Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected older adults and residents in nursing homes. Although emerging research has identified place-based risk factors for the general population, little research has been conducted for nursing home populations. This GIS-based spatial modeling study aimed to determine the association between nursing home-level metrics and county-level, place-based variables with COVID-19 confirmed cases in nursing homes across the United States. A cross-sectional research design linked data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, American Community Survey, the 2010 Census, and COVID-19 cases among the general population and nursing homes. Spatial cluster analysis identified specific regions with statistically higher COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents. Multivariate analysis identified risk factors at the nursing home level including, total count of fines, total staffing levels, and LPN staffing levels. County-level or place-based factors like per-capita income, average household size, population density, and minority composition were significant predictors of COVID-19 cases in the nursing home. These results provide a framework for examining further COVID-19 cases in nursing homes and highlight the need to include other community-level variables when considering risk of COVID-19 transmission and outbreaks in nursing homes.

Virtual communities include everything from discussion boards to massive multiplayer online role-playing games and virtual realities such as Second Life. The business world has assumed that virtual communities can be leveraged to provide access to consumers and consumer data. The benefits of this assumption have not always been realized. The purpose of this article is to understand why some business ventures into virtual communities fail and others succeed. Why do virtual communities support certain types of business activities and not others? Which firm activities are the best candidates to benefit from being positioned in virtual communities? The theories of social contracts and trust explain how firms can successfully participate in virtual communities. The theories have implications in the context of transaction-oriented, interestoriented, relationship-oriented, and fantasy-oriented communities. The value chain provides an instructive background to understand which firm activities are candidates for being included in virtual communities. Success in virtual communities depends on an attitude of contribution, dedication of resources, building a critical mass, and matching community and business needs. Because many social technologies are in the disillusionment stage of the hype cycle, further research in the business use of virtual communities is needed to guide business practices as we move to full adoption.

Health information technology (IT) is regarded as an essential tool to improve patient safety, and a range of initiatives to address patient safety are under way. Using data from a comprehensive, national survey from HIMSS Analytics, we analyzed the extent of health IT adoption for medication safety in U.S. hospitals in 2006. Our findings indicate wide variation in health IT adoption by type of technology and geographic location. Hospital size, ownership, teaching status, system membership, payer mix, and accreditation status are associated with health IT adoption, although these relationships differ by type of technology. Hospitals in states with patient safety initiatives have greater adoption rates.

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Efforts to retain nurses should include matching nurse and organizational values. Initiatives need to be undertaken to increase professional autonomy and provide opportunities for the expression of altruism. Further research is indicated to investigate the unexpected result that highly altruistic nurses are leaving the profession.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to lay out the data competence maturity model (DCMM) and discuss how the application of the model can serve as a foundation for a measured and deliberate use of data in secondary education. Design/methodology/approach Although the model is new, its implications, and its application are derived from key findings and best practices from the software development, data analytics and secondary education performance literature. These principles can guide educators to better manage student and operational outcomes. This work builds and applies the DCMM model to secondary education. Findings The conceptual model reveals significant opportunities to improve data-driven decision making in schools and local education agencies (LEAs). Moving past the first and second stages of the data competency maturity model should allow educators to better incorporate data into the regular decision-making process. Practical implications Moving up the DCMM to better integrate data into their decision-making process has the potential to produce profound improvements for schools and LEAs. Data science is about making better decisions. Understanding the path laid out in the DCMM to helping an organization move to a more mature data-driven decision-making process will help improve both student and operational outcomes. Originality/value This paper brings a new concept, the DCMM, to the educational literature and discusses how these principles can be applied to improve decision making by integrating them into their decision-making process and trying to help the organization mature within this framework.

We assess the impact of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems usage on cost and process quality in the medication management process. Data are compiled from 1,014 U.S. acute-care hospitals that have already implemented CPOE. Data sources include the American Hospital Association, HIMSS Analytics, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We examine the association of CPOE usage with nursing and pharmacy salary costs, and evidence-based medication process compliance. Empirical findings controlling for endogeneity in usage show that benefits accrue even when 100 percent usage is not achieved. We demonstrate that the relationship of CPOE usage with cost and compliance is non-linear.