Quality Of Delivery Research Articles

Resource Scheduling Optimization of Fresh Food Delivery Porters Considering Ambient Temperature Variations

In the context of an evolving socio-economic landscape and rising living standards, the online market for fresh products, encompassing fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and eggs, has seen substantial growth, necessitating sophisticated logistics for e-commerce home delivery. This study tackles the distinct challenges of fresh product delivery, which demand rigorous adherence to climate conditions and product mix during transport, significantly influencing the operational strategies and scheduling of delivery platforms. To address these challenges, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed to optimize fresh food home delivery scheduling, focusing on reducing spoilage rates and accommodating the dynamic impact of environmental temperature changes. The model posits assumptions of a consistent and ample supply of fresh goods, standard initial quality loss, and efficient porter assignment for multi-category order combinations. It introduces three objective functions, targeting the minimization of fresh food loss, maximization of customer satisfaction, and reduction of distributor costs. The efficacy of the model and its genetic-algorithm-based solution method was assessed through numerical analysis and case studies, illustrating that the model enhances delivery efficiency and service quality across varying temperature conditions. This substantiates the critical role of environmental temperature management in optimizing fresh food delivery, offering a robust framework for advancing logistical operations in the perishable goods sector and ensuring quality and efficiency in fresh food e-commerce delivery.

THE IMPACT OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING ON HUMANITARIAN AID DELIVERY: A POLICY ANALYSIS

Gender mainstreaming in humanitarian aid delivery has become increasingly important in recent years as organizations seek to address the differential impact of crises on women, men, girls, and boys. This policy analysis examines the impact of gender mainstreaming on humanitarian aid delivery, focusing on its effectiveness in promoting gender equality and improving the overall outcomes of humanitarian interventions. The analysis explores the evolution of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian aid, highlighting key policy frameworks and guidelines that have shaped its implementation. It also examines the challenges and limitations associated with gender mainstreaming, including issues related to funding, capacity building, and coordination among humanitarian actors. Furthermore, the analysis assesses the impact of gender mainstreaming on the design, implementation, and monitoring of humanitarian programs. It examines how gender considerations have been integrated into needs assessments, program design, and evaluation processes, and how this has influenced the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivery. The analysis also considers the broader implications of gender mainstreaming on humanitarian action, including its potential to transform power dynamics, challenge gender stereotypes, and promote women's leadership in humanitarian decision-making processes. It highlights the importance of adopting a gender-sensitive approach that recognizes and addresses the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women, men, girls, and boys in humanitarian settings. Overall, this policy analysis underscores the critical importance of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian aid delivery and calls for greater commitment and investment in gender-responsive programming. It concludes with recommendations for strengthening gender mainstreaming efforts, including enhancing coordination among humanitarian actors, increasing funding for gender-sensitive programming, and promoting gender equality within humanitarian organizations. Keywords: Impact: Gender Mainstreaming, Humanitarian, Aid Delivery, Policy Analysis.

Patient-Perceived Quality Assessment in Orthopedics and Traumatology Departments during COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruptions in various healthcare systems. In Romania, the elective procedures in the orthopedic and traumatology specialty were one of the most affected. The study aims to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient perceptions of quality in these departments. Standardized assessment tools were used, which consist of satisfaction questionnaires addressed to patients in order to assess the quality of health services in orthopedics and traumatology departments. Thus, a retrospective study was conducted using satisfaction questionnaires addressed to patients admitted to the orthopedics and traumatology departments of the County Clinical Emergency Hospital Bihor between January 2019 and December 2022. Eight reports, based on 746 questionnaires conducted during the studied period, were evaluated. To gauge patient satisfaction, Likert scales featuring five response options were used. A total of 627 questionnaires were valid, the exclusion criteria being incomplete questionnaires (the patients did not respond on all questions, n = 119). Four domains were analyzed: demographic data, hotel conditions, quality of medical care, and overall satisfaction. Demographic data highlight that patients exhibited an equitable distribution across residences, with 50.2% hailing from urban locales, while 53.5% (n = 333) were female. Regarding the overall impression, in 2020, there was a decline in the top rating of 5 compared to 2019, dropping to just 45.10% from 53.45%. Scores of 4 increased to 41.83%, while scores of 3 stayed under 8.5%. Scores of 2 and 1 were negligible. In 2021 and 2022, we can observe a sustained increase in the number of patients who awarded 5 points for overall impression and a decrease in the number of patients who awarded 4 points compared to previous years. The maximum difference between 2020 and 2021 and the period before and after this period was 27.24% (p-value < 0.001). The results indicate that while overall impressions of the hospital remained positive throughout the studied period, there were notable fluctuations in satisfaction levels during the pandemic. Patient satisfaction with attending physicians dipped in 2020 from 86.70% to 77.78% but recovered by 2022. The same trend can be observed with nurses and caregivers, as well as hotel services, during this period. These findings underscore the importance of addressing patient concerns and improving the quality of care delivery, particularly during times of crisis.

