Design Science Research Paradigm Research Articles

Towards a Stakeholder-Oriented Blockchain-Based Architecture for Electronic Health Records: Design Science Research Study.

BackgroundData security issues still constitute the main reason for the sluggish dissemination of electronic health records (EHRs). Given that blockchain technology offers the possibility to verify transactions through a decentralized network, it may serve as a solution to secure health-related data. Therefore, we have identified stakeholder-specific requirements and propose a blockchain-based architecture for EHRs, while referring to the already existing scientific discussions on the potential of blockchain for use in EHRs.ObjectiveThis study aimed to introduce blockchain technology for EHRs, based on identifying stakeholders and systematically eliciting their requirements, and to discuss the key benefits (KBs) and key challenges (KCs) of blockchain technology in the context of EHRs.MethodsThe blockchain-based architecture was developed in the framework of the design science research paradigm. The requirements were identified using a structured literature review and interviews with nine health care experts. Subsequently, the proposed architecture was evaluated using 4 workshops with 15 participants.ResultsWe identified three major EHR stakeholder groups and 34 respective requirements. On this basis, we developed a five-layer architecture. The subsequent evaluation of the artifact was followed by the discussion of 12 KBs and 12 KCs of a blockchain-based architecture for EHRs. To address the KCs, we derived five recommendations for action for science and practice.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that blockchain technology offers considerable potential to advance EHRs. Improvements to currently available EHR solutions are expected, for instance, in the areas of data security, traceability, and automation by smart contracts. Future research could examine the patient’s acceptance of blockchain-based EHRs and cost-benefit analyses.

Principles for the design of digital occupational health systems

There is a growing body of literature that addresses the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace, and the effectiveness of corporate wellness programs. Following advancements in low-cost and unobtrusive computing technology, an emerging trend in corporate wellness programs is to offer wearable devices to employees. These devices monitor employees' physiological and environmental conditions in order to improve their awareness of their personal health. In addition, organizations can harness the aggregated anonymized data provided by such technology to investigate ways of improving the work environment. However, promoting digital health monitoring systems introduces new dynamic interactions between the social actors and technology. Three main categories of strain caused by the use of these systems in a work environment are value tensions (privacy vs. wellbeing); action tensions (work vs. leisure activities), and role tensions (leisure vs. work roles). Based on an analysis of these tensions, design principles for digital occupational health systems are derived that minimize strain and have much bigger chances to be accepted and thus to create value for all stakeholders. Consequently, this study follows the design science research paradigm to derive design principles.

Inter-technology relationship networks: Arranging technologies through text mining

Ongoing advances in digital technologies – which enable new products, services, and business models – have fundamentally affected business and society through several waves of digitalization. When analyzing digital technologies, a dynamic system or an ecosystem model that represents interrelated technologies is beneficial owing to the systemic character of digital technologies. Using an assembly-based process model for situational method engineering, and following the design science research paradigm, we develop an analytical method to generate technology-related network data that retraces elapsed patterns of technological change. We consider the technological distances that characterize technologies' proximities and dependencies. We use established text mining techniques and draw from technology innovation research as justificatory knowledge. The proposed method processes textual data from different information sources into an analyzable and readable inter-technology relationship network. To evaluate the method, we use exemplary digital technologies from the big data analytics domain as an application scenario.

Design Principles for Systematic Search Systems: A Holistic Synthesis of a Rigorous Multi-cycle Design Science Research Journey

Rigorous systematic literature searches are often described as complex, error-prone and time-consuming because of a prevailing lack of adequate technological assistance. Nonetheless, one of the first steps when conducting a rigorous literature review is finding an appropriate literature sample. The quality of this literature sample is an important factor for the overall quality of the literature review. This article investigates how to design innovative IT systems that effectively facilitate systematic literature searches. Applying the design science research paradigm, the research method consists of multiple design cycles of artifact development, evaluation, and refinement. In doing so, six design principles are derived that intend to increase the comprehensiveness, precision, and reproducibility of systematic literature searches. The results could be helpful for research and practice. The derived design knowledge builds a foundation for future research on systematic search systems and enables new methodological contributions. The results could also guide the development of innovative search systems and features that, eventually, increase the quality and efficiency of information accumulation in different contexts.

