Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Records Australia Management Data processing'

Objectives: To investigate the impact of electronic health record (EHR) on diabetes management through examination of the effectiveness of implementation of EHR and to improve the quality of care and the cost-effectiveness on the use of EHR. Methods: Three databases, PubMed, Ovid Medline and Google Scholar, were searched with specific combination keywords including electronic medical record and electronic health record, and diabetes. Quality appraisal and extraction of data were conducted on literature that met with the inclusion criteria. Results: 10 literature studies, a total of 204,251 participants with diabetes, were included in this study. All subjects, with similar demographic and clinical characteristics, were from clinic and primary care setting with the use of EHR. Different outcome measures were compared and to evaluate the effectiveness of EHR on quality of care and cost-effectiveness. Discussion: The impact of EHR on effectiveness of diabetes management, potential factors of barrier for adoption and the limitation for implementation of EHR were discussed. These suggested that further research is needed to have stronger evidence to widespread the use of EHR in Hong Kong as a future direction on public health issue. Conclusion: In this systematic review, EHR showed potential benefit in improving the quality of care and reduce the health care expenditure for long term running. Patient safety and efficiency are yet to be covered in the studies. Further research is needed on the acceptability and applicability of the use of EHR in Hong Kong.
published_or_final_version
Public Health
Master
Master of Public Health

This thesis will examine the manual hospital document retrieval system and electronic document scanning system. From this examination, requirements will be listed for the Administrative Reporting for the Hospital Document Scanning System which will provide better service and reliability than the previous systems. To assure that the requirements can be met, this will be developed into a working system which is named as the Administrative Reporting for the Hospital Document Scanning System(ARHDSS).
Department of Computer Science

