Evidence-Based Information Systems: A New Perspective and a Road Map for Research-Informed Practice

Despite the increasing sophistication and quality of published work, the development of a cumulative body of knowledge and an evidence-base for information systems (IS) research still represents a major challenge. IS research is still predominantly undertaken by IS researchers for other IS researchers and not utilized to its full extent by IS practitioners or policy-makers. We focus on this problem and express the need for a new evidence-based research perspective. It is argued that it is time to refocus the efforts of IS academics (and practitioners) to develop a new evidence-base for IS research whereby it can more routinely inform, develop, improve and support IS practice. We contribute to this debate by defining evidence-based practice (EBP), its relevance to IS, and the need to develop an evidence-based approach. We look in particular at its brief history, and its subsequent evolution, development and widespread acceptance in Medicine; making reference to recent arguments and critiques of EBP in other disciplines such as software engineering and management. We espouse the need to develop a similar evidence-based movement and infrastructure within the IS research and practitioner communities and then put forward a possible road map for the development of Evidence-Based Information Systems (EBIS) that comprises 9 key initiatives. We conclude our argument by stating that the current extent, severity and impact of IS failures are unacceptable, emphasizing the need for a new perspective for IS research that encourages and incorporates EBP as a guiding principle to inform better IS practice

Using Visualization to Build Transparency in a Healthcare Blockchain Application

With patients demanding services to control their own health conditions, hospitals are looking to build agility in delivering care by extending their reach into patient and partner ecosystems and sharing relevant patient data to support care continuity. However, sharing patient data with several external stakeholders outside a hospital network calls for the development of a digital platform that is trusted by both hospitals and stakeholders, given that there is often no single entity supporting such coordination. In this paper, we propose a methodology that uses a blockchain architecture to address the technical challenge of linking disparate systems used by multiple stakeholders and the social challenge of engendering trust by using visualization to bring about transparency in the way in which data are shared. We illustrate this methodology using a pilot implementation. The paper concludes with a discussion and directions for future research and makes some concluding comments.This study has been partially funded by the ECLIPSE-UA project (RTI2018-094283-B-C32)

From Conventional to State-of-the-Art IoT Access Control Models

open access articleThe advent in Online Social Networks (OSN) and Internet of Things (IoT) has created a new world of collaboration and communication between people and devices. The domain of internet of things uses billions of devices (ranging from tiny sensors to macro scale devices) that continuously produce and exchange huge amounts of data with people and applications. Similarly, more than a billion people are connected through social networking sites to collaborate and share their knowledge. The applications of IoT such as smart health, smart city, social networking, video surveillance and vehicular communication are quickly evolving people’s daily lives. These applications provide accurate, information-rich and personalized services to the users. However, providing personalized information comes at the cost of accessing private information of users such as their location, social relationship details, health information and daily activities. When the information is accessible online, there is always a chance that it can be used maliciously by unauthorized entities. Therefore, an effective access control mechanism must be employed to ensure the security and privacy of entities using OSN and IoT services. Access control refers to a process which can restrict user’s access to data and resources. It enforces access rules to grant authorized users an access to resources and prevent others. This survey examines the increasing literature on access control for traditional models in general, and for OSN and IoT in specific. Challenges and problems related to access control mechanisms are explored to facilitate the adoption of access control solutions in OSN and IoT scenarios. The survey provides a review of the requirements for access control enforcement, discusses several security issues in access control, and elaborates underlying principles and limitations of famous access control models. We evaluate the feasibility of current access control models for OSN and IoT and provide the future development direction of access control for the sam

Cybersecurity Using Risk Management Strategies of U.S. Government Health Organizations

