Although IS studies have begun to recognize the role of emotion in decision making, the research in this area is still in its infancy. The exploration of IS decision making phenomena through the lens of regret can offer rich implications to both research and practice. The presence of regret, for instance, can explain how and why IS decision makers choose a certain option. Motivated by the gap in the literature, the three papers in this dissertation investigate the role of regret in decision making in IS contexts. Specifically, the three projects investigate the following: IT real options decision in the context of RFID investment in libraries, whistle-blowing decision in the context of violations of heath information privacy, and process documentation decision in the context of investment in process improvement initiatives in an IT project. The contributions and implications of the three studies are presented further.

Children and youth are one of the most important main target groups in terms of public health work because of the habits that are established at an early age often affect the rest of their lives. Habits regarding sexual health may, with lack of knowledge, provide both physical and mental health consequences for the individual, but also for future public health in general. In Sweden, the number of chlamydia cases since 1995 has been tripled among young people, with a behavior change regarding sexuality as a possible cause. The purpose of this study is to describe how young people perceive information about sexual health and where they choose to seek information, to clarify the need of information for young people. A quantitative web-based survey was conducted on high school students (n = 98) and as a complement, a qualitative study in the form of interviews (n = 5) as well. The results showed that young people are looking for safe and informative sources for information regarding sexual health. The source that reaches most of all young people, i.e. school, was not experienced as sufficient by the young people that it should, for them to not be exposed to risks that could affect their sexual health. The conclusion reveals that youths need to be offered guidance in their search for information, which good knowledge of the subject and in various educational methods, could contribute with, and at the same time offer the youth safe and secure sources based on the needs of the individual's. / Barn och unga tillhör de viktigaste målgrupperna när det gäller folkhälsoarbete eftersom de vanor som grundläggs i tidig ålder ofta påverkar individen resten av livet. Vanor när det gäller den sexuella hälsan, kan i brist på kunskap ge såväl fysiska som psykiska hälsokonsekvenser livet ut för individen, men även påverka folkhälsan generellt framöver. I Sverige har t.ex. antalet klamydiafall sedan 1995 tredubblats bland unga, med beteendeförändringar kring sexualitet som en trolig orsak. Syftet med denna studie är dels att beskriva hur ungdomar upplever information om sexuell hälsa, dels var de väljer att söka informationen, men också att tydliggöra ungdomars behov av informationsmöjligheter. En kvantitativ webbaserad enkätstudie genomfördes bland gymnasieungdomar (n=98) och som ett komplement till den genomfördes även en kvalitativ studie i form av individuella intervjuer (n=5). Resultatet visade att ungdomar söker trygga och informativa källor när det gäller information om sexuell hälsa. Den källan som når merparten av alla ungdomar, d.v.s. skolan, upplevs inte som tillräcklig av ungdomarna för att de inte ska utsättas för risker som påverkar deras sexuella hälsa. Slutsatsen blir att ungdomar behöver bli erbjudna vägledning i sitt sökande efter information, vilket god kunskap i ämnet och i olika pedagogiska metoder skulle kunna bidra med, och samtidigt erbjuda dem trygga och säkra källor utifrån individens behov

This dissertation aims at the general goal of solving the problem of representing and processing information on conceptual principles, in an unsupervised, human-like manner, and using existing computational methods. Given this very general context, the need for intelligent applications that meet the complexity and sensitivity requirements of Medical Informatics is postulated in what is referred to as "the axiom of medical information systems." The reformulation of the axiom that "medical information systems must be, at the same time, usable and useful" leads naturally to the identification of more immediate. achievable objectives in the form of context dependent information processing and case-based reasoning research on memory models capable of unsupervised representation and processing of information. in a similarity-based manner. Further, the unification of these objectives is proposed in the form of the general problem of managing associative concept representation spaces characterized by four fundamental properties: high dimensionality, sparseness, dynamicity and similarity based organization. The thesis of this dissertation is that the solution to this problem can be approached in the most appropriate way by memory models that specifically address each and every one of the four fundamental properties. The support for the thesis is twofold and comprises theoretical accounts which lead naturally to the definition of a memory model. the deterministic dynamic associative memory model (DDAM) which is based on the existing mathematical structure of partial order set. The model is first introduced informally by means of examples and depictions that speak for its usability. Further the formal description of the DDAM model and learning algorithms is achieved using existing fundamental concepts of set theory and combinatorics. Finally, the DDAM model is evaluated and compared with existing approaches in a series of experiments and simulations that demonstrate usefulness comparable or superior to existing approaches.

Usability testing is a branch of usability engineering that focuses on analyzing and improving user interactions with computer systems. This testing technique has been used in different industries for years and has proven to be very useful in determining major issues with applications before they are released, however the use of this technique has been slow to gain widespread acceptance in testing health information systems. This study was designed to determine if a specific form of usability testing, Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing, can be introduced as a standard part of the system development lifecycle (SDLC) for health information systems in a cost effective manner. To determine if this was possible a full cost-benefit analysis of Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing was performed on a health information system, the BC Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Toolkit, tracking all of the costs involved in the testing process and comparing them against the possible costs that may have been incurred if this testing was not performed. It was found that by introducing this technique into the system development lifecycle to allow for earlier detection of errors in a health information system it is possible to achieve an estimated 36.5% to 78.5% cost saving compared to the impact of errors going undetected and causing a technology-induced error. Overall it was found that Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing can be implemented in conjunction with other testing techniques in a cost effective manner to develop health information systems, and computer systems in general, which will have a lower incidence of technology-induced errors. / Graduate

Health information technology is continuously changing and becoming more complex and susceptible to errors. It is both an essential and disruptive innovation that requires proper management of risks arising from its use. To properly manage these risks, there is a need to, first, determine how healthcare organizations in Canada are addressing the issue of errors arising from the use of health information technology (i.e., technology-induced errors). The purpose of this thesis is to determine the level of technology-induced error awareness in Canadian healthcare organizations, to identify processes and procedures at these organizations aimed at addressing, managing, and preventing technology-induced errors, as well as to identify factors that contribute to technology-induced errors. The study finds that, based on the currently available literature, information about these errors in healthcare is not complete. This prevents the development and application of effective health information technology risk management solutions. The research from the semi-structured interviews finds that the definition of technology-induced errors is not consistent among the study participants. The research from the semi-structured interviews also finds a lack of consensus on factors that cause technology-induced errors as well as a lack of reporting mechanisms available that are specifically aimed at reporting technology-induced errors in healthcare. This confirms that there is a lack of technology-induced error awareness among Canadian healthcare organizations, which prevents the ability to properly address, manage, and prevent these errors. / Graduate / 0769 / 0723 / paulebw@uvic.ca

A rise in chronic conditions has put a strain on our healthcare system. Treatment for chronic conditions spans time, agencies, and providers, making coordination a complex problem. Information systems such as electronic health records should be helping with the challenge of coordination, but research shows that often they do not. This thesis aims to alleviate this problem by examining the design of health information technology with an emphasis on social and organizational processes. The focus of this thesis is on the implications of continuous care over time: the shift from a single provider to team-based services, the emergence of patients and families as primary caregivers in the home, and the diffusion of data-driven decision making. I investigated these trends to understand the role of data in coordinating long-term care, and inform the design of information systems. I studied behavioral and mental health services for children, which are coordinated across clinical, home, and special education settings. I found coordination that was unstructured, unpredictable, and adaptive. I developed a conceptual framework, collaborative reflection, to describe my observations and distinguish my findings from the processes of time-critical and protocol-based care. I also found ways in which coordination was not data-driven, due to a lack of support and tools. Collaborative reflection thus illustrates how long-term coordination works when it is data-driven, informing a discussion of what is needed for coordination to be data-driven. Based on the process of collaborative reflection, and using participatory design, I developed Lilypad—a tablet-based information system for data-driven coordination. I conducted a five-month deployment study of Lilypad in the field, to examine its social impact. This study validated designing for collaborative reflection to improve the use of data in coordination. The contributions of this thesis are: a description of unstructured and informal workflow that drives long-term coordination in health services; the theoretical construct of collaborative reflection to inform the design of systems that improve coordination; a field deployment validation, demonstrating how designing for collaborative reflection improves coordination and avoids common unintended consequences of health information technology.

Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.

Reason for information seeking by consumers and community members has been the subject of previous research to ascertain any unique issues about the personal attributes of the information seeker, the search environment and context or particular issues associated with the goods or services being researched. Several researchers have identified ways to study how information on health related topics is communicated to the community. While research is limited on the sources, search approaches and conditions associated with obtaining reliable information on health issues and topics, there is extensive literature on the important aspects of communication processes that impact on the unique, and at times complex, environment within which health consumer research occurs. This research project has enabled a review of the interpersonal and noninterpersonal communication modes to understand a range of issues that impact on the community member as the receiver of messages on health issues and topics. A qualitative and quantitative research approach has been utilised in original research to examine a number of issues associated with where community members in Australia turn to find information on health related topics. The study involves the comparison of a number of communication and information gathering approaches and expectations with a picture of information source experiences. The study highlights a range of considerations for campaign, individual communication, environment and background communication planning for those involved in engaging with the community to impart health care orientated messages.

Diss. Linköping : Univ., 2003.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine rural women s access to maternal health information and its impact on levels of skilled healthcare utilization. Method: A qualitative study involving twenty five (25) pregnant women,five (5) Skilled healthcare providers and five (5) Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) was conducted in Chamwino District in Dodoma Region, Tanzania for a period of six months. Due to time and resource limitation the researcher selected two (2) of the 32 wards in the district where the problem of maternal mortality and non-utilization of skilled healthcare was most prominent. The two selected wards were Msanga and Buigiri wards. The researcher used The Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour to develop interview questions and focus group guides as well as the interpretation of the findings. The researcher examined how variable factors e.g. maternal health literacy, individual perceptions, local knowledge and care provider-related factors affect pregnant women s health behaviours and utilization of skilled maternal services. The Data was analysed thematically using the 6-stage guide to thematic data analysis with the help of NVIvo Software. Results: The inadequate conditions of the health facilities and the poor working conditions of the care providers affected the provision of quality of maternal services and health information to pregnant women in the study area. The limited access to skilled maternal health information from skilled healthcare providers and lack of alternative sources of reliable health information led pregnant women to seek health information from their Mothers-in-laws, TBAs and other women in the society. However, there was a shortcoming of information inaccuracy as their health advice was not based on previous expert advice but rather on the personal opinion and attitude towards skilled maternal services. The limited access to maternal health information caused majority of pregnant women to underestimate the risks of pregnancy related complications and how they responded to pregnancy danger signs and other ill-health conditions that raised during pregnancy. The majority of pregnant women reported not to seek and kind of care when experienced a health problem. It was also found that during labour some would go to the TBA for childbirth and later go to the dispensary when the TBA failed while others would just go for TBAs opinion and confirmation that it was real labour then go to the health facility. This delayed women s timely access to obstetric care which is essential for positive outcome when a pregnant woman experiences a pregnancy or childbirth complications. Conclusion: The improvement of the quality of skilled healthcare services in rural areas is a prerequisite for achieving desired outcomes in maternal mortality reduction efforts in Tanzania. However, improvement of quality itself is not a panacea if pregnant women are not aware of the services, hence the healthcare providers should also focus in increasing provision of maternal health information to pregnant women. The findings show that the limited access to skilled maternal health information from healthcare providers and lack of alternative sources for reliable health information has constrained majority of these women from becoming maternal health literate hence affecting their levels of utilization of skilled maternal services. The healthcare providers and policy makers should focus on meeting the health information needs of general rural populations and enable them to become well-informed and knowledgeable to make better and well-informed maternal health decisions.