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In order to improve the quality of care, there is urgent need to involve patients in their own healthcare. So to make patient centered health care system Personal Health Records are proposed as viable solution. This research discusses the importance of a Patient Centric Health Record system. Such systems can empower patients to participate in improving health care quality. It would also provide an economically viable solution to the need for better healthcare without escalating costs by avoiding duplication. The proposed system is Web-based; therefore it has high accessibility and availability. The cloud computing based architecture is used which will allow consumers to address the challenge of sharing medical data. PHR would provide a complete and accurate summary of the health and medical history of an individual by gathering data from many sources. This would make information accessible online to anyone who has the necessary electronic credentials to view the information. / by Vishesh Ved. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Objective: Children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems or at risk of entering them are known to have high rates of mental health problems and psychiatric disorders. Many states are struggling with the provision of mental health services for these important populations, both providing timely and adequate access to services as well as providing evidence-based interventions to address their complex needs. The state of Tennessee developed a program of regional Centers of Excellence (COEs) based within pediatric tertiary centers that provide clinical and consultative services, and technical assistance to behavioral health providers and regional branches of the state child welfare agency. These are oriented to improve access, quality, and effectiveness of care. Methods: This manuscript briefly reviews the history and process of development for the Tennessee COEs for Children in State Custody. It also outlines their evolving clinical and consultative activities, and activities to develop services infrastructure on behalf of children in custody with complex behavioral health needs. Results: The COEs have provided a significant number of direct consultative and clinical services that have been formally evaluated as highly valuable by stakeholder agencies. They have also developed an infrastructure for training and dissemination of best practices and evidence-based interventions oriented to the special needs of children in state custody. Conclusions: The Tennessee COEs serve as a national model for the building and development of regional systems, both for children in state custody and for other children and youth with complex mental health needs.

Introduction: Management of complex systems is facilitated through effective information systems that provide real-time data to decision makers. For example, instrument panels in airplanes ensure that pilots have well-designed feedback concerning the status of mission-critical variables. Problem: While pilots have dashboards for feedback and communication, healthcare executives may be unaware of effective use of evidence-based guidelines within their healthcare system. Purpose: The first objective of this research was to design and implement an automated intranet dashboard reporting performance measures for a geographically dispersed health system. The second objective was to describe how this dashboard might increase cooperation and coordination for individuals and organizations involved with healthcare delivery. Design: This research was exploratory in nature, employing descriptive research approaches. A convenience sample of healthcare executives completed a baseline survey at the start of the study assessing levels of communication and cooperation. After three months of exposure to the dashboard, participants were asked to complete a follow-up survey. All visits to the dashboard were recorded in a web server log file. Semistructured qualitative exit interviews were also conducted to explore reactions to the dashboard, experiences with receiving outcome reports, and barriers to communicating and coordinating with counterparts. Results: Descriptive analysis of paired survey scores found substantial increases on a number of survey items, suggesting that the dashboard contributes toward increased communication and coordination for healthcare executives. This finding is balanced by the limited rigor in the research design and an analysis of the web server log file, which found few visitations to the dashboard by research participants. Qualitative data analysis suggests that current reporting mechanisms are suboptimal for healthcare executives and that one solution is the use of dashboards. Conclusion: This study resulted in a number of important discoveries and avenues for further research. A more rigorous research design is needed to explore the role of intranet dashboards in healthcare settings. / Graduation date: 2004

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-45-Xx).

