Framework For Provision Of Services Research Articles

An Edge-Cloud Collaboration Framework for Generative AI Service Provision With Synergetic Big Cloud Model and Small Edge Models

An Edge-Cloud Collaboration Framework for Generative AI Service Provision With Synergetic Big Cloud Model and Small Edge Models

Smartgrid-based hybrid digital twins framework for demand side recommendation service provision in distributed power systems

Electricity consumers face challenges in selecting an optimal energy-saving plan, and this is a sustainability problem. To set consumers focus on sustainable energy management, developments around ”Industry 4.0” are needed to achieve an optimal balance between cost and energy consumption with a focus on cutting-edge machine-learning models and smart services introduction. Energy modelling is crucial for confronting the challenges introduced by the energy transition. This research is to promote digital twin (DT) technology in smart energy grids. The hybrid digital twin model is developed based on smart grid end-users’ electrical components. This approach emulates the component specification of the reference smart grid system and encourages a reduction in net energy consumption. Additionally, the application of AI connects smart meters, IoT devices, and the assets of the smart grids to the DT recreation of demand-side end-users for energy efficiency recommendation provision; this setup improves energy management, energy efficiency, and the usage of renewable energy resources. The novelty of this study is that the recent scope of demand-side recommendation schemes has been extended in the direction of cutting-edge Industry 4.0 hybrid DTs. Additionally, a prototype system and its functional characteristics have been proposed with the potential to pave the path for utilization in microgrid environments. Simulation results show a unique level of parallelism between the reference system and the developed model, along with a 36.8% reduction in net energy consumption following implementation of the recommendation advice.

A regulatory gap analysis of midwifery to deliver essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

In Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, midwives are the main providers of primary reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent (RMNCAH) services. We analyzed to what extent practice regulations allow midwives to provide nationally defined essential RMNCAH services. Stakeholder consultations and document reviews were conducted to identify the essential RMNCAH interventions and care tasks midwives are expected to provide without physicians. These were defined in: 1) the Essential Health Service Package (EHSP) and 2) 18 national standards and guidelines. We then mapped whether midwifery regulations, which provide the legal framework for clinical service provision, supported delivery of these standards to identify regulatory gaps. Data were used to update regulations. Midwives were expected to provide 39 RMNCAH interventions without physicians, representing 1100 care tasks. Midwifery practice regulations allowed eight of 39 interventions (20.5%) and 705 of 1100 care tasks (64.1%) at baseline. Of the 31 interventions not allowed for provision by midwives, 83.9% (26) required prescribing and giving medicines, 51.6% (16) ordering and conducting diagnostics, 38.7% (12) making a clinical diagnosis, and 22.6% (7) use of non-pharmacological interventions. The Ministry of Health convened a multi-stakeholder group to revise the midwifery practice regulations, which increased the legally supported interventions and care tasks to 37 (94.9%) and 1081 (98.3%), respectively. This novel methodology enabled systematic identification and quantification of regulatory gaps in midwifery practice and data-driven revisions. Consequently, regulatory support for delivery of primary RMNCAH interventions vastly improved. The approach can be applied to other clinical cadres, service areas and countries. Korea Foundation for International Health Care (KOFIH) supported research operation.

Energy storage for the provision of a secondary frequency control service: Evidence in the Colombian market

In this article, we evaluate three alternatives for incorporating storage systems in the secondary frequency control service in the Colombian energy market. The first method is to maintain the current auction mechanism linked to the energy offer but including BESS in competition with established generators. The second is to implement mid-term auctions for services providing both generators and Battery Energy Storage Systems, while the third alternative suggests the adoption of long-term auctions with BESS remuneration based on the rate of return methodology. These long-term auctions operate in conjunction with the well-established framework for service provision, utilising generation assets. Based on our results, the latter two alternatives exhibit superior efficiency. Compared to the current scheme, these alternatives have the advantages of: improved efficiency in price forming, minimum impact on the energy market, and decreased service costs. Whereas the annual remuneration under the current mechanism amounts to USD 105 million, alternatives achieve savings from around 7% (only for 50 MW of reserve provision with BESS) to 50% (100% BESS service provision), related to current service costs. This means annual savings of up to USD 62 million. In any of these systems, the operation efficiency is increased, since battery energy storage systems are devices with faster response times to frequency changes.

