scholarly journals The Economics of a Four-Day School Week: Community and Business Leaders’ Perspectives

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Jon Scott Turner ◽  
Kim Finch ◽  
Ximena Uribe-Zarain
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Day School ◽  
School Week ◽  
The Impact

The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools in the United States for decades and the number of schools moving to the four-day school week is growing. In many rural communities, the school district is the largest regional employer which provides a region with permanent, high paying jobs that support the local economy. This study collects data from 71 community and business leaders in three rural school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis is used to investigate the perceptions of community and business leaders related to the economic impact upon their businesses and the community and the impact the four-day school week has had upon perception of quality of the school district. Significant differences were identified between community/business leaders that currently have no children in school as compared to community/business leaders with children currently enrolled in four-day school week schools.  Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided concerning the economic impact on their businesses and the community. Community/business leaders’ perceptions of the impact the four-day school week was also evenly divided concerning the impact on the quality of the school district. Slightly more negative opinions were identified related to the economic impact on the profitability of their personal businesses which may impact considerations by school leaders. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided when asked if they would prefer their school district return to the traditional five-day week school calendar.

The Impact of a Potential Public/Private Initiative on a Defined Region of the South Suburban Chicago Metropolitan Area

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-32
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Market Area ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The university is considered one of the engines of growth in a local economy or its market area, since its direct contributions consist of 1) employment of faculty and staff, 2) services to students, and supply chain links vendors, all of which define the University’s Market area. Indirect contributions consist of those agents associated with the university in terms of community and civic events. Each of these activities represent economic benefits to their host communities and can be classified as the economic impact a university has on its local economy and whose spatial market area includes each of the above agents. In addition are the critical links to the University, which can be considered part of its Demand and Supply chain. This paper contributes to the field of Public/Private Impact Analysis, which is used to substantiate the social and economic benefits of cooperating for economic resources. We use Census data on Output of Goods and Services, Labor Income on Salaries, Wages and Benefits, Indirect State and Local Taxes, Property Tax Revenue, Population, and Inter-Industry to measure economic impact (Implan, 2016).

scholarly journals Understanding the Link between Family Caregiver Quality of Life and the Care Provided to Older People With Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 153-154
Author(s):  
Afeez Hazzan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Dementia is one of the most rapidly growing diseases in the United States. In 2018, the direct costs to American society of caring for older people with dementia was approximately $277 billion. Primary informal caregivers are mainly responsible for the care of older people with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Caregivers perform a myriad of duties ranging from shopping for their loved ones’ groceries, helping with medications, and managing finances. The caregiving role becomes more demanding as the disease progresses over time, and studies have shown that the quality-of-life (QoL) experienced by caregivers of older adults who have dementia is lower than the QoL of caregivers for older people who do not have dementia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no research conducted to investigate whether lower caregiver QoL affects the level or quality of care that caregivers provide to persons with dementia. In the current study, we interviewed family caregivers living in Rochester, New York to inquire about their quality of life and the care provided to older people living with dementia. Further, caregivers completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) as well as a draft questionnaire for measuring the quality of care provided to older people living with dementia. Both quantitative and qualitative findings from this study reveals important relationships between family caregiver QoL and the care provided, including the impact of social support and financial well-being. The study findings could have significant impact, particularly for the provision of much needed support for family caregivers.

