Virtual Center Research Articles

Assessing patient experiences with a Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC): a mixed-methods study using an online survey and semi-structured interviews in Renfrew County, Ontario.

In March 2020, the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC) was launched as a large-scale, innovative, hybrid healthcare program. VTAC aims to alleviate pressure on emergency departments by providing additional and more equitable access to family physicians and allied health professionals. This study's objective was to evaluate patients' experiences with VTAC. In this mixed-methods study, we distributed 3,026 surveys, receiving 383 responses that met our inclusion criteria (13%), and conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with Renfrew County residents aged 18 and above who had utilized VTAC at least once since 2023. Survey data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and a multivariate binary logistic regression, while semi-structured interviews were coded and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The majority of survey respondents were aged over 55 (58%), identified as Caucasian (91%) and women (70%), with 76% having college or university-level education. Additionally, 81% were either unattached, or attached to a doctor who was not easily accessible. Our findings demonstrate overall satisfaction with VTAC, with 86% patients reporting that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the program. This was irrespective of demographic characteristics, health status, or appointment modality. In our interviews, four main themes emerged: "Healthcare in Renfrew County", "Accessing VTAC", "VTAC Clinical Care", and "Improving VTAC". These themes underscore major difficulties residents encounter in accessing healthcare in Renfrew County and illustrate that services from VTAC align with a genuine population-level need, contributing to mitigating some of these challenges. Renfrew County, like many other underserved regions, is grappling with a crisis of access to healthcare. VTAC addresses this gap by providing timely access to a family doctor. Our findings demonstrate patient acceptability and satisfaction with VTAC, offering insights that could guide the design of similar healthcare programs. This model may also serve as a scalable solution for improving healthcare access in underserved regions facing similar challenges.

Virtual assessment centres versus face-to-face assessment centres: psychometric properties

ABSTRACT Technological advancements in the past decade have transformed personnel selection processes. This study compares the psychometric properties of virtual assessment centres (VACs) and face-to-face assessment centres (FTF-ACs). The study reports the findings of a field study involving 10,898 candidates participating in a selection process for military positions through either an FTF-AC or a VAC. The study finds that the two ACs appeared to capture the measured capabilities in a different manner. However, the measured capabilities in two ACs are related similarly to other variables, and there is good reliability between assessors in VACs. For most dimensions, the reliability in the VAC was similar to that in the FTF-AC. However, performance ratings in the VAC were significantly higher than those in the FTF-AC. This is the first study that compares the psychometric properties of a VAC and an FTF-AC. The results provide initial support for organizations’ use of VACs in personnel selection. Nonetheless, further research is needed to validate the effectiveness of VACs and to understand their limitations. The article also includes recommendations for future research.

Research on the Range of Stiffness Variation in a 2D Biomimetic Spinal Structure Based on Tensegrity Structures

Abstract: This paper presents a novel variable stiffness mechanism, namely the SBTDTS (Spinal Biomimetic Two-Dimensional Tensegrity Structure), which is constructed by integrating bioinspiration derived from biological spinal structures with the T-Bar mechanical design within tensegrity structures. A method for determining the torsional stiffness of the SBTDTS around a virtual rotational center is established based on parallel mechanism theory. The relationship between various structural parameters is analyzed through multiple sets of typical parameter combinations. Ultimately, the PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithm is employed to identify the optimal combination of structural parameters for maximizing the stiffness ratio, , of SBTDTS under different constraint conditions. This optimal configuration is then compared with the RAPRPM (a type of rotational parallel mechanism) under different values of , with an analysis of the distinct advantages of both variable stiffness structures.

Teaching Note—Connections Tutoring Lab: Peer-Led Support in a Virtual Environment

ABSTRACT Student retention and success have been key issues for social work programs with the recent increase in online education and changing modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Connections Tutoring Lab (CTL) is an innovative virtual tutoring peer center designed to promote academic growth and improve retention among Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work students. A mixed-methods evaluation of the CTL guided by the Community of Inquiry framework indicates that the CTL increased the cognitive, social, and institutional presence of both tutors and CTL users following its initial implementation. The initial success of this relatively low-cost intervention indicates that the program positively affects the retention of social work students, concerning academic success and an increased sense of belonging and connectedness, in a virtual setting.