Implementing Strengths-Based Dialogue to Reframe Clinical Education and Community Engagement

Purpose: Health care professionals want to solve problems. When health disparities are observed, the solution often rests on expanding access to clinical services. However, what are the varied paths that persons with communication disorders might take to access speech, language, and hearing care? Where are these paths successful and where does a well-intended initiative have an absent or limited effect in altering disparities? Multiple, complex factors affect access to health care in underserved communities. However, current practice tends to frame the goals and metrics of outreach programs in terms of access to health care services, which risks privileging the perspective of the providers who want to increase the volume of services accessed over the voices of the community members for whom access to health care is only part of the larger course of their lives. Solutions that do not reflect those community strengths outside the service provision framework likely yield minimal impact on quality of life, since the community members are less likely to fully embrace the solution. Method: In this clinical focus, we describe a community-informed strengths-based framework for clinicians and clinical researchers whose work is designed to reach underserved communities by employing mutual trust, empathy, active listening, and patient-centered care planning. Through case scenarios, we exemplify key tenets of the framework. Conclusions: The community-informed strengths-based framework detailed in this clinical focus supports a paradigm shift from a biomedically-informed strengths-based framework to a model of health care service provision that focuses on individual or community strengths. Eliciting guidance from those receiving care and framing the totality of encounters in terms of the process of responding to community strengths can build a collaborative and sustainable path forward toward achieving health goals.

Paying for nature‐based solutions: A review of funding and financing mechanisms for ecosystem services and their impacts on social equity

AbstractFunding and financing challenges remain a persistent barrier to implementing nature‐based solutions that enhance ecosystem services, facilitate adaptation to climate change, and combat environmental stressors in cities. In the absence of adequate public financial resources, private funds are often expected to fill the gap. But market‐driven, nature‐based solutions can contribute to an inequitable distribution of urban ecosystem services by focusing on net benefits provided by nature. To help foster sustainable development and ensure that nature‐based solutions reach diverse and historically marginalized populations and communities, this scoping review explores the ecosystem services provided by nature‐based solutions and the payment mechanisms that produce and maintain them, focusing on literature on the United States. Findings suggest that the net benefits provided by nature‐based solutions and the available payment mechanisms vary based on the solution utilized (e.g., urban trees, parks, community gardens). Further, the distribution of benefits from nature‐based solutions is influenced by local historical, cultural, political, economic, and environmental contexts, the voices included in decision‐making, and the payment mechanisms used. Inspired by social equity principles, we present a framework for ecosystem service provision that is sensitive to market‐driven funding, financing, and partnerships. Practitioners can use this framework to assess whether payment schemes work in tandem with place (the local context) and process (governance and planning approaches) to ameliorate or exacerbate disparities in nature‐based solutions and the benefits they provide to people.

An integrated framework for public service provision in smart cities

An integrated framework for public service provision in smart cities

Two Halves of the Same Whole: A Framework to Integrate Autism and Mental Health Services

Given the higher rates of co-occurring mental health issues experienced by autistic people, there is a pressing need to implement an effective framework that integrates autism services with appropriate mental health services. This paper discusses the impact of mental illness on the person with autism and their families, and the current challenges they face when accessing mental health support. A framework for service providers is proposed to support the mental health needs and preferences of autistic people. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of health professionals utilising mental health interventions appropriate for autistic people, including autism-specific suicide prevention and awareness programs.

Value co-creation in humanitarian service triads: service provision for beneficiaries

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how humanitarian service triad members contribute to value co-creation, and how they assess the continuity of services in humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) to ensure support for beneficiaries.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied a qualitative methodology through a single case study of a humanitarian service triad composed of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), service providers and beneficiaries. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and observations.FindingsThe findings confirm that the humanitarian service triad perspective in HSCs allows better understanding of humanitarian assistance. The findings indicate six components grouped into a humanitarian service triad framework, namely: service design, service reachability, training serviceability, collaboration, synergy, ethical considerations and after-service care.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to understanding of humanitarian services provision by studying service triads in humanitarian settings. It also confirms the need for cooperation between practitioners in services provision. The findings are limited to the context of refugees in Turkey, specifically humanitarian service triad located in Izmir area.Practical implicationsThe Humanitarian Service Triad Framework for Service Provision proposed in this paper can be used as a tool for policy makers and practitioners involved in service design in HSC contexts, stressing the need for including all the framework components in practice.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to focus on a humanitarian service triad, which includes beneficiaries as triad members in long-term humanitarian service provision.

