Backup Devices and Strategies Essay -- Software Computers Technology E

Backup Devices and Strategies Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Removable Storage †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Capacity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Media Cost †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Storage Media Chart..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Tape Base Systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Magnetic-Optical Systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 MO Picture†¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Network Storage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Backup Software †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦8 Backup Principles †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦.9 Backup Diagram.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦10 Power Failures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 If you’re concerned about data integrity, it shouldn’t be news to you to back up regularly. As hard drives get larger and larger, we have more to lose if something goes wrong. Archiving is usually important in any business setting or for people heavily into document-management systems. Your PC’s data is worth a lot more than the PC itself. Spend a bit more money to protect the data with removable storage, a simple backup scheme, and a decent electric power protection. Together they don’t cost much, and they add up to data insurance. The simplest mechanism for ensuring sustained operations is to increase the ease of reproducibility. This is the reason that backups are done. Removable Storage Capacity Super-floppy drives use high-density magnetic media and an enhanced read/write head design to increase disk capacity. These drives do double duty. They read and write not only super-floppy disks, but also common 1.44MB floppy disks, examples of these are Imation’s 120MB SuperDisk (formerly the LS-120) or Sony’s 250MBHiFD drive. If you are being selective and want to archive up to 650MB of files, CD-Recordable (CD-R) and Cd-Rewritable (CD-RW) drives are a great option. CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) is another useful medium for storing up to 650MB of data. These drives allow you to overwrite data previously written to a disc, so the disks are â€Å"recyclable† you can use packet-writing software to drag and drop files to CD-RW discs or convention premastering software to write sessions to your discs, so the medium is a fairly flexible one to use. For archiving larger files, high-capacity cartridge drives, such as the Jaz and Jaz2, offer 1GFB and 2GB ... ...s F.DAT Drives G.MO Drives H.Jaz Drives 15.Matching the appropriate storage technology to an application is a balancing act between E.cost, performance, and capacity F.what you like and what you can afford G.what Packy recommends and what you want H.What your boss tells you to buy 16.To protect your documents from havoc, you simply must perform E.Regular maintenance on your PC F. regularly scheduled backups, G.format your hard drive regularly H.Spellchecker 17.Most tape manufacturers recommend E.You switch tapes regularly F.You do a combination of full backups and incremental backups G.You rely on your hard drive H.You pray that nothing will happen to your work 18.Incremental backups typically require ____________ capacity then full backups? E.More storage F.Less storage G.The same storage H.None of the above 19.Spend a bit more money to protect the data with E.Removable storage, a simple backup scheme, and a decent electric power protection. F.A better PC and a ZIP Drive G.Calling in a good electrician H.Cat 5 wiring and a Network Technician 20.Super-floppy drives use E.120MB SuperDisk F.1.44 Floppy Disk G.CD-R Disks H.Both A and B

Haile Selassie King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah Ess

Haile Selassie King of Kings, Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah When Ras Tafari Makonnen took the imperial throne in Ethiopia in 1930 as Haile Selassie I, a new movement was born in Jamaica. The crowning of a Black King? Was this not what Marcus Garvey told his Jamaican followers fifteen years earlier when he said"Look to Africa for the crowning of a Black King; he shall be the Redeemer"(BARRETT 8 1)? Selassie would prove to be one of Ethiopia's most noble leaders. He pushed education for his people. He made a valiant effort to drag Ethiopia out of its stagnant state of unpaved roads, minimal schools, very little education and no say in international affairs. He looked and carried himself like a king. The Ethiopian Emperor traditionally took the title King of Kings, Lion of the tribe of Judah as a title. There are over seventy different ethnic groups within Ethiopia's mountains. The dominant group were the Amharas. Selassie was an Amharic, and the government traditionally was predominantly Amharic. The people of Jamaica in 1930 were in a hopeless situation. They had been exploited from the first days of slavery on the island. There were minimal opportunities for improvement. With such Biblical inferences and a contrast to the leading, predominantly white, governments of the world, it is not hard to believe that a people of such strong faith would accept this new Emperor as their living savior. The Rastafarians were born out of desperation. They had nothing and were going no where. Haile Selassie was a symbol to them that the black man could be strong, contrary to what they saw in their own country. Ethiopia was a black nation that had been independent for thousands of years, despite its African neighbors (with the ... ...o he label him a savior remains a personal belief. Bibliography Barrett, Leonard E., Sr. The Rastafarians. Beacon Press Books. (Boston, MA). 1997. Clapham, Christopher. Haile- Selassie's Government. Frederick A. Praeger, Inc. (New York, NY). 1969. Felleman, Adam. Unofficial Selassie I Archives. http:/ /web.syr.edu/ affellem/ Gorham, Charles. The Lion of Judah: A life of Haile Selassie: Emperor of Ethiopia . Ariel Books, New York. 1966. Harrison, Michael. Selassie Home Page, Roots and Culture. August 10,1997. http://wwwjah.com Kaleidescope. Haile Selassie Biography. 1998. Kapuscinski, Ryszard. The Downfall of an Autocrat. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. (NewYork,NY). 1978. Lefort, Rene. Ethiopia: An Heretical Revolution?. Zed Press. (Totowa, NJ). 1983. Scott, William R. Sons of Sheba's Race. Indiana University Press (Indianapolis, IN). 1993.

An Interdependent Parter

Created a section of relationships known as interdependent partners. An interdependent parter is someone who you've been with for more than 3 years, have a child by birth or adoption, committed to each other, emotionally and economically viable as a couple. This picture shows a happy couple who aren't married, who are committed to each other. But you can't see from a picture whether there economically viable or good parents to a child.A picture can show the right things but you dont' know if they actually practice them. Two people in a relationship living together who are not legally married. This picture shows a couple living together in an apartment who aren't legally married. This shows the direct definition of a common law relationship. Every provinces has different requirements to get married. Some of the required things are consent, proper mental capacity, being the minimum age, the person you intend to marry can't be close family, and neither one of you can be currently married. This photo shows a wedding taking place. If both parties meet all requirements so they can be legally married. When a married couple lives in separate houses but is still legally married. This photo shows a man packing boxes to move. Because they have decided to separate his wife will stay in the house they bought together and he will have to find somewhere else to live. The due process that legally ends a marriage. This picture shows a man and a women in a court room with lawyers to begin a divorce settlement. Guardians have three responsibilities; supporting the child off their own salary, to ensure all necessities of life are available to the child, to help the child through their physical, emotional, and psychological growth.Neglect: failure to provide basic necessities of lifePhysical abuse: physically harming a child with malice of forethoughtSexual abuse: Sexually assaulting the childEmotional abuse: Harming the child's self esteem, insulting and yelling at them.This photo shows a logo for the children's aid society, one of the services children can reach to if they are being abused or neglected. After parents of a child split up, courts decide where the child will live and who will be his legal guardian. There can be split custody deals where certain parents have him for certain days, or it can be unilateral. This photo shows a child sitting while his parents fight over custody. This shows how intense the fight is and the effect it has on the child. Legal document that states how a persons possessions will be distributed after their death. This is a photo of a will, a legal document that can't be tapered with. The person who creates the will. This photo shows a hand writing a will, the person writing it is the only person who can modify it.

