Quality of care assessment in geriatric evaluation and management units: construction of a chart review tool for a tracer condition.

PubMed

Kergoat, Marie-Jeanne; Leclerc, Bernard-Simon; Leduc, Nicole; Latour, Judith; Berg, Katherine; Bolduc, Aline

2009-07-29

The number of elderly people requiring hospital care is growing, so, quality and assessment of care for elders are emerging and complex areas of research. Very few validated and reliable instruments exist for the assessment of quality of acute care in this field. This study's objective was to create such a tool for Geriatric Evaluation and Management Units (GEMUs). The methodology involved a reliability and feasibility study of a retrospective chart review on 934 older inpatients admitted in 49 GEMUs during the year 2002-2003 for fall-related trauma as a tracer condition. Pertinent indicators for a chart abstraction tool, the Geriatric Care Tool (GCT), were developed and validated according to five dimensions: access to care, comprehensiveness, continuity of care, patient-centred care and appropriateness. Consensus methods were used to develop the content. Participants were experts representing eight main health care professions involved in GEMUs from 19 different sites. Items associated with high quality of care at each step of the multidisciplinary management of patients admitted due to falls were identified. The GCT was tested for intra- and inter-rater reliability using 30 medical charts reviewed by each of three independent and blinded trained nurses. Kappa and agreement measures between pairs of chart reviewers were computed on an item-by-item basis. Three quarters of 169 items identifying the process of care, from the case history to discharge planning, demonstrated good agreement (kappa greater than 0.40 and agreement over 70%). Indicators for the appropriateness of care showed less reliability. Content validity and reliability results, as well as the feasibility of the process, suggest that the chart abstraction tool can gather standardized and pertinent clinical information for further evaluating quality of care in GEMU using admission due to falls as a tracer condition. However, the GCT should be evaluated in other models of acute geriatric units and new strategies should be developed to improve reliability of peer assessments in characterizing the quality of care for elderly patients with complex conditions.

Reliable data storage system design and implementation for acoustic logging while drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Xiaolong; Ju, Xiaodong; Wu, Xiling; Lu, Junqiang; Men, Baiyong; Yao, Yongchao; Liu, Dong

2016-12-01

Owing to the limitations of real-time transmission, reliable downhole data storage and fast ground reading have become key technologies in developing tools for acoustic logging while drilling (LWD). In order to improve the reliability of the downhole storage system in conditions of high temperature, intensive shake and periodic power supply, improvements were made in terms of hardware and software. In hardware, we integrated the storage system and data acquisition control module into one circuit board, to reduce the complexity of the storage process, by adopting the controller combination of digital signal processor and field programmable gate array. In software, we developed a systematic management strategy for reliable storage. Multiple-backup independent storage was employed to increase the data redundancy. A traditional error checking and correction (ECC) algorithm was improved and we embedded the calculated ECC code into all management data and waveform data. A real-time storage algorithm for arbitrary length data was designed to actively preserve the storage scene and ensure the independence of the stored data. The recovery procedure of management data was optimized to realize reliable self-recovery. A new bad block management idea of static block replacement and dynamic page mark was proposed to make the period of data acquisition and storage more balanced. In addition, we developed a portable ground data reading module based on a new reliable high speed bus to Ethernet interface to achieve fast reading of the logging data. Experiments have shown that this system can work stably below 155 °C with a periodic power supply. The effective ground data reading rate reaches 1.375 Mbps with 99.7% one-time success rate at room temperature. This work has high practical application significance in improving the reliability and field efficiency of acoustic LWD tools.

Bringing the CMS distributed computing system into scalable operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belforte, S.; Fanfani, A.; Fisk, I.; Flix, J.; Hernández, J. M.; Kress, T.; Letts, J.; Magini, N.; Miccio, V.; Sciabà, A.

2010-04-01

Establishing efficient and scalable operations of the CMS distributed computing system critically relies on the proper integration, commissioning and scale testing of the data and workload management tools, the various computing workflows and the underlying computing infrastructure, located at more than 50 computing centres worldwide and interconnected by the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid. Computing challenges periodically undertaken by CMS in the past years with increasing scale and complexity have revealed the need for a sustained effort on computing integration and commissioning activities. The Processing and Data Access (PADA) Task Force was established at the beginning of 2008 within the CMS Computing Program with the mandate of validating the infrastructure for organized processing and user analysis including the sites and the workload and data management tools, validating the distributed production system by performing functionality, reliability and scale tests, helping sites to commission, configure and optimize the networking and storage through scale testing data transfers and data processing, and improving the efficiency of accessing data across the CMS computing system from global transfers to local access. This contribution reports on the tools and procedures developed by CMS for computing commissioning and scale testing as well as the improvements accomplished towards efficient, reliable and scalable computing operations. The activities include the development and operation of load generators for job submission and data transfers with the aim of stressing the experiment and Grid data management and workload management systems, site commissioning procedures and tools to monitor and improve site availability and reliability, as well as activities targeted to the commissioning of the distributed production, user analysis and monitoring systems.

Reliability design and verification for launch-vehicle propulsion systems - Report of an AIAA Workshop, Washington, DC, May 16, 17, 1989

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Launch vehicle propulsion system reliability considerations during the design and verification processes are discussed. The tools available for predicting and minimizing anomalies or failure modes are described and objectives for validating advanced launch system propulsion reliability are listed. Methods for ensuring vehicle/propulsion system interface reliability are examined and improvements in the propulsion system development process are suggested to improve reliability in launch operations. Also, possible approaches to streamline the specification and procurement process are given. It is suggested that government and industry should define reliability program requirements and manage production and operations activities in a manner that provides control over reliability drivers. Also, it is recommended that sufficient funds should be invested in design, development, test, and evaluation processes to ensure that reliability is not inappropriately subordinated to other management considerations.

The reliability-quality relationship for quality systems and quality risk management.

PubMed

Claycamp, H Gregg; Rahaman, Faiad; Urban, Jason M

2012-01-01

Engineering reliability typically refers to the probability that a system, or any of its components, will perform a required function for a stated period of time and under specified operating conditions. As such, reliability is inextricably linked with time-dependent quality concepts, such as maintaining a state of control and predicting the chances of losses from failures for quality risk management. Two popular current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and quality risk management tools, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and root cause analysis (RCA) are examples of engineering reliability evaluations that link reliability with quality and risk. Current concepts in pharmaceutical quality and quality management systems call for more predictive systems for maintaining quality; yet, the current pharmaceutical manufacturing literature and guidelines are curiously silent on engineering quality. This commentary discusses the meaning of engineering reliability while linking the concept to quality systems and quality risk management. The essay also discusses the difference between engineering reliability and statistical (assay) reliability. The assurance of quality in a pharmaceutical product is no longer measured only "after the fact" of manufacturing. Rather, concepts of quality systems and quality risk management call for designing quality assurance into all stages of the pharmaceutical product life cycle. Interestingly, most assays for quality are essentially static and inform product quality over the life cycle only by being repeated over time. Engineering process reliability is the fundamental concept that is meant to anticipate quality failures over the life cycle of the product. Reliability is a well-developed theory and practice for other types of manufactured products and manufacturing processes. Thus, it is well known to be an appropriate index of manufactured product quality. This essay discusses the meaning of reliability and its linkages with quality systems and quality risk management.

Reliability analysis in the Office of Safety, Environmental, and Mission Assurance (OSEMA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Paul J.

1994-12-01

The technical personnel in the SEMA office are working to provide the highest degree of value-added activities to their support of the NASA Langley Research Center mission. Management perceives that reliability analysis tools and an understanding of a comprehensive systems approach to reliability will be a foundation of this change process. Since the office is involved in a broad range of activities supporting space mission projects and operating activities (such as wind tunnels and facilities), it was not clear what reliability tools the office should be familiar with and how these tools could serve as a flexible knowledge base for organizational growth. Interviews and discussions with the office personnel (both technicians and engineers) revealed that job responsibilities ranged from incoming inspection to component or system analysis to safety and risk. It was apparent that a broad base in applied probability and reliability along with tools for practical application was required by the office. A series of ten class sessions with a duration of two hours each was organized and scheduled. Hand-out materials were developed and practical examples based on the type of work performed by the office personnel were included. Topics covered were: Reliability Systems - a broad system oriented approach to reliability; Probability Distributions - discrete and continuous distributions; Sampling and Confidence Intervals - random sampling and sampling plans; Data Analysis and Estimation - Model selection and parameter estimates; and Reliability Tools - block diagrams, fault trees, event trees, FMEA. In the future, this information will be used to review and assess existing equipment and processes from a reliability system perspective. An analysis of incoming materials sampling plans was also completed. This study looked at the issues associated with Mil Std 105 and changes for a zero defect acceptance sampling plan.

Reliability analysis in the Office of Safety, Environmental, and Mission Assurance (OSEMA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kauffmann, Paul J.

1994-01-01

The technical personnel in the SEMA office are working to provide the highest degree of value-added activities to their support of the NASA Langley Research Center mission. Management perceives that reliability analysis tools and an understanding of a comprehensive systems approach to reliability will be a foundation of this change process. Since the office is involved in a broad range of activities supporting space mission projects and operating activities (such as wind tunnels and facilities), it was not clear what reliability tools the office should be familiar with and how these tools could serve as a flexible knowledge base for organizational growth. Interviews and discussions with the office personnel (both technicians and engineers) revealed that job responsibilities ranged from incoming inspection to component or system analysis to safety and risk. It was apparent that a broad base in applied probability and reliability along with tools for practical application was required by the office. A series of ten class sessions with a duration of two hours each was organized and scheduled. Hand-out materials were developed and practical examples based on the type of work performed by the office personnel were included. Topics covered were: Reliability Systems - a broad system oriented approach to reliability; Probability Distributions - discrete and continuous distributions; Sampling and Confidence Intervals - random sampling and sampling plans; Data Analysis and Estimation - Model selection and parameter estimates; and Reliability Tools - block diagrams, fault trees, event trees, FMEA. In the future, this information will be used to review and assess existing equipment and processes from a reliability system perspective. An analysis of incoming materials sampling plans was also completed. This study looked at the issues associated with Mil Std 105 and changes for a zero defect acceptance sampling plan.

Measuring the impact of diagnostic decision support on the quality of clinical decision making: development of a reliable and valid composite score.

PubMed

Ramnarayan, Padmanabhan; Kapoor, Ritika R; Coren, Michael; Nanduri, Vasantha; Tomlinson, Amanda L; Taylor, Paul M; Wyatt, Jeremy C; Britto, Joseph F

2003-01-01

Few previous studies evaluating the benefits of diagnostic decision support systems have simultaneously measured changes in diagnostic quality and clinical management prompted by use of the system. This report describes a reliable and valid scoring technique to measure the quality of clinical decision plans in an acute medical setting, where diagnostic decision support tools might prove most useful. Sets of differential diagnoses and clinical management plans generated by 71 clinicians for six simulated cases, before and after decision support from a Web-based pediatric differential diagnostic tool (ISABEL), were used. A composite quality score was calculated separately for each diagnostic and management plan by considering the appropriateness value of each component diagnostic or management suggestion, a weighted sum of individual suggestion ratings, relevance of the entire plan, and its comprehensiveness. The reliability and validity (face, concurrent, construct, and content) of these two final scores were examined. Two hundred fifty-two diagnostic and 350 management suggestions were included in the interrater reliability analysis. There was good agreement between raters (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.79 for diagnoses, and 0.72 for management). No counterintuitive scores were demonstrated on visual inspection of the sets. Content validity was verified by a consultation process with pediatricians. Both scores discriminated adequately between the plans of consultants and medical students and correlated well with clinicians' subjective opinions of overall plan quality (Spearman rho 0.65, p < 0.01). The diagnostic and management scores for each episode showed moderate correlation (r = 0.51). The scores described can be used as key outcome measures in a larger study to fully assess the value of diagnostic decision aids, such as the ISABEL system.

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

Eto, Joe; Eto, Joe; Lesieutre, Bernard

The increased need to manage California?s electricity grid in real time is a result of the ongoing transition from a system operated by vertically-integrated utilities serving native loads to one operated by an independent system operator supporting competitive energy markets. During this transition period, the traditional approach to reliability management -- construction of new transmission lines -- has not been pursued due to unresolved issues related to the financing and recovery of transmission project costs. In the absence of investments in new transmission infrastructure, the best strategy for managing reliability is to equip system operators with better real-time information aboutmore » actual operating margins so that they can better understand and manage the risk of operating closer to the edge. A companion strategy is to address known deficiencies in offline modeling tools that are needed to ground the use of improved real-time tools. This project: (1) developed and conducted first-ever demonstrations of two prototype real-time software tools for voltage security assessment and phasor monitoring; and (2) prepared a scoping study on improving load and generator response models. Additional funding through two separate subsequent work authorizations has already been provided to build upon the work initiated in this project.« less

Increasing Army Supply Chain Performance: Using an Integrated End to End Metrics System

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

Sched Deliver Sched Delinquent Contracts Current Metrics PQDR/SDRs Forecasting Accuracy Reliability Demand Management Asset Mgmt Strategies Pipeline...are identified and characterized by statistical analysis. The study proposed a framework and tool for inventory management based on factors such as

Cultural competency assessment tool for hospitals: evaluating hospitals' adherence to the culturally and linguistically appropriate services standards.

PubMed

Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Dreachslin, Janice L; Brown, Julie; Pradhan, Rohit; Rubin, Kelly L; Schiller, Cameron; Hays, Ron D

2012-01-01

The U.S. national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in health care provide guidelines on policies and practices aimed at developing culturally competent systems of care. The Cultural Competency Assessment Tool for Hospitals (CCATH) was developed as an organizational tool to assess adherence to the CLAS standards. First, we describe the development of the CCATH and estimate the reliability and validity of the CCATH measures. Second, we discuss the managerial implications of the CCATH as an organizational tool to assess cultural competency. We pilot tested an initial draft of the CCATH, revised it based on a focus group and cognitive interviews, and then administered it in a field test with a sample of California hospitals. The reliability and validity of the CCATH were evaluated using factor analysis, analysis of variance, and Cronbach's alphas. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified 12 CCATH composites: leadership and strategic planning, data collection on inpatient population, data collection on service area, performance management systems and quality improvement, human resources practices, diversity training, community representation, availability of interpreter services, interpreter services policies, quality of interpreter services, translation of written materials, and clinical cultural competency practices. All the CCATH scales had internal consistency reliability of .65 or above, and the reliability was .70 or above for 9 of the 12 scales. Analysis of variance results showed that not-for-profit hospitals have higher CCATH scores than for-profit hospitals in five CCATH scales and higher CCATH scores than government hospitals in two CCATH scales. The CCATH showed adequate psychometric properties. Managers and policy makers can use the CCATH as a tool to evaluate hospital performance in cultural competency and identify and target improvements in hospital policies and practices that undergird the provision of CLAS.

Training and Maintaining System-Wide Reliability in Outcome Management.

PubMed

Barwick, Melanie A; Urajnik, Diana J; Moore, Julia E

2014-01-01

The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) is widely used for outcome management, for providing real time client and program level data, and the monitoring of evidence-based practices. Methods of reliability training and the assessment of rater drift are critical for service decision-making within organizations and systems of care. We assessed two approaches for CAFAS training: external technical assistance and internal technical assistance. To this end, we sampled 315 practitioners trained by external technical assistance approach from 2,344 Ontario practitioners who had achieved reliability on the CAFAS. To assess the internal technical assistance approach as a reliable alternative training method, 140 practitioners trained internally were selected from the same pool of certified raters. Reliabilities were high for both practitioners trained by external technical assistance and internal technical assistance approaches (.909-.995, .915-.997, respectively). 1 and 3-year estimates showed some drift on several scales. High and consistent reliabilities over time and training method has implications for CAFAS training of behavioral health care practitioners, and the maintenance of CAFAS as a global outcome management tool in systems of care.

RADC thermal guide for reliability engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, G. N.; Kallis, J. M.; Strattan, L. A.; Jones, I. R.; Lena, A. L.

1982-06-01

This guide was developed to provide a reliability engineer, who is not proficient in thermal design and analysis techniques, with the tools for managing and evaluating the thermal design and production of electronic equipment. It defines the requirements and tasks that should be addressed in system equipment specifications and statements of work, and describes how to evaluate performance.

High Reliability Organizations--Medication Safety.

PubMed

Yip, Luke; Farmer, Brenna

2015-06-01

High reliability organizations (HROs), such as the aviation industry, successfully engage in high-risk endeavors and have low incidence of adverse events. HROs have a preoccupation with failure and errors. They analyze each event to effect system wide change in an attempt to mitigate the occurrence of similar errors. The healthcare industry can adapt HRO practices, specifically with regard to teamwork and communication. Crew resource management concepts can be adapted to healthcare with the use of certain tools such as checklists and the sterile cockpit to reduce medication errors. HROs also use The Swiss Cheese Model to evaluate risk and look for vulnerabilities in multiple protective barriers, instead of focusing on one failure. This model can be used in medication safety to evaluate medication management in addition to using the teamwork and communication tools of HROs.

Use of photogrammetry as a tool for accident investigation and reconstruction : a review of the literature and state of the practice.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-01-01

One of the key goals of incident management is the rapid clearance of traffic incidents. Many transportation agencies focus their incident management on quicker and more reliable detection techniques. Another focus, however, should be the reduction i...

A software tool to analyze clinical workflows from direct observations.

PubMed

Schweitzer, Marco; Lasierra, Nelia; Hoerbst, Alexander

2015-01-01

Observational data of clinical processes need to be managed in a convenient way, so that process information is reliable, valid and viable for further analysis. However, existing tools for allocating observations fail in systematic data collection of specific workflow recordings. We present a software tool which was developed to facilitate the analysis of clinical process observations. The tool was successfully used in the project OntoHealth, to build, store and analyze observations of diabetes routine consultations.

Reliability-Productivity Curve, a Tool for Adaptation Measures Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chávez-Jiménez, A.; Granados, A.; Garrote, L. M.

2015-12-01

Due to climate change effects, water scarcity problems would intensify in several regions. These problems are going to impact negatively in the water low-priority demands, since these will be reduced in favor of those with high-priority. An example would be the reduction of agriculture water resources in favor of the urban ones. Then, it is important the evaluation of adaptation measures for a better water resources management. An important tool to face this challenge is the economic valuation of the water demands' impact within a water resources system. In agriculture this valuation is usually performed through the water productivity evaluation. The water productivity evaluation requires detailed information regarding the different crops like the applied technology, the agricultural supplies management, the water availability, etc. This is a restriction for an evaluation at basin scale due to the difficulty of gathers this level of detailed information. Besides, only the water availability is taken into account, but not the period when the water is distributed (i.e. water resources reliability). Water resources reliability is one of the most important variables in water resources management. This research proposes a methodology to determine the agriculture water productivity, using as variables the crops information, the crops price, the water resources availability, and the water resources reliability, at a basin scale. This methodology would allow identifying general water resources adaptation measures, providing the basis for further detailed studies in critical regions.

Assessing Households Preparedness for Earthquakes: An Exploratory Study in the Development of a Valid and Reliable Persian-version Tool.

PubMed

Ardalan, Ali; Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz

2016-02-25

Iran is placed among countries suffering from the highest number of earthquake casualties. Household preparedness, as one component of risk reduction efforts, is often supported in quake-prone areas. In Iran, lack of a valid and reliable household preparedness tool was reported by previous disaster studies. This study is aimed to fill this gap by developing a valid and reliable tool for assessing household preparedness in the event of an earthquake.  This survey was conducted through three phases including literature review and focus group discussions with the participation of eight key informants, validity measurements and reliability measurements. Field investigation was completed with the participation of 450 households within three provinces of Iran. Content validity, construct validity, the use of factor analysis; internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability were carried out to develop the tool.  Based on the CVIs, ranging from 0.80 to 0.100, and exploratory factor analysis with factor loading of more than 0.5, all items were valid. The amount of Cronbach's alpha (0.7) and test-retest examination by Spearman correlations indicated that the scale was also reliable. The final instrument consisted of six categories and 18 questions including actions at the time of earthquakes, nonstructural safety, structural safety, hazard map, communications, drill, and safety skills.  Using a Persian-version tool that is adjusted to the socio-cultural determinants and native language may result in more trustful information on earthquake preparedness. It is suggested that disaster managers and researchers apply this tool in their future household preparedness projects. Further research is needed to make effective policies and plans for transforming preparedness knowledge into behavior.

Development and validation of an observation tool for the assessment of nursing pain management practices in intensive care unit in a standardized clinical simulation setting.

PubMed

Gosselin, Emilie; Bourgault, Patricia; Lavoie, Stephan; Coleman, Robin-Marie; Méziat-Burdin, Anne

2014-12-01

Pain management in the intensive care unit is often inadequate. There is no tool available to assess nursing pain management practices. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a measuring tool to assess nursing pain management in the intensive care unit during standardized clinical simulation. A literature review was performed to identify relevant components demonstrating optimal pain management in adult intensive care units and to integrate them in an observation tool. This tool was submitted to an expert panel and pretested. It was then used to assess pain management practice during 26 discrete standardized clinical simulation sessions with intensive care nurses. The Nursing Observation Tool for Pain Management (NOTPaM) contains 28 statements grouped into 8 categories, which are grouped into 4 dimensions: subjective assessment, objective assessment, interventions, and reassessment. The tool's internal consistency was calculated at a Cronbach's alpha of 0.436 for the whole tool; the alpha varies from 0.328 to 0.518 for each dimension. To evaluate the inter-rater reliability, intra-class correlation coefficient was used, which was calculated at 0.751 (p < .001) for the whole tool, with variations from 0.619 to 0.920 (p < .01) between dimensions. The expert panel was satisfied with the content and face validity of the tool. The psychometric qualities of the NOTPaM developed in this study are satisfactory. However, the tool could be improved with slight modifications. Nevertheless, it was useful in assessing intensive care nurses' pain management in a standardized clinical simulation. The NOTPaM is the first tool created for this purpose. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management. A continuing bibliography with indexes. [March 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

This bibliography cites 604 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in 1979 covering the management of research and development, contracts, production, logistics, personnel, safety, reliability and quality control. Program, project, and systems management; management policy, philosophy, tools, and techniques; decision making processes for managers; technology assessment; management of urban problems; and information for managers on Federal resources, expenditures, financing, and budgeting are also covered. Abstracts are provided as well as subject, personal author, and corporate source indexes.

Risk Management of New Microelectronics for NASA: Radiation Knowledge-base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaBel, Kenneth A.

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: NASA Missions - implications to reliability and radiation constraints. Approach to Insertion of New Technologies Technology Knowledge-base development. Technology model/tool development and validation. Summary comments.

Evaluation of a welfare assessment tool to examine practices for preventing, recognizing, and managing pain at companion-animal veterinary clinics

PubMed Central

Dawson, Lauren C.; Dewey, Cate E.; Stone, Elizabeth A.; Mosley, Cornelia I.; Guerin, Michele T.; Niel, Lee

2017-01-01

Successful prevention, recognition, and treatment of pain are integral to ensuring veterinary patient welfare. A canine and feline welfare assessment tool, incorporating verbal interviews with veterinarians using open-ended questions, was developed to assess pain management practices that safeguard and improve patient welfare. The tool was evaluated in 30 companion- and mixed-animal veterinary clinics in Ontario in order to assess its reliability, feasibility, and validity, while also benchmarking current practices. Responses were analyzed according to a scoring scheme developed based on published literature and expert opinion. Based on weighted kappa statistics, interview scoring had substantial inter-observer (Kw = 0.83, 0.73) and near-perfect intra-observer (Kw = 0.92) agreement, which suggests that the tool reliably collects information about pain management practices. Interviews were completed at all recruited clinics, which indicates high feasibility for the methods. Validity could not be assessed, as participants were reluctant to share information about analgesic administration from their clinical records. Descriptive results indicated areas for which many veterinarians are acting in accordance with best practices for pain management, such as pre-emptive and post-surgical analgesia for ovariohysterectomy patients, and post-surgical care instructions. Areas that offer opportunity for enhancement were also highlighted, e.g., training veterinary staff to recognize signs of pain and duration of analgesia in ovariohysterectomy patients after discharge. Overall, based on this limited sample, most veterinarians appear to be effectively managing their patients’ pain, although areas with opportunity for enhancement were also identified. Further research is needed to assess trends in a broader sample of participants. PMID:29081584

A conflict management scale for pharmacy.

PubMed

Austin, Zubin; Gregory, Paul A; Martin, Craig

2009-11-12

To develop and establish the validity and reliability of a conflict management scale specific to pharmacy practice and education. A multistage inventory-item development process was undertaken involving 93 pharmacists and using a previously described explanatory model for conflict in pharmacy practice. A 19-item inventory was developed, field tested, and validated. The conflict management scale (CMS) demonstrated an acceptable degree of reliability and validity for use in educational or practice settings to promote self-reflection and self-awareness regarding individuals' conflict management styles. The CMS provides a unique, pharmacy-specific method for individuals to determine and reflect upon their own conflict management styles. As part of an educational program to facilitate self-reflection and heighten self-awareness, the CMS may be a useful tool to promote discussions related to an important part of pharmacy practice.

Development of a self-assessment tool for measuring competences of obstetric nurses in rooming-in wards in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ju; Ye, Wenqin; Fan, Fan

2015-01-01

Introduction: To provide high-quality nursing care, a reliable and feasible competency assessment tool is critical. Although several questionnaire-based competency assessment tools have been reported, a tool specific for obstetric nurses in rooming-in wards is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a competency assessment tool for obstetric rooming-in ward nurses. Methods: A literature review was conducted to create an individual intensive interview with 14 nurse managers, educators, and primary nurses in rooming-in wards. Expert reviews (n = 15) were conducted to identify emergent themes in a Delphi fashion. A competency assessment questionnaire was then developed and tested with 246 rooming-in ward nurses in local hospitals. Results: We constructed a three-factor linear model for obstetric rooming-in nurse competency assessment. Further refinement resulted in a self-assessment questionnaire containing three first-tier, 12 second-tier, and 43 third-tier items for easy implementation. The questionnaire was reliable, contained satisfactory content, and had construct validity. Discussion: Our competency assessment tool provides a systematic, easy, and operational subjective evaluation model for nursing managers and administrators to evaluate obstetric rooming-in ward primary nurses. The application of this tool will facilitate various human resources functions, such as nurse training/education effect evaluation, and will eventually promote high-quality nursing care delivery. PMID:26770468

Improving the accuracy of total quality management instruments.

PubMed

Bechtel, G A; Wood, D

1996-03-01

Total quality management (TQM) instruments are essential tools in defining concepts identified in an Ishikawa or ¿cause-and-effect¿ diagram. Collecting meaningful and accurate data using TQM instruments is imperative if productivity and quality of care are to be enhanced. This article provides managers with techniques and guidelines that will enhance the reliability and validity of TQM instruments, thereby promoting organization efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Indian water rights settlements and water management innovations: The role of the Arizona Water Settlements Act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bark, Rosalind H.; Jacobs, Katharine L.

2009-05-01

In the American southwest, over-allocated water supplies, groundwater depletion, and potential climate change impacts are major water management concerns. It may therefore seem counterintuitive that the resolution of outstanding senior tribal water claims, essentially reallocating finite water supplies to tribes, could support improved water supply reliability for many water users as is the case with the 2004 Arizona Water Settlements Act. The large size of the settlement and its multiple components translate to significant impacts on water policy in Arizona. Key water management solutions incorporated into the settlement and associated legislation have expanded the water manager's "toolbox" and are expected to enhance water supply reliability both within and outside Arizona's active management areas. Many of these new tools are transferable to water management applications in other states.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management.

PubMed

Paddock, L E; Veloski, J; Chatterton, M L; Gevirtz, F O; Nash, D B

2000-07-01

To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire to measure patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management programs. Questions related to structure, process, and outcomes were categorized into 14 domains defining the essential elements of diabetes disease management. Health professionals confirmed the content validity. Face validity was established by a patient focus group. The questionnaire was mailed to 711 patients with diabetes who participated in a disease management program. To reduce the number of questionnaire items, a principal components analysis was performed using a varimax rotation. The Scree test was used to select significant components. To further assess reliability and validity; Cronbach's alpha and product-moment correlations were calculated for components having > or =3 items with loadings >0.50. The validated 73-item mailed satisfaction survey had a 34.1% response rate. Principal components analysis yielded 13 components with eigenvalues > 1.0. The Scree test proposed a 6-component solution (39 items), which explained 59% of the total variation. Internal consistency reliabilities computed for the first 6 components (alpha = 0.79-0.95) were acceptable. The final questionnaire, the Diabetes Management Evaluation Tool (DMET), was designed to assess patient satisfaction with diabetes disease management programs. Although more extensive testing of the questionnaire is appropriate, preliminary reliability and validity of the DMET has been demonstrated.

A prospective study evaluating cochlear implant management skills: development and validation of the Cochlear Implant Management Skills survey.

PubMed

Bennett, R J; Jayakody, D M P; Eikelboom, R H; Taljaard, D S; Atlas, M D

2016-02-01

To investigate the ability of cochlear implant (CI) recipients to physically handle and care for their hearing implant device(s) and to identify factors that may influence skills. To assess device management skills, a clinical survey was developed and validated on a clinical cohort of CI recipients. Survey development and validation. A prospective convenience cohort design study. Specialist hearing implant clinic. Forty-nine post-lingually deafened, adult CI recipients, at least 12 months postoperative. Survey test-retest reliability, interobserver reliability and responsiveness. Correlations between management skills and participant demographic, audiometric, clinical outcomes and device factors. The Cochlear Implant Management Skills survey was developed, demonstrating high test-retest reliability (0.878), interobserver reliability (0.972) and responsiveness to intervention (skills training) [t(20) = -3.913, P = 0.001]. Cochlear Implant Management Skills survey scores range from 54.69% to 100% (mean: 83.45%, sd: 12.47). No associations were found between handling skills and participant factors. This is the first study to demonstrate a range in cochlear implant device handling skills in CI recipients and offers clinicians and researchers a tool to systematically and objectively identify shortcomings in CI recipients' device handling skills. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cloud-based bioinformatics workflow platform for large-scale next-generation sequencing analyses

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Madduri, Ravi K; Sotomayor, Borja; Chard, Kyle; Lacinski, Lukasz; Dave, Utpal J; Li, Jianqiang; Liu, Chunchen; Foster, Ian T

2014-01-01

Due to the upcoming data deluge of genome data, the need for storing and processing large-scale genome data, easy access to biomedical analyses tools, efficient data sharing and retrieval has presented significant challenges. The variability in data volume results in variable computing and storage requirements, therefore biomedical researchers are pursuing more reliable, dynamic and convenient methods for conducting sequencing analyses. This paper proposes a Cloud-based bioinformatics workflow platform for large-scale next-generation sequencing analyses, which enables reliable and highly scalable execution of sequencing analyses workflows in a fully automated manner. Our platform extends the existing Galaxy workflow system by adding data management capabilities for transferring large quantities of data efficiently and reliably (via Globus Transfer), domain-specific analyses tools preconfigured for immediate use by researchers (via user-specific tools integration), automatic deployment on Cloud for on-demand resource allocation and pay-as-you-go pricing (via Globus Provision), a Cloud provisioning tool for auto-scaling (via HTCondor scheduler), and the support for validating the correctness of workflows (via semantic verification tools). Two bioinformatics workflow use cases as well as performance evaluation are presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach. PMID:24462600

Cloud-based bioinformatics workflow platform for large-scale next-generation sequencing analyses.

PubMed

Liu, Bo; Madduri, Ravi K; Sotomayor, Borja; Chard, Kyle; Lacinski, Lukasz; Dave, Utpal J; Li, Jianqiang; Liu, Chunchen; Foster, Ian T

2014-06-01

Due to the upcoming data deluge of genome data, the need for storing and processing large-scale genome data, easy access to biomedical analyses tools, efficient data sharing and retrieval has presented significant challenges. The variability in data volume results in variable computing and storage requirements, therefore biomedical researchers are pursuing more reliable, dynamic and convenient methods for conducting sequencing analyses. This paper proposes a Cloud-based bioinformatics workflow platform for large-scale next-generation sequencing analyses, which enables reliable and highly scalable execution of sequencing analyses workflows in a fully automated manner. Our platform extends the existing Galaxy workflow system by adding data management capabilities for transferring large quantities of data efficiently and reliably (via Globus Transfer), domain-specific analyses tools preconfigured for immediate use by researchers (via user-specific tools integration), automatic deployment on Cloud for on-demand resource allocation and pay-as-you-go pricing (via Globus Provision), a Cloud provisioning tool for auto-scaling (via HTCondor scheduler), and the support for validating the correctness of workflows (via semantic verification tools). Two bioinformatics workflow use cases as well as performance evaluation are presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NSW Executive Enhancements

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

independently on the same network. Given this reduction in scale, the projected impl widely distributed, fully replicated, synchronized dat design...Manager that "owns" other resources. This strategy requires minimum synchronization while providing advantages in reliability and robustness. 2 3...interactive tools on TENEX, transparent file motion and translation, and a primitive set of project management functions. This demonstration confirmed that

Software reliability through fault-avoidance and fault-tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vouk, Mladen A.; Mcallister, David F.

1993-01-01

Strategies and tools for the testing, risk assessment and risk control of dependable software-based systems were developed. Part of this project consists of studies to enable the transfer of technology to industry, for example the risk management techniques for safety-concious systems. Theoretical investigations of Boolean and Relational Operator (BRO) testing strategy were conducted for condition-based testing. The Basic Graph Generation and Analysis tool (BGG) was extended to fully incorporate several variants of the BRO metric. Single- and multi-phase risk, coverage and time-based models are being developed to provide additional theoretical and empirical basis for estimation of the reliability and availability of large, highly dependable software. A model for software process and risk management was developed. The use of cause-effect graphing for software specification and validation was investigated. Lastly, advanced software fault-tolerance models were studied to provide alternatives and improvements in situations where simple software fault-tolerance strategies break down.

Cultural competency assessment tool for hospitals: Evaluating hospitals’ adherence to the culturally and linguistically appropriate services standards

PubMed Central

Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Dreachslin, Janice L.; Brown, Julie; Pradhan, Rohit; Rubin, Kelly L.; Schiller, Cameron; Hays, Ron D.

2016-01-01

Background The U.S. national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in health care provide guidelines on policies and practices aimed at developing culturally competent systems of care. The Cultural Competency Assessment Tool for Hospitals (CCATH) was developed as an organizational tool to assess adherence to the CLAS standards. Purposes First, we describe the development of the CCATH and estimate the reliability and validity of the CCATH measures. Second, we discuss the managerial implications of the CCATH as an organizational tool to assess cultural competency. Methodology/Approach We pilot tested an initial draft of the CCATH, revised it based on a focus group and cognitive interviews, and then administered it in a field test with a sample of California hospitals. The reliability and validity of the CCATH were evaluated using factor analysis, analysis of variance, and Cronbach’s alphas. Findings Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified 12 CCATH composites: leadership and strategic planning, data collection on inpatient population, data collection on service area, performance management systems and quality improvement, human resources practices, diversity training, community representation, availability of interpreter services, interpreter services policies, quality of interpreter services, translation of written materials, and clinical cultural competency practices. All the CCATH scales had internal consistency reliability of .65 or above, and the reliability was .70 or above for 9 of the 12 scales. Analysis of variance results showed that not-for-profit hospitals have higher CCATH scores than for-profit hospitals in five CCATH scales and higher CCATH scores than government hospitals in two CCATH scales. Practice Implications The CCATH showed adequate psychometric properties. Managers and policy makers can use the CCATH as a tool to evaluate hospital performance in cultural competency and identify and target improvements in hospital policies and practices that undergird the provision of CLAS. PMID:21934511

A Conflict Management Scale for Pharmacy

PubMed Central

Gregory, Paul A.; Martin, Craig

2009-01-01

Objectives To develop and establish the validity and reliability of a conflict management scale specific to pharmacy practice and education. Methods A multistage inventory-item development process was undertaken involving 93 pharmacists and using a previously described explanatory model for conflict in pharmacy practice. A 19-item inventory was developed, field tested, and validated. Results The conflict management scale (CMS) demonstrated an acceptable degree of reliability and validity for use in educational or practice settings to promote self-reflection and self-awareness regarding individuals' conflict management styles. Conclusions The CMS provides a unique, pharmacy-specific method for individuals to determine and reflect upon their own conflict management styles. As part of an educational program to facilitate self-reflection and heighten self-awareness, the CMS may be a useful tool to promote discussions related to an important part of pharmacy practice. PMID:19960081

An Acuity Tool for Heart Failure Case Management: Quantifying Workload, Service Utilization, and Disease Severity.

PubMed

Kilgore, Matthew D

The cardiology service line director at a health maintenance organization (HMO) in Washington State required a valid, reliable, and practical means for measuring workloads and other productivity factors for six heart failure (HF) registered nurse case managers located across three geographical regions. The Kilgore Heart Failure Case Management (KHFCM) Acuity Tool was systematically designed, developed, and validated to measure workload as a dependent function of the number of heart failure case management (HFCM) services rendered and the duration of times spent on various care duties. Research and development occurred at various HMO-affiliated internal medicine and cardiology offices throughout Western Washington. The concepts, methods, and principles used to develop the KHFCM Acuity Tool are applicable for any type of health care professional aiming to quantify workload using a high-quality objective tool. The content matter, scaling, and language on the KHFCM Acuity Tool are specific to HFCM settings. The content matter and numeric scales for the KHFCM Acuity Tool were developed and validated using a mixed-method participant action research method applied to a group of six outpatient HF case managers and their respective caseloads. The participant action research method was selected, because the application of this method requires research participants to become directly involved in the diagnosis of research problems, the planning and execution of actions taken to address those problems, and the implementation of progressive strategies throughout the course of the study, as necessary, to produce the most credible and practical practice improvements (; ; ; ). Heart failure case managers served clients with New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV HF (), and encounters were conducted primarily by telephone or in-office consultation. A mix of qualitative and quantitative results demonstrated a variety of quality improvement outcomes achieved by the design and practice application of the KHFCM Acuity Tool. Quality improvement outcomes included a more valid reflection of encounter times and demonstration of the KHFCM Acuity Tool as a reliable, practical, credible, and satisfying tool for reflecting HF case manager workloads and HF disease severity. The KHFCM Acuity Tool defines workload simply as a function of the number of HFCM services performed and the duration of time spent on a client encounter. The design of the tool facilitates the measure of workload, service utilization, and HF disease characteristics, independently from the overall measure of acuity, so that differences in individual case manager practice, as well as client characteristics within sites, across sites, and potentially throughout annual seasons, can be demonstrated. Data produced from long-term applications of the KHFCM Acuity Tool, across all regions, could serve as a driver for establishing systemwide HFCM productivity benchmarks or standards of practice for HF case managers. Data produced from localized applications could serve as a reference for coordinating staffing resources or developing HFCM productivity benchmarks within individual regions or sites.

What limits tool use in nonhuman primates? Insights from tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) aligning three-dimensional objects to a surface

PubMed Central

la Cour, L. T.; Stone, B. W.; Hopkins, W.; Menzel, C.; Fragaszy, D.

2013-01-01

Perceptuomotor functions that support using hand tools can be examined in other manipulation tasks, such as alignment of objects to surfaces. We examined tufted capuchin monkeys’ and chimpanzees’ performance at aligning objects to surfaces while managing one or two spatial relations to do so. We presented 6 subjects of each species with a single stick to place into a groove, two sticks of equal length to place into two grooves, or two sticks joined as a T to place into a T-shaped groove. Tufted capuchins and chimpanzees performed equivalently on these tasks, aligning the straight stick to within 22.5° of parallel to the groove in approximately half of their attempts to place it, and taking more attempts to place the T stick than two straight sticks. The findings provide strong evidence that tufted capuchins and chimpanzees do not reliably align even one prominent axial feature of an object to a surface, and that managing two concurrent allocentric spatial relations in an alignment problem is significantly more challenging to them than managing two sequential relations. In contrast, humans from two years of age display very different perceptuomotor abilities in a similar task: they align sticks to a groove reliably on each attempt, and they readily manage two allocentric spatial relations concurrently. Limitations in aligning objects and in managing two or more relations at a time significantly constrain how nonhuman primates can use hand tools. PMID:23820935

Space Shuttle Software Development and Certification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orr, James K.; Henderson, Johnnie A

2000-01-01

Man-rated software, "software which is in control of systems and environments upon which human life is critically dependent," must be highly reliable. The Space Shuttle Primary Avionics Software System is an excellent example of such a software system. Lessons learn from more than 20 years of effort have identified basic elements that must be present to achieve this high degree of reliability. The elements include rigorous application of appropriate software development processes, use of trusted tools to support those processes, quantitative process management, and defect elimination and prevention. This presentation highlights methods used within the Space Shuttle project and raises questions that must be addressed to provide similar success in a cost effective manner on future long-term projects where key application development tools are COTS rather than internally developed custom application development tools

OA Go Away: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Self-Management Tool to Promote Adherence to Exercise and Physical Activity for People with Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee

PubMed Central

Toupin April, Karine; Backman, Catherine; Tugwell, Peter

2016-01-01

Purpose: To determine the face and content validity, construct validity, and test–retest reliability of the OA Go Away (OGA), a personalized self-management tool to promote adherence to exercise and physical activity for people with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee. Methods: The face and content validity of OGA version 1.0 were determined via interviews with 10 people with OA of the hip or knee and 10 clinicians. A revised OGA version 2.0 was then tested for construct validity and test–retest reliability with a new sample of 50 people with OA of the hip or knee by comparing key items in the OGA journal with validated outcome measures assessing similar health outcomes and comparing scores on key items of the journal 4–7 days apart. Face and content validity were then confirmed with a new sample of 5 people with OA of the hip or knee and 5 clinicians. Results: Eighteen of 30 items from the OGA version 1.0 and 41 of 43 items from the OGA version 2.0 journal, goals and action plan, and exercise log had adequate content validity. Construct validity and test–retest reliability were acceptable for the main items of the OGA version 2.0 journal. The OGA underwent modifications based on results and participant feedback. Conclusion: The OGA is a novel self-management intervention and assessment tool for people with OA of the hip or knee that shows adequate preliminary measurement properties. PMID:27909359

Assessing physiotherapists' communication skills for promoting patient autonomy for self-management: reliability and validity of the communication evaluation in rehabilitation tool.

PubMed

Murray, Aileen; Hall, Amanda; Williams, Geoffrey C; McDonough, Suzanne M; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Taylor, Ian; Jackson, Ben; Copsey, Bethan; Hurley, Deirdre A; Matthews, James

2018-02-27

To assess the inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool, which aims to externally assess physiotherapists competency in using Self-Determination Theory-based communication strategies in practice. Audio recordings of initial consultations between 24 physiotherapists and 24 patients with chronic low back pain in four hospitals in Ireland were obtained as part of a larger randomised controlled trial. Three raters, all of whom had Ph.Ds in psychology and expertise in motivation and physical activity, independently listened to the 24 audio recordings and completed the 18-item Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool. Inter-rater reliability between all three raters was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson's r correlations with a reference standard, the Health Care Climate Questionnaire. The total score for the Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool is an average of all 18 items. Total scores demonstrated good inter-rater reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.8) and concurrent validity with the Health Care Climate Questionnaire total score (range: r = 0.7-0.88). Item-level scores of the Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool identified five items that need improvement. Results provide preliminary evidence to support future use and testing of the Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool. Implications for Rehabilitation Promoting patient autonomy is a learned skill and while interventions exist to train clinicians in these skills there are no tools to assess how well clinicians use these skills when interacting with a patient. The lack of robust assessment has severe implications regarding both the fidelity of clinician training packages and resulting outcomes for promoting patient autonomy. This study has developed a novel measurement tool Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool and a comprehensive user manual to assess how well health care providers use autonomy-supportive communication strategies in real world-clinical settings. This tool has demonstrated good inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity in its initial testing phase. The Communication Evaluation in Rehabilitation Tool can be used in future studies to assess autonomy-supportive communication and undergo further measurement property testing as per our recommendations.

Open software tools for eddy covariance flux partitioning

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agro-ecosystem management and assessment will benefit greatly from the development of reliable techniques for partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T). Among other activities, flux partitioning can aid in evaluating consumptive vs. non-consumptive agricultural...

Management: A continuing literature survey with indexes, March 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Management is a compilation of references to selected reports, journal articles, and other documents on the subject of management. This publication lists 368 documents originally announced in the 1975 issues of Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) or International Aerospace Abstracts (IAA). It includes references on the management of research and development, contracts, production, logistics, personnel, safety, reliability and quality control. It also includes references on: program, project and systems management; management policy, philosophy, tools, and techniques; decisionmaking processes for managers; technology assessment; management of urban problems; and information for managers on Federal resources, expenditures, financing, and budgeting.

Validation of the Practice Environment Scale to the Brazilian culture.

PubMed

Gasparino, Renata C; Guirardello, Edinêis de B

2017-07-01

To validate the Brazilian version of the Practice Environment Scale. The Practice Environment Scale is a tool that evaluates the presence of characteristics that are favourable for professional nursing practice because a better work environment contributes to positive results for patients, professionals and institutions. Methodological study including 209 nurses. Validity was assessed via a confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling, in which the correlations between the instrument and the following variables were tested: burnout, job satisfaction, safety climate, perception of quality of care and intention to leave the job. Subgroups were compared and the reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the composite reliability. Factor analysis resulted in exclusion of seven items. Significant correlations were obtained between the subscales and all variables in the study. The reliability was considered acceptable. The Brazilian version of the Practice Environment Scale is a valid and reliable tool used to assess the characteristics that promote professional nursing practice. Use of this tool in Brazilian culture should allow managers to implement changes that contribute to the achievement of better results, in addition to identifying and comparing the environments of health institutions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

U.S. Geological Survey community for data integration: data upload, registry, and access tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

As a leading science and information agency and in fulfillment of its mission to provide reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ensures that all scientific data are effectively hosted, adequately described, and appropriately accessible to scientists, collaborators, and the general public. To succeed in this task, the USGS established the Community for Data Integration (CDI) to address data and information management issues affecting the proficiency of earth science research. Through the CDI, the USGS is providing data and metadata management tools, cyber infrastructure, collaboration tools, and training in support of scientists and technology specialists throughout the project life cycle. One of the significant tools recently created to contribute to this mission is the Uploader tool. This tool allows scientists with limited data management resources to address many of the key aspects of the data life cycle: the ability to protect, preserve, publish and share data. By implementing this application inside ScienceBase, scientists also can take advantage of other collaboration capabilities provided by the ScienceBase platform.

Intelligent Chemistry Management System (ICMS)--A new approach to steam generator chemistry control

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

Barto, R.J.; Farrell, D.M.; Noto, F.A.

1986-04-01

The Intelligent Chemistry Management System (ICMS) is a new tool which assists in steam generator chemistry control. Utilizing diagnostic capabilities, the ICMS will provide utility and industrial boiler operators, system chemists, and plant engineers with a tool for monitoring, diagnosing, and controlling steam generator system chemistry. By reducing the number of forced outages through early identification of potentially detrimental conditions, suggestion of possible causes, and execution of corrective actions, improvements in unit availability and reliability will result. The system monitors water and steam quality at a number of critical locations in the plant.

Development, initial reliability and validity testing of an observational tool for assessing technical skills of operating room nurses.

PubMed

Sevdalis, Nick; Undre, Shabnam; Henry, Janet; Sydney, Elaine; Koutantji, Mary; Darzi, Ara; Vincent, Charles A

2009-09-01

The recent emergence of the Systems Approach to the safety and quality of surgical care has triggered individual and team skills training modules for surgeons and anaesthetists and relevant observational assessment tools have been developed. To develop an observational tool that captures operating room (OR) nurses' technical skill and can be used for assessment and training. The Imperial College Assessment of Technical Skills for Nurses (ICATS-N) assesses (i) gowning and gloving, (ii) setting up instrumentation, (iii) draping, and (iv) maintaining sterility. Three to five observable behaviours have been identified for each skill and are rated on 1-6 scales. Feasibility and aspects of reliability and validity were assessed in 20 simulation-based crisis management training modules for trainee nurses and doctors, carried out in a Simulated Operating Room. The tool was feasible to use in the context of simulation-based training. Satisfactory reliability (Cronbach alpha) was obtained across trainers' and trainees' scores (analysed jointly and separately). Moreover, trainer nurse's ratings of the four skills correlated positively, thus indicating adequate content validity. Trainer's and trainees' ratings did not correlate. Assessment of OR nurses' technical skill is becoming a training priority. The present evidence suggests that the ICATS-N could be considered for use as an assessment/training tool for junior OR nurses.

Measuring the quality of Hospital Food Services: Development and reliability of a Meal Quality Audit Tool.

PubMed

Banks, Merrilyn; Hannan-Jones, Mary; Ross, Lynda; Buckley, Ann; Ellick, Jennifer; Young, Adrienne

2017-04-01

To develop and test the reliability of a Meal Quality Audit Tool (MQAT) to audit the quality of hospital meals to assist food service managers and dietitians in identifying areas for improvement. The MQAT was developed using expert opinion and was modified over time with extensive use and feedback. A phased approach was used to assess content validity and test reliability: (i) trial with 60 dietetic students, (ii) trial with 12 food service dietitians in practice and (iii) interrater reliability study. Phases 1 and 2 confirmed content validity and informed minor revision of scoring, language and formatting of the MQAT. To assess reliability of the final MQAT, eight separate meal quality audits of five identical meals were conducted over several weeks in the hospital setting. Each audit comprised an 'expert' team and four 'test' teams (dietitians, food services and ward staff). Interrater reliability was determined using intra-class correlation analysis. There was statistically significant interrater reliability for dimensions of Temperature and Accuracy (P < 0.001) but not for Appearance or Sensory. Composition of the 'test' team appeared to influence results for Appearance and Sensory, with food service-led teams scoring higher on these dimensions. 'Test' teams reported that MQAT was clear and easy to use. MQAT was found to be reliable for Temperature and Accuracy domains, with further work required to improve the reliability of the Appearance and Sensory dimensions. The systematic use of the tool, used in conjunction with patient satisfaction, could provide pertinent and useful information regarding the quality of food services and areas for improvement. © 2017 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Development and psychometric evaluation of a cardiovascular risk and disease management knowledge assessment tool.

PubMed

Rosneck, James S; Hughes, Joel; Gunstad, John; Josephson, Richard; Noe, Donald A; Waechter, Donna

2014-01-01

This article describes the systematic construction and psychometric analysis of a knowledge assessment instrument for phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients measuring risk modification disease management knowledge and behavioral outcomes derived from national standards relevant to secondary prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. First, using adult curriculum based on disease-specific learning outcomes and competencies, a systematic test item development process was completed by clinical staff. Second, a panel of educational and clinical experts used an iterative process to identify test content domain and arrive at consensus in selecting items meeting criteria. Third, the resulting 31-question instrument, the Cardiac Knowledge Assessment Tool (CKAT), was piloted in CR patients to ensure use of application. Validity and reliability analyses were performed on 3638 adults before test administrations with additional focused analyses on 1999 individuals completing both pretreatment and posttreatment administrations within 6 months. Evidence of CKAT content validity was substantiated, with 85% agreement among content experts. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated via factor analysis identifying key underlying factors. Estimates of internal consistency, for example, Cronbach's α = .852 and Spearman-Brown split-half reliability = 0.817 on pretesting, support test reliability. Item analysis, using point biserial correlation, measured relationships between performance on single items and total score (P < .01). Analyses using item difficulty and item discrimination indices further verified item stability and validity of the CKAT. A knowledge instrument specifically designed for an adult CR population was systematically developed and tested in a large representative patient population, satisfying psychometric parameters, including validity and reliability.

Management: A continuing literature survey with indexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

This bibliography lists 782 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in 1977. The citations, and abstracts when available, are reproduced exactly as they appeared originally in IAA and STAR, including the original accession numbers from the respective announcement journals. Topics cover the management of research and development contracts, production, logistics, personnel, safety, reliability and quality control citations. Includes references on: program, project and systems management; management policy, philosophy, tools, and techniques; decisionmaking processes for managers; technology assessment; management of urban problems; and information for managers on Federal resources, expenditures, financing, and budgeting.

Development and validation of a short version of the Partnership Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT) among professionals in Dutch disease-management partnerships.

PubMed

Cramm, Jane M; Strating, Mathilde Mh; Nieboer, Anna P

2011-06-30

The extent to which partnership synergy is created within quality improvement programmes in the Netherlands is unknown. In this article, we describe the psychometric testing of the Partnership Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT) among professionals in twenty-two disease-management partnerships participating in quality improvement projects focused on chronic care in the Netherlands. Our objectives are to validate the PSAT in the Netherlands and to reduce the number of items of the original PSAT while maintaining validity and reliability. The Dutch version of the PSAT was tested in twenty-two disease-management partnerships with 218 professionals. We tested the instrument by means of structural equation modelling, and examined its validity and reliability. After eliminating 14 items, the confirmatory factor analyses revealed good indices of fit with the resulting 15-item PSAT-Short version (PSAT-S). Internal consistency as represented by Cronbach's alpha ranged from acceptable (0.75) for the 'efficiency' subscale to excellent for the 'leadership' subscale (0.87). Convergent validity was provided with high correlations of the partnership dimensions and partnership synergy (ranged from 0.512 to 0.609) and high correlations with chronic illness care (ranged from 0.447 to 0.329). The psychometric properties and convergent validity of the PSAT-S were satisfactory rendering it a valid and reliable instrument for assessing partnership synergy and its dimensions of partnership functioning.

Graphical Contingency Analysis for the Nation's Electric Grid

ScienceCinema

Zhenyu (Henry) Huang

2017-12-09

PNNL has developed a new tool to manage the electric grid more effectively, helping prevent blackouts and brownouts--and possibly avoiding millions of dollars in fines for system violations. The Graphical Contingency Analysis tool monitors grid performance, shows prioritized lists of problems, provides visualizations of potential consequences, and helps operators identify the most effective courses of action. This technology yields faster, better decisions and a more stable and reliable power grid.

Reliability of Fault Tolerant Control Systems. Part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, N. Eva

2001-01-01

This paper reports Part I of a two part effort, that is intended to delineate the relationship between reliability and fault tolerant control in a quantitative manner. Reliability analysis of fault-tolerant control systems is performed using Markov models. Reliability properties, peculiar to fault-tolerant control systems are emphasized. As a consequence, coverage of failures through redundancy management can be severely limited. It is shown that in the early life of a syi1ein composed of highly reliable subsystems, the reliability of the overall system is affine with respect to coverage, and inadequate coverage induces dominant single point failures. The utility of some existing software tools for assessing the reliability of fault tolerant control systems is also discussed. Coverage modeling is attempted in Part II in a way that captures its dependence on the control performance and on the diagnostic resolution.

Development of the competency scale for primary care managers in Thailand: Scale development.

PubMed

Kitreerawutiwong, Keerati; Sriruecha, Chanaphol; Laohasiriwong, Wongsa

2015-12-09

The complexity of the primary care system requires a competent manager to achieve high-quality healthcare. The existing literature in the field yields little evidence of the tools to assess the competency of primary care administrators. This study aimed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the competency scale for primary care managers in Thailand. The scale was developed using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among policy makers, managers, practitioners, village health volunteers, and clients. The specific dimensions were extracted from 35 participants. 123 items were generated from the evidence and qualitative data. Content validity was established through the evaluation of seven experts and the original 123 items were reduced to 84 items. The pilot testing was conducted on a simple random sample of 487 primary care managers. Item analysis, reliability testing, and exploratory factor analysis were applied to establish the scale's reliability and construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis identified nine dimensions with 48 items using a five-point Likert scale. Each dimension accounted for greater than 58.61% of the total variance. The scale had strong content validity (Indices = 0.85). Each dimension of Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.70 to 0.88. Based on these analyses, this instrument demonstrated sound psychometric properties and therefore is considered an effective tool for assessment of the primary care manager competencies. The results can be used to improve competency requirements of primary care managers, with implications for health service management workforce development.

Configuration Management and Infrastructure Monitoring Using CFEngine and Icinga for Real-time Heterogeneous Data Taking Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poat, M. D.; Lauret, J.; Betts, W.

2015-12-01

The STAR online computing environment is an intensive ever-growing system used for real-time data collection and analysis. Composed of heterogeneous and sometimes groups of custom-tuned machines, the computing infrastructure was previously managed by manual configurations and inconsistently monitored by a combination of tools. This situation led to configuration inconsistency and an overload of repetitive tasks along with lackluster communication between personnel and machines. Globally securing this heterogeneous cyberinfrastructure was tedious at best and an agile, policy-driven system ensuring consistency, was pursued. Three configuration management tools, Chef, Puppet, and CFEngine have been compared in reliability, versatility and performance along with a comparison of infrastructure monitoring tools Nagios and Icinga. STAR has selected the CFEngine configuration management tool and the Icinga infrastructure monitoring system leading to a versatile and sustainable solution. By leveraging these two tools STAR can now swiftly upgrade and modify the environment to its needs with ease as well as promptly react to cyber-security requests. By creating a sustainable long term monitoring solution, the detection of failures was reduced from days to minutes, allowing rapid actions before the issues become dire problems, potentially causing loss of precious experimental data or uptime.

Estimating the Reliability of Electronic Parts in High Radiation Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Everline, Chester; Clark, Karla; Man, Guy; Rasmussen, Robert; Johnston, Allan; Kohlhase, Charles; Paulos, Todd

2008-01-01

Radiation effects on materials and electronic parts constrain the lifetime of flight systems visiting Europa. Understanding mission lifetime limits is critical to the design and planning of such a mission. Therefore, the operational aspects of radiation dose are a mission success issue. To predict and manage mission lifetime in a high radiation environment, system engineers need capable tools to trade radiation design choices against system design and reliability, and science achievements. Conventional tools and approaches provided past missions with conservative designs without the ability to predict their lifetime beyond the baseline mission.This paper describes a more systematic approach to understanding spacecraft design margin, allowing better prediction of spacecraft lifetime. This is possible because of newly available electronic parts radiation effects statistics and an enhanced spacecraft system reliability methodology. This new approach can be used in conjunction with traditional approaches for mission design. This paper describes the fundamentals of the new methodology.

The use of on-site visits to assess compliance and implementation of quality management at hospital level.

PubMed

Wagner, C; Groene, O; Dersarkissian, M; Thompson, C A; Klazinga, N S; Arah, O A; Suñol, R

2014-04-01

Stakeholders of hospitals often lack standardized tools to assess compliance with quality management strategies and the implementation of clinical quality activities in hospitals. Such assessment tools, if easy to use, could be helpful to hospitals, health-care purchasers and health-care inspectorates. The aim of our study was to determine the psychometric properties of two newly developed tools for measuring compliance with process-oriented quality management strategies and the extent of implementation of clinical quality strategies at the hospital level. We developed and tested two measurement instruments that could be used during on-site visits by trained external surveyors to calculate a Quality Management Compliance Index (QMCI) and a Clinical Quality Implementation Index (CQII). We used psychometric methods and the cross-sectional data to explore the factor structure, reliability and validity of each of these instruments. The sample consisted of 74 acute care hospitals selected at random from each of 7 European countries. The psychometric properties of the two indices (QMCI and CQII). Overall, the indices demonstrated favourable psychometric performance based on factor analysis, item correlations, internal consistency and hypothesis testing. Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for the scales of the QMCI (α: 0.74-0.78) and the CQII (α: 0.82-0.93). Inter-scale correlations revealed that the scales were positively correlated, but distinct. All scales added sufficient new information to each main index to be retained. This study has produced two reliable instruments that can be used during on-site visits to assess compliance with quality management strategies and implementation of quality management activities by hospitals in Europe and perhaps other jurisdictions.

Description, Normative Data, and Utility of the Hearing Aid Skills and Knowledge Test.

PubMed

Saunders, Gabrielle H; Morse-Fortier, Charlotte; McDermott, Daniel J; Vachhani, Jay J; Grush, Leslie D; Griest, Susan; Lewis, M Samantha

2018-03-01

The ability to manage hearing aids is crucial for successful outcomes and for maintaining hearing aid use. It is therefore important to have a tool that can effectively identify which hearing aid management skills are lacking so that the audiologist can provide additional education and training on that skill. Such a tool can also provide useful quantitative data for researchers. To collect normative data (Experiment 1) and assess inter- and intrarater reliability (Experiment 2) for a hearing aid management assessment tool known as the Hearing Aid Skills and Knowledge (HASK) test. Two hundred thirty-six new hearing aid users recruited from the VA Portland Health Care System and 126 experienced hearing aid users recruited from the local Portland community participated in Experiment 1. The veteran participants were taking part in a larger hearing aid study, and the community participants were recruited at community events that took place around Portland, OR. Three clinical audiologists and two AuD students completing their fourth year externship participated in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, HASK data were collected from the new hearing aid users at 4-8 wk and 6-8 mo after the fitting of their first pair of hearing aids, and from experienced users on a single occasion. In addition, self-reported hearing aid use, benefit, and satisfaction were assessed for all participants. The audiologists/students in Experiment 2 watched and independently scored videos of six individuals completing the HASK. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) across audiologists were computed for HASK scores. Three audiologists/students rated at least one video on two occasions to provide interrater reliability data. Mean performance on the HASK was about 70% for knowledge and 80% for skills for both the new and experienced hearing aid users. Performance did not change among the new users between the 4-8 wk and 6-8 mo administration. The specific skills lacking were associated with advanced management abilities (cleaning and troubleshooting). Experiment 2 revealed ICCs for inter- and intrarater reliability for HASK to range from 0.76 to 0.94, showing acceptable to excellent reliability. The HASK is a quick and easy test with good-to-excellent inter- and intrarater reliability. It can effectively identify which hearing aid management skills are lacking so that the audiologist can provide additional education and training on those skills. Data show performance is ∼70% for knowledge and 80% for skills and this does not change with hearing aid experience. The significant positive correlations between HASK scores and hearing aid use and satisfaction highlight the notion that ability to manage hearing aids successfully is integral to good hearing aid outcome. American Academy of Audiology

EMI datalib - joining the best of ARC and gLite data libraries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsen, J. K.; Cameron, D.; Devresse, A.; Molnar, Zs; Nagy, Zs; Salichos, M.

2012-12-01

To manage data in the grid, with its jungle of protocols and enormous amount of data in different storage solutions, it is important to have a strong, versatile and reliable data management library. While there are several data management tools and libraries available, they all have different strengths and weaknesses, and it can be hard to decide which tool to use for which purpose. EMI is a collaboration between the European middleware providers aiming to take the best out of each middleware to create one consolidated, all-purpose grid middleware. When EMI started there were two main tools for managing data - gLite had lcg util and the GFAL library, ARC had the ARC data tools and libarcdata2. While different in design and purpose, they both have the same goal; to manage data in the grid. The design of the new EMI datalib was ready by the end of 2011, and a first prototype is now implemented and going through a thorough testing phase. This presentation will give the latest results of the consolidated library together with an overview of the design, test plan and roadmap of EMI datalib.

Analyzing the impact of intermodal-related risk to the design and management of biofuel supply chain.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

The objective of this project is to design decision-support tools for identifying : biorefinery locations that ensure a cost-efficient and reliable supply chain. We built : mathematical models which take into consideration the benefits (such as acces...

Wireless data collection retrievals of bridge inspection/management information.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-28

To increase the efficiency and reliability of bridge inspections, MDOT contracted to have a 3D-model-based data entry application for mobile tablets developed to aid inspectors in the field. The 3D Bridge App is a mobile software tool designed to fac...

Validation of behave fire behavior predictions in oak savannas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grabner, Keith W.; Dwyer, John; Cutter, Bruce E.

1997-01-01

Prescribed fire is a valuable tool in the restoration and management of oak savannas. BEHAVE, a fire behavior prediction system developed by the United States Forest Service, can be a useful tool when managing oak savannas with prescribed fire. BEHAVE predictions of fire rate-of-spread and flame length were validated using four standardized fuel models: Fuel Model 1 (short grass), Fuel Model 2 (timber and grass), Fuel Model 3 (tall grass), and Fuel Model 9 (hardwood litter). Also, a customized oak savanna fuel model (COSFM) was created and validated. Results indicate that standardized fuel model 2 and the COSFM reliably estimate mean rate-of-spread (MROS). The COSFM did not appreciably reduce MROS variation when compared to fuel model 2. Fuel models 1, 3, and 9 did not reliably predict MROS. Neither the standardized fuel models nor the COSFM adequately predicted flame lengths. We concluded that standardized fuel model 2 should be used with BEHAVE when predicting fire rates-of-spread in established oak savannas.

Self-Management and Transition Readiness Assessment: Development, Reliability, and Factor Structure of the STARx Questionnaire.

PubMed

Ferris, M; Cohen, S; Haberman, C; Javalkar, K; Massengill, S; Mahan, J D; Kim, S; Bickford, K; Cantu, G; Medeiros, M; Phillips, A; Ferris, M T; Hooper, S R

2015-01-01

The Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx=Treatment (STARx) Questionnaire was developed to collect information on self-management and health care transition (HCT) skills, via self-report, in a broad population of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic conditions. Over several iterations, the STARx questionnaire was created with AYA, family, and health provider input. The development and pilot testing of the STARx Questionnaire took place with the assistance of 1219 AYAs with different chronic health conditions, in multiple institutions and settings over three phases: item development, pilot testing, reliability and factor structuring. The three development phases resulted in a final version of the STARx Questionnaire. The exploratory factor analysis of the third version of the 18-item STARx identified six factors that accounted for about 65% of the variance: Medication management, Provider communication, Engagement during appointments, Disease knowledge, Adult health responsibilities, and Resource utilization. Reliability estimates revealed good internal consistency and temporal stability, with the alpha coefficient for the overall scale being .80. The STARx was developmentally sensitive, with older patients scoring significantly higher on nearly every factor than younger patients. The STARx Questionnaire is a reliable, self-report tool with adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and a strong, multidimensional factor structure. It provides another assessment strategy to measure self-management and transition skills in AYAs with chronic conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Defining physicians' readiness to screen and manage intimate partner violence in Greek primary care settings.

PubMed

Papadakaki, Maria; Prokopiadou, Dimitra; Petridou, Eleni; Kogevinas, Manolis; Lionis, Christos

2012-06-01

The current article aims to translate the PREMIS (Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence) survey into the Greek language and test its validity and reliability in a sample of primary care physicians. The validation study was conducted in 2010 and involved all the general practitioners serving two adjacent prefectures of Greece (n = 80). Maximum-likelihood factor analysis (MLF) was used to extract key survey factors. The instrument was further assessed for the following psychometric properties: (a) scale reliability, (b) item-specific reliability, (c) test-retest reliability, (d) scale construct validity, and (e) internal predictive validity. The MLF analysis of 23 opinion items revealed a seven-factor solution (preparation, constraint, workplace issues, screening, self-efficacy, alcohol/drugs, victim understanding), which was statistically sound (p = .293). Most of the newly derived scales displayed satisfactory internal consistency (α ≥ .60), high item-specific reliability, strong construct, and internal predictive validity (F = 2.82; p = .004), and high repeatability when retested with 20 individuals (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > .70). The tool was found appropriate to facilitate the identification of competence deficits and the evaluation of training initiatives.

Decision Support for the Capacity Management of Bronchoscopy Devices: Optimizing the Cost-Efficient Mix of Reusable and Single-Use Devices Through Mathematical Modeling.

PubMed

Edenharter, Günther M; Gartner, Daniel; Pförringer, Dominik

2017-06-01

Increasing costs of material resources challenge hospitals to stay profitable. Particularly in anesthesia departments and intensive care units, bronchoscopes are used for various indications. Inefficient management of single- and multiple-use systems can influence the hospitals' material costs substantially. Using mathematical modeling, we developed a strategic decision support tool to determine the optimum mix of disposable and reusable bronchoscopy devices in the setting of an intensive care unit. A mathematical model with the objective to minimize costs in relation to demand constraints for bronchoscopy devices was formulated. The stochastic model decides whether single-use, multi-use, or a strategically chosen mix of both device types should be used. A decision support tool was developed in which parameters for uncertain demand such as mean, standard deviation, and a reliability parameter can be inserted. Furthermore, reprocessing costs per procedure, procurement, and maintenance costs for devices can be parameterized. Our experiments show for which demand pattern and reliability measure, it is efficient to only use reusable or disposable devices and under which circumstances the combination of both device types is beneficial. To determine the optimum mix of single-use and reusable bronchoscopy devices effectively and efficiently, managers can enter their hospital-specific parameters such as demand and prices into the decision support tool.The software can be downloaded at: https://github.com/drdanielgartner/bronchomix/.

Parents' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-reported task performance when managing atopic dermatitis in children: instrument reliability and validity.

PubMed

Mitchell, Amy E; Fraser, Jennifer A

2011-02-01

Support and education for parents faced with managing a child with atopic dermatitis is crucial to the success of current treatments. Interventions aiming to improve parent management of this condition are promising. Unfortunately, evaluation is hampered by lack of precise research tools to measure change. To develop a suite of valid and reliable research instruments to appraise parents' self-efficacy for performing atopic dermatitis management tasks; outcome expectations of performing management tasks; and self-reported task performance in a community sample of parents of children with atopic dermatitis. The Parents' Eczema Management Scale (PEMS) and the Parents' Outcome Expectations of Eczema Management Scale (POEEMS) were developed from an existing self-efficacy scale, the Parental Self-Efficacy with Eczema Care Index (PASECI). Each scale was presented in a single self-administered questionnaire, to measure self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-reported task performance related to managing child atopic dermatitis. Each was tested with a community sample of parents of children with atopic dermatitis, and psychometric evaluation of the scales' reliability and validity was conducted. A community-based convenience sample of 120 parents of children with atopic dermatitis completed the self-administered questionnaire. Participants were recruited through schools across Australia. Satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all three scales. Construct validity was satisfactory, with positive relationships between self-efficacy for managing atopic dermatitis and general perceived self-efficacy; self-efficacy for managing atopic dermatitis and self-reported task performance; and self-efficacy for managing atopic dermatitis and outcome expectations. Factor analyses revealed two-factor structures for PEMS and PASECI alike, with both scales containing factors related to performing routine management tasks, and managing the child's symptoms and behaviour. Factor analysis was also applied to POEEMS resulting in a three-factor structure. Factors relating to independent management of atopic dermatitis by the parent, involving healthcare professionals in management, and involving the child in the management of atopic dermatitis were found. Parents' self-efficacy and outcome expectations had a significant influence on self-reported task performance. Findings suggest that PEMS and POEEMS are valid and reliable instruments worthy of further psychometric evaluation. Likewise, validity and reliability of PASECI was confirmed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The value of SPaCE in delivering patient feedback.

PubMed

Clapham, Laura; Allan, Laura; Stirling, Kevin

2016-02-01

The use of simulated patients (SPs) within undergraduate medical curricula is an established and valued learning opportunity. Within the context of simulation, it is imperative to capture feedback from all participants within the simulation activity. The Simulated Patient Candidate Evaluation (SPaCE) tool was developed to deliver SP feedback following a simulation activity. SpaCE is a closed feedback tool that allows SPs to rate a student's performance, using a five-point Likert scale, in three domains: attitude; interaction skills; and management. This research study examined the value of the SPaCE tool and how it contributes to the overall feedback that a student receives. Classical test theory was used to determine the reliability of the SPaCE tool. An evaluation of all SP responses was conducted to observe trends in scoring patterns for each question. Qualitative data were collected via a free-text questionnaire and subsequent focus group discussion. It is imperative to capture feedback from all participants within the simulation activity Classical test theory determined that the SPaCE tool had a reliability co-efficient of 0.89. A total of 13 SPs replied to the questionnaire. A thematic analysis of all questionnaire data identified that the SPaCE tool provides a structure that allows patient feedback to be given effectively following a simulation activity. These themes were discussed further with six SPs who attended the subsequent focus group session. The SPaCE tool has been shown to be a reliable closed feedback tool that allows SPs to discriminate between students, based on their performance. The next stage in the development of the SPaCE tool is to test the wider applicability of this feedback tool. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Towards early software reliability prediction for computer forensic tools (case study).

PubMed

Abu Talib, Manar

2016-01-01

Versatility, flexibility and robustness are essential requirements for software forensic tools. Researchers and practitioners need to put more effort into assessing this type of tool. A Markov model is a robust means for analyzing and anticipating the functioning of an advanced component based system. It is used, for instance, to analyze the reliability of the state machines of real time reactive systems. This research extends the architecture-based software reliability prediction model for computer forensic tools, which is based on Markov chains and COSMIC-FFP. Basically, every part of the computer forensic tool is linked to a discrete time Markov chain. If this can be done, then a probabilistic analysis by Markov chains can be performed to analyze the reliability of the components and of the whole tool. The purposes of the proposed reliability assessment method are to evaluate the tool's reliability in the early phases of its development, to improve the reliability assessment process for large computer forensic tools over time, and to compare alternative tool designs. The reliability analysis can assist designers in choosing the most reliable topology for the components, which can maximize the reliability of the tool and meet the expected reliability level specified by the end-user. The approach of assessing component-based tool reliability in the COSMIC-FFP context is illustrated with the Forensic Toolkit Imager case study.

A new tool to evaluate postgraduate training posts: the Job Evaluation Survey Tool (JEST).

PubMed

Wall, David; Goodyear, Helen; Singh, Baldev; Whitehouse, Andrew; Hughes, Elizabeth; Howes, Jonathan

2014-10-02

Three reports in 2013 about healthcare and patient safety in the UK, namely Berwick, Francis and Keogh have highlighted the need for junior doctors' views about their training experience to be heard. In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) quality assures medical training programmes and requires postgraduate deaneries to undertake quality management and monitoring of all training posts in their area. The aim of this study was to develop a simple trainee questionnaire for evaluation of postgraduate training posts based on the GMC, UK standards and to look at the reliability and validity including comparison with a well-established and internationally validated tool, the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM). The Job Evaluation Survey Tool (JEST), a fifteen item job evaluation questionnaire was drawn up in 2006, piloted with Foundation doctors (2007), field tested with specialist paediatric registrars (2008) and used over a three year period (2008-11) by Foundation Doctors. Statistical analyses including descriptives, reliability, correlation and factor analysis were undertaken and JEST compared with PHEEM. The JEST had a reliability of 0.91 in the pilot study of 76 Foundation doctors, 0.88 in field testing of 173 Paediatric specialist registrars and 0.91 in three years of general use in foundation training with 3367 doctors completing JEST. Correlation of JEST with PHEEM was 0.80 (p < 0.001). Factor analysis showed two factors, a teaching factor and a social and lifestyle one. The JEST has proved to be a simple, valid and reliable evaluation tool in the monitoring and evaluation of postgraduate hospital training posts.

Managing and monitoring tuberculosis using web-based tools in combination with traditional approaches

PubMed Central

Chapman, Ann LN; Darton, Thomas C; Foster, Rachel A

2013-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health emergency. Ongoing challenges include the coordination of national and international control programs, high levels of drug resistance in many parts of the world, and availability of accurate and rapid diagnostic tests. The increasing availability and reliability of Internet access throughout both affluent and resource-limited countries brings new opportunities to improve TB management and control through the integration of web-based technologies with traditional approaches. In this review, we explore current and potential future use of web-based tools in the areas of TB diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, service monitoring, and teaching and training. PMID:24294008

Service quality assessment of workers compensation health care delivery programs in New York using SERVQUAL.

PubMed

Arunasalam, Mark; Paulson, Albert; Wallace, William

2003-01-01

Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) provide healthcare services to an expanding proportion of the U.S. population. This paper presents a programmatic assessment of service quality in the workers' compensation environment using two different models: the PPO program model and the fee-for-service (FFS) payor model. The methodology used here will augment currently available research in workers' compensation, which has been lacking in measuring service quality determinants and assessing programmatic success/failure of managed care type programs. Results indicated that the SERVQUAL tool provided a reliable and valid clinical quality assessment tool that ascertained that PPO marketers should focus on promoting physician outreach (to show empathy) and accessibility (to show reliability) for injured workers.

NWS Operational Requirements for Ensemble-Based Hydrologic Forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, R. K.

2008-12-01

Ensemble-based hydrologic forecasts have been developed and issued by National Weather Service (NWS) staff at River Forecast Centers (RFCs) for many years. Used principally for long-range water supply forecasts, only the uncertainty associated with weather and climate have been traditionally considered. As technology and societal expectations of resource managers increase, the use and desire for risk-based decision support tools has also increased. These tools require forecast information that includes reliable uncertainty estimates across all time and space domains. The development of reliable uncertainty estimates associated with hydrologic forecasts is being actively pursued within the United States and internationally. This presentation will describe the challenges, components, and requirements for operational hydrologic ensemble-based forecasts from the perspective of a NOAA/NWS River Forecast Center.

Measuring first-line nurse manager work: instrument: development and testing.

PubMed

Cadmus, Edna; Wisniewska, Edyta K

2013-12-01

The objective of this study was to develop and test a 1st-line nurse manager (FLNM) work instrument to measure categories of work and frequency of activities. First-line nurse managers have been demonstrated to be key contributors in meeting organizational outcomes and patient and nurse satisfaction. Identifying the work of FLNMs is essential to help in the development of prioritization and sequence. The need for an instrument that can measure and categorize the work of FLNMs is indicated. The author-developed instrument was administered as a pilot study to 173 FLNMs in New Jersey. Descriptive statistics were analyzed, and validity and reliability were measured. Content validity was established through 2 focus groups using 10 FLNMs and conducting a survey of 5 chief nursing officers. Reliability was assessed by 13 of 16 FLNM participants using the test/retest method and quantified using percent agreement within a 10-day period. Those items with 70% agreement or more were identified as reliable and retained on the instrument. The content validity of the instrument is strong; further refinement and testing of the tool are indicated to improve the reliability and generalizability across multiple populations of leaders and settings.

Older Adults’ Satisfaction with a Medication Dispensing Device in Home Care

PubMed Central

Demiris, George; Marek, Karen D.

2014-01-01

Introduction Older adults with multiple chronic conditions face the complex task of medication management involving multiple medications of varying doses at different times. Advances in telehealth technologies have resulted in home-based devices for medication management and health monitoring of older adults. We examined older adults’ perceptions of a telehealth medication dispensing device as part of a clinical trial involving home health care clients, nurse coordination and use of the medication dispensing device. Methods Ninety-six frail older adult participants who used the medication dispensing device for 12 months completed a satisfaction survey related to perceived usefulness and reliability. Results were analyzed and grouped by themes in the following areas: Ease of Use, Reliability, Medication Management Assistance, Routine Task Performance and Acceptability. Results Nearly all participants perceived the medication dispensing device as very easy to use, very reliable and helpful in management of their medications. Eighty-four percent of participants expressed a desire to use the machine in the future. Conclusion The technology-enhanced medication management device in this study is an acceptable tool for older adults to manage medication in collaboration with home care nurses. Improved usability and cost models for medication dispensers are areas for future research. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01321853 PMID:23323721

Integrating Reliability Analysis with a Performance Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicol, David M.; Palumbo, Daniel L.; Ulrey, Michael

1995-01-01

A large number of commercial simulation tools support performance oriented studies of complex computer and communication systems. Reliability of these systems, when desired, must be obtained by remodeling the system in a different tool. This has obvious drawbacks: (1) substantial extra effort is required to create the reliability model; (2) through modeling error the reliability model may not reflect precisely the same system as the performance model; (3) as the performance model evolves one must continuously reevaluate the validity of assumptions made in that model. In this paper we describe an approach, and a tool that implements this approach, for integrating a reliability analysis engine into a production quality simulation based performance modeling tool, and for modeling within such an integrated tool. The integrated tool allows one to use the same modeling formalisms to conduct both performance and reliability studies. We describe how the reliability analysis engine is integrated into the performance tool, describe the extensions made to the performance tool to support the reliability analysis, and consider the tool's performance.

Automation in future air traffic management: effects of decision aid reliability on controller performance and mental workload.

PubMed

Metzger, Ulla; Parasuraman, Raja

2005-01-01

Future air traffic management concepts envisage shared decision-making responsibilities between controllers and pilots, necessitating that controllers be supported by automated decision aids. Even as automation tools are being introduced, however, their impact on the air traffic controller is not well understood. The present experiments examined the effects of an aircraft-to-aircraft conflict decision aid on performance and mental workload of experienced, full-performance level controllers in a simulated Free Flight environment. Performance was examined with both reliable (Experiment 1) and inaccurate automation (Experiment 2). The aid improved controller performance and reduced mental workload when it functioned reliably. However, detection of a particular conflict was better under manual conditions than under automated conditions when the automation was imperfect. Potential or actual applications of the results include the design of automation and procedures for future air traffic control systems.

An analysis on intersectional collaboration on non-communicable chronic disease prevention and control in China: a cross-sectional survey on main officials of community health service institutions.

PubMed

Li, Xing-Ming; Rasooly, Alon; Peng, Bo; JianWang; Xiong, Shu-Yu

2017-11-10

Our study aimed to design a tool of evaluating intersectional collaboration on Non-communicable Chronic Disease (NCD) prevention and control, and further to understand the current status of intersectional collaboration in community health service institutions of China. We surveyed 444 main officials of community health service institutions in Beijing, Tianjin, Hubei and Ningxia regions of China in 2014 by using a questionnaire. A model of collaboration measurement, including four relational dimensions of governance, shared goals and vision, formalization and internalization, was used to compare the scores of evaluation scale in NCD management procedures across community healthcare institutions and other ones. Reliability and validity of the evaluation tool on inter-organizational collaboration on NCD prevention and control were verified. The test on tool evaluating inter-organizational collaboration in community NCD management revealed a good reliability and validity (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.89,split-half reliability = 0.84, the variance contribution rate of an extracted principal component = 49.70%). The results of inter-organizational collaboration of different departments and management segments showed there were statistically significant differences in formalization dimension for physical examination (p = 0.01).There was statistically significant difference in governance dimension, formalization dimension and total score of the collaboration scale for health record sector (p = 0.01,0.00,0.00). Statistical differences were found in the formalization dimension for exercise and nutrition health education segment (p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant difference in formalization dimension of medication guidance for psychological consultation, medical referral service and rehabilitation guidance (all p > 0.05). The multi-department collaboration mechanism of NCD prevention and control has been rudimentarily established. Community management institutions and general hospitals are more active in participating in community NCD management with better collaboration score, whereas the CDC shows relatively poor collaboration in China. Xing-ming Li and Alon Rasooly have the same contribution to the paper. Xing-ming Li and Alon Rasooly listed as the same first author.

Development and validation of a short version of the Partnership Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT) among professionals in Dutch disease-management partnerships

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The extent to which partnership synergy is created within quality improvement programmes in the Netherlands is unknown. In this article, we describe the psychometric testing of the Partnership Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT) among professionals in twenty-two disease-management partnerships participating in quality improvement projects focused on chronic care in the Netherlands. Our objectives are to validate the PSAT in the Netherlands and to reduce the number of items of the original PSAT while maintaining validity and reliability. Methods The Dutch version of the PSAT was tested in twenty-two disease-management partnerships with 218 professionals. We tested the instrument by means of structural equation modelling, and examined its validity and reliability. Results After eliminating 14 items, the confirmatory factor analyses revealed good indices of fit with the resulting 15-item PSAT-Short version (PSAT-S). Internal consistency as represented by Cronbach's alpha ranged from acceptable (0.75) for the 'efficiency' subscale to excellent for the 'leadership' subscale (0.87). Convergent validity was provided with high correlations of the partnership dimensions and partnership synergy (ranged from 0.512 to 0.609) and high correlations with chronic illness care (ranged from 0.447 to 0.329). Conclusion The psychometric properties and convergent validity of the PSAT-S were satisfactory rendering it a valid and reliable instrument for assessing partnership synergy and its dimensions of partnership functioning. PMID:21714931

Using a Web-Based Approach to Assess Test-Retest Reliability of the "Hypertension Self-Care Profile" Tool in an Asian Population: A Validation Study.

PubMed

Koh, Yi Ling Eileen; Lua, Yi Hui Adela; Hong, Liyue; Bong, Huey Shin Shirley; Yeo, Ling Sui Jocelyn; Tsang, Li Ping Marianne; Ong, Kai Zhi; Wong, Sook Wai Samantha; Tan, Ngiap Chuan

2016-03-01

Essential hypertension often requires affected patients to self-manage their condition most of the time. Besides seeking regular medical review of their life-long condition to detect vascular complications, patients have to maintain healthy lifestyles in between physician consultations via diet and physical activity, and to take their medications according to their prescriptions. Their self-management ability is influenced by their self-efficacy capacity, which can be assessed using questionnaire-based tools. The "Hypertension Self-Care Profile" (HTN-SCP) is 1 such questionnaire assessing self-efficacy in the domains of "behavior," "motivation," and "self-efficacy." This study aims to determine the test-retest reliability of HTN-SCP in an English-literate Asian population using a web-based approach. Multiethnic Asian patients, aged 40 years and older, with essential hypertension were recruited from a typical public primary care clinic in Singapore. The investigators guided the patients to fill up the web-based 60-item HTN-SCP in English using a tablet or smartphone on the first visit and refilled the instrument 2 weeks later in the retest. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's Alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), respectively. The t test was used to determine the relationship between the overall HTN-SCP scores of the patients and their self-reported self-management activities. A total of 160 patients completed the HTN-SCP during the initial test, from which 71 test-retest responses were completed. No floor or ceiling effect was found for the scores for the 3 subscales. Cronbach's Alpha coefficients were 0.857, 0.948, and 0.931 for "behavior," "motivation," and "self-efficacy" domains respectively, indicating high internal consistency. The item-total correlation ranges for the 3 scales were from 0.105 to 0.656 for Behavior, 0.401 to 0.808 for Motivation, 0.349 to 0.789 for Self-efficacy. The corresponding ICC scores of 0.671, 0.762, and 0.720 for these respective domains showed good test-retest reliability. The correlation of the HTN-SCP scores and patients' reported self-management measures were significant, except for keeping their food diary. HTN-SCP showed satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability in an English literate Asian population. A web-based approach is feasible if similar studies are needed to validate its translated versions of the tool for wider application in the local multilingual population.

Reliability of sternal instability scale (SIS) for transverse sternotomy in lung transplantation (LTX).

PubMed

Fuller, Louise M; El-Ansary, Doa; Button, Brenda; Bondarenko, Janet; Marasco, Silvana; Snell, Greg; Holland, Anne E

2018-01-25

A surgical incision for bilateral sequential lung transplantation (BSLTX) is the "clam shell" (CSI) approach via bilateral anterior thoracotomies and a transverse sternotomy to allow for sequential replacement of the lungs. This can be associated with significant post-operative pain, bony overriding or sternal instability. The sternal instability scale (SIS) is a non-invasive manual assessment tool that can be used to detect early bony non-union or instability following CSI; however, its reliability is unknown. This prospective blinded reliability study aimed to assess intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the SIS following lung transplantation. Participants post BSLTX aged older than 18 years underwent sternal assessment utilizing the SIS. Two assessors examined the sternum using a standardized protocol at two separate time points with a test-re-test time of 48 hours. The outcome measure was SIS tool using four categories from 0 (clinically stable) to 3 (separated sternum with overriding). In total, 20 participants (75% female) with a mean age of 48 years (SD 17) and mean pain score of 3 out of 10 were included, 60% having well healed wounds and 25% reporting symptoms of sternal clicking. The most painful self-reported painful activity was coughing. The SIS demonstrated excellent reliability with a kappa = 0.91 by different assessors on the same day, and kappa = 0.83 for assessments by the same assessor on different days. The SIS is a reliable manual assessment tool for evaluation of sternal instability after CSI following BSLTX and may facilitate the timely detection and management of sternal instability.

Reliability and Validation Study of the Online Instinctual Variant Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andre, Sherry

2014-01-01

Leaders often manage both chaos and diversity. We can improve our leadership effectiveness by better understanding our motives and behaviors, and those of our followers. A potential tool for leadership development is the Instinctual Variant Questionnaire (IVQ). Based on Enneagram theory (pronounced "ANY-a-gram"), this online instrument…

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT OF NON-NATIVE FISH IN WESTERN STREAMS AND RIVERS

EPA Science Inventory

Introduced species can produce a variety of impacts on native assemblages and ecosystems. Reliable knowledge about the extent of non-native species should be a useful tool for effective management of fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. It is well known that many non-native fish s...

Break-even Analysis: Tool for Budget Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lohmann, Roger A.

1976-01-01

Multiple funding creates special management problems for the administrator of a human service agency. This article presents a useful analytic technique adapted from business practice that can help the administrator draw up and balance a unified budget. Such a budget also affords reliable overview of the agency's financial status. (Author)

A Knowledge-based System for Estimating Incident Clearance Duration for Maryland : I-95 a Case Study for the Project of MD-17-SHA/UM/4-19 : “Development of a Traffic Management Decision Support Tool for Freeway Incident Traffic Management (FITM) Plan Deployment”

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

For the incident response operations to be appreciated by the general public, it is essential that responsible highway agencies be capable of providing the estimated clearance duration of a detected incident at the level sufficiently reliable for mot...

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

Williams, Edward J., Jr.; Henry, Karen Lynne

Sandia National Laboratories develops technologies to: (1) sustain, modernize, and protect our nuclear arsenal (2) Prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction; (3) Provide new capabilities to our armed forces; (4) Protect our national infrastructure; (5) Ensure the stability of our nation's energy and water supplies; and (6) Defend our nation against terrorist threats. We identified the need for a single overarching Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) that would enable us to focus on customer missions and improve FMOC processes. Our team selected highly configurable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software with out-of-the-box workflow processes that integrate strategic planning, project management, facilitymore » assessments, and space management, and can interface with existing systems, such as Oracle, PeopleSoft, Maximo, Bentley, and FileNet. We selected the Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) from Tririga, Inc. Facility Management System (FMS) Benefits are: (1) Create a single reliable source for facility data; (2) Improve transparency with oversight organizations; (3) Streamline FMOC business processes with a single, integrated facility-management tool; (4) Give customers simple tools and real-time information; (5) Reduce indirect costs; (6) Replace approximately 30 FMOC systems and 60 homegrown tools (such as Microsoft Access databases); and (7) Integrate with FIMS.« less

Communicative Access Measures for Stroke: Development and Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Tool.

PubMed

Kagan, Aura; Simmons-Mackie, Nina; Victor, J Charles; Chan, Melodie T

2017-11-01

To (1) develop a systems-level quality improvement tool targeting communicative access to information and decision-making for stroke patients with language disorders; and (2) evaluate the resulting tool-the Communicative Access Measures for Stroke (CAMS). Survey development and evaluation was in line with accepted guidelines and included item generation and reduction, survey formatting and composition, pretesting, pilot testing, and reliability assessment. Development and evaluation were carried out in hospital and community agency settings. The project used a convenience sample of 31 participants for the survey development, and 63 participants for the CAMS reliability study (broken down into 6 administrators/managers, 32 frontline staff, 25 participants with aphasia). Eligible participants invited to the reliability study included individuals from 45 community-based organizations in Ontario as well as 4400 individuals from communities of practice. Not applicable. Data were analyzed using kappa statistics and intraclass correlations for each item score on all surveys. A tool, the CAMS, comprising 3 surveys, was developed for health facilities from the perspectives of (1) administrators/policymakers, (2) staff/frontline health care providers, and (3) patients with aphasia (using a communicatively accessible version). Reliability for items on the CAMS-Administrator and CAMS-Staff surveys was moderate to high (kappa/intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs], .54-1.00). As expected, reliability was lower for the CAMS-Patient survey, with most items having ICCs between 0.4 and 0.6. These findings suggest that CAMS may provide useful quality improvement information for health care facilities with an interest in improving care for patients with stroke and aphasia. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of tools used to measure calcium and/or dairy consumption in adults.

PubMed

Magarey, Anthea; Baulderstone, Lauren; Yaxley, Alison; Markow, Kylie; Miller, Michelle

2015-05-01

To identify and critique tools for the assessment of Ca and/or dairy intake in adults, in order to ascertain the most accurate and reliable tools available. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles reporting on originally developed tools or testing the reliability or validity of existing tools that measure Ca and/or dairy intake in adults were included. Author-defined criteria for reporting reliability and validity properties were applied. Studies conducted in Western countries. Adults. Thirty papers, utilising thirty-six tools assessing intake of dairy, Ca or both, were identified. Reliability testing was conducted on only two dairy and five Ca tools, with results indicating that only one dairy and two Ca tools were reliable. Validity testing was conducted for all but four Ca-only tools. There was high reliance in validity testing on lower-order tests such as correlation and failure to differentiate between statistical and clinically meaningful differences. Results of the validity testing suggest one dairy and five Ca tools are valid. Thus one tool was considered both reliable and valid for the assessment of dairy intake and only two tools proved reliable and valid for the assessment of Ca intake. While several tools are reliable and valid, their application across adult populations is limited by the populations in which they were tested. These results indicate a need for tools that assess Ca and/or dairy intake in adults to be rigorously tested for reliability and validity.

System engineering toolbox for design-oriented engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldberg, B. E.; Everhart, K.; Stevens, R.; Babbitt, N., III; Clemens, P.; Stout, L.

1994-01-01

This system engineering toolbox is designed to provide tools and methodologies to the design-oriented systems engineer. A tool is defined as a set of procedures to accomplish a specific function. A methodology is defined as a collection of tools, rules, and postulates to accomplish a purpose. For each concept addressed in the toolbox, the following information is provided: (1) description, (2) application, (3) procedures, (4) examples, if practical, (5) advantages, (6) limitations, and (7) bibliography and/or references. The scope of the document includes concept development tools, system safety and reliability tools, design-related analytical tools, graphical data interpretation tools, a brief description of common statistical tools and methodologies, so-called total quality management tools, and trend analysis tools. Both relationship to project phase and primary functional usage of the tools are also delineated. The toolbox also includes a case study for illustrative purposes. Fifty-five tools are delineated in the text.

The Particle Physics Data Grid. Final Report

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

Livny, Miron

2002-08-16

The main objective of the Particle Physics Data Grid (PPDG) project has been to implement and evaluate distributed (Grid-enabled) data access and management technology for current and future particle and nuclear physics experiments. The specific goals of PPDG have been to design, implement, and deploy a Grid-based software infrastructure capable of supporting the data generation, processing and analysis needs common to the physics experiments represented by the participants, and to adapt experiment-specific software to operate in the Grid environment and to exploit this infrastructure. To accomplish these goals, the PPDG focused on the implementation and deployment of several critical services:more » reliable and efficient file replication service, high-speed data transfer services, multisite file caching and staging service, and reliable and recoverable job management services. The focus of the activity was the job management services and the interplay between these services and distributed data access in a Grid environment. Software was developed to study the interaction between HENP applications and distributed data storage fabric. One key conclusion was the need for a reliable and recoverable tool for managing large collections of interdependent jobs. An attached document provides an overview of the current status of the Directed Acyclic Graph Manager (DAGMan) with its main features and capabilities.« less

Novel Objective Biomarkers of Alcohol Use: Potential Diagnostic and Treatment Management Tools in Dual Diagnosis Care

PubMed Central

Kalapatapu, Raj K.; Chambers, R.

2010-01-01

Alcohol use disorders are highly prevalent conditions that generate a large fraction of the total public health burden. These disorders are concentrated in mentally ill populations, in which reliability of self-reporting of alcohol consumption may be especially compromised. The application of objective biomarkers for alcohol use may therefore play an important role in these patients. This article provides a description and comparative overview of traditional versus novel biomarkers of alcohol consumption. Greater professional familiarity with and use of novel biomarkers as diagnostic and treatment management tools may enhance clinical standards and research on alcohol use in patients with a dual diagnosis. PMID:20582236

The central equipment pool, an opportunity for improved technology management.

PubMed

Gentles, W M

2000-01-01

A model for a central equipment pool managed by a clinical engineering department has been presented. The advantages to patient care and to the clinical engineering department are many. The distribution of portable technology that has been traditionally managed by the materials management function is a logical match to the expanding role of clinical engineering departments in technology management. Accurate asset management tools have allowed us to provide reliable measures of infusion pump utilization, permitting us to predict future needs as programs expand. Thus we are more actively involved in strategic technology planning. The central equipment pool is an excellent opportunity for the clinical engineering department to increase its technology management activities.

A Student Assessment Tool for Standardized Patient Simulations (SAT-SPS): Psychometric analysis.

PubMed

Castro-Yuste, Cristina; García-Cabanillas, María José; Rodríguez-Cornejo, María Jesús; Carnicer-Fuentes, Concepción; Paloma-Castro, Olga; Moreno-Corral, Luis Javier

2018-05-01

The evaluation of the level of clinical competence acquired by the student is a complex process that must meet various requirements to ensure its quality. The psychometric analysis of the data collected by the assessment tools used is a fundamental aspect to guarantee the student's competence level. To conduct a psychometric analysis of an instrument which assesses clinical competence in nursing students at simulation stations with standardized patients in OSCE-format tests. The construct of clinical competence was operationalized as a set of observable and measurable behaviors, measured by the newly-created Student Assessment Tool for Standardized Patient Simulations (SAT-SPS), which was comprised of 27 items. The categories assigned to the items were 'incorrect or not performed' (0), 'acceptable' (1), and 'correct' (2). 499 nursing students. Data were collected by two independent observers during the assessment of the students' performance at a four-station OSCE with standardized patients. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the variables. The difficulty levels and floor and ceiling effects were determined for each item. Reliability was analyzed using internal consistency and inter-observer reliability. The validity analysis was performed considering face validity, content and construct validity (through exploratory factor analysis), and criterion validity. Internal reliability and inter-observer reliability were higher than 0.80. The construct validity analysis suggested a three-factor model accounting for 37.1% of the variance. These three factors were named 'Nursing process', 'Communication skills', and 'Safe practice'. A significant correlation was found between the scores obtained and the students' grades in general, as well as with the grades obtained in subjects with clinical content. The assessment tool has proven to be sufficiently reliable and valid for the assessment of the clinical competence of nursing students using standardized patients. This tool has three main components: the nursing process, communication skills, and safety management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Italian version of the HSE Indicator Tool.

PubMed

Magnavita, N

2012-06-01

An Italian version of the Health & Safety Executive's (HSE) Management Standards Revised Indicator Tool (MS-RIT) has been used to monitor the working conditions that may lead to stress. To initially examine the factor structure of the Italian version of the MS-RIT, in comparison with the original UK tool, and to investigate its validity and reliability; second, to study the association between occupational stress and psychological distress. Workers from 17 companies self-completed the MS-RIT and the General Health Questionnaire used to measure the psychological distress while they waited for their periodic examination at the workplace. Factor analysis was employed to ascertain whether the Italian version maintained the original subdivision into seven scales. Odds ratios were calculated to estimate the risk of impairment associated with exposure to stress at the workplace. In total, 748 workers participated; the response rate was 91%. The factor structure of the Italian MS-RIT corresponded partially to the original UK version. The 'demand', 'control', 'role', ' relationship' and 'colleague-support' scales were equivalent to the UK ones. A principal factor, termed ' elasticity', incorporated the UK 'management-support' and 'change' scales. Reliability analysis of the sub-scales revealed Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.75 to 0.86. Our findings confirmed the usefulness of the Italian version of the HSE MS-RIT in stress control.

Hand-rearing and sex determination tool for the Taveta golden weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps).

PubMed

Breeding, Shawnlei; Ferrie, Gina M; Schutz, Paul; Leighty, Katherine A; Plassé, Chelle

2012-01-01

Improvements in the ability to hand-rear birds in captivity have aided zoological institutions in the sustainable management of these species, and have provided opportunities to examine their physical growth in varying conditions. Monitoring the weight gain and development of chicks is an important aspect of developing a hand-rearing protocol. In this paper we provide the institutional history for a colonial species of passerine, the Taveta golden weaver, at Disney's Animal Kingdom®, in order to demonstrate the methods of establishing a successful breeding program which largely incorporates hand-rearing in management of the population. We also tested if we could accurately predict sex of chicks using weights collected on Day 14 during the hand-rearing process. Using this tool, we were able to correctly determine sex before fledging in more than 83% of chicks. Early sex determination is important in captive species for genetic management and husbandry purposes. While genetic sexing can be expensive, we found that using growth curves to determine sex can be a reliable and cost-effective tool for population management of a colonial passerine. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Best predictors for postfire mortality of ponderosa pine trees in the Intermountain West

Treesearch

Carolyn Hull Sieg; Joel D. McMillin; James F. Fowler; Kurt K. Allen; Jose F. Negron; Linda L. Wadleigh; John A. Anhold; Ken E. Gibson

2006-01-01

Numerous wildfires in recent years have highlighted managers' needs for reliable tools to predict postfire mortality of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) trees. General applicability of existing mortality models is uncertain, as researchers have used different sets of variables. We quantified tree attributes, crown and bole fire...

Development and Reliability of the Comprehensive Crisis Plan Checklist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aspiranti, Kathleen B.; Pelchar, Taylor K.; McCLeary, Daniel F.; Bain, Sherry K.; Foster, Lisa N.

2011-01-01

It is of vital importance that children are educated in a safe environment. Every school needs to have a well-developed crisis management document containing plans for prevention, intervention, and postvention. We developed the Comprehensive Crisis Plan Checklist (CCPC) to serve as a valuable tool that can be used to assist practitioners with…

Lessons learned applying CASE methods/tools to Ada software development projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumberg, Maurice H.; Randall, Richard L.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the lessons learned from introducing CASE methods/tools into organizations and applying them to actual Ada software development projects. This paper will be useful to any organization planning to introduce a software engineering environment (SEE) or evolving an existing one. It contains management level lessons learned, as well as lessons learned in using specific SEE tools/methods. The experiences presented are from Alpha Test projects established under the STARS (Software Technology for Adaptable and Reliable Systems) project. They reflect the front end efforts by those projects to understand the tools/methods, initial experiences in their introduction and use, and later experiences in the use of specific tools/methods and the introduction of new ones.

Benchmarking of Decision-Support Tools Used for Tiered Sustainable Remediation Appraisal.

PubMed

Smith, Jonathan W N; Kerrison, Gavin

2013-01-01

Sustainable remediation comprises soil and groundwater risk-management actions that are selected, designed, and operated to maximize net environmental, social, and economic benefit (while assuring protection of human health and safety). This paper describes a benchmarking exercise to comparatively assess potential differences in environmental management decision making resulting from application of different sustainability appraisal tools ranging from simple (qualitative) to more quantitative (multi-criteria and fully monetized cost-benefit analysis), as outlined in the SuRF-UK framework. The appraisal tools were used to rank remedial options for risk management of a subsurface petroleum release that occurred at a petrol filling station in central England. The remediation options were benchmarked using a consistent set of soil and groundwater data for each tier of sustainability appraisal. The ranking of remedial options was very similar in all three tiers, and an environmental management decision to select the most sustainable options at tier 1 would have been the same decision at tiers 2 and 3. The exercise showed that, for relatively simple remediation projects, a simple sustainability appraisal led to the same remediation option selection as more complex appraisal, and can be used to reliably inform environmental management decisions on other relatively simple land contamination projects.

Yield gap mapping as a support tool for risk management in agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahlou, Ouiam; Imani, Yasmina; Slimani, Imane; Van Wart, Justin; Yang, Haishun

2016-04-01

The increasing frequency and magnitude of droughts in Morocco and the mounting losses from extended droughts in the agricultural sector emphasized the need to develop reliable and timely tools to manage drought and to mitigate resulting catastrophic damage. In 2011, Morocco launched a cereals multi-risk insurance with drought as the most threatening and the most frequent hazard in the country. However, and in order to assess the gap and to implement the more suitable compensation, it is essential to quantify the potential yield in each area. In collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a study is carried out in Morocco and aims to determine the yield potentials and the yield gaps in the different agro-climatic zones of the country. It fits into the large project: Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas: http://www.yieldgap.org/. The yield gap (Yg) is the magnitude and difference between crop yield potential (Yp) or water limited yield potential (Yw) and actual yields, reached by farmers. World Food Studies (WOFOST), which is a Crop simulation mechanistic model, has been used for this purpose. Prior to simulations, reliable information about actual yields, weather data, crop management data and soil data have been collected in 7 Moroccan buffer zones considered, each, within a circle of 100 km around a weather station point, homogenously spread across the country and where cereals are widely grown. The model calibration was also carried out using WOFOST default varieties data. The map-based results represent a robust tool, not only for drought insurance organization, but for agricultural and agricultural risk management. Moreover, accurate and geospatially granular estimates of Yg and Yw will allow to focus on regions with largest unexploited yield gaps and greatest potential to close them, and consequently to improve food security in the country.

Self-management in chronic conditions: partners in health scale instrument validation.

PubMed

Peñarrieta-de Córdova, Isabel; Barrios, Flores Florabel; Gutierrez-Gomes, Tranquilina; Piñonez-Martinez, Ma del Socorro; Quintero-Valle, Luz Maria; Castañeda-Hidalgo, Hortensia

2014-03-01

This article describes a study that aimed to validate the Self-care in Chronic Conditions Partners in Health Scale instrument in the Mexican population. The instrument has been validated in Australia for use as a screening tool by primary healthcare professionals to assess the self-care skills and abilities of people with a chronic illness. Validation was conducted using baseline data for 552 people with diabetes, hypertension and cancer aged 18 or older who were users of healthcare centres in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Results show high reliability and validity of the instrument and three themes were identified: knowledge, adherence, and dealing with and managing side effects. The findings suggest the scale is useful as a generic self-rated clinical tool for assessing self-management in a range of chronic conditions, and provides an outcome measure for comparing populations and change in patient self-management knowledge and behaviour. The authors recommend validating the scale in other Latin-American settings with more research into the effect of gender on self- management.

Hybrid automated reliability predictor integrated work station (HiREL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bavuso, Salvatore J.

1991-01-01

The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability (HiREL) workstation tool system marks another step toward the goal of producing a totally integrated computer aided design (CAD) workstation design capability. Since a reliability engineer must generally graphically represent a reliability model before he can solve it, the use of a graphical input description language increases productivity and decreases the incidence of error. The captured image displayed on a cathode ray tube (CRT) screen serves as a documented copy of the model and provides the data for automatic input to the HARP reliability model solver. The introduction of dependency gates to a fault tree notation allows the modeling of very large fault tolerant system models using a concise and visually recognizable and familiar graphical language. In addition to aiding in the validation of the reliability model, the concise graphical representation presents company management, regulatory agencies, and company customers a means of expressing a complex model that is readily understandable. The graphical postprocessor computer program HARPO (HARP Output) makes it possible for reliability engineers to quickly analyze huge amounts of reliability/availability data to observe trends due to exploratory design changes.

Evaluation of tools used to measure calcium and/or dairy consumption in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Magarey, Anthea; Yaxley, Alison; Markow, Kylie; Baulderstone, Lauren; Miller, Michelle

2014-08-01

To identify and critique tools that assess Ca and/or dairy intake in children to ascertain the most accurate and reliable tools available. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles were included on the basis that they reported on a tool measuring Ca and/or dairy intake in children in Western countries and reported on originally developed tools or tested the validity or reliability of existing tools. Defined criteria for reporting reliability and validity properties were applied. Studies in Western countries. Children. Eighteen papers reporting on two tools that assessed dairy intake, ten that assessed Ca intake and five that assessed both dairy and Ca were identified. An examination of tool testing revealed high reliance on lower-order tests such as correlation and failure to differentiate between statistical and clinically meaningful significance. Only half of the tools were tested for reliability and results indicated that only one Ca tool and one dairy tool were reliable. Validation studies showed acceptable levels of agreement (<100 mg difference) and/or sensitivity (62-83 %) and specificity (55-77 %) in three Ca tools. With reference to the testing methodology and results, no tools were considered both valid and reliable for the assessment of dairy intake and only one tool proved valid and reliable for the assessment of Ca intake. These results clearly indicate the need for development and rigorous testing of tools to assess Ca and/or dairy intake in children and adolescents.

Educational Data Mining and Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walldén, Sari; Mäkinen, Erkki

2014-01-01

This paper considers the use of log data provided by learning management systems when studying whether students obey the problem-based learning (PBL) method. Log analysis turns out to be a valuable tool in measuring the use of the learning material of interest. It gives reliable figures concerning not only the number of use sessions but also the…

The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale

PubMed Central

Ghahari, Setareh; Khoshbin, Lana S.

2014-01-01

Background: The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale (MSSM) is currently the only measure that was developed specifically to address self-management among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). While good internal consistency (α = 0.85) and construct validity have been demonstrated, other psychometric properties have not been established. This study was undertaken to evaluate the criterion validity, test-retest reliability, and face validity of the MSSM. Methods: Thirty-one individuals with MS who met the inclusion criteria were recruited to complete a series of questionnaires at two time points. At Time 1, participants completed the MSSM and two generic self-management tools—the Partners in Health (PIH-12) and the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ)—as well as a short questionnaire to capture participants' opinions about the MSSM. At Time 2, approximately 2 weeks after Time 1, participants completed the MSSM again. Results: The available MSSM factors showed moderate to high correlations with both PIH-12 and heiQ and were deemed to have satisfactory test-retest reliability. Face validity pointed to areas of the MSSM that need to be revised in future work. As indicated by the participants, some dimensions of MS self-management are missing in the MSSM and some items such as medication are redundant. Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the MSSM; however, further changes are required for both researchers and clinicians to use the tool meaningfully in practice. PMID:25061429

Sex offender polygraph examination: an evidence-based case management tool for social workers.

PubMed

Levenson, Jill S

2009-10-01

This article will review the use of polygraphy in the assessment and treatment of sexual perpetrators. Such information can be utilized by social workers who are involved in the treatment and case management of child sexual abuse cases. First, the controversial literature regarding the validity and reliability of polygraph examination in general will be reviewed. Next, an emerging body of evidence supporting the utility of polygraph testing with sex offenders will be discussed. Finally, ways that social workers can incorporate this knowledge into their case management and clinical roles will be offered.

Time-Tagged Risk/Reliability Assessment Program for Development and Operation of Space System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubota, Yuki; Takegahara, Haruki; Aoyagi, Junichiro

We have investigated a new method of risk/reliability assessment for development and operation of space system. It is difficult to evaluate risk of spacecraft, because of long time operation, maintenance free and difficulty of test under the ground condition. Conventional methods are FMECA, FTA, ETA and miscellaneous. These are not enough to assess chronological anomaly and there is a problem to share information during R&D. A new method of risk and reliability assessment, T-TRAP (Time-tagged Risk/Reliability Assessment Program) is proposed as a management tool for the development and operation of space system. T-TRAP consisting of time-resolved Fault Tree and Criticality Analyses, upon occurrence of anomaly in the system, facilitates the responsible personnel to quickly identify the failure cause and decide corrective actions. This paper describes T-TRAP method and its availability.

Land use mapping from CBERS-2 images with open source tools by applying different classification algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanhouse-García, Antonio J.; Rangel-Peraza, Jesús Gabriel; Bustos-Terrones, Yaneth; García-Ferrer, Alfonso; Mesas-Carrascosa, Francisco J.

2016-02-01

Land cover classification is often based on different characteristics between their classes, but with great homogeneity within each one of them. This cover is obtained through field work or by mean of processing satellite images. Field work involves high costs; therefore, digital image processing techniques have become an important alternative to perform this task. However, in some developing countries and particularly in Casacoima municipality in Venezuela, there is a lack of geographic information systems due to the lack of updated information and high costs in software license acquisition. This research proposes a low cost methodology to develop thematic mapping of local land use and types of coverage in areas with scarce resources. Thematic mapping was developed from CBERS-2 images and spatial information available on the network using open source tools. The supervised classification method per pixel and per region was applied using different classification algorithms and comparing them among themselves. Classification method per pixel was based on Maxver algorithms (maximum likelihood) and Euclidean distance (minimum distance), while per region classification was based on the Bhattacharya algorithm. Satisfactory results were obtained from per region classification, where overall reliability of 83.93% and kappa index of 0.81% were observed. Maxver algorithm showed a reliability value of 73.36% and kappa index 0.69%, while Euclidean distance obtained values of 67.17% and 0.61% for reliability and kappa index, respectively. It was demonstrated that the proposed methodology was very useful in cartographic processing and updating, which in turn serve as a support to develop management plans and land management. Hence, open source tools showed to be an economically viable alternative not only for forestry organizations, but for the general public, allowing them to develop projects in economically depressed and/or environmentally threatened areas.

Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis, an Underutilized Safety, Reliability, Project Management and Systems Engineering Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullin, Daniel Richard

2013-09-01

The majority of space programs whether manned or unmanned for science or exploration require that a Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) be performed as part of their safety and reliability activities. This comes as no surprise given that FMECAs have been an integral part of the reliability engineer's toolkit since the 1950s. The reasons for performing a FMECA are well known including fleshing out system single point failures, system hazards and critical components and functions. However, in the author's ten years' experience as a space systems safety and reliability engineer, findings demonstrate that the FMECA is often performed as an afterthought, simply to meet contract deliverable requirements and is often started long after the system requirements allocation and preliminary design have been completed. There are also important qualitative and quantitative components often missing which can provide useful data to all of project stakeholders. These include; probability of occurrence, probability of detection, time to effect and time to detect and, finally, the Risk Priority Number. This is unfortunate as the FMECA is a powerful system design tool that when used effectively, can help optimize system function while minimizing the risk of failure. When performed as early as possible in conjunction with writing the top level system requirements, the FMECA can provide instant feedback on the viability of the requirements while providing a valuable sanity check early in the design process. It can indicate which areas of the system will require redundancy and which areas are inherently the most risky from the onset. Based on historical and practical examples, it is this author's contention that FMECAs are an immense source of important information for all involved stakeholders in a given project and can provide several benefits including, efficient project management with respect to cost and schedule, system engineering and requirements management, assembly integration and test (AI&T) and operations if applied early, performed to completion and updated along with system design.

Uncertainty Quantification and Statistical Engineering for Hypersonic Entry Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cozmuta, Ioana

2011-01-01

NASA has invested significant resources in developing and validating a mathematical construct for TPS margin management: a) Tailorable for low/high reliability missions; b) Tailorable for ablative/reusable TPS; c) Uncertainty Quantification and Statistical Engineering are valuable tools not exploited enough; and d) Need to define strategies combining both Theoretical Tools and Experimental Methods. The main reason for this lecture is to give a flavor of where UQ and SE could contribute and hope that the broader community will work with us to improve in these areas.

E-learning for neurosurgeons: Getting the most from the new web tools

PubMed Central

Barbosa Pereira, Julio Leonardo; Kubben, Pieter Leonard; de Albuquerque, Lucas Alverne Freitas; Batalini, Felipe; de Carvalho, Gervásio Teles Cardoso; de Sousa, Atos Alves

2015-01-01

As open access resource, the role of Internet has been increasing in our professional life. There are several emergent new tools that can facilitate and make it more efficient to get accurate and reliable information. In this article, we discuss how we can manage to get the most from these new instruments, like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, in order to improve clinical practice. With good sense and some caution, these can turn to be of valuable help in our careers. PMID:25767581

Reliability and validity of play-based assessments of motor and cognitive skills for infants and young children: a systematic review.

PubMed

O'Grady, Michael G; Dusing, Stacey C

2015-01-01

Play is vital for development. Infants and children learn through play. Traditional standardized developmental tests measure whether a child performs individual skills within controlled environments. Play-based assessments can measure skill performance during natural, child-driven play. The purpose of this study was to systematically review reliability, validity, and responsiveness of all play-based assessments that quantify motor and cognitive skills in children from birth to 36 months of age. Studies were identified from a literature search using PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases and the reference lists of included papers. Included studies investigated reliability, validity, or responsiveness of play-based assessments that measured motor and cognitive skills for children to 36 months of age. Two reviewers independently screened 40 studies for eligibility and inclusion. The reviewers independently extracted reliability, validity, and responsiveness data. They examined measurement properties and methodological quality of the included studies. Four current play-based assessment tools were identified in 8 included studies. Each play-based assessment tool measured motor and cognitive skills in a different way during play. Interrater reliability correlations ranged from .86 to .98 for motor development and from .23 to .90 for cognitive development. Test-retest reliability correlations ranged from .88 to .95 for motor development and from .45 to .91 for cognitive development. Structural validity correlations ranged from .62 to .90 for motor development and from .42 to .93 for cognitive development. One study assessed responsiveness to change in motor development. Most studies had small and poorly described samples. Lack of transparency in data management and statistical analysis was common. Play-based assessments have potential to be reliable and valid tools to assess cognitive and motor skills, but higher-quality research is needed. Psychometric properties should be considered for each play-based assessment before it is used in clinical and research practice. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Development and validation of the ASPIRE-VA coaching fidelity checklist (ACFC): a tool to help ensure delivery of high-quality weight management interventions.

PubMed

Damschroder, Laura J; Goodrich, David E; Kim, Hyungjin Myra; Holleman, Robert; Gillon, Leah; Kirsh, Susan; Richardson, Caroline R; Lutes, Lesley D

2016-09-01

Practical and valid instruments are needed to assess fidelity of coaching for weight loss. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the ASPIRE Coaching Fidelity Checklist (ACFC). Classical test theory guided ACFC development. Principal component analyses were used to determine item groupings. Psychometric properties, internal consistency, and inter-rater reliability were evaluated for each subscale. Criterion validity was tested by predicting weight loss as a function of coaching fidelity. The final 19-item ACFC consists of two domains (session process and session structure) and five subscales (sets goals and monitor progress, assess and personalize self-regulatory content, manages the session, creates a supportive and empathetic climate, and stays on track). Four of five subscales showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alphas > 0.70) for group-based coaching; only two of five subscales had high internal reliability for phone-based coaching. All five sub-scales were positively and significantly associated with weight loss for group- but not for phone-based coaching. The ACFC is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess fidelity and guide skill-building for weight management interventionists.

Understanding Interrater Reliability and Validity of Risk Assessment Tools Used to Predict Adverse Clinical Events.

PubMed

Siedlecki, Sandra L; Albert, Nancy M

This article will describe how to assess interrater reliability and validity of risk assessment tools, using easy-to-follow formulas, and to provide calculations that demonstrate principles discussed. Clinical nurse specialists should be able to identify risk assessment tools that provide high-quality interrater reliability and the highest validity for predicting true events of importance to clinical settings. Making best practice recommendations for assessment tool use is critical to high-quality patient care and safe practices that impact patient outcomes and nursing resources. Optimal risk assessment tool selection requires knowledge about interrater reliability and tool validity. The clinical nurse specialist will understand the reliability and validity issues associated with risk assessment tools, and be able to evaluate tools using basic calculations. Risk assessment tools are developed to objectively predict quality and safety events and ultimately reduce the risk of event occurrence through preventive interventions. To ensure high-quality tool use, clinical nurse specialists must critically assess tool properties. The better the tool's ability to predict adverse events, the more likely that event risk is mediated. Interrater reliability and validity assessment is relatively an easy skill to master and will result in better decisions when selecting or making recommendations for risk assessment tool use.

How tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella spp) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) align objects to surfaces: Insights into spatial reasoning and implications for tool use

PubMed Central

Fragaszy, Dorothy M.; Stone, Brian; Scott, Nicole M.; Menzel, Charles

2011-01-01

This report addresses phylogenetic variation in a spatial skill that underlies tool use: aligning objects to a feature of a surface. Fragaszy and Cummins-Sebree’s [2005] model of relational spatial reasoning and Skill Development and Perception-Action theories guided the design of the study. We examined how capuchins and chimpanzees place stick objects of varying shapes into matching grooves on a flat surface. Although most individuals aligned the long axis of the object with the matching groove more often than expected by chance, all typically did so with poor precision. Some individuals managed to align a second feature, and only one (a capuchin monkey) achieved above-chance success at aligning three features with matching grooves. Our findings suggest that capuchins and chimpanzees do not reliably align objects along even one axis, and that neither species can reliably or easily master object placement tasks that require managing two or more spatial relations concurrently. Moreover, they did not systematically vary their behavior in a manner that would aid discovery of the affordances of the stick-surface combination beyond sliding the stick along the surface (which may have provided haptic information about the location of the groove). These limitations have profound consequences for the forms of tool use we can expect these individuals to master. PMID:21608008

The effectiveness of a self-reporting bedside pain assessment tool for oncology inpatients.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Bi; Han, Hye-Suk; Chung, Jung Hwa; Park, Bo Ram; Lim, Sung-Nam; Yim, Kyoung Hoon; Shin, Young Duck; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Kim, Wun-Jae; Kim, Seung Taik

2012-11-01

Pain is common during cancer treatment, and patient self-reporting of pain is an essential first step for ideal cancer pain management. However, many studies on cancer pain management report that, because pain may be underestimated, it is often inadequately managed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bedside self-assessment of pain intensity for inpatients using a self-reporting pain board. Fifty consecutive inpatients admitted to the Oncology Department of Chungbuk National University Hospital were included in this observational prospective study from February 2011 to December 2011. The medical staff performed pain assessments by asking patients questions and using verbal rated scales (VRS) over 3 consecutive days. Then, for 3 additional days, patients used a self-reporting pain board attached to the bed, which had movable indicators representing 0-10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the frequency of breakthrough pain. Patient reliability over the medical staff's pain assessment increased from 74% to 96% after applying the self-reporting pain board (p=0.004). The gap (mean±standard deviation [SD]) between the NRS reported by patients and the NRS recorded on the medical records decreased from 3.16±2.08 to 1.00±1.02 (p<0.001), and the level of patient satisfaction with pain management increased from 54% to 82% (p=0.002). This study suggests that the self-reporting bedside pain assessment tool provides a reliable and effective means of assessing pain in oncology inpatients.

Development of an estuarine assessment scheme for the management of a highly urbanised catchment/estuary system, Sydney estuary, Australia.

PubMed

Birch, G F; Gunns, T J; Chapman, D; Harrison, D

2016-05-01

As coastal populations increase, considerable pressures are exerted on estuarine environments. Recently, there has been a trend towards the development and use of estuarine assessment schemes as a decision support tool in the management of these environments. These schemes offer a method by which complex environmental data is converted into a readily understandable and communicable format for informed decision making and effective distribution of limited management resources. Reliability and effectiveness of these schemes are often limited due to a complex assessment framework, poor data management and use of ineffective environmental indicators. The current scheme aims to improve reliability in the reporting of estuarine condition by including a concise assessment framework, employing high-value indicators and, in a unique approach, employing fuzzy logic in indicator evaluation. Using Sydney estuary as a case study, each of the 15 sub-catchment/sub-estuary systems were assessed using the current scheme. Results identified that poor sediment quality was a significant issue in Blackwattle/Rozelle Bay, Iron Cove and Hen and Chicken Bay while poor water quality was of particular concern in Duck River, Homebush Bay and the Parramatta River. Overall results of the assessment scheme were used to prioritise the management of each sub-catchment/sub-estuary assessed with Blackwattle/Rozelle Bay, Homebush Bay, Iron Cove and Duck River considered to be in need of a high priority management response. A report card format, using letter grades, was employed to convey the results of the assessment in a readily understood manner to estuarine managers and members of the public. Letter grades also provide benchmarking and performance monitoring ability, allowing estuarine managers to set improvement targets and assesses the effectiveness of management strategies. The current assessment scheme provides an effective, integrated and consistent assessment of estuarine health and provides an effective decision support tool to maximise the efficient distribution of limited management resources.

Clinical instruments: reliability and validity critical appraisal.

PubMed

Brink, Yolandi; Louw, Quinette A

2012-12-01

RATIONALE, AIM AND OBJECTIVES: There is a lack of health care practitioners using objective clinical tools with sound psychometric properties. There is also a need for researchers to improve their reporting of the validity and reliability results of these clinical tools. Therefore, to promote the use of valid and reliable tools or tests for clinical evaluation, this paper reports on the development of a critical appraisal tool to assess the psychometric properties of objective clinical tools. A five-step process was followed to develop the new critical appraisal tool: (1) preliminary conceptual decisions; (2) defining key concepts; (3) item generation; (4) assessment of face validity; and (5) formulation of the final tool. The new critical appraisal tool consists of 13 items, of which five items relate to both validity and reliability studies, four items to validity studies only and four items to reliability studies. The 13 items could be scored as 'yes', 'no' or 'not applicable'. This critical appraisal tool will aid both the health care practitioner to critically appraise the relevant literature and researchers to improve the quality of reporting of the validity and reliability of objective clinical tools. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Taguchi Approach to Design Optimization for Quality and Cost: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unal, Resit; Dean, Edwin B.

1990-01-01

Calibrations to existing cost of doing business in space indicate that to establish human presence on the Moon and Mars with the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) will require resources, felt by many, to be more than the national budget can afford. In order for SEI to succeed, we must actually design and build space systems at lower cost this time, even with tremendous increases in quality and performance requirements, such as extremely high reliability. This implies that both government and industry must change the way they do business. Therefore, new philosophy and technology must be employed to design and produce reliable, high quality space systems at low cost. In recognizing the need to reduce cost and improve quality and productivity, Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have initiated Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is a revolutionary management strategy in quality assurance and cost reduction. TQM requires complete management commitment, employee involvement, and use of statistical tools. The quality engineering methods of Dr. Taguchi, employing design of experiments (DOE), is one of the most important statistical tools of TQM for designing high quality systems at reduced cost. Taguchi methods provide an efficient and systematic way to optimize designs for performance, quality, and cost. Taguchi methods have been used successfully in Japan and the United States in designing reliable, high quality products at low cost in such areas as automobiles and consumer electronics. However, these methods are just beginning to see application in the aerospace industry. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the Taguchi methods for improving quality and reducing cost, describe the current state of applications and its role in identifying cost sensitive design parameters.

Psychometric properties of the Irish Management Standards Indicator Tool.

PubMed

Boyd, S; Kerr, R; Murray, P

2016-12-01

Work Positive is Ireland's national policy initiative to control work-related stress. Since the introduction of the UK Health and Safety Executive's Management Standards (MS) in 2004, a number of studies have been undertaken to assess the potential adaptation of the MS framework within Ireland. To investigate the dimensionality, reliability and validity of the Irish version of the MS Indicator Tool (ROI-MSIT). Between February 2011 and June 2014, we collected data from a wide range of public and private sector organizations that used the ROI-MSIT. In addition to the ROI-MSIT, respondents completed the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine whether the ROI-MSIT maintained the structure of the UK instrument. The internal consistency of the ROI-MSIT was also assessed to determine its reliability, while its criterion-related validity was explored through correlation analysis with the WHO-5. Data were collected from 7377 participants. The factor structure of the ROI-MSIT consisted of six factors; the Demands, Control, Peer Support, Relationships and Role factors were equivalent to the original UK factors. Like the Italian version, a principal factor emerged that combined the Manager Support and Change domains. Cronbach's alpha scores ranged from 0.75 to 0.91. Finally, the ROI-MSIT's subscales and WHO-5 were positively correlated (r = 0.42-0.59, P < 0.001). The ROI-MSIT is reliable and valid, with a factor structure similar to the original UK instrument and the Italian MSIT. Further psychometric evaluation of the ROI-MSIT is recommended. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Bridging the gaps between non-invasive genetic sampling and population parameter estimation

Treesearch

Francesca Marucco; Luigi Boitani; Daniel H. Pletscher; Michael K. Schwartz

2011-01-01

Reliable estimates of population parameters are necessary for effective management and conservation actions. The use of genetic data for capture­recapture (CR) analyses has become an important tool to estimate population parameters for elusive species. Strong emphasis has been placed on the genetic analysis of non-invasive samples, or on the CR analysis; however,...

A novel molecular diagnostic tool for improved sensitivity and reliability detection of “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus”, bacterium associated with huanglongbing (HLB) bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sensitive and accurate detection is a prerequisite for efficient management and regulatory responses to prevent the introduction and spread of HLB-associated “Candidatus Liberibacter species to unaffected areas. To improve the current detection limit of HLB-associated “Ca. Liberibacter” spp, we deve...

Bibliometrics as a Performance Measurement Tool for Research Evaluation: The Case of Research Funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, David; Picard-Aitken, Michelle; Cote, Gregoire; Caruso, Julie; Valentim, Rodolfo; Edmonds, Stuart; Williams, Gregory Thomas; Macaluso, Benoit; Robitaille, Jean-Pierre; Bastien, Nicolas; Laframboise, Marie-Claude; Lebeau, Louis-Michel; Mirabel, Philippe; Lariviere, Vincent; Archambault, Eric

2010-01-01

As bibliometric indicators are objective, reliable, and cost-effective measures of peer-reviewed research outputs, they are expected to play an increasingly important role in research assessment/management. Recently, a bibliometric approach was developed and integrated within the evaluation framework of research funded by the National Cancer…

Measuring financial strain in the lives of survivors of intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Hetling, Andrea; Stylianou, Amanda Mathisen; Postmus, Judy L

2015-03-01

Agencies serving survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often include economic empowerment programs and approaches as a way to assist survivors struggling with avoiding poverty and gaining financial independence. Understanding and addressing the economic needs of IPV survivors are more complex than just knowing their income. Indeed, survivors' ability to manage their finances and any financial stress or strain should also be assessed to fully understand their needs. The Financial Strain Survey (FSS) provides a useful tool for screening and understanding survivors' complex financial needs. Using data from 457 IPV survivors from seven U.S. states and Puerto Rico, the current study evaluates the factor structure, reliability, and validity of using the FSS with IPV survivors. Findings indicate that the FSS is a reliable instrument for use with IPV survivors. The conclusion discusses the FSS as a practical tool for both practice and research with this population. © The Author(s) 2014.

A validation of the construct and reliability of an emotional intelligence scale applied to nursing students1

PubMed Central

Espinoza-Venegas, Maritza; Sanhueza-Alvarado, Olivia; Ramírez-Elizondo, Noé; Sáez-Carrillo, Katia

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to validate the construct and reliability of an emotional intelligence scale. METHOD: The Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 was applied to 349 nursing students. The process included content validation, which involved expert reviews, pilot testing, measurements of reliability using Cronbach's alpha, and factor analysis to corroborate the validity of the theoretical model's construct. RESULTS: Adequate Cronbach coefficients were obtained for all three dimensions, and factor analysis confirmed the scale's dimensions (perception, comprehension, and regulation). CONCLUSION: The Trait Meta-Mood Scale is a reliable and valid tool to measure the emotional intelligence of nursing students. Its use allows for accurate determinations of individuals' abilities to interpret and manage emotions. At the same time, this new construct is of potential importance for measurements in nursing leadership; educational, organizational, and personal improvements; and the establishment of effective relationships with patients. PMID:25806642

Bulk electric system reliability evaluation incorporating wind power and demand side management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Dange

Electric power systems are experiencing dramatic changes with respect to structure, operation and regulation and are facing increasing pressure due to environmental and societal constraints. Bulk electric system reliability is an important consideration in power system planning, design and operation particularly in the new competitive environment. A wide range of methods have been developed to perform bulk electric system reliability evaluation. Theoretically, sequential Monte Carlo simulation can include all aspects and contingencies in a power system and can be used to produce an informative set of reliability indices. It has become a practical and viable tool for large system reliability assessment technique due to the development of computing power and is used in the studies described in this thesis. The well-being approach used in this research provides the opportunity to integrate an accepted deterministic criterion into a probabilistic framework. This research work includes the investigation of important factors that impact bulk electric system adequacy evaluation and security constrained adequacy assessment using the well-being analysis framework. Load forecast uncertainty is an important consideration in an electrical power system. This research includes load forecast uncertainty considerations in bulk electric system reliability assessment and the effects on system, load point and well-being indices and reliability index probability distributions are examined. There has been increasing worldwide interest in the utilization of wind power as a renewable energy source over the last two decades due to enhanced public awareness of the environment. Increasing penetration of wind power has significant impacts on power system reliability, and security analyses become more uncertain due to the unpredictable nature of wind power. The effects of wind power additions in generating and bulk electric system reliability assessment considering site wind speed correlations and the interactive effects of wind power and load forecast uncertainty on system reliability are examined. The concept of the security cost associated with operating in the marginal state in the well-being framework is incorporated in the economic analyses associated with system expansion planning including wind power and load forecast uncertainty. Overall reliability cost/worth analyses including security cost concepts are applied to select an optimal wind power injection strategy in a bulk electric system. The effects of the various demand side management measures on system reliability are illustrated using the system, load point, and well-being indices, and the reliability index probability distributions. The reliability effects of demand side management procedures in a bulk electric system including wind power and load forecast uncertainty considerations are also investigated. The system reliability effects due to specific demand side management programs are quantified and examined in terms of their reliability benefits.

Is this what you need? Direct feedback help climate change information exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachelet, D. M.; Brown, M.; Gough, M.; Basin, D.

2015-12-01

The combination of projected climate change and land use adds uncertainty to the long-term effectiveness of current management strategies. Managers need reliable information to adjust their strategies as population density increases. However they are currently overwhelmed by the diversity of available information and the multiplicity of sources. CBI's goal is to centralize and package effectively the usable information for land managers and for the general public in order to increase awareness and promote preparation for the challenges ahead. We are designing conservation planning atlases in Data Basin for a number of landscape conservation cooperatives to address this need. We are adding some user-friendly tools to specifically serve the available climate projections and land use data in a meaningful way. By working closely with a group of managers, our goal is to understand how consideration of these projections figures into the decision-making process and refine the ways we can deliver relevant metrics. We have been holding interviews to gather information and critical feedback on existing climate-related web pages and tools, providing us with benchmarks for improvement. As it turned out, the student-manager dialogue added a component of climate change education and awareness of available tools to the project. Through an iterative process we plan to continue this exchange and address the variety of issues managers continually have to face to maintain healthy ecosystems.

Web 2.0 and internet social networking: a new tool for disaster management?--lessons from Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng-Min; Chan, Edward; Hyder, Adnan A

2010-10-06

Internet social networking tools and the emerging web 2.0 technologies are providing a new way for web users and health workers in information sharing and knowledge dissemination. Based on the characters of immediate, two-way and large scale of impact, the internet social networking tools have been utilized as a solution in emergency response during disasters. This paper highlights the use of internet social networking in disaster emergency response and public health management of disasters by focusing on a case study of the typhoon Morakot disaster in Taiwan. In the case of typhoon disaster in Taiwan, internet social networking and mobile technology were found to be helpful for community residents, professional emergency rescuers, and government agencies in gathering and disseminating real-time information, regarding volunteer recruitment and relief supplies allocation. We noted that if internet tools are to be integrated in the development of emergency response system, the accessibility, accuracy, validity, feasibility, privacy and the scalability of itself should be carefully considered especially in the effort of applying it in resource poor settings. This paper seeks to promote an internet-based emergency response system by integrating internet social networking and information communication technology into central government disaster management system. Web-based networking provides two-way communication which establishes a reliable and accessible tunnel for proximal and distal users in disaster preparedness and management.

Development of an intensive care unit resource assessment survey for the care of critically ill patients in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Leligdowicz, Aleksandra; Bhagwanjee, Satish; Diaz, Janet V; Xiong, Wei; Marshall, John C; Fowler, Robert A; Adhikari, Neill Kj

2017-04-01

Capacity to provide critical care in resource-limited settings is poorly understood because of lack of data about resources available to manage critically ill patients. Our objective was to develop a survey to address this issue. We developed and piloted a cross-sectional self-administered survey in 9 resource-limited countries. The survey consisted of 8 domains; specific items within domains were modified from previously developed survey tools. We distributed the survey by e-mail to a convenience sample of health care providers responsible for providing care to critically ill patients. We assessed clinical sensibility and test-retest reliability. Nine of 15 health care providers responded to the survey on 2 separate occasions, separated by 2 to 4 weeks. Clinical sensibility was high (3.9-4.9/5 on assessment tool). Test-retest reliability for questions related to resource availability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.99; mean (SD) of weighted κ values = 0.67 [0.19]). The mean (SD) time for survey completion survey was 21 (16) minutes. A reliable cross-sectional survey of available resources to manage critically ill patients can be feasibly administered to health care providers in resource-limited settings. The survey will inform future research focusing on access to critical care where it is poorly described but urgently needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing an undue influence screening tool for Adult Protective Services.

PubMed

Quinn, Mary Joy; Nerenberg, Lisa; Navarro, Adria E; Wilber, Kathleen H

2017-03-01

The study purpose was to develop and pilot an undue influence screening tool for California's Adult Protective Services (APS) personnel based on the definition of undue influence enacted into California law January 1, 2014. Methods included four focus groups with APS providers (n = 33), piloting the preliminary tool by APS personnel (n = 15), and interviews with four elder abuse experts and two APS administrators. Social service literature-including existing undue influence models-was reviewed, as were existing screening and assessment tools. Using the information from these various sources, the California Undue Influence Screening Tool (CUIST) was developed. It can be applied to APS cases and potentially adapted for use by other professionals and for use in other states. Implementation of the tool into APS practice, policy, procedures, and training of personnel will depend on the initiative of APS management. Future work will need to address the reliability and validity of CUIST.

Fuel model selection for BEHAVE in midwestern oak savannas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grabner, K.W.; Dwyer, J.P.; Cutter, B.E.

2001-01-01

BEHAVE, a fire behavior prediction system, can be a useful tool for managing areas with prescribed fire. However, the proper choice of fuel models can be critical in developing management scenarios. BEHAVE predictions were evaluated using four standardized fuel models that partially described oak savanna fuel conditions: Fuel Model 1 (Short Grass), 2 (Timber and Grass), 3 (Tall Grass), and 9 (Hardwood Litter). Although all four models yielded regressions with R2 in excess of 0.8, Fuel Model 2 produced the most reliable fire behavior predictions.

[Development and validation of the Korean patient safety culture scale for nursing homes].

PubMed

Yoon, Sook Hee; Kim, Byungsoo; Kim, Se Young

2013-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to evaluate patient safety culture in nursing homes and to test its validity and reliability. A preliminary tool was developed through interviews with focus group, content validity tests, and a pilot study. A nationwide survey was conducted from February to April, 2011, using self-report questionnaires. Participants were 982 employees in nursing homes. Data were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha, item analysis, factor analysis, and multitrait/multi-Item analysis. From the results of the analysis, 27 final items were selected from 49 items on the preliminary tool. Items with low correlation with total scale were excluded. The 4 factors sorted by factor analysis contributed 63.4% of the variance in the total scale. The factors were labeled as leadership, organizational system, working attitude, management practice. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was .95 and the range for the 4 factors was from .86 to .93. The results of this study indicate that the Korean Patient Safety Culture Scale has reliability and validity and is suitable for evaluation of patient safety culture in Korean nursing homes.

Formulation of consumables management models. Development approach for the mission planning processor working model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connelly, L. C.

1977-01-01

The mission planning processor is a user oriented tool for consumables management and is part of the total consumables subsystem management concept. The approach to be used in developing a working model of the mission planning processor is documented. The approach includes top-down design, structured programming techniques, and application of NASA approved software development standards. This development approach: (1) promotes cost effective software development, (2) enhances the quality and reliability of the working model, (3) encourages the sharing of the working model through a standard approach, and (4) promotes portability of the working model to other computer systems.

Operation Reliability Assessment for Cutting Tools by Applying a Proportional Covariate Model to Condition Monitoring Information

PubMed Central

Cai, Gaigai; Chen, Xuefeng; Li, Bing; Chen, Baojia; He, Zhengjia

2012-01-01

The reliability of cutting tools is critical to machining precision and production efficiency. The conventional statistic-based reliability assessment method aims at providing a general and overall estimation of reliability for a large population of identical units under given and fixed conditions. However, it has limited effectiveness in depicting the operational characteristics of a cutting tool. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an approach to assess the operation reliability of cutting tools. A proportional covariate model is introduced to construct the relationship between operation reliability and condition monitoring information. The wavelet packet transform and an improved distance evaluation technique are used to extract sensitive features from vibration signals, and a covariate function is constructed based on the proportional covariate model. Ultimately, the failure rate function of the cutting tool being assessed is calculated using the baseline covariate function obtained from a small sample of historical data. Experimental results and a comparative study show that the proposed method is effective for assessing the operation reliability of cutting tools. PMID:23201980

Development of demand forecasting tool for natural resources recouping from municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Zaman, Atiq Uz; Lehmann, Steffen

2013-10-01

Sustainable waste management requires an integrated planning and design strategy for reliable forecasting of waste generation, collection, recycling, treatment and disposal for the successful development of future residential precincts. The success of the future development and management of waste relies to a high extent on the accuracy of the prediction and on a comprehensive understanding of the overall waste management systems. This study defies the traditional concepts of waste, in which waste was considered as the last phase of production and services, by putting forward the new concept of waste as an intermediate phase of production and services. The study aims to develop a demand forecasting tool called 'zero waste index' (ZWI) for measuring the natural resources recouped from municipal solid waste. The ZWI (ZWI demand forecasting tool) quantifies the amount of virgin materials recovered from solid waste and subsequently reduces extraction of natural resources. In addition, the tool estimates the potential amount of energy, water and emissions avoided or saved by the improved waste management system. The ZWI is tested in a case study of waste management systems in two developed cities: Adelaide (Australia) and Stockholm (Sweden). The ZWI of waste management systems in Adelaide and Stockholm is 0.33 and 0.17 respectively. The study also enumerates per capita energy savings of 2.9 GJ and 2.83 GJ, greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 0.39 tonnes (CO2e) and 0.33 tonnes (CO2e), as well as water savings of 2.8 kL and 0.92 kL in Adelaide and Stockholm respectively.

The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale for type 2 diabetes patients.

PubMed

Hara, Yoriko; Koyama, Satoshi; Morinaga, Toru; Ito, Hisao; Kohno, Shusuke; Hirai, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Toshio; Tsuda, Toru; Ichino, Isao; Takei, Satoko; Yamada, Kentaro; Tsuboi, Koji; Breugelmans, Raoul; Ishihara, Yoko

2011-01-01

An appropriate questionnaire for measurement of the psychological burden of self-management or behavior modification in type-2 diabetes patients has yet to be developed in Japan. This study was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale (ADS). the study enrolled 346 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: 200 men and 146 women who were 63.2 ± 10.1 and 62.2 ± 11.9 years of age and had HbA1c levels of 6.9 ± 1.2% and 7.3 ± 1.9%, respectively. the questionnaire was divided into three components: "Psychological impact of diabetes", "Sense of self-control", and "Efforts for symptom management". Cronbach's alpha was 0.746-0.628. Significant correlations were observed between "Sense of self-control" and self-managed dietary and exercise behaviors and HbA1c levels; between "Psychological impact of diabetes" and various treatments, symptoms causing anxiety, and HbA1c levels; and between "Efforts for symptom management" and dietary and nutritional behaviors. The questionnaire showed better evidence of internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity. our results suggested that the Japanese version of ADS may be a useful tool for the quick assessment of common anxieties and motivation toward treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychometric properties of a new measure of fathers' involvement in the management of pediatric chronic diseases.

PubMed

Wysocki, Tim; Gavin, Leslie

2004-01-01

Despite theoretical and empirical reasons suggesting its potential importance, paternal involvement in the management of pediatric chronic diseases has rarely been a primary focus of research on family adaptation to pediatric disease. This may be due to a lack of appropriate tools to measure relevant behaviors. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Dads' Active Disease Support scale (DADS), which was designed to measure male and female caregivers' estimates of the amount and helpfulness of paternal involvement in managing six pediatric chronic diseases. A sample of 224 heterosexual couples completed the DADS and measures of mother, child, and family functioning, yielding 190 who completed data sets. Of these, 91 mothers and 88 fathers completed the DADS again after a 1-month interval. Results confirmed DADS internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and interparent agreement. Confirmatory factor analysis supported its construct validity: A two-factor model (amount and helpfulness of fathers' involvement) best accounted for participants' responses. Significant correlations with scores on the Family Assessment Device supported DADS convergent validity. DADS scores of mothers and fathers suggest substantial room for improvement in both the amount and the helpfulness of paternal involvement in disease management. Mothers provided significantly higher ratings of the helpfulness of fathers' involvement than did fathers. The DADS appears to be a reliable and valid measure for studies of the associations between paternal involvement in disease management and child, maternal, and family adaptation to pediatric chronic medical conditions.

