Predicting System Success using the Technology Acceptance Model: A Case Study

Determining what makes an Information System (IS) successful is an ongoing concern for both researchers and practitioners alike. Arriving at an answer to this problem is compounded by the subjective nature of success and therefore trying to make judgements of what is and is not a success is problematic. Despite these difficulties system use has become more accepted as a measure of system success. Following this logic if a system is accepted it will have a higher likelihood of being used and therefore impact positively on success. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is one of the more widely accepted theoretical frameworks that has been used to measure system acceptance. This paper combines the TAM, as the theoretical framework, with case study research to provide a more holistic account of why a specific IS, an online assignment submission system, has become successful. Initial findings suggest that the TAM measures of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are effective predictors of systems success

What's Digital about Fashion Design? Fashion, Technology and the Digital Economy.

A project report resulting from the RCUK funded NEMODE (New Economic Models in the Digital Economy) Network+ scheme. Project was entitled "Enabling the designer fashion community to understand and adopt technologies that lead to New Economic Models in the Digital Economy", and culminated in a workshop for fashion designers and professionals. held on 27th October 2015 at The Photographers Gallery, London. Project was a collaboration with consultancy AAM Associates, London

Implementing person-centered communication in diabetes care: a new tool for diabetes care professionals

Purpose: This study tested the clinical implementation of the CoMac Communication System, an empirically validated tool for individualized Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). This system provides immediate feedback and guidance to health care providers (HCPs) to facilitate speaking with persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus in language reflecting patients' own worldviews and health beliefs. Patients and methods: This 6-month implementation science study at an accredited diabetes care clinic in a Midwestern US hospital was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of CoMac implementation, qualitative interviews with HCPs, and evaluation of clinic flow among the diabetes education team. Seventy-two participants received CoMac's linguistically tailored patient-centric communication; a control group of 48 did not receive this intervention. In Phase II, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels from the first visit to the follow-up visit for each group were compared. Results: Interviews conducted during Phase I suggested that the system can be successfully implemented into DSMES practice. Knowing individual psychosocial profiles and participants' language use allowed for more effective patient counseling. In Phase II, multiple regression analysis with HbA1c change as the dependent variable showed that the key variable of interest, treated with the CoMac intervention, had a one-tailed t-value of -1.81, with a statistically significant probability value of 0.037. Conclusion: Findings suggest that use of the CoMac System by diabetes care professionals has the potential for improved patient health outcomes. Patients receiving the CoMac intervention showed significantly improved HbA1c levels, suggesting that this approach has great promise for effective DSMES management

Library data and its future on the web

Metadata created by libraries has been locked up in libraries for a long time. BIBFRAME, the proposed replacement for MARC, will free library metadata from library silos and will help us get our data on the web where it can be used and discovered more easily

Quality Care for People with Intellectual Disability and Advanced Dementia: Guidance on Service Provision

Purpose of Report: The International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementia (Glasgow, Scotland; October 2016) noted that advanced dementia can be categorized as that stage of dementia progression characterized by significant losses in cognitive and physical function, including a high probability of further deterioration and leading to death. The questions before the summit were whether there were similarities and differences in expressions of advanced dementia between adults with intellectual disability (ID) and adults in the general population. Findings: The summit noted challenges in the staging of advanced dementia in people with ID with the criteria in measures designed to stage dementia in the general population heavily weighted on notable impairment in activities of daily living. For many people with an ID, there is already dependence in these domains generally related to the individuals pre-existing level of intellectual impairment, that is, totally unrelated to dementia. Hence, the summit agreed that it is imperative that change is measured from the person’s prior functioning in combination with clinical impressions of decline and of increasing comorbidity including particular attention to late onset epilepsy in people with Down syndrome. It was further noted that quality care planning must recognize the greater likelihood of physical symptoms, comorbidities, immobility, and neuropathological deterioration. Summary: The summit recommended an investment in research to more clearly identify measures for ascertaining advanced dementia, inform practice guidelines to aid clinicians and service providers, and identify additional markers that may help signal decline and progression into advanced dementia among people with various levels of pre-existing intellectual impairment.Additional listed co-author: Advanced Dementia Working of the International Summit on Intellectual Disability and Dementi

Livro didático para o ensino de surdos : uma análise sobre as questões editoriais

O presente trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma análise documental realizada como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de Licenciada em Pedagogia pela Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, realizado em 2016. O objetivo do estudo é discutir a apresentação de livros didáticos do Ensino Fundamental – Séries Iniciais da disciplina de Língua Portuguesa para alunos surdos, e propor considerações sobre as especificidades para uma elaboração e escolha de um livro didático que atenda os mesmos. Sabe-se que os livros didáticos no Brasil atualmente são escolhidos pelos professores e sua aquisição e distribuição são feitas por meio do Plano Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD). Sentimos a necessidade de averiguar como são estes livros direcionados para o ensino de surdos no espaço inclusivo, tendo como enfoque, neste trabalho, as suas questões editoriais. Dessa forma, analisamos dois livros de ensino de Língua Portuguesa, um do 4º ano e outro do 5º ano que foram distribuídos nacionalmente, pertencentes a coleção Portas Abertas. Ao final das análises percebeu-se que os livros didáticos para o ensino de surdos exibem características editoriais específicas, porém necessitam de um olhar diferenciado que considere a Libras como a primeira língua de instrução do aluno surdo desde sua elaboração.The present study presents the results of a documental analysis performed as a partial requirement to obtain a degree in Pedagogy from the Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, accomplished in 2016. The objective of the study is to discuss the presentation of textbooks of Elementary School - Initial Years of the discipline of Portuguese Language to Deaf students, and proposes considerations on the specificities for an elaboration and choice of a textbook that meets the needs of deaf students. Textbooks in Brazil are currently chosen by school teachers and their acquisition and distribution are made through the Plano Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD). We understood that there is a need to comprehend how these books are adapted to the teaching of the Deaf in the mainstream space by focusing this study their editorial issues. In this way, two Portuguese language teaching books for the 4th and 5th year were analyzed, which were distributed nationally, belonging to the Portas Abertas collection. At the end of the analysis we concluded that textbooks for teaching Deaf people have specific editorial characteristics, although they need a differentiated look that considers the Libras as the first language of instruction of the deaf student since the very moment they are created

What are the reasons for clinical network success? A qualitative study

Background Clinical networks have been established to improve patient outcomes and processes of care by implementing a range of innovations and undertaking projects based on the needs of local health services. Given the significant investment in clinical networks internationally, it is important to assess their effectiveness and sustainability. This qualitative study investigated the views of stakeholders on the factors they thought were influential in terms of overall network success. Method Ten participants were interviewed using face-to-face, audio-recorded semi-structured interviews about critical factors for networks’ successes over the study period 2006–2008. Respondents were purposively selected from two stakeholder groups: i) chairs of networks during the study period of 2006–2008 from high- moderate- and low-impact networks (as previously determined by an independent review panel) and ii) experts in the clinical field of the network who had a connection to the network but who were not network members. Participants were blind to the performance of the network they were interviewed about. Transcribed data were coded and analysed to generate themes relating to the study aims. Results Themes relating to influential factors critical to network success were: network model principles; leadership; formal organisational structures and processes; nature of network projects; external relationships; profile and credibility of the network. Conclusions This study provides clinical networks with guidance on essential factors for maximising optimal network outcomes and that may assist networks to move from being a ’low-impact’ to ‘high-impact’ network. Important ingredients for successful clinical networks were visionary and strategic leadership with strong links to external stakeholders; and having formal infrastructure and processes to enable the development and management of work plans aligned with health priorities