37P. Knowledge Management Success: Some Lessons Learned

With the developed economies now firmly based on the power of information, the need to effectively harness, manage, and exploit organizational knowledge for competitive advantage has not been greater. Knowledge management initiatives have been undertaken by various organizations, with varying levels of success. The definitions of “knowledge,” “knowledge management,” and “knowledge management systems” are fluid at best, leading to a certain amount of confusion for organizations wishing to exploit their institutional knowledge. Nevertheless, several success stories (and a few failures) have been reported in the literature about organizations that have implemented knowledge management systems. It is the objective of this paper to identify some of the lessons learned from these experiences, with the expectation that some direction and guidance can emerge for organizations contemplating this endeavor. As a research-in-progress, the ultimate objective is to expand on the case studies and, eventually, incorporate the lessons learned into a comprehensive strategic framework for organizational knowledge management

Influence of growth temperature on the thermal resistance of some bacteria from evaporated milk

Keeping quality of evaporated milk depends primarily on the destruction of the contained organisms by heat. Normally, the heat treatment used is entirely satisfactory, but, occasionally, organisms survive. Some of these are species that do not cause changes ill evaporated milk in cans, while others are species that bring about conspicuous defects. Spoilage sometimes occurs when there has been no intentional or discernible modification of a heat treatment that has been employed successfully over extended periods. Outbreaks are frequently spasmodic but during their brief existence may cause extensive financial losses

Maternal Employment, Child’s Caring Practices and Nutritional Status in Northern Ghana

Mothers as caregivers exert strong influence over child feeding and caring practices. Maternal employment may influence child caring practices thus affecting the child’s nutritional status. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of maternal employment status, on child caring practices and the nutritional status of children under-5 in Savelugu, Northern Ghana. This was a cross-sectional survey involving 400 mothers and their children under-5 years old. Data collection took place between February and May, 2013 through a house-to-house visit using a structured questionnaire designed for the study. Information collected included employment status, occupation type and mothers working hours away from home, feeding and caring practices and anthropometric measurements of their children. About 85.8% of respondents were employed. Together farmers and traders made approximately 76% of the respondents. Approximately 55% of Mothers had at least primary education. Around 85.1% of the employed mothers look after their children whiles carrying out their daily work. Employed mothers spent between 5 to 6 hours/day away from home without their children but unemployed mothers were mostly with their children. Occupation status has a significant effect on child caring practices with those unemployed being better (P<0.05). About 72.0% and 70.3% respectively of unemployed and employed mothers indicated they introduced complementary feeding at 6months. Child caring practices were better among unemployed mothers compared to employed mothers among the study population. Stunting and wasting rates were high among children of both employed and unemployed mothers

Migrations and development policies in Nigeria.

The authors of this book chapter conclude that increased urbanization in Nigeria is a product of natural growth and migration. Rural-to-rural migration dominated during the colonial period. Independence was marked by rural-urban urban-urban and return migration streams. The authors posit that the problems of inadequate supplies of housing and clean water in urban centers led to overcrowding and the resulting urban social and health hazards. Urban in-migration was the cause of urban growth. The rural population structure was related to the availability of labor and food production. Rural development depended upon the availability of a resourceful willing and capable young population and reduced out-migration. Urban migrants increased the demand for educational services and strained existing resources. Rapid social changes have led to homelessness and changes in marriage and the family. Nigeria has a variety of climates and geography and abundant natural resources including oil. About 50% of the population is comprised of ethnic groups i.e. Hausa in the north Ibo in the southeast and the Yuroba in the west. During colonial periods large scale migration movements were fueled by social conflicts. Colonial practices increased the demand for labor in colonial agriculture and mining industries forced taxation on the adult population and produced a wage earning labor force. Traditional forms of social organization based on kinship and political or tribal rights were substituted with the European mode of social organization. The colonial regime created new urban centers and a population shift to developing areas in the north

How was it for you? Experiences of participatory design in the UK health service

Improving co-design methods implies that we need to understand those methods, paying attention to not only the effect of method choices on design outcomes, but also how methods affect the people involved in co-design. In this article, we explore participants' experiences from a year-long participatory health service design project to develop ‘Better Outpatient Services for Older People’. The project followed a defined method called experience-based design (EBD), which represented the state of the art in participatory service design within the UK National Health Service. A sample of participants in the project took part in semi-structured interviews reflecting on their involvement in and their feelings about the project. Our findings suggest that the EBD method that we employed was successful in establishing positive working relationships among the different groups of stakeholders (staff, patients, carers, advocates and design researchers), although conflicts remained throughout the project. Participants' experiences highlighted issues of wider relevance in such participatory design: cost versus benefit, sense of project momentum, locus of control, and assumptions about how change takes place in a complex environment. We propose tactics for dealing with these issues that inform the future development of techniques in user-centred healthcare design

Artificial intelligence in medical imaging practice in Africa: A qualitative content analysis study of radiographers' perspectives.