A Personal Health Record (PHR) is an electronic record of a patient’s health-related information that is managed by the patient. The patient can give access to other parties, such as healthcare providers and family members, as they see fit. These parties can use the information in emergency situations, in order to help improve the patient’s healthcare. PHRs have an important role to play in ensuring that a patient’s complete health history is available to his healthcare providers at the point of care. This is especially true in South Africa, where the majority of healthcare organizations still rely on paper-based methods of record-keeping. Research indicates that physicians play an important role in encouraging the adoption of PHRs amongst patients. Whilst various studies have focused on the perceptions of South African citizens towards PHRs, to date no research has focused on the perceptions of South African physicians. Considering the importance of physicians in encouraging the adoption of PHRs, the problem being addressed by this research project thus relates to the lack of information relating to the perceptions of South African physicians of PHRs. Physicians with private practices at private hospitals in Port Elizabeth, South Africa were surveyed in order to determine their perceptions towards PHRs. Results indicate perceptions regarding benefits to the physician and the patient, as well as concerns to the physician and the patient. The levels of trust in various potential PHR providers and the potential uses of a PHR for the physician were also explored. The results of the survey were compared with the results of relevant international literature in order to describe the perceptions of physicians towards PHRs.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A Document Management System (DMS) can help businesses speed-up as well as reduce the number of mundane and repetitive tasks relating to documents. These benefits can assist management cut costs, reduce errors, automate frequently performed tasks as well as store information electronically in a safe and accessible way. Making IT Simple (the business) is a start-up business that has entered into a partnership agreement with INVU, Europe's fastest growing DMS Software developer (INVU, 2008). This agreement allows the business to sell INVU software without restriction by volume or geography to all sectors of industry. INVU products are designed to make business administration, and especially managing documents a simple and efficient process. These two principle product features support the business' objectives and marketing push by delivering easy-to-use software that helps customers reduce costs by speeding-up as well as reduce the number of daily administrative tasks performed using documents. In order to establish which market sector to target, the Directors conducted an industry analysis (Appendix I) which has identified opportunities in the farming and agricultural Sector. The three primary reasons are: 1) Sustainable sector growth of 30% per annum (UK Agriculture, 2007), 2) no known DMS competition within Farming and 3) the Directors have an established Network and detailed knowledge of the sector. Although farming and agriculture will be the main focus of marketing activity and communication, other industries, such as property letting agencies, are also seen as future opportunities for the business. Target Market and Projections Market Research is based upon 138 questionnaire responses that have enabled the Directors to develop a product package which combines the product, a DMS license and software, together with the necessary hardware and maintenance support sufficient to satisfy the target market's needs. The target market is defined as a farm business, predominantly farming crops or cattle and/or sheep from between 41 and 80 hectares of productive land. It has up to 20 full time employees, half of whom are involved in the business' administration. This admin comprises mainly of financial accounts and Government Department returns which are processed on as many as two computers which have email, Microsoft Office and accounting software packages loaded on. For security and access the target market store their records in filing cabinets for up to 15 years, mostly in paper form. A priority for business' administration within this market is the simplicity and easy access of its records and with all records being in one place. The sales forecasts of 7, 16 and 30 units over the first three years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively are deemed achievable by the Directors, having received reassurance from both formal interviews (Radley, 2008) and conversations with potential customers. The business sees their target market strategy and their lean cost base as being their competitive advantage together with the impression that none of INVU's DMS competitors are currently focussed upon the agriculture sector. This gives the business a potential first mover advantage which will be supported by leveraging the marketing efforts and the existing network of contacts to deliver the specifically designed sales process for the target market. The suite of products, which are leased by the customer over 36 months, cost £15,016 and have a Gross Profit of 58%. This gross profit then funds the running and maintenance of the support service provided by the company. Return on Equity over the 3 years of the Business Plan is strong at 60% given that there is a loss of £50,000 in Year 1. Year two generates a small profit of £24,000 with a healthy £64,000 in Year 3 onwards. Return on sales is 10% in year 2 growing to 14% in year 3. Break even point is in July 2011 (month 31) with the business cash positive in August 2010 (month 20). The financial risks are calculated as low due to the lease funding providing cash within 14 days of a signed document, plus there is no cash risk as the requirement to hold inventory is negligible. The balance sheet requires equity funding of £40,000 which is provided by the two directors at £20,000 each, plus a 60 month working-capital bank loan which is forecast to be repaid on month 25. There are 46,000 farms in UK so, in this market sector alone there are potentially 9,200 (20%) sales presentations to be completed based upon the market survey data. On projected performance this would currently take the business 460 months to complete. The business case shows an improving performance month on month based upon an improvement in sales skills, product portfolio and brand awareness. The two employees Edward Gibbs and Mathew Easterbrook, both of whom are Directors, have each invested £20,000 in equity in order to start-up the business. They have 28 years of management experience between them and offer complementing specialities in the IT, sales, farming and finance areas. Their business objectives are to generate cash and satisfy customer needs by selling products at the right price with a sustainable gross profit margin whilst being commercially aggressive on costs. Their simple and equitable company structure reflects their excellent relationship and the balance of power is shared equally. The product is a compliment of hardware, software and support service that is tailored to meet a customer's needs (Table 1).
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Dokumentbestuurstelsel (DBS) kan organisasies help om meer effektief sake te doen en om die aantal eenvoudige en herhalende take met die hantering van dokumente te verminder. Hierdie voordele kan bestuur help om koste te verminder, foute te verminder, gereelde take te outomatiseer en ook om inligting elektronies in 'n veilige en maklik bereikbare plek te stoor. Making IT simple (die onderneming) is 'n nuwe onderneming wat in 'n vennootskap ooreenkoms met INVU, Europa se snel groeiendste DBS sagteware verskaffer, aangegaan het. Hierdie ooreenkoms laat die ondememing toe om INVU sagteware te verkoop in alle industriee met geen bepreking op volumes of geografiese areas nie. INVU produkte is ontwerp om besigheid administrasie, en spesifiek die bestuur van dokumente, 'n eenvoudige en effektiewe proses te maak. Hierdie twee beginsels ondersteun die onderneming se doelwitte en bemarking deur die lewering van eenvoudig-om-te-gebruik sagteware wat kliente help om kostes te verlaag deur vinniger prosesse sowel as verminderde daaglikse roetine administratiewe dokumentering take. Ten einde die marksegment wat geteiken moet word te bepaal het die direkteure 'n industrie analise (Aanhangsel I) gedoen wat geleenthede in die boerdery en landbou sektore uitgewys het. Die drie primere redes is: 1) Substansiele sektor groei van 30% per jaar (UK Agriculture, 2007), 2) geen bestaande DBS wat tans aktief in die mark is nie en 3) die direkteure het 'n gevestigde netwerk en detail kennis van die sektor. Alhoewel boerdery en landbou die hooffokus van die bemarkings en kommunikasie aktiwiteite gaan wees sal ander industriee, soos eiendoms en verhurings agentskappe, ook gesien word as toekoms geleenthede vir die onderneming. Marknavorsing is gebaseer op 138 voltooide vraelyste wat die direkteure in staat gestel het om 'n produk pakket bestaande uit 'n DBS lisensie en sagteware saam met die nodige hardeware en ondersteunings saam te bondel, ten einde aan die mark se behoefte te voorsien. Die teikenmark is gedefinieer as boerdery ondernemings wat primer boer met gewasse en/of skape op tussen 41 en 80 hektaar produktiewe landbougrond. Die boerdery het ongeveer 20 voltydse werknemers waarvan die helfte met die onderneming se administrasie te doen het. Die administrasie bestaan meestal uit finansiele take en Regerings Departemente se verslae wat geprosesseer word op tot twee rekenaars met toegang tot Microsoft Office en 'n rekenkundige sagteware pakket. Vir sekuriteit en maklike toegang tot hulle dokumente stoor die tipe ondernemings hulle dokumente in liasseerkabinette vir tot 15 jaar, meestal in papier formaat. 'n Prioriteit vir ondernemings se administrasie binne die teikenmark is eenvoud en maklike toegang tot hulle dokumente, asook die sentrale berging van dokumente op een spesifieke plek. Die verkoops vooruitskattings vir 7, 12 en 30 eenhede oor die eerste drie jare 2009, 2010 en 2011, word gesien as realisties en bereikbaar deur die direkteure na aanleiding van formele onderhoude (Radley, 2008) en gesprekke met potensiele kliente. Die onderneming sien hulle teikenmark strategie en hulle lae koste struktuur as hulle kompeterende voordeel tesame met die feite dat geen van INVU se DBS kompeteerders huidiglik op die landbou sektor fokus nie. Die gee die ondememing die potensiele eerstetoetreder voordeel in die landbou industrie. Dit sal ondersteun word deur die hefboom effek van die bemarkings pogings komende uit die bestaande netwerk van kontakte om gefokusde verkoopsprosesse in die teikenmark uit te voer. Die suite van produkte, wat gehuur word deur die kliente oor 'n tydperk van 36 maande, kos £15,016 en het 'n bruto wins marge van 58%. Hierdie bruto wins befonds die bedryf en ondersteuningsdienste van die onderneming. Die opbrengs op ekwiteit oor die drie jaar tydperk van die besigheidsplan is stewig op 60% gegewe dat daar 'n verlies van £50,000 in Jaar 1 plaasvind. Jaar 2 genereer 'n klein wins van £24,000 met 'n stewige wins van £64,000 in Jaar 3. Opbrengs op verkope is 10% in jaar 2 en groei tot 14% in jaar 3. Die gelykbreekpunt is Julie 2011 (maand 31) en die onderneming is kontant positief vanaf Augustus 2010 (maand 20). Die finansiele risiko is laag as gevolg van die huur inkomste wat kontant binne 14 dae na die teken van 'n ooreenkoms genereer en ook omdat daar geen kontant risiko is met die dra van voorraad nie. Die balansstaat ekwiteit benodig 'n aanvangsbelegging van £40,000 wat voorsien word deur die twee direkteure teen £20,000 elk, saam met 'n 60 maande werkskapitaal bank lening wat geprojekteer word om volopbetaal te wees teen maand 25. Daar is tans 46,000 plase in die VK en dus, in die marksegrnent alleen, 9,200 (20%) verkoops voorleggings gebaseer op die markanalise data. Op die geprojekteerde werkstempo sal dit ongeveer 460 maande neem om te voltooi. Die besigheidmodel toon groeiende verrigting op 'n maand tot maand basis gebaseer op 'n verbetering in verkooptegniek, produk portefeulje en produk kennis. Die twee werknemers Edward Gibbs en Mathew Easterbrook, wat ook die direkteure is, het elk £20,000 aanvangskapitaal geinvesteer ten einde die onderneming op die been te bring. Hulle het 28 jaar bestuurservaring en het komplimenterende vermoens in die IT, verkope, boerdery en finansiele areas. Hulle besigheid doelwit is om kontant te genereer en kliente se behoeftes te bevredig deur die verkope van produkte teen die korrekte prys teen 'n volhoubare bruto wins. Hulle eenvoudige maatskappy struktuur reflekteer hulle uitstekende verhouding en die magsbalanse is eweredig versprei. Die aanbod aan die mark is 'n komplimenterende suite van hardeware, sagteware en steundienste wat aangepas word om aan 'n klient se behoeftes te voldoen (Tabel 1).

