Demand For Services Research Articles

Some critical thinking on the integrative assessment of ecosystem service supply and demand relationships.

In the past decade, research on the relationships between the supply and demand of ecosystem services has been flourishing. To address issues such as the misuse of supply and demand concepts, methods, and results in current research, we proposed five key aspects that need to be considered to enhance the scientific rigor and practical value in assessing relationships between ecosystem service supply and demand. Firstly, it is essential to clarify the distinctions and connections between the concepts related to ecosystem service supply and demand, which are crucial prerequisites and starting points for assessing their relationships. Secondly, it is necessary to integrate relevant environmental standards or policy objectives to develop reliable methods for assessing the demand for ecosystem regulating services. Furthermore, it is important to properly address the modifiable areal unit problem by determining the most appropriate spatial scale and unit for evaluating relationships between ecosystem service supply and demand. Additionally, it is crucial to differentiate between quantitative and qualitative methods for characterizing (im)balances or (mis)matches between ecosystem service supply and demand, particularly avoiding the use of qualitative methods to represent quantitative relationships between supply and demand. Lastly, it is imperative to integrate ecosystem service flows into the assessment of supply and demand relationships, and evaluate the dynamic supply and demand relationships of regional ecosystem services from a coupled "supply-flow-demand" perspective.

A Multi-Lingual Conversational AI Chatbot for Effective Educational Consultations: A Study of ACE-DS, University of Rwanda

The demand for real-time consultation services from organizations is increasing, leading to prolonged waiting times, primarily due to limited opportunities for face-to-face interactions and language barriers. This study addresses this challenge by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and linguistic technologies to develop a multilingual conversational AI Chabot for managing educational consultation services, using the African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS), University of Rwanda, as a case study. Information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about ACE-DS were used to train a Deep Learning Gated Recurrent Units (GRUs) algorithm to power the Chabot. Language detection and translation APIs were integrated to facilitate seamless multilingual conversations. The result of user survey conducted revealed that over 60% of respondents expressed high satisfaction with the Chabot’s performance including grammar, efficiency, language preferences, and response quality. This study showcases the potential of AI particularly NLP in enhancing educational consultation services, providing a framework for efficient information acquisition.

The Israeli anesthesiology workforce crisis: a reassessment survey

BackgroundAnesthesiologists provide crucial anesthesiology services in the operating room and non-operating room locations. Combined with an aging and growing Israeli population, there is an increasing demand for anesthesiology services. A previous study performed in 2005 showed that most anesthesiologists are immigrant physicians with few Israeli medical school graduates. Since then, physician immigration decreased, many have retired and demand for anesthesia services has increased while insufficient numbers of new anesthesiologists were trained, leading to a shortage, limiting surgeries and other procedures in many hospitals. The present study examined the composition of the Israeli anesthesiology workforce in 2021and compared it to the 2005 workforce.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of demographic and professional information about each Israeli hospital anesthesiologists was solicited from 34 anesthesiology department chairs responsible for 36 Israeli acute care hospitals.ResultsThere are 1313 anesthesiologists in the 36 hospitals, resulting in a ratio of 14.2 anesthesiologists per 100,000 population. 22.6% of anesthesiologists will reach retirement age over the next ten years. The proportion of female anesthesiologists was 28.7%. While Israeli medical school graduates increased to 18.1% from 12.2% in 2005, non-Israeli citizens and non-permanent residents comprised 8.5% of the workforce.ConclusionsDespite growth in the ratio of anesthesiologists per population, a workforce shortage is expected to worsen over the next ten years due to retirements, shortened call hours, and the Yatziv reform which bans graduates of certain overseas medical schools from obtaining Israeli Medical Licenses. The current workforce has compensated for the existing shortage of anesthesiologists by enlisting non-Israeli trainees from overseas. Yet, it is crucial to maintain and enlarge the local Israeli workforce to forestall a worsening shortage.

How does the Chinese digital transformation of enterprises affect the auditor switch?