''As-Needed'' Range Orders for Opioid Analgesics in the Management of Pain: A Consensus Statement of the American Society for Pain Management Nursing and the American Pain Society.

PubMed

Drew, Debra J; Gordon, Debra B; Morgan, Bonnie; Manworren, Renee C B

2018-06-01

Effective pain management requires careful titration of analgesics and evaluation of individual patient's responses to treatment using valid and reliable pain and pain relief assessment tools, and evidence-based patient monitoring for adverse treatment effects. A registered nurse, competent in pain assessment and analgesic administration, can safely interpret and implement properly written ''as-needed'' or ''PRN'' range orders for analgesic medications. The American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) and the American Pain Society (APS) support safe medication practices and the appropriate use of PRN range orders for opioid analgesics in the management of pain. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical code set engineering for reusing EHR data for research: A review.

PubMed

Williams, Richard; Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Buchan, Iain; Peek, Niels

2017-06-01

The construction of reliable, reusable clinical code sets is essential when re-using Electronic Health Record (EHR) data for research. Yet code set definitions are rarely transparent and their sharing is almost non-existent. There is a lack of methodological standards for the management (construction, sharing, revision and reuse) of clinical code sets which needs to be addressed to ensure the reliability and credibility of studies which use code sets. To review methodological literature on the management of sets of clinical codes used in research on clinical databases and to provide a list of best practice recommendations for future studies and software tools. We performed an exhaustive search for methodological papers about clinical code set engineering for re-using EHR data in research. This was supplemented with papers identified by snowball sampling. In addition, a list of e-phenotyping systems was constructed by merging references from several systematic reviews on this topic, and the processes adopted by those systems for code set management was reviewed. Thirty methodological papers were reviewed. Common approaches included: creating an initial list of synonyms for the condition of interest (n=20); making use of the hierarchical nature of coding terminologies during searching (n=23); reviewing sets with clinician input (n=20); and reusing and updating an existing code set (n=20). Several open source software tools (n=3) were discovered. There is a need for software tools that enable users to easily and quickly create, revise, extend, review and share code sets and we provide a list of recommendations for their design and implementation. Research re-using EHR data could be improved through the further development, more widespread use and routine reporting of the methods by which clinical codes were selected. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Scarbase Duo(®): Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability and validity of a compact dual scar assessment tool.

PubMed

Fell, Matthew; Meirte, Jill; Anthonissen, Mieke; Maertens, Koen; Pleat, Jonathon; Moortgat, Peter

2016-03-01

Objective scar assessment tools were designed to help identify problematic scars and direct clinical management. Their use has been restricted by their measurement of a single scar property and the bulky size of equipment. The Scarbase Duo(®) was designed to assess both trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and colour of a burn scar whilst being compact and easy to use. Twenty patients with a burn scar were recruited and measurements taken using the Scarbase Duo(®) by two observers. The Scarbase Duo(®) measures TEWL via an open-chamber system and undertakes colorimetry via narrow-band spectrophotometry, producing values for relative erythema and melanin pigmentation. Validity was assessed by comparing the Scarbase Duo(®) against the Dermalab(®) and the Minolta Chromameter(®) respectively for TEWL and colorimetry measurements. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess reliability with standard error of measurement (SEM) used to assess reproducibility of measurements. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to assess the convergent validity. The Scarbase Duo(®) TEWL mode had excellent reliability when used on scars for both intra- (ICC=0.95) and inter-rater (ICC=0.96) measurements with moderate SEM values. The erythema component of the colorimetry mode showed good reliability for use on scars for both intra-(ICC=0.81) and inter-rater (ICC=0.83) measurements with low SEM values. Pigmentation values showed excellent reliability on scar tissue for both intra- (ICC=0.97) and inter-rater (ICC=0.97) with moderate SEM values. The Scarbase Duo(®) TEWL function had excellent correlation with the Dermalab(®) (r=0.93) whilst the colorimetry erythema value had moderate correlation with the Minolta Chromameter (r=0.72). The Scarbase Duo(®) is a reliable and objective scar assessment tool, which is specifically designed for burn scars. However, for clinical use, standardised measurement conditions are recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Extremely high data-rate, reliable network systems research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foudriat, E. C.; Maly, Kurt J.; Mukkamala, R.; Murray, Nicholas D.; Overstreet, C. Michael

1990-01-01

Significant progress was made over the year in the four focus areas of this research group: gigabit protocols, extensions of metropolitan protocols, parallel protocols, and distributed simulations. Two activities, a network management tool and the Carrier Sensed Multiple Access Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol, have developed to the point that a patent is being applied for in the next year; a tool set for distributed simulation using the language SIMSCRIPT also has commercial potential and is to be further refined. The year's results for each of these areas are summarized and next year's activities are described.

An Evaluation Method of Equipment Reliability Configuration Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Feng, Weijia; Zhang, Wei; Li, Yuan

2018-01-01

At present, many equipment development companies have been aware of the great significance of reliability of the equipment development. But, due to the lack of effective management evaluation method, it is very difficult for the equipment development company to manage its own reliability work. Evaluation method of equipment reliability configuration management is to determine the reliability management capabilities of equipment development company. Reliability is not only designed, but also managed to achieve. This paper evaluates the reliability management capabilities by reliability configuration capability maturity model(RCM-CMM) evaluation method.

Exploiting replication in distributed systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birman, Kenneth P.; Joseph, T. A.

1989-01-01

Techniques are examined for replicating data and execution in directly distributed systems: systems in which multiple processes interact directly with one another while continuously respecting constraints on their joint behavior. Directly distributed systems are often required to solve difficult problems, ranging from management of replicated data to dynamic reconfiguration in response to failures. It is shown that these problems reduce to more primitive, order-based consistency problems, which can be solved using primitives such as the reliable broadcast protocols. Moreover, given a system that implements reliable broadcast primitives, a flexible set of high-level tools can be provided for building a wide variety of directly distributed application programs.

Hospital process orientation from an operations management perspective: development of a measurement tool and practical testing in three ophthalmic practices

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Although research interest in hospital process orientation (HPO) is growing, the development of a measurement tool to assess process orientation (PO) has not been very successful yet. To view a hospital as a series of processes organized around patients with a similar demand seems to be an attractive proposition, but it is hard to operationalize this idea in a measurement tool that can actually measure the level of PO. This research contributes to HPO from an operations management (OM) perspective by addressing the alignment, integration and coordination of activities within patient care processes. The objective of this study was to develop and practically test a new measurement tool for assessing the degree of PO within hospitals using existing tools. Methods Through a literature search we identified a number of constructs to measure PO in hospital settings. These constructs were further operationalized, using an OM perspective. Based on five dimensions of an existing questionnaire a new HPO-measurement tool was developed to measure the degree of PO within hospitals on the basis of respondents’ perception. The HPO-measurement tool was pre-tested in a non-participating hospital and discussed with experts in a focus group. The multicentre exploratory case study was conducted in the ophthalmic practices of three different types of Dutch hospitals. In total 26 employees from three disciplines participated. After filling in the questionnaire an interview was held with each participant to check the validity and the reliability of the measurement tool. Results The application of the HPO-measurement tool, analysis of the scores and interviews with the participants resulted in the possibility to identify differences of PO performance and the areas of improvement – from a PO point of view – within each hospital. The result of refinement of the items of the measurement tool after practical testing is a set of 41 items to assess the degree of PO from an OM perspective within hospitals. Conclusions The development and practically testing of a new HPO-measurement tool improves the understanding and application of PO in hospitals and the reliability of the measurement tool. The study shows that PO is a complex concept and appears still hard to objectify. PMID:24219362

Hospital process orientation from an operations management perspective: development of a measurement tool and practical testing in three ophthalmic practices.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Pedro D; Hagenbeek, Marie Louise; Vissers, Jan M H

2013-11-13

Although research interest in hospital process orientation (HPO) is growing, the development of a measurement tool to assess process orientation (PO) has not been very successful yet. To view a hospital as a series of processes organized around patients with a similar demand seems to be an attractive proposition, but it is hard to operationalize this idea in a measurement tool that can actually measure the level of PO. This research contributes to HPO from an operations management (OM) perspective by addressing the alignment, integration and coordination of activities within patient care processes. The objective of this study was to develop and practically test a new measurement tool for assessing the degree of PO within hospitals using existing tools. Through a literature search we identified a number of constructs to measure PO in hospital settings. These constructs were further operationalized, using an OM perspective. Based on five dimensions of an existing questionnaire a new HPO-measurement tool was developed to measure the degree of PO within hospitals on the basis of respondents' perception. The HPO-measurement tool was pre-tested in a non-participating hospital and discussed with experts in a focus group. The multicentre exploratory case study was conducted in the ophthalmic practices of three different types of Dutch hospitals. In total 26 employees from three disciplines participated. After filling in the questionnaire an interview was held with each participant to check the validity and the reliability of the measurement tool. The application of the HPO-measurement tool, analysis of the scores and interviews with the participants resulted in the possibility to identify differences of PO performance and the areas of improvement--from a PO point of view--within each hospital. The result of refinement of the items of the measurement tool after practical testing is a set of 41 items to assess the degree of PO from an OM perspective within hospitals. The development and practically testing of a new HPO-measurement tool improves the understanding and application of PO in hospitals and the reliability of the measurement tool. The study shows that PO is a complex concept and appears still hard to objectify.

Development and validation of a nursing professionalism evaluation model in a career ladder system.

PubMed

Kim, Yeon Hee; Jung, Young Sun; Min, Ja; Song, Eun Young; Ok, Jung Hui; Lim, Changwon; Kim, Kyunghee; Kim, Ji-Su

2017-01-01

The clinical ladder system categorizes the degree of nursing professionalism and rewards and is an important human resource tool for managing nursing. We developed a model to evaluate nursing professionalism, which determines the clinical ladder system levels, and verified its validity. Data were collected using a clinical competence tool developed in this study, and existing methods such as the nursing professionalism evaluation tool, peer reviews, and face-to-face interviews to evaluate promotions and verify the presented content in a medical institution. Reliability and convergent and discriminant validity of the clinical competence evaluation tool were verified using SmartPLS software. The validity of the model for evaluating overall nursing professionalism was also analyzed. Clinical competence was determined by five dimensions of nursing practice: scientific, technical, ethical, aesthetic, and existential. The structural model explained 66% of the variance. Clinical competence scales, peer reviews, and face-to-face interviews directly determined nursing professionalism levels. The evaluation system can be used for evaluating nurses' professionalism in actual medical institutions from a nursing practice perspective. A conceptual framework for establishing a human resources management system for nurses and a tool for evaluating nursing professionalism at medical institutions is provided.

Bayesian Inference for NASA Probabilistic Risk and Reliability Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dezfuli, Homayoon; Kelly, Dana; Smith, Curtis; Vedros, Kurt; Galyean, William

2009-01-01

This document, Bayesian Inference for NASA Probabilistic Risk and Reliability Analysis, is intended to provide guidelines for the collection and evaluation of risk and reliability-related data. It is aimed at scientists and engineers familiar with risk and reliability methods and provides a hands-on approach to the investigation and application of a variety of risk and reliability data assessment methods, tools, and techniques. This document provides both: A broad perspective on data analysis collection and evaluation issues. A narrow focus on the methods to implement a comprehensive information repository. The topics addressed herein cover the fundamentals of how data and information are to be used in risk and reliability analysis models and their potential role in decision making. Understanding these topics is essential to attaining a risk informed decision making environment that is being sought by NASA requirements and procedures such as 8000.4 (Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements), NPR 8705.05 (Probabilistic Risk Assessment Procedures for NASA Programs and Projects), and the System Safety requirements of NPR 8715.3 (NASA General Safety Program Requirements).

Development and Initial Reliability Testing of NAK-50+: A Nutrition Attitude and Knowledge Questionnaire for Adults 50+ Years of Age.

PubMed

Ducak, Kate; Keller, Heather

2016-03-01

Few questionnaires to test nutrition knowledge and attitudes of older adults living independently in the community have been developed and tested to assess self-management tools such as Nutri-eSCREEN and other education programs. This study is a first step in the development of a questionnaire designed to evaluate the nutrition knowledge and attitudes of independent older adults (NAK-50+). The steps involved in this study were: (i) drafting initial questions based on the content of the Nutri-eSCREEN education material, (ii) using cognitive interviewing to determine if these questions were understandable and relevant (n = 9 adults ≥50 years of age), and (iii) completing test-retest reliability in a convenient community sample (n = 60 adults ≥50 years of age). Intra-class coefficients (ICC) and kappa were used to determine reliability. A 33-item questionnaire resulted from this development and analysis. ICC for the total score was 0.68 indicating good agreement and thus initial reliability. NAK-50+ is a face valid and reliable questionnaire that assesses nutrition knowledge and attitudes in independent adults aged ≥50 years. Further work to determine construct validity and to refine the questionnaire is warranted. Availability of the questionnaire for this age group will support rigorous evaluation of education and self-management interventions for this segment of the population.

Navigating financial and supply reliability tradeoffs in regional drought management portfolios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeff, Harrison B.; Kasprzyk, Joseph R.; Herman, Jonathan D.; Reed, Patrick M.; Characklis, Gregory W.

2014-06-01

Rising development costs and growing concerns over environmental impacts have led many communities to explore more diversified water management strategies. These "portfolio"-style approaches integrate existing supply infrastructure with other options such as conservation measures or water transfers. Diversified water supply portfolios have been shown to reduce the capacity and costs required to meet demand, while also providing greater adaptability to changing hydrologic conditions. However, this additional flexibility can also cause unexpected reductions in revenue (from conservation) or increased costs (from transfers). The resulting financial instability can act as a substantial disincentive to utilities seeking to implement more innovative water management techniques. This study seeks to design portfolios that employ financial tools (e.g., contingency funds and index insurance) to reduce fluctuations in revenues and costs, allowing these strategies to achieve improved performance without sacrificing financial stability. This analysis is applied to the development of coordinated regional supply portfolios in the "Research Triangle" region of North Carolina, an area comprising four rapidly growing municipalities. The actions of each independent utility become interconnected when shared infrastructure is utilized to enable interutility transfers, requiring the evaluation of regional tradeoffs in up to five performance and financial objectives. Diversified strategies introduce significant tradeoffs between achieving reliability goals and introducing burdensome variability in annual revenues and/or costs. Financial mitigation tools can mitigate the impacts of this variability, allowing for an alternative suite of improved solutions. This analysis provides a general template for utilities seeking to navigate the tradeoffs associated with more flexible, portfolio-style management approaches.

The Effectiveness of a Self-Reporting Bedside Pain Assessment Tool for Oncology Inpatients

PubMed Central

Kim, Eun Bi; Chung, Jung Hwa; Park, Bo Ram; Lim, Sung-nam; Yim, Kyoung Hoon; Shin, Young Duck; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Kim, Wun-Jae; Kim, Seung Taik

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Pain is common during cancer treatment, and patient self-reporting of pain is an essential first step for ideal cancer pain management. However, many studies on cancer pain management report that, because pain may be underestimated, it is often inadequately managed. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bedside self-assessment of pain intensity for inpatients using a self-reporting pain board. Methods Fifty consecutive inpatients admitted to the Oncology Department of Chungbuk National University Hospital were included in this observational prospective study from February 2011 to December 2011. The medical staff performed pain assessments by asking patients questions and using verbal rated scales (VRS) over 3 consecutive days. Then, for 3 additional days, patients used a self-reporting pain board attached to the bed, which had movable indicators representing 0–10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the frequency of breakthrough pain. Results Patient reliability over the medical staff's pain assessment increased from 74% to 96% after applying the self-reporting pain board (p=0.004). The gap (mean±standard deviation [SD]) between the NRS reported by patients and the NRS recorded on the medical records decreased from 3.16±2.08 to 1.00±1.02 (p<0.001), and the level of patient satisfaction with pain management increased from 54% to 82% (p=0.002). Conclusion This study suggests that the self-reporting bedside pain assessment tool provides a reliable and effective means of assessing pain in oncology inpatients. PMID:22974435

Systematic review of methods for quantifying teamwork in the operating theatre

PubMed Central

Marshall, D.; Sykes, M.; McCulloch, P.; Shalhoub, J.; Maruthappu, M.

2018-01-01

Background Teamwork in the operating theatre is becoming increasingly recognized as a major factor in clinical outcomes. Many tools have been developed to measure teamwork. Most fall into two categories: self‐assessment by theatre staff and assessment by observers. A critical and comparative analysis of the validity and reliability of these tools is lacking. Methods MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched following PRISMA guidelines. Content validity was assessed using measurements of inter‐rater agreement, predictive validity and multisite reliability, and interobserver reliability using statistical measures of inter‐rater agreement and reliability. Quantitative meta‐analysis was deemed unsuitable. Results Forty‐eight articles were selected for final inclusion; self‐assessment tools were used in 18 and observational tools in 28, and there were two qualitative studies. Self‐assessment of teamwork by profession varied with the profession of the assessor. The most robust self‐assessment tool was the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ), although this failed to demonstrate multisite reliability. The most robust observational tool was the Non‐Technical Skills (NOTECHS) system, which demonstrated both test–retest reliability (P > 0·09) and interobserver reliability (Rwg = 0·96). Conclusion Self‐assessment of teamwork by the theatre team was influenced by professional differences. Observational tools, when used by trained observers, circumvented this.

Management of ATM-based networks supporting multimedia medical information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitman, Robert A.; Blaine, G. James; Fritz, Kevin; Goodgold, Ken; Heisinger, Patrick

1997-05-01

Medical information systems are acquiring the ability to collect and deliver many different types of medical information. In support of the increased network demands necessitated by these expanded capabilities, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) based networks are being deployed in medical care systems. While ATM supplies a much greater line rate than currently deployed networks, the management and standards surrounding ATM are yet to mature. This paper explores the management and control issues surrounding an ATM network supporting medical information systems, and examines how management impacts network performance and robustness. A multivendor ATM network at the BJC Health System/Washington University and the applications using the network are discussed. Performance information for specific applications is presented and analyzed. Network management's influence on application reliability is outlined. The information collected is used to show how ATM network standards and management tools influence network reliability and performance. Performance of current applications using the ATM network is discussed. Special attention is given to issues encountered in implementation of hypertext transfer protocol over ATM internet protocol (IP) communications. A classical IP ATM implementation yields greater than twenty percent higher network performance over LANE. Maximum performance for a host's suite of applications can be obtained by establishing multiple individually engineered IP links through its ATM network connection.

Spanish version of the Time Management Behavior Questionnaire for university students.

PubMed

García-Ros, Rafael; Pérez-González, Francisco

2012-11-01

The main objective of the study is to analyze the psychometric properties and predictive capacity on academic performance in university contexts of a Spanish adaptation of the Time Management Behavior Questionnaire. The scale was applied to 462 students newly admitted at the Universitat de València in the 2006-2007 school year. The analyses performed made it possible to reproduce the factorial structure of the original version of the questionnaire with slight modifications in the ascription of various items. The underlying factorial structure includes four interrelated dimensions (Establishing objectives and priorities, Time management tools, Perception of time control and Preference for disorganization), which present satisfactory levels of reliability and an adequate convergent validity with the Time management subscale of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The scores on the dimensions of time management show significant levels of association with academic performance in the first year of university studies, especially highlighting the predictive capacity of the subscale dealing with the Establishment of objectives and priorities. These results show the reliability and validity of this adaptation of the scale for evaluating how the students manage their academic time, and predicting their performance in the year they initiate the degree program, thus aiding in the development of intervention proposals directed towards improving these skills.

The development of a quality appraisal tool for studies of diagnostic reliability (QAREL).

PubMed

Lucas, Nicholas P; Macaskill, Petra; Irwig, Les; Bogduk, Nikolai

2010-08-01

In systematic reviews of the reliability of diagnostic tests, no quality assessment tool has been used consistently. The aim of this study was to develop a specific quality appraisal tool for studies of diagnostic reliability. Key principles for the quality of studies of diagnostic reliability were identified with reference to epidemiologic principles, existing quality appraisal checklists, and the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) resources. Specific items that encompassed each of the principles were developed. Experts in diagnostic research provided feedback on the items that were to form the appraisal tool. This process was iterative and continued until consensus among experts was reached. The Quality Appraisal of Reliability Studies (QAREL) checklist includes 11 items that explore seven principles. Items cover the spectrum of subjects, spectrum of examiners, examiner blinding, order effects of examination, suitability of the time interval among repeated measurements, appropriate test application and interpretation, and appropriate statistical analysis. QAREL has been developed as a specific quality appraisal tool for studies of diagnostic reliability. The reliability of this tool in different contexts needs to be evaluated. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a clinical tool for early etiology identification in status epilepticus

PubMed Central

Alvarez, Vincent; Westover, M. Brandon; Drislane, Frank W.; Dworetzky, Barbara A.; Curley, David

2016-01-01

Summary Objectives Because early etiologic identification is critical to select appropriate specific status epilepticus (SE) management, we aim to validate a clinical tool we developed that uses history and readily available investigations to guide prompt etiologic assessment. Methods This prospective multicenter study included all adult patients treated for SE of all but anoxic causes from four academic centers. The proposed tool is designed as a checklist covering frequent precipitating factors for SE. The study team completed the checklist at the time the patient was identified by electroencephalography (EEG) request. Only information available in the emergency department or at the time of in-hospital SE identification was used. Concordance between the etiology indicated by the tool and the determined etiology at hospital discharge was analyzed, together with interrater agreement. Results Two hundred twelve patients were included. Concordance between the etiology hypothesis generated using the tool and the finally determined etiology was 88.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 86.4–89.8) (κ = 0.88). Interrater agreement was 83.3% (95% CI 80.4–96) (κ = 0.81). Significance This tool is valid and reliable for identification early the etiology of an SE. Physicians managing patients in SE may benefit from using it to identify promptly the underlying etiology, thus facilitating selection of the appropriate treatment. PMID:25385281

Satisfactory reliability among nursing students using the instrument PVC ASSESS to evaluate management of peripheral venous catheters.

PubMed

Ahlqvist, Margary; Berglund, Britta; Nordström, Gun; Klang, Birgitta; Johansson, Eva

2014-01-01

Nursing students should be given opportunities to participate in clinical audits during their education. However, audit tools are seldom tested for reliability among nursing students. The aim of this study was to present reliability among nursing students using the instrument PVC assess to assess management of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) and PVC-related signs of thrombophlebitis. PVC assess was used to assess 67 inserted PVCs in 60 patients at ten wards at a university hospital. One group of nursing students (n=4) assessed PVCs at the bedside (inter-rater reliability) and photographs of these PVCs were taken. Another group of students (n=3) assessed the PVCs in the photographs after 4 weeks (test-retest reliability). To determine reliability, proportion of agreement [P(A)] and Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) were calculated. For bedside assessment of PVCs, P(A) ranged from good to excellent (0.80-1.0) in 55% of the 26 PVC assess items that were tested. P(A) was poor (<0.70) for two items: "adherence of inner dressing to the skin" and "PVC location." In 81% of the items, κ was between moderate and almost perfect: moderate (n=5), substantial (n=3), almost perfect (n=5). For edema at insertion site and two items on PVC dressing, κ was fair (0.21-0.40). Regarding test-retest reliability, P(A) varied between good and excellent (0.81-1) in 85%-95% of the items, and the κ ranged between moderate and almost perfect (0.41-1) in 90%-95%. PVC assess demonstrated satisfactory reliability among nursing students. However, students need training in how to use the instrument before assessing PVCs.

Tools used to assess medical students competence in procedural skills at the end of a primary medical degree: a systematic review.

PubMed

Morris, Marie C; Gallagher, Tom K; Ridgway, Paul F

2012-01-01

The objective was to systematically review the literature to identify and grade tools used for the end point assessment of procedural skills (e.g., phlebotomy, IV cannulation, suturing) competence in medical students prior to certification. The authors searched eight bibliographic databases electronically - ERIC, Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, Psychinfo, PsychLIT, EBM Reviews and the Cochrane databases. Two reviewers independently reviewed the literature to identify procedural assessment tools used specifically for assessing medical students within the PRISMA framework, the inclusion/exclusion criteria and search period. Papers on OSATS and DOPS were excluded as they focused on post-registration assessment and clinical rather than simulated competence. Of 659 abstracted articles 56 identified procedural assessment tools. Only 11 specifically assessed medical students. The final 11 studies consisted of 1 randomised controlled trial, 4 comparative and 6 descriptive studies yielding 12 heterogeneous procedural assessment tools for analysis. Seven tools addressed four discrete pre-certification skills, basic suture (3), airway management (2), nasogastric tube insertion (1) and intravenous cannulation (1). One tool used a generic assessment of procedural skills. Two tools focused on postgraduate laparoscopic skills and one on osteopathic students and thus were not included in this review. The levels of evidence are low with regard to reliability - κ = 0.65-0.71 and minimum validity is achieved - face and content. In conclusion, there are no tools designed specifically to assess competence of procedural skills in a final certification examination. There is a need to develop standardised tools with proven reliability and validity for assessment of procedural skills competence at the end of medical training. Medicine graduates must have comparable levels of procedural skills acquisition entering the clinical workforce irrespective of the country of training.

Development of a multilevel health and safety climate survey tool within a mining setting.

PubMed

Parker, Anthony W; Tones, Megan J; Ritchie, Gabrielle E

2017-09-01

This study aimed to design, implement and evaluate the reliability and validity of a multifactorial and multilevel health and safety climate survey (HSCS) tool with utility in the Australian mining setting. An 84-item questionnaire was developed and pilot tested on a sample of 302 Australian miners across two open cut sites. A 67-item, 10 factor solution was obtained via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) representing prioritization and attitudes to health and safety across multiple domains and organizational levels. Each factor demonstrated a high level of internal reliability, and a series of ANOVAs determined a high level of consistency in responses across the workforce, and generally irrespective of age, experience or job category. Participants tended to hold favorable views of occupational health and safety (OH&S) climate at the management, supervisor, workgroup and individual level. The survey tool demonstrated reliability and validity for use within an open cut Australian mining setting and supports a multilevel, industry specific approach to OH&S climate. Findings suggested a need for mining companies to maintain high OH&S standards to minimize risks to employee health and safety. Future research is required to determine the ability of this measure to predict OH&S outcomes and its utility within other mine settings. As this tool integrates health and safety, it may have benefits for assessment, monitoring and evaluation in the industry, and improving the understanding of how health and safety climate interact at multiple levels to influence OH&S outcomes. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying fish diversity hot-spots in data-poor situations.

PubMed

Fonseca, Vinícius Prado; Pennino, Maria Grazia; de Nóbrega, Marcelo Francisco; Oliveira, Jorge Eduardo Lins; de Figueiredo Mendes, Liana

2017-08-01

One of the more challenging tasks in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is identifying critical areas for management and conservation of fish stocks. However, this objective is difficult to achieve in data-poor situations with different sources of uncertainty. In the present study we propose a combination of hierarchical Bayesian spatial models and remotely sensed estimates of environmental variables to be used as flexible and reliable statistical tools to identify and map fish species richness and abundance hot-spots. Results show higher species aggregates in areas with higher sea floor rugosity and habitat complexity, and identify clear richness hot-spots. Our findings identify sensitive habitats through essential and easy-to-use interpretation tools, such as predictive maps, which can contribute to improving management and operability of the studied data-poor situations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A reliability analysis tool for SpaceWire network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qiang; Zhu, Longjiang; Fei, Haidong; Wang, Xingyou

2017-04-01

A SpaceWire is a standard for on-board satellite networks as the basis for future data-handling architectures. It is becoming more and more popular in space applications due to its technical advantages, including reliability, low power and fault protection, etc. High reliability is the vital issue for spacecraft. Therefore, it is very important to analyze and improve the reliability performance of the SpaceWire network. This paper deals with the problem of reliability modeling and analysis with SpaceWire network. According to the function division of distributed network, a reliability analysis method based on a task is proposed, the reliability analysis of every task can lead to the system reliability matrix, the reliability result of the network system can be deduced by integrating these entire reliability indexes in the matrix. With the method, we develop a reliability analysis tool for SpaceWire Network based on VC, where the computation schemes for reliability matrix and the multi-path-task reliability are also implemented. By using this tool, we analyze several cases on typical architectures. And the analytic results indicate that redundancy architecture has better reliability performance than basic one. In practical, the dual redundancy scheme has been adopted for some key unit, to improve the reliability index of the system or task. Finally, this reliability analysis tool will has a directive influence on both task division and topology selection in the phase of SpaceWire network system design.

A comparative evaluation of five hazard screening tools.

PubMed

Panko, J M; Hitchcock, K; Fung, M; Spencer, P J; Kingsbury, T; Mason, A M

2017-01-01

An increasing number of hazard assessment tools and approaches are being used in the marketplace as a means to differentiate products and ingredients with lower versus higher hazards or to certify what some call greener chemical ingredients in consumer products. Some leading retailers have established policies for product manufacturers and their suppliers to disclose chemical ingredients and their related hazard characteristics often specifying what tools to use. To date, no data exists that show a tool's reliability to provide consistent, credible screening-level hazard scores that can inform greener product selection. We conducted a small pilot study to understand and compare the hazard scoring of several hazard screening tools to determine if hazard and toxicity profiles for chemicals differ. Seven chemicals were selected that represent both natural and man-made chemistries as well as a range of toxicological activity. We conducted the assessments according to each tool provider's guidelines, which included factors such as endpoints, weighting preferences, sources of information, and treatment of data gaps. The results indicate the tools varied in the level of discrimination seen in the scores for these 7 chemicals and that tool classifications of the same chemical varied widely between the tools, ranging from little or no hazard or toxicity to very high hazard or toxicity. The results also highlight the need for transparency in describing the basis for the tool's hazard scores and suggest possible enhancements. Based on this pilot study, tools should not be generalized to fit all situations because their evaluations are context-specific. Before choosing a tool or approach, it is critical that the assessment rationale be clearly defined and matches the selected tool or approach. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:139-154. © 2016 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. © 2016 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Developing and testing the patient-centred innovation questionnaire for hospital nurses.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yuan; Weng, Rhay-Hung; Wu, Tsung-Chin; Lin, Tzu-En; Hsu, Ching-Tai; Hung, Chiu-Hsia; Tsai, Yu-Chen

2018-03-01

Develop the patient-centred innovation questionnaire for hospital nurses and establish its validity and reliability. Patient-centred care has been adopted by health care managers in their efforts to improve health care quality. It is regarded as a core concept for developing innovation. A cross-sectional study was employed to collect data from hospital nurses in Taiwan. This study was divided into two stages: pilot study and main study. In the main study, 596 valid responses were collected. This study adopted reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and selected nurse innovation scale as a criterion to test criterion-related validity. Five-dimension patient-centred innovation questionnaire was proposed: access and practicability, co-ordination and communication, sharing power and responsibility, care continuity, family and person focus. Each dimension demonstrated a reliability of 0.89-0.98. All dimensions had acceptable convergent and discriminate validity. The patient-centred innovation questionnaire and nurse innovation scale exhibited a significantly positive correlation. Patient-centred innovation questionnaire not only had a good theoretical basis but also had sufficient reliability and construct validity, and criterion-related validity. Patient-centred innovation questionnaire could give a measure for evaluating the implementation of patient-centred care and could be used as a management tool during the process of nurse innovation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Decision Support Methods and Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Lawrence L.; Alexandrov, Natalia M.; Brown, Sherilyn A.; Cerro, Jeffrey A.; Gumbert, Clyde r.; Sorokach, Michael R.; Burg, Cecile M.

2006-01-01

This paper is one of a set of papers, developed simultaneously and presented within a single conference session, that are intended to highlight systems analysis and design capabilities within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC). This paper focuses on the specific capabilities of uncertainty/risk analysis, quantification, propagation, decomposition, and management, robust/reliability design methods, and extensions of these capabilities into decision analysis methods within SACD. These disciplines are discussed together herein under the name of Decision Support Methods and Tools. Several examples are discussed which highlight the application of these methods within current or recent aerospace research at the NASA LaRC. Where applicable, commercially available, or government developed software tools are also discussed

Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) Plus - A NASA productivity tool used to develop graphical user interfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szczur, Martha R.

1991-01-01

The Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) Plus, developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is an advanced portable user interface development environment which simplifies the process of creating and managing complex application graphical user interfaces (GUIs), supports prototyping, allows applications to be oported easily between different platforms, and encourages appropriate levels of user interface consistency between applications. This paper discusses the capabilities of the TAE Plus tool, and how it makes the job of designing and developing GUIs easier for the application developers. The paper also explains how tools like TAE Plus provide for reusability and ensure reliability of UI software components, as well as how they aid in the reduction of development and maintenance costs.

The Surgeons' Leadership Inventory (SLI): a taxonomy and rating system for surgeons' intraoperative leadership skills.

PubMed

Henrickson Parker, Sarah; Flin, Rhona; McKinley, Aileen; Yule, Steven

2013-06-01

Surgeons must demonstrate leadership to optimize performance and maximize patient safety in the operating room, but no behavior rating tool is available to measure leadership. Ten focus groups with members of the operating room team discussed surgeons' intraoperative leadership. Surgeons' leadership behaviors were extracted and used to finalize the Surgeons' Leadership Inventory (SLI), which was checked by surgeons (n = 6) for accuracy and face validity. The SLI was used to code video recordings (n = 5) of operations to test reliability. Eight elements of surgeons' leadership were included in the SLI: (1) maintaining standards, (2) managing resources, (3) making decisions, (4) directing, (5) training, (6) supporting others, (7) communicating, and (8) coping with pressure. Interrater reliability to code videos of surgeons' behaviors while operating using this tool was acceptable (κ = .70). The SLI is empirically grounded in focus group data and both the leadership and surgical literature. The interrater reliability of the system was acceptable. The inventory could be used for rating surgeons' leadership in the operating room for research or as a basis for postoperative feedback on performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Eto, Joseph H.; Parashar, Manu; Lewis, Nancy Jo

The Real Time System Operations (RTSO) 2006-2007 project focused on two parallel technical tasks: (1) Real-Time Applications of Phasors for Monitoring, Alarming and Control; and (2) Real-Time Voltage Security Assessment (RTVSA) Prototype Tool. The overall goal of the phasor applications project was to accelerate adoption and foster greater use of new, more accurate, time-synchronized phasor measurements by conducting research and prototyping applications on California ISO's phasor platform - Real-Time Dynamics Monitoring System (RTDMS) -- that provide previously unavailable information on the dynamic stability of the grid. Feasibility assessment studies were conducted on potential application of this technology for small-signal stabilitymore » monitoring, validating/improving existing stability nomograms, conducting frequency response analysis, and obtaining real-time sensitivity information on key metrics to assess grid stress. Based on study findings, prototype applications for real-time visualization and alarming, small-signal stability monitoring, measurement based sensitivity analysis and frequency response assessment were developed, factory- and field-tested at the California ISO and at BPA. The goal of the RTVSA project was to provide California ISO with a prototype voltage security assessment tool that runs in real time within California ISO?s new reliability and congestion management system. CERTS conducted a technical assessment of appropriate algorithms, developed a prototype incorporating state-of-art algorithms (such as the continuation power flow, direct method, boundary orbiting method, and hyperplanes) into a framework most suitable for an operations environment. Based on study findings, a functional specification was prepared, which the California ISO has since used to procure a production-quality tool that is now a part of a suite of advanced computational tools that is used by California ISO for reliability and congestion management.« less

Opportunities for strategic use of e-learning in scaling up disaster management capacity in Eastern Africa: a descriptive analysis.

PubMed

William, Mayega Roy; Elzie, D; Sebuwufu, D; Kiguli, J; Bazeyo, W

2013-06-01

The growing need for disaster management skills at all levels in Eastern Africa requires innovative approaches to training planners at all levels. While information technology tools provide a viable option, few studies have assessed the capacity for training institutions to use technology for cascading disaster management skills. The design was an explorative survey. A pre-training survey was conducted among 16 faculty members (9 academic staff and 7 information technology (IT) staff) from 7 schools of public health in Eastern Africa. Key informant interviews with 4 students and 4 staff members were conducted at the school of public health in Makerere. IT staff also conducted observations on trends of use of information technology infrastructure. Current levels of use of ICT among teaching and IT staff is variable. On-site use of the internet is high, but off-site access is low. Personal computers, e-mail, discussion forums and other web-based learning management platforms and open education resources (OERs) have been variably used by faculty and students to facilitate learning. On the other hand, videos, web-conferencing, social media, web-based document management tools, and mobile telephone applications were much less frequently used. A disaster management short course produced by the Health Emergencies Management Project (HEMP) has been adapted to a web-based open education resource and an interactive CD-ROM. Challenges included low levels of awareness and skills in technology options among students and faculty and access to reliable internet. Despite the existing challenges, technology tools are a viable platform for cascading disaster management skills in Eastern Africa.

Development of «Park-and-Ride» system as a tool for sustainable access control managing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danilina, Nina; Vlasov, Denis

2017-10-01

Large cities, whereby people use private transport, are facing the same challenges related to traffic congestion, reliability of public transportation and parking demand. Managing urban traffic and transport has become the most relevant police in transport planning. The article deals with the potential for further implementation in Russian Federation of «Park-and- Ride» recognized as an essential part of the overall transport and parking offer and successful planning tool to reducing congestion for any urban area around the world. The studies have been carried out in Moscow acknowledged as the city core of Moscow agglomeration — the largest and most populous in Russia. The research aims to support for the development of «Park-and-Ride» system applying the methodical approach adapted by the authors for the study to make it relevant for cities. A three-steps access control is offered to reduce private cars use in the city center. The results of the studies shows that such traffic management tool can help successfully in balancing the traffic demand and supply and, consequently, in resolving transport congestion and the number of coherent social, urban and economic challenges addressed to the sustainable development of urban areas.

Using Risk Assessment Methodologies to Meet Management Objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeMott, D. L.

2015-01-01

Current decision making involves numerous possible combinations of technology elements, safety and health issues, operational aspects and process considerations to satisfy program goals. Identifying potential risk considerations as part of the management decision making process provides additional tools to make more informed management decision. Adapting and using risk assessment methodologies can generate new perspectives on various risk and safety concerns that are not immediately apparent. Safety and operational risks can be identified and final decisions can balance these considerations with cost and schedule risks. Additional assessments can also show likelihood of event occurrence and event consequence to provide a more informed basis for decision making, as well as cost effective mitigation strategies. Methodologies available to perform Risk Assessments range from qualitative identification of risk potential, to detailed assessments where quantitative probabilities are calculated. Methodology used should be based on factors that include: 1) type of industry and industry standards, 2) tasks, tools, and environment 3) type and availability of data and 4) industry views and requirements regarding risk & reliability. Risk Assessments are a tool for decision makers to understand potential consequences and be in a position to reduce, mitigate or eliminate costly mistakes or catastrophic failures.

Assessment of time management attitudes among health managers.

PubMed

Sarp, Nilgun; Yarpuzlu, Aysegul Akbay; Mostame, Fariba

2005-01-01

These days, working people are finding it difficult to manage their time, get more done at work, and find some balance in their work and personal lives. Successful time management is often suggested to be a product of organizing skills, however, what works for one person may not work for others. Context current competence assessment formats for physicians, health professionals, and managers during their training years reliably test core knowledge and basic skills. However, they may underemphasize some important domains of professional medical practice. Thus, in addition to assessments of basic skills, new formats that assess clinical reasoning, expert judgment, management of ambiguity, professionalism, time management, learning strategies, and teamwork to promise a multidimensional assessment while maintaining adequate reliability and validity in classic health education and health care institutional settings are needed to be worked on. It should be kept in mind that institutional support, reflection, and mentoring must accompany the development of assessment programs. This study was designed to describe the main factors that consume time, effective hours of work, time management opportunities, and attitudes and behaviors of health professionals and managers on time management concept through assessment by the assessment tool Time Management Inquiry Form (TMIQ-F). The study was conducted at the State Hospital, Social Security Hospital, and University Hospital at Kirikkale, Turkey between October 1999 and January 2000, including 143 subjects defined as medical managers and medical specialists. According to the results, a manager should give priority to the concept of planning, which may be counted among the efficient time management techniques, and educate him/herself on time management.

Comparison of hospital databases on antibiotic consumption in France, for a single management tool.

PubMed

Henard, S; Boussat, S; Demoré, B; Clément, S; Lecompte, T; May, T; Rabaud, C

2014-07-01

The surveillance of antibiotic use in hospitals and of data on resistance is an essential measure for antibiotic stewardship. There are 3 national systems in France to collect data on antibiotic use: DREES, ICATB, and ATB RAISIN. We compared these databases and drafted recommendations for the creation of an optimized database of information on antibiotic use, available to all concerned personnel: healthcare authorities, healthcare facilities, and healthcare professionals. We processed and analyzed the 3 databases (2008 data), and surveyed users. The qualitative analysis demonstrated major discrepancies in terms of objectives, healthcare facilities, participation rate, units of consumption, conditions for collection, consolidation, and control of data, and delay before availability of results. The quantitative analysis revealed that the consumption data for a given healthcare facility differed from one database to another, challenging the reliability of data collection. We specified user expectations: to compare consumption and resistance data, to carry out benchmarking, to obtain data on the prescribing habits in healthcare units, or to help understand results. The study results demonstrated the need for a reliable, single, and automated tool to manage data on antibiotic consumption compared with resistance data on several levels (national, regional, healthcare facility, healthcare units), providing rapid local feedback and educational benchmarking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

CRAB3: Establishing a new generation of services for distributed analysis at CMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cinquilli, M.; Spiga, D.; Grandi, C.; Hernàndez, J. M.; Konstantinov, P.; Mascheroni, M.; Riahi, H.; Vaandering, E.

2012-12-01

In CMS Computing the highest priorities for analysis tools are the improvement of the end users’ ability to produce and publish reliable samples and analysis results as well as a transition to a sustainable development and operations model. To achieve these goals CMS decided to incorporate analysis processing into the same framework as data and simulation processing. This strategy foresees that all workload tools (TierO, Tier1, production, analysis) share a common core with long term maintainability as well as the standardization of the operator interfaces. The re-engineered analysis workload manager, called CRAB3, makes use of newer technologies, such as RESTFul based web services and NoSQL Databases, aiming to increase the scalability and reliability of the system. As opposed to CRAB2, in CRAB3 all work is centrally injected and managed in a global queue. A pool of agents, which can be geographically distributed, consumes work from the central services serving the user tasks. The new architecture of CRAB substantially changes the deployment model and operations activities. In this paper we present the implementation of CRAB3, emphasizing how the new architecture improves the workflow automation and simplifies maintainability. In particular, we will highlight the impact of the new design on daily operations.

Measurement of acute pain in infants: a review of behavioral and physiological variables.

PubMed

Hatfield, Linda A; Ely, Elizabeth A

2015-01-01

The use of non-validated pain measurement tools to assess infant pain represents a serious iatrogenic threat to the developing neonatal nervous system. One partial explanation for this practice may be the contradictory empirical data from studies that use newborn pain management tools constructed for infants of different developmental stages or exposed to different environmental stressors. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the evidence regarding the physiologic and behavioral variables that accurately assess and measure acute pain response in infants. A literature search was conducted using PUBMED and CINAHL and the search terms infant, neonate/neonatal, newborn, pain, assessment, and measurement to identify peer-reviewed studies that examined the validity and reliability of behavioral and physiological variables used for investigation of infant pain. Ten articles were identified for critical review. Strong evidence supports the use of the behavioral variables of facial expressions and body movements and the physiologic variables of heart rate and oxygen saturation to assess acute pain in infants. It is incumbent upon researchers and clinical nurses to ensure the validity, reliability, and feasibility of pain measures, so that the outcomes of their investigations and interventions will be developmentally appropriate and effective pain management therapies. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Palin Parent Rating Scales: Parents' Perspectives of Childhood Stuttering and Its Impact.

PubMed

Millard, Sharon K; Davis, Stephen

2016-10-01

The goal of this study is to explore the psychometric properties of the Parent Rating Scales-V1 (S. K. Millard, S. Edwards, & F. M. Cook, 2009), an assessment tool for parents of children who stutter, and to refine the measure accordingly. We included 259 scales completed prior to therapy. An exploratory factor analysis determined the test constructs and identified the items that had greatest loadings on those factors. Items that did not load on the factors were removed, and normative scores calculated. The resulting 19-item questionnaire measures three factors: (a) the impact of stuttering on the child; (b) the severity of stuttering and its impact on the parents; and (c) the parents' knowledge about stuttering and confidence in managing it. Reliability was demonstrated, norms established, and an automated online version constructed. The Palin Parent Rating Scale is a valid and reliable tool, providing a method of exploring parents' perceptions of stuttering, the impact it has on the child and themselves, and the parents' knowledge of and confidence in managing the stuttering. This is an important addition to the existing range of assessments that may be used to evaluate stuttering in children up to age 14;6 (years;months) and allows the wider targets of parent-led therapy programs to be evaluated.

Development of a Peer Teaching-Assessment Program and a Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool

PubMed Central

Trujillo, Jennifer M.; Barr, Judith; Gonyeau, Michael; Van Amburgh, Jenny A.; Matthews, S. James; Qualters, Donna

2008-01-01

Objectives To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool. Methods A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Results ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool. Conclusion Our peer assessment program for large classroom teaching, which includes a valid and reliable evaluation tool, is comprehensive, feasible, and can be adopted by other schools of pharmacy. PMID:19325963

Allied health clinicians using translational research in action to develop a reliable stroke audit tool.

PubMed

Abery, Philip; Kuys, Suzanne; Lynch, Mary; Low Choy, Nancy

2018-05-23

To design and establish reliability of a local stroke audit tool by engaging allied health clinicians within a privately funded hospital. Design: Two-stage study involving a modified Delphi process to inform stroke audit tool development and inter-tester reliability. Allied health clinicians. A modified Delphi process to select stroke guideline recommendations for inclusion in the audit tool. Reliability study: 1 allied health representative from each discipline audited 10 clinical records with sequential admissions to acute and rehabilitation services. Recommendations were admitted to the audit tool when 70% agreement was reached, with 50% set as the reserve agreement. Inter-tester reliability was determined using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) across 10 clinical records. Twenty-two participants (92% female, 50% physiotherapists, 17% occupational therapists) completed the modified Delphi process. Across 6 voting rounds, 8 recommendations reached 70% agreement and 2 reached 50% agreement. Two recommendations (nutrition/hydration; goal setting) were added to ensure representation for all disciplines. Substantial consistency across raters was established for the audit tool applied in acute stroke (ICC .71; range .48 to .90) and rehabilitation (ICC.78; range .60 to .93) services. Allied health clinicians within a privately funded hospital generally agreed in an audit process to develop a reliable stroke audit tool. Allied health clinicians agreed on stroke guideline recommendations to inform a stroke audit tool. The stroke audit tool demonstrated substantial consistency supporting future use for service development. This process, which engages local clinicians, could be adopted by other facilities to design reliable audit tools to identify local service gaps to inform changes to clinical practice. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ICT and mobile health to improve clinical process delivery. a research project for therapy management process innovation.

PubMed

Locatelli, Paolo; Montefusco, Vittorio; Sini, Elena; Restifo, Nicola; Facchini, Roberta; Torresani, Michele

2013-01-01

The volume and the complexity of clinical and administrative information make Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) essential for running and innovating healthcare. This paper tells about a project aimed to design, develop and implement a set of organizational models, acknowledged procedures and ICT tools (Mobile & Wireless solutions and Automatic Identification and Data Capture technologies) to improve actual support, safety, reliability and traceability of a specific therapy management (stem cells). The value of the project is to design a solution based on mobile and identification technology in tight collaboration with physicians and actors involved in the process to ensure usability and effectivenes in process management.

Visualizing variations in organizational safety culture across an inter-hospital multifaceted workforce.

PubMed

Kobuse, Hiroe; Morishima, Toshitaka; Tanaka, Masayuki; Murakami, Genki; Hirose, Masahiro; Imanaka, Yuichi

2014-06-01

To develop a reliable and valid questionnaire that can distinguish features of organizational culture for patient safety across subgroups such as hospitals, professions, management/non-management positions and units/wards. We developed a Hospital Organizational Culture Questionnaire based on a conceptual framework incorporating items from a review of existing literature. The questionnaire was administered to hospital staff including doctors, nurses, allied health personnel, and administrative staff at six public hospitals in Japan. Reliability and validity were assessed through exploratory factor analysis, multitrait scaling analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and multiple regression analysis using staff-perceived achievement of safety as the response variable. Discriminative power across subgroups was assessed with radar chart profiling. Of the 3304 hospital staff surveyed, 2924 (88.5%) responded. After exploratory factor analysis and multitrait analysis, the finalized questionnaire was composed of 24 items in the following eight dimensions: improvement orientation, passion for mission, professional growth, resource allocation prioritization, inter-sectional collaboration, responsibility and authority, teamwork, and information sharing. Construct validity and internal consistency of dimensions were confirmed with multitrait analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficients, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that improvement orientation, passion for mission, resource allocation prioritization and information sharing were significantly associated with higher achievement in safety practices. Our questionnaire tool was able to distinguish features of safety culture among different subgroups. Our questionnaire demonstrated excellent validity and reliability, and revealed distinct cultural patterns among different subgroups. Quantitative assessment of organizational safety culture with this tool may further the understanding of associated characteristics of each subgroup and provide insight into organizational readiness for patient safety improvement. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Between-User Reliability of Tier 1 Exposure Assessment Tools Used Under REACH.

PubMed

Lamb, Judith; Galea, Karen S; Miller, Brian G; Hesse, Susanne; Van Tongeren, Martie

2017-10-01

When applying simple screening (Tier 1) tools to estimate exposure to chemicals in a given exposure situation under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals Regulation 2006 (REACH), users must select from several possible input parameters. Previous studies have suggested that results from exposure assessments using expert judgement and from the use of modelling tools can vary considerably between assessors. This study aimed to investigate the between-user reliability of Tier 1 tools. A remote-completion exercise and in person workshop were used to identify and evaluate tool parameters and factors such as user demographics that may be potentially associated with between-user variability. Participants (N = 146) generated dermal and inhalation exposure estimates (N = 4066) from specified workplace descriptions ('exposure situations') and Tier 1 tool combinations (N = 20). Interactions between users, tools, and situations were investigated and described. Systematic variation associated with individual users was minor compared with random between-user variation. Although variation was observed between choices made for the majority of input parameters, differing choices of Process Category ('PROC') code/activity descriptor and dustiness level impacted most on the resultant exposure estimates. Exposure estimates ranging over several orders of magnitude were generated for the same exposure situation by different tool users. Such unpredictable between-user variation will reduce consistency within REACH processes and could result in under-estimation or overestimation of exposure, risking worker ill-health or the implementation of unnecessary risk controls, respectively. Implementation of additional support and quality control systems for all tool users is needed to reduce between-assessor variation and so ensure both the protection of worker health and avoidance of unnecessary business risk management expenditure. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

The inter and intra rater reliability of the Netball Movement Screening Tool.

PubMed

Reid, Duncan A; Vanweerd, Rebecca J; Larmer, Peter J; Kingstone, Rachel

2015-05-01

To establish the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Netball Movement Screening Tool, for screening adolescent female netball players. Inter- and intra-rater reliability study. Forty secondary school netball players were recruited to take part in the study. Twenty subjects were screened simultaneously and independently by two raters to ascertain inter-rater agreement. Twenty subjects were scored by rater one on two occasions, separated by a week, to ascertain intra-rater agreement. Inter and intra-rater agreement was assessed utilising the two-way mixed inter class correlation coefficient and weighted kappa statistics. No significant demographic differences were found between the inter and intra-rater groups of subjects. Inter class correlation coefficients' demonstrated excellent inter-rater (two-way mixed inter class correlation coefficients 0.84, standard error of measurement 0.25) and intra-rater (two-way mixed inter class correlation coefficients 0.96, standard error of measurement 0.13) reliability for the overall Netball Movement Screening Tool score and substantial-excellent (two-way mixed inter class correlation coefficients 1.0-0.65) inter-rater and substantial-excellent intra-rater (two-way mixed inter class correlation coefficients 0.96-0.79) reliability for the component scores of the Netball Movement Screening Tool. Kappa statistic showed substantial to poor inter-rater (k=0.75-0.32) and intra-rater (k=0.77-0.27) agreement for individual tests of the NMST. The Netball Movement Screening Tool may be a reliable screening tool for adolescent netball players; however the individual test scores have low reliability. The screening tool can be administered reliably by raters with similar levels of training in the tool but variable clinical experience. On-going research needs to be undertaken to ascertain whether the Netball Movement Screening Tool is a valid tool in ascertaining increased injury risk for netball players. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turkish adaptation and psychometric characteristics of the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale.

PubMed

Basaran Acil, Seher; Dinç, Leyla

2018-04-14

To adapt the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale (NAAS) into Turkish the Nursing Authority and Autonomy Scale (NAAS) to Turkish and assess its psychometric properties for Turkish nurses and nurse managers. The NAAS is a tool that specifically measures nursing authority and autonomy from the perspectives of nurses and nurse managers. The study sample consisted of 160 nurse managers and 266 staff nurses. Content validity was assessed using expert approval. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α, and the test-retest reliability was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. The model achieved a good fit. The internal reliability of the NAAS' authority and autonomy in nursing practice and importance of nursing practice subscales were .84. The Cronbach's α of the instrument was .88. The test-retest scores within an interval of 3 weeks were statistically not significant. The Turkish version of the NAAS has good psychometric properties and this scale can be employed to measure nurses' authority and autonomy. Nurse managers and educators should use an appropriate scale such as NAAS in order to assess nurses' clinical authority and autonomy to improve patient outcomes and develop nurses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Testing the reliability of the Fall Risk Screening Tool in an elderly ambulatory population.

PubMed

Fielding, Susan J; McKay, Michael; Hyrkas, Kristiina

2013-11-01

To identify and test the reliability of a fall risk screening tool in an ambulatory outpatient clinic. The Fall Risk Screening Tool (Albert Lea Medical Center, MN, USA) was scripted for an interview format. Two interviewers separately screened a convenience sample of 111 patients (age ≥ 65 years) in an ambulatory outpatient clinic in a northeastern US city. The interviewers' scoring of fall risk categories was similar. There was good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.834-0.889) and inter-rater reliability [intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) = 0.824-0.881] for total, Risk Factor and Client's Health Status subscales. The Physical Environment scores indicated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.742) and adequate reliability (ICC = 0.688). Two Physical Environment items (furniture and medical equipment condition) had low reliabilities [Kappa (K) = 0.323, P = 0.08; K = -0.078, P = 0.648), respectively. The scripted Fall Risk Screening Tool demonstrated good reliability in this sample. Rewording two Physical Environment items will be considered. A reliable instrument such as the scripted Fall Risk Screening Tool provides a standardised assessment for identifying high fall risk patients. This tool is especially useful because it assesses personal, behavioural and environmental factors specific to community-dwelling patients; the interview format also facilitates patient-provider interaction. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating the reliability of an injury prevention screening tool: Test-retest study.

PubMed

Gittelman, Michael A; Kincaid, Madeline; Denny, Sarah; Wervey Arnold, Melissa; FitzGerald, Michael; Carle, Adam C; Mara, Constance A

2016-10-01

A standardized injury prevention (IP) screening tool can identify family risks and allow pediatricians to address behaviors. To assess behavior changes on later screens, the tool must be reliable for an individual and ideally between household members. Little research has examined the reliability of safety screening tool questions. This study utilized test-retest reliability of parent responses on an existing IP questionnaire and also compared responses between household parents. Investigators recruited parents of children 0 to 1 year of age during admission to a tertiary care children's hospital. When both parents were present, one was chosen as the "primary" respondent. Primary respondents completed the 30-question IP screening tool after consent, and they were re-screened approximately 4 hours later to test individual reliability. The "second" parent, when present, only completed the tool once. All participants received a 10-dollar gift card. Cohen's Kappa was used to estimate test-retest reliability and inter-rater agreement. Standard test-retest criteria consider Kappa values: 0.0 to 0.40 poor to fair, 0.41 to 0.60 moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 substantial, and 0.81 to 1.00 as almost perfect reliability. One hundred five families participated, with five lost to follow-up. Thirty-two (30.5%) parent dyads completed the tool. Primary respondents were generally mothers (88%) and Caucasian (72%). Test-retest of the primary respondents showed their responses to be almost perfect; average 0.82 (SD = 0.13, range 0.49-1.00). Seventeen questions had almost perfect test-retest reliability and 11 had substantial reliability. However, inter-rater agreement between household members for 12 objective questions showed little agreement between responses; inter-rater agreement averaged 0.35 (SD = 0.34, range -0.19-1.00). One question had almost perfect inter-rater agreement and two had substantial inter-rater agreement. The IP screening tool used by a single individual had excellent test-retest reliability for nearly all questions. However, when a reporter changes from pre- to postintervention, differences may reflect poor reliability or different subjective experiences rather than true change.

A Model of Risk Analysis in Analytical Methodology for Biopharmaceutical Quality Control.

PubMed

Andrade, Cleyton Lage; Herrera, Miguel Angel De La O; Lemes, Elezer Monte Blanco

2018-01-01

One key quality control parameter for biopharmaceutical products is the analysis of residual cellular DNA. To determine small amounts of DNA (around 100 pg) that may be in a biologically derived drug substance, an analytical method should be sensitive, robust, reliable, and accurate. In principle, three techniques have the ability to measure residual cellular DNA: radioactive dot-blot, a type of hybridization; threshold analysis; and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quality risk management is a systematic process for evaluating, controlling, and reporting of risks that may affects method capabilities and supports a scientific and practical approach to decision making. This paper evaluates, by quality risk management, an alternative approach to assessing the performance risks associated with quality control methods used with biopharmaceuticals, using the tool hazard analysis and critical control points. This tool provides the possibility to find the steps in an analytical procedure with higher impact on method performance. By applying these principles to DNA analysis methods, we conclude that the radioactive dot-blot assay has the largest number of critical control points, followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and threshold analysis. From the analysis of hazards (i.e., points of method failure) and the associated method procedure critical control points, we conclude that the analytical methodology with the lowest risk for performance failure for residual cellular DNA testing is quantitative polymerase chain reaction. LAY ABSTRACT: In order to mitigate the risk of adverse events by residual cellular DNA that is not completely cleared from downstream production processes, regulatory agencies have required the industry to guarantee a very low level of DNA in biologically derived pharmaceutical products. The technique historically used was radioactive blot hybridization. However, the technique is a challenging method to implement in a quality control laboratory: It is laborious, time consuming, semi-quantitative, and requires a radioisotope. Along with dot-blot hybridization, two alternatives techniques were evaluated: threshold analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quality risk management tools were applied to compare the techniques, taking into account the uncertainties, the possibility of circumstances or future events, and their effects upon method performance. By illustrating the application of these tools with DNA methods, we provide an example of how they can be used to support a scientific and practical approach to decision making and can assess and manage method performance risk using such tools. This paper discusses, considering the principles of quality risk management, an additional approach to the development and selection of analytical quality control methods using the risk analysis tool hazard analysis and critical control points. This tool provides the possibility to find the method procedural steps with higher impact on method reliability (called critical control points). Our model concluded that the radioactive dot-blot assay has the larger number of critical control points, followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and threshold analysis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction is shown to be the better alternative analytical methodology in residual cellular DNA analysis. © PDA, Inc. 2018.

Validity and reliability of Arabic version of the ID Pain screening questionnaire in the assessment of neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Abu-Shaheen, Amani; Yousef, Shehu; Riaz, Muhammad; Nofal, Abdullah; Khan, Sarfaraz; Heena, Humariya

2018-01-01

Diagnosis of neuropathic pain (NP) can be challenging. The ID Pain (ID-P) questionnaire, a screening tool for NP, has been used widely both in the original version and translated forms. The aim of this study was to develop an Arabic version of ID-P and assess its validity and reliability in detecting neuropathic pain. The original ID-P was translated in Arabic language and administered to the study population. Reliability of the Arabic version was evaluated by percentage observed agreement, and Cohen's kappa; and validity by sensitivity, specificity, correctly classified, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Physician diagnosis was considered as the gold standard for comparing the diagnostic accuracy. The study included 375 adult patients (153 [40.8%] with NP; 222 [59.2%] with nociceptive pain). Overall observed percentage agreement and Cohen's kappa were >90% and >0.80, respectively. Median (range) score of ID-P scale was 3 (2-4) and 1 (0-2) in the NP group and NocP group, respectively (p<0.001). Area under the ROC curve was 0.808 (95% CI, 0.764-0.851). For the cut-off value of ≥2, sensitivity was 84.3%, specificity was 66.7%, and correct classification was 73.9%. Thus, the Arabic version of ID-P showed moderate reliability and validity as a pain assessment tool. This article presents the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of ID Pain questionnaire. This Arabic version may serve as a simple yet important screening tool, and help in appropriate management of neuropathic pain, specifically in primary care centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Developing the Coach Analysis and Intervention System (CAIS): establishing validity and reliability of a computerised systematic observation instrument.

PubMed

Cushion, Christopher; Harvey, Stephen; Muir, Bob; Nelson, Lee

2012-01-01

We outline the evolution of a computerised systematic observation tool and describe the process for establishing the validity and reliability of this new instrument. The Coach Analysis and Interventions System (CAIS) has 23 primary behaviours related to physical behaviour, feedback/reinforcement, instruction, verbal/non-verbal, questioning and management. The instrument also analyses secondary coach behaviour related to performance states, recipient, timing, content and questioning/silence. The CAIS is a multi-dimensional and multi-level mechanism able to provide detailed and contextualised data about specific coaching behaviours occurring in complex and nuanced coaching interventions and environments that can be applied to both practice sessions and competition.

Measuring the suffering of end-stage dementia: reliability and validity of the Mini-Suffering State Examination.

PubMed

Aminoff, Bechor Z; Purits, Elena; Noy, Shlomo; Adunsky, Abraham

2004-01-01

Assessment of suffering is extremely important in dying end-stage dementia patients (ESDP). We have developed and examined the reliability and validity of the Mini-Suffering State Examination (MSSE), in 103 consecutive bedridden ESDP. Main outcome measures included inter-observer reliability and concurrent validity. Reliability of the MSSE questionnaire was satisfactory, with Cronbach alpha values of 0.735 and 0.718 for the two physicians (Ph-1, Ph-2), respectively. The kappa agreement coefficient was 0.791. There was a high agreement for seven items (kappa 0.882-0.972) and a substantial agreement for the other three items (kappa 0.621-0.682) of the MSSE. MSSE was validated versus the comfort assessment in dying with dementia (CAD-EOLD) scale and resulted in a significant Pearson correlation (r=-0.796, P<0.001). We conclude that the MSSE scale is a reliable and valid clinical tool, recommended for evaluating the severity of the patient's condition and the level of suffering of ESDP. Use of MSSE may improve medical management and facilitate communication between patients and caregivers.

Lessons learned in deploying software estimation technology and tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panlilio-Yap, Nikki; Ho, Danny

1994-01-01

Developing a software product involves estimating various project parameters. This is typically done in the planning stages of the project when there is much uncertainty and very little information. Coming up with accurate estimates of effort, cost, schedule, and reliability is a critical problem faced by all software project managers. The use of estimation models and commercially available tools in conjunction with the best bottom-up estimates of software-development experts enhances the ability of a product development group to derive reasonable estimates of important project parameters. This paper describes the experience of the IBM Software Solutions (SWS) Toronto Laboratory in selecting software estimation models and tools and deploying their use to the laboratory's product development groups. It introduces the SLIM and COSTAR products, the software estimation tools selected for deployment to the product areas, and discusses the rationale for their selection. The paper also describes the mechanisms used for technology injection and tool deployment, and concludes with a discussion of important lessons learned in the technology and tool insertion process.

HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 1: HARP introduction and user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bavuso, Salvatore J.; Rothmann, Elizabeth; Dugan, Joanne Bechta; Trivedi, Kishor S.; Mittal, Nitin; Boyd, Mark A.; Geist, Robert M.; Smotherman, Mark D.

1994-01-01

The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. HiRel consists of interactive graphical input/output programs and four reliability/availability modeling engines that provide analytical and simulative solutions to a wide host of reliable fault-tolerant system architectures and is also applicable to electronic systems in general. The tool system was designed to be compatible with most computing platforms and operating systems, and some programs have been beta tested, within the aerospace community for over 8 years. Volume 1 provides an introduction to the HARP program. Comprehensive information on HARP mathematical models can be found in the references.

The Outdoor MEDIA DOT: The development and inter-rater reliability of a tool designed to measure food and beverage outlets and outdoor advertising.

PubMed

Poulos, Natalie S; Pasch, Keryn E

2015-07-01

Few studies of the food environment have collected primary data, and even fewer have reported reliability of the tool used. This study focused on the development of an innovative electronic data collection tool used to document outdoor food and beverage (FB) advertising and establishments near 43 middle and high schools in the Outdoor MEDIA Study. Tool development used GIS based mapping, an electronic data collection form on handheld devices, and an easily adaptable interface to efficiently collect primary data within the food environment. For the reliability study, two teams of data collectors documented all FB advertising and establishments within one half-mile of six middle schools. Inter-rater reliability was calculated overall and by advertisement or establishment category using percent agreement. A total of 824 advertisements (n=233), establishment advertisements (n=499), and establishments (n=92) were documented (range=8-229 per school). Overall inter-rater reliability of the developed tool ranged from 69-89% for advertisements and establishments. Results suggest that the developed tool is highly reliable and effective for documenting the outdoor FB environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Outdoor MEDIA DOT: The Development and Inter-Rater Reliability of a Tool Designed to Measure Food and Beverage Outlets and Outdoor Advertising

PubMed Central

Poulos, Natalie S.; Pasch, Keryn E.

2015-01-01

Few studies of the food environment have collected primary data, and even fewer have reported reliability of the tool used. This study focused on the development of an innovative electronic data collection tool used to document outdoor food and beverage (FB) advertising and establishments near 43 middle and high schools in the Outdoor MEDIA Study. Tool development used GIS based mapping, an electronic data collection form on handheld devices, and an easily adaptable interface to efficiently collect primary data within the food environment. For the reliability study, two teams of data collectors documented all FB advertising and establishments within one half-mile of six middle schools. Inter-rater reliability was calculated overall and by advertisement or establishment category using percent agreement. A total of 824 advertisements (n=233), establishment advertisements (n=499), and establishments (n=92) were documented (range=8–229 per school). Overall inter-rater reliability of the developed tool ranged from 69–89% for advertisements and establishments. Results suggest that the developed tool is highly reliable and effective for documenting the outdoor FB environment. PMID:26022774

Pain assessment for people with dementia: a systematic review of systematic reviews of pain assessment tools.

PubMed

Lichtner, Valentina; Dowding, Dawn; Esterhuizen, Philip; Closs, S José; Long, Andrew F; Corbett, Anne; Briggs, Michelle

2014-12-17

There is evidence of under-detection and poor management of pain in patients with dementia, in both long-term and acute care. Accurate assessment of pain in people with dementia is challenging and pain assessment tools have received considerable attention over the years, with an increasing number of tools made available. Systematic reviews on the evidence of their validity and utility mostly compare different sets of tools. This review of systematic reviews analyses and summarises evidence concerning the psychometric properties and clinical utility of pain assessment tools in adults with dementia or cognitive impairment. We searched for systematic reviews of pain assessment tools providing evidence of reliability, validity and clinical utility. Two reviewers independently assessed each review and extracted data from them, with a third reviewer mediating when consensus was not reached. Analysis of the data was carried out collaboratively. The reviews were synthesised using a narrative synthesis approach. We retrieved 441 potentially eligible reviews, 23 met the criteria for inclusion and 8 provided data for extraction. Each review evaluated between 8 and 13 tools, in aggregate providing evidence on a total of 28 tools. The quality of the reviews varied and the reporting often lacked sufficient methodological detail for quality assessment. The 28 tools appear to have been studied in a variety of settings and with varied types of patients. The reviews identified several methodological limitations across the original studies. The lack of a 'gold standard' significantly hinders the evaluation of tools' validity. Most importantly, the samples were small providing limited evidence for use of any of the tools across settings or populations. There are a considerable number of pain assessment tools available for use with the elderly cognitive impaired population. However there is limited evidence about their reliability, validity and clinical utility. On the basis of this review no one tool can be recommended given the existing evidence.

Value of Adaptive Drought Forecasting and Management for the ACF River Basin in the Southeast U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgakakos, A. P.; Kistenmacher, M.

2016-12-01

In recent times, severe droughts in the southeast U.S. occur every 6 to 10 years and last for up to 4 years. During such drought episodes, the ACF River Basin supplies decline by up to 50 % of their normal levels, and water stresses increase rather markedly, exacerbating stakeholder anxiety and conflicts. As part of the ACF Stakeholder planning process, GWRI has developed new tools and carried out comprehensive assessments to provide quantitative answers to several important questions related to drought prediction and management: (i) Can dry and wet climatic periods be reliably anticipated with sufficiently long lead times? What drought indices can support reliable, skillful, and long-lead forecasts? (ii) What management objectives can seasonal climate forecasts benefit? How should benefits/impacts be shared? (iii) What operational adjustments are likely to mitigate stakeholder impacts or increase benefits consistent with stakeholder expectations? Regarding drought prediction, a large number of indices were defined and tested at different basin locations and lag times. These included local/cumulative unimpaired flows (UIFs) at 10 river nodes; Mean Areal Precipitation (MAP); Standard Precipitation Index (SPI); Palmer Drought Severity Index; Palmer Modified Drought Index; Palmer Z-Index; Palmer Hydrologic Drought Severity Index; and Soil Moisture—GWRI watershed model. Our findings show that all ACF sub-basins exhibit good forecast skill throughout the year and with sufficient lead time. Index variables with high explanatory value include: previous UIFs, soil moisture states (generated by the GWRI watershed model), and PDSI. Regarding drought management, assessments with coupled forecast-management schemes demonstrate that the use of adaptive forecast-management procedures improves reservoir operations and meets basin demands more reliably. Such improvements can support better management of lake levels, higher environmental and navigation flows, higher dependable power generation hours, and better management of consumptive uses without adverse impacts on other stakeholder interests. However, realizing these improvements requires (1) usage of adaptive reservoir management procedures (incorporating forecasts), and (2) stakeholder agreement on equitable benefit sharing.

Meeting the challenge of assessing clinical competence of occupational therapists within a program management environment.

PubMed

Salvatori, Penny; Simonavicius, Nijole; Moore, Joan; Rimmer, Georgina; Patterson, Michele

2008-02-01

Program management models have raised concerns among occupational therapists about professional standards related to clinical competence, performance review procedures, and quality improvement initiatives. This paper describes how a chart-stimulated recall (CSR) peer-review process and interview tool was revised, implemented, and evaluated as a pilot project to assess the clinical competence of occupational therapy staff at a large urban health centre in southern Ontario. Fourteen pairs (n=28) of occupational therapists representing various practice areas participated in this project. Half served as peer assessors and half as interviewees. Peer assessors conducted an independent chart review followed by a one-hour personal interview with a peer partner to discuss clinical management issues related to the client cases. Each interviewer rated his or her partner's clinical competence in eight areas of performance using a 7-point Likert scale. Results indicated that the CSR tool could discriminate among occupational therapists in terms of overall levels of clinical competence and also identify specific areas of concern that could be targeted for professional development. Feedback from participants was positive. The CSR tool was found to be useful for assessing clinical competence of occupational therapists in this large health centre as a quality improvement initiative within that discipline group. Further research is needed to establish the reliability and validity of the CSR tool.