scholarly journals Understanding contributors to quality of care in long-term care and changes under COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 960-960
Author(s):  
Sara Luck ◽  
Katie Aubrecht
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Nursing home facilities are responsible for providing care for some of the most vulnerable groups in society, including the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. In times of crisis, such as COVID-19 or other pandemics, the delivery of ‘regular’ care can be significantly impacted. In relation to COVID-19, there is an insufficient supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to care for residents, as PPE not only protects care staff but also residents. Nursing homes across the United States and Canada have also taken protective measures to maximize the safety of residents by banning visitors, stopping all group activities, and increasing infection control measures. This presentation shares a research protocol and early findings from a study investigating the impact of COVID-19 on quality of care in residential long-term care (LTC) in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. This study used a qualitative description design to explore what contributes to quality of care for residents living in long-term care, and how this could change in times of crisis from the perspective of long-term care staff. Interviews were conducted with a broad range of staff at one LTC home. A semi-structured interview guide and approach to thematic analysis was framed by a social ecological perspective, making it possible to include the individual and proximal social influences as well as community, organizations, and policy influencers. Insights gained will improve the understanding of quality of care, as well as potential barriers and facilitators to care during times of crisis.

scholarly journals Physician beliefs about the impact of meaningful use of the EHR

2014 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 789-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.Y. Ting ◽  
M. Healey ◽  
S.R. Lipsitz ◽  
A.S. Karson ◽  
J. S. Einbinder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Meaningful Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Improve Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Incentive Program ◽  
Physician Beliefs ◽  
The Impact

SummaryBackground: As adoption and use of electronic health records (EHRs) grows in the United States, there is a growing need in the field of applied clinical informatics to evaluate physician perceptions and beliefs about the impact of EHRs. The meaningful use of EHR incentive program provides a suitable context to examine physician beliefs about the impact of EHRs.Objective: Contribute to the sparse literature on physician beliefs about the impact of EHRs in areas such as quality of care, effectiveness of care, and delivery of care.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of physicians at two academic medical centers (AMCs) in the northeast who were preparing to qualify for the meaningful use of EHR incentive program.Results: Of the 1,797 physicians at both AMCs who were preparing to qualify for the incentive program, 967 completed the survey for an overall response rate of 54%. Only 23% and 27% of physicians agreed or strongly agreed that meaningful use of the EHR will help them improve the care they personally deliver and improve quality of care respectively. Physician specialty was significantly associated with beliefs; e.g., 35% of primary care physicians agreed or strongly agreed that meaningful use will improve quality of care compared to 26% of medical specialists and 21% of surgical specialists (p=0.009). Satisfaction with outpatient EHR was also significantly related to all belief items.Conclusions: Only about a quarter of physicians in our study responded positively that meaningful use of the EHR will improve quality of care and the care they personally provide. These findings are similar to and extend findings from qualitative studies about negative perceptions that physicians hold about the impact of EHRs. Factors outside of the regulatory context, such as physician beliefs, need to be considered in the implementation of the meaningful use of the EHR incentive program.Citation: Emani S, Ting DY, Healey M, Lipsitz SR, Karson AS, Einbinder JS, Leinen L, Suric V, Bates DW. Physician beliefs about the impact of meaningful use of the EHR: A cross-sectional study. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 789–801http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-05-RA-0050

Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of Patients With Cancer in Korçe, Albania

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Judkins ◽  
Irena Laska ◽  
Judith Paice ◽  
Priya Kumthekar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to quantify cancer family caregiver (FCG) quality of life (QOL) in a Southern Albanian population and to determine whether differences exist between 4 domains of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). This study also sought to compare QOL in our cohort to QOL in historical studies that used the same survey instrument, and to examine correlations between demographic characteristics and QOL to identify any high-risk groups. Methods: A sample of 40 FCGs was recruited at the Mary Potter Palliative Care Clinic in Korçe, Albania. Each participant completed the City of Hope Quality of Life (Family Version), a validated 37-question instrument that measures caregiver well-being in 4 domains: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. Results: There were no significant differences between the composite scores of the 4 QOL domains in our study. However, there were differences when comparing self-reported QOL between domains (“Rate your overall physical/psychological/social/spiritual well-being”). The QOL measured in our study was significantly lower than in 3 studies from the United States that used the same questionnaire. There were no significant correlations between demographic groups and QOL. Conclusions: This study examines the impact that the paucity of palliative services has on the QOL of Albanian cancer FCGs. Although there were no domains of QOL or demographic groups identified in our study that were faring significantly worse than others, the poor overall QOL provides further evidence to support the continued development of palliative services for both patients and family members in Albania.