Frequency Response From Aggregated V2G Chargers With Uncertain EV Connections

Fast frequency response (FR) is highly effective at securing frequency dynamics after a generator outage in low inertia systems. Electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with vehicle to grid (V2G) chargers could offer an abundant source of FR in future. However, the uncertainty associated with V2G aggregation, driven by the uncertain number of connected EVs at the time of an outage, has not been fully understood and prevents its participation in the existing service provision framework. To tackle this limitation, this paper, for the first time, incorporates such uncertainty into system frequency dynamics, from which probabilistic nadir and steady state frequency requirements are enforced via a derived moment-based distributionally-robust chance constraint. Field data from over 25,000 chargers is analysed to provide realistic parameters and connection forecasts to examine the value of FR from V2G chargers in annual operation of the GB 2030 system. The case study demonstrates that uncertainty of EV connections can be effectively managed through the proposed scheduling framework, which results in annual savings of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$&amp;pound;$</tex-math></inline-formula>6,300 or 37.4&#x00A0;tCO<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> per charger. The sensitivity of this value to renewable capacity and FR delays is explored, with V2G capacity shown to be a third as valuable as the same grid battery capacity.

Understanding Customer Retrials in Call Centers: Preferences for Service Quality and Service Speed

Problem definition: Customers are likely to initiate retrial calls when their previous contact with a call center fails to deliver a satisfactory resolution. According to industry reports, retrials are listed as a top annoying issue for customers and hurt call centers’ profits. Though recognizing this problem, call centers find it challenging to reduce retrials without overshooting their operating expenses. Our research aims to empirically understand the mechanism of customer retrials and then provide economically feasible solutions to reduce retrials. Academic/practical relevance: Little empirical research has been done to understand customers’ strategic retrials, and theoretical research studies retrials by assuming the degree to which pickup speed and service quality impact retrials. Our research empirically investigates the mechanism of customer retrials by studying whether speed and quality truly matter and, if so, how strong the impact is from each of them and whether the impacts are different across various customer segments. The quantified mechanism can then guide service providers to reduce retrials cost-effectively. Methodology: We use a random-coefficient dynamic structural model to characterize customer decisions in pursuing a satisfactory resolution and estimate the parameters from call-by-call records of a uniquely designed call center. Our model tracks customer decisions in the online waiting stage, in which customers are waiting for an agent but weighing whether to abandon, and in the off-line waiting stage, in which customers are not directly connected but are actively debating whether to retry. Utilizing the hybrid system that sequentially places customers into queues for three distinct quality service groups, we disentangle the effects of pickup speed and service quality on customers’ abandonment and retrial decisions. Results: Our estimations confirm that high service quality and quick pickup speed reduce retrials. Moreover, we discover that private customers are more sensitive to quality but less sensitive to speed compared with business customers. We suggest two service designs to reduce retrials cost-effectively by tailoring services to customer preferences. One reallocates the service groups for different customer segments without expanding the system, and the other adjusts the staffing ratios by hiring low-cost, ordinary-quality agents. Under the two tailoring designs, business customer surplus increases by up to 14.4% and private customer surplus by up to 14.9%. Managerial implications: First, our research highlights the importance of recognizing customers’ off-line decisions, which are impacted by online service offerings and, in turn, affect future online service operations. Neglecting customer retrials leads to suboptimal service designs. Second, by understanding the mechanism of customer retrials empirically, our research guides call centers to reduce retrials cost-effectively with speed–quality balance. Third, our research develops a practical analysis framework for service providers to quantify customer preferences and design tailoring services.

Empowering Caregivers of Children With Disabilities in Zambia: A Photovoice Study.

Families with a child or children with a disability (CWD) living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a marginalized population experiencing multiple contextual factors within a social model of disability that contribute to decreased occupational participation. To understand the advocacy messages that caregivers of CWD, living in an LMIC, wanted their community to learn about CWD. Photovoice methodology was used with 10 parents of a CWD. Photographs, accompanying narratives, and focus group session transcripts were analyzed using Wang and Burris's (1997) original Photovoice technique. Urban subdistrict of Lusaka, Zambia. A community venue was used for the focus group, and the community photograph exhibition occurred in the subdistrict. Ten parents of a CWD living in an urban subdistrict of Zambia who were currently participating in a community-based program, Kusamala+, which addressed stigma in the community and supported parents of children with disabilities through training. Three themes were revealed: (1) "our children with disabilities should be shown love," (2) "our children with disabilities should be well taken care of," and (3) "our children with disabilities need help because they have different needs." The findings indicate that a social disability model lens and participatory action research can be used to reveal occupational injustices that hinder parents' engagement in caregiving for their CWD in a marginalized community. Use of visual methodologies can be a powerful advocacy tool for marginalized populations. What This Article Adds: Our findings suggest that occupational therapists can better understand, and provide services to, families living in marginalized communities by using a social model of disability as a framework for evaluation and service provision. By highlighting issues of occupational injustice, occupational therapists can advocate for and empower communities of people with disabilities who face stigma and discrimination.

