Customer Service Excellence. Impact of technology on Customer Service Essay

Customer Service Excellence. Impact of technology on Customer Service Excellence - Essay Example Now-a-days, the customers have a huge variety of choices for each product and the organisations have to develop specific strategies that can help them in creating a distinctive image in the market and capture the attention of its targeted customers. In order to get the customer’s attention, almost every organisation is focusing on enhancing the customer experience by developing an effective customer service excellence strategy (Khan and Matlay, 2009). With dynamic changes happening in the customer needs, the organisations have to respond proactively so that they can maintain their competitive edge in the market; the companies have to be customer-centric as the technological advancements are allowing them to lower their cost of information exchange and solve customer problems effectively (Hilgers, 2007). Such advancements in the field of business require the companies to do re-evaluation of their value propositions and focus more on developing the products and services that wil l enhance a customer’s experience. ... Whether an organisation is offering a product or service, it is important for them to focus on providing excellent and out of the box customer service. In order to create demand in the market for their products and services, most of the organisations are now developing new and innovative offerings for services and their main aim is to provide the revenue producing solutions. One of the distinctive features of top ranked companies such as Singapore Airlines, Dell, Nokia, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Sony Corporation, Samsung, Apple and others is an appealing and differentiating service culture (Conklin, Powaga & Lipovetsky, 2004). Every customer is looking for the products and service offerings that will help them in having one to one interaction with the companies and ensure that they have the best buying and consumption experience. Importance of Customer Service Excellence According to Cook (2008), business models are an important aspect of every organisation and they determine four crucial elements that enhance performance and profitability of organisations i.e. choices of customers, costs of transactions, competition among companies and existence of heterogeneity among producers (companies) and customers. The customer service excellence is basically considered to be a challenge by organisations as they have to understand the customer’s perceptions about service excellence and then develop a culture that will meet their expectations level. The development of an effective customer service culture is difficult for organisations as every customer perceives differently about various service initiatives; for instance, helping customers in shopping is considered to be a

The Nazi Doctors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Nazi Doctors - Essay Example In fact, they had a task of eliminating people that were considered unfit for work, while others were sacrificed for others to live. Therefore, this period entails complications regarding rules that were altered frequently in accordance with camp commandants. Nevertheless, the paper will focus on analysing this issue based on the idea whether the famous philosophers, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill would agree with the practices in which Nazi doctors were involved. Aristotle, Kant, and Mill do not agree with practices conducted by the Nazi doctors through the agreement of their medical professional. In this case, they were chosen to take role of concentrating camp doctor and saving lives of numerous people while making decision regarding condemning others to death. On the other hand, both Aristotle and Mill would support the argument that the Nazi were not in a position to decline the offer of position offered by the Nazi regime. In fact, the doctors were bound to admit these offers as a w ay of saving their own lives. Others agreed with the notion that they would increase the possibility of benefiting numerous people. As a utilitarian, Mill has a conviction that actions are considered right based on their aspect of promoting happiness while wrong leads to grief or unhappiness ((Mill, 2010). Therefore, causing death for innocent people created a difficulty, thus failing to comply with the Greatest Happiness Principle. Moreover, Aristotle sought to offer a better notion to support this idea, whereby indicating that wise people are able to bare kinds of fortune in a seemly way thereby acting in an aristocrats way in various situations (Amemiya, 2007). However, Kant disagrees with the idea of doctors agreeing to the mandates given to them by the Nazi regime. This is due to his maxims conviction, which is universalized without inconsistency (Cahn, 2012), whereby if it prevailed; the doctors would not have had a chance to make their Faustian bargain. Moreover, Kant (1964) argued that a man’s dignity is lost by lying; thus, decisions, which concern determining, people who will live or die does not require to be accommodated in the law or universalized maxims. In this case, the three philosophers were advocating for a world that facilitated coexistence whereby every human being lives without being subjected to death that would be caused by another human being. Difficult choices regarding establishment of a substantial number of choices was made by Aristotle and Mill, whereby they stood for consequentialism. In this case, there was not chance for Kant to establish a philosophical justification of the murder for some people for the sake of saving others. In fact, he advocates for deontological ethics that focuses on people’s intentions (Honderich, 2005). Therefore, Kant’s convictions do not support the killings perpetrated by Nazi doctors despite the idea of saving other people’s lives. Furthermore, this is an attitude, which can be supported through a verse in the Bible at Matthew 7:12, â€Å"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do you even so to them.† Concerning the choice of whether I would support the actions of Nazi doctors or the offer that was presented to them by the Nazi regime is a problem that required deep thinking. However, the analysis on the three philoso

Case study and observation research methods