Supporting Immigrant Families and Rural Schools: The Boundary-Spanning Possibilities of an Adult ESL Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 537-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Dunn Shiffman
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Esl Programs ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
Adult Esl ◽  
The Right ◽  
K 12

Purpose: There has been a significant increase in the number of immigrant families moving to rural communities across the United States. Yet limited research exists that explores relationships between immigrant families and schools in these communities. Rural school districts are often challenged by insufficient resources, expertise, and infrastructure to respond. Adult English as a second language (ESL) programs can be valuable partners. This article explores how instructors in a regional adult ESL program supported relationships between immigrant families and schools in a rural Virginia school district. Research Methods: A case study was conducted between 2014 and 2015. Data collection included observations of adult ESL classes; semistructured interviews with adult ESL instructors, parents of school-age children, and school district leaders and teachers; open-ended questions on a parent survey; and documents. Findings: Four interrelated practices of the adult ESL instructors facilitated understanding and communication between immigrant families and K-12 educators. Adult ESL instructors disseminated information, explained cultural norms and expectations, coached family-school interactions, and created opportunities to connect families and educators. Supporting conditions included characteristics of the adult ESL classes, district leadership and sense of urgency, and multilayered relationships of professionals and actions of the adult ESL coordinator. Implications for Practice: Given the right conditions, adult ESL programs can be valuable partners for rural education leaders seeking to strengthen engagement with immigrant families. These programs can facilitate linkages between schools and adult ESL learners who are parents or caregivers and can be a professional development resource for building district capacity to engage with immigrant families.

scholarly journals Association Between Patient Survival and Clinician Variability in Treatment Rates for Aortic Valve Stenosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Matthew Brennan ◽  
Angela Lowenstern ◽  
Paige Sheridan ◽  
Isabel J. Boero ◽  
Vinod H. Thourani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aortic Valve ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Severe Aortic Stenosis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Risk Models ◽  
Transcatheter Aortic Valve ◽  
Competing Risk Models ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Challenge

Background Patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (ssAS) have a high mortality risk and compromised quality of life. Surgical/transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a Class I recommendation, but it is unclear if this recommendation is uniformly applied. We determined the impact of managing cardiologists on the likelihood of ssAS treatment. Methods and Results Using natural language processing of Optum electronic health records, we identified 26 438 patients with newly diagnosed ssAS (2011–2016). Multilevel, multivariable Fine‐Gray competing risk models clustered by cardiologists were used to determine the impact of cardiologists on the likelihood of 1‐year AVR treatment. Within 1 year of diagnosis, 35.6% of patients with ssAS received an AVR; however, rates varied widely among managing cardiologists (0%, lowest quartile; 100%, highest quartile [median, 29.6%; 25th–75th percentiles, 13.3%–47.0%]). The odds of receiving AVR varied >2‐fold depending on the cardiologist (median odds ratio for AVR, 2.25; 95% CI, 2.14–2.36). Compared with patients with ssAS of cardiologists with the highest treatment rates, those treated by cardiologists with the lowest AVR rates experienced significantly higher 1‐year mortality (lowest quartile, adjusted hazard ratio, 1.22, 95% CI, 1.13–1.33). Conclusions Overall AVR rates for ssAS were low, highlighting a potential challenge for ssAS management in the United States. Cardiologist AVR use varied substantially; patients treated by cardiologists with lower AVR rates had higher mortality rates than those treated by cardiologists with higher AVR rates.

