The state of the art in clinical knowledge management: An inventory of tools and techniques

Purpose To explore the need for, and use of, high-quality, collaborative, clinical knowledge management (CKM) tools and techniques to manage clinical decision support (CDS) content. Methods In order to better understand the current state of the art in CKM, we developed a survey of potential CKM tools and techniques. We conducted an exploratory study by querying a convenience sample of respondents about their use of specific practices in CKM. Results The following tools and techniques should be priorities in organizations interested in developing successful computer-based provider order entry (CPOE) and CDS implementations: (1) a multidisciplinary team responsible for creating and maintaining the clinical content; (2) an external organizational repository of clinical content with web-based viewer that allows anyone in the organization to review it; (3) an online, collaborative, interactive, Internet-based tool to facilitate content development; (4) an enterprise-wide tool to maintain the controlled clinical terminology concepts. Even organizations that have been successfully using computer-based provider order entry with advanced clinical decision support features for well over 15 years are not using all of the CKM tools or practices that we identified. Conclusions If we are to further stimulate progress in the area of clinical decision support, we must continue to develop and refine our understanding and use of advanced CKM capabilities

Developing a Framework for Creating mHealth Surveys

Various issues in the design of surveys for mobile health (mHealth) research projects yet exist. As mHealth solutions become more popular, new issues are brought into consideration. Researchers need to collect some critical information from participants in these mHealth studies. These mHealth studies require a specialized framework to create surveys, track progress and analyze user data. In these procedures, mHealth’s needs differ from other studies. Therefore, there has to be a new framework that satisfies needs of mHealth research studies. Although there are studies for creating efficient, robust and user-friendly surveys, there is no solution or study, which is specialized in mHealth area and solves specific problems of mHealth research studies. mHealth research studies sometimes require real-time access to user data. Reward systems may play a key role in their study. Most importantly, storing user information securely plays a key role in these studies. There is no such solution or study, which covers all these areas. In this thesis, we present guidelines for developing a framework for creating mHealth surveys. In doing this, we hope that we propose a solution for problems of creating and using of surveys in mHealth studies

Creating a Support System for Online Graduate Students Learning New Software

This poster outlines strategies for creating a support system for online graduate students learning new software. The Northcentral University (NCU) Library is a 100 percent online library providing services and delivering resources to students in a remote context. According to university facts and figures, approximately 98 percent of students are enrolled in a graduate program and nearly 69 percent of those students are pursuing a doctoral degree. In May 2019, a reference and instruction librarian developed a program to support graduate students learning how to use ProQuest RefWorks, a web-based research management tool. Elements of the program include synchronous options and asynchronous alternatives for users seeking training on the effective use of the tool. These elements can be broadly applied to other learning situations and can form a baseline for promoting guidance on a new subject or learning about a new application. Synchronous training options in the form of weekly workshops, one-on-one appointments, live help support through phone and chat reference, and virtual study halls are discussed. Since launching live library workshops on RefWorks, more than 550 users have attended a session. Users can register for sessions on the NCU Library’s events page and workshops are facilitated through Zoom conferencing software. For more in-depth, personalized support on RefWorks, students can request a one-on-one appointment with a librarian. This appointment service allows users to share their screens and engage with the tool using a hands-on approach. Over 50 students have requested a one-on-one session for additional support following attendance at a live workshop. General guidance on using the tool is provided through chat and phone reference services, but users with questions requiring extensive help are referred to other resources. Virtual study halls are live, 2-hour study sessions hosted through Zoom where users can join at any time to ask any library-related questions and receive support. Asynchronous training alternatives in the form of recorded video tutorials, library guides, and frequently asked questions are described. To accommodate the learning needs of users who cannot make a live session, a recorded video tutorial provides a self-paced learning alternative that users can review. The original recorded video tutorial created for RefWorks amassed over 9,000 views on YouTube. A dedicated library guide with content, handouts, and information about the tool is maintained and serves as a resource that is available 24/7. Users can also search a knowledge base of frequently asked questions related to using the tool. Library staff can create a thorough training program with these diverse support offerings

Co-authorship in the age of cyberculture: Open Educational Resources at the Open University of the United Kingdom

