Client Decision Research Articles

Indoor-Outdoor Cats and the "One Health" Perspective: Veterinarian Insight and Influence.

Veterinarian and client discussions about indoor-outdoor cats, although challenging, can impact decisions made regarding cat care and outdoor access. An online survey, exploring topics discussed with clients regarding indoor-outdoor cats and One Health, was made available to veterinarians practicing in the U.S. in 2022. The importance of topics by practice location and to the veterinarian versus what the veterinarian perceived as important to the client were analyzed. Of 280 responding veterinarians, 95% discussed indoor-outdoor cat activities with clients. Cat-associated disease (81%), cat population control (64%), and cat-associated trauma (53%) were discussed most often. With the exception of population control, rural, suburban, and urban veterinarians did not significantly differ in the frequency of topics discussed. Danger to the cat (e.g., trauma and diseases) was the most important topic when addressing indoor-outdoor cats with clients; 57% of veterinarians considered it important to themselves and 61% considered it important to the client. Only 13% of the veterinarians were extremely comfortable discussing One Health with clients and several One Health-related topics (zoonoses and wildlife impacts) were discussed least often. Less focus on One Health topics is potentially a missed opportunity to educate clients, enable more informed client decisions, and improve overall the care of cats.

Assessing the Influence of Sustainable Practices on Guest Satisfaction and Loyalty in the Hotel Industry: An Empirical Investigation

This study explores the complex realm of service marketing in the lodging sector, specifically examining the dynamic and competing environment of the hotel industry. This is a trending and novel concept that the hotel industry is adapting to attract more customers. Service marketing in this context refers to the deliberate promotion and administration of intangible donations, such as guest circumstances, customer interactions, and the level of services supplied by hotels. This study investigates the distinct obstacles and advantages that hotel enterprises encounter when promoting their services, considering the intangible and qualitative characteristics of their products. An in-depth analysis is conducted on the numerous factors that influence client decisions such as pricing, location, brand public image, and internet reviews. Moreover, the research explores the importance of customer happiness and loyalty in the hotel sector, along with the impact of loyalty programs on visitor decision-making. The discussion will focus on hotel marketing tactics, which will be informed by the examination of real-world data and economic trends. In conclusion, success in the hotel industry within the hospitality sector hinges on delivering exceptional experiences, building robust customer relationships, and adapting to changing market dynamics and consumer expectations. This study enlightens the readers and the industry people on how to attain desired objectives of welcoming utmost population

Removal of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods and quality of care in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Client and provider perspectives from a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from a randomized controlled trial.

Access to removal of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) (e.g., implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs)) is an essential part of contraceptive care. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from a randomized controlled trial. We analyzed 5,930 client surveys and 259 provider surveys from 73 public sector facilities in Tanzania to examine the receipt of desired LARC removal services among clients and the association between receipt of desired LARC removal and person-centered care. We used provider survey data to contextualize these findings, describing provider attitudes and training related to LARC removals. All facilities took part in a larger randomized controlled trial to assess the Beyond Bias intervention, a provider-focused intervention to reduce provider bias on the basis of age, marital status, and parity. Thirteen percent of clients did not receive a desired LARC removal during their visit. Clients who were young, had lower perceived socioeconomic status, and visited facilities that did not take part in the Beyond Bias intervention were less likely to receive a desired removal. Clients who received a desired LARC removal reported higher levels of person-centered care (β = .07, CI: .02 - .11, p = < .01). Half of providers reported not being comfortable removing a LARC before its expiration (51%) or if they disagreed with the client's decision (49%). Attention is needed to ensure clients can get their LARCs removed when they want to ensure patient-centered care and protect client autonomy and rights. Interventions like the Beyond Bias intervention, may work to address provider-imposed barriers to LARC removals.

