Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Industrial Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 1999. Graduate Programme in Sociology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 267-288). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ56249.

published_or_final_version / Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Despite attempts to contain health care cost, healthcare expenditure has been surging worldwide. Healthcare financing remains high on the political agenda and nations are struggling hard to balance cost containment with service quality, accessibility, efficiency, etc (Froetschel 2011). Hong Kong, of no exception, faces increasing pressure to raise public expenditure on health and is seeking new ways to finance healthcare. This paper attempts to provide an overview of Hong Kong’s existing health financing system and identify possible reform options. / published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Given the increases on global ageing population, popularity of social Q&A sites and the level of geriatric health concerns from family caregivers, it raises the uncertainty about the quality of health information on social Q&A sites for family caregivers of elderly. The purposes of this study are to evaluate the quality of geriatric health information on social Questions and Answers (Q&A) sites: Yahoo! Answers from registered nurses’ perspective, to identify the structural patterns of questions and answers vary in quality and to discover the cultural aspects in relation to the findings. A total of 60 question-answers set is retrieved from regional Yahoo! Answers sites, including Australia, Canada, UK & Ireland, US, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan. 126 English answers and 112 Chinese answers are examined. Through a mixed method approach, results show that the overall information quality provided in Chinese group is relatively poorer than those of English. About 40% of questioners form both groups are not capable of judging the best answer among choices. In terms of structural patterns, questioners from both language groups are less capable of asking questions with clear focuses. 4 structural patterns, including Chinese and English answers with good and poor quality, are identified. Furthermore, cultural differences are found to have a significant impact on the level of information quality in social Q&A site. Finally, recommendations to corresponding social sectors are made for improving the current information quality of social Q&A sites in future. / published_or_final_version / Library and Information Management / Master / Master of Science in Library and Information Management

Hong Kong's aging population has, increased demand for vascular services. Currently, vascular surgery is subsumed under general surgery. The workload on both general surgery and vascular surgery is demanding and hence, not conductive to the development of vascular surgery. The volume of surgery, particularly emergency surgery provided by the Hospital Authority units varies significantly. The collaboration and differentiation of labor at present is not well defined in many centers. This may lead to unnecessary competition and duplication of resources in the long run. This project examined if there is room for improvement in the present situation and provides evidence for relevant service reconfiguration and discusses how Hong Kong can learn from some overseas examples to enhance quality of services delivered to patients. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

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This study utilises a hermeneutical phenomenological framework to explore the lived experience of losing a child and how this experience may be understood theologically, with a view to exploring the delivery of spiritual care to the bereaved. This three dimensional approach takes seriously the voices of the bereaved as they influence the move towards a deeper understanding of theology, spiritual care and the unique role of the hospital chaplain. To explore the lived experience, unstructured interviews were carried out with parents and grandparents in five bereaved families following the death of a child. This included 5 mothers, 3 fathers, 5 grandmothers and 4 grandfathers. The participants were identified and recruited because of their experience of the death of a child in the family, had some concept of God and had used the chaplaincy service. They were interviewed as married couples or as individuals if there were no partners taking part. There were ten interviews conducted during the first 6 months of the research and contact approved for a 5 year period should this be necessary. Gadamer's philosophy of interpretation was essential to this process as the research involved an in-depth, thematic and hermeneutical analysis of the interviews. This analysis produced three key themes: hope and struggle with God, a new experience of community and a changed relationship with the child. The themes were then viewed from a theological perspective and the insights gained were the basis for exploring the delivery of spiritual care in NHS Scotland. The findings offer new insights into the delivery of spiritual care, key amongst the findings being: • Chaplains are not specialists in spiritual care when defined as separate from religious care. • Chaplains are specialists in theology and the language of faith where developing a ‘critical theological tool box' is essential. • Chaplains are specialists in supporting people to personally engage with the questio Chaplains are specialists in supporting people to personally engage with the question of life, giving them permission to move outside the ‘traditional box' of religion. The findings of this research will hopefully challenge and inspire chaplains to review the meaning of spiritual care and assert the unique and essential place they have within NHS Scotland.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Statistics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy