Friday, December 27, 2019

Counseling Sexually Active Clients with Hiv Essay examples

Lethal Sex: Conditions of Disclosure in Counseling Sexually Active Clients with HIV Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D. The present HIV pandemic presents challenges for mental health practitioners who, in the course of therapy, sometimes become privy to confidential information about potentially lethal sexual relationships ongoing between the client and one or more uninformed partner(s). In this lecture I will discuss the current professional/legal status of making disclosure in such cases, and my work as an applied professional ethicist in the development, drafting, and defense of a limited rule of disclosure. State statutes typically make it a crime for a person who knows that he or she is HIV positive to engage in unprotected sex†¦show more content†¦In 1995, when the ACA was in the process of revising its code of ethics, I proposed a model rule based on the Hatherleigh article. The ACA adopted the proposed rule with minor changes. This rule, which set precedent for state laws (such as the Florida statute mentioned above) and other professional codes of ethics in c ounseling and psychology (such as the American Mental Health Counselors Association code), permitted disclosure under certain conditions. This rule, which I named the â€Å"Contagious, Fatal Diseases† rule, states, A counselor who receives information confirming that a client has a disease commonly known to be both communicable and fatal is justified in disclosing information to an identifiable third party, who by his or her relationship with the client is at a high risk of contracting the disease. Prior to making a disclosure the counselor should ascertain that the client has not already informed the third party about his or her disease and that the client is not intending to inform the third party in the immediate future. (ACA, B.1.d) In developing and defending the provisions of this rule, I used broad standards of moral conduct from two venerable traditions in ethics: (1) Kantian Ethics and (2) Utilitarian Ethics. According to the Kantian tradition, moral propriety req uires that persons be treated as ends in themselves and notShow MoreRelatedEthical Dilemma in Hiv Counselling Cases951 Words   |  4 PagesI have a client whom I know to be HIV positive. I also know that he is sexually active and has not told any of his partners about this. Isn’t it my ethical responsibility to inform someone that he is, in effect, dangerous to others? Even if I am not a counselor, I would not be able to live with the fact that I have such an information and am putting some other life at risk. As a medical doctor, I was also bound by my Hippocrates oath to serve and bring no harm to others, â€Å"I will apply dieteticRead MoreEpidemiology Nur/4081540 Words   |  7 Pagesrespiratory papillomatosis. Human papillomavirus infection is most common among young, sexually active individuals, and it is so prevalent that approximately 75% to 80% of sexually active individuals will become infected in their lifetime (Weaver, 2006). At any given time, approximately 20 million people are infected with genital HPV in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 75% to 80% of sexually active men and women have been exposed to genital HPV (Weaver, 2006). Individuals aged 15Read MoreHepatitis : Symptoms And Symptoms1103 Words   |  5 Pagessustaining immune from further HAV infections, the infections in many cases can be mild. A great majority of people in the world who live in a poor area where there is impoverished sanitation have been infected with this virus. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a sexually transmitted disease, disseminated by contact with infected body fluids, semen, and blood. Conceivably, studies have shown that the HBV virus between humans and apes pinpointed evidence of division between human genotypes A-E from the viruses sampledRead MoreThe Intervention Of Safe Sex And Less Drug Use1411 Words   |  6 Pageseffective enough. From previous research it was stated that â€Å"after the intervention, the amount of protected sexual acts increased for all partners (and especially HIV-negative partners) among participants who received the in-person intervention. Also participants who received the in-person intervention had a larger decrease in the number of HIV-negative partners than did those in the control group (â€Å"Procedural Guide†)†. Unfortunately, I was not able to get an interview with any of the participants becauseRead MoreI Have Always Been An Avid Learner1567 Words   |  7 Pagesstudies in the Social Work Department at Southern University, I volunteered as an HIV/AIDS Peer Health Educator. This is when I developed a keen interest in human sexuality. As a result of discussing sexually related topics with college females, I realized the need for early sexual education. This was a research project that showed how young, sexually active women, were not conversant on how to protect themselves sexually; they were most apprehensive about pregnancy. I wanted to know the how, what,Read MoreTeenage Pregnancy Among Urban Adolescent Women1115 Words   |  5 Pagesdisturbances. Method: The methodology of the study was a correlational research study. The participants used for the study were recruited from a larger research experiment that focused on HIV prevention. The study consisted of (n=264) adolescent females between the ages of thirteen and eighteen who were sexually active. To be eligible for the study, participants had to have a participating parent and between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. The participants had to receive mental health services, eitherRead MoreStd Std Prevention1489 Words   |  6 PagesSexually transmitted infections are a major health problem amongst college students in todays society. Each year, at least 3 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are reported among people in the United States who are under the age of 25. Within the United States, fifteen million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are annually reported. Out of these fifteen million cases reported, four million are teenagers. Over the last few years, the annual number of new STI/HIV infectionsRead MoreEthical Dilemma of Hiv Disclosure in Intimate Relationships5638 Words   |  23 PagesHIV Prevention with Positives in Thailand: Ethical Dilemma of HIV Status Disclosure in intimate relationship. Abstract Every year, there are about ten thousand new HIV infection cases in Thailand. The majority of new HIV transmissions in Thailand have changed from commercial sex to intimate relationships while HIV prevention generally focuses on self protection and universal precaution. In 2003, Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend to integrate HIV preventive measure into routineRead MoreAnalysis of the Psychologys Duty to Warn Essay1960 Words   |  8 Pagesgets noted. A psychologist has a role to play in every client’s life. An example is when a person threatens to transmit HIV and other diseases. It may be illegal in many countries for a person to infect other people with a disease knowingly especially HIV. However, a clinical psychologist should not be obligated to tell the other people of the risk of transmission. The client has a right to confidentiality. Duty to warn got developed when Tarasoff got murdered by a person who had threatened to doRead MoreHIV/AIDS and Women4590 Words   |  19 Pages1. Introduction : 2 2. HIV/AIDS : 2 3. HIV/AIDS and women : 2 4. Special signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS in women : 3 5. Vulnerability of women to AIDS : 3 6. The challenges that HIV/AIDS infected women faced : 4 7. Transmission of HIV to women : 5 8. Global distribution of HIV/AIDS among women : 5 9. The impact of HIV on women : 7 10. Prevention : 9 11. HIV treatment : 9 12. Prevention Challenges : 11 13. The Global Response to HIV/AIDS : 11 14. The Global

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Saussures System For Evaluating Linguistics Essay

In â€Å"Course in General Linguistics†, Saussure does two things to develop his system for evaluating linguistics: he chooses language as his linguistic object and he only incorporates factors into his model that can be said to be true of all languages over all time. The net result is a very high level and flexible classification structure, which is more intent on making a developmental framework for evaluating linguistics than necessarily providing tremendous insight into it’s more concrete aspects: rudiments like structure, meaning, morphology, syntax, or phonology. Others, including Levi- Strauss in â€Å"Structural Anthropology†, have used Saussure’s methodology to develop their own models for study in different aspects of human society. But†¦show more content†¦But I feel he still needed to explicitly say it: ‘that despite all the differences between languages, I have identified these invariants to be true over all time, and I believe this is because of certain specific commonalities between all humans, particularly the human desire to create and maintain an effective and convenient system for communicating ideas with one another.’ Levi-Strauss’ additional step provides a sense of completeness to the process; that is to say that the last step provides the ‘why’ and ‘what’ while Saussure’s method provides the ‘how’. Incorporating the Levi-Strauss step gives us a new line of thought to ponder: engineering and design. Going through the steps: â€Å"Structural Anthropology† first hypothesizes that myths exist to provide people with anecdotes to help explain the unanswerable questions of their society such as life versus death or love, etc. Then Levi- Strauss applies Saussure’s method, designating a mythological object, in this case the myth itself, and then determining a set of invariants true to all myths. The most interesting of these invariants is the use of categories to deconstruct the events of a story into specific event types, which are common across all myths. And finally, Levi- Strauss uses his myth decomposition to draw conclusions about the myth’s moral and, by extension, the society that uses this myth. ThisShow MoreRelatedEssay The Role of the Audiences in Culture2052 Words   |  9 Pagesand structures which we can rely upon to derive meaning (Storey, 2009). These structures include the syntagmatic and paradigmatic axis, where meaning is accumulated on the former and is continual, while meaning is altered on the latter. Langue, a system of language organized by rules and conventions, and parole, an individual utterance or individual use of language (Saussure and Bally et al., 1974), helps us to communicate meaning because we understand and are adept in the use of language. WhileRead MoreThe Importance of Teaching Culture in the Foreign Language Classroom9379 Words   |  38 Pagescorrected, learning that ‘competence counts’ (ibid.). In other words, ‘socioculturally structured associations have to be internalized’ (ibid.)—and, as often as not, these associations vary from culture to culture. Rather than getting bogged down in a ‘linguistic relativity’ debate, the tenets of which are widely known, some consideration should be given to the claim that ‘language is not merely the external covering of a thought; it is also its internal framework. It does not confine itself to expressing

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Australian Government Productivity Commission

Question: Discuss about the Australian Government Productivity Commission. Answer: Introduction The focus of revenue for the government of Australia is the tourism industry of the country (Auspost.com.au, 2016). The tourism industry has been the highest GDP gainer for the country. In addition to this, the number of luxury travelers is also on the rise. The Sifotel Hotel, located in Darling harbor, is in the verge of completion in the year 2017 and currently looking for the target market where it can promote its business (Sofiteldarlingharbour.com.au, 2016). With a 35-storey building and more than 600 designer rooms, it is going to be one of the most luxurious hotels in the land of Australia. The report will look into the target market of Sifotel Hotel and specify the customers who will be interested in the hotel. Target market/ segment characteristics Domestic and international The luxury tourist from domestic and international locations should be the target customers for Sifotel Hotel in Darling Harbor in Sydney. It has been seen that the international travelers in Australia has spent $34.8 billion in the year 2015. In addition to this, the number of family trips for domestic travelers has been on a rise. Australia topped the list of buyers in the Pure Life Experience Hospitality Conference that was held in Marrakech as far as buying the hotels and tour operators are concerned. The Accor Group should also give special attention to their food as the travelers in Australia are getting inclined to the luxurious cuisines offered by the country. The travelers who are travelling to the country to taste the food of the place can also be the target of Sifotel Hotel. The government of Australia is highlighting the sophisticated local culture of Australia. Thus, they can target the tourists who are coming to Australia to taste the various cuisine of the country (Oates, 2015). The focus of the Accor Group should also be towards the older age group as many luxury travelers are falling under that age. Many travelers in Australia travel after retirement or with family when they are in the verge of retirement (Kmet, 2015). As they have earned and saved a certain amount of money, the urge of luxury travel is found to be more among this age group. As far as the tourism industry of Australia is concerned it is becoming the favorite among the people who are aiming for luxury travel. The numbers suggest that the market for luxury travel has enhanced. There has been a rise of 30.5 percent in the luxury travel in Australia in the year 2015 surpassing the United States, which has seen an increase of 26.2 percent in the same year (Hurd, 2016). Specific characteristics of target market The Accor Group should target the visitors from America, as there has been significant rise of international tourists from these two countries. The visitors from America and China are looking forward to some luxurious holidays in Australia. For the high-end travelers from America and Canada, Australian has been a common favorite. A study shows that there has been significant rise for luxurious holidays at Queensland , Victoria and Western Australia (Travelandtourworld.com, 2016). The topmost state among the list is Queensland, which has received a rise in the booking by 48 percent from the travelers in the United States. Victoria and Western Australia follow Queensland with a rise in booking 26 percent and 11 percent respectively. Due to the huge footfall of