Assessment of the Social Impacts of Community Based Tourism

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-302
Author(s):  
Robin Boustead ◽  
Sushma Bhatta
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We set out to assess the social impacts of tourism in a Community Based Tourism (CBT) destination by asking the following questions; (1) from a community and individual perspective, what are the major issues faced in a CBT destination?, and (2) is there any pattern to, or similarity between, quality of life and liveable environment impacts in a CBT destination? The Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) National Park in Nepal is used for the study area and where tourism is clearly an important contributor to the local economy. Despite high levels of resident and visitor satisfaction with tourism, survey results indicate that the major issues faced by communities and individuals in the Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone (SNPBZ) are related to uncontrolled tourism development. This is most evident in a lack of relevant skills and training, increasing time burden to cater for tourists, frustrations felt by residents during peak season, the impact of inbound migration, lack of community control and most importantly, the impact of waste and water pollution. Management of the SNPBZ is based on a multi-stakeholder system that includes local population participation, but it does not seem to be working very well. Our survey indicates that uncontrolled growth of tourism businesses is placing increasing pressures on traditional cultures and the environment, thus creating negative impacts on quality of live and liveable environment for residents. Without an effective management system that enhances the ability of communities and Park management to control the impact of tourism, the situation is very likely to worsen in the future.

Adolescent Birth Rates and Rural–Urban Differences by Levels of Deprivation and Health Professional Shortage Areas in the United States, 2017–2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-144
Author(s):  
Sylvester O. Orimaye ◽  
Nathan Hale ◽  
Edward Leinaar ◽  
Michael G. Smith ◽  
Amal Khoury
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Birth Rates ◽  
Rural Counties ◽  
Adolescent Birth ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To examine the differences in adolescent birth rates by deprivation and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in rural and urban counties of the United States in 2017 and 2018. Methods. We analyzed available data on birth rates for females aged 15 to 19 years in the United States using the restricted-use natality files from the National Center for Health Statistics, American Community Survey 5-year population estimates, and the Area Health Resources Files. Results. Rural counties had an additional 7.8 births per 1000 females aged 15 to 19 years (b = 7.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.13, 8.55) compared with urban counties. Counties with the highest deprivation had an additional 23.1 births per 1000 females aged 15 to 19 years (b = 23.12; 95% CI = 22.30, 23.93), compared with less deprived counties. Rural counties with whole shortage designation had an additional 8.3 births per 1000 females aged 15 to 19 years (b = 8.27; 95% CI = 6.86, 9.67) compared with their urban counterparts. Conclusions. Rural communities across deprivation and HPSA categories showed disproportionately high adolescent birth rates. Future research should examine the extent to which contraceptive access differs among deprived and HPSA-designated rural communities and the impact of policies that may create barriers for rural communities.

scholarly journals Quality of Life Among Black Prostate Cancer Survivors: An Integrative Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1648-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina L. Dickey ◽  
Motolani E. Ogunsanya
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this integrative review was to explore the impact of prostate cancer (PCa) on the quality of life (QoL) and factors that contribute to the QoL for Black men with PCa. Prostate is recognized as the prevalent cancer among men in the United States. Compared to other men, Black men are diagnosed more frequently and with more advanced stages of PCa. Black men also experience disproportionately higher morbidity and mortality rates of PCa, among all racial and ethnic groups. The initial diagnosis of PCa is often associated with a barrage of concerns for one’s well-being including one’s QoL. As a result, men must contend with various psychosocial and physiological symptoms of PCa survivorship. Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review method was utilized to examine empirical articles from the electronic databases of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed, Project Muse, and Google Scholar. The time frame for the literature was January 2005 to December 2016. A synthesis of the literature yielded 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the integrative review. A conceptual framework that examined QoL among cancer survivors identified four domains that measured the QoL among Black PCa survivors: (a) physical; (b) psychological; (c) social; and (d) spiritual well-being. Social well-being was the dominant factor among the studies in the review, followed by physical, psychological, and spiritual. Results indicate the need for additional studies that examine the factors impacting the QoL among Black PCa survivors, using a theoretical framework so as to develop culturally appropriate interventions for Black PCa survivors.

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