The decision-making matrix of propensity to outsourcing hospital services in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

PubMed

Hayati, Ramin; Setoodehzadeh, Fateme; Heydarvand, Sanaz; Khammarnia, Mohammad; Ravangard, Ramin; Sadeghi, Ahmad; Sobhani, Ghasem

2015-12-01

To determine the level of managers' propensity for outsourcing the services in hospitals using decision-making matrix. The applied, cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals affiliated to Bandar Abbas University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2013, and comprised managers and employees of four service units: radiology, laboratory, nursing, and nutrition services. Data was collected using two questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Data was analysed using SPSS 16 and by using decision-making matrix. Of the 122 subjects in the study, 12(9.8%) were managers and 110(90.2%) were other employees. The highest and lowest propensities for outsourcing were related to nutrition (66.6%) and nursing services one (8.33%). The decision-making matrix showed low outsourcing of the nursing, radiology, and laboratory services based on the services' features. However, there were difference between the results obtained from laboratory service decision-making matrix and the propensity for laboratory service outsourcing. The difference between the results obtained from the matrix and managers' viewpoint can be due to the lack of managers' sufficient attention to the features of hospital services when making decisions on outsourcing them.

Concerns and hopes about outsourcing decisions regarding health information management services at two teaching hospitals in Semnan, Iran.

PubMed

Kahouei, Mehdi; Farrokhi, Maryam; Abadi, Zahra Nasr; Karimi, Arefe

2016-04-01

Changes in health programs in Iran have led to an increase in administrative costs. One cost-saving option available to hospital administrators is to outsource administrative services. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of hospital staff towards outsourcing health information management services in advance of a decision being taken, to assist healthcare organisations to assess the potential benefits and challenges of outsourcing such services. Six hundred and four clinical and allied health employees in two hospitals in Iran, who had had prior experience with outsourcing hospital services, responded to a survey designed to measure staff attitudes towards outsourcing health information management services, based on their perceptions of potential costs and benefits for the organisation and their own employment prospects. A 16-item attitude scale, developed by the researchers, was used in the study and demographic data were also collected. Summary statistics showed that approximately one third of the sample (34.53%) had a negative view of outsourcing, one third (35.16%) had a positive view, and 30.31% were neutral. An exploratory factor analysis of items on the attitude scale identified three underlying constructs, labelled: data security and management; workplace environment; and staff and customer satisfaction. One item (concern about the impact of outsourcing on staffing levels) did not load on any of the factors. A separate analysis of this single item showed a significant relationship between the sex of participants and their views on the impact of outsourcing on the number of hospital staff employed (p<0.05). While results of this study indicated that staff in hospitals surveyed held both positive and negative views of outsourcing, a large number of staff in these hospitals (a third of the total sample) had reservations about the skills of outside providers to securely manage hospital data, and did not consider that outsourcing health information management services would be positive for the organisation, their working environment or for staff and patient satisfaction. These findings have important implications for healthcare organisations planning to outsource health information services. Further research that focuses on communication skills of senior managers and their ability to provide team leadership is needed, as is research into the impact of geographical location and current market forces that impact on outsourcing tasks.

Outsourcing in Higher Education. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Patricia A.

Higher education has increasingly turned to outsourcing to improve service in the face of declining resources. Outsourcing has traditionally been used to operate campus bookstores and dining services and has more recently become a legitimate option for additional campus functions, such as facilities operation, computer services, security, child…

Hospital saves $1 million by outsourcing laundry.

PubMed

1999-04-01

Thirty-five percent of hospitals nationwide are outsourcing laundry services, according to the Textile Rental Services Association. Pennsylvania Hospital cut its cost per pound of laundry from 61.5 cents to 46 cents, saving $1 million in its first year of outsourcing. Outsourcing also brought the hospital better inventory control, more efficient delivery, and fewer complaints about missing items.

Outsourcing and Insourcing of Information Services: A Case Study of Corporate and Government Libraries in Victoria.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakey, Kathleen

1994-01-01

A survey of 92 corporate and government libraries in Victoria, Australia, reveals that 64.8% were restructured over the last 5 years. Reasons for outsourcing; services being outsourced; the impact of budgets; and the use of service fees are examined. (AEF)

Forward and backward transitions in pharmacy-based immunization services.

PubMed

Westrick, Salisa C

2010-03-01

Community pharmacies can engage in immunization services by contracting with an external workforce (outsourced mechanism) or staff pharmacists (in-house mechanism) to deliver the services. Because an outsourced mechanism generally requires lower organizational commitment, pharmacies often start with an outsourced mechanism. Later, these pharmacies can have 1 of the following transitions: sit on a fence by continuing with an outsourced mechanism, move backward by abandoning any immunization services, or move forward by implementing an in-house mechanism. Using Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations model and Behavioral Theory of the Firm as guidance, this study identified the associations between perceived characteristics of immunization services and backward/forward transitions. A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted to collect data from key informants of Washington State community pharmacies during May-July 2004 (response rate=46.9%). A total of 106 pharmacies were included in the analysis. Based on pharmacy's immunization service transitions, these pharmacies were identified as Fence sitters, Backward movers, or Forward movers. Relationships between these transitions, pharmacy characteristics, and perceived characteristics of immunization services were analyzed using bivariate and multinomial logistic regression techniques. Backward and Forward movers had less positive assessments of outsourced services when compared with Fence sitters. Backward and Forward movers differed in their perceptions of in-house services; Backward movers generally perceived no differences between these 2 services, whereas Forward movers generally perceived in-house services to be superior to outsourced services. Furthermore, the odds of being a Forward mover increased as perceived technical and social benefits of outsourced services decreased, perceived compatibility of in-house services increased, and perceived complexity of in-house services decreased. Perceived characteristics of outsourced and in-house innovations were associated with backward and forward transitions. Findings can be used to guide the development of strategies for facilitating organizational change and preventing the abandonment of immunization services. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Privatizing Student Services and University Functions: An Overview of Outsourcing Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keiser, Robert W.

2002-01-01

Explores why more and more institutions are outsourcing different functions in the college union, including food services, vending, and bookstores. Examines the advantages and disadvantages, and what college union administrators should watch for when considering outsourcing. (EV)

Realising the Real Benefits of Outsourcing: Measurement Excellence and Its Importance in Achieving Long Term Value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshri, Ilan; Kotlarsky, Julia

These days firms are, more than ever, pressed to demonstrate returns on their investment in outsourcing. While the initial returns can always be associated with one-off cost cutting, outsourcing arrangements are complex, often involving inter-related high-value activities, which makes the realisation of long-term benefits from outsourcing ever more challenging. Executives in client firms are no longer satisfied with the same level of service delivery through the outsourcing lifecycle. They seek to achieve business transformation and innovation in their present and future services, beyond satisfying service level agreements (SLAs). Clearly the business world is facing a new challenge: an outsourcing delivery system of high-value activities that demonstrates value over time and across business functions. However, despite such expectations, many client firms are in the dark when trying to measure and quantify the return on outsourcing investments: results of this research show that less than half of all CIOs and CFOs (43%) have attempted to calculate the financial impact of outsourcing to their bottom line, indicating that the financial benefits are difficult to quantify (51%).

2001 contract management survey.

PubMed

2001-10-01

For the second year running, hospitals are spending more on clinical outsourcing than on business services. The Eleventh Annual Contract Services Survey shows that, in clinical areas, executives use outsourcing to acquire specialized expertise with cost savings secondary. Reducing costs and FTEs are the primary reasons for outsourcing business operations. Business service contracts are more likely to meet expectations for cost savings. Overall, satisfaction levels are up, but in some areas there's still a lot of room for improvement. This report examines current trends in outsourcing, strategies for the future, satisfaction levels, the decisionmaking process, contract features, and costs.

A secure data outsourcing scheme based on Asmuth-Bloom secret sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idris Muhammad, Yusuf; Kaiiali, Mustafa; Habbal, Adib; Wazan, A. S.; Sani Ilyasu, Auwal

2016-11-01

Data outsourcing is an emerging paradigm for data management in which a database is provided as a service by third-party service providers. One of the major benefits of offering database as a service is to provide organisations, which are unable to purchase expensive hardware and software to host their databases, with efficient data storage accessible online at a cheap rate. Despite that, several issues of data confidentiality, integrity, availability and efficient indexing of users' queries at the server side have to be addressed in the data outsourcing paradigm. Service providers have to guarantee that their clients' data are secured against internal (insider) and external attacks. This paper briefly analyses the existing indexing schemes in data outsourcing and highlights their advantages and disadvantages. Then, this paper proposes a secure data outsourcing scheme based on Asmuth-Bloom secret sharing which tries to address the issues in data outsourcing such as data confidentiality, availability and order preservation for efficient indexing.

Outsourcing and its implications for hospital organizations in Turkey.

PubMed

Yigit, Vahit; Tengilimoglu, Dilaver; Kisa, Adnan; Younis, Mustafa Zeedan

2007-01-01

To thrive in this era of global competition, all organizations must explore new managerial approaches to get an edge in the marketplace. One increasingly appealing approach is outsourcing. Hospitals are particularly fertile environments for outsourcing, given their role as providers of a broad and complex array of services, many of which may be bought from other institutions. The purpose of this study is to determine the types of services that hospitals in Turkey buy from other organizations. The study sample included 14 university hospitals, 20 Ministry of Health Hospitals, 15 Social Insurance Organization Hospitals and 31 private hospitals in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, and Eskisehir, which are the biggest cities in Turkey. The following services were found to be outsourced: hospital management information systems (83.8%), cleaning services (81.3%), maintenance services (72.5%), leased medical devices (75.0%), food services (60.0%), patient direction services (63.8%), magnetic imaging services (60.0%), other imaging services (48.8%), laboratory services (42.5%), security services (38.8%), laundry services (36.3%), patient transportation services (33.8%), accounting services (26.3%), ambulance services (22.5%), patient satisfaction measurement services (13.8%), consultancy services (12.5%), and financial and investment services (9.5%). Private hospitals bought more services than public facilities did. The sampled hospitals chose to outsource services in order to decrease costs (78.8%), increase the quality of services rendered (65.5%), increase flexibility and share risk (36.6%), and increase profits (11.2%). The results of this study suggest that outsourcing, when applied judiciously through cost and risk analysis, is a cost-effective approach that can be used by most hospitals.

Outsourcing decision factors in publicly owned electric utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzales, James Edward

Purpose. The outsourcing of services in publicly owned electric utilities has generated some controversy. The purpose of this study was to explore this controversy by investigating the relationships between eight key independent variables and a dependent variable, "manager perceptions of overall value of outsourced services." The intent was to provide data so that utilities could make better decisions regarding outsourcing efforts. Theoretical framework. Decision theory was used as the framework for analyzing variables and alternatives used to support the outsourcing decision-making process. By reviewing these eight variables and the projected outputs and outcomes, a more predictive and potentially successful outsourcing effort can be realized. Methodology. A survey was distributed to a sample of 323 publicly owned electric utilities randomly selected from a population of 2,020 in the United States. Analysis of the data was made using statistical techniques including the Chi-Square, Lambda, Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation, as well as the Hypothesis Test, Rank Correlation, to test for relationships among the variables. Findings. Relationships among the eight key variables and perceptions of the overall value of outsourced services were generally weak. The notable exception was with the driving force (reason) for outsourcing decisions where the relationship was strongly positive. Conclusions and recommendations. The data in support of the research questions suggest that seven of the eight key variables may be weakly predictive of perceptions of the overall value of outsourced services. However, the primary driving force for outsourcing was strongly predictive. The data also suggest that many of the sampled utilities did not formally address these variables and alternatives, and therefore may not be achieving maximal results. Further studies utilizing customer perceptions rather than those of outsourcing service managers are recommended. In addition, it is recommended that a smaller sample population be analyzed after identifying one or more champions to ensure cooperation and legitimacy of data. Finally, this study supports the position that a manager's ability to identify and understand the relationships between these eight key variables and desired outcomes and outputs may contribute to more successful outsourcing operations.

[Outsourced services and their consequences for nursing care].

PubMed

Zamberlan, Cláudia; de Siqueira, Heidi Crecência Heckler

2005-01-01

This experience report intends to turn visible and to share with other professionals a practical experiment. The influence of outsourced services is emphasized in the process of nursing care, focusing the difficulties found, in the same institution, in the units not outsourced related to nursing care and problem resolution of clients submitted to hemodynamics procedures that are hospitalized after the intervention and/or return to common units of the Institution which services are outsourced. The experience evidences the need of a integrated team between the two services, using the continuing education as a way to rescue fundamental knowledge for clients' integral care, as well as a more committed profession with the being and making nursing.

Outsourcing of Technology in Higher Education: The Brookdale Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Donna; Morgovsky, Joel

Outsourcing in higher education refers to the practice of contracting with private, off-campus firms to provide or manage services which have historically been provided in-house. Budget cutbacks and declining private support have led to increased use of outsourcing for non-mission-critical and non-instructional services, such as information…

Outsourcing in Higher Education: A Business Officer and Business Partner Discuss a Controversial Management Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartem, Richard; Manning, Sherry

2001-01-01

With outsourcing, colleges can focus on their primary mission rather than on managing an auxiliary service that may compete with private sector alternatives. Discusses when an institution should outsource; what businesses can bring to educational communities; the role of business officers in outsourcing; how to ensure successful outsourcing; why…

Healthcare Information Technology Backsourcing, Problematic Outsourcing Manipulations, and Multisupplier Backsourcing Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garske, Steven Ray

2010-01-01

Backsourcing is the act of an organization changing an outsourcing relationship through insourcing, vendor change, or elimination of the outsourced service. This study discovered numerous problematic outsourcing manipulations conducted by suppliers, and identified backsourcing methodologies to correct these manipulations across multiple supplier…

Outsourcing and benchmarking in a rural public hospital: does economic theory provide the complete answer?

PubMed

Young, S H

2003-01-01

The ideology and pronouncements of the Australian Government in introducing 'competitive neutrality' to the public sector has improved efficiency and resource usage. In the health sector, the Human Services Department directed that non-clinical and clinical areas be market tested through benchmarking services against the private sector, with the possibility of outsourcing. These services included car parking, computing, laundry, engineering, cleaning, catering, medical imaging (radiology), pathology, pharmacy, allied health and general practice. Managers, when they choose between outsourcing, and internal servicing and production, would thus ideally base their decision on economic principles. Williamson's transaction cost theory studies the governance mechanisms that can be used to achieve economic efficiency and proposes that the optimal organisation structure is that which minimises transaction costs or the costs of exchange. Williamson proposes that four variables will affect such costs, namely: (i) frequency of exchange; (ii) asset specificity; (iii) environmental uncertainty; and (iv) threat of opportunism. This paper provides evidence from a rural public hospital and examines whether Williamson's transaction cost theory is applicable. Case study research operates within the interpretivism paradigm and is used in this research to uncover why the outsourcing decision was made. Such research aims to study real-life experiences by examining the way people think and act and, in contrast to positivism, allows the interviewer to participate to better understand the details and features of the experiences. In the present research, individual interviews were conducted with managers of the hospital and owners and staff of the vendor organisations using semi- and unstructured questions to ascertain the extent of, and processes used in, outsourcing specific functional areas, and areas that were not outsourced. Pathology, radiology, dental technician services and lawn mowing were outsourced while food services was retained internally. The outsourcing of radiology was due to the hospital being unable (or unwilling) to finance new equipment and the problematical relationship between the existing radiologists, and hospital management and staff. Outsourcing resulted in increased staff morale, upgraded capital equipment and improved services. The outsourcing of pathology and dental technical services aimed to increase labour flexibility, thereby decreasing costs. Additional drivers in pathology were the changing nature of the funding arrangements rendering it profitable for the private sector to move into the provision of pathology and the increasing power of the medical scientists' union. The outsourcing of lawn mowing was simply to reduce costs. Food services was not outsourced because there was a lack of evidence that costs could be reduced. In addition, the existing relationships with food services staff were regarded as important because they had previously made immense changes to work practices, reduced staff numbers and decreased costs. Transaction costs are important when analysing how managers make the outsourcing decision, but the evidence from this case is that not all transaction costs are included in the decision, and that such costs are more complex than can be included in the type of analysis often undertaken by decision-makers. Taking into account Williamson's variables, the research shows that the outsourcing of services did not comply solely with the levels of transaction frequency or the requirement of asset specificity. In addition, opportunistic behaviour was evident on the part of all parties and was used in some cases as a reason for outsourcing, and in others to sway the decision to the manager's predisposed choice. A variety of arrangements were used to reduce environmental uncertainty, such as the transfer of staff to the contractor and the use of long-term contracts. Indeed the case shows that relationships between the hospital, its staff and the vendor are an important consideration that may not always be factored into an analysis that relies solely on transaction costs.

The Network Becomes the Library: The Need for Supportability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worthington, Tom

This paper begins with a discussion of outsourcing. The first section summarizes an Australian Computer Society paper on information technology outsourcing, including reasons for outsourcing and critical issues. The second section discusses the outsourced library, including: the use of the Internet to deliver services; replacement of the library…

Outsourcing in American Libraries--An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordeianu, Sever; Benaud, Claire-Lise

1997-01-01

Discusses the state of outsourcing in American libraries. Highlights include objectives (to reduce cost, increase the quality of service, and achieve a better price/performance objective); operations that can be outsourced; pros and cons; changes in the way library personnel view their work; outsourcing in special, public, academic, and federal…

Peterson's Contract Services for Higher Education. The Directory of Outsource Service Vendors for Colleges and Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson's Guides, Inc., Princeton, NJ.

This directory provides information on various types of contract and outsourcing services available to colleges and universities. It contains profiles of approximately 2,000 service providers in 16 major categories: academic services, such as admissions, media and video conferencing, and testing; administrative services; advertising and marketing;…

An Examination of the Value of Overall Trust and Commitment Associated with Service Complexity in Higher Education Information Technology Outsourcing Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Monica I.

2012-01-01

Enterprise information systems (EIS) governance provides guidance, structure, and rules for companies within industry who use information technology (IT) support services, and in particular, for outsourced IT support. This study focuses on outsourcing from the client perspective for higher education and uses the qualitative methodology with a…

Outsourcing: A Descriptive Study of the Outsourcing of Non-Educational Services in the Bergen and Passaic County Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pecora, Albert J.

2012-01-01

Due to a diminishing level of available funds, school leaders are faced with difficult decisions associated with reducing budget expenditures. The only way to prevent losing more programs and services is to reduce spending. An area which is quickly gaining popularity in reducing expenditures is outsourcing. Many schools have turned to outside…

Successful Information Technology Outsourcing: A Case Study on How a U.S.-Based Company Achieves Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daluisio, Stephen C.

2014-01-01

In the late 1980s, the Eastman Kodak company initiated what would become one of the biggest trends in information technology (IT): outsourcing. IT outsourcing (ITO) allows a company to focus on the services that will differentiate it from its competitors and farm out nondifferentiating services. ITO has grown from the initial landmark effort at…

Outsourcing cleaning services increases MRSA incidence: Evidence from 126 english acute trusts.

PubMed

Toffolutti, Veronica; Reeves, Aaron; McKee, Martin; Stuckler, David

2017-02-01

There has been extensive outsourcing of hospital cleaning services in the NHS in England, in part because of the potential to reduce costs. Yet some argue that this leads to lower hygiene standards and more infections, such as MRSA and, perhaps because of this, the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish health services have rejected outsourcing. This study evaluates whether contracting out cleaning services in English acute hospital Trusts (legal authorities that run one or more hospitals) is associated with risks of hospital-borne MRSA infection and lower economic costs. By linking data on MRSA incidence per 100,000 hospital bed-days with surveys of cleanliness among patient and staff in 126 English acute hospital Trusts during 2010-2014, we find that outsourcing cleaning services was associated with greater incidence of MRSA, fewer cleaning staff per hospital bed, worse patient perceptions of cleanliness and staff perceptions of availability of handwashing facilities. However, outsourcing was also associated with lower economic costs (without accounting for additional costs associated with treatment of hospital acquired infections). Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing in Higher Education: The Known and Unknown about the Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wekullo, Caroline Sabina

2017-01-01

Outsourcing or privatising services in higher education is a common practice, but what do we really know about it? Is outsourcing effective? It is imperative that these questions be addressed since outsourcing is becoming a norm in higher education institutions. Scholars, institutional administrators and policymakers need to understand the…

Are You Ready To Discuss IT Outsourcing on Your Campus?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCord, Alan

2002-01-01

Explores why the idea of outsourcing campus information technology (IT) services rouses opinions and passions best handled by informed dialogue. Discusses how to conduct this dialog, including common myths about outsourcing and useful lessons. (EV)

Successful outsourcing: improving quality of life through integrated support services.

PubMed

Bates, Jason; Sharratt, Martin; King, John

2014-01-01

This article examines the way that non-clinical support services are provided in healthcare settings through outsourcing partnerships. The integrated support services model and benefits to patient experience and safety as well as organizational efficiency and effectiveness are explored through an examination of services at a busy urban community hospital.

Strategic outsourcing of clinical services: a model for volume-stressed academic medical centers.

PubMed

Billi, John E; Pai, Chih-Wen; Spahlinger, David A

2004-01-01

Many academic medical centers have significant capacity constraints and limited ability to expand services to meet demand. Health care management should employ strategic thinking to deal with service demands. This article uses three organizational models to develop a theoretical framework to guide the selection of clinical services for outsourcing.

Outsourcing and Libraries--Threat or Promise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missingham, Roxanne

1994-01-01

Outsourcing has been proposed as a method for improving effectiveness and productivity in Australian public library service. Developments, drawbacks, and potentials are discussed, and differences between contracting out whole services as opposed to selected activities are examined. (AEF)

A Decision Model for Merging Base Operations: Outsourcing Pest Management on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-30

OH: South- Western Cengage Learning. Mankiw , N. G. (2006). Principles of economics (4th ed.). Mason, OH: Thompson South- Western. Private...When the choice to in-source or outsource an installation function or service requirement exists, in these challenging economic times, it is now more...decision uncertainties. When the choice to in-source or outsource an installation function or service requirement exists, in these challenging economic

Economic analysis of an intraoperative cell salvage service.

PubMed

Szpisjak, Dale F; Potter, Paul S; Capehart, Bruce P

2004-01-01

In the United States, the cost of erythrocyte transfusion exceeds 1.3 billion dollars annually. The fear of viral disease transmission popularized intraoperative salvage to reduce the use of banked blood. Although the economics of this technique have been questioned, the financial variables in providing an intraoperative autotransfusion service have not been analyzed. We designed mathematical models to determine the most cost-effective strategy based on hospital caseload. Four models were analyzed with a spreadsheet to project costs of an intraoperative autotransfusion service when fully or partially outsourced, performed by a full-time technician employee, or performed by a cross-trained employee. The Partially Outsourced model was more economical than the Fully Outsourced model when the annual caseload exceeded 185 cases. The New Employee model became more economical than the Fully Outsourced model when the annual caseload exceeded 110 cases. The Cross-Trained model was the most economical when annual caseload exceeded 55 cases. Cross-training an employee as a cell salvage technician is more economical than outsourcing when caseload exceeds 55 per year.

A cost benefit analysis of outsourced laboratory services.

PubMed

Bowers, J A

1995-11-01

As healthcare moves toward increased capitation, hospital administrators must be aware of all costs associated with patient services. This article describes the cost benefit analysis process used by northern Indiana hospital consumers during 1994-1995 to evaluate a local laboratory service outsource provider, South Bend Medical Foundation (SBMF). In an effort to meet the best interests of the community at large, three competing hospitals, medical leadership, and the local outsource provider joined forces to ensure that cost effective quality services would be provided. Laboratory utilization patterns for common DRGs were also analyzed. The team created a reconfiguration analysis to help develop benchmark figures for consideration in future contract negotiations.

Critical Review--Outsourcing: A Paradigm Shift.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kakabadse, Nada; Kakabadse, Andrew

2000-01-01

Discusses trends in outsourcing, provision of goods and services to an organization that were previously delivered in house. Addresses outsourcing in the public sector, advantages and disadvantages, implications for human resource development, and the shift to the new "psychological contract" between employers and employees. (Contains…

Outsourcing Support Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, James A.

2000-01-01

Successful outsourcing is a learning process demanding careful planning, commitment, and heavy communication. The process also requires a strong leadership and a cohesive school board ready to weather a cultural change. Service employee options, contractors' managerial expertise, increased efficiency, and partnership opportunities are possible…

An evaluation of health information technology outsourcing success.

PubMed

Malovec, Shannon N; Borycki, Elizabeth M; Kushniruk, Andre W

2015-01-01

Outsourcing involves contracting out functions performed by an organization to another organization. Many healthcare organizations are exploring outsourcing as a way to address demands for health information technology (HIT). This study researches the success of outsourcing in the health informatics industry in Canada. The study is designed to help understand whether outsourcing four functions of HIT (i.e. development, implementation, operations, and maintenance) can prove successful for an organization. Findings demonstrate that outsourcing these four functions occurs in Canada; however, the research from the semi-structured interviews finds that operations and maintenance may be more commonly outsourced in Canada, over development and implementation functions. Despite this, findings from this research suggest that outsourcing development and implementation may offer more benefits and fewer challenges than outsourcing operations and maintenance. The research also finds that there can be benefits of outsourcing, such as gaining access to expertise and improving service levels. A weakness of outsourcing may be that internal knowledge is lost and having to manage the change required from outsourcing. The study proposes that there are many factors that need to be considered when outsourcing to ensure it is successful.

Lessons Learned from Outsourcing the Pearl Harbor MK-48 Intermediate Maintenance Activity

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

transfer of ownership of assets. However, outsourcing is not simply a procurement decision. All organizations procure elements of their operations...systems, commercialization, and franchising (Office of Management and Budget, 2004). Strengths of Outsourcing Outsourcing is more efficient than...operating the IMA with organic resources vs . the cost of a comparable service provided by a contractor. Activity-based costing would also help managers

Competition in Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-14

NASA employees to maintain desktop assets No way to track costs, no standardization, not tracking service quality NASA’s Outsourcing Desktop...assets to the private sector. ODIN Goals Cut desktop computing costs Increase service quality Achieve interoperability and standardization Focus...not tracking service quality NASA’s Outsourcing Desktop Initiative (ODIN) transferred the responsibility for providing and managing the vast

Outsourcing lead optimization: the eye of the storm.

PubMed

Clark, David E

2011-02-01

This article is the third in a series examining the evolution of the market for outsourced lead optimization services and covers developments from late 2006 to the present. Following an analysis of the significant events that have impacted the marketplace in recent years, a brief survey of the growing number of companies offering lead optimization services is presented. Subsequently, three notable trends that can be perceived in this highly dynamic field are discussed: the continuing rise of outsourcing companies in Asia and Eastern Europe, the increase in deals with not-for-profit organizations and, finally, the emergence of a variety of business models under which outsourced work is conducted. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study of the Risks in an Information System Outsourcing Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajitkumar, Shabareesh; Bunker, Deborah; Smith, Stephen; Winchester, Donald

The objective of this paper is to report the findings of a case study into the risks involved in an information systems outsourcing partnership between a retail bank client and the vendor, an information technology service provider. By drawing on the case study, the paper proposes a theoretical development of shared benefits and shared risks in IT outsourcing partnerships. The paper argues that the longevity and success of the outsourcing partnership depends largely on managing shared risks and goals in the outsourcing partnership, which may gradually deteriorate over time without frequent, open interactions between partnership members. The outsourcing partnership contractual agreements alone may have limited scope in contributing to shared risk reduction in the IT outsourcing partnership if relationships deteriorate.

Offshoring of healthcare services: the case of US-India trade in medical transcription services.

PubMed

Kshetri, Nir; Dholakia, Nikhilesh

2011-01-01

- The issue of offshore outsourcing of healthcare services is a critical but little-examined problem in healthcare research. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling this void. A library-based study was carried out of the development of the Indian medical transcription offshoring industry. Findings- Cost-saving potential and the degree of outsourceability are higher for medical transcription compared with most services. Offshoring experience, typically in a low-value BPO, helps to enhance productivity and international linkages required for the success of medical transcription. Research limitations/implications - An important area of future research concerns comparing India's factor endowments in medical transcription outsourcing with other services. Further research is also needed to examine how India differs from its regional competitors in terms of factors endowments associated with these services. Another extension would be to investigate the drivers of offshoring of higher value services such as radiological readings. Practical implications - ICT infrastructures needed for outsourcing require much less investment compared with leading capital-intensive industries. The development patterns of the Indian medical and offshoring industries indicate that India may attract higher skilled medical functions in the future. The Indian offshoring industry is shifting its focus from BPO to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Developing countries need to shift to greater automation and greater levels of skill training to retain and reinforce their comparative advantages. This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it examines the drivers of a new but rapidly growing healthcare industry.

Don't Outsource It. Do It!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuzzo, David

1999-01-01

Discusses outsourcing in library technical-services departments and how to make the department more cost-effective to limit the need for outsourcing as a less expensive alternative. Topics include experiences at State University of New York at Buffalo; efficient use of computers for in-house programs; and staff participation. (LRW)

Outsourcing occupational health services. Critical elements.

PubMed

Dyck, Dianne

2002-02-01

Successful management of an outsourcing relationship produces a highly interactive, flexible relationship between two organizations. The unique skills and resources of the service provider can be leveraged by the purchasing organization to achieve its business goals. Occupational and environmental health nurses can orchestrate this process and implement this important management tool in the provision of quality occupational health services.

Competent statistical programmer: Need of business process outsourcing industry

PubMed Central

Khan, Imran

2014-01-01

Over the last two decades Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has evolved as much mature practice. India is looked as preferred destination for pharmaceutical outsourcing over a cost arbitrage. Among the biometrics outsourcing, statistical programming and analysis required very niche skill for service delivery. The demand and supply ratios are imbalance due to high churn out rate and less supply of competent programmer. Industry is moving from task delivery to ownership and accountability. The paradigm shift from an outsourcing to consulting is triggering the need for competent statistical programmer. Programmers should be trained in technical, analytical, problem solving, decision making and soft skill as the expectations from the customer are changing from task delivery to accountability of the project. This paper will highlight the common issue SAS programming service industry is facing and skills the programmers need to develop to cope up with these changes. PMID:24987578

Competent statistical programmer: Need of business process outsourcing industry.

PubMed

Khan, Imran

2014-07-01

Over the last two decades Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) has evolved as much mature practice. India is looked as preferred destination for pharmaceutical outsourcing over a cost arbitrage. Among the biometrics outsourcing, statistical programming and analysis required very niche skill for service delivery. The demand and supply ratios are imbalance due to high churn out rate and less supply of competent programmer. Industry is moving from task delivery to ownership and accountability. The paradigm shift from an outsourcing to consulting is triggering the need for competent statistical programmer. Programmers should be trained in technical, analytical, problem solving, decision making and soft skill as the expectations from the customer are changing from task delivery to accountability of the project. This paper will highlight the common issue SAS programming service industry is facing and skills the programmers need to develop to cope up with these changes.

[Onsite microbiology services and outsourcing microbiology and offsite laboratories--advantage and disadvantage, thinking of effective utilization].

PubMed

Hosokawa, Naoto

2011-10-01

In recent years, budget restrictions have prompted hospital managers to consider outsourcing microbiology service. But there are many advantages onsite microbiology services. Onsite microbiology services have some advantages. 1) High recovery rate of microorganism. 2) Shorter turn around time. 3) Easy to communicate between physician and laboratory technician. 4) Effective utilization of blood culture. 5) Getting early information about microorganism. 6) Making antibiogram (microbiological local factor). 7) Getting information for infection control. The disadvantages are operating costs and labor cost. The important point of maximal utilization of onsite microbiology service is close communication between physicians to microbiology laboratory. It will be able to provide prompt and efficient report to physicians through discussion about Gram stain findings, agar plate media findings and epidemiological information. The rapid and accurate identification of pathogen affords directed therapy, thereby decreasing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and shortening the length of hospital stay and unnecessary ancillary procedures. When the physician use outsourcing microbiology services, should discuss with offsite laboratories about provided services. Infection control person has to arrange data of susceptibility about every isolate and monitoring multi-drug resistant organism. Not only onsite microbiology services but also outsourcing microbiology services, to communicate bedside and laboratory is most important point of effective utilization.

Does outsourcing affect hospital profitability?

PubMed

Danvers, Kreag; Nikolov, Pavel

2010-01-01

Organizations outsource non-core service functions to achieve cost reductions and strategic benefits, both of which can impact profitability performance. This article examines relations between managerial outsourcing decisions and profitability for a multi-state sample of non-profit hospitals, across 16 states and four regions of the United States. Overall regression results indicate that outsourcing does not necessarily improve hospital profitability. In addition, we identify no profitability impact from outsourcing for urban hospitals, but somewhat positive effects for teaching hospitals. Our regional analysis suggests that hospitals located in the Midwest maintain positive profitability effects with outsourcing, but those located in the South realize negative effects. These findings have implications for cost reduction efforts and the financial viability of non-profit hospitals.

Outsourcing Academic Development in Higher Education: Staff Perceptions of an International Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Kerry; Hughes, Kate; Stephens, Bruce

2017-01-01

Increasingly, higher education support services are being outsourced. Our case study was of a program from a global, USA-based, non-profit organisation. From in-depth interviews, we investigated staff perceptions of academic development workshops and the efficacy of outsourcing to a transnational tertiary-support program. We found that…

Evolving Relationship Structures in Multi-sourcing Arrangements: The Case of Mission Critical Outsourcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heitlager, Ilja; Helms, Remko; Brinkkemper, Sjaak

Information Technology Outsourcing practice and research mainly considers the outsourcing phenomenon as a generic fulfilment of the IT function by external parties. Inspired by the logic of commodity, core competencies and economies of scale; assets, existing departments and IT functions are transferred to external parties. Although the generic approach might work for desktop outsourcing, where standardisation is the dominant factor, it does not work for the management of mission critical applications. Managing mission critical applications requires a different approach where building relationships is critical. The relationships involve inter and intra organisational parties in a multi-sourcing arrangement, called an IT service chain, consisting of multiple (specialist) parties that have to collaborate closely to deliver high quality services.

The Privatization of College Counseling Services: A Preliminary Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Larry; And Others

1996-01-01

Investigates 31 colleges and 1 state system of 21 colleges that addressed privatizing counseling services. A small number of colleges were found to have adopted different models of outsourcing, and some had considered outsourcing but not pursued it. Discusses advantages, disadvantages, factors affecting decision making, and levels of success. (JPS)

A Simple Estimation Method for Aggregate Government Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minicucci, Stephen; Donahue, John D.

2004-01-01

The scholarly and popular debate on the delegation to the private sector of governmental tasks rests on an inadequate empirical foundation, as no systematic data are collected on direct versus indirect service delivery. We offer a simple method for approximating levels of service outsourcing, based on relatively straightforward combinations of and…

The Effects of Risk and Size of Company on Business Performance in Information Technology Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balogun, Shereef Adewale

2013-01-01

Information technology (IT) outsourcing is a practical way to transfer information technology by industries of different firms. The problem occurs when companies outsource services to domestic and international data centers as network security issues arise. This leads to competition between companies causing the size of the company to become more…

Medical errors arising from outsourcing laboratory and radiology services.

PubMed

Chasin, Brian S; Elliott, Sean P; Klotz, Stephen A

2007-09-01

Document errors and the nuisance factor inherent in the informational exchange that occurs with the outsourcing of laboratory and radiology examinations. Three infectious diseases physicians at a tertiary care hospital recorded problems involving data transmitted by telephone or fax from outsource providers for 4 months. This included in- and outpatients, and those in transition from one status to another. Outsourcing laboratory and radiology examinations of insured outpatients is a common practice. Insurance companies determine which healthcare facility performs these tests based on contractual agreements with outsource providers. This leads to confusion and frustration for the doctor and patient alike, and occasionally, to medical error. The exchange of patient data involved in outsourcing is subject to systemic errors that do not allow of easy solution.

Polymorphous Organization: A Nested-Structurationist Study of an Organizational Form in the IT Services Outsourcing Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joy, Simy

2010-01-01

In an in-depth field study of the work practices among the teams engaged in the delivery of outsourced IT services in a large IT services company in India, I discovered the organizational form that I call "Polymorphous Organization". It is the phenomenon where each team was embedded in a unique work context constituted by both the parent…

Outsourcing on American Campuses: National Developments and the Food Service Experience at GWU

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glickman, Theodore S.; Holm, Jennifer; Keating, Devlin; Pannait, Claudia; White, Susan C.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth examination of the outsourcing of food services on a university campus. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a detailed case study including interviews with university administrators, contractor administrators, and students and background information taken from student…

Why Outsourcing Happens, and What To Do about It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Herbert S.

2000-01-01

Discusses the concept of outsourcing in libraries and suggests that it is done for the cosmetic appearance of fiscal economies. Highlights include the possibility of achieving better service quality, but at a higher cost; and the importance of keeping management informed about and aware of the value of library services. (LRW)

Defense in Depth: Foundation for Secure and Resilient IT Enterprises

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

Gabbard , D., & May, C. (2003). Outsourcing Managed Security Service. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/sims/sim012.html. 296 CMU/SEI...security_matters/2001/2q01/security-2q01.htm. [Allen 03] Allen, J., Gabbard , D., & May, C. Outsourcing Managed Security Service (CMU/SEI-SIM-012

Beyond products: services-based strategy.

PubMed

Quinn, J B; Doorley, T L; Paquette, P C

1990-01-01

Services technologies are changing the way companies in every industry--manufacturers and service providers alike--compete. Vertical integration, physical facilities, even a seemingly superior product can no longer assure a competitive edge. Instead, sustainable advantage is more and more likely to come from developing superior capabilities in a few core service skills--and out-sourcing as much of the rest as possible. Within companies, technology is increasing the leverage of service activities: today, more value added comes from design innovations, product image, or other attributes that services create than from the production process. New technologies also let independent enterprises provide world-class services at lower costs than customers could achieve if they performed the activities themselves. These changes have far-reaching implications for how managers structure their organizations and define strategic focus. Companies like Apple, Honda, and Merck show that a less integrated but more focused organization is key to competitive success. They build their strategies around a few highly developed capabilities. And they outsource as many of the other activities in their value chain as possible. To help managers develop an activity-focused strategy, the authors offer a new way to approach competitive analyses, guidelines for determining which activities to outsource and which to retain, and an overview of the risks and rewards of strategic outsourcing. Throughout, they draw on the findings of their three-year study of the major impacts technology has had in the service sector.

Outsourcing Turns IT Leaders into the New Air Traffic Controllers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raths, David

2010-01-01

Many chief information officers (CIOs) have come to accept and even embrace the role of outsourcers in their portfolio of IT services. In 2009, 47 percent of the 352 CIOs surveyed by the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies (CHECS) said they had selectively outsourced some part of the IT function, up from 43 percent the…

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital

PubMed Central

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals. PMID:25540781

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital.

PubMed

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals.

Determinants of information technology outsourcing among health maintenance organizations.

PubMed

Wholey, D R; Padman, R; Hamer, R; Schwartz, S

2001-09-01

We analyze the determinants of HMO information technology outsourcing using two studies. Study 1 examines the effect of asset specificity on outsourcing for development and operation activities, using HMO specific fixed effects to control for differences between HMOs. Study 2 regresses the HMO specific fixed effects from Study 1, which measure an HMO's propensity to outsource, on HMO characteristics. The data comes from a 1995 InterStudy survey about information technology organization of HMOs. While HMOs split roughly equally in outsourcing information technology development activities, they are extremely unlikely to outsource the day-to-day operation of information systems. The greater an HMO's information technology capability and the complexity of information systems supported, the less likely is an HMO to outsource. While HMOs less than two years old, for-profit HMOs, local or Blue Cross-affiliated HMOs, and mixed HMOs are more likely to outsource, federally qualified HMOs are less likely to outsource. Policy and managerial implications for the adoption and diffusion of new ways of organizing information technology, such as application service providers (ASPs), are discussed.

Black Box Thinking: Analysis of a Service Outsourcing Case in Insurance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witman, Paul D.; Njunge, Christopher

2016-01-01

Often, users of information systems (both automated and manual) must analyze those systems in a "black box" fashion, without being able to see the internals of how the system is supposed to work. In this case of business process outsourcing, an insurance industry customer encounters an ongoing stream of customer service issues, with both…

A Quantitative Assessment of an Outsourced Agricultural Extension Service in the Umzimkhulu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyne, Michael C.; Jonas, Nomonde; Ortmann, Gerald F.

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of an outsourced extension service delivered by Lima Rural Development Foundation (Lima) in the Umzimkhulu district of South Africa. The evaluation is conducted at both the household and program levels. Design/methodology/approach: Household impacts were estimated using two-stage regression with…

[A study on facilitators and inhibitors to the introduction of outsourcing in the hospital information systems in Korea].

PubMed

Choy, Soon; Shin, Hyeong-Sik; Choi, Inyoung; Kim, Sukil

2007-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the current status of outsourcing in Korean hospital information systems and the factors influencing its introduction. The authors surveyed 136 hospitals located in Seoul and its surrounding vicinities from June 7 to June 23, 2006. The facilitators and inhibitors to outsourcing in hospital information systems were derived from literature and expert reviews. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the major influencing factors on outsourcing in hospital information systems. Eighty-six (63.2%) of the 136 hospitals surveyed, which were mainly tertiary hospitals, responded to using outsourcing for their hospital information systems. "Hardware and software maintenance and support," "application development," and "management of service and staff" were the major areas of outsourcing. Outsourcing had been employed for 4-7 years by 45.5% of the hospitals and the proportion of the budget used for outsourcing was less than 20%. A need for an extension in outsourcing was agreed on by 76.5% of the hospitals. The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that both consumer satisfaction and security risk have an influence on hospital information system outsourcing. Outsourcing in hospital information systems is expected to increase just as in other industries. One primary facilitator to outsourcing in other industries is consumer satisfaction. We found that this was also a facilitator to outsourcing in hospital information systems. Security risk, which is usually considered an inhibitor to information technology outsourcing, was proven to be an inhibitor here as well. The results of this study may help hospital information systems establish a strategy and management plan for outsourcing.

Preventing the cure from being worse than the disease: special issues in hospital outsourcing.

PubMed

Beardwood, John; Alleyne, Andrew

2004-01-01

Like private sector organizations, hospitals are increasingly outsourcing services from food/cafeteria and security and facilities maintenance to the consulting and training of personnel and information technology (IT) functions. Also like private sector organizations, while hospitals seek the cure that will improve services at less cost, without careful management, the cure can be worse than the disease.

Clinical operations generation next… The age of technology and outsourcing

PubMed Central

Temkar, Priya

2015-01-01

Huge cost pressures and the need to drive faster approvals has driven a technology transformation in the clinical trial (CT) industry. The CT industry is thus leveraging mobile data, cloud computing, social media, robotic automation, and electronic source to drive efficiencies in a big way. Outsourcing of clinical operations support services to technology companies with a clinical edge is gaining tremendous importance. This paper provides an overview of current technology trends, applicable Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, basic challenges that the pharma industry is facing in trying to implement such changes and its shift towards outsourcing these services to enable it to focus on site operations. PMID:26623386

Clinical operations generation next… The age of technology and outsourcing.