Theoretically, the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) holds promise of numerous benefits in healthcare provision, including improvement in continuity of care, quality of care and safety. However, in practice, there is evidence that the adoption of electronic medical records has been slow and where adopted, often lacks meaningful use. Thus there is a clear dichotomy between the ambitions for EMR use and the reality of EMR implementation. In the USA, a legislative approach was taken to turn around the situation. Other countries such as Canada and European countries have followed suit (in their own way) to address the adoption and meaningful use of electronic medical records. The South African e-Health strategy and the National Health Normative Standards Framework for Interoperability in eHealth in South Africa documents both recommend the adoption of EMRs. Much work has been done to establish a baseline for standards to ensure interoperability and data portability of healthcare applications and data. However, even with the increased focus on e-Health, South Africa remains excessively reliant on paper-based medical records. Where health information technologies have been adopted, there is lack of coordination between and within provinces, leading to a multitude of systems and vendors. Thus there is a lack of systematic adoption and meaningful use of EMRs in South Africa. The main objective of this research is to develop the components required to engender meaningful use of electronic medical records in the South African healthcare context. The main contributors are identified as EMR certification and consistent, proper use of certified EMRs. Literature review, a Delphi study and logical argumentation are used to develop the relevant components for the South African healthcare context. The benefits of EMRs can only be realized through systematic adoption and meaningful use of EMRs, thus this research contributes to providing a road map for engendering the meaningful use of EMRs with the ultimate aim of improving healthcare in the South African healthcare landscape.

Information Technology plays a significant role in the administration and operation of most organisations today. This is certainly the case with each of the Australian Ambulance Services. With the rapid increase in the use of Information Technology and the expectation about its use by both staff and the general public, the Ambulance Service managements' are faced with the dilemma of trying to ensure that their organisations are able to get the full advantage of advances in Information Technology and at the same time ensure that investments in IT are maintained at appropriate levels that will ensure the maximum return on the investment in terms of the Ambulance Service achieving its mission and objectives. The research considers three questions: How are IT investment decisions determined? How are levels of IT investments determined? Do IT investments contribute to the organisation's overall effectiveness? The general feeling by the ambulance service CEOs is that the investment in IT has been worthwhile in terms of contributing to the organisation being more effective. These findings are contrary to a study by United Research/Business Week and described by LaPlante (1988) where less than half of CEOs surveyed felt that their organisation did an excellent job of linking computer strategy to corporate goals.

Whilst technology use has always been a part of the practice of health care delivery, more recently, information technology has been applied to aspects of clinical work concerned with documentation. This thesis presents an analysis of the ways that two professional groups, one clinical and one ancillary, at a single hospital cooperatively engage in a work practice that has recently been computerised. It investigates the way that a clinical group???s approach to and actual use of the system creates problems for the ancillary group. It understands these problems to arise from the contrasting ways that the groups position their use of documentation technology in their local definitions of professional status. The data on which analysis of these practices is based includes 16 hours of video recordings of the work practices of the two groups as they engage with the technology in their local work settings as well as video recordings of a reflexive viewing session conducted with participants from the ancillary group. Also included in the analysis are observational field notes, interviews and documentary analysis. The analysis aimed to produce a set of themes grounded in the specifics of the data, and drew on TLSTranscription?? software for the management and classification of video data. This thesis seeks to contribute to three research fields: health informatics, sociology of professions and social science research methodology. In terms of health informatics, this thesis argues for the necessity for health care information technology design to understand and incorporate the work practices of all professional groups who will be involved in using the technology system or whose work will be affected by its introduction. In terms of the sociology of professions, this thesis finds doctors and scientists to belong to two distinct occupational communities that each utilise documentation technology to different extents in their displays of professional competence. Thirdly, in terms of social science research methodology, this thesis speculates about the possibility for viewing the engagement of the groups with the research process as indicative of their reactions to future sources of outside perturbance to their work.

