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Monitoring Process (monitoring + process)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	40%

Selected Abstracts

Monitoring processes with data censored owing to competing risks by using exponentially weighted moving average control charts

JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES C (APPLIED STATISTICS), Issue 3 2001
Stefan H. Steiner
In industry, process monitoring is widely employed to detect process changes rapidly. However, in some industrial applications observations are censored. For example, when testing breaking strengths and failure times often a limited stress test is performed. With censored observations, a direct application of traditional monitoring procedures is not appropriate. When the censoring occurs due to competing risks, we propose a control chart based on conditional expected values to detect changes in the mean strength. To protect against possible confounding caused by changes in the mean of the censoring mechanism we also suggest a similar chart to detect changes in the mean censoring level. We provide an example of monitoring bond strength to illustrate the application of this methodology. [source]

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND BEST VALUE AUDIT IN SCOTLAND: A RESEARCH NOTE ON THEORY AND PRACTICE

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2008
Arthur Midwinter
This paper appraises the theory and practice of Best Value Audit in Scotland, and in particular the central assumption that a robust performance management system is essential for continuous improvement in service delivery, within a rational planning model of governance. The reviews of Best Value Audit in practice reveal important gaps between theory and practice, with an overemphasis on monitoring process rather than performance. There is, therefore, considerable scope to reduce the demands of the audit process on local government, and Best Value Audit, needs to move from a theoretical model to an evidence-based model of good practice if real progress is to be made. [source]

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) in Alzheimer's disease: validation of a behavioral rating scale to assess dysexecutive symptoms in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2007
Yoshihiro Shinagawa
Abstract Background Both executive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral problems contribute to dysexecutive symptoms in daily life. The aim of the present study was to develop a behavior rating scale for assessing dysexecutive symptoms in Japanese patients with AD. Method The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), devised by Burgess et al. (1998), was used to evaluate 122 Japanese patients with AD. The factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the Japanese version of the DEX were then examined. Results The Japanese version of the DEX demonstrated a good internal reliability and a good test,retest reliability. Factor analysis revealed three factors that were named ,apathy', ,hyperactivity' and ,planning and monitoring process of the purposive action'. The ,apathy' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the ,apathy' score of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), while ,planning and monitoring process' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the total score of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the ,hyperactivity' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the ,aggression', ,euphoria' and ,disinhibition' scores of the NPI. Conclusions The Japanese DEX is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing executive dysfunction conveniently in real life situations of AD patients. While two factors, ,apathy' and ,hyperactivity', were associated with emotional and behavioral changes, the ,planning and monitoring process' was associated with the cognitive executive function in the patients with AD. These findings suggest that both a neuropsychiatric syndrome and cognitive function contribute to the dysexecutive symptoms experienced by AD patients in daily life. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Privacy issues and the monitoring of sumatriptan in the New Zealand Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 7 2001
DTM&H, David M. Coulter MB
Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how the New Zealand (NZ) Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP) functions in relation to NZ privacy laws and to describe the attitudes of patients to drug safety monitoring and the privacy of their personal and health information. Methods The IMMP undertakes prospective observational event monitoring cohort studies on new drugs. The cohorts are established from prescription data and the events are obtained using prescription event monitoring and spontaneous reporting. Personal details, prescribing history of the monitored drugs and adverse events data are stored in databases long term. The NZ Health Information Privacy Code is outlined and the monitoring of sumatriptan is used to illustrate how the IMMP functions in relation to the Code. Patient responses to the programme are described. Results Sumatriptan was monitored in 14,964 patients and 107,646 prescriptions were recorded. There were 2344 reports received describing 3987 adverse events. A majority of the patients were involved in the recording of events data either personally or by telephone interview. There were no objections to the monitoring process on privacy grounds. Conclusion Given the fact that all reasonable precautions are taken to ensure privacy, patients perceive drug safety to have greater priority than any slight risk of breach of confidentiality concerning their personal details and health information. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Designing Accurate Control Charts Based on the Geometric and Negative Binomial Distributions

