Information Management Challenges Research Articles

Antecedents of the adoption of blockchain to enhance patients’ health information management in South Africa

Background: Currently, the South African public healthcare system is hampered by a lack of effective patient data management. This leads to, amongst other challenges, a lack of transparency in the management of patients’ health information and unsecure medical records. Blockchain, on the other hand, can make healthcare records more secure, easily auditable, and hence more reliable. These advantages, among others, make Blockchain an appealing technology for managing patients’ health information in the South African context.Objectives: The study investigated the antecedents of the adoption of blockchain technology as a tool to improve the management of patients’ health information in the South African public healthcare sector.Method: The four pillars of a health information system (strong leadership, contingency plan, security and privacy, and IT or vendor support) were adopted as the theoretical grounding for the study. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with IT specialists and healthcare professionals working in the public healthcare sector.Results: The study identified 11 antecedents that can be related to the four pillars of a health information system. These antecedents must be addressed for blockchain to contribute meaningfully to enhancing patients’ health information management in South Africa.Conclusion: Although blockchain can contribute meaningfully to addressing health information management challenges in South Africa, contextual factors need to be considered for it to fulfil its promises. It is anticipated that the study findings will help stakeholders in the South African public healthcare sector to make informed decisions in their quest to deploy technology innovations like blockchain.

Personal factors and the role of memory in faculty refinding of stored information

PurposeThe study examined the personal information management (PIM) challenges encountered by faculty in six universities in Ghana, their information refinding experiences and the perceived role of memory. The study tested the hypothesis that faculty PIM performance will significantly differ when the differences in the influence of personal factors (age, gender and rank) on their memory are considered.Design/methodology/approachThe study was guided by a sample survey design. A questionnaire designed based on themes extracted from earlier interviews was used to collect quantitative data from 235 faculty members from six universities in Ghana. Data analysis was undertaken with a discrete multivariate Generalized Linear Model to investigate how memory intermediates in the relationship between age, gender and rank, and, refinding of stored information.FindingsThe paper identified two subfunctions of refinding (Refinding 1 and Refinding 2) associated with self-confidence in information re-finding, and, memory (Memory 1 and Memory 2), associated with the use of complimentary frames to locate previously found and stored information. There were no significant multivariate effects for gender as a stand-alone variable. Males who were aged less than 39 could refind stored information irrespective of the memory class. Older faculty aged 40–49 who possess Memory 1 and senior lecturers who possess Memory 2 performed well in refinding information. There was a statistically significant effect of age and memory; and rank and memory.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to faculty in Ghana, whereas the study itself has implications for demographic differences in PIM.Practical implicationsIdentifying how memory mediates the role of personal factors in faculty refinding of stored information will be necessary for the efforts to understand and design systems and technologies for enhancing faculty capacity to find/refind stored information.Social implicationsUnderstanding how human memory can be augmented by technology is a great PIM strategy, but understanding how human memory and personal factors interplay to affect PIM is more important.Originality/valuePIM of faculty has been extensively examined in the literature, and limitations of memory has always been identified as a constraint. Human memory has been augmented with technology, although the outcome has been very minimal. This study shows that in addition to technology augmentation, personal factors interplay with human memory to affect PIM. Discrete multivariate Generalized Linear Model applied in this study is an innovative way of addressing the challenges of assimilating statistical methodologies in psychosocial disciplines.

