Clinician user involvement in the real world: Designing an electronic tool to improve interprofessional communication and collaboration in a hospital setting

The challenges of and solutions for combining cocreation and agile in the development of health information technologies

BACKGROUND

Involving users has become a prominent principle in the development of Health Information Technologies (HIT) and has led to an uprise in agile and cocreation methods. Previous literature shows how the two can be combined in one method, but also suggest that using such a method may come with challenges, for which the solutions are unclear.

PURPOSE

To identify the challenges of using a method that combines agile and cocreation, provide solutions for these challenges, and evaluate its usage.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The setting for this research was the Agile Cocreation of Robots for Aging (ACCRA) project. The research consisted of three phases: 1) evaluating the Agile Cocreation method to identify challenges in its usage, by analysing documents from the project (e-mails, meeting notes), 2) solving the challenges to improve the method, by designing solutions in a cocreation session; and 3) evaluating the usage of the improved version via a survey among engineers and user researchers involved in the project.

RESULTS

We identified three main challenges and developed three solutions, which were used in the next phase of the project. First, to engage all stakeholders in cocreation, we implemented more fun and playful materials. Second, to bridge the differences between engineers and user researchers we invested in face-to-face meetings. Third, to manage knowledge in the project we intensified our meeting schedule to weekly meetings. In the quantitative evaluation of the improved cocreation method, the engineers and user researchers were positive about the agile cocreation method and about our improvements.

CONCLUSION

When developing HIT, a method that combines agile and cocreation is useful because it helps to identify user needs and to translate these needs into technology. To identify the needs of these users and other stakeholders it is important to involve them as active partners in cocreation using fun and playful materials. Engineers and user researchers should bridge their differences and meet face-to-face as much as possible.

Evidence-based early rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy: co-development of a multifaceted knowledge translation strategy for rehabilitation professionals

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability. Early and evidence-based rehabilitation is essential for improving functional outcomes in children with CP. However, rehabilitation professionals face barriers to adopting evidence-based practices (EBP)s. The objective of this project is to develop a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to support CP-EBP among pediatric rehabilitation professionals.

Methods

We follow an integrated KT approach by collaborating with clinician- and patient-partners. Partners engaged in co-design through team meetings and content review via email. The KT strategy comprises two components: (1) An electronic (e)-KT toolkit was created from summarized evidence extracted from randomized clinical trials on early rehabilitation for children with CP, and (2) a multifaceted online KT training program developed with guidance from a scoping review exploring effective KT strategies.

Results

The e-KT toolkit summarizes twenty-two early interventions for children with or at risk for CP aged 0-5 years. Each module features an introduction, resources, parent/family section, and clinician information, including outcomes, intervention effectiveness, and evidence level. The KT training program includes three 10-15 min video-based training modules, text summaries, quizzes, and case studies. Site champions, identified as qualified rehabilitation professionals, were onboarded to support the site implementation of the training program. A champion-training booklet and 1-hour session were designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge/resources.

Conclusion

The tailored, multifaceted, and co-designed KT strategy aims to be implemented in pediatric rehabilitation sites to support professional's uptake of CP-EBPs. Lessons learned from its development, including the co-development process and multifaceted nature, hold potential for broader applications in rehabilitation.

Designing the User Interface of a Nitroglycerin Dose Titration Decision Support System: User-Centered Design Study

BACKGROUND

 Nurses adjust intravenous nitroglycerin infusions to provide acute relief for angina by manually increasing or decreasing the dosage. However, titration can pose challenges, as excessively high doses can lead to hypotension, and low doses may result in inadequate pain relief. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) that predict changes in blood pressure for nitroglycerin dose adjustments may assist nurses with titration.

OBJECTIVE

 This study aimed to design a user interface for a CDSS for nitroglycerin dose titration (Nitroglycerin Dose Titration Decision Support System [nitro DSS]).

METHODS

 A user-centered design (UCD) approach, consisting of an initial qualitative study with semistructured interviews to identify design specifications for prototype development, was used. This was followed by three iterative rounds of usability testing. Nurses with experience titrating nitroglycerin infusions in coronary care units participated.

RESULTS

 A total of 20 nurses participated, including 7 during the qualitative study and 15 during usability testing (2 nurses participated in both phases). Analysis of the qualitative data revealed four themes for the interface design to be (1) clear and consistent, (2) vigilant, (3) interoperable, and (4) reliable. The major elements of the final prototype included a feature for viewing the predicted and actual blood pressure over time to determine the reliability of the predictions, a drop-down option to report patient side effects, a feature to report reasons for not accepting the prediction, and a visual alert indicating any systolic blood pressure predictions below 90 mm Hg. Nurses' ratings on the questionnaires indicated excellent usability and acceptability of the final nitro DSS prototype.

CONCLUSION

 This study successfully applied a UCD approach to collaborate with nurses in developing a user interface for the nitro DSS that supports the clinical decision-making of nurses titrating nitroglycerin.