Impact Of Motivational Rewards on Employees Essay

MOTIVATION: Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested and committed to a job, role or subject, or to make an effort to attain a goal. Motivation results from the interaction of both conscious and unconscious factors such as the (1) intensity of desire or need, (2) incentive or reward value of the goal, and (3) expectations of the individual and of his or her peers. These factors are the reasons one has for behaving a certain way. An example is a student that spends extra time studying for a test because he or she wants a better grade in the class. MOTIVATION IN BUSINESS: Companies can motivate employees to do a better job than they otherwise would. Incentives that can be offered to staff include increased pay or improved working conditions. Motivational theories suggest ways to encourage employees to work harder. A motivated workforce results in: Increased output caused by extra effort from workers. Improved quality as staff take a greater pride in their work. A higher level of staff retention. Workers are keen to stay with the firm and also reluctant to take unnecessary days off work. Managers can influence employee motivation in a variety of ways: Monetary factors: some staff work harder if offered higher pay. Non monetary factors: other staff respond to incentives that have nothing to do with pay, eg improved working conditions or the chance to win promotion. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Reward Systems is a vital aspect of any organization. They can actively engage and renew the overall sense of community and mission of an organization Reward systems according to Sziligyi [1981], are outcomes or events in the organization that satisfy work related needs. Rewards systems are much more than just bonus plans and stock options but while they often include intrinsic incentives, they also include extrinsic. A well-organized reward system will motivate and energize employees because it recognizes the achievements of employees . Reward system implemented by organization will  influence employees’ behavior and attitude towards their job if the rewards satisfy their needs and help them to reach their personal goals. When employees desire to get the rewards, they will change their behavior in order to achieve the minimum level of performance required by organization. Organizations often design and implement the reward system without linking it with the ultimate improvement of organization’s performance .Therefore, the reward system is unable to contribute significantly to the performance of an organization Motivation is such a factor that exerts a driving force on our actions and work. According to Baron (1983) motivation is an accumulation of different processes which influence and direct our behavior to achieve some specific goal. Motivation depends on certain intrinsic, as well as, extrinsic factors which in collaboration results in fully committed employees. Incentives, rewards and recognitions are the prime factors that impact on employee motivation. The factors like incentives and rewards are the most preferred factors for employee motivation programs Rewards is one of the important elements to motivate employees for contributing their best effort to generate innovation ideas that lead to better business functionality and further improvise company performance both financial and non-financially. Today an organizations result is highly dependent on the employees work motivation. It is therefore important for a company to find out what motivates its employees so that it can plan a suitable reward system and gain better results. The right combination of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can boost up the employees’ work motivation and enhance their commitment to the company. COMPANY PROFILES: KASBIT: KASBIT Private Limited is the parent body of KASBIT that was established in September 1999, through Registration with Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan. It is the first Private Sector Institute of Higher Education that was registered as a Corporate body. Since its inception, KASBIT has achieved many a mile-stones that advocate its high standard, excellence and quality recognition. KASBIT is Chartered by the Government of Sindh and recognized by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, which has also awarded the highest category W(4) rating to KASBIT in recognition of the high educational standards that it maintains KASBIT is  recognized by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and has been awarded the highest ranking of W(A) under whom the standards of educational institutions are scrutinized and evaluated in Pakistan. KASBIT became a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is based in the US to ensure the quality and continuous improvements in collegiate management education. KASBIT was certified by ISO in January 2002 in recognition of the high quality control system that it has in place. By this virtue, KASBIT became the first ISO-9001 Certified Degree Awarding Institute in the Private Sector of Pakistan. BAHARIA UNIVERSITY: Pakistan Navy established Bahria Institute at Islamabad and Karachi in the late eighties. These Institutes were aimed at providing quality and uninterrupted education up to Intermediate level, to the children of naval personnel on their transfer from one station to another and in turn to contribute to the cause of promotion of education at the national level. Over the years these Institutes grew in size and facilities, leading to the starting of BBA and B.Sc(CS) classes in 1995. These programs have since been upgraded to BBA (Hons), BCS (Hons) and MBA, MCS Program which were introduced in Fall 1997 as ‘evening programs’ run under the management of two independent ‘Institutes’ one each at Karachi and Islamabad respectively. The institutes are known as â€Å"Bahria Institute of Management and Computer Science† short title â€Å"BIM&CS† suffixed with the location i.e. Karachi or Islamabad. Objectives: Bahria University, though very young, has the will and determination to develop and attain the objectives set forth below: Ensure academic excellence through quality education in disciplined and peaceful learning environments. Establish Campuses, Research Institutes, Schools and Colleges across the length and breadth of Pakistan to turn population explosion into knowledge based force. Prepare the younger generation to become future leaders and managers for a prosperous and educated Pakistan, through development of their mental, moral and professional strengths. Ensure academic excellence through quality education in disciplined and peaceful learning environments. Constantly monitor and upgrade facilities and update  the curricula to keep pace with the emerging trends and technologies. Coordinate and provide facilities for exchange of knowledge and applied research in the newly emerging fields in collaboration with national and international Universities and research institutes. RES EARCH AREA: Human resource (HR) OBJECTIVE: Find out to what extend does employees performance influenced by motivation PROBLEM STATEMENT: Decreasing Employees performance & satisfaction due to lack of motivational factors that drives employee’s productivity level at its best in educational sector. KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. What Is the Relationship between Employees Performance and motivation? 2. How many types of motivation that drives employee’s productivity? 3. What Is the Effect of Intrinsic motivation On Employee’s Performance? 4. What is the Effect of Extrinsic motivation On Employee’s Performance? 5. What measures can be taken to increase employee’s motivation level? 6. What are the factors behind the low productivity of employee? 7. What should be the behavior of employer towards the employee’s job satisfaction? INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Intrinsic Motivation 1. Recognition 2. Learning opportunity 3. Career advancement Extrinsic Motivation 1. Basic Pay 2. Performance Bonus DEPENDENT VARIABLES: EMPLOYEES PERFORMANCE LIMITATION: Insufficient Funds Small sample size Time barrier Hardly possibility that organization will provide authentic information regarding their employees Research can take place only within the city Being a student’s it’s hard to get perfect information regarding their whole scenario of problem DE-LIMITATIONS: Respondents will not provide appropriate response Employees will feel insecure while sharing their organizations’ point of view. Time conscious City situations SCOPE OF THE STUDY: This study will provide a better understanding to employers who have been facing employees low productivity level they can get a better understanding of how motivational factors can influence an employee’s performance level that ultimately helps in growth of organization. This study will helps organization to increase employees performance through a perfect combination of intrinsic or extrinsic motivational factors. And it can be use in different dimension of business where employers are facing low productivity of employees. HYPOTHESIS: H1: Recognition has an impact on Employees Performance. Ho: Recognition has not impact on Employees Performance. H1: learning opportunity has an impact on Employees Performance. Ho: learning opportunity has not impact on Employees Performance. H1: Career advancements have an impact on Employees Performance. Ho: Career advancements have not impact on Employees Performance. H1: Basic Pay has an impact on Employees Performance. Ho: Basic pay has not impact on Employees Performance. H1: Performance bonus has an impact on Employees Performance. Ho: Performance bonus has not impact on Employees Performance.

