Internet-based Approaches Research Articles

A comparative evaluation of the effect of internet-based CME delivery format on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence

BackgroundInternet-based instruction in continuing medical education (CME) has been associated with favorable outcomes. However, more direct comparative studies of different Internet-based interventions, instructional methods, presentation formats, and approaches to implementation are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two Internet-based CME delivery formats and the effect on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcomes.MethodsEvaluative outcomes of two differing formats of an Internet-based CME course with identical subject matter were compared. A Scheduled Group Learning format involved case-based asynchronous discussions with peers and a facilitator over a scheduled 3-week delivery period. An eCME On Demand format did not include facilitated discussion and was not based on a schedule; participants could start and finish at any time. A retrospective, pre-post evaluation study design comparing identical satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcome measures was conducted.ResultsParticipants in the Scheduled Group Learning format reported significantly higher mean satisfaction ratings in some areas, performed significantly higher on a post-knowledge assessment and reported significantly higher post-confidence scores than participants in the eCME On Demand format that was not scheduled and did not include facilitated discussion activity.ConclusionsThe findings support the instructional benefits of a scheduled delivery format and facilitated asynchronous discussion in Internet-based CME.

Long-Term Effects of an Internet-Based Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress

Advances in communication technology offer additional strategies for providing psychological treatment. Previous trials of Internet-based treatment approaches reported significant reductions in posttraumatic stress and related symptoms in response to Internet-based treatments relative to control groups. However, empirical data on the long-term effects of those approaches are sparse. In order to evaluate the long-term effect of an Internet-based intervention, the authors conducted an 18-month follow-up of an Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for posttraumatic stress. Severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms was the primary outcome. Additional measures were depression, anxiety, mental and physical health, and health care utilization during the follow-up period. Treatment group participants (n = 34) were assessed 1.5 years after completing treatment. Results indicated that reductions in symptoms of posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and anxiety found at posttreatment were sustained during the 18-month follow-up period. Preliminary evidence on long-term effects of Internet-based health care as shown in this study is promising. However, research with larger and clinically more diverse samples is needed to fully assess the clinical impact and potential of Internet-based health care provision.

Maximising response rates in household telephone surveys

BackgroundEpidemiological and other studies that require participants to respond by completing a questionnaire face the growing threat of non-response. Response rates to household telephone surveys are diminishing because of changes in telecommunications, marketing and culture. Accordingly, updated information is required about the rate of telephone listing in directories and optimal strategies to maximise survey participation.MethodsA total of 3426 households in Sydney, Australia were approached to participate in a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) regarding their domestic (recycled and/or drinking) water usage. Only randomly selected households in the suburb and postcode of interest with a telephone number listed in the Electronic White Pages (EWP) that matched Australian electoral records were approached.ResultsThe CATI response rate for eligible households contacted by telephone was 39%. The rate of matching of electoral and EWP records, a measure of telephone directory coverage, was 55%.ConclusionThe use of a combination of approaches, such as an advance letter, interviewer training, establishment of researcher credentials, increasing call attempts and targeted call times, remains a good strategy to maximise telephone response rates. However, by way of preparation for future technological changes, reduced telephone number listings and people's increasing resistance to unwanted phone calls, alternatives to telephone surveys, such as internet-based approaches, should be investigated.

Issues in the design of Internet-based systems for collecting patient-reported outcomes

Although there is a growing interest in using patient-reported outcomes (PRO) to monitor disease progression and/or therapeutic response, to improve care, and to screen for physical or psychosocial problems in routine clinical practice, PRO instruments can be difficult to administer, score, and interpret in this setting. Internet-based approaches to PRO collection may help overcome these obstacles. This paper discusses the rationale for using the Internet for routine PRO collection, summarizes relevant literature and ongoing projects, and raises several key design and development issues that should guide further efforts in this area. A small number of Internet-based PRO collection applications have been or are currently being developed. The major characteristics of several of these projects are reviewed and summarized. Successful Internet-based PRO collection applications must address patient and clinician-specific needs related to workflow and to the way in which results are presented. A growing number of instruments have been adapted for and evaluated in a web-based format. Collecting PROs via the Internet has the potential to overcome many of the challenges associated with efforts to routinely use PROs in the clinical encounter.

Using business process specifications and agents to integrate a scenario-driven supply chain

In today's increasingly competitive global market, most enterprises place great stress on reducing order fulfillment costs, minimizing time-to-market and maximizing product quality. The desire of businesses to achieve these goals has seen a shift from a make-to-stock paradigm to a make-to-order paradigm. The success of the make-to-order paradigm requires robust and efficient supply chain integration and implementation in the business-to-business (B2B) environment. Recent Internet-based approaches to this problem have enabled efficient and effective information sharing among trading partners (i.e., customers, manufacturers and suppliers). Here we present an integration framework for supply chain operations among trading partners in the B2B environment. A supply chain scenario is formed, for which an integration framework is proposed by using the concepts of business process specifications (BPS) and agent technology. The BPS with message choreographies among the trading partners is detailed by using a modified unified modelling language (UML). The behaviour of the enterprise applications within each trading partner is modelled as agent concepts by using Petri-nets, which depict how the enterprise applications respond to external events specified in the BPS. The concepts and models proposed in this paper should provide the starting point for the formulation of a structured approach to B2B supply chain integration and implementation.

Pathways to obesity prevention: report of a National Institutes of Health workshop.

