perioperative mortality was 2.6%. Comparing 17 TP and 14 PD patients who returned surveys, there were no statistically significant differences in quality of life in global health, functional status, or symptom domains of EORTC QLQ-C30 or in pancreatic disease-specific EORTC-PAN26. TP patients had slightly but not significantly higher incidence of hypoglycemic events as compared with PD patients with postoperative diabetes. A negative impact of diabetes assessed by Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life did not differ between TP and PD. Life domains most negatively impacted by diabetes involved travel and physical activity, whereas self-confidence, friendships and personal relationships, motivation, and feelings about the future remained unaffected. Although TP-induced diabetes negatively impacts select activities and functions, overall quality of life is comparable with that of patients who undergo a partial pancreatic resection. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Task sharing with radiotherapy technicians in image-guided radiotherapy].

PubMed

Diaz, O; Lorchel, F; Revault, C; Mornex, F

2013-10-01

The development of accelerators with on-board imaging systems now allows better target volumes reset at the time of irradiation (image-guided radiotherapy [IGRT]). However, these technological advances in the control of repositioning led to a multiplication of tasks for each actor in radiotherapy and increase the time available for the treatment, whether for radiotherapy technicians or radiation oncologists. As there is currently no explicit regulatory framework governing the use of IGRT, some institutional experiments show that a transfer is possible between radiation oncologists and radiotherapy technicians for on-line verification of image positioning. Initial training for every technical and drafting procedures within institutions will improve audit quality by reducing interindividual variability. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Savings opportunities through Medicaid disease management.

PubMed

Lewis, Alfred

2004-01-01

In their attempts to control spending in Medicaid, a few states have looked beyond the obvious reductions in reimbursement, tightened eligibility requirements, and institution of copays to disease management outsourcing. While the traditional panoply of cutbacks will save money the year they are instituted, they tend to have trade-offs. Reducing reimbursement, for example, may encourage providers to leave the program. As a result, several states are implementing outsourced medical management programs, which together at maturity will, as shown below, noticeably reduce Medicaid spending by improving the way health care is delivered. These purely voluntary, quality-enhancing outsourced medical management programs are also fully guaranteed by a wide variety of vendors to save money starting in the first year they are implemented.

[Errors in medical care rendered by military treatment and prevention institutions (according to the data of forensic medical expertise].

PubMed

Kolkutin, V V; Fetisov, V A

2003-12-01

The authors discuss one of the important aspects of military medicolegal laboratory activities connected with the quality control of medical care rendered in the military treatment-and-prophylactic institutions in the nineties of the XX century. The example of medical care defects (MCD) permitted to reveal their nature, causes and sites of origin at pre-hospital (PHS) and hospital (HS) stages. Despite some decrease in the total number of MCD revealed HS defects prevail (more than 75%); the organizational defects at PHS and diagnostic defects at HS are predominant. The main MCD causes are inadequate qualification of medical workers, defects in organization of treatment-and-diagnostic process and inadequate examination of patients.

Evaluating Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques and computing the uncertainty of force calibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navard, Sharon E.

1989-01-01

In recent years there has been a push within NASA to use statistical techniques to improve the quality of production. Two areas where statistics are used are in establishing product and process quality control of flight hardware and in evaluating the uncertainty of calibration of instruments. The Flight Systems Quality Engineering branch is responsible for developing and assuring the quality of all flight hardware; the statistical process control methods employed are reviewed and evaluated. The Measurement Standards and Calibration Laboratory performs the calibration of all instruments used on-site at JSC as well as those used by all off-site contractors. These calibrations must be performed in such a way as to be traceable to national standards maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and they must meet a four-to-one ratio of the instrument specifications to calibrating standard uncertainty. In some instances this ratio is not met, and in these cases it is desirable to compute the exact uncertainty of the calibration and determine ways of reducing it. A particular example where this problem is encountered is with a machine which does automatic calibrations of force. The process of force calibration using the United Force Machine is described in detail. The sources of error are identified and quantified when possible. Suggestions for improvement are made.

Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York-July 1997 through June 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2006-01-01

The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance/quality-control data for the time period addressed in this report were stored in the laboratory's SAS data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of data. This report presents and discusses results of quality-assurance and quality- control samples analyzed from July 1997 through June 1999. Results for the quality-control samples for 18 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts indicate that data for eight of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased for either high-concentration and (or) low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: acid-neutralizing capacity, total monomeric aluminum, total aluminum, ammonium, calcium, chloride, specific conductance, and sulfate. The data from the potassium and sodium analytical procedures are insufficient for evaluation. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicate that the procedures for 11 of 13 analytes were within control limits, although the concentrations for blanks were occasionally outside the control limits. Blank analysis results for chloride showed that 22 percent of blanks did not meet data-quality objectives and results for dissolved organic carbon showed that 31 percent of the blanks did not meet data-quality objectives. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in the procedures for 14 of the 18 analytes. At least 90 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for all analytes except total aluminum (70 percent of samples met objectives) and potassium (83 percent of samples met objectives). Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample (SRS) Project indicated good data quality for most constituents over the time period. The P-sample (low-ionic-strength constituents) analysis had good ratings in two of these studies and a satisfactory rating in the third. The results of the T-sample (trace constituents) analysis indicated high data quality with good ratings in all three studies. The N-sample (nutrient constituents) studies had one each of excellent, good, and satisfactory ratings. Results of Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute (NWRI) program indicated that at least 80 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for 9 of the 13 analytes; the exceptions were dissolved organic carbon, ammonium, chloride, and specific conductance. Data-quality objectives were not met for dissolved organic carbon in two NWRI studies, but all of the samples were within control limits for the last study. Data-quality objectives were not met in 41 percent of samples analyzed for ammonium, 25 percent of samples analyzed for chloride, and 30 percent of samples analyzed for specific conductance. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data-quality objectives were met by at least 84 percent of the samples analyzed for calcium, chloride, magnesium, pH, and potassium. Data-quality objectives were met by 73 percent of those analyzed for sulfate. The data-quality objective was not met for sodium. The data are insufficient for evaluation of the specific conductance results.

[Quality assurance in oncology: experiences of an ISO certification].

PubMed

Szentirmay, Zoltán; Cseh, Lujza; Ottó, Szabolcs; Kásler, Miklós

2002-01-01

The ISO 9001 quality assurance of the National Institute of Oncology has been achieved successfully. We give an account of the brief history and the structure of the assurance system of the Institute, the process of setting our goals, and also the experience gained from drafting ISO 9001 handbook and flowcharts. Apart from the bureaucratic nature of quality assurance, it is a good opportunity for us to investigate our everyday work, put it into orderly manner and work more reliably. Experience has shown that the introduction of a quality assurance system increases the level of patient care, the documentation helps the Institute or some of its departments, or even individuals prevent law suits, and serves as a sound basis for proposing promotion, salary increases and bonuses, or even honors.

Competitiveness of Educational Quality of the State College of Islamic Studies (STAIN) Pontianak after Status Change to the State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Pontianak

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misdah

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine: 1) Reality competition education quality of The State college of Islamic studies (STAIN) Pontianak after status change to the state institute of Islamic studies (IAIN) Pontianak, 2) Education quality management strategy of The State college of Islamic studies (STAIN) Pontianak after status change to the…

Fuzzy Failure Analysis: A New Approach to Service Quality Analysis in Higher Education Institutions (Case Study: Vali-e-asr University of Rafsanjan-Iran)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takalo, Salim Karimi; Abadi, Ali Reza Naser Sadr; Vesal, Seyed Mahdi; Mirzaei, Amir; Nawaser, Khaled

2013-01-01

In recent years, concurrent with steep increase in the growth of higher education institutions, improving of educational service quality with an emphasis on students' satisfaction has become an important issue. The present study is going to use the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) in order to evaluate the quality of educational services in…

IMHE-Info, December 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafon, Valerie, Ed.

2008-01-01

"IMHE-Info" is a newsletter published by the Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) programme of OECD. This issue includes: (1) Breaking Ranks: Assessing Quality in Higher Education (Lyndon Thompson); (2) How to Improve Quality in Higher Education: A Study of Institutional Strategies; and (3) No More Ivory Towers: New Phase…

Student as Customer: Factors Affecting Satisfaction and Assessments of Institutional Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browne, Beverly A.; Kaldenberg, Dennis O.; Browne, William G.; Brown, Daniel J.

1998-01-01

A survey of 736 college students investigated satisfaction with a university's business education program, with attention to ratings of services and educational quality, and their relationship to students' global satisfaction, willingness to recommend the institution, and satisfaction with educational value received. Results suggest institutions…

Assuring Graduate Competency: A Technology Acceptance Model for Course Guide Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atif, Amara; Richards, Deborah; Busch, Peter; Bilgin, Ayse

2015-01-01

Higher education institutions typically express the quality of their degree programs by describing the qualities, skills, and understanding their students possess upon graduation. One promising instructional design approach to facilitate institutions' efforts to deliver graduates with the appropriate knowledge and competencies is curriculum…

Quality Assurance of Non-Local Accounting Programs Conducted in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Mei-Ai; Leung, Noel W.

2014-01-01

This study examines the current government policy and institutional practice on quality assurance of non-local accounting programs conducted in Hong Kong. Both international guidelines, national regulations and institutional frameworks in higher education and transnational higher education, and professional practice in accounting education are…

Strategic Planning Process Resource Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadi, John

Capital Community-Technical College (CCTC) (Connecticut) has developed a comprehensive institutional effectiveness model that will guide the college toward the year 2002. Its primary purposes are to improve the quality of decision making, to enhance the quality of its students' outcomes, and to improve the effectiveness of the institution in…

Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York--July 1999 through June 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lincoln, Tricia A.; Horan-Ross, Debra A.; McHale, Michael R.; Lawrence, Gregory B.

2006-01-01

The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, processing, and analysis. The quality-assurance and quality-control data were stored in the laboratory's LabMaster data-management system, which provides efficient review, compilation, and plotting of data. This report presents and discusses results of quality-assurance and quality-control samples analyzed from July 1999 through June 2001. Results for the quality-control samples for 18 analytical procedures were evaluated for bias and precision. Control charts indicate that data for eight of the analytical procedures were occasionally biased for either high-concentration or low-concentration samples but were within control limits; these procedures were: acid-neutralizing capacity, total monomeric aluminum, total aluminum, calcium, chloride and nitrate (ion chromatography and colormetric method) and sulfate. The total aluminum and dissolved organic carbon procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the high-concentration sample, but were within control limits. The calcium and specific conductance procedures were biased throughout the analysis period for the low-concentration sample, but were within control limits. The magnesium procedure was biased for the high-concentration and low concentration samples, but was within control limits. Results from the filter-blank and analytical-blank analyses indicate that the procedures for 14 of 15 analytes were within control limits, although the concentrations for blanks were occasionally outside the control limits. The data-quality objective was not met for dissolved organic carbon. Sampling and analysis precision are evaluated herein in terms of the coefficient of variation obtained for triplicate samples in the procedures for 17 of the 18 analytes. At least 90 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for all analytes except ammonium (81 percent of samples met objectives), chloride (75 percent of samples met objectives), and sodium (86 percent of samples met objectives). Results of the USGS interlaboratory Standard Reference Sample (SRS) Project indicated good data quality over the time period, with most ratings for each sample in the good to excellent range. The P-sample (low-ionic-strength constituents) analysis had one satisfactory rating for the specific conductance procedure in one study. The T-sample (trace constituents) analysis had one satisfactory rating for the aluminum procedure in one study and one unsatisfactory rating for the sodium procedure in another. The remainder of the samples had good or excellent ratings for each study. Results of Environment Canada's National Water Research Institute (NWRI) program indicated that at least 89 percent of the samples met data-quality objectives for 10 of the 14 analytes; the exceptions were ammonium, total aluminum, dissolved organic carbon, and sodium. Results indicate a positive bias for the ammonium procedure in all studies. Data-quality objectives were not met in 50 percent of samples analyzed for total aluminum, 38 percent of samples analyzed for dissolved organic carbon, and 27 percent of samples analyzed for sodium. Results from blind reference-sample analyses indicated that data-quality objectives were met by at least 91 percent of the samples analyzed for calcium, chloride, fluoride, magnesium, pH, potassium, and sulfate. Data-quality objectives were met by 75 percent of the samples analyzed for sodium and 58 percent of the samples analyzed for specific conductance.

Quality improvement utilizing in-situ simulation for a dual-hospital pediatric code response team.

PubMed

Yager, Phoebe; Collins, Corey; Blais, Carlene; O'Connor, Kathy; Donovan, Patricia; Martinez, Maureen; Cummings, Brian; Hartnick, Christopher; Noviski, Natan

2016-09-01

Given the rarity of in-hospital pediatric emergency events, identification of gaps and inefficiencies in the code response can be difficult. In-situ, simulation-based medical education programs can identify unrecognized systems-based challenges. We hypothesized that developing an in-situ, simulation-based pediatric emergency response program would identify latent inefficiencies in a complex, dual-hospital pediatric code response system and allow rapid intervention testing to improve performance before implementation at an institutional level. Pediatric leadership from two hospitals with a shared pediatric code response team employed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) Breakthrough Model for Collaborative Improvement to design a program consisting of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles occurring in a simulated environment. The objectives of the program were to 1) identify inefficiencies in our pediatric code response; 2) correlate to current workflow; 3) employ an iterative process to test quality improvement interventions in a safe environment; and 4) measure performance before actual implementation at the institutional level. Twelve dual-hospital, in-situ, simulated, pediatric emergencies occurred over one year. The initial simulated event allowed identification of inefficiencies including delayed provider response, delayed initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and delayed vascular access. These gaps were linked to process issues including unreliable code pager activation, slow elevator response, and lack of responder familiarity with layout and contents of code cart. From first to last simulation with multiple simulated process improvements, code response time for secondary providers coming from the second hospital decreased from 29 to 7 min, time to CPR initiation decreased from 90 to 15 s, and vascular access obtainment decreased from 15 to 3 min. Some of these simulated process improvements were adopted into the institutional response while others continue to be trended over time for evidence that observed changes represent a true new state of control. Utilizing the IHI's Breakthrough Model, we developed a simulation-based program to 1) successfully identify gaps and inefficiencies in a complex, dual-hospital, pediatric code response system and 2) provide an environment in which to safely test quality improvement interventions before institutional dissemination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Instituting a filtration/pressurization system to reduce dust concentrations in a control room at a mineral processing plant

PubMed Central

Noll, J.; Cecala, A.; Hummer, J.

2016-01-01

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has observed that many control rooms and operator compartments in the U.S. mining industry do not have filtration systems capable of maintaining low dust concentrations in these areas. In this study at a mineral processing plant, to reduce respirable dust concentrations in a control room that had no cleaning system for intake air, a filtration and pressurization system originally designed for enclosed cabs was modified and installed. This system was composed of two filtering units: one to filter outside air and one to filter and recirculate the air inside the control room. Eighty-seven percent of submicrometer particles were reduced by the system under static conditions. This means that greater than 87 percent of respirable dust particles should be reduced as the particle-size distribution of respirable dust particles is greater than that of submicrometer particles, and filtration systems usually are more efficient in capturing the larger particles. A positive pressure near 0.02 inches of water gauge was produced, which is an important component of an effective system and minimizes the entry of particles, such as dust, into the room. The intake airflow was around 118 cfm, greater than the airflow suggested by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for acceptable indoor air quality. After one year, the loading of the filter caused the airflow to decrease to 80 cfm, which still produces acceptable indoor air quality. Due to the loading of the filters, the reduction efficiency for submicrometer particles under static conditions increased to 94 percent from 87 percent. PMID:26834293

Continuity Clinic Model and Diabetic Outcomes in Internal Medicine Residencies: Findings of the Educational Innovations Project Ambulatory Collaborative

PubMed Central

Francis, Maureen D.; Julian, Katherine A.; Wininger, David A.; Drake, Sean; Bollman, KeriLyn; Nabors, Christopher; Pereira, Anne; Rosenblum, Michael; Zelenski, Amy B.; Sweet, David; Thomas, Kris; Varney, Andrew; Warm, Eric; Francis, Mark L.

2016-01-01

Background Efforts to improve diabetes care in residency programs are ongoing and in the midst of continuity clinic redesign at many institutions. While there appears to be a link between resident continuity and improvement in glycemic control for diabetic patients, it is uncertain whether clinic structure affects quality measures and patient outcomes. Methods This multi-institutional, cross-sectional study included 12 internal medicine programs. Three outcomes (glycemic control, blood pressure control, and achievement of target low-density lipoprotein [LDL]) and 2 process measures (A1C and LDL measurement) were reported for diabetic patients. Traditional, block, and combination clinic models were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Analysis was adjusted for continuity, utilization, workload, and panel size. Results No significant differences were found in glycemic control across clinic models (P = .06). The percentage of diabetic patients with LDL < 100 mg/dL was 60% in block, compared to 54.9% and 55% in traditional and combination models (P = .006). The percentage of diabetic patients with blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg was 48.4% in block, compared to 36.7% and 36.9% in other models (P < .001). The percentage of diabetic patients with HbA1C measured was 92.1% in block compared to 75.2% and 82.1% in other models (P < .001). Also, the percentage of diabetic patients with LDL measured was significantly different across all groups, with 91.2% in traditional, 70.4% in combination, and 83.3% in block model programs (P < .001). Conclusions While high scores on diabetic quality measures are achievable in any clinic model, the block model design was associated with better performance. PMID:26913099

Big Data and Heath Impacts of Drinking Water Quality Violation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allaire, M.; Zheng, S.; Lall, U.

2017-12-01

Health impacts of drinking water quality violations are only understood at a coarse level in the United States. This limits identification of threats to water security in communities across the country. Substantial under-reporting is suspected due to requirements at U.S. public health institutes that water borne illnesses be confirmed by health providers. In the era of `big data', emerging information sources could offer insight into waterborne disease trends. In this study, we explore the use of fine-resolution sales data for over-the-counter medicine to estimate the health impacts of drinking water quality violations. We also demonstrate how unreported water quality issues can be detected by observing market behavior. We match a panel of supermarket sales data for the U.S. at the weekly level with geocoded violations data from 2006-2015. We estimate the change in anti-diarrheal medicine sale due to drinking water violations using a fixed effects model. We find that water quality violations have considerable effects on medicine sales. Sales nearly double due to Tier 1 violations, which pose an immediate health risk, and sales increase 15.1 percent due to violations related to microorganisms. Furthermore, our estimate of diarrheal illness cases associated with water quality violations indicates that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting system may only capture about one percent of diarrheal cases due to impaired water. Incorporating medicine sales data could offer national public health institutes a game-changing way to improve monitoring of disease outbreaks. Since many disease cases are not formally diagnosed by health providers, consumption information could provide additional information to remedy under-reporting issues and improve water security in communities across the United States.

Fermentanomics: Relating quality attributes of a monoclonal antibody to cell culture process variables and raw materials using multivariate data analysis.

