Information System Methodology Research Articles

An Innovative Risk Assessment Methodology for Medical Information Systems

Modern Medical Information Systems very often comprise Medical Devices and governed by regulations which require stringent Risk Management activities to be implemented to minimize the occurrence of safety risks. Currently, the reference standard adopted by manufacturers for Risk Management is ISO 14971, which, however, was devised for traditional (mostly hardware) Medical Devices and does not either take into account the peculiarities of modern Medical Information Systems, or define a formal methodology to conduct Risk Assessment. Moreover, the approaches currently implemented by manufacturers typically aims at obtaining qualitative Risk Assessment results. Within the so-delineated application scenario, this paper proposes a methodology for the Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Medical Information Systems, by specifically looking at medical devices that are intended as one of the most relevant components in such systems. The methodology complies with ISO 14971 and improves current practices because it allows the analyst to conduct a quantitative analysis, also taking into account the temporal dimension. It relies on a Probabilistic Risk Model, defined as a set of Markov Models, which is model-checked to obtain quantitative information about the risks. The proposed methodology is also adopted to improve definitively the Medical Device post-market surveillance, which is currently implemented as a wait for an incident activity.

Transforming Legacy Spatial Data into Testable Hypotheses about Socioeconomic Organization

ABSTRACTAs archaeologists expand the accessibility of legacy data, they have an opportunity to use these datasets to design future research. We argue that legacy data can be a critical resource to help predict characteristics of sites and socioeconomic systems. In this article, we present a combined geographic information system (GIS) and network analysis methodology that turns site location data into testable hypotheses about site characteristics and the organization of regional settlement systems. We demonstrate the utility of this approach with a case study: Bronze Age (2700–1100 BC) settlement patterns in the mining region of Hunedoara in southwest Transylvania, Romania. We leverage unsystematically collected site location information in legacy datasets to develop testable predictions about sites, regional networks, and socioeconomic systems that can be evaluated through future systematic surveys and large-scale excavations. Such testable hypotheses can inform archaeological research design by providing a quantitative basis for determining where to focus research efforts and can also help secure funding and fieldwork permits. The method developed here can be applied in diverse archaeological contexts to reinvigorate legacy data as part of future archaeological research design.

Global levelised cost of electricity from offshore wind

There is strong agreement across the energy modelling community that wind energy will be a key route to mitigating carbon emissions in the electricity sector. This paper presents a Geospatial Information System methodology for estimating spatially-resolved levelised cost of electricity for offshore wind, globally. The principal spatial characteristics of capital costs are transmission distance (i.e. the distance to grid connection) and water depth, because of the disparate costs of turbine foundation technologies. High resolution capacity factors are estimated from a bottom-up estimation of global wind speeds calculated from several decades of wind speed data. A technology-rich description of fixed and floating foundation types allows the levelised cost of electricity to be calculated for 1 × 1 km grid cells, relative to location-specific annual energy production, and accounting for exclusion areas, array losses and turbine availability. These data can be used to assess the economically viable offshore wind energy potential, globally and on a country basis, and can serve as inputs to energy systems models.

Assessment of Technical Risks (Reliability) of Aerospace Equipment in the Process of Design and Development

Achieving the accuracy and reliability of the entire range of requirements for samples of aerospace equipment involves the use of system coordination of tasks across the spectrum of indicators and parameters with risk analysis. The theoretical and applied basis for the implementation of system coordination is the approach based on innovative information system methodology of risk management.

Optimization method to construct micro-anaerobic digesters networks for decentralized biowaste treatment in urban and peri-urban areas

Abstract Innovative small scale treatments solutions are currently proposed to handle the growing need of biowaste valorization through a more circular economy. These new approaches are designed to be embedded in a decentralized treatment scheme which raises new challenges for the biowaste management at the territorial scale. This study, aimed at developing a method to design decentralized and micro-scale Anaerobic Digestion (mAD) networks in urban and peri-urban areas. A mixed integer linear program (MILP) was set up to identify the number of mAD, their sites and their capacities in order to minimize the payload-distances of biowaste and digestate transportation while taking into account the technical constraints of the system. A Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology was developed to feed the MILP model with very fine-scale data about (1) the location and the characterization of the biowaste sources and of the digestate outlets (agricultural areas), and (2) the location of the potential sites for mAD based on a multi-criteria analysis that includes environmental regulations, urban planning rules, site accessibility and heat outlets for valorization. The method was applied to the territory of The Grand Lyon Metropole (534 km2) in France. Optimized mAD networks were identified through the MILP according to different scenarios tested.