A High-Frequency Algorithmic Trading Strategy for Cryptocurrency

ABSTRACT Cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin is a rapidly developing phenomenon in financial technology with considerable research interest but is understudied. In this research article, we use a Design Science Research paradigm to create a high-frequency trading strategy at the minute level for Bitcoin using six exchanges as our Information Technology artifact. We created financial indicators and utilized a machine learning (ML) algorithm to create our strategy. We provided two sets of evaluation. First, we evaluated this strategy against another popular ML algorithm and found our algorithm performed better on the average. Second, we analyzed the economic benefits using the strategy against out-of-sample trading in foreign exchange currency. We presented both descriptive and prescriptive contributions to Design Science Research via the development and testing of our artifacts.

A Project Portfolio Management Approach to Tackling the Exploration/Exploitation Trade-off

Organizational ambidexterity (OA) is an essential capability for surviving in dynamic business environments that advocates the simultaneous engagement in exploration and exploitation. Over the last decades, knowledge on OA has substantially matured, covering insights into antecedents, outcomes, and moderators of OA. However, there is little prescriptive knowledge that offers guidance on how to put OA into practice and to tackle the trade-off between exploration and exploitation. To address this gap, the authors adopt the design science research paradigm and propose an economic decision model as artifact. The decision model assists organizations in selecting and scheduling exploration and exploitation projects to become ambidextrous in an economically reasonable manner. As for justificatory knowledge, the decision model draws from prescriptive knowledge on project portfolio management and value-based management, and from descriptive knowledge related to OA to structure the field of action. To evaluate the decision model, its design specification is discussed against theory-backed design objectives and with industry experts. The paper also instantiates the decision model as a software prototype and applies the prototype to a case based on real-world data.

First, Do No Harm: Predictive Analytics to Reduce In-Hospital Adverse Events

Inadequate patient safety is a serious issue in current medical practice. Medical errors cause adverse events (AEs) for patients and lead to premature deaths, unintended complications, prolonged hospital stays, and higher medical costs. Although the importance of AE prediction and prevention is well recognized in the information systems literature, there is a dearth of research on modeling and predicting AEs caused by medical errors. Following the design science research paradigm, this study describes the search, design, and evaluation of a novel in-hospital AE prediction model, called StoChastic AutoRegressions for LatEnt Trajectories (SCARLET). The proposed model integrates generalized linear mixed model with multitask learning and stochastic time-series processes. Results from our large-scale empirical evaluation show that SCARLET outperforms prior state-of-the-art techniques in predicting harms from medical errors during patients’ hospital stays. Through a simulated experiment, we further demonstrate significant cost savings potential when hospitals implement and integrate SCARLET in their inpatient clinical workflow.

The Identity Management Value Model: A Design Science Approach to Assess Value Gaps on Social Media

ABSTRACTThreats to the individual identity on social media are real and problematic. Yet, there is a paucity of research on online identity management. We posit that identity management on social media requires a value perspective to determine gaps between what social media users want from online identity management and what social media sites offer through their current security and privacy controls. Following the design science research paradigm, we present an Identity Management Value Model (IMVM). Based on multiple‐objectives decision analysis technique, the value model explicates a hierarchy of fundamental identity management objectives and quantifies the achievement of objectives on a social media site. The emergent value scores and value gaps provide an understanding of how well a social media site manages users online identity. We demonstrate the application of the value model for Facebook and assess a set of measures to reduce the value gaps on Facebook. We conducted sensitivity analysis followed by deterministic analysis to evaluate the value model. The evaluation results indicate that the modeling outcome is robust to a range of individual values and preferences. By focusing on individual values, this study extends the research on values in the context of identity management on social media. Social media companies might find the model useful for instituting identity management measures. Individual users could use the model for strategizing about personal identity management. Our study also demonstrates the usefulness of a retrospective design approach, accounting for user values in a principled and comprehensive manner.

