Quality Of The Service Research Articles

Patient satisfaction with pharmacist-led chronic care management services combined with medication synchronization.

Chronic care management (CCM) improves clinical outcomes, enhances patients' adherence with medical treatments, reduces overall cost, and increases patient satisfaction. However, multiple reports have indicated the underutilization of CCM. Implementation literature has emphasized feasibility and different approaches to providing pharmacist-led CCM. This article examines patient acceptability and provides an innovative implementation approach combining both CCM and medication synchronization (MedSync) services. To introduce CCM services to underserved Medicare beneficiaries at a federally qualified health center, the pharmacy department of a federally qualified health center (FQHC) pilot tested a program whereby pharmacists provided CCM to Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the MedSync service offered by the FQHC's in-house pharmacies. Both services were provided during the same phone call by the pharmacist. After successful completion of the pilot program, a retrospective chart review and patient satisfaction survey were conducted to enhance the quality of the service. A total of 49 patients were enrolled in the CCM program at the time of data collection. Overall, participants were satisfied with the service. The average number of medications per patient was 13.7. Pharmacists were able to identify an average of 4.8 medication-related problems (MRPs) per patient. Most of the MRPs (62%) were resolved directly by the pharmacists via education, over-the-counter medication adjustments, or interventions under consult agreements. In addition to positive patient satisfaction, pharmacists were able to identify and address a significant number of MRPs when providing CCM.

P27 An innovative multidisciplinary approach to optimizing the dermatology service for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Abstract The aim of this work was to optimize multidisciplinary practice in the dermatology department of our teaching hospital and to integrate pharmacist independent prescribers (PIPs) into the dermatology team, establish multidisciplinary patient pathways and evaluate patient satisfaction with pharmacist-led clinics. One dermatology lead pharmacist and three specialist pharmacists completed training in dermatologist-led clinics, and multidisciplinary patient pathways were developed. A pharmacist-led clinic for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) was established and delivered under the indirect supervision of a dermatologist. Pharmacist-led eczema and psoriasis clinics were then established, in which care is delivered by PIPs working alongside dermatologists to facilitate medical input when required. Patient satisfaction with the PIP service was evaluated by the administration of anonymized questionnaires sent to patients seen by PIPs over a 1-month period. Patients rated (poor, fair, good, excellent) 11 items and provided free-text comments. Over an 18-month period, dermatologists referred 53 of their 63 patients (84%) with CSU to the pharmacist-led clinic and PIPs delivered 150 CSU appointments. In the 12 months since establishing eczema and psoriasis multidisciplinary pathways, PIPs have delivered 279 eczema and 342 psoriasis appointments. PIPs have 30-min appointments for patients to discuss medication-related issues, assess response to treatments and demonstrate a holistic approach to patient care, including cardiovascular risk assessments. An estimated 400 h of dermatologist time was released over an 18-month period of gradual rollout of clinics as PIPs reviewed return patients, managed repeat prescribing for approximately 550 patients with CSU, psoriasis and eczema (homecare), and supported drug protocol development. In turn, PIPs reported increased job satisfaction. PIP consultations were rated excellent by 85% of eczema responders [85% response rate; 43% female, median age 38 years (range 19–84)] and 89% of psoriasis responders [90% response rate; 44% female, median age 50 years (range 15–77)]. All free-text comments (n = 34) were positive, with two suggestions for improvement (better explanation of pharmacist appointment, online appointments). Thematic analysis of comments revealed appreciation of ‘care and compassion’ (n = 20), ‘multidisciplinary team service delivery’ (n = 15), ‘ensuring patient understanding’ (n = 17), ‘pharmacist knowledge’ (n = 13), ‘professionalism’ (n = 8) and ‘medical team input’ (n = 4). There have been no patient complaints or adverse outcomes related to pharmacist-led clinics since the clinics were launched. Dermatology PIPs have successfully integrated into the dermatology multidisciplinary team, receiving support to develop their clinical roles. Pharmacist-led clinics substantially increase the overall capacity of the dermatology service, while patients report high satisfaction and appreciation of PIP consultation skills and the quality of the service.

