New Management Practices and Enterprise Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andrew; Oczkowski, Eddie; Noble, Charles; Macklin, Robert

The changing nature of the demand for training in Australian enterprises adopting new management practices and the implications of those changes for training providers were examined. More than 3,400 private sector enterprises were surveyed by mail, after which follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 80 human resource practitioners from…

Multidimensionality of Cultural Practices: Implications for Culturally Relevant Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ares, Nancy

2011-01-01

Alfred Schademan's close and systematic analysis of the sociohistorical and science-related practices developed by African American men goes a long way in disrupting deficit-based notions of such students' capabilities. The rich resources he identifies open many possibilities for connecting peer and classroom knowledges. This response offers some…

High School Physics Students' Personal Epistemologies and School Science Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpaslan, Muhammet Mustafa; Yalvac, Bugrahan; Loving, Cathleen

2017-11-01

This case study explores students' physics-related personal epistemologies in school science practices. The school science practices of nine eleventh grade students in a physics class were audio-taped over 6 weeks. The students were also interviewed to find out their ideas on the nature of scientific knowledge after each activity. Analysis of transcripts yielded several epistemological resources that students activated in their school science practice. The findings show that there is inconsistency between students' definitions of scientific theories and their epistemological judgments. Analysis revealed that students used several epistemological resources to decide on the accuracy of their data including accuracy via following the right procedure and accuracy via what the others find. Traditional, formulation-based, physics instruction might have led students to activate naive epistemological resources that prevent them to participate in the practice of science in ways that are more meaningful. Implications for future studies are presented.

Driving Performance Improvements by Integrating Competencies with Human Resource Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jin Gu; Park, Yongho; Yang, Gi Hun

2010-01-01

This study explores the issues in the development and application of a competency model and provides implications for more precise integration of competencies into human resource (HR) functions driving performance improvement. This research is based on a case study from a Korean consumer corporation. This study employed document reviews,…

Hospital administrative characteristics and volunteer resource management practices.

PubMed

Intindola, Melissa; Rogers, Sean; Flinchbaugh, Carol; Della Pietra, Doug

2016-05-16

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between various characteristics of hospital administration and the utilization of classes of volunteer resource management (VRM) practices. Design/methodology/approach - This paper uses original data collected via surveys of volunteer directors in 122 hospitals in five Northeastern and Southern US states. Findings - Structural equation modeling results suggest that number of paid volunteer management staff, scope of responsibility of the primary volunteer administrator, and hospital size are positively associated with increased usage of certain VRM practices. Research limitations/implications - First, the authors begin the exploration of VRM antecedents, and encourage others to continue this line of inquiry; and second, the authors assess dimensionality of practices, allowing future researchers to consider whether specific dimensions have a differential impact on key individual and organizational outcomes. Practical implications - Based on the findings of a relationship between administrative characteristics and the on-the-ground execution of VRM practice, a baseline audit comparing current practices to those VRM practices presented here might be useful in determining what next steps may be taken to focus investments in VRM that can ultimately drive practice utilization. Originality/value - The exploration of the dimensionality of volunteer management adds a novel perspective to both the academic study, and practice, of volunteer management. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical categorization of VRM practices.

The Common Factors Model: Implications for Transtheoretical Clinical Social Work Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Mark; Keenan, Elizabeth King

2010-01-01

Direct practice social workers today are challenged to address the requirements of the complex array of professional, organizational, institutional, and regulatory demands placed on them in the broader socioeconomic context of fewer resources and diminished public support for social welfare services in the United States. The common factors model…

Exertional Heat Illness among Secondary School Athletes: Statewide Policy Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Jill; Slota, Peggy; Zamboni, Beth

2018-01-01

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is a leading cause of preventable death among student athletes. While causes and preventative measures for EHI are known, school districts may not be implementing evidence-based practices. This descriptive, exploratory study explored school policies, resources, and practices of coaches in a mid-Atlantic state in the…

Flexible resource management and its effect on project cost and duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinha, Denis C.; Ahluwalia, Rashpal S.

2018-06-01

In practice, most projects result in cost overruns and schedule slippage due to poor resource management. This paper presents an approach that aims at reducing project duration and costs by empowering project managers to assess different scenarios. The proposed approach addresses combinatorial modes for tasks, multi-skilled resources, and multiple calendars for resources. A case study reported in the literature is presented to demonstrate the capabilities of this method. As for practical implications, this approach enhances the decision-making process which results in improved solutions in terms of total project duration and cost. From an academic viewpoint, this paper adds empirical evidence to enrich the existing literature, as it highlights relevant issues to model properly the complexity of real-life projects.

Life story resources in dementia care: a review

PubMed Central

Kindell, Jacqueline; Burrow, Simon; Wilkinson, Ray; Keady, John David

2014-01-01

Purpose Life story work has a relatively long tradition in the caring sciences and is recognised as an important component of dementia care and practice. However, to date, there has not been a review of accessible life story resources. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Following a systematic approach to identification and inclusion, 11 life story resources were reviewed to ascertain areas of commonality and divergence between the materials. Findings The authors were able to group the analysis under eight areas and at the end of this process, it was uncertain if life story work is a formal staff intervention or an informal activity that people with dementia and their families could engage in. Resources also varied in terms of whether the life story information was organised in a chronological way, or with topics of interest/discussion or with a combination of both. Life story evaluation and its impact on the life of the person with dementia is in need of development. Practical implications Across the resources the authors identified four reasons to do life story work which the authors have named as: emotional connections; interactional connections; building new connections and practical care connections. Social implications There was limited guidance aimed at helping people with dementia to develop and compile their own life story. Originality/value This paper provides new insights into the usefulness, future directions and content of life story resources in dementia care. It will be of interest to those in health and social care as well as people living with dementia. PMID:25419453

Nurses' perceptions of research utilization in a corporate health care system.

PubMed

McCloskey, Donna Jo

2008-01-01

To explore selected characteristics of nurses based upon educational level (masters, baccalaureate, associate degree/diploma), years of experience, and hospital position (management, advanced practice, staff nurse) that might affect perceived availability of research resources, attitude towards research, support, and research use in practice. A descriptive nonexperimental mailed survey design was used for this study. Nurses in five hospitals within a corporate hospital system were surveyed using the Research Utilization Questionnaire (RUQ). The RUQ was used to measure nurses' perceptions of research utilization in the four dimensions of perceived use of research, attitude toward research, availability of research resources, and perceived support for research activities. ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Statistically significant differences (p<.001) were found in the perceived use of research, attitude toward research, availability of research resources, and perceived support for research activities based on educational level and organizational position. No significant differences were found in the perception of nurses based on years of experience. The results of this study have implications for staff nurses, administrators, advanced practice nurses, and educators working in hospital systems. The different perceptions based upon educational level and hospital position can be integrated and used at all levels of nursing practice to promote research utilization and evidence-based practice initiatives within the organizational structure. The results of this study have nursing implications within administration and for nursing practice. The different perceptions that were found based upon educational level and hospital position can be positively integrated and used by administrators and by nurses all levels of nursing practice to promote research utilization and evidence based practice initiatives within the organizational structure.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maypole, Donald E.; Skaine, Rosemarie

1983-01-01

Reviews the literature on sexual harassment to determine the issues the problem raises, its social contexts, and the resources available to working women. Examined the implications of sexual harassment for social work practice, policy, and research. (JAC)

Perceived Family Functioning and Family Resources of Hong Kong Families: Implications for Social Work Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Joyce L. C.; Wong, Timothy K. Y.; Lau, Luk King; Pun, Shuk Han

2009-01-01

This article reports the results of a telephone survey (n = 1,015 respondents) that aims to identify the perceived general family functioning and family resources of Hong Kong Chinese families and their linkage to each other in a rapidly transforming society. The perceived general family functioning of the respondents was average, and the five…

Effects of Student Characteristics, Principal Qualifications, and Organizational Constraints for Assessing Student Achievement: A School Public Relations and Human Resources Concern

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, I. Phillip; Vang, Maiyoua; Young, Karen Holsey

2008-01-01

Standards-based student achievement scores are used to assess the effectiveness of public education and to have important implications regarding school public relations and human resource practices. Often overlooked is that these scores may be moderated by the characteristics of students, the qualifications of principals, and the restraints…

Exploring the Politics of Differential Resource Allocation: Implications for Policy Design and Leadership Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Thomas J.; Plecki, Margaret L.

2015-01-01

This qualitative case study explores the political and leadership challenges imbedded within the implementation of a district-wide resource reallocation policy. Based on a two-year study of a medium-sized district's efforts to address changing demographics of families in the district and a widening achievement gap, we draw upon concepts from…

Computer Technology in California K-12 Schools: Uses, Best Practices, and Policy Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umbach, Kenneth W.

Computers and Internet access are becoming increasingly frequent tools and resources in California's K-12 schools. Discussions with teachers and other education personnel and a review of published documents and other sources show the range of uses found in California classrooms, suggest what are the best practices with respect to computer…

Understanding human resource management practices in Botswana's public health sector.

PubMed

Seitio-Kgokgwe, Onalenna Stannie; Gauld, Robin; Hill, Philip C; Barnett, Pauline

2016-11-21

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the management of the public sector health workforce in Botswana. Using institutional frameworks it aims to document and analyse human resource management (HRM) practices, and make recommendations to improve employee and health system outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from a large study that used a mixed methods approach to assess performance of Botswana's Ministry of Health (MOH). It uses data collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews of 54 key informants comprising policy makers, senior staff of the MOH and its stakeholder organizations. Findings Public health sector HRM in Botswana has experienced inadequate planning, poor deployment and underutilization of staff. Lack of comprehensive retention strategies and poor working conditions contributed to the failure to attract and retain skilled personnel. Relationships with both formal and informal environments affected HRM performance. Research limitations/implications While document review was a major source of data for this paper, the weaknesses in the human resource information system limited availability of data. Practical implications This paper presents an argument for the need for consideration of formal and informal environments in developing effective HRM strategies. Originality/value This research provides a rare system-wide approach to health HRM in a Sub-Saharan African country. It contributes to the literature and evidence needed to guide HRM policy decisions and practices.

Healthcare rationing: issues and implications.

PubMed

Cypher, D P

1997-01-01

What methods, if any, should be used to practice healthcare rationing? This article looks at healthcare rationing in the United States, identifies ethical issues associated with implementing healthcare rationing, and addresses legal implications. The author utilizes sources from published literature and her own experience. Society must recognize that it does not have the resources available to fulfill all healthcare needs of all its members. Resolution will bring conflict and compromise.

Nursing intellectual capital theory: implications for research and practice.

PubMed

Covell, Christine L; Sidani, Souraya

2013-05-31

Due to rising costs of healthcare, determining how registered nurses and knowledge resources influence the quality of patient care is critical. Studies that have investigated the relationship between nursing knowledge and outcomes have been plagued with conceptual and methodological issues. This has resulted in limited empirical evidence of the impact of nursing knowledge on patient or organizational outcomes. The nursing intellectual capital theory was developed to assist with this area of inquiry. Nursing intellectual capital theory conceptualizes the sources of nursing knowledge available within an organization and delineates its relationship to patient and organizational outcomes. In this article, we review the nursing intellectual capital theory and discuss its implications for research and practice. We explain why the theory shows promise for guiding research on quality work environments and how it may assist with administrative decision-making related to nursing human resource management and continuing professional development.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implication of Cancer Research | Resources | CDP

Cancer.gov

The Cancer Diagnosis Program strives to improve the diagnosis and assessment of cancer by effectively moving new scientific knowledge into clinical practice. This national program stimulates, coordinates and funds resources and research for the development of innovative in vitro diagnostics, novel diagnostic technologies and appropriate human specimens in order to better characterize cancers and allow improved medical decision making and evaluation of response to treatment.

National Implications for Urban School Systems: Strategic Planning in the Human Resource Management Department in a Large Urban School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Clarence; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This article addresses several key ongoing issues in a large urban school district. Literature focuses on what make a large urban school district effective in Human Resource Management. The effectiveness is addressed through recruitment and retention practices. A comparison of the school district with current research is the main approach to the…

Inter-Generational Differences in Individualism/Collectivism Orientations: Implications for Outlook towards HRD/HRM Practices in India and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghosh, Rajashi; Chaudhuri, Sanghamitra

2009-01-01

This article proposes a conceptual model to explore the effects of intergenerational transition in individualism/collectivism orientations on the outlook towards different human resource development (HRD) and management practices. It contributes to the existing cross-cultural research in HRD by defining three prominent generations in India and by…

Integrating virtual reality video games into practice: clinicians' experiences.

PubMed

Levac, Danielle E; Miller, Patricia A

2013-10-01

The Nintendo Wii is a popular virtual reality (VR) video gaming system in rehabilitation practice and research. As evidence emerges related to its effectiveness as a physical therapy training method, clinicians require information about the pragmatics of its use in practice. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to explore observations and insights from a sample of physical therapists (PTs) working with children with acquired brain injury regarding practical implications of using the Wii as a physical therapy intervention. Six PTs employed at a children's rehabilitation center participated in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Two themes summarize the practical implications of Wii use: 1) technology meets clinical practice; and 2) onus is on the therapist. Therapists described both beneficial and challenging implications arising from the intersection of technology and practice, and reported the personal commitment required to orient oneself to the gaming system and capably implement this intervention. Findings include issues that may be relevant to professional development in a broader rehabilitation context, including suggestions for the content of educational initiatives and the need for institutional support from managers in the form of physical resources for VR implementation.

Implications of Lean Manufacturing for Human Resource Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrester, Rosalind

1995-01-01

Lean production changes organizational style and structure, roles of team leaders and members, training needs, problem-solving approaches, labor relations, and pay practices. The profound cultural changes it causes may trigger defenses that cause it to fail. (SK)

Free tax assistance and the earned income tax credit: vital resources for social workers and low-income families.

PubMed

Lim, Younghee; DeJohn, Tara V; Murray, Drew

2012-04-01

As the United States' economy continues to experience challenges, more families at or near the poverty level fall prey to predatory financial practices. Their vulnerability to these operations is increased by a lack of knowledge of asset-building resources and alternative financial services. This article focuses on Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)--a free income tax preparation program, which is a vital resource available to low-income families. Unfortunately, VITA is largely underused and often unknown to economically strained families and to the social workers and other professionals to whom these families turn for assistance. This article concludes with policy and practice implications for social workers and other professionals engaged in providing services to financially vulnerable families.

Performance management in healthcare: a critical analysis.

PubMed

Hewko, Sarah J; Cummings, Greta G

2016-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying theoretical assumptions and implications of current micro-level performance management and evaluation (PME) practices, specifically within health-care organizations. PME encompasses all activities that are designed and conducted to align employee outputs with organizational goals. Design/methodology/approach - PME, in the context of healthcare, is analyzed through the lens of critical theory. Specifically, Habermas' theory of communicative action is used to highlight some of the questions that arise in looking critically at PME. To provide a richer definition of key theoretical concepts, the authors conducted a preliminary, exploratory hermeneutic semantic analysis of the key words "performance" and "management" and of the term "performance management". Findings - Analysis reveals that existing micro-level PME systems in health-care organizations have the potential to create a workforce that is compliant, dependent, technically oriented and passive, and to support health-care systems in which inequalities and power imbalances are perpetually reinforced. Practical implications - At a time when the health-care system is under increasing pressure to provide high-quality, affordable services with fewer resources, it may be wise to investigate new sector-specific ways of evaluating and managing performance. Originality/value - In this paper, written for health-care leaders and health human resource specialists, the theoretical assumptions and implications of current PME practices within health-care organizations are explored. It is hoped that readers will be inspired to support innovative PME practices within their organizations that encourage peak performance among health-care professionals.

Modelling the resource implications and budget impact of managing cow milk allergy in Australia.

PubMed

Guest, J F; Nagy, E

2009-02-01

To estimate the resource implications and budget impact of current clinical practice for managing cow milk allergy (CMA) in Australia, from the perspective of the publicly funded healthcare system. A decision model was constructed using published clinical outcomes and clinician-derived resource utilisation estimates. The model was used to estimate the expected 6-monthly levels of healthcare resource use and corresponding costs attributable to managing 6150 new CMA sufferers following referral to a specialist. The expected 6-monthly costs of managing 6150 newly-diagnosed infants with CMA following referral to a specialist was an estimated (Australian dollars, AU$) AU$6.5 million at 2006/07 prices. Clinical nutrition preparations were found to be the primary cost driver accounting for 62% of the total 6-monthly cost and clinician visits were the secondary cost driver accounting for up to a further 28% of the total 6-monthly cost. Sensitivity analysis showed there would be fewer visits to hospital-based paediatric gastroenterologists and paediatric immunologists/allergists if all newly-diagnosed patients were prescribed an amino acid formula (AAF) following referral to a specialist, instead of being managed according to current practice. CMA imposes a substantial burden on the publicly funded healthcare system in Australia. However, using an AAF as the initial treatment for CMA can potentially release limited hospital resources for alternative use within the paediatric healthcare system.

The effects of staffing and training on firm productivity and profit growth before, during, and after the Great Recession.

PubMed

Kim, Youngsang; Ployhart, Robert E

2014-05-01

This study integrates research from strategy, economics, and applied psychology to examine how organizations may leverage their human resources to enhance firm performance and competitive advantage. Staffing and training are key human resource management practices used to achieve firm performance through acquiring and developing human capital resources. However, little research has examined whether and why staffing and training influence firm-level financial performance (profit) growth under different environmental (economic) conditions. Using 359 firms with over 12 years of longitudinal firm-level profit data, we suggest that selective staffing and internal training directly and interactively influence firm profit growth through their effects on firm labor productivity, implying that staffing and training contribute to the generation of slack resources that help buffer and then recover from the effects of the Great Recession. Further, internal training that creates specific human capital resources is more beneficial for prerecession profitability, but staffing is more beneficial for postrecession recovery, apparently because staffing creates generic human capital resources that enable firm flexibility and adaptation. Thus, the theory and findings presented in this article have implications for the way staffing and training may be used strategically to weather economic uncertainty (recession effects). They also have important practical implications by demonstrating that firms that more effectively staff and train will outperform competitors throughout all pre- and postrecessionary periods, even after controlling for prior profitability. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Coordination of care by primary care practices: strategies, lessons and implications.

PubMed

O'Malley, Ann S; Tynan, Ann; Cohen, Genna R; Kemper, Nicole; Davis, Matthew M

2009-04-01

Despite calls from numerous organizations and payers to improve coordination of care, there are few published accounts of how care is coordinated in real-world primary care practices. This study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) documents strategies that a range of physician practices use to coordinate care for their patients. While there was no single recipe for coordination given the variety of patient, physician, practice and market factors, some cross-cutting lessons were identified, such as the value of a commitment to interpersonal continuity of care as a foundation for coordination. Respondents also identified the importance of system support for the standardization of office processes to foster care coordination. While larger practices may have more resources to invest, many of the innovations described could be scaled to smaller practices. Some coordination strategies resulted in improved efficiency over time for practices, but by and large, physician practices currently pursue these efforts at their own expense. In addition to sharing information on effective strategies among practices, the findings also provide policy makers with a snapshot of the current care coordination landscape and implications for initiatives to improve coordination. Efforts to provide technical support to practices to improve coordination, for example, through medical-home initiatives, need to consider the baseline more typical practices may be starting from and tailor their support to practices ranging widely in size, resources and presence of standardized care processes. If aligned with payment incentives, some of these strategies have the potential to increase quality and satisfaction among patients and providers by helping to move the health care delivery system toward better coordinated care.

Home-based telecommuting and quality of life: further evidence on an employee-oriented human resource practice.

PubMed

Hornung, Severin; Glaser, Jürgen

2009-04-01

Building on previous research, further evidence for the potential of home-based telecommuting as an employee-oriented human resource practice is provided from a study in the German public administration. Survey data from 1,008 public employees were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Mean age of the sample was 43.6 yr. (SD = 8.8 yr.), and 27.5% (277) of the participants were women. Analysis supported the roles of higher Autonomy and lower Work-Family Conflict as psychological mediators between Telecommunication Intensity and both Job Satisfaction and Quality of Life. Implications for the design of flexible working arrangements are discussed.

What does playing cards have to do with science? A resource-rich view of African American young men

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schademan, Alfred R.

2011-06-01

The study examines the resources related to science that African American young men learn and develop by playing a card game called Spades, a common cultural practice in African American communities that dates back to the Civil War Era. The qualitative study examines what the Spades players at a local high school consider when making decisions about what cards to play. A significant finding is that the players use, learn and develop resources such as the ability to make observations, draw inferences, and use empirical data to inform future actions and decisions. Such reasoning bears a resemblance to central practices of science and challenges long held deficit views of African American young men. Implications of the research findings are discussed.

Effects of the Good Behavior Game on classwide off-task behavior in a high school basic algebra resource classroom.

PubMed

Flower, Andrea; McKenna, John; Muething, Colin S; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Bryant, Brian R

2014-01-01

This study investigated the effects of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on classwide off-task behavior in two ninth-grade basic algebra resource classes. Ten students with a variety of disabilities, in two classrooms, and their special education resource teacher participated in this study. A reversal design was employed, in which the special education teacher implemented GBG compared to typical practice-algebra readiness instruction. Results showed that classwide off-task behavior decreased in the GBG conditions compared to the baseline and reversal conditions. Fidelity measures indicated that the teacher implemented GBG with fidelity. Students and the teacher rated GBG favorably. Overall findings support the use of GBG for reducing classwide off-task behavior. Implications for practice and future research directions are presented.

Communities of Practice: Towards Leveraging Knowledge in the Military

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

Sveiby (2001b) explains how the private sector went through a similar cycle in the 1980s that gave birth to the emergence of the modern “KM movement... 1980s (Svieby, 2001b) organizations were already quite proficient at “managing” knowledge. Consider the apprenticeship and mentorship programs...linking KM with HRM has 40 important implications for organizational performance. Hislop (2005) argues that Human Resource Management (HRM) practice

Healthcare resource allocation decisions affecting uninsured services

PubMed Central

Harrison, Krista Lyn; Taylor, Holly A.

2017-01-01

Purpose Using the example of community access programs (CAPs), the purpose of this paper is to describe resource allocation and policy decisions related to providing health services for the uninsured in the USA and the organizational values affecting these decisions. Design/methodology/approach The study used comparative case study methodology at two geographically diverse sites. Researchers collected data from program documents, meeting observations, and interviews with program stakeholders. Findings Five resource allocation or policy decisions relevant to providing healthcare services were described at each site across three categories: designing the health plan, reacting to funding changes, and revising policies. Organizational values of access to care and stewardship most frequently affected resource allocation and policy decisions, while economic and political pressures affect the relative prioritization of values. Research limitations/implications Small sample size, the potential for social desirability or recall bias, and the exclusion of provider, member or community perspectives beyond those represented among participating board members. Practical implications Program directors or researchers can use this study to assess the extent to which resource allocation and policy decisions align with organizational values and mission statements. Social implications The description of how healthcare decisions are actually made can be matched with literature that describes how healthcare resource decisions ought to be made, in order to provide a normative grounding for future decisions. Originality/value This study addresses a gap in literature regarding how CAPs actually make resource allocation decisions that affect access to healthcare services. PMID:27934550

"Not Homeless Yet. I'm Kind of Couch Surfing": Finding Identities for People at a Homeless Shelter.

PubMed

Terui, Sachiko; Hsieh, Elaine

2016-01-01

The meanings of homelessness are fluid and socially constructed, providing resources and limitations for individuals to negotiate their identities and relationships in everyday life. In this study, we examine the strategies and corresponding resources utilized by people who are homeless to cope with the labeling of a homeless identity and to redefine their identities. We used constant comparative analysis to examine in-depth interviews with 16 participants (male = 11, female = 5) who access a local homeless shelter in the southwest United States for resources. We identified three strategies that homeless people adopt to cope with the labeling of homeless identity: (a) differentiating oneself from others who are homeless, (b) prioritizing certain aspects of life, and (c) embracing the status of homelessness. Although these strategies have been identified in previous literature, the authors extend this line of research by identifying the common resources people who are homeless utilize when adopting these strategies, which entail important implications for theory development and practical implications.

Acknowledging Spanish and English resources during mathematical reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LópezLeiva, Carlos A.; Torres, Zayoni; Khisty, Lena L.

2013-12-01

As English-only efforts continue in the US schooling system, dual-language programs have served as attempts to preserve students' home language. An after-school, dual-language, Spanish-English, mathematics program, Los Rayos was developed in a predominantly Mexican/Mexican-American neighborhood in Chicago. As participant observers with a sociocultural perspective, we explored the linguistic and personal resources used by participating 4th grade bilingual Latina/o students. We found that students used imaginative, playful, and hybrid linguistic resources to make sense of and solve probability tasks when engaged within a zone of mathematical practice. Results challenge narrow perspectives on bilingual students' linguistic resources. Language implications are discussed.

Extension of the Job Demands-Resources model in the prediction of burnout and engagement among teachers over time.

PubMed

Lorente Prieto, Laura; Salanova Soria, Marisa; Martínez Martínez, Isabel; Schaufeli, Wilmar

2008-08-01

Our purpose was to extend the Job Demand-Resources Model (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004) by including personal resources, job demands and job resources to predict burnout (exhaustion, cynicism, depersonalization) and work engagement (vigour and dedication). The sample comprised 274 teachers from 23 secondary schools of the Valencian Community (Spain). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses have revealed: (1) the predictor effect of quantitative overload on exhaustion and dedication at T2, (2) role conflict on cynicism and (3) role ambiguity on dedication. Lastly, the mediating role of burnout and engagement at T2. Practical implications and directions of future research are discussed.

Teacher Leader Model Standards: Implications for Preparation, Policy, and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Jill Harrison; Carver, Cynthia L.; Mangin, Melinda M.

2014-01-01

Teacher leadership is increasingly recognized as a resource for instructional improvement. Consequently, teacher leader initiatives have expanded rapidly despite limited knowledge about how to prepare and support teacher leaders. In this context, the "Teacher Leader Model Standards" represent an important development in the field. In…

Instructional Implications for Small Schools: A Review of the Literature. Administrative Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raze, Nasus

Drawing on information from 15 sources, this literature review discusses advantages/disadvantages of small schools and summarizes practices for both rural and urban small schools to follow to maintain educational quality despite dwindling enrollments and resources. Small school disadvantages in the areas of staff, instructional program, and…

Home Food Preservation among Families with Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenz, Lorraine J.; Sawicki, Marjorie A.; Elliott, Michael; White, Melissa

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine preservation practices, perceived barriers, and likelihood of parents with young children to home preserve food in the future. Implications of this research relate to family and consumer sciences professionals who endeavor to improve fruit and vegetable intake and provide resources to families and…

Newly Qualified Teachers' Professional Digital Competence: Implications for Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudmundsdottir, Greta Björk; Hatlevik, Ove Edvard

2018-01-01

The professional digital competence (PDC) of teachers is of growing importance in classrooms, now that digital resources and digital media are becoming important parts of teachers' everyday practice. This study explores how newly qualified teachers are prepared to use information and communication technology (ICT) in their initial teacher…

Implications for Higher Education of the Public Sector Reform Agenda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coaldrake, Peter

1995-01-01

It is argued that issues of accountability, competition, the technology, and internationalization of education suggest it is in the best interest of Australian higher education to adopt strategic management techniques being promoted for the public sector. This includes new emphases on staffing policies and practices, resource allocation and…

Antecedents and Outcomes of Workplace Incivility: Implications for Human Resource Development Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reio, Thomas G., Jr.; Ghosh, Rajashi

2009-01-01

This cross-sectional, correlational study (N = 402) examined the relationships among select demographics, workplace adaptation, employee affect, and incivility and physical health and job satisfaction. The paper-and-pencil survey battery consisted of nine scales. The hypotheses were tested through correlational, factor analytic, and hierarchical…

IMPACT OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON WATER QUALITY OF TWO SMALL WATERSHEDS IN INDIANA: ROLE OF SPATIAL SCALE

EPA Science Inventory

Transport and fate of sediments and nutrients within watersheds have important implications for water quality and water resources. Water quality issues often arise because sediments serve as carriers for various pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, and toxic substances. The C...

Knowledge Work and Telework: An Exploratory Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Kaye; Yoong, Pak

2000-01-01

Describes a case study conducted in New Zealand that investigated how knowledge workers used home-based teleworking, using information and Internet technology. Discusses findings that indicate a preference for doing most work at the office, and considers implications for human resources management, practice, and research. (Contains 26 references.)…

Teaching, Learning, and Sharing Openly Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Byrne, W. Ian; Roberts, Verena; LaBonte, Randy; Graham, Lee

2015-01-01

Open learning is becoming a critical focus for K-12 technology-supported programs as the importance of digital literacy and digital freedoms for all learners grows. This article describes current open learning policy, open educational resources and potential implications for open practice and ends with suggestions for future research in open…

Physician-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia: Pragmatic implications for palliative care [corrected].

PubMed

Hudson, Peter; Hudson, Rosalie; Philip, Jennifer; Boughey, Mark; Kelly, Brian; Hertogh, Cees

2015-10-01

Despite the availability of palliative care in many countries, legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS) continues to be debated-particularly around ethical and legal issues--and the surrounding controversy shows no signs of abating. Responding to EAS requests is considered one of the most difficult healthcare responsibilities. In the present paper, we highlight some of the less frequently discussed practical implications for palliative care provision if EAS were to be legalized. Our aim was not to take an explicit anti-EAS stance or expand on findings from systematic reviews or philosophical and ethico-legal treatises, but rather to offer clinical perspectives and the potential pragmatic implications of legalized EAS for palliative care provision, patients and families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community. We provide insights from our multidisciplinary clinical experience, coupled with those from various jurisdictions where EAS is, or has been, legalized. We believe that these issues, many of which are encountered at the bedside, must be considered in detail so that the pragmatic implications of EAS can be comprehensively considered. Increased resources and effort must be directed toward training, research, community engagement, and ensuring adequate resourcing for palliative care before further consideration is given to allocating resources for legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

Global financial crisis and surgical practice: the Greek paradigm.

PubMed

Karidis, Nikolaos P; Dimitroulis, Dimitrios; Kouraklis, Gregory

2011-11-01

Apart from the significant implications of recent financial crisis in overall health indices and mortality rates, the direct effect of health resources redistribution in everyday clinical practice is barely recognized. In the case of Greece, health sector reform and health spending cuts have already had a major impact on costly interventions, particularly in surgical practice. An increase in utilization of public health resources, lack of basic and advanced surgical supplies, salary deductions, and emerging issues in patient management have contributed to serious dysfunction of a public health system unable to sustain current needs. In this context, significant implications arise for the surgeons and patients as proper perioperative management is directly affected by reduced public health funding. The surgical community has expressed concerns about the quality of surgical care and the future of surgical progress in the era of the European Union. Greek surgeons are expected to support reform while maintaining a high level of surgical care to the public. The challenge of cost control in surgical practice provides, nevertheless, an excellent opportunity to reconsider health economics while innovation through a more traditional approach to the surgical patient should not be precluded. A Greek case study on the extent of the current situation is presented with reference to health policy reform, serving as an alarming paradigm for the global community under the pressure of a profound financial recession.

Student Perspectives on Transfer and Articulation: Implications for Teacher Education Pedagogy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kates, Laura R.

2010-01-01

This study introduces students' perspectives into the knowledge base on community college teacher education and transfer to the four-year college. There is currently widespread agreement that community colleges are an essential resource for diversifying the teaching force and improving teacher retention. While data on enrollment, alignment, and…

Making it Real: Authenticity, Process and Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badger, Richard; MacDonald, Malcolm

2010-01-01

Authenticity has been a part of the intellectual resources of language teaching since the 1890s but its precise meaning and implications are contested. This commentary argues for a view of authenticity which recognizes the limits of the concept as a guide for pedagogic practice and acknowledges the fact that texts are processes rather than…

Toward a Baha'i Concept of Mental Health: Implications for Clinical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maloney, Michelle

2006-01-01

The author highlights the emerging interest in understanding religious beliefs as a resource for more fully conceptualizing clients' psychological functioning. Although various authors have explored religious theories of mental health in an effort to increase understanding of clients' problems, there is a dearth of information on the Baha'i client…

Training and Best Practice Guidelines: Implications for Metadata Creation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuttur, Mohammad Y.

2012-01-01

In response to the rapid development of digital libraries over the past decade, researchers have focused on the use of metadata as an effective means to support resource discovery within online repositories. With the increasing involvement of libraries in digitization projects and the growing number of institutional repositories, it is anticipated…

Forgiveness as an HRD Intervention: The Literature and a Proposed Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, Susan R.; Gygi, Janice; Hammond, Scott C.; Plowman, Suzanne

2008-01-01

The purpose of this review is to explore the literature related to interpersonal forgiveness in organizations and its possible implications for HRD (human resource development) theory and practice. It defines forgiveness and provides a theoretical framework for its consideration within the workplace environment. It also reviews and discusses the…

An Accidental Outcome: Social Capital and Its Implications for Landcare and the "Status Quo"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Compton, Erlina; Beeton, R. J. S.

2012-01-01

For 25 years the Australian Landcare program has encouraged rural land managers to work cooperatively to resolve natural resource management issues across the nation. Landcare has spread and the model is used internationally. Despite its successes, Landcare has come under criticism for not sufficiently directing land management practices towards…

Educational Implications of Michael Fishbane's "Sacred Attunement: A Jewish Theology"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marom, Daniel

2008-01-01

This article posits Michael Fishbane's Judaic scholarship as a prime resource for Jewish education. The link between the two fields can be made through a translation of the theological underpinnings of Fishbane's insights into Judaism to educational purposes and practices. Initial work with Jewish educators on establishing this link encouraged…

The Benefits of Collective Pedagogical Teacher Culture for Diverse Students' Mathematics Achievement by Academic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moller, Stephanie; Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin; Stearns, Elizabeth; Bottia, Martha; Banerjee, Neena

2011-01-01

Most studies of educational organizations have focused on structural features of schools, such as size, resources, and infrastructure. Research on schools' organizational culture is more sparse. Yet, these studies have suggested that the organizational culture of schools can have important implications for teaching practices and student outcomes.…

Converged Social Media: Identity Management and Engagement on Facebook Mobile and Blogs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rambe, Patient

2013-01-01

There is scant evidence to demonstrate that researchers grasp the social dimensions of convergence, and particularly, the academic and social implications of converged media on students' lives. Despite a surge in student appropriation of social media-enabled mobile phones for exchanging educational resources and social practices, little is known…

The epidemiology of a specialist neurorehabilitation clinic: implications for clinical practice and regional service development.

PubMed

Seeley, Helen; Pickard, John; Allanson, Judith; Hutchinson, Peter

2014-01-01

To examine the epidemiology of referrals to a specialist neurotrauma clinic and explore and highlight implications for clinical practice and service development for persons with head injury/traumatic brain injury (HI/TBI). A retrospective population-based cohort study of all referrals to a specialist neurotrauma clinic over a 9-year period. Data from a specialist head injury database (which included all persons presenting to hospital with traumatic brain injury) were analysed. In total, 1235 new patients of all ages, severities of injury, both admitted and non-admitted were referred. Referrals have increased due to successful integration with new service developments and resulting optimization of resources. Data gathered from the cohort gives increased understanding of the characteristics and numbers of patients requiring rehabilitation and adds to the evidence-base. Integration with new and complementary service developments has optimized the function/aims of the clinic and enhanced its role in terms of patient service and outcome and as a research resource. The model provides principles which may be applied to planning, organizing and providing follow-up/rehabilitation services for HI/TBI.

The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey: implications for the future of Canadian dermatology--who will be your skin expert?

PubMed

Maguiness, Sheilagh; Searles, Gordon E; From, Lynn; Swiggum, Susan

2004-01-01

To survey Canadian dermatologists for specialty-specific physician resource information including demographics, workload and future career plans. In 2001, the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) surveyed 555 dermatologists in Canada to gain specialty-specific physician resource information. Three hundred and seventy-one dermatologists (69%) provided information about themselves, their workloads and their future career goals. The average Canadian dermatologist is 52 years old and 35% of practicing dermatologists are over the age of 55. Eighty-nine percent of dermatologists practice in an urban setting, 19% include practice in a rural setting while less than 0.5% practice in remote areas. Canadian dermatologists spend 61% of their clinical time providing services in Medical Dermatology. Within 5 years, 50% of dermatologists reported that they plan to reduce their practices or retire. The Canadian Dermatology Workforce Survey provides a snapshot of the current practice of dermatology in Canada. It also serves to highlight the critical shortage of dermatologists, which will continue to worsen without immediate, innovative planning for the future.

Seeking balance between the past and the present: Vietnamese refugee parenting practices and adolescent well-being.

PubMed

Tingvold, Laila; Hauff, Edvard; Allen, James; Middelthon, Anne-Lise

2012-07-01

This qualitative study examines the resources that Vietnamese refugee parents use in raising their adolescent youth in exile and how they, and their adolescents, regard their experiences of different parenting styles. The study is based on 55 semi-structured interviews and several focus groups performed with a small sample of Vietnamese refugee parents and their adolescent children. Three main themes from the interviews were identified: the role of the extended family and siblings in bringing up children; language acquisition and cultural continuity and, finally, religion and social support. Our findings suggest extended kin are involved in the raising of adolescent children, providing additional family ties and support. Parents regarded Vietnamese language acquisition by their youth as facilitating both communication with extended kin and cultural transmission. Several parents stressed the importance of religious community to socialising and creating a sense of belonging for their youth. Vietnamese refugee parents seek a balance between Vietnamese values and their close extended family social networks, and the opportunities in Norway to develop autonomy in pursuit of educational and economic goals. Together these parenting practices constituted a mobilization of resources in support of their youth. These findings may have important implications for future research on resiliency and the role of these strategies as protective factors mediating mental health outcomes. They may also have implications for treatment, in terms of the types of resources treatment can access and for prevention strategies that maximize key cultural resources for Vietnamese refugee youth.

National cultures, performance appraisal practices, and organizational absenteeism and turnover: a study across 21 countries.

PubMed

Peretz, Hilla; Fried, Yitzhak

2012-03-01

Performance appraisal (PA) is a key human resource activity in organizations. However, in this global economy, we know little about how societal cultures affect PA practices. In this study, we address this gap by focusing on 2 complementary issues: (a) the influence of societal (national) cultural practices on PA practices adopted by organizations and (b) the contribution of the level of congruence between societal cultural practices and the characteristics of organizational PA practices to absenteeism and turnover. The results, based on a large data set across multiple countries and over 2 time periods, support the hypothesized effects of societal (national) cultural practices on particular PA practices and the interactive effects of societal cultural practices and PA practices on absenteeism and turnover. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

The Evolution of Gero-Oncology Nursing

PubMed Central

Bond, Stewart M.; Bryant, Ashley Leak; Puts, Martine

2016-01-01

Objectives This article summarizes the evolution of gero-oncology nursing and highlights key educational initiatives, clinical practice issues, and research areas to enhance care of older adults with cancer. Data Sources Peer-reviewed literature, position statements, clinical practice guidelines, web-based materials, and professional organizations’ resources. Conclusion Globally, the older adult cancer population is rapidly growing. The care of older adults with cancer requires an understanding of their diverse needs and the intersection of cancer and aging. Despite efforts to enhance competence in gerooncology and to develop a body of evidence, nurses and healthcare systems remain under-prepared to provide high quality care for older adults with cancer. Implications for Nursing Practice Nurses need to take a leadership role in integrating gerontological principles into oncology settings. Working closely with interdisciplinary team members, nurses should utilize available resources and continue to build evidence through gero-oncology nursing research. PMID:26830263

Poverty and pediatric palliative care: what can we do?

PubMed

Beaune, Laura; Leavens, Anne; Muskat, Barbara; Ford-Jones, Lee; Rapoport, Adam; Zlotnik Shaul, Randi; Morinis, Julia; Chapman, Lee Ann

2014-01-01

It has been recognized that families of children with life-limiting health conditions struggle with significant financial demands, yet may not have awareness of resources available to them. Additionally, health care providers may not be aware of the socioeconomic needs of families they care for. This article describes a mixed-methods study examining the content validity and utility for health care providers of a poverty screening tool and companion resource guide for the pediatric palliative care population. The study found high relevance and validity of the tool. Significant barriers to implementing the screening tool in clinical practice were described by participants, including: concerns regarding time required, roles and responsibilities, and discomfort in asking about income. Implications for practice and suggestions for improving the tool are discussed. Screening and attention to the social determinants of health lie within the scope of practice of all health care providers. Social workers can play a leadership role in this work.

Examining the perceptions, preferences, and practices that influence healthy aging for African American older adults: an ecological perspective.

PubMed

Waites, Cheryl

2013-10-01

This study explored the healthy aging and health promotion perceptions, preferences, and practices of a purposive sample of African American older adults who resided in two communities in the south. An ecological framework was used to capture environmental factors, perceptions regarding access to health promotion resources, and health behavior preferences and practices. A mixed-method approach was used. Health supporting amenities were mapped, focus groups were conducted, and demographic information was obtained. The data were merged to create consolidated themes. The results indicated that health promotion amenities were available, but with some limitations. Convenient access to transportation strongly affected ability to use resources. Older adults were interested in preserving their health and independence, but some had difficulty staying motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They wanted easier access to amenities. Implications for best practice include attention to culturally responsive outreach, motivating with social support and incentives, and developing community-based culturally compatible programming.

The Effects of Caregiving Resources on Perceived Health among Caregivers

PubMed Central

Hong, Michin; Harrington, Donna

2016-01-01

This study examined how various types of resources influence perceived health of caregivers. Guided by the conservation of resources theory, a caregiver health model was built and tested using structural equation modeling. The caregiver health model consisted of caregiving situations (functional limitations and cognitive impairments of older adults and caregiving time), resources (financial resources, mastery, social support, family harmony, and service utilization), caregiver burden, and perceived health of caregivers. The sample included 1,837 unpaid informal caregivers drawn from the 2004 National Long-Term Caregiver Survey. The model fit indices indicated that the first structural model did not fit well; however, the revised model yielded an excellent model fit. More stressful caregiving situations were associated with fewer resources and higher burden, whereas greater resources were associated with lower burden and better perceived health of caregivers. The results suggest explicit implications for social work research and practice on how to protect the health of caregivers. PMID:29206951

Feedback and the rationing of time and effort among competing tasks.

PubMed

Northcraft, Gregory B; Schmidt, Aaron M; Ashford, Susan J

2011-09-01

The study described here tested a model of how characteristics of the feedback environment influence the allocation of resources (time and effort) among competing tasks. Results demonstrated that performers invest more resources on tasks for which higher quality (more timely and more specific) feedback is available; this effect was partially mediated by task salience and task expectancies. Feedback timing and feedback specificity demonstrated both main and interaction effects on resource allocations. Results also demonstrated that performers do better on tasks for which higher quality feedback is available; this effect was mediated by resources allocated to tasks. The practical and theoretical implications of the role of the feedback environment in managing performance are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genesee, Fred; Paradis, Johanne; Crago, Martha B.

2004-01-01

This book dispels many myths about dual language development and answers key questions that might arise as you work with children and their parents. Student profiles, definitions of key terms, and "clinical implications" sections for selected chapters make this a valuable reference for in-practice SLPs and educators, an accessible resource for…

Global Competition, US Research Universities, and International Doctoral Education: Growth and Consolidation of an Organizational Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Barrett J.; Cantwell, Brendan

2015-01-01

The heightened mobility of resources, ideas, and cultural practices across national borders--commonly known as "globalization"--entails changes in the contexts in which US research universities operate. We draw on recent developments in neo-institutional theory to understand these changes and their implications for the ways in which US…

Developing Cross-Cultural Awareness through Foreign Immersion Programs: Implications of University Study Abroad Research for Global Competency Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lokkesmoe, Karen J.; Kuchinke, K. Peter; Ardichvili, Alexandre

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of foreign immersion programs in terms of increasing cross-cultural awareness among university students in business, accounting, human resources and agriculture. The authors extrapolate from their population to the practice of developing business professionals on international…

Touch and Gesture-Based Language Learning: Some Possible Avenues for Research and Classroom Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinders, Hayo

2014-01-01

Our interaction with digital resources is becoming increasingly based on touch, gestures, and now also eye movement. Many everyday consumer electronics products already include touch-based interfaces, from e-book readers to tablets, and from the last personal computers to the GPS system in your car. What implications do these new forms of…

Teachers' Experiences Collaborating in Expanded School Mental Health: Implications for Practice, Policy and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellin, Elizabeth A.; Ball, Annahita; Iachini, Aidyn; Togno, Nicole; Rodriguez, Ana Maria

2017-01-01

Teachers are critical partners in expanded school mental health (ESMH) collaborations that aim to bring educators, community mental health professionals and families together to leverage expertise and resources for addressing non-academic barriers to learning. Although teachers are in a unique position to observe the day-to-day mental health needs…

Advancing the deliberative turn in natural resource management: an analysis of discourses on the use of local resources.

PubMed

Rodela, Romina

2012-04-15

The natural resource management literature stresses the need for public participation and community involvement in resource management and planning. Recently, some of this literature turned to the theory on deliberative democracy and demonstrated that a deliberative perspective on participation can help to challenge established practices and contribute with new ideas about how to conduct participation. The purpose of this paper is to consider the latest developments in deliberative democracy and outline the implications arising from these insights for a "deliberative turn" in resource management. A bottom-up protected area establishment, the Goričko Landscape Park, is examined. The empirical case is discussed from a discursive perspective, which relied on John Dryzek's approach to discourse analysis here used to explore the construction of discourses on the use of local natural resources. Two discourses are identified and the way these interfaced with the participatory park establishment process is considered. Findings indicate that advocates of the two discourses engaged differently with the participatory tools used and this had important implications for the park establishment. The case study suggests that, in contexts where participation has been recently introduced, knowledge of discourses on the use of local natural resources and of mobilization strategies actors may pursue could usefully assist in the design and implementation of participatory processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How resource allocation decisions are made in the health care market.

PubMed

Vogel, W B

2000-10-01

This paper describes how economists view resource allocation decisions in health care markets. The basic economic decisions that must be made in any economic system and the resource allocation decisions in a perfectly competitive market are described. An idealized market can achieve an efficient allocation of resources and is contrasted with a more realistic description of the numerous ways in which health care markets depart from the perfectly competitive ideal. The implications of these departures for health care policy are discussed, along with key controversies concerning reliance upon markets for resource allocation in health care. In particular, the failure of competitive markets to achieve what many consider an equitable distribution of health care is emphasized. The paper concludes with some practical observations on how pharmacists can use the increasing emphasis on economic efficiency to the advantage of their profession.

Cost-effectiveness and resource implications of aggressive action on TB in China, India and South Africa: a combined analysis of nine models

PubMed Central

Menzies, Nicolas A; Gomez, Gabriela B; Bozzani, Fiammetta; Chatterjee, Susmita; Foster, Nicola; Baena, Ines Garcia; Laurence, Yoko V; Qiang, Sun; Siroka, Andrew; Sweeney, Sedona; Verguet, Stéphane; Arinaminpathy, Nimalan; Azman, Andrew S; Bendavid, Eran; Chang, Stewart T; Cohen, Ted; Denholm, Justin T; Dowdy, David W; Eckhoff, Philip A; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D; Handel, Andreas; Huynh, Grace H; Lalli, Marek; Lin, Hsien-Ho; Mandal, Sandip; McBryde, Emma S; Pandey, Surabhi; Salomon, Joshua A; Suen, Sze-chuan; Sumner, Tom; Trauer, James M; Wagner, Bradley G; Whalen, Christopher C; Wu, Chieh-Yin; Boccia, Delia; Chadha, Vineet K; Charalambous, Salome; Chin, Daniel P; Churchyard, Gavin; Daniels, Colleen; Dewan, Puneet; Ditiu, Lucica; Eaton, Jeffrey W; Grant, Alison D; Hippner, Piotr; Hosseini, Mehran; Mametja, David; Pretorius, Carel; Pillay, Yogan; Rade, Kiran; Sahu, Suvanand; Wang, Lixia; Houben, Rein MGJ; Kimerling, Michael E; White, Richard G; Vassall, Anna

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND The End TB Strategy sets global goals of reducing TB incidence and mortality by 50% and 75% respectively by 2025. We assessed resource requirements and cost-effectiveness of strategies to achieve these targets in China, India, and South Africa. METHODS We examined intervention scenarios developed in consultation with country stakeholders, which scaled-up existing interventions to high but feasible coverage by 2025. Nine independent TB modelling groups collaborated to estimate policy outcomes, and we costed each scenario by synthesizing service utilization estimates, empirical cost data, and expert opinion on implementation strategies. We estimated health impact and resource implications for 2016–2035, including patient-incurred costs. To assess resource requirements and cost-effectiveness, we compared scenarios to a base case representing continued current practice. FINDINGS Incremental TB service costs differed by scenario and country, and in some cases more than doubled current funding needs. In general, expanding TB services substantially reduced patient-incurred costs; and in India and China this produced net cost-savings for most interventions under a societal perspective. In all countries, expanding TB care access produced substantial health gains. Compared to current practice, most intervention approaches appeared highly cost-effective when compared to conventional cost-effectiveness thresholds. INTERPRETATION Expanding TB services appears cost-effective for high-burden countries and could generate substantial health and economic benefits for patients, though funding needs challenge affordability. Further work is required to determine the optimal intervention mix for each country. PMID:27720689

Food beliefs and practices in urban poor communities in Accra: implications for health interventions.

PubMed

Boatemaa, Sandra; Badasu, Delali Margaret; de-Graft Aikins, Ama

2018-04-02

Poor communities in low and middle income countries are reported to experience a higher burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and nutrition-related NCDs. Interventions that build on lay perspectives of risk are recommended. The objective of this study was to examine lay understanding of healthy and unhealthy food practices, factors that influence food choices and the implications for developing population health interventions in three urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. Thirty lay adults were recruited and interviewed in two poor urban communities in Accra. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically. The analysis was guided by the socio-ecological model which focuses on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, structural and policy levels of social organisation. Food was perceived as an edible natural resource, and healthy in its raw state. A food item retained its natural, healthy properties or became unhealthy depending on how it was prepared (e.g. frying vs boiling) and consumed (e.g. early or late in the day). These food beliefs reflected broader social food norms in the community and incorporated ideas aligned with standard expert dietary guidelines. Healthy cooking was perceived as the ability to select good ingredients, use appropriate cooking methods, and maintain food hygiene. Healthy eating was defined in three ways: 1) eating the right meals; 2) eating the right quantity; and 3) eating at the right time. Factors that influenced food choice included finances, physical and psychological state, significant others and community resources. The findings suggest that beliefs about healthy and unhealthy food practices are rooted in multi-level factors, including individual experience, family dynamics and community factors. The factors influencing food choices are also multilevel. The implications of the findings for the design and content of dietary and health interventions are discussed.

Strategy for managing water in the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic edition

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

Berkoff, J.

1995-03-21

Proposes a practical, step-by-step approach to managing water resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner. The people of the Middle East and North Africa have faced scarce water resources since time immemorial. Today, burgeoning populations dwarf the concerns of the past. New strategies for planning and managing water are urgently needed to avoid escalating conflicts and to reverse environmental degradation. This booklet details the implications of a new World Bank policy for the region, calling for a strong effort by governments and Bank staff to manage water resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner. A practical, step-by-step strategy is proposedmore » that could lead to new Bank-funded operations throughout the water sector. The issues involved are complex but must be addressed if water scarcity is not to hinder development projects. The strategy proposed in this booklet could help build a new partnership for sustainable water management between the World Bank and regional governments.« less

Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section in Low Resource Settings: The Clinical and Ethical Dilemma.

PubMed

Wanyonyi, Sikolia; Muriithi, Francis G

2015-10-01

Vaginal birth after Caesarean section (VBAC) has long been practised in low resource settings using unconventional methods. This not only poses danger to the woman and her baby, but could also have serious legal and ethical implications. The adoption of this practice has been informed by observational studies with many deficiencies; this is so despite other studies from settings in which the standard of care is much better that show that elective repeat Caesarean section (ERCS) may actually be safer than VBAC. This raises questions about whether we should insist on a dangerous practice when there are safer alternatives. We highlight some of the challenges faced in making this decision, and discuss why the fear of ERCS may not be justified after all in low resource settings. Since a reduction in rates of Caesarean section may not be applicable in these regions, because their rates are already low, the emphasis should instead be on adequate birth spacing and safer primary operative delivery.

Food for contagion: Synthesis and future directions for studying host–parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments

PubMed Central

Altizer, Sonia. M.; Becker, Daniel J.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Forbes, Kristian M.; Gillespie, Thomas R.; Hall, Richard J.; Hawley, Dana; Hernandez, Sonia M.; Martin, Lynn B.; Plowright, Raina K.; Satterfield, Dara A.; Streicker, Daniel G.

2018-01-01

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common, and have profound consequences for wildlife–pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical, and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) inter-specific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modeling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human–wildlife conflicts over shared food resources, and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans. PMID:29531154

Who steers the ship? Rural family physicians' views on collaborative care models for patients with dementia.

PubMed

Kosteniuk, Julie; Morgan, Debra; Innes, Anthea; Keady, John; Stewart, Norma; D'Arcy, Carl; Kirk, Andrew

2014-01-01

Little is known about the views of rural family physicians (FPs) regarding collaborative care models for patients with dementia. The study aims were to explore FPs' views regarding this issue, their role in providing dementia care, and the implications of providing dementia care in a rural setting. This study employed an exploratory qualitative design with a sample of 15 FPs. All rural FPs indicated acceptance of collaborative models. The main disadvantages of practicing rural were accessing urban-based health care and related services and a shortage of local health care resources. The primary benefit of practicing rural was FPs' social proximity to patients, families, and some health care workers. Rural FPs provided care for patients with dementia that took into account the emotional and practical needs of caregivers and families. FPs described positive and negative implications of rural dementia care, and all were receptive to models of care that included other health care professionals.

Job hindrances, job resources, and safety performance: The mediating role of job engagement.

PubMed

Yuan, Zhenyu; Li, Yongjuan; Tetrick, Lois E

2015-11-01

Job engagement has received widespread attention in organizational research but has rarely been empirically investigated in the context of safety. In the present study, we examined the mediating role of job engagement in the relationships between job characteristics and safety performance using self-reported data collected at a coal mining company in China. Most of our study hypotheses were supported. Job engagement partially mediated the relationships between job resources and safety performance dimensions. Theoretical and practical implications and directions for future research are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Behavioral Attitudes and Preferences in Cooking Practices with Traditional Open-Fire Stoves in Peru, Nepal, and Kenya: Implications for Improved Cookstove Interventions

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Evelyn L.; Dreibelbis, Robert; Klasen, Elizabeth; Naithani, Neha; Baliddawa, Joyce; Menya, Diana; Khatry, Subarna; Levy, Stephanie; Tielsch, James M.; Miranda, J. Jaime; Kennedy, Caitlin; Checkley, William

2014-01-01

Global efforts are underway to develop and promote improved cookstoves which may reduce the negative health and environmental effects of burning solid fuels on health and the environment. Behavioral studies have considered cookstove user practices, needs and preferences in the design and implementation of cookstove projects; however, these studies have not examined the implications of the traditional stove use and design across multiple resource-poor settings in the implementation and promotion of improved cookstove projects that utilize a single, standardized stove design. We conducted in-depth interviews and direct observations of meal preparation and traditional, open-fire stove use of 137 women aged 20–49 years in Kenya, Peru and Nepal prior in the four-month period preceding installation of an improved cookstove as part of a field intervention trial. Despite general similarities in cooking practices across sites, we identified locally distinct practices and norms regarding traditional stove use and desired stove improvements. Traditional stoves are designed to accommodate specific cooking styles, types of fuel, and available resources for maintenance and renovation. The tailored stoves allow users to cook and repair their stoves easily. Women in each setting expressed their desire for a new stove, but they articulated distinct specific alterations that would meet their needs and preferences. Improved cookstove designs need to consider the diversity of values and needs held by potential users, presenting a significant challenge in identifying a “one size fits all” improved cookstove design. Our data show that a single stove design for use with locally available biomass fuels will not meet the cooking demands and resources available across the three sites. Moreover, locally produced or adapted improved cookstoves may be needed to meet the cooking needs of diverse populations while addressing health and environmental concerns of traditional stoves. PMID:25286166

High School Teachers’ Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate

PubMed Central

Pas, Elise T.; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

2016-01-01

Although evidence-based practices for students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers’ openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers’ openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers’ openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers’ openness to new program adoption are discussed. PMID:28533823

High School Teachers' Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate.

PubMed

Johnson, Stacy R; Pas, Elise T; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2017-03-01

Although evidence-based practices for students' social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers' openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers' openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers' openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers' openness to new program adoption are discussed.

Reciprocity of temporary and permanent workers: an exploratory study in an industrial company.

PubMed

Lopes, Silvia; Chambel, Maria José

2012-11-01

The increasing use of temporary work prompts the need to understand to what degree workers with this type of contract differ from permanent workers as to the relationship they establish with the organization they work for. This study used a sample of temporary workers (N = 78) and permanent workers (N = 196) within the same company of electronics in Portugal. The results show that, regardless of the type of contract, the perception of human resource practices was related to the perception of psychological contract fulfillment by the company. Additionally and according to the norm of reciprocity, we verified that when workers thought the company was fulfilling its obligations they responded favorably showing more affective commitment towards the company. However, we found differences between these two groups of workers: for the permanent performance appraisal, training and rewards were human resources practices that were significantly related to psychological contract fulfillment, while for the temporary ones there weren't any specific practices that had a significant relationship with that variable. The practical implications of these findings for the management of temporary workers are discussed.

A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries.

PubMed

Corallo, Ashley N; Croxford, Ruth; Goodman, David C; Bryan, Elisabeth L; Srivastava, Divya; Stukel, Therese A

2014-01-01

Major variations in medical practice have been documented internationally. Variations raise questions about the quality, equity, and efficiency of resource allocation and use, and have important implications for health care and health policy. To perform a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on medical practice variations in OECD countries. We searched MEDLINE to find publications on medical practice variations in OECD countries published between 2000 and 2011. We present an overview of the characteristics of published studies as well as the magnitude of variations for select high impact conditions. A total of 836 studies were included. Consistent with the gray literature, there were large variations across regions, hospitals and physician practices for almost every condition and procedure studied. Many studies focused on high-impact conditions, but very few looked at the causes or outcomes of medical practice variations. While there were an overwhelming number of publications on medical practice variations the coverage was broad and not often based on a theoretical construct. Future studies should focus on conditions and procedures that are clinically important, policy relevant, resource intensive, and have high levels of public awareness. Further study of the causes and consequences of variations is important. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Caregiving Resources on Perceived Health among Caregivers.

