Sample records for system quality information

  1. Motivating medical information system performance by system quality, service quality, and job satisfaction for evidence-based practice.

    PubMed

    Chang, Ching-Sheng; Chen, Su-Yueh; Lan, Yi-Ting

    2012-11-21

    No previous studies have addressed the integrated relationships among system quality, service quality, job satisfaction, and system performance; this study attempts to bridge such a gap with evidence-based practice study. The convenience sampling method was applied to the information system users of three hospitals in southern Taiwan. A total of 500 copies of questionnaires were distributed, and 283 returned copies were valid, suggesting a valid response rate of 56.6%. SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 17.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for data analysis and processing. The findings are as follows: System quality has a positive influence on service quality (γ11= 0.55), job satisfaction (γ21= 0.32), and system performance (γ31= 0.47). Service quality (β31= 0.38) and job satisfaction (β32= 0.46) will positively influence system performance. It is thus recommended that the information office of hospitals and developers take enhancement of service quality and user satisfaction into consideration in addition to placing b on system quality and information quality when designing, developing, or purchasing an information system, in order to improve benefits and gain more achievements generated by hospital information systems.

  2. Motivating medical information system performance by system quality, service quality, and job satisfaction for evidence-based practice

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background No previous studies have addressed the integrated relationships among system quality, service quality, job satisfaction, and system performance; this study attempts to bridge such a gap with evidence-based practice study. Methods The convenience sampling method was applied to the information system users of three hospitals in southern Taiwan. A total of 500 copies of questionnaires were distributed, and 283 returned copies were valid, suggesting a valid response rate of 56.6%. SPSS 17.0 and AMOS 17.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for data analysis and processing. Results The findings are as follows: System quality has a positive influence on service quality (γ11= 0.55), job satisfaction (γ21= 0.32), and system performance (γ31= 0.47). Service quality (β31= 0.38) and job satisfaction (β32= 0.46) will positively influence system performance. Conclusions It is thus recommended that the information office of hospitals and developers take enhancement of service quality and user satisfaction into consideration in addition to placing b on system quality and information quality when designing, developing, or purchasing an information system, in order to improve benefits and gain more achievements generated by hospital information systems. PMID:23171394

  3. Information Quality Evaluation of C2 Systems at Architecture Level

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    based on architecture models of C2 systems, which can help to identify key factors impacting information quality and improve the system capability at the stage of architecture design of C2 system....capability evaluation of C2 systems at architecture level becomes necessary and important for improving the system capability at the stage of architecture ... design . This paper proposes a method for information quality evaluation of C2 system at architecture level. First, the information quality model is

  4. Evaluating the success of an emergency response medical information system.

    PubMed

    Petter, Stacie; Fruhling, Ann

    2011-07-01

    STATPack™ is an information system used to aid in the diagnosis of pathogens in hospitals and state public health laboratories. STATPack™ is used as a communication and telemedicine diagnosis tool during emergencies. This paper explores the success of this emergency response medical information system (ERMIS) using a well-known framework of information systems success developed by DeLone and McLean. Using an online survey, the entire population of STATPack™ users evaluated the success of the information system by considering system quality, information quality, system use, intention to use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and organizational impact. The results indicate that the overall quality of this ERMIS (i.e., system quality, information quality, and service quality) has a positive impact on both user satisfaction and intention to use the system. However, given the nature of ERMIS, overall quality does not necessarily predict use of the system. Moreover, the user's satisfaction with the information system positively affected the intention to use the system. User satisfaction, intention to use, and system use had a positive influence on the system's impact on the individual. Finally, the organizational impacts of the system were positively influenced by use of the system and the system's individual impact on the user. The results of the study demonstrate how to evaluate the success of an ERMIS as well as introduce potential changes in how one applies the DeLone and McLean success model in an emergency response medical information system context. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. A conceptual persistent healthcare quality improvement process for software development management.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jen-Chiun; Su, Mei-Ju; Cheng, Po-Hsun; Weng, Yung-Chien; Chen, Sao-Jie; Lai, Jin-Shin; Lai, Feipei

    2007-01-01

    This paper illustrates a sustained conceptual service quality improvement process for the management of software development within a healthcare enterprise. Our proposed process is revised from Niland's healthcare quality information system (HQIS). This process includes functions to survey the satisfaction of system functions, describe the operation bylaws on-line, and provide on-demand training. To achieve these goals, we integrate five information systems in National Taiwan University Hospital, including healthcare information systems, health quality information system, requirement management system, executive information system, and digital learning system, to form a full Deming cycle. A preliminary user satisfaction survey showed that our outpatient information system scored an average of 71.31 in 2006.

  6. Nurses' Satisfaction With Using Nursing Information Systems From Technology Acceptance Model and Information Systems Success Model Perspectives: A Reductionist Approach.

    PubMed

    Lin, Hsien-Cheng

    2017-02-01

    Nursing information systems can enhance nursing practice and the efficiency and quality of administrative affairs within the nursing department and thus have been widely considered for implementation. Close alignment of human-computer interaction can advance optimal clinical performance with the use of information systems. However, a lack of introduction of the concept of alignment between users' perceptions and technological functionality has caused dissatisfaction, as shown in the existing literature. This study provides insight into the alignment between nurses' perceptions and how technological functionality affects their satisfaction with Nursing Information System use through a reductionist perspective of alignment. This cross-sectional study collected data from 531 registered nurses in Taiwan. The results indicated that "perceived usefulness in system quality alignment," "perceived usefulness in information quality alignment," "perceived ease of use in system quality alignment," "perceived ease of use in information quality alignment," and "perceived ease of use in service quality alignment" have significantly affected nurses' satisfaction with Nursing Information System use. However, "perceived usefulness in service quality alignment" had no significant effect on nurses' satisfaction. This study also provides some meaningful implications for theoretical and practical aspects of design.

  7. Design and realization of high quality prime farmland planning and management information system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Manchun; Liu, Guohong; Liu, Yongxue; Jiang, Zhixin

    2007-06-01

    The article discusses the design and realization of a high quality prime farmland planning and management information system based on SDSS. Models in concept integration, management planning are used in High Quality Prime Farmland Planning in order to refine the current model system and the management information system is deigned with a triangular structure. Finally an example of Tonglu county high quality prime farmland planning and management information system is introduced.

  8. Informatics Resources to Support Health Care Quality Improvement in the Veterans Health Administration

    PubMed Central

    Hynes, Denise M.; Perrin, Ruth A.; Rappaport, Steven; Stevens, Joanne M.; Demakis, John G.

    2004-01-01

    Information systems are increasingly important for measuring and improving health care quality. A number of integrated health care delivery systems use advanced information systems and integrated decision support to carry out quality assurance activities, but none as large as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA's Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) is a large-scale, multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative designed to ensure excellence in all areas where VHA provides health care services, including inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings. In this paper, we describe the role of information systems in the VHA QUERI process, highlight the major information systems critical to this quality improvement process, and discuss issues associated with the use of these systems. PMID:15187063

  9. Where is information quality lost at clinical level? A mixed-method study on information systems and data quality in three urban Kenyan ANC clinics

    PubMed Central

    Hahn, Daniel; Wanjala, Pepela; Marx, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Background Well-working health information systems are considered vital with the quality of health data ranked of highest importance for decision making at patient care and policy levels. In particular, health facilities play an important role, since they are not only the entry point for the national health information system but also use health data (and primarily) for patient care. Design A multiple case study was carried out between March and August 2012 at the antenatal care (ANC) clinics of two private and one public Kenyan hospital to describe clinical information systems and assess the quality of information. The following methods were developed and employed in an iterative process: workplace walkthroughs, structured and in-depth interviews with staff members, and a quantitative assessment of data quality (completeness and accurate transmission of clinical information and reports in ANC). Views of staff and management on the quality of employed information systems, data quality, and influencing factors were captured qualitatively. Results Staff rated the quality of information higher in the private hospitals employing computers than in the public hospital which relies on paper forms. Several potential threats to data quality were reported. Limitations in data quality were common at all study sites including wrong test results, missing registers, and inconsistencies in reports. Feedback was seldom on content or quality of reports and usage of data beyond individual patient care was low. Conclusions We argue that the limited data quality has to be seen in the broader perspective of the information systems in which it is produced and used. The combination of different methods has proven to be useful for this. To improve the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems, combined measures are needed which include technical and organizational aspects (e.g. regular feedback to health workers) and individual skills and motivation. PMID:23993022

  10. Where is information quality lost at clinical level? A mixed-method study on information systems and data quality in three urban Kenyan ANC clinics.

    PubMed

    Hahn, Daniel; Wanjala, Pepela; Marx, Michael

    2013-08-29

    Well-working health information systems are considered vital with the quality of health data ranked of highest importance for decision making at patient care and policy levels. In particular, health facilities play an important role, since they are not only the entry point for the national health information system but also use health data (and primarily) for patient care. A multiple case study was carried out between March and August 2012 at the antenatal care (ANC) clinics of two private and one public Kenyan hospital to describe clinical information systems and assess the quality of information. The following methods were developed and employed in an iterative process: workplace walkthroughs, structured and in-depth interviews with staff members, and a quantitative assessment of data quality (completeness and accurate transmission of clinical information and reports in ANC). Views of staff and management on the quality of employed information systems, data quality, and influencing factors were captured qualitatively. Staff rated the quality of information higher in the private hospitals employing computers than in the public hospital which relies on paper forms. Several potential threats to data quality were reported. Limitations in data quality were common at all study sites including wrong test results, missing registers, and inconsistencies in reports. Feedback was seldom on content or quality of reports and usage of data beyond individual patient care was low. We argue that the limited data quality has to be seen in the broader perspective of the information systems in which it is produced and used. The combination of different methods has proven to be useful for this. To improve the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems, combined measures are needed which include technical and organizational aspects (e.g. regular feedback to health workers) and individual skills and motivation.

  11. A new approach to power quality and electricity reliability monitoring-case study illustrations of the capabilities of the I-GridTM system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Divan, Deepak; Brumsickle, William; Eto, Joseph

    2003-04-01

    This report describes a new approach for collecting information on power quality and reliability and making it available in the public domain. Making this information readily available in a form that is meaningful to electricity consumers is necessary for enabling more informed private and public decisions regarding electricity reliability. The system dramatically reduces the cost (and expertise) needed for customers to obtain information on the most significant power quality events, called voltage sags and interruptions. The system also offers widespread access to information on power quality collected from multiple sites and the potential for capturing information on the impacts ofmore » power quality problems, together enabling a wide variety of analysis and benchmarking to improve system reliability. Six case studies demonstrate selected functionality and capabilities of the system, including: Linking measured power quality events to process interruption and downtime; Demonstrating the ability to correlate events recorded by multiple monitors to narrow and confirm the causes of power quality events; and Benchmarking power quality and reliability on a firm and regional basis.« less

  12. Exploring nursing e-learning systems success based on information system success model.

    PubMed

    Chang, Hui-Chuan; Liu, Chung-Feng; Hwang, Hsin-Ginn

    2011-12-01

    E-learning is thought of as an innovative approach to enhance nurses' care service knowledge. Extensive research has provided rich information toward system development, courses design, and nurses' satisfaction with an e-learning system. However, a comprehensive view in understanding nursing e-learning system success is an important but less focused-on topic. The purpose of this research was to explore net benefits of nursing e-learning systems based on the updated DeLone and McLean's Information System Success Model. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to collected 208 valid nurses' responses from 21 of Taiwan's medium- and large-scale hospitals that have implemented nursing e-learning systems. The result confirms that the model is sufficient to explore the nurses' use of e-learning systems in terms of intention to use, user satisfaction, and net benefits. However, while the three exogenous quality factors (system quality, information quality, and service quality) were all found to be critical factors affecting user satisfaction, only information quality showed a direct effect on the intention to use. This study provides useful insights for evaluating nursing e-learning system qualities as well as an understanding of nurses' intentions and satisfaction related to performance benefits.

  13. Modelling End-User of Electronic-Government Service: The Role of Information quality, System Quality and Trust

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Witarsyah Jacob, Deden; Fudzee, Mohd Farhan Md; Aizi Salamat, Mohamad; Kasim, Shahreen; Mahdin, Hairulnizam; Azhar Ramli, Azizul

    2017-08-01

    Many governments around the world increasingly use internet technologies such as electronic government to provide public services. These services range from providing the most basic informational website to deploying sophisticated tools for managing interactions between government agencies and beyond government. Electronic government (e-government) aims to provide a more accurate, easily accessible, cost-effective and time saving for the community. In this study, we develop a new model of e-government adoption service by extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) through the incorporation of some variables such as System Quality, Information Quality and Trust. The model is then tested using a large-scale, multi-site survey research of 237 Indonesian citizens. This model will be validated by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The result indicates that System Quality, Information Quality and Trust variables proven to effect user behavior. This study extends the current understanding on the influence of System Quality, Information Quality and Trust factors to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

  14. Preface to QoIS 2009

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Comyn-Wattiau, Isabelle; Thalheim, Bernhard

    Quality assurance is a growing research domain within the Information Systems (IS) and Conceptual Modeling (CM) disciplines. Ongoing research on quality in IS and CM is highly diverse and encompasses theoretical aspects including quality definition and quality models, and practical/empirical aspects such as the development of methods, approaches and tools for quality measurement and improvement. Current research on quality also includes quality characteristics definitions, validation instruments, methodological and development approaches to quality assurance during software and information systems development, quality monitors, quality assurance during information systems development processes and practices, quality assurance both for data and (meta)schemata, quality support for information systems data import and export, quality of query answering, and cost/benefit analysis of quality assurance processes. Quality assurance is also depending on the application area and the specific requirements in applications such as health sector, logistics, public sector, financial sector, manufacturing, services, e-commerce, software, etc. Furthermore, quality assurance must also be supported for data aggregation, ETL processes, web content management and other multi-layered applications. Quality assurance is typically requiring resources and has therefore beside its benefits a computational and economical trade-off. It is therefore also based on compromising between the value of quality data and the cost for quality assurance.

  15. Information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmitz, Vanessa; Rosecler Bez el Boukhari, Marta

    2007-11-01

    This article describes information systems as a quality management tool in clinical laboratories. The quality of laboratory analyses is of fundamental importance for health professionals in aiding appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Information systems allow the automation of internal quality management processes, using standard sample tests, Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard multirule analysis. This simplifies evaluation and interpretation of quality tests and reduces the possibility of human error. This study proposes the development of an information system with appropriate functions and costs for the automation of internal quality control in small and medium-sized clinical laboratories. To this end, it evaluates the functions and usability of two commercial software products designed for this purpose, identifying the positive features of each, so that these can be taken into account during the development of the proposed system.

  16. Orienting health care information systems toward quality: how Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound did it.

    PubMed

    Goverman, I L

    1994-11-01

    Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (GHC), a large staff-model health maintenance organization based in Seattle, is redesigning its information systems to provide the systems and information needed to support its quality agenda. Long-range planning for GHC's information resources was done in three phases. In assessment, interviews, surveys, and a benchmarking effort identified strengths and weaknesses of the existing information systems. We concluded that we needed to improve clinical care and patient management systems and enhance health plan applications. In direction setting, we developed six objectives (for example, approach information systems in a way that is consistent with quality improvement principles). Detailed planning was used to define projects, timing, and resource allocations. Some of the most important efforts in the resulting five-year plan include the development of (1) a computerized patient record; (2) a provider-based clinical workstation for access to patient information, order entry, results reporting, guidelines, and reminders; (3) a comprehensive set of patient management and service quality systems; (4) reengineered structures, policies, and processes within the health plan, supported by a complete set of integrated information systems; (5) a standardized, high-capacity communications network to provide linkages both within GHC and among its business partners; and (6) a revised oversight structure for information services, which forms partnerships with users. A quality focus ensured that each project not only produced its own benefits but also supported the larger organizational goals associated with "total" quality.

  17. Ranking sources of hospital quality information for orthopedic surgery patients: consequences for the system of managed competition.

    PubMed

    Bes, Romy Evelien; van den Berg, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    Healthcare quality information is crucial for the system of managed competition. Within a system of managed competition, health insurers can selectively contract care providers and are allowed to channel patients towards contracted providers. The idea is that insurers have a stronger bargaining position compared to care providers when they are able to channel patients. In the Dutch system of managed competition that was implemented in 2006, channelling patients to preferred providers has not yet been very successful. Empirical knowledge of which sources of hospital quality information they find important may help us to understand how to channel patients to preferred providers. The objective of this survey was to measure how patients rank various sources of information when they compare hospital quality in a system of managed competition. A written survey was conducted among clients of a large Dutch health insurance company. These clients underwent orthopedic surgery on the hip or knee no longer than 12 months ago. Two major players within a system of managed competition-health insurers and the government-were not seen as important sources of hospital quality information. In contrast, own experience and general practitioners (GPs) were seen as the most important sources of hospital quality information within the Dutch system of managed competition. Health insurers should take the main finding-that GPs are the most important source of hospital quality information-into account when they contract care providers and develop strategies for channeling patients towards preferred providers. A well-functioning system of managed competition will benefit patients, as it involves incentives for care providers to increase healthcare quality and to produce at the lowest cost per unit of quality.

  18. Information system success model for customer relationship management system in health promotion centers.

    PubMed

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae; Choi, In Young

    2013-06-01

    Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. THE EVALUATION AREAS OF THE CRM SYSTEM INCLUDES THREE AREAS: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems.

  19. Information System Success Model for Customer Relationship Management System in Health Promotion Centers

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. Methods The evaluation areas of the CRM system includes three areas: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Results Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. Conclusions This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems. PMID:23882416

  20. Educational Information Quantization for Improving Content Quality in Learning Management Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rybanov, Alexander Aleksandrovich

    2014-01-01

    The article offers the educational information quantization method for improving content quality in Learning Management Systems. The paper considers questions concerning analysis of quality of quantized presentation of educational information, based on quantitative text parameters: average frequencies of parts of speech, used in the text; formal…

  1. Design and Establishment of Quality Model of Fundamental Geographic Information Database

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, W.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, Y.; Zhang, P.; Dang, Y.; Zhao, T.

    2018-04-01

    In order to make the quality evaluation for the Fundamental Geographic Information Databases(FGIDB) more comprehensive, objective and accurate, this paper studies and establishes a quality model of FGIDB, which formed by the standardization of database construction and quality control, the conformity of data set quality and the functionality of database management system, and also designs the overall principles, contents and methods of the quality evaluation for FGIDB, providing the basis and reference for carry out quality control and quality evaluation for FGIDB. This paper designs the quality elements, evaluation items and properties of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database gradually based on the quality model framework. Connected organically, these quality elements and evaluation items constitute the quality model of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database. This model is the foundation for the quality demand stipulation and quality evaluation of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database, and is of great significance on the quality assurance in the design and development stage, the demand formulation in the testing evaluation stage, and the standard system construction for quality evaluation technology of the Fundamental Geographic Information Database.

  2. Online information system for data collection of cattle quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugiharti, E.; Arifudin, R.; Putra, A. T.

    2018-03-01

    Innovation and development of the science and technology which proclaimed by the government through Ristekdikti need to be supported. On the other hand, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries began introducing the Cattle Card system that contains the identity of each farm animal. Therefore, UNNES especially the Department of Computer Science of FMIPA UNNES, need to give positive contribution in the field of Science and Technology to support the manual system of Cattle Card, through the preparation of prototype of the online information system of data collection of cattle in Semarang regency. The main problem is how to monitor the data of cattle quality through online information system in Semarang regency? The purpose of this research is to produce the prototype of an online information system for data collection of cattle quality in Semarang regency. Main activities: (1) Prepare the flowchart of an online system for data collection of cattle quality. (2) Collecting data to obtain data on identity descriptions of each cattle, owners, mutation records, and health records of livestock cattle. (3) Creation of the prototype of an online information system for data collection of cattle quality in Semarang Regency. The results, (1) had been produced the prototype of an online information system for data collection of cattle in the region of Semarang regency. (2) Socialization of the online information system for cattle quality data collection and exploring input from various related stakeholders. (3) There had been a limited trial of prototypes of the system in Pabelan district in the working area of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of Semarang regency and succeeded well.

  3. Quality Requirements for Electronic Health Record Systems*. A Japanese-German Information Management Perspective.

    PubMed

    Winter, Alfred; Takabayashi, Katsuhiko; Jahn, Franziska; Kimura, Eizen; Engelbrecht, Rolf; Haux, Reinhold; Honda, Masayuki; Hübner, Ursula H; Inoue, Sozo; Kohl, Christian D; Matsumoto, Takehiro; Matsumura, Yasushi; Miyo, Kengo; Nakashima, Naoki; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Staemmler, Martin

    2017-08-07

    For more than 30 years, there has been close cooperation between Japanese and German scientists with regard to information systems in health care. Collaboration has been formalized by an agreement between the respective scientific associations. Following this agreement, two joint workshops took place to explore the similarities and differences of electronic health record systems (EHRS) against the background of the two national healthcare systems that share many commonalities. To establish a framework and requirements for the quality of EHRS that may also serve as a basis for comparing different EHRS. Donabedian's three dimensions of quality of medical care were adapted to the outcome, process, and structural quality of EHRS and their management. These quality dimensions were proposed before the first workshop of EHRS experts and enriched during the discussions. The Quality Requirements Framework of EHRS (QRF-EHRS) was defined and complemented by requirements for high quality EHRS. The framework integrates three quality dimensions (outcome, process, and structural quality), three layers of information systems (processes and data, applications, and physical tools) and three dimensions of information management (strategic, tactical, and operational information management). Describing and comparing the quality of EHRS is in fact a multidimensional problem as given by the QRF-EHRS framework. This framework will be utilized to compare Japanese and German EHRS, notably those that were presented at the second workshop.

  4. Benchmarking the State of Kosrae's Education Management Information System. REL 2017-174

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendall, John S.; Dandapani, Nitara; Cicchinelli, Louis F.

    2016-01-01

    A quality data management system, such as an education management information system (EMIS), a state longitudinal data system, or a data warehouse, is key to ensuring that education policy, planning, and strategy decisions are grounded in accurate information (Data Quality Campaign, 2010; Mohamed, Kadir, May-Lin, Rahman, & Arshad, 2009;…

  5. Benchmarking the State of Chuuk's Education Management Information System. REL 2017-176

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendall, John S.; Dandapani, Nitara; Cicchinelli, Louis F.

    2016-01-01

    A quality data management system, such as an education management information system (EMIS), a state longitudinal data system, or a data warehouse, is key to ensuring that education policy, planning, and strategy decisions are grounded in accurate information (Data Quality Campaign, 2010; Mohamed, Kadir, May-Lin, Rahman, & Arshad, 2009;…

  6. Benchmarking the State of Pohnpei's Education Management Information System. REL 2017-175

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendall, John S.; Dandapani, Nitara; Cicchinelli, Louis F.

    2016-01-01

    A quality data management system, such as an education management information system (EMIS), a state longitudinal data system, or a data warehouse, is key to ensuring that education policy, planning, and strategy decisions are grounded in accurate information (Data Quality Campaign, 2010; Mohamed, Kadir, May-Lin, Rahman, & Arshad, 2009;…

  7. Quality Information--Informed Choices: Advancing the Workforce Information System. Secretary of Labor's Workforce Information System Plan for Federal Fiscal Years 2001-2005.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Workforce Information Council (DOL), Washington, DC.

    The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 emphasizes the importance of high quality, accessible, and relevant information about the labor market for making sound decisions. In order to help both workers and employers, as well as the government agencies that serve them, the Workforce Information System was created and is being improved. The action plan…

  8. An Informatics Blueprint for Healthcare Quality Information Systems

    PubMed Central

    Niland, Joyce C.; Rouse, Layla; Stahl, Douglas C.

    2006-01-01

    There is a critical gap in our nation's ability to accurately measure and manage the quality of medical care. A robust healthcare quality information system (HQIS) has the potential to address this deficiency through the capture, codification, and analysis of information about patient treatments and related outcomes. Because non-technical issues often present the greatest challenges, this paper provides an overview of these socio-technical issues in building a successful HQIS, including the human, organizational, and knowledge management (KM) perspectives. Through an extensive literature review and direct experience in building a practical HQIS (the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Outcomes Research Database system), we have formulated an “informatics blueprint” to guide the development of such systems. While the blueprint was developed to facilitate healthcare quality information collection, management, analysis, and reporting, the concepts and advice provided may be extensible to the development of other types of clinical research information systems. PMID:16622161

  9. A CIS (Clinical Information System) Quality Evaluation Tool for Nursing Care Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Seon Ah

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to evaluate the quality of a clinical information system (CIS) conceived by nurses and conduct a pilot test with the developed tool as an initial assessment. CIS quality is required for successful implementation in information technology (IT) environments. The study started with the realization that…

  10. [A proposal for introduction of Europeristat-compatible information system aiming a unified quality control of obstetrical and perinatological care in Hungary].

    PubMed

    Berkő, Péter

    2016-05-01

    It is a regrettable deficiency in the Hungarian healthcare that the culture and the system of quality control of cure have not been formed (except for a few subspecialties, units or wards). If hospital wards do not have a national, professionally unified and modern information system presenting the most important quantity and quality indicators of their medicinal activity annually, a stable basis for definition of future tasks is absent. The author puts forward a proposal for the establishment of the information systems for different professional fields. On the basis of experience of perinatological information system operating for over 3 decades in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, he also proposes introduction of a nationally unified, Europeristat-compatible information system following Tauffer-statistics which may serve as a uniform quality control of obstetrics and perinatological care, as well as introduction of its base, the dataform "TePERA" (Form of Obstetrics and Perinatological Care Risk).

  11. Integrated care: an Information Model for Patient Safety and Vigilance Reporting Systems.

    PubMed

    Rodrigues, Jean-Marie; Schulz, Stefan; Souvignet, Julien

    2015-01-01

    Quality management information systems for safety as a whole or for specific vigilances share the same information types but are not interoperable. An international initiative tries to develop an integrated information model for patient safety and vigilance reporting to support a global approach of heath care quality.

  12. Quality evaluation of health information system's architectures developed using the HIS-DF methodology.

    PubMed

    López, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd; Gonzalez, Carolina

    2010-01-01

    Requirement analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, use, and maintenance of semantically interoperable Health Information Systems (HIS) have to be based on eHealth standards. HIS-DF is a comprehensive approach for HIS architectural development based on standard information models and vocabulary. The empirical validity of HIS-DF has not been demonstrated so far. Through an empirical experiment, the paper demonstrates that using HIS-DF and HL7 information models, semantic quality of HIS architecture can be improved, compared to architectures developed using traditional RUP process. Semantic quality of the architecture has been measured in terms of model's completeness and validity metrics. The experimental results demonstrated an increased completeness of 14.38% and an increased validity of 16.63% when using the HIS-DF and HL7 information models in a sample HIS development project. Quality assurance of the system architecture in earlier stages of HIS development presumes an increased quality of final HIS systems, which supposes an indirect impact on patient care.

  13. Resource, quality and safety management.

    PubMed

    Hovenga, Evelyn J S

    2010-01-01

    This chapter gives an educational overview of: * Resource management relative to sustainability and the use casemix systems * Types of resources and their information system needs to support their optimal management * Quality, performance measurement options and associated information needs * Casemix systems' characteristics, usage and need for enterprise systems.

  14. Evaluating Nurses' Satisfaction With Two Nursing Information Systems.

    PubMed

    Khajouei, Reza; Abbasi, Reza

    2017-06-01

    Evaluating user satisfaction is one of the methods to ensure the usability of information systems. Considering the importance of nursing information systems in patient health, the objective of this study is to evaluate nurses' satisfaction with two widely used nursing information systems (Peyvand Dadeh and Tirazhe) in Iran. This descriptive-analytical study was done on 230 nurses in all teaching hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Data were collected using an augmented version of a questionnaire developed by IBM. Data were analyzed by SPSS.16 using descriptive and analytical statistical methods including t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean of overall satisfaction with the two systems was 61 ± 2.2 and 74 ± 2.4, respectively. The mean of satisfaction with different systems dimensions, that is, ease of use, information quality, and interface quality, was, respectively, 24 ± 1.9, 26 ± 9.7, and 12 ± 4.7 for Tirazhe and 29 ± 1.1, 39 ± 1.04 and 13 ± 5.3 for Peyvand Dadeh system. Nurses' satisfaction with both systems was at a medium level. The majority of nurses were relatively satisfied with the information quality and user interface quality of these systems. The results suggest that designing nursing information systems in accordance with their users' need improves usability. Hence, policy and decision makers of healthcare institutions should invest on usability when purchasing such systems.

  15. Accuracy and reliability of Chile's National Air Quality Information System for measuring particulate matter: Beta attenuation monitoring issue.

    PubMed

    Toro A, Richard; Campos, Claudia; Molina, Carolina; Morales S, Raul G E; Leiva-Guzmán, Manuel A

    2015-09-01

    A critical analysis of Chile's National Air Quality Information System (NAQIS) is presented, focusing on particulate matter (PM) measurement. This paper examines the complexity, availability and reliability of monitoring station information, the implementation of control systems, the quality assurance protocols of the monitoring station data and the reliability of the measurement systems in areas highly polluted by particulate matter. From information available on the NAQIS website, it is possible to confirm that the PM2.5 (PM10) data available on the site correspond to 30.8% (69.2%) of the total information available from the monitoring stations. There is a lack of information regarding the measurement systems used to quantify air pollutants, most of the available data registers contain gaps, almost all of the information is categorized as "preliminary information" and neither standard operating procedures (operational and validation) nor assurance audits or quality control of the measurements are reported. In contrast, events that cause saturation of the monitoring detectors located in northern and southern Chile have been observed using beta attenuation monitoring. In these cases, it can only be concluded that the PM content is equal to or greater than the saturation concentration registered by the monitors and that the air quality indexes obtained from these measurements are underestimated. This occurrence has been observed in 12 (20) public and private stations where PM2.5 (PM10) is measured. The shortcomings of the NAQIS data have important repercussions for the conclusions obtained from the data and for how the data are used. However, these issues represent opportunities for improving the system to widen its use, incorporate comparison protocols between equipment, install new stations and standardize the control system and quality assurance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Factors of quality of financial report of local government in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muda, Iskandar; Haris Harahap, Abdul; Erlina; Ginting, Syafruddin; Maksum, Azhar; Abubakar, Erwin

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to find out whether the Accounting Information System and Internal Control in Local Revenue Office to the affect the Quality of Financial Report of Local Government. The sampling was conducted by using simple random sampling method in which the sample was determined without considering strata. The data research was conducted by distributing the questionnaires. The results showed that the degree of Accounting Information System and Internal Control simultaneously affect the Quality of Financial Report of Local Government. However, partially, Partially, accounting information system influence to the quality of financial report of local government and the internal control does not affect the quality of financial report.

  17. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  18. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  19. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  20. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Information relating to quality aspects. 26.19... relating to quality aspects. The authorities will establish an appropriate means of exchanging information... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM...

  1. Decision Maker Perception of Information Quality: A Case Study of Military Command and Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Grayson B.

    2013-01-01

    Decision maker perception of information quality cues from an "information system" (IS) and the process which creates such meta cueing, or data about cues, is a critical yet un-modeled component of "situation awareness" (SA). Examples of common information quality meta cueing for quality criteria include custom ring-tones for…

  2. Leveraging Health Information Technology to Improve Quality in Federal Healthcare.

    PubMed

    Weigel, Fred K; Switaj, Timothy L; Hamilton, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    Healthcare delivery in America is extremely complex because it is comprised of a fragmented and nonsystematic mix of stakeholders, components, and processes. Within the US healthcare structure, the federal healthcare system is poised to lead American medicine in leveraging health information technology to improve the quality of healthcare. We posit that through developing, adopting, and refining health information technology, the federal healthcare system has the potential to transform federal healthcare quality by managing the complexities associated with healthcare delivery. Although federal mandates have spurred the widespread use of electronic health records, other beneficial technologies have yet to be adopted in federal healthcare settings. The use of health information technology is fundamental in providing the highest quality, safest healthcare possible. In addition, health information technology is valuable in achieving the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's implementation goals. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using the Google Scholar, PubMed, and Cochrane databases to identify an initial list of articles. Through a thorough review of the titles and abstracts, we identified 42 articles as having relevance to health information technology and quality. Through our exclusion criteria of currency of the article, citation frequency, applicability to the federal health system, and quality of research supporting conclusions, we refined the list to 11 references from which we performed our analysis. The literature shows that the use of computerized physician order entry has significantly increased accurate medication dosage and decreased medication errors. The use of clinical decision support systems have significantly increased physician adherence to guidelines, although there is little evidence that indicates any significant correlation to patient outcomes. Research shows that interoperability and usability are continuing challenges for implementation. The Veterans Administration is the only entity within the federal health system that has published research on the use of health information technology to improve quality. The federal healthcare system has existing systems in place with computerized physician order entry systems and clinical decision support systems, but these should be advanced. Particular focus and attention should be placed on data mining capabilities, integrating the electronic health record across all aspects of care, using the electronic health record to improve quality at the point of care, and developing interoperable and usable health information technology.

  3. Validation of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model.

    PubMed

    Ojo, Adebowale I

    2017-01-01

    This study is an adaptation of the widely used DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of hospital information systems in a developing country. A survey research design was adopted in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 442 health information management personnel in five Nigerian teaching hospitals. A structural equation modeling technique was used to validate the model's constructs. It was revealed that system quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Information quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.24, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Also, service quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). However, use did not significantly influence user satisfaction (β = 0.00, p > 0.05), but it significantly influenced perceived net benefits (β = 0.21, p < 0.001). Furthermore, user satisfaction did not significantly influence perceived net benefits (β = 0.00, p > 0.05). The study validates the DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of a hospital information system in a developing country. Importantly, system quality and use were found to be important measures of hospital information system success. It is, therefore, imperative that hospital information systems are designed in such ways that are easy to use, flexible, and functional to serve their purpose.

  4. Validation of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Objectives This study is an adaptation of the widely used DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of hospital information systems in a developing country. Methods A survey research design was adopted in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 442 health information management personnel in five Nigerian teaching hospitals. A structural equation modeling technique was used to validate the model's constructs. Results It was revealed that system quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Information quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.24, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). Also, service quality significantly influenced use (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and user satisfaction (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). However, use did not significantly influence user satisfaction (β = 0.00, p > 0.05), but it significantly influenced perceived net benefits (β = 0.21, p < 0.001). Furthermore, user satisfaction did not significantly influence perceived net benefits (β = 0.00, p > 0.05). Conclusions The study validates the DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of a hospital information system in a developing country. Importantly, system quality and use were found to be important measures of hospital information system success. It is, therefore, imperative that hospital information systems are designed in such ways that are easy to use, flexible, and functional to serve their purpose. PMID:28261532

  5. Information technology as a tool to improve the quality of American Indian health care.

    PubMed

    Sequist, Thomas D; Cullen, Theresa; Ayanian, John Z

    2005-12-01

    The American Indian/Alaska Native population experiences a disproportionate burden of disease across a spectrum of conditions. While the recent National Healthcare Disparities Report highlighted differences in quality of care among racial and ethnic groups, there was only very limited information available for American Indians. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is currently enhancing its information systems to improve the measurement of health care quality as well as to support quality improvement initiatives. We summarize current knowledge regarding health care quality for American Indians, highlighting the variation in reported measures in the existing literature. We then discuss how the IHS is using information systems to produce standardized performance measures and present future directions for improving American Indian health care quality.

  6. External Quality Control Review of the Defense Information Systems Agency Audit Organization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-07

    We are providing this report for your information and use. We have reviewed the system of quality control for the audit organization of the Defense...audit organization encompasses the audit organization’s leadership, emphasis on performing high quality work, and policies and procedures established

  7. A Personalized Health Information Retrieval System

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yunli; Liu, Zhenkai

    2005-01-01

    Consumers face barriers when seeking health information on the Internet. A Personalized Health Information Retrieval System (PHIRS) is proposed to recommend health information for consumers. The system consists of four modules: (1) User modeling module captures user’s preference and health interests; (2) Automatic quality filtering module identifies high quality health information; (3) Automatic text difficulty rating module classifies health information into professional or patient educational materials; and (4) User profile matching module tailors health information for individuals. The initial results show that PHIRS could assist consumers with simple search strategies. PMID:16779435

  8. 76 FR 2123 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Announcement of Office of Management and Budget...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-12

    ...; Current Good Manufacturing Practice Quality System Regulation AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... information entitled ``Current Good Manufacturing Practice Quality System Regulation'' has been approved by...

  9. 75 FR 39696 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-12

    ...; Title of Information Collection: QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) Account Form; Use: The QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) account registration form must be completed by any new...

  10. Information security system quality assessment through the intelligent tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trapeznikov, E. V.

    2018-04-01

    The technology development has shown the automated system information security comprehensive analysis necessity. The subject area analysis indicates the study relevance. The research objective is to develop the information security system quality assessment methodology based on the intelligent tools. The basis of the methodology is the information security assessment model in the information system through the neural network. The paper presents the security assessment model, its algorithm. The methodology practical implementation results in the form of the software flow diagram are represented. The practical significance of the model being developed is noted in conclusions.

  11. Mississippi Quality Step System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS)Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Mississippi's Quality Step System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Application…

  12. Asan medical information system for healthcare quality improvement.

    PubMed

    Ryu, Hyeon Jeong; Kim, Woo Sung; Lee, Jae Ho; Min, Sung Woo; Kim, Sun Ja; Lee, Yong Su; Lee, Young Ha; Nam, Sang Woo; Eo, Gi Seung; Seo, Sook Gyoung; Nam, Mi Hyun

    2010-09-01

    This purpose of this paper is to introduce the status of the Asan Medical Center (AMC) medical information system with respect to healthcare quality improvement. Asan Medical Information System (AMIS) is projected to become a completely electronic and digital information hospital. AMIS has played a role in improving the health care quality based on the following measures: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, privacy, and security. AMIS CONSISTED OF SEVERAL DISTINCTIVE SYSTEMS: order communication system, electronic medical record, picture archiving communication system, clinical research information system, data warehouse, enterprise resource planning, IT service management system, and disaster recovery system. The most distinctive features of AMIS were the high alert-medication recognition & management system, the integrated and severity stratified alert system, the integrated patient monitoring system, the perioperative diabetic care monitoring and support system, and the clinical indicator management system. AMIS provides IT services for AMC, 7 affiliated hospitals and over 5,000 partners clinics, and was developed to improve healthcare services. The current challenge of AMIS is standard and interoperability. A global health IT strategy is needed to get through the current challenges and to provide new services as needed.

  13. 75 FR 57035 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-17

    ... collection; Title of Information Collection: QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) Account Form; Use: The QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) account registration form must be completed by any...

  14. Information Technology and the Baldrige Quality Award: The Role and Impact of Information, Systems, and Service Quality at a Community College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noble Burak, Deborah

    2010-01-01

    Educational institutions, especially community colleges, are facing challenges to provide accessible, affordable, and quality learning opportunities to a growing number of both traditional and nontraditional students. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems facilitate institutional operations and provide an integrated platform for information…

  15. High Performance Work Systems and Organizational Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Information Quality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Preuss, Gil A.

    2003-01-01

    A study of the effect of high-performance work systems on 935 nurses and 182 nurses aides indicated that quality of decision-making information depends on workers' interpretive skills and partially mediated effects of work design and total quality management on organizational performance. Providing relevant knowledge and opportunities to use…

  16. IS Success Model in E-Learning Context Based on Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeze, Ronald D.; Alshare, Khaled A.; Lane, Peggy L.; Wen, H. Joseph

    2010-01-01

    This study utilized the Information Systems Success (ISS) model in examining e-learning systems success. The study was built on the premise that system quality (SQ) and information quality (IQ) influence system use and user satisfaction, which in turn impact system success. A structural equation model (SEM), using LISREL, was used to test the…

  17. Analysis of the Factors Affecting Consumer Acceptance of Accredited Online Health Information

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    With the increasing use of the internet and the spread of smartphones, health information seekers obtain considerable information through the internet. As the amount of online health information increases, the need for quality management of health information has been emphasized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the intention of using accredited online health information by applying the extended technology acceptance model (Extended-TAM). An online survey was conducted from September 15, 2016 to October 3, 2016, on 500 men and women aged 19–69 years. The results showed that the greatest factor influencing the acceptance of the accredited health information was perceived usefulness, and the expectation for the quality of the accreditation system was the most important mediator variable. In order to establish the health information accreditation system as a means to provide easy and useful information to the consumers, it is necessary to carry out quality management and promote the system through the continuous monitoring of the accreditation system. PMID:28960026

  18. Spatial Data Quality Control Procedure applied to the Okavango Basin Information System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butchart-Kuhlmann, Daniel

    2014-05-01

    Spatial data is a powerful form of information, capable of providing information of great interest and tremendous use to a variety of users. However, much like other data representing the 'real world', precision and accuracy must be high for the results of data analysis to be deemed reliable and thus applicable to real world projects and undertakings. The spatial data quality control (QC) procedure presented here was developed as the topic of a Master's thesis, in the sphere of and using data from the Okavango Basin Information System (OBIS), itself a part of The Future Okavango (TFO) project. The aim of the QC procedure was to form the basis of a method through which to determine the quality of spatial data relevant for application to hydrological, solute, and erosion transport modelling using the Jena Adaptable Modelling System (JAMS). As such, the quality of all data present in OBIS classified under the topics of elevation, geoscientific information, or inland waters, was evaluated. Since the initial data quality has been evaluated, efforts are underway to correct the errors found, thus improving the quality of the dataset.

  19. HOW GOOD ARE MY DATA? INFORMATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory


    Quality assurance techniques used in software development and hardware maintenance/reliability help to ensure that data in a computerized information management system are maintained well. However, information workers may not know the quality of the data resident in their inf...

  20. Comparing a Japanese and a German hospital information system.

    PubMed

    Jahn, F; Issler, L; Winter, A; Takabayashi, K

    2009-01-01

    To examine the architectural differences and similarities of a Japanese and German hospital information system (HIS) in a case study. This cross-cultural comparison, which focuses on structural quality characteristics, offers the chance to get new insights into different HIS architectures, which possibly cannot be obtained by inner-country comparisons. A reference model for the domain layer of hospital information systems containing the typical enterprise functions of a hospital provides the basis of comparison for the two different hospital information systems. 3LGM(2) models, which describe the two HISs and which are based on that reference model, are used to assess several structural quality criteria. Four of these criteria are introduced in detail. The two examined HISs are different in terms of the four structural quality criteria examined. Whereas the centralized architecture of the hospital information system at Chiba University Hospital causes only few functional redundancies and leads to a low implementation of communication standards, the hospital information system at the University Hospital of Leipzig, having a decentralized architecture, exhibits more functional redundancies and a higher use of communication standards. Using a model-based comparison, it was possible to detect remarkable differences between the observed hospital information systems of completely different cultural areas. However, the usability of 3LGM(2) models for comparisons has to be improved in order to apply key figures and to assess or benchmark the structural quality of health information systems architectures more thoroughly.

  1. 42 CFR 480.143 - QIO involvement in shared health data systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.143 QIO involvement in shared health data...

  2. 42 CFR 480.143 - QIO involvement in shared health data systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.143 QIO involvement in shared health data...

  3. 42 CFR 480.143 - QIO involvement in shared health data systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.143 QIO involvement in shared health data...

  4. Missouri Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Missouri's Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  5. New Hampshire Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of New Hampshire's Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

  6. An importance-performance analysis of hospital information system attributes: A nurses' perspective.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Jason F; Coleman, Emma; Kangethe, Matheri J

    2016-02-01

    Health workers have numerous concerns about hospital IS (HIS) usage. Addressing these concerns requires understanding the system attributes most important to their satisfaction and productivity. Following a recent HIS implementation, our objective was to identify priorities for managerial intervention based on user evaluations of the performance of the HIS attributes as well as the relative importance of these attributes to user satisfaction and productivity outcomes. We collected data along a set of attributes representing system quality, data quality, information quality, and service quality from 154 nurse users. Their quantitative responses were analysed using the partial least squares approach followed by an importance-performance analysis. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis to triangulate and supplement the quantitative findings. Two system quality attributes (responsiveness and ease of learning), one information quality attribute (detail), one service quality attribute (sufficient support), and three data quality attributes (records complete, accurate and never missing) were identified as high priorities for intervention. Our application of importance-performance analysis is unique in HIS evaluation and we have illustrated its utility for identifying those system attributes for which underperformance is not acceptable to users and therefore should be high priorities for intervention. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Total Quality Management of Information System for Quality Assessment of Pesantren Using Fuzzy-SERVQUAL

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faizah, Arbiati; Syafei, Wahyul Amien; Isnanto, R. Rizal

    2018-02-01

    This research proposed a model combining an approach of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Fuzzy method of Service Quality (SERVQUAL) to asses service quality. TQM implementation was as quality management orienting on customer's satisfaction by involving all stakeholders. SERVQUAL model was used to measure quality service based on five dimensions such as tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Fuzzy set theory was to accommodate subjectivity and ambiguity of quality assessment. Input data consisted of indicator data and quality assessment aspect. Input data was, then, processed to be service quality assessment questionnaires of Pesantren by using Fuzzy method to get service quality score. This process consisted of some steps as follows : inputting dimension and questionnaire data to data base system, filling questionnaire through system, then, system calculated fuzzification, defuzzification, gap of quality expected and received by service receivers, and calculating each dimension rating showing quality refinement priority. Rating of each quality dimension was, then, displayed at dashboard system to enable users to see information. From system having been built, it could be known that tangible dimension had the highest gap, -0.399, thus it needs to be prioritized and gets evaluation and refinement action soon.