luxurious tourism, John OSullivan, the managing director of Tourism Australia has been planning to do a joint venture with one of the travelling companies in the United States. Figure 1: list of countries from where the visitors spend nights in regional areas in Australia (Source: Australian Government Productivity Commission, 2015) The above graph shows that the footfall from the countries like the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom is highest as far as spending nights in Australia is concerned. Hence, the Accor Group should target the international tourists from the top three countries and attract them towards the Sifotel hotel located in Darling Harbor region in Sydney. Specially designed advertisement that could attract the tourists from the above-mentioned countries would be helpful to get the most from the target market. The graph also shows that the international visitor from India, China and Singapore should get the least priority as far as the target market of the Accor Group is concerned. As far as the domestic travelers are concerned, the Accor Group should focus on the travelers who are in the age group of 50-54 years. On the other hand, the number of people who are travelling within Australia has been declined in the age group of 24-29 years. According to a study, the age group of domestic travelers was 45-49 years in the year 2002. However, in the ears 2012, the peak age group has risen to 50-54 years (Auspost.com.au, 2016). Thus, the Accor Group can target the individuals who are in the age group of 50-54 years. During that age group, the travelers are more interested in family tours and hence, the promotions should be targeted with the advertisements that will promote the family tours. The domestic holidays for the people living in Australia are mainly interested in weekend breaks that with duration of two to four days. Hence, the target market for the Accor Group should be those individuals who are travelling with the family for a few numbers of days. They can give special discounts in weekends so that the domestic travelers get attracted to Sifotel Hotel to spend their weekend. Conclusion After evaluating the tourism sector of Australia and the type of hotel that Sofitel is coming up to be, it can be concluded that the luxury travelers should be the main target for the Accor Group. Both the domestic and the international travelers are aiming for luxury tours. The main target market from the domestic industry will be the family travelers as they are more likely to go for weekend gateways. The international travelers from the United States should be the target as the flow of tourists from the United States to Australia is the highest. References Auspost.com.au,. (2016).Travel Trends - How Australians Travel - Australia Post.Auspost.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://auspost.com.au/how-australians-travel.html Australian Government Productivity Commission,. (2015).Australias International Tourism Industry Productivity Commission Research Paper(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/international-tourism/international-tourism.pdf Hurd, S. (2016).Australia in prime position for luxury tourism growth.Impactpub.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://www.impactpub.com.au/micebtn/85-news/btn-news/17810-australia-in-prime-position-for-luxury-tourism-growth Kmet, M. (2015).Luxury Travel Report: Things Are Looking Good for 2015.Travelmarketreport.com. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Luxury-Travel-Report-Things-Are-Looking-Good-for-2015 Oates, G. (2015).Tourism Australia Uses Food to Drive Luxury Travel Spending.Skift. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://skift.com/2015/12/07/tourism-australias-food-marketing-is-helping-drive-luxury-travel-spending/ Qualia.com.au,. (2016).qualia - Press Releases | Hamilton Island.Qualia.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://www.qualia.com.au/Media-Centre/Press-Releases/Insights-from-the-inaugural-2015-Australian-Luxury Sofiteldarlingharbour.com.au,. (2016).SOFITEL DARLING HARBOUR.Sofiteldarlingharbour.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://sofiteldarlingharbour.com.au/ Travelandtourworld.com,. (2016).Australia a Top Destination for American Luxury Visitors - Travelandtourworld.com.Travelandtourworld.com. Retrieved 8 September 2016, from https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/australia-a-top-destination-for-american-luxury-visitors/

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Medical Laboratory Quality Systems and Accreditation

Abstract Nowadays, physicians and public health programme managers are dependent on the technological advancements in health laboratories to make knowledgeable assessments. At the same time, people have continued to demand quality laboratory results. The definition of quality services has been elaborated via the International Organization of Standardization (ISO).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Medical Laboratory Quality Systems and Accreditation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health laboratories are nowadays required to provide quality service, through the use of quality equipment. This process requires unremitting monitoring and frequent assessment using various evaluation tools. The World Health Organization has been a strong supporter for the execution and evaluation of quality in health laboratories. The application of Lean thinking in the health care system has been aimed at increasing efficienc y, reducing waste and enhancing a united working environment. Key words ISO – international Organization of Standardization WHO – World Health Organization Accreditation – official identification by a trustworthy body that a laboratory is proficient in conducting its operations. Lean thinking – Lean thinking is the detection and abolition of waste which allows managers to encourage precision via progressive developmentAdvertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introduction Quality management and emphasis on safety in the laboratory is an old concept. The laboratories have been observed to rely on guidance developing organizations, for aid in procedures and accreditation programs. An example of such organizations is the CLSI, formerly referred to as NCCLS. The quality of services provided by a laboratory is dependent on the quality of reagents and equi pment used, as well as the suppliers. The techniques used in quality management have been tried and tested since the period of the great depression, with major developments being noticed in Canada. This development was possible through leadership and establishment of international standards (Guarriello 1997, p 69). Method The research was based on various articles, which were selected based on a few factors. These articles used had globally identifiable effects. The material used was also appropriate, in terms of the methodology used to conduct the investigation, the number of subjects in the research, their age and gender, as well as their response rates to the survey. The literature used was mainly published literature, and academic research, obtained from on-line sources such as PubMed and Embase. The material obtained was categorized into various sections in order to highlight the problems faced by laboratory Healthcare systems, identify causes and propose remedies, based on Lea n thinking. The discussions of statistical data were beneficial in supporting the advantages of Lean thinking in diagnostic laboratories (Ben-Tovim, et al. 2008, p 29). Laboratory errors Through various studies conducted to determine the variables that affect the quality of laboratory services, some common factors were found to be the leading causes of unreliable health laboratory services. Laboratory errors were observed to be a result of understaffing, inadequate attention to detail, poor sample control, poor workload management, poor verification of results, non-validated tests, time pressures and lack of quality control and assessment. These factors were observed to collectively result on poor quality management in health laboratory (Ben-Tovim, Bassham, Bolch, Martin, Dougherty, Szwarcbord 2007, p 14).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Medical Laboratory Quality Systems and Accreditation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To resolve these issues, the first step was the creation of an agency, such as the International Society for Quality Healthcare. The next step involved the formation of a group to work with. The people necessary for such a venture include industry suppliers to provide equipment, health care providers, the public or patients, recognition agencies, EQA providers and standards development. The next and final step in the efforts to provide quality management in health laboratories was the creation of a workable system. This system comprised various elements including a clear declaration of policy, enhanced tracking of outcomes, better quality monitoring as well as better awareness of client contentment (Boaden 2006, p 461). Lean process The Lean approach originated from fields other than healthcare, though the practises could be properly incorporated into care delivery. Lean Lab involves the identification and abolition of non-value adding activities in a clinical l aboratory, based on progressive enhancement using a systematic approach. Lean lab looks at enhancing safety, improving the response to physicians and patients by enhancing flexibility, decreasing or abolishing wastages of supplies, motion and space, ensuring a steady rate of tests and specimen preparation, maximizing staff responsibilities, reducing expenses by increasing the capacity and minimizing time for analysis, and creating a position for everything, and placing everything at its rightful place (Cooper Mohabeersingh 2008, p 4). The main objective of the application of Lean in the laboratory is the delivery of quality patient laboratory results. These results should be satisfactory to the patient, produced at the lowest cost, and released within the shortest time. Lean looks at process reorganization, change in process management while observing redundant motion, recognizing waste and acknowledging the patient’s view of quality care (Kelly, Bryant, Cox, Jolley 2007, p 18). Lean principles Based on the application of Lean to the clinical laboratory, there were five Lean principles observed. The first principle is value, as perceived by the patient. Value refers to the features that the client pays for, including attention given, quality of service and fast service delivery.