PubMed

Hong, Michin; Harrington, Donna

2016-08-01

This study examined how various types of resources influence perceived health of caregivers. Guided by the conservation of resources theory, a caregiver health model was built and tested using structural equation modeling. The caregiver health model consisted of caregiving situations (functional limitations and cognitive impairments of older adults and caregiving time), resources (financial resources, mastery, social support, family harmony, and service utilization), caregiver burden, and perceived health of caregivers. The sample included 1,837 unpaid informal caregivers drawn from the 2004 National Long-Term Caregiver Survey. The model fit indices indicated that the first structural model did not fit well; however, the revised model yielded an excellent model fit. More stressful caregiving situations were associated with fewer resources and higher burden, whereas greater resources were associated with lower burden and better perceived health of caregivers. The results suggest explicit implications for social work research and practice on how to protect the health of caregivers. © 2016 National Association of Social Workers.

Group attributional training as an effective approach to human resource development under team work systems.

PubMed

Wang, Z M

1994-07-01

An experimental programme of group attributional training under team work system was conducted as part of human resource development in Chinese industrial enterprises. One hundred and ten shopfloor employees participated in the study. Among them, 58 employees took part in the factorial-designed experiment to find out the effects of attributions on performance, and 52 employees of ten work groups participated in the group attributional training programme twice a week for two months. The results showed that the group attributional training was effective in modifying employees' attributional patterns and enhancing group performance and satisfaction. On the basis of the results, an attributional model of work motivation is proposed, and its theoretical and practical implications for human resource management discussed.

Cost-effectiveness and resource implications of aggressive action on tuberculosis in China, India, and South Africa: a combined analysis of nine models.

PubMed

Menzies, Nicolas A; Gomez, Gabriela B; Bozzani, Fiammetta; Chatterjee, Susmita; Foster, Nicola; Baena, Ines Garcia; Laurence, Yoko V; Qiang, Sun; Siroka, Andrew; Sweeney, Sedona; Verguet, Stéphane; Arinaminpathy, Nimalan; Azman, Andrew S; Bendavid, Eran; Chang, Stewart T; Cohen, Ted; Denholm, Justin T; Dowdy, David W; Eckhoff, Philip A; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D; Handel, Andreas; Huynh, Grace H; Lalli, Marek; Lin, Hsien-Ho; Mandal, Sandip; McBryde, Emma S; Pandey, Surabhi; Salomon, Joshua A; Suen, Sze-Chuan; Sumner, Tom; Trauer, James M; Wagner, Bradley G; Whalen, Christopher C; Wu, Chieh-Yin; Boccia, Delia; Chadha, Vineet K; Charalambous, Salome; Chin, Daniel P; Churchyard, Gavin; Daniels, Colleen; Dewan, Puneet; Ditiu, Lucica; Eaton, Jeffrey W; Grant, Alison D; Hippner, Piotr; Hosseini, Mehran; Mametja, David; Pretorius, Carel; Pillay, Yogan; Rade, Kiran; Sahu, Suvanand; Wang, Lixia; Houben, Rein M G J; Kimerling, Michael E; White, Richard G; Vassall, Anna

2016-11-01

The post-2015 End TB Strategy sets global targets of reducing tuberculosis incidence by 50% and mortality by 75% by 2025. We aimed to assess resource requirements and cost-effectiveness of strategies to achieve these targets in China, India, and South Africa. We examined intervention scenarios developed in consultation with country stakeholders, which scaled up existing interventions to high but feasible coverage by 2025. Nine independent modelling groups collaborated to estimate policy outcomes, and we estimated the cost of each scenario by synthesising service use estimates, empirical cost data, and expert opinion on implementation strategies. We estimated health effects (ie, disability-adjusted life-years averted) and resource implications for 2016-35, including patient-incurred costs. To assess resource requirements and cost-effectiveness, we compared scenarios with a base case representing continued current practice. Incremental tuberculosis service costs differed by scenario and country, and in some cases they more than doubled existing funding needs. In general, expansion of tuberculosis services substantially reduced patient-incurred costs and, in India and China, produced net cost savings for most interventions under a societal perspective. In all three countries, expansion of access to care produced substantial health gains. Compared with current practice and conventional cost-effectiveness thresholds, most intervention approaches seemed highly cost-effective. Expansion of tuberculosis services seems cost-effective for high-burden countries and could generate substantial health and economic benefits for patients, although substantial new funding would be required. Further work to determine the optimal intervention mix for each country is necessary. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Polio infrastructure strengthened disease outbreak preparedness and response in the WHO African Region.

PubMed

Kouadio, Koffi; Okeibunor, Joseph; Nsubuga, Peter; Mihigo, Richard; Mkanda, Pascal

2016-10-10

The continuous deployments of polio resources, infrastructures and systems for responding to other disease outbreaks in many African countries has led to a number of lessons considered as best practice that need to be documented for strengthening preparedness and response activities in future outbreaks. We reviewed and documented the influence of polio best practices in outbreak preparedness and response in Angola, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Data from relevant programmes of the WHO African Region were also analyzed to demonstrate clearly the relative contributions of PEI resources and infrastructure to effective disease outbreak preparedness and response. Polio resources including, human, financial, and logistic, tool and strategies have tremendously contributed to responding to diseases outbreaks across the African region. In Angola, Nigeria and Ethiopia, many disease epidemics including Marburg Hemorrhagic fever, Dengue fever, Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD), Measles, Anthrax and Shigella have been controlled using existing polio Eradication Initiatives resources. Polio staffs are usually deployed in occasions to supports outbreak response activities (coordination, surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, finance, data management, etc.). Polio logistics such vehicles, laboratories were also used in the response activities to other infectious diseases. Many polio tools including micro planning, dashboard, guidelines, SOPs on preparedness and response have also benefited to other epidemic-prone diseases. The Countries' preparedness and response plan to WPV importation as well as the Polio Emergency Operation Center models were successfully used to develop, strengthen and respond to many other diseases outbreak with the implication of partners and the strong leadership and ownership of governments. This review has important implications for WHO/AFRO initiative to strengthening and improving disease outbreak preparedness and responses in the African Region in respect to the international health regulations core capacities. Copyright © 2016 World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Material girls and Material love: Consuming femininity and the contradictions of post-girl power among Kenyan schoolgirls

PubMed Central

Mojola, Sanyu A.

2016-01-01

In this paper, I use qualitative data to explore the practices engaged in by Kenyan schoolgirls to participate in modern consuming womanhood, as well as the contradictory implications of these practices for thinking about globalized mediated femininities and their enactment in resource-poor settings. The paper examines the centrality of consumption to valued modern femininity among young women around the world, as well as the structural reality of gendered access to income. I show how the cooptation of the materiality of romantic love and normative expectations of male provision in romantic relationships bridge the gap between consumption desires and economic realities among Kenyan schoolgirls in both powerful and problematic ways. The paper ends with a reflection of the implications of these findings for post-girl power, the post-feminist age and the re-inscription of patriarchy. PMID:28344428

Human resource management and performance in healthcare organisations.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Cortvriend, Penny; Hyde, Paula

2007-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare the evidence from a range of reviews concerned with the links between human resource management (HRM) and performance. The aim of the paper is to review this diverse literature, and to derive human resource (HR) implications for healthcare researchers, policy makers and managers. Recent reviews of the human resource management and performance literature are examined, in addition to the inclusion of a previously unpublished review. Their methods, HRM focus, findings and recommendations are contrasted in order to produce this review. The paper finds that relationships have been found between a range of HRM practices, policies systems and performance. Despite being an important concern for HR professionals, there is little research exploring the link between HRM and performance in the health sector. The paper sees that recent studies have found HRM practices to be associated with patient outcomes such as mortality, yet they yield little information regarding the processes through which HRM affects individual performance and its consequent impact on patient care. The use of approaches that seek to gain an understanding of workers' interpretations of their experience, i.e. the psychological process through which HRM can affect individual performance, may shed some light on how these processes work in practice. The paper shows that increasing autonomy for healthcare organisations in the UK, i.e. Foundation Trusts, may offer increased opportunity for locally tailored HR systems and practices. The paper presents findings drawn from a review of previous research on a subject of increasing relevance to HR researchers and practitioners in healthcare organisations. The paper indicates alternative approaches to research and practice in light of extant research.

Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Laura A.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Rumble, Joy N.; Martin, Emmett T.; Cantrell, Randall

2016-08-01

Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users ( N = 1,063): the water considerate majority ( n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists ( n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users ( n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

Health Decision Making: Lynchpin of Evidence-Based Practice

PubMed Central

Spring, Bonnie

2008-01-01

Health decision making is both the lynchpin and the least developed aspect of evidence-based practice. The evidence-based practice process requires integrating the evidence with consideration of practical resources and patient preferences and doing so via a process that is genuinely collaborative. Yet, the literature is largely silent about how to accomplish integrative, shared decision making. Implications for evidence-based practice are discussed for 2 theories of clinician decision making (expected utility and fuzzy trace) and 2 theories of patient health decision making (transtheoretical model and reasoned action). Three suggestions are offered. First, it would be advantageous to have theory-based algorithms that weight and integrate the 3 data strands (evidence, resources, preferences) in different decisional contexts. Second, patients, not providers, make the decisions of greatest impact on public health, and those decisions are behavioral. Consequently, theory explicating how provider-patient collaboration can influence patient lifestyle decisions made miles from the provider's office is greatly needed. Third, although the preponderance of data on complex decisions supports a computational approach, such an approach to evidence-based practice is too impractical to be widely applied at present. More troublesomely, until patients come to trust decisions made computationally more than they trust their providers’ intuitions, patient adherence will remain problematic. A good theory of integrative, collaborative health decision making remains needed. PMID:19015288

Strategic Implications of Emerging Threats to West African Countries

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-14

deforestation, serious water and air pollution , irresponsible exploitation practices, plundering of resources by devious warlords and politicians all...AQIM‟s threats in the area is damageable to local economy and safety in general. For example, the decision to move the Paris -Dakar auto rally to...to deal with regional threat posed by this phenomenon93. Additionally, the UN Security Council Resolution 2018 of 31 October 2011, “called upon

"No Silly Girls' Films!" Analysis of Estonian Preschool Children's Gender Specific Tastes in Media Favourites and Their Possible Implications for Preschool Learning Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siibak, Andra; Vinter, Kristi

2014-01-01

Although children often look for guidance on what is gender-appropriate behaviour from the media, children's media favourites are still an underused learning resource in preschools, especially in the context of engaging in gender and values education. Focus-group interviews were conducted with 61 children aged from 5.5 to 7 years from three…

Assessing health in an urban neighborhood: community process, data results and implications for practice.

PubMed

Idali Torres, M

1998-06-01

This article examines the community process and data results of a health assessment conducted in an urban neighborhood of a middle-size city in Western Massachusetts. It describes the four-stage development process of the Health Assessment Project (HAP), a collaboration of the UMASS School of Public Health faculty and students, community based organizations and youth residents: (1) planning with a contemporary participatory approach, (2) implementing the data collection with traditional survey methodology, (3) tailoring the data analysis for a presentation at a community forum and report, and (4) incorporating the community's reaction to data results. In addition, it presents selected data results on health conditions of individual household members and perceived community health concerns and resources. Salient data results include high rates of chronic health conditions such as asthma and other respiratory problems among residents 0-18, back pain and other musculoskeletal among younger adults 19-54, and high blood pressure and other cardi-circulatory problems among older adults age 55 and older. The three most prevalent perceived community concerns are substance abuse, gangs and drug dealing. Identified community resources include sources of (1) providers of primary care, (2) health information as family/friends and Spanish media, (3) social activity such as churches and schools. Finally, this paper concludes by discussing implications for community health practice.

Blood Tests for People with Severe Learning Disabilities Receiving Dental Treatment under General Anaesthesia.

PubMed

Clough, Stacey; Shehabi, Zahra; Morgan, Claire; Sheppey, Claire

2016-11-01

People with learning disabilities (LDs) have poorer health than their non-disabled peers due to failures in reasonable adjustments. One hundred patients with severe LD and challenging behaviour attended for dental treatment under GA, during which routine blood testing was provided. Communication with general medical practitioners (GMPs) and blood test results were evaluated, showing poor communication with GMPs and significant undiagnosed disease among this group. Blood tests generate similar costs in primary and secondary care but a holistic approach to care under GA reduces expenses brought by lost clinical time and resources due to complex behaviours in an out-patient setting. Clinical relevance: This article discusses a holistic approach to healthcare for people with severe LD, including patient outcomes, financial and resource implications, and offers practical guidance on venepuncture technique, which is relevant to many aspects of both community and hospital dental practice.

Nilpotent singularities and dynamics in an SIR type of compartmental model with hospital resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Chunhua; Yi, Yingfei; Zhu, Huaiping

2016-03-01

An SIR type of compartmental model with a standard incidence rate and a nonlinear recovery rate was formulated to study the impact of available resources of public health system especially the number of hospital beds. Cusp, focus and elliptic type of nilpotent singularities of codimension 3 are discovered and analyzed in this three dimensional model. Complex dynamics of disease transmission including multi-steady states and multi-periodicity are revealed by bifurcation analysis. Large-amplitude oscillations found in our model provide a more reasonable explanation for disease recurrence. With clinical data, our studies have practical implications for the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Managing HIV at the workplace: An empirical study of HIV and HR managers in Singapore.

PubMed

Lim, Vivien K G

2003-10-01

Drawing from previous research on individual differences, AIDS, and concerns for face, the author developed and tested a model examining the predictors (knowledge of AIDS transmission, level of homophobia, and concern for face) of AIDS fear and its organizational outcomes (perceived organizational consequences of hiring people living with HIV and attitudes toward disclosure of HIV-related information at the workplace). Data were collected using mail survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among these variables for 160 human resource managers. All of the hypothesized relationships were empirically supported. Implications of the research findings for human resource practices are discussed. 2003 APA

The Art of Staying Engaged: The Role of Personal Resources in the Mental Well-Being of Young Veterinary Professionals.

PubMed

Mastenbroek, Nicole J J M

Health care professionals perceive transitions (e.g., from university to professional practice) to be challenging and stressful. The aim of the present research was to identify person-related characteristics that, in addition to work-related aspects, affect the mental well-being and performance of recently graduated veterinary professionals, and to reach a greater understanding of the role of personal resources in mental health and well-being. Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, a questionnaire measuring work engagement as well as burnout and its potential predictors was developed and distributed to 1,760 veterinarians who graduated in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2009 (response rate 41%, of which 73% were females). An intervention aiming at increasing personal resources was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods. The intervention was designed so that participants could set their own learning objectives toward which they could work during a yearlong multimodular program. The results show that gender and the number of years after graduation have a small effect on exhaustion resulting in 16% of the veterinarians (18% for females) meeting the criteria for burnout in the first 5 years after graduation. Thirteen percent of respondents could be classified as being highly engaged. While burnout resulted mostly from job characteristics (demands and resources), work engagement resulted mostly from job resources and personal resources. Personal resources appear to have an important mediating and initiating role in work engagement and performance. Self-reported ratings of reflective behavior, proactive behavior, and self-efficacy were significantly increased after a yearlong resources development program. Practical implications are discussed.

The clubhouse as an empowering setting.

PubMed

Mowbray, Carol T; Lewandowski, Lisa; Holter, Mark; Bybee, Deborah

2006-08-01

Attention to psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) practice has expanded in recent years. However, social work research studies on PSR are not numerous. This study focuses on operational characteristics of clubhouses, a major PSR program model, and the organizational attributes (including resource levels) that predict the extent to which the clubhouse constitutes an empowering setting. The authors present data from a statewide sample of 30 clubhouses, annually serving nearly 4,000 consumers (adults with serious mental illnesses), based on interviews of clubhouse directors, on-site observations, and government information sources. Results indicate that users were predominantly male, white, and middle age; about one-third had a major functional disability. There were wide variations in member characteristics as well as in resource levels. In terms of empowerment, this sample of clubs averaged rather low levels of member involvement in governance and operations but seemed to provide members with opportunities and assistance in making their own decisions. The empowerment variables had different predictors, including client characteristics, urban-related characteristics, staffing, and resource levels. Implications for social work practice in PSR settings are discussed.

Food for contagion: synthesis and future directions for studying host-parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments.

PubMed

Altizer, Sonia; Becker, Daniel J; Epstein, Jonathan H; Forbes, Kristian M; Gillespie, Thomas R; Hall, Richard J; Hawley, Dana M; Hernandez, Sonia M; Martin, Lynn B; Plowright, Raina K; Satterfield, Dara A; Streicker, Daniel G

2018-05-05

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common and have profound consequences for wildlife-pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) interspecific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modelling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human-wildlife conflicts over shared food resources and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Environmental ethics and professional practice: A case study of an environmental challenge for century 2000

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

Malone, C.

1995-12-01

Objective resolution of environmental issues involves questions of facts and values, and, for environmental issues to be resolved ethically, a proper synthesis of environmental facts with questions of ethics must occur. In this case study, the proposal by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to use the Yucca Mountain site in southwest Nevada as a deep geologic repository for the permanent disposal of the nation`s high-level nuclear waste is examined in part in the context of the {open_quotes}Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Environmental Professionals{close_quotes} adopted by the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). Current plans are thatmore » a repository at the Yucca Mountain site would begin functioning in 2010 and would be sealed after about 150 years. The requirement that a geologic repository must isolate nuclear waste from the environment for at least 10,000 years poses unique challenges to environmental professionals. This case study also analyzes the challenges in terms of the implications of a new federal Executive Order on Ecosystem Management and corresponding internal orders within all federal agencies to conform to the Executive Order. The imposition of the principles and practices of ecosystem-based resource management on federal agencies provides an opportunity to also address, in the context of the DOE Yucca Mountain Project, (1) the ecosystem approach to environmental management, (2) concepts of holistic resource management planning, and (3) the concepts of sustainability and biodiversity. Within this framework there are important implications for environmental ethics and professional practice that must remain at the forefront of concerns of the NAEP over the next two decades.« less

A microcosting study of immunogenicity and tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitor drug level tests for therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical practice.

PubMed

Jani, Meghna; Gavan, Sean; Chinoy, Hector; Dixon, William G; Harrison, Beverley; Moran, Andrew; Barton, Anne; Payne, Katherine

2016-12-01

To identify and quantify resource required and associated costs for implementing TNF-α inhibitor (TNFi) drug level and anti-drug antibody (ADAb) tests in UK rheumatology practice. A microcosting study, assuming the UK National Health Service perspective, identified the direct medical costs associated with providing TNFi drug level and ADAb testing in clinical practice. Resource use and costs per patient were identified via four stages: identification of a patient pathway with resource implications; estimation of the resources required; identification of the cost per unit of resource (2015 prices); and calculation of the total costs per patient. Univariate and multiway sensitivity analyses were performed using the variation in resource use and unit costs. Total costs for TNFi drug level and concurrent ADAb testing, assessed using ELISAs on trough serum levels, were £152.52/patient (range: £147.68-159.24) if 40 patient samples were tested simultaneously. For the base-case analysis, the pre-testing phase incurred the highest costs, which included booking an additional appointment to acquire trough blood samples. The additional appointment was the key driver of costs per patient (67% of the total cost), and labour accounted for 10% and consumables 23% of the total costs. Performing ELISAs once per patient (rather than in duplicate) reduced the total costs to £133.78/patient. This microcosting study is the first assessing the cost of TNFi drug level and ADAb testing. The results could be used in subsequent cost-effectiveness analyses of TNFi pharmacological tests to target treatments and inform future policy recommendations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.

Healthcare reforms: implications for the education and training of acute and critical care nurses.

PubMed

Glen, S

2004-12-01

This paper offers a wide ranging analysis of the drivers that resulted in scrutiny of medical, nursing, and healthcare professional roles. It suggests that what is needed is a coherent vision of the future shape of the health workforce. This requires moving beyond the presumption that reforming working practices primarily involves "delegating doctors" responsibilities to nurses. The paper argues that it is self evident that the implications of changes in healthcare roles and the ability of existing professionals to function effectively in the future will require education, training, and human resource investment supportive of the changes. It suggests a clear definition of competence and a national standard to practice is essential for nurses working in acute and acute critical settings. There should therefore be a correlation between levels of practice, levels of education, and remuneration. Furthermore, education programmes for senior nurses should sit coherently alongside the education programmes required by Modernising Medical Careers. Finally, the realisation of the government's service and modernisation agenda will require a culture change within higher education institutions, postgraduate deaneries, professional organisations, workforce development confederations, and NHS trusts.

The Napoleon Complex: When Shorter Men Take More.

PubMed

Knapen, Jill E P; Blaker, Nancy M; Van Vugt, Mark

2018-05-01

Inspired by an evolutionary psychological perspective on the Napoleon complex, we hypothesized that shorter males are more likely to show indirect aggression in resource competitions with taller males. Three studies provide support for our interpretation of the Napoleon complex. Our pilot study shows that men (but not women) keep more resources for themselves when they feel small. When paired with a taller male opponent (Study 1), shorter men keep more resources to themselves in a game in which they have all the power (dictator game) versus a game in which the opponent also has some power (ultimatum game). Furthermore, shorter men are not more likely to show direct, physical aggression toward a taller opponent (Study 2). As predicted by the Napoleon complex, we conclude that (relatively) shorter men show greater behavioral flexibility in securing resources when presented with cues that they are physically less competitive. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Textbooks on tap: using electronic books housed in handheld devices in nursing clinical courses.

PubMed

Williams, Margaret G; Dittmer, Arlis

2009-01-01

Changing technology is creating new ways to approach nursing education and practice. Beginning in 2003, using a quasi-experimental design, this project introduced personal digital assistants (PDAs) as a clinical tool to five experimental and control groups of students and faculty. The handheld device, or PDA, was loaded with e-books for clinical practice. Differences in learning styles and preferences emerged during the different phases of the study. Students were quickly able to master the technology and use the device effectively, reporting that they liked the concise nature of the information obtained. No students expressed dissatisfaction or regret at being in the experimental group. Results and implications for clinical practice, education, and library resources are discussed.

A Qualitative Investigation of Practicing Psychologists' Attitudes Toward Research-Informed Practice: Implications for Dissemination Strategies

PubMed Central

Stewart, Rebecca E.; Stirman, Shannon Wiltsey; Chambless, Dianne L.

2012-01-01

This article presents the results of a qualitative analysis of interviews with 25 psychologists in independent practice, investigating everyday treatment decisions and attitudes about treatment outcome research and empirically supported treatments (ESTs). Clinicians noted positive aspects about treatment outcome research, such as being interested in what works. However, they had misgivings about the application of controlled research findings to their practices, were skeptical about using manualized protocols, and expressed concern that nonpsychologists would use EST lists to dictate practice. Clinicians reported practicing in an eclectic framework, and many reported including cognitive-behavioral elements in their practice. To improve their practice, they reported valuing clinical experience, peer networks, practitioner-oriented books, and continuing education when it was not too basic. Time and financial barriers concerned nearly all participants. Clinicians suggested they might be interested in ESTs if they could integrate them into their current frameworks, and if resources for learning ESTs were improved. PMID:22654246

An institutional analysis of HIV prevention efforts by the nation's outpatient drug abuse treatment units.

PubMed

D'Aunno, T; Vaughn, T E; McElroy, P

1999-06-01

Drawing from an institutional-theory perspective on innovations in organizations, this paper examines the use of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention practices by the nation's outpatient substance abuse treatment units during a critical period from 1988 to 1995. An institutional perspective argues that organizations adopt new practices not only for technical reasons, but also because external actors actively promote or model the use of particular practices. We examine the extent to which treatment units use several practices to prevent HIV infection among their clients and among drug-users not in treatment. Results from random-effects regression analyses of national survey data show that treatment units significantly increased their use of HIV prevention practices from 1988 to 1995. Further, the results show that treatment units' use of prevention practices was related to clients' risk for HIV infection, unit resources available to support these practices, and organizational support for the practices. Implications are discussed for an institutional view of organizational innovation as well as for research on HIV prevention.

Changing landowners, changing ecosystem? Land-ownership motivations as drivers of land management practices.

PubMed

Sorice, Michael G; Kreuter, Urs P; Wilcox, Bradford P; Fox, William E

2014-01-15

Motivations for owning rural land are shifting from an agricultural-production orientation to a preference for natural and cultural amenities. Resultant changes in land management have significant implications for the type and distribution of landscape-level disturbances that affect the delivery of ecosystem services. We examined the relationship between motivations for owning land and the implementation of conservation land management practices by landowners in the Southern Great Plains of the United States. Using a mail survey, we classified landowners into three groups: agricultural production, multiple-objective, and lifestyle-oriented. Cross tabulations of landowner group with past, current, and future use of 12 different land management practices (related to prescribed grazing, vegetation management, restoration, and water management) found that lifestyle-oriented landowners were overall less likely to adopt these practices. To the degree that the cultural landscape of rural lands transitions from production-oriented to lifestyle-oriented landowners, the ecological landscape and the associated flow of ecosystem services will likely change. This poses new challenges to natural resource managers regarding education, outreach, and policy; however, a better understanding about the net ecological consequences of lower rates of adoption of conservation management practices requires consideration of the ecological tradeoffs associated with the changing resource dependency of rural landowners. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implications for Advanced Nursing Practice in the Use of Therapeutic Touch.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

care units, where reliance on machines and technology have isolated and depersonalized patients. Before the boon of technology in health care, so...adjunctive therapies. Meehan (1990) recommends TT be taught as part of undergraduate or graduate nursing curricula or in a continuing education program of...staff (ANA, 1986). The CNS may serve as a resource person, preceptor and role model to staff Therapeutic Touch 47 nurses and nursing students , or member

High-performance workplace practices in nursing homes: an economic perspective.

PubMed

Bishop, Christine E

2014-02-01

To develop implications for research, practice and policy, selected economics and human resources management research literature was reviewed to compare and contrast nursing home culture change work practices with high-performance human resource management systems in other industries. The organization of nursing home work under culture change has much in common with high-performance work systems, which are characterized by increased autonomy for front-line workers, self-managed teams, flattened supervisory hierarchy, and the aspiration that workers use specific knowledge gained on the job to enhance quality and customization. However, successful high-performance work systems also entail intensive recruitment, screening, and on-going training of workers, and compensation that supports selective hiring and worker commitment; these features are not usual in the nursing home sector. Thus despite many parallels with high-performance work systems, culture change work systems are missing essential elements: those that require higher compensation. If purchasers, including public payers, were willing to pay for customized, resident-centered care, productivity gains could be shared with workers, and the nursing home sector could move from a low-road to a high-road employment system.

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario.

PubMed

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Faulkner, Dan

2016-12-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO's alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed.

Barriers and facilitators of care for diverse patients: Nurse leader perspectives and nurse manager implications.

PubMed

Ogbolu, Yolanda; Scrandis, Debra A; Fitzpatrick, Grace

2018-01-01

To examine chief nurse executives' perspectives on: (1) the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services in hospitals and (2) to identify barriers and facilitators associated with the implementation of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Hospitals continue to face challenges providing care to diverse patients. The uptake of standards related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services into clinical practice is sluggish, despite potential benefits, including reducing health disparities, patient errors, readmissions and improving patient experiences. A qualitative study with chief nurse executives from one eastern United States (US). Data were analysed using content analysis. Seven themes emerged: (1) lack of awareness of resources for health care organisations; (2) constrained cultural competency training; (3) suboptimal resources (cost and time); (4) mutual understanding; (5) limited workplace diversity; (6) community outreach programmes; and (7) the management of unvoiced patient expectations. As the American population diversifies, providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services remains a priority for nurse leaders. Being aware and utilizing the resources, policies and best practices available for the implementation of culturally and linguistically appropriate services can assist nursing managers in reaching their goals of providing high quality care to diverse populations. Nurse managers are key in aligning the unit's resources with organisational goals related to the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate services by providing the operational leadership to eliminate barriers and to enhance the uptake of best practices related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Psychiatrists' follow-up of identified metabolic risk: a mixed-method analysis of outcomes and influences on practice.

PubMed

Patterson, Sue; Freshwater, Kathleen; Goulter, Nicole; Ewing, Julie; Leamon, Boyd; Choudhary, Anand; Moudgil, Vikas; Emmerson, Brett

2016-10-01

Aims and method To describe and explain psychiatrists' responses to metabolic abnormalities identified during screening. We carried out an audit of clinical records to assess rates of monitoring and follow-up practice. Semi-structured interviews with 36 psychiatrists followed by descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Metabolic abnormalities were identified in 76% of eligible patients screened. Follow-up, recorded for 59%, was variable but more likely with four or more abnormalities. Psychiatrists endorse guidelines but ambivalence about responsibility, professional norms, resource constraints and skills deficits as well as patient factors influences practice. Therapeutic optimism and desire to be a 'good doctor' supported comprehensive follow-up. Clinical implications Psychiatrists are willing to attend to physical healthcare, and obstacles to recommended practice are surmountable. Psychiatrists seek consensus among stakeholders about responsibilities and a systemic approach addressing the social determinants of health inequities. Understanding patients' expectations is critical to promoting best practice.

Teaching Evidence-Based Practice across Curricula-An Overview of a Professional Development Course for Occupational Therapy Educators.

PubMed

Daly, Marta M; DeAngelis, Tina M

2017-01-01

A professional development course for occupational therapy educators about teaching evidence-based practice (EBP) was developed and piloted. The course was developed to promote increased awareness of resources and methods for teaching EBP that are applicable across entry-level curricula. Participants included full-time faculty (n = 7) from one entry-level occupational therapy program in the New York City area. The results of the pilot informed refinement of the course in preparation for delivery to a wider audience of educators. This paper provides a description of the course, results of the pilot, and implications for future delivery of the course.

Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior.

PubMed

Warner, Laura A; Lamm, Alexa J; Rumble, Joy N; Martin, Emmett T; Cantrell, Randall

2016-08-01

Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users (N = 1,063): the water considerate majority (n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists (n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users (n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

From Strategy to Action: How Top Managers’ Support Increases Middle Managers’ Commitment to Innovation Implementation in Healthcare Organizations

PubMed Central

Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Weiner, Bryan J.; Chin, Marshall H.; Chiu, Michael; Schaefer, Cynthia T.

2014-01-01

Background Evidence suggests that top managers’ support influences middle managers’ commitment to innovation implementation. What remains unclear is how top managers’ support influences middle managers’ commitment. Results may be used to improve dismal rates of innovation implementation. Methods We used a mixed-method sequential design. We surveyed (n = 120) and interviewed (n = 16) middle managers implementing an innovation intended to reduce health disparities in 120 US health centers to assess whether top managers’ support influences middle managers’ commitment directly, by allocating implementation policies and practices, or by moderating the influence of implementation policies and practices on middle managers’ commitment. For quantitative analyses, multivariable regression assessed direct and moderated effects; a mediation model assessed mediating effects. We used template analysis to assess qualitative data. Findings We found support for each hypothesized relationship: Results suggest that top managers increase middle managers’ commitment by directly conveying to middle managers that innovation implementation is an organizational priority (β = 0.37, p = 0.09); allocating implementation policies and practices including performance reviews, human resources, training, and funding (bootstrapped estimate for performance reviews = 0.09; 95 percent CI: 0.03, 0.17); and encouraging middle managers to leverage performance reviews and human resources to achieve innovation implementation. Practice Implications Top managers can demonstrate their support by directly conveying to middle managers that an initiative is an organizational priority, allocating implementation policies and practices such as human resources and funding to facilitate innovation implementation, and convincing middle managers that innovation implementation is possible using available implementation policies and practices. Middle managers may maximize the influence of top managers’ support on their commitment by communicating with top managers about what kind of support would be most effective in increasing their commitment to innovation implementation. PMID:24566252

Provider-agency fit in substance abuse treatment organizations: implications for learning climate, morale, and evidence-based practice implementation.

PubMed

Ramsey, Alex T; van den Berk-Clark, Carissa

2015-05-12

Substance abuse agencies have been slow to adopt and implement evidence-based practices (EBPs), due in part to poor provider morale and organizational climates that are not conducive to successful learning and integration of these practices. Person-organization fit theory suggests that alignment, or fit, between provider- and agency-level characteristics regarding the implementation of EBPs may influence provider morale and organizational learning climate and, thus, implementation success. The current study hypothesized that discrepancies, or lack of fit, between provider- and agency-level contextual factors would negatively predict provider morale and organizational learning climate, outcomes shown to be associated with successful EBP implementation. Direct service providers (n = 120) from four substance abuse treatment agencies responded to a survey involving provider morale, organizational learning climate, agency expectations for EBP use, agency resources for EBP use, and provider attitudes towards EBP use. Difference scores between combinations of provider- and agency-level factors were computed to model provider-agency fit. Quadratic regression analyses were conducted to more adequately and comprehensively model the level of the dependent variables across the entire "fit continuum". Discrepancies, or misfit, between agency expectations and provider attitudes and between agency resources and provider attitudes were associated with poorer provider morale and weaker organizational learning climate. For all hypotheses, the curvilinear model of provider-agency discrepancies significantly predicted provider morale and organizational learning climate, indicating that both directions of misfit (provider factors more favorable than agency factors, and vice-versa) were detrimental to morale and climate. However, outcomes were most negative when providers viewed EBPs favorably, but perceived that agency expectations and resources were less supportive of EBP use. The current research benefits from a strong theoretical framework, consistent findings, and significant practical implications for substance abuse treatment agencies. Comprehensive attempts to strengthen outcomes related to EBP implementation must consider both provider- and agency-level characteristics regarding EBP use. Organizational efforts to more closely align provider attitudes and agency priorities will likely constitute a key strategy in fostering the implementation of EBPs in substance abuse treatment organizations.

Reflections on the ethics of recruiting foreign-trained human resources for health

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Developed countries' gains in health human resources (HHR) from developing countries with significantly lower ratios of health workers have raised questions about the ethics or fairness of recruitment from such countries. By attracting and/or facilitating migration for foreign-trained HHR, notably those from poorer, less well-resourced nations, recruitment practices and policies may be compromising the ability of developing countries to meet the health care needs of their own populations. Little is known, however, about actual recruitment practices. In this study we focus on Canada (a country with a long reliance on internationally trained HHR) and recruiters working for Canadian health authorities. Methods We conducted interviews with health human resources recruiters employed by Canadian health authorities to describe their recruitment practices and perspectives and to determine whether and how they reflect ethical considerations. Results and discussion We describe the methods that recruiters used to recruit foreign-trained health professionals and the systemic challenges and policies that form the working context for recruiters and recruits. HHR recruiters' reflections on the global flow of health workers from poorer to richer countries mirror much of the content of global-level discourse with regard to HHR recruitment. A predominant market discourse related to shortages of HHR outweighed discussions of human rights and ethical approaches to recruitment policy and action that consider global health impacts. Conclusions We suggest that the concept of corporate social responsibility may provide a useful approach at the local organizational level for developing policies on ethical recruitment. Such local policies and subsequent practices may inform public debate on the health equity implications of the HHR flows from poorer to richer countries inherent in the global health worker labour market, which in turn could influence political choices at all government and health system levels. PMID:21251293

Reflections on the ethics of recruiting foreign-trained human resources for health.

PubMed

Runnels, Vivien; Labonté, Ronald; Packer, Corinne

2011-01-20

Developed countries' gains in health human resources (HHR) from developing countries with significantly lower ratios of health workers have raised questions about the ethics or fairness of recruitment from such countries. By attracting and/or facilitating migration for foreign-trained HHR, notably those from poorer, less well-resourced nations, recruitment practices and policies may be compromising the ability of developing countries to meet the health care needs of their own populations. Little is known, however, about actual recruitment practices. In this study we focus on Canada (a country with a long reliance on internationally trained HHR) and recruiters working for Canadian health authorities. We conducted interviews with health human resources recruiters employed by Canadian health authorities to describe their recruitment practices and perspectives and to determine whether and how they reflect ethical considerations. We describe the methods that recruiters used to recruit foreign-trained health professionals and the systemic challenges and policies that form the working context for recruiters and recruits. HHR recruiters' reflections on the global flow of health workers from poorer to richer countries mirror much of the content of global-level discourse with regard to HHR recruitment. A predominant market discourse related to shortages of HHR outweighed discussions of human rights and ethical approaches to recruitment policy and action that consider global health impacts. We suggest that the concept of corporate social responsibility may provide a useful approach at the local organizational level for developing policies on ethical recruitment. Such local policies and subsequent practices may inform public debate on the health equity implications of the HHR flows from poorer to richer countries inherent in the global health worker labour market, which in turn could influence political choices at all government and health system levels.

Measuring Return on Investment for Professional Development Activities: Implications for Practice.

PubMed

Opperman, Cathleen; Liebig, Debra; Bowling, Judith; Johnson, Carol Susan; Harper, Mary

2016-01-01

What is the return on investment (ROI) for the time and resources spent for professional development activities? This is Part 2 of a two-part series to report findings and demonstrate how financial analysis of educational activities can drive decision-making. The resources consumed for professional development activities need to be identified and quantified to be able to determine the worth of such activities. This article defines terms and formulas for financial analysis for nursing professional development practitioners to use in analysis of their own programs. Three fictitious examples of common nursing professional development learning activities are provided with financial analysis. This article presents the "how to" for the busy practitioner.

Interorganizational networks: fundamental to the Accreditation Canada program.

PubMed

Mitchell, Jonathan I; Nicklin, Wendy; MacDonald, Bernadette

2014-01-01

Within the Canadian healthcare system, the term population-accountable health network defines the use of collective resources to optimize the health of a population through integrated interventions. The leadership of these networks has also been identified as a critical factor, highlighting the need for creative management of resources in determining effective, balanced sets of interventions. In this article, using specific principles embedded in the Accreditation Canada program, the benefits of a network approach are highlighted, including knowledge sharing, improving the consistency of practice through standards, and a broader systems-and-population view of healthcare delivery across the continuum of care. The implications for Canadian health leaders to leverage the benefits of interorganizational networks are discussed.

Too drained to help: a resource depletion perspective on daily interpersonal citizenship behaviors.

PubMed

Trougakos, John P; Beal, Daniel J; Cheng, Bonnie Hayden; Hideg, Ivona; Zweig, David

2015-01-01

This article explores the role of within-person fluctuations in employees' daily surface acting and subsequent personal energy resources in the performance of organizational citizenship behaviors directed toward other individuals in the workplace (OCBI). Drawing on ego depletion theory (Muraven & Baumeister, 2000), we develop a resource-based model in which surface acting is negatively associated with daily OCBIs through the depletion of resources manifested in end-of-day exhaustion. Further integrating ego depletion theory, we consider the role of employees' baseline personal resource pool, as indicated by chronic exhaustion, as a critical between-person moderator of these within-person relationships. Using an experience-sampling methodology to test this model, we found that surface acting was indirectly related to coworker ratings of OCBI through the experience of exhaustion. We further found that chronic levels of exhaustion exacerbated the influence of surface acting on employees' end-of-day exhaustion. These findings demonstrate the importance of employees' regulatory resource pool for combating depletion and maintaining important work behaviors. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

The voices of grandchildren of grandparent caregivers: a strengths-resilience perspective.

PubMed

Sands, Roberta G; Goldberg-Glen, Robin S; Shin, Heajong

2009-01-01

This paper presents the perspectives of grandchildren who are cared for by 20 grandparents or great-grandparents. It is based on videotaped family interviews that were analyzed qualitatively, and it shows how the grandchildren portray their parents and how they talk about their grandparents, as well as the grandchildren's strengths and resources. This inquiry demonstrates the nature of the grandchildren's attachments to their grandparents and their resilience. Implications for child welfare practice are identified.

The difference biocultural "place" makes to community efforts towards sustainable development: Youth participatory action research in a marine protected area of Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McRuer, Jennifer; Zethelius, Margarita

2017-12-01

The Latin American concept of "(collective) biocultural heritage" arose from Indigenous knowledge and practices with respect to local natural resources and environment, including the food being hunted, the crops being grown, and the landscapes being created. The term is now used more widely to describe community practices, goals and priorities that are determined, maintained and managed by diverse cultural relationships with "place". The study presented in this article investigated biocultural place relationships in connection with well-being and sustainability. In the context of learning and action for sustainability in Isla Grande, an island in a marine protected area of Colombia, this study targeted the significance of place to the everyday lives of Afro-Colombian youth - from their perspective. Beyond aiming to merely observe and collect data, the methodology included a research design which actively involved local youth and incorporated the aspect of place. The authors describe and reflect on the processes, learning and action that emerged throughout the research, as well as the study's limitations. They discuss broad implications in terms of how place relationships influence research, and how research influences place relationships. Local implications include supporting the voice of youth in community efforts to re-imagine and transform place relationships in response to critical place issues such as climate change, top-down resource management, privatisation, commodification and growing environmental injustice.

Changing the Publication Culture From "Nice to Do" to "Need to Do": Implications for Nurse Leaders in Acute Care Settings.

PubMed

Tyndall, Deborah E; Caswell, Nicole I

2017-01-01

Nurses in clinical settings often generate innovative practice ideas to inform their practice and improve patient outcomes. Yet, few publish and share these innovations with a wider audience. Barriers impeding clinical nurses from writing for publication include discomfort with writing, lack of time, and scarce resources. A qualitative study was designed to determine obstacles and facilitators to writing for publication. Interviews were conducted with five clinical nurses who had recently published in peer-reviewed journals. Three themes emerged from the data: culture of "nice to do," personal motivation, and writing experiences. Findings from the study offer implications for nurse leaders to help increase publication efforts by clinical nurses in acute care settings. Nurse leaders can promote publication by clinical nurses through three main strategies: create a culture that supports publication, offer incentives to motivate nurses to publish and reward those who do publish, and provide writing experiences that facilitate writing for publication. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The use of mobile devices as assistive technology in resource-limited environments: access for learners with visual impairments in Kenya.

PubMed

Foley, Alan R; Masingila, Joanna O

2015-07-01

In this paper, the authors explore the use of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. This paper provides initial data and analysis from an ongoing project in Kenya using tablet devices to provide access to education and independence for university students with visual impairments in Kenya. The project is a design-based research project in which we have developed and are refining a theoretically grounded intervention--a model for developing communities of practice to support the use of mobile technology as an assistive technology. We are collecting data to assess the efficacy and improve the model as well as inform the literature that has guided the design of the intervention. In examining the impact of the use of mobile devices for the students with visual impairments, we found that the devices provide the students with (a) access to education, (b) the means to participate in everyday life and (c) the opportunity to create a community of practice. Findings from this project suggest that communities of practice are both a viable and a valuable approach for facilitating the diffusion and support of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. Implications for Rehabilitation The use of mobile devices as assistive technology in resource-limited environments provides students with visual impairments access to education and enhanced means to participate in everyday life. Communities of practice are both a viable and a valuable approach for facilitating the diffusion and support of mobile devices as assistive technology for students with visual impairments in resource-limited environments. Providing access to assistive technology early and consistently throughout students' schooling builds both their skill and confidence and also demonstrates the capabilities of people with visual impairments to the larger society.

Walking the talk: insights into dynamics of race and gender for nurses.

PubMed

Choiniere, Jacqueline A; MacDonnell, Judith; Shamonda, Hope

2010-11-01

This article explores how the dynamics of violence and support for nurses are influenced by the intersections of race, gender, and other social relations in various practice settings. Utilizing a qualitative study design, situated in the naturalistic and critical paradigms, this article is grounded in the experiences of key informants (KIs), each possessing significant expertise on issues of equity and violence, as well as insight into the current practice settings in Ontario, Canada. The individual KI interviews were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis, with its focus on capturing emerging insights. The findings reflect the everyday nature of gendered and racialized violence, the influence of setting and the effectiveness of existing resources. Professional, organizational, and broader policy implications are discussed to support diversely situated nurses within their various practice environments.

Women who abuse their children: implications for pediatric practice.

PubMed

Rosen, B; Stein, M T

1980-10-01

Parents who abuse their children may not accept traditional therapy but may be influenced by the child's primary care physician. A comparative study of abusive and nonabusive mothers showed abusers to have lower self-concept and higher self-concept incongruence and inconsistency than nonabusers. They were also found to value authority over others more, and conformity and benevolence less, than nonabusers. Practically applied, the data lead the pediatrician to an educative and supportive role in which he or she may enhance self-esteem and lower unrealistic expectations in the course of treating the child. In addition, there seems to be a need to develop access to support groups, day care, and other avenues for the mother's personal growth. This may be done either within a pediatric practice or through liaison with community resources.

Divorce is a part of my life... resilience, survival, and vulnerability: young adults' perception of the implications of parental divorce.

PubMed

Eldar-Avidan, Dorit; Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M; Greenbaum, Charles W

2009-01-01

A qualitative study among 22 young adults (20-25 years old) whose parents divorced during their childhood was conducted in Israel, using semi-structured, in-depth, open-ended interviews. Qualitative data analysis led to identification of three profiles, aiming at a grounded theoretical conceptualization. Three core themes were identified: the centrality of the family; short- and long-term implications of parental divorce and its relations to supportive coping resources; and perspective at young adulthood. Further analysis led to typifying participants by three profiles, which represent the grounded theoretical conceptualizations: resilience, survival, and vulnerability. The most prominent difference among the profiles was the relationships between participants and their parents, and their perception of ongoing parental responsibility. A thorough discussion of the results and their implications for future research, theory development, and practice are presented.

Towards integration of health economics into medical education and clinical practice in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Da'ar, Omar B; Al Shehri, Ali M

2015-04-01

In an era of expanding health sectors and rising costs, doctors are expected to have a working knowledge of health economics to better use resources and improve outcomes and quality of health care. This article recognizes the dearth of knowledge and application of economic analyses in medical education and clinical practice in Saudi Arabia. In particular, it highlights the desirability of knowledge of health economics in ensuring certain competencies in medical education and the rationale for inviting doctors to apply knowledge of economics in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the article discusses challenges that hinder integrating health economics into clinical practice. Furthermore, the article typifies some of the important economic phenomena that physicians need to discern. Besides, the article provides implications for incorporating economic analysis into medical education and clinical practice in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the article concludes by demonstrating how health economics can enhance doctors' knowledge and recommends the country to move towards integrating health economics into medical education and clinical practice for best practice.

Interprofessional collaborative practice incorporating training for alcohol and drug use screening for healthcare providers in rural areas.

PubMed

Puskar, Kathy; Mitchell, Ann M; Albrecht, Susan A; Frank, Linda R; Kane, Irene; Hagle, Holly; Lindsay, Dawn; Lee, Heeyoung; Fioravanti, Marie; Talcott, Kimberly S

2016-07-01

Interprofessional collaborative practice expands resources in rural and underserved communities. This article explores the impact of an online education programme on the perceptions of healthcare providers about interprofessional care within alcohol and drug use screening for rural residents. Nurses, behavioural health counsellors, and public health professionals participated in an evidence-based practice (screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment-SBIRT) model that targets individuals who use alcohol and other drugs in a risky manner. SBIRT is recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force as a universal, evidence-based screening tool. Online modules, case simulation practice, and interprofessional dialogues are used to deliver practice-based learning experiences. A quasi-experimental method with pre-tests and post-tests was utilised. Results indicate increased perceptions of professional competence, need for cooperation, actual cooperation, and role values pre-to-post training. Implications suggest that online interprofessional education is useful but the added component of professional dialogues regarding patient cases offers promise in promoting collaborative practice.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Clinical Practices for Patients With Dementia Among Mental Health Providers in China: City and Town Differences.

PubMed

Hsiao, Hsin-Yi; Liu, Zhaorui; Xu, Ling; Huang, Yueqin; Chi, Iris

2016-01-01

Mental health providers are the major resource families rely on when experiencing the effects of dementia. However, mental health resources and manpower are inadequate and unevenly distributed between cities and towns in China. This study was conducted to examine similarities and differences in knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices concerning dementia and working with family caregivers from mental health providers' perspectives in city versus town settings. Data were collected during focus group discussions with 40 mental health providers in the Xicheng (city) and Daxing (town) districts in Beijing, China in 2011. Regional disparities between providers' knowledge of early diagnosis of dementia and related counseling skills were identified. Regional similarities included training needs, dementia-related stigma, and low awareness of dementia among family caregivers. Culturally sensitive education specific to dementia for mental health providers and a specialized dementia care model for people with dementia and their family caregivers are urgently needed. Implications for geriatric practitioners and educators are discussed.

Opportunities and challenges for public libraries to enhance community resilience.

PubMed

Veil, Shari R; Bishop, Bradley Wade

2014-04-01

This study bridges a gap between public library and emergency management policy versus practice by examining the role of public libraries in the community resource network for disaster recovery. Specifically, this study identifies the opportunities and challenges for public libraries to fulfill their role as a FEMA-designated essential community organization and enhance community resilience. The results indicate there are several opportunities for libraries to enhance community resilience by offering technology resources and assistance; providing office, meeting, and community living room space; serving as the last redundant communication channel and a repository for community information and disaster narratives; and adapting or expanding services already offered to meet the changing needs of the community. However, libraries also face challenges in enhancing community resilience, including the temptation to overcommit library capacity and staff capability beyond the library mission and a lack of long-term disaster plans and collaboration with emergency managers and government officials. Implications for library and emergency management practice and crisis research are discussed. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

An index-based approach for the sustainability assessment of irrigation practice based on the water-energy-food nexus framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vito, Rossella; Portoghese, Ivan; Pagano, Alessandro; Fratino, Umberto; Vurro, Michele

2017-12-01

Increasing pressure affects water resources, especially in the agricultural sector, with cascading impacts on energy consumption. This is particularly relevant in the Mediterranean area, showing significant water scarcity problems, further exacerbated by the crucial economic role of agricultural production. Assessing the sustainability of water resource use is thus essential to preserving ecosystems and maintaining high levels of agricultural productivity. This paper proposes an integrated methodology based on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus to evaluate the multi-dimensional implications of irrigation practices. Three different indices are introduced, based on an analysis of the most influential factors. The methodology is then implemented in a catchment located in Puglia (Italy) and a comparative analysis of the three indices is presented. The results mainly highlight that economic land productivity is a key driver of irrigated agriculture, and that groundwater is highly affordable compared to surface water, thus being often dangerously perceived as freely available.

A Framework for Understanding Physics Students' Computational Modeling Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunk, Brandon Robert

With the growing push to include computational modeling in the physics classroom, we are faced with the need to better understand students' computational modeling practices. While existing research on programming comprehension explores how novices and experts generate programming algorithms, little of this discusses how domain content knowledge, and physics knowledge in particular, can influence students' programming practices. In an effort to better understand this issue, I have developed a framework for modeling these practices based on a resource stance towards student knowledge. A resource framework models knowledge as the activation of vast networks of elements called "resources." Much like neurons in the brain, resources that become active can trigger cascading events of activation throughout the broader network. This model emphasizes the connectivity between knowledge elements and provides a description of students' knowledge base. Together with resources resources, the concepts of "epistemic games" and "frames" provide a means for addressing the interaction between content knowledge and practices. Although this framework has generally been limited to describing conceptual and mathematical understanding, it also provides a means for addressing students' programming practices. In this dissertation, I will demonstrate this facet of a resource framework as well as fill in an important missing piece: a set of epistemic games that can describe students' computational modeling strategies. The development of this theoretical framework emerged from the analysis of video data of students generating computational models during the laboratory component of a Matter & Interactions: Modern Mechanics course. Student participants across two semesters were recorded as they worked in groups to fix pre-written computational models that were initially missing key lines of code. Analysis of this video data showed that the students' programming practices were highly influenced by their existing physics content knowledge, particularly their knowledge of analytic procedures. While this existing knowledge was often applied in inappropriate circumstances, the students were still able to display a considerable amount of understanding of the physics content and of analytic solution procedures. These observations could not be adequately accommodated by the existing literature of programming comprehension. In extending the resource framework to the task of computational modeling, I model students' practices in terms of three important elements. First, a knowledge base includes re- sources for understanding physics, math, and programming structures. Second, a mechanism for monitoring and control describes students' expectations as being directed towards numerical, analytic, qualitative or rote solution approaches and which can be influenced by the problem representation. Third, a set of solution approaches---many of which were identified in this study---describe what aspects of the knowledge base students use and how they use that knowledge to enact their expectations. This framework allows us as researchers to track student discussions and pinpoint the source of difficulties. This work opens up many avenues of potential research. First, this framework gives researchers a vocabulary for extending Resource Theory to other domains of instruction, such as modeling how physics students use graphs. Second, this framework can be used as the basis for modeling expert physicists' programming practices. Important instructional implications also follow from this research. Namely, as we broaden the use of computational modeling in the physics classroom, our instructional practices should focus on helping students understand the step-by-step nature of programming in contrast to the already salient analytic procedures.

Learning and change in a community mental health setting.

PubMed

Mancini, Michael A; Miner, Craig S

2013-10-01

This article offers methodological reflections and lessons learned from a three-year university-community partnership that used participatory action research methods to develop and evaluate a model for learning and change. Communities of practice were used to facilitate the translation of recovery-oriented and evidence-based programs into everyday practice at a community mental health agency. Four lessons were drawn from this project. First, the processes of learning and organizational change are complex, slow, and multifaceted. Second, development of leaders and champions is vital to sustained implementation in an era of restricted resources. Third, it is important to have the agency's values, mission, policies, and procedures align with the principles and practices of recovery and integrated treatment. And fourth, effective learning of evidence-based practices is influenced by organizational culture and climate. These four lessons are expanded upon and situated within the broader literature and implications for future research are discussed.

Faculty and Technology: Implications for Faculty Training and Technology Leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keengwe, Jared; Kidd, Terry; Kyei-Blankson, Lydia

2009-02-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting ICT adoption process and the implications for faculty training and technology leadership. Respondents represented a wide range of academic and professional positions. They identified themselves as Assistant, Associate, and Professor as well as Instructional Designer, Director of Technology, Information Manager, eLearning Manager, Assistant Department Chair, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Consultant. The respondents identified Organizational Support, Leadership, Training and Development, and Resources as the predominate themes affecting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption process in higher education. Evidence from this study offers insights on how higher education administrators and technology leaders could help their faculty and staff to implement appropriate ICT tools and practices to improve student learning.

Rural rehabilitation practice: perspectives of occupational therapists and physical therapists in British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Roots, Robin K; Brown, Helen; Bainbridge, Lesley; Li, Linda C

2014-01-01

Providing rehabilitation services to address the health needs of rural residents requires overcoming the challenges of geography, limited referral options and a shortage of occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs). However, little is known about how rehabilitation professionals in rural areas enact their practice to meet and overcome these challenges. To address this gap and contribute to enhancing health for rural residents, this study was designed to explore rural rehabilitation practice from the perspectives of OTs and PTs in rural British Columbia (BC). A purposive sample of OTs and PTs in rural communities (population <15 000) in northern BC was recruited for this qualitative study. Potential participants received an invitation mailed to workplaces and were selected to ensure a variety of work experiences, roles and practice settings. In semi-structured interviews, participants were asked to describe the skills and knowledge they perceived as unique to rural practice and strategies they used to overcome challenges. Guided by interpretive description, transcripts were analysed inductively using broad-level coding, and findings were collapsed into interpretive categories. Interpretations and implications for education, practice and policy were reviewed with participants to ensure relevance to rural practice. From interviews with 6 OTs and 13 PTs, serving a total of 15 rural communities, rehabilitation practice and participants' definition of health were understood to be substantially shaped by rurality or the contextual features of geography, determinants of health and access to services. Participants considered general practice 'a specialty' requiring advanced skills in assessment. They described 'stretching their role' and 'participating in, and partnerships with, community' as ways to overcome resource shortages. Reflective practice, networking and collaboration were deemed essential to maintaining competence. Rural clinical placements, mentoring and improving access to continuing professional development were regarded as central to the recruitment and retention required to sustain optimal levels of service to residents. The research findings illustrate the unique influence that the rural context has on the practice of OTs and PTs in BC. They underscore the importance of facilitating learning about rural health within professional training programs and of providing accessible professional development resources to address health human resource shortages and meet the rehabilitation needs of rural residents.

Resource regulation by a twig-girdling beetle has implications for desertification

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

1. Resource regulation by insects is the phenomenon by which herbivory enhances resources for the progeny of the herbivore. This report provides an example of resource regulation with implications for desertification in the Chihuahuan Desert of North America. 2. Female Oncideres rhodosticta beetles...

How do health care organizations take on best practices? A scoping literature review.

PubMed

Innis, Jennifer; Dryden-Palmer, Karen; Perreira, Tyrone; Berta, Whitney

2015-12-01

The aims of this scoping literature review are to examine and summarize the organizational-level factors, context, and processes that influence the use of evidence-based practice in healthcare organizations. A scoping literature review was done to answer the question: What is known from the existing empirical literature about factors, context, and processes that influence the uptake, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practice in healthcare organizations? This review used the Arksey and O'Malley framework to describe findings and to identify gaps in the existing research literature. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to screen studies. Relevant studies published between January 1991 and March 2014 were identified using four electronic databases. Study abstracts were screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Following this screening process, full-text articles were reviewed to determine the eligibility of the studies by the primary author. Eligible studies were then analyzed by coding findings with descriptive labels to distinguish elements that appeared relevant to this literature review. Coding was used to form categories, and these categories led to the development of themes. Thirty studies met the eligibility criteria for this literature review. The themes identified were: the process organizations use to select evidence-based practices for adoption, use of a needs assessment, linkage to the organization's strategic direction, organizational culture, the organization's internal social networks, resources (including education and training, presence of information technology, financial resources, resources for patient care, and staff qualifications), leadership, the presence of champions, standardization of processes, role clarity of staff, and the presence of social capital. Several gaps were identified by this review. There is a lack of research on how evidence-based practices may be sustained by organizations. Most of the research done to date has been cross-sectional. Longitudinal research would give insight into the relationship between organizational characteristics and the uptake, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practice. In addition, although it is clear that financial resources are required to implement evidence-based practice, existing studies contain a lack of detail about the cost of adopting and using new practices. This scoping review contains a number of implications for healthcare administrators, managers, and providers to consider when adopting and implementing evidence-based practices in healthcare organizations.

Teacher Support Resources, Need Satisfaction and Well-Being.

