Category Archives: APESSAY

CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE EXAMPLES OF HOW BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY CAN BE APPLIED IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR

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Patient Records and Health Data Management
One of the most significant applications of blockchain in healthcare is improving the way patient health records and data are managed. Currently, patient records and data are often scattered across multiple databases and systems that can’t communicate well with each other. This leads to inefficiencies, lack of access to full patient history when needed, risk of errors, and privacy and security issues.

Blockchain allows for a distributed and secured method of storing patient records and data that gives authorized users access when needed. All medical providers and entities involved in a patient’s care can store information on the same blockchain. This eliminates data silos and gives doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other care team members a single source of truth to provide comprehensive care. Some of the key benefits include:

Patients have control over who can access and share their data through private keys and digital identities. This allows for true patient-centered care.

Records are permanently stored on distributed networks so they can’t be deleted, ensuring record permanence.

Data sharing between providers is seamless and efficient since records reside on interconnected networks.

Risk of errors from manual data entry and transcribing is reduced since information only needs to be captured once on the blockchain.

Data integrity and security is enhanced through encryption, digital signatures, hash functions and other blockchain features.

Supply Chain Management and Counterfeit Drugs
Pharmaceutical counterfeiting poses a huge risk globally with estimates of over $200 billion in counterfeit drugs circulating annually. Blockchain provides an effective solution to securely track pharmaceuticals across the supply chain to prevent counterfeiting. Some ways it can be implemented include:

Encoding drug authentication details such as batch and production numbers on blockchain at manufacturing.

Using blockchain to record each transaction as drugs move from manufacturer to distributors, pharmacies and patients.

Pharmacies and patients can scan QR codes/barcodes on drug packaging to verify authenticity by viewing immutable ledger.

Regulators can trace drugs in case of recalls, track expiration dates and ensure quality standards are followed.

Drug pedigree can be captured – the complete history and movement of a specific drug unit. This builds transparency.

Clinical Trials Management
Running clinical trials is an expensive, complex process afflicted by ineffective paperwork and lack of oversight. Blockchain allows for more streamlined, secure management of clinical trials. Here are some applications:

Patient recruitment and screening records can be captured in a secure, tamper-proof way.

Drug allocation and site inventory can be recorded to ensure proper blinding and drug accountability.

Adverse event reporting can leverage smart contracts for timely compensation.

End-to-end tracking of trial activities like consent, payments, visit adherence and data collection.

Audit trial functionalities provide regulators ability to trace trial activities and detect anomalies or fraud.

Transparent, decentralized data sharing between sponsors and research sites.

Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring
Blockchain supports the growth of telemedicine and remote care models. Some use cases include:

Secure storage and exchange of remote diagnostic data, vital signs and other patient-generated health data.

Tracking remote medical equipment and ensuring asset maintenance and compliance with oversight agencies.

Facilitating remote doctor consults, e-prescription and billing on distributed ledgers.

-Allowing patients to seek second opinions from overseas doctors easily through health passports and digital identities.

Enabling remote patient monitoring for chronic illness where conditions can be tracked without physical visits.

Powering remote medical device security upgrades and technical assistance using smart contracts.

So Blockchain brings much needed transparency, security, immutability and disintermediation to key areas of the healthcare industry that have been traditionally plagued by inefficiencies, costs, risks and lack of trust. The technology helps put patients firmly in control of their own health data while enabling new care models to lower costs and improve outcomes on a global scale.

CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IRB APPROVAL PROCESS FOR DISSERTATIONS

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The Institutional Review Board, or IRB, is a committee that is designated by an academic institution to review and approve research involving human subjects. The purpose of IRB review is to ensure that all research conducted at the institution adheres to ethical standards and protects the rights and welfare of human participants. Obtaining IRB approval is required for any dissertation research that involves collecting data from or about living human beings.

