Glue Guns: Aiming for Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Ken

2010-01-01

While glue guns are very useful, there are safety issues. Regardless of the temperature setting, glue guns can burn skin. The teacher should demonstrate and supervise the use of glue guns and have a plan should a student get burned. There should be an initial first aid protocol in place, followed by a visit to the school nurse. An accident report…

An innovative approach to interdisciplinary occupational safety and health education.

PubMed

Rosen, Mitchel A; Caravanos, Jack; Milek, Debra; Udasin, Iris

2011-07-01

The New York and New Jersey Education and Research Center (ERC) provides a range of graduate continuing education for occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals in training. A key element of the education is to provide interdisciplinary training to industrial hygienists, ergonomists, occupational medicine physicians and other health and safety trainees to prepare them for the collaboration required to solve the complex occupational health and safety problems they will face in their careers. This center has developed an innovative interdisciplinary training approach that provides an historical aspect, while allowing the graduate students to identify solutions to occupational issues from a multi-disciplinary approach. The ERC developed a tour that brings students to sites of historical and/or contemporary significance in the occupational safety and health and environmental fields. The ERC has conducted five tours, and has included 85 students and residents as participants. 80% of participants rated the tour as providing a high amount of OSH knowledge gained. 98% of the participants felt the goal of providing interdisciplinary education was achieved. This tour has been successful in bridging the OSH fields to better understand how occupational and environmental exposures have occurred, in order to prevent future exposures so that workplace conditions and health can be improved. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Using the Donabedian framework to examine the quality and safety of nursing service innovation.

PubMed

Gardner, Glenn; Gardner, Anne; O'Connell, Jane

2014-01-01

To evaluate the safety and quality of nurse practitioner service using the audit framework of Structure, Process and Outcome. Health service and workforce reform are on the agenda of governments and other service providers seeking to contain healthcare costs whilst providing safe and effective health care to communities. The nurse practitioner service is one health workforce innovation that has been adopted globally to improve timely access to clinical care, but there is scant literature reporting evaluation of the quality of this service innovation. A mixed-methods design within the Donabedian evaluation framework was used. The Donabedian framework was used to evaluate the Structure, Process and Outcome of nurse practitioner service. A range of data collection approaches was used, including stakeholder survey (n = 36), in-depth interviews (11 patients and 13 nurse practitioners) and health records data on service processes. The study identified that adequate and detailed preparation of Structure and Process is essential for the successful implementation of a service innovation. The multidisciplinary team was accepting of the addition of nurse practitioner service, and nurse practitioner clinical care was shown to be effective, satisfactory and safe from the perspective of the clinician stakeholders and patients. This study demonstrated that the Donabedian framework of Structure, Process and Outcome evaluation is a valuable and validated approach to examine the safety and quality of a service innovation. Furthermore, in this study, specific Structure elements were shown to influence the quality of service processes further validating the framework and the interdependence of the Structure, Process and Outcome components. Understanding the Structure and Process requirements for establishing nursing service innovation lays the foundation for safe, effective and patient-centred clinical care. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

78 FR 68102 - Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; In the Matter of Nuclear Innovation North America LLC (South...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-13

...] Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; In the Matter of Nuclear Innovation North America LLC (South Texas... Administrative Judges: Michael M. Gibson, Chairman, Dr. Gary S. Arnold, Dr. Randall J. Charbeneau. The Atomic... follows: Mail: Administrative Judge Michael M. Gibson, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, Mail Stop...

Utilizing data consortia to monitor safety and effectiveness of biosimilars and their innovator products.

PubMed

Baldziki, Mike; Brown, Jeff; Chan, Hungching; Cheetham, T Craig; Conn, Thomas; Daniel, Gregory W; Hendrickson, Mark; Hilbrich, Lutz; Johnson, Ayanna; Miller, Steven B; Moore, Tom; Motheral, Brenda; Priddy, Sarah A; Raebel, Marsha A; Randhawa, Gurvaneet; Surratt, Penny; Walraven, Cheryl; White, T Jeff; Bruns, Kevin; Carden, Mary Jo; Dragovich, Charlie; Eichelberger, Bernadette; Rosato, Edith; Sega, Todd

2015-01-01

The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, introduced as part of the Affordable Care Act, directed the FDA to create an approval pathway for biologic products shown to be biosimilar or interchangeable with an FDA-approved innovator drug. These biosimilars will not be chemically identical to the reference agent. Investigational studies conducted with biosimilar agents will likely provide limited real-world evidence of their effectiveness and safety. How do we best monitor effectiveness and safety of biosimilar products once approved by the FDA and used more extensively by patients? To determine the feasibility of developing a distributed research network that will use health insurance plan and health delivery system data to detect biosimilar safety and effectiveness signals early and be able to answer important managed care pharmacy questions from both the government and managed care organizations. Twenty-one members of the AMCP Task Force on Biosimilar Collective Intelligence Systems met November 12, 2013, to discuss issues involved in designing this consortium and to explore next steps. The task force concluded that a managed care biosimilars research consortium would be of significant value. Task force members agreed that it is best to use a distributed research network structurally similar to existing DARTNet, HMO Research Network, and Mini-Sentinel consortia. However, for some surveillance projects that it undertakes, the task force recognizes it may need supplemental data from managed care and other sources (i.e., a "hybrid" structure model). The task force believes that AMCP is well positioned to lead the biosimilar-monitoring effort and that the next step to developing a biosimilar-innovator collective intelligence system is to convene an advisory council to address organizational governance.

John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards. System innovation: Veterans Health Administration National Center for Patient Safety.

PubMed

Heget, Jeffrey R; Bagian, James P; Lee, Caryl Z; Gosbee, John W

2002-12-01

In 1998 the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) created the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) to lead the effort to reduce adverse events and close calls systemwide. NCPS's aim is to foster a culture of safety in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by developing and providing patient safety programs and delivering standardized tools, methods, and initiatives to the 163 VA facilities. To create a system-oriented approach to patient safety, NCPS looked for models in fields such as aviation, nuclear power, human factors, and safety engineering. Core concepts included a non-punitive approach to patient safety activities that emphasizes systems-based learning, the active seeking out of close calls, which are viewed as opportunities for learning and investigation, and the use of interdisciplinary teams to investigate close calls and adverse events through a root cause analysis (RCA) process. Participation by VA facilities and networks was voluntary. NCPS has always aimed to develop a program that would be applicable both within the VA and beyond. NCPS's full patient safety program was tested and implemented throughout the VA system from November 1999 to August 2000. Program components included an RCA system for use by caregivers at the front line, a system for the aggregate review of RCA results, information systems software, alerts and advisories, and cognitive acids. Following program implementation, NCPS saw a 900-fold increase in reporting of close calls of high-priority events, reflecting the level of commitment to the program by VHA leaders and staff.

The road ahead: comprehensive and innovative approaches for improving safety and preventing child maltreatment fatalities.

PubMed

Chahine, Zeinab; Sanders, David

2013-01-01

This article presents a high-level overview of the complex issues, opportunities, and challenges involved in improving child safety and preventing child maltreatment fatalities. It emphasizes that improving measurement and classification is critical to understanding and preventing child maltreatment fatalities. It also stresses the need to reframe child maltreatment interventions from a public health perspective. The article draws on the lessons learned from state-of-the-art safety engineering innovations, research, and other expert recommendations presented in this special issue that can inform future policy and practice direction in this important area.

Innovative Advances in Connectivity and Community Pharmacist Patient Care Services: Implications for Patient Safety.

PubMed

Bacci, Jennifer L; Berenbrok, Lucas A

2018-06-07

The scope of community pharmacy practice has expanded beyond the provision of drug product to include the provision of patient care services. Likewise, the community pharmacist's approach to patient safety must also expand beyond prevention of errors during medication dispensing to include optimization of medications and prevention of adverse events throughout the entire medication use process. Connectivity to patient data and other healthcare providers has been a longstanding challenge in community pharmacy with implications for the delivery and safety of patient care. Here, we describe three innovative advances in connectivity in community pharmacy practice that enhance patient safety in the provision of community pharmacist patient care services across the entire medication use process. Specifically, we discuss the growing use of immunization information systems, quality improvement platforms, and health information exchanges in community pharmacy practice and their implications for patient safety. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Little shop of errors: an innovative simulation patient safety workshop for community health care professionals.

PubMed

Tupper, Judith B; Pearson, Karen B; Meinersmann, Krista M; Dvorak, Jean

2013-06-01

Continuing education for health care workers is an important mechanism for maintaining patient safety and high-quality health care. Interdisciplinary continuing education that incorporates simulation can be an effective teaching strategy for improving patient safety. Health care professionals who attended a recent Patient Safety Academy had the opportunity to experience firsthand a simulated situation that included many potential patient safety errors. This high-fidelity activity combined the best practice components of a simulation and a collaborative experience that promoted interdisciplinary communication and learning. Participants were challenged to see, learn, and experience "ah-ha" moments of insight as a basis for error reduction and quality improvement. This innovative interdisciplinary educational training method can be offered in place of traditional lecture or online instruction in any facility, hospital, nursing home, or community care setting. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Researchers' Roles in Patient Safety Improvement.

PubMed

Pietikäinen, Elina; Reiman, Teemu; Heikkilä, Jouko; Macchi, Luigi

2016-03-01

In this article, we explore how researchers can contribute to patient safety improvement. We aim to expand the instrumental role researchers have often occupied in relation to patient safety improvement. We reflect on our own improvement model and experiences as patient safety researchers in an ongoing Finnish multi-actor innovation project through self-reflective narration. Our own patient safety improvement model can be described as systemic. Based on the purpose of the innovation project, our improvement model, and the improvement models of the other actors in the project, we have carried out a wide range of activities. Our activities can be summarized in 8 overlapping patient safety improvement roles: modeler, influencer, supplier, producer, ideator, reflector, facilitator, and negotiator. When working side by side with "practice," researchers are offered and engage in several different activities. The way researchers contribute to patient safety improvement and balance between different roles depends on the purpose of the study, as well as on the underlying patient safety improvement models. Different patient safety research paradigms seem to emphasize different improvement roles, and thus, they also face different challenges. Open reflection on the underlying improvement models and roles can help researchers with different backgrounds-as well as other actors involved in patient safety improvement-in structuring their work and collaborating productively.

Innovative tools and techniques in identifying highway safety improvement projects : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) aims to achieve a reduction in the number and severity of fatalities and serious injury crashes on all public roads by implementing highway safety improvement projects. Although the structure and main com...

Medical innovation laws: an unnecessary innovation.

PubMed

Richards, Bernadette

2016-06-01

Objective This paper aims to demonstrate that any suggestion that there is a need for specific innovation laws is flawed. Innovation is central to good medical practice and is adequately supported by current law. Methods The paper reviews the nature of medical innovation and outlines recent attempts in the UK to introduce specific laws aimed at 'encouraging' and 'supporting' innovation. The current legal framework is outlined and the role of the law in relation to medical innovation explored. Results The analysis demonstrates the cyclic relationship between medical advancement and the law and concludes that there is no requirement for specific innovation laws. Conclusions The law not only supports innovation and development in medical treatment but encourages it as central to a functioning medical system. There is no need to introduce specific laws aimed at medical innovation; to do so represents an unnecessary legal innovation and serves to complicate matters. What is known about the topic? Over recent months, there has been a great deal of discussion surrounding the law in the context of medical innovation. This was driven by the attempts in the UK to introduce specific laws in the Medical Innovation Bill. The general subject matter - negligence and the expected standard of care in the provision of treatment - is very well understood, but not in cases where the treatment can be described as innovative. The general rhetoric in both the UK and Australia around the Medical Innovation Bill demonstrates a lack of understanding of the position of the law with regards to innovative treatment. What does this paper add? This paper adds clarity to the debate. It presents the law and explains the manner in which the law can operate around innovative treatment. The paper asserts that medical innovation is both supported and encouraged by existing legal principles. What are the implications for practitioners? The paper presents an argument that can guide the policy position

Developing a research agenda for patient safety in primary care. Background, aims and output of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care.

PubMed

Esmail, Aneez; Valderas, Jose M; Verstappen, Wim; Godycki-Cwirko, Maciek; Wensing, Michel

2015-09-01

This paper is an introduction to a supplement to The European Journal of General Practice, bringing together a body of research focusing on the issue of patient safety in relation to primary care. The supplement represents the outputs of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care, which was a four-year (2009-2013) coordination and support action funded under the Framework 7 programme by the European Union. Being a coordination and support action, its aim was not to undertake new research, but to build capacity through engaging primary care researchers and practitioners in identifying some of the key challenges in this area and developing consensus statements, which will be an essential part in developing a future research agenda. This introductory article describes the aims of the LINNEAUS collaboration, provides a brief summary of the reasons to focus on patient safety in primary care, the epidemiological and policy considerations, and an introduction to the papers included in the supplement.

Developing a research agenda for patient safety in primary care. Background, aims and output of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care

PubMed Central

Esmail, Aneez; Valderas, Jose M.; Verstappen, Wim; Godycki-Cwirko, Maciek; Wensing, Michel

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper is an introduction to a supplement to The European Journal of General Practice, bringing together a body of research focusing on the issue of patient safety in relation to primary care. The supplement represents the outputs of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care, which was a four-year (2009–2013) coordination and support action funded under the Framework 7 programme by the European Union. Being a coordination and support action, its aim was not to undertake new research, but to build capacity through engaging primary care researchers and practitioners in identifying some of the key challenges in this area and developing consensus statements, which will be an essential part in developing a future research agenda. This introductory article describes the aims of the LINNEAUS collaboration, provides a brief summary of the reasons to focus on patient safety in primary care, the epidemiological and policy considerations, and an introduction to the papers included in the supplement. PMID:26339828

Discovering Innovation at the Intersection of Undergraduate Medical Education, Human Factors, and Collaboration: The Development of a Nasogastric Tube Safety Pack.

PubMed

Taylor, Natalie; Bamford, Thomas; Haindl, Cornelia; Cracknell, Alison

2016-04-01

Significant deficiencies exist in the knowledge and skills of medical students and residents around health care quality and safety. The theory and practice of quality and safety should be embedded into undergraduate medical practice so that health care professionals are capable of developing interventions and innovations to effectively anticipate and mitigate errors. Since 2011, Leeds Medical School in the United Kingdom has used case study examples of nasogastric (NG) tube patient safety incidents within the undergraduate patient safety curriculum. In 2012, a medical undergraduate student approached a clinician with an innovative idea after undertaking an NG tubes root cause analysis case study. Simultaneously, a separate local project demonstrated low compliance (11.6%) with the United Kingdom's National Patient Safety Agency NG tubes guideline for use of the correct method to check tube position. These separate endeavors led to interdisciplinary collaboration between a medical student, health care professionals, researchers, and industry to develop the Initial Placement Nasogastric Tube Safety Pack. Human factors engineering was used to inform pack design to allow guideline recommendations to be accessible and easy to follow. A timeline of product development, mapped against key human factors and medical device design principles used throughout the process, is presented. The safety pack has since been launched in five UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, and the pack has been introduced into health care professional staff training for NG tubes. A mixed-methods evaluation is currently under way in five NHS organizations.

Diffusing aviation innovations in a hospital in The Netherlands.

PubMed

de Korne, Dirk F; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen D H; Hiddema, U Frans; Bleeker, Fred G; Pronovost, Peter J; Klazinga, Niek S

2010-08-01

Many authors have advocated the diffusion of innovations from other high-risk industries into health care to improve safety. The aviation industry is comparable to health care because of its similarities in (a) the use of technology, (b) the requirement of highly specialized professional teams, and (c) the existence of risk and uncertainties. For almost 20 years, The Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) has been engaged in diffusing several innovations adapted from aviation. A case-study methodology was used to assess the application of innovations in the hospital, with a focus on the context and the detailed mechanism for each innovation. Data on hospital performance outcomes were abstracted from the hospital information data management system, quality and safety reports, and the incident reporting system. Information on the innovations was obtained from a document search; observations; and semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Aviation industry-based innovations diffused into patient care processes were as follows: patient planning and booking system, taxi service/valet parking, risk analysis (as applied to wrong-site surgery), time-out procedure (also for wrong-site surgery), Crew Resource Management training, and black box. Observations indicated that the innovations had a positive effect on quality and safety in the hospital: Waiting times were reduced, work processes became more standardized, the number of wrong-site surgeries decreased, and awareness of patient safety was heightened. A near-20-year experience with aviation-based innovation suggests that hospitals start with relatively simple innovations and use a systematic approach toward the goal of improving safety.

Cool and Safe: Multiplicity in Safe Innovation at Unilever

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penders, Bart

2011-01-01

This article presents the making of a safe innovation: the application of ice structuring protein (ISP) in edible ices. It argues that safety is not the absence of risk but is an active accomplishment; innovations are not "made safe afterward" but "safe innovations are made". Furthermore, there are multiple safeties to be accomplished in the…

DriveID: safety innovation through individuation.

PubMed

Sawyer, Ben; Teo, Grace; Mouloua, Mustapha

2012-01-01

The driving task is highly complex and places considerable perceptual, physical and cognitive demands on the driver. As driving is fundamentally an information processing activity, distracted or impaired drivers have diminished safety margins compared with non- distracted drivers (Hancock and Parasuraman, 1992; TRB 1998 a & b). This competition for sensory and decision making capacities can lead to failures that cost lives. Some groups, teens and elderly drivers for example, have patterns of systematically poor perceptual, physical and cognitive performance while driving. Although there are technologies developed to aid these different drivers, these systems are often misused and underutilized. The DriveID project aims to design and develop a passive, automated face identification system capable of robustly identifying the driver of the vehicle, retrieve a stored profile, and intelligently prescribing specific accident prevention systems and driving environment customizations.

Antiviral Information Management System (AIMS): a prototype for operational innovation in drug development.

PubMed

Jadhav, Pravin R; Neal, Lauren; Florian, Jeff; Chen, Ying; Naeger, Lisa; Robertson, Sarah; Soon, Guoxing; Birnkrant, Debra

2010-09-01

This article presents a prototype for an operational innovation in knowledge management (KM). These operational innovations are geared toward managing knowledge efficiently and accessing all available information by embracing advances in bioinformatics and allied fields. The specific components of the proposed KM system are (1) a database to archive hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment data in a structured format and retrieve information in a query-capable manner and (2) an automated analysis tool to inform trial design elements for HCV drug development. The proposed framework is intended to benefit drug development by increasing efficiency of dose selection and improving the consistency of advice from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is also hoped that the framework will encourage collaboration among FDA, industry, and academic scientists to guide the HCV drug development process using model-based quantitative analysis techniques.

Managing equipment innovations in mining: A review.

PubMed

Trudel, Bryan; Nadeau, Sylvie; Zaras, Kazimierz; Deschamps, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Technological innovations in mining equipment have led to increased productivity and occupational health and safety (OHS) performance, but their introduction also brings new risks for workers. The aim of this study is to provide support for mining industry managers who are required to reconcile equipment choices with OHS and productivity. Examination of the literature through interdisciplinary digital databases. Databases were searched using specific combinations of keywords and limited to studies dating back no farther than 1992. The ``snowball'' technique was also used to examining the references listed in research articles initially identified with the databases. A total of 19 contextual factors were identified as having the potential to influence the OHS and productivity leverage of equipment innovations. The most often cited among these factors are the level of training provided to the equipment operators, operator experience and age, supervisor leadership abilities, and maintaining good relations within work crews. Interactions between these factors are not discussed in mining innovation literature. It would be helpful to use a systems thinking approach which incorporates interaction between relevant actors and factors to define properly the most sensitive aspects of innovation management as it applies to mining equipment.

Evaluating the implementation of health and safety innovations under a regulatory context: a collective case study of Ontario's safer needle regulation.

PubMed

Chambers, Andrea; Mustard, Cameron A; Breslin, Curtis; Holness, Linn; Nichol, Kathryn

2013-01-22

Implementation effectiveness models have identified important factors that can promote the successful implementation of an innovation; however, these models have been examined within contexts where innovations are adopted voluntarily and often ignore the socio-political and environmental context. In the field of occupational health and safety, there are circumstances where organizations must adopt innovations to comply with a regulatory standard. Examining how the external environment can facilitate or challenge an organization's change process may add to our understanding of implementation effectiveness. The objective of this study is to describe implementation facilitators and barriers in the context of a regulation designed to promote the uptake of safer engineered medical devices in healthcare. The proposed study will focus on Ontario's safer needle regulation (2007) which requires healthcare organizations to transition to the use of safer engineered medical devices for the prevention of needlestick injuries. A collective case study design will be used to learn from the experiences of three acute care hospitals in the province of Ontario, Canada. Interviews with management and front-line healthcare workers and analysis of supporting documents will be used to describe the implementation experience and examine issues associated with the integration of these devices. The data collection and analysis process will be influenced by a conceptual framework that draws from implementation science and the occupational health and safety literature. The focus of this study in addition to the methodology creates a unique opportunity to contribute to the field of implementation science. First, the study will explore implementation experiences under circumstances where regulatory pressures are influencing the organization's change process. Second, the timing of this study provides an opportunity to focus on issues that arise during later stages of implementation, a phase

Innovation through developing consumers communities. Part II: Digitalizing the innovation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avasilcai, S.; Galateanu (Avram, E.

2015-11-01

The current research recognises the concept of innovation as the main driver for organisational growth and profitability. The companies seek to develop new ways to engage consumers and customers into co - creation value through the product design, development and distribution processes. However the main concern is manifested for new and creative ways of customization products based on consumers’ requirements and needs. Thus the need for innovative virtual instruments arose as the demand from social communities for personalised products or services increased. Basically companies should develop own innovative platforms, where consumers can participate, with ideas, concepts or other relevant contributions, and interact with designers or engineers for product development. This paper aims to present the most important features of platform development within BMW Group as a concept and as innovative instrument. From this point of view it is important to enhance past experiences of the company in the field of co - creation projects. There will be highlighted the dual consumers’ character as co - creator and co - evaluator based on their involvement in the proposed and developed projects and platform structure. The significant impact on platform functioning it has the diversity of company's concerns for Research & Development and innovation activities. From this point of view there will be assessed the platform structure, the main proposed themes and the evaluation process. The main outcome is to highlight the significance of platform development as innovative tool for consumers’ communities’ enhancement. Based on the analysis of “BMW Co-Creation Lab”, there will be revealed the main consumers concerns in terms of safety, comfort and appearance of the products. Thus it is important to understand the evaluation process of gathered ideas and intellectual property policy. The importance of platform development and implementation will be highlighted by company

Cheap-GSHPs, an European project aiming cost-reducing innovations for shallow geothermal installations. - Geological data reinterpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertermann, David; Müller, Johannes; Galgaro, Antonio; Cultrera, Matteo; Bernardi, Adriana; Di Sipio, Eloisa

2016-04-01

The success and widespread diffusion of new sustainable technologies are always strictly related to their affordability. Nowadays the energy price fluctuations and the economic crisis are jeopardizing the development and diffusion of renewable technologies and sources. With the aim of both reduce the overall costs of shallow geothermal systems and improve their installation safety, an European project has took place recently, under the Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The acronym of this project is Cheap-GSHPs, meaning "cheap and efficient application of reliable ground source heat exchangers and pumps"; the CHEAP-GSHPs project involves 17 partners among 9 European countries such Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland. In order to achieve the planned targets, an holistic approach is adopted, where all involved elements that take part of shallow geothermal activities are here integrated. In order to reduce the drilling specific costs and for a solid planning basis the INSPIRE-conformal ESDAC data set PAR-MAT-DOM ("parent material dominant") was analysed and reinterpreted regarding the opportunities for cost reductions. Different ESDAC classification codes were analysed lithologically and sedimentologically in order to receive the most suitable drilling technique within different formations. Together with drilling companies this geological data set was translated into a geotechnical map which allows drilling companies the usage of the most efficient drilling within a certain type of underground. The scale of the created map is 1: 100,000 for all over Europe. This leads to cost reductions for the final consumers. Further there will be the definition of different heat conductivity classes based on the reinterpreted PAR-MAT-DOM data set which will provide underground information. These values will be reached by sampling data all over Europe and literature data. The samples will be measured by several

Are Technology Interruptions Impacting Your Bottom Line? An Innovative Proposal for Change.

PubMed

Ledbetter, Tamera; Shultz, Sarah; Beckham, Roxanne

2017-10-01

Nursing interruptions are a costly and dangerous variable in acute care hospitals. Malfunctioning technology equipment interrupts nursing care and prevents full utilization of computer safety systems to prevent patient care errors. This paper identifies an innovative approach to nursing interruptions related to computer and computer cart malfunctions. The impact on human resources is defined and outcome measures were proposed. A multifaceted proposal, based on a literature review, aimed at reducing nursing interruptions is presented. This proposal is expected to increase patient safety, as well as patient and nurse satisfaction. Acute care hospitals utilizing electronic medical records and bar-coded medication administration technology. Nurses, information technology staff, nursing informatics staff, and all leadership teams affected by technology problems and their proposed solutions. Literature from multiple fields was reviewed to evaluate research related to computer/computer cart failures, and the approaches used to resolve these issues. Outcome measured strategic goals related to patient safety, and nurse and patient satisfaction. Specific help desk metrics will demonstrate the effect of interventions. This paper addresses a gap in the literature and proposes practical and innovative solutions. A comprehensive computer and computer cart repair program is essential for patient safety, financial stewardship, and utilization of resources. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Innovative safety valve selection techniques and data.

PubMed

Miller, Curt; Bredemyer, Lindsey

2007-04-11

The new valve data resources and modeling tools that are available today are instrumental in verifying that that safety levels are being met in both current installations and project designs. If the new ISA 84 functional safety practices are followed closely, good industry validated data used, and a user's maintenance integrity program strictly enforced, plants should feel confident that their design has been quantitatively reinforced. After 2 years of exhaustive reliability studies, there are now techniques and data available to support this safety system component deficiency. Everyone who has gone through the process of safety integrity level (SIL) verification (i.e. reliability math) will appreciate the progress made in this area. The benefits of these advancements are improved safety with lower lifecycle costs such as lower capital investment and/or longer testing intervals. This discussion will start with a review of the different valve, actuator, and solenoid/positioner combinations that can be used and their associated application restraints. Failure rate reliability studies (i.e. FMEDA) and data associated with the final combinations will then discussed. Finally, the impact of the selections on each safety system's SIL verification will be reviewed.

Innovation as Road Safety Felicitator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, S.; Mitra, A.; Kumar, J.; Sahoo, B.

2018-03-01

Transportation via Roads should only be used for safely commuting from one place to another. In 2015, when 1.5 Million people, across the Globe started out on a journey, it was meant to be their last. The Global Status Report on Road Safety, 2015, reflected this data from 180 countries as road traffic deaths, worldwide. In India, more than 1.37 Lakh[4] people were victims of road accidents in 2013 alone. That number is more than the number of Indians killed in all the wars put together. With these disturbing facts in mind, we found out some key ambiguities in the Indian Road Traffic Management systems like the non-adaptive nature to fluctuating traffic, pedestrians and motor vehicles not adhering to the traffic norms strictly, to name a few. Introduction of simple systems would greatly erase the effects of this silent epidemic and our Project aims to achieve the same. It would introduce a pair of Barricade systems to cautiously separate the pedestrians and motor vehicles to minimise road mishaps to the extent possible. Exceptional situations like that of an Ambulance or any emergency vehicles will be taken care off by the use of RFID tags to monitor the movement of the Barricades. The varied traffic scenario can be guided properly by using the ADS-B (Automatic Detection System-Broadcast) for monitoring traffic density according to the time and place.

China's Innovation Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Jeremy

2015-01-01

China aims to become an innovation-led nation by 2020, but its leadership is generally sceptical--and oftentimes hostile--to the market forces, open exchange of ideas, and creative destruction that have unlocked innovation in other countries. Instead, Beijing hopes to promote innovation in China through a massive expansion in higher education,…

Designing a strategy to promote safe, innovative off-label use of medications.

PubMed

Ansani, Nicole; Sirio, Carl; Smitherman, Thomas; Fedutes-Henderson, Bethany; Skledar, Susan; Weber, Robert J; Zgheib, Nathalie; Branch, Robert

2006-01-01

Innovative off-label medication use (defined as prescribing with reasonable rationale for use, but insufficient evidence to allay safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness concerns, yet is not clinical research) is common practice and provides challenges to ensuring high-quality health care and patient safety. This article describes a strategy to promote policy and standardization of innovative off-label medication use, ensure oversight of patient safety, and prospectively assess efficacy. A multidisciplinary group developed a policy and process to regulate innovative off-label medication use that standardizes formulary review, maximizes peer expertise input, and minimizes institution liability by evaluating the effectiveness of use, promoting evidence-based practices, and ensuring ethical obligations to patients and society. This strategy has been implemented through institutional staff structure. The review process balances benefits/risks for biologically plausible therapy that lacks rigorous data support. The authors' strategy illustrates collaboration that enables a priori consideration for innovative off-label medication use while providing safety surveillance and outcomes monitoring.

An Innovative Multimedia Approach to Laboratory Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, M. B.; Constant, K. P.

1996-01-01

A new approach for teaching safe laboratory practices has been developed for materials science laboratories at Iowa State university. Students are required to complete a computerized safety tutorial and pass an exam before working in the laboratory. The safety tutorial includes sections on chemical, electrical, radiation, and high temperature safety. The tutorial makes use of a variety of interactions, including 'assembly' interactions where a student is asked to drag and drop items with the mouse (either labels or pictures) to an appropriate place on the screen (sometimes in a specific order). This is extremely useful for demonstrating safe lab practices and disaster scenarios. Built into the software is a record tracking scheme so that a professor can access a file that records which students have completed the tutorial and their scores on the exam. This paper will describe the development and assessment of the safety tutorials.

[Medical doctors driving technological innovation: questions about and innovation management approaches to incentive structures for lead users].

PubMed

Bohnet-Joschko, Sabine; Kientzler, Fionn

2010-01-01

Management science defines user-generated innovations as open innovation and lead user innovation. The medical technology industry finds user-generated innovations profitable and even indispensable. Innovative medical doctors as lead users need medical technology innovations in order to improve patient care. Their motivation to innovate is mostly intrinsic. But innovations may also involve extrinsic motivators such as gain in reputation or monetary incentives. Medical doctors' innovative activities often take place in hospitals and are thus embedded into the hospital's organisational setting. Hospitals find it difficult to gain short-term profits from in-house generated innovations and sometimes hesitate to support them. Strategic investment in medical doctors' innovative activities may be profitable for hospitals in the long run if innovations provide first-mover competitive advantages. Industry co-operations with innovative medical doctors offer chances but also bear potential risks. Innovative ideas generated by expert users may result in even higher complexity of medical devices; this could cause mistakes when applied by less specialised users and thus affect patient safety. Innovations that yield benefits for patients, medical doctors, hospitals and the medical technology industry can be advanced by offering adequate support for knowledge transfer and co-operation models.

Incentivizing primary care providers to innovate: building medical homes in the post-Katrina New Orleans safety net.

PubMed

Rittenhouse, Diane R; Schmidt, Laura A; Wu, Kevin J; Wiley, James

2014-02-01

To evaluate safety-net clinics' responses to a novel community-wide Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) financial incentive program in post-Katrina New Orleans. Between June 2008 and June 2010, we studied 50 primary care clinics in New Orleans receiving federal funds to expand services and improve care delivery. Multiwave, longitudinal, observational study of a local safety-net primary care system. Clinic-level data from a semiannual survey of clinic leaders (89.3 percent response rate), augmented by administrative records. Overall, 62 percent of the clinics responded to financial incentives by achieving PCMH recognition from the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA). Higher patient volume, higher baseline PCMH scores, and type of ownership were significant predictors of achieving NCQA recognition. The steepest increase in adoption of PCMH processes occurred among clinics achieving the highest, Level 3, NCQA recognition. Following NCQA recognition, 88.9 percent stabilized or increased their use of PCMH processes, although several specific PCMH processes had very low rates of adoption overall. Findings demonstrate that widespread PCMH implementation is possible in a safety-net environment when external financial incentives are aligned with the goal of practice innovation. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

What is the impact of innovation on output in healthcare with a special focus on treatment innovations in radiotherapy? A literature review.

PubMed

Jacobs, Maria; Boersma, Liesbeth; Dekker, Andre; Swart, Rachelle; Lambin, Philippe; de Ruysscher, Dirk; Verhaegen, Frank; Stultiens, Joost; Ramaekers, Bram; van Merode, Frits

2017-11-01

To analyse how often innovations in healthcare are evaluated regarding output, especially in radiotherapy. Output was defined as either survival, toxicity, safety, service, efficiency or cost-effectiveness. A systematic literature review was conducted, using three search strategies: (1) innovations in general healthcare; (2) radiotherapy-specific innovations, i.e. organizational innovations and general implementation of innovations; (3) innovations per tumour group/radiotherapy technique. Scientific levels were classified according to the system used in European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines. Finally, we calculated the percentage of implemented innovations in Dutch radiotherapy centres for which we found evidence regarding output in the literature review. Only 94/1072 unique articles matched the inclusion criteria. Significant results on patient outcome, service or safety were reported in 65% of papers, which rose to 76% if confined to radiotherapy reviews. A significant technological improvement was identified in 26%, cost-effectiveness in 10% and costs/efficiency in 36% of the papers. The scientific level of organizational innovations was lower than that of clinical papers. Dutch radiotherapy treatment innovations were adequately evaluated on outcome data before implementation in clinical routine in a minimum of 64-92% of cases. Only few studies report on output when considering innovations in general, but radiotherapy reviews give a reasonably good insight into innovation output effects, with a higher level of evidence. In Dutch radiotherapy centres only small improvements are possible regarding evaluation of treatment innovations before implementation. Advances in knowledge: This study is the first of its kind measuring how innovations are evaluated in scientific literature, before implementation in clinical practice.

Innovative Strategies for More Engaging Safety Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Tyler S.

2015-01-01

Before giving students permission to construct and test their designs, students must understand how to use hazardous tools, machines, and chemicals in a safe manner. Students often complain that they have already seen the safety videos and passed the same safety tests in prerequisite Integrative STEM Education (I-STEM Ed) courses. Although they…

Mentoring Top Leadership Promotes Organizational Innovativeness through Psychological Safety and Is Moderated by Cognitive Adaptability.

PubMed

Moore, James H; Wang, Zhongming

2017-01-01

Mentoring continues to build momentum among startups and established enterprises due to its positive impact on individuals and organizations. Unlike previous studies, this research focuses on mentoring higher level leadership, such as the CEO, and demonstrates its unique relationship to organizational innovativeness. Our sample included 200 mentored executives and entrepreneurs who personally identify and exploit opportunities. Our findings confirm that mentoring top leaders positively relates to their perceived innovativeness of the organization and that the relationship is mediated by these leaders' perception of psychological safety within the organization. Our findings also confirm that the relationship is negatively moderated by these leaders' cognitive adaptability. The reliability and validity of the results have been proved by using confirmatory factor analysis and advanced regression analytics. As a result, this work demonstrates the value of mentoring top leadership and advocates the importance of establishing a psychologically safe environment to inspire not only top leadership to try new avenues but also for all those within the organization to speak up and speak out. Additionally, our findings encourage organizations to proactively and selectively prioritize mentoring among top leadership, taking into account their differing levels of cognitive adaptability. Finally, further research could focus on how to provide greater support for mentors of higher level leaders.

Mentoring Top Leadership Promotes Organizational Innovativeness through Psychological Safety and Is Moderated by Cognitive Adaptability

PubMed Central

Moore, James H.; Wang, Zhongming

2017-01-01

Mentoring continues to build momentum among startups and established enterprises due to its positive impact on individuals and organizations. Unlike previous studies, this research focuses on mentoring higher level leadership, such as the CEO, and demonstrates its unique relationship to organizational innovativeness. Our sample included 200 mentored executives and entrepreneurs who personally identify and exploit opportunities. Our findings confirm that mentoring top leaders positively relates to their perceived innovativeness of the organization and that the relationship is mediated by these leaders’ perception of psychological safety within the organization. Our findings also confirm that the relationship is negatively moderated by these leaders’ cognitive adaptability. The reliability and validity of the results have been proved by using confirmatory factor analysis and advanced regression analytics. As a result, this work demonstrates the value of mentoring top leadership and advocates the importance of establishing a psychologically safe environment to inspire not only top leadership to try new avenues but also for all those within the organization to speak up and speak out. Additionally, our findings encourage organizations to proactively and selectively prioritize mentoring among top leadership, taking into account their differing levels of cognitive adaptability. Finally, further research could focus on how to provide greater support for mentors of higher level leaders. PMID:28303114

Hospital innovation portfolios: key determinants of size and innovativeness.

PubMed

Schultz, Carsten; Zippel-Schultz, Bettina; Salomo, Søren

2012-01-01

Health care organizations face an increasing demand for strategic change and innovation; however, there are also several barriers to innovation that impede successful implementation. We aimed to shed light on key issues of innovation management in hospitals and provide empirical evidence for controlling the size and innovativeness of a hospital's new health service and process portfolio. We show how health care managers could align the need for exploration and exploitation by applying both informal (e.g., employee encouragement) and formal (e.g., analytical orientation and reward systems) organizational mechanisms. To develop hypotheses, we integrated the innovation management literature into the hospital context. Detailed information about the innovation portfolio of 87 German hospitals was generated and combined with multirespondent survey data using ratings from management, medical, and nursing directors. Multivariate regression analysis was applied. The empirical results showed that an analytical approach increased the size of innovation portfolios. Employee encouragement amplified the degree of innovativeness of activities in the portfolio. Reward systems did not have direct effects on the composition of innovation portfolios. However, they adjusted bottom-up employee and top-down strategic initiatives to match with the existing organization, thereby decreasing the degree of innovativeness and enforcing exploitation. Hospitals should intertwine employee encouragement, analytical approaches, and formal reward systems depending on organizational goals.

Innovative use of technologies and methods to redesign care: the problem of care transitions.

PubMed

Richman, Mark; Sklaroff, Laura Myerchin; Hoang, Khathy; Wasson, Elijah; Gross-Schulman, Sandra

2014-01-01

Organizations are redesigning models of care in today's rapidly changing health care environment. Using proven innovation techniques maximizes likelihood of effective change. Our safety-net hospital aims to reduce high emergency department visit, admission, and readmission rates, key components to health care cost control. Twenty-five clinical stakeholders participated in mixed-methods innovation exercises to understand stakeholders, frame problems, and explore solutions. We identified existing barriers and means to improve post-emergency department/post-inpatient discharge care coordination/communication among patient-centered medical home care team members, including patients. Physicians and staff preferred automated e-mail notifications, including patient identifiers, medical home/primary care provider information, and relevant clinical documentation, to improve communication efficiency/efficacy.

Ethical issues in surgical innovation.

PubMed

Miller, Megan E; Siegler, Mark; Angelos, Peter

2014-07-01

Innovation is responsible for most advances in the field of surgery. Innovative approaches to solving clinical problems have significantly decreased morbidity and mortality for many surgical procedures, and have led to improved patient outcomes. While innovation is motivated by the surgeon's expectation that the new approach will be beneficial to patients, not all innovations are successful or result in improved patient care. The ethical dilemma of surgical innovation lies in the uncertainty of whether a particular innovation will prove to be a "good thing." This uncertainty creates challenges for surgeons, patients, and the healthcare system. By its very nature, innovation introduces a potential risk to patient safety, a risk that may not be fully known, and it simultaneously fosters an optimism bias. These factors increase the complexity of informed consent and shared decision making for the surgeon and the patient. Innovative procedures and their associated technology raise issues of cost and resource distribution in the contemporary, financially conscious, healthcare environment. Surgeons and institutions must identify and address conflicts of interest created by the development and application of an innovation, always preserving the best interest of the patient above the academic or financial rewards of success. Potential strategies to address the challenges inherent in surgical innovation include collecting and reporting objective outcomes data, enhancing the informed consent process, and adhering to the principles of disclosure and professionalism. As surgeons, we must encourage creativity and innovation while maintaining our ethical awareness and responsibility to patients.

Creativity and Innovation in Health Care: Tapping Into Organizational Enablers Through Human-Centered Design.

PubMed

Zuber, Christi Dining; Moody, Louise

There is an increasing drive in health care for creativity and innovation to tackle key health challenges, improve quality and access, and reduce harm and costs. Human-centered design (HCD) is a potential approach to achieving organizational innovation. However, research suggests the nursing workforce feels unsupported to take the risks needed for innovation, and leaders may not understand the conditions required to fully support them. The aim of this study was to identify enabling conditions that support frontline nurses in their attempts to behave as champions of innovation and change. An HCD workshop was undertaken with 125 nurses employed in clinical practice at Kaiser Permanente. The workshop included empathy mapping and semistructured questions that probed participant experiences with innovation and change. The data were collated and thematic analysis undertaken through a Grounded Theory approach. The data were analyzed to identify key enabling conditions. Seven enablers emerged: personal need for a solution; challenges that have meaningful purpose; clarity of goal and control of resources; active experimentation; experiences indicating progress; positive encouragement and confidence; and provision of psychological safety. These enablers were then translated into pragmatic guidelines for leaders on how the tools of HCD may be leveraged for innovation and change in health care.

How Safe and Innovative Are First-in-Class Drugs Approved by Health Canada: A Cohort Study

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Introduction: First-in-class drugs use a unique mechanism of action. This study assessed the therapeutic innovativeness and safety of these drugs approved by Health Canada from 1997–2012. Methods: A list of new drugs was compiled and a database from the Food and Drug Administration was used to determine first-in-class status. Post-market safety warnings and drugs withdrawn for safety reasons were identified from the MedEffect Canada website. Therapeutic innovation evaluations came from the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) and Prescrire International. The proportion of first-in-class drugs that were innovative was compared to the proportion of non-first-in-class drugs that were innovative. Kaplan–Meier survival curves assessed safety. Results: In all, 462 drugs were approved by Health Canada during the period under study. Among these, 345 were evaluated by PMPRB and/or Prescrire, and first-in-class data were available for 292. Ninety-eight of the 292 were first-in-class and 16 were innovative compared to 9 of 194 drugs that were not-first-in-class. There was no difference in safety between the two groups. Discussion: Overall, the benefit-to-harm ratio of first-in-class drugs, as measured by post-market safety warnings/withdrawals, is better than those that were not-first-in-class. PMID:28032825

The online professional master of science in food safety degree program at Michigan State University: an innovative graduate education in food safety.

PubMed

Mather, Edward C; McNiel, Pattie A

2006-01-01

A market-research study conducted in 2000 indicated a need for a degree program in food safety that would cover all aspects of the food system, from production to consumption. Despite this, such a program was not enthusiastically supported by employers, who feared losing their valued employees while they were enrolled in traditional on-campus graduate programs. A terminal professional degree was successfully created, offered, and modified over the succeeding five years. The innovative, non-traditional online program was developed to include a core curriculum and leadership training, with elective courses providing flexibility in specific areas of student interest or need. The resulting Professional Master of Science in Food Safety degree program provides a transdisciplinary approach for the protection of an increasingly complex food system and the improvement of public health. Enrollment in the program steadily increased in the first three years of delivery, with particular interest from industry and government employees. The curriculum provides a platform of subject material from which certificate programs, short-courses, seminars, workshops, and executive training programs may be delivered, not only to veterinarians but also to related food and health specialists. The program has fulfilled a need for adult learners to continue as working professionals in the workforce. The benefit to the employer and to society is an individual with enhanced knowledge and networking and leadership skills.

Methods for open innovation on a genome-design platform associating scientific, commercial, and educational communities in synthetic biology.

PubMed

Toyoda, Tetsuro

2011-01-01

Synthetic biology requires both engineering efficiency and compliance with safety guidelines and ethics. Focusing on the rational construction of biological systems based on engineering principles, synthetic biology depends on a genome-design platform to explore the combinations of multiple biological components or BIO bricks for quickly producing innovative devices. This chapter explains the differences among various platform models and details a methodology for promoting open innovation within the scope of the statutory exemption of patent laws. The detailed platform adopts a centralized evaluation model (CEM), computer-aided design (CAD) bricks, and a freemium model. It is also important for the platform to support the legal aspects of copyrights as well as patent and safety guidelines because intellectual work including DNA sequences designed rationally by human intelligence is basically copyrightable. An informational platform with high traceability, transparency, auditability, and security is required for copyright proof, safety compliance, and incentive management for open innovation in synthetic biology. GenoCon, which we have organized and explained here, is a competition-styled, open-innovation method involving worldwide participants from scientific, commercial, and educational communities that aims to improve the designs of genomic sequences that confer a desired function on an organism. Using only a Web browser, a participating contributor proposes a design expressed with CAD bricks that generate a relevant DNA sequence, which is then experimentally and intensively evaluated by the GenoCon organizers. The CAD bricks that comprise programs and databases as a Semantic Web are developed, executed, shared, reused, and well stocked on the secure Semantic Web platform called the Scientists' Networking System or SciNetS/SciNeS, based on which a CEM research center for synthetic biology and open innovation should be established. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc

Influences on the adoption of patient safety innovation in primary care: a qualitative exploration of staff perspectives.