PubMed

Temkar, Priya

2015-01-01

Huge cost pressures and the need to drive faster approvals has driven a technology transformation in the clinical trial (CT) industry. The CT industry is thus leveraging mobile data, cloud computing, social media, robotic automation, and electronic source to drive efficiencies in a big way. Outsourcing of clinical operations support services to technology companies with a clinical edge is gaining tremendous importance. This paper provides an overview of current technology trends, applicable Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, basic challenges that the pharma industry is facing in trying to implement such changes and its shift towards outsourcing these services to enable it to focus on site operations.

Tough Choices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2002-01-01

Explores the decision by colleges and universities to outsource or self-operate school services such as food, bookstores, and maintenance. Discusses factors influencing the decision, the pros and cons of outsourcing, and the importance of maintaining the goal of improving operations. (EV)

Hospital efficiency and transaction costs: a stochastic frontier approach.

PubMed

Ludwig, Martijn; Groot, Wim; Van Merode, Frits

2009-07-01

The make-or-buy decision of organizations is an important issue in the transaction cost theory, but is usually not analyzed from an efficiency perspective. Hospitals frequently have to decide whether to outsource or not. The main question we address is: Is the make-or-buy decision affected by the efficiency of hospitals? A one-stage stochastic cost frontier equation is estimated for Dutch hospitals. The make-or-buy decisions of ten different hospital services are used as explanatory variables to explain efficiency of hospitals. It is found that for most services the make-or-buy decision is not related to efficiency. Kitchen services are an important exception to this. Large hospitals tend to outsource less, which is supported by efficiency reasons. For most hospital services, outsourcing does not significantly affect the efficiency of hospitals. The focus on the make-or-buy decision may therefore be less important than often assumed.

Outsourcing CO2 Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, S. J.; Caldeira, K. G.

2009-12-01

CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are the primary cause of global warming. Much attention has been focused on the CO2 directly emitted by each country, but relatively little attention has been paid to the amount of emissions associated with consumption of goods and services in each country. This consumption-based emissions inventory differs from the production-based inventory because of imports and exports of goods and services that, either directly or indirectly, involved CO2 emissions. Using the latest available data and reasonable assumptions regarding trans-shipment of embodied carbon through third-party countries, we developed a global consumption-based CO2 emissions inventory and have calculated associated consumption-based energy and carbon intensities. We find that, in 2004, 24% of CO2 emissions are effectively outsourced to other countries, with much of the developed world outsourcing CO2 emissions to emerging markets, principally China. Some wealthy countries, including Switzerland and Sweden, outsource over half of their consumption-based emissions, with many northern Europeans outsourcing more than three tons of emissions per person per year. The United States is both a big importer and exporter of emissions embodied in trade, outsourcing >2.6 tons of CO2 per person and at the same time as >2.0 tons of CO2 per person are outsourced to the United States. These large flows indicate that CO2 emissions embodied in trade must be taken into consideration when considering responsibility for increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

Let the Professionals Do It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, James P.; Main, Ron

2003-01-01

Describes benefits of West Allegheny (Pennsylvania) School District's decision to outsource the management of its technology services. Benefits include improved efficiency, increased technical expertise, cost-effectiveness, personnel stability, and organizational focus. Lists important points to consider when selecting an outsourcing firm. (PKP)

Outsourcing Library Technical Services. A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians, Number 69.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirshon, Arnold; Winters, Barbara

In the effort to reduce costs, improve productivity, enhance quality of services, and improve turnaround time for ordering, receiving, and cataloging new materials, libraries are increasingly turning to outsourcing as a strategic management tool to help them maximize use of their fiscal and human resources. This guide covers all aspects of…

Outsourcing the Portal: Another Branch in the Decision Tree.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Tim

2000-01-01

Discussion of the management of information resources in organizations focuses on the use of portal technologies to update intranet capabilities. Considers application outsourcing decisions, reviews benefits (including reducing costs) as well as concerns, and describes application service providers (ASPs). (LRW)

The Role of Security Concerns in Determining Information Systems/Technology Activities Outsourced to Offshore Service Providers in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ocholi, Smart

2012-01-01

Based on research studies, the Information System/Technology (IS/T) outsourcing industry in India is reasoned to maintain the status quo of providing IS/T services at the lower level of the IS/T value chain. The 2006 study conducted by Walsh supported the 2001 findings by Arora, Arunachalam, Asundi, and Fernandes that India-based IS /T service…

[Basic considerations during outsourcing of clinical data management services].

PubMed

Shen, Tong; Liu, Yan

2015-11-01

With worldwide improvements in the regulations of international and domestic clinical trial conductions, the quality of clinical trials and trial data management are receiving a great deal of attention. To ensure the quality of clinical trials, maintain business flexibilities and effectively utilize internal and external resources, the outsourcing model is used in the management of clinical data in operation of pharmaceutical companies. The essential criteria of a successful outsourcing mode in clinical trial are selection of qualified contract research organizations (CRO); establishment of appropriate outsourcing model, and generation of effective quality control systems to ensure the authenticity, integrity and accuracy of the clinical trial data.

Guidelines for Outsourcing Remote Access.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassler, Ardoth; Neuman, Michael

1996-01-01

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing remote access to campus computer networks and the Internet, focusing on improved service, cost-sharing, partnerships with vendors, supported protocols, bandwidth, scope of access, implementation, support, network security, and pricing. Includes a checklist for a request for proposals on…

Technology "Outsourcing": The Results Are Mixed.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumenstyk, Goldie

1999-01-01

Reviews "outsourcing" of technology services by institutions of higher education, including the College of Notre Dame (California) and East Tennessee State University, and finds that, although external companies, especially COLLEGIS, offer expertise and savings, they sometimes do not understand the special problems of an academic…

A Good Fit?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Violino, Bob

2010-01-01

Outsourcing has evolved into a strategic imperative at a growing number of community colleges, especially as administrators rein in spending and streamline operations in the face of shrinking budgets. Across the country, more colleges are outsourcing a range of functions, including information technology (IT), course instruction, food service,…

Changing of the Guard.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe

1997-01-01

Discusses privatization of noneducational services to help schools and universities cut costs, and presents survey results from public schools and colleges concerning their level and type of outsourcing. Included are reasons for and against privatization, the most common contracts involved, and indications of whether the outsourcing trend will…

Improving iSC performance through outsourcing - Considerations for using third-party service providers to increase innovation, capacity and efficiency.

PubMed

Wright, Martin; Forster, Gary; Beale, John

2017-04-19

Development partners and donors have encouraged and incentivized governments in developing countries to explore ways of working with third-party service suppliers to reduce costs and increase service delivery capacity. The distribution of vaccines and medicines has for a long time shown demand for outsourcing but public health systems have struggled to develop the expertise and capital assets necessary to manage such ventures. Existing transport and logistics capacity within public health systems, in particular, is well documented as being insufficient to support existing, let alone future immunization needs. Today, a number of countries are contracting party logistics providers (3PLs) to supplement the in-house distribution operations of public health systems. This commentary reflects on recent, leading examples of outsourcing initiatives to address critical gaps in transport and logistics. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Outsourcing Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sack-Min, Joetta

2008-01-01

It sounds tempting, especially in tough fiscal times: Hand over all the responsibility for food service management to a private company promising to provide nutritious and appetizing meals, keep up with increasingly complex regulations, and perhaps even make a profit. Privatization, or outsourcing, has worked well for some districts for years, but…

Outsourcing in Higher Education: An Empirical Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Atul; Herath, S. Kanthi; Mikouiza, Nathalie C.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To measure the degree of implementation and satisfaction level with the outsourcing initiatives from higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Uses a survey questionnaire to measure the levels of satisfaction with the institutions' services and the questionnaire was based on six factors that are deemed significant in…

Reconciling Dichotomous Demands: Telemarketing Agents in Bangalore and Mumbai, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noronha, Ernesto; D'Cruz, Premilla

2007-01-01

Though outsourcing has created enormous employment potential in India's information technology enabled services/business process outsourcing (ITES/BPO) sector, the implications for employees remain to be understood. The present paper describes employee experiences in telemarketing outbound call centers in Bangalore and Mumbai, India. Following van…

[Organization of the drug supply chain in state health services: potential consequences of the public-private mix].

PubMed

López-Moreno, Sergio; Martínez-Ojeda, Rosa Haydeé; López-Arellano, Oliva; Jarillo-Soto, Edgar; Castro-Albarrán, Juan Manuel

2011-01-01

To assess the consequences of private outsourcing on the overall supply and filling of prescriptions in state health services. The research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative techniques in 13 states. The information was collected through interviews and direct observation. The interviews were carried on staff of state health services related to the drug supply chain and users of health services. The quantitative approach examined the percentage of stocked full recipes in a sample of users. States that have opted for the fully outsourced model, and properly monitored this choice, have increased the supply of drugs to their users and guaranteed the supply in the care units in charge. Other states with the outsourced model have multiple problems: direct purchase of drugs not included in the basic drugs catalogue, failure of suppliers and shortage of supplies in the laboratories that provide the company. The main disadvantages identified in all models were: the subordination of the medical criteria to administrative criteria, insufficient planning based on local care needs, heterogeneous procedures, insufficient knowledge of regulations and lack of normativity. The results indicate that the incorporation of private providers in the drug supply chain may not be the solution to bring down the shortage faced by health services, especially at the hospital level. The shift to outsourcing models has developed without incorporating evaluation mechanisms and the consequences that this transition can have on state health systems must be investigated more deeply.

The Temptations and Realities of Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wertz, Richard D.

2005-01-01

As colleges and universities attempt to produce additional revenue and enhance their services, more are entering into contracts with private companies. Some agreements involve lengthy commitments, and this means that outsourcing contracts require thorough review by boards of trustees, which are being called upon to act with greater diligence to…

How Continental Bank outsourced its "crown jewels.".

PubMed

Huber, R L

1993-01-01

No industry relies more on information than banking does, yet Continental, one of America's largest banks, outsources its information technology. Why? Because that's the best way to service the customers that form the core of the bank's business, says vice chairman Dick Huber. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Continental participated heavily with Penn Square Bank in energy investments. When falling energy prices burst Penn Square's bubble in 1982, Continental was stuck with more than $1 billion in bad loans. Eight years later when Dick Huber came on board, Continental was working hard to restore its once solid reputation. Executives had made many tough decisions already, altering the bank's focus from retail to business banking and laying off thousands of employees. Yet management still needed to cut costs and improve services to stay afloat. Regulators, investors, and analysts were watching every step. Continental executives, eager to focus on the bank's core mission of serving business customers, decided to outsource one after another in-house service--from cafeteria services to information technology. While conventional wisdom holds that banks must retain complete internal control of IT, Continental bucked this argument when it entered into a ten-year, multimillion-dollar contract with Integrated Systems Solutions Corporation. Continental is already reaping benefits from outsourcing IT. Most important, Continental staffers today focus on their true core competencies: intimate knowledge of customers' needs and relationships with customers.

Current practice and perspectives in CRO oversight based on a survey performed among members of the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa)

PubMed Central

Hennig, Michael; Hundt, Ferdinand; Busta, Susanne; Mikus, Stefan; Sanden, Per-Holger; Sörgel, Andrea; Ruppert, Thorsten

2017-01-01

In recent years, the number and scope of outsourced activities in the pharmaceutical industry have increased heavily. In addition, also the type of outsourcing has changed significantly in that time. This raises the question of whether and how sponsors retain the capability to select and to control the contract research organizations (CROs) involved and what expertise still has to be present in the development department as well as other relevant departments to ensure adequate oversight, also in line with the expectations of regulators and health authorities. In order to answer these questions, a survey was conducted among the German vfa member companies. The survey describes the latest developments and experiences in outsourcing by 18 German vfa member companies. It concentrates on measures how to implement Quality Assurance (QA) when performing outsourced clinical studies. This study shows that the majority of companies apply a full-outsourcing, preferred-provider model of clinical trial services, with the clinical research department playing the major role in this process. A large amount of guiding documents, processes and tools are used to ensure an adequate oversight of the services performed by the CRO(s). Finally the guiding principles for all oversight processes should be transparent communication, a clearly established expectation for quality, a precise definition of accountability and responsibility while avoiding silo mentality, and a comprehensive documentation of the oversight’s evidence. For globally acting and outsourcing sponsors, oversight processes need to be aligned with regards to local and global perspectives. This survey shows that the current implementation of oversight processes in the participating companies covers all relevant areas to ensure highest quality and integrity of the data produced by the outsourced clinical trial. PMID:28163667

Factors promoting resident deaths at aged care facilities in Japan: a review.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Kentaro; Ogata, Yasuko; Kashiwagi, Masayo

2018-03-01

Due to an increasingly ageing population, the Japanese government has promoted elderly deaths in aged care facilities. However, existing facilities were not designed to provide resident end-of-life care and the proportion of aged care facility deaths is currently less than 10%. Consequently, the present review evaluated the factors that promote aged care facility resident deaths in Japan from individual- and facility-level perspectives to exploring factors associated with increased resident deaths. To achieve this, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Ichushi databases were searched on 23 January 2016. Influential factors were reviewed for two healthcare services (insourcing and outsourcing facilities) as well as external healthcare agencies operating outside facilities. Of the original 2324 studies retrieved, 42 were included in analysis. Of these studies, five focused on insourcing, two on outsourcing, seven on external agencies and observed facility/agency-level factors. The other 28 studies identified individual-level factors related to death in aged care facilities. The present review found that at both facility and individual levels, in-facility resident deaths were associated with healthcare service provision, confirmation of resident/family end-of-life care preference and staff education. Additionally, while outsourcing facilities did not require employment of physicians/nursing staff to accommodate resident death, these facilities required visits by physicians and nursing staff from external healthcare agencies as well as residents' healthcare input. This review also found few studies examining outsourcing facilities. The number of healthcare outsourcing facilities is rapidly increasing as a result of the Japanese government's new tax incentives. Consequently, there may be an increase in elderly deaths in outsourcing healthcare facilities. Accordingly, it is necessary to identify the factors associated with residents' deaths at outsourcing facilities. © 2016 The Authors. Health and Social Care in the Community Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Current practice and perspectives in CRO oversight based on a survey performed among members of the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa).

PubMed

Hennig, Michael; Hundt, Ferdinand; Busta, Susanne; Mikus, Stefan; Sanden, Per-Holger; Sörgel, Andrea; Ruppert, Thorsten

2017-01-01

In recent years, the number and scope of outsourced activities in the pharmaceutical industry have increased heavily. In addition, also the type of outsourcing has changed significantly in that time. This raises the question of whether and how sponsors retain the capability to select and to control the contract research organizations (CROs) involved and what expertise still has to be present in the development department as well as other relevant departments to ensure adequate oversight, also in line with the expectations of regulators and health authorities. In order to answer these questions, a survey was conducted among the German vfa member companies. The survey describes the latest developments and experiences in outsourcing by 18 German vfa member companies. It concentrates on measures how to implement Quality Assurance (QA) when performing outsourced clinical studies. This study shows that the majority of companies apply a full-outsourcing, preferred-provider model of clinical trial services, with the clinical research department playing the major role in this process. A large amount of guiding documents, processes and tools are used to ensure an adequate oversight of the services performed by the CRO(s). Finally the guiding principles for all oversight processes should be transparent communication, a clearly established expectation for quality, a precise definition of accountability and responsibility while avoiding silo mentality, and a comprehensive documentation of the oversight's evidence. For globally acting and outsourcing sponsors, oversight processes need to be aligned with regards to local and global perspectives. This survey shows that the current implementation of oversight processes in the participating companies covers all relevant areas to ensure highest quality and integrity of the data produced by the outsourced clinical trial.

Outsourcing Instruction: Issues for Public Colleges and Universities. Policy Matters: A Higher Education Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Alene

2010-01-01

Outsourcing--defined as an "institution's decision to contract with an external organization to provide a traditional function or service" (IHEP, 2005)--is nothing new to higher education. For decades, institutions have been "contracting out" or "privatizing" a variety of operational functions, hoping to reduce costs,…

Contracting Effects on Logistics Capabilities and Readiness

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-17

providing more services with less goods and resources. 8 Prahalad , C.K. and Hamel, G., (1990) The...clarify meaning and intent . The terms of outsourcing and privatization, Army logistics core competencies, and private military companies are defined below...11 Grasso, Defense Outsourcing: The OMB Circular A-76 Policy, 2. 12 Prahalad and Hamel, The Core

Outsourcing strategy and tendering methodology for the operation and maintenance of CERN’s cryogenic facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serio, L.; Bremer, J.; Claudet, S.; Delikaris, D.; Ferlin, G.; Ferrand, F.; Pezzetti, M.; Pirotte, O.

2017-12-01

CERN operates and maintains the world largest cryogenic infrastructure ranging from ageing but well maintained installations feeding detectors, test facilities and general services, to the state-of-the-art cryogenic system serving the flagship LHC machine complex. A study was conducted and a methodology proposed to outsource to industry the operation and maintenance of the whole cryogenic infrastructure. The cryogenic installations coupled to non LHC-detectors, test facilities and general services infrastructure have been fully outsourced for operation and maintenance on the basis of performance obligations. The contractor is responsible for the operational performance of the installations based on a yearly operation schedule provided by CERN. The maintenance of the cryogenic system serving the LHC machine and its detectors has been outsourced on the basis of tasks oriented obligations, monitored by key performance indicators. CERN operation team, with the support of the contractor operation team, remains responsible for the operational strategy and performances. We report the analysis, strategy, definition of the requirements and technical specifications as well as the achieved technical and economic performances after one year of operation.

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

PubMed

Cesarotti, Vittorio; Di Silvio, Bruna

2006-01-01

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

Cost versus control: Understanding ownership through outsourcing in hospitals.

PubMed

Dalton, Christina Marsh; Warren, Patrick L

2016-07-01

For-profit hospitals in California contract out services much more intensely than either private nonprofit or public hospitals. To explain why, we build a model in which the outsourcing decision is a trade-off between cost and control. Since nonprofit firms are more restricted in how they consume net revenues, they experience more rapidly diminishing value of a dollar saved, and they are less attracted to a low-cost but low-control outsourcing opportunity than a for-profit firm is. This difference is exaggerated in services where the benefits of controlling the details of production are particularly important but minimized when a fixed-cost shock raises the marginal value of a dollar of cost savings. We test these predictions in a panel of California hospitals, finding evidence for each and that the set of services that private non-profits are particularly interested in controlling (physician-intensive services) is very different from those than public hospitals are particularly interested in (labor-intensive services). These results suggest that a model of public or nonprofit make-or-buy decisions should be more than a simple relabeling of a model derived in the for-profit context. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. 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.

An integrated outsourcing solution at York Central Hospital.

PubMed

Marr, Jo-Anne; Tam, Richard; Simms, Stephen; Bacchus, Feria

2011-01-01

Canadian hospitals struggle to balance the need to increase and improve operational services and quality with diminishing resources. Many realize that sustaining their organization depends on how well they focus their resources and talents on their core business, clinical care delivery. Outsourcing of non-core, non-clinical support services is a solution for many organizations. Most often, this is put into action one service provider at a time. In 2007, however, York Central Hospital (YCH) implemented Sodexo's integrated Comprehensive Service Solutions (CSS) for all its support service functions. In doing so, YCH achieved significant improvements in patient and staff satisfaction rates, substantial cost savings through improved operational efficiency from process improvements and leveraging technology investments, and increased retail food revenue.

The coming commoditization of processes.

PubMed

Davenport, Thomas H

2005-06-01

Despite the much-ballyhooed increase in outsourcing, most companies are in do-it-yourself mode for the bulk of their processes, in large part because there's no way to compare outside organizations' capabilities with those of internal functions. Given the lack of comparability, it's almost surprising that anyone outsources today. But it's not surprising that cost is by far companies' primary criterion for evaluating outsourcers or that many companies are dissatisfied with their outsourcing relationships. A new world is coming, says the author, and it will lead to dramatic changes in the shape and structure of corporations. A broad set of process standards will soon make it easy to determine whether a business capability can be improved by outsourcing it. Such standards will also help businesses compare service providers and evaluate the costs versus the benefits of outsourcing. Eventually these costs and benefits will be so visible to buyers that outsourced processes will become a commodity, and prices will drop significantly. The low costs and low risk of outsourcing will accelerate the flow of jobs offshore, force companies to reassess their strategies, and change the basis of competition. The speed with which some businesses have already adopted process standards suggests that many previously unscrutinized areas are ripe for change. In the field of technology, for instance, the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute has developed a global standard for software development processes, called the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). For companies that don't have process standards in place, it makes sense for them to create standards by working with customers, competitors, software providers, businesses that processes may be outsourced to, and objective researchers and standard-setters. Setting standards is likely to lead to the improvement of both internal and outsourced processes.

More than Just One Breath: Exploring How Three Universities Evaluated Whether to Outsource Their Campus Bookstores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradie, Christopher A.

2012-01-01

Researchers have noted the limited amount of scholarly explorations of the practice of outsourcing administrative services in higher education. This dissertation seeks to add to the body of literature pertaining to the subject by examining the experiences of three universities that grappled with the decision. Using a qualitative approach and a…

Working conditions and health among employees at information technology--enabled services: a review of current evidence.

PubMed

Kesavachandran, C; Rastogi, S K; Das, Mohan; Khan, Asif M

2006-07-01

Workers in information technology (IT)-enabled services like business process outsourcing and call centers working with visual display units are reported to have various health and psycho-social disorders. Evidence from previously published studies in peer- reviewed journals and internet sources were examined to explore health disorders and psycho-social problems among personnel employed in IT-based services, for a systematic review on the topic. In addition, authors executed a questionnaire- based pilot study. The available literature and the pilot study, both suggest health disorders and psychosocial problems among workers of business process outsourcing. The details are discussed in the review.

Outsourcing: two case studies from the Victorian public hospital sector.

PubMed

Young, Suzanne

2007-02-01

Outsourcing was one process of privatisation used in the Victorian public health sector in the 1990s. However it was used to varying degrees and across a variety of different services. This paper attempts to answer the questions: Why have managers outsourced? What have managers considered when they have decided to outsource? The research was carried out in a rural hospital and a metropolitan network in Victoria. The key findings highlight the factors that decision makers considered to be important and those that led to negative outcomes. Economic factors, such as frequency of exchange, length of relationships between the parties, and information availability, were often ignored. However, other factors such as outcome measurability, technology, risk, labour market characteristics and goal conflict, and political factors such as relative power of management over labour were often perceived as important in the decision-making process. Negative outcomes from outsourcing were due to the short length of relationships and accompanying difficulties with trust, commitment and loyalty; poor quality; and excessive monitoring and the measurement of outcomes.

Virtual healthcare delivery: defined, modeled, and predictive barriers to implementation identified.

PubMed

Harrop, V M

2001-01-01

Provider organizations lack: 1. a definition of "virtual" healthcare delivery relative to the products, services, and processes offered by dot.coms, web-compact disk healthcare content providers, telemedicine, and telecommunications companies, and 2. a model for integrating real and virtual healthcare delivery. This paper defines virtual healthcare delivery as asynchronous, outsourced, and anonymous, then proposes a 2x2 Real-Virtual Healthcare Delivery model focused on real and virtual patients and real and virtual provider organizations. Using this model, provider organizations can systematically deconstruct healthcare delivery in the real world and reconstruct appropriate pieces in the virtual world. Observed barriers to virtual healthcare delivery are: resistance to telecommunication integrated delivery networks and outsourcing; confusion over virtual infrastructure requirements for telemedicine and full-service web portals, and the impact of integrated delivery networks and outsourcing on extant cultural norms and revenue generating practices. To remain competitive provider organizations must integrate real and virtual healthcare delivery.

Virtual healthcare delivery: defined, modeled, and predictive barriers to implementation identified.

PubMed Central

Harrop, V. M.

2001-01-01

Provider organizations lack: 1. a definition of "virtual" healthcare delivery relative to the products, services, and processes offered by dot.coms, web-compact disk healthcare content providers, telemedicine, and telecommunications companies, and 2. a model for integrating real and virtual healthcare delivery. This paper defines virtual healthcare delivery as asynchronous, outsourced, and anonymous, then proposes a 2x2 Real-Virtual Healthcare Delivery model focused on real and virtual patients and real and virtual provider organizations. Using this model, provider organizations can systematically deconstruct healthcare delivery in the real world and reconstruct appropriate pieces in the virtual world. Observed barriers to virtual healthcare delivery are: resistance to telecommunication integrated delivery networks and outsourcing; confusion over virtual infrastructure requirements for telemedicine and full-service web portals, and the impact of integrated delivery networks and outsourcing on extant cultural norms and revenue generating practices. To remain competitive provider organizations must integrate real and virtual healthcare delivery. PMID:11825189

Privatisation and outsourcing in wartime: the humanitarian challenges.

PubMed

Carbonnier, Gilles

2006-12-01

The tendency today to privatise many activities hitherto considered the exclusive preserve of the state has given rise to sharp debate. The specific nature of humanitarian emergencies elucidates in particularly stark contrast some of the main challenges connected to the privatisation and outsourcing of essential public services, such as the provision of drinking water and health care. Privatising the realms of defence and security, which are at the very core of state prerogative, raises several legal and humanitarian concerns. This article focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in armed conflicts, especially those of private companies engaged in security, intelligence and interrogation work, and in the provision of water supply and health services. It highlights the need for humanitarian and development actors to grasp better the potential risks and opportunities related to privatisation and outsourcing with a view to supplying effective protection and assistance to communities affected by war.

Comparison of outcomes for veterans receiving dialysis care from VA and non-VA providers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Demand for dialysis treatment exceeds its supply within the Veterans Health Administration (VA), requiring VA to outsource dialysis care by purchasing private sector dialysis for veterans on a fee-for-service basis. It is unclear whether outcomes are similar for veterans receiving dialysis from VA versus non-VA providers. We assessed the extent of chronic dialysis treatment utilization and differences in all-cause hospitalizations and mortality between veterans receiving dialysis from VA versus VA-outsourced providers. Methods We constructed a retrospective cohort of veterans in 2 VA regions who received chronic dialysis treatment financed by VA between January 2007 and December 2008. From VA administrative data, we identified veterans who received outpatient dialysis in (1) VA, (2) VA-outsourced settings, or (3) both (“dual”) settings. In adjusted analyses, we used two-part and logistic regression to examine associations between dialysis setting and all-cause hospitalization and mortality one-year from veterans’ baseline dialysis date. Results Of 1,388 veterans, 27% received dialysis exclusively in VA, 47% in VA-outsourced settings, and 25% in dual settings. Overall, half (48%) were hospitalized and 12% died. In adjusted analysis, veterans in VA-outsourced settings incurred fewer hospitalizations and shorter hospital stays than users of VA due to favorable selection. Dual-system dialysis patients had lower one-year mortality than veterans receiving VA dialysis. Conclusions VA expenditures for “buying” outsourced dialysis are high and increasing relative to “making” dialysis treatment within its own system. Outcomes comparisons inform future make-or-buy decisions and suggest the need for VA to consider veterans’ access to care, long-term VA savings, and optimal patient outcomes in its placement decisions for dialysis services. PMID:23327632

Comparison of outcomes for veterans receiving dialysis care from VA and non-VA providers.

PubMed

Wang, Virginia; Maciejewski, Matthew L; Patel, Uptal D; Stechuchak, Karen M; Hynes, Denise M; Weinberger, Morris

2013-01-18

Demand for dialysis treatment exceeds its supply within the Veterans Health Administration (VA), requiring VA to outsource dialysis care by purchasing private sector dialysis for veterans on a fee-for-service basis. It is unclear whether outcomes are similar for veterans receiving dialysis from VA versus non-VA providers. We assessed the extent of chronic dialysis treatment utilization and differences in all-cause hospitalizations and mortality between veterans receiving dialysis from VA versus VA-outsourced providers. We constructed a retrospective cohort of veterans in 2 VA regions who received chronic dialysis treatment financed by VA between January 2007 and December 2008. From VA administrative data, we identified veterans who received outpatient dialysis in (1) VA, (2) VA-outsourced settings, or (3) both ("dual") settings. In adjusted analyses, we used two-part and logistic regression to examine associations between dialysis setting and all-cause hospitalization and mortality one-year from veterans' baseline dialysis date. Of 1,388 veterans, 27% received dialysis exclusively in VA, 47% in VA-outsourced settings, and 25% in dual settings. Overall, half (48%) were hospitalized and 12% died. In adjusted analysis, veterans in VA-outsourced settings incurred fewer hospitalizations and shorter hospital stays than users of VA due to favorable selection. Dual-system dialysis patients had lower one-year mortality than veterans receiving VA dialysis. VA expenditures for "buying" outsourced dialysis are high and increasing relative to "making" dialysis treatment within its own system. Outcomes comparisons inform future make-or-buy decisions and suggest the need for VA to consider veterans' access to care, long-term VA savings, and optimal patient outcomes in its placement decisions for dialysis services.

Privacy-Aware Relevant Data Access with Semantically Enriched Search Queries for Untrusted Cloud Storage Services.

PubMed

Pervez, Zeeshan; Ahmad, Mahmood; Khattak, Asad Masood; Lee, Sungyoung; Chung, Tae Choong

2016-01-01

Privacy-aware search of outsourced data ensures relevant data access in the untrusted domain of a public cloud service provider. Subscriber of a public cloud storage service can determine the presence or absence of a particular keyword by submitting search query in the form of a trapdoor. However, these trapdoor-based search queries are limited in functionality and cannot be used to identify secure outsourced data which contains semantically equivalent information. In addition, trapdoor-based methodologies are confined to pre-defined trapdoors and prevent subscribers from searching outsourced data with arbitrarily defined search criteria. To solve the problem of relevant data access, we have proposed an index-based privacy-aware search methodology that ensures semantic retrieval of data from an untrusted domain. This method ensures oblivious execution of a search query and leverages authorized subscribers to model conjunctive search queries without relying on predefined trapdoors. A security analysis of our proposed methodology shows that, in a conspired attack, unauthorized subscribers and untrusted cloud service providers cannot deduce any information that can lead to the potential loss of data privacy. A computational time analysis on commodity hardware demonstrates that our proposed methodology requires moderate computational resources to model a privacy-aware search query and for its oblivious evaluation on a cloud service provider.

Privacy-Aware Relevant Data Access with Semantically Enriched Search Queries for Untrusted Cloud Storage Services

PubMed Central

Pervez, Zeeshan; Ahmad, Mahmood; Khattak, Asad Masood; Lee, Sungyoung; Chung, Tae Choong

2016-01-01

Privacy-aware search of outsourced data ensures relevant data access in the untrusted domain of a public cloud service provider. Subscriber of a public cloud storage service can determine the presence or absence of a particular keyword by submitting search query in the form of a trapdoor. However, these trapdoor-based search queries are limited in functionality and cannot be used to identify secure outsourced data which contains semantically equivalent information. In addition, trapdoor-based methodologies are confined to pre-defined trapdoors and prevent subscribers from searching outsourced data with arbitrarily defined search criteria. To solve the problem of relevant data access, we have proposed an index-based privacy-aware search methodology that ensures semantic retrieval of data from an untrusted domain. This method ensures oblivious execution of a search query and leverages authorized subscribers to model conjunctive search queries without relying on predefined trapdoors. A security analysis of our proposed methodology shows that, in a conspired attack, unauthorized subscribers and untrusted cloud service providers cannot deduce any information that can lead to the potential loss of data privacy. A computational time analysis on commodity hardware demonstrates that our proposed methodology requires moderate computational resources to model a privacy-aware search query and for its oblivious evaluation on a cloud service provider. PMID:27571421

Contracting but not without caution: experience with outsourcing of health services in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

PubMed Central

Siddiqi, Sameen; Masud, Tayyeb Imran; Sabri, Belgacem

2006-01-01

The public sector in developing countries is increasingly contracting with the non-state sector to improve access, efficiency and quality of health services. We conducted a multicountry study to assess the range of health services contracted out, the process of contracting and its influencing factors in ten countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia. Our results showed that Afghanistan, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan had experience with outsourcing of primary care services; Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia extensively contracted out hospital and ambulatory care services; while Bahrain, Morocco and the Syrian Arab Republic outsourced mainly non-clinical services. The interest of the non-state sector in contracting was to secure a regular source of revenue and gain enhanced recognition and credibility. While most countries promoted contracting with the private sector, the legal and bureaucratic support in countries varied with the duration of experience with contracting. The inherent risks evident in the contracting process were reliance on donor funds, limited number of providers in rural areas, parties with vested interests gaining control over the contracting process, as well as poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Contracting provides the opportunity to have greater control over private providers in countries with poor regulatory capacity, and if used judiciously can improve health system performance. PMID:17143460

Contracting but not without caution: experience with outsourcing of health services in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

PubMed

Siddiqi, Sameen; Masud, Tayyeb Imran; Sabri, Belgacem

2006-11-01

The public sector in developing countries is increasingly contracting with the non-state sector to improve access, efficiency and quality of health services. We conducted a multicountry study to assess the range of health services contracted out, the process of contracting and its influencing factors in ten countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia. Our results showed that Afghanistan, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan had experience with outsourcing of primary care services; Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia extensively contracted out hospital and ambulatory care services; while Bahrain, Morocco and the Syrian Arab Republic outsourced mainly non-clinical services. The interest of the non-state sector in contracting was to secure a regular source of revenue and gain enhanced recognition and credibility. While most countries promoted contracting with the private sector, the legal and bureaucratic support in countries varied with the duration of experience with contracting. The inherent risks evident in the contracting process were reliance on donor funds, limited number of providers in rural areas, parties with vested interests gaining control over the contracting process, as well as poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Contracting provides the opportunity to have greater control over private providers in countries with poor regulatory capacity, and if used judiciously can improve health system performance.

Release of information: are hospitals taking a hit?

PubMed

Bellenghi, G Michael; Coffey, Bonnie; Fournier, Joseph E; McDavid, Jan P

2008-11-01

Outsourcing release-of-information requests helps hospitals alleviate administrative and compliance burdens and expense. Recently, state lawmakers have begun to draft legislation reducing the maximum fee that may be charged for copies of electronically stored records. The reduced fees may not cover expenses. If such legislation makes it difficult for outsourcing companies to make a profit from this service, hospitals ultimately could bear the expense and risk.

Training Drivers, Competitive Strategy and Clients' Needs: Case Studies of Three Business Process Outsourcing Organisations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Ashish

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive a firm's decision to invest in training in India's IT-enabled services/business process outsourcing (ITeS/BPO) sector. It aims to consider a much-neglected area and an often-cited need to consider external factors, especially the needs of an organisation's clients in a firm's…

Expanding Private Production of Defense Services,

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-01-01

the commercial firms that typi- cally come to mind as characteristic of entrepreneurial enterprise. Which bundle offers the most effective unity of... The second step toward expanded outsourcing is to identify the ac- tivities that are most cost- effective to outsource. A review of the empirical...workload between internal and external sources when the following circumstances apply: (1) an external source looks more cost- effective , but an

Effects of outsourcing magnetic resonance examinations from a public university hospital to a private agent.

PubMed

Tavakol, Parvin; Labruto, Fausto; Bergstrand, Lott; Blomqvist, Lennart

2011-02-01

Sometimes the measures taken to make a radiology department more effective, such as prioritizing the workload and keeping equipment running for as many hours as staffing permits, are not enough. In such cases, outsourcing radiological examinations is a potential solution for reducing waiting times. To investigate differences in waiting time, quality and costs between magnetic resonance (MR) examinations performed in a university hospital and examinations outsourced to private service. We retrospectively selected a group of consecutive, outsourced MR examinations (n=97) and a control group of in-house MR examinations, matched for type of examination. In each group there were referrals that had a specified preferred timeframe for completion. We measured the percentage of cases in which this timeframe was met and if it was not met, how many days exceeded the preferred time. In referrals without a specified preferred timeframe, we also calculated the waiting time. Quality standards were measured by the percentage of examinations that had to be re-done and re-assessed. Finally, we calculated the cumulative costs, taking into account the costs for re-doing and re-assessing examinations. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups, in either the number of examinations that were not performed within the preferred time or the number of days that exceeded the preferred timeframe. For referrals without a preferred timeframe, the waiting time was shorter for outsourced examinations than those not outsourced. There were no differences in the number of examinations that had to be re-done, but more examinations needed to be re-assessed in the outsourced group than in the in-house group. The calculated costs for outsourced examinations were lower than the costs for internally performed examinations. Outsourcing magnetic resonance examinations may be an effective way of reducing a radiology department's workload. Ways in which to reduce the additional costs incurred for re-assessment of outsourced examinations must be investigated further.

A Study of Practical Proxy Reencryption with a Keyword Search Scheme considering Cloud Storage Structure

PubMed Central

Lee, Im-Yeong

2014-01-01

Data outsourcing services have emerged with the increasing use of digital information. They can be used to store data from various devices via networks that are easy to access. Unlike existing removable storage systems, storage outsourcing is available to many users because it has no storage limit and does not require a local storage medium. However, the reliability of storage outsourcing has become an important topic because many users employ it to store large volumes of data. To protect against unethical administrators and attackers, a variety of cryptography systems are used, such as searchable encryption and proxy reencryption. However, existing searchable encryption technology is inconvenient for use in storage outsourcing environments where users upload their data to be shared with others as necessary. In addition, some existing schemes are vulnerable to collusion attacks and have computing cost inefficiencies. In this paper, we analyze existing proxy re-encryption with keyword search. PMID:24693240

Criteria for the evaluation of a cloud-based hospital information system outsourcing provider.

PubMed

Low, Chinyao; Hsueh Chen, Ya

2012-12-01

As cloud computing technology has proliferated rapidly worldwide, there has been a trend toward adopting cloud-based hospital information systems (CHISs). This study examines the critical criteria for selecting the CHISs outsourcing provider. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is used to evaluate the primary indicator collected from 188 useable responses at a working hospital in Taiwan. Moreover, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed to calculate the weights of these criteria and establish a fuzzy multi-criteria model of CHISs outsourcing provider selection from 42 experts. The results indicate that the five most critical criteria related to CHISs outsourcing provider selection are (1) system function, (2) service quality, (3) integration, (4) professionalism, and (5) economics. This study may contribute to understanding how cloud-based hospital systems can reinforce content design and offer a way to compete in the field by developing more appropriate systems.

A study of practical proxy reencryption with a keyword search scheme considering cloud storage structure.

PubMed

Lee, Sun-Ho; Lee, Im-Yeong

2014-01-01

Data outsourcing services have emerged with the increasing use of digital information. They can be used to store data from various devices via networks that are easy to access. Unlike existing removable storage systems, storage outsourcing is available to many users because it has no storage limit and does not require a local storage medium. However, the reliability of storage outsourcing has become an important topic because many users employ it to store large volumes of data. To protect against unethical administrators and attackers, a variety of cryptography systems are used, such as searchable encryption and proxy reencryption. However, existing searchable encryption technology is inconvenient for use in storage outsourcing environments where users upload their data to be shared with others as necessary. In addition, some existing schemes are vulnerable to collusion attacks and have computing cost inefficiencies. In this paper, we analyze existing proxy re-encryption with keyword search.

Contracting Maintenance Services: An Easy Question, but a Difficult Answer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Philip E.

2003-01-01

Discusses issues involved in outsourcing school maintenance and custodial services. There are many advantages to this approach, but it has definite drawbacks. In many instances, a combination of contract and employee services works well. (SLD)

Outsourcing of Academic Clinical Laboratories

PubMed Central

Mrak, Robert E.; Parslow, Tristram G.; Tomaszewski, John E.

2018-01-01

American hospitals are increasingly turning to service outsourcing to reduce costs, including laboratory services. Studies of this practice have largely focused on nonacademic medical centers. In contrast, academic medical centers have unique practice environments and unique mission considerations. We sought to elucidate and analyze clinical laboratory outsourcing experiences in US academic medical centers. Seventeen chairs of pathology with relevant experience were willing to participate in in-depth interviews about their experiences. Anticipated financial benefits from joint venture arrangements often eroded after the initial years of the agreement, due to increased test pricing, management fees, duplication of services in support of inpatients, and lack of incentive for utilization control on the part of the for-profit partner. Outsourcing can preclude development of lucrative outreach programs; such programs were successfully launched in several cases after joint ventures were either avoided or terminated. Common complaints included poor test turnaround time and problems with test quality (especially in molecular pathology, microbiology, and flow cytometry), leading to clinician dissatisfaction. Joint ventures adversely affected retention of academically oriented clinical pathology faculty, with adverse effects on research and education, which further exacerbated clinician dissatisfaction due to lack of available consultative expertise. Resident education in pathology and in other disciplines (especially infectious disease) suffered both from lack of on-site laboratory capabilities and from lack of teaching faculty. Most joint ventures were initiated with little or no input from pathology leadership, and input from pathology leadership was seen to have been critical in those cases where such arrangements were declined or terminated. PMID:29637086

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

Analysis of an ABE Scheme with Verifiable Outsourced Decryption.

PubMed

Liao, Yongjian; He, Yichuan; Li, Fagen; Jiang, Shaoquan; Zhou, Shijie

2018-01-10

Attribute-based encryption (ABE) is a popular cryptographic technology to protect the security of users' data in cloud computing. In order to reduce its decryption cost, outsourcing the decryption of ciphertexts is an available method, which enables users to outsource a large number of decryption operations to the cloud service provider. To guarantee the correctness of transformed ciphertexts computed by the cloud server via the outsourced decryption, it is necessary to check the correctness of the outsourced decryption to ensure security for the data of users. Recently, Li et al. proposed a full verifiability of the outsourced decryption of ABE scheme (ABE-VOD) for the authorized users and unauthorized users, which can simultaneously check the correctness of the transformed ciphertext for both them. However, in this paper we show that their ABE-VOD scheme cannot obtain the results which they had shown, such as finding out all invalid ciphertexts, and checking the correctness of the transformed ciphertext for the authorized user via checking it for the unauthorized user. We first construct some invalid ciphertexts which can pass the validity checking in the decryption algorithm. That means their "verify-then-decrypt" skill is unavailable. Next, we show that the method to check the validity of the outsourced decryption for the authorized users via checking it for the unauthorized users is not always correct. That is to say, there exist some invalid ciphertexts which can pass the validity checking for the unauthorized user, but cannot pass the validity checking for the authorized user.

