title: Implementing an event-driven service-oriented architecture in TIP

authors: Rinck, Michael

subjects: computer science

abstract: Many mobile devices have a density of services, many of which are context or location-aware. To function, many of these services have to collaborate with other services, which may be located in many different places and networks. There is often more then on service suitable for the task at hand. To decide which service to use, quality of service measurements like the accuracy or reliability of a service need to be known. Users do not want third parties to have statistics on how and where they used services. Therefore the collaboration needs to be anonymous. This project implements a model of event-based context-aware service collaboration on a publish/subscribe basis. We compare different implementation designs, with focus on anonymity and quality of service of the services.

text: Implementing an event-driven service-oriented architecture in TIP Many mobile devices have a density of services, many of which are context or location-aware. To function, many of these services have to collaborate with other services, which may be located in many different places and networks. There is often more then on service suitable for the task at hand. To decide which service to use, quality of service measurements like the accuracy or reliability of a service need to be known. Users do not want third parties to have statistics on how and where they used services. Therefore the collaboration needs to be anonymous. This project implements a model of event-based context-aware service collaboration on a publish/subscribe basis. We compare different implementation designs, with focus on anonymity and quality of service of the services.

year: 2010-06-17

title: Cup of tea to keep warm

authors: Graham, Rebekah Sarah

abstract: The way people source, prepare, and consume food is deeply interconnected with social practice. Drawing on theories of everyday life and social practice, we consider the everyday food-related practices and tactics for survival of six people experiencing homelessness. In doing so, we identify ways in which the realities of homelessness force people to conduct domestic activities in public view and discuss how the inability to engage in simple and taken-for-granted practices such as making a cup of tea is psychologically detrimental. This research documents the oft-overlooked ways that people experiencing homelessness demonstrate tenacity and resourcefulness and the agentive ways in which they respond to difficult circumstances. Our analysis broadens understanding of the disruptive mechanisms of homelessness as they pertain to food-related social practices. Additionally, we present new considerations of the ways in which people who previously experienced homelessness do their best to ‘mend’ disruptions through processes of ‘re-mooring’ and adopting tactics for survival.

text: Cup of tea to keep warm The way people source, prepare, and consume food is deeply interconnected with social practice. Drawing on theories of everyday life and social practice, we consider the everyday food-related practices and tactics for survival of six people experiencing homelessness. In doing so, we identify ways in which the realities of homelessness force people to conduct domestic activities in public view and discuss how the inability to engage in simple and taken-for-granted practices such as making a cup of tea is psychologically detrimental. This research documents the oft-overlooked ways that people experiencing homelessness demonstrate tenacity and resourcefulness and the agentive ways in which they respond to difficult circumstances. Our analysis broadens understanding of the disruptive mechanisms of homelessness as they pertain to food-related social practices. Additionally, we present new considerations of the ways in which people who previously experienced homelessness do their best to ‘mend’ disruptions through processes of ‘re-mooring’ and adopting tactics for survival.

year: 2022

title: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region

authors: Whitehead, Jesse

subjects: spatial equity

abstract: The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

text: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

year: 2020