Victoria Butler‐Cole and Rose Grogan
This paper aims to review recent cases in the Court of Protection on the issue of article 8 ECHR right to respect for family life and whether it requires a starting point that it…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review recent cases in the Court of Protection on the issue of article 8 ECHR right to respect for family life and whether it requires a starting point that it is in an incapacitated adult's best interests to be cared from at home. In this context, it examines the role of article 19 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in the article 8 and best interests analysis carried out by the court under s.4 Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Design/methodology/approach
The article examines the recent cases of K v. A Local Authority, FM and GM v. A Health Board and recent cases on the status of the UNCRPD in English Law to explore whether the UK's obligations under that convention require there to be a starting point that incapacitated adults should be cared for at home.
Findings
The Court of Protection has made it clear that talking in terms of presumptions is unhelpful when it comes to the s.4 MCA 2005 checklist. The broad terms of s.4 require that all relevant circumstances are taken into account which would include any potential infringement of article 8 ECHR.
Originality/value
The article identifies an argument that could be used by campaigners and practitioners who advocate for the right for disabled persons to be cared for at home, through an analysis of recent cases. It notes the argument's limitations with respect to incapacitated adults and the application of s.4 Mental Capacity Act 2005.
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L. Aharonson‐Daniel, H. Fung and A.J. Hedley
A time and motion study was conducted in an accident and emergency (A&E) department in a Hong Kong Government hospital in order to suggest solutions for severe queuing problems…
Abstract
A time and motion study was conducted in an accident and emergency (A&E) department in a Hong Kong Government hospital in order to suggest solutions for severe queuing problems found in A&E. The study provided useful information about the patterns of arrival and service; the throughput; and the factors that influence the length of the queue at the A&E department. Plans for building a computerized simulation model were dropped as new intelligence generated by the study enabled problem solving using simple statistical analysis and common sense. Demonstrates some potential benefits for management in applying operations research methods in busy clinical working environments. The implementation of the recommendations made by this study successfully eliminated queues in A&E.
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The purpose of this paper is to outline the current state of the Court of Protection case law on capacity to consent to sexual relations and identifies a number of difficulties…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline the current state of the Court of Protection case law on capacity to consent to sexual relations and identifies a number of difficulties with the present position.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews and summarises the current case law.
Findings
This paper identifies problems arising with the court’s approach to assessing capacity to consent to sexual relations, in particular the problems caused by treating decisions about sexual relations as generic, but decisions about contact with other people as specific.
Originality/value
This paper is a comprehensive summary of the current state of the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in this sensitive area.
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Burcu Adivar and Ebru Selin Selen
This study aims to analyze the epidemic modeling applications and policy‐making strategies for six different infectious diseases in a number of countries, thus comparing and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the epidemic modeling applications and policy‐making strategies for six different infectious diseases in a number of countries, thus comparing and contrasting research in underdeveloped, developing, and developed countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review has been conducted by identifying relevant studies for six diseases from different sources and selecting 74 publications for inclusion. These selected publications are classified and analyzed based on infectious disease, control policies, theme and objective, methodology, origin of population data, publication year and results.
Findings
Review results indicate that disaster preparedness and surveillance plans for epidemics are available mostly for developed countries. There is a need for further research in both developing and developed countries because of the ease of dispersion, which constitutes a universal threat. Analysis of the publications suggests that epidemic disasters are mostly studied by researchers in the field of medicine or biology with the aim of assessing the potential impact of an epidemic. The authors highlight the need for further research in operations research and disaster management fields and propose further research directions in the area of disaster management.
Social implications
This review emphasizes the importance of epidemic disaster modeling for the preparedness stage of disaster management and policy making. Disease and population‐specific intervention policies (e.g. vaccination) reported in this review should set an example and help policy makers during their decision making.
Originality/value
Potential use of the epidemiological modeling on further planning and decision‐making issues in the context of disaster management is studied for the first time.
