Provision Of Innovative Services Research Articles

Human Rights-based Public Service in the Class IIA Correctional Facility of Bengkulu

This study is designed to describe problems related to human rights-based public services in the Class IIA Correctional Facility of Bengkulu from the perspective of implementing human rights-based public service policies consisting of accessibility and availability of facilities, human resources availability, officer compliance, public service innovation, and integrity. This type of research uses a qualitative descriptive methodology with data collection techniques that include observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis stages involve data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The research findings indicate that the implementation of public service at Class IIA Correctional Facility is not yet optimal, as several issues related to the five research aspects are identified, including the inadequacy of facilities and infrastructure for vulnerable groups, overcrowding in the correctional facility housing blocks, limited quality of prison staff, a lack of innovative service provision, and the presence of alleged irregular practices within the correctional facility. Recommendations for improving future service implementation by the jail include providing adequate facilities and infrastructure, enhancing human resources through education and training, facilitating innovations in public service, and establishing effective monitoring and complaint mechanisms.
 Keywords: correctional facility, human rights, public service

Sustainable Digital Change: The Case of a Municipality

This study concentrates on how change can be effectively managed within the public sector to enhance sustainability. Public institutions are vital in promoting societal well-being and must be capable of adapting to changing circumstances while embracing sustainable practices. The study discusses the importance of digital development and inclusion in the public sector, highlighting the need for organizations to adapt to a changing world and prioritize information technology and user needs. The research methodology involves qualitative research, including semi-structured interviews with employees from the city of Reykjavík, Iceland. The findings emphasize the importance of leaders and middle managers being on board and taking ownership of the digital transformation process. The study also highlights the significance of sustainability in resource management and the innovation in service provision that comes with digital transformation. Overall, the study contributes to understanding change management and digital development in the public sector and provides insights for organizations that are seeking to promote sustainability and adapt to digital advancements.

Artificial intelligence as enabler of future library services: how prepared are librarians in African university libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate artificial intelligence (AI) as enabler of future library services, with consideration to how prepared are librarians in African university libraries.Design/methodology/approachThis study applied the interpretive content/document analysis of literature harvested from different databases of Scopus and Web of Science. AI could be used to perform daily routines in circulation, serial, reference and selective dissemination of information among others. It could also be applied to the provision of innovative services of recognition of library activities such as answering research quarries, cataloguing and classification of library materials and management of library system software of different databases within the library systems.FindingsIt could be deduced from the study that AI would continue to serve as a panacea to future library services irrespective of its geographical context. Due to the evolving nature of knowledge growth, AI having its roots in the field of engineering has been found useful to support future library services. The support accrued from library service delivery in the library profession has made librarians continue to interact with other intelligent machines that can demonstrate human behaviour even though they are not real human beings. The behaviour of machines and AI where human beings play a significant role has brought many renovations in the management of complex tasks of processing, communication, knowledge representation, decision making and suggestions, on potentials of diverse work operations.Practical implicationsThe understanding that the present paper portrays in the context of future library services is that there is no way the AI could function without a human interaction perspective when drawing an analogy from computer science, information science and information systems fields of study.Social implicationsThe interest of users across their background would be strengthen if AI advances transformed the handling complex tasks of processing, communication, knowledge representation, decision-making and giving suggestions, among other things. The possibilities of diverse work operations from empirical evidence of studies consulted in recent times gave the authors the impetus to consider AI as the enabler of future library services.Originality/valueThe increasing demands from library patrons have prompted librarians to adapt their methods of delivering services. These emerging technologies have also brought about shifts in approaches to teaching and learning. Consequently, the recent surge in digital technology-driven service innovations has ushered in a fresh paradigm for education and research. In response to these changes, librarians are actively seeking novel and innovative technologies to enhance user experiences within their libraries. They serve as catalysts for introducing modern and advanced technologies, consistently adapting to contemporary tools that enhance their offerings.

