Part I: Professional Allied Health Student Characteristics that Influence Health Literacy Awareness Part II: The Effects of Online Health Literacy Focused Training on Professional Allied Health Students’ Knowledge of Health Literacy Part III: The Effects of Frequency of Interaction with Healthcare Providers on Health Literacy Awareness Levels for Professional Level Allied Health Students

Purpose - Statistical evidence shows that medication errors are a major cause of injuries that concerns all health care oganizations. Despite all the efforts to improve the quality of care, the lack of understanding and inability of management to design a robust system that will strategically target those factors is a major cause of distress. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach - Achieving optimum organizational performance requires two key variables; work process factors and human performance factors. The approach is that healthcare administrators must take in account both variables in designing a strategy to reduce medication errors. However, strategies that will combat such phenomena require that managers and administrators understand the key factors that are causing medication delivery errors.Findings - The authors recommend that healthcare organizations implement the Toyota Production System (TPS) combined with human performance improvement (HPI) methodologies to eliminate medication delivery errors in hospitals.Originality/value - Despite all the efforts to improve the quality of care, there continues to be a lack of understanding and the ability of management to design a robust system that will strategically target those factors associated with medication errors. This paper proposes a solution to an ambiguous workflow process using the TPS combined with the HPI system.

This study examined the effectiveness of the use of a test preparatory course to increase the first time passage rate on the National Board Certification for Occupational Therapist (NBCOT) examination. Means of the pre- and post-Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam (OTKE) scores, as well as the change between pre- and post- intervention were calculated. The pre-OTKE mean score was 50.85, in comparison to, the post-OTKE mean score of 56.00 with a mean change in OTKE score of 5.15. The study results support the use of a mock examination in conjunction with other test preparatory techniques. Results of this study can serve as a baseline for the structured use of educational techniques to measure student improvement on first time passage rates for the NBCOT examination.

The inability to exchange health information of patients across diverse healthcare organizations and providers is a critical component responsible for both the increase in medical errors, which may result in premature death of the patient and the continuous increase in healthcare costs and redundancies. It is projected that by 2020, national healthcare expenditures will reach $4.8 trillion; nearly 20% of the GDP. This may be attributed to the lack of standardization of health information technology. Because the private healthcare market has failed to resolve this issue, government intervention is necessary to lead and establish a standard platform for the exchange of health information. In the absence of standardization, the goal of attaining a national health information exchange network will not materialize. The standardization of the World Wide Web and the financial sector during the early 1980’s should serve as a model for policy makers and industry experts. This paper proposes federal government intervention to standardize health information technology and adoption of the health record bank model as proposed by researchers Ball and Gold (Ball & Gold, 2006). Adoption of the health record bank model can be realized by utilizing current e-commerce technologies. Furthermore, adoption of this model in health information exchange will be less expensive and at the same time will lessen the government’s financial burden as it relates to the development of health information technology.

Showing that technology in higher education in African countries is lagging behind the developed world and also that Internet connectivity is on the rise in African nations, this paper describes and analyzes trends in the use of ICTs as well as the impact that the shortage in technological use and capacity has on Africa, particularly that needed to address the changing demands within the higher education sector. Challenges to the proposed widespread implementation of technology exist, particularly because most institutions of higher education have very limited technological capacity and basic resources, such as electricity, equipment, and funding; brain drain, improper use of ICT, and the colonial mindset are also factors. It is suggested that ICT be integrated into education with a purpose and within the context of postcolonial theory and a critical pedagogy perspective. Key uses of ICT in education, including mobile technology, are access, support, and communication, making learning available to anyone anywhere and enhancing learning as an interactive process, with much potential for collaboration and problem-solving. Four salient components related to incorporating ICTs into higher education are discussed: (a) teacher education; (b) curriculum; (c) distance learning; and (d) educational policy, planning, and management. Examples of technological initiatives in higher education as well as recommendations are given. Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, representative of other African nations to varying degrees, are highlighted in regard to ICT infrastructure and its relevancy to higher education. It is concluded that African higher education has high potential for catching up in the technological race.