Prescription Drug Abuse: a Growing Epidemic in the United States

Prescription Drug Abuse: A Growing Epidemic in the United States Prescription drug abuse and related overdoses are a major public health issue that continues to grow each year. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains prescription drug abuse as â€Å"the intentional use of a medication without a prescription. † (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011) Since prescription drugs are legal and readily prescribed to alleviate pain and suffering, it poses a big challenge to control them. Many people, especially younger adults, feel that they are safer than illicit drugs because they can be found in their family medicine cabinet.Over the years, the number of people abusing these drugs has increased significantly. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), in 2007 there were â€Å"approximately 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths† in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) The use of prescription drugs continues to be the number on e cause of these overdoses, more than heroin and cocaine combined. As part of the CDC’s study, they reported that over a ten-year period, between 1997 and 2007, the number of milligrams of prescription opioids prescribed per a person increased from 74 milligrams to 369 milligrams.In 2000, pharmacies dispensed 174-million opioid prescriptions and in 2009, it increased to 257 million prescriptions. These are both major contributors to prescription drug abuse and overdoses due to the fact that prescription drugs are so easily available. As a result of this study, the CDC has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Prescription drug abuse spans across a wide range of populations. The prevalence of prescription drug abuse is higher among men, individuals between the ages of 18-64, non-Hispanic whites, service members, and poor, rural populations.The highest rate of prescription drug abuse is by young adults between the ages of 18-25. (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011)) Of the individuals who reported non-medical prescription drug abuse, 70 percent reported getting the prescription drugs from a friend or relative, 18 percent reported getting it from one doctor, and less than 5 percent reported buying it from a drug dealer or stranger. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Younger adults are at higher risk for overdose because they have a higher tendency to mix prescription drugs with alcohol or other illicit drugs. Multiple studies have revealed associations between prescription drug abuse and higher rates of cigarette smoking, heavy episodic drinking, and marijuana, cocaine, and other illicit drug use among adolescents, young adults, and college students in the United States. † (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011) This results in numerous emergency room visits for this particular population. Between 2004 and 2009, the number of emergency room visi ts related to non-medical use of prescription drugs nearly doubled. Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Young adults are not the only population of prescription drug abusers that has continued to increase over the years. In 2008, the Department of Defense reported that one in nine active-duty service members reported prescription drug abuse. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) A study done by the Office of National Drug Control Policy found that â€Å"approximately two million adults age 50 and older used prescription-type drugs non-medically in the past year. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) As you can see, the prescription drug abuse problem is not limited to a specific population. It effects people throughout their lifetime. Newspaper Article A recent article in the Boston Globe called â€Å"Antidote offers addicts’ families sliver of comfort: Nasal spray credited with reversing more than 1,800 drug overdoses†, talked about the distribution of Naloxone in the community as a way to prevent an overdose. Naloxone is an opiate antidote that can be given to someone who you suspect has overdosed.It can be administered intranasally or by injection. Massachusetts is one of the few states that have implemented a Naloxone distribution program. Beginning in 2006, Massachusetts’s health officials have been distributing Naloxone to individuals who are most likely to witness an overdose such as outreach workers, homeless shelter employees, active drug users and family members. (Canaboy, 2013) The article goes on to talk about the effect the Naloxone programs have had in Massachusetts. In 2010, overdoses were responsible for 738 deaths in Massachusetts, which was twice the number of motor-vehicle deaths. Canaboy, 2013) Studies have showed that the Naloxone programs have had a positive effect in the communities where it is distributed. There were also positive results f ound in a study done in California by two agencies that implemented Overdose Prevention Programs using Naloxone. The rate of overdose deaths was reduced between 27 percent and 46 percent in the communities where Naloxone was distributed in 2009. (Canaboy, 2013) As shown by this article, drug overdoses continue to be a major public health issue in communities throughout Massachusetts.With the help of programs like the Naloxone discussed in this article, there is hope that health officials and communities can work together to fight against it using harm reduction programs in conjunction with other treatment programs. Healthy People 2020 One of the topics for Healthy People 2020 is substance abuse. The goal of this topic is to â€Å"reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children. † (Healthy People 2020, 2012) Healthy People 2020 reported that 22 million Americans had drug or alcohol problems in 2005 and 95 percent of them w ere not even aware of their problem. Healthy People 2020, 2012) They also reported that 273,000 people who recognized they had a problem with drugs or alcohol were unsuccessful in obtaining treatment. It’s reasons like this that Healthy People 2020 felt that substance abuse was an important topic to focus on for the future. Under the substance abuse topic in Healthy People 2020 there are two specific objectives directly related to prescription drug use. They state the following: â€Å"objective SA-12 reduce drug-induced deaths† and â€Å"SA-19 reduce the past-year nonmedical use of prescription drugs. (Healthy People 2020, 2012) Both these objectives are directly related to the issues discussed in the Boston Globe article and other initiatives that the Federal Government has outlined as part of their plan. Nursing Diagnosis One of the NANDA diagnoses that relates to prescription drug abuse and overdoses is Ineffective Community Self-Health Management. Carpenito-Moyet describes this diagnosis as â€Å"a pattern in which the community experiences or is at high risk to experience difficulty integrating a program for prevention/treatment of illness and the sequelae of illness and reduction of risk situations. † (p. 28) This can be related to the Naloxone program discussed in the Boston Globe article and other treatment services in general. The article talks about how there are only a few states that have been willing to implement the Naloxone program. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a report on â€Å"Prescription Drug Overdoses – a U. S. Epidemic† which talked about the National agenda to combat prescription drug abuse. In the report, it talked about how the public health approach needs to include both secondary and tertiary prevention programs such as the Naloxone program discussed in the Boston Globe article. Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) There are current programs out there but in dividuals are not successful in accessing them for one reason or another. The CDC’s report discussed the need to remove barriers to make treatment programs more accessible in the communities. The report stated, â€Å"Office-based care can be less stigmatizing and more accessible to all patients, especially those residing in rural areas. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) Another NANDA diagnosis that is related to prescription drug abuse and overdose is deficient knowledge.This is defined by Carpenito-Moyet as, â€Å"the state in which an individual or group experiences a deficiency in cognitive knowledge or psychomotor skills concerning the condition or treatment plan. † (p. 269) This is directly related to the prescription drug abuse and overdose problem in a number of ways. It applies to the individuals who are actively using drugs, the prescribers who are prescribing the drugs to individuals, and the community in general. The Office of Natio nal Drug Control Policy developed a plan to combat the prescription drug problem.In their report, Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis, they developed four major areas of focus, the first being education. The report stated that â€Å"A crucial first step in tackling the problem of prescription drug abuse is to education parents, youth, and patients about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs while requiring prescribers to receive training in the safe and appropriate use of these drugs. † (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011)Educating individuals about the dangers of prescription drugs is just as important or even more important than illicit drugs. People feel that prescription drugs aren’t as bad because a doctor prescribes them. Education is also required for family members and community members to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse or an overdose. The Boston Globe article talks abo ut how part of the Naloxone program is to educate whomever it is getting the Naloxone how to recognize an overdose. It’s important for them to know what signs to look for. ConclusionAs evidence by the Boston Globe article and multiple reports put out by the federal government and different state agencies, prescription drug abuse is a major public health issue that needs to be addressed. It needs to be addressed at all levels, starting with the federal government’s drug policies and working down to the individuals who are abusing drugs. The population of individuals abusing prescription drugs varies for different reasons. There needs to be more treatment and prevention programs available to the different populations that address the specific needs of each.There are current programs established, like the Naloxone, that are shown to work. We need to keep moving in the right direction to implement and grow these types of programs in order to succeed in reducing the prescri ption drug abuse problem in the United States. Works Cited Canaboy, C. (2013, March 2). Antidote offers addicts' families sliver of comfort: Nasal spray credited with reversing more than 1,800 drug overdoses. Boston Globe , p. A. 1. Carpenito-Moyet, L. (2008). Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis (12th ed. ).Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, January 13). CDC Grand Rounds: Prescription Drug Overdoses — a U. S. Epidemic:. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www. cdc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a3. htm Executive Office of the President of the United States. (2011, April). Prescription Drug Abuse | The White House:. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from The White House: http://www. whitehouse. gov/ondcp/prescription-drug-abuse Healthy People 2020. 2012, September 6). Substance Abuse – Healthy People:. (U. S. Health and Human Services) Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Healthy P eople 2020: http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview. aspx? topicid=40 Lankenau, S. E. , Wagner, K. D. , Silva, K. , Kecojevic, A. , Iverson, E. , McNeely, M. , et al. (2012). Injection Drug Users Trained by Overdose Prevention Programs: Responses to Witnessed Overdoses. Journal of Community Health , 38, 133-141. Stanhope, RN, DSN, FAAN, M. , & Lancaster, RN, Ph. D, FAAN, J. (2012).Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community (8th ed. ). Maryland Heights, MS: Elsevier, Inc. U. S. Health and Human Services. (2011, December). Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www. drugabuse. gov/publications/topics-in-brief/prescription-drug-abuse U. S. Health and Human Services. (2011, October). Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from National Institute of Health: http://www. drugabuse. gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs

Patient Advocacy Analysis Essay

Introduction A patient advocate may be present for healthcare appointments and alert the healthcare provider about patient compliance issues. He or she may separately assist the healthcare provider and support staff with potential issues and communication challenges. The patient advocate is also responsible for maintaining communication with the patient and healthcare provider to ensure that patients understand the procedures. By reducing fear and increasing patient compliance, this can result in higher successful treatments. Generally, a patient advocacy contract that includes a release of medical information must be placed with each healthcare facility (Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy, 1969). Some institutions may require a power of attorney for healthcare for a patient advocate to exchange confidential information. The patient advocate may provide medical literature and research services to the patient, family, or healthcare provider. The patient advocate may also assist with family communication on issues arising from illnesses and injuries . This may include further referral for care and support for both patients and families. The patient advocate has a responsibility for awareness of compliance, appropriateness, and coordination of care for the patient, such as oversight for potentially conflicting treatment modalities and medications. The patient advocate can ensure that questions about the appropriateness of treatment are promptly discussed with the patient’s care provider, and that all treatments and concerns are promptly entered into the patient’s healthcare record. The patient advocate is also responsible for reviewing the patient’s healthcare record for correctness and for explaining it to the patient. Another responsibility of the patient advocate is to create and maintain an electronic log for the patient that is available on disk to healthcare providers i This log may be of great benefit in subsequent urgent situations. The patient advocate can also assist in resolving disputes between patients and their healthcare provider, as well as engaging in communications on behalf of the patient in case of employment issues by approaching the employer to achieve a mutually beneficial solution for the employer and the individual employee. Where applicable compliance standards are not met, the patient advocate may conduct liaison with corporate oversight, government agencies, or legal professionals to further negotiate such issues on behalf of the patient and family. It is the duty of a patient advocate to maintain patient privacy according to local and national laws, treating all patient and family information as privileged and protected. This includes ensuring that healthcare providers’ communications are treated as highly confidential and privileged, whether or not those communications are specific to the patient, and that permissions to disclose information are negotiated carefully. It is also the duty of the patient advocate to follow any referrals for medical, financial, legal, administrative or other personnel to assure that the patient is always kept safe and well informed, never abandoned or misled during the process (Carlton, 1984) SWOT Analysis When developing a SWOT analysis for the Patient Advocate Organization, three primary purposes emerged: 1. Inspire continued trust and confidence in the nursing profession among patients, their families, and the American people; 2. Leverage nurses, the single largest health care workforce, together with patients, partners in their care, in