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This article aims to clarify the concepts used to understand, analyze and improve a patient’s progress through a health service system. A patient pathway describes plans and intentions. Within it, we distinguish between the clinical pathway of decisions and interventions and the care pathway of supportive activities. As a patient pathway is implemented, it turns into a patient journey of what is done, what happens to a patient’s medical condition and what is experienced and felt. We introduce “patient journey disruption” (PJD) as a concept describing the events that need to be prevented from happening to accomplish integrated, coordinated and seamless care.

The method used in this paper is concept analysis. First, an expert steering group worked to refine the concept of PJDs; second, an analysis of similar concepts from related fields was done to root the concept into existing theories, and third, semi-structured interviews with professionals and patients were done to test the concept of PJDs in the home care context.

PJDs are agency-based harmful events in the execution of the care pathway that deviate the patient journey from what can be reasonably expected. PJDs are management failures, which is why they should be studied by healthcare operations management (HOM) and service science scholars with the intention to find ways to prevent them from happening.

This study has limitations, including presenting conceptual ideas and preliminary results that are only indicative.

We believe that the introduction of the concept of PJDs into the literature provides a new, systematic way of approaching the different shortcomings in our healthcare production systems. Moreover, by systematically identifying different PJDs, interventions can be designed and targeted more appropriately.

Managerial challenges regarding healthcare processes have been studied but have not been well defined. The concept of PJDs is an original, well-thought-out definition.

The primary objective of this paper is to show a systematic and methodological approach for the digitalization of critical clinical pathways (CPs) within the healthcare domain.

The methodology entails the integration of service design (SD) and action research (AR) methodologies, characterized by iterative phases that systematically alternate between action and reflective processes, fostering cycles of change and learning. Within this framework, stakeholders are engaged through semi-structured interviews, while the existing and envisioned processes are delineated and represented using BPMN 2.0. These methodological steps emphasize the development of an autonomous, patient-centric web application alongside the implementation of an adaptable and patient-oriented scheduling system. Also, business processes simulation is employed to measure key performance indicators of processes and test for potential improvements. This method is implemented in the context of the CP addressing transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), within a publicly funded hospital setting.

The methodology integrating SD and AR enables the detection of pivotal bottlenecks within diagnostic CPs and proposes optimal corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted patient care, all the while advancing the digitalization of diagnostic CP management. This study contributes to theoretical discussions by emphasizing the criticality of process optimization, the transformative potential of digitalization in healthcare and the paramount importance of user-centric design principles, and offers valuable insights into healthcare management implications.

The study’s relevance lies in its ability to enhance healthcare practices without necessitating disruptive and resource-intensive process overhauls. This pragmatic approach aligns with the imperative for healthcare organizations to improve their operations efficiently and cost-effectively, making the study’s findings relevant.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has become a crucial concern due to its rising prevalence and potential mental health impacts, which can lead to significant psychological, social and functional impairments, affecting academic performance, relationships and overall well-being of an individual. This paper aims to evaluate the published literature on IGD, identifying its growth, prolific authors, journals, countries, collaboration patterns and emerging research hotspots.

The present study has used scientometrics and altmetrics approaches to evaluate the published IGD literature. The data was collected from the Scopus database using the keywords TITLE-ABS-KEY, “Internet Gaming Disorder” or “Gaming Addiction” by filtering the period of 2014–2023, “research articles” and “English” language. Dimensions.ai has been used to extract the altmetric attention score. The results showed a total of 1,454 documents. The analysis has been done using VoSviewer and MS Excel.

The results showed an upward trend in publications over time. Dr Mark Griffiths is the most productive author, and the Journal of Behavioral Addictions is prolific. China is the most productive country. The study found minimal collaboration between the authors. The results highlighted that IGD predominantly affects adolescent males, leading to anxiety and significant impacts on brain function.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, studies examining IGD research using both scientometric and altmetric approaches within the specified time frame have yet to be identified.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceived level of Jordanian nurses’ competencies in offering care to the community during a disaster.

A correlational descriptive design was used to assess nurses’ competencies in offering care for the community during a disaster.

