Issues in Evaluating Health Department Web-Based Data Query Systems: Working Papers

Compiles papers on conceptual and methodological topics to consider in evaluating state health department systems that provide aggregate data online, such as taxonomy, logic models, indicators, and design. Includes surveys and examples of evaluations

The onus on us? Stage one in developing an i-Trust model for our users.

This article describes a Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded project, conducted by a cross-disciplinary team, examining trust in information resources in the web environment employing a literature review and online Delphi study with follow-up community consultation. The project aimed to try to explain how users assess or assert trust in their use of resources in the web environment; to examine how perceptions of trust influence the behavior of information users; and to consider whether ways of asserting trust in information resources could assist the development of information literacy. A trust model was developed from the analysis of the literature and discussed in the consultation. Elements comprising the i-Trust model include external factors, internal factors and user's cognitive state. This article gives a brief overview of the JISC funded project which has now produced the i-Trust model (Pickard et. al. 2010) and focuses on issues of particular relevance for information providers and practitioners

Perceived mobile interactivity influence on usability and mobile marketing acceptance in the informal hair-care business

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing 2016The African hair-care business has become a multibillion-dollar industry, stretching from India to china attracting global retailers such as Unilever and L’Oréal. The African hair-care market will continue to grow, especially in the informal sector where it is said to employ about 1.5 people per business on permanent basis. In order for small businesses’ performance to improve in emerging markets, especially in the informal sector, improving their marketing skills is quite essential. Mobile marketing is cost effective and can be utilised to benefit both marketing practitioners and consumers. This is imperative in the informal hair-care industry, where businesses generally lack financial resources and therefore do not have a budget to spend on marketing and advertising. The mobile phone therefore becomes an important marketing channel to reach customers and increase profitability in informal hair-care businesses, yet there has not been much academic research conducted on this and little is known about the factors that might influence mobile marketing acceptance. The purpose of this study is therefore to bridge the gap by investigating perceived mobile interactivity influence on usability and mobile marketing acceptance in the informal hair-care industry in South Africa. A quantitative study was conducted using a sample of 312 informal hair-care business operators in the Johannesburg area. Given the nature of the informal sector, a nonprobability sampling method, known as convenience sampling, was used for data collection. For analysing and interpreting data, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was utilised. The study findings indicate that perceived interactivity dimensions (control, responsiveness and nonverbal information) have a positive effect on mobile phone usability and lead to mobile marketing acceptance. However, the findings showed a negative relation between perceived personalisation and mobile phone usability. This study aims to contribute to mobile marketing literature, be of benefit to Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) policy makers and add value to the field of marketing. Key words: perceived control, perceived responsiveness, nonverbal information, perceived personalisation, mobile phone usability, mobile marketing acceptanceGR201

Improving online food safety communication: The role of media

Food safety is important as foodborne illness outbreaks cause great economic and societal losses. Efforts to protect public health and reduce foodborne illness outbreaks will not be fully effective unless the resulting information is communicated to consumers. However, food safety communications have not been particularly satisfactory (Worsfold, 2006). If food safety information were more accessible, consumers would be more likely to use it (Worsfold, 2006). In this regard, the Internet presents great possibilities for communicating food safety information to the public. But media’s role has been largely overlooked in existing literature. When the lack of research is combined with consumers’ increasing interest in food safety (Food Safety News, 2016), the need to understand media’s effect is pressing. To further the understanding of media’s role in influencing food safety communication outcome, three progressive studies were conducted. The first study explored consumers’ preferences, motivations, information needs, and information usage. The second study examined consumers’ experience interacting with websites used for food safety communication and mapped website characteristics to users’ perceptions. The third study investigated the relationships among website characteristics, perceptions, efficacies, and behavioral intention, and tested the impact of media on communication outcomes. Results of Study 1 revealed that the Internet was consumers’ preferred media choice for food safety communication. Among Internet-based platforms, websites were most preferred. Media, information, and source characteristics interact in influencing consumers’ experience with the websites and later communication outcome. Thus, it is important to maintain or improve information quality while offering media functionalities that reduces users’ efforts in information seeking. Study 2 showed that consumers go through a two-stage process in food safety communication. First, consumers are informed (usually passively) about an outbreak. Then, after the risks and threat are evaluated, consumers become motivated and actively seek out additional information to make decisions and protect themselves. Additionally, in Study 2, the link between website characteristics and consumers’ efficacy perceptions was established. It was also discovered that the relationships among efficacy components were complex and probably nonlinear. In Study 3, relationships among website characteristics, perceptions towards such characteristics, efficacy perceptions, and behavioral intention were evaluated and tested statistically. It was discovered that website characteristics, through efficacy perceptions, influence consumers’ intention to use the communicated information. The results offered support that media is indeed important and influential and that it works together with information quality to shape consumers’ behavioral intention. More specifically, features on websites that directly related to searchability (e.g. search box and site map) and saliency (specific information about foods and locations involved) were perceived to be most influential and should be specially considered in website design and maintenance

