12 research outputs found
LIPIcs, Volume 261, ICALP 2023, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 261, ICALP 2023, Complete Volum
LIPIcs, Volume 274, ESA 2023, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 274, ESA 2023, Complete Volum
LIPIcs, Volume 244, ESA 2022, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 244, ESA 2022, Complete Volum
Automated telephone communication systems for preventive healthcare and management of long-term conditions
Background
Automated telephone communication systems (ATCS) can deliver voice messages and collect health-related information from patients
using either their telephone’s touch-tone keypad or voice recognition software. ATCS can supplement or replace telephone contact
between health professionals and patients. There are four different types of ATCS: unidirectional (one-way, non-interactive voice
communication), interactive voice response (IVR) systems, ATCS with additional functions such as access to an expert to request advice
(ATCS Plus) and multimodal ATCS, where the calls are delivered as part of a multicomponent intervention.
Objectives
To assess the effects of ATCS for preventing disease and managing long-term conditions on behavioural change, clinical, process,
cognitive, patient-centred and adverse outcomes.
Search methods
We searched 10 electronic databases (the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; MEDLINE; Embase; PsycINFO; CINAHL;
Global Health; WHOLIS; LILACS; Web of Science; and ASSIA); three grey literature sources (Dissertation Abstracts, Index to Theses,
Australasian Digital Theses); and two trial registries (www.controlled-trials.com; www.clinicaltrials.gov) for papers published between
1980 and June 2015.
Selection criteria
Randomised, cluster- and quasi-randomised trials, interrupted time series and controlled before-and-after studies comparing ATCS
interventions, with any control or another ATCS type were eligible for inclusion. Studies in all settings, for all consumers/carers, in any
preventive healthcare or long term condition management role were eligible.
Data collection and analysis
We used standard Cochrane methods to select and extract data and to appraise eligible studies.
Main results
We included 132 trials (N = 4,669,689). Studies spanned across several clinical areas, assessing many comparisons based on evaluation
of different ATCS types and variable comparison groups. Forty-one studies evaluated ATCS for delivering preventive healthcare, 84 for
managing long-term conditions, and seven studies for appointment reminders. We downgraded our certainty in the evidence primarily
because of the risk of bias for many outcomes. We judged the risk of bias arising from allocation processes to be low for just over half
the studies and unclear for the remainder. We considered most studies to be at unclear risk of performance or detection bias due to
blinding, while only 16% of studies were at low risk. We generally judged the risk of bias due to missing data and selective outcome
reporting to be unclear.
For preventive healthcare, ATCS (ATCS Plus, IVR, unidirectional) probably increase immunisation uptake in children (risk ratio (RR)
1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18 to 1.32; 5 studies, N = 10,454; moderate certainty) and to a lesser extent in adolescents (RR
1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11; 2 studies, N = 5725; moderate certainty). The effects of ATCS in adults are unclear (RR 2.18, 95% CI
0.53 to 9.02; 2 studies, N = 1743; very low certainty).
For screening, multimodal ATCS increase uptake of screening for breast cancer (RR 2.17, 95% CI 1.55 to 3.04; 2 studies, N = 462;
high certainty) and colorectal cancer (CRC) (RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.88 to 2.55; 3 studies, N = 1013; high certainty) versus usual care.
It may also increase osteoporosis screening. ATCS Plus interventions probably slightly increase cervical cancer screening (moderate
certainty), but effects on osteoporosis screening are uncertain. IVR systems probably increase CRC screening at 6 months (RR 1.36,
95% CI 1.25 to 1.48; 2 studies, N = 16,915; moderate certainty) but not at 9 to 12 months, with probably little or no effect of IVR
(RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.99, 1.11; 2 studies, 2599 participants; moderate certainty) or unidirectional ATCS on breast cancer screening.
Appointment reminders delivered through IVR or unidirectional ATCS may improve attendance rates compared with no calls (low
certainty). For long-term management, medication or laboratory test adherence provided the most general evidence across conditions
(25 studies, data not combined). Multimodal ATCS versus usual care showed conflicting effects (positive and uncertain) on medication
adherence. ATCS Plus probably slightly (versus control; moderate certainty) or probably (versus usual care; moderate certainty) improves
medication adherence but may have little effect on adherence to tests (versus control). IVR probably slightly improves medication
adherence versus control (moderate certainty). Compared with usual care, IVR probably improves test adherence and slightly increases
medication adherence up to six months but has little or no effect at longer time points (moderate certainty). Unidirectional ATCS,
compared with control, may have little effect or slightly improve medication adherence (low certainty). The evidence suggested little or
no consistent effect of any ATCS type on clinical outcomes (blood pressure control, blood lipids, asthma control, therapeutic coverage)
related to adherence, but only a small number of studies contributed clinical outcome data.