AutoFL: A Bayesian Game Approach for Autonomous Client Participation in Federated Edge Learning

Given that devices (i.e., clients) participating in federated edge learning (FEL) are autonomous and resource-constrained in nature, it is critical to design effective incentive mechanisms to encourage client participation so as to improve the performance of FEL. In this paper, we aim to boost the FEL training efficiency by answering how much compute resource should clients autonomously contribute to maximize their utilities. To this end, we develop AutoFL, an autonomous client participation decision framework for federated learning at the network edge without assuming that each client possesses complete information. We first model the problem of autonomous client participation as a Bayesian game with incomplete information, where each player in the game is associated with a set of types according to network conditions. We optimize an individual client's decision based on the dynamics of the population estimated following the Bayes rule. We prove that AutoFL can converge to a unique Bayesian Nash equilibrium point. Empirical results on three real datasets show that AutoFL achieves a higher model accuracy with only 15.5-24.5% model aggregation time per global training round, and its energy cost saving on mobile devices is 82.2-86.8% compared to the state-of-the-art algorithms. Moreover, we can achieve a 2.75-3.2x long-term fairness compared to classical solutions.

Applying Harm Reduction Principles to the Work of Social Workers and “Equal – Equal” Peer Counsellors

This article presents a study on individuals who provide harm reduction services following the “Equal – Equal” principle – “Equal – Equal” consultants. Their activities are not regulated or extensively studied in Lithuania, but they are being implemented in practice. Both at the scientific and practical levels, there is a discussion about the effectiveness of “Equal – Equal” interventions, so it is likely that services provided on the “Equal – Equal” principle will be integrated into the system of assistance for individuals using psychoactive substances in the future. The study aimed to reveal how “Equal – Equal” consultants and one of the “traditional” harm reduction service providers – social workers – apply harm reduction principles when providing services to individuals using psychoactive substances. During the study, the “Equal – Equal” principle was revealed, harm reduction principles were identified, and the main similarities and differences in the application of harm reduction principles between professional service providers – social workers and “Equal – Equal” consultants were determined. The qualitative study found that collaboration with communities using psychoactive substances is not typical for the activities of social workers. This group is more inclined to focus on client abstinence, and there is a related moral judgment of the client. Social workers apply the principle of collaboration with the client on a broader scale than “Equal – Equal” consultants. The application of the autonomy principle in social work is complicated by the “double mandate dilemma.” “Equal – Equal” consultants view psychoactive substance use in a very pragmatic way, emphasizing problem-solving strategies based on humanism. Both groups prioritize client life and health protection, rely on an individual approach to the client, and experience difficulties due to emotionally driven desires to influence client decisions.

The Influence of QRIS Digitalization, Technology and Digitalization Lifestyle, Digital Financial Literacy, and Financial Inclusion On Bank Customers Decision

This study looks at how consumer decisions are impacted by the digitalization of QRIS, financial literacy, and financial inclusion through lifestyle. The participants in this study are clients of Sharia Bank. Non-probability sampling combined with a purposeful sampling approach was the sample strategy employed in this study. A sample of one hundred participants was used by the researchers. This study included both primary and secondary data. In order to acquire the primary data required by the researchers, the data collection strategy used in this study is the distribution of questionnaires. In this quantitative study, the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method of moderated regression analysis (MRA) and descriptive statistical analysis were employed as data analysis techniques. Based on the test results and discussions that have been described, the following conclusions can be drawn: The digitalization of QRIS has a direct influence on customers' decisions to make transactions using QRIS. Financial literacy has a direct influence on customer decisions. Decisions made by customers are directly impacted by financial inclusion. Decisions about transactions are directly influenced by lifestyle. The digitalization of QRIS does not directly impact lifestyle. Lifestyle is not immediately impacted by financial knowledge. There is no direct correlation between financial inclusion and lifestyle. Lifestyle cannot moderate the relationship between QRIS digitization and consumer decisions, nor does it have an indirect effect. Lifestyle cannot moderate the relationship between financial literacy and client decisions, nor does it have an indirect influence. Lifestyle cannot moderate the relationship between financial inclusion and customers' decisions to transact via QRIS, nor does it have an indirect influence.