Patient Satisfaction With the Health Care Services of a Government-Financed Health Protection Scheme in Bangladesh: Cross-Sectional Study.

Since 2016, the government of Bangladesh has been piloting a health protection scheme known as Shasthyo Surokhsha Karmasuchi (SSK), which specifically targets households living below the poverty line. This noncontributory scheme provides enrolled households access to inpatient health care services for 78 disease groups. Understanding patients' experiences with health care utilization from the pilot SSK scheme is important for enhancing the quality of health care service delivery during the national-level scale-up of the scheme. We aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction with the health care services provided under the pilot health protection scheme in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the users of the SSK scheme from August to November 2019. Patients who had spent a minimum of 2 nights at health care facilities were selected for face-to-face exit interviews. During these interviews, we collected information on patients' socioeconomic characteristics, care-seeking experiences, and level of satisfaction with various aspects of health care service delivery. To measure satisfaction, we employed a 5-point Likert scale (very satisfied, 5; satisfied, 4; neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 3; dissatisfied, 2; very dissatisfied, 1). Descriptive statistics, statistical inferential tests (t-test and 1-way ANOVA), and linear regression analyses were performed. We found that 55.1% (241/438) of users were either very satisfied or satisfied with the health care services of the SSK scheme. The most satisfactory indicators were related to privacy maintained during diagnostic tests (mean 3.91, SD 0.64), physicians' behaviors (mean 3.86, SD 0.77), services provided at the registration booth (mean 3.86, SD 0.62), confidentiality maintained regarding diseases (mean 3.78, SD 0.72), and nurses' behaviors (mean 3.60, SD 0.83). Poor satisfaction was identified in the interaction of patients with providers about illness-related information (mean 2.14, SD 1.40), availability of drinking water (mean 1.46, SD 0.76), cleanliness of toilets (mean 2.85, SD 1.04), and cleanliness of the waiting room (mean 2.92, SD 1.09). Patient satisfaction significantly decreased by 0.20 points for registration times of 16-30 minutes and by 0.32 points for registration times of >30 minutes compared with registration times of ≤15 minutes. Similarly, patient satisfaction significantly decreased with an increase in the waiting time to obtain services. However, the satisfaction of users significantly increased if they received a complete course of medicines and all prescribed diagnostic services. More than half of the users were satisfied with the services provided under the SSK scheme. However, there is scope for improving user satisfaction. To improve the satisfaction level, the SSK scheme implementation authorities should pay attention to reducing the registration time and waiting time to obtain services and improving the availability of drugs and prescribed diagnostic services. The authorities should also ensure the supply of drinking water and enhance the cleanliness of the facility.

