Public procurement is a vital part of a country’s economic system. It is also vulnerable to corruption. While public procurement is a multi-level process involving multiple organizational levels and evaluating the outcomes against corporate goals, studies on anti-corruption have focused primarily on the project level.
This study expands anti-corruption perspectives from these focal boundaries to an organizational perspective. The study examines the integrity climate of an organization, which can be used as a framework for guiding behavior and decisions in procurement. Through literature review, interaction with practitioners, and a Delphi study among anti-corruption specialists, 22 integrity climate measures were identified as determinants for the integrity climate.
A questionnaire survey is used to assess the perceived importance and level of implementation by 193 practitioners from 15 large Indian public organizations. Transparency and the role of the leader are the three most important ICMs. Multiple regression followed by factor analysis reveals four key factors: commitment to integrity, system accessibility and stakeholders’ engagement, control and oversight, and key process management.
The correlation network analysis of the two organizations reveals the synergies between the ICMs as well as the uniqueness of the organization. The integrity climate structure presented will help policymakers and practitioners identify specific actions that can be taken to improve integrity in procurement.
Although information is available, it doesn’t mean that you can use it. Health literacy is the ability to use and understand health information. Up to 61 percent of adults are not able to use or understand the information they have available. It can affect people’s ability to take responsibility for their health. This may lead to a lack of independence and autonomy and a dependence on services. Low health literacy can have a significant financial impact on healthcare systems. Some estimates place it between 3 to 5 percent of budgets. It is well known that the number of people with long-term conditions and the aging of the population has increased. Supporting people in gaining the knowledge, skills, and expertise they need to manage their health and care can alleviate some of the strain on the healthcare system.
The technology has made health information easier to access, but it could now go even further in helping those with low levels of health literacy. A new development in AI involves a class of tools known as large language models. (For example, Chat GPT). These tools can make health information more personal, understandable, and actionable. This helps patients have a better understanding of their conditions and more control over their care.
Large language models are a technology that has been quickly adopted. These tools have incredible potential once you start using them. Recent research has shown that these technologies can be used to rewrite medical consent information for a reading level of 13 from an educated starting point while keeping all essential information.
AI can also be used to rewrite the information to make it more accessible.
This technology can empower individuals by providing them with tailored health information that is based on trusted public sources and a literacy level that suits their abilities. It’s also possible to use a person’s medical record to identify the best self-care information, which could then be rewritten using AI to make it more accessible. It doesn’t have to end there. The large language models are used to create text, but they also fall under a larger category of AI called generative AI. This includes AI, which can create images, audio, and videos. By linking together several AI tools, it may be possible to generate customized content in different formats like audio or animations. All of this could help reduce literacy and numeracy obstacles to self-care. Still, it requires collective action from NHS leaders who work with patients and innovators in setting a vision and a direction for using AI to improve empowerment.