Basic Information Technology Research Articles

Academic Staff’s Motivation for Online Teaching in Nigerian Universities: Empirical Evidence from the University of Ibadan

This study investigated the academic staff’s motivation for online teaching in Nigerian universities using a mixed-methods case study research design. The main instrument used for this study was a questionnaire named ‘Academic Staff’s Motivation for Online Teaching Survey (SMOTS)', which was complemented by in-depth interviews. A total of 195 academic staff across various academic faculties and units in the University of Ibadan participated in the study. Data analysis was done using frequency count, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation, while the in-depth interviews were thematically analysed. The result of the study revealed that the majority of the academic staff have not taught using online platforms before and their frequency of online teaching consideration is occasional. Additionally, they have a high perception of online teaching in terms of helping to learn new technology and encouraging intellectual challenges. The academic staff indicated that individual training opportunities, personal decisions and group training opportunities are among the major resources that can motivate them for online teaching. Likewise, the introduction to new technology for teaching, institutional expectation, and students’ enrolment are the major external motivating factors for online teaching. It was further revealed that most of the academic staff feel motivated to teach online. However, erratic power supply, work overload, and limited knowledge of e-learning stand as major hindrances to online teaching adoption among academic staff. This study has discovered the need for Nigerian university managements to vigorously embark on capacity building of academic staff for online teaching. This will help them to cultivate or enhance basic information and communication technology skills and other essential competencies needed to manage online learning environments.

Streamlining Information Technology (IT) Functions and Operating Model Across Group Case Study: PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Tbk

Business entities are expanding their business portfolio by creating child business entities and finally building a large entity known as a Corporate Group, which is a collection of parent and subsidiary corporations that function as a single economic entity through a common source of control. The correlated business issue derives from the existence of Information Technology (IT) units in each company under the group, in which the IT functions are still conducted and maintained solely. This may lead to un-optimized resource of the assets (People, Application, Platform, and Infrastructure) and redundant IT Processes. Consequently, this phenomenon raises questions on how the most suitable IT operating model should be designed and adopted in the group among the entities. This paper is intended to design a new IT operating model, define the organizational structure and possible integration between entities, to obtain a more effective IT shared service operation model and asset optimization across the group. The research infers that the basic IT service management functions with an agile cyclic new way of working can be considered as the new IT operating model alternative, with IT service development and operation would be the most suitable process to be outsourced, rather than IT planning, design, change management, and evaluation. In addition, an IT shared service approach using a specialized federated organization structure is suggested, with an emphasis on promoting the current IT units as the single provider of specific services based on their strongest capability. As for group company, empowering the subsidiary IT units that already possess the expected capabilities and core competencies will be more beneficial and preferred than appointing a new single shared service unit for IT service.

Integration of basic and additional information technology education based on the training of students in digital education centers for kids

Today, the problem of integrating basic and additional information technology education is relevant. Integration is of particular importance for school informatics, which is significantly influenced by digitalization of modern society. Some areas of digitalization can be highlighted in particular: the expansion of the network of additional education institutions equipped with modern digital equipment for teaching children how to work with it; providing conditions for mastering new digital professions; developing basic digital competencies, etc. Modern school informatics has a number of shortcomings, which determines the need to reform content of the discipline and forms of content presentation. Such a reform involves a targeted integration of basic and additional information technology education, which allows to significantly enrich its educational and developmental potential. At the same time, the following conditions must be taken into account: providing access to modern equipment and technologies; continuity and consistency in the construction of programs and methods of basic and additional education; implementation of convergent solutions within the content and methodological support of school disciplines; symbiosis of technologies and programs of these disciplines.One of the ways for integrating basic and additional school education is the development of methodological support for programs of basic and additional education for “IT cube” kid’s digital education centers, “Point of Growth” education centers, “Quantorium” kid’s technoparks on the basis of educational organizations. In accordance with the project ideology, the educational areas (“Python programming”, “Mobile development”, “VR/AR development”, “Robot programming”, “System administration”, “Cyber hygiene and Big Data”, “Fundamentals of programming in Java”, “Fundamentals of algorithmics and logic”, etc.) were focused on supporting the most relevant and wanted competencies of kids in IT sphere, providing the possibility of integrated solutions both within the framework of the actual information technology education, and outside this framework.