The IRB approval process typically begins early in the dissertation process, usually after a student has selected their dissertation topic and developed their dissertation proposal. Most institutions require students to complete IRB training to learn about ethical guidelines and regulations regarding human subjects research. Training certificates need to be submitted along with the initial IRB application. Students then work with their dissertation committee chair to complete a lengthy IRB application form providing details of their proposed research methodology, participant recruitment processes, data collection instruments, informed consent documents, and plans for securely storing data.

Applications are typically submitted online through the institution’s IRB system. Supporting documents like consent forms, surveys, interview scripts, etc. are uploaded as well. The level of review required is determined based on the type of research – expedited or full board review. Expedited reviews can be approved by one IRB reviewer while full board reviews require evaluation and approval by the entire IRB committee at their scheduled meeting. Review times can vary greatly depending on committee schedules and volume of applications but on average take 4-6 weeks for approval.

Committees look closely at whether potential risks to participants have been minimized, the risks are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits, selection of participants is equitable, informed consent is sought from each prospective participant, and whether privacy and confidentiality of participants will be maintained. Students may be asked to modify aspects of their proposed methodology or consent processes based on IRB feedback to strengthen protections for human subjects. Revisions sometimes require re-review by the full committee before final approval can be granted.

Conditional or provisional approval is possible in some cases allowing students to begin recruiting participants and collecting preliminary data, but full approval signatures are still needed before final dissertation defense. Multi-site studies involving more than one institution each require separate IRB approval from every organization. International research brings additional complexities around cultural norms, language barriers, and variations in regulatory standards between countries.

Once approved, most IRB approvals are only valid for one year and any changes to the approved research protocol requires an amendment submission for review and approval. Projects that go longer than a year require continuing review and re-approval. Students are responsible for promptly reporting unexpected problems, adverse events, protocol deviations and other unanticipated issues which arise during their research. At the end of the project, a final report communicating the study’s completion needs to be filed with the IRB.

Obtaining IRB approval for dissertation research is an essential part of upholding ethical standards and safeguarding human subjects but also adds time, paperwork and oversight obligations to already demanding doctoral requirements. Careful planning, compliance with policies, and open communication with IRB representatives helps navigate what for many students is their first experience with formal research ethics review processes.

The IRB approval process for dissertations serves to protect the rights and welfare of research participants through robust ethical guidelines and regulatory oversight, which students must understand and adhere to in order to gain permission to involve people in their scholarly inquiry and degree requirements involving human subjects research. Planning early and working closely with IRB staff helps ensure a smooth review and can help accelerate approval timelines.

CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL IMPACT OF DIGITAL ADVERTISING

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Digital advertising has become a massive industry that plays an important economic and societal role. Some key facts about the industry’s size and growth:

Global digital ad spending surpassed $500 billion in 2021 according to eMarketer, growing 19% year-over-year. Digital now accounts for over 60% of total ad spending worldwide.

In the US alone, digital ad spend was projected to be over $250 billion in 2022. This is more than the GDP of most countries.

Year-over-year growth of the digital ad market remains in the high double-digits, far outpacing traditional media like TV, print, and radio. The pandemic provided an additional boost as consumer behavior increasingly shifted online.

Emerging formats like social media ads, online video, and mobile ads are fueling continued expansion of the market. For example, mobile ad spending in the US exceeded desktop for the first time in 2017 and now accounts for over 50% of digital ad dollars.

This massive level of spending translates directly into economic impact. Digital ads support a vast advertising and marketing industry that employs millions of people. Tech companies that specialize in digital advertising, like Google and Meta, employ hundreds of thousands and generate massive revenue streams for their businesses. This spending then ripples out through other sectors of the economy.

Beyond direct employment, digital ads also provide economic value as an important subsidy for free online content and services. Many news and media websites, along with search engines, social networks, and other “free” digital offerings rely on advertising money to fund their operations. This means consumers have access to an enormous amount of information, entertainment and tools at no direct cost to them.

It is estimated the value provided to consumers by Google Search alone, in terms of time savings from finding information quickly, is over $2000 per user each year in the US. On a global scale, the availability of free digital services supported by ads likely provides trillions in economic value each year.

With immense economic benefits also come immense societal impacts, both positive and negative:

Positive societal impacts include the ability of digital ads to effectively target audiences. Precise ad targeting enables small businesses to compete more evenly with larger brands by reaching interested customers. It also allows non-profits and advocacy groups to promote important causes.

Digital also makes advertising more measurable. Online ads can be precisely tracked for engagement and outcomes like sales. This has made advertising more accountable and data-driven. Consumers also benefit from more relevant ad messaging as marketers better understand their interests and behaviors online.

Digital advertising has faced growing criticism around privacy and excessive data collection. The core business model of Google and Facebook depends on massive user surveillance to target ads. Over 15,000 data points per person are estimated to be collected by some platforms.

The lack of transparency around how personal data is collected, shared, and monetized has led to a “surveillance capitalism” where privacy is eroded without clear user consent. Studies also show that personalized ad targeting can exacerbate societal issues like political polarization, lack of media literacy, spread of misinformation, and the “filter bubble” effect.

Other societal issues blamed partially on digital ads include the decline of local news as advertising dollars shifted online, contribution to consumerism and overconsumption through relentless targeting, and promotion of unhealthy views around diet, beauty standards, and materialism through some ad campaigns.

Research in psychology has also found that techniques like dynamic ad creative optimization, which adjust ad content in real-time based on user responses, can potentially be psychologically manipulative. And rampant ad tracking online has been found to enable new forms of digital discrimination as advertisers micro-target or exclude certain groups.

Digital advertising undeniably generates vast economic benefits but must be regulated to mitigate serious societal costs to privacy, democracy, public health, and consumer well-being. As the ad market grows exponentially, both policymakers and the ad tech firms themselves face increasing pressure to balance these impacts and ensure the next phase of digital advertising growth does not come at the cost of civil discourse or human welfare online.

CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE EXAMPLES OF CAPSTONE PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

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An evidence-based education program to improve self-efficacy and independence in daily living activities for older adults: For this project, the student conducted a literature review to research evidence-based interventions and strategies to improve independence and self-care in older adults. They then developed an educational program incorporating those strategies targeted at improving confidence and ability in activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication management and more. The program included both didactic learning and hands-on activities and practice opportunities. It was then tested by delivering the program to a small group of older adults living independently in the community. Pre and post tests as well as follow up surveys evaluated the effectiveness of the program in improving self-efficacy and identified problem areas.

A wellness program for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: For this capstone, the student identified a lack of accessible wellness and lifestyle management programs for veterans coping with PTSD. They conducted interviews with veterans and healthcare providers to better understand the barriers and needs. An evidence-based wellness program was then developed incorporating elements of mindfulness, yoga, nutrition education and stress management. Program content and structure was guided by OT practice frameworks and mental health rehabilitation approaches. A pilot of the 8-week program was run with a group of veterans. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through standardized assessments, journaling and interviews to evaluate outcome measures like stress, mental wellbeing, coping strategies and psychosocial participation. The results demonstrated positive impacts and helped identify areas for future program refinements.

A community garden inclusive design project: For their capstone, the student partnered with a local community garden that lacked accessibility. Through an occupational profile of residents and literature on inclusive design, common barriers to participation were identified. These included a lack of raised beds, difficult terrain, limited adaptability of tools and more. The student then took a leadership role in the redesign and adaptation of the garden space and tools using a universal design framework. This included installing accessible raised beds, compacted level pathways, ergonomic tools with adjustable features and consideration of sensory aspects. Educational materials were also developed. Follow up sessions with gardeners evaluated the usability and impacts on participation and health outcomes of community members with varying abilities.

A toolkit for fostering self-management of diabetes in older adults: For their capstone, the student recognized a lack of appropriate self-management resources for older adults with diabetes. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with older adults and their care partners, key components of effective self-management programs and resources were identified. Common barriers to older adults ability to independently manage their diabetes were also explored. Drawing on adult education principles and models of health behavior change, the student then developed a multi-modal, easy to use self-management toolkit. It included simplified educational materials, reminders for medication and appointments, adaptations to make glucose monitoring and injections easier, and strategies to incorporate management into daily habits and routines. The toolkit was piloted with older adults of varying cognitive and physical function to evaluate feasibility of use and impact on outcomes like glucose control, self-efficacy and psychosocial well-being. Feedback informed further refinements.