Differing Effects of Implementation Leadership Characteristics on Nurses' Use of mHealth Technologies in Clinical Practice: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

BACKGROUND

Leadership has been consistently identified as an important factor in shaping the uptake and use of mobile health (mHealth) technologies in nursing; however, the nature and scope of leadership remain poorly delineated. This lack of detail about what leadership entails limits the practical actions that can be taken by leaders to optimize the implementation and use of mHealth technologies among nurses working clinically.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the effects of first-level leaders' implementation leadership characteristics on nurses' intention to use and actual use of mHealth technologies in practice while controlling for nurses' individual characteristics and the voluntariness of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use of mHealth technologies.

METHODS

A cross-sectional exploratory correlational survey study of registered nurses in Canada (n=288) was conducted between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2018. Nurses were eligible to participate if they provided direct care in any setting and used employer-provided mHealth technologies in clinical practice. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted for the 2 outcome variables: intention to use and actual use.

RESULTS

The implementation leadership characteristics of first-level leaders influenced nurses' intention to use and actual use of mHealth technologies, with 2 moderating effects found. The final model for intention to use included the interaction term for implementation leadership characteristics and education, explaining 47% of the variance in nurses' intention to use mHealth in clinical practice (F10,228=20.14; P<.001). An examination of interaction plots found that implementation leadership characteristics had a greater influence on the intention to use mHealth technologies among nurses with a registered nurse diploma or a bachelor of nursing degree than among nurses with a graduate degree or other advanced education. For actual use, implementation leadership characteristics had a significant influence on the actual use of mHealth over and above the control variables (nurses' demographic characteristics, previous experience with mHealth, and voluntariness) and other known predictors (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) in the model without the implementation leadership × age interaction term (β=.22; P=.001) and in the final model that included the implementation leadership × age interaction term (β=-.53; P=.03). The final model explained 40% of the variance in nurses' actual use of mHealth in their work (F10,228=15.18; P<.001). An examination of interaction plots found that, for older nurses, implementation leadership characteristics had less of an influence on their actual use of mHealth technologies.

CONCLUSIONS

Leaders responsible for the implementation of mHealth technologies need to assess and consider their implementation leadership behaviors because these play a role in influencing nurses' use of mHealth technologies. The education level and age of nurses may be important factors to consider because different groups may require different approaches to optimize their use of mHealth technologies in clinical practice.

The Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness of a Web-Based Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration Platform in the Hospital Setting: Interview Study With Health Care Providers

BACKGROUND

Hospitalized patients with complex care needs require an interprofessional team of health professionals working together to support their care in hospitals and during discharge planning. However, interprofessional communication and collaboration in inpatient settings are often fragmented and inefficient, leading to poor patient outcomes and provider frustration. Health information technology can potentially help improve team communication and collaboration; however, to date, evidence of its effectiveness is lacking. There are also concerns that current implementations might further fragment communication and increase the clinician burden without proven benefits.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to generate transferrable lessons for future designers of health information technology tools that facilitate team communication and collaboration.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of the qualitative component of the mixed methods evaluation was performed. The electronic communication and collaboration platform was implemented in 2 general internal medicine wards in a large community teaching hospital in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Fifteen inpatient clinicians in those wards, including nurses, physicians, and allied health care providers, were recruited to participate in semistructured interviews about their experience with a co-designed electronic communication and collaboration tool. Data were analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model, and themes related to the constructs of perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) were identified.

RESULTS

A secondary analysis guided by the Technology Acceptance Model highlighted important points. Intuitive design precluded training as a barrier to use, but lack of training may hinder participants' PEOU if features designed for efficiency are not discovered by users. Organized information was found to be useful for creating a comprehensive clinical picture of each patient and facilitating improved handovers. However, information needs to be both comprehensive and succinct, and information overload may negatively impact PEOU. The mixed paper and electronic practice environment also negatively impacted PEOU owing to unavoidable double documentation and the need for printing. Participants perceived the tool to be useful as it improved efficiency in information retrieval and documentation, improved the handover process, afforded another mode of communication when face-to-face communication was impractical, and improved shared awareness. The PU of this tool depends on its optimal use by all team members.

CONCLUSIONS

Electronic tools can support communication and collaboration among interprofessional teams caring for patients with complex needs. There are transferable lessons learned that can improve the PU and PEOU of future systems.

Challenges of interprofessional geriatric practice in home care settings: an integrative review

This integrative review identified challenges for interprofessional home care and provided recommendations for improving geriatric home care. A search of six databases identified 982 articles; 11 of them met the review's eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Quality appraisal of the included studies was performed using two tools (Critical Appraisal Skills Program for Qualitative Research and Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool), and their overall methodological quality was found to be satisfactory. After applying D'Amour et al.'s framework, four "challenge" themes emerged: (1) lack of sharing, (2) lack of partnership, (3) limited resources and interdependency, and (4) power issues. Recommendations included providing practical multidisciplinary training guided by a standardized model, establishing streamlined communication protocols and a communication platform reflecting the actual needs of users by involving them in its design, and asking interprofessional team members to commit to home care planning and to cultivate a collaborative culture and organizational support.