The digital transformation of enterprises has brought great changes to the audit service demand of enterprises and the audit service supply of auditors. Therefore, there is a pressing need to study the digital transformation of enterprises and its impact on auditor switch. This paper aims to explore the influence of enterprise digital transformation on auditor switch and its potential implications for improving auditor efficiency. Using Python's machine learning tools and text analysis methods, This paper measure the digital transformation of Chinese listed companies and study the impact of digital transformation on the frequency of auditors witches. Our findings suggest that companies that have undergone digital transformation have reduced the frequency of changing auditors by alleviating information asymmetry, enhancing the effectiveness of companies' internal controls and increasing audit fees. This unique measurement mode of digital transformation provides new evidence for the relationship between the audit service demand of enterprises and the audit service supply of auditors under the digital transformation environment. The research can assist businesses in understanding how digital transformation affects auditing professionally and in improving their audit processes accordingly.

Nonlinear Analysis of EDF Scheduling Framework for Resource Distribution in Cloud Computing

In modern times, the field of information technology is significantly shifting towards cloud computing. This innovative technology involves the permanent storage of resources on servers, which clients access via the internet. Typically, a cloud comprises a collection of resources known as virtual machines, capable of managing both computational tasks and storage needs. As the demand for cloud services continues to rise, the scheduling of these resources presents a considerable challenge. Scheduling refers to the workflow management necessary to complete tasks within the system. An efficient scheduler adapts its scheduling policy dynamically in response to changing conditions and task requirements. Cloud computing represents a recently developed technology where resources, whether physical or virtual machines, are permanently stored on servers and accessed by users through the internet. The cloud offers various service models, including Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In this context, IaaS refers to a set of resources, including virtual machines, that provide computational and storage services. Given the increasing adoption of cloud technology, resource scheduling has become a critical task. Hence, optimizing the scheduling of requests to ensure the best utilization of cloud resources is essential. This paper introduces a Nonlinear Analysis of EDF Scheduling Framework for resource allocation that considers deadlines and processing times when assigning resources to specific jobs. The performance metrics, including Average Turnaround Time, Average Waiting Time, and Average Deadline Violation, show a significant improvement when compared to traditional scheduling models such as First-Come, First-Served (FCFS), the Shortest Job First (SJF), and Simple Earliest Deadline First (EDF) models.

Measurement and Evaluation of the Development Level of Health and Wellness Tourism from the Perspective of High-Quality Development

In recent years, with the dramatic surge in the demand for health and elderly care services, the emergence of the health dividend has presented good development opportunities for health and wellness tourism. However, as a sector of the economy, health and wellness tourism still faces numerous challenges in achieving high-quality development. Therefore, this paper focuses on 31 provinces in China and constructs a multidimensional evaluation index system for the high-quality development of health and wellness tourism. The global entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and cluster analysis are used to conduct in-depth measurements, regional comparisons, and classification evaluations of the high-quality development of health and wellness tourism in each province. The research results indicate that: (1) From a quality perspective, the level of health and wellness tourism development in 11 provinces in China has exceeded the national average, while the remaining 20 provinces are below the national average. (2) From a regional perspective, the current level of high-quality development in health and wellness tourism decreases sequentially from the eastern to the central to the western regions, with significant regional differences. (3) Overall, the development in the 31 provinces can be categorized into five types: the High-Quality Benchmark Type, the High-Quality Stable Type, the High-Quality Progressive Type, the General-Quality Potential Type, and the General-Quality Lagging Type. (4) From a single-dimension analysis perspective, there are significant differences in the rankings of each province across different dimensions. Finally, this paper enriches and expands the theoretical foundation on the high-quality development of health and wellness tourism; on the other hand, it puts forward targeted countermeasures and suggestions to help promote the comprehensive enhancement of health and wellness tourism.

Multi-scale matching and simulating flows of ecosystem service supply and demand in the Wuhan metropolitan area, China

Metropolitan areas face the challenge of balancing increasing social needs against limited natural resources. The multi-scale evaluation of ecosystem services (ES) supply, demand and flows is crucial but under explored. Four prominent ES, food provision (FP), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), and outdoor recreation (OR) in Wuhan metropolitan area (WMA) were selected as cases. ES supply and demand were assessed by InVEST model, geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis, and statistical methods. A linear programming model was employed to reveal the characteristics of ES flows. Results showed the following: (1) the total ES supply capacity can meet the demand of the study area. At different scales, the supply patterns were fundamentally consistent, except for FP, which was significantly higher in Wuhan's suburban areas. In contrast, the other three ES exhibited high supply in the northeast and south WMA, encompassing the Dabie and Mufu Mountains. The high demand for all ES radiated from the city center, except for SC. (2) A significant scale effect of ES mismatch was found, and ecological deficit patches decreased with increasing research scale. The Mismatch was evident on finer scales but lessened at coarser ones. (3) ES flows, consisting of FP, CS, and OR, formed a flow pattern from the suburbs to the city center. Coarse-scale management integrating ecological flows may better maintain ES balance than fine-scale measures. These findings provide insights for multi-scale management strategies that not only contribute to localized ecological restoration, but also optimize strategies for ecological corridors and compensation mechanisms.

