Contextual question answering for the health domain

Studies have shown that natural language interfaces such as question answering and conversational systems allow information to be accessed and understood more easily by users who are unfamiliar with the nuances of the delivery mechanisms (e.g., keyword-based search engines) or have limited literacy in certain domains (e.g., unable to comprehend health-related content due to terminology barrier). In particular, the increasing use of the web for health information prompts us to reexamine our existing delivery mechanisms. We present enquireMe, which is a contextual question answering system that provides lay users with the ability to obtain responses about a wide range of health topics by vaguely expressing at the start and gradually refining their information needs over the course of an interaction session using natural language. enquireMe allows the users to engage in 'conversations' about their health concerns, a process that can be therapeutic in itself. The system uses community-driven question-answer pairs from the web together with a decay model to deliver the top scoring answers as responses to the users' unrestricted inputs. We evaluated enquireMe using benchmark data from WebMD and TREC to assess the accuracy of system-generated answers. Despite the absence of complex knowledge acquisition and deep language processing, enquireMe is comparable to the state-of-the-art question answering systems such as START as well as those interactive systems from TREC

The Effect of Information Technology Audit For E-Health of Indonesia Using ITIL Framework V.3 Domain Service Design

This study explain about E-Health Surabaya is a web-based health service technology application that is used to help people register as patients in hospitals and health centers. Although its function is very useful, there are also people who still do not understand how to use this application, there are also some shortcomings that cause inconvenience in its use. So that research is conducted in which the application uses ITIL V.3 framework with Domain Service Design to conduct an audit of the maturity level of this E-Health Surabaya Web Application. ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Technology) is a framework used to manage information technology services to achieve predetermined targets. The methods used are Data Collection, Data Grouping, Calculation with Likert Scale, and Assessment Based on Service Maturity Level Framework. The results of the study are obtained from data processing of 13 respondents who have filled out the questionnaire, resulting in an overall average value of 3 which is based on the Service Maturity Level Framework is worth 3 namely Defined Process. In addition, recommendations are also given to the Service Level Management and Capacity Management sub domain so that it is expected that E-Health can be developed so that it can be easily used by all groups and can be integrated with e-kiosks in each area of the City of Surabaya for user convenience in their transactions

Health in the digital era: searching health information online

This chapter examines a demanding and rather sensitive topic, specifically the search of health information online. Based on the work of Lustria, Smith and Hinnant who analyse the search of health information online in the United States (US). It reports on a survey conducted from May to July 2015 in the United Kingdom (UK). The chapter investigates the use of web-based technologies for seeking health information and personal health information management in the UK. It helps to understand health literacy' as the ability of people to read and understand health information at large, and to recognize reliable information online, evaluate it and use it to make informed healthcare choices or decisions. It uses Neter and Brainin's theory in measuring people's level of eHealth literacy. The chapter measures eHealth literacy; online health information search strategies, as well as health information sources and evaluation criteria used by consumers.Published versio

BOUNDARIES AND INFOMEDIARIES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE INFORMATION PRACTICES OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