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the complexities involved in Health Information Systems. The focus is on the factors of a) efficiency and b) usability. A case study is made of a recently implemented system in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic hospital. The first objective of the research was to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of Health Information Systems, and secondly to evaluate the situation at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. In Chapter 1 a detailed introduction of the thesis is offered. This includes, explaining what triggered the research, the objective of the research and the methodology used to conduct the research. In Chapter 2 the focus is on a literature review of Health Information Systems, system fundamentals and planning and implementation. It is clear that without a methodology, systems development becomes haphazard and subsequently a risky and expensive undertaking. While change is pervasive, introducing operational efficiencies sometimes may necessitate reviewing of information systems and business strategy, knowledge management and process orientation. In Chapter 3 the issue of usability is investigated. Several healthcare institutions have implemented information systems but evaluations of the usability of these systems are still under debate. For purposes of this research an evaluation method for system usability and survey questionnaires were developed. In Chapter 4 the case study of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital is reported. The chapter also describes the data collection design, research limitations and delimitations, survey findings and interpretations. In Chapter 5 the implications and applications of Health Information Systems are discussed. After analysis of the survey results, it appears that the impact and benefits of the new Health Information System are only positive or realized in the patient administration division. The rest of the health professionals continue to manually capture clinical notes and other management information on pieces of papers, spread sheets and word documents. The thesis comes to the conclusion that despite widespread use of technology in other sectors, clinicians in hospitals do not use implemented automated systems. Implementation of systems is complex and problems associated with usability are not resolved and that traditional systems implementation methodologies may not apply. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die faktore wat Gesondheidstelsels (HIC) ingewikkeld maak. Die fokus is op a) doeltreffendheid, en b) bruikbaarheid (uit gebruikersoogpunt). ‘n Gevallestudie word gemaak van ‘n stelsel wat onlangs by Chalotte Maxeke Johannesburg Akakdemiese Hospitaal in gebruik geneem is. Die eerste doelwit van die ondersoek was om die ingewikkeldheidsgraad van sodanige stelsels te probeer bepaal, en tweedens om die situasie in die hospitaal self te evalueer. In hoofstauk 1 word die agtergond en aanleiding tot die ondersoek uiteengesite, woel as die metodologiese keuses wat gemaak is. Hoofstuk 2 bied ‘n oorsig oor relevante literatuur ten ospigte van HIC. Dit is duidelik stlselontwikkeling riskant, onnodig duur en koersloos is as dit sonder ‘n duidelike metodologie geïmplementeer word. Verandering vind voortdurend plaas en die implementering van oprasionele doeltreffendheid mag vernadering in besigheidstrategie, informasiestelsels, kennisbestuur en processoriëntasie noodsaaklik maak. In hoofstuk 3 word bruikbaarheid ondersoek. Verskeie mediese instellings het soortgelyke stelsels in gebruik geneem, maar die bruikbaarheid daarvan is steeds onseker. Vir die doeleindes van hierdie tesis is ‘n eie evaluasiemetode ontwikkel en ‘n vraelys op grond daarvan opgestel. Hoofstuk 4 rapporteer die gevallestudie in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Akademiese Horspitaal hospital. Datakolleksie, navorsingsafbakening en – beperkinge, sowel as vraelysresultate word aangebied. Hoofstuk 5 bespreek die implikasies en toepassings van HIC. Dit blyk dat die voordele van die stelsel slegs deur die pasiëntadministrasieafdeling geniet word. Alle ander afdeling gaan steeds voort met papiergebaseerde inligtingstelsels, aangevaul deur ad hoc gebruik van Excel en woordprossering. Die tesis kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat kliniese personeel avers is teen die gebruik van geoutomatiseerde informasiestelsels.