Mobile apps for cognitive restructuring: a review and comparative analysis

Cognitive restructuring is a central component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and thought records have for decades been a widely used method for helping clients to identify, evaluate, and modify dysfunctional thoughts. The widespread adoption of mobile technology along with changing habits and expectations of therapy clients have led to the development of numerous mobile apps aimed at replicating this core aspect of CBT. This review identifies, describes, and compares current CBT apps that include digitized versions of thought records. Searches of the Apple App Store, Android Google Play Store, published literature, and relevant websites yielded 19 apps that were reviewed and compared with respect to their representation and sequencing of common cognitive restructuring elements. The apps were also compared across a variety of variables of likely relevance to practicing clinicians, including cost, data security, empirical support, user reviews, provision of additional clinical tools, and the involvement of mental health professionals in their development. The review aims to be a resource for practicing clinicians interested in selecting a cognitive restructuring app that replicates paper-based thought records in digital form. Following a discussion of limitations of the current review, recommendations and future directions are described

Empirical Assessment of the Role of Technology-Related Factors and Organization-Related Factors in Electronic Medical Records Implementation Success

The objective of this research was to investigate if certain technology-related and organization-related factors that have most often been associated with successful IT/MIS implementations in other information technology and information science domains are also associated with successful Electronic Medical Records (EMR) implementations. This research uncovered a unique set of technology-related factors and organization-related factors associated with successful EMR implementations from the perspective of healthcare enablers and healthcare providers. Specific technology-related factors considered in this research were the innovativeness of EMR (measured with respect to the relative advantage, compatibility and complexity of EMR), privacy and security attributes of EMR, and usefulness of EMR. Specific organization-related factors considered were the readiness of the organization for change and the !eve! of product/process innovation in the organization where the EMR was implemented

Users' trust in information resources in the Web environment: a status report

This study has three aims; to provide an overview of the ways in which trust is either assessed or asserted in relation to the use and provision of resources in the Web environment for research and learning; to assess what solutions might be worth further investigation and whether establishing ways to assert trust in academic information resources could assist the development of information literacy; to help increase understanding of how perceptions of trust influence the behaviour of information users

Current Management Issues in Health Information Technology

Health information technology can improve quality care delivery, thereby boosting the healthcare business reputation. However, it can negatively affect quality care delivery and lead to a negative business reputation if not efficiently managed. This single qualitative study aimed to explore the causes of the inefficiencies in managing health information technology and strategies that healthcare organizations use to ensure its efficiencies. In a purposive sample, the researcher conducted telephone interviews with twenty-one participants from Lancaster General Hospital. The participants comprised medical doctors, Doctor of Nursing practitioners, managers of health informatics, and informatics specialists working in various divisions and E-health operations. Other participants included the director of quality improvement within Epic Solutions and clinical applications, the director of health information management, the entity and privacy officer, the risk department manager, the executive director of ACO inter-community care, the pharmacist, and the director of operations. Data collected and analyzed yielded four themes: Users face various management challenges leading to HIT management efficiencies, primarily due to a need for adequate training. Strategies used to ensure the efficient management of health information technology comprised the use of robust policies and procedures, Management issues leading to the disruption of health information technology due to the issues with the design of tools of HIT, and Users reported more potential than actual impact on business reputation as judged through external organization ratings. This study could positively impact social change by fostering efficiencies in its adoption, implementation, and use, which could enhance better care delivery

