Implementing Quality Assessment Research Articles

Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Post-Soviet Countries: A Systematic Review.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat. AMR surveillance is crucial for understanding and controlling the spread of AMR. Surveillance systems can inform clinicians, guide health policymakers, and support effective AMR interventions. AMR surveillance data from former Soviet region countries are often limited, resulting in gaps in up-to-date knowledge. This systematic review was registered under the PROSPERO protocol CRD42024537799 and followed the PRISMA guidelines. Data from five databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and CyberLeninka) and official sources were searched according to the inclusion criteria. In total, 30 publications describing AMR surveillance and National Action Plans (NAPs) were included. Among the 15 countries, 14 (93.3%) have either developed a NAP or are in the process of implementing one; and 7 (46.7%) countries have a standardized AMR surveillance system. Almost all countries have reference laboratory centers, but nine (60%) countries have established standard testing methods in all sites. Only three (20%) countries have fully implemented quality assessment. There is an increasing tendency to involve and report AMR data to international networks, and countries will strengthen their AMR systems by adhering to international standards. The subgroup analysis revealed that Central and Western Asian countries are less developed in terms of AMR surveillance, which may encourage proactive engagement in AMR governance in these regions. This review is crucial for understanding the current efforts and improving AMR surveillance in former Soviet countries. The findings are promising and indicate that AMR surveillance is established in all reviewed countries, although at different levels.

No-reference underwater image quality assessment based on Multi-Scale and mutual information analysis

Due to the attenuation and scattering of light in the water, there is a serious degradation for the quality of underwater imaging, severely hindering underwater exploration and research. Therefore, implementing quality assessment is crucial for the application of underwater visual tasks. To effectively assess the quality of underwater images, a novel no-reference underwater image quality assessment based on multi-scale and mutual information analysis (MMIQA) is proposed. Specifically, considering the issues of color cast and the importance of colorfulness in underwater images, chroma difference maps and chroma saturation maps were created based on chroma components. The statistical features of these maps were then extracted at multiple scales as chroma component features. Additionally, considering the importance of texture and structure, the multi-scale fractal dimension and high-frequency sub-band energy distribution features of the luminance component were extracted as statistical features of multi-scale underwater local texture and structure. Finally, considering the correlation between the chroma and luminance components of the image, the mutual information between chroma and luminance, as well as between luminance sub-band images, was extracted as a statistical measure of underwater mutual information distribution. Experimental results show that, compared to state-of-the-art methods, the proposed MMIQA has the highest correlation with actual quality scores.

Advancing Self-Evaluative and Self-Regulatory Mechanisms of Scholarly Journals: Editors’ Perspectives on What Needs to Be Improved in the Editorial Process

Meticulous self-evaluative practices in the offices of academic periodicals can be helpful in reducing widespread uncertainty about the quality of scholarly journals. This paper summarizes the results of the second part of a qualitative worldwide study among 258 senior editors of scholarly journals across disciplines. By means of a qualitative questionnaire, the survey investigated respondents’ perceptions of needed changes in their own editorial workflow that could, according to their beliefs, positively affect the quality of their journals. The results show that the most relevant past improvements indicated by respondents were achieved by: (a) raising the required quality criteria for manuscripts, by defining standards for desk rejection and/or shaping the desired qualities of the published material, and (b) guaranteeing a rigorous peer review process. Respondents believed that, currently, three areas have the most pressing need for amendment: ensuring higher overall quality of published articles (26% of respondents qualified this need as very high or high), increasing the overall quality of peer-review reports (23%), and raising reviewers’ awareness of the required quality standards (20%). Bivariate analysis shows that respondents who work with non-commercial publishers reported an overall greater need to improve implemented quality assessment processes. Work overload, inadequate reward systems, and a lack of time for development activities were cited by respondents as the greatest obstacles to implementing necessary amendments.