Preterm Birth and Its Associated Factors among Mothers Delivered at Lira Regional Referral Hospital in Lira District

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of preterm birth and its associated factors among mothers delivered at Lira Regional Referral Hospital in Lira District in 2022. A hospital-based cross-sectional study and non-probability systematic sampling technique were employed to assess the prevalence of preterm birth and its associated factors among mothers delivered at Lira Regional Referral Hospital between August 2022 and November 2022. The normative sample was N-325; however, only 278 were analysed. Preterm birth and its associated factors were measured using a face-to-face pre-test interview, and additional data was extracted from medical records, an antenatal care chart, and a baby chart. Data was collected, coded, sorted, and processed using manual compilation and analysed using SPSS Version 25. Results showed that the prevalence of preterm birth was at 14%, mid-upper arm circumference p&gt;0.000, baby delivered p&gt;0.002, birth weight p&gt;0.000, antenatal care number of times attended p&gt;0.001, urinary tract infection p&gt;0.000, premature rupture of membrane p&gt;0.000, antepartum haemorrhage p&gt;0.000, and pregnancy-induced hypertension p&gt;0.000 were significantly associated with preterm birth. Preterm birth was more likely to occur in mothers who didn’t attend ANC and was higher in mothers who got PROM, UTI, APH, and PIH. Early detection of diseases, especially hypertension, hyperemesis gravidarum, and UTI, as well as improving health care quality delivery and carrying out community health education and awareness campaigns, can reduce the prevalence of preterm birth. Keywords: Preterm birth, Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Mothers, Antenatal care, Hypertension.

A model fidelity check in cooperative learning research in physical education

ABSTRACT Background Fidelity is an essential component of research, theory and practice in pedagogical models in physical education [Hastie, P. A., and A. Casey. 2014. “Fidelity in Models-based Practice Research in Sport Pedagogy: A Guide for Future Investigations.” Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 33 (3): 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2013-0141]. Reporting fidelity data has been recognized as a way to know whether student learning outcomes can be attributed to the practical architectures of pedagogical models [Casey, A., and D. Kirk. 2020. Models-based in Physical Education. London: Routledge]. However, research that examines the effectiveness of pedagogical models rarely reports this valuable information about the authenticity of implementation [Casey, A., V. Goodyear, and B. Dyson. 2015. “Model Fidelity and Students’ Responses to an Authenticated Unit of Cooperative Learning.” Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 34 (4): 642–660. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2013-0227]. To date, no overall data have been published on how researchers reported fidelity data in cooperative learning literature in physical education. Therefore, it seems necessary to examine whether researchers have attended to fidelity to offer insights about the quality of the model delivery. Purpose To conduct a model fidelity check in cooperative learning research in physical education using checklists. Method First, a literature review was conducted to capture intervention studies focusing on cooperative learning in physical education. Second, a quality assessment was performed to obtain a global methodological score for the selected studies. Third, a model fidelity check was implemented to examine the quality of model delivery. Findings A total of 28 studies (11 qualitative, 13 quantitative, and 4 mixed methods) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected. Regarding checklist-1, only 10 studies (35.7%) reported the complete information of all items. Most presented a rich description of the curricular elements of the unit (71.4%) and a detailed description of the program context (68.7%). Information concerning teacher expertise (60.7%) and students’ previous experience (46.4%) was the lowest reported. Data from the validation of model implementation was reported at 50% (14 studies). Regarding checklist-2, no study reported the assessment of all five components of fidelity of implementation. More than 90% reported information about program adherence to intervention components (model features, lesson plans, learning tasks and teacher/students’ behaviors) and duration. Less than 50% of the studies reported information related to program differentiation (41.1%), delivery quality (35.2%) and participant responsiveness (11.7%). Conclusion Model fidelity remains a prominent theme in cooperative learning research in physical education. Findings, at least as captured in this study, indicated a notable lack of attention to and reporting of model fidelity in this research area. It is highly recommended to report information on model fidelity to enhance its validity with trustworthy guidelines. Therefore, documenting meaningful information about model fidelity is required to bridge the gap between planning and delivery. Additional research is needed to gain a better understanding of how the model is delivered.

Using Implementation Research to Inform Scaling of Parenting Programs: Independently Conducted Case Studies from Zambia and Bhutan.