The above results focus on areas with the most general findings across conditions. In condition-specific areas, the effects of ATCS
varied, including by the type of ATCS intervention in use.
Multimodal ATCS probably decrease both cancer pain and chronic pain as well as depression (moderate certainty), but other ATCS
types were less effective. Depending on the type of intervention, ATCS may have small effects on outcomes for physical activity,
weight management, alcohol consumption, and diabetes mellitus. ATCS have little or no effect on outcomes related to heart failure,
hypertension, mental health or smoking cessation, and there is insufficient evidence to determine their effects for preventing alcohol/
substance misuse or managing illicit drug addiction, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV/AIDS, hypercholesterolaemia,
obstructive sleep apnoea, spinal cord dysfunction or psychological stress in carers.
Only four trials (3%) reported adverse events, and it was unclear whether these were related to the intervention
e-Skills: The International dimension and the Impact of Globalisation - Final Report 2014
In today’s increasingly knowledge-based economies, new information and communication technologies are a key engine for growth fuelled by the innovative ideas of highly - skilled workers. However, obtaining adequate quantities of employees
with the necessary e-skills is a challenge. This is a growing
international problem with many countries having an insufficient numbers of workers with the right e-Skills.
For example:
Australia: “Even though there’s 10,000 jobs a year created in IT, there are only 4500 students studying IT at university, and not all of them graduate” (Talevski and Osman, 2013).
Brazil: “Brazil’s ICT sector requires about 78,000 [new] people by 2014. But, according to Brasscom, there are only 33,000 youths studying ICT related courses in the country” (Ammachchi, 2012).
Canada: “It is widely acknowledged that it is becoming inc
reasingly difficult to recruit for a variety of critical ICT occupations
–from entry level to seasoned” (Ticoll and Nordicity, 2012).
Europe: It is estimated that there will be an e-skills gap within Europe of up to 900,000 (main forecast scenario) ICT pr
actitioners by 2020” (Empirica, 2014).
Japan: It is reported that 80% of IT and user companies report an e-skills shortage (IPA, IT HR White Paper, 2013)
United States: “Unlike the fiscal cliff where we are still peering over the edge, we careened over the “IT Skills Cliff” some years ago as our economy digitalized, mobilized and further “technologized”, and our IT skilled labour supply failed to keep up” (Miano, 2013)
Discourses on social software
Can computer scientists contribute to the solution of societal problems? Can logic help to model social interactions? Are there recipes for making groups with diverging preferences arrive at reasonable decisions? Why is common knowledge important for social interaction? Does the rational pursuit of individual interests put the public interest in danger, and if so, why? Discourses on Social Software sheds light on these and similar questions. This book offers the reader an ideal introduction to the exciting new field of social software. It shows in detail the many ways in which the seemingly abstract sciences of logic and computer science can be put to use to analyse and solve contemporary social problems. The unusual format of a series of discussions among a logician, a computer scientist, a philosopher and some researchers from other disciplines encourages the reader to develop his own point of view. The only requirements for reading this book are a nodding familiarity with logic, a curious mind, and a taste for spicy debate.Kunnen de computerwetenschappers bijdragen aan een oplossing van sociale problemen? Kan logica gebruikt worden om sociale interactie te modelleren? Zijn er regels op te stellen om groepen met afwijkende voorkeuren tot redelijke besluiten te laten komen? Discourses on Social Software biedt de lezer een ideale inleiding op (nog nieuwe) gebied van sociale software. Het toont in detail de vele manieren waarin de schijnbaar abstracte wetenschappen van logica en computerwetenschap aan het werk kunnen worden gezet om eigentijdse sociale problemen te analyseren en op te lossen. Door de ongebruikelijke aanpak in dit boek, namelijk door discussies tussen een logicus, een computerwetenschapper, een filosoof en onderzoekers uit andere disciplines, wordt de lezer aangemoedigd zijn eigen standpunt te ontwikkelen. De enige vereisten om dit boek te lezen zijn enige vertrouwdheid met de logica, een nieuwsgierige geest, en liefde voor een pittig debat