Uptake Of Digital Technologies Research Articles

The effect of digital transformation on the productivity of business enterprises in South Africa

As digital technologies continue to shape the economy, countries are faced with increasing scrutiny in the use of digital transformation to aid productivity and improve performance. In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Small and medium-sized businesses’ (SMEs’) uptake of digital technologies, as many businesses had to shift their operations online and adopt new digital tools and technologies to solve the challenges posed by the pandemic. This has led to an increased focus on digital transformation mechanisms among South African firms. Therefore, the study examines the effect of digital transformation on the productivity of firms using cross-sectional data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) (2020). The survey was based on firms and is a representative sample of the private sector in the South African economy and covers a wide variety of business environment themes, such as infrastructure, competitiveness, access to finance, and performance indicators. We found that digital transformation improved productivity of South African firms. Furthermore, empirical findings are reassuring robust to the IV-2SLS and quantile regression model, size of business, sectoral and provincial analysis. Finally, we recommend that policy makers should develop and implement initiatives to improve digital infrastructure, including high-speed internet access and reliable connectivity, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Exploring the impact of agricultural digitalization on smallholder farmers' livelihoods in Ghana

With the government's pursuit of a digitalization agenda, Ghana is at the forefront of championing digital transformation in Africa. However, people in rural areas are being left behind in harnessing the immense benefits of digitalization for their livelihoods. This study contributes to policy efforts aimed at bridging that gap by investigating the drivers of agricultural digitalization (AD) as well as its effects on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in rural Ghana. Data from a cross-sectional survey of 525 rural farmers across northern, middle and southern Ghana was employed. The study used the probit and tobit estimators to analyze the drivers and intensity of adoption of digital technologies in agriculture and the inverse probability weighting and regression adjustment estimator to mitigate endogeneity concerns. The results show that while female farmers trail male farmers in the intensity of applying digital technologies, higher educational attainment, better perception of digitalization, group/cooperative membership, number of economically active household members, and access to reliable electricity, internet and mobile money services significantly promote the use of digital technologies in agricultural activities. The results further show that AD is significantly associated with perceived improvements in livelihood assets, and ultimately livelihood outcomes of smallholder farmers in rural Ghana. These findings highlight the importance of investing in rural digital infrastructure by policymakers, the private sector and other stakeholders, so as to expand access to and the uptake of digital technologies in agriculture to bolster rural development in Ghana.

Obstacles and opportunities for automation in sheep and beef farming

Automation of tasks on farm has had limited uptake in tools such as auto-weighing and auto-drafting. To develop an understanding of the range of digital tools and the potential to automate tasks in the sheep and beef industry, workshops with end-users were held in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Current digital technology use on sheep and beef farms included 26 applications representing the categories of communications, administration, monitoring, automated tasks, decision support, prediction, and proof of placement. Obstacles included the amount of time required to either set up or support the technology once in operation. Interoperability and the transfer of information between applications and along the value chain were major obstacles to generating value from combining digital technologies. Automation of data flows along the value chain would provide a significant step forward in the uptake of digital technologies. Digital solutions to aid automation need to be interoperable, with data able to be passed between software solutions, and between users to reduce compliance time and increase accuracy of data handling. The technologies need to be appropriate to be adopted on large scales in an automated way to capture labour-saving benefits. Automation solutions need to translate data into a decision-making form to allow easy interpretation and application of data.

Overcoming barriers to manufacturing digitalization: Policies across EU countries

The digital transformation of manufacturing activities is expected to bring large societal benefits in terms of productivity and sustainability. However, uptake of digital technologies is slower than desirable. As a result, governments are taking action to try to overcome some of the barriers to adoption. However, the mechanisms through which government may act are quite diverse. In this paper, we compare the national strategies across the 27 countries members of the European Union. We map each country's initiative to 14 barriers to the adoption of digital technologies in manufacturing observed in the literature. We observe that most institutional efforts focus on providing funding, developing new regulatory frameworks related to data privacy and security, and creating human capital. Some known barriers to adoption observed at the firm level, such as the lack of off-the-shelf solutions, or the need for retrofitting old equipment, are largely overlooked. We do not find any relationship between the number of initiatives proposed by each country, and the country's existing level of digitalization. We conclude by proposing several policy recommendations, as well as directions for future research.