Community Data Mobilization in Wikidata: A paleontology perspective

Wikidata offers a centralized, accessible platform for working collaboratively to disambiguate entities, e.g., people associated with biodiversity collections, and to mobilize information about them. This shared information can be used to improve connections across institutions and individuals, to augment local data records, and to encourage expertise-sharing. Over the past year, the Paleo Data Working Group has organized several events to bring the Wikidata movement to paleontological collections. This talk will share key products and findings generated by these efforts, and note parallels to disciplines beyond paleontology. In the global collections community, momentum has been building to leverage linked data principles and facilitate data discovery using the Wikidata platform. An example of this is the increasing adoption of Wikidata specifically for the purpose of storing biographical information about people associated with collections, because doing so facilitates discovery about who is doing what work across multiple institutions, and with what impact (Groom et al. 2020, Güntsch et al. 2021). In March 2022, thirty participants gathered virtually for a participatory workshop, Using Wikidata to capture and share information about people in paleontology. This workshop was an introduction to finding, editing, and using data in Wikidata, focusing on people associated with paleontology collections (e.g., collectors, researchers, collections staff) as subjects. Together, workshop participants created or enhanced Wikidata records for around 100 individuals from a shared list, including a dozen female collectors previously known only by their husbands’ names, e.g., “Mrs. Paul E. Drez,” who we now know is Nancy Sue Drez. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants collaborated on an open-access document to share the findings. The goal of Guidelines for Using Wikidata to Mobilize Information about People in Collections: A Paleontology Perspective (see Bauer et al. 2022 for repository) is to further encourage uptake in the paleontological and collections communities. The first workshop was focused almost exclusively on the people connected to paleontological collections. A follow-up workshop in October 2022 entitled, Using Wikidata to capture and share information about paleontological collecting sites, significantly broadens this scope by exploring how Wikidata can be used to mobilize community knowledge about specimen collecting events, such as sites or expeditions. Paleontological collecting sites pose an information management challenge because they tend to be detail rich, attached to local but stable identifier schemes, and associated with specimens curated in multiple institutions. Participants in this workshop established a defined scope of information associated with a paleontological collection site–including flagging aspects of the data that may be problematic to share publicly–and subsequently were able to assess how these information needs might, or might not, fit into a linked data model on Wikidata. These findings are particularly relevant to the global collections community where we see a trend towards sharing specimen data from an event-based perspective (Schindel and Cook 2018, Robertson et al. 2019), as has long been the norm for paleontological specimens.

E-HEALTH PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION IN INDONESIA

Since Covid-19 day by day users additional attentive to their privacy and information protection. though this drawback is transverse to each digital service, it's particularly relevant once important and private info is managed, as in eHealth and well-being services. throughout the last years, many alternative innovative services during this space are projected. However, information management challenges area unit still in would like of an answer. In general, information area unit directly sent to services however no trustworthy instruments to recover this information or take away them from services area unit obtainable. In these paper author needs to debate privacy aspects of non-public information within the eHealth program and the way Indonesia regulate Privacy and protection of patient’s personal information in Indonesia. the strategy used is normative juridical approach with descriptive analytical specifications. the method of knowledge assortment is finished through literature.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: POTENTIAL OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

It has been well established through research works and experience of construction professionals that smooth, transparent, traceable information flow is absolutely essential for better coordination among stakeholders in a project. This challenge of information management has been met to a good extent through centralized information systems, tailor made for each organization. However, poor information management and resulting poor coordination still persists in projects. Through extensive literature reviews as well as detailed discussion with construction professionals, identification & categorization of issues with the present Information system has been done. Blockchain technology as an alternate solution to the information management issues in Construction projects has been studied in detail starting with basic understanding of the technology itself to development of concept framework models for its potential applications in the construction projects. Further, some case studies have also been reviewed to get a better understanding of overall advantages, challenges & limitations associated with the technology. For assessment of features of technology and its potential in addressing the requirements, detailed discussion with Blockchain professionals and survey was done. The features of the technology have been compared with the issues and an analysis of the same has been done to review and analyze the potential of applicability of blockchain to address the requirements. Recommendations have been provided at the end which provide way for future works in this regard.

Preferences and Experiences of People with Chronic Illness in Using Different Sources of Health Information: Results of a Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: People with chronic illness are particularly dependent on adequate health literacy (HL), but often report difficulties in accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health information. To strengthen the HL of people with chronic illness, in-depth knowledge about how they deal with health information is crucial. Methods: To this end, quantitative data from the Second Health Literacy Survey Germany (HLS-GER 2) and qualitative data from seven focus group discussions were used to examine the interest in health information, preferred sources of information as well as experiences and challenges with information management among people with chronic illness. Results: The results show that people with chronic illness have a great interest in health information and use very different sources of health information, preferring personal information from physicians most. The results also point to several challenges in health information management that seem to be influenced by the illness duration as well as by the experiences made with the respective sources. Conclusions: Overall, the study provides important starting points for intervention development for the provision and communication of health-related information, but also to research on health information behavior and HL.

Themes in data mining, big data, and crime analytics

AbstractThis article examines the impact of new AI‐related technologies in data mining and big data on important research questions in crime analytics. Because the field is so broad, the review focuses on a selection of the most important topics. Challenges for information management, and in turn law and society, include: AI‐powered predictive policing; big data for legal and adversarial decisions; bias using big data and analytics in profiling and predicting criminality; forecasting crime risk and crime rates; and, regulating AI systems.This article is categorized under: Algorithmic Development > Spatial and Temporal Data Mining Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Big Data Mining Technologies > Artificial Intelligence Application Areas > Data Mining Software Tools

Keep Moving Forward: Health Informatics and Information Management beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.

SummaryObjectives: To identify gaps and challenges in health informatics and health information management during the COVID-19 pandemic. To describe solutions and offer recommendations that can address the identified gaps and challenges. Methods: A literature review of relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published from January 2020 to December 2020 was conducted to inform the paper. Results: The literature revealed several themes regarding health information management and health informatics challenges and gaps: information systems and information technology infrastructure; data collection, quality, and standardization; and information governance and use. These challenges and gaps were often driven by public policy and funding constraints. Conclusions: COVID-19 exposed complexities related to responding to a world-wide, fast moving, quickly spreading novel virus. Longstanding gaps and ongoing challenges in the local, national, and global health and public health information systems and data infrastructure must be addressed before we are faced with another global pandemic.

Personal information management on social media from the perspective of platform support: a text analysis based on the Chinese social media platform policy

PurposeIn this study, specific measures adopted by the social media platforms in China supporting personal information management are investigated via surveys targeting such platforms. The purpose of this paper is to find out how social media platforms understand information management, and from which aspects and through what specific methods they provide support for information management, which contributes to understanding the issues and strategies associated with personal information management on social media.Design/methodology/approachThe dimensions and specific contents of the current platform support provided for information management are clearly defined by performing qualitative text analysis based on the content obtained from 11 platform policies published by five representative Chinese social media platforms.FindingsHow social media platforms support personal information management on creation, collection, utilisation, sharing, storage, protection, removal and modification is identified. By analysing the status quo of support provided by the Chinese social media platform, some issues are proposed for discussion. Improved normative management is required to address the coexistence of multivalued information and management risks. However, the user rights are limited because the platform policies tend to be more focused on the perspective of the social media platform. Furthermore, the platform policy contents regarding information management are incomplete, and the applicability of these policies should be improved.Originality/valueThis study seeks to contribute to personal information management on social media from the perspective of platform support. The perspective from the platforms as the service providers supporting information management also helps identify information management challenges and potential strategies. Furthermore, combining with the personal information management perspective, this study provides a background understanding of information management under a social collaborative framework for platforms, authorities, users and memory institutions.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-06-2020-0249

Desafíos éticos en investigación genómica y biotecnología. Veinte años de Acta Bioethica

This article reviews ethical reflections about genetic research and genetic manipulation published in 20 years of Acta Bioethica. The following relevant topics are identified in bioethics dialogue: risks evaluation, inequity, loss of biodiversity, eugenics, definition of limits between artificial and natural, dialogue between detractors and promoters of biotechnology, challenges in health care, information and confidentiality management. Reflections consider that bioethics can act as mediator among diverse stakeholders affronting the problems that arise when applying technology to life, allowing to recognize and to reach consensus for solving differences in equity, autonomy and the balance of risks and benefices. The reflections in Acta Bioethica are similar to those of other journals, but with emphasis in the Latin American region. In twenty years of reflection, the challenges are similar, but the emphasis is changing from preventing to the avoidance of actual risks of genetic modifications, which demands regulation of genetic engineering, taking into account that it is more effective than before. Among the benefits, genomic medicine has always generated more expectations than actual therapy with problems in demonstrating efficacy in clinical trials. With the new technique of genomic edition, there are even more expectations for enhancing therapeutic approaches, but worries increase about using genetic modifications without therapeutic aim and interventions that affect the social and ecological equilibrium.

Evolução dos centros de informação e o surgimento dos observatórios de transporte e logística

Este estudo se inicia pelo resgate histórico dos bancos de dados e centros de informação como estruturas precursoras dos observatórios de transporte e logística. É realizada uma revisão sistemática de literatura sobre os conceitos e o surgimento dos bancos de dados, dos centros de informação e dos observatórios. Analisa-se o emprego dos bancos de dados e dos centros de informação no tema de transporte e logística, bem como sua evolução para um modelo organizado de observatório. A partir das evidências encontradas na literatura, pode-se observar que bancos de dados e centros de informação constituem as estruturas iniciais dos observatórios, que surgem na medida em que cumprem funções não atendidas por outras estruturas ou organizações. Considerando as condições históricas, como a crise da informação e os avanços tecnológicos no período pós-segunda guerra mundial, identifica-se a emergência de novos fenômenos na área da Ciência da Informação, como centros de informação e suas variações, incentivados pela necessidade de se obter informação útil e relevante. De forma complementar, é traçada a evolução dos observatórios de transporte e logística e seus desafios na gestão da informação para a tomada de decisão nessa área, o que requer tratamento sistêmico, global e interdisciplinar.