Managing multiple perspectives in the collaborative design process of a team health information technology

We need to design technologies that support the work of health care teams; designing such solutions should integrate different clinical roles. However, we know little about the actual collaboration that occurs in the design process for a team-based care solution. This study examines how multiple perspectives were managed in the design of a team health IT solution aimed at supporting clinician information needs during pediatric trauma care transitions. We focused our analysis on four co-design sessions that involved multiple clinicians caring for pediatric trauma patients. We analyzed design session transcripts using content analysis and process coding guided by Détienne's (2006) co-design framework. We expanded upon Détienne (2006) three collaborative activities to identify specific themes and processes of collaboration between care team members engaged in the design process. The themes and processes describe how team members collaborated in a team health IT design process that resulted in a highly usable technology.

Towards User-Centred Prosthetics Research Beyond the Laboratory

The purpose of this study was to explore a range of perspectives on how academic research and clinical assessment of upper-limb prosthetics could happen in environments outside of laboratories and clinics, such as within peoples' homes. Two co-creation workshops were held, which included people who use upper limb prosthetic devices (hereafter called users), clinicians, academics, a policy stakeholder, and a representative from the upper-limb prosthetics industry (hereafter called professionals). The discussions during the workshops indicate that research and clinical assessment conducted remotely from a laboratory or clinic could inform future solutions that address user needs. Users were open to the idea of sharing sensor and contextual data from within their homes to external laboratories during research studies. However, this was dependent upon several considerations, such as choice and control over data collection. Regarding clinical assessment, users had reservations of how data may be used to inform future prosthetic prescriptions whilst, clinicians were concerned with resource implications and capacity to process user data. The paper presents findings of the discussions shared by participants during both workshops. The paper concludes with a conjecture that collecting sensor and contextual data from users within their home environment will contribute towards literature within the field, and potentially inform future care policies for upper limb prosthetics. The involvement of users during such studies will be critical and can be enabled via a co-creation approach. In the short term, this may be achieved through academic research studies, which may in the long term inform a framework for clinical in-home trials and clinical remote assessment.

Involvement of frontline clinicians in healthcare technology development: Lessons learned from a ventilator project

Co-development of healthcare technology with users helps produce user-friendly products, ensuring safe device usage and meeting patients’ needs. For developers considering healthcare innovations, engaging user experience can reduce production time and cost while maximizing device application. The purpose of this paper is to report lessons learned from the development of a 3D printed origami ventilator prototype in response to the rise of ventilator demand due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted focus groups with frontline clinicians working in an Intensive Care Unit of a large urban hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the interdisciplinary focus groups, we identified challenges, practical tips about product development, the human needs of technology, and cross-discipline peer learning. The focus group discussions provide useful insight into the technology development for complex clinical contexts. Based on our experiences, we articulate five practical tips for co-development of healthcare technology - AGILE: Analyse users’ needs first, Gain insights into complex context, Involve users early and frequently, Lead with a prototype, and Educate and support. Through sharing the tips and lessons learned, we wish to emphasize the necessity of meaningful multi-disciplinary collaboration during healthcare technology development and promote the inclusion of frontline clinicians during these initiatives.

Using Participatory Design to Engage Physicians in the Development of a Provider-Level Performance Dashboard and Feedback System

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Performance feedback, in which clinicians are given data on select metrics, is widely used in the context of quality improvement. However, there is a lack of practical guidance describing the process of developing performance feedback systems.

INITIAL APPROACH

This study took place at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) with hospitalist physicians. Participatory design methodology was used to develop a performance dashboard and feedback system. Twenty hospitalist physicians participated in a series of six design sessions and two surveys. Each design session and survey systematically addressed key components of the feedback system, including design, metric selection, data delivery, and incentives. The Capability Opportunity Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) model was then used to identify behavior change interventions to facilitate engagement with the dashboard during a pilot implementation.

KEY INSIGHTS, LESSONS LEARNED

In regard to performance improvement, physicians preferred collaboration over competition and internal motivation over external incentives. Physicians preferred that the dashboard be used as a tool to aid in clinical practice improvement and not punitively by leadership. Metrics that were clinical or patient-centered were perceived as more meaningful and more likely to motivate behavior change.

NEXT STEPS

The performance dashboard has been introduced to the entire hospitalist group, and evaluation of implementation continues by monitoring engagement and physician attitudes. This will be followed by targeted feedback interventions to attempt to improve performance.

Development of a Mobile Health Application for HIV Prevention Among At-Risk Populations in Urban Settings in East Africa: A Participatory Design Approach

Background

There is limited evidence in Africa on the design and development of mobile health (mHealth) applications to guide best practices and ensure effectiveness. A pragmatic trial for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis roll-out among key populations in Tanzania is needed.

