Search

Successful implementation of health information technology (HIT) innovations has numerous benefits to healthcare providers, physicians, patients, and society. Increasingly, securing digitized health data is becoming an unstated mandate when developing and deploying HIT innovations. In this paper, an extended version of Roger's diffusion of innovations (DOI) model is presented for secure HIT innovation implementations, in the context of electronic medical records (EMR) implementation. The authors theorize that perceived information privacy and security (IP&S) is a vital DOI antecedent. The findings of this research reveal a positive association between perceived IP&S attributes in a HIT innovation such as EMR, and its implementation success. This study is of value to both researchers and practitioners. This study contributes to academic literature by empirically validating an extended DOI model which includes an IP&S dimension, which researchers would be able to employ in future research. Based on the findings of this study, practitioners would be well-advised to pay close attention to the IP&S aspects of HIT innovations upfront during the implementation process, and solicit inputs and elicit requirements for the same from the key stakeholders early on in the process. This would facilitate the allocation of monetary and other resources to address the technology aspects, especially the IP&S aspects of HIT innovations, and also assist with positioning HIT innovations in the organizations broad strategy in a meaningful way. Keywords: health information technology implementations, electronic medical records (EMR), information privacy and security, diffusion of innovations, information system implementations., INTRODUCTION Research scholars have considered electronic medical records (EMR) to be one of the significant HIT innovations in recent times (Holt et al., 2020; Krist, 2015; Pellizzoni et al., 2020; [...]

There's nothing like landmark regulation released during a time of great uncertainty. On May 1, 2020, the clock began ticking for health plans, providers and information technology (IT) developers to [...]

Introduction: There are limited data on factors associated with retention in Option B+. We sought to explore the characteristics of women retained in Option B+ in Malawi, with a focus on the role of HIV disclosure, awareness of partner HIV status, and knowledge around the importance of Option B+ for maternal-child health. Methods: We performed a case-control study of HIV-infected women in Malawi initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART) under Option B+. Cases were enrolled if they met criteria for default from Option B+ (out of ART for >60 days), and controls were enrolled in approximately 3:1 ratio if they were retained in care for at least 12 months. We surveyed socio-demographic characteristics, HIV disclosure and awareness of partner HIV status, self-report about receiving pre-ART education, and knowledge of Option B+. Univariate logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with retention. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between HIV disclosure, Option B+ knowledge, and retention after adjusting for age, schooling, and travel time to clinic. Results: We enrolled 50 cases and 153 controls. Median age was 30 years (interquartile range (IQR) 25-34), and the majority (82%) initiated ART during pregnancy at a median gestational age of 24 weeks (IQR 16-28). Ninety-one per cent of the cases (39/43) who started ART during pregnancy defaulted by three months postpartum. HIV disclosure to the primary sex partner was more common among women retained in care (100% versus 78%, p < 0.001). Odds of retention were significantly higher among women with: age >25 years (odds ratio (OR) 2.44), completion of primary school (OR 3.06), awareness of partner HIV status (OR 5.20), pre-ART education (OR 6.17), higher number of correct answers to Option B+ knowledge questions (OR 1.82), and support while taking ART (OR 3.65). Pre-ART education and knowledge were significantly correlated (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, awareness of partner HIV status (OR 4.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51-10.94, p = 0.02) and Option B+ knowledge (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.15-2.23, p = 0.004) remained associated with retention. Conclusions: Interventions that address partner disclosure and strengthen pre-ART education around the benefits of ART for maternal and child health should be evaluated to improve retention in Malawi's Option B+ programme. Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Option B+; Malawi; retention; prevention of mother-to-child transmission, Introduction Malawi was among the first countries in Africa to implement the Option B+ prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV policy in July 2011 [1]. Under this policy, all [...]

Over the last decade, there has been growing enthusiasm for data analytics as well as growing appreciation of the potential usefulness of so-called big data in transforming personal care, clinical [...]

ABSTRACT Using technology, humans are receiving more and more information about the world around them via the Internet of Things, and the next area of connection will be the inside [...]

Tech giants moving into health may widen inequalities and harm research, unless people can access and share their data, warn John T. Wilbanks and Eric J. Topol. Over the past [...]