accelerating performance improvement; and 3. Stimulate reform through shared perspectives, knowledge, and values among nurses and patients, their families, and consumer stakeholders. A SWOT analysis focuses on internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. In this instance, these concepts have been applied to a proposed alliance that serves these three proposed purposes. Typically, SWOT analyses are presented in tabular formats and entries are listed in one of four quadrants in the table (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). The SWOT analysis is presented in Table 1. Strengths Purpose 1. Inspire continued trust and confidence. a. Existing nurse workforce is the largest segment of the healthcare workforce b. Living up to nursing’s promise to represent the patient voice c. Expanding consumer recognized success (e.g., number of hospitals, evidence-based link to quality/safety). d. Expanding and maturing evidence-based that establishes nursing-quality-value linkages. e. Operating consumer advocacy groups is a well-known skill for several of the major groups with which we could partner f. Convener organizations have a proven track record in working together (e.g., areas of education, competency development, leadership) Purpose 2. Accelerate performance improvement a. Expanding and maturing evidence-based that establishes nursing-quality-value linkages b. Partnering to expand and accelerate current and future measurement sets (examples follow): b.1. Experience with, and advancement of, measure development and data collection (i.e. NDNQI, AWHONN EDGETM Database, etc) b. 2. Existing national, regional, and state nursing performance measures databases (e.g., NDNQI, CalNOC, Maine and Massachusetts) b.3 Existing national quality measurement and reporting infrastructure (e.g., Compare websites) Purpose 3. Stimulate reform a. Existing nurse leaders with strong organizational skills and credible backgrounds b. Threats by existing nursing and nurse faculty shortages are widely recognized by policy makers and health care stakeholders. c. Patients and nurses, each individually,†¨make strong advocates; together, their combined effectiveness will likely be transformative d. Reviewing the evidence suggests that nurses make effective policy advocates Weaknesses Purpose 1. Inspire continued trust and confidence. a. Existing, numerous professional nursing organizations and specialty groups result in fragmentation and diffusion of the expertise and resources among nursing as a whole. May be confusing/distracting to consumer groups who join an alliance b. Creating a new â€Å"fancy† alliance may not change nursing’s image from that of a profession that â€Å"takes orders.† We may remain unable to gain access to high levels of policy making and policy makers c. Funding source for sustained support is unknown d. Participation would be voluntary (e.g., What incentive†¨would organizations have to provide technical time and support for NPQA?) Purpose 2. Accelerate performance improvement a. Representation of VANOD, CalNOC, MilNOD is lacking in the convener group gathering under the planning grant b. Lacking sufficient nursing-sensitive outcome measures and resulting data to address all patients in all settings across an episode of care limits how comprehensively nursing care quality can be portrayed and might limit partnerships with certain consumer groups c. Developing standard language may be necessary prior to creating additional standard measures (e.g., birth date or date of birth) d. Adding/changing billing codes (e.g., G-codes, E-codes) to document nursing care is not in the realm of influence for nurses or consumers but together we may have more success. Purpose 3. Stimulate reform a. Nursing is not typically a ‘target’ of federal policies because of employee-employer relationship (rather than direct contractors with payers for services) b. Existing consumer and nursing organizations approach policy makers with multiple requests: lack of unity c. Nursing inclusion within existing alliances may be viewed as duplicative Opportunities Purpose 1. Inspire continued trust and confidence a. Build upon nursing social capital with consumers as the most trusted among health care professions b. Identify (empirically, anecdotally) and enhance the value-added of nursing with consumer participation and support c. Improve consumer understanding about the quality of nursing care d. Improve nursing’s knowledge of consumers’ experience of professional nursing Purpose 2. Accelerate performance improvement a. Continue quid pro quo to various alliances (i.e. HQA, KCA, QASC) providing entry into these policy discussions b. Dedicates significant, shared resources to improving quality, safety and value c. NPQA could serve as a neutral reporting entity to achieve economies of scale and scope by moving performance measurement reporting from various nursing organizations to a central source. d. NPQA sets agenda for measure adoption and collection Purpose 3. Stimulate reform a. Disseminate practice-based questions/issues to policy makers and thought leaders to guide funding of research or studies b. Recognize evidence that suggests that nurses, APRNs and consumer groups have opportunities to strengthen their policy voice c. Vision for proactive, toward thinking policy agenda that can push (e.g. What so we want decision makers know about nursing performance?), pull(e.g. What do decision makers already know about nursing performance ?) and/or Partner (e.g. What do decision makers want/need to know about nursing performance ?) Threats Purpose 1. Inspire continued trust and confidence a. Consumer partners may overwhelm nursing. Nursing may be subordinate to consumer leadership. b. Potential to be barraged or criticized by special†¨patient advocacy groups and specialty nursing groups who are not included in membership c. Partnership adds complexity to operational aspects of an alliance such as leadership, governance, membership dues, etc Purpose 2. Accelerate performance improvement a. Current national practice specialty organizations (AORN, AANA, ONS, AWOHNN, AACN, ACNM) have limited resources and will have to decide where to invest (e.g., choices will need to be made that could result in weakening NPQA) b. Data may portray low quality nursing performance with subsequent unintended consequences for nursing c. Established boards of both large nursing organizations and consumer organizations may refuse to support or may change support as leadership and resources fluctuate d. Alliances with whom nursing has a quid pro quo relationships have not universally welcomed nursing participation and have rationed our involvement (e.g., don’t recognize different nursing groups) e. Consumer group(s) may not recognize a need to measure nurse performance in the same manner in which nurses do. Conflict may result (e.g. consumers may think, â€Å"Did the nurse carry out the order?