Decision support systems (DSS) are usually based on computerised models of biophysical and economic systems. Despite early expectations that such models would inform and improve management, adoption rates have been low, and implementation of DSS is now “critical” The reasons for this are unclear and the aim of this study is to learn to better design, develop and apply DSS in farming systems research (FSR). Previous studies have explored the merits of quantitative tools including DSS, and suggested changes leading to greater impact. In Australia, the changes advocated have been: Simple, flexible, low cost economic tools: Emphasis on farmer learning through soft systems approaches: Understanding the socio-cultural contexts of using and developing DSS: Farmer and researcher co-learning from simulation modelling and Increasing user participation in DSS design and implementation. Twenty-four simple criteria were distilled from these studies, and their usefulness in guiding the development and application of DSS were assessed in six FSR case studies. The case studies were also used to better understand farmer learning through models of decision making and learning. To make DSS useful complements to farmers’ existing decision-making repertoires, they should be based on: (i) a decision-oriented development process, (ii) identifying a motivated and committed audience, (iii) a thorough understanding of the decision-makers context, (iv) using learning as the yardstick of success, and (v) understanding the contrasts, contradictions and conflicts between researcher and farmer decision cultures
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Senior Health Care System (SHCS) is created for users to enter participants' conditions and store information in a central database. When users are ready for quarterly assessments the system generates a simple summary that can be reviewed, modified, and saved as part of the summary assessments, which are required by Federal and California law.

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.

Medical and technological advancement in the last century has led to the unprecedented increase of the populace's quality of life and lifespan. As a result, an ever-increasing number of people live with chronic health conditions that require long-term treatment, resulting in increased healthcare costs and managerial burden to the healthcare provider. This increase in complexity can lead to ineffective decision-making and reduce care quality for the individual while increasing costs. One promising direction to tackle these issues is the active involvement of the patient in managing their care. Particularly for chronic diseases, where ongoing support is often required, patients must understand their illness and be empowered to manage their care. With the advent of smart devices such as smartphones, it is easier than ever to provide personalised digital interventions to patients, help them manage their treatment in their daily lives, and raise awareness about their illness. If such new approaches are to succeed, scalability is necessary, and solutions are needed that can act autonomously without costly human intervention. Furthermore, solutions should exhibit adaptability to the changing circumstances of an individual patient's health, needs and goals. Through the ongoing digitisation of healthcare, we are presented with the unique opportunity to develop cost-effective and scalable solutions through Artificial Intelligence (AI). This thesis presents work that we conducted as part of the project improving Medication Adherence through Person-Centered Care and Adaptive Interventions (iMedA) that aims to provide personalised adaptive interventions to hypertensive patients, supporting them in managing their medication regiment. The focus lies on inadequate medication adherence (MA), a pervasive issue where patients do not take their medication as instructed by their physician. The selection of individuals for intervention through secondary database analysis on Electronic Health Records (EHRs) was a key challenge and is addressed through in-depth analysis of common adherence measures, development of prediction models for MA and discussions on limitations of such approaches for analysing MA. Furthermore, providing personalised adaptive interventions is framed in the contextual bandit setting and addresses the challenge of delivering relevant interventions in environments where contextual information is significantly corrupted.        The contributions of the thesis can be summarised as follows: (1) Highlighting the issues encountered in measuring MA through secondary database analysis and providing recommendations to address these issues, (2) Investigating machine learning models developed using EHRs for MA prediction and extraction of common refilling patterns through EHRs and (3) formal problem definition for a novel contextual bandit setting with context uncertainty commonly encountered in Mobile Health and development of an algorithm designed for such environments.

This research investigated the potential benefits, risks and challenges, innovation properties and viability of cloud computing for records management on an Australian organisation within the mining software development sector. This research involved the use of a case study results analysis as well as a literature analysis. The literature analysis identified the ten potential benefits of cloud computing, as well as the ten risks and challenges associated with cloud computing. It further identified aspects, which needed to be addressed when adopting cloud computing in order to promote innovation within an organisation. The case study analysis was compared against a literature review of ten potential benefits of cloud computing, as well as the ten risks and challenges associated with cloud computing. This was done in order to determine cloud computing’s viability for records management for Company X (The company in the case study). Cloud computing was found to be viable for Company X. However, there were certain aspects, which need to be discussed and clarified with the cloud service provider beforehand in order to mitigate possible risks and compliance issues. It is also recommended that a cloud service provider who complies with international standards, such as ISO 15489, be selected. The viability of cloud computing for organisations similar to Company X (mining software development) followed a related path. These organisations need to ensure that the service provider is compliant with laws in their local jurisdiction, such as Electronic Transactions Act 1999 (Australia, 2011:14-15), as well as laws where their data (in the cloud) may be hosted. The benefits, risks and challenges of records management and cloud computing are applicable to these similar organisations. However, mitigation of these risks needs to be discussed with a cloud service provider beforehand. From an innovation perspective, cloud computing is able to promote innovation within an organisation, if certain antecedents are dealt with. Furthermore, if cloud computing is successfully adopted then it should promote innovation within organisations.
Information Science
M. Inf.

