Management of wellness and recreation in urban agglomerations

Оздоровча та рекреаційна ситуація за своєю складністю суттєво не відрізняється від інших соціально-економічних проблем міських агломерацій в Україні і потребує вирішення в контексті Цілей сталого розвитку, особливо у покращенні добробуту та здоров'я населення. Метою цієї статті є виявлення взаємозв'язку між оздоровленням, відпочинком та туризмом, що відображається в управлінській структурі міської агломерації, та соціальним, екологічним та економічним станом оздоровлення та відпочинку. Взаємозв'язок визначається методом індексу / середнім геометричним показником відповідних відносних показників (включеність, економіка досвіду, оздоровлення з відпочинком, функція відновлення дозвілля, екологія оздоровлення та відпочинку) з динамікою 2009–2018 рр. За регіонами з найбільшими міськими агломераціями Україна. Аналіз управлінських структур виконавчих органів Дніпра, Києва, Одеси та Харкова виявляє особливі аспекти відображення оздоровчих та рекреаційних функцій, включаючи туризм та міську екологію. На основі порівняння рейтингових аналізів виправдано, чи відповідає оздоровлення та відпочинок у структурі управління міською агломерацією її соціальному, екологічному та економічному здоров’ю. Результати порівняння відносних показників оздоровлення та відпочинку в міських агломераціях та регіонах України за економічними (рівень доходу, спрямування додаткових коштів на відпочинок), соціальними (здоров’я, відсутність впливу захворювань на ефективність) чи екологічним (забруднення повітря на людину) факторами , як і взагалі (порівняння інтегральних показників), є основою для згладжування ситуації з оздоровленням та відпочинком у країні відповідно до інклюзивного принципу сталого розвитку.Ситуация с оздоровлением и отдыхом по своей сложности существенно не отличается от других социально-экономических проблем городских агломераций Украины и требует решения в контексте Целей устойчивого развития, особенно в повышении благосостояния и здоровья населения. Цель данной статьи - выявить взаимосвязь между оздоровлением, отдыхом и туризмом, отображаемую в структуре управления городской агломерацией, и социальным, экологическим и экономическим состоянием здоровья и отдыха. Связь определяется методом индекса / средним геометрическим соответствующих относительных показателей (включенность, экономия опыта, оздоровление отдыхом, восстановительная функция досуга, оздоровление и экология рекреации) с динамикой 2009–2018 гг. По регионам с наибольшими городскими агломерациями Украина. Анализ управленческих структур исполнительных органов Днепра, Киева, Одессы и Харькова позволяет выявить особенности отражения оздоровительно-рекреационных функций, включая туризм и экологию города. На основе сопоставления рейтинговых анализов обосновано, соответствует ли оздоровление и отдых, отраженные в структуре управления городской агломерацией, ее социальному, экологическому и экономическому здоровью. Результаты сравнения относительных показателей благополучия и отдыха в городских агломерациях и регионах Украины по экономическим (уровень доходов, направление дополнительных средств на отдых), социальным (здоровье, отсутствие влияния болезней на работоспособность) или экологическим (загрязнение воздуха на человека) факторам , а также в целом (сравнение интегральных показателей) являются основой для сглаживания ситуации с оздоровлением и отдыхом в стране по принципу инклюзивного устойчивого развития.The wellness and recreation situation in its complexity does not significantly differ from other socio-economic problems of urban agglomerations in Ukraine and needs to be addressed in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in improving public well-being and health. The purpose of this article is to identify the relationship between health improvement, recreation and tourism, displayed in the management structure of the urban agglomeration, and the social, environmental and economic state of wellness and recreation. The relationship is determined by the index method/geometric mean of relevant relative indices (inclusion, experience economy, health improvement with rest, recovery function of leisure, wellness and recreation ecology) with the 2009–2018 dynamics by regions with the largest urban agglomerations of Ukraine. The analysis of management structures of the Dnipro, Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv executive bodies reveals special aspects in reflecting the wellness and recreation functions, including tourism and urban ecology. Based on the comparison of rating analyses, it is justified whether wellness and recreation reflected in the structure of urban agglomeration management meets its social, environmental and economic health. Comparison results for the relative indices of wellness and recreation in urban agglomerations and regions of Ukraine by economic (income level, directing additional funds for recreation), social (health, no impact of diseases on performance) or environmental (air pollution per person) factors, as well as altogether (comparison of integral indicators), are the basis for smoothing the situation with wellness and recreation in the country according to the inclusive sustainable development principle.The article contains the results of research conducted under the President of Ukraine’s grant for competitive projects (0119U103141)

The analysis of institutional environment for development of a public-private partnership in the sphere of environmental protection in the Samara region

The relevance of researched problem is caused by the fact that public-private partnership has high potential to become an effective platform not only for infrastructure and socially important projects, but also to start mechanisms of environmental problems solution and activization of ecological business responsibility at the levels which are significant for the Samara region. The aim of the article is to consider the institutional environment of the Samara region from the point of view of readiness to implement public-private partnership in the sphere of environmental protection. The leading method to research this problem is analysis and synthesis that allow revealing essential aspects of the institutional environment in the region to implement projects of public-private partnership in the sphere of environmental protection. Results: there were revealed the factors, constraining development of public-private partnership in the sphere of environment in the Samara region, conditions of forming the environment are determined. Results of this research can be useful for specialists in the sphere of PPP both in executive, and in industry authorities. © 2016 Saldaeva et al

The first steps between Portugal and the Russian-speaking target market in medical tourism