Objective of this study is to analyze the impact of policy rate changes on bank stock returns in Pakistan by using daily stock returns from 1998 to 2011. We used event study approach by constructing the estimation window of 250 days and an event window of 31 days (15 pre-event days, event day and 15 post event days. The daily stock returns from 1998 to 2011 have been used to analyze the impact of policy rate changes by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on banking stock returns. The study used ARIMA model to estimate the normal returns by using estimation window of 250 days. Since Monetary Policy committee decides changes in policy rate, we have used date of MP Committee meeting as an event. Reportedly, 35 meetings were conducted during study period from Jan 1998 to Dec 2011. Abnormal returns are calculated by taking the difference of actual daily stock returns and estimated daily stock returns. Abnormal daily stock returns are aggregated as cumulative abnormal returns (CAR). The CAR at 0.6340 showed a significant impact of policy rate changes on banks stock returns. The study finds 31 out of all 35 events have significant impact on banks stock returns and returns were normal at 4th day of MP announcement. Further, we analyzed the impact with respect to expansionary and contractionary monetary policy and observed that the highest positive impact on banks stock returns was due to expansionary monetary policy.

Introduction: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven monarchies, whose rulers retain absolute power within their emirates. The seven Emirates include Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharajah, and Umm al-Quwain. Abu Dhabi, the capital, is also the country’s centre of political, industrial and cultural activities. This study focuses on the Emirate of Fujairah. Employees are the backbone of any strong health system, thus, the success of any health system is highly dependent on satisfaction of employee needs. This study identifies and quantifies main determinants of employee satisfaction within Human Resource Departments in the Fujairah Medical District (FMD, thereafter). Methods: Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to measure employee satisfaction with the services provided by Human Resource Departments in the FMD. After completing a pilot study of the self-developed questionnaire, researchers randomly distributed 600 copies to employees at all 16 health institutes under the authority of the FMD. However, 310 responses were received, representing a 52 per cent response rate. Data were subsequently analyzed with t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Compared to the standard of 60 per cent or greater, overall level of employee satisfaction in this study was slightly lower at 58 per cent. Results indicated that males were significantly more dissatisfied with the organizational factors than females. Both married and unmarried employees were dissatisfied with the services provided by Human Resources. Employees at all experience levels reported low levels of satisfaction with training and development. Regardless of educational level, employee satisfaction with conditions of the workplace and facility structure in the FMD was low when compared to the standard. Conclusions and Recommendations: This study shows that the employees were not satisfied with the services within Human Resource Departments in the FMD. It is recommended that FMD management overcome the determinant factors to reduce the level of dissatisfaction of their employees in the following four dimensions: organizational factors, work conditions/facility structure, training and career development.

BACKGROUND:The adoption of health information technology has been recommended as a viable mechanism for improving quality of care and patient health outcomes. However, the capacity of health information technology (i.e., availability and use of multiple and advanced functionalities), particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on improving quality of care is not well understood. We examined associations between health information technology (HIT) capacity at FQHCs and quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summary, frequency of patients receiving reminders/notifications for preventive care/follow-up care, and timely appointment for specialty care.METHODS:The analyses used 2009 data from the National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The study included 776 of the FQHCs that participated in the survey. We examined the extent of HIT use and tested the hypothesis that level of HIT capacity is associated with quality of care. Multivariable logistic regressions, reporting unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, were used to examine whether 'FQHCs' HIT capacity' is associated with the outcome measures.RESULTS:The results showed a positive association between health information technology capacity and quality of care. FQHCs with higher HIT capacity were significantly more likely to have improved quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summaries (OR=1.43; CI=1.01, 2.40), the use of a patient notification system for preventive and follow-up care (OR=1.74; CI=1.23, 2.45), and timely appointment for specialty care (OR=1.77; CI=1.24, 2.53).CONCLUSIONS:Our findings highlight the promise of HIT in improving quality of care, particularly for vulnerable populations who seek care at FQHCs. The results also show that FQHCs may not be maximizing the benefits of HIT. Efforts to implement HIT must include strategies that facilitate the implementation of comprehensive and advanced functionalities, as well as promote meaningful use of these systems. Further examination of the role of health information systems in clinical decision-making and improvements in patient outcomes are needed to better understand the benefits of HIT in improving overall quality of care.

The well-anticipated and well-documented demographic shift attributed to ageing of the baby boomer generation will place significant demands upon the health-care industry in the future. Significant resources such as the nurse workforce, will be needed to provide health-care services to this cohort. There is a looming shortage of professional and paraprofessional nurses. This paper evaluates strategies that can be utilized to decrease the rate of the nursing shortage, while retaining the current supply of nurses. Recommendations for solving the nursing shortage problem include enhancing the work environment through fostering open communication, improving technology, nurse empowerment, building long-lasting and fulfilling partnerships, and efficient workplace organization.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are at the forefront of the national healthcare agenda and this paper examines EMR implementation and usage based on data from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Chi-square analysis was used to examine differences in EMR implementation and usage. Logistic regression analysis was used to understand the adjusted associations between EMR implementation and usage. A significant finding of this study was that simple EMRs were implemented in more than half of FQHCs in the Northeast, Southern, and Western regions of the United States and EMRs in more than half of the FQHCs in the Southern and Western regions are not even utilized. These findings indicate simple EMR usage and full EMR implementation need improvement to meet the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by 2014, or face reduction in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA; however, the American Cancer Society estimates that as many as half of these deaths could be eliminated with annual CRC screenings. African-American males are less likely to participate in CRC screening when compared to white males. Despite the evidence that adult and health literacies are important variables in understanding racial/ethnic differences in health status and health-related knowledge of diseases, few studies have examined the impact of health literacy on knowledge and awareness of CRC among minorities. In April 2006, the Urban Health and Wellness Center at the University of Michigan-Flint collaborated with a faith-based organization to implement a study aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of CRC among African-American males. Researchers conducted a series of health education workshops on CRC, assessed the health literacy of participants, and examined the correlation between health literacy and self-reported knowledge and awareness of CRC. The sample comprised 142 African-American males 50 years of age and older. Nearly all participants (91.2%) had at least a high school education; 64.7% were married; 88.6% had health insurance, and 30% were employed. An average of 72% of participants correctly answered questions regarding CRC. Nearly 70% of participants reported never having been screened for CRC. A significant number of respondents indicated difficulties understanding hospital signs and medical instructions, as well as a lack of confidence in correctly completing medical forms. Health literacy showed a positive correlation with self-reported knowledge and awareness of CRC knowledge and awareness.

The purpose of this study is to review the literature that discusses the relationship between strategic group membership and performance in the nursing home industry. This literature review examines the relationship between organizational structure and performance in the nursing home industry. Results from these studies suggest industry stability of segmentation; limitation of strategic choice due to high mobility barriers (as represented by facility, staffing and location variables); quality is controlled by the existing combinations of industry regulation and market competition; and the existence of performance differences among strategic groups.

This study contributes to the literature by estimating Interest Rate Pass Through (IRPT) using Pakistani aggregate banks' lending and deposit rate data.Lending and deposit rates are estimated to be sluggish in terms of their response to a change in monetary policy rate.There is also evidence of asymmetry in the pass through of four types of banks (i.e., privatized, nationalized, foreign and specialized).Overall, the domestic banks' pass through is estimated to be higher than that of foreign bank.Although the IRPT is estimated to be incomplete, the degree of lending rate pass-through is not very low.This study provides evidence of an increase in the adjustment speed when the lending rate is below equilibrium after January 2005.However, there was no significant change in the pass through after January 2005 which coincided with the constant increase in the Treasury bill rate by the State Bank of Pakistan.

Objective: To gain an understanding of health and social service providers' perceptions of the scope and nature of health literacy problems in an urban setting.Design: Qualitative study.Setting: Representatives of 13 local health care organizations, churches, and community-based organizations participated.Method: Representatives were placed in two focus group sessions and responded to questions regarding their assessment of the nature and scope of health literacy problems in the community and the multidimensional strategies required to improve health literacy among underserved populations.Results: Participants reported that approximately 30 to 80 percent of their clients/patients had low health literacy skills. They also reported that individuals with low literacy skills are often reluctant to self-disclose their inability to read or understand health information, have problems understanding food labels and medication dosage instructions, and do not know how to advocate for themselves. The participants highlighted the need for physicians, nurses, social workers, health care administrators and other health professions to adopt a multi-dimensional approach to address the needs of individuals with low literacy skills and to empower them to use available community resources such as language interpretation services.