From commerce to art: Transformation of intervention through the interactions of virtual and urban space in Karaköy

Having been subject to various spatial interferences amid rapid urbanization, Karaköy is one of Istanbul’s central neighbourhoods whose identity has significantly transformed in the last years. This paper focuses on Karaköy’s streets which were once the centre of trade, have now been replaced by artistic collective constructs. The study aims to document this transformation, considering various physical and social aspects of urban space, while highlighting a new form of “urban intervention” through virtual spaces. It questions how virtual environments can be considered as a mode of intervention in urban space and delves into the transitions from ordinary commerce places to artistic urban spaces. Validating user-space interaction, the technological interference of social networks with physical space creates virtual centres of attraction, improving the popularity of places. The field research focuses on the environs of Tersane Avenue, Mumhane Avenue and Ali Paşa Değirmeni Street in Karaköy, attending to spaces where commerce once took place –now replaced by artistic collective constructs and articulations. Captured virtual-spatial interventions are operationalized in three stages: First, functional transformations are analysed at the street-scale. This is followed by analyzing images and quantitative data extracted from social network databases. Finally, the up-to-date spatial analyses are constructed, and the intersections of virtual and urban spaces are evaluated. Findings show that the user experience and pleasure-based design elements bear the interaction between virtual and urban space, additionally, the virtual-spatial intervention encompasses the transformation of urban space beyond conventional practices aimed at structural and functional change.

Constructing Virtual Teaching and Research Centers for Business English Education: A Framework for Application-Oriented Universities

This article explores the construction of virtual teaching and research centers in Business English education in application-oriented universities. They face unique challenges in preparing students with practical skills and career readiness demanded by industries; traditional teaching models often lack the interactive, experiential components that are necessary for the development of practical skills. Guided by Experiential Learning Theory, this article tries to propose a framework for the construction of virtual teaching and research centers, including design principles, curriculum development, assessment strategies to cope with the challenges and to align with industrial needs. The proposed framework aims to enhance students’ practical skills, improve engagement, and ensure Business English learners are career-ready. Recommendations for the construction are also put forward.

Strengths and weaknesses of computerized clinical decision support systems: insights from a digital control center (C3 COVID-19) for early and personalized treatment for COVID-19.

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) are computer-based tools that leverage the analysis of large volumes of health data to assist healthcare professionals in making clinical decisions, whether preventive, diagnostic, or therapeutic. This review examines the impact of CDSS on clinical practice, highlighting both their potential benefits and their limitations and challenges. We detail the experience of clinical medical professionals in the development of a virtual control center for COVID-19 patients (C3 COVID-19) in Spain during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This tool enabled real-time monitoring of clinical data for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, optimizing personalized and informed medical decision-making. CDSS can offer significant advantages, such as improving the quality of inpatient care, promoting evidence-based clinical and therapeutic decision-making, facilitating treatment personalization, and enhancing healthcare system efficiency and productivity. However, the implementation of CDSS presents challenges, including the need for physicians to become familiar with the systems and software, and the necessity for ongoing updates and technical support of the systems.

Keeping Community During a Pandemic

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to better understand how LGBTQ+ senior centers created virtual communities and implemented organizational adaptation in the earliest stages of the pandemic. Three focus groups (n=22) were conducted with program facilitators and senior center employees to better understand how these key stakeholders contributed to the transition from in person senior center to virtual senior center programming in March of 2020. The experiences of LGBTQ+ program facilitators and senior center staff varied based on the nature of their assigned roles. Latent pattern content analysis of the focus groups unveiled both shared and divergent categories and themes from the two cohorts. Themes identified for program facilitators included: adaptation, interconnectedness, some not served, and virtual preference. Themes identified for senior center staff included: communication, the blurring of the personal/professional, urgent needs, and future planning.

Experiences of nurses working in novel virtual care centres in the Netherlands: a qualitative study