Pengaruh Risiko Audit Dan Risiko Bisnis Klien Terhadap Keputusan Penerimaan Klien Pada Kantor Akuntan Publik Di Jakarta

Abstract-This study intends to examine the effect of client business risk, audit risk, and auditor business risk partially and simultaneously on client acceptance decisions at public accounting firms. This study used primary data obtained using questionnaires as data collection instruments. Each partner or manager represents the public accounting firm where he works to fill out a questionnaire. The population in this study is a public accounting firm in Jakarta. The sample used in this study was saturated sampling. Data analysis using multiple linear regression analysis. The test results show that the client's business risk does not have a significant effect on the client's onboarding decision. Meanwhile, the auditor's business risk negatively affects the client's onboarding decision. The higher the auditor's business risk, the lower the level of client onboarding decisions. &#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Client Business Risk, Audit Risk, Auditor Business Risk, Acceptance Decision Client&#x0D;

Experiences and perceptions of everyday decision-making in the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities, their care partners and direct care support workers.

Background: Decisional support is important to people with intellectual disabilities. This review explores: i) how everyday decision-making is perceived and/or experienced by adults with intellectual disability, their care partners and direct care support workers (DCSWs); ii) techniques/approaches used to support everyday decision-making; and iii) barriers/facilitators encountered. Method: PRISMA systematic review methodology using PsycInfo, PubMED, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus. Results: Eighty-one papers were included [qualitative (n = 69), quantitative (n = 7), mixed methods (n = 5)]. Adults with intellectual disability reported wanting to make decisions and needing support. Care partner support was affected by concerns about safety and decisional capacity. DCSWs reported difficulty balancing client decisions and care partner concerns when providing support. Supported Decision-Making (SDM) was identified as a key method of support. Barriers and facilitators were interconnected and impacted by stressors. Conclusion: This topic is under-researched and ill-defined. Supported decision-making is an increasingly popular approach whose application requires further exploration.

Embodied carbon savings of co-living and implications for metrics

In light of the climate crisis and conflicting political ambitions in many countries to rapidly increase the number of dwellings, what housing strategies could reduce emissions? Co-living is one strategy sometimes highlighted but rarely implemented in mainstream construction practices. Using two Swedish case studies, the potential embodied carbon savings are explored for co-living designs. When comparing building designs, normalisation of impacts or energy use per floor area is unequivocally the norm. The present comparison between co-living and traditional apartment design indicates an embodied carbon savings at the building level of 10–20% depending on whether embodied carbon is normalised per gross or residential floor area. However, normalisation per capita (inhabitant) shows substantially higher savings of 21–36% depending on the case studied. The effect of different metrics is illustrated to quantify potential embodied carbon savings of non-mainstream building design solutions such as co-living. Even more substantial embodied carbon savings can be achieved by avoiding new construction through the ability of enabling a more efficient use of indoor space. The need for rethinking carbon and space metrics will help the building sector meet emission targets. Practice relevance Evidence is provided to show that design for co-living could be one way to offer a climate-efficient and qualitative housing alternative for single households in many countries. However, to visualise such potentials, developers are recommended to use additional metrics when evaluating how resource or climate-efficient are alternative designs. Traditional metrics such as kW h or kg CO2e/m2 of gross or heated floor area ought to be complemented by displaying resource use or embodied carbon per designed number of building user and per accessible floor area for each user. Up-to-date generic values are provided for the embodied carbon of different types of space. These can be used in early planning to display the consequences of the number of kitchens and bathrooms and their space occupation in client decisions and early architectural design.

Kawin Cerai di Era Post Modernisme; Studi Kasus Klien Ambu Consulting and Healing Center

The phenomenon of divorce at an early age of marriage continues to increase from year to year, so that it has become commonplace in this post-modern era. The phenomenon of high divorce is also faced by clients of Ambu Consulting and Healing Center. There are many factors behind the divorce phenomenon. This study aims to describe the level of cases of divorce in the post-modern era with the Ambu Consulting and Healing Center research locus, the factors that influence the client's decision to marry and divorce at the Ambu Consulting and Healing Center. This study uses a qualitative approach, collecting data through observation, interviews and documentation. Case study research was conducted on Ambu Consulting and Healing Center clients who were facing divorce problems. The results showed that the phenomenon of the client's divorce marriage at the Ambu Consulting and Healing Center showed that the human characteristics of the post-modern era were not able to take advantage of the positive side of the post-modern era. The factors that cause divorce are related to the lifestyle of the post-modern era.

