QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Integrating teamwork, clinician occupational well-being and patient safety – development of a conceptual framework based on a systematic review

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that teamwork in hospitals is related to both patient outcomes and clinician occupational well-being. Furthermore, clinician well-being is associated with patient safety. Despite considerable research activity, few studies include all three concepts, and their interrelations have not yet been investigated systematically. To advance our understanding of these potentially complex interrelations we propose an integrative framework taking into account current evidence and research gaps identified in a systematic review. METHODS: We conducted a literature search in six major databases (Medline, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, Psyndex, ScienceDirect, and Web of Knowledge). Inclusion criteria were: peer reviewed papers published between January 2000 and June 2015 investigating a statistical relationship between at least two of the three concepts; teamwork, patient safety, and clinician occupational well-being in hospital settings, including practicing nurses and physicians. We assessed methodological quality using a standardized rating system and qualitatively appraised and extracted relevant data, such as instruments, analyses and outcomes. RESULTS: The 98 studies included in this review were highly diverse regarding quality, methodology and outcomes. We found support for the existence of independent associations between teamwork, clinician occupational well-being and patient safety. However, we identified several conceptual and methodological limitations. The main barrier to advancing our understanding of the causal relationships between teamwork, clinician well-being and patient safety is the lack of an integrative, theory-based, and methodologically thorough approach investigating the three concepts simultaneously and longitudinally. Based on psychological theory and our findings, we developed an integrative framework that addresses these limitations and proposes mechanisms by which these concepts might be linked. CONCLUSION: Knowledge about the mechanisms underlying the relationships between these concepts helps to identify avenues for future research, aimed at benefiting clinicians and patients by using the synergies between teamwork, clinician occupational well-being and patient safety. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1535-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Towards a Framework for Steering Safety Performance: A Review of the Literature on Leading Indicators

While remarkable progress has been made recently to improve the state of occupational safety, the number of occupational accidents is still unacceptable. In addition, the organizational costs related to these safety problems in the workplace are staggering. Therefore, effective strategies are needed to guide the continuous improvement of safety performance. Common approaches include setting safety goals, identifying the key activities/interventions to reach those goals, and evaluating performance. The most challenging and fundamental issue within these approaches is evaluating safety performance. While it has been a focus of safety professionals, concerns still exist among researchers with regard to how safety performance can be appropriately and accurately measured to improve decision support systems. Recently, researchers in the field of safety have begun directing efforts towards new approaches for measuring safety performance by addressing leading indicators. However, because of its nature and utility, the ideas and concepts of leading indicators have remained unclear. In an effort to overcome this challenge, this study attempts to distinguish between the two common aspects of safety performance, observable activities and outcomes. The importance of using leading indicators for steering safety performance is then highlighted. In order to meet these objectives, the results chain model, which has been introduced by several researchers for outlining the program development, is employed. The elements of the results chain model are then interrelated with relevant safety concepts. As a result, the relationship between the leading and lagging indicators and safety performance is identified. A set of leading indicators that predict safety performance is proposed. Further, the important implications of this study for both academic communities and practitioners are discussed as well

The influence of organisational safety climate on group safety outcomes: The mediation role of supervisor safety communication and monitoring

Safety climate is an important leading indicator of safety performance and reflects the priority of safety within industrial operations. Previous research has identified safety climate as a multilevel and multidimensional construct, which involves the interaction of multiple social agents at various levels of organisations, including managers, supervisors, and work-groups. The present paper tests the mediation role of two types of safety supervision styles, safety monitoring supervision (SMS) and safety communication supervision (SCS), on the relationship between organisational safety climate (OSC) and relevant group outcomes for safety management. Results found that on one hand, OSC affects performative safety management dimensions of work-groups, through the influence of SMS. On the other hand, SCS seems to exercise a mediation role of the effects of OSC on work dimensions supporting psychological health and the quality of the psychosocial environment