In a reviewed article, Theodosios Stabrianopoulos focuses attention on a scientific experiment on two groups of people with a key goal to establish a correlation between a nurses-led telephone intervention and the frequencies of readmissions of HF patients. During his research, the author discovers that “telephone intervention programs appear to reduce the risk factors and have a positive effect on self-care” (Stavrianopoulos, 2016, p. 4).
The purpose of this particular study is to assess the value of the researcher’s report and evaluate the degree of evidence credibility. All the used methods and approaches will be closely analyzed to provide a verdict on whether scholars across the world can rely on the author’s statement that an intervention program gives positive results to HF patients’ treatment efficiency or not.
The researcher is known to claim that the rehospitalization of patients with heart failure issues can be put to a minimum through a nurse-led telephone intervention. To prove this fact, he had divided 50 test participants into the two groups of 25 people each, with a nearly equal number of men and women in both. The vast majority of examinees were of senior age, and all of them had been suffering from heart failure problems of various complexity levels.
The test lasted for 16 weeks. Group A received a 20-minute weekly consultation from nurses via telephone, while group B was relieved of regular control. According to the data that the author acquired after the experiment’s completion, the group, which was subjected to nurses-led intervention showed fewer signs of disease reoccurrence and demonstrated a reduced rate of readmissions. Naturally, one cannot argue that the scores (readmission rates) provided by Stabrianopoulos appear to be rather convincing: 31.52 in group A and 53.80 in group B. However, one cannot judge objectively without considering an overall research design.
Regarding the study design, the researcher relied on both qualitative and quantitative methods of data retrieving. The qualitative approach is tracked through the use of questionnaires that include research of “a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics” (Black et al., 2014, p. 124).
Also, the focus on a particular group of people serves as proof of the presence of qualitative analysis. The quantitative method is clearly traced through the use of statistics and numeric tables that served as the means of data recording. The fact the author refers to a mixed method of study leads one to the hypothesis that Stabrianopoulos attempted to receive a versatile view of the matter as opposed to narrow-focused observations. In its turn, it allowed him to provide more evidence for the thesis statement and leave less background for a theory refutation. Eventually, one may call it a strong point of a research course. However, testing a larger group would require more staff members to be engaged and would lead to additional costs, which unveils its weak sides as well.
The author stresses in his research that “the sample selection was made irrespective of origin and marital or socioeconomic status” (Stavrianopoulos, 2016, p. 2). The experiment took place in the prefecture of Ilia in Greece. Both male and female participants were people of senior age (above 60 years old); the changes in their behavior were studied using the same approaches. As was mentioned above, there were 50 people in total engaged in the experiment.
Naturally, for a large-scale data collection, this number is not sufficient. Therefore, the sample cannot be viewed as an entirely objective and adequate form of research. Should one operate with two or three times higher figures there could be an inverse tendency established. However, regarding the new behavioral trends occurrence, one can still make predictions as to which effect the nurses-led intervention into HF patients care may have. Thus, the number of examinees appears to be acceptable.
The information was collected by four nurses, whose clinical experience ranged from four to eight years of work in cardiology units. “Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire” (MLHFQ) turned out to be the main tool for data retrieval. The questionnaire was assessing the quality of patients’ lives on both pre- and post-intervention stages. The research data prove that “the intervention was associated with improvements in HF self-care knowledge and home care behavior skills” (Smith et al., 2015, p. S25).
However, one should stress that the results could show other figures if ethical norms were strictly observed. It is known that the researcher did not consider the sex-related differences influencing the final scores. Men and women responded to a nurse intervention differently: male participants were more inclined to hide their concerns, while female representatives openly expressed their fears. Planning a nurse-led intervention by gender peculiarities would probably be a more reasonable approach to choose from.
As to the study limitations, the major challenge was caused by a relatively small size of the sample. Generalizing the results is difficult without operating a sufficient volume of data. Also, “personnel cost is the major component of the total intervention cost” (Smith et al., 2015, p. S28). For a larger sample, one would require a higher budget and more nurses. Moreover, one cannot exclude the opportunity of deliberate changing of answers by the participants. Regarding this fact, it is of great importance to consider all the available limitations in the subsequent studies and take measures accordingly. Thus, naming challenges is a relevant part of any study, since the audience needs to know what external conditions may lead to a change of variables.