Analysis of an ABE Scheme with Verifiable Outsourced Decryption

PubMed Central

He, Yichuan; Li, Fagen; Jiang, Shaoquan; Zhou, Shijie

2018-01-01

Attribute-based encryption (ABE) is a popular cryptographic technology to protect the security of users’ data in cloud computing. In order to reduce its decryption cost, outsourcing the decryption of ciphertexts is an available method, which enables users to outsource a large number of decryption operations to the cloud service provider. To guarantee the correctness of transformed ciphertexts computed by the cloud server via the outsourced decryption, it is necessary to check the correctness of the outsourced decryption to ensure security for the data of users. Recently, Li et al. proposed a full verifiability of the outsourced decryption of ABE scheme (ABE-VOD) for the authorized users and unauthorized users, which can simultaneously check the correctness of the transformed ciphertext for both them. However, in this paper we show that their ABE-VOD scheme cannot obtain the results which they had shown, such as finding out all invalid ciphertexts, and checking the correctness of the transformed ciphertext for the authorized user via checking it for the unauthorized user. We first construct some invalid ciphertexts which can pass the validity checking in the decryption algorithm. That means their “verify-then-decrypt” skill is unavailable. Next, we show that the method to check the validity of the outsourced decryption for the authorized users via checking it for the unauthorized users is not always correct. That is to say, there exist some invalid ciphertexts which can pass the validity checking for the unauthorized user, but cannot pass the validity checking for the authorized user. PMID:29320418

Privatization of solid waste collection services: Lessons from Gaborone

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

Bolaane, Benjamin, E-mail: bolaaneb@mopipi.ub.bw; Isaac, Emmanuel, E-mail: eisaac300@gmail.com

Highlights: • We compared efficiency and effectiveness of waste collection by the public and private sector. • Public sector performs better than private sector in some areas and vice versa. • Outsourcing waste collection in developing countries is hindered by limited capacity on contractual issues. • Outsourcing collection in developing countries is hampered by inadequate waste information. • There is need to build capacity in the public sector of developing countries to support outsourcing. - Abstract: Formal privatization of solid waste collection activities has often been flagged as a suitable intervention for some of the challenges of solid waste managementmore » experienced by developing countries. Proponents of outsourcing collection to the private sector argue that in contrast to the public sector, it is more effective and efficient in delivering services. This essay is a comparative case study of efficiency and effectiveness attributes between the public and the formal private sector, in relation to the collection of commercial waste in Gaborone. The paper is based on analysis of secondary data and key informant interviews. It was found that while, the private sector performed comparatively well in most of the chosen indicators of efficiency and effectiveness, the public sector also had areas where it had a competitive advantage. For instance, the private sector used the collection crew more efficiently, while the public sector was found to have a more reliable workforce. The study recommends that, while formal private sector participation in waste collection has some positive effects in terms of quality of service rendered, in most developing countries, it has to be enhanced by building sufficient capacity within the public sector on information about services contracted out and evaluation of performance criteria within the contracting process.« less

The effect of radiology services outsourcing on patients’ satisfaction in Tehran city hospitals

PubMed Central

Mousavi, H; Khodamoradi, F; Rostami Zarinabadi, CH; Mozafar Saadati, H; Mohammadi, M; Mahboubi, M; Mousavi, N

2015-01-01

Background: To have a developed society we should have healthy, active, and happy individuals and present that extended healthcare services perform an essential function in increasing the society’s health level. Health in a society includes the society’s, and people comfort with the condition and an assuring the situation that they can live healthily. Also, considering the self-governing plan of hospitals from 1995, the hospital authorities should choose a method of presenting services, and, the hospital is ready to present those activities during its own activities from an economic viewpoint. The current study was done while trying to discover the effect of the Outsourcing of the Radiology Unit on the patients’ satisfaction in hospitals of Tehran. Method: The present research was done in a case-evidence and sectional study. Considering the weight of a month’s references to the Radiology Unit, which included around 1200 individuals, the volume of samples for measuring the frequency of the patients’ satisfaction with the means of Morgan table was similar to 291 individuals. To decrease the error percentage in each hospital we questioned 300 individuals. (n+10) were questioned and the gathered information were examined by what means SPSS application variant 21 and were then studied by climagraph – Smirnoph, Du Whitman – Vitney K tests. Findings: the mean of the patients’ satisfaction of turned over and non-turned over Radiology Unit services were 41.46 and 45, respectively (from the maximum score of 60). A meaningful variation was seen among the patients' Satisfaction in the two hospitals from the analytical viewpoint (p-value<0.001) and there was also a significant difference between the patients’ waiting time (p-value<0.001). The research’s findings showed that the outsourcing has a negative influence on the patients’ satisfaction and the duration of their waiting time. Conclusion: Many times, managers do the outsourcing without considering individual and organizational dimensions and characteristics by just justifying it based on decreasing the expenses. Therefore, it is essential for authorities to consider not only the economic characters but also the individual and human aspects while setting the outsourcing contracts and arrangements. PMID:28316662

Outsourcing Elderly Care to Migrant Workers: The Impact of Gender and Class on the Experience of Male Employers

PubMed Central

Gallo, Ester; Scrinzi, Francesca

2015-01-01

This article, based on semi-structured interviews, addresses masculinity in the international division of reproductive labour through an analysis of the impact of gender and class on the outsourcing of elderly care services to migrant care workers. In the Italian context, characterised by a limited provision of long-term care services and by cash-for-care benefits, the strategies of men as employers of migrant care workers are shaped by class and gender. The outsourcing of care to migrant workers reproduces hegemonic masculinity in so far as male employers are able to withdraw from the ‘dirty work’. At the same time, men engage with tasks which are, in principle, kept at a distance. The employers’ family status, combined with their class background, are crucial factors in shaping the heterogeneity of men’s experiences as employers and managers of care labour, and the ways in which they make sense of their masculinity. PMID:27041775

Outsourcing Elderly Care to Migrant Workers: The Impact of Gender and Class on the Experience of Male Employers.

PubMed

Gallo, Ester; Scrinzi, Francesca

2016-04-01

This article, based on semi-structured interviews, addresses masculinity in the international division of reproductive labour through an analysis of the impact of gender and class on the outsourcing of elderly care services to migrant care workers. In the Italian context, characterised by a limited provision of long-term care services and by cash-for-care benefits, the strategies of men as employers of migrant care workers are shaped by class and gender. The outsourcing of care to migrant workers reproduces hegemonic masculinity in so far as male employers are able to withdraw from the 'dirty work'. At the same time, men engage with tasks which are, in principle, kept at a distance. The employers' family status, combined with their class background, are crucial factors in shaping the heterogeneity of men's experiences as employers and managers of care labour, and the ways in which they make sense of their masculinity.

The nature of outsourced preclinical research--the example of chemical synthesis.

PubMed

Festel, Gunter W

2013-09-01

The possibility to buy standardized external services or even new and innovative methods within drug discovery has increased dramatically during the last decades. Service providers are able to provide timely and efficient solutions to any given problem within preclinical research. The outsourcing behavior depends on the specific company type. Generally, the outsourcing level of emerging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies is much higher than established companies due to low or missing internal resources. Whereas the "make-or-buy" decisions of large and fully integrated pharmaceutical companies are mainly competency driven, those of mid-size and small pharmaceutical, as well as biotech companies show a specific combination of cost/capacity and competency. The three different cooperation models "price competition", "project selection," and "strategic partnership" were identified. For all types of companies, the cooperation model of "strategic partnership" offers access to high-level expertise while reducing fixed costs and complexity. This was shown using chemical synthesis as an example but is also true for other areas of preclinical research.

From Outsourcing to Alliances: Strategies for Sharing Leadership and Exploiting Resources at Metropolitan Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ender, Kenneth L.; Mooney, Kathleen A.

1994-01-01

University partnerships with private industry to effect service delivery in facilities management, food services, bookstore management, parking management, arena management, housing operations, business services, safety operations, communication services, and purchasing improves the quality of these services, reduces costs, does not affect core…

78 FR 28625 - American Airlines, a Subsidiary of AMR Corporation, Tulsa International Airport, Fleet Services...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-15

... State of Oklahoma Employment Security Commission requested administrative reconsideration of the... workers, stated ``aircraft maintenance has been outsourced to China'' and that the fleet services clerks...

Outsourcing and the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT): Contractors on the Battlefield

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-26

Outsourcing: The OMB Circular A-76 Policy, CRS Report for Congress (Washington, D.C., 22 July 2003), CSR -6 – 8. 10 Defense Reform Initiative; and the...Japanese tried to kill as many U.S soldiers and sailors as possible before they died. In a November 2004 Congressional Research Service ( CSR ) report for...such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco , Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc. A commander

Case study. When outsourcing goes awry ... seven experts discuss how the outsourcing crisis could have been avoided.

PubMed

Peisch, R

1995-01-01

Grant Newman, chief executive officer of Regional Medical Center, expected the worst from the meeting that was scheduled to begin in less than an hour. The anesthesiologists were at the end of their rope, and the hospital's surgeons and obstetricians were pretty riled up, too. Eighteen months earlier, Newman had made the decision to outsource RMC's anesthesia services, and he had signed a contract with Physicians Development Services, a contract management company. As is typical in these arrangements, the anesthesiologists would be independent contractors with PDS while PDS would be under contract with RMC. Legally, therefore, there would be no agreement of any sort between the anesthesiologists and the hospital where they worked. At the time, PDS seemed a good fit. It had a reputation for providing high-quality physicians both on a permanent basis and for temporary assignments. Unfortunately, however, PDS was undercapitalized and chronically mismanaged. PDS's paychecks to the anesthesiologists began arriving late and then bounced several times over a three-month period. In addition, the contract between the anesthesiologists and PDS had expired three months earlier, and the anesthesiologists were providing services without a contract. Newman knew that he had no legal right to interfere with the contract between PDS and the anesthesia group unless PDS breached the contract with RMC. But Newman felt that the future viability of the hospital would be seriously compromised if he allowed an exodus to occur even for a single day. What can Newman do to resolve this conflict? Seven experts consider how the hospital's outsourcing crisis could have been avoided.

Hybrid performance measurement of a business process outsourcing - A Malaysian company perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oluyinka, Oludapo Samson; Tamyez, Puteri Fadzline; Kie, Cheng Jack; Freida, Ayodele Ozavize

2017-05-01

It's no longer new that customer perceived value for product and services are now greatly influenced by its psychological and social advantages. In order to meet up with the increasing operational cost, response time, quality and innovative capabilities many companies turned their fixed operational cost to a variable cost through outsourcing. Hence, the researcher explored different underlying outsourcing theories and infer that these theories are essential to performance improvement. In this study, the researcher evaluates the performance of a business process outsource company by a combination of lean and agile method. To test the hypotheses, we analyze different variability that a business process company faces, how lean and agile have been used in other industry to address such variability and discuss the result using a predictive multiple regression analysis on data collected from companies in Malaysia. The findings from this study revealed that while each method has its own advantage, a business process outsource company could achieve more (up to 87%) increase in performance level by developing a strategy which focuses on a perfect mixture of lean and agile improvement methods. Secondly, this study shows that performance indicator could be better evaluated with non-metrics variables of the agile method. Thirdly, this study also shows that business process outsourcing company could perform better when they concentrate more on strengthening internal process integration of employees.

Time and Space Efficient Algorithms for Two-Party Authenticated Data Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papamanthou, Charalampos; Tamassia, Roberto

Authentication is increasingly relevant to data management. Data is being outsourced to untrusted servers and clients want to securely update and query their data. For example, in database outsourcing, a client's database is stored and maintained by an untrusted server. Also, in simple storage systems, clients can store very large amounts of data but at the same time, they want to assure their integrity when they retrieve them. In this paper, we present a model and protocol for two-party authentication of data structures. Namely, a client outsources its data structure and verifies that the answers to the queries have not been tampered with. We provide efficient algorithms to securely outsource a skip list with logarithmic time overhead at the server and client and logarithmic communication cost, thus providing an efficient authentication primitive for outsourced data, both structured (e.g., relational databases) and semi-structured (e.g., XML documents). In our technique, the client stores only a constant amount of space, which is optimal. Our two-party authentication framework can be deployed on top of existing storage applications, thus providing an efficient authentication service. Finally, we present experimental results that demonstrate the practical efficiency and scalability of our scheme.

Comparison of Office-Based Versus Outsourced Immunization Recall Services.

PubMed

Bondurant, Kristina L; Wheeler, J Gary; Bursac, Zoran; Holmes, Tereasa; Tilford, J Mick

2017-06-01

Given poor use of recall in primary care practices, we compared outsourced versus office-based recall systems. From 2011 to 2013, we enrolled 87 individual Arkansas providers in distinct practices treating their own patients <24 months of age which were randomized to usual care (A), office-based (B), or outsourced (C) recall groups. At the end of study, recall activity was 19.4%, 55.0%, and 92.6% for Groups A, B, and C, respectively (B and C vs A: P < .001). Only 68 Group B patients were identified as needing immunizations versus 826 in Group C. The majority of successful contacts were made through mobile phone (41.3%) or text message (32.6%). The total cost per practice per week was significantly lower for Group C versus Group B ($39.50 and $53.00, respectively; P = .004). With limited electronic health record use, an outsourced recall system is more sustainable and less costly than an office-based system.

Maximizing Service Provider Relationships: Best Practices through Blended Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherrens, Maurice W.

This book examines the institutional movement toward outsourcing support services, focusing on the development of outcome-oriented performance indicators and continuous self-assessment. Using 125 "lessons" based on support service theories, philosophies, and practices at George Mason University (Virginia), which collectively are termed…

Outsourcing mental health care services? The practice and potential of community-based farms in psychiatric rehabilitation.

PubMed

Iancu, Sorana C; Zweekhorst, Marjolein B M; Veltman, Dick J; van Balkom, Anton J L M; Bunders, Joske F G

2015-02-01

Psychiatric rehabilitation supports individuals with mental disorders to acquire the skills needed for independent lives in communities. This article assesses the potential of outsourcing psychiatric rehabilitation by analysing care farm services in the Netherlands. Service characteristics were analysed across 214 care farms retrieved from a national database. Qualitative insights were provided by five case descriptions, selected from 34 interviews. Institutional care farms were significantly larger and older than private care farms (comprising 88.8% of all care farms). Private, independent care farms provide real-life work conditions to users who are relatively less impaired. Private, contracted care farms tailor the work activities to their capacities and employ professional supervisors. Institutional care farms accommodate for the most vulnerable users. We conclude that collaborations with independent, contracted and institutional care farms would provide mental health care organizations with a diversity in services, enhanced community integration and a better match with users' rehabilitation needs.

A case study of outsourced primary healthcare services in Sindh, Pakistan: is this a real reform?

PubMed

Tanzil, Sana; Zahidie, Aysha; Ahsan, Adeel; Kazi, Ambreen; Shaikh, Babar Tasneem

2014-06-25

Since a decade, low and middle income countries have a rising trend of contracting their primary healthcare services to NGOs. In Pakistan, public sector often lacks capacity to effectively & equitably manage the healthcare services. It led the government to outsource the administration of primary health care services to a semi-autonomous government entity i.e. Peoples' Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI). This small scale study has assessed the quality of healthcare services at the contracted Basic Health Units (BHUs) with the PPHI and compared it with those managed by the local district government in the province of Sindh. A cross-sectional mix methods survey was conducted in November 2011. Two BHUs of each type were selected from the districts Karachi and Thatta in Sindh province. BHUs were selected randomly and a purposive sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants at the two study sites. Focus group discussions were conducted with patients visiting the facility while in-depth interviews were conducted with service providers. An observation based resource availability checklist was also administered. There was a significant difference between the PPHI and the district government administered BHUs with regard to infrastructure, availability of essential medicines, basic medical appliances, mini-lab facilities and vehicles for referrals. These BHUs were found to have sufficient number of trained clinical staff and no punctuality and retention issues whatsoever. The district government administered BHUs presented a dismal picture in all the aspects. Out-sourcing of primary healthcare facilities has resulted in significantly improved certain aspects quality and responsiveness of primary healthcare services. This strategy is likely to achieve an efficient and perhaps an equitable healthcare delivery in low and middle income countries where governments have limited capacity to manage healthcare services.

A case study of outsourced primary healthcare services in Sindh, Pakistan: is this a real reform?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Since a decade, low and middle income countries have a rising trend of contracting their primary healthcare services to NGOs. In Pakistan, public sector often lacks capacity to effectively & equitably manage the healthcare services. It led the government to outsource the administration of primary health care services to a semi-autonomous government entity i.e. Peoples’ Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI). This small scale study has assessed the quality of healthcare services at the contracted Basic Health Units (BHUs) with the PPHI and compared it with those managed by the local district government in the province of Sindh. Methods A cross-sectional mix methods survey was conducted in November 2011. Two BHUs of each type were selected from the districts Karachi and Thatta in Sindh province. BHUs were selected randomly and a purposive sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants at the two study sites. Focus group discussions were conducted with patients visiting the facility while in-depth interviews were conducted with service providers. An observation based resource availability checklist was also administered. Results There was a significant difference between the PPHI and the district government administered BHUs with regard to infrastructure, availability of essential medicines, basic medical appliances, mini-lab facilities and vehicles for referrals. These BHUs were found to have sufficient number of trained clinical staff and no punctuality and retention issues whatsoever. The district government administered BHUs presented a dismal picture in all the aspects. Conclusion Out-sourcing of primary healthcare facilities has resulted in significantly improved certain aspects quality and responsiveness of primary healthcare services. This strategy is likely to achieve an efficient and perhaps an equitable healthcare delivery in low and middle income countries where governments have limited capacity to manage healthcare services. PMID:24965769

Home care outsourcing strategy.

PubMed

Drake, Paul R; Davies, Bethan M

2006-01-01

This paper aims to help public sector managers that are formulating strategies for outsourcing home care from the independent sector. A review was performed of relevant literature on the outsourcing of home care and its political drivers in the U.K. This indicates that the future of home care services, taking into consideration outsourcing and how Best Value will be achieved, has not been researched widely. Therefore, an exploratory approach to research was adopted here using in-depth analysis of a small number of particularly informative local authorities and private providers selected by purposive/judgemental (extreme and critical case) sampling. Personal contact was deemed necessary in order to perform an intensive investigation to pursue in-depth information. The British Government's Best Value regime is driving local authorities towards increasing levels of outsourcing in the provision of home care. A local authority may choose to outsource all of its home care or maintain some in-house provision based on capacity or capabilities that are complementary to those provided by the independent sector. The 100 per cent outsourcing strategy places enabling demands on the local authority, whereas the alternative strategy requires decisions to be made on what should be outsourced. Across the authorities surveyed, six strategies for creating a mixed economy of care have been identified, with the mix being based on complementary capacity and/or capabilities. With Best Value driving authorities to consider lower-cost options, the outcome may be a reduction in the amount of complementary capacity provided in-house, in favour of strategies involving complementary capabilities that deliver the Best Value possible. Re-enablement is emerging as a common, complementary or core capability that is remaining in-house. Outsourcing also requires decisions to be made on the number of independent providers to be used and the type of contracts to be employed. This paper considers the decisions that have been made in the local authorities surveyed and critiques the alternative home care outsourcing strategies so derived. To date, the research has focused on Wales in general plus a few local authorities in England. The next stage will be to survey England in more detail along with other countries that are implementing substantial outsourcing of home care, such as Canada. This paper provides timely guidance to public sector and health care managers seeking Best Value in home care through outsourcing. Little has been found in the literature on strategies for outsourcing home care, yet such strategies are needed urgently in the U.K. to achieve Best Value. The World Health Organization stresses that strategies should be drawn up for providing support to patients and carers at community level in order to avoid costly institutional care.

The Weakest Link: Library Catalogs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Terrence E., Jr.

2002-01-01

Describes methods of correcting MARC records in online public access catalogs in school libraries. Highlights include in-house methods; professional resources; conforming to library cataloging standards; vendor services, including Web-based services; software specifically developed for record cleanup; and outsourcing. (LRW)

Management of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects in Multiple-Vendor Constellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schott, Katharina; Beck, Roman; Gregory, Robert Wayne

Global information systems development outsourcing is an apparent trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Thereby, IS-related services are not only increasingly provided from different geographical sites simultaneously but beyond that from multiple service providers based in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the involvement of multiple service providers affects the management of the globally distributed information systems development projects. As research on this topic is scarce, we applied an exploratory in-depth single-case study design as research approach. The case we analyzed comprises a global software development outsourcing project initiated by a German bank together with several globally distributed vendors. For data collection and data analysis we have adopted techniques suggested by the grounded theory method. Whereas the extant literature points out the increased management overhead associated with multi-sourcing, the analysis of our case suggests that the required effort for managing global outsourcing projects with multiple vendors depends among other things on the maturation level of the cooperation within the vendor portfolio. Furthermore, our data indicate that this interplay maturity is positively impacted through knowledge about the client that has been derived based on already existing client-vendor relationships. The paper concludes by offering theoretical and practical implications.

Will you survive the services revolution?

PubMed

Karmarkar, Uday

2004-06-01

Of late, offshoring and outsourcing have become political hot buttons. These o words have been conflated to mean that high-paying, white-collar jobs have been handed to well-trained but less expensive workers in India and other locales. The brouhaha over the loss of service jobs, which currently account for over 80% of private-sector employment in the United States, is not merely an American phenomenon. The fact is that service-sector jobs in all developed countries are at risk. Regardless of what the politicians now say, worry focused on offshoring and outsourcing misses the point, the author argues. We are in the middle of a fundamental change, which is that services are being industrialized. Three factors in particular are combining with outsourcing and offshoring to drive that transformation: The first is increasing global competition, where just as with manufactured goods in the recent past, foreign companies are offering more services in the United States, taking market share from U.S. companies. The second is automation: New hardware and software systems that take care of back-room and front-office tasks such as counter operations, security, billing, and order taking are allowing firms to dispense with clerical, accounting, and other staff positions. The third is self-service. Why use a travel agent when you can book your own flight, hotel, and rental car online? As these forces combine to sweep across the service sector, executives of all stripes must start thinking about arming and defending themselves, just as their manufacturing cousins did a generation ago. This will demand proactive and far-reaching changes, including focusing specifically on customer preference, quality, and technological interfaces; rewiring strategy to find new value from existing and unfamiliar sources; de-integrating and radically reassembling operational processes; and restructuring the organization to accommodate new kinds of work and skills.

Views of NHS commissioners on commissioning support provision. Evidence from a qualitative study examining the early development of clinical commissioning groups in England

PubMed Central

Petsoulas, Christina; Allen, Pauline; Checkland, Kath; Coleman, Anna; Segar, Julia; Peckham, Stephen; Mcdermott, Imelda

2014-01-01

Objective The 2010 healthcare reform in England introduced primary care-led commissioning in the National Health Service (NHS) by establishing clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). A key factor for the success of the reform is the provision of excellent commissioning support services to CCGs. The Government's aim is to create a vibrant market of competing providers of such services (from both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors). Until this market develops, however, commissioning support units (CSUs) have been created from which CCGs are buying commissioning support functions. This study explored the attitudes of CCGs towards outsourcing commissioning support functions during the initial stage of the reform. Design The research took place between September 2011 and June 2012. We used a case study research design in eight CCGs, conducting in-depth interviews, observation of meetings and analysis of policy documents. Setting/participants We conducted 96 interviews and observed 146 meetings (a total of approximately 439 h). Results Many CCGs were reluctant to outsource core commissioning support functions (such as contracting) for fear of losing local knowledge and trusted relationships. Others were disappointed by the absence of choice and saw CSUs as monopolies and a recreation of the abolished PCTs. Many expressed doubts about the expectation that outsourcing of commissioning support functions will result in lower administrative costs. Conclusions Given the nature of healthcare commissioning, outsourcing vital commissioning support functions may not be the preferred option of CCGs. Considerations of high transaction costs, and the risk of fragmentation of services and loss of trusted relationships involved in short-term contracting, may lead most CCGs to decide to form long-term partnerships with commissioning support suppliers in the future. This option, however, limits competition by creating ‘network closure’ and calls into question the Government's intention to create a vibrant market of commissioning support provision. PMID:25320000

Outsourcing Special Education Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Anne S.; Bishop, Anna M.

2009-01-01

The Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, organized in 1974, consists of seven school districts legally bound in a governance structure. Although the member districts are located in Hampden County, Massachusetts, the collaborative provides educational programs and services to school districts and municipalities throughout western…

The effect of information technology investment on firm-level performance in the health care industry.

PubMed

Thouin, Mark F; Hoffman, James J; Ford, Eric W

2008-01-01

The return on investment for information technology (IT) has been the subject of much debate throughout the history of management information systems research. Often referred to as the productivity paradox, increased IT investments have not been consistently associated with increased productivity. Understanding individual IT factors that directly contribute to business value should provide insight into the productivity paradox. The effects of 3 different firm-level IT characteristics on financial performance in the health care industry are studied. Specifically, the effects of IT budget, IT outsourcing, and the relative number of IT personnel on firm-level financial performance are analyzed. Regression analysis of archival survey data for 914 Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems is performed. IT budgetary expenditures and the number of IT services outsourced are associated with increases in the profitability of Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, whereas increases in IT personnel are not significantly associated with increased profitability. Each one tenth of a percentage increase in IT expenditures is associated with approximately $100,000 in increased profit, and each additional IT service outsourced is associated with approximately $950,000 in increased profit for an average-sized Integrated Healthcare Delivery System. To increase profitability, IT administrators should increase IT budgetary expenditures along with IT outsourcing levels. IT administrators in the health care industry can use such findings during budgeting cycles to justify increased investments in IT personnel as being budget neutral while increasing organizational capacity.

Private and Efficient Query Processing on Outsourced Genomic Databases.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Reza; Al Aziz, Md Momin; Mohammed, Noman; Dehkordi, Massoud Hadian; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2017-09-01

Applications of genomic studies are spreading rapidly in many domains of science and technology such as healthcare, biomedical research, direct-to-consumer services, and legal and forensic. However, there are a number of obstacles that make it hard to access and process a big genomic database for these applications. First, sequencing genomic sequence is a time consuming and expensive process. Second, it requires large-scale computation and storage systems to process genomic sequences. Third, genomic databases are often owned by different organizations, and thus, not available for public usage. Cloud computing paradigm can be leveraged to facilitate the creation and sharing of big genomic databases for these applications. Genomic data owners can outsource their databases in a centralized cloud server to ease the access of their databases. However, data owners are reluctant to adopt this model, as it requires outsourcing the data to an untrusted cloud service provider that may cause data breaches. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving model for outsourcing genomic data to a cloud. The proposed model enables query processing while providing privacy protection of genomic databases. Privacy of the individuals is guaranteed by permuting and adding fake genomic records in the database. These techniques allow cloud to evaluate count and top-k queries securely and efficiently. Experimental results demonstrate that a count and a top-k query over 40 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in a database of 20 000 records takes around 100 and 150 s, respectively.

Private and Efficient Query Processing on Outsourced Genomic Databases

PubMed Central

Ghasemi, Reza; Al Aziz, Momin; Mohammed, Noman; Dehkordi, Massoud Hadian; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2017-01-01

Applications of genomic studies are spreading rapidly in many domains of science and technology such as healthcare, biomedical research, direct-to-consumer services, and legal and forensic. However, there are a number of obstacles that make it hard to access and process a big genomic database for these applications. First, sequencing genomic sequence is a time-consuming and expensive process. Second, it requires large-scale computation and storage systems to processes genomic sequences. Third, genomic databases are often owned by different organizations and thus not available for public usage. Cloud computing paradigm can be leveraged to facilitate the creation and sharing of big genomic databases for these applications. Genomic data owners can outsource their databases in a centralized cloud server to ease the access of their databases. However, data owners are reluctant to adopt this model, as it requires outsourcing the data to an untrusted cloud service provider that may cause data breaches. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving model for outsourcing genomic data to a cloud. The proposed model enables query processing while providing privacy protection of genomic databases. Privacy of the individuals is guaranteed by permuting and adding fake genomic records in the database. These techniques allow cloud to evaluate count and top-k queries securely and efficiently. Experimental results demonstrate that a count and a top-k query over 40 SNPs in a database of 20,000 records takes around 100 and 150 seconds, respectively. PMID:27834660

Outsourcing versus in-house maintenance of medical devices: a longitudinal, empirical study.

PubMed

Miguel-Cruz, Antonio; Rios-Rincón, Adriana; Haugan, Gregory L

2014-03-01

To determine what factors have a significant influence on the performance of medical device maintenance outsourcing, and to determine how the performance of external governance structures differs depending on whether a hospital is private or public. This was a longitudinal study of 590 maintenance transactions at 20 hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia, involving 764 medical devices and 72 maintenance service providers. Maintenance performance data (i.e., turn-around time in hours; TAT) for the service providers (either in-house or outsourced) were primarily collected over a 20-month period, from December 2009-August 2011, by means of a monitoring procedure; then, a hazards model was run. The availability of specific repair parts, in-stock, in the city in which the medical devices were located, had a positive impact on the performance of both internal and external governance structures. Online service also had a positive impact on both, with a stronger positive impact on the performance of internal governance than on that of external governance. For transactions governed by external structures, better performance was seen in private hospitals than in public ones. In public health institutions, internal governance showed better performance than external governance. Both internal and external governance structures showed better performance in private healthcare institutions than in public ones. In public health institutions, internal governance shows better performance than external governance; this suggests that healthcare managers should reconsider the trend to eliminate in-house maintenance service staff in public healthcare institutions.

77 FR 58584 - Stream Global Services, Inc., AdCenter, Beaverton, OR; Notice of a Revised Determination on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-21

... supply of services like or directly competitive with the customer relationship management and business... subject worker group includes workers involved in employment related to the supply of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services. The subject worker group does not include on...

Outsourcing Cataloging, Authority Work, and Physical Processing: A Checklist of Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kascus, Marie A., Ed.; Hale, Dawn, Ed.

Due to automation technology, financial restrictions, and resultant downsizing, library managers have increasingly relied on the services of contractors, rather than in-house staff, to accomplish different technical services operations. Contracted services may range from a small project for a selected group of materials to a large project for…

Twenty Years of Successful Private Management. The Debate over Private vs. Public Management of Food Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riegel, Ronald B.

1994-01-01

Companies such as ARA Services provide lunch every day to more than 1 million students in over 280 school districts nationwide. An Illinois superintendent lists several reasons for school districts to consider "outsourcing" their food-service operations, including cost-saving opportunities, capacity for offering comprehensive services…

Outsourcing HR Services: The Role of Human Resource Intermediaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kock, Henrik; Wallo, Andreas; Nilsson, Barbro; Hoglund, Cecilia

2012-01-01

Purpose: In this article, the area of interest is an emerging type of organisation called human resource intermediaries (HRIs), which focus on delivering human resource (HR) services to public sector organisations and private companies. The purpose of this article is, thus, to explore HRIs as deliverers of HR services. More specifically, the…

Conceptualization of interactions between partners and the U.S. Forest Service

Treesearch

Erin Seekamp; Lee K. Cerveny

2010-01-01

Since the 1980s, U.S. Forest Service managers have faced reduced appropriations, constraining their capacity to manage recreation lands, facilities, and services. Downsizing and outsourcing continue as the "push for partnerships" persists in the administration of federal recreation lands. Despite this reliance on partnerships to meet targets, little is known...

Acoustic outsourcing: New employment possibilities for the specialists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Patricia; Rios, Heriberto; Andrade, Armando; Ramirez, Mario

2002-11-01

The need for companies to be more competitive has led them to resort to training, external consultantship, continuous improvement programs, but with the aim of achieving maximum productivity, the big companies go even further: they are opting to focus on their high-priority activities, leaving some nonstrategic functions in the hands of third parties (organizations or individuals). Acoustic outsourcing presents immense business opportunities for the specialists in this area when offering services or completing a production process that the company carries out in an internal way but that is not its main function or activity. Outsourcing contemplates a serious long term commitment between the two parties; a kind of strategic alliance, all with the purpose of increasing efficiency and the quality of the products that the company develops, besides solving acoustic problems related to the production stage. (To be presented in Spanish.)

Biopharma CRO industry in China: landscape and opportunities.

PubMed

Xia, Christine; Gautam, Ajay

2015-07-01

The pharmaceutical industry has responded to the declining research and development (R&D) productivity over the past decade by decreasing its cost base and outsourcing parts of drug research, with China increasingly being the preferred destination for such outsourced work. For this Focus article, we collected and analyzed data for 66 China-based nonclinical contract research organizations (CROs); approximately 60% of the companies were localized in the Yangtze River Delta cluster and another 20% within the Beijing cluster. Almost 25% of the companies offered services in discovery biology, the single largest service offering in the data set, with another 20% offering preclinical research (toxicology, pharmacology, and animal models) and approximately 15% offering pharmaceutical development. The biologics and pharmaceutical development services represent key future growth areas, with CROs showing an increasing appetite for risk-sharing partnerships. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Privatizing Indiana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brantlinger, Patrick

2007-01-01

Seeking to raise money for new academic buildings and programs, Indiana University's board of trustees is exploring outsourcing its "auxiliary-service" units. These units manage printing and food services, the university's bookstores, campus motor pools, and other functions. To prevent job loss and wage cuts among hundreds of long-term…

Make customer service a priority.

PubMed

2017-09-02

BVA has partnered with Moneypenny, one of the UK's leading outsourced communications providers, to provide members with an effective way to respond to client calls. Moneypenny talked to Pauline Sloan, receptionist at Village Vets in East Lothian, about her practice's experience of using their service. British Veterinary Association.

[Improving the control of food allergy and intolerance risks in school settings: qualitative inputs from focus groups].

PubMed

Londoño, Teresa; Trabado, Verónica; García-Rodríguez, Alejo; Balfagón, Pere; Villalbí, Joan R

2018-04-21

This paper describes the use of focus groups as part of the evaluation of programmes to control food allergy and intolerance (FAI) in school settings in the city of Barcelona (Spain). After fostering their adoption and as a qualitative component of their evaluation, the public health services ran two focus groups, one with people from schools that manage their own kitchen, and another from companies that outsource this service. There were 28 participants from 46% of the centres invited. All the schools seem to have implemented a self-control programme on FAI. Although outsourcing companies already had a programme, the schools that managed their own service mostly adopted the programme promoted by the public health services. The number of schoolchildren with reported FAI reduced after the programme, as it required more rigorous documentation from families. Copyright © 2018 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Coming to a town near you: corporate globalization and its impact on massachusetts workers.

PubMed

Mattera, Nancy Della; Gaudet, Jennifer

2002-01-01

This report examines five themes of globalization: trade agreements and job loss; corporate growth; outsourcing and privatization; downward wage pressures; and immigration. We begin with an overview that connects each of these themes to the Massachusetts experience and highlights the corporate strategies that are affecting this experience. These themes are then interwoven throughout the three case studies that follow: "forced supplier migration" at a GE supply plant in Wilmington; outsourced dining service workers at Harvard; and the transformation of the fish processing industry in New Bedford.

A robust optimisation approach to the problem of supplier selection and allocation in outsourcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yelin; Keung Lai, Kin; Liang, Liang

2016-03-01

We formulate the supplier selection and allocation problem in outsourcing under an uncertain environment as a stochastic programming problem. Both the decision-maker's attitude towards risk and the penalty parameters for demand deviation are considered in the objective function. A service level agreement, upper bound for each selected supplier's allocation and the number of selected suppliers are considered as constraints. A novel robust optimisation approach is employed to solve this problem under different economic situations. Illustrative examples are presented with managerial implications highlighted to support decision-making.

Uncertainty Concerning the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Red Clay's Data Management and Processing Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ammann, Charles

2010-01-01

For twenty-nine years, Red Clay Consolidated School District has managed data processing in a unique manner. Red Clay participates in the Data Service Center consortium to provide data management and processing services. This consortium is more independent than a department in the district but not as autonomous as an outsourced arrangement. While…

Small molecule compound logistics outsourcing--going beyond the "thought experiment".

PubMed

Ramsay, Devon L; Kwasnoski, Joseph D; Caldwell, Gary W

2012-01-01

Increasing pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to reduce cost and focus internal resources on "high value" activities is driving a trend to outsource traditionally "in-house" drug discovery activities. Compound collections are typically viewed as drug discovery's "crown jewels"; however, in late 2007, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development (J PRD) took a bold step to move their entire North American compound inventory and processing capability to an external third party vendor. The authors discuss the combination model implemented, that of local compound logistics site support with an outsourced centralized processing center. Some of the lessons learned over the past five years were predictable while others were unexpected. The substantial cost savings, improved local service response and flexible platform to adjust to changing business needs resulted. Continued sustainable success relies heavily upon maintaining internal headcount dedicated to vendor management, an open collaboration approach and a solid information technology infrastructure with complete transparency and visibility.

A Routing Mechanism for Cloud Outsourcing of Medical Imaging Repositories.

PubMed

Godinho, Tiago Marques; Viana-Ferreira, Carlos; Bastião Silva, Luís A; Costa, Carlos

2016-01-01

Web-based technologies have been increasingly used in picture archive and communication systems (PACS), in services related to storage, distribution, and visualization of medical images. Nowadays, many healthcare institutions are outsourcing their repositories to the cloud. However, managing communications between multiple geo-distributed locations is still challenging due to the complexity of dealing with huge volumes of data and bandwidth requirements. Moreover, standard methodologies still do not take full advantage of outsourced archives, namely because their integration with other in-house solutions is troublesome. In order to improve the performance of distributed medical imaging networks, a smart routing mechanism was developed. This includes an innovative cache system based on splitting and dynamic management of digital imaging and communications in medicine objects. The proposed solution was successfully deployed in a regional PACS archive. The results obtained proved that it is better than conventional approaches, as it reduces remote access latency and also the required cache storage space.

Putting HR outsourcing into practice.

PubMed

Berger, Michael

2007-01-01

Faced with the time-consuming responsibility of human resources (HR) management, a growing number of medical practices are outsourcing their HR to professional employer organizations (PEOs) so they can concentrate on their core business. A PEO functions as an HR department-minus the high overhead-managing daily administrative tasks such as payroll processing and related tax filings, employee benefits, and workers' compensation coverage and claims resolution. PEOs help physicians' offices keep up with the piles of paperwork that never seem to shrink, freeing doctors to focus on patient care and building their practice. Because of their volume buying power, PEOs are able to offer employees of small medical practices big-company benefits-everything from health, dental, and vision coverage to long-term disability insurance and tuition assistance. A fledgling industry only a decade ago, HR outsourcing has morphed into a blossoming industry. Enlisting the services of a PEO is now considered de rigueur in many small business circles.

Resource management in cardiovascular engineering: is outsourcing the solution?

PubMed

Feyrer, Richard; Weyand, Michael; Kunzmann, Udo

2005-09-01

In recent years, modern medicine has changed considerably. At maximum care centers, in particular, the use of state-of-the-art medical equipment has become an essential part of patient care. HoWever, using such high-tech products also means a considerable burden on the financial resources available, because additional financing is rare. Consequently, there is a need for approaches that allow the use of state-of-the-art equipment without straining the budget unduly. The question now is whether economic strategies that have long since been established in other industries, e.g., the outsourcing of certain services, represent a potential solution for the economic problems of modern clinics. The fundamentals of outsourcing and its pros and cons are outlined and discussed, taking cardiovascular perfusion as an example, a cost-intensive field of heart surgery that is responsible for attending to heart-lung machines, artificial hearts and circulatory support systems.

Service vs. Revenue: Conflict or Convergence?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBard, Robert; Overland, Wanda I.

2003-01-01

Discusses how administrators at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, worked to reconcile politics, economics, and today's consumer-oriented students as it renovated the student union, suggesting that a central issue for those responsible for determining services to be provided by student centers is what can best be outsourced and what can be kept…

Fed Up with Delays, a President Pushes To Outsource Technology Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Florence

2002-01-01

Discusses how officials at Salt Lake Community College decided the only way they could get the kind of technology service they needed was to hire a company to run the operation; the plan will not save money, but seeks better service and room for expansion. (EV)

An Analysis of Outsourcing of Installation Services Under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

agreement, on a reimbursable basis. This includes franchise funds, revolving funds and working capital funds. Management Plan.—The Management Plan...Operation of cafeterias, mess halls, kitchens, bakeries , dairies, and commissaries • Vending machines • Ice and water HEALTH SERVICES • Surgical

Operational Lessons from a Strategic Sourcing Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krob, Adam

2008-01-01

Sourcing decisions for information services departments have become an integral part of every school's IT strategy. Much has been written on what areas to outsource, which partner to select, and how to negotiate contracts and service agreements. In this article, the author shares the operational lessons learned by Tulane University during the…

Assessing the Relationship between Airlines' Maintenance Outsourcing and Aviation Professionals' Job Satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCamey, Rotorua

The current economic and security challenges placed an additional burden on U.S. airlines to provide optimum service at reasonable costs to the flying public. In efforts to stay competitive, U.S. airlines increased foreign-based outsourcing of aircraft major repair and overhaul (MRO) mainly to reduce labor costs and conserve capital. This concentrated focus on outsourcing and restructuring, ignored job dissatisfaction among remaining employees which could reduce and or eliminate an airline's competitiveness. The purpose of this quantitative study was (a) to assess the relationship between increased levels of foreign-based MRO outsourcing and aviation professionals' job satisfaction (Y1); (b) to assess the influence of increased levels of foreign-based outsourcing on MRO control (Y2), MRO error rate (Y3), and MRO technical punctuality (Y4) as perceived by aviation professionals; and (c) to assess the influence of increased levels of foreign-based MRO outsourcing on technical skills (Y5) and morale ( Y6) as perceived by aviation professionals. The survey instrument was utilized based on Paul Spector's Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and MRO specific questions. A random sample of 300 U.S. airline participants was requested via MarketTools to meet required sample size of 110 as determined through a priori power analysis. Study data rendered 198 useable surveys of 213 total responses, and correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA methods were used to test study hypotheses. The Spearman's rho for (Y 1) was statistically significant, p = .010 and multiple regression was statistically significant, p < .001. A one-way ANOVA indicated participants differed in their opinions of (Y2) through (Y6), Recommendations for future research include contrasting domestic and global MRO providers, and examining global aircraft parts suppliers and aviation technical training.

OS2: Oblivious similarity based searching for encrypted data outsourced to an untrusted domain

PubMed Central

Pervez, Zeeshan; Ahmad, Mahmood; Khattak, Asad Masood; Ramzan, Naeem

2017-01-01

Public cloud storage services are becoming prevalent and myriad data sharing, archiving and collaborative services have emerged which harness the pay-as-you-go business model of public cloud. To ensure privacy and confidentiality often encrypted data is outsourced to such services, which further complicates the process of accessing relevant data by using search queries. Search over encrypted data schemes solve this problem by exploiting cryptographic primitives and secure indexing to identify outsourced data that satisfy the search criteria. Almost all of these schemes rely on exact matching between the encrypted data and search criteria. A few schemes which extend the notion of exact matching to similarity based search, lack realism as those schemes rely on trusted third parties or due to increase storage and computational complexity. In this paper we propose Oblivious Similarity based Search (OS2) for encrypted data. It enables authorized users to model their own encrypted search queries which are resilient to typographical errors. Unlike conventional methodologies, OS2 ranks the search results by using similarity measure offering a better search experience than exact matching. It utilizes encrypted bloom filter and probabilistic homomorphic encryption to enable authorized users to access relevant data without revealing results of search query evaluation process to the untrusted cloud service provider. Encrypted bloom filter based search enables OS2 to reduce search space to potentially relevant encrypted data avoiding unnecessary computation on public cloud. The efficacy of OS2 is evaluated on Google App Engine for various bloom filter lengths on different cloud configurations. PMID:28692697

[Formula: see text]: Oblivious similarity based searching for encrypted data outsourced to an untrusted domain.