An Assessment of the Impact of Quality Assessment System on Building Projects in Lagos State, Nigeria

Quality practices focus on producing quality buildings in terms of aesthetics, durability, functionality, reduced cost and time completion of project. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of quality assessment system on building projects in Lagos state. In order to realize this aim, the study examined the impacts of quality assessment system on building project in the study area. The study employed a descriptive case study design where data was collected from senior managers, project managers, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and technical managers working with building construction companies in the Lagos Metropolitan Area using the mixed method approach. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaire from 109 randomly selected participants and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 9 purposively selected respondents and analysed using the thematic analysis technique. The study shows that quality assessment help us timely completion of construction projects within planned budget, improvement of the image of the firm Quality assessment as well as reduced project delivery time. The study concludes that the most visible impact of implementing quality assessment was an increase in customer satisfaction as conducting quality assessment reduces the number of customer complaints and helps the companies to reduce material wastage, increase confidence and team spirit among project workers, improve safety records, and enhance the image of the company. The quality assessment has a significant positive impact on project delivery in Lagos Nigeria.

Roles of Contractors in Implementing Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) in Construction Projects

In recent decades, the construction industry has been widely criticized for its lack of efficiency and productivity, and it has been shown that the Malaysian construction industry records poor quality on its projects. To overcome this issue, the Technical Committee on Quality Assessment in Construction with the support of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has introduced Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC). QLASSIC is a scoring system that is used to assess and evaluate the performance of construction buildings. It is based on the Construction Industry Standard (CIS 7:2006). Unfortunately, this assessment system had poor implementation since its introduction in November 2006. QLASSIC was not extensively implemented and was taken lightly by the contractors and developers in Malaysia. There are still a huge number of contractors that are not aware of QLASSIC even the big construction companies. Thus, this research is aimed at investigating the contractor’s perspective towards the implementation of QLASSIC in the construction industry in Malaysia. Three objectives are developed to achieve the aim: (1) identification of the needs to implement QLASSIC; (2) investigation of issues and challenges to implement QLASSIC and (3) recommendation of strategies to implement QLASSIC. Structured questionnaire surveys were distributed to the G7 and G6 contractors in the Klang Valley area; which may have or may not have experience in implementing QLASSIC in their projects. The result revealed that majority of the respondents were aware and understand the needs of QLASSIC implementation, but there were still few who were unfamiliar with the QLASSIC. The current level of implementation of QLASSIC in Malaysia is still not satisfactory due to several issues and challenges acting as barriers to its implementation. Therefore, the initiatives from the government are important to promote QLASSIC implementation in the construction industry. By doing this, the contractors would be aware of the implementation of QLASSIC in the construction industry. The significance of this research is that it will assist contractors and other construction players in comprehending the implications and importance of QLASSIC implementation.

Epidemiology, burden, and policy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in South Korea: a narrative review.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem and a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. COPD also occupies a significant and considerable economic burden on individuals and society in South Korea. We investigated the epidemiology and burden of COPD in South Korea and reviewed the policy regarding COPD. In South Korea, a national COPD prevalence survey has been conducted for two decades. The prevalence of COPD has increased with increasing age, particularly among males, and those also with a higher smoking history and with lower income. The total societal cost of COPD increased by 1.85 times between 2004 and 2013. As the use of inhaled medications has increased, the total medical cost per person has increased. The trends of increasing numbers of patients diagnosed with COPD and the total societal costs are expected to continue. There is one universal-health-coverage system in South Korea. The costs and reimbursement criteria of COPD drugs are established and controlled by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). The HIRA has also implemented quality assessment, including evaluating the appropriateness of a COPD diagnosis and treating all COPD patients to reduce the severity of illness and improve the adequacy of medical-care benefits.

Ukrainian Society and Сovid-19: the Influence of the Pandemic on Educational Processes in Higher School

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is one of the global problems of humankind and has a significant influence on political, socio-economic and educational processes. It is noted that the social isolation and the social distance of the teachers and students of the institutions of higher education has transformed the ways and habits of their lives due to the long quarantine events. The security measures caused new features of the educational environment. The distance learning has been actualized as a possible way and an important form of the distance education. The institutions of higher education of Ukraine have rapidly developed and formed their own approaches to the educational process in the last two months (pandemic). Therefore, the distance learning, which maintains a balance between the theoretical and the practically oriented training of the future specialists, is technically organized at Ternopil National Economic University. The organization of the education on the modern online platform “Moodle”, which is directed at effective the providing active parity education in the distance format, is described. The indicators (the effectiveness, the accessibility, the resource intensity, the promptness, the democracy in communication, the integrative software) of the quality assessment of implementation of the distance learning in the educational process are specified and identified within the platform. It was concluded that each Ukrainian student and teacher underwent a reassessment of their own educational values in the conditions of self-isolation: a virtual educational environment can never replace the direct educational contact of a teacher and students in a teaching audience.

Implementing Quality Assessment Is Fundamental to Guarantee Optimal Nutrition Therapy.

The implementation of quality assessment in nutrition therapy (NT) is an important strategy, with the potential to contribute to the reduction of malnutrition and improve the cost-effectiveness of NT. Studies on this subject are scarce in the world. Our objective was to evaluate the practice of NT in hospitals located in the third-most-developed state of Brazil. A cross-sectional study, using data collected through interviews with members of the clinical staff/interdisciplinary NT team (NTT) and audits of clinical protocols and medical records, was carried out. Both non-probability and probability sampling techniques were used to select the hospitals. Thirty-three hospitals were included (10 public, 10 philanthropic, 9 private, and 4 university). Twenty-six institutions reported to have an NTT. There was no statistically significant difference in the existence and performance of the teams or in the presence of protocols and quality indicators between the types of hospitals. However, the inspection of 172 medical records showed that essential items for the nutrition care of the patient were not fully in agreement with the previous provided information, and this varied according to the type of hospital. The majority of hospitals had an NTT as well as protocols and quality indicators. However, patient records were not in accordance with the essential items to guarantee NT quality and safety, indicating a gap between theory and practice.

Now That We're “Well Rounded,” Let's Commit to Quality Physical Education Assessment

With the authorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015, the role of physical education in public schools has the potential to change significantly. It is imperative that physical education be supported by assessment-driven evidence in order to reach and speak to legislators, national boards, school administrators, educators and the students themselves. However, with only 32.7 percent of states requiring student assessments that directly relate to state physical education standards, there is currently little accountability for physical educators, programs and students to meet the requirements of comprehensive, skills-based physical education. To increase the perceived value of physical education and justify its importance as a part of students' well-rounded education, physical educators need to examine the means by which they define, measure and report student achievement in the physical education setting, and commit to developing and implementing quality assessment.

Assessing Tumor Response to Treatment in Patients with Lung Cancer Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced CT.

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the literature available on dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) as a tool to evaluate treatment response in patients with lung cancer. This systematic review was compiled according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Only original research articles concerning treatment response in patients with lung cancer assessed with DCE-CT were included. To assess the validity of each study we implemented Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2). The initial search yielded 651 publications, and 16 articles were included in this study. The articles were divided into groups of treatment. In studies where patients were treated with systemic chemotherapy with or without anti-angiogenic drugs, four out of the seven studies found a significant decrease in permeability after treatment. Four out of five studies that measured blood flow post anti-angiogenic treatments found that blood flow was significantly decreased. DCE-CT may be a useful tool in assessing treatment response in patients with lung cancer. It seems that particularly permeability and blood flow are important perfusion values for predicting treatment outcome. However, the heterogeneity in scan protocols, scan parameters, and time between scans makes it difficult to compare the included studies.

External glucose meter quality assurance in the UK: are we doing enough?

In 1987, as a consequence of a patient’s death, the Scottish Health Service issued a safety hazard relating to the use of glucose meters. Following this, comprehensive guidelines were published by the relevant professional bodies and specialist societies in the Joint Working Group on Quality Assurance guidelines on `near patient testing’. In response to these issues, many laboratories have implemented quality assessment (QA) schemes to help ensure the validity of hospital-based glucose meter results. These devices are also used in general practitioners’ (GP) surgeries, nursing homes, hospices and in the community. Quality issues are as relevant in these areas as they are in hospitals but there are very few published data or reports on the extension of QA schemes to GPs and the community. As a consequence, we undertook a national survey to ascertain the scope of extra-laboratory glucose meter QA schemes across the UK.