User perspectives of digital manufacturing for lower-limb prosthetic sockets.

There is growing interest to use digital technology (DT) for manufacturing lower-limb prosthetic sockets to improve efficiency and clinical outcomes. However, little is known about how lower-limb prosthesis users perceive DTs, such as 3D scanning and 3D printing. This study aimed to provide an understanding of perceptions and experiences with DT for prosthetic socket manufacturing from the perspective of prosthesis users. A qualitative descriptive research study. Nine lower-limb prosthesis users (mean age 56; 5 female; 4 male) participated in one-on-one semistructured telephone interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was performed to identify a codebook and emerging themes from the interview transcripts. Two major themes were identified: (1) expectations and prioritization of 3D printed socket usability and (2) facilitators and barriers to uptake of DT among patients. DT methods were found to be acceptable and feasible from a patient perspective, although technological advancements are still required, and real-time communication about the process may be vital for ensuring patient engagement. Consideration of these findings may improve patient satisfaction to emerging prosthesis treatment plans and ultimately support widespread adoption of DT as an additional tool for fabricating prosthetic sockets.

A multivariate regression analysis of barriers to digital technologies adoption in the construction industry

PurposeWith growing concern about sustainable development and increased awareness of environmental issues, digital technologies (DTs) are gaining prominence and becoming a promising trend to improve productivity, sustainability and project performance in the construction industry. Nonetheless, the uptake of DTs in the construction industry has been limited and plagued with roadblocks. This study aims to identify critical barriers for construction organisations to adopt DTs and to demonstrate relationships between organisational characteristics and the perceived DTs adoption barriers.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted an explanatory sequential design by combining the advantages of quantitative and qualitative data. Data collection methods include literature review, a pilot study, questionnaire survey, and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire data were analysed by using SPSS and multivariate regression technique. The interview data were processed by using content analysis to validate and supplement findings from the questionnaire.FindingsBased on the survey and interview results, eight critical barriers were identified: the three top critical barriers are (1) “status quo industry standards”, (2) “lack of client interest” and (3) “lack of financial need/drive for using DTs”. The eight critical barriers were further classified into technical, environmental, and social dimensions to determine the major constructs that hinder DTs adoption. A theoretical framework articulating critical barriers with underlying components and root causes was also proposed. Furthermore, by using multivariate regression analysis, a model was developed to link the organisational characteristics with barriers to DTs adoption.Practical implicationsBy referring to the framework and the model developed, academics, industry practitioners, and decision makers can identify pivotal areas for improvement, make informed decisions and implement remedial measures to remove the barriers to digitalisation transformation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on construction innovations by investigating barriers to DTs adoption holistically as well as perceptions of the impact of organisational attributes on these barriers. It establishes the groundwork for future empirical research into the strategic consolidation of movement of DTs adoption and diffusion.