Thermal Management and Packaging Reliability (Text Version) |

Science.gov Websites

Transportation Research | NREL Thermal Management and Packaging Reliability (Text Version ) Thermal Management and Packaging Reliability (Text Version) Learn how NREL's thermal management and ;Boosting Thermal Management & Reliability of Vehicle Power Electronics." Better power electronics

What Lies Beneath? An Evaluation of Rapid Assessment Tools for Management of Hull Fouling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke Murray, Cathryn; Therriault, Thomas W.; Pakhomov, Evgeny

2013-08-01

Despite an increased understanding of marine invasions, non-indigenous species (NIS) continue to be redistributed at both global and regional scales. Since prevention is an important element of NIS programs, monitoring vectors responsible for NIS introductions and spread, such as hull fouling, has become a priority and methods should be selected carefully to balance accuracy, time, and cost. Two common fouling assessment tools for the marine recreational boating vector were evaluated for accuracy using a traditional underwater SCUBA survey in coastal British Columbia: a dockside level of fouling assessment and a behavioral questionnaire model. Results showed that although rapid, dockside assessments did not provide an accurate assessment of fouling present below the surface, at least not in this region. In contrast, a questionnaire-based model using four easily obtained variables (boat type, age of antifouling paint, storage type, and occurrence of long distance trips) reliably identified boats carrying macrofouling species, a proxy for risk of NIS transport. Once validated, this fouling model tool could be applied in border inspection or quarantine situations where decisions must be made quickly. Further development and refinement of rapid assessment tools would improve our ability to prevent new introductions and manage spread of existing invasive species.

What lies beneath? An evaluation of rapid assessment tools for management of hull fouling.

PubMed

Clarke Murray, Cathryn; Therriault, Thomas W; Pakhomov, Evgeny

2013-08-01

Despite an increased understanding of marine invasions, non-indigenous species (NIS) continue to be redistributed at both global and regional scales. Since prevention is an important element of NIS programs, monitoring vectors responsible for NIS introductions and spread, such as hull fouling, has become a priority and methods should be selected carefully to balance accuracy, time, and cost. Two common fouling assessment tools for the marine recreational boating vector were evaluated for accuracy using a traditional underwater SCUBA survey in coastal British Columbia: a dockside level of fouling assessment and a behavioral questionnaire model. Results showed that although rapid, dockside assessments did not provide an accurate assessment of fouling present below the surface, at least not in this region. In contrast, a questionnaire-based model using four easily obtained variables (boat type, age of antifouling paint, storage type, and occurrence of long distance trips) reliably identified boats carrying macrofouling species, a proxy for risk of NIS transport. Once validated, this fouling model tool could be applied in border inspection or quarantine situations where decisions must be made quickly. Further development and refinement of rapid assessment tools would improve our ability to prevent new introductions and manage spread of existing invasive species.

Optical Method For Monitoring Tool Control For Green Burnishing With Using Of Algorithms With Adaptive Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukyanov, A. A.; Grigoriev, S. N.; Bobrovskij, I. N.; Melnikov, P. A.; Bobrovskij, N. M.

2017-05-01

With regard to the complexity of the new technology and increase its reliability requirements laboriousness of control operations in industrial quality control systems increases significantly. The importance of quality management control due to the fact that its promotes the correct use of production conditions, the relevant requirements are required. Digital image processing allows to reach a new technological level of production (new technological way). The most complicated automated interpretation of information is the basis for decision-making in the management of production processes. In the case of surface analysis of tools used for processing with the using of metalworking fluids (MWF) it is more complicated. The authors suggest new algorithm for optical inspection of the wear of the cylinder tool for burnishing, which used in surface plastic deformation without using of MWF. The main advantage of proposed algorithm is the possibility of automatic recognition of images of burnisher tool with the subsequent allocation of its boundaries, finding a working surface and automatically allocating the defects and wear area. Software that implements the algorithm was developed by the authors in Matlab programming environment, but can be implemented using other programming languages.

Systems Engineering and Integration (SE and I)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chevers, ED; Haley, Sam

1990-01-01

The issue of technology advancement and future space transportation vehicles is addressed. The challenge is to develop systems which can be evolved and improved in small incremental steps where each increment reduces present cost, improves, reliability, or does neither but sets the stage for a second incremental upgrade that does. Future requirements are interface standards for commercial off the shelf products to aid in the development of integrated facilities; enhanced automated code generation system slightly coupled to specification and design documentation; modeling tools that support data flow analysis; and shared project data bases consisting of technical characteristics cast information, measurement parameters, and reusable software programs. Topics addressed include: advanced avionics development strategy; risk analysis and management; tool quality management; low cost avionics; cost estimation and benefits; computer aided software engineering; computer systems and software safety; system testability; and advanced avionics laboratories - and rapid prototyping. This presentation is represented by viewgraphs only.

[Compatibility of different quality control systems].

PubMed

Invernizzi, Enrico

2002-01-01

Management of the good laboratory practice (GLP) quality system presupposes its linking to a basic recognized and approved quality system, from which it can draw on management procedures common to all quality systems, such as the ISO 9000 set of norms. A quality system organized in this way can also be integrated with other dedicated quality systems, or parts of them, to obtain principles or management procedures for specific topics. The aim of this organization is to set up a reliable, recognized quality system compatible with the principles of GLP and other quality management systems, which provides users with a simplified set of easily accessible management tools and answers. The organization of this quality system is set out in the quality assurance programme, which is actually the document in which the test facility incorporates the GLP principles into its own quality organization.

Integrated topology for an aircraft electric power distribution system using MATLAB and ILP optimization technique and its implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madhikar, Pratik Ravindra

The most important and crucial design feature while designing an Aircraft Electric Power Distribution System (EPDS) is reliability. In EPDS, the distribution of power is from top level generators to bottom level loads through various sensors, actuators and rectifiers with the help of AC & DC buses and control switches. As the demands of the consumer is never ending and the safety is utmost important, there is an increase in loads and as a result increase in power management. Therefore, the design of an EPDS should be optimized to have maximum efficiency. This thesis discusses an integrated tool that is based on a Need Based Design method and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to achieve the optimum design of an EPDS to provide maximum reliability in terms of continuous connectivity, power management and minimum cost. If an EPDS is formulated as an optimization problem then it can be solved with the help of connectivity, cost and power constraints by using a linear solver to get the desired output of maximum reliability at minimum cost. Furthermore, the thesis also discusses the viability and implementation of the resulted topology on typical large aircraft specifications.

Self-Management Plan, Perceived Quality of Life and Medical Resource Utilization of Asthmatic Children.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-05-07

quality of life , however, has not been addressed. This descriptive, correlational study compared the perceived quality of life and number of...not adhere to a plan. Quality of life was measured using the Childhood Asthma Questionnaire, a valid and reliable quality of life measurement tool for...children of different ages. There were no significant differences between the Adherence and Non-adherence groups relative to quality of life

Applicability of SREM to the Verification of Management Information System Software Requirements. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-30

However, SREM was not designed to harmonize these kinds of problems. Rather, it is a tool to investigate the logic of the processing specified in the... design . Supoorting programs were also conducted to perform basic research into such areas as software reliability, static and dynamic validation techniques...development. 0 Maintain requirements development independent of the target machine and the eventual software design . 0. Allow for easy response to

Seismology software: state of the practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, W. Spencer; Zeng, Zheng; Carette, Jacques

2018-05-01

We analyzed the state of practice for software development in the seismology domain by comparing 30 software packages on four aspects: product, implementation, design, and process. We found room for improvement in most seismology software packages. The principal areas of concern include a lack of adequate requirements and design specification documents, a lack of test data to assess reliability, a lack of examples to get new users started, and a lack of technological tools to assist with managing the development process. To assist going forward, we provide recommendations for a document-driven development process that includes a problem statement, development plan, requirement specification, verification and validation (V&V) plan, design specification, code, V&V report, and a user manual. We also provide advice on tool use, including issue tracking, version control, code documentation, and testing tools.

Seismology software: state of the practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, W. Spencer; Zeng, Zheng; Carette, Jacques

2018-02-01

We analyzed the state of practice for software development in the seismology domain by comparing 30 software packages on four aspects: product, implementation, design, and process. We found room for improvement in most seismology software packages. The principal areas of concern include a lack of adequate requirements and design specification documents, a lack of test data to assess reliability, a lack of examples to get new users started, and a lack of technological tools to assist with managing the development process. To assist going forward, we provide recommendations for a document-driven development process that includes a problem statement, development plan, requirement specification, verification and validation (V&V) plan, design specification, code, V&V report, and a user manual. We also provide advice on tool use, including issue tracking, version control, code documentation, and testing tools.

Validating a work group climate assessment tool for improving the performance of public health organizations

PubMed Central

Perry, Cary; LeMay, Nancy; Rodway, Greg; Tracy, Allison; Galer, Joan

2005-01-01

Background This article describes the validation of an instrument to measure work group climate in public health organizations in developing countries. The instrument, the Work Group Climate Assessment Tool (WCA), was applied in Brazil, Mozambique, and Guinea to assess the intermediate outcomes of a program to develop leadership for performance improvement. Data were collected from 305 individuals in 42 work groups, who completed a self-administered questionnaire. Methods The WCA was initially validated using Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient and exploratory factor analysis. This article presents the results of a second validation study to refine the initial analyses to account for nested data, to provide item-level psychometrics, and to establish construct validity. Analyses included eigenvalue decomposition analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and validity and reliability analyses. Results This study confirmed the validity and reliability of the WCA across work groups with different demographic characteristics (gender, education, management level, and geographical location). The study showed that there is agreement between the theoretical construct of work climate and the items in the WCA tool across different populations. The WCA captures a single perception of climate rather than individual sub-scales of clarity, support, and challenge. Conclusion The WCA is useful for comparing the climates of different work groups, tracking the changes in climate in a single work group over time, or examining differences among individuals' perceptions of their work group climate. Application of the WCA before and after a leadership development process can help work groups hold a discussion about current climate and select a target for improvement. The WCA provides work groups with a tool to take ownership of their own group climate through a process that is simple and objective and that protects individual confidentiality. PMID:16223447

e-Health readiness assessment factors and measuring tools: A systematic review.

PubMed

Yusif, Salifu; Hafeez-Baig, Abdul; Soar, Jeffrey

2017-11-01

The evolving, adoption and high failure nature of health information technology (HIT)/IS/T systems requires effective readiness assessment to avert increasing failures while increasing system benefits. However, literature on HIT readiness assessment is myriad and fragmented. This review bares the contours of the available literature concluding in a set of manageable and usable recommendations for policymakers, researchers, individuals and organizations intending to assess readiness for any HIT implementation. Identify studies, analyze readiness factors and offer recommendations. Published articles 1995-2016 were searched using Medline/PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science, PsychInfo, ProQuest. Studies were included if they were assessing IS/T/mHealth readiness in the context of HIT. Articles not written in English were excluded. Themes that emerged in the process of the data synthesis were thematically analysed and interpreted. Analyzed themes were found across 63 articles. In accordance with their prevalence of use, they included but not limited to "Technological readiness", 30 (46%); "Core/Need/Motivational readiness", 23 (37%); "Acceptance and use readiness", 19 (29%); "Organizational readiness", 20 (21%); "IT skills/Training/Learning readiness" (18%), "Engagement readiness", 16 (24%) and "Societal readiness" (14%). Despite their prevalence in use, "Technological readiness", "Motivational readiness" and "Engagement readiness" all had myriad and unreliable measuring tools. Core readiness had relatively reliable measuring tools, which repeatedly been used in various readiness assessment studies CONCLUSION: Thus, there is the need for reliable measuring tools for even the most commonly used readiness assessment factors/constructs: Core readiness, Engagement and buy-ins readiness, Technological readiness and IT Skills readiness as this could serve as an immediate step in conducting effective/reliable e-Health readiness assessment, which could lead to reduced HIT implementation failures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of the INCEPT: A Multisource Feedback Tool for Capturing Different Perspectives on Physicians' Professional Performance.

PubMed

van der Meulen, Mirja W; Boerebach, Benjamin C M; Smirnova, Alina; Heeneman, Sylvia; Oude Egbrink, Mirjam G A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

2017-01-01

Multisource feedback (MSF) instruments are used to and must feasibly provide reliable and valid data on physicians' performance from multiple perspectives. The "INviting Co-workers to Evaluate Physicians Tool" (INCEPT) is a multisource feedback instrument used to evaluate physicians' professional performance as perceived by peers, residents, and coworkers. In this study, we report on the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the INCEPT. The performance of 218 physicians was assessed by 597 peers, 344 residents, and 822 coworkers. Using explorative and confirmatory factor analyses, multilevel regression analyses between narrative and numerical feedback, item-total correlations, interscale correlations, Cronbach's α and generalizability analyses, the psychometric qualities, and feasibility of the INCEPT were investigated. For all respondent groups, three factors were identified, although constructed slightly different: "professional attitude," "patient-centeredness," and "organization and (self)-management." Internal consistency was high for all constructs (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.84 and item-total correlations ≥ 0.52). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated acceptable to good fit. Further validity evidence was given by the associations between narrative and numerical feedback. For reliable total INCEPT scores, three peer, two resident and three coworker evaluations were needed; for subscale scores, evaluations of three peers, three residents and three to four coworkers were sufficient. The INCEPT instrument provides physicians performance feedback in a valid and reliable way. The number of evaluations to establish reliable scores is achievable in a regular clinical department. When interpreting feedback, physicians should consider that respondent groups' perceptions differ as indicated by the different item clustering per performance factor.

Environmental effectiveness of swine sewage management: a multicriteria AHP-based model for a reliable quick assessment.

PubMed

Vizzari, Marco; Modica, Giuseppe

2013-10-01

Environmental issues related to swine production are still a major concern for the general public and represent a key challenge for the swine industry. The environmental impact of higher livestock concentration is particularly significant where it coincides with weaker policy standards and poor manure management. Effective tools for environmental monitoring of the swine sewage management process become essential for verifying the environmental compatibility of farming facilities and for defining suitable policies aimed at increasing swine production sustainability. This research aims at the development and application of a model for a quick assessment of the environmental effectiveness of the pig farming sewage management process. In order to define the model, multicriteria techniques, and in particular, Saaty's analytic hierarchy process, were used to develop an iterative process in which the various key factors influencing the process under investigation were analyzed. The model, named EASE (Environmental Assessment of Sewages management Effectiveness), was optimized and applied to the Lake Trasimeno basin (Umbria, Italy), an area of high natural, environmental and aesthetic value. In this context, inadequate disposal of pig sewage represents a potential source of very considerable pollution. The results have demonstrated how the multicriteria model can represent a very effective and adaptable tool also in those decision-making processes aimed at the sustainable management of livestock production.

Factors affecting job motivation among health workers: a study from Iran.

PubMed

Daneshkohan, Abbas; Zarei, Ehsan; Mansouri, Tahere; Maajani, Khadije; Ghasemi, Mehri Siyahat; Rezaeian, Mohsen

2014-11-26

Human resources are the most vital resource of any organizations which determine how other resources are used to accomplish organizational goals. This research aimed to identity factors affecting health workers' motivation in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS). This is a cross-sectional survey conducted with participation of 212 health workers of Tehran health centers in November and December 2011. The data collection tool was a researcher-developed questionnaire that included 17 motivating factors and 6 demotivating factors and 8 questions to assess the current status of some factors. Validity and reliability of the tool were confirmed. Data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistical tests. The main motivating factors for health workers were good management, supervisors and managers' support and good working relationship with colleagues. On the other hand, unfair treatment, poor management and lack of appreciation were the main demotivating factors. Furthermore, 47.2% of health workers believed that existing schemes for supervision were unhelpful in improving their performance. Strengthening management capacities in health services can increase job motivation and improve health workers' performance. The findings suggests that special attention should be paid to some aspects such as management competencies, social support in the workplace, treating employees fairly and performance management practices, especially supervision and performance appraisal.

Environmental Effectiveness of Swine Sewage Management: A Multicriteria AHP-Based Model for a Reliable Quick Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vizzari, Marco; Modica, Giuseppe

2013-10-01

Environmental issues related to swine production are still a major concern for the general public and represent a key challenge for the swine industry. The environmental impact of higher livestock concentration is particularly significant where it coincides with weaker policy standards and poor manure management. Effective tools for environmental monitoring of the swine sewage management process become essential for verifying the environmental compatibility of farming facilities and for defining suitable policies aimed at increasing swine production sustainability. This research aims at the development and application of a model for a quick assessment of the environmental effectiveness of the pig farming sewage management process. In order to define the model, multicriteria techniques, and in particular, Saaty's analytic hierarchy process, were used to develop an iterative process in which the various key factors influencing the process under investigation were analyzed. The model, named EASE (Environmental Assessment of Sewages management Effectiveness), was optimized and applied to the Lake Trasimeno basin (Umbria, Italy), an area of high natural, environmental and aesthetic value. In this context, inadequate disposal of pig sewage represents a potential source of very considerable pollution. The results have demonstrated how the multicriteria model can represent a very effective and adaptable tool also in those decision-making processes aimed at the sustainable management of livestock production.

Seeking high reliability in primary care: Leadership, tools, and organization.

PubMed

Weaver, Robert R

2015-01-01

Leaders in health care increasingly recognize that improving health care quality and safety requires developing an organizational culture that fosters high reliability and continuous process improvement. For various reasons, a reliability-seeking culture is lacking in most health care settings. Developing a reliability-seeking culture requires leaders' sustained commitment to reliability principles using key mechanisms to embed those principles widely in the organization. The aim of this study was to examine how key mechanisms used by a primary care practice (PCP) might foster a reliability-seeking, system-oriented organizational culture. A case study approach was used to investigate the PCP's reliability culture. The study examined four cultural artifacts used to embed reliability-seeking principles across the organization: leadership statements, decision support tools, and two organizational processes. To decipher their effects on reliability, the study relied on observations of work patterns and the tools' use, interactions during morning huddles and process improvement meetings, interviews with clinical and office staff, and a "collective mindfulness" questionnaire. The five reliability principles framed the data analysis. Leadership statements articulated principles that oriented the PCP toward a reliability-seeking culture of care. Reliability principles became embedded in the everyday discourse and actions through the use of "problem knowledge coupler" decision support tools and daily "huddles." Practitioners and staff were encouraged to report unexpected events or close calls that arose and which often initiated a formal "process change" used to adjust routines and prevent adverse events from recurring. Activities that foster reliable patient care became part of the taken-for-granted routine at the PCP. The analysis illustrates the role leadership, tools, and organizational processes play in developing and embedding a reliable-seeking culture across an organization. Progress toward a reliability-seeking, system-oriented approach to care remains ongoing, and movement in that direction requires deliberate and sustained effort by committed leaders in health care.

Simulation of the hydraulic performance of highway filter drains through laboratory models and stormwater management tools.

PubMed

Sañudo-Fontaneda, Luis A; Jato-Espino, Daniel; Lashford, Craig; Coupe, Stephen J

2017-05-23

Road drainage is one of the most relevant assets in transport infrastructure due to its inherent influence on traffic management and road safety. Highway filter drains (HFDs), also known as "French Drains", are the main drainage system currently in use in the UK, throughout 7000 km of its strategic road network. Despite being a widespread technique across the whole country, little research has been completed on their design considerations and their subsequent impact on their hydraulic performance, representing a gap in the field. Laboratory experiments have been proven to be a reliable indicator for the simulation of the hydraulic performance of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). In addition to this, stormwater management tools (SMT) have been preferentially chosen as a design tool for BMPs by practitioners from all over the world. In this context, this research aims to investigate the hydraulic performance of HFDs by comparing the results from laboratory simulation and two widely used SMT such as the US EPA's stormwater management model (SWMM) and MicroDrainage®. Statistical analyses were applied to a series of rainfall scenarios simulated, showing a high level of accuracy between the results obtained in laboratory and using SMT as indicated by the high and low values of the Nash-Sutcliffe and R 2 coefficients and root-mean-square error (RMSE) reached, which validated the usefulness of SMT to determine the hydraulic performance of HFDs.

Development and validation of a tool to evaluate the quality of medical education websites in pathology.

PubMed

Alyusuf, Raja H; Prasad, Kameshwar; Abdel Satir, Ali M; Abalkhail, Ali A; Arora, Roopa K

2013-01-01

The exponential use of the internet as a learning resource coupled with varied quality of many websites, lead to a need to identify suitable websites for teaching purposes. The aim of this study is to develop and to validate a tool, which evaluates the quality of undergraduate medical educational websites; and apply it to the field of pathology. A tool was devised through several steps of item generation, reduction, weightage, pilot testing, post-pilot modification of the tool and validating the tool. Tool validation included measurement of inter-observer reliability; and generation of criterion related, construct related and content related validity. The validated tool was subsequently tested by applying it to a population of pathology websites. Reliability testing showed a high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), high inter-observer reliability (Pearson's correlation r = 0.88), intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.85 and κ =0.75. It showed high criterion related, construct related and content related validity. The tool showed moderately high concordance with the gold standard (κ =0.61); 92.2% sensitivity, 67.8% specificity, 75.6% positive predictive value and 88.9% negative predictive value. The validated tool was applied to 278 websites; 29.9% were rated as recommended, 41.0% as recommended with caution and 29.1% as not recommended. A systematic tool was devised to evaluate the quality of websites for medical educational purposes. The tool was shown to yield reliable and valid inferences through its application to pathology websites.

An Assessment of Integrated Health Management (IHM) Frameworks

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

N. Lybeck; M. Tawfik; L. Bond

In order to meet the ever increasing demand for energy, the United States nuclear industry is turning to life extension of existing nuclear power plants (NPPs). Economically ensuring the safe, secure, and reliable operation of aging nuclear power plants presents many challenges. The 2009 Light Water Reactor Sustainability Workshop identified online monitoring of active and structural components as essential to the better understanding and management of the challenges posed by aging nuclear power plants. Additionally, there is increasing adoption of condition-based maintenance (CBM) for active components in NPPs. These techniques provide a foundation upon which a variety of advanced onlinemore » surveillance, diagnostic, and prognostic techniques can be deployed to continuously monitor and assess the health of NPP systems and components. The next step in the development of advanced online monitoring is to move beyond CBM to estimating the remaining useful life of active components using prognostic tools. Deployment of prognostic health management (PHM) on the scale of a NPP requires the use of an integrated health management (IHM) framework - a software product (or suite of products) used to manage the necessary elements needed for a complete implementation of online monitoring and prognostics. This paper provides a thoughtful look at the desirable functions and features of IHM architectures. A full PHM system involves several modules, including data acquisition, system modeling, fault detection, fault diagnostics, system prognostics, and advisory generation (operations and maintenance planning). The standards applicable to PHM applications are indentified and summarized. A list of evaluation criteria for PHM software products, developed to ensure scalability of the toolset to an environment with the complexity of a NPP, is presented. Fourteen commercially available PHM software products are identified and classified into four groups: research tools, PHM system development tools, deployable architectures, and peripheral tools.« less

[Assessing work-related stress: an Italian adaptation of the HSE Management Standards Work-Related Stress Indicator Tool].

PubMed

Marcatto, Francesco; D'Errico, Giuseppe; Di Blas, Lisa; Ferrante, Donatella

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present a preliminary validation of an Italian adaptation of the HSE Management Standards Work-Related Stress Indicator Tool (IT), an instrument for assessing work-related stress at the organizational level, originally developed in Britain by the Health and Safety Executive. A scale that assesses the physical work environment has been added to the original version of the IT. 190 employees of the University of Trieste have been enrolled in the study. A confirmatory analysis showed a satisfactory fit of the eight-factors structure of the instrument. Further psychometric analysis showed adequate internal consistency of the IT scales and good criterion validity, as evidenced by the correlations with self-perception of stress, work satisfaction and motivation. In conclusion, the Indicator Tool proved to be a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of work-related stress at the organizational level, and it is also compatible with the instructions provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (Circular letter 18/11/2010).

Psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool for older Chinese inpatients.

PubMed

Zhang, Junhong; Wang, Min; Liu, Yu

2016-10-01

To culturally adapt and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool among older inpatients in the mainland of China. Patient falls are an important safety consideration within hospitals among older inpatients. Nurses need specific risk assessment tools for older inpatients to reliably identify at-risk populations and guide interventions that highlight fixable risk factors for falls and consequent injuries. In China, a few tools have been developed to measure fall risk. However, they lack the solid psychometric development necessary to establish their validity and reliability, and they are not widely used for elderly inpatients. A cross-sectional study. A convenient sampling was used to recruit 201 older inpatients from two tertiary-level hospitals in Beijing and Xiamen, China. The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool was translated using forward and backward translation procedures and was administered to these 201 older inpatients. Reliability of the tool was calculated by inter-rater reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Validity was analysed through content validity index and construct validity. The Inter-rater reliability of Chinese version of Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool was 97·14% agreement with Cohen's Kappa of 0·903. Cronbach's α was 0·703. Content of Validity Index was 0·833. Two factors represented intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors were explored that together explained 58·89% of the variance. This study provided evidence that Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool is an acceptable, valid and reliable tool to identify older inpatients at risk of falls and falls with injury. Further psychometric testing on criterion validity and evaluation of its advanced utility in geriatric clinical settings are warranted. The Chinese version of Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool may be useful for health care personnel to identify older Chinese inpatients at risk of falls and falls with injury. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

System and Software Reliability (C103)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Dolores

2003-01-01

Within the last decade better reliability models (hardware. software, system) than those currently used have been theorized and developed but not implemented in practice. Previous research on software reliability has shown that while some existing software reliability models are practical, they are no accurate enough. New paradigms of development (e.g. OO) have appeared and associated reliability models have been proposed posed but not investigated. Hardware models have been extensively investigated but not integrated into a system framework. System reliability modeling is the weakest of the three. NASA engineers need better methods and tools to demonstrate that the products meet NASA requirements for reliability measurement. For the new models for the software component of the last decade, there is a great need to bring them into a form that they can be used on software intensive systems. The Statistical Modeling and Estimation of Reliability Functions for Systems (SMERFS'3) tool is an existing vehicle that may be used to incorporate these new modeling advances. Adapting some existing software reliability modeling changes to accommodate major changes in software development technology may also show substantial improvement in prediction accuracy. With some additional research, the next step is to identify and investigate system reliability. System reliability models could then be incorporated in a tool such as SMERFS'3. This tool with better models would greatly add value in assess in GSFC projects.

Reliability of Lactation Assessment Tools Applied to Overweight and Obese Women.

PubMed

Chapman, Donna J; Doughty, Katherine; Mullin, Elizabeth M; Pérez-Escamilla, Rafael

2016-05-01

The interrater reliability of lactation assessment tools has not been evaluated in overweight/obese women. This study aimed to compare the interrater reliability of 4 lactation assessment tools in this population. A convenience sample of 45 women (body mass index > 27.0) was videotaped while breastfeeding (twice daily on days 2, 4, and 7 postpartum). Three International Board Certified Lactation Consultants independently rated each videotaped session using 4 tools (Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool [IBFAT], modified LATCH [mLATCH], modified Via Christi [mVC], and Riordan's Tool [RT]). For each day and tool, we evaluated interrater reliability with 1-way repeated-measures analyses of variance, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and percentage absolute agreement between raters. Analyses of variance showed significant differences between raters' scores on day 2 (all scales) and day 7 (RT). Intraclass correlation coefficient values reflected good (mLATCH) to excellent reliability (IBFAT, mVC, and RT) on days 2 and 7. All day 4 ICCs reflected good reliability. The ICC for mLATCH was significantly lower than all others on day 2 and was significantly lower than IBFAT (day 7). Percentage absolute interrater agreement for scale components ranged from 31% (day 2: observable swallowing, RT) to 92% (day 7: IBFAT, fixing; and mVC, latch time). Swallowing scores on all scales had the lowest levels of interrater agreement (31%-64%). We demonstrated differences in the interrater reliability of 4 lactation assessment tools when applied to overweight/obese women, with the lowest values observed on day 4. Swallowing assessment was particularly unreliable. Researchers and clinicians using these scales should be aware of the differences in their psychometric behavior. © The Author(s) 2015.

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

Prod'homme, A.; Drouvot, O.; Gregory, J.

In 2009, Savannah River Remediation LLC (SRR) assumed the management lead of the Liquid Waste (LW) Program at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The four SRR partners and AREVA, as an integrated subcontractor are performing the ongoing effort to safely and reliably: - Close High Level Waste (HLW) storage tanks; - Maximize waste throughput at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF); - Process salt waste into stable final waste form; - Manage the HLW liquid waste material stored at SRS. As part of these initiatives, SRR and AREVA deployed a performance management methodology based on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) atmore » the DWPF in order to support the required production increase. This project took advantage of lessons learned by AREVA through the deployment of Total Productive Maintenance and Visual Management methodologies at the La Hague reprocessing facility in France. The project also took advantage of measurement data collected from different steps of the DWPF process by the SRR team (Melter Engineering, Chemical Process Engineering, Laboratory Operations, Plant Operations). Today the SRR team has a standard method for measuring processing time throughout the facility, a reliable source of objective data for use in decision-making at all levels, and a better balance between engineering department goals and operational goals. Preliminary results show that the deployment of this performance management methodology to the LW program at SRS has already significantly contributed to the DWPF throughput increases and is being deployed in the Saltstone facility. As part of the liquid waste program on Savannah River Site, SRR committed to enhance production throughput of DWPF. Beyond technical modifications implemented at different location of the facility, SRR deployed performance management methodology based on OEE metrics. The implementation benefited from the experience gained by AREVA in its own facilities in France. OEE proved to be a valuable tool in order to support the enhancement program in DWPF by providing unified metrics to measure plant performances, identify bottleneck location, and rank the most time consuming causes from objective data shared between the different groups belonging to the organization. Beyond OEE, the Visual Management tool adapted from the one used at La Hague were also provided in order to further enhance communication within the operating teams. As a result of all the initiatives implemented on DWPF, achieved production has been increased to record rates from FY10 to FY11. It is expected that thanks to the performance management tools now available within DWPF, these results will be sustained and even improved in the future to meet system plan targets. (authors)« less

Development of the Huddle Observation Tool for structured case management discussions to improve situation awareness on inpatient clinical wards.

PubMed

Edbrooke-Childs, Julian; Hayes, Jacqueline; Sharples, Evelyn; Gondek, Dawid; Stapley, Emily; Sevdalis, Nick; Lachman, Peter; Deighton, Jessica

2018-05-01

'Situation Awareness For Everyone' (SAFE) was a 3-year project which aimed to improve situation awareness in clinical teams in order to detect potential deterioration and other potential risks to children on hospital wards. The key intervention was the 'huddle', a structured case management discussion which is central to facilitating situation awareness. This study aimed to develop an observational assessment tool to assess the team processes occurring during huddles, including the effectiveness of the huddle. A cross-sectional observational design was used to psychometrically develop the 'Huddle Observation Tool' (HOT) over three phases using standardised psychometric methodology. Huddles were observed across four NHS paediatric wards participating in SAFE by five researchers; two wards within specialist children hospitals and two within district general hospitals, with location, number of beds and length of stay considered to make the sample as heterogeneous as possible. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using the weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient. Inter - rater reliability was acceptable for the collaborative culture (weighted kappa=0.32, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.42), environment items (weighted kappa=0.78, 95% CI 0.52 to 1) and total score (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.87, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.95). It was lower for the structure and risk management items, suggesting that these were more variable in how observers rated them. However, agreement on the global score for huddles was acceptable. We developed an observational assessment tool to assess the team processes occurring during huddles, including the effectiveness of the huddle. Future research should examine whether observational evaluations of huddles are associated with other indicators of safety on clinical wards (eg, safety climate and incidents of patient harm), and whether scores on the HOT are associated with improved situation awareness and reductions in deterioration and adverse events in clinical settings, such as inpatient wards. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The application of health literacy measurement tools (collective or individual domains) in assessing chronic disease management: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Shum, Jessica; Poureslami, Iraj; Doyle-Waters, Mary M; FitzGerald, J Mark

2016-06-07

The term "health literacy" (HL) was first coined in 1974, and its most common definition is currently defined as a person's ability to access, understand, evaluate, communicate, and use health information to make decisions for one's health. The previous systematic reviews assessing the effect of existing HL measurement tools on health outcomes have simply searched for the term "health literacy" only to identify measures instead of incorporating either one or more of the five domains in their search. Furthermore, as the domain "use" is fairly new, few studies have actually assessed this domain. In this protocol, we propose to identify and assess HL measures that applied the mentioned five domains either collectively or individually in assessing chronic disease management, in particular for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The ultimate goal is to provide recommendations towards the development and validation of a patient-centric HL measurement tool for the two diseases. A comprehensive, electronic search will be conducted to identify potential studies dating from 1974 to 2016 from databases such as Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO, and HAPI. Database searches will be complemented with grey literature. Two independent reviewers will perform tool selection, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using pre-designed study forms. Any disagreement will be resolved through discussion or a third reviewer. Only studies that have developed or validated HL measurement tools (including one or more of the five domains mentioned above) among asthma and COPD patients will be included. Information collected from the studies will include instrument details such as versions, purpose, underlying constructs, administration, mapping of items onto the five domains, internal structure, scoring, response processes, standard error of measurement (SEM), correlation with other variables, clinically important difference, and item response theory (IRT)-based analyses. The identified strengths and weaknesses as well as reliability, validity, responsiveness, and interpretability of the tools from the validation studies will also be assessed using the COSMIN checklist. A synthesis will be presented for all tools in relation to asthma and COPD management. This systematic review will be one of several key contributions central to a global evidence-based strategy funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for measuring HL in patients with asthma and COPD, highlighting the gaps and inconsistencies of domains between existing tools. The knowledge generated from this review will provide the team information on (1) the five-domain model and cross domains, (2) underlying constructs, (3) tool length, (4) time for completion, (5) reading level, and (6) format for development of the proposed tool. Other aspects of the published validation studies such as reliability coefficients, SEM, correlations with other variables, clinically important difference, and IRT-based analyses will be important for comparison purposes when testing, interpreting, and validating the developed tool. PROSPERO CRD42016037532.

A Study of the Readiness of Hospitals for Implementation of High Reliability Organizations Model in Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Mousavi, Seyed Mohammad Hadi; Dargahi, Hossein; Mohammadi, Sara

2016-10-01

Creating a safe of health care system requires the establishment of High Reliability Organizations (HROs), which reduces errors, and increases the level of safety in hospitals. This model focuses on improving reliability through higher process design, building a culture of accreditation, and leveraging human factors. The present study intends to determine the readiness of hospitals for the establishment of HROs model in Tehran University of Medical Sciences from the viewpoint of managers of these hospitals. This is a descriptive-analytical study carried out in 2013-2014. The research population consists of 105 senior and middle managers of 15 hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was a 55-question researcher-made questionnaire, included six elements of HROs to assess the level of readiness for establishing HROS model from managers' point of view. The validity of the questionnaire was calculated through the content validity method using 10 experts in the area of hospitals' accreditation, and its reliability was calculated through test-retest method with a correlation coefficient of 0.90. The response rate was 90 percent. The Likert scale was used for the questions, and data analysis was conducted through SPSS version 21 Descriptive statistics was presented via tables and normal distributions of data and means. Analytical methods, including t-test, Mann-Whitney, Spearman, and Kruskal-Wallis, were used for presenting inferential statistics. The study showed that from the viewpoint of senior and middle managers of the hospitals considered in this study, these hospitals are indeed ready for acceptance and establishment of HROs model. A significant relationship was showed between HROs model and its elements with demographic details of managers like their age, work experience, management experience, and level of management. Although the studied hospitals, as viewed by their managers, are capable of attaining the goals of HROs, it seems there are a lot of challenges in this way. Therefore, it is suggested that a detailed audit is conducted among hospitals' current status regarding different characteristics of HROs, and workshops are held for medical and non-medical employees and managers of hospitals as an influencing factor; and a re-assessment process afterward, can help moving the hospitals from their current position towards an HROs culture.

Developing a cost accounting system for a physician group practice.

PubMed

Mays, J; Gordon, G

1996-10-01

Physicians in group practices must gain a competitive edge to survive in a healthcare environment in which cost efficiency has become critical to success. One tool that can help them is a cost accounting system that yields reliable, detailed data on the costs of delivering care. Such a system not only can enable physicians and group administrators to manage their operations more cost-effectively, but also can help them accurately assess the potential profitability of prospective managed care plans. An otolaryngology practice located in Mississippi provides a model for developing a cost accounting system that can be applied to physician group practices.

Bayesian accrual prediction for interim review of clinical studies: open source R package and smartphone application.

PubMed

Jiang, Yu; Guarino, Peter; Ma, Shuangge; Simon, Steve; Mayo, Matthew S; Raghavan, Rama; Gajewski, Byron J

2016-07-22

Subject recruitment for medical research is challenging. Slow patient accrual leads to increased costs and delays in treatment advances. Researchers need reliable tools to manage and predict the accrual rate. The previously developed Bayesian method integrates researchers' experience on former trials and data from an ongoing study, providing a reliable prediction of accrual rate for clinical studies. In this paper, we present a user-friendly graphical user interface program developed in R. A closed-form solution for the total subjects that can be recruited within a fixed time is derived. We also present a built-in Android system using Java for web browsers and mobile devices. Using the accrual software, we re-evaluated the Veteran Affairs Cooperative Studies Program 558- ROBOTICS study. The application of the software in monitoring and management of recruitment is illustrated for different stages of the trial. This developed accrual software provides a more convenient platform for estimation and prediction of the accrual process.

Validation of a diabetes numeracy test in Arabic.

PubMed

Alghodaier, Hussah; Jradi, Hoda; Mohammad, Najwa Samantha; Bawazir, Amen

2017-01-01

The prevalence of diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia is 24%, ranking it among the top ten Worldwide. Diabetes education focuses on self-management and relies on numeracy skills. Poor numeracy may go unrecognized and it is important to have an assessment tool in Arabic to measure such a skill in diabetes care. To validate a 15-item Diabetes Numeracy Test (DNT-15) in the Arabic Language as a tool to assess the numeracy skills of patients with diabetes and to test its properties among Saudi patients with diabetes. A 15-question Arabic-language test to assess diabetes numeracy among patients with diabetes on the basis of the diabetes numeracy test (DNT-15) was validated among a sample Arabic speaking Saudi patients with diabetes. Data collection included patients' demographics, long-term glycemic control, diabetes type, duration, co-morbidities, and diabetes related knowledge questions. Internal reliability was assessed using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). The average score of Arabic DNT-15 was 53.3% and took an average of 30 minutes to complete. The scores significantly correlated with education, income, HbA1c, and diabetes knowledge (p<0.05). Content Validity Ratio (CVR) of 0.75 and Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.89 supported good content validity. The Arabic DNT-15 also had good internal reliability (KR20 = 0.90). Patients with diabetes need numeracy skills to manage their disease. Level of education does not reflect level of numeracy, and low numeracy skills might be unnoticed by health care providers. The Arabic DNT-15 is a valid and reliable scale to identify Arabic speaking patients with difficulties in certain diabetes-related numeracy skills.

The SysMan monitoring service and its management environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debski, Andrzej; Janas, Ekkehard

1996-06-01

Management of modern information systems is becoming more and more complex. There is a growing need for powerful, flexible and affordable management tools to assist system managers in maintaining such systems. It is at the same time evident that effective management should integrate network management, system management and application management in a uniform way. Object oriented OSI management architecture with its four basic modelling concepts (information, organization, communication and functional models) together with widely accepted distribution platforms such as ANSA/CORBA, constitutes a reliable and modern framework for the implementation of a management toolset. This paper focuses on the presentation of concepts and implementation results of an object oriented management toolset developed and implemented within the framework of the ESPRIT project 7026 SysMan. An overview is given of the implemented SysMan management services including the System Management Service, Monitoring Service, Network Management Service, Knowledge Service, Domain and Policy Service, and the User Interface. Special attention is paid to the Monitoring Service which incorporates the architectural key entity responsible for event management. Its architecture and building components, especially filters, are emphasized and presented in detail.

Development and validation of a cancer-specific swallowing assessment tool: MASA-C.

PubMed

Carnaby, Giselle D; Crary, Michael A

2014-03-01

We present data from a sample of patients receiving radiotherapy for head/neck cancer to define and measure the validity of a new clinical assessment measure for swallowing. Fifty-eight patients undergoing radiotherapy (±chemotherapy) for head/neck cancer (HNC) supported the development of a physiology-based assessment tool of swallowing (Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability--Cancer: MASA-C) administered at two time points (baseline and following radiotherapy treatment). The new exam was evaluated for internal consistency of items using Cronbach's alpha. Reliability of measurement was evaluated with intraclass correlation (ICC) and the Kappa statistic between two independent raters. Concurrent validity was established through comparison with the original MASA examination and against the referent standard videofluoroscopic swallowing examination (VFE). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios along with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were derived for comparison of the two evaluation forms (MASA vs. MASA-C). Accuracy of diagnostic precision was displayed using receiver operator characteristic curves. The new MASA-C tool demonstrated superior validity to the original MASA examination applied to a HNC population. In comparison to the VFE referent exam, the MASA-C revealed strong sensitivity and specificity (Se 83, Sp 96), predictive values (positive predictive value (PPV) 0.95, negative predictive value (NPV) 0.86), and likelihood ratios (21.6). In addition, it demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.96) between speech-language pathology raters. The MASA-C is a reliable and valid scale that is sensitive to differences in swallowing performance in HNC patients with and without dysphagia. Future longitudinal evaluation of this tool in larger samples is suggested. The development and refinement of this swallowing assessment tool for use in multidisciplinary HNC teams will facilitate earlier identification of patients with swallowing difficulties and enable more efficient allocation of resources to the management of dysphagia in this population. The MASA-C may also prove useful in future clinical HNC rehabilitation trials with this population.

Development of the Huddle Observation Tool for structured case management discussions to improve situation awareness on inpatient clinical wards

PubMed Central

Edbrooke-Childs, Julian; Hayes, Jacqueline; Sharples, Evelyn; Gondek, Dawid; Stapley, Emily; Lachman, Peter; Deighton, Jessica

2018-01-01

Background ‘Situation Awareness For Everyone’ (SAFE) was a 3-year project which aimed to improve situation awareness in clinical teams in order to detect potential deterioration and other potential risks to children on hospital wards. The key intervention was the ‘huddle’, a structured case management discussion which is central to facilitating situation awareness. This study aimed to develop an observational assessment tool to assess the team processes occurring during huddles, including the effectiveness of the huddle. Methods A cross-sectional observational design was used to psychometrically develop the ‘Huddle Observation Tool’ (HOT) over three phases using standardised psychometric methodology. Huddles were observed across four NHS paediatric wards participating in SAFE by five researchers; two wards within specialist children hospitals and two within district general hospitals, with location, number of beds and length of stay considered to make the sample as heterogeneous as possible. Inter-rater reliability was calculated using the weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results Inter-rater reliability was acceptable for the collaborative culture (weighted kappa=0.32, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.42), environment items (weighted kappa=0.78, 95% CI 0.52 to 1) and total score (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.87, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.95). It was lower for the structure and risk management items, suggesting that these were more variable in how observers rated them. However, agreement on the global score for huddles was acceptable. Conclusion We developed an observational assessment tool to assess the team processes occurring during huddles, including the effectiveness of the huddle. Future research should examine whether observational evaluations of huddles are associated with other indicators of safety on clinical wards (eg, safety climate and incidents of patient harm), and whether scores on the HOT are associated with improved situation awareness and reductions in deterioration and adverse events in clinical settings, such as inpatient wards. PMID:28928167

Evaluation through research of a three-track career ladder program for registered nurses.

PubMed

Korman, Carol; Eliades, Aris Beoglos

2010-01-01

A descriptive study design was employed to survey registered nurse participants in a career ladder program comprising of three tracks: clinical, education, and management. Findings indicate that participation allows nurses of varying education preparation and roles to demonstrate professional development. Implications for staff development include efficacy of the online survey technique, provision of a reliable tool to evaluate a career ladder, and evaluation of a career ladder that includes the staff development educator.

Technological iatrogenesis: the manifestation of inadequate organizational planning and the integration of health information technology.

PubMed

Palmieri, Patrick Albert; Peterson, Lori T; Corazzo, Luciano Bedoya

2011-01-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) views Health Information Technology (HIT) as an essential organizational prerequisite for the delivery of safe, reliable, and cost-effective health services. However, HIT presents the proverbial double-edged sword in generating solutions to improve system performance while facilitating the genesis of novel iatrogenic problems. Incongruent organizational processes give rise to technological iatrogenesis or the unintended consequences to system integrity and the resulting organizational outcomes potentiated by incongruent organizational-technological interfaces. HIT is a disruptive innovation for health services organizations but remains an overlooked organizational development (OD) concern. Recognizing the technology-organizational misalignments that result from HIT adoption is important for leaders seeking to eliminate sources of system instability. The Health Information Technology Iatrogenesis Model (HITIM) provides leaders with a conceptual framework from which to consider HIT as an instrument for organizational development. Complexity and Diffusion of Innovation theories support the framework that suggests each HIT adoption functions as a technological change agent. As such, leaders need to provide operational oversight to managers undertaking system change via HIT implementation. Traditional risk management tools, such as Failure Mode Effect Analysis and Root Cause Analysis, provide proactive pre- and post-implementation appraisals to verify system stability and to enhance system reliability. Reconsidering the use of these tools within the context of a new framework offers leaders guidance when adopting HIT to achieve performance improvement and better outcomes.

Spinoff 2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

Topics include: Bioreactors Drive Advances in Tissue Engineering; Tooling Techniques Enhance Medical Imaging; Ventilator Technologies Sustain Critically Injured Patients; Protein Innovations Advance Drug Treatments, Skin Care; Mass Analyzers Facilitate Research on Addiction; Frameworks Coordinate Scientific Data Management; Cameras Improve Navigation for Pilots, Drivers; Integrated Design Tools Reduce Risk, Cost; Advisory Systems Save Time, Fuel for Airlines; Modeling Programs Increase Aircraft Design Safety; Fly-by-Wire Systems Enable Safer, More Efficient Flight; Modified Fittings Enhance Industrial Safety; Simulation Tools Model Icing for Aircraft Design; Information Systems Coordinate Emergency Management; Imaging Systems Provide Maps for U.S. Soldiers; High-Pressure Systems Suppress Fires in Seconds; Alloy-Enhanced Fans Maintain Fresh Air in Tunnels; Control Algorithms Charge Batteries Faster; Software Programs Derive Measurements from Photographs; Retrofits Convert Gas Vehicles into Hybrids; NASA Missions Inspire Online Video Games; Monitors Track Vital Signs for Fitness and Safety; Thermal Components Boost Performance of HVAC Systems; World Wind Tools Reveal Environmental Change; Analyzers Measure Greenhouse Gasses, Airborne Pollutants; Remediation Technologies Eliminate Contaminants; Receivers Gather Data for Climate, Weather Prediction; Coating Processes Boost Performance of Solar Cells; Analyzers Provide Water Security in Space and on Earth; Catalyst Substrates Remove Contaminants, Produce Fuel; Rocket Engine Innovations Advance Clean Energy; Technologies Render Views of Earth for Virtual Navigation; Content Platforms Meet Data Storage, Retrieval Needs; Tools Ensure Reliability of Critical Software; Electronic Handbooks Simplify Process Management; Software Innovations Speed Scientific Computing; Controller Chips Preserve Microprocessor Function; Nanotube Production Devices Expand Research Capabilities; Custom Machines Advance Composite Manufacturing; Polyimide Foams Offer Superior Insulation; Beam Steering Devices Reduce Payload Weight; Models Support Energy-Saving Microwave Technologies; Materials Advance Chemical Propulsion Technology; and High-Temperature Coatings Offer Energy Savings.

Development and validation of a tool to evaluate the quality of medical education websites in pathology

PubMed Central

Alyusuf, Raja H.; Prasad, Kameshwar; Abdel Satir, Ali M.; Abalkhail, Ali A.; Arora, Roopa K.

2013-01-01

Background: The exponential use of the internet as a learning resource coupled with varied quality of many websites, lead to a need to identify suitable websites for teaching purposes. Aim: The aim of this study is to develop and to validate a tool, which evaluates the quality of undergraduate medical educational websites; and apply it to the field of pathology. Methods: A tool was devised through several steps of item generation, reduction, weightage, pilot testing, post-pilot modification of the tool and validating the tool. Tool validation included measurement of inter-observer reliability; and generation of criterion related, construct related and content related validity. The validated tool was subsequently tested by applying it to a population of pathology websites. Results and Discussion: Reliability testing showed a high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92), high inter-observer reliability (Pearson's correlation r = 0.88), intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.85 and κ =0.75. It showed high criterion related, construct related and content related validity. The tool showed moderately high concordance with the gold standard (κ =0.61); 92.2% sensitivity, 67.8% specificity, 75.6% positive predictive value and 88.9% negative predictive value. The validated tool was applied to 278 websites; 29.9% were rated as recommended, 41.0% as recommended with caution and 29.1% as not recommended. Conclusion: A systematic tool was devised to evaluate the quality of websites for medical educational purposes. The tool was shown to yield reliable and valid inferences through its application to pathology websites. PMID:24392243

Assessing self-management in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 in Germany: validation of a German version of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities measure (SDSCA-G).

PubMed

Kamradt, Martina; Bozorgmehr, Kayvan; Krisam, Johannes; Freund, Tobias; Kiel, Marion; Qreini, Markus; Flum, Elisabeth; Berger, Sarah; Besier, Werner; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Ose, Dominik

2014-12-18

One of the most widely used self-reporting tools assessing diabetes self-management in English is the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) measure. To date there is no psychometric validated instrument in German to assess self-management in patients with diabetes mellitus. Therefore, this study aimed to translate the SDSCA into German and examine its psychometric properties. The English version of the SDSCA was translated into German following the guidelines for cultural adaptation. The German version of the SDSCA (SDSCA-G) was administered to a random sample of 315 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. Reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item characteristics were assessed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) were carried out to explore the construct validity. A multivariable linear regression model was used to identify the influence of predictor variables on the SDSCA-G sum score. The Cronbach's alpha for the SDSCA-G (all items) was α = 0.618 and an acceptable correlation between the SDSCA-G and Self-management Diabetes Mellitus-Questionnaire (SDQ) (ρ = 0.664) was identified. The EFA suggested a four factor construct as did the postulated model. The CFA showed the goodness of fit of the SDSCA-G. However, item 4 was found to be problematic regarding the analysis of psychometric properties. The omission of item 4 yielded an increase in Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.631) and improvements of the factor structure and model fit. No statistically significant influences of predictor variables on the SDSCA-G sum score were observed. The revised German version of the SDSCA (SDSCA-G) is a reliable and valid tool assessing self-management in adults with type 2 diabetes in Germany.

Effective Factors in Enhancing School Manager's Job Motivation

PubMed Central

Mirzamani, S. Mahmoud; Esfahani, Hamideh Darb

2011-01-01

Objective This study examines the effective factors in enhancing school manager's job motivation from viewpoint of school mangers, teachers, education department managerial and staff experts in teaching, and also identifies and prioritizes each of these factors and indicators. Method For selecting a representative sample and increasing measurement precision, 587 people were selected using classified random sampling. The measurement tool was a 79-questionnaire made by the researcher. The questionnaire was collected using motivation theories and observing the findings of previous researches. Then, according to the three-stage Delphi technique, the questionnaire was sent to experts in education. The reliability of instruments was measured by calculating Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, and total reliability of the test was 0.99; the validity of the instrument was assessed by factor analysis (Construct Validity) and its load factor was 0.4 which was high. Results The results from factor analysis shows that the effective factors in enhancing manager's job motivation are as follows: self- actualization (51%) including 28 indices; social factor (7/9%) including 22 indices; self-esteem (3.2%) including 17 indices; job desirable features (2.2%) including 4 indices; physiologic (1.8%) including 4 indices; and job richness (1.6%) including 4 indices. Conclusions The results show that the six mentioned factors determine 68% of the total variance of manager's motivation. PMID:22952541

Objectives, priorities, reliable knowledge, and science-based management of Missouri River interior least terns and piping plovers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherfy, Mark; Anteau, Michael J.; Shaffer, Terry; Sovada, Marsha; Stucker, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Supporting recovery of federally listed interior least tern (Sternula antillarum athalassos; tern) and piping plover (Charadrius melodus; plover) populations is a desirable goal in management of the Missouri River ecosystem. Many tools are implemented in support of this goal, including habitat management, annual monitoring, directed research, and threat mitigation. Similarly, many types of data can be used to make management decisions, evaluate system responses, and prioritize research and monitoring. The ecological importance of Missouri River recovery and the conservation status of terns and plovers place a premium on efficient and effective resource use. Efficiency is improved when a single data source informs multiple high-priority decisions, whereas effectiveness is improved when decisions are informed by reliable knowledge. Seldom will a single study design be optimal for addressing all data needs, making prioritization of needs essential. Data collection motivated by well-articulated objectives and priorities has many advantages over studies in which questions and priorities are determined retrospectively. Research and monitoring for terns and plovers have generated a wealth of data that can be interpreted in a variety of ways. The validity and strength of conclusions from analyses of these data is dependent on compatibility between the study design and the question being asked. We consider issues related to collection and interpretation of biological data, and discuss their utility for enhancing the role of science in management of Missouri River terns and plovers. A team of USGS scientists at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center has been conducting tern and plover research on the Missouri River since 2005. The team has had many discussions about the importance of setting objectives, identifying priorities, and obtaining reliable information to answer pertinent questions about tern and plover management on this river system. The objectives of this presentation are to summarize those conversations and to share insights about concepts that could contribute to rigorous science support for management of this river system.

Factors Affecting Job Motivation among Health Workers: A Study From Iran

PubMed Central

Daneshkohan, Abbas; Zarei, Ehsan; Mansouri, Tahere; Maajani, Khadije; Ghasemi, Mehri Siyahat; Rezaeian, Mohsen

2015-01-01

Objective: Human resources are the most vital resource of any organizations which determine how other resources are used to accomplish organizational goals. This research aimed to identity factors affecting health workers’ motivation in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS). Method: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted with participation of 212 health workers of Tehran health centers in November and December 2011. The data collection tool was a researcher-developed questionnaire that included 17 motivating factors and 6 demotivating factors and 8 questions to assess the current status of some factors. Validity and reliability of the tool were confirmed. Data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Results: The main motivating factors for health workers were good management, supervisors and managers’ support and good working relationship with colleagues. On the other hand, unfair treatment, poor management and lack of appreciation were the main demotivating factors. Furthermore, 47.2% of health workers believed that existing schemes for supervision were unhelpful in improving their performance. Conclusion: Strengthening management capacities in health services can increase job motivation and improve health workers’ performance. The findings suggests that special attention should be paid to some aspects such as management competencies, social support in the workplace, treating employees fairly and performance management practices, especially supervision and performance appraisal. PMID:25948438

Visual-haptic integration with pliers and tongs: signal “weights” take account of changes in haptic sensitivity caused by different tools

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Chie; Watt, Simon J.

2014-01-01

When we hold an object while looking at it, estimates from visual and haptic cues to size are combined in a statistically optimal fashion, whereby the “weight” given to each signal reflects their relative reliabilities. This allows object properties to be estimated more precisely than would otherwise be possible. Tools such as pliers and tongs systematically perturb the mapping between object size and the hand opening. This could complicate visual-haptic integration because it may alter the reliability of the haptic signal, thereby disrupting the determination of appropriate signal weights. To investigate this we first measured the reliability of haptic size estimates made with virtual pliers-like tools (created using a stereoscopic display and force-feedback robots) with different “gains” between hand opening and object size. Haptic reliability in tool use was straightforwardly determined by a combination of sensitivity to changes in hand opening and the effects of tool geometry. The precise pattern of sensitivity to hand opening, which violated Weber's law, meant that haptic reliability changed with tool gain. We then examined whether the visuo-motor system accounts for these reliability changes. We measured the weight given to visual and haptic stimuli when both were available, again with different tool gains, by measuring the perceived size of stimuli in which visual and haptic sizes were varied independently. The weight given to each sensory cue changed with tool gain in a manner that closely resembled the predictions of optimal sensory integration. The results are consistent with the idea that different tool geometries are modeled by the brain, allowing it to calculate not only the distal properties of objects felt with tools, but also the certainty with which those properties are known. These findings highlight the flexibility of human sensory integration and tool-use, and potentially provide an approach for optimizing the design of visual-haptic devices. PMID:24592245

Paediatric Automatic Phonological Analysis Tools (APAT).

PubMed

Saraiva, Daniela; Lousada, Marisa; Hall, Andreia; Jesus, Luis M T

2017-12-01

To develop the pediatric Automatic Phonological Analysis Tools (APAT) and to estimate inter and intrajudge reliability, content validity, and concurrent validity. The APAT were constructed using Excel spreadsheets with formulas. The tools were presented to an expert panel for content validation. The corpus used in the Portuguese standardized test Teste Fonético-Fonológico - ALPE produced by 24 children with phonological delay or phonological disorder was recorded, transcribed, and then inserted into the APAT. Reliability and validity of APAT were analyzed. The APAT present strong inter- and intrajudge reliability (>97%). The content validity was also analyzed (ICC = 0.71), and concurrent validity revealed strong correlations between computerized and manual (traditional) methods. The development of these tools contributes to fill existing gaps in clinical practice and research, since previously there were no valid and reliable tools/instruments for automatic phonological analysis, which allowed the analysis of different corpora.

HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 3: HARP Graphics Oriented (GO) input user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bavuso, Salvatore J.; Rothmann, Elizabeth; Mittal, Nitin; Koppen, Sandra Howell

1994-01-01

The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. HiRel consists of interactive graphical input/output programs and four reliability/availability modeling engines that provide analytical and simulative solutions to a wide host of highly reliable fault-tolerant system architectures and is also applicable to electronic systems in general. The tool system was designed at the outset to be compatible with most computing platforms and operating systems, and some programs have been beta tested within the aerospace community for over 8 years. This document is a user's guide for the HiRel graphical preprocessor Graphics Oriented (GO) program. GO is a graphical user interface for the HARP engine that enables the drawing of reliability/availability models on a monitor. A mouse is used to select fault tree gates or Markov graphical symbols from a menu for drawing.

Integrated performance and reliability specification for digital avionics systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brehm, Eric W.; Goettge, Robert T.

1995-01-01

This paper describes an automated tool for performance and reliability assessment of digital avionics systems, called the Automated Design Tool Set (ADTS). ADTS is based on an integrated approach to design assessment that unifies traditional performance and reliability views of system designs, and that addresses interdependencies between performance and reliability behavior via exchange of parameters and result between mathematical models of each type. A multi-layer tool set architecture has been developed for ADTS that separates the concerns of system specification, model generation, and model solution. Performance and reliability models are generated automatically as a function of candidate system designs, and model results are expressed within the system specification. The layered approach helps deal with the inherent complexity of the design assessment process, and preserves long-term flexibility to accommodate a wide range of models and solution techniques within the tool set structure. ADTS research and development to date has focused on development of a language for specification of system designs as a basis for performance and reliability evaluation. A model generation and solution framework has also been developed for ADTS, that will ultimately encompass an integrated set of analytic and simulated based techniques for performance, reliability, and combined design assessment.

Behavioral Response of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to Semiochemicals Deployed Inside and Outside Anthropogenic Structures During the Overwintering Period.

PubMed

Morrison, William R; Acebes-Doria, Angelita; Ogburn, Emily; Kuhar, Thomas P; Walgenbach, James F; Bergh, J Christopher; Nottingham, Louis; Dimeglio, Anthony; Hipkins, Patricia; Leskey, Tracy C

2017-06-01

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive species from Asia capable of causing severe agricultural damage. It can also be a nuisance pest when it enters and exits anthropogenic overwintering sites. In recent years, pheromone lures and traps for H. halys have been developed and used to monitor populations in field studies. To date, no study has investigated the applicability of these monitoring tools for use indoors by building residents during the overwintering period. Herein, we 1) assessed when in late winter (diapause) and spring (postdiapause) H. halys begins to respond to its pheromone (10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol), 2) evaluated whether pheromone-based tools can be used reliably for monitoring H. halys adults in unheated and heated buildings, and 3) elucidated the potential for indoor management using pheromone-baited traps. A 2-yr trapping study suggested that H. halys began to respond reliably to pheromone-baited traps after a critical photoperiod of 13.5 h in the spring. Captures before that point were not correlated with visual counts of bugs in buildings despite robust populations, suggesting currently available pheromone-baited traps were ineffective for surveillance of diapausing H. halys. Finally, because baited traps captured only 8-20% of the adult H. halys known to be present per location, they were not an effective indoor management tool for overwintering H. halys. Our study contributes important knowledge about the capacity of H. halys to perceive its pheromone during overwintering, and the ramifications thereof for building residents with nuisance problems. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

The reliability of a quality appraisal tool for studies of diagnostic reliability (QAREL).

PubMed

Lucas, Nicholas; Macaskill, Petra; Irwig, Les; Moran, Robert; Rickards, Luke; Turner, Robin; Bogduk, Nikolai

2013-09-09

The aim of this project was to investigate the reliability of a new 11-item quality appraisal tool for studies of diagnostic reliability (QAREL). The tool was tested on studies reporting the reliability of any physical examination procedure. The reliability of physical examination is a challenging area to study given the complex testing procedures, the range of tests, and lack of procedural standardisation. Three reviewers used QAREL to independently rate 29 articles, comprising 30 studies, published during 2007. The articles were identified from a search of relevant databases using the following string: "Reproducibility of results (MeSH) OR reliability (t.w.) AND Physical examination (MeSH) OR physical examination (t.w.)." A total of 415 articles were retrieved and screened for inclusion. The reviewers undertook an independent trial assessment prior to data collection, followed by a general discussion about how to score each item. At no time did the reviewers discuss individual papers. Reliability was assessed for each item using multi-rater kappa (κ). Multi-rater reliability estimates ranged from κ = 0.27 to 0.92 across all items. Six items were recorded with good reliability (κ > 0.60), three with moderate reliability (κ = 0.41 - 0.60), and two with fair reliability (κ = 0.21 - 0.40). Raters found it difficult to agree about the spectrum of patients included in a study (Item 1) and the correct application and interpretation of the test (Item 10). In this study, we found that QAREL was a reliable assessment tool for studies of diagnostic reliability when raters agreed upon criteria for the interpretation of each item. Nine out of 11 items had good or moderate reliability, and two items achieved fair reliability. The heterogeneity in the tests included in this study may have resulted in an underestimation of the reliability of these two items. We discuss these and other factors that could affect our results and make recommendations for the use of QAREL.

Non-Invasive Pregnancy Diagnosis in Big Cats using the PGFM (13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α) Assay

PubMed Central

Chandrasekhar, Mithileshwari; Jewgenow, Katarina; Umapathy, Govindhaswamy

2015-01-01

Non-invasive monitoring of hormones using feces has become a vital tool for reproductive management and reliable pregnancy diagnosis in big cats. Previous studies described the PGF2α metabolite (PGFM) as an indicator of pregnancy in various feline species. The present study aimed to standardize pregnancy detection in big cats like the tiger (Panthera tigris), jaguar (Panthera onca) and lion (Panthera leo) using fecal samples. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) were performed to identify PGFM in feces. An EIA developed against 9α,11α-dihydroxy-15-oxo-prost-5-en-1-oic acid-BSA was used to assay PGFM in fecal samples of the Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion and jaguar. The PGFM levels increased after 9 weeks of pregnancy and remained elevated until parturition. All animals showed elevated levels of PGFM in the last trimester of pregnancy, thus making PGFM a reliable tool for pregnancy diagnosis during this period that can be useful in captive breeding programs in these species. PMID:26633886

Towards a publicly available, map-based regional software tool to estimate unregulated daily streamflow at ungauged rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Archfield, Stacey A.; Steeves, Peter A.; Guthrie, John D.; Ries, Kernell G.

2013-01-01

Streamflow information is critical for addressing any number of hydrologic problems. Often, streamflow information is needed at locations that are ungauged and, therefore, have no observations on which to base water management decisions. Furthermore, there has been increasing need for daily streamflow time series to manage rivers for both human and ecological functions. To facilitate negotiation between human and ecological demands for water, this paper presents the first publicly available, map-based, regional software tool to estimate historical, unregulated, daily streamflow time series (streamflow not affected by human alteration such as dams or water withdrawals) at any user-selected ungauged river location. The map interface allows users to locate and click on a river location, which then links to a spreadsheet-based program that computes estimates of daily streamflow for the river location selected. For a demonstration region in the northeast United States, daily streamflow was, in general, shown to be reliably estimated by the software tool. Estimating the highest and lowest streamflows that occurred in the demonstration region over the period from 1960 through 2004 also was accomplished but with more difficulty and limitations. The software tool provides a general framework that can be applied to other regions for which daily streamflow estimates are needed.

Beyond evidence-based nursing: tools for practice.

PubMed

Jutel, Annemarie

2008-05-01

This commentary shares my views of evidence-based nursing as a framework for practice, pointing out its limitations and identifying a wider base of appraisal tools required for making good clinical decisions. As the principles of evidence-based nursing take an increasingly greater hold on nursing education, policy and management, it is important to consider the range of other decision-making tools which are subordinated by this approach. This article summarizes nursing's simultaneous reliance on and critique of evidence-based practice (EBP) in a context of inadequate critical reasoning. It then provides an exemplar of the limitations of evidence-based practice and offers an alternative view of important precepts of decision-making. I identify means by which nurses can develop skills to engage in informed and robust critique of practices and their underpinning rationale. Nurses need to be able to locate and assess useful and reliable information for decision-making. This skill is based on a range of tools which include, but also go beyond EBP including: information literacy, humanities, social sciences, public health, statistics, marketing, ethics and much more. This essay prompts nursing managers to reflect upon whether a flurried enthusiasm to adopt EBP neglects other important decision-making skills which provide an even stronger foundation for robust nursing decisions.

Surgeons' attitude toward a competency-based training and assessment program: results of a multicenter survey.

PubMed

Hopmans, Cornelis J; den Hoed, Pieter T; Wallenburg, Iris; van der Laan, Lijkckle; van der Harst, Erwin; van der Elst, Maarten; Mannaerts, Guido H H; Dawson, Imro; van Lanschot, Jan J B; Ijzermans, Jan N M

2013-01-01

Currently, most surgical training programs are focused on the development and evaluation of professional competencies. Also in the Netherlands, competency-based training and assessment programs were introduced to restructure postgraduate medical training. The current surgical residency program is based on the Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (CanMEDS) competencies and uses assessment tools to evaluate residents' competence progression. In this study, we examined the attitude of surgical residents and attending surgeons toward a competency-based training and assessment program used to restructure general surgical training in the Netherlands in 2009. In 2011, all residents (n = 51) and attending surgeons (n = 108) in 1 training region, consisting of 7 hospitals, were surveyed. Participants were asked to rate the importance of the CanMEDS competencies and the suitability of the adopted assessment tools. Items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale and considered relevant when at least 80% of the respondents rated an item with a score of 4 or 5 (indicating a positive attitude). Reliability was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach's α, and the Mann-Whitney test was applied to assess differences between groups. The response rate was 88% (n = 140). The CanMEDS framework demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.87). However, the importance of the competencies 'Manager' (78%) and 'Health Advocate' (70%) was undervalued. The assessment tools failed to achieve an acceptable reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.55), and individual tools were predominantly considered unsuitable for assessment. Exceptions were the tools 'in-training evaluation report' (91%) and 'objective structured assessment of technical skill' (82%). No significant differences were found between the residents and the attending surgeons. This study has demonstrated that, 2 years after the reform of the general surgical residency program, residents and attending surgeons in a large training region in the Netherlands do not acknowledge the importance of all CanMEDS competencies and consider the assessment tools generally unsuitable for competence evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MedAd-AppQ: A quality assessment tool for medication adherence apps on iOS and android platforms.

PubMed

Ali, Eskinder Eshetu; Teo, Amanda Kai Sin; Goh, Sherlyn Xue Lin; Chew, Lita; Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern

2018-02-02

With the recent proliferation of smartphone medication adherence applications (apps), it is increasingly more difficult for patients and clinicians to identify the most useful app. To develop a quality assessment tool for medication adherence apps, and evaluate the quality of such apps from the major app stores. In this study, a Medication Adherence App Quality assessment tool (MedAd-AppQ) was developed and two evaluators independently assessed apps that fulfilled the following criteria: availability in English, had at least a medication reminder feature, non-specific to certain disease conditions (generic apps), free of technical malfunctions and availability on both the iPhone Operating System (iOS) and Android platforms. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson product moment correlation and Spearman rank-order correlation were used for statistical analysis. MedAd-AppQ was designed to have 24 items (total 43 points) categorized under three sections: content reliability (11 points), feature usefulness (29 points) and feature convenience (3 points). The three sections of MedAd-AppQ were found to have inter-rater correlation coefficients of 0.801 (p-value < .001) or higher. Based on analysis of 52 apps (27 iOS and 25 Android), quality scores ranged between 7/43 (16.3%) and 28/43 (65.1%). There was no significant difference between the quality scores of the Android and iOS versions. None of the apps had features for self-management of side effects. Only two apps in each platform provided disease-related and/or medication information. MedAd-AppQ can be used to reliably assess the quality of adherence apps. Clinicians can use the tool in selecting apps for use by patients. Developers of adherence apps should consider features that provide therapy-related information and help patients in medications and side-effects management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Final Report to the National Energy Technology Laboratory on FY14- FY15 Cooperative Research with the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions

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

Vittal, Vijay; Lampis, Anna Rosa

The Power System Engineering Research Center (PSERC) engages in technological, market, and policy research for an efficient, secure, resilient, adaptable, and economic U.S. electric power system. PSERC, as a founding partner of the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS), conducted a multi-year program of research for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) to develop new methods, tools, and technologies to protect and enhance the reliability and efficiency of the U.S. electric power system as competitive electricity market structures evolve, and as the grid moves toward wide-scale use of decentralized generation (such asmore » renewable energy sources) and demand-response programs. Phase I of OE’s funding for PSERC, under cooperative agreement DE-FC26-09NT43321, started in fiscal year (FY) 2009 and ended in FY2013. It was administered by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) through a cooperative agreement with Arizona State University (ASU). ASU provided sub-awards to the participating PSERC universities. This document is PSERC’s final report to NETL on the activities for OE, conducted through CERTS, from September 2015 through September 2017 utilizing FY 2014 to FY 2015 funding under cooperative agreement DE-OE0000670. PSERC is a thirteen-university consortium with over 30 industry members. Since 1996, PSERC has been engaged in research and education efforts with the mission of “empowering minds to engineer the future electric energy system.” Its work is focused on achieving: • An efficient, secure, resilient, adaptable, and economic electric power infrastructure serving society • A new generation of educated technical professionals in electric power • Knowledgeable decision-makers on critical energy policy issues • Sustained, quality university programs in electric power engineering. PSERC core research is funded by industry, with a budget supporting approximately 30 principal investigators and some 70 graduate students and other researchers. Its researchers are multi-disciplinary, conducting research in three principal areas: power systems, power markets and policy, and transmission and distribution technologies. The research is collaborative; each project involves researchers typically at two universities working with industry advisors who have expressed interest in the project. Examples of topics for recent PSERC research projects include grid integration of renewables and energy storage, new tools for taking advantage of increased penetration of real-time system measurements, advanced system protection methods to maintain grid reliability, and risk and reliability assessment of increasingly complex cyber-enabled power systems. A PSERC’s objective is to proactively address the technical and policy challenges of U.S. electric power systems. To achieve this objective, PSERC works with CERTS to conduct technical research on advanced applications and investigate the design of fair and transparent electricity markets; these research topics align with CERTS research areas 1 and 2: Real-time Grid Reliability Management (Area 1), and Reliability and Markets (Area 2). The CERTS research areas overlap with the PSERC research stems: Power Systems, Power Markets, and Transmission and Distribution Technologies, as described on the PSERC website (see http://www.pserc.org/research/research_program.aspx). The performers were with Arizona State University (ASU), Cornell University (CU), University of California at Berkeley (UCB), and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). PSERC research activities in the area of reliability and markets focused on electric market and power policy analyses. The resulting studies suggest ways to frame best practices using organized markets for managing U.S. grid assets reliably and to identify highest priority areas for improvement. PSERC research activities in the area of advanced applications focused on mid- to long-term software research and development, with anticipated outcomes that move innovative ideas toward real-world application. Under the CERTS research area of Real-time Grid Reliability Management, PSERC has been focused on Advanced Applications Research and Development (AARD), a subgroup of activities that works to develop advanced applications and tools to more effectively operate the electricity delivery system, by enabling advanced analysis, visualization, monitoring and alarming, and decision support capabilities for grid operators.« less

Psychometric properties of the feedback orientation scale among South African salespersons.

