Portal Services Research Articles

Predoctoral US dental school applicants and first-time, first-year enrollees, 2023 Entering Class.

This article aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of applicants and first-time, first-year enrolled predoctoral oral health students in the 2023 Entering Class, while highlighting trends over the past decade. The study employs a descriptive analysis of predoctoral US dental school application data sourced from the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (ADEA AADSAS®) and Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Services (TMDSAS) portals. Between 2013 and 2023, the number of first-time, first-year enrollees increased by 14%. Applicant numbers rebounded post-COVID pandemic and were 0.5% higher in 2023 compared to 2019. The proportion of female predoctoral applicants and first-time, first-year enrollees each increased by 11 percentage points over the last decade. Racial and ethnic diversity among first-time, first-year enrollees improved, particularly among Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American students, with both groups increasing by 51% between 2013 and 2023. There has been a steady increase in first-time, first-year enrollees, reflecting growth in the number of US-trained predoctoral oral health professionals. Applicant numbers have rebounded from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in the share of female dental school applicants and first-time, first-year enrollees has brought the gender distribution in predoctoral oral health programs more closely in line with that of postsecondary education. While progress has been made in terms of increased representation of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic (HURE) groups, much work remains to achieve greater representation.

Assessing the Level of People’s Satisfaction with the Quality of Information About Administrative Procedures on the National Public Service Portal in Yen Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi City

On March 12, 2019, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed the "Decision approving the National Public Service Portal (NPSP) Project" with the goal of improving the quality and efficiency of public services. However, after five years of implementation, certain limitations in conducting administrative procedures on the NPSP have affected people's satisfaction. From that reality, the authors were motivated to conduct research on the topic to contribute measures to minimize the difficulties of people in the area. By combining a comprehensive literature review with structured surveys involving a sample of 162 residents from Yen Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, the authors revealed that while citizen satisfaction with the quality of information on administrative procedures on the NPSP is generally high, there is inconsistency across different aspects when evaluated against internationally verified assessment criteria and scales. Through that current situation, the research team offered some insights and proposed measures to further improve the quality of information on administrative procedures on the national public service portal to increase people's satisfaction with the service.

A Large Language Model-Based Question Answering System for Online Public Administrative Services

Public administrative services are one of the key concerns for citizens; however, there are still numerous procedures and issues that citizens encounter and need clarification on. This study aims to alleviate some of this burden on officials by developing a Question Answering System (QnA) to address inquiries about public administrative services. We present a framework for utilizing Large Language Models to develop and implement a QnA system on the Online Public Administrative Service Portal in Ha Giang Province.We also provide extensive experimental analysis to demonstrate the effectiveness of each component in the QnA system.

Undergraduates’ experiences with library portal services: perceptions of usefulness and satisfaction

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the perceived usefulness and satisfaction levels of undergraduate students with respect to university library portal services, specifically within selected universities in South-West Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive survey research design was used to investigate the perceived usefulness and satisfaction levels among undergraduate students regarding university library portal services. Data were collected through surveys administered to 658 undergraduate respondents across multiple universities in South-West Nigeria.FindingsThe findings indicate that undergraduate students’ top reasons for using the portal were for tasks such as locating research materials, accessing databases, requesting bibliographies and checking the library catalog. Library computers and school information and communication technology center computers were identified as the most preferred access point, followed by computer labs and campus Wi-Fi networks. Undergraduates rated the portals as highly useful, particularly for saving time locating resources, checking material status and patronizing the library. High satisfaction was reported for services such as attending workshops, events and receiving research support through the portals workshops. Moderate satisfaction levels existed for accessing policies/hours, the institutional repository and renewals of books online. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.785, p < 0.05) was found between perceived usefulness and satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the understanding of undergraduate students’ perceptions regarding the utility and satisfaction of university library portal services in the context of South-West Nigeria. It underscores the importance of aligning portal services with students’ academic and research needs to enhance overall satisfaction levels. In addition, it provides insights into areas where improvements can be made to further enhance the effectiveness and satisfaction derived from these services.

Revisiting Differences in Fourth-Year Orthopaedic Away Rotation Opportunities and Fees Among Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Students.