  8. Improving Hospital Quality and Patient Safety an Examination of Organizational Culture and Information Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, John Wallace

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation examines the effects of safety culture, including operational climate and practices, as well as the adoption and use of information systems for delivering high quality healthcare and improved patient experience. Chapter 2 studies the influence of both general and outcome-specific hospital climate and quality practices on process…

  9. Assessing and Managing Quality of Information Assurance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-11-01

    such as firewalls, antivirus scanning tools and mechanisms for user authentication and authorization. Advanced mission-critical systems often...imply increased risk to DoD information systems. The Process and Organizational Maturity (POM) class focuses on the maturity of the software and...include architectural quality. Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) is a recent example that highlights the connection between software quality and

  10. 42 CFR 480.143 - QIO involvement in shared health data systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.143 QIO involvement in shared health data...

  11. 42 CFR 480.143 - QIO involvement in shared health data systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS ACQUISITION, PROTECTION, AND DISCLOSURE OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION REVIEW INFORMATION Utilization and Quality Control Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) Disclosure of Confidential Information § 480.143 QIO involvement in shared health data...

  12. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INFORMATION SYSTEM - EQULS® - ITER

    EPA Science Inventory

    This project consisted of an evaluation of the Environmental Quality Information System (EQuIS) software designed by Earthsoft, Inc. as an environmental data management and analysis platform for monitoring and remediation projects. In consultation with the EQuIS vendor, six pri...

  13. Importance of relationship quality in the success of data warehouse systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almabhouh, Alaaeddin; Saleh, Abdul; Ahmad, Azizah

    2011-10-01

    Increased organizational dependence on data warehouse (DW) systems drives management attention towards improving DW systems success. However, the successful implementation rate of DW systems is low and many firms did not achieve intended goals. A recent studies show that improves and evaluates DW success is one of the top concerns facing IT/DW executives. Existing information system (IS) research has studied DW success more from information quality and system quality. Researchers argue in this study that we should also take the relationship quality, which has significant research and practical implications in that it connects to IS success directly. As our first attempt, this study, referring to both IS and marketing literature, examines how communication, coordination, cooperation, commitment, and trust can be achieved to some degrees by high quality relationships between DW parties.

  14. Assessment of efficiency of functioning the infocommunication systems a special purpose in the conditions of violation quality of relevance information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parinov, A. V.; Korotkikh, L. P.; Desyatov, D. B.; Stepanov, L. V.

    2018-03-01

    The uniqueness of information processing mechanisms in special-purpose infocommunication systems and the increased interest of intruders lead to an increase in the relevance of the problems associated with their protection. The paper considers the issues of building risk-models for the violation of the relevance and value of information in infocommunication systems for special purposes. Also, special attention is paid to the connection between the qualities of relevance and the value of information obtained as a result of the operation of infocommunication systems for special purposes. Analytical expressions for the risk and damage function in the time range in special-purpose infocommunication systems are obtained, which can serve as a mathematical basis for risk assessment. Further, an analytical expression is obtained to assess the chance of obtaining up-to-date information in the operation of infocommunication systems up to the time the information quality is violated. An analytical expression for estimating the chance can be used to calculate the effectiveness of a special-purpose infocommunication system.

  15. Implementation of Consolidated HIS: Improving Quality and Efficiency of Healthcare

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Jinwook; Seo, Jeong-Wook; Chung, Chun Kee; Kim, Kyung-Hwan; Kim, Ju Han; Kim, Jong Hyo; Chie, Eui Kyu; Cho, Hyun-Jai; Goo, Jin Mo; Lee, Hyuk-Joon; Wee, Won Ryang; Nam, Sang Mo; Lim, Mi-Sun; Kim, Young-Ah; Yang, Seung Hoon; Jo, Eun Mi; Hwang, Min-A; Kim, Wan Suk; Lee, Eun Hye; Choi, Su Hi

    2010-01-01

    Objectives Adoption of hospital information systems offers distinctive advantages in healthcare delivery. First, implementation of consolidated hospital information system in Seoul National University Hospital led to significant improvements in quality of healthcare and efficiency of hospital management. Methods The hospital information system in Seoul National University Hospital consists of component applications: clinical information systems, clinical research support systems, administrative information systems, management information systems, education support systems, and referral systems that operate to generate utmost performance when delivering healthcare services. Results Clinical information systems, which consist of such applications as electronic medical records, picture archiving and communication systems, primarily support clinical activities. Clinical research support system provides valuable resources supporting various aspects of clinical activities, ranging from management of clinical laboratory tests to establishing care-giving procedures. Conclusions Seoul National University Hospital strives to move its hospital information system to a whole new level, which enables customized healthcare service and fulfills individual requirements. The current information strategy is being formulated as an initial step of development, promoting the establishment of next-generation hospital information system. PMID:21818449

  16. Iowa Child Care Quality Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Iowa's Child Care Quality Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile is divided into the following categories: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family Child Care Programs;…

  17. Louisiana Quality Start Child Care Rating System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Louisiana's Quality Start Child Care Rating System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs;…

  18. Health care quality measures for children and adolescents in Foster Care: feasibility testing in electronic records.

    PubMed

    Deans, Katherine J; Minneci, Peter C; Nacion, Kristine M; Leonhart, Karen; Cooper, Jennifer N; Scholle, Sarah Hudson; Kelleher, Kelly J

    2018-02-22

    Preventive quality measures for the foster care population are largely untested. The objective of the study is to identify healthcare quality measures for young children and adolescents in foster care and to test whether the data required to calculate these measures can be feasibly extracted and interpreted within an electronic health records or within the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. The AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care served as the guideline for determining quality measures. Quality measures related to well child visits, developmental screenings, immunizations, trauma-related care, BMI measurements, sexually transmitted infections and depression were defined. Retrospective chart reviews were performed on a cohort of children in foster care from a single large pediatric institution and related county. Data available in the Ohio Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System was compared to the same population studied in the electronic health record review. Quality measures were calculated as observed (received) to expected (recommended) ratios (O/E ratios) to describe the actual quantity of recommended health care that was received by individual children. Electronic health records and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System data frequently lacked important information on foster care youth essential for calculating the measures. Although electronic health records were rich in encounter specific clinical data, they often lacked custodial information such as the dates of entry into and exit from foster care. In contrast, Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System included robust data on custodial arrangements, but lacked detailed medical information. Despite these limitations, several quality measures were devised that attempted to accommodate these limitations. In this feasibility testing, neither the electronic health records at a single institution nor the county level Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System was able to independently serve as a reliable source of data for health care quality measures for foster care youth. However, the ability to leverage both sources by matching them at an individual level may provide the complement of data necessary to assess the quality of healthcare.

  19. Sociotechnical factors influencing unsafe use of hospital information systems: A qualitative study in Malaysian government hospitals.

    PubMed

    Salahuddin, Lizawati; Ismail, Zuraini; Hashim, Ummi Rabaah; Raja Ikram, Raja Rina; Ismail, Nor Haslinda; Naim Mohayat, Mohd Hariz

    2018-03-01

    The objective of this study is to identify factors influencing unsafe use of hospital information systems in Malaysian government hospitals. Semi-structured interviews with 31 medical doctors in three Malaysian government hospitals implementing total hospital information systems were conducted between March and May 2015. A thematic qualitative analysis was performed on the resultant data to deduce the relevant themes. A total of five themes emerged as the factors influencing unsafe use of a hospital information system: (1) knowledge, (2) system quality, (3) task stressor, (4) organization resources, and (5) teamwork. These qualitative findings highlight that factors influencing unsafe use of a hospital information system originate from multidimensional sociotechnical aspects. Unsafe use of a hospital information system could possibly lead to the incidence of errors and thus raises safety risks to the patients. Hence, multiple interventions (e.g. technology systems and teamwork) are required in shaping high-quality hospital information system use.

  20. National healthcare systems and the need for health information governance.

    PubMed

    Hovenga, Evelyn J S

    2013-01-01

    This chapter gives an overview of health data, information and knowledge governance needs and associated generic principles so that information systems are able to automate such data collections from point-of-care operational systems. Also covered are health information systems' dimensions and known barriers to the delivery of quality health services, including environmental, technology and governance influences of any population's health status within the context of national health systems. This is where health information managers and health informaticians need to resolve the many challenges associated with eHealth implementations where data are assets, efficient information flow is essential, the ability to acquire new knowledge desirable, and where the use of data and information needs to be viewed from a governance perspective to ensure reliable and quality information is obtained to enhance decision making.

  1. [eHealth in Peru: implementation of policies to strengthen health information systems].

    PubMed

    Curioso, Walter H

    2014-01-01

    Health information systems play a key role in enabling high quality, complete health information to be available in a timely fashion for operational and strategic decision-making that makes it possible to save lives and improve the health and quality of life of the population. In many countries, health information systems are weak, incomplete, and fragmented. However, there is broad consensus in the literature of the need to strengthen health information systems in countries around the world. The objective of this paper is to present the essential components of the conceptual framework to strengthen health information systems in Peru. It describes the principal actions and strategies of the Ministry of Health of Peru during the process of strengthening health information systems. These systems make it possible to orient policies for appropriate decision-making in public health.

  2. Service Quality: A Main Determinant Factor for Health Information System Success in Low-resource Settings.

    PubMed

    Tilahun, Binyam; Fritz, Fleur

    2015-01-01

    With the increasing implementation of different health information systems in developing countries, there is a growing need to measure the main determinants of their success. The results of this evaluation study on the determinants of HIS success in five low resource setting hospitals show that service quality is the main determinant factor for information system success in those kind of settings.

  3. Validation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education and School-Age Care. Research-to-Policy, Research-to-Practice Brief. OPRE 2012-29

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zellman, Gail L.; Fiene, Richard

    2012-01-01

    Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) for early care and education and school age care programs are designed to collect information about quality and to use that information to produce program-level ratings, which are the foundation of a QRIS. The ratings are intended to make program quality transparent for parents and other stakeholders…

  4. A Clinical Support System Based on Quality of Life Estimation.

    PubMed

    Faria, Brígida Mónica; Gonçalves, Joaquim; Reis, Luis Paulo; Rocha, Álvaro

    2015-10-01

    Quality of life is a concept influenced by social, economic, psychological, spiritual or medical state factors. More specifically, the perceived quality of an individual's daily life is an assessment of their well-being or lack of it. In this context, information technologies may help on the management of services for healthcare of chronic patients such as estimating the patient quality of life and helping the medical staff to take appropriate measures to increase each patient quality of life. This paper describes a Quality of Life estimation system developed using information technologies and the application of data mining algorithms to access the information of clinical data of patients with cancer from Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck services of an oncology institution. The system was evaluated with a sample composed of 3013 patients. The results achieved show that there are variables that may be significant predictors for the Quality of Life of the patient: years of smoking (p value 0.049) and size of the tumor (p value < 0.001). In order to assign the variables to the classification of the quality of life the best accuracy was obtained by applying the John Platt's sequential minimal optimization algorithm for training a support vector classifier. In conclusion data mining techniques allow having access to patients additional information helping the physicians to be able to know the quality of life and produce a well-informed clinical decision.

  5. 42 CFR 441.585 - Quality assurance system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... provides information about the provisions of quality improvement and assurance to each individual receiving... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quality assurance system. 441.585 Section 441.585...) § 441.585 Quality assurance system. (a) States must establish and maintain a comprehensive, continuous...

  6. An Interoperable Architecture for Air Pollution Early Warning System Based on Sensor Web

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samadzadegan, F.; Zahmatkesh, H.; Saber, M.; Ghazi khanlou, H. J.

    2013-09-01

    Environmental monitoring systems deal with time-sensitive issues which require quick responses in emergency situations. Handling the sensor observations in near real-time and obtaining valuable information is challenging issues in these systems from a technical and scientific point of view. The ever-increasing population growth in urban areas has caused certain problems in developing countries, which has direct or indirect impact on human life. One of applicable solution for controlling and managing air quality by considering real time and update air quality information gathered by spatially distributed sensors in mega cities, using sensor web technology for developing monitoring and early warning systems. Urban air quality monitoring systems using functionalities of geospatial information system as a platform for analysing, processing, and visualization of data in combination with Sensor Web for supporting decision support systems in disaster management and emergency situations. This system uses Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) framework of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), which offers a standard framework that allows the integration of sensors and sensor data into spatial data infrastructures. SWE framework introduces standards for services to access sensor data and discover events from sensor data streams as well as definition set of standards for the description of sensors and the encoding of measurements. The presented system provides capabilities to collect, transfer, share, process air quality sensor data and disseminate air quality status in real-time. It is possible to overcome interoperability challenges by using standard framework. In a routine scenario, air quality data measured by in-situ sensors are communicated to central station where data is analysed and processed. The extracted air quality status is processed for discovering emergency situations, and if necessary air quality reports are sent to the authorities. This research proposed an architecture to represent how integrate air quality sensor data stream into geospatial data infrastructure to present an interoperable air quality monitoring system for supporting disaster management systems by real time information. Developed system tested on Tehran air pollution sensors for calculating Air Quality Index (AQI) for CO pollutant and subsequently notifying registered users in emergency cases by sending warning E-mails. Air quality monitoring portal used to retrieving and visualize sensor observation through interoperable framework. This system provides capabilities to retrieve SOS observation using WPS in a cascaded service chaining pattern for monitoring trend of timely sensor observation.

  7. Improving the quality of cancer care in America through health information technology.

    PubMed

    Feeley, Thomas W; Sledge, George W; Levit, Laura; Ganz, Patricia A

    2014-01-01

    A recent report from the Institute of Medicine titled Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis, identifies improvement in information technology (IT) as essential to improving the quality of cancer care in America. The report calls for implementation of a learning healthcare IT system: a system that supports patient-clinician interactions by providing patients and clinicians with the information and tools necessary to make well informed medical decisions and to support quality measurement and improvement. While some elements needed for a learning healthcare system are already in place for cancer, they are incompletely implemented, have functional deficiencies, and are not integrated in a way that creates a true learning healthcare system. To achieve the goal of a learning cancer care delivery system, clinicians, professional organizations, government, and the IT industry will have to partner, develop, and incentivize participation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  8. SYN-OP-SYS™: A Computerized Management Information System for Quality Assurance and Risk Management

    PubMed Central

    Thomas, David J.; Weiner, Jayne; Lippincott, Ronald C.

    1985-01-01

    SYN·OP·SYS™ is a computerized management information system for quality assurance and risk management. Computer software for the efficient collection and analysis of “occurrences” and the clinical data associated with these kinds of patient events is described. The system is evaluated according to certain computer design criteria, and the system's implementation is assessed.

  9. Analysis of the Factors Affecting Consumer Acceptance of Accredited Online Health Information.

    PubMed

    Jo, Heui Sug; Song, Tae Min; Kim, Bong Gi

    2017-11-01

    With the increasing use of the internet and the spread of smartphones, health information seekers obtain considerable information through the internet. As the amount of online health information increases, the need for quality management of health information has been emphasized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the intention of using accredited online health information by applying the extended technology acceptance model (Extended-TAM). An online survey was conducted from September 15, 2016 to October 3, 2016, on 500 men and women aged 19-69 years. The results showed that the greatest factor influencing the acceptance of the accredited health information was perceived usefulness, and the expectation for the quality of the accreditation system was the most important mediator variable. In order to establish the health information accreditation system as a means to provide easy and useful information to the consumers, it is necessary to carry out quality management and promote the system through the continuous monitoring of the accreditation system. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

  10. Expert database system for quality control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Anne J.; Li, Zhi-Cheng

    1993-09-01

    There are more competitors today. Markets are not homogeneous they are fragmented into increasingly focused niches requiring greater flexibility in the product mix shorter manufacturing production runs and above allhigher quality. In this paper the author identified a real-time expert system as a way to improve plantwide quality management. The quality control expert database system (QCEDS) by integrating knowledge of experts in operations quality management and computer systems use all information relevant to quality managementfacts as well as rulesto determine if a product meets quality standards. Keywords: expert system quality control data base

  11. Satellite data driven modeling system for predicting air quality and visibility during wildfire and prescribed burn events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nair, U. S.; Keiser, K.; Wu, Y.; Maskey, M.; Berendes, D.; Glass, P.; Dhakal, A.; Christopher, S. A.

    2012-12-01

    The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) is responsible for wildfire control and also prescribed burn management in the state of Alabama. Visibility and air quality degradation resulting from smoke are two pieces of information that are crucial for this activity. Currently the tools available to AFC are the dispersion index available from the National Weather Service and also surface smoke concentrations. The former provides broad guidance for prescribed burning activities but does not provide specific information regarding smoke transport, areas affected and quantification of air quality and visibility degradation. While the NOAA operational air quality guidance includes surface smoke concentrations from existing fire events, it does not account for contributions from background aerosols, which are important for the southeastern region including Alabama. Also lacking is the quantification of visibility. The University of Alabama in Huntsville has developed a state-of-the-art integrated modeling system to address these concerns. This system based on the Community Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ) that ingests satellite derived smoke emissions and also assimilates NASA MODIS derived aerosol optical thickness. In addition, this operational modeling system also simulates the impact of potential prescribed burn events based on location information derived from the AFC prescribed burn permit database. A lagrangian model is used to simulate smoke plumes for the prescribed burns requests. The combined air quality and visibility degradation resulting from these smoke plumes and background aerosols is computed and the information is made available through a web based decision support system utilizing open source GIS components. This system provides information regarding intersections between highways and other critical facilities such as old age homes, hospitals and schools. The system also includes satellite detected fire locations and other satellite derived datasets relevant for fire and smoke management.

  12. Electronic health information quality challenges and interventions to improve public health surveillance data and practice.

    PubMed

    Dixon, Brian E; Siegel, Jason A; Oemig, Tanya V; Grannis, Shaun J

    2013-01-01

    We examined completeness, an attribute of data quality, in the context of electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) of notifiable disease information to public health agencies. We extracted more than seven million ELR messages from multiple clinical information systems in two states. We calculated and compared the completeness of various data fields within the messages that were identified to be important to public health reporting processes. We compared unaltered, original messages from source systems with similar messages from another state as well as messages enriched by a health information exchange (HIE). Our analysis focused on calculating completeness (i.e., the number of nonmissing values) for fields deemed important for inclusion in notifiable disease case reports. The completeness of data fields for laboratory transactions varied across clinical information systems and jurisdictions. Fields identifying the patient and test results were usually complete (97%-100%). Fields containing patient demographics, patient contact information, and provider contact information were suboptimal (6%-89%). Transactions enhanced by the HIE were found to be more complete (increases ranged from 2% to 25%) than the original messages. ELR data from clinical information systems can be of suboptimal quality. Public health monitoring of data sources and augmentation of ELR message content using HIE services can improve data quality.

  13. User’s manual to update the National Wildlife Refuge System Water Quality Information System (WQIS)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Vishy, Chad J.; Hinck, Jo Ellen; Finger, Susan E.; Higgins, Michael J.; Kilbride, Kevin

    2013-01-01

    National Wildlife Refuges may have impaired water quality resulting from historic and current land uses, upstream sources, and aerial pollutant deposition. National Wildlife Refuge staff have limited time available to identify and evaluate potential water quality issues. As a result, water quality–related issues may not be resolved until a problem has already arisen. The National Wildlife Refuge System Water Quality Information System (WQIS) is a relational database developed for use by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff to identify existing water quality issues on refuges in the United States. The WQIS database relies on a geospatial overlay analysis of data layers for ownership, streams and water quality. The WQIS provides summary statistics of 303(d) impaired waters and total maximum daily loads for the National Wildlife Refuge System at the national, regional, and refuge level. The WQIS allows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff to be proactive in addressing water quality issues by identifying and understanding the current extent and nature of 303(d) impaired waters and subsequent total maximum daily loads. Water quality data are updated bi-annually, making it necessary to refresh the WQIS to maintain up-to-date information. This manual outlines the steps necessary to update the data and reports in the WQIS.

  14. Information management for aged care provision in Australia: development of an aged care minimum dataset and strategies to improve quality and continuity of care.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jenny; Morgans, Amee; Burgess, Stephen

    2016-04-01

    Efficient information systems support the provision of multi-disciplinary aged care and a variety of organisational purposes, including quality, funding, communication and continuity of care. Agreed minimum data sets enable accurate communication across multiple care settings. However, in aged care multiple and poorly integrated data collection frameworks are commonly used for client assessment, government reporting and funding purposes. To determine key information needs in aged care settings to improve information quality, information transfer, safety, quality and continuity of care to meet the complex needs of aged care clients. Modified Delphi methods involving five stages were employed by one aged care provider in Victoria, Australia, to establish stakeholder consensus for a derived minimum data set and address barriers to data quality. Eleven different aged care programs were identified; with five related data dictionaries, three minimum data sets, five program standards or quality frameworks. The remaining data collection frameworks related to diseases classification, funding, service activity reporting, and statistical standards and classifications. A total of 170 different data items collected across seven internal information systems were consolidated to a derived set of 60 core data items and aligned with nationally consistent data collection frameworks. Barriers to data quality related to inconsistencies in data items, staff knowledge, workflow, system access and configuration. The development an internal aged care minimum data set highlighted the critical role of primary data quality in the upstream and downstream use of client information; and presents a platform to build national consistency across the sector.

  15. Quality evaluation on an e-learning system in continuing professional education of nurses.

    PubMed

    Lin, I-Chun; Chien, Yu-Mei; Chang, I-Chiu

    2006-01-01

    Maintaining high quality in Web-based learning is a powerful means of increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of distance learning. Many studies have evaluated Web-based learning but seldom evaluate from the information systems (IS) perspective. This study applied the famous IS Success model in measuring the quality of a Web-based learning system using a Web-based questionnaire for data collection. One hundred and fifty four nurses participated in the survey. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, the variables of the research model fit for measuring the quality of a Web-based learning system. As Web-based education continues to grow worldwide, the results of this study may assist the system adopter (hospital executives), the learner (nurses), and the system designers in making reasonable and informed judgments with regard to the quality of Web-based learning system in continuing professional education.

  16. Models and Methods of Aggregating Linguistic Information in Multi-criteria Hierarchical Quality Assessment Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azarnova, T. V.; Titova, I. A.; Barkalov, S. A.

    2018-03-01

    The article presents an algorithm for obtaining an integral assessment of the quality of an organization from the perspective of customers, based on the method of aggregating linguistic information on a multilevel hierarchical system of quality assessment. The algorithm is of a constructive nature, it provides not only the possibility of obtaining an integral evaluation, but also the development of a quality improvement strategy based on the method of linguistic decomposition, which forms the minimum set of areas of work with clients whose quality change will allow obtaining the required level of integrated quality assessment.

  17. Managing Vocabulary Mapping Services

    PubMed Central

    Che, Chengjian; Monson, Kent; Poon, Kasey B.; Shakib, Shaun C.; Lau, Lee Min

    2005-01-01

    The efficient management and maintenance of large-scale and high-quality vocabulary mapping is an operational challenge. The 3M Health Information Systems (HIS) Healthcare Data Dictionary (HDD) group developed an information management system to provide controlled mapping services, resulting in improved efficiency and quality maintenance. PMID:16779203

  18. Using Modified-ISS Model to Evaluate Medication Administration Safety During Bar Code Medication Administration Implementation in Taiwan Regional Teaching Hospital.

    PubMed

    Ma, Pei-Luen; Jheng, Yan-Wun; Jheng, Bi-Wei; Hou, I-Ching

    2017-01-01

    Bar code medication administration (BCMA) could reduce medical errors and promote patient safety. This research uses modified information systems success model (M-ISS model) to evaluate nurses' acceptance to BCMA. The result showed moderate correlation between medication administration safety (MAS) to system quality, information quality, service quality, user satisfaction, and limited satisfaction.

  19. Effective implementation of health information technologies in U.S. hospitals.

    PubMed

    Khatri, Naresh; Gupta, Vishal

    2016-01-01

    Two issues pertaining to the effective implementation of health information technologies (HITs) in U.S. hospitals are examined. First, which information technology (IT) system is better--a homegrown or an outsourced one? In the second issue, the critical role of in-house IT expertise/capabilities in the effective implementation of HITs is investigated. The data on type of HIT system and IT expertise/capabilities were collected from a national sample of senior executives of U.S. hospitals. The data on quality of patient care were gathered from the Hospital Compare Web site. The quality of patient care was significantly higher in hospitals deploying a homegrown HIT system than hospitals deploying an outsourced HIT system. Furthermore, the professional competence and compelling vision of the chief information officer was found to be a major driver of another key IT capability of hospitals-professionalism of IT staff. The positive relationship of professionalism of IT staff with quality of patient care was mediated by proactive employee behavior. A homegrown HIT system achieves better quality of patient care than an outsourced one. The chief information officer's IT vision and the professional expertise and professionalism of IT staff are important IT capabilities in U.S. hospitals.

  20. The changes in caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation associated with the introduction of an electronic documentation system in a nursing home.

    PubMed

    Munyisia, Esther N; Yu, Ping; Hailey, David

    2011-02-01

    To date few studies have compared nursing home caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation in paper and electronic formats. With the increased interest in the use of information technology in nursing homes, it is important to obtain information on the benefits of newer approaches to nursing documentation so as to inform investment, organisational and care service decisions in the aged care sector. This study aims to investigate caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation before and after the introduction of an electronic documentation system in a nursing home. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted three months before, and then six, 18 and 31 months after the introduction of an electronic documentation system. Further evidence was obtained through informal discussions with caregivers. Scores for questionnaire responses showed that the benefits of the electronic documentation system were perceived by the caregivers as provision of more accurate, legible and complete information, and reduction of repetition in data entry, with consequential managerial benefits. However, caregivers' perceptions of relevance and reliability of information, and of their communication and decision-making abilities were perceived to be similar either using an electronic or a paper-based documentation system. Improvement in some perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation was evident in the measurement conducted six months after the introduction of the electronic system, but were not maintained 18 or 31 months later. The electronic documentation system was perceived to perform better than the paper-based system in some aspects, with subsequent benefits to management of aged care services. In other areas, perceptions of additional benefits from the electronic documentation system were not maintained. In a number of attributes, there were similar perceptions on the two types of systems. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Information for mental health systems: an instrument for policy-making and system service quality.

    PubMed

    Lora, A; Lesage, A; Pathare, S; Levav, I

    2017-08-01

    Information is crucial in mental healthcare, yet it remains undervalued by stakeholders. Its absence undermines rationality in planning, makes it difficult to monitor service quality improvement, impedes accountability and human rights monitoring. For international organizations (e.g., WHO, OECD), information is indispensable for achieving better outcomes in mental health policies, services and programs. This article reviews the importance of developing system level information with reference to inputs, processes and outputs, analyzes available tools for collecting and summarizing information, highlights the various goals of information gathering, discusses implementation issues and charts the way forward. Relevant publications and research were consulted, including WHO studies that purport to promote the use of information systems to upgrade mental health care in high- and low-middle income countries. Studies have shown that once information has been collected by relevant systems and analyzed through indicator schemes, it can be put to many uses. Monitoring mental health services, represents a first step in using information. In addition, studies have noted that information is a prime resource in many other areas such as evaluation of quality of care against evidence based standards of care. Services data may support health services research where it is possible to link mental health data with other health and non-health databases. Information systems are required to carefully monitor involuntary admissions, restrain and seclusion, to reduce human rights violations in care facilities. Information has been also found useful for policy makers, to monitor the implementation of policies, to evaluate their impact, to rationally allocate funding and to create new financing models. Despite its manifold applications, Information systems currently face many problems such as incomplete recording, poor data quality, lack of timely reporting and feedback, and limited application of information. Corrective action is needed to upgrade data collection in outpatient facilities, to improve data quality, to establish clear rules and norms, to access adequate information technology equipment and to train health care personnel in data collection. Moreover, it is necessary to shift from mere administrative data collection to analysis, dissemination and use by relevant stakeholders and to develop a "culture of information" to dismantle the culture of intuition and mere tradition. Clinical directors, mental health managers, patient and family representatives, as well as politicians should be educated to operate with information and not just intuition.

  2. Understanding Intention to Use Electronic Information Resources: A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

    PubMed Central

    Tao, Donghua

    2008-01-01

    This study extended the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by examining the roles of two aspects of e-resource characteristics, namely, information quality and system quality, in predicting public health students’ intention to use e-resources for completing research paper assignments. Both focus groups and a questionnaire were used to collect data. Descriptive analysis, data screening, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques were used for data analysis. The study found that perceived usefulness played a major role in determining students’ intention to use e-resources. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use fully mediated the impact that information quality and system quality had on behavior intention. The research model enriches the existing technology acceptance literature by extending TAM. Representing two aspects of e-resource characteristics provides greater explanatory information for diagnosing problems of system design, development, and implementation. PMID:18999300

  3. Understanding intention to use electronic information resources: A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model (TAM).

    PubMed

    Tao, Donghua

    2008-11-06

    This study extended the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by examining the roles of two aspects of e-resource characteristics, namely, information quality and system quality, in predicting public health students' intention to use e-resources for completing research paper assignments. Both focus groups and a questionnaire were used to collect data. Descriptive analysis, data screening, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques were used for data analysis. The study found that perceived usefulness played a major role in determining students' intention to use e-resources. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use fully mediated the impact that information quality and system quality had on behavior intention. The research model enriches the existing technology acceptance literature by extending TAM. Representing two aspects of e-resource characteristics provides greater explanatory information for diagnosing problems of system design, development, and implementation.

  4. Clinical Information Systems - From Yesterday to Tomorrow.

    PubMed

    Gardner, R M

    2016-06-30

    To review the history of clinical information systems over the past twenty-five years and project anticipated changes to those systems over the next twenty-five years. Over 250 Medline references about clinical information systems, quality of patient care, and patient safety were reviewed. Books, Web resources, and the author's personal experience with developing the HELP system were also used. There have been dramatic improvements in the use and acceptance of clinical computing systems and Electronic Health Records (EHRs), especially in the United States. Although there are still challenges with the implementation of such systems, the rate of progress has been remarkable. Over the next twenty-five years, there will remain many important opportunities and challenges. These opportunities include understanding complex clinical computing issues that must be studied, understood and optimized. Dramatic improvements in quality of care and patient safety must be anticipated as a result of the use of clinical information systems. These improvements will result from a closer involvement of clinical informaticians in the optimization of patient care processes. Clinical information systems and computerized clinical decision support have made contributions to medicine in the past. Therefore, by using better medical knowledge, optimized clinical information systems, and computerized clinical decision, we will enable dramatic improvements in both the quality and safety of patient care in the next twenty-five years.

  5. Consumer health information seeking on the Internet: the state of the art.

    PubMed

    Cline, R J; Haynes, K M

    2001-12-01

    Increasingly, consumers engage in health information seeking via the Internet. Taking a communication perspective, this review argues why public health professionals should be concerned about the topic, considers potential benefits, synthesizes quality concerns, identifies criteria for evaluating online health information and critiques the literature. More than 70 000 websites disseminate health information; in excess of 50 million people seek health information online, with likely consequences for the health care system. The Internet offers widespread access to health information, and the advantages of interactivity, information tailoring and anonymity. However, access is inequitable and use is hindered further by navigational challenges due to numerous design features (e.g. disorganization, technical language and lack of permanence). Increasingly, critics question the quality of online health information; limited research indicates that much is inaccurate. Meager information-evaluation skills add to consumers' vulnerability, and reinforce the need for quality standards and widespread criteria for evaluating health information. Extant literature can be characterized as speculative, comprised of basic 'how to' presentations, with little empirical research. Future research needs to address the Internet as part of the larger health communication system and take advantage of incorporating extant communication concepts. Not only should research focus on the 'net-gap' and information quality, it also should address the inherently communicative and transactional quality of Internet use. Both interpersonal and mass communication concepts open avenues for investigation and understanding the influence of the Internet on health beliefs and behaviors, health care, medical outcomes, and the health care system.

  6. Smart information system for gachon university gil hospital.

    PubMed

    Park, Dong Kyun; Jung, Eun Young; Jeong, Byung Hui; Moon, Byung Chan; Kang, Hyung Wook; Tchah, Hann; Han, Gi Seong; Cheng, Woo Sung; Lee, Young Ho

    2012-03-01

    In this research, the hospital information system of Gachon University Gil hospital is introduced and a future strategy for hospital information systems is proposed. This research introduces the development conditions of hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital, information about the development of the enterprise resource planning (ERP), a medical service process improvement system, and the personal health record (PHR) system. The medical service process and work efficiency were improved through the medical service process improvement system, which is the most common hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital and which includes an emergency medical service system, an online evaluation system and a round support system. Gachon University Gil hospital developed medical service improvement systems to increase work efficiency of medical team and optimized the systems to prove the availability of high-quality medical services for patients and their families. The PHR-based personalized health care solution is under development and will provide higher quality medical service for more patients in the future.

  7. Smart Information System for Gachon University Gil Hospital

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Eun Young; Jeong, Byung Hui; Moon, Byung Chan; Kang, Hyung Wook; Tchah, Hann; Han, Gi Seong; Cheng, Woo Sung; Lee, Young Ho

    2012-01-01

    Objectives In this research, the hospital information system of Gachon University Gil hospital is introduced and a future strategy for hospital information systems is proposed. Methods This research introduces the development conditions of hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital, information about the development of the enterprise resource planning (ERP), a medical service process improvement system, and the personal health record (PHR) system. Results The medical service process and work efficiency were improved through the medical service process improvement system, which is the most common hospital information system at Gachon University Gil hospital and which includes an emergency medical service system, an online evaluation system and a round support system. Conclusions Gachon University Gil hospital developed medical service improvement systems to increase work efficiency of medical team and optimized the systems to prove the availability of high-quality medical services for patients and their families. The PHR-based personalized health care solution is under development and will provide higher quality medical service for more patients in the future. PMID:22509476

  8. Progress and lessons learned from water-quality monitoring networks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Myers, Donna N.; Ludtke, Amy S.

    2017-01-01

    Stream-quality monitoring networks in the United States were initiated and expanded after passage of successive federal water-pollution control laws from 1948 to 1972. The first networks addressed information gaps on the extent and severity of stream pollution and served as early warning systems for spills. From 1965 to 1972, monitoring networks expanded to evaluate compliance with stream standards, track emerging issues, and assess water-quality status and trends. After 1972, concerns arose regarding the ability of monitoring networks to determine if water quality was getting better or worse and why. As a result, monitoring networks adopted a hydrologic systems approach targeted to key water-quality issues, accounted for human and natural factors affecting water quality, innovated new statistical methods, and introduced geographic information systems and models that predict water quality at unmeasured locations. Despite improvements, national-scale monitoring networks have declined over time. Only about 1%, or 217, of more than 36,000 US Geological Survey monitoring sites sampled from 1975 to 2014 have been operated throughout the four decades since passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act. Efforts to sustain monitoring networks are important because these networks have collected information crucial to the description of water-quality trends over time and are providing information against which to evaluate future trends.

  9. Connecting Medical Records: An Evaluation of Benefits and Challenges for Primary Care Practices.

    PubMed

    Compeau, Deborah Ruth; Terry, Amanda

    2017-06-30

    Implementation of systems to support health information sharing has lagged other areas of healthcare IT, yet offers a strong possibility for benefit.  Clinical acceptance is a key limiting factor in health IT adoption. To assess the benefits and challenges experienced by clinicians using a custom-developed health information exchange system, and to show how perceptions of benefits and challenges influence perceptions of productivity and care-related outcomes. We used a mixed methods design with two phases. First, we conducted interviews with stakeholders who were familiar with the health information exchange system to inform the development of a measure of benefits and challenges of the use of this system. Second, using this measure we conducted a survey of current and former users of the health information exchange system using a modified Dillman method. 105 current and former users completed the survey. The results showed information quality, ease of completing tasks and clinical process improvement as key benefits that reduced workload and improved patient care.  Challenges related to system reliability, quality of reports and service quality increased workload and decreased impact on care, though the effect of the challenges was smaller than that of the benefits.  Even very limited health information exchange capabilities can improve outcomes for primary care users.  Improving perceptions of benefits may be even more important the removing challenges to use, though it is likely that a threshold of quality must be achieved for this to be true.

  10. Establishing a Cloud Computing Success Model for Hospitals in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lian, Jiunn-Woei

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to understand the critical quality-related factors that affect cloud computing success of hospitals in Taiwan. In this study, private cloud computing is the major research target. The chief information officers participated in a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that the integration of trust into the information systems success model will have acceptable explanatory power to understand cloud computing success in the hospital. Moreover, information quality and system quality directly affect cloud computing satisfaction, whereas service quality indirectly affects the satisfaction through trust. In other words, trust serves as the mediator between service quality and satisfaction. This cloud computing success model will help hospitals evaluate or achieve success after adopting private cloud computing health care services.

  11. Establishing a Cloud Computing Success Model for Hospitals in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lian, Jiunn-Woei

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to understand the critical quality-related factors that affect cloud computing success of hospitals in Taiwan. In this study, private cloud computing is the major research target. The chief information officers participated in a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that the integration of trust into the information systems success model will have acceptable explanatory power to understand cloud computing success in the hospital. Moreover, information quality and system quality directly affect cloud computing satisfaction, whereas service quality indirectly affects the satisfaction through trust. In other words, trust serves as the mediator between service quality and satisfaction. This cloud computing success model will help hospitals evaluate or achieve success after adopting private cloud computing health care services. PMID:28112020

  12. [Framework for the strengthening of health information systems in Peru].

    PubMed

    Curioso, Walter H; Espinoza-Portilla, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    In this article we present the essential components and policies that are most relevant regarding the conceptual framework to strengthen the health information systems in Peru. The article also presents the main policies, actions and strategies made in the field of electronic health in Peru that are most significant. The health information systems in Peru play a key role and are expected to achieve an integrated and interoperable information system. This will allow health information to be complete, efficient, of good quality and available in a timely manner to achieve better quality of life for people and allow meaningful modernization of public health in the context of health reform in Peru.

  13. Quality Management, Certification and Rating of Health Information on the Net with MedCERTAIN: Using a medPICS/RDF/XML metadata structure for implementing eHealth ethics and creating trust globally

    PubMed Central

    Eysenbach, Gunther; Yihune, Gabriel; Lampe, Kristian; Cross, Phil; Brickley, Dan

    2000-01-01

    MedCERTAIN (MedPICS Certification and Rating of Trustworthy Health Information on the Net, http://www.medcertain.org/) is a recently launched international project funded under the European Union's (EU) "Action Plan for safer use of the Internet". It provides a technical infrastructure and a conceptual basis for an international system of "quality seals", ratings and self-labelling of Internet health information, with the final aim to establish a global "trustmark" for networked health information. Digital "quality seals" are evaluative metadata (using standards such as PICS=Platform for Internet Content Selection, now being replaced by RDF/XML) assigned by trusted third-party raters. The project also enables and encourages self-labelling with descriptive metainformation by web authors. Together these measures will help consumers as well as professionals to identify high-quality information on the Internet. MedCERTAIN establishes a fully functional demonstrator for a self- and third-party rating system enabling consumers and professionals to filter harmful health information and to positively identify and select high quality information. We aim to provide a trustmark system which allows citizens to place greater confidence in networked information, to encourage health information providers to follow best practices guidelines such as the Washington eHealth Code of Ethics, to provide effective feedback and law enforcement channels to handle user complaints, and to stimulate medical societies to develop standard for patient information. The project further proposes and identifies standards for interoperability of rating and description services (such as libraries or national health portals) and fosters a worldwide collaboration to guide consumers to high-quality information on the web.

  14. Exploring consumer understanding and preferences for pharmacy quality information

    PubMed Central

    Shiyanbola, Olayinka O.; Mort, Jane R.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To describe consumer understanding of pharmacy quality measures and consumer preferences for pharmacy quality information. Methods: Semi-structured focus group design was combined with survey methods. Adults who filled prescription medications for self-reported chronic illnesses at community pharmacies discussed their understanding of Pharmacy Quality Alliance approved quality measures. Questions examined preference of pharmacy quality information rating systems (e.g. stars versus percentages) and desired data display/formats. During the focus group, participants completed a survey examining their understanding of each pharmacy quality measure. All focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: Thirty-four individuals participated (mean age= 62.85; SD=16.05). Participants were unfamiliar with quality measures information and their level of understanding differed for each quality measure. Surveys indicated 94.1% understood “Drug-Drug Interactions” and “Helping Patients Get Needed Medications” better than other measures (e.g., 76.5% understood “Suboptimal Treatment of Hypertension in Patients with Diabetes”). Qualitative analysis indicated participants preferred an overall pharmacy rating for quick access and use. However, participants also wanted quality measures information displayed by health conditions. Participants favored comparison of their pharmacy to city data instead of state data. Most participants liked star ratings better than percentages, letter grades, or numerical ratings. Conclusions: Individuals who have a chronic illness and regularly use community pharmacies are interested in pharmacy quality measures. However, specific quality measures were not understood by some participants. Participants had specific preferences for the display of pharmacy quality information which will be helpful in the design of appropriate quality report systems. PMID:25580169

  15. Statistical process control based chart for information systems security

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Mansoor S.; Cui, Lirong

    2015-07-01

    Intrusion detection systems have a highly significant role in securing computer networks and information systems. To assure the reliability and quality of computer networks and information systems, it is highly desirable to develop techniques that detect intrusions into information systems. We put forward the concept of statistical process control (SPC) in computer networks and information systems intrusions. In this article we propose exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) type quality monitoring scheme. Our proposed scheme has only one parameter which differentiates it from the past versions. We construct the control limits for the proposed scheme and investigate their effectiveness. We provide an industrial example for the sake of clarity for practitioner. We give comparison of the proposed scheme with EWMA schemes and p chart; finally we provide some recommendations for the future work.

  16. Quality of patient health information on the Internet: reviewing a complex and evolving landscape.

    PubMed

    Fahy, Eamonn; Hardikar, Rohan; Fox, Adrian; Mackay, Sean

    2014-01-01

    The popularity of the Internet has enabled unprecedented access to health information. As a largely unregulated source, there is potential for inconsistency in the quality of information that reaches the patient. To review the literature relating to the quality indicators of health information for patients on the Internet. A search of English language literature was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar and EMBASE databases. Many articles have been published which assess the quality of information relating to specific medical conditions. Indicators of quality have been defined in an attempt to predict higher quality health information on the Internet. Quality evaluation tools are scoring systems based on indicators of quality. Established tools such as the HONcode may help patients navigate to more reliable information. Google and Wikipedia are important emerging sources of patient health information. The Internet is crucial for modern dissemination of health information, but it is clear that quality varies significantly between sources. Quality indicators for web-information have been developed but there is no agreed standard yet. We envisage that reliable rating tools, effective search engine ranking and progress in crowd-edited websites will enhance patient access to health information on the Internet.

  17. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE EPA

    EPA Science Inventory

    The EPA GIS-QA Team was created to fill the gap between the EPA Quality Assurance (QA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) communities. All EPA Offices and Regions were invited to participate. Currently, the EPA GIS-QA Team consists of members from the EPA Regional Offices...

  18. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Technology as a Global Learning Tool: Information Systems Success and Control Belief Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Charlie C.; Vannoy, Sandra

    2013-01-01

    Voice over Internet Protocol- (VoIP) enabled online learning service providers struggling with high attrition rates and low customer loyalty issues despite VoIP's high degree of system fit for online global learning applications. Effective solutions to this prevalent problem rely on the understanding of system quality, information quality, and…

  19. Quality and integration of public health information systems: A systematic review focused on immunization and vital records systems.

    PubMed

    Vest, Joshua R; Kirk, Hilary M; Issel, L Michele

    2012-01-01

    Public health professionals rely on quantitative data for the daily practice of public health as well as organizational decision making and planning. However, several factors work against effective data sharing among public health agencies in the US. This review characterizes the reported barriers and enablers of effective use of public health IS from an informatics perspective. A systematic review of the English language literature for 2005 to 2011 followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) format. The review focused on immunization information systems (IIS) and vital records information systems (VRIS). Systems were described according to the structural aspects of IS integration and data quality. Articles describing IIS documented issues pertaining to the distribution of the system, the autonomy of the data providers, the heterogeneous nature of information sharing as well as the quality of the data. Articles describing VRIS were focused much more heavily on data quality, particularly whether or not the data were free from errors. For state and local practitioners to effectively utilize data, public health IS will have to overcome the challenges posed by a large number of autonomous data providers utilizing a variety of technologies.

  20. Performance evaluation of public hospital information systems by the information system success model.

    PubMed

    Cho, Kyoung Won; Bae, Sung-Kwon; Ryu, Ji-Hye; Kim, Kyeong Na; An, Chang-Ho; Chae, Young Moon

    2015-01-01

    This study was to evaluate the performance of the newly developed information system (IS) implemented on July 1, 2014 at three public hospitals in Korea. User satisfaction scores of twelve key performance indicators of six IS success factors based on the DeLone and McLean IS Success Model were utilized to evaluate IS performance before and after the newly developed system was introduced. All scores increased after system introduction except for the completeness of medical records and impact on the clinical environment. The relationships among six IS factors were also analyzed to identify the important factors influencing three IS success factors (Intention to Use, User Satisfaction, and Net Benefits). All relationships were significant except for the relationships among Service Quality, Intention to Use, and Net Benefits. The results suggest that hospitals should not only focus on systems and information quality; rather, they should also continuously improve service quality to improve user satisfaction and eventually reach full the potential of IS performance.