Digital technology for early identification of exacerbations in people with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic condition affecting various organ systems including the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system and especially the respiratory tract. Pulmonary exacerbations in CF result in increased symptoms, an acceleration in the rate of lung decline and an increased need for treatment. Early detection of infections or clinical worsening provides an opportunity for proactive treatment that may affect clinical outcomes. To evaluate whether digital technology can effectively predict pulmonary exacerbations to allow earlier intervention and improved health outcomes without increasing the burden of treatment in people with CF. We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register and the reference lists of relevant articles and reviews on 13 October 2022. We searched Embase and the clinical trial registries on 3 January 2023. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs in people with CF looking at whether digital technology can effectively predict pulmonary exacerbations to allow earlier intervention and improved health outcomes without increasing the burden of treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were 1. pulmonary exacerbations and 2. quality of life (QoL). Our secondary outcomes were 3. lung function, 4. hospitalisations, 5. intravenous (IV) antibiotics, 6. microbiology, 7. cost-effectiveness and 8. We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence. We included three studies (415 participants) in people with CF aged 15 to 41 years over a 12-month period. One was a multicentre RCT, whilst two were single-centre RCTs. The three studies were mostly similar in their risk of bias, having low or unclear risk of selection bias but a high risk of detection bias, due to the unblinded design of these studies. The studies used a variety of digital technologies to monitor symptoms such as a digital symptom diary either with or without home spirometry monitoring. As the trials only included adults and older children, we are not certain that the results would apply to younger children. One of our primary outcomes was to assess time to detection of pulmonary exacerbation and number of pulmonary exacerbations identified between the intervention and routine care groups. We were largely unable to pool results in a meta-analysis due to the variety of methodologies and ways of reporting data. Two studies noted a shorter time to detection of exacerbations in the intervention group and one of these also reported that the intervention group had a shorter time to first exacerbation (hazard ratio for time to first exacerbation 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09 to 1.93), whilst a further study reported a shorter time to detection of exacerbations in the intervention group requiring oral or IV antibiotics compared to the control group (median: 70 (interquartile range (IQR) 123) days with intervention versus 141 (IQR 140) days with control; P = 0.02). However, all three studies were concordant in finding no probable effect on spirometry in the intervention groups when compared with their routine care groups over a 12-month period. We found that there is probably no difference between groups with regard to QoL scores across most domains except for Weight and Body Image, which favoured the usual care group. There is also probably no difference in the number of days of additional IV antibiotics needed or newly detected pathogens. No studies reported serious adverse events directly linked to the intervention and one study reported their smartphone application was generally well received. Pulmonary exacerbations are universally accepted to be detrimental to progression of CF-related lung disease, therefore, it is intuitive that early detection and intervention would help to improve outcomes. Digital technology provides an opportunity to detect physiological and symptomatic changes to identify exacerbations early. Our review found that digital technologies based on recording physiological change (spirometry) and symptoms probably allow earlier identification of exacerbations as a group. However, this may not reduce the number of exacerbations warranting IV antibiotics and there is probably no effect on lung function. This may be partly due to inconsistent definitions of pulmonary exacerbations and discrepancy in the management strategies for pulmonary exacerbations. Overall, the intervention may make little or no difference to QoL scores. The adherence to and uptake of digital technologies, especially those which include physiological measurements, are not well sustained and the costs of these need to be balanced against the clinical efficacy.

Digital technologies for motor rehabilitation in children: protocol for a cross-sectional European survey

IntroductionDigital technologies can be used as part of paediatric motor rehabilitation to remediate impairment, promote recovery and improve function. However, the uptake of digital technologies in this clinical field may...

Digital Services Tax: Challenge of International Cooperation For Harmonization

The spread of the digital economy brings about many benefits, for example in terms of growth, employment and well-being more generally. These challenges extend well beyond domestic and international tax policy and touch upon areas such as international privacy law and data protection, as well as accounting and regulation, a strategic tax policy perspective, the uptake of digital technologies may potentially constrain the options available to policymakers in relation to the overall tax mix. Technological innovation and the growth of the Internet have profoundly affected trade relations, production processes and products, and the organization of companies. The digital economy is characterized by several key elements, such as the massive expansion of intangible assets; intensive use of data (especially personal data), and widespread adoption of multi-faceted business models that exploit the value externalities of free assets. As the digital economy brings us into new territory, is fair taxation fiction or reality? Although overcoming the numerous ch a l l en g es will be a difficult task for policy makers , fair taxation of the digital e c o n o m y is a reality. A prerequisite to making real sustainable change is enthusiastic country commitment and international cooperation. Asia and the Pacific region need to pull together and push forward the necessary reforms, innovate tax structures and administration, and continue to learn from each other’s experiences. Other key enablers include a coherent strategy and strong evidence-based communication and knowledge.

GLOBAL CONNECTIVTY REPORT 2022. CHAPTERS 7, 10. POLICY AND REGULATORY STRATEGIES THAT DRIVE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION & MEASURING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIVITY: THE CASE FOR MORE AND BETTER STATISTICS