Healthcare-Seeking Behaviours of Undergraduate Students and Their Perception of Health Services in a Nigerian Private University Health Centre

Background: Health-seeking behaviour is defined as the behaviour of people who malfunction or feel sick to find a suitable treatment. One of the critical factors influencing health-seeking behaviour is the satisfaction obtained from healthcare services, which is often linked to the quality of the service received. Objective: To assess university students' health-seeking behaviour and perception of healthcare services provided at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study of 425 undergraduate students of Babcock University was conducted using a validated structured questionnaire. The socio-demographic characteristics, health-seeking behaviour and perception of available services were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: About half of the respondents (50.6%) had poor health-seeking behaviour, and most (68.5%) had a positive perception of the healthcare services rendered by the institution’s healthcare facility. Some factors that affected healthcare-seeking behaviour included the non-availability of medications (37.2%), the attitude of healthcare workers (32.5%), and the cost of care (13.6%). Conclusion: The study demonstrated good health-seeking behaviour and a positive perception of the available healthcare services. However, the factors associated with poor health-seeking behaviour included unavailable medications and the poor attitude of healthcare workers. Regular appraisal and pharmacy restocking should be done to ensure an up-to-date supply of commonly prescribed medications.

DETERMINING FACTORS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN PAKISTANI ISLAMIC BANKING

Purpose of the paper – This research paper aims to expand and clarify how customer satisfaction in Pakistan’s Islamic banking industry is conceptualised and measured.
 Design/methodology/approach – The authors discuss the set of characteristics that can be used to measure customer satisfaction scores for shariah compliant Islamic banks. The likelihood of categorising these characteristics into quality dimensions is then raised. Subsequently, the confirmatory factor analysis methodology is used to evaluate numerous alternative structures and test their validity and reliability.
 Findings – The results of this study show that there are two factors that influence service quality in Pakistani banking that uses Islamic services in the commercial format: the “quality of the value” proposition and the “quality of the service itself”

Urban sprawl and home-delivered services: An exploratory analysis of spatial variations of cost and quality in Flanders (Belgium)

The phenomenon of urban sprawl is assumed to entail inefficient and cost-ineffective provision of public services. In this study, we investigate the impact of urban sprawl in Flanders on the spatial variation of the quality and cost structure of various services that are provided at home or near homes. Based on a literature review and expert interviews, we collected data with the aim of modelling such cost structures, in particular of local and regional public transport, household waste collection, and postal and parcel services. The findings differ between the various services studied. For public transport, sprawl has hardly any impact on the operational expenses and on the price charged to the traveler, but it does have a direct impact on the quality of the service. In the case of waste collection, differences in operational expenses are consolidated at the level of the collection round or collector, and differences in price or quality are hardly or not at all noticeable by the consumer. Universal postal services are tightly regulated, and consolidate operational expenses at the national level, as a result of which customers do not experience price differences, although they do face differences of distance to access points. These findings indicate that the density of address points along road segments are key to cost effectiveness of home-delivered services. Two new sprawl indicators are proposed for mapping urban sprawl, allowing to model the impact on the provision of various services: the average number of address points per kilometer mapped per road segment, and the inversion, i.e. average road distance between address points mapped per address point of a road segment. The data and models are intended to nourish the debate of whether or how spatially varying costs should be passed on to customers, and allow working towards solutions that serve a more sustainable interaction between urbanization and supply of services.

Optimizing Water Distribution through Explainable AI and Rule-Based Control

Optimizing water distribution both from an energy-saving perspective and from a quality of service perspective is a challenging task since it involves a complex system with many nodes, many hidden variables and many operational constraints. For this reason, water distribution systems need to handle a delicate trade-off between the effectiveness and computational time of the solution. In this paper, we propose a new computationally efficient method, named rule-based control, to optimize water distribution networks without the need for a rigorous formulation of the optimization problem. As a matter of fact, since it is based on a machine learning approach, the proposed method employs only a set of historical data, where the configuration can be labeled according to a quality criterion. Since it is a data-driven approach, it could be applied to any complex network where historical labeled data are available. In particular, rule-based control exploits a rule-based classification method that allows us to retrieve the rules leading to good or bad performances of the system, even without any information about its physical laws. The evaluation of the results on some simulated scenarios shows that the proposed approach is able to reduce energy consumption while ensuring a good quality of the service. The proposed approach is currently used in the water distribution system of the Milan (Italy) water main.

