Novel framework for secure mobile financial services

The financial sector is always looking for new services delivery platforms to improve customer confidence and satisfaction. To achieve this, the banking service delivery platform must provide end-to-end security to safeguard the financial information exchanged between the bank and the customer. Today a number of banks offer mobile banking service to their customers. However, still banks have been adopting the generic user authentication systems that were developed for the desktop environment based on two-factor authentication with a number of user intrusive activities. This paper presents a novel authentication and authorization framework for secure mobile banking applications based on the user SIM and mobile credentials

The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Self-Management of Chronic Diseases: An Empirical Investigation through Value Sensitive Design

This paper primarily investigates sensitivity towards patients’ values in the designs of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) that are capable of empowering them. We focus on the role of ICTs in self-management (SM) of diabetes, a chronic disease. Chronic diseases, declared an invisible epidemic by the World Health Organization, cause and perpetuate poverty and impede the economic development of many countries. As a means of informing the design of ICTs that facilitate self-management, we draw on value sensitive design (VSD) to conduct an in-depth interpretive field study to reveal the values that are important to diabetic patients. Specifically, we reveal twelve values shared by these patients: accessibility, accountability, autonomy, compliance, dignity, empathy, feedback, hope, joy, privacy, sense-making, and trust. A conceptual model emerged from analyzing interviews with diabetic patients; this model explains how these values, which are integrated into ICT features, afford or constrain patients’ abilities to self-manage their activities. This study makes multiple theoretical contributions: By granting ICT artifacts a clear theoretical status, it advances the field of SM that has nominally covered ICTs; it extends design research by extending the VSD literature and by introducing a valuecentric design perspective to examine a complex sociotechnical system; and it broadens work system theory by applying it in the healthcare space. The study’s findings have implications for design science researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers

An Integrated and Distributed Framework for a Malaysian Telemedicine System (MyTel)

The overall aim of the research was to produce a validated framework for a Malaysian integrated and distributed telemedicine system. The framework was constructed so that it was capable of being useful in retrieving and storing a patient's lifetime health record continuously and seamlessly during the downtime of the computer system and the unavailability of a landline telecommunication network. The research methodology suitable for this research was identified including the verification and validation strategies. A case study approach was selected for facilitating the processes and development of this research. The empirical data regarding the Malaysian health system and telemedicine context were gathered through a case study carried out at the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOHM). The telemedicine approach in other countries was also analysed through a literature review and was compared and contrasted with that in the Malaysian context. A critical appraisal of the collated data resulted in the development of the proposed framework (MyTel) a flexible telemedicine framework for the continuous upkeep o f patients' lifetime health records. Further data were collected through another case study (by way of a structured interview in the outpatient clinics/departments of MOHM) for developing and proposing a lifetime health record (LHR) dataset for supporting the implementation of the MyTel framework. The LHR dataset was developed after having conducted a critical analysis of the findings of the clinical consultation workflow and the usage o f patients' demographic and clinical records in the outpatient clinics. At the end of the analysis, the LHR components, LHR structures and LHR messages were created and proposed. A common LHR dataset may assist in making the proposed framework more flexible and interoperable. The first draft of the framework was validated in the three divisions of MOHM that were involved directly in the development of the National Health JCT project. The division includes the Telehealth Division, Public and Family Health Division and Planning and Development Division. The three divisions are directly involved in managing and developing the telehealth application, the teleprimary care application and the total hospital information system respectively. The feedback and responses from the validation process were analysed. The observations and suggestions made and experiences gained advocated that some modifications were essential for making the MyTel framework more functional, resulting in a revised/ final framework. The proposed framework may assist in achieving continual access to a patient's lifetime health record and for the provision of seamless and continuous care. The lifetime health record, which correlates each episode of care of an individual into a continuous health record, is the central key to delivery of the Malaysian integrated telehealth application. The important consideration, however, is that the lifetime health record should contain not only longitudinal health summary information but also the possibility of on-line retrieval of all of the patient's health history whenever required, even during the computer system's downtime and the unavailability of the landline telecommunication network

Applying UTAUT to Determine Intent to Use Cloud Computing in K-12 Classrooms

Although school districts provide collaborative cloud computing tools such as OneDrive and Google Drive for students and teachers, the use of these tools for grading and feedback purposes remains largely unexplored. Therefore, it is difficult for school districts to make informed decisions on the use of cloud applications for collaboration. This quantitative, nonexperimental study utilized Venkatesh et al.\u27s unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to determine teachers\u27 intent to use collaborative cloud computing tools. Online surveys with questions pertaining to UTAUT\u27s predictor variables of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC) and UTAUT\u27s criterion variable of behavioral intent (BI) were administered to a convenience sample of 129 teachers who responded to an email solicitation. Pearson correlation results of r = 0.781, r = 0.646, r = 0.569, and r = 0.570 indicated strong, positive correlations between BI and PE, EE, SI, and FC respectively. Spearman rho correlations results of rs = 0.746, rs = 0.587, rs = 0.569, and rs = 0.613 indicated strong, positive correlations between BI and PE, EE, SI, and FC respectively. Simple linear regression results indicated that PE and EE are strong predictors of BI when moderated by age, gender, experience, and voluntariness of use (VU). SI is a strong predictor of BI when moderated by gender, but not by age, experience, and VU. This study\u27s application of the UTAUT model to determine teachers\u27 BI to use collaborative cloud computing tools could transform how administrators and educational technologists introduce these tools for grading and feedback purposes. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on technology integration among K-12 teachers

