8 research outputs found
First patient-centred set of outcomes for pulmonary sarcoidosis: a multicentre initiative
Introduction Routine and international comparison of
clinical outcomes enabling identification of best practices
for patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis is lacking. The aim
of this study was to develop a standard set of outcome
measures for pulmonary sarcoidosis, using the valuebased healthcare principles.
Methods Six expert clinics for interstitial lung diseases in
four countries participated in a consensus-driven RANDmodified Delphi study. A mixed-method approach was
applied for the identification of an outcome measures
set and initial conditions for patients with pulmonary
sarcoidosis. The expert team consisted of multidisciplinary
professionals (n=14) from Cleveland Clinic, Cincinnati MC,
Erasmus MC, Leuven UZ, Royal Brompton and St. Antonius
Hospital. During a ranking process, participants were
instructed to rank variables on a scale from 1 to 10 based
on whether it has (1) impact of the outcome on quality of
life, (2) impact of quality of care on the outcome and (3) the
number of patients negatively affected by the outcome.
Results An outcome measures set was defined consisting
of seven outcome measures: mortality, pulmonary function,
soluble interleukin-2 receptor change as an activity
biomarker, weight gain, quality of life, osteoporosis and
clinical outcome status.
Discussion Collecting outcomes in pulmonary sarcoidosis
internationally and the use of a broadly accepted set can
enable international comparison. Differences in outcomes
can potentially be used as a starting point for quality
improvement initiatives
Business process management and supply chain collaboration: a critical comparison
The link between a firm and supply chain (SC) members has been recognised as one of the key issues for ensuring business success and achieving competitive advantage. Indeed, working across organisational boundaries is required to accomplish effective responses to customers’ needs. Our preliminary research confirmed that there are positive relationships between business process management (BPM), supply chain collaboration (SCC), collaborative advantage and organisational performance. This study is a step further and uses a multiple case design to illuminate the results and gain a greater understanding from extensive discussions about these relationships. By means of semi-structured interviews, the three main issues were identified as: (1) the link between BPM and organisational performance; (2) the link between BPM and SCC; and (3) the contextual factors and benefits achieved from working collaboratively with SC partners. The different scenarios of the link between BPM and SCC were developed in a taxonomy, and the case studies were used to illustrate the experience of intra- and inter-organisational practices in the developing economy of Thailand. The case studies’ results explain in depth that both BPM and SCC are important for improving organisational performance and competitiveness. BPM not only improves organisational performance directly, but also assists with collaborative activities that in turn help to improve internal capabilities. Additionally, the comparisons in issues relating to firm size, industry type, relationship closeness and relationship length were also included in this study