Purposes, Uses, and Practices of Leadership Assessment in Education

Explores recent research literature dealing with personnel evaluations, professional learning, accountability, and the relation of leadership to learning, in order to clarify how leadership assessment practices impact student achievement

Information Systems in the Behavioral Health Context

Behavioral health (BH) disorders often co-occur with chronic medical conditions. Hospital readmission rates are higher among patients with co-occurring BH and medical conditions than among patients who do not have a BH disorder. This pattern of overutilization has been linked to fragmented care delivery systems and a lack of information sharing. Health information exchanges (HIEs) enable the sharing of clinical information. This study applied information systems theories to understand the factors that influence the exchange and use of BH data via HIE. A modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) survey was emailed to a convenience sample of participants in Alabama and Oklahoma to determine the influence of the following factors on intention to use and subsequent use of BH information via HIE: 1) performance expectancy, 2) effort expectancy, 3) social influence, 4) trust, and 5) perceived risk. The conceptual model also integrated a construct from the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory: trialability. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the conceptual model. The results are presented in Table 1. Sixty-two participants completed the survey. Because the survey was distributed by the CIO and network administrators of the organizations, the total number of surveys distributed is unknown, thus making the response rate unknown. 83.87% of the respondents were between 30 and 59 years of age. 62.91% were clinicians. Participants’ intention to use BH information in HIE increased if they perceived that having access to this information would improve patient care (performance expectancy) (β= 0.382, p= 0.01). Likewise, intention to exchange BH information increased if the information was thought to be trustworthy (β= 0.539, p= 0.000). The results of the study suggest that applying information systems theories to the context of BH could help us to understand clinicians’ perceptions of the potential benefits of and barriers to this particular type of data exchange. However, there are currently few studies that examine the role that health information systems can play in integrating BH information. Further research is needed

A Framework for Developing a Substance Use, Abuse, and Recovery Web-Based Application

Many community programs are launched with all of the hope and promise of success. Such programs seem to have ample human and fiscal resources. Oftentimes, however, it is not until reporting is required or the community program is no longer scalable that organizers realize that methods of data collection, often paper or spreadsheet, are not sustainable. As part of a larger accountable care communities initiative, Jefferson County, Alabama, has launched a recovery resource center for substance users, abusers, those in recovery, and their families. We combined a design science approach with a community based participatory research approach resulting in a framework that guided the design, development, and evaluation of a prototype of a substance use, abuse, and recovery web-based application. Findings suggest that using this framework creates a sustained alignment between requirements and development at every phase and saves time in the overall development cycle

The Dynamics of Information Collaboration: A Case Study of Blended IT Value Propositions for Health Information Exchange in Disability Determination

Recent developments in health information technology (health IT) for health information exchange suggest that successful public-private collaborations should devote more attention to understanding the dynamics of collaboration. In the context of health information sharing for disability determination, this case study examines early instances of public-private interorganizational sharing of health information. The theoretical focus of the paper is on the construction of blended value propositions and their role in collaboration for health information exchange. For this purpose, we performed a case analysis of a prototype health IT application to be shared between the United States Social Security Administration and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The case analysis found that business, socio-organizational, and technical dynamics were operative during the planning and execution of the prototype. From a theoretical perspective, the case study provides insight into blended value propositions in terms of understanding and potentially predicting the success of newly established Health Information Exchanges (HIEs). The findings have implications for further development of collaboration value propositions and their evolution over the course of IT deployments for health information exchange