A total of 370 nurses (55 % males) aged 25−55 agreed to participate. The mean score of competencies of nurses who offer care to the community during the disaster was 2.11 (SD = 0.59) points. The results of correlation coefficient tests revealed a significant positive correlation between stated competencies level and nurses’ sex, receiving disaster education and training with rpb (371) = 0.13, p < 0.01; rpb (598) = 0.15, p = 0.004; rpb (598) = 0.21, p < 0.001, respectively. Furthermore, the “care of communities” subscale had a weak positive correlation with the.

Nurses play a critical role in disaster response. However, there was a gap in nurses’ competencies for disaster, which shows there is a crucial need to include disaster management courses in the nursing curriculum and update disaster management courses in hospitals based on nurses’ needs to improve their competencies during disasters.

Large language models such as ChatGPT are a challenge to academic principles, calling into question well-established practices, teaching and exam formats. This study aims to explore the adaptation process regarding text-generative artificial intelligence (AI) of students and teachers in higher education and to identify needs for change.

The issue is explored in a mixed-methods approach based on Domestication Theory (Silverstone et al., 1992; Silverstone, 1994), incorporating views of both teaching staff and students. Both statistical and content analyses were carried out.

The results show that both students and teachers are conflicted about generative AI and its usage. Trepidation and fear stand against a general feeling that AI is an integral part of the future and needs to be embraced. Both groups show marked needs for training and rules and offer a variety of ideas for new exam formats.

This study provides a unique insight by exploring the attitudes and usage intentions regarding generative AI of two stakeholder groups: students and teachers. Its results can be of significant use to institutions deciding on their strategy regarding AI. It illustrates attitudes and usage intentions as well as needs of both groups. In addition, ideas for new assessment and teaching formats were generated.

This study aims to identify the principal changes that digitalization has brought about in the internal audit functions (IAFs), focusing on the main characteristics that have been affected by this phenomenon.

The study follows a qualitative approach, involving the thematic analysis of semistructured interviews. A total of 22 professionals working in Italian-listed companies’ IAFs were interviewed. The framework of institutional theory was used to analyze the results.

The elements most affected by the digitalization of IAFs in Italy are: the skills required in IAFs, the relationship with external consultants and the types of activities performed by internal auditors (IArs). Nevertheless, the extent of the level digitalization within the IAFs of the companies analyzed appears to vary in accordance with the level of institutional pressures experienced by the organizations.

The study contributes to the literature on IA and digitalization by delineating the principal elements that are influenced by the digitalization process of IA. Moreover, it highlights how these elements develop and evolve as the level of digitalization of the IAF changes.

This study seeks to improve the understanding of the motivation driving the entrepreneurs of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to integrate ICTs and why this process is easier for some. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) is a suitable framework for this analysis. Our research aims to establish an explanatory typology based on the optimization of individual perceptions of entrepreneurs and usage intentions which enables identification of those groups that possess a greater intention to use ICTs in their businesses. This sheds light on how these factors influence their information and communication technology (ICT) adoption intentions within their businesses.

This study adopts an alternative approach and methodology to contribute new insights into academic discourse regarding the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Building upon the theoretical foundation of the UTAUT, the present study pioneers the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to a dataset encompassing 436 Spanish entrepreneurs. The objective is to examine the combination of diverse UTAUT perceptions that optimise the intention to implement ICTs in their companies while minimising anxiety associated with the adoption of new technologies (the outputs). Based on the results obtained, an explanatory typology is established that combines perceptions and usage intentions.

When applied to our group of entrepreneurs, DEA reveals that certain individuals can optimise their intentions with their current perception levels. This discovery has enabled us to create an explanatory typology through an examination of the efficiency of various perception-intention and/or anxiety combinations. Our proposed typology aims to shed light on the debate as to why not all perceptions translate into intentions and why certain entrepreneurs have a greater intention to use ICTs. An investigation of these efficient entrepreneurs reveals a wide range of combinations, which encompasses both those in harmony with effective usage behaviour and those deviating from such behaviour.

DEA provides a snapshot of efficiency at a specific point in time and does not account for dynamic changes or adjustments over time, and DEA efficiency scores are relative measures that depend on the efficiency of other decision-making units in the dataset. The identification of appropriate benchmark units for comparison can be challenging, especially in heterogeneous datasets and cross-cultural analysis. In this respect, the UTAUT literature is lacking in cross-technology and cross-cultural comparisons.

Our methodology and results have implications for business management, business accelerators and economic policy. A detailed study of these clusters could reveal potential barriers and obstacles hindering the effective implementation of ICTs in MSMEs, thereby enabling researchers to focus on individuals who do not align with the model. Entrepreneurs classified in the most unfavourable typologies can take steps to enhance their perceptions, while administration and business accelerators can focus their efforts on these entrepreneurs.

The application of the UTAUT model on individual entrepreneurs receives limited coverage in the existing literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise a DEA methodology within the framework of the UTAUT model (in contrast to the prevalent use of structural equation modelling in previous studies related to UTAUT). This analysis contributes fresh empirical evidence to the academic discourse on technology adoption models among individual entrepreneurs. Our methodology is a tool that reveals potential barriers and obstacles in individual perceptions that hinder the effective implementation of ICT in certain types of entrepreneurs.

The Lost Boys and Girls attempted to escape from the war in Sudan on foot, most often traveling together, separated from their families, and they survived extreme conditions by taking care of each other. However, limited research has focused on their relationships with one another during both flight and resettlement. This chapter explores the connection between the hardships faced by Lost Boys and Girls, alongside the relational experiences forged and the sense of community they developed with one another. To do so, we examine a set of qualitative interviews and a focus group with Lost Boys and Girls who resettled in the Global North and analyze them under the light of the kinship hypothesis, which connects hardships and interdependence in relationships. Drawing upon young people’s direct narratives and voices, our data reveal that the bonds that Lost Boys and Girls forged with one another during flight often remained strong after resettlement, highlighting agentive forms of resistance, resilience, and capacity. Findings further reveal high mutual support and high willingness to sacrifice for one another. The significance of these findings for how the experiences of unaccompanied minors are understood, especially for children and youth affected by war and displacement, is discussed.

This study aims to investigate the role of negative media coverage of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in deterring tax avoidance. Inspired by media agenda-setting theory and legitimacy theory, this study hypothesises that an increase in ESG negative media coverage should cause a reputational drawback, leading companies to reduce tax avoidance to regain their legitimacy. Hence, this study examines a novel channel that links ESG and taxation.

This study uses panel regression analysis to examine the relationship between negative media coverage of ESG issues and tax avoidance among the largest European entities. This study considers different measures of tax avoidance and negative media coverage.

The results show that negative media coverage of ESG issues is negatively associated with tax avoidance, suggesting that media can act as an external monitor for corporate taxation.

The findings have implications for policymakers and regulators, which should consider tax transparency when dealing with ESG disclosure requirements. Tax disclosure should be integrated into ESG reporting.

The study has social implications related to the media, which act as watchdogs for firms’ irresponsible practices. According to this study’s findings, increased media pressure has the power to induce a better alignment between declared ESG policies and tax strategies.

This study contributes to the literature on the mechanisms that discourage tax avoidance and the literature on the relationship between ESG and taxation by shedding light on the role of media coverage.

This article proposes diffractive vignettes as a new analytical approach that can sensitize organizational communication research to extra/linguistic forces in the communicative constitution of major societal challenges such as the climate crisis. The critical feminist concept of diffraction examines how diverse forces interact, interfere and produce new patterns of meaning and difference through entangled, performative relations.

Diffraction as an analytical tool is illustrated based on fieldwork on organizing the climate crisis in the tourist destinations in the Tyrolean Alps and Venice. We analytically attune to how extra/linguistic forces move and resonate with us, how we read them through each other in a diffractive experiment and how they allow us to attend to materialization differently through crafting diffractive vignettes.

We account for how the analytical work required us to experiment with juxtaposing, weaving, dividing and melting data and theories together through non-representational, post-qualitative ways of analyzing. Through a diffractive vignette, we then unfold how the extra/linguistic forces became agentic for the constitution of the climate crisis.

Through diffractive vignettes, we extend a fast-developing body of work on materialization within organizational communication to analytically exploit communication’s performativity, including its extra/linguistic forces in a post-qualitative, non-representational sense. With diffraction, we expand the analytical potential of organizational communication scholarship with a sensitivity to difference in materialization.