  1. Increasing reliability of APACHE II scores in a medical-surgical intensive care unit: a quality improvement study.

    PubMed

    Donahoe, Laura; McDonald, Ellen; Kho, Michelle E; Maclennan, Margaret; Stratford, Paul W; Cook, Deborah J

    2009-01-01

    Given their clinical, research, and administrative purposes, scores on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II should be reliable, whether calculated by health care personnel or a clinical information system. To determine reliability of APACHE II scores calculated by a clinical information system and by health care personnel before and after a multifaceted quality improvement intervention. APACHE II scores of 37 consecutive patients admitted to a closed, 15-bed, university-affiliated intensive care unit were collected by a research coordinator, a database clerk, and a clinical information system. After a quality improvement intervention focused on health care personnel and the clinical information system, the same methods were used to collect data on 32 consecutive patients. The research coordinator and the clerk did not know each other's scores or the information system's score. The data analyst did not know the source of the scores until analysis was complete. APACHE II scores obtained by the clerk and the research coordinator were highly reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.88 before vs 0.80 after intervention; P = .25). No significant changes were detected after the intervention; however, compared with scores of the research coordinator, the overall reliability of APACHE II scores calculated by the clinical information system improved (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.24 before intervention vs 0.91 after intervention, P < .001). After completion of a quality improvement intervention, health care personnel and a computerized clinical information system calculated sufficiently reliable APACHE II scores for clinical, research, and administrative purposes.

  2. Moving up the Ladder: How Do States Deliver Quality Improvement Supports within Their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems? Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holod, Aleksandra; Faria, Ann-Marie; Weinberg, Emily; Howard, Eboni

    2015-01-01

    As national attention has increasingly focused on the potential for high-quality early childhood education (ECE) to improve children's school readiness, states have developed quality rating and improvement systems (QRISs) to document the quality of ECE programs, support systematic quality improvement, and provide clear information to families…

  3. Information Security Management - Part Of The Integrated Management System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manea, Constantin Adrian

    2015-07-01

    The international management standards allow their integrated approach, thereby combining aspects of particular importance to the activity of any organization, from the quality management systems or the environmental management of the information security systems or the business continuity management systems. Although there is no national or international regulation, nor a defined standard for the Integrated Management System, the need to implement an integrated system occurs within the organization, which feels the opportunity to integrate the management components into a cohesive system, in agreement with the purpose and mission publicly stated. The issues relating to information security in the organization, from the perspective of the management system, raise serious questions to any organization in the current context of electronic information, reason for which we consider not only appropriate but necessary to promote and implement an Integrated Management System Quality - Environment - Health and Operational Security - Information Security

  4. Three Essays on the Economics of Information Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jian, Lian

    2010-01-01

    My dissertation contains three studies centering on the question: how to motivate people to share high quality information on online information aggregation systems, also known as social computing systems? I take a social scientific approach to "identify" the strategic behavior of individuals in information systems, and "analyze" how non-monetary…

  5. A Socio-technical assessment of the success of picture archiving and communication systems: the radiology technologist’s perspective

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background With the increasing prevalence of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in healthcare institutions, there is a growing need to measure their success. However, there is a lack of published literature emphasizing the technical and social factors underlying a successful PACS. Methods An updated Information Systems Success Model was utilized by radiology technologists (RTs) to evaluate the success of PACS at a large medical center in Taiwan. A survey, consisting of 109 questionnaires, was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. Results Socio-technical factors (including system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and PACS dependence) were proven to be effective measures of PACS success. Although the relationship between service quality and perceived usefulness was not significant, other proposed relationships amongst the six measurement parameters of success were all confirmed. Conclusions Managers have an obligation to improve the attributes of PACS. At the onset of its deployment, RTs will have formed their own subjective opinions with regards to its quality (system quality, information quality, and service quality). As these personal concepts are either refuted or reinforced based on personal experiences, RTs will become either satisfied or dissatisfied with PACS, based on their perception of its usefulness or lack of usefulness. A satisfied RT may play a pivotal role in the implementation of PACS in the future. PMID:24053458

  6. 77 FR 13337 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-06

    ... ``Part B'' of the QualityNet Identity Management System Account Form (CMS-10267; OCN: 0938-1050). Once the ESRD System Access Form is approved, the QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) Account Form... the ESRD systems through the creation of user IDs and passwords within the QualityNet Identity...

  7. Scoliosis-specific information on the internet: has the "information highway" led to better information provision?

    PubMed

    Nason, Gregory J; Baker, Joseph F; Byrne, Damien P; Noel, Jacques; Moore, David; Kiely, Patrick J

    2012-10-01

    A quality-control Internet-based study using recognized quality scoring systems. To evaluate the quality of information available on the Internet. The quality of information available is of poor quality and unreliable, and this study was to determine if it has improved in line with the exponential increase in Internet-based information since the last time it was reviewed in 2005. To identify potential Web sites, the 5 most commonly accessed search engines were identified and a search for "scoliosis" was performed on each. The top 100 Web sites were reviewed. Each Web site was categorized according to its authorship and assessed using recognized scoring systems (Journal of American Medical Association [JAMA] and DISCERN criteria, scoliosis-specific content quality). The presence of the Health on the Net code, a reported quality-assurance marker, was noted. Forty-one unique Web sites were identified and analyzed. Five were academic, 11 were produced by physicians, 5 were commercial, 3 were nonphysician sites, 6 were attached to discussion groups or social media sites, 3 were media related, and 8 were not otherwise classifiable. There were significant differences noted between the authorship categories on the DISCERN score, JAMA benchmark criteria, and scoliosis-specific content quality score, (P = 0.001, <0.0001, and 0.009, respectively) with academic- and physician-related Web sites containing better-quality information. Internet sites with a Health on the Net code demonstrated higher-quality scoliosis-specific information than those without the code (P = 0.1368). The overall quality of information regarding scoliosis remains poor despite an exponential increase in the number of sites available. Patients need to be educated about appropriate Internet use-academic- and physician-provided sites have been shown to contain better-quality information. We have a potential role as clinicians to not only direct patients to appropriate sites but also to help in developing content on the Internet.

  8. Developing a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to measure the success of electronic health records in residential aged care.

    PubMed

    Yu, Ping; Qian, Siyu

    2018-01-01

    Electronic health records (EHR) are introduced into healthcare organizations worldwide to improve patient safety, healthcare quality and efficiency. A rigorous evaluation of this technology is important to reduce potential negative effects on patient and staff, to provide decision makers with accurate information for system improvement and to ensure return on investment. Therefore, this study develops a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to assess the success of organizational EHR in routine use from the viewpoint of nursing staff in residential aged care homes. The proposed research model incorporates six variables in the reformulated DeLone and McLean information systems success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction and net benefits. Two variables training and self-efficacy were also incorporated into the model. A questionnaire survey instrument was designed to measure the eight variables in the model. After a pilot test, the measurement scale was used to collect data from 243 nursing staff members in 10 residential aged care homes belonging to three management groups in Australia. Partial least squares path modeling was conducted to validate the model. The validated EHR systems success model predicts the impact of the four antecedent variables-training, self-efficacy, system quality and information quality-on the net benefits, the indicator of EHR systems success, through the intermittent variables use and user satisfaction. A 24-item measurement scale was developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance of an EHR system. The parsimonious EHR systems success model and the measurement scale can be used to benchmark EHR systems success across organizations and units and over time.

  9. Systems and processes that ensure high quality care.

    PubMed

    Bassett, Sally; Westmore, Kathryn

    2012-10-01

    This is the second in a series of articles examining the components of good corporate governance. It considers how the structures and processes for quality governance can affect an organisation's ability to be assured about the quality of care. Complex information systems and procedures can lead to poor quality care, but sound structures and processes alone are insufficient to ensure good governance, and behavioural factors play a significant part in making sure that staff are enabled to provide good quality care. The next article in this series looks at how the information reporting of an organisation can affect its governance.

  10. Virginia Star Quality Initiative: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Virginia's Star Quality Initiative prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators…

  11. Illinois Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Illinois' Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

  12. Information quality measurement of medical encoding support based on usability.

    PubMed

    Puentes, John; Montagner, Julien; Lecornu, Laurent; Cauvin, Jean-Michel

    2013-12-01

    Medical encoding support systems for diagnoses and medical procedures are an emerging technology that begins to play a key role in billing, reimbursement, and health policies decisions. A significant problem to exploit these systems is how to measure the appropriateness of any automatically generated list of codes, in terms of fitness for use, i.e. their quality. Until now, only information retrieval performance measurements have been applied to estimate the accuracy of codes lists as quality indicator. Such measurements do not give the value of codes lists for practical medical encoding, and cannot be used to globally compare the quality of multiple codes lists. This paper defines and validates a new encoding information quality measure that addresses the problem of measuring medical codes lists quality. It is based on a usability study of how expert coders and physicians apply computer-assisted medical encoding. The proposed measure, named ADN, evaluates codes Accuracy, Dispersion and Noise, and is adapted to the variable length and content of generated codes lists, coping with limitations of previous measures. According to the ADN measure, the information quality of a codes list is fully represented by a single point, within a suitably constrained feature space. Using one scheme, our approach is reliable to measure and compare the information quality of hundreds of codes lists, showing their practical value for medical encoding. Its pertinence is demonstrated by simulation and application to real data corresponding to 502 inpatient stays in four clinic departments. Results are compared to the consensus of three expert coders who also coded this anonymized database of discharge summaries, and to five information retrieval measures. Information quality assessment applying the ADN measure showed the degree of encoding-support system variability from one clinic department to another, providing a global evaluation of quality measurement trends. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Country Immunization Information System Assessments - Kenya, 2015 and Ghana, 2016.

    PubMed

    Scott, Colleen; Clarke, Kristie E N; Grevendonk, Jan; Dolan, Samantha B; Ahmed, Hussein Osman; Kamau, Peter; Ademba, Peter Aswani; Osadebe, Lynda; Bonsu, George; Opare, Joseph; Diamenu, Stanley; Amenuvegbe, Gregory; Quaye, Pamela; Osei-Sarpong, Fred; Abotsi, Francis; Ankrah, Joseph Dwomor; MacNeil, Adam

    2017-11-10

    The collection, analysis, and use of data to measure and improve immunization program performance are priorities for the World Health Organization (WHO), global partners, and national immunization programs (NIPs). High quality data are essential for evidence-based decision-making to support successful NIPs. Consistent recording and reporting practices, optimal access to and use of health information systems, and rigorous interpretation and use of data for decision-making are characteristics of high-quality immunization information systems. In 2015 and 2016, immunization information system assessments (IISAs) were conducted in Kenya and Ghana using a new WHO and CDC assessment methodology designed to identify root causes of immunization data quality problems and facilitate development of plans for improvement. Data quality challenges common to both countries included low confidence in facility-level target population data (Kenya = 50%, Ghana = 53%) and poor data concordance between child registers and facility tally sheets (Kenya = 0%, Ghana = 3%). In Kenya, systemic challenges included limited supportive supervision and lack of resources to access electronic reporting systems; in Ghana, challenges included a poorly defined subdistrict administrative level. Data quality improvement plans (DQIPs) based on assessment findings are being implemented in both countries. IISAs can help countries identify and address root causes of poor immunization data to provide a stronger evidence base for future investments in immunization programs.

  14. Creating Quality Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Association of School Administrators, Arlington, VA.

    This booklet presents information on how total quality management can be applied to school systems to create educational improvement. Total quality management offers education a systemic approach and a new set of assessment tools. Chapter 1 provides a definition and historical overview of total quality management. Chapter 2 views the school…

  15. Clinical Information Systems – From Yesterday to Tomorrow

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Summary Objectives To review the history of clinical information systems over the past twenty-five years and project anticipated changes to those systems over the next twenty-five years. Methods Over 250 Medline references about clinical information systems, quality of patient care, and patient safety were reviewed. Books, Web resources, and the author’s personal experience with developing the HELP system were also used. Results There have been dramatic improvements in the use and acceptance of clinical computing systems and Electronic Health Records (EHRs), especially in the United States. Although there are still challenges with the implementation of such systems, the rate of progress has been remarkable. Over the next twenty-five years, there will remain many important opportunities and challenges. These opportunities include understanding complex clinical computing issues that must be studied, understood and optimized. Dramatic improvements in quality of care and patient safety must be anticipated as a result of the use of clinical information systems. These improvements will result from a closer involvement of clinical informaticians in the optimization of patient care processes. Conclusions Clinical information systems and computerized clinical decision support have made contributions to medicine in the past. Therefore, by using better medical knowledge, optimized clinical information systems, and computerized clinical decision, we will enable dramatic improvements in both the quality and safety of patient care in the next twenty-five years. PMID:27362589

  16. An Examination of Information Technology and Its Perceived Quality Issues in Single System Hospitals in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd, Linda W.

    2009-01-01

    The safety and quality of healthcare is of great concern in the United States. The positive effects of information technology reported in past research, especially case studies, has encouraged expectations that information technology may increase the quality of healthcare while reducing costs of healthcare. The goals of this study was to examine…

  17. Informational system as an instrument for assessing the performance of the quality management system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rohan, R.; Roşu, M. M.

    2017-08-01

    At present there is used a significant number of techniques and methods for diagnosis and management analysis which support the decision-making process. All these methods facilitate reaching the objectives for improving the results through efficiency, quality and customer satisfaction. By developing a methodology for analysing the problems identified in the macro-productive companies there can be brought outstanding benefits to the management and there are offered new perspectives on the critical influencing factors within a system. Through this paper we present an effective management strategy, applicable to an organization with productive profile in order to design an informational system aimed to manage one of its most important and complex systems, namely the coordination of the quality management system. The informational organisation of the quality management system on management principles, ensures an optimization of the informational energy consumption, allowing the management to deal with the following: to ascertain the current situation; to seize the opportunities, but also the potential risks afferent to the organisation policy; to observe the strengths and weaknesses; to take appropriate decisions and then to control the effects obtained. In this way, the decisional factors are able to better understand the available opportunities and to base more efficiently the process of choosing the alternatives.

  18. Command History for 1988

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-02-01

    installs, and provides life cycle support for information management systems. 16. Provides information and reports to higher authority and the scientific com...instruction/policy. 29 November New Employees Margaret Overton Paula Augustine Staffing Clerk Clerk Typist Code OOB Code I I GS-203-4 GS-322-4 Sylvia ...Evaluation and Survey Systems-Develops systems to evaluate the effectiveness of quality of life programs and to improve the quality of personnel

  19. Factors Influencing the Quality of EHR Performance: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhodes, Harry B.

    2016-01-01

    A significant amount of evidence existed in support of the positive effect on the quality of healthcare that resulted from transitioning to electronic health information systems, equally compelling evidence suggests that the development process for electronic health information systems falls short of achieving its potential. The objective of this…

  20. Evaluation of a mandatory quality assurance data capture in anesthesia: a secure electronic system to capture quality assurance information linked to an automated anesthesia record.

    PubMed

    Peterfreund, Robert A; Driscoll, William D; Walsh, John L; Subramanian, Aparna; Anupama, Shaji; Weaver, Melissa; Morris, Theresa; Arnholz, Sarah; Zheng, Hui; Pierce, Eric T; Spring, Stephen F

    2011-05-01

    Efforts to assure high-quality, safe, clinical care depend upon capturing information about near-miss and adverse outcome events. Inconsistent or unreliable information capture, especially for infrequent events, compromises attempts to analyze events in quantitative terms, understand their implications, and assess corrective efforts. To enhance reporting, we developed a secure, electronic, mandatory system for reporting quality assurance data linked to our electronic anesthesia record. We used the capabilities of our anesthesia information management system (AIMS) in conjunction with internally developed, secure, intranet-based, Web application software. The application is implemented with a backend allowing robust data storage, retrieval, data analysis, and reporting capabilities. We customized a feature within the AIMS software to create a hard stop in the documentation workflow before the end of anesthesia care time stamp for every case. The software forces the anesthesia provider to access the separate quality assurance data collection program, which provides a checklist for targeted clinical events and a free text option. After completing the event collection program, the software automatically returns the clinician to the AIMS to finalize the anesthesia record. The number of events captured by the departmental quality assurance office increased by 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4%-130%) after system implementation. The major contributor to this increase was the new electronic system. This increase has been sustained over the initial 12 full months after implementation. Under our reporting criteria, the overall rate of clinical events reported by any method was 471 events out of 55,382 cases or 0.85% (95% CI 0.78% to 0.93%). The new system collected 67% of these events (95% confidence interval 63%-71%). We demonstrate the implementation in an academic anesthesia department of a secure clinical event reporting system linked to an AIMS. The system enforces entry of quality assurance information (either no clinical event or notification of a clinical event). System implementation resulted in capturing nearly twice the number of events at a relatively steady case load. © 2011 International Anesthesia Research Society

  1. TQM (Total Quality Management) SPARC (Special Process Action Review Committees) Handbook

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-08-01

    This document describes the techniques used to support and guide the Special Process Action Review Committees for accomplishing their goals for Total Quality Management (TQM). It includes concepts and definitions, checklists, sample formats, and assessment criteria. Keywords: Continuous process improvement; Logistics information; Process analysis; Quality control; Quality assurance; Total Quality Management ; Statistical processes; Management Planning and control; Management training; Management information systems.

  2. Cost and results of information systems for health and poverty indicators in the United Republic of Tanzania.

    PubMed Central

    Rommelmann, Vanessa; Setel, Philip W.; Hemed, Yusuf; Angeles, Gustavo; Mponezya, Hamisi; Whiting, David; Boerma, Ties

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the costs of complementary information generation activities in a resource-constrained setting and compare the costs and outputs of information subsystems that generate the statistics on poverty, health and survival required for monitoring, evaluation and reporting on health programmes in the United Republic of Tanzania. METHODS: Nine systems used by four government agencies or ministries were assessed. Costs were calculated from budgets and expenditure data made available by information system managers. System coverage, quality assurance and information production were reviewed using questionnaires and interviews. Information production was characterized in terms of 38 key sociodemographic indicators required for national programme monitoring. FINDINGS: In 2002-03 approximately US$ 0.53 was spent per Tanzanian citizen on the nine information subsystems that generated information on 37 of the 38 selected indicators. The census and reporting system for routine health service statistics had the largest participating populations and highest total costs. Nationally representative household surveys and demographic surveillance systems (which are not based on nationally representative samples) produced more than half the indicators and used the most rigorous quality assurance. Five systems produced fewer than 13 indicators and had comparatively high costs per participant. CONCLUSION: Policy-makers and programme planners should be aware of the many trade-offs with respect to system costs, coverage, production, representativeness and quality control when making investment choices for monitoring and evaluation. In future, formal cost-effectiveness studies of complementary information systems would help guide investments in the monitoring, evaluation and planning needed to demonstrate the impact of poverty-reduction and health programmes. PMID:16184275

  3. 45 CFR 155.1400 - Quality rating system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... the quality rating information assigned to each QHP on its Web site, in accordance with § 155.205(b)(1... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality rating system. 155.1400 Section 155.1400... EXCHANGE ESTABLISHMENT STANDARDS AND OTHER RELATED STANDARDS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Quality...

  4. Vermont STep Ahead Recognition System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Vermont's STep Ahead Recognition System (STARS) prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for All Child Care Programs;…

  5. North Carolina Star Rated License System: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of North Carolina's Star Rated License System prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

  6. The development and evaluation of a nursing information system for caring clinical in-patient.

    PubMed

    Fang, Yu-Wen; Li, Chih-Ping; Wang, Mei-Hua

    2015-01-01

    The research aimed to develop a nursing information system in order to simplify the admission procedure for caring clinical in-patient, enhance the efficiency of medical information documentation. Therefore, by correctly delivering patients’ health records, and providing continues care, patient safety and care quality would be effectively improved. The study method was to apply Spiral Model development system to compose a nursing information team. By using strategies of data collection, working environment observation, applying use-case modeling, and conferences of Joint Application Design (JAD) to complete the system requirement analysis and design. The Admission Care Management Information System (ACMIS) mainly included: (1) Admission nursing management information system. (2) Inter-shift meeting information management system. (3) The linkage of drug management system and physical examination record system. The framework contained qualitative and quantitative components that provided both formative and summative elements of the evaluation. System evaluation was to apply information success model, and developed questionnaire of consisting nurses’ acceptance and satisfaction. The results of questionnaires were users’ satisfaction, the perceived self-involvement, age and information quality were positively to personal and organizational effectiveness. According to the results of this study, the Admission Care Management Information System was practical to simplifying clinic working procedure and effective in communicating and documenting admission medical information.

  7. "Power quality system," a new system of quality management for globalization: towards innovation and competitive advantages.

    PubMed

    Abdul-Rahman, H; Berawi, M A

    Knowledge Management (KM) addresses the critical issues of organizational adoption, survival and competence in the face of an increasingly changing environment. KM embodies organizational processes that seek a synergistic combination of the data and information processing capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to improve ICT In that role, knowledge management will improve quality management and avoid or minimize losses and weakness that usually come from poor performance as well as increase the competitive level of the company and its ability to survive in the global marketplace. To achieve quality, all parties including the clients, company consultants, contractors, entrepreneurs, suppliers, and the governing bodies (i.e., all involved stake-holders) need to collaborate and commit to achieving quality. The design based organizations in major business and construction companies have to be quality driven to support healthy growth in today's competitive market. In the march towards vision 2020 and globalization (i.e., the one world community) of many companies, their design based organizations need to have superior quality management and knowledge management to anticipate changes. The implementation of a quality system such as the ISO 9000 Standards, Total Quality Management, or Quality Function Deployment (QFD) focuses the company's resources towards achieving faster and better results in the global market with less cost. To anticipate the needs of the marketplace and clients as the world and technology change, a new system, which we call Power Quality System (PQS), has been designed. PQS is a combination of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to meet the challenges of the new world business and to develop high quality products.

  8. Palm Beach Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Palm Beach's Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  9. Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Tennessee's Star-Quality Child Care Program prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

  10. Maine Quality for ME: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Maine's Quality for ME prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

  11. Ohio Step Up to Quality: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Ohio's Step Up to Quality prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

  12. Miami-Dade Quality Counts: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Miami-Dade's Quality Counts prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  13. Indiana Paths to Quality: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Indiana's Paths to Quality prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  14. Oregon Child Care Quality Indicators Program: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Oregon's Child Care Quality Indicators Program prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

  15. Competition, information, and quality: Evidence from nursing homes.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xin

    2016-09-01

    Economic theory suggests that competition and information can both be important for product quality, and yet evidence on how they may interact to affect quality is sparse. This paper estimates the impact of competition between nursing homes on their quality, and how this impact varies when consumers have better access to information. The effect of competition is identified using exogenous variation in the geographical proximity of nursing homes to their potential consumers. The change in information transparency is captured by the launch of the Five-Star Quality Rating System in 2009, which improved access to the quality information of nursing homes. We find that while the effect of competition on nursing home quality is generally rather limited, this effect becomes significantly stronger with increased information transparency. The results suggest that regulations on public quality reporting and on market structure are policy complements, and should be considered jointly to best improve quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Database

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Chesapeake Information Management System (CIMS), designed in 1996, is an integrated, accessible information management system for the Chesapeake Bay Region. CIMS is an organized, distributed library of information and software tools designed to increase basin-wide public access to Chesapeake Bay information. The information delivered by CIMS includes technical and public information, educational material, environmental indicators, policy documents, and scientific data. Through the use of relational databases, web-based programming, and web-based GIS a large number of Internet resources have been established. These resources include multiple distributed on-line databases, on-demand graphing and mapping of environmental data, and geographic searching tools for environmental information. Baseline monitoring data, summarized data and environmental indicators that document ecosystem status and trends, confirm linkages between water quality, habitat quality and abundance, and the distribution and integrity of biological populations are also available. One of the major features of the CIMS network is the Chesapeake Bay Program's Data Hub, providing users access to a suite of long- term water quality and living resources databases. Chesapeake Bay mainstem and tidal tributary water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates, toxics, plankton, and fluorescence data can be obtained for a network of over 800 monitoring stations.

  17. Bottom-up perspectives of extreme event and climate change threats to water quality: Drinking water utilities in California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ekstrom, J.; Klasic, M.; Fencl, A.; Lubell, M.; Bedsworth, L. W.; Baker, E.

    2016-12-01

    Extreme events impact water quality, which pose serious challenges for drinking water systems. Such extreme events, including wildfire, storm surge, and other weather-related extremes, are projected to increase under a changing climate. It remains unclear what climate change information can support water managers in preparing for more extreme events. Exploring this topic requires understanding the larger question: What is the role of scientific information in adapting to climate change? We present two parts of a three-year study geared to understand whether, where, why and in what way climate information (or the lack of) is used or needed to support long term water quality planning for extreme events. In 2015 we surveyed California drinking water utilities and found a wide range of extreme event/water quality issues, perspectives on the severity of climate change threats, drought impacts and trusted information sources relating to water quality concerns. Approximately 70% of 259 respondents had recently experienced extreme weather-related events that worsen or trigger water quality. Survey results informed development of a case study analysis to gain a more in-depth understanding of what type of - or when - extreme events information could support climate adaptation. Projections of extreme events are often not in a form that is useable for water quality planning. Relative to supply-related projections, water quality has received much less scientific attention, leaving it an assumed scientific information gap and need for management. The question remains whether filling this gap would help adaptation, whom it would help, and in what way. Based on interviews with water systems in Summer 2016, our case study analyses reinforce that extreme events threaten water quality in many ways; largely as secondary impacts of climate change. Secondary impacts involve disinfection byproducts, increasing salinity in the Delta, and the use of lower quality sources. The most common barriers impeding effective adaptation were not related to information. Instead, respondents frequently expressed the obstacles of external institutions not coordinating with their needs. This demonstrates why climate adaptation must simultaneously occur at multiple levels of governance in order for water systems to successfully advance.

  18. Data Quality for Situational Awareness during Mass-Casualty Events

    PubMed Central

    Demchak, Barry; Griswold, William G.; Lenert, Leslie A.

    2007-01-01

    Incident Command systems often achieve situational awareness through manual paper-tracking systems. Such systems often produce high latencies and incomplete data, resulting in inefficient and ineffective resource deployment. WIISARD (Wireless Internet Information System for Medical Response in Disasters) collects much more data than a paper-based system, dramatically reducing latency while increasing the kinds and quality of information available to incident commanders. Yet, the introduction of IT into a disaster setting is not problem-free. Notably, system component failures can delay the delivery of data. The type and extent of a failure can have varying effects on the usefulness of information displays. We describe a small, coherent set of customizble information overlays to address this problem, and we discuss reactions to these displays by medical commanders. PMID:18693821

  19. Development of water environment information management and water pollution accident response system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J.; Ruan, H.

    2009-12-01

    In recent years, many water pollution accidents occurred with the rapid economical development. In this study, water environment information management and water pollution accident response system are developed based on geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The system integrated spatial database, attribute database, hydraulic model, and water quality model under a user-friendly interface in a GIS environment. System ran in both Client/Server (C/S) and Browser/Server (B/S) platform which focused on model and inquiry respectively. System provided spatial and attribute data inquiry, water quality evaluation, statics, water pollution accident response case management (opening reservoir etc) and 2D and 3D visualization function, and gave assistant information to make decision on water pollution accident response. Polluted plume in Huaihe River were selected to simulate the transport of pollutes.

  20. Technology and outcomes assessment in lung transplantation.

    PubMed

    Yusen, Roger D

    2009-01-15

    Lung transplantation offers the hope of prolonged survival and significant improvement in quality of life to patients that have advanced lung diseases. However, the medical literature lacks strong positive evidence and shows conflicting information regarding survival and quality of life outcomes related to lung transplantation. Decisions about the use of lung transplantation require an assessment of trade-offs: do the potential health and quality of life benefits outweigh the potential risks and harms? No amount of theoretical reasoning can resolve this question; empiric data are needed. Rational analyses of these trade-offs require valid measurements of the benefits and harms to the patients in all relevant domains that affect survival and quality of life. Lung transplant systems and registries mainly focus outcomes assessment on patient survival on the waiting list and after transplantation. Improved analytic approaches allow comparisons of the survival effects of lung transplantation versus continued waiting. Lung transplant entities do not routinely collect quality of life data. However, the medical community and the public want to know how lung transplantation affects quality of life. Given the huge stakes for the patients, the providers, and the healthcare systems, key stakeholders need to further support quality of life assessment in patients with advanced lung disease that enter into the lung transplant systems. Studies of lung transplantation and its related technologies should assess patients with tools that integrate both survival and quality of life information. Higher quality information obtained will lead to improved knowledge and more informed decision making.

  1. Quality and integration of public health information systems: A systematic review focused on immunization and vital records systems

    PubMed Central

    Vest, Joshua R; Kirk, Hilary M; Issel, L Michele

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: Public health professionals rely on quantitative data for the daily practice of public health as well as organizational decision making and planning. However, several factors work against effective data sharing among public health agencies in the US. This review characterizes the reported barriers and enablers of effective use of public health IS from an informatics perspective. Methods: A systematic review of the English language literature for 2005 to 2011 followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) format. The review focused on immunization information systems (IIS) and vital records information systems (VRIS). Systems were described according to the structural aspects of IS integration and data quality. Results: Articles describing IIS documented issues pertaining to the distribution of the system, the autonomy of the data providers, the heterogeneous nature of information sharing as well as the quality of the data. Articles describing VRIS were focused much more heavily on data quality, particularly whether or not the data were free from errors. Conclusions: For state and local practitioners to effectively utilize data, public health IS will have to overcome the challenges posed by a large number of autonomous data providers utilizing a variety of technologies. PMID:23569634

  2. Water resources of the Southern Hills regional aquifer system, southeastern Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.

    2017-03-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of groundwater in the 10 parishes overlying the Southern Hills regional aquifer system of Louisiana (fig. 1) is critical for water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater sources in these parishes is presented. Previously published reports (see References Cited section) and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (U.S. Geological Survey, 2017) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  3. Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Validation Study Designs. CEELO FastFacts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schilder, D.

    2013-01-01

    In this "Fast Facts," a state has received Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge funds and is seeking information to inform the design of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) validation study. The Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) responds that according to Resnick (2012), validation of a QRIS is an…

  4. A Survey of the Current Situation of Clinical Biobanks in China.

    PubMed

    Li, Haiyan; Ni, Mingyu; Wang, Peng; Wang, Xiaomin

    2017-06-01

    The development of biomedical research urgently needs the support of a large number of high-quality clinical biospecimens. Therefore, human biobanks at different levels have been established successively in China and other countries at a significantly increasing pace in recent years. To better understand the general current state of clinical biobanks in China, we surveyed 42 clinical biobanks based in hospitals and collected information involving their management systems, sharing mechanisms, quality control systems, and informational management systems using closed questionnaire methods. Based on our current information, there has not been such a large-scale survey in China. An understanding of the status and challenges current clinical biobanks face will provide valuable insights for the construction and sustainable development of higher quality clinical biobanks.

  5. A framework for improving the quality of health information on the world-wide-web and bettering public (e-)health: the MedCERTAIN approach.

    PubMed

    Eysenbach, G; Köhler, C; Yihune, G; Lampe, K; Cross, P; Brickley, D

    2001-01-01

    There has been considerable debate about the variable quality of health information on the world-wide-web and its impact on public health. While central authorities to regulate, control, censor, or centrally approve information, in-formation providers or websites are neither realistic nor desirable, public health professionals are interested in making systems available that direct patient streams to the best available information sources. National governments and medical societies have also recognized their responsibility to help users to identify "good quality" information sources. But what constitutes good quality, and how can such a system be implemented in a decentralized and democratic manner? This paper presents a model which combines aspects of consumer education, encouragement of best practices among information providers, self-labeling and external evaluations. The model is currently being implemented and evaluated in the MedCERTAIN project, funded by the European Union under the Action Plan for Safer Use of the Internet. The aim is to develop a technical and organisational infrastructure for a pilot system that allows consumers to access metainformation about web-sites and health information providers, including disclosure information from health providers and opinions of external evaluators. The paper explains the general conceptual framework of the model and presents preliminary experiences including results from an expert consensus meeting, where the framework was discussed.

  6. The Contribution of GIS to Display and Analyze the Water Quality Data Collected by a Wireless Sensor Network: Case of Bouregreg Catchment, Morocco

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boubakri, S.; Rhinane, H.

    2017-11-01

    The monitoring of water quality is, in most cases, managed in the laboratory and not on real time bases. Besides this process being lengthy, it doesn't provide the required specifications to describe the evolution of the quality parameters that are of interest. This study presents the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with wireless sensor networks (WSN) aiming to create a system able to detect the parameters like temperature, salinity and conductivity in a Moroccan catchment scale and transmit information to the support station. This Information is displayed and evaluated in a GIS using maps and spatial dashboard to monitor the water quality in real time.

  7. 40 CFR 58.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... QUALITY SURVEILLANCE General Provisions § 58.1 Definitions. As used in this part, all terms not defined... his or her authorized representative. Air Quality System (AQS) means EPA's computerized system for storing and reporting of information relating to ambient air quality data. Approved regional method (ARM...

  8. The "I" in QRIS Survey: Collecting Data on Quality Improvement Activities for Early Childhood Education Programs. REL 2017-221

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faria, Ann-Marie; Hawkinson, Laura; Metzger, Ivan; Bouacha, Nora; Cantave, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    A quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) is a voluntary state assessment system that uses multidimensional data on early childhood education programs to rate program quality, support quality improvement efforts, and provide information to families about the quality of available early childhood education programs. QRISs have two components:…

  9. Management Information Systems for Higher Education. Studies in Institutional Management in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hussain, K. M., Ed.

    Contents include an introduction to information systems (basic concepts and life-cycle); development of an information system (design, implementation, testing, and conversion); operation (evaluation and maintenance, quality control, and economics); and case studies of such systems at the New University of Lisbon, Bath University, Laval University…

  10. THE CONCEPT OF A COMMUNITY INFORMATION SYSTEM TO MEASURE THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    The community information system would consist of the collection of data relevant to public service quality , the periodic reporting of this data in a summarized, sharply focused form, and the application of reliable performance measures to it. The primary purpose of the CIS...groups in forming balanced judgments and making decisions concerning the service they receive. A secondary purpose would be to increase service quality by making it more visible to the public. (Author)

  11. Healthcare delivery systems: designing quality into health information systems.

    PubMed

    Joyce, Phil; Green, Rosamund; Winch, Graham

    2007-01-01

    To ensure that quality is 'engineered in' a holistic, integrated and quality approach is required, and Total Quality Management (TQM) principles are the obvious foundations for this. This paper describes a novel approach to viewing the operations of a healthcare provider where electronic means could be used to distribute information (including electronic fund settlements), building around the Full Service Provider core. Specifically, an approach called the "triple pair flow" model is used to provide a view of healthcare delivery that is integrated, yet detailed, and that combines the strategic enterprise view with a business process view.

  12. Information system of forest growth and productivity by site quality type and elements of forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khlyustov, V.

    2012-04-01

    Information system of forest growth and productivity by site quality type and elements of forest V.K. Khlustov Head of the Forestry Department of Russian State Agrarian University named after K.A.Timiryazev doctor of agricultural sciences, professor The efficiency of forest management can be improved substantially by development and introduction of principally new models of forest growth and productivity dynamics based on regionalized site specific parameters. Therefore an innovative information system was developed. It describes the current state and gives a forecast for forest stand parameters: growth, structure, commercial and biological productivity depend on type of site quality. In contrast to existing yield tables, the new system has environmental basis: site quality type. The information system contains set of multivariate statistical models and can work at the level of individual trees or at the stand level. The system provides a graphical visualization, as well as export of the emulation results. The System is able to calculate detailed description of any forest stand based on five initial indicators: site quality type, site index, stocking, composition, and tree age by elements of the forest. The results of the model run are following parameters: average diameter and height, top height, number of trees, basal area, growing stock (total, commercial with distribution by size, firewood and residuals), live biomass (stem, bark, branches, foliage). The system also provides the distribution of mentioned above forest stand parameters by tree diameter classes. To predict the future forest stand dynamics the system require in addition the time slot only. Full set of forest parameters mention above will be provided by the System. The most conservative initial parameters (site quality type and site index) can be kept in the form of geo referenced polygons. In this case the system would need only 3 dynamic initial parameters (stocking, composition and age) to simulate forest parameters and their dynamics. The system can substitute traditional processing of forest inventory field data and provide users with detailed information on the current state of forest and give a prediction. Implementation of the proposed system in combination with high resolution remote sensing is able to increase significantly the quality of forest inventory and at the same time reduce the costs. The system is a contribution to site oriented forest management. The System is registered in the Russian State Register of Computer Programs 12.07.2011, No 2011615418.

  13. Developing an effective IM/IT strategy.

    PubMed

    Kramer, Sarah; Walker, Joanne; Falk, Will

    2009-01-01

    Healthcare organizations and systems around the world lag far behind banking, manufacturing, travel and other industries in their use of information management/information technology (IM/IT) to deliver high-quality products and services. Across Canada, healthcare organizations, as well as governments, understand that information and information technology are needed to deliver quality care and to sustain our publicly funded health system. However, insufficient funding, few experienced resources, lack of strong leadership and absence of clear business/clinical rationale have restricted innovation and advancement in the use of IM/IT to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

  14. 42 CFR 441.585 - Quality assurance system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quality assurance system. 441.585 Section 441.585 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... provides information about the provisions of quality improvement and assurance to each individual receiving...

  15. 42 CFR 441.585 - Quality assurance system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quality assurance system. 441.585 Section 441.585 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... provides information about the provisions of quality improvement and assurance to each individual receiving...

  16. Developing a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to measure the success of electronic health records in residential aged care

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Ping; Qian, Siyu

    2018-01-01

    Electronic health records (EHR) are introduced into healthcare organizations worldwide to improve patient safety, healthcare quality and efficiency. A rigorous evaluation of this technology is important to reduce potential negative effects on patient and staff, to provide decision makers with accurate information for system improvement and to ensure return on investment. Therefore, this study develops a theoretical model and questionnaire survey instrument to assess the success of organizational EHR in routine use from the viewpoint of nursing staff in residential aged care homes. The proposed research model incorporates six variables in the reformulated DeLone and McLean information systems success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction and net benefits. Two variables training and self-efficacy were also incorporated into the model. A questionnaire survey instrument was designed to measure the eight variables in the model. After a pilot test, the measurement scale was used to collect data from 243 nursing staff members in 10 residential aged care homes belonging to three management groups in Australia. Partial least squares path modeling was conducted to validate the model. The validated EHR systems success model predicts the impact of the four antecedent variables—training, self-efficacy, system quality and information quality—on the net benefits, the indicator of EHR systems success, through the intermittent variables use and user satisfaction. A 24-item measurement scale was developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance of an EHR system. The parsimonious EHR systems success model and the measurement scale can be used to benchmark EHR systems success across organizations and units and over time. PMID:29315323

  17. Using Actigraphy and mHealth Systems for an Objective Analysis of Sleep Quality on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

    PubMed

    Balderas-Díaz, Sara; Martínez, M Pilar; Guerrero-Contreras, Gabriel; Miró, Elena; Benghazi, Kawtar; Sánchez, Ana I; Garrido, José Luis; Prados, Germán

    2017-03-23

    Although sleep alterations can be an important factor contributing to the clinical state of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, there are no studies to adequately assess sleep quality in this type of disease. The aim of this work is to analyse the sleep quality of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) patients based on more objective information provided by actigraphy and mobile systems. The idea is to carry out a comprehensive study by analysing how environmental conditions and factors can affect sleep quality. In traditional methods the information for assessing sleep quality is obtained through questionnaires. In this work, a novel method is proposed by combining these questionnaires that provide valuable but subjective information with actigraphy and a mobile system to collect more objective information about the patient and their environment. The method provides mechanisms to detect how sleep hygiene could be associated directly with the sleep quality of the subjects, in order to provide a custom intervention to SLE patients. Moreover, this alternative provides ease of use, and non-intrusive ICT (Information and Communication Technology) through a wristband and a mHealth system. The mHealth system has been developed for environmental conditions sensing. This consists of a mobile device with built-in sensors providing input data about the bedroom environment during sleep, and a set of services of the Environmental Monitoring System for properly managing the configuration, registration and fusion of those input data. In previous studies, this information has never been taken into account. However, the information could be relevant in the case of SLE patients. The sample is composed of 9 women with SLE and 11 matched controls with a mean age of 35.78 and 32.18, respectively. Demographic and clinical variables between SLE patients and healthy controls are compared using the Fisher exact test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Relationships between psychological variables, actigraphy measures, and variables related to environmental conditions are analysed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The SLE group showed poorer sleep quality, and more pain intensity, fatigue and depression than the healthy controls. Significant differences between SLE women and healthy controls in measures of actigraphy were not found. However, the fusion of the measures of the environmental conditions that were collected by the mobile system and actigraphy, has shown that light, and more specifically temperature have a direct relation with several measures of actigraphy which are related to sleep quality. It should be emphasize this result because usually the sleep problems are assessment through self-reported measures which had not revealed this association. Moreover, there are no previous studies that analyse these aspects in bedroom environments of SLE patients directly from objective measures. The results indicate the need to complement the subjective evaluation of sleep with objective measures. The use of actigraphy in combination with a new mHealth system provides a complete assessment especially relevant to chronic conditions as SLE. Both systems incorporate this objective information directly from objective measures in a non-intrusive way. Moreover, the measures of bedroom environmental variables provide useful and relevant clinical information to assess what is happening daily and not occasionally. This could lead to more customized interventions and adapt the treatment to each individual.

  18. Variations and relationship of quality and NIR spectral characteristics of cotton fibers collected from multi-location field performance trials

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    High volume instrumentation (HVITM) and advanced fiber information system (AFIS) measurements are increasingly being utilized as primary and routine means of acquiring fiber quality data by cotton breeders and fiber processors. There is amount of information regarding fiber and yarn qualities, but l...

  19. Examining the functionality of the DeLone and McLean information system success model as a framework for synthesis in nursing information and communication technology research.

    PubMed

    Booth, Richard G

    2012-06-01

    In this review, studies examining information and communication technology used by nurses in clinical practice were examined. Overall, a total of 39 studies were assessed spanning a time period from 1995 to 2008. The impacts of the various health information and communication technology evaluated by individual studies were synthesized using the DeLone and McLean's six-dimensional framework for evaluating information systems success (ie, System Quality, Information Quality, Service Quality, Use, User Satisfaction, and Net Benefits). Overall, the majority of researchers reported results related to the overall Net Benefits (positive, negative, and indifferent) of the health information and communication technology used by nurses. Attitudes and user satisfaction with technology were also commonly measured attributes. The current iteration of DeLone and McLean model is effective at synthesizing basic elements of health information and communication technology use by nurses. Regardless, the current model lacks the sociotechnical sensitivity to capture deeper nurse-technology relationalities. Limitations and recommendations are provided for researchers considering using the DeLone and McLean model for evaluating health information and communication technology used by nurses.

  20. Measuring mobile patient safety information system success: an empirical study.

    PubMed

    Jen, Wen-Yuan; Chao, Chia-Cheng

    2008-10-01

    The Health Risk Reminders and Surveillance (HRRS) system was designed to deliver critical abnormal test results of severely ill patients from Laboratory, Radiology, and Pathology departments to physicians within 5 min using cell phone text messages. This paper explores the success of the HRRS system. This study employed an augmented version of the DeLone and McLean IS success model. Seven variables (system quality, information quality, system use, user satisfaction, mobile healthcare anxiety, impact on the individual and impact on the organization) were used to evaluate the success of the HRRS system. The interrelationships between the seven variables were hypothesized and the hypotheses were empirically tested. The results indicate that the information quality of the HRRS system is positively associated with both system use and user satisfaction. In addition, system use is positively associated with user satisfaction, which is also positively associated with mobile healthcare anxiety. Moreover, results indicate that impact on the individual is positively associated with both user satisfaction and mobile healthcare anxiety. Finally, the impact of the organization is positively associated with impact on the individual. The results of the study provide an expanded understanding of the factors that contribute to mobile patient safety information system (IS) success. Implications of the relationship between system use and physician mobile healthcare anxiety are discussed.

  1. Development of an in-house hospital information system in a hospital in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Sultan, Faisal; Aziz, Muhammad Tahir; Khokhar, Idrees; Qadri, Hussain; Abbas, Manzar; Mukhtar, Amir; Manzoor, Waqar; Yusuf, Muhammed Aasim

    2014-03-01

    To review our experience of development and implementation of an electronic hospital information system, its costs and return on investment as well as incorporation of some key quality standards. Cost and saving trends of the project were calculated using different tools including project expense, cost saving through cessation of printing radiology films and paper. Net present value with payback period was utilized to evaluate the efficiency of the health information systems. Qualitative improvements in different healthcare functions were also analyzed. The total saving of the project was approximately US$ 5.1 million with net saving of US$ 3.5 million for the period from 2001 to 2011. The net present value of the project is US$ 3.2 million with a payback period of 3.4 years. Electronic hospital information systems and health records hold the potential to be useful tools for quality improvement and error reduction. Adoption of such systems, however, has been slow and erratic, worldwide. Utilizing the concept of net present value, development of such a system may be financially viable for some institutions. Instead of simply replacing paper, these systems may also be used to improve information management and improve quality of patient care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The success of a management information system in health care - a case study from Finland.