PubMed

Pervez, Zeeshan; Ahmad, Mahmood; Khattak, Asad Masood; Ramzan, Naeem; Khan, Wajahat Ali

2017-01-01

Public cloud storage services are becoming prevalent and myriad data sharing, archiving and collaborative services have emerged which harness the pay-as-you-go business model of public cloud. To ensure privacy and confidentiality often encrypted data is outsourced to such services, which further complicates the process of accessing relevant data by using search queries. Search over encrypted data schemes solve this problem by exploiting cryptographic primitives and secure indexing to identify outsourced data that satisfy the search criteria. Almost all of these schemes rely on exact matching between the encrypted data and search criteria. A few schemes which extend the notion of exact matching to similarity based search, lack realism as those schemes rely on trusted third parties or due to increase storage and computational complexity. In this paper we propose Oblivious Similarity based Search ([Formula: see text]) for encrypted data. It enables authorized users to model their own encrypted search queries which are resilient to typographical errors. Unlike conventional methodologies, [Formula: see text] ranks the search results by using similarity measure offering a better search experience than exact matching. It utilizes encrypted bloom filter and probabilistic homomorphic encryption to enable authorized users to access relevant data without revealing results of search query evaluation process to the untrusted cloud service provider. Encrypted bloom filter based search enables [Formula: see text] to reduce search space to potentially relevant encrypted data avoiding unnecessary computation on public cloud. The efficacy of [Formula: see text] is evaluated on Google App Engine for various bloom filter lengths on different cloud configurations.

Methods to attack or defend the professional integrity and competency of infrared thermographers and their work; what every attorney and infrared thermographer needs to know before going into a lawsuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, Fred

2013-05-01

There has been a significant increase in the number of in-house Infrared Thermographic Predictive Maintenance programs for Electrical/Mechanical inspections as compared to out-sourced programs using hired consultants. In addition, the number of infrared consulting services companies offering out-sourced programs has also has grown exponentially. These market segments include: Building Envelope (commercial and residential), Refractory, Boiler Evaluations, etc... These surges are driven by two main factors: 1. The low cost of investment in the equipment (the cost of cameras and peripherals continues to decline). 2. Novel marketing campaigns by the camera manufacturers who are looking to sell more cameras into an otherwise saturated market. The key characteristics of these campaigns are to over simplify the applications and understate the significances of technical training, specific skills and experience that's needed to obtain the risk-lowering information that a facility manager needs. These camera selling campaigns focuses on the simplicity of taking a thermogram, but ignores the critical factors of what it takes to actually perform and manage a creditable, valid IR program, which in-turn expose everyone to tremendous liability. As the In-house vs. Out-sourced consulting services compete for market share head to head with each other in a constricted market space, the price for out-sourced/consulting services drops to try to compete on price for more market share. The consequences of this approach are, something must be compromised to be able to stay competitive from a price point, and that compromise is the knowledge, technical skills and experience of the thermographer. This also ends up being reflected back into the skill sets of the in-house thermographer as well. This over simplification of the skill and experience is producing the "Perfect Storm" for Infrared Thermography, for both in-house and out-sourced programs.

Views of NHS commissioners on commissioning support provision. Evidence from a qualitative study examining the early development of clinical commissioning groups in England.

PubMed

Petsoulas, Christina; Allen, Pauline; Checkland, Kath; Coleman, Anna; Segar, Julia; Peckham, Stephen; Mcdermott, Imelda

2014-10-15

The 2010 healthcare reform in England introduced primary care-led commissioning in the National Health Service (NHS) by establishing clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). A key factor for the success of the reform is the provision of excellent commissioning support services to CCGs. The Government's aim is to create a vibrant market of competing providers of such services (from both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors). Until this market develops, however, commissioning support units (CSUs) have been created from which CCGs are buying commissioning support functions. This study explored the attitudes of CCGs towards outsourcing commissioning support functions during the initial stage of the reform. The research took place between September 2011 and June 2012. We used a case study research design in eight CCGs, conducting in-depth interviews, observation of meetings and analysis of policy documents. We conducted 96 interviews and observed 146 meetings (a total of approximately 439 h). Many CCGs were reluctant to outsource core commissioning support functions (such as contracting) for fear of losing local knowledge and trusted relationships. Others were disappointed by the absence of choice and saw CSUs as monopolies and a recreation of the abolished PCTs. Many expressed doubts about the expectation that outsourcing of commissioning support functions will result in lower administrative costs. Given the nature of healthcare commissioning, outsourcing vital commissioning support functions may not be the preferred option of CCGs. Considerations of high transaction costs, and the risk of fragmentation of services and loss of trusted relationships involved in short-term contracting, may lead most CCGs to decide to form long-term partnerships with commissioning support suppliers in the future. This option, however, limits competition by creating 'network closure' and calls into question the Government's intention to create a vibrant market of commissioning support provision. 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.

Outsourcing: considerations for healthcare protection managers.

PubMed

Billings, M

The author discusses the use of contract services--myths, advantages, and disadvantages. He provides tips on what to look out for and what questions to ask before making a change to contract security.

Task Group on a Culture of Savings: Implementing Behavior Change in DoD

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Robert Hale Task Group Chairman – Navy Future Personnel and Pay Solution (FPPS) - Business Case November 30, 2009 – Case for Shared Services in the...Public Sector - Accenture Shared Services in Government - AT Kearney – 2009 Global Shared Services Survey Results - Deloitte – Shared Services - a...Benchmark Study - The Johnson Group – Economics of Business Process Outsourcing - Technology Association of Georgia – State of Shared Services and Business

Debugging and Logging Services for Defence Service Oriented Architectures

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

Service A software component and callable end point that provides a logically related set of operations, each of which perform a logical step in a...important to note that in some cases when the fault is identified to lie in uneditable code such as program libraries, or outsourced software services ...debugging is limited to characterisation of the fault, reporting it to the software or service provider and development of work-arounds and management

Colleges Get out of E-Mail Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnevale, Dan

2008-01-01

Frantic troubleshooting by an overworked staff versus someone else fixing problems smoothly. A sliver of server space per person versus a five-gigabyte chunk. Half a million dollars versus free. That's what colleges are faced with as they decide whether to continue running their own e-mail services or outsource them to a professional service like…

Examining USDA Forest Service recreation partnerships: institutional and relational interactions

Treesearch

Erin Seekamp; Lee K. Cerveny

2010-01-01

Since the 1980s, the USDA Forest Service budget has experienced limited growth. Downsizing and outsourcing characterize the agency's response to constrained appropriations. The agency increasingly works with partners to meet targets that otherwise could not be achieved. Partnerships may take many structural forms (e.g., memorandums of understanding, joint venture...

Creating a Revolution: From the Boardroom to the Classroom--New Partners in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSchryver, David A.

A growing number of private companies have emerged with the mission of providing educational services to public schools and districts. Partnerships between public schools and service companies, though not novel, only recently have become high-profile and prolific. Although welcomed by educational reformers, partnerships that involve outsourcing of…

Should you outsource your hospital's security services? Some things to consider.

PubMed

DiNapoli, David V

2014-01-01

The author, who has managed both in-house and contracted security services, states unequivocally that hospitals can save money by hiring a security company, but cautions that there may be other considerations involved. In this article he provides guidance on making valid and meaningful comparisons between the two options.

Impacts of hospitals' innovativeness on information system outsourcing decisions.

PubMed

Park, Jae Sung

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of hospitals' innovativeness on outsourcing decision-making regarding four information system (IS) functions, namely, software programs, network maintenance, hardware systems, and PC/printer maintenance. Using the 2011 roster of the Korean Hospital Association, this study selected 311 general hospitals as a study population. After identifying the managers who were in charge of outsourcing, this study administered questionnaires. A total of 103 hospitals responded. Of the responding hospitals, 55.34% outsourced at least one IS function, whereas 88.35% outsourced at least one managerial function. IS outsourcing was motivated by the need for outside experts, but other managerial functions were outsourced for cost savings. Innovative and early adopter hospitals were 4.52 and 4.91 times more likely to outsource IS functions related with work processes (i.e., software and network maintenance) than early and late majority hospitals, respectively. IT outsourcing effectiveness significantly influenced the outsourcing decisions regarding four IS functions. Hospitals that had perceived more risks of outsourcing significantly preferred non-outsourcing on their hardware systems, but the risks of outsourcing were not significant for outsourcing decisions regarding the other IS functions. Hospitals' innovativeness also significantly explained the quantity of innovation adoptions. Innovative and early adopter hospitals did more outsourcing than early and late majority hospitals. Hospitals' innovativeness influences decision-making regarding outsourcing. Innovative hospitals are more likely to outsource their work-process-related IS functions. Thus, organizational traits, especially hospitals' innovativeness, should be considered as a key success factor for IS management.

Impacts of Hospitals' Innovativeness on Information System Outsourcing Decisions

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of hospitals' innovativeness on outsourcing decision-making regarding four information system (IS) functions, namely, software programs, network maintenance, hardware systems, and PC/printer maintenance. Methods Using the 2011 roster of the Korean Hospital Association, this study selected 311 general hospitals as a study population. After identifying the managers who were in charge of outsourcing, this study administered questionnaires. A total of 103 hospitals responded. Results Of the responding hospitals, 55.34% outsourced at least one IS function, whereas 88.35% outsourced at least one managerial function. IS outsourcing was motivated by the need for outside experts, but other managerial functions were outsourced for cost savings. Innovative and early adopter hospitals were 4.52 and 4.91 times more likely to outsource IS functions related with work processes (i.e., software and network maintenance) than early and late majority hospitals, respectively. IT outsourcing effectiveness significantly influenced the outsourcing decisions regarding four IS functions. Hospitals that had perceived more risks of outsourcing significantly preferred non-outsourcing on their hardware systems, but the risks of outsourcing were not significant for outsourcing decisions regarding the other IS functions. Hospitals' innovativeness also significantly explained the quantity of innovation adoptions. Innovative and early adopter hospitals did more outsourcing than early and late majority hospitals. Conclusions Hospitals' innovativeness influences decision-making regarding outsourcing. Innovative hospitals are more likely to outsource their work-process-related IS functions. Thus, organizational traits, especially hospitals' innovativeness, should be considered as a key success factor for IS management. PMID:24872912

Making the Buses Run.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fickes, Michael

1998-01-01

Examines issues concerning outsourcing student transportation services: cost; management needs and capabilities; goals; and politics. Critical areas of transportation management are highlighted such as personnel management, student management and discipline, risk management, fleet analysis, and routing and scheduling. (GR)

Biomedical waste disposal: A systems analysis

PubMed Central

Jindal, A.K.; Gupta, Arun; Grewal, V.S.; Mahen, Ajoy

2012-01-01

Background In view of the contemporary relevance of BMW Management, a system analysis of BMW management was conducted to ascertain the views of Service hospitals/HCE's on the current system in BMW management in-vogue; to know the composition and quantity of waste generated; to get information on equipment held & equipment required and to explore the possibility of outsourcing, its relevance and feasibility. Methods A qualitative study in which various stake holders in BMW management were studied using both primary (Observation, In-depth Interview of Key Personnel, Group Discussions: and user perspective survey) and secondary data. Results All the stake holders were of the opinion that where ever possible outsourcing should be explored as a viable method of BMW disposal. Waste generated in Colour code Yellow (Cat 1,2,3,5,6) ranged from 64.25 to 27.345 g/day/bed; in Colour code Red (Cat 7) from 19.37 to 10.97 g/day/bed and in Colour code Blue (Cat 4) from 3.295 to 3.82 g/day/bed in type 1 hospitals to type 5 hospitals respectively. Conclusion Outsourcing should be explored as a viable method of BMW disposal, were there are government approved local agencies. Facilities authorized by the Prescribed Authority should be continued and maintained where outsourcing is not feasible. PMID:24600142

Protecting Location Privacy for Outsourced Spatial Data in Cloud Storage

PubMed Central

Gui, Xiaolin; An, Jian; Zhao, Jianqiang; Zhang, Xuejun

2014-01-01

As cloud computing services and location-aware devices are fully developed, a large amount of spatial data needs to be outsourced to the cloud storage provider, so the research on privacy protection for outsourced spatial data gets increasing attention from academia and industry. As a kind of spatial transformation method, Hilbert curve is widely used to protect the location privacy for spatial data. But sufficient security analysis for standard Hilbert curve (SHC) is seldom proceeded. In this paper, we propose an index modification method for SHC (SHC∗) and a density-based space filling curve (DSC) to improve the security of SHC; they can partially violate the distance-preserving property of SHC, so as to achieve better security. We formally define the indistinguishability and attack model for measuring the privacy disclosure risk of spatial transformation methods. The evaluation results indicate that SHC∗ and DSC are more secure than SHC, and DSC achieves the best index generation performance. PMID:25097865

Protecting location privacy for outsourced spatial data in cloud storage.

PubMed

Tian, Feng; Gui, Xiaolin; An, Jian; Yang, Pan; Zhao, Jianqiang; Zhang, Xuejun

2014-01-01

As cloud computing services and location-aware devices are fully developed, a large amount of spatial data needs to be outsourced to the cloud storage provider, so the research on privacy protection for outsourced spatial data gets increasing attention from academia and industry. As a kind of spatial transformation method, Hilbert curve is widely used to protect the location privacy for spatial data. But sufficient security analysis for standard Hilbert curve (SHC) is seldom proceeded. In this paper, we propose an index modification method for SHC (SHC(∗)) and a density-based space filling curve (DSC) to improve the security of SHC; they can partially violate the distance-preserving property of SHC, so as to achieve better security. We formally define the indistinguishability and attack model for measuring the privacy disclosure risk of spatial transformation methods. The evaluation results indicate that SHC(∗) and DSC are more secure than SHC, and DSC achieves the best index generation performance.

United States Offshoring of Information Technology: An Empirical Investigation of Factors Inhibiting Sub-Saharan Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omoregie, Harry O.

2012-01-01

In the last decade, the global information technology offshoring (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services have grown significantly, especially in Asia. The increased demand for offshore services in Asia has presented a difficult problem for U.S. organizations because countries such as India are now experiencing saturation of labor…

Outsourcing the Gender Factory: Living Arrangements and Service Expenditures on Female and Male Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Ruijter, Esther; Treas, Judith K.; Cohen, Philip N.

2005-01-01

Using data from the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey 1998, this study analyzes how much money different types of households spend for domestic services on "female" and "male" tasks. We test alternative hypotheses based on economic and sociological theories of gender differentiation. Contrary to arguments that marriage lowers the risk to one…

Outsourcing of KyTC project delivery functions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-06-01

The rise in daily travelers on highways due to population growth, and higher quality and service expectations of the public, are putting increased demands on DOTs today. These demands, combined with decreasing staff sizes and changing resources, are ...

Detection and Prevention of Insider Threats in Database Driven Web Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chumash, Tzvi; Yao, Danfeng

In this paper, we take the first step to address the gap between the security needs in outsourced hosting services and the protection provided in the current practice. We consider both insider and outsider attacks in the third-party web hosting scenarios. We present SafeWS, a modular solution that is inserted between server side scripts and databases in order to prevent and detect website hijacking and unauthorized access to stored data. To achieve the required security, SafeWS utilizes a combination of lightweight cryptographic integrity and encryption tools, software engineering techniques, and security data management principles. We also describe our implementation of SafeWS and its evaluation. The performance analysis of our prototype shows the overhead introduced by security verification is small. SafeWS will allow business owners to significantly reduce the security risks and vulnerabilities of outsourcing their sensitive customer data to third-party providers.

Outsourcing bioanalytical services at Janssen Research and Development: the sequel anno 2017.

PubMed

Dillen, Lieve; Verhaeghe, Tom

2017-08-01

The strategy of outsourcing bioanalytical services at Janssen has been evolving over the last years and an update will be given on the recent changes in our processes. In 2016, all internal GLP-related activities were phased out and this decision lead to the re-orientation of the in-house bioanalytical activities. As a consequence, in-depth experience with the validated bioanalytical assays for new drug candidates is currently gained together with the external partner, since development and validation of the assay and execution of GLP preclinical studies are now transferred to the CRO. The evolution to externalize more bioanalytical support has created opportunities to build even stronger partnerships with the CROs and to refocus internal resources. Case studies are presented illustrating challenges encountered during method development and validation at preferred partners when limited internal experience is obtained or with introduction of new technology.

One small community hospital library's successful outsourcing of document delivery: an ongoing study.

PubMed

Haas, V

2000-01-01

When DOCLINE was implemented in 1985, community hospital librarians were beginning to feel the economic pressures of the changing health care arena. However, staff and resources were often sufficient or plentiful. Now, fifteen years after the creation of DOCLINE, many existing small hospitals either no longer have a librarian, an assistant is managing the library, the librarian is managing one or more libraries of an integrated system, or the number of librarians has been reduced. A system that is heavily staff dependent is no longer feasible. In addition, as the role of the community hospital librarian evolves into one of instructor and patient education liaison, a system that does not permit the librarian to expand such services will be detrimental to the entire library program. Following is a discussion of one small community hospital's decision to outsource document delivery services as a result of staffing changes and the expansion of additional library programs.

The consumer revolution arrives. Using smart customer service to attract, educate, & retain satisfied members & lower costs.

PubMed

O'Connor, K

1994-06-01

Across the country, managed care organizations pursue ways to enhance customer service and maintain member satisfaction, without breaking the bank by authorizing unnecessary services. One method gaining popularity is reducing customer demand for inappropriate services through education. Approaches include welcome-to-the-plan calls, member education, automated and in-person answer lines, and 24-hour telephone coverage. Several firms have recognized the need for such services, and offer them to HMOs on an outsourcing basis, with generally positive results.

Hot Potato in the School Cafeteria: More Districts Outsource Their Food Services, but Some Raise Questions about Personnel Relations and Savings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beem, Kate

2004-01-01

It is such a simple mandate: Prepare healthy, nutritious meals for the schoolchildren so they can go about the business of learning. But operating a school district food service department is anything but simple. Even in the smallest districts, food service operations are businesses that must comply with many more rules than those in the private…

The Morning After: What Happens When Outsourcing Relationships End?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barney, Hamish T.; Low, Graham C.; Aurum, Aybüke

Many firms are reevaluating their initial outsourcing decisions for various reasons, including whether the goals set for the outsourcing effort were achieved, changes in the business environment, internal changes, and/or mergers. An increasing number of outsourcing deals are being terminated and backsourced or re-outsourced. According to a recent international industry survey 49% of companies engaged in outsourcing have terminated outsourcing contracts prematurely. Research has not reflected this trend with few studies concentrating on what firms do after they terminate or fail to extend an outsourcing contract. It is argued that there is a need to study this important and increasingly frequent decision. The main contribution of this chapter is to present an outsourcing decision model and demonstrate its applicability with respect to a recent sourcing decision.

Document Delivery: Evaluating the Options.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Suzanne M.

1997-01-01

Discusses options available to libraries for document delivery. Topics include users' needs; cost; copyright compliance; traditional interlibrary loan; types of suppliers; selection criteria, including customer service; new developments in interlibrary loan, including outsourcing arrangements; and the need to evaluate suppliers. (LRW)

Tech Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beem, Kate

2002-01-01

Discusses technology-support issues, including staff training, cost, and outsourcing. Describes how various school districts manage technology-support services. Features the Technology Support Index, developed by the International Society for Technology in Education, to gauge the operation of school district technology-support programs. (PKP)

Full circle to in-house facilities services.

PubMed

Payne, Trevor

2002-08-01

Careful consideration must be taken prior to in-sourcing in order to ensure that the decision is right for the organisation. There will be pressure to go for the quick fix, or the option that involves the least pain or takes the least time (this may be a knee jerk reaction to go straight back out to the market). Contractors will be alert to this due to market intelligence and as a result one problem may be solved but a number of others created as the organisation is put over yet another barrel. Before any decision is taken, an analysis of the circumstances relating to the outsourced services will need to be undertaken. There are several stages to go through when considering in-sourcing and on the whole the steps will mirror those that need to be considered when outsourcing services in the first instance. It is important to recognise that the change management process associated with in-sourcing services will need to be carefully managed. This point cannot be stressed enough. In-sourcing will require management of the outgoing contractor, the in-house team and the customers during the mobilisation phase. A facilities strategy that is aligned to the organisation's strategic direction--sharing core values and goals alongside a good specification are essential. To ensure services are delivered as specified, a robust and effective monitoring system will need to be developed and put into operation. Just as all organisations are different, the drivers influencing the in-sourcing decision will be different--with factors relevant to the host organisation. If in-sourcing has been thoroughly and carefully considered there is absolutely no reason why it should not be effective (as long as it is specified, resourced, managed and monitored in an appropriate manner). In-sourcing is now being considered as a viable alternative to outsourcing, as a vehicle to add value, a sense of corporatism and team spirit to the organisation.

75 FR 57506 - EDS, an HP Company, A Subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company Including On-Site Leased Workers from...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

.... The workers are engaged in activities related to information technology (IT) outsourcing services. New information shows that workers leased from Compuware Corporation were employed on-site at the Detroit...

78 FR 72897 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Interim Product Reporting for Human Drug Compounding Outsourcing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-04

...] Draft Guidance for Industry on Interim Product Reporting for Human Drug Compounding Outsourcing... Compounding Outsourcing Facilities Under Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.'' The draft... human drug compounders that choose to register as outsourcing facilities (outsourcing facilities). DATES...

What's to Gain From Facilities Outsourcing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EducationFM, 1998

1998-01-01

Presents two interviews in which university facilities managers discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing. Outsourcing is presented as one way to cut costs, but one expert warns that administrators may mistakenly use outsourcing as a temporary solution that entails few savings. Describes some of the reasons behind outsourcing and the challenges it…

To outsource or not to outsource: Examining the effects of outsourcing IT functions on financial performance in hospitals.

PubMed

Menachemi, Nir; Burkhardt, Jeffrey; Shewchuk, Richard; Burke, Darrell; Brooks, Robert G

2007-01-01

Outsourcing of information technology (IT) functions is a popular strategy with both potential benefits and risks for hospitals. Anecdotal evidence, based on case studies, suggests that outsourcing may be associated with significant cost savings. However, no generalizable evidence exists to support such assertions. This study examines whether outsourcing IT functions is related to improved financial performance in hospitals. Primary survey data on IT outsourcing behavior were combined with secondary data on hospital financial performance. Regression analyses examined the relationship between outsourcing and various measures of financial performance while controlling for bed size, average patient acuity, geographic location, and overall IT adoption. Complete data from a total of 83 Florida hospitals were available for analyses. Findings suggest that the decision to outsource IT functions is not related to any of the hospital financial performance measures that were examined. Specifically, outsourcing of IT functions did not correlate with net inpatient revenue, net patient revenue, hospital expenses, total expenses, cash flow ratio, operating margin, or total margin. In most cases, IT outsourcing is not necessarily a cost-lowering strategy, but instead, a cost-neutral manner in which to accomplish an organizational strategy.

Critical success factors for mutual collaboration with suppliers in IT outsourcing industry: a case study of a top IT outsourcing company in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Kyung-Jin; Kim, Yang Sok

2018-01-01

Nowadays, information technology (IT) outsourcing companies face enduring demands to reduce cost while increasing productivity. This pressure leads many IT outsourcing companies to rely on outsourcing arrangements with IT personnel suppliers. In order to maximise efficiency, outsourcing companies have focused on fostering high-performing suppliers through improved collaboration and mutual relations. However, it is very difficult to advance to a long-term partnership using the existing outsourcing process because of insufficient collaboration between IT outsourcing companies and their suppliers. Based on collaboration perspective of supply chain management (SCM), this study identifies the critical success factors for collaborative strategic partnerships and presents an evaluation framework for assessing and managing suppliers. We have developed an organisational process model for Supplier relationship management (SRM)-based collaboration which includes some of the key constructs from the previous studies and interviews with the IT outsourcing industry people. In this study, we will identify four types of strategic suppliers and suggest approaches for improving collaborative relationship between an IT outsourcing company and its partner companies. In addition, to validate the feasibility of the proposed model, we applied it to a well-known Korean IT outsourcing company 'A'.

[Outsourcing of nursing human resources from ethical to management: a survey in a Lazio Region Hospital].

PubMed

d'Amore, Maurizia; Peroni, Antonia

2008-01-01

In 2006, 279 nurses of a Lazio Region Hospital were assessed to verify whether certain Human Resources decisions, such as outsourcing, can negatively influence their working motivation and sense of belonging to a health organization and whether any dissatisfaction can be attributed to poor ethical information within the health service. The research method had a descriptive basis and for data collection a questionnaire with 35 questions was issued. Results showed that nurses felt strongly involved in the study and interesting aspects for management of human resources emerged, depicting an organization lacking in motivation : this confirmed one of the aspects of the study : poor levels of motivation and sense of belonging can be correlated to insufficient ethical information in local health organizations. The main working needs that emerged among the nurses of this hospital regarded economical retribution (90%), security and success (88%) , belonging (86%) and self-satisfaction (77%): the need for power was relatively low (40%). The strong points of the study were : the strong involvement of nurses, the value of the information gathered regarding working motivation, sense of belong to a nursing organization , working needs , ethical information in health environments, organization according to targets. The limits of the study were: limited number of nurses in outsourcing at the time of the study (12%), impossibility of comparing the results with data prior to the outsourcing choices made by the hospital in question.

Competition, Speculative Risks, and IT Security Outsourcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cezar, Asunur; Cavusoglu, Huseyin; Raghunathan, Srinivasan

Information security management is becoming a more critical and, simultaneously, a challenging function for many firms. Even though many security managers are skeptical about outsourcing of IT security, others have cited reasons that are used for outsourcing of traditional IT functions for why security outsourcing is likely to increase. Our research offers a novel explanation, based on competitive externalities associated with IT security, for firms' decisions to outsource IT security. We show that if competitive externalities are ignored, then a firm will outsource security if and only if the MSSP offers a quality (or a cost) advantage over in-house operations, which is consistent with the traditional explanation for security outsourcing. However, a higher quality is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee for a firm to outsource security. The competitive risk environment and the nature of the security function outsourced, in addition to quality, determine firms' outsourcing decisions. If the reward from the competitor's breach is higher than the loss from own breach, then even if the likelihood of a breach is higher under the MSSP the expected benefit from the competitive demand externality may offset the loss from the higher likelihood of breaches, resulting in one or both firms outsourcing security. The incentive to outsource security monitoring is higher than that of infrastructure management because the MSSP can reduce the likelihood of breach on both firms and thus enhance the demand externality effect. The incentive to outsource security monitoring (infrastructure management) is higher (lower) if either the likelihood of breach on both firms is lower (higher) when security is outsourced or the benefit (relative to loss) from the externality is higher (lower). The benefit from the demand externality arising out of a security breach is higher when more of the customers that leave the breached firm switch to the non-breached firm.

Wrestling with a Trojan Horse: Outsourcing Cataloging in Academic and Special Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel-Kops, Chad P.

2000-01-01

Focuses the issue of outsourcing cataloging in academic and special libraries. Examines the goal of outsourcing to increase production at reduced costs; a case of outsourcing at Wright State University of Ohio; confidentiality issues of outsourcing by law firms and other corporations; contracts; debates on "whether" and "what"…

A Comparison of Outsourcing in Higher Education, 1998-99 and 2003-04

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Olin L.; Guarino, A J.; Robichaux, Rebecca R.; Edwards, Toni L.

2004-01-01

This paper explores the nature and extent of outsourcing by higher education institutions, benefits and challenges associated with outsourcing, and the implications of outsourcing for effective management. The principal investigator conducted a national study of outsourcing by four-year colleges and universities at two points in time, 1998-99 and…

Educational and service partnerships: an example of global flattening.

PubMed

Finkelman, Anita; Kenner, Carole

2008-01-01

Educational and service partnerships are not new, but many of these partnerships occurred in the same town or state in the past. Today, with the heightened use of technology, these partnerships are spanning the globe (e.g., outsourcing of services is growing, with India becoming the call center for the world). What does this global flattening trend mean for nursing education and service? How will this trend impact nursing faculty and service shortages? We explored the current global flattening and its use as a potential strategy to combat nursing workforce issues.

Apply TQM to E-Government Outsourcing Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huai, Jinmei

This paper developed an approach to e-government outsourcing quality management. E-government initiatives have rapidly increased in the last decades and the success of these activities will largely depend on their operation quality. As an instrument to improve operation quality, outsourcing can be applied to e-government. This paper inspected process of e-government outsourcing and discussed how to improve the outsourcing performance through total quality management (TQM). The characteristics and special requirements of e-government outsourcing were analyzed as the basis for discussion. Then the principles and application of total quality management were interpreted. Finally the process of improving performance of e-government was analyzed in the context of outsourcing.

North Carolina Library Association 1997 Biennial Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Libraries, 1997

1997-01-01

Provides summaries of the presentations at the North Carolina Library Association's Biennial Conference, "Choose Quality, Choose Libraries," (Raleigh, NC, October 8-10, 1997). Some of the topics covered include library instruction, Internet access to public documents, outsourcing technical services, copyrights and the Internet, the…

Outsourcing's Potential in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Robert J.

1991-01-01

Reasons why institutions of higher education might choose to acquire computer services from off-campus suppliers are identified and include the difficulty of maintaining a qualified technical systems group. The importance of careful management oversight from contract bidding to ongoing performance monitoring is stressed. (DB)

An Analysis of the Performance-Based Service Acquisition (PBSA) and Its Applicability to Hellenic Navy Service Acquisition Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

potential offeror in response to its request must not be disclosed if doing so would reveal the potential offeror’s confidential business strategy...also the Navy Academy and the Navy hospital have and operate kitchen facilities. Ships have their own kitchen facilities too and dedicated personnel...abandoned. Now the HN dedicates personnel, has kitchen facilities to provide the food services and doing the whole process. The HN could outsource

NASA Information Technology Implementation Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

NASA's Information Technology (IT) resources and IT support continue to be a growing and integral part of all NASA missions. Furthermore, the growing IT support requirements are becoming more complex and diverse. The following are a few examples of the growing complexity and diversity of NASA's IT environment. NASA is conducting basic IT research in the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) and Intelligent Systems (IS) Initiatives. IT security, infrastructure protection, and privacy of data are requiring more and more management attention and an increasing share of the NASA IT budget. Outsourcing of IT support is becoming a key element of NASA's IT strategy as exemplified by Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN) and the outsourcing of NASA Integrated Services Network (NISN) support. Finally, technology refresh is helping to provide improved support at lower cost. Recently the NASA Automated Data Processing (ADP) Consolidation Center (NACC) upgraded its bipolar technology computer systems with Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology systems. This NACC upgrade substantially reduced the hardware maintenance and software licensing costs, significantly increased system speed and capacity, and reduced customer processing costs by 11 percent.

XDS-I outsourcing proxy: ensuring confidentiality while preserving interoperability.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Luís S; Viana-Ferreira, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luís; Costa, Carlos

2014-07-01

The interoperability of services and the sharing of health data have been a continuous goal for health professionals, patients, institutions, and policy makers. However, several issues have been hindering this goal, such as incompatible implementations of standards (e.g., HL7, DICOM), multiple ontologies, and security constraints. Cross-enterprise document sharing (XDS) workflows were proposed by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) to address current limitations in exchanging clinical data among organizations. To ensure data protection, XDS actors must be placed in trustworthy domains, which are normally inside such institutions. However, due to rapidly growing IT requirements, the outsourcing of resources in the Cloud is becoming very appealing. This paper presents a software proxy that enables the outsourcing of XDS architectural parts while preserving the interoperability, confidentiality, and searchability of clinical information. A key component in our architecture is a new searchable encryption (SE) scheme-Posterior Playfair Searchable Encryption (PPSE)-which, besides keeping the same confidentiality levels of the stored data, hides the search patterns to the adversary, bringing improvements when compared to the remaining practical state-of-the-art SE schemes.

Multi-provider architecture for cloud outsourcing of medical imaging repositories.

PubMed

Godinho, Tiago Marques; Bastião Silva, Luís A; Costa, Carlos; Oliveira, José Luís

2014-01-01

Over the last few years, the extended usage of medical imaging procedures has raised the medical community attention towards the optimization of their workflows. More recently, the federation of multiple institutions into a seamless distribution network has brought hope of increased quality healthcare services along with more efficient resource management. As a result, medical institutions are constantly looking for the best infrastructure to deploy their imaging archives. In this scenario, public cloud infrastructures arise as major candidates, as they offer elastic storage space, optimal data availability without great requirements of maintenance costs or IT personnel, in a pay-as-you-go model. However, standard methodologies still do not take full advantage of outsourced archives, namely because their integration with other in-house solutions is troublesome. This document proposes a multi-provider architecture for integration of outsourced archives with in-house PACS resources, taking advantage of foreign providers to store medical imaging studies, without disregarding security. It enables the retrieval of images from multiple archives simultaneously, improving performance, data availability and avoiding the vendor-locking problem. Moreover it enables load balancing and cache techniques.

[Outsourced service management of the catheterization laboratory in the cardiology department: lights and shadows].

PubMed

Inama, Giuseppe; Claus, Marco; Nossai, Wanda S Pinna; Pedrinazzi, Claudio; Durin, Ornella; Catanoso, Antonio; Cacucci, Michele; Valentini, Paolo; Rizzini, Angelo Lodi; Agricola, Pietro; Romagnoli, Giulio; Magarini, Anna Maria; Bruni, Ezio; Aguzzi, Regolo; Soccini, Fulvio; Maltagliati, Diego

2008-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the economic impact and results achieved by recourse to outsourced management of the procedures carried out in the electrophysiology and catheterization laboratory of the Department of Cardiology of the Crema Hospital with the in-house setting up and operation of the same activities. The comparison between the two possible options, "make" or "buy in", was made using the methodology of advanced direct costing, which provides for the allocation of only direct fixed and variable costs to clinical procedures, the subject of calculation. In addition to the financial evaluation, the quality variables showing the advantages and limitations of outsourcing in terms of organizational improvements, streamlining of the organizational structure, operational efficiency and improvement of the quality of service, were examined. The financial evaluation from 2002 to 2006 came out in favor of "make" as opposed to "buy in". Income derived from diagnosis-related-group payments for the more than 4000 procedures carried out was Euro26.239.034,96. On the basis of the economical evaluation the second contribution margin was slightly inferior with the "buy in" than with the "make" hypothesis. Specifically, it is Euro16.397.669,96 in the "buy in" and Euro16.753.579,16 in the "make" hypothesis, with a difference of Euro355.909,20 (-2%). The economic advantage lies with the "make" alternative compared with "buy in", nevertheless, outsourcing offers greater operational efficiency, better cost control, setting up of the laboratory within a very short time, simplified administration (single point of contact) and an opportunity to concentrate on core business. However, there are limitations due to greater dependence on the supplier, not all the equipment provided for under the contract was used, and loss of management know-how in non-core business areas.

Unrestrained outsourcing in Brazil: more precarization and health risks for workers.

PubMed

Druck, Graça

2016-06-20

This article discusses the current status of outsourcing in Brazil, with new regulation underway featuring a bill of law under review by the National Congress, aimed at allowing outsourcing for all activities. The authors argue that outsourcing and precarization of work are inseparable phenomena, based on the results of 20 years of research in Brazil that reveals the more precarious working conditions of outsourced workers in different occupational categories. They focus particularly on workers' health: outsourcing of risks has led to more fatal work accidents, invariably at higher rates in outsourced workers. Finally, the article contends that to remove restraints on outsourcing in Brazil amounts to legalizing and legitimizing predatory workforce exploitation, disregarding workers' physical limits, exposing them to risk of fatal accidents, and reverting to forms of work that violate the human condition.

Assisting Public Organizations in Their Outsourcing Endeavors: A Decision Support Mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kremic, TIbor; Tukel, Oya

2006-01-01

There has been a tremendous growth in outsourcing practices in recent years. The public organizations in the United States have outsourced some functions and are now being compelled to outsource additional ones. While there are numerous studies that document and analyze outsourcing practices, there is limited research to guide public or governmental organizations in determining what functions to outsource. This study fills this gap by developing a decision support model for a typical public organization in determining what to outsource and how. A set of outsourcing decision factors is identified that can be used as parameters in the three integer programming formulations developed. These formulations are used as solution engines in the model. The first formulation identifies which functions are the best candidates for outsourcing given the organization's priorities. The other formulations place the functions into recommended contracts and re-assign displaced employees. Data from NASA Glenn Research Center in Ohio is used to test and analyze the model. Analysis indicates that cost and skills-related factors are the most sensitive parameters for the data tested. The model and the formulations are a relatively comprehensive package and may help guide outsourcing decisionmakers and policymakers in public organizations.

Boo! Outsourcing from the Cataloging Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Janet Swan

1998-01-01

Examines long-accepted ways library cataloging departments have used outsourcing (cataloging records, card production, authority control, card filling, and retrospective conversion) and potential outsourcing activities (original cataloging, and copy cataloging). Discusses reasons why outsourcing is controversial. (PEN)

The OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siess, Judith A.

Taking an international approach to reflect the growing number of one-person libraries (OPLs) worldwide, this handbook and directory for OPLs covers organizational culture, customer service, time management and planning, budgeting, accounting, technology, collection development, education, downsizing, outsourcing, and many other key management…

Outsourcing. Health care organizations are considering strategic goals in making outsourcing decisions.

PubMed

Chin, T L

1997-08-01

More health care organizations are outsourcing the management of some or all of their information systems. Executives at many organizations that have tried outsourcing say it enables them to focus on core competencies, better allocate resources, get more information technology at less cost, share risks of implementing information technology with outsourcers and guarantee access to skilled labor. But the information technology outsourcing market remains relatively small in health care because many CIOs still are wary of turning over control of important functions to outsiders.

Risk assessment of logistics outsourcing based on BP neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaofeng; Tian, Zi-you

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the risk of the enterprises logistics outsourcing. To get this goal, the paper first analysed he main risks existing in the logistics outsourcing, and then set up a risk evaluation index system of the logistics outsourcing; second applied BP neural network into the logistics outsourcing risk evaluation and used MATLAB to the simulation. It proved that the network error is small and has strong practicability. And this method can be used by enterprises to evaluate the risks of logistics outsourcing.

Families, markets, and medicalization: the role of paid support for childbirth and breastfeeding.

PubMed

Torres, Jennifer M C

2015-07-01

Much attention has been given to the commercialization of care and its relationship to the outsourcing of family life, as well as larger social and cultural processes that can change the nature of caring. I engage with this question of why certain aspects of care are provided by the market, using 72 interviews with lactation consultants, doulas, clients, and clinicians, as well as 150 hours of ethnographic observation in the USA. Examining how participants understood the role of these services in the maternity care system and the reasons why clients turned to these services, I found that, in several ways, these forms of care work reflected outsourcing trends. However, lactation consultants and doulas were also acting as advocates and guides, helping their clients navigate the complex medical maternity system. This reflects a fundamental transformation in the nature of maternity support, attributed to the impact of medicalization, both historically and currently. © The Author(s) 2014.

Geometric Data Perturbation-Based Personal Health Record Transactions in Cloud Computing

PubMed Central

Balasubramaniam, S.; Kavitha, V.

2015-01-01

Cloud computing is a new delivery model for information technology services and it typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources over the Internet. However, cloud computing raises concerns on how cloud service providers, user organizations, and governments should handle such information and interactions. Personal health records represent an emerging patient-centric model for health information exchange, and they are outsourced for storage by third parties, such as cloud providers. With these records, it is necessary for each patient to encrypt their own personal health data before uploading them to cloud servers. Current techniques for encryption primarily rely on conventional cryptographic approaches. However, key management issues remain largely unsolved with these cryptographic-based encryption techniques. We propose that personal health record transactions be managed using geometric data perturbation in cloud computing. In our proposed scheme, the personal health record database is perturbed using geometric data perturbation and outsourced to the Amazon EC2 cloud. PMID:25767826

Geometric data perturbation-based personal health record transactions in cloud computing.

PubMed

Balasubramaniam, S; Kavitha, V

2015-01-01

Cloud computing is a new delivery model for information technology services and it typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources over the Internet. However, cloud computing raises concerns on how cloud service providers, user organizations, and governments should handle such information and interactions. Personal health records represent an emerging patient-centric model for health information exchange, and they are outsourced for storage by third parties, such as cloud providers. With these records, it is necessary for each patient to encrypt their own personal health data before uploading them to cloud servers. Current techniques for encryption primarily rely on conventional cryptographic approaches. However, key management issues remain largely unsolved with these cryptographic-based encryption techniques. We propose that personal health record transactions be managed using geometric data perturbation in cloud computing. In our proposed scheme, the personal health record database is perturbed using geometric data perturbation and outsourced to the Amazon EC2 cloud.

Implementation of occupational health service improvements through application of total quality management processes.

PubMed

Thomas, Elizabeth Anne

2011-06-01

The occupational health services department for a manufacturing division of a high-technology firm was redesigned from an outsourced model, in which most services were provided by an outside clinic vendor, to an in-house service model, in which services were provided by an on-site nurse practitioner. The redesign and implementation, accomplished by a cross-functional team using Total Quality Management processes, resulted in a comprehensive occupational health services department that realized significant cost reduction, increased compliance with regulatory and company requirements, and improved employee satisfaction. Implications of this project for occupational health nurses are discussed.

Fine-grained Database Field Search Using Attribute-Based Encryption for E-Healthcare Clouds.

PubMed

Guo, Cheng; Zhuang, Ruhan; Jie, Yingmo; Ren, Yizhi; Wu, Ting; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond

2016-11-01

An effectively designed e-healthcare system can significantly enhance the quality of access and experience of healthcare users, including facilitating medical and healthcare providers in ensuring a smooth delivery of services. Ensuring the security of patients' electronic health records (EHRs) in the e-healthcare system is an active research area. EHRs may be outsourced to a third-party, such as a community healthcare cloud service provider for storage due to cost-saving measures. Generally, encrypting the EHRs when they are stored in the system (i.e. data-at-rest) or prior to outsourcing the data is used to ensure data confidentiality. Searchable encryption (SE) scheme is a promising technique that can ensure the protection of private information without compromising on performance. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for controlling access to EHRs stored in semi-trusted cloud servers (e.g. a private cloud or a community cloud). To achieve fine-grained access control for EHRs, we leverage the ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) technique to encrypt tables published by hospitals, including patients' EHRs, and the table is stored in the database with the primary key being the patient's unique identity. Our framework can enable different users with different privileges to search on different database fields. Differ from previous attempts to secure outsourcing of data, we emphasize the control of the searches of the fields within the database. We demonstrate the utility of the scheme by evaluating the scheme using datasets from the University of California, Irvine.

What patients think about choice in healthcare? A study on primary care services in Finland.

PubMed

Aalto, Anna-Mari; Elovainio, Marko; Tynkkynen, Liina-Kaisa; Reissell, Eeva; Vehko, Tuulikki; Chydenius, Miisa; Sinervo, Timo

2018-06-01

The ongoing Finnish health and social service reform will expand choice by opening the market for competition between public and private service providers. This study examined the attitudes of primary care patients towards choice and which patient-related factors are associated with these attitudes. A sample of attenders during one week in health centres of 12 big cities and municipal consortiums (including seven outsourced local units) and in primary care units of one private company providing outsourced services for municipalities (aged 18-95, n=8128) was used. The questionnaire included questions on choice-related attitudes, sociodemographic factors, health status, use of health services and patient satisfaction. Of the responders, 77% regarded choice to be important, 49% perceived genuine opportunities to make choices and 35% were satisfied with the choice-relevant information. Higher age, low education, having a chronic illness, frequent use of services, having a personal physician and being satisfied with the physician and with waiting times were related to assigning more importance on choice. Younger patients, those with higher education as well as those with chronic illness regarded their opportunities of choosing the service provider and availability of choice-relevant information poorer. The Finnish primary care patients value choice, but they are critical of the availability of choice-relevant information. Choices of patients with complex health care needs should be supported by developing integrated care alternatives and by increasing the availability of information on existing care alternatives to meet their needs.

