The Impact of Information Technology Investments on Hospital Performance and Quality of Care

The business value of Information Technology (measuring the impact of IT investments on organizational productivity and efficiency) and quantifying Information technology’s tangible and intangible benefits havebeen significant areas of interest forresearchers and industry experts alike for more than threedecades. In healthcare, an information-rich industry that directly impacts peoples’ lives, investing in IT is still being challenged by questions of payoffs and returns; thus understanding how IT impacts quality outcomes and organizational financial performancein healthcare organizations is important in IT investment decisions. The goal of this research study is to critically examinethe business value of IT in healthcare. To this end, IT’s impact on hospital outcomes is assessed throughmeasures such as increasedpatient satisfaction, improved clinical outcomes (i.e. reduced numbers of adverse events incidents and rates of readmissions), and enhanced hospital financial condition. Additionally, the effect of readily available clinical and administrative data and well-aligned process redesign initiatives to enhance strategic decision making by leadership teams is considered. To address these issues, panel data on 17 performance indicators from 107 hospitals were collected to analyze the impact of IT investment on hospital financial performance and quality of outcomes. The study showsthat the relationship between IT investment and hospital performance measures is type dependent; community or small hospitals have different results from teaching hospitals,and IT investment has an impact on the financial condition of small hospitals only. Similarly, IT investments were shown to improve clinical outcomes in community hospitals but not in small or teaching hospitals. Finally, no direct relationship was found between IT investment and patient satisfaction in any type of hospital. The impact of IT investments is shown to be enhanced when combined with corresponding process-redesign initiatives; and making the right levels of investment in organizational corporate services such as administrative services, finance, human resources, and system support improved hospitals’ financial performance. Among the IT systems used in hospital organizationsare the decision support systems that enhance the decision-making capabilities of both clinicians and administrative leaders. The Hospital Analytics Dashboard is introduced as an example of the use of such systems to allow leaders to analyzehospital’s performance as it relates to the impact of IT on patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and financial conditions. This proof-of-concept decision support tool can be adapted to include other performance measures, and has been devised to help hospital leadership teams visualize and analyze the relationships among performance measurespresented in a static scorecard format.It provides benchmarking information from similar-sized hospitals and is accompanied by an interactive dashboard where historical performance information can be analyzed to predict future performance according to different inputs

Pairwise Locally Compact Space and Pairwise Locally Lindelőf Space

In this paper we define pairwise locally compact space and pairwise locally lindelöf space and study their properties and their relations with other bitopological spaces. several examples are discussed and many will known theorems are generalized concerning pairwise locally compact space and pairwise locally lindelöf space. and we shall investigate subspaces of pairwise locally compact space and pairwise locally lindelöf space and also bitopological spaces which are related to pairwise locally compact space and pairwise locally lindelöf space

Performance of FFT-OFDM versus DWT-OFDM under compressive sensing

In this work, we present a comparative study on the performance of Fourier-based OFDM (FFT-OFDM) and wavelet-based OFDM (DWT-OFDM) under compressive sensing (CS). Transmission over FFT-OFDM and DWT-OFDM, which has been made under different baseband modulation schemes such as Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Key (QPSK), Quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) and (64QAM) has been considered. From numerical simulation results, it is observed that the Wavelet-based OFDM system outperforms Fourier based OFDM when the Quadrature Amplitude Modulation is 16QAM and 64QAM within the signal to noise ratios range 30 to 40 dB. Although CS is more efficient in compression than classical compression techniques, it introduces more errors over OFDM transmission. Future directions of this work are also suggested

Central Amman development plan

Παρατηρήσεις έκδοσης: παρουσιάζεται μερική απώλεια περιεχομένου λόγου βιβλιοδεσίας

Deformation and stress theory of surrounding rock of shallow circular tunnel based on complex variable function method

After reviewing many literature foundations, the thesis combines the basic methods of elastic mechanics with mathematical knowledge, sets the bipotential stress potential complex function and analyses the relationship between stress component, strain component and stress potential function, and applies the complex variable function. The expression of the relevant stress component is derived, and the displacement boundary conditions of the surrounding rock of shallow circular tunnel are obtained. Furthermore, the paper applies the basic theory of complex variable function to solve the boundary condition complex variable function for common tunnel sections, and obtains the analytical expression of the surrounding rock stress of shallow circular tunnel. The simulation is carried out by finite element method. The establishment of complex variable function has a good application value in solving the stress of surrounding rock of shallow tunnel

A Framework for Flood Modelling in Data-Sparse Regions Based on a New Cost-Performance Grid, Application on the Awali Basin in Lebanon

Les inondations touchent un grand nombre de personnes et sont susceptibles de causer des dommages. La mise au point d'outils de modélisation des inondations pour mieux comprendre et atténuer leurs ampleurs est un défi pour la recherche. De nombreux modèles de niveaux de complexités différents sont maintenant disponibles afin de comprendre les processus de propagation des crues et des inondations. Choisir un modèle efficace et économique n’est pas un exercice facile. Dans les régions où uniquement des données éparses sont disponibles, la modélisation des inondations est une tâche ardue en raison du manque de données permettant de caler et de valider les modèles hydrologiques et hydrauliques. La question se pose alors de savoir s'il est possible de modéliser les inondations à partir de modèles hydrologiques et hydrauliques utilisant des données rares et si cette approche reste rentable compte tenu de la grande complexité du modèle et de la disponibilité limitée des données. Ce travail vise à développer un cadre pour la modélisation des inondations dans les régions avec des données éparses en développant une approche coût-performance. Une application sur le bassin du Awali au Liban. Le mémoire est structuré en trois parties: (i) un recueil des inondations au Liban émanant des journaux et analyse de leurs fréquences d’occurrence spatiale, (ii) mise au point d’une nouvelle approche coût-performance permettant de comparer différentes approches de modélisation, (iii) un cadre pour le choix du modèle adéquat des inondations en utilisant des données éparses.Dans la première partie, une analyse intensive des archives des journaux nous a permis d'extraire 711 événements d'inondation au Liban. La variabilité spatiale des inondations a été reliée aux caractéristiques morphologiques, hydrologiques et de vulnérabilité. La carte d’occurrence des inondations peut être traitée comme une carte de risque d’inondation. Les informations extraites des journaux étaient prometteuses mais restent descriptives, et ne peuvent donc pas remplacer le besoin d’une modélisation détaillée.Dans la deuxième partie, nous proposons une nouvelle grille coût-performance pour évaluer les approches de modélisation des crues et des inondations. La grille repose sur la définition de métriques permettant d'évaluer la disponibilité des données, la complexité du modèle et les performances de la modélisation. Pour les applications, 10 études sont choisies et ont été évaluées et représentées dans un diagramme coût-performance. Les approches couplées hydrologie-hydraulique sont les plus complexes et coûteuses alors que les approches empiriques sont les moins coûteuses et les moins performantes.Dans la troisième partie, nous avons utilisé un modèle couplé hydrologique-hydraulique (HEC-HMS et HEC-RAS) contraint par les données des événements passés et les mesures post-événement. L’approche est testée sur le bassin de l’Awali au Liban. Le modèle hydrologique a été étalonné avec 12 événements Pluie/Débit visant à définir des plages de paramètres hydrologiques. L’incertitude des paramètres du modèle a été évaluée en effectuant une simulation Monte Carlo pour les plages des paramètres estimés. L'incertitude sur les variables simulées est réduite. Les informations des médias sociaux constituaient une valeur ajoutée pour contraindre les simulations de modèles hydrologiques. Les mesures post-événement étaient prometteuses pour valider la carte des inondations.Basé sur la grille coût-performance, le cadre proposé révèle un bon niveau coût-performance. L’approche de modélisation est en position intermédiaire entre les approches complexes et simples. La démarche peut être étendue et appliquée dans d’autres zones avec des données éparses. La grille coût-performance est un outil utile pour la comparaison, la classification et la sélection d'approches adéquates de modélisation.Floods affect the greatest number of people worldwide and have the greatest potential to cause damage. Developing flood modelling tools to better understand and mitigate floods has become a global endeavor. Numerous models of variable complexity are now available aiming at understanding the flood processes. Therefore, the choice of selection of an effective and economic model is not an easy exercise. In data-sparse regions, flood modeling is a challenging task because of the shortage in observational data to calibrate and validate the hydrological-hydraulic models and the question arises to whether there is opportunity to model floods based on hydrological-hydraulic models using sparse data, and whether such approach remains cost-effective given the high model complexity and limited data availability. Consequently, this work aims to develop a framework for flood modeling in data-sparse regions based on analyzing different flood modeling approaches in a cost-performance approach. It is structured into three parts: (i) a collection of flood events in Lebanon from newspapers to analyze the spatial occurrence of events, (ii) a new cost-performance gird to compare different modeling approaches, (iii) a cost-effective framework for flood modelling using sparse data.In part I an intensive history scan of newspaper archives allows us to extract 711 flood events (1293-2013) in Lebanon. The spatial occurrence of these events was mapped and analyzed to extract the reasons behind such variability. The spatial variability of flood events in the studied catchments was linked to a combination of morphological, hydrological, and vulnerability characteristics and the developed spatial flood occurrence map can be treated as a flood risk map. The extracted events from newspapers were promising in retrieving information on previous flood events, but these records remain descriptive and hence cannot replace the need for a detailed hydrological-hydraulic modeling.In part II we propose a new cost-performance grid to evaluate flood modeling approaches. The grid is based on defining metrics to evaluate the three axes of a modeling problem: data availability, model complexity, and modeling performance. As an application, 10 arbitrability selected study cases were evaluated and plotted on a cost-performance diagram. Hydraulic and coupling approaches are associated with good performances and are located above the cost-performance curve, whereas, empirical and hydrological approaches are located below and are associated with less performance levels.In part III we develop a framework for flood modeling in data-sparse regions, based on a coupled hydrological-hydraulic model (HEC-HMS/HEC-RAS) constrained by past storm events and post-event measurements. The approach is tested to the Awali river basin (301 km2), in Lebanon, particularly to simulate the investigated early January 2013 extreme flood event. The hydrological model was calibrated with 12 past storm events aiming at defining narrow hydrological parameter ranges. The uncertainty in the model parameters was assessed by performing Monte Carlo simulation for the estimated parameter ranges. The uncertainty in the resulting outflow values is reduced when compared to simulations based on arbitrarily chosen wide parameter ranges. Social media information was an added value to constrain the hydrological model simulations. Post-event measurements of high-water marks were promising in validating the flood map in space.Based on the cost-performance grid, the proposed framework reveals a good cost-performance level. The modeling approach falls in an intermediate position between complex and simple approaches. The framework can be extended to other data-sparse regions facing the same problems and can be part of a national flood forecasting system. The cost-performance grid can be a tool to support the comparison, classification, and future selection of cost-effective modeling approaches

