Organizational Context and Client-Server Architecture: A Proposed Research Strategy

The unification of information systems (IS) resources regardless of the degree of heterogeneity and the location is a critical issue for IS management. Client-server systems (CSS) is making significant contribution to this enterprise computing. The problem facing many managers is that at present there is no one approach to determine how to leverage theCSS power to information technology (IT). The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate the relationship between two topical domains, organizational context and client-server systems architecture (CSSA). The specific objective of this research is to identify the problems organizations face in CSS environment and study the relationship between the CSS elements and organizational element

Implications of social media use on instruction and student learning: An exploratory study

In this paper we explore the use of social media on the content delivery aspects of instruction and potential impacts on student learning. It is our conjecture that impacts of social media use might depend on factors such as the interface of particular medium and learning style, teaching style and instructor skill, and the demographics of students and their instructors. We propose a framework that links instructor to students through social media. That is, social media becomes a channel though which learning occurs. Classifying multimedia technology as tools and social media as interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications, we employ case studies in developing the framework and we follow up with a discussion of potential implications of social media applications in academia

An Instrument to Assess Client-Server Architecture in an Organizational Setting

This study reports the final results of a delphi panel procedure used to develop an instrument to assess the client-server system architecture in an organization. At present there is no formal instrument that allows an information systems manager to assess an existing CSS architecture. A delphi panel was used to develop a formal instrument for CSS assessment

Escalation Of Commitment In MIS Projects: A Meta-Analysis

Escalation of commitment emerged as a major explanation for the propensity of management information systems projects to exceed time and budget constraints. Earlier studies demonstrated that escalation in MIS is a common event.  This study presents a meta-analysis of the various theories of escalation that allows for integration of the various escalation factors into a model of irrational escalation and a model of rational escalation. The implications of rational and irrational escalation for the decision making in management of information systems are discussed

Managing Cybersecurity and e-Commerce Risks in Small Businesses

Cybersecurity is a topic of discussion at boardrooms of businesses of all sizes as recent breaches have shown that every sector is vulnerable. Small businesses are becoming aware that their size does not provide safety from breaches. This paper discusses the pattern of increase in cyber breach incidents in businesses of all sizes around the globe, the challenges to cyber resilience found by the Ponemon Institute 2016 survey, offers steps to strengthen cybersecurity and builds customer trust, and reviews available tools on website security to help protect critical data such as SSL encryption

Trends in left ventricular assist device use and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries, 2004–2011

Objective: To characterise the trends in the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation rates and outcomes between 2004 and 2011 in the Medicare population. Since the approval of the HeartMate II in 2008, the use of LVADs has steadily climbed. Given the increase in LVAD use, issues around discharge disposition, post-implant hospitalisations and costs require further understanding. Methods: We examined LVAD implantation rates and short-term and long-term outcomes among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries hospitalised for LVAD implantation. We also conducted analyses among survivors 1-year post-discharge to examine rehospitalisation rates. Lastly, we reported Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payments for both index hospitalisation and rehospitalisations 1 year post-discharge. Results: A total of 2152 LVAD implantations were performed with numbers increasing from 107 in 2004 to 612 in 2011. The 30-day mortality rate decreased from 52% to 9%, and 1-year mortality rate decreased from 69% to 31%. We observed no change in overall length of stay, but post-procedure length of stay increased. We also found an increase in home discharge dispositions from 26% to 53%. Between 2004 and 2010, the rehospitalisation rate increased and the number of hospital days decreased. The adjusted CMS payment for the index hospitalisation increased from $188 789 to$225 697 over time but decreased for rehospitalisation from $60 647 to$53 630. Conclusions: LVAD implantations increased over time. We found decreasing 30-day and 1-year mortality rates and increasing home discharge disposition. The proportion of patients rehospitalised among 1-year survivors remained high with increasing index hospitalisation cost, but decreasing post-implantation costs over time

Gender Differences in Presentation, Management, and In-Hospital Outcomes for Patients with AMI in a Lower-Middle Income Country: Evidence from Egypt

BACKGROUND: Many studies in high-income countries have investigated gender differences in the care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, little evidence exists on gender differences among patients with AMI in lower-middle-income countries, where the proportion deaths stemming from cardiovascular disease is projected to increase dramatically. This study examines gender differences in patients in the lower-middle-income country of Egypt to determine if female patients with AMI have a different presentation, management, or outcome compared with men. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using registry data collected over 18 months from 5 Egyptian hospitals, we considered 1204 patients (253 females, 951 males) with a confirmed diagnosis of AMI. We examined gender differences in initial presentation, clinical management, and in-hospital outcomes using t-tests and χ(2) tests. Additionally, we explored gender differences in in-hospital death using multivariate logistic regression to adjust for age and other differences in initial presentation. We found that women were older than men, had higher BMI, and were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Women were less likely to receive aspirin upon admission (p<0.01) or aspirin or statins at discharge (p = 0.001 and p<0.05, respectively), although the magnitude of these differences was small. While unadjusted in-hospital mortality was significantly higher for women (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.54 to 2.87), this difference did not persist in the fully adjusted model (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.55 to 2.55). CONCLUSIONS: We found that female patients had a different profile than men at the time of presentation. Clinical management of men and women with AMI was similar, though there are small but significant differences in some areas. These gender differences did not translate into differences in in-hospital outcome, but highlight differences in quality of care and represent important opportunities for improvement

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Longitudinal Study to Assess the Impact of Instructor-Based Training Versus Computer-Based Training on User Performance: A Field Experiment

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between selected end-user training programs corporations provide to their employees and subsequent employee performance based on these opportunities