GP working time and supply, and patient demand in England in 2015-2022: a retrospective study.

English primary care faces a reduction in GP supply and increased demand. To explore trends in GP working time and supply, accounting for factors influencing demand for services. Retrospective observational study in English primary care between 2015 and 2022. Trends in median GP contracted time commitment were calculated using annual workforce datasets. Three measures of demand were calculated at practice-level: numbers of patients; numbers of older patients (≥65 years); and numbers of chronic conditions using 21 Quality and Outcomes Framework disease registers. Multi-level Poisson models were used to assess associations between GP supply and practice demand, adjusted for deprivation, region, and year. Between 2015 and 2022, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) of a fully qualified GP decreased from 0.80 to 0.69. There was a 9% increase in registered population per GP FTE (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05 to 1.14). This increase was steeper using numbers of chronic conditions (32%, IRR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.38). Practices in the most deprived decile had 17% more patients (IRR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.27) and 19% more chronic conditions (IRR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.33) per GP FTE, compared with the least deprived decile. These disparities persisted over time. All regions reported more chronic conditions per GP FTE than London. Population demand per GP has increased, particularly in terms of chronic conditions. This increase is driven by several factors, including a reduction in GP contracted time commitments. Persistent deprivation gradients in GP supply highlight the need to recruit and retain GPs more equitably.

Understanding parental preference for childcare: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China.

This study analyzed the factors influencing childcare preference and the relationship between childcare preference and childcare service demand scale, using data collected from a questionnaire survey of 3,921 parents of infants and toddlers in Chongqing, China. The results indicate that parents with higher incomes, higher education levels, older ages, multiple infants, and dual-career living in urban areas have a stronger preference for childcare. In the shared or grandparent care model, the childcare preference is not obvious. Parents of infants tend to choose childcare institutions that provide reception services, early education, and convenience services. Higher quality environmental facilities tend to reduce the preference of parents for childcare.

Peningkatan Performa Pelayanan Publik Melalui Penerapan Core Values BerAKHLAK di Kota Singkawang Tahun 2022-2023

In the midst of increasingly high public demands for quality public services, the government through service officers must be able to serve professionally. Implementation and apllication of the core values of BerAKHLAK is one of the main keys to realizing excellent public services. This study aims to examine the process of internalization and application of the core values of BerAKHLAK carried out in Singkawang City in the implementation of public services and their contribution to improving the performance of quality public services for the community. The research method used is a descriptive research type and qualitative approach. Informants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data analysis techniques included data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion/verification sourced from observation, interviews and documentation. The results showed that the internalization of the core values of BerAKHLAK in Singkawang City has been running well and has had a positive impact on improving public service performance. This is evidenced by the increasing value of the public service index in Singkawang City by the Ministry of PAN-RB with a score of 4.22 in 2022 from previously in 2021 getting a score of 3.57. In addition, public satisfaction with public services in Singkawang City has also increased as seen from the value of the public satisfaction index, and the commitment of UPP in Singkawang City to improving the quality of public services. However, there are still weaknesses in several aspects of service. Therefore, The Singkawang City Government must continue to make sustainable efforts to improve the quality of public services in Singkawang City.

Disparity in healthcare seeking behaviors between impoverished and non-impoverished populations with implications for healthcare resource optimization