PubMed

Litchfield, Ian; Gill, Paramjit; Avery, Tony; Campbell, Stephen; Perryman, Katherine; Marsden, Kate; Greenfield, Sheila

2018-05-22

Primary care is changing rapidly to meet the needs of an ageing and chronically ill population. New ways of working are called for yet the introduction of innovative service interventions is complicated by organisational challenges arising from its scale and diversity and the growing complexity of patients and their care. One such intervention is the multi-strand, single platform, Patient Safety Toolkit developed to help practices provide safer care in this dynamic and pressured environment where the likelihood of adverse incidents is increasing. Here we describe the attitudes of staff toward these tools and how their implementation was shaped by a number of contextual factors specific to each practice. The Patient Safety Toolkit comprised six tools; a system of rapid note review, an online staff survey, a patient safety questionnaire, prescribing safety indicators, a medicines reconciliation tool, and a safe systems checklist. We implemented these tools at practices across the Midlands, the North West, and the South Coast of England and conducted semi-structured interviews to determine staff perspectives on their effectiveness and applicability. The Toolkit was used in 46 practices and a total of 39 follow-up interviews were conducted. Three key influences emerged on the implementation of the Toolkit these related to their ease of use and the novelty of the information they provide; whether their implementation required additional staff training or practice resource; and finally factors specific to the practice's local environment such as overlapping initiatives orchestrated by their CCG. The concept of a balanced toolkit to address a range of safety issues proved popular. A number of barriers and facilitators emerged in particular those tools that provided relevant information with a minimum impact on practice resource were favoured. Individual practice circumstances also played a role. Practices with IT aware staff were at an advantage and those previously

[Statement: Requirements for the assessment of surgical innovations].

PubMed

Seidel, Dörthe; Pieper, Dawid; Neugebauer, Edmund

2015-01-01

The term "innovation" refers to new products, but also to the process of developing and distributing new products and procedures. The operative disciplines are often associated with innovations because of their continuous, stepwise adaptation of daily practice to established procedures. Medical devices play a significant role in integrating surgical technology with surgical experience. The success of a surgical innovation and other invasive treatments does not only depend on the surgical procedure, but also on the context of the whole treatment process including the pre- and postoperative phase, the interaction of the surgical team and the setting. High standards have been set for the assessment of surgical innovations in terms of patient safety, efficacy and patient benefit, which will be discussed in the present paper. A stepwise approach to evaluation will be used, split into preclinical development, clinical development (feasibility and safety), evaluation phase (efficacy and patient benefit) and longtime surveillance. Our paper is based on the expert-based consented IDEAL approach as well as the consented recommendations of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES). (As supplied by publisher). Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Exploring the impact of transformational leadership on nurse innovation behaviour: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Weng, Rhay-Hung; Huang, Ching-Yuan; Chen, Li-Mei; Chang, Li-Yu

2015-05-01

This study explored the influences of transformational leadership on nurse innovation behaviour and the mediating role of organisational climate. Recently, global nursing experts have been aggressively encouraging nurses to pursue innovation in nursing in order to improve nursing outcomes. Nursing innovation, in turn, is affected by nursing leadership. We employed a questionnaire survey to collect data, and selected a sample of nurses from hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 439 valid surveys were obtained. Hierarchical multiple regression model analysis was conducted to test the study hypothesis. The mean values of agreement of nurse innovation behaviour and transformational leadership were 3.40 and 3.78, respectively. Patient safety climate and innovation climate were found to have full mediating effects on the relationship between transformational leadership and innovation behaviour. Organisational climate has a significant impact on innovation behaviour. Transformational leadership has indirect effects on innovation behaviour via the mediation of patient safety climate and innovation climate. Hospitals should enhance transformational leadership by designing leadership training programmes and establishing transformational culture. In addition, nursing managers should foster nursing innovation through improvements in organisational climate. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Measuring the style of innovative thinking among engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passig, David; Cohen, Lizi

2014-01-01

Background: Many tools have been developed to measure the ability of workers to innovate. However, all of them are based on self-reporting questionnaires, which raises questions about their validity Purpose: The aim was to develop and validate a tool, called Ideas Generation Implementation (IGI), to objectively measure the style and potential of engineering students in generating innovative technological ideas. The cognitive framework of IGI is based on the Architectural Innovation Model (AIM). Tool description: The IGI tool was designed to measure the level of innovation in generating technological ideas and their potential to be implemented. These variables rely on the definition of innovation as 'creativity, implemented in a high degree of success'. The levels of innovative thinking are based on the AIM and consist of four levels: incremental innovation, modular innovation, architectural innovation and radical innovation. Sample: Sixty experts in technological innovation developed the tool. We checked its face validity and calculated its reliability in a pilot study (kappa = 0.73). Then, 145 undergraduate students were sampled at random from the seven Israeli universities offering engineering programs and asked to complete the questionnaire. Design and methods: We examined the construct validity of the tool by conducting a variance analysis and measuring the correlations between the innovator's style of each student, as suggested by the AIM, and the three subscale factors of creative styles (efficient, conformist and original), as suggested by the Kirton Adaptors and Innovators (KAI) questionnaire. Results: Students with a radical innovator's style inclined more than those with an incremental innovator's style towards the three creative cognitive styles. Students with an architectural innovator's style inclined moderately, but not significantly, towards the three creative styles. Conclusions: The IGI tool objectively measures innovative thinking among students

Best Practices and Innovations for Managing Codeine Misuse and Dependence.

PubMed

Norman, Ian J; Bergin, Michael; Parry, Charles D; Van Hout, Marie Claire

Promoting and ensuring safe use of codeine containing medicines remains a public health issue given the rise in reporting of misuse and dependence particularly in countries where available over-the-counter (OTC). The aim of this unique study was to identify best practices in management of opioid abuse and dependence, particularly codeine, and innovations to meet challenges surrounding safe and compliant use, patient awareness-raising, reducing health harms and enhancing successful treatment of dependence. A mixed methods approach using three data points was used that included : (1) analysis of data from existing scoping reviews to identify potential areas for innovation (2) interviews with key national stakeholders from public health, pharmaceutical, regulatory, primary care and addiction practice in three distinct regulatory regimes (Ireland, United Kingdom and South Africa); and (3) a circular email request for information on potential innovations to members of the European Medicine's Agency European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCEPP). Data from these three sources were analysed to identify best practices and opportunities for innovation. Best practices and potential innovations were identified under the nine headings: (1) manufacture; (2) product information and public education; (3) responsible prescribing; (4) monitoring and surveillance; (5) dispensing, screening and brief interventions in community pharmacies; (6) safety in the workplace and on the road; (7) internet supply of codeine and online support; (8) treatment of codeine dependence; and (9) learning resources and training for health professionals. Challenges ensuring availability of codeine containing medicines for legitimate therapeutic use, while minimising misuse, dependence and related health harms warrant consideration of new innovations. Most promising innovative potential lies across the products' retail lifecycle from manufacture to prescriber and

New research opportunities for roadside safety barriers improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantisani, Giuseppe; Di Mascio, Paola; Polidori, Carlo

2017-09-01

Among the major topics regarding the protection of roads, restraint systems still represent a big opportunity in order to increase safety performances. When accidents happen, in fact, the infrastructure can substantially contribute to the reduction of consequences if its marginal spaces are well designed and/or effective restraint systems are installed there. Nevertheless, basic concepts and technology of road safety barriers have not significantly changed for the last two decades. The paper proposes a new approach to the study aimed to define possible enhancements of restraint safety systems performances, by using new materials and defining innovative design principles. In particular, roadside systems can be developed with regard to vehicle-barrier interaction, vehicle-oriented design (included low-mass and extremely low-mass vehicles), traffic suitability, user protection, working width reduction. In addition, thanks to sensors embedded into the barriers, it is also expected to deal with new challenges related to the guidance of automatic vehicles and I2V communication.

[Epidermal growth factor, innovation and safety].

PubMed

Esquirol Caussa, Jordi; Herrero Vila, Elisabeth

2015-10-05

Bioidentical recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) is available in concentrations and purity suitable for therapeutic use in long time stable formulations. Beneficial effects in several skin pathologies and lesions have been reported (traumatic and surgical wound healing, laser induced wounds, abnormal scars, keloids, radiation or chemotherapy induced dermatitis, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation or for skin aging damage repairing) and also may be considered for the treatment of several oropharingeal and high gastroesophageal tract mucosa diseases (mouth sores, pharyngeal fistulas, ulcers), and several corneal or conjunctive mucosa lesions. rhEGF has not shown any important side or collateral effects in humans or in laboratory experimentation animals, showing optimal tolerability and safety with continuous use for months. Compounding gives advantages of versatility, individualization, personalization, molecular stability, safety and effectiveness in ideal conditions, showing good tissue penetration, both on intact skin and skin lesions that expose the lower planes to the surface. rhEGF compounds can be considered for prevention or as a treatment of diverse skin and mucosa diseases and conditions through compounding preparations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Portable Bio/Chemosensoristic Devices: Innovative Systems for Environmental Health and Food Safety Diagnostics.

PubMed

Dragone, Roberto; Grasso, Gerardo; Muccini, Michele; Toffanin, Stefano

2017-01-01

This mini-review covers the newly developed biosensoristic and chemosensoristic devices described in recent literature for detection of contaminants in both environmental and food real matrices. Current needs in environmental and food surveillance of contaminants require new simplified, sensitive systems, which are portable and allow for rapid and on-site monitoring and diagnostics. Here, we focus on optical and electrochemical bio/chemosensoristic devices as promising tools with interesting analytical features that can be potentially exploited for innovative on-site and real-time applications for diagnostics and monitoring of environmental and food matrices (e.g., agricultural waters and milk). In near future, suitably developed and implemented bio/chemosensoristic devices will be a new and modern technological solution for the identification of new quality and safety marker indexes as well as for a more proper and complete characterization of abovementioned environmental and food matrices. Integrated bio/chemosensoristic devices can also allow an "holistic approach" that may prove to be more suitable for diagnostics of environmental and food real matrices, where the copresence of more bioactive substances is frequent. Therefore, this approach can be focused on the determination of net effect (mixture effect) of bioactive substances present in real matrices.

Training and Action for Patient Safety: Embedding Interprofessional Education for Patient Safety within an Improvement Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Beverley L.; Lawton, Rebecca; Armitage, Gerry; Bibby, John; Wright, John

2012-01-01

Introduction: Despite an explosion of interest in improving safety and reducing error in health care, one important aspect of patient safety that has received little attention is a systematic approach to education and training for the whole health care workforce. This article describes an evaluation of an innovative multiprofessional, team-based…

School Organizational Innovative Indicators for Technical Universities and Institutes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Su-Chang; Hsiao, Hsi-Chi; Chang, Jen-Chia; Shen, Chien-Hua; Chou, Chun-Mei

2010-01-01

This study aimed to construct the organizational innovation indicators of technical universities and institutes. This study held a group discussion and expert focus meeting and afterward, this study generalized seven facets of school organizational innovation: leadership innovation, administration innovation, student guidance and activity…

Diabetes Health Information Technology Innovation to Improve Quality of Life for Health Plan Members in Urban Safety Net

PubMed Central

Ratanawongsa, Neda; Handley, Margaret A.; Sarkar, Urmimala; Quan, Judy; Pfeifer, Kelly; Soria, Catalina; Schillinger, Dean

2014-01-01

Safety net systems need innovative diabetes self-management programs for linguistically diverse patients. A low-income government-sponsored managed care plan implemented a 27-week automated telephone self-management support (ATSM) / health coaching intervention for English, Spanish-, and Cantonese-speaking members from four publicly-funded clinics in a practice-based research network. Compared to waitlist, immediate intervention participants had greater 6-month improvements in overall diabetes self-care behaviors (standardized effect size [ES] 0.29, p<0.01) and SF-12 physical scores (ES 0.25, p=0.03); changes in patient-centered processes of care and cardiometabolic outcomes did not differ. ATSM is a strategy for improving patient-reported self-management and may also improve some outcomes. PMID:24594561

An Evaluation of the Added Value of Co-Design in the Development of an Educational Game for Road Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

All, Anissa; Van Looy, Jan; Castellar, Elena Patricia Nuñez

2013-01-01

This study explores the added value of co-design in addition to other innovation research methods in the process of developing a serious game design document for a road safety game. The sessions aimed at exploring 4 aspects of a location-based game experience: themes, game mechanics, mobile phone applications and locations for mini-games. In…

System thinking shaping innovation ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abreu, António; Urze, Paula

2016-11-01

Over the last few decades, there has been a trend to build innovation platforms as enablers for groups of companies to jointly develop new products and services. As a result, the notion of co-innovation is getting wider acceptance. However, a critical issue that is still open, despite some efforts in this area, is the lack of tools and models that explain the synergies created in a co-innovation process. In this context, the present paper aims at discussing the advantages of applying a system thinking approach to understand the mechanisms associated with co-innovation processes. Finally, based on experimental results from a Portuguese co-innovation network, a discussion on the benefits, challenges and difficulties found are presented and discussed.

A multilevel model of patient safety culture: cross-level relationship between organizational culture and patient safety behavior in Taiwan's hospitals.

PubMed

Chen, I-Chi; Ng, Hui-Fuang; Li, Hung-Hui

2012-01-01

As health-care organizations endeavor to improve their quality of care, there is a growing recognition of the importance of establishing a culture of patient safety. The main objective of this study was to investigate the cross-level influences of organizational culture on patient safety behavior in Taiwan's hospitals. The authors measured organizational culture (bureaucratic, supportive and innovative culture), patient safety culture and behavior from 788 hospital workers among 42 hospitals in Taiwan. Multilevel analysis was applied to explore the relationship between organizational culture (group level) and patient safety behavior (individual level). Patient safety culture had positive impact on patient safety behavior in Taiwan's hospitals. The results also indicated that bureaucratic, innovative and supportive organizational cultures all had direct influence on patient safety behavior. However, only supportive culture demonstrated significant moderation effect on the relationship between patient safety culture and patient safety behavior. Furthermore, organizational culture strength was shown correlated negatively with patient safety culture variability. Overall, organizational culture plays an important role in patient safety activities. Safety behaviors of hospital staff are partly influenced by the prevailing cultural norms in their organizations and work groups. For management implications, constructed patient priority from management commitment to leadership is necessary. For academic implications, research on patient safety should consider leadership, group dynamics and organizational learning. These factors are important for understanding the barriers and the possibilities embedded in patient safety. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

EAES recommendations on methodology of innovation management in endoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Neugebauer, Edmund A M; Becker, Monika; Buess, Gerhard F; Cuschieri, Alfred; Dauben, Hans-Peter; Fingerhut, Abe; Fuchs, Karl H; Habermalz, Brigitte; Lantsberg, Leonid; Morino, Mario; Reiter-Theil, Stella; Soskuty, Gabriela; Wayand, Wolfgang; Welsch, Thilo

2010-07-01

Under the mandate of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) a guideline on methodology of innovation management in endoscopic surgery has been developed. The primary focus of this guideline is patient safety, efficacy, and effectiveness. An international expert panel was invited to develop recommendations for the assessment and introduction of surgical innovations. A consensus development conference (CDC) took place in May 2009 using the method of a nominal group process (NGP). The recommendations were presented at the annual EAES congress in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 18th, 2009 for discussion and further input. After further Delphi processes between the experts, the final recommendations were agreed upon. The development and implementation of innovations in surgery are addressed in five sections: (1) definition of an innovation, (2) preclinical and (3) clinical scientific development, (4) scientific approval, and (5) implementation along with monitoring. Within the present guideline each of the sections and several steps are defined, and several recommendations based on available evidence have been agreed within each category. A comprehensive workflow of the different steps is given in an algorithm. In addition, issues of health technology assessment (HTA) serving to estimate efficiency followed by ethical directives are given. Innovations into clinical practice should be introduced with the highest possible grade of safety for the patient (nil nocere: do no harm). The recommendations can contribute to the attainment of this objective without preventing future promising diagnostic and therapeutic innovations in the field of surgery and allied techniques.

European Innovation Policy Concepts and the Governance of Innovation: Slovenia and the Struggle for Organizational Readiness at the National Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gebhardt, Christiane; Stanovnik, Peter

2016-01-01

This paper examines the interdependency of European Policy and governance of innovation. The authors elaborate on the policy implementation context of Slovenia, a small and less advanced European member state in a transition process. The literature on innovation policy, governance and existing innovation concepts aiming to accelerate economic…

Innovation Value of Information Technology: Impact of Information Technology--Intensity on Innovation Capability and Firm Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramamani, Mahesh Kumar

2010-01-01

Though information technology adoptions have been always referred to as innovations in firms, much of the business value literature has concentrated on the tangible and immediately measurable impacts of information technology (IT) adoptions. This study aims to explore the impact of information technology investments on the innovativeness of a…

Portable Bio/Chemosensoristic Devices: Innovative Systems for Environmental Health and Food Safety Diagnostics

PubMed Central

Dragone, Roberto; Grasso, Gerardo; Muccini, Michele; Toffanin, Stefano

2017-01-01

This mini-review covers the newly developed biosensoristic and chemosensoristic devices described in recent literature for detection of contaminants in both environmental and food real matrices. Current needs in environmental and food surveillance of contaminants require new simplified, sensitive systems, which are portable and allow for rapid and on-site monitoring and diagnostics. Here, we focus on optical and electrochemical bio/chemosensoristic devices as promising tools with interesting analytical features that can be potentially exploited for innovative on-site and real-time applications for diagnostics and monitoring of environmental and food matrices (e.g., agricultural waters and milk). In near future, suitably developed and implemented bio/chemosensoristic devices will be a new and modern technological solution for the identification of new quality and safety marker indexes as well as for a more proper and complete characterization of abovementioned environmental and food matrices. Integrated bio/chemosensoristic devices can also allow an “holistic approach” that may prove to be more suitable for diagnostics of environmental and food real matrices, where the copresence of more bioactive substances is frequent. Therefore, this approach can be focused on the determination of net effect (mixture effect) of bioactive substances present in real matrices. PMID:28529937

Managing Innovation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Ronald V.

1987-01-01

Proposes a systematic approach to the management of innovation in the teaching of English as a second language, based on an integration of techniques from the world of commerce and theories and procedures derived from education. The approach emphasizes the importance of clear understanding of aims. (CB)

COMPASS-AIM: A University/P-12 Partnership Innovation for Continuous Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Kristen C.; Lawson, Hal A.; Angelis, Janet I.

2017-01-01

COMPASS-AIM is a set of processes and tools used by participants in a research-practice partnership (RPP) to improve organizational capacities and individual and team competencies for organizational learning and improvement. The "COMPASS" team includes teams of teachers and school leaders who work with a university researcher and expert…

Eco-innovations in the functioning of companies.

PubMed

Ociepa-Kubicka, A; Pachura, P

2017-07-01

The development of entrepreneurships in the 21st century cannot occur without taking care of the natural environment. The article presents issues related to eco-innovation. Despite the opportunities offered by eco-innovations, implementation of such initiatives remains to lead to various difficulties. They vary across countries and sectors. The insufficient number of enterprises in Poland and other European countries implement adequate level of eco-innovations. The main aim of this paper is to indicate the causes of this status and activities aimed to develop eco-innovativeness. The benefits and risks connected with implementation of innovative products and technologies were also discussed. Furthermore, the advantages of and barriers to their implementation into companies were analysed. The entrepreneurs from the least eco-innovative countries emphasize serious barriers, including uncertain demand from the market, uncertain return on investment or too long a payback period for eco-innovation, lack of funds within the enterprise, insufficient access to existing subsidies and fiscal incentive. They are especially afraid of the financial risks, which raises uncertainty and leads to refraining from innovative initiatives. The possibilities were indicated for the entrepreneurs who face problems with the implementation of innovative solutions. Particular attention was paid to the European Union activities for the development of eco-innovations. Numerous programs supporting their implementation were indicated. The article also presents examples of eco-innovation in water and sewage enterprises. It was emphasized that planning of eco-innovative solutions should be based on comprehensive information about actual benefits and possibility of threats to the environment which can be caused by implementation of eco-innovations. The study presents the example of threats resulting from different methods of sewage sludge management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Consumer-driven definition of traditional food products and innovation in traditional foods. A qualitative cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Guerrero, Luis; Guàrdia, Maria Dolors; Xicola, Joan; Verbeke, Wim; Vanhonacker, Filiep; Zakowska-Biemans, Sylwia; Sajdakowska, Marta; Sulmont-Rossé, Claire; Issanchou, Sylvie; Contel, Michele; Scalvedi, M Luisa; Granli, Britt Signe; Hersleth, Margrethe

2009-04-01

Traditional food products (TFP) are an important part of European culture, identity, and heritage. In order to maintain and expand the market share of TFP, further improvement in safety, health, or convenience is needed by means of different innovations. The aim of this study was to obtain a consumer-driven definition for the concept of TFP and innovation and to compare these across six European countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Poland and Spain) by means of semantic and textual statistical analyses. Twelve focus groups were performed, two per country, under similar conditions. The transcriptions obtained were submitted to an ordinary semantic analysis and to a textual statistical analysis using the software ALCESTE. Four main dimensions were identified for the concept of TFP: habit-natural, origin-locality, processing-elaboration and sensory properties. Five dimensions emerged around the concept of innovation: novelty-change, variety, processing-technology, origin-ethnicity and convenience. TFP were similarly perceived in the countries analysed, while some differences were detected for the concept of innovation. Semantic and statistical analyses of the focus groups led to similar results for both concepts. In some cases and according to the consumers' point of view the application of innovations may damage the traditional character of TFP.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: EPA Releases New Chemical Safety Guidelines Aimed at Curbing Animal Testing, Tracking Mercury Imports, and Facilitating the Sharing of Confidential Business Information

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA News Release: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: EPA Releases New Chemical Safety Guidelines Aimed at Curbing Animal Testing, Tracking Mercury Imports, and Facilitating the Sharing of Confidential Business Information

Clinical strategies to aim an adequate safety profile for patients and effective training for surgical residents: The laparoscopic cholecystectomy model.

PubMed

Bresadola, Vittorio; Pravisani, Riccardo; Pighin, Marina; Seriau, Luca; Cherchi, Vittorio; Giuseppe, Sergio; Risaliti, Andrea

2016-11-01

Training programs for resident surgeons represent a challenge for the mentoring activity. The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of our training program for laparoscopic cholecystectomy on patient's safety and on the modulation of the residents' exposure to clinical scenario with different grades of complexity. This is a retrospective study based on a clinical series of laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed in a teaching hospital. Study population was grouped according to the expertise of the attending primary operator among resident surgeons. Four groups were identified: consultant (C), senior resident (SR); intermediate level resident (IR); junior resident (JR). The intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were confronted to evaluate the patient's safety profile. 447 patients were submitted to LC: 96 cases were operated by a C, 200 by SR, 112 by IR and 39 by JR. The mean operative time was the longest for the JR group. A statistically higher rate of conversion to open approach was registered in C and IR groups in comparison to JR and SR groups. However, in C and IR groups, patients had worse ASA score, higher BMI and more frequent past history of previous abdominal surgery, cholecystitis or pancreatitis. Overall, it was not registered any statistically significant difference among the groups in terms of length of hospital stay and prevalence of major postoperative complications. Applying an educational model based on both graduated levels of responsibility and modulated grade of clinical complexity can guarantee an high safety profile.

Effects of multi-stakeholder platforms on multi-stakeholder innovation networks: Implications for research for development interventions targeting innovations at scale

PubMed Central

Schut, Marc; Hermans, Frans; van Asten, Piet; Leeuwis, Cees

2018-01-01

Multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) have been playing an increasing role in interventions aiming to generate and scale innovations in agricultural systems. However, the contribution of MSPs in achieving innovations and scaling has been varied, and many factors have been reported to be important for their performance. This paper aims to provide evidence on the contribution of MSPs to innovation and scaling by focusing on three developing country cases in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. Through social network analysis and logistic models, the paper studies the changes in the characteristics of multi-stakeholder innovation networks targeted by MSPs and identifies factors that play significant roles in triggering these changes. The results demonstrate that MSPs do not necessarily expand and decentralize innovation networks but can lead to contraction and centralization in the initial years of implementation. They show that some of the intended next users of interventions with MSPs–local-level actors–left the innovation networks, whereas the lead organization controlling resource allocation in the MSPs substantially increased its centrality. They also indicate that not all the factors of change in innovation networks are country specific. Initial conditions of innovation networks and funding provided by the MSPs are common factors explaining changes in innovation networks across countries and across different network functions. The study argues that investigating multi-stakeholder innovation network characteristics targeted by the MSP using a network approach in early implementation can contribute to better performance in generating and scaling innovations, and that funding can be an effective implementation tool in developing country contexts. PMID:29870559

Effects of multi-stakeholder platforms on multi-stakeholder innovation networks: Implications for research for development interventions targeting innovations at scale.

PubMed

Sartas, Murat; Schut, Marc; Hermans, Frans; Asten, Piet van; Leeuwis, Cees

2018-01-01

Multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) have been playing an increasing role in interventions aiming to generate and scale innovations in agricultural systems. However, the contribution of MSPs in achieving innovations and scaling has been varied, and many factors have been reported to be important for their performance. This paper aims to provide evidence on the contribution of MSPs to innovation and scaling by focusing on three developing country cases in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. Through social network analysis and logistic models, the paper studies the changes in the characteristics of multi-stakeholder innovation networks targeted by MSPs and identifies factors that play significant roles in triggering these changes. The results demonstrate that MSPs do not necessarily expand and decentralize innovation networks but can lead to contraction and centralization in the initial years of implementation. They show that some of the intended next users of interventions with MSPs-local-level actors-left the innovation networks, whereas the lead organization controlling resource allocation in the MSPs substantially increased its centrality. They also indicate that not all the factors of change in innovation networks are country specific. Initial conditions of innovation networks and funding provided by the MSPs are common factors explaining changes in innovation networks across countries and across different network functions. The study argues that investigating multi-stakeholder innovation network characteristics targeted by the MSP using a network approach in early implementation can contribute to better performance in generating and scaling innovations, and that funding can be an effective implementation tool in developing country contexts.

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland's clinical fellows.

PubMed

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of 'Understanding Entrepreneurship' and 'Business Strategy'. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders.

Medical innovation versus stem cell tourism.

PubMed

Lindvall, Olle; Hyun, Insoo

2009-06-26

Stem cell tourism is criticized on grounds of consumer fraud, blatant lack of scientific justification, and patient safety. However, the issues are complex because they invoke questions concerning the limits of acceptable medical innovation and medical travel. Here we discuss these issues and articulate conditions under which "unproven" therapies may be offered to patients outside of regular clinical trials.

Efficiency of innovative technology in construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stverkova, H.; Vaclavik, V.

2017-10-01

The need for sustainability increasingly influences the development of new technologies, business processes and working practices. Innovations are an important part of all business processes. The aim of innovation is, in particular, to reduce the burden on the environment. The current trend in the construction industry is diamond rope cutting. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the most advanced technology for cutting and removing concrete structures in terms of efficiency.

ENHANCING PRESCRIPTION DRUG INNOVATION AND ADOPTION

PubMed Central

Alexander, G. Caleb; O’Connor, Alec B.; Stafford, Randall S.

2014-01-01

The adoption and use of a new drug would ideally be guided by its Innovation and cost-effectiveness. The adoption and use of a new drug would ideally be guided by its innovation and cost-effectiveness. However, information about the relative efficacy and safety of a drug is typically incomplete even well after market entry, and various other forces create a market place in which most new drugs are little better than their older counterparts. Five proposed mechanisms are considered for promoting innovation and reducing the use of therapies ultimately found to offer poor value or have unacceptable risks. These changes range from increasing the evidence required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to modifying the structure of drug reimbursement. Despite the challenges of policy implementation, the United States has a long history of successfully improving the societal value and safe use of prescription medicines. PMID:21690598

How orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) innovate for water.

PubMed

Russon, Anne E; Kuncoro, Purwo; Ferisa, Agnes; Handayani, Dwi Putri

2010-02-01

We report an observational field study that aimed to identify innovative processes in rehabilitant orangutans' (Pongo pygmaeus) water innovations on Kaja Island, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. We tested for the basic model of innovating (make small changes to old behavior), 4 contributors (apply old behavior to new ends, accidents, independent working out, social cross-fertilization), development, and social rank. Focal observations of Kaja rehabilitants' behavior over 20 months yielded 18 probable innovations from among 44 water variants. We identified variants by function and behavioral grain, innovations by prevalence, and innovative processes by relations between innovations, other behaviors, and social encounters. Findings indicate innovating by small changes and some involvement of all 4 contributors; midrank orangutans were the most innovative; and rehabilitants' adolescent age profile, orphaning, and intense sociality probably enhanced innovativeness. Important complexities include: orangutan innovating may favor certain behavioral levels and narrowly defined similarities, and it may constitute a phase-like process involving a succession of changes and contributors. Discussion focuses on links with great ape cognition and parallels with innovating in humans and other nonhuman species.

Role of champions in the implementation of patient safety practice change.

PubMed

Soo, Stephanie; Berta, Whitney; Baker, G Ross

2009-01-01

Practitioners of patient safety practice change agree that champions are central to the success of implementation. The clinical champion role is a concept that has been widely promoted yet empirically underdeveloped in health services literature. Questions remain as to who these champions are, what roles they play in patient safety practice change and what contexts serve to facilitate their efforts. This investigation used a multiple-case study design to critically examine the role of champions in the implementation of rapid response teams (RRTs), an innovative complex patient safety intervention, in two large urban acute care facilities. An analysis of interviews with key individuals involved in the RRT implementation process revealed a typology of the patient safety practice champion that extended beyond clinical personnel to include managerial and executive staff. Champions engaged to a varying extent in a number of core activities, including education, advocacy, relationship building and boundary spanning. Individuals became champions both through informal emergence and a combination of formal appointment and informal emergence. By identifying and elaborating upon specific features of the champion role, this study aims to expand the dialogue about champions for patient safety practice change.

From Kisiizi to Baltimore: cultivating knowledge brokers to support global innovation for community engagement in healthcare.

PubMed

Ibe, Chidinma A; Basu, Lopa; Gooden, Rachel; Syed, Shamsuzzoha B; Dadwal, Viva; Bone, Lee R; Ephraim, Patti L; Weston, Christine M; Wu, Albert W

2018-02-09

Reverse Innovation has been endorsed as a vehicle for promoting bidirectional learning and information flow between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries, with the aim of tackling common unmet needs. One such need, which traverses international boundaries, is the development of strategies to initiate and sustain community engagement in health care delivery systems. In this commentary, we discuss the Baltimore "Community-based Organizations Neighborhood Network: Enhancing Capacity Together" Study. This randomized controlled trial evaluated whether or not a community engagement strategy, developed to address patient safety in low- and middle-income countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa, could be successfully applied to create and implement strategies that would link community-based organizations to a local health care system in Baltimore, a city in the United States. Specifically, we explore the trial's activation of community knowledge brokers as the conduit through which community engagement, and innovation production, was achieved. Cultivating community knowledge brokers holds promise as a vehicle for advancing global innovation in the context of health care delivery systems. As such, further efforts to discern the ways in which they may promote the development and dissemination of innovations in health care systems is warranted. Trial Registration Number: NCT02222909 . Trial Register Name: Reverse Innovation and Patient Engagement to Improve Quality of Care and Patient Outcomes (CONNECT). Date of Trial's Registration: August 22, 2014.

Nurses at the forefront of innovation.

PubMed

Hughes, F

2006-06-01

This paper is based on a presentation given by the author at the 23rd Quadrennial ICN Congress and 7th International Regulation Congress in Taipei in May 2005. Nurses worldwide are engaged in innovative practice on a daily basis. In most health systems across the world, nurses provide up to 80% of primary health care and are therefore well positioned to provide critically needed innovative solutions to many global health challenges. The aim of this paper is to increase awareness of the importance and value of innovations in nursing; provide an improved understanding of the contribution nurses make to innovation in health care; and increase understanding of the importance of creating environments that inspire innovation and help shape practice in new and improved ways. This paper explores the concept of innovation, the inherent set of characteristics that need to be present in order for innovations to succeed, and the barriers that impede innovation from occurring. There are numerous examples of successful innovations worldwide that are developed and implemented by nurses, some of which are described in this paper. The paper concludes that organizations need to have a support climate that encourages creativity and innovation to occur.

Cultivating Innovative Learning and Teaching Cultures: A Question of Garden Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Karen

2011-01-01

Calls for practitioners to "innovate" are common within higher education and universities, which go to some length to cultivate innovative learning and teaching cultures. The definition of innovation, however, is not clear cut and understandings of how innovations spread and innovative practices should be supported differ. This study aimed to…

Researching safety culture: deliberative dialogue with a restorative lens.

PubMed

Lorenzini, Elisiane; Oelke, Nelly D; Marck, Patricia Beryl; Dall'agnol, Clarice Maria

2017-10-01

Safety culture is a key component of patient safety. Many patient safety strategies in health care have been adapted from high-reliability organizations (HRO) such as aviation. However, to date, attempts to transform the cultures of health care settings through HRO approaches have had mixed results. We propose a methodological approach for safety culture research, which integrates the theory and practice of restoration science with the principles and methods of deliberative dialogue to support active engagement in critical reflection and collective debate. Our aim is to describe how these two innovative approaches in health services research can be used together to provide a comprehensive effective method to study and implement change in safety culture. Restorative research in health care integrates socio-ecological theory of complex adaptive systems concepts with collaborative, place-sensitive study of local practice contexts. Deliberative dialogue brings together all stakeholders to collectively develop solutions on an issue to facilitate change. Together these approaches can be used to actively engage people in the study of safety culture to gain a better understanding of its elements. More importantly, we argue that the synergistic use of these approaches offers enhanced potential to move health care professionals towards actionable strategies to improve patient safety within today's complex health care systems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Institutional Review Board approval and innovation in urology: current practice and safety issues.

PubMed

Sundaram, Varun; Vemana, Goutham; Bhayani, Sam B

2014-02-01

To retrospectively review recent publications describing novel procedures/techniques, and describe the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/ethics approval process and potential ethical dilemmas in their reporting. We searched PubMed for papers about innovative or novel procedures/techniques between 2011 and August 2012. A query of titles/abstracts in the Journal of Urology, Journal of Endourology, European Urology, BJU International, and Urology identified relevant papers. These results were reviewed for human studies that described an innovative technique, procedure, approach, initial series, and/or used new technology. In all, 91 papers met criteria for inclusion; 25 from the Journal of Endourology, 14 from the Journal of Urology, nine from European Urology, 15 from the BJU International and 28 from Urology. IRB/ethics approval was given for an experimental procedure or database in 24% and 22%, respectively. IRB/ethics approval was not mentioned in 52.7% of studies. Published IRB/ethics approvals for innovative techniques are heterogeneous including database, retrospective, and prospective approvals. Given the concept that innovations are likely not in the legal or ethical standard of care, strong consideration should be given to obtaining IRB/ethics approval before the actual procedure, instead of approval to merely report database outcomes. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

Medical device innovation: prospective solutions for an ecosystem in crisis. Adding a professional society perspective.

PubMed

Krucoff, Mitchell W; Brindis, Ralph G; Hodgson, Patricia K; Mack, Michael J; Holmes, David R

2012-07-01

Barriers to medical device innovation compromise timelines and costs from bench to bedside. Fragmented strategies by individual competitors are no longer sustainable. Pragmatically focused pre-competitive collaboration across stakeholders approaches innovation as an ecosystem. Desiloing experience and expertise encourages high-impact infrastructure efficiencies unique to pre-competitive constructs. Alignment of processes and objectives across the regulatory, reimbursement, clinical research, and clinical practice enterprises, with particular attention to the total product life cycle and continuous accrual of safety information, promotes more predictable equipoise for speed of access relative to residual safety concerns. Professional societies are well positioned to convene pre-competitive dialogue, facilitate alignment, and add perspective to equipoise within the innovation ecosystem. Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Federal Program Encourages Health Service Innovations on Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nix, Mary P.

2009-01-01

There is always room for improvement in the delivery of health services. This article discusses the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Health Care Innovations Exchange (www.innovations.ahrq.gov), a comprehensive program that aims to increase awareness of innovative strategies to meet health service delivery challenges and…

Essays on Innovation Ecosystems in the Enterprise Software Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Peng

2010-01-01

Innovation ecosystem strategy is often adopted by platform technology owners to seek complementary innovation from resources located outside the firm to exploit indirect network effect. In this dissertation I aim to address the issues that are related to the formation and business value of platform innovation ecosystems in the enterprise software…

Curriculum Development and Implementation of a National Interprofessional Fellowship in Patient Safety.

PubMed

Watts, Bradley V; Williams, Linda; Mills, Peter D; Paull, Douglas E; Cully, Jeffrey A; Gilman, Stuart C; Hemphill, Robin R

2018-06-15

Developing a workforce skilled in improving the safety of medical care has often been cited as an important means to achieve safer care. Although some educational programs geared toward patient safety have been developed, few advanced training programs have been described in the literature. We describe the development of a patient safety fellowship program. We describe the development and curriculum of an Interprofessional Fellowship in Patient Safety. The 1-year in residence fellowship focuses on domains such as leadership, spreading innovations, medical improvement, patient safety culture, reliability science, and understanding errors. Specific training in patient safety is available and has been delivered to 48 fellows from a wide range of backgrounds. Fellows have accomplished much in terms of improvement projects, educational innovations, and publications. After completing the fellowship program, fellows are obtaining positions within health-care quality and safety and are likely to make long-term contributions. We offer a curriculum and fellowship design for the topic of patient safety. Available evidence suggests that the fellowship results in the development of patient safety professionals.

The SISIFO project: Seismic Safety at High Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peruzza, Laura; Barnaba, Carla; Bragato, Pier Luigi; Dusi, Alberto; Grimaz, Stefano; Malisan, Petra; Saraò, Angela; Mucciarelli, Marco

2014-05-01

For many years, the Italian scientific community has faced the problem of the reduction of earthquake risk using innovative educational techniques. Recent earthquakes in Italy and around the world have clearly demonstrated that seismic codes alone are not able to guarantee an effective mitigation of risk. After the tragic events of San Giuliano di Puglia (2002), where an earthquake killed 26 school children, special attention was paid in Italy to the seismic safety of schools, but mainly with respect to structural aspects. Little attention has been devoted to the possible and even significant damage to non-structural elements (collapse of ceilings, tipping of cabinets and shelving, obstruction of escape routes, etc..). Students and teachers trained on these aspects may lead to a very effective preventive vigilance. Since 2002, the project EDURISK (www.edurisk.it) proposed educational tools and training programs for schools, at primary and middle levels. More recently, a nationwide campaign aimed to adults (www.iononrischio.it) was launched with the extensive support of civil protection volounteers. There was a gap for high schools, and Project SISIFO was designed to fill this void and in particular for those schools with technical/scientific curricula. SISIFO (https://sites.google.com/site/ogssisifo/) is a multidisciplinary initiative, aimed at the diffusion of scientific culture for achieving seismic safety in schools, replicable and can be structured in training the next several years. The students, helped by their teachers and by experts from scientific institutions, followed a course on specialized training on earthquake safety. The trial began in North-East Italy, with a combination of hands-on activities for the measurement of earthquakes with low-cost instruments and lectures with experts in various disciplines, accompanied by specifically designed teaching materials, both on paper and digital format. We intend to raise teachers and students knowledge of the

Innovation for the future of Irish MedTech industry: retrospective qualitative review of impact of BioInnovate Ireland’s clinical fellows

PubMed Central

McGloughlin, Elizabeth Kate; Anglim, Paul; Keogh, Ivan; Sharif, Faisal

2018-01-01

Clinicians have historically been integral in innovating and developing technology in medicine and surgery. In recent years, however, in an increasingly complex healthcare system, a doctor with innovative ideas is often left behind. Transition from idea to bedside now entails significant hurdles, which often go unrecognised at the outset, particularly for first-time innovators. The BioInnnovate Ireland process, based on the Stanford Biodesign Programme (Identify, Invent and Implement), aims to streamline the process of innovation within the MedTech sector. These programmes focus on needs-based innovation and enable multidisciplinary teams to innovate and collaborate more succinctly. In this preliminary study, the authors aimed to examine the impact of BioInnovate Ireland has had on the clinicians involved and validate the collaborative process. To date, 13 fellows with backgrounds in clinical medicine have participated in the BioInnovate programme. Ten of these clinicians remain involved in clinical innovation projects with four of these working on Enterprise Ireland funded commercialisation grants and one working as chief executive officer of a service-led start-up, Strive. Of these, five also remain engaged in clinical practice on a full or part-time basis. The clinicians who have returned to full-time clinical practice have used the process and learning of the programme to influence their individual clinical areas and actively seek innovative solutions to meet clinical challenges. Clinicians, in particular, describe gaining value from the BioInnovate programme in areas of ‘Understanding Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Business Strategy’. Further study is needed into the quantitative impact on the ecosystem and impact to other stakeholders. PMID:29599999

New business models for antibiotic innovation.

PubMed

So, Anthony D; Shah, Tejen A

2014-05-01

The increase in antibiotic resistance and the dearth of novel antibiotics have become a growing concern among policy-makers. A combination of financial, scientific, and regulatory challenges poses barriers to antibiotic innovation. However, each of these three challenges provides an opportunity to develop pathways for new business models to bring novel antibiotics to market. Pull-incentives that pay for the outputs of research and development (R&D) and push-incentives that pay for the inputs of R&D can be used to increase innovation for antibiotics. Financial incentives might be structured to promote delinkage of a company's return on investment from revenues of antibiotics. This delinkage strategy might not only increase innovation, but also reinforce rational use of antibiotics. Regulatory approval, however, should not and need not compromise safety and efficacy standards to bring antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action to market. Instead regulatory agencies could encourage development of companion diagnostics, test antibiotic combinations in parallel, and pool and make transparent clinical trial data to lower R&D costs. A tax on non-human use of antibiotics might also create a disincentive for non-therapeutic use of these drugs. Finally, the new business model for antibiotic innovation should apply the 3Rs strategy for encouraging collaborative approaches to R&D in innovating novel antibiotics: sharing resources, risks, and rewards.

From the school of nursing quality and safety officer: nursing students' use of safety reporting tools and their perception of safety issues in clinical settings.

PubMed

Cooper, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Improved patient safety and quality are priority goals for nurses and schools of nursing. This article describes the innovative new role of quality and safety officer (QSO) developed by one university in response to the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses challenge to increase quality and safety education for prelicensure nursing students. The article also describes the results of a study conducted by the QSO, obtaining information from prelicensure nursing students about the use of safety tools and identifying the students' perceptions of safety issues, communication, and safety reporting in the clinical setting. Responses of 145 prelicensure nursing students suggest that it is difficult to get all errors and near-miss events reported. Barriers for nursing students are similar to the barriers nurses and physicians identify in reporting errors and near-miss events. The survey reveals that safety for the patient is the primary concern of the student nurse. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating a Culture of Patient Safety through Innovative Hospital Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-01

and families in the design process The IOM recommends working together with patients to customize health care systems, to ensure patient needs and...lab, drawing what we could about patient safety from available literature; inviting experts from the health care profession and other fields...safety of patient care, St. Joseph administrators believed that there was an opportunity to learn collectively from leaders in health care and other

Safety belt promotion: theory and practice.

PubMed

Nelson, G D; Moffit, P B

1988-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide practitioners a rationale and description of selected theoretically based approaches to safety belt promotion. Theory failure is a threat to the integrity and effectiveness of safety belt promotion. The absence of theory driven programs designed to promote safety belt use is a concern of this paper. Six theoretical models from the social and behavioral sciences are reviewed with suggestions for application to promoting safety belt use and include Theory of Reasoned Action, the Health Belief Model, Fear Arousal, Operant Learning, Social Learning Theory, and Diffusion of Innovations. Guidelines for the selection and utilization of theory are discussed.

Stories of Innovation: Roles, Perspectives, and Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martens, Jon

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine the roles of stories in the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach: An integrative literature review was used to identify and analyze studies that examined stories of innovation in various organizational settings. The conceptual framework of the review was based on three perspectives of organizational…

Federal Strategies for Inducing Technological Innovation in the Auto Industry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-03-01

The present document is intended to provide background information on the innovation process and the spectrum of alternative Federal strate??ies for achieving National automotive goals in the areas of safety, fuel economy and emissions. A narrative...

'Mind the gap' between the development of therapeutic innovations and the clinical practice in oncology: A proposal of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) to optimise cancer clinical research.

PubMed

Kempf, Emmanuelle; Bogaerts, Jan; Lacombe, Denis; Liu, Lifang

2017-11-01

In Europe, most of the cancer clinical research dedicated to therapeutic innovations aims primarily at regulatory approval. Once an anticancer drug enters the common market, each member state determines its real-world use based on its own criteria: pricing, reimbursement and clinical indications. Such an innovation-centred clinical research landscape might neglect patient-relevant issues in real-world setting, such as comparative effectiveness of distinct treatment options or long-term safety monitoring. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) advocates reforming the current 'innovation-centred' system to a truly 'patient-centred' paradigm with systematically coordinated applied clinical research in conjunction with drug development, featuring the following strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building the Child Safety Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Network: How does it work and what is it achieving?

PubMed

Leonardo, Jennifer B; Spicer, Rebecca S; Katradis, Maria; Allison, Jennifer; Thomas, Rebekah

2018-06-01

This study investigated whether the Child Safety Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Network (CS CoIIN) framework could be applied in the field of injury and violence prevention to reduce fatalities, hospitalizations and emergency department visits among 0-19 year olds. Twenty-one states/jurisdictions were accepted into cohort 1 of the CS CoIIN, and 14 were engaged from March 2016 through April 2017. A quality improvement framework was used to test, implement and spread evidence-based change ideas (strategies and programs) in child passenger safety, falls prevention, interpersonal violence prevention, suicide and self-harm prevention and teen driver safety. Outcome and process measure data were analyzed using run chart rules. Descriptive data were analyzed for participation measures and descriptive statistics were produced. Qualitative data were analyzed to identify key themes. Seventy-six percent of CS CoIIN states/jurisdictions were engaged in activities and used data to inform decision making. Within a year, states/jurisdictions were able to test and implement evidence-based change ideas in pilot sites. A small group showed improvement in process measures and were ready to spread change ideas. Improvement in outcome measures was not achieved; however, 25% of states/jurisdictions identified data sources and reported on real-time outcome measures. Evidence indicates the CS CoIIN framework can be applied to make progress on process measures, but more time is needed to determine if this will result in progress on long-term outcome measures of fatalities, hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Seventeen states/jurisdictions will participate in cohort 2. © 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.