BackgroundVirtual care centres (VCCs) are novel wards of hospitals and facilitate the provision of remote monitoring and home-based patient care. Whereas since the COVID-19 pandemic VCCs have rapidly emerged, there is no standardised framework for the development and implementation of VCCs. To develop such a framework, insight in current experiences of employment in VCCs is needed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore nurses' perceptions and experiences of working in VCCs.ResultsBetween February and July 2023, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with thirteen nurses (age 45 ± 8 years) from four VCCs in the Netherlands. Interviews were thematically analysed using a six-stage approach, yielding six themes of nurses’ perceptions and experiences of working in VCCs: 1)' Changing role of nurses', especially in the patient-professional relationship, transformation of care and communication; 2)’Clinical perspective of nurses’, need for general medical knowledge and use of data in relation to nurses’ clinical perspective, 3)‘Education and training’, need to keep nurses’ knowledge up-to-date and create time for education; 4)'Organisation of care', nurses’ role in the development of protocols and need for sufficient technological preconditions; 5)‘Cooperation with other healthcare professionals’, consisted of the collaboration with and needed support by other healthcare professionals to organize and provide care to VCC patients; 6)'Experienced effects of VCCs' included advantages and disadvantages of VCCs for the nurses, patients and the hospital. Themes were mapped onto the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation of Behaviour (COM-B) model where all themes included components of capability, opportunity and motivation.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the importance of considering COM-B components of nurses' work in VCCs. Due to the changing roles of nurses in VCCs, there are evolving educational needs in to communicate with patients and colleagues, and the use of data to support their clinical view, as well as providing technological optimisations to further support nurses' work and the VCCs.

Maintaining and Improving Virtual Call Centers for Public Health: The CUNY Recovery Corps Experience.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, individuals who tested positive, exposed contacts, and their families faced significant challenges in accessing essential resources for successful quarantine and isolation. These resources included alternative housing, food access, grocery delivery, missed wage assistance, transportation for household members, medical care, and more. The City University of New York (CUNY) Recovery Corps emerged as an innovative virtual resource navigation service to connect New Yorkers to essential resources and later to vaccinations, treatment, and services for Long COVID. The program prioritized reaching people living in underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods. Over 3years, it made a substantial impact, reaching 374728 New Yorkers and connecting 135147 to crucial resources. Implementing a successful virtual navigation center amidst a global pandemic posed unique challenges. It required well-established systems to provide services, manage staff, build community, and both assure and improve service quality. Continuous quality assurance and process improvement efforts resulted in a nearly 10-point increase in successful client-resource connections program-wide, with individual navigators showing improvements of up to 20%. Staff-led initiatives, such as population-specific resource guides and incentive awards, boosted morale and cohesion. Providing continuous professional development opportunities and requested training including trauma-informed care, self-care, and strategies for managing grief contributed to staff retention and improved client interactions. The CUNY Recovery Corps provides a blueprint for setting up navigation services for emergency response and supporting health and social services. The current paper delves into the intensive quality improvement efforts, program management infrastructure, and staff support that made this program a success. By applying these lessons on establishing and maintaining a virtual call center prioritizing the client's well-being and staff strengths, policymakers and social service leaders can effectively address various health and social service needs proactively rather than rebuilding after each disaster.

Transnational Research Infrastructure

This paper discusses best practices in the development and operation of the network of Knowledge centres within the framework of the transnational and cross-disciplinary CLARIN Knowledge Infrastructure. A Knowledge centre is an institution or a collective of institutions which “have agreed to share their knowledge and expertise with others” (Branco et al. 2023), which has been certified by Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure CLARIN, and which has an established website providing the users with information on the offered services and contact forms. Currently, there are 28 Knowledge centres from different countries covering a wide range of topics, offering various research and training related services and organised as either a virtual centre of one or several institutional partners in one country or distributed across multiple countries. This paper aims to present this rich diversity of the research infrastructure and its state-of-the-art by reviewing existing Knowledge centres and their areas of expertise, describing the activities initiated by CLARIN to strengthen K-centre networking, showcasing different types of K-centres, and presenting the operation and collaboration practices shared by K-centres in their annual reports.

Virtual poison center a strategic reduced toxin cases in country with hundred thousand islands Indonesia

Virtual poison center a strategic reduced toxin cases in country with hundred thousand islands Indonesia

ICT Enabled Education: An Analysis in View of the National Education Policy, 2020, India.

In the 21st century, the demand for the use of ICT in education has increased rapidly as it has improved the way to be effective. The Indian Cabinet approved the new National Education Act and the sustainable development goals of the 21st century on July 29, 2020, after 34 years. The policy recognizes the need for and importance of information and communication technology across education to support research and innovation and to improve multilingual teaching, assessment, educational planning and management. The policy focuses on the creation of digital libraries, the creation of a virtual learning center with lending in financial institutions, and the creation of the National Technical Education Forum (NETF) to ensure effective use of technology and transparency of school management. This article discusses various aspects of NEP 2020, namely, use of ICT in Education with special focus on Higher Education.