Sustainability as a key value proposition - a literature review and potential pathways

This paper presents an academic exploration of the shifting landscape of business models toward greater sustainability, considering the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The United Nations has emphasized the need for companies to prioritize sustainability, leading to scholarly discussions on the topic. While economic sustainability remains important, decision-makers must now navigate the transformation of their business models to incorporate environmental and social sustainability, driven by emerging regulations such as the European Union's Green Deal. This transition may initially appear as an additional task accompanied by potential investment costs and reduced profits. However, it also presents opportunities for economic growth through the creation of new value propositions, entry into untapped markets, access to novel customer segments, the provision of innovative services, and the facilitation of data-driven supply chains. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on sustainability as a pivotal future value proposition for companies and identifies potential pathways that can leverage its transformative potential.

7.M. Workshop: Rethinking health system resilience for Europe: Health System Functions in a time of Permacrisis

Abstract Health system resilience has become a concept of growing interest among academics, policy and decision makers, practitioners and health service managers over the past decade, given the notable increase in catastrophic events, or shocks, that directly impact health systems. The focus on health system resilience intensified following the global economic crash in 2008 and more recently with the Covid-19 pandemic. Understanding health system resilience has never been more essential. Learning from past shocks is important for health system resilience, building back better rather than reverting to the status quo, thereby poising health systems for better preparedness in the future. In many European countries hardest hit by the financial crisis there were limited learnings and the health system remained in a state of “semi-crisis” when faced with the next shock, the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in contrast to the austerity years, this period was characterised by an influx of funding and resources to the health service, and in many countries this empowered agile decision-making and allowed for innovative service provision. Also in contrast to the financial shock, there was no recovery period following the pandemic, with the onset of the cost-of-living crisis following quickly. This raises the question of whether health systems are entering a state of permacrisis and, if so, what can be done to promote and support health system resilience. The objective of this session is to improved understanding and practice of health system resilience by exploring recent experiences of managing shocks across several health system functions and drawing on country experiences. This session explores and evaluates health system functions that must individually and collectively be addressed in order for health systems to become resilient and sustainable. To accomplish this, four topics will be addressed: 1) building health system resilience in and through service delivery in Europe; 2) the critical role of financing in the development of health system resilience in Europe; 3) how international health system austerity responses impacted health system and workforce resilience, and 4) rethinking health system resilience and reviewing the relationships between absorption, adaptation and transformation in shock and everyday health system resilience drawing on the Irish experience. Bringing together these presentations will allow a collective examination by the audience and presenters of the key challenges and lessons for European health systems alongside some reflection on the development of theory. Each presenter will be given a strict deadline of 10 minutes by the chair and then the audience will be invited to debate the problems identified and strategies proposed to review learnings and next steps for building better understanding and practice of health system resilience across Europe. Key messages • This session will improve understanding of the concept and application of health system resilience to European health systems to allow for better handling of shocks. • Strategies for building health system resilience across financing, governance, service delivery and human resources derived from country studies will be identified, debated and evaluated.

All the good care: Valuation and task differentiation in older person care.

Task reallocation is increasingly foregrounded as a promising solution for capacity problems. Numerous studies show, however, that task reallocation between medical professionals is a highly contested issue and difficult to institutionalise. Conflicts are omnipresent and often arise from 'intraprofessional competition': Zero-sum games between professionals from different disciplinary backgrounds where one party's gains require another party's losses. In this article, we build on calls to enrich the sociology of professions with new concepts and theories. We analyse a case of task reallocation between medical professionals in a nursing home using concepts from empirical ethics and valuation studies. We argue that modes of good care offer a valuable framework for analysing the reorganisation of professional work because they provide an empirically grounded and fine-grained conceptual toolkit for understanding the dynamics among professionals and between professionals and managers. Enactment of different modes of good care inspires innovation in service provision but at the same time creates new tensions between those involved. We show how, in times of scarcity, a dynamic emerges between professionals attempting to stave off and reallocate work, thereby restricting their professional domains.