Social Innovation in the Hungarian Business Sphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szegedi, Krisztina; Fülöp, Gyula; Bereczk, Ádám

2016-01-01

The development of society in various ways is central to social innovation and corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR involves deliberate acts of companies, and can lead to social innovation either in themselves or through cooperation with other social stakeholders. The aims of this study are: (1) to describe the concepts of corporate social…

Innovative Culture, Part 2: Virtual Consultancies - Engaging Talent

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-21

Innovative Culture, Part II: Virtual Consultancies – Engaging Talent January 21, 2016 These are the final briefing slides as approved by...Engaging Talent (Innovative Culture, Part II) – Aims to facilitate and capitalize on the vast capacity for internal consultancy within the DoD...for talent with an industry model that values – and makes effective use of – young, fresh, innovative voices  With a huge uniformed workforce

Evaluation of innovative traffic safety devices at short-term work zones.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the usage and effectiveness of innovative traffic control : devices that can be used in short-term work zones. Any device to be used in short-term work zones should command : the respect of ...

Innovation, systemic appropriation and prevention in the granite mining sector: The case of humidification.

PubMed

Mendes, R W B; Pueyo, V; Béguin, P; Duarte, F J C M

2017-01-01

This research was conducted in the Brazilian granite mining sector. After epidemiological studies, it was established that professional pneumoconiosis is related to the inhalation of dust. Therefore, the Brazilian mining health and safety regulatory standard made it compulsory to provide humidification throughout the extraction and mineral treatment processes. To develop the concept of systemic appropriation of the technological innovations that aim to protect the worker's health. Until now, appropriation has usually been presented in its individual dimensions. In this article, the focus is placed on the collective and organizational aspects of this appropriation. Two methodological approaches were used: interviews with the different individuals involved in order to report the history of the implementation of technical devices which meet the humidification norm; and ergonomic analysis of the work of the operators who used these devices. The appropriation of the technical devices occurred at two distinct levels: 1) Individual, related to the direct contact of the operator with the instrument; 2) Systemic, as the effects of the innovation propagated through the system affecting interdependent tasks, adaptation of the work organization and new production strategies. The implementation of prevention norms require innovations which are necessarily accompanied by transformations in the companies' techniques, work and management.

Modelling safety of multistate systems with ageing components

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

Kołowrocki, Krzysztof; Soszyńska-Budny, Joanna

An innovative approach to safety analysis of multistate ageing systems is presented. Basic notions of the ageing multistate systems safety analysis are introduced. The system components and the system multistate safety functions are defined. The mean values and variances of the multistate systems lifetimes in the safety state subsets and the mean values of their lifetimes in the particular safety states are defined. The multi-state system risk function and the moment of exceeding by the system the critical safety state are introduced. Applications of the proposed multistate system safety models to the evaluation and prediction of the safty characteristics ofmore » the consecutive “m out of n: F” is presented as well.« less

An Aggregated and Dynamic Analysis of Innovations in Campus Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington-Ottombre, Camille; Bigalke, Siiri

2018-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to compose a systematic understanding of campus sustainability innovations and unpack the complex drivers behind the elaboration of specific innovations. More precisely, the authors ask two fundamental questions: What are the topics and modes of implementation of campus sustainability innovations? What are the external and…

Innovating Science Teaching by Participatory Action Research--Reflections from an Interdisciplinary Project of Curriculum Innovation on Teaching about Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feierabend, Timo; Eilks, Ingo

2011-01-01

This paper describes a three-year curriculum innovation project on teaching about climate change. The innovation for this study focused on a socio-critical approach towards teaching climate change in four different teaching domains (biology, chemistry, physics and politics). The teaching itself explicitly aimed at general educational objectives,…

Defining Innovation in Neurosurgery: Results from an International Survey.

PubMed

Zaki, Mark M; Cote, David J; Muskens, Ivo S; Smith, Timothy R; Broekman, Marike L

2018-06-01

Innovation is a part of the daily practice of neurosurgery. However, a clear definition of what constitutes innovation is lacking and opinions vary from continent to continent, from hospital to hospital, and from surgeon to surgeon. In this study, we distributed an online survey to neurosurgeons from multiple countries to investigate what neurosurgeons consider innovative, by gathering opinions on several hypothetical cases. The anonymous survey consisted of 52 questions and took approximately 10 minutes to complete. A total of 355 neurosurgeons across all continents excluding Antarctica completed the survey. Neurosurgeons achieved consensus (>75%) in considering specific cases to be innovative, including laser resection of meningioma, focused ultrasonography for tumor, oncolytic virus, deep brain stimulation for addiction, and photodynamic therapy for tumor. Although the new dura substitute case was not considered innovative, there was consensus among neurosurgeons indicating that institutional review board approval was still necessary to maintain ethical standards. Furthermore, although 90% of neurosurgeons considered an oncolytic virus for glioblastoma multiforme to be innovative, only 78% believed that institutional review board approval was necessary before treatment. Our results indicate that innovation is a heterogeneous concept among neurosurgeons that necessitates standardization to ensure appropriate patient safety without stifling progress. We discuss both the ethical drawbacks of not having a clear definition of innovation and the challenges in achieving a unified understanding of innovation in neurosurgery and offer suggestions for uniting the field. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Responsible, Inclusive Innovation and the Nano-Divide.

PubMed

Schroeder, Doris; Dalton-Brown, Sally; Schrempf, Benjamin; Kaplan, David

Policy makers from around the world are trying to emulate successful innovation systems in order to support economic growth. At the same time, innovation governance systems are being put in place to ensure a better integration of stakeholder views into the research and development process. In Europe, one of the most prominent and newly emerging governance frameworks is called Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This article aims to substantiate the following points: (1) The concept of RRI and the concept of justice can be used to derive similar ethical positions on the nano-divide. (2) Given the ambitious policy aims of RRI (e.g. economic competitiveness enhancer), the concept may be better suited to push for ethical outcomes on access to nanotechnology and its products rather than debates based on justice issues alone. It may thus serve as a mediator concept between those who push solely for competitiveness considerations and those who push solely for justice considerations in nano-technology debates. (3) The descriptive, non-normative Systems of Innovation approaches (see below) should be linked into RRI debates to provide more evidence on whether the approach advocated to achieve responsible and ethical governance of research and innovation (R&I) can indeed deliver on competitiveness (in nano-technology and other fields).

Cartilage-Repair Innovation at a Standstill: Methodologic and Regulatory Pathways to Breaking Free.

PubMed

Lyman, Stephen; Nakamura, Norimasa; Cole, Brian J; Erggelet, Christoph; Gomoll, Andreas H; Farr, Jack

2016-08-03

Articular cartilage defects strongly predispose patients to developing early joint degeneration and osteoarthritis, but for more than 15 years, no new cartilage-repair technologies that we know of have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Many studies examining novel approaches to cartilage repair, including cell, tissue, or matrix-based techniques, have shown great promise, but completing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to establish safety and efficacy has been challenging, providing a major barrier to bringing these innovations into clinical use. In this article, we review reasons that surgical innovations are not well-suited for testing through RCTs. We also discuss how analytical methods for reducing bias, such as propensity scoring, make prospective observational studies a potentially viable alternative for testing the safety and efficacy of cartilage-repair and other novel therapies, offering the real possibility of therapeutic innovation. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Impacts of Learning Orientation on Product Innovation Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calisir, Fethi; Gumussoy, Cigdem Altin; Guzelsoy, Ezgi

2013-01-01

Purpose: The present study aims to examine the effect of learning orientation (commitment to learning, shared vision, open-mindedness) on the product innovation performance (product innovation efficacy and efficiency) of companies in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach: A structural equation-modeling approach was applied to identify the variables…

Can intersectional innovations reduce hospital infection?

PubMed

Saint, S

2017-02-01

Preventing healthcare-associated infection remains an international priority given the clinical and economic consequences of this largely preventable patient safety harm. Whereas important strides have been made in preventing hospital infections over the past several decades, thorny issues remain, including how to consistently improve hand hygiene rates and further reduce device-related complications such as catheter-associated urinary tract infection. Rather than relying solely on directional innovations - incremental changes that continue to serve as the bedrock of scientific advancement - perhaps we should also search for 'intersectional innovations', which represent breakthrough discoveries that emanate from the intersection of often widely divergent disciplines. Several intersectional innovations that have the potential to greatly impact infection prevention efforts include human factors engineering, sociology, and engaging the senses. Indeed, Professor Edward Joseph Lister Lowbury, the namesake of this lecture, exemplified intersectional thinking in his own life, having been both an accomplished bacteriologist and poet. By incorporating approaches outside of traditional biomedical science we may hope to provide patients with the safe care they expect and deserve. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Translating Health Services Research into Practice in the Safety Net.

PubMed

Moore, Susan L; Fischer, Ilana; Havranek, Edward P

2016-02-01

To summarize research relating to health services research translation in the safety net through analysis of the literature and case study of a safety net system. Literature review and key informant interviews at an integrated safety net hospital. This paper describes the results of a comprehensive literature review of translational science literature as applied to health care paired with qualitative analysis of five key informant interviews conducted with senior-level management at Denver Health and Hospital Authority. Results from the literature suggest that implementing innovation may be more difficult in the safety net due to multiple factors, including financial and organizational constraints. Results from key informant interviews confirmed the reality of financial barriers to innovation implementation but also implied that factors, including institutional respect for data, organizational attitudes, and leadership support, could compensate for disadvantages. Translating research into practice is of critical importance to safety net providers, which are under increased pressure to improve patient care and satisfaction. Results suggest that translational research done in the safety net can better illuminate the special challenges of this setting; more such research is needed. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

E-learning for textile enterprises innovation improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaga, M.; Harpa, R.; Radulescu, I. R.; Stepjanovic, Z.

2017-10-01

The Erasmus Plus project- TEXMatrix: “Matrix of knowledge for innovation and competitiveness in textile enterprises”, financed through the Erasmus+ Programme, Strategic partnerships- KA2 for Vocational Education and Training, aims at spreading the creative and innovative organizational culture inside textile enterprises by transferring and implementing methodologies, tools and concepts for improved training. Five European partners form the project consortium: INCDTP - Bucharest, Romania (coordinator), TecMinho - Portugal, Centrocot - Italy, University Maribor, Slovenia, and “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania. These will help the textile enterprises involved in the project, to learn how to apply creative thinking in their organizations and how to develop the capacity for innovation and change. The project aims to bridge the gap between textile enterprises need for qualified personnel and the young workforce. It develops an innovative knowledge matrix for the tangible and intangible assets of an enterprise and a benchmarking study, based on which a dedicated software tool will be created. This software tool will aid the decision-making enterprise staff (managers, HR specialists, professionals) as well as the trainees (young employees, students, and scholars) to cope with the new challenges of innovation and competitiveness for the textile field. The purpose of this paper is to present the main objectives and achievements of the project, according to its declared goals, with the focus on the presentation of the knowledge matrix of innovation, which is a powerful instrument for the quantification of the intangible assets of textile enterprises.

76 FR 73763 - Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Grant of Temporary Exemption for Innovative...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-29

... Electronics AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of final... achieved absent such exemption'' (49 CFR 381.305(a)). Innovative Electronics' Request for Exemption Innovative Electronics, Inc., applied for an exemption from 49 CFR 393.48(d) and 49 CFR 393.49(c) to allow...

Innovating for quality and value: Utilizing national quality improvement programs to identify opportunities for responsible surgical innovation.

PubMed

Woo, Russell K; Skarsgard, Erik D

2015-06-01

Innovation in surgical techniques, technology, and care processes are essential for improving the care and outcomes of surgical patients, including children. The time and cost associated with surgical innovation can be significant, and unless it leads to improvements in outcome at equivalent or lower costs, it adds little or no value from the perspective of the patients, and decreases the overall resources available to our already financially constrained healthcare system. The emergence of a safety and quality mandate in surgery, and the development of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) allow needs-based surgical care innovation which leads to value-based improvement in care. In addition to general and procedure-specific clinical outcomes, surgeons should consider the measurement of quality from the patients' perspective. To this end, the integration of validated Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) into actionable, benchmarked institutional outcomes reporting has the potential to facilitate quality improvement in process, treatment and technology that optimizes value for our patients and health system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Organizational Learning in Transformational Leadership and Organizational Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao, Hsi-Chi; Chang, Jen-Chia

2011-01-01

Leadership is an important factor affecting organizational innovation. Many studies show that transformational leadership has positive and significant influence on organizational innovation. Based on a literature review and previous work, this study aims to investigate the influence of transformational leadership on organizational innovation and…

Enhancing prescription drug innovation and adoption.

PubMed

Alexander, G Caleb; O'Connor, Alec B; Stafford, Randall S

2011-06-21

The adoption and use of a new drug would ideally be guided by its innovation and cost-effectiveness. However, information about the relative efficacy and safety of a drug is typically incomplete even well after market entry, and various other forces create a marketplace in which most new drugs are little better than their older counterparts. Five proposed mechanisms are considered for promoting innovation and reducing the use of therapies ultimately found to offer poor value or have unacceptable risks. These changes range from increasing the evidence required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to modifying the structure of drug reimbursement. Despite the challenges of policy implementation, the United States has a long history of successfully improving the societal value and safe use of prescription medicines.

INNOVATION SNAPSHOTS : outside-the-box thinking from Michigan DOT employees, October, 2016.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Bright ideas, big impact The stories on these pages highlight some of the : innovative ways that MDOT employees are saving time and money, improving safety, : and increasing quality in everything we do.

INNOVATION SNAPSHOTS : outside-the-box thinking from Michigan DOT employees, November, 2016.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

Bright Ideas, Big Impact The stories on these pages highlight some of the : innovative ways that MDOT employees are saving time and money, improving safety, : and increasing quality in everything we do.

INNOVATION SNAPSHOTS : outside-the-box thinking from Michigan DOT employees, September, 2016.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-01

Bright Ideas, Big Impact The stories on these pages highlight some of the : innovative ways that MDOT employees are saving time and money, improving safety, : and increasing quality in everything we do.

Integrating Safety with Science,Technology and Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory

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

Rich, Bethany M

2012-04-02

The mission of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is to develop and apply science, technology and engineering solutions to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent; reduce global threats; and solve emerging national security challenges. The most important responsibility is to direct and conduct efforts to meet the mission with an emphasis on safety, security, and quality. In this article, LANL Environmental, Safety, and Health (ESH) trainers discuss how their application and use of a kinetic learning module (learn by doing) with a unique fall arrest system is helping to address one the most common industrialmore » safety challenges: slips and falls. A unique integration of Human Performance Improvement (HPI), Behavior Based Safety (BBS) and elements of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) combined with an interactive simulator experience is being used to address slip and fall events at Los Alamos.« less

Aeromedical solutions for aerospace safety.

PubMed

Kapoor, Pawan; Gaur, Deepak

2017-10-01

All facets of activity in the speciality of Aviation Medicine are essentially aimed at enhancing aerospace safety. This paper highlights some innovative changes brought about by Aerospace Medicine in the three major fields of the speciality namely, medical evaluation, aeromedical training and research. Based on lab and field studies, military aircrew are now permitted flying with Modifinil as 'Go' Pill and Zolpidem as 'No-Go' Pill during sustained operations. Several other drugs for disabilities like Hypertension and CAD are now permitted for aviators. Comprehensive revision of policy permitting early return to flying is an on-going process. OPRAM courses for all three streams of aircrew in IAF have contributed to reduce aircraft accident rates. Human Engineering Consultancy and expert advice is provided by specialists at IAM as well as those in the field. In future, the country needs to provide better post-service opportunities to aerospace medicine specialists. This, in turn, will attract bright young minds to the specialty. The ISRO Humanin-Space programme will be an exciting challenge for all in this unique field. Aerospace Medicine continues to provide aerospace safety solutions to the IAF and the aviation industry. The nation needs to continue to utilize and support this specialty.

Energy Innovation Hubs: A Home for Scientific Collaboration

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

Chu, Steven

Secretary Chu will host a live, streaming Q&A session with the directors of the Energy Innovation Hubs on Tuesday, March 6, at 2:15 p.m. EST. The directors will be available for questions regarding their teams' work and the future of American energy. Ask your questions in the comments below, or submit them on Facebook, Twitter (@energy), or send an e-mail to newmedia@hq.doe.gov, prior or during the live event. Dr. Hank Foley is the director of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster for Energy-Efficient Buildings, which is pioneering new data intensive techniques for designing and operating energy efficient buildings, including advanced computermore » modeling. Dr. Douglas Kothe is the director of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, which uses powerful supercomputers to create "virtual" reactors that will help improve the safety and performance of both existing and new nuclear reactors. Dr. Nathan Lewis is the director of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, which focuses on how to produce fuels from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. The Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers, with researchers from many different institutions and technical backgrounds. Each hub is focused on a specific high priority goal, rapidly accelerating scientific discoveries and shortening the path from laboratory innovation to technological development and commercial deployment of critical energy technologies. Ask your questions in the comments below, or submit them on Facebook, Twitter (@energy), or send an e-mail to newmedia@energy.gov, prior or during the live event. The Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers, with researchers from many different institutions and technical backgrounds. Each Hub is focused on a specific high priority goal, rapidly accelerating scientific discoveries and shortening the path from laboratory innovation to technological development and commercial deployment of critical

Energy Innovation Hubs: A Home for Scientific Collaboration

ScienceCinema

Chu, Steven

2017-12-11

Secretary Chu will host a live, streaming Q&A session with the directors of the Energy Innovation Hubs on Tuesday, March 6, at 2:15 p.m. EST. The directors will be available for questions regarding their teams' work and the future of American energy. Ask your questions in the comments below, or submit them on Facebook, Twitter (@energy), or send an e-mail to newmedia@hq.doe.gov, prior or during the live event. Dr. Hank Foley is the director of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster for Energy-Efficient Buildings, which is pioneering new data intensive techniques for designing and operating energy efficient buildings, including advanced computer modeling. Dr. Douglas Kothe is the director of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors, which uses powerful supercomputers to create "virtual" reactors that will help improve the safety and performance of both existing and new nuclear reactors. Dr. Nathan Lewis is the director of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, which focuses on how to produce fuels from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. The Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers, with researchers from many different institutions and technical backgrounds. Each hub is focused on a specific high priority goal, rapidly accelerating scientific discoveries and shortening the path from laboratory innovation to technological development and commercial deployment of critical energy technologies. Ask your questions in the comments below, or submit them on Facebook, Twitter (@energy), or send an e-mail to newmedia@energy.gov, prior or during the live event. The Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers, with researchers from many different institutions and technical backgrounds. Each Hub is focused on a specific high priority goal, rapidly accelerating scientific discoveries and shortening the path from laboratory innovation to technological development and commercial deployment of critical energy

Changing innovation into a registered product: From concept to regulatory approval.

PubMed

Rhodes, Linda

2018-05-01

Innovation in animal health pharmaceuticals is important to address unmet and underserved medical needs, and often comes from products initially developed for human medicine. The purpose of the review is to help readers understand how breakthroughs from human biotechnology may be developed for use in veterinary medicine, while understanding the key drivers to success, the difficulties of regulatory approval, and the realistic risks and rewards of developing applications for animals. The types of human drugs which may be useful for veterinary applications are reviewed, including examples. The regulatory path is discussed, with a review of the various oversight agencies, and the categories of data required to be submitted, including safety, efficacy, manufacturing, environmental impact and human food safety. In conclusion, the cost, development time, and barriers to innovation in veterinary medical pharmaceuticals are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovative design method of automobile profile based on Fourier descriptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Shuyong; Fu, Chaoxing; Xia, Fan; Shen, Wei

2017-10-01

Aiming at the innovation of the contours of automobile side, this paper presents an innovative design method of vehicle side profile based on Fourier descriptor. The design flow of this design method is: pre-processing, coordinate extraction, standardization, discrete Fourier transform, simplified Fourier descriptor, exchange descriptor innovation, inverse Fourier transform to get the outline of innovative design. Innovative concepts of the innovative methods of gene exchange among species and the innovative methods of gene exchange among different species are presented, and the contours of the innovative design are obtained separately. A three-dimensional model of a car is obtained by referring to the profile curve which is obtained by exchanging xenogeneic genes. The feasibility of the method proposed in this paper is verified by various aspects.

Security, safety, and related technology - the triangle of eHealth service provision.

PubMed

Savastano, Mario; Hovsto, Asbjorn; Pharow, Peter; Blobel, Bernd

2008-01-01

The developing of innovative solutions in the emerging eHealth market requires strong economic efforts which may be justified only in presence of particularly suitable boundary conditions. Among the factors retained of primary importance for the development of eHealth, a correct approach to id-management is unanimously considered fundamental. Three keywords in the id-management context appear particularly important: standardization, security and safety. Standardization may contribute to increase the size and duration of the eHealth market, while security and safety may encourage all the stakeholders to trust in a appropriate and safe management of all the very sensitive personal data involved in the eHealth applications. The aim of the present paper is analyzing some security and safety issues in eHealth from the particular prospective of the identity management and standardization. The paper highlights the mission of the EU funded "BioHealth" project whose mission is to increase the stakeholders' knowledge about existing and emerging standards in eHealth with particular reference to identity management.

Disruptive innovation for social change.

PubMed

Christensen, Clayton M; Baumann, Heiner; Ruggles, Rudy; Sadtler, Thomas M

2006-12-01

Countries, organizations, and individuals around the globe spend aggressively to solve social problems, but these efforts often fail to deliver. Misdirected investment is the primary reason for that failure. Most of the money earmarked for social initiatives goes to organizations that are structured to support specific groups of recipients, often with sophisticated solutions. Such organizations rarely reach the broader populations that could be served by simpler alternatives. There is, however, an effective way to get to those underserved populations. The authors call it "catalytic innovation." Based on Clayton Christensen's disruptive-innovation model, catalytic innovations challenge organizational incumbents by offering simpler, good-enough solutions aimed at underserved groups. Unlike disruptive innovations, though, catalytic innovations are focused on creating social change. Catalytic innovators are defined by five distinct qualities. First, they create social change through scaling and replication. Second, they meet a need that is either overserved (that is, the existing solution is more complex than necessary for many people) or not served at all. Third, the products and services they offer are simpler and cheaper than alternatives, but recipients view them as good enough. Fourth, they bring in resources in ways that initially seem unattractive to incumbents. And fifth, they are often ignored, put down, or even encouraged by existing organizations, which don't see the catalytic innovators' solutions as viable. As the authors show through examples in health care, education, and economic development, both nonprofit and for-profit groups are finding ways to create catalytic innovation that drives social change.

78 FR 29233 - Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-20

... to men and women seeking careers as public safety officers and to make a strong statement about the..., employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on the ability of United States-based enterprises to...

Implementation of Safe-by-Design for Nanomaterial Development and Safe Innovation: Why We Need a Comprehensive Approach

PubMed Central

Kraegeloh, Annette; Suarez-Merino, Blanca; Sluijters, Teun; Micheletti, Christian

2018-01-01

Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are regarded as key components of innovations in various fields with high potential impact (e.g., energy generation and storage, electronics, photonics, diagnostics, theranostics, or drug delivery agents). Widespread use of MNMs raises concerns about their safety for humans and the environment, possibly limiting the impact of the nanotechnology-based innovation. The development of safe MNMs and nanoproducts has to result in a safe as well as functional material or product. Its safe use, and disposal at the end of its life cycle must be taken into account too. However, not all MNMs are similarly useful for all applications, some might bear a higher hazard potential than others, and use scenarios could lead to different exposure probabilities. To improve both safety and efficacy of nanotechnology, we think that a new proactive approach is necessary, based on pre-regulatory safety assessment and dialogue between stakeholders. On the basis of the work carried out in different European Union (EU) initiatives, developing and integrating MNMs Safe-by-Design and Trusted Environments (NANoREG, ProSafe, and NanoReg2), we present our point of view here. This concept, when fully developed, will allow for cost effective industrial innovation, and an exchange of key information between regulators and innovators. Regulators are thus informed about incoming innovations in good time, supporting a proactive regulatory action. The final goal is to contribute to the nanotechnology governance, having faster, cheaper, effective, and safer nano-products on the market. PMID:29661997

Implementation of Safe-by-Design for Nanomaterial Development and Safe Innovation: Why We Need a Comprehensive Approach.

PubMed

Kraegeloh, Annette; Suarez-Merino, Blanca; Sluijters, Teun; Micheletti, Christian

2018-04-14

Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are regarded as key components of innovations in various fields with high potential impact (e.g., energy generation and storage, electronics, photonics, diagnostics, theranostics, or drug delivery agents). Widespread use of MNMs raises concerns about their safety for humans and the environment, possibly limiting the impact of the nanotechnology-based innovation. The development of safe MNMs and nanoproducts has to result in a safe as well as functional material or product. Its safe use, and disposal at the end of its life cycle must be taken into account too. However, not all MNMs are similarly useful for all applications, some might bear a higher hazard potential than others, and use scenarios could lead to different exposure probabilities. To improve both safety and efficacy of nanotechnology, we think that a new proactive approach is necessary, based on pre-regulatory safety assessment and dialogue between stakeholders. On the basis of the work carried out in different European Union (EU) initiatives, developing and integrating MNMs Safe-by-Design and Trusted Environments (NANoREG, ProSafe, and NanoReg2), we present our point of view here. This concept, when fully developed, will allow for cost effective industrial innovation, and an exchange of key information between regulators and innovators. Regulators are thus informed about incoming innovations in good time, supporting a proactive regulatory action. The final goal is to contribute to the nanotechnology governance, having faster, cheaper, effective, and safer nano-products on the market.

Are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Pedagogically Innovative?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armellini, Alejandro; Padilla Rodriguez, Brenda Cecilia

2016-01-01

While claims about pedagogic innovation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are common, most reports provide no evidence to justify those claims. This paper reports on a survey aimed at exploring how different stakeholders describe MOOCs, focusing on whether they would consider them pedagogically innovative, and if so, why. Respondents (n =…

Donor morbidity in right and left hemiliver living donor liver transplantation: the impact of graft selection and surgical innovation on donor safety.

PubMed

Iwasaki, Junji; Iida, Taku; Mizumoto, Masaki; Uemura, Tadahiro; Yagi, Shintaro; Hori, Tomohide; Ogawa, Kohei; Fujimoto, Yasuhiro; Mori, Akira; Kaido, Toshimi; Uemoto, Shinji

2014-11-01

This study investigated adequate liver graft selection for donor safety by comparing postoperative donor liver function and morbidity between the right and left hemilivers (RL and LL, respectively) of living donors. Between April 2006 and March 2012, RL (n = 168) and LL (n = 140) donor operations were performed for liver transplantation at Kyoto University Hospital. Postoperative hyperbilirubinemia and coagulopathy persisted in RL donors, whereas the liver function of LL donors normalized more rapidly. The overall complication rate of the RL donors was significantly higher than that of the LL donors (59.5% vs. 30.7%; P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in severe complications worse than Clavien grade IIIa or in biliary complication rates between the two donor groups. In April 2006, we introduced an innovative surgical procedure: hilar dissection preserving the blood supply to the bile duct during donor hepatectomy. Compared with our previous outcomes (1990-2006), the biliary complication rate of the RL donors decreased from 12.2% to 7.2%, and the severity of these complications was significantly lower. In conclusion, LL donors demonstrated good recovery in postoperative liver function and lower morbidity, and our surgical innovations reduced the severity of biliary complications in living donors. © 2014 Steunstichting ESOT.

Examining the Relationship between Teachers' Individual Innovativeness and Professionalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parlar, Hanifi; Cansoy, Ramazan

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' individual innovativeness and their teacher professionalism. The participants were 567 teachers working in elementary, middle and high schools located across Istanbul. The data were gathered through the "Individual Innovativeness Scale" and the "Teacher…

Identification of innovation in public health.

PubMed

Fung, Matthew; Simpson, Sue; Packer, Claire

2011-03-01

The National Horizon Scanning Centre provides national policy-makers in England with forewarning about emerging and new health technologies. This includes public health interventions (PHIs) but identification of these interventions is not always easy. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning and define innovation in public health. We used a quasi-Delphi method with questionnaire 1 sent to 106 public health and horizon scanning professionals and decision-makers in June 2008. Questionnaire 2 was developed based on answers to questionnaire 1 and sent to all respondents. A definition of innovative PHIs was developed: 'Innovative PHIs are generally new and different to established interventions. They should be equitable, applicable to all in a population, cost-effective and may address health determinants in the non-health sector of society. A good evidence base is ideal, but sometimes it may be necessary to consider PHIs lacking evidence'. Sources suggested for identifying innovative PHIs were similar to those used for other types of health technologies. Our findings should help early awareness and alert systems distinguish innovative from non-innovative PHIs, although its application in practice needs trialling.

Legal and Regulatory Barriers to Reverse Innovation.

PubMed

Rowthorn, Virginia; Plum, Alexander J; Zervos, John

Reverse innovation, or the importation of new, affordable, and efficacious models to high-income countries from the developing world, has emerged as a way to improve the health care system in the United States. Reverse innovation has been identified as a key emerging trend in global health systems in part because low-resourced settings are particularly good laboratories for low-cost/high-impact innovations that are developed out of necessity. A difficult question receiving scant attention is that of legal and regulatory barriers. The objective of this paper is to understand and elucidate the legal barriers faced by innovators bringing health interventions to the United States. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 key informants who have directly participated in the introduction of global health care approaches to the United States health system. A purposive sampling scheme was employed to identify participants. Phone interviews were conducted over one week in July 2016 with each participant and lasted an average of 35 minutes each. Purely legal barriers included questions surrounding tort liability, standard of care, and concerns around patient-administered self-care. Regulatory burdens included issues of international medical licensure, reimbursement, and task shifting and scope of work challenges among nonprofessionals (e.g. community health workers). Finally, perceived (i.e. not realized or experienced) legal and regulatory barriers to innovative modalities served as disincentives to bringing products or services developed outside of the United States to the United States market. Conflicting interests within the health care system, safety concerns, and little value placed on low-cost interventions inhibit innovation. Legal and regulatory barriers rank among, and contribute to, an anti-innovation atmosphere in healthcare for domestic and reverse innovators alike. Reverse innovation should be fostered through the thoughtful development of

Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program (WIPP): Technical Assistance Summary

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

Hollander, A.

2014-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office (WIPO) launched the Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program (WIPP) to accelerate innovations in whole-house weatherization and advance DOE's goal of increasing the energy efficiency and health and safety of low-income residences without the utilization of additional taxpayer funding. Sixteen WIPP grantees were awarded a total of $30 million in Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funds in September 2010. These projects focused on: including nontraditional partners in weatherization service delivery; leveraging significant non-federal funding; and improving the effectiveness of low-income weatherization through the use of newmore » materials, technologies, behavior-change models, and processes.« less

Which perceived characteristics make product innovations appealing to the consumer? A study on the acceptance of fruit innovations using cross-cultural consumer segmentation.

PubMed

Onwezen, Marleen C; Bartels, Jos

2011-08-01

In general, fruit consumption in the EU does not meet governments' recommended levels, and innovations in the fruit industry are thought to be useful for increasing fruit consumption. Despite the enormous number of product innovations, the majority of new products in the market fail within the first two years, due to a lack of consumer acceptance. Consumer segmentation may be a useful research tool to increase the success rates of new fruit products. The current study aims to identify consumer segments based on individual importance rankings of fruit choice motives. We conducted a cross-national, online panel survey on fresh fruit innovations in four European countries: the Netherlands (n=251), Greece (n=246), Poland (n=250), and Spain (n=250). Our cluster analysis revealed three homogeneous consumer segments: Average Joe, the Naturally conscious consumer, and the Health-oriented consumer. These consumer segments differed with respect to their importance ratings for fruit choice motives. Furthermore, the willingness to buy specific fruit innovations (i.e., genetically modified, functional food and convenience innovation) and the perceived product characteristics that influence this willingness differed across the segments. Our study could lead to more tailored marketing strategies aimed at increasing consumer acceptance of fruit product innovations based on consumer segmentation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Case Study of R-1234yf Refrigerant: Implications for the Framework for Responsible Innovation.

PubMed

Wodzisz, Rafał

2015-12-01

Safety and care for the natural environment are two of the most important values that drive scientific enterprise in twentieth century. Researchers and innovators often develop new technologies aimed at pollution reduction, and therefore satisfy the strive for fulfilment of these values. This work is often incentivized by policy makers. According to EU directive 2006/40/EC on mobile air conditioning since 2013 all newly approved vehicles have to be filled with refrigerant with low global warming potential (GWP). Extensive and expensive research financed by leading car manufacturers led to invention of R-1234yf refrigerant with GWP < 1, which was huge improvement. For the proper understanding of this case it will be useful to refer it to the idea of responsible innovation (RI), which is now being developed and quickly attracts attention. I proceed in the following order. Firstly, I present the relevant properties of R-1234yf and discuss the controversy associated with its marketing. Secondly, I examine framework for responsible innovation. In greater detail I discuss the notions of care for future generations and collective responsibility. Thirdly, I apply the offered framework to the case study at hand. Finally, I draw some conclusions which go in two directions: one is to make some suggestions for improving the framework of RI, and the second is to identify missed opportunities for developing truly responsible refrigerant.

Addressing the paradox of the team innovation process: A review and practical considerations.

PubMed

Thayer, Amanda L; Petruzzelli, Alexandra; McClurg, Caitlin E

2018-01-01

Facilitating team innovation is paramount to promoting progress in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, as well as advancing national health, safety, prosperity, and welfare. However, innovation teams face a unique set of challenges due to the novelty and uncertainty that is core to the definition of innovation, as well as the paradoxical nature of idea generation and idea implementation processes. These and other challenges must be overcome for innovation teams to realize their full potential for producing change. The purpose of this review is, thus, to provide insight into the unique context that these teams function within and provide an integrative, evidence-based, and practically useful, organizing heuristic that focuses on the most important considerations for facilitating team innovation. Finally, we provide practical guidance for psychologists, organizations, practitioners, scientists, educators, policymakers, and others who employ teams to produce novel, innovative solutions to today's problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Innovation Configurations: Analyzing the Adaptations of Innovations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Gene E.; Loucks, Susan F.

When implementing an innovation, a multitude of components interact to change not only the users, but the innovation as well. This guide explains the concept of innovation configurations, or adaptations made in innovations during implementation. After presenting and discussing past research on innovation changes, the report outlines a five step…

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

PubMed

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

2013-01-01

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

MO-A-BRC-00: TG167: Clinical Recommendations for Innovative Brachytherapy Devices and Applicators

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

NONE

Although a multicenter, Phase III, prospective, randomized trial is the gold standard for evidence-based medicine, it is rarely used to evaluate innovative radiotherapy devices because of many practical and ethical reasons. It is usually sufficient to compare the dose distributions and dose rates for determining equivalence of the innovative device to an existing one. Thus, quantitative evaluation of the dosimetric characteristics of an innovative brachytherapy device or application is a critical part in which physicists are actively involved. The physicist’s role, along with physician colleagues, in this process is highlighted for innovative products or applications and includes evaluation of 1)more » dosimetric considerations for clinical implementation (including calibrations, dose calculations, and radiobiological aspects) to comply with existing societal dosimetric prerequisites for sources in routine clinical use, 2) risks and benefits from regulatory and safety perspectives, and 3) resource assessment and preparedness. Further, calibration methods should be traceable to a primary standards dosimetry laboratory such as NIST in the U.S. or to other primary standards dosimetry laboratory located elsewhere. Clinical users should follow standards as approved by their country’s regulatory agencies that approved such a brachytherapy device. Integration of this system into the medical source calibration infrastructure of secondary standard dosimetry laboratories such as the ADCLs is encouraged before a source is introduced into widespread routine clinical use. The AAPM and GEC-ESTRO have developed guidelines for the safe and consistent application of brachytherapy using innovative brachytherapy devices and applications. The current report covers regulatory approvals, calibration, dose calculations, radiobiological issues, and overall safety concerns that should be addressed during the commissioning stage preceding clinical use. These guidelines are based on

Benchmarking road safety performance: Identifying a meaningful reference (best-in-class).

PubMed

Chen, Faan; Wu, Jiaorong; Chen, Xiaohong; Wang, Jianjun; Wang, Di

2016-01-01

For road safety improvement, comparing and benchmarking performance are widely advocated as the emerging and preferred approaches. However, there is currently no universally agreed upon approach for the process of road safety benchmarking, and performing the practice successfully is by no means easy. This is especially true for the two core activities of which: (1) developing a set of road safety performance indicators (SPIs) and combining them into a composite index; and (2) identifying a meaningful reference (best-in-class), one which has already obtained outstanding road safety practices. To this end, a scientific technique that can combine the multi-dimensional safety performance indicators (SPIs) into an overall index, and subsequently can identify the 'best-in-class' is urgently required. In this paper, the Entropy-embedded RSR (Rank-sum ratio), an innovative, scientific and systematic methodology is investigated with the aim of conducting the above two core tasks in an integrative and concise procedure, more specifically in a 'one-stop' way. Using a combination of results from other methods (e.g. the SUNflower approach) and other measures (e.g. Human Development Index) as a relevant reference, a given set of European countries are robustly ranked and grouped into several classes based on the composite Road Safety Index. Within each class the 'best-in-class' is then identified. By benchmarking road safety performance, the results serve to promote best practice, encourage the adoption of successful road safety strategies and measures and, more importantly, inspire the kind of political leadership needed to create a road transport system that maximizes safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning and Innovation Competence in Agricultural and Rural Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pant, Laxmi Prasad

2012-01-01

Purpose: The fields of competence development and capacity development remain isolated in the scholarship of learning and innovation despite the contemporary focus on innovation systems thinking in agricultural and rural development. This article aims to address whether and how crossing the conventional boundaries of these two fields provide new…

Stories from the Sharp End: Case Studies in Safety Improvement

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Douglas; Blumenthal, David

2006-01-01

Motivated by pressure and a wish to improve, health care organizations are implementing programs to improve patient safety. This article describes six natural experiments in health care safety that show where the safety field is heading and opportunities for and barriers to improvement. All these programs identified organizational culture change as critical to making patients safer, differing chiefly in their methods of creating a patient safety culture. Their goal is a safety culture that promotes continuing innovation and improvement, transcending whatever particular safety methodology is used. Policymakers could help stimulate a culture of safety by linking regulatory goals to safety culture expectations, sponsoring voluntary learning collaborations, rewarding safety improvements, better using publicly reported data, encouraging consumer involvement, and supporting research and education. PMID:16529572

Exploring the diffusion of tweets designed to raise the road safety agenda in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Albalawi, Yousef A; Sixsmith, Jane

2017-12-01

This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the diffusion process in social media such as Twitter as an example of the relationship between new media platforms and health promotion interventions. Evidence-informed tweets were developed, pilot tested and distributed to all followers of the Ministry of Health's Twitter account with the aim of influencing the agenda on road safety in Saudi Arabia. The dissemination pattern and influence of this health communication was assessed. We collected 70 tweets into two groups (29 intervention tweets and 41 additional supported tweets) extracted from the Tweetreach data set and then analysed them using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Using the concept of innovation/imitation as defined in the Bass Model, we classified retweeting by direct followers as innovation and retweeting by users who were not followers as imitation. In the study, we identify an informative indicator of successful diffusion and propose a novel procedure to measure innovation/imitation coefficients ( p and q). We also provided a statistical procedure for evaluating tweet adoption by innovators (influentials) and imitators. In addition, we also assessed the use of message design tools for new media messages. The resulting information can be used to improve public health and health promotion interventions at the levels of planning, design, implementation and evaluation.

Circle of Strength: Tribal Colleges Aim to Recruit and Retain Native Male Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pember, Mary Annette

2011-01-01

As tribal colleges aim to retain Native male students, they're finding that talking, drumming, construction, and spirituality may keep men in school. Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College (LCOOCC, Hayward, Wisconsin) is just one of the tribal colleges across the country looking for innovative ways to attract and retain more men.…

Technological innovation capability in Malaysian-owned resource-based manufacturing companies: Early findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razali, Nur Fhathyhah; Mohd Suradi, Nur Riza; Ahmad Shahabuddin, Faridatul Azna; Ismail, Wan Rosmanira; Abidin, Norkisme Zainal; Ahmad, Nor Amalina; Mustafa, Zainol

2013-04-01

This study aims to identify the determinants of technological innovation capability of Malaysian-owned companies in the resources-based manufacturing, to identify the relationship between technological innovation capability (TIC) and technological innovation performance (TIP) for the resource-based manufacturing. Furthermore, this study also aims to identify innovation capability factors that need more emphasis and improvements from the respective authority. The scope of the study covers four industries which are petrochemical industries, pharmaceutical industries, palm oil-based industries and food processing industries which are located in the state of Selangor. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and performance capability analysis were used in this study. It was found that, technological innovation capabilities (TIC) for companies in the resource-based manufacturing are moderate. Factors such as policies capability, human resources capability and facilities capability have a positive relationship with the performance of technological innovation (TIP). These findings will help the government in making decisions and better implementation of policies to strengthen the competitiveness of the company, particularly in resource-based manufacturing.

Innovation by patients with rare diseases and chronic needs.

PubMed

Oliveira, Pedro; Zejnilovic, Leid; Canhão, Helena; von Hippel, Eric

2015-04-09

We provide the first empirical exploration of disease-related innovation by patients and their caregivers. Our aims were to explore to what degree do patients develop innovative solutions; how many of these are unique developments; and do these solutions have positive perceived impact on the patients' overall quality of life? In addition, we explored the factors associated with patient innovation development, and sharing of the solutions that the patients developed. We administered a questionnaire via telephone interviewing to a sample of 500 rare disease patients and caregivers. The solutions reported were pre-screened by the authors for their fit with the self-developed innovation aim of the study. All the reported solutions were then validated for their novelty by two medical professionals. Logistic regression models were used to test the relationships between our key variables, patient innovation and solution sharing. 263 (53%) of our survey respondents reported developing and using a solution to improve management of their diseases. An initial screening removed 81 (16%) solutions for being an obvious misfit to the self-developed innovation aim of the study. This lowered the sample of potentially innovative solutions to 182 (36%). Assessment of novelty and usefulness of the solutions, conducted by two medical evaluators, confirmed that 40 solutions (8%) were indeed novel, while the remaining 142 (28%) were already known to medicine. The likelihood of patient innovation increased as the education level increased (OR 2, p < 0.05), and as their perception of limitations imposed by their disease increased (OR 1.3, p < 0.05). 55 individuals diffused their solutions to some degree, with 50 of these sharing via direct diffusion to other patients. There is a positive relationship between the impact of a solution on the respondents' overall quality of life and likelihood of solution sharing. Given that hundreds of millions of people worldwide are afflicted by rare

Organizational culture and climate for promoting innovativeness.

PubMed

Joseph, M Lindell

2015-03-01

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of nurse leaders and nurses in a hospital whose patient care mission was stated as innovation. Nurses are critically positioned to provide creative and innovative solutions that make a difference in the lives of patients, organizations, communities, and the profession. This 2-phase qualitative study used a content analysis and thematic analysis approach to describe experiences and to generate a beginning conceptual framework of the experience. Results from phase 1 and phase 2 of this study demonstrate that innovativeness in nursing is a multifaceted phenomenon consisting of workplace antecedents followed by a social process. Nursing innovation requires organizational commitment to allow employees to inquire and question organizational practices and issues on behalf of the mission, patient care, and nursing practice.

Quality-Oriented Management of Educational Innovation at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sofanudin, Aji; Rokhman, Fathur; Wasino; Rusdarti

2016-01-01

This study aims to explore the quality-oriented management of educational innovation at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah. Quality-Oriented Management of Educational Innovation is the process of managing new resources (ideas, practices, objects, methods) in the field of education to achieve educational goals or solve the problem of education. New ideas,…

Innovation management based on proactive engagement of customers: A case study on LEGO Group. Part I: Innovation Management at Lego Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu, G.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

Customers' proactive engagement in the innovation process represents a business priority for companies which adopt the open innovation business model. In such a context, it is of outmost importance for companies to use the online environment and social media, in order to create an interactive and open dialogue with customers and other important external stakeholders, achieving to gather creative solutions and innovative ideas by involving them in the process of co-creating value. Thus, the current paper is based on a case study approach, which aims to highlight the open innovation business model of the LEGO Group, one of the most successful and active company in engaging customers in submitting ideas and creative solutions for developing new products and new technologies, through online platforms. The study then proceeds to analyze the innovation management at LEGO Group, emphasizing the most important elements regarding the management team, the success and failures, the evolution of the LEGO products focusing on the innovation efforts of the company, its mission, vision, and values, emphasizing the innovation terms which guide the actions and objectives of the LEGO Group. Also, the research based on the case study approach, outlines the most important policies and strategies of the company, the organizational structure consisting of flat structures which facilitate the orientation of the team management on the innovation process and the proactive involvement of consumers and other external stakeholders in product development, highlighting also the most important activities developed by the management team in exploring the new opportunities which may occur on the market, involving customers in sharing their ideas at festivals, participating to discussions of adult fans on web-based platforms and establishing partnerships with the external stakeholders in order to create value. Moreover, the paper is focused on identifying the company's concerns regarding the

The reluctant innovator: orangutans and the phylogeny of creativity

PubMed Central

van Schaik, C. P.; Burkart, J.; Damerius, L.; Forss, S. I. F.; Koops, K.; van Noordwijk, M. A.; Schuppli, C.