The Effect of Secondary School Students 'Perceptions of Computing Technologies and Self-Efficiency on Attitudes Towards Coding

The aim of this study is to examine middle school students' perceptions of information technology self-efficacy and their attitudes towards coding according to various variables and to determine the difference between secondary school students' perceptions of information technology self-efficacy and their attitudes towards coding. The study was carried out with 63 students attending 5th and 6th grades in a state school in Hakkari in the 2019-2020 academic year. Pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The work carried out lasted 6 weeks. “Information Technology Self-Efficacy Scale for Secondary School Students” and “Attitude Scale Towards Coding for Secondary School Students” were used as data collection tools. The information technologies self-efficacy scale and attitude scale towards coding applied to students in the first week were re-applied as a post-test without changing the contents after the end of 12 class hours and the results were analyzed. According to the findings obtained from the study, it was determined that the posttest scores of the experimental group were higher than the posttest scores of the control group in the posttest of information technology self-efficacy perceptions applied to the experimental and control groups, and the study was found to be in favor of the experimental group. In the attitude towards coding posttest applied to the experimental and control groups after the application, it was determined that the posttest scores of the experimental group were higher than the posttest scores of the control group, and it was observed that the study was in favor of the experimental group.In the study, it was determined that providing basic information technologies and coding training to the experimental group in addition to the curriculum has a large effect on the perception of information technologies self-efficacy and attitude towards coding.

Integration of Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience, Challenges and Needs of Thai EFL Teachers

COVID-19 has led to an abrupt change from traditional classrooms and face-to-face learning to emergency online learning. The outbreak of COVID-19 in Thailand in early 2021 forced school closures and increased online learning. Students were not given a choice but to study at home. This study reports on the experience and challenges of language teachers from Thai universities who taught in emergency online settings. It examined their needs for future professional development courses. An online survey was completed by 120 EFL teachers from 52 universities across Thailand. Of these, six also participated in an online semi-structured interview. The survey findings revealed that 108 teachers (90%) had never taught online previously. ZOOM and Google Meet were among the most popular virtual meeting platforms. Support from their universities, as reported in the survey, included providing basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills workshops (75.8%), and providing workshops on integrating technology into classrooms (51.7%). The main challenges relating to online learning are the absence of a physical setting and a lack of interaction between students and teachers. In terms of future professional development needs, the data indicated that most teachers do not need courses in fundamental ICT skills or courses that expose them to a range of online technology tools. They do, however, need additional approaches to enhance their online teaching abilities, as well as certain teaching techniques to enable them to apply their pedagogical expertise while using specific technological tools or applications with which they are familiar. On the basis of these findings, pedagogical implications are discussed.

Pelatihan Keterampilan Dasar Komputer dan Teknologi Informasi Bagi Perangkat Desa se-Kecamatan Gangga

Basic Computer Skills and Information Technology Training for Village Apparatus in Gangga Subdistrict, North Lombok Regency. Community Service (PkM) is an effort by a service team to contribute science and technology to the community. Based on this, the team submitted a proposal for PkM activities in Gangga District, North Lombok Regency. The purpose of this PkM is to provide basic computer skills and information technology training to village officials throughout the Gangga District. This training is expected to provide provisions for village officials about the benefits of computers and information technology (internet), especially in terms of developing knowledge and solving problems related to administrative work of village officials. The output target of this activity is that the training participants are equipped in terms of operating computers, can use computers and the internet to solve various problems encountered, and can improve the quality of service to stakeholders, especially in terms of effectiveness and efficiency in various fields.

ТЕХНИКАЛЫК АДИСТИКТЕГИ СТУДЕНТТЕР ҮЧҮН ИНФОРМАТИКА КУРСУНУН МАЗМУНУН МААЛЫМАТ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯЛАРЫ АРКЫЛУУ ИШТЕП ЧЫГУУ

This article discusses the effective use of Moodle e-learning tools for technical students. It is stated that the study material should be suitable for admission to technical students. Many years of experience in the use of information technology in the teaching of informatics courses have shown that technical students can successfully master the basic information technology and their skills in solving program problems can be quickly strengthened. It also ensures that learning is more effective, which makes the learning process more interesting and rewarding. It is said that teaching informatics courses to technical students through the use of information technology will improve the quality of their knowledge.

General Spatial Pattern and Meta-Pattern Model for Problems That Need Analytical Approach in Complex Spatial Systems

Spatial Pattern (SP) Description, Identification, and Application Methodology (SPDIAM) was developed for describing and detecting spatial economic, social, and environmental phenomena and providing basic information technology (IT) artefacts that can be used for the spatial analysis development using GIS technologies. SPDIAM allows urban planning and design practitioners to describe SP in a computerized manner, identify SP automatically, and apply them in the spatial planning and design domain. In this article, we explain the general SP and spatial meta-pattern model, used in SPDIAM, that is based on the theory of Complex Spatial System (CSS), spatial configuration, and spatial capital concepts and is presented using UML diagrams as standard used for visualization of project models from structure and behavior points of views. The practical experiment of describing and identifying 6 basic spatial meta-pattern values is conducted using the new algorithm that combines Space Syntax method, Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA), and VGA measures to create a computer model of space and to quantify its configuration, which can then be used to handle geographic and geometric data associated with attribute information, to perform spatial, mathematical, and statistical calculations and to visualize SP. The results of the experiment show that the model and the algorithm are appropriate for spatial meta-patterns identification, and the best results can be achieved using VGA measure Isovist Compactness. In the future, general SP and the spatial meta-pattern model can be used to describe and identify complex SP and to solve problems in CSS with the help of the spatial meta-pattern values described in this article.

Information Technology deployment in Human Resource Management: A case study in deprived regions

Abstract In recent years, managers of both private and public organizations in developing countries have been struggling to double production and improve service delivery in their organizations. Successful organizations in the western world were, however, identified with the use of Information Technology (IT). The paper examined the magnitude of IT and its application in human resource management. Four organizations from private and public sectors were selected from all. Two organizations from each sector, members of staff, Human Resource (HR) professionals and managers of these organizations were targeted. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the staff and unstructured interviews were designed to gather data from the HR practitioners and managers of these organizations. A statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. In general, about 76.9% of the participants said that IT application in HR functions enhances organizational productivity. The selected organizations could boast of basic IT facilities, but their numerical strength still remains a challenge especially among organizations in the public sector. Organizations in both sectors must invest more in IT and its related accessories as a means of solving problem of inadequacy. Internet connectivity and company website were lacking in some organizations across both sectors and should be considered so as to improve upon the human resource functions and quality service delivery in the deprived regions of Ghana. Staff motivation, wage and salaries, strategic management and organizational leadership were mentioned as factors when put together with IT would augment productivity in any given economy.

Peran Teknologi Informasi dan Sistem Operasional Bank Syariah pada SMK Hang Nadim Batam

Community service is one form of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education that must be carried out by lecturers as a form of implementing knowledge possessed by schools, institutions or the surrounding community. The purpose of this community service is to provide an understanding of the information technology education process and provide an understanding of the operating system of Islamic banks. The method used in the service is the method of presentation and discussion of students at SMK Hang Nadim Batam. There are several majors at Hang Nadim Vocational School in Batam, such as the Department of Accounting, Light Vehicle Engineering, Electronics and Computers. The results of the service carried out are Increasing students' understanding of basic information technology and being able to use the technology; Students can distinguish the roles and functions of Islamic banks and conventional banks so that they can choose to use bank products and services in saving and investing or invest.