Mapping Cheshire Cats' Leg: A histological approach of cortical bone tissue through modern GIS technology.

The present study concerns the histological examination of the hind limb of a cat (Felis sp.), with an emphasis on Haversian bone. Acknowledging the variety of obstacles to be confronted, during histological studies, it was decided the documentation, description, and comparison of the longitudinal distribution of the main microstructural characteristics. To reveal what remains hidden from the sight of knowledge, the novel Geographical Information Systems (GIS) methodology was followed. In means to provide conclusive and credible results, it was analyzed the full spectrum of the resulted cross sections and not just a statistical acceptable number or a specific region of interest. In addition, having used the right femur and tibia from the same animal, species and age discrepancies were eliminated. More thoroughly, osteon and Haversian canal size and circularity were calculated and spatially analyzed. Absolute and relative osteon population densities (OPDs) and tissue-type distributions were also estimated. The use of GIS software constituted the core of the current research, since its application transformed cross sections into informative maps, where inter-skeletal, inter-cortical, and intra-cortical distributional patterns were directly recognized and accordingly correlated to strain and load regimes. As result, it is provided the histomorphological and histomorphometrical profile of the samples, under the prism of the existing biomechanical regime. Finally, having further deployed the potentials of GIS software, it is verified and promoted the feasibility of histological mapping as an indispensable procedure, aligned with the necessities of modern science, regardless of discipline or background.

Door \u2013 to \u2013 door immunization strategy for improving access and utilization of immunization Services in Hard-to-Reach Areas: a case of Migori County, Kenya

BackgroundAccess to quality essential healthcare services and vaccines for all is key to achieving universal health coverage. Inequities driven by differences in place of residence and socio-economic status persist among different communities hindering the achievement of sustained performance on immunization indicators. Innovative community-based Reach Every Child (REC) interventions at the sub-county and county level can reduce these local inequities. This study determines the effect of an enhanced door-to-door immunization strategy on improving immunization coverage in hard-to-reach areas of Migori.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional review of District Health Information System 2 immunization data for July and August 2018 for Migori County. During the presidential immunization rapid results initiative (RRI) in July 2018, poorly performing wards/facilities were mapped using the Quantum Geographic Information Systems methodology, and unreached rural-urban populations identified. Through review of facility level Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization data, 64 health facilities with over 100 unimmunized children each between January 2017 and June 2018 in all sub-counties were prioritized. In August 2018, intensified fixed-point immunization services were offered within the prioritized facilities. Further, a 3-day door-to-door defaulter tracing by community health volunteers and household level immunization by nurses was conducted. Immunization coverage performance for access and utilization for the two periods were compared using z-tests/t-tests.ResultsCumulatively, a total of 10,744 and 14,809 children were reached with immunization in July and August respectively for the 64 facilities. There were significant increases in the immunization coverage for BCG (74.4% vs 89.9%, P = 0.0001), Penta 1(96.2% vs 102%, P = 0.0649), Penta 3 (92.3% vs 112.1%, P = 0.0001), MR1 (81.7% vs 111.5%, P < 0.0001) and the fully immunized children at 1 year (78.6% vs 103.9%, P < 0.0001). Penta 3 and MR1 drop-out rates (3.99% vs − 9.86%, P = 0.0007; 15.06% vs − 9.27%, P = 0.0001 respectively) decreased significantly. Similar significant effects were observed at the subcounty levels (P < 0.05).ConclusionHard-to-reach populations require multiple REC strategies to reach every child with immunization. Health facilities should actively analyze and use routine immunization data and invest in community health strengthening systems to identify hard-to-reach areas to be targeted with outreaches to improve immunization coverage.