    PubMed

    Kivinen, Tuula; Lammintakanen, Johanna

    2013-02-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe perspectives on information availability and information use among users of a management information system in one specialized health care organization. The management information system (MIS) is defined as the information system that provides management with information about financial and operational aspects of hospital management. The material for this qualitative case study was gathered by semi-structured interviews. The interviewees were purposefully selected from one specialized health care organization. The organization has developed its management information system in recent years. Altogether 13 front-line, middle and top-level managers were interviewed. The two themes discussed were information availability and information use. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis using ATLAS.ti computer program. The main category "usage of management information system" consisted of four sub-categories: (1) system quality, (2) information quality, (3) use and user satisfaction and (4) development of information culture. There were many organizational and cultural aspects which influence the use of MIS in addition to factors concerning system usability and users. The connection between information culture and information use was recognized and the managers proposed numerous ways to increase the use of information in management work. The implementation and use of management information system did not seem to be planned as an essential tool in strategic information management in the health care organization studied. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Towards Evidence-Based, Quality-Controlled Health Promotion: The Dutch Recognition System for Health Promotion Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brug, Johannes; van Dale, Djoeke; Lanting, Loes; Kremers, Stef; Veenhof, Cindy; Leurs, Mariken; van Yperen, Tom; Kok, Gerjo

    2010-01-01

    Registration or recognition systems for best-practice health promotion interventions may contribute to better quality assurance and control in health promotion practice. In the Netherlands, such a system has been developed and is being implemented aiming to provide policy makers and professionals with more information on the quality and…

  4. Implementation of integrated heterogeneous electronic electrocardiography data into Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital Information System.

    PubMed

    Khumrin, Piyapong; Chumpoo, Pitupoom

    2016-03-01

    Electrocardiography is one of the most important non-invasive diagnostic tools for diagnosing coronary heart disease. The electrocardiography information system in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital required a massive manual labor effort. In this article, we propose an approach toward the integration of heterogeneous electrocardiography data and the implementation of an integrated electrocardiography information system into the existing Hospital Information System. The system integrates different electrocardiography formats into a consistent electrocardiography rendering by using Java software. The interface acts as middleware to seamlessly integrate different electrocardiography formats. Instead of using a common electrocardiography protocol, we applied a central format based on Java classes for mapping different electrocardiography formats which contains a specific parser for each electrocardiography format to acquire the same information. Our observations showed that the new system improved the effectiveness of data management, work flow, and data quality; increased the availability of information; and finally improved quality of care. © The Author(s) 2014.

  5. Discectomy-related information on the internet: does the quality follow the surge?

    PubMed

    Elhassan, Yahya; Sheridan, Gerard; Nassiri, Mujtaba; Osman, Mugtaba; Kiely, Pat; Noel, Jacques

    2015-01-15

    A quality-control Internet-based study using recognized quality-scoring systems. To evaluate the quality of information available on the Internet. Quality of health information on the Internet is of much concern and the emphasis for appraisal of Internet Web sites is needed. This study is to determine if it has improved with the surge in Internet usage. The 3 most commonly used search engines were identified and a search for "Discectomy" was performed on each. Two reviewers categorized the Web sites according to their types and the quality of each was assessed using recognized scoring systems including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark, DISCERN score, and discectomy-specific content score. The quality of the information was also assessed according to the presence and absence of the Health on the Net code. Fifty-three Web sites were identified, and analyzed. Commercial Web sites were predominant, 24 of them were identified, 7 were governmental, 6 were produced by physicians, none were produced by allied health professionals, 3 were academic, 4 were public health information Web sites, 4 were attached to social media and discussion groups, 3 were related to media, and 2 were unspecified. Internet sites with a Health on the Net code demonstrated significantly higher quality than those without the code (P < 0.0001). Public health information Web sites attained the highest overall DISCERN and discectomy-specific scores followed by Web sites of the government and nonprofit organizations. The overall quality of information regarding discectomy remains poor and variable despite an exponential increase in the number of users and Web sites, with a slight trend toward improvement, only 20% to 30% are of good quality, compared with that 10 years ago (<10%). Presence of Health on the Net code is a very reliable marker for health information quality.

  6. Publicly disclosed information about the quality of health care: response of the US public

    PubMed Central

    Schneider, E; Lieberman, T

    2001-01-01

    Public disclosure of information about the quality of health plans, hospitals, and doctors continues to be controversial. The US experience of the past decade suggests that sophisticated quality measures and reporting systems that disclose information on quality have improved the process and outcomes of care in limited ways in some settings, but these efforts have not led to the "consumer choice" market envisaged. Important reasons for this failure include limited salience of objective measures to consumers, the complexity of the task of interpretation, and insufficient use of quality results by organised purchasers and insurers to inform contracting and pricing decisions. Nevertheless, public disclosure may motivate quality managers and providers to undertake changes that improve the delivery of care. Efforts to measure and report information about quality should remain public, but may be most effective if they are targeted to the needs of institutional and individual providers of care. Key Words: public disclosure; quality of health care; quality improvement PMID:11389318

  7. Behavioral System Feedback Measurement Failure: Sweeping Quality under the Rug

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mihalic, Maria T.; Ludwig, Timothy D.

    2009-01-01

    Behavioral Systems rely on valid measurement systems to manage processes and feedback and to deliver contingencies. An examination of measurement system components designed to track customer service quality of furniture delivery drivers revealed the measurement system failed to capture information it was designed to measure. A reason for this…

  8. The role of health informatics in clinical audit: part of the problem or key to the solution?

    PubMed

    Georgiou, Andrew; Pearson, Michael

    2002-05-01

    The concepts of quality assurance (for which clinical audit is an essential part), evaluation and clinical governance each depend on the ability to derive and record measurements that describe clinical performance. Rapid IT developments have raised many new possibilities for managing health care. They have allowed for easier collection and processing of data in greater quantities. These developments have encouraged the growth of quality assurance as a key feature of health care delivery. In the past most of the emphasis has been on hospital information systems designed predominantly for the administration of patients and the management of financial performance. Large, hi-tech information system capacity does not guarantee quality information. The task of producing information that can be confidently used to monitor the quality of clinical care requires attention to key aspects of the design and operation of the audit. The Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP) utilizes an IT-based system to collect and process data on large numbers of patients and make them readily available to contributing hospitals. The project shows that IT systems that employ rigorous health informatics methodologies can do much to improve the monitoring and provision of health care.

  9. Analysis of the quality of hospital information systems Audit Trails.

    PubMed

    Cruz-Correia, Ricardo; Boldt, Isabel; Lapão, Luís; Santos-Pereira, Cátia; Rodrigues, Pedro Pereira; Ferreira, Ana Margarida; Freitas, Alberto

    2013-08-06

    Audit Trails (AT) are fundamental to information security in order to guarantee access traceability but can also be used to improve Health information System's (HIS) quality namely to assess how they are used or misused. This paper aims at analysing the existence and quality of AT, describing scenarios in hospitals and making some recommendations to improve the quality of information. The responsibles of HIS for eight Portuguese hospitals were contacted in order to arrange an interview about the importance of AT and to collect audit trail data from their HIS. Five institutions agreed to participate in this study; four of them accepted to be interviewed, and four sent AT data. The interviews were performed in 2011 and audit trail data sent in 2011 and 2012. Each AT was evaluated and compared in relation to data quality standards, namely for completeness, comprehensibility, traceability among others. Only one of the AT had enough information for us to apply a consistency evaluation by modelling user behaviour. The interviewees in these hospitals only knew a few AT (average of 1 AT per hospital in an estimate of 21 existing HIS), although they all recognize some advantages of analysing AT. Four hospitals sent a total of 7 AT - 2 from Radiology Information System (RIS), 2 from Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), 3 from Patient Records. Three of the AT were understandable and three of the AT were complete. The AT from the patient records are better structured and more complete than the RIS/PACS. Existing AT do not have enough quality to guarantee traceability or be used in HIS improvement. Its quality reflects the importance given to them by the CIO of healthcare institutions. Existing standards (e.g. ASTM:E2147, ISO/TS 18308:2004, ISO/IEC 27001:2006) are still not broadly used in Portugal.

  10. Integrationof Remote Sensing and Geographic information system in Ground Water Quality Assessment and Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakak, N.

    2015-04-01

    Spatial variations in ground water quality in the Khartoum state, Sudan, have been studied using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technique. Gegraphical informtion system a tool which is used for storing, analyzing and displaying spatial data is also used for investigating ground water quality information. Khartoum landsat mosac image aquired in 2013was used, Arc/Gis software applied to extract the boundary of the study area, the image was classified to create land use/land cover map. The land use map,geological and soil map are used for correlation between land use , geological formations, and soil types to understand the source of natural pollution that can lower the ground water quality. For this study, the global positioning system (GPS), used in the field to identify the borehole location in a three dimentional coordinate (Latitude, longitude, and altitude), water samples were collected from 156 borehole wells, and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters like electrical conductivity, Total dissolved solid,Chloride, Nitrate, Sodium, Magnisium, Calcium,and Flouride, using standard techniques in the laboratory and compared with the standards.The ground water quality maps of the entire study area have been prepared using spatial interpolation technique for all the above parameters.then the created maps used to visualize, analyze, and understand the relationship among the measured points. Mapping was coded for potable zones, non-potable zones in the study area, in terms of water quality sutability for drinking water and sutability for irrigation. In general satellite remote sensing in conjunction with geographical information system (GIS) offers great potential for water resource development and management.

  11. Examining Changes to Michigan's Early Childhood Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). REL 2015-029

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faria, Ann-Marie; Hawkinson, Laura E.; Greenberg, Ariela C.; Howard, Eboni C.; Brown, Leah

    2015-01-01

    Documenting and improving early childhood program quality is a national priority, leading to a rapid expansion of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs). QRISs document and improve the quality of early childhood education programs and provide clear information to families about their child care choices. The current study described how…

  12. Complex adaptive systems: a tool for interpreting responses and behaviours.

    PubMed

    Ellis, Beverley

    2011-01-01

    Quality improvement is a priority for health services worldwide. There are many barriers to implementing change at the locality level and misinterpreting responses and behaviours can effectively block change. Electronic health records will influence the means by which knowledge and information are generated and sustained among those operating quality improvement programmes. To explain how complex adaptive system (CAS) theory provides a useful tool and new insight into the responses and behaviours that relate to quality improvement programmes in primary care enabled by informatics. Case studies in two English localities who participated in the implementation and development of quality improvement programmes. The research strategy included purposefully sampled case studies, conducted within a social constructionist ontological perspective. Responses and behaviours of quality improvement programmes in the two localities include both positive and negative influences associated with a networked model of governance. Pressures of time, resources and workload are common issues, along with the need for education and training about capturing, coding, recording and sharing information held within electronic health records to support various information requirements. Primary care informatics enables information symmetry among those operating quality improvement programmes by making some aspects of care explicit, allowing consensus about quality improvement priorities and implementable solutions.

  13. Hydrologic and Water Quality Assessment from Managed Turf

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The potential for nutrients and pesticides to be transported to surface water from turf systems (especially golf courses) is often debated because of limited information on water quality exiting these systems. This four year study quantified the amount and quality of water draining from part of Nort...

  14. Integrated information systems for translational medicine.

    PubMed

    Winter, A; Funkat, G; Haeber, A; Mauz-Koerholz, C; Pommerening, K; Smers, S; Stausberg, J

    2007-01-01

    Translational medicine research needs a two-way information highway between 'bedside' and 'bench'. Unfortunately there are still weak links between successfully integrated information roads for bench, i.e. research networks, and bedside, i.e. regional or national health information systems. The question arises, what measures have to be taken to overcome the deficiencies. It is examined how patient care-related costs of clinical research can be separated and shared by health insurances, whether quality of patient care data is sufficient for research, how patient identity can be maintained without conflict to privacy, how care and research records can be archived, and how information systems for care and research can be integrated. Since clinical trials improve quality of care, insurers share parts of the costs. Quality of care data has to be improved by introducing minimum basic data sets. Pseudonymization solves the conflict between needs for patient identity and privacy. Archiving patient care records and research records is similar and XML and CDISC can be used. Principles of networking infrastructures for care and research still differ. They have to be bridged first and harmonized later. To link information systems for care (bed) and for research (bench) needs technical infrastructures as well as economic and organizational regulations.

  15. Benchmarking the State of Yap's Education Management Information System. REL 2016-117

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cicchinelli, Louis F.; Kendall, John S.; Dandapani, Nitara

    2016-01-01

    A quality data management system, such as an education management information system (EMIS), a state longitudinal data system, or a data warehouse, is key to ensuring that education policy, planning, and strategy decisions are grounded in accurate information. The chief state school officers of the Federated States of Micronesia have recognized…

  16. The advantages and barriers in the implementation of a substance dependence treatment information system (SDTIS).

    PubMed

    Ajami, Sima; Mellat-Karkevandi, Zahra

    2015-11-01

    Addiction is a phenomenon that causes structural changes in different systems of society. Studies show for planning of addiction prevention and treatment, it is necessary to create an information management system. Substance dependence information systems refer to systems which collect, analyse and report data related to substance dependence information. The aim of this study was to identify advantages and barriers to implement Substance Dependence Treatment Information System (SDTIS). This study was a narrative review. Our review divided into three phases: literature collection, assessing, and selection. We employed the following keywords and their combinations in different areas of articles. In this study, 22 of collected articles and reports were selected based on their relevancy. We found many advantages for a substance dependence treatment information system such as recording sufficient, complete and accurate information and easy and timely access to them and monitoring and enhancing the quality of care received by patients. But we may face some concerns for implementing this information system like taking time and funds from client services, being expensive or even problems regarding the quality of data contained in these information systems. There are some important problems in the way of implementing. In order to overcome these issues, we need to raise community awareness.

  17. The advantages and barriers in the implementation of a substance dependence treatment information system (SDTIS)

    PubMed Central

    Ajami, Sima; Mellat-Karkevandi, Zahra

    2015-01-01

    Addiction is a phenomenon that causes structural changes in different systems of society. Studies show for planning of addiction prevention and treatment, it is necessary to create an information management system. Substance dependence information systems refer to systems which collect, analyse and report data related to substance dependence information. The aim of this study was to identify advantages and barriers to implement Substance Dependence Treatment Information System (SDTIS). This study was a narrative review. Our review divided into three phases: literature collection, assessing, and selection. We employed the following keywords and their combinations in different areas of articles. In this study, 22 of collected articles and reports were selected based on their relevancy. We found many advantages for a substance dependence treatment information system such as recording sufficient, complete and accurate information and easy and timely access to them and monitoring and enhancing the quality of care received by patients. But we may face some concerns for implementing this information system like taking time and funds from client services, being expensive or even problems regarding the quality of data contained in these information systems. There are some important problems in the way of implementing. In order to overcome these issues, we need to raise community awareness. PMID:26941816

  18. Parameters of Higher Education Quality Assessment System at Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savickiene, Izabela

    2005-01-01

    The article analyses the system of institutional quality assessment at universities and lays foundation to its functional, morphological and processual parameters. It also presents the concept of the system and discusses the distribution of systems into groups, defines information, accountability, improvement and benchmarking functions of higher…

  19. [Incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies and quality of primary healthcare in Brazil].

    PubMed

    Santos, Alaneir de Fátima Dos; Fonseca, Délcio; Araujo, Lucas Lobato; Procópio, Cristiane da Silva Diniz; Lopes, Érica Araújo Silva; Lima, Angela Maria de Lourdes Dayrell de; Reis, Clarice Magalhães Rodrigues Dos; Abreu, Daisy Maria Xavier de; Jorge, Alzira Oliveira; Matta-Machado, Antonio Thomaz

    2017-06-05

    Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are means to handle information, streamline communication, and contribute to patient care. This article describes the incorporation of Information and Communication Technologies in primary care and its association with quality, based on the Brazilian National Program for the Improvement of Access and Quality in Primary Care (PMAQ in portuguese). This was a cross-sectional study with 17,053 teams. An Index of Incorporation of ICTs was created, which included: information infrastructure, systems, and utilization. Regression analysis was used to assess associations. Only 13.5% of the teams had a high degree of ICTs. The strongest association was seen in the utilization of information. ICTs can contribute to improving quality of primary care.

  20. A review of national policies and strategies to improve quality of health care and patient safety: a case study from Lebanon and Jordan.

    PubMed

    El-Jardali, Fadi; Fadlallah, Racha

    2017-08-16

    Improving quality of care and patient safety practices can strengthen health care delivery systems, improve health sector performance, and accelerate attainment of health-related Sustainability Development Goals. Although quality improvement is now prominent on the health policy agendas of governments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), progress to date has not been optimal. The objective of this study is to comprehensively review existing quality improvement and patient safety policies and strategies in two selected countries of the EMR (Lebanon and Jordan) to determine the extent to which these have been institutionalized within existing health systems. We used a mixed methods approach that combined documentation review, stakeholder surveys and key informant interviews. Existing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives were assessed across five components of an analytical framework for assessing health care quality and patient safety: health systems context; national policies and legislation; organizations and institutions; methods, techniques and tools; and health care infrastructure and resources. Both Lebanon and Jordan have made important progress in terms of increased attention to quality and accreditation in national health plans and strategies, licensing requirements for health care professionals and organizations (albeit to varying extents), and investments in health information systems. A key deficiency in both countries is the absence of an explicit national policy for quality improvement and patient safety across the health system. Instead, there is a spread of several (disjointed) pieces of legal measures and national plans leading to fragmentation and lack of clear articulation of responsibilities across the entire continuum of care. Moreover, both countries lack national sets of standardized and applicable quality indicators for performance measurement and benchmarking. Importantly, incentive systems that link contractual agreement, regulations, accreditation, and performance indicators are underutilized in Lebanon and absent in Jordan. At the healthcare organizational level, there is a need to instill a culture of continuous quality improvement and promote professional training in quality improvement and patient safety. Study findings highlight the importance of aligning policies, organizations, methods, capacities and resources in order to institutionalize quality improvement and patient safety practices in health systems. Gaps and dysfunctions identified can help inform national deliberations and dialogues among key stakeholders in each study country. Findings can also inform future quality improvement efforts in the EMR and beyond, with a particular emphasis on LMICs.

  1. Flexible solution for interoperable cloud healthcare systems.

    PubMed

    Vida, Mihaela Marcella; Lupşe, Oana Sorina; Stoicu-Tivadar, Lăcrămioara; Bernad, Elena

    2012-01-01

    It is extremely important for the healthcare domain to have a standardized communication because will improve the quality of information and in the end the resulting benefits will improve the quality of patients' life. The standards proposed to be used are: HL7 CDA and CCD. For a better access to the medical data a solution based on cloud computing (CC) is investigated. CC is a technology that supports flexibility, seamless care, and reduced costs of the medical act. To ensure interoperability between healthcare information systems a solution creating a Web Custom Control is presented. The control shows the database tables and fields used to configure the two standards. This control will facilitate the work of the medical staff and hospital administrators, because they can configure the local system easily and prepare it for communication with other systems. The resulted information will have a higher quality and will provide knowledge that will support better patient management and diagnosis.

  2. 42 CFR 431.834 - Access to records: Claims processing assessment systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION Quality Control Medicaid Quality Control (mqc) Claims Processing Assessment System § 431.834... to which the State has access, including information available under part 435, subpart J, of this...

  3. 42 CFR 431.834 - Access to records: Claims processing assessment systems.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... ADMINISTRATION Quality Control Medicaid Quality Control (mqc) Claims Processing Assessment System § 431.834... to which the State has access, including information available under part 435, subpart J, of this...

  4. Crowdsourced Geospatial Data: A Report on the Emerging Phenomena of Crowdsourced and User-Generated Geospatial Data

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-01

    wider context for this emerging trend. Subsequent sections of this report discuss CGD in the context of geographic information systems and...authoritative data pro- duction systems , sources and examples of CGD, data quality considera- tions for CGD, evaluating fitness-for-use of CGD, significant...geographic information systems (GIS), provide ex- amples and sources of CGD, report on the data quality of CGD, demon- strate the fitness-for-use of CGD, and

  5. A Theory of Information Quality and a Framework for Its Implementation in the Requirements Engineering Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grenn, Michael W.

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation introduces a theory of information quality to explain macroscopic behavior observed in the systems engineering process. The theory extends principles of Shannon's mathematical theory of communication [1948] and statistical mechanics to information development processes concerned with the flow, transformation, and meaning of…

  6. GeoViQua: quality-aware geospatial data discovery and evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bigagli, L.; Papeschi, F.; Mazzetti, P.; Nativi, S.

    2012-04-01

    GeoViQua (QUAlity aware VIsualization for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems) is a recently started FP7 project aiming at complementing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) with rigorous data quality specifications and quality-aware capabilities, in order to improve reliability in scientific studies and policy decision-making. GeoViQua main scientific and technical objective is to enhance the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) providing the user community with innovative quality-aware search and evaluation tools, which will be integrated in the GEO-Portal, as well as made available to other end-user interfaces. To this end, GeoViQua will promote the extension of the current standard metadata for geographic information with accurate and expressive quality indicators, also contributing to the definition of a quality label (GEOLabel). GeoViQua proposed solutions will be assessed in several pilot case studies covering the whole Earth Observation chain, from remote sensing acquisition to data processing, to applications in the main GEOSS Societal Benefit Areas. This work presents the preliminary results of GeoViQua Work Package 4 "Enhanced geo-search tools" (WP4), started in January 2012. Its major anticipated technical innovations are search and evaluation tools that communicate and exploit data quality information from the GCI. In particular, GeoViQua will investigate a graphical search interface featuring a coherent and meaningful aggregation of statistics and metadata summaries (e.g. in the form of tables, charts), thus enabling end users to leverage quality constraints for data discovery and evaluation. Preparatory work on WP4 requirements indicated that users need the "best" data for their purpose, implying a high degree of subjectivity in judgment. This suggests that the GeoViQua system should exploit a combination of provider-generated metadata (objective indicators such as summary statistics), system-generated metadata (contextual/tracking information such as provenance of data and metadata), and user-generated metadata (informal user comments, usage information, rating, etc.). Moreover, metadata should include sufficiently complete access information, to allow rich data visualization and propagation. The following main enabling components are currently identified within WP4: - Quality-aware access services, e.g. a quality-aware extension of the OGC Sensor Observation Service (SOS-Q) specification, to support quality constraints for sensor data publishing and access; - Quality-aware discovery services, namely a quality-aware extension of the OGC Catalog Service for the Web (CSW-Q), to cope with quality constrained search; - Quality-augmentation broker (GeoViQua Broker), to support the linking and combination of the existing GCI metadata with GeoViQua- and user-generated metadata required to support the users in selecting the "best" data for their intended use. We are currently developing prototypes of the above quality-enabled geo-search components, that will be assessed in a sensor-based pilot case study in the next months. In particular, the GeoViQua Broker will be integrated with the EuroGEOSS Broker, to implement CSW-Q and federate (either via distribution or harvesting schemes) quality-aware data sources, GeoViQua will constitute a valuable test-bed for advancing the current best practices and standards in geospatial quality representation and exploitation. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement n° 265178.

  7. Evaluating the quality of Internet information for femoroacetabular impingement.

    PubMed

    Lee, Simon; Shin, Jason J; Haro, Marc S; Song, Sang H; Nho, Shane J

    2014-10-01

    The Internet has become a ubiquitous source of medical information for both the patient and the physician. However, the quality of this information is highly variable. We evaluated the quality of Internet information available for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Four popular search engines were used to collect 100 Web sites containing information on FAI. Web sites were evaluated based on authorship, various content criteria, and the presence of Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) certification. By use of a novel evaluation system for quality, Web sites were also classified as excellent, high, moderate, poor, or inadequate and were subsequently analyzed. Web sites were evaluated as a group, followed by authorship type, by HONcode certification, and by quality level. Of the Web sites, 73 offered the ability to contact the author, 91 offered a considerable explanation of FAI, 54 provided surgical treatment options, 58 offered nonsurgical treatment options, 27 discussed possible complications, 11 discussed eligibility criteria, 31 discussed rehabilitation, 67 discussed a differential diagnosis, and 48 included peer-reviewed citations. We categorized 40 Web sites as academic, 33 as private, 9 as industry, 9 as public education, and 9 as blogs. Our novel quality evaluation system classified 16 Web sites as excellent, 18 as high, 17 as moderate, 18 as poor, and 31 as inadequate. Only 8% of all evaluated Web sites contained HONcode certification. We found that the quality of information available on the Internet about FAI was dramatically variable. A significantly large proportion of Web sites were from academic sources, but this did not necessarily indicate higher quality. Sites with HONcode certification showed as much variability in quality as noncertified sites. This study increases clinician competence in the available Internet information about FAI and helps them to confidently guide patients to formulate appropriate medical decisions based on high-quality information. Copyright © 2014 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Is There Evidence of Cost Benefits of Electronic Medical Records, Standards, or Interoperability in Hospital Information Systems? Overview of Systematic Reviews

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background Electronic health (eHealth) interventions may improve the quality of care by providing timely, accessible information about one patient or an entire population. Electronic patient care information forms the nucleus of computerized health information systems. However, interoperability among systems depends on the adoption of information standards. Additionally, investing in technology systems requires cost-effectiveness studies to ensure the sustainability of processes for stakeholders. Objective The objective of this study was to assess cost-effectiveness of the use of electronically available inpatient data systems, health information exchange, or standards to support interoperability among systems. Methods An overview of systematic reviews was conducted, assessing the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and IEEE Library databases to identify relevant studies published through February 2016. The search was supplemented by citations from the selected papers. The primary outcome sought the cost-effectiveness, and the secondary outcome was the impact on quality of care. Independent reviewers selected studies, and disagreement was resolved by consensus. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (AMSTAR). Results The primary search identified 286 papers, and two papers were manually included. A total of 211 were systematic reviews. From the 20 studies that were selected after screening the title and abstract, 14 were deemed ineligible, and six met the inclusion criteria. The interventions did not show a measurable effect on cost-effectiveness. Despite the limited number of studies, the heterogeneity of electronic systems reported, and the types of intervention in hospital routines, it was possible to identify some preliminary benefits in quality of care. Hospital information systems, along with information sharing, had the potential to improve clinical practice by reducing staff errors or incidents, improving automated harm detection, monitoring infections more effectively, and enhancing the continuity of care during physician handoffs. Conclusions This review identified some benefits in the quality of care but did not provide evidence that the implementation of eHealth interventions had a measurable impact on cost-effectiveness in hospital settings. However, further evidence is needed to infer the impact of standards adoption or interoperability in cost benefits of health care; this in turn requires further research. PMID:28851681

  9. Is There Evidence of Cost Benefits of Electronic Medical Records, Standards, or Interoperability in Hospital Information Systems? Overview of Systematic Reviews.

    PubMed

    Reis, Zilma Silveira Nogueira; Maia, Thais Abreu; Marcolino, Milena Soriano; Becerra-Posada, Francisco; Novillo-Ortiz, David; Ribeiro, Antonio Luiz Pinho

    2017-08-29

    Electronic health (eHealth) interventions may improve the quality of care by providing timely, accessible information about one patient or an entire population. Electronic patient care information forms the nucleus of computerized health information systems. However, interoperability among systems depends on the adoption of information standards. Additionally, investing in technology systems requires cost-effectiveness studies to ensure the sustainability of processes for stakeholders. The objective of this study was to assess cost-effectiveness of the use of electronically available inpatient data systems, health information exchange, or standards to support interoperability among systems. An overview of systematic reviews was conducted, assessing the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and IEEE Library databases to identify relevant studies published through February 2016. The search was supplemented by citations from the selected papers. The primary outcome sought the cost-effectiveness, and the secondary outcome was the impact on quality of care. Independent reviewers selected studies, and disagreement was resolved by consensus. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews (AMSTAR). The primary search identified 286 papers, and two papers were manually included. A total of 211 were systematic reviews. From the 20 studies that were selected after screening the title and abstract, 14 were deemed ineligible, and six met the inclusion criteria. The interventions did not show a measurable effect on cost-effectiveness. Despite the limited number of studies, the heterogeneity of electronic systems reported, and the types of intervention in hospital routines, it was possible to identify some preliminary benefits in quality of care. Hospital information systems, along with information sharing, had the potential to improve clinical practice by reducing staff errors or incidents, improving automated harm detection, monitoring infections more effectively, and enhancing the continuity of care during physician handoffs. This review identified some benefits in the quality of care but did not provide evidence that the implementation of eHealth interventions had a measurable impact on cost-effectiveness in hospital settings. However, further evidence is needed to infer the impact of standards adoption or interoperability in cost benefits of health care; this in turn requires further research. ©Zilma Silveira Nogueira Reis, Thais Abreu Maia, Milena Soriano Marcolino, Francisco Becerra-Posada, David Novillo-Ortiz, Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 29.08.2017.

  10. Management information systems: their role in the marketing activities of HMOs.

    PubMed

    Aronow, D B

    1988-01-01

    HMOs are particularly dependent on their information resources in providing cost-effective, high quality, accessible care. Understanding the role of MIS in HMO marketing activities may guide administrators in evaluating information systems applications within their organizations.

  11. Improving Information Products for System 2 Decision Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibson, Neal

    2010-01-01

    The creation, maintenance, and management of Information Product (IP) systems that are used by organizations for complex decisions represent a unique set of challenges. These challenges are compounded when the purpose of such a systems is also for knowledge creation and dissemination. Information quality research to date has focused mainly upon…

  12. A Comparative Study of the Proposed Models for the Components of the National Health Information System

    PubMed Central

    Ahmadi, Maryam; Damanabi, Shahla; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: National Health Information System plays an important role in ensuring timely and reliable access to Health information, which is essential for strategic and operational decisions that improve health, quality and effectiveness of health care. In other words, using the National Health information system you can improve the quality of health data, information and knowledge used to support decision making at all levels and areas of the health sector. Since full identification of the components of this system – for better planning and management influential factors of performanceseems necessary, therefore, in this study different attitudes towards components of this system are explored comparatively. Methods: This is a descriptive and comparative kind of study. The society includes printed and electronic documents containing components of the national health information system in three parts: input, process and output. In this context, search for information using library resources and internet search were conducted, and data analysis was expressed using comparative tables and qualitative data. Results: The findings showed that there are three different perspectives presenting the components of national health information system Lippeveld and Sauerborn and Bodart model in 2000, Health Metrics Network (HMN) model from World Health Organization in 2008, and Gattini’s 2009 model. All three models outlined above in the input (resources and structure) require components of management and leadership, planning and design programs, supply of staff, software and hardware facilities and equipment. Plus, in the “process” section from three models, we pointed up the actions ensuring the quality of health information system, and in output section, except for Lippeveld Model, two other models consider information products and use and distribution of information as components of the national health information system. Conclusion: the results showed that all the three models have had a brief discussion about the components of health information in input section. But Lippeveld model has overlooked the components of national health information in process and output sections. Therefore, it seems that the health measurement model of network has a comprehensive presentation for the components of health system in all three sections-input, process and output. PMID:24825937

  13. A comparative study of the proposed models for the components of the national health information system.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Maryam; Damanabi, Shahla; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

    2014-04-01

    National Health Information System plays an important role in ensuring timely and reliable access to Health information, which is essential for strategic and operational decisions that improve health, quality and effectiveness of health care. In other words, using the National Health information system you can improve the quality of health data, information and knowledge used to support decision making at all levels and areas of the health sector. Since full identification of the components of this system - for better planning and management influential factors of performanceseems necessary, therefore, in this study different attitudes towards components of this system are explored comparatively. This is a descriptive and comparative kind of study. The society includes printed and electronic documents containing components of the national health information system in three parts: input, process and output. In this context, search for information using library resources and internet search were conducted, and data analysis was expressed using comparative tables and qualitative data. The findings showed that there are three different perspectives presenting the components of national health information system Lippeveld and Sauerborn and Bodart model in 2000, Health Metrics Network (HMN) model from World Health Organization in 2008, and Gattini's 2009 model. All three models outlined above in the input (resources and structure) require components of management and leadership, planning and design programs, supply of staff, software and hardware facilities and equipment. Plus, in the "process" section from three models, we pointed up the actions ensuring the quality of health information system, and in output section, except for Lippeveld Model, two other models consider information products and use and distribution of information as components of the national health information system. the results showed that all the three models have had a brief discussion about the components of health information in input section. But Lippeveld model has overlooked the components of national health information in process and output sections. Therefore, it seems that the health measurement model of network has a comprehensive presentation for the components of health system in all three sections-input, process and output.

  14. Variation in information needs and quality: implications for public health surveillance and biomedical informatics.

    PubMed

    Dixon, Brian E; Lai, Patrick T S; Grannis, Shaun J

    2013-01-01

    Understanding variation among users' information needs and the quality of information in an electronic system is important for informaticians to ensure data are fit-for-use in answering important questions in clinical and public health. To measure variation in satisfaction with currently reported data, as well as perceived importance and need with respect to completeness and timeliness, we surveyed epidemiologists and other public health professionals across multiple jurisdictions. We observed consensus for some data elements, such as county of residence, which respondents perceived as important and felt should always be reported. However information needs differed for many data elements, especially when comparing notifiable diseases such as chlamydia to seasonal (influenza) and chronic (diabetes) diseases. Given the trend towards greater volume and variety of data as inputs to surveillance systems, variation of information needs impacts system design and practice. Systems must be flexible and highly configurable to accommodate variation, and informaticians must measure and improve systems and business processes to accommodate for variation of both users and information.

  15. Scoliosis and the Social Media: Facebook as a Means of Information Exchange.

    PubMed

    Ng, Jonathan P; Tarazi, Nadim; Byrne, Damien P; Baker, Joseph F; McCabe, John P

    2017-03-01

    Over the last decade, the emergence of social networking websites such as Facebook have revolutionized information dissemination and broadened opportunities to engage in discussions. In particular, having been widely adopted in the younger generation, the use of this medium has become more prevalent in health disorders such as scoliosis in the adolescent population. However, the quality of information on Facebook is unregulated and variable, which may mislead patients in their decision making. To document the various types of information available and assess the quality of information on Facebook discussion boards using recognized scoring systems. To evaluate the quality of information on the social network. A search for the keyword "scoliosis" on Facebook was performed and the first 100 pages generated were reviewed. SCSS and DISCERN score. Content analysis was performed on discussion boards and personal blogs. Two independent examiners evaluated each site according to scoliosis-specific content score (SCSS) and the DISCERN criteria, both previously used instruments to judge the quality of information on the Internet pertaining to scoliosis. The SCSS range from 0 to 32 (higher score better) and the DISCERN 16 to 80 (higher score better). Of the 100 sites reviewed, 33 were discussion boards and personal blogs. Of these, the overall average SCSS was 5.7 (SD 5.8, range 0-20) and the DISCERN was 22.5 (SD 7.6, range 16-45), indicating that using general scoring systems the quality of information provided was overall poor. Using recognized scoring systems to analyze Facebook pages used as discussion forums or blogs, we showed that the quality in general was poor. For modern practices to adapt to an era of information exchange via the social network, the orthopedic community should develop ways to incorporate the social media in future patient education. Copyright © 2016 Scoliosis Research Society. All rights reserved.

  16. Intellectual Production Supervision Perform based on RFID Smart Electricity Meter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Xiangqun; Huang, Rui; Shen, Liman; chen, Hao; Xiong, Dezhi; Xiao, Xiangqi; Liu, Mouhai; Xu, Renheng

    2018-03-01

    This topic develops the RFID intelligent electricity meter production supervision project management system. The system is designed for energy meter production supervision in the management of the project schedule, quality and cost information management requirements in RFID intelligent power, and provide quantitative information more comprehensive, timely and accurate for supervision engineer and project manager management decisions, and to provide technical information for the product manufacturing stage file. From the angle of scheme analysis, design, implementation and test, the system development of production supervision project management system for RFID smart meter project is discussed. Focus on the development of the system, combined with the main business application and management mode at this stage, focuses on the energy meter to monitor progress information, quality information and cost based information on RFID intelligent power management function. The paper introduces the design scheme of the system, the overall client / server architecture, client oriented graphical user interface universal, complete the supervision of project management and interactive transaction information display, the server system of realizing the main program. The system is programmed with C# language and.NET operating environment, and the client and server platforms use Windows operating system, and the database server software uses Oracle. The overall platform supports mainstream information and standards and has good scalability.

  17. Usability Evaluation and Implementation of a Health Information Technology Dashboard of Evidence-Based Quality Indicators.

    PubMed

    Schall, Mark Christopher; Cullen, Laura; Pennathur, Priyadarshini; Chen, Howard; Burrell, Keith; Matthews, Grace

    2017-06-01

    Health information technology dashboards that integrate evidence-based quality indicators can efficiently and accurately display patient risk information to promote early intervention and improve overall quality of patient care. We describe the process of developing, evaluating, and implementing a dashboard designed to promote quality care through display of evidence-based quality indicators within an electronic health record. Clinician feedback was sought throughout the process. Usability evaluations were provided by three nurse pairs and one physician from medical-surgical areas. Task completion times, error rates, and ratings of system usability were collected to compare the use of quality indicators displayed on the dashboard to the indicators displayed in a conventional electronic health record across eight experimental scenarios. Participants rated the dashboard as "highly usable" following System Usability Scale (mean, 87.5 [SD, 9.6]) and Poststudy System Usability Questionnaire (mean, 1.7 [SD, 0.5]) criteria. Use of the dashboard led to reduced task completion times and error rates in comparison to the conventional electronic health record for quality indicator-related tasks. Clinician responses to the dashboard display capabilities were positive, and a multifaceted implementation plan has been used. Results suggest application of the dashboard in the care environment may lead to improved patient care.

  18. A low-cost inertial smoothing system for landing approach guidance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niessen, F. R.

    1973-01-01

    Accurate position and velocity information with low noise content for instrument approaches and landings is required for both control and display applications. In a current VTOL automatic instrument approach and landing research program, radar-derived landing guidance position reference signals, which are noisy, have been mixed with acceleration information derived from low-cost onboard sensors to provide high-quality position and velocity information. An in-flight comparison of signal quality and accuracy has shown good agreement between the low-cost inertial smoothing system and an aided inertial navigation system. Furthermore, the low-cost inertial smoothing system has been proven to be satisfactory in control and display system applications for both automatic and pilot-in-the-loop instrument approaches and landings.

  19. A Markovian model market—Akerlof's lemons and the asymmetry of information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tilles, Paulo F. C.; Ferreira, Fernando F.; Francisco, Gerson; Pereira, Carlos de B.; Sarti, Flavia M.

    2011-07-01

    In this work we study an agent based model to investigate the role of asymmetric information degrees for market evolution. This model is quite simple and may be treated analytically since the consumers evaluate the quality of a certain good taking into account only the quality of the last good purchased plus her perceptive capacity β. As a consequence, the system evolves according to a stationary Markov chain. The value of a good offered by the firms increases along with quality according to an exponent α, which is a measure of the technology. It incorporates all the technological capacity of the production systems such as education, scientific development and techniques that change the productivity rates. The technological level plays an important role to explain how the asymmetry of information may affect the market evolution in this model. We observe that, for high technological levels, the market can detect adverse selection. The model allows us to compute the maximum asymmetric information degree before the market collapses. Below this critical point the market evolves during a limited period of time and then dies out completely. When β is closer to 1 (symmetric information), the market becomes more profitable for high quality goods, although high and low quality markets coexist. The maximum asymmetric information level is a consequence of an ergodicity breakdown in the process of quality evaluation.

  20. How healthcare organizations use the Internet to market quality achievements.

    PubMed

    Revere, Lee; Robinson, Leroy

    2010-01-01

    The increasingly competitive environment is having a strong bearing on the strategic marketing practices of hospitals. The Internet is a fairly new marketing tool, and it has the potential to dramatically influence healthcare consumers. This exploratory study investigates how hospitals use the Internet as a tool to market the quality of their services. Significant evidence exists that customers use the Internet to find information about potential healthcare providers, including information concerning quality. Data were collected from a random sample of 45 U.S. hospitals from the American Hospital Association database. The data included hospital affiliation, number of staffed beds, accreditation status, Joint Commission quality awards, and number of competing hospitals. The study's findings show that system-affiliated hospitals do not provide more, or less, quality information on their websites than do non-system-affiliated hospitals. The findings suggest that the amount of quality information provided on a hospital website is not dependent on hospital size. Research provides evidence that hospitals with more Joint Commission awards promote their quality accomplishments more so than their counterparts that earned fewer Joint Commission awards. The findings also suggest that the more competitors in a marketplace the more likely a hospital is to promote its quality as a potential differential advantage. The study's findings indicate that a necessary element of any hospital's competitive strategy should be to include the marketing of its quality on the organization's website.

  1. Approaches to ensuring and improving quality in the context of health system strengthening: a cross-site analysis of the five African Health Initiative Partnership programs

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Integrated into the work in health systems strengthening (HSS) is a growing focus on the importance of ensuring quality of the services delivered and systems which support them. Understanding how to define and measure quality in the different key World Health Organization building blocks is critical to providing the information needed to address gaps and identify models for replication. Description of approaches We describe the approaches to defining and improving quality across the five country programs funded through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation African Health Initiative. While each program has independently developed and implemented country-specific approaches to strengthening health systems, they all included quality of services and systems as a core principle. We describe the differences and similarities across the programs in defining and improving quality as an embedded process essential for HSS to achieve the goal of improved population health. The programs measured quality across most or all of the six WHO building blocks, with specific areas of overlap in improving quality falling into four main categories: 1) defining and measuring quality; 2) ensuring data quality, and building capacity for data use for decision making and response to quality measurements; 3) strengthened supportive supervision and/or mentoring; and 4) operational research to understand the factors associated with observed variation in quality. Conclusions Learning the value and challenges of these approaches to measuring and improving quality across the key components of HSS as the projects continue their work will help inform similar efforts both now and in the future to ensure quality across the critical components of a health system and the impact on population health. PMID:23819662

  2. Patient Information Websites About Medically Induced Second-Trimester Abortions: A Descriptive Study of Quality, Suitability, and Issues

    PubMed Central

    Axelsson, Ove

    2017-01-01

    Background Patients undergoing medically induced second-trimester abortions feel insufficiently informed and use the Web for supplemental information. However, it is still unclear how people who have experience with pregnancy termination appraise the quality of patient information websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions, whether they consider the websites suitable for patients, and what issues they experience with the websites. Objective Our objective was to investigate the quality of, suitability of, and issues with patient information websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions and potential differences between websites affiliated with the health care system and private organizations. Methods We set out to answer the objective by using 4 laypeople who had experience with pregnancy termination as quality assessors. The first 50 hits of 26 systematic searches were screened (N=1300 hits) using search terms reported by the assessors. Of these hits, 48% (628/1300) were irrelevant and 51% (667/1300) led to websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions. After correcting for duplicate hits, 42 patient information websites were included, 18 of which were affiliated with the health care system and 24 with private organizations. The 4 assessors systematically assessed the websites with the DISCERN instrument (total score range 16-80), the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool (total score range 0-100), as well as questions concerning website suitability and perceived issues. Results The interrater reliability was 0.8 for DISCERN and EQIP, indicating substantial agreement between the assessors. The total mean score was 36 for DISCERN and 40 for EQIP, indicating poor overall quality. Websites from the health care system had greater total EQIP (45 vs 37, P>.05) and reliability scores (22 vs 20, P>.05). Only 1 website was recommended by all assessors and 57% (24/42) were rated as very unsuitable by at least one assessor. The most reported issues with the websites involved lack of information (76%, 32/42), and poor design (36%, 15/42). Conclusions The high number of irrelevant hits and poor quality of patient information websites are considerable issues that must be addressed and considered when consulting patients awaiting medically induced second-trimester abortions. In clinical encounters, health professionals should initiate discussions concerning websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions and inform patients about the issues and quality deficits associated with these websites. PMID:28073735

  3. Study of college library appealing information system: A case of Longyan University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Jin-Hui

    2014-10-01

    The complaints from the readers at university libraries mainly focus on the aspects of service attitude, quality of service, reading environment, the management system, etc. Librarians should realize that reader complaints can actually promote the role of the library service and communicate with readers who complain in a friendly manner. In addition, the Longyan University library should establish an internal management system, improve library hardware facilities, improve the quality of librarians and optimize the knowledge structure of librarians, so as to improve the quality of the service for readers and reduce complaints. Based on this point, we have designed an appealing information system in cryptography machine basis, to provide readers online, remote and anonymous complaint functions.

  4. GEOSPATIAL IT/IM QA CHECKLIST

    EPA Science Inventory

    Quality assurance (QA) of information technology (IT) and Information Management (IM) systems help to ensure that the end product is of known quality and integrity. As the complexity of IT & IM processes increase, so does the need for regular QA evaluation.

    The areas revi...