Data quality is one of many challenges experienced in electronic healthcare (e-health) services in South Africa. The collection of data with substandard data quality leads to inappropriate information for health and management purposes. Evidence of challenges with regard to data quality in e-health systems led to the purpose of this study, namely to prioritise data quality challenges experienced by data users of e-health systems in South Africa. The study followed a sequential QUAL-quan mixed method research design to realise the research purpose. After carrying out a literature review on the background of e-health and the current status of research on data quality challenges, a qualitative study was conducted to verify and extend the identified possible e-health data quality challenges. A quantitative study to prioritise data quality challenges experienced by data users of e-health systems followed. Data users of e-health systems in South Africa served as the unit of analysis in the study. The data collection process included interviews with four data quality experts to verify and extend the possible e-health data quality challenges identified from literature. This was followed by a survey targeting 100 data users of e-health systems in South Africa for which 82 responses were received. A prioritised list of e-health data quality challenges has been compiled from the research results. This list can assist data users of e-health systems in South Africa to improve the quality of data in those systems. The most important e-health data quality challenge is a lack of training for e-health systems data users. The prioritised list of e-health data quality challenges allowed for evidence-based recommendations which can assist health institutions in South Africa to ensure future data quality in e-health systems. / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / Home-Based Healthcare (HBHC) is an important aspect of South Africa's healthcare system. HBHC is the provision of care services to patients by trained or semi-trained caregivers at home. In South Africa HBHC was introduced in 2001 to address many problems with traditional healthcare such as overcrowding in public health facilities. South Africa has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world, which is often accompanied by opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis. HBHC is envisaged to address these challenges, thus relieving the burden on primary healthcare. HBHC is itself faced with many problems which include poor information or data management, unclear information flows, and insufficient information storage. It is also not clear how caregivers use data elements and there is no coherent indigenous knowledge base for the capturing, implementation and utilisation of data elements in local HBHC providers. This is particularly important to caregivers who rely on frameworks of indigenous knowledge in interpreting and making decisions on how to provide a care service to patients. In reality, caregivers operate in indigenous environments requiring the utilisation of local knowledge. This study explores the relationships between, and approaches to, data elements in different HBHC providers and communities. Three interpretive case studies in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa were conducted. Semistructured interviews, focus groups, participant observation and document analysis were used for data collection. The primary research question was: What happens when caregivers from various communities interact with data elements when providing a care service? Caregivers' indigenous knowledge and use of data elements was then harnessed in a knowledge base. The results from this study can be used by HBHC managers to develop their forms and training materials as the initial set of data elements used in HBHC has been identified. Caregivers from different communities can also learn how these data elements are used in other communities.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Access to healthcare is regarded as a basic and essential human right. It is widely known that ICT solutions have potential to improve access to healthcare, reduce healthcare cost, reduce medical errors, and bridge the digital divide between rural and urban healthcare centres. The access to personal healthcare records is, however, an astounding challenge for both patients and healthcare professionals alike, particularly within resource-restricted environments (such as rural communities). Most rural healthcare institutions have limited or non-existent access to electronic patient healthcare records. This study explored the accessibility of personal healthcare records by patients and healthcare professionals within a rural community hospital in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The case study was conducted at the St. Barnabas Hospital with the support and permission from the Faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Eastern Cape Department of Health. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and interactive co-design sessions and focus groups served as the main data collection methods used to determine the accessibility of personal healthcare records by the relevant stakeholders. The data was qualitatively interpreted using thematic analysis. The study highlighted the various challenges experienced by healthcare professionals and patients, including time-consuming manual processes, lack of infrastructure, illegible hand-written records, missing records and illiteracy. A number of recommendations for improved access to personal healthcare records are discussed. The significance of the study articulates the imperative need for seamless and secure access to personal healthcare records, not only within rural areas but within all communities.

Multiple trauma is characterized by a simultaneous injury to multiple body systems, at least one from them directly affects by weakening injured patient or faillure of basic life functions - ventilation, bloodstream and consciousness. Accidents are, despite all prevention measures, one of the important cause of death. Multiple traumas are leading cause of death in the age group up to 45 years in the developed countries. The multiple trauma therapy is continues long and complete process which needs individual approach. The therapy starts at the place of accident and then during the transport and continue in the trauma center. The trauma center is able to provide complete therapy including treatment conditions, which require multidisciplinary coordinated cooperation. The diploma thesis deals with the issue of admission of patient with polytraumate into the traumatic center. The aim of the thesis is to approach the readers the multiple trauma, the possible causes of multiple trauma, which are the treatments of algorithms, how is the role and specification of trauma team during incoming of patient. Practical part of the thesis is about cause study of patient with the multiple trauma which complicated fat embolism. This part describes all processes from incoming patient with multiple trauma, including...