Nurses’ Learning and Conceptualization of Technology used in Practice

How nurses conceptualize and learn about health technology used in practice was examined in this qualitative, interpretive-descriptive study. Traditionally, conceptualizations of technology used in the nursing profession have been viewed from either socially- or technically- centric perspectives that have clouded the real nature of nurse-technology interactions. For instance, current perspectives examining nurses’ use of technology typically ignore or minimize socio-technical considerations impacting technology acceptance and adoption by nurses. A research approach that embraced the mingling of social and material (sociomaterial) actors was used to address the following research questions: (a) How do nurses conceptualize health technology used in practice?, and, (b) How do nurses learn about health technology used in practice? The theoretical lens of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) provided the overall perspective and guided elements of data collection and analysis. ANT is aligned to a relational ontology, whereby both human and non-human participants (or actors) are viewed in symmetry (or as equals) during data analysis. Privilege during the analysis was, therefore, not automatically prescribed to either the human or non-human actors. Interviews, documents, and direct observation of nurses constituted the majority of the data collected for this study. Using an iterative data analysis process, themes were generated related to nurses’ conceptualization of and learning about technology used in practice. Technology was conceptualized by nurses to possess variation in naming, roles, and also engendered notions of action or praxis. Learning technology by nurses possessed elements resembling both processes and products. From these learning processes and products, salient strategies (e.g., indispensability, semblance, habituation) were developed by nurses in order to negotiate and use various health technologies for practice. Ultimately, learning of health technology by nurses appeared to actively influence, modify, and shape the role of health technology, and its subsequent use by human actors. Therefore, how nurses learn about technology should be considered during the planning, development, and evaluation of future technologies. End-users, like nurses, will rarely use a health technology to its fullest capability unless learning is congruent with the environmental context surrounding the technological actor. In light of these findings, recommendations for nursing education and professional practice related to the role and interpretation of health technology used by nurses in 2013 is also discussed, along with implications for future research

Comparing the Usability of Apple and Palm Handheld Computing Devices among Physicians: A Randomized Crossover Study

Physicians' use of handheld computers is increasing, but still incomplete. Device usability is a commonly cited adoption barrier. This study explores physicians' usability evaluations and adoption preferences for handheld computers. We conducted a randomized crossover study to compare the Apple iPod Touch and Palm Tungsten C. The study was conducted in a laboratory setting with 23 internal medicine resident physicians from Duke Medical Center. Participants used each device to respond to clinical questions based on hypothetical cases and completed a survey based on the extended Technology Acceptance Model. The iPod Touch had significantly higher ratings than the Tungsten C for perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, subjective norm, image, and intention to use. Perceived ease of use was an important determinant of participants' intention to use handheld computers. Improving ease of use may encourage handheld computer adoption among physicians

Factors Affecting the Implementation of Electronic Medical Records Systems (EMRs) in Jordanian Hospitals

An Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) is an application that enables access and retrieval of a patient's medical history. Currently EMRS implementation does not encompass more than 50% of the hospitals in Jordan, and limited research has been done in Jordan to identify the main factors affecting the implementation of EMRS. The aim of this study is to explore the factors that affect the EMRS implementation in Jordanian hospitals. A conceptual model, adapted from Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), was built to relate Organizational Factors (OF) and Individual Characteristic Factors (ICF) to EMRS implementation in Jordanian hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data from healthcare professionals in two major hospitals that have full implementation of EMRS. Findings indicated that OF has significant relationships with Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU), ICF has significant relationships with PEOU, User-Patient relationship has significant relationships with PU with exception of User Autonomy, PEOU has a significant effects with PU, PU has significant relationship with Attitude Toward Using (ATU) exception of PEOU, and ATU has a significant relationship with Behavioural Intention to Use. The finding of this study has led to the enhancement of the theoretical knowledge of TAM'S application in the health informatics domain. This study has extended the current model comprising PEOU and PU, by adding the OF and ICF. Consequently, the findings can assist decision makers in formulating EMRS implementation strategies in Jordan

The Empirical Foundations of Teleradiology and Related Applications: A Review of the Evidence

Introduction: Radiology was founded on a technological discovery by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. Teleradiology also had its roots in technology dating back to 1947 with the successful transmission of radiographic images through telephone lines. Diagnostic radiology has become the eye of medicine in terms of diagnosing and treating injury and disease. This article documents the empirical foundations of teleradiology. Methods: A selective review of the credible literature during the past decade (2005?2015) was conducted, using robust research design and adequate sample size as criteria for inclusion. Findings: The evidence regarding feasibility of teleradiology and related information technology applications has been well documented for several decades. The majority of studies focused on intermediate outcomes, as indicated by comparability between teleradiology and conventional radiology. A consistent trend of concordance between the two modalities was observed in terms of diagnostic accuracy and reliability. Additional benefits include reductions in patient transfer, rehospitalization, and length of stay.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140295/1/tmj.2016.0149.pd

Mobile Health Technologies

Mobile Health Technologies, also known as mHealth technologies, have emerged, amongst healthcare providers, as the ultimate Technologies-of-Choice for the 21st century in delivering not only transformative change in healthcare delivery, but also critical health information to different communities of practice in integrated healthcare information systems. mHealth technologies nurture seamless platforms and pragmatic tools for managing pertinent health information across the continuum of different healthcare providers. mHealth technologies commonly utilize mobile medical devices, monitoring and wireless devices, and/or telemedicine in healthcare delivery and health research. Today, mHealth technologies provide opportunities to record and monitor conditions of patients with chronic diseases such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and diabetes mellitus. The intent of this book is to enlighten readers about the theories and applications of mHealth technologies in the healthcare domain

Factors Influencing Surgeon Adoption of Technology in the Medical Device Industry

The medical device industry can be quite competitive, and companies that succeed tend to provide innovative solutions that are adopted by surgeons for clinical use in surgery. However, successful clinical adoption of technology is often problematic for some companies, and this research aims to determine which behavioral factors influence surgeon adoption of technology in the medical device industry. This empirical investigation uses the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) to test the relationships between technology acceptance and variables that impact surgeon behavior. This research examines spine surgeons’ adoption of 3D-printed implants used in surgery, and the results suggest that subjective norms, job relevance, and output quality represent predictors of a positive intention to use technology, which denotes a positive influence on technology adoption. Environmental and economic hospital factors have a moderating effect on the relationship between intention to use and 3D-printed implant adoption. These results contribute to research by extending the framework of the TAM2 to clinical adoption while testing for additional factors that have not historically been measured. The results also provide practitioners with insights to create marketing campaigns to address the behavior variables that influence surgeon adoption of technology