ABSTRACT
PurposeThis paper aims to present a hybrid approach to measure the efficiency of virtual contact centers (VCCs) started during the pandemic and benchmark them for service performance. The results are used to plot the VCC's efficiency score (performance) and customer perception (Importance) to propose appropriate strategies.Design/methodology/approachUsing the survey method, 854 responses were collected from customers who used VCC services during the pandemic. This data was then employed to assess the performance of VCCs using SERVPERF and DEA methods, followed by the development of the model for performance analysis.FindingsResults reveal the ranking of different VCCs started during the pandemic for the telecom company using SERVPERF and DEA methods. Further, the performance analysis model highlighted the strategies appropriate for each VCCs.Practical implicationsThe findings add to the body of knowledge on how multiple service units of a large organization can assess service efficiency utilizing a combination of SERVPERF-DEA. The present work also contributes to the performance analysis field by proposing a model to assess the service centers and provide improvement guidelines.Originality/valueThe work is one of the first to assess the service efficiency of the VCCs started during the pandemic by using a unique hybrid approach of SERVPERF and DEA. This approach provides a direction to whom to benchmark and to what degree service quality should be improved. Further, the study proposes a unique performance analysis model based on performance scores and customer perception.
ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus crisis has forced hospitals globally to develop new virtual service portals and systems to: 1) triage, diagnose, and manage new patients virtually for every clinical specialty at home as their symptoms emerge, avoiding COVID-19 exposure to patient or physicians, and hospitalization, as much as possible, and 2) discharge, track, and support recovered patients via homecare and virtual visits to free as many critical care beds as possible. This paper focuses on simulating and modeling an episode of care with innovative initial patient contact and triage processes using the Colored Petri Net (CPN) formalism to help optimize workflow, patient throughput, and overall system efficacy. The two patient triage programs under consideration are a health system in Australia and an orthopedic surgical program in the US. We describe our model for the US program. Our presented results establish a desired stratification of patients through a virtual musculoskeletal triage. © 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
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The current study focuses on the numerous duties of "Academic Learning Centres” within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Novel Corona Virus pandemic has created new problems for all stakeholders inside the education system. Given the extrinsic obstacles of delivering services during a public health crisis, the unexpected emergence of the virus pushed libraries to migrate to digital platforms whenever possible and deliver acceptable remote services to users. The purpose of this study is to discover how technology became an impediment for India's best educational institutes during the Covid-19 situation. The current article assists library professionals in improving their skill set in accordance with things and serving information as a responsible citizen of the country. © 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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Affected by COVID-19, the maintenance process of machine tools is significantly hindered, while unmanned maintenance becomes an emerging trend in such background. So far, three challenges, namely, the dependence on maintenance experts, the dynamic maintenance environments, and unsynchronized interactions between physical and information sides, exist as the main obstacles in its widespread applications. In order to fill this gap, a bio-inspired LIDA cognitive-based Digital Twin architecture is proposed, so as to achieve unmanned maintenance of machine tools through a self-constructed, self-evaluated, and self-optimized manner. A three phases process in the architecture, including the physical phase, virtual phase, and service phase, is further introduced to support the cognitive cycle for unmanned maintenance of machine tools. An illustrative example is depicted in the unmanned fault diagnosis on the rolling bearing of a drilling platform, which validates the feasibility and advantages of the proposed architecture. As an explorative study, it is wished that this work provides useful insights for unmanned maintenance of machine tools in a dynamic production environment. © 2022
ABSTRACT
Spurred by the severe restrictions on mobility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is currently intense interest in developing the Metaverse, to offer virtual services/business online. A key enabler of such virtual service is the digital twin, i.e., a digital replication of real-world entities in the Metaverse, e.g., city twin, avatars, etc. The real-world data collected by IoT devices and sensors are key for synchronizing the two worlds. In this paper, we consider the scenario in which a group of IoT devices are employed by the Metaverse platform to collect such data on behalf of virtual service providers (VSPs). Device owners, who are self-interested, dynamically select a VSP to maximize rewards. We adopt hybrid evolutionary dynamics, in which heterogeneous device owner populations can employ different revision protocols to update their strategies. Extensive simulations demonstrate that a hybrid protocol can lead to evolutionary stable states. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 threatens to disrupt global progress toward HIV epidemic control. Opportunities exist to leverage ongoing public health responses to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on HIV services, and novel approaches to care provision might help address both epidemics. OBJECTIVE: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, novel approaches to maintain comprehensive HIV prevention service delivery are needed. The aim of this study was to summarize the related literature to highlight adaptations that could address potential COVID-19-related service interruptions. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and searched six databases, OVID/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase, for studies published between January 1, 2010, and October 26, 2021, related to recent technology-based interventions for virtual service delivery. Search terms included "telemedicine," "telehealth," "mobile health," "eHealth," "mHealth," "telecommunication," "social media," "mobile device," and "internet," among others. Of the 6685 abstracts identified, 1259 focused on HIV virtual service delivery, 120 of which were relevant for HIV prevention efforts; 48 pertained to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and 19 of these focused on evaluations of interventions for the virtual service delivery of PrEP. Of the 16 systematic reviews identified, three were specific to PrEP. All 35 papers were reviewed for outcomes of efficacy, feasibility, and/or acceptability. Limitations included heterogeneity of the studies' methodological approaches and outcomes; thus, a meta-analysis was not performed. We considered the evidence-based interventions found in our review and developed a virtual service delivery model for HIV prevention interventions. We also considered how this platform could be leveraged for COVID-19 prevention and care. RESULTS: We summarize 19 studies of virtual service delivery of PrEP and 16 relevant reviews. Examples of technology-based interventions that were effective, feasible, and/or acceptable for PrEP service delivery include: use of SMS, internet, and smartphone apps such as iText (50% [95% CI 16%-71%] reduction in discontinuation of PrEP) and PrEPmate (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.24-5.5.4); telehealth and eHealth platforms for virtual visits such as PrEPTECH and IowaTelePrEP; and platforms for training of health care workers such as Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO). We suggest a virtual service delivery model for PrEP that can be leveraged for COVID-19 using the internet and social media for demand creation, community-based self-testing, telehealth platforms for risk assessment and follow-up, applications for support groups and adherence/appointment reminders, and applications for monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Innovations in the virtual service provision of PrEP occurred before COVID-19 but have new relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovations we describe might strengthen HIV prevention service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the long run by engaging traditionally hard-to-reach populations, reducing stigma, and creating a more accessible health care platform. These virtual service delivery platforms can mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV services, which can be leveraged to facilitate COVID-19 pandemic control now and for future responses.