Contract management survey 2002.

PubMed

Hoppszallern, Suzanna

2002-10-01

Spending on clinical contracts continues to outpace spending on business services, but may be leveling off. The 12th annual Contract Management Survey shows that the performance of clinical vendors is now comparable to business service vendors in meeting savings targets. Both business and clinical vendors are receiving higher marks from hospital leaders, but execs quickly respond to low marks by bringing the service back in-house of changing vendors. This report examines trends in outsourcing, satisfaction levels, the decision-making process, contract features and performance, and spending.

Privatizing Pennsylvania, and Then Un-Privatizing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wohl, Jerel

2007-01-01

Nearly ten years ago, the University of Pennsylvania announced that it would outsource its facilities and real-estate operations to Trammell Crow Higher Education Services, Inc. The agreement included management of school facilities--155 buildings over 269 acres on the West Philadelphia campus. It also included construction management and…

Boundary Spanning in Offshored Information Systems Development Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnan, Poornima

2010-01-01

Recent growth in offshore outsourcing of information systems (IS) services is accompanied by managing the offshore projects successfully. Much of the project failures can be attributed to geographic and organizational boundaries which create differences in culture, language, work patterns, and decision making processes among the offshore project…

Federal Consulting: Strategies and Tools for the Career Development Professional.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahnweiler, Jennifer B.; Pressman, Sue

The Federal Government is America's largest employer and is expanding consulting opportunities for career development professionals. Increased Federal mandates for outsourcing have opened wide doors for the entrepreneurial-spirited career counselors and created new challenges for traditional methods of offering career services. As consultants who…

Pros and Cons of Partnering: A VCampus Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stallings, Dees

2001-01-01

Discussion of the growth of online courses in higher education and outsourcing for online course development focuses on the work of VCampus, an application service provider that develops online instruction for corporations and academic institutions. Discusses partnering arrangements; merging goals; intellectual property rights; marketing plans;…

Privatization of Public Education: Panacea or Pandora's Box?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Kenneth R.

1999-01-01

The drive for privatizing public education comes from two different movements: load-shedding and outsourcing. Districts hope to reduce perceived labor problems, avoid managing "uninteresting" services, save money, and/or buy quick-fix education reform. Privatization of charter schools is becoming big business, but its cost-effectiveness…

Off-Balance Sheet Financing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Matthew C.

1998-01-01

Examines off-balance sheet financing, the facilities use of outsourcing for selected needs, as a means of saving operational costs and using facility assets efficiently. Examples of using outside sources for energy supply and food services, as well as partnering with business for facility expansion are provided. Concluding comments address tax…

FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background The increasing availability of genome data motivates massive research studies in personalized treatment and precision medicine. Public cloud services provide a flexible way to mitigate the storage and computation burden in conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, data privacy has been widely concerned when sharing the sensitive information in a cloud environment. Methods We presented a novel framework (FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption) to fully outsource GWAS (i.e., chi-square statistic computation) using homomorphic encryption. The proposed framework enables secure divisions over encrypted data. We introduced two division protocols (i.e., secure errorless division and secure approximation division) with a trade-off between complexity and accuracy in computing chi-square statistics. Results The proposed framework was evaluated for the task of chi-square statistic computation with two case-control datasets from the 2015 iDASH genome privacy protection challenge. Experimental results show that the performance of FORESEE can be significantly improved through algorithmic optimization and parallel computation. Remarkably, the secure approximation division provides significant performance gain, but without missing any significance SNPs in the chi-square association test using the aforementioned datasets. Conclusions Unlike many existing HME based studies, in which final results need to be computed by the data owner due to the lack of the secure division operation, the proposed FORESEE framework support complete outsourcing to the cloud and output the final encrypted chi-square statistics. PMID:26733391

Model for Assembly Line Re-Balancing Considering Additional Capacity and Outsourcing to Face Demand Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadhi, TMAA; Sumihartati, Atin

2016-02-01

The most critical stage in a garment industry is sewing process, because generally, it consists of a number of operations and a large number of sewing machines for each operation. Therefore, it requires a balancing method that can assign task to work station with balance workloads. Many studies on assembly line balancing assume a new assembly line, but in reality, due to demand fluctuation and demand increased a re-balancing is needed. To cope with those fluctuating demand changes, additional capacity can be carried out by investing in spare sewing machine and paying for sewing service through outsourcing. This study develops an assembly line balancing (ALB) model on existing line to cope with fluctuating demand change. Capacity redesign is decided if the fluctuation demand exceeds the available capacity through a combination of making investment on new machines and outsourcing while considering for minimizing the cost of idle capacity in the future. The objective of the model is to minimize the total cost of the line assembly that consists of operating costs, machine cost, adding capacity cost, losses cost due to idle capacity and outsourcing costs. The model develop is based on an integer programming model. The model is tested for a set of data of one year demand with the existing number of sewing machines of 41 units. The result shows that additional maximum capacity up to 76 units of machine required when there is an increase of 60% of the average demand, at the equal cost parameters..

FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuchen; Dai, Wenrui; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Xiong, Hongkai; Wang, Shuang

2015-01-01

The increasing availability of genome data motivates massive research studies in personalized treatment and precision medicine. Public cloud services provide a flexible way to mitigate the storage and computation burden in conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, data privacy has been widely concerned when sharing the sensitive information in a cloud environment. We presented a novel framework (FORESEE: Fully Outsourced secuRe gEnome Study basEd on homomorphic Encryption) to fully outsource GWAS (i.e., chi-square statistic computation) using homomorphic encryption. The proposed framework enables secure divisions over encrypted data. We introduced two division protocols (i.e., secure errorless division and secure approximation division) with a trade-off between complexity and accuracy in computing chi-square statistics. The proposed framework was evaluated for the task of chi-square statistic computation with two case-control datasets from the 2015 iDASH genome privacy protection challenge. Experimental results show that the performance of FORESEE can be significantly improved through algorithmic optimization and parallel computation. Remarkably, the secure approximation division provides significant performance gain, but without missing any significance SNPs in the chi-square association test using the aforementioned datasets. Unlike many existing HME based studies, in which final results need to be computed by the data owner due to the lack of the secure division operation, the proposed FORESEE framework support complete outsourcing to the cloud and output the final encrypted chi-square statistics.

Employees' views on outsourcing and its impact on employee turnover: A phenomenological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Przybelinski, Steven A.

Increasing use of outsourcing gives employees concern about personal job security. Using a modified van Kaam approach, this qualitative phenomenological study examined perceptions and experiences of 12 employees' on the influence outsourcing had on employee turnover. Five themes describing employee perceptions emerged: (a) preparation---education gives job security, (b) plausibility---all believed job loss plausible, (c) emotional influence---feelings of stress, threat, betrayal, and not being valued, (d) environment---value of communication and interaction with leaders, and (e) confidence---gained from increased education, skills, and knowledge protected from outsourcing. Significance of this study to leadership is the identification of employee perceptions of outsourcing and motivating factors influencing employee turnover during times of outsourcing. Findings might present new information and assist leaders with employee retention concerns for future outsourcing activities.

Job involvement of primary healthcare employees: does a service provision model play a role?

PubMed

Koponen, Anne M; Laamanen, Ritva; Simonsen-Rehn, Nina; Sundell, Jari; Brommels, Mats; Suominen, Sakari

2010-05-01

To investigate whether the development of job involvement of primary healthcare (PHC) employees in Southern Municipality (SM), where PHC services were outsourced to an independent non-profit organisation, differed from that in the three comparison municipalities (M1, M2, M3) with municipal service providers. Also, the associations of job involvement with factors describing the psychosocial work environment were investigated. A panel mail survey 2000-02 in Finland (n=369, response rates 73% and 60%). The data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression analysis. Despite the favourable development in the psychosocial work environment, job involvement decreased most in SM, which faced the biggest organisational changes. Job involvement decreased also in M3, where the psychosocial work environment deteriorated most. Job involvement in 2002 was best predicted by high baseline level of interactional justice and work control, positive change in interactional justice, and higher age. Also other factors, such as organisational stability, seemed to play a role; after controlling for the effect of the psychosocial work characteristics, job involvement was higher in M3 than in SM. Outsourcing of PHC services may decrease job involvement at least during the first years. A particular service provision model is better than the others only if it is superior in providing a favourable and stable psychosocial work environment.

[The contracting process and outsourcing in health: the scenario for dispute between public and private interests].

PubMed

Albuquerque, Maria do Socorro Veloso; Morais, Heloísa Maria Mendonça de; Lima, Luci Praciano

2015-06-01

This research analyzed the public-private composition in the municipal health network and aspects of the contracting/outsourcing process for services over the period from 2001 to 2008. The research method used was a case study with documentary research and interviews. The interviewees were former secretaries of health, directors of regulation and district managers. The categories of analysis used were public funds, care networks and public control. The results showed that the contracting was restricted to philanthropic units. With respect to the other private establishments linked to the public care network, non-compliance with programmatic aspects was detected, such as the lack of regulation of bidding processes required for contracting. Management authorities did not actively pursue building up state public services, or the formation of care networks. The contracted establishments conducted their activities without effective external and internal control mechanisms, which are paramount for the proper use of public resources. The authors conclude that the contracting process does not significantly alter the standard of buying and selling of services and indeed does not enhance the empowering process of the role of the public domain.

[Outsourcing in long-term care: a risk management approach].

PubMed

Guimarães, Cristina Machado; Carvalho, José Crespo de

2012-05-01

This article seeks to investigate outsourcing decisions in supply chain management of healthcare organizations, namely the motives and constraints behind the decision, the selection criteria for activities to be outsourced to third parties, the type of possible agreements, and the impact of this decision on the organization per se. A case study of the start-up phase of a Long-term Care unit with an innovative approach and high levels of customization was conducted to understand the outsourcing process in a start-up context (not in the standard context of organizational change) and a risk evaluation matrix was created for outsourcing activities in order to define and implement a performance monitoring process. This study seeks to understand how to evaluate and assess the risks of an outsourcing strategy and proposes a monitoring model using risk management tools. It was shown that the risk management approach can be a solution for monitoring outsourcing in the organizational start-up phase. Conclusions concerning dissatisfaction with the results of outsourcing strategies adopted are also presented.

Outsourcing Agricultural Production: Evidence from Rice Farmers in Zhejiang Province

PubMed Central

Ji, Chen; Guo, Hongdong; Jin, Songqing; Yang, Jin

2017-01-01

China has recorded positive growth rates of grain production for the past eleven consecutive years. This is a remarkable accomplishment given that China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization has led to a vast reduction of arable land and agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors. While there are many factors contributing to this happy outcome, one potential contributing factor that has received increasing attention is the emergence of agricultural production outsourcing, a new rural institution that has emerged in recent years. This study aims to contribute to the limited but growing literature on agricultural production outsourcing in China. Specifically, this study analyzes factors affecting farmers’ decisions to outsource any or some production tasks using data from rice farmers in Zhejiang province. Results from a logistic model show that farm size and government subsidy encourages farmers to outsource while ownership of agricultural machines and land fragmentation have negative effects on farmers’ decisions to outsource production tasks. Results also showed that determinants of outsourcing decisions vary with the production tasks that farmers outsourced. PMID:28129362

Outsourcing Agricultural Production: Evidence from Rice Farmers in Zhejiang Province.

PubMed

Ji, Chen; Guo, Hongdong; Jin, Songqing; Yang, Jin

2017-01-01

China has recorded positive growth rates of grain production for the past eleven consecutive years. This is a remarkable accomplishment given that China's rapid industrialization and urbanization has led to a vast reduction of arable land and agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors. While there are many factors contributing to this happy outcome, one potential contributing factor that has received increasing attention is the emergence of agricultural production outsourcing, a new rural institution that has emerged in recent years. This study aims to contribute to the limited but growing literature on agricultural production outsourcing in China. Specifically, this study analyzes factors affecting farmers' decisions to outsource any or some production tasks using data from rice farmers in Zhejiang province. Results from a logistic model show that farm size and government subsidy encourages farmers to outsource while ownership of agricultural machines and land fragmentation have negative effects on farmers' decisions to outsource production tasks. Results also showed that determinants of outsourcing decisions vary with the production tasks that farmers outsourced.

Examining the Relationships between Outsourcing and Downsizing to Mishap Rates at NASA (FYs 1985-2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Sterlin Neil

Outsourcing and downsizing practices within American businesses have been topics of investigation over the past four decades. With the intention of saving diminishing resources, many North American aerospace and governmental organizations have embraced both practices. During the 1990s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) increased contractor outsourcing and reduced the civil servant population in response to mandated federal budget cuts. Major human capital adjustments were made within NASA as management elected to place the shuttle's operations under a single contract. The problem addressed is increased outsourcing and downsizing has been associated with reduced safety outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative archival study was to examine the relationships of outsourcing and downsizing to mishaps rates at NASA between fiscal year (FY) 1985 and FY 2011. Twenty-seven samples of outsourcing and downsizing data were examined to determine the relationships with high-severity mishaps (HSMs), moderate-severity mishaps (MSMs), and low-severity mishaps (LSMs). A quantitative design utilizing weighted least squares (WLS) regression analysis measured the relationships between predictor and outcome variables. Neither outsourcing nor downsizing predicted HSM rates, adjusted R2 = .32, F (3, 23) = 5.01, p = .53 (outsourcing); adjusted R2 = .49, F (3, 23) = 9.34, p = .41 (downsizing). Both outsourcing and downsizing predicted MSM rates, adjusted R2 = .21, F (3, 23) = 3.24, p = .006 (outsourcing); adjusted R2 = .49, F (3, 23) = 9.55, p = <.001 (downsizing); and LSM rates, adjusted R2 = .77, F (3, 23) = 30.61, p = .003 (outsourcing); adjusted R2 = .89, F (3, 23) = 68.99, p = <.001 (downsizing). Future research could focus more on the causes of mishaps; mishaps unrelated to human factors issues could be eliminated from the analysis. Further research could involve a larger sample size (as the years pass), alternate sources of data for outsourcing and downsizing variables, and additional covariates. The added variables would offer a more convincing model for analyzing the impact of outsourcing and downsizing on mishaps. All-in-all, the efficacy of outsourcing and downsizing as a combined practice and its relationship to safety needs.

Alcohol drinking behaviors and alcohol management policies under outsourcing work conditions: A qualitative study of construction workers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Wan-Ju; Cheng, Yawen

2016-02-01

Workplace alcohol policies are crucial for workers' health and safety. The practice of outsourcing is gaining popularity around the world and was found to be associated with poorer health in the working population. This study aimed to examine how outsourcing complicates the implementation of workplace alcohol policies and affects workers' drinking behaviors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 outsource workers, 3 subcontractors and 3 worksite supervisors. Information regarding workers' drinking behaviors, their knowledge, and attitudes toward workplace alcohol policy were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Factors associated with poor workplace alcohol management included smaller size and private ownership of outsourcers, subcontractors' own drinking behavior and positive attitude to alcohol, and precarious employment conditions of outsourcing workers. The multilateral relationship between outsourcers, subcontractors, and workers complicated and impaired the implementation of workplace alcohol policies. The implementation of workplace alcohol management policies was hampered in outsourcing work conditions due to poor coordination of supervisors in the subcontract chain. The enforcement of alcohol policies in the workplace should be strengthened by consolidating management responsibilities of outsourcers and subcontractors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing Systems Development for e-Learning Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodahl, Cornelia; Oftedahl, Heidi

2012-01-01

This study investigated outsourcing of the development of visual, animated and interactive learning objects for mathematics education by a Norwegian university to software vendors in China. It sought to understand the challenges in this outsourcing engagement and competences needed to meet the challenges. The authors tested outsourcing strategies…

Collaboration, Technology, and Outsourcing Initiatives in Higher Education: A Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaganoff, Tessa

This report presents a sector-wide review of three types of cost-containment initiatives. The first, collaboration, allows for the sharing of resources, facilitates joint purchasing agreements, reduces duplication of services, and expands personal and professional contacts, but requires time to develop institutional relationships. The second,…

76 FR 32231 - International Business Machines (IBM), Sales and Distribution Business Unit, Global Sales...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... for the workers and former workers of International Business Machines (IBM), Sales and Distribution... reconsideration alleges that IBM outsourced to India and China. During the reconsideration investigation, it was..., Armonk, New York. The subject worker group supply computer software development and maintenance services...

Writing the Right Contract: Getting What You Want.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkel, Karen E.

1998-01-01

Outsourcing of school services creates a need for educators to learn how best to select a contractor. Contracted student transportation is used to illustrate flexibility and creativity in writing a request for proposal, the evaluation process, and the importance of contractors' willingness to work alongside the district as a genuine business…

Weighing Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathis, William J.; Jimerson, Lorna

2009-01-01

The Umbridge School District's hot lunch program was hemorrhaging red ink. Each year, the school district poured more money down the sinkhole. At the same time, parents complained about the quality of the school lunches. The food services director always had excuses and nothing really changed. When no headway was evident, the superintendent said…

More Colleges Eye outside Companies to Run Their Computer Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLoughry, Thomas J.

1993-01-01

Increasingly, budget pressures and rapid technological change are causing colleges to consider "outsourcing" for computer operations management, particularly for administrative purposes. Supporters see the trend as similar to hiring experts for other, ancillary services. Critics fear loss of control of the institution's vital computer systems.…

12 CFR Appendix B to Part 748 - Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and Member Notice

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....d. 37 See FFIEC Information Technology Examination Handbook, Information Security Booklet, (December... response program. 38 See FFIEC Information Technology Examination Handbook, Outsourcing Technology Services... accounts, while preserving records and other evidence; 40 and 40 See FFIEC Information Technology...

Incentive Issues in Information Security Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chul Ho

2012-01-01

This dissertation studies three incentive issues in information security management. The first essay studies contract issues between a firm that outsources security functions and a managed security service provider (MSSP) that provides security functions to the firm. Since MSSP and firms cannot observe each other's actions, both can suffer…

EUCOM Keystone: Connecting Across Services Enabling Timely Horizontal & Vertical Integration, Product Reference Guide, Revision 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

or Core hosting can be outsourced for those sites that do not have the requisite information technology infrastructure. Contact Information...Resiliency and Response A-4 ACRONYM DEFINITION MOU Memorandum of Understanding MP Military Police MWR Morale, Welfare and Recreation NETCOM Network

Meeting the information system demands of the future through outsourcing.

PubMed

Goldman, S J

1994-05-01

As managed care organizations work to meet the rigorous data and information requirements of a rapidly evolving health care system, many are recognizing the need to out-source their computer operations. Developing a cost-effective, efficient approach to outsourcing is a challenge to many organizations. This article offers an in-depth view of outsourcing as it relates to the managed health care industry as well as criteria for selecting an outsourcing consultant or vendor.

Outsourced Investment Management: An Overview for Institutional Decision-Makers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griswold, John S.; Jarvis, William F.

2013-01-01

Outsourcing of investment management is a growing trend among institutional investors. With a broad range of institutions using or exploring the outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) model, portfolio size is no longer the determining factor driving the outsourcing decision. For all but the largest institutional investors--those with deep…

77 FR 34427 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Clearing''), f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Ridge''), as a Member of EDGX, subject... to the Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction, Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. contributed its outsourcing operations...

78 FR 72899 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Registration for Human Drug Compounding Outsourcing Facilities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-04

... facilities. The draft guidance discusses the process for registration of outsourcing facilities. The draft... outsourcing facilities that will participate in the process. Estimated reporting burden until September 30...] Draft Guidance for Industry on Registration for Human Drug Compounding Outsourcing Facilities Under...

77 FR 34438 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BOX Options Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Participants in order to approve Apex Clearing Corporation, f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc... Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction, Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. contributed its outsourcing operations and all associated personnel and systems to its affiliated...

77 FR 34429 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated: Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing'') as a C2 Permit Holder, subject to Apex... Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction, Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. contributed its outsourcing operations and all associated...

Evaluating Outsourcing Information Technology and Assurance Expertise by Small Non-Profit Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guinn, Fillmore

2013-01-01

Small non-profit organizations outsource at least one information technology or information assurance process. Outsourcing information technology and information assurance processes has increased every year. The study was to determine the key reasons behind the choice to outsource information technology and information assurance processes. Using…

Evaluating technology service options.

PubMed

Blumberg, D F

1997-05-01

Four service and support options are available to healthcare organizations for maintaining their growth arsenals of medical and information technology. These options include maintaining and servicing all equipment using a facility-based biomedical engineering and MIS service department; using a combination of facility-based service and subcontracted service; expanding facility-based biomedical and MIS service departments to provide service to other healthcare organizations to achieve economies of scale; and outsourcing all maintenance, repair, and technical support services. Independent service companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are offering healthcare organizations a wider array of service and support capabilities than ever before. However, some health systems have successfully developed their own independent service organizations to take care of their own--and other healthcare organizations'--service and support needs.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis for Technology Acquisition.

PubMed

Chakravarty, A; Naware, S S

2008-01-01

In a developing country with limited resources, it is important to utilize the total cost visibility approach over the entire life-cycle of the technology and then analyse alternative options for acquiring technology. The present study analysed cost-effectiveness of an "In-house" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan facility of a large service hospital against outsourcing possibilities. Cost per unit scan was calculated by operating costing method and break-even volume was calculated. Then life-cycle cost analysis was performed to enable total cost visibility of the MRI scan in both "In-house" and "outsourcing of facility" configuration. Finally, cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to identify the more acceptable decision option. Total cost for performing unit MRI scan was found to be Rs 3,875 for scans without contrast and Rs 4,129 with contrast. On life-cycle cost analysis, net present value (NPV) of the "In-house" configuration was found to be Rs-(4,09,06,265) while that of "outsourcing of facility" configuration was Rs-(5,70,23,315). Subsequently, cost-effectiveness analysis across eight Figures of Merit showed the "In-house" facility to be the more acceptable option for the system. Every decision for acquiring high-end technology must be subjected to life-cycle cost analysis.

Outsourcing vaccine logistics to the private sector: The evidence and lessons learned from the Western Cape Province in South-Africa.

PubMed

Lydon, Patrick; Raubenheimer, Ticky; Arnot-Krüger, Michelle; Zaffran, Michel

2015-06-26

With few exceptions, immunization supply chains in developing countries continue to face chronic difficulties in providing uninterrupted availability of potent vaccines up to service delivery levels, and in the most efficient manner possible. As these countries struggle to keep pace with an ever growing number of vaccines, more and more Ministries of Health are considering options of engaging the private sector to manage vaccine storage, handling and distribution on their behalf. Despite this emerging trend, there is limited evidence on the benefits or challenges of this option to improve public supply chain performance for national immunization programmes. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study aims to shed light on the value proposition of outsourcing by documenting the specific experience of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The methodology for this review rested on conducting two key supply chain assessments which allowed juxtaposing the performance of the government managed segments of the vaccine supply chain against those managed by the private sector. In particular, measures of effective vaccine management best practice and temperature control in the cold chain were analysed. In addition, the costs of engaging the private sector were analysed to get a better understanding of the economics underpinning outsourcing vaccine logistics. The results from this analysis confirmed some of the theoretical benefits of outsourcing to the private sector. Yet, if the experience in the Western Cape can be deemed a successful one, there are several policy and practice implications that developing countries should be mindful of when considering engaging the private sector. While outsourcing can help improve the performance of the vaccine supply chain, it has the potential to do the reverse if done incorrectly. The findings and lessons learnt from the Western Cape experience can serve as a step towards understanding the role of the private sector in immunization supply chain and logistics systems for developing countries. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing and scheduling for a two-machine flow shop with release times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadizar, Fardin; Amiri, Zeinab

2018-03-01

This article addresses a two-machine flow shop scheduling problem where jobs are released intermittently and outsourcing is allowed. The first operations of outsourced jobs are processed by the first subcontractor, they are transported in batches to the second subcontractor for processing their second operations, and finally they are transported back to the manufacturer. The objective is to select a subset of jobs to be outsourced, to schedule both the in-house and the outsourced jobs, and to determine a transportation plan for the outsourced jobs so as to minimize the sum of the makespan and the outsourcing and transportation costs. Two mathematical models of the problem and several necessary optimality conditions are presented. A solution approach is then proposed by incorporating the dominance properties with an ant colony algorithm. Finally, computational experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the models and solution approach.

Possibilities and pitfalls of outsourcing.

PubMed

Hazelwood, Sarah E; Hazelwood, Anita C; Cook, Ellen D

2005-10-01

Outsourcing can save healthcare organizations costs related to staffing and training. Organizations should ensure that a vendor's staff is credentialed, knowledgeable, and properly trained. Outsourcing firms should ensure the confidentiality and security of the information they will handle. Outsourcing carries risks for providers, including potentially negative impact on tax-exempt status and loss of control over business processes.

77 FR 34445 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. as an NYSE Arca ETP Holder and OTP Holder, Subject to Apex Clearing Complying With... Corporation, f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing'') as an NYSE Arca ETP... Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction, Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions...

Productivity in the '90s. The outsourcing source book.

PubMed

1993-01-01

Why has outsourcing become a corporate litmus test? Is it the right move for your company? Who's doing it -- and why? Is it both efficient and cost-effective? How should you structure an outsourcing agreement? Here are some answers -- and a lot more questions to ask before you embark on an outsourcing adventure.

A Multi-Stage Maturity Model for Long-Term IT Outsourcing Relationship Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luong, Ming; Stevens, Jeff

2015-01-01

The Multi-Stage Maturity Model for Long-Term IT Outsourcing Relationship Success, a theoretical stages-of-growth model, explains long-term success in IT outsourcing relationships. Research showed the IT outsourcing relationship life cycle consists of four distinct, sequential stages: contract, transition, support, and partnership. The model was…

[Work ability among workers from a condominiun of high technology companies].

PubMed

Fernandes, Angela Cristina Puzzi; Monteiro, Maria Inês

2006-01-01

Remarkable transformation occurred in the last two decades on the industrial sector, such as the use of trainees and outsourced labor. In a epidemiological cross-sectional study 190 workers, aimed at assessing work ability and building up a socio-demographic life styles of workers, outsourced workers and trainees, who work at a corporate condominium comprising high technology companies. The Work Ability Index was employed with a questionnaire concerning lifestyle and demographic data. Gender balance was noticed, with a prevalence of youngsters and single people (63.2%). Few were tobacco smokers (13.2%), 62.6% performed physical exercise. In addition, 44.2% were medically diagnosed with some illness. This study is very important due to their interchangeability and to the general lack of a worker's health service.

Taking the pulse of strategic outsourcing relationships.

PubMed

Getz, Kenneth A; Lamberti, Mary Jo; Kaitin, Kenneth I

2014-10-01

Articles in peer-reviewed journals and the trade press presuppose that strategic outsourcing relationships have been formed to replace preexisting collaborative approaches with contract research organizations. They do not consider that large, fragmented pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies may be supporting competing and conflicting relationship models simultaneously. A recent Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development study quantifies actual strategic outsourcing practices among drug development companies and sheds new light on why these relationships may be failing. Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development conducted an in-depth assessment of 43 Phase II and III clinical studies completed since 2012 to examine the outsourcing relationships used by 9 major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to support key functional areas. Descriptive statistics were assessed and t tests were performed to characterize outsourcing practices by function and to determine differences in study performance between transactional and strategic outsourcing relationships. The results indicate that sponsor companies are using a variety of outsourcing relationship models to support their studies, mixing and matching the use of internal staff, and using traditional transactional and strategic outsourcing relationships simultaneously. Specifically, despite the fact that each sponsor company had entered into several strategic outsourcing relationships, in no instance did a single contract research organization manage all functional areas supporting an individual Phase II or III study. In addition, sponsor companies vary the types of outsourcing relationship models that they use on a study-by-study basis. The inability of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to consistently embrace and coordinate sourcing strategies is creating internal friction and inefficiency. As a result, the expected impact of strategic outsourcing relationships on drug development performance, quality, and cost remains elusive. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Burden shifting of water quantity and quality stress from megacity Shanghai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xu; Liu, Junguo; Yang, Hong; Duarte, Rosa; Tillotson, Martin R.; Hubacek, Klaus

2016-09-01

Much attention has been paid to burden shifting of CO2 emissions from developed regions to developing regions through trade. However, less discussed is that trade also acts as a mechanism enabling wealthy consumers to shift water quantity and quality stress to their trading partners. In this study, we investigate how Shanghai, the largest megacity in China, draws water resources from all over China and outsources its pollution through virtual quantity and quality water flows associated with trade. The results show that Shanghai's consumption of goods and services in 2007 led to 11.6 billion m3 of freshwater consumption, 796 thousand tons of COD, and 16.2 thousand tons of NH3-N in discharged wastewater. Of this, 79% of freshwater consumption, 82.9% of COD and 82.5% of NH3-N occurred in other Chinese Provinces which provide goods and services to Shanghai. Thirteen Provinces with severe and extreme water quantity stress accounted for 60% of net virtual water import to Shanghai, while 19 Provinces experiencing water quality stress endured 79% of net COD outsourcing and 75.5% of net NH3-N outsourcing from Shanghai. In accordance with the three "redlines" recently put forward by the Chinese central government to control water pollution and cap total water use in all provinces, we suggest that Shanghai should share its responsibility for reducing water quantity and quality stress in its trading partners through taking measures at provincial, industrial, and consumer levels. In the meantime, Shanghai needs to enhance demand side management by promoting low water intensity consumption.

Teleradiology: a case study of the economic and legal considerations in international trade in telemedicine.

PubMed

McLean, Thomas R; Richards, Edward P

2006-01-01

Growth in the global market for telemedical services is being driven by economics. Two operational models are already recognizable. "Nighthawk" providers are virtually indistinguishable from their domestic counterparts with respect to medical malpractice liability and price for service. Indian providers, in contrast, offer deep price discounts on services, but jurisdictional loopholes are likely to allow these providers a method to avoid medical malpractice liability. Hospitals that outsource their radiology services need to be aware of these differences, because hiring Indian telemedical providers will likely result in a shift of medical malpractice liability from providers to hospitals.

HB 1347 and Its Relationship to Foodservice Outsourcing in Illinois Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brashear, Gary L.

2012-01-01

This study examined foodservice outsourcing in the State of Illinois. School administrators currently outsourcing foodservice were surveyed about their perceptions of HB1347 and its components. This study looked at HB1347 in Illinois, and its effects on outsourcing in school districts. Data for this study was collected from a survey sent to 100%…

The Perceived Effect of Hidden Costs on the Operational Management of Information Technology Outsourcing: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Ian

2011-01-01

Information technology (IT) outsourcing is a business trend aimed at reducing costs and enabling companies to concentrate on their core competencies. This qualitative multiple case design research study explored the effects of hidden costs on the operational management of IT outsourcing. The study involved analyzing IT outsourcing agreements as…

Sharing the IT pain.

PubMed

Haugh, R

2001-08-01

Outsourcing info tech is too appealing a temptation for many hospitals to pass up. Information technology is costly, complex, prone to breakdowns and ever-changing. Many hospitals already outsource part of their IT operation, but there appears to be a trend toward outsourcing entire departments. Recently, a number of deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars were announced by some of the nation's largest systems and outsourcing companies. While outsourcing is the best alternative for certain operations, for others it may just be a trade-off between a short-term headache and long-term pain.

Elements of strategic capability for software outsourcing enterprises based on the resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Wengeng

2011-10-01

Software outsourcing enterprises as an emerging high-tech enterprises, the rise of the speed and the number was very amazing. In addition to Chinese software outsourcing for giving preferential policies, the software outsourcing business has its ability to upgrade, and in general the software companies have not had the related characteristics. View from the resource base of the theory, the analysis software outsourcing companies have the ability and resources of rare and valuable and non-mimic, we try to give an initial framework for theoretical analysis based on this.

Evaluation of Oral Performance in Outsourced Call Centres: An Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friginal, Eric

2013-01-01

This case study discusses the development and use of an oral performance assessment instrument intended to evaluate Filipino agents' customer service transactions with callers from the United States (US). The design and applications of the instrument were based on a longitudinal, qualitative observation of language training and customer service…

Ensuring the Safety of Sterile Admixtures Prepared Outside of the Institution

PubMed Central

Eberts, Matthew W.; Cecere, David A.; Mark, Scott

2013-01-01

Director’s Forum is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This article provides an overview of outsourcing sterile products and discusses tools that pharmacy leaders can use to ensure the safety of the medications dispensed in their institution. PMID:24421470

78 FR 48467 - CompuCom Systems, Inc., Tewksbury, Massachusetts; CompuCom Systems, Inc. Houston, Texas; Amended...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-08

... information technology outsourcing services. Specifically, the workers are subcontractors working in a call... workers of the subject firm. New information shows that the Houston, Texas and Tewksbury, Massachusetts locations of CompuCom Systems are engaged in activities related to the supply of information technology...

Earnings and Expenditures on Household Services in Married and Cohabiting Unions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treas, Judith; de Ruijter, Esther

2008-01-01

Despite the rise in women's paid employment, little is known about how women and their partners allocate money to outsource domestic tasks, especially in unmarried unions. Tobit analyses of 6,170 married and cohabiting couples in the 1998 Consumer Expenditure Survey test hypotheses that recognize gender inequality between partners, gender typing…

78 FR 15075 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

... outsource this function to a third party service provider other than its independent auditor. The audit committee must meet periodically with the internal auditors (or other personnel responsible for this... should also discuss with the outside auditor the responsibilities, budget and staffing of the internal...

Michigan School Privatization Survey 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohman, James M.; Woodman, Zachary D.

2014-01-01

In 2003, when it came to contracting out for common public school services, only outsourcing food provision could be considered a rather common occurrence in Michigan. There was good reason for this: school districts are prohibited from making a profit from their cafeteria, but any deficits created in providing food for students must be covered by…

The Optimal Ordering Strategy of Outsourcing Procurement of Health Education and Behavior Intervention Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Kai-Ge; Wu, Zhi-Fan; Sun, Xiao-Sheng

2017-01-01

Health communication and behavior intervention are main measures adopted in health education. Behavior intervention among these measures is the direct one to affect individual and group behaviors. Patients demand more than health information communication, but rely on health intervention service and related products. This essay starts from…

Painting the Clouds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currie, Colin

2008-01-01

One of the great ironies for those who are in higher education information technology is that, in the coming years, doing the best-possible job for their institutions will mean finding the optimal ways to replace their function with outside services. In other words, a critical part of their job will be to outsource themselves as effectively as…

The Challenges and Opportunities of Workforce Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Hilary

1994-01-01

Four major trends reshaping the American economy are having a tremendous effect on the number and nature of jobs in the United States: (1) corporate downsizing; (2) the outsourcing of work and services; (3) increasing use of "contingent" workers; and (4) the increasing income disparity between high school and college graduates. These trends have…

Study of the Effectiveness of "Privatizing" Remedial Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Higher Education Commission, Annapolis.

This study evaluated a pilot project for privatizing or outsourcing remedial education programs in the state of Maryland. The program was conducted by the mathematics department at Howard Community College and Sylvan Learning Systems, a Baltimore-based tutoring company, and covered four periods the summer, spring, and fall semesters of 1995 and…

Closing the Gap--Information Systems Curriculum and Changing Global Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henson, Kerry; Kamal, Mustafa

2010-01-01

The power of outsourcing basic computing technology such as computer programming, database design, customer service operations and system development, to mention a few have changed the conditions of employment in IT. Many of the projects that went off-shore did not perform well due to failure to consider important factors in business dimensions.

Shaping the Army’s Information Technology Acquisition Workforce in an Era of Outsourcing

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-12

United States testified before the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on this problem, stating, “Unless the federal government pays the... borderline inherently governmental.” 21 Whether or not the work should be done in-house had become a moot question. There weren’t enough skilled

Laboratory medicine: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Bossuyt, Xavier; Verweire, Kurt; Blanckaert, Norbert

2007-10-01

Technologic innovations have substantially improved the productivity of clinical laboratories, but the services provided by clinical laboratories are increasingly becoming commoditized. We reflect on how current developments may affect the future of laboratory medicine and how to deal with these changes. We argue that to be prepared for the future, clinical laboratories should enhance efficiency and reduce costs by forming alliances and networks; consolidating, integrating, or outsourcing; and more importantly, create additional value by providing knowledge services related to in vitro diagnostics.

Exploring information systems outsourcing in U.S. hospital-based health care delivery systems.

PubMed

Diana, Mark L

2009-12-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors associated with outsourcing of information systems (IS) in hospital-based health care delivery systems, and to determine if there is a difference in IS outsourcing activity based on the strategic value of the outsourced functions. IS sourcing behavior is conceptualized as a case of vertical integration. A synthesis of strategic management theory (SMT) and transaction cost economics (TCE) serves as the theoretical framework. The sample consists of 1,365 hospital-based health care delivery systems that own 3,452 hospitals operating in 2004. The findings indicate that neither TCE nor SMT predicted outsourcing better than the other did. The findings also suggest that health care delivery system managers may not be considering significant factors when making sourcing decisions, including the relative strategic value of the functions they are outsourcing. It is consistent with previous literature to suggest that the high cost of IS may be the main factor driving the outsourcing decision.

Make versus buy: a financial perspective.

PubMed

Kisner, Harold J

2003-01-01

Clinical laboratories are often faced with the decision to either perform a service in-house using their own assets or outsource the service to another vendor. This decision affects many aspects of the laboratory's business, from the macroeconomic perspective of outsourcing the laboratory service to a laboratory vendor, to the microeconomics of determining whether to refer a test out to their reference laboratory or perform the test in-house. The basis for decision making includes many variables, but a detailed financial analysis is usually the basis for the decision, especially when the decision only affects the laboratory and not the rest of the institution. Other factors often come into play, and depending on the magnitude, the "make versus buy" decision could be based more on strategic or political factors than economics. Even when noneconomic factors are involved, an effort usually is made to quantify those factors so that the make versus buy decision is reduced to financial terms. The previous article in this issue, "Effectively Managing Your Reference Laboratory Relationship" by Ronald L. Weiss, M.D., focused on the "buy" decision relating to managing the reference laboratory relationship. Although that article took a more clinical perspective through the eyes of the reference laboratory, this article looks at the make versus buy decision from a financial perspective through the eyes of the buying party.

A study of an adaptive replication framework for orchestrated composite web services.

PubMed

Mohamed, Marwa F; Elyamany, Hany F; Nassar, Hamed M

2013-01-01

Replication is considered one of the most important techniques to improve the Quality of Services (QoS) of published Web Services. It has achieved impressive success in managing resource sharing and usage in order to moderate the energy consumed in IT environments. For a robust and successful replication process, attention should be paid to suitable time as well as the constraints and capabilities in which the process runs. The replication process is time-consuming since outsourcing some new replicas into other hosts is lengthy. Furthermore, nowadays, most of the business processes that might be implemented over the Web are composed of multiple Web services working together in two main styles: Orchestration and Choreography. Accomplishing a replication over such business processes is another challenge due to the complexity and flexibility involved. In this paper, we present an adaptive replication framework for regular and orchestrated composite Web services. The suggested framework includes a number of components for detecting unexpected and unhappy events that might occur when consuming the original published web services including failure or overloading. It also includes a specific replication controller to manage the replication process and select the best host that would encapsulate a new replica. In addition, it includes a component for predicting the incoming load in order to decrease the time needed for outsourcing new replicas, enhancing the performance greatly. A simulation environment has been created to measure the performance of the suggested framework. The results indicate that adaptive replication with prediction scenario is the best option for enhancing the performance of the replication process in an online business environment.

Our Profession Is Changing--Whether We Like It or Not.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eddison, Betty

1997-01-01

Discusses outsourcing in the information industry. Highlights include information technology; special libraries; outsourcing in Australia; public librarians; benchmarking and quality control; online searching; and outsourcing as a threat to information professionals. (LRW)

Performation Metrics Development Analysis for Information and Communications Technology Outsourcing: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travis, James L., III

2014-01-01

This study investigated how and to what extent the development and use of the OV-5a operational architecture decomposition tree (OADT) from the Department of Defense (DoD) Architecture Framework (DoDAF) affects requirements analysis with respect to complete performance metrics for performance-based services acquisition of ICT under rigid…

78 FR 52974 - Gamesa Technology Corporation, Including On-Site Leased Workers From A & A Wind Pros Inc., ABB...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-27

... Power Blades (ND) Inc., Matrix Service Industrial Contract, Mistras Group, Onion ICS LLC, Power Climber Wind, Rope Partner, Inc., Run Energy LP, SERENA USA, Inc., Spherion ``The Mergis Group,'' System One Up... facility on Spain and ``increased blade outsourcing of 65%.'' The attachment to the request included a...

A Study of the Effects of Outsourcing Residence Life Programs on Student Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manley, James H., Jr.

2011-01-01

Institutions of higher education are facing the difficult challenge of meeting increased demands for high quality education and services for students, while keeping costs low, and finding new sources of revenue to compensate for the decrease in funding from state and federal sources. In an attempt to meet these demands new strategies and…

Climbing the Value Chain: A Case Study in Rethinking the Corporate Library Function and Developing High Performance Teams.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemon, Nancy; Blinn, Carla K.

1996-01-01

In response to marketplace and organizational changes, Owens Corning Corporate Library developed a strategic plan to secure its function within the organization. Describes outsourcing transactional services, creating an Intranet/Internet tool for users, redefining the library as a knowledge resource center, and achieving team commitment. A sidebar…

Redefining the Air Force Medical Service in the New Millennium: Should the AFMS Outsource Physician Training and Residency Education Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements Advisor: Lieutenant Colonel Marshell G. Cobb Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama April 2000 ii Disclaimer...to future commanders and medical support providers. Special thanks are in order to Lt Col Marshell Cobb for agreeing to be my faculty advisor

Outsourcing Security Services for Low Performance Portable Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szentgyörgyi, Attila; Korn, András

The number of portable devices using wireless network technologies is on the rise. Some of these devices are incapable of, or at a disadvantage at using secure Internet services, because secure communication often requires comparatively high computing capacity. In this paper, we propose a solution which can be used to offer secure network services for low performance portable devices without severely degrading data transmission rates. We also show that using our approach these devices can utilize some secure network services which were so far unavailable to them due to a lack of software support. In order to back up our claims, we present performance measurement results obtained in a test network.

Globus platform-as-a-service for collaborative science applications

DOE PAGES

Ananthakrishnan, Rachana; Chard, Kyle; Foster, Ian; ...

2014-03-13

Globus, developed as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for research data management, also provides APIs that constitute a flexible and powerful Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to which developers can outsource data management activities such as transfer and sharing, as well as identity, profile and group management. By providing these frequently important but always challenging capabilities as a service, accessible over the network, Globus PaaS streamlines web application development and makes it easy for individuals, teams, and institutions to create collaborative applications such as science gateways for science communities. We introduce the capabilities of this platform and review representative applications.

Globus Platform-as-a-Service for Collaborative Science Applications.

PubMed

Ananthakrishnan, Rachana; Chard, Kyle; Foster, Ian; Tuecke, Steven

2015-02-01

Globus, developed as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for research data management, also provides APIs that constitute a flexible and powerful Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to which developers can outsource data management activities such as transfer and sharing, as well as identity, profile and group management. By providing these frequently important but always challenging capabilities as a service, accessible over the network, Globus PaaS streamlines web application development and makes it easy for individuals, teams, and institutions to create collaborative applications such as science gateways for science communities. We introduce the capabilities of this platform and review representative applications.

Globus Platform-as-a-Service for Collaborative Science Applications

PubMed Central

Ananthakrishnan, Rachana; Chard, Kyle; Foster, Ian; Tuecke, Steven

2014-01-01

Globus, developed as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for research data management, also provides APIs that constitute a flexible and powerful Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to which developers can outsource data management activities such as transfer and sharing, as well as identity, profile and group management. By providing these frequently important but always challenging capabilities as a service, accessible over the network, Globus PaaS streamlines web application development and makes it easy for individuals, teams, and institutions to create collaborative applications such as science gateways for science communities. We introduce the capabilities of this platform and review representative applications. PMID:25642152

In-house or outsourced public services? A social and economic analysis of the impact of spending policy on the private wage share in OECD countries.

PubMed

Pensiero, Nicola

2017-08-01

This article analyses the relationship between government spending and the distribution of private income between capital and labour. While most previous research assumes that government spending redistributes in favour of the less wealthy, I distinguish between types of expenditures that enhance the bargaining position of labour - that is, unemployment benefits, public sector employment and investment in new capital - and labour-saving and pro-business types of expenditures - that is, outsourcing to private firms. The results are derived from various panel regression techniques on a panel of 19 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the period 1985-2010 and show that expenditures on public sector employment and, to a lesser extent, on new capital prevented the private wage share from declining further, even after controlling for labour market institutions, globalisation and technological change. Conversely, expenditures on outsourcing substantially contributed to reducing the private wage share. Unemployment benefits had a non-significant and negative effect on the private wage share because their increase was the consequence of higher levels of unemployment rather than policy. Implications for theory and policy are drawn, including the support for a public employment-led spending policy.

In-house or outsourced public services? A social and economic analysis of the impact of spending policy on the private wage share in OECD countries

PubMed Central

Pensiero, Nicola

2017-01-01

This article analyses the relationship between government spending and the distribution of private income between capital and labour. While most previous research assumes that government spending redistributes in favour of the less wealthy, I distinguish between types of expenditures that enhance the bargaining position of labour – that is, unemployment benefits, public sector employment and investment in new capital – and labour-saving and pro-business types of expenditures – that is, outsourcing to private firms. The results are derived from various panel regression techniques on a panel of 19 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the period 1985–2010 and show that expenditures on public sector employment and, to a lesser extent, on new capital prevented the private wage share from declining further, even after controlling for labour market institutions, globalisation and technological change. Conversely, expenditures on outsourcing substantially contributed to reducing the private wage share. Unemployment benefits had a non-significant and negative effect on the private wage share because their increase was the consequence of higher levels of unemployment rather than policy. Implications for theory and policy are drawn, including the support for a public employment-led spending policy. PMID:28919641

Bigdata Driven Cloud Security: A Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, K.; Hanifa, Sabibullah Mohamed

2017-08-01

Cloud Computing (CC) is a fast-growing technology to perform massive-scale and complex computing. It eliminates the need to maintain expensive computing hardware, dedicated space, and software. Recently, it has been observed that massive growth in the scale of data or big data generated through cloud computing. CC consists of a front-end, includes the users’ computers and software required to access the cloud network, and back-end consists of various computers, servers and database systems that create the cloud. In SaaS (Software as-a-Service - end users to utilize outsourced software), PaaS (Platform as-a-Service-platform is provided) and IaaS (Infrastructure as-a-Service-physical environment is outsourced), and DaaS (Database as-a-Service-data can be housed within a cloud), where leading / traditional cloud ecosystem delivers the cloud services become a powerful and popular architecture. Many challenges and issues are in security or threats, most vital barrier for cloud computing environment. The main barrier to the adoption of CC in health care relates to Data security. When placing and transmitting data using public networks, cyber attacks in any form are anticipated in CC. Hence, cloud service users need to understand the risk of data breaches and adoption of service delivery model during deployment. This survey deeply covers the CC security issues (covering Data Security in Health care) so as to researchers can develop the robust security application models using Big Data (BD) on CC (can be created / deployed easily). Since, BD evaluation is driven by fast-growing cloud-based applications developed using virtualized technologies. In this purview, MapReduce [12] is a good example of big data processing in a cloud environment, and a model for Cloud providers.

Outsourcing goes to a deeper level.

PubMed

Davies, Julie

2003-12-01

Medical device manufacturers and diagnostics companies are among the fastest adopters of the outsourcing model. This article outlines how a deeper level of outsourcing is evolving and how this will transform just about every part of a company's business.

Outsourcing, Managing, Supervising, and Regulating Private Military Companies in Contingency Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

the Rise of Privatized Military Industry, 88–100. 18 Steven Brayton , "Outsourcing War: Mercenaries and the Privatization of Peacekeeping,” Journal of...220. 50 Isenberg, Shadow Force: Private Security Contractors in Iraq, 1. 51 Brayton , "Outsourcing War: Mercenaries and the Privatization of...Review of Books, April 3, 2008, 29. 71 Singer, Corporate Warriors, The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry, 113. 72 Brayton , "Outsourcing War

Balancing the risks and the benefits.

PubMed

Klopack

2000-04-01

Pharmaceutical research organizations can benefit from outsourcing discovery activities that are not core competencies of the organization. The core competencies for a discovery operation are the expertise and systems that give the organization an advantage over its competition. Successful outsourcing ventures result in cost reduction, increased operation efficiency and optimization of resource allocation. While there are pitfalls to outsourcing, including poor partner selection and inadequate implementation, outsourcing can be a powerful tool for enhancing drug discovery operations.

Examining the Relationship Between Passenger Airline Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing and Aircraft Safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monaghan, Kari L.

The problem addressed was the concern for aircraft safety rates as they relate to the rate of maintenance outsourcing. Data gathered from 14 passenger airlines: AirTran, Alaska, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, United, and USAir covered the years 1996 through 2008. A quantitative correlational design, utilizing Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the coefficient of determination were used in the present study to measure the correlation between variables. Elements of passenger airline aircraft maintenance outsourcing and aircraft accidents, incidents, and pilot deviations within domestic passenger airline operations were analyzed, examined, and evaluated. Rates of maintenance outsourcing were analyzed to determine the association with accident, incident, and pilot deviation rates. Maintenance outsourcing rates used in the evaluation were the yearly dollar expenditure of passenger airlines for aircraft maintenance outsourcing as they relate to the total airline aircraft maintenance expenditures. Aircraft accident, incident, and pilot deviation rates used in the evaluation were the yearly number of accidents, incidents, and pilot deviations per miles flown. The Pearson r-values were calculated to measure the linear relationship strength between the variables. There were no statistically significant correlation findings for accidents, r(174)=0.065, p=0.393, and incidents, r(174)=0.020, p=0.793. However, there was a statistically significant correlation for pilot deviation rates, r(174)=0.204, p=0.007 thus indicating a statistically significant correlation between maintenance outsourcing rates and pilot deviation rates. The calculated R square value of 0.042 represents the variance that can be accounted for in aircraft pilot deviation rates by examining the variance in aircraft maintenance outsourcing rates; accordingly, 95.8% of the variance is unexplained. Suggestions for future research include replication of the present study with the inclusion of maintenance outsourcing rate data for all airlines differentiated between domestic and foreign repair station utilization. Replication of the present study every five years is also encouraged to continue evaluating the impact of maintenance outsourcing practices on passenger airline safety.

Various contract settings and their impact on the cost of medical services.

PubMed

Magnezi, R; Dankner, R; Kedem, R; Reuveni, H

2007-03-01

This study analyzes the effect of outsourcing healthcare on career soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in different settings, so as to develop a model for predicting per capita medical costs Demographic information and data on healthcare utilization and costs were gathered from three computerized billing database systems: The IDF Medical Corps; a civilian hospital; and a healthcare fund, providing services to 3,746; 3,971; and 6,400 career soldiers, respectively. Visits to primary care physicians and specialists, laboratory and imaging exams, number of sick-leave days, and hospitalization days, were totaled for men and women separately for each type of clinic. A uniform cost was assigned to each type of treatment to create an average annual per capita cost for medical services of career soldiers. Significantly more visits were recorded to primary care physician and to specialists, as well as imaging examinations by Leumit Healthcare Services (LHS), than visits and tests in hospitals or in military clinics (p < 0.001). The number of referrals to emergency rooms and sick-leave days were lowest in the LHS as compared to the hospital and military clinics (p < 0.001). The medical cost per capita/year was lowest in LHS as well. Outsourcing primary care for career soldiers to a civilian healthcare fund represents a major cost effective change, lowest consumption and lower cost of medical care. Co-payment should be integrated into every agreement with the medical corps.

Narratives of neoliberalism: ‘clinical labour’ in context

PubMed Central

Parry, Bronwyn

2015-01-01

Cross-border reproductive care has been thrust under the international spotlight by a series of recent scandals. These have prompted calls to develop more robust means of assessing the exploitative potential of such practices and the need for overarching and normative forms of national and international regulation. Allied theorisations of the emergence of forms of clinical labour have cast the outsourcing of reproductive services such as gamete donation and gestational surrogacy as artefacts of a wider neoliberalisation of service provision. These accounts share with many other narratives of neoliberalism a number of key assertions that relate to the presumed organisation of labour relations within this paradigm. This article critically engages with four assumptions implicit in these accounts: that clinical labourers constitute a largely homogeneous underclass of workers; that reproductive labour has been contractualised in ways that disembed it from wider social and communal relations; that contractualisation can provide protection for clinical labour lessening the need for formal regulatory oversight; and that the transnationalisation of reproductive service labour is largely unidirectional and characterised by a dynamic of provision in which ‘the rest’ services ‘the West’. Drawing on the first findings of a large-scale ethnographic research project into assisted reproduction in India I provide evidence to refute these assertions. In so doing the article demonstrates that while the outsourcing and contractualisation of reproductive labour may be embedded in a wider neoliberal paradigm these practices cannot be understood nor their impacts be fully assessed in isolation from their social and cultural contexts. PMID:26052118

Collection development and outsourcing in academic health sciences libraries: a survey of current practices.

PubMed Central

Blecic, D D; Hollander, S; Lanier, D

1999-01-01

Academic health sciences libraries in the United States and Canada were surveyed regarding collection development trends, including their effect on approval plan and blanket order use, and use of outsourcing over the past four years. Results of the survey indicate that serials market forces, budgetary constraints, and growth in electronic resources purchasing have resulted in a decline in the acquisition of print items. As a result, approval plan use is being curtailed in many academic health sciences libraries. Although use of blanket orders is more stable, fewer than one-third of academic health sciences libraries report using them currently. The decline of print collections suggests that libraries should explore cooperative collection development of print materials to ensure access and preservation. The decline of approval plan use and the need for cooperative collection development may require additional effort for sound collection development. Libraries were also surveyed about their use of outsourcing. Some libraries reported outsourcing cataloging and shelf preparation of books, but none reported using outsourcing for resource selection. The reason given most often for outsourcing was that it resulted in cost savings. As expected, economic factors are driving both collection development and outsourcing practices. PMID:10219477

Governance Mechanisms in Information Technology Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravindran, Kiron

2010-01-01

While the dominance of Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) as a sourcing strategy would seem to indicate successful and well-informed practice, frequent examples of unraveled engagements highlight the associated risks. Successful instances of outsourcing suggest that governance mechanisms effectively manage the related risks. This…

Using RFID to Enhance Security in Off-Site Data Storage

PubMed Central

Lopez-Carmona, Miguel A.; Marsa-Maestre, Ivan; de la Hoz, Enrique; Velasco, Juan R.

2010-01-01

Off-site data storage is one of the most widely used strategies in enterprises of all sizes to improve business continuity. In medium-to-large size enterprises, the off-site data storage processes are usually outsourced to specialized providers. However, outsourcing the storage of critical business information assets raises serious security considerations, some of which are usually either disregarded or incorrectly addressed by service providers. This article reviews these security considerations and presents a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based, off-site, data storage management system specifically designed to address security issues. The system relies on a set of security mechanisms or controls that are arranged in security layers or tiers to balance security requirements with usability and costs. The system has been successfully implemented, deployed and put into production. In addition, an experimental comparison with classical bar-code-based systems is provided, demonstrating the system’s benefits in terms of efficiency and failure prevention. PMID:22163638

Using RFID to enhance security in off-site data storage.

PubMed

Lopez-Carmona, Miguel A; Marsa-Maestre, Ivan; de la Hoz, Enrique; Velasco, Juan R

2010-01-01

Off-site data storage is one of the most widely used strategies in enterprises of all sizes to improve business continuity. In medium-to-large size enterprises, the off-site data storage processes are usually outsourced to specialized providers. However, outsourcing the storage of critical business information assets raises serious security considerations, some of which are usually either disregarded or incorrectly addressed by service providers. This article reviews these security considerations and presents a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based, off-site, data storage management system specifically designed to address security issues. The system relies on a set of security mechanisms or controls that are arranged in security layers or tiers to balance security requirements with usability and costs. The system has been successfully implemented, deployed and put into production. In addition, an experimental comparison with classical bar-code-based systems is provided, demonstrating the system's benefits in terms of efficiency and failure prevention.

Gender and class housework inequalities in the era of outsourcing hiring domestic work in Spain.

PubMed

Gonalons-Pons, Pilar

2015-07-01

Many households regularly outsource unpaid domestic labor by purchasing services and products to help with cleaning, cooking, ironing, and other chores. Despite the prevalence of this practice, scholars know little about how it affects inequalities in the time spent on housework. Drawing on data on 3540 dual-earner households in Spain, this article examines the relationship between hiring domestic work and both the within-household gender gap in housework and the class gap in housework among women. I find that women who hire do about 30min less housework per day than non-hiring women, but in relation to their partners these women continue to do the same share of housework. Using counterfactual analysis, I find that the absence of paid domestic work is associated with a 20% decline in the class gap in housework among Spanish women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Q46 Technology Refreshment Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia-Burgos, Axel A.

2010-01-01

This document reviews the accomplishments of the author during an internship. During this internship, the author was assigned to the End User Services Office, which coordinates and oversees a wide selection of information technologies that enhance the productivity of the workforce at NASA Kennedy Space Center. During the internship the author performed an assessment of the work of the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA (ODIN) contract.

The Business Model of E-Learning in UK Higher Education: Optimization through Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, David Charles

2004-01-01

E-learning is not just an application of technology to teaching, but a new business model for higher education. By approaching e-learning as a business model, educational policymakers can begin to appreciate the scope of the integrated technology and services required to run a successful online degree programme or a blended programme that includes…

Neal Lane: Science in a Flat World

ScienceCinema

Lane, Neal

2017-12-22

Lane discusses the changes that have taken place in the world since World War II that have made it "flatter," referring to Thomas L. Friedman's book, The World is Flat. Friedman's main premise is that inexpensive telecommunications is bringing about unhampered international competition, the demise of economic stability, and a trend toward outsourcing services, such as computer programming, engineering and science research.

Outsourcing information technology. An executive's guide to creating and managing IT contracts.

PubMed

Hoppszallern, Suzanna

2003-01-01

Many hospitals outsource one or more key areas of their IT operations, but not all are happy with the outcomes. In this special foldout, H&HN looks at what sectors hospitals should consider outsourcing and what questions to ask potential partners.

An Online Approach to Teaching International Outsourcing in Technical Communication Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. Amant, Kirk

2005-01-01

The growth of international online access has given rise to a new production method--international outsourcing--that has important implications for technical communication practices. Successful interactions within international outsourcing require individuals to understand how cultural factors could affect online interactions. Today's technical…

77 FR 67584 - Air Carrier Contract Maintenance Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-13

...-certificated repair facilities, and the air carriers' outsourcing of maintenance. In each of those reports... maintenance outsourcing practices (Recommendation 2). \\3\\ Review of Air Carriers' Use of Aircraft Repair... (Recommendation 7). \\4\\ Air Carrier's Outsourcing Use of Non-Certificated Repair Facilities, Report No. AV-2006...

The cost and quality of hospitalists.

PubMed

Gipe, B T

2000-03-01

The Hospitalist concept is becoming the standard of practice as managed care penetration grows. It is increasingly difficult to do a good job in the outpatient arena and this makes the old "double threat" model in which the physician speeds through inpatient rounds in the morning before clinic, during lunch, and again at night after his office closes, obsolete. There is simply too much at stake in the inpatient arena to have large periods of time in which physician coverage is minimal. Controversy exists as to whether or not the services should be "outsourced" to a Hospitalist management company or developed internally, using physicians who historically have had a significant presence in the hospital. If the services are outsourced, then it is essential that they be built around a strong local physician leader who remains active in patient care. The French author, Anais Nin wrote: "There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic." Inpatient care in the United States is adequately described as a laborious mosaic in which providers of many different services surround patients with many different problems. Hospitalist programs can help to bring order to the mosaic by consistently combining the correct physician talent with the system's sickest and most expensive patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Marketization of refuse collection in Denmark: social and environmental quality jeopardized.

PubMed

Busck, Ole

2007-08-01

Refuse collection has been the main public service to be outsourced in Denmark since the E.U. guidelines on public procurement came into force in 1993. The contracting activities of the municipalities are framed by a complex set of ideologies and objectives, in addition to regulations. At both EU level and at national level, the demands for marketization of the public sector are counterbalanced by demands for social and environmental considerations. The procurement directive reflects the balance legalizing the inclusion of such requirements by contracting. The Danish experiences, however, tell a grim tale of subordination of social requirements in municipal contracting practices with implications for the quality of the service. The results of a recent study of developments in the working conditions at commercial collection companies show deterioration in respect of health and safety, competence building and job security concurrent with the increase in outsourcing and competition in the sector. In the analysis of the results, a combination of municipal cost-saving strategies, harsh market forces and cultural influences are identified as causal factors. Drawing on a brief institutional analysis, it is concluded that the existing normative and regulative framework of municipal contracting needs reinforcement if societal intentions of qualified public services and acceptable working conditions are to be effective. Initiatives to simultaneously improve working conditions and environmental results of collection are called for.

Outsourcing Technology in Government: Owned, Controlled, or Regulated Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Mark L.; Walsh, Timothy P.

1997-01-01

Examines the growing trend toward and objectives of government outsourcing of information technology (IT) both in the United States and around the world. Describes representative outsourcing arrangements; highlights steps governments should take to ensure that objectives are met; and discusses factors influencing management of public sector…

Evaluation of Oregon Department of Transportation project delivery : outsourcing project delivery in state departments of transportation, literature review and DOT survey.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-12-01

This report summarizes a review of literature regarding outsourcing by Departments of Transportation (DOT), with particular emphasis on outsourcing of project delivery, and on performance measures for project delivery. The report also summarizes info...

Explaining Outsourcing in Health, Sport and Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Benjamin J.; Macdonald, Doune

2015-01-01

Outsourcing is a complex, controversial and pervasive practice that is increasingly becoming a matter of concern for educational researchers. This article contributes to this literature by examining outsourcing practices related to health, sport and physical education (HSPE). Specifically, it reports data on specialist health and physical…

Outsourcing: A Flexible Option for the Future? IES Report 320.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, Peter; Tamkin, Penny

The nature, extent, and likely future of outsourcing in the United Kingdom was examined through an extensive literature review and interviews with small numbers of local authorities, companies, and contractors. Despite the limited data available, it appeared that outsourcing is concentrated in ancillary activities and is relatively marginal, both…

"Outsourced": Using a Comedy Film to Teach Intercultural Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briam, Carol

2010-01-01

Given that feature films can enhance the teaching of intercultural communication, this article describes in detail how the 2006 comedy film, "Outsourced," can be integrated into a course. The article relates the film to four different functions of film and shows how "Outsourced" can help create an intercultural experience for…

77 FR 34442 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. as an Exchange Equities Member Organization and ATP Holder... Apex Clearing Corporation, f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing'') as... to the Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to...

77 FR 34424 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGA Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Clearing''), f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Ridge''), as a Member of EDGA, subject...'').\\4\\ \\3\\ Prior to the Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction, Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. contributed its...

A Study of Information Systems Outsourcing Influential Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claver, Enrique; Gonzalez, Reyes; Gasco, Jose; Llopis, Juan

2002-01-01

Surveyed information systems managers at Spanish public universities to determine the level of information systems outsourcing. Also determined how factors such as the size of universities and their information systems departments, as well as the degree of involvement of rector's and general manager's teams, influence outsourcing levels. (EV)

Outsourcing within aerospace manufacturing enterprises: A phenomenological study and outsourcing leadership model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sampson, Enrique, Jr.

Many aerospace workers believe transferring work projects abroad has an erosive effect on the U.S. aerospace industry (Pritchard, 2002). This qualitative phenomenological study examines factors for outsourcing decisions and the perceived effects of outsourcing on U.S. aerospace workers. The research sample consists of aerospace industry leaders and nonleaders from the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States. Moustakas' modified van Kaam methods of analysis (1994) and Decision Explorer analysis software were applied to the interview transcripts. Resultant data identified five core themes: communication, best value, opportunities, cost, and offset consideration. The themes provided the framework for a model designed to assist leaders in making effective decisions and communicating the benefits of those decisions when considering outsourcing of work projects.

Automatic geospatial information Web service composition based on ontology interface matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xianbin; Wu, Qunyong; Wang, Qinmin

2008-10-01

With Web services technology the functions of WebGIS can be presented as a kind of geospatial information service, and helped to overcome the limitation of the information-isolated situation in geospatial information sharing field. Thus Geospatial Information Web service composition, which conglomerates outsourced services working in tandem to offer value-added service, plays the key role in fully taking advantage of geospatial information services. This paper proposes an automatic geospatial information web service composition algorithm that employed the ontology dictionary WordNet to analyze semantic distances among the interfaces. Through making matching between input/output parameters and the semantic meaning of pairs of service interfaces, a geospatial information web service chain can be created from a number of candidate services. A practice of the algorithm is also proposed and the result of it shows the feasibility of this algorithm and the great promise in the emerging demand for geospatial information web service composition.

Benefits of Outsourcing Strategy and IT Technology in Clinical Trials.

PubMed

Stamenovic, Milorad; Dobraca, Amra

2017-09-01

Aim of this paper is to describe some of models of outsourcing (numerous and response to different types of risks and increment of quality is based on individual problem and situation). Defining whether to outsource or not and whether to build or buy new information technology (IT) is question for contract research organization (CRO) and Pharma companies dealing with clinical trials, so the aim of this paper is to show business model that could make process of decision making less time consuming, less segmented and more efficient. This paper has a descriptive character, and represents a review of the literature that deals with the described issues. Outsourcing should enable optimal capacity flexibility (technology that is outsourced should be done only optimally not entirely). The goal with CRO partners is to establish equivalent levels of global quality, as extensions of other research and development activities (by unification of standards of performance of alliance partners with best standards of industry). IT is gaining greater significance at each stage of clinical study and represent an inevitable element of the quality of a clinical study (for the purpose of monitoring of clinical site activities, data collection and management, medical monitoring, statistical programming, statistical analysis, clinical study reporting). CROs are able to maximize work within the CRO global development, to support the notion of a fully integrated outsourced company; facilitate the use of similar business processes and norms, reusing established CRO standards and improve CRO operational decision making within outsourced studies by providing consistent and current information across outsourced and in-house activities.

Benefits of Outsourcing Strategy and IT Technology in Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Stamenovic, Milorad; Dobraca, Amra

2017-01-01

Introduction: Aim of this paper is to describe some of models of outsourcing (numerous and response to different types of risks and increment of quality is based on individual problem and situation). Defining whether to outsource or not and whether to build or buy new information technology (IT) is question for contract research organization (CRO) and Pharma companies dealing with clinical trials, so the aim of this paper is to show business model that could make process of decision making less time consuming, less segmented and more efficient. Material and methods: This paper has a descriptive character, and represents a review of the literature that deals with the described issues. Results: Outsourcing should enable optimal capacity flexibility (technology that is outsourced should be done only optimally not entirely). The goal with CRO partners is to establish equivalent levels of global quality, as extensions of other research and development activities (by unification of standards of performance of alliance partners with best standards of industry). IT is gaining greater significance at each stage of clinical study and represent an inevitable element of the quality of a clinical study (for the purpose of monitoring of clinical site activities, data collection and management, medical monitoring, statistical programming, statistical analysis, clinical study reporting). Conclusion: CROs are able to maximize work within the CRO global development, to support the notion of a fully integrated outsourced company; facilitate the use of similar business processes and norms, reusing established CRO standards and improve CRO operational decision making within outsourced studies by providing consistent and current information across outsourced and in-house activities. PMID:29114116

Design Principles for E-Government Architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoz, Alain

The paper introduces a holistic approach for architecting systems which must sustain the entire e-government activity of a public authority. Four principles directly impact the architecture: Legality, Responsibility, Transparency, and Symmetry leading to coherent representations of the architecture for the client, the designer and the builder. The approach enables to deploy multipartite, distributed public services, including legal delegation of roles and outsourcing of non mandatory tasks through PPP.

Cultivating a disease management partnership: a value-chain model.

PubMed

Murray, Carolyn F; Monroe, Wendy; Stalder, Sharon A

2003-01-01

Disease management (DM) is one of the health care industry's more innovative value-chain models, whereby multiple relationships are created to bring complex and time-sensitive services to market. The very nature of comprehensive, seamless DM provided through an outsourced arrangement necessitates a level of cooperation, trust, and synergy that may be lacking from more traditional vendor-customer relationships. This discussion highlights the experience of one health plan and its vendor partner and their approach to the development and delivery of an outsourced heart failure (HF) DM program. The program design and rollout are discussed within principles adapted from the theoretical framework of a value-chain model. Within the value-chain model, added value is created by the convergence and synergistic integration of the partners' discrete strengths. Although each partner brings unique attributes to the relationship, those attributes are significantly enhanced by the value-chain model, thus allowing each party to bring the added value of the relationship to their respective customers. This partnership increases innovation, leverages critical capabilities, and improves market responsiveness. Implementing a comprehensive, outsourced DM program is no small task. DM programs incorporate a broad array of services affecting nearly every department in a health plan's organization. When true seamless integration between multiple organizations with multiple stakeholders is the objective, implementation and ongoing operations can become even more complex. To effectively address the complexities presented by an HF DM program, the parties in this case moved beyond a typical purchaser-vendor relationship to one that is more closely akin to a strategic partnership. This discussion highlights the development of this partnership from the perspective of both organizations, as revealed through contracting and implementation activities. It is intended to provide insight into the program development and rollout processes that one health plan and its partner have adopted to advance a DM model that integrates appropriately within the local environment. This discussion also highlights how an organizational culture can shift from an emphasis on cost, growth, and control to an emphasis on quality, innovation, and service within a value-chain model.

Outsourcing of Domestic Tasks and Time-Saving Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Lippe, Tanja; Tijdens, Kea; de Ruijter, Esther

2004-01-01

The increased participation of women in paid labor has changed the organization of domestic work. This article deals with a strategy to cope with remaining domestic duties; to what extent are domestic tasks outsourced, what are the main determinants, and does it indeed save time spent on housework? Five outsourcing options are investigated:…

The Impact of IT Outsourcing on Surviving Employees: Managing Survivor Syndrome Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, Tony R.

2010-01-01

Global outsourcing of information technology functions has become a major tool used by organizations to increase or maintain competitive market positioning. One often overlooked in determining an organization's level of success from outsourcing is the negative impact on the behavioral and emotional well-being of surviving employees, often referred…

The Relationship between Return on Profitability and Costs of Outsourcing Information Technology Technical Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odion, Segun

2011-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to examine the relationship between costs of operation and total return on profitability of outsourcing information technology technical support in a two-year period of outsourcing operations. United States of America list of Fortune 1000 companies' chief information officers…

Role of Outsourcing in Stress and Job Satisfaction of Information Technology Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Janell R.

2016-01-01

Information technology (IT) outsourcing poses a potential job loss threat to IT professionals, which can decrease job security, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The problem that this study addressed was the perceived role of IT outsourcing in the job stress, job dissatisfaction, and turnover intention of IT professionals. The…

77 FR 34450 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. as an NYSE Member Organization, Subject to Apex Clearing... order to approve Apex Clearing Corporation, f/ k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc... Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. Prior to the transaction...

A Model for Outsourcing HRD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmonds, David; Gibson, Rebecca

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of approaches to outsourcing HRD in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs semi-structured interviews and case studies. The research model was developed from a literature review. Findings: There are many problems associated with outsourcing any or all aspects of the HRD…

Outsourcing: friend or foe.

PubMed

Capko, Judy

2005-01-01

With rising costs and tight controls on reimbursement, physicians need to dig deeper into expenses and find ways to reduce costs while tapping into an equal or higher level of expertise. Outsourcing offers an attractive solution. This article identifies the areas where outsourcing is most valuable and effective, and provides some methodologies for achieving a successful result.

The study on the outsourcing of Taiwan's hospitals: a questionnaire survey research

PubMed Central

Hsiao, Chih-Tung; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Chiu, Hero

2009-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to assess the outsourcing situation in Taiwanese hospitals and compares the differences in hospital ownership and in accreditation levels. Methods This research combined two kinds of methods: a questionnaire survey and the in-depth interview to two CEOs of the sample hospitals. One hospital is not-for-profit, while the other is a public hospital and the research samples are from the hospital data from Taiwan's 2005 to 2007 Department of Health qualifying lists of hospital accreditation. The returned questionnaires were analyzed with STATISTICA® 7.1 version software. Results The results for non-medical items showed medical waste and common trash both have the highest rate (94.6 percent) of being outsourced. The gift store (75 percent) and linen (73 percent) follow close behind, while the lowest rate of outsourcing is in utility maintenance (13.5 percent). For medical items, the highest rate of outsourcing is in the ambulance units (51.4 percent), while the hemodialysis center follows close behind with a rate of 50 percent. For departments of nutrition, pharmacy, and nursing however, the outsourcing rate is lower than 3 percent. This shows that Taiwan's hospitals are still conservative in their willingness to outsource for medical items. The results of the satisfaction paired t-test show that the non-medical items have a higher score than the medical items. The factor analysis showed the three significant factors in of non medical items' outsourcing are "performance", "finance", and "human resource". For medical items, the two factors are "operation" and satisfaction". To further exam the factor validity and reliability of the satisfaction model, a confirmative factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using structure equation modeling (SEM) method and found the model fitting well. Conclusion Hospitals, especially for public hospitals, can get benefits from outsourcing to revive the full-time-equivalent and human resource limitation. PMID:19435526

The study on the outsourcing of Taiwan's hospitals: a questionnaire survey research.

PubMed

Hsiao, Chih-Tung; Pai, Jar-Yuan; Chiu, Hero

2009-05-13

The aim of this study was to assess the outsourcing situation in Taiwanese hospitals and compares the differences in hospital ownership and in accreditation levels. This research combined two kinds of methods: a questionnaire survey and the in-depth interview to two CEOs of the sample hospitals. One hospital is not-for-profit, while the other is a public hospital and the research samples are from the hospital data from Taiwan's 2005 to 2007 Department of Health qualifying lists of hospital accreditation. The returned questionnaires were analyzed with STATISTICA 7.1 version software. The results for non-medical items showed medical waste and common trash both have the highest rate (94.6 percent) of being outsourced. The gift store (75 percent) and linen (73 percent) follow close behind, while the lowest rate of outsourcing is in utility maintenance (13.5 percent). For medical items, the highest rate of outsourcing is in the ambulance units (51.4 percent), while the hemodialysis center follows close behind with a rate of 50 percent. For departments of nutrition, pharmacy, and nursing however, the outsourcing rate is lower than 3 percent. This shows that Taiwan's hospitals are still conservative in their willingness to outsource for medical items. The results of the satisfaction paired t-test show that the non-medical items have a higher score than the medical items. The factor analysis showed the three significant factors in of non medical items' outsourcing are "performance", "finance", and "human resource". For medical items, the two factors are "operation" and satisfaction". To further exam the factor validity and reliability of the satisfaction model, a confirmative factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using structure equation modeling (SEM) method and found the model fitting well. Hospitals, especially for public hospitals, can get benefits from outsourcing to revive the full-time-equivalent and human resource limitation.

The Outsourcing of Health, Sport and Physical Educational Work: A State of Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Benjamin James; Hay, Peter James; Macdonald, Doune

2011-01-01

Background: The outsourcing of health, sport and physical educational (HSPE) work has been a feature of physical education (PE) "futures talk" for over 20 years. However, HSPE work outsourcing has been the focus of little empirical research and only occasional commentary. That small amount of empirical research that has been conducted…

Outsourcing Extra-Curricular Activities: A Management Strategy in a Time of Neoliberal Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Shun Wing; Chan, Tsan Ming Kenneth; Yuen, Wai Kwan Gail

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study designed to illuminate the complexity of outsourcing extra-curricular activities (ECAs) in primary schools in a time of neoliberal influence and to examine the views of teaching professionals on the reasons, issues and considerations of outsourcing ECAs such as the dynamic…

Invited Reaction: Outsourcing Relationships between Firms and their Training Providers--The Role of Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leimbach, Michael P.

2005-01-01

Outsourcing in the training and development industry has been steadily increasing and shows no indication of slowing (Surgue & Kim, 2004). Gainey and Klaas's study shines light on the role of interfirm trust in effective outsourcing relationships. This reaction addresses a methodological question of the effect of the rating target on the results,…

Medical transcription outsourcing greased lightning?

PubMed

Bikman, Jeremy; Whiting, Stacilee

2007-06-01

As medical transcription volume grows, providers need to decide whether to outsource the work, and if so, whether to retain offshore or onshore firms. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. To avoid problems, providers need to make sure the details are spelled out in the contract and that their expectations are understood and met by the outsource firm.

The Lived Experiences of Federal Agency Information-Technology Employees in Times of Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sudi, Linda

2010-01-01

United States (U.S.) federal agencies and other organizations are turning to Information Technology (IT) as a strategy for improving business productivity. Despite the rapid growth of outsourcing, few studies have been conducted on the effect of outsourcing on employees who remain with the company. In the current qualitative study, the effect of…

Mobile contract services: what you need to know.

PubMed

Inman, M

2000-01-01

With sufficient planning and ongoing attention to detail, the performance of a mobile imaging service provider can exceed expectations and requirements. The relationship can prove to be mutually agreeable and profitable for many years. But, when contracting mobile services, you cannot spend too much time on initial research and detail. Several scenarios present outsourcing or mobile services as an acceptable alternative to purchase or lease: outdated equipment, novel or under-utilized technologies, the need for incrementally added or temporary service. To find suitable providers, check with peer sources in your area for recommendations; look specifically for facilities that are comparable in size and volume to your facility. Expect that larger volume facilities will rate more favorable schedules or pricing. Obtain and check references. Require mobile service providers to adhere to the same state and federal laws, rules and regulations that govern your facility; receive the assurance of compliance in writing if it is not specifically addressed in the contract. JCAHO requires that any contract service provider be governed by the same requirements as the accredited facility. Several other rules or licensing requirements may also pertain to mobile services. A prevailing reason for outsourcing imaging services is high equipment costs that cannot be justified with current volume projections. However, equipment quality should not be compromised; it must meet your needs and be in good repair. The mobile service provider you choose should be an extension of your department; quality standards must exist unilaterally. The set rule for assessing mobile service fees is that there is no set rule. There are many ways to negotiate the fee schedule so that it meets the needs of both parties. An effective marketing campaign lets physicians and patients know what you have available. Work with the mobile service provider to plan an initial announcement or open house. The mobile provider should also have patient education materials for referring physicians and your hospital. Having the mobile technologist meet with the radiologists to discuss written protocols will eliminate misunderstandings concerning expectations of both parties; ongoing communication is vital.

Comparison of two different running models for the shock wave lithotripsy machine in Taipei City Hospital: self-support versus outsourcing cooperation.

PubMed

Huang, Chi-Yi; Chen, Shiou-Sheng; Chen, Li-Kuei

2009-10-01

To compare two different running models including self-support and outsourcing cooperation for the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) machine in Taipei City Hospital, we made a retrospective study. Self-support means that the hospital has to buy an SWL machine and get all the payment from SWL. In outsourcing cooperation, the cooperative company provides an SWL machine and shares the payment with the hospital. Between January 2002 and December 2006, we used self-support for the SWL machine, and from January 2007 to December 2008, we used outsourcing cooperation. We used the method of full costing to calculate the cost of SWL, and the break-even point was the lowest number of treatment sessions of SWL to make balance of payments every month. Quality parameters including stone-free rate, retreatment rate, additional procedures and complication rate were evaluated. When outsourcing cooperation was used, there were significantly more treatment sessions of SWL every month than when utilizing self-support (36.3 +/- 5.1 vs. 48.1 +/- 8.4, P = 0.03). The cost of SWL for every treatment session was significantly higher using self-support than with outsourcing cooperation (25027.5 +/- 1789.8 NT$ vs. 21367.4 +/- 201.0 NT$). The break-even point was 28.3 (treatment sessions) for self-support, and 28.4 for outsourcing cooperation, when the hospital got 40% of the payment, which would decrease if the percentage increased. No significant differences were noticed for stone-free rate, retreatment rate, additional procedures and complication rate of SWL between the two running models. Besides, outsourcing cooperation had lower cost (every treatment session), but a greater number of treatment sessions of SWL every month than self-support.

Identification of multi-criteria for supplier selection in IT project outsourcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fusiripong, Prashaya; Baharom, Fauziah; Yusof, Yuhanis

2017-10-01

In the increasing global business competitiveness, most organizations have attempted to determine the suitable external parties to support their core and non-core competency, particularly, in IT project outsourcing. The IT supplier selection is required to apply multi-criteria which comprised tangible criteria and intangible criteria in consider optimal IT supplier. Most researches attempted to identify optimal criteria for selecting IT supplier, however, the criteria cannot be the considered common criteria support the variety of IT outsourcing. Therefore, the study aimed to identify a common set of criteria being used in the various types of IT outsourcing. The common criteria are constructed by multi-criteria and success criteria, which were collected by literature review with comprehensive and comparative approach. Consequently, the researchers are able to identify a common set of criteria adopted in the variety of selection problem IT outsourcing supplier.

Outsourcing and "dismantling" of steady jobs at hospitals.

PubMed

Souza, Helton Saragor de; Mendes, Áquilas Nogueira

2016-04-01

To relate hospitals' organizational structure as the core of a web of outsourced services and flexible employment bonds among healthcare professionals in the context of finance capitalism, analyzing work arrangements based mainly on the type of employment bond. Qualitative research through ethnography, interviews, data analysis, and case studies. The case studies were concentrated in 3 hospitals located in the São Paulo metropolitan region under different management types: public administration; outsourced administration via a healthcare social organization (HSO); and private administration. This study highlights a trend in outsourcing, dismantling of steady jobs, and shaping working relations asymmetrically in terms of healthcare professions. These aspects are characteristic of contemporary capitalism and post-Fordist work organization. In this context, the state under sponsorship cripples the very existence of an effective human resources policy, creating a favorable environment for outsourcing and flexibility of employment bonds among healthcare workers. Relacionar a estrutura organizativa dos hospitais como núcleo de uma rede de serviços subcontratados e a flexibilização dos vínculos contratuais dos profissionais de saúde no contexto de capitalismo financeirizado, analisando os regimes de trabalho condicionados centralmente pelo vínculo empregatício. Pesquisa qualitativa através de etnografia, realização de entrevistas, análise de dados e utilização de estudo de caso. Os estudos de caso concentram-se em três hospitais localizados Região Metropolitana de São Paulo com gestões distintas: administração pública; administração terceirizada para Organização Social de Saúde (OSS); e administração privada. Destacamos a tendência da terceirização, do desmonte do emprego estável e a conformação de relações trabalhistas assimétricas para as profissões em saúde. Esses aspectos são característicos do período do capitalismo contemporâneo e da organização pós-fordista do trabalho. Nesse contexto, o subfinanciamento do Estado inviabiliza uma política de recursos humanos efetiva, configurando o ambiente propício para as terceirizações e flexibilidade do vínculo empregatício para os trabalhadores de saúde.

Threats to the Sustainability of the Outsourced Call Center Industry in the Philippines: Implications for Language Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friginal, Eric

2009-01-01

This study overviews current threats to the sustainability of the outsourced call center industry in the Philippines and discusses implications for macro and micro language policies given the use of English in this cross-cultural interactional context. This study also summarizes the present state of outsourced call centers in the Philippines, and…

[Outsourcing of clinical laboratory department].

PubMed

Murai, T

2000-03-01

Recently, to improve financial difficulties at various hospitals, outsourcing of the laboratory department is be coming more wide spread. At the department of clinical pathology of St. Luke's International Hospital, the system, so called, "Branch labo" which is one of the outsourcing laboratory conditions, was adopted in March 1999. In this reports. We described the decision procedure for accepting the situation and the circumstances of operation.

Virtual Trust in US-India Global Outsource Teams: A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gugliotti, Domenic

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to identify and analyze, trust behaviors used by members of an outsourced virtual team in an on and offshore engagement. The inability to build trust in outsourced engagements can cause serious damage to the collaboration within the virtual team causing it to fail. This study provides…

Getting Outside Help: How Trust Problems Explain Household Differences in Domestic Outsourcing in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Ruijter, Esther; van der Lippe, Tanja

2009-01-01

This article examines the influence of trust problems on the use of domestic outsourcing by couples from a gender perspective. The authors argue that trust problems matter in outsourcing decisions, because an outsider enters the privacy of the household and takes over tasks of special value. Analyses of data from a survey among 740 Dutch couples…

Bioanalytical outsourcing strategy at Janssen Research and Development.

PubMed

Verhaeghe, Tom

2014-05-01

The times when all bioanalytical work was supported in-house are long behind us. In the modern bioanalytical laboratory, workload is divided between in-house support and outsourcing to contract research organizations. This paper outlines the outsourcing strategy of the Janssen-regulated bioanalytical group. Keeping the knowledge of the assay and the compound internally is a cornerstone of this strategy and is a driver for balancing the workload between the internal laboratory and contract laboratories. The number of contract laboratories that are being used is limited and criteria for selecting laboratories are discussed. Special attention is paid to the experience with outsourcing clinical studies to China.

New, strategic outsourcing models to meet changing clinical development needs.

PubMed

Jones, Janet; Minor, Michael

2010-04-01

The impact of increasing clinical costs and the need for more data to support higher efficacy demands and overcome regulatory hurdles for market entry means that every Company is faced with the challenge of how to do more with a smaller budget. As budgets get squeezed the pharmaceutical Industry has been looking at how to contain or reduce cost and support an increased number of projects. With the growing sophistication of outsourcing, this is an increasingly important area of focus. Some Pharmaceutical Companies have moved from tactical, case by case, outsourcing to new, more strategic relationships, which involve outsourcing functions that were historically held as core pharmaceutical functions. An increasing number of Sponsors are looking at strategic relationships which are based on more creative outsourcing approaches. As the need and sophistication of these outsourcing models and the sponsors / CROs involved in them, these approaches are becoming more transformational and need to be based on a strong partnership. Lessons learned from working with sponsors in a partnership model have been examined and two key challenges addressed in detail: the need for bilateral central control though a strong governance model and the importance of early planning and commitment.