Fourth-year away rotations are an important modifiable variable proven to increase students' opportunities to match into orthopaedic surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in away rotation eligibility requirements and cost of rotation between allopathic and osteopathic students during the 2023 application cycle. Eligibility requirements and fees were then compared with the 2021 application cycle. A cross-sectional study was performed during the 2023 application cycle of all nonmilitary, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs (n = 194). Each program's website, affiliated school of medicine's website, visiting student application service portal, and Residency Explorer tool were searched for eligibility criteria, associated rotation fees, and other rotation requirements. Two-sample Z tests for proportions were utilized to compare differences in programs with differing requirements for students based on academic degree type. Data were compared statistically with previously reported data from the 2021 application cycle. In 2023, there were more programs that restricted osteopathic medical students from away rotations than programs that restricted allopathic medical students (12/194, 6.2% vs. 0/194, 0.0%; p < 0.001). All 12 programs were formerly ACGME-accredited before the integration into a single accreditation system. There was a decrease in the number of programs restricting osteopathic medical students from away rotations compared with the 2021 application cycle (18/194, 9.3% vs. 12/194, 6.2%; p = 0.254). Fees associated with away rotations ranged from $25 to $4,000 for both allopathic and osteopathic students. The number of programs that charged osteopathic medical students higher rotation fees than programs that charged allopathic students when compared with the 2021 application cycles decreased (1/194, 0.5% vs. 5/194, 2.6%; p = 0.049). While some programs continue to have away rotation eligibility requirements that prohibit osteopathic medical students from rotating, only one residency program currently charges osteopathic medical students a higher fee to rotate than allopathic medical students.

Don’t Go for Different! Developing Specialized Information Services for Researchers from Distinct Subject Areas

Digital library services are frequently designed for specific user groups with very specific usage needs. This article presents a qualitative comparative analysis of findings derived from six user and usability studies in four different specialized subject information services. Rather than postulating hypotheses regarding variations in needs and behaviors among user groups, this article explores similarities among researchers’ requirements for specialized information service portals. The findings suggest that distinct subject areas may no longer require separate information systems tailored to each field’s specific needs. With the rise of interdisciplinary research, researchers increasingly favor the adoption of a unified system or multiple systems with consistent operation.

A hospital-based asynchronous ENT telehealth service for children with otitis media: Cost-minimisation and improved access.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of a hospital-based asynchronous ear, nose, and throat (ENT) telehealth service (the Ear Portal) in reducing cost and improving access for children with otitis media. Participants were recruited to the Ear Portal from a tertiary hospital ENT waiting list. Ear and hearing assessments were conducted during appointments by the Ear Portal research assistant, and data was stored for an asynchronous review by the Ear Portal multidisciplinary team. A cost-minimisation analysis was conducted for the Ear Portal and the standard care pathways. Waiting times to provide care for both pathways were calculated for children with semi-urgent (i.e. Category 2) and non-urgent (i.e. Category 3) referrals. The running cost for the Ear Portal was $67.70 for initial appointments and $37.34 for follow-up appointments. Conversely, the running cost for the standard care pathway was $154.65 for initial appointments and $86.10 for follow-up appointments. A total of 223 appointments were required to offset the initial Ear Portal investment of $19,384.00. The median waiting time for the Ear Portal from initial contact to care plan delivery was <30 days, whereas the median waiting times for children in the standard care pathway were 291 days (interquartile range (IQR) = 117) for Category 2 and 371 days (IQR = 311) for Category 3 referrals. Under the current circumstances, the Ear Portal service can reduce costs for the health care system by reducing marginal costs per patient in addition to providing ENT specialist care within the clinically recommended timeframes.

An environmental scan of residential treatment service provision in Ontario

BackgroundOntario has one of the highest rates of substance-related harms in Canada. Residential treatment programs in the province provide a variety of in-house treatment services to support the needs of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). However, these programs are not standardized, often varying in the type, quality, and availability of services offered, including evidence-based interventions such as Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT). Local treatment systems are also rather fragmented and complex to navigate, creating barriers for potential services users to identify and make informed choices on available treatment options.MethodsBetween May to August 2023, we conducted an environmental scan to capture available information on all publicly-funded residential treatment programs in Ontario using the ConnexOntario service portal, a government-funded, health services information platform. Data were captured on organization name, geographical location, program description, program type (residential addictions treatment or supportive recovery programs), eligibility criteria, target population, the program’s OAT policies, number of available beds, minimum and maximum length of stay, projected wait times, funding source, and associated fees for program admission. Data were extracted and organized by geographic region, and findings were presented descriptively.ResultsA total of 102 residential addiction treatment programs and 36 residential supportive recovery programs in Ontario were identified. The scan noted substantial regional variations in program availability and wait times, along with a lack of programs tailored to unique populations such as women, youth, and Indigenous peoples. There is also a paucity of publicly-available information on program offerings, including detailed specifics on OAT policies within residential treatment programs that are crucial to ensuring that the services being offered are safe and grounded in evidence-based practice.ConclusionsFindings from the scan highlight notable gaps in program types, offerings, and availability among residential treatment programs in the province, including a lack of standardization on OAT policies across programs. Efforts should be made to ensure access to treatment-specific program information relevant to potential service users and to enhance coordinated access to residential treatment services in the province.

PUBLIC SERVICE TRANSFORMATION AND AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING: INNOVATION ANALYSIS OF MAGESTY PUBLIC SERVICE PORTAL AND PLAZA TANI IN MAGELANG CITY

This research aims to analyze the transformation of public services and agribusiness marketing through the innovation of the Magesty Public Services Portal and Plaza Tani in Magelang City. This research used a mixed method with qualitative and quantitative approaches—data collection techniques through interviews and surveys. The research subjects were application users, business actors, and Regional Apparatus Organizations in Magelang City who use the Magesty Public Services Portal and Plaza Tani services. The results showed that the transformation of public services and agribusiness marketing through the Magesty Public Services Portal and Plaza Tani innovation positively impacted the community and business actors in Magelang City. The recommendations are the need to improve service quality and more effective promotion to increase community and business participation in using these services.

The impact of the introduction of the State Services portal on ensuring the effectiveness of the healthcare system

The impact of the introduction of the State Services portal on ensuring the effectiveness of the healthcare system

A Study of Job Seekers’ Perceptions of the Job Portals in Sri Lanka: With Special Reference to “Millennials” and Generation “Z”

In today's digital age, organizations are relying more on online platforms to recruit job applicants instead of using traditional recruitment methods. Organizations are adapting their practices to meet the needs of younger workers. However, the perceptions of these job seekers towards job portals may vary depending on several factors. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the perceptions of young job seekers toward job portals. The study used the quantitative research approach and data was collected through a survey questionnaire from a sample of 250 young job seekers. The findings of the study revealed that information quality, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived trustworthiness, and extended services have a significant influence on young job seekers' perceptions of job portals. Extended services, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and information quality seem to be the strongest predictors out of the five variables. This leads to the conclusion that job portal providers must pay close attention to their online recruiting simplicity, quality of information, and extended services if they want to attract additional clients. Companies should also prioritize offering accurate and comprehensive job descriptions and making sure the portals are user-friendly. The implications of the study provide valuable insights for job portal providers to enhance their services and increase their user base among young job seekers. This study provides practical and theoretical insights for job portal service providers, companies, and individuals seeking employment.

Spatiotemporal changes in Universal Thermal Climate Index in the Middle East and North Africa

A fast temperature rise has made the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region a global hotspot of extreme heat events. Previous studies conducted in the region to evaluate extreme heat based on temperature were inadequate for assessing heat based on human thermal impacts. The present study employed the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). This index evaluates the changes in heat related to human thermal stress in MENA. This analysis employed the ERA5-HEAT dataset, derived from the Copernicus climate change service portal. The results showed that all the regions experienced an average daily UTCI representing extreme heat stress for 1 to 25 days. The daily maximum UTCI goes to the extreme level on average of 1 to 175 days a year, with the highest in the east and southwest. The annual mean UTCI in MENA is increasing from 0.1 to 0.7 °C/decade, with the highest increase in the northeast, covering eastern Saudi Arabia and most parts of Iraq and Syria. This caused a decrease in cold stress and an increase in hot stress days, with the highest increase in strong thermal stress days in the range of 4 to 16 days/decade in most of MENA. The trend in daily maximum UTCI also showed an increase in the range of 0.1 to 0.6 °C/decade, which caused an increase in the number of daily maximum UTIC above 46 °C or extreme level by 1 to 16 days/per decade, with the highest increase in central Saudi Arabia, northern Sudan and southern Mauritania. This study is the first to investigate UTCI trends in the MENA region and is expected to provide valuable information on hotspots and temporal trends in UTCI, serving as a foundation for future heat action plans to prevent heat-related illnesses throughout the region.

Analysis of chlorophyll-a, sea surface temperature, and sea surface salinity in the Bay of Bengal

The waters of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) are influenced by the northeast monsoon (November-February) and the southwest monsoon (June-September). This study aims to determine the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) during January 2021 in the BoB. The method used in this study is the method of correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, and analysis of variance using monthly average data for January 2021. The data comes from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) portal. Our analysis showed that high Chl-a was inversely related to low SST and SSS conditions and vice versa. This finding confirms the results of other previous studies. Medium and negative correlations occurred for the Chl-a - SST and Chl-a - SSS pairs. Meanwhile, the SST- SSS pair shows a strong and positive correlation. The hypothesis test shows that the conclusions drawn from these correlation relationships are acceptable. Furthermore, from the analysis of variance obtained, it was found that Chl-a had a significant effect on variations in SST and SSS, while SST had a significant effect on variations in SSS.

Assessing the Customer Behaviour in Relation to Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) in Some Ghanaian Banks in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly- Kumasi, Ghana

Although other payment methods are available, like card, cheque, mobile, and online payments, most Ghanaians still use the cash payment system. The study examined how Ghanaian customers felt about using electronic payments. These included determining thesector andctors that influence consumer adoption and use of electronic payment services in Ghanaian banks, examining customer satisfaction with e-payment in the banking sector, and preventing fraud. A sample size of 100 participants was chosen for the study using purposive sampling to select participants from the banks and systematic sampling to select participants from the customers. According to the research’s findings, factors such as usability, security, privacy, the caliber of the after-sales support, marketing mix, and reputation affect consumers’ opinions of electronic payment systems. According to the study, customers are satisfied with the value offered for their banking requirements and the opportunity to experiment with e-payments in the banking sector. The study also found that while customers’ top concerns are trust and security, barriers to e-commerce include a low internet penetration rate, fewer users, expensive and challenging e-commerce technology, and a lack of progress in other supporting industries. Trust and security are significant deterrents against using electronic payment systems. The ability of consumers and banks to reach a larger market and participate in the world payment system is another way that technology can help the economy. Stakeholders should offer the unbanked sufficient assurances of security for utilizing electronic payment systems on their privacy without requiring them to maintain accounts with them. Keywords: Electronic Payment Systems (EPS), Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA)Payment Portal Services (PPS), Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and Central Business District (CBD).

Exploring the impact of design technique on usability: A case study on designing the eHealth websites using card sorting and interactive dialogue model

AbstractThe design and info‐architecture of the web content contribute significantly to achieving better usability and user experience as well as to adopting a website to its intended end‐users. Although several design techniques exist, choosing a suitable one for designing a particular type of website is difficult and needs further investigation. Thus, the objective of this research is to explore the impact of a design technique on web usability and to find out the best suitable design technique for a particular type of website. To achieve these objectives, two separate websites for providing electronic health services named Citizen Health Service portal were developed using the two mostly used design techniques, namely card sorting and interactive dialogue model (IDM). The usability of both websites was evaluated through a laboratory‐based usability testing approach with 20 participants. The study result showed that the IDM performs better in designing such an information‐intensive website.

Performance indicator development addressing mitigation of the space weather impacts on GNSS

Within the European Space Agency's (ESA) Space Weather Service Network, the development of performance indicators for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been identified as essential to meet the growing needs of end users for Space Weather information in the field of navigation. This requires a targeted analysis of Space Weather-related disturbances of technical systems and services in the field of satellite-based navigation, considering the growing requirements of all the different users in this domain. The goal of the Space Weather Impact on GNSS Performance: Application Development (SWIGPAD) project is to develop GNSS performance indicators (GPI) based on Space Weather data provided by European research institutes through the ESA Space Weather Service Portal (available at https://swe.ssa.esa.int) with the aim to fulfill representative use cases derived from dedicated meeting with industry and government experts. The application that serves the GPI will provide the user with information about current and expected effects of Space Weather on positioning at their respective location. Additionally, end users in the various GNSS application domains shall be assisted with an overall numerical and graphical estimate of the positioning uncertainty resulting from ionospheric conditions and its evolution over time. The intent of this article is to present the results of the project and the capabilities of the GPI application.