2016-01-01

Young orangutans are highly neophobic, avoid independent exploration and show a preference for social learning. Accordingly, they acquire virtually all their learned skills through exploration that is socially induced. Adult exploration rates are also low. Comparisons strongly suggest that major innovations, i.e. behaviours that have originally been brought into the population through individual invention, are made where ecological opportunities to do so are propitious. Most populations nonetheless have large innovation repertoires, because innovations, once made, are retained well through social transmission. Wild orangutans are therefore not innovative. In striking contrast, zoo-living orangutans actively seek novelty and are highly exploratory and innovative, probably because of positive reinforcement, active encouragement by human role models, increased sociality and an expectation of safety. The explanation for this contrast most relevant to hominin evolution is that captive apes generally have a highly reduced cognitive load, in particular owing to the absence of predation risk, which strongly reduces the costs of exploration. If the orangutan results generalize to other great apes, this suggests that our ancestors could have become more curious once they had achieved near-immunity to predation on the eve of the explosive increase in creativity characterizing the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution. PMID:26926274

An overview of the safety pharmacology society strategic plan.

PubMed

Pugsley, M K; Authier, S; Koerner, J E; Redfern, W S; Markgraf, C G; Brabham, T; Correll, K; Soloviev, M V; Botchway, A; Engwall, M; Traebert, M; Valentin, J-P; Mow, T J; Greiter-Wilke, A; Leishman, D J; Vargas, H M

2018-01-09

Safety Pharmacology studies are conducted to characterize the confidence by which biologically active new chemical entities (NCE) may be anticipated as safe. Non-clinical safety pharmacology studies aim to detect and characterize potentially undesirable pharmacodynamic activities using an array of in silico, in vitro and in vivo animal models. While a broad spectrum of methodological innovation and advancement of the science occurs within the Safety Pharmacology Society, the society also focuses on partnerships with health authorities and technology providers and facilitates interaction with organizations of common interest such as pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience, cardiology and toxicology. Education remains a primary emphasis for the society through content derived from regional and annual meetings, webinars and publication of its works it seeks to inform the general scientific and regulatory community. In considering the future of safety pharmacology the society has developed a strategy to successfully navigate forward and not be mired in stagnation of the discipline. Strategy can be defined in numerous ways but generally involves establishing and setting goals, determining what actions are needed to achieve those goals, and mobilizing resources within the society to accomplish the actions. The discipline remains in rapid evolution and its coverage is certain to expand to provide better guidance for more systems in the next few years. This overview from the Safety Pharmacology Society will outline the strategic plan from 2016 to 2018 and beyond and provide insight into the future of the discipline which builds upon a previous strategic plan established in 2009. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Operationalizing a Nursing Innovation Center Within a Health Care System.

PubMed

Albert, Nancy M

In nursing, the terms "innovation" and "innovative" are used freely, especially when individuals or groups either develop something new or improve upon current practice. Innovation is often considered adjunct work, not part of foundational work that aims to meet the vision, mission, and values of the organization. Nurse leaders must include innovation as an important theme of this foundational work. Innovation must become a core expectation of all nurses and nursing team members. Team members can provide ideas that lead to innovations. They can also carry out roles that enhance or cultivate ideas, promote prototyping, ensure innovative ideas are efficacious and effective, and facilitate dissemination and diffusion into practice. To ensure that innovation is incorporated as part of nursing practice and then sustained over time, horizontal (elemental) and vertical (global) infrastructure and processes are needed. In this article, operationalization of a Nursing Innovation Center is described and rationale for specific horizontal and vertical services and features is discussed.

Innovation Can Be Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cankar, Stanka Setnikar; Cankar, Franc

2013-01-01

A two-year project was organised to promote creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for young people in eight Slovenian regions. The project's aim was to train teacher-mentors, who then trained pupils and worked with them and local community representatives to carry out projects. The paper presents the findings of a project that monitored the…

Volpe Center Annual Accomplishments: Advancing Transportation Innovation for the Public Good - January 2018

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

The Volpe Centers Annual Accomplishments highlights our best work of 2017 and illustrates the sustained impact of the Volpe Center in supporting the U.S. DOTs top priorities and strategic goals: safety, infrastructure, innovation, and accountab...

Proceedings from the Digital Innovation in Mental Health Conference, London, 2017

PubMed Central

Inkster, Becky

2018-01-01

Aims and Scope: The conference aims were two-fold: (1) to explore how digital technology is implemented into personalized and/or group mental health interventions and (2) to promote digital equality through developing culturally sensitive ways of bringing technological innovation to disadvantaged groups. A broad scope of perspectives were welcomed and encouraged, from lived experience, academic, clinical, media, the arts, policy-making, tech innovation, and other perspectives. PMID:29623001

Improving safety culture through the health and safety organization: a case study.

PubMed

Nielsen, Kent J

2014-02-01

International research indicates that internal health and safety organizations (HSO) and health and safety committees (HSC) do not have the intended impact on companies' safety performance. The aim of this case study at an industrial plant was to test whether the HSO can improve company safety culture by creating more and better safety-related interactions both within the HSO and between HSO members and the shop-floor. A quasi-experimental single case study design based on action research with both quantitative and qualitative measures was used. Based on baseline mapping of safety culture and the efficiency of the HSO three developmental processes were started aimed at the HSC, the whole HSO, and the safety representatives, respectively. Results at follow-up indicated a marked improvement in HSO performance, interaction patterns concerning safety, safety culture indicators, and a changed trend in injury rates. These improvements are interpreted as cultural change because an organizational double-loop learning process leading to modification of the basic assumptions could be identified. The study provides evidence that the HSO can improve company safety culture by focusing on safety-related interactions. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council.

Safety Teams: An Approach to Engage Students in Laboratory Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alaimo, Peter J.; Langenhan, Joseph M.; Tanner, Martha J.; Ferrenberg, Scott M.

2010-01-01

We developed and implemented a yearlong safety program into our organic chemistry lab courses that aims to enhance student attitudes toward safety and to ensure students learn to recognize, demonstrate, and assess safe laboratory practices. This active, collaborative program involves the use of student "safety teams" and includes…

Installed Base as a Facilitator for User-Driven Innovation: How Can User Innovation Challenge Existing Institutional Barriers?

PubMed Central

Andersen, Synnøve Thomassen; Jansen, Arild

2012-01-01

The paper addresses an ICT-based, user-driven innovation process in the health sector in rural areas in Norway. The empirical base is the introduction of a new model for psychiatric health provision. This model is supported by a technical solution based on mobile phones that is aimed to help the communication between professional health personnel and patients. This innovation was made possible through the use of standard mobile technology rather than more sophisticated systems. The users were heavily involved in the development work. Our analysis shows that by thinking simple and small-scale solutions, including to take the user's needs and premises as a point of departure rather than focusing on advanced technology, the implementation process was made possible. We show that by combining theory on information infrastructures, user-oriented system development, and innovation in a three-layered analytical framework, we can explain the interrelationship between technical, organizational, and health professional factors that made this innovation a success. PMID:23304134

Aims and approaches of Web-RADR: a consortium ensuring reliable ADR reporting via mobile devices and new insights from social media.

PubMed

Ghosh, Rajesh; Lewis, David

2015-01-01

Advent of new technologies in mobile devices and software applications is leading to an evolving change in the extent, geographies and modes for use of internet. Today, it is used not only for information gathering but for sharing of experiences, opinions and suggestions. Web-Recognizing Adverse Drug Reactions (RADR) is a groundbreaking European Union (EU) Innovative Medicines Innovation funded 3-year initiative to recommend policies, frameworks, tools and methodologies by leveraging these new developments to get new insights in drug safety. Data were gathered from prior surveys, previous initiatives and a review of relevant literature was done. New technologies provide an opportunity in the way safety information is collected, helping generate new knowledge for safety profile of drugs as well as unique insights into the evolving pharmacovigilance system in general. It is critical that these capabilities are harnessed in a way that is ethical, compliant with regulations, respecting data privacy and used responsibly. At the same time, the process for managing and interpreting this new information must be efficient and effective for sustenance, thoughtful use of resources and valuable return of knowledge. These approaches should complement the ongoing progress toward personalized medicine. This Web-RADR initiative should provide some directions on 'what and how' to use social media to further proactive pharmacovigilance and protection of public health. It is expected to also show how a multipronged expert consortium group comprising regulators, industry and academia can leverage new developments in technology and society to bring innovation in process, operations, organization and scientific approaches across its boundaries and beyond the normal realms of individual research units. These new approaches should bring insights faster, earlier, specific, actionable and moving toward the target of AE prevention. The possibilities of a blended targeted pharmacovigilance

Conceptual design of a crewed reusable space transportation system aimed at parabolic flights: stakeholder analysis, mission concept selection, and spacecraft architecture definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fusaro, Roberta; Viola, Nicole; Fenoglio, Franco; Santoro, Francesco

2017-03-01

This paper proposes a methodology to derive architectures and operational concepts for future earth-to-orbit and sub-orbital transportation systems. In particular, at first, it describes the activity flow, methods, and tools leading to the generation of a wide range of alternative solutions to meet the established goal. Subsequently, the methodology allows selecting a small number of feasible options among which the optimal solution can be found. For the sake of clarity, the first part of the paper describes the methodology from a theoretical point of view, while the second part proposes the selection of mission concepts and of a proper transportation system aimed at sub-orbital parabolic flights. Starting from a detailed analysis of the stakeholders and their needs, the major objectives of the mission have been derived. Then, following a system engineering approach, functional analysis tools as well as concept of operations techniques allowed generating a very high number of possible ways to accomplish the envisaged goals. After a preliminary pruning activity, aimed at defining the feasibility of these concepts, more detailed analyses have been carried out. Going on through the procedure, the designer should move from qualitative to quantitative evaluations, and for this reason, to support the trade-off analysis, an ad-hoc built-in mission simulation software has been exploited. This support tool aims at estimating major mission drivers (mass, heat loads, manoeuverability, earth visibility, and volumetric efficiency) as well as proving the feasibility of the concepts. Other crucial and multi-domain mission drivers, such as complexity, innovation level, and safety have been evaluated through the other appropriate analyses. Eventually, one single mission concept has been selected and detailed in terms of layout, systems, and sub-systems, highlighting also logistic, safety, and maintainability aspects.

Development Principles of the Pedagogical System Aimed at Bachelor Training Based on Modern Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurymbayev, Sayat G.; Samashova, Gulfarida E.; Alshynbayeva, Zhuldyz E.; Mukhametzhanova, Aigul O.; Sharazdin, Adilzada M.; Kalybekova, Kalamkas S.; Kosybaeva, Umitzhan A.

2016-01-01

Modern education is aimed at training competent specialists, which requires modernizing the training process by implementing innovative technologies, especially information technologies. Information technologies allow quickly accessing necessary data, which speeds up the training process. This paper deals with issues related to training bachelors…

Creating a culture of safety: why CEOs hold the key to improved outcomes.

PubMed

Birk, Susan

2009-01-01

When the nonprofit VHA foundation, created by VHA Inc., Irving, Texas, embarked on a national patient safety initiative it looked first to outside industries, gathering information and ideas from pioneers in nuclear energy, aviation, the military and other innovation-rich fields known for safety excellence.

The Role of Field Education in a University-Community Partnership Aimed at Curriculum Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Laura A.; Kusmaul, Nancy; Elze, Diane; Butler, Lisa

2016-01-01

University-community partnerships can play an important role in curriculum development, but little has been written about the role of community agencies in designing curricula. This article describes the role of field education in an innovative university-community partnership aimed at transforming an MSW curriculum to integrate a trauma-informed…

Quackery or quality: the ethicolegal basis for a legislative framework for medical innovation.

PubMed

Samanta, Jo; Samanta, Ash

2015-06-01

Innovative therapy is a matter of recent public interest, particularly following Lord Saatchi's Medical Innovation Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to encourage responsible innovation in medical treatment. We argue for the need to achieve a balance between the risks of medical innovation and patient safety considerations. We make the case for statutory regulation of medical innovation on the basis of responsible innovation, choice and patient-centred care. At the heart of regulation of medical innovation is care delivered by a process which is accountable, transparent and allows full consideration of all relevant matters. This paper proposes a two-stage test (to assess applicability of medical innovation as well as suitability for the choice of intervention to be undertaken). It is suggested that this model would provide safeguards for patients as well as define limits for doctors in the context of innovative therapy. Implementation and application of such therapy must be underpinned by due process and governance oversight, which could be provided through context-specific professional peer review. A combination of these ethicolegal principles would permit responsible medical innovation and maximise benefit in terms of therapy and patient-centred care. 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.

Health System Transformation through a Scalable, Actionable Innovation Strategy.

PubMed

Snowdon, Anne

2017-01-01

The authors who contributed to this issue of Healthcare Papers have provided rich insights into a promising innovation agenda to support transformational change aimed at achieving high-performing, person-centric health systems that are sustainable and deliver value. First and foremost, the commentaries make clear that a focused innovation agenda with defined goals, objectives and milestones is needed, if innovation is to be a viable and successful strategy to achieve health system transformation. To date, innovation has been a catch-all term for solving the many challenges health systems are experiencing. Yet, innovation on its own cannot fix all the ills of a health system; strategic goals and objectives are needed to define the way forward if innovation is to achieve value for Canadians. To this end, the authors identify goals and objectives that are worthy of serious consideration by all health system stakeholders.

Innovation in surgical technology and techniques: Challenges and ethical issues.

PubMed

Geiger, James D; Hirschl, Ronald B

2015-06-01

The pace of medical innovation continues to increase. The deployment of new technologies in surgery creates many ethical challenges including how to determine safety of the technology, what is the timing and process for deployment of a new technology, how are patients informed before undergoing a new technology or technique, how are the outcomes of a new technology evaluated and how are the responsibilities of individual patients and society at large balanced. Ethical considerations relevant to the implementation of ECMO and robotic surgery are explored to further discussion of how we can optimize the delicate balance between innovation and regulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innovation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA frames innovation as critical to the protection of human health and the environment through initiatives such as sustainable practices, innovative research, prize competitions, innovation awards, partnerships, and community activities.

Curriculum Innovation in Undergraduate Accounting Degree Programmes through "Virtual Internships"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayerlein, Leopold

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss major criticisms of traditional undergraduate accounting programmes and to introduce virtual internships as a curriculum innovation that addresses these criticisms. Design/methodology/approach: The main aim of the paper is to inspire curriculum innovation in accounting programmes though the…

Fire safety of ground-based space facilities on the spaceport ;Vostochny;

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artamonov, Vladimir S.; Gordienko, Denis M.; Melikhov, Anatoly S.

2017-06-01

The facilities of the spaceport ;Vostochny; and the innovative technologies for fire safety to be implemented are considered. The planned approaches and prospects for fire safety ensuring at the facilities of the spaceport ;Vostochny; are presented herein, based on the study of emergency situations having resulted in fire accidents and explosion cases at the facilities supporting space vehicles operation.

Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUX): Innovative or Excessive

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-06

DIUx, and the short history of DIUx. Innovation principles from authors Vijay Govindarajan, Michael Docherty, and Clayton Christensen are then...innovation principles such as performance engine & innovative team, collective / open innovation, and disruptive technology and its implications – is...various innovation principles drawing primarily from work by authors Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, Michael Docherty, and Clayton Christenson

German innovation initiative for nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieke, Volker; Bachmann, Gerd

2004-10-01

In many areas of nanotechnology, Germany can count on a good knowledge basis due to its diverse activities in nanosciences. This knowledge basis, when paired with the production and sales structures needed for implementation and the internationally renowned German talent for system integration, should consequently lead to success in the marketplace. And this is exactly the field of application for the innovation initiative "Nanotechnologie erobert Märkte" (nanotechnology conquers markets) and for the new BMBF strategy in support of nanotechnology. Until now, aspects of nanotechnology have been advanced within the confines of their respective technical subject areas. However, the primary aim of incorporating them into an overall national strategy is to build on Germany's well-developed and internationally competitive research in science and technology to tap the potential of Germany's important industrial sectors for the application of nanotechnology through joint research projects (leading-edge innovations) that strategically target the value-added chain. This development is to be supported by government education policy to remedy a threatening shortage of skilled professionals. To realize that goal, forward-looking political policymaking must become oriented to a uniform concept of innovation, one that takes into consideration all facets of new technological advances that can contribute to a new culture of innovation in Germany. And that includes education and research policy as well as a climate that encourages and supports innovation in science, business and society.

Exploring the Role of Value Networks for Software Innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, Lorraine; Conboy, Kieran

This paper describes a research-in-progress that aims to explore the applicability and implications of open innovation practices in two firms - one that employs agile development methods and another that utilizes open source software. The open innovation paradigm has a lot in common with open source and agile development methodologies. A particular strength of agile approaches is that they move away from 'introverted' development, involving only the development personnel, and intimately involves the customer in all areas of software creation, supposedly leading to the development of a more innovative and hence more valuable information system. Open source software (OSS) development also shares two key elements of the open innovation model, namely the collaborative development of the technology and shared rights to the use of the technology. However, one shortfall with agile development in particular is the narrow focus on a single customer representative. In response to this, we argue that current thinking regarding innovation needs to be extended to include multiple stakeholders both across and outside the organization. Additionally, for firms utilizing open source, it has been found that their position in a network of potential complementors determines the amount of superior value they create for their customers. Thus, this paper aims to get a better understanding of the applicability and implications of open innovation practices in firms that employ open source and agile development methodologies. In particular, a conceptual framework is derived for further testing.

Innovation Management Perceptions of Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakir, Asli Agiroglu

2016-01-01

This study is aimed to determine the perceptions of principals about innovation management and to investigate whether there is a significant difference in this perception according to various parameters. In the study, descriptive research model is used and universe is consisted from principals who participated in "Acquiring Formation Course…

Child-safety Containers/Devices and Compounding.

PubMed

Allen, Loyd V

2017-01-01

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been around since it was created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act. Its purpose is to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." Manufactured drugs must meet the standards unless specifically exempted. Dispensing and compounding pharmacists must also meet the standards. Due to a smaller market size, compliant products to meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards to aid compounding pharmacists have been slow in coming. However, now there are numerous different products, some introduced recently, which make it easier for compounding pharmacists to comply with the standards. The new technologies are innovative and serve a great need. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Setting an Agenda for Greater Discipline Contextualisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maritz, Alex; Donovan, Jerome

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the synergies, similarities and differences between entrepreneurship and innovation education and training programs, with the aim of challenging the context of such programs. Design/methodology/approach: This study utilises an extensive review of extant literature in the fields of innovation,…

The INNOVATION Trial: four-year safety and effectiveness of the INCRAFT® AAA Stent-Graft System for endovascular repair.

PubMed

Pratesi, Giovanni; Pratesi, Carlo; Chiesa, Roberto; Coppi, Gioacchino; Scheinert, Dierk; Brunkwall, Jan S; van der Meulen, Stefaan; Torsello, Giovanni

2017-10-01

This paper reports the 4-year safety and effectiveness of the INCRAFT® AAA Stent-Graft System (Cordis Corp., Milpitas, CA, USA), an ultra-low-profile device for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The INNOVATION Trial is the prospective, first-in-human, multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the INCRAFT® System. Patients underwent annual clinical and computed tomography angiography examination as part of the study protocol. The INCRAFT® AAA Stent-Graft System is a customizable tri-modular design, with an ultra-low profile (14-Fr) delivery system. Patient were treated under approved protocol, the prescribed clinical and imaging follow-up at annually through 5 years. Results analyzed and adjudicated by a clinical events committee, independent core laboratory, and a data safety and monitoring board. This manuscript reports results through 4 years of follow-up. A total of 60 patients were enrolled in the trial, all of whom were successfully treated. Follow-up rates at 1 and 4 years were 93% (56/60) and 85% (51/60), respectively. All-cause mortality at 4 years was 17.6% and no death was AAA-, device-, or procedure-related. The secondary reintervention rate at 1 year was 4.6%, primarily the result of stent thrombosis. In total, 10 patients required 13 post-procedure interventions within 4-years of follow-up (2 to repair a type I endoleak, 4 to repair a type II endoleak, 1 for stent thrombosis, 1 for renal stenosis, 1 for aneurysm enlargement, 2 for limb migration and 2 for prosthesis stenosis or occlusion). There were 4 cases (10%) of aneurysm enlargement reported at the 4 year follow-up. At 4 years, 38 out of 39 patients were free from type I and III endoleaks. There were no proximal type I or type III endoleaks at 4-year follow-up. Core laboratory evaluation of the postoperative imaging studies indicated absence of endograft migration while a single fracture was demonstrated without any clinical sequelae. The INCRAFT® AAA Stent

To make or buy patient safety solutions: a resource dependence and transaction cost economics perspective.

PubMed

Fareed, Naleef; Mick, Stephen S

2011-01-01

For almost a decade, public and private organizations have pressured hospitals to improve their patient safety records. Since 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has no longer been reimbursing hospitals for secondary diagnoses not reported during the point of admission. This ruling has motivated some hospitals to engage in safety-oriented programs to decrease adverse events. This study examined which hospitals may engage in patient safety solutions and whether they create these patient safety solutions within their structures or use suppliers in the market. We used a theoretical model that incorporates the key constructs of resource dependence theory and transaction cost economics theory to predict a hospital's reaction to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "never event" regulations. We present propositions that speculate on how forces conceptualized from the resource dependence theory may affect adoption of patient safety innovations and, when they do, whether the adopting hospitals will do so internally or externally according to the transaction cost economics theory. On the basis of forces identified by the resource dependence theory, we predict that larger, teaching, safety net, horizontally integrated, highly interdependent, and public hospitals in concentrated, high public payer presence, competitive, and resource-rich environments will be more likely to engage in patient safety innovations. Following the logic of the transaction cost economics theory, we predict that of the hospitals that react positively to the never event regulation, most will internalize their innovations in patient safety solutions rather than approach the market, a choice that helps hospitals economize on transaction costs. This study helps hospital managers in their strategic thinking and planning in relation to current and future regulations related to patient safety. For researchers and policy analysts, our propositions provide the basis for empirical testing.

Innovative health systems projects.

PubMed

Green, Michael; Amad, Mansoor; Woodland, Mark

2015-02-01

Residency programmes struggle with the systems-based practice and improvement competency promoted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The development of Innovative Health Systems Projects (IHelP) was driven by the need for better systems-based initiatives at an institutional level. Our objective was to develop a novel approach that successfully incorporates systems-based practice in our Graduate Medical Education (GME) programmes, while tracking our impact on health care delivery as an academic medical centre. We started the IHelP programme as a 'volunteer initiative' in 2010. A detailed description of the definition, development and implementation of the IHelP programme, along with our experience of the first year, is described. Residents, fellows and faculty mentors all played an important role in establishing the foundation of this initiative. Following the positive response, we have now incorporated IHelP into all curricula as a graduating requirement. IHelP has promoted scholarly activity and faculty mentorship, [and] has improved aspects of patient care and safety A total of 123 residents and fellows, representing 26 specialties, participated. We reviewed 145 projects that addressed topics ranging from administrative and departmental improvements to clinical care algorithms. The projects by area of focus were: patient care - clinical care, 38 per cent; patient care - quality, 27 per cent; resident education, 21 per cent; and a cumulative 16 per cent among pharmacy, department activities, patient education, medical records and clinical facility. We are pleased with the results of our first year of incorporating a systems-based improvement programme into the GME programmes. This initiative has promoted scholarly activity and faculty mentorship, has improved aspects of patient care and safety, and has led to the development of many practical innovations. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Searching for needles in a haystack: identifying innovations to prevent MSDs in the construction sector.

PubMed

Kramer, Desre M; Bigelow, Philip L; Carlan, Niki; Wells, Richard P; Garritano, Enzo; Vi, Peter; Plawinski, Marek

2010-07-01

This study identified innovations that could potentially reduce the risk of MSDs in the construction sector. The action research approach was based on a collaborative model of researchers working with workplace representatives. We searched for innovations being used by construction companies. From a potential database of 125 innovations, the study focused on 20 innovations that varied in their penetration into worksites in the geographical area, represented a variety of trades, and were a cross-section of tools and work organizational processes. It examined the attributes of the innovations, and the barriers to their adoption. The analysis was based on observations of workers, surveys of workers and construction-safety consultants, and company interviews. The study found that innovations were adopted by companies for multiple advantages including productivity and quality, but not necessarily ability to reduce MSD risks, their non-complexity, and cost. The major barriers for adoption were the traditional culture of the construction sector rather than financial ones. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The dark and bright sides of self-efficacy in predicting learning, innovative and risky performances.

PubMed

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

2012-11-01

The objective of this study is to analyze the different role that efficacy beliefs play in the prediction of learning, innovative and risky performances. We hypothesize that high levels of efficacy beliefs in learning and innovative performances have positive consequences (i.e., better academic and innovative performance, respectively), whereas in risky performances they have negative consequences (i.e., less safety performance). To achieve this objective, three studies were conducted, 1) a two-wave longitudinal field study among 527 undergraduate students (learning setting), 2) a three-wave longitudinal lab study among 165 participants performing innovative group tasks (innovative setting), and 3) a field study among 228 construction workers (risky setting). As expected, high levels of efficacy beliefs have positive or negative consequences on performance depending on the specific settings. Unexpectedly, however, we found no time x self-efficacy interaction effect over time in learning and innovative settings. Theoretical and practical implications within the social cognitive theory of A. Bandura framework are discussed.

Innovation: Tougher than It Looks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2011-01-01

Massive federal education competitions like the $650 million Investing in Innovation fund have heightened interest in practical education research, but even the most promising findings aimed at improving student learning face a long, uncertain path to become something more concrete and usable for the classroom. Unlike fields such as physics or…

3 CFR 8672 - Proclamation 8672 of May 9, 2011. National Building Safety Month, 2011

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... public and private sectors—to implement effective standards and codes that sustain safe and resilient structures. We need innovation and partnerships at all levels of society to develop transformative... Proclamation Building safety is a critical component of our homeland security, our personal and public safety...

Safe patient care - safety culture and risk management in otorhinolaryngology.

PubMed

St Pierre, Michael

2013-12-13

Safety culture is positioned at the heart of an organization's vulnerability to error because of its role in framing organizational awareness to risk and in providing and sustaining effective strategies of risk management. Safety related attitudes of leadership and management play a crucial role in the development of a mature safety culture ("top-down process"). A type marker for organizational culture and thus a predictor for an organization's maturity in respect to safety is information flow and in particular an organization's general way of coping with information that suggests anomaly. As all values and beliefs, relationships, learning, and other aspects of organizational safety culture are about sharing and processing information, safety culture has been termed "informed culture". An informed culture is free of blame and open for information provided by incidents. "Incident reporting systems" are the backbone of a reporting culture, where good information flow is likely to support and encourage other kinds of cooperative behavior, such as problem solving, innovation, and inter-departmental bridging. Another facet of an informed culture is the free flow of information during perioperative patient care. The World Health Organization's safe surgery checklist" is the most prevalent example of a standardized information exchange aimed at preventing patient harm due to information deficit. In routine tasks mandatory standard operating procedures have gained widespread acceptance in guaranteeing the highest possible process quality. Technical and non-technical skills of healthcare professionals are the decisive human resource for an efficient and safe delivery of patient care and the avoidance of errors. The systematic enhancement of staff qualification by providing training opportunities can be a major investment in patient safety. In recent years several otorhinolaryngology departments have started to incorporate stimulation based team trainings into their

[Safe patient care: safety culture and risk management in otorhinolaryngology].

PubMed

St Pierre, M

2013-04-01

Safety culture is positioned at the heart of an organisation's vulnerability to error because of its role in framing organizational awareness to risk and in providing and sustaining effective strategies of risk management. Safety related attitudes of leadership and management play a crucial role in the development of a mature safety culture ("top-down process"). A type marker for organizational culture and thus a predictor for an organizations maturity in respect to safety is information flow and in particular an organization's general way of coping with information that suggests anomaly. As all values and beliefs, relationships, learning, and other aspects of organizational safety culture are about sharing and processing information, safety culture has been termed "informed culture". An informed culture is free of blame and open for information provided by incidents. "Incident reporting systems" are the backbone of a reporting culture, where good information flow is likely to support and encourage other kinds of cooperative behavior, such as problem solving, innovation, and inter-departmental bridging. Another facet of an informed culture is the free flow of information during perioperative patient care. The World Health Organisation's "safe surgery checklist" is the most prevalent example of a standardized information exchange aimed at preventing patient harm due to information deficit. In routine tasks mandatory standard operating procedures have gained widespread acceptance in guaranteeing the highest possible process quality.Technical and non-technical skills of healthcare professionals are the decisive human resource for an efficient and safe delivery of patient care and the avoidance of errors. The systematic enhancement of staff qualification by providing training opportunities can be a major investment in patient safety. In recent years several otorhinolaryngology departments have started to incorporate simulation based team trainings into their curriculum

Innovation value chain capability in Malaysian-owned company: A theoretical framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidin, Norkisme Zainal; Suradi, Nur Riza Mohd

2014-09-01

Good quality products or services are no longer adequate to guarantee the sustainability of a company in the present competitive business. Prior research has developed various innovation models with the hope to better understand the innovativeness of the company. Due to countless definitions, indicators, factors, parameter and approaches in the study of innovation, it is difficult to ensure which one will best suit the Malaysian-owned company innovativeness. This paper aims to provide a theoretical background to support the framework of the innovation value chain capability in Malaysian-owned Company. The theoretical framework was based on the literature reviews, expert interviews and focus group study. The framework will be used to predict and assess the innovation value chain capability in Malaysian-owned company.

School Innovation: The Mutual Impacts of Organizational Learning and Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCharen, Belinda; Song, JiHoon; Martens, Jon

2011-01-01

The primary aim of this research is to identify cultural determinants of organizational learning and knowledge creation practices, which could be the driving factors for the innovation process in school settings (Mulford, 1998; Silins et al., 2002). A conceptual process model for school innovation was developed. In contrast to previous approaches,…

Clinical studies of innovative medical devices: what level of evidence for hospital-based health technology assessment?

PubMed

Boudard, Aurélie; Martelli, Nicolas; Prognon, Patrice; Pineau, Judith

2013-08-01

Like health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, hospitals are faced with requests for innovative and costly medical devices. However, local decision makers are frequently confronted with a lack of high-quality clinical data when assessing the effectiveness of innovative medical devices. The aim of this study was to quantify the level of evidence available for innovative medical devices in the context of hospital-based HTA. We searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for articles, letters and reports relating to 32 innovative medical devices requested at our hospital between January 2008 and March 2012. All clinical studies retrieved were screened and classified according to the Sackett 5-point level-of-evidence scale. We screened and classified 217 studies: 215 clinical trials and 2 cost-effectiveness studies. Only 47 of the 215 clinical studies (22%) provided high-level clinical evidence (levels 1-2); 33 (15%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). More than half of the 215 studies (52.1%) included fewer than 30 patients. Only 14 of the 47 high-quality studies reported the amount of missing data. For implantable medical devices, 84 (71.8%) studies specified the follow-up period and the mean follow-up period was 18.9 months. Finally, methodological quality did not increase with the risk level of the medical device. Our findings confirm that only a few studies of innovative medical devices provide high-level clinical evidence. Nevertheless, RCT may be the 'gold standard' for drugs, but it is not always appropriate for medical devices. Changes to the European regulation of medical devices, with the requirement for a demonstration of clinical efficacy and safety before release onto the European market, have raised expectations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Exploring factors that influence the spread and sustainability of a dysphagia innovation: an instrumental case study.

PubMed

Ilott, Irene; Gerrish, Kate; Eltringham, Sabrina A; Taylor, Carolyn; Pownall, Sue

2016-08-18

Swallowing difficulties challenge patient safety due to the increased risk of malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. A theoretically driven study was undertaken to examine the spread and sustainability of a locally developed innovation that involved using the Inter-Professional Dysphagia Framework to structure education for the workforce. A conceptual framework with 3 spread strategies (hierarchical control, participatory adaptation and facilitated evolution) was blended with a processual approach to sustaining organisational change. The aim was to understand the processes, mechanism and outcomes associated with the spread and sustainability of this safety initiative. An instrumental case study, prospectively tracked a dysphagia innovation for 34 months (April 2011 to January 2014) in a large health care organisation in England. A train-the-trainer intervention (as participatory adaptation) was deployed on care pathways for stroke and fractured neck of femur. Data were collected at the organisational and clinical level through interviews (n = 30) and document review. The coding frame combined the processual approach with the spread mechanisms. Pre-determined outcomes included the number of staff trained about dysphagia and impact related to changes in practice. The features and processes associated with hierarchical control and participatory adaptation were identified. Leadership, critical junctures, temporality and making the innovation routine were aspects of hierarchical control. Participatory adaptation was evident on the care pathways through stakeholder responses, workload and resource pressures. Six of the 25 ward based trainers cascaded the dysphagia training. The expected outcomes were achieved when the top-down mandate (hierarchical control) was supplemented by local engagement and support (participatory adaptation). Frameworks for spread and sustainability were combined to create a 'small theory' that described the interventions, the

Biomedical device innovation methodology: applications in biophotonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beswick, Daniel M.; Kaushik, Arjun; Beinart, Dylan; McGarry, Sarah; Yew, Ming Khoon; Kennedy, Brendan F.; Maria, Peter Luke Santa

2018-02-01

The process of medical device innovation involves an iterative method that focuses on designing innovative, device-oriented solutions that address unmet clinical needs. This process has been applied to the field of biophotonics with many notable successes. Device innovation begins with identifying an unmet clinical need and evaluating this need through a variety of lenses, including currently existing solutions for the need, stakeholders who are interested in the need, and the market that will support an innovative solution. Only once the clinical need is understood in detail can the invention process begin. The ideation phase often involves multiple levels of brainstorming and prototyping with the aim of addressing technical and clinical questions early and in a cost-efficient manner. Once potential solutions are found, they are tested against a number of known translational factors, including intellectual property, regulatory, and reimbursement landscapes. Only when the solution matches the clinical need, the next phase of building a "to market" strategy should begin. Most aspects of the innovation process can be conducted relatively quickly and without significant capital expense. This white paper focuses on key points of the medical device innovation method and how the field of biophotonics has been applied within this framework to generate clinical and commercial success.

PREFACE: 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ručevskis, Sandris

2015-11-01

The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2015) took place in Riga, Latvia from 30th September - 2nd October, 2015. The first event of the conference series, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University, was held in 2013. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; maintenance, inspection and monitoring methods; construction technologies; structural management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; and geomatics and geotechnics. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for leading researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2015 attracted over 120 scientists from 24 countries. After rigorous reviewing, over 80 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort. The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies was organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University with the support of the Latvia State Research Programme under the grant agreement "INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, IMATEH". I would like to express sincere gratitude to Juris Smirnovs, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Andris Chate, manager of the Latvia State Research Programme. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to Diana

Ensuring Food Security Through Enhancing Microbiological Food Safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikš-Krajnik, Marta; Yuk, Hyun-Gyun; Kumar, Amit; Yang, Yishan; Zheng, Qianwang; Kim, Min-Jeong; Ghate, Vinayak; Yuan, Wenqian; Pang, Xinyi

2015-10-01

Food safety and food security are interrelated concepts with a profound impact on the quality of human life. Food security describes the overall availability of food at different levels from global to individual household. While, food safety focuses on handling, preparation and storage of foods in order to prevent foodborne illnesses. This review focuses on innovative thermal and non-thermal technologies in the area of food processing as the means to ensure food security through improving food safety with emphasis on the reduction and control of microbiological risks. The antimicrobial efficiency and mechanism of new technologies to extend the shelf life of food product were also discussed.

Innovative strategies for early clinical R&D.

PubMed

Butz, Robert F; Morelli, Gaetano

2008-01-01

Developments in translational medicine and regulatory initiatives associated with the FDA's Critical Path Initiative are creating new opportunities for innovation in early clinical R&D. The introduction of the exploratory IND process allows small, 'phase 0' clinical trials to be conducted prior to traditional phase I trials - sometimes requiring considerably less chemistry, manufacturing and controls, or preclinical support. Phase 0 clinical trials involving subtherapeutic, yet pharmacologically active, dose levels can provide an early demonstration of clinical proof of concept; such demonstration is of particular importance to small pharmaceutical and early-stage biotechnology companies. However, these opportunities for rapid entry into the clinic must be balanced by a consideration of the unique risks associated with first-in-human clinical trials, and by accounting for public concerns regarding drug safety in general. This feature review discusses how innovative clinical strategies can be used effectively in early drug development.

Cultivating Change: Disseminating Innovation in Higher Education Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannaway, Deanne; Hinton, Tilly; Berry, Bianca; Moore, Kaitlin

2013-01-01

Effective dissemination is crucial if innovation and development in teaching and learning in higher education are to lead to sustainable changes in practice. In 2003, King used an agricultural metaphor to challenge innovators to understand the purposes behind their dissemination aims. Similar to the way that seed can be spread, one could choose to…

Evaluation of innovative traffic safety devices at short-term work zones : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate the usage and effectiveness of innovative traffic control devices that can be used in short-term work zones. Any device to be used in short-term work zones should command the respect of driv...

Generation III reactors safety requirements and the design solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felten, P.

2009-03-01

Nuclear energy's public acceptance, and hence its development, depends on its safety. As a reactor designer, we will first briefly remind the basic safety principles of nuclear reactors' design. We will then show how the industry, and in particular Areva with its EPR, made design evolution in the wake of the Three Miles Island accident in 1979. In particular, for this new generation of reactors, severe accidents are taken into account beyond the standard design basis accidents. Today, Areva's EPR meets all so-called "generation III" safety requirements and was licensed by several nuclear safety authorities in the world. Many innovative solutions are integrated in the EPR, some of which will be introduced here.

Getting Clearer About Surgical Innovation: A New Definition and a New Tool to Support Responsible Practice.

PubMed

Hutchison, Katrina; Rogers, Wendy; Eyers, Anthony; Lotz, Mianna

2015-12-01

This article presents an original definition of surgical innovation and a practical tool for identifying planned innovations. These will support the responsible introduction of surgical innovations. Frameworks developed for the safer introduction of surgical innovations rely upon identifying cases of innovation; oversight cannot occur unless innovations are identified. However, there is no consensus among surgeons about which interventions they consider innovative; existing definitions are vague and impractical. Using conceptual analysis, this article synthesizes findings from relevant literature, and from qualitative research with surgeons, to develop an original definition of surgical innovation and a tool for prospectively identifying planned surgical innovations. The tool has been developed in light of feedback from health care professionals, surgeons, and policy makers. This definition of innovation distinguishes between variations, introduction of established interventions, and innovations in surgical techniques or use of devices. It can be applied easily and consistently, is sensitive to the key features of innovation (newness and degree of change), is prospective, and focuses on features relevant to safety and evaluation. The accompanying tool is deliberately broad so that appropriate supports may, if necessary, be provided each time that a surgeon does something "new." The definition presented in this article overcomes a number of practical challenges. The definition and tool will be of value in supporting responsible surgical innovation, in particular, through the prospective identification of planned innovations.

Innovation in the safety net: integrating community health centers through accountable care.

PubMed

Lewis, Valerie A; Colla, Carrie H; Schoenherr, Karen E; Shortell, Stephen M; Fisher, Elliott S

2014-11-01

Safety net primary care providers, including as community health centers, have long been isolated from mainstream health care providers. Current delivery system reforms such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may either reinforce the isolation of these providers or may spur new integration of safety net providers. This study examines the extent of community health center involvement in ACOs, as well as how and why ACOs are partnering with these safety net primary care providers. Mixed methods study pairing the cross-sectional National Survey of ACOs (conducted 2012 to 2013), followed by in-depth, qualitative interviews with a subset of ACOs that include community health centers (conducted 2013). One hundred and seventy-three ACOs completed the National Survey of ACOs. Executives from 18 ACOs that include health centers participated in in-depth interviews, along with leadership at eight community health centers participating in ACOs. Key survey measures include ACO organizational characteristics, care management and quality improvement capabilities. Qualitative interviews used a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, then coded for thematic content using NVivo software. Overall, 28% of ACOs include a community health center (CHC). ACOs with CHCs are similar to those without CHCs in organizational structure, care management and quality improvement capabilities. Qualitative results showed two major themes. First, ACOs with CHCs typically represent new relationships or formal partnerships between CHCs and other local health care providers. Second, CHCs are considered valued partners brought into ACOs to expand primary care capacity and expertise. A substantial number of ACOs include CHCs. These results suggest that rather than reinforcing segmentation of safety net providers from the broader delivery system, the ACO model may lead to the integration of safety net primary care providers.

Mechanized Off-Road Equipment Safety. Module SH-17. Safety and Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

This student module on mechanized off-road equipment safety is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module aims to encourage the development of a positive approach to safety as it concerns the heavy equipment industry. Following the introduction, 15 objectives (each keyed to a page in the text) the student is expected to…

Applying circular economy innovation theory in business process modeling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popa, V.; Popa, L.

2017-08-01

The overall aim of this paper is to develop a new conceptual framework for business process modeling and analysis using circular economy innovative theory as a source for business knowledge management. The last part of the paper presents an author’s proposed basic structure for a new business models applying circular economy innovation theories. For people working on new innovative business models in the field of the circular economy this paper provides new ideas for clustering their concepts.

Straight from the Horse(Man)'s Mouth: Innovative 4-H Camps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurtzo, Fawn; Edgar, Leslie D.; Graham, Donna L.; Russell, Mark

2017-01-01

As 4-H evolves to include a wide breadth of youths' modern interests, innovative educational opportunities and evaluation practices become necessary. Horsemanship and safety-based horse camps were created in response to a statewide challenge to develop competitive 4-H members and retain those members as they approach adolescence. This article…

Using Contemporary Leadership Skills in Medication Safety Programs.

PubMed

Hertig, John B; Hultgren, Kyle E; Weber, Robert J

2016-04-01

The discipline of studying medication errors and implementing medication safety programs in hospitals dates to the 1970s. These initial programs to prevent errors focused only on pharmacy operation changes - and not the broad medication use system. In the late 1990s, research showed that faulty systems, and not faulty people, are responsible for errors and require a multidisciplinary approach. The 2013 ASHP Statement on the Role of the Medication Safety Leader recommended that medication safety leaders be integrated team members rather than a single point of contact. Successful medication safety programs must employ a new approach - one that embraces the skills of all health care team members and positions many leaders to improve safety. This approach requires a new set of leadership skills based on contemporary management principles, including followership, team-building, tracking and assessing progress, storytelling and communication, and cultivating innovation, all of which promote transformational change. The application of these skills in developing or changing a medication safety program is reviewed in this article.

Case study: the Argentina Road Safety Project: lessons learned for the decade of action for road safety, 2011-2020.

PubMed

Raffo, Veronica; Bliss, Tony; Shotten, Marc; Sleet, David; Blanchard, Claire

2013-12-01

This case study of the Argentina Road Safety Project demonstrates how the application of World Bank road safety project guidelines focused on institution building can accelerate knowledge transfer, scale up investment and improve the focus on results. The case study highlights road safety as a development priority and outlines World Bank initiatives addressing the implementation of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury's recommendations and the subsequent launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety, from 2011-2020. The case study emphasizes the vital role played by the lead agency in ensuring sustainable road safety improvements and promoting the shift to a 'Safe System' approach, which necessitated the strengthening of all elements of the road safety management system. It summarizes road safety performance and institutional initiatives in Argentina leading up to the preparation and implementation of the project. We describe the project's development objectives, financing arrangements, specific components and investment staging. Finally, we discuss its innovative features and lessons learned, and present a set of supplementary guidelines, both to assist multilateral development banks and their clients with future road safety initiatives, and to encourage better linkages between the health and transportation sectors supporting them.

Safety on Earth From MARSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

ENSCO, Inc., developed the Meteorological and Atmospheric Real-time Safety Support (MARSS) system for real-time assessment of meteorological data displays and toxic material spills. MARSS also provides mock scenarios to guide preparations for emergencies involving meteorological hazards and toxic substances. Developed under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with Kennedy Space Center, MARSS was designed to measure how safe NASA and Air Force range safety personnel are while performing weather sensitive operations around launch pads. The system augments a ground operations safety plan that limits certain work operations to very specific weather conditions. It also provides toxic hazard prediction models to assist safety managers in planning for and reacting to releases of hazardous materials. MARSS can be used in agricultural, industrial, and scientific applications that require weather forecasts and predictions of toxic smoke movement. MARSS is also designed to protect urban areas, seaports, rail facilities, and airports from airborne releases of hazardous chemical substances. The system can integrate with local facility protection units and provide instant threat detection and assessment data that is reportable for local and national distribution.

Surgical innovation and quality assurance: Can we have both?

PubMed

Georgeson, Keith

2015-06-01

Innovation is the major force for progress in pediatric surgery. Most of the progress in surgery has evolved secondary to novel approaches developed by surgeons confronted with difficult pathologic conditions. Up to the present time, most surgical innovation has been practiced with few rules for guidance. Innovation to make surgical procedures more effective and less morbid is highly desirable. However, the absence of oversight has the potential to lead to unbridled human experimentation. The quality improvement movement in medicine is attempting to improve outcomes using evidence-based clinical pathways. Quality improvement aims to decrease the variation in therapeutic approaches by scientifically defining best practices. There is a significant potential for autonomous surgical innovators to clash with well-meaning proponents of quality improvement. A suggested remedy to encourage surgical innovators while protecting patients from unintended harm is for institutions to develop Surgical Innovation Committees to evaluate and give oversight to the early application of new techniques and devices. Scientific evaluation under the auspices of an IRB should follow when feasible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Model-Driven Development of Safety Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denney, Ewen; Pai, Ganesh; Whiteside, Iain

2017-01-01

We describe the use of model-driven development for safety assurance of a pioneering NASA flight operation involving a fleet of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) flying beyond visual line of sight. The central idea is to develop a safety architecture that provides the basis for risk assessment and visualization within a safety case, the formal justification of acceptable safety required by the aviation regulatory authority. A safety architecture is composed from a collection of bow tie diagrams (BTDs), a practical approach to manage safety risk by linking the identified hazards to the appropriate mitigation measures. The safety justification for a given unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operation can have many related BTDs. In practice, however, each BTD is independently developed, which poses challenges with respect to incremental development, maintaining consistency across different safety artifacts when changes occur, and in extracting and presenting stakeholder specific information relevant for decision making. We show how a safety architecture reconciles the various BTDs of a system, and, collectively, provide an overarching picture of system safety, by considering them as views of a unified model. We also show how it enables model-driven development of BTDs, replete with validations, transformations, and a range of views. Our approach, which we have implemented in our toolset, AdvoCATE, is illustrated with a running example drawn from a real UAS safety case. The models and some of the innovations described here were instrumental in successfully obtaining regulatory flight approval.