Objective

We present the results of the development of a mobile app (Jichunge) intended to promote adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers (FSW) in Tanzania.

Methods

A participatory design approach was employed and guided by the information system research framework. MSM and FSW were the target populations. A total of 15 MSM and 15 FSW were engaged in the relevance and design cycles, while the piloting phase included 10 MSM and 20 FSW.

Results

The relevance cycle enabled the description of the existing problem, provided the compatible app features for the target population, and identified the need to develop an mHealth app that provides health services in a stigmatizing and discriminating environment. User involvement in the app’s design and evaluation provided an opportunity to incorporate social, cultural, and community-specific features that ensured usability. In addition, the participants suggested valuable information to inform the app, text message services, medication registration, and chat platform designs.

Conclusions

The participatory design approach in the development of mHealth apps is useful in identifying and validating population-specific functional features, improve usability, and ensuring future health impacts. Through this participatory process, the Jichunge app took end-user needs, perspectives, and experiences into account, eliciting enthusiasm regarding its potential role in supporting pre-exposure prophylaxis adherence for HIV and related behavioral change promotion.

Trial Registration

International Clinical Trials Registry Platform PACTR202003823226570; https://trialsearch.who.int/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=PACTR202003823226570

Defining Data Migration Across Multidisciplinary Ambulatory Clinics Using Participatory Design

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop an institutional approach for defining data migration based on participatory design principles.

METHODS

We outline a collaborative approach to define data migration as part of an electronic health record (EHR) transition at an urban hospital with 20 ambulatory clinics, based on participatory design. We developed an institution-specific list of data for migration based on physician end-user feedback. In this paper, we review the project planning phases, multidisciplinary governance, and methods used.

RESULTS

Detailed data migration feedback was obtained from 90% of participants. Depending on the specialty, requests for historical laboratory values ranged from 2 to as many as 145 unique laboratory types. Lookback periods requested by physicians varied and were ultimately assigned to provide the most clinical data. This clinical information was then combined to synthesize an overall proposed data migration request on behalf of the institution.

CONCLUSION

Institutions undergoing an EHR transition should actively involve physician end-users and key stakeholders. Physician feedback is vital for developing a clinically relevant EHR environment but is often difficult to obtain. Challenges include physician time constraints and overall knowledge about health information technology. This study demonstrates how a participatory design can serve to improve the clinical end-user's understanding of the technical aspects of an EHR implementation, as well as enhance the outcomes of such projects.

Agile Innovation to transform healthcare: innovating in complex adaptive systems is an everyday process, not a light bulb event

Innovation is essential to transform healthcare delivery systems, but in complex adaptive systems innovation is more than ‘light bulb events’ of inspired creativity. To achieve true innovation, organisations must adopt a disciplined, customer-centred process. We developed the process of Agile Innovation as an approach any complex adaptive organisation can adopt to achieve rapid, systematic, customer-centred development and testing of innovative interventions. Agile Innovation incorporates insights from design thinking, Agile project management, and complexity and behavioural sciences. It was refined through experiments in diverse healthcare organisations. The eight steps of Agile Innovation are: (1) confirm demand; (2) study the problem; (3) scan for solutions; (4) plan for evaluation and termination; (5) ideate and select; (6) run innovation development sprints; (7) validate solutions; and (8) package for launch. In addition to describing each of these steps, we discuss examples of and challenges to using Agile Innovation. We contend that once Agile Innovation is mastered, healthcare delivery organisations can habituate it as the go-to approach to projects, thus incorporating innovation into how things are done, rather than treating innovation as a light bulb event.

Rural Homecare Nurses' Challenges in Providing Seamless Patient Care in Rural Japan

Homecare nurses manage patients with extreme homecare dependence through interprofessional collaboration. The quality of the collaboration depends on situations, and the difficulties of homecare nurses are complicated in rural settings because of a few healthcare resources. This study determined rural homecare nurses' difficulties during interprofessional collaboration in providing seamless patient care. Focus groups, followed by one-on-one interviews, were conducted with 13 rural homecare nurses working in rural Japan. Using thematic analysis, four themes were extracted: collaboration with physicians, the collaboration with the government, the collaboration with care workers, and the collaboration among hospital nurses. Rural homecare nurses have difficulties in their working relationships with other professionals, with vague definitions of each professional's roles and responsibilities, and with information-sharing. Interprofessional education and information-sharing should respect rural professional and cultural backgrounds. Respect can accomplish mutual understanding among professional care, leading to seamless patient care in rural home care.

Building a Digital Bridge to Support Patient-Centered Care Transitions From Hospital to Home for Older Adults With Complex Care Needs: Protocol for a Co-Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND

Older adults with multimorbidity and complex care needs (CCN) are among those most likely to experience frequent care transitions between settings, particularly from hospital to home. Transition periods mark vulnerable moments in care for individuals with CCN. Poor communication and incomplete information transfer between clinicians and organizations involved in the transition from hospital to home can impede access to needed support and resources. Establishing digitally supported communication that enables person-centered care and supported self-management may offer significant advantages as we support older adults with CCN transitioning from hospital to home.