Two case studies of parenting programs for parents of children 0 to 36 months of age, developed and implemented by Save the Children/Ministry of Health/Khesar Gyalpo University in Bhutan and UNICEF Zambia, were conducted by an independent research group. The focus was on how program delivery and scale-up were revised on the basis of feedback from implementation research. Feedback on workforce delivery quality was based on observations of deliveries using a monitoring form, as well as survey and interview data collected from the workforce. In-depth interviews with the resource team during the fourth year of implementation revealed how the feedback was used to address horizontal and vertical scaling. Delivery quality was improved in some cases by revising the delivery manual, offering refresher courses, and instituting regular monitoring. Scaling challenges in Zambia included slow progress with regard to reaching families in the two districts, which they addressed by trialing group sessions, and stemming workforce attrition. The challenges in Bhutan were low attendance and reducing the workload of providers. Vertical scaling challenges for both countries concerned maintaining demand through continuous advocacy at community and government levels to sustain financing and to show effectiveness in outcomes.

Palliative Care Clinicians' Views on Metrics for Successful Specialist Palliative Care Delivery in the ICU

ContextA quarter of palliative care (PC) clinicians’ consultations are now requested from the intensive care unit (ICU). Despite this high usage, a standardized set of quality metrics for PC delivery in the ICU does not exist. ObjectivesTo explore PC clinicians’ views on how to best measure quality of care delivery in their role as a consultant in the ICU setting. MethodsSecondary analysis of a parent dataset consisting of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews exploring ways to optimize PC clinicians’ role in the ICU. Nineteen participants were recruited across five academic medical centers in the US. Participants included PC physicians (n = 14), nurse practitioners (n = 2), and social workers (n = 3). Thematic analysis with an inductive approach was used to generate themes. ResultsWe identified two central themes: difficulties in measuring PC quality in the ICU (theme 1) and tension between the role of PC and metrics (theme 2). Theme 1 had two subthemes related to logistical challenges in measuring outcomes and PC clinicians’ preference for metrics that incorporate subjective feedback from patients, family members, and the primary ICU team. Theme 2 described how PC clinicians often felt a disconnect between the goal of meeting a metric and their goals in delivering high-quality clinical care. ConclusionOur findings provide insight into PC clinician perspectives on quality metrics and identify major barriers that need to be addressed to successfully implement quality measurement in the ICU setting.

Software development effort estimation using boosting algorithms and automatic tuning of hyperparameters with Optuna

AbstractConsidering the increasing need for software projects, estimating software development efforts is essential and can lead to improved project delivery quality. Machine learning methods are widely used to improve the accuracy of estimation. The boosting method is an ensemble machine learning technique less used in this field. In this research, five boosting algorithms including Adaboost, Gradient boosting, XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost were implemented with the hyperparameter tuning framework Optuna on the ISBSG database. The Optuna is a next‐generation optimization method for automatically tuning hyperparameters of algorithms. Six evaluation criteria MMRE, MdMRE, MAE, MSE, Pred(0.25), and SA were used to evaluate the findings. The results show that the hyperparameter automatic tuning by Optuna increases the accuracy of prediction provided by all five models. When the Catboost algorithm uses Optuna to tune its hyperparameters has made the best prediction among the five algorithms studied in this research. Using Optuna, compared to the case where the algorithm uses its default settings, the highest percentage of prediction improvement was observed in the XGBoost algorithm (except for the SA criterion). Based on the criteria of MMRE, Pred(0.25), and SA, this study has a better prediction than some relatively similar articles.

Development of a Local Government Service Delivery Framework in Zambia: A Case of the Lusaka City Council, Ndola City Council and Kafue Town Council Roads and Storm Drain Department