O objetivo deste estudo de caso é abordar os primeiros passos para criar um turismo médico em Portugal, especificamente como iniciar uma abordagem para promover ofertas de serviços médicos conjuntas num mercado-alvo de língua russa. O projeto "Turismo médico em Portugal", promovido pela associação privada sem fins lucrativos Health Cluster Portugal, embora apresente genericamente formas de concretizar a estratégia de marca e um plano de ação no desenvolvimento de um cluster de turismo médico em Portugal não o faz para o mercado de língua russa. O desenvolvimento e o sucesso futuro do estudo aqui apresentado podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento do mercado de serviços médicos no país. A investigação consiste em: revisão da literatura considerada relevante para descrições de turismo médico, fatores de tomada de decisão e modelos de negócios; análise de informação secundária para abordar os "pull factors" referentes a Portugal assim como os determinantes no desenvolvimento do projeto "turismo médico em Portugal e as motivações dos turistas médicos de língua russa em viagens médicas; análise e discussão da informação resultante de entrevistas semiestruturadas sobre os "push factors" de pacientes de língua russa em viagens médicas bem como sobre os pontos fortes e fracos de Portugal na atração de turismo médico; recomendações sobre a atração de turistas médicos de língua russa e a criação de um ambiente amigável local durante o tratamento. O estudo concluiu dando indicações sobre o próximo passo para a construção de um cluster de turismo de saúde forte, competitivo, orientado para o cliente e bem organizado, com pacotes atraentes de turismo médico para turistas médicos e parceiros fornecedores do serviço. A análise de quais tratamentos são os mais populares entre os turistas médicos de diferentes países de língua russa não é o objetivo do estudo.The main objective of the case study is the first steps to create medical tourism in Portugal, namely a medical tourism cluster with actors to promote the joint medical offers in a Russianspeaking target market. The project "Medical tourism in Portugal", promoted by the private non-profit association Health Cluster Portugal, starts a way of embodying branding strategy and a plan of action in the development of a medical tourism cluster in Portugal. The development and future success of the project can influence the development of the medical services market and the economic development of the country. The research structure consists of the following parts: literature review for descriptions of medical tourism, decision-making factors and business models; Portugal pull factors and development of the project "Medical tourism on Portugal" with using secondary data; motivations of Russian-speaking medical tourists in medical trips with using secondary data; results from semi-structured interviews of the push factors of Russian-speaking patients in medical trips and Portugal's strengths and weaknesses in the pull factors in medical tourism are discussed; recommendations on attracting Russian-speaking medical tourists and creating a like-home environment during the treatment for them. The study concluded by pointing out what must be the next step to a vigorous effort to construct strong, competitive, customer-oriented and well-organized health tourism cluster, with attractive medical tourism packages for medical tourists and patient’s providers. Analyse of which treatments are the most popular among medical tourists from different Russian-speaking countries is not the study’s aim

General practitioners’ concerns about online patient feedback : findings from a descriptive exploratory qualitative study in England

Background: The growth in the volume of online patient feedback, including online patient ratings and comments, suggests that patients are embracing the opportunity to review online their experience of receiving health care. Very little is known about health care professionals’ attitudes toward online patient feedback and whether health care professionals are comfortable with the public nature of the feedback. Objective: The aim of the overall study was to explore and describe general practitioners’ attitudes toward online patient feedback. This paper reports on the findings of one of the aims of the study, which was to explore and understand the concerns that general practitioners (GPs) in England have about online patient feedback. This could then be used to improve online patient feedback platforms and help to increase usage of online patient feedback by GPs and, by extension, their patients. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach using face-to-face semistructured interviews was used in this study. A topic guide was developed following a literature review and discussions with key stakeholders. GPs (N=20) were recruited from Cambridgeshire, London, and Northwest England through probability and snowball sampling. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed in NVivo using the framework method, a form of thematic analysis. Results: Most participants in this study had concerns about online patient feedback. They questioned the validity of online patient feedback because of data and user biases and lack of representativeness, the usability of online patient feedback due to the feedback being anonymous, the transparency of online patient feedback because of the risk of false allegations and breaching confidentiality, and the resulting impact of all those factors on them, their professional practice, and their relationship with their patients. Conclusions: The majority of GPs interviewed had reservations and concerns about online patient feedback and questioned its validity and usefulness among other things. Based on the findings from the study, recommendations for online patient feedback website providers in England are given. These include suggestions to make some specific changes to the platform and the need to promote online patient feedback more among both GPs and health care users, which may help to reduce some of the concerns raised by GPs about online patient feedback in this study

Application of Natural Language Processing to Determine User Satisfaction in Public Services

Research on customer satisfaction has increased substantially in recent years. However, the relative importance and relationships between different determinants of satisfaction remains uncertain. Moreover, quantitative studies to date tend to test for significance of pre-determined factors thought to have an influence with no scalable means to identify other causes of user satisfaction. The gaps in knowledge make it difficult to use available knowledge on user preference for public service improvement. Meanwhile, digital technology development has enabled new methods to collect user feedback, for example through online forums where users can comment freely on their experience. New tools are needed to analyze large volumes of such feedback. Use of topic models is proposed as a feasible solution to aggregate open-ended user opinions that can be easily deployed in the public sector. Generated insights can contribute to a more inclusive decision-making process in public service provision. This novel methodological approach is applied to a case of service reviews of publicly-funded primary care practices in England. Findings from the analysis of 145,000 reviews covering almost 7,700 primary care centers indicate that the quality of interactions with staff and bureaucratic exigencies are the key issues driving user satisfaction across England