Addressing Systemic Barriers to Timely Degree Completion through the Establishment of a Graduation Help Desk

This practice report details a large, four-year, public, research 1 (very high research activity), Hispanic Serving Institution’s (HSI) approach to tackling barriers to timely graduation through the implementation of a virtual support center, the Graduation Help Desk (GHD). The GHD, established in late 2017, operates at the level of the provost’s office and tackles graduation obstacles through individual referral cases, proactive outreach, and institutional policy review. By collaborating with academic departments, colleges, and support services, the GHD ensures solutions align with degree integrity and institutional standards of excellence. Its organizational position allows it to quickly elevate institution-wide issues and make recommendations for systemic changes. The GHD’s impact, specifically the number of referral cases, students served, institutional policies changed, cost savings to students, and increased graduation rates is provided. As a successful, cost-effective, virtual service model, the GHD is instrumental in supporting undergraduate students, specifically at-risk and difficult-to-reach student populations, preventing graduation delays and lowering student costs. GHDs are a scalable intervention with a high return on investment for both students and institutions through improved operations and student success outcomes.

Development and Validation of a Malay Version Questionnaire to Evaluate Remote Health Monitoring of COVID-19 via Telehealth Applications: Navigating Telehealth Evolution.

Introduction The rapid adoption of telehealth services due to the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity for effective tools to evaluate patient experiences. This study developed and validated the Telehealth Usability, Acceptability, and Satisfaction Questionnaire (TUASQ) for virtual COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CACs) in Malaysia, aiming to comprehensively measure usability, acceptability, and satisfaction. Methodology The TUASQ was developed in two phases. Initially, the questionnaire development phase included item generation guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), with feedback from a panel of six experts. Items were refined through Content Validity Index (CVI) - Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ≥ 0.82, Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) ≥ 0.82, and Content Validity Ratio (CVR ≥ 0.78); and Face Validity Index (FVI) by 10 respondents - Item-Level Face Validity Index (I-FVI) ≥ 0.82and Scale-Level Face Validity Index (S-FVI ≥ 0.82). The psychometric validation phase involved a cross-sectional study of 705 respondents, recruited through convenience sampling from March to July 2024, to perform Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), followed by reliability testing using Cronbach's alpha, Composite Reliability (CR), and Average Variance Extracted (AVE). Results Content validation showed that most items' I-CVI exceeded 0.82, indicating significant expert consensus on relevance and clarity. The CVR also surpassed the 0.78 threshold, affirming their essential role. Face validation indices generally exceeded 0.80, confirming the questionnaire's clarity and comprehensiveness from the users' perspective. EFA with 250 participants indicated a high Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) of 0.933 and significant Bartlett's test (χ² (136) = 3752.698, p < 0.001), supporting the factorability of the data and extracting three distinct factors. CFA with 455 participants initially showed a poor fit, prompting model adjustments that subsequently improved the fit indices (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.076, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.045, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.94, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.96, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.97). Reliability testing revealed a high internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.975. CR for each factor exceeded the 0.70 threshold, and the AVE for each factor was above 0.50, indicating good convergent validity. Conclusion The validated TUASQ is a reliable and effective instrument for assessing the experiences of Malaysian patients using virtual CAC. Demonstrating robust psychometric properties through comprehensive validation processes, the TUASQ accurately measures usability, acceptability, and satisfaction, identifying strengths and areas for improvement in telehealth services. This contributes to enhanced care quality and patient satisfaction in the evolving healthcare landscape.

Defining and characterizing the operational context for human systems integration

AbstractMany efforts from multiple academic and industrial disciplines have studied the notion of context. The systems engineering and human systems integration fields, however, lack a generalized definition and characterization of context, in particular the operational context of complex sociotechnical systems. This paper reviews context definitions and builds a generalized definition of the operational context of complex sociotechnical systems. The objective is then to identify and extract context properties which are often implicit in the literature and do not necessarily appear in the definitions. However, eliciting them is helpful for understanding what context is made of, how it relates to complex sociotechnical systems comprising human and non‐human agents, and how an early understanding of the operational context can prove valuable to designing efficient and robust systems. Our analysis is followed by an example of how our definition and derived properties apply to the case study of the design of a remote and virtual air traffic control center.

Enhancing recovery and reducing readmissions: The impact of remote monitoring on acute postoperative care in outpatient total joint arthroplasty

IntroductionOutpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is gaining popularity in the United States. With a shift towards value-based healthcare and bundled payment models, the importance of safe discharge after TJA is pertinent in reducing readmissions and subsequent cost of care. However, many acute issues or complications may not occur until after discharge which can result in emergency department visits and readmission. Our study aims to characterize the effect of remote monitoring devices on acute postoperative recovery in TJA discharged within 24 h. We hypothesized there would be a decreased readmission rate in the remote home monitoring cohort. MethodsThis prospective cohort compared 50 outpatient TJAs (primary total hip and total knee replacements) defined as discharged within 24 h with a remote home monitoring device to 50 outpatient TJAs who did not receive remote monitoring. Demographics, hospital length of stay, American Society of Anesthesiology scores, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were compared with no significant difference observed between cohorts (p > 0.05). Patients’ vital signs were transmitted to a virtual response center for up to 48 h after discharge. An on-call medical team reviewed the transmissions and if prompted, would contact the patient to troubleshoot and triage. Primary outcome was 30-day hospital readmissions rates, while 30-day ED visits and patient satisfaction scores for the remote home monitoring were measured as secondary outcomes. ResultsWithin the remote monitoring cohort there was a 20 % incidence (10 patients) of abnormal vitals captured and 2 patients visited the ED, however there were no readmissions attributed to this group. Readmission rates and ED visits in the control non-monitored group were significantly higher at 12 % (p = 0.03), secondary to syncope, uncontrolled postoperative pain, cellulitis, hip dislocations, and postoperative fever. Of the patients who received remote monitoring, 14 % had trouble connecting the device to their smartphone, 44 % felt home monitoring helped in their care while recovering at home, 52 % made them feel safer, and 70 % would recommend this program. ConclusionsRemote home monitoring with a virtual response team after outpatient TJA is a feasible way to mitigate readmissions in the acute postoperative period and increase patient satisfaction. Efforts to minimize costs should not be implemented at the expense of patients’ health outcomes with a goal to find an appropriate balance between both agendas. Level of evidenceTherapeutic Level III.

Revolutionizing Primary Healthcare in Africa: Empowering Youth through the Heckling Model of Health Systems Engineering and Innovation

This paper hypothesizes the Health Entrepreneurship Compensation of Knowledge and Innovations among the Next Generation (HECKLING) model, which aims to kickstart a dialogue and delve into research in utilizing the skills, innovation, and vast youth population in Africa to generate employment opportunities in complementing community health promoters/volunteers. By harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence, the model seeks to enhance health outcomes within communities. The model proposes integrating health systems engineering concepts into the virtual healthcare hubs and virtual digital tray centers aligning with the principles of primary health care, preventive medicine, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. It acknowledges operational efficiency, and ensures the long-term sustainability of community health initiatives which have potential to consummately compensate community health volunteers. By applying the concept of carbon credits to preventive and health promotion efforts, it is hoped that the model could create new opportunities to incentivize and reward individuals and organizations for their contributions to improving public health, reducing healthcare costs and promoting community development. Integrating health systems engineering concepts into the virtual healthcare hubs and virtual digital tray centers aligns with the principles of primary health care, preventive medicine, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Creative virtual engagement: Successes and challenges supporting people with serious mental illness in hybrid Clubhouse environments.

This study examines adaptations, successes, and persistent challenges engaging members in virtual or hybrid community-based psychosocial rehabilitation centers called Clubhouses. Fifteen members and staff from five Clubhouses across two Hawaiian Islands participated in a virtual Photovoice process. Results illustrated several unexpected positive outcomes from the transition to hybrid or virtual formats including opportunities for growth, learning new technology, cross-Clubhouse collaborations, deepened relationships, and better access to some hard-to-reach members. Persistent challenges included members reporting "something missing" in the socioemotional quality of virtual engagement and losing members who had low digital literacy or who preferred in-person engagement. Overall, participants described that virtual Clubhouse supported their wellness by fostering a sense of purpose, companionship, and potential, despite sustained uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they also made clear that virtual and hybrid formats should be a complement to, not a replacement for, in-person Clubhouse services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamics of the virtual center of wind pressure: An approach for the estimation of wind turbine loads

A new stochastic method for the reconstruction of time series of bending moments at the main shaft of a wind turbine is presented. The method is based on the characterization of the dynamics of the virtual center of wind pressure (CoWP). The CoWP, calculated purely from the incoming wind field, provides an approach for correlating the bending moments at the shaft with large-scale turbulent structures of the wind acting on the rotor plane. The proposed method allows a fast procedure for generating time series of loads on the shaft. As a result, the computational and time requirements for maximum and fatigue load assessment could be reduced.