  5. StreamWorks: the live and on-demand audio/video server and its applications in medical information systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akrout, Nabil M.; Gordon, Howard; Palisson, Patrice M.; Prost, Remy; Goutte, Robert

    1996-05-01

    Facing a world undergoing fundamental and rapid change, healthcare organizations are seeking ways to increase innovation, quality, productivity, and patient value, keys to more effective care. Individual clinics acting alone can respond in only a limited way, so re- engineering the process key which services are delivered demands real-time collaborative technology that provides immediate information sharing, improving the management and coordination of information in cross-functional teams. StreamWorks is a development stage architecture that uses a distribution technique to deliver an advanced information management system for telemedicine. The challenge of StreamWorks in telemedicine is to enable equity of the quality of Health Care of Telecommunications and Information Technology also to patients in less favored regions, like India or China, where the quality of medical care varies greatly by region, but where there are some very current communications facilities.

  6. U.S. Geological Survey water resources Internet tools

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shaffer, Kimberly H.

    2013-11-07

    The U.S. Geological Fact Sheet (USGS) provides a wealth of information on hydrologic data, maps, graphs, and other resources for your State.Sources of water resources information are listed below.WaterWatchWaterQualityWatchGroundwater WatchWaterNowWaterAlertUSGS Flood Inundation MapperNational Water Information System (NWIS)StreamStatsNational Water Quality Assessment (NAWOA)

  7. A Curriculum for a Master of Science in Information Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Yang W.; Pierce, Elizabeth; Talburt, John; Wang, Richard Y.; Zhu, Hongwei

    2007-01-01

    The first Master of Science in Information Quality (IQ) degree is designed and being offered to prepare students for careers in industry and government as well as advanced graduate studies. The curriculum is guided by the Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems, which are endorsed by the Association for…

  8. District of Columbia Going for the Gold Tiered Rate Reimbursement System. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of District of Columbia's Going for the Gold Tiered Rate Reimbursement Systemp repared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for…

  9. Colorado Qualistar. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Colorado's Qualistar prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

  10. Pennsylvania Keystone STARS: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  11. Minnesota Parent Aware: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Minnesota's Parent Aware prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for Family…

  12. Enhanced road weather forecasting : Clarus regional demonstrations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-01-01

    The quality of road weather forecasts has major impacts on users of surface transportation systems and managers of those systems. Improving the quality involves the ability to provide accurate, route-specific road weather information (e.g., timing an...

  13. Aerospace technology and hospital systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The use of aerospace medical techniques to improve the quality of earth health care systems is discussed. Data are focused on physiological measurements and monitoring, medical information management, clean room technology, and reliability and quality assurance for hospital equipment.

  14. Assessing stability and performance of a digitally enabled supply chain: Retrospective of a pilot in Uttar Pradesh, India.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Sarah Skye; Thakare, Neeraj; Ramanujapuram, Arun; Akkihal, Anup

    2017-04-19

    Immunization supply chains in low resource settings do not always reach children with necessary vaccines. Digital information systems can enable real time visibility of inventory and improve vaccine availability. In 2014, a digital, mobile/web-based information system was implemented in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. This retrospective investigates improvements and stabilization of supply chain performance following introduction of the digital information system. All data were collected via the digital information system between March 2014 and September 2015. Data included metadata and transaction logs providing information about users, facilities, and vaccines. Metrics evaluated include adoption (system access, timeliness and completeness), data quality (error rates), and performance (stock availability on immunization session days, replenishment response duration, rate of zero stock events). Stability was defined as the phase in which quality and performance metrics achieved equilibrium rates with minimal volatility. The analysis compared performance across different facilities and vaccines. Adoption appeared sufficiently high from the onset to commence stability measures of data quality and supply chain performance. Data quality stabilized from month 3 onwards, and supply chain performance stabilized from month 13 onwards. For data quality, error rates reduced by two thirds post stabilization. Although vaccine availability remained high throughout the pilot, the three lowest-performing facilities improved from 91.05% pre-stability to 98.70% post-stability (p<0.01; t-test). Average replenishment duration (as a corrective response to stock-out events) decreased 52.3% from 4.93days to 2.35days (p<0.01; t-test). Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine was significantly less likely to be stocked out than any other material. The results suggest that given sufficient adoption, stability is sequentially achieved, beginning with data quality, and then performance. Identifying when a pilot stabilizes can enable more predictable, reliable cost estimates, and outcome forecasts in the scale-up phase. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Power quality load management for large spacecraft electrical power systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lollar, Louis F.

    1988-01-01

    In December, 1986, a Center Director's Discretionary Fund (CDDF) proposal was granted to study power system control techniques in large space electrical power systems. Presented are the accomplishments in the area of power system control by power quality load management. In addition, information concerning the distortion problems in a 20 kHz ac power system is presented.

  16. Where should Momma go? Current nursing home performance measurement strategies and a less ambitious approach.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Charles D; Hawes, Catherine; Lieberman, Trudy; Koren, Mary Jane

    2007-06-25

    Nursing home performance measurement systems are practically ubiquitous. The vast majority of these systems aspire to rank order all nursing homes based on quantitative measures of quality. However, the ability of such systems to identify homes differing in quality is hampered by the multidimensional nature of nursing homes and their residents. As a result, the authors doubt the ability of many nursing home performance systems to truly help consumers differentiate among homes providing different levels of quality. We also argue that, for consumers, performance measurement models are better at identifying problem facilities than potentially good homes. In response to these concerns we present a proposal for a less ambitious approach to nursing home performance measurement than previously used. We believe consumers can make better informed choice using a simpler system designed to pinpoint poor-quality nursing homes, rather than one designed to rank hundreds of facilities based on differences in quality-of-care indicators that are of questionable importance. The suggested performance model is based on five principles used in the development of the Consumers Union 2006 Nursing Home Quality Monitor. We can best serve policy-makers and consumers by eschewing nursing home reporting systems that present information about all the facilities in a city, a state, or the nation on a website or in a report. We argue for greater modesty in our efforts and a focus on identifying only the potentially poorest or best homes. In the end, however, it is important to remember that information from any performance measurement website or report is no substitute for multiple visits to a home at different times of the day to personally assess quality.

  17. Evaluation of modern cotton harvest systems on irrigated cotton: Fiber quality

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Picker and stripper harvest systems were evaluated on production-scale irrigated cotton on the High Plains of Texas over three harvest seasons. Observations on fiber quality using High Volume Instrument (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information Systems (AFIS) were made on multiple cultivars harvested fro...

  18. A Strategic Study about Quality Characteristics in e-Health Systems Based on a Systematic Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Domínguez-Mayo, F J; Escalona, M J; Mejías, M; Aragón, G; García-García, J A; Torres, J; Enríquez, J G

    2015-01-01

    e-Health Systems quality management is an expensive and hard process that entails performing several tasks such as analysis, evaluation, and quality control. Furthermore, the development of an e-Health System involves great responsibility since people's health and quality of life depend on the system and services offered. The focus of the following study is to identify the gap in Quality Characteristics for e-Health Systems, by detecting not only which are the most studied, but also which are the most used Quality Characteristics these Systems include. A strategic study is driven in this paper by a Systematic Literature Review so as to identify Quality Characteristics in e-Health. Such study makes information and communication technology organizations reflect and act strategically to manage quality in e-Health Systems efficiently and effectively. As a result, this paper proposes the bases of a Quality Model and focuses on a set of Quality Characteristics to enable e-Health Systems quality management. Thus, we can conclude that this paper contributes to implementing knowledge with regard to the mission and view of e-Health (Systems) quality management and helps understand how current researches evaluate quality in e-Health Systems.

  19. A Strategic Study about Quality Characteristics in e-Health Systems Based on a Systematic Literature Review

    PubMed Central

    Escalona, M. J.; Mejías, M.; Aragón, G.; García-García, J. A.; Torres, J.; Enríquez, J. G.

    2015-01-01

    e-Health Systems quality management is an expensive and hard process that entails performing several tasks such as analysis, evaluation, and quality control. Furthermore, the development of an e-Health System involves great responsibility since people's health and quality of life depend on the system and services offered. The focus of the following study is to identify the gap in Quality Characteristics for e-Health Systems, by detecting not only which are the most studied, but also which are the most used Quality Characteristics these Systems include. A strategic study is driven in this paper by a Systematic Literature Review so as to identify Quality Characteristics in e-Health. Such study makes information and communication technology organizations reflect and act strategically to manage quality in e-Health Systems efficiently and effectively. As a result, this paper proposes the bases of a Quality Model and focuses on a set of Quality Characteristics to enable e-Health Systems quality management. Thus, we can conclude that this paper contributes to implementing knowledge with regard to the mission and view of e-Health (Systems) quality management and helps understand how current researches evaluate quality in e-Health Systems. PMID:26146656

  20. 42 CFR 493.1231 - Standard: Confidentiality of patient information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard: Confidentiality of patient information... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing General Laboratory Systems § 493.1231 Standard: Confidentiality of patient information...

  1. 42 CFR 493.1231 - Standard: Confidentiality of patient information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Standard: Confidentiality of patient information... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing General Laboratory Systems § 493.1231 Standard: Confidentiality of patient information...

  2. 42 CFR 493.1231 - Standard: Confidentiality of patient information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Standard: Confidentiality of patient information... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing General Laboratory Systems § 493.1231 Standard: Confidentiality of patient information...

  3. 42 CFR 493.1231 - Standard: Confidentiality of patient information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Standard: Confidentiality of patient information... AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing General Laboratory Systems § 493.1231 Standard: Confidentiality of patient information...

  4. CARETS: A prototype regional environmental information system. Volume 7: Land use information and air quality planning. [Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alexander, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Reed, W. E.; Lewis, J. E.

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The pilot air quality system provided data for updating information on the sources of point and area emissions of SO2 and particulate matter affecting the Norfolk-Portsmouth area of Virginia for 1971-72 winter and the annual 1972 period. During the 1971-72 winter, estimated SO2 amounts over an area with a SW-NE axis in the central section of Norfolk exceeded both primary and secondary levels.

  5. [Publication of healthcare quality data to citizens--status and perspectives].

    PubMed

    Utzon, Jan; Kaergaard, Johan

    2009-05-11

    Public quality reports are intended to stimulate active consumer participation by enabling consumers to make informed choices about their healthcare providers. Despite all efforts, public reporting has been shown not to be effective in stimulating consumers to choose their healthcare provider based on performance information in Denmark and other countries. Numerous barriers are identified. In an effort to move towards an effective public reporting system in Denmark, the present article discusses how quality information can be made accessible and meaningful to wider groups of consumers.

  6. Quality assurance of the university medical education, hospital services and traditional pharmaceutical products of the Bhutanese So-wa-rig-pa health care system.

    PubMed

    Wangchuk, Phurpa; Tashi, ᅟ

    2016-08-12

    The Bhutanese So-wa-rig-pa medicine (BSM) was integrated with the allopathic (modern) health care system in 1967. Ever since the health care integration policy was implemented, the BSM has gone through many phases of quality improvement and changes including the establishment of one university-based institute, 58 hospitals and Basic Health Units (BHU)-based health care services, and one traditional medicine factory. The BSM provides primary health care services to more than 20-30 % of patients who visit hospitals and BHU on a daily basis. However, there has been no study covering the quality assurance system of BSM. Our paper addresses this information gap. This study was an observational ethnographic study supported by phenomenological understanding and content analysis of the data. The information was triangulated through consultation with the BSM practitioners (discussion (N = 8)) and personalized in-depth question-answer sessions using electronic protocols (N = 5). These participants comprised BSM educationists, clinical physicians, researchers, production and the quality assurance staff who were selected using convenience and purposive sampling method. The relevant So-wa-rig-pa information and literature were obtained from the government policy documents, official websites, scientific papers and the traditional medical texts. This study is enhanced by our practical observations and first-hand experience with BSM while working as the researchers at the Ministry of Health in Bhutan. In addition, the information in this paper is crosschecked and authenticated by five So-wa-rig-pa practitioners of Bhutan. The study highlights the following: a) The BSM receives both the government and people's support, b) The quality assurance system have been developed by integrating the traditional empirical knowledge and modern scientific protocols, c) There exist three administrative and functional organizations responsible for providing the quality BSM health care services in Bhutan, d) Extensive standard treatment guidelines and Quality documentation system exist for BSM as required by the regulatory bodies in Bhutan. The paper also recommends appropriate future directions for BSM. The BSM plays significant role in the primary health care system of the country. Consequently, the quality, safety and efficacy of BSM has been given priority by the Bhutan government. Many scientific protocols were integrated with the traditional quality approaches and further scientific studies are still required to improve its quality.

  7. Quality of life and urolithiasis: the patient - reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS).

    PubMed

    Patel, Nishant; Brown, Robert D; Sarkissian, Carl; De, Shubha; Monga, Manoj

    2017-01-01

    With a high rate of recurrence, urolithiasis is a chronic disease that impacts quality of life. The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System is an NIH validated questionnaire to assess patient quality of life. We evaluated the impact of urolithiasis on quality of life using the NIH-sponsored PROMIS-43 questionnaire. Patients reporting to the kidney stone clinic were interviewed to collect information on stone history and demographic information and were asked to complete the PROMIS-43 questionnaire. Quality of life scores were analyzed using gender and age matched groups for the general US population. Statistical comparisons were made based on demographic information and patient stone history. Statistical significance was P<0.05. 103 patients completed the survey. 36% of respondents were male, the average age of the group was 52 years old, with 58% primary income earners, and 35% primary caregivers. 7% had never passed a stone or had a procedure while 17% passed 10 or more stones in their lifetime. Overall, pain and physical function were worse in patients with urolithiasis. Primary income earners had better quality of life while primary caregivers and those with other chronic medical conditions were worse. Patients on dietary and medical therapy had better quality of life scores. Urolithiasis patients subjectively have worse pain and physical function than the general population. The impact of pain on quality of life was greatest in those patients who had more stone episodes, underscoring the importance of preventive measures. Stone prevention measures improve quality of life. Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

  8. A Transparent and Transferable Framework for Tracking Quality Information in Large Datasets

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Derek E.; Metzger, Stefan; Taylor, Jeffrey R.

    2014-01-01

    The ability to evaluate the validity of data is essential to any investigation, and manual “eyes on” assessments of data quality have dominated in the past. Yet, as the size of collected data continues to increase, so does the effort required to assess their quality. This challenge is of particular concern for networks that automate their data collection, and has resulted in the automation of many quality assurance and quality control analyses. Unfortunately, the interpretation of the resulting data quality flags can become quite challenging with large data sets. We have developed a framework to summarize data quality information and facilitate interpretation by the user. Our framework consists of first compiling data quality information and then presenting it through 2 separate mechanisms; a quality report and a quality summary. The quality report presents the results of specific quality analyses as they relate to individual observations, while the quality summary takes a spatial or temporal aggregate of each quality analysis and provides a summary of the results. Included in the quality summary is a final quality flag, which further condenses data quality information to assess whether a data product is valid or not. This framework has the added flexibility to allow “eyes on” information on data quality to be incorporated for many data types. Furthermore, this framework can aid problem tracking and resolution, should sensor or system malfunctions arise. PMID:25379884

  9. Rebooting Kirkpatrick: Integrating Information System Theory Into the Evaluation of Web-based Continuing Professional Development Interventions for Interprofessional Education.

    PubMed

    Shen, Nelson; Yufe, Shira; Saadatfard, Omid; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Wiljer, David

    2017-01-01

    Information system research has stressed the importance of theory in understanding how user perceptions can motivate the use and adoption of technology such as web-based continuing professional development programs for interprofessional education (WCPD-IPE). A systematic review was conducted to provide an information system perspective on the current state of WCPD-IPE program evaluation and how current evaluations capture essential theoretical constructs in promoting technology adoption. Six databases were searched to identify studies evaluating WCPD-IPE. Three investigators determined eligibility of the articles. Evaluation items extracted from the studies were assessed using the Kirkpatrick-Barr framework and mapped to the Benefits Evaluation Framework. Thirty-seven eligible studies yielded 362 evaluation items for analysis. Most items (n = 252) were assessed as Kirkpatrick-Barr level 1 (reaction) and were mainly focused on the quality (information, service, and quality) and satisfaction dimensions of the Benefits Evaluation. System quality was the least evaluated quality dimension, accounting for 26 items across 13 studies. WCPD-IPE use was reported in 17 studies and its antecedent factors were evaluated in varying degrees of comprehensiveness. Although user reactions were commonly evaluated, greater focus on user perceptions of system quality (ie, functionality and performance), usefulness, and usability of the web-based platform is required. Surprisingly, WCPD-IPE use was reported in less than half of the studies. This is problematic as use is a prerequisite to realizing any individual, organizational, or societal benefit of WCPD-IPE. This review proposes an integrated framework which accounts for these factors and provides a theoretically grounded guide for future evaluations.

  10. Launch vehicle systems design analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryan, Robert; Verderaime, V.

    1993-01-01

    Current launch vehicle design emphasis is on low life-cycle cost. This paper applies total quality management (TQM) principles to a conventional systems design analysis process to provide low-cost, high-reliability designs. Suggested TQM techniques include Steward's systems information flow matrix method, quality leverage principle, quality through robustness and function deployment, Pareto's principle, Pugh's selection and enhancement criteria, and other design process procedures. TQM quality performance at least-cost can be realized through competent concurrent engineering teams and brilliance of their technical leadership.

  11. A decision support system for delivering optimal quality peach and tomato

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thai, C. N.; Pease, J. N.; Shewfelt, R. L.

    1990-01-01

    Several studies have indicated that color and firmness are the two quality attributes most important to consumers in making purchasing decisions of fresh peaches and tomatoes. However, at present, retail produce managers do not have the proper information for handling fresh produce so it has the most appealing color and firmness when it reaches the consumer. This information should help them predict the consumer color and firmness perception and preference for produce from various storage conditions. Since 1987, for 'Redglobe' peach and 'Sunny' tomato, we have been generating information about their physical quality attributes (firmness and color) and their corresponding consumer sensory scores. This article reports on our current progress toward the goal of integrating such information into a model-based decision support system for retail level managers in handling fresh peaches and tomatoes.

  12. Validation of the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Survey as a Quality-of-Life Instrument for Patients with Malignant Brain Tumors and Their Caregivers.

    PubMed

    Romero, Melissa M; Flood, Lisa Sue; Gasiewicz, Nanci K; Rovin, Richard; Conklin, Samantha

    2015-12-01

    At present there is a lack of well-validated surveys used to measure quality of life in patients with malignant brain tumors and their caregivers. The main objective of this pilot study was to validate the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (NIH PROMIS) survey for use as a quality-of-life measure in this population. This article presents the rationale for using the NIH PROMIS instrument as a quality-of-life measure for patients with malignant brain tumors and their caregivers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. 78 FR 35936 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-14

    ... Reporting System (PQRS) and Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program Under the Paperwork Reduction Act... Collection: Evaluation of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program; Use: The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) was first implemented in 2007 as an...

  14. Congestion information surveillance system

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1992-10-14

    This document advances a proposal to implement a Congestion Information Surveillance System (CISS)for the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The CISS will offer agencies in the region responsible for transportation and air quality management a new capabi...

  15. Impact of Thailand universal coverage scheme on the country's health information systems and health information technology.

    PubMed

    Kijsanayotin, Boonchai

    2013-01-01

    Thailand achieved universal healthcare coverage with the implementation of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) in 2001. This study employed qualitative method to explore the impact of the UCS on the country's health information systems (HIS) and health information technology (HIT) development. The results show that health insurance beneficiary registration system helps improve providers' service workflow and country vital statistics. Implementation of casemix financing tool, Thai Diagnosis-Related Groups, has stimulated health providers' HIS and HIT capacity building, data and medical record quality and the adoption of national administrative data standards. The system called "Disease Management Information Systems" aiming at reimbursement for select diseases increased the fragmentation of HIS and increase burden on data management to providers. The financial incentive of outpatient data quality improvement project enhance providers' HIS and HIT investment and also induce data fraudulence tendency. Implementation of UCS has largely brought favorable impact on the country HIS and HIT development. However, the unfavorable effects are also evident.

  16. Software solutions alone cannot guarantee useful radiology requests.

    PubMed

    Van Borsel, Mathias D; Devolder, Pieter Jd; Bosmans, Jan Ml

    2016-11-01

    Background The availability of clinical information and a pertinent clinical question can improve the diagnostic accuracy of the imaging process. Purpose To examine if an electronic request form forcing referring clinicians to provide separate input of both clinical information and a clinical question can improve the quality of the request. Material and Methods A total of 607 request forms in the clinical worklists for a computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax, the abdomen or their combination, were examined. Using software of our own making, we examined the presence of clinical information and a clinical question before and after the introduction of a new, more compelling order method. We scored and compared the quality of the clinical information and the clinical question between the two systems and we examined the effect on productivity. Results Both clinical information and a clinical question were present in 76.7% of cases under the old system and in 95.3% under the new system ( P < 0.001). Individual characteristics of the clinical information and the clinical question however, with the exception of incompleteness, showed little improvement under the new system. There was also no significant difference between the two systems in the number of requests requiring further search. Conclusion The introduction of electronic radiology request forms compelling referring clinicians to provide separate input of clinical information and a clinical question provides only limited benefit to the quality of the request. Raising awareness among clinicians of the importance of a well-written request remains essential.

  17. 78 FR 54954 - Reports, Forms, and Record Keeping Requirements

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-06

    ... assumptions used; (iii) How to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected... information: Title: National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Law Enforcement Information Type of Request.... NHTSA's National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) collects crash data on a nationally representative...

  18. Evaluation of XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft for flying qualities research application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Radford, R. C.; Schelhorn, A. E.; Siracuse, R. J.; Till, R. D.; Wasserman, R.

    1976-01-01

    The results of a design review study and evaluation of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft for flying qualities research application are presented. The objectives of the program were to determine the capability of the XV-15 aircraft and the V/STOLAND system as a safe, inflight facility to provide meaningful research data on flying qualities, flight control systems, and information display systems.

  19. [Development of quality assurance/quality control web system in radiotherapy].

    PubMed

    Okamoto, Hiroyuki; Mochizuki, Toshihiko; Yokoyama, Kazutoshi; Wakita, Akihisa; Nakamura, Satoshi; Ueki, Heihachi; Shiozawa, Keiko; Sasaki, Koji; Fuse, Masashi; Abe, Yoshihisa; Itami, Jun

    2013-12-01

    Our purpose is to develop a QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) web system using a server-side script language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), which can be useful as a tool to share information about QA/QC in radiotherapy. The system proposed in this study can be easily built in one's own institute, because HTML can be easily handled. There are two desired functions in a QA/QC web system: (i) To review the results of QA/QC for a radiotherapy machine, manuals, and reports necessary for routinely performing radiotherapy through this system. By disclosing the results, transparency can be maintained, (ii) To reveal a protocol for QA/QC in one's own institute using pictures and movies relating to QA/QC for simplicity's sake, which can also be used as an educational tool for junior radiation technologists and medical physicists. By using this system, not only administrators, but also all staff involved in radiotherapy, can obtain information about the conditions and accuracy of treatment machines through the QA/QC web system.

  20. Continuous quality improvement and medical informatics: the convergent synergy.

    PubMed

    Werth, G R; Connelly, D P

    1992-01-01

    Continuous quality improvement (CQI) and medical informatics specialists need to converge their efforts to create synergy for improving health care. Health care CQI needs medical informatics' expertise and technology to build the information systems needed to manage health care organizations according to quality improvement principles. Medical informatics needs CQI's philosophy and methods to build health care information systems that can evolve to meet the changing needs of clinicians and other stakeholders. This paper explores the philosophical basis for convergence of CQI and medical informatics efforts, and then examines a clinical computer workstation development project that is applying a combined approach.

  1. A methodology to analyze the quality of health information on the internet: the example of diabetic neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Chumber, Sundeep; Huber, Jörg; Ghezzi, Pietro

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of this work was to evaluate the criteria used to assess the quality of information on diabetic neuropathy on the Internet. Different search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask) and 1 governmental health website (MedlinePlus) were studied. The websites returned (200 for each search engine) were then classified according to their affiliation (eg, commercial, professional, patient groups). A scoring system was devised from the literature to assess quality of information. Websites were also analyzed using the 2 most widely used instruments for assessing the quality of health information, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) scoring system and the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) certification. Professional websites or health portals scored better according to most criteria. Google and MedlinePlus returned results scoring significantly higher than other engines in some of the criteria. The use of different instruments gave different results and indicates that the JAMA score and the HON certification may not be sufficient ones. This methodology could be used to evaluate the reliability and trustworthiness of information on the Internet on different topics to identify topic areas or websites where the available information is not appropriate. © 2014 The Author(s).

  2. Health information technology capacity at federally qualified health centers: a mechanism for improving quality of care

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The adoption of health information technology has been recommended as a viable mechanism for improving quality of care and patient health outcomes. However, the capacity of health information technology (i.e., availability and use of multiple and advanced functionalities), particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on improving quality of care is not well understood. We examined associations between health information technology (HIT) capacity at FQHCs and quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summary, frequency of patients receiving reminders/notifications for preventive care/follow-up care, and timely appointment for specialty care. Methods The analyses used 2009 data from the National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The study included 776 of the FQHCs that participated in the survey. We examined the extent of HIT use and tested the hypothesis that level of HIT capacity is associated with quality of care. Multivariable logistic regressions, reporting unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, were used to examine whether ‘FQHCs’ HIT capacity’ is associated with the outcome measures. Results The results showed a positive association between health information technology capacity and quality of care. FQHCs with higher HIT capacity were significantly more likely to have improved quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summaries (OR=1.43; CI=1.01, 2.40), the use of a patient notification system for preventive and follow-up care (OR=1.74; CI=1.23, 2.45), and timely appointment for specialty care (OR=1.77; CI=1.24, 2.53). Conclusions Our findings highlight the promise of HIT in improving quality of care, particularly for vulnerable populations who seek care at FQHCs. The results also show that FQHCs may not be maximizing the benefits of HIT. Efforts to implement HIT must include strategies that facilitate the implementation of comprehensive and advanced functionalities, as well as promote meaningful use of these systems. Further examination of the role of health information systems in clinical decision-making and improvements in patient outcomes are needed to better understand the benefits of HIT in improving overall quality of care. PMID:23363660

  3. Health information technology capacity at federally qualified health centers: a mechanism for improving quality of care.

    PubMed

    Frimpong, Jemima A; Jackson, Bradford E; Stewart, LaShonda M; Singh, Karan P; Rivers, Patrick A; Bae, Sejong

    2013-01-31

    The adoption of health information technology has been recommended as a viable mechanism for improving quality of care and patient health outcomes. However, the capacity of health information technology (i.e., availability and use of multiple and advanced functionalities), particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on improving quality of care is not well understood. We examined associations between health information technology (HIT) capacity at FQHCs and quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summary, frequency of patients receiving reminders/notifications for preventive care/follow-up care, and timely appointment for specialty care. The analyses used 2009 data from the National Survey of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The study included 776 of the FQHCs that participated in the survey. We examined the extent of HIT use and tested the hypothesis that level of HIT capacity is associated with quality of care. Multivariable logistic regressions, reporting unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, were used to examine whether 'FQHCs' HIT capacity' is associated with the outcome measures. The results showed a positive association between health information technology capacity and quality of care. FQHCs with higher HIT capacity were significantly more likely to have improved quality of care, measured by the receipt of discharge summaries (OR=1.43; CI=1.01, 2.40), the use of a patient notification system for preventive and follow-up care (OR=1.74; CI=1.23, 2.45), and timely appointment for specialty care (OR=1.77; CI=1.24, 2.53). Our findings highlight the promise of HIT in improving quality of care, particularly for vulnerable populations who seek care at FQHCs. The results also show that FQHCs may not be maximizing the benefits of HIT. Efforts to implement HIT must include strategies that facilitate the implementation of comprehensive and advanced functionalities, as well as promote meaningful use of these systems. Further examination of the role of health information systems in clinical decision-making and improvements in patient outcomes are needed to better understand the benefits of HIT in improving overall quality of care.

  4. 78 FR 67150 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-08

    ... care while also increasing efficiency across the health care system. This would be achieved through...); Title of Information Collection: Evaluation of the Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration Evaluation: Focus Group and Interview Protocols; Use: The Medicare Health Care Quality (MHCQ) Demonstration...

  5. 77 FR 38239 - Partial Approval and Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Arizona; Infrastructure...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-27

    ... anonymous access system, and EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in... control measures. Section 110(a)(2)(B): Ambient air quality monitoring/data system. Section 110(a)(2)(C... significant deterioration (PSD) and visibility protection. Section 110(a)(2)(K): Air quality modeling and...

  6. The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-10

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bassok, Daphna; Dee, Thomas S.; Latham, Scott

    2017-01-01

    In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information on program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement. However,…

  7. Delaware Stars for Early Success. QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Delaware's Stars for Early Success prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators…

  8. Kentucky STARS for KIDS NOW: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Kentucky's STARS for KIDS NOW prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4) Indicators for…

  9. Analysis of the quality of hospital information systems audit trails

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Audit Trails (AT) are fundamental to information security in order to guarantee access traceability but can also be used to improve Health information System’s (HIS) quality namely to assess how they are used or misused. This paper aims at analysing the existence and quality of AT, describing scenarios in hospitals and making some recommendations to improve the quality of information. Methods The responsibles of HIS for eight Portuguese hospitals were contacted in order to arrange an interview about the importance of AT and to collect audit trail data from their HIS. Five institutions agreed to participate in this study; four of them accepted to be interviewed, and four sent AT data. The interviews were performed in 2011 and audit trail data sent in 2011 and 2012. Each AT was evaluated and compared in relation to data quality standards, namely for completeness, comprehensibility, traceability among others. Only one of the AT had enough information for us to apply a consistency evaluation by modelling user behaviour. Results The interviewees in these hospitals only knew a few AT (average of 1 AT per hospital in an estimate of 21 existing HIS), although they all recognize some advantages of analysing AT. Four hospitals sent a total of 7 AT – 2 from Radiology Information System (RIS), 2 from Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), 3 from Patient Records. Three of the AT were understandable and three of the AT were complete. The AT from the patient records are better structured and more complete than the RIS/PACS. Conclusions Existing AT do not have enough quality to guarantee traceability or be used in HIS improvement. Its quality reflects the importance given to them by the CIO of healthcare institutions. Existing standards (e.g. ASTM:E2147, ISO/TS 18308:2004, ISO/IEC 27001:2006) are still not broadly used in Portugal. PMID:23919501

  10. How Clean is your Local Air? Here's an app for that

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maskey, M.; Yang, E.; Christopher, S. A.; Keiser, K.; Nair, U. S.; Graves, S. J.

    2011-12-01

    Air quality is a vital element of our environment. Accurate and localized air quality information is critical for characterizing environmental impacts at the local and regional levels. Advances in location-aware handheld devices and air quality modeling have enabled a group of UAHuntsville scientists to develop a mobile app, LocalAQI, that informs users of current conditions and forecasts of up to twenty-four hours, of air quality indices. The air quality index is based on Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ). UAHuntsville scientists have used satellite remote sensing products as inputs to CMAQ, resulting in forecast guidance for particulate matter air quality. The CMAQ output is processed to compute a standardized air quality index. Currently, the air quality index is available for the eastern half of the United States. LocalAQI consists of two main views: air quality index view and map view. The air quality index view displays current air quality for the zip code of a location of interest. Air quality index value is translated into a color-coded advisory system. In addition, users are able to cycle through available hourly forecasts for a location. This location-aware app defaults to the current air quality of user's location. The map view displays color-coded air quality information for the eastern US with an ability to animate through the available forecasts. The app is developed using a cross-platform native application development tool, appcelerator; hence LocalAQI is available for iOS and Android-based phones and pads.

  11. The on-site quality-assurance system for Hyper Suprime-Cam: OSQAH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Furusawa, Hisanori; Koike, Michitaro; Takata, Tadafumi; Okura, Yuki; Miyatake, Hironao; Lupton, Robert H.; Bickerton, Steven; Price, Paul A.; Bosch, James; Yasuda, Naoki; Mineo, Sogo; Yamada, Yoshihiko; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Nakata, Fumiaki; Koshida, Shintaro; Komiyama, Yutaka; Utsumi, Yousuke; Kawanomoto, Satoshi; Jeschke, Eric; Noumaru, Junichi; Schubert, Kiaina; Iwata, Ikuru; Finet, Francois; Fujiyoshi, Takuya; Tajitsu, Akito; Terai, Tsuyoshi; Lee, Chien-Hsiu

    2018-01-01

    We have developed an automated quick data analysis system for data quality assurance (QA) for Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). The system was commissioned in 2012-2014, and has been offered for general observations, including the HSC Subaru Strategic Program, since 2014 March. The system provides observers with data quality information, such as seeing, sky background level, and sky transparency, based on quick analysis as data are acquired. Quick-look images and validation of image focus are also provided through an interactive web application. The system is responsible for the automatic extraction of QA information from acquired raw data into a database, to assist with observation planning, assess progress of all observing programs, and monitor long-term efficiency variations of the instrument and telescope. Enhancements of the system are being planned to facilitate final data analysis, to improve the HSC archive, and to provide legacy products for astronomical communities.

  12. Image Information Mining Utilizing Hierarchical Segmentation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tilton, James C.; Marchisio, Giovanni; Koperski, Krzysztof; Datcu, Mihai

    2002-01-01

    The Hierarchical Segmentation (HSEG) algorithm is an approach for producing high quality, hierarchically related image segmentations. The VisiMine image information mining system utilizes clustering and segmentation algorithms for reducing visual information in multispectral images to a manageable size. The project discussed herein seeks to enhance the VisiMine system through incorporating hierarchical segmentations from HSEG into the VisiMine system.

  13. Information System Life-Cycle And Documentation Standards (SMAP DIDS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Although not computer program, SMAP DIDS written to provide systematic, NASA-wide structure for documenting information system development projects. Each DID (data item description) outlines document required for top-quality software development. When combined with management, assurance, and life cycle standards, Standards protect all parties who participate in design and operation of new information system.

  14. Understanding User Resistance to Information Technology: Toward a Comprehensive Model in Health Information Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ngafeeson, Madison N.

    2013-01-01

    The successful implementation of health information systems is expected to increase legibility, reduce medical errors, boost the quality of healthcare and shrink costs. Yet, evidence points to the fact that healthcare professionals resist the full use of these systems. Physicians and nurses have been reported to resist the system. Even though…

  15. Information Architecture for Quality Management Support in Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Rocha, Álvaro; Freixo, Jorge

    2015-10-01

    Quality Management occupies a strategic role in organizations, and the adoption of computer tools within an aligned information architecture facilitates the challenge of making more with less, promoting the development of a competitive edge and sustainability. A formal Information Architecture (IA) lends organizations an enhanced knowledge but, above all, favours management. This simplifies the reinvention of processes, the reformulation of procedures, bridging and the cooperation amongst the multiple actors of an organization. In the present investigation work we planned the IA for the Quality Management System (QMS) of a Hospital, which allowed us to develop and implement the QUALITUS (QUALITUS, name of the computer application developed to support Quality Management in a Hospital Unit) computer application. This solution translated itself in significant gains for the Hospital Unit under study, accelerating the quality management process and reducing the tasks, the number of documents, the information to be filled in and information errors, amongst others.

  16. Towards an evaluation framework for information quality management (IQM) practices for health information systems--evaluation criteria for effective IQM practices.

    PubMed

    Mohammed, Siti Asma; Yusof, Maryati Mohd

    2013-04-01

    Poor information quality (IQ) must be understood as a business problem rather than systems problem. In health care organization, what is required is an effective quality management that continuously manages and reviews the factors influencing IQ in health information systems (HIS) so as to achieve the desired outcomes. Hence, in order to understand the issues of information quality management (IQM) practices in health care organizations, a more holistic evaluation study should be undertaken to investigate the IQM practices in health care organizations. It is the aim of this paper to identify the significant evaluation criteria that influence the production of good IQ in HIS. Six selected frameworks and best practices both from health informatics and information systems literature have been reviewed to identify the evaluation criteria from the perspective of human, organizational and technological factors. From the review, it was found that human and organization factors are of greater significance in influencing HIS IQ. Our review depicts that there is still shortage in finding a comprehensive IQM evaluation framework. Thus, the criteria from the frameworks reviewed can be used in combination for more comprehensive evaluation criteria. Integrated IQM evaluation criteria for HIS are then proposed in this study. Poor IQ is the result of complex interdependency within sociotechnical factors in health care organization and lack of formal and structured IQM practices. Thus, a feedback mechanism such as evaluation is needed to understand the issues in depth in the future. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Report: ECHO Data Quality Audit – Phase I Results: The Integrated Compliance Information System Needs Security Controls to Protect Significant Non-Compliance Data

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report #09-P-0226, August 31, 2009. End users of the Permit Compliance System and Integrated Compliance Information System National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System can override the Significant Non-Compliance data field without more access controls.

  18. Enabling Mobile Air Quality App Development with an AirNow API

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dye, T.; White, J. E.; Ludewig, S. A.; Dickerson, P.; Healy, A. N.; West, J. W.; Prince, L. A.

    2013-12-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AirNow program works with over 130 participating state, local, and federal air quality agencies to obtain, quality control, and store real-time air quality observations and forecasts. From these data, the AirNow system generates thousands of maps and products each hour. Each day, information from AirNow is published online and in other media to assist the public in making health-based decisions related to air quality. However, an increasing number of people use mobile devices as their primary tool for obtaining information, and AirNow has responded to this trend by publishing an easy-to-use Web API that is useful for mobile app developers. This presentation will describe the various features of the AirNow application programming interface (API), including Representational State Transfer (REST)-type web services, file outputs, and RSS feeds. In addition, a web portal for the AirNow API will be shown, including documentation on use of the system, a query tool for configuring and running web services, and general information about the air quality data and forecasts available. Data published via the AirNow API includes corresponding Air Quality Index (AQI) levels for each pollutant. We will highlight examples of mobile apps that are using the AirNow API to provide location-based, real-time air quality information. Examples will include mobile apps developed for Minnesota ('Minnesota Air') and Washington, D.C. ('Clean Air Partners Air Quality'), and an app developed by EPA ('EPA AirNow').

  19. Revitalizing executive information systems.

    PubMed

    Crockett, F

    1992-01-01

    As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out"--and this is as true for executive information systems as for any other computer system. Crockett presents a methodology he has used with clients to help them develop more useful systems that produce higher quality information. The key is to develop performance measures based on critical success factors and stakeholder expectations and then to link them cross functionally to show how progress is being made on strategic goals. Feedback from the executive information system then informs strategy formulation, business plan development, and operational activities.

  20. AirNow Information Management System - Global Earth Observation System of Systems Data Processor for Real-Time Air Quality Data Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haderman, M.; Dye, T. S.; White, J. E.; Dickerson, P.; Pasch, A. N.; Miller, D. S.; Chan, A. C.

    2012-12-01

    Built upon the success of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AirNow program (www.AirNow.gov), the AirNow-International (AirNow-I) system contains an enhanced suite of software programs that process and quality control real-time air quality and environmental data and distribute customized maps, files, and data feeds. The goals of the AirNow-I program are similar to those of the successful U.S. program and include fostering the exchange of environmental data; making advances in air quality knowledge and applications; and building a community of people, organizations, and decision makers in environmental management. In 2010, Shanghai became the first city in China to run this state-of-the-art air quality data management and notification system. AirNow-I consists of a suite of modules (software programs and schedulers) centered on a database. One such module is the Information Management System (IMS), which can automatically produce maps and other data products through the use of GIS software to provide the most current air quality information to the public. Developed with Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) interoperability in mind, IMS is based on non-proprietary standards, with preference to formal international standards. The system depends on data and information providers accepting and implementing a set of interoperability arrangements, including technical specifications for collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating shared data, metadata, and products. In particular, the specifications include standards for service-oriented architecture and web-based interfaces, such as a web mapping service (WMS), web coverage service (WCS), web feature service (WFS), sensor web services, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. IMS is flexible, open, redundant, and modular. It also allows the merging of data grids to create complex grids that show comprehensive air quality conditions. For example, the AirNow Satellite Data Processor (ASDP) was recently developed to merge PM2.5 estimates from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite data and AirNow observational data, creating more precise maps and gridded data products for under-monitored areas. The ASDP can easily incorporate other data feeds, including fire and smoke locations, to build enhanced real-time air quality data products. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the features and functions of IMS, an explanation of how data moves through IMS, the rationale of the system architecture, and highlights of the ASDP as an example of the modularity and scalability of IMS.

  1. Information Management System for the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heald, T. C.; Redmann, G. H.

    1973-01-01

    A study was made to establish the requirements for an integrated state-wide information management system for water quality control and water quality rights for the State of California. The data sources and end requirements were analyzed for the data collected and used by the numerous agencies, both State and Federal, as well as the nine Regional Boards under the jurisdiction of the State Board. The report details the data interfaces and outlines the system design. A program plan and statement of work for implementation of the project is included.

  2. Information sharing model in supporting implementation of e-procurement service: Case of Bandung city

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramantoko, Gadang; Irawan, Herry

    2017-10-01

    This research examines the factors influencing the Information Sharing Model in Supporting Implementation of e-Procurement Services: Case of Bandung City in its early maturity stage. The early maturity of information sharing stage was determined using e-Government Maturity Stage Conceptual Framework from Estevez. Bandung City e-Procurement Information Sharing system was categorized at stage 1 in Estevez' model where the concern was mainly on assessing the benefit and risk of implementing the system. The Authors were using DeLone & McLean (D&M) Information System Success model to study benefit and risk of implementing the system in Bandung city. The model was then empirically tested by employing survey data that was collected from the available 40 listed supplier firms. D&M's model adjusted by Klischewski's description was introducing Information Quality, System Quality, and Service Quality as independent variable; Usability and User Satisfaction as intermediate dependent variable; and Perceived Net Benefit as final dependent variable. The findings suggested that, all of the predictors in D&M's model significantly influenced the net perceived benefit of implementing the e-Procurement system in the early maturity stage. The theoretical contribution of this research suggested that D&M's model might find useful in modeling complex information technology successfulness such as the one used in e-Procurement service. This research could also have implications for policy makers (LPSE) and system providers (LKPP) following the introduction of the service. However, the small number of respondent might be considered limitation of the study. The model needs to be further tested using larger number of respondents by involving the population of the firms in extended boundary/municipality area around Bandung.

  3. Long-term care information systems: an overview of the selection process.

    PubMed

    Nahm, Eun-Shim; Mills, Mary Etta; Feege, Barbara

    2006-06-01

    Under the current Medicare Prospective Payment System method and the ever-changing managed care environment, the long-term care information system is vital to providing quality care and to surviving in business. system selection process should be an interdisciplinary effort involving all necessary stakeholders for the proposed system. The system selection process can be modeled following the Systems Developmental Life Cycle: identifying problems, opportunities, and objectives; determining information requirements; analyzing system needs; designing the recommended system; and developing and documenting software.

  4. Methods for assessing the quality of data in public health information systems: a critical review.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hong; Yu, Ping; Hailey, David; Wang, Ning

    2014-01-01

    The quality of data in public health information systems can be ensured by effective data quality assessment. In order to conduct effective data quality assessment, measurable data attributes have to be precisely defined. Then reliable and valid measurement methods for data attributes have to be used to measure each attribute. We conducted a systematic review of data quality assessment methods for public health using major databases and well-known institutional websites. 35 studies were eligible for inclusion in the study. A total of 49 attributes of data quality were identified from the literature. Completeness, accuracy and timeliness were the three most frequently assessed attributes of data quality. Most studies directly examined data values. This is complemented by exploring either data users' perception or documentation quality. However, there are limitations of current data quality assessment methods: a lack of consensus on attributes measured; inconsistent definition of the data quality attributes; a lack of mixed methods for assessing data quality; and inadequate attention to reliability and validity. Removal of these limitations is an opportunity for further improvement.

  5. An Integrated Decision Support System for Water Quality Management of Songhua River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Haiping; Yin, Qiuxiao; Chen, Ling

    2010-11-01

    In the Songhua River Basin of China, many water resource and water environment conflicts interact. A Decision Support System (DSS) for the water quality management has been established for the Basin. The System is featured by the incorporation of a numerical water quality model system into a conventional water quality management system which usually consists of geographic information system (GIS), WebGIS technology, database system and network technology. The model system is built based on DHI MIKE software comprising of a basin rainfall-runoff module, a basin pollution load evaluation module, a river hydrodynamic module and a river water quality module. The DSS provides a friendly graphical user interface that enables the rapid and transparent calculation of various water quality management scenarios, and also enables the convenient access and interpretation of the modeling results to assist the decision-making.

  6. Automated Developmental Disabilities Out-Patient Treatment Review System (ADDOPTRS)—Development and Automation of a Microcomputer Based Case Management System

    PubMed Central

    Fisch, Clifford B.; Fisch, Martin L.

    1979-01-01

    The Stanley S. Lamm Institute for Developmental Disabilities of The Long Island College Hospital, in conjunction with Micro-Med Systems has developed a low cost micro-computer based information system (ADDOP TRS) which monitors quality of care in outpatient settings rendering services to the developmentally disabled population. The process of conversion from paper record keeping systems to direct key-to-disk data capture at the point of service delivery is described. Data elements of the information system including identifying patient information, coded and English-grammar entry procedures for tracking elements of service as well as their delivery status are described. Project evaluation criteria are defined including improved quality of care, improved productivity for clerical and professional staff and enhanced decision making capability. These criteria are achieved in a cost effective manner as a function of more efficient information flow. Administrative applications including staff/budgeting procedures, submissions for third party reimbursement and case reporting to utilization review committees are considered.