Globally, poverty and illness are linked, attracting widespread attention. In China, illness contributes to about 40% of rural poverty. This study sought to investigate how healthcare-seeking behavior differs between impoverished and non-impoverished populations within the same Chinese healthcare delivery system. It also sought to understand how differences should be considered when assessing spatial accessibility to provide more accurate recommendations for healthcare resource optimization and promote village revitalization and health equity in China. Methodologically, a survey conducted in May 2019 in Enshi Prefecture (a national impoverished region in Hubei Province, China) collected data on healthcare resource utilization regarding the inpatient and outpatient needs of both impoverished and non-impoverished populations. A Chi-square test compared their respective healthcare-seeking behaviors in three respects (e.g., preference for healthcare institution type, transportation mode, and travel time). Baidu Map data with healthcare institution locations and real-life travel times were then incorporated to assess spatial access to different types of healthcare institutions. Results showed that in Enshi, the most widespread village clinics (low-level) were generally the most utilized healthcare institutions for outpatient visits, with patients usually walking for about 30 min. The middle-level Township Health Centers (THCs) and high-level public hospitals were the most used for inpatient visits, with patients willing to drive up to 30 min to THCs and 60 min to hospitals. Comparatively, the impoverished have more frequent service demands but tend to choose lower-level healthcare institutions, with longer travel times and limited transportation modes. Although 75% of Enshi’s area was covered within 30 min by village clinics and 51% of the villages were within 60 min’ drive to hospitals, considerable areas remain under-served compared with the shortest travel time targets in China. In conclusion, spatial access to healthcare resources in Enshi must be further improved, especially by strengthening the service capacity of primary healthcare institutions to address the healthcare needs of Enshi’s impoverished population. The disparity in healthcare-seeking behavior between different population groups should be fully considered to effectively allocate limited healthcare resources to promote health equity for vulnerable populations as proposed in international and domestic policies.

THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND AWARENESS AND BRAND ASSOCIATION ON NETFLIX BRAND EQUITY THROUGH BRAND LOYALTY

Abstract The increasingly fierce competitive environment between companies and the challenges faced by Video On Demand services, especially in this study, namely Netflix, the company needs to strengthen brand equity so that the brand owned becomes superior to competitors.This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of brand awareness and brand association on Netflix brand equity through brand loyalty. The type of research conducted is quantitative descriptive with a causal approach, sampling techniques using purposive sampling and obtained a sample of 170 respondents. Analysis method using SEM with Amos 24.0 Analysis tool.The results showed that brand awareness has no effect on brand equity, brand association affects brand equity, brand loyalty affects brand equity, brand awareness affects brand loyalty, brand association has no effect on brand loyalty. Also, brand loyalty is able to mediate the influence of brand awareness on brand equity. However, brand loyalty is not able to mediate the influence of brand association on brand equity. Based on the results of research that has been done, it can be concluded that the importance of building a strong and positive brand association and increasing brand loyalty to strengthen Netflix's brand equity

Gravity and trade in video on demand services

Gravity and trade in video on demand services

Barriers to Childhood Immunisation and Local Strategies in Four Districts in South Africa: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: In South Africa over the past 20 years, immunisation has saved countless lives as well as prevented illnesses and disabilities. Despite this, vaccine-preventable illnesses remain a danger. The demand for and uptake of immunisation services are shaped by a variety of factors that can either act as barriers or facilitators to immunisation uptake. The aim of this project was to identify the supply and demand barriers and develop local strategies to improve childhood immunisation in four zero-dose districts in South Africa. Materials and Methods: This study used a mixed-method approach. In each of these four districts, 15 in-depth key informant interviews with health workers and local health managers and four focus group discussions (10 participants per focus group discussion) with community members and caregivers were held over a three-month period. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed using qualitative analysis software (Nvivo®) into 10 factors as identified as important in influencing immunisation demand and uptake in previous studies. A further four were identified during the data analysis process. Results: Despite the varying role of factors affecting demand and uptake of immunisation services, three consistent findings stand out as major barriers across all districts. The first is interaction with healthcare staff. This clearly highlights the crucial role that the interactions between patients and staff play in shaping perceptions and behaviours related to immunisation services. The second is the overall experience of care at healthcare facilities. This emphasises the role that patient experience of services plays in perceptions and behaviours related to immunisation services. The third is family dynamics. This highlights the important role family dynamics play in shaping individuals' decisions regarding immunisation uptake as well as the impact it has on the ability of people to access health services. Discussion: The role played by the different factors in the demand and uptake of immunisation services varied across the four districts examined in this study. Each of the districts presents a unique landscape where different factors have varying degrees of importance in affecting the utilisation of immunisation services. In some districts, certain factors are major barriers, clearly hindering the demand and uptake of immunisation services, while in others, these same factors might be a relatively minor barrier. This discrepancy highlights the unique nature of healthcare challenges across the districts and the need for tailored strategy recommendations to address them effectively.