Basic Concepts of Making Career Decisions in Surah Ar-Ra'd

Career guidance and counselling is one aspect of guidance. Career orientation is intended so that a person can work well, willingly and diligently and requires job requirements or positions following the person concerned. There are several stages involved in the implementation of career guidance, one of which is career selection. Of course, when making career decisions, different theories of career choice are needed so that the decisions made by an individual match the individual's abilities, aptitudes, and interests. The purpose of this research is when individuals will begin to study the world of work closely and make the right decisions. This article is an alternative solution to the problem of decision theory so that later a person will not regret choosing a career and entering the world of work. This research is library research conducted by collecting information and data from various sources in the library, which is related to the problem to be solved. The data that has been obtained will be analyzed using content analysis. The results of this study indicate that the basic concept of career decision-making in surah Ar-Ra'd verse 11 is in line with career decision-making according to the Miller-Tiedeman lifecareer theory of career decision-making in the process of career guidance and counselling based on the results of the client's own decisions.

Decision-Making Framework for Construction Clients in Selecting Appropriate Procurement Route

Procurement decision-making is a crucial determinant of project success. Although several objective, stage-based models have been proposed to guide clients’ procurement choices, little emphasis has been made on the subjective nature of construction clients. Recognizing the role of clients’ experiences in justifying procurement routes, this study develops a decision-making framework that is capable of guiding construction clients in making informed procurement choices. Adopting a mixed-method approach, comprising semi-structured interviews and multi-objective optimization, relevant procurement options were appraised based on clients’ specifications and project deliverables. The lived experiences of construction clients and the importance they attach to pre-defined selection rating criteria were subsequently evaluated, using a template that enables clients to prioritize procurement methods for different project types. The resultant framework offers a holistic, practical, and collaborative procurement selection process that promotes the efficient delivery of construction projects by reducing the cost overrun and delays associated with uninformed client decisions in construction procurement.

Smart Contract-Based Access Control Through Off-Chain Signature and On-Chain Evaluation

Access control is essential in computer security systems to regulate the access to critical or valuable resources. Conventional access control models mainly rely on a centralized and trusted server to mediate each attempted access from client to resources, which face serious challenges of single point of failure and lack of transparency. In this brief, we propose a smart contract-based access control framework, which enables the owner to achieve resource access control in a reliable, auditable and scalable way. An access control contract is deployed on blockchain to manage attribute-based access policies of resources flexibly and make access decisions for clients credibly. A set of attributes is distributed to the clients through off-chain signatures signed by the owner to determine their privileges, without consuming the expensive on-chain storage space. Finally, we implement an experimental prototype on Ethereum test network and perform extensive experimental and theoretical analysis to evaluate its scalability and efficiency.

Rehabilitation counsellor perceived importance and competence in assistive technology

Purpose Assistive technology (AT) has received much attention for its capacity to improve quality of life for individuals with disabilities. While AT can be promising, the high AT abandonment issue persists. Rehabilitation counsellors are considered important in solving such an issue. However, how to effectively prepare rehabilitation counsellors to provide AT services remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the field experience of rehabilitation counsellors and identify the most relevant AT knowledge and skills to the profession. Method A survey that explores rehabilitation counsellors perceived AT importance and competence was used. A total of 237 rehabilitation counsellors in the United States were recruited via the email listserv provided by Commission on Rehabilitation Counsellor Certification. Results The results indicated that while rehabilitation counsellors considered AT important to them, they felt ill-prepared in providing such services. Of the three subscales, the ability to use AT was rated with the highest importance and the knowledge of AT was rated with the lowest competence. Conclusion Although it is impossible for rehabilitation counsellors to know every aspect of the AT services, five training areas were identified to be a priority. Specifically, these five areas include training to improve rehabilitation counsellors’ (a) awareness of AT benefit, (b) knowledge and skill of AT assessment, (c) knowledge of computer based AT and the use of social media, (d) skill in using AT to increase service accessibility, and (e) ability to assist clients decision making that addresses both physical and psychological needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION •Confirm the importance of AT in rehabilitation counselling practices. •Recognise the limited AT competence amongst rehabilitation counsellors. •Identify five areas for more AT training that improve rehabilitation counsellors’ •Awareness of AT benefit, •Knowledge and skill of AT assessment, •Knowledge of computer based AT and the use of social media, •Skill in using AT to increase service accessibility, and •Ability to assist clients decision making that addresses both physical and psychological needs.

Delay Risk Assessment Models for Road Projects

Significant universal research regarding causes of delay in road projects has been carried out based on expert opinion. This study classifies and standardizes all road construction delay factors found in the literature by developing a common risk breakdown structure (RBS) to allow for comparison between real project delay factors, and the study also proposes two delay risk assessment models (DRAMs) based on delay information from 120 real projects constructed in a similar environment with akin procurement and contract policies. The first calculates the risk priority number (RPN) and the second applies the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Situation (TOPSIS) multi-criteria decision-making method (MCDM). The results showed that four specific delay factors dominate in Greek road construction for which relevant mitigation proposals are made. The proposed DRAMs, while calibrated for application in Greece, can be adapted to any construction environment for which real project data is available to provide a tool for transferring experience from past projects to future projects and from accomplished to novice public client decision makers.

A Study on Decision Paralysis in Customers with Special Reference to Placing Order in Restaurant

Owing to the vast number of choices open to customers, they can often feel paralysed in their decision-making. Offering a wide range of options can activate the effect of Decision Paralysis, which delays the client's final decision. The impact of Decision Paralysis can prevail in restaurants. This study reveals the existence of decision paralysis among customers in restaurants when placing an order. The aim is to investigate the prevalence of Decision Paralysis among customers, with particular reference to placing an order in a restaurant and the influence on consumers’ purchase decisions. A survey questionnaire was rolled out using Google forms to customers who have experienced dining in a restaurant. A total of 416 survey responses were collected for data analysis through the convenience sampling method. It was found that, customer purchase decision has been affected by the decision paralysis effect. It was also found that customers experience a dilemma due to tremendous options or choices in the food sector by the service providers. This study was limited to restaurants and in terms of cuisine, with hotels not being considered. Hence, the main limitation is not being able to generalise the findings of this study to the whole of the food catering sector. The study will benefit both scholars and marketing practitioners in understanding the difficulty a customer faces during purchase decision-making.

Association between Dog Owner Demographics and Decision to Seek Veterinary Care.

(1) Background: An important aspect of dog ownership is providing veterinary care. However, features of dog ownership differ across demographic groups and these may influence veterinary client decision making and behavior. The purpose of the present study was to elucidate relationships between American dog owner characteristics and willingness to seek veterinary care. (2) Methods: A total of 858 dog owners completed an online questionnaire asking participants to rate their level of likelihood to seek veterinary care for different medical conditions, answer supplemental questions about their previous veterinary barriers, and indicate barriers that prevent them from seeking veterinary care. (3) Results: Dog owners did not differ by demographics in their willingness to seek veterinary care. However, dog owner demographic groups varied in their relationship with their dog(s), previous behaviors accessing veterinary care, and barriers that make seeking veterinary care challenging. (4) Conclusions: Education, outreach and community-based veterinary medicine efforts should allocate resources to underserved communities identified within the context that they are affected by barriers to obtaining veterinary care for their dog(s).

Value-based Performance Measurement with the Attribution Matrix and the Finite Change Sensitivity Index

We present a model of performance measurement and attribution for delegated investments that summarizes the manager effect and the client effect on value creation. In particular, we introduce an innovative two-dimensional approach that, on one hand, detects the (manager and client) decision effects, measuring the impact of manager/investor choices on the overall investment performance and, on the other hand, detects the (manager and client) period effects, measuring the impact of all the (manager and client) decisions on the investment performance in a given assessment interval. As for the decision effects, the value added of an active investment portfolio is broken down in terms of the value generated by the decisions made by the manager (manager decision effect) and the value generated by the client/investor (client decision effect). As for the period effects, we quantify the impact of all the decisions made in the assessment interval on the value creation generated in a single period by the manager (manager period effect) and the client (client period effect), so that the sum of the periods' attribution values is the investment's value added. In order to accomplish the task, we employ the Finite Change Sensitivity Index (FCSI), which enables one to quantify the impact of the most influential decisions made by manager and investor, and a truncation approach which is equivalent to the well-known residual-income approach. We then combine the two attribution dimensions into an Attribution Matrix (AM). Each element of the AM provides the amount of value added generated in a given period by the decisions made by the manager or by the investor in (the same or) another period.