OBJECTIVE

This protocol outlines the plan for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a Digital Bridge co-designed to support person-centered health care transitions for older adults with CCN. The Digital Bridge builds on the foundation of two validated technologies: Care Connector, designed to improve interprofessional communication in hospital, and the electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePRO) tool, designed to support goal-oriented care planning and self-management in primary care settings. This project poses three overarching research questions that focus on adapting the technology to local contexts, evaluating the impact of the Digital Bridge in relation to the quadruple aim, and exploring the potential to scale and spread the technology.

METHODS

The study includes two phases: workflow co-design (phase 1), followed by implementation and evaluation (phase 2). Phase 1 will include iterative co-design working groups with patients, caregivers, hospital providers, and primary care providers to develop a transition workflow that will leverage the use of Care Connector and ePRO to support communication through the transition process. Phase 2 will include implementation and evaluation of the Digital Bridge within two hospital systems in Ontario in acute and rehab settings (600 patients: 300 baseline and 300 implementation). The primary outcome measure for this study is the Care Transitions Measure-3 to assess transition quality. An embedded ethnography will be included to capture context and process data to inform the implementation assessment and development of a scale and spread strategy. An Integrated Knowledge Translation approach is taken to inform the study. An advisory group will be established to provide insight and feedback regarding the project design and implementation, leading the development of the project knowledge translation strategy and associated outputs.

RESULTS

This project is underway and expected to be complete by Spring 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the real-world implementation of Digital Bridge, practice changes in the research sites and variable adherence to the implementation protocols are likely. Capturing and understanding these considerations through a mixed-methods approach will help identify the range of factors that may influence study results. Should a favorable evaluation suggest wide adoption of the proposed intervention, this project could lead to positive impact at patient, clinician, organizational, and health system levels.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04287192; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04287192.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/20220.

Developing and Evaluating A One-Stop Patient-Centered Interprofessional Collaboration Platform in Taiwan

(1) Background: Effective healthcare collaboration not only improves the outcomes of patients, but also provides benefits to healthcare providers. A patient-centered communication platform, a so-called “one-stop platform”, is necessary to promote interprofessional collaboration (IPC) for optimal patient care. (2) Methods: Chi Mei Medical Center developed a patient-centered computerized platform to fulfill interprofessional collaboration needs. The platform features a spiral-shaped integrated care area and a communication area that allows the medical team to access patients’ information including the medical care they received within seven days, and veritably shows whether the team members have read communication messages. After pilot adoption, an online survey was conducted. (3) Results: A one-stop IPC platform was implemented and promoted for patient care. The online survey revealed that medical team members have high positive appraisal of the platform. It also pointed out that resistance to change among the medical team still has a significant impact on behavioral intention. (4) Conclusions: The interprofessional collaboration platform was recognized by the medical teams of Chi Mei Medical Center as an effective and convenient tool for assisting clinical decision making. However, actions to reduce user resistance to change and encourage collaboration among team members still need to be continued. Shared decision making within physicians and patients will be valuable to develop in the platform in the future.

Assessment of facility performance during mass treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Egypt: Enablers and obstacles

BACKGROUND

The national committee for control of viral hepatitis (NCCVH) in Egypt, settled by the Ministry of health, treated over one million patients in around 60 centers with chronological changes in drug combinations. This research aims to study the health care facilities and services provided by NCCVH treatment centers in Egypt and explore hinders faced.

METHODS

A cross-sectional operational research study. Multistage random sampling technique was applied for Egyptian governorates. From each stratum one governorate was chosen from which one center was randomly selected. Quality of recorded data for each center in the central server (Data-oriented parameter), newly designed score to assess the overall performance of the centers was retrieved from computer based recording system. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by the centers head.

RESULTS

This study included 24 treatment centers from urban, rural areas, Upper and Lower Egypt. The Upper centers showed the best completeness of follow-up records and the least compliance rates. None of the centers had 100% completeness of follow-up data. Proportion of SVR is minimally less than proportion of patient with known outcome in all treatment centers. A novel indicator standardizing the comparisons of performance of different facilities was introduced: Total number of physicians/total number of SVR patients with completed records. The highest response rate: Monfiya Governorate (Lower Egypt), Aswan (Upper Egypt), Completeness of follow-up records: Kalyoubia (Lower Egypt), Sohag governorate (Upper Egypt). The average administrative score was 64%.

CONCLUSION

Challenges of NCCVH program: overcrowdings, resistant sociocultural background among rural patients, limited accessibility for internal migrants and incompleteness of data entry are system lacking points. Strengths include, clear patient pathway, well-established database online application, well-trained physicians and treatment availability.