Clustered spatially and temporally resolved global heat and cooling energy demand in the residential sector

Climatic conditions, population density, geography, and settlement structure all have a strong influence on the heating and cooling demand of a country, and thus on resulting energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the choice of heating or cooling system is influenced by available energy distribution infrastructure, where the cost of such infrastructure is strongly related to the spatial density of the demand. As such, a better estimation of the spatial and temporal distribution of demand is desirable to enhance the accuracy of technology assessment. This paper presents a Geographical Information System methodology combining the hourly NASA MERRA-2 global temperature dataset with spatially resolved population data and national energy balances to determine global high-resolution heat and cooling energy density maps. A set of energy density bands is then produced for each country using K-means clustering. Finally, demand profiles representing diurnal and seasonal variations in each band are derived to capture the temporal variability. The resulting dataset for 165 countries, published alongside this article, is designed to be integrated into a new integrated assessment model called MUSE (ModUlar energy systems Simulation Environment) but can be used in any national heat or cooling technology analysis. These demand profiles are key inputs for energy planning as they describe demand density and its fluctuations via a consistent method for every country where data is available.

Assessing electronic immunization registries: the Pan American Health Organization experience.

ABSTRACTObjective.To develop a methodology to assess electronic immunization registries (EIRs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Latin America and the Caribbean.Methods.A team from the Immunization Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reviewed existing methodologies to evaluate health information systems, particularly the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) framework and methodologies used to assess information systems. In 2014, the PAHO team convened a small working group to develop an evaluation approach to be added to the existing World Health Organization immunization data quality self-assessment (DQS) tool. The resulting DQS with an added EIR component was named “DQS Plus.” The DQS Plus methodology was used in Panama in May 2014 and in Honduras in November 2015.Results.The DQS Plus tool proved feasible and easy to implement in Panama and Honduras, including by not adding much time or resources to those needed for a usual DQS. The information obtained from the DQS Plus assessment was practical and helped provide health authorities with recommendations to update and improve their EIR, strengthen the use of the registry, and enhance the data the assessment produced, at all levels of the health system. These recommendations are currently being implemented in the two countries.Conclusions.The DQS Plus proved to be a practical and useful approach for assessing an EIR in an LMIC and generating actionable recommendations. Further work on defining operational and related EIR functional standards in LMICs will help develop an improved EIR assessment tool for Latin America and the Caribbean, and potentially elsewhere.

Statistical analysis of effective variables on the performance of waste storage service using geographical information system and response surface methodology

Waste storage service (WSS) of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) systems is a functional element that residents encounter system directly, so related authorities should consider a trade-off between social consideration and system performance at this stage. Not only should they pay attention to the efficiency and effectiveness of the MSWM system, but also take account of social welfare resulting in public engagement. This study introduces three important factors including number of waste stations, maximum allowed walking distance and container capacity devoted to each station having effect on the performance of waste storage service. To investigate how these variables affect the performance of WSS, geographical information system (GIS) and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied. First, according to these three variables, fifteen experiments were designed by Box Behnken Design (BBD), then, all the experiments were modeled by maximized capacitated coverage (MCC) in GIS environment, and the parameters evaluating the performance of WSS were measured. The final response was achieved through integration of effective parameters by two different MADM methods, TOPSIS and OWA. The results showed negative effects of the number of stations and container capacity of each station on the final response, whereas increase in the maximum allowed walking distance improved the performance of WSS.

Barriers of knowledge transfer and mitigating strategies in collaborative management system implementations

PurposeAs the dynamics of the external environment of the enterprise continue to increase, the support of information systems for organizational agility becomes increasingly important. Collaborative Management System (CMS) is a new type of information system that can cope with the dynamic changes of the organization. Effective knowledge transfer is the core of the system implementation. The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge transfer barriers faced by CMS in its implementation process.Design/methodology/approachThrough field interviews with a representative CMS provider, this paper summarizes the barriers of knowledge transfer during CMS implementation into three aspects.FindingsBased on the innovative measures taken by the company and relevant literature, the corresponding mitigating strategies are proposed.Originality/valueThe findings enrich the implementation methodology of agile information systems by exploring the knowledge transfer problem from a novel context. The study also provides a reference for practical implementation to overcome the dilemma of knowledge transfer.

A GIS Methodology for Planning Sustainable Renewable Energy Deployment in Portugal

A Geographical Information System (GIS) methodology was developed to identify and characterize suitable areas for deploying renewable energy projects. The methodology enables to compute the sustainable renewable energy potential in an area under study and can be implemented for different spatial scales, ranging from local to national levels, while operating with different restriction layers. This GIS-based method has been successfully applied to wind energy deployment studies in Continental Portugal and other foreign countries (e.g. Venezuela, Mozambique among others). Results from several development plans using this methodology enable to conclude it is an adequate tool for planning sustainable renewable energy deployment both for onshore and offshore regions.

