Effectiveness of current perioperative telemonitoring on postoperative outcome in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: A systematic review of controlled trials

Background Perioperative telemonitoring of patients undergoing major surgery might lead to improved postoperative outcomes. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of current perioperative telemonitoring interventions on postoperative clinical, patient-reported, and financial outcome measures in patients undergoing major surgery. Methods For this systematic review, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases were searched for eligible articles published between January 1, 2009 and March 15, 2021. Studies were eligible as they described: (P) patients aged 18 years or older who underwent major abdominal surgery, (I) perioperative telemonitoring as intervention, (C) a control group receiving usual care, (O) any type of postoperative clinical, patient-reported, or financial outcome measures, and (S) an interventional study design. Results The search identified 2958 articles of which 10 were eligible for analysis, describing nine controlled trials of 2438 patients. Perioperative telemonitoring comprised wearable biosensors ( n = 3), websites ( n = 3), e-mail ( n = 1), and mobile applications ( n = 2). Outcome measures were clinical ( n = 8), patient-reported ( n = 5), and financial ( n = 2). Results show significant improvement of recovery time, stoma self-efficacy and pain in the early postoperative phase in patients receiving telemonitoring. Other outcome measures were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion Evidence for the effectiveness of perioperative telemonitoring in major surgery is scarce. There is a need for good quality studies with sufficient patients while ensuring that the quality and usability of the technology and the adoption in care processes are optimal.

Analysis for Employment Preference of Undergraduate Accounting Students in Oman

The sole purpose of this study was to study the relative importance of different employment factors which affect the students’ choice for employment. In this study the factors that affect the choice of employability was studied. This was conducted among the undergraduate accounting students of the University. The factor analysis was done by using the principal component extraction method. The Varimax rotation extraction was used. This gave us three factors that explained 57.593 percent of the variance. In this study, the following factor was significant as per the factor analysis, which was named as a financial outcome. The variables were starting salary, ability to work independently and future prospects. According to this study, we can see the most important variables that were identified with the help of factor analysis, which were good income and accounting knowledge, starting salary, the ability to work independently, future prospects, and employer’s reputation, which accounted for the cumulative contribution rate that reached 57.593%.

The Value of Financial Education During Multiple Life Stages

This study examines the timing of financial education and its impact on short-term and long-term financial behavior. We also explore the power of financial education on financial knowledge and examine the link between financial knowledge and positive financial behavior. Exposure to financial education during multiple life stages leads to a better financial outcome. Financial education taught via multiple channels, including high school, college, the workplace, and at home, is the most optimal in the long run. For those who did not attend college, being exposed to financial education in high school is significantly associated with positive financial behavior. We cite implications for all financial education advocates. Policymakers in the financial capability arena can stay abreast of the channels of financial education that produce the most fruitful economic and societal gains.

KDD 2020 Highlights

KDD made history in 2020. It was planned to be held in the San Diego Convention Center in an environment that would attract a large number of participants, companies to an attractive location. The program planners also made a concerted effort to broaden the intellectual scope of the forum as well as participation by diverse communities. In particular, the conference planned for offering complimentary full-time daycare to enable participation by women and parents with young children. The emergence of COVID-19 disease in March, however, caused considerable uncertainty leading to a final determination for a first-ever entirely virtual conference. This shift was dramatic at multiple levels since KDD is more than a meeting of presenters and their audience. It is also a place for demonstrations, chance encounters and a very engaging floor exhibition with its own ongoing events. Without exhibitors, their sponsors, and missing attendees, KDD won't be KDD. And it will also have a significant financial liability to the conference for the event contracts already in place. With significant cooperation from ACM and support from SIGKDD Executive Committee the team not only avoided financial impact but emerged with a net positive financial outcome even after reducing the registration fees by over 80%.