There is an extensive research base on obesity treatment and on the health benefits of weight loss, but relatively little research has focused on obesity prevention. This article summarizes results of a workshop conducted by investigators funded under a National Institutes of Health initiative designed to stimulate novel research for obesity prevention. The 20 pilot studies funded under this initiative involved study populations that were diverse with respect to life stage and ethnicity, were conducted in a variety of natural and research settings, and involved a mix of interventions, including face-to-face group and individual counseling, as well as mail, telephone, and internet-based approaches. The workshop, which occurred approximately halfway through the 3-year funding period, emphasized concepts and experiences related to initiating and conducting obesity prevention studies. Investigators discussed theoretical perspectives as well as various challenges encountered, for example, in study implementation in different clinical and community settings, in working with children and families, and in studying pregnant and postpartum women. Other topics discussed included the difficulty of motivating individuals for prevention of weight gain, relevant cultural and racial/ethnic considerations, and the particular need for valid and practical measures of energy balance, body composition, and physical fitness in obesity prevention research. A key conclusion was that using obesity treatment as the primary paradigm may be a limiting perspective for considering obesity prevention issues. Further insights derived from the workshop deliberations are reflected in a detailed list of recommendations for future obesity prevention research.

Public Participation, GIS, and Cyberdemocracy: Evaluating on-Line Spatial Decision Support Systems

In this paper we describe the development of Internet-based approaches to public participation and on-line spatial decision support systems in particular. Two case studies in developing web-based public participation GIS (PPGIS), one local and one regional, are described in detail. Results from the live testing of these systems are shown. These are discussed in the light of recent developments in ‘cyberdemocracy’ and conclusions are drawn about principles of on-line PPGIS and problems associated with public participation, user interaction, and familiarity with IT, copyright issues, access to the Internet, and relevant political structures.

Communication cost of cognitive co-operation for distributed team development

Current team development approaches only focus on work co-operation and resource sharing. Cognitive co-operation has not been paid enough attention, while it becomes more important than ever when the development team is geographically distributed. This paper identifies five types of Internet-based communication approaches for cognitive co-operation among distributed team members: the email-based approach; the blackboard-centred approach; the pure flow-based approach; the combination between the flow-based approach and the email-based approach; and the combination between the flow-based approach and the blackboard-centred approach. The communication costs of these approaches are defined and compared based on a set of assumptions. These comparisons provide the development teams or the designers of team wares the evidence and the method for choosing a suitable cognitive co-operation approach.

Observations from supplementing the traditional design process via Internet-based collaboration tools

We report on our observations about supporting, via the Internet, the design and manufacture of an atomic artefact transport system (ATS) by a team of geographically separated physicists, designers and fabricators. To supplement the design process, we have deployed two Internet-based approaches. In our first approach, we have used a client- and server-based suite of tools with facilities for design activities and design rationale capture. In the second method, we implemented virtual reality modelling language (VRML) as a communication and visualization medium for evaluation of detailed designs and assembly sequences. In each approach, we observed changes in the design process as a result of incorporating collaborative technology. These changes include being able to capture design rationale and exchange ideas analogously to traditional methods, and being able to simulate the assembly sequence in the iterative design phase. Our data support the view that collaborative technologies will supplement, rather than supplant, traditional design processes. We conclude that collaborative environments can be effective in helping teams overcome the problems associated with conflicting schedules, heterogeneous computing environments and data, and can be effective in facilitating consensusbased decision-making necessary for collaborative design.

The Man computer Interactive Data Access System: 25 Years of Interactive Processing

On 12 October 1998, it was the 25th anniversary of the Man computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS). On that date in 1973, McIDAS was first used operationally by scientists as a tool for data analysis. Over the last 25 years, McIDAS has undergone numerous architectural changes in an effort to keep pace with changing technology. In its early years, significant technological breakthroughs were required to achieve the functionality needed by atmospheric scientists. Today McIDAS is challenged by new Internet-based approaches to data access and data display. The history and impact of McIDAS, along with some of the lessons learned, are presented here.

Using the Internet To Improve Long-Distance Travel Data Collection

Long-distance travel behavior is an increasingly important topic of study in Europe. However, the collection of information on long-distance mobility presents particular methodological difficulties. At the same time that these new challenges are emerging, the development of the World Wide Web (WWW) is opening up new technological opportunities. The objective of this paper is to describe work currently under way at Imperial College to develop a WWW-based travel survey tool for the collection of long-distance travel data. In the first section of the paper the methodological difficulties associated with the collection of information on long-distance travel behavior are briefly outlined. Then a taxonomy of computer-based travel survey methods is presented. This taxonomy is used to identify a number of different possible Internet-based survey approaches, and the potential methodological advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed. After the key elements of the Internet travel diary application ( i TDA) are set out, the results of a series of small-scale cognitive laboratory studies undertaken to investigate the effect of this new method of data collection on respondents are presented. Finally, some overall conclusions from the work to date are presented, and the implications for future research are discussed.

A Business Education Resource for Ethics Sites on the Web

This article identifies and analyzes excellent resource materials that educators can use to integrate ethics content into the curricula. It includes a discussion of specific pedagogical approaches for using these resources to help students understand business and professional ethics. Advantages associated with Internet-based pedagogical approaches include improved timeliness of information, enhanced realism, and simultaneous integration of ethical and technological perspectives within the business curricula.