The study findings show that in group A rehospitalization rates decreased from 50.88 pre-intervention to 31.52 post-intervention, whereas in group B the score increased from 52.40 to 53.80 respectively (Stavrianopoulos, 2016). When looking at the numbers, one realizes that the purposes of the researcher’s study were fully achieved: the group with a regular telephone-based intervention did show a lower rate of readmissions compared to an opposing one. This fact provides the answer to a key question of this particular research: the work of Stavrianopoulos can be used as a credible source for other scholars in their studies of HF issues treatment. The methods and tools used for data collection leave no room for doubts regarding the results credibility.
Summarizing the facts, the study of Stavrianopoulos gives plenty of evidence to the statement that a nurse intervention in the process of HF patients’ care creates premises for lower readmission rates. The work focuses much attention on the experiment arrangement, research design, and data collection tools. Also, the occurring limitations were mentioned to emphasise the need of expanding the variables in subsequent studies.
The findings show that the concept can be referred to in a day-to-day healthcare practice and can significantly improve the situation with HF patients’ rehospitalization. All the figures provide strong evidence to the fact that readmission occurrences become reduced through a nurse-led intervention experience. In its turn, it proves the statement that the research of Stavrianopoulos can be relied on in further studies of care delivery to the HF patients.
References
Black, J. T., Romano, P. S., Sadeghi, B., Auerbach, A. D., Ganiats, T. G., Greenfield, S., & Ong, M. K. (2014). A remote monitoring and telephone nurse coaching intervention to reduce readmissions among patients with heart failure: Study protocol for the Better Effectiveness After Transition-Heart Failure (BEAT-HF) randomized controlled trial. Trials, 15(1), 124-132.
Smith, C. E., Piamjariyakul, U., Dalton, K. M., Russell, C., Wick, J., & Ellerbeck, E. F. (2015). Nurse-led multidisciplinary heart failure group clinic appointments: Methods, materials and outcomes used in the clinical trial. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 30(401), S25-S34.
Stavrianopoulos, T. (2016). Impact of a nurses-led telephone Intervention program on the quality of life in patients with heart failure in a district hospital of Greece. Health Science Journal, 10(4), 1-8.
Letter To A Politician: Migratory Situation
Thank you for the support you provide for our community. I am writing to express my concern over the destabilization of Syria that has led to the mass displacement of people in the region.
As I am sure, you are aware that Levantine civilization has long been targeted by the US foreign policy, which has resulted in the destabilization of stable regimes and the rise of the Islamic State that spreads violence and destruction across Syria and Iraq (Bolton, 2016). The underlying dynamics of the migratory situation can be explained by political, social, and cultural processes that take place in the affected regions. There is ample evidence pointing to the fact that people feel the need to leave their country when there is a palpable threat to their lives (UNHCR, 2017). Wars, military coups, ethnic tensions, famines, and natural disasters cause mass displacements of populations.
Given that the refugee problem has an enormous influence on global society, caution needs to be exercised when dealing with the issue. The link between migratory events and globalization remains poorly understood and involves a wide range of issues such as stark economic inequalities, the changing political environment, which has led to the shift in the quality of governmental authority and its diffusion, deterritorialization, and rapid technological change among others (UNHCR, 2016). Organizations such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) are aiming their efforts at the improvement of sub-optimal conditions in refugee settings as well as the development of institutional arrangements necessary for the encouragement of self-reliance. Unfortunately, migration-receiving countries often face resistance from far-right parties that oppose the multi-cultural society, thereby undermining the effectiveness of humanitarian organizations that are essential in raising the quality of refugees’ lives across various displacement contexts.
Even though the majority of refugees enter Europe, the issue is of concern throughout the state and the world; therefore, I believe strongly that you can consider many ways in which it is possible to address it. To capture the importance of the problem and to highlight the difficulties faced by the displaced populations daily, I would like to provide you with a short account of barriers that prevent refugees from finding other sources of income than humanitarian assistance.
Language is a major problem that precludes refugees from taking jobs and has far-reaching implications for their written and oral communication. Cultural barriers make it difficult for displaced individuals to familiarize themselves with legal and industrial requirements. Also, many refugees who come from war-torn countries like Syria, are not able to cope with post-traumatic symptoms caused by pre-migratory traumatic events without professional assistance. It means that all asylum seekers have to be provided with expert psychiatric support.
Furthermore, immigration officials have to be better educated on the psychological effects of border screening procedures, which might re-traumatize refugees. Racism is another major issue faced by asylum seekers in host countries. Discrimination during the employment process is often based on unrealistic language requirements as well as ethnic and cultural grounds.
Therefore, our community needs the support and the resolve of political leaders to take bold action that will help to improve both the living conditions and economic prospects of asylum seekers affected by the recent global developments.
Thank you for your consideration.
References
Bolton, K. (2016). Globalization and the refugee crisis.
