Application of Ethical Frameworks to IT Offshoring

The global outsourcing of information technology (IT) activities, has received increased attention recently, given the controversy it generates. Differing views on IT offshoring prevail. One view claims IT offshoring steals jobs away from the United States economy, while another view maintains IT offshoring creates jobs and improves the overall Unites States economy. Despite the controversy created by IT offshoring, the ethical issues related to IT offshoring have received little attention. In this paper three major normative theories of business ethics: stockholder, stakeholder, and social contract theory will be introduced to examine the impact of IT offshoring from an ethical perspective. The application of these theories to a specific example of IT offshoring is presented in detail. This research represents an early attempt to examine the ethics of IT offshoring and could provide early insights into the IT offshoring decision

Health care resource use by patients before and after a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME):a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study

Abstract Background Our aim was to investigate patterns of health care resource use by patients before and after a diagnosis of CFS/ME, as recorded by Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GP practices in the UK. Methods We used a case–control study design in which patients who had a first recorded diagnosis of CFS/ME during the period 01/01/2001 to 31/12/2013 were matched 1:1 with controls by age, sex, and GP practice. We compared rates of GP consultations, diagnostic tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms between the two groups from 15 years (in adults) or 10 years (in children) before diagnosis to 10 years after diagnosis. Results Data were available for 6710 adult and 916 child (age <18 years) matched case–control pairs. Rates of GP consultations, diagnostic tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms spiked dramatically in the year when a CFS/ME diagnosis was recorded. GP consultation rates were 50% higher in adult cases compared to controls 11–15 years before diagnosis (rate ratio (RR) 1.49 (95% CI 1.46, 1.52)) and 56% higher 6–10 years after diagnosis (RR 1.56 (1.54, 1.57)). In children, consultation rates in cases were 45% higher 6–10 years before diagnosis (RR 1.45 (1.40, 1.51)) and 62% higher 6–10 years after diagnosis (RR 1.62 (1.54, 1.70)). For adults and children, rates of tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms were higher in cases compared to controls for up to 10 years before and after diagnosis. Conclusions Adults and children with CFS/ME have greater health care needs than the rest of the population for at least ten years before their diagnosis, and these higher levels of health care resource use continue for at least ten years after diagnosis

Health care resource use by patients before and after a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME):a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to investigate patterns of health care resource use by patients before and after a diagnosis of CFS/ME, as recorded by Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GP practices in the UK. METHODS: We used a case–control study design in which patients who had a first recorded diagnosis of CFS/ME during the period 01/01/2001 to 31/12/2013 were matched 1:1 with controls by age, sex, and GP practice. We compared rates of GP consultations, diagnostic tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms between the two groups from 15 years (in adults) or 10 years (in children) before diagnosis to 10 years after diagnosis. RESULTS: Data were available for 6710 adult and 916 child (age <18 years) matched case–control pairs. Rates of GP consultations, diagnostic tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms spiked dramatically in the year when a CFS/ME diagnosis was recorded. GP consultation rates were 50% higher in adult cases compared to controls 11–15 years before diagnosis (rate ratio (RR) 1.49 (95% CI 1.46, 1.52)) and 56% higher 6–10 years after diagnosis (RR 1.56 (1.54, 1.57)). In children, consultation rates in cases were 45% higher 6–10 years before diagnosis (RR 1.45 (1.40, 1.51)) and 62% higher 6–10 years after diagnosis (RR 1.62 (1.54, 1.70)). For adults and children, rates of tests, prescriptions, referrals, and symptoms were higher in cases compared to controls for up to 10 years before and after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Adults and children with CFS/ME have greater health care needs than the rest of the population for at least ten years before their diagnosis, and these higher levels of health care resource use continue for at least ten years after diagnosis

Does Literature Exist? A Transnational Symposium

Six literary scholars discuss the meaning of literature, and the nature of literary criticism

Developing and evaluating complex interventions: the new Medical Research Council guidance

&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Evaluating complex interventions is complicated. The Medical Research Council's evaluation framework (2000) brought welcome clarity to the task. Now the council has updated its guidance&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Complex interventions are widely used in the health service, in public health practice, and in areas of social policy that have important health consequences, such as education, transport, and housing. They present various problems for evaluators, in addition to the practical and methodological difficulties that any successful evaluation must overcome. In 2000, the Medical Research Council (MRC) published a framework&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; to help researchers and research funders to recognise and adopt appropriate methods. The framework has been highly influential, and the accompanying BMJ paper is widely cited.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; However, much valuable experience has since accumulated of both conventional and more innovative methods. This has now been incorporated in comprehensively revised and updated guidance recently released by the MRC (&lt;a href="www.mrc.ac.uk/complexinterventionsguidance"&gt;www.mrc.ac.uk/complexinterventionsguidance&lt;/a&gt;). In this article we summarise the issues that prompted the revision and the key messages of the new guidance. &lt;/p&gt