Case study and observation research methods This essay will look at difference between to research methods; Case Study and Observation. Case study is the understanding of the complex issues or can extend experience or add strength to what is already known through previous research. It is an in-depth study of an individual, group, incident or community. Case studies emphasize on the detailed analysis of the event or conditions and their relationship. Sometimes researchers use the case study method for real life situations and use sources of evidence to prove their study. First step to take in case study is to collect all data about the case and should be organised to draw attention to important points in the case. The case studys questions are most likely to be information questions why and How therefore these questions are helpful to focus on the studys goal. In case study researchers gather facts from different sources and conclusions is made of these facts. Here is a case study of the Davids behaviour, David, 13 year old who has been admitted to a detention facility in California. Police reports indicate that he and another boy were arrested for breaking and entering into a private residence. David grew up in an upper middle class section of California. Davids father is a professor at a college, and his mother, is a dentist who works for a health care group. Even as a small child, David seemed unable to restrain himself. He would bound around the house, crashing into walls and objects, frequently breaking items or destroying house plants. David entered puberty at the age of 11, and at that time, his behaviours became more destructive. He frequently got in fights with his classmates, and would verbally assault teachers. His parents suspect that he may have tried smoking cigarettes and may have experimented with sniffing glue. After his arrest for breaking and entering, David began to cry and told his parents that he felt badly for what he had done. He added that he was unable to control himself. In Davids case study which took long time to study Davids behaviour from his childhood to his teenage and in different circumstances Davids behaviour had changed and resources have been used to prove his behaviour such as his parents or police. Another example for case study research; its Freuds little Hans case study, Freud used a case study method to investigate little Hans Phobia however the case study was actually carried out by the boys father who was a friend of Freud. Freud probably only met the boy once. The father reported to Freud via correspondence and Freud gave directions as how to deal with the situation based on his interpretations of his fathers reports. Freud noted that it was the special relationship between Hans and his father that allowed the analysis to progress and for the discussions with the boy to be so detailed and so intimate. The first reports of Hans are when he was 3 years old. When Hans was almost 5, Hans father wrote to Freud explaining his concerns about Hans. He described the main problem as follows: he is afraid of horse will bite him in the street, at age 19 the not so little Hans appeared at Freuds consulting room having read his case history. Freud believed that the findings from the ca se little Hans supported his theories of child development. Observation involves looking and listening to the object very carefully. Researchers in observation study an individual or group in their natural settings without being informed of the observation in advance. Observational data is usually detailed information about the particular person, groups or situations and revealing changes. In a non- participant observation researchers observe behaviour of the subject without interacting with the subject whereas in participant observation the researchers put themselves in the subjects position, so the researchers become part of the world of the subject meanwhile focusing on their study and in direct observation, people know that you are watching them, and there is concern that sometimes individuals change their actions while not showing what you are looking for or what they are really look like. A research which led by Charlton, studied the effect of television on childrens behaviour when it was introduced for the first time to an island of St Helena in mid-1990s, The researchers focused specifically on pro- and anti- social behaviour. Using video recording, they found that, compared with play ground observation on three to eight years olds made four months before television started, five year after its introduction there were 5 out of 64 measures showing a decrease in pro- social behaviour. However for boys, only there were significant increase on two pro-social measures and significant decrease on two anti-social measures. In other words, for boys at least there was almost as much positive as negative effect. The research led by Charlton was a naturalistic observation which is used to collect behavioural data in real life situations. The data gathering device in this research was video recording, which taped the childrens interaction daily. There is another example of Whyte studies about Italian gang for Observation research study, Whyte studied an Italian street gang in Chicago by joining it. It was obvious Whyte was not a normal gang member. His cover was that he was writing a book about the area. He made the famous statement that I began as a non-participating observer. As I became accepted into the community, I found myself becoming almost a non-observing participant' Whyte research study was undisclosed participant observation. Whyte as an observer kept hidden his study about the gang from gang members; Whyte aimed the understanding of the gang by putting himself in their position and observed gang members in their natural setting, as they were busy in their everyday lives. Two ethical issues Consent and Deception, both are very important issues to concentrate on before deciding for a psychological research. Consent should be obtained in an early time of research; this would involves informing the participant about the grounds for the research and their role in the research however there are some cases where this is not required if the research is something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they would need permission to be observed on the other side in deception, participants should never be deceived about any aspect of the study they are taking part in. Same as consent participants should be provided with sufficient information at the earliest stage. Other ethical issues are, introduction where both sides confidence is needed between the researcher and the participants, and the data protection act protects participants in the research, therefore confidentiality and privacy is important to be agreed on both sides except in situation where the human life is in danger. And participants must be informed of their right to withdraw from the research at any stage of the research. After debriefing, participants have the right to ask