Development of a Subsystem for Supporting a Complex of Diagnostic Procedures for the Information-Analytical System TISP

Introduction. During the implementation of the project "Transdisciplinary Intelligent Information-Analytical System for Supporting Rehabilitation Processes in a Pandemic (TISP)", all the capabilities of the basic cognitive information technology were focused on the implementation of the strategy of rehabilitation measures, which consists in taking into account the pathogenetic features of the development of the disease. In the subsystem of information and analytical support of the complex of diagnostic procedures, the central is the assessment of the effectiveness of rehabilitation based on the indicators of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate variability (HRV), control of the patient's condition using psychophysiological (PF) and psychological testing, the use of biological feedback (BF) to improve the efficiency of rehabilitation, as well as the use of PF testing for the implementation of BF. The purpose of the article is detailing the composition and functionality of a complex of diagnostic procedures for supporting rehabilitation processes in a pandemic. Results. The composition and functionality of the complex of diagnostic procedures are presented. It includes three components: first, an innovative technique for scaling electrocardiograms and heart rate variability (Universal Scoring System) with software and a miniature electrocardiograph (with the ability to use on-line mode). Secondly, the study of psychophysiological testing tools based on the software-hardware complex "Psykholot-1" with the prospect of its addition by means of Biological Feedback (BF). Thirdly, the analysis of existing means of BF therapy and their application for rehabilitation with the proposed method of rehabilitation based on BF using artificial intelligence tools that are being developed within the framework of this project. In the future, it is planned to monitor patients undergoing rehabilitation in order to develop new rules specially adapted for assessing and monitoring the current state of patients undergoing rehabilitation, as well as the effectiveness of BF for rehabilitation. To implement the BF, the Psykholot-1 complex should be used in a trainer mode with a visual presentation of PF tests to the patient in real time. Conclusions. Hardware and software systems of biomanagement must be present at every workplace of a doctor, psychologist, coach, teacher. They can not only help in the treatment of patients, but also can change motivation, mobilize personal resources, and this is what many of us lack today. Keywords: rehabilitation, diagnosis, psychophysiological testing, electrocardiogram, heart rate variability, biological feedback.

THE BASE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OF HYBRID PATTERNS RECOGNITION FOR HETEROGENEOUS DATA PROCESSING IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS

The article is dedicated to creation of basic information technology of hybrid recognition for data processing and decision-making in complex systems. The main emphasis is placed on systems that are characterized by the presence of a large number of heterogeneous signs with different nature of origin. At the same time, the data processing is complicated by the fact that the patterns of a complex system have different information content under different current observation conditions also the manifestations of heterogeneous interference and distortion. There are methods and models for processing heterogeneous data in complex systems, but there is no systematic approach to developing of hybrid patterns recognition information technology. The article is devoted to solving this problem. The developed information technology allows to obtain a classification solution with a priori level of reliability. It based on processing a smaller number of the most informative signs. This creates possibility to decline time complexity of data processing. The processing is based on queuing heterogeneous data and then searching for groups of identical classifications. In the case of obtaining a multi-alternative result, classification results are ranked in order their reliability for further expert evaluation. Basic information technology, that was created, may be use for develop of the applied information technologies of hybrid patterns recognition for consolidate data processing in different complex systems.

Empirical evaluation of basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of final year students of Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku

This research work titled “Empirical Evaluation of Basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skills of Final Year Students of Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku” used UNESCO ICT-Competency Framework for Teachers version 3, 2018 as a conceptual framework to assess basic ICT skills and competency level of students. It employed evaluative survey design using questionnaire as the instrument of data collection, designed and administered to all the 51 Part-Time final year students. Analysis of the research result using SPSS Version 20 shows that 4 (7%) of the students lack basic ICT skills, 13 (25%) of them are average in the use of ICT tools and 14 (27%) of them have above average ICT skills. A mean of 3.7 shows that 74% of the students agree that their ICT Instructors possesses the requisite professional skills and competencies to teach. Since 25% of the students can averagely use ICT tools, the researcher recommends that the Government should implement the Monitory and Evaluation of its huge investment in ICT in Education by making sure ICT Facilities are used for teaching and learning in schools.