The main aim of this study was to establish a framework to improve the service delivery on the maintenance of roads and storm drains in Lusaka by establishing the factors that impact the quality of service delivery and how these can be implemented by the Roads and Storm Drain Department on maintenance. The study included data collection and analysis of two additional councils such as Ndola City Council and Kafue Town Council to further substantiate the findings. The study considered four factors which included service quality as the dependent variable; and financing factors, administrative factors and institutional capacity as independent variables. The study made use of secondary data which was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and followed a mixed methods research design. Data analysis was done using descriptive analysis and mean and standard deviation analysis for quantitative data alongside qualitative data analysis. In order to ensure an inclusive approach to improve the timely provision of road and storm drain maintenance in the bid to ensure improved service delivery, the study argues that first and foremost, stakeholder engagement should be prioritized. Matters should be considered on merit and based on urgency. The study further notes that locality and having the right logistics in terms of equipment and manpower available so the timeliness is a constrained factor. However, this can only be achieved given the adoption of a deliberate systematic and approved framework on roads and storm drain maintenance. The study further outlines that the framework should ensure to avoid tedious processes but should ensure to maintain high integrity of the processes through transparency and accountability. The study further finds that there is need for a clearly defined source of funding for matters relevant to road and storm drain maintenance, having a dedicated fund and should further have an emergency fund available solely for the purposes of roads and storm drain maintenance.

Availability, pricing, and affordability of essential medicines for pediatric population in Malawi.

Lack of access to essential medicines negatively impacts on the quality of healthcare delivery and increases morbidity and mortality, especially to the vulnerable pediatric population. We assessed the availability, pricing, and affordability of pediatric formulations in Malawi. The study was conducted in 76 health facilities (public, faith-based and private pharmacies, and clinics) from the northern and southern regions of Malawi from March to May 2023. We adapted the WHO/HAI method for the assessment of both availability and pricing of medicines. Data on availability were collected from stock card records using a WHO/HAI template and medicine prices were provided by the pharmacy personnel who were managing the facilities. Availability of medicines was calculated as the percentage of facilities which had a stock of the respective medicine at the time of data collection while medicine prices was assessed by calculating the median prices of each medicine. To assess the affordability of the medicines, we calculated the number of days it takes for a person who is receiving the government-set minimum wage to work to pay for a treatment course of common indications. The study was approved by the KUHES ethics committee under the numbers U.12/22/3900 and U.12/22/3903. The overall availability of pediatric medicines was 38.1% for public health facilities, 53.7% for private retail pharmacies and drug stores, 49.5% for private clinics and 48.3% for Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) facilities. We found the illegal availability of prescription-only medicines of up to 54% in medicine stores. Medicine median prices were higher in the private clinics followed by retail pharmacies and drugs stores. CHAM had the lowest median prices for medicines of all the sectors. More than 50% of medicines were found to be affordable as less than a day's wage was required to purchase the treatment. We found poor availability of pediatric formulation among public, CHAM, and private sectors in Malawi. This may affect the quality of care among pediatric patients and therefore contribute to morbidity and mortality in Malawi. The supply of medicines and health commodities needs to consider needs of special populations such as children to achieve universal health coverage.

Application of E-Services in the Urban Local Government in Bangladesh: A Study on Rajshahi City Corporation

Public sector information and communication technology (ICT) has a long history of using mainframe operations in the 1970s and microcomputing in the 1990s. It is recognized by the Government of Bangladesh that ICT has a development impact, as it enhances access to information, the quality of public service delivery and strengthens good governance practices. Since the ending of 2019, the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic has revived the importance of e-governance. In the initial stage of this climacteric period when people were socially distanced, restricted in quarantine, and not interacting face-to-face with each other created a whale of a ponderosas of e-governance in Bangladesh. Without any doubt, e-governance is the prime catalyst for urban development. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is one of the oldest and leading municipalities in e-governance adaptation in Bangladesh. RCC, jointly with the local government division under the ministry of local government, has introduced e-governance through initiating an electronic birth registration information system (EBRIS) in 2001. This is one of the best paradigms for adapting e-governance at the urban local government level in Bangladesh. As a part of e-governance, RCC has launched Smart Auto-Rickshaw Management System (SARMS) to reduce traffic congestion on city roads. The study, based on primary sources of information, seeks to assess the role of SARMS in reducing traffic congestion on city streets as part of e-governance. In order to properly implement e-governance in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), researchers have come up with two recommendations for e-service providers following two broad sections. A rich ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite for providing e-services to the recipients. This study is based on empirical research. This first section of this paper is equipped with the details of the respondents, overall opinions of the respondents on e-governance are covered by second section, the third section is depictured the status of e-services in RCC. However, the last section is enclosed by the specific opinions of the respondents on EBRIS and SARMS.