PubMed

Rathore, Anurag S; Kumar Singh, Sumit; Pathak, Mili; Read, Erik K; Brorson, Kurt A; Agarabi, Cyrus D; Khan, Mansoor

2015-01-01

Fermentanomics is an emerging field of research and involves understanding the underlying controlled process variables and their effect on process yield and product quality. Although major advancements have occurred in process analytics over the past two decades, accurate real-time measurement of significant quality attributes for a biotech product during production culture is still not feasible. Researchers have used an amalgam of process models and analytical measurements for monitoring and process control during production. This article focuses on using multivariate data analysis as a tool for monitoring the internal bioreactor dynamics, the metabolic state of the cell, and interactions among them during culture. Quality attributes of the monoclonal antibody product that were monitored include glycosylation profile of the final product along with process attributes, such as viable cell density and level of antibody expression. These were related to process variables, raw materials components of the chemically defined hybridoma media, concentration of metabolites formed during the course of the culture, aeration-related parameters, and supplemented raw materials such as glucose, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, and tyrosine. This article demonstrates the utility of multivariate data analysis for correlating the product quality attributes (especially glycosylation) to process variables and raw materials (especially amino acid supplements in cell culture media). The proposed approach can be applied for process optimization to increase product expression, improve consistency of product quality, and target the desired quality attribute profile. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Complete Quantum Control of a Single Silicon-Vacancy Center in a Diamond Nanopillar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingyuan Linda; Lagoudakis, Konstantinos G.; Tzeng, Yan-Kai; Dory, Constantin; Radulaski, Marina; Kelaita, Yousif; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Melosh, Nicholas A.; Chu, Steven; Vuckovic, Jelena

Coherent quantum control of a quantum bit (qubit) is an important step towards its use in a quantum network. SiV- center in diamond offers excellent physical qualities such as low inhomogeneous broadening, fast photon emission, and a large Debye-Waller factor, while the fast spin manipulation and techniques to extend the spin coherence time are under active investigation. Here, we demonstrate full coherent control over the state of a single SiV- center in a diamond nanopillar using ultrafast optical pulses. The high quality of the chemical vapor deposition grown SiV- centers allows us to coherently manipulate and quasi-resonantly read out the state of the single SiV- center. Moreover, the SiV- centers being coherently controlled are integrated into diamond nanopillar arrays in a site-controlled, individually addressable manner with high yield, low strain, and high spectral stability, which paves the way for scalable on chip optically accessible quantum system in a quantum photonic network. Financial support is provided by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences through Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) under contract DE-AC02-76SF00515.

Unified Perspective for Categorization of Educational Quality Indicators from an Accreditation Process View--Relationships between Educational Quality Indicators Defined by Accrediting Agencies in México at the Institutional and Program Level, and Those Defined by Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sosa Lopez, Jorge; Salinas Yañez, Miguel Alberto; Morales Salgado, Maria Del Rocío; Reyes Vergara, Maria De Lourdes

2016-01-01

This research provides an introduction and background on accreditation of higher education in México focusing on FIMPES (Federation of Mexican Private Institutions of Higher Education), CACEI (Council for Accreditation and Certification of Education in Engineering), and CETYS University as a case study to establish relationships between…

Developing an Effective Assessment Process To Support Institutional Effectiveness Efforts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albert, Angela R.; Pet-Armacost, Julia

This paper describes a process and an organizational structure in which Institutional Effectiveness (IE) can thrive. When such a system is implemented, continuous quality improvement can be sustained for the long term. Key concepts and philosophies found in the literature regarding continuous quality improvement and assessment in higher education…

Assessing Distributed Leadership for Learning and Teaching Quality: A Multi-Institutional Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbone, Angela; Evans, Julia; Ross, Bella; Drew, Steve; Phelan, Liam; Lindsay, Katherine; Cottman, Caroline; Stoney, Susan; Ye, Jing

2017-01-01

Distributed leadership has been explored internationally as a leadership model that will promote and advance excellence in learning and teaching in higher education. This paper presents an assessment of how effectively distributed leadership was enabled at five Australian institutions implementing a collaborative teaching quality development…

E-Learning Development in Higher Education: Maximising Efficiency--Maintaining Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Deborah; Sims, Rod

Many tertiary institutions in Australia provide support to develop online teaching and learning resources, an environment characterized by demands from students for quality face-to-face and distance education, staff concern over workloads, institutional budgeting constraints and an imperative to use management systems. There also remains a…

75 FR 51758 - National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-23

... Criteria for Recognition found at section 496 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and 34 CFR... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI... Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. Purpose: Revised meeting notice and solicitation of third...

Psychometric Quality of a Student Evaluation of Teaching Survey in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oon, Pey-Tee; Spencer, Benson; Kam, Chester Chun Seng

2017-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are used globally by higher education institutions for performance assessment of academic staff and evaluation of course quality. Higher education institutions commonly develop their own SETs to measure variables deemed relevant to them. However, "home-grown" SETs are rarely assessed…

An Overview of U.S. Accreditation--Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Judith S.

2012-01-01

Accreditation in the United States is about quality assurance and quality improvement. It is a process to scrutinize higher education institutions and programs. Accreditation is private (nongovernmental) and nonprofit--an outgrowth of the higher education community and not of government. It is funded primarily by the institutions and programs that…

Internationalization for Quality in Chinese Research Universities: Student Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Wanhua; Yue, Yun

2015-01-01

China's rapidly expanding university system aims to balance quantity and quality through a variety of measures, including internationalization. This paper employs data from a survey of 1264 students from 39 higher education institutions in order to understand students' view on institutional approaches to internationalization. The data show that…

Systematically Evaluating the Effectiveness of Quality Assurance Programmes in Leading to Improvements in Institutional Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lillis, Deirdre

2012-01-01

Higher education institutions worldwide invest significant resources in their quality assurance systems. Little empirical evidence exists that demonstrates the effectiveness (or otherwise) of these systems. Methodological approaches for determining effectiveness are also underdeveloped. Self-study-with-peer-review is a widely used model for…

The Human Side of Quality: Employee Care and Empowerment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thor, Linda M.

Frequently, educational institutions seeking to implement Total Quality Management (TQM) as a means to improve institutional effectiveness, overemphasize training in the application of TQM tools and fail to fully address human needs and concerns, such as the critical issue of employee empowerment. Four principal barriers exist to adequately…

The quality of control groups in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery.

