Strategies to Expand the U.S. Automated External Defibrillator Market

Despite defibrillation as the only effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), less than 15% of homes and public facilities have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). In the United States, ineffective response to SCA cases occurring each year classifies it as a business problem for medical device manufacturing leaders, emergency responders, and bystanders. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the marketing strategies AED manufacturing leaders use to expand their consumer customer base. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of participants from 2 U.S. AED manufacturers on the east coast, 2 AED distributors, and 2 healthcare corporations in Texas, as well as a review of company materials. The framework for this study was product life cycle theory. Initial findings for expanding the U.S. AED market indicated that the market was not led by its manufacturers but by its distributors. This finding became an important theme noted from AED manufacturers in considering the consumer segment, an aftermarket from commercial marketing strategies. A common concern for the security of strategic marketing was evident across the AED manufacturer participants with reluctance to discuss business models and marketing plans. A congruent theme was the curtailment of open discussions regarding AED marketing strategies because of security and confidentiality risk. Also, limited number of approved AED manufacturers by the Federal Drug Administration minimizes AED access. Residual outcomes include improving the quality of life for the aging population while reducing the loss of the lives and costs of healthcare. Social implications include preventing sudden cardiac death by providing more accessibility of AEDs to baby boomers

Toward a process theory of entrepreneurship: revisiting opportunity identification and entrepreneurial actions

This dissertation studies the early development of new ventures and small business and the entrepreneurship process from initial ideas to viable ventures. I unpack the micro-foundations of entrepreneurial actions and new ventures’ investor communications through quality signals to finance their growth path. This dissertation includes two qualitative papers and one quantitative study. The qualitative papers employ an inductive multiple-case approach and include seven medical equipment manufacturers (new ventures) in a nascent market context (the mobile health industry) across six U.S. states and a secondary data analysis to understand the emergence of opportunities and the early development of new ventures. The quantitative research chapter includes 770 IPOs in the manufacturing industries in the U.S. and investigates the legitimation strategies of young ventures to gain resources from targeted resource-holders.Open Acces

Proceedings, MSVSCC 2011

Proceedings of the 5th Annual Modeling, Simulation & Visualization Student Capstone Conference held on April 14, 2011 at VMASC in Suffolk, Virginia. 186 pp

Studying health-related internet and mobile device use using web logs and smartphone records

Many people use the internet to seek information that will help them understand their body and their health. Motivations for such behaviors are numerous. For example, users may wish to figure out a medical condition by searching for symptoms they experience. Similarly, they may seek more information on how to treat conditions they have been diagnosed with or seek resources on how to live a healthy life. With the ubiquitous availability of the internet, searching and finding relevant information is easier than ever before and a widespread phenomenon. To understand how people use the internet for health-related information, we use data from a sample of 1,959 internet users. A unique combination of data containing four months of users' browsing histories and mobile application use on computers and mobile devices allows us to study which health websites they visited, what information they searched for and which health applications they used. Survey data inform us about users' socio-demographic background, medical conditions and other health-related behaviors. Results show that women, young users, users with a university education and nonsmokers are most likely to use the internet and mobile applications for health-related purposes. On search engines, internet users most frequently search for pharmacies, symptoms of medical conditions and pain. Moreover, users seem most interested in information on how to live a healthy life, alternative medicine, mental health and women's health. With this study, we extend the field's understanding of who seeks and consumes health information online, what users look for as well as how individuals use mobile applications to monitor their health. Moreover, we contribute to methodological research by exploring new sources of data for understanding humans, their preferences and behaviors

“WHAT’S WITH WHAT’S HER NAME? SIRI, CALL SO AND SO… CAN’T YOU USE YOUR OWN HANDS!?” OLDER ADULT PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLES COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLAY IN THEIR AGING EXPERIENCES

Information and resources are needed to promote quality of life and access to health resources for older adults. Physical activity is an effective health prevention strategy that can help increase older adult life satisfaction and maintain functional ability. Communication technologies like the Internet and smartphone are also useful tools that provide older adults needed resources to stay educated and engaged in healthy aging. This study investigated older adult perceptions of aging, communication technology, and physical activity for older adults. Literature on theories of aging, physical activity strategies, behavior change, and technology use was gathered to understand how these concepts contribute to healthy aging. A mixed methods research design was used to understand older adult perceptions on aging, technology and physical activity. Constructivist Grounded Theory and Constant Comparative Analysis were used to qualitatively analyze interview and focus group transcripts for emergent themes on these topics. Hierarchical logistic and multiple regressions were used to quantitatively test the relationships between attitudes toward aging and technology beliefs, technology ownership/use and physical activity self-efficacy. Aging was found to be a time of a change that necessitated acceptance and adjustment to the declines associated with aging. Older adults in this study balanced their concern for the harms of the Internet and smartphones with the benefits these technologies offer. Participants were concerned about the ways communication technology may harm human interactions, but these older adults also admitted to the benefits of using these technologies to communicate with family and search for health information online. Also, physical activity was an important strategy participants used to maintain health and have control over their aging experiences. Attitudes toward aging were found to predict smartphone ownership in older adults, though this relationship was weak. The findings argue that society has something to learn from older adults’ balanced and mindful use of communication technology. This study also argues a sense of control in aging experiences may influence older adult physical activity self-efficacy. More research is needed to understand the complex role aging perceptions play in older adult physical activity and older adult use of technology for health purposes

Journal of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume 4, 2021

This is the complete volume 4 of the Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Wearable technology industry: challenges and opportunties in the European market

Wearable technology is a new industry which is develop. Smartwatches, activity trackers are done explains of these devices. In this new field, fashion and technology work together to create successful products with limitless function

Mobilizing medicine: a design response to the accessibility and cost issues in health care

textNationally, there is increasing concern over the accessibility, cost, and quality of the American health care system. While the quality of the care given is generally out of the control of designers, it has received increased attention in recent years, as is evidenced in the trends of healing gardens, private patient rooms, and improved social settings. As beneficial as these trends are to the patients they serve, they often have a negative effect on overall accessibility and cost of care due to the constant construction and renovations needed and their largely urban presence. While quality health care is very important and should not suffer as a result, how can designers address nonenvironmental sustainability issues of cost and access in the American healthcare system? Due to the trend in increasing cases of chronic illness, as opposed to more pathogenic ailments of the past, the necessity for all healthcare settings to be highly controlled and sterile environments should be reevaluated. While less popular and not as fully developed as the typical facilities most Americans are familiar with, an increase in mobilized health care units could be a solution to the lack of economic and social access and sustainability in the current healthcare model while still providing safe, quality care. By examining current instances of mobile clinics, I will explore the design requirements necessary to make mobile clinics accessible and cost effective. In addition, I will look for facilitators and barriers to these systems, such as improvements in mobile communication technologies and lack of stakeholder support.Architectur