Methodology for high-performance liquid chromatography detection of latanoprost and latanoprost free acid

AbstractA gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to determine the concentrations of latanoprost (LP) and latanoprost free acid (LPA) in aqueous solutions. It is novel due to a combination of its simplicity, speed, and detection capability in aqueous solutions for both active drug (LPA) and prodrug (LP). This method is applicable for the research and development of novel drug delivery devices and quality control assays for experimental and commercial laboratory settings, as it allows for a high sample throughput. Samples were chromatographed across a C18 + 2.7 µm 4.6 × 7.5 mm reversed-phase column with gradient elution using a mobile phase of aqueous acetic acid (pH 3.1) and acetonitrile with 0.1% acetic acid. UV spectrophotometry was used to monitor the eluents at 210 nm. Drug concentrations from 1.0 to 150 μg mL−1 were tested, with good linearity observed across the range. LPA had a signature peak at approximately 4.82 min (SD &lt; 0.08) and LP at 9.27 min (SD &lt; 0.07). For both drug and pro-drug, LOD and LOQ were 1.0 and 2.5 μg mL−1, respectively. This assay which accurately measures both prodrug and drug in a single injection, has significant applicability in determining the release kinetics of novel LP drug delivery systems.

The Role of Science Teachers in the Implementation of Quality School based Assessments in Selected Zambian Secondary Schools

The introduction of School based Assessments in Zambia were aimed at improving the teaching and learning as well as raise the bar of students performance in the country. However, the implementation of SBA in secondary schools faces unique challenges, particularly in the context of Zambia, exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the implementation of SBA in science subjects within selected Zambian schools, aiming to develop an evidence-based framework for sustaining the quality delivery of SBA in science education. Through a comprehensive investigation, this research examined the alignment of SBA practices with guidelines and identified gaps in implementation processes. Key objectives included assessing the evaluation of SBA policy since its rollout, examining administration processes, identifying challenges faced by stakeholders, and proposing interventions for improvement. Methodologically, the study employed tools such as questionnaires, interviews, and Focus Group Discussions to collect data. Qualitative data was analysed thematically while quantitative data was analysed using SPSS tool. Research findings revealed that teachers perceived SBA as a process of enhancing teaching and learning of science through the conduct of experiments which in turn improved teachers’ capacity and confidence in handling practical lessons. SBA provided teachers with an opportunity to closely monitor learners’ strengths and weaknesses as well as checking progress of learning. However, a considerable number of teachers held that SBA was an additional load onto their already burdened schedules but mandated to implement it as it was policy. Low staffing levels, time allocated to each science period, the number of tasks, inadequate laboratories and apparatus, resource constraints, high levels of enrolment resulting from positive response of Free Education Policy, many classes to teach by one teacher and lack of motivation, dominated the challenges faced by teachers in SBA implementation. The categorization of SBA revealed a duty-bound approach towards SBA (symbolic compliance), as SBA marks were mandatory for totalling learners’ final marks at the end of secondary school level. The study's recommendations aimed to enhance SBA implementation and foster positive educational outcomes. Furthermore, suggestions for future research include exploring the long-term impact of SBAs on academic performance, conducting comparative studies across different subjects, investigating technology integration, and exploring stakeholder perspectives. The research has contributed valuable insights to the discourse on educational assessment practices, providing a foundation for informed decision-making and strategic actions to improve science education in Zambian schools and beyond.