The Global Connectivity Report 2022 takes stock of the progress in digital connectivity over the past three decades. It provides a detailed assessment of the current state of connectivity and how close the world is to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, using a unique analytical framework. It goes on to showcase solutions and good practices to accelerate progress. The second part of the report consists of seven thematic deep dives on infrastructure, affordability, financing, the pandemic, regulation, youth, and data. Chapter 7 (Policy and regulatory strategies that drive digital transformation). The need to redefine policy priorities, the roles of stakeholders, and to identify new tools has never been more pressing. Tensions, nevertheless, persist between established and emerging approaches to policy and regulation and new strategies will need to prove themselves. As digital markets grow and move towards everything-as-a-service, an agile and iterative, lean approach to policy and regulation has started to develop. The agency of regulators and policy-makers and their agility will be the keys to making the implementation of digital policies more impactful. Chapter 10 (Measuring meaningful connectivity: The case for more and better statistics). Data are vital to universal and meaningful digital connectivity. While data volumes have grown exponentially, for many countries reliable statistics on digital connectivity remain surprisingly scant. To assess progress, data on the deployment and uptake of digital technologies are essential. ITU collects, analyses and disseminates statistics from administrative sources and household surveys conducted by national statistical offices. While much progress has been made in recent years, large data gaps remain, especially on indicators collected from household surveys. These gaps are symptomatic of wider data gaps elsewhere. More and better data are needed to understand and remove the barriers to meaningful connectivity, especially for the marginalized people who are still offline. Data cultures, funding and improving the collection, processing and use of data are integral to development.

Section 136 assessments in the COVID‐19 pandemic

Multiple factors related to the COVID‐19 pandemic such as social isolation, economic difficulties and anxiety/uncertainty are thought to likely lead to or exacerbate stress‐related disorders and suicidality in vulnerable people, and thus may lead to a further possible increase in the use of Section 136 detention. Here, Dr Sam and Dr Kelbrick evaluate the presence of clinical record‐keeping following Section 136 Mental Health Act assessments, whether this has changed from pre‐COVID‐19, and the uptake of digital technology in conducting these assessments.

A generation of bricoleurs: digital entrepreneurship in Kenya

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how the uptake of digital technologies influences youth entrepreneurship in Kenya.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes 28 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs age 21–35 in Nairobi, Kenya. Interview transcripts were analyzed using open- and closed-coding.FindingsMillennial entrepreneurs embrace change and challenges by harnessing mobile technologies and social media. In doing so, they are engaging in what French sociologist Lévi-Strauss called “bricolage,” or “making do with what's at hand.”Originality/valueThis study explores a unique segment of entrepreneurs, Millennials in Kenya and identified the ways in which digital entrepreneurship represents a form of bricolage.

Digitally-Enabled Remote Care for Cancer Patients: Here to Stay.

Digital Technology has become a pervasive, even ubiquitous part of our daily lives, affecting almost every aspect of our lives. Although the uptake of digital technology in health care has lagged behind other sectors, today, digital health is already becoming a cornerstone of developed health systems all over the world. Hence, the question is not whether we should adopt digital technology in health care, but how to do it most effectively. Digitally enabled remote care, or telemedicine has been available for many years but large-scale adoption has been slow. COVID-19 has caused a quantum leap in this area and particularly in the area of chronic disease and cancer care. The objective of this article is to briefly review the literature on the use of digitally enabled remote health care, in general and in cancer care specifically, with a focus on nursing practice, and to define the questions that need to be asked to guide effective implementation. Review of the literature and the experience of the authors. There is increasing uptake of digitally enabled remote care. A growing body of evidence suggests that care delivered via telemedicine can be both safe and effective, in some cases with better outcomes than conventional face-to-face care. However, tele-oncology has not yet become standard practice. Digital health solutions need to be integrated into the patient pathway and in health care team practices for optimal supportive care in oncology in line with appropriate guidelines. Training education and formative evaluation are required to guide effective implementation. Formulating the right questions to ask is a critical starting point. There is very little debate today about the centrality of the role of the oncology nurse in coordinating care, guiding the patient, and providing ongoing support. Mobile technology provides an opportunity for monitoring and support through a minimally burdensome, maximally accessible approach. Moreover, smartphones and applications allow for repeated evaluation of adherence and symptoms in real time, ideally enhancing care for patients. However, even with the growing acceptance of "nursing telepractice", there are challenges and barriers to overcome to mainstream digital health into oncology nursing practice. Telemedicine services go much further than simply digitizing traditionally analogue health care processes and services, they fundamentally reorganize processes, procedures, and services. Thus, in addition to training and education, nursing tele-oncology demands a service transformation.

Combining Chatbot and Social Media: Enhancing Personal Learning Environment (PLE) in Language Learning

Transformation of the global learning landscape in twenty-first century is shaped by the uptake of digital technology and social network applications, along with students’ alteration of characteristics, needs, and demands. As an attempt to integrate digital technology and social network application, this study aimed to develop a chatbot-based application integrated with social media LINE to enhance language learning, specifically for learning Japanese grammar. The application, namely Gengobot, is a chatbot-based grammar application, consisting of Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 5 and Level 4 (N5 and N4) grammar materials in three language: Indonesian, English, and Japanese. This study applied design-based research method with Waterfall application development procedure, and a questionnaire to gather feedbacks from fifty-three students regarding Gengobot features and contents. Gengobot application was successfully developed using code igniter framework, MySQL database, and webhook to integrate Gengobot application with LINE messaging API. Application testing confirmed that Gengobot is successfully developed and operated properly. The students agreed that Gengobot materials and features considered to be adequate, useful, user friendly, and suitable to support language learning. Gengobot is also highly accessible since it is integrated to social media LINE, allowing students to adjust its use to their own learning preference and needs, which is suitable to enhance students’ personal learning environment.

Active learning using a smartphone app: analysing land use patterns in Cork City, Ireland

ABSTRACT Opportunities to deploy digital technologies to research agendas and active learning in tertiary education are becoming more widespread. Despite this, many research techniques are still taught using traditional “pen-and-paper” methodologies. In this article, we report on a strategy for integrating mobile technology into our large (275+) module GG1015 Applied Geography, via the use of smartphones and the ESRI Collector for ArcGIS app. Focus groups identified three common themes among students in response to using this mobile technology in geographic research. Our findings suggest that digital technologies can enhance active learning in geography for all students. Similarly, such activities should not only be reserved for small groups, and can be up-scaled for larger class sizes, particularly when using new technologies. Finally, we illustrate how the use of technology in a group setting can foster teamwork, peer-to-peer learning, and positively reinforce the uptake of digital technology in geographic fieldwork.

Primary school teachers’ use of digital technology in mathematics: the complexities

This paper seeks to theorise primary teachers’ degree of integration of digital technology in the mathematics classroom. In an age where digital technology use is ubiquitous, the issues surrounding teachers’ choice, and ultimately their uptake of digital technologies in the classroom, is an area that need to be further unpacked. Cross-case analysis of the two teachers’ uptake of digital technologies in their classroom, their pedagogical approaches and the reason for their choices provide insight into teachers’ technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Differences in the way the teachers use digital technology in their classroom seem to be connected to their TPACK developmental stage.

The role of motive objects in early childhood teacher development concerning children’s digital play and play-based learning in early childhood curricula

Digital technologies are increasingly accepted as a viable aspect of early childhood curriculum. However, teacher uptake of digital technologies in early childhood education and their use with young children in play-based approaches to learning have not been strong. Traditional approaches to the problem of teacher uptake of digital technologies in early childhood curricula argue that more professional development is needed to help teachers learn to use the technologies with children. However, by focusing on children’s play instead of teacher knowledge about using technologies with young children, the ‘problem’ of teacher uptake of technologies in the early years may be re-phrased as a field-specific problem concerned with defining and understanding young children’s digital play. This argument is illustrated here through a recent study of teacher perspectives on digital play in the early years. Our aim is to offer an alternative response to the problem of uptake of digital technologies, whereby teachers’ motives for engaging in professional development are understood in relation to children’s play-based learning.

Advancing Global Health Research Through Digital Technology and Sharing Data

The imperative for improving health in the world's poorest regions lies in research, yet there is no question that low participation, a lack of trained staff, and limited opportunities for data sharing in developing countries impede advances in medical practice and public health knowledge. Extensive studies are essential to develop new treatments and to identify better ways to manage healthcare issues. Recent rapid advances in availability and uptake of digital technologies, especially of mobile networks, have the potential to overcome several barriers to collaborative research in remote places with limited access to resources. Many research groups are already taking advantage of these technologies for data sharing and capture, and these initiatives indicate that increasing acceptance and use of digital technology could promote rapid improvements in global medical science.