Leveraging Linked Ontario’s Health-administrative Data to Evaluate Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) in routine care

ObjectiveVirtual interventions show promise for meeting growing mental health (MH) service demands. In 2020, Ontario launched Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT), an evidence-based, self-led, asynchronous intervention for anxiety and depression. While its efficacy has been demonstrated in randomized controlled trials, we examine its real-world reach and treatment completion in routine care. ApproachLinking iCBT records with health-administrative databases, we examined the characteristics (clinical, sociodemographic, health service use) of individuals receiving iCBT (via a pilot program), compared to fully-synchronous CBT (standard of care), ascertained who is more likely to receive either modality, and determined factors associated with treatment completion using Logistic regressions adjusted for sociodemographics, baseline depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7), and outpatient and acute MH-related service use one year prior to enrollment. ResultsAmong N=167 individuals receiving iCBT at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Jan 2020-Aug 2021) and N=300 controls receiving fully-synchronous CBT via Ontario’s Structured Psychotherapy Program, we found that older individuals, those with lower baseline anxiety, and those with greater prior MH service use were more likely to receive iCBT. Intervention modality was the only significant predictor for treatment completion, with 51% lesser odds among iCBT clients (ORadjusted=0.49, 95%CI 0.31-0.76). ConclusionsWhile certain demographic characteristics differentiate iCBT recipients from those receiving standard CBT, treatment adherence is lower in self-led, asynchronous therapy. ImplicationsThis study examines iCBT in routine care and informs its wider implementation so it can reach the target population, ease access burdens, and improve MH service delivery. Future work will examine treatment effectiveness.

Urban scavenging: vertebrates display greater sensitivity to land-cover and garden vegetation cover than invertebrates

Scavenging removes carrion or littered food waste from the environment, promoting nutrient cycling, and reducing waste management costs. These ecosystem services are important in urban environments, where high human population densities result in increased littered food waste. It is unclear how the magnitude of scavenging across urban-rural gradients is influenced by agent, land-cover type, and patch size. We investigated scavenging provision by vertebrates and invertebrates across a gradient of urbanisation, based on impervious surface cover, in woodlands and gardens in Liverpool, UK. The percentage dry weight loss of bait after 48 h, deployed within vertebrate exclusion cages or exposed to vertebrates and invertebrates, was used to quantify scavenging provision. General linear mixed effects models were used to assess the relative contributions of vertebrates and invertebrates across an urban-rural gradient, variation in scavenging between woodlands and gardens, and the effects of semi-natural vegetation cover on scavenging in gardens. We consider patch size as a preliminary assessment of how fragmentation influences scavenging. Vertebrates contributed substantially more to scavenging than invertebrates across the urbanisation gradient. Vertebrate scavenging was greater in woodlands than gardens, while invertebrate scavenging remained consistent. Scavenging increased with patch size in gardens, but not woodlands. Vertebrate scavenging increased with patch size and garden semi-natural vegetation cover. Urban woodlands and gardens make important contributions to scavenging-mediated ecosystem services. There is a need to increase the cover of semi-natural vegetation in gardens to increase their contributions, and protect and expand woodlands, especially in areas with a high demand for scavenging-mediated ecosystem services.

Integrating Precision Training for Building a Sustainable National Data Infrastructure in Wales: A Datacise Open Learning (DOL) Based Case Study

ObjectiveConstruct an innovative open-learning solution that provides comprehensive training specific to Trusted Research Environments (TRE) and the broader research community of administrative data users, irrespective of their proficiency levels. DOL offers training opportunities tailored to meet each user's unique learning needs, enabling them to utilise complex, linked administrative datasets confidently and effectively for meaningful research outcomes, thereby building capacity for sustainable national data infrastructure. ApproachDOL’s innovative open-learning solution offers two learning formats: adaptive and experiential. Adaptive learning provides registered users with bitesize self-paced training based on Administrative Data Research UK's priorities. Experiential learning involves online workgroups with real-world context and practical application. They meet twice a year and are designed around specific topics with frequent guest speakers who are experts in their fields. ConclusionDOL’s innovative open-learning solution empowers TREs, such as SAIL Databank, to provide well-rounded learning that fosters community support, knowledge-sharing, and networking opportunities for its users, while gathering valuable user feedback. Users can personalise learning and test their knowledge in a flexible training environment, allowing them to take charge of their learning journey. ImplicationIn response to the increasing demand for training services from novice to advanced users, SAIL Databank adopted DOL's dual learning approach by (1) developing training courses that cover access, process, methodology, integration, and analytical tools for SAIL TRE users, (2) engaging users in a series of workgroups focused on themed datasets including Justice, Environmental, Maternal, Education, and Core Health.