E-patients and Social Media: Impact of Online Experience on Perceived Quality of Care

abstract: Social media sites focusing on health-related topics are rapidly gaining popularity among online health consumers, also known as "e-patients". The increasing adoption of social media by e-patients and their demand for reliable health information has prompted several health care organizations (HCOs) to establish their social media presence. HCOs are using social media to connect with current and potential e-patients, and improve patient education and overall quality of care. A significant benefit for HCOs in using social media could potentially be the improvement of their quality of care, as perceived by patients. Perceived quality of care is a key determinant of patients' experience and satisfaction with health care services, and has been a major focus of research. However, there is very little research on the relationship between patients' online social media experience and their perceived quality of care. The objective of this research was to evaluate e-patients' online experience with an HCO's social media sites and examine its impact on their perceived quality of care. Research methodology included a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data for this study was collected from Mayo Clinic's social media sites through an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to identify basic demographic profiles of e-patients. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between online experience and perceived quality of care. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed a positive relationship between online experience and perceived quality of care. Qualitative data provided information about e-patients' attitudes and expectations from healthcare social media. Overall, results yielded insights on design and management of social media sites for e-patients, and integration of these online applications in the health care delivery process. This study is of value to HCOs, health communicators and social media designers, and will also serve as a foundation for subsequent studies in the area of health care social media.Dissertation/ThesisM.S.D. Design 201

THE EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM AND AFFECTIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES ON THE ADOPTION OF M-HEALTH APPLICATIONS

Published ThesisPrevious research has found that M-Health initiatives have not been adopted and used effectively in many cases, especially in rural communal locations. Based on this, the researcher has surmised that factors contributing to the non-use of such initiative could be the resulted of a lack of knowledge with regard to the use of technology, literacy challenges, possible fear of technology and a lack of information regarding interventions that have the potential to improve quality of life. Consequently, an initiative that has usability as its core function may play a critical role in the use and adoption of such technologies. The researcher wondered if and how anthropomorphic and affective design principles which aspire to extract an emotional or positively reinforced sub-conscious reaction from users may influence the adoption and use of M-Health initiatives when applied to said interventions. This study therefore set out to investigate the effects of anthropomorphism and affective design principles on the adoption of M-Health applications, with the Sethakeng rural community in the Northern Cape province of South Africa research population after consent was obtained from the relevant community leaders. The researcher wanted first to ascertain whether anthropomorphism and affective design could influence the adoption of Mobile-Health applications, then to identify which was the more effective method to design Mobile-Health applications and finally, to provide guidelines and recommendations about the most effective design theory, as identified in the study, when designing applications. This study predominantly employed a mixed approach research methodology which included action research cycles and quantitative data in the form of usage statistics, obtained from CloudWare, in the final report. A case study was conducted in a rural South African setting to explore and eventually understand the relation between the case community and the intervention. A qualitative research design best allowed the researcher to get a better understanding of the research problem identified and the obstacles facing the relevant rural community and quantitative data assisted with better understanding the relevant usage trends in terms of the M-Health intervention. The objectives of the case study were to observe the phenomenon and describe it with regards to the case community, document the reactions of the case community to different instances and variations of the phenomenon and, lastly, to report on the design principle that yielded the most positive reaction from the community from a usage perspective; thereby indicating the adoption of the design methodology employed. The research contributed towards the successful development, placement and scrutiny of two emotion-driven interfaces for the same M-Health intervention. A distinctive perspective was provided with regard to affective and anthropomorphic design to identify the better design model for improved application acceptance in a rural community context. At the conclusion of the study, evidence suggested that community members found the anthropomorphic interface design superior. The researcher was thus able to explore, identify, develop and list a set of guidelines that can be used in the area of emotional design. Each guideline was based on what worked in practice and was applied successfully throughout this study. The researcher would like these guidelines be implemented and utilised by other designers in the field of interaction design for future designers