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 8 2005
Neil C. Schwertman
Abstract Attribute control charts are used effectively to monitor for process change. Their accuracy can be improved by judiciously selecting the sample size. The required sample sizes to achieve accuracy can be quite restrictive, especially when the nominal proportions of non-conforming units are quite small. The usual attribute control chart has a set sample size and the number of non-conforming units in the sample is plotted. If, instead of setting a specific sample size the number of non-conforming units is set, an alternative monitoring process is possible. Specifically, the cumulative count of conforming (CCC- r) control chart is a plot of the number of units that must be tested to find the rth non-conforming unit. These charts, based on the geometric and negative binomial distributions, are often suggested for monitoring very high quality processes. However, they can also be used very efficiently to monitor processes of lesser quality. This procedure has the potential to find process deterioration more quickly and efficiently. Xie et al. (Journal of Quality and Reliability Management 1999; 16(2):148,157) provided tables of control limits for CCC- r charts for but focused mainly on high-quality processes and the tables do not include any assessments of the risk of a false alarm or the reliability of detecting process change. In this paper, these tables are expanded for processes of lesser quality and include such assessments using the number of expected monitoring periods (average run lengths (ARLs)) to detect process change. Also included is an assessment of the risk of a false alarm, that is, a false indication of process deterioration. Such assessments were not included by Xie et al. but are essential for the quality engineer to make sound decisions. Furthermore, a hybrid of the control charts based on the binomial, geometric and negative binomial distributions is proposed to monitor for process change. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Characteristics of Australia's rangelands and key design issues for monitoring biodiversity

AUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2004
ANITA K. SMYTH
Abstract We explored the key issues that are most likely to influence any set of guiding principles for developing biodiversity monitoring programmes in Australia's rangelands. We defined the Australian rangelands and came up with an overview of their climate extremes, land-use pressures and biodiversity loss, and then focussed on issues underpinning the design phase of any monitoring programme. Using Noss's 1990 framework of compositional, structural and functional attributes of biodiversity and its new revisions by others, we showed how the elusive, abstract concept of biodiversity can be used to identify many measurable attributes that can form a minimum and necessary set of indicators for any biodiversity monitoring task. We then described the steps in the monitoring process, with a particular focus on the reasons for monitoring biodiversity as they strongly influence the selection of indicators. We concluded by compiling a table of key issues as background information for developing guiding principles (Table 4). The list is by no means an exhaustive list for the design phase but it does indicate that considerable attention needs to be given to this phase when developing monitoring programmes. We have intentionally not addressed the equally important issues associated with the planning and delivery phases of developing a monitoring programme, as Wallace et al. and Watson and Novelly cover these in their papers in the present issue of Austral Ecology. [source]

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) in Alzheimer's disease: validation of a behavioral rating scale to assess dysexecutive symptoms in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease

Incorporating Evidence From Pharmacologic and Pharmacogenetic Studies of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs Into Advanced Psychiatric Nursing Practice

PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE, Issue 2 2010
Marilyn A. Davies PhD
PURPOSE., To present a conceptual framework for incorporating pharmacologic findings and pharmacogenetic evidence related to atypical antipsychotic drugs (AADs) into advanced psychiatric nursing practice. CONCLUSIONS., Three evidence domains lend important information about differential AAD response. These include the pharmacology of AADs, the molecular genetics of metabolizing enzymes, and the molecular genetics of neurotransmitter receptor drug targets. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS., These evidence domains can be incorporated into nursing practice decisions related to medication planning, patient and family education, and medication monitoring processes. The central focus of the framework is patient outcomes, which include medication adherence, tolerability of the AADs, and demonstrated clinical effectiveness. [source]

Error-related brain potentials are differentially related to awareness of response errors: Evidence from an antisaccade task

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
Sander Nieuwenhuis
The error negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe) are two components of the event-related brain potential (ERP) that are associated with action monitoring and error detection. To investigate the relation between error processing and conscious self-monitoring of behavior, the present experiment examined whether an Ne and Pe are observed after response errors of which participants are unaware. Ne and Pe measures, behavioral accuracy, and trial-to-trial subjective accuracy judgments were obtained from participants performing an antisaccade task, which elicits many unperceived, incorrect reflex-like saccades. Consistent with previous research, subjectively unperceived saccade errors were almost always immediately corrected, and were associated with faster correction times and smaller saccade sizes than perceived errors. Importantly, irrespective of whether the participant was aware of the error or not, erroneous saccades were followed by a sizable Ne. In contrast, the Pe was much more pronounced for perceived than for unperceived errors. Unperceived errors were characterized by the absence of posterror slowing. These and other results are consistent with the view that the Ne and Pe reflect the activity of two separate error monitoring processes, of which only the later process, reflected by the Pe, is associated with conscious error recognition and remedial action. [source]

Review of multinomial and multiattribute quality control charts

QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 7 2009
Elisabeth Topalidou
Abstract Attribute control charts are very useful nowadays for monitoring processes where the quality characteristics cannot be measured in a continuous scale, which may be manufacturing processes from industrial settings, health-care processes or processes from service industries and environments of non-manufacturing quality-improvement efforts. Many of the above cases, however, involve the monitoring of multiple attributes simultaneously, thus leading to the case of multinomial and multiattribute quality control methods, which are better than the simultaneous use of multiple uni-attribute methods. In this study, an attempt to review the research previously conducted on multiattribute quality control is made in order to help the interested researchers and practitioners get informed about the references on the relevant research in this field, regarding the design, performance and applications of multiattribute control charts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]