Implementation of Subluxation Stimulation Protocol post stroke in Inpatient Rehabilitation setting

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> Glenohumeral subluxation is a common post-stroke complication, affecting up to 80% of patients. Long duration neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been shown to reduce subluxation, decrease shoulder pain, and can improve motor outcomes for the affected extremity. This poster aims to investigate the feasibility of implementing a long duration subluxation stimulation protocol for the hemiparetic upper extremity post stroke while in inpatient rehabilitation. <h3>Design</h3> Feasibility study 12-month period. <h3>Setting</h3> Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. <h3>Participants</h3> 9 occupational therapists serving dedicated stroke unit. <h3>Interventions</h3> 1 year, 2 phase multicomponent knowledge translation interventions. Attended and unattended neuromuscular electrical stimulation to support glenohumeral subluxation for 3 – 6 hours, 5 days a week. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Number of referring therapists Average number of hours per day of subluxation stimulation <h3>Clinician survey results</h3> barriers, satisfaction, relevance. <h3>Results</h3> Nineteen patients received long duration subluxation stimulation over the course of this year, 13 patients during phase 1 and 7 during phase 2. Phase 1 consisted of 10 months of providing a goal of 3.5 hours of subluxation stimulation for no more than 2 patients per day facilitated by supervised rehabilitation technician. Phase 2 consisted of 2 months of providing a goal of 6 hours for up to 8 patients per day. Data collection during phase 2 shows an average of 4.36 actual stimulation hours per day. Eight of nine occupational therapists who received training (didactic and experiential) on this protocol referred at least 1 patient to this service. After 12 months of participation, all survey respondents reported that they were 'very satisfied' with this protocol and that they 'strongly agree' that this protocol has a positive effect on patient outcomes and is relevant to persons with stroke during inpatient rehabilitation. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Occupational therapists at an inpatient facility demonstrate adoption of a long duration subluxation stimulation protocol when facilitated by a supervised rehabilitation technician. Knowledge translation efforts and innovative service provision techniques have led to increased duration of stimulation and reduced clinician's perceived barriers of conflicting treatment demands and time limitations. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> None.

Artificial intelligence (AI) library services innovative conceptual framework for the digital transformation of university education

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) is one of the latest digital transformation (DT) technological trends the university library can use to provide library users with alternative educational services. AI can foster intelligent decisions for retrieving and sharing information for learning and research. However, extant literature confirms a low adoption rate by the university libraries in using AI to provide innovative alternative services, as this is missing in their strategic plan. The research develops (AI-LSICF) an artificial intelligence library services innovative conceptual framework to provide new insight into how AI technology can be used to deliver value-added innovative library services to achieve digital transformation. It will also encourage library and information professionals to adopt AI to complement effective service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative content analysis to investigate extant literature on how AI adoption fosters innovative services in various organisations. The study also used content analysis to generate possible solutions to aid AI service innovation and delivery in university libraries.FindingsThis study uses its findings to develop an Artificial Intelligence Library Services Innovative Conceptual Framework (AI-LSICF) by integrating AI applications and functions into the digital transformation framework elements and discussed using a service innovation framework.Research limitations/implicationsIn research, AI-LSICF helps increase an understanding of AI by presenting new insights into how the university library can leverage technology to actualise innovation in service provision to foster DT. This trail will be valuable to scholars and academics interested in addressing the application pathways of AI library service innovation, which is still under-explored in digital transformation.Practical implicationsIn practice, AI-LSICF could reform the information industry from its traditional brands into a more applied and resolutely customer-driven organisation. This reformation will awaken awareness of how librarians and information professionals can leverage technology to catch up with digital transformation in this age of the fourth industrial revolution.Social implicationsThe enlightenment of AI-LSICF will motivate library professionals to take advantage of AI's potential to enhance their current business model and achieve a unique competitive advantage within their community.Originality/valueAI-LSICF development serves as a revelation, motivating university libraries and information professionals to consider AI in their strategic plan to enable technology to support university education. This act will enable alternative service delivery in the face of unforeseen circumstances like technological disruption and the present global COVID-19 pandemic that requires non-physical interaction.