PubMed

Doménech-Betoret, Fernando; Lloret-Segura, Susana; Gómez-Artiga, Amparo

2015-03-03

Based on Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R), this study examines the relationships among teacher support resources, psychological need satisfaction, engagement and burnout in a sample of 282 Spanish secondary school teachers. Nine teacher psychological needs were identified based on the study of Bess and on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Self-report questionnaires were used to measure the constructs selected for this study and their interrelationships were examined by structural equation modeling. The results reveal a good model fit to the data (NNFI = .88; CFI = .90; GFI = .90; RMSEA = .061). The analyses indicate a positive and significant effect of latent variable Psychological Need Satisfaction on engagement (β = .74, p < .05), and a negative and significant effect on burnout (β = -.78, p ≤ .05). Furthermore, the results show the mediator role played by Psychological Need Satisfaction in the relationship between teacher support resources and both engagement and burnout (additional paths did not improve the model fit: Δχ2(2) = 2.428, p = .29). Finally, practical implications of these findings are discussed.

A Three-wave Study of Antecedents of Work-Family Enrichment: The Roles of Social Resources and Affect.

PubMed

Siu, Oi Ling; Bakker, Arnold B; Brough, Paula; Lu, Chang-Qin; Wang, Haijiang; Kalliath, Thomas; O'Driscoll, Michael; Lu, Jiafang; Timms, Carolyn

2015-10-01

On the basis of conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, ) and the resource-gain-development perspective (Wayne, Grzywacz, Carlson, & Kacmar, ), this paper examines the differential impact of specific social resources (supervisory support and family support) on specific types of affect (job satisfaction and family satisfaction, respectively), which, in turn, influence work-to-family enrichment and family-to-work enrichment, respectively. A sample of 276 Chinese workers completed questionnaires in a three-wave survey. The model was tested with structural equation modelling. Job satisfaction at time 2 partially mediated the relationship between time 1 supervisory support and time 3 work-to-family enrichment (capital), and the effect of supervisory support on work-to-family enrichment (affect) was fully mediated by job satisfaction. Family satisfaction at time 2 fully mediated the relationship between time 1 family support and time 3 family-to-work enrichment (affect, efficiency). Implications for theory, practice and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure and Its Impact on Skin Cancer Risk

PubMed Central

Watson, Meg; Holman, Dawn M.; Maguire-Eisen, Maryellen

2016-01-01

Objectives To review research and evidence-based resources on skin cancer prevention and early detection and their importance for oncology nurses. Data Sources Journal articles, federal reports, cancer surveillance data, behavioral surveillance data. Conclusion Most cases of skin cancer are preventable. Survivors of many types of cancer are at increased risk of skin cancers. Implications for Nursing Practice Oncology nurses can play an important role in protecting their patients from future skin cancer morbidity and mortality. PMID:27539279

Peace with the earth: animism and contemplative ways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Heesoon

2015-03-01

In this paper I problematize the modern everyday ontology that categorically separates the animate from the inanimate, showing that such separation has ethical implications that are environmentally devastating. I propose a turn to an animistic ontology and epistemology. Acknowledging the challenge of such turn, I suggest contemplative practices as a way to aid this turn. I engage a variety of literature and resources from Daoism, Buddhism, Appelbaum's work, neuroscientific findings to support my exploration of the connection between animistic perception and contemplative ways.

Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) 11: reporting outcomes of an evidence-driven approach to disinvestment in a local healthcare setting.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Allen, Kelly; Ramsey, Wayne; King, Richard; Green, Sally

2018-05-30

This is the final paper in a thematic series reporting a program of Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) in a local healthcare setting. The SHARE Program was established to explore a systematic, integrated, evidence-based organisation-wide approach to disinvestment in a large Australian health service network. This paper summarises the findings, discusses the contribution of the SHARE Program to the body of knowledge and understanding of disinvestment in the local healthcare setting, and considers implications for policy, practice and research. The SHARE program was conducted in three phases. Phase One was undertaken to understand concepts and practices related to disinvestment and the implications for a local health service and, based on this information, to identify potential settings and methods for decision-making about disinvestment. The aim of Phase Two was to implement and evaluate the proposed methods to determine which were sustainable, effective and appropriate in a local health service. A review of the current literature incorporating the SHARE findings was conducted in Phase Three to contribute to the understanding of systematic approaches to disinvestment in the local healthcare context. SHARE differed from many other published examples of disinvestment in several ways: by seeking to identify and implement disinvestment opportunities within organisational infrastructure rather than as standalone projects; considering disinvestment in the context of all resource allocation decisions rather than in isolation; including allocation of non-monetary resources as well as financial decisions; and focusing on effective use of limited resources to optimise healthcare outcomes. The SHARE findings provide a rich source of new information about local health service decision-making, in a level of detail not previously reported, to inform others in similar situations. Multiple innovations related to disinvestment were found to be acceptable and feasible in the local setting. Factors influencing decision-making, implementation processes and final outcomes were identified; and methods for further exploration, or avoidance, in attempting disinvestment in this context are proposed based on these findings. The settings, frameworks, models, methods and tools arising from the SHARE findings have potential to enhance health care and patient outcomes.

Modelling the resource implications and budget impact of new reimbursement guidelines for the management of cow milk allergy in Finland.

PubMed

Guest, Julian F; Valovirta, Erkka

2008-04-01

To assess the impact of the decision by Kela (The Social Insurance Institution) to adopt guidelines for the management of food allergies in children, developed by the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, as the basis for reimbursing clinical nutrition preparations for the treatment of cow milk allergy (CMA) in Finland. A decision model was constructed using published clinical outcomes and clinician-derived resource utilisation estimates. The model was used to estimate the net resource implications and associated costs of Kela's new policy for the annual cohort of 1443 new CMA sufferers over the first 6 months following referral to a specialist. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of Kela, patients and Finnish society. Kela's new policy for reimbursing clinical nutrition preparations for the treatment of CMA is expected to increase healthcare resource use, including a 10% increase in the number of specialist visits over the first 6 months following referral. Consequently, Kela's 6-monthly expenditure on 1443 new CMA sufferers following referral is expected to increase by 12% from 889,389 euros to 992,761 euros. Additionally, parents' costs are expected to increase by 10% and fathers' absenteeism from work to increase by 11% within the first 6 months following referral. It is important to validate guidelines in clinical practice before their implementation. Within the limitations of our model, Kela's new criteria for reimbursing clinical nutrition preparations for the treatment of CMA is expected to increase healthcare resource use in paediatric departments in public hospitals in Finland and increase costs to Kela, patients and Finnish society.

Mothers' marital adaptation following the birth of twins or singletons: empirical evidence and practical insights.

PubMed

Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Findler, Liora; Bendet, Chaya; Stanger, Varda; Ben-Shlomo, Shirley; Kuint, Jacob

2008-08-01

Parenting twins is typically portrayed as more stressful than is parenting single children and, therefore, more of a strain on the marital relationship. With this in mind, the present study examined the contribution of infant characteristics and mother's internal resources (attachment style) and external resources (maternal and paternal grandmothers' perceived support) to their marital adaptation during the first month following delivery, comparing mothers of twins (n = 88) with mothers of singletons (n = 82). The findings indicate that both internal and external resources contribute to the marital adaptation of the two groups, even beyond the contribution of specific circumstances. Thus, it seems that the birth of twins and the birth of a single child are normative life events that have more in common than previously acknowledged. The implications for the focus of social work interventions, particularly in the case of the birth of twins, are discussed.

Deconstructing Community for Conservation: Why Simple Assumptions are Not Sufficient.

PubMed

Waylen, Kerry Ann; Fischer, Anke; McGowan, Philip J K; Milner-Gulland, E J

2013-01-01

Many conservation policies advocate engagement with local people, but conservation practice has sometimes been criticised for a simplistic understanding of communities and social context. To counter this, this paper explores social structuring and its influences on conservation-related behaviours at the site of a conservation intervention near Pipar forest, within the Seti Khola valley, Nepal. Qualitative and quantitative data from questionnaires and Rapid Rural Appraisal demonstrate how links between groups directly and indirectly influence behaviours of conservation relevance (including existing and potential resource-use and proconservation activities). For low-status groups the harvesting of resources can be driven by others' preference for wild foods, whilst perceptions of elite benefit-capture may cause reluctance to engage with future conservation interventions. The findings reiterate the need to avoid relying on simple assumptions about 'community' in conservation, and particularly the relevance of understanding relationships between groups, in order to understand natural resource use and implications for conservation.

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario

PubMed Central

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina (Tina); Faulkner, Dan

2016-01-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO’s alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed. PMID:28344705

Socio-emotional support in French hospitals: Effects on French nurses' and nurse aides' affective commitment.

PubMed

Ruiller, Caroline; Van Der Heijden, Beatrice I J M

2016-02-01

In spite of the differences in human resource management (HRM) practices between the non-profit health care sector and business life, the majority of health care sector research appears to be based on the HRM (for human resources management) blueprint for business life staff policy and practice. This study is aimed to better understand the impact of workplace social support in the context of French hospitals. Concrete, the first objective of this article comprises a thorough conceptualization and operationalization of workplace social support (i.e. both professional and personal social support). Data were collected in a French hospital among a sample of 62 respondents (for the qualitative part of our study), and among a sample of 171 health care professionals (nurses and nurse aids) (for the quantitative part of our study). Our outcomes indicate that, especially, personal support given by one's supervisor is strongly and positively related to nurses' and nurse aides' affective commitment. After a discussion about the outcomes, followed by some recommendations for future research, the article concludes with some practical implications for management in hospitals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polysemy in the Domain-Specific Pedagogical Use of Graphs in Science Textbooks: The Case of an Electrocardiogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Eijck, Michiel; Goedhart, Martin J.; Ellermeijer, Ton

2011-01-01

Polysemy in graph-related practices is the phenomenon that a single graph can sustain different meanings assigned to it. Considerable research has been done on polysemy in graph-related practices in school science in which graphs are rather used as scientific tools. However, graphs in science textbooks are also used rather pedagogically to illustrate domain-specific textbook content and less empirical work has been done in this respect. The aim of this study is therefore to better understand polysemy in the domain-specific pedagogical use of graphs in science textbooks. From socio-cultural and cultural-historical perspectives, we perceive polysemy as irreducible to either the meaning-making (semiotic) resources provided by the graph or its readers who assign meaning to it. Departing from this framework, we simultaneously investigated: (a) the meanings 44 pre-university biology students assigned to the Cartesian plane of a graph that is commonly used as a pedagogical tool in Dutch high school biology textbooks (an electrocardiogram); (b) the semiotic resources provided by this graph; and (c) the educational practices of which it is supposedly a part according to the actions constituted by the textbooks that were to be conducted by students. Drawing on this case, we show polysemy in the pedagogical use of graphs in science textbooks. In turn, we show how this polysemy can be explained dialectically as the result of both the meaning-making resources provided by the textbooks and the graph-related practices in which students supposedly engaged by using their textbooks. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.

How do United Kingdom (UK) medical schools identify and support undergraduate medical students who ‘fail’ communication assessments? A national survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The doctor’s ability to communicate effectively (with patients, relatives, advocates and healthcare colleagues) relates directly to health outcomes, and so is core to clinical practice. The remediation of medical students’ clinical communication ability is rarely addressed in medical education literature. There is nothing in the current literature reporting a contemporary national picture of how communication difficulties are managed, and the level of consequence (progression implications) for students of performing poorly. This survey aimed to consolidate practices for identifying and processes for managing students who ‘fail’ communication assessments across all UK medical schools. Methods Data were collected via an email survey to all leads for clinical communication in all UK Medical Schools for the UK Council for Clinical Communication in Undergraduate Medical Education. Results All but two participating Schools reported some means of support and/or remediation in communication. There was diversity of approach, and variance in the level of systemisation adopted. Variables such as individuality of curricula, resourcing issues, student cohort size and methodological preferences were implicated as explaining diversity. Support is relatively ad hoc, and often in the hands of a particular dedicated individual or team with an interest in communication delivery with few Schools reporting robust, centralised, school level processes. Conclusions This survey has demonstrated that few Medical Schools have no identifiable system of managing their students’ clinical communication difficulties. However, some Schools reported ad hoc approaches and only a small number had a centralised programme. There is scope for discussion and benchmarking of best practice across all Schools with allocation of appropriate resources to support this. PMID:23834990

Pathway Linking Internet Health Information Seeking to Better Health: A Moderated Mediation Study.

PubMed

Jiang, Shaohai; Street, Richard L

2017-08-01

The Internet increasingly has been recognized as an important medium with respect to population health. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the potential impact of health-related Internet use on health outcomes. Based on the three-stage model of health promotion using interactive media, this study empirically tested a moderated mediation pathway model. Results showed that the effect of Internet health information seeking on three health outcomes (general, emotional, and physical) was completely mediated by respondents' access to social support resources. In addition, users' online health information seeking experience positively moderated this mediation path. The findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for the design of Internet-based health promotion resources to improve health outcomes.

Sustainability in Health care by allocating resources effectively (SHARE) 1: introducing a series of papers reporting an investigation of disinvestment in a local healthcare setting.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Green, Sally; Ramsey, Wayne; Allen, Kelly; King, Richard

2017-05-04

This is the first in a series of papers reporting Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE). The SHARE Program is an investigation of concepts, opportunities, methods and implications for evidence-based investment and disinvestment in health technologies and clinical practices in a local healthcare setting. The papers in this series are targeted at clinicians, managers, policy makers, health service researchers and implementation scientists working in this context. This paper presents an overview of the organisation-wide, systematic, integrated, evidence-based approach taken by one Australian healthcare network and provides an introduction and guide to the suite of papers reporting the experiences and outcomes.

Training hydrologists to be ecohydrologists and play a leading role in environmental problem solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClain, M. E.; Chícharo, L.; Fohrer, N.; Gaviño Novillo, M.; Windhorst, W.; Zalewski, M.

2012-06-01

Ecohydrology is a relatively new and rapidly growing subject area in the hydrology curriculum. It is a trans-disciplinary science derived from the larger earth systems science movement and examining mutual interactions of the hydrological cycle and ecosystems. It is also an applied science focused on problem solving and providing sound guidance to catchment-scale integrated land and water resources management. The principle spheres of ecohydrology include (i) climate-soil-vegetation-groundwater interactions at the land surface with special implications for land use, food production and climate change; (ii) riparian runoff, flooding, and flow regime dynamics in river corridors with special implications for water supply, water quality, and inland fisheries; and (iii) fluvial and groundwater inputs to lakes/reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal zones with special implications for water quality and fisheries. We propose an educational vision focused on the development of professional and personal competencies to impart a depth of scientific knowledge in the theory and practice of ecohydrology and a breadth of cross-cutting knowledge and skills to enable ecohydrologists to effectively collaborate with associated scientists and communicate results to resource managers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders. In-depth knowledge in hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemistry is emphasized, as well as technical skills in data collection, modeling, and statistical analysis. Cross-cutting knowledge is framed in the context of integrated water resources management. Personal competencies to be fostered in educational programs include creative thinking, cooperation, communication, and leadership. We consider a life-long learning context but highlight the importance of master's level training in the professional formation of ecohydrologists.

Training hydrologists to be ecohydrologists and play a leading role in environmental problem solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClain, M. E.; Chícharo, L.; Fohrer, N.; Gaviño Novillo, M.; Windhorst, W.; Zalewski, M.

2012-02-01

Ecohydrology is a relatively new and rapidly growing subject area in the hydrology curriculum. It is a trans-disciplinary science derived from the larger earth systems science movement and examining mutual interactions of the hydrological cycle and ecosystems. It is also an applied science focused on problem solving and providing sound guidance to catchment-scale integrated land and water resources management. The principle spheres of ecohydrology include (i) climate-soil-vegetation-groundwater interactions at the land surface with special implications for land use, food production and climate change; (ii) riparian runoff, flooding, and flow regime dynamics in river corridors with special implications for water supply, water quality, and inland fisheries; and (iii) fluvial and groundwater inputs to lakes/reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal zones with special implications for water quality and fisheries. We propose an educational vision focused on the development of professional and personal competencies to impart a depth of scientific knowledge in the theory and practice of ecohydrology and a breadth of cross-cutting knowledge and skills to enable ecohydrologists to effectively collaborate with associated scientists and communicate results to resource managers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders. In-depth knowledge in hydrology, ecology, and biogeochemistry is emphasized, as well as technical skills in data collection, modeling, and statistical analysis. Cross-cutting knowledge is framed in the context of integrated water resources management. Personal competencies to be fostered in educational programs include creative thinking, cooperation, communication, and leadership. We consider a life-long learning context but highlight the importance of master's level training in the professional formation of ecohydrologists.

Cost and resource implications of clinical supervision in nursing: an Australian perspective.

PubMed

White, Edward; Winstanley, Julie

2006-11-01

The aim of this article was to explore the resource and management issues in introducing and maintaining a clinical supervision programme for nurses. A number of federal, state and non-governmental agency reports have recently indicted the quality of present-day mental health service provision in Australia. Clinical supervision in nursing has been widely embraced in many parts of the developed world, as a positive contribution to the clinical governance agenda, but remains largely underdeveloped in Australia. Using data derived from several empirical clinical supervision research studies conducted in mental health nursing settings, preliminary financial modelling has provided new information for Nurse Managers, about the material implications of implementing clinical supervision. It is suggested that, on average, the cost of giving peer group one-to-one supervision to any nurse represented about 1% of an annual salary. When interpreted as a vanishingly small cap on clinical nursing practice necessary to reap demonstrable benefits, it behoves Nurse Managers to comprehend clinical supervision as bona fide nursing work, not an activity which is separate from nursing work.

Balancing Demands and Resources in Sport: Adaptation and Validation of the Demand-Induced Strain Compensation Questionnaire for Use in Sport.

PubMed

Balk, Yannick A; De Jonge, Jan; Oerlemans, Wido G M; Geurts, Sabine A E; Fletcher, David; Dormann, Christian

2018-06-01

Too high demands, combined with a lack of resources, are often detrimental to athletic health and well-being. However, a valid and reliable instrument to investigate different dimensions of demands and resources in sport is currently unavailable. Therefore, the present study examines the psychometric properties of an existing and well-validated survey instrument on demands and resources at task-level that was adapted to sport. This instrument, the Demand-Induced Strain Compensation Questionnaire for Sport (DISQ-SPORT), was empirically tested among 1,101 athletes (416 females and 685 males) from a variety of sports and in different languages. Results supported the proposed six-factor structure of the instrument, consisting of physical, cognitive, and emotional demands and resources. Internal consistencies of all subscales were satisfactory and the instrument was invariant across type of sport, competitive level and language. Continued evaluation of the psychometric properties of the DISQ-SPORT, especially in terms of content validity and test-retest stability, is nevertheless warranted. Theoretical and practical implications as well as areas for future research are discussed.

2013 Update in addiction medicine for the generalist.

PubMed

Gordon, Adam J; Bertholet, Nicolas; McNeely, Jennifer; Starrels, Joanna L; Tetrault, Jeanette M; Walley, Alexander Y

2013-11-04

Increasingly, patients with unhealthy alcohol and other drug use are being seen in primary care and other non-specialty addiction settings. Primary care providers are well positioned to screen, assess, and treat patients with alcohol and other drug use because this use, and substance use disorders, may contribute to a host of medical and mental health harms. We sought to identify and examine important recent advances in addiction medicine in the medical literature that have implications for the care of patients in primary care or other generalist settings. To accomplish this aim, we selected articles in the field of addiction medicine, critically appraised and summarized the manuscripts, and highlighted their implications for generalist practice. During an initial review, we identified articles through an electronic Medline search (limited to human studies and in English) using search terms for alcohol and other drugs of abuse published from January 2010 to January 2012. After this initial review, we searched for other literature in web-based or journal resources for potential articles of interest. From the list of articles identified in these initial reviews, each of the six authors independently selected articles for more intensive review and identified the ones they found to have a potential impact on generalist practice. The identified articles were then ranked by the number of authors who selected each article. Through a consensus process over 4 meetings, the authors reached agreement on the articles with implications for practice for generalist clinicians that warranted inclusion for discussion. The authors then grouped the articles into five categories: 1) screening and brief interventions in outpatient settings, 2) identification and management of substance use among inpatients, 3) medical complications of substance use, 4) use of pharmacotherapy for addiction treatment in primary care and its complications, and 5) integration of addiction treatment and medical care. The authors discuss each selected articles' merits, limitations, conclusions, and implication to advancing addiction screening, assessment, and treatment of addiction in generalist physician practice environments.

Psychiatrists' follow-up of identified metabolic risk: a mixed-method analysis of outcomes and influences on practice

PubMed Central

Patterson, Sue; Freshwater, Kathleen; Goulter, Nicole; Ewing, Julie; Leamon, Boyd; Choudhary, Anand; Moudgil, Vikas; Emmerson, Brett

2016-01-01

Aims and method To describe and explain psychiatrists' responses to metabolic abnormalities identified during screening. We carried out an audit of clinical records to assess rates of monitoring and follow-up practice. Semi-structured interviews with 36 psychiatrists followed by descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Metabolic abnormalities were identified in 76% of eligible patients screened. Follow-up, recorded for 59%, was variable but more likely with four or more abnormalities. Psychiatrists endorse guidelines but ambivalence about responsibility, professional norms, resource constraints and skills deficits as well as patient factors influences practice. Therapeutic optimism and desire to be a ‘good doctor’ supported comprehensive follow-up. Clinical implications Psychiatrists are willing to attend to physical healthcare, and obstacles to recommended practice are surmountable. Psychiatrists seek consensus among stakeholders about responsibilities and a systemic approach addressing the social determinants of health inequities. Understanding patients' expectations is critical to promoting best practice. PMID:27752343

Using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model: Implications for Practice

PubMed Central

Rooney, Laura E; Videto, Donna M; Birch, David A

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Schools, school districts, and communities seeking to implement the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model should carefully and deliberately select planning, implementation, and evaluation strategies. METHODS In this article, we identify strategies, steps, and resources within each phase that can be integrated into existing processes that help improve health outcomes and academic achievement. Implementation practices may vary across districts depending upon available resources and time commitments. RESULTS Obtaining and maintaining administrative support at the beginning of the planning phase is imperative for identifying and implementing strategies and sustaining efforts to improve student health and academic outcomes. Strategy selection hinges on priority needs, community assets, and resources identified through the planning process. Determining the results of implementing the WSCC is based upon a comprehensive evaluation that begins during the planning phase. Evaluation guides success in attaining goals and objectives, assesses strengths and weaknesses, provides direction for program adjustment, revision, and future planning, and informs stakeholders of the effect of WSCC, including the effect on academic indicators. CONCLUSIONS With careful planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts, use of the WSCC model has the potential of focusing family, community, and school education and health resources to increase the likelihood of better health and academic success for students and improve school and community life in the present and in the future. PMID:26440824

Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) 5: developing a model for evidence-driven resource allocation in a local healthcare setting.

PubMed

Harris, Claire; Allen, Kelly; Waller, Cara; Green, Sally; King, Richard; Ramsey, Wayne; Kelly, Cate; Thiagarajan, Malar

2017-05-10

This is the fifth in a series of papers reporting Sustainability in Health care by Allocating Resources Effectively (SHARE) in a local healthcare setting. This paper synthesises the findings from Phase One of the SHARE Program and presents a model to be implemented and evaluated in Phase Two. Monash Health, a large healthcare network in Melbourne Australia, sought to establish an organisation-wide systematic evidence-based program for disinvestment. In the absence of guidance from the literature, the Centre for Clinical Effectiveness, an in-house 'Evidence Based Practice Support Unit', was asked to explore concepts and practices related to disinvestment, consider the implications for a local health service and identify potential settings and methods for decision-making. Mixed methods were used to capture the relevant information. These included literature reviews; online questionnaire, interviews and structured workshops with a range of stakeholders; and consultation with experts in disinvestment, health economics and health program evaluation. Using the principles of evidence-based change, the project team worked with health service staff, consumers and external experts to synthesise the findings from published literature and local research and develop proposals, frameworks and plans. Multiple influencing factors were extracted from these findings. The implications were both positive and negative and addressed aspects of the internal and external environments, human factors, empirical decision-making, and practical applications. These factors were considered in establishment of the new program; decisions reached through consultation with stakeholders were used to define four program components, their aims and objectives, relationships between components, principles that underpin the program, implementation and evaluation plans, and preconditions for success and sustainability. The components were Systems and processes, Disinvestment projects, Support services, and Program evaluation and research. A model for a systematic approach to evidence-based resource allocation in a local health service was developed. A robust evidence-based investigation of the research literature and local knowledge with a range of stakeholders resulted in rich information with strong consistent messages. At the completion of Phase One, synthesis of the findings enabled development of frameworks and plans and all preconditions for exploration of the four main aims in Phase Two were met.

A qualitative study of GP, nurse and practice manager views on using targeted case-finding to identify patients with COPD in primary care.

PubMed

Summers, Rachael H; Sharmeen, Taniya; Lippiett, Kate; Gillett, Kate; Astles, Carla; Vu, Linh; Stafford-Watson, Mark; Bruton, Anne; Thomas, Mike; Wilkinson, Tom

2017-08-29

'Finding the missing millions' with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease became part of the Department of Health strategy for England in 2010. Targeted case-finding within primary care is one potential pro-active strategy, but currently little is known about the views of healthcare professionals on this approach. In this study, 36 healthcare professionals (12 GPs, 14 nurses, and 10 practice managers) from 34 UK practices participated in semi-structured telephone interviews about targeted case-finding. Interviews followed an interview guide, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using 'Framework Approach'. Most of those interviewed practiced opportunistic case-finding. The main perceived barriers to wider case-finding programmes were the resource implications associated with running such programmes and identifying more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Financial incentives, support from specialist clinicians, and comprehensive guidance were viewed as facilitators. While targeted case-finding is conceptually accepted by primary care staff, scepticism surrounding (1) the value of identifying those with mild disease and (2) the availability of effective targeted case-finding methods, may lead some to favour an opportunistic approach. Key concerns were a lack of unequivocal evidence for the relative benefits vs. disadvantages of diagnosing patients earlier, and resource constraints in an already over-burdened system. Barriers to practical implementation of case-finding studies may be addressed with financial, human and educational resources, such as additional staff to undertake searches and perform spirometry tests, and practical and educational support from specialist teams. SUPPORT NEEDED TO IDENTIFY THOSE UNDIAGNOSED: Additional staff and resources would facilitate targeted searches for patients showing symptoms of early-stage chronic lung disease. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) costs the UK economy billions of pounds each year, yet disparate symptoms mean patients aren't always diagnosed in the early, treatable stages of the disease. Recent guidelines suggest introducing 'targeted case-finding', where symptomatic patients with known risk factors are identified and approached for testing by doctors. Rachael Summers and colleagues at the University of Southampton analyzed the opinions of healthcare professionals on implementing targeted case-finding in primary care. While most of the 36 professionals interviewed agreed that diagnosing COPD earlier had clear benefits, concerns were raised regarding negative patient responses and increased stress for patients, alongside the added strain on already stretched resources. Employing independent staff and enhancing resources may facilitate such a program.

Integrative medicine in head and neck cancer

PubMed Central

Matovina, Chloe; Birkeland, Andrew C.; Zick, Suzanna; Shuman, Andrew G.

2017-01-01

Objective Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), or integrative medicine, has become increasingly popular among patients with head and neck cancer. Despite its increasing prevalence, many patients feel uncomfortable discussing such therapies with their physicians, and many physicians are unaware and underequipped to evaluate or discuss their use with patients. The aim of this manuscript is to use recent data to outline the decision-making inherent to integrative medicine utilization among patients with head and neck cancer, to discuss the ethical implications inherent to balancing integrative and conventional approaches to treatment, and to highlight available resources to enhance head and neck cancer providers’ understanding of integrative medicine. Data Sources Randomized controlled trials involving integrative medicine or CAM treatment for cancer patients. Review Methods Trials were drawn from a systematic PubMed database search categorized into cancer prevention, treatment, and symptom management. Conclusions Integrative medicine is gaining popularity for the management of cancer and is most commonly used for symptom management. A number of randomized controlled trials provide data to support integrative therapies, yet physicians who treat head and neck cancer may be faced with ethical dilemmas and practical barriers surrounding incorporation of integrative medicine. Implications for Practice In the management of head and neck cancer, there is an increasing demand for awareness of, dialogue about, and research evaluating integrative medicine therapies. It is important for otolaryngologists to become aware of integrative therapy options, their risks and benefits, and resources for further information in order to effectively counsel their patients. PMID:27729559

Integrative Medicine in Head and Neck Cancer.

PubMed

Matovina, Chloe; Birkeland, Andrew C; Zick, Suzanna; Shuman, Andrew G

2017-02-01

Objective Complementary and alternative medicine, or integrative medicine, has become increasingly popular among patients with head and neck cancer. Despite its increasing prevalence, many patients feel uncomfortable discussing such therapies with their physicians, and many physicians are unaware and underequipped to evaluate or discuss their use with patients. The aim of this article is to use recent data to outline the decision making inherent to integrative medicine utilization among patients with head and neck cancer, to discuss the ethical implications inherent to balancing integrative and conventional approaches to treatment, and to highlight available resources to enhance head and neck cancer providers' understanding of integrative medicine. Data Sources Randomized controlled trials involving integrative medicine or complementary and alternative medicine treatment for cancer patients. Review Methods Trials were drawn from a systematic PubMed database search categorized into cancer prevention, treatment, and symptom management. Conclusions Integrative medicine is gaining popularity for the management of cancer and is most commonly used for symptom management. A number of randomized controlled trials provide data to support integrative therapies, yet physicians who treat head and neck cancer may be faced with ethical dilemmas and practical barriers surrounding incorporation of integrative medicine. Implications for Practice In the management of head and neck cancer, there is an increasing demand for awareness of, dialogue about, and research evaluating integrative medicine therapies. It is important for otolaryngologists to become aware of integrative therapy options, their risks and benefits, and resources for further information to effectively counsel their patients.

Distributed communication: Implications of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) for communication disorders.

PubMed

Hengst, Julie A

2015-01-01

This article proposes distributed communication as a promising theoretical framework for building supportive environments for child language development. Distributed communication is grounded in an emerging intersection of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and theories of communicative practices that argue for integrating accounts of language, cognition and culture. The article first defines and illustrates through selected research articles, three key principles of distributed communication: (a) language and all communicative resources are inextricably embedded in activity; (b) successful communication depends on common ground built up through short- and long-term histories of participation in activities; and (c) language cannot act alone, but is always orchestrated with other communicative resources. It then illustrates how these principles are fully integrated in everyday interactions by drawing from my research on Cindy Magic, a verbal make-believe game played by a father and his two daughters. Overall, the research presented here points to the remarkably complex communicative environments and sophisticated forms of distributed communication children routinely engage in as they interact with peer and adult communication partners in everyday settings. The article concludes by considering implications of these theories for, and examples of, distributed communication relevant to clinical intervention. Readers will learn about (1) distributed communication as a conceptual tool grounded in an emerging intersection of cultural-historical activity theory and theories of communicative practices and (2) how to apply distributed communication to the study of child language development and to interventions for children with communication disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling multiple hospital outcomes: the impact of small area and primary care practice variation.

PubMed

Congdon, Peter

2006-11-16

Appropriate management of care--for example, avoiding unnecessary attendances at, or admissions to, hospital emergency units when they could be handled in primary care--is an important part of health strategy. However, some variations in these outcomes could be due to genuine variations in health need. This paper proposes a new method of explaining variations in hospital utilisation across small areas and the general practices (GPs) responsible for patient primary care. By controlling for the influence of true need on such variations, one may identify remaining sources of excess emergency attendances and admissions, both at area and practice level, that may be related to the quality, resourcing or organisation of care. The present paper accordingly develops a methodology that recognises the interplay between population mix factors (health need) and primary care factors (e.g. referral thresholds), that allows for unobserved influences on hospitalisation usage, and that also reflects interdependence between hospital outcomes. A case study considers relativities in attendance and admission rates at a North London hospital involving 149 small areas and 53 GP practices. A fixed effects model shows variations in attendances and admissions are significantly related (positively) to area and practice need, and nursing home patients, and related (negatively) to primary care access and distance of patient homes from the hospital. Modelling the impact of known factors alone is not sufficient to produce a satisfactory fit to the observations, and random effects at area and practice level are needed to improve fit and account for overdispersion. The case study finds variation in attendance and admission rates across areas and practices after controlling for need, and remaining differences between practices may be attributable to referral behaviour unrelated to need, or to staffing, resourcing, and access issues. In managerial terms, the analysis points to the utility of formal statistical analysis of hospitalisation rates as a prelude to non-statistical investigation of primary care resourcing and organisation. For example, there may be implications for the location of staff involved in community management of chronic conditions; health managers may also investigate whether some practices have unusual populations (homeless, asylum seekers, students) that explain different hospital use patterns.

Earth Science Informatics Community Requirements for Improving Sustainable Science Software Practices: User Perspectives and Implications for Organizational Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Robinson, E.

2014-12-01

Science software is integral to the scientific process and must be developed and managed in a sustainable manner to ensure future access to scientific data and related resources. Organizations that are part of the scientific enterprise, as well as members of the scientific community who work within these entities, can contribute to the sustainability of science software and to practices that improve scientific community capabilities for science software sustainability. As science becomes increasingly digital and therefore, dependent on software, improving community practices for sustainable science software will contribute to the sustainability of science. Members of the Earth science informatics community, including scientific data producers and distributers, end-user scientists, system and application developers, and data center managers, use science software regularly and face the challenges and the opportunities that science software presents for the sustainability of science. To gain insight on practices needed for the sustainability of science software from the science software experiences of the Earth science informatics community, an interdisciplinary group of 300 community members were asked to engage in simultaneous roundtable discussions and report on their answers to questions about the requirements for improving scientific software sustainability. This paper will present an analysis of the issues reported and the conclusions offered by the participants. These results provide perspectives for science software sustainability practices and have implications for actions that organizations and their leadership can initiate to improve the sustainability of science software.

Resource-use measurement based on patient recall: issues and challenges for economic evaluation.

PubMed

Thorn, Joanna C; Coast, Joanna; Cohen, David; Hollingworth, William; Knapp, Martin; Noble, Sian M; Ridyard, Colin; Wordsworth, Sarah; Hughes, Dyfrig

2013-06-01

Accurate resource-use measurement is challenging within an economic evaluation, but is a fundamental requirement for estimating efficiency. Considerable research effort has been concentrated on the appropriate measurement of outcomes and the policy implications of economic evaluation, while methods for resource-use measurement have been relatively neglected. Recently, the Database of Instruments for Resource Use Measurement (DIRUM) was set up at http://www.dirum.org to provide a repository where researchers can share resource-use measures and methods. A workshop to discuss the issues was held at the University of Birmingham in October 2011. Based on material presented at the workshop, this article highlights the state of the art of UK instruments for resource-use data collection based on patient recall. We consider methodological issues in the design and analysis of resource-use instruments, and the challenges associated with designing new questionnaires. We suggest a method of developing a good practice guideline, and identify some areas for future research. Consensus amongst health economists has yet to be reached on many aspects of resource-use measurement. We argue that researchers should now afford costing methodologies the same attention as outcome measurement, and we hope that this Current Opinion article will stimulate a debate on methods of resource-use data collection and establish a research agenda to improve the precision and accuracy of resource-use estimates.

How personal resources predict work engagement and self-rated performance among construction workers: a social cognitive perspective.

PubMed

Lorente, Laura; Salanova, Marisa; Martínez, Isabel M; Vera, María

2014-06-01

Traditionally, research focussing on psychosocial factors in the construction industry has focused mainly on the negative aspects of health and on results such as occupational accidents. This study, however, focuses on the specific relationships among the different positive psychosocial factors shared by construction workers that could be responsible for occupational well-being and outcomes such as performance. The main objective of this study was to test whether personal resources predict self-rated job performance through job resources and work engagement. Following the predictions of Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and the motivational process of the Job Demands-Resources Model, we expect that the relationship between personal resources and performance will be fully mediated by job resources and work engagement. The sample consists of 228 construction workers. Structural equation modelling supports the research model. Personal resources (i.e. self-efficacy, mental and emotional competences) play a predicting role in the perception of job resources (i.e. job control and supervisor social support), which in turn leads to work engagement and self-rated performance. This study emphasises the crucial role that personal resources play in determining how people perceive job resources by determining the levels of work engagement and, hence, their self-rated job performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Treatment of infants with epilepsy: Common practices around the world.

PubMed

Wilmshurst, Jo M; Burman, Richard; Gaillard, William D; Cross, J Helen

2015-07-01

High quality data to guide recommendations for infants with epilepsy are lacking. This study aimed to develop an understanding of common practice and regional variations in the treatment interventions of infants with epilepsy, and also to identify areas for further study and to highlight where common practice occurs without sound evidence. A survey addressed clinical treatment practice for infants with epilepsy. Alternative interventions were included. The survey found that most regions had similar practice for first-line interventions, except for North America, where more levetiracetam was prescribed. There was a preference for valproate as first-line therapy for generalized seizures, myoclonic seizures, and Dravet syndrome; only Oceania differed for generalized and myoclonic seizures. Phenobarbital was used for generalized and focal seizures in resource-poor and resource-equipped regions. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine were the preferred agents for focal seizures from all regions except North America, which uses more levetiracetam. For second- and third-line interventions, the range of choices was diverse, often with little correlation across regions. The ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, and epilepsy surgery were considered viable choices in most settings, but usually only once seizures were considered medically refractory. The survey highlighted the marked discrepancy in Africa, the one region that consistently confirmed a lack of access to these alternative interventions and to the newer antiepileptic drugs. More randomized controlled trials in infants with seizures are needed to permit useful recommendations. The survey identified widespread use of levetiracetam in North America, which may be the result of effective marketing or based on good clinical practice. The widespread use of valproate may have safety implications. The lack of access to care in the African region highlighted the need for more sustained resources. Although the survey was not evidence based, the findings could be useful to support additional well-designed studies. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International League Against Epilepsy.

Developing a general practice library: a collaborative project between a GP and librarian.

PubMed

Pearson, D; Rossall, H

2001-12-01

The authors report on a self-completed questionnaire study from a North Yorkshire based general practice regarding the information needs of its clinicians. The work was carried out with a particular focus on the practice library, and the findings identified that a new approach to maintaining and developing the library was needed. The literature regarding the information needs of primary care clinicians and the role of practice libraries is considered, and compared to those of the clinicians at the practice. Discussion follows on how a collaborative project was set up between the practice and a librarian based at the local NHS Trust library in order to improve the existing practice library. Difficulties encountered and issues unique to the project are explored, including training implications presented by the implementation of electronic resources. Marketing activities implemented are discussed, how the library will operate in its new capacity, and how ongoing support and maintenance of the library will be carried out. It is concluded that although scepticism still exists regarding librarian involvement in practice libraries, collaboration between clinicians and librarians is an effective approach to the successful development and maintenance of a practice library, and recommendations are therefore made for similar collaborative work.

The gap between medical faculty's perceptions and use of e-learning resources.

PubMed

Kim, Kyong-Jee; Kang, Youngjoon; Kim, Giwoon

2017-01-01

e-Learning resources have become increasingly popular in medical education; however, there has been scant research on faculty perceptions and use of these resources. To investigate medical faculty's use of e-learning resources and to draw on practical implications for fostering their use of such resources. Approximately 500 full-time faculty members in 35 medical schools across the nation in South Korea were invited to participate in a 30-item questionnaire on their perceptions and use of e-learning resources in medical education. The questionnaires were distributed in both online and paper formats. Descriptive analysis and reliability analysis were conducted of the data. Eighty faculty members from 28 medical schools returned the questionnaires. Twenty-two percent of respondents were female and 78% were male, and their rank, disciplines, and years of teaching experience all varied. Participants had positive perceptions of e-learning resources in terms of usefulness for student learning and usability; still, only 39% of them incorporated those resources in their teaching. The most frequently selected reasons for not using e-learning resources in their teaching were 'lack of resources relevant to my lectures,' 'lack of time to use them during lectures,' and 'was not aware of their availability.' Our study indicates a gap between medical faculty's positive perceptions of e-learning resources and their low use of such resources. Our findings highlight the needs for further study of individual and institutional barriers to faculty adoption of e-learning resources to bridge this gap.

Marketing alcohol to young people: implications for industry regulation and research policy.

PubMed

Jackson, M C; Hastings, G; Wheeler, C; Eadie, D; Mackintosh, A M

2000-12-01

This paper focuses on the marketing of alcohol to young people in the United Kingdom, but the lessons that emerge have international significance. Alcohol is a global enterprise and recent consolidation means that it is controlled by a decreasing number of expanding multi-nationals. Alcohol companies are able to allocate significant resources to researching consumer preferences, developing new products and promoting them on an international level. Recent years have seen a growth in the value that youth culture attaches to brand labels and symbols and a move away from the healthy-living ethos. The alcohol industry's response to these trends has been to design alcoholic beverages that appeal to young people, using well-informed and precisely targeted marketing strategies. This has led to growing concerns about the implications for public health and a demand for tighter controls to regulate alcohol marketing practices. In the United Kingdom, controls on alcohol are piecemeal and reactive and the current system of voluntary regulation appears ineffective. This paper argues for more research to establish current industry practice and inform the development of a comprehensive regulatory structure and system of monitoring.

[Back to units for nursing students' education? The Dedicated Education Units (DEU)].

PubMed

Randon, Giulia; Bortolami, Elena; Grosso, Silvia

2017-01-01

. Back to units for nursing students' education? The Dedicated Education Units (DEU). The reorganization and rationalization of resources and cost containment in health care put a strain on the sustainability of practical training of student nurses. The Dedicated Education Units (DEU), where ward staff, in collaboration with university teachers, receive large numbers of students, integrating the caring and teaching missions, are a possible answer. To describe the main characteristics of DEUs. A literature search was conducted in Pubmed with the following key-words Dedicated Education Unit, Education Unit and Nursing Education, up to January 30, 2017. Several models of DEU were identified with differences in contexts, professional roles involved, type of organizations (number of students, length of practical training). The students perceive a welcoming climate that promotes learning and allows time and space for reflection; they develop a professional group identity and learn to recognize and implement the presponsibilities related to the professional role. The students express satisfaction for the relationship with professionals involved in their education due to the clear definition of roles and responsibilities, of their learning needs and feel supported in the connections of theory and practice. The DEU, receiving large number of students optimize the use of resources. The DEU represent one of the possible models of organization of the practical training, able to ensure a high quality learning environment. The practical implications of its implementation in the italian context on skills acquisition and sustainability need a thorough assessment.

Wildland Arson as Clandestine Resource Management: A Space-Time Permutation Analysis and Classification of Informal Fire Management Regimes in Georgia, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlan, Michael R.

2016-05-01

Forest managers are increasingly recognizing the value of disturbance-based land management techniques such as prescribed burning. Unauthorized, "arson" fires are common in the southeastern United States where a legacy of agrarian cultural heritage persists amidst an increasingly forest-dominated landscape. This paper reexamines unauthorized fire-setting in the state of Georgia, USA from a historical ecology perspective that aims to contribute to historically informed, disturbance-based land management. A space-time permutation analysis is employed to discriminate systematic, management-oriented unauthorized fires from more arbitrary or socially deviant fire-setting behaviors. This paper argues that statistically significant space-time clusters of unauthorized fire occurrence represent informal management regimes linked to the legacy of traditional land management practices. Recent scholarship has pointed out that traditional management has actively promoted sustainable resource use and, in some cases, enhanced biodiversity often through the use of fire. Despite broad-scale displacement of traditional management during the 20th century, informal management practices may locally circumvent more formal and regionally dominant management regimes. Space-time permutation analysis identified 29 statistically significant fire regimes for the state of Georgia. The identified regimes are classified by region and land cover type and their implications for historically informed disturbance-based resource management are discussed.

Wildland Arson as Clandestine Resource Management: A Space-Time Permutation Analysis and Classification of Informal Fire Management Regimes in Georgia, USA.

PubMed

Coughlan, Michael R

2016-05-01

Forest managers are increasingly recognizing the value of disturbance-based land management techniques such as prescribed burning. Unauthorized, "arson" fires are common in the southeastern United States where a legacy of agrarian cultural heritage persists amidst an increasingly forest-dominated landscape. This paper reexamines unauthorized fire-setting in the state of Georgia, USA from a historical ecology perspective that aims to contribute to historically informed, disturbance-based land management. A space-time permutation analysis is employed to discriminate systematic, management-oriented unauthorized fires from more arbitrary or socially deviant fire-setting behaviors. This paper argues that statistically significant space-time clusters of unauthorized fire occurrence represent informal management regimes linked to the legacy of traditional land management practices. Recent scholarship has pointed out that traditional management has actively promoted sustainable resource use and, in some cases, enhanced biodiversity often through the use of fire. Despite broad-scale displacement of traditional management during the 20th century, informal management practices may locally circumvent more formal and regionally dominant management regimes. Space-time permutation analysis identified 29 statistically significant fire regimes for the state of Georgia. The identified regimes are classified by region and land cover type and their implications for historically informed disturbance-based resource management are discussed.

Trial-Based Economic Evaluations in Occupational Health

PubMed Central

van Wier, Marieke F.; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M.; van der Beek, Allard J.; van Tulder, Maurits W.; Bosmans, Judith E.

2014-01-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions. PMID:24854249

Evaluative conditioning may incur attentional costs.

PubMed

Pleyers, Gordy; Corneille, Olivier; Yzerbyt, Vincent; Luminet, Olivier

2009-04-01

Evaluative conditioning (EC) refers to changes in the liking of an affectively neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, or CS) after pairing this stimulus with an affect-laden stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, or US). Several authors proposed that EC incurs little or no attentional cost. Using a rigorous design, we provide evidence that a reduction in attentional resources may have a negative impact on EC. Additional analyses also revealed that participants correctly encoded fewer CS-US pairings when their attentional resources were depleted. Replicating Pleyers, Corneille, Luminet, and Yzerbyt's (2007) findings, EC was also obtained only for CSs that could be correctly linked to their associated US in the context of an identification task. This research clarifies the role of higher order processes in EC and has significant practical implications. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Trial-based economic evaluations in occupational health: principles, methods, and recommendations.

PubMed

van Dongen, Johanna M; van Wier, Marieke F; Tompa, Emile; Bongers, Paulien M; van der Beek, Allard J; van Tulder, Maurits W; Bosmans, Judith E

2014-06-01

To allocate available resources as efficiently as possible, decision makers need information on the relative economic merits of occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions. Economic evaluations can provide this information by comparing the costs and consequences of alternatives. Nevertheless, only a few of the studies that consider the effectiveness of OHS interventions take the extra step of considering their resource implications. Moreover, the methodological quality of those that do is generally poor. Therefore, this study aims to help occupational health researchers conduct high-quality trial-based economic evaluations by discussing the theory and methodology that underlie them, and by providing recommendations for good practice regarding their design, analysis, and reporting. This study also helps consumers of this literature with understanding and critically appraising trial-based economic evaluations of OHS interventions.

Quantifying complexity in translational research: an integrated approach

PubMed Central

Munoz, David A.; Nembhard, Harriet Black; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Purpose This article quantifies complexity in translational research. The impact of major operational steps and technical requirements (TR) is calculated with respect to their ability to accelerate moving new discoveries into clinical practice. Design/Methodology/Approach A three-phase integrated Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to quantify complexity in translational research. A case study in obesity was used to usability. Findings Generally, the evidence generated was valuable for understanding various components in translational research. Particularly, we found that collaboration networks, multidisciplinary team capacity and community engagement are crucial for translating new discoveries into practice. Research limitations/implications As the method is mainly based on subjective opinion, some argue that the results may be biased. However, a consistency ratio is calculated and used as a guide to subjectivity. Alternatively, a larger sample may be incorporated to reduce bias. Practical implications The integrated QFD-AHP framework provides evidence that could be helpful to generate agreement, develop guidelines, allocate resources wisely, identify benchmarks and enhance collaboration among similar projects. Originality/value Current conceptual models in translational research provide little or no clue to assess complexity. The proposed method aimed to fill this gap. Additionally, the literature review includes various features that have not been explored in translational research. PMID:25417380

Facilitating interprofessional evidence-based practice in paediatric rehabilitation: development, implementation and evaluation of an online toolkit for health professionals.

PubMed

Glegg, Stephanie M N; Livingstone, Roslyn; Montgomery, Ivonne

2016-01-01

Lack of time, competencies, resources and supports are documented as barriers to evidence-based practice (EBP). This paper introduces a recently developed web-based toolkit designed to assist interprofessional clinicians in implementing EBP within a paediatric rehabilitation setting. EBP theory, models, frameworks and tools were applied or adapted in the development of the online resources, which formed the basis of a larger support strategy incorporating interactive workshops, knowledge broker facilitation and mentoring. The highly accessed toolkit contains flowcharts with embedded information sheets, resources and templates to streamline, quantify and document outcomes throughout the EBP process. Case examples relevance to occupational therapy and physical therapy highlight the utility and application of the toolkit in a clinical paediatric setting. Workshops were highly rated by learners for clinical relevance, presentation level and effectiveness. Eight evidence syntheses have been created and 79 interventions have been evaluated since the strategy's inception in January 2011. The toolkit resources streamlined and supported EBP processes, promoting consistency in quality and presentation of outputs. The online toolkit can be a useful tool to facilitate clinicians' use of EBP in order to meet the needs of the clients and families whom they support. Implications for Rehabilitation A comprehensive online EBP toolkit for interprofessional clinicians is available to streamline the EBP process and to support learning needs regardless of competency level. Multi-method facilitation support, including interactive education, e-learning, clinical librarian services and knowledge brokering, is a valued but cost-restrictive supplement to the implementation of online EBP resources. EBP resources are not one-size-fits-all; targeted appraisal tools, models and frameworks may be integrated to improve their utility for specific sectors, which may limit them for others.

Innovative human resource practices in U.S. hospitals: an empirical study.

PubMed

Platonova, Elena A; Hernandez, S Robert

2013-01-01

Contemporary organizations increasingly recognize human resource (HR) capabilities as a source of sustained competitive advantage; about 80% of an organization's value is attributable to intangible assets, including human assets and capital. Some scholars consider effective human resource management (HRM) the single most important factor affecting organizational performance. This study examined (1) the extent to which HRM strategies were included in organizational strategic planning and (2) the association between the involvement of senior HR professionals in strategic planning and the use of innovative HR practices in U.S. hospitals employing strategic HRM theory. A survey was administered to 168 chief executive officers and HR executives from 85 hospitals during spring 2005. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine whether HRM involvement was associated with the use of innovative HRM strategies in the hospitals. We found significant associations between HRM strategy inclusion in the strategic planning process and senior HR professionals' involvement in organizational strategic planning and in three innovative HR activities: finding talent in advance for key job openings (odds ratio [OR] = 4.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-7.38), stressing organizational culture and values in the selection process (OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.97), and basing individual or team compensation on goal-oriented results (OR = 6.17, 95% CI: 1.17-3.37). Our data indicate that innovative HR practices were underused in some U.S. hospitals despite their potential to improve overall hospital performance. Hospitals that emphasized effective HRM were more likely to use some of the innovative HR approaches. In this article, we discuss this research and the practical implications of the findings.

Understanding genetics: a primer for occupational health practice.

PubMed

Wright, Lynette

2005-12-01

Because biologic diversity is essential for life, genes have developed many versions that may be further modified by interaction with other genes and with environmental factors. Polymorphic alterations of genetic material influence drug responses, predisposition or resistance to disease, and susceptibility to environmental toxicity. The occupational health professional should be aware of rapidly changing genetic tests, be able to distinguish between screening and diagnostic modalities, be able to access genetic resources to find the latest protocols, and should consider the ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic testing in the workplace.

CBPR with service providers: arguing a case for engaging practitioners in all phases of research.

PubMed

Spector, Anya Y

2012-03-01

This review synthesizes the literature on CBPR with service providers to identify the benefits to, unique contributions of, and challenges experienced by professional service providers engaged in collaborative research. Service providers benefited by obtaining research-based knowledge to help the communities they serve, gaining research skills, professional relationships, professional development, and new programs. They contributed by informing research aims, designing interventions, conducting recruitment, informing overall study design, and dissemination. Challenges include time, resources, organizational factors, and disconnects between researchers and service providers. Policy and practice implications are explored.

Surviving the Distance: The Transnational Utilization of Traditional Medicine Among Oaxacan Migrants in the US.

PubMed

González-Vázquez, Tonatiuh; Pelcastre-Villafuerte, Blanca Estela; Taboada, Arianna

2016-10-01

Transnational health practices are an emergent and understudied phenomenon, which provide insight into how migrants seek care and tend to their health care needs in receiving communities. We conducted in depth interviews with return migrants (N = 21) and traditional healers (N = 11) to explore transnational health practices among Mixtec migrants from Oaxaca, specifically in relation to their utilization of traditional healers, medicinal plants, and folk remedies. In established migrant destination points, folk remedies and plants are readily available, and furthermore, these resources often travel alongside migrants. Traditional healers are integral to transnational networks, whether they migrate and provide services in the destination point, or are providing services from communities of origin. Findings encourage us to rethink migrants' communities of origin typically thought of as "left behind," and instead reposition them as inherently connected by transnational channels. Implications for transnational health care theory and practice are addressed.

Global Preparedness and Human Resources: College and Corporate Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bikson, T. K.; Law, S. A.

A research study explored the human resource implications of the emerging economic globalism, including the following questions: How is globalism understood by corporations and colleges in the United States? What are the perceived human resource implications of globalism? and What are corporations and colleges doing today to meet these human…

Bioenergy Development Policy and Practice Must Recognize Potential Hydrologic Impacts: Lessons from the Americas.

PubMed

Watkins, David W; de Moraes, Márcia M G Alcoforado; Asbjornsen, Heidi; Mayer, Alex S; Licata, Julian; Lopez, Jose Gutierrez; Pypker, Thomas G; Molina, Vivianna Gamez; Marques, Guilherme Fernandes; Carneiro, Ana Cristina Guimaraes; Nuñez, Hector M; Önal, Hayri; da Nobrega Germano, Bruna

2015-12-01

Large-scale bioenergy production will affect the hydrologic cycle in multiple ways, including changes in canopy interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and the quantity and quality of surface runoff and groundwater recharge. As such, the water footprints of bioenergy sources vary significantly by type of feedstock, soil characteristics, cultivation practices, and hydro-climatic regime. Furthermore, water management implications of bioenergy production depend on existing land use, relative water availability, and competing water uses at a watershed scale. This paper reviews previous research on the water resource impacts of bioenergy production-from plot-scale hydrologic and nutrient cycling impacts to watershed and regional scale hydro-economic systems relationships. Primary gaps in knowledge that hinder policy development for integrated management of water-bioenergy systems are highlighted. Four case studies in the Americas are analyzed to illustrate relevant spatial and temporal scales for impact assessment, along with unique aspects of biofuel production compared to other agroforestry systems, such as energy-related conflicts and tradeoffs. Based on the case studies, the potential benefits of integrated resource management are assessed, as is the need for further case-specific research.

Bioenergy Development Policy and Practice Must Recognize Potential Hydrologic Impacts: Lessons from the Americas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, David W.; de Moraes, Márcia M. G. Alcoforado; Asbjornsen, Heidi; Mayer, Alex S.; Licata, Julian; Lopez, Jose Gutierrez; Pypker, Thomas G.; Molina, Vivianna Gamez; Marques, Guilherme Fernandes; Carneiro, Ana Cristina Guimaraes; Nuñez, Hector M.; Önal, Hayri; da Nobrega Germano, Bruna

2015-12-01

Large-scale bioenergy production will affect the hydrologic cycle in multiple ways, including changes in canopy interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and the quantity and quality of surface runoff and groundwater recharge. As such, the water footprints of bioenergy sources vary significantly by type of feedstock, soil characteristics, cultivation practices, and hydro-climatic regime. Furthermore, water management implications of bioenergy production depend on existing land use, relative water availability, and competing water uses at a watershed scale. This paper reviews previous research on the water resource impacts of bioenergy production—from plot-scale hydrologic and nutrient cycling impacts to watershed and regional scale hydro-economic systems relationships. Primary gaps in knowledge that hinder policy development for integrated management of water-bioenergy systems are highlighted. Four case studies in the Americas are analyzed to illustrate relevant spatial and temporal scales for impact assessment, along with unique aspects of biofuel production compared to other agroforestry systems, such as energy-related conflicts and tradeoffs. Based on the case studies, the potential benefits of integrated resource management are assessed, as is the need for further case-specific research.

The Impact of Nonphysician Providers on Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Practices: Operational and Educational Implications.

PubMed

Hawkins, C Matthew; Bowen, Michael A; Gilliland, Charles A; Walls, D Gail; Duszak, Richard

2015-09-01

The numbers of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are increasing throughout the entire health care enterprise, and a similar expansion continues within radiology. The use of radiologist assistants is growing in some radiology practices as well. The increased volume of services rendered by this growing nonphysician provider subset of the health care workforce within and outside radiology departments warrants closer review, particularly with regard to their potential influence on radiology education and medical imaging resource utilization. In this article (the second in a two-part series), the authors review recent literature and offer recommendations for radiology practices regarding the impact NPs, PAs, and radiologist assistants may have on interventional and diagnostic radiology practices. Their potential impact on medical education is also discussed. Finally, staffing for radiology departments, as a result of an enlarging nonradiology NP and PA workforce ordering diagnostic imaging, is considered. Copyright © 2015 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

American College of Physicians

MedlinePlus

... Journals & Publications Clinical Resources & Products High Value Care Ethics & Professionalism Practice Resources Physician and Practice Timeline Upcoming ... Journals & Publications Clinical Resources & Products High Value Care Ethics & Professionalism Practice Resources Physician and Practice Timeline Upcoming ...

Strengthening mental health nurses' resilience through a workplace resilience programme: A qualitative inquiry.