PubMed

Johnson, Shepard P; Malay, Sunitha; Chung, Kevin C

2015-01-01

To evaluate control group selection in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery American (JHS). We reviewed all papers published in JHS in 2013 to identify studies that used nonrandomized control groups. Data collected included type of study design and control group characteristics. We then appraised studies to determine whether authors discussed confounding and selection bias and how they controlled for confounding. Thirty-seven nonrandomized studies were published in JHS in 2013. The source of control was either the same institution as the study group, a different institution, a database, or not provided in the manuscript. Twenty-nine (78%) studies statistically compared key characteristics between control and study group. Confounding was controlled with matching, exclusion criteria, or regression analysis. Twenty-two (59%) papers explicitly discussed the threat of confounding and 18 (49%) identified sources of selection bias. In our review of nonrandomized studies published in JHS, papers had well-defined controls that were similar to the study group, allowing for reasonable comparisons. However, we identified substantial confounding and bias that were not addressed as explicit limitations, which might lead the reader to overestimate the scientific validity of the data. Incorporating a brief discussion of control group selection in scientific manuscripts should help readers interpret the study more appropriately. Authors, reviewers, and editors should strive to address this component of clinical importance. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating a comprehensive quality-controlled dataset of severe weather occurrence in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groenemeijer, P.; Kühne, T.; Liang, Z.; Holzer, A.; Feuerstein, B.; Dotzek, N.

2010-09-01

Ground-truth quality-controlled data on severe weather occurrence is required for meaningful research on severe weather hazards. Such data are collected by observation networks of several authorities in Europe, most prominently the National Hydrometeorological Institutes (NHMS). However, some events challenge the capabilities of such conventional networks by their isolated and short-lived nature. These rare and very localized but extreme events include thunderstorm wind gusts, large hail and tornadoes and are poorly resolved by synoptic observations. Moreover, their detection by remote-sensing techniques such as radar and satellites is in development and has proven to be difficult. Using the fact that all across across Europe there are many people with a special personal or professional interest in such events, who are typically organized in associations, allows pursuing a different strategy. Data delivered to the European Severe Weather Database is recorded and quality controlled by ESSL and a large number of partners including the Hydrometeorological Institutes of Germany, Finland, Austria, Italy and Bulgaria. Additionally, nine associations of storm spotters and centres of expertise in these and other countries are involved. The two categories of organizations (NHMSes/other) each have different privileges in the quality control procedure, which involves assigning a quality level of QC0+ (plausibility checked), QC1 (confirmed by reliable sources) or QC2 (verified) to each of the reports. Within the EWENT project funded by the EU 7th framework programme, the RegioExakt project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, and with support from the German Weather Service (DWD), several enhancements of the ESWD have been and will be carried out. Completed enhancements include the creation of an interface that allows partner organizations to upload data automatically, in the case of our German partner "Skywarn Germany" in near-real time. Moreover, the database's web-interface has been translated into 14 European languages. At the time of writing, a nowcast-mode to the web interface, which renders the ESWD a convenient tool for meteorologists in forecast centres, is being developed. In the near future, within the EWENT project, an extension of the data set with several other isolated but extreme events including avalanches, landslides, heavy snowfall and extremely powerful lightning flashes, is foreseen. The resulting ESWD dataset, that grows at a rate of 4000-5000 events per year, is used for wide range of purposes including the validation of remote-sensing techniques, forecast verification studies, projections of the future severe storm climate, and risk assessments. Its users include scientists working for EUMETSAT, NASA, NSSL, DLR, and several reinsurance companies.

Enhancing Cancer Registry Data for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Project: Overview and Methodology

PubMed Central

Chen, Vivien W.; Eheman, Christie R.; Johnson, Christopher J.; Hernandez, Monique N.; Rousseau, David; Styles, Timothy S.; West, Dee W.; Hsieh, Meichin; Hakenewerth, Anne M.; Celaya, Maria O.; Rycroft, Randi K.; Wike, Jennifer M.; Pearson, Melissa; Brockhouse, Judy; Mulvihill, Linda G.; Zhang, Kevin B.

2015-01-01

Following the Institute of Medicine's 2009 report on the national priorities for comparative effectiveness research (CER), funding for support of CER became available in 2009 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received funding to enhance the infrastructure of population-based cancer registries and to expand registry data collection to support CER. The CDC established 10 specialized registries within the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) to enhance data collection for all cancers and to address targeted CER questions, including the clinical use and prognostic value of specific biomarkers. The project also included a special focus on detailed first course of treatment for cancers of the breast, colon, and rectum, as well as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed in 2011. This paper describes the methodology and the work conducted by the CDC and the NPCR specialized registries in collecting data for the 4 special focused cancers, including the selection of additional data variables, development of data collection tools and software modifications, institutional review board approvals, training, collection of detailed first course of treatment, and quality assurance. It also presents the characteristics of the study population and discusses the strengths and limitations of using population-based cancer registries to support CER as well as the potential future role of population-based cancer registries in assessing the quality of patient care and cancer control. PMID:25419602

Enhancing cancer registry data for comparative effectiveness research (CER) project: overview and methodology.

PubMed

Chen, Vivien W; Eheman, Christie R; Johnson, Christopher J; Hernandez, Monique N; Rousseau, David; Styles, Timothy S; West, Dee W; Hsieh, Meichin; Hakenewerth, Anne M; Celaya, Maria O; Rycroft, Randi K; Wike, Jennifer M; Pearson, Melissa; Brockhouse, Judy; Mulvihill, Linda G; Zhang, Kevin B

2014-01-01

Following the Institute of Medicine's 2009 report on the national priorities for comparative effectiveness research (CER), funding for support of CER became available in 2009 through the American Recovery and Re-investment Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received funding to enhance the infrastructure of population-based cancer registries and to expand registry data collection to support CER. The CDC established 10 specialized registries within the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) to enhance data collection for all cancers and to address targeted CER questions, including the clinical use and prognostic value of specific biomarkers. The project also included a special focus on detailed first course of treatment for cancers of the breast, colon, and rectum, as well as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed in 2011. This paper describes the methodology and the work conducted by the CDC and the NPCR specialized registries in collecting data for the 4 special focused cancers, including the selection of additional data variables, development of data collection tools and software modifications, institutional review board approvals, training, collection of detailed first course of treatment, and quality assurance. It also presents the characteristics of the study population and discusses the strengths and limitations of using population-based cancer registries to support CER as well as the potential future role of population-based cancer registries in assessing the quality of patient care and cancer control.