Towards data-driven decision support for organizational IT security audits

Abstract As the IT landscape of organizations increasingly needs to comply with various laws and regulations, organizations manage a plethora of security-related data and have to verify the adequacy and effectiveness of their security controls through internal and external audits. Existing Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) approaches provide little support for auditors or are tailored to the needs of auditors and do not fully support required management activities of the auditee. To address this gap and move towards a holistic solution, a data-driven approach is proposed. Following the design science research paradigm, a data-driven approach for audit data management and analytics that addresses organizational needs as well as requirements for audit data analytics was developed. We contribute workflow support and associated data models to support auditing and security decision making processes. The evaluation shows the viability of the proposed IT artifact and its potential to reduce costs and complexity of security management processes and IT security audits. By developing a model and associated decision support workflows for the entire IT security audit lifecycle, we present a solution for both the auditee and the auditor. This is useful to developers of GRC tools, vendors, auditors and organizational decision makers.

A requirements engineering methodology for knowledge management solutions: integrating technical and social aspects

This paper proposes a unified knowledge management requirements engineering methodology (KM-REM) for tackling the complex nature of knowledge-intensive organizations. Despite the importance of KM for the success of knowledge-intensive organizations, the concept of RE for KM solutions is still vague lacking. Its definitions and guidelines for addressing the different facets of KM during the RE process are yet to be well-defined, encompassing social and technical aspects thereof. Applying the design science research paradigm by using a method engineering methodology, the KM-REM method was developed and implemented in a case study involving a global IT provider firm. This allowed for a comprehensive analysis and requirements specification for a KM solution, which was validated based on expert (managers) evaluation. KM-REM provides comprehensive, practical guidance and tools for KM analysts and RE professionals, for conducting KM-oriented RE, toward enhancing knowledge-intensive business processes with embedded KM solutions. Moreover, KM-REM facilitates tractability in the RE process, by focusing on manageable KM requirements. Thus, the contribution of KM-REM is threefold. First, it extends the research on RE for KM solutions as a specialized area within the RE discipline. Second, it cohesively organizes the RE dimensions and modeling principles for KM, providing customized guidelines and tools. Third, it demonstrates how the perspectives of traditional RE methods can be extended to include social and cultural aspects.

A Method for Developing Standard Patient Education Program.

In Denmark, patients being treated on Haematology Outpatients Departments get instructed to self-manage their blood sample collection from Central Venous Catheter (CVC). However, this is a complex and risky procedure, which can jeopardize patient safety. The aim of the study was to suggest a method for developing standard digital patient education programs for patients in self-administration of blood samples drawn from CVC. The Design Science Research Paradigm was used to develop a digital patient education program, called PAVIOSY, to increase patient safety during execution of the blood sample collection procedure by using videos for teaching as well as procedural support. A step-by-step guide was developed and used as basis for making the videos. Quality assurance through evaluation with a nurse was conducted on both the step-by-step guide and the videos. The quality assurance evaluation of the videos showed; 1) Errors due to the order of the procedure can be determined by reviewing the videos despite that the guide was followed. 2) Videos can be used to identify errors - important for patient safety - in the procedure, which are not identifiable in a written script. To ensure correct clinical content of the educational patient system, health professionals must be engaged early in the development of content and design phase.

Digital platforms for research collaboration: using design science in developing a South African open knowledge repository

ABSTRACTResearch involving the use of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) inhabits an interdisciplinary space characterized by various philosophies, aspirations, realities and priorities. This diversity in the ICT4D research area complicates knowledge sharing between stakeholders in the field, which may inhibit the dialog between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners and limit collaboration. The purpose of this research was to investigate information technology (IT) enabled collaboration through the design and development of a sustainable open knowledge repository (OKR) according to the design science research (DSR) paradigm. OKRs are tools used to support knowledge sharing and collaboration. The theoretical contribution of this paper lies in the sharing of insights gained into the user requirements, system features and principles for guiding the development process of an OKR for Development Informatics research in South Africa and the implications for knowledge management. The research builds on existing knowledge by applying the four-cycle DSR methodology as a systematic and reproducible method of investigating an OKR as an example of IT-enabled collaboration. The practical contribution is the artifact (OKR) developed to enable the sharing of research knowledge.

A process for developing an e-health standards selection method artefact using design science research

The use of design science research (DSR) as a paradigm of choice among information systems (IS) researchers is growing. While there is an apparent increase in the number of DSR artefacts of the method form, very few research publications provide details of the process followed to create such method artefacts in and of itself. Even rarer is the use of the DSR paradigm in e-health research. In this paper, we present the process followed to develop a DSR method artefact, called the standards selection method for e-health interoperability (SMeHI). SMeHI is a generic method that guides the selection of e-health standards to support interoperability between healthcare IS. The development of the method was motivated by the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) call in 2014 for guidance to lower and middle income countries, many of which are African countries, on how to decide on standards to adopt at national level.

A process for developing an e-health standards selection method artefact using design science research

The use of design science research (DSR) as a paradigm of choice among information systems (IS) researchers is growing. While there is an apparent increase in the number of DSR artefacts of the method form, very few research publications provide details of the process followed to create such method artefacts in and of itself. Even rarer is the use of the DSR paradigm in e-health research. In this paper, we present the process followed to develop a DSR method artefact, called the standards selection method for e-health interoperability (SMeHI). SMeHI is a generic method that guides the selection of e-health standards to support interoperability between healthcare IS. The development of the method was motivated by the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) call in 2014 for guidance to lower and middle income countries, many of which are African countries, on how to decide on standards to adopt at national level.

An ontology-based approach for integrating tools supporting the software measurement process

Context: Software measurement is a fundamental practice to support process improvement and project management, since it provides useful data for decision making at both organizational and project levels. Due to the nature of software measurement activities, the use of computational supporting tools is essential. Software measurement can be performed in the context of various software processes and these processes generally have different supporting tools. Thus, it is common to use several tools to allow collecting data regarding the processes. Tools are usually developed at different time, by different teams and without concern for integration. As a result, organizations have to deal with integration issues to enable communication between tools and to properly support the measurement process. A key factor for integration is that tools share a common understanding regarding the meaning of the exchanged terms and services. In other words, it is important to deal with integration not only at the syntactic level, but also at the semantic level. Among the instruments used to address semantics, ontologies have been acknowledged as an important means to address semantic integration. Objective: This paper presents the Ontology-Based Approach for Measurement Systems Integration (OBA-MSI), an approach that uses ontologies as a basis to integrate tools aiming at supporting the software measurement process. Method: OBA-MSI was developed following the Design Science Research paradigm. To evaluate OBA-MSI, we carried out a case study in which we used the approach to integrate tools for a real software development organization. After that, we applied a survey to get feedback from users of the integrated solution. Results: The users stated that the integrated solution obtained from applying OBA-MSI properly supported the software measurement process and added value to the organization, providing more benefits than using the tools in isolation. Conclusions: The use of OBA-MSI to aid tools integration helps deal with semantic conflicts and contributes to obtain a proper support to the software measurement process.

Value-based process project portfolio management: integrated planning of BPM capability development and process improvement

AbstractBusiness process management (BPM) is an important area of organizational design and an acknowledged source of corporate performance. Over the last decades, many approaches, methods, and tools have been proposed to discover, design, analyze, enact, and improve individual processes. At the same time, BPM research has been and still is paying ever more attention to BPM itself and the development of organizations’ BPM capability. Little, however, is known about how to develop an organization’s BPM capability and improve individual processes in an integrated manner. To address this research gap, we developed a planning model. This planning model intends to assist organizations in determining which BPM- and process-level projects they should implement in which sequence to maximize their firm value, catering for the projects’ effects on process performance and for interactions among projects. We adopt the design science research (DSR) paradigm and draw from project portfolio selection as well as value-based management as justificatory knowledge. For this reason, we refer to our approach as value-based process project portfolio management. To evaluate the planning model, we validated its design specification by discussing it against theory-backed design objectives and with BPM experts from different organizations. We also compared the planning model with competing artifacts. Having instantiated the planning model as a software prototype, we validated its applicability and usefulness by conducting a case based on real-world data and by challenging the planning model against accepted evaluation criteria from the DSR literature.

An economic decision model for determining the appropriate level of business process standardization

AbstractBusiness process management (BPM) is an acknowledged source of corporate performance. A well-established element of the BPM toolbox by which organizations intend to tune the performance of their processes is business process standardization (BPS). So far, research on BPS has predominantly taken a descriptive perspective, analyzing how BPS affects different dimensions of process performance (e.g., cost, quality, time, flexibility). Only very few studies capitalize on the mature body of descriptive BPS knowledge to assist in determining an appropriate BPS level for an organization’s processes. Moreover, these studies do not resolve the BPS trade-off, i.e., the partly conflicting effects of BPS on process performance. To address this research problem, we propose a decision model that provides guidance on how to determine an economically appropriate BPS level for a business process. We thereby adopt the design science research (DSR) paradigm and draw from the body of knowledge on BPS as well as value-based management. We evaluated the decision model by discussing its design specification against theory-backed design objectives. We also validated the model’s applicability and usefulness in a real-world case where we applied the decision model and a prototypical implementation to the coverage switching processes of an insurance broker pool company. Finally, we challenged the decision model against the accepted evaluation criteria from the DSR literature.

Standardized but flexible information exchange for networked public administrations

Purpose Governmental institutions must cooperate with other organizations across institutional boundaries to achieve high-quality service offerings. The required cooperation may lead to complex networks, including several of the thousands of public administrations in the many federal layers of a single country. This paper aims to address the key challenge of the proper management of the information exchange between networked actors, which is generally conducted by means of forms. Design/methodology/approach Following the design science research paradigm, this research develops a method that assists in the design and maintenance of forms in public administrations. Findings Discussions in the project’s focus groups add evidence to the researchers’ expectation that the method developed in this study improves the quality of forms while reducing the effort required for their design and maintenance. Research limitations/implications This paper includes an evaluation of the approach based on qualitative feedback from the project’s stakeholders, although the implementation of the workflows and procedures is subject to future work that evaluates the approach in a variety of practical settings. Practical implications The method developed in this paper allows public administrations and legislative authorities to design and manage forms in a cooperative way. Software developers can assume the existence of information structures. The approach extends the BOMOS standardization framework to the operational level. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is the development of a novel method that will change how information exchange is managed in public administrations.

Implementing information security best practices on software lifecycle processes: The ISO/IEC 15504 Security Extension

The ISO/IEC 15504 international standard can be aligned with the ISO/IEC 27000 information security management framework. During the research conducted all the existing relations between ISO/IEC 15504-5 software development base practices and ISO/IEC 27002 security controls have been analysed and the ISO/IEC 15504 Security Extension has been developed. This extension details the changes that software companies should make in the software lifecycle processes for the successful implementation of the related security controls. To attain our research objectives, we evaluate the ISO/IEC 15504 Security Extension through case studies in a sample of software development organizations. This study follows the design science research paradigm that is based on constructive research.

Improving Business Intelligence Traceability and Accountability

A Business Intelligence (BI) system provides users with multi-dimensional information (a so-called ‘BI product') to support decision-making. However, existing BI systems overlook the lineage metadata which supports individual data quality dimensions such as data believability and ease of understanding. Using a design science research paradigm, this paper proposes and develops an integrated framework (known as BI Product and Metacontent Map - ‘BIP-Map') to facilitate the traceability and accountability of BI products. Specifically, the business workflow layer of the integrated framework is modelled using business process modelling notation, and an information product map is used to model the second layer's information manufacturing process, whilst the third layer represents the metacontent detail of the data validation stage, from source system through to ETL, to the data warehousing stage. Also, the authors develop a BIP-Map informed prototype in collaboration with an online job advertising firm, the framework then being validated by key BI stakeholders of the firm. The integrated framework addresses individual-related data quality issues and builds user confidence by enhancing the traceability and accountability of a BI product.