PubMed

Foster, Kim; Cuzzillo, Celeste; Furness, Trentham

2018-06-19

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mental health nurses are affected by interpersonal, practice-related and organizational factors that can increase workplace stress and reduce their physical and mental health and well-being. Resilience programmes are a strength-based preventative approach to supporting individuals to overcome workplace adversities. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This qualitative inquiry is the first study to report mental health nurses' perspectives and experiences on a workplace resilience programme. Strengthening mental health nurses' resilience through a resilience programme involved a process of understanding resilience, and applying resilience strategies such as positive self-talk, managing negative self-talk, detaching from stressful situations, being aware of and managing emotions, and showing more empathy, to address workplace challenges. To address the range of resources needed to support mental health nurses' resilience, a social-ecological approach to workplace resilience can be used to promote resource provision at individual, work unit, organizational and professional levels. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Resilience programmes are one resource for addressing the impacts of workplace stressors on mental health nurses. Organizational barriers and risks to staff well-being need to also be addressed to build a resilient workforce. Incorporating resilience strategies into clinical supervision or reflective practice models may help sustain beneficial outcomes following a resilience programme and support resilient practice. Introduction Mental health settings are potentially high-stress workplaces that can lead to nurses' poorer health and well-being. Resilience programmes are a strengths-based preventative approach for promoting mental health and well-being in the face of adversity; however, there is no prior research on mental health nurses' perspectives on resilience programmes. Aim To explore the perspectives of mental health nurses participating in a mental health service-initiated resilience programme (Promoting Adult Resilience). Method An exploratory qualitative inquiry was undertaken. Multiple qualitative data: open-ended responses and semi-structured interviews and focus groups, were thematically analysed. Results Twenty-nine registered nurses from a metropolitan mental health service participated. Four main themes were as follows: being confronted by adversity; reinforcing understandings of resilience; strengthening resilience; and applying resilience skills at work. Discussion This is the first study to report mental health nurses' perspectives on a resilience programme. Resilience programmes can help improve nurses' self-efficacy and ability to realistically appraise stressful situations and to moderate their emotional responses to others. Implications for practice It is recommended resilience programmes are provided to promote nurses' well-being and resilient practices. To build a resilient workforce, the wider barriers and risks to staff well-being need to be addressed at a unit, organizational and professional level. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development and practical implications of the Exercise Resourcefulness Inventory.

PubMed

Fast, Hilary V; Kennett, Deborah J

2015-05-01

To determine the validity and reliability of the Exercise Resourcefulness Inventory (ERI) designed to assess the self-regulatory strategies used to promote regular exercise. In Study 1, the inventory's relationship with other established scales in the exercise behavior change field was examined. In Study 2, the test-retest reliability and predictive validity of the ERI was established by having participants from Study 1 complete the inventory a second time. Internal consistency, and convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity were supported in both studies. The test-retest correlation of the ERI was .80. As well, participants scoring higher on the ERI in Study 1 were more likely to be at a higher stage of change in Study 2, and greater increases in exercise resourcefulness over time were predictive of advancement to higher stages of change. ERI is a reliable and valid measure to assess the self-regulatory strategies used to promote regular exercise. Facilitators may want to tailor exercise programs for individuals scoring lower in resourcefulness to prevent them from relapsing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workplace bullying and burnout among healthcare employees: The moderating effect of control-related resources.

PubMed

Livne, Yael; Goussinsky, Ruhama

2018-03-01

Workplace bullying is a widespread and challenging problem in healthcare organizations, bearing negative consequences for individuals and organizations. Drawing on the job demands-resources theory, in this study, we examined the relationship between workplace bullying and burnout among healthcare employees, as well as the moderating role of job autonomy and occupational self-efficacy in this relationship. Using a cross-sectional design with anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from two samples of 309 healthcare employees in a mental health facility, and 105 nurses studying for their bachelor degree in health systems administration. The findings indicated that workplace bullying was positively related to burnout dimensions, and that this relationship was moderated by job autonomy and occupational self-efficacy resources. Job autonomy interacted with workplace bullying in predicting emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; the interaction of bullying with occupational self-efficacy significantly predicted depersonalization. These results underscore the importance of control-related resources in mitigating the harmful effects of workplace bullying on employees. Implications for research and managerial practices are discussed. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

From interaction to interaction: Exploring shared resources constructed through and mediating classroom science learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xiaowei

Recent reform documents and science education literature emphasize the importance of scientific argumentation as a discourse and practice of science that should be supported in school science learning. Much of this literature focuses on the structure of argument, whether for assessing the quality of argument or designing instructional scaffolds. This study challenges the narrowness of this research paradigm and argues for the necessity of examining students' argumentative practices as rooted in the complex, evolving system of the classroom. Employing a sociocultural-historical lens of activity theory (Engestrom, 1987, 1999), discourse analysis is employed to explore how a high school biology class continuously builds affordances and constraints for argumentation practices through interactions. The ways in which argumentation occurs, including the nature of teacher and student participation, are influenced by learning goals, classroom norms, teacher-student relationships and epistemological stances constructed through a class' interactive history. Based on such findings, science education should consider promoting classroom scientific argumentation as a long-term process, requiring supportive resources that develop through continuous classroom interactions. Moreover, in order to understand affordances that support disciplinary learning in classroom, we need to look beyond just disciplinary interactions. This work has implications for classroom research on argumentation and teacher education, specifically, the preparation of teachers for secondary science teaching.

Free recall and outdoor running: cognitive and physical demand interference.

PubMed

Epling, Samantha L; Blakely, Megan J; Russell, Paul N; Helton, William S

2016-10-01

Cognitive resource theory is a proposed explanation for people's limited ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Reallocation of a restricted supply of cognitive resources to two or more tasks may be detrimental to performance on one or both tasks. Many professionals in high-risk fields, such as those engaged in firefighting, military, and search and rescue missions, face simultaneous mental and physical demands, yet little is known about the resources required to move over the natural terrain these operators may encounter. In the present research, we investigated whether interference was found between outdoor running and a word recall task. As hypothesized, a reduction in word recall was observed in the dual task compared to a recall-alone task; however, the distance run was not significantly different between the dual task and the run-alone task. Subjective reports of workload, task focus, and being "spent" (measures calculated from responses on a questionnaire) were greatest in the dual task. These results support the cognitive resource theory and have important theoretical and practical implications. Further research is required to better understand the type and extent of cognitive resources required by such physical tasks and the potential interference with simultaneous mental tasks.

Psychological distress of parents in conflict areas: the mediating role of war atrocities, normative stressors and family resources.

PubMed

Khamis, Vivian

2017-04-01

Despite the ongoing controversy regarding which types of stressors or resources contribute to psychological distress, there has been little research examining the relationship between war trauma, normative stressors, family resources for management and psychopathology. This study investigated the differences between mothers and fathers in psychological distress, normative stressors and war atrocities experienced, and family's resources for management. It was hypothesized that a combination of risk variables and protective variables would be predictive of psychological distress in parents. Questionnaires were used with 205 Palestinian parents from Gaza Strip. Mothers had more psychiatric disorders than did fathers. Although, mothers and fathers were exposed to comparable levels of normative stressors, mothers concerns about intrafamily strains, and family legal violations were greater than they were for fathers. Results revealed that fathers possess a larger repertoire of resources for management when compared to mothers reflected in esteem and communication, mastery and health, extended family social support and financial well-being. However, mastery and health seem to buffer the effect of war traumas and normative stressors on neuroticism in both parents. The different patterns of predictor-outcome relations have practical as well as theoretical implications.

Cerebral hemovelocity reveals differential resource allocation strategies for extraverts and introverts during vigilance.

PubMed

Shaw, Tyler H; Nguyen, Cynthia; Satterfield, Kelly; Ramirez, Raul; McKnight, Patrick E

2016-02-01

Extraversion--one of the Big 5 personality factors--correlates negatively with vigilance, but most studies focus on performance outcomes and not the performance process. Previous research has shown that transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), which measures cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV), can be used to examine resource allocation strategies during vigilance performance. Hence, this study was designed to assess the attentional resource allocation strategies of introverts and extraverts using the CBFV measure. Twelve extroverts and 13 introverts monitored a 60-min vigilance task for a critical signal--the absence of a line on a five-circle array. The results revealed an overall performance decrement that was not modulated by extraversion. We observed an interaction between extraversion and time; CBFV declined in the introversion group, but not in the extraversion group. Additionally, an interaction between cerebral hemisphere and personality revealed that extraverts were recruiting resources from both the left and right cerebral hemispheres, while introverts only recruited resources from the right hemisphere. The results suggest that extraverts can allocate compensatory effort to mask performance differences. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and offer future research directions that may help us understand these effects.

Emotional Exhaustion and Job Satisfaction in Airport Security Officers - Work-Family Conflict as Mediator in the Job Demands-Resources Model.

PubMed

Baeriswyl, Sophie; Krause, Andreas; Schwaninger, Adrian

2016-01-01

The growing threat of terrorism has increased the importance of aviation security and the work of airport security officers (screeners). Nonetheless, airport security research has yet to focus on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction as major determinants of screeners' job performance. The present study bridges this research gap by applying the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and using work-family conflict (WFC) as an intervening variable to study relationships between work characteristics (workload and supervisor support), emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction in 1,127 screeners at a European airport. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that (a) supervisor support as a major job resource predicted job satisfaction among screeners; (b) workload as a major job demand predicted their emotional exhaustion; and (c) WFC proved to be a promising extension to the JD-R model that partially mediated the impact of supervisor support and workload on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Emotional Exhaustion and Job Satisfaction in Airport Security Officers – Work–Family Conflict as Mediator in the Job Demands–Resources Model

PubMed Central

Baeriswyl, Sophie; Krause, Andreas; Schwaninger, Adrian

2016-01-01

The growing threat of terrorism has increased the importance of aviation security and the work of airport security officers (screeners). Nonetheless, airport security research has yet to focus on emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction as major determinants of screeners’ job performance. The present study bridges this research gap by applying the job demands–resources (JD–R) model and using work–family conflict (WFC) as an intervening variable to study relationships between work characteristics (workload and supervisor support), emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction in 1,127 screeners at a European airport. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that (a) supervisor support as a major job resource predicted job satisfaction among screeners; (b) workload as a major job demand predicted their emotional exhaustion; and (c) WFC proved to be a promising extension to the JD–R model that partially mediated the impact of supervisor support and workload on job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PMID:27242581

Intimate partner violence among female service members and veterans: information and resources available through military and non-military websites.

PubMed

Brown, Amy; Joshi, Manisha

2014-01-01

With the expansion of women's roles in the military, the number of female service members and veterans has increased. Considerable knowledge about intimate partner violence (IPV) in civilian couples exists but little is known about IPV among female service members and veterans. Prevalence rates of IPV range from 17% to 39% for female service members, and 21.9% to 74% for veterans. Most service members and veterans indicated using the Internet at least occasionally and expressed willingness to seek information about services via the Internet. Informed by data, we conducted a systematic review of military (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps) and non-military (Veterans Affairs and Google) websites to explore the availability and presentation of information and resources related to IPV. The websites search revealed a variety of resources and information available, and important differences between sites with regard to what and how information is presented. Implications for practice and further research are discussed.

Predicting Urban Medical Services Demand in China: An Improved Grey Markov Chain Model by Taylor Approximation.

PubMed

Duan, Jinli; Jiao, Feng; Zhang, Qishan; Lin, Zhibin

2017-08-06

The sharp increase of the aging population has raised the pressure on the current limited medical resources in China. To better allocate resources, a more accurate prediction on medical service demand is very urgently needed. This study aims to improve the prediction on medical services demand in China. To achieve this aim, the study combines Taylor Approximation into the Grey Markov Chain model, and develops a new model named Taylor-Markov Chain GM (1,1) (T-MCGM (1,1)). The new model has been tested by adopting the historical data, which includes the medical service on treatment of diabetes, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease from 1997 to 2015 in China. The model provides a predication on medical service demand of these three types of disease up to 2022. The results reveal an enormous growth of urban medical service demand in the future. The findings provide practical implications for the Health Administrative Department to allocate medical resources, and help hospitals to manage investments on medical facilities.

A study of occupational stress, scope of practice, and collaboration in nurse anesthetists practicing in anesthesia care team settings.

PubMed

Alves, Steve L

2005-12-01

This study examined occupational stress in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) practicing with anesthesiologists in anesthesia care team (ACT) settings. The focus was to examine the relationships among CRNA scope of practice (SOP) in ACTs, collaboration, and role-related occupational stress. A survey questionnaire was mailed to CRNAs from the 6 New England states, with a return rate of 30.87% (n = 347). Data analysis included practice characteristics and demographics of the sample, and the research questions were examined applying correlational analysis, t test, and analysis of variance addressing relationships among the study measures. Data analyses revealed that limited, restricted CRNA practice scope was particularly evident in respondents employed by anesthesiology groups, compared with hospital-employed CRNAs. Few CRNA respondents perceived their practice as collaborative, and many used compromise as a conflict-resolution style. Respondents with a broader SOP reported higher collaboration than those with restrictions. Respondents reporting a broader SOP also experienced increased job stress in relation to role overload but used coping resources effectively. Implications for future studies include exploring strategies that achieve consensus between CRNAs and anesthesiologists in ACTs, emphasizing clearly defined roles and optimizing productivity.

Shrimp farming practices in the puttallam district of sri lanka: implications for disease control, industry sustainability, and rural development.

PubMed

Munasinghe, M Nalaka; Stephen, Craig; Abeynayake, Preeni; Abeygunawardena, Indra S

2010-08-12

Shrimp farming has great potential to diversify and secure income in rural Sri Lanka, but production has significantly declined in recent years due to civil conflicts, some unsustainable practices and devastating outbreaks of disease. We examined management practices affecting disease prevention and control in the Puttalam district to identify extension services outputs that could support sustainable development of Sri Lankan shrimp farming. A survey on 621 shrimp farms (603 operational and 18 nonoperational) was conducted within the Puttalam district over 42 weeks comprising a series of three-day field visits from August 2008 to October 2009, covering two consecutive shrimp crops. Fundamental deficits in disease control, management, and biosecurity practices were found. Farmers had knowledge of biosecurity but the lack of financial resources was a major impediment to improved disease control. Smallholder farmers were disproportionately constrained in their ability to enact basic biosecurity practices due to their economic status. Basic breaches in biosecurity will keep disease as the rate limiting step in this industry. Plans to support this industry must recognize the socioeconomic reality of rural Sri Lankan aquaculture.

Benefits and resource implications of family meetings for hospitalized palliative care patients: research protocol.

PubMed

Hudson, Peter L; Girgis, Afaf; Mitchell, Geoffrey K; Philip, Jenny; Parker, Deborah; Currow, David; Liew, Danny; Thomas, Kristina; Le, Brian; Moran, Juli; Brand, Caroline

2015-12-10

Palliative care focuses on supporting patients diagnosed with advanced, incurable disease; it is 'family centered', with the patient and their family (the unit of care) being core to all its endeavours. However, approximately 30-50% of carers experience psychological distress which is typically under recognised and consequently not addressed. Family meetings (FM) are recommended as a means whereby health professionals, together with family carers and patients discuss psychosocial issues and plan care; however there is minimal empirical research to determine the net effect of these meetings and the resources required to implement them systematically. The aims of this study were to evaluate: (1) if family carers of hospitalised patients with advanced disease (referred to a specialist palliative care in-patient setting or palliative care consultancy service) who receive a FM report significantly lower psychological distress (primary outcome), fewer unmet needs, increased quality of life and feel more prepared for the caregiving role; (2) if patients who receive the FM experience appropriate quality of end-of-life care, as demonstrated by fewer hospital admissions, fewer emergency department presentations, fewer intensive care unit hours, less chemotherapy treatment (in last 30 days of life), and higher likelihood of death in the place of their choice and access to supportive care services; (3) the optimal time point to deliver FM and; (4) to determine the cost-benefit and resource implications of implementing FM meetings into routine practice. Cluster type trial design with two way randomization for aims 1-3 and health economic modeling and qualitative interviews with health for professionals for aim 4. The research will determine whether FMs have positive practical and psychological impacts on the family, impacts on health service usage, and financial benefits to the health care sector. This study will also provide clear guidance on appropriate timing in the disease/care trajectory to provide a family meeting. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000200583.

The gap between medical faculty’s perceptions and use of e-learning resources

PubMed Central

Kim, Kyong-Jee; Kang, Youngjoon; Kim, Giwoon

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: e-Learning resources have become increasingly popular in medical education; however, there has been scant research on faculty perceptions and use of these resources. Objective: To investigate medical faculty’s use of e-learning resources and to draw on practical implications for fostering their use of such resources. Design: Approximately 500 full-time faculty members in 35 medical schools across the nation in South Korea were invited to participate in a 30-item questionnaire on their perceptions and use of e-learning resources in medical education. The questionnaires were distributed in both online and paper formats. Descriptive analysis and reliability analysis were conducted of the data. Results: Eighty faculty members from 28 medical schools returned the questionnaires. Twenty-two percent of respondents were female and 78% were male, and their rank, disciplines, and years of teaching experience all varied. Participants had positive perceptions of e-learning resources in terms of usefulness for student learning and usability; still, only 39% of them incorporated those resources in their teaching. The most frequently selected reasons for not using e-learning resources in their teaching were ‘lack of resources relevant to my lectures,’ ‘lack of time to use them during lectures,’ and ‘was not aware of their availability.’ Conclusions: Our study indicates a gap between medical faculty’s positive perceptions of e-learning resources and their low use of such resources. Our findings highlight the needs for further study of individual and institutional barriers to faculty adoption of e-learning resources to bridge this gap. PMID:28621242

Unheard Voices: The Need for HIV Research and Prevention Priorities for YMSM in the Global Context.

PubMed

Hall, Casey D; Murdock, Daniel; Nehl, Eric J; Wong, Frank Y

2016-06-01

This commentary considers the AIDS Education and Prevention special issue (volume 28, number 3) entitled "Behavioral HIV Prevention Interventions for Diverse Young Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)." The research presented in this special issue highlights the importance of addressing sub-populations of young MSM in order to better understand the unique realities and risk-factors affecting HIV epidemics and intervention needs. Here, we focus on several broad topics raised in this special issue and comment on their implications for HIV research and practice targeting young MSM in low- and middle-income countries. We consider issues relevant to reaching hidden populations, tailoring interventions, and integrating new communications and bio-medical technologies in research and practice in low-resource settings.

Nurses with Undiagnosed Hearing Loss: Implications for Practice.

PubMed

Spencer, Cara S; Pennington, Karen

2015-01-05

Hearing loss affects 36 million people in the United States of America, including 17% of the adult population. This suggests some nurses will have hearing losses that affect their communication skills and their ability to perform auscultation assessments, potentially compromising patient care and safety. In this article, the authors begin by reviewing the hearing process, describing various types of hearing loss, and discussing noise-induced hearing loss and noise levels in hospitals. Next, they consider the role of hearing in nursing practice, review resources for hearing-impaired nurses, identify the many costs associated with untreated hearing loss, and note nurses' responsibility for maintaining their hearing health. The authors conclude that nurses need to be aware of their risk for hearing loss and have their hearing screened every five years.

Exploring Privilege in the Digital Divide: Implications for Theory, Policy, and Practice.

PubMed

Fang, Mei Lan; Canham, Sarah L; Battersby, Lupin; Sixsmith, Judith; Wada, Mineko; Sixsmith, Andrew

2018-05-10

The digital revolution has resulted in innovative solutions and technologies that can support the well-being, independence, and health of seniors. Yet, the notion of the "digital divide" presents significant inequities in terms of who accesses and benefits from the digital landscape. To better understand the social and structural inequities of the digital divide, a realist synthesis was conducted to inform theoretical understandings of information and communication technologies (ICTs); to understand the practicalities of access and use inequities; to uncover practices that facilitate digital literacy and participation; and to recommend policies to mitigate the digital divide. A systematic search yielded 55 articles published between 2006 and 2016. Synthesis of existing knowledge, combined with user-experience elicited through a deliberative dialogue session with community stakeholders (n = 35), made visible a pattern of privilege that determined individual agency in ICT access and use. Though age is consistently centralized as the key determinant of the digital divide, our analyses, which encompassed both van Dijk's resources and appropriation theory and intersectionality, appraised this notion and revealed that age is not the sole determinant. Findings highlight the role of other factors that contribute to digital inequity among community-dwelling middle-aged (45-64) and older (65+) adults, including education, income, gender, and generational status. Informed by results of a realist synthesis that was guided by intersectional perspectives, a conceptual framework was developed outlining implications for theory, policy, and practice to address the wicked problem that is the digital divide.

Perspectives on the Present State and Future of Higher Education Faculty Development in Kazakhstan: Implications for National Human Resource Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seitova, Dinara

2016-01-01

The article aims at examining the present state of higher education faculty development in Kazakhstan in the context of multidimensional nationwide development reforms and exploring implications for the National Human Resource Development of the country. For the purpose of this research, theoretical human resource development (HRD) and…

Lagged effects of family-supportive organization perceptions and supervision in relation to generalized work-related resources.

PubMed

Matthews, Russell A; Toumbeva, Tatiana H

2015-07-01

In the present study, grounded in organizational support and social exchange theory, the dynamic lagged interplay between family supportive supervision (FSS), family supportive organization perceptions (FSOP), perceived organizational support (POS), and leader-member exchange (LMX) was examined. Data were collected from 435 respondents over 3 time points with 6-week lags between assessments. Consistent with theory, FSS had a significant lagged effect on FSOP, whereas the reverse relationship was not supported. Interestingly, contrary to conservation of resources theory, we did not find significant lagged effects between POS and FSOP. Results further indicated that LMX and FSS were reciprocally related over time, suggesting the potential for a dynamic, mutually beneficial exchange relationship between subordinates and supervisors. Theoretical implications and considerations for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Creative benefits from well-connected leaders: leader social network ties as facilitators of employee radical creativity.

PubMed

Venkataramani, Vijaya; Richter, Andreas W; Clarke, Ronald

2014-09-01

Employee radical creativity critically depends on substantive informational resources from others across the wider organization. We propose that the social network ties of employees' immediate leaders assume a central role in garnering these resources, thereby fostering their employees' radical creativity both independent of and interactively with employees' own network ties. Drawing on data from 214 employees working in 30 teams of a public technology and environmental services organization, we find that team leaders' betweenness centrality in the idea network within their teams as well as among their peer leaders provides creative benefits beyond employees' own internal and external ties. Further, employees' and leaders' ties within and external to the team interactively predict employee radical creativity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Implementing an interprofessional first-year teamwork project: some key reflections.

PubMed

McNaughton, Susan Maree

2013-09-01

Implementing an interprofessional teamwork project for first-year students presents pedagogical and practical challenges. While transferable skills and attributes are important, engagement of students with limited professional experience in teamwork depends on relevance to current learning needs. This report outlines principles learned from planning and implementing a teamwork project for an interprofessional health administration and service development course. Practising interprofessional teamwork as leaders and teachers, aligning with previous, current and future teamwork content and processes and responding to student feedback and achievement have been the key factors in shaping the project over three semesters. Face-to-face and online interprofessional teamwork learning has necessitated developing resources that support self-direction, using familiar technology and providing enabling physical environments. Implications for first-year interprofessional teamwork are that structured well-resourced processes, responsiveness and alignment of learning all improve student outcomes.

Strategy for managing water in the Middle East and North Africa; Strategie pour la gestion de l`eau au moyen-orient et en afrique du nord

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

NONE

1995-07-01

Water has always been of central concern to life in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Burgeoning populations are placing unprecendented pressures on the resource, calling urgently for new approaches to water planning and management if escalating conflicts are to be avoided and if environmental degradation is to be reversed. The booklet sets out the implications of the new Bank policy for the MENA region, calling for a concerted effort by government and Bank staff to address water resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner. It proposes a practical, step-by-step approach to achieving this objective that could lead tomore » new Bank-supported operations to address the water sector as a whole.« less

Modelling multiple hospital outcomes: the impact of small area and primary care practice variation

PubMed Central

Congdon, Peter

2006-01-01

Background: Appropriate management of care – for example, avoiding unnecessary attendances at, or admissions to, hospital emergency units when they could be handled in primary care – is an important part of health strategy. However, some variations in these outcomes could be due to genuine variations in health need. This paper proposes a new method of explaining variations in hospital utilisation across small areas and the general practices (GPs) responsible for patient primary care. By controlling for the influence of true need on such variations, one may identify remaining sources of excess emergency attendances and admissions, both at area and practice level, that may be related to the quality, resourcing or organisation of care. The present paper accordingly develops a methodology that recognises the interplay between population mix factors (health need) and primary care factors (e.g. referral thresholds), that allows for unobserved influences on hospitalisation usage, and that also reflects interdependence between hospital outcomes. A case study considers relativities in attendance and admission rates at a North London hospital involving 149 small areas and 53 GP practices. Results: A fixed effects model shows variations in attendances and admissions are significantly related (positively) to area and practice need, and nursing home patients, and related (negatively) to primary care access and distance of patient homes from the hospital. Modelling the impact of known factors alone is not sufficient to produce a satisfactory fit to the observations, and random effects at area and practice level are needed to improve fit and account for overdispersion. Conclusion: The case study finds variation in attendance and admission rates across areas and practices after controlling for need, and remaining differences between practices may be attributable to referral behaviour unrelated to need, or to staffing, resourcing, and access issues. In managerial terms, the analysis points to the utility of formal statistical analysis of hospitalisation rates as a prelude to non-statistical investigation of primary care resourcing and organisation. For example, there may be implications for the location of staff involved in community management of chronic conditions; health managers may also investigate whether some practices have unusual populations (homeless, asylum seekers, students) that explain different hospital use patterns. PMID:17109747

Internationally Educated Health Professionals in Canada: Navigating Three Policy Subsystems Along the Pathway to Practice.

PubMed

Paul, Robert; Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Johnstone, Julie; McNaughton, Nancy; Austin, Zubin

2017-05-01

The integration of internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) into the health workforces of their adopted countries is an issue that has challenged policy makers and policy scholars for decades. In this article, the authors explore the implications of the ideological underpinnings of the policy subsystems that IEHPs must navigate in seeking employment in Canada, with a focus on Ontario.Using a policy subsystem approach, in 2015 the authors analyzed a large preexisting data set composed of articles, governmental reports, Web sites, and transcripts of interviews and focus groups conducted in Ontario with IEHPs, health care executives, human resource managers, and job counselors to IEHPs. Through this analysis, they identified three policy subsystems-the immigration system, the educational and licensure/regulatory system, and the health human resources system-that conflict ideologically and, as a result, create barriers to IEHP integration.To make substantive progress on IEHP integration in Canada, four questions should be considered. First, how can researchers bring new research methods to bear to explore why no jurisdiction has been able to create an integrated pathway to practice for IEHPs? Second, how and to what end are the institutions within the three policy subsystems regulating the IEHP pathway to practice? Third, how might the educational and licensure/regulatory policy subsystem create alternative health care employment options for IEHPs? Finally, how might health professions educators pursue a leadership role in the creation of an overarching institution to manage the pathway to practice for IEHPs?

Returning to Work after Childbirth in Europe: Well-Being, Work-Life Balance, and the Interplay of Supervisor Support.

PubMed

Lucia-Casademunt, Ana M; García-Cabrera, Antonia M; Padilla-Angulo, Laura; Cuéllar-Molina, Deybbi

2018-01-01

Parents returning to work after the arrival of a new son or daughter is an important question for understanding the trajectory of people's lives and professional careers amid current debates about gender equality and work-life balance (WLB). Interestingly, current research concludes that general WLB practices at the workplace may be necessary in the specific case of women returning to work after childbirth because of the particular maternal and infant factors involved. However, WLB practices as a flexible arrangement may work against women because they may be viewed as a lack of organizational commitment. Therefore, research on this topic could benefit from considering supervisor support as a complement of such practices, but previous research has analyzed WLB and supervisor support separately and scarcely. To fill this gap in the literature, we use two sub-samples of 664 female employees and 749 male employees with children under the age of one from 27 European countries participating in the 6th European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS-2015) to study the impact of perceived WLB on European women's perceived well-being after childbirth, in contrast with previous literature. We also analyze the impact of perceived supervisor support (SS) and its interaction with perceived WLB on women's well-being after childbirth, and explore differences with men after childbirth, a collective underexplored by the literature. We find significant gender differences on the relative impact of WLB, SS, and their interaction on perceived job well-being. Our results have important implications for human resource practices in organizations. In particular, they suggest that gendered WLB practices should be encouraged, and stress the relevance of the human factor over human resource practices in addressing the difficulties that women returning to work face after childbirth.

Returning to Work after Childbirth in Europe: Well-Being, Work-Life Balance, and the Interplay of Supervisor Support

PubMed Central

Lucia-Casademunt, Ana M.; García-Cabrera, Antonia M.; Padilla-Angulo, Laura; Cuéllar-Molina, Deybbi

2018-01-01

Parents returning to work after the arrival of a new son or daughter is an important question for understanding the trajectory of people's lives and professional careers amid current debates about gender equality and work-life balance (WLB). Interestingly, current research concludes that general WLB practices at the workplace may be necessary in the specific case of women returning to work after childbirth because of the particular maternal and infant factors involved. However, WLB practices as a flexible arrangement may work against women because they may be viewed as a lack of organizational commitment. Therefore, research on this topic could benefit from considering supervisor support as a complement of such practices, but previous research has analyzed WLB and supervisor support separately and scarcely. To fill this gap in the literature, we use two sub-samples of 664 female employees and 749 male employees with children under the age of one from 27 European countries participating in the 6th European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS-2015) to study the impact of perceived WLB on European women's perceived well-being after childbirth, in contrast with previous literature. We also analyze the impact of perceived supervisor support (SS) and its interaction with perceived WLB on women's well-being after childbirth, and explore differences with men after childbirth, a collective underexplored by the literature. We find significant gender differences on the relative impact of WLB, SS, and their interaction on perceived job well-being. Our results have important implications for human resource practices in organizations. In particular, they suggest that gendered WLB practices should be encouraged, and stress the relevance of the human factor over human resource practices in addressing the difficulties that women returning to work face after childbirth. PMID:29467695

Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) in Women with Suspected Pre-Eclampsia Prior to 35 Weeks’ Gestation: A Budget Impact Analysis

PubMed Central

Duckworth, Suzy; Seed, Paul T.; Mackillop, Lucy; Shennan, Andrew H.; Hunter, Rachael

2016-01-01

Objective To model the resource implications of placental growth factor (PlGF) testing in women with suspected pre-eclampsia prior to 35 weeks’ gestation as part of a management algorithm, compared with current practice. Methods Data on resource use from 132 women with suspected pre-eclampsia prior to 35 weeks’ gestation, enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study evaluating PlGF measurement within antenatal assessment units within two UK consultant-led maternity units was extracted by case note review. A decision analytic model was developed using these data to establish the budget impact of managing women with suspected pre-eclampsia for two weeks from the date of PlGF testing, using a clinical management algorithm and reference cost tariffs. The main outcome measures of resource use (numbers of outpatient appointments, ultrasound investigations and hospital admissions) were correlated to final diagnosis and used to calculate comparative management regimes. Results The mean cost saving associated with the PlGF test (in the PlGF plus management arm) was £35,087 (95% CI -£33,181 to -£36,992) per 1,000 women. This equated to a saving of £582 (95% CI -552 to -£613) per woman tested. In 94% of iterations, PlGF testing was associated with cost saving compared to current practice. Conclusions This analysis suggests PlGF used as part of a clinical management algorithm in women presenting with suspected pre-eclampsia prior to 35 weeks’ gestation could provide cost savings by reducing unnecessary resource use. Introduction of PlGF testing could be used to direct appropriate resource allocation and overall would be cost saving. PMID:27741259

Negotiating markets for health: an exploration of physicians' engagement in dual practice in three African capital cities.

PubMed

Russo, Giuliano; McPake, Barbara; Fronteira, Inês; Ferrinho, Paulo

2014-09-01

Scarce evidence exists on the features, determinants and implications of physicians' dual practice, especially in resource-poor settings. This study considered dual practice patterns in three African cities and the respective markets for physician services, with the objective of understanding the influence of local determinants on the practice. Forty-eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in the three cities to understand features of the practice and the respective markets. A survey was carried out in a sample of 331 physicians to explore their characteristics and decisions to work in public and private sectors. Descriptive analysis and inferential statistics were employed to explore differences in physicians' engagement in dual practice across the three locations. Different forms of dual practice were found to exist in the three cities, with public physicians engaging in private practice outside but also inside public facilities, in regulated as well as unregulated ways. Thirty-four per cent of the respondents indicated that they worked in public practice only, and 11% that they engaged exclusively in private practice. The remaining 55% indicated that they engaged in some form of dual practice, 31% 'outside' public facilities, 8% 'inside' and 16% both 'outside' and 'inside'. Local health system governance and the structure of the markets for physician services were linked to the forms of dual practice found in each location, and to their prevalence. Our analysis suggests that physicians' decisions to engage in dual practice are influenced by supply and demand factors, but also by how clearly separated public and private markets are. Where it is possible to provide little-regulated services within public infrastructure, less incentive seems to exist to engage in the formal private sector, with equity and efficiency implications for service provision. The study shows the value of analysing health markets to understand physicians' engagement in professional activities, and contributes to an evidence base for its regulation. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013.

Adaptation Design Tool for Climate-Smart Management of Coral Reefs and Other Natural Resources.

PubMed

West, Jordan M; Courtney, Catherine A; Hamilton, Anna T; Parker, Britt A; Gibbs, David A; Bradley, Patricia; Julius, Susan H

2018-06-22

Scientists and managers of natural resources have recognized an urgent need for improved methods and tools to enable effective adaptation of management measures in the face of climate change. This paper presents an Adaptation Design Tool that uses a structured approach to break down an otherwise overwhelming and complex process into tractable steps. The tool contains worksheets that guide users through a series of design considerations for adapting their planned management actions to be more climate-smart given changing environmental stressors. Also provided with other worksheets is a framework for brainstorming new adaptation options in response to climate threats not yet addressed in the current plan. Developed and tested in collaboration with practitioners in Hawai'i and Puerto Rico using coral reefs as a pilot ecosystem, the tool and associated reference materials consist of worksheets, instructions and lessons-learned from real-world examples. On the basis of stakeholder feedback from expert consultations during tool development, we present insights and recommendations regarding how to maximize tool efficiency, gain the greatest value from the thought process, and deal with issues of scale and uncertainty. We conclude by reflecting on how the tool advances the theory and practice of assessment and decision-making science, informs higher level strategic planning, and serves as a platform for a systematic, transparent and inclusive process to tackle the practical implications of climate change for management of natural resources.

Human Impacts on the Hydrologic Cycle: Comparing Global Climate Change and Local Water Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, I. M.; Maxwell, R. M.

2010-12-01

Anthropogenic climate change is significantly altering the hydrologic cycle at global and regional scales, with potentially devastating impacts on water resources. Recent studies demonstrate that hydrologic response to climate change will depend on local-scale feedbacks between groundwater, surface water, and land surface processes. These studies suggest that local water management practices that alter the quantity and distribution of water in the terrestrial system—e.g., groundwater pumping and irrigation—may also feed back across the hydrologic cycle, with impacts on land-atmosphere fluxes and thus weather and climate. Here we use an integrated hydrologic model to compare the impacts of large-scale climate change and local water management practices on water and energy budgets at local and watershed scales. We consider three climate scenarios (hot, hot+wet, and hot+dry) and three management scenarios (pumping only, irrigation only, and pumping+irrigation). Results demonstrate that impacts of local water management on basin-integrated groundwater storage, evapotranspiration, and stream discharge are comparable to those of changing climate conditions. However, impacts of climate change are shown to have a smaller magnitude and greater spatial extent, while impacts of pumping and irrigation are shown to have a greater magnitude but are local to areas where pumping and irrigation occur. These results have important implications regarding the scales of human impacts on both water resources and climate and the sustainability of water resources.

Practices of traditional birth attendants in Sierra Leone and perceptions by mothers and health professionals familiar with their care.

PubMed

Dorwie, Florence M; Pacquiao, Dula F

2014-01-01

Describe practices of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in assisting women in childbirth and the perceptions of TBAs by mothers and health professionals familiar with their work. Qualitative design using focus groups conducted in urban and rural settings in Sierra Leone. Separate audiotaped focus groups conducted for each group of participants lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. Purposive sample of 20 TBAs, 20 mothers, and 10 health professionals who met the following criteria: (a) at least 18 years of age, (b) TBAs currently practicing, (c) mothers who delivered at least one child assisted by a TBA, and (d) health professionals currently practicing in the hospital and familiar with TBA practices. TBAs are valued by mothers, health professionals, and the community because they provide accessible and affordable care to mothers who may otherwise have no access to health services. TBAs need training, supervision, and resources for effective referral of mothers. Systemic problems in the health care system create enormous barriers to effective care for mothers and children independent of TBA practices that contribute to high maternal and infant mortality rates. The study findings have implications on broad public policy in improving maternal and child health in the country.

The influence of time management skill on the curvilinear relationship between organizational citizenship behavior and task performance.

PubMed

Rapp, Adam A; Bachrach, Daniel G; Rapp, Tammy L

2013-07-01

In this research we integrate resource allocation and social exchange perspectives to build and test theory focusing on the moderating role of time management skill in the nonmonotonic relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and task performance. Results from matching survey data collected from 212 employees and 41 supervisors and from task performance metrics collected several months later indicate that the curvilinear association between OCB and task performance is significantly moderated by employees' time management skill. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Discussing Adolescent Sexual Health in African American Churches

PubMed Central

Williams, Terrinieka T.; Dodd, Darcy; Campbell, Bettina; Pichon, Latrice C.; Griffith, Derek M.

2012-01-01

This study describes the ways in which two African American churches discuss adolescent sexual health topics. Six focus groups were conducted in two churches in Flint, Michigan that reported no formal sexual health programming for their congregants. Three themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives about the role of churches in adolescent sexual decision-making and sexual health education 1) churches as sources of sexual information; 2) churches as complex communities; and 3) recommendations for sexual education in churches. Participant responses suggest that churches can and should serve a resource for sexual health information. Implications for practice and research are discussed. PMID:22814618

Social Media and Its Implications in Pediatric Dentistry.

PubMed

Dhar, Vineet

2018-05-15

Social media is increasingly being relied upon by health care professionals, including pediatric dentists, to make decisions in their practices. While social media serves as an excellent resource, there is lack of sound guidelines on its use by health professionals in dentistry. Pediatric dentists using social media for professional purposes need to be aware of the uses as well as the challenges it presents. More importantly, members and moderators of social media groups should ensure that all patient care-related information is de-identified and discussions are compliant with federal and state privacy laws and based on evidence-based recommendations.

Priorities for Action in a Rural Older Adults Study

PubMed Central

Averill, Jennifer B.

2013-01-01

This article reports the findings from a recent study of older adults in the rural southwestern United States and discusses practice and research implications. The aim of the study was to analyze health disparities and strengths in the contexts of rurality, aging, a depressed economy, and limited health resources. Identified themes needing action included sustained access to prescriptions, transportation solutions for older adults in isolated communities, inadequate access to care, poor infrastructure and coordination of services, scarce assisted living and in-home care for frail older adults, and barriers related to culture, language, and economics. PMID:22929381

Data Representation, Coding, and Communication Standards.

PubMed

Amin, Milon; Dhir, Rajiv

2015-06-01

The immense volume of cases signed out by surgical pathologists on a daily basis gives little time to think about exactly how data are stored. An understanding of the basics of data representation has implications that affect a pathologist's daily practice. This article covers the basics of data representation and its importance in the design of electronic medical record systems. Coding in surgical pathology is also discussed. Finally, a summary of communication standards in surgical pathology is presented, including suggested resources that establish standards for select aspects of pathology reporting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A consideration of cognitive factors in the learning and education of older adults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fry, Prem S.

1992-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to consider the unique cognitive and intellectual factors that influence the learning and education of older adults. With this objective in mind, the paper reviews the empirical literature on patterns of intellectual and cognitive aging, and ends by discussing the implications and applications of these patterns for the practical and effective education of our elderly citizenry. When we consider the aging of intellectual abilities we are concerned with studying the development of fluid, crystallized and practical intelligence and variations in these abilities from adulthood into advanced old age. We are also concerned with looking at changes in cognitive functions such as attention, memory, information retrieval and tolerance for interference in learning capacity. Much recent work has been successful in showing that intellectual and cognitive decline in old age is not necessarily irreversible. While many elderly persons are very able learners, are highly self-directed, and have ample educational and intellectual resources available, others may benefit from assistance or suggestions about how to compensate for some of the cognitive declines in old age. With this objective the implications are discussed for educators and practitioners who must formulate cognitive training programs for older adults.

Socio-hydrological implications of water management in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upeksha Gamage, Isurun; Arachchige Hemachandra Jayasena, Hetti

2018-06-01

Water management plays a vital role in the agricultural economy and living conditions of people in Sri Lanka. Though government and non-government organizations have been readily contributing to water management, it is still inefficient, especially in terms of water allocation, consumption and conservation. To identify factors which could be used to implement integrated water resources management (IWRM), a socio-hydrological study was performed in five areas within the dry zone in Sri Lanka. The study covers a comprehensive analysis of how the household income, demography and education level correlating to water usage, purification and disposal methods. The average household income ranges from LKR 2500 to 15 000 per month. The results show that the average daily usage for drinking, cooking, washing, toiletries and bathing are 3, 5, 10, 7, and 85 L per person, respectively. Majority of the families use dug wells and pipe-borne water as the primary source. Correlation coefficients suggest that higher household income or level of education leads to increased water consumption (R = 0.91, 0.94). There is no linear relationship between the level of education with the good practices of water purification and disposal. Though these results indicate preliminary assessments based on the dry zone practices, efficient water management could be enhanced by strong socio-hydrological implications through educating people on conservation, usage, disposal practices and health concerns.

Assessing primary care data quality.

PubMed

Lim, Yvonne Mei Fong; Yusof, Maryati; Sivasampu, Sheamini

2018-04-16

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess National Medical Care Survey data quality. Design/methodology/approach Data completeness and representativeness were computed for all observations while other data quality measures were assessed using a 10 per cent sample from the National Medical Care Survey database; i.e., 12,569 primary care records from 189 public and private practices were included in the analysis. Findings Data field completion ranged from 69 to 100 per cent. Error rates for data transfer from paper to web-based application varied between 0.5 and 6.1 per cent. Error rates arising from diagnosis and clinical process coding were higher than medication coding. Data fields that involved free text entry were more prone to errors than those involving selection from menus. The authors found that completeness, accuracy, coding reliability and representativeness were generally good, while data timeliness needs to be improved. Research limitations/implications Only data entered into a web-based application were examined. Data omissions and errors in the original questionnaires were not covered. Practical implications Results from this study provided informative and practicable approaches to improve primary health care data completeness and accuracy especially in developing nations where resources are limited. Originality/value Primary care data quality studies in developing nations are limited. Understanding errors and missing data enables researchers and health service administrators to prevent quality-related problems in primary care data.

Mental health inpatients' and staff members' suggestions for reducing physical restraint: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Wilson, C; Rouse, L; Rae, S; Kar Ray, M

2018-04-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Restraint has negative psychological, physical and relational consequences for mental health patients and staff. Restraint reduction interventions have been developed (e.g., "Safewards"). Limited qualitative research has explored suggestions on how to reduce physical restraint (and feasibility issues with implementing interventions) from those directly involved. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper explores mental health patients' and staff members' suggestions for reducing physical restraint, whilst addressing barriers to implementing these. Findings centred on four themes: improving communication and relationships; staffing factors; environment and space; and activities and distraction. Not all suggestions are addressed by currently available interventions. Barriers to implementation were identified, centring on a lack of time and/or resources; with the provision of more time for staff to spend with patients and implement interventions seen as essential to reducing physical restraint. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Improving communication and relationships between staff/patients, making staffing-related changes, improving ward environments and providing patient activities are central to restraint reduction in mental healthcare. Fundamental issues related to understaffing, high staff turnover, and lack of time and resources need addressing in order for suggestions to be successfully implemented. Introduction Physical restraint has negative consequences for all involved, and international calls for its reduction have emerged. Some restraint reduction interventions have been developed, but limited qualitative research explores suggestions on how to reduce physical restraint (and feasibility issues with implementation) from those directly involved. Aims To explore mental health patients' and staff members' suggestions for reducing physical restraint. Methods Interviews were conducted with 13 inpatients and 22 staff members with experience of restraint on adult mental health inpatient wards in one UK National Health Service Trust. Results Findings centred on four overarching themes: improving communication and relationships between staff/patients; making staff-related changes; improving ward environments/spaces; and having more activities. However, concerns were raised around practicalities/feasibility of their implementation. Discussion Continued research is needed into best ways to reduce physical restraint, with an emphasis on feasibility/practicality and how to make time in busy ward environments. Implications for Practice Improving communication and relationships between staff/patients, making staffing-related changes, improving ward environments and providing patient activities are central to restraint reduction in mental healthcare. However, fundamental issues related to understaffing, high staff turnover and lack of time/resources need addressing in order for these suggestions to be successfully implemented. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ethical implications of digital images for teaching and learning purposes: an integrative review.

PubMed

Kornhaber, Rachel; Betihavas, Vasiliki; Baber, Rodney J

2015-01-01

Digital photography has simplified the process of capturing and utilizing medical images. The process of taking high-quality digital photographs has been recognized as efficient, timely, and cost-effective. In particular, the evolution of smartphone and comparable technologies has become a vital component in teaching and learning of health care professionals. However, ethical standards in relation to digital photography for teaching and learning have not always been of the highest standard. The inappropriate utilization of digital images within the health care setting has the capacity to compromise patient confidentiality and increase the risk of litigation. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate the literature concerning the ethical implications for health professionals utilizing digital photography for teaching and learning. A literature search was conducted utilizing five electronic databases, PubMed, Embase (Excerpta Medica Database), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Educational Resources Information Center, and Scopus, limited to English language. Studies that endeavored to evaluate the ethical implications of digital photography for teaching and learning purposes in the health care setting were included. The search strategy identified 514 papers of which nine were retrieved for full review. Four papers were excluded based on the inclusion criteria, leaving five papers for final analysis. Three key themes were developed: knowledge deficit, consent and beyond, and standards driving scope of practice. The assimilation of evidence in this review suggests that there is value for health professionals utilizing digital photography for teaching purposes in health education. However, there is limited understanding of the process of obtaining and storage and use of such mediums for teaching purposes. Disparity was also highlighted related to policy and guideline identification and development in clinical practice. Therefore, the implementation of policy to guide practice requires further research.

Healthcare waste management: an interpretive structural modeling approach.

PubMed

Thakur, Vikas; Anbanandam, Ramesh

2016-06-13

Purpose - The World Health Organization identified infectious healthcare waste as a threat to the environment and human health. India's current medical waste management system has limitations, which lead to ineffective and inefficient waste handling practices. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to: first, identify the important barriers that hinder India's healthcare waste management (HCWM) systems; second, classify operational, tactical and strategical issues to discuss the managerial implications at different management levels; and third, define all barriers into four quadrants depending upon their driving and dependence power. Design/methodology/approach - India's HCWM system barriers were identified through the literature, field surveys and brainstorming sessions. Interrelationships among all the barriers were analyzed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Fuzzy-Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis was used to classify HCWM barriers into four groups. Findings - In total, 25 HCWM system barriers were identified and placed in 12 different ISM model hierarchy levels. Fuzzy-MICMAC analysis placed eight barriers in the second quadrant, five in third and 12 in fourth quadrant to define their relative ISM model importance. Research limitations/implications - The study's main limitation is that all the barriers were identified through a field survey and barnstorming sessions conducted only in Uttarakhand, Northern State, India. The problems in implementing HCWM practices may differ with the region, hence, the current study needs to be replicated in different Indian states to define the waste disposal strategies for hospitals. Practical implications - The model will help hospital managers and Pollution Control Boards, to plan their resources accordingly and make policies, targeting key performance areas. Originality/value - The study is the first attempt to identify India's HCWM system barriers and prioritize them.

Spatial distribution of clinical computer systems in primary care in England in 2016 and implications for primary care electronic medical record databases: a cross-sectional population study.

PubMed

Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Stevens, Richard John; Helms, Peter J; Edwards, Duncan; Doran, Tim; Ashcroft, Darren M

2018-02-28

UK primary care databases (PCDs) are used by researchers worldwide to inform clinical practice. These databases have been primarily tied to single clinical computer systems, but little is known about the adoption of these systems by primary care practices or their geographical representativeness. We explore the spatial distribution of clinical computing systems and discuss the implications for the longevity and regional representativeness of these resources. Cross-sectional study. English primary care clinical computer systems. 7526 general practices in August 2016. Spatial mapping of family practices in England in 2016 by clinical computer system at two geographical levels, the lower Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG, 209 units) and the higher National Health Service regions (14 units). Data for practices included numbers of doctors, nurses and patients, and area deprivation. Of 7526 practices, Egton Medical Information Systems (EMIS) was used in 4199 (56%), SystmOne in 2552 (34%) and Vision in 636 (9%). Great regional variability was observed for all systems, with EMIS having a stronger presence in the West of England, London and the South; SystmOne in the East and some regions in the South; and Vision in London, the South, Greater Manchester and Birmingham. PCDs based on single clinical computer systems are geographically clustered in England. For example, Clinical Practice Research Datalink and The Health Improvement Network, the most popular primary care databases in terms of research outputs, are based on the Vision clinical computer system, used by <10% of practices and heavily concentrated in three major conurbations and the South. Researchers need to be aware of the analytical challenges posed by clustering, and barriers to accessing alternative PCDs need to be removed. © 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.

Implications of current resident work-hour guidelines on the future practice of surgery in Canada.

PubMed

Maruscak, Adam A; VanderBeek, Laura; Ott, Michael C; Kelly, Stephen; Forbes, Thomas L

2012-01-01

Work-hour restrictions have had a profound impact on surgical training. However, little is known of how work-hour restrictions may affect the future practice patterns of current surgical residents. The purpose of this study is to compare the anticipated career practice patterns of surgical residents who are training within an environment of work-hour restrictions with the current practice of faculty surgeons. An electronic survey was sent to all surgery residents and faculty at 2 Canadian university-affiliated medical centers. The survey consisted of questions regarding expected (residents) or current (faculty) practice patterns. A total of 149 residents and 125 faculty members completed the survey (50.3% and 52.3% response rates, respectively). A greater proportion of males were in the faculty cohort than in the resident group (77.6% vs 62.4%, p = 0.0003). More faculty than residents believed that work-hour restrictions have a negative impact on both residency education (40.8% vs 20.8%, p = 0.008) and preparation for a surgical career (56.8% vs 19.5%, p < 0.0001). Compared with current faculty, residents plan to take less call (p < 0.0003), work fewer days of the week (p < 0.0001), are more likely to limit their duty hours on postcall days (p = 0.009), and take parental leave (p = 0.02) once in practice. Male and female residents differed somewhat in their responses in that more female residents plan to limit their postcall duty hours (55.4% vs 36.5%, p = 0.009) and to take a parental leave (51.8% vs 16.1%, p < 0.0001) compared with their male resident colleagues. Current surgical residents expect to adopt components of resident work-hour guidelines into their surgical practices after completing their residency. These practice patterns will have surgical workforce implications and might require larger surgical groups and reconsideration of resource allocation. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Foreign Postings on Accompanying Military Spouses: An Ethnographic Study

PubMed Central

Blakely, Gillian; Hennessy, Catherine; Chung, Man C.; Skirton, Heather

2014-01-01

As part of an ethnographic study, the impact of foreign postings on spouses who accompany military personnel was explored. Individual interviews and focus groups with 34 British military spouses based in one location in southern Europe were conducted. Key findings suggested that reaction to a foreign posting was a reflection of personal attitudes, prior experiences, support, ability to adjust to change and strength of relationship with the serving spouse and community. For many the experience was positive due to the increased opportunity for family time, for others this helped to compensate for the difficulties experienced. Some military spouses experienced significant distress on the posting, particularly if the family was not well-supported. The potential implications of military spouses not adapting to foreign postings have significant implications for healthcare practice. Provision of more appropriate support resources before and during the posting would facilitate the transition for the military spouse and their family. PMID:26973933

Are South African Speech-Language Therapists adequately equipped to assess English Additional Language (EAL) speakers who are from an indigenous linguistic and cultural background? A profile and exploration of the current situation

PubMed Central

Mdlalo, Thandeka; Flack, Penelope

2016-01-01

This article presents the results of a survey conducted on Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs) regarding current practices in the assessment of English Additional Language (EAL) speakers in South Africa. It forms part of the rationale for a broader (PhD) study that critiques the use of assessment instruments on EAL speakers from an indigenous linguistic and cultural background. This article discusses an aspect of the broader research and presents the background, method, findings, discussion and implications of the survey. The results of this survey highlight the challenges of human and material resources to, and the dominance of English in, the profession in South Africa. The findings contribute to understanding critical factors for acquiring reliable and valid assessment results with diverse populations, particularly the implications from a cultural and linguistic perspective. PMID:27247254

Enhancing the Impact of Family Justice Centers via Motivational Interviewing: An Integrated Review.

PubMed

Simmons, Catherine A; Howell, Kathryn H; Duke, Michael R; Beck, J Gayle

2016-12-01

The Family Justice Center (FJC) model is an approach to assisting survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) that focuses on integration of services under one roof and co-location of staff members from a range of multidisciplinary agencies. Even though the FJC model is touted as a best practice strategy to help IPV survivors, empirical support for the effectiveness of this approach is scarce. The current article consolidates this small yet promising body of empirically based literature in a clinically focused review. Findings point to the importance of integrating additional resources into the FJC model to engage IPV survivors who have ambivalent feelings about whether to accept help, leave the abusive relationship, and/or participate in criminal justice processes to hold the offender accountable. One such resource, motivational interviewing (MI), holds promise in aiding IPV survivors with these decisions, but empirical investigation into how MI can be incorporated into the FJC model has yet to be published. This article, therefore, also integrates the body of literature supporting the FJC model with the body of literature supporting MI with IPV survivors. Implications for practice, policy, and research are incorporated throughout this review. © The Author(s) 2015.

Introductory Physics Students' Physics and Mathematics Epistemologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, Erin M.

The purpose of this three study dissertation is to investigate why students are enrolled in introductory physics courses experience difficulties in being successful; one possible source of their difficulties is related to their epistemology. In order to investigate students' epistemologies about mathematics and physics, students were observed solving physics problems in groups during a laboratory course (study 1) and while solving physics and mathematics problems individually during office-hour sessions (study 2). The Epistemological Resources theoretical framework was employed (Hammer & Elby, 2002). Using emergent and a priori epistemological resource operationalizations (Jones, 2015), 25 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 1. Differences in physics epistemological resource usage between students of varying academic background (as measured by their number of previously completed mathematics and science classes were identified. By employing an external (Jones, 2015) and internal (Scanlon, 2016) a priori epistemological resource coding scheme, a total of 17 distinct epistemological resources were identified in study 2. The data were sampled to compare the mathematics and physics epistemological resource usage of participants with consistent and inconsistent sign usage in an energy conservation physics problem in order to provide a meaningful context for discussion. Participants of the same sign usage group employed epistemological resources similarly. Conversely, participants in different groups had significantly different physics epistemological resource usage patterns. Finally, student epistemological resource usage patterns from the first two studies were compared to course outcomes in order to determine implications for practice (study 3). Educators must be aware of and address the epistemological underpinnings of students' difficulties in introductory physics courses.

Missing link in the service profit chain: a meta-analytic review of the antecedents, consequences, and moderators of service climate.

PubMed

Hong, Ying; Liao, Hui; Hu, Jia; Jiang, Kaifeng

2013-03-01

Service climate captures employees' consensual perceptions of organizations' emphasis on service quality. Although many studies have examined the foundation issues and outcomes of service climate, there is a lack of a comprehensive model explicating the antecedents, outcomes, and moderators of service climate. The current study fills this void in the literature. By conducting a meta-analysis of 58 independent samples (N = 9,363), we found support for service climate as a critical linkage between internal and external service parameters. In addition, we found differential effects of service-oriented versus general human resource practices and leadership on service climate, as well as disparate impacts of service climate contingent on types of service, measures of service climate, and sources of rating. Research and practical implications are discussed.

When lending a hand depletes the will: The daily costs and benefits of helping.

PubMed

Lanaj, Klodiana; Johnson, Russell E; Wang, Mo

2016-08-01

Employees help on a regular daily basis while at work, yet surprisingly little is known about how responding to help requests affects helpers. Although recent theory suggests that helping may come at a cost to the helper, the majority of the helping literature has focused on the benefits of helping. The current study addresses the complex nature of helping by simultaneously considering its costs and benefits for helpers. Using daily diary data across 3 consecutive work weeks, we examine the relationship between responding to help requests, perceived prosocial impact of helping, and helpers' regulatory resources. We find that responding to help requests depletes regulatory resources at an increasing rate, yet perceived prosocial impact of helping can replenish resources. We also find that employees' prosocial motivation moderates these within-person relationships, such that prosocial employees are depleted to a larger extent by responding to help requests, and replenished to a lesser extent by the perceived prosocial impact of helping. Understanding the complex relationship of helping with regulatory resources is important because such resources have downstream effects on helpers' behavior in the workplace. We discuss the implications of our findings for both theory and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of workaholism in the job demands-resources model.

PubMed

Molino, Monica; Bakker, Arnold B; Ghislieri, Chiara

2016-07-01

The present study tries to gain more insight in workaholism by investigating its antecedents and consequences using the job demands-resources model. We hypothesized that job demands would be positively related to workaholism, particularly when job resources are low. In addition, we hypothesized that workaholism would be positively related to negative outcomes in three important life domains: health, family, and work. The research involved 617 Italian workers (employees and self-employed). To test the hypotheses we applied structural equation modeling (SEM) and moderated structural equation modeling (MSEM) using Mplus 6. The results of SEM showed a good model where workload, cognitive demands, emotional demands, and customer-related social stressors were positively related to workaholism and work-family conflict (WFC) (partial mediation). Additionally, workaholism was indirectly related to exhaustion and intentions to change jobs through WFC. Moreover, MSEM analyses confirmed that job resources (job security and opportunities for development) buffered the relationship between job demands and workaholism. Particularly, the interaction effects were statistically significant in five out of eight combinations. These findings suggest that workaholism is a function of a suboptimal work environment and predicts unfavorable employee outcomes. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Doctor-patient relationships (DPR) in China.

PubMed

Ma, Shaozhuang; Xu, Xuehu; Trigo, Virginia; Ramalho, Nelson J C

2017-03-20

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to develop and test theory on how commitment human resource (HR) practices affect hospital professionals' job satisfaction that motivates them to generate desirable patient care and subsequently improve doctor-patient relationships (DPR) and second, to examine how commitment HR practices influence hospital managers and clinicians in different ways. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-sectional survey, the authors collected data from 508 clinicians and hospital managers from 33 tertiary public hospitals in China. Structural equation model was employed to test the relationships of the variables in the study. Findings Commitment HR practices positively affect the job satisfaction of the healthcare professionals surveyed and a positive relationship is perceived between job satisfaction and DPR. Overall, the model shows a reversal on the strongest path linking job satisfaction and DPR whereby managers' main association operates through extrinsic job satisfaction while for clinicians it occurs through intrinsic satisfaction only. Practical implications DPR might be improved by applying commitment HR practices to increase healthcare professional's intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction. In addition, while recognizing the importance of compensation and benefits to address the underpayment issue of Chinese healthcare professionals, empowerment and autonomy in work, and the use of subjects' expertise and skills may serve as stronger motivators for clinicians rather than hard economic incentives in achieving DPR improvements. Originality/value This study contributes to the small but growing body of research on human resource management (HRM) in the healthcare sector with new evidence supporting the link between commitment HR practice and work attitudes, as well as work attitudes and patient care from the perspective of clinicians and hospital managers. This study represents an initial attempt to examine the associations among commitment HR practices, job satisfaction and DPR in the Chinese healthcare sector. The findings provide evidence to support the value of commitment HR practices in Chinese hospital context, and demonstrate the importance of effective HRM in improving both hospital managers and clinicians' work attitudes.