Locating Open Educational Resources (OER) as a phenomenon of cyberculture, this paper presents a reflection on the possibilities of co-authorship that are entailed in OER initiatives of different natures and settings within a large organisation. A selection of OER-related projects and activities carried out at the Open University of United Kingdom (UKOU) are examined from the perspective of a comparative framework proposed by Okada (2010). The framework identifies key features and differences between ‘Closed’ and ‘Open’ Education, that is, respectively, formal education, which takes place within the constraints of institutional Virtual Learning Environments, and informal education, which is gradually taking place more widely in cyberspace. The paper is introduced with a succinct discussion of the connection between cyberculture and the emergence of OER, followed by a presentation of the comparative framework adopted. The UKOU´s structure and methods are then presented, and various projects are discussed. The article concludes by proposing a brief commentary on the creative potential that is being unleashed at the very boundaries between formal and informal educational spaces that cyberculture is challenging

The use of Wikis in Education - a review of the literature

This paper reviews the literature surrounding the use of Web 2.0 in education. It examines various perspectives of what Web 2.0 means, and how Web 2.0 can support a constructivist pedagogy. Case studies involving Wikis are examined and the problems experienced are considered from both a technological and a group-working perspective. The paper concludes that although Wikis have the potential to support social-constructivism the differences between artificially constructed learning groups (formal learning) and self-forming and emergent social groups (informal learning) result in a requirement for greater attention to the theories on group working when creating group tasks using Wikis for learning purposes. Wikis are a tool and do not, by themselves, result in satisfactory collaborationPeer reviewe

The Web 2.0 as Marketing Tool: Opportunities for SMEs

The new generation of Internet applications widely known as Social Media or Web 2.0 offers corporations a whole range of opportunities for improving their marketing efficiency and internal operations. Web 2.0 applications have already become part of the daily life of an increasing number of consumers who regard them as prime channels of communication, information exchange, sharing of expertise, dissemination of individual creativity and entertainment. Web logs, podcasts, online forums and social networks are rapidly becoming major sources of customer information and influence while the effectiveness of traditional mass media is rapidly decreasing. Using the social media as a marketing tool is an issue attracting increasing attention. The hitherto experience is that large public corporations are more likely to make use of such instruments as part of their marketing and internal operations (McKinsey, 2007).The paper defines the Web 2.0 phenomenon and based on the experience of large corporations examines how SMEs could engage the various Web 2.0 instruments in order to efficiently market their products, improve customer relations, increase customer retention and enhance internal operations

Courseware in academic library user education: A literature review from the GAELS Joint Electronic Library Project

The use of courseware for information skills teaching in academic libraries has been growing for a number of years. In order to create effective courseware packages to support joint electronic library activity at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, the GAELS project conducted a literature review of the subject. This review discovered a range of factors common to successful library courseware implementations, such as the need for practitioners to feel a sense of ownership of the medium, a need for courseware customization to local information environments, and an emphasis on training packages for large bodies of undergraduates. However, we also noted underdeveloped aspects worthy of further attention, such as treatment of pedagogic issues in library computer‐aided learning (CAL) implementations and use of hypertextual learning materials for more advanced information skills training. We describe how these findings shaped the packages produced by the project and suggest ways forward for similar types of implementation

DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDICAL STAFF RECRUITMENT SYSTEM FOR TEACHING HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA

Recruitment of staff into teaching hospitals in Nigeria, acts as the first step towards creating competitive strength and strategic advantage for such institutions. However, one of the major problems associated with these institutions in the South Western part of Nigeria is their mode of staff recruitment. In this research paper, we developed a suitable staff recruitment system for some health institutions in Nigeria, focusing specifically on some teaching hospitals. Three teaching hospitals in south west Nigeria, were visited and relevant information was collated through personal interviews and questionnaires administration to the staff of Human Resource Departments and other relevant health professionals of these teaching hospitals. The design and development of the system employs 3-tier web architecture. System design of the staff recruitment system consisted of design activities that produce system specifications satisfying the functional requirements that were developed in the system analysis process. A formal model of the staff recruitment system was built using Unified Modeling Language (UML). The UML, as a modeling system, which provides a set of conventions that were used to describe the software system in terms of objects, offers diagrams that provide different perspective views of the system parts. The Web-based Medical Recruitment System (WBMRS) was designed to be user friendly and it is easy to navigate