Attitudes and Perceptions of Advanced Practice Nurses towards Health Information Technology and Its Effects on Caring

Technology is rapidly, constantly evolving, and affecting healthcare. While it has the ability to improve healthcare outcomes, it is important to realize the impact this technology has on the relationships between patients and nurses (Korhonen, et al., 2015). Interactions with patients are increasing through computer technology and decreasing by physical presence and touch, potentially compromising the development of a trusting relationship and thus affecting patient quality outcomes (Sandelowski, 2002). This cross sectional study explored the attitudes and perceptions of APRNs towards HIT and its effects on caring. 150 Advanced Practice Clinicians in a Northern California healthcare was surveyed, using the Information Technology Attitude Scales for Health (ITASH). Age, educational level, gender and ethnicity did not contribute any significant differences in the attitudes toward care value of information communication technology (ICT), training of ICT skills, ICT confidence or workload value. However, NPs compared to CNMs and PAs, had higher care value ICT score. Primary Care department also scored higher than Specialty Departments in the care value of ICT factor

The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the efficiency of healthcare delivery at Radiology department of Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Healthcare service provision is undoubtedly a major priority for any governmental policy makers and society at large. Access to quality health care is declared a basic human right globally, yet there are many factors that still make it hard for countries to make this a reality. Issues such as shortage of skilled healthcare workers, high costs of healthcare provision and poor economic outlooks are some of the major contributors to gaps in provision of equitable healthcare services. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an integral part of our daily life. The study aimed to investigate the role that ICT can play in improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery processes and spreading access to communities that are left behind in the provision of this basic human need. A quantitative methodology was used to evaluate the perception of professionals with regards to the adoption of ICT and its impact on healthcare services delivery at the radiology department. The target population was made up of administrators, radiographers and radiologists at the radiology department of Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. Data was collected through questionnaires which were physically administered on site. A convenience sampling technique was used to identify and recruit study participants. The results revealed that 70% of respondents agree that ICT adoption does indeed increase efficiency of healthcare service delivery. The study did not find significant relationship between users’ attitude towards ICT adoption and the ability of ICT to improve efficiency in a healthcare facility. It is recommended that healthcare facilities adopting ICT should invest more time and resources in training and offering technical support to end users. The study can benefit healthcare facilities who seek to improve the quality, speed, accuracy of healthcare services by using ICT systems

Technology based Health care an Indian perspective : opportunities and challenges

Healthcare technology is in use for a decade or more in India. The use of technology in healthcare especially in public health is very common due to the recent development in Information Communication Technology. The cost of equipments in ICT in general are falling. But in healthcare, some of the equipments costs very high. Such equipments are commissioned in various locations in India. This includes some of the remote areas. The present talk is an attempt to assess the effect of such technology on the public health system. The utilisation of such systems depends on various factors. They include, costs involved in maintaining such systems, the benefits of such systems to the health personnel and the general population, what are the advantages of such systems over the traditional systems, what are the benefits of such systems on the administration, the impact on the managerial efficiency, how does the system address the HR needs in the public health, what the skills expected out of the health personnel and the general population for using such systems.IT facilitated Health, Health, Telemedicine, Telehealth, HIS

Boosting the resilience of the healthcare system in Belgrade: the role of ICT networks

Medicine is evolving under economical, commercial and technological pressures but the resilience of healthcare systems remains questionable, especially in the age of intensive climate changes. The vulnerability of existing healthcare facilities is increasing and it becomes necessary to deal efficiently with different problems - from the growing number of patients, management of healthcare continuity and quality, to the maintenance of physical integrity of facilities and available financial resources. Focusing on the case of Belgrade, this paper will analyse the relationship between healthcare facilities research and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) networks. It will elaborate possible approaches in adapting to climate changes and boosting overall resilience of hospitals, within existing limitations imposed by socio-economic and technological conditions. The contextual framework for the research is based on the review of literature and the data collected from recent reports and strategies. In addition, the paper will use information collected through extensive online surveys among patients and staff from major hospitals in Belgrade. The resilience of existing Belgrade healthcare facilities will be assessed in accordance with prevailing technological, organizational and individual factors, as well as the impact of climate changes, which influenced their poor performances. This paper will present both advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in Healthcare research

The Impact of Technological Change on Inequality, Health and Crime: Evidence from Thailand

In most developing countries, technological advancements have occurred rapidly in recent years. These economies emphasise technological changes contributing to their economic growth, especially information and communication technology (ICT). ICT policies have been launched since 2001 to improve Thai people's quality of life. ICT has several benefits for both the economy and society. However, it can also have adverse effects. One of the Thai government's goals is to reduce inequality using ICT policies. The first chapter evaluates the impact of technology policy on inequality from different perspectives, including labour force, education, and healthcare. Results prove that ICT policies increase earnings and improve educational achievements. Such inequality has decreased. However, expenditure disparities in education and healthcare persist, and more healthcare investments exist. Whether the increased healthcare expenditures are due to increased access to healthcare information via ICT or increased morbidity remains questionable. The second chapter investigates and quantifies the impact of ICT usage behaviour on physical and mental health problems. The findings imply that Thai people are more likely to have some health problems from ICT use. ICT adoption at different times begins to affect health at various times and has different likelihood of illnesses. The effects on mental health occur faster than physical health. Time spent on ICT affects physical health, while some ICT activities, such as learning, social media, and entertainment, impact both physical and mental health. Another issue that could be a consequence of ICT is crime. Certain ICT activities, such as social media, have risks that could lead to crime. However, ICT is also an effective tool for deterring crime. Chapter 3 results reveal that social media has decreased reported crime rates while increasing convicted crime rates. Fraud and prostitution are the most concerning forms of crime, possibly stimulated by social media

The impact of healthcare IT on clinical quality, productivity and workers

Adoption of health information and communication technologies ('HICT') has surged over the past two decades. We survey the medical and economic literature on HICT adoption and its impact on clinical outcomes, productivity and labor. We find that HICT improves clinical outcomes and lowers healthcare costs, but (i) the effects are modest so far, (ii) it takes time for these effects to materialize, and (iii) there is much variation in the impact. More evidence on the causal effects of HICT on productivity is needed to guide further adoption. There is little econometric work directly investigating the impact of HICT on labor, but what there is suggests no substantial negative effects on employment and earnings. Overall, while healthcare is 'exceptional' in many ways, we are struck by the similarities to the wider findings on ICT and productivity stressing the importance of complementary factors (e.g. management and skills) in determining HICT impacts

Training community healthcare workers on the use of information and communication technologies: a randomised controlled trial of traditional versus blended learning in Malawi, Africa

Background: Despite the increasing uptake of information and communication technologies (ICT) within healthcare services across developing countries, community healthcare workers (CHWs) have limited knowledge to fully utilise computerised clinical systems and mobile apps. The ‘Introduction to Information and Communication Technology and eHealth’ course was developed with the aim to provide CHWs in Malawi, Africa, with basic knowledge and computer skills to use digital solutions in healthcare delivery. The course was delivered using a traditional and a blended learning approach. Methods: Two questionnaires were developed and tested for face validity and reliability in a pilot course with 20 CHWs. Those were designed to measure CHWs’ knowledge of and attitudes towards the use of ICT, before and after each course, as well as their satisfaction with each learning approach. Following validation, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the two learning approaches. A total of 40 CHWs were recruited, stratified by position, gender and computer experience, and allocated to the traditional or blended learning group using block randomisation. Participants completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaires before and after each course to assess the impact of each learning approach on their knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction. Per-item, pre-post and between-group, mean differences for each approach were calculated using paired and unpaired t-tests, respectively. Per-item, between-group, satisfaction scores were compared using unpaired t-tests. Results: Scores across all scales improved after attending the traditional and blended learning courses. Self-rated ICT knowledge was significantly improved in both groups with significant differences between groups in seven domains. However, actual ICT knowledge scores were similar across groups. There were no significant differences between groups in attitudinal gains. Satisfaction with the course was generally high in both groups. However, participants in the blended learning group found it more difficult to follow the content of the course. Conclusions: This study shows that there is no difference between blended and traditional learning in the acquisition of actual ICT knowledge among community healthcare workers in developing countries. Given the human resource constraints in remote resource-poor areas, the blended learning approach may present an advantageous alternative to traditional learning

Training community healthcare workers on the use of information and communication technologies: a randomised controlled trial of traditional versus blended learning in Malawi, Africa.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing uptake of information and communication technologies (ICT) within healthcare services across developing countries, community healthcare workers (CHWs) have limited knowledge to fully utilise computerised clinical systems and mobile apps. The 'Introduction to Information and Communication Technology and eHealth' course was developed with the aim to provide CHWs in Malawi, Africa, with basic knowledge and computer skills to use digital solutions in healthcare delivery. The course was delivered using a traditional and a blended learning approach. METHODS: Two questionnaires were developed and tested for face validity and reliability in a pilot course with 20 CHWs. Those were designed to measure CHWs' knowledge of and attitudes towards the use of ICT, before and after each course, as well as their satisfaction with each learning approach. Following validation, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the two learning approaches. A total of 40 CHWs were recruited, stratified by position, gender and computer experience, and allocated to the traditional or blended learning group using block randomisation. Participants completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaires before and after each course to assess the impact of each learning approach on their knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction. Per-item, pre-post and between-group, mean differences for each approach were calculated using paired and unpaired t-tests, respectively. Per-item, between-group, satisfaction scores were compared using unpaired t-tests. RESULTS: Scores across all scales improved after attending the traditional and blended learning courses. Self-rated ICT knowledge was significantly improved in both groups with significant differences between groups in seven domains. However, actual ICT knowledge scores were similar across groups. There were no significant differences between groups in attitudinal gains. Satisfaction with the course was generally high in both groups. However, participants in the blended learning group found it more difficult to follow the content of the course. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that there is no difference between blended and traditional learning in the acquisition of actual ICT knowledge among community healthcare workers in developing countries. Given the human resource constraints in remote resource-poor areas, the blended learning approach may present an advantageous alternative to traditional learning

Developmental Impact Analysis of an ICT-Enabled Scalable Healthcare Model in BRICS Economies

This article highlights the need for initiating a healthcare business model in a grassroots, emerging-nation context. This article’s backdrop is a history of chronic anomalies afflicting the healthcare sector in India and similarly placed BRICS nations. In these countries, a significant percentage of populations remain deprived of basic healthcare facilities and emergency services. Community (primary care) services are being offered by public and private stakeholders as a panacea to the problem. Yet, there is an urgent need for specialized (tertiary care) services at all levels. As a response to this challenge, an all-inclusive health-exchange system (HES) model, which utilizes information communication technology (ICT) to provide solutions in rural India, has been developed. The uniqueness of the model lies in its innovative hub-and-spoke architecture and its emphasis on affordability, accessibility, and availability to the masses. This article describes a developmental impact analysis (DIA) that was used to assess the impact of this model. The article contributes to the knowledge base of readers by making them aware of the healthcare challenges emerging nations are facing and ways to mitigate those challenges using entrepreneurial solutions