According to Frankel (1992) in order to find financial integration from Feldstein Horoika (FH, 1980) model, the real interest parity must hold. This paper estimates the degree of financial market integration of South Asian countries i.e. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal with both the techniques. The study finds some degree of integration with FH model has which increased after 1990s, post liberalization period. Furthermore, Panel Unit Root techniques i.e. LLC, IPS and Hadri has been used to estimate the real interest rate differentials (RIDs) of South Asian countries are found to be stationary with USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Sweden, Netherland, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, China and Japan. The empirical evidence of integration with both the techniques in my study is unique in the literature. Even though, the RIDS technique provides strong evidence of integration, correlation between savings and investment is still significant.

Once again, efforts are being made to overhaul the US health care system. Democrats and Republicans have conflicting views on how to repair this ailing system. However, this is not a new phenomenon. Reformers have long struggled to form a universal health care system only to find themselves in conflict with groups whose financial stake is threatened as well as numerous labor associations who are concerned about a loss of power. This struggle is also caused by differences in ideologies. This article surveys social movements for national health insurance (NHI) that occurred in the United States and will examine features that prevented NHI policy formation.

According to the 2004 US Renal Data System's annual report, the incidence rate of chronic renal failure in Taiwan increased from 120 to 352 per million populations between 1990 and 2003. This incidence rate is the highest in the world. The prevalence rate, which ranks number two in the world (Japan ranks number one), also increased from 384 to 1630 per million populations. Based on 2005 Taiwan national statistics, there were 52,958 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving routine dialysis treatment. This number, which comprised less than 0.2% of the total population and consumed $2.6 billion New Taiwan dollars, was more than 6.12% of the total annual spending of national health insurance during 2005. Dialysis expenditures for patients with ESRD rank the highest among all major injuries (traumas) and diseases. This article identifies and discusses the risk factors associated with consumption of medical resources during dialysis. Instead of using reimbursement data to estimate cost, as seen in previous studies, this study uses cost data within organizations and focuses on evaluating and predicting the resource consumption pattern for dialysis patients with different risk factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify 23 risk factors for routine dialysis patients. Of these risk factors, six were associated with the increase of dialysis cost: age (i.e. 75 years old and older), liver function disorder, hypertension, bile-duct disorder, cancer and high blood lipids. Patients with liver function disorder incurred much higher costs for injection medication and supplies. Hypertensive patients incurred higher costs for injection medication, supplies and oral medication. Patients with bile-duct disorder incurred a significant difference in check-up costs (i.e. costs were higher for those aged 75 years and older than those who were younger than 30 years of age). Cancer patients also incurred significant differences in cost of medical supplies. Patients with high blood lipids incurred significant differences in cost of oral medication. This study identified the relationship between cost and risk factors of dialysis procedures for ESRD patients based on average variable costs for each dialysis treatment. The results show that certain risk factors (e.g. aged 75 and older, hypertension, bile-duct disease, cancer and high blood lipids) are associated with higher cost. The results from this study could enable health policy makers and the National Health Insurance Bureau to design a fairer and more convincible reimbursement system for dialysis procedures. This study also provides a better understanding of what risk factors play more influential roles in affecting ESRD patients to receive haemodialysis treatment. It will help policy makers and health-care providers in better control or even prevent the disease and manage the distribution of the treatment. In addition, with the results from the analysis of cost information, we can tell which risk factors have more impacts on the dialysis cost. It will further help us control the cost for those high-risk dialysis patients more efficiently.

Data mining is highly profiled. It has the potential to enhance executive information systems. Such enhancement would mean better decision-making by management, which in turn would mean better services for customers. While the future of data mining as technology should be exciting, some are worried about privacy concerns, which make the future of data mining daunting. This paper examines why data mining is highly profiled - the imperative toward data mining, data mining models and processes. Additionally, the paper examines some of the benefits and challenges of using data mining processes within the health-care arena. We cast the future of data mining by highlighting two of the many data mining tools available - one commercial and one freely available. Subsequently, we discuss a number of social and technical factors that may thwart the extensive deployment of data mining, especially when the intent is to know more about the people that organizations have to serve and cast a view of what the future holds for data mining. This component is especially important when attempting to determine the longevity of data mining within health-care organizations. It is hoped that our discussions would be useful to organizations as they engage data mining, strategies for executive information systems and information policy issues.