The role of IT governance in generating business value from IT investments in healthcare: Lessons from an Australian experience

Digitizing the core processes of healthcare delivery is looked at as a solution to control the escalating costs without compromising quality or patient outcomes. However, to date the business value of such IT solutions remains elusive, especially in view of the high failure rate of many solutions coupled with the high user resistance. The uniqueness of the healthcare industry makes measuring the business value of IT a complex missions, yet it is the thesis of this research that such an activity is an essential first step if we are to realise the full potential of IT in healthcare. The role IT governance can play is of high importance to generate business value from IT investments in healthcare. This is investigated using an integrative model that is proffered to conceptualise the business value of IT in healthcare. This conceptual model is then used to guide an exploratory case study based at a leading private healthcare provider in Melbourne-Australia

The Key Determinant Factors of Clinical Information Systems User Satisfaction: Lessons Learnt From an Australian Case Study

Driven by the escalating pressures to enhance its outcomes within its limited resources, the healthcare industry is increasingly investing in various clinical information systems. Although user satisfaction is key to realizing the benefits of these large invests, the determinant factors for user satisfaction with clinical information systems are still not well understood. This study addresses this need by qualitatively investigating the relationships between the overall satisfaction with clinical information systems and five key aspects of clinical information systems, namely key functionalities, efficiency of use, intuitiveness of graphical user interfaces (GUI), communication, collaboration, and information exchange, and interoperability and compatibility issues. The findings resulting from both descriptive and thematic analyses show that clinical information systems are still in their infant stage and that their maturity is highly questionable. Simpler clinical information systems are likely to be more satisfying than more complex systems. System design and training provided are also key factors as the study finds

Assessing Electronic Clinical Audit information Systems Using Activity Theory

Information systems are increasingly being implemented in many healthcare service provision areas including clinical, business service, administration and management. These systems are often introduced to hospitals with a view to supporting care delivery and improving care quality, safety, and efficiency. However, it is not always the case that the full benefits of these systems are realized. This paper reports on a research-in-progress that is designed to assess an electronic clinical audit information system in an Australian not-for-profit tertiary private healthcare system. Activity Theory is used to inform the study and thereby enable a deeper understanding around the key relationships between various stakeholders as well as the system itself

Overcoming the interruptible nature of allergy treatment through applying knowledge management principles: A Trip from raw knowledge to transferable wisdom

Rates of food allergy diagnosis in children are increasing exponentially in developed countries; in Melbourne for example, 20% sensitisation and a 10% challenge in 12 month old infants were confirmed (Osborne et al., 2011). As allergy services are stretched, patients are seen by different allergy practitioners, thus significantly challenging uninterruptible allergy care. Specific problems include prolonged waiting times for food allergy reviews; and the lack of a clear and comprehensive documentation of serial allergy test results over time in a consistent format. To address these issues this study will develop an electronic solution for use by both allergists and their patients to ensure prospective accurate and secure collection of skin prick test [SPT] or serum specific IgE [ssIgE] test data for long term follow-up of patients with food allergy, and applying intelligent tools and techniques to the developed database to enhance the ongoing care of children with allergies including developing tailored preventative strategies

AIDS and food security: essays

AIDS (Disease), Food security., HIV/AIDS Africa., Africa, Sub-Saharan., Epidemics., Food security Developing countries., Food supply., Malnutrition Prevention., Agriculture., Nutrition policies. ,

Honey bee colony losses

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Evaluating Business Value of IT in Healthcare in Australia: The Case of an Intelligent Operational Planning Support Tool Solution

The healthcare sector is complex and intricate. It consists of a web of players including clinicians, healthcare organisations, regulators, payers, suppliers, patients and their families to mention the major groups. Taken together they form a complex ecosystem made up of multiple and dynamic sub-ecosystems. With the focus on incorporating technology into this context what we find is one of the most intricate and complex of e-ecosystems that must function effectively and efficiently in order to provide superior care and treat patients. The following tries to ascertain the value associated with the application of technology in healthcare; i.e. the business value of IT in healthcare. This is done by synthesising key literature and then applying it to a specific case of a nursing informatics technology solution. In so doing, a unifying framework is established that enables us to understand key activities that occur throughout this e-ecosystem

Evaluating the Business Value of CPOE for Cancer Care in Australia: A Resource Based View Perspective

Today, cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. This threatening disease has huge negative impacts, not only on quality of life, but also on the healthcare industry, whose resources are already scarce. Thus, finding new approaches for cancer care has been a central point of interest during the last few decades. One of these approaches is the use of computerised physician order entry (CPOE) systems, which have the potential to provide more effective and efficient patient centric cancer care. This paper serves to examine the business value of an American CPOE in an Australian context. This is achieved by using our specifically designed tool to evaluate the business value of IT in the healthcare in combination with a resource based view perspective. Our results show that the system has a number of enabling resources to generate business value subject to having other resources

Ultrasound-Assisted CO2 Flooding to Improve Oil Recovery

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge and appreciate the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, for the provision of the laboratory facilities necessary for completing this work.Peer reviewedPostprin