for their details in the study to be destroyed in their presence. Participants should not be asked to risk their life in any circumstances during the study. Publication is another important part of the ethical issues, its the responsibility of the researcher to publish is his research, this is because if the research is failed which has costs lot of time and money someone else might have the same idea and might invest lots of time and money, which would be wasted. Its the researcher responsibility to monitor his colleagues in a research to ensure that code is being followed and if the researcher becomes aware of the participants problems in the study, so the researcher should refer them to someone qualified to advise them on the issue if the participants wish to. In Zimbardos Stanford prison experiment, participants were deceived and were physically harmed, they have not been informed properly about all that took place later in the research, therefore deception is not allowed in any circumstances and all that are going to take place in a research should be told to participant in a earlier stage. And the participants consent was not obtained before the research and participants have not been informed of the reason of the study This involves informing the participant of the reasons for the study and what is expected of them. There are few cases where this is not required: if someone is doing something in public where they would normally expect to be observed, they are giving permission to be observed. Bibliography http://www.holah.karoo.net/freud.htm

The Watergate Scandal :: President Richard Nixon

Watergate Scandal Watergate was a designation of a major U.S. scandal that began with the burglary and wiretapping of the Democratic party's headquarters, later engulfed President Richard M. Nixon and many of his supporters in a variety of illegal acts and culminated in the first resignation of a U.S. president.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The burglary was committed on June 17, 1972, by five men who were caught in the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate apartment and office complex in Washington D.C. Their arrest eventually uncovered a White House-sponsered plan of espionage against political opponents and a trail of complicity that led to many of the highest officials in the land, including former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Counsel John Dean, White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, White House Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs John Ehrlichman, and President Nixon himself. On April 30, 1973, nearly a year after the burglary and arrest and following a grand jury investigation of the burglary, Nixon accepted the resignation of Haldeman and Ehrlichman and announced the dismissal of Dean U.S. Attorney General Richard Kleindienst resigned as well. The new attorney general, Elliot Richardson, appointed a special prosecutor, Harvard Law School profesor Archibald Cox, to conduct a full-scale investigation of the Watergate break-in. In May of 1973, the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Activities opened hearings, with Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina as chairman. A series of startling revelations followed. Dean testified that Mitchell had ordered the break-in and that a major attempt was under way to hide White House involvement. He claimed that the president had authorized payments to the burglars to keep them quiet. The Nixon administration immediately denied this assertion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The testimony of White House aide Alexander Butterfield unlocked the entire investigation pertaining to White House tapes. On July 16, 1973, Butterfield told the committee, on nationwide television, that Nixon had ordered a taping system installed in the White House to automatically record all conversations; what the president said and when he said it could be verified. Cox immediately subpoened eight revelant tapes to confirm Dean's testimony. Nixon refused to release the tapes, claiming they were vital to the national security. U.S. District Court Judge Johm Sirica ruled that Nixon must give the tapes to Cox, and an appeals court upheld the decision. Yet, Nixon held firm. He refused to turn over the tapes and, on Saturday, October 20, 1973, ordered Richardson to dismiss Cox. Richardson refused and resigned instead, as did Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. Finally, the solicitor general discharged Cox.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A storm of public protest resulted fron this â€Å"Saturday night massacre.† In response, Nixon appointed another special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, a Texas

Diabetes Mellitus-Shared Care Model and ICT

The world is fast changing: the pace of events is massive. The apparently big world is shrinking into a global village as democracy spreads, western civilizations encroach on other civilizations and globalization becomes a household concept. Technological advancements and improvements in the information and communication technology have perverted all spheres of human endeavor. While this is happening on one hand, health care delivery has not improved significantly. Many patients and clients complain of the lack of coordination in the health sector: they are not happy about the reduced utility derived from health care facility they patronize.There is a growing reduction in number of competent staff as well as insufficient fund for the health sector. These factors have made it necessary to evaluate the impact of information and communication technology on health care service. This need has become more important for chronic disease where collaboration between health care service provide rs is important. And with increasing incidence of chronic diseases and their attendant complications, this need cannot be overemphasized. Besides, the cost of managing some of the chronic diseases, for example diabetes, epilepsy and seizure disorders, with the traditional method is reasonably high.The prospect ICT brings is improved quality of care due to collaboration between health care workers through a comprehensive shared care system adequately powered by ICT solutions and reduced overall cost for the management of chronic diseases like diabetes. In this paper, diabetes is the focus chronic disease. I will attempt to evaluate the requirements for an Irish ICT system to supply the model of shared care. However, a brief review of diabetes mellitus and shared care will be undertaken to unravel areas of focus for ICT intervention.Diabetes mellitus: Review Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome of chronic hyperglycemia due to relative or absolute insulin deficiency, resistance or both. It affects over 100million people worldwide. Diabetes is usually irreversible, and patients can have a reasonably normal lifestyle; however its later complications which include macrovascular disease lead to increased risk of develop coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular resistance; and microvascular complications such as diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy.In a normal person, the blood glucose concentration is narrowly controlled in order to prevent the devastating complications that may follow reduced or increased blood glucose concentration. This normal glucose level is 80-90mg/100ml or 3. 5-5. 0mmol/l. This concentration usually increased to 120-140mg/100ml during the first hour after a glucose meal. The feedback mechanism of the body is alerted to reduce this level to tolerable levels by the body by the conversion of glucose to glycogen for storage under hormonal influence particularly insulin.However, in the fasting state, glucose is produced from glycogen and other substrates and released into the blood to maintain the blood glucose concentration. The various mechanisms for achieving this level of glucose control are as a result of hormonal influence, the activities of organs such as liver, skeletal muscle and the particular glucose concentration. The liver is a major metabolic organ that is important in the blood glucose buffer system: this is done by the storage of glycogen formed from glucose under the influence of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, in the liver.It also releases glucose into the blood in the fasting state. Insulin and glucagon function as important feedback control systems for maintaining a normal blood glucose concentration. When the glucose concentration rises too high, insulin is secreted from the Islet cells of Langerhans, the endocrine portion of the pancreas; the insulin in turn causes the blood glucose concentration to decrease toward normal. Conversely a decrease in blood glucose concentration stimu lates glucagon secretion; the glucagon then functions in the opposite direction to increase the glucose concentration toward normal.Under most normal conditions, the insulin feedback mechanism is much more important than the glucagon mechanism, but in instances of starvation or excessive utilization of glucose during exercise and other stressful situations, the glucagon mechanism also becomes valuable. Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome of impaired carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism caused by either lack of insulin secretion or decreased sensitivity of the tissues to insulin.It could be primary or secondary; primary diabetes is inherent while secondary diabetes can be due to Cushing syndrome, pheochromocytoma, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, malnutrition-related pancreatic disease, pancreatectomy, and hereditary hemochromatosis, carcinoma of the pancreas, thiazide diuretic use, corticosteroid therapy, atypical antipsychotics, congenital lipodystrophy and acromegaly. There are two general types of diabetes mellitus: Type I diabetes also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM]; this is caused by lack of insulin secretion.Type II diabetes, also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM] is caused by decreased sensitivity of target tissues to the metabolic effect of insulin. This reduced sensitivity to insulin is often referred to as insulin-resistance. The basic effect of insulin lack or insulin resistance on glucose metabolism is to prevent the efficient uptake and utilization of glucose by most cells of the body, except those of the brain. As a result, blood glucose concentration increases, cell utilization of glucose falls increasingly lower and utilization of fats and proteins increases.Injury to the beta cells of the pancreas or diseases that impair insulin production can lead to type I diabetes. IDDM is immune-mediated and has been associated with other autoimmune conditions like pernicious anaemia, alopecia areata and Hashim oto disease. Viral infections or autoimmune disorders may be involved in the destruction of beta cells in many patients with type I diabetes, although heredity also plays a major role in determining the susceptibility of the beta cells to destruction by these insults. HLA-DR3 or DR4 is found in more than 90% of patients.In some instances, there may be a hereditary tendency for beta cell degeneration even without viral infections or autoimmune disorders. The usual onset of type I diabetes occurs is less than 30 years; this is why it is called juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus. Type II diabetes mellitus is caused by diminished sensitivity of target tissues to the metabolic effects of insulin, a condition referred to as insulin resistance. This syndrome, like Type I diabetes mellitus is associated with multiple metabolic abnormalities although high levels of keto-acids are usually not present in type II diabetes mellitus.Type II diabetes mellitus is far more common that type I, accounti ng for 80-90% of all cases of diabetes mellitus. In most of these cases, the onset of type II diabetes mellitus occurs after age 40. There is usually no immune disturbance. Therefore, this syndrome is often referred to as adult-onset diabetes mellitus. Patients with diabetes present with acute manifestations which include polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss and ketonuria; they also present with subacute symptoms like lethargy, reduced exercise tolerance, vulvar pruritus, and visual disturbance.They also could also present with some of the complications of the disease such as staphylococcal disease, retinopathy, polyneuropathy, erectile dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy. Investigations that are necessary in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus include fasting plasma glucose >7. 0mmol/l, random plasma glucose >11. 1mmol/l; routine investigations include urinalysis for protein and acetone, full blood count, urea and electrolytes, liver biochemistry and random lipids. Management of diab etes mellitus: avenue for shared care The management of diabetes required community participation and patient education.The importance of glycemic control in the management of diabetic patient cannot be overemphasized: patient should adequately understand the favorable outcome associated with good glycemic control, the implication and concomitant complications that may result from poor plasma control. This is the core of self management of diabetes. Patient should also know the dietary requirement and comply with/adhere to drug use. Besides this self-care, community care is very essential as this constitutes family and general practitioner care. There is monitoring of patient’s compliance to medications and dietary advice.Essentially, the management of diabetes is multidisciplinary: dieticians, cardiologist, ophthalmologists, neurologists, internal medicine physicians, endocrine experts. There is growing need to integrate this range of practitioners. Metabolic control of diab etes can be tested by urine tests, home blood glucose testing and glycosylated hemoglobin. Urine tests are carried using dipsticks these methods are simple and give a good feedback on the blood glucose control. Patients can also be taught finger-prick and use blood glucose monitoring device to measure blood glucose.They can then interact with specialist through appropriate communication facility for automated scheduling and medication. Epidemiologically, there are 200,000 persons in Ireland with diabetes; this figure represents 3-5% of western populations. It is estimated to double by 2010. It consumes 10% of total health budgets. About â‚ ¬350 million annual cost is spent in Ireland where 59% of which is spent treating complications: 50 countries endorsed measures to reduce diabetes complications by one-third Shared Care What is shared care?Shared care is a concept where all the professionals involved in the management of a case collaborate by exchanging information on the patie nts’ care. In this way, patient also has input into the care because his/her self-management better informed from the avalanche of information provided by the care network. Shared care is an approach to care where professionals share joint responsibility with respect to an individual’s care using their skills and knowledge. It also talks about adequate monitoring and exchange of patient data within the limits of confidentiality and privacy.Shared care is both systemic and local: it collaborates the systems involved while there is local interaction between clinicians. Shared care impacts on the iron triangle of health. This triangle includes quality, access and cost. Shared care improves quality of patient care for patients with complex chronic disease like diabetes. There is increased access to patient information by health care professionals, and the patient can also easily access the professionals’ especially when the shared system is backed up by information and communication technology. Patient is also satisfied with the service rendered.This model has been suggested to be better than the conventional method of treatment afforded to patients. The treatment is appropriate because the health care givers agree on best available method based on evidence-practice. Competence is also guaranteed and services are effective and efficient. On the hand, there is improved provider satisfaction: because there is reduced contact with the utilization of tertiary level of health care service. Definitions of terms Self-management: this is about goal-setting. It is the core of self management about medication and body care.Diabetic patients need to understand the implication of self care to monitor the progress of symptoms and emergence of complications. Home care monitoring is also very useful because it helps patients to monitor their response to treatment and glycemic control. Prevention: primary prevention is important to reduce the possibility of a worsening condition especially for patients with multiple complex co-morbidities. Community of practice: this refers to the people involved in the share care. They include providers and organisations, citizens and patients with families and support groups.Models of shared care: shared care is found in Primary Care which is the emphasis of The European Forum for Primary Care (EFPC), Secondary Care, Community Based Care and mental health. The focus of shared care includes inter-professional relations and patient management. Inter-professional relations include collaborative provision of clinical services, communication and information exchange, use of treatment and referral guidelines, shared responsibility for patient care, regular face-to-face contact, and joint professional education. Patient Management is based on individual patient goals.It includes patient and family in the decision making protocol of management and patient-centered focus. There is no rigid working modality; wi th shared care, increased patient access to care reduced fragmentation of care and increased integration and continuity of care. There is a strong link at all levels of health sector-improved working relationships between providers and improved satisfaction among patients and providers. Diabetes-shared care-ICT solutions There is no doubt that information and communication technology is inevitable in the management of chronic diseases like diabetes.In order to set-up an Irish ICT unit for diabetes, the requirements will be considered within the limit of the community of practice which includes providers and organization, citizens and patients. The concept of ICT solutions is branded as eHealth. It is a promising field that will incorporate all the professionals who are directly and indirectly involved in the management of a case to properly integrate their knowledge and skills for the appropriate care of a diabetic patient while making the emphasis: glycemic control convenient for p roviders and patients.It is imperative to elucidate the aspect of health care that are relevant to ICT input: the idea of ICT use is to integration of information to improve access. This implies that patients’ information are made available at a common centre and accessible to the patient, their health care providers and researchers. The components include Clinical database: this contains the information of patient. There is a central repository of health care information of the patient. It includes the electronic patient record which is but a segment of the repository.For diabetics, the information about their presentations, clinical features, investigations, treatment plans and modalities are combined, classified and ordered in accessible manner at the clinical database centre. This database centre is secured as the confidentiality and privacy of the patient’s data has to be maintained. It is also prevented from use by third parties unless there is due consent by the patient. This central unit is fed by local diabetes databases from local hospitals. The data is made accessible to general practitioners, community health care providers and patients.Decision support tool: this is second important part of ICT solutions in shared care for diseases including diabetes. It contains