The value of information sharing in automotive supply chains: Understanding the role of information utilisation for operations planning and control

The purpose of the thesis is to provide knowledge about the role of information utilisation in suppliers’ operations planning and control (OPC) processes, for generating value of shared demand-related information in automotive supply chains. To do so, the thesis focuses on information utilisation from three different perspectives: (1) how suppliers utilise shared information; (2) why they utilise the information the way they do; and (3) the effect of the utilisation. The thesis is based on three research studies, two case studies and one survey study, all performed in the Swedish automotive industry. The thesis contains both qualitative and quantitative data, which enables both a deep understanding of the studied phenomena, as well as general descriptions and explanations of it. The results from the research studies are presented in five academic papers, which are appended in the thesis. The thesis describes suppliers in the automotive industry divided into four clusters, depending on how they utilise three types of shared demand-related information in their OPC processes. Moreover, the thesis shows how an inter-organisational collaborative relationship, as well as intra-organisational process support at a supplier impact how suppliers utilise shared information both directly and indirectly, through information quality (IQ). Furthermore, the thesis explains that information utilisation mediates the relationship between IQ and OPC performance, but also that the mediation differs between different types of shared information. The thesis contributes to academia by highlighting the critical role of information utilisation for generating value of shared demand-related information. It develops a five-phase conceptual model of the impact of information sharing on OPC performance and explains how this model differs between different types of shared demand-related information. Additionally, the thesis opens up further research into information utilisation by defining and operationalising the information utilisation concept.The research contributes to practitioners in the automotive industry by showing that the potential value of information sharing is far from reached in the industry and that its value can be improved by better utilisation of shared demand-related information. It develops an information utilisation maturity model, which can be used as guidance for both suppliers and OEMs, in their endeavour to improve the value of information sharing in the automotive industry

Machine learning risk prediction of mortality for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2: the COVIDSurg mortality score.

To support the global restart of elective surgery, data from an international prospective cohort study of 8492 patients (69 countries) was analysed using artificial intelligence (machine learning techniques) to develop a predictive score for mortality in surgical patients with SARS-CoV-2. We found that patient rather than operation factors were the best predictors and used these to create the COVIDsurg Mortality Score (https://covidsurgrisk.app). Our data demonstrates that it is safe to restart a wide range of surgical services for selected patients

Preaching in times of the European ‘Refugee Crisis’: Scandinavian perspectives

Toward the end of 2015, 65.3 million people were seeking refuge or were otherwise forcibly displaced globally. This is the largest number since the recordings began around World War II. In Europe more than 1 million people arrived by sea in 2015 – more than four times as many as the previous year.1 The crisis situation stirred public debate as well as church-based initiatives trying to deal with the situation. In order to understand the interaction between public discourse and local preaching a group of homileticians from seven European countries collaborated on an empirical study of how the refugee crisis impacted preaching. In what follows we present the initial results from the Scandinavian countries

Validating surgical procedure codes for inflammatory bowel disease in the Swedish National Patient Register

Background About 50% of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and about 20% of those with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergo surgery at some point during the course of the disease. The diagnostic validity of the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR) has previously been shown to be high for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but there are little data on the validity of IBD-related surgical procedure codes. Methods Using patient chart data as the gold standard, surgical procedure codes registered between 1966 and 2014 in the NPR were abstracted and validated in 262 randomly selected patients with a medical diagnosis of IBD. Of these, 53 patients had reliable data about IBD-related surgery. The positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity and specificity of the surgical procedure codes were calculated. Results In total, 158 surgical procedure codes were registered in the NPR. One hundred fifty-five of these, representing 60 different procedure codes, were also present in the patient charts and validated using a standardized form. Of the validated codes 153/155 were concordant with the patient charts, corresponding to a PPV of 96.8% (95%CI = 93.9–99.1). Stratified in abdominal, perianal and other surgery, the corresponding PPVs were 94.1% (95%CI = 88.7–98.6), 100% (95%CI = 100–100) and 98.1% (95%CI = 93.1–100), respectively. Of 164 surgical procedure codes in the validated patient charts, 155 were registered in the NPR, corresponding to a sensitivity of the surgical procedure codes of 94.5% (95%CI = 89.6–99.3). The specificity of the NPR was 98.5% (95%CI = 97.6–100). Conclusions Data on IBD-related surgical procedure codes are reliable, with the Swedish National Patient Register showing a high sensitivity and specificity for such surgery

Surgery Due to Inflammatory Bowel Disease During Pregnancy : Mothers and Offspring Outcomes From an Ecco Confer Multicentre Case Series (Scar Study)

i) To evaluate the evolution of pregnancies and offspring after inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgery during pregnancy; and ii) to describe the indications, the surgical techniques, and the frequency of caesarean section concomitant to surgery.Patients operated on due to IBD during pregnancy after 1998 were included. Participating clinicians were asked to review their databases to identify cases. Data on patients' demographics, IBD characteristics, medical treatments, IBD activity, pregnancy outcomes, surgery, delivery, foetal and maternal outcomes, were recorded.Forty-four IBD patients were included, 75% had Crohn's disease. Eighteen percent of the surgeries were performed in the 1 st trimester, 55% in the 2 nd, and 27% in the 3 rd trimester. One patient had complications during surgery, and 27% had postsurgical complications. No patient died. Seventy percent of deliveries were carried out by caesarean section. There were 40 newborns alive and 4 miscarriages/stillbirths (1 in the 1 st, 2 in the 2 nd, and 1 in the 3 rd trimester): 2 occurred during surgery, and another 2 occurred 2 weeks after surgery. Fourteen percent of the surgeries during the 2 nd trimester and 64% of those in the 3 rd trimester ended up with a simultaneous cesarean section or vaginal delivery. Of the 40 newborns, 61% were premature, and 47% had low birth weight; 42% of newborns needed hospitalisation (25% in the intensive care unit).IBD surgery during pregnancy remains an extremely serious situation. Therefore, surgical management should be performed in a multidisciplinary team, involving gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, obstetricians and neonatal specialists

Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome: A Report From the Patient-Reported Outcomes After Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study

The primary aim was to create a patient-centered definition of core symptoms that should be included in future studies of pouch function.Functional outcomes after ileoanal pouch creation have been studied; however, there is great variability in how relevant outcomes are defined and reported. More importantly, the perspective of patients has not been represented in deciding which outcomes should be the focus of research.Expert stakeholders were chosen to correlate with the clinical scenario of the multidisciplinary team that cares for pouch patients: patients, colorectal surgeons, gastroenterologists/other clinicians. Three rounds of surveys were employed to select high-priority items. Survey voting was followed by a series of online patient consultation meetings used to clarify voting trends. A final online consensus meeting with representation from all 3 expert panels was held to finalize a consensus statement.One hundred ninety-five patients, 62 colorectal surgeons, and 48 gastroenterologists/nurse specialists completed all 3 Delphi rounds. Fifty-three patients participated in online focus groups. One hundred sixty-one stakeholders participated in the final consensus meeting. On conclusion of the consensus meeting, 7 bowel symptoms and 7 consequences of undergoing ileoanal pouch surgery were included in the final consensus statement.This study is the first to identify key functional outcomes after pouch surgery with direct input from a large panel of ileoanal pouch patients. The inclusion of patients in all stages of the consensus process allowed for a true patient-centered approach in defining the core domains that should be focused on in future studies of pouch function

Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome: A Report from the Patient-Reported Outcomes After Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study

Functional outcomes after ileoanal pouch creation have been studied; however, there is great variability in how relevant outcomes are defined and reported. More importantly, the perspective of patients has not been represented in deciding which outcomes should be the focus of research.The primary aim was to create a patient-centered definition of core symptoms that should be included in future studies of pouch function.This was a Delphi consensus study.Three rounds of surveys were used to select high-priority items. Survey voting was followed by a series of online patient consultation meetings used to clarify voting trends. A final online consensus meeting with representation from all 3 expert panels was held to finalize a consensus statement.Expert stakeholders were chosen to correlate with the clinical scenario of the multidisciplinary team that cares for pouch patients, including patients, colorectal surgeons, and gastroenterologists or other clinicians.A consensus statement was the main outcome.patients, 62 colorectal surgeons, and 48 gastroenterologists or nurse specialists completed all 3 Delphi rounds. Fifty-three patients participated in online focus groups. One hundred sixty-one stakeholders participated in the final consensus meeting. On conclusion of the consensus meeting, 7 bowel symptoms and 7 consequences of undergoing ileoanal pouch surgery were included in the final consensus statement.The study was limited by online recruitment bias.This study is the first to identify key functional outcomes after pouch surgery with direct input from a large panel of ileoanal pouch patients. The inclusion of patients in all stages of the consensus process allowed for a true patient-centered approach in defining the core domains that should be focused on in future studies of pouch function. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B571.Un Informe de los Resultados Reportados por los Pacientes Posterior a la Cirugía de Reservorio (PROPS) Estudio de Consenso DelphiANTECEDENTES:Los resultados funcionales después de la creación del reservorio ileoanal han sido estudiados; sin embargo, existe una gran variabilidad en la forma en que se definen y reportan los resultados relevantes. Más importante aún, la perspectiva de los pacientes no se ha representado a la hora de decidir qué resultados deberían ser el foco de investigación.OBJETIVO:El objetivo principal era crear en el paciente una definición centrada de los síntomas principales que debería incluirse en los estudios futuros de la función del reservorio.DISEÑO:Estudio de consenso Delphi.ENTORNO CLINICO:Se emplearon tres rondas de encuestas para seleccionar elementos de alta prioridad. La votación de la encuesta fue seguida por una serie de reuniones de consulta de pacientes en línea que se utilizan para aclarar las tendencias de votación. Se realizo una reunión de consenso final en línea con representación de los tres paneles de expertos para finalizar una declaración de consenso.PACIENTES:Se eligieron partes interesadas expertas para correlacionar con el escenario clínico del equipo multidisciplinario que atiende a los pacientes con reservorio: pacientes, cirujanos colorrectales, gastroenterólogos / otros médicos.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACION:Declaración de consenso.RESULTADOS:Ciento noventa y cinco pacientes, 62 cirujanos colorrectales y 48 gastroenterólogos / enfermeras especialistas completaron las tres rondas Delphi. 53 pacientes participaron en grupos focales en línea. 161 interesados participaron en la reunión de consenso final. Al concluir la reunión de consenso, siete síntomas intestinales y siete consecuencias de someterse a una cirugía de reservorio ileoanal se incluyeron en la declaración de consenso final.LIMITACIONES:Sesgo de reclutamiento en línea.CONCLUSIONES:Este estudio es el primero en identificar resultados funcionales claves después de la cirugía de reservorio con información directa de un gran panel de pacientes con reservorio ileoanal. La inclusión de pacientes en todas las etapas del proceso de consenso permitió un verdadero enfoque centrado en el paciente para definir los dominios principales en los que debería centrarse los estudios futuros de la función del reservorio. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B571

