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Audit Tool (audit + tool)
Selected AbstractsAssessing the technological capabilities of firms: developing a policy toolR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2007Howard Rush The development of technological capabilities results from an extended learning process and external policy agents can play an important role in its development. This paper outlines trends in governmental and non-governmental policy initiatives and the use of concepts such as capability and absorptive capacity, which are positioned within generic-staged models of capability maturity. This paper describes the development of a technology capability assessment/audit tool that has been designed to help locate firms within four archetypes based upon their level of maturity on nine key dimensions of the management of technology. The tool is intended to help bridge the gap between our theoretical understanding of the principles of technology management and policy practice , allowing policy makers to design mechanisms that focus resources in areas of greatest need through the appropriate selection of policy mechanisms and the targeted design of policy. The use of this tool in field experiments is described along with the implications for policy making. [source] Implementation of oral health recommendations into two residential aged care facilities in a regional Australian cityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 3 2006Tony Fallon BAppSc(Hons) PhD Abstract Background, Residents of aged care facilities usually have a large number of oral health problems. Residents who suffer from dementia are at particular risk. A systematic review of the best available evidence with regard to maintaining the oral health of older people with dementia in residential aged care facilities provided a number of recommendations. Objectives, The aim of the implementation project was to introduce evidence-based oral hygiene practices for patients with dementia in two publicly funded residential aged care facilities and monitor for changes in nursing awareness, knowledge, documentation and practice to improve patient outcomes and ensure appropriate accreditation standards were met. An additional aim was to identify barriers and strategies to overcome barriers to implementation of evidence-based recommendations. Methods, Two facilities, a 40-bed facility and a 71-bed facility in the health service district of the regional Australian city of Toowoomba, provided the setting. A quality improvement approach was taken, using a number of strategies from the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for implementation studies. The implementation involved a number of stages, including project development, interactive oral health education, oral audits of residents, changes to oral hygiene practice via care plans and critical reflection. Results, The multidisciplinary approach to improving oral healthcare appeared to improve knowledge and awareness and move oral health practices in facilities closer to best practice. Specialised training in oral health was provided to a Clinical Nurse Consultant. Regular oral audits were introduced and facility staff were trained in the use of the oral audit tool. Care plans at one facility were of better quality and more comprehensive than before the intervention. Comments made during critical reflection suggested improvements in the oral health of residents, increased use of oral swabs and saliva substitutes, improved care of dentures and mention of the use of mouth props in resident care plans. There was also some evidence that changes brought about by the implementation are sustainable. Conclusion, The majority of recommendations provided in the systematic review of oral healthcare for dementia patients were applicable to the applied context. The importance of day-to-day leaders was highlighted by the apparently varied outcomes across target facilities. The quality improvement approach would appear to have considerable advantages when applied to improving practice in residential aged care. [source] Auditing the strategic role of operationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 3 2007Bob Lillis The literature relating to auditing the strategic role and contribution of operations has been dominated by methodologies attuned to the predominance of the environmental and competitive forces, and entry deterrence approaches to achieving and sustaining competitive advantage, broadly termed the outside-in perspective. However, tools suited to the resource-based and associated dynamic capability view to strategy formulation, deemed the inside-out perspective, are sparse. This paper makes a contribution to furthering understanding of the auditing of the strategic role and contribution of operations by conducting a review and critique of established ideas, practices and approaches from both strategy formulation perspectives. It argues that the reported methodologies reflect the traditional outside-in perspective to strategy formulation. It highlights the limitations of the available tools for an inside-out view and questions the suitability of the existing methods to the more recent inside-out emphasis, also a factor vital in circumstances where a firm typically is pursuing a combination or blend of the outside-in and inside-out approaches to strategy formulation. Finally, it presents the outline of an additional audit tool designed to address these limitations and describes next steps in future research. [source] Evidenced-based clinical practice guideline for management of newborn painJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 4 2010Kaye Spence Aim: To facilitate the uptake of evidence and to reduce the evidence practice gap for management of newborn pain through the development of a clinical practice guideline. Method: An audit of practice and an appraisal of clinical practice guidelines were undertaken to establish current practices and guideline availability for the management of newborn pain in 23 hospitals in Australia. Guidelines were appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument. A literature search was undertaken to acquire the evidence for best practice for management of newborn pain. Results: Neonatal units in 17 hospitals had clinical practice guidelines. Each was peer reviewed and assessed according to the domains of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument. There was lack of consistency across the guidelines. As a result, a best practice guideline was developed based on current best evidence and the Royal Australian College of Physicians recommendations. To facilitate an ongoing compliance with the guideline, an audit