CliniNet: An Online Platform for all Healthcare Services

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital healthcare solutions, prompting a shift from traditional manual procedures to digitally-enabled medical assistance. In response to the challenges faced during the pandemic, such as inadequate medical facilities, shortages of surgical instruments and medications, and unreliable lab results, this research presents "CliniNet: An online portal for all healthcare services," an innovative Android application. CliniNet serves as a comprehensive online platform for various healthcare services, offering features such as appointment scheduling, purchasing medicines and medical insurance, setting medication reminders, checking symptoms, and seeking diet-related advice. This paper explores the existing literature on healthcare applications, outlines CliniNet's architecture and features, discusses the implementation process, presents experimental data on performance and user satisfaction, and concludes with potential directions for future development. The CliniNet application addresses the necessity for improved access to healthcare services, catering to the evolving digital landscape

Implementation of Electronic Governance Systems as a Tool for Establishing Effec-tive Society-State Communication

In the modern world, electronic governance systems are tools for the easy access to information and its practical usage. The basis for their adoption is the vision of productive communication between state and citizen. The systems are aimed to strengthen democratic institutions and develop civil society by ensuring human rights and freedoms. Nevertheless, modern tendencies are accompanied with new challenges. In parallel with the process of digitalization, we encounter a set of problems related to information security such as issues of cybersecurity, non-reliable information, etc. From the other side, digitalization brings an antidemocratic discourse on the implementation of the right of citizens’ equal participation, the access and usage of all the necessary information and service portals, the functioning of sources which present public good and difficulties on proper feedback provision. This work discusses the importance of electronic governance systems in Armenia in establishing society-state constructive communication and the main achievements and challenges on the way of their adaptation. Nevertheless, modern tendencies accompanied with new challenges. In parallel with the process of digitalization, we encounter a set of problems related to information security such as issues of cybersecurity, non-reliable information, etc. From the other side, digitalization brings an antidemocratic discourse on the implementation of the right of citizens’ equal participation, the access and usage of all the necessary information and services portals, the functioning of sources which present public good and difficulties on proper feedback provision. This work discusses the importance of electronic governance systems in Armenia in establishing society-state constructive communication and the main achievements and challenges on the way of their adaptation.

Employee Self Service Portal with Time and Activity Tracking

Abstract: The project to develop the web-application to maintain the day-to-day activities of the employee with the help of virtual technology to avoid data storage problem. To develop the software keeps record of the daily time-sheets of an employee in virtual form also to solve the problem of paper timesheet that is used for keeping record of employee’s daily tasks. Also, the webapplication which will help to manage different HR-Activities. As much as technology is getting advanced most of the companies are started using virtual applications to manage their HR-Activates as well as for Timesheets. To keep track of daily task it is important to provide a Web-Application that can store the information about tasks, HR Activities. However, in order to protect the data privacy, sensitive data is usually encrypted before outsourcing to cloud server, which makes it more secure.

Автоматизированное решение для проведения функционального тестирования портала электронных услуг

The article presents a solution for the development of an automated functional testing system for the electronic services portal. The proposed solution takes into account the features of the architecture of the electronic services portal and integrated information systems with it. To obtain the result, methods of emulating the actions of real users of the electronic services portal and methods of organizing work with automated tests, checkers, user accounts were used. The implementation of the functionality of the schedule and queue of automated test launches is presented. The implementation of the functional testing component is supplemented with a description of the process of creating new automated tests. Using the automated functional testing system, the operator of the electronic services portal will be able to carry out this process as often as it deems necessary. Verification of the obtained development results was achieved by presenting the structure and content of the screen forms of the system interface. The practical significance of the results lies in the fact that an approach has been proposed to create simple and cost-effective methods for conducting functional testing of electronic portals, with the help of which system users, including those who do not have special programming skills, will be able to create automated tests and update existing automated test scripts. To ensure these capabilities, the article presents solutions for creating a pseudo-language and an interpreter for it. All the solutions presented are scalable and can be used when working with other electronic portals.