Research on trends and spatial distribution of vehicular emissions and its control measure assessment in the Yangtze River Delta, China, for 1999-2015.

Multi-year inventories of vehicular emissions (CO, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), NOx, PM10, CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, and SO2) for each city in the Yangtze River Delta were calculated based on emission factors using the COPERT IV model, as well as its the high spatial resolution characteristics were established using a geographic information system methodology. Results showed that vehicular pollutant emissions (CO, NMVOC, NOx, PM10, CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, and SO2) changed from 3081.47, 335.94, 293.78, 17.15, 32,349.74, 17.18, 0.97, 0.33, and 58.77Gg in 1999 to 1268.21, 249.9, 885.59, 39.78, 215,787.4, 19.38, 3.75, 13.78, and 24.93Gg in 2015, respectively. Among them, the vehicular emissions CO2 and NH3 increased significantly. The spatial distributions of pollutant emissions were rather unbalanced, with emissions being mainly concentrated in coastal areas (particularly along the Yangtze River, around Hangzhou Bay, and around Tai Lake) and in city centers (Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, and Ningbo). Based on the vehicular emission inventories, the effects of implementing vehicular emission reduction strategies were assessed. The results show that it is very important to implement more stringent emission standards as early as possible, but other control measures are also essential to future vehicular emission mitigation.

Temporally explicit and spatially resolved global offshore wind energy potentials

Several influential energy systems models (ESMs) indicate that renewable energy must supply a large share of the world's electricity to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 °C. To better represent the costs and other implications of such a transition, it is important that ESMs can realistically characterise the technical and economic potential of renewable energy resources. This paper presents a Geospatial Information System methodology for estimating the global offshore wind energy potential, i.e. the terawatt hour per year (TWh/yr) production potential of wind farms, assuming capacity could be built across the viable offshore area of each country. A bottom-up approach characterises the capacity factors of offshore wind farms by estimating the available wind power from high resolution global wind speed data sets. Temporal phenomena are retained by binning hourly wind speeds into 32 time slices per year considering the wind resource across several decades. For 157 countries with a viable offshore wind potential, electricity generation potential is produced in tranches according to the distance to grid connection, water depth and average annual capacity factor. These data can be used as inputs to ESMs and to assess the economically viable offshore wind energy potential, on a global or per-country basis.

Geographic Access to International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants in Pennsylvania.

Availability of professional lactation support has been associated with increased breastfeeding rates; however, data about access to international board-certified lactation consultants are limited. The aims were (a) to assess geographic access to international board-certified lactation consultants in Pennsylvania, (b) to compare access in rural/urban counties, and (c) to compare access by county-level breastfeeding initiation rates. Using geographic information systems methodology and a cross-sectional observational design, we calculated the proportion of young children living within 15, 30, and 60 miles of international board-certified lactation consultants in Pennsylvania. We calculated these proportions for all children in Pennsylvania, for children in urban and rural counties, and for children in counties with low, medium, and high breastfeeding initiation rates. Comparisons were done to answer the research aims. Over 90% of young children live within 30 miles of an international board-certified lactation consultant. Compared to children in urban counties, fewer children in rural counties live within 15 and 30 miles of these providers. In counties with high breastfeeding initiation rates, a larger percentage of children live within 15 miles of an international board-certified lactation consultant than in counties with low breastfeeding initiation rates. While most Pennsylvania children live in proximity of an international board-certified lactation consultant, this was true for a lower percentage of children in rural counties and in counties with lower breastfeeding rates.

Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference System-Genetic Algorithm Models for Prediction Groundwater Quality Indices: a GIS-based Analysis

The prediction of groundwater quality is very important for the management of water resources and environmental activities. The present study has integrated a number of methods such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methodologies to predict groundwater quality in Kerman plain (including HCO3-, concentrations and Electrical Conductivity (EC) of groundwater). This research has investigated the abilities of Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), the hybrid of ANFIS with Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques as well to predict the groundwater quality. Various combinations of monthly variability, namely rainfall and groundwater levels in the wells were used by two different neuro-fuzzy models (standard ANFIS and ANFIS-GA) and ANN. The results show that the ANFIS-GA method can present a more parsimonious model with a less number of employed rules (about 300% reduction in number of rules) compared to ANFIS model and improve the fitness criteria and so model efficiency at the same time (38.4% in R2 and 44% in MAPE). The study also reveals that groundwater level fluctuations and rainfall contribute as two important factors in predicting indices of groundwater quality.

