Collaborative Team Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of Digital Technologies on Team Collaborative Design

This paper presents the results of a protocol study exploring the impact of various digital technologies on team collaborative design processes. Previous studies have suggested that compared to traditional methods such as sketching, digital technologies can provide further benefits for collaborative processes. However, there persists a lack of understanding about the impacts of digital technologies on such processes, particularly in relation to emerging significant digital technologies such as immersive Virtual Reality (VR). Therefore, this study aims to fill that gap by exploring team collaboration behaviours of two groups of professionals working in two digital design environments—desktop 3D modelling with Revit and immersive VR using Hyve-3D—as well as their behaviours during traditional sketching sessions for benchmarking purposes. Utilising protocol analysis method, the think-aloud data of participants was recorded, transcribed and coded using an adapted collaborative practice model. Team collaboration activities are broadly categorised as ‘Content’ or ‘Process’: content referring to design task-based activities, while process refers to activities related to the organising of group processes. The results suggest that during the design collaboration process, designers allocated the majority of their efforts towards process-oriented design activities. Differences between design environments only had a minor impact on the amount of effort expended on process-oriented activities and content-oriented activities. Moreover, traditional sketching design environments were shown to be potentially beneficial for problem-solution and associated negotiation activities. Additionally, immersive environments were associated with a reduction in the designers’ cognitive effort that was expended on exploring the design environment.

Collaborative Surgical Team Formation: A Proposed Theoretical Framework Using Genetic Algorithm

The imbalance in surgical team composition has a significant impact on the increment of surgical failure and error. The crucial factors influencing the optimal surgical team members are experience, skills, trust, and leadership. Hence, this study aims to maximize surgical team formation effectiveness with a systematic and data-driven approach to team composition for minimizing human error, maximizing safety, and promoting active communication and reliability among team members that can result in successful surgeries. A theoretical framework has been proposed for optimizing surgical team formation using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). This proposed framework is predicted to assemble an effective collaborative surgical team that can perform a successful surgery based on the multi-objective function: the performance indicators and social-based ratings.

To explore the impact of corporate culture and leadership behaviour on work performance, mental health and job satisfaction of employees: An empirical study

Background: The term “corporate culture” is used to describe a company’s long-standing norms and practices, as well as the staff’s views and the anticipated value of their job. Executives may need to adjust their leadership styles to achieve the organization’s goal, which may have consequences for the satisfaction of the workforce. Therefore, it is essential to appreciate the relationship between business ethos, management style, work performance, mental health and employees’ job satisfaction. Methods: Researchers was conducting a cross-sectional survey of Saudi Arabian and Indian employees. Data was be collected using a structured questionnaire. To test the reliability of the data, they will be analysed by “Cronbach’s a and confirmatory factors”. SEM was be used to show the relationships of organizational cultures and leadership behaviour on work performance, mental health and job satisfaction through IBM-SPSS and SmartPLS software. Scope: A corporation with a strong culture and effective leadership shares principles and norms of behaviour with its workers, which should aid them in attaining their goals and objectives. Employees could gain work recognition, mental piece, work performance and job satisfaction when they can accomplish the obligations allotted to them by the company. Results: Corporate culture were significantly (positively) correlated with work performance, mental health and job satisfaction. In the same way, leadership behavior was significantly (positively) correlated with work performance, mental health and job satisfaction. Conclusions: The organisational culture holds significant importance, exerting a substantial influence on the overall well-being and productivity of the work environment. The acknowledgement and acceptance of the organisational ethos by workers can have a significant impact on their work behaviour and attitudes when it comes to communication and promotion. When there is a positive interaction between leadership and employees, the latter are more likely to actively contribute to team collaboration and interaction. Additionally, they are more likely to be motivated to achieve the organization’s assigned mission and objectives. As a result, work performance, mental health, and job satisfaction are enhanced.