Advancing Evidence-Based Practice in Physical Therapy Settings: Multinational Perspectives on Implementation Strategies and Interventions.

PubMed

Bernhardsson, Susanne; Lynch, Elizabeth; Dizon, Janine Margarita; Fernandes, Jasmin; Gonzalez-Suarez, Consuelo; Lizarondo, Lucylynn; Luker, Julie; Wiles, Louise; Grimmer, Karen

2017-01-01

It is of critical importance that findings from the wealth of clinical physical therapist research are transferred into clinical practice without unnecessary delays. There is a lack of knowledge about strategies that can be used to effectively implement physical therapist research findings and evidence-based practice (EBP) into everyday clinical practice in different national settings and contexts. The purpose of this article is to contribute to knowledge about effective strategies for implementing EBP that have been studied in different national physical therapy settings. The specific aims of this article are to share experiences and provide a current multinational perspective on different approaches and strategies for implementing EBP and to highlight important considerations and implications for both research and practice. Six research studies from various settings in 3 countries are described and synthesized. Key characteristics of the studies and intervention components are tabulated and mapped to the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care taxonomy. Commonalities and differences are presented. The implementation strategies described were: a theory-based guideline implementation tailored to identified barriers and facilitators; a multifaceted EBP training package; journal clubs; a multifaceted strategy comprising contextualized procedures, protocols, and standardized resources; barrier identification, education, audit, feedback, and reminders; and contextualized guidelines. Commonalities were the use of a multifaceted approach, educational measures, and clinical guidelines. Key outcomes across the studies were improved attitudes and increased awareness, knowledge, skills, and confidence in EBP; better access to clinical practice guidelines and other EBP resources; identification of barriers that could be targeted in future implementation activities; earlier referrals; and use of recommended outcome measures. The article can serve as a template for other physical therapist researchers in designing implementation studies, as well as to inform policies and practice for health care managers and decision makers who are looking for ways to implement research findings in their organizations. © 2017 American Physical Therapy Association.

Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking: A model for research and practice

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Increasing access to, and use of, health promotion strategies and health care services for diverse cultural groups is a National priority. While theories about the structural determinants of help seeking have received empirical testing, studies about cultural determinants have been primarily descriptive, making theoretical and empirical analysis difficult. This article synthesizes concepts and research by the author and others from diverse disciplines to develop the mid-range theoretical model called the Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking (CDHS). The multidimensional construct of culture, which defines the iterative dimensions of ideology, political-economy, practice and the body, is outlined. The notion of cultural models of wellness and illness as cognitive guides for perception, emotion and behavior; as well as the synthesized concept of idioms of wellness and distress, are introduced. Next, the CDHS theory proposes that sign and symptom perception, the interpretation of their meaning and the dynamics of the social distribution of resources, are all shaped by cultural models. Then, the CDHS model is applied to practice using research with Asians. Lastly, implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:19999745

Replicability and other features of a high-quality science: Toward a balanced and empirical approach.

PubMed

Finkel, Eli J; Eastwick, Paul W; Reis, Harry T

2017-08-01

Finkel, Eastwick, and Reis (2015; FER2015) argued that psychological science is better served by responding to apprehensions about replicability rates with contextualized solutions than with one-size-fits-all solutions. Here, we extend FER2015's analysis to suggest that much of the discussion of best research practices since 2011 has focused on a single feature of high-quality science-replicability-with insufficient sensitivity to the implications of recommended practices for other features, like discovery, internal validity, external validity, construct validity, consequentiality, and cumulativeness. Thus, although recommendations for bolstering replicability have been innovative, compelling, and abundant, it is difficult to evaluate their impact on our science as a whole, especially because many research practices that are beneficial for some features of scientific quality are harmful for others. For example, FER2015 argued that bigger samples are generally better, but also noted that very large samples ("those larger than required for effect sizes to stabilize"; p. 291) could have the downside of commandeering resources that would have been better invested in other studies. In their critique of FER2015, LeBel, Campbell, and Loving (2016) concluded, based on simulated data, that ever-larger samples are better for the efficiency of scientific discovery (i.e., that there are no tradeoffs). As demonstrated here, however, this conclusion holds only when the replicator's resources are considered in isolation. If we widen the assumptions to include the original researcher's resources as well, which is necessary if the goal is to consider resource investment for the field as a whole, the conclusion changes radically-and strongly supports a tradeoff-based analysis. In general, as psychologists seek to strengthen our science, we must complement our much-needed work on increasing replicability with careful attention to the other features of a high-quality science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender roles and relationships: Implications for water management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, G.

This study mainstreams gender at household level by showing how the gendered roles and relations between women and men influence access, allocation and use of resources in a rural community, Makhosini, in Swaziland. Implications of the identified gender roles and relationships for water management in Swaziland are highlighted. The working hypotheses of this study are (i) that gender-neutral development initiatives will benefit equally women and men at household level; and (ii) in Swaziland the trend toward irrigated agriculture for food security will have unequal impacts on men and women as access, allocation and use of key resources is highly gendered, privileging men as the value of the resource increases. In this study, a questionnaire was administered to sampled male and female heads of household as well as women under male heads. The heads were asked to indicate the roles they play and key decisions they make in resource use as heads of households. The women under male heads were also asked to indicate their roles and key decision responsibilities. The key resources considered were land and crops produced. Comparative analysis on roles and decisions made as well as access and use of resources and production was done by gender and between the women groups. The results show marked gender differences within households and across resources. Men were overwhelmingly involved in productive roles, giving low priority to reproductive roles. In contrast, priority of women’s roles were reproductive in nature. The key findings are that there were no significant differences in the roles of men and women as heads of households. Women as heads of households assume the same roles as those of men heads suggesting relative gender-neutrality. Also all women played “double-day” roles. However, the data reveals that men dominate decisions on crops to be grown, inputs to be used, disposal of the products and use of income obtained. Only a small percentage of women claimed influence over decisions on high-income generating crops such as sugarcane. A majority of women did demonstrate influence in the areas of key rainfed crops such as sweet potatoes and maize. The only area where women had full control was on grass used for making handicrafts. The implications for water resources management are that gender-blind decisions regarding the importance of irrigated crop production for household security may in fact remove decision-making capacity out of the hands of women so increasing the gendered-nature of food insecurity. At the same time, however, women household heads do show some influence in irrigated crop production and in high-value rainfed crop production. This suggests possibilities for in-building gender-neutral practices where high value crops are concerned.

Physical and Chemical Implications of Mid-Winter Pumping of Trunda Lakes - North Slope, Alaska

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

Hinzman, Larry D.; Lilly, Michael R.; Kane, Douglas L.

2005-09-30

Tundra lakes on the North Slope, Alaska, are an important resource for energy development and petroleum field operations. A majority of exploration activities, pipeline maintenance, and restoration activities take place on winter ice roads that depend on water availability at key times of the winter operating season. These same lakes provide important fisheries and ecosystem functions. In particular, overwintering habitat for fish is one important management concern. This study focused on the evaluation of winter water use in the current field operating areas to provide a better understanding of the current water use practices. It found that under the currentmore » water use practices, there were no measurable negative effects of winter pumping on the lakes studied and current water use management practices were appropriately conservative. The study did find many areas where improvements in the understanding of tundra lake hydrology and water usage would benefit industry, management agencies, and the protection of fisheries and ecosystems.« less

Costing behavioral interventions: a practical guide to enhance translation.

PubMed

Ritzwoller, Debra P; Sukhanova, Anna; Gaglio, Bridget; Glasgow, Russell E

2009-04-01

Cost and cost effectiveness of behavioral interventions are critical parts of dissemination and implementation into non-academic settings. Due to the lack of indicative data and policy makers' increasing demands for both program effectiveness and efficiency, cost analyses can serve as valuable tools in the evaluation process. To stimulate and promote broader use of practical techniques that can be used to efficiently estimate the implementation costs of behavioral interventions, we propose a set of analytic steps that can be employed across a broad range of interventions. Intervention costs must be distinguished from research, development, and recruitment costs. The inclusion of sensitivity analyses is recommended to understand the implications of implementation of the intervention into different settings using different intervention resources. To illustrate these procedures, we use data from a smoking reduction practical clinical trial to describe the techniques and methods used to estimate and evaluate the costs associated with the intervention. Estimated intervention costs per participant were $419, with a range of $276 to $703, depending on the number of participants.

General practitioners' perceptions of the barriers and solutions to good-quality palliative care in dementia.

PubMed

Carter, Gillian; van der Steen, Jenny T; Galway, Karen; Brazil, Kevin

2015-04-16

The general practitioner (GP) is in a pivotal position to initiate and adapt care for their patients living with dementia. This study aimed to elicit GPs' perceptions of the potential barriers and solutions to the provision of good-quality palliative care in dementia in their practices. A postal survey of GPs across Northern Ireland was conducted with open-ended items soliciting for barriers in their practices and possible solutions; 40.6% (138/340) were returned completed. Barriers to palliative care in dementia were perceived to be a dementia knowledge deficit for healthcare staff and the public, a resource shortfall within the GP practice and community, poor team coordination alongside inappropriate dementia care provision, and disagreements from and within families. These findings have significant implications for educators and clinicians as enhanced dementia education and training were highlighted as a strong agenda for GPs with the suggestions of dementia awareness programmes for the public. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Health Promotion Practice and Interprofessional Education in Aging: Senior Wellness Fairs.

PubMed

Diwan, Sadhna; Perdue, Megan; Lee, Sang E; Grossman, Brian R

2016-01-01

Senior wellness fairs (SWFs) offer a unique opportunity for community health promotion and interprofessional education (IPE). The authors describe and evaluate the impact of a 3-year, university-community SWF collaboration on interprofessional competencies among students across multiple professional programs. Participation in the SWF enhanced student knowledge and skills in providing health promotion information to older adults in an interprofessional, collaborative setting as indicated by mean scores on the Perceived Learning Outcomes Survey, an instrument developed for this project. Open-ended data highlighted aspects of the SWF that students found most useful (interaction with seniors, community resources, interprofessional learning, and self-awareness) and most challenging (communication barriers, limited opportunity for interaction, and physical environment). Pre- and posttest scores on the Multidisciplinary SWF Practice Learning Quiz, another instrument developed for this project, illustrated improvement in student understanding of other professions and the importance of interprofessional cooperation to promote and maintain healthy aging. Implications and suggestions for structuring learning opportunities that combine community health promotion practice and interprofessional learning are discussed.

The physician as a manager.

PubMed

McDonagh, T J

1982-02-01

The practice of occupational medicine has undergone considerable change over the last decade. Increased awareness of potential health hazards associated with the workplace and its products and wastes, the interest of society and workers in these subjects, and related governmental regulation have resulted in expanded occupational health programs within industry. The occupational physician has become a key company resource in the optimal management of the business impacts of health-related issues. Health-related matters often have noteworthy business implications, and the occupational physician needs to spend considerable time as a manager in the planning, resourcing, implementation, evaluation, and stewardship of programs. Thus he is experiencing greater demands and often is inadequately prepared for this nonclinical, nonscientific role. Therefore, the preparation of occupational physicians to assume such managerial responsibilities needs to receive high priority. The physician must be willing to accept this challenge both to ensure the program's success and to retain a leadership position in occupational health programs.

Shrugging it off: Does psychological detachment from work mediate the relationship between workplace aggression and work-family conflict?

PubMed

Demsky, Caitlin A; Ellis, Allison M; Fritz, Charlotte

2014-04-01

The current study investigates workplace aggression and psychological detachment from work as possible antecedents of work-family conflict. We draw upon Conservation of Resources theory and the Effort-Recovery Model to argue that employees who fail to psychologically detach from stressful events in the workplace experience a relative lack of resources that is negatively associated with functioning in the nonwork domain. Further, we extend prior research on antecedents of work-family conflict by examining workplace aggression, a prevalent workplace stressor. Utilizing multisource data (i.e., employee, significant other, and coworker reports), our findings indicate that self-reported psychological detachment mediates the relationship between coworker-reported workplace aggression and both self- and significant other-reported work-family conflict. Findings from the current study speak to the value of combining perspectives from research on recovery from work stress and the work-family interface, and point toward implications for research and practice.

Use of quick response coding to create interactive patient and provider resources.

PubMed

Bellot, Jennifer; Shaffer, Kathryn; Wang, Mary

2015-04-01

Since their creation more than 20 years ago, the proliferation of Quick Response (QR) codes has expanded tremendously. Little was found in the literature to support the innovative use of QR coding in the classroom or in health care provision. Thus, the authors created a doctoral-level practicum experience using QR coding to create interactive, individualized patient or provider resource guides. Short, descriptive surveys were used before and after implementation of the practicum experience to determine students' comfort level using QR technology, their knowledge base, ease of use, and overall satisfaction with the practicum. Students reported high levels of satisfaction with this exercise, and all agreed that use of QR coding could have important implications in the clinical environment. This practicum experience was a creative, practical, and valuable example of integrating emerging technology into individualized patient care. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Getting Personal: Head and Neck Cancer Management in the Era of Genomic Medicine

PubMed Central

Birkeland, Andrew C.; Uhlmann, Wendy R.; Brenner, J. Chad; Shuman, Andrew G.

2015-01-01

Background Genetic testing is rapidly becoming an important tool in the management of patients with head and neck cancer. As we enter the era of genomics and personalized medicine, providers should be aware of testing options, counseling resources, and the benefits, limitations and future of personalized therapy. Methods This manuscript offers a primer to assist clinicians treating patients in anticipating and managing the inherent practical and ethical challenges of cancer care in the genomic era. Results Clinical applications of genomics for head and neck cancer are emerging. We discuss the indications for genetic testing, types of testing available, implications for care, privacy/disclosure concerns and ethical considerations. Hereditary genetic syndromes associated with head and neck neoplasms are reviewed, and online genetics resources are provided. Conclusions This article summarizes and contextualizes the evolving diagnostic and therapeutic options that impact the care of patients with head and neck cancer in the genomic era. PMID:25995036

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work

PubMed Central

Arnoux-Nicolas, Caroline; Sovet, Laurent; Lhotellier, Lin; Di Fabio, Annamaria; Bernaud, Jean-Luc

2016-01-01

Perceived working conditions lead to various negative outcomes for employee behaviors, including turnover intentions. Although potential mediators for these relationships were previously identified, the importance of meaning of work has not yet been investigated. This study examines the role of this psychological resource as a mediator for the relationships between perceived working conditions and turnover intentions in a sample of 336 French workers from different job contexts. Results show that adverse working conditions were positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. Meaning of work is negatively related to both perceived working conditions and turnover intentions. Mediation analyses for meaning of work demonstrated indirect effects of several adverse working conditions on turnover intentions. The role of meaning of work as a psychological resource for employees facing adverse working conditions is discussed, especially regarding its implications for research and practice within organizational contexts. PMID:27242616

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work.

PubMed

Arnoux-Nicolas, Caroline; Sovet, Laurent; Lhotellier, Lin; Di Fabio, Annamaria; Bernaud, Jean-Luc

2016-01-01

Perceived working conditions lead to various negative outcomes for employee behaviors, including turnover intentions. Although potential mediators for these relationships were previously identified, the importance of meaning of work has not yet been investigated. This study examines the role of this psychological resource as a mediator for the relationships between perceived working conditions and turnover intentions in a sample of 336 French workers from different job contexts. Results show that adverse working conditions were positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. Meaning of work is negatively related to both perceived working conditions and turnover intentions. Mediation analyses for meaning of work demonstrated indirect effects of several adverse working conditions on turnover intentions. The role of meaning of work as a psychological resource for employees facing adverse working conditions is discussed, especially regarding its implications for research and practice within organizational contexts.

Conceptual and Adoption of Technology Acceptance Model in Digital Information Resources Usage by Undergraduates: Implication to Higher Institutions Education in Delta and Edo of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urhiewhu, Lucky Oghenetega; Emojorho, Daniel

2015-01-01

The article paper was on conceptual and theoretical framework of digital information resources usage by undergraduates: Implication to higher institutions education in Delta and Edo of Nigeria. It revealed the concept of digital information resources [DIRs] and model theory that related to the study. Finding shows that DIRs are use to low extent…

Commitment among state health officials & its implications for health sector reform: lessons from Gujarat.

PubMed

Maheshwari, Sunil; Bhat, Ramesh; Saha, Somen

2008-02-01

Commitment, competencies and skills of people working in the health sector can significantly impact the performance and its reform process. In this study we attempted to analyse the commitment of state health officials and its implications for human resource practices in Gujarat. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure commitment and its relationship with human resource (HR) variables. Employee's organizational commitment (OC) and professional commitment (PC) were measured using OC and PC scale. Fifty five medical officers from Gujarat participated in the study. Professional commitment of doctors (3.21 to 4.01) was found to be higher than their commitment to the organization (3.01 to 3.61). Doctors did not perceive greater fairness in the system on promotion (on the scale of 5, score: 2.55) and were of the view that the system still followed seniority based promotion (score: 3.42). Medical officers were upset about low autonomy in the department with regard to reward and recognition, accounting procedure, prioritization and synchronization of health programme and other administrative activities. Our study provided some support for positive effects of progressive HR practices on OC, specifically on affective and normative OC. Following initiatives were identified to foster a development climate among the health officials: providing opportunities for training, professional competency development, developing healthy relationship between superiors and subordinates, providing useful performance feedback, and recognising and rewarding performance. For reform process in the health sector to succeed, there is a need to promote high involvement of medical officers. There is a need to invest in developing leadership quality, supervision skills and developing autonomy in its public health institutions.

A descriptive correlational study of bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy and its association with preterm birth: implications for advanced practice nurses.

PubMed

Mascagni, Jennifer R; Miller, Lucy H

2004-12-01

To expand on prior (often contradictory) research implicating maternal infection as a cause of preterm birth, specifically exploring whether bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnancy caused preterm birth in a sample of 103 women in a rural Mississippi obstetric-gynecologic clinic. This descriptive correlational study explored the relationship between BV and preterm birth, using retrospective chart data from a purposive sample of 103 women (for a power level of 95%) from one rural obstetric-gynecologic clinic. Contrary to the majority of published research, this study did not find a positive correlation between BV and preterm birth. This unexpected result raises questions, particularly given that the preponderance (86%) of women who tested positive for BV during their pregnancy were African American, a population in which both BV and preterm birth are more prevalent. Whether to screen for BV in pregnancy is a clinically important question not only in terms of the health of mother and child but also in terms of responsible use of resources. Clear findings supporting beneficial health results for screening would dictate screening regardless of the cost. But research continues to lack consensus on the efficacy of BV screening during pregnancy in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study, as in some of the literature, the risk of preterm birth did not correlate positively with BV during pregnancy. In the absence of that correlation, cost gains importance. Nurse practitioners (NPs) must use resources wisely, including time, laboratory tests, and medications. Although some specialists recommend screening or treating all pregnant patients for BV, the current practice of not screening or treating all pregnant patients seems warranted until definitive findings establish a conclusive correlation between BV and preterm birth.

Relative Importance of Human Resource Practices on Affective Commitment and Turnover Intention in South Korea and United States

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaeyoon; Sohn, Young Woo; Kim, Minhee; Kwon, Seungwoo; Park, In-Jo

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of perceived HR practices on affective commitment and turnover intention. This study explored which HR practices were relatively more important in predicting affective commitment and turnover intention. A total of 302 employees from the United States and 317 from South Korea completed the same questionnaires for assessing the aforementioned relationships. The results illustrated that among perceived HR practices, internal mobility had the most significant association with turnover intention in both the United States and South Korea. While internal mobility was a stronger predictor of affective commitment for the United States sample, training was the most important variable for predicting affective commitment in South Korea. The second purpose of the study was to examine whether individuals’ positive affect influences the relationship between perceived HR practices and affective commitment and turnover intention. In the United States, positive affect moderated the relationship between perceived HR practices and affective commitment and turnover intention such that the relationships were stronger for individuals reporting high positive affect relative to those reporting low positive affect. However, these relationships were not significant in South Korea. We discuss the implications of these results, study limitations, and practical suggestions for future research. PMID:29867647

Building foundations for the future: the NHS Scotland advanced practice succession planning development pathway.

PubMed

Currie, Kay; Grundy, Maggie

2011-10-01

To highlight implications for managers from the implementation of a national advanced practice succession planning development pathway within Scotland. Internationally, advanced practice posts have often developed in an ad-hoc manner, with little organizational attention to succession planning. Evaluation of a pilot national succession planning development pathway identified mechanisms which facilitate or hamper effective planning for advanced practice roles. A responsive evaluation design incorporating semi-structured questionnaires to pathway participants (n = 15) and semi-structured telephone interviews with case-site pathway participants (n = 7) and their line managers. Managers believed the development pathway was worthwhile; however, there was limited strategic planning to match individuals' development to service need. Practitioners generally perceived managers as interested in their development, although levels of practical support varied. There is concern from both managers and practitioners regarding ongoing funding for advanced practice development. The present evaluation study reiterates the need for organizational commitment to succession planning including robust service needs analysis mechanisms and adequate funding for development processes. Nurse managers are viewed as the 'gatekeepers' to opportunities for developing advanced nurse practitioners; scare resources must be targeted effectively to support succession planning through the development of selected individuals for future advanced practice posts, justified by service need. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Financial implications of the continuity of primary care.

PubMed

Hollander, Marcus J; Kadlec, Helena

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the financial implications of the continuity of care, for patients with high care needs, by examining the cost of government-funded health care services in British Columbia, Canada. Using British Columbia Ministry of Health administrative databases for fiscal year 2010-2011 and generalized linear models, we estimated cost ratios for 10 cost-related predictor variables, including patients' attachment to the practice. Patients were selected and divided into groups on the basis of their Resource Utilization Band (RUB) and placement in provincial registries for 8 chronic conditions (1,619,941 patients). The final dataset included all high- and very-high-care-needs patients in British Columbia (ie, RUB categories 4 and 5) in 1 or more of the 8 registries who met the screening criteria (222,779 patients). Of the 10 predictors, across 8 medical conditions and both RUBs, patients' attachment to the practice had the strongest relationship to costs (correlations = -0.168 to -0.322). Higher attachment was associated with lower costs. Extrapolation of the findings indicated that an increase of 5% in the overall attachment level, for the selected high-care-needs patients, could have resulted in an estimated cost avoidance of $142 million Canadian for fiscal year 2010-2011. Continuity of care, defined as a patient's attachment to his/her primary care practice, can reduce health care costs over time and across chronic conditions. Health care policy makers may wish to consider creating opportunities for primary care physicians to increase the attachment that their high-care-needs patients have to their practices.

Work-family conflict and job satisfaction: emotional intelligence as a moderator.

PubMed

Gao, Yongdong; Shi, Junqi; Niu, Qikun; Wang, Lei

2013-08-01

The negative impact of work-family conflict (WFC) on employees' well-being and job-related outcomes has attracted much research attention recently. A major gap in the literature is which factors could potentially buffer its negative effect on employees. The present study examined the moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between WFC and job satisfaction in a sample of 212 Chinese high school teachers. On the basis of conservation of resource theory, we hypothesized that emotional intelligence would weaken the negative effect of family-to-work and work-to-family interference on job satisfaction. Results suggested that WFC (work-to-family interference and family-to-work interference) was negatively related to job satisfaction and that emotional intelligence weakened the effect of WFC on job satisfaction. These findings provide implications for theories on WFC and emotional intelligence, such as conservation of resource theory. The current study also provides a test of these theories in Chinese culture to support the generalizability of theories developed in previous research. Practical implications for reducing the negative influence of WFC on employees' job satisfaction are also provided, such as the potential value of emotional intelligence for the training and development of employees in teaching professions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A new vision for distance learning and continuing medical education.

PubMed

Harden, Ronald M

2005-01-01

Increasing demands on continuing medical education (CME) are taking place at a time of significant developments in educational thinking and new learning technologies. Such developments allow today's CME providers to better meet the CRISIS criteria for effective continuing education: convenience, relevance, individualization, self-assessment, independent learning, and a systematic approach. The International Virtual Medical School (IVIMEDS) provides a case study that illustrates how rapid growth of the Internet and e-learning can alter undergraduate education and has the potential to alter the nature of CME. Key components are a bank of reusable learning objects, a virtual practice with virtual patients, a learning-outcomes framework, and self-assessment instruments. Learning is facilitated by a curriculum map, guided-learning resources, "ask-the-expert" opportunities, and collaborative or peer-to-peer learning. The educational philosophy is "just-for-you" learning (learning customized to the content, educational strategy, and distribution needs of the individual physician) and "just-in-time" learning (learning resources available to physicians when they are required). Implications of the new learning technologies are profound. E-learning provides a bridge between the cutting edge of education and training and outdated procedures embedded in institutions and professional organizations. There are important implications, too, for globalization in medical education, for multiprofessional education, and for the continuum of education from undergraduate to postgraduate and continuing education.

Shrimp Farming Practices in the Puttallam District of Sri Lanka: Implications for Disease Control, Industry Sustainability, and Rural Development

PubMed Central

Munasinghe, M. Nalaka; Stephen, Craig; Abeynayake, Preeni; Abeygunawardena, Indra S.

2010-01-01

Shrimp farming has great potential to diversify and secure income in rural Sri Lanka, but production has significantly declined in recent years due to civil conflicts, some unsustainable practices and devastating outbreaks of disease. We examined management practices affecting disease prevention and control in the Puttalam district to identify extension services outputs that could support sustainable development of Sri Lankan shrimp farming. A survey on 621 shrimp farms (603 operational and 18 nonoperational) was conducted within the Puttalam district over 42 weeks comprising a series of three-day field visits from August 2008 to October 2009, covering two consecutive shrimp crops. Fundamental deficits in disease control, management, and biosecurity practices were found. Farmers had knowledge of biosecurity but the lack of financial resources was a major impediment to improved disease control. Smallholder farmers were disproportionately constrained in their ability to enact basic biosecurity practices due to their economic status. Basic breaches in biosecurity will keep disease as the rate limiting step in this industry. Plans to support this industry must recognize the socioeconomic reality of rural Sri Lankan aquaculture. PMID:20847956

Education System Reform in China after 1978: Some Practical Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Miantao

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of education system reform in China since 1978, and its practical implications. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from literature review and interview. An overview of education system reform and its practical implications was found through data analysis. Findings: There has been two…

A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Job Demands and Fit with Personal Resources as Predictors of Retirement Timing in a National U.S. Sample.

PubMed

Sonnega, Amanda; Helppie-McFall, Brooke; Hudomiet, Peter; Willis, Robert J; Fisher, Gwenith G

2017-12-19

Population aging and attendant pressures on public budgets have spurred considerable interest in understanding factors that influence retirement timing. A range of sociodemographic and economic characteristics predict both earlier and later retirement. Less is known about the role of job characteristics on the work choices of older workers. Researchers are increasingly using the subjective ratings of job characteristics available in the Health and Retirement Study in conjunction with more objective measures of job characteristics from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database. Employing a theoretically-informed model of job demands-personal resources fit, we constructed mismatch measures between resources and job demands (both subjectively and objectively assessed) in physical, emotional, and cognitive domains. When we matched comparable measures across the two data sources in the domains of physical, emotional, and cognitive job demands, we found that both sources of information held predictive power in relation to retirement timing. Physical and emotional but not cognitive mismatch were associated with earlier retirement. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research.

The reciprocal relationship between work characteristics and employee burnout and engagement: a longitudinal study of firefighters.

PubMed

Ângelo, R P; Chambel, M J

2015-04-01

The paradigm of this study is positive occupational psychology, with the job demands-resources model as the research model and the Conservation of Resources theory as the general stress theory. The research design analyses the job demands-resources model's dynamic nature with normal and reversed causation effects between work characteristics and psychological well-being among Portuguese firefighters. In addition, we analyse a positive (engagement) dimension and a negative (burnout) dimension in the firefighters' well-being, because previously, studies have merely focused on the strain or stress of these professionals. The research questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 651 firefighters, and a two-wave full panel design was used. Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that the causal direction of the relationship between organizational demands and burnout is reciprocal. Also, we found that the reciprocal model, including cross-lagged reciprocal relationships between organizational demands/supervisory support and burnout/engagement, respectively, is what fits the data best. Practical implications to develop organizational change programmes and suggestions for future research regarding the promotion of occupational health are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quantifying the Implications of Different Land Users' Priorities in the Management of Boreal Multiple-Use Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horstkotte, Tim; Lind, Torgny; Moen, Jon

2016-04-01

In the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered. Here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests in northern Sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural composition and the economic gains at harvest. Management strategies prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous Sámi, or (ii) timber production as practiced in Sweden today. When prioritizing reindeer grazing, forest stands develop a higher abundance of older age classes with larger trees and lower stem density, which reduces harvest and revenue levels by approximately 20 % over a 100-year period. The differences between these strategies illustrate the complexity in finding a trade-off for coexistence between industrial land users and other livelihoods that share the same landscape. Political support and institutional solutions are necessary to initiate changes in policy in finding such trade-offs in the management of environmental resources and thereby influence the optimal distribution of costs and benefits between different actors.

Quantifying the Implications of Different Land Users' Priorities in the Management of Boreal Multiple-Use Forests.

PubMed

Horstkotte, Tim; Lind, Torgny; Moen, Jon

2016-04-01

In the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered. Here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests in northern Sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural composition and the economic gains at harvest. Management strategies prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous Sámi, or (ii) timber production as practiced in Sweden today. When prioritizing reindeer grazing, forest stands develop a higher abundance of older age classes with larger trees and lower stem density, which reduces harvest and revenue levels by approximately 20% over a 100-year period. The differences between these strategies illustrate the complexity in finding a trade-off for coexistence between industrial land users and other livelihoods that share the same landscape. Political support and institutional solutions are necessary to initiate changes in policy in finding such trade-offs in the management of environmental resources and thereby influence the optimal distribution of costs and benefits between different actors.

Be Friendly, Stay Well: The Effects of Job Resources on Well-Being in a Discriminatory Work Environment.

PubMed

Di Marco, Donatella; Arenas, Alicia; Giorgi, Gabriele; Arcangeli, Giulio; Mucci, Nicola

2018-01-01

Many studies have focused on the negative effects of discrimination on workers' well-being. However, discrimination does not affect just victims but also those people who witness discriminatory acts or who perceived they are working in a discriminatory work environment. Although perceiving a discriminatory work environment might be a stressor, the presence of job resources might counteract its negative effects, as suggested by the Job Demand-Resources model. The goal of this study is to test the effect of perceiving a discriminatory work environment on workers' psychological well-being when job autonomy and co-workers and supervisor support act as mediator and moderators respectively. To test the moderated mediation model data were gathered with a sample of Italian 114 truckers. Results demonstrated that job autonomy partially mediates the relationship between perceiving a discriminatory work environment and workers' well-being. Main interactional effects have been observed when co-workers support is introduced in the model as moderator, while no main interactional effects exist when supervisor support is introduced. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Be Friendly, Stay Well: The Effects of Job Resources on Well-Being in a Discriminatory Work Environment

PubMed Central

Di Marco, Donatella; Arenas, Alicia; Giorgi, Gabriele; Arcangeli, Giulio; Mucci, Nicola

2018-01-01

Many studies have focused on the negative effects of discrimination on workers’ well-being. However, discrimination does not affect just victims but also those people who witness discriminatory acts or who perceived they are working in a discriminatory work environment. Although perceiving a discriminatory work environment might be a stressor, the presence of job resources might counteract its negative effects, as suggested by the Job Demand-Resources model. The goal of this study is to test the effect of perceiving a discriminatory work environment on workers’ psychological well-being when job autonomy and co-workers and supervisor support act as mediator and moderators respectively. To test the moderated mediation model data were gathered with a sample of Italian 114 truckers. Results demonstrated that job autonomy partially mediates the relationship between perceiving a discriminatory work environment and workers’ well-being. Main interactional effects have been observed when co-workers support is introduced in the model as moderator, while no main interactional effects exist when supervisor support is introduced. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PMID:29666596

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

Stevens, D.F.

This year`s Information Technology Resources Assessment (ITRA) is something of a departure from traditional practice. Past assessments have concentrated on developments in fundamental technology, particularly with respect to hardware. They form an impressive chronicle of decreasing cycle times, increasing densities, decreasing costs (or, equivalently, increasing capacity and capability per dollar spent), and new system architectures, with a leavening of operating systems and languages. Past assessments have aimed -- and succeeded -- at putting information technology squarely in the spotlight; by contrast, in the first part of this assessment, we would like to move it to the background, and encourage themore » reader to reflect less on the continuing technological miracles of miniaturization in space and time and more on the second- and third-order implications of some possible workplace applications of these miracles. This Information Technology Resources Assessment is intended to provide a sense of technological direction for planners in projecting the hardware, software, and human resources necessary to support the diverse IT requirements of the various components of the DOE community. It is also intended to provide a sense of our new understanding of the place of IT in our organizations.« less

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

Stevens, D.F.

This year's Information Technology Resources Assessment (ITRA) is something of a departure from traditional practice. Past assessments have concentrated on developments in fundamental technology, particularly with respect to hardware. They form an impressive chronicle of decreasing cycle times, increasing densities, decreasing costs (or, equivalently, increasing capacity and capability per dollar spent), and new system architectures, with a leavening of operating systems and languages. Past assessments have aimed -- and succeeded -- at putting information technology squarely in the spotlight; by contrast, in the first part of this assessment, we would like to move it to the background, and encourage themore » reader to reflect less on the continuing technological miracles of miniaturization in space and time and more on the second- and third-order implications of some possible workplace applications of these miracles. This Information Technology Resources Assessment is intended to provide a sense of technological direction for planners in projecting the hardware, software, and human resources necessary to support the diverse IT requirements of the various components of the DOE community. It is also intended to provide a sense of our new understanding of the place of IT in our organizations.« less

Cultural Implications of Human Resource Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiranpruk, Chaiskran

A discussion of the cultural effects of economic and, by extension, human resource development in Southeast Asia looks at short- and long-term implications. It is suggested that in the short term, increased competition will affect distribution of wealth, which can promote materialism and corruption. The introduction of labor-saving technology may…

Theory Development and Convergence of Human Resource Fields: Implications for Human Performance Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Yonjoo; Yoon, Seung Won

2010-01-01

This study examines major theory developments in human resource (HR) fields and discusses implications for human performance technology (HPT). Differentiated HR fields are converging to improve organizational performance through knowledge-based innovations. Ruona and Gibson (2004) made a similar observation and analyzed the historical evolution…

Orbital surveys and state resource management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wukelic, G. E.; Wells, T. L.; Brace, B. R.

1972-01-01

The resource management implications of satellite earth resource surveys for the state of Ohio are discussed. Discussions cover environmental problems, planning future developments, and short- and long-range benefits of such resource management.

Associations among state and local organizational contexts: Use of evidence-based practices in the criminal justice system.

PubMed

Henderson, Craig E; Young, Douglas W; Farrell, Jill; Taxman, Faye S

2009-08-01

This study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine the extent to which the organizational characteristics of state corrections agencies and local criminal justice facilities interacted in their associations with the extent to which local facilities are using evidence-based substance abuse treatment practices (EBPs). The study used data collected from two nationally representative surveys - one of state executives and the other of local prison wardens, justice administrators, and treatment directors - which were conducted as part of the National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices survey [NCJTP; Taxman, F.S., Young, D., Wiersema, B., Mitchell, S., Rhodes, A.G., 2007. The National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices Survey: Multi-level survey methods and procedures. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 32, 225-238], and includes both adult criminal and juvenile justice samples. Results indicated that several state organizational characteristics were either associated with more EBP use or interacted with local organizational characteristics in associations with EBP use, including: (1) systems integration at the state level was associated with greater EBP use; (2) state staffing adequacy and stability accentuated the association between local training and resources for new programs and EBP use (i.e., in states with better staffing, the relationship between training/resources and EBP use in local facilities was stronger); and (3) state executives' attitudes regarding the missions and goals of corrections tended to diminish the extent to which corresponding local administrator attitudes were associated with EBP use. The study has implications for future research focused on EBP diffusion and implementation in correctional environments, particularly attempts to influence EBP use by working through state agencies.

[Controversy in the treatment of a critically ill neonate in a rural health service].

PubMed

Márquez-González, Horacio; Valdez-Martínez, Edith

2015-01-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation of newborns with perinatal hypoxia faces serious ethical, moral, medical and legal problems, particularly in rural areas. Ethical and moral issues have to do with the medical-parents relationship; with values, preferences and priorities of each of these groups; and with the scarce resources situation. Medical-technical problems are related to asphyxia complications, and their prognostic and therapeutic implications. Legal considerations arising from the fact of killing or letting die. In this article is analyzed the real case of a neonate with severe perinatal hypoxia in order to enhance the understanding of the incorporation of ethics in everyday clinical practice.

Justice and health for all.

PubMed

de Jong, G A; Rutten, F F

1983-01-01

The ethical aspects of the distribution of resources for health care at the macro level deserve more study than they hitherto received. The socio-medical and economic policy implications of four distribution principles are reviewed: the utilitarian, the egalitarian, the equal access and the libertarian. Policy in welfare states is primarily based on the equal access principle. Economic factors have led to policy proposals in libertarian and utilitarian directions; competition, cost-sharing, cost-effectiveness and individual responsibility are central to the discussion. The authors conclude that it remains to be seen whether these alternatives produce the results expected. They recommend more comprehensive examination of the practical and political feasibilities of a more egalitarian policy.

Furthering the Understanding of Parent–Child Relationships: A Nursing Scholarship Review Series. Part 2: Grasping the Early Parenting Experience—The Insider View

PubMed Central

Lutz, Kristin F.; Anderson, Lori S.; Riesch, Susan K.; Pridham, Karen A.; Becker, Patricia T.

2010-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this integrative review is to systematically and critically synthesize nursing scholarship on parents’ perspectives of the parent–child relationship during infancy. CONCLUSION Research has shown that the process of establishing the parent–child relationship is highly individualized and complex. Numerous barriers and facilitators influencing this relationship have been identified that are relevant to nursing. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Nurses have an important opportunity to positively affect the developing parent–infant relationship. Screening parents for depression and providing parents with resources and support are key nursing interventions supporting the parent–infant relationship. PMID:19796326

I was never recruited: challenges in cross-Canada nurse mobility.

PubMed

Hall, Linda McGillis; Peterson, Jessica; Sheri, Sheri; Andrews, Gavin; Lalonde, Michelle; Harris, Alexandra; MacDonald-Rencz, Sandra

2013-01-01

The internal migration of nurses within Canada has had limited study. This paper reports the results of a survey of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who had migrated between the provinces and territories in Canada. Factors contributing to internal nurse mobility included seeking full-time work, opportunities for career advancement and flexible scheduling options. Few nurses received incentives to move between the provinces/territories to work. A number of challenges with internal migration are identified, including complexities related to licensing and limitations in available job information. Implications for nursing health human resources policy related to nurse retention in Canada are identified and discussed.

Exploring Factors Associated with Educational Outcomes for Orphan and Abandoned Children in India

PubMed Central

Sinha, Aakanksha; Lombe, Margaret; Saltzman, Leia Y.; Whetten, Kathryn; Whetten, Rachel

2016-01-01

India has more than 25 million orphan and abandoned children (UNICEF, 2012). The burden of care for these OAC is on caregivers that are often ill equipped to meet their needs due to inadequate assets. Previous studies suggest that in communities with limited resources, OAC residing with non-biological caregivers are more at risk than those fostered by a biological parent. This study explores the association of caregiver and child characteristics with OAC educational outcome in India. The analysis was conducted using hierarchical logistic regression. The findings have implications for practice and policy in the global child welfare field. PMID:27088068

The faunal drugstore: Animal-based remedies used in traditional medicines in Latin America

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Zootherapy is the treatment of human ailments with remedies made from animals and their products. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on this phenomenon has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This review discusses some related aspects of the use of animal-based remedies in Latin America, identifies those species used as folk remedies, and discusses the implications of zootherapy for public health and biological conservation. The review of literature revealed that at least 584 animal species, distributed in 13 taxonomic categories, have been used in traditional medicine in region. The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expansive and demonstrates the importance of zootherapy as an alternative mode of therapy in Latin America. Nevertheless, this number is certainly underestimated since the number of studies on the theme are very limited. Animals provide the raw materials for remedies prescribed clinically and are also used in the form of amulets and charms in magic-religious rituals and ceremonies. Zootherapeutic resources were used to treat different diseases. The medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Besides being influenced by cultural aspects, the relations between humans and biodiversity in the form of zootherapeutic practices are conditioned by the social and economic relations between humans themselves. Further ethnopharmacological studies are necessary to increase our understanding of the links between traditional uses of faunistic resources and conservation biology, public health policies, sustainable management of natural resources and bio-prospecting. PMID:21385357

Perinatal Practices & Traditions Among Asian Indian Women.

PubMed

Goyal, Deepika

2016-01-01

As the population in the United States grows more diverse, nurses caring for childbearing women must be aware of the many cultural traditions and customs unique to their patients. This knowledge and insight supports women and their families with the appropriate care, information, and resources. A supportive relationship builds trust, offers guidance, and allows for the new family to integrate information from nurses and other healthcare providers with the practice of certain perinatal cultural traditions. The Asian Indian culture is rich in tradition, specifically during the perinatal period. To support the cultural beliefs and practices of Asian Indian women during this time, nurses need to be aware of and consider multiple factors. Many women are navigating the new role of motherhood while making sense of and incorporating important cultural rituals. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of perinatal cultural practices and traditions specific to the Asian Indian culture that perinatal nurses may observe in the clinical setting. Cultural traditions and practices specific to the pregnancy and postpartum period are described together with symbolism and implications for nursing practice. It is important to note that information regarding perinatal customs is provided in an effort to promote culturally sensitive nursing care and may not pertain to all Asian Indian women living in the United States.

Nurse practitioner organizational climate in primary care settings: implications for professional practice.

PubMed

Poghosyan, Lusine; Nannini, Angela; Stone, Patricia W; Smaldone, Arlene

2013-01-01

The expansion of the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce in primary care is key to meeting the increased demand for care. Organizational climates in primary care settings affect NP professional practice and the quality of care. This study investigated organizational climate and its domains affecting NP professional practice in primary care settings. A qualitative descriptive design, with purposive sampling, was used to recruit 16 NPs practicing in primary care settings in Massachusetts. An interview guide was developed and pretested with two NPs and in 1 group interview with 7 NPs. Data collection took place in spring of 2011. Individual interviews lasted from 30-70 minutes, were audio recorded, and transcribed. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti 6.0 software by 3 researchers. Content analysis was applied. Three previously identified themes, NP-physician relations, independent practice and autonomy, and professional visibility, as well as two new themes, organizational support and resources and NP-administration relations emerged from the analyses. NPs reported collegial relations with physicians, challenges in establishing independent practice, suboptimal relationships with administration, and lack of support. NP contributions to patient care were invisible. Favorable organizational climates should be promoted to support the expanding of NP workforce in primary care and to optimize recruitment and retention efforts. © 2013.

Occupational contact dermatitis in Australia: diagnostic and management practices, and severity of worker impairment.

PubMed

Keegel, Tessa; Erbas, Bircan; Cahill, Jennifer; Noonan, Amanda; Dharmage, Shyamali; Nixon, Rosemary

2007-06-01

The aims of this study were to compare treatment and referral practices between general practitioners (GPs) and dermatologists and to evaluate predictors for occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) disease severity measured in terms of worker impairment. Data were collected from 181 patients recruited for a larger study of OCD. Information about treatment recommendations and usual referral practices are reported for 123 patients. Data from patients, diagnosed with work-related skin disease, were modelled for severity of worker impairment. GPs were more likely to treat a patient independently, referring if the patient did not improve, whereas dermatologists were more likely to refer for patch testing on initial presentation. Dermatologists were more likely to recommend gloves and GPs were more likely to recommend soap avoidance/substitution. 2 GPs and no dermatologists reported recommending the best practice combination of moisturizers, topical corticosteroids and soap substitutes. When adjusted for all variables including age, sex, duration and diagnostic subgroup, workers with atopy as a cofactor had the most severe impairment. This study suggests that in Australia, patients with suspected OCD are initially managed within general practice, few clinicians recommend best practice treatments for OCD, and that atopy is associated with severity. These findings have implications for health resource allocation, clinician education, and the pre-employment counselling of atopic patients.

Challenging clinical learning environments: experiences of undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

O'Mara, Linda; McDonald, Jane; Gillespie, Mary; Brown, Helen; Miles, Lynn

2014-03-01

Clinical learning is an essential component of becoming a nurse. However at times, students report experiencing challenging clinical learning environments (CCLE), raising questions regarding the nature of a challenging clinical learning environment, its impact on students' learning and how students might respond within a CCLE. Using an Interpretive Descriptive study design, researchers held focus groups with 54 students from two Canadian sites, who self-identified as having experienced a CCLE. Students defined a CCLE as affected by relationships in the clinical area and by the context of their learning experiences. CCLE decreased students' learning opportunities and impacted on them as persons. As students determined which relationships were challenging, they tapped other resources and they used strategies to rebuilt, reframe, redirect and/or retreat relative to the specific challenge. Relationships also acted as buffers to unsupportive practice cultures. Implications for practice and research are addressed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic considerations in the care of patients with head and neck malignancies.

PubMed

Pfister, D G; Ruchlin, H S; Elkin, E B

1997-05-01

In an era of cost-consciousness and managed care, quality concerns practice variability attributed to nonmedical factors, and growing attention to outcomes research, there is increasing interest in the economics of malignant disease. This review explores economic issues pertinent to the management of patients with head and neck malignancies. Using economic principles to evaluate medical practice does not uniformly mean that less money should be spent; rather, the intention is to optimize efficiency in the use of limited resources. Accordingly costs are best evaluated in the context of other outcomes of interest. The available economic literature for head and neck tumors is limited; it is often compromised by the use of facility charges as a proxy for true costs and the adoption of a truncated economic perspective. Given the potential health policy implications of such studies, their methodologies and results warrant careful scrutiny. Many opportunities exist for further research.

Roles of Teachers in Orchestrating Learning in Elementary Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Junqing; Tan, Aik-Ling

2015-12-01

This study delves into the different roles that elementary science teachers play in the classroom to orchestrate science learning opportunities for students. Examining the classroom practices of three elementary science teachers in Singapore, we found that teachers shuttle between four key roles in enabling student learning in science. Teachers can play the role of (1) dispenser of knowledge (giver), (2) mentor of learning (advisor), (3) monitor of students' activities (police), and (4) partner in inquiry (colearner). These roles are dynamic, and while teachers show a preference for one of the four roles, factors such as the nature of the task, the types of students, as well as the availability of time and resources affect the role that teachers adopt. The roles that teachers play in the classroom have implications for the practice of science as inquiry in the classroom as well as the identities that teachers and students form in the science learning process.

Enhancing communication in surgery through team training interventions: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Gillespie, Brigid M; Chaboyer, Wendy; Murray, Patrick

2010-12-01

In surgery, up to 70% of adverse events are attributable to failures in communication. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to critically assess the results of team training interventions used in the OR. In the 12 studies that met the inclusion criteria, there were statistically significant before-and-after improvements in teamwork practices and in some secondary outcomes such as complication rates. Our findings suggest that team training interventions have utility in enhancing team communication and cohesion. Team training interventions that are developed in response to the nuances of the context are more likely to become embedded in clinical practice. The introduction of more complex interventions has implications for resources and staffing. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate strategies that address the sustainability of complex team training interventions across multiple OR contexts. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Faculty buy-in to teach alcohol and drug use screening.

PubMed

Puskar, Kathy; Mitchell, Ann M; Kane, Irene; Hagle, Holly; Talcott, Kimberly S

2014-09-01

Educating nursing faculty about the use of an evidence-based practice to screen and intervene earlier along the continuum of alcohol and other drug use, misuse, and dependence is essential in today's health care arena. Misuse of alcohol and other drugs is a significant problem for both individual health and societal economic welfare. The purpose of this article is to describe nursing faculty buy-in for the implementation of an evidence-based addiction training program at a university-based school of nursing. Derived from an academic-community partnership, the training program results suggest implications for continuing education and curriculum innovation in schools of nursing and clinical practice. The training content presented can be used in continuing education for nursing faculty across all types of nursing school programs and professional nursing staff employed in multiple settings. The training program was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Polynomial-time solution of prime factorization and NP-complete problems with digital memcomputing machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Traversa, Fabio L.; Di Ventra, Massimiliano

2017-02-01

We introduce a class of digital machines, we name Digital Memcomputing Machines, (DMMs) able to solve a wide range of problems including Non-deterministic Polynomial (NP) ones with polynomial resources (in time, space, and energy). An abstract DMM with this power must satisfy a set of compatible mathematical constraints underlying its practical realization. We prove this by making a connection with the dynamical systems theory. This leads us to a set of physical constraints for poly-resource resolvability. Once the mathematical requirements have been assessed, we propose a practical scheme to solve the above class of problems based on the novel concept of self-organizing logic gates and circuits (SOLCs). These are logic gates and circuits able to accept input signals from any terminal, without distinction between conventional input and output terminals. They can solve boolean problems by self-organizing into their solution. They can be fabricated either with circuit elements with memory (such as memristors) and/or standard MOS technology. Using tools of functional analysis, we prove mathematically the following constraints for the poly-resource resolvability: (i) SOLCs possess a global attractor; (ii) their only equilibrium points are the solutions of the problems to solve; (iii) the system converges exponentially fast to the solutions; (iv) the equilibrium convergence rate scales at most polynomially with input size. We finally provide arguments that periodic orbits and strange attractors cannot coexist with equilibria. As examples, we show how to solve the prime factorization and the search version of the NP-complete subset-sum problem. Since DMMs map integers into integers, they are robust against noise and hence scalable. We finally discuss the implications of the DMM realization through SOLCs to the NP = P question related to constraints of poly-resources resolvability.

Genomics and infectious disease: a call to identify the ethical, legal and social implications for public health and clinical practice.

PubMed

Geller, Gail; Dvoskin, Rachel; Thio, Chloe L; Duggal, Priya; Lewis, Michelle H; Bailey, Theodore C; Sutherland, Andrea; Salmon, Daniel A; Kahn, Jeffrey P

2014-01-01

Advances in genomics are contributing to the development of more effective, personalized approaches to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Genetic sequencing technologies are furthering our understanding of how human and pathogen genomic factors - and their interactions - contribute to individual differences in immunologic responses to vaccines, infections and drug therapies. Such understanding will influence future policies and procedures for infectious disease management. With the potential for tailored interventions for particular individuals, populations or subpopulations, ethical, legal and social implications (ELSIs) may arise for public health and clinical practice. Potential considerations include balancing health-related benefits and harms between individuals and the larger community, minimizing threats to individual privacy and autonomy, and ensuring just distribution of scarce resources. In this Opinion, we consider the potential application of pathogen and host genomic information to particular viral infections that have large-scale public health consequences but differ in ELSI-relevant characteristics such as ease of transmission, chronicity, severity, preventability and treatability. We argue for the importance of anticipating these ELSI issues in advance of new scientific discoveries, and call for the development of strategies for identifying and exploring ethical questions that should be considered as clinical, public health and policy decisions are made.

Variations in Involvement: Motivating Bystanders to Care for Senior Citizens

PubMed Central

Keller, Sarah N.; Wilkinson, Tim

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a senior service advertising campaign designed to increase volunteerism and financial donations among bystanders. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional mail survey was administered to 2,500 adults; 384 usable responses were obtained. Survey responses were analyzed by level of exposure and involvement in senior care. Findings High involvement individuals viewed the ads more favorably and exhibited stronger senior caretaking intentions. Low-involvement consumers were less likely to see their own potential contributions to senior care services as effective. Results/implications It is argued that nonparticipants in prosocial helping may fail to notice the need (low awareness), fail to view the cause as urgent (low perceived susceptibility), or have low prior experience with the issue. Practical implications A typology of involvement could be developed that can be used for audience segmentation in marketing health behaviors to bystanders. Originality With limited theoretical and practical guidance on how to motivate bystanders to engage in prosocial behaviors, health communicators and marketers are challenged to tap into the vital resource that bystanders potentially could provide. The research reviewed and presented here indicates hope for engaging the public to become active players in making the nation a safer and healthier place. PMID:28824705

Extending the Territory: From Open Educational Resources to Open Educational Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehlers, Ulf-Daniel

2011-01-01

This article examines the findings of the recent OPAL report "Beyond OER: Shifting Focus from Resources to Practices". In doing so, it defines current understanding of open educational resources and open educational practices, and highlights the shift from open content to open practice. The article includes a framework for supporting…

Networking Micro-Processors for Effective Computer Utilization in Nursing

PubMed Central

Mangaroo, Jewellean; Smith, Bob; Glasser, Jay; Littell, Arthur; Saba, Virginia

1982-01-01

Networking as a social entity has important implications for maximizing computer resources for improved utilization in nursing. This paper describes the one process of networking of complementary resources at three institutions. Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas School of Public Health, which has effected greater utilization of computers at the college. The results achieved in this project should have implications for nurses, users, and consumers in the development of computer resources.

Developing an evaluation framework for clinical redesign programs: lessons learnt.

PubMed

Samaranayake, Premaratne; Dadich, Ann; Fitzgerald, Anneke; Zeitz, Kathryn

2016-09-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present lessons learnt through the development of an evaluation framework for a clinical redesign programme - the aim of which was to improve the patient journey through improved discharge practices within an Australian public hospital. Design/methodology/approach The development of the evaluation framework involved three stages - namely, the analysis of secondary data relating to the discharge planning pathway; the analysis of primary data including field-notes and interview transcripts on hospital processes; and the triangulation of these data sets to devise the framework. The evaluation framework ensured that resource use, process management, patient satisfaction, and staff well-being and productivity were each connected with measures, targets, and the aim of clinical redesign programme. Findings The application of business process management and a balanced scorecard enabled a different way of framing the evaluation, ensuring measurable outcomes were connected to inputs and outputs. Lessons learnt include: first, the importance of mixed-methods research to devise the framework and evaluate the redesigned processes; second, the need for appropriate tools and resources to adequately capture change across the different domains of the redesign programme; and third, the value of developing and applying an evaluative framework progressively. Research limitations/implications The evaluation framework is limited by its retrospective application to a clinical process redesign programme. Originality/value This research supports benchmarking with national and international practices in relation to best practice healthcare redesign processes. Additionally, it provides a theoretical contribution on evaluating health services improvement and redesign initiatives.

Are better sleepers more engaged workers? A self-regulatory approach to sleep hygiene and work engagement.

PubMed

Barber, Larissa; Grawitch, Matthew J; Munz, David C

2013-10-01

Previous research has emphasized facets of both the organizational environment and individual differences as predictors of work engagement. This study explored sleep hygiene as another important behavioural factor that may be related to work engagement. With a sample of 328 adult workers, we tested a multiple mediator model in which sleep hygiene predicts work engagement through one's appraisals of resource depletion stemming from demands (psychological strain) and general self-regulatory capacity (self-control). Results indicated that individuals who frequently engaged in poor sleep hygiene behaviours had lower self-regulatory capacity, experienced higher subjective depletion and were less engaged at work. Additionally, the path from poor sleep hygiene to decreased work engagement was attributed to perceptions of personal resources that are needed to exert self-regulatory energy at work. This is consistent with current self-regulatory theories suggesting that individuals have a limited amount of resources to allocate to demands and that the depletion of these resources can lead to stress and lower self-regulatory functioning in response to other demands. Specifically, poor sleep hygiene results in the loss of self-regulatory resources needed to be engaged in work tasks by impairing the after-work recovery process. Practical and research implications regarding sleep hygiene interventions for well-being and productivity improvement are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using activity-based costing to track resource use in group practices.

PubMed

Zeller, T L; Siegel, G; Kaciuba, G; Lau, A H

1999-09-01

Research shows that understanding how resources are consumed can help group practices control costs. An American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons study used an activity-based costing (ABC) system to measure how resources are consumed in providing medical services. Teams of accounting professors observed 18 diverse orthopedic surgery practices. The researchers identified 17 resource-consuming business processes performed by nonphysician office staff. They measured resource consumption by assigning costs to each process according to how much time is spent on related work activities. When group practices understand how their resources are being consumed, they can reduce costs and optimize revenues by making adjustments in how administrative and clinical staff work.

The practices of do-it-yourself brain stimulation: implications for ethical considerations and regulatory proposals.

PubMed

Wexler, Anna

2016-04-01

Scientists and neuroethicists have recently drawn attention to the ethical and regulatory issues surrounding the do-it-yourself (DIY) brain stimulation community, which comprises individuals stimulating their own brains with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for self-improvement. However, to date, existing regulatory proposals and ethical discussions have been put forth without engaging those involved in the DIY tDCS community or attempting to understand the nature of their practices. I argue that to better contend with the growing ethical and safety concerns surrounding DIY tDCS, we need to understand the practices of the community. This study presents the results of a preliminary inquiry into the DIY tDCS community, with a focus on knowledge that is formed, shared and appropriated within it. I show that when making or acquiring a device, DIYers (as some members call themselves) produce a body of knowledge that is completely separate from that of the scientific community, and share it via online forums, blogs, videos and personal communications. However, when applying tDCS, DIYers draw heavily on existing scientific knowledge, posting links to academic journal articles and scientific resources and adopting the standardised electrode placement system used by scientists. Some DIYers co-opt scientific knowledge and modify it by creating their own manuals and guides based on published papers. Finally, I explore how DIYers cope with the methodological limitations inherent in self-experimentation. I conclude by discussing how a deeper understanding of the practices of DIY tDCS has important regulatory and ethical implications. 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/

Physical education resources, class management, and student physical activity levels: a structure-process-outcome approach to evaluating physical education effectiveness.