UNHCR. (2016). What difference does it make to be a refugee? Evidence from field experiments and qualitative inquiry.
UNHCR. (2017). Against all odds.
British Airways: Company Information
Abstract
The blistering rise of digital devices preconditioned the increased importance of IT technologies for the functioning of the majority of organizations and corporations. In this regard, the given paper is devoted to the precise investigation of the main aspects of a certain company that benefits from the exploration of the innovative approaches and their implementation in its functioning. British Airways is chosen as the background for the given analysis. At the moment, the company is considered a successful business venture characterized by a great level of income and stable revenues. That is why the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of its business environment, the company’s strengths and weaknesses, its perspectives, and strategies. Moreover, the possible ways of the implementation of the most advanced IT technologies into its functioning are also suggested. The given report also contributes to the improved understanding of the importance of the usage of new strategies and practices to gain a certain competitive advantage and guarantee the further evolution of the company.
Introduction
The rise of technologies and their great importance for the evolution of the modern business preconditioned the appearance of a new pattern and method to organize the functioning of a certain company to guarantee the acquisition of significant competitive advantage. The great level of rivalry also impacts the shift of priorities towards the adherence to new and unique approaches that could help a company to survive and create the new model that could rest on IT technologies and the opportunities provided by them. Therefore, a number of various corporations have already recognized the unique importance of IT technologies and numerous advantages they could suggest. However, every company has its unique profile that contributes to the appearance of specific features that should be minded when creating a strategy that could help to become successful and continue the gradual evolution. The comprehensive investigation of the company with the help of various tools like PESTEL or Porters value chain analysis becomes crucial for the creation of an efficient strategy needed to shift priorities.
Company Background
British Airways is the flag carrier and the greatest airline in the United Kingdom (Fleet facts n.d). It is headquartered in Waterside not far from its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. The company was organized by the UK government in 1972 with the main aim to manage two nationalized airline corporations which were British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways, and several smaller local companies (History and heritage n.d). All these companies were reorganized in British Airways that had to satisfy the existing needs for transportation. The newly created company demonstrated good paces of its rise and managed to become the most significant and influential carrier of the UK. In 1987 the company was privatized. At the moment it is a founding member of Oneworld airline alliance that also comprises American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas (Fleet facts n.d).
The company has about 40000 employees including 15000 cabin crew, 3600 pilots, 5500 engineers (Company information n.d). The companys current total revenue is about £11.333 million which is 3,3 percent over the previous year (British Airways Plc 2015). It means that it still evolves and explores numerous opportunities for further growth. British Airways suggests a wide range of services for its clients. These are the transportation of passengers and cargos to the majority of states all over the world. Passengers are provided with an opportunity to choose various levels of service. They are able to buy tickets to business class, economy class, etc. There are also booking services that help to assure that tickets will be available at the needed period of time. Altogether, the company is ready to provide its customers with a set of services that are needed for their satisfaction and comfortable transportation.
Business Processes
Therefore, British Airways experiences the impact of the current market environment. First, the current economic conditions are considered complex. The aftermath of the crisis is still significant and could not but affect the company. However, the UK could be characterized by the stable financial sector. Among the countries of the EU, the UK is considered one of the most powerful ones. For this reason, British Airways has good perspectives related to its further evolution and rise. Technological factors are also important when speaking about the companys environment. British Airways uses modern and comfortable aircraft to satisfy customers needs (Fleet facts n.d). However, there are still several problems related to technological obsolesce. That is why a company should be ready to devote significant funds to the constant improvement of its equipment and aircraft to condition its further rise.
Besides, demographic factors could be considered beneficial as the number of customers increases. Moreover, along with the rise of potential clients, their well-being and paying capacity also grow. It means that they are ready to spend greater sums and use some additional services to make their journey more comfortable. There are still several problems related to the functioning of the company in various areas all over the world; however, there are numerous opportunities for further rise. Finally, social factors also impact the functioning of a company by introducing certain demands to the products and services suggested by British Airways. It tries to satisfy the most important demands by introducing new products and services needed for evolution. However, the application of various assessment tools might help to acquire significant information related to its environment (Chaffey & White 2010). First, a PESTLE analysis could be conducted to investigate the main factors that impact British Airways.
Political factors
Being founded by the government, British Airways still feels its support and great influence. The company is the major carrier of the UK, and it performs the bigger part of flights, both domestic and international. Moreover, the government is also able to introduce new taxes and regulations into the sphere.