Creating learning health systems and the emerging role of biomedical informatics.

IntroductionThe nature of information used in medicine has changed. In the past, we were limited to routine clinical data and published clinical trials. Today, we deal with massive, multiple data streams and easy access to new tests, ideas, and capabilities to process them. Whereas in the past getting information for decision‐making was a challenge, now, it is how to analyze, evaluate and prioritize all that is readily available through the multitude of data‐collecting devices. Clinicians must become adept with the tools needed to deal with the era of big data, requiring a major change in how we learn to make decisions. Major change is often met with resistance and questions about value. A Learning Health System is an enabler to encourage the development of such tools and demonstrate value in improved decision‐making.MethodsWe describe how we are developing a Biomedical Informatics program to help our medical institution's evolution as an academic Learning Health System, including strategy, training for house staff and examples of the role of informatics from operations to research.ResultsWe described an array of learning health system implementations and educational programs to improve healthcare and prepare a cadre of physicians with basic information technology skills. The programs have been well accepted with, for example, increasing interest and enrollment in the educational programs.ConclusionsWe are now in an era when large volumes of a wide variety of data are readily available. The challenge is not so much in the acquisition of data, but in assessing the quality, relevance and value of the data. The data we can get may not be the data we need. In the past, sources of data were limited, and trial results published in journals were the major source of evidence for decision making. The advent of powerful analytics systems has changed the concept of evidence. Clinicians will have to develop the skills necessary to work in the era of big data. It is not reasonable to expect that all clinicians will also be data scientists. However, understanding the role of AI and predictive analytics, and how to apply them, will become progressively more important. Programs such as the one being implemented at Wake Forest fill that need.

Information Technology Skills and Labor Market Outcomes for Workers

Job erosion is a major concern globally, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment and low wages remain pressing societal challenges in the wake of increased automation, more so for traditionally disadvantaged groups in the labor market, such as women, minorities, and the elderly. However, workers who possess relevant information technology (IT) skills may have an edge in an increasingly digital economy. In this study, we examine the role of IT skills in labor market outcomes for workers, using a household IT use survey from an emerging economy that captures detailed, individual-level data on IT skills, which are also integrated with data on workers’ wages, occupations, and industries between 2007 and 2015. The results indicate that basic IT skills increase individuals’ employment probability, which is driven by both higher labor force participation and a higher probability of transitioning from unemployment to employment, after accounting for the decision to participate in the workforce. Advanced IT skills do not provide a significant incremental effect on employment probability on top of basic IT skills. However, having advanced IT skills helps workers to earn higher wages while incrementally increasing the probability that they are employed in higher-paid jobs. Interestingly, the effect of basic IT skills on employment is significantly larger for the female and older workforce that typically has a higher preference for flexible work options. These results emphasize the importance of providing necessary IT access and offering basic IT training to traditionally disadvantaged groups to close the IT skills gap and the digital divide. We offer implications for the future of work, education, and public policy for designing IT training policies for workers, students, and organizations to stimulate employment with higher wages, particularly in developing economies and for traditionally disadvantaged segments of the workforce, such as women and the elderly, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation of Online Gampong in The City Of Lhokseumawe