Are Financial Incentives Appropriate Means of Encouraging Medication Adherence Among People Living With HIV?

Financial incentives have been shown to improve antiretroviral (ARV) adherence for people living with HIV, but scholars have argued that this commodifies treatment and have debated the ethics of doing so. This article summarizes research on ethical processes and factors involved in an intervention that successfully improved ARV adherence among socially vulnerable people living with HIV. Thirty qualitative interviews were conducted with intervention participants and field notes documenting organizational processes were analyzed. The protocol utilized a preexisting framework to assess the ethics of using financial incentives to motivate adherence. Financial incentives supported an ethical service provision framework by (1) establishing and strengthening client agency, (2) revising organizational protocols to prioritize adherence, and (3) promoting resource redistribution. Financial incentives, when embedded in wrap-around services, innovative client-centered organizational processes, and a justice orientation, constitute an ethical intervention requiring ethical investigation.

Application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model for the development of a community pharmacy ear health intervention for rural populations

Abstract Introduction The World Health Organisation has identified ear disease to be a major public health problem in rural and remote communities, with access to services an identified barrier. (1) Rural community pharmacists are recognised as highly skilled, accessible and trusted health professionals. An innovative service “LISTEN UP” (Locally Integrated Screening and Testing Ear aNd aUral Program) has been implemented in two remote community pharmacies in Australia. The service involves patients with an ear complaint self-presenting to a participating pharmacy and receiving a clinical examination by a pharmacist, who has completed accredited training in ear health, otoscopy and tympanometry. “LISTEN UP” has been developed using the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model.(2) The PRECEDE component of the model assesses social, epidemiological, behavioural, environmental, educational and ecological factors to inform the development of an intervention.(2) The PROCEED-component consists of pilot testing and evaluation. Aim To describe an ecological approach to health promotion via the application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model to develop a rural community pharmacy-based ear health intervention. Methods PRECEDE (Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis) provided a framework to plan and develop a locally relevant and community focused program. This included research and engagement via meetings, surveys and interviews of consumers, pharmacists, health professionals and stakeholders. PROCEED (Policy, Regulatory, and Organisational Constructs in Educational and Environmental Development) outlined the structure for implementing and evaluating the intervention that was developed in the PRECEDE process. A pilot study has been included in PROCEED segment to allow improvement before implementing and evaluating the final model. Data will be collected in the pilot study via semi-structured interviews and surveys. This will be analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Results As part of the PRECEDE segment a social assessment was undertaken via mixed method studies of rural consumers, pharmacists and health professionals. Hearing testing was ranked as the seventh (from twenty-six) most important expanded pharmacy service by both consumer and health professional groups. An epidemiological assessment found extensive ear disease in rural and remote locations resulting in complications and hearing loss. Behavioural and environment assessments identified eleven ear health interventions which include hearing screening [3], otoscopy pilot studies [2], audiometry services [1], specific education for undergraduate pharmacy students [2] and a pharmacy-based clinic [3]. However none of the interventions described a framework for continued service provision. Policy and regulation assessment was undertaken to align the intervention within the regulatory framework. The application of this model is partially complete with the study protocol for the intervention developed and the initial pilot study in progress. This study’s strengths include its applicability to rural populations and the limited evidence base that currently exists. It is however limited by the small size of the pilot study and application of this model to a national intervention would be useful for future. Conclusions The application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model demonstrates the applicability of this planning model for developing and evaluating an ear health intervention with a particular focus on community pharmacies in rural and remote locations.