Information Management Challenges and the Adverse Consequences of Using Reverse Auctions

Using reverse auctions (RAs) requires managing complex information. Yet, such challenges are not well understood and are often even underestimated. To address this knowledge gap, I conducted a Delphi study and follow-up interviews to identify information management challenges and the adverse consequences. Drawing on the agency theory and the garbage can theory, I developed three dimensions of information management challenges, advanced a theoretical model, and formulated propositions to suggest the adverse consequences. My findings suggest that deficiency, violation, and anarchy of information can result in procedural failure, financial and competitive loss to suppliers, and damage to buyer–supplier relationships.

UKeiG Information Manager of the Year 2016

Last year Marlize Palmer was presented with the UKeiG Information Manager of the Year Award. She is the Welsh Government’s Head of Information and Archive Services and Departmental Records Officer and offers a fascinating insight into the challenges of information management in a government setting. “The information management profession in government is changing fast. The emergence of big data, social media, cloud and mobile-based services presents massive challenges and opportunities for information professionals and librarians working in government and at the Welsh Government in particular.”

The role of big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) in understanding the challenges of service information and operations management in the sharing economy: Evidence of peer effects in libraries

Information and operations management in libraries presents a unique opportunity to provide insights for the sharing economy. Libraries correspond to a special type of sharing goods, named common-pool resources. Such resources have two characteristics: they are non-exclusive, but rival to each other. Service operations in libraries involve thousands of operations every year, making them a perfect context for the use of big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) to provide real-world evidence on the potential existing challenges in the sharing economy. Employing a novel dataset related to 723,798 library transactions, made by 16,232 individual users during a 10-year period (2006–2015), we estimate peer effects among users via regression analysis, considering the number of books each user borrows. Our main results suggest that a rise in the number of loans among a user’s peer group correlates with her own loans, an evidence of positive peer effects. However, a closer look at the data suggests a high degree of heterogeneity, in terms of behavioral patterns. First, we suggest that peer effects do not occur in the case of users who are not subject to monetary fines. Second, peer effects vary according to users’ category (student or non-student), and area of study (management, accounting, economics, and other courses). Third, there is evidence of different magnitudes of peer effects according to time in school, which suggests the existence of learning effects in a library setting. The results reported in this paper highlight the important role of big data analytics capabilities to uncover new challenges of the sharing economy, having important implications, both in theoretical and practical terms.

Understanding health information management practices in public hospitals in Kuwait.

Health information technology (IT) solutions can aid healthcare reform efforts, but without proper information management, these efforts are futile. In this study, we used Kuwait as an example of a high per-capita gross domestic product country that faces information management challenges to draw insights that can be generalised to other developed countries. (i) to uncover the status quo of information management practices in public hospitals and (ii) to offer recommendations to improve them. This study analysed qualitative and quantitative accreditation-related data pertaining to the compliance with the information management standard at all secondary care public hospitals over two accreditation cycles. Overall, public hospitals had made positive progress in their compliance with the information management standard. However, issues still existed with (i) developing and implementing an information management plan, (ii) involving the appropriate stakeholders in selecting health IT solutions and (iii) access to the Internet by staff and patients. Evidence underscored the importance of proper information management driven by clear centralised strategic plans. With the rapid adoption of digital health systems, the role of health information management leaders should not be undervalued. Embracing health IT solutions with strong information management practices can aid healthcare reform efforts.

Infrastructure information management of bridges at local authorities in the UK

Behind the largest infrastructure construction projects currently underway is a system of managing information known as Building Information Modelling (BIM). This represents a collaborative approach to civil engineering and makes use of advances in computer technology to link seamlessly many information repositories together across organisational boundaries. Alongside the developments in BIM, the world of asset management has also seen a major leap forward with the release of ISO 5500x – the family of international standards for asset management. This is now being adopted by many industries – particularly those in the infrastructure sectors – to maximise the value which is returned from their assets. In addition, the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme has released a guidance for highway authorities wishing to improve their asset management systems. However, infrastructure managers in local authorities such as county councils are significantly less engaged in both of these developments than their counterparts in strategic infrastructure networks. This paper presents the findings of a study of the ‘information system landscape’ at local authorities from across England, UK. The study reveals a number of recurring information management challenges that are frequently present. The paper finally provides a number of recommendations with specific reference to information management and encourages councils to consider adopting the standards.