PubMed

Lilford, Neil; Caruana, Albert; Pitt, Leyland

2014-02-01

Feedback to employees is an important management tool, and the literature demonstrates that it has a positive effect on learning, motivation, and job performance. This study investigates in a non-U.S. context the psychometric properties of the Feedback Orientation Scale. Data were gathered from a sample of 202 salespersons from a large South African firm within the industrial fuels and lubricants sector. Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for the intended dimensionality, reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the scale.

A Novel Scenario-Based Interview Tool to Evaluate Nontechnical Skills and Competencies in Global Health Delivery.

PubMed

Wroe, Emily B; McBain, Ryan K; Michaelis, Annie; Dunbar, Elizabeth L; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Cancedda, Corrado

2017-08-01

Despite rapid growth in the number of physicians and academic institutions entering the field of global health, there are few tools that inform global health curricula and assess physician readiness for this field. To address this gap, we describe the development and pilot testing of a new tool to assess nontechnical competencies and values in global health. Competencies assessed include systems-based practice, interpersonal and cross-cultural communication, professionalism and self-care, patient care, mentoring, teaching, management, and personal motivation and experience. The Global Health Delivery Competency Assessment Tool presents 15 case vignettes and open-ended questions related to situations a global health practitioner might encounter, and grades the quality of responses on a 6-point ordinal scale. We interviewed 17 of 18 possible global health residents (94%), matched with 17 residents not training in global health, for a total of 34 interviews. A second reviewer independently scored recordings of 13 interviews for reliability. Pilot testing indicated a high degree of discriminant validity, as measured by the instrument's ability to distinguish between residents who were and were not enrolled in a global health program ( P  < .001). It also demonstrated acceptable consistency, as assessed by interrater reliability (κ = 0.53), with a range of item-level agreement from 84%-96%. The tool has potential applicability to a variety of academic and programmatic activities, including evaluation of candidates for global health positions and evaluating the success of training programs in equipping practitioners for entry into this field.

Reliable and valid tools for measuring surgeons' teaching performance: residents' vs. self evaluation.

PubMed

Boerebach, Benjamin C M; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Busch, Olivier R C; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

2012-01-01

In surgical education, there is a need for educational performance evaluation tools that yield reliable and valid data. This paper describes the development and validation of robust evaluation tools that provide surgeons with insight into their clinical teaching performance. We investigated (1) the reliability and validity of 2 tools for evaluating the teaching performance of attending surgeons in residency training programs, and (2) whether surgeons' self evaluation correlated with the residents' evaluation of those surgeons. We surveyed 343 surgeons and 320 residents as part of a multicenter prospective cohort study of faculty teaching performance in residency training programs. The reliability and validity of the SETQ (System for Evaluation Teaching Qualities) tools were studied using standard psychometric techniques. We then estimated the correlations between residents' and surgeons' evaluations. The response rate was 87% among surgeons and 84% among residents, yielding 2625 residents' evaluations and 302 self evaluations. The SETQ tools yielded reliable and valid data on 5 domains of surgical teaching performance, namely, learning climate, professional attitude towards residents, communication of goals, evaluation of residents, and feedback. The correlations between surgeons' self and residents' evaluations were low, with coefficients ranging from 0.03 for evaluation of residents to 0.18 for communication of goals. The SETQ tools for the evaluation of surgeons' teaching performance appear to yield reliable and valid data. The lack of strong correlations between surgeons' self and residents' evaluations suggest the need for using external feedback sources in informed self evaluation of surgeons. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Engineered nanomaterials: toward effective safety management in research laboratories.

PubMed

Groso, Amela; Petri-Fink, Alke; Rothen-Rutishauser, Barbara; Hofmann, Heinrich; Meyer, Thierry

2016-03-15

It is still unknown which types of nanomaterials and associated doses represent an actual danger to humans and environment. Meanwhile, there is consensus on applying the precautionary principle to these novel materials until more information is available. To deal with the rapid evolution of research, including the fast turnover of collaborators, a user-friendly and easy-to-apply risk assessment tool offering adequate preventive and protective measures has to be provided. Based on new information concerning the hazards of engineered nanomaterials, we improved a previously developed risk assessment tool by following a simple scheme to gain in efficiency. In the first step, using a logical decision tree, one of the three hazard levels, from H1 to H3, is assigned to the nanomaterial. Using a combination of decision trees and matrices, the second step links the hazard with the emission and exposure potential to assign one of the three nanorisk levels (Nano 3 highest risk; Nano 1 lowest risk) to the activity. These operations are repeated at each process step, leading to the laboratory classification. The third step provides detailed preventive and protective measures for the determined level of nanorisk. We developed an adapted simple and intuitive method for nanomaterial risk management in research laboratories. It allows classifying the nanoactivities into three levels, additionally proposing concrete preventive and protective measures and associated actions. This method is a valuable tool for all the participants in nanomaterial safety. The users experience an essential learning opportunity and increase their safety awareness. Laboratory managers have a reliable tool to obtain an overview of the operations involving nanomaterials in their laboratories; this is essential, as they are responsible for the employee safety, but are sometimes unaware of the works performed. Bringing this risk to a three-band scale (like other types of risks such as biological, radiation, chemical, etc.) facilitates the management for occupational health and safety specialists. Institutes and school managers can obtain the necessary information to implement an adequate safety management system. Having an easy-to-use tool enables a dialog between all these partners, whose semantic and priorities in terms of safety are often different.

Reliability based design optimization: Formulations and methodologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Harish

Modern products ranging from simple components to complex systems should be designed to be optimal and reliable. The challenge of modern engineering is to ensure that manufacturing costs are reduced and design cycle times are minimized while achieving requirements for performance and reliability. If the market for the product is competitive, improved quality and reliability can generate very strong competitive advantages. Simulation based design plays an important role in designing almost any kind of automotive, aerospace, and consumer products under these competitive conditions. Single discipline simulations used for analysis are being coupled together to create complex coupled simulation tools. This investigation focuses on the development of efficient and robust methodologies for reliability based design optimization in a simulation based design environment. Original contributions of this research are the development of a novel efficient and robust unilevel methodology for reliability based design optimization, the development of an innovative decoupled reliability based design optimization methodology, the application of homotopy techniques in unilevel reliability based design optimization methodology, and the development of a new framework for reliability based design optimization under epistemic uncertainty. The unilevel methodology for reliability based design optimization is shown to be mathematically equivalent to the traditional nested formulation. Numerical test problems show that the unilevel methodology can reduce computational cost by at least 50% as compared to the nested approach. The decoupled reliability based design optimization methodology is an approximate technique to obtain consistent reliable designs at lesser computational expense. Test problems show that the methodology is computationally efficient compared to the nested approach. A framework for performing reliability based design optimization under epistemic uncertainty is also developed. A trust region managed sequential approximate optimization methodology is employed for this purpose. Results from numerical test studies indicate that the methodology can be used for performing design optimization under severe uncertainty.

Reliability testing of a portfolio assessment tool for postgraduate family medicine training in South Africa

PubMed Central

Mash, Bob; Derese, Anselme

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Competency-based education and the validity and reliability of workplace-based assessment of postgraduate trainees have received increasing attention worldwide. Family medicine was recognised as a speciality in South Africa six years ago and a satisfactory portfolio of learning is a prerequisite to sit the national exit exam. A massive scaling up of the number of family physicians is needed in order to meet the health needs of the country. Aim The aim of this study was to develop a reliable, robust and feasible portfolio assessment tool (PAT) for South Africa. Methods Six raters each rated nine portfolios from the Stellenbosch University programme, using the PAT, to test for inter-rater reliability. This rating was repeated three months later to determine test–retest reliability. Following initial analysis and feedback the PAT was modified and the inter-rater reliability again assessed on nine new portfolios. An acceptable intra-class correlation was considered to be > 0.80. Results The total score was found to be reliable, with a coefficient of 0.92. For test–retest reliability, the difference in mean total score was 1.7%, which was not statistically significant. Amongst the subsections, only assessment of the educational meetings and the logbook showed reliability coefficients > 0.80. Conclusion This was the first attempt to develop a reliable, robust and feasible national portfolio assessment tool to assess postgraduate family medicine training in the South African context. The tool was reliable for the total score, but the low reliability of several sections in the PAT helped us to develop 12 recommendations regarding the use of the portfolio, the design of the PAT and the training of raters.

Implementation and validation of a conceptual benchmarking framework for patient blood management.

PubMed

Kastner, Peter; Breznik, Nada; Gombotz, Hans; Hofmann, Axel; Schreier, Günter

2015-01-01

Public health authorities and healthcare professionals are obliged to ensure high quality health service. Because of the high variability of the utilisation of blood and blood components, benchmarking is indicated in transfusion medicine. Implementation and validation of a benchmarking framework for Patient Blood Management (PBM) based on the report from the second Austrian Benchmark trial. Core modules for automatic report generation have been implemented with KNIME (Konstanz Information Miner) and validated by comparing the output with the results of the second Austrian benchmark trial. Delta analysis shows a deviation <0.1% for 95% (max. 1.4%). The framework provides a reliable tool for PBM benchmarking. The next step is technical integration with hospital information systems.

Apps for asthma self-management: a systematic assessment of content and tools

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Apps have been enthusiastically adopted by the general public. They are increasingly recognized by policy-makers as a potential medium for supporting self-management of long-term conditions. We assessed the degree to which current smartphone and tablet apps for people with asthma offer content and tools of appropriate quality to support asthma self-management. Methods We adapted systematic review methodology to the assessment of apps. We identified English-language asthma apps for all ages through a systematic search of official app stores. We systematically assessed app content using criteria derived from international guidelines and systematic review of strategies for asthma self-management. We covered three domains: comprehensiveness of asthma information, consistency of advice with evidence and compliance with health information best practice principles. Results We identified 103 apps for asthma in English, of which 56 were sources of information about the condition and 47 provided tools for the management of asthma. No apps offered both types of functionality. Only three information apps approached our definition of comprehensiveness of information about asthma. No apps provided advice on lay management of acute asthma that included details of appropriate reliever medication use. In 32 of 72 instances, apps made unequivocal recommendations about strategies for asthma control or prophylaxis that were unsupported by current evidence. Although 90% of apps stated a clear purpose, compliance with other best practice principles for health information was variable. Contact details were located for 55%, funding source for 18% and confidentiality policy for 17%. Conclusions No apps for people with asthma combined reliable, comprehensive information about the condition with supportive tools for self-management. Healthcare professionals considering recommending apps to patients as part of asthma self-management should exercise caution, recognizing that some apps like calculators may be unsafe; that no current app will meet the need of every patient; and that ways of working must be adapted if apps are to be introduced, supported and sustained in routine care. Policy-makers need to consider the potential role for assurance mechanisms in relation to apps. There remains much to be done if apps are to find broad use in clinical practice; clinicians cannot recommend tools that are inaccurate, unsafe or lack an evidence base. PMID:23171675

Evaluation of a multimodal, distance learning HIV management course for clinical care providers in India.

PubMed

Chang, Larry William; Kadam, Dileep B; Sangle, Shashi; Narayanan, Shivakumar; Borse, Rohidas T; McKenzie-White, Jane; Bowen, Craig W; Sisson, Stephen D; Bollinger, Robert C

2012-01-01

Distance learning is an important tool for training HIV health workers. However, there is limited evidence on design and evaluation of distance learning HIV curricula and tools. We therefore designed, implemented, and evaluated a distance learning course on HIV management for clinical care providers in India. After course completion, participant scores rose significantly from a pretest (78.4% mean correct) compared with the posttest (87.5%, P < .001). After course completion, participants were more likely to be confident in starting an initial antiretroviral (ARV) regimen, understanding ARV toxicities, encouraging patient adherence, diagnosing immune reconstitution syndrome, and monitoring patients on ARV medications (P ≤ .05). All participants (100%) strongly agreed/agreed that they would recommend this course to others, and most of them (96%) strongly agreed/agreed that they would take a course in this format again. A pragmatic approach to HIV curriculum development and evaluation resulted in reliable learning outcomes, as well as learner satisfaction and improvement in knowledge.

The personal health record: consumers banking on their health.

PubMed

Ball, Marion J; Costin, Melinda Y; Lehmann, Christoph

2008-01-01

With personal health records (PHRs) acting much like ATM cards, increasingly wired consumers can "bank on health", accessing their own personal health information and a wide array of services. Consumer-owned, the PHR is dependent upon the existence of the legal electronic medical record (EMR) and interoperability. Working PHRs are in place in Veterans Health Administration, private health care institutions, and in the commercial sector. By allowing consumers to become involved in their own care, the PHR creates new roles and relationships. New tools change the clinician's workflow and thought flow, and pose new challenges for consumers. Key components of the PHR include the EMR and regional health information organizations (RHIOs); key strategies focus on human factors in successful project management. Online resources provided by the National Library of Medicine and Health On the Net help address consumer needs for information that is reliable and understandable. The growth of self-management tools adds to the challenge and the promise of PHRs for clinicians and consumers alike.

Frequency Domain Reflectometry Modeling and Measurement for Nondestructive Evaluation of Nuclear Power Plant Cables

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

Glass, Samuel W.; Fifield, Leonard S.; Jones, Anthony M.

Cable insulation polymers are among the more susceptible materials to age-related degradation within a nuclear power plant. This is recognized by both regulators and utilities, so all plants have developed cable aging management programs to detect damage before critical component failure in compliance with regulatory guidelines. Although a wide range of tools are available to evaluate cables and cable systems, cable aging management programs vary in how condition monitoring and NDE is conducted as utilities search for the most reliable and cost-effective ways to assess cable system condition. Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) is emerging as one valuable tool to locatemore » and assess damaged portions of a cable system with minimal cost and only requires access in most cases to one of the cable terminal ends. This work examines a physics-based model of a cable system and relates it to FDR measurements for a better understanding of specific damage influences on defect detectability.« less

HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 4: HARP Output (HARPO) graphics display user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sproles, Darrell W.; Bavuso, Salvatore J.

1994-01-01

The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. HiRel consists of interactive graphical input/output programs and four reliability/availability modeling engines that provide analytical and simulative solutions to a wide host of highly reliable fault-tolerant system architectures and is also applicable to electronic systems in general. The tool system was designed at the outset to be compatible with most computing platforms and operating systems and some programs have been beta tested within the aerospace community for over 8 years. This document is a user's guide for the HiRel graphical postprocessor program HARPO (HARP Output). HARPO reads ASCII files generated by HARP. It provides an interactive plotting capability that can be used to display alternate model data for trade-off analyses. File data can also be imported to other commercial software programs.

Test-Retest Reliability of a Serious Game for Delirium Screening in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Tong, Tiffany; Chignell, Mark; Tierney, Mary C; Lee, Jacques S

2016-01-01

Introduction: Cognitive screening in settings such as emergency departments (ED) is frequently carried out using paper-and-pencil tests that require administration by trained staff. These assessments often compete with other clinical duties and thus may not be routinely administered in these busy settings. Literature has shown that the presence of cognitive impairments such as dementia and delirium are often missed in older ED patients. Failure to recognize delirium can have devastating consequences including increased mortality (Kakuma et al., 2003). Given the demands on emergency staff, an automated cognitive test to screen for delirium onset could be a valuable tool to support delirium prevention and management. In earlier research we examined the concurrent validity of a serious game, and carried out an initial assessment of its potential as a delirium screening tool (Tong et al., 2016). In this paper, we examine the test-retest reliability of the game, as it is an important criterion in a cognitive test for detecting risk of delirium onset. Objective: To demonstrate the test-retest reliability of the screening tool over time in a clinical sample of older emergency patients. A secondary objective is to assess whether there are practice effects that might make game performance unstable over repeated presentations. Materials and Methods: Adults over the age of 70 were recruited from a hospital ED. Each patient played our serious game in an initial session soon after they arrived in the ED, and in follow up sessions conducted at 8-h intervals (for each participant there were up to five follow up sessions, depending on how long the person stayed in the ED). Results: A total of 114 adults (61 females, 53 males) between the ages of 70 and 104 years ( M = 81 years, SD = 7) participated in our study after screening out delirious patients. We observed a test-retest reliability of the serious game (as assessed by correlation r -values) between 0.5 and 0.8 across adjacent sessions. Conclusion: The game-based assessment for cognitive screening has relatively strong test-retest reliability and little evidence of practice effects among elderly emergency patients, and may be a useful supplement to existing cognitive assessment methods.

Development and validation of a tool to assess knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines among students in Greece: The ATtitude TOwards GENerics (ATTOGEN) questionnaire.

PubMed

Domeyer, Philip J; Aletras, Vassilis; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Katsari, Vasiliki; Niakas, Dimitris

2017-01-01

The use of generic medicines is a cost-effective policy, often dictated by fiscal restraints. To our knowledge, no fully validated tool exploring the students' knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines exists. The aim of our study was to develop and validate a questionnaire exploring the knowledge and attitudes of M.Sc. in Health Care Management students and recent alumni's towards generic drugs in Greece. The development of the questionnaire was a result of literature review and pilot-testing of its preliminary versions to researchers and students. The final version of the questionnaire contains 18 items measuring the respondents' knowledge and attitude towards generic medicines on a 5-point Likert scale. Given the ordinal nature of the data, ordinal alpha and polychoric correlations were computed. The sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analysis, performed in the first sample, was used for the creation of multi-item scales. Confirmatory factor analysis and Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Model analysis (GLLAMM) with the use of the rating scale model were used in the second sample to assess goodness of fit. An assessment of internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity was also performed. Among 1402 persons contacted, 986 persons completed our questionnaire (response rate = 70.3%). Overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.871. The conjoint use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a six-scale model, which seemed to fit the data well. Five of the six scales, namely trust, drug quality, state audit, fiscal impact and drug substitution were found to be valid and reliable, while the knowledge scale suffered only from low inter-scale correlations and a ceiling effect. However, the subsequent confirmatory factor and GLLAMM analyses indicated a good fit of the model to the data. The ATTOGEN instrument proved to be a reliable and valid tool, suitable for assessing students' knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines.

The Universal Design for Play Tool: Establishing Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruffino, Amy Goetz; Mistrett, Susan G.; Tomita, Machiko; Hajare, Poonam

2006-01-01

The Universal Design for Play (UDP) Tool is an instrument designed to evaluate the presence of universal design (UD) features in toys. This study evaluated its psychometric properties, including content validity, construct validity, and test-retest reliability. The UDP tool was designed to assist in selecting toys most appropriate for children…

The Takei Handheld Dynamometer: An Effective Clinical Outcome Measure Tool for Hand and Wrist Function in Boxing.

PubMed

Gatt, Ian; Smith-Moore, Sophie; Steggles, Charlie; Loosemore, Mike

2018-05-01

The aim of this article was to explore retrospectively the Takei dynamometer as a valid and reliable outcome measure tool for hand and wrist pathology in the Great Britain amateur boxing squad between 2010 and 2014. Longitudinal retrospective injury surveillance of the Great Britain boxing squad was performed from 2010 to 2014. The location, region affected, description, and duration of each injury were recorded by the team doctor and team physiotherapists. For each significant injury, we recorded hand grip scores using the Takei handheld dynamometer and compared the scores with baseline measures. At the hand, fractures and dislocations were highly detected with an average difference of 40.2% ( P < .05) when comparing postinjury to baseline measures. At the wrist, carpometacarpal and carpal joint injuries were highly detected with an average difference of 32.6% ( P < .05). Other injuries provided varied results. In the absence of pathology, up to 15% difference between left and right scores can be considered normal with a predominance observed below 10%. A difference of 20% can be indicative of a form of pathology, although pathologies can also be present with lower difference or no apparent changes. A difference of >20% should be highly considered for significant pathology. The Takei dynamometer is a valid and reliable outcome measure tool for hand and wrist pathologies in boxing. Our study highlights the importance of appropriate clinical tools to guide injury management in this sport.

The PEDro scale had acceptably high convergent validity, construct validity, and interrater reliability in evaluating methodological quality of pharmaceutical trials.

PubMed

Yamato, Tie Parma; Maher, Chris; Koes, Bart; Moseley, Anne

2017-06-01

The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale has been widely used to investigate methodological quality in physiotherapy randomized controlled trials; however, its validity has not been tested for pharmaceutical trials. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and interrater reliability of the PEDro scale for pharmaceutical trials. The reliability was also examined for the Cochrane Back and Neck (CBN) Group risk of bias tool. This is a secondary analysis of data from a previous study. We considered randomized placebo controlled trials evaluating any pain medication for chronic spinal pain or osteoarthritis. Convergent validity was evaluated by correlating the PEDro score with the summary score of the CBN risk of bias tool. The construct validity was tested using a linear regression analysis to determine the degree to which the total PEDro score is associated with treatment effect sizes, journal impact factor, and the summary score for the CBN risk of bias tool. The interrater reliability was estimated using the Prevalence and Bias Adjusted Kappa coefficient and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the PEDro scale and CBN risk of bias tool. Fifty-three trials were included, with 91 treatment effect sizes included in the analyses. The correlation between PEDro scale and CBN risk of bias tool was 0.83 (95% CI 0.76-0.88) after adjusting for reliability, indicating strong convergence. The PEDro score was inversely associated with effect sizes, significantly associated with the summary score for the CBN risk of bias tool, and not associated with the journal impact factor. The interrater reliability for each item of the PEDro scale and CBN risk of bias tool was at least substantial for most items (>0.60). The intraclass correlation coefficient for the PEDro score was 0.80 (95% CI 0.68-0.88), and for the CBN, risk of bias tool was 0.81 (95% CI 0.69-0.88). There was evidence for the convergent and construct validity for the PEDro scale when used to evaluate methodological quality of pharmacological trials. Both risk of bias tools have acceptably high interrater reliability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Double strand RNA delivery system for plant-sap-feeding insects

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Saikat Kumar B.; Hunter, Wayne B.; Park, Alexis L.; Gundersen-Rindal, Dawn E.

2017-01-01

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing, also known as RNA interference (RNAi), has been a breakthrough technology for functional genomic studies and represents a potential tool for the management of insect pests. Since the inception of RNAi numerous studies documented successful introduction of exogenously synthesized dsRNA or siRNA into an organism triggering highly efficient gene silencing through the degradation of endogenous RNA homologous to the presented siRNA. Managing hemipteran insect pests, especially Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is critical to food productivity. BMSB was recently introduced into North America where it is both an invasive agricultural pest of high value specialty, row, and staple crops, as well as an indoor nuisance pest. RNAi technology may serve as a viable tool to manage this voracious pest, but delivery of dsRNA to piercing-sucking insects has posed a tremendous challenge. Effective and practical use of RNAi as molecular biopesticides for biocontrol of insects like BMSB in the environment requires that dsRNAs be delivered in vivo through ingestion. Therefore, the key challenge for molecular biologists in developing insect-specific molecular biopesticides is to find effective and reliable methods for practical delivery of stable dsRNAs such as through oral ingestion. Here demonstrated is a reliable delivery system of effective insect-specific dsRNAs through oral feeding through a new delivery system to induce a significant decrease in expression of targeted genes such as JHAMT and Vg. This state-of-the-art delivery method overcomes environmental delivery challenges so that RNAi is induced through insect-specific dsRNAs orally delivered to hemipteran and other insect pests. PMID:28182760

Development of ecological indicator guilds for land management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krzysik, A.J.; Balbach, H.E.; Duda, J.J.; Emlen, J.M.; Freeman, D.C.; Graham, J.H.; Kovacic, D.A.; Smith, L.M.; Zak, J.C.

2005-01-01

Agency land-use must be efficiently and cost-effectively monitored to assess conditions and trends in ecosystem processes and natural resources relevant to mission requirements and legal mandates. Ecological Indicators represent important land management tools for tracking ecological changes and preventing irreversible environmental damage in disturbed landscapes. The overall objective of the research was to develop both individual and integrated sets (i.e., statistically derived guilds) of Ecological Indicators to: quantify habitat conditions and trends, track and monitor ecological changes, provide early warning or threshold detection, and provide guidance for land managers. The derivation of Ecological Indicators was based on statistical criteria, ecosystem relevance, reliability and robustness, economy and ease of use for land managers, multi-scale performance, and stress response criteria. The basis for the development of statistically based Ecological Indicators was the identification of ecosystem metrics that analytically tracked a landscape disturbance gradient.

[Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric tests of a self-efficacy scale and an adherence scale for French adolescents with Type 1 diabetes

PubMed

Colson, Sébastien; Coté, José; Collombier, Madeleine; Debout, Christophe; Bonnel, Galadriel; Reynaud, Rachel; Lagouanelle-Simeoni, Marie-Claude

2016-12-01

Introduction : many structured educational programs, using the concept of self-efficacy, have been studied in English-speaking countries. Background : tools were developed in English to assess this concept along with treatment adherence. However, there seems to be no French version of these tools in scientific literature. Aim : to adapt the tools to the French language and to test the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Self-Management (SEDM) and the Diabetes Self-Management Profile (DSMP). Methods : a cross-cultural adaptation of the SEDM and DSMP in French was performed. The psychometric properties were tested in a pilot study that took place between January 1st and December 31st, 2015. Results : Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of SEDM in French was 0.84, test-retest reliability 0.80 and sensitivity to change was moderate. The Cronbach’s alpha and sensitivity to change of the French DSMP were low, and the test-retest was 0.71. Discussion and conclusions : the first results of the psychometric properties of French SEDM were rather encouraging. The use of the French version of DSMP seems compromised in terms of psychometric properties and the opinion of the participants.

Changes in water quality along the course of a river - Classic monitoring versus patrol monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Absalon, Damian; Kryszczuk, Paweł; Rutkiewicz, Paweł

2017-11-01

Monitoring of water quality is a tool necessary to assess the condition of waterbodies in order to properly formulate water management plans. The paper presents the results of patrol monitoring of a 40-kilometre stretch of the Oder between Racibórz and Koźle. It has been established that patrol monitoring is a good tool for verifying the distribution of points of classic stationary monitoring, particularly in areas subject to varied human impact, where tributaries of the main river are very diversified as regards hydrochemistry. For this reason the results of operational monitoring carried out once every few years may not be reliable and the presented condition of the monitored waterbodies may be far from reality.

Validation of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) in Cantonese-speaking Chinese patients.

PubMed

Cheung, Michelle N; Ning, Michelle Cheung; Wong, Tony C M; Ming, Tony Wong Chi; Yap, Jacqueline C M; Mae, Jacqueline Yap Chooi; Chen, Phoon P; Ping, Chen Phoon

2008-09-01

Acceptance of chronic pain has become an important concept in understanding and predicting that chronic pain sufferers can remain engaged with meaningful aspects of life. Assessment of acceptance has been facilitated by the development of Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ). In this study, we aimed to test the reliability and validity of translated Chinese version of CPAQ to use this important tool in the future management of Hong Kong Chinese patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. Content validity was established by consensus formed among a panel of 5 experts in clinical psychology and pain specialty during the process of forward and backward translations. Test-retest reliability was examined by completing the Chinese CPAQ twice, 2 weeks apart, by 54 patients. A total of 224 Chinese patients with chronic nonmalignant pain attending our cluster multidisciplinary pain clinic were asked to complete a battery of psychometric instruments in Chinese, including an intake form for demographic data, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS), Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF-36), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ). Analysis results showed that Chinese CPAQ had good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.79) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.79). The Chinese CPAQ score was significantly correlated to anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, pain self-efficacy, and physical and psychosocial disability. Scree plot and Principal Components Factor analysis confirmed the same 2-factor construct as the original English CPAQ. Construct validity of the Chinese CPAQ can therefore be supported. In conclusion, the Chinese CPAQ is a reliable clinical assessment tool with valid construct for acceptance measurement in our heterogeneous Chinese patients sample with chronic nonmalignant pain. This article confirms the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the CPAQ. The Chinese CPAQ can then be used by pain clinicians caring for Chinese chronic pain patients worldwide for acceptance-based psychometric assessment as well as therapies.

Thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes in fractured-porous media: Benchmarks and examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolditz, O.; Shao, H.; Görke, U.; Kalbacher, T.; Bauer, S.; McDermott, C. I.; Wang, W.

2012-12-01

The book comprises an assembly of benchmarks and examples for porous media mechanics collected over the last twenty years. Analysis of thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes is essential to many applications in environmental engineering, such as geological waste deposition, geothermal energy utilisation, carbon capture and storage, water resources management, hydrology, even climate change. In order to assess the feasibility as well as the safety of geotechnical applications, process-based modelling is the only tool to put numbers, i.e. to quantify future scenarios. This charges a huge responsibility concerning the reliability of computational tools. Benchmarking is an appropriate methodology to verify the quality of modelling tools based on best practices. Moreover, benchmarking and code comparison foster community efforts. The benchmark book is part of the OpenGeoSys initiative - an open source project to share knowledge and experience in environmental analysis and scientific computation.

NASA Engineering and Technology Advancement Office: A proposal to the administrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulze, Norman R.

1993-01-01

NASA has continually had problems with cost, schedule, performance, reliability, quality, and safety aspects in programs. Past solutions have not provided the answers needed, and a major change is needed in the way of doing business. A new approach is presented for consideration. These problems are all engineering matters, and therefore, require engineering solutions. Proper engineering tools are needed to fix engineering problems. Headquarters is responsible for providing the management structure to support programs with appropriate engineering tools. A guide to define those tools and an approach for putting them into place is provided. Recommendations include establishing a new Engineering and Technology Advancement Office, requesting a review of this proposal by the Administrator since this subject requires a top level decision. There has been a wide peer review conducted by technical staff at Headquarters, the Field Installations, and others in industry as discussed.

Forecasting municipal solid waste generation using prognostic tools and regression analysis.

PubMed

Ghinea, Cristina; Drăgoi, Elena Niculina; Comăniţă, Elena-Diana; Gavrilescu, Marius; Câmpean, Teofil; Curteanu, Silvia; Gavrilescu, Maria

2016-11-01

For an adequate planning of waste management systems the accurate forecast of waste generation is an essential step, since various factors can affect waste trends. The application of predictive and prognosis models are useful tools, as reliable support for decision making processes. In this paper some indicators such as: number of residents, population age, urban life expectancy, total municipal solid waste were used as input variables in prognostic models in order to predict the amount of solid waste fractions. We applied Waste Prognostic Tool, regression analysis and time series analysis to forecast municipal solid waste generation and composition by considering the Iasi Romania case study. Regression equations were determined for six solid waste fractions (paper, plastic, metal, glass, biodegradable and other waste). Accuracy Measures were calculated and the results showed that S-curve trend model is the most suitable for municipal solid waste (MSW) prediction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cause-and-effect mapping of critical events.

PubMed

Graves, Krisanne; Simmons, Debora; Galley, Mark D

2010-06-01

Health care errors are routinely reported in the scientific and public press and have become a major concern for most Americans. In learning to identify and analyze errors health care can develop some of the skills of a learning organization, including the concept of systems thinking. Modern experts in improving quality have been working in other high-risk industries since the 1920s making structured organizational changes through various frameworks for quality methods including continuous quality improvement and total quality management. When using these tools, it is important to understand systems thinking and the concept of processes within organization. Within these frameworks of improvement, several tools can be used in the analysis of errors. This article introduces a robust tool with a broad analytical view consistent with systems thinking, called CauseMapping (ThinkReliability, Houston, TX, USA), which can be used to systematically analyze the process and the problem at the same time. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship Between the Customer Relationship Management and Patients' Loyalty to Hospitals.

PubMed

Hajikhani, Shadi; Tabibi, Seyed Jamaledin; Riahi, Leila

2015-06-25

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with its various components has been considered as a tool causing customers' loyalty. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the various components of customer relationship management and patients' loyalty to the place of their treatment. This cross sectional and descriptive-analytical study was conducted among nurses and hospitalized patients in inpatient wards in selected hospitals in 2014. Using the stratified random sampling method, 224 valid and reliable researcher-drafted questionnaires were completed for CRM by nurses and 359 questionnaires were completed by patients for patients' loyalty in the studied wards. Data were analyzed using the SPSS(20) software. There was no statistically significant relationship between the level of patients' loyalty and organizational indicators, information technology and knowledge management (P Value>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant relationship between loyalty and the dimensions of the service process (P Value=0.04), human resources (P Value=0.002) and CRM (P Value=0.038). The strength of these relationships were 34, 40 and 36 percent, respectively all of which were positive. Customer Relationship Management is a tool for improving influencing factors on patients' satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, attempts to implement customer relationship management as a process for improving hospitals performance and improving communication between service providers in hospitals and customers leading to enhance patients' loyalty should be taken into account by managers and policy makers in the health sectors.

The Relationship Between the Customer Relationship Management and Patients’ Loyalty to Hospitals

PubMed Central

Hajikhani, Shadi; Tabibi, Seyed Jamaledin; Riahi, Leila

2016-01-01

Background and Aim: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with its various components has been considered as a tool causing customers’ loyalty. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the various components of customer relationship management and patients’ loyalty to the place of their treatment. Methods: This cross sectional and descriptive-analytical study was conducted among nurses and hospitalized patients in inpatient wards in selected hospitals in 2014. Using the stratified random sampling method, 224 valid and reliable researcher-drafted questionnaires were completed for CRM by nurses and 359 questionnaires were completed by patients for patients’ loyalty in the studied wards. Data were analyzed using the SPSS20 software. Results: There was no statistically significant relationship between the level of patients’ loyalty and organizational indicators, information technology and knowledge management (P Value>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant relationship between loyalty and the dimensions of the service process (P Value=0.04), human resources (P Value=0.002) and CRM (P Value=0.038). The strength of these relationships were 34, 40 and 36 percent, respectively all of which were positive. Conclusion: Customer Relationship Management is a tool for improving influencing factors on patients’ satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, attempts to implement customer relationship management as a process for improving hospitals performance and improving communication between service providers in hospitals and customers leading to enhance patients’ loyalty should be taken into account by managers and policy makers in the health sectors. PMID:26493416

Dual-Use Aspects of System Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owens, P. R.; Jambor, B. J.; Eger, G. W.; Clark, W. A.

1994-01-01

System Health Management functionality is an essential part of any space launch system. Health management functionality is an integral part of mission reliability, since it is needed to verify the reliability before the mission starts. Health Management is also a key factor in life cycle cost reduction and in increasing system availability. The degree of coverage needed by the system and the degree of coverage made available at a reasonable cost are critical parameters of a successful design. These problems are not unique to the launch vehicle world. In particular, the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System, commercial aircraft systems, train systems, and many types of industrial production facilities require various degrees of system health management. In all of these applications, too, the designers must balance the benefits and costs of health management in order to optimize costs. The importance of an integrated system is emphasized. That is, we present the case for considering health management as an integral part of system design, rather than functionality to be added on at the end of the design process. The importance of maintaining the system viewpoint is discussed in making hardware and software tradeoffs and in arriving at design decisions. We describe an approach to determine the parameters to be monitored in any system health management application. This approach is based on Design of Experiments (DOE), prototyping, failure modes and effects analyses, cost modeling and discrete event simulation. The various computer-based tools that facilitate the approach are discussed. The approach described originally was used to develop a fault tolerant avionics architecture for launch vehicles that incorporated health management as an integral part of the system. Finally, we discuss generalizing the technique to apply it to other domains. Several illustrations are presented.

A Tool for Measuring Active Learning in the Classroom

PubMed Central

Devlin, John W.; Kirwin, Jennifer L.; Qualters, Donna M.

2007-01-01

Objectives To develop a valid and reliable active-learning inventory tool for use in large classrooms and compare faculty perceptions of active-learning using the Active-Learning Inventory Tool. Methods The Active-Learning Inventory Tool was developed using published literature and validated by national experts in educational research. Reliability was established by trained faculty members who used the Active-Learning Inventory Tool to observe 9 pharmacy lectures. Instructors were then interviewed to elicit perceptions regarding active learning and asked to share their perceptions. Results Per lecture, 13 (range: 4-34) episodes of active learning encompassing 3 (range: 2-5) different types of active learning occurred over 2.2 minutes (0.6-16) per episode. Both interobserver (≥87%) and observer-instructor agreement (≥68%) were high for these outcomes. Conclusions The Active-Learning Inventory Tool is a valid and reliable tool to measure active learning in the classroom. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of the Active-Learning Inventory Tool on teaching and its usefulness in other disciplines. PMID:17998982

A prospective study assessing agreement and reliability of a geriatric evaluation.

PubMed

Locatelli, Isabella; Monod, Stéfanie; Cornuz, Jacques; Büla, Christophe J; Senn, Nicolas

2017-07-19

The present study takes place within a geriatric program, aiming at improving the diagnosis and management of geriatric syndromes in primary care. Within this program it was of prime importance to be able to rely on a robust and reproducible geriatric consultation to use as a gold standard for evaluating a primary care brief assessment tool. The specific objective of the present study was thus assessing the agreement and reliability of a comprehensive geriatric consultation. The study was conducted at the outpatient clinic of the Service of Geriatric Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. All community-dwelling older persons aged 70 years and above were eligible. Patients were excluded if they hadn't a primary care physician, they were unable to speak French, or they were already assessed by a geriatrician within the last 12 months. A set of 9 geriatricians evaluated 20 patients. Each patient was assessed twice within a 2-month delay. Geriatric consultations were based on a structured evaluation process, leading to rating the following geriatric conditions: functional, cognitive, visual, and hearing impairment, mood disorders, risk of fall, osteoporosis, malnutrition, and urinary incontinence. Reliability and agreement estimates on each of these items were obtained using a three-way Intraclass Correlation and a three-way Observed Disagreement index. The latter allowed a decomposition of overall disagreement into disagreements due to each source of error variability (visit, rater and random). Agreement ranged between 0.62 and 0.85. For most domains, geriatrician-related error variability explained an important proportion of disagreement. Reliability ranged between 0 and 0.8. It was poor/moderate for visual impairment, malnutrition and risk of fall, and good/excellent for functional/cognitive/hearing impairment, osteoporosis, incontinence and mood disorders. Six out of nine items of the geriatric consultation described in this study (functional/cognitive/hearing impairment, osteoporosis, incontinence and mood disorders) present a good to excellent reliability and can safely be used as a reference (gold standard) to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a primary care brief assessment tool. More objective/significant measures are needed to improve reliability of malnutrition, visual impairment, and risk of fall assessment before they can serve as a safe gold standard of a primary care tool.

The Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Survey (CHAPS): Validity testing and characteristics of a rural population with pain

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Objectives Little is known about patterns and correlates of Complementary Health Approaches (CHAs) in chronic pain populations, particularly in rural, underserved communities. This article details the development and implementation of a new survey instrument designed to address this gap, the Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Survey (CHAPS). Design Following pilot-testing using pre-specified criteria to assess quality and comprehension in our target population, and after feedback regarding face-validity from content experts and stakeholders, the final cross-sectional self-report survey required 10–12 minutes to complete. It contained 69 demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors, and utilized a Transtheoretical Model (TTM) underpinning to assess short- and long-term use of 12 CHAs for pain management. Twenty additional items on pain severity, feelings, clinical outcomes, and activities were assessed using the Short-Form Global Pain Scale (SF-GPS); Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Settings/location Investigators conducted consecutive sampling in four West Virginia pain management and rheumatology practices. Participants 301 Appalachian adult patients seeking conventional care for pain management. Results Response rates were high (88% ± 4.1%). High quality and comprehension deemed the CHAPS an appropriate measurement tool in a rural population with pain. Missing data were unrelated to patient characteristics. Participants predominantly experienced chronic pain (93%), had five or more health conditions (56%, Mean = 5.4±3.1), were white (92%), female (57%), and middle-aged (Mean = 55.6 (SD = 13.6) years). Over 40% were disabled (43%) and/or obese (44%, Mean BMI = 33.4±31.5). Additionally, 44% used opioids, 31% used other prescription medications, and 66% used at least one CHA for pain, with 48% using CHAs for greater than 6 months. There was high internal reliability of the SF-GPS (alpha = .93) and satisfactory internal reliability for each of the five TTM stages across (all) twelve CHAs: precontemplation (0.89), contemplation (0.72), preparation (0.75), action (0.70), and maintenance (0.70). Conclusions The CHAPS is the first comprehensive measurement tool to assess CHA use specifically for pain management. Ease of administration in a population with pain support further use in population- and clinic-based studies in similar populations. PMID:29718951

Comparative Reliability of Structured Versus Unstructured Interviews in the Admission Process of a Residency Program

PubMed Central

Blouin, Danielle; Day, Andrew G.; Pavlov, Andrey

2011-01-01

Background Although never directly compared, structured interviews are reported as being more reliable than unstructured interviews. This study compared the reliability of both types of interview when applied to a common pool of applicants for positions in an emergency medicine residency program. Methods In 2008, one structured interview was added to the two unstructured interviews traditionally used in our resident selection process. A formal job analysis using the critical incident technique guided the development of the structured interview tool. This tool consisted of 7 scenarios assessing 4 of the domains deemed essential for success as a resident in this program. The traditional interview tool assessed 5 general criteria. In addition to these criteria, the unstructured panel members were asked to rate each candidate on the same 4 essential domains rated by the structured panel members. All 3 panels interviewed all candidates. Main outcomes were the overall, interitem, and interrater reliabilities, the correlations between interview panels, and the dimensionality of each interview tool. Results Thirty candidates were interviewed. The overall reliability reached 0.43 for the structured interview, and 0.81 and 0.71 for the unstructured interviews. Analyses of the variance components showed a high interrater, low interitem reliability for the structured interview, and a high interrater, high interitem reliability for the unstructured interviews. The summary measures from the 2 unstructured interviews were significantly correlated, but neither was correlated with the structured interview. Only the structured interview was multidimensional. Conclusions A structured interview did not yield a higher overall reliability than both unstructured interviews. The lower reliability is explained by a lower interitem reliability, which in turn is due to the multidimensionality of the interview tool. Both unstructured panels consistently rated a single dimension, even when prompted to assess the 4 specific domains established as essential to succeed in this residency program. PMID:23205201

Comparative reliability of structured versus unstructured interviews in the admission process of a residency program.

PubMed

Blouin, Danielle; Day, Andrew G; Pavlov, Andrey

2011-12-01

Although never directly compared, structured interviews are reported as being more reliable than unstructured interviews. This study compared the reliability of both types of interview when applied to a common pool of applicants for positions in an emergency medicine residency program. In 2008, one structured interview was added to the two unstructured interviews traditionally used in our resident selection process. A formal job analysis using the critical incident technique guided the development of the structured interview tool. This tool consisted of 7 scenarios assessing 4 of the domains deemed essential for success as a resident in this program. The traditional interview tool assessed 5 general criteria. In addition to these criteria, the unstructured panel members were asked to rate each candidate on the same 4 essential domains rated by the structured panel members. All 3 panels interviewed all candidates. Main outcomes were the overall, interitem, and interrater reliabilities, the correlations between interview panels, and the dimensionality of each interview tool. Thirty candidates were interviewed. The overall reliability reached 0.43 for the structured interview, and 0.81 and 0.71 for the unstructured interviews. Analyses of the variance components showed a high interrater, low interitem reliability for the structured interview, and a high interrater, high interitem reliability for the unstructured interviews. The summary measures from the 2 unstructured interviews were significantly correlated, but neither was correlated with the structured interview. Only the structured interview was multidimensional. A structured interview did not yield a higher overall reliability than both unstructured interviews. The lower reliability is explained by a lower interitem reliability, which in turn is due to the multidimensionality of the interview tool. Both unstructured panels consistently rated a single dimension, even when prompted to assess the 4 specific domains established as essential to succeed in this residency program.

Perceptual attraction in tool use: evidence for a reliability-based weighting mechanism.

PubMed

Debats, Nienke B; Ernst, Marc O; Heuer, Herbert

2017-04-01

Humans are well able to operate tools whereby their hand movement is linked, via a kinematic transformation, to a spatially distant object moving in a separate plane of motion. An everyday example is controlling a cursor on a computer monitor. Despite these separate reference frames, the perceived positions of the hand and the object were found to be biased toward each other. We propose that this perceptual attraction is based on the principles by which the brain integrates redundant sensory information of single objects or events, known as optimal multisensory integration. That is, 1 ) sensory information about the hand and the tool are weighted according to their relative reliability (i.e., inverse variances), and 2 ) the unisensory reliabilities sum up in the integrated estimate. We assessed whether perceptual attraction is consistent with optimal multisensory integration model predictions. We used a cursor-control tool-use task in which we manipulated the relative reliability of the unisensory hand and cursor position estimates. The perceptual biases shifted according to these relative reliabilities, with an additional bias due to contextual factors that were present in experiment 1 but not in experiment 2 The biased position judgments' variances were, however, systematically larger than the predicted optimal variances. Our findings suggest that the perceptual attraction in tool use results from a reliability-based weighting mechanism similar to optimal multisensory integration, but that certain boundary conditions for optimality might not be satisfied. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Kinematic tool use is associated with a perceptual attraction between the spatially separated hand and the effective part of the tool. We provide a formal account for this phenomenon, thereby showing that the process behind it is similar to optimal integration of sensory information relating to single objects. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Clinical Decision Support Tools for Selecting Interventions for Patients with Disabling Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Gross, Douglas P; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Shaw, William S; Williams-Whitt, Kelly; Shaw, Nicola T; Hartvigsen, Jan; Qin, Ziling; Ha, Christine; Woodhouse, Linda J; Steenstra, Ivan A

2016-09-01

Purpose We aimed to identify and inventory clinical decision support (CDS) tools for helping front-line staff select interventions for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Methods We used Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework which progresses through five stages: (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies for analysis; (4) charting the data; and (5) collating, summarizing and reporting results. We considered computer-based, and other available tools, such as algorithms, care pathways, rules and models. Since this research crosses multiple disciplines, we searched health care, computing science and business databases. Results Our search resulted in 4605 manuscripts. Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance. The reliability of the screening process was high with an average percentage of agreement of 92.3 %. Of the located articles, 123 were considered relevant. Within this literature, there were 43 CDS tools located. These were classified into 3 main areas: computer-based tools/questionnaires (n = 8, 19 %), treatment algorithms/models (n = 14, 33 %), and clinical prediction rules/classification systems (n = 21, 49 %). Each of these areas and the associated evidence are described. The state of evidentiary support for CDS tools is still preliminary and lacks external validation, head-to-head comparisons, or evidence of generalizability across different populations and settings. Conclusions CDS tools, especially those employing rapidly advancing computer technologies, are under development and of potential interest to health care providers, case management organizations and funders of care. Based on the results of this scoping review, we conclude that these tools, models and systems should be subjected to further validation before they can be recommended for large-scale implementation for managing patients with MSK disorders.

Data management in clinical research: An overview

PubMed Central

Krishnankutty, Binny; Bellary, Shantala; Kumar, Naveen B.R.; Moodahadu, Latha S.

2012-01-01

Clinical Data Management (CDM) is a critical phase in clinical research, which leads to generation of high-quality, reliable, and statistically sound data from clinical trials. This helps to produce a drastic reduction in time from drug development to marketing. Team members of CDM are actively involved in all stages of clinical trial right from inception to completion. They should have adequate process knowledge that helps maintain the quality standards of CDM processes. Various procedures in CDM including Case Report Form (CRF) designing, CRF annotation, database designing, data-entry, data validation, discrepancy management, medical coding, data extraction, and database locking are assessed for quality at regular intervals during a trial. In the present scenario, there is an increased demand to improve the CDM standards to meet the regulatory requirements and stay ahead of the competition by means of faster commercialization of product. With the implementation of regulatory compliant data management tools, CDM team can meet these demands. Additionally, it is becoming mandatory for companies to submit the data electronically. CDM professionals should meet appropriate expectations and set standards for data quality and also have a drive to adapt to the rapidly changing technology. This article highlights the processes involved and provides the reader an overview of the tools and standards adopted as well as the roles and responsibilities in CDM. PMID:22529469

Usefulness of an ad hoc questionnaire (Acro-CQ) for the systematic assessment of acromegaly comorbidities at diagnosis and their management at follow-up.

PubMed

Guaraldi, F; Gori, D; Beccuti, G; Prencipe, N; Giordano, R; Mints, Y; Di Giacomo, V S; Berton, A; Lorente, M; Gasco, V; Ghigo, E; Salvatori, R; Grottoli, S

2016-11-01

To determine the validity of a self-administered questionnaire (Acro-CQ) developed to systematically assess the presence, type and time of onset of acromegaly comorbidities. This is a cross-sectional study; 105 acromegaly patients and 147 controls with other types of pituitary adenoma, referred to a specialized Italian Center, autonomously compiled Acro-CQ in an outpatient clinical setting. To test its reliability in a different setting, Acro-CQ was administered via mail to 78 patients with acromegaly and 100 with other pituitary adenomas, referred to a specialized US Center. Data obtained from questionnaires in both settings were compared with medical records (gold standard). Demographics of patients and controls from both countries were similar. In both settings, >95 % of the questionnaires were completely filled; only one item was missed in the others. Concordance with medical record was excellent (k > 0.85) for most of the items, independently from the way of administration, patient age, gender and nationality, pituitary adenoma type and disease activity. Acro-CQ is an inexpensive, highly accepted from patients and reliable tool recommended to expedite systematic collection of relevant clinical data in acromegaly at diagnosis, to be replicated at follow-ups. This tool may guide a targeted, cost-effective management of complications. Moreover, it could be applied to retrieve data for survey studies in both acromegaly and other pituitary adenomas, as information is easily and rapidly accessible for statistical analysis.

Development of probabilistic thinking-oriented learning tools for probability materials at junior high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, Dwi Ivayana; Hermanto, Didik

2017-08-01

This research is a developmental research of probabilistic thinking-oriented learning tools for probability materials at ninth grade students. This study is aimed to produce a good probabilistic thinking-oriented learning tools. The subjects were IX-A students of MTs Model Bangkalan. The stages of this development research used 4-D development model which has been modified into define, design and develop. Teaching learning tools consist of lesson plan, students' worksheet, learning teaching media and students' achievement test. The research instrument used was a sheet of learning tools validation, a sheet of teachers' activities, a sheet of students' activities, students' response questionnaire and students' achievement test. The result of those instruments were analyzed descriptively to answer research objectives. The result was teaching learning tools in which oriented to probabilistic thinking of probability at ninth grade students which has been valid. Since teaching and learning tools have been revised based on validation, and after experiment in class produced that teachers' ability in managing class was effective, students' activities were good, students' responses to the learning tools were positive and the validity, sensitivity and reliability category toward achievement test. In summary, this teaching learning tools can be used by teacher to teach probability for develop students' probabilistic thinking.

Development of Reliable and Validated Tools to Evaluate Technical Resuscitation Skills in a Pediatric Simulation Setting: Resuscitation and Emergency Simulation Checklist for Assessment in Pediatrics.

PubMed

Faudeux, Camille; Tran, Antoine; Dupont, Audrey; Desmontils, Jonathan; Montaudié, Isabelle; Bréaud, Jean; Braun, Marc; Fournier, Jean-Paul; Bérard, Etienne; Berlengi, Noémie; Schweitzer, Cyril; Haas, Hervé; Caci, Hervé; Gatin, Amélie; Giovannini-Chami, Lisa

2017-09-01

To develop a reliable and validated tool to evaluate technical resuscitation skills in a pediatric simulation setting. Four Resuscitation and Emergency Simulation Checklist for Assessment in Pediatrics (RESCAPE) evaluation tools were created, following international guidelines: intraosseous needle insertion, bag mask ventilation, endotracheal intubation, and cardiac massage. We applied a modified Delphi methodology evaluation to binary rating items. Reliability was assessed comparing the ratings of 2 observers (1 in real time and 1 after a video-recorded review). The tools were assessed for content, construct, and criterion validity, and for sensitivity to change. Inter-rater reliability, evaluated with Cohen kappa coefficients, was perfect or near-perfect (>0.8) for 92.5% of items and each Cronbach alpha coefficient was ≥0.91. Principal component analyses showed that all 4 tools were unidimensional. Significant increases in median scores with increasing levels of medical expertise were demonstrated for RESCAPE-intraosseous needle insertion (P = .0002), RESCAPE-bag mask ventilation (P = .0002), RESCAPE-endotracheal intubation (P = .0001), and RESCAPE-cardiac massage (P = .0037). Significantly increased median scores over time were also demonstrated during a simulation-based educational program. RESCAPE tools are reliable and validated tools for the evaluation of technical resuscitation skills in pediatric settings during simulation-based educational programs. They might also be used for medical practice performance evaluations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Turkish Version of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool: Reliability and Validity Assessment.

PubMed

Aktaş, Yeşim Yaman; Karabulut, Neziha

2017-08-01

The study aim was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool in critically ill patients. A repeated measures design was used for the study. A convenience sample of 66 patients who had undergone open-heart surgery in the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit in Ordu, Turkey, was recruited for the study. The patients were evaluated by using the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool at rest, during a nociceptive procedure (suctioning), and 20 minutes after the procedure while they were conscious and intubated after surgery. The Turkish version of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool has shown statistically acceptable levels of validity and reliability. Inter-rater reliability was supported by moderate-to-high-weighted κ coefficients (weighted κ coefficient = 0.55 to 1.00). For concurrent validity, significant associations were found between the scores on the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool and the Behavioral Pain Scale scores. Discriminant validity was also supported by higher scores during suctioning (a nociceptive procedure) versus non-nociceptive procedures. The internal consistency of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool was 0.72 during a nociceptive procedure and 0.71 during a non-nociceptive procedure. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool was determined to be acceptable for pain assessment in critical care, especially for patients who cannot communicate verbally. Copyright © 2016 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary testing of the reliability and feasibility of SAGE: a system to measure and score engagement with and use of research in health policies and programs.

PubMed

Makkar, Steve R; Williamson, Anna; D'Este, Catherine; Redman, Sally

2017-12-19

Few measures of research use in health policymaking are available, and the reliability of such measures has yet to be evaluated. A new measure called the Staff Assessment of Engagement with Evidence (SAGE) incorporates an interview that explores policymakers' research use within discrete policy documents and a scoring tool that quantifies the extent of policymakers' research use based on the interview transcript and analysis of the policy document itself. We aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation of the usability, sensitivity, and reliability of the scoring tool in measuring research use by policymakers. Nine experts in health policy research and two independent coders were recruited. Each expert used the scoring tool to rate a random selection of 20 interview transcripts, and each independent coder rated 60 transcripts. The distribution of scores among experts was examined, and then, interrater reliability was tested within and between the experts and independent coders. Average- and single-measure reliability coefficients were computed for each SAGE subscales. Experts' scores ranged from the limited to extensive scoring bracket for all subscales. Experts as a group also exhibited at least a fair level of interrater agreement across all subscales. Single-measure reliability was at least fair except for three subscales: Relevance Appraisal, Conceptual Use, and Instrumental Use. Average- and single-measure reliability among independent coders was good to excellent for all subscales. Finally, reliability between experts and independent coders was fair to excellent for all subscales. Among experts, the scoring tool was comprehensible, usable, and sensitive to discriminate between documents with varying degrees of research use. Secondly, the scoring tool yielded scores with good reliability among the independent coders. There was greater variability among experts, although as a group, the tool was fairly reliable. The alignment between experts' and independent coders' ratings indicates that the independent coders were scoring in a manner comparable to health policy research experts. If the present findings are replicated in a larger sample, end users (e.g. policy agency staff) could potentially be trained to use SAGE to reliably score research use within their agencies, which would provide a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to utilising this measure in practice.

KNIME4NGS: a comprehensive toolbox for next generation sequencing analysis.

PubMed

Hastreiter, Maximilian; Jeske, Tim; Hoser, Jonathan; Kluge, Michael; Ahomaa, Kaarin; Friedl, Marie-Sophie; Kopetzky, Sebastian J; Quell, Jan-Dominik; Mewes, H Werner; Küffner, Robert

2017-05-15

Analysis of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data requires the processing of large datasets by chaining various tools with complex input and output formats. In order to automate data analysis, we propose to standardize NGS tasks into modular workflows. This simplifies reliable handling and processing of NGS data, and corresponding solutions become substantially more reproducible and easier to maintain. Here, we present a documented, linux-based, toolbox of 42 processing modules that are combined to construct workflows facilitating a variety of tasks such as DNAseq and RNAseq analysis. We also describe important technical extensions. The high throughput executor (HTE) helps to increase the reliability and to reduce manual interventions when processing complex datasets. We also provide a dedicated binary manager that assists users in obtaining the modules' executables and keeping them up to date. As basis for this actively developed toolbox we use the workflow management software KNIME. See http://ibisngs.github.io/knime4ngs for nodes and user manual (GPLv3 license). robert.kueffner@helmholtz-muenchen.de. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Science to support the understanding of Ohio's water resources, 2014-15

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shaffer, Kimberly; Kula, Stephanie P.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, as well as universities, to furnish decision makers, policy makers, USGS scientists, and the general public with reliable scientific information and tools to assist them in management, stewardship, and use of Ohio’s natural resources. The diversity of scientific expertise among USGS personnel enables them to carry out large- and small-scale multidisciplinary studies. The USGS is unique among government organizations because it has neither regulatory nor developmental authority—its sole product is impartial, credible, relevant, and timely scientific information, equally accessible and available to everyone. The USGS Ohio Water Science Center provides reliable hydrologic and water-related ecological information to aid in the understanding of the use and management of the Nation’s water resources, in general, and Ohio’s water resources, in particular. This fact sheet provides an overview of current (2014) or recently completed USGS studies and data activities pertaining to water resources in Ohio. More information regarding projects of the USGS Ohio Water Science Center is available at http://oh.water.usgs.gov/.

Adaptation of the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS) to the measurement of the parental identity domain.

PubMed

Piotrowski, Konrad

2018-04-01

The present studies examined the psychometric properties of the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS) adapted to the measurement of identity formation in the parental identity domain. As the parental identity domain has only been studied within the neo-Eriksonian approach to a very limited extent, the aim of these studies was to prepare a short, valid and reliable tool for the measurement of parental identity in order to fill this gap. The associations of commitment, in-depth exploration and reconsideration of commitment in the parental domain with well-being and with other identity constructs were analyzed. The results showed that parental identity formation is associated with mothers' satisfaction with life and trait anxiety and with identity formation in other areas as well. The initial results suggest that the adapted version of the U-MICS is a valid and reliable measure that can be used in future studies on parental identity formation. © 2017 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Computed Tomography in Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

PubMed

Karki, O B

2015-01-01

Blunt injury trauma is regularly encountered in the emergency department. Diagnostic tools that help in optimum management of blunt abdominal trauma include; Focussed Assessment Sonography for Trauma scan, Diagnostic peritoneal lavage and Computed Tomography scan. The aim of this study is to determine the validity of CT scan as an accurate diagnostic tool and its role in management of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. A prospective analysis of 80 patients of blunt abdomen trauma who were admitted in Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal within a span of 15 months was done. Demographic data, mechanism of trauma, management and outcomes were studied. Organ injuries were graded using the Organ Injury Scale guidelines. Most of the patients in our study were in the age group of 21-40 years with an M: F ratio of 2.3:1. Road traffic accident (47.5%) was the most common mechanism of injury. Spleen (27.5%) was the commonest organ injured. CT scan was superior to FAST scan and had sensitivity of 97.3% specificity 75% positive predictive value 98.6%. FAST scan had sensitivity of 78.9%, specificity 50%, positive predictive value 96% with p- value of 0.0034. 81% of patients were conservatively managed. In conjunction with close clinical monitoring, CT scan is reliable in the evaluation and management of blunt abdominal trauma patients. Our study also shows CT as a superior diagnostic modality compared to FAST scan.

Assessing the potential of economic instruments for managing drought risk at river basin scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Lopez-Nicolas, A.; Macian-Sorribes, H.

2015-12-01

Economic instruments work as incentives to adapt individual decisions to collectively agreed goals. Different types of economic instruments have been applied to manage water resources, such as water-related taxes and charges (water pricing, environmental taxes, etc.), subsidies, markets or voluntary agreements. Hydroeconomic models (HEM) provide useful insight on optimal strategies for coping with droughts by simultaneously analysing engineering, hydrology and economics of water resources management. We use HEMs for evaluating the potential of economic instruments on managing drought risk at river basin scale, considering three criteria for assessing drought risk: reliability, resilience and vulnerability. HEMs allow to calculate water scarcity costs as the economic losses due to water deliveries below the target demands, which can be used as a vulnerability descriptor of drought risk. Two generic hydroeconomic DSS tools, SIMGAMS and OPTIGAMS ( both programmed in GAMS) have been developed to evaluate water scarcity cost at river basin scale based on simulation and optimization approaches. The simulation tool SIMGAMS allocates water according to the system priorities and operating rules, and evaluate the scarcity costs using economic demand functions. The optimization tool allocates water resources for maximizing net benefits (minimizing total water scarcity plus operating cost of water use). SIMGAS allows to simulate incentive water pricing policies based on water availability in the system (scarcity pricing), while OPTIGAMS is used to simulate the effect of ideal water markets by economic optimization. These tools have been applied to the Jucar river system (Spain), highly regulated and with high share of water use for crop irrigation (greater than 80%), where water scarcity, irregular hydrology and groundwater overdraft cause droughts to have significant economic, social and environmental consequences. An econometric model was first used to explain the variation of the production value of irrigated agriculture during droughts, assessing revenue responses to varying crop prices and water availability. Hydroeconomic approaches were then used to show the potential of economic instruments in setting incentives for a more efficient management of water resources systems.

Inter-rater reliability of the PIPES tool: validation of a surgical capacity index for use in resource-limited settings.

PubMed

Markin, Abraham; Barbero, Roxana; Leow, Jeffrey J; Groen, Reinou S; Perlman, Greg; Habermann, Elizabeth B; Apelgren, Keith N; Kushner, Adam L; Nwomeh, Benedict C

2014-09-01

In response to the need for simple, rapid means of quantifying surgical capacity in low resource settings, Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) developed the personnel, infrastructure, procedures, equipment and supplies (PIPES) tool. The present investigation assessed the inter-rater reliability of the PIPES tool. As part of a government assessment of surgical services in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the PIPES tool was translated into Spanish and applied in interviews with physicians at 31 public hospitals. An additional interview was conducted with nurses at a convenience sample of 25 of these hospitals. Physician and nurse responses were then compared to generate an estimate of reliability. For dichotomous survey items, inter-rater reliability between physicians and nurses was assessed using the Cohen's kappa statistic and percent agreement. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess agreement for continuous items. Cohen's kappa was 0.46 for infrastructure, 0.43 for procedures, 0.26 for equipment, and 0 for supplies sections. The median correlation coefficient was 0.91 for continuous items. Correlation was 0.79 for the PIPES index, and ranged from 0.32 to 0.98 for continuous response items. Reliability of the PIPES tool was moderate for the infrastructure and procedures sections, fair for the equipment section, and poor for supplies section when comparing surgeons' responses to nurses' responses-an extremely rigorous test of reliability. These results indicate that the PIPES tool is an effective measure of surgical capacity but that the equipment and supplies sections may need to be revised.

Implementation of Task-Tracking Software for Clinical IT Management.

PubMed

Purohit, Anne-Maria; Brutscheck, Clemens; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Ganslandt, Thomas; Schneider, Martin

2017-01-01

Often in clinical IT departments, many different methods and IT systems are used for task-tracking and project organization. Based on managers' personal preferences and knowledge about project management methods, tools differ from team to team and even from employee to employee. This causes communication problems, especially when tasks need to be done in cooperation with different teams. Monitoring tasks and resources becomes impossible: there are no defined deliverables, which prevents reliable deadlines. Because of these problems, we implemented task-tracking software which is now in use across all seven teams at the University Hospital Erlangen. Over a period of seven months, a working group defined types of tasks (project, routine task, etc.), workflows, and views to monitor the tasks of the 7 divisions, 20 teams and 340 different IT services. The software has been in use since December 2016.

On the next generation of reliability analysis tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babcock, Philip S., IV; Leong, Frank; Gai, Eli

1987-01-01

The current generation of reliability analysis tools concentrates on improving the efficiency of the description and solution of the fault-handling processes and providing a solution algorithm for the full system model. The tools have improved user efficiency in these areas to the extent that the problem of constructing the fault-occurrence model is now the major analysis bottleneck. For the next generation of reliability tools, it is proposed that techniques be developed to improve the efficiency of the fault-occurrence model generation and input. Further, the goal is to provide an environment permitting a user to provide a top-down design description of the system from which a Markov reliability model is automatically constructed. Thus, the user is relieved of the tedious and error-prone process of model construction, permitting an efficient exploration of the design space, and an independent validation of the system's operation is obtained. An additional benefit of automating the model construction process is the opportunity to reduce the specialized knowledge required. Hence, the user need only be an expert in the system he is analyzing; the expertise in reliability analysis techniques is supplied.

System Architecture Modeling for Technology Portfolio Management using ATLAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Robert W.; O'Neil, Daniel A.

2006-01-01

Strategic planners and technology portfolio managers have traditionally relied on consensus-based tools, such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in planning the funding of technology development. While useful to a certain extent, these tools are limited in the ability to fully quantify the impact of a technology choice on system mass, system reliability, project schedule, and lifecycle cost. The Advanced Technology Lifecycle Analysis System (ATLAS) aims to provide strategic planners a decision support tool for analyzing technology selections within a Space Exploration Architecture (SEA). Using ATLAS, strategic planners can select physics-based system models from a library, configure the systems with technologies and performance parameters, and plan the deployment of a SEA. Key parameters for current and future technologies have been collected from subject-matter experts and other documented sources in the Technology Tool Box (TTB). ATLAS can be used to compare the technical feasibility and economic viability of a set of technology choices for one SEA, and compare it against another set of technology choices or another SEA. System architecture modeling in ATLAS is a multi-step process. First, the modeler defines the system level requirements. Second, the modeler identifies technologies of interest whose impact on an SEA. Third, the system modeling team creates models of architecture elements (e.g. launch vehicles, in-space transfer vehicles, crew vehicles) if they are not already in the model library. Finally, the architecture modeler develops a script for the ATLAS tool to run, and the results for comparison are generated.

[Reliability theory based on quality risk network analysis for Chinese medicine injection].

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Kang, Li-Yuan; Fan, Xiao-Hui

2014-08-01

A new risk analysis method based upon reliability theory was introduced in this paper for the quality risk management of Chinese medicine injection manufacturing plants. The risk events including both cause and effect ones were derived in the framework as nodes with a Bayesian network analysis approach. It thus transforms the risk analysis results from failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) into a Bayesian network platform. With its structure and parameters determined, the network can be used to evaluate the system reliability quantitatively with probabilistic analytical appraoches. Using network analysis tools such as GeNie and AgenaRisk, we are able to find the nodes that are most critical to influence the system reliability. The importance of each node to the system can be quantitatively evaluated by calculating the effect of the node on the overall risk, and minimization plan can be determined accordingly to reduce their influences and improve the system reliability. Using the Shengmai injection manufacturing plant of SZYY Ltd as a user case, we analyzed the quality risk with both static FMEA analysis and dynamic Bayesian Network analysis. The potential risk factors for the quality of Shengmai injection manufacturing were identified with the network analysis platform. Quality assurance actions were further defined to reduce the risk and improve the product quality.

Validation of the MISSCARE-BRASIL survey - A tool to assess missed nursing care.

PubMed

Siqueira, Lillian Dias Castilho; Caliri, Maria Helena Larcher; Haas, Vanderlei José; Kalisch, Beatrice; Dantas, Rosana Aparecida Spadoti

2017-12-21

to analyze the metric validity and reliability properties of the MISSCARE-BRASIL survey. methodological research conducted by assessing construct validity and reliability via confirmatory factor analysis, known-groups validation, convergent construct validation, analysis of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The sample consisted of 330 nursing professionals, of whom 86 participated in the retest phase. of the 330 participants, 39.7% were aides, 33% technicians, 20.9% nurses, and 6.4% nurses with administrative roles. Confirmatory factorial analysis demonstrated that the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument is adequately adjusted to the dimensional structure the scale authors originally proposed. The correlation between "satisfaction with position/role" and "satisfaction with teamwork" and the survey's missed care variables was moderate (Spearman's coefficient =0.35; p<0.001). The results of the Student's t-test indicated known-group validity. Professionals from closed units reported lower levels of missed care in comparison with the other units. The reliability showed a strong correlation, with the exception of "institutional management/leadership style" (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.15; p=0.04). The internal consistency was adequate (Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.70). the MISSCARE-BRASIL was valid and reliable in the group studied. The application of the MISSCARE-BRASIL can contribute to identifying solutions for missed nursing care.

A Bayesian-Based EDA Tool for Nano-circuits Reliability Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Walid; Beiu, Valeriu

As the sizes of (nano-)devices are aggressively scaled deep into the nanometer range, the design and manufacturing of future (nano-)circuits will become extremely complex and inevitably will introduce more defects while their functioning will be adversely affected by transient faults. Therefore, accurately calculating the reliability of future designs will become a very important aspect for (nano-)circuit designers as they investigate several design alternatives to optimize the trade-offs between the conflicting metrics of area-power-energy-delay versus reliability. This paper introduces a novel generic technique for the accurate calculation of the reliability of future nano-circuits. Our aim is to provide both educational and research institutions (as well as the semiconductor industry at a later stage) with an accurate and easy to use tool for closely comparing the reliability of different design alternatives, and for being able to easily select the design that best fits a set of given (design) constraints. Moreover, the reliability model generated by the tool should empower designers with the unique opportunity of understanding the influence individual gates play on the design’s overall reliability, and identifying those (few) gates which impact the design’s reliability most significantly.

Evaluation of reliability modeling tools for advanced fault tolerant systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Robert; Scheper, Charlotte

1986-01-01

The Computer Aided Reliability Estimation (CARE III) and Automated Reliability Interactice Estimation System (ARIES 82) reliability tools for application to advanced fault tolerance aerospace systems were evaluated. To determine reliability modeling requirements, the evaluation focused on the Draper Laboratories' Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) architecture as an example architecture for fault tolerance aerospace systems. Advantages and limitations were identified for each reliability evaluation tool. The CARE III program was designed primarily for analyzing ultrareliable flight control systems. The ARIES 82 program's primary use was to support university research and teaching. Both CARE III and ARIES 82 were not suited for determining the reliability of complex nodal networks of the type used to interconnect processing sites in the AIPS architecture. It was concluded that ARIES was not suitable for modeling advanced fault tolerant systems. It was further concluded that subject to some limitations (the difficulty in modeling systems with unpowered spare modules, systems where equipment maintenance must be considered, systems where failure depends on the sequence in which faults occurred, and systems where multiple faults greater than a double near coincident faults must be considered), CARE III is best suited for evaluating the reliability of advanced tolerant systems for air transport.

The Shoulder Objective Practical Assessment Tool: Evaluation of a New Tool Assessing Residents Learning in Diagnostic Shoulder Arthroscopy.

PubMed

Talbot, Christopher L; Holt, Edward M; Gooding, Benjamin W T; Tennent, Thomas D; Foden, Philip

2015-08-01

To design and validate an objective practical assessment tool for diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy that would provide residents with a method to evaluate their progression in this field of surgery and to identify specific learning needs. We designed and evaluated the shoulder Objective Practical Assessment Tool (OPAT). The shoulder OPAT was designed by us, and scoring domains were created using a Delphi process. The shoulder OPAT was trialed by members of the British Elbow & Shoulder Society Education Committee for internal consistency and ease of use before being offered to other trainers and residents. Inter-rater reliability and intrarater reliability were calculated. One hundred forty orthopaedic residents, of varying seniority, within 5 training regions in the United Kingdom, were questioned regarding the tool. A pilot study of 6 residents was undertaken. Internal consistency was 0.77 (standardized Cronbach α). Inter-rater reliability was 0.60, and intrarater reliability was 0.82. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) between the global summary score for the shoulder OPAT and the current assessment tool used in postgraduate training for orthopaedic residents undertaking diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy equaled 0.74. Of the residents, 82% agreed or strongly agreed when asked if the shoulder OPAT would be a useful tool in monitoring progression and 72% agreed or strongly agreed with the introduction of the shoulder OPAT within the orthopaedic domain. This study shows that the shoulder OPAT fulfills several aspects of reliability and validity when tested. Despite the inter-rater reliability being 0.60, we believe that the shoulder OPAT has the potential to play a role alongside the current assessment tool in the training of orthopaedic residents. The shoulder OPAT can be used to assess residents during shoulder arthroscopy and has the potential for use in medical education, as well as arthroscopic skills training in the operating theater. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Life cycle of a data warehousing project in healthcare.

PubMed

Verma, R; Harper, J

2001-01-01

Hill Physicians Medical Group (and its medical management firm, PriMed Management) early on recognized the need for a data warehouse. Management demanded that data from many sources be integrated, cleansed, and formatted. As a first step, an operational data store (ODS) was built and populated with data from the main transactional system; encounter data were added. The ODS has served its purpose well and has whetted management's appetite for more information and faster, more reliable access, all in one location. PriMed hired Annams Systems Consulting (Annams) for this effort. A team was formed, made up of consultants from Annams and members of PriMed's information services (IS) team. The "classical" approach is being taken: enhancing the ODS, which is largely normalized in structure, and integrating data from various sources, along with enforcing business rules. The team is designing and implementing data marts and a "star schema" style of data modeling--a useful tool for management to evaluate results before investing further.

Observing practice leadership in intellectual and developmental disability services.

PubMed

Beadle-Brown, J; Bigby, C; Bould, E

2015-12-01

Improving staff performance is an issue in services for people with intellectual disability. Practice leadership, where the front line leader of a staff team focuses on service user outcomes in everything they do and provides coaching, modeling, supervision and organisation to the team, has been identified as important in improving staff performance. To date this finding is based only on self-report measures. This paper describes and tests an observational measure of practice leadership based on an interview with the front-line manager, a review of paperwork and observations in 58 disability services in Australia. The measure showed good internal consistency and acceptable inter-rater reliability. Practice leadership was associated with staff practice and outcomes for service users. The observed measure of practice leadership appears to be a useful tool for assessing whether leadership within a service promotes enabling and empowering support by staff. It was found to discriminate higher and lower performing services in terms of active support. The measure had good reliability and validity although some further testing is required to give a complete picture of the possible uses and reliability of the measure. The measure is potentially useful in contexts of both research and service development. The confirmation of previous findings from self-report measures that practice leadership is related to the quality of staff practice and outcomes for service users has implications for policy and practice in terms of the training of managers and structures for organisational management. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The assessment of emergency physicians by a regulatory authority.

PubMed

Lockyer, Jocelyn M; Violato, Claudio; Fidler, Herta

2006-12-01

To determine whether it is possible to develop a feasible, valid, and reliable multisource feedback program (360 degree evaluation) for emergency physicians. Surveys with 16, 20, 30, and 31 items were developed to assess emergency physicians by 25 patients, eight coworkers, eight medical colleagues, and self, respectively, using five-point scales along with an "unable to assess" category. Items addressed key competencies related to communication skills, professionalism, collegiality, and self-management. Data from 187 physicians who identified themselves as emergency physicians were available. The mean number of respondents per physician was 21.6 (SD +/- 3.87) (93%) for patients, 7.6 (SD +/- 0.89) (96%) for coworkers, and 7.7 (SD +/- 0.61) (95%) for medical colleagues, suggesting it was a feasible tool. Only the patient survey had four items with "unable to assess" percentages > or = 15%. The factor analysis indicated there were two factors on the patient questionnaire (communication/professionalism and patient education), two on the coworker survey (communication/collegiality and professionalism), and four on the medical colleague questionnaire (clinical performance, professionalism, self-management, and record management) that accounted for 80.0%, 62.5%, and 71.9% of the variance on the surveys, respectively. The factors were consistent with the intent of the instruments, providing empirical evidence of validity for the instruments. Reliability was established for the instruments (Cronbach's alpha > 0.94) and for each physician (generalizability coefficients were 0.68 for patients, 0.85 for coworkers, and 0.84 for medical colleagues). The psychometric examination of the data suggests that the instruments developed to assess emergency physicians were feasible and provide evidence for validity and reliability.

Physical activity and healthy eating environmental audit tools in youth care settings: A systematic review.

PubMed

Ajja, Rahma; Beets, Michael W; Chandler, Jessica; Kaczynski, Andrew T; Ward, Dianne S

2015-08-01

There is a growing interest in evaluating the physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) policy and practice environment characteristics in settings frequented by youth (≤18years). This review evaluates the measurement properties of audit tools designed to assess PA and HE policy and practice environment characteristics in settings that care for youth (e.g., childcare, school, afterschool, summer camp). Three electronic databases, reference lists, educational department and national health organizations' web pages were searched between January 1980 and February 2014 to identify tools assessing PA and/or HE policy and practice environments in settings that care for youth (≤18years). Sixty-five audit tools were identified of which 53 individual tools met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-three tools assessed both the PA and HE domains, 6 assessed the PA domain and 14 assessed the HE domain solely. The majority of the tools were self-assessment tools (n=40), and were developed to assess the PA and/or HE environment in school settings (n=33), childcare (n=12), and after school programs (n=4). Four tools assessed the community at-large and had sections for assessing preschool, school and/or afterschool settings within the tool. The majority of audit tools lacked validity and/or reliability data (n=42). Inter-rater reliability and construct validity were the most frequently reported reliability (n=7) and validity types (n=5). Limited attention has been given to establishing the reliability and validity of audit tools for settings that care for youth. Future efforts should be directed towards establishing a strong measurement foundation for these important environmental audit tools. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A control theoretical approach to crowd management. Comment on "Human behaviours in evacuation crowd dynamics: From modelling to "big data" toward crisis management" by Nicola Bellomo et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borzí, Alfio; Caponigro, Marco

2016-09-01

The formulation of mathematical models for crowd dynamics is one current challenge in many fields of applied sciences. It involves the modelization of the complex behavior of a large number of individuals. In particular, the difficulty lays in describing emerging collective behaviors by means of a relatively small number of local interaction rules between individuals in a crowd. Clearly, the individual's free will involved in decision making processes and in the management of the social interactions cannot be described by a finite number of deterministic rules. On the other hand, in large crowds, this individual indeterminacy can be considered as a local fluctuation averaged to zero by the size of the crowd. While at the microscopic scale, using a system of coupled ODEs, the free will should be included in the mathematical description (e.g. with a stochastic term), the mesoscopic and macroscopic scales, modeled by PDEs, represent a powerful modelling tool that allows to neglect this feature and provide a reliable description. In this sense, the work by Bellomo, Clarke, Gibelli, Townsend, and Vreugdenhil [2] represents a mathematical-epistemological contribution towards the design of a reliable model of human behavior.

Mobile technologies in the management of disasters: the results of a telemedicine solution.

PubMed Central

Cabrera, M. F.; Arredondo, M. T.; Rodriguez, A.; Quiroga, J.

2001-01-01

Nowadays a great number of applications are used to compile and transmit casualties and disasters information but there are many troubles associated with the technology as can be the communications reliability and the size and weight of the devices medical staff has to carry with. Telecommunication infrastructures support information movement among geographically dispersed locations. Recently a large family of little devices has appeared in the buyer's market. They are called Personal Digital Assistants and because of their physic and technical features, they are very useful in the emergency field. As for the communications reliability, many technologies have been developed in the last years but it is necessary to find a solution that can be used in whatever situation independently of the emergency circumstances. Facing this reality, the Spanish government funded REMAF, an ATYCA (Initiative of Support for the Technology, Security and Quality in the Industry) project. REMAF joined research groups (UPM), phone operators (Fundación Airtel Móvil) and end users (SAMUR) to build a disaster data management system conceived to use modern telemedicine systems to optimize the management in these situations, taking the advantage of the above mentioned mobile communication tools and networks. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 PMID:11825159

Nutrition screening tools: an analysis of the evidence.

PubMed

Skipper, Annalynn; Ferguson, Maree; Thompson, Kyle; Castellanos, Victoria H; Porcari, Judy

2012-05-01

In response to questions about tools for nutrition screening, an evidence analysis project was developed to identify the most valid and reliable nutrition screening tools for use in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care settings. An oversight group defined nutrition screening and literature search criteria. A trained analyst conducted structured searches of the literature for studies of nutrition screening tools according to predetermined criteria. Eleven nutrition screening tools designed to detect undernutrition in patients in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care were identified. Trained analysts evaluated articles for quality using criteria specified by the American Dietetic Association's Evidence Analysis Library. Members of the oversight group assigned quality grades to the tools based on the quality of the supporting evidence, including reliability and validity data. One tool, the NRS-2002, received a grade I, and 4 tools-the Simple Two-Part Tool, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)-received a grade II. The MST was the only tool shown to be both valid and reliable for identifying undernutrition in the settings studied. Thus, validated nutrition screening tools that are simple and easy to use are available for application in acute care and hospital-based ambulatory care settings.

Measuring couple relationship quality in a rural African population: Validation of a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool in Malawi.

PubMed

Ruark, Allison; Chase, Rachel; Hembling, John; Davis, Valerie Rhoe; Perrin, Paul Clayton; Brewster-Lee, Dorothy

2017-01-01

Available data suggest that individual and family well-being are linked to the quality of women's and men's couple relationships, but few tools exist to assess couple relationship functioning in low- and middle-income countries. In response to this gap, Catholic Relief Services has developed a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool (CFAT) to capture valid and reliable data on various domains of relationship quality. This tool is designed to be used by interventions which aim to improve couple and family well-being as a means of measuring the effectiveness of these interventions, particularly related to couple relationship quality. We carried out a validation study of the CFAT among 401 married and cohabiting adults (203 women and 198 men) in rural Chikhwawa District, Malawi. Using psychometric scales, the CFAT addressed six domains of couple relationship quality (intimacy, partner support, sexual satisfaction, gender roles, decision-making, and communication and conflict management), and included questions on intimate partner violence. We used exploratory factor analysis to assess scale performance of each domain and produce a shortened Relationship Quality Index (RQI) composed of items from five relationship quality domains. This article reports the performance of the RQI. Internal reliability and validity of the RQI were found to be good. Regression analyses examined the relationship of the RQI to outcomes important to health and development: intra-household cooperation, positive health behaviors, intimate partner violence, and gender-equitable norms. We found many significant correlations between RQI scores and these couple- and family-level development issues. There is a need to further validate the tool with use in other populations as well as to continue to explore whether the observed linkages between couple functionality and development outcomes are causal relationships.

Measuring couple relationship quality in a rural African population: Validation of a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool in Malawi

PubMed Central

Chase, Rachel; Hembling, John; Davis, Valerie Rhoe; Perrin, Paul Clayton; Brewster-Lee, Dorothy

2017-01-01

Available data suggest that individual and family well-being are linked to the quality of women’s and men’s couple relationships, but few tools exist to assess couple relationship functioning in low- and middle-income countries. In response to this gap, Catholic Relief Services has developed a Couple Functionality Assessment Tool (CFAT) to capture valid and reliable data on various domains of relationship quality. This tool is designed to be used by interventions which aim to improve couple and family well-being as a means of measuring the effectiveness of these interventions, particularly related to couple relationship quality. We carried out a validation study of the CFAT among 401 married and cohabiting adults (203 women and 198 men) in rural Chikhwawa District, Malawi. Using psychometric scales, the CFAT addressed six domains of couple relationship quality (intimacy, partner support, sexual satisfaction, gender roles, decision-making, and communication and conflict management), and included questions on intimate partner violence. We used exploratory factor analysis to assess scale performance of each domain and produce a shortened Relationship Quality Index (RQI) composed of items from five relationship quality domains. This article reports the performance of the RQI. Internal reliability and validity of the RQI were found to be good. Regression analyses examined the relationship of the RQI to outcomes important to health and development: intra-household cooperation, positive health behaviors, intimate partner violence, and gender-equitable norms. We found many significant correlations between RQI scores and these couple- and family-level development issues. There is a need to further validate the tool with use in other populations as well as to continue to explore whether the observed linkages between couple functionality and development outcomes are causal relationships. PMID:29190769

The reliability of workplace-based assessment in postgraduate medical education and training: a national evaluation in general practice in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Murphy, Douglas J; Bruce, David A; Mercer, Stewart W; Eva, Kevin W

2009-05-01

To investigate the reliability and feasibility of six potential workplace-based assessment methods in general practice training: criterion audit, multi-source feedback from clinical and non-clinical colleagues, patient feedback (the CARE Measure), referral letters, significant event analysis, and video analysis of consultations. Performance of GP registrars (trainees) was evaluated with each tool to assess the reliabilities of the tools and feasibility, given raters and number of assessments needed. Participant experience of process determined by questionnaire. 171 GP registrars and their trainers, drawn from nine deaneries (representing all four countries in the UK), participated. The ability of each tool to differentiate between doctors (reliability) was assessed using generalisability theory. Decision studies were then conducted to determine the number of observations required to achieve an acceptably high reliability for "high-stakes assessment" using each instrument. Finally, descriptive statistics were used to summarise participants' ratings of their experience using these tools. Multi-source feedback from colleagues and patient feedback on consultations emerged as the two methods most likely to offer a reliable and feasible opinion of workplace performance. Reliability co-efficients of 0.8 were attainable with 41 CARE Measure patient questionnaires and six clinical and/or five non-clinical colleagues per doctor when assessed on two occasions. For the other four methods tested, 10 or more assessors were required per doctor in order to achieve a reliable assessment, making the feasibility of their use in high-stakes assessment extremely low. Participant feedback did not raise any major concerns regarding the acceptability, feasibility, or educational impact of the tools. The combination of patient and colleague views of doctors' performance, coupled with reliable competence measures, may offer a suitable evidence-base on which to monitor progress and completion of doctors' training in general practice.

The Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool: development and reliability testing of a method for service monitoring and organisational learning

PubMed Central

Gillespie, Alex; Reader, Tom W

2016-01-01

Background Letters of complaint written by patients and their advocates reporting poor healthcare experiences represent an under-used data source. The lack of a method for extracting reliable data from these heterogeneous letters hinders their use for monitoring and learning. To address this gap, we report on the development and reliability testing of the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool (HCAT). Methods HCAT was developed from a taxonomy of healthcare complaints reported in a previously published systematic review. It introduces the novel idea that complaints should be analysed in terms of severity. Recruiting three groups of educated lay participants (n=58, n=58, n=55), we refined the taxonomy through three iterations of discriminant content validity testing. We then supplemented this refined taxonomy with explicit coding procedures for seven problem categories (each with four levels of severity), stage of care and harm. These combined elements were further refined through iterative coding of a UK national sample of healthcare complaints (n= 25, n=80, n=137, n=839). To assess reliability and accuracy for the resultant tool, 14 educated lay participants coded a referent sample of 125 healthcare complaints. Results The seven HCAT problem categories (quality, safety, environment, institutional processes, listening, communication, and respect and patient rights) were found to be conceptually distinct. On average, raters identified 1.94 problems (SD=0.26) per complaint letter. Coders exhibited substantial reliability in identifying problems at four levels of severity; moderate and substantial reliability in identifying stages of care (except for ‘discharge/transfer’ that was only fairly reliable) and substantial reliability in identifying overall harm. Conclusions HCAT is not only the first reliable tool for coding complaints, it is the first tool to measure the severity of complaints. It facilitates service monitoring and organisational learning and it enables future research examining whether healthcare complaints are a leading indicator of poor service outcomes. HCAT is freely available to download and use. PMID:26740496

Comprehensive Design Reliability Activities for Aerospace Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christenson, R. L.; Whitley, M. R.; Knight, K. C.

2000-01-01

This technical publication describes the methodology, model, software tool, input data, and analysis result that support aerospace design reliability studies. The focus of these activities is on propulsion systems mechanical design reliability. The goal of these activities is to support design from a reliability perspective. Paralleling performance analyses in schedule and method, this requires the proper use of metrics in a validated reliability model useful for design, sensitivity, and trade studies. Design reliability analysis in this view is one of several critical design functions. A design reliability method is detailed and two example analyses are provided-one qualitative and the other quantitative. The use of aerospace and commercial data sources for quantification is discussed and sources listed. A tool that was developed to support both types of analyses is presented. Finally, special topics discussed include the development of design criteria, issues of reliability quantification, quality control, and reliability verification.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

2012-01-01

This report details the findings of the Bureau of Land Management–U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystem Services Valuation Pilot Study. This project evaluated alternative methods and tools that quantify and value ecosystem services, and it assessed the tools’ readiness for use in the Bureau of Land Management decisionmaking process. We tested these tools on the San Pedro River watershed in northern Sonora, Mexico, and southeast Arizona. The study area includes the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (managed by the Bureau of Land Management), which has been a focal point for conservation activities and scientific research in recent decades. We applied past site-specific primary valuation studies, value transfer, the Wildlife Habitat Benefits Estimation Toolkit, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) and Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES) models to value locally important ecosystem services for the San Pedro River watershed—water, carbon, biodiversity, and cultural values. We tested these approaches on a series of scenarios to evaluate ecosystem service changes and the ability of the tools to accommodate scenarios. A suite of additional tools were either at too early a stage of development to run, were proprietary, or were place-specific tools inappropriate for application to the San Pedro River watershed. We described the strengths and weaknesses of these additional ecosystem service tools against a series of evaluative criteria related to their usefulness for Bureau of Land Management decisionmaking. Using these tools, we quantified gains or losses of ecosystem services under three categories of scenarios: urban growth, mesquite management, and water augmentation. These results quantify tradeoffs and could be useful for decisionmaking within Bureau of Land Management district or field offices. Results are accompanied by a relatively high level of uncertainty associated with model outputs, valuation methods, and discount rates applied. Further guidance on representing uncertainty and applying uncertain results in decisionmaking would benefit both tool developers and those offices in using ecosystem services to compare management tradeoffs. Decisionmakers and Bureau of Land Management managers at the State-, district-, and field-office level would also benefit from continuing model improvements, training, and guidance on tool use that can be provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of the Interior. Tradeoffs were identified in the level of effort needed to parameterize and run tools and the amount and quality of information they provide to the decision process. We found the Wildlife Habitat Benefits Estimation Toolkit, Ecosystem Services Review, and United Nations Environment Programme–World Conservation Monitoring Centre Ecosystem Services Toolkit to be immediately feasible for application by the Bureau of Land Management, given proper guidance on their use. It is also feasible for the Bureau of Land Management to use the InVEST model, but in early 2012 the process of parameterizing the model required resources and expertise that are unlikely to be available in most Bureau of Land Management district or field offices. Application of past primary valuation is feasible, but developing new primary-valuation studies is too time consuming for regular application. Value transfer approaches (aside from the Wildlife Habitat Benefits Estimation Toolkit) are best applied carefully on the basis of guidelines described in this report, to reduce transfer error. The ARIES model can provide useful information in regions modeled in the past (Arizona, California, Colorado, and Washington), but it lacks some features that will improve its usability, such as a generalized model that could be applied anywhere in the United States. Eleven other tools described in this report could become useful as the tools more fully develop, in high-profile cases for which additional resources are available for tool application or in case-study regions where place-specific models have already been developed. To improve the value of these tools in decisionmaking, we suggest scientific needs that agencies such as U.S. Geological Survey can help meet—for instance, development and support of data archives. Such archives could greatly reduce resource needs and improve the reliability and consistency of results. Given the rapid state of evolution in the field, periodic follow-up studies on ecosystem services tools would help to ensure that the Bureau of Land Management and other public land management agencies are kept up to date on new tools and features that bring ecosystem services closer to readiness for use in regular decisionmaking.

Integration of tools for the Design and Assessment of High-Performance, Highly Reliable Computing Systems (DAHPHRS), phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheper, C.; Baker, R.; Frank, G.; Yalamanchili, S.; Gray, G.

1992-01-01

Systems for Space Defense Initiative (SDI) space applications typically require both high performance and very high reliability. These requirements present the systems engineer evaluating such systems with the extremely difficult problem of conducting performance and reliability trade-offs over large design spaces. A controlled development process supported by appropriate automated tools must be used to assure that the system will meet design objectives. This report describes an investigation of methods, tools, and techniques necessary to support performance and reliability modeling for SDI systems development. Models of the JPL Hypercubes, the Encore Multimax, and the C.S. Draper Lab Fault-Tolerant Parallel Processor (FTPP) parallel-computing architectures using candidate SDI weapons-to-target assignment algorithms as workloads were built and analyzed as a means of identifying the necessary system models, how the models interact, and what experiments and analyses should be performed. As a result of this effort, weaknesses in the existing methods and tools were revealed and capabilities that will be required for both individual tools and an integrated toolset were identified.

The IDEA Assessment Tool: Assessing the Reporting, Diagnostic Reasoning, and Decision-Making Skills Demonstrated in Medical Students' Hospital Admission Notes.

PubMed

Baker, Elizabeth A; Ledford, Cynthia H; Fogg, Louis; Way, David P; Park, Yoon Soo

2015-01-01

Construct: Clinical skills are used in the care of patients, including reporting, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making skills. Written comprehensive new patient admission notes (H&Ps) are a ubiquitous part of student education but are underutilized in the assessment of clinical skills. The interpretive summary, differential diagnosis, explanation of reasoning, and alternatives (IDEA) assessment tool was developed to assess students' clinical skills using written comprehensive new patient admission notes. The validity evidence for assessment of clinical skills using clinical documentation following authentic patient encounters has not been well documented. Diagnostic justification tools and postencounter notes are described in the literature (1,2) but are based on standardized patient encounters. To our knowledge, the IDEA assessment tool is the first published tool that uses medical students' H&Ps to rate students' clinical skills. The IDEA assessment tool is a 15-item instrument that asks evaluators to rate students' reporting, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making skills based on medical students' new patient admission notes. This study presents validity evidence in support of the IDEA assessment tool using Messick's unified framework, including content (theoretical framework), response process (interrater reliability), internal structure (factor analysis and internal-consistency reliability), and relationship to other variables. Validity evidence is based on results from four studies conducted between 2010 and 2013. First, the factor analysis (2010, n = 216) yielded a three-factor solution, measuring patient story, IDEA, and completeness, with reliabilities of .79, .88, and .79, respectively. Second, an initial interrater reliability study (2010) involving two raters demonstrated fair to moderate consensus (κ = .21-.56, ρ =.42-.79). Third, a second interrater reliability study (2011) with 22 trained raters also demonstrated fair to moderate agreement (intraclass correlations [ICCs] = .29-.67). There was moderate reliability for all three skill domains, including reporting skills (ICC = .53), diagnostic reasoning skills (ICC = .64), and decision-making skills (ICC = .63). Fourth, there was a significant correlation between IDEA rating scores (2010-2013) and final Internal Medicine clerkship grades (r = .24), 95% confidence interval (CI) [.15, .33]. The IDEA assessment tool is a novel tool with validity evidence to support its use in the assessment of students' reporting, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making skills. The moderate reliability achieved supports formative or lower stakes summative uses rather than high-stakes summative judgments.

Reliability of a tool for measuring theory of planned behaviour constructs for use in evaluating research use in policymaking

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although measures of knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) effectiveness based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) have been used among patients and providers, no measure has been developed for use among health system policymakers and stakeholders. A tool that measures the intention to use research evidence in policymaking could assist researchers in evaluating the effectiveness of KTE strategies that aim to support evidence-informed health system decision-making. Therefore, we developed a 15-item tool to measure four TPB constructs (intention, attitude, subjective norm and perceived control) and assessed its face validity through key informant interviews. Methods We carried out a reliability study to assess the tool's internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Our study sample consisted of 62 policymakers and stakeholders that participated in deliberative dialogues. We assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha and generalizability (G) coefficients, and we assessed test-retest reliability by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and G coefficients for each construct and the tool overall. Results The internal consistency of items within each construct was good with alpha ranging from 0.68 to alpha = 0.89. G-coefficients were lower for a single administration (G = 0.34 to G = 0.73) than for the average of two administrations (G = 0.79 to G = 0.89). Test-retest reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from r = 0.26 to r = 0.77 and from G = 0.31 to G = 0.62 for a single administration, and from G = 0.47 to G = 0.86 for the average of two administrations. Test-retest reliability of the tool using G theory was moderate (G = 0.5) when we generalized across a single observation, but became strong (G = 0.9) when we averaged across both administrations. Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence for the reliability of a tool that can be used to measure TPB constructs in relation to research use in policymaking. Our findings suggest that the tool should be administered on more than one occasion when the intervention promotes an initial 'spike' in enthusiasm for using research evidence (as it seemed to do in this case with deliberative dialogues). The findings from this study will be used to modify the tool and inform further psychometric testing following different KTE interventions. PMID:21702956

Testing a tool for the classification of study designs in systematic reviews of interventions and exposures showed moderate reliability and low accuracy.

PubMed

Hartling, Lisa; Bond, Kenneth; Santaguida, P Lina; Viswanathan, Meera; Dryden, Donna M

2011-08-01

To develop and test a study design classification tool. We contacted relevant organizations and individuals to identify tools used to classify study designs and ranked these using predefined criteria. The highest ranked tool was a design algorithm developed, but no longer advocated, by the Cochrane Non-Randomized Studies Methods Group; this was modified to include additional study designs and decision points. We developed a reference classification for 30 studies; 6 testers applied the tool to these studies. Interrater reliability (Fleiss' κ) and accuracy against the reference classification were assessed. The tool was further revised and retested. Initial reliability was fair among the testers (κ=0.26) and the reference standard raters κ=0.33). Testing after revisions showed improved reliability (κ=0.45, moderate agreement) with improved, but still low, accuracy. The most common disagreements were whether the study design was experimental (5 of 15 studies), and whether there was a comparison of any kind (4 of 15 studies). Agreement was higher among testers who had completed graduate level training versus those who had not. The moderate reliability and low accuracy may be because of lack of clarity and comprehensiveness of the tool, inadequate reporting of the studies, and variability in tester characteristics. The results may not be generalizable to all published studies, as the test studies were selected because they had posed challenges for previous reviewers with respect to their design classification. Application of such a tool should be accompanied by training, pilot testing, and context-specific decision rules. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring occupational stress: development of the pressure management indicator.

PubMed

Williams, S; Cooper, C L

1998-10-01

The study of occupational stress is hindered by the lack of compact and comprehensive standardized measurement tools. The Pressure Management Indicator (PMI) is a 120-item self-report questionnaire developed from the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). The PMI is more reliable, more comprehensive, and shorter than the OSI. It provides an integrated measure of the major dimensions of occupational stress. The outcome scales measure job satisfaction, organizational satisfaction, organizational security, organizational commitment, anxiety--depression, resilience, worry, physical symptoms, and exhaustion. The stressor scales cover pressure from workload, relationships, career development, managerial responsibility, personal responsibility, home demands, and daily hassles. The moderator variables measure drive, impatience, control, decision latitude, and the coping strategies of problem focus, life work balance, and social support.

Modeling the data management system of Space Station Freedom with DEPEND

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, Daniel P.; Iyer, Ravishankar K.; Boyd, Mark A.

1993-01-01

Some of the features and capabilities of the DEPEND simulation-based modeling tool are described. A study of a 1553B local bus subsystem of the Space Station Freedom Data Management System (SSF DMS) is used to illustrate some types of system behavior that can be important to reliability and performance evaluations of this type of spacecraft. A DEPEND model of the subsystem is used to illustrate how these types of system behavior can be modeled, and shows what kinds of engineering and design questions can be answered through the use of these modeling techniques. DEPEND's process-based simulation environment is shown to provide a flexible method for modeling complex interactions between hardware and software elements of a fault-tolerant computing system.

Intelligent Work Process Engineering System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Kent E.

2003-01-01

Optimizing performance on work activities and processes requires metrics of performance for management to monitor and analyze in order to support further improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, safety, reliability and cost. Information systems are therefore required to assist management in making timely, informed decisions regarding these work processes and activities. Currently information systems regarding Space Shuttle maintenance and servicing do not exist to make such timely decisions. The work to be presented details a system which incorporates various automated and intelligent processes and analysis tools to capture organize and analyze work process related data, to make the necessary decisions to meet KSC organizational goals. The advantages and disadvantages of design alternatives to the development of such a system will be discussed including technologies, which would need to bedesigned, prototyped and evaluated.

Development and Piloting of a Food Safety Audit Tool for the Domestic Environment.

PubMed

Borrusso, Patricia; Quinlan, Jennifer J

2013-12-04

Research suggests that consumers often mishandle food in the home based on survey and observation studies. There is a need for a standardized tool for researchers to objectively evaluate the prevalence and identify the nature of food safety risks in the domestic environment. An audit tool was developed to measure compliance with recommended sanitation, refrigeration and food storage conditions in the domestic kitchen. The tool was piloted by four researchers who independently completed the inspection in 22 homes. Audit tool questions were evaluated for reliability using the κ statistic. Questions that were not sufficiently reliable (κ < 0.5) or did not provide direct evidence of risk were revised or eliminated from the final tool. Piloting the audit tool found good reliability among 18 questions, 6 questions were revised and 28 eliminated, resulting in a final 24 question tool. The audit tool was able to identify potential food safety risks, including evidence of pest infestation (27%), incorrect refrigeration temperature (73%), and lack of hot water (>43 °C, 32%). The audit tool developed here provides an objective measure for researchers to observe and record the most prevalent food safety risks in consumer's kitchens and potentially compare risks among consumers of different demographics.

A real-time path rating calculation tool powered by HPC

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

If transmission path ratings are determined in real time and optimized control methods can be implemented, congestion problems can be more effectively managed using the existing transmission assets, reducing congestion costs, avoiding capital expenditures for new physical assets, increasing revenues from the existing system, and maintaining reliability. In just one illustrative case, a BPA study has shown that a 1000-MW rating increase for a transmission path generates $15M in annual revenue, even if only 25% of the increased margin can be tapped for just 25% of the year.

Interventional nephrology: Physical examination as a tool for surveillance for the hemodialysis arteriovenous access.

PubMed

Salman, Loay; Beathard, Gerald

2013-07-01

The prospective recognition of stenosis affecting dialysis vascular access and its prospective treatment is important in the management of the hemodialysis patient. Surveillance by physical examination is easily learned, easily performed, quickly done, and economical. In addition, it has a level of accuracy and reliability equivalent to other approaches that require special instrumentation. Physical examination should be part of any education to all hemodialysis care givers. This review presents the basic principles of physical examination of the hemodialysis vascular access and discusses the evidence behind its value.

Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) Avionics Flight Computing Architecture Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodson, Robert F.; Chen, Yuan; Morgan, Dwayne R.; Butler, A. Marc; Sdhuh, Joseph M.; Petelle, Jennifer K.; Gwaltney, David A.; Coe, Lisa D.; Koelbl, Terry G.; Nguyen, Hai D.

2011-01-01

A NASA multi-Center study team was assembled from LaRC, MSFC, KSC, JSC and WFF to examine potential flight computing architectures for a Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) to better understand avionics drivers. The study examined Design Reference Missions (DRMs) and vehicle requirements that could impact the vehicles avionics. The study considered multiple self-checking and voting architectural variants and examined reliability, fault-tolerance, mass, power, and redundancy management impacts. Furthermore, a goal of the study was to develop the skills and tools needed to rapidly assess additional architectures should requirements or assumptions change.

The Petascale Data Storage Institute

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

Gibson, Garth; Long, Darrell; Honeyman, Peter

2013-07-01

Petascale computing infrastructures for scientific discovery make petascale demands on information storage capacity, performance, concurrency, reliability, availability, and manageability.The Petascale Data Storage Institute focuses on the data storage problems found in petascale scientific computing environments, with special attention to community issues such as interoperability, community buy-in, and shared tools.The Petascale Data Storage Institute is a collaboration between researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Michigan, and the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Rapid assessment of infrastructure of primary health care facilities - a relevant instrument for health care systems management.

PubMed

Scholz, Stefan; Ngoli, Baltazar; Flessa, Steffen

2015-05-01

Health care infrastructure constitutes a major component of the structural quality of a health system. Infrastructural deficiencies of health services are reported in literature and research. A number of instruments exist for the assessment of infrastructure. However, no easy-to-use instruments to assess health facility infrastructure in developing countries are available. Present tools are not applicable for a rapid assessment by health facility staff. Therefore, health information systems lack data on facility infrastructure. A rapid assessment tool for the infrastructure of primary health care facilities was developed by the authors and pilot-tested in Tanzania. The tool measures the quality of all infrastructural components comprehensively and with high standardization. Ratings use a 2-1-0 scheme which is frequently used in Tanzanian health care services. Infrastructural indicators and indices are obtained from the assessment and serve for reporting and tracing of interventions. The tool was pilot-tested in Tanga Region (Tanzania). The pilot test covered seven primary care facilities in the range between dispensary and district hospital. The assessment encompassed the facilities as entities as well as 42 facility buildings and 80 pieces of technical medical equipment. A full assessment of facility infrastructure was undertaken by health care professionals while the rapid assessment was performed by facility staff. Serious infrastructural deficiencies were revealed. The rapid assessment tool proved a reliable instrument of routine data collection by health facility staff. The authors recommend integrating the rapid assessment tool in the health information systems of developing countries. Health authorities in a decentralized health system are thus enabled to detect infrastructural deficiencies and trace the effects of interventions. The tool can lay the data foundation for district facility infrastructure management.

Adaptation of the Quality Indicator for Rehabilitative Care (QuIRC) for use in mental health supported accommodation services (QuIRC-SA).

PubMed

Killaspy, Helen; White, Sarah; Dowling, Sarah; Krotofil, Joanna; McPherson, Peter; Sandhu, Sima; Arbuthnott, Maurice; Curtis, Sarah; Leavey, Gerard; Priebe, Stefan; Shepherd, Geoff; King, Michael

2016-04-14

No standardised tools for assessing the quality of specialist mental health supported accommodation services exist. To address this, we adapted the Quality Indicator for Rehabilitative care-QuIRC-that was originally developed to assess the quality of longer term inpatient and community based mental health facilities. The QuIRC, which is completed by the service manager and gives ratings of seven domains of care, has good psychometric properties. Focus groups with staff of the three main types of supported accommodation in the UK (residential care, supported housing and floating outreach services) were carried out to identify potential amendments to the QuIRC. Additional advice was gained from consultation with three expert panels, two of which comprised service users with lived experience of mental health and supported accommodation services. The amended QuIRC (QuIRC-SA) was piloted with a manager of each of the three service types. Item response variance, inter-rater reliability and internal consistency were assessed in a random sample of 52 services. Factorial structure and discriminant validity were assessed in a larger random sample of 87 services. The QuIRC-SA comprised 143 items of which only 18 items showed a narrow range of response and five items had poor inter-rater reliability. The tool showed good discriminant validity, with supported housing services generally scoring higher than the other two types of supported accommodation on most domains. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the QuIRC-SA items loaded onto the domains to which they had been allocated. The QuIRC-SA is the first standardised tool for quality assessment of specialist mental health supported accommodation services. Its psychometric properties mean that it has potential for use in research as well as audit and quality improvement programmes. A web based application is being developed to make it more accessible which will produce a printable report for the service manager about the performance of their service, comparison data for similar services and suggestions on how to improve service quality.

Evacuation performance evaluation tool.

PubMed

Farra, Sharon; Miller, Elaine T; Gneuhs, Matthew; Timm, Nathan; Li, Gengxin; Simon, Ashley; Brady, Whittney

2016-01-01

Hospitals conduct evacuation exercises to improve performance during emergency events. An essential aspect in this process is the creation of reliable and valid evaluation tools. The objective of this article is to describe the development and implications of a disaster evacuation performance tool that measures one portion of the very complex process of evacuation. Through the application of the Delphi technique and DeVellis's framework, disaster and neonatal experts provided input in developing this performance evaluation tool. Following development, content validity and reliability of this tool were assessed. Large pediatric hospital and medical center in the Midwest. The tool was pilot tested with an administrative, medical, and nursing leadership group and then implemented with a group of 68 healthcare workers during a disaster exercise of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The tool has demonstrated high content validity with a scale validity index of 0.979 and inter-rater reliability G coefficient (0.984, 95% CI: 0.948-0.9952). The Delphi process based on the conceptual framework of DeVellis yielded a psychometrically sound evacuation performance evaluation tool for a NICU.

78 FR 44557 - Revision to Transmission Vegetation Management Reliability Standard; Notice of Compliance Filing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... Transmission Vegetation Management Reliability Standard; Notice of Compliance Filing Take notice that on July 12, 2013, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), pursuant to Order No. 777 \\1... Reliability Standard FAC-003-2 to its Web site. \\1\\ Revisions to Reliability Standard for Transmission...

Development and Reliability of the Basic Skill Assessment Tool for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Lersilp, Suchitporn; Suchart, Sumana

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to improve upon the first version of the basic work skills assessment tool for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and examine interrater and intrarater reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). The modified tool includes 2 components: (1) three tasks measuring work abilities and work attitudes and (2) a form to record the number of verbal and nonverbal prompts. 26 participants were selected by purposive sampling and divided into 3 groups—group 1 (10 subjects, aged 11–13 years), group 2 (10, aged 14–16 years), and group 3 (6, aged 17–19 years). The results show that interrater reliabilities of work abilities and work attitudes were high in all groups except that the work attitude in group 1 was moderate. Intrarater reliabilities of work abilities in group 1 and group 2 were high. Group 3 was moderate. Intrarater reliabilities of work attitudes in group 1 and group 3 were high but not in group 2 in which they were moderate. Nevertheless, interrater and intrarater reliabilities in the total scores of all groups were high, which implies that this tool is applicable for adolescents aged 11–19 years with consideration of relevance for each group. PMID:28280769

Pilot testing of SHRP 2 reliability data and analytical products: Minnesota.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The Minnesota pilot site has undertaken an effort to test data and analytical tools developed through the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) 2 Reliability focus area. The purpose of these tools is to facilitate the improvement of travel time r...

Evaluation of the quality of patient information to support informed shared decision-making.

PubMed

Godolphin, W; Towle, A; McKendry, R

2001-12-01

(a) To find out how much patient information material on display in family physicians' offices refers to management choices, and hence may be useful to support informed and shared decision-making (ISDM) by patients and (b) to evaluate the quality of print information materials exchanged during the consultation, i.e. brought in by patients or given out by family physicians. All print information available for patients and exchanged between physicians and patients was collected in a single complete day of the office practices of 21 family physicians. A published and validated instrument (DISCERN) was used to assess quality. Community office practices in the greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada. The physicians were purposefully recruited by their association with the medical school Department of Family Practice, their interest in providing patients with print information and their representation of a range of practice types and location. The source of the pamphlets and these categories: available in the physicians' offices; exchanged between physician and patient; and produced with the explicit or apparent intent to support evidence-based patient choice. The quality of the print information to support ISDM, as measured by DISCERN and the ease of use and reliability of the DISCERN tool. Fewer than 50% of pamphlets available in these offices fulfilled our minimum criteria for ISDM (mentioned more than one management option). Offices varied widely in the proportion of pamphlets on display that supported ISDM and how particular the physician was in selecting materials. The DISCERN tool is quick, valid and reliable for the evaluation of patient information. The quality of patient information materials used in the consultation and available in these offices was below midpoint on the DISCERN score. Major deficiencies were with respect to the mention of choices, risks, effect of no treatment or uncertainty and reliability (source, evidence-base). Good quality information can be produced; some is available locally.

Evaluation of the quality of patient information to support informed shared decision‐making

PubMed Central

Godolphin, William; Towle, Angela; McKendry, Rachael

2008-01-01

Objectives (a) To find out how much patient information material on display in family physicians’ offices refers to management choices, and hence may be useful to support informed and shared decision‐making (ISDM) by patients and (b) to evaluate the quality of print information materials exchanged during the consultation, i.e. brought in by patients or given out by family physicians. Design All print information available for patients and exchanged between physicians and patients was collected in a single complete day of the office practices of 21 family physicians. A published and validated instrument (DISCERN) was used to assess quality. Setting and participants Community office practices in the greater Vancouver area, British Columbia, Canada. The physicians were purposefully recruited by their association with the medical school Department of Family Practice, their interest in providing patients with print information and their representation of a range of practice types and location. Main variables studied The source of the pamphlets and these categories: available in the physicians’ offices; exchanged between physician and patient; and produced with the explicit or apparent intent to support evidence‐based patient choice. Main outcome measures The quality of the print information to support ISDM, as measured by DISCERN and the ease of use and reliability of the DISCERN tool. Results and conclusions Fewer than 50% of pamphlets available in these offices fulfilled our minimum criteria for ISDM (mentioned more than one management option). Offices varied widely in the proportion of pamphlets on display that supported ISDM and how particular the physician was in selecting materials. The DISCERN tool is quick, valid and reliable for the evaluation of patient information. The quality of patient information materials used in the consultation and available in these offices was below midpoint on the DISCERN score. Major deficiencies were with respect to the mention of choices, risks, effect of no treatment or uncertainty and reliability (source, evidence‐base). Good quality information can be produced; some is available locally. PMID:11703497

Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) Toolkit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatesh, Meera; Kapadia, Ravi; Walker, Mark; Wilkins, Kim

2013-01-01

A framework of software components has been implemented to facilitate the development of ISHM systems according to a methodology based on Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). This framework is collectively referred to as the Toolkit and was developed using General Atomics' Health MAP (TM) technology. The toolkit is intended to provide assistance to software developers of mission-critical system health monitoring applications in the specification, implementation, configuration, and deployment of such applications. In addition to software tools designed to facilitate these objectives, the toolkit also provides direction to software developers in accordance with an ISHM specification and development methodology. The development tools are based on an RCM approach for the development of ISHM systems. This approach focuses on defining, detecting, and predicting the likelihood of system functional failures and their undesirable consequences.

Establishment of microbiological safety criteria for foods in international trade. International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods.

PubMed

1997-01-01

Microbiological safety is achieved by applying good hygienic practices throughout the food chain, "from farm to fork". Governmental food control is traditionally based on inspection of the facilities where foods are handled, and on testing food samples. Testing is usually applied to imported foods, when no information concerning the safety of a consignment is available. The microbiological safety is judged by means of microbiological criteria. Such criteria should, in the context of the WTO/SPS measures, be scientifically justified, and established according to the principles described by the Codex Alimentarius. However, microbiological testing is not a very reliable tool for consumer protection; the emphasis is currently shifting to the application of food safety management tools such as the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP).

Thermal Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes by Photothermal Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leahu, G.; Li Voti, R.; Larciprete, M. C.; Sibilia, C.; Bertolotti, M.; Nefedov, I.; Anoshkin, I. V.

2015-06-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are multifunctional materials commonly used in a large number of applications in electronics, sensors, nanocomposites, thermal management, actuators, energy storage and conversion, and drug delivery. Despite recent important advances in the development of CNT purity assessment tools and atomic resolution imaging of individual nanotubes by scanning tunnelling microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the macroscale assessment of the overall surface qualities of commercial CNT materials remains a great challenge. The lack of quantitative measurement technology to characterize and compare the surface qualities of bulk manufactured and engineered CNT materials has negative impacts on the reliable and consistent nanomanufacturing of CNT products. In this paper it is shown how photoacoustic spectroscopy and photothermal radiometry represent useful non-destructive tools to study the optothermal properties of carbon nanotube thin films.

Validation of a score tool for measurement of histological severity in juvenile dermatomyositis and association with clinical severity of disease

PubMed Central

Varsani, Hemlata; Charman, Susan C; Li, Charles K; Marie, Suely K N; Amato, Anthony A; Banwell, Brenda; Bove, Kevin E; Corse, Andrea M; Emslie-Smith, Alison M; Jacques, Thomas S; Lundberg, Ingrid E; Minetti, Carlo; Nennesmo, Inger; Rushing, Elisabeth J; Sallum, Adriana M E; Sewry, Caroline; Pilkington, Clarissa A; Holton, Janice L; Wedderburn, Lucy R

2015-01-01

Objectives To study muscle biopsy tissue from patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) in order to test the reliability of a score tool designed to quantify the severity of histological abnormalities when applied to biceps humeri in addition to quadriceps femoris. Additionally, to evaluate whether elements of the tool correlate with clinical measures of disease severity. Methods 55 patients with JDM with muscle biopsy tissue and clinical data available were included. Biopsy samples (33 quadriceps, 22 biceps) were prepared and stained using standardised protocols. A Latin square design was used by the International Juvenile Dermatomyositis Biopsy Consensus Group to score cases using our previously published score tool. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and scorer agreement (α) by assessing variation in scorers’ ratings. Scores from the most reliable tool items correlated with clinical measures of disease activity at the time of biopsy. Results Inter- and intraobserver agreement was good or high for many tool items, including overall assessment of severity using a Visual Analogue Scale. The tool functioned equally well on biceps and quadriceps samples. A modified tool using the most reliable score items showed good correlation with measures of disease activity. Conclusions The JDM biopsy score tool has high inter- and intraobserver agreement and can be used on both biceps and quadriceps muscle tissue. Importantly, the modified tool correlates well with clinical measures of disease activity. We propose that standardised assessment of muscle biopsy tissue should be considered in diagnostic investigation and clinical trials in JDM. PMID:24064003

Multicentre study for validation of the French addictovigilance network reports assessment tool

PubMed Central

Hardouin, Jean Benoit; Rousselet, Morgane; Gerardin, Marie; Guerlais, Marylène; Guillou, Morgane; Bronnec, Marie; Sébille, Véronique; Jolliet, Pascale

2016-01-01

Aims The French health authority (ANSM) is responsible for monitoring medicinal and other drug dependencies. To support these activities, the ANSM manages a network of 13 drug dependence evaluation and information centres (Centres d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance ‐ Addictovigilance ‐ CEIP‐A) throughout France. In 2006, the Nantes CEIP‐A created a new tool called the EGAP (Echelle de GrAvité de la Pharmacodépendance‐ drug dependence severity scale) based on DSM IV criteria. This tool allows the creation of a substance use profile that enables the drug dependence severity to be homogeneously quantified by assigning a score to each substance indicated in the reports from health professionals. This article describes the validation and psychometric properties of the drug dependence severity score obtained from the scale ( Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01052675). Method The validity of the EGAP construct, the concurrent validity and the discriminative ability of the EGAP score, the consistency of answers to EGAP items, the internal consistency and inter rater reliability of the EGAP score were assessed using statistical methods that are generally used for psychometric tests. Results The total EGAP score was a reliable and precise measure for evaluating drug dependence (Cronbach alpha = 0.84; ASI correlation = 0.70; global ICC = 0.92). In addition to its good psychometric properties, the EGAP is a simple and efficient tool that can be easily specified on the official ANSM notification form. Conclusion The good psychometric properties of the total EGAP score justify its use for evaluating the severity of drug dependence. PMID:27302554

TREXMO: A Translation Tool to Support the Use of Regulatory Occupational Exposure Models.

PubMed

Savic, Nenad; Racordon, Dimitri; Buchs, Didier; Gasic, Bojan; Vernez, David

2016-10-01

Occupational exposure models vary significantly in their complexity, purpose, and the level of expertise required from the user. Different parameters in the same model may lead to different exposure estimates for the same exposure situation. This paper presents a tool developed to deal with this concern-TREXMO or TRanslation of EXposure MOdels. TREXMO integrates six commonly used occupational exposure models, namely, ART v.1.5, STOFFENMANAGER(®) v.5.1, ECETOC TRA v.3, MEASE v.1.02.01, EMKG-EXPO-TOOL, and EASE v.2.0. By enabling a semi-automatic translation between the parameters of these six models, TREXMO facilitates their simultaneous use. For a given exposure situation, defined by a set of parameters in one of the models, TREXMO provides the user with the most appropriate parameters to use in the other exposure models. Results showed that, once an exposure situation and parameters were set in ART, TREXMO reduced the number of possible outcomes in the other models by 1-4 orders of magnitude. The tool should manage to reduce the uncertain entry or selection of parameters in the six models, improve between-user reliability, and reduce the time required for running several models for a given exposure situation. In addition to these advantages, registrants of chemicals and authorities should benefit from more reliable exposure estimates for the risk characterization of dangerous chemicals under Regulation, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals (REACH). © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Reliable and valid assessment of Lichtenstein hernia repair skills.

PubMed

Carlsen, C G; Lindorff-Larsen, K; Funch-Jensen, P; Lund, L; Charles, P; Konge, L

2014-08-01

Lichtenstein hernia repair is a common surgical procedure and one of the first procedures performed by a surgical trainee. However, formal assessment tools developed for this procedure are few and sparsely validated. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of an assessment tool designed to measure surgical skills in Lichtenstein hernia repair. Key issues were identified through a focus group interview. On this basis, an assessment tool with eight items was designed. Ten surgeons and surgical trainees were video recorded while performing Lichtenstein hernia repair, (four experts, three intermediates, and three novices). The videos were blindly and individually assessed by three raters (surgical consultants) using the assessment tool. Based on these assessments, validity and reliability were explored. The internal consistency of the items was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97). The inter-rater reliability was very good with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.93. Generalizability analysis showed a coefficient above 0.8 even with one rater. The coefficient improved to 0.92 if three raters were used. One-way analysis of variance found a significant difference between the three groups which indicates construct validity, p < 0.001. Lichtenstein hernia repair skills can be assessed blindly by a single rater in a reliable and valid fashion with the new procedure-specific assessment tool. We recommend this tool for future assessment of trainees performing Lichtenstein hernia repair to ensure that the objectives of competency-based surgical training are met.

The Queensland high risk foot form (QHRFF) – is it a reliable and valid clinical research tool for foot disease?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Foot disease complications, such as foot ulcers and infection, contribute to considerable morbidity and mortality. These complications are typically precipitated by “high-risk factors”, such as peripheral neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease. High-risk factors are more prevalent in specific “at risk” populations such as diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. To the best of the authors’ knowledge a tool capturing multiple high-risk factors and foot disease complications in multiple at risk populations has yet to be tested. This study aimed to develop and test the validity and reliability of a Queensland High Risk Foot Form (QHRFF) tool. Methods The study was conducted in two phases. Phase one developed a QHRFF using an existing diabetes foot disease tool, literature searches, stakeholder groups and expert panel. Phase two tested the QHRFF for validity and reliability. Four clinicians, representing different levels of expertise, were recruited to test validity and reliability. Three cohorts of patients were recruited; one tested criterion measure reliability (n = 32), another tested criterion validity and inter-rater reliability (n = 43), and another tested intra-rater reliability (n = 19). Validity was determined using sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values (PPV). Reliability was determined using Kappa, weighted Kappa and intra-class correlation (ICC) statistics. Results A QHRFF tool containing 46 items across seven domains was developed. Criterion measure reliability of at least moderate categories of agreement (Kappa > 0.4; ICC > 0.75) was seen in 91% (29 of 32) tested items. Criterion validity of at least moderate categories (PPV > 0.7) was seen in 83% (60 of 72) tested items. Inter- and intra-rater reliability of at least moderate categories (Kappa > 0.4; ICC > 0.75) was seen in 88% (84 of 96) and 87% (20 of 23) tested items respectively. Conclusions The QHRFF had acceptable validity and reliability across the majority of items; particularly items identifying relevant co-morbidities, high-risk factors and foot disease complications. Recommendations have been made to improve or remove identified weaker items for future QHRFF versions. Overall, the QHRFF possesses suitable practicality, validity and reliability to assess and capture relevant foot disease items across multiple at risk populations. PMID:24468080

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale.

PubMed

Pelegrino, Flávia M; Dantas, Rosana A S; Corbi, Inaiara S A; da Silva Carvalho, Ariana R; Schmidt, André; Pazin Filho, Antônio

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal reliability and validity of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale (DASS) among cardiovascular patients. Oral anticoagulation is widely used to prevent and treat thromboembolic events in several conditions, especially in cardiovascular diseases; however, this therapy can induce dissatisfaction and reduce the quality of life. Methodological and cross-sectional research design. The cultural adaptation of the DASS included the translation and back-translation, discussions with healthcare professionals and patients to ensure conceptual equivalence, semantic evaluation and instrument pretest. The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the DASS was tested among subjects followed in a university hospital anticoagulation outpatient clinic. The psychometric properties were assessed by construct validity (convergent, known groups and dimensionality) and internal consistency/reliability (Cronbach's alpha). A total of 180 subjects under oral anticoagulation formed the baseline validation population. DASS total score and SF-36 domain correlations were moderate for General health (r=-0.47, p<0.01), Vitality (r=-0.44, p<0.01) and Mental health (r=-0.42, p<0.01) (convergent). Age and length on oral anticoagulation therapy (in years) were weakly correlated with total DASS score and most of the subscales, except Limitation (r=-0.375, p<0.01) (Known groups). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 for the total scale, and it ranged from 0.76 (hassles and burdens)-0.46 (psychological impact) among the domains, confirming the internal consistency reliability. The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the DASS has shown levels of reliability and validity comparable with the original English version. Healthcare practitioners and researchers need internationally validated measurement tools to compare outcomes of interventions in clinical management and research tools in oral anticoagulation therapy. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Disaster Response and Preparedness Application: Emergency Environmental Response Tool (EERT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smoot, James; Carr, Hugh; Jester, Keith

2003-01-01

In 2000, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Environmental Office at the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) developed an Environmental Geographic Information Systems (EGIS) database. NASA had previously developed a GIS database at SSC to assist in the NASA Environmental Office's management of the Center. This GIS became the basis for the NASA-wide EGIS project, which was proposed after the applicability of the SSC database was demonstrated. Since its completion, the SSC EGIS has aided the Environmental Office with noise pollution modeling, land cover assessment, wetlands delineation, environmental hazards mapping, and critical habitat delineation for protected species. At SSC, facility management and safety officers are responsible for ensuring the physical security of the facilities, staff, and equipment as well as for responding to environmental emergencies, such as accidental releases of hazardous materials. All phases of emergency management (planning, mitigation, preparedness, and response) depend on data reliability and system interoperability from a variety of sources to determine the size and scope of the emergency operation. Because geospatial data are now available for all NASA facilities, it was suggested that this data could be incorporated into a computerized management information program to assist facility managers. The idea was that the information system could improve both the effectiveness and the efficiency of managing and controlling actions associated with disaster, homeland security, and other activities. It was decided to use SSC as a pilot site to demonstrate the efficacy of having a baseline, computerized management information system that ultimately was referred to as the Emergency Environmental Response Tool (EERT).

Integrated groundwater resource management in Indus Basin using satellite gravimetry and physical modeling tools.

PubMed

Iqbal, Naveed; Hossain, Faisal; Lee, Hyongki; Akhter, Gulraiz

2017-03-01

Reliable and frequent information on groundwater behavior and dynamics is very important for effective groundwater resource management at appropriate spatial scales. This information is rarely available in developing countries and thus poses a challenge for groundwater managers. The in situ data and groundwater modeling tools are limited in their ability to cover large domains. Remote sensing technology can now be used to continuously collect information on hydrological cycle in a cost-effective way. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a remote sensing integrated physical modeling approach for groundwater management in Indus Basin. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Satellite (GRACE)-based gravity anomalies from 2003 to 2010 were processed to generate monthly groundwater storage changes using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model. The groundwater storage is the key parameter of interest for groundwater resource management. The spatial and temporal patterns in groundwater storage (GWS) are useful for devising the appropriate groundwater management strategies. GRACE-estimated GWS information with large-scale coverage is valuable for basin-scale monitoring and decision making. This frequently available information is found useful for the identification of groundwater recharge areas, groundwater storage depletion, and pinpointing of the areas where groundwater sustainability is at risk. The GWS anomalies were found to favorably agree with groundwater model simulations from Visual MODFLOW and in situ data. Mostly, a moderate to severe GWS depletion is observed causing a vulnerable situation to the sustainability of this groundwater resource. For the sustainable groundwater management, the region needs to implement groundwater policies and adopt water conservation techniques.

Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Current Assessment Practice Evaluation-Revised (CAPER) in a National Sample.

PubMed

Lyon, Aaron R; Pullmann, Michael D; Dorsey, Shannon; Martin, Prerna; Grigore, Alexandra A; Becker, Emily M; Jensen-Doss, Amanda

2018-05-11

Measurement-based care (MBC) is an increasingly popular, evidence-based practice, but there are no tools with established psychometrics to evaluate clinician use of MBC practices in mental health service delivery. The current study evaluated the reliability, validity, and factor structure of scores generated from a brief, standardized tool to measure MBC practices, the Current Assessment Practice Evaluation-Revised (CAPER). Survey data from a national sample of 479 mental health clinicians were used to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as reliability and validity analyses (e.g., relationships between CAPER subscales and clinician MBC attitudes). Analyses revealed competing two- and three-factor models. Regardless of the model used, scores from CAPER subscales demonstrated good reliability and convergent and divergent validity with MBC attitudes in the expected directions. The CAPER appears to be a psychometrically sound tool for assessing clinician MBC practices. Future directions for development and application of the tool are discussed.

Ensemble Streamflow Forecast Improvements in NYC's Operations Support Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Weiss, W. J.; Porter, J.; Schaake, J. C.; Day, G. N.; Sheer, D. P.

2013-12-01

Like most other water supply utilities, New York City's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has operational challenges associated with drought and wet weather events. During drought conditions, DEP must maintain water supply reliability to 9 million customers as well as meet environmental release requirements downstream of its reservoirs. During and after wet weather events, DEP must maintain turbidity compliance in its unfiltered Catskill and Delaware reservoir systems and minimize spills to mitigate downstream flooding. Proactive reservoir management - such as release restrictions to prepare for a drought or preventative drawdown in advance of a large storm - can alleviate negative impacts associated with extreme events. It is important for water managers to understand the risks associated with proactive operations so unintended consequences such as endangering water supply reliability with excessive drawdown prior to a storm event are minimized. Probabilistic hydrologic forecasts are a critical tool in quantifying these risks and allow water managers to make more informed operational decisions. DEP has recently completed development of an Operations Support Tool (OST) that integrates ensemble streamflow forecasts, real-time observations, and a reservoir system operations model into a user-friendly graphical interface that allows its water managers to take robust and defensible proactive measures in the face of challenging system conditions. Since initial development of OST was first presented at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, significant improvements have been made to the forecast system. First, the monthly AR1 forecasts ('Hirsch method') were upgraded with a generalized linear model (GLM) utilizing historical daily correlations ('Extended Hirsch method' or 'eHirsch'). The development of eHirsch forecasts improved predictive skill over the Hirsch method in the first week to a month from the forecast date and produced more realistic hydrographs on the tail end of high flow periods. These improvements allowed DEP to more effectively manage water quality control and spill mitigation operations immediately after storm events. Later on, post-processed hydrologic forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) including the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) and the Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast Service (HEFS) were implemented into OST. These forecasts further increased the predictive skill over the initial statistical models as current basin conditions (e.g. soil moisture, snowpack) and meteorological forecasts (with HEFS) are now explicitly represented. With the post-processed HEFS forecasts, DEP may now truly quantify impacts associated with wet weather events on the horizon, rather than relying on statistical representations of current hydrologic trends. This presentation will highlight the benefits of the improved forecasts using examples from actual system operations.

The INFN-CNAF Tier-1 GEMSS Mass Storage System and database facility activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricci, Pier Paolo; Cavalli, Alessandro; Dell'Agnello, Luca; Favaro, Matteo; Gregori, Daniele; Prosperini, Andrea; Pezzi, Michele; Sapunenko, Vladimir; Zizzi, Giovanni; Vagnoni, Vincenzo

2015-05-01

The consolidation of Mass Storage services at the INFN-CNAF Tier1 Storage department that has occurred during the last 5 years, resulted in a reliable, high performance and moderately easy-to-manage facility that provides data access, archive, backup and database services to several different use cases. At present, the GEMSS Mass Storage System, developed and installed at CNAF and based upon an integration between the IBM GPFS parallel filesystem and the Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) tape management software, is one of the largest hierarchical storage sites in Europe. It provides storage resources for about 12% of LHC data, as well as for data of other non-LHC experiments. Files are accessed using standard SRM Grid services provided by the Storage Resource Manager (StoRM), also developed at CNAF. Data access is also provided by XRootD and HTTP/WebDaV endpoints. Besides these services, an Oracle database facility is in production characterized by an effective level of parallelism, redundancy and availability. This facility is running databases for storing and accessing relational data objects and for providing database services to the currently active use cases. It takes advantage of several Oracle technologies, like Real Application Cluster (RAC), Automatic Storage Manager (ASM) and Enterprise Manager centralized management tools, together with other technologies for performance optimization, ease of management and downtime reduction. The aim of the present paper is to illustrate the state-of-the-art of the INFN-CNAF Tier1 Storage department infrastructures and software services, and to give a brief outlook to forthcoming projects. A description of the administrative, monitoring and problem-tracking tools that play a primary role in managing the whole storage framework is also given.

Reliability and Validity of the Alberta Context Tool (ACT) with Professional Nurses: Findings from a Multi-Study Analysis

PubMed Central

Squires, Janet E.; Hayduk, Leslie; Hutchinson, Alison M.; Mallick, Ranjeeta; Norton, Peter G.; Cummings, Greta G.; Estabrooks, Carole A.

2015-01-01

Although organizational context is central to evidence-based practice, underdeveloped measurement hindersitsassessment. The Alberta Context Tool, comprised of 59 items that tap10 modifiable contextual concepts, was developed to address this gap. The purpose of this study to examine the reliability and validity of scores obtained when the Alberta Context Tool is completed by professional nurses across different healthcare settings. Five separate studies (N = 2361 nurses across different care settings) comprised the study sample. Reliability and validity were assessed. Cronbach’s alpha exceeded 0.70 for9/10 Alberta Context Tool concepts. Item-total correlations exceeded acceptable standards for 56/59items. Confirmatory Factor Analysescoordinated acceptably with the Alberta Context Tool’s proposed latent structure. The mean values for each Alberta Context Tool concept increased from low to high levels of research utilization(as hypothesized) further supporting its validity. This study provides robust evidence forreliability and validity of scores obtained with the Alberta Context Tool when administered to professional nurses. PMID:26098857

Maternity-care: measuring women's perceptions.

PubMed

Clark, Kim; Beatty, Shelley; Reibel, Tracy

2016-01-01

Achieving maternity-care outcomes that align with women's needs, preferences and expectations is important but theoretically driven measures of women's satisfaction with their entire maternity-care experience do not appear to exist. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of an instrument to assess women's perception of their entire maternity-care experience. A questionnaire was developed on the basis of previous research and informed by a framework of standard service quality categories covering the spectrum of typical consumer concerns. A pilot survey with a sample of 195 women who had recent experience of birth was undertaken to establish valid and reliable scales pertaining to different stages of maternity care. Exploratory factor analysis was used to interpret scales and convergent validity was assessed using a modified version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Nine theoretically informed, reliable and valid stand-alone scales measuring the achievement of different dimensions of women's expectancies of public maternity care were developed. The study scales are intended for use in identifying some potential areas of focus for quality improvement in the delivery of maternity care. Reliable and valid tools for monitoring the extent to which services respond to women's expectations of their entire maternity care form part of the broader toolkit required to adequately manage health-care quality. This study offers guidance on the make-up of such tools. The scales produced from this research offer a means to assess maternity care across the full continuum of care and are brief and easy to use.

A systematic review of reliable and valid tools for the measurement of patient participation in healthcare.

PubMed

Phillips, Nicole Margaret; Street, Maryann; Haesler, Emily

2016-02-01

Patient participation in healthcare is recognised internationally as essential for consumer-centric, high-quality healthcare delivery. Its measurement as part of continuous quality improvement requires development of agreed standards and measurable indicators. This systematic review sought to identify strategies to measure patient participation in healthcare and to report their reliability and validity. In the context of this review, patient participation was constructed as shared decision-making, acknowledging the patient as having critical knowledge regarding their own health and care needs and promoting self-care/autonomy. Following a comprehensive search, studies reporting reliability or validity of an instrument used in a healthcare setting to measure patient participation, published in English between January 2004 and March 2014 were eligible for inclusion. From an initial search, which identified 1582 studies, 156 studies were retrieved and screened against inclusion criteria. Thirty-three studies reporting 24 patient participation measurement tools met inclusion criteria, and were critically appraised. The majority of studies were descriptive psychometric studies using prospective, cross-sectional designs. Almost all the tools completed by patients, family caregivers, observers or more than one stakeholder focused on aspects of patient-professional communication. Few tools designed for completion by patients or family caregivers provided valid and reliable measures of patient participation. There was low correlation between many of the tools and other measures of patient satisfaction. Few reliable and valid tools for measurement of patient participation in healthcare have been recently developed. Of those reported in this review, the dyadic Observing Patient Involvement in Decision Making (dyadic-OPTION) tool presents the most promise for measuring core components of patient participation. There remains a need for further study into valid, reliable and feasible strategies for measuring patient participation as part of continuous quality improvement. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Microgrid Design Analysis Using Technology Management Optimization and the Performance Reliability Model

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

Stamp, Jason E.; Eddy, John P.; Jensen, Richard P.

Microgrids are a focus of localized energy production that support resiliency, security, local con- trol, and increased access to renewable resources (among other potential benefits). The Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) Joint Capa- bility Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program between the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) resulted in the pre- liminary design and deployment of three microgrids at military installations. This paper is focused on the analysis process and supporting software used to determine optimal designs for energy surety microgrids (ESMs) in the SPIDERS project. There aremore » two key pieces of software, an ex- isting software application developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) called Technology Management Optimization (TMO) and a new simulation developed for SPIDERS called the per- formance reliability model (PRM). TMO is a decision support tool that performs multi-objective optimization over a mixed discrete/continuous search space for which the performance measures are unrestricted in form. The PRM is able to statistically quantify the performance and reliability of a microgrid operating in islanded mode (disconnected from any utility power source). Together, these two software applications were used as part of the ESM process to generate the preliminary designs presented by SNL-led DOE team to the DOD. Acknowledgements Sandia National Laboratories and the SPIDERS technical team would like to acknowledge the following for help in the project: * Mike Hightower, who has been the key driving force for Energy Surety Microgrids * Juan Torres and Abbas Akhil, who developed the concept of microgrids for military instal- lations * Merrill Smith, U.S. Department of Energy SPIDERS Program Manager * Ross Roley and Rich Trundy from U.S. Pacific Command * Bill Waugaman and Bill Beary from U.S. Northern Command * Tarek Abdallah, Melanie Johnson, and Harold Sanborn of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory * Colleagues from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for their reviews, suggestions, and participation in the work.« less

Inter-rater reliability of output measures for a posture matching assessment approach: a pilot study with food service workers.

PubMed

Cann, A P; Connolly, M; Ruuska, R; MacNeil, M; Birmingham, T B; Vandervoort, A A; Callaghan, J P

2008-04-01

Despite the ongoing health problem of repetitive strain injuries, there are few tools currently available for ergonomic applications evaluating cumulative loading that have well-documented evidence of reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of a posture matching based analysis tool (3DMatch, University of Waterloo) for predicting cumulative and peak spinal loads. A total of 30 food service workers were each videotaped for a 1-h period while performing typical work activities and a single work task was randomly selected from each for analysis by two raters. Inter-rater reliability was determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) model 2,1 and standard errors of measurement for cumulative and peak spinal and shoulder loading variables across all subjects. Overall, 85.5% of variables had moderate to excellent inter-rater reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.30-0.99 for all cumulative and peak loading variables. 3DMatch was found to be a reliable ergonomic tool when more than one rater is involved.

A mobile phone based tool to identify symptoms of common childhood diseases in Ghana: development and evaluation of the integrated clinical algorithm in a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Franke, Konstantin H; Krumkamp, Ralf; Mohammed, Aliyu; Sarpong, Nimako; Owusu-Dabo, Ellis; Brinkel, Johanna; Fobil, Julius N; Marinovic, Axel Bonacic; Asihene, Philip; Boots, Mark; May, Jürgen; Kreuels, Benno

2018-03-27

The aim of this study was the development and evaluation of an algorithm-based diagnosis-tool, applicable on mobile phones, to support guardians in providing appropriate care to sick children. The algorithm was developed on the basis of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines and evaluated at a hospital in Ghana. Two hundred and thirty-seven guardians applied the tool to assess their child's symptoms. Data recorded by the tool and health records completed by a physician were compared in terms of symptom detection, disease assessment and treatment recommendation. To compare both assessments, Kappa statistics and predictive values were calculated. The tool detected the symptoms of cough, fever, diarrhoea and vomiting with good agreement to the physicians' findings (kappa = 0.64; 0.59; 0.57 and 0.42 respectively). The disease assessment barely coincided with the physicians' findings. The tool's treatment recommendation correlated with the physicians' assessments in 93 out of 237 cases (39.2% agreement, kappa = 0.11), but underestimated a child's condition in only seven cases (3.0%). The algorithm-based tool achieved reliable symptom detection and treatment recommendations were administered conformably to the physicians' assessment. Testing in domestic environment is envisaged.

Measuring pain in patients undergoing hemodialysis: a review of pain assessment tools

PubMed Central

Upadhyay, Chandani; Cameron, Karen; Murphy, Laura; Battistella, Marisa

2014-01-01

Background Patients undergoing hemodialysis frequently report pain with multifactorial causes, not limited to that experienced directly from hemodialysis treatment. Their pain may be nociceptive, neuropathic, somatic or visceral in nature. Despite this, pain in this population remains under-recognized and under-treated. Although several tools have been used to measure pain in patients undergoing hemodialysis as reported in the literature, none of them have been validated specifically in this population. The objective for this review was to compare and contrast these pain assessment tools and discuss their clinical utility in this patient population. Methods To identify pain assessment tools studied in patients undergoing hemodialysis, a literature search was performed in PubMed and Medline. An expert panel of dialysis and pain clinicians reviewed each tool. Each pain assessment tool was assessed on how it is administered and scored, its psychometric properties such as reliability, validity and responsiveness to change, and its clinical utility in a hemodialysis population. Brief Pain Inventory, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Pain Management Index, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, Visual Analogue Scale and Faces Pain Scale were evaluated and compared. Results This assessment will help clinicians practicing in nephrology to determine which of these pain assessment tools is best suited for use in their individual clinical practice. PMID:25852910

HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 2: HARP tutorial

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothmann, Elizabeth; Dugan, Joanne Bechta; Trivedi, Kishor S.; Mittal, Nitin; Bavuso, Salvatore J.

1994-01-01

The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) tutorial provides insight into HARP modeling techniques and the interactive textual prompting input language via a step-by-step explanation and demonstration of HARP's fault occurrence/repair model and the fault/error handling models. Example applications are worked in their entirety and the HARP tabular output data are presented for each. Simple models are presented at first with each succeeding example demonstrating greater modeling power and complexity. This document is not intended to present the theoretical and mathematical basis for HARP.