PubMed

Bevans, Katherine B; Fitzpatrick, Leslie-Anne; Sanchez, Betty M; Riley, Anne W; Forrest, Christopher

2010-12-01

This study was conducted to empirically evaluate specific human, curricular, and material resources that maximize student opportunities for physical activity during physical education (PE) class time. A structure-process-outcome model was proposed to identify the resources that influence the frequency of PE and intensity of physical activity during PE. The proportion of class time devoted to management was evaluated as a potential mediator of the relations between resource availability and student activity levels. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from interviews conducted with 46 physical educators and the systematic observation of 184 PE sessions in 34 schools. Regression analyses were conducted to test for the main effects of resource availability and the mediating role of class management. Students who attended schools with a low student-to-physical educator ratio had more PE time and engaged in higher levels of physical activity during class time. Access to adequate PE equipment and facilities was positively associated with student activity levels. The availability of a greater number of physical educators per student was found to impact student activity levels by reducing the amount of session time devoted to class management. The identification of structure and process predictors of student activity levels in PE will support the allocation of resources and encourage instructional practices that best support increased student activity levels in the most cost-effective way possible. Implications for PE policies and programs are discussed. © 2010, American School Health Association.

Managing work–family conflict in the medical profession: working conditions and individual resources as related factors

PubMed Central

Mache, Stefanie; Bernburg, Monika; Vitzthum, Karin; Groneberg, David A; Klapp, Burghard F; Danzer, Gerhard

2015-01-01

Objectives This study developed and tested a research model that examined the effects of working conditions and individual resources on work–family conflict (WFC) using data collected from physicians working at German clinics. Material and methods This is a cross-sectional study of 727 physicians working in German hospitals. The work environment, WFC and individual resources were measured by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, the WFC Scale, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale and the Questionnaire for Self-efficacy, Optimism and Pessimism. Descriptive, correlation and linear regression analyses were applied. Results Clinical doctors working in German hospitals perceived high levels of WFC (mean=76). Sociodemographic differences were found for age, marital status and presence of children with regard to WFC. No significant gender differences were found. WFCs were positively related to high workloads and quantitative job demands. Job resources (eg, influence at work, social support) and personal resources (eg, resilient coping behaviour and self-efficacy) were negatively associated with physicians’ WFCs. Interaction terms suggest that job and personal resources buffer the effects of job demands on WFC. Conclusions In this study, WFC was prevalent among German clinicians. Factors of work organisation as well as factors of interpersonal relations at work were identified as significant predictors for WFC. Our results give a strong indication that both individual and organisational factors are related to WFC. Results may play an important role in optimising clinical care. Practical implications for physicians’ career planning and recommendations for future research are discussed. PMID:25941177

Lake States natural resource managers' perspectives on forest land parcelization and its implications for public land management

Treesearch

Michael A. Kilgore; Stephanie A. Snyder

2016-01-01

Field-based public natural resource managers in the Lake States (MI, MN, WI) were surveyed for theirperspectives on various aspects of private forest land parcelization. This includes their perceptions ofrecent changes in parcelization activity, drivers and impacts, mitigation strategies, and ability to influenceparcelization. Their perspectives on the implications...

Potential implications for expansion of freeze-tolerant eucalyptus plantations on water resources in the southern United States

Treesearch

James M. Vose; Chelcy F. Miniat; Ge Sun; Peter V. Caldwell

2014-01-01

The potential expansion of freeze-tolerant (FT) Eucalyptus plantations in the United States has raised concerns about the implications for water resources. Modeling was used to examine the potential effects of expanding the distribution of FT Eucalyptus plantations in US Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8b and...

Scarcity discourses and their impacts on renal care policy, practices, and everyday experiences in rural British Columbia

PubMed Central

Brassolotto, Julia; Daly, Tamara

2017-01-01

Drawing from a qualitative case study in rural British Columbia, Canada, this paper examines the discourse of kidney scarcity and its impact on renal care policies and practices. Our findings suggest that at different levels of care, there are different discourses and treatment foci. We have identified three distinct scarcity discourses at work. At the macro policy level, the scarcity of transplantable kidneys is the dominant discourse. At the meso health care institution level, we witnessed a discourse regarding the scarcity of health care and human resources. At the micro community level, there was a discourse of the scarcity of health and life-sustaining resources. For each form of scarcity, particular responses are encouraged. At the macro level, renal care and transplant organizations emphasize the benefits of kidney transplantation and procuring more donors. At the meso level, participants from the regional health care system increasingly encourage home hemodialysis and patient-led care. At the micro level, community health care professionals push for rural renal patients to attend dialysis and maintain their care plans. This work contributes to critical, interdisciplinary organ transfer discourse by contextualizing kidney scarcity. It reveals the tension between these discourses and the implications of pursuing kidney donations without addressing the conditions in which individuals experience kidney failure. PMID:26854624

Perspective: follow the money: the implications of medical schools' funds flow models.

PubMed

Miller, Jeffrey C; Andersson, George E; Cohen, Marcia; Cohen, Stephen M; Gibson, Scott; Hindery, Michael A; Hooven, Martha; Krakower, Jack; Browdy, David H

2012-12-01

Medical schools conduct research, provide clinical care, and educate future physicians and scientists. Each school has its own unique mix of revenue sources and expense sharing among the medical school, faculty practice plan(s), parent university, and affiliated hospital(s). Despite these differences, revenues from clinical care subsidize the money-losing research and education missions at every medical school.In this perspective, the authors discuss the flow of funds among a medical school, its faculty practice plan(s), parent university, and affiliated hospital(s). They summarize where medical school revenues come from, how revenues and expenses flow within a medical school and between a medical school and its partners, and why understanding this process is crucial to leading and managing such an enterprise. They conclude with recommendations for medical schools to consider in developing funds flow models that meet their individual needs and circumstances: (1) understand economic drivers, (2) reward desired behaviors, (3) enable every unit to generate a positive margin, (4) communicate budget priorities, financial performance, and the use of institutional resources, and (5) establish principles for sharing resources and allocating expenses among entities within the institution.Medical schools should develop funds flow models that are transparent, aligned with their strategic priorities, and reward the behaviors necessary to produce effective collaboration within and across mission areas.

Is council tax valuation band a predictor of mortality?

PubMed Central

Beale, Norman R; Taylor, Gordon J; Straker-Cook, Dawn MK

2002-01-01

Background All current UK indices of socio-economic status have inherent problems, especially those used to govern resource allocation to the health sphere. The search for improved markers continues: this study proposes and tests the possibility that Council Tax Valuation Band (CTVB) might match requirements. Presentation of the hypothesis To determine if there is an association between CTVB of final residence and mortality risk using the death registers of a UK general practice. Testing the hypothesis Standardised death rates and odds ratios (ORs) for groups defined by CTVB of dwelling (A – H) were calculated using one in four denominator samples from the practice lists. Analyses were repeated three times – between number of deaths and CTVB of residence of deceased 1992 – 1994 inclusive, 1995 – 1997 inc., 1998 – 2000 inc. In 856 deaths there were consistent and significant differences in death rates between CTVBs: above average for bands A and B residents; below average for other band residents. There were significantly higher ORs for A, B residents who were female and who died prematurely (before average group life expectancy). Implications of the hypothesis CTVB of final residence appears to be a proxy marker of mortality risk and could be a valuable indicator of health needs resource at household level. It is worthy of further exploration. PMID:12207828

Physical activity programming in family child care homes: providers' perceptions of practices and barriers.

PubMed

Fees, Bronwyn; Trost, Stewart; Bopp, Melissa; Dzewaltowski, David A

2009-01-01

To examine family child care home (FCCH) providers' perceptions of appropriate physical activity (PA), current practices, and perceived barriers to inclusion of PA within their programs. A trained facilitator lead 4 focus group sessions of FCCH providers. Questions addressed providers' planning for PA, resources and barriers, and perceptions of children's engagement. Family child care homes. 32 FCCH providers (100% female) caring for children 6 weeks to 5 years old in predominantly mixed-age programs. Types of and extent to which PA was offered for children and perceived barriers to PA in this setting. Authors coded and analyzed transcriptions based on a socioecological framework using qualitative data analysis software. Majority of providers reported running and dancing to music as the most common PA, generally in an unstructured context. Frequency varied from none to twice a day. Few providers reported planning intentionally for PA; any plans followed children's interests. Barriers to inclusion of PA included personal, programming, parent, environmental, and financial reasons. Providers requested training on PA, particularly ideas for experiences in mixed-age groups. Type, frequency, consistency, and duration of PA among FCCH homes vary widely. Implications include training on PA and resources tailored to the unique characteristics of family child care homes.

Social Media Technology and Public Health in Ontario: Findings from a Planning Meeting Exploring Current Practices and Future Research Directions.

PubMed

Booth, Richard; McMurray, Josephine; Regan, Sandra; Kothari, Anita; Donelle, Lorie; McBride, Susan; Sobel, Annette; Hall, Jodi; Fraser, Robert; Foisey, Lyndsay

2017-01-01

In the province of Ontario, many of the public health units (PHUs) now possess and use social media as part of their daily health promotion and communication operations. To explore this topic, a planning meeting was held to generate deeper insights toward the use of these forms of technology for preventative services delivery. The planning meeting was held with 50 participants, comprising representatives from 20 of the 36 PHUs in Ontario, interested academics, students and government representatives. A nominal group technique (NGT) was used to build consensus related to future research needs, as related to public health and social media. Participants generated a range of insights around the use of social media, including the need for: leadership buy-in and resource allocation; social media policy and governance structure; performance measurement and evaluation; practices related to engagement with program recipients and addressing the lack of resources faced by many health units. Future research priorities were also generated, related to evaluating the cost-benefit of social media activities and understanding behaviour change implications. Further research is needed to evaluate the functionality, leadership and competency requirements and impact(s) of these new forms of health communication technology within public health service delivery. Copyright © 2017 Longwoods Publishing.

The social context of career choice among millennial nurses: implications for interprofessional practice.

PubMed

Price, Sheri; McGillis Hall, Linda; Angus, Jan; Peter, Elizabeth

2013-11-01

Health human resource and workforce planning is a global priority. Given the critical nursing shortage, and the fact that nurses are the largest group of healthcare providers, health workforce planning must focus on strategies to enhance both recruitment and retention of nurses. Understanding early socialization to career choice can provide insight into professional perceptions and expectations that have implications for recruitment, retention and interprofessional collaboration. This interpretive narrative inquiry utilized Polkinghorne's theory of narrative emplotment to understand the career choice experiences of 12 millennial nurses (born between 1980 and 2000) in Eastern Canada. Participants were interviewed twice, face-to-face, 4 to 6 weeks apart prior to commencing their nursing program. The narratives present career choice as a complex consideration of social positioning. The findings provide insight into how nursing is perceived to be positioned in relation to medicine and how the participants struggled to locate themselves within this social hierarchy. Implications of this research highlight the need to ensure that recruitment messaging and organizational policies promote interprofessional collaboration from the onset of choosing a career in the health professions. Early professional socialization strategies during recruitment and education can enhance future collaboration between the health professions.

Black Truffle Harvesting in Spanish Forests: Trends, Current Policies and Practices, and Implications on its Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Barreda, Sergi; Forcadell, Ricardo; Sánchez, Sergio; Martín-Santafé, María; Marco, Pedro; Camarero, J. Julio; Reyna, Santiago

2018-04-01

The European black truffle is a mycorrhizal fungus native to Spanish Mediterranean forests. In most Spanish regions it was originally commercially harvested in the second half of the 20th century. Experts agree that wild truffle yields suffered a sharp decline during the 1970s and 1980s. However, official statistics for Spanish harvest are scarce and seemingly conflicting, and little attention has been paid to the regime for the exploitation of truffle-producing forests and its implications on the sustainability of this resource. Trends in harvest from 1969 to 2013 and current harvesting practices were analyzed as a case study, taking into account that Spain is a major truffle producer worldwide, but at the same time truffles have only recently been exploited. The available statistical sources, which include an increasing proportion of cultivated truffles since the mid-1990s, were explored, with estimates from Truffle Harvesters Federation showing higher consistency. Statistical sources were then compared with proxies for wild harvest (rents from truffle leases in public forests) to corroborate time trends in wild harvesting. Results suggest that black truffle production is recovering in recent years thanks to plantations, whereas wild harvest is still declining. The implications of Spanish legal and institutional framework on sustainability of wild truffle use are reviewed. In the current scenario, the decline of wild harvest is likely to continue and eventually make commercial harvesting economically unattractive, thus aggravating sustainability issues. Strengthening of property rights, rationalization of harvesting pressure, forest planning and involvement of public stakeholders are proposed as corrective measures.

7 CFR 631.11 - Conservation practice maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... resource management systems or conservation practices applied under the contract for the duration of the... contract. (b) If the life span of the practices or resource management systems extends beyond the period of....11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES...

Explanation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing and its implication for microbiology.

PubMed

Smith, David; da Silva, Manuela; Jackson, Julian; Lyal, Christopher

2017-03-01

Working with genetic resources and associated data requires greater attention since the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) came into force in October 2014. Biologists must ensure that they have legal clarity in how they can and cannot use the genetic resources on which they carry out research. Not only must they work within the spirit in the Convention on Biological Diversity (https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/default.shtml?a=cbd-02) but also they may have regulatory requirements to meet. Although the Nagoya Protocol was negotiated and agreed globally, it is the responsibility of each country that ratifies it to introduce their individual implementing procedures and practices. Many countries in Europe, such as the UK, have chosen not to put access controls in place at this time, but others already have laws enacted providing ABS measures under the Convention on Biological Diversity or specifically to implement the Nagoya Protocol. Access legislation is in place in many countries and information on this can be found at the ABS Clearing House (https://absch.cbd.int/). For example, Brazil, although not a Party to the Nagoya Protocol at the time of writing, has Law 13.123 which entered into force on 17 November 2015, regulated by Decree 8.772 which was published on 11 May 2016. In this case, export of Brazilian genetic resources is not allowed unless the collector is registered in the National System for Genetic Heritage and Associated Traditional Knowledge Management (SisGen). The process entails that a foreign scientist must first of all be registered working with someone in Brazil and have authorization to collect. The enactment of European Union Regulation po. 511/2014 implements Nagoya Protocol elements that govern compliance measures for users and offers the opportunity to demonstrate due diligence in sourcing their organisms by selecting from holdings of 'registered collections'. The UK has introduced a Statutory Instrument that puts in place enforcement measures within the UK to implement this European Union Regulation; this is regulated by Regulatory Delivery, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategies. Scientific communities, including the private sector, individual institutions and organizations, have begun to design policy and best practices for compliance. Microbiologists and culture collections alike need to be aware of the legislation of the source country of the materials they use and put in place best practices for compliance; such best practice has been drafted by the Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure, and other research communities such as the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network and the International Organisation for Biological Control have published best practice and/or codes of conduct to ensure legitimate exchange and use of genetic resources.

Emergency management leadership in 2030: Shaping the next generation meta-leader.

PubMed

Cwiak, Carol L; Campbell, Ronald; Cassavechia, Matthew G; Haynes, Chuck; Lloyd, Lanita A; Brockway, Neil; Navarini, George O; Piatt, Byron E; Senger, Mary

The complexities, interdependencies, and ambiguity that face next generation emergency management meta-leaders in an ever-evolving global community heighten the expectation and need for competencies that far exceed those common in practice today and necessitate the ability to move seamlessly through the dimensions of meta-leadership (ie, the person, the situation, and connectivity) while utilizing scientific-based evidence, information, resources, processes, and tools. The objective of this effort was to examine the recently developed next generation emergency management competencies through a meta-leadership lens by juxtaposing the competencies and the meta-leadership model. This resulted in a new framing of the skills and attributes within the meta-leadership model as they are relevant to each competency. Selected trends, drivers, and challenges were used to provide examples within each competency area of the utility of meta-leadership to next generation emergency management practice. This effort also offers training and education implications for next generation emergency management meta-leaders. The examination of the new framing created in this effort is intended to prompt dialog and research within the emergency management practice and academic communities that furthers the practice and study of emergency management.

Toward a Transdisciplinary Model of Evidence-Based Practice

PubMed Central

Satterfield, Jason M; Spring, Bonnie; Brownson, Ross C; Mullen, Edward J; Newhouse, Robin P; Walker, Barbara B; Whitlock, Evelyn P

2009-01-01

Context This article describes the historical context and current developments in evidence-based practice (EBP) for medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, and public health, as well as the evolution of the seminal “three circles” model of evidence-based medicine, highlighting changes in EBP content, processes, and philosophies across disciplines. Methods The core issues and challenges in EBP are identified by comparing and contrasting EBP models across various health disciplines. Then a unified, transdisciplinary EBP model is presented, drawing on the strengths and compensating for the weaknesses of each discipline. Findings Common challenges across disciplines include (1) how “evidence” should be defined and comparatively weighted; (2) how and when the patient's and/or other contextual factors should enter the clinical decision-making process; (3) the definition and role of the “expert”; and (4) what other variables should be considered when selecting an evidence-based practice, such as age, social class, community resources, and local expertise. Conclusions A unified, transdisciplinary EBP model would address historical shortcomings by redefining the contents of each model circle, clarifying the practitioner's expertise and competencies, emphasizing shared decision making, and adding both environmental and organizational contexts. Implications for academia, practice, and policy also are discussed. PMID:19523122

Facet personality and surface-level diversity as team mental model antecedents: implications for implicit coordination.

PubMed

Fisher, David M; Bell, Suzanne T; Dierdorff, Erich C; Belohlav, James A

2012-07-01

Team mental models (TMMs) have received much attention as important drivers of effective team processes and performance. Less is known about the factors that give rise to these shared cognitive structures. We examined potential antecedents of TMMs, with a specific focus on team composition variables, including various facets of personality and surface-level diversity. Further, we examined implicit coordination as an important outcome of TMMs. Results suggest that team composition in terms of the cooperation facet of agreeableness and racial diversity were significantly related to team-focused TMM similarity. TMM similarity was also positively predictive of implicit coordination, which mediated the relationship between TMM similarity and team performance. Post hoc analyses revealed a significant interaction between the trust facet of agreeableness and racial diversity in predicting TMM similarity. Results are discussed in terms of facilitating the emergence of TMMs and corresponding implications for team-related human resource practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Activity-based funding: implications for mental health services and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

PubMed

Wand, Anne

2014-06-01

The aim of this paper is to inform mental health professionals about Activity-based funding (ABF) and the implications for data collection and clinical practice, in particular for consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatry. Activity-based funding may provide an opportunity for mental health services to be more equitably resourced, but much needs to be done to demonstrate that the funding model works in mental health. It is important to ensure that data collected is meaningful and accurate and reflects the diverse roles of mental health clinicians, including in CL. Inpatient and community services should be integrated in the model, as well as safeguards against potential abuse. Clinicians, in partnership with initiatives such as the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network, are best placed to guide the development of an ABF system for mental health which appropriately recognises the complexity and variability between patients in different settings. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

The effects of technology on triage in A & E.

PubMed

Roberts, J

1998-04-01

Within the specialty of Accident and Emergency (A & E) nursing, triage is a term meaning to classify or sort patients according to their need for care (Blythin 1988). Burgess (1992) views this process as a means of prioritizing patients in order, so that the more seriously ill or injured are seen first (Table 1). Triage performance is measured in the author's department by computer. This technological source is used to record the patient's arrival time and the time at which the patient is triaged. Technology is defined by the Oxford Dictionary (1996) as 'the study of mechanical arts and science, their application in industry'. This paper explores the impact of this technology and the related issues on the A & E triage nurse, and will focus on issues related to the Patients' Charter (1991), resource implications, safety and staff training. In conclusion, the quality of a patient's total care, in which the author participated, is discussed with reference to the related issues and implications for future practice.

Resource Management Resource Guide. A Resource for Teaching the Resource Management Core Course Area of Ohio's Work and Family Life Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kister, Joanna; And Others

This Resource Management Resource Guide is intended to help teachers implement Ohio's Work and Family Life Program. Course content focuses on the practical problems related to managing human and material resources, making consumer decisions, and feeding, clothing, and housing the family. These practical problems are posed through case studies and…

Hospital employee job resourcefulness: an empirical study and implications for health care marketing.

PubMed

Harris, Eric G; Artis, Andrew B; Fogliasso, Chris; Fleming, David E

2007-01-01

In today's competitive hospital marketing environment, it is imperative that administrators ensure that their hospitals are operating as efficiently and as effectively as possible. "Doing more with less" has become a mandate for hospital administrators and employees. The current research replicates and extends previous work devoted to this topic by examining the job resourcefulness construct in a hospital setting. Job resourcefulness, an individual difference variable, assesses the degree to which employees are able to overcome resource constraints in the pursuit of job-related goals. The work builds upon previous work and contributes to the hospital marketing literature by examining the relationships between resourcefulness, personality influencers, role stressors, and job tenure. Research implications and suggestions for future work in the area are presented.

Evaluating the usability of a single UK community acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation service website: implications for research methodology and website design.

PubMed

Newby, Gavin; Groom, Christina

2010-04-01

Information provision is an important resource for those living with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families. Web-based health information services are now common additions to health service provision. Ideally, they should be easy to use and provide useful, relevant and accurate information. ABI injuries do not affect individuals in the same way, and survivors can have a wide range of abilities and impairments. Therefore, any informational resource intended for this group should take account of their needs and help to compensate for their limitations. This pilot study recruited a group of individuals with ABI (of a median Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale rating of "lower moderate disability") who were clients of a UK National Health Service rehabilitation service and asked them to assess a specialised website provided by that service and hosted by their employing Primary Care Trust organisation. Participants completed a practical task and then gave their opinions on various aspects of website design, and content. They were also asked to suggest improvements and recommend additions. Overall the results were favourable. However, improvements in the legibility, layout and writing style were identified. There were also requests to add more information on the existing topics and add additional topics. The discussion also evaluates the utility of the methodology and the implications of the results for others considering constructing their own website.

Project-based teaching in health informatics: a course on health care quality improvement.

PubMed

Moehr, J R; Berenji, G R; Green, C J; Kagolovsky, Y

2001-01-01

Teaching the skills and knowledge required in health informatics [1] is a challenge because the skill of applying knowledge in real life requires practice. We relate the experience with introducing a practice component to a course in "Health Care Quality Improvement". Working health care professionals were invited to bring an actual quality problem from their place of work and to work alongside students in running the problem through a quality improvement project lifecycle. Multiple technological and process oriented teaching innovations were employed including project sessions in observation rooms, video recording of these sessions, generation of demonstration examples and distance education components. Both students and their collaborators from the work place developed proficiency in applying quality improvement methods as well as in experiencing the realities of group processes, information gaps and organizational constraints. The principles used to achieve high involvement of the whole class, the employed resources and technical support are described. The resulting academic and practical achievements are discussed in relation to the alternative instructional modalities, and with respect to didactic implications for similar endeavors and beyond to other fields such as systems engineering.

Technology and Quality of Life Outcomes

PubMed Central

Hacker, Eileen Danaher

2010-01-01

Objectives To discuss recent technological advances in quality of life data collection and guidance for use in research and clinical practice. The use of telephone-, computer-, and web/Internet based technologies to collect quality of life data, reliability and validity issues, and cost will be discussed along with the potential pitfalls associated with these technologies. Data Sources Health care literature and web resources. Conclusion Technology has provided researchers and clinicians with an opportunity to collect QOL data from patients that were previously not accessible. Most technologies offer a variety of options, such as language choice, formatting options for the delivery of questions, and data management services. Choosing the appropriate technology for use in research and/or clinical practice primarily depends on the purpose for QOL data collection. Implications for Nursing Practice Technology is changing the way nurses assess quality of life in patients with cancer and provide care. As stakeholders in the health care delivery system and patient advocates, nurses must be intimately involved in the evaluation and use of new technologies that impact quality of life and/or the delivery of care. PMID:20152578

Innovation characteristics and intention to adopt sustainable facilities management practices.

PubMed

Lee, So Young; Kang, Mihyun

2013-01-01

Sustainable facilities management (SFM) is important because typical buildings consume more resources and energy than necessary, negatively impact the environment and generate lots of waste (US Department of Energy, 2003, Green Buildings). This study examined innovation characteristics that relate to facility managers' intention to adopt SFM practices. Based on the diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers 1962, 1995, Diffusion of Innovations. 4th ed. New York: The Free Press), an SFM innovation and adoption model was proposed. A survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 240 public facilities managers in 25 facilities management divisions in Seoul, Korea, and its metropolitan areas. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the data. The results showed that economic advantage and human comfort aspects are predictors for the intention of SFM adoption. Observability is positively relevant to the intention of SFM adoption. Complexity, however, is not a significant predictor for the intention of SFM adoption. Practical implications for sustainable products and systems and the built environment are suggested. To incorporate an innovation like sustainable practices, it is required to meet the needs of potential adopters. Innovation characteristics that influence facility managers' intention to adopt sustainable facilities management were examined. A survey was conducted. Economic advantage, human comfort and observability are predictors for the intention of adoption of sustainable practice.

Pierre Bourdieu: Expanding the scope of nursing research and practice.

PubMed

Nairn, Stuart; Pinnock, David

2017-10-01

Bourdieu is an important thinker within the sociological tradition and has a philosophically sophisticated approach to theoretical knowledge and research practice. In this paper, we examine the implication of his work for nursing and the health sciences more broadly. We argue that his work is best described as a reflexive realist who provides a space for a nonpositivist approach to knowledge that does not fall into the trap of idealism or relativism. We emphasize that Bourdieu was not an abstract theorist, but only utilized theories to understand and explain the social world in all its empirical complexity. Theory is emphasized over method without denying the importance of method. We then provide a brief overview of some of his key concepts: habitus, field and capital. His work is a scientifically astute practice that has an emancipatory purpose, with particular resonance to the problems of nursing as a social practice. Some have criticized Bourdieu for undermining agency and we briefly address this issue, but argue that his conceptual framework helps us to understand what endures in social practice and why change is often problematic. In short, this paper argues that Bourdieu's work is a fruitful resource for critiquing existing nursing approaches that are preoccupied with agency over structure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Associations among state and local organizational contexts: Use of evidence-based practices in the criminal justice system

PubMed Central

Henderson, Craig E.; Young, Douglas W.; Farrell, Jill; Taxman, Faye S.

2016-01-01

This study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine the extent to which the organizational characteristics of state corrections agencies and local criminal justice facilities interacted in their associations with the extent to which local facilities are using evidence-based substance abuse treatment practices (EBPs). The study used data collected from two nationally representative surveys – one of state executives and the other of local prison wardens, justice administrators, and treatment directors – which were conducted as part of the National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices survey [NCJTP; Taxman, F.S., Young, D., Wiersema, B., Mitchell, S., Rhodes, A.G., 2007. The National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices Survey: Multi-level survey methods and procedures. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 32, 225–238], and includes both adult criminal and juvenile justice samples. Results indicated that several state organizational characteristics were either associated with more EBP use or interacted with local organizational characteristics in associations with EBP use, including: (1) systems integration at the state level was associated with greater EBP use; (2) state staffing adequacy and stability accentuated the association between local training and resources for new programs and EBP use (i.e., in states with better staffing, the relationship between training/resources and EBP use in local facilities was stronger); and (3) state executives’ attitudes regarding the missions and goals of corrections tended to diminish the extent to which corresponding local administrator attitudes were associated with EBP use. The study has implications for future research focused on EBP diffusion and implementation in correctional environments, particularly attempts to influence EBP use by working through state agencies. PMID:19174321

Participatory innovation process for testing new practices for soil fertility management in Chókwè Irrigation Scheme (Mozambique)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez Reparaz, Maite; de Vente, Joris; Famba, Sebastiao; Rougier, Jean-Emmanuel; Ángel Sánchez-Monedero, Miguel; Barberá, Gonzalo G.

2015-04-01

Integrated water and nutrient management are key factors to increase productivity and to reduce the yield gap in irrigated systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. These two elements are affected by an ensemble of abiotic, biotic, management and socio-economic factors that need to be taken into account to reduce the yield gap, as well as farmers' perceptions and knowledge. In the framework of the project European Union and African Union cooperative research to increase Food production in irrigated farming systems in Africa (EAU4Food project) we are carrying out a participatory innovation process in Chókwè irrigation scheme (Mozambique) based on stakeholders engagement, to test new practices for soil fertility management that can increase yields reducing costs. Through a method combining interviews with three farmers' associations and other relevant stakeholders and soil sampling from the interviewed farmers' plots with the organization of Communities of Practices, we tried to capture how soil fertility is managed by farmers, the constraints they find as well as their perceptions about soil resources. This information was the basis to design and conduct a participatory innovation process where compost made with rice straw and manure is being tested by a farmers' association. Most important limitations of the method are also evaluated. Our results show that socio-economic characteristics of farmers condition how they manage soil fertility and their perceptions. The difficulties they face to adopt new practices for soil fertility management, mainly related to economic resources limitations, labour availability, knowledge time or farm structure, require a systemic understanding that takes into account abiotic, biotic, management and socio-economic factors and their implication as active stakeholders in all phases of the innovation process.

Exploring the cost-utility of stratified primary care management for low back pain compared with current best practice within risk-defined subgroups.

PubMed

Whitehurst, David G T; Bryan, Stirling; Lewis, Martyn; Hill, Jonathan; Hay, Elaine M

2012-11-01

Stratified management for low back pain according to patients' prognosis and matched care pathways has been shown to be an effective treatment approach in primary care. The aim of this within-trial study was to determine the economic implications of providing such an intervention, compared with non-stratified current best practice, within specific risk-defined subgroups (low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk). Within a cost-utility framework, the base-case analysis estimated the incremental healthcare cost per additional quality-adjusted life year (QALY), using the EQ-5D to generate QALYs, for each risk-defined subgroup. Uncertainty was explored with cost-utility planes and acceptability curves. Sensitivity analyses were performed to consider alternative costing methodologies, including the assessment of societal loss relating to work absence and the incorporation of generic (ie, non-back pain) healthcare utilisation. The stratified management approach was a cost-effective treatment strategy compared with current best practice within each risk-defined subgroup, exhibiting dominance (greater benefit and lower costs) for medium-risk patients and acceptable incremental cost to utility ratios for low-risk and high-risk patients. The likelihood that stratified care provides a cost-effective use of resources exceeds 90% at willingness-to-pay thresholds of £4000 (≈ 4500; $6500) per additional QALY for the medium-risk and high-risk groups. Patients receiving stratified care also reported fewer back pain-related days off work in all three subgroups. Compared with current best practice, stratified primary care management for low back pain provides a highly cost-effective use of resources across all risk-defined subgroups.

Managing Human Resources--Implications for Training Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenne, Ruth

1979-01-01

The author discusses some important MHR (management of human resources) issues and stresses the importance of considering human resources problems in relation to the present socioeconomic system and the changing needs of society. (CT)

Impact of Resource-Based Practice Expenses on the Medicare Physician Volume

PubMed Central

Maxwell, Stephanie; Zuckerman, Stephen

2007-01-01

In 1999, Medicare implemented a resource-based relative value unit (RVU) system for physician practice expense payments, and increased the number of services for which practice expense payments differ by site. Using 1998-2004 data, we examined RVU growth and decomposed that growth into resource-based RVUs, site of service, and service quantity and mix. We found that the number services with site of service differentials doubled, and that shifts in site of service and introduction of resource-based practice expenses (RBPE) were important sources of change in practice expense RVU volume. Service quantity and mix remained the largest source of growth in total RVU volume. PMID:18435224

Is ideology a risk factor for PTSD symptom severity among Israeli political evacuees?

PubMed

Oren, Lior; Possick, Chaya

2010-08-01

To study the role of ideology in situations of extreme stress, a research questionnaire, measuring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), settlement ideology (the importance of Jewish settlement in Gaza), and type of evacuation was administered to 326 Jewish residents who were evacuated from Gaza settlements by the Israeli government. Forty percent of the participants met the criteria of probable PTSD. Forcibly evicted individuals reported higher levels of settlement ideology and higher levels of PTSD symptom severity compared to voluntarily evacuated individuals. Contrary to previous studies, ideology was found to be positively associated with PTSD symptom severity. The results are explained by the conservation of resources and terror management theories. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Information literacy: implications for perioperative nurses.

PubMed

Byrne, Michelle M

2011-02-01

The concept of information literacy may be new to some perioperative nurses; however, embracing this concept will help nurses identify situations that necessitate gaining more information, locate and access information sources, evaluate and analyze data, and cite information in compliance with copyright and fair use laws. The culture of health care is continually changing as a result of new technology and new methods to improve patient care, and this creates an information explosion. Perioperative educators should add information literacy as a strategic goal for obtaining Magnet status because it is foundational to evidence-based practice. Administrators also should advocate to obtain resources that will enable nurses to access information that addresses current patient care issues.

Prenatal cocaine exposure and neonatal/infant outcomes.

PubMed

Cambell, Shelly

2003-01-01

Illegal drug use throughout the nation is a problem of epidemic proportion. Of particular concern is drug use among pregnant women. In most cases, these women have little hope of achieving a better life for themselves or their children. Illegal drugs, cocaine in particular, can have devastating effects on the neonate. These effects can last well into childhood and can exhibit themselves in academic, social, and family situations. Challenges for the neonatal nurse include early identification of these infants and use of available resources. This article addresses prenatal cocaine use and support services for drug-dependent women, effects of cocaine during the neonatal period, possible neonatal and infant outcomes, and implications for nursing practice.

The Pioneer Projects - Economical exploration of the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spahr, J. R.; Hall, C. F.

1975-01-01

The interplanetary Pioneer missions are reviewed in terms of management implications and cost control. The responsibilities, organizational structure, and management practices of the Pioneer Projects are presented. The lines of authority and areas of responsibility of the principal organizational elements supporting the Pioneer missions are identified, and the methods employed for maintaining effective and timely interactions among these elements are indicated. The technical and administrative functions of various organizational elements of the project are described. The management and control of activities prior to and during the hardware procurement phase are described to indicate the basis for obtaining visibility of the technical progress, utilization of resources, and cost performance of the contractors and other institutions supporting the Pioneer projects.

Provider Experiences with Prison Care and Aftercare for Women with Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Treatment, Resource, and Systems Integration Challenges.

PubMed

Johnson, Jennifer E; Schonbrun, Yael Chatav; Peabody, Marlanea E; Shefner, Ruth T; Fernandes, Karen M; Rosen, Rochelle K; Zlotnick, Caron

2015-10-01

Incarcerated women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (COD) face complex psychosocial challenges at community reentry. This study used qualitative methods to evaluate the perspectives of 14 prison and aftercare providers about service delivery challenges and treatment needs of reentering women with COD. Providers viewed the needs of women prisoners with COD as distinct from those of women with substance use alone and from men with COD. Providers described optimal aftercare for women with COD as including contact with the same provider before and after release, access to services within 24-72 hours after release, assistance with managing multiple social service agencies, assistance with relationship issues, and long-term follow-up. Providers also described larger service system and societal issues, including systems integration and ways in which a lack of prison and community aftercare resources impacted quality of care and reentry outcomes. Practice and policy implications are provided.

Enabling and sustaining the activities of lay health influencers: lessons from a community-based tobacco cessation intervention study.

PubMed

Castañeda, Heide; Nichter, Mark; Nichter, Mimi; Muramoto, Myra

2010-07-01

The authors present findings from a community-based tobacco cessation project that trained lay health influencers to conduct brief interventions. They outline four major lessons regarding sustainability. First, participants were concerned about the impact that promoting cessation might have on social relationships. "Social risk" must be addressed during training to ensure long-term sustainability. Second, formal training provided participants with an increased sense of self-efficacy, allowed them to embrace a health influencer identity, and aided in further reducing social risk. Third, material resources functioned to mediate social tensions during health intervention conversations. A variety of resources should be made available to health influencers to accommodate type of relationship, timing, and location of the interaction. Finally, project design must be attentive to the creation of a "community of practice" among health influencers as an integral part of project sustainability. These lessons have broad implications for successful health promotion beyond tobacco cessation.

Persuading people to eat less junk food: a cognitive resource match between attitudinal ambivalence and health message framing.

PubMed

Yan, Changmin

2015-01-01

This study investigated the interactive effects of attitudinal ambivalence and health message framing on persuading people to eat less junk food. Within the heuristic-systematic model of information processing, an attitudinal ambivalence (ambivalent or univalent toward eating junk food) by health message framing (advantage- or disadvantage-framed appeals) between-subjects experiment was conducted to explore a cognitive resource-matching effect and the underlying mediation processes. Ambivalent individuals reported a higher level of cognitive elaboration than univalent individuals did. The disadvantage frame engendered more extensive cognitive elaboration than the advantage frame did. Ambivalent individuals were more persuaded by the disadvantage frame and, for them, cognitive elaboration mediated the persuasion process via the systematic route. Univalent individuals were equally persuaded by the advantage frame and the disadvantage frame and, for them, neither the perceived frame valence nor cognitive elaboration mediated persuasion. Discussion of the null results among the univalent group leads to a response-reinforcement explanation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Marcé International Society position statement on psychosocial assessment and depression screening in perinatal women.

PubMed

Austin, Marie-Paule

2014-01-01

The position statement aims to articulate the arguments for and against universal psychosocial assessment and depression screening, and provide guidance to assist decision-making by clinicians, policy makers and health services. More specifically it: 1. Outlines the general principles and concepts involved in psychosocial assessment and depression screening; 2. Outlines the current debate regarding benefits and risks in this area of practice including the clinical benefits and the ethical, cultural and resource implications of undertaking universal psychosocial assessment in the primary health care setting; 3. Provides a document that will assist with advocacy for the development of perinatal mental health services in the primary care setting. The statement does not set out to make specific recommendations about psychosocial assessment and depression screening (as these will need to be devised locally depending on existing resources and models of care) nor does it attempt to summarise the vast evidence-base relevant to this debate. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Provider Experiences with Prison Care and Aftercare for Women with Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Treatment, Resource, and Systems Integration Challenges

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jennifer E.; Schonbrun, Yael Chatav; Peabody, Marlanea E.; Shefner, Ruth T.; Fernandes, Karen M.; Rosen, Rochelle K.; Zlotnick, Caron

2014-01-01

Incarcerated women with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (COD) face complex psychosocial challenges at community reentry. This study used qualitative methods to evaluate the perspectives of 14 prison and aftercare providers about service delivery challenges and treatment needs of reentering women with COD. Providers viewed the needs of women prisoners with COD as distinct from those of women with substance use alone and from men with COD. Providers described optimal aftercare for women with COD as including contact with the same provider before and after release, access to services within 24–72 hours after release, assistance with managing multiple social service agencies, assistance with relationship issues, and long-term follow-up. Providers also described larger service system and societal issues, including systems integration and ways in which a lack of prison and community aftercare resources impacted quality of care and reentry outcomes. Practice and policy implications are provided. PMID:24595815

An empirical assessment of high-performing medical groups: results from a national study.

PubMed

Shortell, Stephen M; Schmittdiel, Julie; Wang, Margaret C; Li, Rui; Gillies, Robin R; Casalino, Lawrence P; Bodenheimer, Thomas; Rundall, Thomas G

2005-08-01

The performance of medical groups is receiving increased attention. Relatively little conceptual or empirical work exists that examines the various dimensions of medical group performance. Using a national database of 693 medical groups, this article develops a scorecard approach to assessing group performance and presents a theory-driven framework for differentiating between high-performing versus low-performing medical groups. The clinical quality of care, financial performance, and organizational learning capability of medical groups are assessed in relation to environmental forces, resource acquisition and resource deployment factors, and a quality-centered culture. Findings support the utility of the performance scorecard approach and identification of a number of key factors differentiating high-performing from low-performing groups including, in particular, the importance of a quality-centered culture and the requirement of outside reporting from third party organizations. The findings hold a number of important implications for policy and practice, and the framework presented provides a foundation for future research.

Provision of healthcare in the context of financial crisis: approaches to the Greek health system and international implications.

PubMed

Milionis, Charalampos

2013-01-01

Both healthcare professionals and the healthcare system must defend each patient's health individually while simultaneously seeking to protect the population's health in general. Nowadays, there is an important increase in the cost of healthcare supply, mainly due to the developments of medical science, the public's expectations and the demographic ageing. Since healthcare resources are not unlimited, it is obvious that immoderate consumption of them by certain patients limits the use of the same funds by others. Therefore, we have to seek an optimal distribution of the existing resources in order to manage a constriction of expenses, especially under the circumstances of the modern economic crisis. The criteria of effectiveness and efficiency should be used. Health policies focus on both the public's behaviour and the rules of medical practice. Under the modern challenges the physician's role is particularly important for the protection of the patient's health and the promotion of public health. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Implementation of a cost-accounting model in a biobank: practical implications.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Sanchez, Maria Beatriz; Lopez-Valeiras, Ernesto; García-Montero, Andres C

2014-01-01

Given the state of global economy, cost measurement and control have become increasingly relevant over the past years. The scarcity of resources and the need to use these resources more efficiently is making cost information essential in management, even in non-profit public institutions. Biobanks are no exception. However, no empirical experiences on the implementation of cost accounting in biobanks have been published to date. The aim of this paper is to present a step-by-step implementation of a cost-accounting tool for the main production and distribution activities of a real/active biobank, including a comprehensive explanation on how to perform the calculations carried out in this model. Two mathematical models for the analysis of (1) production costs and (2) request costs (order management and sample distribution) have stemmed from the analysis of the results of this implementation, and different theoretical scenarios have been prepared. Global analysis and discussion provides valuable information for internal biobank management and even for strategic decisions at the research and development governmental policies level.

From hope to hope: the experience of older Chinese people with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Komaromy, Carol; Valentine, Christine

2015-03-01

In our study that explored the current end-of-life care provision for Chinese older people with advanced/terminal cancer, hope emerged as a significant aspect of coping with their condition. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with a group of older people, their family carers and health professionals, this article explores participants' constructions of hope in terms of what they were hoping for, how their hopes helped them cope with their illness and what sociocultural resources they drew on to build and sustain these hopes. While acknowledging similarities to Western studies of hope in terminal illness, this article identifies significant divergences in terms of the impact of different sociocultural values and their implications for clinical practice in light of an unfavourable health care environment for patients with advanced cancer and a social support system sustained mainly by Chinese families. It argues that hope represents an important resource for coping with terminal illness among these patients. © The Author(s) 2014.

Energy law service. Volume 2. Monographs

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

Green, H.P.

1978-01-01

This volume (a companion to the Energy Guide, Vol. 1) contains the following: Monograph 1A - The National Energy Act; Monograph 3A - The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act; Monograph 4A - Gasoline: regulation of price and supply; Monograph 5A - Electric utility rate design; Monograph 6A - Nuclear export control; Monograph 6B - Nuclear Regulatory Commission practice and procedure; Monograph 6C - The Three Mile Island episode: liability and financial implications; Monograph 8A - The Environmental Policy Act; Monograph 10A - Collection and analysis of energy information by the Federal Government; Monograph 11A - Management of energy resourcesmore » on Federal lands; Monograph 12A - Regulation of costs under Department of Energy contracts; Monograph 13A - Foreign investment in United States energy resources; and Monograph 14A - Transportation of energy resources. In addition, a Supplement published July 1979, with updated information on Monographs 4A, 5A, 6B, 10A, 11A, and 12A is included.« less

Determinants of choice of market-oriented indigenous Horo cattle production in Dano district of western Showa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Alemayehu, Befikadu; Bogale, Ayalneh; Wollny, Clemens; Tesfahun, Girma

2010-12-01

Based on a survey data collected from 150 farming households in Dano district of western Showa of Ethiopia, this paper analyzes determinants of smallholders' choice for market oriented indigenous Horo cattle production and tries to suggest policy alternatives for sustainable use of animal genetic resource in the study area. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic model were employed to analyze the data. Eight explanatory variables including age of the household head, size of the grazing land, total size of cultivated land, farmer's experience in indigenous cattle production, farmer's attitude towards productivity of local breed, off-farm income, fattening practice, and availability of information and training of the head of the household regarding conservation, management and sustainable use indigenous cattle were found to be statistically significant variables to explain farmers' choice for market oriented indigenous cattle production activities. Besides, possible policy implications were made in order to improve conservation, management and sustainable use of market oriented indigenous cattle genetic resources.

Religion, spirituality, and older adults with HIV: critical personal and social resources for an aging epidemic

PubMed Central

Vance, David E; Brennan, Mark; Enah, Comfort; Smith, Glenda L; Kaur, Jaspreet

2011-01-01

By 2015, approximately half of adults with HIV in the United States will be 50 and older. The demographic changes in this population due to successful treatment represent a unique challenge, not only in assisting these individuals to cope with their illness, but also in helping them to age successfully with this disease. Religious involvement and spirituality have been observed to promote successful aging in the general population and help those with HIV cope with their disease, yet little is known about how these resources may affect aging with HIV. Also, inherent barriers such as HIV stigma and ageism may prevent people from benefitting from religious and spiritual sources of solace as they age with HIV. In this paper, we present a model of barriers to successful aging with HIV, along with a discussion of how spirituality and religiousness may help people overcome these barriers. From this synthesis, implications for practice and research to improve the quality of life of this aging population are provided. PMID:21753865

Facility evaluation of resigned hospital physicians:managerial implications for hospital physician manpower.

PubMed

Cheng, Kao-Chi; Lee, Tsung-Lin; Lin, Yen-Ju; Liu, Chiu-Shong; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lai, Shih-Wei

2016-12-01

Turnover of physicians might be responsible for reducing patients' trust and affecting hospital performance. This study aimed to understand physicians' psychological status regarding their hospital work environment and the resources of independent practitioners. This was a cross-sectional study with 774 physicians who had resigned from hospitals and were now practicing privately in clinics in Taichung City as its study population. A mail survey with a multidimensional questionnaire was sent to each subject. This study revealed that older physicians were less satisfied regarding the work environment in their respective former hospitals. Male physicians were found to be more satisfied with the tangible resources of their hospitals. Internal medicine physicians were found to be less satisfied overall with the intangible resources. Gynecologists and pediatricians were found to be more satisfied with their hospital environments. The physicians who worked long hours per week reported that they were less satisfied with their job content. The physicians who had opportunities to learn advanced skills and enhance their knowledge were more satisfied with their hospital environment, tangible resources, and intangible resources. In addition, physicians in private hospitals were found to be more satisfied with their job content, but they were less satisfied with work motivation and retention and intangible resources. In addition, physicians who worked in hospitals located in Taichung city reported that they were less satisfied with their tangible resources than the physicians working in hospitals outside of the city. This study focused on the satisfaction of physicians who had already left their respective hospitals instead of current retained physicians. From this study, it is our recommendation that hospital managers should pay closer attention to the real needs and expectations of the physicians they employ, and managers should consider adjusting their managerial perspectives when establishing new human resources policies or making decisions.

Clinical providers' experiences with returning results from genomic sequencing: an interview study.

PubMed

Wynn, Julia; Lewis, Katie; Amendola, Laura M; Bernhardt, Barbara A; Biswas, Sawona; Joshi, Manasi; McMullen, Carmit; Scollon, Sarah

2018-05-08

Current medical practice includes the application of genomic sequencing (GS) in clinical and research settings. Despite expanded use of this technology, the process of disclosure of genomic results to patients and research participants has not been thoroughly examined and there are no established best practices. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 genetic and non-genetic clinicians returning results of GS as part of the NIH funded Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) Consortium projects. Interviews focused on the logistics of sessions, participant/patient reactions and factors influencing them, how the sessions changed with experience, and resources and training recommended to return genomic results. The length of preparation and disclosure sessions varied depending on the type and number of results and their implications. Internal and external databases, online resources and result review meetings were used to prepare. Respondents reported that participants' reactions were variable and ranged from enthusiasm and relief to confusion and disappointment. Factors influencing reactions were types of results, expectations and health status. A recurrent challenge was managing inflated expectations about GS. Other challenges included returning multiple, unanticipated and/or uncertain results and navigating a rare diagnosis. Methods to address these challenges included traditional genetic counseling techniques and modifying practice over time in order to provide anticipatory guidance and modulate expectations. Respondents made recommendations to improve access to genomic resources and genetic referrals to prepare future providers as the uptake of GS increases in both genetic and non-genetic settings. These findings indicate that returning genomic results is similar to return of results in traditional genetic testing but is magnified by the additional complexity and potential uncertainty of the results. Managing patient expectations, initially identified in studies of informed consent, remains an ongoing challenge and highlights the need to address this issue throughout the testing process. The results of this study will help to guide future providers in the disclosure of genomic results and highlight educational needs and resources necessary to prepare providers. Future research on the patient experience, understanding and follow-up of recommendations is needed to more fully understand the disclosure process.

Integrating knowledge representation and quantitative modelling in physiology.

PubMed

de Bono, Bernard; Hunter, Peter

2012-08-01

A wealth of potentially shareable resources, such as data and models, is being generated through the study of physiology by computational means. Although in principle the resources generated are reusable, in practice, few can currently be shared. A key reason for this disparity stems from the lack of consistent cataloguing and annotation of these resources in a standardised manner. Here, we outline our vision for applying community-based modelling standards in support of an automated integration of models across physiological systems and scales. Two key initiatives, the Physiome Project and the European contribution - the Virtual Phsysiological Human Project, have emerged to support this multiscale model integration, and we focus on the role played by two key components of these frameworks, model encoding and semantic metadata annotation. We present examples of biomedical modelling scenarios (the endocrine effect of atrial natriuretic peptide, and the implications of alcohol and glucose toxicity) to illustrate the role that encoding standards and knowledge representation approaches, such as ontologies, could play in the management, searching and visualisation of physiology models, and thus in providing a rational basis for healthcare decisions and contributing towards realising the goal of of personalized medicine. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Preformation in vegetative buds of pistachio (Pistacia vera): relationship to shoot morphology, crown structure and rootstock vigor.

PubMed

Spann, Timothy M; Beede, Robert H; Dejong, Theodore M

2007-08-01

Effects of rootstock, shoot carbohydrate status, crop load and crown position on the number of preformed leaf primordia in the dormant terminal and lateral buds of mature and immature 'Kerman' pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) trees were investigated to determine if rootstock vigor is associated with greater shoot preformation. There was no significant variation in preformation related to the factors studied, suggesting strong genetic control of preformation in 'Kerman' pistachio. The growth differences observed among trees on different rootstocks were associated with greater stimulation of neoformed growth in trees on the more vigorous rootstocks. However, most annual extension growth in mature tree crowns was preformed, contrasting with the relatively high rate of neoformation found in young tree crowns. Large amounts of neoformed growth in young trees may allow the trees to become established quickly and secure resources, whereas predominantly preformed growth in mature trees may allow for continued crown expansion without outgrowing available resources. We hypothesized that the stimulation of neoformed growth by the more vigorous rootstocks is associated with greater resource uptake or transport, or both. Understanding the source of variation in shoot extension growth on different rootstocks has important implications for orchard management practices.

Distinct contributions of adverse childhood experiences and resilience resources: a cohort analysis of adult physical and mental health.

PubMed

Logan-Greene, Patricia; Green, Sara; Nurius, Paula S; Longhi, Dario

2014-01-01

Although evidence is rapidly amassing as to the damaging potential of early life adversities on physical and mental health, as yet few investigations provide comparative snapshots of these patterns across adulthood. This population-based study addresses this gap, examining the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to physical and mental health within a representative sample (n = 19,333) of adults, comparing the prevalence and explanatory strength of ACEs among four birth cohorts spanning ages 18-79. This assessment accounts for demographic and socioeconomic factors, as well as both direct and moderating effects of resilience resources (social/emotional support, life satisfaction, and sleep quality). Findings demonstrate (1) increasing trends of reported ACEs across younger cohorts, including time period shifts such as more prevalent family incarceration, substance abuse, and divorce, (2) significant bivariate as well as independent associations of ACEs with poor health within every cohort, controlling for multiple covariates (increasing trends in older age for physical health), and (3) robust patterns wherein resilience resources moderated ACEs, indicating buffering pathways that sustained into old age. Theoretical and practice implications for health professionals are discussed.

A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Job Demands and Fit with Personal Resources as Predictors of Retirement Timing in a National U.S. Sample

PubMed Central

Sonnega, Amanda; Helppie-McFall, Brooke; Hudomiet, Peter; Willis, Robert J.; Fisher, Gwenith G.

2017-01-01

Population aging and attendant pressures on public budgets have spurred considerable interest in understanding factors that influence retirement timing. A range of sociodemographic and economic characteristics predict both earlier and later retirement. Less is known about the role of job characteristics on the work choices of older workers. Researchers are increasingly using the subjective ratings of job characteristics available in the Health and Retirement Study in conjunction with more objective measures of job characteristics from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database. Employing a theoretically-informed model of job demands-personal resources fit, we constructed mismatch measures between resources and job demands (both subjectively and objectively assessed) in physical, emotional, and cognitive domains. When we matched comparable measures across the two data sources in the domains of physical, emotional, and cognitive job demands, we found that both sources of information held predictive power in relation to retirement timing. Physical and emotional but not cognitive mismatch were associated with earlier retirement. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research. PMID:29270302

The Resource Buffer Theory: Connecting the Dots from Conservation to Sustainability

Treesearch

Peter E. Black

2006-01-01

Review of conservation history and scientific developments helps us understand relationships between humans, environment, and sustainability. Applying “conservation” to natural resources and practical resource management occurred early in the Twentieth Century; practical economic definitions of conservation and natural resource followed. Resource surpluses underpin the...

Customer Service: Implications for Reference Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlatch, Jo Bell

1995-01-01

The past decade has seen an increasing emphasis on customer service in business research and management. Two concepts in understanding business customer service practices are discussed: the service encounter and total quality management. Highlights include customer service research and practices in business; implications for library reference…

Understanding the processes of writing papers reflectively.

PubMed

Regmi, Krishna; Naidoo, Jennie

2013-07-01

This paper explores the writing of research papers using reflective frameworks. Reflective practice is integral to professional education and development. However, healthcare students, academics and practitioners have given limited attention to how to write reflectively. In addition, there are limited resources on the practical aspects of writing papers reflectively. The following major databases were searched: PubMed, Medline, King's Library, Excerpta Medica Database, Department of Health database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The searches were conducted using 'free text' and 'index' terms. Only relevant papers published in English were reviewed and scrutinised. Unpublished reports, internal publications, snowballing from the reference lists and personal contacts were also included in the search. This is a review paper that critiques the frameworks used for reflective practice. Writing papers reflectively is a complex task. Healthcare professionals and researchers need to understand the meaning of reflection and make appropriate use of reflective frameworks. Demystifying the process of reflectively writing papers will help professionals develop skills and competencies. IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH/PRACTICE: This article provides a practical guide to reflection and how nursing and allied healthcare students, academics and practitioners can practise it. The paper identifies four generic stages in frameworks: description, assessment, evaluation and action, which are illustrated by annotated 'skeletal' examples. It is hoped that this will assist the process of reflective practice, writing and learning.

Physician leadership in e-health? A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Keijser, Wouter; Smits, Jacco; Penterman, Lisanne; Wilderom, Celeste

2016-07-04

Purpose This paper aims to systematically review the literature on roles of physicians in virtual teams (VTs) delivering healthcare for effective "physician e-leadership" (PeL) and implementation of e-health. Design/methodology/approach The analyzed studies were retrieved with explicit keywords and criteria, including snowball sampling. They were synthesized with existing theoretical models on VT research, healthcare team competencies and medical leadership. Findings Six domains for further PeL inquiry are delineated: resources, task processes, socio-emotional processes, leadership in VTs, virtual physician-patient relationship and change management. We show that, to date, PeL studies on socio-technical dynamics and their consequences on e-health are found underrepresented in the health literature; i.e. no single empirical, theoretic or conceptual study with a focus on PeL in virtual healthcare work was identified. Research limitations/implications E-health practices could benefit from organization-behavioral type of research for discerning effective physicians' roles and inter-professional relations and their (so far) seemingly modest but potent impact on e-health developments. Practical implications Although best practices in e-health care have already been identified, this paper shows that physicians' roles in e-health initiatives have not yet received any in-depth study. This raises questions such as are physicians not yet sufficiently involved in e-health? If so, what (dis)advantages may this have for current e-health investments and how can they best become involved in (leading) e-health applications' design and implementation in the field? Originality/value If effective medical leadership is being deployed, e-health effectiveness may be enhanced; this new proposition needs urgent empirical scrutiny.

A perspective on medical school admission research and practice over the last 25 years.

PubMed

Kreiter, Clarence D; Axelson, Rick D

2013-01-01

Over the last 25 years a large body of research has investigated how best to select applicants to study medicine. Although these studies have inspired little actual change in admission practice, the implications of this research are substantial. Five areas of inquiry are discussed: (1) the interview and related techniques, (2) admission tests, (3) other measures of personal competencies, (4) the decision process, and (5) defining and measuring the criterion. In each of these areas we summarize consequential developments and discuss their implication for improving practice. (1) The traditional interview has been shown to lack both reliability and validity. Alternatives have been developed that display promising measurement characteristics. (2) Admission test scores have been shown to predict academic and clinical performance and are generally the most useful measures obtained about an applicant. (3) Due to the high-stakes nature of the admission decision, it is difficult to support a logical validity argument for the use of personality tests. Although standardized letters of recommendation appear to offer some promise, more research is needed. (4) The methods used to make the selection decision should be responsive to validity research on how best to utilize applicant information. (5) Few resources have been invested in obtaining valid criterion measures. Future research might profitably focus on composite score as a method for generating a measure of a physician's career success. There are a number of social and organization factors that resist evidence-based change. However, research over the last 25 years does present important findings that could be used to improve the admission process.

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

Resource-use efficiencies of three indigenous tree species planted in resource islands created by shrubs: implications for reforestation of subtropical degraded shrublands

Treesearch

Nan Liu; Qinfeng Guo

2012-01-01

Shrub resource islands are characterized by resources accumulated shrubby areas surrounded by relative barren soils. This research aims to determine resource-use efficiency of native trees species planted on shrub resource islands, and to determine how the planted trees may influence the resource islands in degraded shrublands in South China. Shrub (Rhodomyrtus...

GeoSci: Practices to Collaboratively Build Online Resources for Geophysics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heagy, L. J.; Cockett, R.; Oldenburg, D.

2016-12-01

What happens when you apply best practices of software development to the development of educational resources? GeoSci (http://geosci.xyz) is our experiment examining this question. In 2007, a web-based "textbook" resource: Geophysics for Practicing Geoscientists (GPG, https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/courses/eosc350/content/index.htm) was created to serve as the primary resource for an undergraduate applied geophysics course at UBC taken primarily by non-geophysics majors. The web-based resource, allowed students to navigate through the concepts in a nonlinear way using hyperlinks, and enabled interactive content to be embedded. Subsequent to the web-based release for our UBC course, this resource has also seen widespread international use across the geophysical community. The available resources and best practices have advanced significantly since 2007. The format in which the GPG was originally developed (raw html and css) hindered improvements and thus maintenance and development of the resource was essentially reduced to correcting typos. Bringing this resource to sustainable state in which it can be built upon, edited and adapted has required looking to other disciplines such as software maintenance and development. By applying leading practices from open source software development, including versioning, testing, automated deployment as well as open development practices, such as issue tracking and employing creative commons licensing, we have worked to create a revamped GPG (http://gpg.geosci.xyz) that can be collaborated on and extended. The GPG and a companion resource for electromagnetics have been worked on by over 25 people, with much of the development happening in parallel. In this presentation, we will share our experience, identify what we see as some of the key learnings that have enabled collaboration in resource development, and present a vision for how we see these resources being sustained in the future.