Evaluation of the pharmacokinetic equivalence and 54-week efficacy and safety of CT-P13 and innovator infliximab in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Sakurai, Takeo; Saito, Kazuyoshi; Ohtsubo, Hideo; Lee, Sang Joon; Nambu, Yoshihiro

2015-01-01

Objectives. To demonstrate the pharmacokinetic equivalence of CT-P13 and its innovator infliximab (IFX) in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to compare the efficacy and safety of these drugs, administered for 54 weeks. Methods. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter study, 3 mg/kg of CT-P13 or IFX, in combination with methotrexate (MTX) (6–16 mg/week), was administered for 54 weeks to Japanese active RA patients with an inadequate response to MTX, to demonstrate the pharmacokinetic equivalence, based on the area under the curve (AUCτ) (weeks 6–14) and Cmax (week 6) of these drugs, and to compare their efficacy and safety. Results. The CT-P13-to-IFX ratios (90% confidence intervals) of the geometric mean AUCτ and Cmax values in patients negative for antibodies to infliximab at week 14 were 111.62% (100.24–124.29%) and 104.09% (92.12–117.61%), respectively, demonstrating the pharmacokinetic equivalence of these drugs. In the full analysis set, CT-P13 and IFX showed comparable therapeutic effectiveness, as measured by the American College of Rheumatology, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, the European League Against Rheumatism, and other efficacy criteria, at weeks 14 and 30. The incidence of adverse events was similar for these drugs. Conclusion. CT-P13 and IFX, administered at a dose of 3 mg/kg in combination with MTX to active RA patients, were pharmacokinetically equivalent and comparable in efficacy and safety. PMID:25736355

Bioethics and innovation in pediatric nutrition research.

PubMed

Solomons, Noel W

2010-01-01

Advances in technology and understanding of fundamental human biology allow for an increasingly innovative research agenda in pediatric nutrition. All human research is governed by the norms of bioethics, which are in turn based on four primary principles: free will in participation, freedom from harm, opportunity to benefit, and non-discrimination in access. Legally, if not essentially, juveniles do not have free will to affirm their participation as research subjects. They have an absolute right, in nontherapeutic research, however, to decline. Pivotal in the discussion in nontherapeutic research in healthy children is the tolerance for risky procedures. Complicated situations include: multi-national protocols, choice of developing country sites, the inclusion of placebo treatment arms, analysis of genetic biomarkers, and research for commercial enterprises. The overly stringent interpretation of bioethical principles, as adapted to children, would stifle innovation in research. A relaxed bioethical attitude in pursuit of advancing science, by contrast, could violate essential human rights and expose a population worthy of special protection to undue risk and harm. By following the course of utility, seeking the steepest benefit-to-risk ratios, weighted toward safety and child welfare, the divergent nature of the considerations should be brought into convergence for the sake of continuing innovation. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosscombe, Nigel

2018-01-01

This paper considers how the meaning of innovation has changed over time and considers how contemporary conceptions of innovation are problematic for education. The popularity of the overhead projector in schools during the 1960s is examined to show how education innovation relies on a novel new product for classrooms and a belief by adopters that…

Innovative approaches for improving maternal and newborn health--A landscape analysis.

PubMed

Lunze, Karsten; Higgins-Steele, Ariel; Simen-Kapeu, Aline; Vesel, Linda; Kim, Julia; Dickson, Kim

2015-12-17

Essential interventions can improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, but their implementation has been challenging. Innovative MNH approaches have the potential to accelerate progress and to lead to better health outcomes for women and newborns, but their added value to health systems remains incompletely understood. This study's aim was to analyze the landscape of innovative MNH approaches and related published evidence. Systematic literature review and descriptive analysis based on the MNH continuum of care framework and the World Health Organization health system building blocks, analyzing the range and nature of currently published MNH approaches that are considered innovative. We used 11 databases (MedLine, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane, Popline, BLDS, ELDIS, 3ie, CAB direct, WHO Global Health Library and WHOLIS) as data source and extracted data according to our study protocol. Most innovative approaches in MNH are iterations of existing interventions, modified for contexts in which they had not been applied previously. Many aim at the direct organization and delivery of maternal and newborn health services or are primarily health workforce interventions. Innovative approaches also include health technologies, interventions based on community ownership and participation, and novel models of financing and policy making. Rigorous randomized trials to assess innovative MNH approaches are rare; most evaluations are smaller pilot studies. Few studies assessed intervention effects on health outcomes or focused on equity in health care delivery. Future implementation and evaluation efforts need to assess innovations' effects on health outcomes and provide evidence on potential for scale-up, considering cost, feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability. Measuring equity is an important aspect to identify and target population groups at risk of service inequity. Innovative MNH interventions will need innovative

Storytelling and Innovative Behavior: An Empirical Study in a Brazilian Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Arrigo, Fernanda Pauletto; Robini, Eduardo; Larentis, Fabiano; Camargo, Maria Emilia; Schmiedgen, Peter

2017-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to identify the relationship between the use of storytelling and innovative work behavior (IWB) in organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The research took place in a human resource development (HRD) training session for leaders of Alpha Group. In this session, storytelling was adopted to discuss innovation and IWB.…

Progress, innovation and regulatory science in drug development: the politics of international standard-setting.

PubMed

Abraham, John; Reed, Tim

2002-06-01

This paper examines international standard-setting in the toxicology of pharmaceuticals during the 1990s, which has involved both the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies in an organization known as the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The analysis shows that the relationships between innovation, regulatory science and 'progress' may be more complex and controversial than is often assumed. An assessment of the ICH's claims about the implications of 'technical' harmonization of drug-testing standards for the maintenance of drug safety, via toxicological testing, and the delivery of therapeutic progress, via innovation, is presented. By demonstrating that there is not a technoscientific validity for these claims, it is argued that, within the ICH, a discourse of technological innovation and scientific progress has been used by regulatory agencies and prominent parts of the transnational pharmaceutical industry to legitimize the lowering and loosening of toxicological standards for drug testing. The mobilization and acceptance of this discourse are shown to be pivotal to the ICH's transformation of reductions in safety standards, which are apparently against the interests of patients and public health, into supposed therapeutic benefits derived from promises of greater access to more innovative drug products. The evidence suggests that it is highly implausible that these reductions in the standards of regulatory toxicology are consistent with therapeutic progress for patients, and highlights a worrying aspect embedded in the 'technical trajectories' of regulatory science.

Innovative and Successful Approaches to Improving Care Transitions From Hospital to Home

PubMed Central

Labson, Margherita C.

2015-01-01

Abstract Effective transitions to home care have been identified as among the factors leading to reducing hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge and improvements on various other quality measures. Innovative applications of published evidence-based models and best practices designed to improve care transitions have been implemented in various settings across the country in an effort to enhance quality performance. For this article, The Joint Commission collected a series of case examples to examine how evidence-based innovations in care transitions are reducing readmissions and improving other quality outcomes. The organizations providing the case examples were interviewed and asked to provide performance data demonstrating quality improvement, as well as information about their care processes and data-gathering techniques. Their innovative approaches are reducing hospital readmissions; improving patient safety, satisfaction, and engagement; and contributing to other positive outcomes. PMID:25654457

Reframing Teachers' Work for Educational Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunnari, Irma; Ilomäki, Liisa

2016-01-01

The universities of applied sciences in Finland aim to support students in achieving work life competences by integrating authentic research, development and innovation (RDI) practices into learning. However, pursuing an educational change from a traditional higher education culture to a networked model of working is challenging for teachers. This…

ÉquiNanos: innovative team for nanoparticle risk management.

PubMed

Nadeau, Sylvie; Bouchard, Michèle; Debia, Maximilien; DeMarcellis-Warin, Nathalie; Hallé, Stéphane; Songmene, Victor; Therrien, Marie-Christine; Wilkinson, Kevin; Ateme-Nguema, Barthélémy; Dufour, Geneviève; Dufresne, André; Fatisson, Julien; Haddad, Sami; Hadioui, Madjid; Kouam, Jules; Morency, François; Tardif, Robert; Viens, Martin; Weichenthal, Scott; Viau, Claude; Camus, Michel

2013-01-01

Interactions between nanoparticles (NP), humans and the environment are not fully understood yet. Moreover, frameworks aiming at protecting human health have not been adapted to NP but are nonetheless applied to NP-related activities. Consequently, business organizations currently have to deal with NP-related risks despite the lack of a proven effective method of risk-management. To respond to these concerns and fulfill the needs of populations and industries, ÉquiNanos was created as a largely interdisciplinary provincial research team in Canada. ÉquiNanos consists of eight platforms with different areas of action, from adaptive decision-aid tool to public and legal governance, while including biological monitoring. ÉquiNanos resources aim at responding to the concerns of the Quebec nanotechnology industry and public health authorities. Our mandate is to understand the impact of NP on human health in order to protect the population against all potential risks emerging from these high-priority and rapidly expanding innovative technologies. In this paper by Canadian authors an important framework is discussed with the goal of acquiring more detailed information and establishing an infrastructure to evaluate the interaction between nanoparticles and living organisms, with the ultimate goal of safety and risk management of the rapidly growing fields of nanotechnology-based biological applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Adoption Process of National Security Technology: An Integration of Diffusion of Innovations and Volitional Behavior Theories.

PubMed

Iles, Irina A; Egnoto, Michael J; Fisher Liu, Brooke; Ackerman, Gary; Roberts, Holly; Smith, Daniel

2017-11-01

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government initiated several national security technology adoption programs. The American public, however, has been skeptical about these initiatives and adoption of national security technologies has been mandated, rather than voluntary. We propose and test a voluntary behavioral intention formation model for the adoption of one type of new security technology: portable radiation detectors. Portable radiation detectors are an efficient way of detecting radiological and nuclear threats and could potentially prevent loss of life and damage to individuals' health. However, their functioning requires that a critical mass of individuals use them on a daily basis. We combine the explanatory advantages of diffusion of innovation with the predictive power of two volitional behavior frameworks: the theory of reasoned action and the health belief model. A large sample survey (N = 1,482) investigated the influence of factors identified in previous diffusion of innovation research on portable radiation detector adoption intention. Results indicated that nonfinancial incentives, as opposed to financial incentives, should be emphasized in persuasive communications aimed at fostering adoption. The research provides a new integration of diffusion of innovation elements with determinants of volitional behavior from persuasion literature, and offers recommendations on effective communication about new security technologies to motivate public adoption and enhance national safety. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Innovations in national nutrition surveys.

PubMed

Stephen, Alison M; Mak, Tsz Ning; Fitt, Emily; Nicholson, Sonja; Roberts, Caireen; Sommerville, Jill

2013-02-01

The aim of this paper is to describe innovations taking place in national nutrition surveys in the UK and the challenges of undertaking innovations in such settings. National nutrition surveys must be representative of the overall population in characteristics such as socio-economic circumstances, age, sex and region. High response rates are critical. Dietary assessment innovations must therefore be suitable for all types of individuals, from the very young to the very old, for variable literacy and/or technical skills, different ethnic backgrounds and life circumstances, such as multiple carers and frequent travel. At the same time, national surveys need details on foods consumed. Current advances in dietary assessment use either technological innovations or simplified methods; neither lend themselves to national surveys. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme, and the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC), currently use the 4-d estimated diary, a compromise for detail and respondent burden. Collection of food packaging enables identification of specific products. Providing space for location of eating, others eating, the television being on and eating at a table, adds to eating context information. Disaggregation of mixed dishes enables determination of true intakes of meat and fruit and vegetables. Measurement of nutritional status requires blood sampling and processing in DNSIYC clinics throughout the country and mobile units were used to optimise response. Hence, innovations in national surveys can and are being made but must take into account the paramount concerns of detail and response rate.

Priming patient safety: A middle-range theory of safety goal priming via safety culture communication.

PubMed

Groves, Patricia S; Bunch, Jacinda L

2018-05-18

The aim of this paper is discussion of a new middle-range theory of patient safety goal priming via safety culture communication. Bedside nurses are key to safe care, but there is little theory about how organizations can influence nursing behavior through safety culture to improve patient safety outcomes. We theorize patient safety goal priming via safety culture communication may support organizations in this endeavor. According to this theory, hospital safety culture communication activates a previously held patient safety goal and increases the perceived value of actions nurses can take to achieve that goal. Nurses subsequently prioritize and are motivated to perform tasks and risk assessment related to achieving patient safety. These efforts continue until nurses mitigate or ameliorate identified risks and hazards during the patient care encounter. Critically, this process requires nurses to have a previously held safety goal associated with a repertoire of appropriate actions. This theory suggests undergraduate educators should foster an outcomes focus emphasizing the connections between nursing interventions and safety outcomes, hospitals should strategically structure patient safety primes into communicative activities, and organizations should support professional development including new skills and the latest evidence supporting nursing practice for patient safety. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New technologies and worker safety in western agriculture.

PubMed

Fenske, Richard A

2009-01-01

The New Paths: Health and Safety in Western Agriculture conference, November 11-13, 2008, highlighted the role of technological innovation in agricultural production. The tree fruit industry in the Pacific Northwest has adopted a "technology road map" to reduce production costs and improve efficiency. An agricultural tour provided field demonstrations and discussions on such topics as mobile work platforms in orchards, traumatic and musculoskeletal injuries, and new pest control technologies. Occupational safety and health research will need to adapt to and keep pace with rapid changes in agricultural production processes.

Enhancing the traditional hospital design process: a focus on patient safety.

PubMed

Reiling, John G; Knutzen, Barbara L; Wallen, Thomas K; McCullough, Susan; Miller, Ric; Chernos, Sonja

2004-03-01

In 2002 St. Joseph's Community Hospital (West Bend, WI), a member of SynergyHealth, brought together leaders in health care and systems engineering to develop a set of safety-driven facility design principles that would guide the hospital design process. DESIGNING FOR SAFETY: Hospital leadership recognized that a cross-departmental team approach would be needed and formed the 11-member Facility Design Advisory Council, which, with departmental teams and the aid of architects, was responsible for overseeing the design process and for ensuring that the safety considerations were met. The design process was a team approach, with input from national experts, patients and families, hospital staff and physicians, architects, contractors, and the community. The new facility, designed using safety-driven design principles, reflects many innovative design elements, including truly standardized patient rooms, new technology to minimize falls, and patient care alcoves for every patient room. The new hospital has been designed with maximum adaptability and flexibility in mind, to accommodate changes and provide for future growth. The architects labeled the innovative design. The Synergy Model, to describe the process of shaping the entire building and its spaces to work efficiently as a whole for the care and safety of patients. Construction began on the new facility in August 2003 and is expected to be completed in 2005.

Market Innovation, Rational Housing Supply and Urban Quality at the Neighbourhood Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puglisi, Valentina; Celani, Alberto

2017-10-01

Innovation of product, process and markets are the three categories to assess the improvement of a sector. This document is aimed to provide a review of papers about innovation in housing market and analyses solutions adopted by the international market in terms of definition of attributes of housing products. Enlightening aspects linked to quality attributes of housing products and it has been tried to read a common scheme in any study analysed to provide solutions to set innovation hints to enhance market innovation in the sector. The idea of choice, user and buyer categories definition, assessment and rating system is the backbone of the paper, as the parallelism between marketing of industrial goods and services and built environment objects. Quality of the neighbourhood and the idea of an ex-post assessment is the theme behind the last case presented, based on a research made by ABC Department of Politecnico di Milano in a neighbourhood in Milano, aimed to assess its quality.

The Influence of Demographic Factor on Personal Innovativeness towards Technology Acceptance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noh, Noraini Mohamed; Hamzah, Mahizer; Abdullah, Norazilawati

2016-01-01

Library and Media Teacher (LMT) readiness of accepting and using technology innovation earlier than their colleagues could expedite the technology innovation process into the school education system. The aim of this paper is to report on a study that explored the impact of experience in using computer and the level of ICT knowledge towards…

Safety and pharmacokinetic profile of fixed-dose ivermectin with an innovative 18mg tablet in healthy adult volunteers.

PubMed

Muñoz, Jose; Ballester, Maria Rosa; Antonijoan, Rosa Maria; Gich, Ignasi; Rodríguez, Montse; Colli, Enrico; Gold, Silvia; Krolewiecki, Alejandro J

2018-01-01

Ivermectin is a pivotal drug for the control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, which is increasingly identified as a useful drug for the control of other Neglected Tropical Diseases. Its role in the treatment of soil transmitted helminthiasis through improved efficacy against Trichuris trichiura in combination with other anthelmintics might accelerate the progress towards breaking transmission. Ivermectin is a derivative of Avermectin B1, and consists of an 80:20 mixture of the equipotent homologous 22,23 dehydro B1a and B1b. Pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety profile of ivermectin allow to explore innovative uses to further expand its utilization through mass drug administration campaigns to improve coverage rates. We conducted a phase I clinical trial with 54 healthy adult volunteers who sequentially received 2 experimental treatments using a new 18 mg ivermectin tablet in a fixed-dose strategy of 18 and 36 mg single dose regimens, compared to the standard, weight based 150–200 μg/kg, regimen. Volunteers were recruited in 3 groups based on body weight. Plasma concentrations of ivermectin were measured through HPLC up to 168 hours post treatment. Safety data showed no significant differences between groups and no serious adverse events: headache was the most frequent adverse event in all treatment groups, none of them severe. Pharmacokinetic parameters showed a half-life between 81 and 91 h in the different treatment groups. When comparing the systemic bioavailability (AUC0t and Cmax) of the reference product (WA-ref) with the other two study groups using fixed doses, we observed an overall increase in AUC0t and Cmax for the two experimental treatments of 18 mg and 36 mg. Body mass index (BMI) and weight were associated with t1/2 and V/F, probably reflecting the high liposolubility of IVM with longer retention times proportional to the presence of more adipose tissue. Systemic exposure to ivermectin (AUC0t or Cmax) was not associated with BMI

Safety and pharmacokinetic profile of fixed-dose ivermectin with an innovative 18mg tablet in healthy adult volunteers

PubMed Central

Antonijoan, Rosa Maria; Gich, Ignasi; Rodríguez, Montse; Colli, Enrico; Gold, Silvia

2018-01-01

Ivermectin is a pivotal drug for the control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, which is increasingly identified as a useful drug for the control of other Neglected Tropical Diseases. Its role in the treatment of soil transmitted helminthiasis through improved efficacy against Trichuris trichiura in combination with other anthelmintics might accelerate the progress towards breaking transmission. Ivermectin is a derivative of Avermectin B1, and consists of an 80:20 mixture of the equipotent homologous 22,23 dehydro B1a and B1b. Pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety profile of ivermectin allow to explore innovative uses to further expand its utilization through mass drug administration campaigns to improve coverage rates. We conducted a phase I clinical trial with 54 healthy adult volunteers who sequentially received 2 experimental treatments using a new 18 mg ivermectin tablet in a fixed-dose strategy of 18 and 36 mg single dose regimens, compared to the standard, weight based 150–200 μg/kg, regimen. Volunteers were recruited in 3 groups based on body weight. Plasma concentrations of ivermectin were measured through HPLC up to 168 hours post treatment. Safety data showed no significant differences between groups and no serious adverse events: headache was the most frequent adverse event in all treatment groups, none of them severe. Pharmacokinetic parameters showed a half-life between 81 and 91 h in the different treatment groups. When comparing the systemic bioavailability (AUC0t and Cmax) of the reference product (WA-ref) with the other two study groups using fixed doses, we observed an overall increase in AUC0t and Cmax for the two experimental treatments of 18 mg and 36 mg. Body mass index (BMI) and weight were associated with t1/2 and V/F, probably reflecting the high liposolubility of IVM with longer retention times proportional to the presence of more adipose tissue. Systemic exposure to ivermectin (AUC0t or Cmax) was not associated with BMI

The Space Station Freedom - International cooperation and innovation in space safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodney, George A.

1989-01-01

The Space Station Freedom (SSF) being developed by the United States, European Space Agency (ESA), Japan, and Canada poses novel safety challenges in design, operations, logistics, and program management. A brief overview discloses many features that make SSF a radical departure from earlier low earth orbit (LEO) space stations relative to safety management: size and power levels; multiphase manned assembly; 30-year planned lifetime, with embedded 'hooks and scars' forevolution; crew size and skill-mix variability; sustained logistical dependence; use of man, robotics and telepresence for on-orbit maintenance of station and free-flyer systems; closed-environment recycling; use of automation and expert systems; long-term operation of collocated life-sciences and materials-science experiments, requiring control and segregation of hazardous and chemically incompatible materials; and materials aging in space.

Antibiotic innovation for future public health needs.

PubMed

Theuretzbacher, U

2017-10-01

The public health threat of antibiotic resistance has gained attention at the highest political levels globally, and recommendations on how to respond are being considered for implementation. Among the recommended responses being explored for their feasibility is the introduction of economic incentives to promote research and development of new antibiotics. There is broad agreement that public investment should stimulate innovation and be linked to policies promoting sustainable and equitable access to antibiotics. Though commonly used, the term 'innovation' is not based on a common understanding. This article aims to initiate discussion on the meaning of 'innovation' in this context. Literature and expert opinion. As the definition of a novel class (novel scaffold, novel pharmacophore), a novel target (novel binding site) and a novel mode of action-the three traditional criteria for 'innovation' in this context-may be confounded by the complexities of antibacterial drug discovery, a biological and outcome-oriented definition of innovation is presented to initiate discussion. Such an expanded definition of innovation in this specific context is based on the overarching requirement that a drug not be affected by cross-resistance to existing drugs in the organisms and indications for which it is intended to be used, and that it have low potential for high-frequency, high-level single-step resistance if intended as a single drug therapy. Policy makers, public health authorities and funders could use such a comprehensive definition of innovation to prioritize where publicly funded incentives should be applied. Copyright © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to Develop Innovators? Innovation Education for the Gifted

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shavinina, Larisa

2013-01-01

Many people correctly believe that a majority of innovators come from the population of gifted and talented children. If we want to develop innovative abilities of the gifted, then a special, new direction in gifted education is needed: innovation education. This article introduces innovation education, which refers to a wide range of educational…

University Students' Study Orientations, Learning Experiences and Study Success in Innovative Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honkimaki, Sanna; Tynjala, Paivi; Valkonen, Sakari

2004-01-01

The aim of this study was to find out whether university students' study orientations on four innovative courses differed from their usual orientations to their studies. Furthermore, students' study success and learning experiences were examined. The pedagogical innovations carried out on the courses included different kinds of activating…

Handling Disruptive Innovations in HE: Lessons from Two Contrasting Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Stephen; Olivier, Bill; Yuan, Li

2015-01-01

This article aims to show how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can recognise and best respond to a disruptive innovation. A disruptive innovation creates a new business model using a new process and usually a new technology to offer a product or service with new features and/or lower cost and initially addresses a group of people who are…

The Seductive Power of an Innovation: Enrolling Non-Conventional Actors in a Drip Irrigation Community in Morocco

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benouniche, Maya; Errahj, Mostafa; Kuper, Marcel

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the motivations of non-conventional innovation actors to engage in innovation processes, how their involvement changed the technology and their own social-professional status, and to analyze their role in the diffusion of the innovation. Design/methodology/approach: We studied the innovation process of…

Innovative intersection safety improvement strategies and management practices : a domestic scan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

Intersection safety is and has been a major program at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). : As a means to share best practices used in various locations, the FHWA and selected representatives : of the transportation community conducted a dome...

Innovation in Surgery

PubMed Central

Riskin, Daniel J.; Longaker, Michael T.; Gertner, Michael; Krummel, Thomas M.

2006-01-01

Objective: To describe the field of surgical innovation from a historical perspective, applying new findings from research in technology innovation. Background: While surgical innovation has a rich tradition, as a field of study it is embryonic. Only a handful of academic centers of surgical innovation exist, all of which have arisen within the last 5 years. To this point, the field has not been well defined, nor have future options to promote surgical innovation been thoroughly explored. It is clear that surgical innovation is fundamental to surgical progress and has significant health policy implications. A process of systematically evaluating and promoting innovation in surgery may be critical in the evolving practice of medicine. Methods: A review of the academic literature in technology innovation was undertaken. Articles and books were identified through technical, medical, and business sources. Luminaries in surgical innovation were interviewed to develop further relevance to surgical history. The concepts in technology innovation were then applied to innovation in surgery, using the historical example of surgical endoscopy as a representative area, which encompasses millennia of learning and spans multiple specialties of care. Results: The history of surgery is comprised largely of individual, widely respected surgeon innovators. While respecting individual accomplishments, surgeons as a group have at times hindered critical innovation to the detriment of our profession and patients. As a clinical discipline, surgery relies on a tradition of research and attracting the brightest young minds. Innovation in surgery to date has been impressive, but inconsistently supported. Conclusion: A body of knowledge on technology innovation has been developed over the last decade but has largely not been applied to surgery. New surgical innovation centers are working to define the field and identify critical aspects of surgical innovation promotion. It is our

Dental Therapy: Evolving in Minnesota’s Safety Net

PubMed Central

Born, David; Nagy, Amanda

2014-01-01

Objectives. We identified Minnesota’s initial dental therapy employers and surveyed dental safety net providers’ perceptions of dental therapy. Methods. In July 2011, we surveyed 32 Minnesota dental safety net providers to assess their prospective views on dental therapy employment options. In October 2013, we used an employment scan to reveal characteristics of the early adopters of dental therapy. Results. Before the availability of licensed dental therapists, safety net dental clinic directors overwhelmingly (77%) supported dental therapy. As dental therapists have become licensed over the past 2 years, the early employers of dental therapists are safety net clinics. Conclusions. Although the concept of dental therapy remains controversial in Minnesota, it now has a firm foundation in the state’s safety net clinics. Dental therapists are being used in innovative and diverse ways, so, as dental therapy continues to evolve, further research to identify best practices for incorporating dental therapists into the oral health care team is needed. PMID:24825234

Safety climate and attitude as evaluation measures of organizational safety.

PubMed

Isla Díaz, R; Díaz Cabrera, D

1997-09-01

The main aim of this research is to develop a set of evaluation measures for safety attitudes and safety climate. Specifically it is intended: (a) to test the instruments; (b) to identify the essential dimensions of the safety climate in the airport ground handling companies; (c) to assess the quality of the differences in the safety climate for each company and its relation to the accident rate; (d) to analyse the relationship between attitudes and safety climate; and (e) to evaluate the influences of situational and personal factors on both safety climate and attitude. The study sample consisted of 166 subjects from three airport companies. Specifically, this research was centered on ground handling departments. The factor analysis of the safety climate instrument resulted in six factors which explained 69.8% of the total variance. We found significant differences in safety attitudes and climate in relation to type of enterprise.

Improving safety in high-speed work zones : a Super 70 study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-01

Super 70 was an urban reconstruction project (March-November 2007) along I-70 in the central part of Indianapolis. INDOT : applied in that project several innovative and traditional solutions. This study investigates the safety effect of the solution...

Innovations for the future of pharmacovigilance.

PubMed

Almenoff, June S

2007-01-01

Post-marketing pharmacovigilance involves the review and management of safety information from many sources. Among these sources, spontaneous adverse event reporting systems are among the most challenging and resource-intensive to manage. Traditionally, efforts to monitor spontaneous adverse event reporting systems have focused on review of individual case reports. The science of pharmacovigilance could be enhanced with the availability of systems-based tools that facilitate analysis of aggregate data for purposes of signal detection, signal evaluation and knowledge management. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently implemented Online Signal Management (OSM) as a data-driven framework for managing the pharmacovigilance of marketed products. This pioneering work builds upon the strong history GSK has of innovation in this area. OSM is a software application co-developed by GSK and Lincoln Technologies that integrates traditional pharmacovigilance methods with modern quantitative statistical methods and data visualisation tools. OSM enables the rapid identification of trends from the individual adverse event reports received by GSK. OSM also provides knowledge-management tools to ensure the successful tracking of emerging safety issues. GSK has developed standard procedures and 'best practices' around the use of OSM to ensure the systematic evaluation of complex safety datasets. In summary, the implementation of OSM provides new tools and efficient processes to advance the science of pharmacovigilance.

Factors Forming Collaboration within the Knowledge Triangle of Education, Research and Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zascerinska, Jelena; Ahrens, Andreas; Bassus, Olaf

2009-01-01

A proper combination of education, research and innovation is provided by varied cooperative networks. However, the success of collaboration within a multicultural environment requires that the key factors enabling synergy between education, research and innovation have to be considered. Aim of the following paper is to identify and to analyze…

Legal Effects of Use of Innovative Equipment at Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings on Railroad's Accident Liability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-10-01

This report discusses the effect on a railroad's legal liability for railroad-highway grade crossing accident costs when that railroad uses innovative grade crossing safety equipment. Its purpose is to evaluate the assertion that a railroad's use of ...

Diagnosing Organizational Innovation: Measuring the Capacity for Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cropley, David H.; Cropley, Arthur J.; Chiera, Belinda A.; Kaufman, James C.

2013-01-01

Organizational innovation involves reconciling many contradictions or paradoxes. Dividing the process of innovation into phases ranging from Activation to Validation and examining each phase in terms of the six Ps of creativity offers a framework for making sense of these contradictions. The Innovation Phase Assessment Instrument (IPAI) was…

Leadership Innovations

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

paper: "innovation kr- leadership " and " leadership in innovation." 3 THEORY , AS AN INSTRUMENT OF ANALYSIS FOR INNOVATION IN LEADERSHIP There are many...plausible theory . - . . . -. - -- Nevertheless, some authors consider, and I agree, that there is no true leadership theory because existing literature...and explaining numerous ways of producing "the new". This theory helps to further clarify the relationship between leadership and innovation. I am

A research agenda on patient safety in primary care. Recommendations by the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care.

PubMed

Verstappen, Wim; Gaal, Sander; Bowie, Paul; Parker, Diane; Lainer, Miriam; Valderas, Jose M; Wensing, Michel; Esmail, Aneez

2015-09-01

Healthcare can cause avoidable serious harm to patients. Primary care is not an exception, and the relative lack of research in this area lends urgency to a better understanding of patient safety, the future research agenda and the development of primary care oriented safety programmes. To outline a research agenda for patient safety improvement in primary care in Europe and beyond. The LINNEAUS collaboration partners analysed existing research on epidemiology and classification of errors, diagnostic and medication errors, safety culture, and learning for and improving patient safety. We discussed ideas for future research in several meetings, workshops and congresses with LINNEAUS collaboration partners, practising GPs, researchers in this field, and policy makers. This paper summarizes and integrates the outcomes of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care. It proposes a research agenda on improvement strategies for patient safety in primary care. In addition, it provides background information to help to connect research in this field with practicing GPs and other healthcare workers in primary care. Future research studies should target specific primary care domains, using prospective methods and innovative methods such as patient involvement.

A research agenda on patient safety in primary care. Recommendations by the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care

PubMed Central

Verstappen, Wim; Gaal, Sander; Bowie, Paul; Parker, Diane; Lainer, Miriam; Valderas, Jose M.; Wensing, Michel; Esmail, Aneez

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Healthcare can cause avoidable serious harm to patients. Primary care is not an exception, and the relative lack of research in this area lends urgency to a better understanding of patient safety, the future research agenda and the development of primary care oriented safety programmes. Objective: To outline a research agenda for patient safety improvement in primary care in Europe and beyond. Methods: The LINNEAUS collaboration partners analysed existing research on epidemiology and classification of errors, diagnostic and medication errors, safety culture, and learning for and improving patient safety. We discussed ideas for future research in several meetings, workshops and congresses with LINNEAUS collaboration partners, practising GPs, researchers in this field, and policy makers. Results: This paper summarizes and integrates the outcomes of the LINNEAUS collaboration on patient safety in primary care. It proposes a research agenda on improvement strategies for patient safety in primary care. In addition, it provides background information to help to connect research in this field with practicing GPs and other healthcare workers in primary care. Conclusion: Future research studies should target specific primary care domains, using prospective methods and innovative methods such as patient involvement. PMID:26339841

Innovation Process Design: A Change Management and Innovation Dimension Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peisl, Thomas; Reger, Veronika; Schmied, Juergen

The authors propose an innovative approach to the management of innovation integrating business, process, and maturity dimensions. Core element of the concept is the adaptation of ISO/IEC 15504 to the innovation process including 14 innovation drivers. Two managerial models are applied to conceptualize and visualize the respective innovation strategies, the Balanced Scorecard and a Barriers in Change Processes Model. An illustrative case study shows a practical implementation process.

Inland Waterway Environmental Safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reshnyak, Valery; Sokolov, Sergey; Nyrkov, Anatoliy; Budnik, Vlad

2018-05-01

The article presents the results of development of the main components of the environmental safety when operating vessels on inland waterways, which include strategy selection ensuring the environmental safety of vessels, the selection and justification of a complex of environmental technical means, activities to ensure operation of vessels taking into account the environmental technical means. Measures to ensure environmental safety are developed on the basis of the principles aimed at ensuring environmental safety of vessels. They include the development of strategies for the use of environmental protection equipment, which are determined by the conditions for wastewater treatment of purified sewage and oily bilge water as well as technical characteristics of the vessels, the introduction of the process of the out-of-the-vessel processing of ship pollution as a technology for their movement. This must take into account the operating conditions of vessels on different sections of waterways. An algorithm of actions aimed at ensuring ecological safety of operated vessels is proposed.

Unleash innovation in foreign subsidiaries.

PubMed

Birkinshaw, J; Hood, N

2001-03-01

In multinational corporations, growth-triggering innovation often emerges in foreign subsidiaries from employees closest to customers and least attached to the procedures and politeness of the home office. But too often, heavy-handed responses from headquarters squelch local enthusiasm and drive out good ideas--and good people. The authors' research into more than 50 multinationals suggests that encouraging innovation in foreign subsidiaries requires a change in attitude. Companies should start to think of foreign subsidiaries as peninsulas rather than as islands--as extensions of the company's strategic domain rather than as isolated outposts. If they do, innovative ideas will flow more freely from the periphery to the corporate center. Basing their arguments on a rich array of examples, the authors say that encouraging such "innovation at the edges" also requires a new set of practices, with two aims: to improve the formal and informal channels of communication between headquarters and subsidiaries and to give foreign subsidiaries more authority to see their ideas through. The challenge for executives of multinationals is to find ways to liberalize, not tighten, internal systems and to delegate more authority to local subsidiaries. It isn't enough to ask subsidiary managers to be innovative; corporate managers need to give them incentives and support systems to facilitate their efforts. The authors suggest four approaches: give seed money to subsidiaries; use formal requests for proposals as a way of increasing the demand for seed money; encourage subsidiaries to be incubators for fledgling businesses; and build international networks. As part of the last approach, multinationals also need to create roles for idea brokers who can link entrepreneurs in foreign subsidiaries with other parts of the company.

Using Contemporary Leadership Skills in Medication Safety Programs

PubMed Central

Hertig, John B.; Hultgren, Kyle E.; Weber, Robert J.

2016-01-01

The discipline of studying medication errors and implementing medication safety programs in hospitals dates to the 1970s. These initial programs to prevent errors focused only on pharmacy operation changes – and not the broad medication use system. In the late 1990s, research showed that faulty systems, and not faulty people, are responsible for errors and require a multidisciplinary approach. The 2013 ASHP Statement on the Role of the Medication Safety Leader recommended that medication safety leaders be integrated team members rather than a single point of contact. Successful medication safety programs must employ a new approach – one that embraces the skills of all health care team members and positions many leaders to improve safety. This approach requires a new set of leadership skills based on contemporary management principles, including followership, team-building, tracking and assessing progress, storytelling and communication, and cultivating innovation, all of which promote transformational change. The application of these skills in developing or changing a medication safety program is reviewed in this article. PMID:27303083

Assessment and diffusion of medical innovations in France: an overview.

PubMed

Dubromel, Amélie; Geffroy, Loïc; Aulagner, Gilles; Dussart, Claude

2018-01-01

Background: In France, a significant part of health expenditure is publicly funding. This put a heavy burden on society. In an economic context requiring tight control of public spending, it seems relevant to control the diffusion of medical innovations. That is why health technology assessment is subject to an increasing interest at national level for management and approval decisions. This article provides an overview of the assessment and diffusion of medical innovation in France. Method: The data are extracted from French authorities or organisations websites and documents and from French legislative texts. In addition, regarding discussion, a search in MEDLINE database was carried out. Results: An overview of the assessment and diffusion of medical innovation in France is given by presenting the different types of medical innovations according to French health system definition (I); introducing French authorities participating to health technology assessment and describe assessment procedures of medical innovations (II); and giving details about market access process of innovative health product in France (III). Key opportunities and challenges of medical innovation assessment and diffusion in France are discussed at the end of this article. Conclusion: In France, medical innovation is considered as a crucial component for quality of care and performance of healthcare system. The aim of health technology assessment is to promote a secure and timely access to innovation for patients. Nevertheless, it appears necessary to improve regulatory mechanisms.

The Configuration of Social Subjectivity in an Innovative Educational Institution in Brazil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira Campolina, Luciana; Martínez, Albertina Mitjáns

2016-01-01

The aim of this article is to present a case study of an innovative school and illustrate how social aspects, in their subjective dimension, participate in educational innovation. According to the theoretical propositions from González Rey's cultural-historical theory of subjectivity, social aspects in the life of groups, institutions,…

Innovation network

PubMed Central

Acemoglu, Daron; Akcigit, Ufuk; Kerr, William R.

2016-01-01

Technological progress builds upon itself, with the expansion of invention in one domain propelling future work in linked fields. Our analysis uses 1.8 million US patents and their citation properties to map the innovation network and its strength. Past innovation network structures are calculated using citation patterns across technology classes during 1975–1994. The interaction of this preexisting network structure with patent growth in upstream technology fields has strong predictive power on future innovation after 1995. This pattern is consistent with the idea that when there is more past upstream innovation for a particular technology class to build on, then that technology class innovates more. PMID:27681628

Everyday Innovation: Ten Practical Tips for Fostering Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simkins, Michael

2006-01-01

For educators to be successful in teaching students to step up and become tomorrow's innovators, they must become innovators themselves. Enter school leadership. This article provides 10 practical steps any superintendent, principal, or other administrator can take to help make that happen: (1) Go on record; (2) Model innovation; (3) Pollinate;…

The role of the ward manager in promoting patient safety.

PubMed

Pinnock, David

In this article the role of the ward manager in promoting patient safety is explored. The background to the development of the patient safety agenda is briefly discussed and the relationship between quality and safety is illustrated. The pivotal importance of the role of the ward manager in delivering services to patients is underlined and literature on patient safety is examined to identify what a ward manager can do to make care safer. Possible actions of the ward manager to improve safety discussed in the literature are structured around the Leadership Framework. This framework identifies seven domains for the leadership of service delivery. Ward managers use their personal qualities, and network and work within teams, while managing performance and facilitating innovation, change and measurement for improvement. The challenge of promoting patient safety for ward managers is briefly explored and recommendations for further research are made.

Nurses' role in medication safety.

PubMed

Choo, Janet; Hutchinson, Alison; Bucknall, Tracey

2010-10-01

To explore the nurse's role in the process of medication management and identify the challenges associated with safe medication management in contemporary clinical practice. Medication errors have been a long-standing factor affecting consumer safety. The nursing profession has been identified as essential to the promotion of patient safety. A review of literature on medication errors and the use of electronic prescribing in medication errors. Medication management requires a multidisciplinary approach and interdisciplinary communication is essential to reduce medication errors. Information technologies can help to reduce some medication errors through eradication of transcription and dosing errors. Nurses must play a major role in the design of computerized medication systems to ensure a smooth transition to such as system. The nurses' roles in medication management cannot be over-emphasized. This is particularly true when designing a computerized medication system. The adoption of safety measures during decision making that parallel those of the aviation industry safety procedures can provide some strategies to prevent medication error. Innovations in information technology offer potential mechanisms to avert adverse events in medication management for nurses. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Deliberations of the expert advisory council on innovation fund applications].

PubMed

Blettner, Maria; Dierks, Marie-Luise; Donner-Banzhoff, Norbert; Hertrampf, Katrin; Klusen, Norbert; Köpke, Sascha; Masanneck, Michael; Pfaff, Holger; Richter, Rainer; Sundmacher, Leonie

2018-02-01

The "Innovation Fund" provides incentives for the development and testing of healthcare innovations in the area of the statutory health insurance with the aim to improve the quality of care in Germany. Over a period of initially four years (2016-19), 300 million Euro will be allocated annually to projects on "innovative forms of healthcare provision" and "health services research". Using a formalized procedure, the ten-member expert advisory board appointed by the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) assess all applications on the basis of various criteria for scientific quality, potential of innovation, relevance for health service delivery, and implementability. The present discussion paper sets out important considerations for submission and assessment and puts them up for discussion. (As supplied by the authors). Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

The Forest Service Safety Survey: results from an employee-wide safety attitude survey

Treesearch

Vanessa R. Lane; Ken Cordell; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Gary T. Green; Neelam Poudyal; Susan Fox

2014-01-01

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a Safety Journey in 2011 aimed at elevating safety consciousness and practice in the Agency. All employees were required to attend an engagement session during the year to introduce them to the Safety Journey. In September, a survey was launched to help Forest Service leadership better understand employee...

Competency-Based Faculty Development in Community-Engaged Scholarship: A Diffusion of Innovation Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Catherine; Doherty, William J.; Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Cook, Nancy; Dubrow, Gail; Mendenhall, Tai J.

2012-01-01

The authors utilized interviews, competency surveys, and document review to evaluate the effectiveness of a one-year, cohort-based faculty development pilot program, grounded in diffusion of innovations theory, and aimed at increasing competencies in community engagement and community-engaged scholarship. Five innovator participants designed the…

American export control, technology spillover and innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical Industry.

PubMed

Hui, Jiang

2017-05-01

This paper was aimed to analyze whether the U.S. strict export control to China affects the technological innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical industry. This paper selected the data of technological innovation and the expenditure of high and new technology adoption in China's pharmaceutical industry from 1995 to 2014, created panel regression model to study the impact of export controls on technology spillovers and the impact of technology spillovers on innovation capacity. The results show that US export control has a significant impact on technology spillovers, but foreign technology spillovers have no significant impact on the innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Although the US export control prevented foreign technology spillovers to China, but indirectly stimulated the domestic technology spillovers to pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in China. Statistical analysis show that the correlation coefficient between innovation capacity and expenditure for high technology adoption is not significant, but the expenditure of purchasing domestic technical is essential to pharmaceutical innovation. This study shows that US export control indirectly, not directly, affected the technological innovation of China's pharmaceutical industry, affected the allocation of innovative resources, but failed to prevent the technological progress and competitiveness improvement of Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

Innovative financing for health: what is truly innovative?

PubMed

Atun, Rifat; Knaul, Felicia Marie; Akachi, Yoko; Frenk, Julio

2012-12-08

Development assistance for health has increased every year between 2000 and 2010, particularly for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, to reach US$26·66 billion in 2010. The continued global economic crisis means that increased external financing from traditional donors is unlikely in the near term. Hence, new funding has to be sought from innovative financing sources to sustain the gains made in global health, to achieve the health Millennium Development Goals, and to address the emerging burden from non-communicable diseases. We use the value chain approach to conceptualise innovative financing. With this framework, we identify three integrated innovative financing mechanisms-GAVI, Global Fund, and UNITAID-that have reached a global scale. These three financing mechanisms have innovated along each step of the innovative finance value chain-namely resource mobilisation, pooling, channelling, resource allocation, and implementation-and integrated these steps to channel large amounts of funding rapidly to low-income and middle-income countries to address HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases. However, resources mobilised from international innovative financing sources are relatively modest compared with donor assistance from traditional sources. Instead, the real innovation has been establishment of new organisational forms as integrated financing mechanisms that link elements of the financing value chain to more effectively and efficiently mobilise, pool, allocate, and channel financial resources to low-income and middle-income countries and to create incentives to improve implementation and performance of national programmes. These mechanisms provide platforms for health funding in the future, especially as efforts to grow innovative financing have faltered. The lessons learnt from these mechanisms can be used to develop and expand innovative financing from international sources to address health needs in low-income and middle

The NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme: A Review of Progress and Contributions to Innovation in Healthcare Technologies.

PubMed

Marjanovic, Sonja; Krapels, Joachim; Sousa, Sonia; Castle-Clarke, Sophie; Horvath, Veronika; Chataway, Joanna

2015-11-30

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme supports the development of innovative medical technologies for patient benefit. The i4i product development stream involves collaborative projects between at least two partners from academia, the NHS and industry. Medical technology innovators apply for funding for one to three years, through a peer review-based process that includes presentation to a selection panel. The funding and business advice provided by i4i support the development of early-stage innovations, generally at proof of concept and prototype stages. Since its inception the product development stream has identified and supported 170 projects, led by 146 principal investigators (PIs). RAND Europe evaluated the programme, with the aim of identifying its outputs and impacts and examining the factors influencing performance. The evaluation findings should help inform the future of the programme. The evaluation used a multi-method approach, including a focused review of background information from i4i, scoping interviews with key informants, a survey of programme participants and case studies of projects representing diverse technologies and health needs.

Innovation and problem solving: a review of common mechanisms.