  7. Informed Consent

    MedlinePlus

    ... Education Achieving Zero Preventable Deaths Conference Publications and Posters National Trauma System Injury Prevention and Control Quality ... Abstracts Hotel Accommodations Travel Information Moderator/Speaker ... Poster Presenter Information 2017 Presentations Education Education Overview Division ...

  8. [Data collection in anesthesia. Experiences with the inauguration of a new information system].

    PubMed

    Zbinden, A M; Rothenbühler, H; Häberli, B

    1997-06-01

    In many institutions information systems are used to process off-line anaesthesia data for invoices, statistical purposes, and quality assurance. Information systems are also increasingly being used to improve process control in order to reduce costs. Most of today's systems were created when information technology and working processes in anaesthesia were very different from those in use today. Thus, many institutions must now replace their computer systems but are probably not aware of how complex this change will be. Modern information systems mostly use client-server architecture and relational data bases. Substituting an old system with a new one is frequently a greater task than designing a system from scratch. This article gives the conclusions drawn from the experience obtained when a large departmental computer system is redesigned in an university hospital. The new system was based on a client-server architecture and was developed by an external company without preceding conceptual analysis. Modules for patient, anaesthesia, surgical, and pain-service data were included. Data were analysed using a separate statistical package (RS/1 from Bolt Beranek), taking advantage of its powerful precompiled procedures. Development and introduction of the new system took much more time and effort than expected despite the use of modern software tools. Introduction of the new program required intensive user training despite the choice of modem graphic screen layouts. Automatic data-reading systems could not be used, as too many faults occurred and the effort for the user was too high. However, after the initial problems were solved the system turned out to be a powerful tool for quality control (both process and outcome quality), billing, and scheduling. The statistical analysis of the data resulted in meaningful and relevant conclusions. Before creating a new information system, the working processes have to be analysed and, if possible, made more efficient; a detailed programme specification must then be made. A servicing and maintenance contract should be drawn up before the order is given to a company. Time periods of equal duration have to be scheduled for defining, writing, testing and introducing the program. Modern client-server systems with relational data bases are by no means simpler to establish and maintain than previous mainframe systems with hierarchical data bases, and thus, experienced computer specialists need to be close at hand. We recommend collecting data only once for both statistics and quality control. To verify data quality, a system of random spot-sampling has to be established. Despite the large investments needed to build up such a system, we consider it a powerful tool for helping to solve the difficult daily problems of managing a surgical and anaesthesia unit.

  9. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  10. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  11. 21 CFR 820.181 - Device master record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVICES QUALITY SYSTEM REGULATION Records § 820.181 Device master record. Each manufacturer shall maintain... following information: (a) Device specifications including appropriate drawings, composition, formulation... specifications; (c) Quality assurance procedures and specifications including acceptance criteria and the quality...

  12. Optimizing cardiothoracic surgery information for a managed care environment.

    PubMed

    Denton, T A; Matloff, J M

    1995-11-01

    The rapid change occurring in American healthcare is a direct response to rising costs. Managed care is the fastest growing model that attempts to control escalating costs through limitations in patient choice, the active use of guidelines, and placing providers at risk. Managed care is an information intensive system, and those providers who use information effectively will be at an advantage in the competitive healthcare marketplace. There are five classes of information that providers must collect to be competitive in a managed care environment: patient satisfaction, medical outcomes, continuous quality improvement, quality of the decision, and financial data. Each of these should be actively used in marketing, assuring the quality of patient care, and maintaining financial stability. Although changes in our healthcare system are occurring rapidly, we need to respond to the marketplace to maintain our viability, but as physicians, we have the singular obligation to maintain the supremacy of the individual patient and the physician-patient relationship.

  13. Quality of records on sexual violence against women in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2008-2013.

    PubMed

    Delziovo, Carmem Regina; Bolsoni, Carolina Carvalho; Lindner, Sheila Rubia; Coelho, Elza Berger Salema

    2018-02-01

    to describe the quality of records on cases of sexual violence against women, reported in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (Sinan), in Santa Catarina State, Brazil, from 2008 to 2013. normative assessment with data from records of sexual violence cases against women (≥10 years old); data quality was described according to the dimensions 'non-duplicity' (acceptable when >95%), 'completeness' (good when >75%), and 'consistency' (excellent when >90.0%) of information. 2,010 cases of sexual violence against women were studied, after the exclusion of four duplicate records; the percentage of non-duplicity was 99.9% (acceptable); of completeness was 93.3% (good) and of consistency was 98.9% (excellent). the results presented point out the usefulness of Sinan as a source of information for the surveillance of sexual violence against women and for planning actions to tackle this type of aggression.

  14. Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of the Computerized Customer Information System (CCIS) at the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD)

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-06-01

    This document is a product of an ongoing program to assess the impacts of automated transit information system (ATIS) technology on the transit industry's efforts to improve the productivity and quality of telephone information/marketing services to ...

  15. The Occurrence and Diversity of Waterborne Fungi in African Aquatic Systems: Their Impact on Water Quality and Human Health.

    PubMed

    Magwaza, Nontokozo M; Nxumalo, Edward N; Mamba, Bhekie B; Msagati, Titus A M

    2017-05-20

    Currently, there is a worldwide growing interest in the occurrence and diversity of fungi and their secondary metabolites in aquatic systems, especially concerning their role in water quality and human health. However, this concern is hampered by the scant information that is available in the literature about aquatic fungi and how they affect water quality. There are only few published reports that link certain species of aquatic fungi to human health. The common aquatic fungal species that have been reported so far in African aquatic systems belong to the hyphomycetes kingdom. This paper thus aims to survey the information about the occurrence and factors that control the distribution of different species of fungi in African aquatic systems, as well as their effect on water quality and the possible metabolic pathways that lead to the formation of toxic secondary metabolites that are responsible for the deterioration of water quality. This review will also investigate the analytical and bioanalytical procedures that have been reported for the identification of different species of waterborne fungi and their secondary metabolites.

  16. The Occurrence and Diversity of Waterborne Fungi in African Aquatic Systems: Their Impact on Water Quality and Human Health

    PubMed Central

    Magwaza, Nontokozo M.; Nxumalo, Edward N.; Mamba, Bhekie B.; Msagati, Titus A. M.

    2017-01-01

    Currently, there is a worldwide growing interest in the occurrence and diversity of fungi and their secondary metabolites in aquatic systems, especially concerning their role in water quality and human health. However, this concern is hampered by the scant information that is available in the literature about aquatic fungi and how they affect water quality. There are only few published reports that link certain species of aquatic fungi to human health. The common aquatic fungal species that have been reported so far in African aquatic systems belong to the hyphomycetes kingdom. This paper thus aims to survey the information about the occurrence and factors that control the distribution of different species of fungi in African aquatic systems, as well as their effect on water quality and the possible metabolic pathways that lead to the formation of toxic secondary metabolites that are responsible for the deterioration of water quality. This review will also investigate the analytical and bioanalytical procedures that have been reported for the identification of different species of waterborne fungi and their secondary metabolites. PMID:28531124

  17. Patient Information Websites About Medically Induced Second-Trimester Abortions: A Descriptive Study of Quality, Suitability, and Issues.

    PubMed

    Carlsson, Tommy; Axelsson, Ove

    2017-01-10

    Patients undergoing medically induced second-trimester abortions feel insufficiently informed and use the Web for supplemental information. However, it is still unclear how people who have experience with pregnancy termination appraise the quality of patient information websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions, whether they consider the websites suitable for patients, and what issues they experience with the websites. Our objective was to investigate the quality of, suitability of, and issues with patient information websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions and potential differences between websites affiliated with the health care system and private organizations. We set out to answer the objective by using 4 laypeople who had experience with pregnancy termination as quality assessors. The first 50 hits of 26 systematic searches were screened (N=1300 hits) using search terms reported by the assessors. Of these hits, 48% (628/1300) were irrelevant and 51% (667/1300) led to websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions. After correcting for duplicate hits, 42 patient information websites were included, 18 of which were affiliated with the health care system and 24 with private organizations. The 4 assessors systematically assessed the websites with the DISCERN instrument (total score range 16-80), the Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool (total score range 0-100), as well as questions concerning website suitability and perceived issues. The interrater reliability was 0.8 for DISCERN and EQIP, indicating substantial agreement between the assessors. The total mean score was 36 for DISCERN and 40 for EQIP, indicating poor overall quality. Websites from the health care system had greater total EQIP (45 vs 37, P>.05) and reliability scores (22 vs 20, P>.05). Only 1 website was recommended by all assessors and 57% (24/42) were rated as very unsuitable by at least one assessor. The most reported issues with the websites involved lack of information (76%, 32/42), and poor design (36%, 15/42). The high number of irrelevant hits and poor quality of patient information websites are considerable issues that must be addressed and considered when consulting patients awaiting medically induced second-trimester abortions. In clinical encounters, health professionals should initiate discussions concerning websites about medically induced second-trimester abortions and inform patients about the issues and quality deficits associated with these websites. ©Tommy Carlsson, Ove Axelsson. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 10.01.2017.

  18. New Mexico Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of New Mexico's Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

  19. Los Angeles County Steps to Excellence Project: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Child Trends, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a profile of Los Angeles County's Steps to Excellence Project prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs;…

  20. Smart homes and ambient assisted living applications: from data to knowledge-empowering or overwhelming older adults? Contribution of the IMIA Smart Homes and Ambiant Assisted Living Working Group.

    PubMed

    Demiris, G; Thompson, H

    2011-01-01

    As health care systems face limited resources and workforce shortages to address the complex needs of older adult populations, innovative approaches utilizing information technology can support aging. Smart Home and Ambient Assisted Living (SHAAL) systems utilize advanced and ubiquitous technologies including sensors and other devices that are integrated in the residential infrastructure or wearable, to capture data describing activities of daily living and health related events. This paper highlights how data from SHAAL systems can lead to information and knowledge that ultimately improves clinical outcomes and quality of life for older adults as well as quality of health care services. We conducted a review of personal health record applications specifically for older adults and approaches to using information to improve elder care. We present a framework that showcases how data captured from SHAAL systems can be processed to provide meaningful information that becomes part of a personal health record. Synthesis and visualization of information resulting from SHAAL systems can lead to knowledge and support education, delivery of tailored interventions and if needed, transitions in care. Such actions can involve multiple stakeholders as part of shared decision making. SHAAL systems have the potential to support aging and improve quality of life and decision making for older adults and their families. The framework presented in this paper demonstrates how emphasis needs to be placed into extracting meaningful information from new innovative systems that will support decision making. The challenge for informatics designers and researchers is to facilitate an evolution of SHAAL systems expanding beyond demonstration projects to actual interventions that will improve health care for older adults.

  1. Factual Approach in Decision Making - the Prerequisite of Success in Quality Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kučerová, Marta; Škůrková Lestyánszka, Katarína

    2013-12-01

    In quality management system as well as in other managerial systems, effective decisions must be always based on the data and information analysis, i.e. based on facts, in accordance with the factual approach principle in quality management. It is therefore necessary to measure and collect the data and information about processes. The article presents the results of a conducted survey, which was focused on application of factual approach in decision making. It also offers suggestions for improvements of application of the principle in business practice. This article was prepared using the research results of VEGA project No. 1/0229/08 "Perspectives of the quality management development in relation to the requirements of market in the Slovak Republic".

  2. Modelling health care processes for eliciting user requirements: a way to link a quality paradigm and clinical information system design.

    PubMed

    Staccini, P; Joubert, M; Quaranta, J F; Fieschi, D; Fieschi, M

    2000-01-01

    Hospital information systems have to support quality improvement objectives. The design issues of health care information system can be classified into three categories: 1) time-oriented and event-labelled storage of patient data; 2) contextual support of decision-making; 3) capabilities for modular upgrading. The elicitation of the requirements has to meet users' needs in relation to both the quality (efficacy, safety) and the monitoring of all health care activities (traceability). Information analysts need methods to conceptualize clinical information systems that provide actors with individual benefits and guide behavioural changes. A methodology is proposed to elicit and structure users' requirements using a process-oriented analysis, and it is applied to the field of blood transfusion. An object-oriented data model of a process has been defined in order to identify its main components: activity, sub-process, resources, constrains, guidelines, parameters and indicators. Although some aspects of activity, such as "where", "what else", and "why" are poorly represented by the data model alone, this method of requirement elicitation fits the dynamic of data input for the process to be traced. A hierarchical representation of hospital activities has to be found for this approach to be generalised within the organisation, for the processes to be interrelated, and for their characteristics to be shared.

  3. Use of geographic information system to display water-quality data from San Juan basin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thorn, C.R.; Dam, W.L.

    1989-09-01

    The ARC/INFO geographic information system is creating thematic maps of the San Juan basin as part of the USGS Regional Aquifer-System Analysis program. (Use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the US Geological Survey.) Maps created by a Prime version of ARC/INFO, to be published in a series of Hydrologic Investigations Atlas reports for selected geologic units, will include outcrop patters, water-well locations, and water-quality data. The San Juan basin study area, encompassing about 19,400 mi{sup 2}, can be displayed with ARC/INFO at various scales; on the same scale, generated water-quality mapsmore » can be compared and overlain with other maps such as potentiometric surface and depth to top of a geologic or hydrologic unit. Selected water-quality and well data (including latitude and longitude) are retrieved from the USGS National Water Information System data base for a specified geologic unit. Data are formatted by Fortran programs and read into an INFO data base. Two parallel files - an INFO file containing water-quality data and well data and an ARC file containing the site coordinates - are joined to form the ARC/INFO data base. A file containing a series of commands using Prime's Command Procedure language is used to select coverage, display, and position data on the map. Data interpretation is enhanced by displaying water-quality data throughout the basin in combination with other hydrologic and geologic data.« less

  4. Functionality of hospital information systems: results from a survey of quality directors at Turkish hospitals.

    PubMed

    Saluvan, Mehmet; Ozonoff, Al

    2018-01-12

    We aimed to determine availability of core Hospital Information Systems (HIS) functions implemented in Turkish hospitals and the perceived importance of these functions on quality and patient safety. We surveyed quality directors (QDs) at civilian hospitals in the nation of Turkey. Data were collected via web survey using an instrument with 50 items describing core functionality of HIS. We calculated mean availability of each function, mean and median values of perceived impact on quality, and we investigated the relationship between availability and perceived importance. We received responses from 31% of eligible institutions, representing all major geographic regions of Turkey. Mean availability of 50 HIS functions was 65.6%, ranging from 19.6% to 97.4%. Mean importance score was 7.87 (on a 9-point scale) ranging from 7.13 to 8.41. Functions related to result management (89.3%) and decision support systems (52.2%) had the highest and lowest reported availability respectively. Availability and perceived importance were moderately correlated (r = 0.52). QDs report high importance of the HIS functions surveyed as they relate to quality and patient safety. Availability and perceived importance of HIS functions are generally correlated, with some interesting exceptions. These findings may inform future investments and guide policy changes within the Turkish healthcare system. Financial incentives, regulations around certified HIS, revisions to accreditation manuals, and training interventions are all policies which will help integrate HIS functions to support quality and patient safety in Turkish hospitals.

  5. Do quality improvement systems improve health library services? A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Gray, Hannah; Sutton, Gary; Treadway, Victoria

    2012-09-01

    A turbulent financial and political climate requires health libraries to be more accountable than ever. Quality improvement systems are widely considered a 'good thing to do', but do they produce useful outcomes that can demonstrate value? To undertake a systematic review to identify which aspects of health libraries are being measured for quality, what tools are being used and what outcomes are reported following utilisation of quality improvement systems. Many health libraries utilise quality improvement systems without translating the data into service improvements. Included studies demonstrate that quality improvement systems produce valuable outcomes including a positive impact on strategic planning, promotion, new and improved services and staff development. No impact of quality improvement systems on library users or patients is reported in the literature. The literature in this area is sparse and requires updating. We recommend further primary research is conducted in health libraries focusing upon the outcomes of utilising quality improvement systems. An exploration of quality improvement systems in other library sectors may also provide valuable insight for health libraries. © 2012 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2012 Health Libraries Group.

  6. Factors of accepting pain management decision support systems by nurse anesthetists

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Pain management is a critical but complex issue for the relief of acute pain, particularly for postoperative pain and severe pain in cancer patients. It also plays important roles in promoting quality of care. The introduction of pain management decision support systems (PM-DSS) is considered a potential solution for addressing the complex problems encountered in pain management. This study aims to investigate factors affecting acceptance of PM-DSS from a nurse anesthetist perspective. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from nurse anesthetists in a case hospital. A total of 113 questionnaires were distributed, and 101 complete copies were returned, indicating a valid response rate of 89.3%. Collected data were analyzed by structure equation modeling using the partial least square tool. Results The results show that perceived information quality (γ=.451, p<.001), computer self-efficacy (γ=.315, p<.01), and organizational structure (γ=.210, p<.05), both significantly impact nurse anesthetists’ perceived usefulness of PM-DSS. Information quality (γ=.267, p<.05) significantly impacts nurse anesthetists’ perceptions of PM-DSS ease of use. Furthermore, both perceived ease of use (β=.436, p<.001, R2=.487) and perceived usefulness (β=.443, p<.001, R2=.646) significantly affected nurse anesthetists’ PM-DSS acceptance (R2=.640). Thus, the critical role of information quality in the development of clinical decision support system is demonstrated. Conclusions The findings of this study enable hospital managers to understand the important considerations for nurse anesthetists in accepting PM-DSS, particularly for the issues related to the improvement of information quality, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the system. In addition, the results also provide useful suggestions for designers and implementers of PM-DSS in improving system development. PMID:23360305

  7. Quality of care: measuring a neglected driver of improved health

    PubMed Central

    Kruk, Margaret E

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The quality of care provided by health systems contributes towards efforts to reach sustainable development goal 3 on health and well-being. There is growing evidence that the impact of health interventions is undermined by poor quality of care in lower-income countries. Quality of care will also be crucial to the success of universal health coverage initiatives; citizens unhappy with the quality and scope of covered services are unlikely to support public financing of health care. Moreover, an ethical impetus exists to ensure that all people, including the poorest, obtain a minimum quality standard of care that is effective for improving health. However, the measurement of quality today in low- and middle-income countries is inadequate to the task. Health information systems provide incomplete and often unreliable data, and facility surveys collect too many indicators of uncertain utility, focus on a limited number of services and are quickly out of date. Existing measures poorly capture the process of care and the patient experience. Patient outcomes that are sensitive to health-care practices, a mainstay of quality assessment in high-income countries, are rarely collected. We propose six policy recommendations to improve quality-of-care measurement and amplify its policy impact: (i) redouble efforts to improve and institutionalize civil registration and vital statistics systems; (ii) reform facility surveys and strengthen routine information systems; (iii) innovate new quality measures for low-resource contexts; (iv) get the patient perspective on quality; (v) invest in national quality data; and (vi) translate quality evidence for policy impact. PMID:28603313

  8. Benefits of Enterprise Ontology for the Development of ICT-Based Value Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albani, Antonia; Dietz, Jan L. G.

    The competitiveness of value networks is highly dependent on the cooperation between business partners and the interoperability of their information systems. Innovations in information and communication technology (ICT), primarily the emergence of the Internet, offer possibilities to increase the interoperability of information systems and therefore enable inter-enterprise cooperation. For the design of inter-enterprise information systems, the concept of business component appears to be very promising. However, the identification of business components is strongly dependent on the appropriateness and the quality of the underlying business domain model. The ontological model of an enterprise - or an enterprise network - as presented in this article, is a high-quality and very adequate business domain model. It provides all essential information that is necessary for the design of the supporting information systems, and at a level of abstraction that makes it also understandable for business people. The application of enterprise ontology for the identification of business components is clarified. To exemplify our approach, a practical case is taken from the domain of strategic supply network development. By doing this, a widespread problem of the practical application of inter-enterprise information systems is being addressed.

  9. Quality specifications and standard-setting for stoma care patients.

    PubMed

    Primer, M A

    1995-12-01

    Quality specifications can be used as an information resource by purchasers of health care. The nature of service provision and nursing care can be positively influenced by the formalisation of standards and quality specifications. Auditing is essential in the ongoing evaluation of a quality system.

  10. Volunteered Geographic Information for Disaster Management with Application to Earthquake Disaster Databank & Sharing Platform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, H.; Zhang, W. C.; Deng, C.; Nie, N.; Yi, L.

    2017-02-01

    All phases of disaster management require up-to-date and accurate information. Different in-situ and remote sensor systems help to monitor dynamic properties such as air quality, water level or inundated areas. The rapid emergence of web-based services has facilitated the collection, dissemination, and cartographic representation of spatial information from the public, giving rise to the idea of using Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) to aid disaster management. In this study, with a brief review on the concept and the development of disaster management, opportunities and challenges for applying VGI in disaster management were explored. The challenges, including Data availability, Data quality, Data management and Legal issues of using VGI for disaster management, were discussed in detail with particular emphasis on the actual needs of disaster management practice in China. Three different approaches to assure VGI data quality, namely the classification and authority design of volunteers, a government-led VGI data acquisition framework for disaster management and a quality assessment system for VGI, respectively, were presented and discussed. As a case study, a prototype of VGI oriented earthquake disaster databank & sharing platform, an open WebGIS system for volunteers and other interested individuals collaboratively create and manage the earthquake disaster related information, was proposed, to provide references for improving the level of earthquake emergency response and disaster mitigation in China.

  11. Observability-Based Guidance and Sensor Placement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinson, Brian T.

    Control system performance is highly dependent on the quality of sensor information available. In a growing number of applications, however, the control task must be accomplished with limited sensing capabilities. This thesis addresses these types of problems from a control-theoretic point-of-view, leveraging system nonlinearities to improve sensing performance. Using measures of observability as an information quality metric, guidance trajectories and sensor distributions are designed to improve the quality of sensor information. An observability-based sensor placement algorithm is developed to compute optimal sensor configurations for a general nonlinear system. The algorithm utilizes a simulation of the nonlinear system as the source of input data, and convex optimization provides a scalable solution method. The sensor placement algorithm is applied to a study of gyroscopic sensing in insect wings. The sensor placement algorithm reveals information-rich areas on flexible insect wings, and a comparison to biological data suggests that insect wings are capable of acting as gyroscopic sensors. An observability-based guidance framework is developed for robotic navigation with limited inertial sensing. Guidance trajectories and algorithms are developed for range-only and bearing-only navigation that improve navigation accuracy. Simulations and experiments with an underwater vehicle demonstrate that the observability measure allows tuning of the navigation uncertainty.

  12. Teaching undergraduate nursing students critical thinking: An innovative informatics strategy.

    PubMed

    Warren, Judith J; Connors, Helen R; Weaver, Charlotte; Simpson, Roy

    2006-01-01

    Simulated e-Health Delivery System (SEEDS) uses a clinical information system (CIS) to teach students how to process data from virtual patient case studies and work with information technology. SEEDS was developed in response to the Institute of Medicine recommendation that students be taught about information systems in order to improve quality patient care and reduce errors. Curriculum implications, implementation of the system, and technology challenges are discussed.

  13. Response of Vibrio fischeri to repeated exposures over time in an Online Toxicity Monitor

    EPA Science Inventory

    Online Toxicity Monitors have been developed to provide continuous, time-relevant information regarding water quality. These systems measure a physiological or behavioral response of a sentinel organism to changes water quality. One such system, the Microlan Toxcontrol, is base...

  14. DRINKING WATER MICROBIOLOGY - NEW DIRECTIONS TOWARD WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Many concerns result from information on new waterborne agents, treatment problems of raw water qualities, biofilm development in some distribution systems, and special quality needs unique to hospitals and industries. Protozoan cyst penetration after some disinfection practices ...

  15. Aviation obstacle auto-extraction using remote sensing information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimmer, N.; Lugsch, W.; Ravenscroft, D.; Schiefele, J.

    2008-10-01

    An Obstacle, in the aviation context, may be any natural, man-made, fixed or movable object, permanent or temporary. Currently, the most common way to detect relevant aviation obstacles from an aircraft or helicopter for navigation purposes and collision avoidance is the use of merged infrared and synthetic information of obstacle data. Several algorithms have been established to utilize synthetic and infrared images to generate obstacle information. There might be a situation however where the system is error-prone and may not be able to consistently determine the current environment. This situation can be avoided when the system knows the true position of the obstacle. The quality characteristics of the obstacle data strongly depends on the quality of the source data such as maps and official publications. In some countries such as newly industrializing and developing countries, quality and quantity of obstacle information is not available. The aviation world has two specifications - RTCA DO-276A and ICAO ANNEX 15 Ch. 10 - which describe the requirements for aviation obstacles. It is essential to meet these requirements to be compliant with the specifications and to support systems based on these specifications, e.g. 3D obstacle warning systems where accurate coordinates based on WGS-84 is a necessity. Existing aerial and satellite or soon to exist high quality remote sensing data makes it feasible to think about automated aviation obstacle data origination. This paper will describe the feasibility to auto-extract aviation obstacles from remote sensing data considering limitations of image and extraction technologies. Quality parameters and possible resolution of auto-extracted obstacle data will be discussed and presented.

  16. Towards knowledge-based systems in clinical practice: development of an integrated clinical information and knowledge management support system.

    PubMed

    Kalogeropoulos, Dimitris A; Carson, Ewart R; Collinson, Paul O

    2003-09-01

    Given that clinicians presented with identical clinical information will act in different ways, there is a need to introduce into routine clinical practice methods and tools to support the scientific homogeneity and accountability of healthcare decisions and actions. The benefits expected from such action include an overall reduction in cost, improved quality of care, patient and public opinion satisfaction. Computer-based medical data processing has yielded methods and tools for managing the task away from the hospital management level and closer to the desired disease and patient management level. To this end, advanced applications of information and disease process modelling technologies have already demonstrated an ability to significantly augment clinical decision making as a by-product. The wide-spread acceptance of evidence-based medicine as the basis of cost-conscious and concurrently quality-wise accountable clinical practice suffices as evidence supporting this claim. Electronic libraries are one-step towards an online status of this key health-care delivery quality control environment. Nonetheless, to date, the underlying information and knowledge management technologies have failed to be integrated into any form of pragmatic or marketable online and real-time clinical decision making tool. One of the main obstacles that needs to be overcome is the development of systems that treat both information and knowledge as clinical objects with same modelling requirements. This paper describes the development of such a system in the form of an intelligent clinical information management system: a system which at the most fundamental level of clinical decision support facilitates both the organised acquisition of clinical information and knowledge and provides a test-bed for the development and evaluation of knowledge-based decision support functions.

  17. Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) Data Quality Review

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-05-01

    The Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) is used to manage data required for the use, transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous material by the US Government. In response to concerns expressed by some users, DORO was tasked to conduc...

  18. [Design and application of implantable medical device information management system].

    PubMed

    Cao, Shaoping; Yin, Chunguang; Zhao, Zhenying

    2013-03-01

    Through the establishment of implantable medical device information management system, with the aid of the regional joint sharing of resources, we further enhance the implantable medical device traceability management level, strengthen quality management, control of medical risk.

  19. Building a Rapid Learning Health Care System for Oncology: Why CancerLinQ Collects Identifiable Health Information to Achieve Its Vision.

    PubMed

    Shah, Alaap; Stewart, Andrew K; Kolacevski, Andrej; Michels, Dina; Miller, Robert

    2016-03-01

    The ever-increasing volume of scientific discoveries, clinical knowledge, novel diagnostic tools, and treatment options juxtaposed with rising costs in health care challenge physicians to identify, prioritize, and use new information rapidly to deliver efficient and high-quality care to a growing and aging patient population. CancerLinQ, a rapid learning health care system in oncology, is an initiative of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and its Institute for Quality that addresses these challenges by collecting information from the electronic health records of large numbers of patients with cancer. CancerLinQ is first and foremost a quality measurement and reporting system through which oncologists can harness the depth and power of their patients' clinical records and other data to assess, monitor, and improve the care they deliver. However, in light of privacy and security concerns with regard to collection, use, and disclosure of patient information, this article addresses the need to collect protected health information as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to drive rapid learning through CancerLinQ. © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

  20. An evaluation of data quality in Canada's Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS): secondary analyses of Ontario data submitted between 1996 and 2011.

    PubMed

    Hirdes, John P; Poss, Jeff W; Caldarelli, Hilary; Fries, Brant E; Morris, John N; Teare, Gary F; Reidel, Kristen; Jutan, Norma

    2013-02-26

    Evidence informed decision making in health policy development and clinical practice depends on the availability of valid and reliable data. The introduction of interRAI assessment systems in many countries has provided valuable new information that can be used to support case mix based payment systems, quality monitoring, outcome measurement and care planning. The Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS) managed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information has served as a data repository supporting national implementation of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI 2.0) in Canada for more than 15 years. The present paper aims to evaluate data quality for the CCRS using an approach that may be generalizable to comparable data holdings internationally. Data from the RAI 2.0 implementation in Complex Continuing Care (CCC) hospitals/units and Long Term Care (LTC) homes in Ontario were analyzed using various statistical techniques that provide evidence for trends in validity, reliability, and population attributes. Time series comparisons included evaluations of scale reliability, patterns of associations between items and scales that provide evidence about convergent validity, and measures of changes in population characteristics over time. Data quality with respect to reliability, validity, completeness and freedom from logical coding errors was consistently high for the CCRS in both CCC and LTC settings. The addition of logic checks further improved data quality in both settings. The only notable change of concern was a substantial inflation in the percentage of long term care home residents qualifying for the Special Rehabilitation level of the Resource Utilization Groups (RUG-III) case mix system after the adoption of that system as part of the payment system for LTC. The CCRS provides a robust, high quality data source that may be used to inform policy, clinical practice and service delivery in Ontario. Only one area of concern was noted, and the statistical techniques employed here may be readily used to target organizations with data quality problems in that (or any other) area. There was also evidence that data quality was good in both CCC and LTC settings from the outset of implementation, meaning data may be used from the entire time series. The methods employed here may continue to be used to monitor data quality in this province over time and they provide a benchmark for comparisons with other jurisdictions implementing the RAI 2.0 in similar populations.

  1. [Evaluation of the Oran university hospital information system].

    PubMed

    Chougrani, Saada; Ouhadj, Salah; Agag, Fouzia

    2013-01-01

    Oran university hospital has been operating since 2010. It is a public institution that must assess the resources required to achieve institutional goals integrated into the strategic objectives defined in the hospital development project. Implementation of this project could be supported, among other things, by a strong and efficient hospital information system. Three investigations were conducted: 1- evaluation of the hospital information system, 2- assessment of the quality of the hospital discharge summary reports, 3- assessment of the quality of medical records. The six components of the hospital information system (resources, indicators, sources, management, quality and dissemination and use of data) were clearly present but not satisfactory with a score ranging from 25 to 50% of the total score. The scores by component were as follows: 36% for resources, 37% for indicators, 42% for patient records, 19% for data management and 27% for the dissemination of information. The overall completeness of medical records was 85.2%. Completeness by group of variables gave the following results: 66% for medical information, 54% for the patient's stay and 38% for information relating to the patient's discharge. Hospital discharge summary reports were available in 59.8% of cases, but were blank in 4% of cases. The critical variable, the principal diagnosis was found in 51% of cases. The correct principal diagnosis rate was 33.3%. The deficiencies observed for content and data management raise real questions concerning data management at Oran university hospital as part of a real managerial approach.

  2. A comparative analysis of the dissemination of best practice measures for key populations.

    PubMed

    Lundy, Jennifer; Santangelo, Jennifer; Rogers, Patrick; Kuehn, Lynn; Christensen, Sharon; Bournique, Judy; Mekhjian, Hagop; Kamal, Jyoti

    2008-11-06

    In collaboration with the department of Quality and Operations Improvement, Clinical Applications and the Information Warehouse, we have leveraged available Information Warehouse data to build a Best Practice Compliance Measurement Dashboard. This tool combines information from our operating room charting system, our order entry system and coding information from the patient billing and management system to provide 'previous day', data on a patients current course of treatment.

  3. An integrated organisation-wide data quality management and information governance framework: theoretical underpinnings.

    PubMed

    Liaw, Siaw-Teng; Pearce, Christopher; Liyanage, Harshana; Liaw, Gladys S S; de Lusignan, Simon

    2014-01-01

    Increasing investment in eHealth aims to improve cost effectiveness and safety of care. Data extraction and aggregation can create new data products to improve professional practice and provide feedback to improve the quality of source data. A previous systematic review concluded that locally relevant clinical indicators and use of clinical record systems could support clinical governance. We aimed to extend and update the review with a theoretical framework. We searched PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, ABI Inform (Proquest) and Business Source Premier (EBSCO) using the terms curation, information ecosystem, data quality management (DQM), data governance, information governance (IG) and data stewardship. We focused on and analysed the scope of DQM and IG processes, theoretical frameworks, and determinants of the processing, quality assurance, presentation and sharing of data across the enterprise. There are good theoretical reasons for integrated governance, but there is variable alignment of DQM, IG and health system objectives across the health enterprise. Ethical constraints exist that require health information ecosystems to process data in ways that are aligned with improving health and system efficiency and ensuring patient safety. Despite an increasingly 'big-data' environment, DQM and IG in health services are still fragmented across the data production cycle. We extend current work on DQM and IG with a theoretical framework for integrated IG across the data cycle. The dimensions of this theory-based framework would require testing with qualitative and quantitative studies to examine the applicability and utility, along with an evaluation of its impact on data quality across the health enterprise.

  4. Development and Application of the Key Technologies for the Quality Control and Inspection of National Geographical Conditions Survey Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Y.; Zhang, L.; Ma, W.; Zhang, P.; Zhao, T.

    2018-04-01

    The First National Geographical Condition Survey is a predecessor task to dynamically master basic situations of the nature, ecology and human activities on the earth's surface and it is the brand-new mapping geographic information engineering. In order to ensure comprehensive, real and accurate survey results and achieve the quality management target which the qualified rate is 100 % and the yield is more than 80 %, it is necessary to carry out the quality control and result inspection for national geographical conditions survey on a national scale. To ensure that achievement quality meets quality target requirements, this paper develops the key technology method of "five-in-one" quality control that is constituted by "quality control system of national geographical condition survey, quality inspection technology system, quality evaluation system, quality inspection information management system and national linked quality control institutions" by aiming at large scale, wide coverage range, more undertaking units, more management levels, technical updating, more production process and obvious regional differences in the national geographical condition survey and combining with novel achievement manifestation, complicated dependency, more special reference data, and large data size. This project fully considering the domestic and foreign related research results and production practice experience, combined with the technology development and the needs of the production, it stipulates the inspection methods and technical requirements of each stage in the quality inspection of the geographical condition survey results, and extends the traditional inspection and acceptance technology, and solves the key technologies that are badly needed in the first national geographic survey.

  5. Quality analysis of population-based information on cancer stage at diagnosis across Europe, with presentation of stage-specific cancer survival estimates: A EUROCARE-5 study.

    PubMed

    Minicozzi, Pamela; Innos, Kaire; Sánchez, Maria-José; Trama, Annalisa; Walsh, Paul M; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Dimitrova, Nadya; Botta, Laura; Visser, Otto; Rossi, Silvia; Tavilla, Andrea; Sant, Milena

    2017-10-01

    Cancer registries (CRs) are fundamental for estimating cancer burden, evaluating screening and monitoring health service performance. Stage at diagnosis-an essential information item collected by CRs-has been made available, for the first time, by CRs participating in EUROCARE-5. We analysed the quality of this information and estimated stage-specific survival across Europe for CRs with good data quality. Sixty-two CRs sent stage (as TNM, condensed TNM or extent of disease) for 15 cancers diagnosed in 2000-2007. We assessed the quality, partly by comparing stage according to the three systems. We also developed procedures to reconstruct stage (categories: local, regional, metastatic and unknown) using information from all three systems, thus minimising the amount of missing information. Moderate-to-excellent stage concordance was found for practically all 24 CRs, for which it was possible to compare at least two staging systems. However, since stage was often incorrectly assigned, and information on the presence/absence of metastases was often lacking, data on only 7/15 cancers from 34/62 CRs (15 countries) were of sufficient quality for further analysis. Cases diagnosed ≥70 years had more advanced (or lacking) stage- and worse stage-specific survival than those <70 years. Many European CRs collect and record reasonably accurate stage information. Others have difficulties. Both the completeness of primary data and the accuracy of stage coding need to be improved in order for CRs to fulfil their expanding roles in cancer control. We propose our stage reconstruction/checking procedures as a means of fully exploiting the stage information provided by EUROCARE CRs. More advanced (or lacking) stage at diagnosis plus poorer stage-specific survival in the elderly are worrying. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Prospective analysis of the quality of Spanish health information web sites after 3 years.

    PubMed

    Conesa-Fuentes, Maria C; Hernandez-Morante, Juan J

    2016-12-01

    Although the Internet has become an essential source of health information, our study conducted 3 years ago provided evidence of the low quality of Spanish health web sites. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of Spanish health information web sites now, and to compare these results with those obtained 3 years ago. For the original study, the most visited health information web sites were selected through the PageRank® (Google®) system. The present study evaluated the quality of the same web sites from February to May 2013, using the method developed by Bermúdez-Tamayo et al. and HONCode® criteria. The mean quality of the selected web sites was low and has deteriorated since the previous evaluation, especially in regional health services and institutions' web sites. The quality of private web sites remained broadly similar. Compliance with privacy and update criteria also improved in the intervening period. The results indicate that, even in the case of health web sites, design or appearance is more relevant to developers than quality of information. It is recommended that responsible institutions should increase their efforts to eliminate low-quality health information that may further contribute to health problems.

  7. Canadian ENGOs in governance of water resources: information needs and monitoring practices.

    PubMed

    Kebo, Sasha; Bunch, Martin J

    2013-11-01

    Water quality monitoring involves a complex set of steps and a variety of approaches. Its goals include understanding of aquatic habitats, informing management and facilitating decision making, and educating citizens. Environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) are increasingly engaged in water quality monitoring and act as environmental watchdogs and stewards of water resources. These organizations exhibit different monitoring mandates. As government involvement in water quality monitoring continues to decline, it becomes essential that we understand their modi operandi. By doing so, we can enhance efficacy and encourage data sharing and communication. This research examined Canadian ENGOs that collect their own data on water quality with respect to water quality monitoring activities and information needs. This work had a twofold purpose: (1) to enhance knowledge about the Canadian ENGOs operating in the realm of water quality monitoring and (2) to guide and inform development of web-based geographic information systems (GIS) to support water quality monitoring, particularly using benthic macroinvertebrate protocols. A structured telephone survey was administered across 10 Canadian provinces to 21 ENGOs that undertake water quality monitoring. This generated information about barriers and challenges of data sharing, commonly collected metrics, human resources, and perceptions of volunteer-collected data. Results are presented on an aggregate level and among different groups of respondents. Use of geomatics technology was not consistent among respondents, and we found no noteworthy differences between organizations that did and did not use GIS tools. About one third of respondents did not employ computerized systems (including databases and spreadsheets) to support data management, analysis, and sharing. Despite their advantage as a holistic water quality indicator, benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) were not widely employed in stream monitoring. Although BMIs are particularly suitable for the purpose of citizen education, few organizations collected this metric, despite having public education and awareness as part of their mandate.

  8. Digital contract approach for consistent and predictable multimedia information delivery in electronic commerce

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konana, Prabhudev; Gupta, Alok; Whinston, Andrew B.

    1997-01-01

    A pure 'technological' solution to network quality problems is incomplete since any benefits from new technologies are offset by the demand from exponentially growing electronic commerce ad data-intensive applications. SInce an economic paradigm is implicit in electronic commerce, we propose a 'market-system' approach to improve quality of service. Quality of service for digital products takes on a different meaning since users view quality of service differently and value information differently. We propose a framework for electronic commerce that is based on an economic paradigm and mass-customization, and works as a wide-area distributed management system. In our framework, surrogate-servers act as intermediaries between information provides and end- users, and arrange for consistent and predictable information delivery through 'digital contracts.' These contracts are negotiated and priced based on economic principles. Surrogate servers pre-fetched, through replication, information from many different servers and consolidate based on demand expectations. In order to recognize users' requirements and process requests accordingly, real-time databases are central to our framework. We also propose that multimedia information be separated into slowly changing and rapidly changing data streams to improve response time requirements. Surrogate- servers perform the tasks of integration of these data streams that is transparent to end-users.

  9. A quality-based payment strategy for nursing home care in Minnesota.

    PubMed

    Kane, Robert L; Arling, Greg; Mueller, Christine; Held, Robert; Cooke, Valerie

    2007-02-01

    This article describes a pay-for-performance system developed for Minnesota nursing homes. In effect, nursing homes can retain a greater proportion of the difference between their costs and the average costs on the basis of their quality scores. The quality score is a derived and weighted composite measure currently composed of five elements: staff retention (25 points), staff turnover (15 points), use of pool staff (10 points), nursing home quality indicators (40 points), and survey deficiencies (10 points). Information on residents' quality of life and satisfaction, derived from interviews with a random sample of residents in each Minnesota nursing home, is now available for inclusion in the quality measure. The new payment system was designed to create a business case for quality when used in addition to a nursing home report card that uses the same quality elements to inform potential consumers about the quality of nursing homes. Although the nursing home industry has announced general support for the new approach, it has lobbied the legislature to delay its implementation, claiming concerns about operational details.

  10. Information Integration for Concurrent Engineering (IICE) IDEF3 Process Description Capture Method Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1995-09-01

    vital processes of a business. process, IDEF, method, methodology, modeling, knowledge acquisition, requirements definition, information systems... knowledge resources. Like manpower, materials, and machines, information and knowledge assets are recognized as vital resources that can be leveraged to...integrated enterprise. These technologies are designed to leverage information and knowledge resources as the key enablers for high quality systems

  11. Glossary | STORET Legacy Data Center | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2014-06-06

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.

  12. Assessment of runoff water quality for an integrated best-management practice system in an agricultural watershed

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To better understand, implement and integrate best management practices (BMPs) in agricultural watersheds, critical information on their effectiveness is required. A representative agricultural watershed, Beasley Lake, was used to compare runoff water quality draining through an integrated system of...

  13. Organizations - I | STORET Legacy Data Center | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2007-05-16

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.

  14. 78 FR 22022 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Renewed Approval of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-12

    ... Aviation Administration to measure management objectives and analyze customer feedback for ISO-9001. DATES... Aviation System Standards Distribution Dissemination Quality Plan states that the organization shall... Quality Management System in relation to customer satisfaction. The Glenn Dale Distribution Center...

  15. Glossary | STORET Legacy Data Center | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2011-02-14

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.

  16. Contacts | STORET Legacy Data Center | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2007-05-16

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.

  17. The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-02

    Technology November 2, 2011 The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS) Frank Castaneda, III, P.E. APIMS Program Manager AFCEE/TDNQ APIMS...NOV 2011 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2011 to 00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Air Program Information Management System (APIMS... Information   Management   System : Sustainability of  Enterprise air quality management system • Aspects and Impacts to Process • Auditing and Measurement

  18. Monitoring and modeling of microbial and biological water quality

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Microbial and biological water quality informs on the health of water systems and their suitability for uses in irrigation, recreation, aquaculture, and other activities. Indicators of microbial and biological water quality demonstrate high spatial and temporal variability. Therefore, monitoring str...

  19. MTF evaluation of in-line phase contrast imaging system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Xiaoran; Gao, Feng; Zhao, Huijuan; Zhang, Limin; Li, Jiao; Zhou, Zhongxing

    2017-02-01

    X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) is a novel method that exploits the phase shift for the incident X-ray to form an image. Various XPCI methods have been proposed, among which, in-line phase contrast imaging (IL-PCI) is regarded as one of the most promising clinical methods. The contrast of the interface is enhanced due to the introduction of the boundary fringes in XPCI, thus it is generally used to evaluate the image quality of XPCI. But the contrast is a comprehensive index and it does not reflect the information of image quality in the frequency range. The modulation transfer function (MTF), which is the Fourier transform of the system point spread function, is recognized as the metric to characterize the spatial response of conventional X-ray imaging system. In this work, MTF is introduced into the image quality evaluation of the IL-PCI system. Numerous simulations based on Fresnel - Kirchhoff diffraction theory are performed with varying system settings and the corresponding MTFs were calculated for comparison. The results show that MTF can provide more comprehensive information of image quality comparing to contrast in IL-PCI.

  20. Real-time dissemination of air quality information using data streams and Web technologies: linking air quality to health risks in urban areas.

    PubMed

    Davila, Silvije; Ilić, Jadranka Pečar; Bešlić, Ivan

    2015-06-01

    This article presents a new, original application of modern information and communication technology to provide effective real-time dissemination of air quality information and related health risks to the general public. Our on-line subsystem for urban real-time air quality monitoring is a crucial component of a more comprehensive integrated information system, which has been developed by the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health. It relies on a StreamInsight data stream management system and service-oriented architecture to process data streamed from seven monitoring stations across Zagreb. Parameters that are monitored include gases (NO, NO2, CO, O3, H2S, SO2, benzene, NH3), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and meteorological data (wind speed and direction, temperature and pressure). Streamed data are processed in real-time using complex continuous queries. They first go through automated validation, then hourly air quality index is calculated for every station, and a report sent to the Croatian Environment Agency. If the parameter values exceed the corresponding regulation limits for three consecutive hours, the web service generates an alert for population groups at risk. Coupled with the Common Air Quality Index model, our web application brings air pollution information closer to the general population and raises awareness about environmental and health issues. Soon we intend to expand the service to a mobile application that is being developed.

