Developing the overall marketing strategy for Small Portuguese Hotels in the Spanish market

This study’s purpose was to develop a successful marketing strategy for Small Portuguese Hotels (SPH) in the Spanish market and provide the start-up with recommendations on both tactical and operational level. Various theoretical models have been applied that when used all together, substantiated by an extensive literature framework, fulfil the process of developing a marketing strategy in a successful way which is needed to succeed as a company nowadays. The concluded marketing strategy for SPH has been based on all data gathered throughout the entire study, consisting of both desk and field research. In terms of field research, an online survey was conducted among Spaniards as part of the customer analysis. Besides, an interview has been held with Mrs. Rita Alves Machado as part of the internal analysis and several SPH employees have participated in several questionnaires needed to design the most relevant framework for SPH when qualifying different strategic options to eventually find the best fitting marketing strategy: ‘Before targeting the promising Spanish market, SPH should achieve its short-term goals and improve day-to-day business. Besides, before moving to the Spanish market, SPH needs a complete and clear marketing, sales and social media plan that can straight be implemented and will strongly position SPH in the Spanish market to expand its existing Portuguese customer base.’ The complete and clear marketing, sales and social media plan comprise the recommendations on both tactical and operational level.Este estudo focou-se no desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de marketing sustentável para a Small Portuguese Hotels (SPH) no mercado espanhol e direcionar a start-up tanto a nível estratégico como operacional. Foram aplicados vários modelos teóricos que, utilizados em conjunto, e fundamentados por uma extensa revisão de literatura, completam o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de marketing bem-sucedida, necessária para o sucesso de qualquer empresa atualmente. A estratégia resultante foi fundamentada pelos dados recolhidos ao longo de todo o estudo, consistindo em pesquisa documental e trabalho de campo. Em termos da pesquisa realizada em trabalho de campo, foi realizado um questionário online a pessoas de nacionalidade espanhola como análise do cliente. Adicionalmente, foi realizada uma entrevista com a Rita Alves Machado no âmbito da análise interna e com todos os colaboradores da SPH, que participaram em vários questionários, necessários para delinear o quadro mais relevante para a empresa no apuramento de diferentes opções estratégicas e, eventualmente, encontrar a melhor estratégia de marketing pretendida: "Antes de se focar no promissor mercado espanhol, a SPH deve alcançar os seus objetivos de curto prazo e de gestão do dia-a-dia. Adicionalmente, antes de entrar no mercado espanhol, a SPH necessita de um plano completo e claro de marketing, vendas e redes sociais que possa ser implementado eficazmente, que posicionará fortemente a SPH no mercado espanhol para expandir a sua base de clientes portugueses existente." O plano integral de marketing, vendas e redes sociais compreende as recomendações tanto a nível estratégico como operacional

Self-sampling is appropriate for detection of Staphylococcus aureus: a validation study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies frequently use nasal swabs to determine <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it> carriage. Self-sampling would be extremely useful in an outhospital research situation, but has not been studied in a healthy population. We studied the similarity of self-samples and investigator-samples in nares and pharynxes of healthy study subjects (hospital staff) in the Netherlands.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and five nursing personnel members were sampled 4 times in random order after viewing an instruction paper: 1) nasal self-sample, 2) pharyngeal self-sample, 3) nasal investigator-sample, and 4) pharyngeal investigator-sample.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For nasal samples, agreement is 93% with a kappa coefficient of 0.85 (95% CI 0.74-0.96), indicating excellent agreement, for pharyngeal samples agreement is 83% and the kappa coefficient is 0.60 (95% CI 0.43-0.76), indicating good agreement. In both sampling sites self-samples even detected more <it>S. aureus</it> than investigator-samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This means that self-samples are appropriate for detection of <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it> and methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it>.</p

Psychosocial aspects of congenital heart disease in adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study of 20-33 years follow-up

__Abstract__ Adults with congenital heart disease form a rather new phenomenon. Improvements in surgical techniques over the last decades have lead to lower mortality rates for children born with a congenital heart disease, enabling more of them to grow into adulthood (Sparacino, 1994; Wren & O'Sullivan, 2001). Today, health care professionals encounter the first generation of adults with congenital heart disease. Adults with congenital heart disease do not only differ in medical status and history from the well-known cardiac population with acquired cardiac diseases, but also show different psychosocial characteristics and needs. Firstly, the age at onset of the cardiac disease differs considerably for adults with congenital heart disease compared to adults with acquired cardiac disease. For adults with congenital heart disease, the cardiac anomaly may not only affect their present adult life, but it may also have left its mark on their childhood. Experiences of growing up with a congenital heart disease might influence the patient’s functioning at adult age. Secondly, when growing up into adulthood, patients may be confronted with new problems associated with congenital heart disease in adulthood. These problems might concern finding a suitable employment or getting a mortgage (Allen et al., 1992; Celermajer & Deanfield, 1993; Gersony et al., 1993; Hart & Garson, 1993; Hellstedt, 1994; Mahoney et al., 1991; McGrath & Truesdell, 1994) or they may concern the experience of uncertainties or restrictions regarding sexuality and childbearing (Gantt, 1992; Mahoney et al., 1991; Somerville, 1998; Tong & Sparacino, 1994). Adults with congenital heart disease are in the disadvantageous position of being the first generation to experience these problems, since little is yet known about relevant medical and psychosocial aspects. For these reasons, adults with congenital heart disease should be considered as a new and distinct patient population with unique characteristics. Therefore, the medical course of congenital heart disease into adulthood, as well as the psychosocial development of adults with congenital heart disease, deserve special attention

Epilepsy surgery in tuberous sclerosis: The Dutch experience

SummaryIntroductionEpilepsy associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is drug resistant in more than half of the patients. Epilepsy surgery may be an alternative treatment option, if the epileptogenic tuber can be identified reliably and if seizure reduction is not at the expense of cognitive or other functions. We report the pre-surgical identification of the epileptogenic tuber and post-surgical outcome of patients with TSC in The Netherlands.MethodsTwenty-five patients underwent the pre-surgical evaluation of the Dutch Comprehensive Epilepsy Surgery Programme, including a detailed seizure history, interictal and ictal video EEG registrations, 3D FLAIR MRI scans and neuropsychological testing. Suitability of the candidates was decided in consensus. Seizure outcome, scored with the Engel classification, and cognition were reassessed at fixed post-surgery intervals.ResultsEpilepsy surgery was performed in six patients. At follow-up, four patients had Engel classification 1, two had classification 4. Improved development and behaviour was perceived by the parents of two patients. Epilepsy surgery was not performed in 19 patients because seizures were not captured, ictal onset zones could not be localised or were multiple, interictal EEG, video EEG and MEG results were not concordant, or seizure burden had diminished during decision making. A higher cognition index was found in the surgical patients compared to the non-surgical candidates.ConclusionsEpilepsy surgery can be performed safely and successfully in patients in whom semiology, interictal EEG, ictal EEG, MEG and the location of tubers are concordant. In other cases the risk of surgery should be weighed against the chance of seizure relief and in case of children subsequent impact on neurodevelopment