M. Tech. Business Information
Improved Data Quality Management is the desired outcome of managers for many government departments if not all. The constant use of manual systems, the utilization of legacy information systems, the results from departmental mergers and other agency acquisitions, by the South African government departments contributes significantly to poor data quality which leads to fruitless expenditure, fraud and corruption, duplication of processes, none-aligned departmental priorities and service delivery challenges. Literature reveals that there are documents that have been developed to manage the quality of data such as South African Quality Assessment Framework document, which guides and evaluates government organizations on how to achieve quality statistics focusing mainly on the meta-data; however they do not cover other dimensions of Data Quality Management. This research focuses into the strategy of Data Quality Management in government organizations and Data Quality Management tools applied using a conceptual model based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
There has been vast and growing amount of healthcare data especially with the rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) as a result of the HITECH act of 2009. It is estimated that around 80% of the clinical information resides in the unstructured narrative of an EHR. Recently, natural language processing (NLP) techniques have offered opportunities to extract information from unstructured clinical texts needed for various clinical applications. A popular method for enabling secondary uses of EHRs is information or concept extraction, a subtask of NLP that seeks to locate and classify elements within text based on the context. Extraction of clinical concepts without considering the context has many complications, including inaccurate diagnosis of patients and contamination of study cohorts. Identifying the negation status and whether a clinical concept belongs to patients or his family members are two of the challenges faced in context detection. A negation algorithm called Dependency Parser Negation (DEEPEN) has been developed in this research study by taking into account the dependency relationship between negation words and concepts within a sentence using the Stanford Dependency Parser. The study results demonstrate that DEEPEN, can reduce the number of incorrect negation assignment for patients with positive findings, and therefore improve the identification of patients with the target clinical findings in EHRs. Additionally, an NLP system consisting of section segmentation and relation discovery was developed to identify patients' family history. To assess the generalizability of the negation and family history algorithm, data from a different clinical institution was used in both algorithm evaluations.

Introduction: Data visualisation (DV) is the process of creating and presenting a chart given a set of active data and sets of attribute and entity constraints. It rapidly and interactively investigates large multivariate and multidisciplinary data sets to detect trends, correlations, and anomalies. Data Visualisation is the latest analytical tool for both technical computer users and business computer users. Total Quality Management (TQM) is continuous improvement in the performance of all processes and the products and services that are the outcomes of those processes. In quality management, DV is one of the three new tools that complement the existing seven, which are flow charts, Ishikawa or cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts, histograms, run charts and graphs, scattergrams and control charts. It lets quality control engineers readily see the real reasons for quality problems by presenting the data in up to six dimensions. Methodology: A survey by mail questionnaire was conducted to collect data from one hundred Victorian manufacturing companies. Responses were received from 52 companies out of the total of 100. The sample size for each analysis may vary from 52 to 49. The source for company information was Kompass Australia 1994/1995. The statistical analysis tool used was Statistica. Major Findings: The TQM program implementation tends to be more complete in companies with more employees. Wordprocessing software is adopted by all companies in TQM practice, mostly for producing a quality instructional manual. Spreadsheet and database packages are the second and the third most commonly used software. Companies that have completed their formal TQM program implementation generally use computer software in more aspects of their TQM practice than companies at lower TQM stages though not always. Two-dimensional DV techniques are more commonly used than three-dimensional ones with the 2-D colour and 2-D shade the most widely used by all. The 3-D animation tool needs to be explored. DV features are generally important for all the users. The ability to handle complex data is more important for companies at a higher stage of TQM program implementation than companies at lower stages.

Includes bibliographical references (64 p.)
2 v. : ill., maps (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
The concept of sustainable development is explored with a focus upon water resources and urban development. Simulation of urban growth patterns and water resources management has been undertaken as part of the case study. The artificial Neural Networks technique has been employed to model regional water consumption.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1999?

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Technology: Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, 2013.
In this study, an investigation was conducted to determine an appropriate lightweight framework that could adequately support Very Small Enterprises (VSEs) in documenting their daily business transactions. The VSEs play a significant role in the socioeconomic development of nations by providing employment opportunities. They contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide a platform for entrepreneurial skills advancement. However, VSEs have very little access to innovative Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that could help to address the unique challenges that prohibit their growth and sustainability. In many instances, the documentation of VSEs business transactions is still lacking. This deficiency promotes insufficient, unreliable and untraceable business transaction records which ultimately affect the smooth growth and sustainability of VSEs. Mobile technology provides the VSEs with a unique opportunity because of its support for mobility and low costs of system procurement. Moreover, mobile technology can enable easy connection, access and retrieval of VSE services even in the resource constrained environments anytime and anywhere. However, the inherent limitations of mobile devices such as device size, storage size, computing power and battery lifespan have forced many of the existing ICT business applications to continually rely on desktop computers. The desktop computer applications are huge, complex and not compatible with the current mobile devices. The Design Science Research (DSR) method was used to understand how VSEs conduct their daily business transactions, discover essential factors that influence the business processes of VSEs and derive a lightweight framework for mobile documentation of VSE business transactions. The lightweight framework was prototyped as ICT artefact and evaluated to determine the adoption of mobile applications by VSEs for documentation of daily business transactions. The evaluation results revealed the developed lightweight framework to be effective for mobile documentation of VSEs business transactions.

