Cost of the Connoisseur’s Cup: Power Dynamics in a Tea Factory’s Conversion to Organic Production

This paper analyzes the identity of the tea factory as relating to small-holder tea farmers in eastern Nepal as well as the effects of a tea factory’s conversion to organic production on the bargaining power of tea farmers. This research uses both primary and secondary sources, including but not limited to interviews with tea farmers in the Sundarpani area of the Ilam district of eastern Nepal as well as interviews with staff members of Gorkha Tea Estate in the same area. The research findings indicate that though tea factories in the eastern hill region of Nepal act as efficient, expert middlemen which sustain the existence of small-holder, export tea farmers, the conversion to organic production and necessary sublicensing of member farmers gives the factory monopsonistic power, decreasing farmers’ bargaining power. 511, 502, 50

The Importance of Incorporating Lived Experience in Efforts to Reduce Australian Reincarceration Rates

It is widely acknowledged that ‘good policy’ should be informed by the people it most directly affects. However, learning from people with lived experiences in the criminal justice sector, such as people who have served time in prison, has received little attention. This article discusses the significance of and challenges related to capturing the voices of people who are currently serving time or have served time in prison. We argue that formalising the perspectives of these individuals into policymaking through co-design processes may be an important method for enhancing program responses to rising incarceration and reincarceration rates. *This is a corrected version of the original article published ‘Online First’ on February 17, 2021. Some text in the literature review was unintentionally missing attribution. The Correction Notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.5204/ijcjsd.194

Payday lending: regulation is a forward step, but there are lessons to learn from this industry

Payday lending schemes in the UK are often vilified as expensive and exploitative, and many welcomed their regulation. But that shouldn’t be the end of it. Karen Rowlingson, Lindsey Appleyard and Jodi Gardner argue that we need to look closer at why people use these services in the first place, and suggest that we could learn from some aspects of their business model in order to improve others

Optimizing the Electrocardiogram and Pressure Monitoring

journal articleBiomedical Informatic

Physician Decision-Making: Evaluaton of Data Used in a Computerized ICU

journal articleBiomedical Informatic

Furthering the quality agenda in Aboriginal community controlled health services: understanding the relationship between accreditation, continuous quality improvement and national key performance indicator reporting

A rapidly expanding interest in quality in the Aboriginal-community-controlled health sector has led to widespread uptake of accreditation using more than one set of standards, a proliferation of continuous quality improvement programs and the introduction of key performance indicators. As yet, there has been no overarching logic that shows how they relate to each other, with consequent confusion within and outside the sector. We map the three approaches to the Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care, demonstrating their key differences and complementarity. There needs to be greater attention in both policy and practice to the purposes and alignment of the three approaches if they are to embed a system-wide focus that supports quality improvement at the service level

Development of a Computerized Laboratory Alerting System

journal articleBiomedical Informatic

Development of an Effective User Interface for a Computerized Laboratory Alerting System

Conference PaperBiomedical Informatic

National quality and performance system for Divisions of General Practice: early reflections on a system under development

Governments are increasingly introducing performance management systems to improve the quality and outcomes of health care. Two types of approaches have been described: assurance systems that use summative information for external accountability and internally driven systems that use formative information for continuous quality improvement. Australia recently introduced a National Quality and Performance System (NQPS) for Divisions of General Practice that has the dual purposes of increasing accountability and improving performance. In this article, we ask whether the framework can deliver on its objectives for achieving accountability and fostering performance improvement. We examine the system in terms of four factors identified in a recent systematic review of indicator systems known to improve their use. These are: involving stakeholders in development; having clear objectives; approach to data collection and analysis including using 'soft data' to aid interpretation; and feeding back information. RESULTS: We found that early consultative processes influenced system development. The system promotes the collection of performance information against defined program objectives. Data includes a mix of qualitative and quantitative indicators that are fitted to a conceptual framework that facilitates an approach to performance assessment that could underpin continuous quality improvement at the Division level. Feedback of information to support the development of quality improvement activities has not been fully developed. CONCLUSION: The system currently has elements that, with further development, could support a more continuous quality improvement or assurance based approach. Careful consideration needs to be given to the development of methods for analysis and review of performance indicators, performance assessment and engagement with consumers. The partnership arrangement that supported early development could be expected to serve as an important vehicle for further development