Barriers to Interorganizational Knowledge Transfer in Post-Hospital Care Transitions: Review and Directions for Information Systems Research

Capacity Building Using Digital Technology for Occupational Therapists and Caregivers in Pakistan: A Participatory Action Research Approach

This paper describes the development and implementation of a telehealth system in Pakistan to build capacity of healthcare service providers and caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. An asynchronous telehealth system, in the form of a web app, improved therapy-related communication between the therapists and caregivers, thus enabling capacity building through sustained communication among the stakeholders. Participatory Action Research (PAR) identified barriers associated with communication, knowledge transfer, and caregiver learning. Data were collected via observations, interviews, focus groups, and field notes. The experiences of therapists and caregivers were analyzed to design and develop a system that works as a learning mechanism for caregivers in their native languages. The system also addresses socio-economic, geographic, and communication barriers as well as pandemic-imposed obstacles.

Health Professionals' Perspectives on Electronic Medical Record Infusion and Individual Performance: Model Development and Questionnaire Survey Study

Background

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are integrated information sources generated by health care professionals (HCPs) from various health care information systems. EMRs play crucial roles in improving the quality of care and medical decision-making and in facilitating cross-hospital health information exchange. Although many hospitals have invested considerable resources and efforts to develop EMRs for several years, the factors affecting the long-term success of EMRs, particularly in the EMR infusion stage, remain unclear.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of technology, user, and task characteristics on EMR infusion to determine the factors that largely affect EMR infusion. In addition, we examined the effect of EMR infusion on individual HCP performance.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from HCPs with >6 months experience in using EMRs in a Taiwanese teaching hospital. A total of 316 questionnaires were distributed and 211 complete copies were returned, yielding a valid response rate of 66.8%. The collected data were further analyzed using WarpPLS 5.0.

Results

EMR infusion (R²=0.771) was mainly affected by user habits (β=.411), portability (β=.217), personal innovativeness (β=.198), technostress (β=.169), and time criticality (β=.168), and individual performance (R²=0.541) was affected by EMR infusion (β=.735). This finding indicated that user (habit, personal innovativeness, and technostress), technology (portability), and task (mobility and time criticality) characteristics have major effects on EMR infusion. Furthermore, the results indicated that EMR infusion positively affects individual performance.

Conclusions

The factors identified in this study can extend information systems infusion theory and provide useful insights for the further improvement of EMR development in hospitals and by the government, specifically in its infusion stage. In addition, the developed instrument can be used as an assessment tool to identify the key factors for EMR infusion, and to evaluate the extent of EMR infusion and the individual performance of hospitals that have implemented EMR systems. Moreover, the results can help governments to understand the urgent needs of hospitals in implementing EMR systems, provide sufficient resources and support to improve the incentives of EMR development, and develop adequate EMR policies for the meaningful use of electronic health records among hospitals and clinics.

How digital health solutions align with the roles and functions that support hospital to home transitions for older adults: a rapid review study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Older adults may experience challenges during the hospital to home transitions that could be mitigated by digital health solutions. However, to promote adoption in practice and realise benefits, there is a need to specify how digital health solutions contribute to hospital to home transitions, particularly pertinent in this era of social distancing. This rapid review will: (1) elucidate the various roles and functions that have been developed to support hospital to home transitions of care, (2) identify existing digital health solutions that support hospital to home transitions of care, (3) identify gaps and new opportunities where digital health solutions can support these roles and functions and (4) create recommendations that will inform the design and structure of future digital health interventions that support hospital to home transitions for older adults (eg, the pre-trial results of the Digital Bridge intervention; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04287192).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A two-phase rapid review will be conducted to meet identified aims. In phase 1, a selective literature review will be used to generate a conceptual map of the roles and functions of individuals that support hospital to home transitions for older adults. In phase 2, a search on MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL will identify literature on digital health solutions that support hospital to home transitions. The ways in which digital health solutions can support the roles and functions that facilitate these transitions will then be mapped in the analysis and generation of findings.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol is a review of the literature and does not involve human subjects, and therefore, does not require ethics approval. This review will permit the identification of gaps and new opportunities for digital processes and platforms that enable care transitions and can help inform the design and implementation of future digital health interventions. Review findings will be disseminated through publications and presentations to key stakeholders.

Exploiting Inter-Organizational Relationships in Health Care: A Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review

Inter-organizational relationships are high on the health policy agenda. Scholars and practitioners have provided heterogeneous views about the triggers of collaborative practices and the success factors that underpin the sustainability of inter-organizational relationships in the health care domain. The article proposes a literature review aimed at systematizing current scientific research that contextualizes inter-organizational relationships to health care. A mixed approach was undertaken, which consisted of a bibliometric analysis followed by a narrative literature review. A tailored search strategy on Elsevier’s Scopus yielded 411 relevant records, which were carefully screened for inclusion in this study. After screening, 105 papers were found to be consistent with the study purposes and included in this literature review. The findings emphasize that the establishment and implementation of inter-organizational relationships in health care are affected by several ambiguities, which concern both the governance and the structuring of collaborative relationships. The viability and the success of inter-organizational relationships depend on the ability of both central and peripheral partners to acknowledge and address such ambiguities. Failure to do so involves an opportunistic participation to inter-organizational relationships. This endangers conflicting behaviors rather than collaboration among partners.

Knowledge sharing and absorptive capacity: interdependency and complementarity

Purpose

This study aims to resolve contradictions in the literature regarding the relationship between knowledge sharing (KS) and absorptive capacity (AC). The authors analyze the reasons for which KS has been interpreted as an antecedent and those for which it has been seen as a consequent of AC.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a systematic review of the literature to identify the arguments supporting the relationships between the constructs and propose a model. Additionally, the hypotheses were tested using SEM to assess the proposed model.

Findings

The findings reveal the nature of the relationship between KS and AC. Suggesting AC is bi-dimensional, consisting of potential AC and realized AC, while the relationship between these two dimensions depends on KS.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides consistent theoretical grounds for future empirical research. The study findings demonstrate KS provides a real contribution towards AC, validating the previous literature on the impact of KS antecedents on realized AC. Additionally, the authors provide evidence to suggest knowledge donation is an output of the AC process, thus generating a debate on the nature of knowledge donation (requested vs unrequested), which raises interesting research questions to be addressed in the future. As a limitation, empirical data was only collected in the context of software development in two countries.

Practical implications

The results elucidate the central role of knowledge collection within AC. For managers, the importance of the role of knowledge collection to fully benefit from AC and exploit knowledge is highlighted.

Originality/value

The research design is original in that it combines a systematic and integrative literature review to the ground and propose hypotheses with empirically testing of the emerging model. The study clarifies the relationship between KS and AC, providing evidence to show knowledge donation is an output of the AC process. The benefits of this study can be seen at the team and firm-level.

Psychological Capital of MIS Development Teams, System Effectiveness, and Social Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review

Inter-organizational information systems are critical in the modern business world, as a large portion of economic activities are done through inter-organizational collaborations. One such important collaboration is social innovation/entrepreneurship, which involves multiple parties from diverse areas cooperating in major tasks. Against such a backdrop, exploring beneficial factors for organizational members to actively develop and/or make good use of a management information system (MIS) for collaborative performance has become a vital research question. This conceptual paper argues that positive psychology is critical to encourage members to volunteer to construct an MIS that facilitates social innovation effectiveness. Specifically, we discuss the four dimensions of psychological capital (i.e., hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience) on effective inter-organizational MIS attributes (e.g., connectivity), and on the consequences of social innovation. At the core of this discussion, we believe that a positive psychological foundation is a driver for staff effort to contribute to a better MIS, which could benefit social innovation success. This research contributes by offering inspiration for future studies to link the micro- and macro-level aspects of social innovation and entrepreneurship phenomena.

Patient and family members' perceptions of family participation in care on acute care wards

BACKGROUND

Hospital leaders, policymakers and healthcare professionals are realising the benefits of delivering care that promotes family participation because it is known to enhance the quality of care, and improve patient satisfaction.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore, from the perspective of patients and family members within an adult acute care ward: (a) their beliefs and attitudes towards family participation in patient care and (b) staff behaviours that support or hinder family participation in patient care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A naturalistic approach with an exploratory sequential design was used in a medical assessment and planning unit of a regional referral hospital in Australia. Purposeful maximum variation sampling was used to recruit patients and family members who differed in age, ethnicity, relationship to patient and gender. Observer-as-participant observation data and semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Following separate inductive content analysis, data were triangulated.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients and 26 family members were recruited. Thirty hours of observational data were gathered. Eighteen patients and 15 family members were interviewed. Analysis uncovered two contrasting categories: (a) disconnected communication and (b) family influence quality.

CONCLUSION

The findings of our study demonstrated that most patients and families perceived staff communication as disconnected and inadequate, which constrained them from engaging in care processes or decision-making. However, when family felt empowered and participated in patient care, the quality of health care was enhanced. Healthcare professionals can use these findings to make informed evidence-based changes to the way they practice and communicate to ensure family participation in patient care is optimised in the acute care setting.

Evaluation of health information systems research in information systems research: A meta-analysis

Given the importance of the health-care industry and the promise of health information systems, researchers are encouraged to build on the shoulders of giants as the saying goes. The health information systems field has a unique opportunity to learn from and extend the work that has already been done by the highly correlated information systems field. As a result, this research article presents a past, present and future meta-analysis of health information systems research in information systems journals over the 2000–2015 time period. Our analysis reviewed 126 articles on a variety of topics related to health information systems research published in the “Senior Scholars” list of the top eight ranked information systems academic journals. Across the selected information systems academic journals, our findings compare research methodologies applied, health information systems topic areas investigated and research trends. Interesting results emerge in the range and evolution of health information systems research and opportunities for health information systems researchers and practitioners to consider moving forward.