Down syndrome birth weight in England and Wales: Implications for clinical practice.

The aim of this study was to determine if syndrome-specific birth weight charts were beneficial for babies with Down syndrome in England and Wales. Birth weights of 8,825 babies with Down syndrome born in England and Wales in 1989-2010 were obtained from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register. Birth weight centiles for 30-42 weeks gestation by sex were fitted using the LMS method and were compared to those for unaffected babies from the UK-WHO growth charts. For babies born with Down syndrome the median birth weight from 37 to 42 weeks was 2,970 g (10th-90th centile: 2,115-3,680) for boys and 2930 g (2,100-3,629) for girls, and the modal age of gestation was 38 weeks, 2 weeks earlier than for unaffected babies. At 38 weeks gestation they were only slightly lighter than unaffected babies (159 g for boys and 86 g for girls). However at 40 weeks gestation the shortfall was much greater (304 g and 239 g, respectively). In neonates with Down syndrome there is little evidence of growth restriction before 38 weeks gestation, so up to this age it is appropriate to use the UK-WHO birth weight charts. Thereafter birth weight is below that of unaffected babies and it should be plotted on the UK Down syndrome growth charts

Prevalence, prenatal screening and neonatal features in children with Down syndrome: a registry-based national study

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities among newborns. In recent years advances in perinatal and neonatal care have improved chance of survival for the children with DS. The objective of this Registry-Based study was to get more accurate data of DS prevalence with evaluation of antenatal screening, neonatal and maternal features among total births in Croatia from 2009 to 2012. ----- METHODS: We used retrospectively collected data for DS newborns from the medical birth database and perinatal mortality database for the period of 2009-2012. Differences between DS and the referent population for each year in quantitative measures were assessed with the independent t-test. Other differences in nominal and categorical values were analyzed with the chi-square test. ----- RESULTS: The total prevalence for DS in the period of 2009-2012 was 7.01 per 10,000 births, while the live-birth prevalence was 6.49 per 10,000 births. The significant differences (p < 0.05) between the DS and reference populations for each year were noticed for birth weight and length, gestational age, mother age, Apgar score of ≥6 after 5 min and breastfeeding. Among newborns with DS, there were 64 (53.33 %) males and 56 (46.67 %) females versus 88,587 (51.76 %) males and 82,553 (48.23 %) females in the reference population. In the DS group compared to the reference population the mean birth weight was 2845 grams versus 3467 grams in males and 2834 grams versus 3329 grams in females, respectively, with a mean birth length of 47 cm versus 50 cm for both genders. The mean gestational age of the DS births was 37 weeks and the mean age of the mothers was 32.6 years, versus 39 weeks and 29.1 years, respectively, in the reference population. Only 68.3 % of children with DS were breastfed from birth, compared with 94.72 % of children in the reference population. ----- CONCLUSIONS: The significant differences for neonatal and maternal features between DS and the referent population were found similar to other studies. The total prevalence of DS in Croatia in the period of 2009-2012 was lower than the previously estimated prevalence based on EUROCAT data. The establishment of a new national registry of congenital malformations covering 99 % of all births in Croatia is necessary to improve the health and prosperity of children, adolescents and adults with DS in Croatia