Loyalty Programs: An Examination of the Best Practices in Selected Luxury Chain Hotels

Loyalty programs enable companies to reward their return customers. In the hotel industry, a loyalty program is a useful and beneficial tool to improve their customer service and entice their guests to stay with them on return visits. The purpose of this study was to conduct a best practices study on loyalty programs in luxury hotel chains. The researcher used a best practices matrix to examine the loyalty programs of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Omni Hotels and Resorts, and Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. The study found that companies should benchmark their programs by aligning their benefits with companies similar to theirs. Loyalty programs should try to offer differentiated rewards to guests to entice them to join that program. Hotels should try to create partnerships with other businesses to create advantages that are mutually beneficial for the guest as well as the company

Profound vision loss impairs psychological well-being in young and middle-aged individuals.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of profound vision loss on psychological well-being in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults with regard to mood, interpersonal interactions, and career-related goals. In addition, we assessed the significance of the resources that may be used to enhance psychological well-being in cases of profound vision loss, and in particular, examined the utility of low vision aids and the role of the ophthalmologist as a provider of emotional support.MethodsA questionnaire was issued to individuals aged 13-65 years with profound vision loss resulting from Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Depression prevalence was evaluated with questions regarding major depressive disorder symptomatology. Participants appraised the effects of vision loss on their interpersonal interactions and career goals by providing an impact rating (IR) on a 21-point psychometric scale from -10 to +10. Social well-being index was defined as the average of interpersonal IR and career IR. Subjects were additionally asked about the use of low vision aids and sources of emotional support.ResultsA total of 103 participants (mean age =26.4±11.2 years at LHON diagnosis; mean ± standard deviation) completed the questionnaire. Nearly half (49.5%) met the depression criteria after vision loss. Negative impacts on interpersonal interactions (median IR = -5) and career goals (median IR = -6) were observed; both ratings were worse (P<0.001) for depressed versus nondepressed subjects. Older age at diagnosis corresponded to higher depression prevalence and increased incidence of negative interpersonal IR and career IR. Sixty-eight percent of subjects used electronic vision aids; controlling for age, social well-being index was higher among these individuals than for those who did not use electronic aids (P=0.03). Over half of the participants (52.4%) asserted that they derived emotional support from their ophthalmologist.ConclusionProfound vision loss in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults is associated with significant negative psychological and psychosocial effects, which are influenced by age and use of electronic vision aids. Ophthalmologists, in addition to managing vision loss, may serve an important role in the emotional adaptation of these patients

Iléus biliaire avec évacuation spontanée d’un gros calcul : a propos d’un cas

L’iléus biliaire est une complication rare de la lithiase biliaire; Il est caractérisé par la triade radiologique, syndrome occlusif, aérobilie et localisation ectopique d’un calcul dans le tube digestif. La cause est généralement une fistule bilio-digestive. En dehors de l’évacuation spontanée du calcul qui est rare et intéresse surtout les calculs de moins de 2 cm, le traitement reste dans la majorité des cas chirurgical. Nous rapportons le cas d’une patiente de 80ans, admise pour occlusion, chez qui le bilan étiologique retrouve la triade caractéristique de l’iléus biliaire; L’évolution a été marquée par l’émission spontanée par l’anus d’un gros calcul de 5 cm, suivie d’une nette amélioration clinique avec disparition des signes de l’occlusion

Profound vision loss impairs psychological well-being in young and middle-aged individuals

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of profound vision loss on psychological well-being in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults with regard to mood, interpersonal interactions, and career-related goals. In addition, we assessed the significance of the resources that may be used to enhance psychological well-being in cases of profound vision loss, and in particular, examined the utility of low vision aids and the role of the ophthalmologist as a provider of emotional support. METHODS: A questionnaire was issued to individuals aged 13–65 years with profound vision loss resulting from Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Depression prevalence was evaluated with questions regarding major depressive disorder symptomatology. Participants appraised the effects of vision loss on their interpersonal interactions and career goals by providing an impact rating (IR) on a 21-point psychometric scale from −10 to +10. Social well-being index was defined as the average of interpersonal IR and career IR. Subjects were additionally asked about the use of low vision aids and sources of emotional support. RESULTS: A total of 103 participants (mean age =26.4±11.2 years at LHON diagnosis; mean ± standard deviation) completed the questionnaire. Nearly half (49.5%) met the depression criteria after vision loss. Negative impacts on interpersonal interactions (median IR = −5) and career goals (median IR = −6) were observed; both ratings were worse (P<0.001) for depressed versus nondepressed subjects. Older age at diagnosis corresponded to higher depression prevalence and increased incidence of negative interpersonal IR and career IR. Sixty-eight percent of subjects used electronic vision aids; controlling for age, social well-being index was higher among these individuals than for those who did not use electronic aids (P=0.03). Over half of the participants (52.4%) asserted that they derived emotional support from their ophthalmologist. CONCLUSION: Profound vision loss in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults is associated with significant negative psychological and psychosocial effects, which are influenced by age and use of electronic vision aids. Ophthalmologists, in addition to managing vision loss, may serve an important role in the emotional adaptation of these patients

LHON Genealogy Project - Identifying, Informing and Educating Maternal Relatives

LHON patients often wish to know if any of their maternal ancestors had vision loss, and would like to inform living maternal relatives about LHON. However, they lack the knowledge of how to conduct a genealogical search, as well as how to communicate this sensitive genetic information. The patient advocacy group LHON Project at UMDF created the LHON Genealogy Project to fill that knowledge gap

An Epidemiological Study of LHON Using a Large International Sample of Affected Individuals

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most common inherited mitochondrial disease. It results in acute/subacute, painless, profound loss of central and color vision. The current literature reports males as 4-5 times more likely than females to be affected by LHON, and that symptom onset occurs during late teen/young adult life. As a result, LHON is usually called a "young man's disease." However, this may be a self-fulfilling prophecy, with underdiagnosis of females, older adults and children. We analyzed the epidemiology of LHON using a large international database of people affected by LHON

An Epidemiological Study of LHON Using a Large International Sample of Affected Individuals

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most common inherited mitochondrial disease. It results in acute/subacute, painless, profound loss of central and color vision. The current literature reports males as 4-5 times more likely than females to be affected by LHON, and that symptom onset occurs during late teen/young adult life. As a result, LHON is usually called a "young man's disease." However, this may be a self-fulfilling prophecy, with underdiagnosis of females, older adults and children. We analyzed the epidemiology of LHON using a large international database of people affected by LHON

Iléus biliaire avec évacuation spontanée d'un gros calcul: A propos d'un cas

No Abstract

Profound vision loss impairs psychological well-being in young and middle-aged individuals

Giancarlo A Garcia,1,2 Matin Khoshnevis,1,3 Jesse Gale,1,4 Starleen E Frousiakis,1,5 Tiffany J Hwang,1,6 Lissa Poincenot,1 Rustum Karanjia,1,7&ndash;9 David Baron,6 Alfredo A Sadun1,7 1Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 4Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington, NZ; 5Department of Ophthalmology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; 6Department of Psychiatry &amp; The Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 7Doheny Eye Centers, Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles California, CA, USA; 8Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; 9Ottawa Hospital Health Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of profound vision loss on psychological well-being in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults with regard to mood, interpersonal interactions, and career-related goals. In addition, we assessed the significance of the resources that may be used to enhance psychological well-being in cases of profound vision loss, and in particular, examined the utility of low vision aids and the role of the ophthalmologist as a provider of emotional support.Methods: A questionnaire was issued to individuals aged 13&ndash;65&nbsp;years with profound vision loss resulting from Leber&rsquo;s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Depression prevalence was evaluated with questions regarding major depressive disorder symptomatology. Participants appraised the effects of vision loss on their interpersonal interactions and career goals by providing an impact rating (IR) on a 21-point psychometric scale from &minus;10 to +10. Social well-being index was defined as the average of interpersonal IR and career IR. Subjects were additionally asked about the use of low vision aids and sources of emotional support.Results: A total of 103 participants (mean age =26.4&plusmn;11.2&nbsp;years at LHON diagnosis; mean&nbsp;&plusmn; standard deviation) completed the questionnaire. Nearly half (49.5%) met the depression criteria after vision loss. Negative impacts on interpersonal interactions (median IR = -5) and career goals (median IR = &minus;6) were observed; both ratings were worse (P&lt;0.001) for depressed versus nondepressed subjects. Older age at diagnosis corresponded to higher depression prevalence and increased incidence of negative interpersonal IR and career IR. Sixty-eight percent of subjects used electronic vision aids; controlling for age, social well-being index was higher among these individuals than for those who did not use electronic aids (P=0.03). Over half of the participants (52.4%) asserted that they derived emotional support from their ophthalmologist.Conclusion: Profound vision loss in adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults is associated with significant negative psychological and psychosocial effects, which are influenced by age and use of electronic vision aids. Ophthalmologists, in addition to managing vision loss, may serve an important role in the emotional adaptation of these patients. Keywords: vision loss, psychological, depression, low vision aids, quality of life, Leber&rsquo;s hereditary optic neuropath