Government archivists serve more than one interest. They are responsible to citizens, as the source of democratic power, and they are responsible to government, as their employer, and as the creator of the records through which government is held accountable to citizens. This thesis explores the role that archives and archivists can play in support of democratic accountability, and traces the historical development of archivists' perceptions of that role. Examples of conflict between serving citizens and serving the state are explored to demonstrate the potential for conflict in the work of government archivists. How government archivists perceive their responsibilities determines the role that archivists and thus archives play in democratic society. It also determines how archivists deal with the conflicts that can arise because of the dual nature of their responsibilities. Seven government archivists were interviewed about their perceptions of their responsibilities and role as public servants in a democratic state, and about their experiences with incidents when their responsibilities were in conflict. The interviews also explored the following factors that determine how government archivists fulfil their role: the expectations and restrictions put on public servants; the level of professional autonomy granted to government archivists as public servants; the predominance of economic determinism within government administrations; the attitude of the archival profession toward activism and advocacy; and the need for a watchdog over government record-keeping. The findings of the interviews led to the conclusion that archivists need to articulate a strong, common language of purpose that emphasizes the importance of preserving and providing access to archives as the evidence of the actions of government administration. This strength, when accompanied by a clear understanding of the political nature of archival work, will help government archivists deal with the constraints and conflicts of their position within government and within society. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study aimed to understand the readiness and perceptions of Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption among dentists in the public service of the Western Cape. A qualitative study design was chosen due to a lack of understanding of the phenomena. Additionally, the research sought to identify the factors that would potentially influence readiness and perceptions in order to identify how these factors could potentially influence EHR adoption among dentists.

This work discusses the field of genealogy, different types of records and data in them. The thesis describes the topic of comparison of data and record linkage. It further it also discusses the design and implementation of the resulting system. The developed system connects people from parish records to larger pedigrees. These are then stored in the form of a graph database. The success of the interconnection of records was tested on the provided data sets.

Policy makers view electronic medical records as a way of increasing efficiency in the U.S. health care system. However, hospital administrators may not have the clinical background to choose a documentation system that helps the health care team safely increase efficiency. The purpose of this case study was to examine health care team members' attitudes and perceptions of quality of care and efficiency amid a documentation system change. The theory of change was the theoretical foundation for the study. The 6 research questions were designed to elicit information about what the health care team experienced when a documentation system changed and how the change affected health care workers' stress level, chance of medical errors, ability to deliver quality care, and attitudes about hospital efficiency. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the 15 members of a health care team who volunteered from the group and met the inclusion criteria for the study (i.e., employed during the documentation system change). The participants represented all aspects of the health care team to create a bounded case. The interview responses were hand coded to find common themes among the participants. Most participants revealed that the implementation of the new system increased their efficiency and the quality of care they offered to patients. Participants felt that the training and implementation of the system was inadequate and not specific enough for their group. By providing health care administrators with more information about the health care teams' perceptions during a change in documentation systems, they may be able to improve implementation of a new system, creating more sustainable change with less negative impact.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Health IT has recently seen a significant progress with the nationwide migration of several hospitals from legacy patient records to standardized Electronic Health Record (EHR) and the establishment of various Health Information Exchanges that facilitate access to patient health data across multiple networks. While this progress is a major enabler of improved health care services, it is unable to deliver the continuum of the patient's current and historical health data needed by emerging trends in medicine. Fields such as precision and preventive medicine require longitudinal health data in addition to complementary data such as social, demographic and family history. This thesis introduces a person health record (PHR) which overcomes the above gap through a personalized framework that organizes health data according to the patient’s disease condition. The proposed personalized person health record (P2HR) represents a departure from the standardized one-size-fits-all model of currently available PHRs. It also relies on a hybrid peer-to-peer model to facilitate patient provider communication. One of the core challenges of the proposed framework is the mapping between the event-based data model used by current EHRs and PHRs and the proposed condition-based data model. Effectively mapping symptoms and measurements to disease conditions is challenging given that each symptom or measurement may be associated with multiple disease conditions. To alleviate these problems the proposed framework allows users and their health care providers to establish the relationships between events and disease conditions on a case-by-case basis. This organization provides both the patient and the provider with a better view of each disease condition and its progression.

No description available.

Introduction: Controversy exists over the value of a lateral cephalogram for treatment planning in different malocclusion types. Discord has been found in the literature, and no studies on the matter have focused solely on Class I dental malocclusions. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether treatment decisions of extraction or non-extraction and the perceived need for a lateral cephalogram would change depending on whether a lateral cephalogram was provided or eliminated in the patient record set. Methods: A survey was distributed to a random sample of AAO members. The survey consisted of four different patient record sets, each with a Class I dental malocclusion. Each record set had two versions—one with the lateral cephalogram and one without. The survey had randomization of each version of the record sets so that each record set would be viewed an equal number of times with and without its corresponding cephalogram. Subjects were then asked a series of four questions pertaining to each case: was a cephalogram necessary for treatment planning, treatment of extraction versus non-extraction, retention method, and if records were adequate to treatment plan. Results: In total, 79 orthodontists completed the survey. For all cases combined, record sets viewed with the lateral cephalogram had an increase in the: perceived need for a lateral cephalogram, decision of extraction, and opinion of the records being adequate to treatment plan. All were statistically significant at P ≤ 0.001. For each record set, the difference in perceived need for a lateral cephalogram was statically significant. Conclusions: The use of a lateral cephalogram for diagnosing and treatment planning seems to hold value in Class I dental malocclusions, justifying radiation exposure for this diagnostic record. Additionally, the perceived need for a lateral cephalogram is greater when it is presented with the record sets, demonstrating the diagnostic value this radiograph holds. / Oral Biology

Prices paid for yearling rams were influenced (P < .001) by TSC, BT, YW and FW. The importance of YW increased with time, while the role of TSC declined in later time periods, suggesting that buyers were willing to pay more for superior performance and less for subjective conformation and type in later years than when the test began. A larger ram with an equivalent performance record was worth more than a smaller ram. The relative importance of FW and YW in defining price changed. In early years superiority in both traits was worth approximately the same, while in later years a higher YW brought about 2 1/2 times the premium of the same increase in FW. Prices paid for ram lambs were affected by TSC, BT, DG and FW, but the time period involved was too short to draw conclusions concerning changes in their relative importance. Phenotypic trends for yearling rams' WW, FW, YW and DG were positive (P < .001), and rates of increase were different for breeds (P < . 001). The decrease in mean age of tested rams and the increase in DG contributed to a quadratic trend in YW and supported adjustment of the data for age. Environmental trends, analyzed by a within-sire analysis of 1885 progeny of 4:30 sires, were not significant. Estimated genetic gains due to sires were: 1.06 ± .30 kg/yr for FW, 1.16 ± .32 kg/yr for YW, .36 ± .18 kg/yr for WW and .0037 ± .0021 kg/d/yr for DG. Phenotypic trends for the ram lambs were: .906 ± .198 kg/yr for FW, .00956 ± .000880 for WDA and .00212 ± .00228 kg/d/yr for DG. Yearling rams' OW and FW were correlated (P < .001), as were the same traits for ram lambs. The yearling correlation was much lower than that of the lambs, however (r = .89 vs r = .66). The correlation (P < .001) of OW and DG was .22 and -.20 for yearlings and ram lambs, respectively. Age and DG were correlated (P < .001) with a coefficient of -.20 for both yearlings and ram lambs. Yearling rams' SHT, HHT and BLGTH were highly correlated ( P < . 001), and cannon length was moderately correlated (P < .005) to SHT and HHT. Suffolks were taller than Hampshires and Dorsets. All three breeds made similar gains in SHT within the same year. SC generally increased over the course of the test. The SC of the black-faced breeds sometimes regressed from April to May, but showed gains from 0 to 2.15 ± .24 cm for the overall measurement interval. Dorset SC always increased the most with gains ranging from 2.08 ± .93 cm to 3. 88 ± 1.10 cm. Suffolk ram lambs were tallest in the first 2 yr and were similar to Hampshires in the third. Gains in ram lamb SHT over short intervals were negated by the shearing which took place before the second measurement. Mean gains over the lengthened 1982 test period ranged from 6. 04 ± .68 cm for Hampshires to 7.37 ± .36 for Suffolks. SHT was correlated ( P < .001) with weight, generally moderately correlated (P < .05) with DG and not usually correlated with age. Only the Suffolk lamb SC consistently increased from July to August. The SC of all breeds increased from May to August, Suffolks by the greatest amount. SC was correlated (P < .05) with SHT and generally was correlated (P < .005) with weight. Only the final SC was correlated ( P < . 005) with DG, and SC and age were not usually correlated. / M.S.

Data network resource management and capacity planning are critical for network design, operation, and management. Equipment vendors often provide good information for traffic management and control and associated tools, but this information and the tools are based on independent, individual switches or routers rather than the whole network. There is a critical need for tools to monitor general resource usage in a network as a whole. In this research, we develop a toolkit to collect ATM Call Detail Records (CDRs) from two types of ATM switches from IBM and FORE Systems. Data records collected by the toolkit can then be used to assess network resource utilization and traffic characteristics with the objective of predicting future needs, making proper network management decisions, and ultimately, assisting in the ability to provide reliable quality of service (QoS) in the network. In addition, we examine current call detail records and requirements for more comprehensive network management and make recommendations for a standardized CDR. / Master of Science

This study explored issues related to the adoption and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems including building the awareness, knowledge, and experience of physicians toward cyber hygiene. This study used a qualitative research method to assess (a) the barriers to EHR systems adoption and implementation in Kuwait and (b) the level of awareness, knowledge and experiences related to cyber hygiene practices in Kuwait. The findings of the study supported the conceptual framework used to guide the research of the factors impacting the adoption and implementation of EHR systems in Kuwait as well as explore the level of awareness, knowledge, and experience of physicians about both EHR systems and cyber hygiene. The results from the systematic literature review analysis identified seven major barriers. These are financial barriers, time, difficulty of using technology, lack of support, negative attitude, legal and ethical (policies), and cultural barriers. The findings from the semistructured interviews supported the literature findings and provided more in-depth insights into the structural and social issues affecting the adoption and implementation of EHR systems. Given that Kuwait is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), the results from the literature analysis showed that the problems in Kuwait are similar to those in the GCC. However, the issues confronting the adoption and implementation of EHR seems to be more prevalent in Kuwait compared to other GCC members. The results from the semistructured interviews concerning behavior toward cyber hygiene supported the constructs identified in the conceptual model. The majority of the physicians interviewed lacked the awareness and knowledge needed to practice cyber hygiene. Lack of standards, regulations, and policies impacted the norms and practices of physicians. Most physicians were not aware of regulation or standards pertaining to the use of EHRs. The study contributed significantly to bridging the existing knowledge and literature gap regarding cyber hygiene and EHRs. This study's findings also benefit the health sector by increasing the awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward the use of EHRs.