Economic factors
At the moment, the purchasing power of customers increases and contributes to a greater level of income. The company is characterized by stable and high revenues and the tendency towards their further rise. It means that the current economic situation should be considered positive.
Social factors
The social environment and the existing level of demand on the services impact the companys functioning greatly. If to speak about British Airways, the population of the UK considers it to be a safe and popular carrier whose services could be used to reach a certain place. The popularity of the brand remains high.
Technological factors
The company could be characterized by the great attention given to new technologies and it tends to align the constant reequipment of aircraft. At the moment, there are both new and old planes; however, there is a tendency to introduce new and modern crafts
Legal actors
The company functions in accordance with the existing rules, laws, and regulations (British Airways Factsheet 2016 n.d.). British Airways tend to coordinate all its steps with the government to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.
Finally, environmental factors also contribute to the further rise of British Airways and are becoming the leader of aviation operations.
Porter’s Value Chain Analysis
Porters value chain analysis should be performed to obtain some information needed to realize the companys important concerns. When speaking of British Airways, this kind of analysis shows that in general, the company has a well-thought-out value chain that contributes to the improved performance and a stable level of income.
The company has several contracts with the main suppliers. For instance, British Airways cooperate with Boeing to buy aircraft and renew the fleet used to deliver passengers to various destination points. Stable relations with suppliers serve as the key to the successful evolution of the corporation and its success. Moreover, British Airways has an efficient marketing department that is responsible for the cooperation with clients and their satisfaction with the provided services. The quality of these services is controlled by a certain department that should introduce new and the most important demands preconditioned by the alteration of customers’ interests. However, there are still some problems related to the quality of the cooperation with clients and the level of their satisfaction with British Airways. Some people admit the lack of attention and inability to use the unique services provided by the company (Company information n.d.). That is why there are still some areas that should be altered to guarantee the improvement of the outcomes and its showings.
Altogether, both PESTLE and Porters value chain analysis provide the information which proves the fact that British Airways devotes great attention to the most important aspects of its functioning. This approach helps a company to remain beneficial and support a stable interest in its services. However, there are still some areas that should be altered to guarantee further rise.
There are still some opportunities for the implementation of IT technologies that could be used to gain a certain competitive advantage and contribute to the companys further growth. As PESTLE and Porters supply chain analysis show, the company remains efficient and has numerous perspectives for the rise. However, there are some areas that should be improved. First, new software could be explored to improve the service of online bookings. At the moment, there are several cases when a system collapsed and was not able to satisfy peoples needs (Company information n.d.). For this reason, additional servers combined with the back-up system should also be introduced to guarantee the stable functioning of software that is needed to satisfy customers. Furthermore, it is also possible to suggest the usage of unique IT equipment that is needed to collect customers feedbacks and ideas for innovations. The existing one is also rather efficient; however, it does not contribute to the acquisition of significant competitive advantage.
The new system will help to alter the current state of affairs. It is obvious that customers have a better vision of the nagging problems that might irritate and undermine the companys image. For this reason, they should be provided with an opportunity to express their thoughts and emotions related to the most problematic concerns. Numerous sources evidence that very often ideas provided by customers might help companies to reconsider their functioning in a way that could contribute to the improved outcomes and guarantee that new fresh ideas will be heard and accepted.
Furthermore, the implementation of customer relationship systems (CRM) to plan their interactions with the company and align the stable connection between them could also be considered beneficial. Almost every person has a certain device that could provide access to the Internet or other sites. For this reason, British Airways should obviously introduce a new application that should be available for all platforms, both Windows, Android, iOS. The main aim of this application is to monitor the brands image and customers attitude to it. For instance, an individual should be able to book a ticket to any location using only this application. At the same time, if he/she remains satisfied with the quality of suggested services, he/she could leave a positive feedback that will contribute to the improved companys image. However, in case there are still some problems, a customer might choose the problematic area in the list and indent the issue that results in the appearance of some complications.
Concluding Remarks
The given software will obviously contribute to the improved companys image as customers feel happier and more satisfied when they are provided with an opportunity to impact the evolution of a certain company and contribute to the elimination of complications that are annoying for the rest of users (Chaffey & White 2010). In conclusion, British Airways is obviously able to improve its functioning with the help of the implementation of new technologies that could be used to improve relations with customers and their attitude to the issue.
Reference List
British Airways Factsheet 2016.
British Airways Plc 2015, Annual Report and Accounts 2015, Web.
Chaffey, D & White, G 2010, Business Information Management: Improving Performance Using Information Systems, Financial Times Management, Upper Saddle River.
Company information n.d. Web.
Fleet facts n.d. Web.
History and heritage n.d. Web.