Characterization of Three Berry Standard Reference Materials for Nutrients

PubMed Central

Wood, Laura J.; Sharpless, Katherine E.; Pichon, Monique; Porter, Barbara J.; Yen, James H.; Ehling, Stefan

2011-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been working with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements to produce Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) of interest to analysts of dietary supplements. Some of these SRMs are traditional foods including SRM 3281 Cranberry (Fruit), SRM 3282 Low-Calorie Cranberry Juice Cocktail, and SRM 3287 Blueberry (Fruit), which have been characterized for nine nutritional elements and sugars. The blueberries have also been characterized for proximates, two water-soluble vitamins, and amino acids. These new materials are intended for use in method development and validation as well as for quality assurance and traceability when assigning values to in-house control materials. Foods can be difficult to analyze because of matrix effects. With the addition of these three new SRMs, it is now possible to more closely match controls to matrices and analyte levels for fruit and vegetable test samples. Several nutritional elements in these three SRMs are present at lower levels than those in other food-matrix SRMs. PMID:21688777

Would more social partners leads to enhanced health? The paradox between quantity and quality.

PubMed

Xing, Cai; Zhang, Xin; Cheng, Sheung-Tak

2017-09-01

In the current investigation, we examined the association between social network composition (SNC) and mental health, as well as whether quantity and quality of social network could influence mental health differently. The social network quantity and quality of 345 middle-aged and older Chinese adults were measured by the Social Convoy Questionnaire. The Chinese version of the Medical Outcome Studies 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess mental health while controlling for physical health. It was found that both quantity and quality of social network were associated with mental health, and more specifically that (1) quantity of peripheral partners (PP) was positively associated with mental health; (2) quality of emotionally close social partners (ECSP) influenced mental health the most; and (3) paradoxically, the effect of ECSP quality on mental health depended on quantity of ECSP, that is, participants with more ECSP showed a stronger association between ECSP quality and mental health. The findings replicated and extended previous studies on SNC and suggested that structure/quantity and quality of SNC were both important for mental health. © 2017 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Using institutional theory to analyse hospital responses to external demands for finance and quality in five European countries

PubMed Central

Mendel, Peter; Nunes, Francisco; Wiig, Siri; van den Bovenkamp, Hester; Karltun, Anette; Robert, Glenn; Anderson, Janet; Vincent, Charles; Fulop, Naomi

2015-01-01

Objectives Given the impact of the global economic crisis, delivering better health care with limited finance grows more challenging. Through the lens of institutional theory, this paper explores pressures experienced by hospital leaders to improve quality and constrain spending, focusing on how they respond to these often competing demands. Methods An in-depth, multilevel analysis of health care quality policies and practices in five European countries including longitudinal case studies in a purposive sample of ten hospitals. Results How hospitals responded to the financial and quality challenges was dependent upon three factors: the coherence of demands from external institutions; managerial competence to align external demands with an overall quality improvement strategy, and managerial stability. Hospital leaders used diverse strategies and practices to manage conflicting external pressures. Conclusions The development of hospital leaders’ skills in translating external requirements into implementation plans with internal support is a complex, but crucial, task, if quality is to remain a priority during times of austerity. Increasing quality improvement skills within a hospital, developing a culture where quality improvement becomes embedded and linking cost reduction measures to improving care are all required. PMID:26683885

Using institutional theory to analyse hospital responses to external demands for finance and quality in five European countries.

PubMed

Burnett, Susan; Mendel, Peter; Nunes, Francisco; Wiig, Siri; van den Bovenkamp, Hester; Karltun, Anette; Robert, Glenn; Anderson, Janet; Vincent, Charles; Fulop, Naomi

2016-04-01

Given the impact of the global economic crisis, delivering better health care with limited finance grows more challenging. Through the lens of institutional theory, this paper explores pressures experienced by hospital leaders to improve quality and constrain spending, focusing on how they respond to these often competing demands. An in-depth, multilevel analysis of health care quality policies and practices in five European countries including longitudinal case studies in a purposive sample of ten hospitals. How hospitals responded to the financial and quality challenges was dependent upon three factors: the coherence of demands from external institutions; managerial competence to align external demands with an overall quality improvement strategy, and managerial stability. Hospital leaders used diverse strategies and practices to manage conflicting external pressures. The development of hospital leaders' skills in translating external requirements into implementation plans with internal support is a complex, but crucial, task, if quality is to remain a priority during times of austerity. Increasing quality improvement skills within a hospital, developing a culture where quality improvement becomes embedded and linking cost reduction measures to improving care are all required. © The Author(s) 2015.

A paradigm shift for bone quality in dentistry: A literature review.

PubMed

Kuroshima, Shinichiro; Kaku, Masaru; Ishimoto, Takuya; Sasaki, Muneteru; Nakano, Takayoshi; Sawase, Takashi

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to present the current concept of bone quality based on the proposal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and some of the cellular and molecular factors that affect bone quality. This is a literature review which focuses on collagen, biological apatite (BAp), and bone cells such as osteoblasts and osteocytes. In dentistry, the term "bone quality" has long been considered to be synonymous with bone mineral density (BMD) based on radiographic and sensible evaluations. In 2000, the NIH proposed the concept of bone quality as "the sum of all characteristics of bone that influence the bone's resistance to fracture," which is completely independent of BMD. The NIH defines bone quality as comprising bone architecture, bone turnover, bone mineralization, and micro-damage accumulation. Moreover, our investigations have demonstrated that BAp, collagen, and bone cells such as osteoblasts and osteocytes play essential roles in controlling the current concept of bone quality in bone around hip and dental implants. The current concept of bone quality is crucial for understanding bone mechanical functions. BAp, collagen and osteocytes are the main factors affecting bone quality. Moreover, mechanical loading dynamically adapts bone quality. Understanding the current concept of bone quality is required in dentistry. Copyright © 2017 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[IMSS in numbers. Evaluation of the performance of health institutions in Mexico, 2004].

PubMed

2006-01-01

The evaluation of health institutions performance in Mexico during 2004 was done using 29 indicators that describe intra-hospital mortality rates, productivity of health services, availability of health resources, quality of care, security, investment and costs of health care and the satisfaction level by users of health services. This exercise describes the efficiency and organization of health services provided by the different health institutions and allows comparing and balancing the performance of each institution. Results indicate the differences in availability of resources, inequity in the financing health care services, and inefficiency in the use of resources but also describe the level of efficacy of certain institutions and the satisfaction level that different users have of health services. The evaluation of the performance of the entire health institutions should provide the means to improve all the process of health care and to increase the quality of care in all health institutions in the country.

Quality of pediatric abdominal CT scans performed at a dedicated children's hospital and its referring institutions: a multifactorial evaluation.