Suicide in frontotemporal dementia and Huntington disease: analysis of family-reported pedigree data and implications for genetic healthcare for asymptomatic relatives

Objective Genomic testing for early-onset dementia is becoming more accessible, along with predictive testing for at-risk relatives; however, complex counselling issues are important to address. The topic of suicide often has stigma associated, and thoughts or experiences may not be volunteered without prompting. Little has been published with consideration to suicide rates in the context of family experiences and their significance in genetic counselling for relatives of people with Huntington disease and frontotemporal dementia. Design This study included pedigree information for 267 symptomatic individuals with frontotemporal dementia or Huntington disease, provided via genetic counselling clinics. Main Outcome Measures Descriptive statistics and suicide rate calculations based on family reported pedigree data. Results The suicide rate was 2996 per 100,000 compared with the population rate of 10 per 100,000. Approximately one in 15 families reported suicide of an affected family member, and file notes indicated that one in five families had experienced suicide, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts in one or more affected, unaffected or pre-symptomatic relative. Conclusion Health professional awareness of family experiences, including suicide of a relative, is vital in facilitating client decisions about genetic testing, and in providing adequate psychosocial support during the process of genetic testing and adaption to results.

What Influences Decision-Making for Cochlear Implantation in Adults? Exploring Barriers and Drivers From a Multistakeholder Perspective.

To explore the factors influencing the uptake of cochlear implants in adults, determine the impact of each factor, and to conceptualize the journey to implantation from a multistakeholder perspective. Concept mapping was used to integrate input from multiple stakeholders, each with their own experience and expertise. This mixed participatory method collects qualitative and quantitative data collection and enables further quantitative analysis. There were two participant cohorts: clients (cochlear implant recipients, candidates, and family members) and professionals (cochlear implant audiologists, ear, nose, and throat surgeons, administration staff, managers. and manufacturer representatives). A total of 93 people participated in the study: client cohort (n = 60, M age = 66.60 years) and professional cohort (n = 33, M age = 45.24 years). Participants brainstormed statements in response to the question "What influences people's decision to get/not get a cochlear implant?" They subsequently grouped the statements and named each group. They rated each statement as to its impact on the decision and prioritized the need for each to be changed/improved using a five-point Likert scale. Multidimensional scaling was used to produce a visual representation of the ideas and their relationship in the form of concepts. Further analysis was conducted to determine the differences between the cohorts, subcohorts, and concepts. One hundred ten unique statements were generated and grouped into six concepts which either directly affected the client or their environment. These concepts were: external influences (awareness and attitude of non-implant professionals about uptake, cost, logistics, the referral pathway, public awareness); uncertainties, beliefs, and fears (fears, negative effect of word of mouth, unsuccessful previous ear surgery, cosmetics of the device, misunderstanding of how a cochlear implant functions, eligibility for an implant and outcomes after implantation); health problems (mental and physical health); hearing difficulties (social, emotional, and communication impacts of hearing loss, severity of hearing loss, benefit from and experience with hearing aids); implant professionals (implant team's attitude, knowledge and relationship with clients, quality of overall service); and goals and support (clients 'hearing desires and goals, motivation, positive impact of word of mouth, family support, having a cochlear implant mentor. The six concepts fell into two overarching domains: the client-driven domain with four concepts and the external domain with two concepts. The mean rating of concepts in terms of impact on a client's decision to get an implant ranged from 2.24 (external influences, the main barrier) to 4.45 (goals and support, the main driver). Ratings significantly differed between the client and professional cohorts. This study increases our understanding of the factors, which influence a client's decision choose a cochlear implant as a hearing treatment. It also provides new information on the influence of the other stakeholders on the client journey. The magnitude of the generated statements in the client-driven domain highlights the pivotal role of individualized care in clinical settings in influencing a client's decision and the need for the professionals to understand a client's needs and expectations. A client's persistent hearing difficulties, goals, and support network were identified as drivers to the uptake of cochlear implants. However, the barriers identified highlight the need for a collaborative multi- and interdisciplinary approach to raise awareness in and educate non-implant hearing professionals about the cochlear implant process, as well as providing information to empower clients to make educated decisions and consider a cochlear implant as a hearing management option.