On Capital, Innovation, and Government

Most people identify innovation by a financial outcome or event: either raising capital or generating it. This paper posits that while innovation is actually not defined by capital (consumption or generation), in order for an innovation to dominate market and mind share, capital is required. While the U.S. federal government has supported innovation across nearly every industry by underwriting many modern advances across the world, it cannot take its own innovations to market and requires the collaboration of the private sector for this. Achieving this collaboration is often challenging, as federal innovation is usually too early and immature to attract private investment, thus requiring further risk mitigation before the private sector can engage. Today, however, there are pressing reasons for the government and industry to collaborate, including economic and innovation drivers and challenges from foreign actors. This paper makes recommendations that federal innovation can employ to better position itself, including updating its lexicon and adopting novel engagement strategies and mindsets to attract venture capital and industry over the long term.

The Impact of Risk Management Factors on Banks Performance of Pakistan

Risks usually affect the overall profitability/financial performance of any corporate sector. Various techniques of risk mitigation are important in dealing with downturns in the Pakistani economy regarding pandemic, unstable political situations in Pakistan, and different time-to-time policies of state banks regulation which consist of BASEL amendments. Data of fifteen banks had been selected for the period 2012-2018 and analyzed by using certain statistical techniques which are descriptive statistics, correlation, anal regression analysis. As from analysis, we found that Credit risk and Liquidity risk has a positive significant effect on the financial performance of the bank, which is measured by ROA, ROE, Tobin’s Q. Further, one of the risk factors which is operational risk diverts from a hypothesis which shows significant negative effect on the financial outcome of Pakistani banks. The results of this study will help the management of banks to find better solutions to enhance performance. Further, the policy implication of this study advises that banks should follow BASEL regulations and risk disclosures strictly to cope with the market.

Application of Managed Entry Agreements for Innovative Therapies in Different Settings and Combinations: A Feasibility Analysis

The reimbursement of expensive, innovative therapies poses a challenge to healthcare systems. This study investigated the feasibility of managed entry agreements (MEAs) for innovative therapies in different settings and combinations. First, a systematic literature review included studies describing used or conceptual agreements between payers and manufacturers (i.e., MEAs). Identical and similar MEAs were clustered and data were extracted on their benefits and limitations. A feasibility assessment was performed for each individual MEA based on how it could be applied (financial/outcome-based), on what level (individual patients/target population), in which payment setting (centralized pricing and reimbursement authority yes/no), for what type of therapies (one-time/chronic), within what payment structures, and whether combinations with other MEAs were feasible. The literature search ultimately included 82 papers describing 117 MEAs. After clustering, 15 unique MEAs remained, each describing one or multiple similar agreements. Four of those entailed payment structures, while eleven entailed agreements between payers and manufacturers regarding price, usage, and/or evidence generation. The feasibility assessment indicated that most agreements could be applied throughout the different settings that were assessed and could be applied in different payment structures and in combination with multiple other agreements. The potential to combine multiple agreements leads to a multitude of different reimbursement mechanisms that may manage the price, usage, payment structure, and additional conditions for an innovative therapy. This overview of the feasibility of combinations of MEAs can help decision-makers construct a reimbursement mechanism most suited to their preferences, the type of therapy under evaluation, and the applicable healthcare system.

Financial Spillover Effects in Supply Chains: Do Customers and Suppliers Really Benefit?

Studies have shown that leading supply chain companies are associated with significantly higher company financial ratios than competitors. In contrast, little research has focused on the financial performance of the affiliated suppliers and customers of such supply chain leader (SCL) companies. Thus, the central purpose of this paper is to determine, from a financial perspective, whether suppliers and customers benefit or lose by participating in a SCL network (so called “financial spillover effects”). Companies that were ranked in the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 were selected as SCLs. For each selected firm, the five largest suppliers and customers were identified and compared with a control sample from the same industry. In order to elaborate on existing insights into the (financial) outcome of supply chain relationships, we applied an explorative approach with abductive reasoning, while comparing the secondary data for 224 SCL supplier (56 firms) and 168 SCL customer (42 firms) firm-years with 1940 (485 firms) and 1544 (386 firms) control firm-years, respectively. The following insights are made: First, the superior financial performance of SCLs was confirmed. Second, the financial performance of suppliers and customers showed superior liquidity and activity ratios but inferior profitability ratios. Third, suppliers showed much more significant results than customers.