This study is entitled "Implementation of Gampong Online in Lhokseumawe City". Where the strengthening of information and communication technology is still considered a luxurious facility and requires very large costs, so only a small part of the village government has obtained it. The wide gap between the size of the budget needs and the limited budget that can be provided gives rise to budget allocations that lead to physical activities for the development of rural infrastructure alone without looking at the increasingly rapid technological developments and increasing the capacity of village apparatus resources to support the current government system. both in the administrative system, public services as well as on matters relating to community business development. This study aims to see and describe the implementation of technology to present online gampongs with basic information and communication technology training activities for gampong governments in Lhokseumawe City. A descriptive qualitative approach with observation and documentation data collection techniques has been carried out in this study with field assessments in 3 (three) Gampongs in the Lhokseumawe city area to see the application of technology, determine strategy, socialize and provide information and communication technology introduction materials. The results of the study found that training for 3 (three) gampongs in the Lhokseumawe city government, namely Gampong Hagu Barat Laot, Gampong Hagu Teungoh and Gampong Hagu Selatan, had provided an understanding and awareness of the importance of using information and communication technology in gampong government for the smooth running of public services, public relations and public relations. internal organization as well as improving the business of the village community in the field of technology, where technology can help the village government connect with the city government and the village community online.

Going Virtual Amid a Pandemic: Perspectives on a Web-Based Hospital Medicine Conference.

In 2018, pediatric hospitalists at several New England institutions established a regional pediatric hospital medicine conference to facilitate collaboration and communication of advances in the field of pediatric hospital medicine. Planning committee members were recruited from pediatric hospital medicine programs from all six New England states, including multiple community sites, to ensure adequate representation and breadth of impact. The first conference was held in person in June 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts, and contained a full day of original content, including several concurrent lectures and workshops, a keynote address, a poster session, and a clinicopathological conference sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Supported by favorable feedback from >100 attendees of the first conference, the planning committee decided to establish the New England Pediatric Hospital Medicine (NEPHM) conference thereafter as an annual event. While we were planning the NEPHM 2020 conference, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became a global pandemic. After surveying members of the planning committee and the conference speakers, we elected to change the format of the conference to an entirely Web-based platform. Various forms of virtual delivery have been successfully used in health care1,2 and medical education.3 Although there is some precedent for online health care conferences,4 organizing an entirely virtual forum was a novel and unfamiliar process for the planning committee. We describe here our experience with this transition and the challenges and opportunities it presented, including feedback from participants and presenters. By early 2020, the planning committee had already completed the call for lecture and workshop proposals, and a final schedule for the in-person conference …

Barriers to Knowledge Management Practices, Interprofessional Collaboration and Information Technology Application in Federal Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria

Effective dissemination of knowledge among healthcare professionals using information and telecommunication technology has been identified as an important tools to improve qaulity service delivery. This study provide succinct explanation of the constraints of using information technology in the management of knowledge among diverse healthcare professionals in federal tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. The study specifically focus on factors militating against the effective use of information technology application to manage knowledge to promote interprofessional collaboration for improved quality service deleivery. Cross-sectional data were collected from 479 healthcare workers across the federal tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Using the Relative Importance Index (RII), the results show that inadequate ICT infrastructure (R = 0.79), inadequate technical support (R = 0.78), ICT illiteracy (R = 0.77), inadequate management support (R= 0.76), behavioural and personal characteristics (R = 0.72), among others are the major barriers militating against interprofessional collaboration and knowledge management in federal tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Majority of the respondents also perceived lack of time and interaction among healthcare workers, poor verbal communication, level of experience, organisational structure and hierarchy, difference in education and gender as parts of the sociocultural factors inhibiting effective management of knowledge and interprofessional collaboration among healthcare workers. The study concludes that provision of basic information and communication technology facility to healthcare workers is paramount to enhance knowledge sharing and interprofessional collaboration to improve quality health service delivery. Adequate funding, provision of medical infrastructure and basic amenities, healthcare workers eduction and orientation towards the benefits of interprofessional collaboration using the IT application are suggested as ways to improve quality healthcare services in tertiary hospiatls.