specialized information guide for experts and simple algorithms of decisions for patients. Specific Requirements Providers and organization The tools that are required to have an effective shared care plan for diabetes includes: Internet: the internet has become the most influential means of connecting people, and exchanging information in this age. It is therefore unequivocal that it is useful in health information systems to achieve a collaborative network of professionals who care for diabetic patients.A large bandwidth is required for the volume of information that is processes, exchanged and implemented in shared care practice for diabetic patients. Interprofessional Co mmunication systems: Diabetic care requires effective interdisciplinary communication so that management decision is both cost-effective and evidenced based. A huge communication network is therefore required. Mobile and wireless Infrastructure: these also form ICT tools which are used in database processing, exchange and monitoring, they are required in order to facilitate the integration of the patient, and more importantly improves providers access to informationData storage: since clinical database is an integral part of ICT solutions for shared care plan for diabetics. Data must be stored in a way that is accessible to providers. This implies that strict measures and guidelines must be in place to ensure the database is well-structured. Intelligence systems: Websites must be secured. Database must be protected from intrusion by third party parties. Patient’s data must be confidential and kept private and guideline of medical ethics with respect to this must be maintained . Therefore a sophisticated intelligence network is imperative to accomplish this gargantuan task.E-learning for medical education: there is need to provide facility for providers for training and retraining. They need to update their knowledge base so that thy can offer quality service to clients. This can be achieved by making such up-to-date information available through an accessible means, for instance, the internet. Medicolegal/Ethic Issues: ICT input into health care must be maintained within the limits of ethical guidelines and mediolegal regulations for data management, exchange and implementation. It addresses problems of public interest, patient autonomy, third party involvement and international regulation against threats.Citizens and Patients The requirements for the patients include E-learning device for the patient: this will teach patient the modus operandi of the collaborative health information system, their role and why it is important they adopt it. It will also give useful information about diabetes. Decision support tools: this should contain factual information that can guide the patient to make informed choice with respect to their management. Patient home management: this includes clinical signs monitoring, automated scheduling and medication.It also comprises access to health educators and professionals. Areas of ICT use have been well documented in the literature: they are basically Teleconsultation: this is a kind of telemonitoring between patient and caregiver via phone, email, automated messaging tools and the internet Videoconferencing: this is face-to-face contact via such equipments as television, digital camera, videophone to connect between caregivers and patients. Both have proven useful in diabetic care. And this is widely reported in many papers from across the world. Issues and challengesHaving elucidates the conditions above in terms of providers and patients; it is needful to quickly mention that certain issues must be considered before initiating and implementing ICT input into shared care for diabetes. These include ? Confidentiality compromise ? Security breaches ? Territoriality and power status amongst health care providers ? Cost of ICT requirements ? Medicolegal issues These challenges will adversely affect ICT adoption for shared car in diabetes if ignored. They can be addressed by ? Adequate funding of the project by government.Intensive training for users and health care professionals ? Consensus on the modus operandi amongst health care service providers ? Intensive research into ICT implications in health care, patients’ behavior, pragmatism of project plan. Conclusion The impact of ICT on shared care plan for diabetes is indispensable. There are improved collaboration amongs health care workers and patients are ultimately satisfied with the service they get. The requirements for Irish ICT have been elucidated and concomitant issues explained. It is my hope that this will be ado pted and health care service will subsequently improve.

Patient Rights Essay

Patient rights are also human rights. Every patient deserves to be treated respectfully and with every intention of helping patients improve their health. Due to past historical events, there was a need for the creation of two documents that give patients protection and rights when it comes to clinical experiments. These events were experiments that were conducted unethically and violated human rights. The names of these documents are: The Nuremberg Code and The Belmont Report. The first one that was created in the 1940’s was The Nuremberg Code which relates to the events that happened during the holocaust. Nazi physicians were responsible for performing malicious experiments on prisoners in the concentration camps. The Belmont Report was created later after the discovery of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. In this study, which was conducted from 1930-1972, African American men were deceived into thinking they were being treated for syphilis when they actually were not. Even after the discovery that penicillin was an effective treatment for this disease, many men were still left untreated and left to die unnecessarily. The â€Å"Doctors’ Trial† was one of the main trials conducted after World War II in Nuremberg, Germany. This was an international trial made up of judges from the United States, Britain, France, and the former Soviet Union. This trial involved 23 defendants, 20 of them being physicians, all accused of torturing and murdering prisoners in concentration camps with the use of medical experiments. Sixteen of the 23 defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death, life in prison, 25 years, fifteen years and ten years in prison. The remaining seven were acquitted. After conclusion of the trial, the judges felt a strong need for an additional way to protect human research subjects. This is when they created the ten research principles now known as The Nuremberg Code. As the Hippocratic ethics was great for physician-patient relationships, it did not fit so well with scientific research. Everything changes because the primary goal of the physician is no longer the patient, but instead the results of his or her experiment. The Nuremberg Code solves this conflict. The first and main principle of the Nuremberg Code makes the voluntary consent of human subjects absolutely essential. Experiments should not be random or unnecessary; they should be in search of beneficial results. It should be based on experimentation of animals and help prove positive effects are the result. Mental and physical suffering or injury should absolutely be avoided. No study shall be performed when there is a risk of death or severe injury involved. The potential risks should never exceed the potential benefits. Sufficient preparations must be made and acceptable facilities must be used in order to protect against injuries, disabilities, or death. Only qualified individuals may perform such studies and the highest possible skill and care shall be applied throughout the entire process. Subjects will always hold the power to end the experiment at any time they feel is necessary for their own well-being. And last of all the scientist in charge must end an experiment as soon as there might be any reason to believe that there is a possibility that continuation of the study could result in injury, disability, or death to any of the participating subjects. In Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment the Nuremberg Code was disregarded and still continued to be sponsored by the U. S. government. The reason for this may be because the code and principles were not regulated and could not be enforced by laws. In 1978 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the Belmont Report. The Belmont Report is made up of three basic ethical principles which are: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. All persons asked to be in a study should have total autonomy and complete control of their decisions. For beneficence researcher should not only attempt to achieve maximum benefits for the subjects, but also minimize all risks. Justice states all people should be treated fairly and benefits and problems should be distributed fairly as well. These are now regulation guidelines and remain the main focus to protect humans as subjects. To this present day the Belmont Report continues to be used as a reference for institutional review boards (IRB) which ensure that human based research follow all ethical regulations and guidelines. Anytime experiments on humans are being conducted, ethical issues will always be involved. With the creation of these two documents it helps determine whether a clinical trial is ethical or not. First of all the experiment must have some kind of social or scientific value in which it may produce results that will benefit health and well-being or even increase knowledge on a certain subject. Only qualified scientists or physicians are allowed to perform such studies using methods and techniques that will produce reliable results. Subjects must be chosen fairly. The risks of the study must be minimized while the benefits maximized, or at the least benefits and risks should be proportionate. Informed consent means subjects will be informed on the purpose of the research, its risks, benefits, and alternatives. This helps to make informed decisions and also subject have the power to end the study at any time. Subjects will also be provided confidentiality, information on any new discoveries and results of the studies. These documents not only provide protection and safety for test subjects, but it also protects certain individuals from being participants in any studies. There are certain populations or groups of people that cannot be selected for studies for certain reasons. Adults are preferred subjects over children. Individuals must be competent in order to give informed consent, which would eliminate using mentally ill people as subjects for a study. Prisoners should also be excluded as test subjects as they are already in a forced position. There must be a certain criteria met in order to use any of these subjects in a research study. I find it to be a real shame that the Nuremberg Code was overlooked in many studies performed in the United States after its creation. It was not regulated and it was not against the law to not follow these codes of ethics on research. Although it took a series of unfortunate events to come up with the Belmont Report, it sure is nice to know there is protection now for human test subjects. The creation of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) to enforce that studies are being conducted under ethical guidelines and researchers are following these rules was essential in helping to improve the search for better health in this country. This will continue to guide our effort as well as change when other issues arise. The good thing is that I do not seeing it ever changing much more as all the most important ethical issues is covered by these documents when performing any research on human subjects.

Essence of Effective Communication

Essence of Effective Communication Free Online Research Papers Communication is the key to a successful idea, and/or organization. Keeping in mind that communication entails outgoing and ingoing information that is both delivered and received in a lucrative manner. The two golden rules to communicating effectively are: Organize thoughts in your mind before sharing them with others. Communication is collaborative, not competitive. Leaders of today are the vehicles of a successful exchange of ideas, and are looked to for understanding as well as motivating, leading and keeping the vision alive. In this paper I will show comparison, while contrasting three different models of effective communication, illustrating five tools that leaders can use to improve their communication skills. Essence of Effective Communication No matter how brilliant and invaluable your idea, it is worthless unless you can share it with others. For this reason, effective communication is crucial at every level of an organization. However, the ability to communicate effectively does not come easily to many people, and it is a skill that requires practice. We begin practicing our communication skills even before we learn to walk. A newborn child communicates by crying, but it slowly learns to mimic its parents speech. Eventually, the child discovers that certain speech patterns elicit different responses; one of the joys of parenting is trying to decipher the meaning behind certain â€Å"words.† Slowly, through trial and error, the child learns to manipulate sounds to get what it wants, and as the child develops, this active oral practice leads to more nuanced and fluid conversations. In short, the child learns effective communication. (Sussil, 2002.) To effectively communicate a complex idea, however, requires skills beyond elementary conversation. There are two golden rules to follow. -Organize thoughts in your mind before sharing them with others. This rule involves decoding and encoding before and during a two-way conversation, as in the Interactional Model. One idea often prompts a torrent of others. In order to share your ideas, you must first shape them coherently. Organization is important, because it creates a pattern for your listener, allowing him or her to grasp the larger picture intuitively. This allows the listener to focus on the details of your message, without struggling to understand how you went from Point A to Point B. As a thought experiment, imagine that a colleague has asked you for directions to the airport. Write them down. Your directions will probably look something like: -Drive west half a mile on Aurora. -Take a left on Madison. -At the third light, turn right and follow Dexter for 2-3 miles. -Get on the interstate, heading south. Now, with a pair of scissors, cut each line of instructions into a small strip of paper. Jumble the strips up and arrange them in a completely random order, then give them to your colleague. Even with mixed-up directions, s/he should have no trouble reaching the airport, right? After all, your directions are complete and accurate. Not a single step is missing. The problem, of course, is that your directions are also completely unorganized, rendering them useless. Your colleague will find it impossible to focus on your message itself, because he or she will struggle to follow your messages structure (or lack thereof). (Wright, 2003.) For this reason, practicing the tool of listening for the content of the message to be reflected from the listener, would prove to be effective if the communication is rendered unorganized. -Communication is collaborative, not competitive. As noted in the Linear Model, where communication is only one-way, thrusting your idea on others mars the beauty and integrity of conversation. Communication is in some ways like a dance; each partner plays off the other, basing his or her steps on the other persons, while simultaneously maintaining a certain amount of individuality. Communication is a two-way process involving an exchange of ideas. If you try to make it one-way, you prevent this exchange and will eventually frustrate the other person. You may also frustrate yourself, if you read the other persons lack of verbosity as disinterest in the conversation, rather than an inability to get a word in. The hallmark of effective communication is the coherent verbal projection of your ideas, so that your listener receives the message that you intend to send. By observing these two rules, you will reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings. (Hall, 2000.) With this goal, the practice of noting the speaker’s cues, both verbal and nonverbal the communication will not only remain effective, but will continue following the Interactional and Transactional models of communication, where the conversation flows two-ways, in both listening and leading. In a world with so much information available, why do employees still complain that companies are under-communicating? Can leaders, who rose in the hierarchy due to their ability to talk, learn the value of listening? With the speed of information exchange growing exponentially, how can we slow down to have the deeper, more meaningful conversations that are so critical in the age of knowledge management and learning organizations? These are just a few examples of today‘s barriers to effective communications. Without impactful communications, companies will not be able to attract, retain and inspire the employee. Inspire because without inspiration, there is no commitment. Without commitment, there is no discretionary effort. And without that critical extra effort, a company cannot achieve or maintain its competitive edge. (Ashton, 2002.) Now, more than ever, leaders need to think of themselves as communication vehicles. In the past leaders were often promoted based on their ability to talk. Now there is a greater expectation for leaders to be great listeners to their employees, their customers, and other stakeholders. The job of leadership today is not just to make money. It‘s to make meaning. For this reason, leaders must become proficient in listening, as well as communicating in a transactional and Interactional form. Because practicing reflecting back to the speaker what one thought they heard, and listening for the feelings of the speaker, a leader is providing a continual transaction of communication to take place, while clarifying understanding. The importance of this new role, and the inadequacy many leaders may feel, is evident in the increase in executive coaching consultants and training programs that are designed to increase these skills. Today senior leadership must not only be able to clearly formulate their vision for the organization, but also to convincingly communicate it such that employees will want to commit to it. (Frost, 2004.) Under these conditions a leader has demonstrated to the listener a skill of responding to the feelings of the speaker. If I may repeat, reflecting back to the speaker what you think you are hearing is essential in ensuring that you have received the information the speaker is trying to convey, and that comprehension is clarified. One example that comes to mind is from PLATO’S REPUBLIC (1992) in Book I, where Socrates defends his account on what justice is by his definition. Questioned by Thrasymachus, Socrates states his position that justice is the advantage of the established rule. Thrasymachus restates to the speaker in his own words what he thought the speaker said, thus allowing the speaker to respond to further clarify the message being sent (Hersey, Blanchard, Johnson, 2001, p.251) â€Å"And a law is correct if it prescribes what is to the rulers’ own advantage and incorrect if it prescribes what is to their disadvantage? Is that what you mean?† (Reeve, 1992, p.15) Ashton, John. (2002.) Barriers to Communication. New York Publishing. Frost, Amanda. (2004.) The Importance of Communication. BB Press House. Hall, Martin. (2000.) Effective Communication. San Diego Journal, Vol. 18. Sussil, Michael. (2002.) Communication Matters. Ivy Print. Wright, Paul. (2003.) Beyond Words. Simon Schuster Publications. Research Papers on Essence of Effective CommunicationAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesMind TravelComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHip-Hop is Art