This study focuses on the right to privacy in the workplace, specifically employees' expectations of electronic privacy where personal information is processed. The main aim of this dissertation is to establish whether, given advantages in technology, South African laws offers adequate protection for employees when their electronic information is being processed. The study analyses South African law as it relates to the privacy of employees during the processing of their personal information in the workplace.This is examined within the parameters of the constitutional and legislative framework with due regard to the common-law right to privacy. The legal issues are examined from a South African context and is compared with data protection laws and regulations of the United Kingdom. It also offers recommendations based on experience gained in the United Kingdom.
Private Law
LL. M.

A Dissertation in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce by Research in Information Systems
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems aim to provide an integrated solution to a number of hospital processes, including supporting administrative functions such as patient billing, providing clinical guidelines, and allowing clinicians to order and view lab reports. Yet with all these possible benefits, like many other types of information systems and technologies, their impact on hospital performance has been a key area of interest and a source of debate. This study examines the extent to which EMR systems are available across South African hospitals as well as how well they have been integrated into the processes of the said hospitals. The diffusion of EMR systems means they are available in the relevant clinical units whilst their infusion suggests they are comprehensively embedded into the processes that they are meant to support. The most important question answered in this study was whether the diffusion and infusion of these systems had any impact on the performance of hospitals. Answering this question would aid decision makers on whether more effort is indeed needed to ensure their availability across units and their embedding into hospital processes. The study collected data from a number of hospitals in the private and public sector with multiple informants providing data on diffusion and infusion of these systems as well as on hospital performance. Performance measures included the hospitals’ economic efficiency, their clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Key findings were that while there are performance benefits in the diffusion of EMR systems across units, the impacts are not always positive for some hospitals. Large hospitals were less likely to benefit from the diffusion of these systems. However the comprehensive use of these systems provided benefits for all types of hospitals, suggesting that while availability may be important, it is the comprehensive embedding of the EMR system into the hospital’s processes that is more beneficial to all types of hospitals. These results present further opportunity for research into why the impact of EMR systems is not always positive for some hospitals.
MT2017

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Reducing medical error remains in the forefront of healthcare reform. The use of health information technology, specifically the electronic health record (EHR) is one attempt to improve patient safety. The implementation of the EHR in the Emergency Department changes physician workflow, which can have negative, unintended consequences for patient safety. Inaccuracies in clinical documentation can contribute, for example, to medical error during transitions of care. In this quasi-experimental comparison study, we sought to determine whether there is a difference in document quality, error rate, error type, cognitive load and time when Emergency Medicine (EM) residents use paper charts versus the EHR to complete physician documentation of clinical encounters. Simulated patient encounters provided a unique and innovative environment to evaluate EM physician documentation. Analysis focused on examining documentation quality and real-time observation of the simulated encounter. Results demonstrate no change in document quality, no change in cognitive load, and no change in error rate between electronic and paper charts. There was a 46% increase in the time required to complete the charting task when using the EHR. Physician workflow changes from partial documentation during the patient encounter with paper charts to complete documentation after the encounter with electronic charts. Documentation quality overall was poor with an average of 36% of required elements missing which did not improve during residency training. The extra time required for the charting task using the EHR potentially increases patient waiting times as well as clinician dissatisfaction and burnout, yet it has little impact on the quality of physician documentation. Better strategies and support for documentation are needed as providers adopt and use EHR systems to change the practice of medicine.

The importance of records management to the provision of healthcare services cannot be overemphasised. If medical records are not managed properly, this might result in the provision of poor healthcare services. This is because usually if medical records are not properly managed, the healthcare institutions attain inaccurate, untimely, incomplete and unauthentic records or the records fade completely. Records that are not managed properly are easily lost, modified, altered, misfiled and/or damaged, which results in a struggle to locate them and, eventually, much time is lost. Records of this kind may not support healthcare service providers properly in decision-making, problem-solving, monitoring and evaluation of service for continuous service improvement. This study utilised the five elements of trusted records management (records management governance practice, staff capacity and competencies, recordkeeping system and technology, and records archival processes) to investigate the development of a framework to embed medical records management into the healthcare service delivery practice for effective records management practice. The study predominantly utilised a quantitative approach with some support from a limited scope of qualitative data to augment numeric data. The data was collected using the four different techniques, namely questionnaire, interview, observation and system/documents analysis. The study revealed that the mode of medical record management was not effectively enabling the institution to manage medical records properly due to lack of integrated medical records management framework into the healthcare business process. The medical records management technology also lacked file tracking system, records backup, and audit trail which compromise records safety and security. The study recommended supply of the necessary resources, with a framework that the healthcare institutions may adopt to embed medical records management into the healthcare service delivery. ECM may also be implemented to incorporate electronic records management systems, information management, web content and other add-ons to support the records management framework in ensuring effective discharge of all records management functional requirements on the healthcare business process. A further study was recommended about the development of an online outpatient consultation system and medical records access to avoid patient long turnaround time for service.
Information Science
D. Litt. et. Phil. (Information Science)