  1. 21 CFR 26.19 - Information relating to quality aspects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF PHARMACEUTICAL GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE REPORTS, MEDICAL DEVICE QUALITY SYSTEM AUDIT REPORTS, AND CERTAIN MEDICAL DEVICE PRODUCT EVALUATION REPORTS: UNITED STATES AND THE EUROPEAN...

  2. Water quality modeling using geographic information system (GIS) data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Engel, Bernard A

    1992-01-01

    Protection of the environment and natural resources at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is of great concern. The potential for surface and ground water quality problems resulting from non-point sources of pollution was examined using models. Since spatial variation of parameters required was important, geographic information systems (GIS) and their data were used. The potential for groundwater contamination was examined using the SEEPAGE (System for Early Evaluation of the Pollution Potential of Agricultural Groundwater Environments) model. A watershed near the VAB was selected to examine potential for surface water pollution and erosion using the AGNPS (Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution) model.

  3. Content-based management service for medical videos.

    PubMed

    Mendi, Engin; Bayrak, Coskun; Cecen, Songul; Ermisoglu, Emre

    2013-01-01

    Development of health information technology has had a dramatic impact to improve the efficiency and quality of medical care. Developing interoperable health information systems for healthcare providers has the potential to improve the quality and equitability of patient-centered healthcare. In this article, we describe an automated content-based medical video analysis and management service that provides convenience and ease in accessing the relevant medical video content without sequential scanning. The system facilitates effective temporal video segmentation and content-based visual information retrieval that enable a more reliable understanding of medical video content. The system is implemented as a Web- and mobile-based service and has the potential to offer a knowledge-sharing platform for the purpose of efficient medical video content access.

  4. Web Information Systems for Monitoring and Control of Indoor Air Quality at Subway Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Gi Heung; Choi, Gi Sang; Jang, Joo Hyoung

    In crowded subway stations indoor air quality (IAQ) is a key factor for ensuring the safety, health and comfort of passengers. In this study, a framework for web-based information system in VDN environment for monitoring and control of IAQ in subway stations is suggested. Since physical variables that describing IAQ need to be closely monitored and controlled in multiple locations in subway stations, concept of distributed monitoring and control network using wireless media needs to be implemented. Connecting remote wireless sensor network and device (LonWorks) networks to the IP network based on the concept of VDN can provide a powerful, integrated, distributed monitoring and control performance, making a web-based information system possible.

  5. EOS Reference Handbook 1999: A Guide to NASA's Earth Science Enterprise and the Earth Observing System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    King, M. D. (Editor); Greenstone, R. (Editor)

    2000-01-01

    The content of this handbook includes Earth Science Enterprise; The Earth Observing System; EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS); Data and Information Policy; Pathfinder Data Sets; Earth Science Information Partners and the Working Prototype-Federation; EOS Data Quality: Calibration and Validation; Education Programs; International Cooperation; Interagency Coordination; Mission Elements; EOS Instruments; EOS Interdisciplinary Science Investigations; and Points-of-Contact.

  6. The Effectiveness of Health Care Information Technologies: Evaluation of Trust, Security Beliefs, and Privacy as Determinants of Health Care Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background The diffusion of health information technologies (HITs) within the health care sector continues to grow. However, there is no theory explaining how success of HITs influences patient care outcomes. With the increase in data breaches, HITs’ success now hinges on the effectiveness of data protection solutions. Still, empirical research has only addressed privacy concerns, with little regard for other factors of information assurance. Objective The objective of this study was to study the effectiveness of HITs using the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model (DMISSM). We examined the role of information assurance constructs (ie, the role of information security beliefs, privacy concerns, and trust in health information) as measures of HIT effectiveness. We also investigated the relationships between information assurance and three aspects of system success: attitude toward health information exchange (HIE), patient access to health records, and perceived patient care quality. Methods Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed the data from a sample of 3677 cancer patients from a public dataset. We used R software (R Project for Statistical Computing) and the Lavaan package to test the hypothesized relationships. Results Our extension of the DMISSM to health care was supported. We found that increased privacy concerns reduce the frequency of patient access to health records use, positive attitudes toward HIE, and perceptions of patient care quality. Also, belief in the effectiveness of information security increases the frequency of patient access to health records and positive attitude toward HIE. Trust in health information had a positive association with attitudes toward HIE and perceived patient care quality. Trust in health information had no direct effect on patient access to health records; however, it had an indirect relationship through privacy concerns. Conclusions Trust in health information and belief in the effectiveness of information security safeguards increases perceptions of patient care quality. Privacy concerns reduce patients’ frequency of accessing health records, patients’ positive attitudes toward HIE exchange, and overall perceived patient care quality. Health care organizations are encouraged to implement security safeguards to increase trust, the frequency of health record use, and reduce privacy concerns, consequently increasing patient care quality. PMID:29643052

  7. Presentation on POU Systems for Compliance

    EPA Science Inventory

    Presentation being given at the Water Quality Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV, April 21-22, 2015. Information being presented on the use of POU/POE systems for the compliance to EPA drinking water regulations. Information will included arsenic compliance data by St...

  8. Air quality early-warning system for cities in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yunzhen; Yang, Wendong; Wang, Jianzhou

    2017-01-01

    Air pollution has become a serious issue in many developing countries, especially in China, and could generate adverse effects on human beings. Air quality early-warning systems play an increasingly significant role in regulatory plans that reduce and control emissions of air pollutants and inform the public in advance when harmful air pollution is foreseen. However, building a robust early-warning system that will improve the ability of early-warning is not only a challenge but also a critical issue for the entire society. Relevant research is still poor in China and cannot always satisfy the growing requirements of regulatory planning, despite the issue's significance. Therefore, in this paper, a hybrid air quality early-warning system was successfully developed, composed of forecasting and evaluation. First, a hybrid forecasting model was proposed as an important part of this system based on the theory of "decomposition and ensemble" and combined with the advanced data processing technique, support vector machine, the latest bio-inspired optimization algorithm and the leave-one-out strategy for deciding weights. Afterwards, to intensify the research, fuzzy evaluation was performed, which also plays an indispensable role in the early-warning system. The forecasting model and fuzzy evaluation approaches are complementary. Case studies using daily air pollution concentrations of six air pollutants from three cities in China (i.e., Taiyuan, Harbin and Chongqing) are used as examples to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the developed air quality early-warning system. Experimental results demonstrate that both the accuracy and the effectiveness of the developed system are greatly superior for air quality early warning. Furthermore, the application of forecasting and evaluation enables the informative and effective quantification of future air quality, offering a significant advantage, and can be employed to develop rapid air quality early-warning systems.

  9. Measuring quality progress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambert, Larry D.

    The study by the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) was commissioned by Loral Space Information Systems, Inc. and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to evaluate internal assessment systems. APQC benchmarked approaches to the internal assessment of quality management systems in three phases. The first phase included work conducted for the International Benchmarking Clearinghouse (IBC) and consisted of an in-depth analysis of the 1991 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. The second phase was also performed for the IBC and compared the 1991 award criteria among the following quality awards: Deming Prize, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, The President's Award for Quality and Productivity Improvement, The NASA Excellence Award (The George M. Lowe Trophy) for Quality and Productivity Improvement and the Shigeo Shingo Award for Excellence in Manufacturing. The third phase compared the internal implementation approaches of 23 companies selected from American industry for their recognized, formal assessment systems.

  10. Measuring quality progress

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lambert, Larry D.

    1992-01-01

    The study by the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) was commissioned by Loral Space Information Systems, Inc. and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to evaluate internal assessment systems. APQC benchmarked approaches to the internal assessment of quality management systems in three phases. The first phase included work conducted for the International Benchmarking Clearinghouse (IBC) and consisted of an in-depth analysis of the 1991 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. The second phase was also performed for the IBC and compared the 1991 award criteria among the following quality awards: Deming Prize, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, The President's Award for Quality and Productivity Improvement, The NASA Excellence Award (The George M. Lowe Trophy) for Quality and Productivity Improvement and the Shigeo Shingo Award for Excellence in Manufacturing. The third phase compared the internal implementation approaches of 23 companies selected from American industry for their recognized, formal assessment systems.

  11. Short and long term improvements in quality of chronic care delivery predict program sustainability.

    PubMed

    Cramm, Jane Murray; Nieboer, Anna Petra

    2014-01-01

    Empirical evidence on sustainability of programs that improve the quality of care delivery over time is lacking. Therefore, this study aims to identify the predictive role of short and long term improvements in quality of chronic care delivery on program sustainability. In this longitudinal study, professionals [2010 (T0): n=218, 55% response rate; 2011 (T1): n=300, 68% response rate; 2012 (T2): n=265, 63% response rate] from 22 Dutch disease-management programs completed surveys assessing quality of care and program sustainability. Our study findings indicated that quality of chronic care delivery improved significantly in the first 2 years after implementation of the disease-management programs. At T1, overall quality, self-management support, delivery system design, and integration of chronic care components, as well as health care delivery and clinical information systems and decision support, had improved. At T2, overall quality again improved significantly, as did community linkages, delivery system design, clinical information systems, decision support and integration of chronic care components, and self-management support. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that quality of chronic care delivery at T0 (p<0.001) and quality changes in the first (p<0.001) and second (p<0.01) years predicted program sustainability. In conclusion this study showed that disease-management programs based on the chronic care model improved the quality of chronic care delivery over time and that short and long term changes in the quality of chronic care delivery predicted the sustainability of the projects. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  12. Development of an integrated data base for land use and water quality planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, J.; Vanschayk, C.; Istvan, L. B.

    1977-01-01

    To help understand the role played by different land resources in water quality management a computer based data system was created. The Land Resource Information System (LRIS) allows data to be readily retrieved or statistically analyzed for a variety of purposes. It is specifically formatted to perform coordination of water quality data with logy, etc. New understanding of the region gained through the use of LRIS has gone well beyond the initial purpose of assessing water quality conditions. The land use and natural features information has provided a well defined starting point for a systematic evaluation of proposed land uses, transportation, housing, and other public investments. It has laid the foundation for a comprehensive and integrated approach to many different planning and investment programs presently underway.

  13. Enhancing the routine health information system in rural southern Tanzania: successes, challenges and lessons learned.

    PubMed

    Maokola, W; Willey, B A; Shirima, K; Chemba, M; Armstrong Schellenberg, J R M; Mshinda, H; Alonso, P; Tanner, M; Schellenberg, D

    2011-06-01

    To describe and evaluate the use of handheld computers for the management of Health Management Information System data. Electronic data capture took place in 11 sentinel health centres in rural southern Tanzania. Information from children attending the outpatient department (OPD) and the Expanded Program on Immunization vaccination clinic was captured by trained local school-leavers, supported by monthly supervision visits. Clinical data included malaria blood slides and haemoglobin colour scale results. Quality of captured data was assessed using double data entry. Malaria blood slide results from health centre laboratories were compared to those from the study's quality control laboratory. The system took 5 months to implement, and few staffings or logistical problems were encountered. Over the following 12 months (April 2006-March 2007), 7056 attendances were recorded in 9880 infants aged 2-11 months, 50% with clinical malaria. Monthly supervision visits highlighted incomplete recording of information between OPD and laboratory records, where on average 40% of laboratory visits were missing the record of their corresponding OPD visit. Quality of microscopy from health facility laboratories was lower overall than that from the quality assurance laboratory. Electronic capture of HMIS data was rapidly and successfully implemented in this resource-poor setting. Electronic capture alone did not resolve issues of data completeness, accuracy and reliability, which are essential for management, monitoring and evaluation; suggestions to monitor and improve data quality are made. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Geographic Information Systems Methods for Determining Drainage-Basin Areas, Stream-Buffered Areas, Stream Length, and Land Uses for the Neosho and Spring Rivers in Northeastern Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Masoner, Jason R.; March, Ferrella

    2006-01-01

    Geographic Information Systems have many uses, one of which includes the reproducible computation of environmental characteristics that can be used to categorize hydrologic features. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality are investigating Geographic Information Systems techniques to determine partial drainage-basin areas, stream-buffer areas, stream length, and land uses (drainage basin and stream characteristics) in northeastern Oklahoma. The U.S Geological Survey, in cooperation with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, documented the methods used to determine drainage-basin and stream characteristics for the Neosho and Spring Rivers above Grand Lake Of the Cherokees in northeastern Oklahoma and calculated the characteristics. The drainage basin and stream characteristics can be used by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to aid in natural-resource assessments.

  15. Predicting Observer Training Satisfaction and Certification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Courtney A.; Jones, Nathan D.; Lewis, Jennifer M.; Liu, Shuangshuang

    2013-01-01

    The last decade produced numerous studies that show that students learn more from high-quality teachers than they do from lower quality teachers. If instruction is to improve through the use of more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, the implementation of these systems must provide consistent and interpretable information about which aspects of…

  16. 76 FR 31339 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-31

    ... extension of the currently approved tool for the collection of ambulatory care clinical performance measure...: Medicare Demonstration Ambulatory Care Quality Measure Performance Assessment Tool (``PAT''); Use: This... based system. This system will also provide a platform for developing tools to collect clinical quality...

  17. Legacy STORET Level 5 | STORET Legacy Data Center | US ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2007-05-16

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.

  18. Support for Quality Assurance in End-User Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klepper, Robert; McKenna, Edward G.

    1989-01-01

    Suggests an approach that organizations can take to provide centralized support services for quality assurance in end-user information systems, based on the experiences of a support group at Citicorp Mortgage, Inc. The functions of the support group include user education, software selection, and assistance in testing, implementation, and support…

  19. Parametric Analysis of Surveillance Quality and Level and Quality of Intent Information and Their Impact on Conflict Detection Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guerreiro, Nelson M.; Butler, Ricky W.; Hagen, George E.; Maddalon, Jeffrey M.; Lewis, Timothy A.

    2016-01-01

    A loss-of-separation (LOS) is said to occur when two aircraft are spatially too close to one another. A LOS is the fundamental unsafe event to be avoided in air traffic management and conflict detection (CD) is the function that attempts to predict these LOS events. In general, the effectiveness of conflict detection relates to the overall safety and performance of an air traffic management concept. An abstract, parametric analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of surveillance quality, level of intent information, and quality of intent information on conflict detection performance. The data collected in this analysis can be used to estimate the conflict detection performance under alternative future scenarios or alternative allocations of the conflict detection function, based on the quality of the surveillance and intent information under those conditions.Alternatively, this data could also be used to estimate the surveillance and intent information quality required to achieve some desired CD performance as part of the design of a new separation assurance system.

  20. Surfing for health: user evaluation of a health information website. Part one: Background and literature review.

    PubMed

    Williams, Peter; Nicholas, David; Huntington, Paul; McLean, Fiona

    2002-06-01

    The Government in Britain is set on using the Internet to expand the provision of health information to the general public. Concerns over the quality of the health information have preoccupied commentators and organizations rather than the way users interact with health information systems. This report examines the issues surrounding the provision of electronic health information, and describes an evaluation undertaken of a commercial health website-that of Surgerydoor (http://www.surgerydoor.co.uk/), and comprises two parts. Part one outlines the literature on electronic health information evaluation. It discusses quality issues, but also redresses the imbalance by exploring other evaluative perspectives. Part two describes an evaluation of a health information Internet site in terms of its usability and appeal, undertaken as part of a Department of Health funded study on the impact of such systems.

  1. A Data Quality Filter for PMU Measurements: Description, Experience, and Examples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Follum, James D.; Amidan, Brett G.

    Networks of phasor measurement units (PMUs) continue to grow, and along with them, the amount of data available for analysis. With so much data, it is impractical to identify and remove poor quality data manually. The data quality filter described in this paper was developed for use with the Data Integrity and Situation Awareness Tool (DISAT), which analyzes PMU data to identify anomalous system behavior. The filter operates based only on the information included in the data files, without supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, state estimator values, or system topology information. Measurements are compared to preselected thresholds tomore » determine if they are reliable. Along with the filter's description, examples of data quality issues from application of the filter to nine months of archived PMU data are provided. The paper is intended to aid the reader in recognizing and properly addressing data quality issues in PMU data.« less

  2. Examining the Relationship Between Nursing Informatics Competency and the Quality of Information Processing.

    PubMed

    Al-Hawamdih, Sajidah; Ahmad, Muayyad M

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine nursing informatics competency and the quality of information processing among nurses in Jordan. The study was conducted in a large hospital with 380 registered nurses. The hospital introduced the electronic health record in 2010. The measures used in this study were personal and job characteristics, self-efficacy, Self-Assessment Nursing Informatics Competencies, and Health Information System Monitoring Questionnaire. The convenience sample consisted of 99 nurses who used the electronic health record for at least 3 months. The analysis showed that nine predictors explained 22% of the variance in the quality of information processing, whereas the statistically significant predictors were nursing informatics competency, clinical specialty, and years of nursing experience. There is a need for policies that advocate for every nurse to be educated in nursing informatics and the quality of information processing.

  3. LANDSAT-4 MSS and Thematic Mapper data quality and information content analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anuta, P.; Bartolucci, L.; Dean, E.; Lozano, F.; Malaret, E.; Mcgillem, C. D.; Valdes, J.; Valenzuela, C.

    1984-01-01

    LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper (TM) and multispectral scanner (MSS) data were analyzed to obtain information on data quality and information content. Geometric evaluations were performed to test band-to-band registration accuracy. Thematic mapper overall system resolution was evaluated using scene objects which demonstrated sharp high contrast edge responses. Radiometric evaluation included detector relative calibration, effects of resampling, and coherent noise effects. Information content evaluation was carried out using clustering, principal components, transformed divergence separability measure, and supervised classifiers on test data. A detailed spectral class analysis (multispectral classification) was carried out to compare the information content of the MSS and TM for a large number of scene classes. A temperature-mapping experiment was carried out for a cooling pond to test the quality of thermal-band calibration. Overall TM data quality is very good. The MSS data are noisier than previous LANDSAT results.

  4. Information Framework of Pervasive Real Time Monitoring System: Case of Peat Land Forest Fires and Air Quality in South Sumatera, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurmaini, Siti; Firsandaya Malik, Reza; Stiawan, Deris; Firdaus; Saparudin; Tutuko, Bambang

    2017-04-01

    The information framework aims to holistically address the problems and issues posed by unwanted peat and land fires within the context of the natural environment and socio-economic systems. Informed decisions on planning and allocation of resources can only be made by understanding the landscape. Therefore, information on fire history and air quality impacts must be collected for future analysis. This paper proposes strategic framework based on technology approach with data fusion strategy to produce the data analysis about peat land fires and air quality management in in South Sumatera. The research framework should use the knowledge, experience and data from the previous fire seasons to review, improve and refine the strategies and monitor their effectiveness for the next fire season. Communicating effectively with communities and the public and private sectors in remote and rural landscapes is important, by using smartphones and mobile applications. Tools such as one-stop information based on web applications, to obtain information such as early warning to send and receive fire alerts, could be developed and promoted so that all stakeholders can share important information with each other.

  5. A Global Assessment on Climate Research Engaging Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Recommendations for Quality Standards of Research Practice in Indigenous Communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davíd-Chavez, D. M.; Gavin, M. C.

    2017-12-01

    Indigenous communities worldwide have maintained their own knowledge systems for millennia informed through careful observation of dynamics of environmental changes. Withstanding centuries of challenges to their rights to maintain and practice these knowledge systems, Indigenous peoples continually speak to a need for quality standards for research in their communities. Although, international and Indigenous peoples' working groups emphasize Indigenous knowledge systems and the communities who hold them as critical resources for understanding and adapting to climate change, there has yet to be a comprehensive, evidence based analysis into how diverse knowledge systems are integrated in scientific studies. Do current research practices challenge or support Indigenous communities in their efforts to maintain and appropriately apply their knowledge systems? This study addresses this question using a systematic literature review and meta-analysis assessing levels of Indigenous community participation and decision-making in all stages of the research process (initiation, design, implementation, analysis, dissemination). Assessment is based on reported quality indicators such as: outputs that serve the community, ethical guidelines in practice (free, prior, and informed consent and intellectual property rights), and community access to findings. These indicators serve to identify patterns between levels of community participation and quality standards in practice. Meta-analysis indicates most climate studies practice an extractive model in which Indigenous knowledge systems are co-opted with minimal participation or decision-making authority from communities who hold them. Few studies report outputs that directly serve Indigenous communities, ethical guidelines in practice, or community access to findings. Studies reporting the most quality indicators were initiated in mutual agreement between Indigenous communities and outside researchers or by communities themselves. This study also draws from the researcher's experiences as an Indigenous scientist and includes recommendations for quality research practice. This global assessment provides an evidence base to inform our understanding of broader impacts related to research design.

  6. Quest for excellence 5

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    The highlights of the 1992 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners - AT and T Network Systems Group, Transmission Systems Business Unit; Texas Instrument Defense Systems and Electronics Group; AT and T Universal Card Services; The Ritz Hotel CO; and The Granite Rock Company are presented, along with brief information about the company and their beliefs and business and production strategies for quality manufacturing and products.

  7. Capturing sexual assault data: An information system designed by forensic clinicians and healthcare researchers.

    PubMed

    Mukhtar, S Aqif; Smith, Debbie A; Phillips, Maureen A; Kelly, Maire C; Zilkens, Renate R; Semmens, James B

    2018-01-01

    The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) in Perth, Western Australia provides free 24-hour medical, forensic, and counseling services to persons aged over 13 years following sexual assault. The aim of this research was to design a data management system that maintains accurate quality information on all sexual assault cases referred to SARC, facilitating audit and peer-reviewed research. The work to develop SARC Medical Services Clinical Information System (SARC-MSCIS) took place during 2007-2009 as a collaboration between SARC and Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia. Patient demographics, assault details, including injury documentation, and counseling sessions were identified as core data sections. A user authentication system was set up for data security. Data quality checks were incorporated to ensure high-quality data. An SARC-MSCIS was developed containing three core data sections having 427 data elements to capture patient's data. Development of the SARC-MSCIS has resulted in comprehensive capacity to support sexual assault research. Four additional projects are underway to explore both the public health and criminal justice considerations in responding to sexual violence. The data showed that 1,933 sexual assault episodes had occurred among 1881 patients between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2015. Sexual assault patients knew the assailant as a friend, carer, acquaintance, relative, partner, or ex-partner in 70% of cases, with 16% assailants being a stranger to the patient. This project has resulted in the development of a high-quality data management system to maintain information for medical and forensic services offered by SARC. This system has also proven to be a reliable resource enabling research in the area of sexual violence.

  8. Web-based provision of information on infectious diseases: a systems study.

    PubMed

    Roy, Anjana; Kostkova, Patty; Catchpole, Michael; Carson, Ewart

    2006-12-01

    The National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) is an Internet medical information resources portal, principally for healthcare professionals, within which the National electronic Library of Infection (NeLI) is one of NeLH Specialist Libraries providing evidence on infectious diseases. In this article, we describe a systems-based evaluation of NeLI based on a soft systems methodology. User feedback and other data for the analysis were obtained using online questionnaires. This evaluation, which is a pilot study aimed at demonstrating proof of concept, provided evidence for improving three systems that are crucial to effective NeLI provision. These are navigation of the site, quality and tagging of information provided by NeLI, and information regarding users and their usage of the system. On the basis of a soft systems analysis, an action plan was formulated identifying areas where improvement is needed. Actions for consideration included simplifying terminologies to improve the navigation, enhancing the provision of research assessments, quality tagging NeLI documents, provided by experts in the field, and attracting a broader cross-section of healthcare professional user.

  9. Design of agricultural product quality safety retrospective supervision system of Jiangsu province

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Kun

    2017-08-01

    In store and supermarkets to consumers can trace back agricultural products through the electronic province card to query their origin, planting, processing, packaging, testing and other important information and found that the problems. Quality and safety issues can identify the responsibility of the problem. This paper designs a retroactive supervision system for the quality and safety of agricultural products in Jiangsu Province. Based on the analysis of agricultural production and business process, the goal of Jiangsu agricultural product quality safety traceability system construction is established, and the specific functional requirements and non-functioning requirements of the retroactive system are analyzed, and the target is specified for the specific construction of the retroactive system. The design of the quality and safety traceability system in Jiangsu province contains the design of the overall design, the trace code design and the system function module.

  10. Qualia: The Geometry of Integrated Information

    PubMed Central

    Balduzzi, David; Tononi, Giulio

    2009-01-01

    According to the integrated information theory, the quantity of consciousness is the amount of integrated information generated by a complex of elements, and the quality of experience is specified by the informational relationships it generates. This paper outlines a framework for characterizing the informational relationships generated by such systems. Qualia space (Q) is a space having an axis for each possible state (activity pattern) of a complex. Within Q, each submechanism specifies a point corresponding to a repertoire of system states. Arrows between repertoires in Q define informational relationships. Together, these arrows specify a quale—a shape that completely and univocally characterizes the quality of a conscious experience. Φ— the height of this shape—is the quantity of consciousness associated with the experience. Entanglement measures how irreducible informational relationships are to their component relationships, specifying concepts and modes. Several corollaries follow from these premises. The quale is determined by both the mechanism and state of the system. Thus, two different systems having identical activity patterns may generate different qualia. Conversely, the same quale may be generated by two systems that differ in both activity and connectivity. Both active and inactive elements specify a quale, but elements that are inactivated do not. Also, the activation of an element affects experience by changing the shape of the quale. The subdivision of experience into modalities and submodalities corresponds to subshapes in Q. In principle, different aspects of experience may be classified as different shapes in Q, and the similarity between experiences reduces to similarities between shapes. Finally, specific qualities, such as the “redness” of red, while generated by a local mechanism, cannot be reduced to it, but require considering the entire quale. Ultimately, the present framework may offer a principled way for translating qualitative properties of experience into mathematics. PMID:19680424

  11. Enhanced Gender Recognition System Using an Improved Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) Feature from Quality Assessment of Visible Light and Thermal Images of the Human Body.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Dat Tien; Park, Kang Ryoung

    2016-07-21

    With higher demand from users, surveillance systems are currently being designed to provide more information about the observed scene, such as the appearance of objects, types of objects, and other information extracted from detected objects. Although the recognition of gender of an observed human can be easily performed using human perception, it remains a difficult task when using computer vision system images. In this paper, we propose a new human gender recognition method that can be applied to surveillance systems based on quality assessment of human areas in visible light and thermal camera images. Our research is novel in the following two ways: First, we utilize the combination of visible light and thermal images of the human body for a recognition task based on quality assessment. We propose a quality measurement method to assess the quality of image regions so as to remove the effects of background regions in the recognition system. Second, by combining the features extracted using the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) method and the measured qualities of image regions, we form a new image features, called the weighted HOG (wHOG), which is used for efficient gender recognition. Experimental results show that our method produces more accurate estimation results than the state-of-the-art recognition method that uses human body images.

  12. Enhanced Gender Recognition System Using an Improved Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) Feature from Quality Assessment of Visible Light and Thermal Images of the Human Body

    PubMed Central

    Nguyen, Dat Tien; Park, Kang Ryoung

    2016-01-01

    With higher demand from users, surveillance systems are currently being designed to provide more information about the observed scene, such as the appearance of objects, types of objects, and other information extracted from detected objects. Although the recognition of gender of an observed human can be easily performed using human perception, it remains a difficult task when using computer vision system images. In this paper, we propose a new human gender recognition method that can be applied to surveillance systems based on quality assessment of human areas in visible light and thermal camera images. Our research is novel in the following two ways: First, we utilize the combination of visible light and thermal images of the human body for a recognition task based on quality assessment. We propose a quality measurement method to assess the quality of image regions so as to remove the effects of background regions in the recognition system. Second, by combining the features extracted using the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) method and the measured qualities of image regions, we form a new image features, called the weighted HOG (wHOG), which is used for efficient gender recognition. Experimental results show that our method produces more accurate estimation results than the state-of-the-art recognition method that uses human body images. PMID:27455264

  13. Novel Approaches to Improve Iris Recognition System Performance Based on Local Quality Evaluation and Feature Fusion

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    For building a new iris template, this paper proposes a strategy to fuse different portions of iris based on machine learning method to evaluate local quality of iris. There are three novelties compared to previous work. Firstly, the normalized segmented iris is divided into multitracks and then each track is estimated individually to analyze the recognition accuracy rate (RAR). Secondly, six local quality evaluation parameters are adopted to analyze texture information of each track. Besides, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is employed to get the weights of these evaluation parameters and corresponding weighted coefficients of different tracks. Finally, all tracks' information is fused according to the weights of different tracks. The experimental results based on subsets of three public and one private iris image databases demonstrate three contributions of this paper. (1) Our experimental results prove that partial iris image cannot completely replace the entire iris image for iris recognition system in several ways. (2) The proposed quality evaluation algorithm is a self-adaptive algorithm, and it can automatically optimize the parameters according to iris image samples' own characteristics. (3) Our feature information fusion strategy can effectively improve the performance of iris recognition system. PMID:24693243

  14. Novel approaches to improve iris recognition system performance based on local quality evaluation and feature fusion.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ying; Liu, Yuanning; Zhu, Xiaodong; Chen, Huiling; He, Fei; Pang, Yutong

    2014-01-01

    For building a new iris template, this paper proposes a strategy to fuse different portions of iris based on machine learning method to evaluate local quality of iris. There are three novelties compared to previous work. Firstly, the normalized segmented iris is divided into multitracks and then each track is estimated individually to analyze the recognition accuracy rate (RAR). Secondly, six local quality evaluation parameters are adopted to analyze texture information of each track. Besides, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is employed to get the weights of these evaluation parameters and corresponding weighted coefficients of different tracks. Finally, all tracks' information is fused according to the weights of different tracks. The experimental results based on subsets of three public and one private iris image databases demonstrate three contributions of this paper. (1) Our experimental results prove that partial iris image cannot completely replace the entire iris image for iris recognition system in several ways. (2) The proposed quality evaluation algorithm is a self-adaptive algorithm, and it can automatically optimize the parameters according to iris image samples' own characteristics. (3) Our feature information fusion strategy can effectively improve the performance of iris recognition system.

  15. Computing and Interpreting Fisher Information as a Metric of Sustainability: Regime Changes in the United States Air Quality

    EPA Science Inventory

    As a key tool in information theory, Fisher Information has been used to explore the observable behavior of a variety of systems. In particular, recent work has demonstrated its ability to assess the dynamic order of real and model systems. However, in order to solidify the use o...

  16. Distributed Information System Development: Review of Some Management Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, Deepti; Mishra, Alok

    Due to the proliferation of the Internet and globalization, distributed information system development is becoming popular. In this paper we have reviewed some significant management issues like process management, project management, requirements management and knowledge management issues which have received much attention in distributed development perspective. In this literature review we found that areas like quality and risk management issues could get only scant attention in distributed information system development.

  17. Development of Quality Management Systems for Clinical Practice Guidelines in Korea.

    PubMed

    Jo, Heui-Sug; Kim, Dong Ik; Chang, Sung-Goo; Shin, Ein-Soon; Oh, Moo-Kyung

    2015-11-01

    This study introduces the Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) appraisal system by the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences (KAMS). Quality management policies for CPGs vary among different countries, which have their own cultures and health care systems. However, supporting developers in guideline development and appraisals using standardized tools are common practices. KAMS, an organization representing the various medical societies of Korea, has been striving to establish a quality management system for CPGs, and has established a CPGs quality management system that reflects the characteristics of the Korean healthcare environment and the needs of its users. KAMS created a foundation for the development of CPGs, set up an independent appraisal organization, enacted regulations related to the appraisals, and trained appraisers. These efforts could enhance the ability of each individual medical society to develop CPGs, to increase the quality of the CPGs, and to ultimately improve the quality of the information available to decision-makers.

  18. [Establishment of traceability system of Chinese medicinal materials' quality].

    PubMed

    Qi, Yao-dong; Gao, Shi-man; Liu, Hai-tao; Li, Xi-wen; Wei, Jian-he; Zhang, Ben-gang; Sun, Xiao-bo; Xiao, Pei-gen

    2015-12-01

    The quality of Chinese medicinal materials relates greatly to the clinical curative effect and security. In order to ensure the quality and safety of Chinese medicinal materials, a systematic and operable traceability system needs to be established. It can realize the whole process of quality and safety management of Chinese medicinal materials "from production to consumption" through recording and inquiring information and recalling defective products, which is an important direction for the future development of traditional Chinese medicine. But it is still at the exploration and trial stage. In this paper, a framework of Chinese medicinal materials' quality and safety traceability system was established on the basis of the domestic and international experience about the construction of food and agricultural products traceability systems. The relationship between traceability system of Chinese medicinal materials' quality and GAP, GMP, GSP was analyzed, and the possible problems and the corresponding solutions were discussed.

  19. [Design and Implementation of a Mobile Operating Room Information Management System Based on Electronic Medical Record].

    PubMed

    Liu, Baozhen; Liu, Zhiguo; Wang, Xianwen

    2015-06-01

    A mobile operating room information management system with electronic medical record (EMR) is designed to improve work efficiency and to enhance the patient information sharing. In the operating room, this system acquires the information from various medical devices through the Client/Server (C/S) pattern, and automatically generates XML-based EMR. Outside the operating room, this system provides information access service by using the Browser/Server (B/S) pattern. Software test shows that this system can correctly collect medical information from equipment and clearly display the real-time waveform. By achieving surgery records with higher quality and sharing the information among mobile medical units, this system can effectively reduce doctors' workload and promote the information construction of the field hospital.

  20. Quality of human-computer interaction - results of a national usability survey of hospital-IT in Germany

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Due to the increasing functionality of medical information systems, it is hard to imagine day to day work in hospitals without IT support. Therefore, the design of dialogues between humans and information systems is one of the most important issues to be addressed in health care. This survey presents an analysis of the current quality level of human-computer interaction of healthcare-IT in German hospitals, focused on the users' point of view. Methods To evaluate the usability of clinical-IT according to the design principles of EN ISO 9241-10 the IsoMetrics Inventory, an assessment tool, was used. The focus of this paper has been put on suitability for task, training effort and conformity with user expectations, differentiated by information systems. Effectiveness has been evaluated with the focus on interoperability and functionality of different IT systems. Results 4521 persons from 371 hospitals visited the start page of the study, while 1003 persons from 158 hospitals completed the questionnaire. The results show relevant variations between different information systems. Conclusions Specialised information systems with defined functionality received better assessments than clinical information systems in general. This could be attributed to the improved customisation of these specialised systems for specific working environments. The results can be used as reference data for evaluation and benchmarking of human computer engineering in clinical health IT context for future studies. PMID:22070880

  1. Perceptions of the effect of information and communication technology on the quality of care delivered in emergency departments: a cross-site qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Callen, Joanne; Paoloni, Richard; Li, Julie; Stewart, Michael; Gibson, Kathryn; Georgiou, Andrew; Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Westbrook, Johanna

    2013-02-01

    We identify and describe emergency physicians' and nurses' perceptions of the effect of an integrated emergency department (ED) information system on the quality of care delivered in the ED. A qualitative study was conducted in 4 urban EDs, with each site using the same ED information system. Participants (n=97) were physicians and nurses with data collected by 69 detailed interviews, 5 focus groups (28 participants), and 26 hours of structured observations. Results revealed new perspectives on how an integrated ED information system was perceived to affect incentives for use, awareness of colleagues' activities, and workflow. A key incentive was related to the positive effect of the ED information system on clinical decisionmaking because of improved and quicker access to patient-specific and knowledge-base information compared with the previous stand-alone ED information system. Synchronous access to patient data was perceived to lead to enhanced awareness by individual physicians and nurses of what others were doing within and outside the ED, which participants claimed contributed to improved care coordination, communication, clinical documentation, and the consultation process. There was difficulty incorporating the use of the ED information system with clinicians' work, particularly in relation to increased task complexity; duplicate documentation, and computer issues related to system usability, hardware, and individuals' computer skills and knowledge. Physicians and nurses perceived that the integrated ED information system contributed to improvements in the delivery of patient care, enabling faster and better-informed decisionmaking and specialty consultations. The challenge of electronic clinical documentation and balancing data entry demands with system benefits necessitates that new methods of data capture, suited to busy clinical environments, be developed. Copyright © 2012. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  2. 40 CFR 51.366 - Data analysis and reporting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... monitoring and evaluation of the program by program management and EPA, and shall provide information... and effectiveness evaluations of the enforcement mechanism, the quality assurance system, the quality... vehicles receiving a mass emissions test. (b) Quality assurance report. The program shall submit to EPA by...

  3. The Quest for Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chappuis, Stephen; Chappuis, Jan; Stiggins, Rick

    2009-01-01

    Instructional decisions based on quality assessments and a balanced assessment system most effectively promote student learning. To inform sound decisions, assessments need to satisfy five key standards of quality: (1) clear purpose; (2) clear learning targets; (3) sound assessment design; (4) effective communication of results; and (5) student…

  4. Quality and Certification of Electronic Health Records

    PubMed Central

    Hoerbst, A.; Ammenwerth, E.

    2010-01-01

    Background Numerous projects, initiatives, and programs are dedicated to the development of Electronic Health Records (EHR) worldwide. Increasingly more of these plans have recently been brought from a scientific environment to real life applications. In this context, quality is a crucial factor with regard to the acceptance and utility of Electronic Health Records. However, the dissemination of the existing quality approaches is often rather limited. Objectives The present paper aims at the description and comparison of the current major quality certification approaches to EHRs. Methods A literature analysis was carried out in order to identify the relevant publications with regard to EHR quality certification. PubMed, ACM Digital Library, IEEExplore, CiteSeer, and Google (Scholar) were used to collect relevant sources. The documents that were obtained were analyzed using techniques of qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis discusses and compares the quality approaches of CCHIT, EuroRec, IHE, openEHR, and EN13606. These approaches differ with regard to their focus, support of service-oriented EHRs, process of (re-)certification and testing, number of systems certified and tested, supporting organizations, and regional relevance. Discussion The analyzed approaches show differences with regard to their structure and processes. System vendors can exploit these approaches in order to improve and certify their information systems. Health care organizations can use these approaches to support selection processes or to assess the quality of their own information systems. PMID:23616834

  5. SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Analysis of the precision parameters of an optoelectronic vector-matrix processor of digital information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Odinokov, S. B.; Petrov, A. V.

    1995-10-01

    Mathematical models of components of a vector-matrix optoelectronic multiplier are considered. Perturbing factors influencing a real optoelectronic system — noise and errors of radiation sources and detectors, nonlinearity of an analogue—digital converter, nonideal optical systems — are taken into account. Analytic expressions are obtained for relating the precision of such a multiplier to the probability of an error amounting to one bit, to the parameters describing the quality of the multiplier components, and to the quality of the optical system of the processor. Various methods of increasing the dynamic range of a multiplier are considered at the technical systems level.

  6. Smart-system of distance learning of visually impaired people based on approaches of artificial intelligence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samigulina, Galina A.; Shayakhmetova, Assem S.

    2016-11-01

    Research objective is the creation of intellectual innovative technology and information Smart-system of distance learning for visually impaired people. The organization of the available environment for receiving quality education for visually impaired people, their social adaptation in society are important and topical issues of modern education.The proposed Smart-system of distance learning for visually impaired people can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of education of this category of people. The scientific novelty of proposed Smart-system is using intelligent and statistical methods of processing multi-dimensional data, and taking into account psycho-physiological characteristics of perception and awareness learning information by visually impaired people.

  7. User's manual for the National Water Information System of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water-quality System (QWDATA)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gellenbeck, Dorinda; Oblinger, Carolyn J.; Runkle, Donna L.; Schertz, Terry L.; Scott, Jonathon C.; Taylor, Robert L.

    2005-01-01

    This user documentation is designed to be a reference for the Water-Quality System (QWDATA) within the National Water Information System (NWIS). For the new user, the 'Introduction' and 'Getting Started' sections are the recommended places to begin. The experienced user may want to go straight to the details provided in the program section (section 3). Code lists and some miscellaneous reference materials are provided in the Appendices. The last section, 'Tip Sheets,' is a collection of suggestions for accomplishing selected tasks, some of which are basic and some of which are advanced. Where appropriate, these Tip Sheets are referenced in the main text of the documentation.

  8. Integrating Information Extraction Agents into a Tourism Recommender System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esparcia, Sergio; Sánchez-Anguix, Víctor; Argente, Estefanía; García-Fornes, Ana; Julián, Vicente

    Recommender systems face some problems. On the one hand information needs to be maintained updated, which can result in a costly task if it is not performed automatically. On the other hand, it may be interesting to include third party services in the recommendation since they improve its quality. In this paper, we present an add-on for the Social-Net Tourism Recommender System that uses information extraction and natural language processing techniques in order to automatically extract and classify information from the Web. Its goal is to maintain the system updated and obtain information about third party services that are not offered by service providers inside the system.

  9. A Theory of Information Quality and a Framework for its Implementation in the Requirements Engineering Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grenn, Michael W.

    This dissertation introduces a theory of information quality to explain macroscopic behavior observed in the systems engineering process. The theory extends principles of Shannon's mathematical theory of communication [1948] and statistical mechanics to information development processes concerned with the flow, transformation, and meaning of information. The meaning of requirements information in the systems engineering context is estimated or measured in terms of the cumulative requirements quality Q which corresponds to the distribution of the requirements among the available quality levels. The requirements entropy framework (REF) implements the theory to address the requirements engineering problem. The REF defines the relationship between requirements changes, requirements volatility, requirements quality, requirements entropy and uncertainty, and engineering effort. The REF is evaluated via simulation experiments to assess its practical utility as a new method for measuring, monitoring and predicting requirements trends and engineering effort at any given time in the process. The REF treats the requirements engineering process as an open system in which the requirements are discrete information entities that transition from initial states of high entropy, disorder and uncertainty toward the desired state of minimum entropy as engineering effort is input and requirements increase in quality. The distribution of the total number of requirements R among the N discrete quality levels is determined by the number of defined quality attributes accumulated by R at any given time. Quantum statistics are used to estimate the number of possibilities P for arranging R among the available quality levels. The requirements entropy H R is estimated using R, N and P by extending principles of information theory and statistical mechanics to the requirements engineering process. The information I increases as HR and uncertainty decrease, and the change in information AI needed to reach the desired state of quality is estimated from the perspective of the receiver. The HR may increase, decrease or remain steady depending on the degree to which additions, deletions and revisions impact the distribution of R among the quality levels. Current requirements trend metrics generally treat additions, deletions and revisions the same and simply measure the quantity of these changes over time. The REF evaluates the quantity of requirements changes over time, distinguishes between their positive and negative effects by calculating their impact on HR, Q, and AI, and forecasts when the desired state will be reached, enabling more accurate assessment of the status and progress of the requirements engineering effort. Results from random variable simulations suggest the REF is an improved leading indicator of requirements trends that can be readily combined with current methods. The increase in I, or decrease in H R and uncertainty, is proportional to the engineering effort E input into the requirements engineering process. The REF estimates the AE needed to transition R from their current state of quality to the desired end state or some other interim state of interest. Simulation results are compared with measured engineering effort data for Department of Defense programs published in the SE literature, and the results suggest the REF is a promising new method for estimation of AE.

  10. eEurope 2002: Quality Criteria for Health related Websites

    PubMed Central

    2002-01-01

    Background A number of organisations have begun to provide specific tools for searching, rating, and grading this information, while others have set up codes of conduct by which site providers can attest to their high quality services. The aim of such tools is to assist individuals to sift through the mountains of information available so as to be better able to discern valid and reliable messages from those which are misleading or inaccurate. Objective Recognising that European citizens are avid consumers of health related information on the internet and recognising that they are already using the types of rating system described above, the European Council at Feira on June 19-20 2000 supported an initiative within eEurope 2002 to develop a core set of Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites. The specific aim was to draw up a commonly agreed set of simple quality criteria on which Member States, as well as public and private bodies, may draw in the development of quality initiatives for health related websites. These criteria should be applied in addition to relevant Community law. Methods A meeting was held during 2001 which drew together key players from Government departments, International Organisations, non-governmental organisations and industry, to explore current practices and experiments in this field. Some sixty invited participants from all the Member States, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States of America took part in the meeting of June 7-8, 2001: they included delegates from industrial, medical, and patient interest groups, delegates from Member States' governments, and key invited speakers from the field of health information ethics. These individuals, and many others, also took part in the web-based consultation which was open from august to November 2001. Results The broad headings for quality criteria identified include Transparency and Honesty, Authority, Privacy and data protection, Updating of information, Accountability, Responsible partnering, Editorial policy, Accessibility, the latter includes attention to guidelines on physical accessibility as well as general findability, searchability, readability, usability, etc. A metadata labelling system may be used to make health data more findable. Such a system may also be used in conjunction with quality criteria to give higher ranking by search engines to those sites or pages labelled as complying with defined quality criteria. Conclusions The set of quality criteria is based upon a broad consensus among specialists in this field, health authorities, and prospective users. It is now to be expected that national and regional health authorities, relevant professional associations, and private medical website owners will 1) implement the Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites in a manner appropriate to their website and consumers; 2) develop information campaigns to educate site developers and citizens about minimum quality standards for health related websites; 3) draw on the wide range of health information offered across the European Union and localise such information for the benefit of citizens (translation and cultural adaptation); 4) exchange information and experience at European level about how quality standards are being implemented. PMID:12554546

  11. Development and deployment of a health information system in transitional countries (croatian experience).

    PubMed

    Stevanovic, Ranko; Pristas, Ivan; Ivicevic Uhernik, Ana; Stanic, Arsen

    2005-01-01

    Croatian Primary Health Care Information System pilot project, conducted between 2001 and 2003, aimed to develop and deploy a health information system based on the latest technologies which would improve the quality of primary health care and rationalise the consumption. 60 primary health care teams (physician and nurse) were equipped with PCs and connected via central server to the main national health insurer, state treasury and public health institute. Developed information system enabled rapid retrieval of documents, replacement of manual data input and a real-time insight into needed information as well as prompt interventions within the system. The project also introduced electronic smart cards for physicians and nurses, so that at each medical check-up the information system verified both the ensuree's and the physician's or nurse's status and rights.Based on the experiences from the pilot project, plan has been made for comprehensive health information system at national level which would connect primary health care teams, hospitals, laboratories, dentistries, health insurance companies, state treasury, public health institutes and electronic health records database. Its major goals are more rapid diagnostics, accuracy in prescribing therapy, standardisation of the good practice as well as better utilisation of capacities, shorter waiting times and shorter stays in hospitals, which would lead to improvement in overall health care quality and better control over the health care consumption. Estimated 5-year investment for installing such system would be 125 million EUR. However, information system could save substantially more and yield a return of investment in only two years.As information system for primary health care should be a strategic component of every health care reform and development plan, we can recommend our model, based on the results of the pilot project, to other transitional countries.