A smartwatch-based CPR feedback device improves chest compression quality among health care professionals and lay rescuers

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quality significantly impacts patient outcomes during cardiac arrests. With advancements in health care technology, smartwatch-based CPR feedback devices have emerged as potential tools to enhance CPR delivery. This study evaluated a novel smartwatch-based CPR feedback device in enhancing chest compression quality among health care professionals and lay rescuers. A single-center, open-label, randomized crossover study was conducted with 30 subjects categorized into 3 groups based on rescuer category. The Relay Response BLS smartwatch application was compared to a defibrillator-based feedback device (Zoll OneStep CPR Pads). Following an introduction to the technology, subjects performed chest compressions in 3 modules: baseline unaided, aided by the smartwatch-based feedback device, and aided by the defibrillator-based feedback device. Outcome measures included effectiveness, learnability, and usability. Across all groups, the smartwatch-based device significantly improved mean compression depth effectiveness (68.4% vs 29.7%; P < .05) and mean rate effectiveness (87.5% vs 30.1%; P< .05), compared to unaided compressions. Compression variability was significantly reduced with the smartwatch-based device (coefficient of variation: 14.9% vs 26.6%), indicating more consistent performance. Fifteen of 20 professional rescuers reached effective compressions using the smartwatch-based device in an average 2.6 seconds. A usability questionnaire revealed strong preference for the smartwatch-based device over the defibrillator-based device. The smartwatch-based device enhances the quality of CPR delivery by keeping compressions within recommended ranges and reducing performance variability. Its user-friendliness and rapid learnability suggest potential for widespread adoption in both professional and lay rescuer scenarios, contributing positively to CPR training and real-life emergency responses.

An IoT Intelligent Approach for Safety and Efficiency of Robotic Medicine Delivery in Hospitals

In this paper, we introduce an IoT-based robotic medicine delivery system designed to boost safety and efficiency in hospital settings. This IoT-embedded robotic system integrates advanced sensors such as proximity, temperature, pressure, pulse rate, etc., sensors for ensuring real-time health and environmental monitoring behind this system. The robot is connected to a centralised controller, enabling healthcare workers to monitor patients using a cloud-based system. . Our robotic system moves about with the support of both line follower and LiDAR scanning technology for environmental safety and proximity detection. Experimental results show that the robotic system was able to navigate static obstacles and dynamically move away from the mobile entities within its reach without touching them. Besides, the proposed robotic system was able to reach the bed at the right time under normal operating conditions, which shows the efficiency of this approach in real-time settings. Patient feedback suggests that patients are very happy about the system, in terms of its usefulness, trustworthiness, and to their suprise to be taken care of by a robot. Overall, our study shows the potential of the proposed robotic system in streamlining the existing medicine delivery process in hospitals. It can potentially improve various aspects including safety, efficiency, patient compliance, and quality of care delivery. The promising results suggest further studies for incorporating advanced features and for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Additional studies are to be conducted to further improve the proposed sensor-based robotic medicine delivery system, to facilitate its adoption in hospitals.

Qualitative analysis of healthcare information technology using a novel short-form questionnaire in a UK district hospital

Background/Aims Healthcare technology is a rapidly expanding field, with the potential to substantially increase the quality and efficiency of care delivery. Despite this, there is no standardised method of assessing the quality of hardware and software information technology (IT) used by frontline healthcare workers. The study aimed to evaluate doctors' perspectives of the IT systems in place at their hospital, with a view to informing wider improvements to healthcare IT. Methods A six-item questionnaire was designed to collect quantitative and qualitative data on the perspectives of clinicians working in a UK hospital regarding the IT at their workplace; this study focused on the qualitative results only. The survey was distributed via the institution's intranet to all contracted doctors at the hospital. Respondents were asked to make up to three comments about the IT systems. Results were classified as positive, negative, neutral suggestion or unusable, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Descriptive statistics were used to explore differences between respondents of different levels of seniority (consultant vs junior doctor) and area of specialty. Results A total of 196 doctors completed the questionnaires, of whom 104 were consultants and 92 were junior doctors. A total of 535 comments were made, of which 340 (63.6%) were negative and only 47 (8.8%) were positive. The three most common themes were: speed and ease of use; software and hardware; and integration of systems. Junior doctors gave a higher proportion of negative comments than consultants, while those working in the emergency department, intensive care or anaesthetics gave a lower proportion of negative comments than those working in other specialties. Conclusions Respondents had a largely negative view of the IT systems in place in their hospital. Further evaluation is needed to assess the quality of NHS IT systems on a wider scale, using insights from clinicians to identify and address issues.

