Optimising User Acceptance of Mandated Mobile Health Systems (MHS): The ePOC (Electronic Point-of-Care) Project Experience

From a clinical perspective, the use of mobile technologies such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) within hospital environments is not new. A paradigm shift however, is underway towards the acceptance and utility of such systems within community-based healthcare environments. Notwithstanding, introducing new technologies and associated work practices has intrinsic risks which must be addressed. In situations where end-users of a system are traditionally averse to technology through entrenched paper-based work practices (for example, community health workers), the process of managing change bears considerable determination in system implementation success. The authors propose a novel approach to end user acceptance within the context of a mandated mobile health system in a community health setting. The ePOC (electronic point-of-care) project is used to demonstrate how higher levels of user acceptance are achievable in these implementation environments where traditionally low levels of technology acceptance and use are common

Online Health Consultations: Demand and Channel Management

The digitalization of health care services is a growing phenomenon that health care systems across the world are increasingly supporting to reduce public expenditure, provide better services, and increase patient satisfaction. This paper presents a study on the impact measurement of online consultations and the use of online health fora in Denmark. Four ideal types of consultations and digital health fora are presented and discussed, and data on citizen use of physical and online consultations is analysed. Findings show that no substitution between physical and online consultations has taken place so far, as citizens increasingly use both physical consultation, and online consultations. Online consultation provides complementary services, hence leading to increases in total costs, not reductions. The results also call for further research on adoption of user-centered platforms, such as Web 2.0 applications, in the health care area

From MCom Visions to Mobile Value Services

The first papers on mobile commerce were offered to the Bled conference commencing in 2000. Initially, they were not received with enthusiasm; the reviewers were rather sceptical as to the research methods used and the visions of a global m-commerce offered. Nevertheless, the first panel sessions were overcrowded and the eBled organizers quickly recognized a new and exciting movement taking shape. The rest is – as the saying goes – history. There are around 6 billion mobile phone users in the world but the mobile services in actual use are – besides voice calls and SMS – rather few (at least in comparison to the hype around smart phones). Based on our experience from annual series of consumer studies we argue that there are fundamental misunderstandings in relation to both the mobile service concept and the basis for building user value. By following the development of mobile technology over a 10 year interval we have found out – much to our surprise - that not much has changed in the actual use of mobile services despite the fact that we have had about three generations of mobile phones during these 10 years. We have summarized insight from panels run at the eBled conferences and from a number of papers presented at the conference and worked out a description of the development of mobile commerce and mobile services

Information Systems and Healthcare XXXVIII: Virus Outbreak─Online GP Consultations Escalating Healthcare Costs

This article presents a study on the impacts of the uptake of online doctor consultations in Denmark. Drawing on a typology of e-consultations and online patient fora, we provide and discuss a number of scenarios of the financial and managerial impacts of the uptake of e-consultations for the period 2009–2013. The study is based on quantitative data from the national statistics database for the period 2003–2008, and qualitative data from interviews with key actors in the Danish national healthcare system. Findings indicate that the digitalization of consultations and the lack of substitution between e-consultations and physical and phone doctor consultations leads to increases in total costs, not reductions. The results call for further research on the emerging adoption of user-centered platforms, such as Web 2.0 applications, in the healthcare area

E-konsultationer og policy udfordringer

Næsten hver anden dansker anvender internettet til, at søge efter sundhedsrelateret information, mens det for EU-15 landene kun er godt hver tredje gennemsnit. Hvor det i 2004 var 27 procent, var det i 2009 46 procent der søgte information på nettet, svarende til en vækst på 70%. Brug af nettet til at søge efter sundhedsrelateret information er ikke et ungdomsfænomen eller en krusning i vandoverfladen. Denne rapport peger på at brugen af internettet herunder brugen af sociale netværksteknologier som Facebook, etc. kan lede til yderligere vækst i e-mail konsultationerne, der i 2009 nåede nye højder.....

25 Years of Research into the Management of eTechnology Projects

Over the last 25 years, information technology has evolved from intra-organizational systems to inter-organizational electronic technologies (eTechnology) that span organizations and industries and to extra-organizational systems delivered via the Internet, which involve individuals rather than organizationss. Project management research has largely sought reasons for project outcomes (Factor Research), and considered projects either as a process (Engineering Tradition) or as a form of organization (Social Science Tradition). This meta-analysis of 284 research papers identified key findings that provide insights and guidance for eTechnology project management in different technical and organizational environments. As the management context of eTechnology projects changed and project implementation moved beyond the control of a single organization, research focus shifted to examining topics within inter-organizational environments. Although some shift in focus occurred towards the social aspects of eTechnology project management, there was comparatively little use of multiple levels of analysis or interdisciplinary research within the Social Science Tradition

Classification And Analysis Of Mobile Health Evaluation Through Taxonomy and Method Development

This manuscript documents the creation and evaluation of a taxonomy for mobile health (m-health) evaluation and a method for m-health evaluation. M-health as a field within IS has seen significant amounts of growth in recent years due to improvements in technology leading to more affordable and portable computing power. The application of these technologies to the healthcare domain has created many new opportunities and benefits for patients and providers alike. This research seeks to study how these m-health projects are being evaluated and to determine what the characteristics of these evaluations are. To accomplish this goal, the research process is conducted as design science and the research outputs of taxonomy and method are presented as design science artifacts. The two artifacts are evaluated during their creation and once more afterwards to determine their utility. The taxonomy is created by collecting and analyzing documentation on m-health evaluation and using that information to generate descriptive categories by following a series of guidelines for creating a classification system. After evaluation of the artifact, a method is created for conducting m-health evaluation. This method is a series of guidelines built upon constructs and relationships derived from the taxonomy. Evaluation of the artifacts consists of expert surveys, cluster analysis, and attribute analysis. After evaluation of both artifacts, a descriptive theory explaining the selection of m-health evaluation types is created and presented. Theory development is based on the idea of kernel theories and their transferability to the information systems (IS) and design science domains. Contributions of this research are as follows: a classification system for m-health evaluation, a series of guidelines for individuals working on evaluations in the field of m-health, and a descriptive theory on the selection of evaluation type in an m-health context

An Examination of the Adoption of Preservation Metadata in Cultural Heritage Institutions: An Exploratory Study Using Diffusion of Innovations Theory

Digital preservation is a significant challenge for cultural heritage institutions and other repositories of digital information resources. Recognizing the critical role of metadata in any successful digital preservation strategy, the Preservation Metadata Implementation Strategies (PREMIS) has been extremely influential on providing a "core" set of preservation metadata elements that support the digital preservation process. However, there is no evidence, in the form of previous research, as to what factors explain and predict the level of adoption of PREMIS. This research focused on identifying factors that affect the adoption of PREMIS in cultural heritage institutions. This study employed a web-based survey to collect data from 123 participants in 20 country as well as a semi-structured, follow-up telephone interview with a smaller sample of the survey respondents. Roger's diffusion of innovation theory was used as a theoretical framework. The main constructs considered for the study were relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, observability, and institution readiness. The study yielded both qualitative and quantitative data, and analysis showed that all six factors influence the adoption of PREMIS in varying degrees. Results of a regression analysis of adoption level on the six factors showed a statistically significant relationship. The R2 value for the model was .528, which means that 52.8% of the variance in PREMIS adoption was explained by a combination of the six factors. Considering the complexity of issue, this study has important implications for future research on preservation metadata and provides recommendations for researchers and stakeholders engaged in metadata standards development efforts