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J.R.C. van Sambeek, F.A. Cornelissen, P.J.M. Bakker and J.J. Krabbendam
The purpose of this article is to find decision‐making models for the design and control of processes regarding patient flows, considering various problem types, and to find out…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to find decision‐making models for the design and control of processes regarding patient flows, considering various problem types, and to find out how usable these models are for managerial decision making.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of the literature was carried out. Relevant literature from three databases was selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and the results were analyzed.
Findings
A total of 68 articles were selected. Of these, 31 contained computer simulation models, ten contained descriptive models, and 27 contained analytical models. The review showed that descriptive models are only applied to process design problems, and that analytical and computer simulation models are applied to all types of problems to approximately the same extent. Only a few models have been validated in practice, and it seems that most models are not used for their intended purpose: to support management in decision making.
Research limitations/implications
The comparability of the relevant databases appears to be limited and there is an insufficient number of suitable keywords and MeSH headings, which makes searching systematically within the broad field of health care management relatively hard to accomplish.
Practical implications
The findings give managers insight into the characteristics of various types of decision‐support models and into the kinds of situations in which they are used.
Originality/value
This is the first time literature on various kinds of models for supporting managerial decision making in hospitals has been systematically collected and assessed.
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Richard Fielding and Wendy W.T. Lam
Avian influenza (AI) has prompted widespread poultry culls and retail changes. Traditional live poultry sales can increase risk for AI virus transmission. Attitudes and risk…
Abstract
Purpose
Avian influenza (AI) has prompted widespread poultry culls and retail changes. Traditional live poultry sales can increase risk for AI virus transmission. Attitudes and risk perceptions regarding these sales influence policy. The purpose of this paper is to report Hong Kong risk perceptions and attitudes regarding live poultry sales and central slaughtering illustrating population reactions to inform policy.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 25 healthy Hong Kong adults completed grounded theory qualitative interviews regarding perceptions of live chicken sales and acceptability of central slaughtering. Taped interviews were transcribed and translated in to English and coded in parallel by the authors working independently, using grounded theory approaches.
Findings
The paper finds that hygiene efforts reflected confusion between bacterial contamination and influenza. Hand‐transmission was not recognized as a transmission pathway. Opposition to central slaughtering was based on concerns about loss of freshness, flavor, traditions and employment, and meat safety. However, opponents supported policy if it reduced infectious disease risk. Supporters emphasized improved food hygiene. There was considerable scope for further educational efforts. Opposition focused on losses rather than gains, consistent with theory. Supporters emphasized health benefits. AI transmission routes were confused, indicating need for clearer information about personal protective practices.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is a qualitative report and awaits confirmation using a quantitative exploration. The data identified a number of barriers to acceptance of a central slaughtering policy, many of which were based on incorrect or limited understanding. Education can help remedy this.
Originality/value
The paper describes perceptions among Chinese people towards a public health initiative, revealing many objections are based on misunderstandings.
Rajat Kumar Behera, Pradip Kumar Bala, Prabin Kumar Panigrahi and Nripendra P. Rana
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic since COVID-19's widespread outbreak and the hospitality industry has been the hardest hit due to lockdown. Consequently…
Abstract
Purpose
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic since COVID-19's widespread outbreak and the hospitality industry has been the hardest hit due to lockdown. Consequently, hospitality workers are suffering from the negative aspects of mental health. In the event of such a crisis, this study aims to explore the link between unemployment and home isolation to the willingness to choose electronic consultation (e-consultation) by exploiting psychological ill-being and behavioural intention (BI) with marital status as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative methodology is applied to primary data collected from 310 workers from the hospitality industry through an online survey.
Findings
Findings of this study suggest that the usage of the e-consultation service can be adopted using three levels. There are valid reasons to conclude unemployment and home isolation are linked to higher rates of psychological health behaviours, which can result in stigma, loss of self-worth and increased mortality. The adverse effect is higher for single individuals than for married people.