Comparison of mass housing schemes delivery strategies condition in Ilorin, Nigeria toward a sustainable mass housing delivery

In developing nations such as Nigeria, the housing industry lacks appropriate and highquality housing. One of the housing development concepts and shelter delivery systems in practice in developing nations Nigeria inclusive are public, private and public–private. These three delivery strategies involves in mass housing production, although the bulk of these mass housing are not sustainable. This study examines at the conditions of mass housing delivered by the public, public–private, and private sectors in Ilorin, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed for the study and both primary and secondary data were utilised. Multistage sampling technique was adopted to sample 27% of the 4166 households’ population. A set of questionnaire was administered to 1125 household heads, from 895 houses of the Public, 203 of public–private–partnership and 27 of private developers. Data were evaluated with descriptive statistics and multiple analyses of variance (MANOVA) to get the variation in housing elements condition based on the three-delivery strategy. According to the study, private had walls with highest percentage of very good (41.0%), good conditions (51.6%), and public had walls with 33.1% very good, 36.6% good conditions. However, 13.0% of PPP wall are in poor condition, and 80.1% of walls are only fair, comparisons of the condition of housing elements in the three strategies revealed that all the parameters of houses were found to have significant differences with p values reported for the comparison were observed to be less than 0.05 confidence level (p < 0.05). The study suggests among others that public–private partnership delivery strategy should be given more attention by the government to ensure good quality delivery and sustainability of mass housing.

Leading Quality and Safety on the Frontline - A Case Study of Department Leaders in Nursing Homes.

The role of healthcare leaders is becoming increasingly complex, and carries great responsibility for patients, employees, and the quality of service delivery. This study explored the barriers and enablers that department leaders in nursing homes encounter when managing the dual responsibilities in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Quality and Patient Safety (QPS). Case study design with data collected through semi structured interviews with 16 department leaders in five Norwegian municipalities. We analyzed the data using qualitative content analysis. Data analysis resulted in four themes explaining what department leaders in nursing homes experience as barriers and enablers when handling the dual responsibility of HSE and QPS: Temporal capacity: The importance of having enough time to create a health-promoting work environment that ensures patient safety. Relational capacity: Relationships have an impact on work process and outcomes. Professional competence: Competence affects patient safety and leadership strategies. Organizational structure: Organizational frameworks influence how the dual responsibilities are handled. Evidence from this study showed that external contextual factors (eg, legislations and finances) and internal factors (eg, relationships and expectations) are experienced as barriers and enablers when department leaders are enacting the dual responsibility of HSE and QPS. Of these, relationships were found to be the most significant contributor.

Significant healthcare resource utilisation in the management of skin and soft tissue infections in the Torres Strait, Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (First Nations Australians) living in remote communities are hospitalised with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) at three times the rate of non-First Nations Australians. The Torres Strait in tropical northern Australia has a highly dispersed population mainly comprising First Nations Australians. This study aimed to define the health service utilisation and health system costs associated with SSTIs in the Torres Strait and to improve the quality of regional healthcare delivery. The research team conducted a retrospective, de-identified audit of health records for a 2-year period, 2018-2019. The aim was to define health service utilisation, episodes of outpatient care, emergency department care, inpatient care and aeromedical retrieval services for SSTIs. Across 2018 - 2019, there were 3509 outpatient episodes of care for SSTIs as well as 507 emergency department visits and 100 hospitalisations. For individuals with an SSTI, the mean outpatient clinic episode cost $240; the mean emergency department episode cost $400.85, the mean inpatient episode cost $8403.05 while an aeromedical retrieval service cost $18,670. The total costs to the health system for all services accessed for SSTI management was $6,169,881 per year, 3% of the total annual health service budget. Healthcare costs associated with SSTIs in the Torres Strait are substantial. The implementation of effective preventative and primary care interventions may enable resources to be reallocated to address other health priorities in the Torres Strait.