PubMed

Griffin, Andrea S; Guez, David

2014-11-01

Behavioural innovations have become central to our thinking about how animals adjust to changing environments. It is now well established that animals vary in their ability to innovate, but understanding why remains a challenge. This is because innovations are rare, so studying innovation requires alternative experimental assays that create opportunities for animals to express their ability to invent new behaviours, or use pre-existing ones in new contexts. Problem solving of extractive foraging tasks has been put forward as a suitable experimental assay. We review the rapidly expanding literature on problem solving of extractive foraging tasks in order to better understand to what extent the processes underpinning problem solving, and the factors influencing problem solving, are in line with those predicted, and found, to underpin and influence innovation in the wild. Our aim is to determine whether problem solving can be used as an experimental proxy of innovation. We find that in most respects, problem solving is determined by the same underpinning mechanisms, and is influenced by the same factors, as those predicted to underpin, and to influence, innovation. We conclude that problem solving is a valid experimental assay for studying innovation, propose a conceptual model of problem solving in which motor diversity plays a more central role than has been considered to date, and provide recommendations for future research using problem solving to investigate innovation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cognition in the wild. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mobile-media pragmatism: innovation excellences and encumbrances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chen-Ju

2017-10-01

Establishing two pragmatic models of enhancing entertainment and job-performance, this study aims to elaborate on how people adopt and perceive innovation excellences and encumbrances of modern mobile-media services through reflecting on their intrinsic expectancy. A survey methodology was executed to examine the hypothesised variable relationships using the purposive sampling method. CHT's Taipei think-tank head-office provided this study with a representative sampling frame and assisted to collect data from 725 focused subjects (with normative characteristics) who subscribed to HiNet or MOD, or predominantly used 4G telecommunication services. As a result of adopting the structural equation modelling test, the models of perceived innovation excellences and innovation encumbrances were affirmatively established to interpret the two applicative scenarios: entertainment and job-performance enhancement. Several valuable findings were generated. When a consumer targets entertainment technology pragmatism, he or she may stress the importance of innovative excellences, especially on product novelty. For the sake of pursuing job-performance enhancement, a customer was actively willing to invest his or her energy to meet and deal with the learning cost, customer unfamiliarity and complexity of telecom products and services. Importantly, the adopter's previous experiences with telecom products in the IT domain could effectively moderate the effect of pursuing new telecom innovation, adopting the product, and then strengthening self-evaluation.

A Framework for Reliability and Safety Analysis of Complex Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, John W.; Groen, Frank; Wang, Lui; Austin, Rebekah; Witulski, Art; Mahadevan, Nagabhushan; Cornford, Steven L.; Feather, Martin S.; Lindsey, Nancy

2017-01-01

Long duration and complex mission scenarios are characteristics of NASA's human exploration of Mars, and will provide unprecedented challenges. Systems reliability and safety will become increasingly demanding and management of uncertainty will be increasingly important. NASA's current pioneering strategy recognizes and relies upon assurance of crew and asset safety. In this regard, flexibility to develop and innovate in the emergence of new design environments and methodologies, encompassing modeling of complex systems, is essential to meet the challenges.

Can nurse innovation improve customer perception of service quality and experience?

PubMed

Weng, Rhay-Hung; Chen, Wan-Ping; Huang, Ching-Yuan; Hung, Chiu-Hsia; Hsu, Ching-Tai

2016-07-01

This study aimed to clarify how nurse innovation is related to customer perception of medical service quality and experience. Recently, many hospitals have put much emphasis upon the development of nurse innovation. A cross-sectional study was employed. This study adopted questionnaire survey method with nurses and customers of the inpatient wards from three Taiwanese hospitals as the research subjects. After pairing, there were 294 valid questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilised to test the possible impact of nurse innovation on medical service quality and experience. In terms of the dimensions of nurse innovation, 'innovation behaviour' ranked the highest (3·24), followed by knowledge creation and innovation diffusion; in terms of the degree of the medical service quality, 'reliability' ranked the highest (4·35). As for the degree of the medical service experience, 'feel experience' ranked the highest (4·44). All dimensions of nurse innovation have no significant effects on medical service quality and experience. Of these three dimensions of nurse innovation, the level of innovation behaviour was perceived by the nurses as the highest. The study found that nurse innovation has no significant effects on customer perception of service quality and experience. Hospitals shall provide sufficient resources and budget for fostering innovation development and encourage their nurses to develop nursing innovation for patents. The education and training courses on 'patient-centred' shall be enhanced among hospital nurses. Healthcare managers shall also explore the difficulties about innovation diffusion and find the solutions for nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reflections on the implementation of governance structures for early-stage clinical innovation.

PubMed

Cowie, Luke; Sandall, Jane; Ehrich, Kathryn

2013-12-01

This paper seeks to further explore the question of how best to monitor and govern innovative clinical procedures in their earliest phase of development. We examine the potential value of proposed governance frameworks, such as the IDEAL model, and examine the functioning of a novel procedures review committee. The paper draws upon 20 qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Nine interviews were conducted with members of a committee that was established as a means of governing innovative procedures within a large National Health Service Foundation Trust hospital in the UK. Eleven interviews were conducted with health providers involved with the development of a variety of novel clinical procedures. Prominent themes from the data include the potential willingness of clinicians to engage with regulatory frameworks for innovative procedures, existing ways in which clinicians and others attempt to ensure patient's safety and manage uncertainty in the context of novel procedures, views on the potential benefits and drawbacks of engaging with a review committee for novel procedures, and the pragmatic considerations and potential unintended consequences that are entailed in the implementation of regulatory requirements for the monitoring of innovative procedures. The views of committee members and clinical innovators help us to understand the practical issues of implementing governance structures for novel clinical procedures. The data illustrate those factors that must be taken into account if governance is to support innovation rather than act as an inhibiting factor in the development of new clinical procedures. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Tale of Two Countries: Innovation and Collaboration Aimed at Changing the Culture of Medicine in Uruguay.

PubMed

Dapueto, Juan J; Viera, Mercedes; Samenow, Charles; Swiggart, William H; Steiger, Jeffrey

2018-05-11

This is a case study of a program to address professionalism at the Universidad de la República in Uruguay. We describe a five-year ongoing international collaboration. Relevant characteristics of the context, the program components, activities, and results were analyzed. The expected outcomes were to introduce standards of professional practices in the curricula of medical students and residents and the implementation of a program that might lead to a significant change in the culture of medicine in the University. Traditional didactics, interactive theater, and professional development workshops, issues such as teamwork and communication, professional behavior, and the culture of medicine, and physician wellness were addressed. A total of 359 faculty members, general practitioners, stakeholders, and other healthcare professionals (nurses, psychologists, social workers) participated in the intervention. The process led to specific achievements including new content in the curricula, the use of educational innovations to address issues of professionalism, a growing institutional culture of accountability, and the establishment of new rules and regulations. The strategies and interventions followed in the case of Uruguay can serve as a model to other developing countries to promote physician professionalism, wellness, and joy.

Encouraging innovation.

PubMed

Hyman, Anthony A

2014-02-01

Innovation is central to the scientific endeavor, and yet the current system of funding in the United States discourages innovation, especially in the young. Subtle alterations to the funding system, guided in part by the success of the European Research Council, could have major effects on encouraging innovation.

Update from C3RS lessons learned team : safety culture and trend analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) believes that, in addition to process and technology innovations, human-factors-based solutions can significantly contribute to improving safety in the railroad industry. To test this assumption, FRA implemen...

Accelerating Innovation Through Coopetition: The Innovation Learning Network Experience.

PubMed

McCarthy, Chris; Ford Carleton, Penny; Krumpholz, Elizabeth; Chow, Marilyn P

Coopetition, the simultaneous pursuit of cooperation and competition, is a growing force in the innovation landscape. For some organizations, the primary mode of innovation continues to be deeply secretive and highly competitive, but for others, a new style of shared challenges, shared purpose, and shared development has become a superior, more efficient way of working to accelerate innovation capabilities and capacity. Over the last 2 decades, the literature base devoted to coopetition has gradually expanded. However, the field is still in its infancy. The majority of coopetition research is qualitative, primarily consisting of case studies. Few studies have addressed the nonprofit sector or service industries such as health care. The authors believe that this article may offer a unique perspective on coopetition in the context of a US-based national health care learning alliance designed to accelerate innovation, the Innovation Learning Network or ILN. The mission of the ILN is to "Share the joy and pain of innovation," accelerating innovation by sharing solutions, teaching techniques, and cultivating friendships. These 3 pillars (sharing, teaching, and cultivating) form the foundation for coopetition within the ILN. Through the lens of coopetition, we examine the experience of the ILN over the last 10 years and provide case examples that illustrate the benefits and challenges of coopetition in accelerating innovation in health care.

Surgical innovation: the ethical agenda: A systematic review.

PubMed

Broekman, Marike L; Carrière, Michelle E; Bredenoord, Annelien L

2016-06-01

The aim of the present article was to systematically review the ethics of surgical innovation and introduce the components of the learning health care system to guide future research and debate on surgical innovation.Although the call for evidence-based practice in surgery is increasingly high on the agenda, most surgeons feel that the format of the randomized controlled trial is not suitable for surgery. Innovation in surgery has aspects of, but should be distinguished from both research and clinical care and raises its own ethical challenges.To answer the question "What are the main ethical aspects of surgical innovation?", we systematically searched PubMed and Embase. Papers expressing an opinion, point of view, or position were included, that is, normative ethical papers.We included 59 studies discussing ethical aspects of surgical innovation. These studies discussed 4 major themes: oversight, informed consent, learning curve, and vulnerable patient groups. Although all papers addressed the ethical challenges raised by surgical innovation, surgeons hold no uniform view of surgical innovation, and there is no agreement on the distinction between innovation and research. Even though most agree to some sort of oversight, they offer different alternatives ranging from the formation of new surgical innovation committees to establishing national registries. Most agree that informed consent is necessary for innovative procedures and that surgeons should be adequately trained to assure their competence to tackle the learning curve problem. All papers agree that in case of vulnerable patients, alternatives must be found for the informed consent procedure.We suggest that the concept of the learning health care system might provide guidance for thinking about surgical innovation. The underlying rationale of the learning health care system is to improve the quality of health care by embedding research within clinical care. Two aspects of a learning health care system might

Galvanising the NHS to Adopt Innovation

PubMed Central

Parris, Stuart; Cochrane, Gavin; Marjanovic, Sonja; Ling, Tom; Chataway, Joanna

2016-01-01

Abstract The Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust, in co-operation with NHS England, asked RAND Europe to conduct a limited consultation with key stakeholders about the practicality of measures and incentives proposed as part of the NHS Accelerated Access Review (AAR), which aims to assess the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. Through a focused engagement exercise with key healthcare stakeholders this project explored the implications of selected interim AAR propositions and feasibility of implementation for key actors, in primary and secondary care as well as commissioners and academia. Specifically, the project investigated the feasibility of implementation of three specific propositions including: a new earmarked fund to encourage AHSNs and other key innovation actors to re-design systems to embrace innovation; mobilising the influence of clinical system leaders to champion change; and encouraging secondary care organisations to take on “innovation champion” roles linked to financial incentives and a new emphasis on accountable care organisations. Data was collected on the feasibility of the three AAR propositions from a workshop with AHSN CEOs and Commercial Directors and interviews with senior NHS staff in three AHSN regions (South West, University College London Partners, and North East, North Cumbria). The study concludes with reflections on the feasibility of each recommendation and identifies factors expected to facilitate or challenge their implementation, as well as considering the wider cross cutting issues that may influence the adoption and diffusion of innovation in the NHS. PMID:28083436

Assessment and diffusion of medical innovations in France: an overview

PubMed Central

Dubromel, Amélie; Geffroy, Loïc; Aulagner, Gilles; Dussart, Claude

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: In France, a significant part of health expenditure is publicly funding. This put a heavy burden on society. In an economic context requiring tight control of public spending, it seems relevant to control the diffusion of medical innovations. That is why health technology assessment is subject to an increasing interest at national level for management and approval decisions. This article provides an overview of the assessment and diffusion of medical innovation in France. Method: The data are extracted from French authorities or organisations websites and documents and from French legislative texts. In addition, regarding discussion, a search in MEDLINE database was carried out. Results: An overview of the assessment and diffusion of medical innovation in France is given by presenting the different types of medical innovations according to French health system definition (I); introducing French authorities participating to health technology assessment and describe assessment procedures of medical innovations (II); and giving details about market access process of innovative health product in France (III). Key opportunities and challenges of medical innovation assessment and diffusion in France are discussed at the end of this article. Conclusion: In France, medical innovation is considered as a crucial component for quality of care and performance of healthcare system. The aim of health technology assessment is to promote a secure and timely access to innovation for patients. Nevertheless, it appears necessary to improve regulatory mechanisms. PMID:29686802

Convergent innovation for sustainable economic growth and affordable universal health care: innovating the way we innovate.

PubMed

Dubé, Laurette; Jha, Srivardhini; Faber, Aida; Struben, Jeroen; London, Ted; Mohapatra, Archisman; Drager, Nick; Lannon, Chris; Joshi, P K; McDermott, John

2014-12-01

This paper introduces convergent innovation (CI) as a form of meta-innovation-an innovation in the way we innovate. CI integrates human and economic development outcomes, through behavioral and ecosystem transformation at scale, for sustainable prosperity and affordable universal health care within a whole-of-society paradigm. To this end, CI combines technological and social innovation (including organizational, social process, financial, and institutional), with a special focus on the most underserved populations. CI takes a modular approach that convenes around roadmaps for real world change-a portfolio of loosely coupled complementary partners from the business community, civil society, and the public sector. Roadmaps serve as collaborative platforms for focused, achievable, and time-bound projects to provide scalable, sustainable, and resilient solutions to complex challenges, with benefits both to participating partners and to society. In this paper, we first briefly review the literature on technological innovation that sets the foundations of CI and motivates its feasibility. We then describe CI, its building blocks, and enabling conditions for deployment and scaling up, illustrating its operational forms through examples of existing CI-sensitive innovation. © 2014 The New York Academy of Sciences.

Research into the influence of internal interdepartmental integration on service innovation and customer loyalty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jui-Chan; Wu, Tzu-Jung; Wen, Hao-Ming; Hsin-Fei, Wu; Hairui, Ji

2017-06-01

It is the most important for the company to improve customer value and customer loyalty through service innovation. However, at present, only researches related to organizations or consumer behaviors are conducted, there is rare research into the combination between organization level and consumer behavior, and this research tries to explore this aspect, which is the motivation and contribution of this research. This research aims to explore the relationship between "Interdepartmental Integration", "Service Innovation" and "Customer Loyalty", according to the analysis results, the relationship between "interdepartmental integration and service innovation" and "service innovation and customer loyalty" has a low positive correlation and it reaches significant level; it shows the relationship between "interdepartmental interaction and progressive innovation" and "interdepartmental collaboration and fundamental innovation" is significant.

An Exploratory Descriptive Study of Registered Nurse Innovation: Implications for Levels of Adoption.

PubMed

Polster, Debra; Villines, Dana

The aims of this study were to describe registered nurses' levels of personal innovativeness and registered nurses' perceived organizational innovativeness and determine the relationship between these 2 variables. There is limited research to describe the levels of innovation of nurses within a hospital. The levels of innovation can determine the likelihood of adoption of evidence-based practices at the bedside. As change agents, clinical nurse specialists can determine successful implementation strategies tailored to nurse levels of innovation. This was a descriptive study at a midwest, urban, teaching, 408-bed Magnet hospital. Surveys were completed by 217 nurses. The participants reported high personal innovativeness ((Equation is included in full-text article.)= 32.1; SD, 6.4), and the institution was perceived as innovative, with 90.3% of scores categorized as positive innovativeness. The statistically significant correlation was in the medical-surgical unit (r = -0.52, P < .01). There is no correlation between personal innovativeness and organizational innovativeness except for medical-surgical nurses (P = .03). They are likely to perceive the organization more innovative than themselves. Determining adopter characteristics can be valuable to the clinical nurse specialist by adapting strategic interventions to advance nursing practice. Exploring levels of adoption can be an innovative strategy to transform nursing at the bedside and throughout the organization.

Ricor's anniversary of 50 innovative years in cryogenic technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filis, Avishai; Segal, Victor; Pundak, Nachman; Bar Haim, Zvi; Danziger, Menachem

2017-05-01

Ricor cryogenics was founded in 1967 and since then it has focused on innovative technologies in the cryogenic field. The paper reviews the initial research and development efforts invested in various technologies that have yielded products such as Cryostats for Mossbauer Effect measurement, Liquid gas Dewar containers, Liquid helium vacuum transfer tubes, Cryosurgery and other innovative products. The major registered patents that matured to products such as a magnetic vacuum valve operator, pumped out safety valve and other innovations are reviewed here. As a result of continuous R and D investment, over the years a new generation of innovative Stirling cryogenic products has developed. This development began with massive split slip-on coolers and has progressed as far as miniature IDDCA coolers mainly for IR applications. The accumulated experience in Stirling technology is used also as a platform for developing self-contained water vapor pumps known as MicroStar and NanoStar. These products are also used in collaboration with a research institute in the field of High Temperature Superconductors. The continuous growth in the cryogenic products range and the need to meet market demands have motivated the expansion, of Ricor's manufacturing facility enabling it to become a world leader in the cryocooler field. To date Ricor has manufactured more than 120,000 cryocoolers. The actual cryogenic development efforts and challenges are also reviewed, mainly in the field of long life cryocoolers, ruggedized products, miniaturization and products for space applications.

Bridgework ahead! Innovation ecosystems vis-à-vis responsible innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, Rider; Wiek, Arnim

2017-02-01

Public funding agencies largely support academic research as an effort to stimulate future product commercialization and foster broader societal benefits. Yet, translating research nurtured in academic settings into such outcomes is complex and demands functional interactions between government, academic, and industry, i.e., "triple helix," organizations within an innovation ecosystem. This article argues that in the spirit of responsible innovation, research funding should build bridges that extend beyond the triple helix stakeholders to connect to peripheral organizations. To support that argument, evidence from agent network analysis gathered from two case studies reveals strong and weak connections, as well as gaps within innovation ecosystems in Switzerland and metropolitan Phoenix, USA. This article offers insights on how innovation ecosystems are aligned or misaligned with responsible innovation.

A Delphi Technology Foresight Study: Mapping Social Construction of Scientific Evidence on Metagenomics Tests for Water Safety

PubMed Central

Birko, Stanislav; Dove, Edward S.; Özdemir, Vural

2015-01-01

Access to clean water is a grand challenge in the 21st century. Water safety testing for pathogens currently depends on surrogate measures such as fecal indicator bacteria (e.g., E. coli). Metagenomics concerns high-throughput, culture-independent, unbiased shotgun sequencing of DNA from environmental samples that might transform water safety by detecting waterborne pathogens directly instead of their surrogates. Yet emerging innovations such as metagenomics are often fiercely contested. Innovations are subject to shaping/construction not only by technology but also social systems/values in which they are embedded, such as experts’ attitudes towards new scientific evidence. We conducted a classic three-round Delphi survey, comprised of 107 questions. A multidisciplinary expert panel (n = 24) representing the continuum of discovery scientists and policymakers evaluated the emergence of metagenomics tests. To the best of our knowledge, we report here the first Delphi foresight study of experts’ attitudes on (1) the top 10 priority evidentiary criteria for adoption of metagenomics tests for water safety, (2) the specific issues critical to governance of metagenomics innovation trajectory where there is consensus or dissensus among experts, (3) the anticipated time lapse from discovery to practice of metagenomics tests, and (4) the role and timing of public engagement in development of metagenomics tests. The ability of a test to distinguish between harmful and benign waterborne organisms, analytical/clinical sensitivity, and reproducibility were the top three evidentiary criteria for adoption of metagenomics. Experts agree that metagenomic testing will provide novel information but there is dissensus on whether metagenomics will replace the current water safety testing methods or impact the public health end points (e.g., reduction in boil water advisories). Interestingly, experts view the publics relevant in a “downstream capacity” for adoption of

Safety in Schools: An Integral Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gairin, Joaquin; Castro, Diego

2011-01-01

The present paper summarizes a research project into integral safety in schools. The aims of this particular research are, firstly, to evaluate the degree of integral safety in schools, secondly, to propose means for improving prevention and integral safety systems and thirdly, to identify the characteristics of safety culture. The field work was…

Conflict in Relationships and Perceived Support in Innovative Work Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battistelli, Adalgisa; Picci, Patrizia; Odoardi, Carlo

In recent years, the idea that innovation is one of the determining factors in the efficacy and survival of organizations has been strongly consolidated. Individuals and groups within the various organizations undertake specific creative activities with the express intention of deriving direct benefits from the changes with regard to the generational phase of ideas. Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) is a complex behavioral pattern which consists of a set of three different tasks, namely, idea generation, idea promotion and idea realization. Considering the scant attention that has been paid to date to the potentially different role of antecedent factors in the various phases of innovative behavior, the aim of the present work was to examine the combined conflicting and supportive roles on innovation within the three stages of IWB. The results obtained from a sample of 110 Public Elementary School teachers confirm, as expected, that in the realization phase there are a positive influence from conflicting and supportive roles on innovation and a positive influence from support for innovation also in the phase of idea promotion; whereas, unexpectedly, a positive influence from conflicting is exercised in the phases of idea generation.

Exploration of perceived effects of innovations in postgraduate medical education.

PubMed

Fokkema, Joanne P I; Teunissen, Pim W; Westerman, Michiel; van der Lee, Nadine; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Dörr, P Joep; Scheele, Fedde

2013-03-01

Many studies have examined how educational innovations in postgraduate medical education (PGME) impact on teaching and learning, but little is known about effects in the clinical workplace outside the strictly education-related domain. Insights into the full scope of effects may facilitate the implementation and acceptance of innovations because expectations can be made more realistic, and difficulties and pitfalls anticipated. Using workplace-based assessment (WBA) as a reference case, this study aimed to determine which types of effect are perceived by users of innovations in PGME. Focusing on WBA as a recent instance of innovation in PGME, we conducted semi-structured interviews to explore perceptions of the effects of WBA in a purposive sample of Dutch trainees and (lead) consultants in surgical and non-surgical specialties. Interviews conducted in 2011 with 17 participants were analysed thematically using template analysis. To support the exploration of effects outside the domain of education, the study design was informed by theory on the diffusion of innovations. Six domains of effects of WBA were identified: sentiments (affinity with the innovation and emotions); dealing with the innovation; specialty training; teaching and learning; workload and tasks, and patient care. Users' affinity with WBA partly determined its effects on teaching and learning. Organisational support and the match between the innovation and routine practice were considered important to minimise additional workload and ensure that WBA was used for relevant rather than easily assessable training activities. Dealing with WBA stimulated attention for specialty training and placed specialty training on the agenda of clinical departments. These outcomes are in line with theoretical notions regarding innovations in general and may be helpful in the implementation of other innovations in PGME. Given the substantial effects of innovations outside the strictly education-related domain

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

A "moon dust" beehive is on display during the 2017 Innovation Expo showcase at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

A guest speaker presents to the workforce during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

A worker tries out a virtual reality experience during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Aligning for Innovation - Alignment Strategy to Drive Innovation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Hurel; Teltschik, David; Bussey, Horace, Jr.; Moy, James

2010-01-01

With the sudden need for innovation that will help the country achieve its long-term space exploration objectives, the question of whether NASA is aligned effectively to drive the innovation that it so desperately needs to take space exploration to the next level should be entertained. Authors such as Robert Kaplan and David North have noted that companies that use a formal system for implementing strategy consistently outperform their peers. They have outlined a six-stage management systems model for implementing strategy, which includes the aligning of the organization towards its objectives. This involves the alignment of the organization from the top down. This presentation will explore the impacts of existing U.S. industrial policy on technological innovation; assess the current NASA organizational alignment and its impacts on driving technological innovation; and finally suggest an alternative approach that may drive the innovation needed to take the world to the next level of space exploration, with NASA truly leading the way.

Innovation through developing consumers’ community. Part I: Innovation in action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gălăţanu (Avram, E.; Avasilcăi, S.

2015-11-01

Technological changes and need for innovation represents the main concerns for organizational growth and profitability. However the main priority is still about achieving high performance through product development and consumers' engagement activities. As implementation of open innovation applications increased and value co — creation became well known and major process, companies were engaged into value co — innovation activities. From this point of view the need for joint efforts with consumers in product development arose. Thus the primary condition for an organization to be consumer centric is to define clear the vision and mission which reflects the common efforts for co — creation and diffusion of innovation. As Research & Development processes evolved and interest for innovative concepts and products arose, companies started to implement the specific instruments for consumers' attraction and engagement into design and product development. The digitalized innovation became the main source for establishing the direct communication with the consumers. In order to achieve organization growth, profitability and recognition, the companies should be aware of the innovation importance and the need for internal change. From this point of view, there is necessary to assess the organizational structures, to implement new policies and to establish strategic targets. Basically it is justified the need for platform occurrence and development. Based on case study of BMW Group, recognised leader in automotive industry for innovative concepts, there will be analysed main features within organizational context which promotes the innovation implementation. There will be provided the review of the BMW Group experience of innovation activities, main consumers' engagement strategies, the values which promote the consumer — centric product development, new opportunities assessment, major policies and concerns. The foreseen result is to understand how companies are

Safety Capital: The Management of Organizational Knowledge on Occupational Health and Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunez, Imanol; Villanueva, Mikel

2011-01-01

Purpose: The concept of Safety Capital was developed by analyzing the creation and composition of the Intellectual Capital embedded in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) systems. The paper aims to address this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: By drawing a theoretical link for the relationship between OHS activities and intellectual…

Match your innovation strategy to your innovation ecosystem.

PubMed

Adner, Ron

2006-04-01

High-definition televisions should, by now, be a huge success. Philips, Sony, and Thompson invested billions of dollars to develop TV sets with astonishing picture quality. From a technology perspective, they've succeeded: Console manufacturers have been ready for the mass market since the early 1990s. Yet the category has been an unmitigated failure, not because of deficiencies, but because critical complements such as studio production equipment were not developed or adopted in time. Under-performing complements have left console producers in the position of offering a Ferrari in a world without gasoline or highways--an admirable engineering feat, but not one that creates value for customers. The HDTV story exemplifies the promise and peril of innovation ecosystems--the collaborative arrangements through which firms combine their individual offers into a coherent, customer-facing solution. When they work, innovation ecosystems allow companies to create value that no one firm could have created alone. The benefits of these systems are real. But for many organizations the attempt at ecosystem innovation has been a costly failure. This is because, along with new opportunities, innovation ecosystems also present a new set of risks that can brutally derail a firm's best efforts. Innovation ecosystems are characterized by three fundamental types of risk: initiative risks--the familiar uncertainties of managing a project; interdependence risks--the uncertainties of coordinating with complementary innovators; and integration risks--the uncertainties presented by the adoption process across the value chain. Firms that assess ecosystem risks holistically and systematically will be able to establish more realistic expectations, develop a more refined set of environmental contingencies, and arrive at a more robust innovation strategy. Collectively, these actions will lead to more effective implementation and more profitable innovation.

Patient safety and infection control: bases for curricular integration.

PubMed

Silva, Andréa Mara Bernardes da; Bim, Lucas Lazarini; Bim, Felipe Lazarini; Sousa, Alvaro Francisco Lopes; Domingues, Pedro Castania Amadio; Nicolussi, Adriana Cristina; Andrade, Denise de

2018-05-01

To analyze curricular integration between teaching of patient safety and good infection prevention and control practices. Integrative review, designed to answer the question: "How does curricular integration of content about 'patient safety teaching' and content about 'infection prevention and control practices' occur in undergraduate courses in the health field?". The following databases were searched for primary studies: CINAHL, LILACS, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, Europe PMC and MEDLINE. The final sample consisted of 13 studies. After content analysis, primary studies were grouped into two subject categories: "Innovative teaching practices" and "Curricular evaluation. Patient safety related to infection prevention and control practices is present in the curriculum of health undergraduate courses, but is not coordinated with other themes, is taught sporadically, and focuses mainly on hand hygiene.

Innovation and the growth of human population.

PubMed

Weinberger, V P; Quiñinao, C; Marquet, P A

2017-12-05

Biodiversity is sustained by and is essential to the services that ecosystems provide. Different species would use these services in different ways, or adaptive strategies, which are sustained in time by continuous innovations. Using this framework, we postulate a model for a biological species ( Homo sapiens ) in a finite world where innovations, aimed at increasing the flux of ecosystem services (a measure of habitat quality), increase with population size, and have positive effects on the generation of new innovations (positive feedback) as well as costs in terms of negatively affecting the provision of ecosystem services. We applied this model to human populations, where technological innovations are driven by cumulative cultural evolution. Our model shows that depending on the net impact of a technology on the provision of ecosystem services ( θ ), and the strength of technological feedback ( ξ ), different regimes can result. Among them, the human population can fill the entire planet while maximizing their well-being, but not exhaust ecosystem services. However, this outcome requires positive or green technologies that increase the provision of ecosystem services with few negative externalities or environmental costs, and that have a strong positive feedback in generating new technologies of the same kind. If the feedback is small, then the technological stock can collapse together with the human population. Scenarios where technological innovations generate net negative impacts may be associated with a limited technological stock as well as a limited human population at equilibrium and the potential for collapse. The only way to fill the planet with humans under this scenario of negative technologies is by reducing the technological stock to a minimum. Otherwise, the only feasible equilibrium is associated with population collapse. Our model points out that technological innovations per se may not help humans to grow and dominate the planet. Instead

Changing Safety Culture, One Step at a Time: The Value of the DOE-VPP Program at PNNL

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

Wright, Patrick A.; Isern, Nancy G.

2005-02-01

The primary value of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is the ongoing partnership between management and staff committed to change Laboratory safety culture one step at a time. VPP enables PNNL's safety and health program to transcend a top-down, by-the-book approach to safety, and it also raises grassroots safety consciousness by promoting a commitment to safety and health 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. PNNL VPP is a dynamic, evolving program that fosters innovative approaches to continuous improvement in safety and health performance at the Laboratory.

Modelling innovation performance of European regions using multi-output neural networks

PubMed Central

Henriques, Roberto

2017-01-01

Regional innovation performance is an important indicator for decision-making regarding the implementation of policies intended to support innovation. However, patterns in regional innovation structures are becoming increasingly diverse, complex and nonlinear. To address these issues, this study aims to develop a model based on a multi-output neural network. Both intra- and inter-regional determinants of innovation performance are empirically investigated using data from the 4th and 5th Community Innovation Surveys of NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) regions. The results suggest that specific innovation strategies must be developed based on the current state of input attributes in the region. Thus, it is possible to develop appropriate strategies and targeted interventions to improve regional innovation performance. We demonstrate that support of entrepreneurship is an effective instrument of innovation policy. We also provide empirical support that both business and government R&D activity have a sigmoidal effect, implying that the most effective R&D support should be directed to regions with below-average and average R&D activity. We further show that the multi-output neural network outperforms traditional statistical and machine learning regression models. In general, therefore, it seems that the proposed model can effectively reflect both the multiple-output nature of innovation performance and the interdependency of the output attributes. PMID:28968449

Modelling innovation performance of European regions using multi-output neural networks.

PubMed

Hajek, Petr; Henriques, Roberto

2017-01-01

Regional innovation performance is an important indicator for decision-making regarding the implementation of policies intended to support innovation. However, patterns in regional innovation structures are becoming increasingly diverse, complex and nonlinear. To address these issues, this study aims to develop a model based on a multi-output neural network. Both intra- and inter-regional determinants of innovation performance are empirically investigated using data from the 4th and 5th Community Innovation Surveys of NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) regions. The results suggest that specific innovation strategies must be developed based on the current state of input attributes in the region. Thus, it is possible to develop appropriate strategies and targeted interventions to improve regional innovation performance. We demonstrate that support of entrepreneurship is an effective instrument of innovation policy. We also provide empirical support that both business and government R&D activity have a sigmoidal effect, implying that the most effective R&D support should be directed to regions with below-average and average R&D activity. We further show that the multi-output neural network outperforms traditional statistical and machine learning regression models. In general, therefore, it seems that the proposed model can effectively reflect both the multiple-output nature of innovation performance and the interdependency of the output attributes.

Innovative strategy with potential to increase hemodialysis efficiency and safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiao-Chien; Lin, Hsiu-Chen; Chen, Hsi-Hsien; Mai, Fu-Der; Liu, Yu-Chuan; Lin, Chun-Mao; Chang, Chun-Chao; Tsai, Hui-Yen; Yang, Chih-Ping

2014-03-01

Uremic toxins are mainly represented by blood urine nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Crea) whose removal is critically important in hemodialysis (HD) for kidney disease. Patients undergoing HD have a complex illness, resulting from: inadequate removal of organic waste, dialysis-induced oxidative stress and membrane-induced inflammation. Here we report innovative breakthroughs for efficient and safe HD by using a plasmon-induced dialysate comprising Au nanoparticles (NPs)-treated (AuNT) water that is distinguishable from conventional deionized (DI) water. The diffusion coefficient of K3Fe(CN)6 in saline solution can be significantly increased from 2.76, to 4.62 × 10-6 cm s-1, by using AuNT water prepared under illumination by green light-emitting diodes (LED). In vitro HD experiments suggest that the treatment times for the removals of 70% BUN and Crea are reduced by 47 and 59%, respectively, using AuNT water instead of DI water in dialysate, while additionally suppressing NO release from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cells.

GSA's Green Proving Ground: Identifying, Testing and Evaluating Innovative Technologies (Presentation)

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

Kandt, A.; Lowell, M.

2012-05-01

GSA's Green Proving Ground (GPG) program utilizes GSA's real estate portfolio to test and evaluate innovative and underutilized sustainable building technologies and practices. Findings are used to support the development of GSA performance specifications and inform decision making within GSA, other federal agencies, and the real estate industry. The program aims to drive innovation in environmental performance in federal buildings and help lead market transformation through deployment of new technologies.

Exploring the Innovative Personality Characteristics among Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Othman, Nooraini

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore the characteristics of innovative personality among teachers in Malaysia. Samples of the research were randomly selected among secondary school teachers in three districts in Malaysia. Research instrument was self-developed by the researchers based on interviews carried out with some resource persons who are…

Teams as innovative systems: multilevel motivational antecedents of innovation in R&D teams.

PubMed

Chen, Gilad; Farh, Jiing-Lih; Campbell-Bush, Elizabeth M; Wu, Zhiming; Wu, Xin

2013-11-01

Integrating theories of proactive motivation, team innovation climate, and motivation in teams, we developed and tested a multilevel model of motivators of innovative performance in teams. Analyses of multisource data from 428 members of 95 research and development (R&D) teams across 33 Chinese firms indicated that team-level support for innovation climate captured motivational mechanisms that mediated between transformational leadership and team innovative performance, whereas members' motivational states (role-breadth self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation) mediated between proactive personality and individual innovative performance. Furthermore, individual motivational states and team support for innovation climate uniquely promoted individual innovative performance, and, in turn, individual innovative performance linked team support for innovation climate to team innovative performance. (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Innovative Assessments That Support Students' STEM Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thummaphan, Phonraphee

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to represent the innovative assessments that support students' learning in STEM education through using the integrative framework for Cognitive Diagnostic Modeling (CDM). This framework is based on three components, cognition, observation, and interpretation (National Research Council, 2001). Specifically, this dissertation…

Firm performance model in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based on learning orientation and innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari, E. R.; Ardianti, F. L.; Rachmawati, L.

2018-03-01

This study investigated the relationship between learning orientation, innovation, and firm performance. A conceptual model and hypothesis were empirically examined using structural equation modelling. The study involved a questionnaire-based survey of owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Batu City, Indonesia. The results showed that both variables of learning orientation and innovation effect positively on firm performance. Additionally, learning orientation has positive effect innovation. This study has implication for SMEs aiming at increasing their firm performance based on learning orientation and innovation capability.

[Platforms are needed for innovative basic research in ophthalmology].

PubMed

Wang, Yi-qiang

2012-07-01

Basic research poses the cornerstone of technical innovation in all lines including medical sciences. Currently, there are shortages of professional scientists as well as technical supporting teams and facilities in the field of basic research of ophthalmology and visual science in China. Evaluation system and personnel policies are not supportive for innovative but high-risk-of-failure research projects. Discussion of reasons and possible solutions are given here to address these problems, aiming at promoting buildup of platforms hosting novel and important basic research in eye science in this country.

Innovators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NEA Today, 2001

2001-01-01

Describes various innovations that have been developed to enhance education. These innovations include: helping educators help at-risk students succeed; promoting high school journalism; ensuring quality online learning experiences; developing a student performing group that uses theater to address social issues; and having students design their…

Innovations in energy expenditure assessment.

PubMed

Achamrah, Najate; Oshima, Taku; Genton, Laurence

2018-06-15

Optimal nutritional therapy has been associated with better clinical outcomes and requires providing energy as closed as possible to measured energy expenditure. We reviewed the current innovations in energy expenditure assessment in humans, focusing on indirect calorimetry and other new alternative methods. Although considered the reference method to measure energy expenditure, the use of indirect calorimetry is currently limited by the lack of an adequate device. However, recent technical developments may allow a broader use of indirect calorimetry for in-patients and out-patients. An ongoing international academic initiative to develop a new indirect calorimeter aimed to provide innovative and affordable technical solutions for many of the current limitations of indirect calorimetry. New alternative methods to indirect calorimetry, including CO2 measurements in mechanically ventilated patients, isotopic approaches and accelerometry-based fitness equipments, show promises but have been either poorly studied and/or are not accurate compared to indirect calorimetry. Therefore, to date, energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry remains the gold standard to guide nutritional therapy. Some new innovative methods are demonstrating promises in energy expenditure assessment, but still need to be validated. There is an ongoing need for easy-to-use, accurate and affordable indirect calorimeter for daily use in in-patients and out-patients.

Innovative tools and techniques in identifying highway safety improvement projects : project summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-01-01

Researchers completed the following activities: - Reviewed the literature, state HSIP processes and practices, and HSIP tools used by various agencies. - Evaluated the applicability of safety assessment methods and tools used by other states and loca...

The Role of OSHA in Safety and Health. Module SH-02. Safety and Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

This student module on the role of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) in Safety and Health is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module looks at the OSHA Act, its aims, and the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers under the Act. Following the introduction, 16 objectives (each keyed to a page in the…

The sociology of space as a catalyst for innovation in the health sector.

PubMed

Saidi, Trust; de Villiers, Katusha; Douglas, Tania S

2017-05-01

This paper reviews the role of space in facilitating innovation. It draws on the sociology of space in exploring the social practices, institutional forces and material complexity of how people and spaces interact. We assess how space influences the development of innovative solutions to challenges in the health sector. Our aim is to advance an understanding of the social production of space for healthcare innovation. We draw empirical examples from the Innovation Hub at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town to illustrate that innovation does not take place in an institutional vacuum, but requires space that facilitates interaction of different players. This paper demonstrates that space matters in promoting innovation, particularly through its influence on social relationships and networks. An attractive and novel space, which is different from the usual workplace, stimulates innovation, mainly through being a base for the creation of an ecosystem for the productive interaction of different players. The interaction is important in inspiring new ideas, facilitating creative thought processes, maintaining the flow of information and bringing innovation to life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outsource Power, Import Safety? Challenges and Opportunities of the U.S.-China Food Safety Regulatory Cooperation.

PubMed

Lin, Ching-Fu

The United States has a high stake in China’s serious food safety problem, as food products of Chinese origin have dominated the U.S. food market in numerous areas and continue to grow. The conclusion of the U.S.-China Food Safety Agreement (“the Agreement”) has allowed FDA to strengthen regulatory cooperation with its Chinese counterpart in various aspects. The Agreement also paves the way for the implementation of the new regulatory tools incorporated in FSMA, especially in the cross-border context. However, both the Agreement and FSMA have certain crucial limitations that may create future hurdles to effective implementation in the U.S.-China cooperation. This paper therefore endeavors to first examine China’s governance challenges over food safety, with a focus on the 2009 Food Safety Law, the 2015 Amendment, and the fundamental problem of “thin” rule of law. This paper moves to analyze the U.S.-China Food Safety Agreement, reviewing the agreement’s strengths and weaknesses. It further assesses FSMA’s innovative institutional design to regulate imported food products and its limitations. However, both the U.S.-China Food Safety Agreement and FSMA arguably create a regulatory dilemma for FDA when addressing imported food safety, due to structural mismatch between the broad scope of power granted to FDA and the long chain of power outsourcing to governments or private companies as primary “regulators.” Neither the Agreement nor FSMA give FDA adequate capacity to closely oversee such “agents” along the chain of power outsourcing. Framing the U.S.-China food safety cooperation as a multilayer structure that “outsources power” to “import safety,” this paper concludes by stressing the need for a robust accountability and effective mechanism for U.S.-China food safety cooperation.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Ivan Townsend III displays the four U.S. Patent plaques he received during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Robert Mueller displays the three U.S. Patent plaques he received during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Jeffrey Carlson displays the three U.S. Patent plaques he received during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

[Prospects of systemic radioecology in solving innovative tasks of nuclear power engineering].

PubMed

Spiridonov, S I

2014-01-01

A need of systemic radioecological studies in the strategy developed by the atomic industry in Russia in the XXI century has been justified. The priorities in the radioecology of nuclear power engineering of natural safety associated with the development of the radiation-migration equivalence concept, comparative evaluation of innovative nuclear technologies and forecasting methods of various emergencies have been identified. Also described is an algorithm for the integrated solution of these tasks that includes elaboration of methodological approaches, methods and software allowing dose burdens to humans and biota to be estimated. The rationale of using radioecological risks for the analysis of uncertainties in the environmental contamination impacts,at different stages of the existing and innovative nuclear fuel cycles is shown.

Relationships among Safety Climate, Safety Behavior, and Safety Outcomes for Ethnic Minority Construction Workers

PubMed Central

Lyu, Sainan; Chan, Albert P. C.; Wong, Francis K. W.

2018-01-01

In many countries, it is common practice to attract and employ ethnic minority (EM) or migrant workers in the construction industry. This primarily occurs in order to alleviate the labor shortage caused by an aging workforce with a lack of new entrants. Statistics show that EM construction workers are more likely to have occupational fatal and nonfatal injuries than their local counterparts; however, the mechanism underlying accidents and injuries in this vulnerable population has been rarely examined. This study aims to investigate relationships among safety climate, safety behavior, and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. To this end, a theoretical research model was developed based on a comprehensive review of the current literature. In total, 289 valid questionnaires were collected face-to-face from 223 Nepalese construction workers and 56 Pakistani construction workers working on 15 construction sites in Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling was employed to validate the constructs and test the hypothesized model. Results show that there were significant positive relationships between safety climate and safety behaviors, and significant negative relationships between safety behaviors and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. This research contributes to the literature regarding EM workers by providing empirical evidence of the mechanisms by which safety climate affects safety behaviors and outcomes. It also provides insights in order to help the key stakeholders formulate safety strategies for EM workers in many areas where numerous EM workers are employed, such as in the U.S., the UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East. PMID:29522503

Relationships among Safety Climate, Safety Behavior, and Safety Outcomes for Ethnic Minority Construction Workers.

PubMed

Lyu, Sainan; Hon, Carol K H; Chan, Albert P C; Wong, Francis K W; Javed, Arshad Ali

2018-03-09

In many countries, it is common practice to attract and employ ethnic minority (EM) or migrant workers in the construction industry. This primarily occurs in order to alleviate the labor shortage caused by an aging workforce with a lack of new entrants. Statistics show that EM construction workers are more likely to have occupational fatal and nonfatal injuries than their local counterparts; however, the mechanism underlying accidents and injuries in this vulnerable population has been rarely examined. This study aims to investigate relationships among safety climate, safety behavior, and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. To this end, a theoretical research model was developed based on a comprehensive review of the current literature. In total, 289 valid questionnaires were collected face-to-face from 223 Nepalese construction workers and 56 Pakistani construction workers working on 15 construction sites in Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling was employed to validate the constructs and test the hypothesized model. Results show that there were significant positive relationships between safety climate and safety behaviors, and significant negative relationships between safety behaviors and safety outcomes for EM construction workers. This research contributes to the literature regarding EM workers by providing empirical evidence of the mechanisms by which safety climate affects safety behaviors and outcomes. It also provides insights in order to help the key stakeholders formulate safety strategies for EM workers in many areas where numerous EM workers are employed, such as in the U.S., the UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Middle East.

[Strategic patient safety action plan for the anesthesiology and intensive care service of Ukraine: basic modules and their components].

PubMed

Федосюк, Роман Н

In recent years, the problem of patient safety has become top-priority in further improvement of national healthcare systems in all developed countries. To develop a modular structure and a component composition of the strategic patient safety action plan for the anesthesiology and intensive care service of Ukraine as a part of the National Action Plan. Major domestic priorities, substantiated and made public by the author in previous works, are taken as the basis for the modular structuring of the action plan. Existing foreign prototypes, evaluated for the patient safety effectiveness and the potential for the adaptation to domestic conditions, as well as author's own innovations are offered for a component filling-up of each module. Eight modules - infectious safety, surgical safety, pharmaceutical safety, infrastructural safety, incident monitoring and reporting, education and training, research and awards - have been proposed. Individual components for each of the modules are selected from a variety of foreign prototypes and author's own developments. Inter-modular stratification of the components into short-term perspective tools and long-term perspective tools, depending on the amount of resources needed for their implementation, is carried out. The strategic patient safety action plan for the anesthesiology and intensive care service of Ukraine is the embodiment, within a particular specialty, of the wider National Action Plan developed by the First National Congress on Patient Safety (Kiev, 2012) on the initiative of the Council of Europe and aimed at the fulfillment of international obligations of Ukraine in the healthcare sector. Its implementation will contribute to enhancing the safety of anesthesia and intensive care services in Ukraine and further development of the specialty.