Social prescribing for autistic people: A framework for service provision

Social Prescribing (SP) is the referral of patients to non-clinical services for practical, physical or psychosocial support. Recent guidelines from the National Health Service England mean that SP will become commonplace for people with complex healthcare needs. Autistic adults make up over 1% of the population and commonly have co-existing physical and mental health conditions, therefore they are likely to be referred to SP services. As yet, no studies have examined the efficacy of SP for autistic adults. In this letter, we review the existing literature examining the efficacy of SP in the general population. We further examine the factors that should be considered when offering SP to autistic adults in order to optimise outcomes for physical and mental well-being.

A Multi-Market Trading Framework for Low-Latency Service Provision at the Edge of Networks

A Multi-Market Trading Framework for Low-Latency Service Provision at the Edge of Networks

Virtualized and Micro Services Provisioning in Space-Air-Ground Integrated Networks

In this article, we justify an online service provisioning (OSP) framework to provision virtualized and micro service (VMS) to users, which can achieve efficient, flexible, and scalable service provisioning. Compared to the onboard service provisioning framework, the system bottleneck shifts from the onboard computation limitation to the network capability and robustness in OSP, which the space-air-ground integrated network (SAGIN) can ably support. First, the motivations of OSP and VMS per the current mobile application industry are identified. Then we investigate the capabilities of the SAGIN to enable the OSP framework, where the evolution of the terrestrial network, on-demand deployment of an aerial network, and global coverage with a satellite network are reviewed. Afterward, we elaborate on three major techniques of VMS provisioning in the OSP framework: application decomposition, control protocol design, and microservice placement/replacement. Finally, we design and implement a case study to demonstrate the efficacy of provisioning VMS in OSP.

Marketization in a statist-corporatist nonprofit sector: the case of Hong Kong

In this article, an actor-centered approach was used to conceptualize marketization trends under statist-corporatist regimes and to critically examine theories on the trends and impact of marketization. A grounded theory method was used to guide data collection. A total of 65 critical incidents from the perspective of senior executives were collected from 18 nonprofit organizations in Hong Kong. Their annual budgets all exceeded US$6.5 million. Behavioral event interviews were conducted with the senior executives to understand how they conceptualized the organizational challenges and rationalized their decisions. The results show that commercialization was not a major marketization trend in statist-corporatist regimes. Nonprofit organizations were found enhancing self-governance capacities through building management competencies, articulating organizational policies and know-how, and adopting strategic management. It was not driven by institutional isomorphism. Second, strategic human resource management was revealed as another strategy to reduce resource dependence, which enriches the theory's current focus on earned-income strategies. Third, service expansions were observed as either directed at service gaps or driven by competition. By specifying the rationales for service expansion in exclusively nonprofit service markets, the study nuances the debate over the impact of marketization on nonprofit sectors. Points for practitioners For policymakers, it is important to be aware of the impact of market mechanisms on the nonprofit sector, which varies across countries due to the differences in the institutional framework for social service provision. For nonprofit managers, particularly those working in a statist-corporatist sector, they may benefit from self-governance strategies, revenue strategies such as active fundraising campaigns and regular donor programs, and strategic human resource management practices. More importantly, it is revealed that service expansions driven by competition for market shares and resources could render nonprofits, particularly those serve multiple types of target beneficiaries susceptible to the struggles of defining organizational identity and core competencies.

Social prescribing for autistic people: A framework for service provision

Social Prescribing (SP) is the referral of patients to non-clinical services for practical, physical or psychosocial support. Recent guidelines from the National Health Service England mean that SP will become commonplace for people with complex healthcare needs. Autistic adults make up 1% of the population and commonly have co-existing physical and mental health conditions, therefore they are likely to be referred to SP services. As yet, no studies have examined the efficacy of SP for autistic adults. In this letter, we review the existing literature examining the efficacy of SP in the general population. We further examine the factors that should be considered when offering SP to autistic adults in order to optimise outcomes.

An Internet of Things based Software Defined Security Service Provisioning Framework

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a propelling system structure perspective that spotlights on the parcel of control and data planes. SDN gets creating care both from the academic network and adventure, all through an immense number of utility spaces. The proposal of extended progression in system purposes and diminished expense for framework directors has gotten over the frameworks organization world to the innovative and farsighted of Software Defined Networking (SDN). With the surge of widely inclusive detectable quality over the system and the likelihood to programming framework contraptions, architects have rushed to remunerate a variety generally SDN-pleasant hardware, programming and organizations. Regardless, amidst this free for all of movement, one key segment has least troublesome not exceptionally far in the past entered the discourse: organize protection. In this article, confirmation in SDN is considered offering both the investigation social event and industry advances with respect to this issue.