Originality/value
The study focussed on e-consultation, BI coupled with the Fishbein scale and a classification model for the prediction of willingness to choose e-consultation with the extension of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).
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Albert Lee, Fei‐lung Lau, Clarke B. Hazlett, Chak‐wah Kam, Patrick Wong, Tai‐wai Wong and Susan Chow
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments are increasingly popular venues for primary care, causing a serious threat to healthcare quality. This paper reports the development of a…
Abstract
Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments are increasingly popular venues for primary care, causing a serious threat to healthcare quality. This paper reports the development of a comprehensive research method for identifying primary care patients attending A&E. Patients were randomly selected from the four A&E departments across different time periods and different regions in Hong Kong. The definition of GP cases was based on a retrospective record review conducted by a panel of emergency physicians using the standard laid down by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians. The patients sampled were similar in sex and age distribution to A&E attendees for the whole territory. The level of GP cases was found to be 57 per cent, with a significantly higher proportion of patients in the younger age group. The high level of use reflects the lack of a well co‐ordinated development of primary care services and interfacing with secondary care.
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David Sinreich and Yariv Marmor
Recent years have witnessed a fundamental change in the function of emergency departments (EDs). The emphasis of the ED shifts from triage to saving the lives of shock‐trauma…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent years have witnessed a fundamental change in the function of emergency departments (EDs). The emphasis of the ED shifts from triage to saving the lives of shock‐trauma rooms equipped with state‐of‐the‐art equipment. At the same time walk‐in clinics are being set up to treat ambulatory type patients. Simultaneously ED overcrowding has become a common sight in many large urban hospitals. This paper recognises that in order to provide quality treatment to all these patient types, ED process operations have to be flexible and efficient. The paper aims to examine one major benchmark for measuring service quality – patient turnaround time, claiming that in order to provide the quality treatment to which EDs aspire, this time needs to be reduced.
Design/methodology/approach
This study starts by separating the process each patient type goes through when treated at the ED into unique components. Next, using a simple model, the impact each of these components has on the total patient turnaround time is determined. This in turn, identifies the components that need to be addressed if patient turnaround time is to be streamlined.
Findings
The model was tested using data that were gathered through a comprehensive time study in six major hospitals. The analysis reveals that waiting time comprises 51‐63 per cent of total patient turnaround time in the ED. Its major components are: time away for an x‐ray examination; waiting time for the first physician's examination; and waiting time for blood work.
Originality/value
The study covers several hospitals and analyses over 20,000 process components; as such the common findings may serve as guidelines to other hospitals when addressing this issue.
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Amir A. Abdulmuhsin, Bekir Değirmenci, İbrahim Halil Efendi̇oğlu and Yakup Durmaz
This study aims to reveal both the effect of the perception of COVID-19 on avoidance behaviors and the mediating role of the perception of personal control in this relationship…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to reveal both the effect of the perception of COVID-19 on avoidance behaviors and the mediating role of the perception of personal control in this relationship. COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 and since then, it has spread globally in a short period and has affected people socially, economically and culturally.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for the research was collected from 418 participants during COVID-19, through online questionnaires. The obtained data were analyzed through AMOS and SPSS software using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The research results show that some perceptions of COVID-19 affect avoidance behavior and that personal control has a mediating role. It has also been found that gender plays a moderating role in the relationship between COVID-19 and avoidance behavior. It has been found that women are especially more sensitive compared to men in perceiving COVID-19. This study also found that perception of COVID-19 changes depending on income.
Practical implications
After the pandemic is over, people will get in contact with each other less than before, and trade will change accordingly. People will avoid shopping in crowded places, and consumer behaviors will undergo different changes. All of these results considered, it is expected that avoidance behavior will cause some permanent behavioral changes in consumers.
Originality/value
The study answers the critical question about the effect of the perception of COVID-19 on avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the role of income level, gender and education in this relationship will be highlighted.