New, Strategic Outsourcing Models to Meet Changing Clinical Development Needs

PubMed Central

Jones, Janet; Minor, Michael

2010-01-01

The impact of increasing clinical costs and the need for more data to support higher efficacy demands and overcome regulatory hurdles for market entry means that every Company is faced with the challenge of how to do more with a smaller budget. As budgets get squeezed the pharmaceutical Industry has been looking at how to contain or reduce cost and support an increased number of projects. With the growing sophistication of outsourcing, this is an increasingly important area of focus. Some Pharmaceutical Companies have moved from tactical, case by case, outsourcing to new, more strategic relationships, which involve outsourcing functions that were historically held as core pharmaceutical functions. An increasing number of Sponsors are looking at strategic relationships which are based on more creative outsourcing approaches. As the need and sophistication of these outsourcing models and the sponsors / CROs involved in them, these approaches are becoming more transformational and need to be based on a strong partnership. Lessons learned from working with sponsors in a partnership model have been examined and two key challenges addressed in detail: the need for bilateral central control though a strong governance model and the importance of early planning and commitment. PMID:21829788

Does outsourcing paramedical departments of teaching hospitals affect educational status of the students?

PubMed

Moslehi, Shandiz; Atefimanesh, Pezhman; Sarabi Asiabar, Ali; Ahmadzadeh, Nahal; Kafaeimehr, Mohamadhosein; Emamgholizadeh, Saeid

2016-01-01

There is an increasing trend of outsourcing public departments. Teaching hospitals also outsourced some of their departments to private sectors. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the educational status of students in public and outsourced departments of teaching hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. This study was conducted in six teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences, which had public and outsourced teaching departments in 2015. One hundred fifty students from the departments of radiology, physiotherapy and laboratory participated in this study and their perceptions about their educational status were assessed. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used; participation in the study was voluntary. Descriptive statistics such as mean (SD), t-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov were used. No difference was detected between the educational status of students in public and outsourced departments of radiology, physiotherapy and laboratory (p>0.05). Based on the students' perception, the private sectors could maintain the educational level of the teaching departments similar to the public departments. It is recommended to involve all the stakeholders such as hospital administrators, academic staff and students in the decision- making process when changes in teaching environments are being considered.

Relative costs of anesthesiologist prepared, hospital pharmacy prepared and outsourced anesthesia drugs.

PubMed

Jelacic, Srdjan; Craddick, Karen; Nair, Bala G; Bounthavong, Mark; Yeung, Kai; Kusulos, Dolly; Knutson, Jennifer A; Somani, Shabir; Bowdle, Andrew

2017-02-01

Anesthesia drugs can be prepared by anesthesia providers, hospital pharmacies or outsourcing facilities. The decision whether to outsource all or some anesthesia drugs is challenging since the costs associated with different anesthesia drug preparation methods remain poorly described. The costs associated with preparation of 8 commonly used anesthesia drugs were analyzed using a budget impact analysis for 4 different syringe preparation strategies: (1) all drugs prepared by anesthesiologist, (2) drugs prepared by anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy, (3) drugs prepared by anesthesiologist and outsourcing facility, and (4) all drugs prepared by outsourcing facility. A strategy combining anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy prepared drugs was associated with the lowest estimated annual cost in the base-case budget impact analysis with an annual cost of $225 592, which was lower than other strategies by a margin of greater than $86 000. A combination of anesthesiologist and hospital pharmacy prepared drugs resulted in the lowest annual cost in the budget impact analysis. However, the cost of drugs prepared by an outsourcing facility maybe lower if the capital investment needed for the establishment and maintenance of the US Pharmacopeial Convention Chapter <797> compliant facility is included in the budget impact analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electric utilities and the info-way - are electrics and telcos fellow travelers or competitors

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

Ashworth, M.J.

1994-03-15

This article examines the future role of telecommunications and the so-called information superhighway in the operations of electric utilities. Utilities should take advantage of information technology through informal alliances with telecommunications hardware and service suppliers, should limit investments in alternative meter-level technologies to those that are cheap, easily integrated, and flexible, and should consider outsourcing network implementation, maintenance, and management functions.

Brokering and Bridging Knowledge in Health and Physical Education: A Critical Discourse Analysis of One External Provider's Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperka, Leigh; Enright, Eimear; McCuaig, Louise

2018-01-01

Background: There has been a proliferation of external agencies 'knocking on the door' of, and being welcomed into, Health and Physical Education (HPE). This opens HPE up to new products, partners, and services. Although scholarship on the practice of outsourcing HPE is steadily growing in quantity and in scope, there is a significant gap in the…

Outsourcing Strategic Services in the Colombian Defense Sector: Analysis of a Naval Aviation Case

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

Management,” Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct/83. 40 “Boletin Trimestral Empresas de Transporte Aereo No...to signify rotary-wing aircraft capable of transporting more than 4 tons of payload. 8 “Secretaria del Senado – Republica de Colombia” (Secretary of... de Aviacion controls the civil non-regular air transportation in Colombia. According to Aerocivil statistics, the company’s helicopters moved 57.58

Logistics in hospitals: a case study of some Singapore hospitals.

PubMed

Pan, Zhi Xiong; Pokharel, Shaligram

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate logistics activities in Singapore hospitals. It defines various types of activities handled by a logistics division. Inventory management policy and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for logistics purposes are also discussed. The study identifies the nature of strategic alliances in Singapore's health care industry. This study was conducted by utilizing a framework for data collection, pre-testing the questionnaire and conducting interviews. Various relevant literature was reviewed to design the questionnaire. This study finds that logistics division carry out many related activities and some of them also provide engineering services. The hospitals make use of ICT. The hospitals are clustered under various groups to minimize the cost of operation, including the logistics related costs. However, hospitals do not see alliances with suppliers as a strategic option; rather they focus on outsourcing of logistics services. The findings also show that Singapore hospitals have a good stocking policy for both medical and non-medical items so that changes in patient mix can be easily handled. Singapore is continuously improving its health care industry and therefore, the findings will help hospitals in other regions to adopt some of the practices, like concentrating on local vendors, outsourcing, clustering, and maximum use of information technology as competitive factors that can improve the service and reduce the cost of operation. The paper suggests motivators and barriers to the use of ICT in logistics in the health care industry.

A clean bill of health? The efficacy of an NHS commissioned outsourced police custody healthcare service.

PubMed

de Viggiani, Nick

2013-08-01

Police custody healthcare services for detainees in the UK are most commonly outsourced to independent healthcare providers who employ custody nurses and forensic physicians to deliver forensic healthcare services. A pilot was introduced in 2008 by the Department of Health to explore the efficacy of commissioning custody healthcare via the NHS, in the wake of the 2005-2006 shift of prison healthcare to the NHS. The objective was to improve quality and accountability through NHS commissioning and the introduction of NHS governance to the management and delivery of custody healthcare. This article discusses key themes that arose from the project evaluation, which focused on the commissioning relationship between the police, the NHS commissioner and the private healthcare provider. The evaluation observed an evolving relationship between the police, the local NHS and the front-line nurses, which was complicated by the quite distinctive professional values and ideologies operating, with their contrasting organisational imperatives and discordant values and principles. A key challenge for commissioners is to develop synergy between operational and strategically located stakeholders so that they can work effectively towards common goals. Government policy appears to remain focused on creating safe, supportive and humane custody environments that balance criminal justice and health imperatives and support the rights and needs of detainees, victims, professionals and the public. This remains an ambitious agenda and presents a major challenge for new criminal justice health partnerships. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Performance indicators and decision making for outsourcing public health laboratory services.

PubMed

Santos, Maria Angelica Borges dos; Moraes, Ricardo Montes de; Passos, Sonia Regina Lambert

2012-06-01

To develop performance indicators for outsourcing clinical laboratory services, based on information systems and public administrative records. In the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Southern Brazil, the public health laboratory network comprised 33 laboratories with automated equipment (but no integrated information system), 90 primary care units (where sample collection was performed) and 983 employees. Information records were obtained from the administrative records of the Budget Information System for Public Health and the Outpatient and Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System. Performance indicators (production, productivity, usage and costs) were generated from data collected routinely from 2006 to 2008. The variations in production, costs and unit prices for tests were analyzed by Laspeyres and Paasche indices, which specifically measure laboratory activity, and by the Consumer Price Index from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. A total of 10,359,111 tests were performed in 2008 (10.6% increase over 2006), and the test/employee ratio grew by 8.6%. The costs of supplies, wages and providers increased by 2.3%, 45.4% and 18.3%, respectively. The laboratory tests per visit and hospitalizations increased by 10% and 20%, respectively. The direct costs totaled R$ 63.2 million in 2008, representing an increase of 22.2% in current values during the period analyzed. The direct costs deflated by the Brazilian National Consumer Price Index (9.5% for the period) showed an 11.6% increase in production volumes. The activity-specific volume index, which considers changes in the mix of tests, showed increases of 18.5% in the test price and 3.1% in the production volume. The performance indicators, particularly the specific indices for volume and price of activity, constitute a baseline of performance potential for monitoring private laboratories and contractors. The economic performance indicators demonstrated the need for network information system integration prior to an outsourcing decision.

Globus: Service and Platform for Research Data Lifecycle Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananthakrishnan, R.; Foster, I.

2017-12-01

Globus offers a range of data management capabilities to the community as hosted services, encompassing data transfer and sharing, user identity and authorization, and data publication. Globus capabilities are accessible via both a web browser and REST APIs. Web access allows researchers to use Globus capabilities through a software-as-a-service model; and the REST APIs address the needs of developers of research services, who can now use Globus as a platform, outsourcing complex user and data management tasks to Globus services. In this presentation, we review Globus capabilities and outline how it is being applied as a platform for scientific services, and highlight work done to link computational analysis flows to the underlying data through an interactive Jupyter notebook environment to promote immediate data usability, reusability of these flows by other researchers, and future analysis extensibility.

Four Ways to Avoid a Credentialing Cash Flow Crisis.

PubMed

Toth, Cheryl

2015-01-01

Credentialing a physician for Medicare and private plans is a detailed and time-consuming process, but it must be completed before a plan will reimburse a practice's billed services. Assign a person with the right skills for this project, and insist on regular progress reports to be certain credentialing has been successfully completed. Submit credentialing applications three to six months ahead of opening your practice doors, moving to a new location, or merging with another organization. If you're considering outsourcing the credentialing process to a service, verify its reputation and work products with its customers.

Outsourcing gets providers back to the basics.

PubMed

Watson, S

1995-05-01

Information technology is advancing so quickly that many organizations can't keep up. That's why demand for the outsourcing of data processing functions is growing as providers and payers attempt to implement the latest technology while holding costs down. Those investigating outsourcing must carefully scrutinize whether an arrangement actually will cut costs, experts advise. And clients should review contract terms to ensure all expectations are spelled out.

Training and the Commitment of Outsourced Information Technologies' Workers: Psychological Contract Fulfillment as a Mediator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontinha, Rita; Chambel, Maria José; De Cuyper, Nele

2014-01-01

Outsourced workers in information technologies (IT) generally have high skills and a high value on the job market. Their IT outsourcing organizations are likely to provide them with training, in the first place for skill development, but perhaps also as a way to bind the workers to them. This can be understood along the role of the psychological…

The Perceived Implications of an Outsourcing Model on Governance within British Columbia Provincial Parks in Canada: A Quantitative Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eagles, Paul; Havitz, Mark; McCutcheon, Bonnie; Buteau-Duitschaever, Windekind; Glover, Troy

2010-06-01

Good governance is of paramount importance to the success of parks and protected areas. This research utilized a questionnaire for 10 principles of governance to evaluate the outsourcing model used by British Columbia Provincial Parks, where profit-making corporations provide all front country visitor services. A total of 246 respondents representing five stakeholder groups evaluated the model according to each principle, using an online survey. Principal component analysis resulted in two of the 10 principles (equity and effectiveness) each being split into two categories, leading to 12 governance principles. Five of the 12 criteria received scores towards good governance: effectiveness outcome; equity general; strategic vision; responsiveness; and effectiveness process. One criterion, public participation, was on the neutral point. Six criteria received scores below neutral, more towards weak governance: transparency; rule of law; accountability; efficiency; consensus orientation; and, equity finance. The five stakeholder groups differed significantly on 10 of the 12 principles ( P < .05). The 2 exceptions were for efficiency and effectiveness process. Seven of the 12 criteria followed a pattern wherein government employees and contractors reported positive scores, visitors and representatives of NGOs reported more negative scores, and nearby residents reported mid-range scores. Three criteria had government employees and contractors reporting the most positive scores, residents and visitors the most negative scores, and NGO respondents reporting mid-range scores. This research found evidence that perceptions of governance related to this outsourcing model differed significantly amongst various constituent groups.

Costs and added value of haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis outsourcing agreements.

PubMed

Lamas Barreiro, J M; Alonso Suárez, M; Saavedra Alonso, J A; Gándara Martínez, A

2011-01-01

Despite the discrepancy in results from Spanish studies on the costs of dialysis, it is assumed that peritoneal dialysis (PD) is more efficient than haemodialysis (HD). To analyse the costs and added value of HD and PD outsourcing agreements in Galicia, the medical transport for HD and the relationship between the cost of the agreement and the cost of consumables used in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with bicarbonate. The cost of the outsourcing agreements and the staff was obtained from official publications. The cost of PD and medical transport were calculated using health service data for one month and extrapolating it to one year. The cost of CAPD consumables was provided by the suppliers. The added value was calculated from the investments generated for each agreement treating 40 patients. Expressed as patient/year, the mean costs for treatment were €21595 and €25664 in HD and PD, respectively. Medical transport varied between €3323 and €6338, while those of the CAPD agreement and consumables were €19268 and €12057, respectively. The added value was greater with the HD agreement, especially considering the jobs created. One cannot generalise that the cost of PD, which is significantly influenced by prescriptions, is lower than that of HD. It would be appropriate to review the additional cost to consumables in the CAPD agreement. The added value generated by dialysis agreements should be considered in future studies and in health planning. More controlled studies are needed to better understand this issue.

On the Origin of Intermediary E-Government Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendsen, Rex; Ter Hedde, Marc J.

The majority of SME’s tends to outsource administrative tasks, including their direct relationships with the (electronic) government. Commercial intermediary service providers therefore have to be part of governmental multi channel e-service delivery strategies. This research paper explores the origin, added value and future position of these intermediary organisations with respect to the delivery of e-government services to businesses. Results indicate that (re-)intermediation is more likely to occur within this context than disintermediation is. SME’s do not want to be captured within a non-profitable electronic hierarchical relationship with a governmental organisation. The empirical study on the impact of the legal obligation of the use of e-tax services illustrates that SME’s instead prefer the ‘save haven’ of a commercial relationship with an intermediary service provider. Thus creating and fuelling a new market of intermediary e-government services.

Outsourcing Operational Logistics: Buyer Beware

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-05-16

This logistics system takes far too many people to conduct support missions and does not provide the desired customer performance in terms of...FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER OUTSOURCING OPERATIONAL LOGISTICS: BUYER BEWARE (U) 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c...Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) 1 (Unclassified Paper) NAVAL WAR COLLEGE Newport, R.I. OUTSOURCING OPERATIONAL LOGISTICS: BUYER BEWARE By LAMONT WOODY Lieutenant

Virtual Teams: Preparing Students for Global IT Management: An Empirical Exercise on Three Campuses in Two Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Bruce A.; Tastle, William J.; Semeniuta, Andrei

2010-01-01

Outsourcing has been a major discussion topic for several years. It is common to pick up any IT trade publication and not see some article about managing global IT or IT outsourcing or IT offshoring or even the news briefs about a US company setting up some information technology operation in India or China or another locale. Outsourcing is tied…

Agricultural outsourcing: A two-headed coin?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azadi, Hossein; Houshyar, Ehsan; Zarafshani, Kiumars; Hosseininia, Gholamhossein; Witlox, Frank

2013-01-01

Since two decades ago, when China's economic strength has made this most populated country as a leading global agricultural outsourcer, there have increasingly been hot debates on whether such outsourcing is destructive or constructive, especially for host countries. Some critics pessimistically call it ‘land grabs' or ‘neo-colonialism' that should be prevented while others optimistically appreciate it as a development opportunity that should be promoted. The first group interprets the outsourcing as a win-loss process while the second considers it as a win-win deal. This study tries to show the possible gains and losses of both outsourcers and host countries. Accordingly, this paper introduces four different situations; i.e. loss-loss; win-loss; loss-win; and win-win. The first situation is understood as a ‘red-deal' which should urgently be stopped. The second and third situations are called ‘yellow-deal' which should be adjusted to come up with the last situation which we call ‘green-deal' that addresses the benefits of both outsourcers and outsourcees. The paper concludes that in order to understand the main impacts of such deals, we still need to create more evidence for each situation in the framework of a series of risk assessment studies on the bases of both “country-case” and “crop-case”.

Does outsourcing paramedical departments of teaching hospitals affect educational status of the students?

PubMed Central

Moslehi, Shandiz; Atefimanesh, Pezhman; Sarabi Asiabar, Ali; Ahmadzadeh, Nahal; Kafaeimehr, Mohamadhosein; Emamgholizadeh, Saeid

2016-01-01

Background: There is an increasing trend of outsourcing public departments. Teaching hospitals also outsourced some of their departments to private sectors. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the educational status of students in public and outsourced departments of teaching hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This study was conducted in six teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences, which had public and outsourced teaching departments in 2015. One hundred fifty students from the departments of radiology, physiotherapy and laboratory participated in this study and their perceptions about their educational status were assessed. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used; participation in the study was voluntary. Descriptive statistics such as mean (SD), t-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov were used. Results: No difference was detected between the educational status of students in public and outsourced departments of radiology, physiotherapy and laboratory (p>0.05). Conclusion: Based on the students’ perception, the private sectors could maintain the educational level of the teaching departments similar to the public departments. It is recommended to involve all the stakeholders such as hospital administrators, academic staff and students in the decision- making process when changes in teaching environments are being considered. PMID:27683645

Governance of Offshore IT Outsourcing at Shell Global Functions IT-BAM Development and Application of a Governance Framework to Improve Outsourcing Relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Jong, Floor; van Hillegersberg, Jos; van Eck, Pascal; van der Kolk, Feiko; Jorissen, Rene

The lack of effective IT governance is widely recognized as a key inhibitor to successful global IT outsourcing relationships. In this study we present the development and application of a governance framework to improve outsourcing relationships. The approach used to developing an IT governance framework includes a meta model and a customization process to fit the framework to the target organization. The IT governance framework consists of four different elements (1) organisational structures, (2) joint processes between in- and outsourcer, (3) responsibilities that link roles to processes and (4) a diverse set of control indicators to measure the success of the relationship. The IT governance framework is put in practice in Shell GFIT BAM, a part of Shell that concluded to have a lack of management control over at least one of their outsourcing relationships. In a workshop the governance framework was used to perform a gap analysis between the current and desired governance. Several gaps were identified in the way roles and responsibilities are assigned and joint processes are set-up. Moreover, this workshop also showed the usefulness and usability of the IT governance framework in structuring, providing input and managing stakeholders in the discussions around IT governance.

Two fuzzy possibilistic bi-objective zero-one programming models for outsourcing the equipment maintenance problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vahdani, Behnam; Jolai, Fariborz; Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, Reza; Meysam Mousavi, S.

2012-07-01

Maintenance outsourcing can be regarded as a strategic weapon to increase productivity and customer satisfaction in many companies, and this critical activity can be performed in a more efficient and effective way. This article presents two novel fuzzy possibilistic bi-objective zero-one programming (FPBOZOP) models for outsourcing of the equipment maintenance. In these models, cost parameters, including outsourcing cost, risk cost, time operations for performing the equipment maintenance and reliability level, as well as other influential parameters are considered through the outsourcing process. Moreover, the presented models can measure the capability of the company in doing different activities, unlike previous studies, in order to see the possibility of maintenance in-house, and can lead to make a best decision on the basis of the models' results. Both models are developed under uncertainty, which bring top managers the possibility of assigning more than one equipment or project to the supplier so that the profit is maximized, and the cost is minimized by considering bi-objectives concurrently. Then, a new fuzzy mathematical programming based possibilistic approach is introduced as a solution methodology from the recent literature to solve the proposed bi-objective zero-one programming (BOZOP) models and to reach a preferred compromise solution. Furthermore, a real-case study is utilized to demonstrate and to validate the effectiveness of the presented models. The computational results revealed that the models can be implemented in variety of problems in the domain of the equipment maintenance outsourcing and project outsourcing either from theory or application perspectives.

Evaluating the Impact of Offshoring on US National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-15

7, 2008. 53 Ibid. 54 Ibid. 55 N. Gregory Mankiw , “The Politics and Economics of Offshore Outsourcing,” Harvard University, November 9, 2009, 42...foreign countries to provide goods or services may appear to some as an example of national weakness. The weakness may consist of fragile economic ...weakness. The weakness may consist of fragile economic dependencies or exportation of critical skills. In both cases, the risk of losing relative

Narratives of neoliberalism: 'clinical labour' in context.

PubMed

Parry, Bronwyn

2015-06-01

Cross-border reproductive care has been thrust under the international spotlight by a series of recent scandals. These have prompted calls to develop more robust means of assessing the exploitative potential of such practices and the need for overarching and normative forms of national and international regulation. Allied theorisations of the emergence of forms of clinical labour have cast the outsourcing of reproductive services such as gamete donation and gestational surrogacy as artefacts of a wider neoliberalisation of service provision. These accounts share with many other narratives of neoliberalism a number of key assertions that relate to the presumed organisation of labour relations within this paradigm. This article critically engages with four assumptions implicit in these accounts: that clinical labourers constitute a largely homogeneous underclass of workers; that reproductive labour has been contractualised in ways that disembed it from wider social and communal relations; that contractualisation can provide protection for clinical labour lessening the need for formal regulatory oversight; and that the transnationalisation of reproductive service labour is largely unidirectional and characterised by a dynamic of provision in which 'the rest' services 'the West'. Drawing on the first findings of a large-scale ethnographic research project into assisted reproduction in India I provide evidence to refute these assertions. In so doing the article demonstrates that while the outsourcing and contractualisation of reproductive labour may be embedded in a wider neoliberal paradigm these practices cannot be understood nor their impacts be fully assessed in isolation from their social and cultural contexts. 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.

Insourcing and Outsourcing for U.S. Department of Defense IT Projects: A Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

positioning or reduced force readiness. This paper provides an introduction to the insourcing and outsourcing dilemma in today’s fiscally challenged ...force readiness. This paper provides an introduction to the insourcing and outsourcing dilemma in today?s fiscally challenged environment. It discusses...could risk loss to its global competitive posture, which in turn could impact the ability of the U.S. to defend itself by hampering national security

Case outsourcing medical device reprocessing.

PubMed

Haley, Deborah

2004-04-01

IN THE INTEREST OF SAVING MONEY, many hospitals are considering extending the life of some single-use medical devices by using medical device reprocessing programs. FACILITIES OFTEN LACK the resources required to meet the US Food and Drug Administration's tough quality assurance standards. BY OUTSOURCING, hospitals can reap the benefits of medical device reprocessing without assuming additional staffing and compliance burdens. OUTSOURCING enables hospitals to implement a medical device reprocessing program quickly, with no capital investment and minimal effort.

International outsourcing of medical research by high-income countries: changes from 1995 to 2005.

PubMed

Belforti, Raquel K; Wall, Michal Sarah; Lindenauer, Peter K; Pekow, Penelope S; Rothberg, Michael B

2010-02-01

Medical research outsourcing provides a financial benefit to those conducting research and financial incentives to the developing countries hosting the research. Little is known about how frequently outsourcing occurs or the type of research that is outsourced. To document changes in medical research outsourcing over a 10-year period, we conducted a cross-sectional comparison of 3 medical journals: Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association in the last 6 months of 1995 and 2005. The main outcome measure was the 10-year change in proportion of studies including patients from low-income countries. We reviewed 598 articles. During the 10-year period, the proportion of first authors from low-income countries increased from 3% to 6% (P = 0.21), whereas studies with participants from low-income countries increased from 8% to 22% (P = < 0.001). In 2005, compared with studies conducted exclusively in high-income countries, those including participants from low-income countries were more likely to be randomized trials (55% vs 35%, P = 0.004), to study medications (65% vs 34%, P < 0.001), to be funded by pharmaceutical companies (33% vs 21%, P = 0.05), and to involve pediatric populations (29% vs 8%, P < 0.001). Outsourcing of medical research seems to be increasing. Additional studies are required to know if subjects from low-income countries are being adequately protected.

Outsourcing Photocopying in a Library: One Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wittorf, Robert

1998-01-01

Describes the process for outsourcing photocopying including developing a clear request for proposal, monitoring and responding to vendor performance, and ensuring quality controls in academic libraries. (Author/PEN)

Cloud computing can simplify HIT infrastructure management.

PubMed

Glaser, John

2011-08-01

Software as a Service (SaaS), built on cloud computing technology, is emerging as the forerunner in IT infrastructure because it helps healthcare providers reduce capital investments. Cloud computing leads to predictable, monthly, fixed operating expenses for hospital IT staff. Outsourced cloud computing facilities are state-of-the-art data centers boasting some of the most sophisticated networking equipment on the market. The SaaS model helps hospitals safeguard against technology obsolescence, minimizes maintenance requirements, and simplifies management.

Emerging trends in the outsourcing of medical and surgical care.

PubMed

Boyd, Jennifer B; McGrath, Mary H; Maa, John

2011-01-01

As total health care expenditures are expected to constitute an increasing portion of the US gross domestic product during the coming years, the US health care system is anticipating a historic spike in the need for care. Outsourcing medical and surgical care to other nations has expanded rapidly, and several ethical, legal, and financial considerations require careful evaluation. Ultimately, the balance between cost savings, quality, and patient satisfaction will be the key determinant in the future of medical outsourcing.

Virtual Business Operating Environment in the Cloud: Conceptual Architecture and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nezhad, Hamid R. Motahari; Stephenson, Bryan; Singhal, Sharad; Castellanos, Malu

Advances in service oriented architecture (SOA) have brought us close to the once imaginary vision of establishing and running a virtual business, a business in which most or all of its business functions are outsourced to online services. Cloud computing offers a realization of SOA in which IT resources are offered as services that are more affordable, flexible and attractive to businesses. In this paper, we briefly study advances in cloud computing, and discuss the benefits of using cloud services for businesses and trade-offs that they have to consider. We then present 1) a layered architecture for the virtual business, and 2) a conceptual architecture for a virtual business operating environment. We discuss the opportunities and research challenges that are ahead of us in realizing the technical components of this conceptual architecture. We conclude by giving the outlook and impact of cloud services on both large and small businesses.

[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.

Strategic Sourcing of R&D: The Determinants of Success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brook, Jacques W.; Plugge, Albert

The outsourcing of the R&D function is an emerging practice of corporate firms. In their attempt to reduce the increasing cost of research and technology development, firms are strategically outsourcing the R&D function or repositioning their internal R&D organisation. By doing so, they are able to benefit from other technology sources around the world. So far, there is only limited research on how firms develop their R&D sourcing strategies and how these strategies are implemented. This study aims to identify which determinants contribute to the success of R&D sourcing strategies. The results of our empirical research indicate that a clear vision of how to manage innovation strategically on a corporate level is a determinant of an effective R&D strategy. Moreover, our findings revealed that the R&D sourcing strategy influences a firm's sourcing capabilities. These sourcing capabilities need to be developed to manage the demand as well as the supply of R&D services. The alignment between the demand capabilities and the supply capabilities contributes to the success of R&D sourcing.

The impact of rationing of health resources on capacity of Australian public sector nurses to deliver nursing care after-hours: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Henderson, Julie; Willis, Eileen; Toffoli, Luisa; Hamilton, Patricia; Blackman, Ian

2016-12-01

Australia, along with other countries, has introduced New Public Management (NPM) into public sector hospitals in an effort to contain healthcare costs. NPM is associated with outsourcing of service provision, the meeting of government performance indicators, workforce flexibility and rationing of resources. This study explores the impact of rationing of staffing and other resources upon delivery of care outside of business hours. Data was collected through semistructured interviews conducted with 21 nurses working in 2 large Australian metropolitan hospitals. Participants identified four strategies associated with NPM which add to workload after-hours and impacted on the capacity to deliver nursing care. These were functional flexibility, vertical substitution of staff, meeting externally established performance indicators and outsourcing. We conclude that cost containment alongside of the meeting of performance indicators has extended work traditionally performed during business hours beyond those hours when less staffing and material resources are available. This adds to nursing workload and potentially contributes to incomplete nursing care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influences of reverse outsourcing on green technological progress from the perspective of a global supply chain.

PubMed

Wang, Shuhong; Song, Malin

2017-10-01

As a newly appeared trade mode in recent years, reverse outsourcing has made a great impact on traditional trade modes. This paper researched the influences of reverse outsourcing on green technological progress from the perspective of a global supply chain by using micro-data of enterprises. It worked out the rate of green technological progress from two innovative concepts: potential production technology and practical production technology. The empirical analysis results indicated that reverse outsourcing stimulates, and enterprise size and ownership type potentially affects, green technological progress. State-owned or foreign enterprises with high income levels would pay more attention to environmental protection, energy saving, and emission reduction, while small and micro enterprises with low incomes would choose to ignore environmental protection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patients' experience of outsourcing and care related to magnetic resonance examinations.

PubMed

Tavakol Olofsson, Parvin; Aspelin, Peter; Bergstrand, Lott; Blomqvist, Lennart

2014-11-01

Outsourcing radiological examinations from public university hospitals affects the patient, who has to attend a different clinic or hospital for the radiological examination. We currently have a limited understanding of how patients view outsourcing and their care related to MR examinations. To examine the experiences of patients who are sent to private radiology units when their referrals for MR examinations are outsourced from a university hospital, as well as to explore factors which influence patient satisfaction regarding the quality of care related to the MR examination. A group of patients (n = 160) referred for MR examinations and either examined at a university hospital or at an external private unit were interviewed. The interview was designed as a verbal questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Student's t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlation. Sixty-nine percent of the patients could neither choose nor influence the location at which they were examined. For those who could, aspects that influenced the patient's choice of radiology department were: short waiting time 79% (127/160), ease of traveling to the radiology department 68% (110/160), and short distance to their home or work 58% (93/160). For 40% (60/160) of the patients, a short time in the waiting room was related to a positive experience of the MR examination. If patients were informed about outsourcing and could also choose where to have their examination, key factors contributing to patient satisfaction could be met even when MR examinations are outsourced.

Joint venture versus outreach: a financial analysis of case studies.

PubMed

Forsman, R W

2001-01-01

Medical centers across the country are facing cost challenges, and national commercial laboratories are experiencing financial declines that necessitate their capturing market share in any way possible. Many laboratories are turning to joint ventures or partnerships for financial relief. However, it often is in the best interest of the patient and the medical center to integrate laboratory services across the continuum of care. This article analyzes two hypothetical joint ventures involving a laboratory management agreement and full laboratory outsourcing.

Outsourcing to win.

PubMed

Fink, Paul; Skeen, James

2007-01-01

The decision to outsource the manufacture of an entire device can be difficult, yet the advantages of this business strategy are huge. The important elements of the process are examined here so that companies can adopt this approach with confidence.

Make or Buy: An Analysis of the Impacts of 3D Printing Operations, 3D Laser Scanning Technology, and Collaborative Product Life-Cycle Management on Ship Maintenance and Modernization Cost Savings

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

team from the Naval Postgraduate School conducted a trade -off analysis of in-sourcing (i.e., make) versus outsourcing (i.e., buy) the production of... outsourced , fabricating parts involves an extensive acquisition process in addition to reverse engineering and manufacturing legacy replacement parts...upper left in Figure 1) is outsourcing to the original equipment manufacturer , “Organic” (upper right in Figure 1) is in-sourcing by the U.S

Rumble over jailhouse healthcare. As states broaden outsourcing to private vendors, critics question quality of care and cost savings.

PubMed

Kutscher, Beth; Meyer, Harris

2013-09-02

The trend for states to outsource prison healthcare has met opposition from inmate advocates and legal aid groups. They fear quality of care will suffer, while others debate whether outsourcing care saves any money. Corizon, the largest U.S. private prison healthcare provider, says it definitely delivers savings. "We are the model because we've been doing capitated rates since we've been in business. Our cost per individual is significantly less than in the 'free world,' "says Corizon CEO Rich Hallworth.

A New Curriculum: Energy Outsourcing Brings Cost and Efficiency Benefits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickerman, Robert N.

2002-01-01

Considers the value of colleges and universities upgrading their energy infrastructure and using outsourcing energy management functions to save money and gain greater control of energy operations without substantial investments in staff and resources. (GR)

CIOs use outsourcing to revamp systems.

PubMed

Morrissey, J

1995-07-24

Faced with the challenge of keeping pace with computer technology, many chief information officers are farming out projects to experts. Outsourcing firms are circling the healthcare industry, ready to pounce on market opportunities that exceeded $1 billion in 1994.

Strategic drivers of contract manufacturing: Part I, The theory.

PubMed

Tomlinson, Geoff; Geimer, Harald

2002-12-01

Medical device manufacturers and diagnostics companies have significantly increased their use of contract manufacturers to outsource production of components. This, the first of a two-part article, reviews strategic benefits and best practices in outsourcing.

Working with a Real Estate Developer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Allen; Henderson, Mark

2001-01-01

Discusses outsourcing to an experienced real estate developer as a more efficient means of meeting school development goals on a strict time schedule. Advantages of outsourcing are covered as is advice on selecting the right development firm. (GR)

Developing a value-added Web site.

PubMed

Turisco, F; Kilbridge, P M

2000-03-01

Once a healthcare organization has decided to establish a Web site on the Internet, it must next determine its implementation strategy, based on a full understanding of the goals of the site and the range of Web content and service offerings available in the marketplace. Although some organizations may choose to develop and maintain a Web site using exclusively in-house resources, most healthcare organizations will find that they can minimize the costs associated with this effort by making judicious use of outsourcing services. Whichever approach is used, it is important that financial managers charged with allocating resources for Web-site development and maintenance understand the implications, including relative financial impact, of key issues and options.

Benefits and risks of shared services in healthcare.

PubMed

Kennewell, Suzanne; Baker, Laura

2016-05-16

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of staff in a large, public health service involved in transitioning support services to a shared services model. It aims to understand their perceptions of the benefits and risks arising from this change. Design/methodology/approach - Thematic analysis of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with both service provider and customer agency staff was used to identify, analyze and report patterns of benefits and risks within data. Findings - Staff expressed the need for relevant subject-matter-experts to work within customer agencies to facilitate effective communication between the customer agency and shared services provider, reflecting observations found in out-sourcing literature. Research limitations/implications - Results point to significant challenges continuing to occur for shared services in healthcare. Risks identified suggest a more intimate relationship between clinical and support services than previously discussed. Originality/value - Previous discussion of the shared services model has not considered the skills, knowledge and ability required by staff in the customer agency. This research indicates that in the absence of such consideration, the concepts of the shared services model are weakened.

Patients’ experience of outsourcing and care related to magnetic resonance examinations

PubMed Central

Aspelin, Peter; Bergstrand, Lott; Blomqvist, Lennart

2014-01-01

Background Outsourcing radiological examinations from public university hospitals affects the patient, who has to attend a different clinic or hospital for the radiological examination. We currently have a limited understanding of how patients view outsourcing and their care related to MR examinations. Aim Aim. To examine the experiences of patients who are sent to private radiology units when their referrals for MR examinations are outsourced from a university hospital, as well as to explore factors which influence patient satisfaction regarding the quality of care related to the MR examination. Methods A group of patients (n = 160) referred for MR examinations and either examined at a university hospital or at an external private unit were interviewed. The interview was designed as a verbal questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Student’s t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation. Results Sixty-nine percent of the patients could neither choose nor influence the location at which they were examined. For those who could, aspects that influenced the patient’s choice of radiology department were: short waiting time 79% (127/160), ease of traveling to the radiology department 68% (110/160), and short distance to their home or work 58% (93/160). For 40% (60/160) of the patients, a short time in the waiting room was related to a positive experience of the MR examination. Conclusion Conclusion. If patients were informed about outsourcing and could also choose where to have their examination, key factors contributing to patient satisfaction could be met even when MR examinations are outsourced. PMID:25142133

GPs' experiences with out-of-hours GP cooperatives: a survey study from the Netherlands.

PubMed

Smits, Marleen; Keizer, Ellen; Huibers, Linda; Giesen, Paul

2014-09-01

Out-of-hours primary care has been provided by general practitioner (GP) cooperatives since the year 2000 in the Netherlands. Early studies in countries with similar organizational structures showed positive GP experiences. However, nowadays it is said that GPs experience a high workload at the cooperative and that they outsource a considerable part of their shifts. To examine positive and negative experiences of GPs providing out-of-hours primary care, and the frequency and reasons for outsourcing shifts. A cross-sectional observational survey among 688 GPs connected to six GP cooperatives in the Netherlands, using a web-based questionnaire. The response was 55% (n = 378). The main reasons for working in GP cooperatives were to retain registration as GP (79%) and remain experienced in acute care (74%). GPs considered the peak hours (81%) and the high number of patients (73%) as the most negative aspects. Most GPs chose to provide the out-of-hours shifts themselves: 85% outsourced maximally 25% of their shifts. The percentage of outsourced shifts increased with age. Main reasons for outsourcing were the desire to have more private time (76%); the high workload in daytime practice (71%); and less the workload during out-of-hours (46%). GPs are motivated to work in out-of-hours GP cooperatives, and they outsource few shifts. GPs consider the peak load and the large number of (non-urgent) help requests as the most negative aspects. To motivate and involve GPs for 7 × 24-h primary care, it is important to set limits on their workload.

Evidence Points To 'Gaming' At Hospitals Subject To National Health Service Cleanliness Inspections.

PubMed

Toffolutti, Veronica; McKee, Martin; Stuckler, David

2017-02-01

Inspections are a key way to monitor and ensure quality of care and maintain high standards in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. Yet there is a perception that inspections can be gamed. This can happen, for example, when staff members know that an inspection will soon take place. Using data for 205 NHS hospitals for the period 2011-14, we tested whether patients' perceptions of cleanliness increased during periods when inspections occurred. Our results show that during the period within two months of an inspection, there was a significant elevation (2.5-11.0 percentage points) in the share of patients who reported "excellent" cleanliness. This association was consistent even after adjustment for secular time trends. The association was concentrated in hospitals that outsourced cleaning services and was not detected in those that used NHS cleaning services. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Managing Boundaries: The Role of Non-Profit Organisations in Russia’s Managed Democracy

PubMed Central

Ljubownikow, Sergej; Crotty, Jo

2017-01-01

This article examines Russian human service non-profit organisations (NPOs) to investigate the nature of civil society in a managed democracy. Specifically the focus is on emerging vertical ties between NPOs and ruling and governing elites. Drawing on qualitative data collected from health and education NPOs in three industrial regions, we find that in establishing such vertical ties the role of organisations and individuals within is changing – they have moved away from ignored outsiders towards accessing the circles of power and being tasked with managing the boundary between the state and civil society. In exploring these arrangements this article highlights that in the post-Soviet space, NPOs and the state are closely intertwined resembling co-optation. As a result the democratisation potential of human service NPOs is constrained. In discussing these insights we also draw parallels to contexts in which the state has outsourced welfare service to human service NPOs. PMID:28989196

Customer-Provider Strategic Alignment: A Maturity Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luftman, Jerry; Brown, Carol V.; Balaji, S.

This chapter presents a new model for assessing the maturity of a ­customer-provider relationship from a collaborative service delivery perspective: the Customer-Provider Strategic Alignment Maturity (CPSAM) Model. This model builds on recent research for effectively managing the customer-provider relationship in IT service outsourcing contexts and a validated model for assessing alignment across internal IT service units and their business customers within the same organization. After reviewing relevant literature by service science and information systems researchers, the six overarching components of the maturity model are presented: value measurements, governance, partnership, communications, human resources and skills, and scope and architecture. A key assumption of the model is that all of the components need be addressed to assess and improve customer-provider alignment. Examples of specific metrics for measuring the maturity level of each component over the five levels of maturity are also presented.

Outsourcing CO2 within China.

PubMed

Feng, Kuishuang; Davis, Steven J; Sun, Laixiang; Li, Xin; Guan, Dabo; Liu, Weidong; Liu, Zhu; Hubacek, Klaus

2013-07-09

Recent studies have shown that the high standard of living enjoyed by people in the richest countries often comes at the expense of CO2 emissions produced with technologies of low efficiency in less affluent, developing countries. Less apparent is that this relationship between developed and developing can exist within a single country's borders, with rich regions consuming and exporting high-value goods and services that depend upon production of low-cost and emission-intensive goods and services from poorer regions in the same country. As the world's largest emitter of CO2, China is a prominent and important example, struggling to balance rapid economic growth and environmental sustainability across provinces that are in very different stages of development. In this study, we track CO2 emissions embodied in products traded among Chinese provinces and internationally. We find that 57% of China's emissions are related to goods that are consumed outside of the province where they are produced. For instance, up to 80% of the emissions related to goods consumed in the highly developed coastal provinces are imported from less developed provinces in central and western China where many low-value-added but high-carbon-intensive goods are produced. Without policy attention to this sort of interprovincial carbon leakage, the less developed provinces will struggle to meet their emissions intensity targets, whereas the more developed provinces might achieve their own targets by further outsourcing. Consumption-based accounting of emissions can thus inform effective and equitable climate policy within China.

Outsourcing CO2 within China

PubMed Central

Feng, Kuishuang; Davis, Steven J.; Sun, Laixiang; Li, Xin; Guan, Dabo; Liu, Weidong; Liu, Zhu; Hubacek, Klaus

2013-01-01

Recent studies have shown that the high standard of living enjoyed by people in the richest countries often comes at the expense of CO2 emissions produced with technologies of low efficiency in less affluent, developing countries. Less apparent is that this relationship between developed and developing can exist within a single country’s borders, with rich regions consuming and exporting high-value goods and services that depend upon production of low-cost and emission-intensive goods and services from poorer regions in the same country. As the world’s largest emitter of CO2, China is a prominent and important example, struggling to balance rapid economic growth and environmental sustainability across provinces that are in very different stages of development. In this study, we track CO2 emissions embodied in products traded among Chinese provinces and internationally. We find that 57% of China’s emissions are related to goods that are consumed outside of the province where they are produced. For instance, up to 80% of the emissions related to goods consumed in the highly developed coastal provinces are imported from less developed provinces in central and western China where many low–value-added but high–carbon-intensive goods are produced. Without policy attention to this sort of interprovincial carbon leakage, the less developed provinces will struggle to meet their emissions intensity targets, whereas the more developed provinces might achieve their own targets by further outsourcing. Consumption-based accounting of emissions can thus inform effective and equitable climate policy within China. PMID:23754377

Outsourcing your medical practice call center: how to choose a vendor to ensure regulatory compliance.

PubMed

Johnson, Bill

2014-01-01

Medical practices receive hundreds if not thousands of calls every week from patients, payers, pharmacies, and others. Outsourcing call centers can be a smart move to improve efficiency, lower costs, improve customer care, ensure proper payer management, and ensure regulatory compliance. This article discusses how to know when it's time to move to an outsourced call center, the benefits of making the move, how to choose the right call center, and how to make the transition. It also provides tips on how to manage the call center to ensure the objectives are being met.

