642 research outputs found
Benchmarking logistics facilities: a rating model to assess building quality and functionality
No full textPurpose: Logistics real estate has been experiencing a recent rebirth led by the growth of retailing and e-commerce. Although these sectors are looking for facilities matching their logistics needs, the identification of the most suitable building becomes a challenging task. To date, from both the practitioner’s and academic perspectives there is a lack of models for assessing the quality of logistics facilities together with functionality (i.e. whether a warehouse is suitable for hosting a given logistics activity). The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by developing a rating model for assessing the quality and functionality of logistics facilities.
Design/methodology/approach: A three-pronged methodology was adopted. First, a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA) was carried out to identify the relevant features that must be taken into consideration when assessing logistics real estate. Second, a Delphi method involving experts in the field was used to fine-tune the list of features that emerged from the SLNA process and to evaluate the importance of each feature from a company perspective. The rating model was developed and validated through pilot tests on 27 logistics facilities.
Findings: The rating model is divided into four sections: location, technical specifications, external spaces and internal areas. As an output, the model determines the building quality and main functionality, together with a gap analysis to detect the weakest emerging elements.
Originality/value: This research fills an identified research gap in the logistics real estate literature. Specifically, it offers a quantitative and shared evaluation method, which can be used to estimate building quality and functionality, thus extending the scope of the previous assessment methods available
A framework for assessing the quality and functionality of logistics buildings
No full textLogistics real estate has been experiencing a recent rebirth also driven by industries such as e-commerce and retailing, searching for warehouses and cross-docking facilities compliant with their logistics needs. In order to identify the top class logistics buildings, the need has emerged for measuring both the quality (e.g. architectural and equipment features) and functionality (e.g. compliancy with logistics requirements) of warehouses. Literature reports examples of assessment models related to industrial buildings from a sustainability perspective (e.g. LEED, BREEAM certifications), but the measurement of their functionality and quality has been scarcely addressed so far. The present paper aims to fill this gap by developing an original model to assess logistics buildings, by identifying, structuring and rating the most relevant features of a warehouse. The proposed model assesses the degree of functionality and quality level of two types of logistics buildings: warehouses and cross-dock platforms. A three-phase methodology was adopted. First, a literature review on logistics real estate was performed to list significant warehouse features. Second, both structured interviews with experts and a Delphi method were used to adjust the list, and to evaluate the importance of each feature. As a result, a model was developed, structured into four sections, each divided into sub-sections. Each sub-section presents multiple-choice questions with response items. The significance of each section/item is described by the weights defined by experts, and the overall rating determines the quality level of the logistics building under assessment. Finally, the rating model was validated by pilot tests on a panel of existing warehouses and cross-dock platforms
Economic and organizational sustainability of a negative-pressure portable device for the prevention of surgical-site complications
No full textSurgical-site complications (SSCs) affect patients' clinical pathway, prolonging their hospitalization and incrementing their management costs. The present study aimed to assess the economic and organizational implications of a portable device for negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) implementation, compared with the administration of pharmacological therapies alone for preventing surgical complications in patients undergoing general, cardiac, obstetrical-gynecological, or orthopedic surgical procedures
Correction to: Size‐Dependent Enforcement, Tax Evasion and Dimensional Trap
No full textThe article “Size‐Dependent Enforcement, Tax Evasion and Dimensional Trap”, written by Raffaella Coppier, Elisabetta Michetti and Luisa Scaccia, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 05 July 2023 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice the copyright of the article changed on 24 February 2024 to © The Author(s) 2024 and the article is forthwith distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made
Healthcare professional and manager perceptions on drivers, benefits, and challenges of telemedicine: results from a cross-sectional survey in the Italian NHS
No full textBackground:
The Covid-19 pandemic provided new challenges and opportunities for patients and healthcare providers while accelerating the trend of digital healthcare transformation. This study explores the perspectives of healthcare professionals and managers on (i) drivers to the implementation of telemedicine services and (ii) perceived benefits and challenges related to the use of telemedicine across the Italian National Health Service.
Methods:
An online cross-sectional survey was distributed to professionals working within 308 healthcare organisations in different Italian regions. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire (June-September 2021). Responses were analysed using summary statistics and thematic analysis.
Results:
Key factors driving the adoption of telemedicine have been grouped into (i) organisational drivers (reduce the virus spread-80%; enhance care quality and efficiency-61%), (ii) technological drivers (ease of use-82%; efficacy and reliability-64%; compliance with data governance regulations-64%) and (iii) regulatory drivers (regulations’ semplification-84%). Nearly all respondents perceive telemedicine as useful in improving patient care (96%). The main benefits reported by respondents are shorter waiting lists, reduced Emergency Department attendance, decreased patient and clinician travel, and more frequent patient-doctor interactions. However, only 7% of respondents believe that telemedicine services are more effective than traditional care and 66% of the healthcare professionals believe that telemedicine can’t completely substitute in-person visits due to challenges with physical examination and patient-doctor relationships. Other reported challenges include poor quality and interoperability of telemedicine platforms and scarce integration of telemedicine with traditional care services. Moreover, healthcare professionals believe that some groups of patients experience difficulties in accessing and using the technologies due to socio-cultural factors, technological and linguistic challenges and the absence of caregivers.
Conclusions:
Respondents believe that telemedicine can be useful to complement and augment traditional care. However, many challenges still need to be overcome to fully consider telemedicine a standard of care. Strategies that could help address these challenges include additional regulations on data governance and reimbursements, evidence-based guidelines for the use of telemedicine, greater integration of tools and processes, patient-centred training for clinicians, patient-facing material to assist patients in navigating virtual sessions, different language options, and greater involvement of caregivers in the care process
Seventy-two shades of environmental sustainability in healthcare: A holistic framework proposal
No full textSustainability is emerging as a critical research domain, transcending industrial applications to also address healthcare issues. This necessitates the adoption of an all-encompassing holistic, multidimensional, and multi- stakeholder approach. In an era where economic growth has predominantly driven all industries, integrating environmental sustainability into business strategies and, subsequently, into daily operations is increasingly emerging. Different levels (macro, considering the national healthcare system; meso, focusing on a single hospital or healthcare facility; and micro, concerning the single process) might be considered to address the unmet need to transform the healthcare sector towards a net-zero emissions approach, especially for the environmental impacts and carbon footprint generated by this industry. A more comprehensive framework emerges as a priority for both scholars and practitioners, to manage and synthesize these aspects. To achieve this objective, a scoping literature review was conducted, including 72 articles, as the starting point for the development of a holistic framework, and then the Nominal Group Technique was applied to perform the validation phase, measuring the experts' agreement on the framework proposed. The latter comprises three principal dimensions: i) infrastructure, ii) organisation, and iii) technology, emerging as the primary units of analysis for evaluating environmental sustainability within the healthcare sector. By assessing these three main outlined dimensions, decision-makers and healthcare professionals can gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability performance. This will guide the evaluation process and provide a structured approach to assess current and future practices, set targets, implement actions, and monitor progress towards environmentally sustainable goals. This is also important in relation to international and national policies, such as the 2030 Agenda. The present research aims to investigate the available evidence on the topic and suggest a new framework. This proposed model aims to overcome the existing limitations, related to already proposed one-dimensional framework or models concerning only limited and not integrated aspects (building, supply chain or HR management). It also aims to provide guidance to healthcare professionals and policymakers in making informed decisions and prioritising interventions that comply with environmentally sustainable principles
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