Keeping found things found

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the usefulness and challenges of personal digital information management (PDIM) as perceived by engineering faculty members.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research strategy based on survey design was used to collect data through structured questionnaire. Simple random sampling technique was applied to obtain a representative sample from faculty members of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.FindingsFindings indicate that faculty members understand the usefulness of PDIM practices for their teaching and learning. They opined that these practices improve their performance along with effective utilization of resources. PDIM practices save their time, energy and money. Nevertheless, they have to face challenges in managing their personal information in digital format including technology obsolescence, bulk of incoming emails, prediction of future value of information, information fragmentation and memory load in remembering the location of information. It is also noted that PDIM practices are equally useful for both male and female faculty members. However, female faculty members have to face more PDIM challenges than male faculty members.Practical implicationsOverall, findings of the study reveal that there are benefits of PDIM and it is useful for faculty members with certain challenges. This study identified five major challenges. All these challenges were from technological and cognitive psychology domain. It is noted that assessing future value of information plays important role in overall process of PDIM.Originality/valueThe present study would be valuable addition in literature and it would be helpful in devising information literacy instructions programs in academic libraries. This study would also helpful for improving quality services for teaching as required by Pakistan Engineering Council. Findings of this study would helpful for system engineers, software developers and system librarians in designing and developing personal information management systems in Pakistan.

Health information management practices in informal caregiving: An artifacts analysis and implications for IT design

IntroductionUnpaid informal caregivers of adult care recipients, including persons with dementia, experience multiple unmet information needs and information management challenges. ObjectivesTo understand the current personal health information management (PHIM) practices in informal caregiving for adults with and without dementia. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were performed with ten informal caregivers—half of whom were caring for persons with dementia—and four formal caregivers at an adult day service. Interviews centered on a paper-based tool distributed by the day service, the CARE Kit, permitting an artifacts analysis of the tools used by participants for PHIM. Qualitative thematic analysis was applied to interview data. ResultsCaregivers’ PHIM practices aimed to support daily care management and decision-making on behalf of care recipients, through: 1) information acquisition and integration across multiple sources and records; 2) information maintenance, updating, and use over time; and 3) information sharing and communication with healthcare professionals and other family caregivers. Participants reported advantages and challenges of their PHIM practices and tools, including fitting PHIM into their daily lives, managing PHIM-related cognitive workload, the functionality of PHIM tools, and the dynamic, longitudinal nature of PHIM. ConclusionThe study produced a number of implications for caregiver health information management information technology (CHIM IT), based on findings about the nature of caregivers’ practices for managing information for adult care recipients. We present CHIM IT requirements related to privacy and security, customization and flexibility, ease of use, credibility and sensitivity, situation awareness, information integration, delegation and shared use, updating and maintenance, archiving and versioning, communication, agency and information access, and validation.

Cloud Based Gamification Model Canvas for School Information Management

Information management especially related to teaching and learning materials is an important application in school in order to bring education system more effective and systematic. Modern education requires fundamental changes in current education system platform for ensuring teaching method becomes more efficient. The challenges of current school information management are non-integrated system, difficulty in configuration and deployment as well as complexity of storage provision. These issues reduce the motivation among teachers to participate in sharing teaching and learning materials in school information management system. This article proposes a gamification model canvas framework for school information management under cloud computing environment. The aim is to provide a method for encouraging the teachers to share their teaching materials. Motivation element provided in model canvas method such as dynamics, behavior, component and aesthetic are used in the proposed framework. With the proposed framework, a cloud based prototype will be developed and can be used by schools.

Information and Knowledge Management at South African Law Firms

Global and national law firms alike operate in a challenging business environment and managing the firm's information and knowledge assets is increasingly viewed as a key factor in efficient legal service delivery. In legal practice, information management technologies, for example intranets, portals, workflow management systems, document and content management systems, case and project management systems and online dispute resolution systems are becoming important means of legal service delivery. The reason for applying information management technologies and implementing knowledge management strategies in law firms is not only to satisfy clients' growing need for a trusted online platform to interact with legal service providers, but for law firms to capitalise on their intellectual assets, to continuously modernise legal practice management, to empower lawyers, to increase productivity, to use time efficiently, to transfer skills and knowledge from senior to junior professionals, to improve service delivery and to gain competitive advantage. This article firstly reviews the role of information and knowledge management in providing an effective legal service to clients and compares foreign and South African law firms' information management related contexts, challenges and benefits. Secondly, it presents the findings of a survey conducted at South African law firms based on their knowledge management practices. The aim of the article is to provide insights into law firm knowledge management and its effect on providing legal services in an online business environment.