Cent Response Research Articles

The mediating effects of first call resolution on call centers’ performance

This article aims to examine and validate the prepositions of the mediating impacts of first call resolution (FCR) on caller satisfaction within the contact center industry. A survey of 168 call center managers was analyzed through structural equation modeling, constituting an overall 43.3 per cent response rate for this study. The results show that FCR positively mediates the relationship between knowledge management, technology-based CRM and caller satisfaction within the inbound customer contact centers. We have empirically assessed call centers/contact centers’ success through caller satisfaction (an observed variable through their 2009 customer survey in Malaysia). Consequently, this study cannot generalize its findings in all other countries. Our strong argument is that within the operational variables, FCR is statistically significant and positively mediates knowledge management applications. But very important to note is that the customer contact centers are first touchpoints to a company's goods or services, and that many other factors such as product quality, company policy, target markets, decision-making processes and so on are also determinants of caller satisfaction, but fall outside the operational control of contact center activities. This research has empirically established that a company's capability in effectively acquiring a valid understanding of its current and potential customers’ information through CRM technologies will positively impact its acquisitions, customization, management and retention of customers. It also avails both the academic and contact center management the benefits that are inherent in measuring the impact of knowledge management and technology-based CRM on inbound FCR and caller satisfaction. This study finally recommends alternative areas for future research.

A survey of the use of grading scales for contact lens complications in optometric practice

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent and pattern of use of grading scales for contact lens complications (‘grading scales’) in optometric practice.Methods: An anonymous postal survey was sent to all 756 members of the Queensland Division of Optometrists Association Australia. Information was elicited relating to level of experience, practice type and location, and mode of usage of grading scales.Results: Survey forms were returned by 237 optometrists, representing a 31 per cent response rate. The majority of respondents (61 per cent) reported using grading scales frequently in practice, while 65 per cent of these preferred to use the Efron Grading Scales for Contact Lens Complications. Seventy‐six per cent of optometrists use a method of incremental grading rather than simply grading with whole numbers. Grading scales are more likely to be used by optometrists who have recently graduated (p < 0.001), have a postgraduate certificate in ocular therapeutics (p = 0.018), see more contact lens patients (p = 0.027) and use other forms of grading scales (p < 0.001). The most frequently graded ocular conditions were corneal staining, papillary conjunctivitis and conjunctival redness. The main reasons for not using grading scales included a preference for sketches, photographs or descriptions (87 per cent) and unavailability of scales (29 per cent).Conclusion: Grading scales for contact lens complications are used extensively in optometric practice for a variety of purposes. This tool can now be considered as an expected norm in contact lens practice. We advocate the incorporation of such grading scales into professional guidelines and standards for good optometric clinical practice.

A survey of adverse drug reaction reporting by hospital pharmacists to the Committee on Safety of Medicines — the role of pharmacy departments

Abstract Objectives To identify: (1) how adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting by hospital pharmacists is managed, (2) the education of pharmacy personnel on ADR reporting, (3) pharmacy personnel with a specific role in ADR reporting, (4) the numbers of ADR reports sent to the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and (5) barriers to reporting Method Postal questionnaire survey of 250 hospital-based drug information (DI) departments Setting All hospital-based DI departments listed in the United Kingdom Drug Information Pharmacists' Group directory Key findings A total of 185 questionnaires was returned (74 per cent response). Thirty-five per cent of respondents had a procedure for the reporting of ADRs by pharmacists; 62 per cent of departments actively promoted reporting; 44 per cent of departments reviewed reports before they were sent to the CSM. DI pharmacists were frequently involved in the review of the reports and were usually the designated ADR person. Education on ADR reporting was provided by 69 per cent of departments. Few specialist pharmacists (n=9) were identified as having established a direct link with the CSM. The majority of departments had submitted five or fewer ADR reports to the CSM. The presence of a procedure, promotion of reporting, education and the presence of a designated ADR person were found to be associated with above average rates of ADR reporting (chi-square test) Conclusion The survey showed that the role played by pharmacy departments in the area of hospital pharmacist ADR reporting varied considerably but in most cases was insufficiently developed