Innovative primary care models that deliver comprehensive primary care to address medical and social needs are an established means of improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs among persons living with chronic disease. Care management is one such approach that requires providers to monitor their respective patient panels and intervene on patients requiring care. Health information technology (IT) has been established as a critical component of care management and similar care models. While there exist a plethora of health IT systems for facilitating primary care, there is limited research on their ability to support care management and its emphasis on monitoring panels of patients with complex needs. In this dissertation, I advance the understanding of how computational methods can better support clinicians delivering care management, and use the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as an example scenario of use. The research described herein is segmented into 3 aims; the first was to understand the processes and barriers associated with care management and assess whether existing IT can support clinicians in this domain. The second and third aim focused on informing potential solutions to the technological shortcomings identified in the first aim. In the studies of the first aim, I conducted interviews and observations in two HIV primary care programs and analyzed the data generated to create a conceptual framework of population monitoring and identify challenges faced by clinicians in delivering care management. In the studies of the second aim, I used computational methods to advance the science of extracting from the patient record social and behavioral determinants of health (SBDH), which are not easily accessible to clinicians and represent an important barrier to care management. In the third aim, I conducted a controlled experimental evaluation to assess whether data visualization can improve clinician’s ability to maintain awareness of their patient panels.

The purpose of the study was to describe the effects of an EMR on patient management in selected HIV clinics in Johannesburg. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken in four HIV clinics in Johannesburg. The subjects (N=44) were the healthcare workers selected by stratified random sampling. Consent was requested from each subject and from the clinics in Johannesburg. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. Median age of subjects was 36, 82% were female. 86% had tertiary qualifications. 55% were clinicians. 52% had 2-3 years work experience. 80% had computer experience, 86% had over one year EMR experience. 90% used the EMR daily, 93% preferred EMR to paper. 93% had EMR training, 17% used EMR to capture clinical data. 87% perceived EMR to have more benefits; most felt doctor-patient relationship was not interfered with. 89% were satisfied with the EMR’s overall performance. The effects of EMR benefit HIV patient management.
Health Studies
MA (Public Health)

The following study has taken a systems approach to investigate organisational learning within the University of Natal, Durban (UND), The research used the Banner system implementation project as the case study for the investigation. In 1993, the University of Natal made a decision to purchase the Banner Student Information System. The system was implemented over an eighteen-month period resulting in the Banner system going "live" for registration of students in 1995. A decision was taken in 1997/8 to discontinue implementing upgrade packages for the Banner system, indicating a move away from the system within two to three years of implementation. This document begins with a review of current literature with regard to systems thinking, organisational learning and change management. This review serves to underpin the research methodology implemented within the research process. The research methodology, known as learning histories, is explained, and a description of the research process is provided. The core of the research process involved open-ended reflective interviews aimed at incorporating the different perspectives of the majority of stakeholders involved in the system implementation. In addition to this, an analysis was conducted on a selection of Banner-related documents. The scope of the research was limited and would best be described as a pilot study. Those interviewed included members of the university executive committee, Banner office personnel, faculty officers, deans, administrative personnel, management information personnel and the project manager for the implementation. The major findings of the research process were: 1. The decision to purchase the Banner student information system was problematic. 2. The wider system that was created to maintain Banner was complex and generated a large degree of dependency on the Banner office. 3. The Banner office was a powerful gatekeeper of information within the system whose identity was wrapped up in a product and not a function. 4. The training system implemented was flawed and did not equip key users with a global understanding of the functionality of the system. 5. The university was unclear about what information it wanted out of the system and who was to have access to this information. 6. The university used Banner almost entirely as a student administration system and management information was not well developed within the Banner system. The following areas were highlighted as important for the university with regards to organisational learning and the case study: 1. Decision support systems. 2. The role of technology within the university. 3. A systems approach to understanding the context of the university. 4. The learning systems operating within the university. 5. Managing change. The limited scope of the research presents its own problems for drawing any firm conclusions. The research process has rather highlighted new areas for research. These include: 1. The relationship between workplace procedures and new technology. 2. The role of information technology and information systems in decision support and management support. 3. Change management processes within larger project-based implementations. 4. Decision making within higher education institutions.
Thesis (M.Admin.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This research identifies the key factors involved in the successful adoption of a computerised match prediction system in the textile industry. The adoption of this technology has created big problems for many companies and few have succeeded without difficulty. Five companies adopting the technology were investigated to identify common problem areas. These areas were compared with the results of a literature review. A case study format was used to study in greater detail two companies in the carpet industry regarding their adoption of this system. One company was remarkably successful whilst the other company succeeded after much delay and difficulty. The literature relating to technological change and its effects on employees indicates the problems involve management, environmental, technical and social factors. Hence four research questions concerning prescriptive and contextual factors are tested by case study research and a cultural survey of all involved at both sites. Factors like the importance of strategy, management support and training are examined. The impact of culture, management style and fear of change are closely investigated. The results, whilst not conclusive, do give a good indication of the areas for special attention and the key factors, should the adoption of a computerised match prediction system be contemplated. The key factors form the basis of the conclusions that training, management support and the presence of a knowledgeable champion to drive the implementation were crucial whereas there was very little evidence of fear of the technology. Culture and management style were found to have an impact in so far as they direct the companies' approach to adopting the technology and influence h o w decisions are made and problems solved.