O Processo de Cocriação de Valor entre Associação de Turismo e seus Associados sob a perspectiva da gerência da Associação

Value co-creation is an overarching concept that describes collaboration between various stakeholders to build value and generate mutual benefits. In this research, we analyze how the value co-creation process occurs between an association promoting tourism and its members. Specifically, we seek to understand: how the value-co-creation main antecedents in tourism work, which are the major interaction channels that drive the value co-creation between association and members, and which benefits are generated by value co-creation. For this, we carried out a single case study with the largest associative institution in Latin America. We interviewed four association managers and analyzed internal documents such as bylaws, minutes, and management reports. Some of our main contributions were: people with high or low engagement generate value co-creation, but in different ways; prior knowledge is essential for potential associates to join; the quality of the service is felt deeply by the associates because they have a closer relationship with the association; and the relationship and trust between the association and members generate a sense of belonging in members.

Anticipatory rebalancing of RoboTaxi systems

This study considers a RoboTaxi service, a futuristic transportation system whereby passengers can place transportation requests in real-time for a private ride. The passengers are picked up from their origins as soon as possible after placing a request and travel directly to their destination, from which the RoboTaxi may immediately continue to serve other customers, remain idle, or move to another location in the city in anticipation of future demand.The operation of RoboTaxi systems requires online decisions regarding vehicle dispatching and rebalancing. Dispatching assigns cars to requests. Rebalancing is the initiation of empty trips of idle cars to reduce future requests’ waiting time and take advantage of off-peak traffic hours. This study proposes an advanced method for rebalancing while assuming a simple yet effective dispatching policy.The optimal operation of a RoboTaxi fleet aims to minimize two competing values: the passengers waiting time between requests and pickups and the total distance traveled by empty vehicles. In a RoboTaxi system, vehicles may travel empty either when deadheading to pick up a passenger or while making rebalancing trips. There is a trade-off between the rebalancing effort, which includes various types of costs, and the passengers’ waiting time, representing the quality of the service provided by the system.

D-HRSP: Dataset of helpful reviews for service providers

Most common services are now provided through mobile applications; thus, the importance of mobile application reviews has increased. Service providers and developers seek helpful reviews to find useful information to improve their services. However, with currently existing indicators, e.g., star rating systems, it is difficult to identify reviews that are directly related to the quality of the service. Thus, in this study, we defined helpful mobile application reviews for service providers and developers based on the components of an existing service quality evaluation model. We also provide the D-HRSP (dataset of helpful reviews for service providers), which is a labeled dataset that can be used to examine helpful reviews. We also report the experimental results obtained with simple natural language processing techniques and machine learning and deep learning classification models. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed definition can help address real-life problems and create opportunities for additional research into the identification of helpful mobile application reviews.

ASSESSMENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE QUALITY OF THE GAS STATION NETWORK IN LITHUANIA

The gas station business enterprises are constantly trying to find ways to influence customers through a variety of services and improve the level of these services, which will ultimately lead to customer satisfaction. Assessing the quality of customer service becomes a prerequisite for this gas station business. This research paper is a theoretical and practical review of SERVQUAL and the Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS) as a tool for measuring service quality in the gas station sector. The aim of the research is to determine and evaluate the quality of customer service in a network of Lithuanian gas stations. The theoretical part of the article analyses the quality of customer service, its evaluation models and factors, as well as means of assurance in the field of retail trade – in the network of petrol stations. The methodological part presents and describes the access, procedure, instruments and methods of data processing and presentation of the conducted research. The research was conducted using a quantitative research instrument – a questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed using SERVQUAL and RSQS methods. The empirical part of the article presents the analysis of the research data on the quality of customer service in the gas station network. The article closes with conclusions and recommendations for improving the quality of customer service in the gas station network. Key findings: all five dimensions of customer service were significant and positively rated by customers. However, in each dimension there are minor problems with the quality of the service: the equipment and cleanliness of the toilets; the modernity of the technologies used to pay for the services; the personal attention paid to the customer by the staff and the information provided on current promotions and discounts available during the service; the greater feeling of security and timely provision of services; the listening to the customer's comments; the confidence in the policy on the protection of personal data.

Emotion Detection for Hotel Industry Feedback System using Machine Learning

Abstract: This study investigates the extent to which hotel employees are conscious of their abilities to identify facial expressions and emotions conveyed by customers while interacting with those customers. Facial expressions and emotions may have significant implications when interpreted as a sign of satisfaction and the quality of the service that was provided. According to the findings, a sizeable portion of hotel staff members do not have an accurate understanding of their abilities to recognise facial expressions and emotions, and a large number of them have a tendency to exaggerate their capabilities. This study has significant ramifications in regard to employee efforts put into tasks (such as effort and concentration), employee selfdevelopment and training, and employee willingness to take risks in their respective service encounters.

Results of an international survey on the status of prehospital care.

Prehospital care including recognition of stroke symptoms by the public and professionals combined with an efficient and effective emergency medical service (EMS) is essential to increase access to effective acute stroke care. We undertook a survey to document the status of stroke prehospital care globally. A survey was distributed via email to the World Stroke Organization (WSO) members. Information was sought on the current status of stroke prehospital delay globally, including (1) ambulance availability and whether payment for use is required, (2) ambulance response times and the proportion of patients arriving at hospital by ambulance, (3) the proportion of patients arriving within 3 h and more than 24 h after symptom, (4) whether stroke care training of paramedics, call handlers, and primary care staff, (5) availability of specialist centers, and (6) the proportion of patients taken to specialist centers. Respondents were also asked to identify the top three changes in prehospital care that would benefit their population. Data were analyzed descriptively at both country and continent level. Responses were received from 116 individuals in 43 countries, with a response rate of 4.7%. Most respondents (90%) reported access to ambulances, but 40% of respondents reported payment was required by the patient. Where an ambulance service was available (105 respondents) 37% of respondents reported that less than 50% of patients used an ambulance and 12% less than 20% of patients used an ambulance. Large variations in ambulance response times were reported both within and between countries. Most of the participating high-income countries (HIC) offered a service used by patients, but this was rarely the case for the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Time to admission was often much longer in LMIC, and there was less access to stroke training for EMS and primary care staff. Significant deficiencies in stroke prehospital care exist globally especially in LMIC. In all countries, there are opportunities to improve the quality of the service in ways that would likely result in improved outcomes after acute stroke.

Cost Analysis in Online Teaching Using an Activity Map

Virtual education has been associated, on some occasions, with economic models of scale that strengthen the mercantilist vision of teaching, thereby raising questions on the quality of the service. Some studies on educational costs associated with this modality simplify the analysis based on individual elements, such as the production of courses or the technological infrastructure, offering an incomplete and biased perspective. This study proposes to carry out a complete analysis of the costs of a virtual university using an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model to determine the percentage of the budget consumed by each of the activities involved in the training process. The results show the significant influence that instructional design and teaching activities have on virtual modalities (62.5% of the set of activities), thus highlighting the importance of human resources in maintaining educational modalities mediated by technology. Understanding the importance of human capital and its contribution to offering a quality and innovative educational service is fundamental to consolidate a model that can improve access to education for populations with major difficulties.