Barriers and Facilitators to PDMP IS Success in the US

Background: Approximately 118 thousand global deaths associated with opioid use disorder occurred in 2016, and an increasing proportion of those deaths is due to prescription opioids.[1] The United States (US) had the highest narcotic drug consumption in the world in 2014, according to the International Narcotics Control Board.[2] “Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) collect, monitor and analyze electronically transmitted prescribing and dispensing data submitted by pharmacies and dispensing practitioners” to reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion.[3] Although PDMPs help battle prescription drug abuse and diversion, PDMPs face many challenges that hinder their success.[4, 5] Objective: To search the literature to determine if there are any common barriers and facilitators to PDMP Information System (IS) success in the United States. Model: The Delone and McLean IS Success Model was used to categorize barriers and facilitators to PDMP IS success. Methods: Scopus, PubMed and Embase databases were searched due to their relevance to information technology, education and research. The PRISMA framework guided the search process. Key Findings: There were 151 and 182 barriers and facilitators to PDMP IS success found in 55 peer reviewed articles, respectively. Some barrier themes reported were PDMP data not being available from other states, PDMP data being delayed, the PDMP being too time consuming, not being able to delegate PMDP access, lack of knowledge or awareness of the PDMP, and the PDMP being difficult to use due to not being integrated with the EHR. Some facilitator themes reported were increasing PMDP interoperability between state lines, making PDMP data more timely or available in “real-time”, integrating PDMP data with EHR data, and delegating PDMP access. Conclusion: Practice should use these findings to assess current barriers to PDMP success in the US and should draw possible solutions from the list of facilitators. Some facilitators contradict others. PDMP users and administrators should consider the context of their organization and state when determining which facilitators would most promote PDMP IS success. Combining facilitators may be the best route to PDMP IS success in specific situations

Leadership for Learning Improvement in Urban Schools

Examines urban school leaders' efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning by supporting progress for diverse students, sharing leadership work, and aligning resources. Analyzes school environments and coordination of various leadership roles

Patient experience in outpatient clinics: Does appointment time impact satisfaction?

The objective of this study is to understand patient experience by appointment time by analyzing the Consumer Assessment of Hospital Provider and Systems (CAHPS) scores at a granular level across pre-determined time periods (AM and PM). This study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods. A deidentified secondary data set from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Press Ganey website was used to analyze the difference in CAHPS scores across AM and PM time periods. Unstructured survey responses were analyzed as a way to further enrich the quantitative findings. The data sample consisted of 821 responses from a dermatology clinic for the period of May 2017 to May 2018. Results suggested more positive patient experience for AM appointments when compared to PM appointments. The only positive experience for PM appointments was associated with the support staff and timeliness of care. This study indicated that time of day of the appointment is one of the contributing factors for patient satisfaction in the outpatient setting. While this study was conducted in a dermatology setting, it has applicability to the broader outpatient environment. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Infrastructure & Governance lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

User perceptions about sharing exposure notification information for communicable diseases

BackgroundThe (GuideSafe™) Exposure Notification System (ENS) was built and deployed in (Alabama) for anonymous sending and receiving of COVID-19 exposure alerts to people who have been in close contact with someone who later reports a positive COVID-19 test. Little is known about how the demographic groups perceive recent privacy-preserving the ENS innovations, including their usability, usefulness, satisfaction, and continued interest in sharing COVID-19 exposure information. The purpose of this study was to investigate how users across the demographic groups perceive the sharing of exposure information with various types of organizations and to investigate how end-user perceptions of the ENS usability, usefulness, and satisfaction differ across the demographic groups within the context of a statewide deployment of an exposure notification system.MethodsA survey was administered to (state residents blinded for review) (N = 1,049) to assess propensity to share COVID-19 infection data and evaluate end-user perceptions about usability, usefulness, and satisfaction with the (Alabama) ENS. The ANOVA and the Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) post-hoc tests were conducted to assess the demographic group differences.ResultsThe ENS survey participants had a high awareness of contact tracing, exposure notifications, and the (GuideSafe™) ENS and reported having downloaded the app. Survey results revealed the majority of participants rated the app as useful (n = 490, 79%), easy to use (n = 490, 79%), and reported satisfaction with its use (n = 546, 88%). Other results suggest that ethnicity and age may be important factors for trust in sharing exposure information.ConclusionThe (GuideSafe™) system was one integrated component of comprehensive education and work re-entry strategy across (Alabama) that reached a broad user base. Users across the different demographic groups perceive the sharing of information about their communicable disease exposures differently. Furthermore, demographic factors play a role in which types of organizations individuals are willing to share their communicable disease exposure information. Public health institutions, employers, schools, healthcare providers, and technology designers may want to consider these findings as they construct technologies and perform outreach campaigns aimed at reducing infection rates with the ENS and related technologies