Effect of Organization Capabilities on the Growth of Fintech Providers in Kenya

Purpose: The Fintech industry has become a central service sector that has revolutionized financial services provision and fostered financial inclusion. However, the revolutionary nature of the various Fintech firms has resulted in their operations being unclear as their conduct in the market remains unsupervised. Further the Fintechs fail in diversifying their products and services thus limiting their growth within the country. This research sought to establish the effect of organization capabilities on the business growth of fintech providers in Kenya. The specific objectives of the research sought to establish the effect of resource capabilities, marketing capabilities, leadership capabilities and technological capabilities on the business growth of fintech providers in Kenya. The survey was grounded on the dynamic capabilities theory. Methodology: The study used a descriptive cross-section research design with study population drawn from the association of Fintech providers in Kenya. There are a total of 63 firms that was considered in the study with the three senior managers from each of the firm considered as the respondent. The research utilized random sampling in selecting the 189 participant. Data collection was carried out using a structured questionnaire with drop and pick method applied in the study. The research data was analyzed using descriptive, correlation and regression analysis. Findings: The study established that there is a statistically significant relationship between organization capabilities and the business growth of fintech providers in Kenya (R2 = .487, Sig = .000). The findings of the first objective revealed that there was a positive and significant effect of resource capabilities on business growth of fintech providers in Kenya (coefficient β1 = .448, sig = .000<.05). Analysis of the second objective revealed that there was a positive and significant effect of marketing capabilities on business growth (β2 = .049, sig = .001<.05). The results of the third objective revealed that there was a positive and significant effect of leadership capabilities on business growth (β3 = .139, sig = .004<.05). Regression for the fourth variable showed that there was no significant effect of technological capabilities on business growth of Fintech Providers (β4 = .007, sig = .1936>.05). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Based on the conclusions, the study recommends that the government should develop and maintain robust technology infrastructure that enables fintech providers to innovate and integrate advanced technologies. The study also recommends that fintech firms should continue to encourage open feedback and communication to build strong, collaborative teams. The study further recommends that firms should enhance social media marketing efforts to broaden market reach and engage with potential customers by investing in digital marketing tools.

Project Monitoring Based on View of All Project Partners At Digital Project Management Platforms

In the dynamic landscape of digital project management, effective project monitoring is critical for successful project outcomes. The emergence of digital project management platforms has revolutionized the way projects are monitored, enabling real-time collaboration and data-driven decision-making. Periodic site visits and gathering input from all project stakeholders are crucial for ensuring clear understanding of project progress by states institutional. With digital project management systems, on-site progress should be monitored in real-time and inclusive of all project stakeholders. The research investigates how collaborative monitoring fosters project progress of transparency and active engagement among project partners. By providing real-time visibility into project progress, tasks, and milestones, these platforms empower stakeholders with up-to-date information, enabling agile decision-making and prompt risk mitigation. This study explores how digital project management platforms integrate site monitoring evaluations and reporting tools, providing valuable data-driven insights into project performance. By considering periodic analytics, project partners can improve resource allocation, decision making process against possible bottlenecks at construction stages and boost productivity and inform states institutional to monitor project progress closely. Furthermore, the research examines the influence of these platforms on communication dynamics, promoting communication and efficient information exchange among project partners. Such enhanced communication capabilities result in improved team cohesion and collaboration, driving the project forward with synchronized efforts. In this study, the focus lies on tracking the progress of contractual agreements through digital platforms, enabling all stakeholders to monitor advancements. Specifically, the investigation centers on how the designated contractor responsible for project execution and the consulting firm appointed by the project owner can effectively track project progress on a periodic basis using digital platforms. In the context of transportation projects in Turkey, a digital project tracking system has been developed for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, through which data obtained from on-site visits and consultant opinions regarding project advancements are shared with the Ministry. Subsequently, the responsible contracting authority, guided by the consultant's feedback, can respond and evaluate progress accordingly. This approach ensures that project advancements are accurately monitored by all stakeholders of the project. To do so, this study investigates the utilization of the prepared digital platform to facilitate rapid and precise contract monitoring by all project stakeholders, encompassing the opening information and assessment evaluations based on stakeholders' perspectives.

Impact of leadership skills on the success of large and medium construction projects management in Yemen

Large and medium construction projects in Yemen often face budget and timeline overruns. While technical aspects are heavily focused on, the importance of leadership skills in project teams is often overlooked. This study aims to identify the impact of leadership skills on the success of these projects. A questionnaire was distributed to engineers working in both governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations, with projects costing above $100,000. Out of the 385 questionnaires distributed, 340 responses were collected, and 246 valid responses were used for analysis. The findings indicate a strong correlation between leadership skills and project success, highlighting the significant role of effective leadership in guiding construction projects. Specific skills such as team management, problem-solving, prioritization, planning, decision making, conflict management, communication, and fostering team spirit are crucial in Yemen’s construction sector. Recommendations include the development of leadership skills programs, emphasis on collaborative team management, integration of experiential learning in education, continuous professional development, and research initiatives. These insights aim to enhance the resilience and success of construction projects in Yemen and provide valuable guidance to project managers, policymakers, and stakeholders in the sector.