A survey of rural hospitals' perspectives on health information technology outsourcing.

PubMed

Johnson, Nicholas; Murphy, Alison; McNeese, Nathan; Reddy, Madhu; Purao, Sandeep

2013-01-01

A survey of rural hospitals was conducted in the spring of 2012 to better understand their perspectives on health information technology (HIT) outsourcing and the role that hospital-to-hospital HIT partnerships (HHPs) can play as an outsourcing mechanism. The survey sought to understand how HHPs might be leveraged for HIT implementation, as well as the challenges with forming them. The results suggest that HHPs have the potential to address rural hospitals' slow rate of HIT adoption, but there are also challenges to creating these partnerships. These issues, as well as avenues for further research, are then discussed.

Use of outsourced nurses in long-term acute care hospitals: outcomes and leadership preferences.

PubMed

Alvarez, M Raymond; Kerr, Bernard J; Burtner, Joan; Ledlow, Gerald; Fulton, Larry V

2011-02-01

When staffing effectiveness is not maintained over time, the likelihood of negative outcomes increases. This challenge is particularly problematic in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) where use of outsourced temporary nurses is common when providing safe, sufficient care to medically complex patients who require longer hospital stays than normally would occur. To assess this issue, the authors discuss the outcomes of their survey of LTACH chief nursing officers that demonstrated LTACH quality indicators and overall patient satisfaction were within nationally accepted benchmarks even with higher levels of outsourced nurses used in this post-acute care setting.

Lessons for outsourcing and interim management relationships.

PubMed

Macko, W; Kostyack, P T

1999-01-01

Few decisions can affect an organization more than the selection of an outsourcing or interim management partner. More and more health care organizations face such decisions in today's competitive market in order to face new business needs. Making these relationships successful can be important for health care organizations seeking competitive advantages or seeking immediately accessible management support. These relationships, however, require careful partner selection and development. Success in outsourcing and interim management relationships is contingent upon a thorough selection process, a strong contract that has clearly and explicitly detailed responsibilities and a culture-sensitive business rapport between the client and selected partner.

A Survey of Rural Hospitals’ Perspectives on Health Information Technology Outsourcing

PubMed Central

Johnson, Nicholas; Murphy, Alison; McNeese, Nathan; Reddy, Madhu; Purao, Sandeep

2013-01-01

A survey of rural hospitals was conducted in the spring of 2012 to better understand their perspectives on health information technology (HIT) outsourcing and the role that hospital-to-hospital HIT partnerships (HHPs) can play as an outsourcing mechanism. The survey sought to understand how HHPs might be leveraged for HIT implementation, as well as the challenges with forming them. The results suggest that HHPs have the potential to address rural hospitals’ slow rate of HIT adoption, but there are also challenges to creating these partnerships. These issues, as well as avenues for further research, are then discussed. PMID:24551373

Effective Monitoring and Control of Outsourced Software Development Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponisio, Laura; Vruggink, Peter

In our study of four outsourcing projects we discover mechanisms to support managerial decision making during software development processes. We report on Customer Office, a framework used in practice that facilitates reasoning about projects by highlighting information paths and making co-ordination issues explicit. The results suggest a key role of modularisation and standardisation to assist in value creation, by facilitating information flow and keeping the overview of the project. The practical implications of our findings are guidelines for managing outsourcing projects such as to have a modularised view of the project based on knowledge domains and to standardise co-ordination operations.

Fast, cheap, and out of control? Speculations and ethical concerns in the conduct of outsourced clinical trials in India.

PubMed

Kamat, Vinay R

2014-03-01

The globalization of biopharmaceutical clinical trials and their offshore outsourcing, from the West to low and middle-income countries, has come under increasing scrutiny from academic scholars, practitioners, regulatory agencies and the media. This article reports the results of a study conducted in Bangalore and Hyderabad between 2007 and 2009, to elicit the perspectives of stakeholders, concerning media representations of their work and the ethical issues that emanate from their engagement in the clinical trials enterprise. In acknowledging the inherently problematic nature of the outsourcing of clinical trials to low income countries, I argue that the practice of not prioritizing research on diseases that are most prevalent among communities, from which subjects are recruited, demands a coordinated and sustained critique. I propose that the critical discourse on the outsourcing of clinical trials should not only emphasize the perils of this practice, but also address some broader issues of equity and distributive justice that determine people's access to basic health care in low income countries. Close attention to the specific context of clinical trials in an increasingly neoliberal medical and health environment in emerging economies such as India can provide critical insights into the on-the-ground complexities and challenges of outsourced global clinical trials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outsourcing to China.

PubMed

Liu, Jacqueline

2004-12-01

To enhance competitive advantage in the face of increasing globalisation, companies need to consider moving certain operations to China, if they have not done so already. This article describes the evolving nature of outsourcing to China and what companies need to consider to be successful in this business model.

Domestic outsourcing and multitasking: How much do they really contribute?

PubMed

Sullivan, Oriel; Gershuny, Jonathan

2013-09-01

The bulk of responsibility for domestic work and childcare in heterosexual couples falls on women. But the means they find to cope with this load, and how these means relate to the factors underpinning the division of labor are not often studied. Two much-cited ways of reducing overall work time are purchasing domestic assistance (outsourcing) and the multitasking of domestic/caring tasks. Using UK 2000/2001 time-use data (N=4196 couples), we find domestic outsourcing is related to having dependent children and to partners' resources, but has little impact on the total domestic/caring workload of either partner. Nor can outsourcing account for the reduction in women's unpaid labor with increasing economic resources. Wives spend more time multitasking than husbands, but their proportion of multitasked domestic time is similar, and is not affected by resources or dependent children. Domestic multitasking seems to be more related to opportunity (time at home) than to time pressure. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Two-Cloud-Servers-Assisted Secure Outsourcing Multiparty Computation

PubMed Central

Wen, Qiaoyan; Zhang, Hua; Jin, Zhengping; Li, Wenmin

2014-01-01

We focus on how to securely outsource computation task to the cloud and propose a secure outsourcing multiparty computation protocol on lattice-based encrypted data in two-cloud-servers scenario. Our main idea is to transform the outsourced data respectively encrypted by different users' public keys to the ones that are encrypted by the same two private keys of the two assisted servers so that it is feasible to operate on the transformed ciphertexts to compute an encrypted result following the function to be computed. In order to keep the privacy of the result, the two servers cooperatively produce a custom-made result for each user that is authorized to get the result so that all authorized users can recover the desired result while other unauthorized ones including the two servers cannot. Compared with previous research, our protocol is completely noninteractive between any users, and both of the computation and the communication complexities of each user in our solution are independent of the computing function. PMID:24982949

Security and Cloud Outsourcing Framework for Economic Dispatch

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

Sarker, Mushfiqur R.; Wang, Jianhui; Li, Zuyi

The computational complexity and problem sizes of power grid applications have increased significantly with the advent of renewable resources and smart grid technologies. The current paradigm of solving these issues consist of inhouse high performance computing infrastructures, which have drawbacks of high capital expenditures, maintenance, and limited scalability. Cloud computing is an ideal alternative due to its powerful computational capacity, rapid scalability, and high cost-effectiveness. A major challenge, however, remains in that the highly confidential grid data is susceptible for potential cyberattacks when outsourced to the cloud. In this work, a security and cloud outsourcing framework is developed for themore » Economic Dispatch (ED) linear programming application. As a result, the security framework transforms the ED linear program into a confidentiality-preserving linear program, that masks both the data and problem structure, thus enabling secure outsourcing to the cloud. Results show that for large grid test cases the performance gain and costs outperforms the in-house infrastructure.« less

Outsourcing drug discovery to India and China: from surviving to thriving.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Swaminathan; Dugar, Sundeep

2012-10-01

Global pharmaceutical companies face an increasingly harsh environment for their primary business of selling medicines. They have to contend with a spiraling decline in the productivity of their R&D programs that is guaranteed to severely diminish their growth prospects. Outsourcing of drug discovery activities to low-cost locations is a growing response to this crisis. However, the upsides to outsourcing are capped by the failure of global pharmaceutical companies to take advantage of the full range of possibilities that this model provides. Companies that radically rethink and transform the way they conduct R&D, such as seeking the benefits of low-cost locations in India and China will be the ones that thrive in this environment. In this article we present our views on how the outsourcing model in drug discovery should go beyond increasing the efficiency of existing drug discovery processes to a fundamental rethink and re-engineering of these processes. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Security and Cloud Outsourcing Framework for Economic Dispatch

DOE PAGES

Sarker, Mushfiqur R.; Wang, Jianhui; Li, Zuyi; ...

2017-04-24

The computational complexity and problem sizes of power grid applications have increased significantly with the advent of renewable resources and smart grid technologies. The current paradigm of solving these issues consist of inhouse high performance computing infrastructures, which have drawbacks of high capital expenditures, maintenance, and limited scalability. Cloud computing is an ideal alternative due to its powerful computational capacity, rapid scalability, and high cost-effectiveness. A major challenge, however, remains in that the highly confidential grid data is susceptible for potential cyberattacks when outsourced to the cloud. In this work, a security and cloud outsourcing framework is developed for themore » Economic Dispatch (ED) linear programming application. As a result, the security framework transforms the ED linear program into a confidentiality-preserving linear program, that masks both the data and problem structure, thus enabling secure outsourcing to the cloud. Results show that for large grid test cases the performance gain and costs outperforms the in-house infrastructure.« less

Two-cloud-servers-assisted secure outsourcing multiparty computation.

PubMed

Sun, Yi; Wen, Qiaoyan; Zhang, Yudong; Zhang, Hua; Jin, Zhengping; Li, Wenmin

2014-01-01

We focus on how to securely outsource computation task to the cloud and propose a secure outsourcing multiparty computation protocol on lattice-based encrypted data in two-cloud-servers scenario. Our main idea is to transform the outsourced data respectively encrypted by different users' public keys to the ones that are encrypted by the same two private keys of the two assisted servers so that it is feasible to operate on the transformed ciphertexts to compute an encrypted result following the function to be computed. In order to keep the privacy of the result, the two servers cooperatively produce a custom-made result for each user that is authorized to get the result so that all authorized users can recover the desired result while other unauthorized ones including the two servers cannot. Compared with previous research, our protocol is completely noninteractive between any users, and both of the computation and the communication complexities of each user in our solution are independent of the computing function.

Outsourcing and Insourcing Jobs in the U.S. Economy: Evidence Based on Foreign Investment Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-13

production, retail trade, chemicals, and computers and equipment. Employment in the services sectors, mining, and the food sectors grew most rapidly from...focused on this region for some time to come. Nevertheless, from 2003 to 2005, employment by U.S. firms in Asia, particularly in China, Malaysia and...4,838.8 4,963.7 Food 384.2 390.5 551.3 Beverages and tobacco products 204.6 208.7 130.2 Textiles, apparel , and leather products 59.5 56.4 54.9

Biotech Outsourcing Strategies cmc—Biologics stream

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Now in its third year, the Biotech Outsourcing Strategies (BOS) meeting organized by Bio2Business took place at the Søhuset Conference Centre in Hørsholm, Copenhagen. The focus of this year's event was the demanding and challenging area of chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and the meeting provided ample opportunity for lively discussion of the key issues surrounding this area. New for the 2010 conference, a biologics-focused lecture stream ran in parallel to the established small molecule stream. Both streams boasted a distinguished panel of keynote speakers who discussed all aspects of CMC from early stage scale-up through late stage clinical development. In addition to the keynote speakers, selected contract research organizations (CROs) gave short presentations on the solutions that they could provide to some of the challenges facing CMC. The meeting attracted more than 150 delegates from leading drug development companies and CRO service providers, and greatly facilitated the forging of new working relationships through pre-arranged one-to-one meetings. Moreover, exhibitions from event sponsors and considerable scheduled networking time over lunch and evening receptions further enhanced the highly productive and interactive nature of the meeting. PMID:20716956

Biotech outsourcing strategies cmc--biologics stream. June 17, 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark.

PubMed

Hamer, Kate

2010-01-01

Now in its third year, the Biotech Outsourcing Strategies (BOS) meeting organized by Bio2Business took place at the Søhuset Conference Centre in Hørsholm, Copenhagen. The focus of this year's event was the demanding and challenging area of chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and the meeting provided ample opportunity for lively discussion of the key issues surrounding this area. New for the 2010 conference, a biologics-focused lecture stream ran in parallel to the established small molecule stream. Both streams boasted a distinguished panel of keynote speakers who discussed all aspects of CMC from early stage scale-up through late stage clinical development. In addition to the keynote speakers, selected contract research organizations (CROs) gave short presentations on the solutions that they could provide to some of the challenges facing CMC. The meeting attracted more than 150 delegates from leading drug development companies and CRO service providers, and greatly facilitated the forging of new working relationships through pre-arranged one-to-one meetings. Moreover, exhibitions from event sponsors and considerable scheduled networking time over lunch and evening reception further enhanced the highly productive and interactive nature of the meeting.

Query-Biased Preview over Outsourced and Encrypted Data

PubMed Central

Luo, Guangchun; Qin, Ke; Chen, Aiguo

2013-01-01

For both convenience and security, more and more users encrypt their sensitive data before outsourcing it to a third party such as cloud storage service. However, searching for the desired documents becomes problematic since it is costly to download and decrypt each possibly needed document to check if it contains the desired content. An informative query-biased preview feature, as applied in modern search engine, could help the users to learn about the content without downloading the entire document. However, when the data are encrypted, securely extracting a keyword-in-context snippet from the data as a preview becomes a challenge. Based on private information retrieval protocol and the core concept of searchable encryption, we propose a single-server and two-round solution to securely obtain a query-biased snippet over the encrypted data from the server. We achieve this novel result by making a document (plaintext) previewable under any cryptosystem and constructing a secure index to support dynamic computation for a best matched snippet when queried by some keywords. For each document, the scheme has O(d) storage complexity and O(log(d/s) + s + d/s) communication complexity, where d is the document size and s is the snippet length. PMID:24078798

Query-biased preview over outsourced and encrypted data.

PubMed

Peng, Ningduo; Luo, Guangchun; Qin, Ke; Chen, Aiguo

2013-01-01

For both convenience and security, more and more users encrypt their sensitive data before outsourcing it to a third party such as cloud storage service. However, searching for the desired documents becomes problematic since it is costly to download and decrypt each possibly needed document to check if it contains the desired content. An informative query-biased preview feature, as applied in modern search engine, could help the users to learn about the content without downloading the entire document. However, when the data are encrypted, securely extracting a keyword-in-context snippet from the data as a preview becomes a challenge. Based on private information retrieval protocol and the core concept of searchable encryption, we propose a single-server and two-round solution to securely obtain a query-biased snippet over the encrypted data from the server. We achieve this novel result by making a document (plaintext) previewable under any cryptosystem and constructing a secure index to support dynamic computation for a best matched snippet when queried by some keywords. For each document, the scheme has O(d) storage complexity and O(log(d/s) + s + d/s) communication complexity, where d is the document size and s is the snippet length.

Three Interdisciplinary Studies on IT Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gantman, Sonia Vilvovsky

2012-01-01

This dissertation provides interdisciplinary insights into the role of client's internal collaborative experience in managing communication during a complex outsourced project, building a quality client-vendor relationship and ultimately achieving success in the project. Each of the three studies in this dissertation identifies a gap in…

Changing the way employee benefit communications are produced: outsourcing, a more efficient, less costly process.

PubMed

Herren, K

1995-12-01

Outsourcing may offer employers an efficient, cost-effective way to produce employee benefit communications. It offers a way to utilize the latest technology to produce personalized benefit statements or to target an announcement of benefit changes to a specific group of employees.

Avoiding the Ax: How to Keep from Being Downsized or Outsourced.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Mary Ellen

1997-01-01

Gives guidance in preventing library staff downsizing or outsourcing: remember the competition, read financial reports and periodicals, identify key library executives and patrons, define the library as a "profit center," market the library, make yourself essential and indispensable, remind users of the library's resources, embrace the…

The Ins and Outs of Outsourcing: The Changing, Evolving Scene for Information Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwalb, Sandy

1997-01-01

Examines the trend toward outsourcing in libraries and presents views from information professionals in various work environments. Discussion covers privatization activities of government agencies and libraries as well as corporate libraries, particularly law firm libraries. The need for good library-vendor communication, the effect on public…

Outsourcing issues for nurse practitioner practices.

PubMed

Mackey, Thomas A; McNiel, Nancy O; Klingensmith, Kenneth

2004-01-01

Nurse practitioner managed practices face multiple business and clinical processes. While most practice managers are prepared as clinicians, they are not well prepared to deal with the daily multiple business infrastructure issues they face. To provide for increased efficiency and effectiveness, nurse practitioner practices should consider outsourcing context business functions.

The Outsourcing of Classroom Instruction in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schibik, Timothy; Harrington, Charles

2004-01-01

Many constituencies external to higher education have begun promoting greater accountability. This view advocates a closer focus on the bottom line and that universities should utilise a more business-like model. One major outgrowth of this paradigm shift has been the seemingly recent emergence of outsourcing in higher education. Higher education…

Assembling the Privatisation of Physical Education and the "Inexpert" Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Darren

2015-01-01

In this article, I examine the practice of outsourcing physical education (PE) lessons to external sports organisations. I draw from ethnographic research conducted with two primary schools in New Zealand to illuminate how outsourcing interconnects with the privatisation of education. Using Foucault's notion of government, I demonstrate how…

Personnel Performance Assessment in Information Systems Outsourcing Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casado-Lumbreras, Cristina; Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Colomo-Palacios, Ricardo; de Pablos, Patricia Ordonez

2011-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present a tool which uses semantic technologies for personnel performance and workplace learning assessment in outsourced information technology environments. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the tool from a technical perspective and introduces a use case that depicts the main features related to…

Work-Life Balance in an Outsourcing Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiltshire, Dervent

2013-01-01

Empirical evidence has found an increase in work-life conflicts within outsourced environments. It is important to address the increase in conflict to reduce negative effects on businesses. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of the spillover, conflict management, and resource dependency theories, the purpose of the study was to examine how…

Model citizens. Outsourcing helps start-up Medicare HMO.

PubMed

Slavic, B; Adami, S

1999-04-01

Health Plans of Pennsylvania (HPP), the managed care arm of Crozer-Keystone Health System, in Media, Pa. Selecting the information systems and building the infrastructure to support the start-up of a new Medicare HMO product. HPP chose to outsource the information systems needed to integrate all the components of managed care administration into a cost-effective and cohesive program. Because of its aggressive programming and start-up of the MedCarePlus product offering, HPP became the first plan in the country to submit Medicare claims data electronically for encounter reporting to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). "Through an integrated team approach, an organization truly can benefit from the economies of scale gained through outsourcing."

Emerging trends in contract research industry in India.

PubMed

Drabu, Sushma; Gupta, Alka; Bhadauria, Anupama

2010-09-01

A Contract Research Organization (CRO) is a service organization that provides support to the pharmaceutical industry and offers a wide range of "outsourced" pharmaceutical research services to aid in R&D process and is thus an essential tool for undertaking clinical trials in the present scenario when high stakes are involved in the drug discovery process. This industry also offers a safe option of investment as the industry is largely recession-proof, with a significant upscale growth. Presently India occupies a very small pie of the global market share in the Clinical Trials Industry but it is estimated to conduct nearly 5% of global clinical trials by 2012. The global CRO industry valued $18 bn in 2008 and the market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 14% between 2009 and 13. Top multinational pharmaceuticals companies are venturing into the Indian business, in collaboration with the Indian Drug Companies. According to a recent study by Mckinsey & Company, the Indian Clinical Research Industry can attract $1.5 bn of revenue from US and EU by 2010. Such an increase in outsourcing from the western countries has led the global pharma companies and Indian entrepreneurs to set up Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in India. To bring this into realization and fulfil the market demand, while simultaneously aiding in improving the country's economical standards and market position, joint and well-coordinated efforts on part of the government, industry, and working professionals are needed in terms of regulatory affairs, audits, transparency in work affairs, garnering patient confidence, and pharmacovigilance. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A community effort to protect genomic data sharing, collaboration and outsourcing.

PubMed

Wang, Shuang; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Tang, Haixu; Wang, Xiaofeng; Bu, Diyue; Carey, Knox; Dyke, Stephanie Om; Fox, Dov; Jiang, Chao; Lauter, Kristin; Malin, Bradley; Sofia, Heidi; Telenti, Amalio; Wang, Lei; Wang, Wenhao; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2017-01-01

The human genome can reveal sensitive information and is potentially re-identifiable, which raises privacy and security concerns about sharing such data on wide scales. In 2016, we organized the third Critical Assessment of Data Privacy and Protection competition as a community effort to bring together biomedical informaticists, computer privacy and security researchers, and scholars in ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) to assess the latest advances on privacy-preserving techniques for protecting human genomic data. Teams were asked to develop novel protection methods for emerging genome privacy challenges in three scenarios: Track (1) data sharing through the Beacon service of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health. Track (2) collaborative discovery of similar genomes between two institutions; and Track (3) data outsourcing to public cloud services. The latter two tracks represent continuing themes from our 2015 competition, while the former was new and a response to a recently established vulnerability. The winning strategy for Track 1 mitigated the privacy risk by hiding approximately 11% of the variation in the database while permitting around 160,000 queries, a significant improvement over the baseline. The winning strategies in Tracks 2 and 3 showed significant progress over the previous competition by achieving multiple orders of magnitude performance improvement in terms of computational runtime and memory requirements. The outcomes suggest that applying highly optimized privacy-preserving and secure computation techniques to safeguard genomic data sharing and analysis is useful. However, the results also indicate that further efforts are needed to refine these techniques into practical solutions.

Examining health care spending trends over a decade: the Palestinian case.

PubMed

Hamidi, S; Narcı, H Ö; Akinci, F; Nacakgedigi, O

2016-03-15

An analysis was made of recent health care spending patterns in the occupied Palestinian territory, in order to inform future health policy-making and planning. Data were obtained from the national health accounts for the period 2000-2011. The current level of resource allocation to the health care sector is higher than in many developed countries and is not sustainable. The private sector represents the largest source of health financing (61%) and the burden falls disproportionally on individual households, who account for 63% of private health care expenditure. Key recommendations include: building capacity in the government sector to reduce the outsourcing of health services; modifying inequitable financing mechanisms to reduce the burden on households; and allocating more resources for health promotion and disease prevention programmes. Reorientation of the health system is also needed in terms of reducing the share of spending on inpatient services in favour of more day surgery, outpatient and home-based services.

Course Corrections. Experts Offer Solutions to the College Cost Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumina Foundation for Education, 2005

2005-01-01

This paper discusses outsourcing as one solution to the college cost crisis. It is not presented as the solution; rather, it is put forth as an attractive strategy characterized by minimal financial and programmatic risk. To explore the basic policy considerations associated with outsourcing, this paper briefly reviews why institutions consider…

Outsourcing and Digitized Work Spaces: Some Implications of the Intersections of Globalization, Development, and Work Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Beatrice Quarshie

2006-01-01

Drawing on an ongoing project examining the literacies prevalent at an outsourcing site, this article explores the changing nature of workplace practices enabled by new information and communication technologies. It also examines the complex geopolitical dynamics of these practices, the discourses of development, and globalization. The author…

Making IT ends meet. Susquehanna Health System outsources Siemens' prized product to nearby hospitals looking for an affordable alternative.

PubMed

Becker, Cinda

2004-08-16

Susquehanna Health System has been offering small, rural hospitals a more affordable information technology system through a unique outsourcing agreement. The system's CIO, Pamela Wirth, left, has advocated the provider-to-provider arrangement, which could draw the ire of some vendors.

Students' Perception of IS Academic Programs, IS Careers, and Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martz, Ben; Cata, Teuta

2008-01-01

The authors compared the perceptions of information systems (IS) students with those of IS practitioners regarding IS careers, the practice of outsourcing, and academic programs. Results indicate that students and practitioners appreciate the integration of real-life practice in academic programs and that the general perception of IS careers is…

77 FR 34422 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Stock Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing''), as a CHX Participant and TPH. The text of... as it pertains to the application approval process of a CHX Participant \\5\\ and TPH \\6\\ in order to...'').\\9\\ \\8\\ Prior to the Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions...

77 FR 34417 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated: Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing'') as a CBOE and CBSX Trading Permit Holder, subject to Apex... applicable to CBSX, including several rules in Chapter 3 of the CBOE rules related to the application process...'').\\4\\ \\3\\ Prior to the Transaction, Apex Clearing's name was Ridge Clearing & Outsourcing Solutions...

Gender Equality and Outsourcing of Domestic Work, Childbearing, and Relationship Stability among British Couples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schober, Pia S.

2013-01-01

This study investigates whether gender inequality in the division of housework and child care may be an obstacle to childbearing and relationship stability among different groups of British couples. Furthermore, it explores whether outsourcing of domestic labor ameliorates any negative effects of domestic work inequality. The empirical…

Outsourcing of Instruction at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Thomas; Jacobs, James; Jenkins, Davis

2004-01-01

This report presents the findings of exploratory research designed to identify the characteristics of the outsourcing of instruction at community colleges and the forces that promote or block its spread. It is the second in a series of reports by the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement and the Community College Research Center on the…

Botsourcing and outsourcing: Robot, British, Chinese, and German workers are for thinking--not feeling--jobs.

PubMed

Waytz, Adam; Norton, Michael I

2014-04-01

Technological innovations have produced robots capable of jobs that, until recently, only humans could perform. The present research explores the psychology of "botsourcing"-the replacement of human jobs by robots-while examining how understanding botsourcing can inform the psychology of outsourcing-the replacement of jobs in one country by humans from other countries. We test four related hypotheses across six experiments: (1) Given people's lay theories about the capacities for cognition and emotion for robots and humans, workers will express more discomfort with botsourcing when they consider losing jobs that require emotion versus cognition; (2) people will express more comfort with botsourcing when jobs are framed as requiring cognition versus emotion; (3) people will express more comfort with botsourcing for jobs that do require emotion if robots appear to convey more emotion; and (4) people prefer to outsource cognition- versus emotion-oriented jobs to other humans who are perceived as more versus less robotic. These results have theoretical implications for understanding social cognition about both humans and nonhumans and practical implications for the increasingly botsourced and outsourced economy.

Risk management for outsourcing biomedical waste disposal - using the failure mode and effects analysis.

PubMed

Liao, Ching-Jong; Ho, Chao Chung

2014-07-01

Using the failure mode and effects analysis, this study examined biomedical waste companies through risk assessment. Moreover, it evaluated the supervisors of biomedical waste units in hospitals, and factors relating to the outsourcing risk assessment of biomedical waste in hospitals by referring to waste disposal acts. An expert questionnaire survey was conducted on the personnel involved in waste disposal units in hospitals, in order to identify important factors relating to the outsourcing risk of biomedical waste in hospitals. This study calculated the risk priority number (RPN) and selected items with an RPN value higher than 80 for improvement. These items included "availability of freezing devices", "availability of containers for sharp items", "disposal frequency", "disposal volume", "disposal method", "vehicles meeting the regulations", and "declaration of three lists". This study also aimed to identify important selection factors of biomedical waste disposal companies by hospitals in terms of risk. These findings can serve as references for hospitals in the selection of outsourcing companies for biomedical waste disposal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global hospital bed utilization crisis. A different approach.

PubMed

Waness, Abdelkarim; Akbar, Jalal U; Kharal, Mubashar; BinSalih, Salih; Harakati, Mohammed

2010-04-01

To test the effect of improved physician availability on hospital bed utilization. A prospective cohort study was conducted from 1st January 2009 to 31st March 2009 in the Division of Internal Medicine (DIM), King Abdul-Aziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two clinical teaching units (CTU) were compared head-to-head. Each CTU has 3 consultants. The CTU-control provides standard care, while the CTU-intervention was designed to provide better physician-consultant availability. Three outcomes were evaluated: patient outsourcing to another hospital, patient discharge during weekends, and overall admissions. Statistical analysis was carried out by electronic statistics calculator from the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. Three hundred and thirty-four patients were evaluated for admission at the Emergency Room by both CTU's. One hundred and eighty-three patients were seen by the CTU-control, 6 patients were outsourced, and 177 were admitted. One hundred fifty-one patients were seen by the CTU-intervention: 39 of them were outsourced, and 112 were admitted. Forty-eight weekend patient discharges occurred during this period of time: 21 by CTU-control, and 27 by CTU-intervention. Analysis for odds ratio in both the rate of outsourcing, and weekend discharges, showed statistical significance in favor of the intervention group. The continuous availability of a physician-consultant for patient admission evaluation, outsourcing, or discharge during regular weekdays and weekends at DIM, KAMC proved to have a positive impact on bed utilization.

Percentage compensation arrangements: suspect, but not illegal.

PubMed

Fedor, F P

2001-01-01

Percentage compensation arrangements, in which a service is outsourced to a contractor that is paid in accordance with the level of its performance, are widely used in many business sectors. The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has shown concern that these arrangements in the healthcare industry may offer incentives for the performance of unnecessary services or cause false claims to be made to Federal healthcare programs in violation of the antikickback statute and the False Claims Act. Percentage compensation arrangements can work and need not run afoul of the law as long as the healthcare organization carefully oversees the arrangement and sets specific safeguards in place. These safeguards include screening contractors, carefully evaluating their compliance programs, and obligating them contractually to perform within the limits of the law.

What Really Matters in Cyber? (where common protections are needed for ALL and your government product / service needs to accommodate them)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-06

pre cte , yet  pro erates  n  – Start with more Android Trojans, digital wallets,  USER provided network services! – Wireless security issues expand...PPLs) – A risk management plan (RMP) ‐ using both threats AND consequences A h t t l h t l 12 s, you can somew a con ro w a you p an, but you...factors… – complement with  SWOT / PEST opportunities.. Use centers of excellence,  smart outsourcing, know your enemy / competition AND users well

Putting the process of care into practice.

PubMed

Houck, S; Baum, N

1997-01-01

"Putting the process of care into practice" provides an interactive, visual model of outpatient resources and processes. It illustrates an episode of care from a fee-for-service as well as managed care perspective. The Care Process Matrix can be used for planning and staffing, as well as retrospectively to assess appropriate resource use within a practice. It identifies effective strategies for reducing the cost per episode of care and optimizing quality while moving from managing costs to managing the care process. Because of an overbuilt health care system, including an oversupply of physicians, success in the future will require redesigning the process of care and a coherent customer service strategy. The growing complexities of practice will require physicians to focus on several key competencies while outsourcing other functions such as billing and contracting.

Training Requirements of Entry Level Accountants: CA (India) vs. CPA (US)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arora, Alka

2012-01-01

In the accounting arena, tax returns are increasingly being outsourced to India. Tax returns that are outsourced to India are usually prepared by entry level accountants. Questions are often raised about the quality of education and training of entry level accountants in India. This article compares the training requirements and costs to become an…

77 FR 34448 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; National Stock Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-11

... Rules and Procedures in Order To Approve Apex Clearing Corporation, f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing... Clearing Corporation, f/k/a Ridge Clearing and Outsourcing Solutions, Inc. (``Apex Clearing'') as an NSX... regarding the application process for ETP Holders in order to immediately approve Apex Clearing as an NSX...

Analysis of Intellectual Property Protection Issues in Offshore Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Satinder Pal

2013-01-01

Offshore outsourcing is a business strategy that involves contracting with a partner who can take over certain aspects of a company's business, such as information technology (IT) functions, in the interests of efficiency and cost savings. The purpose of this study was to analyze the intellectual property protection issues to achieve a better…

A Qualitative Study of Information Technology Managers' Experiences and Perceptions Regarding Outsourced Data Centers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Eric Justin

2015-01-01

This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of IT Managers in publicly traded companies within the San Antonio, Texas area about outsourced data centers. Narrative data was collected using open-ended questions and face-to-face interviews within semi-structured environments. The research questions guided the study: (1)…

How the U. of Pennsylvania Learned that Outsourcing Is No Panacea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Der Werf, Martin

2000-01-01

Reports on the experience of the University of Pennsylvania in outsourcing the operation and maintenance of its campus buildings. Finds differing opinions on why the contract with Trammell Crow Company has not been successful, such as the extreme state of disrepair of many of the buildings. Also notes the experiences of institutions in this…

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.

Use of a collaborative tool to simplify the outsourcing of preclinical safety studies: an insight into the AstraZeneca-Charles River Laboratories strategic relationship.

PubMed

Martin, Frederic D C; Benjamin, Amanda; MacLean, Ruth; Hollinshead, David M; Landqvist, Claire

2017-12-01

In 2012, AstraZeneca entered into a strategic relationship with Charles River Laboratories whereby preclinical safety packages comprising safety pharmacology, toxicology, formulation analysis, in vivo ADME, bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics studies are outsourced. New processes were put in place to ensure seamless workflows with the aim of accelerating the delivery of new medicines to patients. Here, we describe in more detail the AstraZeneca preclinical safety outsourcing model and the way in which a collaborative tool has helped to translate the processes in AstraZeneca and Charles River Laboratories into simpler integrated workflows that are efficient and visible across the two companies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Third party laboratory data management: Perspective with respect to clinical data management.

PubMed

Johnson, Jasmin; Kanagali, Vishwanath; Prabu, D

2014-01-01

Third party lab vendor provides support for laboratory, biological samples analytics data, collected during the clinical trial. Third party laboratory data is considered to be very significant for the clinical trial data management process. Although outsourcing these services is considered to be advantageous for clinical trials, there are some risks involved. Hence, pharmaceutical companies proactively select, track and evaluate third party vendors on a regular basis before, during and after the completion of the contract. The data manager has a significant role to play in effective management of third party vendor data.

Third party laboratory data management: Perspective with respect to clinical data management

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jasmin; Kanagali, Vishwanath; Prabu, D.

2014-01-01

Third party lab vendor provides support for laboratory, biological samples analytics data, collected during the clinical trial. Third party laboratory data is considered to be very significant for the clinical trial data management process. Although outsourcing these services is considered to be advantageous for clinical trials, there are some risks involved. Hence, pharmaceutical companies proactively select, track and evaluate third party vendors on a regular basis before, during and after the completion of the contract. The data manager has a significant role to play in effective management of third party vendor data. PMID:24551587

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Impact of Terminating, Relocating, or Outsourcing the Services of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

sexes , all races/ethnicities, all ages, as well... Tenn . 2 Ala. 88 Fla. 820 Ga. 1,220 S.C. 291 N.C. 1,371 Va. 1,476 Ohio 467 N.H. 0 Mass. 6 R.I. 0Mich. 1 Calif. 1,974 Wash. 671 Wis. 13 N.Y. 1,614 Maine...809 Tenn . 205 Ala. 102 Fla. 1,109 Ga. 376 S.C. 396 N.C. 769 Va. 331 Ohio 731 N.H. 40 Mass. 97 R.I. 38Mich. 189 Calif. 801 Wash. 59 Wis. 68 N.Y.

Securing SIFT: Privacy-preserving Outsourcing Computation of Feature Extractions Over Encrypted Image Data.

PubMed

Hu, Shengshan; Wang, Qian; Wang, Jingjun; Qin, Zhan; Ren, Kui

2016-05-13

Advances in cloud computing have greatly motivated data owners to outsource their huge amount of personal multimedia data and/or computationally expensive tasks onto the cloud by leveraging its abundant resources for cost saving and flexibility. Despite the tremendous benefits, the outsourced multimedia data and its originated applications may reveal the data owner's private information, such as the personal identity, locations or even financial profiles. This observation has recently aroused new research interest on privacy-preserving computations over outsourced multimedia data. In this paper, we propose an effective and practical privacy-preserving computation outsourcing protocol for the prevailing scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) over massive encrypted image data. We first show that previous solutions to this problem have either efficiency/security or practicality issues, and none can well preserve the important characteristics of the original SIFT in terms of distinctiveness and robustness. We then present a new scheme design that achieves efficiency and security requirements simultaneously with the preservation of its key characteristics, by randomly splitting the original image data, designing two novel efficient protocols for secure multiplication and comparison, and carefully distributing the feature extraction computations onto two independent cloud servers. We both carefully analyze and extensively evaluate the security and effectiveness of our design. The results show that our solution is practically secure, outperforms the state-of-theart, and performs comparably to the original SIFT in terms of various characteristics, including rotation invariance, image scale invariance, robust matching across affine distortion, addition of noise and change in 3D viewpoint and illumination.

SecSIFT: Privacy-preserving Outsourcing Computation of Feature Extractions Over Encrypted Image Data.

PubMed

Hu, Shengshan; Wang, Qian; Wang, Jingjun; Qin, Zhan; Ren, Kui

2016-05-13

Advances in cloud computing have greatly motivated data owners to outsource their huge amount of personal multimedia data and/or computationally expensive tasks onto the cloud by leveraging its abundant resources for cost saving and flexibility. Despite the tremendous benefits, the outsourced multimedia data and its originated applications may reveal the data owner's private information, such as the personal identity, locations or even financial profiles. This observation has recently aroused new research interest on privacy-preserving computations over outsourced multimedia data. In this paper, we propose an effective and practical privacy-preserving computation outsourcing protocol for the prevailing scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) over massive encrypted image data. We first show that previous solutions to this problem have either efficiency/security or practicality issues, and none can well preserve the important characteristics of the original SIFT in terms of distinctiveness and robustness. We then present a new scheme design that achieves efficiency and security requirements simultaneously with the preservation of its key characteristics, by randomly splitting the original image data, designing two novel efficient protocols for secure multiplication and comparison, and carefully distributing the feature extraction computations onto two independent cloud servers. We both carefully analyze and extensively evaluate the security and effectiveness of our design. The results show that our solution is practically secure, outperforms the state-of-theart, and performs comparably to the original SIFT in terms of various characteristics, including rotation invariance, image scale invariance, robust matching across affine distortion, addition of noise and change in 3D viewpoint and illumination.

HIV testing as prevention among MSM in China: the business of scaling-up.

PubMed

Fan, Elsa L

2014-01-01

In this paper, I examine the emergence of goumai fuwu, or contracting with social organisations to provide social services, in the HIV/AIDS sector in China. In particular, I interrogate the outsourcing of HIV testing to community-based organisations (CBOs) serving men who have sex with men (MSM) as a means of scaling-up testing in this population, and how the commodification of testing enables new forms of surveillance and citizenship to emerge. In turn, I tie the scaling-up of testing and its commodification to the sustainability of CBOs as they struggle to survive. In recent years, the HIV/AIDS response in China has shifted to expanding testing among MSM in order to reduce new infections. This response has been catalysed by the transition to sexual contact as the primary transmission route for HIV and the rising rates of infection among MSM, leading government institutions and international donors to mobilise CBOs to expand testing. These efforts to scale-up are as much about testing as they are about making visible this hidden population. CBOs, in facilitating testing, come to rely on outsourcing as a long-term funding base and in doing so, unintentionally extend the reach of the state into the everyday lives of MSM.

Development of medical writing in India: Past, present and future.

PubMed

Sharma, Suhasini

2017-01-01

Pharmaceutical medical writing has grown significantly in India in the last couple of decades. It includes preparing regulatory, safety, and publication documents as well as educational and communication material related to health and health-care products. Medical writing requires medical understanding, knowledge of drug development and the regulatory and safety domains, understanding of research methodologies, and awareness of relevant regulations and guidelines. It also requires the ability to analyze, interpret, and present biomedical scientific data in the required format and good writing skills. Medical writing is the fourth most commonly outsourced clinical development activity, and its global demand has steadily increased due to rising cost pressures on the pharmaceutical industry. India has the unique advantages of a large workforce of science graduates and medical professionals trained in English and lower costs, which make it a suitable destination for outsourcing medical writing services. However, the current share of India in global medical writing business is very small. This industry in India faces some real challenges, such as the lack of depth and breadth in domain expertise, inadequate technical writing skills, high attrition rates, and paucity of standardized training programs as well as quality assessment tools. Focusing our time, attention, and resources to address these challenges will help the Indian medical writing industry gain its rightful share in the global medical writing business.

Flow of natural versus economic capital in industrial supply networks and its implications to sustainability.

PubMed

Ukidwe, Nandan U; Bakshi, Bhavik R

2005-12-15

Appreciating the reliance of industrial networks on natural capital is a necessary step toward their sustainable design and operation. However, most contemporary accounting techniques, including engineering economics, life cycle assessment, and full cost accounting, fail in this regard, as they take natural capital for granted and concentrate mainly on the economic aspects and emissions. The recently developed "thermodynamic input-output analysis" (TIOA) includes the contribution of ecological goods, ecosystem services, human resources, and impact of emissions in an economic input-output model. This paper uses TIOA to determine the throughputs of natural and economic capitals along industrial supply networks. The ratios of natural to economic capitals of economic sectors reveals a hierarchical organization of the U.S. economy wherein basic infrastructure industries are at the bottom and specialized value-added industries constitute the top. These results provide novel insight into the reliance of specific industrial sectors and supply chains on natural capital and the corresponding economic throughput. Such insight is useful for understanding the implications of corporate restructuring on industrial sustainability metrics and of outsourcing of business activities on outsourcer, outsourcee, and global sustainability. These implications are discussed from the standpoints of weak and strong sustainability paradigms. The calculated ratios can also be used for hybrid thermodynamic life cycle assessment.

BLOOM: BLoom filter based oblivious outsourced matchings.

PubMed

Ziegeldorf, Jan Henrik; Pennekamp, Jan; Hellmanns, David; Schwinger, Felix; Kunze, Ike; Henze, Martin; Hiller, Jens; Matzutt, Roman; Wehrle, Klaus

2017-07-26

Whole genome sequencing has become fast, accurate, and cheap, paving the way towards the large-scale collection and processing of human genome data. Unfortunately, this dawning genome era does not only promise tremendous advances in biomedical research but also causes unprecedented privacy risks for the many. Handling storage and processing of large genome datasets through cloud services greatly aggravates these concerns. Current research efforts thus investigate the use of strong cryptographic methods and protocols to implement privacy-preserving genomic computations. We propose FHE-BLOOM and PHE-BLOOM, two efficient approaches for genetic disease testing using homomorphically encrypted Bloom filters. Both approaches allow the data owner to securely outsource storage and computation to an untrusted cloud. FHE-BLOOM is fully secure in the semi-honest model while PHE-BLOOM slightly relaxes security guarantees in a trade-off for highly improved performance. We implement and evaluate both approaches on a large dataset of up to 50 patient genomes each with up to 1000000 variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms). For both implementations, overheads scale linearly in the number of patients and variations, while PHE-BLOOM is faster by at least three orders of magnitude. For example, testing disease susceptibility of 50 patients with 100000 variations requires only a total of 308.31 s (σ=8.73 s) with our first approach and a mere 0.07 s (σ=0.00 s) with the second. We additionally discuss security guarantees of both approaches and their limitations as well as possible extensions towards more complex query types, e.g., fuzzy or range queries. Both approaches handle practical problem sizes efficiently and are easily parallelized to scale with the elastic resources available in the cloud. The fully homomorphic scheme, FHE-BLOOM, realizes a comprehensive outsourcing to the cloud, while the partially homomorphic scheme, PHE-BLOOM, trades a slight relaxation of security guarantees against performance improvements by at least three orders of magnitude.

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

PubMed

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

2014-09-01

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