MOOCs for Innovative Entrepreneurship in Smart Cities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holotescu, Carmen; Slavici, Titus; Cismariu, Liliana; Gotiu, Liliana Olivia Lucaciu; Grosseck, Gabriela; Andone, Diana

2016-01-01

Started in 2008, the new Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) paradigm has brought challenges and innovation at all levels of education, aiming to respond to the most pressing learning needs, generated by the new development policies and the rapid evolution of technology. This paper reports on a project proposed by a group of universities and…

Facilitating Innovation in Science Education through Assessment Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanauer, David I.; Bauerle, Cynthia

2012-01-01

The direction of innovation and reform in science education is moving toward a student-centered learning paradigm that is organized around core concepts and competencies, and engaged through empirically supported instructional practices. What forms of assessment would support these educational aims? Several characteristics of a compatible…

Transformative Learning: Innovating Sustainability Education in Built Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iyer-Raniga, Usha; Andamon, Mary Myla

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate how transformative learning is key to innovating sustainability education in the built environment in the region's universities, in addition to reporting on the research project undertaken to integrate sustainability thinking and practice into engineering/built environment curricula in Asia-Pacific…

John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety Awards. System innovation: Concord Hospital.

PubMed

Uhlig, Paul N; Brown, Jeffrey; Nason, Anne K; Camelio, Addie; Kendall, Elise

2002-12-01

The Cardiac Surgery Program at Concord Hospital (Concord, NH) restructured clinical teamwork for improved safety and effectiveness on the basis of theory and practice from human factors science, aviation safety, and high-reliability organization theory. A team-based, collaborative rounds process--the Concord Collaborative Care Model--that involved use of a structured communications protocol was conducted daily at each patient's bedside. The entire care team agreed to meet at the same time each day (8:45 AM to 9:30 AM) to share information and develop a plan of care for each patient, with patient and family members as active participants. The cardiac surgery team developed a structured communications protocol adapted from human factors science. To provide a forum for discussion of team goals and progress and to address system-level concerns, a biweekly system rounds process was established. Following implementation of collaborative rounds, mortality of Concord Hospital's cardiac surgery patients declined significantly from expected rates. Satisfaction rates of open heart patients scores were consistently in the 97th-99th percentile nationally. A quality of work life survey indicated that in every category, providers expressed greater satisfaction with the collaborative care process than with the traditional rounds process. Practice patterns in the Cardiac Surgery Program at Concord Hospital have changed to a much more collaborative and participatory process, with improved outcomes, happier patients, and more satisfied practitioners. A culture of continuous program improvement has been implemented that continues to evolve and produce benefits.

An Employee-Centered Care Model Responds to the Triple Aim: Improving Employee Health.

PubMed

Fox, Kelly; McCorkle, Ruth

2018-01-01

Health care expenditures, patient satisfaction, and timely access to care will remain problematic if dramatic changes in health care delivery models are not developed and implemented. To combat this challenge, a Triple Aim approach is essential; Innovation in payment and health care delivery models is required. Using the Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome, this article describes a nurse-led employee-centered care model designed to improve consumers' health care experiences, improve employee health, and increase access to care while reducing health care costs for employees, age 18 and older, in a corporate environment.

Ideation Training via Innovation Education to Improve Students' Ethical Maturation and Social Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorsteinsson, Gisli

2013-01-01

This paper will represent the pedagogy of Innovation Education in Iceland that is a new school policy within the Icelandic school system. In Innovation Education (IE) students are trained to identify needs and problems in their environment and to find solutions: this is referred to as the process of ideation. The main aim is to improve their…

Recent innovations in the area of edible films and coatings.

PubMed

Maftoonazad, Neda; Badii, Fojan; Shahamirian, Maryam

2013-12-01

Edible films/coatings have been considered as one of the potential technologies that can be used to increase the storability of foods and to improve the existent packaging technology, helping to ensure the microbial safety and the preservation of food from the influence of external factors. Innovations constantly appear in food packaging, always aiming at creating a more efficient quality preservation system while improving foods' attractiveness and marketability. The utilization of renewable sources for packaging materials, such as hydrocolloids and lipids from biological origin, is one the main trends of the industry. These films should have acceptable sensory characteristics, appropriate barrier properties (CO2, O2, water, oil), microbial, biochemical and physicochemical stability, they should be safe, and produced by simple technology in low cost. Also they can act as effective carrier for antioxidant, flavor, color and nutritional or anti-microbial additives. Nowadays, a great discussion exists about the potential applications of edible films/coatings on food products. The general trend is to find the correct combination between the food product and the edible film/coating, which will ensure the success of the technology.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

Shaun Daly, an integration engineer in the Launch Services Program, explains a new outreach activity for young students during the 2017 Innovation Expo showcase at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

John Culver, Sustainability Program manager with the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, was one of the featured speakers at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

The innovation policy of nanotechnology development and convergence for the new Korean government

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Seoung Hun; Lim, Jung Sun; Shin, Kwang Min; Kim, Chang Woo; Kang, Sang Kyu; Shin, Minsoo

2013-11-01

Since 2001, Korea has been establishing and executing policy for the development of nanotechnology in accordance with the National Comprehensive Development Plan of Nanotechnology (NCDPN) periods I, II, and III. NCDPN has been focused on innovation in wide spectrum of technology development, and NT-based convergence technologies are expected to contribute 35 % of the total GDP (about 5.02 billion won) with 1.2 million of job creation in KOREA at 2020. Establishment of new strategies for innovating and commercializing nanotechnology is an emerging global issue in major countries including the United States, Japan, Germany, and Korea, with particular concerns for safety in the implementations of nanotechnology (EHS). Under these circumstances, Korea needs to create a post-catch-up strategy beyond fast-follower approach, to compete effectively with nanotechnology-leading countries. This study analyzes the current status of Korean nanotechnology development and relevant policies, and suggests future policy directions for the new Korean government based on innovative competition theory.

Teaching Chemistry about "Stevia"--A Case of Cooperative Curriculum Innovation within PROFILES in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuckey, Marc; Lippel, Marianne; Eilks, Ingo

2014-01-01

PROFILES is a project of teacher education and curriculum innovation funded by the FP7-programme of the European Union. The aim of PROFILES is implementing innovative science teaching practices incorporating a societal perspective and compassing inquiry-based science learning. The University of Bremen, Germany, as one of the partners, combines…

Innovation at DARPA

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Innovation at DARPA July 2016 1 Distribution...Statement A: Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Innovation at DARPA A Long History of Innovation DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research...guided work that has “changed the world"—a phrase frequently heard at DARPA to ensure a focus on transformative innovation as opposed to incremental

Geodesy and the UNAVCO Consortium: Three Decades of Innovations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowan, L. R.; Miller, M. M.; Meertens, C. M.; Mattioli, G. S.

2015-12-01

UNAVCO, a non-profit, university consortium that supports geoscience research using geodesy, began with the ingenious recognition that the nascent Global Positioning System constellation (GPS) could be used to investigate earth processes. The consortium purchased one of the first commercially available GPS receivers, Texas Instrument's TI-4100 NAVSTAR Navigator, in 1984 to measure plate deformation. This early work was highlighted in a technology magazine, GPSWorld, in 1990. Over a 30-year period, UNAVCO and the community have helped advance instrument design for mobility, flexibility, efficiency and interoperability, so research could proceed with higher precision and under ever challenging conditions. Other innovations have been made in data collection, processing, analysis, management and archiving. These innovations in tools, methods and data have had broader impacts as they have found greater utility beyond research for timing, precise positioning, safety, communication, navigation, surveying, engineering and recreation. Innovations in research have expanded the utility of geodetic tools beyond the solid earth science through creative analysis of the data and the methods. For example, GPS sounding of the atmosphere is now used for atmospheric and space sciences. GPS reflectrometry, another critical advance, supports soil science, snow science and ecological research. Some research advances have had broader impacts for society by driving innovations in hazards risk reduction, hazards response, resource management, land use planning, surveying, engineering and other uses. Furthermore, the geodetic data is vital for the design of space missions, testing and advancing communications, and testing and dealing with interference and GPS jamming. We will discuss three decades (and counting) of advances by the National Science Foundation's premiere geodetic facility, consortium and some of the many geoscience principal investigators that have driven innovations in

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Trent Smith, project manager in the ISS Exploration Research and Technology Program, displays the U.S. Patent plaque he received during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovative Commercialization Efforts Underway at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

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

Cheesbrough, Kate; Bader, Meghan

New clean energy and energy efficiency technology solutions hold the promise of significant reductions in energy consumption. However, proven barriers for these technologies, including the technological and commercialization valleys of death, result in promising technologies falling to the wayside. To address these gaps, NREL's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center designs and manages advanced programs aimed at supporting the development and commercialization of early stage clean energy technologies with the goal of accelerating new technologies to market. These include: Innovation Incubator (IN2) in partnership with Wells Fargo: this technology incubator supports energy efficiency building-related startups to overcome market gaps by providing accessmore » to technical support at NREL; Small Business Voucher Pilot: this program offers paid vouchers for applicants to access a unique skill, capability, or facility at any of the 17 DOE National Laboratories to bring next-generation clean energy technologies to market; Energy Innovation Portal: NREL designed and developed the Energy Innovation Portal, providing access to EERE focused intellectual property available for licensing from all of the DOE National Laboratories; Lab-Corps: Lab-Corps aims to better train and empower national lab researchers to understand market drivers and successfully transition their discoveries into high-impact, real world technologies in the private sector; Incubatenergy Network: the Network provides nationwide coordination of clean energy business incubators, share best practices, support clean energy entrepreneurs, and help facilitate a smoother transition to a more sustainable clean energy economy; Industry Growth Forum: the Forum is the perfect venue for clean energy innovators to maximize their exposure to receptive capital and strategic partners. Since 2003, presenting companies have collectively raised more than $5 billion in growth financing.« less

Patterns of patient safety culture: a complexity and arts-informed project of knowledge translation.

PubMed

Mitchell, Gail J; Tregunno, Deborah; Gray, Julia; Ginsberg, Liane

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns of patient safety culture that emerged from an innovative collaboration among health services researchers and fine arts colleagues. The group engaged in an arts-informed knowledge translation project to produce a dramatic expression of patient safety culture research for inclusion in a symposium. Scholars have called for a deeper understanding of the complex interrelationships among structure, process and outcomes relating to patient safety. Four patterns of patient safety culture--blinding familiarity, unyielding determination, illusion of control and dismissive urgency--are described with respect to how they informed creation of an arts-informed project for knowledge translation.

Junior Leader Innovation: William Sims & Continuous Aim Fire

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-06

construction ever perpetrated by the white race.” – LT William S. Sims Admiral Sir Percy Scott , Royal Navy...Admiral Mason, Chief, Bureau of Ordnance Ridley McLean “He continued to be a thorn in the fat flesh of the naval hierarchy during his entire

Mobilizing local innovation capacity through a simulation game in a participatory research project on agricultural innovation in El Brahmi irrigation scheme (Tunisia).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolinska, Aleksandra; d'Aquino, Patrick; Imache, Amar; Dionnet, Mathieu; Rougier, Jean-Emmanuel

2015-04-01

In the framework of the European Union and African Union cooperative research to increase Food production in irrigated farming systems in Africa (EAU4Food project) we conducted a participatory research on the possible innovative practices to increase production of dairy farms in the irrigation scheme El Brahmi in Tunisia in the face of changing economic, political and environmental conditions. Our aim was to find effective research method to stimulate farmers' participation in the innovation process. Although the capacities of farmers in producing knowledge and in innovating are recognized and the shift from the linear model of technology transfer towards more participatory approaches to innovation is postulated, in which the role of researchers changes from providing solutions towards supporting farmers in finding their own solutions, in practice, the position of farmers in shaping innovation practice and process remains weak. After a series of participatory workshops and in-depth interviews with the actors of the local innovation system we developed and tested a simple open simulation game Laitconomie for farmers. The game proved to be effective in increasing our understanding of the system as the farmers were adding new elements and rules while playing, and in mobilizing farmers' knowledge (including tacit knowledge) in the simulated innovation process. The result reported by the participants was learning how to improve farm management, soil fertility management and cow nutrition practices. Some of the participants used the game as a decision support tool. While our game and its scope were modest and mobilized only two types of players (farmers and extension agent), open simulation proved to be a useful tool to analyze a local innovation system. Designing similar type of tools that would mobilize more diverse players and hence have a larger scope can be imagined.

Innovation design of medical equipment based on TRIZ.

PubMed

Gao, Changqing; Guo, Leiming; Gao, Fenglan; Yang, Bo

2015-01-01

Medical equipment is closely related to personal health and safety, and this can be of concern to the equipment user. Furthermore, there is much competition among medical equipment manufacturers. Innovative design is the key to success for those enterprises. The design of medical equipment usually covers vastly different domains of knowledge. The application of modern design methodology in medical equipment and technology invention is an urgent requirement. TRIZ (Russian abbreviation of what can be translated as `theory of inventive problem solving') was born in Russia, which contain some problem-solving methods developed by patent analysis around the world, including Conflict Matrix, Substance Field Analysis, Standard Solution, Effects, etc. TRIZ is an inventive methodology for problems solving. As an Engineering example, infusion system is analyzed and re-designed by TRIZ. The innovative idea is generated to liberate the caretaker from the infusion bag watching out. The research in this paper shows the process of the application of TRIZ in medical device inventions. It is proved that TRIZ is an inventive methodology for problems solving and can be used widely in medical device development.

Determinants, obstacles, sources and cooperation to innovation in Portuguese firms, using community innovation survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, Aldina; Braga, Alexandra; Braga, Vitor

2017-06-01

Innovation is a topic of interest for the management researchers, confirmed by the creation of a Community Innovation Survey, which is an harmonised tool designed to provide information about Innovation in European Union enterprises. In this study, we use factorial analysis to identify the determinants and obstacles to innovation in Portuguese firms. The sources of innovation and cooperation to innovation are also analysed, using crossed information. For the determinants of innovation six factors were identified: Production costs and impacts to health and environment, Process and product innovation, Organizational innovation, Institutional sources of information, Others sources of information and Market sources of information. Obstacles to innovation were clustered into three groups: Knowledge and market factors, Cost factors and Reasons not to innovate. The main sources of innovation identified, in this study, are Suppliers and Clients, located in Portugal and in Europe. Cooperation partners are also majority Clients and Suppliers, in addition to other enterprises in the same group.

Leadership's Influence on Innovation and Sustainability: A Review of the Literature and Implications for HRD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waite, Alina M.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to review published articles within the HRD and related fields to identify relationships between disparate streams of research (leadership and innovation and sustainability). Design/methodology/approach: Academic research supports the complex relationships between leadership and innovation and leadership and…

Understanding patient safety performance and educational needs using the 'Safety-II' approach for complex systems.

PubMed

McNab, Duncan; Bowie, Paul; Morrison, Jill; Ross, Alastair

2016-11-01

Participation in projects to improve patient safety is a key component of general practice (GP) specialty training, appraisal and revalidation. Patient safety training priorities for GPs at all career stages are described in the Royal College of General Practitioners' curriculum. Current methods that are taught and employed to improve safety often use a 'find-and-fix' approach to identify components of a system (including humans) where performance could be improved. However, the complex interactions and inter-dependence between components in healthcare systems mean that cause and effect are not always linked in a predictable manner. The Safety-II approach has been proposed as a new way to understand how safety is achieved in complex systems that may improve quality and safety initiatives and enhance GP and trainee curriculum coverage. Safety-II aims to maximise the number of events with a successful outcome by exploring everyday work. Work-as-done often differs from work-as-imagined in protocols and guidelines and various ways to achieve success, dependent on work conditions, may be possible. Traditional approaches to improve the quality and safety of care often aim to constrain variability but understanding and managing variability may be a more beneficial approach. The application of a Safety-II approach to incident investigation, quality improvement projects, prospective analysis of risk in systems and performance indicators may offer improved insight into system performance leading to more effective change. The way forward may be to combine the Safety-II approach with 'traditional' methods to enhance patient safety training, outcomes and curriculum coverage.

Something new every day: defining innovation and innovativeness in drug therapy.

PubMed

Aronson, Jeffrey K

2008-01-01

The word "innovation" comes from the Latin noun innovatio, derived from the verb innovare, to introduce [something] new. It can refer either to the act of introducing something new or to the thing itself that is introduced. In terms of commerce, it is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the action of introducing a new product into the market; a product newly brought on to the market," a definition that illustrates both aspects of the word's meaning. "Innovativeness" is the property of being an innovation. Here I identify several different types of innovativeness in drug therapy, including structural, pharmacological or pharmacodynamic, pharmaceutical, and pharmacokinetic innovativeness, and I stress the over-riding importance of clinical innovativeness, which should result in a better benefit to harm balance at an affordable cost.

Work and technological innovation in organic agriculture.

PubMed

Tereso, M J A; Abrahão, R F; Gemma, S F B; Montedo, U B; Menegon, N L; Guarneti, J E; Ribeiro, I A V

2012-01-01

Organic agriculture is a sustainable cultivation ecologically, economically and socially. Several researches in organic agriculture have been made from technical perspectives, economic traits or related to ecological aspects. There are practically no investigations into the nature of the technology used in organic agriculture, especially from an ergonomic perspective. From the activity analysis, this study aimed to map the technology used in the production of organic vegetables. Properties producing organic vegetables were selected representing the State of São Paulo. It was applied an instrument (questionnaire and semi-structured interview) with their managers and it was made visual records to identify adaptations, innovations and technological demands that simultaneously minimize the workload and the difficulties in performing the tasks and increase work productivity. For some of the technological innovations a digital scanner was used to generate a virtual solid model to facilitate its redesign and virtual prototyping. The main results show that organic farmers have little technology in product form. The main innovations that enable competitive advantage or allow higher labor productivity occur in the form of processes, organization and marketing.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Mark Lewis displays the two U.S. Patent plaques he received during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Kelly Jones-McDowall, event co-chairperson. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Safety and licensing of a small modular gas-cooled reactor system

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

Brown, N.W.; Kelley, A.P. Jr.

A modular side-by-side high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (SBS-HTGR) is being developed by Interatom/Kraftwerk Union (KWU). The General Electric Company and Interatom/KWU entered into a proprietary working agreement to continue develop jointly of the SBS-HTGR. A study on adapting the SBS-HTGR for application in the US has been completed. The study investigated the safety characteristics and the use of this type of design in an innovative approach to licensing. The safety objective guiding the design of the modular SBS-HTGR is to control radionuclide release by the retention of fission products within the fuel particles with minimal reliance on active design features. Themore » philosophy on which this objective is predicated is that by providing a simple safety case, the safety criteria can be demonstrated as being met with high confidence through conduct of a full-scale module safety test.« less

[Analysis of medical cost of atlantoaxial disorders in patients receiving innovated treatment technologies].

PubMed

Wu, Yunxia; Liu, Zhongjun

2016-01-19

To explore the effects of innovated technologies and products on improving outcomes and decreasing medical costs by analyzing a total and subtotal medical costs of patients with atlantoaxial disorders. The medical costs of 1 489 patients with atlantoaxial disorders from Peking University Third Hospital from 2005 to 2014, who received innovated technologies and products treatment were retrospectively analyzed and compared.Descriptive analysis and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis, and SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze data. From 2005 to 2014, under the situation of a general increase in medical cost by 327%, the total medical costs were stable for patients who used innovated technologies and products for treatment, fluctuating from 20 851 in 2005 to 20 878 in 2014; however, the cases of operation increased year by year, from 88 in 2005 to 163 in 2014; the average length of stay decreased from 21 in 2005 to 10 in 2014; the total cases of transfusion were 22 from 2005 to 2014; the safety, stability and feasibility of the innovated technologies and products were illustrated through the decrease of average length of stay, the reduction of bleeding and the significance of outcomes. It is illustrated that the innovated technologies and products not only decrease patients' suffering and medical costs but also are safe, stable and feasible.

Technology for Innovation in Radiation Oncology

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

Chetty, Indrin J.; Martel, Mary K., E-mail: mmartel@mdanderson.org; Jaffray, David A.

Radiation therapy is an effective, personalized cancer treatment that has benefited from technological advances associated with the growing ability to identify and target tumors with accuracy and precision. Given that these advances have played a central role in the success of radiation therapy as a major component of comprehensive cancer care, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored a workshop entitled “Technology for Innovation in Radiation Oncology,” which took place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 13 and 14,more » 2013. The purpose of this workshop was to discuss emerging technology for the field and to recognize areas for greater research investment. Expert clinicians and scientists discussed innovative technology in radiation oncology, in particular as to how these technologies are being developed and translated to clinical practice in the face of current and future challenges and opportunities. Technologies encompassed topics in functional imaging, treatment devices, nanotechnology, and information technology. The technical, quality, and safety performance of these technologies were also considered. A major theme of the workshop was the growing importance of innovation in the domain of process automation and oncology informatics. The technologically advanced nature of radiation therapy treatments predisposes radiation oncology research teams to take on informatics research initiatives. In addition, the discussion on technology development was balanced with a parallel conversation regarding the need for evidence of efficacy and effectiveness. The linkage between the need for evidence and the efforts in informatics research was clearly identified as synergistic.« less

Technology for Innovation in Radiation Oncology.

PubMed

Chetty, Indrin J; Martel, Mary K; Jaffray, David A; Benedict, Stanley H; Hahn, Stephen M; Berbeco, Ross; Deye, James; Jeraj, Robert; Kavanagh, Brian; Krishnan, Sunil; Lee, Nancy; Low, Daniel A; Mankoff, David; Marks, Lawrence B; Ollendorf, Daniel; Paganetti, Harald; Ross, Brian; Siochi, Ramon Alfredo C; Timmerman, Robert D; Wong, John W

2015-11-01

Radiation therapy is an effective, personalized cancer treatment that has benefited from technological advances associated with the growing ability to identify and target tumors with accuracy and precision. Given that these advances have played a central role in the success of radiation therapy as a major component of comprehensive cancer care, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored a workshop entitled "Technology for Innovation in Radiation Oncology," which took place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 13 and 14, 2013. The purpose of this workshop was to discuss emerging technology for the field and to recognize areas for greater research investment. Expert clinicians and scientists discussed innovative technology in radiation oncology, in particular as to how these technologies are being developed and translated to clinical practice in the face of current and future challenges and opportunities. Technologies encompassed topics in functional imaging, treatment devices, nanotechnology, and information technology. The technical, quality, and safety performance of these technologies were also considered. A major theme of the workshop was the growing importance of innovation in the domain of process automation and oncology informatics. The technologically advanced nature of radiation therapy treatments predisposes radiation oncology research teams to take on informatics research initiatives. In addition, the discussion on technology development was balanced with a parallel conversation regarding the need for evidence of efficacy and effectiveness. The linkage between the need for evidence and the efforts in informatics research was clearly identified as synergistic. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimizing quality, service, and cost through innovation.

PubMed

Walker, Kathleen; Allen, Jennifer; Andrews, Richard

2011-01-01

With dramatic increases in health care costs and growing concerns about the quality of health care services, nurse executives are seeking ways to transform their organizations to improve operational and financial performance while enhancing quality care and patient safety. Nurse leaders are challenged to meet new cost, quality and service imperatives, and change cannot be achieved by traditional approaches, it must occur through innovation. Imagine an organization that can mitigate a $56 million loss in revenue and claim the following successes: Increase admissions by a 8 day and a $5.5 million annualized increase by repurposing existing space. Decrease emergency department holding hours by an average of 174 hours a day, with a labor savings of $502,000 annually. Reduce overall inpatient length of stay by 0.5 day with total compensation running $4.2 million less than the budget for first quarter of 2010. Grow emergency department volume 272 visits greater than budgeted for first quarter of 2010. Complete admission assessments and diagnostics in 90 minutes. This article will address how these outcomes were achieved by transforming care delivery, creating a patient transition center, enhancing outreach referrals, and revising admission processes through collaboration and innovation.

Hospitals as learning organizations: fostering innovation through interactive learning.

PubMed

Dias, Casimiro; Escoval, Ana

2015-01-01

The article aims to provide an analytical understanding of hospitals as "learning organizations." It further analyzes the development of learning organizations as a way to enhance innovation and performance in the hospital sector. The article pulls together primary data on organizational flexibility, innovation, and performance from 95 administrators from hospital boards in Portugal, collected through a survey, interviews with hospital's boards, and a nominal group technique with a panel of experts on health systems. Results show that a combination of several organizational traits of the learning organization enhances its capacity for innovation development. The logistic model presented reveals that hospitals classified as "advanced learning organizations" have 5 times more chance of developing innovation than "basic learning organizations." Empirical findings further pointed out incentives, standards, and measurement requirements as key elements for integration of service delivery systems and expansion of the current capacity for structured and real-time learning in the hospital sector. The major implication arising from this study is that policy needs to combine instruments that promote innovation opportunities and incentives, with instruments stimulating the further development of the core components of learning organizations. Such a combination of policy instruments has the potential to ensure a wide external cooperation through a learning infrastructure.

Impact of technological innovation on a nursing home performance and on the medication-use process safety.

PubMed

Baril, Chantal; Gascon, Viviane; Brouillette, Christel

2014-03-01

Despite the fact that since 1985 the government of Québec increased by 5.75 % on average the amount of money spent on healthcare per year, little improvement was noted. It is obvious that an optimal use of resources is essential to reduce waiting times and provide safer and faster services to patients. The use of new technology can contribute to improve the healthcare system efficiency. Our study aims to assess the impact of a medication distribution technology on 1) the performance of a health and social services center's pharmacy, 2) the performance of one care unit in a nursing home and on 3) the medication-use process safety. To measure performance we were inspired by the Lean approach. The results show that medication distribution technology is considered as an effective way to significantly detect medication errors, to allow nurses to focus more on patients and pharmacy to react more rapidly to changes in patient medications.

Innovative Technological Development of Russian Mining Regions (on Example of Kemerovo Region)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shavina, Evgeniya; Kalenov, Oleg

2017-11-01

A characteristic trend of many countries modern development is the transition to an innovative economy. At present, this is the only opportunity to secure and maintain a high standard of living for the population. Moreover, innovative development of Russian can be achieved during technological progress in its regions. In this regard, it is necessary to assess the innovative potential of the region and identify the most actual problems that impede the transition to the trajectory of innovative development. The authors outline several main indicators that help to determine the level of innovation and technological development of one of the largest industrial areas of Russia - Kemerovo region. The special economic role of Kemerovo region as a large territorial old-industrial complex of Western Siberia requires a large-scale work to solve the most acute problems of regional development. It is necessary to find the answer for existing problems through the implementation of a system of state regulation aimed at making the innovation component a leading factor of the regional economy competitiveness.

[Horizon 2020, new EU Framework programme for research and innovation, 2014-2020].

PubMed

Kinkorová, Judita

2014-01-01

Horizon 2020 is a financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europes global competitiveness. Running from 2014 to 2020 with a budget of just over € 80 billion, the EUs new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe. Societal challenge Health, demographic change and wellbeing is an important part of Horizon 2020.

Launching the dialogue: Safety and innovation as partners for success in advanced manufacturing.

PubMed

Geraci, C L; Tinkle, S S; Brenner, S A; Hodson, L L; Pomeroy-Carter, C A; Neu-Baker, N

2018-06-01

Emerging and novel technologies, materials, and information integrated into increasingly automated and networked manufacturing processes or into traditional manufacturing settings are enhancing the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing. Globally, there is a move toward a new era in manufacturing that is characterized by: (1) the ability to create and deliver more complex designs of products; (2) the creation and use of materials with new properties that meet a design need; (3) the employment of new technologies, such as additive and digital techniques that improve on conventional manufacturing processes; and (4) a compression of the time from initial design concept to the creation of a final product. Globally, this movement has many names, but "advanced manufacturing" has become the shorthand for this complex integration of material and technology elements that enable new ways to manufacture existing products, as well as new products emerging from new technologies and new design methods. As the breadth of activities associated with advanced manufacturing suggests, there is no single advanced manufacturing industry. Instead, aspects of advanced manufacturing can be identified across a diverse set of business sectors that use manufacturing technologies, ranging from the semiconductors and electronics to the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. The breadth and diversity of advanced manufacturing may change the occupational and environmental risk profile, challenge the basic elements of comprehensive health and safety (material, process, worker, environment, product, and general public health and safety), and provide an opportunity for development and dissemination of occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) guidance and best practices. It is unknown how much the risk profile of different elements of OEHS will change, thus requiring an evolution of health and safety practices. These changes may be accomplished most effectively through multi

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

NASA Kennedy Space Center workers display their U.S. Patent plaques during a ceremony at the 2017 Innovation Expo at the center. From left, are Luke Robertson, Trent Smith, Kelly Jones-McDowall, event co-chairperson, Martha Williams and Dr. James Fesmire. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

The writer's guide to education scholarship in emergency medicine: Education innovations (part 3).

PubMed

Hall, Andrew K; Hagel, Carly; Chan, Teresa M; Thoma, Brent; Murnaghan, Aleisha; Bhanji, Farhan

2018-05-01

The scholarly dissemination of innovative medical education practices helps broaden the reach of this type of work, allowing scholarship to have an impact beyond a single institution. There is little guidance in the literature for those seeking to publish program evaluation studies and innovation papers. This study aims to derive a set of evidence-based features of high-quality reports on innovations in emergency medicine (EM) education. We conducted a scoping review and thematic analysis to determine quality markers for medical education innovation reports, with a focus on EM. A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, and Google Scholar was augmented by a hand search of relevant publication guidelines, guidelines for authors, and website submission portals from medical education and EM journals. Study investigators reviewed the selected articles, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Our search strategy identified 14 relevant articles from which 34 quality markers were extracted. These markers were grouped into seven important themes: goals and need for innovation, preparation, innovation development, innovation implementation, evaluation of innovation, evidence of reflective practice, and reporting and dissemination. In addition, multiple outlets for the publication of EM education innovations were identified and compiled. The publication and dissemination of innovations are critical for the EM education community and the training of health professionals. We anticipate that our list of innovation report quality markers will be used by EM education innovators to support the dissemination of novel educational practices.

Technology Innovation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA produces innovative technologies and facilitates their creation in line with the Agency mission to create products such as the stormwater calculator, remote sensing, innovation clusters, and low-cost air sensors.

9-1529 : low-cost safety solutions, pavement preservation, and maintenance practices for rural highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

Task 1 : The objective of this project was to develop and : demonstrate innovative low-cost solutions to : improve safety at stop-controlled intersections. : Preliminary directives from the project panel : were to focus on treatments on the minor str...

Streets ahead on safety: young people's participation in decision-making to address the European road injury 'epidemic'.

PubMed

Kimberlee, Richard

2008-05-01

This paper reports on Birmingham City Council's Streets Ahead on Safety project which aims to improve road safety and quality of life in an area of multiple deprivation where 87 000 people from largely Asian, immigrant backgrounds live. A third of residents are under 16 years old and 58% self-define their religion as Muslim. The area has a poor traffic accident record leading to high levels of killed or seriously injured children. Child accidental injury in Europe is reaching 'epidemic' proportions, requiring innovative, ameliorative approaches to redress. Existing UK school-based road safety initiatives rarely extend beyond the 'tokenistic', but this project endeavoured to encourage a highway authority, engineers and road safety officers to provide local young people with opportunities to participate in decision-making in the belief that the active engagement of young service users would lead to more effective and sustainable solutions to accident prevention. Embracing the city's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), this project promoted young people's participation in decision-making around engineering plans for their local community. The project included 405 young people aged 9-11 years who conducted environmental audits, interactive road safety awareness and citizenship training, and engaged as decision-makers. Successful outcomes include increased knowledge of road and community safety issues, and the establishment of young people as stakeholders in the development of their own safety and active engagement with service providers in the development of engineering proposals. This paper highlights the potential dynamics of participation and the dilemmas it poses for relationships between service users and providers, and outlines some of the barriers confronted by young people in learning to be active participants.

Innovations in connected health.

PubMed

Singh, Kanwaljit; Kvedar, Joseph C

2009-01-01

Technological advancements in recent decades have made the concept of Connected Health feasible. These innovations include hardware innovations (such as wearable medical technology), and software (such as electronic personal health record systems e.g., Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault). Technology innovations must be accompanied by process innovations to truly add value. In health care that includes clinical process innovations and business process innovations. This chapter outlines how the healthcare system is being affected by innovations in connected health. It provides examples that illustrate the various categories of innovation and their impact. Now more than ever, health care reform is required in the U.S. The systems outlined in this chapter will allow care that is of high quality, while extending providers across more patients (i.e. increasing access) at a lower overall cost (improved efficiency).

Innovative Mobile Smart Photonic Dimensional, Color and Spectral Measurement Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Dr Dietrich, Prof; Dittrich (B. Eng. , Paul-Gerald; Höfner (B. Eng. , Dieter; Kraus, Daniel

2015-02-01

Aim of the paper is the demonstration of a paradigm shift in dimensional, color and spectral measurements in industry, biology/medicine, farming/environmental protection and security, as well as in education and training: Measurement engineering and quality assurance become mobile, modular and smart. Smartpads, smartphones and smartwatches (smartcomps) in combination with innovative hardware apps (hwapps) and conventional software apps (swapps) are fundamental enablers for the transformation from conventional stationary working places towards innovative mobile working places with in-field measurements and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Furthermore mobile open online courses (MOOCs) are transforming the study habits. Practical examples for the application of innovative photonic micro dimensiometers, colorimeters and spectrometers will be given. The innovative approach opens so far untapped enormous markets for measurement science, engineering, applications, education and training. These innovative working conditions will be fast accepted due to their convenience, reliability and affordability. A highly visible advantage of smartcomps is the huge number of their real distribution, their worldwide connectivity via Internet and cloud services, the standardized interfaces like USB and HDMI and the experienced capabilities of their users for practical operations, obtained with their private smartcomps.

Intensive care unit without walls: seeking patient safety by improving the efficiency of the system.

PubMed

Gordo, F; Abella, A

2014-10-01

The term "ICU without walls" refers to innovative management in Intensive Care, based on two key elements: (1) collaboration of all medical and nursing staff involved in patient care during hospitalization and (2) technological support for severity early detection protocols by identifying patients at risk of deterioration throughout the hospital, based on the assessment of vital signs and/or laboratory test values, with the clear aim of improving critical patient safety in the hospitalization process. At present, it can be affirmed that there is important work to be done in the detection of severity and early intervention in patients at risk of organ dysfunction. Such work must be adapted to the circumstances of each center and should include training in the detection of severity, multidisciplinary work in the complete patient clinical process, and the use of technological systems allowing intervention on the basis of monitored laboratory and physiological parameters, with effective and efficient use of the information generated. Not only must information be generated, but also efficient management of such information must also be achieved. It is necessary to improve our activity through innovation in management procedures that facilitate the work of the intensivist, in collaboration with other specialists, throughout the hospital environment. Innovation is furthermore required in the efficient management of the information generated in hospitals, through intelligent and directed usage of the new available technology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION PROGRAM: INNOVATION MAKING A DIFFERENCE

EPA Science Inventory

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program encourages commercialization of innovative technologies for characterizing and remediating hazardous waste site contamination through four components: Demonstration, Emerging Technology, and Monitoring & Measurement Pr...

Disruptive innovation in health care delivery: a framework for business-model innovation.

PubMed

Hwang, Jason; Christensen, Clayton M

2008-01-01

Disruptive innovation has brought affordability and convenience to customers in a variety of industries. However, health care remains expensive and inaccessible to many because of the lack of business-model innovation. This paper explains the theory of disruptive innovation and describes how disruptive technologies must be matched with innovative business models. The authors present a framework for categorizing and developing business models in health care, followed by a discussion of some of the reasons why disruptive innovation in health care delivery has been slow.

Managing Innovation in Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drake, Miriam A.

1979-01-01

Explores key issues related to innovation in academic libraries--performance gaps, incentives to innovate, nature of innovation, barriers and constraints, impact of innovation, and implementation of innovative strategies--and concludes that innovation requires a conducive climate, capital investment, and a leadership that is enthusiastic and…

Science Innovation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA provides innovative research activities that help transform the protection of human health and the environment with high-risk, high-reward Pathfinder Innovation Projects, the P3 student competition, and low-cost air monitoring.

Establishment of a New School and an Innovative School: Lessons from Two Israeli Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tubin, Dorit

2008-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to explore the stages involved in the school establishment phase and detect differences between new and innovative schools startup. Design/methodology/approach: The exploratory study was conducted on the creation phase of two Israeli elementary schools: one new and one innovative. The data were collected through interviews…

Developing End-User Innovation from Circuits of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fosstenløkken, Siw M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to raise the question of how end-user product innovation is developed by exploring the underlying learning mechanisms that drive such idea realization in practice. A trialogical learning perspective from educational science is applied as an analytical approach to enlighten the black box of learning dynamics in user…

The Learning Revolution: Education Innovations for Global Citizens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilman, Robert, Ed.

1991-01-01

This theme journal issue is devoted to the learning revolution in educational innovations aimed at global citizens. The article titles and authors are as follows: (1) "A Personal Introduction" by Alan AtKisson; (2) "Onward and Upward!" by Dee Dickinson; (3) "Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" by Bruce Campbell; (4) "Learning As…

Training and action for patient safety: embedding interprofessional education for patient safety within an improvement methodology.

PubMed

Slater, Beverley L; Lawton, Rebecca; Armitage, Gerry; Bibby, John; Wright, John

2012-01-01

Despite an explosion of interest in improving safety and reducing error in health care, one important aspect of patient safety that has received little attention is a systematic approach to education and training for the whole health care workforce. This article describes an evaluation of an innovative multiprofessional, team-based training program that embeds patient safety within quality improvement methods. Kirkpatrick's "levels of evaluation" model was adopted to evaluate the program in health organizations across one city in the north of England. Questionnaires were used to assess reaction of participants to the program (Level 1). Improvements in patient safety knowledge and patient safety culture (Level 2) were assessed using a 12-item multiple-choice questionnaire and a culture questionnaire. Interviews and project-specific quantitative measurements were used to assess changes in professional practice and patient outcomes (Levels 3 and 4). All aspects of the program were positively received by participants. Few participants completed the MCQ at both time points, but those who did showed improvement in knowledge. There were some small but significant improvements in patient safety culture. Interviews revealed a number of additional benefits beyond the specific problems addressed. Most importantly, 8 of the 11 teams showed improvements in patient safety practices and/or outcomes. This program is an example of interprofessional education in practice and demonstrates that team-based learning using quality improvement methods is feasible and can be effective in improving patient safety, but requires time and space for participants. Alignment with continuing education arrangements could support mainstream adoption of this approach within organizations. Copyright © 2012 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

SUDI prevention: a review of Maori safe sleep innovations for infants.

PubMed

Abel, Sally; Tipene-Leach, David

2013-08-02

Recent research and policy around sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) have emphasised the place of safe sleeping practices within SUDI prevention strategies. Maori SUDI prevention workers have focussed on innovations around the safe sleep environment for some time now, as they have grappled with difficult to change and disproportionately high Maori SUDI rates. The wahakura (a flax bassinet modelled on a traditional Maori infant sleeping item) was developed in 2006 aiming to mitigate some of the risks of bedsharing with vulnerable infants, in particular infants exposed to maternal smoking in pregnancy. Early wahakura projects in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay showed high acceptability, effectiveness as an infant health promotion vehicle but difficulty maintaining a low/no cost supply for vulnerable families. The Hawke's Bay project revealed two pathways forward: the need for robust research to ensure the safety of the wahakura and the exploration of financially viable and more readily available alternatives. Work on both pathways is currently in progress around the country, signalling New Zealand's ongoing contribution to SUDI prevention and its potential contribution to knowledge and practices applicable to indigenous and other marginalised communities worldwide.

Responsible Reporting: Neuroimaging News in the Age of Responsible Research and Innovation.

PubMed

de Jong, Irja Marije; Kupper, Frank; Arentshorst, Marlous; Broerse, Jacqueline

2016-08-01

Besides offering opportunities in both clinical and non-clinical domains, the application of novel neuroimaging technologies raises pressing dilemmas. 'Responsible Research and Innovation' (RRI) aims to stimulate research and innovation activities that take ethical and social considerations into account from the outset. We previously identified that Dutch neuroscientists interpret "responsible innovation" as educating the public on neuroimaging technologies via the popular press. Their aim is to mitigate (neuro)hype, an aim shared with the wider emerging RRI community. Here, we present results of a media-analysis undertaken to establish whether the body of articles in the Dutch popular press presents balanced conversations on neuroimaging research to the public. We found that reporting was mostly positive and framed in terms of (healthcare) progress. There was rarely a balance between technology opportunities and limitations, and even fewer articles addressed societal or ethical aspects of neuroimaging research. Furthermore, neuroimaging metaphors seem to favour oversimplification. Current reporting is therefore more likely to enable hype than to mitigate it. How can neuroscientists, given their self-ascribed social responsibility, address this conundrum? We make a case for a collective and shared responsibility among neuroscientists, journalists and other stakeholders, including funders, committed to responsible reporting on neuroimaging research.

Validating a driving simulator using surrogate safety measures.

PubMed

Yan, Xuedong; Abdel-Aty, Mohamed; Radwan, Essam; Wang, Xuesong; Chilakapati, Praveen

2008-01-01

Traffic crash statistics and previous research have shown an increased risk of traffic crashes at signalized intersections. How to diagnose safety problems and develop effective countermeasures to reduce crash rate at intersections is a key task for traffic engineers and researchers. This study aims at investigating whether the driving simulator can be used as a valid tool to assess traffic safety at signalized intersections. In support of the research objective, this simulator validity study was conducted from two perspectives, a traffic parameter (speed) and a safety parameter (crash history). A signalized intersection with as many important features (including roadway geometries, traffic control devices, intersection surroundings, and buildings) was replicated into a high-fidelity driving simulator. A driving simulator experiment with eight scenarios at the intersection were conducted to determine if the subjects' speed behavior and traffic risk patterns in the driving simulator were similar to what were found at the real intersection. The experiment results showed that speed data observed from the field and in the simulator experiment both follow normal distributions and have equal means for each intersection approach, which validated the driving simulator in absolute terms. Furthermore, this study used an innovative approach of using surrogate safety measures from the simulator to contrast with the crash analysis for the field data. The simulator experiment results indicated that compared to the right-turn lane with the low rear-end crash history record (2 crashes), subjects showed a series of more risky behaviors at the right-turn lane with the high rear-end crash history record (16 crashes), including higher deceleration rate (1.80+/-1.20 m/s(2) versus 0.80+/-0.65 m/s(2)), higher non-stop right-turn rate on red (81.67% versus 57.63%), higher right-turn speed as stop line (18.38+/-8.90 km/h versus 14.68+/-6.04 km/h), shorter following distance (30

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

Robert Youngquist, center, Applied Physics Laboratory lead, received a U.S. Patent plaque for his invention, Surface Acoustic Wave Tag-Based Coherence Multiplexing, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left, are Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director; Youngquist; and Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

The FBI Takes Aim at AIM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanter, Elliot

1977-01-01

The events and revelations before and since the arrest of Paul Skyhorse and Richard Mohawk (two American Indian Movement organizers charged with the 1974 murder of a taxi driver at AIM Camp 13) lead to the inevitable conclusion that these men are victims of a frame-up. (Author/JC)

The Development of Innovative Chemistry Learning Material for Bilingual Senior High School Students in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Situmorang, Manihar; Sitorus, Marham; Hutabarat, Wesly; Situmorang, Zakarias

2015-01-01

The development of innovative chemistry learning material for bilingual Senior High School (SHS) students in Indonesia is explained. The study is aimed to obtain an innovative chemistry learning material based on national curriculum in Indonesia to be used as a learning media in the teaching and learning activities. The learning material is…

Beacon communities aim to use health information technology to transform the delivery of care.

PubMed

Maxson, Emily R; Jain, Sachin H; McKethan, Aaron N; Brammer, Craig; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Cronin, Kelly; Mostashari, Farzad; Blumenthal, David

2010-09-01

The Beacon Community Program, authorized under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aims to demonstrate the potential for health information technology to enable local improvements in health care quality, cost efficiency, and population health. If successful, these communitywide efforts will yield important lessons that will assist other communities seeking to harness technology to achieve and sustain health care improvements. This paper highlights key programmatic details that reflect the meaningful use of technology in the fifteen Beacon communities. It describes the innovations they propose and provides insight into current and future challenges.

Identification of patent in incentivizing innovation for sustainability in the construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, Sharifah Akmam Syed; Sadullah, Ahmad Farhan Mohd; Majid, Taksiah A.; Ghazali, Farid Ezanee Mohamed

2017-07-01

The increasing trend of research and innovation developments in the field of construction industry and their impacts on the national economy have raised much attention in the recent years. In this respect, through the relationship that exists between innovation and patent protection means that the education system of civil engineering has to gear itself to provide a sense of direction to facilitate future civil engineers to meet the challenges through innovation. The aim of this paper is to examine the educational experience and inclination of civil engineering students at Universiti Sains Malaysia in terms of their educational readiness to invent and innovate based on patents' exploration. Specifically, this paper presents research evidence using a quantitative method through questionnaire surveys in determining the dimension of patent information usage for innovation purposes, with attention to the hierarchy of each usage aspect and outcome measures reported. Results of this study revealed that majority of the participants have a "simplistic and superficial" ideas of patents identification as a source of innovation. Although a fair number of participants have relatively good knowledge of patents and innovation, lack of practical exposure and experience in construction industry are still a problem frequently encountered in the preparation to invent and innovate based on patents' exploration. It is recommended that the research model is tested using a greater number of research participants.