A Digitally Competent Health Workforce: Scoping Review of Educational Frameworks

BackgroundDigital health technologies can be key to improving health outcomes, provided health care workers are adequately trained to use these technologies. There have been efforts to identify digital competencies for different health care worker groups; however, an overview of these efforts has yet to be consolidated and analyzed.ObjectiveThe review aims to identify and study existing digital health competency frameworks for health care workers and provide recommendations for future digital health training initiatives and framework development.MethodsA literature search was performed to collate digital health competency frameworks published from 2000. A total of 6 databases including gray literature sources such as OpenGrey, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, Google, and websites of relevant associations were searched in November 2019. Screening and data extraction were performed in parallel by the reviewers. The included evidence is narratively described in terms of characteristics, evolution, and structural composition of frameworks. A thematic analysis was also performed to identify common themes across the included frameworks.ResultsIn total, 30 frameworks were included in this review, a majority of which aimed at nurses, originated from high-income countries, were published since 2016, and were developed via literature reviews, followed by expert consultations. The thematic analysis uncovered 28 digital health competency domains across the included frameworks. The most prevalent domains pertained to basic information technology literacy, health information management, digital communication, ethical, legal, or regulatory requirements, and data privacy and security. The Health Information Technology Competencies framework was found to be the most comprehensive framework, as it presented 21 out of the 28 identified domains, had the highest number of competencies, and targeted a wide variety of health care workers.ConclusionsDigital health training initiatives should focus on competencies relevant to a particular health care worker group, role, level of seniority, and setting. The findings from this review can inform and guide digital health training initiatives. The most prevalent competency domains identified represent essential interprofessional competencies to be incorporated into health care workers’ training. Digital health frameworks should be regularly updated with novel digital health technologies, be applicable to low- and middle-income countries, and include overlooked health care worker groups such as allied health professionals.

Associations of grip strength with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in people with and without hypertension: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) China Study

Abstract Background Hypertension and grip strength (GS) are predictors of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but whether these risk factors interact to affect both CVD and all-cause mortality is unknown. The study aimed to examine whether the associations between hypertension and GS with the risk of major CVD incidence, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality differed between people with and without hypertension. Methods GS was measured using a Jamar dynamometer in participants aged 35–70 years from 12 provinces in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) China study. Hypertension was defined as a baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg, a self-reported history of hypertension, or treatment with antihypertensive medications. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations of GS and hypertension and with the outcomes of all-cause mortality and CVD incidence/mortality, and to test the multiplicative interactions between hypertension and GS. Results Among 39,862 participants included in this study, 15,964 reported having hypertension at baseline and 9095 had high GS. After a median follow-up of 8.9 years [interquartile range (IQR) 6.7–9.9 years], 1822 participants developed major CVD, and 1250 deaths occurred (388 as a result of CVD). Compared with normotensive participants with high GS, hypertensive patients with high GS had a higher risk of major CVD incidence (HR 2.36 [95% CI: 1.84–3.02]; P<0.0001) or CVD mortality (HR 3.05 [95% CI: 1.56–5.95]; P<0.0001) but did not have a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.23 [95% CI: 0.91–1.67]; P=0.181); these risks were further increased if hypertensive participants whose GS level was low (major CVD incidence (HR 3.33 [95% CI: 2.61, 4.24]; P<0.0001), CVD mortality (HR: 5.20 [95% CI: 2.76, 9.82]; P<0.0001), and all-cause mortality (HR 2.00 [95% CI: 1.53, 2.62]; P<0.0001)). Conclusions The present study demonstrates that hypertensive patients with low GS are associated with the highest risk of major CVD incidence, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality. High levels of GS appear to mitigate long-term mortality risk among hypertensive patients. Association of adverse outcomes Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): The main PURE study and its components are funded by the Population Health Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and through unrestricted grants from several pharmaceutical companies. Besides funding from global PURE, this work was also sponsored by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS): 2016-I2M-2-004, Construction of Basic Information Technology Support System and Platform for National Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases.