Background: Nigeria, a nation grappling with rapid population growth, economic intricacies, and complex healthcare challenges, particularly in Lagos State, the economic hub and most populous state, faces the challenge...Background: Nigeria, a nation grappling with rapid population growth, economic intricacies, and complex healthcare challenges, particularly in Lagos State, the economic hub and most populous state, faces the challenge of ensuring quality healthcare access. The overview of the effect of quality improvement initiatives in this paper focuses on private healthcare providers in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study assesses the impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects on these private healthcare facilities. It explores the level of participation, perceived support, and tangible effects of the initiatives on healthcare delivery within private healthcare facilities. It also examines how these initiatives influence patient inflow and facility ratings, and bring about additional benefits and improvements, provides insights into the challenges faced by private healthcare providers in implementing quality improvement projects and elicits recommendations for improving the effectiveness of such initiatives. Methods: Qualitative research design was employed for in-depth exploration, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Private healthcare providers in Lagos involved in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project were purposively sampled for diversity. Face-to-face interviews elicited insights into participation, perceived support, and project effects. Questions covered participation levels, support perception, changes observed, challenges faced, and recommendations. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes from interview transcripts. Adherence to ethical guidelines ensured participant confidentiality and informed consent. Results: Respondents affirmed active involvement in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project, echoing literature emphasizing private-sector collaboration with the public sector. While acknowledging positive influences on facility ratings, respondents highlighted challenges within the broader Nigerian healthcare landscape affecting patient numbers. Respondents cited tangible improvements, particularly in staff management and patient care processes, validating the positive influence of quality improvement projects. Financial constraints emerged as a significant challenge, aligning with existing literature emphasizing the pragmatic difficulties faced by private healthcare providers. Conclusions: This study illuminates the complex landscape of private healthcare provision in Lagos State, emphasizing the positive impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects. The findings provide nuanced insights, guiding policymakers, healthcare managers, and practitioners toward collaborative, sustainable improvements. As Nigeria progresses, these lessons will be crucial in shaping healthcare policies prioritizing population well-being.展开更多
Northwest Electric Power Design Institute (NWEPDI)was established in 1956. The institute undertakes the engineering exploration, survey and design of thermal electric power plant, conventional island of nuclear power ...Northwest Electric Power Design Institute (NWEPDI)was established in 1956. The institute undertakes the engineering exploration, survey and design of thermal electric power plant, conventional island of nuclear power plant, power transmission and substation projects, design of the 1st and 2nd class pressure vessels, electric power system planning, environmental protection engineering monitoring, assessment and design, various industrial and civil architectural design and the scicntific research and technical development tasks of corresponding specialities. The institute展开更多
The problems of environmental geology refer to the geologic phenomena, incidents or accidents arising from action of environmental geology. The action is mainly the mutual influence between human activity and geologic...The problems of environmental geology refer to the geologic phenomena, incidents or accidents arising from action of environmental geology. The action is mainly the mutual influence between human activity and geologic environment. When human activity is uncoordinated with objective laws of the geologic environment, the problems of environmental geology or economic loss would occur.Therefore,the level and the changing orientation of geologic environmental quality are relative to the types of human activity,particularly relative to human intentional-activities of geologic environmental exploitation project. The geologic environment fitting to mining may not fit to urban construction,and fitting to water conservancy and hydroelectric projects may not fit to communication,and so on.Economy evaluation on the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality is exactly to depict the level of the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality about geologic environmental exploitation projects and the展开更多
Objective image quality measure, which is a fundamental and challenging job in image processing, evaluates the image quality consistently with human perception automatically. On the assumption that any image distortio...Objective image quality measure, which is a fundamental and challenging job in image processing, evaluates the image quality consistently with human perception automatically. On the assumption that any image distortion could be modeled as the difference between the directional projection-based maps of reference and distortion images, we propose a new objective quality assessment method based on directional projection for full reference model. Experimental results show that the proposed metrics are well consistent with the subjective quality score.展开更多