PubMed

Snow, Aisling; Milliren, Carly E; Graham, Dionne A; Callahan, Michael J; MacDougall, Robert D; Robertson, Richard L; Taylor, George A

2017-04-01

Pediatric patients requiring transfer to a dedicated children's hospital from an outside institution may undergo CT imaging as part of their evaluation. Whether this imaging is performed prior to or after transfer has been shown to impact the radiation dose imparted to the patient. Other quality variables could also be affected by the pediatric experience and expertise of the scanning institution. To identify differences in quality between abdominal CT scans and reports performed at a dedicated children's hospital, and those performed at referring institutions. Fifty consecutive pediatric abdominal CT scans performed at outside institutions were matched (for age, gender and indication) with 50 CT scans performed at a dedicated freestanding children's hospital. We analyzed the scans for technical parameters, report findings, correlation with final clinical diagnosis, and clinical utility. Technical evaluation included use of intravenous and oral contrast agents, anatomical coverage, number of scan phases and size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) for each scan. Outside institution scans were re-reported when the child was admitted to the children's hospital; they were also re-interpreted for this study by children's hospital radiologists who were provided with only the referral information given in the outside institution's report. Anonymized original outside institutional reports and children's hospital admission re-reports were analyzed by two emergency medicine physicians for ease of understanding, degree to which the clinical question was answered, and level of confidence in the report. Mean SSDE was lower (8.68) for children's hospital scans, as compared to outside institution scans (13.29, P = 0.03). Concordance with final clinical diagnosis was significantly lower for original outside institution reports (38/48, 79%) than for both the admission and study children's hospital reports (48/50, 96%; P = 0.005). Children's hospital admission reports were rated higher than outside institution reports for completeness, ease of understanding, answering of clinical question, and level of confidence of the report (P < 0.001). Pediatric abdominal CT scans performed and interpreted at a dedicated children's hospital are associated with higher technical quality, lower radiation dose and a more clinically useful report than those performed at referring institutions.

A cluster-randomised quality improvement study to improve two inpatient stroke quality indicators.

PubMed

Williams, Linda; Daggett, Virginia; Slaven, James E; Yu, Zhangsheng; Sager, Danielle; Myers, Jennifer; Plue, Laurie; Woodward-Hagg, Heather; Damush, Teresa M

2016-04-01

Quality indicator collection and feedback improves stroke care. We sought to determine whether quality improvement training plus indicator feedback was more effective than indicator feedback alone in improving inpatient stroke indicators. We conducted a cluster-randomised quality improvement trial, randomising hospitals to quality improvement training plus indicator feedback versus indicator feedback alone to improve deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis and dysphagia screening. Intervention sites received collaborative-based quality improvement training, external facilitation and indicator feedback. Control sites received only indicator feedback. We compared indicators pre-implementation (pre-I) to active implementation (active-I) and post-implementation (post-I) periods. We constructed mixed-effect logistic models of the two indicators with a random intercept for hospital effect, adjusting for patient, time, intervention and hospital variables. Patients at intervention sites (1147 admissions), had similar race, gender and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores to control sites (1017 admissions). DVT prophylaxis improved more in intervention sites during active-I period (ratio of ORs 4.90, p<0.001), but did not differ in post-I period. Dysphagia screening improved similarly in both groups during active-I, but control sites improved more in post-I period (ratio of ORs 0.67, p=0.04). In logistic models, the intervention was independently positively associated with DVT performance during active-I period, and negatively associated with dysphagia performance post-I period. Quality improvement training was associated with early DVT improvement, but the effect was not sustained over time and was not seen with dysphagia screening. External quality improvement programmes may quickly boost performance but their effect may vary by indicator and may not sustain over time. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Current Cytology Practices in Korea: A Nationwide Survey by the Korean Society for Cytopathology

PubMed Central

Oh, Eun Ji; Jung, Chan Kwon; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Kim, Han Kyeom; Kim, Wan Seop; Jin, So-Young; Yoon, Hye Kyoung

2017-01-01

Background Limited data are available on the current status of cytology practices in Korea. This nationwide study presents Korean cytology statistics from 2015. Methods A nationwide survey was conducted in 2016 as a part of the mandatory quality-control program by the Korean Society for Cytopathology. The questionnaire was sent to 208 medical institutions performing cytopathologic examinations in Korea. Individual institutions were asked to submit their annual cytology statistical reports and gynecologic cytology-histology correlation data for 2015. Results Responses were obtained from 206 medical institutions including 83 university hospitals, 87 general hospitals, and 36 commercial laboratories. A total of 8,284,952 cytologic examinations were performed in 2015, primarily in commercial laboratories (74.9%). The most common cytology specimens were gynecologic samples (81.3%). Conventional smears and liquid-based cytology were performed in 6,190,526 (74.7%) and 2,094,426 (25.3%) cases, respectively. The overall diagnostic concordance rate between cytologic and histologic diagnoses of uterine cervical samples was 70.5%. Discordant cases were classified into three categories: category A (minimal clinical impact, 17.4%), category B (moderate clinical impact, 10.2%), and category C (major clinical impact, 1.9%). The ratio of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance to squamous intraepithelial lesion was 1.6 in university hospitals, 2.9 in general hospitals, and 4.9 in commercial laboratories. Conclusions This survey reveals the current status and trend of cytology practices in Korea. The results of this study can serve as basic data for the establishment of nationwide cytopathology policies and quality improvement guidelines in Korean medical institutions. PMID:28950443

Transforming administrative data into real-time information in the Department of Surgery.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Peter A; Higgins, John H; Dacey, Lawrence J; Nugent, William C; DeFoe, Gordon R; Likosky, Donald S

2010-10-01

Cardiothoracic surgical programmes face increasingly more complex procedures performed on evermore challenging patients. Public and private stakeholders are demanding these programmes report process-level and clinical outcomes as a mechanism for enabling quality assurance and informed clinical decision-making. Increasingly these measures are being tied to reimbursement and institutional accreditation. The authors developed a system for linking administrative and clinical registries, in real-time, to track performance in satisfying the needs of the patients and stakeholders, as well as helping to drive continuous quality improvement. A relational surgical database was developed to link prospectively collected clinical data to administrative data sources at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Institutional performance was displayed over time using process control charts, and compared with both internal and regional benchmarks. Quarterly reports have been generated and automated for five surgical cohorts. Data are displayed externally on our dedicated website, and internally in the cardiothoracic surgical office suites, operating room theatre and nursing units. Monthly discussions are held with the clinical staff and have resulted in the development of quality-improvement projects. The delivery of clinical care in isolation of data and information is no longer prudent or acceptable. The present study suggests that an automated and real-time computer system may provide rich sources of data that may be used to drive improvements in the quality of care. Current and future work will be focused on identifying opportunities to integrate these data into the fabric of the delivery of care to drive process improvement.