Role of Health Information Technology in Addressing Health Disparities: Patient, Clinician, and System Perspectives

Over the last decade, health information technology (IT) has dramatically transformed medical practice in the United States. On May 11-12, 2017, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved, convened a scientific workshop, "Addressing Health Disparities with Health Information Technology," with the goal of ensuring that future research guides potential health IT initiatives to address the needs of health disparities populations. The workshop examined patient, clinician, and system perspectives on the potential role of health IT in addressing health disparities. Attendees were asked to identify and discuss various health IT challenges that confront underserved communities and propose innovative strategies to address them, and to involve these communities in this process. Community engagement, cultural competency, and patient-centered care were highlighted as key to improving health equity, as well as to promoting scalable, sustainable, and effective health IT interventions. Participants noted the need for more research on how health IT can be used to evaluate and address the social determinants of health. Expanding public-private partnerships was emphasized, as was the importance of clinicians and IT developers partnering and using novel methods to learn how to improve health care decision-making. Finally, to advance health IT and promote health equity, it will be necessary to record and capture health disparity data using standardized terminology, and to continuously identify system-level deficiencies and biases.

Generative Participatory Design Methodology to Develop Electronic Health Interventions: Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Generative participatory design (PD) may help in developing electronic health (eHealth) interventions. PD is characterized by the involvement of all stakeholders in creative activities. This is different from the traditional user-centered design, where users are less involved. When looking at PD from a research through design perspective, it is important to summarize the reasons for choosing a certain form of generative PD to further develop its methodology. However, the scientific literature is currently unclear about which forms of PD are used to develop eHealth and which arguments are used to substantiate the decision to use a certain form of generative PD.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the reporting and substantiation of generative PD methodologies in empirical eHealth studies published in scientific journals to further develop PD methodology in the field of eHealth.

METHODS

A systematic literature review following the Cochrane guidelines was conducted in several databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE Ovid, Web of Science, and CINAHL EBSCOhost). Data were extracted on the recruitment and management of stakeholders, the use of tools, and the use of outcome measures.

RESULTS

Of the 3131 studies initially identified, 69 were selected for qualitative synthesis. The reporting was very variable, depending to a large extent on whether the study stated that reporting on the PD process was a major aim. The different levels of reporting and substantiation of the choices of a recruitment strategy, stakeholder management, and tools and outcome measures are presented. Only a few authors explicitly used arguments directly related to PD guiding principles such as democratic, mutual learning, tacit and latent knowledge, and collective creativity. Even though PD principles were not always explicitly discussed in the method descriptions of the studies, they were implicitly present, mostly in the descriptions of the use of PD tools. The arguments used to substantiate the choices made in stakeholder management, PD tools, and the type of outcome measures adopted point to the involvement of PD principles.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies that have used a PD research methodology to develop eHealth primarily substantiate the choice of tools made and much less the use of stakeholders and outcome measures.

Exploring the barriers and facilitators for the use of digital health technologies for the management of COPD: a qualitative study of clinician perceptions

BACKGROUND

Digital health technology (DHT) promises to support patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to optimize the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of DHT for the management of COPD. One reason for this is the lack of user-involvement in the development of DHT interventions in COPD meaning their needs and preferences are rarely accounted for in the design phase. Although HCP adoption issues have been identified in relation to DHT, little is known about the challenges perceived by HCPs providing care to COPD patients. Therefore, this study aims to qualitatively explore the barriers and facilitators HCPs perceive for the use of DHT in the management of COPD.

METHODS

Participants (n = 32) were recruited using snowball sampling from two university hospitals and several general practitioner clinics. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant. NVivo 12 software was used to complete thematic analysis on the data.

RESULTS

Themes identified include: data quality; evidence-based care; resource constraints; and digital literacy presented as barriers; and facilitators include the following themes: digital health training and education; improving HCP digital literacy; and Personalized prescribing. Patient-centered approaches, such as pulmonary rehabilitation and shared decision-making were suggested as implementation strategies to ease the adoption of digital health for the management of COPD.

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute new insights about the needs and preferences of HCPs working in COPD regarding DHT. The findings can be used to help mitigate user-experience issues by informing the design of person-centered implementation and adoption strategies for future digital health interventions in COPD.

Skin Doctor Consultations Using Mobile Teledermoscopy: Exploring Virtual Care Business Models

Background: Technological advances have given rise to virtual health care services, resulting in a shift in how traditional health care services are being delivered. Consumers are increasingly demanding efficient access to health care information and services irrespective of time and distance, which is further driving the digitization of health care. This digital economy has created new opportunities for innovative new business models to meet the needs of these new markets. This study explores several in-use business models of virtual health care service platforms that incorporate mobile teledermoscopy (MTD) technologies. By comparing the different building blocks of these commercial ventures, we provide insights on business model choices and discuss the elements that contribute to economically sustainable and viable service offerings incorporating MTD applications. Materials and Methods: We searched the literature on teledermatology, complemented by searches using Google and other mobile app store platforms, and identified seven commercial ventures using teledermoscopy. We analyzed the building blocks of each business model by using an adapted version of Ash Maurya's Lean Canvas and Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas. Results: We identified three business elements that support the viability, sustainability, and growth of online dermatology services: developing key partnerships, clinician involvement in the design and implementation process, and managing the medico-legal risks and liabilities that are relevant for each country. Conclusions: Leveraging mobile technologies to deliver virtual health care present new business opportunities for health care providers. A better understanding of the business features associated with existing commercial ventures may increase uptake and improve financial viability of MTD applications as a complementary tool to traditional patient care models.