Extending the role of community pharmacists: the views of GPs

Abstract A Questionnaire-based postal survey was used to ascertain views of general practitioners (GPs) on community pharmacists and an extension of their role. The questionnaire included attitude scales and open-ended questions. It was sent to the 368 GPs of the South and West Devon health commission area. There was an 81.2 per cent response rate. The questionnaire attained adequate internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha = 0.87). Non-responders differed from responders only in that non-responders were more likely to be in urban than rural practices. Eighty-four per cent of respondents agreed that “Pharmacists as first point of contact for many people are ideally placed to provide health education;” 19 per cent agreed that “Pharmacists should stick to dispensing and not venture into other areas of medicine;” 27 per cent would accept a pharmacist as a partner in their practice; 31 per cent felt that pharmacies should usually be located within medical practices; and 30 per cent felt that “Pharmacists are too influenced by commercial pressures to give unbiased advice about minor illness.” Eighty-one per cent of respondents agreed to pharmacists monitoring repeat prescriptions while 14 per cent agreed to pharmacists running lithium management clinics. Respondents expressed a desire for more communication and involvement of pharmacists in the primary health team. Concerns were expressed about accountability, training and the problems of favouring one pharmacy over another. We conclude that GPs have a positive attitude towards community pharmacists, their inclusion into the primary health care team and an extension of their role in relation to medicines, but there was little support for the idea of pharmacists undertaking screening and running therapeutic monitoring clinics.

Perceptions of United Kingdom pharmacy lecturers about teaching pharmaceutical care

AbstractPharmaceutical care is now regarded as the primary mission of pharmacy practice. To help ensure that this mission is fulfilled, pharmacy students need the clinical knowledge and skills that underlie pharmaceutical care, and pharmacy academics need to be aware of this concept and its applications. A survey was conducted of British pharmacy lecturers' views on teaching pharmaceutical care. Correlations between lecturers' characteristics (sex, teaching commitment and teaching experience) and the use of computer-aided learning (CAL) in teaching pharmaceutical care were also evaluated. Self-completion questionnaires were sent to 16 heads of departments of pharmacy practice, or their equivalent, for distribution. There was a 40 per cent response rate. Perceptions varied considerably in terms of the definition of pharmaceutical care, the difference between clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care, the application in practice settings, drug-related problems, knowledge and skills required and the barriers to teaching pharmaceutical care. Lecturers' characteristics were not related to views on either the use of CAL generally or the potential use of CAL in teaching pharmaceutical care. Many respondents agreed that a CAL program could be used to supplement pharmaceutical care teaching. Further studies on pharmaceutical care teaching are suggested.

The demographics of pharmacy's clientele — a descriptive study of the British general public

Abstract Objective To describe the demographics of pharmacy's clientele and of those people who do not visit pharmacies Method A face-to-face survey was conducted of a probability sample of the population of Great Britain (≥16 years of age) on their use of pharmacies. Statistical analyses were carried out using both traditional statistical tests and chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID), to identify the most significant predictor variables (P&amp;lt;0.01) Setting Members of the public in private households Key findings Of the 1,882 people interviewed (71 per cent response rate), most (88.7 per cent) reported that they had been to a pharmacy at least once in the previous 12 months. Age and gender were the interacting predictors for respondents who had not been to a pharmacy in that time, with the proportion of women aged over 75 years who had not visited a pharmacy almost three times (30.5 per cent) that of the whole sample (11.3 per cent). Gender was the most important predictor for people who went to pharmacies every week, age the predictor for loyalty and purchase of medicines, and tenure of accommodation (with marital status and dependent children as interacting variables) the predictor for having had a prescription dispensed Conclusions CHAID analyses allowed us to describe specific subgroups of pharmacy users with greater precision than did traditional statistics

Pharmacists: A resource for general practice?