tool was included together with algorithms for procedural pain and pain assessment. Conclusion: The clinical practice guideline can be used by clinicians in varying settings such as the neonatal intensive care and special care unit. The document can be used to support existing practices or challenge clinicians to close the evidence practice gap for the management of newborn pain. [source] Developing an audit tool to assess genetic servicesNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2005Heather Skirton phd The aim of this study was to use clients' accounts and factor analysis to develop a robust assessment and audit tool for clinical genetic services. Qualitative data abstracted from published studies were used to generate a number of statements (n = 57) related to outcomes of genetic services. The resulting questionnaire was mailed to clients of the Wales genetic service, who were asked to rank each statement on a 7-point Likert type scale. Ninety-seven anonymised responses were received (73% response rate) and subjected to factor analysis. Six main factors were found to contribute to the outcome of the service and were labeled (i) enhanced understanding; (ii) positive psychological change; (iii) respect for autonomy; (iv) adaptation; (v) disequilibrium; and (vi) value of contact. The tool will be validated for use in clinical and research contexts. [source] Opening up Australian preschoolers' lunchboxesAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Bridget Kelly Abstract Objective: Early childhood services have been identified as key settings for promoting healthy eating and obesity prevention. However, little is known about the obesity-related behaviours of preschool-aged children or food-related policies in these settings. The purpose of this study was to describe the contents of preschoolers' lunchboxes to inform future interventions. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 259 children attending preschools in the Sydney West and Sydney South West regions of New South Wales in 2008. Lunchbox data were collected using a purpose-designed audit tool. Food and beverages were classified as fruit, vegetables, dairy, breads and cereals, ,extra' (energy-dense) foods, ,extra' drinks or water. Results: Sandwiches and home-cooked meals were the most frequently identified food item, found in 92% of children's lunchboxes, followed by fresh fruit. However, 60% of lunchboxes contained more than one serve of extra food or drink. Conclusion: While nutrition guidelines allow one to two serves of extra foods per day for preschool-aged children, the majority of children appear to consume most of this allocation during their school day, potentially contributing to over-consumption of extra foods and excess kilojoule intake. Implications: Preschool food policies may help to guide the content of children's lunchboxes, however this study emphasises the need for better communication and enforcement of these policies, as well as broader public policy changes. [source] An audit of the prevalence of recorded nicotine dependence treatment in an Australian psychiatric hospitalAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Paula Wye Abstract Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of recorded smoking status, nicotine dependence assessment, and nicotine dependence treatment provision; and to examine the patient characteristics associated with the recording of smoking status. Method: A retrospective systematic medical record audit was conducted of all psychiatric inpatient discharges over a six-month period (1 September 2005 to 28 February 2006), at a large Australian psychiatric hospital, with approximately 2,000 patient discharges per year. A one-page audit tool identifying patient characteristics and prevalence of recorded nicotine dependence treatment, and requiring ICD-10-AM diagnoses coding was used. Results: From 1,012 identified discharges, 1,000 medical records were available for audit (99%). Documentation of smoking status most frequently occurred on the admission form (28.8%) and diagnoses summary (41.6%). Documentation of nicotine dependence was not found in any record, and recording of any nicotine dependence treatment was negligible (0-0.5%). The rate of recorded smoking status on discharge summaries was 6%. Patients with a diagnosis of alcohol, cannabis, sedative use disorders or asthma were twice as likely to have their smoking status recorded compared to those who did not have these diagnoses. Conclusions: Mental health services, by failing to diagnose and document treatment for nicotine dependence, do not conform to current clinical practice guidelines, despite nicotine dependence being the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder. Implications: Considerable system change and staff support is required to provide an environment where a primary prevention approach such as smoking care can be sustained. [source] The Effectiveness of Alternative Risk Assessment and Program Planning Tools in a Fraud Setting,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004STEPHEN K. ASARE Abstract This study examines the impact of alternative risk assessment (standard risk checklist versus no checklist) and program development (standard program versus no program) tools on two facets of fraud planning effectiveness: (1) the quality of audit procedures relative to a benchmark validated by a panel of experts, and (2) the propensity to consult fraud experts. A between-subjects experiment, using an SEC enforcement fraud case, was conducted to examine these relationships. Sixty-nine auditors made risk assessments and designed an audit program. We found that auditors who used a standard risk checklist, structured by SAS No. 82 risk categories, made lower risk assessments than those without a checklist. This suggests that the use of the checklist was associated with a less effective diagnosis of the fraud. We also found that auditors with a standard audit program designed a relatively less effective fraud program than those without this tool but were not more willing to seek consultation with fraud experts. This suggests that standard programs may impair auditors' ability to respond to fraud risk. Finally, our results show that fraud risk assessment (FRASK) was not associated with the planning of more effective fraud procedures but was directly associated with the desire to consult with fraud specialists. This suggests that one benefit of improved FRASK is its relation with consultation. Overall, the findings call into question the effectiveness of standard audit tools in a fraud setting and highlight the need for a more strategic reasoning approach in an elevated risk situation. [source] | |||||||||||||