Influence of the Ethnic Affiliation, Level of Education and Place of Living on Oral Health at Geriatric Population with Total and Partial Dentures in Republic of Macedonia.

PubMed

Stavreva, Natasha; Guguvcevchi, Ljuben; Kapusevska, Biljana

2015-01-01

Health is the main component of the quality of life, while oral health is component of the general health. The socio-demographic characteristics are one of the important factors for perception of the oral health and the quality of life. The main purpose of this study was to perform an evaluation of the quality of life of geriatric patients (older than 65) with built-in oral prosthetic dentures depending on the ethnic affiliation, level of education and place of living, as socio-demographic characteristics. The survey was a prospective transversal (cross-sectional) study conducted among 165 institutionally sheltered patients at the Gerontology Institute (inspected group - IG) and 170 patients from the dental specialist clinics (control group CG) at the age of 65 and older. The statistical program SPSS for Windows ver. 13.0 was used for statistical processing. Patients with upper and lower total dentures dominated (43.6% vs. 26.5%). The highest GOHAI score had the other ethnicities of IC (32.08) and Roma of IG (31.00), while the lowest was in the Albanians of CG (25.91). The highest value of 30.15 had the IG of patients living in urban areas. The quality of life and oral health of the geriatric patients are at unsatisfactory level, with significant influence of the place of living and insignificant influence of the ethnic affiliation and level of education.

Quality of randomized controlled trials published in the International Urogynecology Journal 2007-2016.

PubMed

Kim, Kyu Shik; Chung, Jae Hoon; Jo, Jung Ki; Kim, Jae Heon; Kim, Seungjun; Cho, Jeoung Man; Cho, Hee Ju; Choi, Hong Yong; Lee, Seung Wook

2018-07-01

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide the best quality clinical evidence. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of RCTs published by the International Urogynecology Journal (IUJ) in 2007-2016. RCTs in original articles were extracted from PubMed and IUJ homepage. Change in RCT quality over time was assessed with Jadad and van Tulder scales and Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool (CCRBT). Jadad scores of 3-5 or van Tulder scores of >5 indicated high-quality RCTs. The effect on RCT quality of including funding source and institutional review board (IRB) approval statements and describing the intervention was assessed. In addition, changes in RCT topics over time were assessed. Annual RCT frequencies did not change significantly (6.7-15.7%): 36.1% and 25.7% described blinding and allocation concealment, respectively. Both tended to increase between 2013 and 2016, particularly 2013 and 2014. Funding statement inclusion (39.1% overall) and intervention description (78.2% overall) tended to increase steadily. IRB statement inclusion (60.4% overall) increased significantly (p < 0.01). Jadad scores and van Tulder rose significantly until 2014 (p < 0.01). Frequencies of high-quality RCTs tended to rise. CCRBT indicated that RCTs with a low risk of bias tended to increase until 2014. However, from 2015, Jadad scores, van Tulder, and CCRBT the low risk tended to decreased. RCTs with funding and IRB approval statements had higher Jadad and van Tulder scores than unfunded RCTs (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Intervention description did not associate with better quality. RCT quality improved over time, but a dip in quality was observed in 2015-2016 because of decreased blinding and allocation concealment.

Taking Action on Air Pollution Control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Wang, Li; Zhang, Fengying; Pilot, Eva; Yu, Jie; Holdaway, Jennifer; Yang, Linsheng; Li, Yonghua; Wang, Wuyi; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Krafft, Thomas

2018-01-01

Due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and motorization, a large number of Chinese cities are affected by heavy air pollution. In order to explore progress, remaining challenges, and sustainability of air pollution control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region after 2013, a mixed method analysis was undertaken. The quantitative analysis comprised an overview of air quality management in the BTH region. Semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders from various levels of government and research institutions who played substantial roles either in decision-making or in research and advising on air pollution control in the BTH region. The results indicated that with the stringent air pollution control policies, the air quality in BTH meets the targets of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. However, improvements vary across the region and for different pollutants. Although implementation has been decisive and was at least in parts effectively enforced, significant challenges remained with regard to industrial and traffic emission control, and national air quality limits continued to be significantly exceeded and competing development interests remained mainly unsolved. There were also concerns about the sustainability of the current air pollution control measures especially for industries due to the top-down enforcement, and the associated large burden of social cost including unemployment and social inequity resulting industrial restructuring. Better mechanisms for ensuring cross-sectoral coordination and for improved central-local government communication were suggested. Further suggestions were provided to improve the conceptual design and effective implementation of respective air pollution control strategies in BTH. Our study highlights some of the major hurdles that need to be addressed to succeed with a comprehensive air pollution control management for the Chinese mega-urban agglomerations. PMID:29425189

Taking Action on Air Pollution Control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Zhang, Fengying; Pilot, Eva; Yu, Jie; Nie, Chengjing; Holdaway, Jennifer; Yang, Linsheng; Li, Yonghua; Wang, Wuyi; Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Krafft, Thomas

2018-02-09

Due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and motorization, a large number of Chinese cities are affected by heavy air pollution. In order to explore progress, remaining challenges, and sustainability of air pollution control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region after 2013, a mixed method analysis was undertaken. The quantitative analysis comprised an overview of air quality management in the BTH region. Semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders from various levels of government and research institutions who played substantial roles either in decision-making or in research and advising on air pollution control in the BTH region. The results indicated that with the stringent air pollution control policies, the air quality in BTH meets the targets of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. However, improvements vary across the region and for different pollutants. Although implementation has been decisive and was at least in parts effectively enforced, significant challenges remained with regard to industrial and traffic emission control, and national air quality limits continued to be significantly exceeded and competing development interests remained mainly unsolved. There were also concerns about the sustainability of the current air pollution control measures especially for industries due to the top-down enforcement, and the associated large burden of social cost including unemployment and social inequity resulting industrial restructuring. Better mechanisms for ensuring cross-sectoral coordination and for improved central-local government communication were suggested. Further suggestions were provided to improve the conceptual design and effective implementation of respective air pollution control strategies in BTH. Our study highlights some of the major hurdles that need to be addressed to succeed with a comprehensive air pollution control management for the Chinese mega-urban agglomerations.