An audit of financial statements relies heavily on authentic records to yield informed audit opinions. Without proper records of transactions, the objective of auditing financial statements becomes difficult. In the digital environment, determining the authenticity of digital documents for purposes of auditing is even more problematic because of a lack of criteria used by auditors for the declaration of such authenticity. This study sought to develop a framework for the authentication of records in a government accounting system in Botswana with a view to supporting the audit process in the public sector. This qualitative study framed within the interpretivism epistemological research paradigm, used archival diplomatics as a theoretical lens. Data were collected through system analysis, analysis of documents such as legislation, as well as interviews with auditors, ICT professionals and records management practitioners purposively selected from the Botswana National Archives and Records Services, Office of the Auditor General, Department of Information Technology, Accountant-General’s Department, Department of Internal Audit and Department of Corporate Services of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. The study established that the legislative framework for managing digital records does exist in Botswana. A lack of skills by records management professionals and auditors to authenticate digital records was also noted. The absence of some criteria to authenticate digital records means that auditors use their own discretion with regard to their authenticity. In addition, as a business system, the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS) does produce and store digital records, but their authenticity and availability over time are not guaranteed. This weakness can be addressed by integrating GABS with an Enterprise Content Management (ECM). Currently, records authenticity in GABS is ensured through reliance on social and technical indicators (information technology and system application controls). The study suggests a framework for the authentication of digital accounting records in a government accounting system with the hope that its implementation would support the audit process. It is concluded that because of the failure to establish guidelines and checklists for auditors to authenticate digital records, there will be continued reliance on information technology and system application controls. Therefore, it is recommended that the Auditor General should develop a checklist for authentication. A further study of the integration of Government Accounting and Budgeting System with an Enterprise Content Management to properly manage digital records produced and stored in the system is recommended.
Information Science
D. Phil. (Information Science)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
In 2009, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Service (I-EMS, formerly Wishard Ambulance Service) launched an electronic medical record system within their ambulances and started to exchange patient data with the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC). This unique system allows EMS personnel in an ambulance to get important medical information prior to the patient’s arrival to the accepting hospital from incident scene. In this retrospective cohort study, we found EMS personnel made 3,021 patient data requests (14%) of 21,215 EMS transports during a one-year period, with a “success” match rate of 46%, and a match “failure” rate of 17%. The three major factors for causing match “failure” were (1) ZIP code 55%, (2) Patient Name 22%, and (3) Birth Date 12%. This study shows that the ZIP code is not a robust identifier in the patient identification process and Non-ZIP code identifiers may be a better choice due to inaccuracies and changes of the ZIP code in a patient’s record.

The adoption of digital health technologies has dramatically changed the healthcare sector landscape and thus generates new opportunities to collect, capture, store, access and retrieve electronic personal health information (ePHI). With the introduction of digital health technologies and the digitisation of health data, an increasing number of hospitals and peripheral health facilities across the globe are transitioning from a paper-based environment to an electronic or paper-light environment. However, the growing use of digital health technologies within healthcare facilities has caused ePHI to be exposed to a variety of threats such as cyber security threats, human-related threats, technological threats and environmental threats. These threats have the potential to cause harm to hospital systems and severely compromise the integrity and confidentiality of ePHI. Because of the growing number of security threats, many hospitals, both private and public, are struggling to secure ePHI due to a lack of robust data security plans, systems and security control measures. The purpose of this study was to explore the security of electronic personal health information in a public hospital in South Africa. The study was underpinned by the interpretivism paradigm with qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected IT technicians, network controllers’, administrative clerks and records management clerks, and triangulated with document and system analysis. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data was coded and analysed using ATLAS.ti, version 8 software, to generate themes and codes within the data, from which findings were derived. The key results revealed that the public hospital is witnessing a deluge of sophisticated cyber threats such as worm viruses, Trojan horses and shortcut viruses. This is compounded by technological threats such as power and system failure, network connection failure, obsolete computers and operating systems, and outdated hospital systems. However, defensive security measures such as data encryption, windows firewall, antivirus software and security audit log system exist in the public hospital for securing and protecting ePHI against threats and breaches. The study recommended the need to implement Intrusion Protection System (IPS), and constantly update the Windows firewall and antivirus program to protect hospital computers and networks against newly released viruses and other malicious codes. In addition to the use of password and username to control access to ePHI in the public hospital, the study recommends that the hospital should put in place authentication mechanisms such as biometric system and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system restrict access to ePHI, as well as to upgrade hospital computers and the Patient Administration and Billing (PAAB) System. In the absence of security policy, there is a need for the hospital to put in place a clear written security policy aimed at protecting ePHI. The study concluded that healthcare organisations should upgrade the security of their information systems to protect ePHI stored in databases against unauthorised access, malicious codes and other cyber-attacks.
Information Science
M. Inf. (Information Security)

In the last decade, the deployment of Electronic Health Records has increased tremendously in many developed countries. This increasing trend intensifies the need for developing countries like South Africa to implement electronic health record systems in state owned hospitals to facilitate e-referral processes to improve health care delivery. The aim of this research was to investigate the current process of patient record keeping, management, and the referral process of patients within the same hospital and to other hospitals and based on the findings compile an Electronic Health Record (EHR) framework to facilitate e- referral processes. This research study was based on a qualitative case study approach. A multiple data collection technique was used which included group interviews, questionnaires, document analysis and informal discussions with the hospital workers. Data were analysed by categorization and thematic approach. The findings obtained from state hospitals indicated that there is no EHR system which accommodates patient health record systems to facilitate e-referral processes. These findings led to a compilation of the Limpopo Electronic Health Record System (LEHRS) to aid e-referral processes in state hospitals. The increasing need for accurate, reliable, available and accessible EHR will be addressed by the implementation of LEHRS as information will be stored in a central database in a useable format and will be easily accessed.
Computing
M. Tech. (Information Technology)