Download or read book Health Technology Assessment of Assistance Dogs and Dog Assisted Interventions written by Martina Lundqvist and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2020-09-04 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dogs as an assistive aid for people with disabilities date as far back in time as the first century CE. Today, dogs are used in various settings to help and assist humans. ‘Assistance dogs’ is an umbrella term for guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs. They are custom trained to help and support their owners in their everyday life and thereby give them greater independence. Dogs who perform dog-assisted interventions are another type of working dog, where the dog and the owner work together as a team visiting people with various needs in different settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. These visits aim to strengthen people’s inner motivation, using the dog as an external motivator. There is a lack of evaluations of working dogs in the health technology assessment context, and in the health economic evaluation context. Hence, there is a need for structured analyses that include both the short and long-term effects and the costs of assistance dogs and dog-assisted interventions. The overall aim of this thesis is to explore and assess the use of assistance dogs and dog-assisted interventions. The research questions were investigated using a variety of methods. In paper I, inferential statistical analysis was used to analyse patient-reported outcomes measures. In paper II, a thematic content analysis was employed to explore the experiences of service and hearing dogs. To study the long-term cost-effectiveness of physical service dogs and diabetes alert dogs, a decision analytic model was used in paper III. The input data in studies I, II, and III was obtained from the Service and Hearing Dog Project. In paper III, the data was also supplemented with information from published literature and expert opinions. Paper IV investigated the effects and cost-effectiveness of dog-assisted interventions, and takes the form of a systematic review. Paper I showed that a service or hearing dog may have positive impact on its owner’s health-related quality of life, well-being and activity level. Paper II showed that owners of service or hearing dogs experienced both positive physical and psychosocial effects from their dog. Negative experiences were also identified, for example being denied access to public places and negative attitudes from other people. Paper III showed that physical service dogs and diabetes alert dogs are cost-effective in comparison with regular companion dogs, resulting in both lower costs and a gain in QALYs. The one-way sensitivity analysis did not change the results, but the probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the results were uncertain. Synthesizing the results from the review in paper IV showed that dog-assisted interventions for therapeutic purposes led to minor to moderate effects in psychiatric conditions. Dog-assisted interventions as an activity had minor to moderate effects on cognitive disorders, and dog-assisted interventions for support purposes were beneficial in different types of medical interventions. Studies of cost-effectiveness were lacking. To conclude, assistance dogs are valuable and may be cost-effective for use as assistive aids and dog-assisted interventions render minor to moderate effects in certain situations in healthcare settings. Användning av hundar som hjälpmedel för personer med funktionsnedsättning går att spåra ändå tillbaka till första århundradet e.Kr. Idag används hundar i människans tjänst i en mängd olika sammanhang. Assistanshundar är ett samlingsbegrepp för ledarhundar, signalhundar och servicehundar. De är specialutbildade för att hjälpa och stödja sina ägare i deras vardag och på så vis ge dem möjlighet till att leva ett mer självständigt liv. Hundar som utför hundassisterade interventioner är en annan typ av tjänstehund, men deras jobb är inte att hjälpa sin ägare. Istället arbetar hundar som utför hundassisterade interventioner och deras ägare som ett team. Tillsammans besöker de personer med olika behov i olika miljöer som exempelvis sjukhus eller äldreboende. De arbetar med att stärka motivationen hos personerna de träffar. Idag saknas det övergripande utvärderingar som tittar på olika aspekter av den här typen av hundar. Det saknas även utvärderingar som specifikt studerar effekter och kostnader av assistanshundar och hundassisterade interventioner. Det finns därför ett behov av strukturerade analyser som inkluderar både kort- och långsiktiga effekter samt kostnader för denna typ av hundar och interventioner. Det övergripande syftet med denna doktorsavhandling är att utforska och utvärdera användningen av assistanshundar och hundassisterade interventioner. Frågeställningarna studeras med ett brett urval av metoder. I studie I analyseras patientrapporterade utfallsmått med statistiska metoder. I studie II genomförs en tematisk innehållsanalys för att undersöka förarnas upplevelser av service- och signalhundar. För att analysera den långsiktiga kostnadseffektiviteten av fysiska servicehundar och alarmerande diabeteshundar i studie III konstrueras en beslutsmodell. Datamaterialet i studie I, II och III hämtas från service- och signalhundsprojektet. I studie III kompletteras data med information från publicerad litteratur och med expertutlåtande. I studie IV studeras effekterna och kostnadseffektiviteten av hundassisterade interventioner genom en systematisk litteraturöversikt. Studie I visade att en service- eller signalhund kan ha en positiv inverkan på deras ägares hälsorelaterade livskvalitet, välbefinnande och aktivitetsnivå. Resultaten från de tematiska analyserna i studie II påvisade att ägare av en service- eller signalhund upplevde både positiva fysiska och psykosociala effekter av sin hund. Negativa erfarenheter av hunden identifierades också, till exempel att hunden begränsade möjligheten att vistas i offentliga miljöer och andra personers negativa attityder. Studie III visade att fysiska servicehundar och alarmerande diabeteshundar är kostnadseffektiva i jämförelse med vanliga sällskapshundar, de var både kostnadsbesparande och innebar en QALY-vinst. Känslighetsanalyser av specifika parametrar påverkade inte resultaten, men den probabilistiska känslighetsanalysen visade att resultaten var osäkra. Resultaten från den systematiska litteraturöversikten i artikel IV visade att hundassisterad interventioner som ges i terapeutiskt syfte hade små till måttliga effekter vid psykiatriska tillstånd. Hundassisterade aktiviteter hade små till måttliga effekter vid kognitiva störningar och hundassisterade interventioner som gavs som stöd vid olika typer av medicinska insatser var fördelaktiga. Studier gällande kostnadseffektivitet av hundassisterade interventioner saknades. Sammanfattningsvis, assistanshundar som hjälpmedel ger positiva effekter i flera dimensioner för sina ägare och är sannolikt kostnadseffektiva. Hundassisterade interventioner uppvisar små till måttliga effekter i vissa situationer i hälso- och sjukvården.

Download or read book Comprehensive Assessment of Self employment Assistance Programs written by Elaine L. Chao and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book GAO Assessment of United States Judicial and Police Reform Assistance in Haiti written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on International Relations and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Needs Assessment for Evaluation Assistance Among Members of the Community Partnership of Santa Clara County written by Delyna A. Cruz and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluation of Employee Assistance Programs written by Marvin D Feit and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-11-12 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely book brings together for the first time critical information about the evaluation of employee assistance programs. Although EAPs have existed for over 40 years, the assessment of their value has been fragmented. Contributors to this new volume--blending practical and academic insights--document concerns, address the newer issues and developments in the field of EAPs, and present case examples of actual evaluations. The range and diversity of topics reflect EAPs in transition, their growth patterns, evaluation needs, and evaluation methods. Overall, this important volume emphasizes that successful evaluations depend not only on methodological expertise but a consideration of much broader salient and societal issues.

Download or read book Sierra Leone Technical Assistance Report Public Investment Management Assessment written by International Monetary and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sierra Leone has made significant strides to rebuild its public infrastructure after the devastating civil war, but the desperate infrastructure needs remain. At the end of the conflict in 2002, the country was left with virtually no infrastructure. Redevelopment of public infrastructure was ignited by the mining boom, which started in the late 2000s. Over the period 2008−18, public investment averaged 6.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which has translated into an estimated capital stock of about 65 percent in constant 2011 GDP. However, a level of public investment is still lower than neighboring countries by about one percentage point. The level of capital stock per capita is one of the lowest in the region, only slightly above that of Liberia. Some districts still have no paved roads, no electricity, and no water systems, almost 20 years after the war.

Download or read book Kosovo Assessment of MFd s Technical Assistance Program written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2006-06-30 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MFD technical assistance to Kosovo has been provided under special circumstances, since it is not a member of the IMF or of the World Bank. As a region within the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia severely affected by the war with Serbia, Kosovo has been administered by the UNMIK on the basis of UN Security Council Decision 1244 of June 10, 1999. After the end of the war, the UNMIK requested technical assistance from the IMF. The IMF's Executive Board approved this request, and MFD began providing TA in late 1999.

Download or read book Intensive Technical Assistance Assessment Tool Community Systems Edition written by Joy Sotolongo and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Intensive Technical Assistance Assessment Tool was originally developed for use in states and communities participating in Smart Start's National Technical Assistance Center's intensive technical assistance program. It is designed to identify specific areas where technical assistance will be of benefit. Assessment results are used to develop individualized technical assistance plans. Previous studies have shown that the tool is indeed effective in determining technical assistance needs. Moreover, the assessment process in and of itself increased participants' knowledge of systems development; strengthened collaborative relationships; and spurred immediate action. There are no right or wrong answers in the Assessment Tool -- it is intended to help determine what areas might benefit from intensive technical assistance. It is important to bear in mind that not one state or community has accomplished or defined every systems-building component listed in the Assessment Tool. Rather, the assessment is intended to facilitate a discussion about issues that are critical to the successful development of a comprehensive, community-based early childhood system.

Download or read book Assessment of the Effectiveness of Maize Seed Assistance to Vulnerable Farm Households in Zimbabwe written by A. S. Langyintuo and published by CIMMYT. This book was released on 2007 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Samoa Technical Assistance Report Climate Macroeconomic Assessment Program written by International Monetary and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2022-03-21 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Samoa is highly exposed to natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, and floods. These damage economic growth and impact debt sustainability adversely. Increasing frequency and intensity of coastal storms are likely to amplify damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. Slow-moving climate stresses such as sea level rise and increasing heat hazard are also likely to impact potential growth in the main economic sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism.

Download or read book Montenegro Technical Assistance Report Public Investment Management Assessment written by International Monetary and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2022-06-09 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public investment is expected to play a significant role in the post-pandemic economic recovery in Montenegro. Due to the importance of the tourism sector, the pandemic has had a deep economic impact. In addition, as government debt already exceeds one hundred percent of GDP, fiscal space to increase public investment is limited. Nevertheless, the completion of the first phase of the Bar-Boljare Highway (BBH), by the end of 2021, should free up public resources within the budget constraint, that could be used for public investments. In this context, a strengthened public investment management (PIM) framework would contribute to maximize its impact on economic growth.

Download or read book Needs Assessments for Technical Assistance A Conceptual Overview and Comparison of Three Strategies written by Tanya M. Suarez and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Guide to Property Assessment Assistance Programs written by Illinois. Department of Local Government Affairs. Office of Financial Affairs and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Republic of Moldova Technical Assistance Report Country Governance Assessment written by International Monetary and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-07-26 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite having legal and institutional frameworks largely in place, Moldova continues to suffer from significant corruption and governance vulnerabilities. These are fairly pronounced in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), and SOE governance, while other areas assessed for purposes of this report (PFM, tax administration, central bank governance and financial sector oversight) presented some good progress in mitigating such vulnerabilities.

Download or read book Compendium of HHS Evaluations and Relevant Other Studies written by HHS Policy Information Center (U.S.) and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 1120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Identifies and describes specific government assistance opportunities such as loans, grants, counseling, and procurement contracts available under many agencies and programs.

Download or read book Title I Evaluation and Technical Assistance written by and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: