Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2005. / Title from t.p. of source document (viewed Apr. 2, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-194). Also available in print version.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Vita: p. 210. Thesis director: David M. Hart. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 11, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-209). Also issued in print.

No / Aims: To identify sources of medicine information that nurses use while administering medicines.

Darbo tikslas - Ištirti ir įvertinti visuomenės vaistinės pacientų gaunamą farmacinę ir sveikatinimo informaciją. Tiksli, teisinga ir savalaikė informacija apie vaistus ir sveikatos stiprinimą yra svarbus sveikatos priežiūros ir saugaus vaistų vartojimo komponentas. Šiandien pacientams yra prieinama daug rašytinių, vaizdinių ir interaktyvių informacijos šaltinių. Dalis pacientus pasiekiančios informacijos gali būti dviprasmiška ar netgi klaidinanti. Itin svarbu, kad prieš priimdami svarbus gydymosi sprendimus pacientai pasikonsultuotų su atitinkamą išsilavinimą turinčiu sveikatos priežiūros specialistu. Vaistininkai – lengviausiai pasiekiami sveikatos priežiūros specialistai. Ši pozicija įpareigoja suteikti pacientams reikalingas žinias apie vaistus ir sveikatą. Mūsų tyrimo metu buvo taikyti skirtingos prigimties mokslinės informacijos rinkimo kiekybiniai metodai – apklausa, stebėjimas ir slapto pirkėjo tyrimas. Tyrimų rezultatai atskleidė, kad visuomenės vaistinėms pacientams vaistinėje suteikiamos konsultacijos apimtis ir trukmė priklauso nuo įsigyjamo vaisto tipo, vaistų kiekio, paciento amžiaus, lyties, jų aktyvumo (užduodamų klausimų). Informacija dažniausiai suteikiama vaistininko iniciatyva taikant diversifikuotus informacijos pateikimo būdus. Pacientams ne tik suteikiama informacija apie įsigyjamus vaistus, bet taip pat ir atsakoma į jų klausimus apie ligas bei gydymosi alternatyvas. / The aim of the study is to evaluate the medicine and health information received by the community pharmacy patients. Objectives: To evaluate the patients’ attitude towards the pharmacist as the source of information about the health care and medications; to compare the patients’ attitude towards their doctors and pharmacists as the sources of the information about medicines; to determine the importance of the drug usage problem among the pharmacy clients and the correlation between the proper use of the medications and the information given by the pharmacists; to analyze the aspects and the ways of the information about drugs given at the pharmacies; to determine factors which influence the amount of received information by community pharmacy patients; to detect what part of the pharmacy patients give questions to the pharmacist; to analyze what factors influence community pharmacy patient satisfaction; to reveal whether the pharmacists, while delivering extra health care services, also use the possibility to spread the health promotion information. Evaluation of the medicine and health information was performed with a complex of various sociological methods such us questionnaire, participant observation and secret standardized patient.

With the increasing adoption of health information technology and the growth in the resulting electronic repositories of clinical data, the secondary use of electronic health record data has become one of the most promising approaches to enabling and speeding clinical research. Unfortunately, electronic health record data are known to suffer from significant data quality problems. Awareness of the problem of electronic health record data quality is growing, but methods for measuring data quality remain ad hoc. Clinical researchers must handle this complicated problem without systematic or validated methods. The lack of appropriate or trustworthy electronic health record data quality assessment methodology limits the validity of research performed with electronic health record data. This dissertation documents the development of a data quality assessment framework and guideline for clinical researchers engaged in the secondary use of electronic health record data for retrospective research. Through a systematic literature review and interviews with key stakeholders, we identified core constructs of data quality, as well as priorities for future approaches to electronic health record data quality assessment. We used a data-driven approach to demonstrate that data quality is task-dependent, indicating that appropriate data quality measures must be selected, applied, and interpreted within the context of a specific study. On the basis of these results, we developed and evaluated a dynamic guideline for data quality measures in order to help researchers choose data quality measures and methods appropriately within the context of reusing electronic health record data for research.

Effective symptom management is essential to decrease symptom severity and improve health-related quality of life for persons living with HIV (PLWH). A mobile health (mHealth) application (app) has the potential to be an effective delivery mode of an existing paper-based symptom management manual with self-management strategies for underserved PLWH. The quality of the mHealth app requires a thorough understanding of the needs of the intended end-users and ensuring the app’s usability. The purpose of this study was to translate paper-based health information into an mHealth app for symptom self-management in underserved PLWH, entitled mVIP (mobile Video Information Provider), and assess its usability. To achieve this goal, usability was evaluated rigorously throughout the development process of mVIP. Based on a stratified view of health information technology (IT) usability evaluation framework, usability evaluation was sequentially conducted with the following three levels: 1) user-task, 2) user-task-system, and 3) user-task-system-environment. At level 1 (user-task), we applied a user-centered design method to guide the information architecture of mVIP. Using a reverse in-person card sorting technique, symptoms and self-management strategies from a paper-based HIV/AIDS symptom management manual were ranked. The rank order of the 13 symptoms and 151 self-management strategies determined the order of appearance to end-users of the mVIP app, with higher-ranked symptoms and strategies appearing first. Based on the findings, we developed a prototype of mVIP as following: 1) once users log in, they are guided by an avatar through a series of 13 symptom questions ascertaining the nature and severity of their symptoms, and 2) the avatar recommends three self-management strategies for each symptom reported. At level 2 (user-task-system), we conducted a usability evaluation of the mVIP prototype in a laboratory setting through end-user usability testing and heuristic evaluation. In end-user usability testing, we used an eye-tracking and retrospective think-aloud method to examine task performance by 20 PLWH. For the heuristic evaluation, five usability experts in informatics assessed the user interface. In the two usability evaluations conducted in a laboratory setting, we found strong user acceptance of the mVIP prototype while identifying a number of usability issues with this prototype. Based on the recommendations from the end-users and heuristic evaluators, we iteratively refined the app’s content, functionality, and interface. We then inserted videos of the finalized symptom self-management strategies into the refined mVIP prototype. At level 3 (user-task-system-environment), the usability of the refined mVIP prototype was evaluated in a real-world setting. Through 10 in-depth interviews and four focus groups conducted at the conclusion of a three-month randomized controlled trial, we explored in-depth understandings of users’ experiences, perceptions, and satisfaction of mVIP use. Findings from the study showed that first, mVIP is useful for HIV-related symptom self-management and has the potential for being used as a communication tool with healthcare providers; and second, mVIP is easy to use to monitor symptom experience over time. At the same time, participants suggested mVIP be more sensitively tailored based on years from initial diagnosis of HIV, an individuals’ age, and conditions. The overall user satisfaction with the mVIP prototype was high, which reflects strong user acceptance of mVIP. Integral to the findings from the three-level usability evaluation, we assessed the quality of the mVIP prototype in use and found the prototype was highly accepted by PLWH with high user satisfaction. This study will add to the body of literature on translation of evidence-based health information into an mHealth app and its usability assessment, which highlights the importance of the use of mobile technology for PLWH, specifically racial and ethnic minorities and those from low-socioeconomic groups who have limited health literacy and low level of education.

The relationships between medical libraries and the main users of medical information in the teaching hospitals and University departments in Oxford is examined. Systems ideas are used to define the sort of model or picture of the users that a library manager needs in order to provide the appropriate services, and to provide a formal means of incorporating users and their information needs into a management control system. Data were gathered by several methods and combined into a rich picture of the users and their information-seeking behaviour. The systems methodology developed by Checkland at the University of Lancaster was used to test this rich picture and link it with monitoring for library effective- ness. Application of the Checkland methodology was a crucial step which shifted the emphasis of the project from quantitative to conceptual modelling. The methods of data collection and the results are described as the User Survey. The following techniques were used: questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, direct observation, feedback forms (a critical incident technique), a reference tracing experiment and analysis of existing library records. The data gathered by those methods presented a consistent picture in which the nature of the users' work, ie research or clinical practice, was the dominant influence on information-seeking patterns. Application of the Checkland methodology and the conceptual models derived from it are described as the Systems Study. This revealed that the formal processes for monitoring and control expected by the conceptual models did not appear in identifiable form in the real world. Further examination showed that a detailed description of the library function was necessary and that this statement could be used to generate performance criteria. In addition, the rich picture from the User Survey was found to be a fair representation of reality. Conclusions for systems thinking, user studies, library managers and medical librarianship are presented.

Information technology (IT) has become pervasive in the healthcare industry. Many view the Internet as a strategic healthcare tool. The Medical Records Institute suggests that Internet-based health applications (IHA), for example, electronic health records, e-prescribing, and mobile health are the goals of most healthcare organizations (2002). The use of the Internet for electronic medical records, e-billing and patient scheduling can enable the health care industry to reduce its inefficiencies and errors in care delivery (HlMSS/IBM Leadership Survey, 2000). While the use of IT in healthcare has increased tremendously, key players, specifically physicians still have not fully embraced the valuable resource of the Internet. Despite the purported advantages of lT investments in healthcare many doctors do not widely use Internet-based health applications in their clinical practices. Physicians often misunderstand the functions and full potential of the Internet (Wang & Song, 1997). Health & Health Care 20 I0 report that less than 5% of physicians use computers to record all clinical information for an average patient. The present study examined physicians' intentions to adopt Internet-based health applications for use in their clinical practices. This research reports on the test-retest reliability of the extended Technology Acceptance Model-TAM2 (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). Data were collected from a survey of pediatricians to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the model in the medical environment. Results from the study indicate that TAM2 is appropriate but not completely applicable to the unique characteristic of physicians. The test-retest indicated reliable results with the exception of the result demonstrability construct. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that perceived ease of use was not significant in predicting physicians' behavioral intentions in this study. As theorized the primary predictor variable perceived usefulness was a strong determinant of intention to use. Results indicate that physicians tend to be pragmatic in their IT acceptance decisions. Physicians focus more on the technology's usefulness rather than its ease of use. This dissertation discusses the implications, limitations and presents possible explanations for the inconsistencies within the extended technology acceptance model when it is applied to a professional group not commonly examined in IS research. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-180). / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xv, 180 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-134). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Background. In England and the UK there has been a move to provide the consumer with more choice in over the counter medicine. In recognition of the number of drugs now available without prescription, new models and frameworks are being utilised with the aim to educate the public about self-treatment. How health information is sought has also undergone transformation with the advent of the internet, the adoption and utilisation of this resource has had a significant impact on how the healthcare consumer seeks information. Aims and Methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the provision of and access to consumer health information in England, specifically with reference to over the counter medicines to promote understanding of the consumers attitudes and opinions to this type of medicine and their health information seeking behaviours. The findings of the study were used to provide recommendations to the stakeholders involved; healthcare organisations, healthcare professionals and the healthcare consumer. The research consisted of a survey (n=324) and was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results. The majority of respondents utilised over the counter medicine responsibly and with few adverse events. The General Practitioner is the main source of information and online sources the next most utilised resource. Effectiveness and following advice/recommendations were amongst the themes identified that made a treatment episode with over the counter medicines successful. Unsuccessful treatment episodes included those with escalation of symptoms. Factors governing successful health information seeking were problem solving through self diagnosis and expanding knowledge on an existing health issue. Conclusions. Over the counter medicines are a widely used commodity but respondents continue to have a heavy reliance on the general practitioner for prescription medicines, especially for minor ailments. Evidence exists that individuals utilise information seeking behaviour for self treatment and the use of over the counter medicines. However, adoption of self care models need to be increased through educating health care consumers to maximise the potential benefits of these frameworks for the stakeholders.