AIM:To investigate national trends in distal pancreatectomy(DP) through query of three national patient care databases.METHODS:From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS,2003-2009),the National Surgical Quality Improvem...AIM:To investigate national trends in distal pancreatectomy(DP) through query of three national patient care databases.METHODS:From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS,2003-2009),the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project(NSQIP,2005-2010),and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results(SEER,2003-2009) databases using appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes we identified all patients with a diagnosis of a benign or malignant lesion of the body and/or tail of the pancreas that had undergone a partial or distal pancreatectomy.Utilization of laparoscopy was defined in NIS by the International Classification of Diseases,Ninth Revision correspondent procedure code;and in NSQIP by the exploratory laparoscopy or unlisted procedure current procedural terminology codes.In SEER,patients were identified by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology,Third Edition diagnosis codes and the SEER Program Code Manual,third edition procedure codes.We analyzed the databases with respect to trends of inpatient outcome metrics,oncologic outcomes,and hospital volumes in patients with lesions of the neck and body of the pancreas that underwent operative resection.RESULTS:NIS,NSQIP and SEER identified 4242,2681 and 11 082 DP resections,respectively.Overall,laparoscopy was utilized in 15%(NIS) and 27%(NSQIP).No significant increase was seen over the course of the study.Resection was performed for malignancy in 59%(NIS) and 66%(NSQIP).Neither patient Body mass index nor comorbidities were associated with operative approach(P = 0.95 and P = 0.96,respectively).Mortality(3% vs 2%,P = 0.05) and reoperation(4% vs 4%,P = 1.0) was not different between laparoscopy and open groups.Overall complications(10% vs 15%,P < 0.001),hospital costs [44 741 dollars,interquartile range(IQR) 28 347-74 114 dollars vs 49 792 dollars,IQR 13 299-73 463,P = 0.02] and hospital length of stay(7 d,IQR 4-11 d vs 7 d,IQR 6-10,P < 0.001) were less when laparoscopy was utilized.One and two year survival after resection for malignancy were unchanged over the course of the study(ductal adenocarinoma 1-year 63.6% and 2-year 35.1%,P = 0.53;intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and nueroendocrine 1-year 90% and 2-year 84%,P = 0.25).The majority of resections were performed in teaching hospitals(77% NIS and 85% NSQIP),but minimally invasive surgery(MIS) was not more likely to be used in teaching hospitals(15% vs 14%,P = 0.26).Hospitals in the top decile for volume were more likely to be teaching hospitals than lower volume deciles(88% vs 43%,P < 0.001),but were no more likely to utilize MIS at resection.Complication rate in teaching and the top decile hospitals was not significantly decreased when compared to non-teaching(15% vs 14%,P = 0.72) and lower volume hospitals(14% vs 15%,P = 0.99).No difference was seen in the median number of lymph nodes and lymph node ratio in N1 disease when compared by year(P = 0.17 and P = 0.96,respectively).CONCLUSION:There appears to be an overall underutilization of laparoscopy for DP.Centralization does not appear to be occurring.Survival and lymph node harvest have not changed.展开更多
The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reforms and opening to the world.As an important part of the overall reform effort,reform of the national family planning program,begun in the 1990s as a pilot proj...The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reforms and opening to the world.As an important part of the overall reform effort,reform of the national family planning program,begun in the 1990s as a pilot project focused on quality of care,has achieved historic and significant results.The pilot project,conducted by the State Family Planning Commission of China in a few select areas,was a response to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo,as well as to a range of social and economic changes in China.To achieve quality of care,the pilot project adopted a client-centered approach to refocus China’s family planning efforts on client needs and rights,informed choice of contraceptives and the provision of better quality services.After nearly 10 years of trials,the successful experiences of the pilot project served as the basis of a family planning program reform rolled out nationwide.This paper uses a logic framework approach to review the main activities,outputs,and impacts of the pilot project.The paper argues that the quality of care project not only developed a model that facilitated reorientation of China’s earlier family planning efforts,but has also provided experiences and lessons that can serve as references for the implementation of“Healthy China 2030”in the future.展开更多
文摘Background: Nigeria, a nation grappling with rapid population growth, economic intricacies, and complex healthcare challenges, particularly in Lagos State, the economic hub and most populous state, faces the challenge of ensuring quality healthcare access. The overview of the effect of quality improvement initiatives in this paper focuses on private healthcare providers in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study assesses the impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects on these private healthcare facilities. It explores the level of participation, perceived support, and tangible effects of the initiatives on healthcare delivery within private healthcare facilities. It also examines how these initiatives influence patient inflow and facility ratings, and bring about additional benefits and improvements, provides insights into the challenges faced by private healthcare providers in implementing quality improvement projects and elicits recommendations for improving the effectiveness of such initiatives. Methods: Qualitative research design was employed for in-depth exploration, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Private healthcare providers in Lagos involved in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project were purposively sampled for diversity. Face-to-face interviews elicited insights into participation, perceived support, and project effects. Questions covered participation levels, support perception, changes observed, challenges faced, and recommendations. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes from interview transcripts. Adherence to ethical guidelines ensured participant confidentiality and informed consent. Results: Respondents affirmed active involvement in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project, echoing literature emphasizing private-sector collaboration with the public sector. While acknowledging positive influences on facility ratings, respondents highlighted challenges within the broader Nigerian healthcare landscape affecting patient numbers. Respondents cited tangible improvements, particularly in staff management and patient care processes, validating the positive influence of quality improvement projects. Financial constraints emerged as a significant challenge, aligning with existing literature emphasizing the pragmatic difficulties faced by private healthcare providers. Conclusions: This study illuminates the complex landscape of private healthcare provision in Lagos State, emphasizing the positive impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects. The findings provide nuanced insights, guiding policymakers, healthcare managers, and practitioners toward collaborative, sustainable improvements. As Nigeria progresses, these lessons will be crucial in shaping healthcare policies prioritizing population well-being.
文摘Northwest Electric Power Design Institute (NWEPDI)was established in 1956. The institute undertakes the engineering exploration, survey and design of thermal electric power plant, conventional island of nuclear power plant, power transmission and substation projects, design of the 1st and 2nd class pressure vessels, electric power system planning, environmental protection engineering monitoring, assessment and design, various industrial and civil architectural design and the scicntific research and technical development tasks of corresponding specialities. The institute
文摘The problems of environmental geology refer to the geologic phenomena, incidents or accidents arising from action of environmental geology. The action is mainly the mutual influence between human activity and geologic environment. When human activity is uncoordinated with objective laws of the geologic environment, the problems of environmental geology or economic loss would occur.Therefore,the level and the changing orientation of geologic environmental quality are relative to the types of human activity,particularly relative to human intentional-activities of geologic environmental exploitation project. The geologic environment fitting to mining may not fit to urban construction,and fitting to water conservancy and hydroelectric projects may not fit to communication,and so on.Economy evaluation on the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality is exactly to depict the level of the profit and loss of geologic environmental quality about geologic environmental exploitation projects and the
文摘Objective image quality measure, which is a fundamental and challenging job in image processing, evaluates the image quality consistently with human perception automatically. On the assumption that any image distortion could be modeled as the difference between the directional projection-based maps of reference and distortion images, we propose a new objective quality assessment method based on directional projection for full reference model. Experimental results show that the proposed metrics are well consistent with the subjective quality score.
文摘AIM:To investigate national trends in distal pancreatectomy(DP) through query of three national patient care databases.METHODS:From the Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS,2003-2009),the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project(NSQIP,2005-2010),and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results(SEER,2003-2009) databases using appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes we identified all patients with a diagnosis of a benign or malignant lesion of the body and/or tail of the pancreas that had undergone a partial or distal pancreatectomy.Utilization of laparoscopy was defined in NIS by the International Classification of Diseases,Ninth Revision correspondent procedure code;and in NSQIP by the exploratory laparoscopy or unlisted procedure current procedural terminology codes.In SEER,patients were identified by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology,Third Edition diagnosis codes and the SEER Program Code Manual,third edition procedure codes.We analyzed the databases with respect to trends of inpatient outcome metrics,oncologic outcomes,and hospital volumes in patients with lesions of the neck and body of the pancreas that underwent operative resection.RESULTS:NIS,NSQIP and SEER identified 4242,2681 and 11 082 DP resections,respectively.Overall,laparoscopy was utilized in 15%(NIS) and 27%(NSQIP).No significant increase was seen over the course of the study.Resection was performed for malignancy in 59%(NIS) and 66%(NSQIP).Neither patient Body mass index nor comorbidities were associated with operative approach(P = 0.95 and P = 0.96,respectively).Mortality(3% vs 2%,P = 0.05) and reoperation(4% vs 4%,P = 1.0) was not different between laparoscopy and open groups.Overall complications(10% vs 15%,P < 0.001),hospital costs [44 741 dollars,interquartile range(IQR) 28 347-74 114 dollars vs 49 792 dollars,IQR 13 299-73 463,P = 0.02] and hospital length of stay(7 d,IQR 4-11 d vs 7 d,IQR 6-10,P < 0.001) were less when laparoscopy was utilized.One and two year survival after resection for malignancy were unchanged over the course of the study(ductal adenocarinoma 1-year 63.6% and 2-year 35.1%,P = 0.53;intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and nueroendocrine 1-year 90% and 2-year 84%,P = 0.25).The majority of resections were performed in teaching hospitals(77% NIS and 85% NSQIP),but minimally invasive surgery(MIS) was not more likely to be used in teaching hospitals(15% vs 14%,P = 0.26).Hospitals in the top decile for volume were more likely to be teaching hospitals than lower volume deciles(88% vs 43%,P < 0.001),but were no more likely to utilize MIS at resection.Complication rate in teaching and the top decile hospitals was not significantly decreased when compared to non-teaching(15% vs 14%,P = 0.72) and lower volume hospitals(14% vs 15%,P = 0.99).No difference was seen in the median number of lymph nodes and lymph node ratio in N1 disease when compared by year(P = 0.17 and P = 0.96,respectively).CONCLUSION:There appears to be an overall underutilization of laparoscopy for DP.Centralization does not appear to be occurring.Survival and lymph node harvest have not changed.
文摘The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reforms and opening to the world.As an important part of the overall reform effort,reform of the national family planning program,begun in the 1990s as a pilot project focused on quality of care,has achieved historic and significant results.The pilot project,conducted by the State Family Planning Commission of China in a few select areas,was a response to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo,as well as to a range of social and economic changes in China.To achieve quality of care,the pilot project adopted a client-centered approach to refocus China’s family planning efforts on client needs and rights,informed choice of contraceptives and the provision of better quality services.After nearly 10 years of trials,the successful experiences of the pilot project served as the basis of a family planning program reform rolled out nationwide.This paper uses a logic framework approach to review the main activities,outputs,and impacts of the pilot project.The paper argues that the quality of care project not only developed a model that facilitated reorientation of China’s earlier family planning efforts,but has also provided experiences and lessons that can serve as references for the implementation of“Healthy China 2030”in the future.