Digital Health relates to “health information systems which enable the merging of social-care and healthcare systems. This would impact on the organisation, service delivery as well as the technological infrastructure” (Herselman & Botha, 2016, p.10). However, with relatively sparse research publications emanating from within the Namibian Health domain, and the concept of Namibian Digital Health as an emergent phenomenon, a Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework would provide a start to conceptualising, developing and implementing such an ecosystem for Namibia and thus unlocking the potential of Digital Health in this country. The purpose of this study is to develop a Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework based on literature reviews and the feedback from knowledgeable professionals (KPs) in Namibia, as well as global experts. The methodology which was applied in this study to address the purpose, and to answer the research questions, was Design Science Research Methodology and the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) process of Peffers, Tuunanen, Rothenberger and Chatterjee (2008), was adopted. Pragmatism is the overall philosophy guiding the study, as proposed by Ackoff’s theory regarding the hierarchy of human understanding (1989) and Shneiderman’s visual information seeking mantra (1996). During Phases 2 and 3 of the study interpretivism and positivism were applied as philosophies, guided by hermeneutics and triangulation, towards understanding the feedback of Knowledgeable Professionals (KPs) in Namibia, as well as the global experts. The study was divided into three phases. The first phase entailed a literature study which identified the components of Digital Health, Innovation and Digital Ecosystems as well as related research of Digital health, Innovation and Digital Ecosystems in developed and developing countries. This process led to the compilation of the initial Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework using a conceptual approach. In the second phase of the study, the initial Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem was evaluated by KPs in Namibia using the Delphi method and interviews. Phase 2 adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings from Phase 2 resulted in the development of the intermediate Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework. In Phase 3 of the study, the intermediate framework was validated by global experts. Feedback was collected from global experts through questionnaires which were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The findings, from Phase 3 led to the development of the final Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystems Framework. The guidelines, which can be used by the Namibian government to implement the suggested digital health innovation ecosystem framework, were also provided. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems)

[pt] Os dispositivos vestíveis de saúde, como ferramenta tecnológica, podem contribuir para o diagnóstico e tratamento de doenças, permitir o acompanhamento de pacientes à distância e otimizar a utilização de recursos na indústria da saúde. Este estudo propõe um modelo integrativo de aceitação de tecnologia para avaliar os fatores determinantes da adoção dispositivos vestíveis de saúde pelos consumidores, alinhando construtos oriundos do modelo de aceitação de tecnologia com outros construtos, como prontidão tecnológica, confiança e autoeficácia. Os dados obtidos nos questionários de pesquisa de 424 consumidores, analisados por meio da modelagem de equações estruturais, indicam relações significativas entre os construtos avaliados, tendo sido observada uma particular relevância nos efeitos da utilidade percebida, antecedida pela confiança e prontidão tecnológica, sobre a atitude e a intenção de uso dos dispositivos vestíveis de saúde. Portanto, os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que o modelo proposto representa um avanço na compreensão dos fatores que influenciam a atitude geral de adoção pela população da tecnologia dos dispositivos vestíveis de saúde. / [en] Wearable health devices, as a technological tool, may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, besides allowing a remote monitoring of patients and optimizing the use of resources in the health industry. This study proposes an integrative model of technology acceptance to assess the determining factors for the adoption of wearable health devices by users, aligning constructs from the technology acceptance model with other constructs, such as technological readiness, assurance and self-efficacy. The data obtained from the survey questionnaires of 424 consumers, which were analyzed through structural equation modelling, indicate significant relationships between the evaluated constructs. Particular relevance was observed in the effects of perceived usefulness, preceded by assurance and technological readiness, on attitude and intention to use wearable health devices. Therefore, the results of this research suggest that the proposed model represents an advance in the understanding of the factors that influence the general attitude of the population to adopt the use of the technology of wearable health devices.

Submitted by Augusto João Américo de Sousa (augustojas@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-08-31T00:51:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissertaçãoFinalMestradoAugusto_Teletriagem2017.pdf: 1598011 bytes, checksum: 1ada674249fd062716dbb942fa347a79 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2018-09-03T20:28:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissertaçãoFinalMestradoAugusto_Teletriagem2017.pdf: 1598011 bytes, checksum: 1ada674249fd062716dbb942fa347a79 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-11T17:55:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissertaçãoFinalMestradoAugusto_Teletriagem2017.pdf: 1598011 bytes, checksum: 1ada674249fd062716dbb942fa347a79 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-11-30 / Objetivo – Esta dissertação teve como principal objetivo estudar a existência ou não de benefícios aos usuários na adoção da teletriagem nos sistemas de saúde. Metodologia – Como método optou-se por um estudo exploratório através de pesquisa bibliográfica buscando dados na literatura de experiências internacionais que pudessem fundamentar este estudo. Comparou-se os resultados de serviços de teletriagem implantados em 5 países. Aplicando a metodologia de Kim e Mauborgne buscou-se identificar o tipo de inovação introduzida e seu impacto nos custos e benefícios advindos da inovação. Resultados – Os resultados da análise dos dados mostram que os serviços de teletriagem das experiências internacionais conseguiram reduzir a utilização dos serviços de urgência e emergência e levaram os usuários a priorizar a atenção primária nos sistemas de saúde. Limitações – A principal limitação da pesquisa é que se baseia em experiências internacionais. Houve limitação de tempo e recursos para realização de testes laboratoriais, experimentais e para desenvolvimento de projetos pilotos que pudessem ser aplicado numa pesquisa de campo. Aplicabilidade do trabalho – Os resultados do trabalho permitiram recomendar sua aplicação em estudos com testes e pesquisas de campo, experimentos e simulações realísticas, em serviços de telessaúde no Brasil. Contribuições para a sociedade - O estudo sugere que os serviços de teletriagem teriam potencial de gerar benefícios para os usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde gerando educação em saúde, orientação para o autocuidado e fortalecimento das políticas de atenção primária em saúde. Originalidade – Pelo nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro estudo que relaciona com teletriagem para os sistemas universais de saúde no Brasil. / Purpuse - This thesis of masters had as main objective to study the existence or not of benefits to the users in the adoption of the teletriage in the healthcare systems. Design/Methodology - As method, we opted for an exploratory study through bibliographical research seeking data in the literature of international experiences that could base this study. The results of teletriage services implemented in 5 countries were compared. Applying the Kim and Mauborgne methodology sought to identify the type of innovation introduced and its impact on the costs and benefits of innovation. Findings - The results of the data analysis show that the telephone triage services of the international experiences have managed to decrease the use of emergency/urgent care services and have led users to prioritize primary care in health systems. Research limitations - The main limitation of the research is that it is based on international experiences. There was limited time and resources for laboratory and experimental tests and pilot project development that could be applied in fieldwork. Practical implications - The results of the study allowed to recommend its application in studies with tests and fieldwork, experiments and realistic simulations, in telehealth services in Brazil. Social implications - The study suggests that teletriage services would have the potential to produce benefits for the users of the Brazilian Public Healthcare System, generating health education, orientation for self-care and strengthening of primary health care policies. Originality - To our knowledge, this is the first study that relates to telegraphy for universal health systems in Brazil.