Examination of Online Health Information Seeking Effectiveness: Case Studies of Online Health Communities in COPD Patients

When people access online health information, unfortunately, they have access to both clinically accurate and inaccurate information that they may then utilize to make informed personal health decisions. This research fills a gap in the literature of online health communities as they relate to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The conduct of this research required a multi-phased and multi-method approach, best presented in three distinct essays. In Essays 1 and 2, data gathering within two online health communities specific to COPD allowed this study to address three research questions: (1) what are the information needs of COPD patients that result in their participation in online health communities; (2) what are the information sources offered to the participants in these online communities; and (3) is the information obtained via those communities credible. Essay 1 harvested data from a moderated website hosted by a non-profit organization for patients with COPD and Essay 2 harvested data from a non-moderated Facebook group also serving this unique group. Data Miner, a Chrome extension designed to extract data, was used to collect data, key words and themes which brought an understanding of the health information needs of participants and identified what health information sources were preferred. Using NIH guidelines, the credibility of sources exchanged were evaluated for both groups. The research presented in Essay 1 showed that COPD patients have health information needs and that a clinically monitored social health online community, that is available 24/7 to answer questions that arise at the time of need, provides much needed support. The research in Essay 2 illustrates the need for healthcare workers to be aware of unmoderated sites and promote these sites for the purpose of socialization only, and not for medical information. Building on the knowledge gained through the data analysis in Essays 1 and 2 and based on the theoretical frameworks established in the health belief model, social exchange theory, and the technology acceptance model, Essay 3 generated a new integrated model that seeks to understand information seeking effectiveness in online health communities was proposed. This model identifies the relationships between the types of disease specific information sought by members of 65 COPD Facebook groups, and member success in acquiring credible and clinically accurate health information to use in making health decisions related to disease management and the development of effective health management behaviors. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze survey responses and test the proposed model for statistical significance This study has important implications for health educators and medical professionals that will enhance their understanding of the benefits of online peer health communities and will guide them in providing their patients with an "information prescription" guiding them to clinically accurate and understandable, disease specific health information between office visits and at the patient's time of need

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ROMANIA

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main opportunities and limitations of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The survey was defined with the aim to involve the highest possible number of relevant CSR topics and give the issue a more wholesome perspective. It provides a basis for further comprehension and deeper analyses of specific CSR areas. The conditions determining the success of CSR in Romania have been defined in the paper on the basis of the previously cumulative knowledge as well as the results of various researches. This paper provides knowledge which may be useful in the programs promoting CSR.Corporate social responsibility, Supportive policies, Romania

Unsupervised Abstraction for Reducing the Complexity of Healthcare Process Models

Healthcare processes are complex and may vary considerably among the same cohort of patients. Process mining techniques play a significant role in automating the construction of healthcare models using a system's event log. An event log is a data type that records any event that occurs within the process. It is a basic element of any information system and has three main components: process instance id, event and time when an event has occurred. Using ordinary techniques of process mining in healthcare produces `spaghetti-like' models which are difficult to understand and thus have little value. Previously published studies have highlighted the importance of event abstraction which is considered as a central tool for reducing complexity and improving efficiency. Although studies have successfully improved the understandability of process models, they have generally relied on involvement from a domain expert. Untangling these `spaghetti-like' models with the help of domain experts can be expensive and time-consuming. Machine learning techniques such as Hidden Markov Model (HMM) has been used for modelling sequential data for a long time. State transition modelling has also been explored by process mining research and is advocated for sequence clustering purposes where a model is trained over a group of sequences and then used to evaluate if a process instance is more likely to be generated from this model or not. However, state transition models can also be utilised for detecting hidden processes which can be used subsequently for process abstraction. In this thesis, we aim to address healthcare process complexity using unsupervised abstraction. We adopt an unsupervised method for detecting hidden processes using HMM and the Viterbi algorithm. The method in this research includes eight stages; event logs extraction, preprocessing, learning, decoding, optimisation, selection, visualisation and lastly model evaluation. One of the main contributions of this research is the design of two different types of process model optimisation which are strict and soft optimisations. Models that are selected by the proposed optimisation address the limitations of other standard metrics that can be used for model selection in HMM such as Bayesian Information criteria (BIC). Two different real healthcare data sources are used in this research namely the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) from Boston, USA and the Patients Pathway Manager (PPM) from Leeds, UK. Models are trained using the MIMIC-III medical event log and then tested using the PPM dataset to be evaluated later by a domain expert. Three breast cancer case studies that range in complexity are extracted. The results of our method have significantly improved model complexity and provided a conceptually valid abstraction for several care patterns. Promising results are demonstrated in the improvement of the precision and fitness of the abstracted models. The abstracted models can then be used as a middle step for bringing structure to unstructured processes which helps in finding cohorts of patients based on similar healthcare processes. The healthcare processes of a cohort of patients can then be modelled using any process mining tool where their process similarity could not be captured in the complex models