Despite successful efforts to treat and manage diseases, public health officials have recently begun a campaign to refocus efforts toward initiatives to alleviate the pressures that are often referred to as social determinants of health. In eastern Kentucky, and in other geographical regions labeled as health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas, issues stemming from social determinants are compounded with health care systems that are often lacking the human resources to meet basic medical needs. One strategy has been to utilize volunteers and paraprofessionals such as community health workers to lessen the burden on the primary care and hospital systems. Community health workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of their communities and who serve to connect their clients to health and social services (American Public Health Association, 2009). Now more than ever, community health workers are seen as an integral piece to providing comprehensive and patient-centered care. The purpose of this study is to, ultimately, better understand the information practices of community health workers in Eastern Kentucky in order for the health science and public library communities to position themselves to better serve this population of health professionals. Two research questions will serve to inform this overall goal: (1) what are the information practices of the Kentucky Homeplace community health workers? And, (2) what is the role of information communication technologies - such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet - in the access and management of information by Kentucky Homeplace community health workers? This study is a qualitative investigation, utilizing multiple methods, seeking to understand the information practices of Kentucky Homeplace community health workers. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews and participant observation with community health workers have been conducted. Conceiving information needs, seeking, barriers, and uses as practices requires the recognition that social practices are located within microcosms which, in turn, situated within meso- and macrocosmic communities, and as such, practices are socio-cultural and political. To understand the socio-cultural context and political ecology in which community health workers operate, semi-structured, in-depth interviews have been conducted with community health worker administrators, state public health officials, and leaders from the statewide community health worker association. To further understand the socio-cultural and political context, this study has conducted thematic content analysis with documents critical to the construction of community health workers’ roles, responsibilities, and authority. Finally, to fully understand the information environment in which community health workers operate, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with directors of public libraries in the 30-county area Kentucky Homeplace covers as well as librarians from regional academic and health science libraries. In total, 6 interviews were conducted with community health workers, 3 interviews were conducted with library directors and/or librarians, and 4 interviews, combined, were conducted with community health worker administrators and individuals from the Kentucky Department for Public Health. A total of 8 hours, 39 minutes, and 47 seconds of interview time was recorded. 16 hours of participant observation was conducted with two community health workers, across two days. The community health workers in this study articulated information needs that related to client information, information about services and resources in their communities, information about services and resources available independent of location, and health information for themselves and for their clients or clients’ caregivers. While some of this information was sought after through information communication technologies, community health workers also indicated that they often seek information through interaction with other community health workers, and with representatives from community organizations. Community health workers function as interstitial agents, crossing boundaries between organizations, or between societal levels. The information that they create, seek, process, and disseminate functions as a boundary object. To do this, community health workers utilize a wide range of information communication technologies including modern modalities such as computers, the world wide web, email listservs, and shared servers, in addition to conventional modes of communication such as the phone, business cards, and printed pamphlets. Ultimately, the role of the community health worker is as an infomediary, positioned to facilitate the flow or exchange of information from one body to another

Providing Language Services in Small Health Care Provider Settings: Examples From the Field

Assesses recent innovations in language service programs and activities at healthcare provider settings with ten or fewer clinicians. Includes an eight-step plan to help providers develop a strategy to meet the needs of their patients

MedlinePlus??: The National Library of Medicine?? Brings Quality Information to Health Consumers

The National Library of Medicine???s (NLM??) MedlinePlus?? is a high-quality gateway to consumer health information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other authoritative organizations. For decades, NLM has been a leader in indexing, organizing, and distributing health information to health professionals. In creating MedlinePlus, NLM uses years of accumulated expertise and technical knowledge to produce an authoritative, reliable consumer health Web site. This article describes the development of MedlinePlus???its quality control processes, the integration of NLM and NIH information, NLM???s relationship to other institutions, the technical and staffing infrastructures, the use of feedback for quality improvement, and future plans.published or submitted for publicatio

Issues in Evaluating Health Department Web-Based Data Query Systems: Working Papers

Compiles papers on conceptual and methodological topics to consider in evaluating state health department systems that provide aggregate data online, such as taxonomy, logic models, indicators, and design. Includes surveys and examples of evaluations

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Guide to Housing Related Opportunities for Making Connections Communities

Outlines stimulus funding for housing-related programs and coordinated strategies to help low-income communities benefit. Suggests policies to promote, including advancing green and healthy housing and addressing the foreclosure crisis. Lists resources

Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits From Internet Access at U.S. Libraries

Examines the use of free computer and Internet access in public libraries, by income level, age, race/ethnicity, and online activity. Explores libraries' role as a community resource for social media, education, employment, e-government, and other areas

Dwarna : a blockchain solution for dynamic consent in biobanking

Dynamic consent aims to empower research partners and facilitate active participation in the research process. Used within the context of biobanking, it gives individuals access to information and control to determine how and where their biospecimens and data should be used. We present Dwarna—a web portal for ‘dynamic consent’ that acts as a hub connecting the different stakeholders of the Malta Biobank: biobank managers, researchers, research partners, and the general public. The portal stores research partners’ consent in a blockchain to create an immutable audit trail of research partners’ consent changes. Dwarna’s structure also presents a solution to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation’s right to erasure—a right that is seemingly incompatible with the blockchain model. Dwarna’s transparent structure increases trustworthiness in the biobanking process by giving research partners more control over which research studies they participate in, by facilitating the withdrawal of consent and by making it possible to request that the biospecimen and associated data are destroyed.peer-reviewe