Search Results (4)

(1) Background: The aim of the paper is to identify and assess if there are differences concerning the cash conversion cycle (CCC) according to different types of ownership authority of hospitals. The main research hypothesis developed for the purpose of this study assumes that the ownership authority is of great importance for the short-term financial management analyzed through the prism of the cash conversion cycle in hospitals. (2) Methods: A statistical hypothesis testing method is employed in the empirical part of the study, analyzing differences both in the values of the cash conversion cycle itself as well as in the values of its components, i.e., inventory conversion period, receivables conversion period, and payables conversion period. The research sample consists of public hospitals subordinated to different types of ownership authorities, i.e., provinces and counties. (3) Results: It turns out that there are indeed statistically significant differences between the provincial and county hospitals as far as the cash conversion cycle and its components are analyzed, which supports the research hypothesis. (4) Conclusions: The county hospitals are characterized by a better financial situation as compared to their provincial counterparts concerning CCC management. Full article

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiology, pattern of injury and management of facial dog bite injuries. Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study over a 5-year period of patients who sustained a facial dog bite injury. The study setting was an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at a level 1 trauma centre, servicing an estimated catchment population in excess of 950,000 people. Results: In total, 171 patients were managed in the designated period from January 2017 to January 2022. The median age was 9 years (range 11 months to 77 years), with the highest incidence of a single age 4 years. The frequency was slightly greater amongst males (n = 93) than females (n = 78). The most common responsible breed were Pitbull types (n = 26). Overall, bites most often resulted from the family dog (n = 87), in the victim’s own home (n = 84) and whilst playing with the dog (n = 64). The primary sites involved were the lips (n = 70), cheek (n = 53) and nose, representing the so called ‘target area’. In 53 cases, the injuries were classified as severe. 138 patients required hospital admission, and of these, 130 required surgical management under general anaesthesia. Conclusions: Facial dog bite injuries present a significant burden on the healthcare system and result in physical, functional and/or emotional distress for the patient. As the rates of dog ownership continue to rise, a consequential increase in these injuries is also likely. Further, public health intervention is essential, particularly as the most susceptible demographic remains young male children. Keywords Full article

Malone Dies (1956) by Samuel Beckett and Chambre simple (2018) by Jérôme Lambert present the narratives of precarity in the clinical setting, wherein the clinical caregivers view the suffering of the patients as a spectacle and chart out pre(script)ions and pro(script)ions for them. Both novels open on a note of uncertainty. This paper examines the narratives of fear and anxiety of the institutionalized patients (probably) in the mental asylum in Malone Dies and the public hospital in Chambre simple. The caregivers in both novels represent the voice of medical authority who focus on cure rather than care, providing their patients food and medications or conducting tests. Hence, Malone and le Patient are compelled to develop artistic coping mechanisms of self-care, reclaiming the ownership of the self. In Malone Dies, the abatement of in-person care and the fear of spending time in isolation before death motivates Malone to devise the narratives. Malone is the sole performer and spectator of his performance of patienthood. Similarly, le Patient chooses the position of the spectator, thus turning upside down the “spectacle” of the epilepsy script, where the patient is viewed as the performer of catharsis by the clinical audience. Here, the lens of performance studies helps us understand clinical caregivers’ emphasis on preparing an illness script that governs Malone and le Patient’s script of narrative self-care. We argue that caregivers’ expectations pressurize patients with chronic conditions to implement forms of artistic self-care in clinical settings. Full article

The goal of this study is to compare the financial performance of public hospitals according to ownership and size. The study covered public hospitals in Poland and covered two hospitals types depending on their founding authority, i.e., hospitals established and financed by the Marshal’s Office (Marshal hospitals) or the City Hall (poviat-commune hospitals). The study was based on an analysis of the hospitals’ financial situation (using debt and solvency ratios) and its relationship to the founding body and size. The verification of hypotheses was carried out using the Mann–Whitney U test. The results led to the conclusion that the vast majority of public hospitals are indebted, and their ownership structure does not affect their financial condition. The study did not confirm a significant relationship between size or ownership and the financial status of the hospital. The article aims to fill the research gap regarding the debt analysis between different types of public hospitals. It also presents a new research direction aimed at finding the factors that determine the difficult financial situation of public hospitals in Poland. Full article