PURPOSE: Studies have documented the clinical potentials of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical imaging practice to improving patient care. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the perception of radiographers relating to the integration of AI in medical imaging practice in Africa. METHODS: The study employed a qualitative design using an open-ended online instrument administered between March and August 2020. Participants consisted of radiographers working within Africa during the time of the study. Data obtained were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Six themes of concerns were generated: expectant tool; career insecurity; cost of new technology, equipment preservation and data insecurity; service delivery quality; need for expanding AI awareness. RESULTS: A total of 475 valid responses were obtained. Participants demonstrated a positive outlook about AI in relation to clinical quality improvement, competent diagnosis, radiation dose reduction and improvement in research. They however expressed concerns relating to the implementation of this technology, including job security and loss of core professional radiographer skills and roles. In addition, concerns regarding AI equipment maintenance, lack of awareness about AI and education and training opportunities were evident. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the importance of AI in medical imaging practice was acknowledged; however, concerns relating to job security, data protection must be given critical attention for successful implementation of these advanced technologies in medical imaging in Africa. Inclusion of AI modules in the training of future radiographers is highly recommended

Radiographers’ perspectives on the emerging integration of artificial intelligence into diagnostic imaging: The Ghana study

Introduction The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems into medical imaging is advancing the practice and patient care. It is thought to further revolutionise the entire field in the near future. This study explored Ghanaian radiographers’ perspectives on the integration of AI into medical imaging. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey of registered Ghanaian radiographers was conducted within a 3‐month period (February‐April, 2020). The survey sought information relating to demography, general perspectives on AI and implementation issues. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses. Results A response rate of 64.5% (151/234) was achieved. Majority of the respondents (n = 122, 80.8%) agreed that AI technology is the future of medical imaging. A good number of them (n = 131, 87.4%) indicated that AI would have an overall positive impact on medical imaging practice. However, some expressed fears about AI‐related errors (n = 126, 83.4%), while others expressed concerns relating to job security (n = 35, 23.2%). High equipment cost, lack of knowledge and fear of cyber threats were identified as some factors hindering AI implementation in Ghana. Conclusions The radiographers who responded to this survey demonstrated a positive attitude towards the integration of AI into medical imaging. However, there were concerns about AI‐related errors, job displacement and salary reduction which need to be addressed. Lack of knowledge, high equipment cost and cyber threats could impede the implementation of AI in medical imaging in Ghana. These findings are likely comparable to most low resource countries and we suggest more education to promote credibility of AI in practice

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical radiography practice in low resource settings: The Ghanaian Radiographers’ Perspective

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the professional practice of all healthcare workers, including radiographers. In the pandemic, clinical practice of radiographers was centred mostly on chest imaging of COVID-19 patients and radiotherapy treatment care delivery to those with cancer. This study aimed to assess the radiographers’ perspective on the impact of the pandemic on their wellbeing and imaging service delivery in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional survey of practising radiographers in Ghana was conducted online from March 26th to May 6th, 2020. A previously validated questionnaire that sought information regarding demographics, general perspectives on personal and professional impact of the pandemic was used as the research instrument. Data obtained was analysed using Microsoft Excel® 2016. Results A response rate of 57.3% (134/234) was obtained. Of the respondents, 75.4% (n=101) reported to have started experiencing high levels of workplace-related stress after the outbreak. Three-quarters (n=98, 73.1%) of respondents reported limited access to any form of psychosocial support systems at work during the study period. Half (n=67, 50%) of the respondents reported a decline in general workload during the study period while only a minority (n=18, 13.4%) reported an increase in workload due to COVID-19 cases. Conclusion This national survey indicated that majority of the workforce started experiencing coronavirus-specific workplace-related stress after the outbreak. Albeit speculative, low patient confidence and fear of contracting the COVID-19 infection on hospital attendance contributed to the decline in general workload during the study period. Implications for practice In order to mitigate the burden of workplace-related stress on frontline workers, including radiographers, and in keeping to standard practices for staff mental wellbeing and patient safety, institutional support structures are necessary in similar future pandemics

Assessing the state of rainwater for consumption in a community in dire need of clean water: Human and health risk using HERisk

This study examines the case of Ekpoma community, Edo State, Nigeria, where roof-harvested rainwater is the primary source of water for drinking and domestic purposes. Eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs), namely aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc, were detected in rainwater samples, collected and analyzed from 54 sampling locations across the community. The elemental concentrations were quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometry and compared using the regulatory standards of the World Health Organization, United States Environmental Protection Agency, and Nigerian Drinking Water Quality Standards. The PTEs detected in the rainwater samples can be attributed to the nature of the materials used in the roof catchment systems, storage tank conditions, anthropogenic effects from industrial and agricultural processes, and fossil fuel emissions. However, only 20% of the evaluated samples contained PTE concentrations below the allowable regulatory limits. Spatio-temporal health risk analysis conducted using HERisk software showed that children in the development phase (1–18 years) are most vulnerable to health risks in the community. After age 18, the risk increased by approximately 10% and remained constant until old age. In addition, the evaluation of the studied sites showed that 33% of the evaluated sites had negligible carcinogenic risks, while the other 61% were sites with low carcinogenic risks to residents