Process-mining-enabled audit of information systems: Methodology and an application

Current methodologies for Information Systems (ISs) audits suffer from some limitations that could question the effectiveness of such procedures in detecting deviations, frauds, or abuses. Process Mining (PM), a set of business-process-related diagnostic and improvement techniques, can tackle these weaknesses, but literature lacks contributions that address this possibility concretely. Thus, by framing PM as an Expert System (ES) engine, this paper presents a five-step PM-based methodology for IS audits and validates it through a case in a freight export port process managed by a Port Community System (PCS), an open electronic platform enabling information exchange among port stakeholders.The validation pointed out some advantages (e.g. depth of analysis, easier automation, less invasiveness) of our PM-enabled methodology over extant ESs and tools for IS audit. The substantive test and the check on the PCS processing controls and output controls allowed to identify four major non-conformances likely implying both legal and operational risks, and two unforeseen process deviations that were not known by the port authority, but that could improve the flexibility of the process. These outcomes set the stage for an export process reengineering, and for revising the boundaries in the process flow of the PCS.

The Development of a Conceptual Framework and Preliminary Item Bank for Childbirth-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.

To develop a conceptual framework and preliminary item bank for childbirth-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) domains. Women, who were U.S. residents, ≥18years old, and ≥20weeks pregnant, were surveyed regarding their childbirth values and preferences (V&P) using online panels. Using community-based research techniques and Patient-Reported Outcomes Management Information System (PROMIS® ) methodology, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify self-reported survey items regarding patient-reported V&P and childbirth experiences and outcomes (PROs). The V&P/PRO domains were validated by focus groups. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study and fitted a multivariable logistic regression model to each V&P item to describe "who" wanted each item. We identified 5,880V&P/PRO items that mapped to 19 domains and 58 subdomains. We present results for the 2,250 survey respondents who anticipated a vaginal delivery in a hospital. Wide variation existed regarding each V&P item, and personal characteristics, such as maternal confidence and ability to cope well with pain, were frequent predictors in the models. The resulting preliminary item bank consisted of 60 key personal characteristics and 63V&P/PROs. The conceptual framework and preliminary (PROMIS® ) item bank presented here provide a foundation for the development of childbirth-specific V&P/PROs.

MCDM analysis of wind energy in Turkey: decision making based on environmental impact.

Development of new wind energy projects require complex planning process involving many social, technical, economic, environmental, political concerns, and different agents such as investors, utilities, governmental agencies, or social groups. The aim of this study is to develop a tool combining Geographic Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodologies, and its application for Turkey as a case study. A variety of constraints and criteria were identified based on a literature review and regulations gathered from variety of agencies, use of which resulted in determination of infeasible sites. Then, pairwise comparisons were carried out using analytic hierarchy process as the MCDM method to estimate relative importance of the criteria, and to visualize a suitability map with three classes. As the final stage, decision making was carried out based on environmental impact where 45.5% of the Turkish territory was found as infeasible area. Sixty percent of the remaining area are covered by the moderate suitability class, followed by the highly suitable area (20.3%) and low suitable area (19.8%). The output of this study can be used by energy planners to estimate the extent that wind energy can be developed based on public perception, administrative, and environmental aspects.

GIS-based approach for the evaluation of offshore wind power potential for Gujarat

In the current global scenario, India is increasing its focus towards the methods to enrich the benefits of non-renewable energy sources as much as possible due to their key advantage of having low carbon footprint. India has already emerged as a key global player in on-shore wind energy and to achieve its annual wind energy production demand of 50 GWh, avenues other than current options have been researched on. Offshore wind energy has experienced remarkable growth worldwide but has not yet been harnessed sufficiently in India, despite addressing many of environmental and economic concerns. The present study focuses on offshore wind resource assessment on Indian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Gujarat region. The geographical information system (GIS) methodology has been used to develop maps of wind speed, power density and capacity factor maps. Further, careful consideration has been accorded for expulsion of marine protected areas, shipping transportation lines, fishing zones, and migratory bird movements. The resultant available area has been considered for annual energy production considering data from Siemens Wind Turbine 3.6. The results obtained shows that offshore wind energy can offset twice the annual energy demand of entire country with a potential energy production of more than 2580 TWh.