These are just a few examples of the types of in-depth capstone projects occupational therapy students may undertake to demonstrate their ability to independently plan and complete an applied research experience. Common elements include addressing an identified need through a review of supporting evidence and frameworks, development of an innovative program, product or approach, implementation of an intervention, and critical evaluation of both the process and outcomes achieved. Capstones allow students to apply their problem-solving, community engagement, leadership and clinical reasoning skills to make meaningful contributions addressing real world issues encountered in occupational therapy practice.

HOW LONG DOES IT TYPICALLY TAKE TO COMPLETE AN MBA CAPSTONE PROJECT

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The time it takes to complete an MBA capstone project can vary depending on several factors, but most students find they need a minimum of 3-6 months to thoroughly research, develop, and write their capstone paper or project. The capstone is meant to be one of the final culminating experience for MBA students, drawing upon the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout their entire MBA program.

Some key aspects that influence the length of time needed include the scope and complexity of the chosen topic, whether the student is enrolled as a part-time or full-time MBA student, how much previous experience the student already has in researching and writing large papers or projects, and other responsibilities like work or family commitments that may limit a student’s availability to dedicate extensive time to their capstone.

For most part-time MBA students who are working full-time jobs, 3-6 months is generally the minimum amount of time needed to properly complete a capstone project of sufficient depth and quality. These students may only have evenings and weekends available to dedicate to their capstone work, which naturally limits how quickly progress can be made versus full-time students. Part-time students also have less flexibility to take significant time off from work responsibilities to focus intensely on their capstone for short periods.

Full-time MBA students have the advantage of being able to treat their capstone like a full-time job, dedicating 40 hours or more each week solely to research, writing, and project development. Even for full-time students, rushing through a capstone in less than 3 months would likely compromise the quality of work produced and limit how comprehensive the finished product ends up being. MBA programs generally expect capstones to demonstrate the highest level of research, analytical, and presentation skills each student has attained, so comprehensive devotion of time is important.

Regarding scope and complexity, capstones that involve original primary research like conducting surveys, interviews, usability tests or experiments will naturally require more time than ones based primarily on secondary research from existing sources. International or cross-cultural topics may also demand extra time compared to domestic topics due to challenges around data collection or analysis from different regions, languages, contexts, etc. Capstones tackling very large, intricate issues within a particular industry or organization would also fall on the longer end of timelines versus narrower subjects more confined in scope.

Additional responsibilities outside of school can significantly slow progress for part-time and even full-time students. Those with very demanding full-time jobs or young children to care for on top of coursework may realistically need over 6 months minimum to complete a capstone, perhaps even 9-12 months. Medical issues, family emergencies or other unforeseen life events could also force students to stretch their timelines longer than initially planned or take breaks in their capstone work.

In terms of upper limits, many MBA programs have strict cut-off time requirements, generally capping the maximum time allowed between starting capstone work and final submission at no more than 12-18 months, regardless of a student’s status. Failure to complete within these windows could jeopardize a student’s graduation timeline or require extra steps like applying for extensions. Very few students take the maximum amount of allotted time unless extenuating circumstances exist.

While timelines vary based on individual circumstances, most MBA students invest a minimum of 3-6 months focused effort to thoughtfully complete their capstone projects. Part-time students working full-time jobs full-time are usually on the longer end, while full-time MBA students unencumbered by other major responsibilities can often finish between 3-4 months with diligent work. Around 6 months represents an average estimated timeframe, but longer periods may be quite reasonable depending on the scope and complexity of the topic, research demands, and outside constraints on a student’s availability to dedicate prolonged time. Proper management of expectations around duration is an important part of capstone planning for both students and their advisors or committees.