Abstract A postal questionnaire seeking the views of all Grampian general practitioners (n=314) to a proposed wider role for pharmacists obtained an 85 per cent response rate. The questionnaire consisted of prescribing related and general tasks compiled from the recommendations of the joint working party's report “Pharmaceutical care: the future for community pharmacy” and those identified by a local GP and pharmacist while working on a joint study. The overall opinion of GPs was in favour of increasing the role of pharmacists. They were most likely to support a routine service for the disposal of unwanted medicines, provision of compliance aids under the NHS and a formal system for pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions. GPs were least likely to support the selection of medicine and dosage by a pharmacist following agreed protocols, an NHS funded pharmaceutical adviser within surgeries to counsel patients on the use of medicines, or the provision of diagnostic and screening services by pharmacists. It is concluded that there is a potential for the integration of the community pharmacist within the traditional primary health care team. Roles have been identified that are acceptable to GPs and which could bring job satisfaction to pharmacists, whose specialist knowledge of drugs is currently under-utilised.

National and local guidance on services for drug misusers: do they influence current practice?— results of a survey of community pharmacists in South East England

Abstract Objective To investigate levels of awareness of national and local guidance about services for drug misusers and their effect on pharmacy practice. Method A postal survey in 1997 to collect data on current involvement in services for drug misusers, awareness of and receipt of key documents pertaining to drug misuse, effects of guidelines and protocols on practice, and influences on decisions to provide services. Setting A random one in two sample (n=1,582) of community pharmacies in the South East of England (North and South Thames regions). Key findings A 65.1 per cent response rate was achieved. Just over half (54.7 per cent) were dispensing Controlled Drugs for the management of dependence, 47.2 per cent were selling clean injecting equipment and 15.5 per cent were offering a needle exchange service. Most respondents were unaware of key government documents, with the exception of “Health of the nation,” and only a small minority had received copies. The most influential factors on current position on service provision were “personal experience,” “local need” and “Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) policy.” New local guidelines and initiatives mainly related to supervised consumption of methadone in pharmacies and pharmacy needle exchange. Conclusion Community pharmacies are substantially and increasingly involved in providing*** primary care services for drug misusers. However, there is a disturbing lack of awareness of key government initiatives, possibly due to the lack of dissemination of such documents. RPSGB policy as a key influencing factor points to an opportunity for the profession to take a more influential position.

The long-term learning effect of training in stage of change for smoking cessation: a three-year follow up of community pharmacy staff's knowledge and attitudes

AbstractObjectiveA randomised controlled trial has already demonstrated that a training workshop on smoking cessation counselling for pharmacists and their assistants, based on the stage of change model, had a positive effect on the knowledge and attitudes of pharmacy personnel for at least a year, and was associated with increased and more useful counselling, and higher smoking cessation rates. An extension of the study aimed to monitor the duration of the training effect and so help to determine the optimum time span for refresher training. This paper reports the results of two further annual follow-ups.MethodA previously developed and validated self-completion questionnaire assessing knowledge and attitudes was re-administered to intervention and control personnel at 24 and 36 months. One hundred and thirty-four questionnaires were completed at 24 months (85 per cent response rate) and 124 (83 per cent) at 36 months.SettingCommunity pharmacies in Grampian, Scotland, United Kingdom.Key findingsThe training had a significant effect on knowledge for at least three years, since at both 24 and 36 months the intervention pharmacy teams had a significantly greater knowledge and understanding of the model than the controls (24 months, P=0.0001; 36 months, P=0.031). At 24 months, the intervention pharmacy teams were significantly more confident in their ability to counsel smokers (P=0.021) and were more positive about the outcome of smoking cessation counselling provided in community pharmacies (P=0.043). These attitudinal differences were no longer statistically significant at 36 months.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated the long-term benefit of the stage of change training over a three-year period, for both community pharmacists and their staff, on knowledge and attitudes.

General medical practitioners' perceived use of drug information sources with special reference to drug information centres