Risky business: Impact of outcomes-based contracting on nongovernment out-of-home-care services

This article examines the impacts of commercialised contracting in helping or hindering policy objectives relating to Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) reforms in one Australian jurisdiction, New South Wales (NSW). Its particular focus is the impact of outcomes-based contracting on nongovernment organisations rendering foster and residential care services. Though contracting has long been present in government NGO funding models, of particular concern is the impact of the commercialisation of OOHC contracts. The author argues that this shift has had a detrimental impact on the nongovernment sector’s capacity to provide quality services to children and families. Contextualising commercialisation within the narrative of risk, it argues that political and ideological shifts in government policy and action reflect a strategy that absolves the government of the risks inherent in reforming the OOHC system or of managing OOHC contracts, a process that also minimises government accountability. The article presents evidence to show that reforms to the OOHC system in NSW have failed to achieve their intended outcomes partly due to the challenges to the nongovernment sector and its relationship with the government brought by contracting arrangements. As reported in other welfare systems internationally, it shows that a narrow conceptualisation of outcomes in conjunction with an emphasis on performance measures can detract from flexible and innovative service provision that is responsive to the needs of individual clients. The article adds to international evidence relating to the efficacy of contracting of services to meet policy objectives and identifies areas of management improvement.

The iVAN Project: an innovative solution to meet the challenges in trial recruitment during a global pandemic

AbstractPurposeCOVID‐19 has greatly affected the number of patients willing and able to attend hospital, with research activity also greatly impacted. Imperial College Ophthalmology Research Group (ICORG) have observed clinical backlogs and a 77% decrease in trial patient recruitment. As a first of its kind, this project aims to combat clinic waiting lists and patient confidence in trial involvement through creating a safe, flexible and decentralised healthcare environment with iVAN, a mobile research unit.MethodsA survey of outpatients was performed exploring attitudes towards visiting hospital for clinical and research reasons amidst a pandemic. A vehicle was equipped with state‐of‐the‐art clinical research facilities in a COVID‐safe environment. A multi‐stage approach was taken in order to achieve relevant driving and roadworthiness certification, multi‐disciplinary involvement and healthcare network planning in order to ensure the smooth progression of the project. A pilot period of clinical visits was carried out and evaluated in close vicinity to the hospital.ResultsOf the 53 patients surveyed, 60% percent of patients were not willing to take part in clinical trials with others having concerns related to travel and being in the hospital. The final layout of the vehicle includes imaging devices, a visual field analyser, IT equipment and space for staff to see patients. Social distancing and infection control have been ensured to provide a pleasant and safe working environment. A pilot period is underway assessing staff and patient satisfaction along with capacity and trial data runs, with future plans involving satellite clinics in the community.ConclusionsFlexible and innovative service provision continues to be required to minimise morbidity attributable to the pandemic. The iVan has the facilities to bring decentralised, specialist ophthalmic care into local communities in a COVID‐safe manner, whilst being a useful tool to engage future research participants.

Innovation and invention: the role of virtual occupational therapy in the management of motor neurone disease

Background: Motor neurone disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition with no known cure. Supportive management and symptom control by a multidisciplinary team forms the mainstay of treatment. Caring for patients with MND throughout the COVID-19 required service providers to think of ways to adapt the service in order to meet the acute and constantly changing needs of their service users within pandemic guidelines. Aims: This paper explores innovative changes within the occupational therapy service provision during the pandemic and how it supports the multidisciplinary team (MDT) working. It also evaluates the merits and disadvantages of using virtual technology in specific areas of occupational therapy intervention. Methods: A set of prioritisation criteria was developed to understand the rationale for virtual versus face-to-face input. A reflective process has been used to identify and evaluate innovative service provision in occupational therapy in the management of motor neurone disease. Findings: Virtual consultations were an effective way of providing certain aspects of occupational therapy input. Virtual consultations were found to be less effective during moving and handling assessments, complex environmental adaptations assessment and when managing complex cognitive presentations. During the pandemic there was a rise in referrals for cognitive behavioural management, a specialist area of expertise for occupational therapy in this clinical area. A holistic approach was paramount in meeting the evolving needs of patients across functional domains. Occupational therapy complemented the caring and supportive role of nurses and other members of the MDT in the management of MND. Conclusions: Occupational therapy input can support an MDT by providing valuable assessment of functional decline, specialist equipment, supporting cognitive-behavioural performance, restoring life roles and minimising the challenges imposed by the environment. Using virtual technology discernibly can be an invaluable approach to occupational therapy practice within an MDT setting for managing a progressive neurological condition, such as MND, during a pandemic.

Strategic marketing innovation and bank performance in Nigeria

To survive in the ever-increasing competition in the financial market, commercial banks need successful innovative strategies. However, there is insufficient information on appropriate innovative strategies required by banks. Primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire. It was distributed among 1,200 bank employees and 300 bank customers of all eight systematically important banks (Access, Diamond, Eco, First, GTB, Polaris, UBA and Zenith) out of 21 deposit money banks in Nigeria as of December 31, 2016 by random sampling and stratified sampling techniques. The data were fitted to the regression-based model. The identified marketing innovation adopted by banks include innovative service provision (4.02), generation of new product with quality (3.65), entrance into new markets (3.60) and adoption of technological tools (3.57). Performance indicators considered are customer satisfaction and customer retention. Results showed that marketing innovation strategies of the banks significantly (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.05) improve customer satisfaction. Improved service and product quality, introduction of new products and entrance to new market exert a positive and significant effect on outcomes of the banks. The estimated regression on customer retention showed that in a competitive environment, improved service exerts positive and significant (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.05) influence. Furthermore, the impact of reduction in service cost is also positive and significant (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.05), which is similar to the effect development of new banking products. The findings suggest that the pathway to raising performance of financial institutions in a competitive environment is diverse. There is a need for deployment of a modern banking technology, innovations around banking products and associated services.

Review of Telecare in Smart Age-Friendly Cities

The population in the European Union is ageing fast. In such a scenario, social innovations based on ambient assisted living technologies that enable a digital transformation of health care and social care delivery systems can empower older adults to live autonomously in their own neighbourhoods and postpone or even prevent migration to a nursing home. Extension of these innovations in service provision to smart cities is the subject of this paper. The development of smart cities presents opportunities for the development of new, digitally supported health and social infrastructure in urban and rural areas. These innovations will enable a more efficient combination of existing societal resources in neighbourhoods for the provision of health care and social needs to the ageing residents who are dependent on others due to illness or functional decline. On the supply side, new scientific and technological innovations offer new utilities and create new businesses for the supply of goods and services to older people, and provide new job opportunities for younger workers entering the job market. This paper aims to consider the digital transformation of social infrastructure as a part of the development of smart cities to support the autonomy of the elderly population.

Urban sustainable development using qualimetry procedures of digital transformation

The use of information technologies to improve the efficiency of organizing the functioning of urban processes and the provision of innovative services forms the basis of the concept of smart sustainable city. Society mistakenly identify the digital transformation of the urban environment with the unsystematic, redundant introduction of technical innovations into the citizens’ life. This is because the changes made to the habitual processes of citizens' life often do not pass the mandatory check for their balance in terms of compliance with principles of sustainable development. The article proposes a new conceptual approach for assessing the effectiveness of the implemented solutions related to the implementation of the paradigm that ensures the transition from technology-oriented to human-oriented concept of “Sustainable Smart Cities”. The main idea is to consider the transformation of the urban environment through the prism of changes in the functional state of its objects.

Professionals\u2019 perceptions of the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit in a district psychiatric centre - a qualitative study

BackgroundIncreasing mental health problems and scarce treatment resources put pressure on mental health services to make innovations in service provision, such as developing differentiated services adapted to different needs. One innovation in differentiated service provision is brief or short-term treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems. Implementing a new unit in an organization usually faces many potential barriers and facilitators, and knowledge on how the professionals providing the services perceive the implementation of innovative approaches in mental health services is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the professionals’ perceptions of how the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit had affected the organization, especially the everyday work in the outpatient clinics.MethodsEleven professionals, five men and six women, took part in individual interviews. All participants were between 40 and 60 years old and had leading or coordinating positions in the organization. Their professional backgrounds were within psychology, nursing and medicine, most of them specialists in their field. Data was analyzed according to Systematic text condensation.ResultsThe professionals’ experiences represented four main themes: (1) The brief therapy unit was perceived as successful and celebrated. (2) The general outpatient clinics, on the other hand, were described as “forgotten”. (3) The establishment process had elucidated different views on treatment in the outpatient clinics - and had set off (4) a discussion regarding the criteria for prioritizing in mental health services.ConclusionProviding targeted treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems, while having a concurrent aim to solve broader problems in mental health services, entails a discussion regarding resource use and the appropriate level of treatment provision. Professionals should be more involved when innovative efforts are implemented, and the criteria for success must be conceptualized and evaluated. Longitudinal research on the implementation of innovative efforts in the services should include professionals’ and service users’ perspectives.

“Understanding my story”: young person involvement in formulation

PurposeThe SECURE STAIRS framework has promoted young person involvement as a key feature of innovative service provision. In the North East of England, Secure Children’s Homes (SCHs) have pioneered young person involvement in team formulation. Young people have also led on the development of formulation materials through a young person involvement project. Young people’s attendance at team formulation meetings has become embedded. These service developments have also begun to expand across broader SCHs, Secure Training Centres (STCs) and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) and reflect the national impact of such pioneering developments. There is a notable lack of research examining the impact of young person involvement in formulation. The purpose of this study is to elucidate this area.Design/methodology/approachBetween April and August 2019, there were 86 staff attendances at formulation meetings where young people were present across two SCHs in the North East of England.FindingsPaired samplest-tests indicated staff-reported significant post-formulation improvements across all domains measured including knowledge [t(85) = 11.38,p&lt; 0.001]; confidence working with the young person [t(85) = 5.87,p&lt; 0.001]; motivation [t(85) = 3.58,p&lt; 0.001]; understanding [t(85) = 9.03,p&lt; 0.001]; and satisfaction with the treatment plan [t(85) = 8.63,p&lt; 0.001].Research limitations/implicationsImplications of findings are discussed and further developments outlined.Practical implicationsYoung people attending team formulation is a new and evolving area, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no existing research evaluating this area. The current findings suggest that staff knowledge, motivation, confidence and satisfaction with the treatment plan is improved following attendance at team formulation where the young person is present and actively participating. Young people’s participation and involvement is central to planning, developing and progressing meaningful provision within children and young people secure provision.Social implicationsInvolving children and young people in decision-making, service development and evaluation are also key components of ensuring the voice of young people is central in our minds. It also supports empowering the young people we work with. Young people and their journey should always be at the heart of what we do.Originality/valueYoung people attending team formulation is a new and evolving area, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no existing research evaluating this area. This is the first study of its type evaluating formulation directions within the SECURE STAIRS framework.

Legacy of COVID‐19 – the opportunity to enhance surgical services for patients with colorectal disease

The COVID-19 crisis has undoubtedly taken a toll on the care of patients with colorectal disease. Elective services, be that face to face contact, endoscopy or operating all but ceased during the pandemic.

EVALUASI PENERAPAN E-TOURISM: STUDI KASUS PENGAPLIKASIAN PLATFORM ONLINE BOOKING DINAS PARIWISATA DAERAH ISTIMEWA YOGYAKARTA

ABSTRACTThis research aimed at identifying and analyzing the e-tourism application managed by the Special Region of Yogyakarta Tourism Office (Dispar DIY). The research also aimed at finding out the reasons why DIY Tourism Office has not applied the online booking platform as a part of its service transformations. This research employed 7 dimensions in the TOE framework to optimize the e-tourism application using online booking platform. Those 7 dimensions are IT skills, IT infrastructure, top management support, organizational compatibility, coordination level, regulation, and competitive environment. The research results showed that the e-tourism application in DIY Tourism Office was carried out using website to share information and to promote tourism activities. Concerning the objectives, the service information provided by DIY Tourism Office was a one-way static interaction. Actually, the static services can be transformed into the dynamic ones by applying the online booking platform. However, the platform application was not listed as a priority program of DIY Tourism Office since there was no specific regulation or rule established to encourage the use of online reservation and booking service. On the other hand, making innovation in service provision was another challenge because the DIY Tourism Office management has not fully supported the priority program. As for the organizational level, human resources development at the DIY Tourism Office that is by assigning an employee who specializes in IT has not been well-executed. This should make a serious concern for the DIY Tourism Office in relation with its organizational management.

Comments on Developing the Administration’s Approach to Consumer Privacy

Although the US does not have a single, omnibus, privacy regulation, this does not mean that the US does not have “privacy law.” In the US, there already exist generally applicable laws at both the federal and state level that provide a wide scope of protection for individuals, including consumer protection laws that apply to companies’ data use and security practices, as well as those that have been developed in common law (property, contract, and tort) and criminal codes. In addition, there are specific regulations pertaining to certain kinds of information, such as medical records, personal information collected online from children, credit reporting, as well as the use of data in a manner that might lead to certain kinds of illegal discrimination. Getting regulation right is always difficult, but it is all the more so when confronting evolving technology, inconsistent and varied consumer demand, and intertwined economic effects — all conditions that confront online privacy regulation. Given this complexity, and the limits of our knowledge regarding consumer preferences and business conduct in this area, ICLE’s evaluation suggests that the proper method of regulating privacy is, for now at least, the course that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has historically taken: case-by-case examination of actual privacy harms, without ex ante regulations, coupled with narrow legislation targeted at problematic uses of personal information. Many (if not most) services on the Internet are offered on the basis that user data can, within certain limits, be used by a firm to enhance its services and support its business model, thereby generating benefits to users. To varying degrees (and with varying degrees of granularity), services offer consumers the opportunity to opt-out of this consent to the use of their data, although in some cases the only way effectively to opt-out is to refrain from using a service at all. Critics of the US approach to privacy sometimes advocate for a move to an opt-in regime (as is the case in the GDPR). But the problem is that “‘[o]pt-in’ provides no greater privacy protection than ‘opt-out’ but imposes significantly higher costs with dramatically different legal and economic implications.” In staunching the flow of data, opt-in regimes impose both direct and indirect costs on the economy and on consumers, reducing the value of certain products and services not only to the individual who does not opt-in, but to the broader network as a whole. Not surprisingly, these effects fall disproportionately on the relatively poor and the less technology-literate. U.S. privacy regulators have generally evidenced admirable restraint and assessed the relevant tradeoffs, recognizing that the authorized collection and use of consumer information by data companies confers enormous benefits, even as it entails some risks. Indeed, the overwhelming conclusion of decades of intense scrutiny is that the application of ex ante privacy principles across industries is a fraught exercise as each firm faces a different set of consumer expectations about its provision of innovative services, including privacy protections. This does not mean that privacy regulation should never be debated, nor that a more prescriptive regime should never be considered. But any such efforts must begin with the collective wisdom of the agencies, scholars, and policy makers that have been operating in this space for decades, and with a deep understanding of the business realities and consumer welfare effects involved.

Smart Silver Villages as part of Social Infrastructure for Older Adults in Rural Areas

Rural areas in the European Union are ageing faster than urban areas, in many cases due to outmigration of young cohorts. Social innovations based on the digital transformation of health care and social care delivery systems can support older adults to live autonomously and independently in their own communities and postpone or even prevent their having to enter a nursing home. Extension of these innovations in service provision to rural areas is the subject of this paper. Development of Smart Eko Social Villages presents opportunities for the development of new, digitally supported health and social infrastructure in rural areas. The innovations will enable a more efficient combination of the existing societal resources in the communities for the provision of health care and social needs to the ageing members of the society. They are dependent on the help of others due to illness or functional decline. On the supply side, new scientific (optimisation of the supply networks), organisational (self-managed communities) and technological innovations, like robotics, domotics, cyber physic systems (CPS) based on the Internet of Things and cloud computing, offer new utilities and create new businesses for the supply of goods and services to older people, and also provide new job opportunities for the younger residents. This paper aims to consider the development of Smart Silver Villages as part of social infrastructure in rural areas, supporting the autonomy and independence of the rural population in their old age.