Elicitation and prioritization of requirements for electronic health records for oncology in low resource settings: A concept mapping study

BACKGROUND

Understanding functional and non-functional requirements is essential to successfully implement electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Actual requirements will be different for different contexts.

OBJECTIVE

To elicit and prioritize requirements for implementing EMRs in oncology in low and middle income countries (LMICs), and to relate these to requirements from high-income countries.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Cancer care stakeholders including oncologists, general doctors, nurses, biostatisticians, information technologists, from different LMICs, were involved.

METHODS

Concept mapping was used. Statements of requirements were obtained during focus group discussions (FGDs) and interviews. Using surveys, the requirements were clustered and ranked on importance and feasibility. Data were analyzed in SPSS using agglomerative hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling, to create cluster maps and go-zone maps reflecting the relationships between the requirements and their prioritization.

RESULTS

Four FGD sessions, with twenty participants, were conducted. In addition, six participants were interviewed. Twenty-two participants clustered the requirements and sixty-three participants ranked them on importance and feasibility. One hundred and sixty requirement statements were generated which were reduced to sixty-four after de-duplication and merging. Nine clusters were obtained encompassing the following domains, in order of importance: Security, Conducive organization, Management/Governance, General EMR functionalities, Computer infrastructure, Data management, Usability, Oncology decision support, and Ancillary requirements. On ranking, the requirements scored between 3.74 and 4.80 on importance, and between 3.55 and 4.46 on feasibility, on a 5-point Likert scale. We generated concept maps for use when communicating with stakeholders.

CONCLUSION

For oncology EMRs in LMICs, requirements overlap those from high-income countries, but generic EMR functionalities, Infrastructural and organizational requirements are still considered priority in LMICs compared to oncology-specific requirements or advanced EMR features e.g. computerized decision support or interoperability. Concept mapping is a fast and cost-effective method for eliciting and prioritizing EMR requirements in a user-centered manner.

Care managers in rural Japan: Challenges to interprofessional collaboration

Effective interprofessional collaboration for care managers is vital for the care of older people. This study's aim was to inquire into the obstacles to interprofessional collaboration faced by care managers in rural areas of Japan. Forty-six care managers participated in group discussions and semi-structured interviews, and the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes related to obstacles emerged from the analysis regarding relationships with physicians, professional competency, relationships among other professionals, environmental constraints, and relationships with nonprofessionals. Other professionals' unfamiliarity with the care manager's role and a lack of mutual understanding, boundaries, and information sharing among medical professionals were also cited as issues.

Knowledgeability, attitude, and practice behaviors of primary care providers toward managing patients' oral health care in medical practice: Wisconsin statewide survey

BACKGROUND

In this study, the authors sought to explore the receptivity, preparedness, and rates of adoption of integrated medical-dental models of care (MOCs) in the practice setting among primary care providers (PCPs) treating patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS

The authors conducted an anonymous statewide survey targeting PCPs across a range of Wisconsin-based practice settings to evaluate knowledgeability, attitude, practice behaviors, and perceived barriers to oral health screening in a medical setting. Qualitative analytical approaches included thematic analyses applied to evaluate the status of and barriers to integrated medical-dental MOC adoption.

RESULTS

The integrated medical-dental MOC adoption rate was 34%. Top perceived barriers to integrated medical-dental MOC adoption included insurance coverage (71%) and care access (70%). A total of 39% indicated competency for educating patients about the association between DM and periodontitis. Although 72% of PCPs indicated optimal periodicity for oral health assessment as frequent, 39% reported frequently conducting such assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

Although PCPs indicate receptivity to integrated medical-dental MOCs, PCPs identify suboptimal education, lack of adequate training in oral-systemic disease assessment, and barriers to oral health care access as barriers to integrated medical-dental MOC adoption.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Integrated medical-dental MOC adoption in care delivery to patients with DM remains below average. Interdisciplinary efforts and education are needed to address identified barriers to care integration.

