PRIMUS/Informed Cities: Making research work for local sustainability

The final report of a three year European Commission FP7 project

Implementing Smart Specialisation Strategies: A Handbook

Smart Specialisation represents the most comprehensive industrial policy experiment being implemented in Europe. Conceived within the reformed Cohesion policy of the European Commission, Smart Specialisation is a place-based policy promoting economic transformation and investment in innovative activities in selected areas of the socio-economic system in order to achieve a smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. Drawing on empirical evidence, the Smart Specialisation Implementation Handbook is targeted at policy-makers and regional development professionals who are crafting their innovation policy according to a common set of principles and methodologies. The handbook aims at taking stock of the Smart Specialisation experience and presenting its current state of the art, both in terms of conceptual developments and practical implementation. It addresses five key milestones of the implementation process: 1) The Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) cycle: from priority selection to strategy implementation 2) Good governance: principles and challenges 3) From priorities to projects: selection criteria and selection process 4) Transnational cooperation and value chains 5) MonitoringJRC.B.3-Territorial Developmen

Providing the Missing Link: A Model for a Neighborhood-Focused Employment Program

Outlines a strategy for bridging the gap between low-income neighborhoods and regional workforce development programs. Describes nine implementation steps of a model for increasing career opportunities, and evaluates the feasibility of the program

RIO Country Report 2016: Ireland

The 2016 series of the RIO Country Report analyses and assesses the development and performance of the national research and innovation system of the EU-28 Member States and related policies with the aim of monitoring and evaluating the EU policy implementation as well as facilitating policy learning in the Member States.JRC.B.7-Knowledge for Finance, Innovation and Growt

Use of an Evidence-Based Practice Model to Improve the Quality of the Hospital Discharge Process

Problem “Readmission of Medicare patients within 30 days of discharge from the hospital is nearly 1 in 5” (Naylor, 2012). The older adult has become vulnerable to the ever present breakdowns in the healthcare system creating serious gaps in services. Society and social services have not maintained the continual rapid steady growth of services to the older adult to match the increased life span of Americans. As Rennke (2013) reports, “Patients are vulnerable to a wide range of adverse events after discharge, with more than 20% of medical patients sustaining a preventable adverse event within three weeks of discharge” (p.433). Ineffective care transitions have many contributing factors including lack of crucial communication between health care providers, unclear medication changes at time of health status change, patient perspective on medical diagnosis, lack of adequate follow-up needs including physician visits, and incomplete or unfinished diagnostic work-ups. Purpose The purpose of the Capstone Project was to reallocate staff to develop and implement a transitional nurse team. The outcomes improved care transitions post hospital discharge. Goals The goals of the Capstone Project addressed three main imperatives of cost reduction, revenue growth, and clinical transformation. Objectives The objectives of the Capstone Project included improvements in the hospital discharge process to enhance a seamless continuum of care. Plan The DNP Project Process Model (White & Zaccagnini, 2014) was used as the guideline for the Capstone Project. Steps I & II: Problem recognition and needs assessment completed after identifying need to decrease the hospital 30-day readmission rate; problem statement written; and systematic literature review completed. Step III: Goals, Objectives, and Mission statement developed. Step IV: Theoretical underpinnings chosen supporting Capstone project. Step V: Work plan completed including timeline, budget, and written proposal. Step VI: Logic Model (Zaccagnini & White, 2014) developed and evaluation plan completed. Step VII: IRB approval obtained from Regis University and Organization chosen for site of the project. Inclusion criteria and data collection tools developed and implemented. Outcomes and Results A total of 42 patients received interventions. A comparison group was selected meeting the same inclusion criteria without the interventions from a Transitional Nurse. The comparison group was provided the standard case management process for monitoring during hospital stay and discharge. Data analysis revealed significant correlation of multiple study variables at the 0.05 level using a 2-tailed test and reduction of 30 day readmissions post hospital discharge. Collaboration was instrumental to the success of this project

Social media: a new frontier for retailers?

During the last two decades the retailing industry is finding itself in a state of constant evolution and transformation. Globalization, mergers and acquisitions, and technological developments have drastically changed the retailing landscape. The explosive growth of the Internet has been one of the main catalysts in this process. The effects of the Internet have been mostly felt in retail sectors dealing mainly with intangibles or information products. But these are not likely to be limited to these sectors; increasingly retailers of physical products realize that the empowered, sophisticated, critical and well-informed consumer of today is essentially different to the consumer they have always known. The web, and particularly what is known as Social Media or Web 2.0, have given consumers much more control, information and power over the market process, posing retailers with a number of important dilemmas and challenges. This article explains what the new face of the Internet, widely referred to as Web 2.0 or Social Media, is, identifies its importance as a strategic marketing tool and proposes a number of alternative strategies for retailers. Implementing such strategies will allow retailers not only to survive, but also create competitive advantages and thrive in the new environment