Revaluating the Sustainable Development Thesis: exploring the moderating influence of Technological Innovation on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on Green Growth in the OECD Countries

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate for advancing green growth, a concept that balances economic prosperity with environmental protection. At the core of this vision are principles of sustainable consumption, production, and energy usage, all aimed at mitigating climate change and safeguarding ecosystems. This study investigates how technological innovation influences the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and green growth in OECD member countries. Specifically, we examine two facets of green growth: production-based CO2 productivity and demand-based CO2 productivity. We employ empirical analyses using the EKC and STIRPAT framework, which includes Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), smoothed instrumental-variables quantile regression (SIVQR), and System GMM methodologies, to uncover significant insights. Our analysis reveals that FDI impedes green growth, while technological innovation is pivotal in enhancing it. This pattern holds steady across various time frames and renewable energy sources. Furthermore, our findings indicate that combining FDI and technological advancement leads to heightened production-based CO2 productivity but diminished demand-based CO2 productivity. We also identify the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve for production-based CO2 productivity. Adding to significant scientific value by demonstrating how technological innovation moderates FDI's impact on green growth in OECD countries, we advocate for fostering collaborative partnerships between foreign investors and local innovators to leverage global expertise while advancing green objectives. Additionally, policy interventions should focus on stimulating demand for eco-friendly products and services to bolster demand-based CO2 productivity.

Collecting and incorporating feedback through user research to provide the right information on data linkage processes needed to conduct research.

ObjectiveData linkage is increasingly used to generate research-ready datasets to help inform decision makers. Although use of linked data is increasing and accepted as an efficient way to generate new insights, linkage methods and error can have a significant impact on the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the results. Current linkage services overcome this by spending time explaining the linkage to the user. However, as the service demand increases and a generalised approach adopted, ensuring the information is available and understood is a growing challenge. Providing and presenting the information in an accessible way has therefore become a new problem for the data linkage experts. ApproachUser researchers are working with groups of non-linkage experts using linked data to collate and understand feedback on: what information researchers expect. the information researchers find useful. how researchers interpret and use the linkage information to inform their analysis. ResultsFindings to date will be presented by exploring how information should be presented and what information researchers are able to interpret and use as part of their analysis. Conclusions/ImpactFindings will provide guidance as to the information which should be included with a linkage output and the structure most accessible to the research community using linked data. Therefore, the research will help shape how the data linkage service is structured in the future by ensuring researchers can access information they require to interpret linked data and therefore use it appropriately. Ultimately, the feedback will help deliver data linkage services on a large scale.

Improving Responsiveness: Our Journey from Manual Yearly Updates to Automated Linkage for Near Real-Time Understanding of Outcomes and Modelling Future Service Demand

ObjectiveDemand for real-time data during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need to increase efficiencies in manual linkage processes to respond to events in near real-time. In response, our jurisdictional linkage agency transitioned from yearly to daily, weekly and monthly linkage practices through increasing automation and improving process flows. ApproachOur linkage agency transitioned to a fully automated process utilising scalable cloud infrastructure. Source data is now provided directly to a common data platform. This data is split into linkage and content, cleansed and quality assured in Python and set to automatically run via Azure data pipelines. The data is then linked via a combination of deterministic and probabilistic criteria, with data quality checks automatically performed along the way. Researchers can analyse this data in a secure virtual machine that only they can access and retrieve data from. Results This infrastructure expedites the data linkage process allowing daily linkage results to select datasets, and enables advanced research such as a predictive micro-simulation model, which leverages the platform to predict and intervene on outcomes influenced by governmental policies. This model relies on timely administrative data to build targeted interventions for groups with poor future outcomes, tests these interventions, and monitors outcomes in near real-time. ConclusionOur linkage agency has transitioned from manual to automated linkage processes in response to increasing need for timely data. By embracing cloud infrastructure and leveraging automation, we have streamlined our operations, enabling responsive linkage depending on need and expediting the provision of de-identified, linked data to researchers.