Abstract This study reports the current perceived use of available sources of drug information for general medical practitioners. The sample frame, of 463 GPs practising in Derbyshire, England, on January 1, 1990, provided a 74 per cent response rate to a pre-piloted questionnaire. Two printed sources, the Monthly Index of Medical Specialities and the British National Formulary (BNF) plus one personal service, fellow colleagues, were by far the most frequently used. The estimated average minimum number of days per year on which personal information services were consulted was 28.51 days compared with 63.83 days for non-personal, printed sources. Thus, if GPs are to be guided by independent sources then the BNF must be considered a prime vehicle. Drug information centres (DICs) were ranked last with 56 per cent of GPs having consulted such a source within the previous year. Use of DICs could not be predicted from GPs' characteristics or demographic data. Interviews with 101 of 106 randomly selected GPs generally confirmed questionnaire findings. However, only 41 per cent perceived themselves as users of DICs. Collation of queries from two local centres showed 25 per cent were known to be users. From interviews, discrepancies were seen to arise from accessing DICs outside the sample frame boundary plus confusion of DICs with poisons centres and hospital pharmacy departments. Thus, for use of DICs, questionnaire techniques may be unreliable unless source definition is considered. If using DICs, GPs very significantly had lower concurrent use of community pharmacists, GP colleagues and hospital consultants for general drug information

Climate change from the perspective of Spanish wine growers: a three‐region study

PurposeWinery operators and viticulturalists alike face many challenges in their daily and annual work cycle; not least the challenge of producing annually a consistent quality product and getting that product to the market in an ever competitive marketplace. While climate has always been a factor when it comes to meeting this challenge, it has become all the more pronounced recently due to the effects of global climatic change. Against this background, this paper aims to explore the effects of climate change from the perspective of winery operators in three prominent Spanish wine producing regions.Design/methodology/approachWineries in La Mancha, La Rioja and Penedès, totalling 570, were contacted electronically and invited to participate in an online survey. Of these businesses, 94 participated, a 16.5 per cent response rate.FindingsWhile it was found that generally climate change is not among growers' main challenges, three distinct groups emerged from this study: the “unbelievers,” the cautiously sceptical and the “believers”. This last and largest group of respondents (41.5 per cent) not only acknowledges changes due to climate change, but also strategies already in place to minimise the effects of climate change, suggesting the severity of the problem.Research limitations/implicationsComparisons among the three participating wine regions were not possible due to the low number of respondents from one of the regions. Also, the total number of respondents does not allow for making the study's findings generalisable.Practical implicationsThe wine industry, its stakeholders and government agencies need to work together to monitor any changes and find ways to address negative effects of climate change that may result in increased water usage, pesticides or changes in labour demand.Originality/valueThe study provides new insights into climate change according to winery operators' perspectives, an area that to date has received very limited attention from researchers.

Current use of and attitudes to e-learning in otolaryngology: questionnaire survey of UK otolaryngology trainees

The E-lefENT programme is a collaborative e-learning project developed by the Department of Health and ENTUK. Prior to its introduction, we aimed to assess current use of and attitudes towards e-learning amongst UK otolaryngology trainees. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to UK otolaryngology trainees via regional programme directors. A total of 117 responses was received (35 per cent response rate). Most trainees reported increasing exposure to e-learning throughout their training and rated their current computer literacy skills highly, although satisfaction with current e-learning resources was found to vary widely for a variety of reasons. Meeting the educational needs of otolaryngology trainees in the current era continues to be a challenge. Most trainees are already familiar with e-learning, although the quality and delivery of available websites is currently variable. The majority of trainees who responded seemed receptive to the implementation of a free, otolaryngology-specific e-learning resource.

How optometrists record corneal staining

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine current approaches adopted by optometrists to the recording of corneal staining following fluorescein instillation.Methods: An anonymous ‘record‐keeping task’ was sent to all 756 practitioners who are members of the Queensland Division of Optometrists Association Australia. This task comprised a form on which appeared a colour photograph depicting contact lens solution‐induced corneal staining. Next to the photograph was an empty box, in which practitioners were asked to record their observations. Practitioners were also asked to indicate the level of severity of the condition at which treatment would be instigated.Results: Completed task forms were returned by 228 optometrists, representing a 30 per cent response rate. Ninety‐two per cent of respondents offered a diagnosis. The most commonly used descriptive terms were ‘superficial punctate keratitis’ (36 per cent of respondents) and ‘punctate staining’ (29 per cent). The level of severity and location of corneal staining were noted by 69 and 68 per cent of respondents, respectively. A numerical grade was assigned by 44 per cent of respondents. Only three per cent nominated the grading scale used. The standard deviation of assigned grades was ± 0.6. The condition was sketched by 35 per cent of respondents and two per cent stated that they would take a photograph of the eye. Ten per cent noted the eye in which the condition was being observed. Opinions of the level of severity at which treatment for corneal staining should be instigated varied considerably between practitioners, ranging from ‘any sign of corneal staining’ to ‘grade 4 staining’.Conclusion: Although most practitioners made a sensible note of the condition and properly recorded the location of corneal staining, serious deficiencies were evident regarding other aspects of record‐keeping. Ongoing programs of professional optometric education should reinforce good practice in relation to clinical record‐keeping.

Appraisal of the building maintenance management practices of Malaysian universities

This article presents the results of a questionnaire survey conducted on the background information of an ongoing research. The article describes the characteristics, size and strategies of university maintenance departments. Questionnaires were administered on 50 university maintenance organizations. With a 66 per cent response rate, the findings suggest that though the expenditure on maintenance is inadequate, poor management of the resource and maintenance services are also contributing greatly to the poor service delivery, the spate of maintenance backlogs and poor user satisfaction. On the basis of the outcomes of the questionnaire survey and a literature review, a schematic value maintenance management model is proposed for university maintenance organization. The maintenance department should be regarded as a business unit. The significant impact it has on the university institution can be illustrated by reviewing it in terms of characteristics. It should be strengthened by including it as one of the university strategic business units. This will also make it more attractive and competitive. The department should not be seen as an engineering-led unit, but as a business-led unit so that it can be creative, innovative and competitive.

Ragging; Female Student's Perspective; Experience of the Freshers of Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce (FMSC), University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka

Ragging in the Sri Lankan context has become an annual 'tradition' within all the conventional universities. Bad experiences and the voice of the public led towards introducing legal action against ragging but it still prevails as a major problem. The research attempts to study the views of female undergraduates regarding ragging, evaluate the gravity of ragging they face and their opinion on the prevalence of ragging. A sample of 423 students was selected for the study, with a 93 per cent response rate. The study concludes it is important to promote the positive impacts of ragging while taking action to curb the negative impacts. Key Words: Ragging; Sri Lankan Universities; Female students Sri Lankan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.1(2) Oct 2009

Evaluation of the Mode of Referral of Patients for Physiotherapy by Physicians

The physiotherapy profession has emerged not only as an important medical and rehabilitation complement in health care delivery but also as a vital therapeutic tool with defined scientifically based protocols. In Nigeria, it is used as a prescription rather than as a referral, on a consultation basis, but its use as a prescription is gradually being discouraged in some developed countries. There seems to be a low level of awareness of this development, particularly in the developing countries. This study was therefore designed to evaluate the physicians’ mode of referral of patients for physiotherapy in Nigeria. A total of 1192 physicians participated in the survey, a 78 per cent response rate. They were required to complete a 22-item self developed closed-ended questionnaire using a sample of opportunity. The questionnaire obtained information on demographic data, educational attainment, university of graduation, year of graduation and mode of referral for physiotherapy. A total of 1054 (88.4%) respondents agreed that physiotherapists were trained enough to make clinical decisions on the treatment of their patients and 678 (56.9%) referred patients for physiotherapy. Of the respondents who agreed that physiotherapists are trained well enough to make clinical decisions on the treatment of their patients, 786 (74.6%) graduated from universities that also have a physiotherapy training programme. The majority 442 (68.2%) of these respondents and 603 (79.4%) of the respondents who received some form of lectures in physiotherapy during their medical training or whose universities had a physiotherapy training programme did not include prescriptions in their referrals. KEY WORDS: physicians, mode of referral, physiotherapy

Factors influencing tourists' revisit intentions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how university students' satisfaction with perceived attractiveness, quality, value, and low risk impact on their revisit intentions (RVI) to a holiday destination.Design/methodology/approachA ten minute pen and paper questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate and postgraduate students in a large Western Australia university through a non‐probability, convenience sampling approach. In total, 228 useable responses were collected, achieving a 60 per cent response rate.FindingsThe empirical results from the structural model suggest that satisfaction (SAT) with the attractiveness, quality, and value provided by the destination positively influenced RVI. Perceived risk did not have the predicted effects on SAT and RVI.Research limitations/implicationsConvenience sampling method restricts the representativeness of results across all university students. Future studies can examine the influences of culture, national and multiculturism on RVI of tourist destinations. This study can also be replicated with larger sample sizes.Practical implicationsThe key finding suggests that perceptions are crucial in achieving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and therefore must be handled proactively to develop lasting relationships.Originality/valueLimited research in the past has been conducted on RVI of tourism destinations. Influence of perceived risk was also examined towards RVI.

Mortality, crime and access to basic needs before and after the Haiti earthquake: a random survey of Port-au-Prince households

On 12 January 2010 an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale struck Haiti, causing unprecedented death, injury and destruction for an event of this magnitude. Our aim was to generate a rapid assessment of the primary consequences for the population of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, the national capital. During the summer of 2009 we conducted a survey of 1,800 households in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. Six weeks after the earthquake, we attempted to trace these households in order to re-interview them. The questionnaire examined mortality and injuries generated by the natural disaster, as well as the character of victimization, food security and living arrangements following the quake. Data analysis incorporated sampling weights and adjusted for clustering within households. The original 2009 survey featured a 90 per cent response rate; in 2010 we re-interviewed 93 per cent of these households. We estimate that 158,679 people in Port-au-Prince (95 per cent CI 136,813–180,545) died during the quake or in the six-week period afterwards owing to injuries or illness. Children were at particular risk for death. In the six weeks after the earthquake, 10,813 people (95 per cent CI 6,726–14,900) were sexually assaulted, the vast majority of whom were female. In the same period 4,645 individuals (95 per cent CI 1,943–7,347) were physically assaulted. Of all households, 18.6 per cent (95 per cent CI 16.6–20.8) were experiencing severe food insecurity six weeks after the earthquake. 24.4 per cent (95 per cent CI 22.1–26.9) of respondents' homes were completely destroyed. Many residents of Port-au-Prince died during or as a result of the earthquake, albeit fewer than were widely reported. More than half of the capital's population experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, though remittances are a major protective factor in promoting food security. Survivors continue to experience high levels of sexual assault and limited access to durable shelter.

The relationship between organizational socialization and commitment in the workplace among employees in long‐term nursing care facilities

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the relationship between organizational socialization and commitment in the workplace (affective organizational commitment, occupational commitment, workgroup commitment, work involvement and job involvement). It also examines whether this relationship holds when organizational justice is included in the equation.Design/methodology/approachA total of 109 employees employed no longer than 3.5 years in long‐term nursing care facilities in Israel completed the questionnaire (a 70 per cent response rate).FindingsThe results showed that organizational socialization was related to all forms of commitment, particularly to organizational commitment, workgroup commitment and job involvement. The relationship held when organizational justice was added to the equations, particularly for the previously mentioned three commitment forms. The models explained a relatively large amount of the variance in commitment forms. The implications of the findings for future research on commitment and organizational socialization are discussed.Originality/valueWhile a number of studies have explored the relationship between socialization and commitment, very few studies have examined how socialization is related to more than one focus of commitment simultaneously. This paper aims to fill this gap.

How healthy is the annual health check?

This paper aims to provide an assessment of organisational implementation of the healthcare standards focusing on the annual health check (AHC) in the UK NHS. Using a postal questionnaire a national survey of all acute and specialist NHS Trusts in England was undertaken. The survey yielded a total of 102 responses, which equates to a 59 per cent response rate. The findings suggest considerable variation and diversity in the rate of progress individual Trusts made towards implementing the AHC in its first year. However, across many of the organisations surveyed, there was good evidence of some progress towards ensuring that basic operational and strategic components of the framework were in place. The research appears to reflect the findings of earlier work on the implementation of clinical governance, suggesting that few lessons have been learnt from previous policy initiatives and raising important questions for the future of health care standards. The findings could be used to support future national health care initiatives by giving an insight into how organisations respond to and manage the process of standards. This study makes a number of recommendations to facilitate smooth implementation of standards in health care. These include the introduction of a national IT solution; development of regional/national networks; more timely, relevant and consistent national guidance and, the definition of minimum information requirements needed for organisational assurance.