MS

thesisSeveral methods exist for monitoring software development. Few formal evaluation methods have been applied to measure and improve clinical software application problems once the software has been implemented in the clinical setting. A standardized software problem classification system was developed and implemented at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. External validity was measured by a survey of 14 University Healthcare Consortium (UHC) hospitals. Internal validation was accomplished by: an indepth analysis of problems details; revision in the problem ticket format; verification from staff within the information systems department; and mapping of old problems to the new classification system. Cohen's Kappa statistics of agreement, used for reliability testing of the new classification systems, revealed good agreement (Kappa = .6162) among HELP Desk agents in consistency of classifying problems calls. A monthly quality improvement report template with the following categories was developed from the new classification system: top 25 problems; unplanned server downtimes; problem summaries; customer satisfaction survey results; top problems details; case analyses; and follow-up of case analysis. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQ) methodology was applied to problem reporting within the Office of Information Resources (OIR) and a web-based ticket entry system was implemented. The new system has resulted in the following benefits: reduction in problem resolution times by one third; improved problem ticket information; shift of 2 FTEs from call center to dispatch due to the increased efficiency of the HELP DESK; and a trend in improvement of customer satisfaction as measured by an online survey. The study provided an internal quality model for the OIR department and the UUHSC. The QM report template provided a method for tracking and trending software problems to use in conducting evaluation and quality improvement studies. The template also provided data for analysis and improvement studies. The template also provided data for analysis and improvement of customer satisfaction. The study has further potential as a model for information system departments at other health care institutions for implementing quality improvement methods. There is potential for improvement in the information technology, social, organizational, and cultural aspects as key issues emerge over time. There can be many consequences to the data collected and many consequences of change can be studied

Secondary Trauma: Agency support as a Protective Factor

Secondary trauma is something that any clinician could experience if they work with clients who have a trauma history. This is where the clinician exhibits symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by hearing about the details of a client’s trauma. There has been much research done on possible protective and predictive factors for secondary trauma. One of these protective factors is receiving supervision. Supervision is time spent with a clinician’s supervisor to debrief about clients, talk about work in general, receive feedback from documentation and client interactions, and receive psychoeducation from the supervisor about relevant client issues. It is the debriefing about clients that can be especially helpful for secondary trauma. A quantitative survey was sent to clinicians who work with clients who have experienced trauma. This survey asked questions about supervision, self-care, outside hobbies, etc. This survey also included the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, which measured symptoms of secondary trauma in three categories: intrusion, avoidance, and arousal. There was a significant negative correlation between receiving supervision and arousal symptoms. No other analysis comparing secondary trauma to supervision was significant. There was a significant relationship between spending quality time with friends and lower rates of secondary trauma, however

Corn rootworm insecticide consistency 7-year tests

Labeled rates of corn rootworm insecticides have been tested in conventional-till (chisel plowed and field cultivated) fields over the last 7 years. For the last 4 years, these same insecticides have been examined in no-till fields. In all data presented, insecticides went head-to-head in their ability to protect corn roots from corn rootworm larval feeding. Tests were conducted throughout the state in various soil types and under various moisture conditions

Corn rootworm insecticide consistency

Labeled rates of corn rootworm insecticides have been tested in conventional-till (chisel plowed then field cultivated) fields over the past six years. For the past three years, these same insecticides have been examined in no-till fields. In all tests, insecticides went head-to-head in their ability to protect corn roots from corn rootworm larval injury. Roots from untreated check rows, in both tillages, averaged about 1.5 nodes (circles) of roots destroyed. Any tests that did not challenge an insecticide\u27s performance (no obvious root pruning in the untreated rows) were not included in the analysis

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 Final Report: Venus Landsailer Zephyr

Imagine sailing across the hot plains of Venus! A design for a craft to do just this was completed by the COncurrent Multidisciplinary Preliminary Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) Team for the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) project. The robotic craft could explore over 30 km of surface of Venus, driven by the power of the wind

Design Study for a Mars Geyser Hopper

The Mars Geyser Hopper is a design reference missions (DRMs) for a Discovery-class spacecraft using Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) power source. The Geyser Hopper is a mission concept that will investigate the springtime carbon-dioxide geysers found in regions around the south pole of Mars. The Geyser Hopper design uses Phoenix heritage systems and approach, but uses a single ASRG as the power source, rather than twin solar arrays, and is designed to last over a one-year stay on the South Pole. The spacecraft will land at a target landing area near the south pole of Mars, and have the ability to "hop" after a summertime landing to reposition itself close to a geyser site, and wait through the winter until the first sunlight of spring to witness first-hand the geyser phenomenon