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second principle is value stream. This implies looking at the individual processes for providing medical care and identifying and removing any wastage. The third principle is flow, which implies the uninterrupted provision of a service, in value-adding steps. The fourth principle is pull, which is beneficial in helping to identify any cause of action, for smooth running of the processes. The final principle is continuous improvement, which places various features under scrutiny, including time, resources and information, necessary to provide quality service to the client (King, Ben-Tovim, Bassham 2006, p 396). Lean principles are meant to increase quality, capacity, efficiency and throughput. Concurrently, they should result in reduced cost, inventory, space and time, which are seen in the name given to the process. Other terms used to refer to the Lean process are Business Process Redesign and Operational Effectiveness. Lean practises incorporate various levels of execution th at focus on the client’s treatment progress, the tasks involved in the process and the implementation of tactical operations. Every operation of patient care from admission and diagnosis to discharge requires a good design of the processes, including the expected involvement of various departments. The Lean principles are effective in providing the guidance to accomplish these processes correctly. The first step in the initiation of Lean projects on medical laboratories is the observation of processes, with a view to identifying any wasteful processes (Long 2003, p 54). Wasteful processes in laboratories There is a lot of wastage in waiting for materials, equipment, information and people in laboratory processes, while in preparation. This kind of wastage can be attributed to equipment problems or the push system, where delays can be observed when waiting for the system to be back up, or waiting for samples in a batch to complete testing. There is also a lot of wastage in the transportation of material or relaying information that has no additional value. The main causes of this are large batches and inefficient workplace layout. Examples of wastage in transportation include moving patients for testing and transferring files and samples between different parties. Over processing of client data also occurs when visual controls are unavailable. This results in redundant approvals, excess paperwork, unnecessary tests and repetitive data entries. Inventories can also be wasteful when the information available is more than what is needed. This can be caused by re-stocks and re-orders that are not based on consumption. Examples of this kind of wastage include lab supplies, unused records in the database, paperwork in progress and specimens waiting analysis (Mitchell, 2006). Wastages in laboratories can also be observed in the movement of people that does not add value to the quality of service provided to a client. Wasteful movement can be a result of ill-pla nned work areas and non-ergonomic work cell design, leading to time wastage when gathering tools, handling paperwork and finding supplies. Defective work that contains errors or many mistakes due to poor maintenance of equipment or inaccuracies and omissions in the information provided leads to wastages. Examples of defective work include errors in data entry, wrongful matching of test results and patients and revision of results that compromises the integrity of the samples. Overproduction refers to the generation of excess information that is not necessary to administer the treatment. Re-prioritization also leads to wastages. This is observed when the tech is interrupted when performing one task, and shifts to another task before completing the previous one. This is common practise when troubleshooting, or in the occurrence of sudden equipment failure. A common type of wastage that can be blamed on the management is mis-utilization of skills. This can be a result of understaffing, which leads to lack of improvement in the various processes (Mitchell, 2006). The current system needs to be scrutinized after identifying the wastages in the laboratory process. This process involves following a patient or a sample through the whole treatment process, from examinations to discharge. The people in each work station are also examined, with a view to identifying where value for the patient is created. Through these studies, wastes can be exposed and documented, by analyzing the time spent in each of the processes. This is a tiring step that is necessary and effective. The third step requires the administration to imagine the future without the wastages. This is a key step in the application of Lean principles as it affects the implementation based on morale and vision (Young McClean 2008, p 384). Typical Lean projects The first step requires the formation of a laboratory team, comprising a supervisor, a lead tech, a skilled Lean leader and a few more people. Adminis trative support is necessary from the beginning of the project. There is a process matrix to guide the team members. It contains the major performance indicators and baseline measurements. The team members are trained in Lean thinking, and are progressively informed on the other Lean tools like the flow layout and change management. The process involves mapping the present stage, documenting an ideal state in the future and planning an implementation strategy. Execution of the strategy requires regular re-examining of the process (Young McClean 2008, p 386). Common Lean tools There are some Lean tools that are ever in use, in the laboratory environment. These include simulation, cellular organization, standard work and quality monitoring and work in progress management. Cellular organization refers to physical layout. Lean thinking reduces time wastage by ensuring that many processes are brought closer together to reduce on wastages associated with handing duties over, or work batc hing. This is made possible by reducing batching and hand-over points. Work in progress control is also referred to as value stream mapping. This involves following a process from the time it begins till the end, with a view to identifying any wastes. This strategy looks at value adding activities and non value adding activities, in order to reduce the turnaround time (Boaden 2006, p 466). Quality monitoring involves the investigation of processes to identify working strategies, and the need for change. In the event that changes are made, evaluations are made to ensure considerable similarity to the right way of operation. Changes should be implemented with the aid of training guides. Videos and photos are taken to ensure that variations in the quality of service are identifiable by every person. Improvements can be made once the work has been standardized. Process simulation involves the creation of a virtual model of a laboratory or process. This is beneficial in that it allows te sting without interfering with the ongoing activities. This Lean tool is very effective in understanding the system, as it helps in choosing the most suitable alternative, based on process and staffing alterations (Boaden 2006, p 469). Conclusion The application of Lean methodology in the current healthcare environment is necessary due to the increasing population, leading to the requirement for more space in the laboratories. At the same time, the methodology helps to solve the problem of inadequate skilled professionals, by attempting to meet the high expectations set by the clients. Lean projects have led to smaller batch sizes, better scheduling of samples to staffing schedules, standardization of work processes, better operational tracking management and mistake-proofing to minimize faults resulting from human error (Cooper Mohabeersingh 2008, p 8). References Ben-Tovim, D. I., Bassham, J. E., Bennett, D. M., Dougherty, M. L., Martin, M. A., O’Neill, S. J., et al. (2008 ). Redesigning care at the Flinders Medical Centre: clinical process redesign using ‘lean thinking’. Med J Aust , 188(6 Suppl), pp 27-31. Ben-Tovim, D. I., Bassham, J. E., Bolch, D., Martin, M. A., Dougherty, M., Szwarcbord, M. (2007,). Lean thinking across a hospital: redesigning care at the Flinders Medical Centre. Aust Health Rev , 31, pp 10-15. Boaden, R. (2006). Quality improvement in healthcare. In: Walshe K, Smith J (eds.). Healthcare Management, pp 454-478. Cooper, R. G., Mohabeersingh, C. (2008). Lean thinking for medical practices. JPCCR , 2(1), pp 1-10. Guarriello, M. L. (1997). Just-in-time in the infrastructure. Hosp Mater Manage Q , 19, pp 68-72. Kelly, A. M., Bryant, M., Cox, L., Jolley, D. (2007,). Improving emergency department effi ciency by patient streaming to outcomes-based teams. Aust Health Rev , 31, pp 16-21. King, D. L., Ben-Tovim, D. I., Bassham, J. (2006). Redesigning emergency department patient flows: application of Lean Thinking to heal th care. Emerg Med Australas , 18, pp 391-397. Long, J. C. (2003). Healthcare Lean. Mich Health Hosp , 39, pp 54-55. Mitchell, J. D. (2006). Lean thinking for the NHS. London: NHS Confederation. Young, T. P., McClean, S. I. (2008). A critical look at Lean Thinking in healthcare. Qual Safe Health Care , 17(5), pp 382-386. 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