Reflection of Crew Resource Management (CRM) Trainings to Real-Life Field Practice in Air Passenger Transportation: A Qualitative Research

In the air transportation sector, flight safety stands as one of the foremost values. To ensure safety, airlines rely on Crew Resource Management (CRM) training. These training programs aim to foster coordination, communication, and awareness among all personnel involved in flight operations, encouraging rational responses to potential issues as a unified team. Naturally, as is the case with any training process, the practical applicability of CRM training alongside its theoretical structure is of paramount importance. Hence, this study, conducted within the framework of qualitative research, delves into the perspectives of cabin crew members regarding CRM training by evaluating its content, benefits, and real-life field applications. Employing interview-based methodology, qualitative data were gathered from 19 cabin crew participants through purposive sampling. The collected data underwent descriptive analysis, leading to certain conclusions. The findings illustrate that CRM training has a positive impact on emotional and knowledge management, communication skills, team collaboration, and a proactive approach in matters of safety. It underscores that CRM training significantly permeates into the realm of real-world applications—namely, flight operations. However, participants highlighted certain issues and emphasized the need for more practical, interactive, and participant-centered training methods for the enhancement of CRM training, aiming to address those concerns.

Artificial general intelligence for the upstream geoenergy industry: A review

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is set to profoundly impact the traditional upstream geoenergy industry (i.e., geothermal energy, oil and gas industry) by introducing unprecedented efficiencies and innovations. This paper explores AGI's foundational principles and its transformative applications, particularly focusing on the advancements brought about by large language models (LLMs) and extensive computer vision systems in the upstream sectors of the industry. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already begun reshaping the upstream geoenergy landscape, offering enhancements in production optimization, downtime reduction, safety improvements, and advancements in exploration and drilling techniques. These technologies streamline logistics, minimize maintenance costs, automate monotonous tasks, refine decision-making processes, foster team collaboration, and amplify profitability through error reduction and actionable insights extraction. Despite these advancements, the deployment of AI technologies faces challenges, including the necessity for skilled professionals for implementation and the limitations of model training on constrained datasets, which affects the models' adaptability across different contexts. The advent of generative AI, exemplified by innovations like ChatGPT and the Segment Anything Model (SAM), heralds a new era of high-density innovation. These developments highlight a shift towards natural language interfaces and domain-knowledge-driven AI, promising more accessible and tailored solutions for the upstream geoenergy industry. This review articulates the vast potential AGI holds for tackling complex operational challenges within the upstream geoenergy industry, requiring near-human levels of intelligence. We discussed the promising applications, the hurdles of large-scale AGI model deployment, and the necessity for domain-specific knowledge in maximizing the benefits of these technologies.

Collaborative strategies for adolescent suicide prevention: insights from Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan

ObjectiveThe study aimed to gain insights about the collaborative efforts of various professionals involved in preventing adolescent suicide within multidisciplinary teams in Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.Materials and methodsA qualitative research method was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 10 specialists from Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.ResultsDespite differing levels of development and implementation of multidisciplinary team concepts, findings revealed a generally positive impact of collaborative efforts in both countries (more structured in Slovakia and less developed in Kyrgyzstan). Multidisciplinary teams in educational settings strive to create supportive environments for adolescents, contributing significantly to mitigating various issues during their formative years.ConclusionsPrevention efforts require coordinated action among multiple social institutions with unified strategies. While progress has been made, there remains potential for further development, particularly in improving cooperation among specialists, national recognition of youth suicide as a critical issue, and institutionalizing procedures to elevate the status and education of multidisciplinary teams.SignificanceThis research provides innovative insights into the effectiveness of multidisciplinary teams in suicide prevention among adolescents. By suggesting comprehensive strategies for team collaboration, it offers valuable contributions to reducing youth suicide rates in both Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan.

Embedding Physical Therapy in the Pediatric Primary Care Setting: Qualitative Analysis of Pediatricians' Insights on Potential Collaborative Roles and Benefits.

The growing need for collaborative healthcare teams to meet complex health challenges has led to physical therapists (PTs) being embedded in adult primary care settings for many years now. However, this model of care has not been found in pediatrics. This qualitative study sought to gain insights from pediatricians on the potential of embedding pediatric PTs in primary care. Participants were nine pediatricians practicing in both urban and rural, hospital-based and private settings. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via thematic analysis per published methods, assuring trustworthiness. Three overarching themes emerged: pediatricians' priorities aligned with the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare, embedded PTs could fill multiple roles in pediatrics, and they could see a wide variety of patients, highlighting real potential benefits in primary care. Participants endorsed in-office focused treatments, screening to determine optimal care pathways, and ongoing patient follow-up as potential PT roles in this setting. Providers thought that PTs could help manage care for musculoskeletal complaints, high-risk infants, medically complex children, autism, and obesity. An advanced-trained PT having attributes of confidence, adaptability, and open-mindedness was desired. All participants endorsed pediatric primary care PTs as having potentially high value in their practice. This is the first known study on the potential of embedding a PT in the pediatric primary care setting, offering valuable insights from pediatricians to be leveraged in implementation planning.

Lived Experience of Postpartum Women in Recovery for Opioid Use Disorder on Medication-Assisted Therapy

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of postpartum women on medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder. Study Design and Methods: van Manen's interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological design was used. Recruitment and data collection from seven participants occurred at an outpatient office offering care for perinatal patients on medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder. Data collection occurred between September 2021 and March 2022 via in-person interviews using a demographic data sheet, interview guide, speech recognition software, and digital recordings. Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed using precoding, coding, and thematic analysis via van Manen's interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological method. Results: Seven themes were identified: troubled origins, used opioids to deal with life issues, needed to be self-reliant, opioid use disorder overtook their life, the baby was a motivator to seek treatment, the need for combined medication-assisted therapy and collaborative care, and hope for a better life. Clinical Nursing Implications: Nurses can provide trauma-informed care, support the importance of medication-assisted therapy in recovery, incorporate a collaborative care team with expertise in postpartum opioid use disorder, continue the collaborative care team for a minimum of 1 year, and advocate for the patient's role as parent.

Gaming the Industrial Revolution. Participatory design with historical data for classroom learning

Industrial Re:evolution is an educational game developed by a collaborative team of educators, historians, game designers, and developers. The game allows students to hypothesise about the underlying causal mechanisms of the Industrial Revolution while managing population and resources across 19 discrete regions in England and Wales from 1600 to 1851. The game was developed through a series of participatory workshops, which led to a gameplay concept based on a comprehensive model of the Industrial Revolution, centred on key theoretical frameworks. Through role-playing, problem solving, and in-class discussions, students are encouraged to explore various factors that contribute to the Industrial Revolution and their interdependencies. It helps them develop a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between different causal factors, improving their ability to explain and analyse complex historical events, and promoting quantitative skills. The game is an open-ended historical simulation based on state-of-the-art research, providing students with the opportunity to interact with real historical data. To enhance classroom implementation, the game is provided with structured activities, lesson plans, student booklets, and multimedia materials, while an online platform will eventually offer a community for educators to share best practices. This study describes the design choices and development of the game.

Idārah Tanfîdz Manhāj Ta’lîm Al Lughah Al ‘Arabiyyah Fî Al Madrasah Al ‘Āliyah Al Namûdzajiyyah Zainul Hasan Genggong Probolinggo

The curriculum is of the utmost importance. It offers a basic structure that directs the process of learning. It is essential that the curriculum be applied accurately and successfully. Ensuring that learning objectives are satisfied and content is successfully communicated to students is ensured by a robust curriculum implementation. The following are the objectives of this research: 1. The purpose of this study is to identify and characterise the Arabic curriculum implementation management methodology used at Probolinggo's Zainul Hasan Genggong methodology High School. The success of the Arabic curriculum implementation management strategy in helping pupils acquire the language will next be examined. Lastly, it will offer suggestions for enhancement based on the research findings to raise the standard of management for the execution of the Arabic curriculum at Zainul Hasan Genggong Model High School in in Probolinggo.This study uses a qualitative descriptive methodology, gathering information via documentation, interviews, and observation.The study's findings unequivocally showed that the curriculum was successfully implemented and backed by a strong human resource base, cutting-edge teaching strategies, and infrastructure. Leadership dedication, teaching team collaboration, the availability of learning materials, motivation, and student involvement are factors that impact how well a curriculum is implemented. Two of the challenges are different student aptitude levels and scheduling limits. The study suggested hiring more qualified teachers, upgrading the facilities and infrastructure, and utilising information technology that is pertinent to learning Arabic.

Optimizing Project Management Outcomes

This research systematically investigated and optimized project management practices by assessing the perspectives of employees. It analyses the impact of team collaboration, operational efficiency, risk management, and adaptability in achieving efficient project management. It also examined the mediating role of communication strategy and the moderating effect of technology adoption in project management context within hotels in Kazakhstan. A cluster sampling technique was employed to gather responses from 531 participants in the initial survey and 478 participants in the subsequent survey. The results of the quantitative analysis provided a nuanced understanding of the relationships between team collaboration, operational efficiency, risk management, and adaptability in the context of hotel project management. This research contributed to the existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the key determinants of efficient project management within the hotel industry.

Strategies for Equitable Recruitment to Engage Underrepresented Youth and Their Families into Clinical Research: Findings from the BEAD-T1D Pilot Study.

To address disparities in clinical research, we present strategies to optimize recruitment of underrepresented families into the Building the Evidence to Address Disparities in Type 1 Diabetes (BEAD-T1D) study. A bilingual/bicultural Latino research assistant (RA) was hired to facilitate culturally congruent recruitment for pediatric type 1 diabetes families. The RA screened, approached, and consented families using their preferred language, time of contact, and answered personal concerns around research. Families were given the option to consent during outpatient clinic visits (in-person, or virtually via video/phone call) at a pace set by the parent/guardian to ensure understanding. 64 families (Hispanic-65%, Non-Hispanic White [NHW]- 17%, Non-Hispanic Black [NHB]-1%, and Other-4%) were eligible. Of 49 approached, 32 consented (397.9 years; female-81%; Hispanic-72%, NHW-28%, <50K income-69%, Spanish-speaking-50%). Clinic approaches were important to successful consent: 87% of the clinic approaches resulted in consent. Barriers to clinic approaches for RA included late/no response from clinicians, care team ending visit, and bandwidth/connectivity issues. Facilitators to clinic approaches included collaborative clinic care teams, flexible RA hours, and patient screening days in advance. We exceeded our recruitment goals for surveys (31/30), focus groups/interviews (26/20), and advisory board (22/10). We identified that culturally and linguistically congruent staff, flexible recruitment practices, and prioritizing participant availability were solutions to recruit a diverse study cohort resulting exceeding recruitment goals. Cultural interpersonal relationships formed with families addressed barriers to research participation within and outside of the medical system. These strategies suggest equitable clinical trial recruitment is feasible in diabetes research.

A competency framework for simulation facilitation in low-resource settings: a modified Delphi study.

Skilled facilitators are essential to drive effective simulation training in healthcare. Competency-based frameworks support the development of facilitation skills but, to our knowledge, there are no frameworks that specifically address context-sensitive priorities developed with practitioners working in low-resource settings. We aimed to develop a core competency framework for healthcare simulation facilitation in low-resource settings using a modified Delphi process. We drew on the domain expertise of members of the Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training Community of Practice, with the study guided by a four-member steering group experienced in the conduct of simulation in low-resource settings. In survey round 1, participants (n = 54) were presented with an initial competency set derived from a previous qualitative study and co-created a set of 57 competencies for effective simulation facilitation in low-resource settings. In survey round 2, participants (n = 52) ranked competencies by relevance into three performance categories: techniques; artistry; and values. In survey round 3, participants (n = 50) ranked competencies on their importance. The steering group collated results and presented a draft core competency framework. In survey round 4, participants (n = 50) voted with 98% agreement that this framework represented the most relevant and important competencies for effective facilitation of simulation sessions in low-resource settings. The final 32-item framework encompasses core competencies found in existing standards and includes important new concepts such as demonstration of cultural sensitivity; humility; ability to recognise and respond to potential language barriers; facilitation team collaboration; awareness of logistics; and contingency planning. This competency-based framework highlights specific practices required for effective simulation facilitation in low-resource settings. Further work is required to refine and validate this tool to train simulation facilitators to deliver effective training to improve patient safety.

Affordances and Constraints of Automation and Augmentation

Human-AI collaboration is becoming increasingly prevalent in workplaces, and is considered to be an important model for the future of work. Consequently, AI is no longer seen merely as a tool but as a teammate working alongside humans. Currently, the design of AI in team collaboration, particularly human-AI collaboration patterns, has become a focal point for organizations. However, users' perceptions of the affordances and constraints of different collaboration patterns remain insufficient. Therefore, this study introduces a human-AI collaboration business simulation platform, used to simulate a future work environment that has two distinct human-AI collaboration patterns: automation and augmentation. In the unique context of the case enterprise platform, we further investigated the impact of task types (structured and unstructured tasks) on people's perceptions of automation and the influence of knowledge sources (AI designers' and end-users' knowledge-driven development) on people's perceptions of augmentation.

COLLABORATION-INCLUSION MODEL: STAKEHOLDERS PERCEPTION OF ITS IMPEDIMENTS AS A SOCIO-COMMUNICATION SKILL DEFICIT INTERVENTION STRATEGY IN LEARNERS WITH AUTISM IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects individuals’ ability to communicate and socialize. It is commonly evident by age three but some cases can take long to be noticed. Parents' lack of awareness and cultural barriers are commonly associated with the delay. Research-based evidence indicates that the best approach to address social communication skill deficits in learners with ASD is by the use of a collaborative multidisciplinary team approach. This is more optimally done in an inclusive setting, both at school and in society. In this approach, speech therapists and other stakeholders collaboratively and consultatively work together as a team. While this has worked perfectly on many occasions, it has not always produced positive results, especially in developing countries like Kenya. It is important to review the key impediments to this model so that families, practitioners and policymakers can work together to ameliorate the situation created by the impediments. The main objective of this research was to consolidate what stakeholders perceive to be barriers to the effective use of the collaborative-inclusion model and what should be done to improve the current situation. Participants were selected purposefully, with an interview schedule and open-ended questionnaires as the main tools of data collection. Main impediments were found to be cultural barriers, poor training, shortage of physical and human resources, attitude and lack of support from administrators. Solutions include in-service training, the creation of awareness, training of more teachers, the inclusion of inclusion strategies in teacher training curriculum, and more funding by both county and national governments.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0725/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The effectiveness of early mobilisation on physical function in patients after heart valve surgery: a systematic review

Background/Aims Literature suggests that early mobilisation, defined as the initiation of physical activity within 48 hours following surgery, improves outcomes after cardiac surgery. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of early mobilisation on physical function and other outcomes, including length of hospital stay and cost following heart valve surgery. Methods The Physiotherapy Evidence Database, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception until May 2022 using relevant key words. Randomised controlled trials comparing early mobilisation and usual care for patients who had received heart valve surgery were included in the review. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. The data were narratively synthesised. Results The search identified 210 articles, with 98 remaining after duplicates were removed. Upon screening for eligibility, nine articles were assessed in full and three randomised controlled trials involving 161 patients were included in the review. Early mobilisation protocols varied across trials. Two trials (n=124) reported significantly greater improvement in physical function with early mobilisation compared to usual care, including handgrip strength (P=0.001). One study (n=41) found early mobilisation significantly reduced the length of hospital stay (P=0.000), in-hospital care costs (P=0.000) and intensive care unit stay (P=0.000) compared to usual care. Methodological quality scores ranged from six to nine on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. The risk of biased judgement was ‘low’ in one study and ‘some concerns’ in two studies. Conclusions Early mobilisation may improve physical function and reduce hospital and intensive care unit stays after heart valve surgery. However, differences in protocols and limited studies indicate further high-quality research is needed, particularly regarding cost-effectiveness. Establishing clear early mobilisation protocols could enhance recovery in this population. Implications for practice Early mobilisation may require the coordinated effort of a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, nurses and possibly other medical professionals. For its seamless and effective implementation, it is essential to understand whether this intervention falls under the domain of physiotherapists or requires broader team collaboration. Given these complexities, strategies targeting early mobilisation that balance both safety and resource considerations are advised to improve physical function after heart valve surgery, especially among patients who are frail.

Impact of Digital Empowerment on University Performance: Evidence from Northern Border University in Saudi Arabia

The COVID-19 pandemic, known as Covid-19, has caused unprecedented disruption in global education systems, impacting approximately 1.6 billion students across over 190 countries and affecting universities and other educational institutions profoundly. In response to this crisis, educational institutions have increasingly turned to technological advancements and the implementation of distance learning and e-learning platforms as viable alternatives to traditional educational methods. This shift has necessitated faculty members to assume new roles, managing educational processes through virtual classrooms, taking part in remote collaboration in interdisciplinary teams and making decisions pertaining to distance education. The implementation of digital empowerment in educational settings is contingent upon these endeavors. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of digital empowerment on institutional performance at universities. In order to do this, 320 people, or 23% of the study population, responded to a questionnaire that was issued to 1,358 faculty members in order to test a number of hypotheses. Multiple regression analysis results show that 40.2% of the variance in institutional performance may be explained by digital empowerment and the five sub-variables it was explored in this study. This emphasizes how important digital empowerment is for improving university operations, especially at Northern Border University. Keywords: Remote learning, digital learning platforms, and academic institutions