Feasibility of using a vibrating machine for laying ceramic tiles

Inadequate practices are still present in the day-to-day of the works when performing the ceramic tile laying service. The coating laying machine comes as a proposal to improve the execution process of this service, guaranteeing higher quality. The general objective of this work is to verify the quality of the ceramic tile laying service using a vibrating laying machine. Eight pieces of porcelain tiles measuring 60x120 cm were laid in order to verify the differences in the quality of laying the pieces using the vibrating machine and the rubber hammer. The quality was verified following two requirements, mortar compaction and the adherence resistance of the pieces. The use of a vibrating machine for installing ceramic tiles improves the quality of the service, as well as makes its application viable in laying coatings. The mortar compaction was better in the pieces settled using the vibrating machine. Adherence to the pieces laid using the vibrating machine was, on average, twice that stipulated by the regulatory standard, whether using one or two layers of mortar. It is noteworthy that there were no cases of rejected values. The use of the vibrating machine proved to be high compared to the traditional laying method, which makes it legitimate to lay pieces with surface area dimensions greater than 900 cm², using only a single layer of mortar. Adherence to the pieces laid using the vibrating machine was, on average, twice that stipulated by the regulatory standard, whether using one or two layers of mortar. It is noteworthy that there were no cases of rejected values. The use of the vibrating machine proved to be high compared to the traditional laying method, which makes it legitimate to lay pieces with surface area dimensions greater than 900 cm², using only a single layer of mortar. Adherence to the pieces laid using the vibrating machine was, on average, twice that stipulated by the regulatory standard, whether using one or two layers of mortar. It is noteworthy that there were no cases of rejected values. The use of a vibrating machine proved to be high compared to the traditional laying method, which makes it legitimate to lay pieces with surface area dimensions greater than 900 cm², using only a single layer of mortar.

ANALISIS MYLOFT DALAM MEMENUHI KEBUTUHAN INFORMASI PEMUSTAKA UPI

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced every activity to adapt to new habits, including the library. To overcome this, the UPI Library provides online services in the form of e-resources that can be accessed using the MyLOFT application. This study aims to determine how librarian services, service quality, and the role of e-resources services at MyLOFT are in terms of ease of access and in meeting the information needs of users. This research method uses a descriptive quantitative method. The sample of this study was active UPI students aged 18-22 years. The results showed that socialization and guidelines helped users in facilitating access to e-resources on MyLOFT, the quality of the service also had a pretty good appearance that made it easier for users to access, this service has also played quite a role in meeting the information needs of users at UPI. Although it is sufficient to meet the information needs of users, this service must continue to improve its services and continue to strive to provide the best service, so that the e-resources service on MyLOFT can be increasingly recognized and able to meet the information needs of users.

Mediation Model of Service Quality and Behavioural Intention to Use of Artificial Intelligence Security Technology in UAE

This study created and evaluated a mediation model which allowsthe role of essential artificial intelligence (AI) in mediating the connection between service quality and behavioural intent to use AI security features in the United Arab Emirates.The primary objective is to improve the standards for customer service in the UAE's artificial intelligence security industry. The data to developed the model was derived from 389 valid questionnaires form the questionnaire survey. The data was screened and cleaned before uploaded in Smart-PLS software to developing and assessing the model.Based on the assessment on the model, it was found that the most fundamental form of artificial intelligence exerts a mediating effect to some extent, on the connectionthat exists between service quality and behavioural intention in terms of the application of Al security technology.The coefficient and t-value point to a substantial indirect relationship between the quality of the service and the intention to use artificial intelligence. This relationship is shown to be indirect rather than direct. It is possible to draw the conclusion that improved service quality raises people's likelihood of intending to use AI security technologies. This is due to the fact that the contribution of such technologies to improved job performance, as well as the convenience with which such technologies can be utilised, raises people's awareness of the perceived value of such technologies.

Analysis of repeated computed tomography scans and cumulative effective dose of patients in a hospital

Computed tomography exams are considered diagnostic imaging exams that generate significant radiation dose to the patient. Justification, optimization, and dose limitation are radiological protection principles used to minimize patient and staff exposure, ensuring the quality of the service provided. The objective of this study was to analyze CT scan data, analyzing the number of exams, the patients' effective cumulated dose, and the repeatability of the exams. The study data covers the 2013 to 2022 period during which a progressive increase was observed in the number of exams performed over time, with exams doubling in this period. The most used Computed Tomography protocols were brain/skull (27.4%), pelvis (17.3%), and abdomen (13.7%) during the study period. Approximately 76.3% of patients have a cumulative dose of less than 25 mSv, while about 1% accumulated more than 100 mSv. The repeatability of CT scans for the same patient over a short period varies, reaching until 17 scans in 30 days for a single patient. The results indicated a necessity to develop strategies for individual dose management methods for the institution’s internal practices. An intervention could be implemented by creating periodically updated handouts and guidelines based on professionals' knowledge.

A Review of Blockchain Technology Adoption in the Tourism Industry from a Sustainability Perspective

The deployment of Blockchain technology in the tourism industry is already becoming a reality with the gradual emergence of innovative business models. At its core is the promise of improving the efficiency of the tourism service value chain and enhancing the quality of the service provided to the end customer. This paper analyses research trends focused on using Blockchain technology in tourism. The aim is to determine how this technology impacts the tourism sector and its sustainability. A systematic review, descriptive bibliometric analysis, and network analysis based on co-authorship, co-citation, and keyword analysis criteria, among others, have been used. The results reveal that the subject matter analysed is generating a growing trend in academic research in the fields of sustainable management and supply chain efficiency. The activities in the tourism sector that are incorporating this technology to a greater extent are those related to the areas of marketing, logistics, and smart business models, according to the data extracted from the analysis. This technology already enables the application of solutions that predict and promote tourist behaviour based on sustainable behaviour and consumption habits, generating value for the different stakeholders.

Depression and Burnout among Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Depression and burnout are common among healthcare workers (HCWs) and negatively affect their well-being and the quality of the service they provide. However, the burden of depression and burnout among health extension workers (HEWs) in Ethiopia and their relationship has not been documented well.The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and burnout among HEWs in Ethiopia and to investigate the relationship between these conditions. We used a cross-sectional study design and collected data from 584 rural and 581 urban HEWs in Ethiopia, as part of the 2019 national health extension program assessment. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Burnout Self-Test were used to screen HEWs for depression and burnout, respectively. We used descriptive statistics to estimate the magnitude of depression and burnout, and logistic regression to examine their relationship. Based on PHQ-9 cutoff scores of 10, the prevalence of major depression was 16.5% among rural and 8.9% among urban HEWs, whereas burnout risk was 39.8% among rural and 12.6% among urban HEWs. The odds of having depression among HEWs with burnout risk was relatively higher compared to those without burnout risk [For rural HEWs, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) is 11.88 at a 95% confidence interval (CI; 5.27, 26.80), and for urban HEWs, the AOR is 11.49 at a 95% CI (5.35, 24.63)]. The prevalence of depression and burnout is high among HEWs in Ethiopia, with a significant rural-urban difference, and burnout is a significant predictor of depression. Mental health interventions that enable prevention, early detection, and management are needed especially for rural HEWs who are in charge of preventive health service delivery for the disadvantaged rural communities.

Evaluation of patients' satisfaction with services accessed under the contributory scheme at a Katsina State, North-West, Nigeria

Background: The evaluation of patient satisfaction provides an indicator of the quality of care and contributes to strategies for the improvement of healthcare delivery. Objective: To assess patient satisfaction with services accessed under the contributory scheme at Katsina State in North-West, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 393 Katsina State Contributory Scheme (KTSCS) patients under a formal sector program was done from 1st October to 30th November 2022, at Katsina State, Nigeria. Patients were selected by multistage sampling techniques. Data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from a study by Parasuraman et al., (1988) who designed the SERVQUAL instrument to specifically measure functional service quality using both the gap concept and service quality dimensions. The SERVQUAL instrument, in its original form, contains twenty-two pairs of Likert scale statements structured around five service quality dimensions: These dimensions are: · Tangible: describes the appearance of physical facilities, personnel, and equipment. · Reliability: deals with the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. · Responsiveness: considers the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. · Assurance: talks about the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence, and · Empathy: the ability to provide caring and individualized attention to customers Results: The overall average satisfaction score was 75.8%. The study found that the positive gap of responsiveness, assurances, and empathy means that patients were satisfied with the quality of the service associated with these three dimensions, however, the negative gaps across the reliability and tangibility indicated that patients’ expectations generally were not being met. Conclusion: This study showed that the overall patients' satisfaction with services accessed was good. However, there is a need for the KTSCS and healthcare providers to continuously improve on the provision of healthcare services and address areas of dissatisfaction.