Seismic data loss attributed to cybersecurity attacks has been an epidemic-level threat currently plaguing the U.S. healthcare system. Addressing cyber attacks is important to information technology (IT) security managers to minimize organizational risks and effectively safeguard data from associated security breaches. Grounded in the protection motivation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore risk-based strategies used by IT security managers to safeguard data effectively. Data were derived from interviews of eight IT security managers of four U.S. government health institutions and a review of relevant organizational documentation. The research data were coded and organized to support thematic development and analysis. The findings yielded four primary themes: effective cyber-risk management strategies: structured, systematic, and timely cyber risk management; continuous and consistent assessment of the risk environment; system and controls development, implementation, and monitoring; and strategy coordination through centralized interagency and interdepartmental risk management. The key recommendation based on the study findings is for IT security managers to employ cybersecurity strategies that integrate robust cybersecurity controls and systematic processes based on comprehensive risk management. The implications for positive social change include the potential to positively stimulate patient trust and confidence in healthcare systems and strengthen healthcare professionals\u27 commitments to ensure patient privacy

Multi-Method Framework for Development of Systemic, Technology-Driven Capability Concepts

Emerging technologies shape the operations of many commercial and military organisations, including the Australian Defence Force. Current capability development processes, grounded in the principles of systems engineering, focus on capability gaps rather than opportunities, often locking in incremental improvements but not transformative changes enabling new capabilities and processes. Furthermore, traditional systems engineering is framed in a way that equates capability with product, leading to single-technology stove-piped processes. By contrast, the study presented in this thesis seeks to design a methodological framework for development of systemic, technology-driven capability concepts that recognise capability as an emergent property of complex systems. The study draws on the body of knowledge in systems thinking and multi-method operations research to design the methodological framework and apply, evaluate and refine it across five concept development workshops within a multi-case study. The study findings support reducing the focus on current processes, use of boundary-mitigating steps to improve generation of ideas, and evolution of technology use cases during concept development. Higher-level, operational concepts are found to be more complex than lower-level tactical concepts; cyclical processes that include resupply produce concepts with higher dynamic complexity. Elicitation of impacts is shaped by the available time and discussion prompts. Importantly, concepts are best framed in terms of capability rather than technology, as capabilities are enabled by multiple interacting technological elements. This is reflected in the novel formalism of technological ecosystem maps, which reframes the discussion of capability options towards capability effects generated by technology groupings. For operations researchers seeking to design real-life interventions, the study demonstrates a traceable process of methodological evolution, with a novel application of boundary critique as the analytical lens for improvement. For capability developers, the study provides a fit-for-purpose methodology for exploring the opportunities presented by emerging technologies, intended to complement the existing capability development processes. The formalism of technological ecosystems lays the groundwork for reframing of capability development towards a more holistic framework, emphasising integration, sustainment, and long-term management of capability elements

Privacy and security of electronic patient records – Tailoring multimethodology to explore the socio-political problems associated with Role Based Access Control systems

Multimethodologies are now an established area of ‘soft’ operations research (OR). Adopting appropriate OR methods to tackle unstructured and complex problems is a promising field of inquiry and potential application. Research in the areas of energy and utilities, education, UK public services, and healthcare has demonstrated the success of applying multimethodologies to practice. This research focused on the socio-political and socio-cultural issues associated with the specification and design of a Role Based Access Control (RBAC) system as a precursor to the adoption of an electronic health and patient record system in an English National Health Service (NHS) hospital Trust. Although being a local hospital Trust initiative, there were many complex requirements and constraints from UK NHS policies, strategies and standards, as well as from government contracted IT company vendors, consultancy companies and software consortia (termed Local Service Providers). This research develops a multimethodology, using SSM in combination with process modelling and technology management (referred to as TMSSMXL), in order to tailor problem structuring methods to a healthcare hospital context. The research concludes that by adopting methods that are compatible with an organization's culture, stakeholder perspectives and professional working, a suitable mix of OR methods may be combined and deployed that can enable, and enhance, stakeholders’ knowledge and learning about the unforeseen organizational consequences of complex technology introduction. It is argued that this leads to more effective technology systems requirements definition and greater project implementation success

Assessing the Impact of Nutritional Education on Gender Roles and Child Care in Northern Malawi

Malnutrition among children below the age of five remains a major public health concern in Malawi. To address the problem of childhood malnutrition, several programs have been initiated to promote optimal early feeding, control vitamin A deficiency and minimize the prevalence of childhood anemia. Although some progress has been made, close to 47 percent of children remain malnourished. In Malawi, the majority of child care and feeding is done by women who have high workloads and little control over household economic resources. Scholars are striving to find strategies that can motivate and empower fathers to be involved in housework and childcare activities, which can mitigate the underlying causes of child malnutrition. This study draws on a feminist geography, gender theories, transformational educational approaches and the concept of care to assess whether participatory community-based nutrition education can promote a more equal household gender division of labour and sharing of childcare practices in northern Malawi. In-depth interviews and participant observation data were collected from 30 couples before and after a participatory nutrition education program over a 4 month period in 2012. The results show that there are highly unequal gender roles in household work, which are justified by various socio-cultural explanations. Nonetheless, the participatory nutrition educational approach utilized shows potential for involving husbands in some childcare and household domestic work

The Training Needs of Community Service Providers of an Intensive Mental Health Program in Virginia’s Public School Settings

One in five children birth to 18 has a diagnosable mental disorder and 1 in 10 youth has serious mental health problems that are severe enough to impair how they function at home, in school, or in the community (SAMHSA, 2003). Reduced funding and movement from residential and inpatient treatment to lesser restrictive settings have made schools the “de facto” mental health service provider (Roberts, Vernberg, Biggs, Randall and Jacobs, 2008; Splett & Maras, 2011). Furthermore polices such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, No Child Left Behind as well as incidents such as the Virginia Tech, Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Isla Vista shootings have charged schools and mental health organizations with the responsibility for the provision of adequate mental health services. “This “perfect storm” of a confluence of critical social, legal, and medical issues demand an array of therapeutic responses that schools were never designed or funded to do” (Lemon, 2015). According to the U.S Department of Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2012), there were 2.9 million youths aged 12 to 17 in 2010 who received mental health services in the educational setting. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 community based providers of an intensive school-based mental health program, Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT); it was the aim of this qualitative study to examine the training needs of community mental health providers whose provision of services occur in a school setting. Given the limited literature on the topic, this study provided first hand accounts from direct providers not only of their needs, but how their setting impacts the provision of service. This study examined TDT clinicians’ perceptions of mental health concerns for children in their program, barriers to service provision, the preparedness and roles, and the perceived gaps in services and training. Five major themes, each comprised of a number of interrelated sub-themes, were identified: role/service clarification, preparedness for the school environment, practice techniques, family dynamics, and conflicts within the school context. Results of this study suggests that the delivery of an intensive community mental health program in school settings poses a unique set of challenges and points to the lack of adequate training. The data underscores the training needs of TDT clinicians and interventions tailored to suit the school context in order to improve care for children with serious emotional disturbances (SED)

Accounting for complexity: An examination of methodologies for complex intervention research in global health

Accounting for complexity is now a feature of health interventions research, but it is unclear how this might best be accomplished. As the number of methodologies to account for complexity expands, developing a coherent approach to intervention research has become more urgent and yet more difficult. This thesis aimed to address this challenge by examining methodologies used to design and evaluate complex interventions in global health. Four areas considered central to complex interventions research were explored – intervention design, evaluation of outcomes, assessment of causal mechanisms, and evaluation of context. In each of these areas, a different mixed method, statistical, or qualitative methodological approach was employed following available guidance. Data were drawn from the design and evaluation of the PRIME intervention, a complex health service intervention to improve care for malaria at health centres in rural Uganda. Conceptual and methodological challenges were encountered in each area of investigation. Opportunities for improving each methodological application are suggested alongside an overall recommendation for greater reflection on, and reporting of, the processes and investments necessary for conducting complex interventions research. Additionally, the evidence produced in each area of investigation revealed different, partial and incommensurable accounts of the intervention and its effects. This draws attention to the challenges that can arise when seeking to combine evidence of ‘what works’ with evidence from methodologies that employ different approaches to understanding how interventions are taken up and produce effects. Approaches to accounting for complexity in intervention research need to evolve from focusing on the narrow question of ‘what works’ towards emphasising a more dynamic and multi-perspective question of ‘what happens’. Such an approach may be particularly useful for understanding the multiple and varied effects of complex interventions and their role in improving health and wellbeing