Measuring marketing performance: comparing the literature with the perspective of business executives

This paper investigated performance measurement from both an academic and an Australian practitioner perspective. The current consensus in the literature is that performance is a multi-faceted construct, incorporating both financial and non-financial aspects, and that a sole focus on financial performance measures is less appropriate to deal with the issues that confront organisations today. However, the findings ofthis research indicate that researchers and practitioners alike are driven by financial performance measures. The results indicate that sales/growth and Return-on-Investment (ROI) are the most frequently utilised financial performance measures, whilst satisfaction is the most frequently utilised non-financial measure.

Philosophy and the care of the self: a literature survey

This article reviews a number of recent books and practices that address a renewed interest in the role that philosophy might play in the living of a rich and fulfilling life. The review looks at books addressed to the general public as well as books which discuss such classical and Hellenistic philosophers as took their task to be helping people achieve happiness in life. It then turns to contemporary studies of the self and of wisdom and turns finally to some newly emerging philosophical practices such as philosophical counselling and philosophical discussion groups of various kinds in order to explore whether philosophy can still be a source of consolation or guidance in contemporary life.

Consumer construction of sport consumption experiences through role play : a literature review

Evidence exists in the literature that many traditional consumer behaviours have fundamentally different meanings when considered in an experiential context. This paper posits that voicing during the experiential consumption of sport may in fact be a factor of experiential consumption rather than an expression of dissatisfaction as in the traditional complaint behaviour model. This is significant in the interpretation of experiential sport consumption where vocalising appears to serve purposes other than complaining. This paper revises the traditional complaint behaviour literature for explanations about vocalising and then offers some alternate conceptual propositions using experiential consumption literature.

Strategies which aim to positively impact on weight, physical activity, diet and sedentary behaviours in children from zero to five years. A systematic review of the literature

Preventing the development of obesity in children is an international health priority. To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity, promote healthy eating and/or physical activity and/or to reduce sedentary behaviours in 0–5-year-old children, a systematic review of the literature was performed. Literature searches were limited to articles published between January 1995 and June 2006, printed in English and sampling children aged 0–5-years. Searches excluded literature concerned with breastfeeding, eating disorders, and interventions which were school-based or concerned with obesity treatment. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study strengths and weaknesses. Nine included studies were grouped based on the settings in which they were delivered. Most studies involved multi-approach interventions, were conducted in the USA and varied in study designs and quality. All showed some level of effectiveness on at least one obesity-behaviour in young children. These studies support, at a range of levels, the premise that parents are receptive to and capable of some behavioural changes that may promote healthy weight in their young children. The small quantity of research heralds the need, particularly given the potential for early intervention to have long-lasting impacts on individual and population health, to build in a substantial way upon this evidence base.

Extent of heart failure self-care as an endpoint to patient education: a literature review

Background: In western countries the number of chronic heart failure (CHF) management programs has escalated in recent times. One key component of them is to teach self-care behaviours that enable affected individuals to monitor themselves and engage in lifestyles that improve their health status.
Aim: The aim of this article is to describe CHF self-care management and to review the literature which examines the effectiveness of patient education on patients’ performance of self-care behaviours.
Design/method: bibliographical databases were searched for papers published in English between 1982 to 2006. The search used the key words: heart failure, education, self-care and measures. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected.
Results: Ten randomized controlled trials were selected that used education as an intervention and, in total, 1064 patients with CHF participated in these studies. The studies were heterogenous as to the sample population, the health outcomes measured, the education interventions, the expertise of the educator, and the length of time that was spent on teaching patients. No consistent patterns of implementation and specific evaluation of its impact were found, although three respective groups of investigators reported signifi cant differences in recurrent hospitalisation rates and mortality rates which were relative to usual care.
Conclusions: Teaching patients appropriate CHF self-care behaviours can significantly improve their health outcomes. Improvements in self-care were demonstrated in seven studies but only three had used validated instruments to measure such changes. This suggests that no firm conclusions can be drawn about changes in self-care practices.

Coetzee's haunting of Australian literature

In June 2006, the Good Weekend, the magazine supplementing Saturday’s the Age in Melbourne, ran the following cover story by Catharine Lumby: “Worried TV will turn your child into a zombie?” The cover featured a science-fiction image of a boy’s upturned face. Televisions were reflected in his pupils, giving them the effect of being square instead of round. The message, though, was ultimately non-alarmist with the subheading already instructing “Relax. It’s all good”. Stories like this appear regularly in the press, and while I am not interested in debating whether TV is good or bad for children, I am interested in the popular image of children—or, for that matter, adults—as being akin to zombies when they watch TV, if only because something similar happens when we read books. Although it is not as fashionable to talk about it, we become emptied of ourselves, possessed by something other.

Issues concerning the on-going care of patients with comorbidities in acute care and post-discharge in Australia: a literature review

Issues concerning the on-going care of patients with comorbidities in acute care and post-discharge in Australia: a literature review

Background. Advances in medical science and improved lifestyles have reduced mortality rates in Australia and most western countries. This has resulted in an ageing population with a concomitant growth in the number of people who are living with chronic illnesses. Indeed a significant number of younger people experience more than one chronic illness. Large numbers of these may require repeated admissions to hospital for acute or episodic care that is superimposed upon the needs of their chronic conditions.

Aim. To explore the issues that circumscribe the complexities of caring for people with concurrent chronic illnesses, or comorbidities, in the acute care setting and postdischarge.

Methods. A literature review to examine the issues that impact upon the provision of comprehensive care to patients with comorbidities in the acute care setting and postdischarge.

Findings. Few studies have investigated this subject. From an Australian perspective, it is evident that the structure of the current health care environment has made it difficult to meet the needs of patients with comorbidities in the acute care setting and postdischarge. This is of major concern for nurses attempting to provide comprehensive care to an increasingly prevalent group of chronically ill people.

Conclusion. Further research is necessary to explore how episodic care is integrated into the on-going management of patients with comorbidities and how nurse clinicians can better use an episode of acute illness as an opportunity to review their overall management.

The Asia Pacific literature review on internal auditing

Purpose – By conducting the 2006 global Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) study, The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) attempts to better understand the expanding scope of internal auditing practice throughout the world. The purpose of this review of recent internal auditing literature in Asia Pacific is to document how the internal audit function is changing in response to the shifts in global business practices.
Design/methodology/approach – The literature in Asia Pacific is reviewed with a focus on developments that have implications for the expanded scope of internal auditing and the changing skill sets of internal auditors. This focus has implications for CBOK 2006.
Findings – The literature indicates a paradigm shift in the activities performed by internal auditors. The increasing complexity of business transactions, a more dynamic regulatory environment in Asia Pacific, and significant advances in information technology have resulted in opportunities and challenges for internal auditors. Although in 2004, The IIA responded to the changing organizational environment by updating the professional practices framework, more work needs to be done to prepare internal auditors for the expanded set of skills and knowledge required to perform audits of the future.
Originality/value – By presenting an overview of past literature in Asia Pacific and discussing the shifting demands on internal audit services, the researchers hope to motivate further research in the field.

Sedation and analgesia management for mechanically ventilated adults: literature review, case study and recommentations for practice.

The quality of sedation management in mechanically ventilated patients has been a source of concern in recent years. This paper summarises the literature on the principles of optimal sedation, discusses the consequences of over and undersedation, highlighting the importance of appropriate pain management, and presents a case study using the results of an audit of 48 mechanically ventilated adults. As a result of the review and audit, we are implementing changes to practice.

The most important recommendations from the literature are the use of a sedation scale, setting of a goal sedation score, appropriate pain management and implementation of a nurse initiated sedation algorithm. Other recommendations include use of bolus rather than continuous sedative infusions and recommencing regular medications for anxiety, depression and other phychiatric disorders as soon as possible. A recommendation arising from our audit was the need to identify patients at high risk of oversedation and undersedation and adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach to management. The practice goal is to provide adequate and appropriate analgesia and anxiolysis for patients. This will improve patient comfort while reducing length of mechanical ventilation and minimising risk of complications.

Herb-drug interactions: a literature review

Herbs are often administered in combination with therapeutic drugs, raising the potential of herb-drug interactions. An extensive review of the literature identified reported herb-drug interactions with clinical significance, many of which are from case reports and limited clinical observations.
Cases have been published reporting enhanced anticoagulation and bleeding when patients on long-term warfarin therapy also took Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen). Allium sativum (garlic) decreased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration of saquinavir, but not ritonavir and paracetamol (acetaminophen), in volunteers. A. sativum increased the clotting time and international normalised ratio of warfarin and caused hypoglycaemia when taken with chlorpropamide. Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) caused bleeding when combined with warfarin or aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), raised blood pressure when combined with a thiazide diuretic and even caused coma when combined with trazodone in patients. Panax ginseng (ginseng) reduced the blood concentrations of alcohol (ethanol) and warfarin, and induced mania when used concomitantly with phenelzine, but ginseng increased the efficacy of influenza vaccination. Scutellaria baicalensis (huangqin) ameliorated irinotecan-induced gastrointestinal toxicity in cancer patients.
Piper methysticum (kava) increased the 'off' periods in patients with parkinsonism taking levodopa and induced a semicomatose state when given concomitantly with alprazolam. Kava enhanced the hypnotic effect of alcohol in mice, but this was not observed in humans. Silybum marianum (milk thistle) decreased the trough concentrations of indinavir in humans. Piperine from black (Piper nigrum Linn) and long (P. longum Linn) peppers increased the AUC of phenytoin, propranolol and theophylline in healthy volunteers and plasma concentrations of rifamipicin (rifampin) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Eleutheroccus senticosus (Siberian ginseng) increased the serum concentration of digoxin, but did not alter the pharmacokinetics of dextromethorphan and alprazolam in humans. Hypericum perforatum (hypericum; St John's wort) decreased the blood concentrations of ciclosporin (cyclosporin), midazolam, tacrolimus, amitriptyline, digoxin, indinavir, warfarin, phenprocoumon and theophylline, but did not alter the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine, pravastatin, mycophenolate mofetil and dextromethorphan. Cases have been reported where decreased ciclosporin concentrations led to organ rejection. Hypericum also caused breakthrough bleeding and unplanned pregnancies when used concomitantly with oral contraceptives. It also caused serotonin syndrome when used in combination with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. sertraline and paroxetine).
In conclusion, interactions between herbal medicines and prescribed drugs can occur and may lead to serious clinical consequences. There are other theoretical interactions indicated by preclinical data. Both pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic mechanisms have been considered to play a role in these interactions, although the underlying mechanisms for the altered drug effects and/or concentrations by concomitant herbal medicines are yet to be determined. The clinical importance of herb-drug interactions depends on many factors associated with the particular herb, drug and patient. Herbs should be appropriately labeled to alert consumers to potential interactions when concomitantly used with drugs, and to recommend a consultation with their general practitioners and other medical carers.

Healthy parks, healthy people : the health benefits of contact with nature in a park context : a review of current literature

This review identifies significant research that has not previously been compiled. It will provide key information for decision making by park managers, forming the basis of a program of future research to overcome the limited knowledge in this area. It is part of stage two of this project, funded by the International Park Strategic Partners Group. It builds on an earlier review (completed early in 2002 with funding provided by Parks Victoria) by addressing the health and wellbeing benefits of contact with nature in a parks context, at an individual and community level.