Using an electronic tool to improve teamwork and interprofessional communication to meet the needs of complex hospitalized patients: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Teamwork and interprofessional communication are important in addressing the comprehensive care needs of complex hospitalized patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of an electronic interprofessional communication and collaboration platform on teamwork, communication, and adverse events in the hospital setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this mixed methods study, we used a quasi-experimental design in the quantitative component and deployed the electronic tool in a staged fashion to 2 hospital wards 3 months apart. We measured teamwork, communication, and adverse events with Relational Coordination survey, video recordings of team rounds, and retrospective chart review. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with clinicians to understand the perceived impacts of the electronic tool and other contextual factors.

RESULTS

Teamwork sustainably improved (overall Relational Coordination score improved from 3.68 at baseline to 3.84 at three and six months after intervention, p = 0.03) on ward 1. A small change in face-to-face communication pattern during team rounds was observed (making plans increased from 22% to 24%, p = 0.004) at 3 months on ward 1 but was not sustained at 6 months. Teamwork and communication did not change after the intervention on ward 2. There was no meaningful change to adverse event rates on either ward. Clinicians reported generally positive views about the electronic tool's impact but described non-technology factors on each ward that affected teamwork and communication.

CONCLUSION

The impact of using an electronic tool to improve teamwork and communication in the hospital setting appears mixed, but can be positive in some settings. Improving teamwork and communication likely require both appropriate technology and addressing non-technology factors.

Design and Development of a Person-Centered Patient Portal Using Participatory Stakeholder Co-Design

Background

Patient portals are increasingly accepted as part of standard medical care. However, to date, most patient portals provide just passive access to medical data. The use of modern technology such as smartphones and data personalization algorithms offers the potential to make patient portals more person-centered and enabling.

Objective

The aim of this study is to share our experience in designing and developing a person-centered patient portal following a participatory stakeholder co-design approach.

Methods

Our stakeholder co-design approach comprised 6 core elements: (1) equal coleadership, including a cancer patient on treatment; (2) patient preference determination; (3) security, governance, and legal input; (4) continuous user evaluation and feedback; (5) continuous staff input; and (6) end-user testing. We incorporated person-centeredness by recognizing that patients should decide for themselves their level of medical data access, all medical data should be contextualized with explanatory content, and patient educational material should be personalized and timely.

Results

Using stakeholder co-design, we built, and are currently pilot-testing, a person-centered patient portal smartphone app called Opal.

Conclusions

Inclusion of all stakeholders in the design and development of patient-facing software can help ensure that the necessary elements of person-centeredness, clinician acceptability, and informatics feasibility are achieved.

Factors influencing the selection of a picture archiving and communication system: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is an evolving technology in health care domains that is used for storage, management, retrieval, transfer, and delivery of medical images. Some medical centers in Iran have installed the PACS in recent years but have not used it appropriately. One of the problems in implementing this system is inability to select appropriate PACS. Several factors are involved in the selection process. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence PACS selection.

METHODS

This qualitative study aimed to identify factors influencing the PACS selection. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 experts in three educational hospitals and in the position to make decision for the purchase of PACS. Data were analyzed by the conventional qualitative content analysis method proposed by Lundman and Graneheim.

RESULTS

Analyses achieved 11 subcategories in two specific and general categories that influence PACS selection. The specific category of this study included six subcategories, and the general category included five subcategories.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study determined that usability was the most important factor from the perspective of participants. Since the main users of a system have a critical role in adoption or rejection of a system, ease of use (usability) is significant and must be considered in system selection as a significant factor.

Applying participatory design to a pharmacy system intervention

BACKGROUND

Stakeholder engagement is an important component of the research process for improving the use and uptake of patient-centered health care innovations. Participatory design (PD), a method that utilizes the involvement of patients and other stakeholders, is well-suited for the design of multifaceted interventions in complex work systems, such as community pharmacies, that have diverse and dynamic end-users.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to describe a blueprint for how to use PD when designing a community pharmacy intervention. This paper outlines the steps of PD and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

METHODS

PD is explained step-wise to underscore the considerations required of researchers unfamiliar with PD. This includes the development of a tailored PD approach, PD session preparatory work, data collection, and intervention development and evaluation. The stakeholders recruited for the community pharmacy intervention were pharmacy staff and older adult patients who received prescriptions at the pharmacy corporation in which the intervention was being implemented. The PD process was a series of six adaptive sessions: (1) problem identification, (2) solution generation, (3) convergence, (4) prototyping, (5) initial evaluation, and (6) formative evaluation.

RESULTS

A description of the PD process to design a community pharmacy intervention is provided. The process led to the development of a patient-centered prototype. The advantages of using PD included the opportunity to clarify problems faced by stakeholders, generation of novel solutions to incorporate into the intervention, and the ability to vet and fine-tune stakeholder design ideas in an iterative fashion. The insight gained was unprecedented and invaluable to the researchers. The biggest challenge of employing PD was the time-sensitive and time-intensive nature of developing each session, collecting data, and reflecting on the results in order to design subsequent sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

The PD process led to the development of a patient-centered prototype. PD enabled stakeholders to generate creative solutions and provide unique insight on addressing issues faced in healthcare redesign research and specifically in community pharmacies.