Using security risk analysis: Is the bring your own device policy becoming a liability risk within healthcare?

Using computer simulation modeling, this research examined the problems contributing to data breaches within healthcare industry. The study attempted to answer two questions: 1) is the Bring Your Own Device policy becoming a liability risk within hospitals causing an increase in data breaches and 2) is there a lower risk compared to using wired desktops. An iPad was the primary focused device as one of many Bring Your Own Devices. The study used a randomly generated sample of an approximate 2,700 patients, one nurse and doctor on a eight hour work-day within the clinic (eight A.M five P.M) considering a one hour lunch break in between. The outcome of the study revealed that the Bring Your Own Policy has a lower risk than using wired desktops within hospitals

Quality Improvement Project Evaluating the use of CyraCom Language Translation Application in Two Metro Atlanta Infusion Centers

Purpose: Evaluate the use of CyraCom video assist language translation application among Korean- and Spanish-speaking patients, seen in two infusion centers located in a southeast metro area, and summarize the patient and staff responses. Methods: This project used a descriptive study design where participants were recruited via a convenience sample from two infusion centers in the southeast United States. Eligible participants were patients undergoing infusion therapy, RNs, MDs, and PAs. Participants completed a pre and post-survey that was comprised of three-questions. The questions measured ease of use and satisfaction in both infusion centers. Results: A total of five surveys were collected from participants and seven surveys from the clinical staff. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Among patients when asked compared to a live translator would you use this device again? 80% of participants responded yes . One-hundred percent of participants responded yes to the question have you ever used a live interpreter to translate for you before? A total of 7 responses were received from infusion center staff. Approximately 72% of the staff thought the system was easy to use . However, 29% agreed with the following statement I felt very confident using the system . Conclusion: Findings suggest that although technology cannot replace a competent, trained language interpreter, using a language translation application can assist in reducing costs associated with acquiring language interpretation services, reducing the time it takes for the translator to travel to the location, and allows the care team easy access to contacting a translator with three clicks when using the iPad, streamlining an operational process for improving practice issues. Technology-driven innovations are especially imperative for transformative service organizations like hospitals, where new devices and systems can dramatically enhance patients outcomes

The preferences of users of electronic medical records in hospitals: Quantifying the relative importance of barriers and facilitators of an innovation

Background: Currently electronic medical records (EMRs) are implemented in hospitals, because of expected benefits for quality and safety of care. However the implementation processes are not unproblematic and are slower than needed. Many of the barriers and facilitators of the adoption of EMRs are identified, but the relative importance of these factors is still undetermined. This paper quantifies the relative importance of known barriers and facilitators of EMR, experienced by the users (i.e., nurses and physicians in hospitals).Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted among physicians and nurses. Participants answered ten choice sets containing two scenarios. Each scenario included attributes that were based on previously identified barriers in the literature: data entry hardware, technical support, attitude head of department, performance feedback, flexibility of interface, and decision support. Mixed Multinomial Logit analysis was used to determine the relative importance of the attributes.Results: Data on 148 nurses and 150 physicians showed that high flexibility of the interface was the factor with highest relative importance in their preference to use an EMR. For nurses this attribute was followed by support from the head of department, presence of performance feedback from the EMR and presence of decisions support. While for physicians this ordering was different: presence of decision support was relatively more important than performance feedback and support from the head of department.Conclusion: Considering the prominent wish of all the intended users for a flexible interface, currently used EMRs only partially comply with the needs of the users, indicating the need for closer incorporation of user needs during development stages of EMRs. The differences in priorities amongst nurses and physicians show that different users have different needs during the implementation of innovations. Hospital management may use this information to design implementation trajectories to fit the needs of various user groups

Experiences of medical practitioners regarding the accessing of information at the point-of-care via mobile technology for clinical decision making at public hospitals

Medical practitioners are often unable to access medical and health information at the point-of-care, thus preventing them from providing quality healthcare. Family Health International 360 (FHI) provided medical practitioners with a locally relevant, reliable, and accurate comprehensive library of medical information on mobile computing devices (MCDs), at the point-of-care, as part of a project in collaboration with the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape Province. As part of the latter project, Ricks (2012:7) conducted an investigation into the impact that accessing health information at the point-of-care, via MCDs, had on the clinical decision-making practice of medical practitioners and professional nurses in public hospitals and primary healthcare settings in the Eastern Cape Province. The researcher identified a gap in the aforementioned study and was thus motivated to conduct this study to explore and describe the experiences of medical practitioners at public hospitals in further detail by conducting a qualitative study, as the previous study was quantitative. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore and describe the experiences of medical practitioners regarding the accessing of information at the point-of-care, via mobile technology, for clinical decision making at public hospitals. To achieve the purpose of the study, a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was used. The research population comprised medical practitioners who were using MCDs to access information at the point-of-care for clinical decision making. Purposive sampling was used to select the research sample. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the necessary research data. Tesch’s steps were used to analyse the data. The principles for ensuring trustworthiness and ethical considerations were adhered to throughout the study. Two main themes and six sub-themes emerged in relation to the experiences of medical practitioners regarding the accessing of information at the point-of-care, for clinical decision making, via mobile technology. The main findings of the research highlighted the benefits and challenges that were experienced by the medical practitioners when using the MCDs for accessing information at the point-of-care for clinical decision making. The study concludes with recommendations pertaining to the areas of practise, education and research

M-health review: joining up healthcare in a wireless world

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health and social care. This trend is bound to continue as providers (whether public or private) strive to deliver better care to more people under conditions of severe budgetary constraint

ConnEDCt, a mobile-first framework for clinical Electronic Data Capture

Paper-based data capture has long served as the primary means of collecting research data and continues to be the dominant means of data capture through the present day. Despite inertia with adopting information technology in clinical research, electronic methods of information capture have important benefits over traditional, paper-based methods. Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems can provide integrated error checking, protocol enforcement, decision support, automated randomization, and quicker access to data and results. As EDC systems become more accessible and resourceful, EDC has begun to replace paper-based data capture. Meanwhile, mobile computing, utilizing smartphones and tablets, has become commonplace in business and our everyday lives. Many EDC solutions support mobile devices, yet few were conceived with a “mobile- first” design philosophy and fewer support extensive study protocol-support features. A significant amount of clinical research is conducted in geographic regions with limited or no Internet access such as impoverished and remote communities. Current EDC solutions remain challenging to use in these contexts. While EDC is an increasingly important tool for clinical research, when EDC solutions are built on web-centric architectures, the lack of Internet coverage means that researchers often need to fall back on paper-based data capture methods or build expensive, custom EDC tools. A customizable Mobile Electronic Data Capture (mEDC) framework with an asynchronous data transport layer will better meet the needs of distributed studies in resource- limited, geographical areas. I developed ConnEDCt, a full-featured mEDC application that is customizable for longitudinal study protocols, with regulatory-compliant security, auditability and an asynchronous data transport model. ConnEDCt is adaptable to different study protocols, has extensive study protocol-support built-in, and supports on- or off-line data synchronization to a central data repository. ConnEDCt focuses on mobility and is designed to serve the needs of complex clinical research studies in regions where other EDC platforms cannot be utilized

iPad use in fieldwork: formal and informal use to enhance pedagogical practice in a bring your own technology world

We report on use of iPads (and other IOS devices) for student fieldwork use and as electronic field notebooks and to promote active. We have used questionnaires and interviews of tutors and students to elicit their views and technology and iPad use for fieldwork. There is some reluctance for academic staff to relinquish paper notebooks for iPad use, whether in the classroom or on fieldwork, as well as use them for observational and measurement purposes. Students too are largely unaware of the potential of iPads for enhancing fieldwork. Apps can be configured for a wide variety of specific uses that make iPads useful for educational as well as social uses. Such abilities should be used to enhance existing practice as well as make new functionality. For example, for disabled students who find it difficult to use conventional note taking. iPads can be used to develop student self-directed learning and for group contributions. The technology becomes part of the students’ personal learning environments as well as at the heart of their knowledge spaces – academic and social. This blurring of boundaries is due to iPads’ usability to cultivate field use, instruction, assessment and feedback processes. iPads can become field microscopes and entries to citizen science and we see the iPad as the main ‘computing’ device for students in the near future. As part of the Bring Your Own Technology/Device (BYOD) the iPad has much to offer although, both staff and students need to be guided in the most effective use for self-directed education via development of Personal Learning Environments. A more student-oriented pedagogy is suggested to correspond to the increasing use of tablet technologies by student

Health-related activities of Big Tech

While the German health sector has often been criticised for its slow uptake of novel digital products, other health systems have been significantly faster in adopting these products. In the course of this development, Big Tech companies have entered these health systems, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. But also in Germany, the involvement of Big Tech companies has become increasingly relevant in recent years. Among these Big Tech companies are the “Big Four” (i.e. Alphabet, Apple, Meta and Amazon) but also companies like Palantir and Oracle which have reinforced their activities in the health sector without much attention of the broader public. In this paper, these health-related activities of Big Tech are described in detail. Also providers of electronic health records and hospital information systems like Epic Systems and Cerner and German companies like the Deutsche Telekom and SAP are taken into account. All in all, fourteen companies are covered and their activities are divided into six categories to facilitate an overview and reveal the different focuses of the companies