Ω-closed mappings

Se introducen las nociones  de conjunto ω-cerrado, funcion ω-cerrada y espacio P*, generalizando las de conjunto cerrado, función cerrada y espacio P (donde todo Gδ es abierto), respectivamente. Se demuestra que las imágenes inversas de funciones continuas ω-cerradas preservan (a) La propiedad de Lindelöf en caso de que cada fibra sea Lindelöf, (b) paracompacidad (para compacidad fuerte) si el dominio es regular y cada fibra es relativamente paracompacta (Lindelöf ). Si X es Lindelöf  y Y es un espacio P*, entonces la proyección XxY→ Y es ω-cerrada y por tanto: XxYes Lindelöf  (paracompacto, fuertemente paracompacto) sí y sólamente si Y lo es.In this paper the concepts of ω-closed set, ω-closed mapping and P*-spaces are defined and the following are the main results: (a) Let f be a continuous ω-closed mapping of a space X onto a space Y such that f-1(y) is Lindelöf for each Y' in Y. Then X is Lindelöf if Y is so. (b) Let f be a continuous ω-closed mapping of a regular space X onto a space Y. Then X is paracompact (strongly paracompact) if Y is paracompact (strongly paracompact) and for each y in Y, f-1(y) is paracompact relative to X (Lindelöf ). (c) Let X be a Lindelöf  space and Y be a P*-space, then the projection P:Xxy + Y is an ω-closed mapping. Hence, XxY is Lindelöf (paracompact, strongly paracompact) if and only if Y is so

On preservation of normality

The theory of normal spaces is treated in this paper. In section 1 we define a new type of mappings called paranormal, and we prove that a continuous mapping onto a normal space is paranormal if and only if its domain is normal. The section ends with the study of relativized notions of normality and paracompactness. In section 2 we study the normalitv of the products. Finally, section 3 contains the discussion of counterexamples relevant to the definition and theorems in the previous sections