†) Purpose 3. Stimulate reform a. Absence and inattention to nursing issues/strengths in health care reform proposals b. Presence of a strong medical lobby and physician advocacy groups linked with consumers c. Established alliance landscape and inconsistent/ ‘unwelcoming’ nature among existing alliances to nursing d. Lack of awareness by policymakers of the necessity to engage nursing to realize dramatic and sustainable improvements in quality and safety Customer analysis Before implementing this process in South Florida, it is necessary to conduct the market research to check whether this process has market relevance to this area. In other words, it is important to find out whether customers want to use patient advocacy and then analyze if it is available for implementing it in this area via the drives of value. Basically, there are three interdependent drivers of value, including population health, patient experience and total cost per capital, to promote the development of patient advocacy. The data published by U.S. census government shows that the population in Florida is experiencing a huge change during recently year, no matter the change is characteristic by age or race. First, as illustrated in Figure 2, we can see that from 1960 to 2040, the actual and projected census population will rapidly grow from around 50,000 to over 25,000,000 in Florida. There are two main factors causing this phenomenon. On the one hand, there are the baby boomers. This accounts for the natural population increase. While births exceeded deaths during each of the two decades, less than half a million persons were added to Florida’s population each decade due to the natural increase. On average, 118 more Floridians were born than died each day during the decade of the nineties (Census Report, 2000). On the other hand, individuals’ life expectancy is rapidly extended. As populations of modern societies have begun to age, the older age cohorts have become disproportionately represented. Figure 3 show that the age group over 65 and up holds the largest percentage during 2010 to 2030. For example, in the area of Southeast Florida, its population of 6.2 million, is larger than 34 of the 50 states in 2008. About one in every three (31.2%) South Florida resident was born in the state of Florida. Meantime, in South Florida, the elderly are projected to reach almost one million (20.7% of the total) in 2030, up from 14.4% in 2010 (Ogburn, 2010). Compared to the Treasure Coast, the change is becoming more obviously as it is shown in Figure 4. The data described above figures out that even though the population growth slowed down in recent days, South Florida continue s to grow at a speed that is faster than the nation as a whole, with higher rates in the northern region. Apparently, the change population characteristic provides a huge market for the patient advocacy. A demographic trend often overlooked in discussions of healthcare is the changing structure of American families and households. There has been a decline in the proportion of the population that is married and a proportionate increase in the size of the single, divorced, and widowed population. The average household size has declined, and there has been a large increase in the proportion of the population that lives alone. Therefore, more and more households are involved in the health industry to some extent. This means that Floridians’ expectations for acquiring healthcare knowledge and learning about diseases is increasing. This will help them know how to make decisions when they face the healthcare problem and know whether the plan recommended by physicians and nurses are available to them. Secondly, as illustrated in Figure 5, it can be shown that the race/ethnic composition o f Southeast Florida was made up of 37% Hispanic or Latino. In 2000, the non-Hispanic White population represented 47% of the regional total, down from 57% in 1990. In other words, the non-Hispanic White population of Southeast Florida ceased to be the majority sometime in the 1990s, due mostly to the growth of the Hispanic population in Miami-Dade Country (Ogburn, 2010). Hence, it is very important to take the Spanish language into account when patient advocacy is established. Thirty-three percent of the South Florida population is over age 65, so for those elderly who do not know how to speak English, patient advocacy could help them understand what the medical staff tell them about their diseases or how to take those pills. It also helps to reduce the potential abuse error when patient advocacy staffs teach those patients via their own language. Thirdly, as acute illness has declined as the pervasive type of disorder, chronic conditions have emerged as the dominant type of health problem in developed countries. Chronic conditions generally do not contribute directly to mortality, but are often cited as underlying causes of death. They are more likely to interfere with the quality of life, since they often result in some form of disability. Chronic diseases always result in more cost and more time for recovery. Some maybe even cannot be treated. Thus, patients find themselves confused about the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment. Patient advocacy members listen to confused patients and help them collaborate with physicians and insurance companies. Patient advocacy will offer medical assistance, insurance assistance, home health assistance, elder and geriatric assistance and legal assistance. Those types of assistance will help patients with chronic illnesses to understand their healthcare conditions in detail. The Four Ps The four marketing Ps (product, price, place and promotion) are important in developing the entire marketing process for every company or organization. In other words, the heart of a marketing strategy is the development of a response to the marketplace. For every business, all they need to do first is to identify the customers’ needs, and then determine the price customers are willing to pay. Then, they need to identify what place is most convenient for customers to purchase the product or access the service and, finally, they need to promote the product to customers to let them know it is available (Berkowitz, 2011). Hence, when conducting the Four Ps analysis, there are some questions we need to figure out. Those questions are shown on Figure 6.1 (â€Å"4Ps Marketing,† n.d.): Product The important thing to remember when offering the service of patient advocacy to customers is that they have a choice. For example, for health care providers, they can rely on the customer service center in their own organization to deal with patients’ complains; for patients, they might turn to their doctors or friends who have those treatment experience for help when they need. Therefore, patient advocacy organizations should considerable emphasis on developing a list of help service which customers really want. For example, in South Florida, as we also mentioned earlier in this paper, a large proportion of people speak Spanish as their first language, so Spanish speaking can become a selling point and add into the service list in this area; especially in a situation of establishing commutation between a Hispanic or Latino patient and an English-speaking physician. What is more, for those existing services, the organization should also pay attention to the product life cycle as well. For example, with the implementation of Obama Care, the American healthcare system has become a complex system, and it has become increasingly difficult for patients to understand and adapt, so patients’ fears and frustrations have continued to grow since they may get confused by the new policies and become worried about how to get their reimbursements after the treatment. In other words, customers’ requirements change over time. What is important and useful today may be discarded tomorrow. Therefore, marketing should continuously monitor the external environment and other factors to modify the services in order to meet the customer’s need. Price Price focuses on what customers are willing to pay for a service (Berkowitz, 2011). And the customer’s perception of value is an important determinant of the price charged. Customers draw their own mental picture of what a service is worth. So the pricing decision is a major aspect of marketing strategy. In the healthcare industry, the issue of price is less likely to be a concern since pricing was based on predetermined reimbursement formulas. However, in order to sustain and develop and organization, whether public, non-profit organization, private, or for-profit, patient advocacy organizations still need to pay attention on how they establish the price. 1. The Types of Services and Complexity of Service. As customers’ needs are varied, there are perhaps dozens of services health advocates can provide, ranging from explaining treatment options to reviewing hospital bills, from uncovering clinical trials appropriate to customer’s need, to getting their insurance company to pay a claim they think should be covered. Each service should cost differently according to the time it takes to accomplish it. 2. The Background and Expertise of the Employee Just as would be true in any service business, the more credentials an advocate has achieved, the more it will cost. Further, some advocates have developed specific niches to their work that becomes a benefit to customers, who may be worth a higher salary. So obviously, a higher price should be made for these employees in order to sustain the organization. 