Surgery and Trauma Care Providers’ Perception of the Impact of Dual-Practice Employment on Quality of Care Provided in an Andean Country

PubMed Central

LaGrone, Lacey N.; Isquith-Dicker, Leah N.; Egoavil, Eduardo Huaman; Herrera-Matta, Juan Jaime; Fuhs, Amy K.; Checa, David Ortega; Revoredo, Fernando; Rodriguez Castro, Manuel J.A.; Mock, Charles N.

2017-01-01

Background Dual practice, simultaneous employment by healthcare workers in the public and private sector, is pervasive worldwide. Although an estimated 30% of the global burden of disease is surgical, the implications of dual practice on surgical care are not well studied. Methods We conducted anonymous in-depth individual interviews on trauma quality improvement practices with healthcare providers who participate in the care of the injured at ten large hospitals in Peru’s capital city, Lima. A grounded theory approach to qualitative data analysis was employed to identify salient themes. Results Fifty interviews were conducted. A group of themes that emerged related to the perceived negative and positive impacts of dual practice on the quality of surgical care. Participants asserted that the majority of physicians in Lima working in the public sector also worked in the private sector. Dual practice has negative impacts on physicians’ time, the quality of care in the public sector, and surgical education. Dual practice positively affects patient care by allowing physicians to acquire management and quality improvement skills and providing incentives for research and academic productivity. In addition, dual practice provides opportunities for clinical innovations and raises the economic status of the physician. Conclusions Surgeons in Peru report that dual practice negatively impacts patient care by creating time and human resource conflicts. Participants assert that these conflicts widen the gap in quality of care between rich and poor. This practice warrants redirection through national-level regulation of physician schedules and reorganization of public investment in health via physician remuneration. PMID:28251600

The most used and most helpful facilitators for patient-centered medical home implementation.

PubMed

Gale, Randall C; Asch, Steven M; Taylor, Thomas; Nelson, Karin M; Luck, Jeff; Meredith, Lisa S; Helfrich, Christian D

2015-04-19

Like other transformative healthcare initiatives, patient-centered medical home (PCMH) implementation requires substantial investments of time and resources. Even though PCMH and PCMH-like models are being implemented by multiple provider practices and health systems, little is known about what facilitates their implementation. The purpose of this study was to assess which PCMH-implementation resources are most widely used, by whom, and which resources primary care personnel find most helpful. This study is an analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey of primary care personnel in the Veterans Health Administration in 2012, in which respondents were asked to rate whether they were aware of and accessed PCMH-implementation resources, and to rate their helpfulness. Logistic regression was used to produce odds ratios for the outcomes (1) resource use and (2) resource helpfulness. Respondents were nested within clinics, nested, in turn, within 135 parent hospitals. Teamlet huddles were the most widely accessed (80.4% accessed) and most helpful (90.4% rated helpful) resource; quality-improvement methods to conduct small tests of change were the least frequently accessed (42.4% accessed) resource though two-thirds (66.7%) of users reported as helpful. Supervisors were significantly more likely (ORs, 1.46 to 1.86) to use resources than non-supervisors but were less likely to rate the majority (8 out of 10) of resources as "somewhat/very helpful" than non-supervisors (ORs, 0.72 to 0.84). Longer-tenured employees tended to rate resources as more helpful. These findings are the first in the PCMH literature that we are aware of that systematically assesses primary care staff's access to and the helpfulness of PCMH implementation resources. Supervisors generally reported greater access to resources, relative to non-supervisors, but rated resources as less helpful, suggesting that information about them may not have been optimally disseminated. Knowing what resources primary care staff use and find helpful can inform administrators' and policymakers' investments in PCMH-implementation resources. The implications of our model extend beyond just PCMH implementation but also to considerations when providing implementation resources for other complex quality-improvement initiatives.

Sustaining Lesson Study: Resources and Factors that Support and Constrain Mathematics Teachers' Ability to Continue After the Grant Ends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druken, Bridget Kinsella

Lesson study, a teacher-led vehicle for inquiring into teacher practice through creating, enacting, and reflecting on collaboratively designed research lessons, has been shown to improve mathematics teacher practice in the United States, such as improving knowledge about mathematics, changing teacher practice, and developing communities of teachers. Though it has been described as a sustainable form of professional development, little research exists on what might support teachers in continuing to engage in lesson study after a grant ends. This qualitative and multi-case study investigates the sustainability of lesson study as mathematics teachers engage in a district scale-up lesson study professional experience after participating in a three-year California Mathematics Science Partnership (CaMSP) grant to improve algebraic instruction. To do so, I first provide a description of material (e.g. curricular materials and time), human (attending district trainings and interacting with mathematics coaches), and social (qualities like trust, shared values, common goals, and expectations developed through relationships with others) resources present in the context of two school districts as reported by participants. I then describe practices of lesson study reported to have continued. I also report on teachers' conceptions of what it means to engage in lesson study. I conclude by describing how these results suggest factors that supported and constrained teachers' in continuing lesson study. To accomplish this work, I used qualitative methods of grounded theory informed by a modified sustainability framework on interview, survey, and case study data about teachers, principals, and Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs). Four cases were selected to show the varying levels of lesson study practices that continued past the conclusion of the grant. Analyses reveal varying levels of integration, linkage, and synergy among both formally and informally arranged groups of teachers. High levels of integration and linkage among groups of teachers supported them in sustaining lesson study practices. Groups of teachers with low levels of integration but with linked individuals sustained some level of practices, whereas teachers with low levels of integration and linkage constrained them in continuing lesson study at their site. Additionally, teachers' visions of lesson study and its uses shaped the types of activities teachers engaged, with well-developed conceptions of lesson study supporting and limited visions constraining the ability to attract or align resources to continue lesson study practices. Principals' support, teacher autonomy, and cultures of collaboration or isolation were also factors that either supported or constrained teachers' ability to continue lesson study. These analyses provide practical implications on how to support mathematics teachers in continuing lesson study, and theoretical contributions on developing the construct of sustainability within mathematics education research.

How to communicate climate change 'impact and solutions' to vulnerable population of Indian Sundarbans? From theory to practice.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Abhiroop; Maiti, Subodh Kumar; Bhattacharyya, Santanu

2016-01-01

Global consciousness on climate change problems and adaptation revolves around the disparity of information sharing and communication gap between theoretical scientific knowledge at academic end and practical implications of these at the vulnerable populations' end. Coastal communities facing socio-economic stress, like densely populated Sundarbans, are the most affected part of the world, exposed to climate change problems and uncertainties. This article explores the successes of a socio-environmental project implemented at Indian Sundarbans targeted towards economic improvement and aims at communicating environmental conservation through organized community participation. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and the wealth rank tool (WRT) were used to form a "group based organization" with 2100 vulnerable families to give them knowledge about capacity building, disaster management, resource conservation and sustainable agriculture practices. Training was conducted with the selected group members on resource conservation, institution building, alternative income generation activities (AIGA) like, Poultry, Small business, Tricycle van, Organic farming and disaster management in a participatory mode. The climate change 'problems-solutions' were communicated to this socio-economically marginalized and ostracized community through participatory educational theater (PET). WRT revealed that 45 % of the population was under economic stress. Out of 2100 beneficiaries', 1015 beneficiaries' started organic farming, 133 beneficiaries' adopted poultry instead of resource exploitive livelihood and 71 beneficiaries' engaged themselves with small business, which was the success stories of this project. To mitigate disaster, 10-committees were formed and the endemic knowledge about climate change was recorded by participatory method validated through survey by structured questionnaire. As a part of this project 87 ha of naked deforested mudflat was reclaimed with endangered mangroves involving target community members aimed to sequester CO2, control soil erosion and act as a barrier during natural disasters. This case study concluded that participatory method of communication, aiming not only to communicate theoretical knowledge, but also to devise adaptation strategies through conservation of endemic knowledge, popularizing sustainability through Micro Finance Institutions and promoting AIGA along with motivating vulnerable community to restore degraded forest lands, could be a effective solution to practically combat climate change problems.

Teacher Strategies for Effective Intervention with Students Presenting Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties: Implications for Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Paul

2011-01-01

In this paper some key practice and policy implications emerging from a review of literature on effective teacher strategies for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are set out. Particular attention is given to implications in relation to the development of teachers' skills.

Resources to Manage a Private Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aigner, John; Cheek, Fredricka; Donati, Georgia; Zuravicky, Dori

1997-01-01

Includes four theme articles: "The Digital Toolkit: Electronic Necessities for Private Practice" (John Aigner); "Organizing a Private Practice: Forms, Fees, and Physical Set-up (Fredricka Cheek); "Career Development Resources: Guidelines for Setting Up a Private Practice Library" (Georgia Donati); and "Books to…

The nursing human resource planning best practice toolkit: creating a best practice resource for nursing managers.

PubMed

Vincent, Leslie; Beduz, Mary Agnes

2010-05-01

Evidence of acute nursing shortages in urban hospitals has been surfacing since 2000. Further, new graduate nurses account for more than 50% of total nurse turnover in some hospitals and between 35% and 60% of new graduates change workplace during the first year. Critical to organizational success, first line nurse managers must have the knowledge and skills to ensure the accurate projection of nursing resource requirements and to develop proactive recruitment and retention programs that are effective, promote positive nursing socialization, and provide early exposure to the clinical setting. The Nursing Human Resource Planning Best Practice Toolkit project supported the creation of a network of teaching and community hospitals to develop a best practice toolkit in nursing human resource planning targeted at first line nursing managers. The toolkit includes the development of a framework including the conceptual building blocks of planning tools, manager interventions, retention and recruitment and professional practice models. The development of the toolkit involved conducting a review of the literature for best practices in nursing human resource planning, using a mixed method approach to data collection including a survey and extensive interviews of managers and completing a comprehensive scan of human resource practices in the participating organizations. This paper will provide an overview of the process used to develop the toolkit, a description of the toolkit contents and a reflection on the outcomes of the project.

Analytical Implications of Using Practice Theory in Workplace Information Literacy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moring, Camilla; Lloyd, Annemaree

2013-01-01

Introduction: This paper considers practice theory and the analytical implications of using this theoretical approach in information literacy research. More precisely the aim of the paper is to discuss the translation of practice theoretical assumptions into strategies that frame the analytical focus and interest when researching workplace…

Evaluation of Natural Resource Education Materials: Implications for Resource Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomerantz, Gerri A.

1991-01-01

An analysis of elementary school natural resource lessons (n=700) that focus on ecological principles, on resource management issues, and on analytical skill development affecting students' environmental behavior is presented. The fundamental conclusion is that very few of the lesson materials help to develop critical thinking skills and behaviors…

Analyzing learning during Peer Instruction dialogues: A resource activation framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Anna K.; Galloway, Ross K.; Hardy, Judy; Sinclair, Christine M.

2014-12-01

Peer Instruction (PI) is an evidence based pedagogy commonly used in undergraduate physics instruction. When asked questions designed to test conceptual understanding, it has been observed that the proportion of students choosing the correct answer increases following peer discussion; however, relatively little is known about what takes place during these discussions or how they are beneficial to the processes of learning physics [M. C. James and S. Willoughby, Am. J. Phys. 79, 123 (2011)]. In this paper a framework for analyzing PI discussions developed through the lens of the "resources model" [D. Hammer, Am. J. Phys. 64, 1316 (1996); D. Hammer et al., Information Age Publishing (2005)] is proposed. A central hypothesis for this framework is that the dialogue with peers plays a crucial role in activating appropriate cognitive resources, enabling the students to see the problem differently, and therefore to answer the questions correctly. This framework is used to gain greater insights into the PI discussions of first year undergraduate physics students at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which were recorded using Livescribe Smartpens. Analysis of the dialogues revealed three different types of resource activation corresponding to increasing cognitive grain size. These were activation of knowledge elements, activation of linkages between knowledge elements, and activation of control structures (epistemic games and epistemological frames). Three case studies are examined to illustrate the role that peer dialogue plays in the activation of these cognitive resources in a PI session. The implications for pedagogical practice are discussed.

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory institutional plan, FY 1996--2001

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

NONE

1995-11-01

The FY 1996--2001 Institutional Plan provides an overview of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory mission, strategic plan, core business areas, critical success factors, and the resource requirements to fulfill its mission in support of national needs in fundamental science and technology, energy resources, and environmental quality. The Laboratory Strategic Plan section identifies long-range conditions that will influence the Laboratory, as well as potential research trends and management implications. The Core Business Areas section identifies those initiatives that are potential new research programs representing major long-term opportunities for the Laboratory, and the resources required for their implementation. It alsomore » summarizes current programs and potential changes in research program activity, science and technology partnerships, and university and science education. The Critical Success Factors section reviews human resources; work force diversity; environment, safety, and health programs; management practices; site and facility needs; and communications and trust. The Resource Projections are estimates of required budgetary authority for the Laboratory`s ongoing research programs. The Institutional Plan is a management report for integration with the Department of Energy`s strategic planning activities, developed through an annual planning process. The plan identifies technical and administrative directions in the context of the national energy policy and research needs and the Department of Energy`s program planning initiatives. Preparation of the plan is coordinated by the Office of Planning and Communications from information contributed by the Laboratory`s scientific and support divisions.« less

Are forward and backward recall the same? A dual-task study of digit recall.

PubMed

St Clair-Thompson, Helen L; Allen, Richard J

2013-05-01

There is some debate surrounding the cognitive resources underlying backward digit recall. Some researchers consider it to differ from forward digit recall due to the involvement of executive control, while others suggest that backward recall involves visuospatial resources. Five experiments therefore investigated the role of executive-attentional and visuospatial resources in both forward and backward digit recall. In the first, participants completed visuospatial 0-back and 2-back tasks during the encoding of information to be remembered. The concurrent tasks did not differentially disrupt performance on backward digit recall, relative to forward digit recall. Experiment 2 shifted concurrent load to the recall phase instead and, in this case, revealed a larger effect of both tasks on backward recall, relative to forwards recall, suggesting that backward recall may draw on additional resources during the recall phase and that these resources are visuospatial in nature. Experiments 3 and 4 then further investigated the role of visual processes in forward and backward recall using dynamic visual noise (DVN). In Experiment 3, DVN was presented during encoding of information to be remembered and had no effect upon performance. However, in Experiment 4, it was presented during the recall phase, and the results provided evidence of a role for visual imagery in backward digit recall. These results were replicated in Experiment 5, in which the same list length was used for forward and backward recall tasks. The findings are discussed in terms of both theoretical and practical implications.

Age differences in feedback reactions: The roles of employee feedback orientation on social awareness and utility.

PubMed

Wang, Mo; Burlacu, Gabriela; Truxillo, Donald; James, Keith; Yao, Xiang

2015-07-01

Organizations worldwide are currently experiencing shifts in the age composition of their workforces. The workforce is aging and becoming increasingly age-diverse, suggesting that organizational researchers and practitioners need to better understand how age differences may manifest in the workplace and the implications for human resource practice. Integrating socioemotional selectivity theory with the performance feedback literature and using a time-lagged design, the current study examined age differences in moderating the relationships between the characteristics of performance feedback and employee reactions to the feedback event. The results suggest that older workers had higher levels of feedback orientation on social awareness, but lower levels of feedback orientation on utility than younger workers. Furthermore, the positive associations between favorability of feedback and feedback delivery and feedback reactions were stronger for older workers than for younger workers, whereas the positive association between feedback quality and feedback reactions was stronger for younger workers than for older workers. Finally, the current study revealed that age-related differences in employee feedback orientation could explain the different patterns of relationships between feedback characteristics and feedback reactions across older and younger workers. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications for building theory about workplace aging and improving ways that performance feedback is managed across employees from diverse age groups. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Rational decision making in medicine: Implications for overuse and underuse.

PubMed

Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Elqayam, Shira; Dale, William

2018-06-01

In spite of substantial spending and resource utilization, today's health care remains characterized by poor outcomes, largely due to overuse (overtesting/overtreatment) or underuse (undertesting/undertreatment) of health services. To a significant extent, this is a consequence of low-quality decision making that appears to violate various rationality criteria. Such suboptimal decision making is considered a leading cause of death and is responsible for more than 80% of health expenses. In this paper, we address the issue of overuse or underuse of health care interventions from the perspective of rational choice theory. We show that what is considered rational under one decision theory may not be considered rational under a different theory. We posit that the questions and concerns regarding both underuse and overuse have to be addressed within a specific theoretical framework. The applicable rationality criterion, and thus the "appropriateness" of health care delivery choices, depends on theory selection that is appropriate to specific clinical situations. We provide a number of illustrations showing how the choice of theoretical framework influences both our policy and individual decision making. We also highlight the practical implications of our analysis for the current efforts to measure the quality of care and link such measurements to the financing of health care services. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cross-cultural adaptation and translation of a quality of life tool for new mothers: a methodological and experiential account from six countries.

PubMed

Symon, Andrew; Nagpal, Jitender; Maniecka-Bryła, Irena; Nowakowska-Głąb, Agata; Rashidian, Arash; Khabiri, Roghayeh; Mendes, Isabel; Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra; de Oliveira, Mirna Fontenele; Wu, Liping

2013-04-01

To examine the challenges and solutions encountered in the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of an English language quality of life tool in India, China, Iran, Portugal, Brazil, and Poland. Those embarking on research involving translation and cross-cultural adaptation must address certain practical and conceptual issues. These include instrument choice, linguistic factors, and cultural or philosophical differences, which may render an instrument inappropriate, even when expertly translated. Publication bias arises when studies encountering difficulties do not admit to these, or are not published at all. As an educative guide to the potential pitfalls involved in the cross-cultural adaptation process, this article reports the conceptual, linguistic, and methodological experiences of researchers in six countries, who translated and adapted the Mother-Generated Index, a quality of life tool originally developed in English. Principal investigator experience from six stand-alone studies (two published) ranging from postgraduate research to citywide surveys. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This analysis of a series of stand-alone cross-cultural studies provides lessons about how conceptual issues, such as the uniqueness of perceived quality of life and the experience of new motherhood, can be addressed. This original international approach highlights practical lessons relating to instrument choice, and the resources available to researchers with different levels of experience. Although researchers may be confident of effective translation, conceptual and practical difficulties may be more problematic. Instrument choice is crucial. Researchers must negotiate adequate resources for cross-cultural research, including time, translation facilities, and expert advice about conceptual issues. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The feasibility of introducing advanced minimally invasive surgery into surgical practice

PubMed Central

Birch, Daniel W.; Misra, Monali; Farrokhyar, Forough

2007-01-01

Background This study investigates the feasibility of performing advanced minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in a nonspecialized practice environment. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of all community general surgeons currently practising in Ontario. Results Few community surgeons perform a high volume (> 10 procedures per yr) of advanced MIS. Most (70%) believe it is important to acquire additional skills in advanced MIS. The most appropriate methods for learning advanced MIS are believed to be expert mentoring (79.7%), courses (77.2%) and a colleague mentor (63.9%). A total of 57.6% of respondents have attended a course in MIS while in practice, and most have access to a reasonable variety of instrumentation. Respondents believe that 57.6% of assistants, 54.8% of nurses and 43.4% of anaesthetists are relatively inexperienced with advanced MIS. Barriers to establishing advanced MIS include limited operating room access (50%), resources or equipment (45.2%) and limited expert mentoring (43.6%). Surgeons with less than 10 years of practice found lack of trained nursing staff (7.9% v. 4.2%, p = 0.01) and experienced assistants (12% v. 6.2%, p = 0.008) to be more important barriers than did those with over 10 years of practice, respectively. Conclusion Most general surgeons working in Ontario are self-taught with respect to MIS skills, and few perform a high volume of advanced MIS. Only one-half of all respondents have access to skilled MIS operating room nurses, surgical assistants or anesthesiology. Despite this, general surgeons perceive the greatest barriers to introducing advanced MIS procedures to be limited access to operating rooms, resources or equipment and limited mentoring. This study has shown that the role of the surgical team in advanced MIS may be underestimated by many general surgeons. These data have important implications in training general surgeons and in incorporating additional advanced MIS procedures into the armamentarium of general surgeons. PMID:17897513

Do older patients utilize excess health care resources after liver transplantation?

PubMed

Shankar, Neil; AlBasheer, Mamoun; Marotta, Paul; Wall, William; McAlister, Vivian; Chandok, Natasha

2011-01-01

Liver transplantation is a highly effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. However, there is debate over the practice of liver transplantation in older recipients (age ≥ 60 years) given the relative shortage of donor grafts, worse post-transplantation survival, and concern that that older patients may utilize excess resources postoperatively, thus threatening the economic feasibility of the procedure. To determine if patients ≥ 60 years of age utilize more health resources following liver transplantation compared with younger patients. Consecutive adult patients who underwent primary liver transplantation (n = 208) at a single center were studied over a 2.5-year period. Data were collected on clinico-demographic characteristics and resource utilization. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, or frequencies were obtained for baseline variables. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: age ≥ 60 years (n = 51) and < 60 years (n = 157). The Chi-Square Test, Mantel-Haenszel Test, 2-sample test and odds ratios were calculated to ascertain associations between age and resource utilization parameters. Regression analyses were adjusted for model for end-stage liver disease score, location before surgery, diabetes mellitus, donor age, cold ischemia time, albumin, and diagnosis of hepatitis C. Recipients ≥ 60 years of age have similar lengths of hospitalization, re-operative rates, need for consultative services and readmission rates following liver transplantation, but have longer lengths of stay in the intensive care (hazard ratio 1.97, p = 0.03). Overall, liver transplant recipients ≥ 60 years of age utilize comparable resources following LT vs. younger recipients. Our findings have implications on cost-containment policies for liver transplantation.

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

Tidwell, Vincent

The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat ofmore » global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decision-making is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.« less

A cross-regional assessment of the factors affecting ecoliteracy: implications for policy and practice.

PubMed

Pilgrim, Sarah; Smith, David; Pretty, Jules

2007-09-01

The value of accumulated ecological knowledge, termed ecoliteracy, is vital to both human and ecosystem health. Maintenance of this knowledge is essential for continued support of local conservation efforts and the capacity of communities to self- or co-manage their local resources sustainably. Most previous studies have been qualitative and small scale, documenting ecoliteracy in geographically isolated locations. In this study, we take a different approach, focusing on (1) the primary factors affecting individual levels of ecoliteracy, (2) whether these factors shift with economic development, and (3) if different knowledge protection strategies are required for the future. We compared non-resource-dependent communities in the United Kingdom with resource-dependent communities in India and Indonesia (n=1250 interviews). We found that UK residents with the highest levels of ecoliteracy visited the countryside frequently, lived and grew up in rural areas, and acquired their knowledge from informal word-of-mouth sources, such as parents and friends, rather than television and schooling. The ecoliteracy of resource-dependent community members, however, varied with wealth status and gender. The least wealthy families depended most on local resources for their livelihoods and had the highest levels of ecoliteracy. Gender roles affected both the level and content of an individual's ecoliteracy. The importance of reciprocal oral transfer of this knowledge in addition to direct experience to the maintenance of ecoliteracy was apparent at all sites. Lessons learned may contribute to new local resource management strategies for combined ecoliteracy conservation. Without novel policies, local community management capacity is likely to be depleted in the future.

Sharing resources: opportunities for smaller primary care practices to increase their capacity for patient care. Findings from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians.

PubMed

Fryer, Ashley-Kay; Doty, Michelle M; Audet, Anne-Marie J

2011-03-01

Most Americans get their health care in small physician practices. Yet, small practice settings are often unable to provide the same range of services or partici­pate in quality improvement initiatives as large practices because they lack the staff, infor­mation technology, and office systems. One promising strategy is to share clinical sup­port services and information systems with other practices. New findings from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians suggest smaller practices that share resources are more likely than those without shared resources to have advanced electronic medical records and health information technology, routinely track and manage patient information, have after-hours care arrangements, and engage in quality monitoring and benchmarking. This issue brief highlights strategies that can increase resources among small- and medium-sized practices and efforts supported by states, the private sector, and the Affordable Care Act that encourage the expansion of shared-resource models.

Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) | Nano

Science.gov Websites

Communities Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues Federal Legislation Event Past Events Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Related Resources Visit Health Implications working group of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET

Policy implications of medical tourism development in destination countries: revisiting and revising an existing framework by examining the case of Jamaica.

PubMed

Johnston, Rory; Crooks, Valorie A; Ormond, Meghann

2015-07-04

Medical tourism is now targeted by many hospitals and governments worldwide for further growth and investment. Southeast Asia provides what is perhaps the best documented example of medical tourism development and promotion on a regional scale, but interest in the practice is growing in locations where it is not yet established. Numerous governments and private hospitals in the Caribbean have recently identified medical tourism as a priority for economic development. We explore here the projects, activities, and outlooks surrounding medical tourism and their anticipated economic and health sector policy implications in the Caribbean country of Jamaica. Specifically, we apply Pocock and Phua's previously-published conceptual framework of policy implications raised by medical tourism to explore its relevance in this new context and to identify additional considerations raised by the Jamaican context. Employing case study methodology, we conducted six weeks of qualitative fieldwork in Jamaica between October 2012 and July 2013. Semi-structured interviews with health, tourism, and trade sector stakeholders, on-site visits to health and tourism infrastructure, and reflexive journaling were all used to collect a comprehensive dataset of how medical tourism in Jamaica is being developed. Our analytic strategy involved organizing our data within Pocock and Phua's framework to identify overlapping and divergent issues. Many of the issues identified in Pocock and Phua's policy implications framework are echoed in the planning and development of medical tourism in Jamaica. However, a number of additional implications, such as the involvement of international development agencies in facilitating interest in the sector, cyclical mobility of international health human resources, and the significance of health insurance portability in driving the growth of international hospital accreditation, arise from this new context and further enrich the original framework. The framework developed by Pocock and Phua is a flexible common reference point with which to document issues raised by medical tourism in established and emerging destinations. However, the framework's design does not lend itself to explaining how the underlying health system factors it identifies work to facilitate medical tourism's development or how the specific impacts of the practice are likely to unfold.

Transformative practices in secondary school science classrooms: Life histories of Black South African teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jita, Loyiso Currell

1999-11-01

This study investigated the construction of teaching practices that are aimed at including all students in learning the key ideas of science and helping them to develop a voice for participating in the discourses in and outside of the science classroom. Such practices define what in this study is referred to as transformative practice. The study tells the stories of three Black secondary school teachers in South Africa who have worked to construct a transformative practice in their biology and physical science classrooms. Using a life history perspective, the study explored the relationships between teachers' identities and the changes in their classroom practices. Data were collected mainly through periodic interviews with the teachers and observations of their teaching practices over a period of 18 months. An important finding of the study was that the classroom practices of all three teachers were defined by three similar themes of: (1) "covering the content" and preparing their students to succeed in the national examinations, (2) developing deep conceptual understandings of the subject matter, and (3) including all students in their teaching by constructing what other researchers have called a "culturally-relevant" pedagogy. This finding was consistent despite the observed variations of context and personal histories. A major finding of this study on the question of the relationship between identity and teaching practice was that despite the importance of context, subject matter, material and social resources, another category of resources---the "resources of biography"---proved to be crucial for each of the teachers in crafting a transformative pedagogy. These "resources of biography" included such things as the teachers' own experiences of marginalization, the experiences of growing up or living in a particular culture, and the experiences of participating in certain kinds of social, political, religious or professional activities. The study suggests that it is not only the experiences that provide a person with the resources for crafting a transformative practice, but a conscious reflection on and willingness to learn from these experiences that makes them available as resources for crafting such a practice. Further research is needed to better understand what the rubric of "resources of biography" includes and to explore the interactions between these kinds of resources and the material, human, and social resources that teachers need to reform their classroom practices.

Modeling economic implications of alternative treatment strategies for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

PubMed

Revankar, Nikhil; Ward, Alexandra J; Pelligra, Christopher G; Kongnakorn, Thitima; Fan, Weihong; LaPensee, Kenneth T

2014-10-01

The economic implications from the US Medicare perspective of adopting alternative treatment strategies for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) are substantial. The objective of this study is to describe a modeling framework that explores the impact of decisions related to both the location of care and switching to different antibiotics at discharge. A discrete event simulation (DES) was developed to model the treatment pathway of each patient through various locations (emergency department [ED], inpatient, and outpatient) and the treatments prescribed (empiric antibiotic, switching to a different antibiotic at discharge, or a second antibiotic). Costs are reported in 2012 USD. The mean number of days on antibiotic in a cohort assigned to a full course of vancomycin was 11.2 days, with 64% of the treatment course being administered in the outpatient setting. Mean total costs per patient were $8671, with inpatient care accounting for 58% of the costs accrued. The majority of outpatient costs were associated with parenteral administration rather than drug acquisition or monitoring. Scenarios modifying the treatment pathway to increase the proportion of patients receiving the first dose in the ED, and then managing them in the outpatient setting or prescribing an oral antibiotic at discharge to avoid the cost associated with administering parenteral therapy, therefore have a major impact and lower the typical cost per patient by 11-20%. Since vancomycin is commonly used as empiric therapy in clinical practice, based on these analyses, a shift in treatment practice could result in substantial savings from the Medicare perspective. The choice of antibiotic and location of care influence the costs and resource use associated with the management of ABSSSIs. The DES framework presented here can provide insight into the potential economic implications of decisions that modify the treatment pathway.

Continuing medical education revisited: theoretical assumptions and practical implications: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Dionyssopoulos, Alexander; Karalis, Thanassis; Panitsides, Eugenia A

2014-12-31

Recent research has evidenced that although investment in Continuing Medical Education (CME), both in terms of participation as well as financial resources allocated to it, has been steadily increasing to catch up with accelerating advances in health information and technology, effectiveness of CME is reported to be rather limited. Poor and disproportional returns can be attributed to failure of CME courses to address and stimulate an adult audience. The present study initially drew on research findings and adult learning theories, providing the basis for comprehending adult learning, while entailing practical implications on fostering effectiveness in the design and delivery of CME. On a second level, a qualitative study was conducted with the aim to elucidate parameters accounting for effectiveness in educational interventions. Qualitative data was retrieved through 12 in-depth interviews, conducted with a random sample of participants in the 26th European Workshop of Advanced Plastic Surgery (EWAPS). The data underwent a three level qualitative analysis, following the "grounded theory" methodology, comprising 'open coding', 'axial coding' and 'selective coding'. Findings from the EWAPS study come in line with relevant literature, entailing significant implications for the necessity to apply a more effective and efficient paradigm in the design and delivery of educational interventions, advocating for implementing learner-centered schemata in CME and benefiting from a model that draws on the learning environment and social aspects of learning. What emerged as a pivotal parameter in designing educational interventions is to focus on small group educational events which could provide a supportive friendly context, enhance motivation through learner-centered approaches and allow interaction, experimentation and critical reflection. It should be outlined however that further research is required as the present study is limited in scope, having dealt with a limited sample.

Toward human resource management in inter-professional health practice: linking organizational culture, group identity and individual autonomy.

PubMed

Tataw, David

2012-01-01

The literature on team and inter-professional care practice describes numerous barriers to the institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare. Responses to slow institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare practice have failed to describe change variables and to identify change agents relevant to inter-professional healthcare practice. The purpose of this paper is to (1) describe individual and organizational level barriers to collaborative practice in healthcare; (2) identify change variables relevant to the institutionalization of inter-professional practice at individual and organizational levels of analysis; and (3) identify human resource professionals as change agents and describe how the strategic use of the human resource function could transform individual and organizational level change variables and therefore facilitate the healthcare system's shift toward inter-professional practice. A proposed program of institutionalization includes the following components: a strategic plan to align human resource functions with organizational level inter-professional healthcare strategies, activities to enhance professional competencies and the organizational position of human resource personnel, activities to integrate inter-professional healthcare practices into the daily routines of institutional and individual providers, activities to stand up health provider champions as permanent leaders of inter-professional teams with human resource professionals as consultants and activities to bring all key players to the table including health providers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Resources for Educating, Training, and Mentoring All Physicians Providing Palliative Care.

PubMed

Downar, James

2018-01-01

This article presents a rapid review of the published literature and available resources for educating Canadian physicians to provide palliative and end-of-life care. Several key messages emerge from the review. First, there are many palliative care educational resources already available for Canadian physicians. Second, the many palliative care education resources are often not used in physician training. Third, we know that some palliative care educational interventions are inexpensive and scalable, while others are costly and time-consuming; we know very little about which palliative care educational interventions impact physician behavior and patient care. Fourth, two palliative care competency areas in particular can be readily taught: symptom management and communication skill (e.g., breaking bad news and advance care planning). Fifth, palliative care educational interventions are undermined by the "hidden curriculum" in medical education; interventions must be accompanied by continuing education and faculty development to create lasting change in physician behavior. Sixth, undergraduate and postgraduate medical training is shifting from a time-based training paradigm to competency-based training and evaluation. Seventh, virtually every physician in Canada should be able to provide basic palliative care; physicians in specialized areas of practice should receive palliative care education that is tailored to their area, rather than generic educational interventions. For each key message, one or more implications are provided, which can serve as recommendations for a framework to improve palliative care as a whole in Canada.

HIV and Mexican migrant workers in the United States: a review applying the vulnerable populations conceptual model.

PubMed

Albarrán, Cynthia R; Nyamathi, Adeline

2011-01-01

Mexican migrant workers residing in the United States are a vulnerable population at high risk for HIV infection. This article critically appraises the published data surrounding HIV prevalence in this vulnerable group, as seen through the lens of the Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model. This model demonstrates how exposure to risk and resource availability affect health status. The health status of Mexican migrants in the United States is compromised by a number of factors that increase risk of HIV: limited access to health services, multiple sexual partners, low rates of condom use, men having sex with men, and lay injection practices. Migration from Mexico to the United States has increased the prevalence of HIV in rural Mexico, making this an issue of urgent binational concern. This review highlights the implications for further nursing research, practice, and policy. Copyright © 2011 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crowdfunding: an innovative way to fund your project.

PubMed

Walker, Dawn-Marie

2017-06-22

Background Getting research funded is extremely difficult, with research councils rejecting more than 70% of grant applications ( Else 2014 ). It is even more difficult if you are a junior researcher who doesn't have a track record of being awarded grant money or leading a research project. Crowdfunding may offer a solution. It is a method of raising funds from members of the public online and can offer an alternative to the more formal methods of research funding. Aim To outline how this model works and provide tips on designing a campaign. Discussion The authors provide an overview of the literature regarding this model, as well as a set of resources for future reference when designing a campaign. Conclusion Crowdfunding can provide small amounts of money for your first project. Implications for practice It is expected that clinicians practice evidence based medicine, and research in health environments is commonplace. Crowdfunding can offer you support in becoming more engaged in research.

Maximizing competence through professional development: increasing disability knowledge among One-Stop Career Center staff.

PubMed

Hall, Allison Cohen; Timmons, Jaimie Ciulla; Boeltzig, Heike; Hamner, Doris; Fesko, Sheila

2006-01-01

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (USA) mandates that partners in the One-Stop Career Center system be prepared to serve a diverse customer base. Effective service delivery depends in part on a focus on human resources and professional development. This article presents innovative strategies for One-Stop Career Center staff training related to serving customers with disabilities. Findings from case study research conducted in several One-Stops across the country revealed that staff struggled with both knowledge and attitudes around disability issues. To address these concerns, local leaders developed practices that provided opportunities to gain practical skills and put acquired knowledge to use. These included a formalized curriculum focused on disability issues; informal support and consultation from a disability specialist; and exposure and learning through internships for students with disabilities. Implications are offered to stimulate thinking and creativity in local One-Stops regarding the most effective ways to facilitate staff learning and, in turn, improve services for customers with disabilities.

Circular economy practices among Chinese manufacturers varying in environmental-oriented supply chain cooperation and the performance implications.

PubMed

Zhu, Qinghua; Geng, Yong; Lai, Kee-hung

2010-06-01

The rapidly growing industrial activities in emerging economies such as China have been causing resource depletion and pollution problems. This reality requires China to adopt an integrated management approach to resolve the conflict between industrial development and environmental protection, and the concept of circular economy (CE) serves this purpose. In this paper, we examine if different types of manufacturing enterprises on environmental-oriented supply chain cooperation (ESCC) exist. We also determine if the Chinese manufacturer types varying in ESCC differ in their implementation of the CE practices towards achieving the CE-targeted goals on improving both environmental and economic performance. Our cluster analytic results with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) among the four identified types of Chinese manufacturers varying in environmental-oriented supply chain cooperation highlight the importance to intensify the cooperation with upstream and downstream supply chain partners for a CE initiative to succeed. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The primary care provider and the patient living in poverty: Applying the Bridges to Health and Healthcare model to NP practice.

PubMed

Wise, Barbara; Dreussi-Smith, Terie

2018-04-01

There is a much recent emphasis on the social determinants of health, and poverty is the most influential of these. It is not enough merely to understand the influence of poverty on health-the primary care provider must understand how to effectively treat patients who live in poverty. This article applies the Bridges to Health and Healthcare model for understanding poverty to primary care practice from an individual provider's perspective. The article walks the reader through the implications of generational poverty for the primary care clinician in a typical office visit from history taking to following up. Most primary care practitioners approach patients from a middle-class perspective. Awareness of the challenges and different perspectives of those in generational poverty can enhance care and outcomes. The individual provider can use the understanding of driving forces, resources, language and cognition, environment, and relationships provided by the Bridges to Health and Healthcare model to benefit patients in generational poverty.

How to Address a Global Problem with Earth Observations? Developing Best Practices to Monitor Forests Around the World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flores Cordova, Africa I.; Cherrington, Emil A.; Vadrevu, Krishna; Thapa, Rajesh Bahadur; Odour, Phoebe; Mehmood, Hamid; Quyen, Nguyen Hanh; Saah, David; Yero, Kadidia; Mamane, Bako;

`She Has to Drink Blood of the Snake': Culture and prior knowledge in science|health education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bricker, Leah A.; Reeve, Suzanne; Bell, Philip

2014-06-01

In this analysis, we argue that science education should attend more deeply to youths' cultural resources and practices (e.g. material, social, and intellectual). Inherent in our argument is a call for revisiting conceptions of 'prior knowledge' to theorize how people make sense of the complex ecologies of experience, ideas, and cultural practices that undergird any learning moment. We illustrate our argument using examples from the domain of personal health, chosen because of its tremendous societal impact and its significant areas of overlap with biology, chemistry, physics, and other scientific disciplines taught as core subjects in schools. Using data from a team ethnography of young people's science and technology learning across settings and over developmental timescales, we highlight two youths' experiences and understandings related to personal health, and how those experiences and understandings influenced the youths' sense-making about the natural world. We then discuss the implications of our argument for science education.

ECT practices in Iraq: a national audit.

PubMed

Alhemiary, Nesif; Ali, Zainab; Abbas, Mohammed J

2015-12-01

Aims and method This national audit examined practice of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Iraq against local standards. Data were collected by a questionnaire sent to heads of departments or medical directors in the 10 Iraqi hospitals which provide ECT and by examining case notes of all patients who had ECT in the first 6 months of 2013. Results Of the 26 psychiatric hospitals in Iraq, 10 provide ECT. There were some resource shortcomings in the ECT clinics (e.g. only 2 had a minimum of 2 rooms and all had no EEG monitoring). During the audit period, 251 patients had ECT. The mean age was 36.2 years and 51.8% were males. Bilateral ECT was used in all cases, general anaesthesia in 77.15%. The main indication for ECT was schizophrenia, followed by severe depression, resistant mania, catatonia and others. Clinical implications More work is needed to ensure all patients receive modified ECT. ECT is still used widely for schizophrenia. This needs further exploration and training.

Can a workbook work? Examining whether a practitioner evaluation toolkit can promote instrumental use.

PubMed

Campbell, Rebecca; Townsend, Stephanie M; Shaw, Jessica; Karim, Nidal; Markowitz, Jenifer

2015-10-01

In large-scale, multi-site contexts, developing and disseminating practitioner-oriented evaluation toolkits are an increasingly common strategy for building evaluation capacity. Toolkits explain the evaluation process, present evaluation design choices, and offer step-by-step guidance to practitioners. To date, there has been limited research on whether such resources truly foster the successful design, implementation, and use of evaluation findings. In this paper, we describe a multi-site project in which we developed a practitioner evaluation toolkit and then studied the extent to which the toolkit and accompanying technical assistance was effective in promoting successful completion of local-level evaluations and fostering instrumental use of the findings (i.e., whether programs directly used their findings to improve practice, see Patton, 2008). Forensic nurse practitioners from six geographically dispersed service programs completed methodologically rigorous evaluations; furthermore, all six programs used the findings to create programmatic and community-level changes to improve local practice. Implications for evaluation capacity building are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ceramics Studio to Podiatry Clinic: The Impact of Multimedia Resources in the Teaching of Practical Skills across Diverse Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matheson, Ruth; Mathieson, Ian

2016-01-01

This paper draws on the experiences of students from two vastly different disciplines to both explore the theoretical background supporting the use of multimedia resources to teach practical skills and provide a qualitative evaluation of student perceptions and experiences of using bespoke resources. Within ceramics and podiatry, practical skills…

Social Justice Advocacy in Rural Communities: Practical Issues and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Joshua M.; Werth, James L., Jr.; Hastings, Sarah L.

2012-01-01

The professional literature related to social justice has increased, but there has been little discussion of the practical issues and implications associated with social advocacy. However, adding new roles will result in new considerations for counseling psychologists. The need to be attuned to how the practical aspects of advocacy intersect with…

Democratic Schooling in Norway: Implications for Leadership in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moller, Jorunn

2006-01-01

This article explores the meaning of an education based on democratic values and the implications for school leadership in practice. Based on findings from a case study in a Norwegian upper secondary school, the study describes democratic school leadership in practice, with particular attention to the distribution of power and leadership in the…

Greening the work force in Brazilian hotels: the role of environmental training.

PubMed

Dias-Angelo, Fernanda; Jabbour, Charbel J C; Calderaro, José Armando

2014-01-01

Organizations are increasingly required to reduce their environmental impact through the adoption of environmental management, which requires the support of human resource practices. The objective of this study is to determine whether human resource management practices, especially training, are supporting environmental management practices at four hotels located in Brazil. This research is qualitative, based on the analysis of four hotels in Brazil. Based on the systematized empirical evidence collected from four hotels (Hotels A, B, C, and D), it can be concluded that: (1) human resource management is still not fully aligned with environmental objectives at the hotels studied; (2) only Hotel B has implemented environmental management practices and aligned with human resource management in a more developed manner, which may indicate that these two variables of analysis could have interrelations; (3) environmental training as a human resource management practice was verified in all hotels analyzed. The greening of human resources practices is not fully aligned with environmental objectives in the hotels studied. If these hotels really wish to "go green," environmental training will be necessary. Hotel stakeholders play a major role in implementing the greening of the hotel industry.

A network of networks.

PubMed

Iedema, Rick; Verma, Raj; Wutzke, Sonia; Lyons, Nigel; McCaughan, Brian

2017-04-10

Purpose To further our insight into the role of networks in health system reform, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how one agency, the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI), and the multiple networks and enabling resources that it encompasses, govern, manage and extend the potential of networks for healthcare practice improvement. Design/methodology/approach This is a case study investigation which took place over ten months through the first author's participation in network activities and discussions with the agency's staff about their main objectives, challenges and achievements, and with selected services around the state of New South Wales to understand the agency's implementation and large system transformation activities. Findings The paper demonstrates that ACI accommodates multiple networks whose oversight structures, self-organisation and systems change approaches combined in dynamic ways, effectively yield a diversity of network governances. Further, ACI bears out a paradox of "centralised decentralisation", co-locating agents of innovation with networks of implementation and evaluation expertise. This arrangement strengthens and legitimates the role of the strategic hybrid - the healthcare professional in pursuit of change and improvement, and enhances their influence and impact on the wider system. Research limitations/implications While focussing the case study on one agency only, this study is unique as it highlights inter-network connections. Contributing to the literature on network governance, this paper identifies ACI as a "network of networks" through which resources, expectations and stakeholder dynamics are dynamically and flexibly mediated and enhanced. Practical implications The co-location of and dynamic interaction among clinical networks may create synergies among networks, nurture "strategic hybrids", and enhance the impact of network activities on health system reform. Social implications Network governance requires more from network members than participation in a single network, as it involves health service professionals and consumers in a multi-network dynamic. This dynamic requires deliberations and collaborations to be flexible, and it increasingly positions members as "strategic hybrids" - people who have moved on from singular taken-as-given stances and identities, towards hybrid positionings and flexible perspectives. Originality/value This paper is novel in that it identifies a critical feature of health service reform and large system transformation: network governance is empowered through the dynamic co-location of and collaboration among healthcare networks, particularly when complemented with "enabler" teams of people specialising in programme implementation and evaluation.

Access to Resources in Different Age-Cohorts: Implications for Activity Level, Loneliness, and Life Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malmberg, Bo

This thesis uses a resource theoretical approach to study and analyze social psychological phenomena in different age-cohorts. Resources are seen as any asset the person has access to in a certain situation. Access to resources are crucial to meet the demands of the surrounding environment. When the resources are sufficient to cope with the…

Dividing Attention within and between Hemispheres: Testing a Multiple Resources Approach to Limited-Capacity Information Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Alinda; And Others

1982-01-01

Two experiments tested the limiting case of a multiple resources approach to resource allocation in information processing. Results contradict a single-capacity model, supporting the idea that the hemispheres' resource supplies are independent and have implications for both cerebral specialization and divided attention issues. (Author/PN)

Engaging offenders on probation in health research: lessons from the field.

PubMed

Sirdifield, Coral; Owen, Sara; Brooker, Charlie

2016-11-18

Background Offenders on probation are considered to be 'hard to reach' by researchers because probation is a 'closed setting' and engaging offenders in research can be problematic due to issues such as return to custody and chaotic lifestyles. Aim To share learning about the challenges encountered when undertaking research with offenders on probation in the UK, strategies for overcoming them and the implications for research design and outcomes. Discussion The authors identify challenges in gaining and maintaining access; recruitment; ethics; data collection and analysis; and dissemination of findings. They also consider the implications of these challenges for research design and outcomes. Conclusion Engaging offenders in research takes time and effort to gain and maintain access. Researchers need to be persistent and flexible. The potential influence of gatekeepers on recruitment and outcomes is critical and constant communication needs to be maintained. When designing and resourcing projects, researchers must consider the transient nature of the population as well as the need to communicate any potential limits of confidentiality. Implications for practice The lessons learned will be helpful for future research in this field, which is needed to provide data for healthcare commissioners to inform the provision of patient-centred care for this vulnerable and hard-to-reach population.

Effects of Electronic Information Resources Skills Training for Lecturers on Pedagogical Practices and Research Productivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhukuvhani, Crispen; Chiparausha, Blessing; Zuvalinyenga, Dorcas

2012-01-01

Lecturers use various electronic resources at different frequencies. The university library's information literacy skills workshops and seminars are the main sources of knowledge of accessing electronic resources. The use of electronic resources can be said to have positively affected lecturers' pedagogical practices and their work in general. The…

Responding to GPs' information resource needs: implementation and evaluation of a complementary medicines information resource in Queensland general practice

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Australian General Practitioners (GPs) are in the forefront of primary health care and in an excellent position to communicate with their patients and educate them about Complementary Medicines (CMs) use. However previous studies have demonstrated that GPs lack the knowledge required about CMs to effectively communicate with patients about their CMs use and they perceive a need for information resources on CMs to use in their clinical practice. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a CMs information resource in Queensland (Qld) general practice. Methods The results of the needs assessment survey of Qld general practitioners (GPs) informed the development of a CMs information resource which was then put through an implementation and evaluation cycle in Qld general practice. The CMs information resource was a set of evidence-based herbal medicine fact sheets. This resource was utilised by 100 Qld GPs in their clinical practice for four weeks and was then evaluated. The evaluation assessed GPs' (1) utilisation of the resource (2) perceived quality, usefulness and satisfaction with the resource and (3) perceived impact of the resource on their knowledge, attitudes, and practice of CMs. Results Ninety two out of the 100 GPs completed the four week evaluation of the fact sheets and returned the post-intervention survey. The herbal medicine fact sheets produced by this study were well accepted and utilised by Qld GPs. The majority of GPs perceived that the fact sheets were a useful resource for their clinical practice. The fact sheets improved GPs' attitudes towards CMs, increased their knowledge of those herbal medicines and improved their communication with their patients about those specific herbs. Eighty-six percent of GPs agreed that if they had adequate resources on CMs, like the herbal medicine fact sheets, then they would communicate more to their patients about their use of CMs. Conclusion Further educational interventions on CMs need to be provided to GPs to increase their knowledge of CMs and to improve their communication with patients about their CMs use. PMID:21933434

Overcoming barriers in care for the dying: Theoretical analysis of an innovative program model.

PubMed

Wallace, Cara L

2016-08-01

This article explores barriers to end-of-life (EOL) care (including development of a death denying culture, ongoing perceptions about EOL care, poor communication, delayed access, and benefit restrictions) through the theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism (SI), and applies general systems theory (GST) to a promising practice model appropriate for addressing these barriers. The Compassionate Care program is a practice model designed to bridge gaps in care for the dying and is one example of a program offering concurrent care, a recent focus of evaluation though the Affordable Care Act. Concurrent care involves offering curative care alongside palliative or hospice care. Additionally, the program offers comprehensive case management and online resources to enrollees in a national health plan (Spettell et al., 2009).SI and GST are compatible and interrelated theories that provide a relevant picture of barriers to end-of-life care and a practice model that might evoke change among multiple levels of systems. These theories promote insight into current challenges in EOL care, as well as point to areas of needed research and interventions to address them. The article concludes with implications for policy and practice, and discusses the important role of social work in impacting change within EOL care.

Cumulative complexity: a functional, patient-centered model of patient complexity can improve research and practice.

PubMed

Shippee, Nathan D; Shah, Nilay D; May, Carl R; Mair, Frances S; Montori, Victor M

2012-10-01

To design a functional, patient-centered model of patient complexity with practical applicability to analytic design and clinical practice. Existing literature on patient complexity has mainly identified its components descriptively and in isolation, lacking clarity as to their combined functions in disrupting care or to how complexity changes over time. The authors developed a cumulative complexity model, which integrates existing literature and emphasizes how clinical and social factors accumulate and interact to complicate patient care. A narrative literature review is used to explicate the model. The model emphasizes a core, patient-level mechanism whereby complicating factors impact care and outcomes: the balance between patient workload of demands and patient capacity to address demands. Workload encompasses the demands on the patient's time and energy, including demands of treatment, self-care, and life in general. Capacity concerns ability to handle work (e.g., functional morbidity, financial/social resources, literacy). Workload-capacity imbalances comprise the mechanism driving patient complexity. Treatment and illness burdens serve as feedback loops, linking negative outcomes to further imbalances, such that complexity may accumulate over time. With its components largely supported by existing literature, the model has implications for analytic design, clinical epidemiology, and clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychopharmacological and Other Treatments in Preschool Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Current Evidence and Practice

PubMed Central

Arnold, L. Eugene; Anthony, Bruno J.

2008-01-01

Abstract Objective This article reviews rational approaches to treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children, including pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. Data Sources We searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health, Educational Resources Information Center, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects for relevant literature published in English from 1967 to 2007 on preschool ADHD. We also reviewed the references cited in identified reports. Study Selection Studies were reviewed if the sample included at least some children younger than 6 years of age or attending kindergarten, the study participants had a diagnosis of ADHD or equivalent symptoms, received intervention aimed at ADHD symptoms, and included a relevant outcome measure. Data Extraction Studies were reviewed for type of intervention and outcome relevant to ADHD and were rated for the level of evidence for adequacy of the data to inform clinical practice. Conclusions The current level of evidence for adequacy of empirical data to inform clinical practice for short-term treatment of ADHD in preschool children is Level A for methylphenidate and Level B for parent behavior training, child training, and additive-free elimination diet. PMID:18844482

The OPTN Deceased Donor Potential Study: Implications for Policy and Practice.

PubMed

Klassen, D K; Edwards, L B; Stewart, D E; Glazier, A K; Orlowski, J P; Berg, C L

2016-06-01

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Deceased Donor Potential Study, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, characterized the current pool of potential deceased donors and estimated changes through 2020. The goal was to inform policy development and suggest practice changes designed to increase the number of donors and organ transplants. Donor estimates used filtering methodologies applied to datasets from the OPTN, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and used these estimates with the number of actual donors to estimate the potential donor pool through 2020. Projected growth of the donor pool was 0.5% per year through 2020. Potential donor estimates suggested unrealized donor potential across all demographic groups, with the most significant unrealized potential (70%) in the 50-75-year-old age group and potential Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors. Actual transplants that may be realized from potential donors in these categories are constrained by confounding medical comorbidities not identified in administrative databases and by limiting utilization practices for organs from DCD donors. Policy, regulatory, and practice changes encouraging organ procurement and transplantation of a broader population of potential donors may be required to increase transplant numbers in the United States. © Copyright 2016 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Animals used for medicinal and magico-religious purposes in western Granada Province, Andalusia (Spain).

PubMed

Benítez, Guillermo

2011-10-11

This paper serves to document and make known the folk medicinal uses of animals and animal products in the western part of the province of Granada (Andalusia, Spain), analyzing not only the species used, the administration methods and the ailments treated, but also the cultural implications of this traditional knowledge and the large percentage of magico-religious or ritual practices. The information was gathered through semi-structured open interviews of a total of 42 people, as a part of an in-deep ethnobiological research in 16 different municipalities within the study area. The use-value index was calculated for highlighting the most important species for the population. In this part of Granada, 26 different animals have been employed in the treatment of 26 conditions from 10 different pathological groups, amounting 150 total reports (7% of the total ones including plant and animal medicinal resources). Although some of the uses were included in several classical and anthropological works, most remain unpublished. Cultural and environmental implications are discussed. The traditional use of animals in medicine is low known for southern Europe. 26 species constitute a significant number of animals used, considering the socio-economic and cultural context in which the study area is situated, and its small size. Albeit the main part of the information presented in this paper can be more important in an historical or anthropological standpoint, most of the medicinal resources presented have not been deeply studied. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources and implications of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on natural resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rattner, B.A.; Franson, J. Christian; Sheffield, S.R.; Goddard, C.I.; Leonard, N.J.; Stang, D.; Wingate, P.J.

2008-01-01

A technical review of lead sources that originate from hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities was undertaken by the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. The report addresses (1) sources of lead that originate from hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities, (2) the hazard and risk that lead from these activities pose to natural resources, and (3) the management implications for fish and wildlife professionals and policy makers.

Meeting the oral health needs of 12-year-olds in China: human resources for oral health.

PubMed

Sun, Xiangyu; Bernabé, Eduardo; Liu, Xuenan; Zheng, Shuguo; Gallagher, Jennifer E

2017-06-20

An appropriate level of human resources for oral health [HROH] is required to meet the oral health needs of population, and enable maximum improvement in health outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the required HROH to meet the oral health needs of the World Health Organization [WHO] reference group of 12-year-olds in China and consider the implications for education, practice, policy and HROH nationally. We estimated the need of HROH to meet the needs of 12-year-olds based on secondary analysis of the epidemiological and questionnaire data from the 3rd Chinese National Oral Health Survey, including caries experience and periodontal factors (calculus), dentally-related behaviour (frequency of toothbrushing and sugar intake), and social factors (parental education). Children's risk for dental caries was classified in four levels from low (level 1) to high (level 4). We built maximum and minimum intervention models of dental care for each risk level, informed by contemporary evidence-based practice. The needs-led HROH model we used in the present study incorporated need for treatment and risk-based prevention using timings verified by experts in China. These findings were used to estimate HROH for the survey sample, extrapolated to 12-year-olds nationally and the total population, taking account of urban and rural coverage, based on different levels of clinical commitment (60-90%). We found that between 40,139 and 51,906 dental professionals were required to deliver care for 12-year-olds nationally based on 80% clinical commitment. We demonstrated that the majority of need for HROH was in the rural population (72.5%). Over 93% of HROH time was dedicated to prevention within the model. Extrapolating the results to the total population, the estimate for HROH nationally was 3.16-4.09 million to achieve national coverage; however, current HROH are only able to serve an estimated 5% of the population with minimum intervention based on a HROH spending 90% of their time in providing clinical care. The findings highlight the gap between dental workforce needs and workforce capacity in China. Significant implications for health policy and human resources for oral health in this country with a developing health system are discussed including the need for public health action.

Facilitators and Barriers to Care Coordination in Patient-centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) from Coordinators’ Perspectives

PubMed Central

Friedman, Asia; Howard, Jenna; Shaw, Eric K.; Cohen, Deborah J.; Shahidi, Laleh; Ferrante, Jeanne M.

2016-01-01

Background Care coordinators are increasingly featured in patient-centered medical home (PCMH) projects, yet little research examines how coordinators themselves define and experience their role. This is the first study describing experiences of care coordinators across the US from their own perspectives. Methods This qualitative study used a 5-month private, online discussion forum to gather data from 25 care coordinators from PCMH practices representing diversity in practice size, setting, and type. Participants answered questions and interacted with one another, creating an online social learning collaborative while allowing for data collection for research. Results Coordinators identified barriers and facilitators in their work at the organization/system level, the interpersonal level, and the individual level. Some factors emerged as both barriers and facilitators, including the functionality of clinical information technology; the availability of community resources; interactions with clinicians and other health care facilities; interactions with patients; and self-care practices for mental health and wellness. Colocation and full integration into practices were other key facilitators, whereas excessive case loads and data management responsibilities were felt to be important barriers. Conclusions While all the barriers and facilitators were important to performing coordinators’ roles, relationship building materialized as key to effective care coordination, whether with clinicians, patients, or outside organizations. We discuss implications for practice and provide suggestions for further research. PMID:26769881

Early life environment and social determinants of cardiac health in children with congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Wong, Peter; Denburg, Avram; Dave, Malini; Levin, Leo; Morinis, Julia Orkin; Suleman, Shazeen; Wong, Jonathan; Ford-Jones, Elizabeth; Moore, Aideen M

2018-04-01

Congenital heart disease is a significant cause of infant mortality. Epidemiology and social context play a crucial role in conditioning disease burden and modulating outcomes, while diagnosis and treatment remain resource intensive. This review will address the role of social demographics, environmental exposure, epigenetics and nutrition in the aetiology of congenital heart disease. We then discuss the determinant effect of social factors on the provision and outcomes of care for congenital heart disease and implications for practice. It is our hope that enhanced knowledge of the intersection of social determinants of health and congenital heart disease will facilitate effective preventative strategies at the individual and population levels to optimize heart health outcomes across the life course.

Interaction of core self-evaluations and perceived organizational support on work-to-family enrichment.

PubMed

McNall, Laurel A; Masuda, Aline D; Shanock, Linda Rhoades; Nicklin, Jessica M

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article was to offer an empirical test of J. H. Greenhaus and G. N. Powell's (2006) model of work-family enrichment by examining dispositional (i.e., core self-evaluations; CSEs) and situational (i.e., perceived organizational support; POS) factors associated with work-to-family enrichment (WFE) and whether these variables interact in predicting WFE. In a survey of 220 employed adults, our hierarchical regression analysis revealed that in highly supportive work environments, individuals reported high WFE regardless of CSE. However, when POS was low, individuals high in CSEs reported higher WFE than those low in CSEs, in support of conservation of resources theory (S. E. Hobfoll, 2002). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A review of public desert land lease policies for concentrated solar power plants and the impact on their economic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyrnakis, Christos; Phocas-Cosmetatos, Alex; Kynigalakis, Kostantinos

2016-05-01

Large scale Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants need large plots of land with very high solar resource and thus are often deployed in desert areas which are usually owned by the state or a municipal authority. This study discusses the implication and practices of land lease policies with regards to CSP development. The strategy followed on a land lease is examined by definition on a case-specific basis and this text is by no means exhaustive with regards to its content. The study also discusses the pricing of land in various cases, presents the governing types of land lease and their effect on the economic performance of hypothetical CSP projects under various cases.

Perspectives of Taiwanese pastoral counselors on the use of scripture and prayer in the counseling process.

PubMed

Der Pan, Peter Jen; Deng, Liang-Yu F; Tsai, Shiou Ling; Yuan, S S Jenny

2015-04-01

Interviews were carried out with 10 Christian pastoral counselors to explore their perspectives on the use of Scripture and prayer in the counseling process. Grounded Theory was utilized. Five main categories including a theological framework of pastoral counseling, counselors' considerations of using Scripture and prayer, preparation for Christian spiritual intervention, implications of spiritual resources, and ethical issues in the pastoral counseling process were generated. The results suggest the theological framework of pastoral counseling is crucial to the use of Scripture and prayer, and the issue of a neutral response should first be clarified for clients. Basic guidelines for ethically using Scripture and prayer for working with Christian clients are proposed for further pastoral counselor training, practice, and research.

The Influence of Contextual Factors on the Sustainability of Professional Development Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandholtz, Judith Haymore; Ringstaff, Cathy

2016-03-01

This study investigated how contextual factors influenced the sustainability of outcomes from a 3-year, state-funded professional development program that provided science assistance for K-2 teachers in small, rural school districts. The research used a case-study approach with a purposive sample of five elementary schools that varied in instructional time in science several years after the funding period. The primary data sources were teacher surveys and interviews conducted 2 and 3 years after the end of the professional development program. The findings highlight variations across schools and the influence of principal support, resources, collegial support, personal commitment, and external factors. The research holds practical implications for enhancing long-term sustainability of professional development outcomes in science education.

The time-course of recovery from interruption during reading: eye movement evidence for the role of interruption lag and spatial memory.

PubMed

Cane, James E; Cauchard, Fabrice; Weger, Ulrich W

2012-01-01

Two experiments examined how interruptions impact reading and how interruption lags and the reader's spatial memory affect the recovery from such interruptions. Participants read paragraphs of text and were interrupted unpredictably by a spoken news story while their eye movements were monitored. Time made available for consolidation prior to responding to the interruption did not aid reading resumption. However, providing readers with a visual cue that indicated the interruption location did aid task resumption substantially in Experiment 2. Taken together, the findings show that the recovery from interruptions during reading draws on spatial memory resources and can be aided by processes that support spatial memory. Practical implications are discussed.

Resources to Support Ethical Practice in Evaluation: An Interview with the Director of the National Center for Research and Professional Ethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodyear, Leslie

2012-01-01

Where do evaluators find resources on ethics and ethical practice? This article highlights a relatively new online resource, a centerpiece project of the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics (NCPRE), which brings together information on best practices in ethics in research, academia, and business in an online portal and center. It…

The impact of union elections on human resources management practices in hospitals.

PubMed

Deshpande, Satish P

2002-06-01

The purpose of this article is to explore top management's perceptions of how various human resources management (HRM) practices changed in hospitals (n = 101) after union elections. Significant increases in many HRM practices that are believed to lead to competitive advantage through human resources were reported in firms in which unions lost elections but not in firms where unions were certified.

Optimality versus stability in water resource allocation.

PubMed

Read, Laura; Madani, Kaveh; Inanloo, Bahareh

2014-01-15

Water allocation is a growing concern in a developing world where limited resources like fresh water are in greater demand by more parties. Negotiations over allocations often involve multiple groups with disparate social, economic, and political status and needs, who are seeking a management solution for a wide range of demands. Optimization techniques for identifying the Pareto-optimal (social planner solution) to multi-criteria multi-participant problems are commonly implemented, although often reaching agreement for this solution is difficult. In negotiations with multiple-decision makers, parties who base decisions on individual rationality may find the social planner solution to be unfair, thus creating a need to evaluate the willingness to cooperate and practicality of a cooperative allocation solution, i.e., the solution's stability. This paper suggests seeking solutions for multi-participant resource allocation problems through an economics-based power index allocation method. This method can inform on allocation schemes that quantify a party's willingness to participate in a negotiation rather than opt for no agreement. Through comparison of the suggested method with a range of distance-based multi-criteria decision making rules, namely, least squares, MAXIMIN, MINIMAX, and compromise programming, this paper shows that optimality and stability can produce different allocation solutions. The mismatch between the socially-optimal alternative and the most stable alternative can potentially result in parties leaving the negotiation as they may be too dissatisfied with their resource share. This finding has important policy implications as it justifies why stakeholders may not accept the socially optimal solution in practice, and underlies the necessity of considering stability where it may be more appropriate to give up an unstable Pareto-optimal solution for an inferior stable one. Authors suggest assessing the stability of an allocation solution as an additional component to an analysis that seeks to distribute water in a negotiated process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The decision to adopt evidence-based and other innovative mental health practices: risky business?

PubMed

Panzano, Phyllis C; Roth, Dee

2006-08-01

A risk-based decision-making framework was used to examine the decision to adopt innovative mental health practices, including both evidence-based and other research-guided practices. Seventy-eight projects involving decisions to adopt one of four innovative mental health practices were the focus of this study. Key informants with direct knowledge about the adoption decision provided data for hypothesis testing. As predicted, the propensity to adopt an innovative practice-as measured by decision stage-was negatively related to the perceived risk of adopting the practice, positively related to expected capacity to manage risk, and positively related to an organization's past propensity to take risks. Further, perceived risk, anticipated resource availability, and exposure to field-based evidence explained a substantial part of what differentiated adopters from nonadopters. Finally, several features of innovations known to influence innovation adoption decisions were found to be related in expected ways to perceived risk, capacity to manage risk, and risk propensity. This research supports the view that the decision to adopt an innovative mental health practice is a decision made in consideration of risk. Contrary to popular views that early adopters of innovations are willing to take enormous risks, these data offer the novel idea that early adopters act because they see the risks associated with adopting as lower than their nonadopter counterparts, partly because the risks are seen as more manageable. Implications of results are discussed for organizations considering adoption of innovative health care practices and for state or local mental health authorities hoping for a higher level of adoption in their areas.

Achieving competitive advantage through strategic human resource management.

PubMed

Fottler, M D; Phillips, R L; Blair, J D; Duran, C A

1990-01-01

The framework presented here challenges health care executives to manage human resources strategically as an integral part of the strategic planning process. Health care executives should consciously formulate human resource strategies and practices that are linked to and reinforce the broader strategic posture of the organization. This article provides a framework for (1) determining and focusing on desired strategic outcomes, (2) identifying and implementing essential human resource management actions, and (3) maintaining or enhancing competitive advantage. The strategic approach to human resource management includes assessing the organization's environment and mission; formulating the organization's business strategy; assessing the human resources requirements based on the intended strategy; comparing the current inventory of human resources in terms of numbers, characteristics, and human resource management practices with respect to the strategic requirements of the organization and its services or product lines; formulating the human resource strategy based on the differences between the assessed requirements and the current inventory; and implementing the appropriate human resource practices to reinforce the strategy and attain competitive advantage.

Digital Media for STEM Learning: Developing scientific practice skills in the K-12 STEM classroom with resources from WGBH and PBS LearningMedia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, J.; Connolly, R.

2017-12-01

WGBH's "Bringing the Universe to America's Classrooms" project is a 5-year effort to design, produce and evaluate digital media tools and resources that support scientific practice skills in diverse K-12 learners. Resources leverage data and content from NASA and WGBH signature programs, like NOVA, into sound instructional experiences that provide K-12 STEM teachers with free, quality resources for teaching topics in the Earth and Space Sciences. Resources address the content and practices in the new K-12 Framework for Science Education and are aligned with the NGSS. Participants will learn about design strategies, findings from our evaluation efforts, and how to access free resources on PBS LearningMedia.

Ownership Patterns of Natural Resources in Rural America: Implications for Distribution of Wealth and Income. Rural Development, Poverty, and Natural Resources Workshop Paper Series, Part IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clawson, Marion

Beginning with definitions of land ownership and natural resources, this paper traces United States resource ownership patterns and draws conclusions for rural areas. Following the definitions, a general history of resource ownership discusses disposition of land from government to private owner, noting that the cadastral survey system still in…

Knowledge exchange for climate adaptation planning in western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garfin, Gregg; Orr, Barron

2015-04-01

In western North America, the combination of sustained drought, rapid ecosystem changes, and land use changes associated with urban population growth has motivated concern among ecosystem managers about the implications of future climate changes for the landscapes which they manage. Through literature review, surveys, and workshop discussions, we assess the process of moving from concern, to planning, to action, with an emphasis on questions, such as: What are the roles of boundary organizations in facilitating knowledge exchange? Which practices lead to effective interactions between scientists, decision-makers, and knowledge brokers? While there is no "one size fits all" science communication method, the co-production of science and policy by research scientists, science translators, and decision-makers, as co-equals, is a resource intensive, but effective practice for moving adaptation planning forward. Constructive approaches make use of alliances with early adopters and opinion leaders, and make strong communication links between predictions, impacts and solutions. Resource managers need information on the basics of regional climate variability and global climate change, region-specific projections of climate changes and impacts, frank discussion of uncertainties, and opportunities for candid exploration of these topics with peers and subject experts. Research scientists play critical roles in adaptation planning discussions, because they assist resource managers in clarifying the cascade of interactions leading to potential impacts and, importantly, because decision-makers want to hear the information straight from the scientists conducting the research, which bolsters credibility. We find that uncertainty, formerly a topic to avoided, forms the foundation for constructive progress in adaptation planning. Candid exploration of the array of uncertainties, including those due to modeling, institutional, policy and economic factors, with practitioners, science translators, and subject experts, stimulates constructive thinking on adaptation strategies. Discussion support to explore multiple future scenarios and research nuances advances the discussion beyond "uncertainty paralysis."

The brave new world of older patients: preparing general practice training for an ageing population.

PubMed

Bonney, Andrew; Phillipson, Lyn; Jones, Sandra C; Hall, Julie; Sharma, Rashmi

2015-11-01

Develop and pilot test evidence-based resources for general practice training practices to enhance older patients' (65+ years) interactions with General Practice Registrars (GPRs). In Australia, general practice trainees, referred to as GPRs, see fewer older patients and patients with chronic conditions than doctors who have completed their specialist GP training. This reduces learning opportunities for GPRs in the management of these important patient groups. Therefore, developing effective strategies to improve GPR-older patient interaction is critical to primary care training, to meet the current and future needs of an ageing population. Adopting a social marketing approach, GPR practice resources were developed to address knowledge and attitudinal barriers at the practice and patient level to improve older patient comfort, and willingness to engage, with GPR care. Two focus groups with older patients (n=18) and interviews with staff of training practices (n=12) were utilised to pre-test resources. Amended resources were pilot tested and evaluated in a naturalistic GPR training practice setting using a structured patient questionnaire (n=44). Pilot evaluation suggests improved comfort and willingness of older patients to interact with GPRs. In all, 54% of survey participants indicated they would be more likely to make an appointment with a Registrar in the future as a result of exposure to the resources. In all, 40% of patients would feel comfortable having a GPR manage a complex or chronic condition, which compares favourably with 28% of similarly aged patients in previous research. The use of tailored, engaging and informative GPR resources for older patients and practice staff may be an important contributor to addressing the growing problem of ensuring GPRs are adequately engaged in treating older patients. The adoption of a social marketing framework was instrumental in enhancing the acceptance and effectiveness of this intervention.

Phenomenological Fingerprints of Four Meditations: Differential State Changes in Affect, Mind-Wandering, Meta-Cognition, and Interoception Before and After Daily Practice Across 9 Months of Training.

PubMed

Kok, Bethany E; Singer, Tania

2017-01-01

Despite increasing interest in the effects of mental training practices such as meditation, there is much ambiguity regarding whether and to what extent the various types of mental practice have differential effects on psychological change. To address this gap, we compare the effects of four common meditation practices on measures of state change in affect, mind-wandering, meta-cognition, and interoception. In the context of a 9-month mental training program called the ReSource Project, 229 mid-life adults (mean age 41) provided daily reports before and after meditation practice. Participants received training in the following three successive modules: the first module (presence) included breathing meditation and body scan, the second (affect) included loving-kindness meditation, and the third (perspective) included observing-thought meditation. Using multilevel modeling, we found that body scan led to the greatest state increase in interoceptive awareness and the greatest decrease in thought content, loving-kindness meditation led to the greatest increase in feelings of warmth and positive thoughts about others, and observing-thought meditation led to the greatest increase in meta-cognitive awareness. All practices, including breathing meditation, increased positivity of affect, energy, and present focus and decreased thought distraction. Complementary network analysis of intervariate relationships revealed distinct phenomenological clusters of psychological change congruent with the content of each practice. These findings together suggest that although different meditation practices may have common beneficial effects, each practice can also be characterized by a distinct short-term psychological fingerprint, the latter having important implications for the use of meditative practices in different intervention contexts and with different populations.

Surgery and trauma care providers' perception of the impact of dual-practice employment on quality of care provided in an Andean country.

PubMed

LaGrone, L N; Isquith-Dicker, L N; Huaman Egoavil, E; Herrera-Matta, J J; Fuhs, A K; Ortega Checa, D; Revoredo, F; Rodriguez Castro, M J A; Mock, C N

2017-05-01

Dual-practice, simultaneous employment by healthcare workers in the public and private sectors is pervasive worldwide. Although an estimated 30 per cent of the global burden of disease is surgical, the implications of dual practice on surgical care are not well understood. Anonymous in-depth individual interviews on trauma quality improvement practices were conducted with healthcare providers who participate in the care of the injured at ten large hospitals in Peru's capital city, Lima. A grounded theory approach to qualitative data analysis was employed to identify salient themes. Fifty interviews were conducted. A group of themes that emerged related to the perceived negative and positive impacts of dual practice on the quality of surgical care. Participants asserted that the majority of physicians in Lima working in the public sector also worked in the private sector. Dual practice has negative impacts on physicians' time, quality of care in the public sector, and surgical education. Dual practice positively affects patient care by allowing physicians to acquire management and quality improvement skills, and providing incentives for research and academic productivity. In addition, dual practice provides opportunities for clinical innovations and raises the economic status of the physician. Surgeons in Peru report that dual practice influences patient care negatively by creating time and human resource conflicts. Participants assert that these conflicts widen the gap in quality of care between rich and poor. This practice warrants redirection through national-level regulation of physician schedules and reorganization of public investment in health via physician remuneration. © 2017 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nationally Certified School Psychologists' use and reported barriers to using evidence-based interventions in schools: the influence of graduate program training and education.

PubMed

Hicks, Taylor B; Shahidullah, Jeffrey D; Carlson, John S; Palejwala, Mohammed H

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate Nationally Certified School Psychologists' (NCSP) training in and use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for child behavior concerns as well as their reported implementation barriers. A modified Tailored Design Method (TDM; Dillman, Smyth, & Christian, 2009) using up to four mail-based participant contacts was used to obtain survey data (72% usable response rate; n = 392) from a randomly selected national sample of 548 currently practicing NCSPs. Lack of time was rated as the most serious barrier to behavioral EBI implementation, followed by a lack of necessary resources, and financial constraints. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents reported a perceived inadequacy of graduate program training in behavioral EBIs, with a statistically significant difference found between respondents who attended American Psychological Association (APA)-accredited/National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)-approved programs and those who did not. These findings highlight the significant barriers school psychologists encounter when attempting to implement behavioral EBIs within applied practice, as well as the importance of graduate program training in implementation science. Implications for training, practice, and research are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Negative Attitudes toward Older Workers and Hiring Decisions: Testing the Moderating Role of Decision Makers' Core Self-Evaluations.

PubMed

Fasbender, Ulrike; Wang, Mo

2016-01-01

Organizational hiring practices have been charged for unfair treatment on the grounds of age. Drawing on theories of planned behavior and core self-evaluations, this research investigated the impact of negative attitudes toward older workers on hiring decisions and examined the moderating role of decision-makers' core self-evaluations. We tested our hypotheses based on a structured online questionnaire and a vignette study using a sample of 102 participants working in human resource management across different industries. As predicted, negative attitudes toward older workers were positively related to avoidance of hiring older people, which in turn was negatively related to the likelihood to select the oldest candidate. Because hiring decisions are not only about the hiring subject but also about the decision-maker, we tested the moderating role of decision-makers' core self-evaluations. Results showed that core self-evaluations buffered the relationship between negative attitudes toward older workers and avoidance of hiring older people. Theoretical implications of the findings with regard to hiring decisions about older people and practical recommendations to improve diversity management strategies and age-balanced hiring practices in organizations are discussed.

Improving the health care work environment: implications for research, practice, and policy.

PubMed

Harrison, Michael I; Henriksen, Kerm; Hughes, Ronda G

2007-11-01

Despite the gains to date, we need better understanding of practices for implementing and sustaining improvements in health care work environments and further study of organizational conditions affecting implementation of improvements. Limiting work hours, improving schedules, and providing sleep hygiene training will help combat clinician fatigue. Hospital crowding can be reduced through systemwide improvement of patient flow and capacity management, coupled with management support, measurement, and reporting on crowding. Long-term solutions to nurse staffing shortfalls include process redesign to enhance efficiency. Improvement of organizational climate, human resource management, and interoccupational relations will also contribute to staff retention. Evidence-based enhancements to patient rooms and other physical features in hospitals contribute directly to safety and quality and also affect staff performance. POLICY: Landrigan and his colleagues call for external restrictions on residents' work shifts. Clarke examines prospects for mandated nursing-staff ratios. Public reporting on staffing, crowding, and other risks may incent change. Reporting and pay for performance require standardized measures of targeted conditions. Organizations promoting care quality can help spread safe work practices; they can also support collaborative learning and other strategies that may enhance implementation of improvements in work environments.

The dentist’s role in promoting community water fluoridation

PubMed Central

Melbye, Molly L.R.; Armfield, Jason M.

2013-01-01

Background and Overview Community water fluoridation is an important public health intervention that reduces oral health disparities and increases the health of the population. Promotion of its safety and effectiveness is critical to maintaining its widespread acceptance and ensuring its continued use. Dentists are a potentially important source of knowledge regarding the oral health benefits and safety of water fluoridation. However, few dentists regularly discuss fluorides, and water fluoridation in particular, with patients. The authors aim to describe and discuss the role and importance of dentists’ promotion of public water fluoridation, barriers to dentists’ involvement and some approaches that might influence dentists to promote water fluoridation more actively. Conclusions and Practice Implications Ongoing promotion of fluoridation by dentists is a key factor in ensuring sustained municipal water fluoridation. However, current undergraduate dental curricula do not adequately prepare dentists for this role, and continuing dental education may be insufficient to change clinical practice. Although smoking-cessation literature can shed some light on how to proceed, changing dentists’ practice behavior remains a largely unstudied topic. Dental associations are a key resource for dentists, providing information that can assist them in becoming advocates for water fluoridation. PMID:23283928

Influence of clinical knowledge, organizational context, and practice style on transfusion decision making. Implications for practice change strategies.

PubMed

Salem-Schatz, S R; Avorn, J; Soumerai, S B

1990-07-25

Evidence shows that blood products, like other health care resources, are often used inappropriately, but the reasons for this have not been well studied. We conducted a face-to-face survey of 122 general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and anesthesiologists in three hospitals to evaluate the influence of several clinical and nonclinical factors on transfusion decision making. We found widespread deficiencies in physicians' knowledge of transfusion risks and indications. Each transfusion risk was estimated correctly by fewer than half of the physicians surveyed, and only 31% responded correctly to a set of four questions regarding transfusion indications. Attending physicians routinely had lower knowledge scores than did residents, yet they exhibited more confidence in their knowledge. Residents' transfusion decisions, however, were strongly influenced by the desires of their attending physicians, resulting in their ordering potentially inappropriate transfusions. Of the residents surveyed, 61% indicated that they ordered transfusions that they judged unnecessary at least once a month because a more senior physician suggested that they do so. These findings provide insights for the development of strategies to improve transfusion practices, which would address the dual concerns of quality of care and cost containment.

Ebola policies that hinder epidemic response by limiting scientific discourse.

PubMed

Asgary, Ramin; Pavlin, Julie A; Ripp, Jonathan A; Reithinger, Richard; Polyak, Christina S

2015-02-01

There is an unprecedented epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in west Africa. There has been a strong response from dedicated health professionals. However, there have also been irrational and fear-based responses that have contributed to misallocation of resources, stigma, and deincentivizing volunteers to combat Ebola at its source. Recently, the State of Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals issued a ban on those coming from affected countries wishing to attend the annual meetings of American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the American Public Health Association, both of which were held in New Orleans. We argue against such policies, question evidence and motivations, and discuss their practical and ethical implications in hampering effective responses to EVD by the scientific community. We aim to shed light on this issue and its implications for the future of public health interventions, reflect on the responsibility of health providers and professional societies as advocates for patients and the public health, and call for health professionals and societies to work to challenge inappropriate political responses to public health crises. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Perceived Efficacy and Intentions Regarding Seeking Mental Healthcare: Impact of Deepika Padukone, A Bollywood Celebrity's Public Announcement of Struggle with Depression.

PubMed

Jain, Parul; Pandey, Uma Shankar; Roy, Enakshi

2017-08-01

The current research examines the impact of Deepika Padukone's (one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities) public announcement of struggle with depression on people's perceived efficacy and intentions to seek help for mental healthcare. A survey conducted with 206 participants from India, the country with the highest depression rates in the world, revealed that parasocial interaction with the celebrity mediated the effect of exposure on intentions and efficacy perceptions regarding seeking mental healthcare. Our study expands the research on celebrity influence on health conditions in an international realm and in a mental health context. The findings have immense practical implications and may raise awareness about mental health in India given the popularity and reach of Bollywood among audiences in India and beyond, the level of stigmatization attached to mental health issues in India, and the lack of available resources for care. Theoretically, the study explores processes and effects of involvement with a celebrity and discusses potential implications for the behaviors related to health.

The World Report on Disability and its implications for rehabilitation psychology.

PubMed

MacLachlan, Malcolm; Mannan, Hasheem

2014-05-01

This study reviewed the World Report on Disability (World Health Organization & World Bank, 2011) and explored its implications for rehabilitation psychology. Key findings and recommendations were identified within the World Report and issues that are salient to the profession, practice and research within rehabilitation psychology were highlighted. The World Report has a particular emphasis on disability in low-income countries, where the majority of people with disabilities live. Despite the origins and development of rehabilitation psychology within high-income countries, the profession has much to contribute to addressing many of the challenges identified in the World Report. Specific targeted contributions might include addressing the human resources for health crisis in rehabilitation; developing prosocial and community-based interventions and programs; helping to identify and overcome difficulties to accessing health care; refining the measurement and classification of disability; and strengthening research, policy and advocacy for and with people with disabilities. The World Report on Disability presents exciting and challenging opportunities that exist for rehabilitation psychology practitioners and researchers, and for the profession itself. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

The ethics of Canadian entry-to-practice pain competencies: how are we doing?

PubMed

Watt-Watson, Judy; Peter, Elizabeth; Clark, A John; Dewar, Anne; Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas; Morley-Forster, Pat; O'Leary, Christine; Raman-Wilms, Lalitha; Unruh, Anita; Webber, Karen; Campbell-Yeo, Marsha

2013-01-01

Although unrelieved pain continues to represent a significant problem, prelicensure educational programs tend to include little content related to pain. Standards for professional competence strongly influence curricula and have the potential to ensure that health science students have the knowledge and skill to manage pain in a way that also allows them to meet professional ethical standards. To perform a systematic, comprehensive examination to determine the entry-to-practice competencies related to pain required for Canadian health science and veterinary students, and to examine how the presence and absence of pain competencies relate to key competencies of an ethical nature. Entry-to-practice competency requirements related to pain knowledge, skill and judgment were surveyed from national, provincial and territorial documents for dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and veterinary medicine. Dentistry included two and nursing included nine specific pain competencies. No references to competencies related to pain were found in the remaining health science documents. In contrast, the national competency requirements for veterinary medicine, surveyed as a comparison, included nine pain competencies. All documents included competencies pertaining to ethics. The lack of competencies related to pain has implications for advancing skillful and ethical practice. The lack of attention to pain competencies limits the capacity of health care professionals to alleviate suffering, foster autonomy and use resources justly. Influencing professional bodies to increase the number of required entry-to-practice pain competencies may ultimately have the greatest impact on education and practice.

Factors influencing how senior nurses and midwives acquire and integrate coaching skills into routine practice: a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Rafferty, Rae; Fairbrother, Greg

2015-06-01

To introduce a theory which describes the process of and explicates the factors moderating, the acquisition and integration of leadership coaching skills into the routine practice of senior nurses and midwives. Organizations invest significant resources in leadership coaching programs to ensure that coaching is embedded as a core function of the manager's role. However, even after training, many managers remain unable to undertake this role successfully. The process by which health professionals translate 'manager as coach' training into successful practice outcomes, has remained largely unexplored. A grounded theory study design. Data, collected between February 2012-May 2013, included in-depth interviews with 20 senior nurses and midwives who had attended a leadership coaching program and analysis of nine reflective practice journals. Multiple researchers coded and analysed the data using constant comparative techniques. The outcomes of coaching training ranged from inappropriate use of the coaching skills through to transformed managerial practice. These outcomes were influenced by the dynamic interaction of three central domains of the emergent theoretical model: pre-existing individual perceptions, program elements and contemporaneous experiences. Interactions occurred within the domains and between them, impacting on activators such as courage, motivation, commitment and confidence. The study offers new insights into how senior nurses and midwives acquire and integrate coaching skills into their routine practice. The process is described as multifactorial and dynamic and has implications for the training design, delivery and organizational support of future leadership coaching programs. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predicting the child-rearing practices of mothers sexually abused in childhood.

PubMed

Ruscio, A M

2001-03-01

Although empirical investigations have established a relationship between childhood sexual abuse and numerous long-term consequences, surprisingly little research has addressed the possible effects of childhood victimization on the later child-rearing practices of adult survivors. The present study examined hypothesized predictors of three parenting styles among adult survivors of sexual abuse as compared with adult children of alcoholic parents. Forty-five clinical outpatients completed a questionnaire battery assessing experiences of childhood abuse, current economic and social resources, and parenting attitudes and practices. The child-rearing practices of participants were compared with those reported by a community sample of 717 mothers. Additional analyses examined the extent to which sexual abuse and its adult sequelae predicted the parenting behaviors reported by the present sample. Both sexual abuse survivors and children of alcoholics reported significantly higher rates of permissive parenting practices than mothers in the community sample. Multiple regression analyses further revealed unique relationships between sexual abuse and parenting, over and above the variance explained by physical abuse, current socioeconomic status, and the experience of growing up in an alcoholic home. Mothers' sexual abuse severity, social support satisfaction, and dysfunctional parenting attitudes moderated several of these relationships. The present findings suggest that sexual abuse and its adult sequelae may have negative consequences for the parenting practices of survivors, particularly for survivors' ability to provide their children with appropriate structure, consistent discipline, and clear behavioral expectations. Implications for the psychosocial development of survivors' children are discussed.

Nested Houses: Domestication dynamics of human-wasp relations in contemporary rural Japan.

PubMed

Payne, Charlotte L R; Evans, Joshua D

2017-02-08

Domestication is an important and contested concept. Insects are used as food worldwide, and while some have been described as domesticated and even 'semi-domesticated', the assumptions and implications of this designation are not clear. The purpose of this paper is to explore these aspects of insect domestication, and broader debates in domestication studies, through the case of edible wasps in central rural Japan. Both authors conducted ethnographic fieldwork with communities in central rural Japan. Fieldwork comprised participant observation, semi-structured interviews, quantitative surveys and a review of resources including the personal and public records of wasp collectors. The practice of keeping wasps in hive boxes has historical roots and has changed significantly within living memory. Current attempts to further develop the practice involve collectors' great efforts to keep new queens during their hibernation. Collectors have also tried, still without success, to keep wasps living within a human-made enclosure for their entire life cycle. These and other practices are costly in both time and money for collectors, who emphasise enjoyment as their primary motivation. At the same time, they also engage in practices such as pesticide use that they recognise as damaging to wasp ecology. These practices can be understood to some extent in domesticatory terms, and in terms of care. We develop a framework for understanding domesticatory practices of insect care, discuss how this case contributes to ongoing debates within domestication studies, and recommend further research to be pursued.

Field Birding and Digital Objects: Immaterial Technologies and Their Implications for One Practice of Coming to Know the More-than-Human

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Gavan Peter Longley

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the implications of two emerging digital technologies on the act of field birding, and the implications of these objects for thinking about wild birds. While the adoption of new immaterial technologies promises to improve the ease with which birding is practiced, their use leads to new ethical considerations. Using the…

Stem cell terminology: practical, theological and ethical implications.

PubMed

Shanner, Laura

2002-01-01

Stem cell policy discussions frequently confuse embryonic and fetal sources of stem cells, and label untested, non-reproductive cloning as "therapeutic." Such misnomers distract attention from significant practical and ethical implications: accelerated research agendas tend to be supported at the expense of physical risks to women, theological implications in a multi-faith community, informed consent for participation in research, and treatment decisions altered by unrealistic expectations.

Integrating self-help materials into mental health practice.

PubMed

Church, Elizabeth; Cornish, Peter; Callanan, Terrence; Bethune, Cheri

2008-10-01

Patients' mental health issues have become an increasing focus of Canadian family physicians' practices. A self-help approach can help meet this demand, but there are few guidelines for professionals about how to use mental health self-help resources effectively. To aid health professionals in integrating self-help materials into their mental health practices. A resource library of print, audiotape, and videotape self-help materials about common mental health issues was developed for a rural community. The materials were prescreened in order to ensure high quality, and health professionals were given training on how to integrate self-help into their practices. The library was actively used by both health professionals and community members, and most resources were borrowed, particularly the nonprint materials. Health professionals viewed the resources as a way to supplement their mental health practice and reduce demands on their time, as patients generally worked through the resources independently. Some improvements are planned for future implementations of the program, such as providing health professionals with a "prescription pad" of resources and implementing Stages of Change and stepped-care models to maximize the program's effectiveness. Although more evidence is needed regarding the effectiveness of self-help within a family practice context, this program offers a promising way for family physicians to address mild to moderate mental health problems.

Professional Learning in Human Resource Management: Problematising the Teaching of Reflective Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, V.; Holden, R.; Rae, J.; Lawless, A.

2015-01-01

Reflection and reflective practice are much discussed aspects of professional education. This paper conveys our efforts to problematise teaching reflective practice in human resources (HR) education. The research, on which the paper is based, engages with stakeholders involved in the professional learning and education of reflective practice in…

Human Resource Development Scholar-Practitioners: Connecting the Broken Divide of Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Claretha H.; Wang, Jia; Zheng, Wei; McLean, Laird

2007-01-01

The challenge of combining research and practice in HRD [Human Resource Development] led to continuing debate concerning who are scholar-practitioners and how they combine research and practice in the workplace. A study of seven scholar-practitioners provides some answers for HRD scholar-practitioners on connecting research and practice. The…

Aggression and Young Children. Research in Practice Series. Volume 11, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szarkowicz, Diane Louise

2004-01-01

The "Research in Practice Series" is a practical, easy-to-read resource, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children. Early Childhood Australia's "Research in Practice Series" is an essential resource for those involved in the early childhood field.…

Selection and Presentation of Commercially Available Electronic Resources: Issues and Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jewell, Timothy D.

This report focuses on practices related to the selection and presentation of commercially available electronic resources. As part of the Digital Library Federation's Collection Practices Initiative, the report also shares the goal of identifying and propagating practices that support the growth of sustainable and scalable collections. It looks in…

Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands – Resources Model

PubMed Central

Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G.

2016-01-01

Background: Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. Aim: The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. Method: The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Results: Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. Results also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. Conclusion: This study’s findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify practical implications useful both to support employees in coping with emotional labor and to promote well-being in inbound call centers. In detail, results showed the need to improve training programs in order to enhance employees’ emotion regulation skills, and to introduce human resource practices aimed at clarifying emotional requirements of the job. PMID:27516752

Overcoming limits set by scarce resources - role of local food production and food imports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porkka, Miina; Guillaume, Joseph H. A.; Schaphoff, Sibyll; Siebert, Stefan; Gerten, Dieter; Kummu, Matti

2017-04-01

There is a fundamental tension between population growth and carrying capacity, i.e. the population that could potentially be supported using the resources and technologies available at a given time. This makes the assessments of resource use and agricultural productivity central to the debate on future food security. Local carrying capacity can be increased by expanding (e.g. through land conversion and irrigation infrastructure) or intensifying (e.g. through technologies and practices that increase efficiency) the resource use in agriculture. Food imports can be considered another way of overcoming current local limits and continuing growth beyond the local human-carrying capacity. Focusing on water as the key limiting resource, we performed a global assessment of the capacity for food self-sufficiency at sub-national and national scale for 1961-2009, taking into account the availability of both green and blue water as well as technology and management practices affecting water productivity at a given time, and using the hydrology and agriculture model LPJmL as our primary tool. Furthermore, we examined the use of food imports as a strategy to increase carrying capacity in regions where the potential for food self-sufficiency was limited by water availability and productivity. We found that the capacity for food self-sufficiency reduced notably during the study period due to the rapid population growth that outpaced the substantial improvements in water productivity. In 2009 more than a third (2.2 billion people) of the world's population lived in areas where sufficient food production to meet the needs of the population was not possible, and some 800 million people more were approaching this threshold. Food imports have nearly universally been used to overcome these local limits to growth, though the success of this strategy has been highly dependent on economic purchasing power. In the unsuccessful cases, increases in imports and local productivity have not kept pace with population growth, leaving 460 million people with insufficient food. Where the strategy has been successful, food security of 1.4 billion people has become dependent on imports. Whether or not this dependence on imports is considered desirable, it has policy implications that need to be taken into account.

Inbound Call Centers and Emotional Dissonance in the Job Demands - Resources Model.

PubMed

Molino, Monica; Emanuel, Federica; Zito, Margherita; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara; Cortese, Claudio G

2016-01-01

Emotional labor, defined as the process of regulating feelings and expressions as part of the work role, is a major characteristic in call centers. In particular, interacting with customers, agents are required to show certain emotions that are considered acceptable by the organization, even though these emotions may be different from their true feelings. This kind of experience is defined as emotional dissonance and represents a feature of the job especially for call center inbound activities. The present study was aimed at investigating whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between job demands (workload and customer verbal aggression) and job resources (supervisor support, colleague support, and job autonomy) on the one hand, and, on the other, affective discomfort, using the job demands-resources model as a framework. The study also observed differences between two different types of inbound activities: customer assistance service (CA) and information service. The study involved agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company, 352 of whom worked in the CA and 179 in the information service. The hypothesized model was tested across the two groups through multi-group structural equation modeling. Analyses showed that CA agents experience greater customer verbal aggression and emotional dissonance than information service agents. RESULTS also showed, only for the CA group, a full mediation of emotional dissonance between workload and affective discomfort, and a partial mediation of customer verbal aggression and job autonomy, and affective discomfort. This study's findings contributed both to the emotional labor literature, investigating the mediational role of emotional dissonance in the job demands-resources model, and to call center literature, considering differences between two specific kinds of inbound activities. Suggestions for organizations and practitioners emerged in order to identify practical implications useful both to support employees in coping with emotional labor and to promote well-being in inbound call centers. In detail, results showed the need to improve training programs in order to enhance employees' emotion regulation skills, and to introduce human resource practices aimed at clarifying emotional requirements of the job.

Global physician budgets as common-property resources: some implications for physicians and medical associations.

PubMed Central

Hurley, J; Card, R

1996-01-01

Since 1990 payment for physician services in the fee-for-service sector has shifted from an open-ended system to fixed global budgets. This shift has created a new economic context for practising medicine in Canada. A global cap creates a conflict between physicians' individual economic self-interest and their collective interest in constraining total billings within the capped budget. These types of incentive problems occur in managing what are known in economics as "common-property resources." Analysts studying common-property resources have documented several management principles associated with successful, long-run use of such resources in the face of these conflicting incentives. These management principles include early defining the boundaries of the common-property resource, explicitly specifying rules for using the resource, developing collective decision-making arrangements and monitoring mechanisms, and creating low-cost conflict-resolution mechanisms. The authors argue that global physician budgets can usefully be viewed as common-property-resources. They describe some of the key management principles and note some implications for physicians and the provincial and territorial medical associations as they adapt to global budgets. PMID:8612251

Ego depletion increases risk-taking.

PubMed

Fischer, Peter; Kastenmüller, Andreas; Asal, Kathrin

2012-01-01

We investigated how the availability of self-control resources affects risk-taking inclinations and behaviors. We proposed that risk-taking often occurs from suboptimal decision processes and heuristic information processing (e.g., when a smoker suppresses or neglects information about the health risks of smoking). Research revealed that depleted self-regulation resources are associated with reduced intellectual performance and reduced abilities to regulate spontaneous and automatic responses (e.g., control aggressive responses in the face of frustration). The present studies transferred these ideas to the area of risk-taking. We propose that risk-taking is increased when individuals find themselves in a state of reduced cognitive self-control resources (ego-depletion). Four studies supported these ideas. In Study 1, ego-depleted participants reported higher levels of sensation seeking than non-depleted participants. In Study 2, ego-depleted participants showed higher levels of risk-tolerance in critical road traffic situations than non-depleted participants. In Study 3, we ruled out two alternative explanations for these results: neither cognitive load nor feelings of anger mediated the effect of ego-depletion on risk-taking. Finally, Study 4 clarified the underlying psychological process: ego-depleted participants feel more cognitively exhausted than non-depleted participants and thus are more willing to take risks. Discussion focuses on the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

When the customer is unethical: the explanatory role of employee emotional exhaustion onto work-family conflict, relationship conflict with coworkers, and job neglect.

PubMed

Greenbaum, Rebecca L; Quade, Matthew J; Mawritz, Mary B; Kim, Joongseo; Crosby, Durand

2014-11-01

We integrate deontological ethics (Folger, 1998, 2001; Kant, 1785/1948, 1797/1991) with conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to propose that an employee's repeated exposure to violations of moral principle can diminish the availability of resources to appropriately attend to other personal and work domains. In particular, we identify customer unethical behavior as a morally charged work demand that leads to a depletion of resources as captured by employee emotional exhaustion. In turn, emotionally exhausted employees experience higher levels of work-family conflict, relationship conflict with coworkers, and job neglect. Employee emotional exhaustion serves as the mediator between customer unethical behavior and such outcomes. To provide further evidence of a deontological effect, we demonstrate the unique effect of customer unethical behavior onto emotional exhaustion beyond perceptions of personal mistreatment and trait negative affectivity. In Study 1, we found support for our theoretical model using multisource field data from customer-service professionals across a variety of industries. In Study 2, we also found support for our theoretical model using multisource, longitudinal field data from service employees in a large government organization. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuromas

MedlinePlus

... and Reimbursement Basics APMA Career Center Your APMA Leadership Opportunities Early Career Resources Academic and Scientific Resources Practice Management & Reimbursement Coding Resources Coding Resource Center Reimbursement Resources ...

Turnover intentions in a call center: The role of emotional dissonance, job resources, and job satisfaction.

PubMed

Zito, Margherita; Emanuel, Federica; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio Giovanni; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara

2018-01-01

Turnover intentions refer to employees' intent to leave the organization and, within call centers, it can be influenced by factors such as relational variables or the perception of the quality of working life, which can be affected by emotional dissonance. This specific job demand to express emotions not felt is peculiar in call centers, and can influence job satisfaction and turnover intentions, a crucial problem among these working contexts. This study aims to detect, within the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the role of emotional dissonance (job demand), and two resources, job autonomy and supervisors' support, in the perception of job satisfaction and turnover intentions among an Italian call center. The study involved 318 call center agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company. Data analysis first performed descriptive statistics through SPSS 22. A path analysis was then performed through LISREL 8.72 and tested both direct and indirect effects. Results suggest the role of resources in fostering job satisfaction and in decreasing turnover intentions. Emotional dissonance reveals a negative relation with job satisfaction and a positive relation with turnover. Moreover, job satisfaction is negatively related with turnover and mediates the relationship between job resources and turnover. This study contributes to extend the knowledge about the variables influencing turnover intentions, a crucial problem among call centers. Moreover, the study identifies theoretical considerations and practical implications to promote well-being among call center employees. To foster job satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions, in fact, it is important to make resources available, but also to offer specific training programs to make employees and supervisors aware about the consequences of emotional dissonance.

Managing work-family conflict in the medical profession: working conditions and individual resources as related factors.

PubMed

Mache, Stefanie; Bernburg, Monika; Vitzthum, Karin; Groneberg, David A; Klapp, Burghard F; Danzer, Gerhard

2015-05-03

This study developed and tested a research model that examined the effects of working conditions and individual resources on work-family conflict (WFC) using data collected from physicians working at German clinics. This is a cross-sectional study of 727 physicians working in German hospitals. The work environment, WFC and individual resources were measured by the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, the WFC Scale, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale and the Questionnaire for Self-efficacy, Optimism and Pessimism. Descriptive, correlation and linear regression analyses were applied. Clinical doctors working in German hospitals perceived high levels of WFC (mean=76). Sociodemographic differences were found for age, marital status and presence of children with regard to WFC. No significant gender differences were found. WFCs were positively related to high workloads and quantitative job demands. Job resources (eg, influence at work, social support) and personal resources (eg, resilient coping behaviour and self-efficacy) were negatively associated with physicians' WFCs. Interaction terms suggest that job and personal resources buffer the effects of job demands on WFC. In this study, WFC was prevalent among German clinicians. Factors of work organisation as well as factors of interpersonal relations at work were identified as significant predictors for WFC. Our results give a strong indication that both individual and organisational factors are related to WFC. Results may play an important role in optimising clinical care. Practical implications for physicians' career planning and recommendations for future research are discussed. 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.

Managing coastal area resources by stated choice experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Wirtz, Kai W.

2010-02-01

In many coastal regions, oil spills can be considered as one of the most important and certainly the most noticeable forms of marine pollution. Efficient contingency management responding to oil spills on waters, which aims at minimizing pollution effects on coastal resources, turns out to be critically important. Such a decision making highly depends on the importance attributed to different coastal economic and ecological resources. Economic uses can, in principal, be addressed by standard measures such as value added. However, there is a missing of market in the real world for natural goods. Coastal resources such as waters and beach cannot be directly measured in money terms, which increases the risk of being neglected in a decision making process. This paper evaluates these natural goods of coastal environment in a hypothetical market by employing stated choice experiments. Oil spill management practice in German North Sea is used as an example. Results from a pilot survey show that during a combat process, beach and eider ducks are of key concerns for households. An environmental friendly combat option has to be a minor cost for households. Moreover, households with less children, higher monthly income and a membership of environmental organization are more likely to state that they are willing to pay for combat option to prevent coastal resources from an oil pollution. Despite that choice experiments require knowledge of designing questionnaire and statistical skills to deal with discrete choices and conducting a survey is time consumed, the results have important implications for oil spill contingency management. Overall, such a stated preference method can offer useful information for decision makers to consider coastal resources into a decision making process and can further contribute to finding a cost-effective oil preventive measure, also has a wide application potential in the field of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).

Turnover intentions in a call center: The role of emotional dissonance, job resources, and job satisfaction

PubMed Central

Zito, Margherita; Molino, Monica; Cortese, Claudio Giovanni; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara

2018-01-01

Background Turnover intentions refer to employees’ intent to leave the organization and, within call centers, it can be influenced by factors such as relational variables or the perception of the quality of working life, which can be affected by emotional dissonance. This specific job demand to express emotions not felt is peculiar in call centers, and can influence job satisfaction and turnover intentions, a crucial problem among these working contexts. This study aims to detect, within the theoretical framework of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the role of emotional dissonance (job demand), and two resources, job autonomy and supervisors’ support, in the perception of job satisfaction and turnover intentions among an Italian call center. Method The study involved 318 call center agents of an Italian Telecommunication Company. Data analysis first performed descriptive statistics through SPSS 22. A path analysis was then performed through LISREL 8.72 and tested both direct and indirect effects. Results Results suggest the role of resources in fostering job satisfaction and in decreasing turnover intentions. Emotional dissonance reveals a negative relation with job satisfaction and a positive relation with turnover. Moreover, job satisfaction is negatively related with turnover and mediates the relationship between job resources and turnover. Conclusion This study contributes to extend the knowledge about the variables influencing turnover intentions, a crucial problem among call centers. Moreover, the study identifies theoretical considerations and practical implications to promote well-being among call center employees. To foster job satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions, in fact, it is important to make resources available, but also to offer specific training programs to make employees and supervisors aware about the consequences of emotional dissonance. PMID:29401507

High Power Distance Enhances Employees' Preference for Likable Managers: A Resource Dependency Perspective

PubMed Central

Wei, Cong; Sun, Xiaomin; Liu, Jia; Zhou, Chunfang; Xue, Gang

2017-01-01

Is a manager's likability important from an employee's perspective? Research results in this field are scant and inconsistent. The current study explored employees' response to managers' likability and the moderating effect of power distance at both the cultural and individual levels. In study 1, following the countercultural priming experimental paradigm proposed by Van den Bos et al. (2013), 121 college students from China (a high power distance culture) and 99 college students from Denmark (a low power distance culture) were randomly assigned to either a countercultural (experimental) condition or a control condition. All participants were required to complete a manager selection task using the zero-acquaintance paradigm to measure their preference for likable managers. The results confirmed the moderating role of power distance at the cultural level. Study 2 further explored the moderating effect of power distance orientation at the individual level, as well as the boundary condition of the degree of resource dependence from the employee's perspective. One hundred and three Chinese participants with work experience were randomly assigned to either the subordinate perspective (high resource dependence) or the HR department perspective (low resource dependence) condition and completed the same task as in study 1. The results suggested that high power distance-oriented participants demonstrate stronger preference for likable manager candidates than do low power distance-oriented participants. In addition, these findings hold only when employees expect a high resource dependence relation with the manager. Theoretical and practical implications of the research findings and future research directions were discussed. PMID:28119654

Foot Surgery

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Family, Employment, and Individual Resource-Based Antecedents of Maternal Work-Family Enrichment from Infancy through Middle Childhood

PubMed Central

Zhou, Nan; Buehler, Cheryl

2015-01-01

This study used data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,019) to examine family, employment, and individual antecedents of maternal work-family enrichment from infancy through middle childhood. Work-family conflict and important confounding factors were controlled. From the family domain, higher income-to-needs ratio and social support were associated with higher work-family enrichment. From the employment domain, greater job rewards, benefits of employment for children, and work commitment were associated with higher work-family enrichment. From the individual domain, higher maternal education and extroversion were associated with higher work-family enrichment. No family, employment, and individual characteristics were associated with work-family conflict across time except for partner intimacy. In general, the results supported antecedents of work-family enrichment that supply needed resources. The present study contributed to the literature by identifying antecedents of maternal work-family enrichment across early child developmental stages, which goes beyond examinations of particular life stages and a work-family conflict perspective. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. PMID:26641483

An examination of network position and childhood relational aggression: integrating resource control and social exchange theories.

PubMed

Neal, Jennifer Watling; Cappella, Elise

2012-01-01

Applying resource control theory and social exchange theory, we examined the social network conditions under which elementary age children were likely to engage in relational aggression. Data on classroom peer networks and peer-nominated behaviors were collected on 671 second- through fourth-grade children in 34 urban, low-income classrooms. Nested regression models with robust cluster standard errors demonstrated that the association between children's number of relationships and their levels of relational aggression was moderated by the number of relationships that their affiliates had. Children with more peer relationships (i.e., higher network centrality) exhibited higher levels of relational aggression, but only when these relationships were with peers who had fewer connections themselves (i.e., poorly connected peers). This finding remained significant even when controlling for common predictors of relational aggression including gender, overt aggression, prosocial behavior, victimization, social preference, and perceived popularity. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for advancing the literature on childhood relational aggression and their practical applications for identifying children at risk for these behaviors. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A national study predicting licensed social workers' levels of political participation: the role of resources, psychological engagement, and recruitment networks.

PubMed

Ritter, Jessica A

2008-10-01

The social work literature is replete with studies evaluating social workers' direct practice interventions, but strikingly few have assessed how well social workers are faring in the political arena. This study tests a major theoretical model, the civic voluntarism model, developed to explain why some citizens become involved in politics, whereas others do not. The study sample consisted of 396 randomly selected social workers licensed in 11 states, all of whom completed a 25-minute telephone survey. Social workers were surveyed to determine the role of the following variables in explaining social workers' political activity levels-resources needed to participate, psychological engagement, and attachment to recruitment networks. The results indicate that the civic voluntarism model was significant and accounted for 42 percent of the variance. The strongest predictors of social workers' political activity were NASW membership and political interest. This study provides empirical support for the idea that being connected to social networks and having a psychological engagement with politics are crucial factors in explaining social workers' political participation. Implications for social work education are included.

Economic evidence in intellectual disabilities: a review.

PubMed

Romeo, Renée; Molosankwe, Iris

2010-09-01

There has been a drive to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities in an environment of resource scarcity. It is also recognized that intervention has the potential to improve social and economic welfare. Economic analyses can be used to inform decision makers about what additional investment is needed (if any) and the impacts on a range of stakeholders of intervention. There is a paucity of economic studies in intellectual disability. The lack of economic studies is a barrier to making policy and practice decisions for people with intellectual disabilities. In the period of review, 10 economic studies were found. Information on resource and cost implications of various treatments and support for people with intellectual disabilities is needed. Economic evaluation techniques can be used to inform decision making. We conducted a systematic review of the literature from January 2006 to February 2010. There was a paucity of economic studies in the field. Analyses assessing a wide range of outcomes alongside costs were the most widely used evaluation method in the review. There is a need for more economic studies in this area.

The moderating role of cognitive control deficits in the link from emotional dissonance to burnout symptoms and absenteeism.

PubMed

Diestel, Stefan; Schmidt, Klaus-Helmut

2011-07-01

The present study examines whether cognitive control deficits (CCDs) as a personal vulnerability factor amplify the relationship between emotional dissonance (ED; perceived discrepancy between felt and expressed emotions) and burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) as well as absenteeism. CCDs refer to daily failures and impairments of attention regulation, impulse control, and memory. The prediction of the moderator effect of CCDs draws on the argument that portraying emotions which are not genuinely felt is a form of self-regulation taxing and depleting a limited resource capacity. Interindividual differences in the resource capacity are reflected by the measure of CCDs. Drawing on two German samples (one cross-sectional and one longitudinal sample; NTOTAL = 645) of service employees, the present study analyzed interactive effects of ED and CCDs on exhaustion, depersonalization, and two indicators of absenteeism. As was hypothesized, latent moderated structural equation modeling revealed that the adverse impacts of ED on both burnout symptoms and absence behavior were amplified as a function of CCDs. Theoretical and practical implications of the present results will be discussed.

Model Test Bed for Evaluating Wave Models and Best Practices for Resource Assessment and Characterization

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

Neary, Vincent Sinclair; Yang, Zhaoqing; Wang, Taiping

A wave model test bed is established to benchmark, test and evaluate spectral wave models and modeling methodologies (i.e., best practices) for predicting the wave energy resource parameters recommended by the International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC TS 62600-101Ed. 1.0 ©2015. Among other benefits, the model test bed can be used to investigate the suitability of different models, specifically what source terms should be included in spectral wave models under different wave climate conditions and for different classes of resource assessment. The overarching goal is to use these investigations to provide industry guidance for model selection and modeling best practices depending onmore » the wave site conditions and desired class of resource assessment. Modeling best practices are reviewed, and limitations and knowledge gaps in predicting wave energy resource parameters are identified.« less

Potential facilitators and barriers to adopting standard treatment guidelines in clinical practice.

PubMed

Sharma, Sangeeta; Pandit, Ajay; Tabassum, Fauzia

2017-04-18

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess medicines information sources accessed by clinicians, if sources differed in theory and practice and to find out the barriers and facilitators to effective guideline adoption. Design/methodology/approach In all, 183 doctors were surveyed. Barriers and facilitators were classified as: communication; potential adopters; innovation; organization characteristics and environmental/social/economic context. Findings Most of the clinicians accessed multiple information sources including standard treatment guidelines, but also consulted seniors/colleagues in practice. The top three factors influencing clinical practice guideline adoption were innovation characteristics, environmental context and individual characteristics. The respondents differed in the following areas: concerns about flexibility offered by the guideline; denying patients' individuality; professional autonomy; insights into gaps in current practice and evidence-based practice; changing practices with little or no benefit. Barriers included negative staff attitudes/beliefs, guideline integration into organizational structures/processes, time/resource constraints. Fearing third parties (government and insurance companies) restricting medicines reimbursement and poor liability protection offered by the guidelines emerged as the barriers. Facilitators include aligning organizational structures/processes with the innovation; providing leadership support to guide diffusion; increasing awareness and enabling early innovation during pre/in-service training, with regular feedback on outcomes and use. Practical implications Guideline adoption in clinical practice is partly within doctors' control. There are other key prevailing factors in the local context such as environmental, social context, professional and organizational culture affecting its adoption. Organizational policy and accreditation standards necessitating adherence can serve as a driver. Originality/value This survey among clinicians, despite limitations, gives helpful insights. While favourable attitudes may be helpful, clinical adoption could be improved more effectively by targeting barriers.

Electronic information and clinical decision support for prescribing: state of play in Australian general practice

PubMed Central

Robertson, Jane; Moxey, Annette J; Newby, David A; Gillies, Malcolm B; Williamson, Margaret; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

2011-01-01

Background. Investments in eHealth worldwide have been mirrored in Australia, with >90% of general practices computerized. Recent eHealth incentives promote the use of up to date electronic information sources relevant to general practice with flexibility in mode of access. Objective. To determine GPs’ access to and use of electronic information sources and computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) for prescribing. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 experienced GPs and nine GP trainees in New South Wales, Australia in 2008. A thematic analysis of interview transcripts was undertaken. Results. Information needs varied with clinical experience, and people resources (specialists, GP peers and supervisors for trainees) were often preferred over written formats. Experienced GPs used a small number of electronic resources and accessed them infrequently. Familiarity from training and early clinical practice and easy access were dominant influences on resource use. Practice time constraints meant relevant information needed to be readily accessible during consultations, requiring integration or direct access from prescribing software. Quality of electronic resource content was assumed and cost a barrier for some GPs. Conclusions. The current Australian practice incentives do not prescribe which information resources GPs should use. Without integration into practice computing systems, uptake and routine use seem unlikely. CDSS developments must recognize the time pressures of practice, preference for integration and cost concerns. Minimum standards are required to ensure that high-quality information resources are integrated and regularly updated. Without standards, the anticipated benefits of computerization on patient safety and health outcomes will be uncertain. PMID:21109619

Self-help and help-seeking for communication disability in Ghana: implications for the development of communication disability rehabilitation services.

PubMed

Wylie, Karen; McAllister, Lindy; Davidson, Bronwyn; Marshall, Julie; Amponsah, Clement; Bampoe, Josephine Ohenewa

2017-12-29

In low and middle-income countries, such as Ghana, communication disability is poorly recognised and rehabilitation services for people with communication disability are limited. As rehabilitation services for communication disability develop, and the profession of speech-language pathology grows, it is important to consider how services can most appropriately respond to the needs and preferences of the community. Understanding the ways in which people currently self-help and seek help for communication disability is central to developing services that build on existing local practices and are relevant to the community. A qualitative descriptive survey was used to explore likely self-help and help-seeking behaviours for communication disability, in Accra, Ghana. The survey required participants to describe responses to hypothetical scenarios related to communication disability. A mix of theoretical sampling and convenience sampling was used. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data and develop categories and subcategories of reported self-help behaviours and sources of help and advice for communication disability. One hundred and thirty-six participants completed the survey. Results indicated that community members would be likely to engage in a variety self-help strategies in response to communication disability. These included working directly with a person with a communication disability to attempt to remediate a communication impairment, altering physical and communication environments, changing attitudes or care practices, educating themselves about the communication disability, providing resources, and responding in spiritual ways. Participants indicated that they would seek help for communication disability across a range of sectors - including the Western healthcare, religious, and traditional sectors. Understanding existing community actions to self-help and help-seek may allow emerging communication rehabilitation services, including the profession of speech-language pathology, to build on existing community practices in resource-limited contexts such as Ghana.

Human Resource Management: Managerial Efficacy in Recruiting and Retaining Teachers-- National Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butcher, Jennifer; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

Human Resource Management is a branch of an organization which recruits and develops personnel to promote the organization's objectives. Human Resource Management involves interviewing applicants, training staff, and employee retention. Compensation, benefits, employee/labor relations, health, safety, and security issues are a few of the aspects…

Sweaty Feet (Hyperhidrosis)

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