The Living Labs: Innovation in Real-Life Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawk, Nathan; Bartle, Gamin; Romine, Martha

2012-01-01

The living lab (LL) is an open innovation ecosystem serving to provide opportunities for local stakeholders to practice research and to experiment with meaningful improvements for cities and other organizations. Living labs aim at involving the user as a cocreator. In this article the relationship between the LLs and a variety of stakeholders is…

Are health professionals' perceptions of patient safety related to figures on safety incidents?

PubMed

Martijn, Lucie; Harmsen, Mirjam; Gaal, Sander; Mettes, Dirk; van Dulmen, Simone; Wensing, Michel

2013-10-01

The study aims to explore whether health care professionals' perceptions of patient safety in their practice were associated with the number of patient safety incidents identified in patient records. Seventy primary care practices of general practice, general dental practice, midwifery practices and allied health care practices were used in the study. A retrospective audit of 50 patient records was performed to identify patient safety incidents in each of the practices and a survey among health professionals to identify their perceptions of patient safety. All health professions felt that 'communication breakdowns inside the practice' as well as 'communication breakdowns outside the practice' and 'reporting of patient safety concerns' were a threat to patient safety in their work setting. We found little association between the perceptions of health professionals and the number of safety incidents. The only item with a significant relation to a higher number of safety incidents referred to the perception of 'communication problems outside the practice' as a threat to patient safety. This study indicates that the assessment of professionals' perceptions may be complementary to observed safety incidents, but not linked to an objective measure of patient safety. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using the Domain Specific Innovativeness Scale To Identify Innovative Internet Consumers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsmith, Ronald E.

2001-01-01

The Domain Specific Innovativeness Scale was included in a survey of student consumers to measure how innovative participants were with regard to buying online. Data analyses confirmed hypotheses that an innovative predisposition toward online buying would be associated positively with more hours of Internet use, greater Internet purchasing,…

Innovative power conversion system for the French SFR prototype, ASTRID

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

Cachon, L.; Biscarrat, C.; Morin, F.

2012-07-01

In the framework of the French Act of 28 June 2006 about nuclear materials and waste management, the prototype ASTRID (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration), foreseen in operation by the 20's, will have to demonstrate not only the minor actinide transmutation capability, but also the progress made in Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) technology on an industrial scale, by qualifying innovative options. Some of these options still require improvements, especially in the field of operability and safety. In fact, one of the main issues with the standard steam/water Power Conversion System (PCS) of SFR is the fast and energeticmore » chemical reaction between water and sodium, which could occur in steam generators in case of tube failure. To manage the sodium/water reaction, one way consists in minimizing the impact of such event: hence studies are carried out on steam generator design, improvement of the physical knowledge of this phenomenon, development of numerical simulation to predict the reaction onset and consequences, and associated detection improvement. On the other hand, the other way consists in eliminating sodium/water reaction. In this frame, the CEA contribution to the feasibility evaluation of an alternative innovative PCS (replacing steam/water by 180 bar pressurised nitrogen) is focused on the following main topics: - The parametric study leading to nitrogen selection: the thermodynamic cycle efficiency optimisation on Brayton cycles is performed with several gases at different pressures. - The design of innovative compact heat exchangers for the gas loop: here the key points are the nuclear codification associated with inspection capability, the innovative welding process and the thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanic optimisations. After a general introduction of the ASTRID project, this paper presents in detail these different feasibility studies being led on the innovative gas PCS for an SFR. (authors)« less

Relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in Chinese nursing students.

PubMed

Zhong, Zhuqing; Hu, Dehua; Zheng, Feng; Ding, Siqing; Luo, Aijing

2018-04-01

In the information-based economy, information literacy has become the foundation of scientific literacy, and provides the basis for innovative growth. Exploring the relationship between information-seeking behaviors and innovative behaviors of nursing students could help guide the development of information literacy education and training for nursing students. The relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in nursing students has received little attention, however. This study aims to explore the relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior of nursing students. Nursing students in Xiangya Medical School, Central South University and Medical School of Hunan Normal University in the Chinese Province of Hunan were surveyed with an information-seeking behavior scale and an innovative behavior scale. A total of 1247 nursing students were included in the final analysis. The results showed that both information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior were significantly better in undergraduates than in junior college nursing students (P < .01), and in postgraduates than in undergraduates (P < .01). The overall level of nursing students' information-seeking behavior was positively related to innovative behavior (r = 0.63, P < .01), and the 7 dimensions of information-seeking behavior were also correlated with innovative behavior in varying degrees. Furthermore, information utilization was proved to be the strongest predictor of innovative behavior. Information-seeking behavior is positively associated with innovative behavior among nursing students. There is a need to integrate information literacy education with information retrieval courses, especially in the aspects of information utilization, retrieval, and assessment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Robert Mueller, Adam Dokos and Ivan Townsend III, for their invention, Self-Cleaning Filament Connector, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director. At far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

Ed Rosenthal, founder and chairman of Florikan controlled release fertilizers, displays his plant growth material during the 2017 Innovation Expo showcase at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The controlled release fertilizer is used in NASA's Veggie plant growth system on the International Space Station and in the Veggie control unit in a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

A Paradigm Shift: Adoption of Disruptive Learning Innovations in an ODL Environment: The Case of the University of South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbatha, Blessing

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to shed some light on patterns of and major motives for the adoption of different types of disruptive learning innovations by Unisa academics. To realise the aim of the study, the following questions were addressed: What are the reasons for adopting disruptive learning innovations? What is the level of interaction with…

[Innovative instruction for assisting patients with arterial hypertension].

PubMed

Bontemps, S; Pechère-Bertschi, A

2015-09-09

The MOOC In The Heart of Hypertension is an innovative online training for students and health providers. Its aim is to strengthen skills for professionals caring people suffering from hypertension. A MOOC is a free online training aiming unlimited participation. It widely promotes a high quality education. Medical and paramedical training recently seized upon this powerful tool, for initial and continuing training. Indeed, MOOC responds to several pedagogic challenges, particularly through educational strategies focused on the learner's skills: mastery of pedagogy, retrieval practice and peer grading. This MOOC about hypertension aims at responding to the needs of caregivers to enhance their therapeutic support skills.

Data driven innovations in structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosales, M. J.; Liyanapathirana, R.

2017-05-01

At present, substantial investments are being allocated to civil infrastructures also considered as valuable assets at a national or global scale. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is an indispensable tool required to ensure the performance and safety of these structures based on measured response parameters. The research to date on damage assessment has tended to focus on the utilization of wireless sensor networks (WSN) as it proves to be the best alternative over the traditional visual inspections and tethered or wired counterparts. Over the last decade, the structural health and behaviour of innumerable infrastructure has been measured and evaluated owing to several successful ventures of implementing these sensor networks. Various monitoring systems have the capability to rapidly transmit, measure, and store large capacities of data. The amount of data collected from these networks have eventually been unmanageable which paved the way to other relevant issues such as data quality, relevance, re-use, and decision support. There is an increasing need to integrate new technologies in order to automate the evaluation processes as well as to enhance the objectivity of data assessment routines. This paper aims to identify feasible methodologies towards the application of time-series analysis techniques to judiciously exploit the vast amount of readily available as well as the upcoming data resources. It continues the momentum of a greater effort to collect and archive SHM approaches that will serve as data-driven innovations for the assessment of damage through efficient algorithms and data analytics.

Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research: Cold Plasma as a Nonthermal food processing technology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Contamination of meats, seafood, poultry, eggs, and fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is an ongoing concern. The Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Unit develops and validates innovative approaches and new technologies that control pathogenic bacteria and viruses while preser...

Food Safety and Intervention Technologies research: cold plasma as a nonthermal food processing technology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Contamination of meats, seafood, poultry, eggs, and fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables is an ongoing concern. The Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Unit develops and validates innovative approaches and new technologies that control pathogenic bacteria and viruses while preser...

[Technological innovations in radiation oncology require specific quality controls].

PubMed

Lenaerts, E; Mathot, M

2014-01-01

During the last decade, the field of radiotherapy has benefited from major technological innovations and continuously improving treatment efficacy, comfort and safety of patients. This mainly concerns the imaging techniques that allow 4D CT scan recording the respiratory phases, on-board imaging on linear accelerators that ensure perfect positioning of the patient for treatment and irradiation techniques that reduce very significantly the duration of treatment sessions without compromising quality of the treatment plan, including IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and VMAT (Volumetric Modulated Arc therapy). In this context of rapid technological change, it is the responsibility of medical physicists to regularly and precisely monitor the perfect functioning of new techniques to ensure patient safety. This requires the use of specific quality control equipment best suited to these new techniques. We will briefly describe the measurement system Delta4 used to control individualized treatment plan for each patient treated with VMAT technology.

Towards Innovative Geospatial Tools for Fit-For Land Rights Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koeva, M.; Bennett, R.; Gerke, M.; Crommelinck, S.; Stöcker, C.; Crompvoets, J.; Ho, S.; Schwering, A.; Chipofya, M.; Schultz, C.; Zein, T.; Biraro, M.; Alemie, B.; Wayumba, R.; Kundert, K.

2017-09-01

In large parts of sub Saharan Africa it remains an ongoing challenging to map millions of unrecognized land rights. Existing approaches for recognizing these rights have proven inappropriate in many cases. A new generation of tools needs to be developed to support faster, cheaper, easier, and more responsible land rights mapping. This is the main goal of its4land, an European Commission Horizon 2020 project that aims to develop innovative tools inspired by the continuum of land rights, fit-for-purpose land administration, and cadastral intelligence. its4land is using strategic collaboration between the EU and East Africa to deliver innovative, scalable, and transferrable ICT solutions. The innovation process incorporates a broad range of stakeholders and emergent geospatial technologies, including smart sketchmaps, UAVs, automated feature extraction, as well as geocloud services. The aim is to combine innovative technologies, capture the specific needs, market opportunities and readiness of end-users in the domain of land tenure information recording in Eastern Africa. The project consists of a four year work plan, € 3.9M funding, and eight consortium partners collaborating with stakeholders from six case study locations in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. The major tasks include tool development, prototyping, and demonstration for local, national, regional, and international interest groups. The case locations cover different land uses such as: urban, peri-urban, rural smallholder, and (former) pastoralist. This paper describes the project's activities within the first 18 months and covers barriers discovered, lessons learned and results achieved.

Emerging Topics and Innovative Methodologies in Cannabis Research

PubMed Central

Albright, Victoria A; Johnson, Eric Otto

2018-01-01

Aims And Scope: Cannabis use is ascendant in our society, affecting the health of our citizens, our social norms and social structures, and our economies. This special issue brings together a diverse set of research manuscripts that push the borders of our understanding of burgeoning cannabis use and displays innovative methods developed to study these phenomena. PMID:29795983

Safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organisations: antecedents and consequences of safety behaviour.

PubMed

Fernández-Muñiz, Beatriz; Montes-Peón, José Manuel; Vázquez-Ordás, Camilo José

2012-03-01

The occupational health and safety standard OHSAS 18001 has gained considerable acceptance worldwide, and firms from diverse sectors and of varying sizes have implemented it. Despite this, very few studies have analysed safety management or the safety climate in OHSAS 18001-certified organisations. The current work aims to analyse the safety climate in these organisations, identify its dimensions, and propose and test a structural equation model that will help determine the antecedents and consequences of employees' safety behaviour. For this purpose, the authors carry out an empirical study using a sample of 131 OHSAS 18001-certified organisations located in Spain. The results show that management's commitment, and particularly communication, have an effect on safety behaviour and on safety performance, employee satisfaction, and firm competitiveness. These findings are particularly important for management since they provide evidence about the factors that should be encouraged to reduce risks and improve performance in this type of organisation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The discipline of innovation.

PubMed

Drucker, P F

1998-01-01

Some innovations spring from a flash of genius. But as Peter Drucker points out in this HBR Classic, most result from a conscious, purposeful search for opportunities. For managers seeking innovation, engaging in disciplined work is more important than having an entrepreneurial personality. Writing originally in the May-June 1985 issue, Drucker describes the major sources of opportunities for innovation. Within a company or industry, opportunities can be found in unexpected occurrences, incongruities of various kinds, process needs, or changes in an industry or market. Outside a company, opportunities arise from demographic changes, changes in perception, or new knowledge. These seven sources overlap, and the potential for innovation may well lie in more than one area at a time. Innovations based on new knowledge, of course, tend to have the greatest effect on the marketplace. But it often takes decades before the ideas are translated into actual products, processes, or services. The other sources of innovation are easier and simpler to handle, yet they still require managers to look beyond established practices. Drucker emphasizes that in seeking opportunities, innovators need to look for simple, focused solutions to real problems. The greatest praise an innovation can receive is for people to say, "This is obvious!" Grandiose ideas designed to revolutionize an industry rarely work. Innovation, like any other endeavor, takes talent, ingenuity, and knowledge. But Drucker cautions that if diligence, persistence, and commitment are lacking, companies are unlikely to succeed at the business of innovation.

The Integrated Library System: From Innovation to Relegation to Innovation Again

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Primich, Tracy; Richardson, Caroline

2006-01-01

The Integrated Library System remains a true innovation that forms the baseline of service provided by the contemporary library. The purpose of this paper is to take a moment and reflect upon this innovation, and also to comment about ways to boost and revive innovative endeavors that can further develop the ILS. (Contains 1 table.)

Evaluating the Role and Contribution of Innovation to Health and Wealth in the UK: A Review of Innovation, Health and Wealth: Phase 1 Final Report.

PubMed

Bienkowska-Gibbs, Teresa; Exley, Josephine; Saunders, Catherine L; Marjanovic, Sonja; Chataway, Joanna; MacLure, Calum; McDonald, Ruth; Ling, Tom

2016-06-20

The Department of Health's Innovation, Health and Wealth (IHW) strategy aimed to introduce a more strategic approach to the spread of innovation across the NHS. This study represents the first phase of a three-year evaluation and aims to map progress towards the IHW strategy and its component actions. This evaluation used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods: document review, key informant interviews and stakeholder survey. This study also forms the basis for selecting case studies for phase two of the evaluation. Our findings from the interviews and survey suggest broad stakeholder support for the overarching ambitions of the IHW strategy. However, we found variable progress towards the overarching objectives of the eight IHW themes and an ambiguous relationship between many of the themes' objectives and their actions. It was difficult to assess progress on IHW's actions as commitment to the actions, implementation guidance and expected outcomes of the actions were not clearly articulated. The Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) and the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) were reported to be working well, which may be attributed to their clear structures of accountability and earmarked budgets. However, survey respondents and interviewees raised concerns that budgetary pressures may limit the impact of both AHSNs and the SBRI. The main challenges identified for ongoing action were the resources available for their implementation (e.g. Medtech Briefings), lack of awareness of the initiative (e.g. the NICE Implementation Collaborative) and the design of the actions (e.g. the Innovation Scorecard, web portal and High Impact Innovations).

[Innovative thinking in nursing practice].

PubMed

Lin, Chia-Ling; Wang, Ya-Ni; Tsai, Hsiu-Min

2013-04-01

The nursing profession is patient-centered and responsible to meet the disparate health needs of a wide range of client "groups". Ensuring continued innovation and change to further improve care quality in an evolving health care system is an important issue. A focus on resolving minor points rather than on achieving major change may be the best approach to realizing continuous innovation in nursing. The advantages include not only promoting nursing quality and decreasing costs and manpower, but also giving satisfaction and self-fulfillment to the innovator. Successful innovation is affected by environmental structural support as well as the characteristics of the innovation and innovator. A successful innovator is sensitive to each opportunity, but is not a risk creator. This article describes innovator characteristics and innovation execution, and investigates the content and process of nursing innovation from various points of view in order to create new ideas and values related to the traditional nursing role.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Luke Roberson, Trent Smith, Martha Williams and James Fesmire, for their invention, Aerogel/Polymer Composite Materials, known as Aeroplastic, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director; and at far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Jeffrey Carlson, Robert Mueller and Ivan Townsend III, for their invention, Dust and Debris Tolerant Dual Poppet Valve Connector, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Not pictured: Gary Basin and Kevin Murtland. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director. At far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. and Canadian Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Phillip Maloney, Robert Devor and Jacqueline Quinn, for their invention, Removing Halogenated Compounds from Contaminated Systems, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Not pictured: James Captain. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director. At far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Adam Dokos, Mark Lewis, Jeffrey Carlson and Ivan Townsend III, for their invention, Dust and Debris Tolerant Retractable Cover, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Not pictured: Gary Basin and Kevin Murtland. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director. At far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

Trent Smith, a project manager in the ISS Exploration Research and Technology Program, displays microgreens grown in the same space dirt (arcillite) that is used in the plant pillows for the Veggie plant growth system on the International Space Station and in a 3-D-printed plastic matrix during the 2017 Innovation Expo showcase at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The purpose of the annual two-day event is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

The Microcomputer: Technological Innovation and Transfer

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-12-16

interest: • How does a naw technology eventually become embodied in user applications? • How fast is this transition effected ? • Dues the innovation...a " bandwagon " response. When a major new component begins to enjoy substantial market penetration, or when it becomes apparent that a component...existing sockets and work exactly as if Brand 1 was still there," only better. ■ •’■■■ ^ ’ — - wmmt*aim^*~^f*m**~immi**^immmmil 1

Centre of Excellence For Simulation Education and Innovation (CESEI).

PubMed

Qayumi, A Karim

2010-01-01

Simulation is becoming an integral part of medical education. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) was the first organization to recognize the value of simulation-based learning, and to award accreditation for educational institutions that aim to provide simulation as part of the experiential learning opportunity. Centre of Excellence for Simulation Education and Innovation (CESEI) is a multidisciplinary and interprofessional educational facility that is based at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Vancouver Costal Health Authority (VCH). Centre of Excellence for Simulation Education and Innovation's goal is to provide excellence in education, research, and healthcare delivery by providing a technologically advanced environment and learning opportunity using simulation for various groups of learners including undergraduate, postgraduate, nursing, and allied health professionals. This article is an attempt to describe the infrastructure, services, and uniqueness of the Centre of Excellence for Simulation Education and Innovation. Copyright 2010 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilizing a Human Factors Nursing Worksystem Improvement Framework to Increase Nurses' Time at the Bedside and Enhance Safety.

PubMed

Probst, C Adam; Carter, Megan; Cadigan, Caton; Dalcour, Cortney; Cassity, Cindy; Quinn, Penny; Williams, Tiana; Montgomery, Donna Cook; Wilder, Claudia; Xiao, Yan

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to increase nurses' time for direct patient care and improve safety via a novel human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement. Time available for direct patient care influences outcomes, yet worksystem barriers prevent nurses adequate time at the bedside. A novel human factors framework was developed for worksystem improvement in 3 units at 2 facilities. Objectives included improving nurse efficiency as measured by time-and-motion studies, reducing missing medications and subsequent trips to medication rooms and improving medication safety. Worksystem improvement resulted in time savings of 16% to 32% per nurse per 12-hour shift. Requests for missing medications dropped from 3.2 to 1.3 per day. Nurse medication room trips were reduced by 30% and nurse-reported medication errors fell from a range of 1.2 to 0.8 and 6.3 to 4.0 per month. An innovative human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement provided practical and high priority targets for interventions that significantly improved the nursing worksystem.

Creating Innovative Frameworks to Spur Cultural Change at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samuel, Aamod; Lozano, Joel; Carte, Olivia; Robillos, Troy

2018-01-01

Changing the culture of an organization is a monumental task that often takes years and has no set formula. Steps can be taken, however, to spur cultural change by creating spaces and infrastructure to serve as the initial driving force. An innovation space and a bicycle sharing (bike share) program were implemented at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) (Edwards, California) with a vision toward connecting Center personnel, fostering collaboration and innovation, retaining newer employees, promoting flexibility, and improving the culture and workplace atmosphere. This paper discusses the steps taken, challenges faced, novel culture-change-focused design elements, lessons learned, acquired metrics, and how these initiated cultural change at AFRC. For both the innovation space and the bike share program, funding was negotiated and provided through the NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project, which was seeking to improve the innovation and collaboration capabilities at each of the four NASA aeronautics Centers. Key stakeholders across AFRC from upper management, facilities, safety, engineering, and procurement were identified early in the process and were consulted and included throughout execution to ensure that any encountered roadblocks could be easily navigated. Research was then conducted by attending conferences and visiting culture-changing organizations both inside and outside United States Government agencies. Distilling the research, identifying available space, and deciding on specific design elements for the space was conducted by a subset of individuals of diverse backgrounds to enable quick, effective decision-making. Decisions were made with the intent to increase usage and diversity of users of the space; care was taken to ensure a well-crafted atmosphere that would foster the desired culture change. The allocated physical space required major structural modifications, new

Innovative approaches to nisin production.

PubMed

Özel, Burcu; Şimşek, Ömer; Akçelik, Mustafa; Saris, Per E J

2018-05-30

Nisin is a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis that has been approved by the Food Drug Administration for utilization as a GRAS status food additive. Nisin can inhibit spore germination and demonstrates antimicrobial activity against Listeria, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, and Bacillus species. Under some circumstances, it plays an immune modulator role and has a selective cytotoxic effect against cancer cells, although it is notable that the high production cost of nisin-a result of the low nisin production yield of producer strains-is an important factor restricting intensive use. In recent years, production of nisin has been significantly improved through genetic modifications to nisin producer strains and through innovative applications in the fermentation process. Recently, 15,400 IU ml -1 nisin production has been achieved in L. lactis cells following genetic modifications by eliminating the factors that negatively affect nisin biosynthesis or by increasing the cell density of the producing strains in the fermentation medium. In this review, innovative approaches related to cell and fermentation systems aimed at increasing nisin production are discussed and interpreted, with a view to increasing industrial nisin production.

Innovator: A Tradition of Excellence through Innovation, 1998-1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Italia, Nancy, Ed.

1999-01-01

This document presents four Innovator newsletters from the League for Innovation in the Community College (California). Number one contains the following articles: "Focus on Globalization, Learning, and the Human Touch for 1998 Conference on Information Technology,""Internet-in-Education Project Exceeds Goals,""First…

Leader-Member Exchange, Learning Orientation and Innovative Work Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atitumpong, Aungkhana; Badir, Yuosre F.

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of leader-member exchange (LMX) and employee learning orientation on employee innovative work behavior (IWB) through creative self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach: Data have been collected from 337 employees and 137 direct managers from manufacturing sector. A hierarchical linear model has been…

RE-AIM in Clinical, Community, and Corporate Settings: Perspectives, Strategies, and Recommendations to Enhance Public Health Impact

PubMed Central

Harden, Samantha M.; Smith, Matthew Lee; Ory, Marcia G.; Smith-Ray, Renae L.; Estabrooks, Paul A.; Glasgow, Russell E.

2018-01-01

The RE-AIM Framework is a planning and evaluation model that has been used in a variety of settings to address various programmatic, environmental, and policy innovations for improving population health. In addition to the broad application and diverse use of the framework, there are lessons learned and recommendations for the future use of the framework across clinical, community, and corporate settings. The purposes of this article are to: (A) provide a brief overview of the RE-AIM Framework and its pragmatic use for planning and evaluation; (B) offer recommendations to facilitate the application of RE-AIM in clinical, community, and corporate settings; and (C) share perspectives and lessons learned about employing RE-AIM dimensions in the planning, implementation, and evaluation phases within these different settings. In this article, we demonstrate how the RE-AIM concepts and elements within each dimension can be applied by researchers and practitioners in diverse settings, among diverse populations and for diverse health topics. PMID:29623270

Innovation in Your Community

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA has many innovation programs that can help the public bring innovative solutions to their local areas by reducing waste, engaging students to contribute innovative ideas, and helping businesses implement sustainable practices.

Health reform holds both risks and rewards for safety-net providers and racially and ethnically diverse patients.

PubMed

Andrulis, Dennis P; Siddiqui, Nadia J

2011-10-01

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 creates both opportunities and risks for safety-net providers in caring for low-income, diverse patients. New funding for health centers; support for coordinated, patient-centered care; and expansion of the primary care workforce are some of the opportunities that potentially strengthen the safety net. However, declining payments to safety-net hospitals, existing financial hardships, and shifts in the health care marketplace may intensify competition, thwart the ability to innovate, and endanger the financial viability of safety-net providers. Support of state and local governments, as well as philanthropies, will be crucial to helping safety-net providers transition to the new health care environment and to preventing the unintended erosion of the safety net for racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Adaptable individuals and innovative lineages

PubMed Central

Sterelny, Kim

2016-01-01

This paper suggests (i) that while work on animal innovation has made good progress in understanding some of the proximate mechanisms and selective regimes through which innovation emerges, it has somewhat neglected the role of the social environment of innovation; a neglect manifest in the fact that innovation counts are almost always counts of resource-acquisition innovations; the invention of social tools is rarely considered. The same is true of many experimental projects, as these typically impose food acquisition tasks on their experimental subjects. (ii) That neglect is important, because innovations often pose collective action problems; the hominin species were technically innovative because they were also socially adaptable. (iii) In part for this reason, there remains a disconnect between research on hominin innovation and research on animal innovation. (iv) Finally, the paper suggests that there is something of a disconnect between the theoretical work on innovation in hominin evolution (based on theories of cultural evolution) and the experimental tradition on human innovation. That disconnect is largely due to the theoretical work retreating from strong claims about the proximate mechanisms of human cultural accumulation. PMID:26926286

Mapping your innovation strategy.

PubMed

Anthony, Scott D; Eyring, Matt; Gibson, Lib

2006-05-01

In the complex sport of American football, teams rely on playbooks as thick as the Manhattan phone directory. But when it comes to creating innovative growth businesses-which is at least as complicated as professional football--most companies have not developed detailed game plans. Indeed, many managers have concluded that a fog enshrouds the world of innovation, obscuring high-potential opportunities. The authors believe that companies can penetrate that fog by developing growth strategies based on disruptive innovations, as defined by Clayton Christensen. Such innovations conform to a pattern: They offer an entirely new solution; they perform adequately along traditional dimensions and much better along other dimensions that matter more to target customers; and they are not initially appealing to powerful incumbents. Companies can develop customized checklists, or playbooks, by combining this basic pattern with analysis of major innovations in their markets. The key early on is to focus not on detailed financial estimates--which will always guide companies toward the markets most hostile to disruptive innovations--but on how well the innovation fits the pattern of success. It's also crucial to encourage flexibility: Companies must be willing to kill projects that are going nowhere, exempt innovations from standard development processes, and avoid burdening project teams with extra financing, which can keep them heading in the wrong direction. Companies can create competitive advantage by becoming champions at defining the pattern of successful innovations and executing against it. But as that pattern becomes obvious--and others emerge-building a sustainable advantage on innovation competencies will again prove elusive.

Fuels and Space Propellants for Reusable Launch Vehicles: A Small Business Innovation Research Topic and Its Commercial Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan A.

1997-01-01

Under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program (and with NASA Headquarters support), the NASA Lewis Research Center has initiated a topic entitled "Fuels and Space Propellants for Reusable Launch Vehicles." The aim of this project would be to assist in demonstrating and then commercializing new rocket propellants that are safer and more environmentally sound and that make space operations easier. Soon it will be possible to commercialize many new propellants and their related component technologies because of the large investments being made throughout the Government in rocket propellants and the technologies for using them. This article discusses the commercial vision for these fuels and propellants, the potential for these propellants to reduce space access costs, the options for commercial development, and the benefits to nonaerospace industries. This SBIR topic is designed to foster the development of propellants that provide improved safety, less environmental impact, higher density, higher I(sub sp), and simpler vehicle operations. In the development of aeronautics and space technology, there have been limits to vehicle performance imposed by traditionally used propellants and fuels. Increases in performance are possible with either increased propellant specific impulse, increased density, or both. Flight system safety will also be increased by the use of denser, more viscous propellants and fuels.

Safety management practices in small and medium enterprises in India.

PubMed

Unnikrishnan, Seema; Iqbal, Rauf; Singh, Anju; Nimkar, Indrayani M

2015-03-01

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the main pillar of an economy. Minor accidents, ergonomics problems, old and outdated machinery, and lack of awareness have created a need for implementation of safety practices in SMEs. Implementation of healthy working conditions creates positive impacts on economic and social development. In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 30 randomly chosen SMEs in and around Mumbai, Maharashtra, and other states in India to evaluate safety practices implemented in their facilities. The study also looked into the barriers and drivers for technology innovation and suggestions were also received from the respondent SMEs for best practices on safety issues. In some SMEs, risks associated with safety issues were increased whereas risks were decreased in others. Safety management practices are inadequate in most SMEs. Market competitiveness, better efficiency, less risk, and stringent laws were found to be most significant drivers; and financial constraints, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of training for employees were found to be main barriers. Competition between SMEs was found to be major reason for implementation of safety practices in the SMEs. The major contribution of the study has been awareness building on safety issues in the SMEs that participated in the project.

Safety Management Practices in Small and Medium Enterprises in India

PubMed Central

Unnikrishnan, Seema; Iqbal, Rauf; Singh, Anju; Nimkar, Indrayani M.

2014-01-01

Background Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the main pillar of an economy. Minor accidents, ergonomics problems, old and outdated machinery, and lack of awareness have created a need for implementation of safety practices in SMEs. Implementation of healthy working conditions creates positive impacts on economic and social development. Methods In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 30 randomly chosen SMEs in and around Mumbai, Maharashtra, and other states in India to evaluate safety practices implemented in their facilities. The study also looked into the barriers and drivers for technology innovation and suggestions were also received from the respondent SMEs for best practices on safety issues. Results In some SMEs, risks associated with safety issues were increased whereas risks were decreased in others. Safety management practices are inadequate in most SMEs. Market competitiveness, better efficiency, less risk, and stringent laws were found to be most significant drivers; and financial constraints, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of training for employees were found to be main barriers. Conclusion Competition between SMEs was found to be major reason for implementation of safety practices in the SMEs. The major contribution of the study has been awareness building on safety issues in the SMEs that participated in the project. PMID:25830070

Lessons Learnt from Literature on the Diffusion of Innovative Learning and Teaching Practices in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Karen

2012-01-01

Faced with the challenges of the changes in: higher education, educational developers' roles and the use of innovation to stimulate change, this study aimed to synthesise literature dealing with the diffusion of innovative learning and teaching practices in higher education to determine what lessons could be learnt. The findings suggest that the…

Defense Labs: The Innovation Engine for Sustaining Our Quality Edge

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

LRRDPP) and, more broadly, the Defense Innovation Initiative ( DII ), aim to shape these investments by pursuing leap-ahead technologies that give us...this advantage. The DII supports the first pillar of the Force of the Future, Com- petitiveness through Technological and Operational Supe- riority

An injury prevention strategy for teen restaurant workers. Washington State's ProSafety project.

PubMed

Ward, Julie A; de Castro, A B; Tsai, Jenny Hsin-Chun; Linker, Darren; Hildahl, Lyle; Miller, Mary E

2010-02-01

High levels of youth employment, workplace hazards, and characteristics unique to adolescents contribute to a relatively high incidence of injuries among teens in the restaurant industry. This article discusses the ProSafety model of injury prevention among teen restaurant workers. Through integration with an existing career and technical education program, the ProSafety project seeks to prevent occupational injuries among the teen worker population through classroom safety education and internship skills reinforcement. ProSafety is the product of an innovative collaboration with occupational health nurses, business professionals, educators, and government. Its approach is derived from Social Cognitive Theory, is consistent with key values and strategies of occupational health nurses, and provides lessons for practitioners seeking to reduce occupational injuries in food service or among other populations of adolescent workers.

Trauma-Informed Day Services for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: Exploring Staff Understanding and Perception within an Innovative Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keesler, John M.

2016-01-01

Background: Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a systems-level philosophy of service delivery which integrates choice, collaboration, empowerment, safety and trust to create an organizational culture sensitive to trauma. This study explores staff understandings and perceptions within an innovative trauma-informed day program for individuals with…

Transformation of anesthesia for ambulatory orthopedic surgery: A mixed-methods study of a diffusion of innovation in healthcare.

PubMed

Leggott, Kyle T; Martin, Matthew; Sklar, David; Helitzer, Deborah; Rosett, Randy; Crandall, Cameron; Vagh, Firoz; Mercer, Deana

2016-09-01

To provide insight into how an innovation in healthcare is implemented and diffused, we studied the transition from routine use of general anesthesia to peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) for ambulatory orthopedic extremity surgery. Rogers' diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory was used as our theoretical framework. We identified themes that would be helpful for others attempting to diffuse innovations into healthcare settings. A mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology was used. We retrospectively reviewed operative and anesthesia records of patients who underwent ambulatory repair of distal radius fractures or arthroscopic knee meniscus procedures from 1998 to 2012 to identify whether general anesthetics or PNBs were used and the time course of the innovation. We interviewed orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, and a nursing administrator working in the ambulatory surgery unit during the innovation to identify key themes associated with the adoption of PNBs. From 2003 to 2012, use of PNBs increased from less than 10% to 70% of cases studied. The adoption timeframe followed an S-shaped curve. Key themes included improved safety, quality, efficiency, physician leadership and trust, organizational structure, and technological change. The innovation involved an optional decision-making process and took root in a satellite facility and generally fit with Rogers DOI theory. The adoption and diffusion of PNBs provides a useful model for understanding innovations with optional decision-making in healthcare. Critical elements in our case were the characteristics of the innovation, which facilitated the decision-making process, and the positioning of the innovation in a peripheral structure away from core clinical facilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Patient safety: Glossary].

PubMed

Sabio Paz, Verónica; Panattieri, Néstor D; Cristina Godio, Farmacéutica; Ratto, María E; Arpí, Lucrecia; Dackiewicz, Nora

2015-10-01

Patient safety and quality of care has become a challenge for health systems. Health care is an increasingly complex and risky activity, as it represents a combination of human, technological and organizational processes. It is necessary, therefore, to take effective actions to reduce the adverse events and mitigate its impact. This glossary is a local adaptation of key terms and concepts from the international bibliographic sources. The aim is providing a common language for assessing patient safety processes and compare them.

Principles of Safety Pharmacology

PubMed Central

Pugsley, M K; Authier, S; Curtis, M J

2008-01-01

Safety Pharmacology is a rapidly developing discipline that uses the basic principles of pharmacology in a regulatory-driven process to generate data to inform risk/benefit assessment. The aim of Safety Pharmacology is to characterize the pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) relationship of a drug's adverse effects using continuously evolving methodology. Unlike toxicology, Safety Pharmacology includes within its remit a regulatory requirement to predict the risk of rare lethal events. This gives Safety Pharmacology its unique character. The key issues for Safety Pharmacology are detection of an adverse effect liability, projection of the data into safety margin calculation and finally clinical safety monitoring. This article sets out to explain the drivers for Safety Pharmacology so that the wider pharmacology community is better placed to understand the discipline. It concludes with a summary of principles that may help inform future resolution of unmet needs (especially establishing model validation for accurate risk assessment). Subsequent articles in this issue of the journal address specific aspects of Safety Pharmacology to explore the issues of model choice, the burden of proof and to highlight areas of intensive activity (such as testing for drug-induced rare event liability, and the challenge of testing the safety of so-called biologics (antibodies, gene therapy and so on.). PMID:18604233

Innovative culture in long-term care settings: the influence of organizational characteristics.

PubMed

Nieboer, Anna P; Strating, Mathilde M H

2012-01-01

Innovative cultures have been reported to enhance the creation and implementation of new ideas and working methods in organizations. Although there is considerable research on the impact of organizational context on the innovativeness of organizations, the same is not the case for research on the organizational characteristics responsible for an innovative culture in (long-term) care settings. The aim of this study was to identify organizational characteristics that explain innovative culture in the (long-term) care sector. A large cross-sectional study in Dutch long-term care-nursing homes and/or elderly homes, care organizations for the handicapped, and long-term mental health care organizations-was conducted. A total of 432 managers and care professionals in 37 organizations participated. The Group Innovation Inventory was used to measure innovative culture in long-term care organizations. Structural characteristics of the organization were centralization and formalization, environmental dynamism and competitiveness, internal and external exchange of information, leadership style, commitment to quality improvement, and the organization's innovative strategy. The determinants of an innovative culture were estimated with a two-level random-intercepts and fixed-slopes model. Multilevel regression models were used to account for the organizational clustering of individuals within the 37 care organizations. Environmental dynamism, job codification, formal external exchange of information, transformational leadership, commitment to quality, and an exploratory and exploitative innovation strategy were all significantly correlated with an innovative culture in the multivariate multilevel analysis; the other characteristics were not. The explained organizational- and individual-level variance was 52.5% and 49.2%, respectively. The results point to substantial differences in innovative cultures between and within care organizations that can, in part, be explained by

A Study for Adjustable Riding Position of the Innovation Bicycle Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yu-Che; Huang, Tai-Shen

2018-04-01

This research is about the analysis and design of the user in a wheelchair use posture can be changed. So user can through different sitting posture changes to provide different needs, so the folding design patents for the existing data collection and classification, through the analysis of advantages and disadvantages, further to find the innovative design approach. Finally through the multi linkage mechanism system, change the seat, handlebars and rear position, provide different posture context. In order to reduce the cost, this study is designed to integrate the innovation input mechanism, multi linkage system, through the construction of 10 joints and degrees of freedom of the bicycle frame. Then use 3D software to design of bicycle the size of the frame of innovation, through the three-dimensional CAD model to simulate the mechanism between movement and interference, and to evaluate the 3D The virtual prototype can meet the requirement. It will also enable CAE to analyze and determine the strength and the safety of the bicycle frame structure of ANSYS11.0 stress. Finally, we have integrated design through CAID to make a product appearance, the focus of research is mainly a study of CAD, CAE, CAID integration the production and the completion of a prototype.

Innovation Expo

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-31

U.S. Patent plaques were awarded to, second from left, Mark Lewis, Adam Dokos, Robert Mueller, Jeffrey Carlson and Ivan Townsend III, for their invention, Dust Tolerant Connectors, during the 2017 Innovation Expo at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Not pictured: Gary Basin, Matthew Branch, Kevin Murtland, Matthew Nugent and Gabor Tamasy. At left is Kelvin Manning, Kennedy's associate director. At far right is Dave Makufka, Kennedy's Technology Transfer Program manager. The purpose of the annual two-day expo is to help foster innovation and creativity among the Kennedy workforce. The event included several keynote speakers, training opportunities, an innovation showcase and the KSC Kickstart competition.

Measuring the Style of Innovative Thinking among Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passig, David; Cohen, Lizi

2014-01-01

Background: Many tools have been developed to measure the ability of workers to innovate. However, all of them are based on self-reporting questionnaires, which raises questions about their validity Purpose: The aim was to develop and validate a tool, called Ideas Generation Implementation (IGI), to objectively measure the style and potential of…

Open-market innovation.

PubMed

Rigby, Darrell; Zook, Chris

2002-10-01

Companies in many industries are feeling immense pressure to improve their ability to innovate. Even in these tough economic times, executives have pushed innovation initiatives to the top of their priority lists, but they know that the best ideas aren't always coming out of their own R&D labs. That's why a growing number of companies are exploring the idea of open-market innovation--an approach that uses tools such as licensing, joint ventures, and strategic alliances to bring the benefits of free trade to the flow of new ideas. For instance, when faced with the unanticipated anthrax scare last fall, Pitney Bowes had nothing in its R&D pipeline to help its customers combat the deadly spores. So it sought help from outside innovators to come up with scanning and imaging technologies that could alert its customers to tainted letters and packages. And Dow Chemical and Cargill jointly produced a new form of plastic derived from plant starches--a breakthrough product that neither company could have created on its own. In this article, Bain consultants Darrell Rigby and Chris Zook describe the advantages and disadvantages of open-market innovation and the ways some companies are using it to gain competitive advantage. By importing ideas from the outside, the authors say, companies can collect more and better ideas from different kinds of experts. Creative types within a company will stick around longer if they know their ideas will eventually find a home--as internal R&D projects or as concepts licensed to outside buyers. Exporting ideas also gives companies a way to measure an innovation's real value. However, the authors warn against entering into open-market innovation without properly structuring deals: Xerox and TRW virtually gave away their innovations and had to stand by while other companies capitalized on them.

Innovative Operations Measures and Nutritional Support for Mass Endurance Events.

PubMed

Chiampas, George T; Goyal, Anita V

2015-11-01

Endurance and sporting events have increased in popularity and participation in recent years worldwide, and with this comes the need for medical directors to apply innovative operational strategies and nutritional support to meet such demands. Mass endurance events include sports such as cycling and running half, full and ultra-marathons with over 1000 participants. Athletes, trainers and health care providers can all agree that both participant outcomes and safety are of the utmost importance for any race or sporting event. While demand has increased, there is relatively less published guidance in this area of sports medicine. This review addresses public safety, operational systems, nutritional support and provision of medical care at endurance events. Significant medical conditions in endurance sports include heat illness, hyponatraemia and cardiac incidents. These conditions can differ from those typically encountered by clinicians or in the setting of low-endurance sports, and best practices in their management are discussed. Hydration and nutrition are critical in preventing these and other race-related morbidities, as they can impact both performance and medical outcomes on race day. Finally, the command and communication structures of an organized endurance event are vital to its safety and success, and such strategies and concepts are reviewed for implementation. The nature of endurance events increasingly relies on medical leaders to balance safety and prevention of morbidity while trying to help optimize athlete performance.

Innovation in urban agriculture: Evaluation data of a participatory approach (ROIR).

PubMed

Zoll, Felix; Specht, Kathrin; Siebert, Rosemarie

2016-06-01

The data in this article represent an evaluation of a participatory process called Regional Open Innovation Roadmapping (ROIR). The approach aims at the promotion of regional development. In this case, it was carried out to develop a specific innovation in the field of 'Zero-acreage farming' (ZFarming), which is a building-related subtype of urban agriculture. For the evaluation of the process, an online survey was sent to the 58 participants of the ROIR on March 4, 2014. The survey ended on April 8, 2014, and a response rate of 53.54% resulted in a sample size of 31 respondents. The survey was divided into seven different blocks. We analyzed the ROIR process׳s contribution to knowledge generation, the establishment of networks among the participants, the implementation of new projects related to ZFarming, and the increase of acceptance of ZFarming and the selected ZFarming innovation. Furthermore, other remarks, and personal information were collected. Hence, the objective of the survey was to assess whether ROIR is a useful tool to promote the aforementioned innovation drivers, and thereby, the selected innovation, which was developed throughout the process. The data were used in the research article "Application and evaluation of a participatory "open innovation" approach (ROIR): the case of introducing zero-acreage farming in Berlin" (Specht et al., 2016) [1].

Medical innovation then and now: perspectives of innovators responsible for transformative drugs.

PubMed

Xu, Shuai; Kesselheim, Aaron S

2014-01-01

Effective medical innovation is a common goal of policymakers, physicians, researchers, and patients both in the private and public sectors. With the recent slowdown in approval of new transformative prescription drugs, many have looked back to the "golden years" of the 1980s and 1990s when numerous breakthrough products emerged. We conducted a qualitative study of innovators (n=127) directly involved in creation of groundbreaking drugs during that era to determine what made their work successful and how the process of conducting medical innovation has changed over the past 3 decades. Transcripts were analyzed using standard coding techniques and the constant comparative method of qualitative data analysis to identify the positive features of and challenges posed by the past and present therapeutic innovation environments (70 of the 127 interviewees explicitly addressed these issues). Interviewees emphasized the continued central role played by individuals and the institutions they were a part of in driving innovation. In addition, respondents discussed the importance of collaboration between individuals and institutions to share resources and expertise. Strong underlying basic science was also cited to be a major contributing factor to the success of an innovation. The climate for modern-day medical innovation involves a greater emphasis on patenting in academia, difficulty negotiating the technology transfer process, and funding constraints. Regulatory demands or reimbursement concerns were not commonly cited as factors that influenced transformative innovation. This study suggests that generating future transformative innovation will require a simplification of the current technology transfer process, continued commitment to basic science research, and policy changes that promote meaningful collaboration between individuals from disparate institutions. © 2014 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Evaluation of novel pre-slaughter cattle wash formulations for meat and byproduct safety and quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To ensure safety and quality of meat and leather innovative new carcass washing formulations need to be developed and tested. This study investigated six novel spray wash solutions for their effectiveness on reducing microbial concentrations from fresh hide while concurrently examining their effects...

Innovative designs for the smart ICU: Part 3: Advanced ICU informatics.

PubMed

Halpern, Neil A

2014-04-01

This third and final installment of this series on innovative designs for the smart ICU addresses the steps involved in conceptualizing, actualizing, using, and maintaining the advanced ICU informatics infrastructure and systems. The smart ICU comprehensively and electronically integrates the patient in the ICU with all aspects of care, displays data in a variety of formats, converts data to actionable information, uses data proactively to enhance patient safety, and monitors the ICU environment to facilitate patient care and ICU management. The keys to success in this complex informatics design process include an understanding of advanced informatics concepts, sophisticated planning, installation of a robust infrastructure capable of both connectivity and interoperability, and implementation of middleware solutions that provide value. Although new technologies commonly appear compelling, they are also complicated and challenging to incorporate within existing or evolving hospital informatics systems. Therefore, careful analysis, deliberate testing, and a phased approach to the implementation of innovative technologies are necessary to achieve the multilevel solutions of the smart ICU.

The Use of Theatre Tours in Road Safety Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powney, Janet; And Others

The Scottish Road Safety Campaign and the Road Safety Council of Wales have made a large investment in theater tours as a method of providing road safety education. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a road safety message delivered by a theater group, Road Safety Officers (RSOs), or, teachers for pupils in upper secondary classes.…

Job Stressors, Organizational Innovation Climate, and Employees' Innovative Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ren, Feifei; Zhang, Jinghuan

2015-01-01

This study attempted to examine the influence of job stressors and organizational innovation climate on employees' innovative behavior. Data were obtained from 282 employees in 4 cities of China. Results indicated that the nature of stressors matters in predicting employees' idea generation. Specifically, stressors that employees tend to appraise…