3. Geographic Location. Just as there are variations in cost for almost anything we buy based on where we live, the same is true for health advocacy services. As shown in Figure A7 (â€Å"Miami Household,† 2011), in Florida, take Miami as an example, households with income under 15,000 reached 25% in 2010, which was twice as many household of the entire United States. Considering the low-income rate in this area, the price should not be too high when providing services. However, the danger of using low price as a marketing tool is that the customer may feel that quality is being compromised. It is important when deciding on price to be fully aware of the brand and its integrity. A further consequence of price reduction is that competitors match prices resulting in no extra demand. This means the profit margin has been reduced without increasing sales. Place All businesses must decide how many other organizations are needed to distribute their product or service, so does the patient advocacy organization (Berkowitz, 2011). In fact, the purpose of getting any intermediary organizations involved is to provide service to customers in a more accessible way. Therefore, not only big general hospital, but also small primary care clinic should be considered when providing services. Besides, â€Å"place’ in the marketing mix, is not just about the physical location or distribution points for services. Especially in the healthcare industry, it encompasses the management of a range of processes involved in bringing patient advocacy to the end consumer. Promotions Promotion is more than just advertising (O’Malley, 2001). The promotions aspect of the marketing mix covers all types of marketing communications such as advertising, personal selling, publicity, and sales promotion. However, advertising is an important part of promotion. Generally, advertising is conducted on TV, radio, cinema, online, poster sites and via the printed press (e.g., newspapers, magazines). Different advertising channels can be used to maximize the effectiveness of advertising. For example, TV advertising makes people aware of a help service and press advertising provides more detail. This may be supported by in clinic or hospital recommendation to get people to try the service. It is imperative that the messages communicated support each other and do not confuse customers. A thorough understanding of what the brand represents is the key to a consistent message. The purpose of most marketing communications is to move the target audience to some type of action. This may include purchasing the service, visiting or calling the organization, and recommending the choice to a friend or purchasing another service that he or she may also need. The key objectives of advertising are to make people aware of the service offered by the organization, which they cannot get from anywhere else, and to feel positive about it and remember it. Therefore, when promoting, messages should gain the customers’ attention and keep their interest. The next stage is to get them to want what is offered. Showing the benefits that they will obtain by taking action is usually sufficient. The right messages must be targeted at the right audience, using the right media. Take South Florida as an example, 33% of the population in this area is over age 65, so it is important to find an advertising channel to reaches this group of people. In this case, Internet advertising may not be such a good idea while newspaper and television may bring more customers to the organiza tion instead. Conclusion After analyzing the market in South Florida, we can easily reach the conclusion that there are great needs to have patient advocacy in South Florida. In fact, patient advocacy is an emerging practice, and it deserves more recognition when developing healthcare business. Whether you are in private practice, serve as a hospital patient advocate or are developing an advocacy program in a managed care company, having a clear marketing plan of patient advocacy in your business region is a key factor to successfully grow your practice in the future. References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Healthcare costs and financing. Research Activities. 2011. Accessed at heep://www.ahrq.gov/research/jun11/0611RA11.htm. Ad Hoc Committee on Advocacy. (1969). The social worker as advocate: Champion of social victims. Social Work, April, 16–20. Berkowitz, E. N. (2011). Essentials of Health Care Marketing. 3rd Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. Carlton, T. O. (1984). Clinical social work in health settings. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Florida Population: Census Summary 1990 and 2000. Make a difference as a patient advocate. Retrieved from: http://allhealthcare.monster.com/benefits/articles/3210-make-a-difference-as-a-patient-advocate?page=2 Miami Household Income Statistics (2011). CLR Search.Retrieved from: http://www.clrsearch.com/Miami-Demographics/FL/Household-Income Ogburn R. F., 2010. Demographics and population growth in southeast Florida. South Florida Regional Planning Council. Retrieved from http://www.sfrpc.com/region/demographics.htm O’Malley, J. F. (2001). Healthcare marketing, sales, and service: An executive companion. Chicago: Health Administration Press, p. 101 4Ps Marketing Mix Example (n.d.). SmartDraw. Retrieved from http://www.smartdraw.com/examples/view/4ps+marketing+mix/

Saphenous Vein In Varicose Veins Health And Social Care Essay

Aim: To find the efficaciousness of complete GSV denudation in footings of morbidity, nerve hurt and return rates. Methods: 42 patients with unsophisticated one-sided and/or bilateral varicosities affecting the great saphenous system were included in this survey. Patients with primary and/or recurrent varicose venas associated with active or cured ulcers, patients with bleeding diathesis and those who failed to subscribe the proforma for regular followups were excluded from this survey. Complete denudation of great saphenous vena up to the mortise joint, together with multiple phlebectomies was performed in all patients. Postoperatively, limbs were examined for complications like bruising, hydrops, wound site infections and centripetal abnormalcies. All the patients were followed up for the period of one twelvemonth for return and betterment in centripetal abnormalcies. Consequences: All the patients belonged to CEAP category 2 or greater. The average age of patients in this series was 33 old ages ( run 20-48 old ages, SD + 8.24 ) . There were 31 ( 74 % ) were males and 11 ( 26 % ) were females. Majority of the patients presented with blunt hurting in legs. 9 ( 21.4 % ) patients presented with bilateral varicosities affecting the GSV, whereas 20 ( 47.6 ) and 13 ( 31 % ) patients presented with right and left sided disease severally. 7 patients presented with some centripetal abnormalcies at foremost follow up. These were impermanent and spontaneously subsided within 4-6 hebdomads. None of the patient came back with return within a average follow-up period of one twelvemonth. Decision: We conclude that since lasting complication rates do non significantly differ from those secondary to knee degree denudation of GSV and with a low return, and reoperation rates, abandoning complete denudation of the saphenous vena to the mortise joint is non the right determination presently. Cardinal Wordss: G S V, entire denudation, saphenous nervus hurt Introduction: Varicose venas are the most common of all the vascular upsets that affect worlds. Visible varicose venas affecting great saphenous system ( GSS ) affect 10-15 % of work forces and 20- 25 % of women1. The purpose of the intervention for this awful disease is to obtain an acceptable consequence in footings of cosmetics and to alleviate patient & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s ailments. Different mode of interventions for varicose venas include compaction stockings, froth sclerotherapy and assorted intravenous extirpation techniques 2-4 ; nevertheless the most acceptable intervention for primary varicose venas remains flush ligation of sephano-femoral junction, partial/complete denudation of Great Saphenous vena ( GSV ) and multiple phlebectomies5. Though serious complications are rather uncommon, the process may do considerable early morbidity, including bruising, cutaneal nervus hurt, hematoma, hurting and uncomfortableness in the inguen and leg, and hazard of lesion infection6,7. Limited articulatio genus degree denudation has been widely accepted as the gilded criterion operation for varicosities affecting the GSS. This attack is associated with important decrease in hurt to saphenous nervus. However, the hazard is non wholly eliminated as reported in different series8, 9. Restricted denudation of GSV to the articulatio genus degree on the other manus is associated with a high return in the residuary segment10. This completely nullifies the advantage of articulatio genus degree denudation of GSV and doing complete denudation of the vena up to ankle degree an attractive option. This prospective survey was designed to find the efficaciousness of complete GSV denudation in footings of morbidity, nerve hurt and return rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From July 2006 to June 2009, this prospective survey was carried out at Liaquat university infirmary and different private medical centres of Hyderabad metropolis. In entire, 30 patients with unsophisticated one-sided and/or bilateral varicosities affecting the great saphenous system were included. Patients with primary and/or recurrent varicose venas associated with active or cured ulcers, patients with bleeding diathesis and those who failed to subscribe the proforma for regular followups were excluded from this survey. The diagnosing and degree of incompetency were confirmed by manus held Doppler ultrasound. Informed consent was taken and patients were given autonomy to go forth the survey at any point without saying any ground.Operative Technique:All patients were operated under spinal block. Injection Cephradine 1gm was given as prophylaxis. The scratch was placed 2cm above the median melleolus. The Great saphenous vena ( GSV ) was identified and separated carefully from the chi ef bole of Saphenous nervus. Once stray, the GSV was ligated, and olive-head stripper was introduced through a rent in the distal portion and negotiated to the proximal portion. The distal leftover was cut and so ligated utilizing vicryl plus 2.0. Another 3-5cm scratch was made at the sapheno-femoral junction, 2 centimeter below and sidelong to the pubic tubercle. Feeders of GSV were identified and ligated. A little scratch was so placed at the tip of the stripper ; the vena was ligated utilizing vicryli? ‘ 1 and was so stripped from below-upwards. Multiple phlebectomies were done for big bunchs of venas as the state of affairs warranted. Wounds were closed utilizing vicryli? ‘ 000 for tegument and chromic 00 for hypodermic tissue. The limb was covered with elastic patch, applied in caudo-cranial way. Patients were encouraged for light walk on the first operative twenty-four hours and were discharged from infirmary on 2nd post-operative twenty-four hours in instance of u neventful recovery. The follow-up agenda was designed at 1st, 4th, 8th and 12th hebdomads of surgery. During each visit, limbs were examined for complications like bruising, hydrops, wound site infections and centripetal abnormalcies within the distribution of saphenous nervus utilizing cotton-stick. The abnormalcies were characterized as paresthesia and dysthaesia. All the patients were followed up for the period of one twelvemonth for return and betterment in centripetal abnormalcies. Consequence: All the patients belonged to CEAP category 2 or greater depending upon the badness of the disease. This is depicted in item in table I. Table I: Clinical Phase of the DiseaseCEAP ClassificationNo of Limbs ( n= 51 )PercentageClass 2 30 58.8 Class 3 14 27.5 Class 4 7 13.7 The average age of patients in this series was 33 old ages ( run 20-48 old ages, SD + 8.24 ) . Amongst 42 patients in entire, 31 ( 74 % ) were males whereas 11 ( 26 % ) were females. Majority of the patients presented with blunt hurting in legs, followed by dark spasms, weightiness on drawn-out standing. With comparative frequences, remainders of the symptoms are elaborated in table II. Table II: Symptom Profile of the PatientsSymptomsNo Of Patients ( n= 42 )PercentagePain 14 33.33 Night Cramps 09 21.4 Heaviness on Prolonged Standing 11 26.2 Rubing 06 14. 3 Skin Changes 01 2.4 Cosmetic Concerns 01 2.4 In this series, 9 ( 21.4 % ) patients presented with bilateral varicosities affecting the GSV, whereas 20 ( 47.6 ) and 13 ( 31 % ) patients presented with right and left sided disease severally. In entire, 19 limbs out of 51, showed bruising in station operative period, whereas 7 and 4 developed lesion infection and hydrops ( fig I ) . In this series, 7 patients presented with some centripetal abnormalcies at foremost follow up. Figure I elaborate these abnormalcies in item. They were impermanent and spontaneously subsided within 4-6 hebdomads. None of the patient came back with return within a average follow-up period of one twelvemonth. Figure I: Post-Operative Complications Discussion: Nerve hurt is a recognized morbidity after varicose vena surgery. The most normally affected nervus is the saphenous nervus, which is at hazard of hurt during denudation of the GSV, peculiarly when the vena is stripped to the ankle11. Complete denudation, nevertheless, is associated with a low return rate compared to knee degree denudation of the vein12, 13. The argument between complete denudation of the great saphenous vena ( GSV ) up to ankle versus partial depriving up to knee degree continues. The reported incidence of nerve hurt following GSV depriving varies between 23-58 % 9, 15, 16. This was a clinical survey with simple methodological analysis and consistent consequences. In this series, the centripetal abnormalcies were noted in 20 % patients. This is comparable with other surveies describing more or less the same incidence8, 10. Lofgren et al14 showed that GSV depriving from the inguen to the ankle brought good-to-excellent consequences in comparing to high ligation of the GSV entirely vis- & A ; Atilde ; -vis centripetal morbidity, with a success rate of 94 % and 40 % , severally. Dwerryhouse et al17 reported duplex-confirmed reflux in one one-fourth of limbs that underwent restricted denudation of the GSV, at the 5-year followup, connoting that this pathology might finally show itself as recurrent varicose venas. These findings besides suggest that Orthodox method of depriving the vena up to the articulatio genus may forestall the harm to sephanous nervus but at the cost of a high return rate. GSV depriving at mortise joint is besides being shown to better quality of life in early post-operative period7. We have observed that depriving in upward way, utilizing little olive can go through towards the inguens easy with less nerve harm. Cosmetic consequences were besides satisfactory. None of our patient came up with return during the mean follow up period of one twelvemonth. The restrictions of survey were comparatively little size and its descriptive methodological analysis. For the reflux in the full GSV ( inadequacy in the whole GSV ) , the intervention of pick is complete denudation of the GSV to the mortise joint with high ligation and phelebectomies because of low complication and return rates. Nerve hurt may happen after both complete and partial denudation and symptoms of nerve hurt are transeunt and mild. We conclude that since lasting complication rates do non significantly differ from those of other intervention methods evaluated along with high success, low return, and low reoperation rates, abandoning complete denudation of the saphenous vena to the mortise joint is non the right determination presently.