78 FR 22773 - Revisions to Reliability Standard for Transmission Vegetation Management; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

...; Order No. 777] Revisions to Reliability Standard for Transmission Vegetation Management; Correction... other requirements the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) needs to submit when modifying certain Reliability Standards. DATES: Effective on May 28, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

Reliability and Validity of the Acanthosis Nigricans Screening Tool for Use in Elementary School-Age Children by School Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Leslie K.; Hall, Lynne M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of an acanthosis nigricans (AN) screening tool for use in elementary school-age children of different ethnic groups. Cross-sectional data were collected via observation of 288, 5- to 12-year-old school-age children. Three nurse clinicians used a 0-4 grade AN screening tool to rate…

A data management life-cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferderer, David A.

2001-01-01

Documented, reliable, and accessible data and information are essential building blocks supporting scientific research and applications that enhance society's knowledge base (fig. 1). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a leading provider of science data, information, and knowledge, is uniquely positioned to integrate science and natural resource information to address societal needs. The USGS Central Energy Resources Team (USGS-CERT) provides critical information and knowledge on the quantity, quality, and distribution of the Nation's and the world's oil, gas, and coal resources. By using a life-cycle model, the USGS-CERT Data Management Project is developing an integrated data management system to (1) promote access to energy data and information, (2) increase data documentation, and (3) streamline product delivery to the public, scientists, and decision makers. The project incorporates web-based technology, data cataloging systems, data processing routines, and metadata documentation tools to improve data access, enhance data consistency, and increase office efficiency

[A computerised clinical decision-support system for the management of depression in Primary Care].

PubMed

Aragonès, Enric; Comín, Eva; Cavero, Myriam; Pérez, Víctor; Molina, Cristina; Palao, Diego

Despite its clinical relevance and its importance as a public health problem, there are major gaps in the management of depression. Evidence-based clinical guidelines are useful to improve processes and clinical outcomes. In order to make their implementation easier these guidelines have been transformed into computerised clinical decision support systems. In this article, a description is presented on the basics and characteristics of a new computerised clinical guideline for the management of major depression, developed in the public health system in Catalonia. This tool helps the clinician to establish reliable and accurate diagnoses of depression, to choose the best treatment a priori according to the disease and the patient characteristics. It also emphasises the importance of systematic monitoring to assess the clinical course, and to adjust therapeutic interventions to the patient's needs at all times. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Concussion evaluation and management in pediatrics.

PubMed

Rivera, Robin G; Roberson, Susan P; Whelan, Margaret; Rohan, Annie

2015-01-01

Concussions are among the most complex injuries to assess and manage in sports medicine and primary care. Sports concussion in youth has received much attention in recent years because research shows that improperly managed concussion can lead to long-term cognitive deficits and mental health problems. There are several notable risk factors affecting the incidence and severity of concussion in school-age children and adolescents, including a history of a previous concussion. A more conservative approach for return to activities following concussion has been proposed for children and adolescents. Programs of individualized, stepwise increases in physical activity have largely replaced use of algorithms for assigning a grade and activity expectations to concussions. Although validity and reliability testing is ongoing to support use of concussion assessment instruments in pediatric patients, it is practical and appropriate that clinicians incorporate symptom checklists, sideline and balance assessment tools, and neurocognitive assessment instruments into their practice in accordance with evidence-based guidelines.

Registered File Support for Critical Operations Files at (Space Infrared Telescope Facility) SIRTF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turek, G.; Handley, Tom; Jacobson, J.; Rector, J.

2001-01-01

The SIRTF Science Center's (SSC) Science Operations System (SOS) has to contend with nearly one hundred critical operations files via comprehensive file management services. The management is accomplished via the registered file system (otherwise known as TFS) which manages these files in a registered file repository composed of a virtual file system accessible via a TFS server and a file registration database. The TFS server provides controlled, reliable, and secure file transfer and storage by registering all file transactions and meta-data in the file registration database. An API is provided for application programs to communicate with TFS servers and the repository. A command line client implementing this API has been developed as a client tool. This paper describes the architecture, current implementation, but more importantly, the evolution of these services based on evolving community use cases and emerging information system technology.

EEG as an Indicator of Cerebral Functioning in Postanoxic Coma.

PubMed

Juan, Elsa; Kaplan, Peter W; Oddo, Mauro; Rossetti, Andrea O

2015-12-01

Postanoxic coma after cardiac arrest is one of the most serious acute cerebral conditions and a frequent cause of admission to critical care units. Given substantial improvement of outcome over the recent years, a reliable and timely assessment of clinical evolution and prognosis is essential in this context, but may be challenging. In addition to the classic neurologic examination, EEG is increasingly emerging as an important tool to assess cerebral functions noninvasively. Although targeted temperature management and related sedation may delay clinical assessment, EEG provides accurate prognostic information in the early phase of coma. Here, the most frequently encountered EEG patterns in postanoxic coma are summarized and their relations with outcome prediction are discussed. This article also addresses the influence of targeted temperature management on brain signals and the implication of the evolution of EEG patterns over time. Finally, the article ends with a view of the future prospects for EEG in postanoxic management and prognostication.

The risk of bias in systematic reviews tool showed fair reliability and good construct validity.

PubMed

Bühn, Stefanie; Mathes, Tim; Prengel, Peggy; Wegewitz, Uta; Ostermann, Thomas; Robens, Sibylle; Pieper, Dawid

2017-11-01

There is a movement from generic quality checklists toward a more domain-based approach in critical appraisal tools. This study aimed to report on a first experience with the newly developed risk of bias in systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool and compare it with A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), that is, the most common used tool to assess methodological quality of systematic reviews while assessing validity, reliability, and applicability. Validation study with four reviewers based on 16 systematic reviews in the field of occupational health. Interrater reliability (IRR) of all four raters was highest for domain 2 (Fleiss' kappa κ = 0.56) and lowest for domain 4 (κ = 0.04). For ROBIS, median IRR was κ = 0.52 (range 0.13-0.88) for the experienced pair of raters compared to κ = 0.32 (range 0.12-0.76) for the less experienced pair of raters. The percentage of "yes" scores of each review of ROBIS ratings was strongly correlated with the AMSTAR ratings (r s  = 0.76; P = 0.01). ROBIS has fair reliability and good construct validity to assess the risk of bias in systematic reviews. More validation studies are needed to investigate reliability and applicability, in particular. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visual Basic, Excel-based fish population modeling tool - The pallid sturgeon example

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, Edward H.; Wildhaber, Mark L.; Green, Nicholas S.; Albers, Janice L.

2016-02-10

The model presented in this report is a spreadsheet-based model using Visual Basic for Applications within Microsoft Excel (http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7057D0Z) prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It uses the same model structure and, initially, parameters as used by Wildhaber and others (2015) for pallid sturgeon. The difference between the model structure used for this report and that used by Wildhaber and others (2015) is that variance is not partitioned. For the model of this report, all variance is applied at the iteration and time-step levels of the model. Wildhaber and others (2015) partition variance into parameter variance (uncertainty about the value of a parameter itself) applied at the iteration level and temporal variance (uncertainty caused by random environmental fluctuations with time) applied at the time-step level. They included implicit individual variance (uncertainty caused by differences between individuals) within the time-step level.The interface developed for the model of this report is designed to allow the user the flexibility to change population model structure and parameter values and uncertainty separately for every component of the model. This flexibility makes the modeling tool potentially applicable to any fish species; however, the flexibility inherent in this modeling tool makes it possible for the user to obtain spurious outputs. The value and reliability of the model outputs are only as good as the model inputs. Using this modeling tool with improper or inaccurate parameter values, or for species for which the structure of the model is inappropriate, could lead to untenable management decisions. By facilitating fish population modeling, this modeling tool allows the user to evaluate a range of management options and implications. The goal of this modeling tool is to be a user-friendly modeling tool for developing fish population models useful to natural resource managers to inform their decision-making processes; however, as with all population models, caution is needed, and a full understanding of the limitations of a model and the veracity of user-supplied parameters should always be considered when using such model output in the management of any species.

Implementing a web-based home monitoring system within an academic health care network: barriers and facilitators to innovation diffusion.

PubMed

Pelletier, Alexandra C; Jethwani, Kamal; Bello, Heather; Kvedar, Joseph; Grant, Richard W

2011-01-01

The practice of outpatient type 2 diabetes management is gradually moving from the traditional visit-based, fee-for-service model to a new, health information communication technology (ICT)-supported model that can enable non-visit-based diabetes care. To date, adoption of innovative health ICT tools for diabetes management has been slowed by numerous barriers, such as capital investment costs, lack of reliable reimbursement mechanisms, design defects that have made some systems time-consuming and inefficient to use, and the need to integrate new ICT tools into a system not primarily designed for their use. Effective implementation of innovative diabetes health ICT interventions must address local practice heterogeneity and the interaction of this heterogeneity with clinical care delivery. The Center for Connected Health at Partners Healthcare has implemented a new ICT intervention, Diabetes Connect (DC), a Web-based glucose home monitoring and clinical messaging system. Using the framework of the diffusion of innovation theory, we review the implementation and examine lessons learned as we continue to deploy DC across the health care network. © 2010 Diabetes Technology Society.

Towards ethical decision support and knowledge management in neonatal intensive care.

PubMed

Yang, L; Frize, M; Eng, P; Walker, R; Catley, C

2004-01-01

Recent studies in neonatal medicine, clinical nursing, and cognitive psychology have indicated the need to augment current decision-making practice in neonatal intensive care units with computerized, intelligent decision support systems. Rapid progress in artificial intelligence and knowledge management facilitates the design of collaborative ethical decision-support tools that allow clinicians to provide better support for parents facing inherently difficult choices, such as when to withdraw aggressive treatment. The appropriateness of using computers to support ethical decision-making is critically analyzed through research and literature review. In ethical dilemmas, multiple diverse participants need to communicate and function as a team to select the best treatment plan. In order to do this, physicians require reliable estimations of prognosis, while parents need a highly useable tool to help them assimilate complex medical issues and address their own value system. Our goal is to improve and structuralize the ethical decision-making that has become an inevitable part of modern neonatal care units. The paper contributes to clinical decision support by outlining the needs and basis for ethical decision support and justifying the proposed development efforts.

The COPERNIC3 project: how AREVA is successfully developing an advanced global fuel rod performance code

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

Garnier, Ch.; Mailhe, P.; Sontheimer, F.

2007-07-01

Fuel performance is a key factor for minimizing operating costs in nuclear plants. One of the important aspects of fuel performance is fuel rod design, based upon reliable tools able to verify the safety of current fuel solutions, prevent potential issues in new core managements and guide the invention of tomorrow's fuels. AREVA is developing its future global fuel rod code COPERNIC3, which is able to calculate the thermal-mechanical behavior of advanced fuel rods in nuclear plants. Some of the best practices to achieve this goal are described, by reviewing the three pillars of a fuel rod code: the database,more » the modelling and the computer and numerical aspects. At first, the COPERNIC3 database content is described, accompanied by the tools developed to effectively exploit the data. Then is given an overview of the main modelling aspects, by emphasizing the thermal, fission gas release and mechanical sub-models. In the last part, numerical solutions are detailed in order to increase the computational performance of the code, with a presentation of software configuration management solutions. (authors)« less

Development and testing of a DVT risk assessment tool: providing evidence of validity and reliability.

PubMed

McCaffrey, Ruth; Bishop, Mary; Adonis-Rizzo, Marie; Williamson, Ellen; McPherson, Melanie; Cruikshank, Alice; Carrier, Vicki Jo; Sands, Simone; Pigano, Diane; Girard, Patricia; Lauzon, Cathy

2007-01-01

Hospital-acquired deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE) are preventable problems that can increase mortality. Early assessment and recognition of risk as well as initiating appropriate prevention measures can prevent DVT or PE. The purpose of this research project was to develop a DVT risk assessment tool and test the tool for validity and reliability. Three phases were undertaken in developing and testing the JFK Medical Center DVT risk assessment tool. Investigation and clarification of risk and predisposing factors for DVT were identified from the literature, expert nursing knowledge, and medical staff input. Second, item development and weighting were undertaken. Third, parametric testing for content validity measured the differences in mean assessment tool scores between a group of patients who developed DVT in the hospital and a demographically similar group who did not develop DVT. Interrater reliability was measured by having three different nurses score each patient and compare the differences in scores among the three. The DVT group had significantly higher scores on the JFK DVT assessment scale than did those who did not experience DVT. Interrater reliability showed a strong correlation among the scores of the three nurses (.98). Providing a valid and reliable tool for measuring the risk for DVT or PE in hospitalized patients will enable nurses to intervene early in patients at risk. Basing DVT risk assessment on the evidence provided in this study will assist nurses in becoming more confident in recognizing the necessity for interventions in hospitalized patients and decreasing risk. Nurses can now evaluate patients at risk for DVT or PE using the JFK Medial Center's risk assessment tool.

Appraising the risk matrix 2000 static sex offender risk assessment tool.

PubMed

Tully, Ruth J; Browne, Kevin D

2015-02-01

This critical appraisal explores the reliability and validity of the Risk Matrix 2000 static sex offender risk assessment tool that is widely used in the United Kingdom. The Risk Matrix 2000 has to some extent been empirically validated for use with adult male sex offenders; however, this review highlights that further research into the validity of this static tool with sex offender subgroups or types is necessary in order to improve practical utility. The Risk Matrix 2000 relies on static risk predictors, thus it is limited in scope. This article argues that the addition of dynamic items that have been shown to be predictive of sexual recidivism would further enhance the tool. The paper argues that adding dynamic risk items would fit better with a rehabilitative approach to sex offender risk management and assessment. This would also provide a means by which to effectively plan sex offender treatment and evaluate individual offenders' progress in treatment; however, difficulties remain in identifying and assessing dynamic risk factors of sexual offending and so further research is required. © The Author(s) 2013.

Development and Validation of the Controller Acceptance Rating Scale (CARS): Results of Empirical Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Katharine K.; Kerns, Karol; Bone, Randall

2001-01-01

The measurement of operational acceptability is important for the development, implementation, and evolution of air traffic management decision support tools. The Controller Acceptance Rating Scale was developed at NASA Ames Research Center for the development and evaluation of the Passive Final Approach Spacing Tool. CARS was modeled after a well-known pilot evaluation rating instrument, the Cooper-Harper Scale, and has since been used in the evaluation of the User Request Evaluation Tool, developed by MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. In this paper, we provide a discussion of the development of CARS and an analysis of the empirical data collected with CARS to examine construct validity. Results of intraclass correlations indicated statistically significant reliability for the CARS. From the subjective workload data that were collected in conjunction with the CARS, it appears that the expected set of workload attributes was correlated with the CARS. As expected, the analysis also showed that CARS was a sensitive indicator of the impact of decision support tools on controller operations. Suggestions for future CARS development and its improvement are also provided.

Thoracic ultrasound: Potential new tool for physiotherapists in respiratory management. A narrative review.

PubMed

Le Neindre, Aymeric; Mongodi, Silvia; Philippart, François; Bouhemad, Bélaïd

2016-02-01

The use of diagnostic ultrasound by physiotherapists is not a new concept; it is frequently performed in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Physiotherapists currently lack accurate, reliable, sensitive, and valid measurements for the assessment of the indications and effectiveness of chest physiotherapy. Thoracic ultrasound may be a promising tool for the physiotherapist and could be routinely performed at patients' bedsides to provide real-time and accurate information on the status of pleura, lungs, and diaphragm; this would allow for assessment of lung aeration from interstitial syndrome to lung consolidation with much better accuracy than chest x-rays or auscultation. Diaphragm excursion and contractility may also be assessed by ultrasound. This narrative review refers to lung and diaphragm ultrasound semiology and describes how physiotherapists could use this tool in their clinical decision-making processes in various cases of respiratory disorders. The use of thoracic ultrasound semiology alongside typical examinations may allow for the guiding, monitoring, and evaluating of chest physiotherapy treatments. Thoracic ultrasound is a potential new tool for physiotherapists. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability of risk assessment measures used in sexually violent predator proceedings.

PubMed

Miller, Cailey S; Kimonis, Eva R; Otto, Randy K; Kline, Suzonne M; Wasserman, Adam L

2012-12-01

The field interrater reliability of three assessment tools frequently used by mental health professionals when evaluating sex offenders' risk for reoffending--the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool-Revised (MnSOST-R) and the Static-99-was examined within the context of sexually violent predator program proceedings. Rater agreement was highest for the Static--99 (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC₁] = .78) and lowest for the PCL-R (ICC₁ = .60; MnSOST-R ICC₁ = .74), although all instruments demonstrated lower field reliability than that reported in their test manuals. Findings raise concerns about the reliability of risk assessment tools that are used to inform judgments of risk in high-stake sexually violent predator proceedings. Implications for future research and suggestions for improving evaluator training to increase accuracy when informing legal decision making are discussed.

Reliability Centered Maintenance - Methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kammerer, Catherine C.

2009-01-01

Journal article about Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodologies used by United Space Alliance, LLC (USA) in support of the Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center. The USA Reliability Centered Maintenance program differs from traditional RCM programs because various methodologies are utilized to take advantage of their respective strengths for each application. Based on operational experience, USA has customized the traditional RCM methodology into a streamlined lean logic path and has implemented the use of statistical tools to drive the process. USA RCM has integrated many of the L6S tools into both RCM methodologies. The tools utilized in the Measure, Analyze, and Improve phases of a Lean Six Sigma project lend themselves to application in the RCM process. All USA RCM methodologies meet the requirements defined in SAE JA 1011, Evaluation Criteria for Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Processes. The proposed article explores these methodologies.

Development and Piloting of a Food Safety Audit Tool for the Domestic Environment

PubMed Central

Borrusso, Patricia; Quinlan, Jennifer J.

2013-01-01

Research suggests that consumers often mishandle food in the home based on survey and observation studies. There is a need for a standardized tool for researchers to objectively evaluate the prevalence and identify the nature of food safety risks in the domestic environment. An audit tool was developed to measure compliance with recommended sanitation, refrigeration and food storage conditions in the domestic kitchen. The tool was piloted by four researchers who independently completed the inspection in 22 homes. Audit tool questions were evaluated for reliability using the κ statistic. Questions that were not sufficiently reliable (κ < 0.5) or did not provide direct evidence of risk were revised or eliminated from the final tool. Piloting the audit tool found good reliability among 18 questions, 6 questions were revised and 28 eliminated, resulting in a final 24 question tool. The audit tool was able to identify potential food safety risks, including evidence of pest infestation (27%), incorrect refrigeration temperature (73%), and lack of hot water (>43 °C, 32%). The audit tool developed here provides an objective measure for researchers to observe and record the most prevalent food safety risks in consumer’s kitchens and potentially compare risks among consumers of different demographics. PMID:28239139

The Arabic version of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory 4: a validation study.

PubMed

Hamed, Razan; Tariah, Hashem Abu; Malkawi, Somaya; Holm, Margo B

2012-09-01

The Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory 4 (MPAI-4) is a valid and reliable assessment tool to detect clinical impairments in patients with acquired brain injury. The tool is widely used by rehabilitation therapists worldwide, given its good psychometric properties and its availability in several languages. The purpose of this study was to translate the tool into Arabic and to examine its validity and reliability with multiple sclerosis and stroke patients. A total of 128 participants were enrolled in this study: 49 with multiple sclerosis, 17 with stroke, and 62 healthy adults. The psychometric properties of discriminative and convergent construct validity as well as test-retest reliability were tested. The translated tool, the Arabic-MPAI-4 (A-MPAI-4), significantly discriminated among the three subgroups (F=50.93, P<0.001), correlated moderately but significantly with the Arabic version of the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills Self-Report as a measure of functional independence in daily activities (r=-0.35, P<0.001), and showed good stability over time (r=0.73, P<0.001). The A-MPAI-4 is a valid and reliable tool for clinical use with multiple sclerosis and stroke patients who speak Arabic.

Superior model for fault tolerance computation in designing nano-sized circuit systems

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

Singh, N. S. S., E-mail: narinderjit@petronas.com.my; Muthuvalu, M. S., E-mail: msmuthuvalu@gmail.com; Asirvadam, V. S., E-mail: vijanth-sagayan@petronas.com.my

2014-10-24

As CMOS technology scales nano-metrically, reliability turns out to be a decisive subject in the design methodology of nano-sized circuit systems. As a result, several computational approaches have been developed to compute and evaluate reliability of desired nano-electronic circuits. The process of computing reliability becomes very troublesome and time consuming as the computational complexity build ups with the desired circuit size. Therefore, being able to measure reliability instantly and superiorly is fast becoming necessary in designing modern logic integrated circuits. For this purpose, the paper firstly looks into the development of an automated reliability evaluation tool based on the generalizationmore » of Probabilistic Gate Model (PGM) and Boolean Difference-based Error Calculator (BDEC) models. The Matlab-based tool allows users to significantly speed-up the task of reliability analysis for very large number of nano-electronic circuits. Secondly, by using the developed automated tool, the paper explores into a comparative study involving reliability computation and evaluation by PGM and, BDEC models for different implementations of same functionality circuits. Based on the reliability analysis, BDEC gives exact and transparent reliability measures, but as the complexity of the same functionality circuits with respect to gate error increases, reliability measure by BDEC tends to be lower than the reliability measure by PGM. The lesser reliability measure by BDEC is well explained in this paper using distribution of different signal input patterns overtime for same functionality circuits. Simulation results conclude that the reliability measure by BDEC depends not only on faulty gates but it also depends on circuit topology, probability of input signals being one or zero and also probability of error on signal lines.« less

Study on evaluation of construction reliability for engineering project based on fuzzy language operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yu-Fang; Ma, Yi-Yi; Song, Ping-Ping

2018-03-01

System Reliability Theory is a research hotspot of management science and system engineering in recent years, and construction reliability is useful for quantitative evaluation of project management level. According to reliability theory and target system of engineering project management, the defination of construction reliability appears. Based on fuzzy mathematics theory and language operator, value space of construction reliability is divided into seven fuzzy subsets and correspondingly, seven membership function and fuzzy evaluation intervals are got with the operation of language operator, which provides the basis of corresponding method and parameter for the evaluation of construction reliability. This method is proved to be scientific and reasonable for construction condition and an useful attempt for theory and method research of engineering project system reliability.

Test-Retest Reliability of a Serious Game for Delirium Screening in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Tong, Tiffany; Chignell, Mark; Tierney, Mary C.; Lee, Jacques S.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Cognitive screening in settings such as emergency departments (ED) is frequently carried out using paper-and-pencil tests that require administration by trained staff. These assessments often compete with other clinical duties and thus may not be routinely administered in these busy settings. Literature has shown that the presence of cognitive impairments such as dementia and delirium are often missed in older ED patients. Failure to recognize delirium can have devastating consequences including increased mortality (Kakuma et al., 2003). Given the demands on emergency staff, an automated cognitive test to screen for delirium onset could be a valuable tool to support delirium prevention and management. In earlier research we examined the concurrent validity of a serious game, and carried out an initial assessment of its potential as a delirium screening tool (Tong et al., 2016). In this paper, we examine the test-retest reliability of the game, as it is an important criterion in a cognitive test for detecting risk of delirium onset. Objective: To demonstrate the test-retest reliability of the screening tool over time in a clinical sample of older emergency patients. A secondary objective is to assess whether there are practice effects that might make game performance unstable over repeated presentations. Materials and Methods: Adults over the age of 70 were recruited from a hospital ED. Each patient played our serious game in an initial session soon after they arrived in the ED, and in follow up sessions conducted at 8-h intervals (for each participant there were up to five follow up sessions, depending on how long the person stayed in the ED). Results: A total of 114 adults (61 females, 53 males) between the ages of 70 and 104 years (M = 81 years, SD = 7) participated in our study after screening out delirious patients. We observed a test-retest reliability of the serious game (as assessed by correlation r-values) between 0.5 and 0.8 across adjacent sessions. Conclusion: The game-based assessment for cognitive screening has relatively strong test-retest reliability and little evidence of practice effects among elderly emergency patients, and may be a useful supplement to existing cognitive assessment methods. PMID:27872590

Assessing transfer property and reliability of urban bus network based on complex network theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hui; Zhuge, Cheng-Xiang; Zhao, Xiang; Song, Wen-Bo

Transfer reliability has an important impact on the urban bus network. The proportion of zero and one transfer time is a key indicator to measure the connectivity of bus networks. However, it is hard to calculate the transfer time between nodes because of the complicated network structure. In this paper, the topological structures of urban bus network in Jinan are constructed by space L and space P. A method to calculate transfer times between stations has been proposed by reachable matrix under space P. The result shows that it is efficient to calculate the transfer time between nodes in large networks. In order to test the transfer reliability, a node failure process has been built according to degree, clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality under space L and space P. The results show that the deliberate attack by betweenness centrality under space P is more effective compared with other five attack modes. This research could provide a power tool to find hub stations in bus networks and give a help for traffic manager to guarantee the normal operation of urban bus systems.

Urban water - a new frontier in isotope hydrology.

PubMed

Ehleringer, James R; Barnette, Janet E; Jameel, Yusuf; Tipple, Brett J; Bowen, Gabriel J

2016-01-01

Isotope hydrology has focused largely on landscapes away from densely inhabited regions. In coming decades, it will become increasingly more important to focus on water supplies and dynamics within urban systems. Stable isotope analyses provide important information to water managers within large cities, particularly in arid regions where evaporative histories of water sources, vulnerabilities, and reliabilities of the water supplies can be major issues. Here the spatial and vertical understanding of water supporting urban systems that comes from stable isotope analyses can serve as a useful management tool. We explore this research frontier using the coupled natural-human landscape of the Salt Lake Valley, USA, with its greater than one million inhabitants. We first provide data on the stable isotope ratios of the hydrologic system's primary components: precipitation, incoming surface waters, and terminus waters in this closed basin. We then explore the spatial and temporal patterns of drinking waters within the urban landscape and the new opportunities to better link isotope ratio data with short- and long-term management interests of water managers.

Development and Psychometric Testing of a Scale for Evaluating Self-Management Needs of Knee Osteoarthritis (SMNKOA) in Taiwan.

PubMed

Kao, Mei-Hua; Tsai, Yun-Fang

2017-06-01

Self-management of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is important for treating this chronic disease. This study developed and psychometrically tested a new instrument for measuring adult patients' self-management needs of knee osteoarthritis (SMNKOA). The theoretical framework of self-care guided the development of the 35-item SMNKOA scale. Participants ( N = 372) were purposively sampled from orthopedic clinics at medical centers in Taiwan. The content validity index was 0.83. Principal components analysis identified a three-factor solution, accounting for 53.19% of the variance. The divergent validity was -0.67; convergent validity was -0.51. Cronbach's alpha was .95, Pearson's correlation coefficient was .88, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was .95. The scale's reliability and validity supports the SMNKOA, as a tool to measure self-management needs of adults with knee OA. Nurses and other health care providers can use this instrument to evaluate knee OA patients and identify strategies for improving health-related outcomes and patient education.

A multisource feedback tool to assess ward round leadership skills of senior paediatric trainees: (2) Testing reliability and practicability.

PubMed

Goodyear, Helen M; Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

2015-05-01

A five-domain multisource feedback (MSF) tool was previously developed in 2009-2010 by the authors to assess senior paediatric trainees' ward round leadership skills. To determine whether this MSF tool is practicable and reliable, whether individuals' feedback varies over time and trainees' views of the tool. The MSF tool was piloted (April-July 2011) and field tested (September 2011-February 2013) with senior paediatric trainees. A focus group held at the end of field testing obtained trainees' views of the tool. In field testing, 96/115 (84%) trainees returned 633 individual assessments from three different ward rounds over 18 months. The MSF tool had high reliability (Cronbach's α 0.84, G coefficient 0.8 for three raters). In all five domains, data were shifted to the right with scores of 3 (good) and 4 (excellent). Consultants gave significantly lower scores (p<0.001), as did trainees for self-assessment (p<0.001). There was no significant change in MSF scores over 18 months but comments showed that trainees' performance improved. Trainees valued these comments and the MSF tool but had concerns about time taken for feedback and confusion about tool use and the paediatric assessment strategy. A five-domain MSF tool was found to be reliable on pilot and field testing, practicable to use and liked by trainees. Comments on performance were more helpful than scores in giving trainees feedback. 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.

The live donor assessment tool: a psychosocial assessment tool for live organ donors.

PubMed

Iacoviello, Brian M; Shenoy, Akhil; Braoude, Jenna; Jennings, Tiane; Vaidya, Swapna; Brouwer, Julianna; Haydel, Brandy; Arroyo, Hansel; Thakur, Devendra; Leinwand, Joseph; Rudow, Dianne LaPointe

2015-01-01

Psychosocial evaluation is an important part of the live organ donor evaluation process, yet it is not standardized across institutions, and although tools exist for the psychosocial evaluation of organ recipients, none exist to assess donors. We set out to develop a semistructured psychosocial evaluation tool (the Live Donor Assessment Tool, LDAT) to assess potential live organ donors and to conduct preliminary analyses of the tool's reliability and validity. Review of the literature on the psychosocial variables associated with treatment adherence, quality of life, live organ donation outcome, and resilience, as well as review of the procedures for psychosocial evaluation at our center and other centers around the country, identified 9 domains to address; these domains were distilled into several items each, in collaboration with colleagues at transplant centers across the country, for a total of 29 items. Four raters were trained to use the LDAT, and they retrospectively scored 99 psychosocial evaluations conducted on live organ donor candidates. Reliability of the LDAT was assessed by calculating the internal consistency of the items in the scale and interrater reliability between raters; validity was estimated by comparing LDAT scores between those with a "positive" evaluation outcome and "negative" outcome. The LDAT was found to have good internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and showed signs of validity: LDAT scores differentiated the positive vs. negative outcome groups. The LDAT demonstrated good reliability and validity, but future research on the LDAT and the ability to implement the LDAT prospectively is warranted. Copyright © 2015 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current medical staff governance and physician sensemaking: a formula for resistance to high reliability.

PubMed

Flitter, Marc A; Riesenmy, Kelly Rouse; van Stralen, Daved

2012-01-01

To offer a theoretical explanation for observed physician resistance and rejection of high reliability patient safety initiatives. A grounded theoretical qualitative approach, utilizing the organizational theory of sensemaking, provided the foundation for inductive and deductive reasoning employed to analyze medical staff rejection of two successfully performing high reliability programs at separate hospitals. Physician behaviors resistant to patient-centric high reliability processes were traced to provider-centric physician sensemaking. Research, conducted with the advantage that prospective studies have over the limitations of this retrospective investigation, is needed to evaluate the potential for overcoming physician resistance to innovation implementation, employing strategies based upon these findings and sensemaking theory in general. If hospitals are to emulate high reliability industries that do successfully manage environments of extreme hazard, physicians must be fully integrated into the complex teams required to accomplish this goal. Reforming health care, through high reliability organizing, with its attendant continuous focus on patient-centric processes, offers a distinct alternative to efforts directed primarily at reforming health care insurance. It is by changing how health care is provided that true cost efficiencies can be achieved. Technology and the insights of organizational science present the opportunity of replacing the current emphasis on privileged information with collective tools capable of providing quality and safety in health care. The fictions that have sustained a provider-centric health care system have been challenged. The benefits of patient-centric care should be obtainable.

The Aviation System Monitoring and Modeling (ASMM) Project: A Documentation of its History and Accomplishments: 1999-2005

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Statler, Irving C. (Editor)

2007-01-01

The Aviation System Monitoring and Modeling (ASMM) Project was one of the projects within NASA s Aviation Safety Program from 1999 through 2005. The objective of the ASMM Project was to develop the technologies to enable the aviation industry to undertake a proactive approach to the management of its system-wide safety risks. The ASMM Project entailed four interdependent elements: (1) Data Analysis Tools Development - develop tools to convert numerical and textual data into information; (2) Intramural Monitoring - test and evaluate the data analysis tools in operational environments; (3) Extramural Monitoring - gain insight into the aviation system performance by surveying its front-line operators; and (4) Modeling and Simulations - provide reliable predictions of the system-wide hazards, their causal factors, and their operational risks that may result from the introduction of new technologies, new procedures, or new operational concepts. This report is a documentation of the history of this highly successful project and of its many accomplishments and contributions to improved safety of the aviation system.

Development and validation of a tool to assess knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines among students in Greece: The ATtitude TOwards GENerics (ATTOGEN) questionnaire

PubMed Central

Katsari, Vasiliki; Niakas, Dimitris

2017-01-01

Introduction The use of generic medicines is a cost-effective policy, often dictated by fiscal restraints. To our knowledge, no fully validated tool exploring the students’ knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines exists. The aim of our study was to develop and validate a questionnaire exploring the knowledge and attitudes of M.Sc. in Health Care Management students and recent alumni’s towards generic drugs in Greece. Materials and methods The development of the questionnaire was a result of literature review and pilot-testing of its preliminary versions to researchers and students. The final version of the questionnaire contains 18 items measuring the respondents’ knowledge and attitude towards generic medicines on a 5-point Likert scale. Given the ordinal nature of the data, ordinal alpha and polychoric correlations were computed. The sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analysis, performed in the first sample, was used for the creation of multi-item scales. Confirmatory factor analysis and Generalized Linear Latent and Mixed Model analysis (GLLAMM) with the use of the rating scale model were used in the second sample to assess goodness of fit. An assessment of internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity was also performed. Results Among 1402 persons contacted, 986 persons completed our questionnaire (response rate = 70.3%). Overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.871. The conjoint use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a six-scale model, which seemed to fit the data well. Five of the six scales, namely trust, drug quality, state audit, fiscal impact and drug substitution were found to be valid and reliable, while the knowledge scale suffered only from low inter-scale correlations and a ceiling effect. However, the subsequent confirmatory factor and GLLAMM analyses indicated a good fit of the model to the data. Conclusions The ATTOGEN instrument proved to be a reliable and valid tool, suitable for assessing students’ knowledge and attitudes towards generic medicines. PMID:29186163

Development of a scale to measure diabetes self-management behaviors among older Koreans with type 2 diabetes, based on the seven domains identified by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

PubMed

Seo, Kyoungsan; Song, Misoon; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Se-An; Chang, Sun Ju

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop the Diabetes Self-Management Behavior for Older Koreans (DSMB-O). This scale is based on the seven relevant domains that have been identified by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and is adjusted for sociocultural and age-related characteristics. Four phases were used to develop of the DSMB-O as a criterion-referenced measure. In phases 1 and 2, the DSMB-O adopted the AADE's seven domains and established a self-report questionnaire using a small number of items that are applicable to older Koreans. In phase 3, the DSMB-O was formulated with 16 preliminary items, including seven subitems. By assessing the content validity, 14 items (including five subitems) were selected. The final phase involved evaluating the DSMB-O's psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability, content validity, and criterion-related validity, using data from 150 older Koreans with type 2 diabetes. The coefficients of agreement and Cohen's Kappa for the test-retest reliability test ranged from 0.32 to 1.0 and -0.07 to 1.0, respectively. For the content validity, the values of both the item- and scale-level content validity indices were 1.0. The scores from the DSMB-O were positively correlated with the scores from the Korean version of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire. The DSMB-O is short and easy for older Koreans to use, as well as having acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Hence, the DSMB-O can be a useful tool to evaluate diabetes self-management behaviors in older Koreans with type 2 diabetes. © 2016 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

The interrater and test-retest reliability of the Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST) in Malaysia: Using raters with a range of professional backgrounds.

PubMed

Romli, Muhammad Hibatullah; Mackenzie, Lynette; Lovarini, Meryl; Tan, Maw Pin; Clemson, Lindy

2017-06-01

Falls can be a devastating issue for older people living in the community, including those living in Malaysia. Health professionals and community members have a responsibility to ensure that older people have a safe home environment to reduce the risk of falls. Using a standardised screening tool is beneficial to intervene early with this group. The Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST) should be considered for this purpose; however, its use in Malaysia has not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the interrater and test-retest reliability of the HOME FAST with multiple professionals in the Malaysian context. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate interrater reliability where the HOME FAST was used simultaneously in the homes of older people by 2 raters and a prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with a separate group of older people at different times in their homes. Both studies took place in an urban area of Kuala Lumpur. Professionals from 9 professional backgrounds participated as raters in this study, and a group of 51 community older people were recruited for the interrater reliability study and another group of 30 for the test-retest reliability study. The overall agreement was moderate for interrater reliability and good for test-retest reliability. The HOME FAST was consistently rated by different professionals, and no bias was found among the multiple raters. The HOME FAST can be used with confidence by a variety of professionals across different settings. The HOME FAST can become a universal tool to screen for home hazards related to falls. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Safe teleradiology: information assurance as project planning methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collmann, Jeff R.; Alaoui, Adil; Nguyen, Dan; Lindisch, David

2003-05-01

This project demonstrates use of OCTAVE, an information security risk assessment method, as an approach to the safe design and planning of a teleradiology system. By adopting this approach to project planning, we intended to provide evidence that including information security as an intrinsic component of project planning improves information assurance and that using information assurance as a planning tool produces and improves the general system management plan. Several considerations justify this approach to planning a safe teleradiology system. First, because OCTAVE was designed as a method for retrospectively assessing and proposing enhancements for the security of existing information management systems, it should function well as a guide to prospectively designing and deploying a secure information system such as teleradiology. Second, because OCTAVE provides assessment and planning tools for use primarily by interdisciplinary teams from user organizations, not consultants, it should enhance the ability of such teams at the local level to plan safe information systems. Third, from the perspective of sociological theory, OCTAVE explicitly attempts to enhance organizational conditions identified as necessary to safely manage complex technologies. Approaching information system design from the perspective of information security risk management proactively integrates health information assurance into a project"s core. This contrasts with typical approaches that perceive "security" as a secondary attribute to be "added" after designing the system and with approaches that identify information assurance only with security devices and user training. The perspective of health information assurance embraces so many dimensions of a computerized health information system"s design that one may successfully deploy a method for retrospectively assessing information security risk as a prospective planning tool. From a sociological perspective, this approach enhances the general conditions as well as establishes specific policies and procedures for reliable performance of health information assurance.

Reliability of the Spanish version of the wheelchair skills test 4.2 for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Passuni, Diego; Dalzotto, Elisa; F Gath, Christian; Buffetti, Eliana; Elizalde, Milagros; Jarmoluk, Verónica; Russo, Maria J; Intruvini, Silvia; Olmos, Lisandro E; Freixes, Orestes

2018-05-03

Cross-sectional. The majority of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are dependent on wheelchair for their mobility. Approximately, 36% of wheelchair users reported that obstacles such as curbs, uneven terrain, flooring surfaces and thresholds were barriers to mobility. Several studies have shown that assessment and training of wheelchair skills leads to improvements in those skills. The purpose of our study was to translate the Wheelchair Skill Test (4.2) and its report form into Spanish and then determine the inter-rater reliability of the WST 4.2 for manual wheelchairs operated by their users. Rehabilitation Unit, FLENI Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The translation was performed by a physical therapist with advanced English language skills and specialized in the treatment of SCI subjects. We administrated and video-recorded the WST 4.2 manual Spanish version in 11 SCI subjects. Two physical therapists received specific training for administering the test and scoring the record. The reliability of the total percentage WST score were statistically quantified by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). ICC values for Interrater were 0.998 (p < .0001). 17 out of the 32 skills had a 100 percentage of agreement. Percentage of agreement in the three skills that presented less rating agreement was 73%, 81 % and 82 %, respectively. The results show that the Spanish version of WST 4.2 is a reliable assessment tool to evaluate the skills capacity of spinal cord manual wheelchair users. Implications for rehabilitation Wheelchair users require a proficient management of various wheelchair skills to achieve maximum independence in daily life. Determining which wheelchair skills should be addressed during the rehabilitation process is of great importance for their correct training. The WST 4.2 is an appropriate assessment tool to determine the functional capacity of wheelchair users. Making available the WST 4.2 in the Spanish language and demonstrating its reliability in this language allows its use in the Spanish-speaking world. A reliable wheelchair skills test is needed in the Spanish language.

Endoscopic Ultrasound Elastography: Current Clinical Use in Pancreas.

PubMed

Mondal, Utpal; Henkes, Nichole; Patel, Sandeep; Rosenkranz, Laura

2016-08-01

Elastography is a newer technique for the assessment of tissue elasticity using ultrasound. Cancerous tissue is known to be stiffer (hence, less elastic) than corresponding healthy tissue, and as a result, could be identified in an elasticity-based imaging. Ultrasound elastography has been used in the breast, thyroid, and cervix to differentiate malignant from benign neoplasms and to guide or avoid unnecessary biopsies. In the liver, elastography has enabled a noninvasive and reliable estimate of fibrosis. Endoscopic ultrasound has become a robust diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of pancreatic diseases. The addition of elastography to endoscopic ultrasound enabled further characterization of pancreas lesions, and several European and Asian studies have reported encouraging results. The current clinical role of endoscopic ultrasound elastography in the management of pancreas disorders and related literature are reviewed.

So you want to conduct a randomised trial? Learnings from a 'failed' feasibility study of a Crisis Resource Management prompt during simulated paediatric resuscitation.

PubMed

Teis, Rachel; Allen, Jyai; Lee, Nigel; Kildea, Sue

2017-02-01

No study has tested a Crisis Resource Management prompt on resuscitation performance. We conducted a feasibility, unblinded, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial at one Australian paediatric hospital (June-September 2014). Eligible participants were any doctor, nurse, or nurse manager who would normally be involved in a Medical Emergency Team simulation. The unit of block randomisation was one of six scenarios (3 control:3 intervention) with or without a verbal prompt. The primary outcomes tested the feasibility and utility of the intervention and data collection tools. The secondary outcomes measured resuscitation quality and team performance. Data were analysed from six resuscitation scenarios (n=49 participants); three control groups (n=25) and three intervention groups (n=24). The ability to measure all data items on the data collection tools was hindered by problems with the recording devices both in the mannequins and the video camera. For a pilot study, greater training for the prompt role and pre-briefing participants about assessment of their cardio-pulmonary resuscitation quality should be undertaken. Data could be analysed in real time with independent video analysis to validate findings. Two cameras would strengthen reliability of the methods. Copyright © 2016 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

Sedlack, Jeffrey D

2010-01-01

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

Navigating Financial and Supply Reliability Tradeoffs in Regional Drought Portfolios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeff, H. B.; Herman, J. D.; Characklis, G. W.; Reed, P. M.

2013-12-01

Rising development costs and growing concerns over environmental impacts have led many communities to explore more diversified regional portfolio-type approaches to managing their water supplies. These strategies coordinate existing supply infrastructure with other ';assets' such as conservation measures or water transfers, reducing the capacity and costs required to meet demand by providing greater adaptability to changing hydrologic conditions. For many water utilities, however, this additional flexibility can also cause unexpected reductions in revenue (i.e. conservation) or increased costs (i.e. transfers), fluctuations that can be very difficult for a regulated entity to manage. Thus, despite the advantages, concerns over the resulting financial disruptions provide a disincentive for utilities to develop more adaptive methods, potentially limiting the role of some very effective tools. This study seeks to design portfolio strategies that employ financial instruments (e.g. contingency funds, index insurance) to reduce fluctuations in revenues and costs and therefore do not sacrifice financial stability for improved performance (e.g. lower expected costs, high reliability). This work describes the development of regional water supply portfolios in the ';Research Triangle' region of North Carolina, an area comprising four rapidly growing municipalities supplied by nine surface water reservoirs in two separate river basins. Disparities in growth rates and the respective individual storage capacities of the reservoirs provide the region with the opportunity to increase the efficiency of the regional supply infrastructure through inter-utility water transfers, even as each utility engages in its own conservation activities. The interdependence of multiple utilities navigating shared conveyance and treatment infrastructure to engage in transfers forces water managers to consider regional objectives, as the actions of any one utility can affect the others. Results indicate the inclusion of inter-utility water transfers allows the water utilities to improve on regional operational objectives (i.e. higher reliability and lower restriction frequencies) at a lower expected cost, while financial mitigation tools introduce a tradeoff between expected costs and cost variability. Financial mitigation schemes, including both third-party financial insurance contracts and contingency funds (i.e. self-insurance), were able to reduce cost variability at a lower expected cost than mitigation schemes which use self-insurance alone. The dynamics of the Research Triangle scenario (e.g. rapid population growth, constrained supply, and sensitivity to cost/revenue swings) suggest that this work may have the potential to more generally inform utilities on the effects of coordinated regional water supply planning and the resulting financial implications of more flexible, portfolio-type management techniques.

Disability related to COPD tool (DIRECT): towards an assessment of COPD-related disability in routine practice

PubMed Central

Aguilaniu, B; Gonzalez-Bermejo, J; Regnault, A; Barbosa, C Dias; Arnould, B; Mueser, M; Granet, G; Bonnefoy, M; Similowski, T

2011-01-01

Background Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a worldwide public health concern. It is also a major source of disability that is often overlooked, depriving patients of effective treatments. This study describes the development and validation of a questionnaire specifically assessing COPD-related disability. Methods The DIsability RElated to COPD Tool (DIRECT) was developed according to reference methods, including literature review, patient and clinician interviews and test in a pilot study. A 12-item questionnaire was included for finalization and validation in an observational cross-sectional study conducted by 60 French pulmonologists, who recruited 275 COPD patients of stage II, III and IV according to the GOLD classification. Rasch modeling was conducted and psychometric properties were assessed (internal consistency reliability; concurrent and clinical validity). Results The DIRECT score was built from the 10 items retained in the Rasch model. Their internal consistency reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95). The score was highly correlated with the Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire Activity score (r = 0.83) and the London Handicap Scale (r = −0.70), a generic disability measure. It was highly statistically significantly associated to four clinical parameters (P < 0.001): GOLD classification, BODE index, FEV1 and 6-minute walk distance. Conclusion DIRECT is a promising tool that could help enhance the management of COPD patients by integrating an evaluation of the COPD-related disability into daily practice. PMID:21760726

Verification of Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) Insertion for Reliable and Trusted Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Melanie; LaBel, Kenneth A.

2016-01-01

We propose a method for TMR insertion verification that satisfies the process for reliable and trusted systems. If a system is expected to be protected using TMR, improper insertion can jeopardize the reliability and security of the system. Due to the complexity of the verification process, there are currently no available techniques that can provide complete and reliable confirmation of TMR insertion. This manuscript addresses the challenge of confirming that TMR has been inserted without corruption of functionality and with correct application of the expected TMR topology. The proposed verification method combines the usage of existing formal analysis tools with a novel search-detect-and-verify tool. Field programmable gate array (FPGA),Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR),Verification, Trust, Reliability,

Reliability Analysis for AFTI-F16 SRFCS Using ASSIST and SURE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, N. Eva

2001-01-01

This paper reports the results of a study on reliability analysis of an AFTI-16 Self-Repairing Flight Control System (SRFCS) using software tools SURE (Semi-Markov Unreliability Range Evaluator and ASSIST (Abstract Semi-Markov Specification Interface to the SURE Tool). The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential utility of the software tools in the ongoing effort of the NASA Aviation Safety Program, where the class of systems must be extended beyond the originally intended serving class of electronic digital processors. The study concludes that SURE and ASSIST are applicable to reliability, analysis of flight control systems. They are especially efficient for sensitivity analysis that quantifies the dependence of system reliability on model parameters. The study also confirms an earlier finding on the dominant role of a parameter called a failure coverage. The paper will remark on issues related to the improvement of coverage and the optimization of redundancy level.

Applications of the pipeline environment for visual informatics and genomics computations

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Contemporary informatics and genomics research require efficient, flexible and robust management of large heterogeneous data, advanced computational tools, powerful visualization, reliable hardware infrastructure, interoperability of computational resources, and detailed data and analysis-protocol provenance. The Pipeline is a client-server distributed computational environment that facilitates the visual graphical construction, execution, monitoring, validation and dissemination of advanced data analysis protocols. Results This paper reports on the applications of the LONI Pipeline environment to address two informatics challenges - graphical management of diverse genomics tools, and the interoperability of informatics software. Specifically, this manuscript presents the concrete details of deploying general informatics suites and individual software tools to new hardware infrastructures, the design, validation and execution of new visual analysis protocols via the Pipeline graphical interface, and integration of diverse informatics tools via the Pipeline eXtensible Markup Language syntax. We demonstrate each of these processes using several established informatics packages (e.g., miBLAST, EMBOSS, mrFAST, GWASS, MAQ, SAMtools, Bowtie) for basic local sequence alignment and search, molecular biology data analysis, and genome-wide association studies. These examples demonstrate the power of the Pipeline graphical workflow environment to enable integration of bioinformatics resources which provide a well-defined syntax for dynamic specification of the input/output parameters and the run-time execution controls. Conclusions The LONI Pipeline environment http://pipeline.loni.ucla.edu provides a flexible graphical infrastructure for efficient biomedical computing and distributed informatics research. The interactive Pipeline resource manager enables the utilization and interoperability of diverse types of informatics resources. The Pipeline client-server model provides computational power to a broad spectrum of informatics investigators - experienced developers and novice users, user with or without access to advanced computational-resources (e.g., Grid, data), as well as basic and translational scientists. The open development, validation and dissemination of computational networks (pipeline workflows) facilitates the sharing of knowledge, tools, protocols and best practices, and enables the unbiased validation and replication of scientific findings by the entire community. PMID:21791102

Reliability of Risk Assessment Measures Used in Sexually Violent Predator Proceedings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Cailey S.; Kimonis, Eva R.; Otto, Randy K.; Kline, Suzonne M.; Wasserman, Adam L.

2012-01-01

The field interrater reliability of three assessment tools frequently used by mental health professionals when evaluating sex offenders' risk for reoffending--the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool-Revised (MnSOST-R) and the Static-99--was examined within the context of sexually violent predator…

Composite Reliability of a Workplace-Based Assessment Toolbox for Postgraduate Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moonen-van Loon, J. M. W.; Overeem, K.; Donkers, H. H. L. M.; van der Vleuten, C. P. M.; Driessen, E. W.

2013-01-01

In recent years, postgraduate assessment programmes around the world have embraced workplace-based assessment (WBA) and its related tools. Despite their widespread use, results of studies on the validity and reliability of these tools have been variable. Although in many countries decisions about residents' continuation of training and…

Towards Tailored Patient's Management Approach: Integrating the Modified 2010 ACR Criteria for Fibromyalgia in Multidimensional Patient Reported Outcome Measures Questionnaire

PubMed Central

El Miedany, Yasser; El Gaafary, Maha; Youssef, Sally; Ahmed, Ihab

2016-01-01

Objectives. To assess the validity, reliability, and responsiveness to change of a patient self-reported questionnaire combining the Widespread Pain Index and the Symptom Severity Score as well as construct outcome measures and comorbidities assessment in fibromyalgia patients. Methods. The PROMs-FM was conceptualized based on frameworks used by the WHO Quality of Life tool and the PROMIS. Initially, cognitive interviews were conducted to identify item pool of questions. Item selection and reduction were achieved based on patients as well as an interdisciplinary group of specialists. Rasch and internal consistency reliability analyses were implemented. The questionnaire included the modified ACR criteria main items (Symptom Severity Score and Widespread Pain Index), in addition to assessment of functional disability, quality of life (QoL), review of the systems, and comorbidities. Every patient completed HAQ and EQ-5D questionnaires. Results. A total of 146 fibromyalgia patients completed the questionnaire. The PROMs-FM questionnaire was reliable as demonstrated by a high standardized alpha (0.886–0.982). Content construct assessment of the functional disability and QoL revealed significant correlation (p < 0.01) with both HAQ and EQ-5D. Changes in functional disability and QoL showed significant (p < 0.01) variation with diseases activity status in response to therapy. There was higher prevalence of autonomic symptoms, CVS risk, sexual dysfunction, and falling. Conclusions. The developed PROMs-FM questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessment of fibromyalgia patients. A phased treatment regimen depending on the severity of FMS as well as preferences and comorbidities of the patient is the best approach to tailored patient management. PMID:27190648

Human- and computer-accessible 2D correlation data for a more reliable structure determination of organic compounds. Future roles of researchers, software developers, spectrometer managers, journal editors, reviewers, publisher and database managers toward artificial-intelligence analysis of NMR spectra.

PubMed

Jeannerat, Damien

2017-01-01

The introduction of a universal data format to report the correlation data of 2D NMR spectra such as COSY, HSQC and HMBC spectra will have a large impact on the reliability of structure determination of small organic molecules. These lists of assigned cross peaks will bridge signals found in NMR 1D and 2D spectra and the assigned chemical structure. The record could be very compact, human and computer readable so that it can be included in the supplementary material of publications and easily transferred into databases of scientific literature and chemical compounds. The records will allow authors, reviewers and future users to test the consistency and, in favorable situations, the uniqueness of the assignment of the correlation data to the associated chemical structures. Ideally, the data format of the correlation data should include direct links to the NMR spectra to make it possible to validate their reliability and allow direct comparison of spectra. In order to take the full benefits of their potential, the correlation data and the NMR spectra should therefore follow any manuscript in the review process and be stored in open-access database after publication. Keeping all NMR spectra, correlation data and assigned structures together at all time will allow the future development of validation tools increasing the reliability of past and future NMR data. This will facilitate the development of artificial intelligence analysis of NMR spectra by providing a source of data than can be used efficiently because they have been validated or can be validated by future users. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

HiRel - Reliability/availability integrated workstation tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bavuso, Salvatore J.; Dugan, Joanne B.

1992-01-01

The HiRel software tool is described and demonstrated by application to the mission avionics subsystem of the Advanced System Integration Demonstrations (ASID) system that utilizes the PAVE PILLAR approach. HiRel marks another accomplishment toward the goal of producing a totally integrated computer-aided design (CAD) workstation design capability. Since a reliability engineer generally represents a reliability model graphically before it can be solved, the use of a graphical input description language increases productivity and decreases the incidence of error. The graphical postprocessor module HARPO makes it possible for reliability engineers to quickly analyze huge amounts of reliability/availability data to observe trends due to exploratory design changes. The addition of several powerful HARP modeling engines provides the user with a reliability/availability modeling capability for a wide range of system applications all integrated under a common interactive graphical input-output capability.

Error Sources in Proccessing LIDAR Based Bridge Inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, H.; Chen, S. E.; Liu, W.

2017-09-01

Bridge inspection is a critical task in infrastructure management and is facing unprecedented challenges after a series of bridge failures. The prevailing visual inspection was insufficient in providing reliable and quantitative bridge information although a systematic quality management framework was built to ensure visual bridge inspection data quality to minimize errors during the inspection process. The LiDAR based remote sensing is recommended as an effective tool in overcoming some of the disadvantages of visual inspection. In order to evaluate the potential of applying this technology in bridge inspection, some of the error sources in LiDAR based bridge inspection are analysed. The scanning angle variance in field data collection and the different algorithm design in scanning data processing are the found factors that will introduce errors into inspection results. Besides studying the errors sources, advanced considerations should be placed on improving the inspection data quality, and statistical analysis might be employed to evaluate inspection operation process that contains a series of uncertain factors in the future. Overall, the development of a reliable bridge inspection system requires not only the improvement of data processing algorithms, but also systematic considerations to mitigate possible errors in the entire inspection workflow. If LiDAR or some other technology can be accepted as a supplement for visual inspection, the current quality management framework will be modified or redesigned, and this would be as urgent as the refine of inspection techniques.

Risk and Reliability of Infrastructure Asset Management Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

of assets within the portfolio for use in Risk and Reliability analysis ... US Army Corps of Engineers assesses its Civil Works infrastructure and applies risk and reliability in the management of that infrastructure. The ... the Corps must complete assessments across its portfolio of major assets before risk management can be used in decision making. Effective risk

Validation of the one pass measure for motivational interviewing competence.

PubMed

McMaster, Fiona; Resnicow, Ken

2015-04-01

This paper examines the psychometric properties of the OnePass coding system: a new, user-friendly tool for evaluating practitioner competence in motivational interviewing (MI). We provide data on reliability and validity with the current gold-standard: Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity tool (MITI). We compared scores from 27 videotaped MI sessions performed by student counselors trained in MI and simulated patients using both OnePass and MITI, with three different raters for each tool. Reliability was estimated using intra-class coefficients (ICCs), and validity was assessed using Pearson's r. OnePass had high levels of inter-rater reliability with 19/23 items found from substantial to almost perfect agreement. Taking the pair of scores with the highest inter-rater reliability on the MITI, the concurrent validity between the two measures ranged from moderate to high. Validity was highest for evocation, autonomy, direction and empathy. OnePass appears to have good inter-rater reliability while capturing similar dimensions of MI as the MITI. Despite the moderate concurrent validity with the MITI, the OnePass shows promise in evaluating both traditional and novel interpretations of MI. OnePass may be a useful tool for developing and improving practitioner competence in MI where access to MITI coders is limited. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Reliability of a Market Basket Assessment Tool (MBAT) for Use in SNAP-Ed Healthy Retail Initiatives.

PubMed

Misyak, Sarah A; Hedrick, Valisa E; Pudney, Ellen; Serrano, Elena L; Farris, Alisha R

2018-05-01

To evaluate the reliability of the Market Basket Assessment Tool (MBAT) for assessing the availability of fruits and vegetables, low-fat or nonfat dairy and eggs, lean meats, whole-grain products, and seeds, beans, and nuts in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-authorized retail environments. Different trained raters used the MBAT simultaneously at 14 retail environments to measure interrater reliability. Raters returned to 12 retail environments (85.7%) 1 week later to measure test-retest reliability. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t tests and correlations. No significant differences were found for interrater reliability or test-retest reliability for individual categories (mean differences, 0.0 to 0.3 ± 0.2 points) or total score (mean difference, 0.5 ± 0.4 points and (mean differences, 0.0 to 0.3 ± 0.3 points) or total score (mean difference, 0.8 ± 0.4 points), respectively. Future steps include validation of the MBAT. A low-burden tool can facilitate evaluation of efforts to promote healthful foods in retail environments. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design of a developmental dual fail operational redundant strapped down inertial measurement unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrell, F. R.; Russell, J. G.

1980-01-01

An experimental redundant strap-down inertial measurement unit (RSDIMU) is being developed at NASA-Langley as a link to satisfy safety and reliability considerations in the integrated avionics concept. The unit consists of four two-degrees-of-freedom (TDOF) tuned-rotor gyros, and four TDOF pendulous accelerometers in a skewed and separable semi-octahedron array. The system will be used to examine failure detection and isolation techniques, redundancy management rules, and optimal threshold levels for various flight configurations. The major characteristics of the RSDIMU hardware and software design, and its use as a research tool are described.

DSM-III as a research tool.

PubMed

Treece, C

1982-05-01

The author describes the use of the DSM-III's diagnostic criteria and classification system as a research instrument and discusses some of the advantages and drawbacks of DMS-III for a specific type of study. A rearrangement of the hierarchical order of the DSM-III diagnostic classes is suggested. This rearrangement provides for levels of certainty in analyzing interrater reliability and offers a simplified framework for summarizing group data. When this approach is combined with a structured interview and response format, it provides a flexible way of managing a large classification system for a smaller study without sacrificing standardization.

Managing Uncertainty in Water Infrastructure Design Using Info-gap Robustness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irias, X.; Cicala, D.

2013-12-01

Info-gap theory, a tool for managing deep uncertainty, can be of tremendous value for design of water systems in areas of high seismic risk. Maintaining reliable water service in those areas is subject to significant uncertainties including uncertainty of seismic loading, unknown seismic performance of infrastructure, uncertain costs of innovative seismic-resistant construction, unknown costs to repair seismic damage, unknown societal impacts from downtime, and more. Practically every major earthquake that strikes a population center reveals additional knowledge gaps. In situations of such deep uncertainty, info-gap can offer advantages over traditional approaches, whether deterministic approaches that use empirical safety factors to address the uncertainties involved, or probabilistic methods that attempt to characterize various stochastic properties and target a compromise between cost and reliability. The reason is that in situations of deep uncertainty, it may not be clear what safety factor would be reasonable, or even if any safety factor is sufficient to address the uncertainties, and we may lack data to characterize the situation probabilistically. Info-gap is a tool that recognizes up front that our best projection of the future may be wrong. Thus, rather than seeking a solution that is optimal for that projection, info-gap seeks a solution that works reasonably well for all plausible conditions. In other words, info-gap seeks solutions that are robust in the face of uncertainty. Info-gap has been used successfully across a wide range of disciplines including climate change science, project management, and structural design. EBMUD is currently using info-gap to help it gain insight into possible solutions for providing reliable water service to an island community within its service area. The island, containing about 75,000 customers, is particularly vulnerable to water supply disruption from earthquakes, since it has negligible water storage and is entirely dependent on four potentially fragile water transmission mains for its day-to-day water supply. Using info-gap analysis, EBMUD is evaluating competing strategies for providing water supply to the island, for example submarine pipelines versus tunnels. The analysis considers not only the likely or 'average' results for each strategy, but also the worst-case performance of each strategy under varying levels of uncertainty. This analysis is improving the quality of the planning process, since it can identify strategies that ensure minimal disruption of water supply following a major earthquake, even if the earthquake and resulting damage fail to conform to our expectations. Results to date are presented, including a discussion of how info-gap analysis complements existing tools for comparing alternative strategies, and how info-gap improves our ability to quantify our tolerance for uncertainty.

Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool (NEFPAT): Development and Evaluation.

PubMed

Nikolaus, Cassandra J; Laurent, Emily; Loehmer, Emily; An, Ruopeng; Khan, Naiman; McCaffrey, Jennifer

2018-04-24

To develop and evaluate a nutrition environment assessment tool to assess the consumer nutrition environment and use of recommended practices in food pantries. The Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool (NEFPAT) was developed based on a literature review and guidance from professionals working with food pantries. The tool was pilot-tested at 9 food pantries, an expert panel assessed content validity, and interrater reliability was evaluated by pairs in 3 pantries. After revisions, the NEFPAT was used in 27 pantries. Pilot tests indicated positive appraisal for the NEFPAT and recommendations were addressed. The NEFPAT's 6 objectives and the overall tool were rated as content valid by experts, with an average section rating of 3.85 ± 0.10. Intraclass correlation coefficients for interrater reliability were >0.90. The NEFPAT is content valid with high interrater reliability. It provides baseline data that could be valuable for interventions within the nutrition environment of food pantries. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Integrated Data & Analysis in Support of Informed and Transparent Decision Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guivetchi, K.

2012-12-01

The California Water Plan includes a framework for improving water reliability, environmental stewardship, and economic stability through two initiatives - integrated regional water management to make better use of local water sources by integrating multiple aspects of managing water and related resources; and maintaining and improving statewide water management systems. The Water Plan promotes ways to develop a common approach for data standards and for understanding, evaluating, and improving regional and statewide water management systems, and for common ways to evaluate and select from alternative management strategies and projects. The California Water Plan acknowledges that planning for the future is uncertain and that change will continue to occur. It is not possible to know for certain how population growth, land use decisions, water demand patterns, environmental conditions, the climate, and many other factors that affect water use and supply may change by 2050. To anticipate change, our approach to water management and planning for the future needs to consider and quantify uncertainty, risk, and sustainability. There is a critical need for information sharing and information management to support over-arching and long-term water policy decisions that cross-cut multiple programs across many organizations and provide a common and transparent understanding of water problems and solutions. Achieving integrated water management with multiple benefits requires a transparent description of dynamic linkages between water supply, flood management, water quality, land use, environmental water, and many other factors. Water Plan Update 2013 will include an analytical roadmap for improving data, analytical tools, and decision-support to advance integrated water management at statewide and regional scales. It will include recommendations for linking collaborative processes with technical enhancements, providing effective analytical tools, and improving and sharing data and information. Specifically, this includes achieving better integration and consistency with other planning activities; obtaining consensus on quantitative deliverables; building a common conceptual understanding of the water management system; developing common schematics of the water management system; establishing modeling protocols and standards; and improving transparency and exchange of Water Plan information.

[SCREENING OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG ELDERLY PEOPLE AT FAMILY MEDICINE].

PubMed

Račić, M; Ivković, N; Kusmuk, S

2015-11-01

The prevalence of malnutrition in elderly is high. Malnutrition or risk of malnutrition can be detected by use of nutritional screening or assessment tools. This systematic review aimed to identify tools that would be reliable, valid, sensitive and specific for nutritional status screening in patients older than 65 at family medicine. The review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Studies were retrieved using MEDLINE (via Ovid), PubMed and Cochrane Library electronic databases and by manual searching of relevant articles listed in reference list of key publications. The electronic databases were searched using defined key words adapted to each database and using MESH terms. Manual revision of reviews and original articles was performed using Electronic Journals Library. Included studies involved development and validation of screening tools in the community-dwelling elderly population. The tools, subjected to validity and reliability testing for use in the community-dwelling elderly population were Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI), which includes DETERMINE list, Level I and II Screen, Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating, and Nutrition (SCREEN I and SCREEN II), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and Malaysian and South African tool. MNA and MNA-SF appear to have highest reliability and validity for screening of community-dwelling elderly, while the reliability and validity of SCREEN II are good. The authors conclude that whilst several tools have been developed, most have not undergone extensive testing to demonstrate their ability to identify nutritional risk. MNA and MNA-SF have the highest reliability and validity for screening of nutritional status in the community-dwelling elderly, and the reliability and validity of SCREEN II are satisfactory. These instruments also contain all three nutritional status indicators and are practical for use in family medicine. However, the gold standard for screening cannot be set because testing of reliability and continuous validation in the study with a higher level of evidence need to be conducted in family medicine.

Development and validation of a Malawian version of the primary care assessment tool.

PubMed

Dullie, Luckson; Meland, Eivind; Hetlevik, Øystein; Mildestvedt, Thomas; Gjesdal, Sturla

2018-05-16

Malawi does not have validated tools for assessing primary care performance from patients' experience. The aim of this study was to develop a Malawian version of Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT-Mw) and to evaluate its reliability and validity in the assessment of the core primary care dimensions from adult patients' perspective in Malawi. A team of experts assessed the South African version of the primary care assessment tool (ZA-PCAT) for face and content validity. The adapted questionnaire underwent forward and backward translation and a pilot study. The tool was then used in an interviewer administered cross-sectional survey in Neno district, Malawi, to test validity and reliability. Exploratory factor analysis was performed on a random half of the sample to evaluate internal consistency, reliability and construct validity of items and scales. The identified constructs were then tested with confirmatory factor analysis. Likert scale assumption testing and descriptive statistics were done on the final factor structure. The PCAT-Mw was further tested for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. From the responses of 631 patients, a 29-item PCAT-Mw was constructed comprising seven multi-item scales, representing five primary care dimensions (first contact, continuity, comprehensiveness, coordination and community orientation). All the seven scales achieved good internal consistency, item-total correlations and construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.66 to 0.91. A satisfactory goodness of fit model was achieved (GFI = 0.90, CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.05, PCLOSE = 0.65). The full range of possible scores was observed for all scales. Scaling assumptions tests were achieved for all except the two comprehensiveness scales. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.90 (n = 44, 95% CI 0.81-0.94, p < 0.001) for intra-rater reliability and 0.84 (n = 42, 95% CI 0.71-0.96, p < 0.001) for inter-rater reliability. Comprehensive metric analyses supported the reliability and validity of PCAT-Mw in assessing the core concepts of primary care from adult patients' experience. This tool could be used for health service research in primary care in Malawi.

Wireless and Powerless Sensing Node System Developed for Monitoring Motors.

PubMed

Lee, Dasheng

2008-08-27

Reliability and maintainability of tooling systems can be improved through condition monitoring of motors. However, it is difficult to deploy sensor nodes due to the harsh environment of industrial plants. Sensor cables are easily damaged, which renders the monitoring system deployed to assure the machine's reliability itself unreliable. A wireless and powerless sensing node integrated with a MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) sensor, a signal processor, a communication module, and a self-powered generator was developed in this study for implementation of an easily mounted network sensor for monitoring motors. A specially designed communication module transmits a sequence of electromagnetic (EM) pulses in response to the sensor signals. The EM pulses can penetrate through the machine's metal case and delivers signals from the sensor inside the motor to the external data acquisition center. By using induction power, which is generated by the motor's shaft rotation, the sensor node is self-sustaining; therefore, no power line is required. A monitoring system, equipped with novel sensing nodes, was constructed to test its performance. The test results illustrate that, the novel sensing node developed in this study can effectively enhance the reliability of the motor monitoring system and it is expected to be a valuable technology, which will be available to the plant for implementation in a reliable motor management program.

Wireless and Powerless Sensing Node System Developed for Monitoring Motors

PubMed Central

Lee, Dasheng

2008-01-01

Reliability and maintainability of tooling systems can be improved through condition monitoring of motors. However, it is difficult to deploy sensor nodes due to the harsh environment of industrial plants. Sensor cables are easily damaged, which renders the monitoring system deployed to assure the machine's reliability itself unreliable. A wireless and powerless sensing node integrated with a MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) sensor, a signal processor, a communication module, and a self-powered generator was developed in this study for implementation of an easily mounted network sensor for monitoring motors. A specially designed communication module transmits a sequence of electromagnetic (EM) pulses in response to the sensor signals. The EM pulses can penetrate through the machine's metal case and delivers signals from the sensor inside the motor to the external data acquisition center. By using induction power, which is generated by the motor's shaft rotation, the sensor node is self-sustaining; therefore, no power line is required. A monitoring system, equipped with novel sensing nodes, was constructed to test its performance. The test results illustrate that, the novel sensing node developed in this study can effectively enhance the reliability of the motor monitoring system and it is expected to be a valuable technology, which will be available to the plant for implementation in a reliable motor management program. PMID:27873798

Evaluating the use of in-store measures in retail food stores and restaurants in Brazil.

PubMed

Duran, Ana Clara; Lock, Karen; Latorre, Maria do Rosario D O; Jaime, Patricia Constante

2015-01-01

To assess inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of retail food store, open-air food market, and restaurant observation tools adapted to the Brazilian urban context. This study is part of a cross-sectional observation survey conducted in 13 districts across the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2010-2011. Food store and restaurant observational tools were developed based on previously available tools, and then tested it. They included measures on the availability, variety, quality, pricing, and promotion of fruits and vegetables and ultra-processed foods. We used Kappa statistics and intra-class correlation coefficients to assess inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities in samples of 142 restaurants, 97 retail food stores (including open-air food markets), and of 62 restaurants and 45 retail food stores (including open-air food markets), respectively. Construct validity as the tool's abilities to discriminate based on store types and different income contexts were assessed in the entire sample: 305 retail food stores, 8 fruits and vegetable markets, and 472 restaurants. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were generally high, with most Kappa values greater than 0.70 (range 0.49-1.00). Both tools discriminated between store types and neighborhoods with different median income. Fruits and vegetables were more likely to be found in middle to higher-income neighborhoods, while soda, fruit-flavored drink mixes, cookies, and chips were cheaper and more likely to be found in lower-income neighborhoods. The measures were reliable and able to reveal significant differences across store types and different contexts. Although some items may require revision, results suggest that the tools may be used to reliably measure the food stores and restaurant food environment in urban settings of middle-income countries. Such studies can help .inform health promotion interventions and policies in these contexts.

Reliability of a survey tool for measuring consumer nutrition environment in urban food stores.

PubMed

Hosler, Akiko S; Dharssi, Aliza

2011-01-01

Despite the increase in the volume and importance of food environment research, there is a general lack of reliable measurement tools. This study presents the development and reliability assessment of a tool for measuring consumer nutrition environment in urban food stores. Cross-sectional design. A racially diverse downtown portion (6 ZIP code areas) in Albany, New York. A sample of 39 food stores was visited by our research team in 2009 to 2010. These stores were randomly selected from 123 eligible food stores identified through multiple government lists and ground-truthing. The Food Retail Outlet Survey Tool was developed to assess the presence of selected food and nonfood items, placement, milk prices, physical characteristics of the store, policy implementation, and advertisements on outside windows. For in-store items, agreement of observations between experienced and lightly trained surveyors was assessed. For window advertisement assessments, inter-method agreement (on-site sketch vs digital photo), and inter-rater agreement (both on-site) among lightly trained surveyors were evaluated. Percent agreement, Kappa, and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa were calculated for in-store observations. Interclass correlation coefficients were calculated for window observations. Twenty-seven of the 47 in-store items had 100% agreement. The prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa indicated excellent agreement (≥0.90) on all items, except aisle width (0.74) and dark-green/orange colored fresh vegetables (0.85). The store type (nonconvenience store), the order of visits (first half), and the time to complete survey (>10 minutes) were associated with lower reliability in these 2 items. Both the inter-method and inter-rater agreements for window advertisements were uniformly high (intraclass correlation coefficient ranged 0.94-1.00), indicating high reliability. The Food Retail Outlet Survey Tool is a reliable tool for quickly measuring consumer nutrition environment. It can be effectively used by an individual who attended a 30-minute group briefing and practiced with 3 to 4 stores.

Capacity and reliability analyses with applications to power quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azam, Mohammad; Tu, Fang; Shlapak, Yuri; Kirubarajan, Thiagalingam; Pattipati, Krishna R.; Karanam, Rajaiah

2001-07-01

The deregulation of energy markets, the ongoing advances in communication networks, the proliferation of intelligent metering and protective power devices, and the standardization of software/hardware interfaces are creating a dramatic shift in the way facilities acquire and utilize information about their power usage. The currently available power management systems gather a vast amount of information in the form of power usage, voltages, currents, and their time-dependent waveforms from a variety of devices (for example, circuit breakers, transformers, energy and power quality meters, protective relays, programmable logic controllers, motor control centers). What is lacking is an information processing and decision support infrastructure to harness this voluminous information into usable operational and management knowledge to handle the health of their equipment and power quality, minimize downtime and outages, and to optimize operations to improve productivity. This paper considers the problem of evaluating the capacity and reliability analyses of power systems with very high availability requirements (e.g., systems providing energy to data centers and communication networks with desired availability of up to 0.9999999). The real-time capacity and margin analysis helps operators to plan for additional loads and to schedule repair/replacement activities. The reliability analysis, based on computationally efficient sum of disjoint products, enables analysts to decide the optimum levels of redundancy, aids operators in prioritizing the maintenance options for a given budget and monitoring the system for capacity margin. The resulting analytical and software tool is demonstrated on a sample data center.

[Reliability and validity of the Occupational Stress Scale for Chinese offshore oil platform workers].

PubMed

Chen, Wei-qing; Huang, Zi-hui; Yu, De-xin; Lin, Yan-zu; Ling, Zhi-ming; Tang, Ji-song

2003-02-01

To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Occupational Stress Scale (OSS) for Chinese offshore oil platform workers. A 51-item self-administered questionnaire developed in the light of Cooper's questionnaire and company's special situation was used to investigate 561 subjects. 51 occupational stress items relating to offshore oil production were subjected to factor analysis, and nine latent factors were identified, which explained 62.5% of the total variance. According to the contents described by the items included in each factor, they were respectively defined as: "the interface between job and family/social life (factor 1)", "career and achievement (factor 2)", "safety (factor 3)", "management problem and relationship with others at work (factor 4)", "physical factors of workplace (factor 5)", "platform living environment (factor 6)", "role in management (factor 7)", "ergonomics (factor 8)" and "organization structure (factor 9)". Significant difference in the score of five factors was observed among 12 different job categories by analysis of variance. After adjusting for potential confounding factors (age, educational level), hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the score of the OSS was significantly and positively correlated with the poor mental health of the workers (P < 0.01). The consistent test between OSS and each factor showed that Cronbach's alpha were 0.72 - 0.91. The OSS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring occupational stress, and can be used to explore occupational stress and its influence on health and safety problems in offshore oil workers.

The Mental Disability Military Assessment Tool: A Reliable Tool for Determining Disability in Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

PubMed

Fokkens, Andrea S; Groothoff, Johan W; van der Klink, Jac J L; Popping, Roel; Stewart, Roy E; van de Ven, Lex; Brouwer, Sandra; Tuinstra, Jolanda

2015-09-01

An assessment tool was developed to assess disability in veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to a military mission. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability, intra-rater and inter-rater variation of the Mental Disability Military (MDM) assessment tool. Twenty-four assessment interviews of veterans with an insurance physician were videotaped. Each videotaped interview was assessed by a group of five independent raters on limitations of the veterans using the MDM assessment tool. After 2 months the raters repeated this procedure. Next the intra-rater and inter-rater variation was assessed with an adjusted version of AG09 computing weighted percentage agreement. The results of this study showed that both the intra-rater variation and inter-rater variation on the ten subcategories of the MDM assessment tool were small, with an agreement of 84-100% within raters and 93-100% between raters. The MDM assessment tool proves to be a reliable instrument to measure PTSD limitations in functioning in Dutch military veterans who apply for disability compensation. Further research is needed to assess the validity of this instrument.

S2O - A software tool for integrating research data from general purpose statistic software into electronic data capture systems.

PubMed

Bruland, Philipp; Dugas, Martin

2017-01-07

Data capture for clinical registries or pilot studies is often performed in spreadsheet-based applications like Microsoft Excel or IBM SPSS. Usually, data is transferred into statistic software, such as SAS, R or IBM SPSS Statistics, for analyses afterwards. Spreadsheet-based solutions suffer from several drawbacks: It is generally not possible to ensure a sufficient right and role management; it is not traced who has changed data when and why. Therefore, such systems are not able to comply with regulatory requirements for electronic data capture in clinical trials. In contrast, Electronic Data Capture (EDC) software enables a reliable, secure and auditable collection of data. In this regard, most EDC vendors support the CDISC ODM standard to define, communicate and archive clinical trial meta- and patient data. Advantages of EDC systems are support for multi-user and multicenter clinical trials as well as auditable data. Migration from spreadsheet based data collection to EDC systems is labor-intensive and time-consuming at present. Hence, the objectives of this research work are to develop a mapping model and implement a converter between the IBM SPSS and CDISC ODM standard and to evaluate this approach regarding syntactic and semantic correctness. A mapping model between IBM SPSS and CDISC ODM data structures was developed. SPSS variables and patient values can be mapped and converted into ODM. Statistical and display attributes from SPSS are not corresponding to any ODM elements; study related ODM elements are not available in SPSS. The S2O converting tool was implemented as command-line-tool using the SPSS internal Java plugin. Syntactic and semantic correctness was validated with different ODM tools and reverse transformation from ODM into SPSS format. Clinical data values were also successfully transformed into the ODM structure. Transformation between the spreadsheet format IBM SPSS and the ODM standard for definition and exchange of trial data is feasible. S2O facilitates migration from Excel- or SPSS-based data collections towards reliable EDC systems. Thereby, advantages of EDC systems like reliable software architecture for secure and traceable data collection and particularly compliance with regulatory requirements are achievable.

Pilot testing of SHRP 2 reliability data and analytical products: Washington. [supporting datasets

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

The Washington site used the reliability guide from Project L02, analysis tools for forecasting reliability and estimating impacts from Project L07, Project L08, and Project C11 as well as the guide on reliability performance measures from the Projec...

Reliability model generator specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Gerald C.; Mccann, Catherine

1990-01-01

The Reliability Model Generator (RMG), a program which produces reliability models from block diagrams for ASSIST, the interface for the reliability evaluation tool SURE is described. An account is given of motivation for RMG and the implemented algorithms are discussed. The appendices contain the algorithms and two detailed traces of examples.

Reliability, minimal detectable change and responsiveness to change: Indicators to select the best method to measure sedentary behaviour in older adults in different study designs.

PubMed

Dontje, Manon L; Dall, Philippa M; Skelton, Dawn A; Gill, Jason M R; Chastin, Sebastien F M

2018-01-01

Prolonged sedentary behaviour (SB) is associated with poor health. It is unclear which SB measure is most appropriate for interventions and population surveillance to measure and interpret change in behaviour in older adults. The aims of this study: to examine the relative and absolute reliability, Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) and responsiveness to change of subjective and objective methods of measuring SB in older adults and give recommendations of use for different study designs. SB of 18 older adults (aged 71 (IQR 7) years) was assessed using a systematic set of six subjective tools, derived from the TAxonomy of Self report Sedentary behaviour Tools (TASST), and one objective tool (activPAL3c), over 14 days. Relative reliability (Intra Class Correlation coefficients-ICC), absolute reliability (SEM), MDC, and the relative responsiveness (Cohen's d effect size (ES) and Guyatt's Responsiveness coefficient (GR)) were calculated for each of the different tools and ranked for different study designs. ICC ranged from 0.414 to 0.946, SEM from 36.03 to 137.01 min, MDC from 1.66 to 8.42 hours, ES from 0.017 to 0.259 and GR from 0.024 to 0.485. Objective average day per week measurement ranked as most responsive in a clinical practice setting, whereas a one day measurement ranked highest in quasi-experimental, longitudinal and controlled trial study designs. TV viewing-Previous Week Recall (PWR) ranked as most responsive subjective measure in all study designs. The reliability, Minimal Detectable Change and responsiveness to change of subjective and objective methods of measuring SB is context dependent. Although TV viewing-PWR is the more reliable and responsive subjective method in most situations, it may have limitations as a reliable measure of total SB. Results of this study can be used to guide choice of tools for detecting change in sedentary behaviour in older adults in the contexts of population surveillance, intervention evaluation and individual care.

Travel reliability inventory for Chicago.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

The overarching goal of this research project is to enable state DOTs to document and monitor the reliability performance : of their highway networks. To this end, a computer tool, TRIC, was developed to produce travel reliability inventories from : ...

Evaluation of the efficiency and reliability of software generated by code generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schreur, Barbara

1994-01-01

There are numerous studies which show that CASE Tools greatly facilitate software development. As a result of these advantages, an increasing amount of software development is done with CASE Tools. As more software engineers become proficient with these tools, their experience and feedback lead to further development with the tools themselves. What has not been widely studied, however, is the reliability and efficiency of the actual code produced by the CASE Tools. This investigation considered these matters. Three segments of code generated by MATRIXx, one of many commercially available CASE Tools, were chosen for analysis: ETOFLIGHT, a portion of the Earth to Orbit Flight software, and ECLSS and PFMC, modules for Environmental Control and Life Support System and Pump Fan Motor Control, respectively.

Mother-child bonding assessment tools☆

PubMed Central

Perrelli, Jaqueline Galdino Albuquerque; Zambaldi, Carla Fonseca; Cantilino, Amaury; Sougey, Everton Botelho

2014-01-01

Objective: To identify and describe research tools used to evaluate bonding between mother and child up to one year of age, as well as to provide information on reliability and validity measures related to these tools. Data source: Research studies available on PUBMED, LILACS, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases with the following descriptors: mother-child relations and mother infant relationship, as well as the expressions validity, reliability and scale. Data synthesis: 23 research studies were selected and fully analyzed. Thirteen evaluation research tools were identified concerning mother and child attachment: seven scales, three questionnaires, two inventories and one observation method. From all tools analyzed, the Prenatal Attachment Inventory presented the higher validity and reliability measures to assess mother and fetus relation during pregnancy. Concerning the puerperal period, better consistency coefficients were found for Maternal Attachment Inventory and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. Besides, the last one revealed a higher sensibility to identify amenable and severe disorders in the affective relations between mother and child. Conclusions: The majority of research tools are reliable to study the phenomenon presented, although there are some limitations regarding the construct and criterion related to validity. In addition to this, only two of them are translated into Portuguese and adapted to women and children populations in Brazil, being a decisive gap to scientific production in this area. PMID:25479859

Combining web-based tools for transparent evaluation of data for risk assessment: developmental effects of bisphenol A on the mammary gland as a case study.

PubMed

Molander, Linda; Hanberg, Annika; Rudén, Christina; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Beronius, Anna

2017-03-01

Different tools have been developed that facilitate systematic and transparent evaluation and handling of toxicity data in the risk assessment process. The present paper sets out to explore the combined use of two web-based tools for study evaluation and identification of reliable data relevant to health risk assessment. For this purpose, a case study was performed using in vivo toxicity studies investigating low-dose effects of bisphenol A on mammary gland development. The reliability of the mammary gland studies was evaluated using the Science in Risk Assessment and Policy (SciRAP) criteria for toxicity studies. The Health Assessment Workspace Collaborative (HAWC) was used for characterizing and visualizing the mammary gland data in terms of type of effects investigated and reported, and the distribution of these effects within the dose interval. It was then investigated whether there was any relationship between study reliability and the type of effects reported and/or their distribution in the dose interval. The combination of the SciRAP and HAWC tools allowed for transparent evaluation and visualization of the studies investigating developmental effects of BPA on the mammary gland. The use of these tools showed that there were no apparent differences in the type of effects and their distribution in the dose interval between the five studies assessed as most reliable and the whole data set. Combining the SciRAP and HAWC tools was found to be a useful approach for evaluating in vivo toxicity studies and identifying reliable and sensitive information relevant to regulatory risk assessment of chemicals. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The children's menu assessment: development, evaluation, and relevance of a tool for evaluating children's menus.

PubMed

Krukowski, Rebecca A; Eddings, Kenya; West, Delia Smith

2011-06-01

Restaurant foods represent a substantial portion of children's dietary intake, and consumption of foods away from home has been shown to contribute to excess adiposity. This descriptive study aimed to pilot-test and establish the reliability of a standardized and comprehensive assessment tool, the Children's Menu Assessment, for evaluating the restaurant food environment for children. The tool is an expansion of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Restaurant. In 2009-2010, a randomly selected sample of 130 local and chain restaurants were chosen from within 20 miles of Little Rock, AR, to examine the availability of children's menus and to conduct initial calibration of the Children's Menu Assessment tool (final sample: n=46). Independent raters completed the Children's Menu Assessment in order to determine inter-rater reliability. Test-retest reliability was also examined. Inter-rater reliability was high: percent agreement was 97% and Spearman correlation was 0.90. Test-retest was also high: percent agreement was 91% and Spearman correlation was 0.96. Mean Children's Menu Assessment completion time was 14 minutes, 56 seconds ± 10 minutes, 21 seconds. Analysis of Children's Menu Assessment findings revealed that few healthier options were available on children's menus, and most menus did not provide parents with information for making healthy choices, including nutrition information or identification of healthier options. The Children's Menu Assessment tool allows for comprehensive, rapid measurement of the restaurant food environment for children with high inter-rater reliability. This tool has the potential to contribute to public health efforts to develop and evaluate targeted environmental interventions and/or policy changes regarding restaurant foods. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of standardized training on the reliability of the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool: a prospective study.

PubMed

da Costa, Bruno R; Beckett, Brooke; Diaz, Alison; Resta, Nina M; Johnston, Bradley C; Egger, Matthias; Jüni, Peter; Armijo-Olivo, Susan

2017-03-03

The Cochrane risk of bias tool is commonly criticized for having a low reliability. We aimed to investigate whether training of raters, with objective and standardized instructions on how to assess risk of bias, can improve the reliability of the Cochrane risk of bias tool. In this pilot study, four raters inexperienced in risk of bias assessment were randomly allocated to minimal or intensive standardized training for risk of bias assessment of randomized trials of physical therapy treatments for patients with knee osteoarthritis pain. Two raters were experienced risk of bias assessors who served as reference. The primary outcome of our study was between-group reliability, defined as the agreement of the risk of bias assessments of inexperienced raters with the reference assessments of experienced raters. Consensus-based assessments were used for this purpose. The secondary outcome was within-group reliability, defined as the agreement of assessments within pairs of inexperienced raters. We calculated the chance-corrected weighted Kappa to quantify agreement within and between groups of raters for each of the domains of the risk of bias tool. A total of 56 trials were included in our analysis. The Kappa for the agreement of inexperienced raters with reference across items of the risk of bias tool ranged from 0.10 to 0.81 for the minimal training group and from 0.41 to 0.90 for the standardized training group. The Kappa values for the agreement within pairs of inexperienced raters across the items of the risk of bias tool ranged from 0 to 0.38 for the minimal training group and from 0.93 to 1 for the standardized training group. Between-group differences in Kappa for the agreement of inexperienced raters with reference always favored the standardized training group and was most pronounced for incomplete outcome data (difference in Kappa 0.52, p < 0.001) and allocation concealment (difference in Kappa 0.30, p = 0.004). Intensive, standardized training on risk of bias assessment may significantly improve the reliability of the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Abstracting ICU Nursing Care Quality Data From the Electronic Health Record.

PubMed

Seaman, Jennifer B; Evans, Anna C; Sciulli, Andrea M; Barnato, Amber E; Sereika, Susan M; Happ, Mary Beth

2017-09-01

The electronic health record is a potentially rich source of data for clinical research in the intensive care unit setting. We describe the iterative, multi-step process used to develop and test a data abstraction tool, used for collection of nursing care quality indicators from the electronic health record, for a pragmatic trial. We computed Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) to assess interrater agreement or reliability of data abstracted using preliminary and finalized tools. In assessing the reliability of study data ( n = 1,440 cases) using the finalized tool, 108 randomly selected cases (10% of first half sample; 5% of last half sample) were independently abstracted by a second rater. We demonstrated mean κ values ranging from 0.61 to 0.99 for all indicators. Nursing care quality data can be accurately and reliably abstracted from the electronic health records of intensive care unit patients using a well-developed data collection tool and detailed training.

Toward an Economic Definition of Sustainable Yield for Coastal Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenson, J. W.; Habana, N. C.; Lander, M.

2016-12-01

The concept of aquifer sustainable yield has long been criticized, debated, and even disparaged among groundwater hydrologists, but policy-makers and professional water resource managers inevitably ask them for unequivocal answers to such questions as "What is the absolute maximum volume of water that could be sustainably withdrawn from this aquifer?" We submit that it is therefore incumbent upon hydrologists to develop and offer valid practical definitions of sustainable yield that can be usefully applied to given conditions and types of aquifers. In coastal aquifers, water quality—in terms of salinity—is affected by changes in the natural water budget and the volume rate of artificial extraction. In principle, one can identify a family of assay curves for a given aquifer, showing the specific relationships between the quantity and quality of the water extracted under given conditions of recharge. The concept of the assay curve, borrowed from the literature of natural-resource extraction economics, has to our knowledge not yet found its way into the literature of applied hydrology. The relationships between recharge, extraction, and water quality that define the assay curve can be determined empirically from sufficient observations of groundwater response to recharge and extraction and can be estimated from models that have been reliably history-matched ("calibrated") to such data. We thus propose a working definition of sustainable yield for coastal aquifers in terms of the capacity that ultimately could be achieved by an ideal production system, given what is known or can be assumed about the natural limiting conditions. Accordingly, we also offer an approach for defining an ideal production system for a given aquifer, and demonstrate how observational data and/or modeling results can be used to develop assay curves of quality vs. quantity extracted, which can serve as reliable predictive tools for engineers, managers, regulators, and policy-makers interested in sustainable management of groundwater from coastal aquifers. Such tools can provide scientifically valid baselines against which to make informed economic evaluations of future options for holistic sustainable management of coastal aquifers.

The Requirement for Acquisition and Logistics Integration: An Examination of Reliability Management Within the Marine Corps Acquisition Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

HMMWV family of vehicles, LVS family of vehicles, and the M198 Howitzer). The analysis is limited to an assessment of reliability management issues...AND LOGISTICS INTEGRATION: AN EXAMINATION OF RELIABILITY MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE MARINE CORPS ACQUISITION PROCESS by Marvin L. Norcross, Jr...Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction

Validation of the Malay version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS).

PubMed

Mohd Fahmi, Z; Lai, L L; Loh, P S

2015-08-01

Preoperative anxiety is a significant problem worldwide that may affect patients' surgical outcome. By using a simple and reliable tool such as the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), anaesthesiologists would be able to assess preoperative anxiety adequately and accurately. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Malay version of APAIS (Malay-APAIS), and assess the factors associated with higher anxiety scores. The authors performed forward and backward translation of APAIS into Malay and then tested on 200 patients in the anaesthetic clinic of University Malaya Medical Centre. Psychometric analysis was performed with factor analysis, internal consistency and correlation with Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-state). A good correlation was shown with STAI-state (r = 0.59). Anxiety and need for information both emerged with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.93 and 0.90 respectively). Female gender, surgery with a higher risk and need for information were found to be associated with higher anxiety scores. On the other hand, previous experience with surgery had lower need for information. The Malay-APAIS is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of patients' preoperative anxiety and their need for information. By understanding and measuring patient's concerns objectively, the perioperative management will improve to a much higher standard of care.

Reliability and reproducibility analysis of the Cobb angle and assessing sagittal plane by computer-assisted and manual measurement tools.

PubMed

Wu, Weifei; Liang, Jie; Du, Yuanli; Tan, Xiaoyi; Xiang, Xuanping; Wang, Wanhong; Ru, Neng; Le, Jinbo

2014-02-06

Although many studies on reliability and reproducibility of measurement have been performed on coronal Cobb angle, few results about reliability and reproducibility are reported on sagittal alignment measurement including the pelvis. We usually use SurgimapSpine software to measure the Cobb angle in our studies; however, there are no reports till date on its reliability and reproducible measurements. Sixty-eight standard standing posteroanterior whole-spine radiographs were reviewed. Three examiners carried out the measurements independently under the settings of manual measurement on X-ray radiographies and SurgimapSpine software on the computer. Parameters measured included pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, Lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis, and coronal Cobb angle. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analyses. The means, standard deviations, intraclass and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. There was no notable difference between the two tools (P = 0.21) for the coronal Cobb angle. In the sagittal plane parameters, the ICC of intraobserver reliability for the manual measures varied from 0.65 (T2-T5 angle) to 0.95 (LL angle). Further, for SurgimapSpine tool, the ICC ranged from 0.75 to 0.98. No significant difference in intraobserver reliability was found between the two measurements (P > 0.05). As for the interobserver reliability, measurements with SurgimapSpine tool had better ICC (0.71 to 0.98 vs 0.59 to 0.96) and Pearson's coefficient (0.76 to 0.99 vs 0.60 to 0.97). The reliability of SurgimapSpine measures was significantly higher in all parameters except for the coronal Cobb angle where the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). Although the differences between the two methods are very small, the results of this study indicate that the SurgimapSpine measurement is an equivalent measuring tool to the traditional manual in coronal Cobb angle, but is advantageous in spino-pelvic measurement in T2-T5, PT, PI, SS, and LL.

Reliability and reproducibility analysis of the Cobb angle and assessing sagittal plane by computer-assisted and manual measurement tools

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although many studies on reliability and reproducibility of measurement have been performed on coronal Cobb angle, few results about reliability and reproducibility are reported on sagittal alignment measurement including the pelvis. We usually use SurgimapSpine software to measure the Cobb angle in our studies; however, there are no reports till date on its reliability and reproducible measurements. Methods Sixty-eight standard standing posteroanterior whole-spine radiographs were reviewed. Three examiners carried out the measurements independently under the settings of manual measurement on X-ray radiographies and SurgimapSpine software on the computer. Parameters measured included pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, Lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis, and coronal Cobb angle. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analyses. The means, standard deviations, intraclass and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results There was no notable difference between the two tools (P = 0.21) for the coronal Cobb angle. In the sagittal plane parameters, the ICC of intraobserver reliability for the manual measures varied from 0.65 (T2–T5 angle) to 0.95 (LL angle). Further, for SurgimapSpine tool, the ICC ranged from 0.75 to 0.98. No significant difference in intraobserver reliability was found between the two measurements (P > 0.05). As for the interobserver reliability, measurements with SurgimapSpine tool had better ICC (0.71 to 0.98 vs 0.59 to 0.96) and Pearson’s coefficient (0.76 to 0.99 vs 0.60 to 0.97). The reliability of SurgimapSpine measures was significantly higher in all parameters except for the coronal Cobb angle where the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion Although the differences between the two methods are very small, the results of this study indicate that the SurgimapSpine measurement is an equivalent measuring tool to the traditional manual in coronal Cobb angle, but is advantageous in spino-pelvic measurement in T2-T5, PT, PI, SS, and LL. PMID:24502397

Environmental risk assessment of chemicals and nanomaterials--The best foundation for regulatory decision-making?

PubMed

Syberg, Kristian; Hansen, Steffen Foss

2016-01-15

Environmental risk assessment (ERA) is often considered as the most transparent, objective and reliable decision-making tool for informing the risk management of chemicals and nanomaterials. ERAs are based on the assumption that it is possible to provide accurate estimates of hazard and exposure and, subsequently, to quantify risk. In this paper we argue that since the quantification of risk is dominated by uncertainties, ERAs do not provide a transparent or an objective foundation for decision-making and they should therefore not be considered as a "holy grail" for informing risk management. We build this thesis on the analysis of two case studies (of nonylphenol and nanomaterials) as well as a historical analysis in which we address the scientific foundation for ERAs. The analyses show that ERAs do not properly address all aspects of actual risk, such as the mixture effect and the environmentally realistic risk from nanomaterials. Uncertainties have been recognised for decades, and assessment factors are used to compensate for the lack of realism in ERAs. The assessment factors' values were pragmatically determined, thus lowering the scientific accuracy of the ERAs. Furthermore, the default choice of standard assay for assessing a hazard might not always be the most biologically relevant, so we therefore argue that an ERA should be viewed as a pragmatic decision-making tool among several, and it should not have a special status for informing risk management. In relation to other relevant decision-making tools we discuss the use of chemical alternative assessments (CAAs) and the precautionary principle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A web platform for integrated surface water - groundwater modeling and data management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatkhutdinov, Aybulat; Stefan, Catalin; Junghanns, Ralf

2016-04-01

Model-based decision support systems are considered to be reliable and time-efficient tools for resources management in various hydrology related fields. However, searching and acquisition of the required data, preparation of the data sets for simulations as well as post-processing, visualization and publishing of the simulations results often requires significantly more work and time than performing the modeling itself. The purpose of the developed software is to combine data storage facilities, data processing instruments and modeling tools in a single platform which potentially can reduce time required for performing simulations, hence decision making. The system is developed within the INOWAS (Innovative Web Based Decision Support System for Water Sustainability under a Changing Climate) project. The platform integrates spatially distributed catchment scale rainfall - runoff, infiltration and groundwater flow models with data storage, processing and visualization tools. The concept is implemented in a form of a web-GIS application and is build based on free and open source components, including the PostgreSQL database management system, Python programming language for modeling purposes, Mapserver for visualization and publishing the data, Openlayers for building the user interface and others. Configuration of the system allows performing data input, storage, pre- and post-processing and visualization in a single not disturbed workflow. In addition, realization of the decision support system in the form of a web service provides an opportunity to easily retrieve and share data sets as well as results of simulations over the internet, which gives significant advantages for collaborative work on the projects and is able to significantly increase usability of the decision support system.

Inspection planning development: An evolutionary approach using reliability engineering as a tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graf, David A.; Huang, Zhaofeng

1994-01-01

This paper proposes an evolutionary approach for inspection planning which introduces various reliability engineering tools into the process and assess system trade-offs among reliability, engineering requirement, manufacturing capability and inspection cost to establish an optimal inspection plan. The examples presented in the paper illustrate some advantages and benefits of the new approach. Through the analysis, reliability and engineering impacts due to manufacturing process capability and inspection uncertainty are clearly understood; the most cost effective and efficient inspection plan can be established and associated risks are well controlled; some inspection reductions and relaxations are well justified; and design feedbacks and changes may be initiated from the analysis conclusion to further enhance reliability and reduce cost. The approach is particularly promising as global competitions and customer quality improvement expectations are rapidly increasing.

Open-source point-of-care electronic medical records for use in resource-limited settings: systematic review and questionnaire surveys

PubMed Central

Bru, Juan; Berger, Christopher A

2012-01-01

Background Point-of-care electronic medical records (EMRs) are a key tool to manage chronic illness. Several EMRs have been developed for use in treating HIV and tuberculosis, but their applicability to primary care, technical requirements and clinical functionalities are largely unknown. Objectives This study aimed to address the needs of clinicians from resource-limited settings without reliable internet access who are considering adopting an open-source EMR. Study eligibility criteria Open-source point-of-care EMRs suitable for use in areas without reliable internet access. Study appraisal and synthesis methods The authors conducted a comprehensive search of all open-source EMRs suitable for sites without reliable internet access. The authors surveyed clinician users and technical implementers from a single site and technical developers of each software product. The authors evaluated availability, cost and technical requirements. Results The hardware and software for all six systems is easily available, but they vary considerably in proprietary components, installation requirements and customisability. Limitations This study relied solely on self-report from informants who developed and who actively use the included products. Conclusions and implications of key findings Clinical functionalities vary greatly among the systems, and none of the systems yet meet minimum requirements for effective implementation in a primary care resource-limited setting. The safe prescribing of medications is a particular concern with current tools. The dearth of fully functional EMR systems indicates a need for a greater emphasis by global funding agencies to move beyond disease-specific EMR systems and develop a universal open-source health informatics platform. PMID:22763661

Development and study of self-efficacy scale in medication adherence among Iranian patients with hypertension

PubMed Central

Najimi, Arash; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Sharifirad, Gholamreza; Golshiri, Parastoo

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed at developing and studying the scale of self-efficacy in adherence to treatment in Iranian patients with hypertension. METHODS: A mix-method study was conducted on the two stages: in the first phase, a qualitative study was done using content analysis through deep and semi-structured interviews. After data analysis, the draft of tool was prepared. Items in the draft were selected based on the extracted concepts. In the second phase, validity and reliability of the instrument were implemented using a quantitative study. The prepared instrument in the first phase was studied among 612 participants. To test the construct validity and internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used, respectively. To study the validity of the final scale, the average score of self-efficacy in patients with controlled hypertension were compared with patients with uncontrolled hypertension. RESULTS: In overall, 16 patients were interviewed. Twenty-six items were developed to assess different concepts of self-efficacy. Concept-related items were extracted from interviews to study the face validity of the tool from patient's point of view. Four items were deleted because scored 0.79 in content validity. The mean of questionnaire content validity was 0.85. Items were collected in two factors with an eigenvalue >1. Four items were deleted with load factor <0.4. Reliability was 0.84 for the entire instrument. CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy scale in patients with hypertension is a valid and reliable instrument that can effectively evaluate the self-efficacy in medication adherence in the management of hypertension. PMID:29114551

The nutrition for sport knowledge questionnaire (NSKQ): development and validation using classical test theory and Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Trakman, Gina Louise; Forsyth, Adrienne; Hoye, Russell; Belski, Regina

2017-01-01

Appropriate dietary intake can have a significant influence on athletic performance. There is a growing consensus on sports nutrition and professionals working with athletes often provide dietary education. However, due to the limitations of existing sports nutrition knowledge questionnaires, previous reports of athletes' nutrition knowledge may be inaccurate. An updated questionnaire has been developed based on a recent review of sports nutrition guidelines. The tool has been validated using a robust methodology that incorporates relevant techniques from classical test theory (CTT) and Item response theory (IRT), namely, Rasch analysis. The final questionnaire has 89 questions and six sub-sections (weight management, macronutrients, micronutrients, sports nutrition, supplements, and alcohol). The content and face validity of the tool have been confirmed based on feedback from expert sports dietitians and university sports students, respectively. The internal reliability of the questionnaire as a whole is high (KR = 0.88), and most sub-sections achieved an acceptable internal reliability. Construct validity has been confirmed, with an independent T-test revealing a significant ( p  < 0.001) difference in knowledge scores of nutrition (64 ± 16%) and non-nutrition students (51 ± 19%). Test-retest reliability has been assured, with a strong correlation ( r  = 0.92, p  < 0.001) between individuals' scores on two attempts of the test, 10 days to 2 weeks apart. Three of the sub-sections fit the Rasch Unidimensional Model. The final version of the questionnaire represents a significant improvement over previous tools. Each nutrition sub-section is unidimensional, and therefore researchers and practitioners can use these individually, as required. Use of the questionnaire will allow researchers to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of nutrition education programs, and differences in knowledge across athletes of varying ages, genders, and athletic calibres.

Army Energy and Water Reporting System Assessment

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

Deprez, Peggy C.; Giardinelli, Michael J.; Burke, John S.

There are many areas of desired improvement for the Army Energy and Water Reporting System. The purpose of system is to serve as a data repository for collecting information from energy managers, which is then compiled into an annual energy report. This document summarizes reported shortcomings of the system and provides several alternative approaches for improving application usability and adding functionality. The U.S. Army has been using Army Energy and Water Reporting System (AEWRS) for many years to collect and compile energy data from installations for facilitating compliance with Federal and Department of Defense energy management program reporting requirements. Inmore » this analysis, staff from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that substantial opportunities exist to expand AEWRS functions to better assist the Army to effectively manage energy programs. Army leadership must decide if it wants to invest in expanding AEWRS capabilities as a web-based, enterprise-wide tool for improving the Army Energy and Water Management Program or simply maintaining a bottom-up reporting tool. This report looks at both improving system functionality from an operational perspective and increasing user-friendliness, but also as a tool for potential improvements to increase program effectiveness. The authors of this report recommend focusing on making the system easier for energy managers to input accurate data as the top priority for improving AEWRS. The next major focus of improvement would be improved reporting. The AEWRS user interface is dated and not user friendly, and a new system is recommended. While there are relatively minor improvements that could be made to the existing system to make it easier to use, significant improvements will be achieved with a user-friendly interface, new architecture, and a design that permits scalability and reliability. An expanded data set would naturally have need of additional requirements gathering and a focus on integrating with other existing data sources, thus minimizing manually entered data.« less

Error Propagation Analysis in the SAE Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) and the EDICT Tool Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

LaValley, Brian W.; Little, Phillip D.; Walter, Chris J.

2011-01-01

This report documents the capabilities of the EDICT tools for error modeling and error propagation analysis when operating with models defined in the Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL). We discuss our experience using the EDICT error analysis capabilities on a model of the Scalable Processor-Independent Design for Enhanced Reliability (SPIDER) architecture that uses the Reliable Optical Bus (ROBUS). Based on these experiences we draw some initial conclusions about model based design techniques for error modeling and analysis of highly reliable computing architectures.

Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations - An Opportunity to Improve Water Supply Reliability Lake Mendocino Demonstration Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasperse, J.; Ralph, F. M.

2016-12-01

Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) is a management strategy that is gaining interest in the western United States as a means to improve the performance of reservoirs to provide more reliable water supply for municipal, agricultural, and environmental water needs as well as enhancing the flood protection capacity of reservoirs. Many surface water reservoirs were built decades ago and are operated in accordance with rules that were developed based on the best information at the time of construction. Over time there have been increasing stressors that impact effective reservoir operations including: increasing water demand; providing in-stream flows for habitat of aquatic species; and climate change. Few new reservoirs are being constructed, therefore there is motivation by water managers to more effectively operate existing reservoirs by optimizing operational rules under a decision framework that considers forecasting. The viability of FIRO is being investigated at Lake Mendocino in northern California. This facility is managed for flood protection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) while the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is responsible for the management of the water supply pool. Reductions of reservoir inflow due to recent operational license conditions of an upstream hydroelectric facility coupled with highly variable precipitation (due to the significance of atmospheric rivers in the region) has led to difficulties in maintaining reservoir storage to meet stream flows for agricultural and municipal water users and to meet in-stream flow requirements for three salmonid species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The reduced water supply reliability of the reservoir has motivated water managers and scientists from local, state, and federal agencies to investigate whether FIRO could help address this challenge. This effort is led by a Steering Committee comprised of members from SCWA, Scripps-UC San Diego, USACE, NOAA, California Department of Water Resources, USGS, and Bureau of Reclamation. The partnership is involved with: conducting a preliminary viability assessment; evaluating operational strategies and decision support tools should FIRO be found to be viable; and coordinating research to support advances in new technology and improved forecasting skill.

A simulation model for risk assessment of turbine wheels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Safie, Fayssal M.; Hage, Richard T.

1991-01-01

A simulation model has been successfully developed to evaluate the risk of the Space Shuttle auxiliary power unit (APU) turbine wheels for a specific inspection policy. Besides being an effective tool for risk/reliability evaluation, the simulation model also allows the analyst to study the trade-offs between wheel reliability, wheel life, inspection interval, and rejection crack size. For example, in the APU application, sensitivity analysis results showed that the wheel life limit has the least effect on wheel reliability when compared to the effect of the inspection interval and the rejection crack size. In summary, the simulation model developed represents a flexible tool to predict turbine wheel reliability and study the risk under different inspection policies.

A simulation model for risk assessment of turbine wheels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safie, Fayssal M.; Hage, Richard T.

A simulation model has been successfully developed to evaluate the risk of the Space Shuttle auxiliary power unit (APU) turbine wheels for a specific inspection policy. Besides being an effective tool for risk/reliability evaluation, the simulation model also allows the analyst to study the trade-offs between wheel reliability, wheel life, inspection interval, and rejection crack size. For example, in the APU application, sensitivity analysis results showed that the wheel life limit has the least effect on wheel reliability when compared to the effect of the inspection interval and the rejection crack size. In summary, the simulation model developed represents a flexible tool to predict turbine wheel reliability and study the risk under different inspection policies.

[Utility and validity of indicators from the Nursing Outcomes Classification as a support tool for diagnosing Ineffective Self Health Management in patients with chronic conditions in primary health care].

PubMed

Morilla-Herrera, J C; Morales-Asencio, J M; Fernández-Gallego, M C; Cobos, E Berrobianco; Romero, A Delgado

2011-01-01

Self-care and management of therapeutic regime (drugs adherence, preventive behaviours and development of healthy life-styles) are key components for managing chronic diseases. Nursing has standardized languages which describe many of these situations, such as the diagnosis "Ineffective Self Health Management" (ISHM) or many of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) indicators. The aims of this study were to determine the interobserver reliability of a NOC-based instrument for assessment and aid in diagnosis of the ISHM in patients with chronic conditions in Primary Health Care, to determine its diagnostic validity and to describe the prevalence of patients with this problem. Cross-sectional validation study developed in the provinces of Málaga, Cádiz and Almería from 2006 to 2009. Each patient was assessed by 3 independent observers: the first two observers evaluated scoring of the NOC indicators and the third one acted as the "gold-standard". Two hundred and twenty-eight patients were included, 37.7% of them with more than one chronic condition. NOC indicators showed a high interobserver reliability (ICC>0,70) and a consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81). With a cut-point of 10.5, sensitivity was 61% and specificity 85%, and the area under the curve was 0.81 (CI95%: 0.77 to 0.85). The prevalence of patients with ISHM was 36% (CI 95%: 34 to 40). The use of NOC indicators allows evaluation of management of the therapeutic regime in people with chronic conditions with a satisfactory validity and it provides new approaches for dealing with this problem.

Improving the governance of patient safety in emergency care: a systematic review of interventions

PubMed Central

Hesselink, Gijs; Berben, Sivera; Beune, Thimpe

2016-01-01

Objectives To systematically review interventions that aim to improve the governance of patient safety within emergency care on effectiveness, reliability, validity and feasibility. Design A systematic review of the literature. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PsychInfo were searched for studies published between January 1990 and July 2014. We included studies evaluating interventions relevant for higher management to oversee and manage patient safety, in prehospital emergency medical service (EMS) organisations and hospital-based emergency departments (EDs). Two reviewers independently selected candidate studies, extracted data and assessed study quality. Studies were categorised according to study quality, setting, sample, intervention characteristics and findings. Results Of the 18 included studies, 13 (72%) were non-experimental. Nine studies (50%) reported data on the reliability and/or validity of the intervention. Eight studies (44%) reported on the feasibility of the intervention. Only 4 studies (22%) reported statistically significant effects. The use of a simulation-based training programme and well-designed incident reporting systems led to a statistically significant improvement of safety knowledge and attitudes by ED staff and an increase of incident reports within EDs, respectively. Conclusions Characteristics of the interventions included in this review (eg, anonymous incident reporting and validation of incident reports by an independent party) could provide useful input for the design of an effective tool to govern patient safety in EMS organisations and EDs. However, executives cannot rely on a robust set of evidence-based and feasible tools to govern patient safety within their emergency care organisation and in the chain of emergency care. Established strategies from other high-risk sectors need to be evaluated in emergency care settings, using an experimental design with valid outcome measures to strengthen the evidence base. PMID:26826151

Ensuring Patient Safety by using Colored Petri Net Simulation in the Design of Heterogeneous, Multi-Vendor, Integrated, Life-Critical Wireless (802.x) Patient Care Device Networks.

PubMed

Sloane, Elliot; Gehlot, Vijay

2005-01-01

Hospitals and manufacturers are designing and deploying the IEEE 802.x wireless technologies in medical devices to promote patient mobility and flexible facility use. There is little information, however, on the reliability or ultimate safety of connecting multiple wireless life-critical medical devices from multiple vendors using commercial 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g or pre-802.11n devices. It is believed that 802.11-type devices can introduce unintended life-threatening risks unless delivery of critical patient alarms to central monitoring systems and/or clinical personnel is assured by proper use of 802.11e Quality of Service (QoS) methods. Petri net tools can be used to simulate all possible states and transitions between devices and/or systems in a wireless device network, and can identify failure modes in advance. Colored Petri Net (CPN) tools are ideal, in fact, as they allow tracking and controlling each message in a network based on pre-selected criteria. This paper describes a research project using CPN to simulate and validate alarm integrity in a small multi-modality wireless patient monitoring system. A 20-monitor wireless patient monitoring network is created in two versions: one with non-prioritized 802.x CSM protocols and the second with simulated Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities similar to 802.11e (i.e., the second network allows message priority management.) In the standard 802.x network, dangerous heart arrhythmia and pulse oximetry alarms could not be reliably and rapidly communicated, but the second network's QoS priority management reduced that risk significantly.

Nutritional evaluation of patients receiving dialysis for the management of protein-energy wasting: what is old and what is new?

PubMed

Riella, Miguel C

2013-05-01

Advances in the nutritional support of hospitalized patients in the early 1970s led to the recognition that tools were needed to evaluate the nutritional status of patients. The observation that malnutrition in patients receiving dialysis was associated with increased morbidity and mortality prompted many expert groups to develop nutritional scoring systems to be applied in these patients. Given the diverse and confusing terminologies that emerged from these publications, the International Society of Renal Nutritional and Metabolism convened an expert panel to recommend a new nomenclature and preferred methods to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The new and inclusive term protein-energy wasting (PEW) refers to a systematically defined condition based on certain criteria and reflects malnutrition and wasting caused not only by inadequate nutrient intake but also by depletion resulting from the inflammatory and noninflammatory conditions that prevail in this population. Serial assessment of nutritional status for detection and management of PEW is recommended using old and new scoring tools, including the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), malnutrition inflammation score (MIS), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), and PEW definition criteria. These tools, which are reliable methods and predictors of outcomes, are reviewed in this article. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sarcopenia in daily practice: assessment and management.

PubMed

Beaudart, Charlotte; McCloskey, Eugène; Bruyère, Olivier; Cesari, Matteo; Rolland, Yves; Rizzoli, René; Araujo de Carvalho, Islène; Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan, Jotheeswaran; Bautmans, Ivan; Bertière, Marie-Claude; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Al-Daghri, Nasser M; Burlet, Nansa; Cavalier, Etienne; Cerreta, Francesca; Cherubini, Antonio; Fielding, Roger; Gielen, Evelien; Landi, Francesco; Petermans, Jean; Reginster, Jean-Yves; Visser, Marjolein; Kanis, John; Cooper, Cyrus

2016-10-05

Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a correlate of ageing and is associated with increased likelihood of adverse outcomes including falls, fractures, frailty and mortality. Several tools have been recommended to assess muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in clinical trials. Whilst these tools have proven to be accurate and reliable in investigational settings, many are not easily applied to daily practice. This paper is based on literature reviews performed by members of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) working group on frailty and sarcopenia. Face-to-face meetings were afterwards organized for the whole group to make amendments and discuss further recommendations. This paper proposes some user-friendly and inexpensive methods that can be used to assess sarcopenia in real-life settings. Healthcare providers, particularly in primary care, should consider an assessment of sarcopenia in individuals at increased risk; suggested tools for assessing risk include the Red Flag Method, the SARC-F questionnaire, the SMI method or different prediction equations. Management of sarcopenia should primarily be patient centered and involve the combination of both resistance and endurance based activity programmes with or without dietary interventions. Development of a number of pharmacological interventions is also in progress. Assessment of sarcopenia in individuals with risk factors, symptoms and/or conditions exposing them to the risk of disability will become particularly important in the near future.

The application of quality risk management to the bacterial endotoxins test: use of hazard analysis and critical control points.

PubMed

Annalaura, Carducci; Giulia, Davini; Stefano, Ceccanti

2013-01-01

Risk analysis is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to manage production processes, validation activities, training, and other activities. Several methods of risk analysis are available (for example, failure mode and effects analysis, fault tree analysis), and one or more should be chosen and adapted to the specific field where they will be applied. Among the methods available, hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) is a methodology that has been applied since the 1960s, and whose areas of application have expanded over time from food to the pharmaceutical industry. It can be easily and successfully applied to several processes because its main feature is the identification, assessment, and control of hazards. It can be also integrated with other tools, such as fishbone diagram and flowcharting. The aim of this article is to show how HACCP can be used to manage an analytical process, propose how to conduct the necessary steps, and provide data templates necessary to document and useful to follow current good manufacturing practices. In the quality control process, risk analysis is a useful tool for enhancing the uniformity of technical choices and their documented rationale. Accordingly, it allows for more effective and economical laboratory management, is capable of increasing the reliability of analytical results, and enables auditors and authorities to better understand choices that have been made. The aim of this article is to show how hazard analysis and critical control points can be used to manage bacterial endotoxins testing and other analytical processes in a formal, clear, and detailed manner.

2012 AAPS National Biotech Conference Open Forum: a perspective on the current state of immunogenicity prediction and risk management.

PubMed

Rajadhyaksha, Manoj; Subramanyam, Meena; Rup, Bonnie

2013-10-01

The immunogenicity profile of a biotherapeutic is determined by multiple product-, process- or manufacturing-, patient- and treatment-related factors and the bioanalytical methodology used to monitor for immunogenicity. This creates a complex situation that limits direct correlation of individual factors to observed immunogenicity rates. Therefore, mechanistic understanding of how these factors individually or in concert could influence the overall incidence and clinical risk of immunogenicity is crucial to provide the best benefit/risk profile for a given biotherapeutic in a given indication and to inform risk mitigation strategies. Advances in the field of immunogenicity have included development of best practices for monitoring anti-drug antibody development, categorization of risk factors contributing to immunogenicity, development of predictive tools, and development of effective strategies for risk management and mitigation. Thus, the opportunity to ask "where we are now and where we would like to go from here?" was the main driver for organizing an Open Forum on Improving Immunogenicity Risk Prediction and Management, conducted at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' (AAPS) National Biotechnology Conference in San Diego. The main objectives of the Forum include the following: to understand the nature of immunogenicity risk factors, to identify analytical tools used and animal models and management strategies needed to improve their predictive value, and finally to identify collaboration opportunities to improve the reliability of risk prediction, mitigation, and management. This meeting report provides the Forum participant's and author's perspectives on the barriers to advancing this field and recommendations for overcoming these barriers through collaborative efforts.

The Gender Analysis Tools Applied in Natural Disasters Management: A Systematic Literature Review

PubMed Central

Sohrabizadeh, Sanaz; Tourani, Sogand; Khankeh, Hamid Reza

2014-01-01

Background: Although natural disasters have caused considerable damages around the world, and gender analysis can improve community disaster preparedness or mitigation, there is little research about the gendered analytical tools and methods in communities exposed to natural disasters and hazards. These tools evaluate gender vulnerability and capacity in pre-disaster and post-disaster phases of the disaster management cycle. Objectives: Identifying the analytical gender tools and the strengths and limitations of them as well as determining gender analysis studies which had emphasized on the importance of using gender analysis in disasters. Methods: The literature search was conducted in June 2013 using PubMed, Web of Sciences, ProQuest Research Library, World Health Organization Library, Gender and Disaster Network (GDN) archive. All articles, guidelines, fact sheets and other materials that provided an analytical framework for a gender analysis approach in disasters were included and the non-English documents as well as gender studies of non-disasters area were excluded. Analysis of the included studies was done separately by descriptive and thematic analyses. Results: A total of 207 documents were retrieved, of which only nine references were included. Of these, 45% were in form of checklist, 33% case study report, and the remaining 22% were article. All selected papers were published within the period 1994-2012. Conclusions: A focus on women’s vulnerability in the related research and the lack of valid and reliable gender analysis tools were considerable issues identified by the literature review. Although non-English literatures with English abstract were included in the study, the possible exclusion of non-English ones was found as the limitation of this study. PMID:24678441

The PRECIS-2 tool has good interrater reliability and modest discriminant validity.

PubMed

Loudon, Kirsty; Zwarenstein, Merrick; Sullivan, Frank M; Donnan, Peter T; Gágyor, Ildikó; Hobbelen, Hans J S M; Althabe, Fernando; Krishnan, Jerry A; Treweek, Shaun

2017-08-01

PRagmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS)-2 is a tool that could improve design insight for trialists. Our aim was to validate the PRECIS-2 tool, unlike its predecessor, testing the discriminant validity and interrater reliability. Over 80 international trialists, methodologists, clinicians, and policymakers created PRECIS-2 helping to ensure face validity and content validity. The interrater reliability of PRECIS-2 was measured using 19 experienced trialists who used PRECIS-2 to score a diverse sample of 15 randomized controlled trial protocols. Discriminant validity was tested with two raters to independently determine if the trial protocols were more pragmatic or more explanatory, with scores from the 19 raters for the 15 trials as predictors of pragmatism. Interrater reliability was generally good, with seven of nine domains having an intraclass correlation coefficient over 0.65. Flexibility (adherence) and recruitment had wide confidence intervals, but raters found these difficult to rate and wanted more information. Each of the nine PRECIS-2 domains could be used to differentiate between trials taking more pragmatic or more explanatory approaches with better than chance discrimination for all domains. We have assessed the validity and reliability of PRECIS-2. An elaboration study and web site provide guidance to help future users of the tool which is continuing to be tested by trial teams, systematic reviewers, and funders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An emerging network storage management standard: Media error monitoring and reporting information (MEMRI) - to determine optical tape data integrity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando; Vollrath, William; Williams, Joel; Kobler, Ben; Crouse, Don

1998-01-01

Sophisticated network storage management applications are rapidly evolving to satisfy a market demand for highly reliable data storage systems with large data storage capacities and performance requirements. To preserve a high degree of data integrity, these applications must rely on intelligent data storage devices that can provide reliable indicators of data degradation. Error correction activity generally occurs within storage devices without notification to the host. Early indicators of degradation and media error monitoring 333 and reporting (MEMR) techniques implemented in data storage devices allow network storage management applications to notify system administrators of these events and to take appropriate corrective actions before catastrophic errors occur. Although MEMR techniques have been implemented in data storage devices for many years, until 1996 no MEMR standards existed. In 1996 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the only known (world-wide) industry standard specifying MEMR techniques to verify stored data on optical disks. This industry standard was developed under the auspices of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM). A recently formed AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee initiated the development of another data integrity standard specifying a set of media error monitoring tools and media error monitoring information (MEMRI) to verify stored data on optical tape media. This paper discusses the need for intelligent storage devices that can provide data integrity metadata, the content of the existing data integrity standard for optical disks, and the content of the MEMRI standard being developed by the AIIM Optical Tape Subcommittee.

Optimizing multiple reliable forward contracts for reservoir allocation using multitime scale streamflow forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Mengqian; Lall, Upmanu; Robertson, Andrew W.; Cook, Edward

2017-03-01

Streamflow forecasts at multiple time scales provide a new opportunity for reservoir management to address competing objectives. Market instruments such as forward contracts with specified reliability are considered as a tool that may help address the perceived risk associated with the use of such forecasts in lieu of traditional operation and allocation strategies. A water allocation process that enables multiple contracts for water supply and hydropower production with different durations, while maintaining a prescribed level of flood risk reduction, is presented. The allocation process is supported by an optimization model that considers multitime scale ensemble forecasts of monthly streamflow and flood volume over the upcoming season and year, the desired reliability and pricing of proposed contracts for hydropower and water supply. It solves for the size of contracts at each reliability level that can be allocated for each future period, while meeting target end of period reservoir storage with a prescribed reliability. The contracts may be insurable, given that their reliability is verified through retrospective modeling. The process can allow reservoir operators to overcome their concerns as to the appropriate skill of probabilistic forecasts, while providing water users with short-term and long-term guarantees as to how much water or energy they may be allocated. An application of the optimization model to the Bhakra Dam, India, provides an illustration of the process. The issues of forecast skill and contract performance are examined. A field engagement of the idea is useful to develop a real-world perspective and needs a suitable institutional environment.

Urdu translation of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression: Results of a validation study

PubMed Central

Hashmi, Ali M.; Naz, Shahana; Asif, Aftab; Khawaja, Imran S.

2016-01-01

Objective: To develop a standardized validated version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) in Urdu. Methods: After translation of the HAM-D into the Urdu language following standard guidelines, the final Urdu version (HAM-D-U) was administered to 160 depressed outpatients. Inter-item correlation was assessed by calculating Cronbach alpha. Correlation between HAM-D-U scores at baseline and after a 2-week interval was evaluated for test-retest reliability. Moreover, scores of two clinicians on HAM-D-U were compared for inter-rater reliability. For establishing concurrent validity, scores of HAM-D-U and BDI-U were compared by using Spearman correlation coefficient. The study was conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from May to December 2014. Results: The Cronbach alpha for HAM-D-U was 0.71. Composite scores for HAM-D-U at baseline and after a 2-week interval were also highly correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.83, p-value < 0.01) indicating good test-retest reliability. Composite scores for HAM-D-U and BDI-U were positively correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.85, p < 0.01) indicating good concurrent validity. Scores of two clinicians for HAM-D-U were also positively correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.82, p-value < 0.01) indicated good inter-rater reliability. Conclusion: The HAM-D-U is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of Depression. It shows good inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The HAM-D-U can be a tool either for clinical management or research. PMID:28083049

Urdu translation of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression: Results of a validation study.

PubMed

Hashmi, Ali M; Naz, Shahana; Asif, Aftab; Khawaja, Imran S

2016-01-01

To develop a standardized validated version of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) in Urdu. After translation of the HAM-D into the Urdu language following standard guidelines, the final Urdu version (HAM-D-U) was administered to 160 depressed outpatients. Inter-item correlation was assessed by calculating Cronbach alpha. Correlation between HAM-D-U scores at baseline and after a 2-week interval was evaluated for test-retest reliability. Moreover, scores of two clinicians on HAM-D-U were compared for inter-rater reliability. For establishing concurrent validity, scores of HAM-D-U and BDI-U were compared by using Spearman correlation coefficient. The study was conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from May to December 2014. The Cronbach alpha for HAM-D-U was 0.71. Composite scores for HAM-D-U at baseline and after a 2-week interval were also highly correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.83, p-value < 0.01) indicating good test-retest reliability. Composite scores for HAM-D-U and BDI-U were positively correlated with each other (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.85, p < 0.01) indicating good concurrent validity. Scores of two clinicians for HAM-D-U were also positively correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.82, p-value < 0.01) indicated good inter-rater reliability. The HAM-D-U is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of Depression. It shows good inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The HAM-D-U can be a tool either for clinical management or research.

Research on key technology of prognostic and health management for autonomous underwater vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhi

2017-12-01

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are non-cable and autonomous motional underwater robotics. With a wide range of activities, it can reach thousands of kilometers. Because it has the advantages of wide range, good maneuverability, safety and intellectualization, it becomes an important tool for various underwater tasks. How to improve diagnosis accuracy of the AUVs electrical system faults, and how to repair AUVs by the information are the focus of navy in the world. In turn, ensuring safe and reliable operation of the system has very important significance to improve AUVs sailing performance. To solve these problems, in the paper the prognostic and health management(PHM) technology is researched and used to AUV, and the overall framework and key technology are proposed, such as data acquisition, feature extraction, fault diagnosis, failure prediction and so on.

Digital rights management for digital cinema

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirovski, Darko; Peinado, Marcus; Petitcolas, Fabien A. P.

2001-12-01

There is a wide consensus among the feature film production studios that the Internet era brings a new paradigm for film distribution to cinemas worldwide. The benefits of digital cinema to both producers and cinemas are numerous: significantly lower distribution and maintenance costs, immediate access to film libraries, higher presentation quality, and strong potential for developing new business models. Despite these advantages, the studios are still reluctant to jump into the digital age. The main showstopper for digital cinema is the danger of widespread piracy. Piracy already costs Hollywood an estimated two billion dollars annually and digital cinema without proper copyright enforcement could increase this number. In this paper, we present a copyright management system that aims at providing the set of necessary security tools: standard cryptographic primitives and copyright protection mechanisms that enable a reliable and secure feature film delivery system.

The Evaluation of a Screening Tool for Children with an Intellectual Disability: The Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Karen; Paxton, Donna; Murray, George; Milanesi, Paula; Murray, Aja Louise

2012-01-01

The study outlines the evaluation of an intellectual disability screening tool, the "Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire" ("CAIDS-Q"), with two age groups. A number of aspects of the reliability and validity of the "CAIDS-Q" were assessed for these two groups, including inter-rater reliability, convergent and…

Advanced techniques in reliability model representation and solution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palumbo, Daniel L.; Nicol, David M.

1992-01-01

The current tendency of flight control system designs is towards increased integration of applications and increased distribution of computational elements. The reliability analysis of such systems is difficult because subsystem interactions are increasingly interdependent. Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center have been working for several years to extend the capability of Markov modeling techniques to address these problems. This effort has been focused in the areas of increased model abstraction and increased computational capability. The reliability model generator (RMG) is a software tool that uses as input a graphical object-oriented block diagram of the system. RMG uses a failure-effects algorithm to produce the reliability model from the graphical description. The ASSURE software tool is a parallel processing program that uses the semi-Markov unreliability range evaluator (SURE) solution technique and the abstract semi-Markov specification interface to the SURE tool (ASSIST) modeling language. A failure modes-effects simulation is used by ASSURE. These tools were used to analyze a significant portion of a complex flight control system. The successful combination of the power of graphical representation, automated model generation, and parallel computation leads to the conclusion that distributed fault-tolerant system architectures can now be analyzed.

A case study for cloud based high throughput analysis of NGS data using the globus genomics system

DOE PAGES

Bhuvaneshwar, Krithika; Sulakhe, Dinanath; Gauba, Robinder; ...

2015-01-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies produce massive amounts of data requiring a powerful computational infrastructure, high quality bioinformatics software, and skilled personnel to operate the tools. We present a case study of a practical solution to this data management and analysis challenge that simplifies terabyte scale data handling and provides advanced tools for NGS data analysis. These capabilities are implemented using the “Globus Genomics” system, which is an enhanced Galaxy workflow system made available as a service that offers users the capability to process and transfer data easily, reliably and quickly to address end-to-end NGS analysis requirements. The Globus Genomicsmore » system is built on Amazon's cloud computing infrastructure. The system takes advantage of elastic scaling of compute resources to run multiple workflows in parallel and it also helps meet the scale-out analysis needs of modern translational genomics research.« less

Extending LMS to Support IRT-Based Assessment Test Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fotaris, Panagiotis; Mastoras, Theodoros; Mavridis, Ioannis; Manitsaris, Athanasios

Developing unambiguous and challenging assessment material for measuring educational attainment is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. As a result Computer Aided Assessment (CAA) tools are becoming widely adopted in academic environments in an effort to improve the assessment quality and deliver reliable results of examinee performance. This paper introduces a methodological and architectural framework which embeds a CAA tool in a Learning Management System (LMS) so as to assist test developers in refining items to constitute assessment tests. An Item Response Theory (IRT) based analysis is applied to a dynamic assessment profile provided by the LMS. Test developers define a set of validity rules for the statistical indices given by the IRT analysis. By applying those rules, the LMS can detect items with various discrepancies which are then flagged for review of their content. Repeatedly executing the aforementioned procedure can improve the overall efficiency of the testing process.

Software Certification and Software Certificate Management Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denney, Ewen; Fischer, Bernd

2005-01-01

Incremental certification and re-certification of code as it is developed and modified is a prerequisite for applying modem, evolutionary development processes, which are especially relevant for NASA. For example, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report 121 concluded there is "the need for improved and uniform statistical sampling, audit, and certification processes". Also, re-certification time has been a limiting factor in making changes to Space Shuttle code close to launch time. This is likely to be an even bigger problem with the rapid turnaround required in developing NASA s replacement for the Space Shuttle, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Hence, intelligent development processes are needed which place certification at the center of development. If certification tools provide useful information, such as estimated time and effort, they are more likely to be adopted. The ultimate impact of such a tool will be reduced effort and increased reliability.

A case study for cloud based high throughput analysis of NGS data using the globus genomics system

PubMed Central

Bhuvaneshwar, Krithika; Sulakhe, Dinanath; Gauba, Robinder; Rodriguez, Alex; Madduri, Ravi; Dave, Utpal; Lacinski, Lukasz; Foster, Ian; Gusev, Yuriy; Madhavan, Subha

2014-01-01

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies produce massive amounts of data requiring a powerful computational infrastructure, high quality bioinformatics software, and skilled personnel to operate the tools. We present a case study of a practical solution to this data management and analysis challenge that simplifies terabyte scale data handling and provides advanced tools for NGS data analysis. These capabilities are implemented using the “Globus Genomics” system, which is an enhanced Galaxy workflow system made available as a service that offers users the capability to process and transfer data easily, reliably and quickly to address end-to-endNGS analysis requirements. The Globus Genomics system is built on Amazon 's cloud computing infrastructure. The system takes advantage of elastic scaling of compute resources to run multiple workflows in parallel and it also helps meet the scale-out analysis needs of modern translational genomics research. PMID:26925205

A Mechanism for Reliable Mobility Management for Internet of Things Using CoAP

PubMed Central

Chun, Seung-Man; Park, Jong-Tae

2017-01-01

Under unreliable constrained wireless networks for Internet of Things (IoT) environments, the loss of the signaling message may frequently occur. Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) and its variants do not consider this situation. Consequently, as a constrained device moves around different wireless networks, its Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity may be frequently disrupted and power can be drained rapidly. This can result in the loss of important sensing data or a large delay for time-critical IoT services such as healthcare monitoring and disaster management. This paper presents a reliable mobility management mechanism in Internet of Things environments with lossy low-power constrained device and network characteristics. The idea is to use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) retransmission mechanism to achieve both reliability and simplicity for reliable IoT mobility management. Detailed architecture, algorithms, and message extensions for reliable mobility management are presented. Finally, performance is evaluated using both mathematical analysis and simulation. PMID:28085109

A Mechanism for Reliable Mobility Management for Internet of Things Using CoAP.

PubMed

Chun, Seung-Man; Park, Jong-Tae

2017-01-12

Under unreliable constrained wireless networks for Internet of Things (IoT) environments, the loss of the signaling message may frequently occur. Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) and its variants do not consider this situation. Consequently, as a constrained device moves around different wireless networks, its Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity may be frequently disrupted and power can be drained rapidly. This can result in the loss of important sensing data or a large delay for time-critical IoT services such as healthcare monitoring and disaster management. This paper presents a reliable mobility management mechanism in Internet of Things environments with lossy low-power constrained device and network characteristics. The idea is to use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) retransmission mechanism to achieve both reliability and simplicity for reliable IoT mobility management. Detailed architecture, algorithms, and message extensions for reliable mobility management are presented. Finally, performance is evaluated using both mathematical analysis and simulation.

Development and Testing of the Church Environment Audit Tool.

PubMed

Kaczynski, Andrew T; Jake-Schoffman, Danielle E; Peters, Nathan A; Dunn, Caroline G; Wilcox, Sara; Forthofer, Melinda

2018-05-01

In this paper, we describe development and reliability testing of a novel tool to evaluate the physical environment of faith-based settings pertaining to opportunities for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE). Tool development was a multistage process including a review of similar tools, stakeholder review, expert feedback, and pilot testing. Final tool sections included indoor opportunities for PA, outdoor opportunities for PA, food preparation equipment, kitchen type, food for purchase, beverages for purchase, and media. Two independent audits were completed at 54 churches. Interrater reliability (IRR) was determined with Kappa and percent agreement. Of 218 items, 102 were assessed for IRR and 116 could not be assessed because they were not present at enough churches. Percent agreement for all 102 items was over 80%. For 42 items, the sample was too homogeneous to assess Kappa. Forty-six of the remaining items had Kappas greater than 0.60 (25 items 0.80-1.00; 21 items 0.60-0.79), indicating substantial to almost perfect agreement. The tool proved reliable and efficient for assessing church environments and identifying potential intervention points. Future work can focus on applications within faith-based partnerships to understand how church environments influence diverse health outcomes.

Validation of the World Health Organization tool for situational analysis to assess emergency and essential surgical care at district hospitals in Ghana.

PubMed

Osen, Hayley; Chang, David; Choo, Shelly; Perry, Henry; Hesse, Afua; Abantanga, Francis; McCord, Colin; Chrouser, Kristin; Abdullah, Fizan

2011-03-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) Tool for Situational Analysis to Assess Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (hereafter called the WHO Tool) has been used in more than 25 countries and is the largest effort to assess surgical care in the world. However, it has not yet been independently validated. Test-retest reliability is one way to validate the degree to which tests instruments are free from random error. The aim of the present field study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the WHO Tool. The WHO Tool was mailed to 10 district hospitals in Ghana. Written instructions were provided along with a letter from the Ghana Health Services requesting the hospital administrator to complete the survey tool. After ensuring delivery and completion of the forms, the study team readministered the WHO Tool at the time of an on-site visit less than 1 month later. The results of the two tests were compared to calculate kappa statistics for each of the 152 questions in the WHO Tool. The kappa statistic is a statistical measure of the degree of agreement above what would be expected based on chance alone. Ten hospitals were surveyed twice over a short interval (i.e., less than 1 month). Weighted and unweighted kappa statistics were calculated for 152 questions. The median unweighted kappa for the entire survey was 0.43 (interquartile range 0-0.84). The infrastructure section (24 questions) had a median kappa of 0.81; the human resources section (13 questions) had a median kappa of 0.77; the surgical procedures section (67 questions) had a median kappa of 0.00; and the emergency surgical equipment section (48 questions) had a median kappa of 0.81. Hospital capacity survey questions related to infrastructure characteristics had high reliability. However, questions related to process of care had poor reliability and may benefit from supplemental data gathered by direct observation. Limitations to the study include the small sample size: 10 district hospitals in a single country. Consistent and high correlations calculated from the field testing within the present analysis suggest that the WHO Tool for Situational Analysis is a reliable tool where it measures structure and setting, but it should be revised for measuring process of care.

Validity and reliability of wii fit balance board for the assessment of balance of healthy young adults and the elderly.

PubMed

Chang, Wen-Dien; Chang, Wan-Yi; Lee, Chia-Lun; Feng, Chi-Yen

2013-10-01

[Purpose] Balance is an integral part of human ability. The smart balance master system (SBM) is a balance test instrument with good reliability and validity, but it is expensive. Therefore, we modified a Wii Fit balance board, which is a convenient balance assessment tool, and analyzed its reliability and validity. [Subjects and Methods] We recruited 20 healthy young adults and 20 elderly people, and administered 3 balance tests. The correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation of both instruments were analyzed. [Results] There were no statistically significant differences in the 3 tests between the Wii Fit balance board and the SBM. The Wii Fit balance board had a good intraclass correlation (0.86-0.99) for the elderly people and positive correlations (r = 0.58-0.86) with the SBM. [Conclusions] The Wii Fit balance board is a balance assessment tool with good reliability and high validity for elderly people, and we recommend it as an alternative tool for assessing balance ability.

Development and testing of mobile technology for community park improvements: validity and reliability of the eCPAT application with youth.

PubMed

Besenyi, Gina M; Diehl, Paul; Schooley, Benjamin; Turner-McGrievy, Brie M; Wilcox, Sara; Stanis, Sonja A Wilhelm; Kaczynski, Andrew T

2016-12-01

Creation of mobile technology environmental audit tools can provide a more interactive way for youth to engage with communities and facilitate participation in health promotion efforts. This study describes the development and validity and reliability testing of an electronic version of the Community Park Audit Tool (eCPAT). eCPAT consists of 149 items and incorporates a variety of technology benefits. Criterion-related validity and inter-rater reliability were evaluated using data from 52 youth across 47 parks in Greenville County, SC. A large portion of items (>70 %) demonstrated either fair or moderate to perfect validity and reliability. All but six items demonstrated excellent percent agreement. The eCPAT app is a user-friendly tool that provides a comprehensive assessment of park environments. Given the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices among both adolescents and adults, the eCPAT app has potential to be distributed and used widely for a variety of health promotion purposes.

Contamination-Free Manufacturing: Tool Component Qualification, Verification and Correlation with Wafers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Samantha H.; Chen, Ning; Liu, Shi; Wang, Kefei

2003-09-01

As part of the semiconductor industry "contamination-free manufacturing" effort, significant emphasis has been placed on reducing potential sources of contamination from process equipment and process equipment components. Process tools contain process chambers and components that are exposed to the process environment or process chemistry and in some cases are in direct contact with production wafers. Any contamination from these sources must be controlled or eliminated in order to maintain high process yields, device performance, and device reliability. This paper discusses new nondestructive analytical methods for quantitative measurement of the cleanliness of metal, quartz, polysilicon and ceramic components that are used in process equipment tools. The goal of these new procedures is to measure the effectiveness of cleaning procedures and to verify whether a tool component part is sufficiently clean for installation and subsequent routine use in the manufacturing line. These procedures provide a reliable "qualification method" for tool component certification and also provide a routine quality control method for reliable operation of cleaning facilities. Cost advantages to wafer manufacturing include higher yields due to improved process cleanliness and elimination of yield loss and downtime resulting from the installation of "bad" components in process tools. We also discuss a representative example of wafer contamination having been linked to a specific process tool component.

Acuity systems dialogue and patient classification system essentials.

PubMed

Harper, Kelle; McCully, Crystal

2007-01-01

Obtaining resources for quality patient care is a major responsibility of nurse leaders and requires accurate information in the political world of budgeting. Patient classification systems (PCS) assist nurse managers in controlling cost and improving patient care while appropriately using financial resources. This paper communicates acuity systems development, background, flaws, and components while discussing a few tools currently available. It also disseminates the development of a new acuity tool, the Patient Classification System. The PCS tool, developed in a small rural hospital, uses 5 broad concepts: (1) medications, (2) complicated procedures, (3) education, (4) psychosocial issues, and (5) complicated intravenous medications. These concepts embrace a 4-tiered scale that differentiates significant patient characteristics and assists in staffing measures for equality in patient staffing and improving quality of care and performance. Data obtained through use of the PCS can be used by nurse leaders to effectively and objectively lobby for appropriate patient care resources. Two questionnaires distributed to registered nurses on a medical-surgical unit evaluated the nurses' opinion of the 5 concepts and the importance for establishing patient acuity for in-patient care. Interrater reliability among nurses was 87% with the author's acuity tool.

Measures of emergency preparedness contributing to nursing home resilience.

PubMed

Lane, Sandi J; McGrady, Elizabeth

2017-12-13

Resilience approaches have been successfully applied in crisis management, disaster response, and high reliability organizations and have the potential to enhance existing systems of nursing home disaster preparedness. This study's purpose was to determine how the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) "Emergency Preparedness Checklist Recommended Tool for Effective Health Care Facility Planning" contributes to organizational resilience by identifying the benchmark resilience items addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist and items not addressed by the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist, and to recommend tools and processes to improve resilience for nursing homes. The CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist items were compared to the Resilience Benchmark Tool items; similar items were considered matches. Resilience Benchmark Tool items with no CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist item matches were considered breaches in nursing home resilience. The findings suggest that the CMS Emergency Preparedness Checklist can be used to measure some aspects of resilience, however, there were many resilience factors not addressed. For nursing homes to prepare and respond to crisis situations, organizations need to embrace a culture that promotes individual resilience-related competencies that when aggregated enable the organization to improve its resiliency. Social workers have the skills and experience to facilitate this change.