  12. Validating the Satisfaction and Continuance Intention of E-Learning Systems: Combining TAM and IS Success Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Tung-Cheng; Chen, Ching-Jen

    2012-01-01

    Many e-learning studies have evaluated learning attitudes and behaviors, based on TAM. However, a successful e-learning system (ELS) should take both system and information quality into account by applying ISM developed by Delone and McLean. In addition, the acceptance for information system depends on the perceived usefulness and ease of use…

  13. The effect of information technology on hospital performance.

    PubMed

    Williams, Cynthia; Asi, Yara; Raffenaud, Amanda; Bagwell, Matt; Zeini, Ibrahim

    2016-12-01

    While healthcare entities have integrated various forms of health information technology (HIT) into their systems due to claims of increased quality and decreased costs, as well as various incentives, there is little available information about which applications of HIT are actually the most beneficial and efficient. In this study, we aim to assist administrators in understanding the characteristics of top performing hospitals. We utilized data from the Health Information and Management Systems Society and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid to assess 1039 hospitals. Inputs considered were full time equivalents, hospital size, and technology inputs. Technology inputs included personal health records (PHR), electronic medical records (EMRs), computerized physician order entry systems (CPOEs), and electronic access to diagnostic results. Output variables were measures of quality, hospital readmission and mortality rate. The analysis was conducted in a two-stage methodology: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Automatic Interaction Detector Analysis (AID), decision tree regression (DTreg). Overall, we found that electronic access to diagnostic results systems was the most influential technological characteristics; however organizational characteristics were more important than technological inputs. Hospitals that had the highest levels of quality indicated no excess in the use of technology input, averaging one use of a technology component. This study indicates that prudent consideration of organizational characteristics and technology is needed before investing in innovative programs.

  14. Assessment of reservoir system variable forecasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kistenmacher, Martin; Georgakakos, Aris P.

    2015-05-01

    Forecast ensembles are a convenient means to model water resources uncertainties and to inform planning and management processes. For multipurpose reservoir systems, forecast types include (i) forecasts of upcoming inflows and (ii) forecasts of system variables and outputs such as reservoir levels, releases, flood damage risks, hydropower production, water supply withdrawals, water quality conditions, navigation opportunities, and environmental flows, among others. Forecasts of system variables and outputs are conditional on forecasted inflows as well as on specific management policies and can provide useful information for decision-making processes. Unlike inflow forecasts (in ensemble or other forms), which have been the subject of many previous studies, reservoir system variable and output forecasts are not formally assessed in water resources management theory or practice. This article addresses this gap and develops methods to rectify potential reservoir system forecast inconsistencies and improve the quality of management-relevant information provided to stakeholders and managers. The overarching conclusion is that system variable and output forecast consistency is critical for robust reservoir management and needs to be routinely assessed for any management model used to inform planning and management processes. The above are demonstrated through an application from the Sacramento-American-San Joaquin reservoir system in northern California.

  15. Introducing diagnosis-related groups: is the information system ready?

    PubMed

    Jian, Weiyan; Lu, Ming; Han, Wei; Hu, Mu

    2016-01-01

    Diagnosis-related group (DRG) system is a classification system widely used in health managements, the foundation of which lies in the medical information system. A large effort had been made to improve the quality of discharge data before the introduction of DRGs in Beijing. We extract discharge data from 108 local hospitals spanning 4 years before and after standardization to evaluate the impact of standardization on DRG grouping performance. The data was grouped on an annual basis in accordance with Beijing's local DRG system. Proportion of ungrouped data, coefficient of variation (CV) and reduction in variance (RIV) were used to measure the performance of the DRG system. Both the descriptive and regression analysis indicate a significant reduction in terms of ungrouped data and CV for expenditure, increase of RIV for expenditure and length of stay. However, when there was no intervention, that is, between 2005 and 2006 and between 2008 and 2009, changes in these indicators were all insignificant. Therefore, the standardization of discharge data did improve data quality and consequently enhanced the performance of DRGs. Developing countries with a relatively weak information infrastructure should strengthen their medical information system before the introduction of the DRG system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Quality and Safety Implications of Emergency Department Information Systems

    PubMed Central

    Farley, Heather L.; Baumlin, Kevin M.; Hamedani, Azita G.; Cheung, Dickson S.; Edwards, Michael R.; Fuller, Drew C.; Genes, Nicholas; Griffey, Richard T.; Kelly, John J.; McClay, James C.; Nielson, Jeff; Phelan, Michael P.; Shapiro, Jason S.; Stone-Griffith, Suzanne; Pines, Jesse M.

    2013-01-01

    The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “meaningful use” incentive programs, in tandem with the boundless additional requirements for detailed reporting of quality metrics, have galvanized hospital efforts to implement hospital-based electronic health records. As such, emergency department information systems (EDISs) are an important and unique component of most hospitals’ electronic health records. System functionality varies greatly and affects physician decisionmaking, clinician workflow, communication, and, ultimately, the overall quality of care and patient safety. This article is a joint effort by members of the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Section and the Informatics Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians. The aim of this effort is to examine the benefits and potential threats to quality and patient safety that could result from the choice of a particular EDIS, its implementation and optimization, and the hospital’s or physician group’s approach to continuous improvement of the EDIS. Specifically, we explored the following areas of potential EDIS safety concerns: communication failure, wrong order–wrong patient errors, poor data display, and alert fatigue. Case studies are presented that illustrate the potential harm that could befall patients from an inferior EDIS product or suboptimal execution of such a product in the clinical environment. The authors have developed 7 recommendations to improve patient safety with respect to the deployment of EDISs. These include ensuring that emergency providers actively participate in selection of the EDIS product, in the design of processes related to EDIS implementation and optimization, and in the monitoring of the system’s ongoing success or failure. Our recommendations apply to emergency departments using any type of EDIS: custom-developed systems, best-of-breed vendor systems, or enterprise systems. PMID:23796627

  17. Grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in clinical dentistry: a critical review of 2 prominent approaches.

    PubMed

    Faggion, Clovis Mariano

    2010-06-01

    The objective of this article was to critically review 2 prominent approaches used to grade the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Every year much information becomes available as a result of publication of scientific papers, and clinicians should be able to assess current evidence so they, along with their patients, can make the most appropriate clinical decisions. This is particularly important when there is little or no high-quality evidence available about the subject of interest. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) were evaluated. Strengths and weaknesses of these 2 systems are discussed, mainly on the basis of their relevance to clinical dentistry. The conclusion was that use of a system for grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations is urgently required because of the great heterogeneity of the quality and type of evidence relating to many dental procedures. Use of such a system will enable clinicians and their patients to make more informed decisions.

  18. The Performance of Adsorptive Media Full Scale Arsenic Removal Systems - USEPA Arsenic Demonstration Program

    EPA Science Inventory

    The presentation provides information and data on the performance of several full scale, arsenic removal adsorptive media treatment systems operated under the USEPA arsenic removal demonstration program. The summary includes information on the water quality of the source waters,...

  19. Displaying Geographically-Based Domestic Statistics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quann, J.; Dalton, J.; Banks, M.; Helfer, D.; Szczur, M.; Winkert, G.; Billingsley, J.; Borgstede, R.; Chen, J.; Chen, L.; hide

    1982-01-01

    Decision Information Display System (DIDS) is rapid-response information-retrieval and color-graphics display system. DIDS transforms tables of geographically-based domestic statistics (such as population or unemployment by county, energy usage by county, or air-quality figures) into high-resolution, color-coded maps on television display screen.

  20. Protecting water quality in the watershed

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    James, C.R.; Johnson, K.E.; Stewart, E.H.

    1994-08-01

    This article highlights the water quality component of a watershed management plan being developed for the San Francisco (CA) Water Department. The physical characteristics of the 63,000-acre watersheds were analyzed for source and transport vulnerability for five groups of water quality parameters--particulates, THM precursors, microorganisms (Giardia and cryptosporidium), nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and synthetic organic chemicals--and vulnerability zones were mapped. Mapping was achieved through the use of an extensive geographic information system (GIS) database. Each water quality vulnerability zone map was developed based on five watershed physical characteristics--soils, slope, vegetation, wildlife concentration, and proximity to water bodies--and their relationships tomore » each of the five groups of water quality parameters. An approach to incorporate the watershed physical characteristics information into the five water quality vulnerability zone maps was defined and verified. The composite approach was based in part on information gathered from existing watershed management plans.« less

  1. Spatial Allocator for air quality modeling

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Spatial Allocator is a set of tools that helps users manipulate and generate data files related to emissions and air quality modeling without requiring the use of a commercial Geographic Information System.

  2. YouTube provides irrelevant information for the diagnosis and treatment of hip arthritis.

    PubMed

    Koller, Ulrich; Waldstein, Wenzel; Schatz, Klaus-Dieter; Windhager, Reinhard

    2016-10-01

    YouTube is increasingly becoming a key source for people to satisfy the need for additional information concerning their medical condition. This study analyses the completeness of accurate information found on YouTube pertaining to hip arthritis. The present study analyzed 133 YouTube videos using the search terms: hip arthritis, hip arthritis symptoms, hip arthritis diagnosis, hip arthritis treatment and hip replacement. Two quality assessment checklists with a scale of 0 to 12 points were developed to evaluate available video content for the diagnosis and the treatment of hip arthritis. Videos were grouped into poor quality (grade 0-3), moderate quality (grade 4-7) and excellent quality (grade 8-12), respectively. Three independent observers assessed all videos using the new grading system and independently scored all videos. Discrepancies regarding the categories were clarified by consensus discussion. For intra-observer reliabilities, grading was performed at two occasions separated by four weeks. Eighty-four percent (n = 112) had a poor diagnostic information quality, 14% (n = 19) a moderate quality and only 2% (n = 2) an excellent quality, respectively. In 86% (n = 114), videos provided poor treatment information quality. Eleven percent (n = 15) of videos had a moderate quality and only 3% (n = 4) an excellent quality, respectively. The present study demonstrates that YouTube is a poor source for accurate information pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of hip arthritis. These finding are of high relevance for clinicians as videos are going to become the primary source of information for patients. Therefore, high quality educational videos are needed to further guide patients on the way from the diagnosis of hip arthritis to its proper treatment.

  3. Surfing for mouth guards: assessing quality of online information.

    PubMed

    Magunacelaya, Macarena B; Glendor, Ulf

    2011-10-01

    The Internet is an easily accessible and commonly used source of health-related information, but evaluations of the quality of this information within the dental trauma field are still lacking. The aims of this study are (i) to present the most current scientific knowledge regarding mouth guards used in sport activities, (ii) to suggest a scoring system to evaluate the quality of information pertaining to mouth guard protection related to World Wide Web sites and (iii) to employ this scoring system when seeking reliable mouth guard-related websites. First, an Internet search using the keywords 'athletic injuries/prevention and control' and 'mouth protector' or 'mouth guards' in English was performed on PubMed, Cochrane, SvedMed+ and Web of Science to identify scientific knowledge about mouth guards. Second, an Internet search using the keywords 'consumer health information Internet', 'Internet information public health' and 'web usage-seeking behaviour' was performed on PubMed and Web of Science to obtain scientific articles seeking to evaluate the quality of health information on the Web. Based on the articles found in the second search, two scoring systems were selected. Then, an Internet search using the keywords 'mouth protector', 'mouth guards' and 'gum shields' in English was performed on the search engines Google, MSN and Yahoo. The websites selected were evaluated for reliability and accuracy. Of the 223 websites retrieved, 39 were designated valid and evaluated. Nine sites scored 22 or higher. The mean total score of the 39 websites was 14.2. Fourteen websites scored higher than the mean total score, and 25 websites scored less. The highest total score, presented by a Public Institution Web site (Health Canada), was 31 from a maximum possible score of 34, and the lowest score was 0. This study shows that there is a high amount of information about mouth guards on the Internet but that the quality of this information varies. It should be the responsibility of health care professionals to suggest and provide reliable Internet URL addresses to patients. In addition, an appropriate search terminology and search strategy should be made available to persons who want to search beyond the recommended sites. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  4. Integration of external metadata into the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, Katharina; Levavasseur, Guillaume; Stockhause, Martina; Lautenschlager, Michael

    2015-04-01

    International projects with high volume data usually disseminate their data in a federated data infrastructure, e.g.~the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF). The ESGF aims to make the geographically distributed data seamlessly discoverable and accessible. Additional data-related information is currently collected and stored in separate repositories by each data provider. This scattered and useful information is not or only partly available for ESGF users. Examples for such additional information systems are ES-DOC/metafor for model and simulation information, IPSL's versioning information, CHARMe for user annotations, DKRZ's quality information and data citation information. The ESGF Quality Control working team (esgf-qcwt) aims to integrate these valuable pieces of additional information into the ESGF in order to make them available to users and data archive managers by (i) integrating external information into ESGF portal, (ii) integrating links to external information objects into the ESGF metadata index, e.g. by the use of PIDs (Persistent IDentifiers), and (iii) automating the collection of external information during the ESGF data publication process. For the sixth phase of CMIP (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project), the ESGF metadata index is to be enriched by additional information on data citation, file version, etc. This information will support users directly and can be automatically exploited by higher level services (human and machine readability).

  5. Air Quality Case Studies Report

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-05-29

    The Branson Travel and Recreational Information Program (TRIP) in Branson, Missouri, and the I-40 Traveler and Tourist Information System (TTIS) in the I-40 corridor of northern Arizona are two Field Operational Tests (FOTs) of Traveler Information S...

  6. A New Measurement and Ranking System for the UK National Student Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canning, John

    2015-01-01

    Despite numerous criticisms of the UK National Student Survey (NSS) institutional managers still strongly support its use in informing student choice, quality and assurance and quality enhancement activities. This article outlines a granular and nuanced benchmarking system for the NSS which provides both a "raw" score (weighted student…

  7. 76 FR 13188 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval Under Delegated...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-10

    ...: Cynthia Ayouch, Acting Federal Reserve Board Clearance Officer (202-452-3829), Division of Research and... Systems Surveys: Ad Hoc Payments Systems Survey, Currency Quality Sampling Survey, Currency Quality Survey, and Currency Functionality Survey. Agency form number: FR 3054a, FR 3054b, FR 3054c, and FR 3054d. OMB...

  8. ANMCO/AIIC/SIT Consensus Information Document: definition, precision, and suitability of electrocardiographic signals of electrocardiographs, ergometry, Holter electrocardiogram, telemetry, and bedside monitoring systems.

    PubMed

    Gulizia, Michele Massimo; Casolo, Giancarlo; Zuin, Guerrino; Morichelli, Loredana; Calcagnini, Giovanni; Ventimiglia, Vincenzo; Censi, Federica; Caldarola, Pasquale; Russo, Giancarmine; Leogrande, Lorenzo; Franco Gensini, Gian

    2017-05-01

    The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal can be derived from different sources. These include systems for surface ECG, Holter monitoring, ergometric stress tests, and telemetry systems and bedside monitoring of vital parameters, which are useful for rhythm and ST-segment analysis and ECG screening of electrical sudden cardiac death predictors. A precise ECG diagnosis is based upon correct recording, elaboration, and presentation of the signal. Several sources of artefacts and potential external causes may influence the quality of the original ECG waveforms. Other factors that may affect the quality of the information presented depend upon the technical solutions employed to improve the signal. The choice of the instrumentations and solutions used to offer a high-quality ECG signal are, therefore, of paramount importance. Some requirements are reported in detail in scientific statements and recommendations. The aim of this consensus document is to give scientific reference for the choice of systems able to offer high quality ECG signal acquisition, processing, and presentation suitable for clinical use.

  9. ANMCO/AIIC/SIT Consensus Information Document: definition, precision, and suitability of electrocardiographic signals of electrocardiographs, ergometry, Holter electrocardiogram, telemetry, and bedside monitoring systems

    PubMed Central

    Casolo, Giancarlo; Zuin, Guerrino; Morichelli, Loredana; Calcagnini, Giovanni; Ventimiglia, Vincenzo; Censi, Federica; Caldarola, Pasquale; Russo, Giancarmine; Leogrande, Lorenzo; Franco Gensini, Gian

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal can be derived from different sources. These include systems for surface ECG, Holter monitoring, ergometric stress tests, and telemetry systems and bedside monitoring of vital parameters, which are useful for rhythm and ST-segment analysis and ECG screening of electrical sudden cardiac death predictors. A precise ECG diagnosis is based upon correct recording, elaboration, and presentation of the signal. Several sources of artefacts and potential external causes may influence the quality of the original ECG waveforms. Other factors that may affect the quality of the information presented depend upon the technical solutions employed to improve the signal. The choice of the instrumentations and solutions used to offer a high-quality ECG signal are, therefore, of paramount importance. Some requirements are reported in detail in scientific statements and recommendations. The aim of this consensus document is to give scientific reference for the choice of systems able to offer high quality ECG signal acquisition, processing, and presentation suitable for clinical use. PMID:28751842

  10. Functioning information in the learning health system.

    PubMed

    Stucki, Gerold; Bickenbach, Jerome

    2017-02-01

    In this methodological note on applying the ICF in rehabilitation, we introduce functioning information as fundamental for the "learning health system" and the continuous improvement of the health system's response to people's functioning needs by means of the provision of rehabilitation. A learning health system for rehabilitation operates at the micro-level of the individual patient, meso-level of operational management, and the macro-level of policy that guides rehabilitation programming. All three levels rely on the capacity of the informational system of the health system for standardized documentation and coding of functioning information, and the development of national rehabilitation quality management systems. This methodological note describes how functioning information is used for the continuous improvement of functioning outcomes in a learning health system across these three levels.

  11. Winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting system based on remote sensing and environmental factors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haiyang, Yu; Yanmei, Liu; Guijun, Yang; Xiaodong, Yang; Dong, Ren; Chenwei, Nie

    2014-03-01

    To achieve dynamic winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting in larger scale regions, the objective of this study was to design and develop a winter wheat quality monitoring and forecasting system by using a remote sensing index and environmental factors. The winter wheat quality trend was forecasted before the harvest and quality was monitored after the harvest, respectively. The traditional quality-vegetation index from remote sensing monitoring and forecasting models were improved. Combining with latitude information, the vegetation index was used to estimate agronomy parameters which were related with winter wheat quality in the early stages for forecasting the quality trend. A combination of rainfall in May, temperature in May, illumination at later May, the soil available nitrogen content and other environmental factors established the quality monitoring model. Compared with a simple quality-vegetation index, the remote sensing monitoring and forecasting model used in this system get greatly improved accuracy. Winter wheat quality was monitored and forecasted based on the above models, and this system was completed based on WebGIS technology. Finally, in 2010 the operation process of winter wheat quality monitoring system was presented in Beijing, the monitoring and forecasting results was outputted as thematic maps.

  12. Use of information systems in Air Force medical treatment facilities in strategic planning and decision-making.

    PubMed

    Yap, Glenn A; Platonova, Elena A; Musa, Philip F

    2006-02-01

    An exploratory study used Ansoff's strategic planning model as a framework to assess perceived effectiveness of information systems in supporting strategic business plan development at Air Force medical treatment facilities (MTFs). Results showed information systems were most effective in supporting historical trend analysis, strategic business plans appeared to be a balance of operational and strategic plans, and facilities perceived a greater need for new clinical, vice administrative, information systems to support strategic planning processes. Administrators believed information systems should not be developed at the local level and perceived information systems have the greatest impact on improving clinical quality outcomes, followed by ability to deliver cost effective care and finally, ability to increase market share.

  13. Improving data quality across 3 sub-Saharan African countries using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): results from the African Health Initiative.

    PubMed

    Gimbel, Sarah; Mwanza, Moses; Nisingizwe, Marie Paul; Michel, Cathy; Hirschhorn, Lisa

    2017-12-21

    High-quality data are critical to inform, monitor and manage health programs. Over the seven-year African Health Initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, three of the five Population Health Implementation and Training (PHIT) partnership projects in Mozambique, Rwanda, and Zambia introduced strategies to improve the quality and evaluation of routinely-collected data at the primary health care level, and stimulate its use in evidence-based decision-making. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a guide, this paper: 1) describes and categorizes data quality assessment and improvement activities of the projects, and 2) identifies core intervention components and implementation strategy adaptations introduced to improve data quality in each setting. The CFIR was adapted through a qualitative theme reduction process involving discussions with key informants from each project, who identified two domains and ten constructs most relevant to the study aim of describing and comparing each country's data quality assessment approach and implementation process. Data were collected on each project's data quality improvement strategies, activities implemented, and results via a semi-structured questionnaire with closed and open-ended items administered to health management information systems leads in each country, with complementary data abstraction from project reports. Across the three projects, intervention components that aligned with user priorities and government systems were perceived to be relatively advantageous, and more readily adapted and adopted. Activities that both assessed and improved data quality (including data quality assessments, mentorship and supportive supervision, establishment and/or strengthening of electronic medical record systems), received higher ranking scores from respondents. Our findings suggest that, at a minimum, successful data quality improvement efforts should include routine audits linked to ongoing, on-the-job mentoring at the point of service. This pairing of interventions engages health workers in data collection, cleaning, and analysis of real-world data, and thus provides important skills building with on-site mentoring. The effect of these core components is strengthened by performance review meetings that unify multiple health system levels (provincial, district, facility, and community) to assess data quality, highlight areas of weakness, and plan improvements.

  14. A review of data quality assessment methods for public health information systems.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hong; Hailey, David; Wang, Ning; Yu, Ping

    2014-05-14

    High quality data and effective data quality assessment are required for accurately evaluating the impact of public health interventions and measuring public health outcomes. Data, data use, and data collection process, as the three dimensions of data quality, all need to be assessed for overall data quality assessment. We reviewed current data quality assessment methods. The relevant study was identified in major databases and well-known institutional websites. We found the dimension of data was most frequently assessed. Completeness, accuracy, and timeliness were the three most-used attributes among a total of 49 attributes of data quality. The major quantitative assessment methods were descriptive surveys and data audits, whereas the common qualitative assessment methods were interview and documentation review. The limitations of the reviewed studies included inattentiveness to data use and data collection process, inconsistency in the definition of attributes of data quality, failure to address data users' concerns and a lack of systematic procedures in data quality assessment. This review study is limited by the coverage of the databases and the breadth of public health information systems. Further research could develop consistent data quality definitions and attributes. More research efforts should be given to assess the quality of data use and the quality of data collection process.

  15. A Review of Data Quality Assessment Methods for Public Health Information Systems

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Hong; Hailey, David; Wang, Ning; Yu, Ping

    2014-01-01

    High quality data and effective data quality assessment are required for accurately evaluating the impact of public health interventions and measuring public health outcomes. Data, data use, and data collection process, as the three dimensions of data quality, all need to be assessed for overall data quality assessment. We reviewed current data quality assessment methods. The relevant study was identified in major databases and well-known institutional websites. We found the dimension of data was most frequently assessed. Completeness, accuracy, and timeliness were the three most-used attributes among a total of 49 attributes of data quality. The major quantitative assessment methods were descriptive surveys and data audits, whereas the common qualitative assessment methods were interview and documentation review. The limitations of the reviewed studies included inattentiveness to data use and data collection process, inconsistency in the definition of attributes of data quality, failure to address data users’ concerns and a lack of systematic procedures in data quality assessment. This review study is limited by the coverage of the databases and the breadth of public health information systems. Further research could develop consistent data quality definitions and attributes. More research efforts should be given to assess the quality of data use and the quality of data collection process. PMID:24830450

  16. Impact of High Resolution Land-Use Data in Meteorology and Air Quality Modeling Systems

    EPA Science Inventory

    Accurate land use information is important in meteorology for land surface exchanges, in emission modeling for emission spatial allocation, and in air quality modeling for chemical surface fluxes. Currently, meteorology, emission, and air quality models often use outdated USGS Gl...

  17. 78 FR 57631 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Ambient...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-19

    ..., tribal entities, environmental groups, academic institutions, industrial groups) use the ambient air... System (AQS) database. Quality assurance/quality control records and monitoring network documentation are...

  18. 77 FR 27781 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-11

    ... progress towards a high-quality home visiting program or embedding their home visiting program into a comprehensive, high-quality early childhood system. Thirteen States were awarded Development Grants, and nine...

  19. Characterization of urban air quality using GIS as a management system.

    PubMed

    Puliafito, E; Guevara, M; Puliafito, C

    2003-01-01

    Keeping the air quality acceptable has become an important task for decision makers as well as for non-governmental organizations. Particulate and gaseous emissions of pollutant from industries and auto-exhausts are responsible for rising discomfort, increasing airway diseases, decreasing productivity and the deterioration of artistic and cultural patrimony in urban centers. A model to determine the air quality in urban areas using a geographical information system will be presented here. This system permits the integration, handling, analysis and simulation of spatial and temporal data of the ambient concentration of the main pollutant. It allows the users to characterize and recognize areas with a potential increase or improvement in its air pollution situation. It is also possible to compute past or present conditions by changing basic input information as traffic flow, or stack emission rates. Additionally the model may be used to test the compliance of local standard air quality, to study the environmental impact of new industries or to determine the changes in the conditions when the vehicle circulation is increased.

  20. A quality assurance phantom for the performance evaluation of volumetric micro-CT systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Louise Y.; Umoh, Joseph; Nikolov, Hristo N.; Pollmann, Steven I.; Lee, Ting-Yim; Holdsworth, David W.

    2007-12-01

    Small-animal imaging has recently become an area of increased interest because more human diseases can be modeled in transgenic and knockout rodents. As a result, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) systems are becoming more common in research laboratories, due to their ability to achieve spatial resolution as high as 10 µm, giving highly detailed anatomical information. Most recently, a volumetric cone-beam micro-CT system using a flat-panel detector (eXplore Ultra, GE Healthcare, London, ON) has been developed that combines the high resolution of micro-CT and the fast scanning speed of clinical CT, so that dynamic perfusion imaging can be performed in mice and rats, providing functional physiological information in addition to anatomical information. This and other commercially available micro-CT systems all promise to deliver precise and accurate high-resolution measurements in small animals. However, no comprehensive quality assurance phantom has been developed to evaluate the performance of these micro-CT systems on a routine basis. We have designed and fabricated a single comprehensive device for the purpose of performance evaluation of micro-CT systems. This quality assurance phantom was applied to assess multiple image-quality parameters of a current flat-panel cone-beam micro-CT system accurately and quantitatively, in terms of spatial resolution, geometric accuracy, CT number accuracy, linearity, noise and image uniformity. Our investigations show that 3D images can be obtained with a limiting spatial resolution of 2.5 mm-1 and noise of ±35 HU, using an acquisition interval of 8 s at an entrance dose of 6.4 cGy.

  1. Projector-Based Augmented Reality for Quality Inspection of Scanned Objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kern, J.; Weinmann, M.; Wursthorn, S.

    2017-09-01

    After scanning or reconstructing the geometry of objects, we need to inspect the result of our work. Are there any parts missing? Is every detail covered in the desired quality? We typically do this by looking at the resulting point clouds or meshes of our objects on-screen. What, if we could see the information directly visualized on the object itself? Augmented reality is the generic term for bringing virtual information into our real environment. In our paper, we show how we can project any 3D information like thematic visualizations or specific monitoring information with reference to our object onto the object's surface itself, thus augmenting it with additional information. For small objects that could for instance be scanned in a laboratory, we propose a low-cost method involving a projector-camera system to solve this task. The user only needs a calibration board with coded fiducial markers to calibrate the system and to estimate the projector's pose later on for projecting textures with information onto the object's surface. Changes within the projected 3D information or of the projector's pose will be applied in real-time. Our results clearly reveal that such a simple setup will deliver a good quality of the augmented information.

  2. The World Coal Quality Inventory: A status report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tewalt, S.J.; Willett, J.C.; Finkelman, R.B.

    2005-01-01

    National and international policy makers and industry require accurate information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Unfortunately, the information needed is generally proprietary and does not exist in the public domain. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners in about 60 countries, is developing a digital compilation of worldwide coal quality. The World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from major coal beds in countries having significant coal production, as well as from many countries producing smaller volumes of coal, with an emphasis on coals currently being burned. The information that will be incorporated includes, but is not limited to, proximate and ultimate analyses; sulfur-form data; major, minor, and trace element analysis; and semi-quantitative analyses of minerals, modes of occurrence, and petrography. The coal quality information will eventually be linked to a Geographic Information System (GIS) that shows the coal basins and sample locations along with geologic, land use, transportation, industrial, and cultural information. The WoCQI will be accessible on the USGS web page and new data added periodically. This multi-national collaboration is developing global coal quality data that contain a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters, which should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of global coal resources in the 21st century.

  3. Evaluating Health Information Systems Using Ontologies.

    PubMed

    Eivazzadeh, Shahryar; Anderberg, Peter; Larsson, Tobias C; Fricker, Samuel A; Berglund, Johan

    2016-06-16

    There are several frameworks that attempt to address the challenges of evaluation of health information systems by offering models, methods, and guidelines about what to evaluate, how to evaluate, and how to report the evaluation results. Model-based evaluation frameworks usually suggest universally applicable evaluation aspects but do not consider case-specific aspects. On the other hand, evaluation frameworks that are case specific, by eliciting user requirements, limit their output to the evaluation aspects suggested by the users in the early phases of system development. In addition, these case-specific approaches extract different sets of evaluation aspects from each case, making it challenging to collectively compare, unify, or aggregate the evaluation of a set of heterogeneous health information systems. The aim of this paper is to find a method capable of suggesting evaluation aspects for a set of one or more health information systems-whether similar or heterogeneous-by organizing, unifying, and aggregating the quality attributes extracted from those systems and from an external evaluation framework. On the basis of the available literature in semantic networks and ontologies, a method (called Unified eValuation using Ontology; UVON) was developed that can organize, unify, and aggregate the quality attributes of several health information systems into a tree-style ontology structure. The method was extended to integrate its generated ontology with the evaluation aspects suggested by model-based evaluation frameworks. An approach was developed to extract evaluation aspects from the ontology that also considers evaluation case practicalities such as the maximum number of evaluation aspects to be measured or their required degree of specificity. The method was applied and tested in Future Internet Social and Technological Alignment Research (FI-STAR), a project of 7 cloud-based eHealth applications that were developed and deployed across European Union countries. The relevance of the evaluation aspects created by the UVON method for the FI-STAR project was validated by the corresponding stakeholders of each case. These evaluation aspects were extracted from a UVON-generated ontology structure that reflects both the internally declared required quality attributes in the 7 eHealth applications of the FI-STAR project and the evaluation aspects recommended by the Model for ASsessment of Telemedicine applications (MAST) evaluation framework. The extracted evaluation aspects were used to create questionnaires (for the corresponding patients and health professionals) to evaluate each individual case and the whole of the FI-STAR project. The UVON method can provide a relevant set of evaluation aspects for a heterogeneous set of health information systems by organizing, unifying, and aggregating the quality attributes through ontological structures. Those quality attributes can be either suggested by evaluation models or elicited from the stakeholders of those systems in the form of system requirements. The method continues to be systematic, context sensitive, and relevant across a heterogeneous set of health information systems.

  4. Water Quality Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS): A Compilation of Abstracts to Water Quality and Water Resources Materials, Supplement 30, 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH. Information Reference Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

    The Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center acquires, reviews, indexes, and announces both print (books, modules, units, etc.) and non-print (films, slides, video tapes, etc.) materials related to water quality and water resources education and instruction. This publication contains abstracts and indexes to selected materials related…

  5. Stability and Patterns of Classroom Quality in German Early Childhood Education and Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuger, Susanne; Kluczniok, Katharina; Kaplan, David; Rossbach, Hans-Guenther

    2016-01-01

    Many education systems worldwide have dedicated a significant amount of resources to improve quality levels in early childhood education and care. Research can contribute to this goal by providing information about conditions of high-quality education and care and reasons for changes in the quality provided to children. This study therefore…

  6. A Multi-Instrument Examination of Preschool Classroom Quality and the Relationship between Program, Classroom, and Teacher Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denny, Joanna Hope; Hallam, Rena; Homer, Karen

    2012-01-01

    Research Findings: A statewide study of preschool classroom quality was conducted using 3 distinct classroom observation measures in order to inform a statewide quality rating system. Findings suggested that Tennessee preschool classrooms were approaching "good" quality on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R)…

  7. Health Information System in Primary Health Care: The Challenges and Barriers from Local Providers’ Perspective of an Area in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Yazdi-Feyzabadi, Vahid; Emami, Mozhgan; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossein

    2015-01-01

    Background: Health information system (HIS) has been utilized for collecting, processing, storing, and transferring the required information for planning and decision-making at different levels of health sector to provide quality services. In this study, in order to provide high-quality HIS, primary health care (PHC) providers’ perspective on current challenges and barriers were investigated. Methods: This study was carried out with a qualitative approach using semi-structured audiotaped focus group discussions (FGDs). One FGD was conducted with 13 Behvarz and health technicians as front-line workers and the other with 16 personnel including physicians, statisticians, and health professionals working in health centers of the PHC network in KUMS. The discussions were transcribed and then analyzed using the framework analysis method. Results: The identified organizational challenges were categorized into two groups: HIS structure and the current model of PHC in urban areas. Furthermore, the structural challenges were classified into HIS management structure (information systems resources, including human, supplies, and organizational rules) and information process. Conclusions: The HIS works effectively and efficiently when there are a consistency and integrity between the human, supplies, and process aspects. Hence, multifaceted interventions including strengthening the organizational culture to use the information in decisions, eliminating infrastructural obstacles, appointing qualified staff and more investment for service delivery at urban areas are the most fundamental requirements of high-quality HIS in PHC. PMID:26236444

  8. Measuring Provider Performance for Physicians Participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

    PubMed

    Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

    2017-07-01

    In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all eligible providers to participate in the Quality Payment Program or face financial reimbursement penalty. The Quality Payment Program outlines two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. For the first performance period beginning in January of 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that approximately 83 to 90 percent of eligible providers will not qualify for participation in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model and therefore must participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System program. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System path replaces existing quality-reporting programs and adds several new measures to evaluate providers using four categories of data: (1) quality, (2) cost/resource use, (3) improvement activities, and (4) advancing care information. These categories will be combined to calculate a weighted composite score for each provider or provider group. Composite Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores based on 2017 performance data will be used to adjust reimbursed payment in 2019. In this article, the authors provide relevant background for understanding value-based provider performance measurement. The authors also discuss Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting requirements and scoring methodology to provide plastic surgeons with the necessary information to critically evaluate their own practice capabilities in the context of current performance metrics under the Quality Payment Program.

  9. a Web Api and Web Application Development for Dissemination of Air Quality Information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Şahin, K.; Işıkdağ, U.

    2017-11-01

    Various studies have been carried out since 2005 under the leadership of Ministry of Environment and Urbanism of Turkey, in order to observe the quality of air in Turkey, to develop new policies and to develop a sustainable air quality management strategy. For this reason, a national air quality monitoring network has been developed providing air quality indices. By this network, the quality of the air has been continuously monitored and an important information system has been constructed in order to take precautions for preventing a dangerous situation. The biggest handicap in the network is the data access problem for instant and time series data acquisition and processing because of its proprietary structure. Currently, there is no service offered by the current air quality monitoring system for exchanging information with third party applications. Within the context of this work, a web service has been developed to enable location based querying of the current/past air quality data in Turkey. This web service is equipped with up-todate and widely preferred technologies. In other words, an architecture is chosen in which applications can easily integrate. In the second phase of the study, a web-based application was developed to test the developed web service and this testing application can perform location based acquisition of air-quality data. This makes it possible to easily carry out operations such as screening and examination of the area in the given time-frame which cannot be done with the national monitoring network.

  10. Water resources of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2016-07-25

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  11. Water resources of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2016-07-27

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  12. Water resources of Livingston Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2016-07-27

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  13. Water resources of East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2017-01-12

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-resource management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information is presented on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  14. Water resources of Orleans Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.; Lovelace, John K.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  15. Water resources of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  16. Water resources of St. James Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2015-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. James Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  17. Water resources of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  18. Water resources of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.; Lovelace, John K.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for management of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  19. Water resources of De Soto Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata. usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  20. Water resources of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  1. Water resources of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2015-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  2. Water resources of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; Lovelace, John K.; White, Vincent E.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends,and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  3. Water resources of Acadia Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Larry B.; White, Vincent E.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Acadia Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  4. Water resources of La Salle Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, Vincent E.; Prakken, Lawrence B.

    2015-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in La Salle Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  5. Water resources of Sabine Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; White, Vincent E.; Lovelace, John K.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is presented. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  6. Water resources of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prakken, Lawrence B.; Lovelace, John K.; Tomaszewski, Dan J.; Griffith, Jason M.

    2014-01-01

    Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is discussed. Previously published reports and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

  7. 78 FR 72818 - Electronic Reporting Under the Toxic Substances Control Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-04

    ... methods of information gathering. EPA's Chemical Information Submission System (CISS) Web-based reporting... respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The... disposition of information. This action will also improve the quality and use of information to strengthen...

  8. Current progress on GSN data quality evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, J. P.; Gee, L. S.; Anderson, K. R.; Ahern, T. K.

    2012-12-01

    We discuss ongoing work to assess and improve the quality of data collected from instruments deployed at the 150+ stations of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN). The USGS and the IRIS Consortium are coordinating efforts to emphasize data quality following completion of the major installation phase of the GSN and recapitalization of the network's data acquisition systems, ancillary equipment and many of the secondary seismic sensors. We highlight here procedures adopted by the network's operators, the USGS' Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) and UCSD's Project IDA, to ensure that the quality of the waveforms collected is maximized, that published metadata accurately reflect the instrument response of the data acquisitions systems, and that the data users are informed of the status of the GSN data quality. Additional details can be found at the GSN Quality webpage (www.iris.edu/hq/programs/gsn/quality). The GSN network operation teams meet frequently to share information and techniques. While custom software developed by each network operator to identify and track known problems remains important, recent efforts are providing new resources and tools to evaluate waveform quality, including analysis provided by the Lamont Waveform Quality Center (www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~ekstrom/Projects/WQC.html) and synthetic seismograms made available through Princeton University's Near Real Time Global Seismicity Portal ( http://global.shakemovie.princeton.edu/home.jsp ) and developments such as the IRIS DMS's MUSTANG and the ASL's Data Quality Analyzer. We conclude with the concept of station certification, a comprehensive overview of a station's performance that we have developed to communicate to data users the state of data- and metadata quality. As progress is made to verify the response and performance of existing systems as well as analysis of past calibration signals and waveform data, we will update information on the GSN web portals to apprise users of the condition of each GSN station's data.

  9. Water quality impacts from on-site waste disposal systems to coastal areas through groundwater discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, P. J.

    1995-12-01

    This report summarizes research studies linking on-site waste disposal systems (OSDS) to pathogen and nutrient concentrations in groundwater with the potential to impact coastal embayments. Few studies connect OSDS to coastal water quality. Most studies examined pathogen and nutrient impacts to groundwater and omitted estimations of contaminants discharged to surface water. The majority of studies focused on nitrogen, with little information on pathogens and even less on phosphorus. Nitrogen discharged from OSDS poses the greatest threat to water quality. Vertical distance of septic tank infiltration system from the water table, septic system design, and siting remain the key components in minimizing potential impacts from OSDS for control of both pathogens and nutrients. The most comprehensive information connecting nutrient contributions from OSDS to surface water quality was the study conducted on Buttermilk Bay in Massachusetts where 74% of nitrogen to the bay was attributed to onsite disposal systems. In conclusion, further studies on the viability and transport of pathogens and nutrients through the groundwater aquifer and across the groundwater/surface-water interface are needed. Additional research on the importance of septic system design on the availability of contaminants to groundwater as well as the minimum distance between the septic system and water table necessary to protect groundwater are also indicated.

  10. [Information technologies in clinical cytology (a lecture)].

    PubMed

    Shabalova, I P; Dzhangirova, T V; Kasoian, K T

    2010-07-01

    The lecture is devoted to the urgent problem that is to increase the quality of cytological diagnosis, by diminishing the subjectivism factor via introduction of up-to-date computer information technologies into a cytologist's practice. Its main lines from the standardization of cytological specimen preparation to the registration of a cytologist's opinion and the assessment of the specialist's work quality at the laboratories that successfully use the capacities of the current information systems are described. Information technology capabilities to improve the interpretation of the cellular composition of cytological specimens are detailed.

  11. An Integrated Information System for Supporting Quality Management Tasks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyer, N.; Helmreich, W.

    2004-08-01

    In a competitive environment, well defined processes become the strategic advantage of a company. Hence, targeted Quality Management ensures efficiency, trans- parency and, ultimately, customer satisfaction. In the particular context of a Space Test Centre, a num- ber of specific Quality Management standards have to be applied. According to the revision of ISO 9001 dur- ing 2000, and due to the adaptation of ECSS-Q20-07, process orientation and data analysis are key tasks for ensuring and evaluating the efficiency of a company's processes. In line with these requirements, an integrated management system for accessing the necessary infor- mation to support Quality Management and other proc- esses has been established. Some of its test-related fea- tures are presented here. Easy access to the integrated management system from any work place at IABG's Space Test Centre is ensured by means of an intranet portal. It comprises a full set of quality-related process descriptions, information on test facilities, emergency procedures, and other relevant in- formation. The portal's web interface provides direct access to a couple of external applications. Moreover, easy updating of all information and low cost mainte- nance are features of this integrated information system. The timely and transparent management of non- conformances is covered by a dedicated NCR database which incorporates full documentation capability, elec- tronic signature and e-mail notification of concerned staff. A search interface allows for queries across all documented non-conformances. Furthermore, print ver- sions can be generated at any stage in the process, e.g. for distribution to customers. Feedback on customer satisfaction is sought through a web-based questionnaire. The process is initiated by the responsible test manager through submission of an e- mail that contains a hyperlink to a secure website, ask- ing the customer to complete the brief online form, which is directly fed to a database for subsequent evaluation by the Quality Manager. All such information can be processed and presented in an appropriate manner for internal or external audits, as well as for regular management reviews.

  12. R2 Water Quality Portal Monitoring Stations

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Water Quality Data Portal (WQP) provides an easy way to access data stored in various large water quality databases. The WQP provides various input parameters on the form including location, site, sampling, and date parameters to filter and customize the returned results. The The Water Quality Portal (WQP) is a cooperative service sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) that integrates publicly available water quality data from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) the EPA STOrage and RETrieval (STORET) Data Warehouse, and the USDA ARS Sustaining The Earth??s Watersheds - Agricultural Research Database System (STEWARDS).

  13. Biomedical Information Dissemination: Alternative Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farquhar, J. A.

    This memorandum is the result of an investigation into the three existing biomedical information services; MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System), the interlibrary loan (ILL) service, and the network of Poison Control Centers. This research is intended to provide an understanding of the structure, quality, and coverage of these…

  14. A Development of Automatic Audit System for Written Informed Consent using Machine Learning.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Hitomi; Takemura, Tadamasa; Asai, Takahiro; Okamoto, Kazuya; Kuroda, Tomohiro; Kuwata, Shigeki

    2015-01-01

    In Japan, most of all the university and advanced hospitals have implemented both electronic order entry systems and electronic charting. In addition, all medical records are subjected to inspector audit for quality assurance. The record of informed consent (IC) is very important as this provides evidence of consent from the patient or patient's family and health care provider. Therefore, we developed an automatic audit system for a hospital information system (HIS) that is able to evaluate IC automatically using machine learning.

  15. Seven Strategies for Improving the Quality and Efficiency of the Education System. Notes, Comments... No. 192 = Sept strategies visant a ameliorer la qualite et l'efficacite du systeme d'education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiefelbein, Ernesto

    Seven strategies for improving the quality and efficiency of educational system in Latin American are delineated within the context of background information on the coverage and efficiency of school systems from 1970 to 1980, technical and institutional limitations to educational progress, and an estimate of the impact of the strategies.…

  16. Framework for Design of Traceability System on Organic Rice Certification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purwandoko, P. B.; Seminar, K. B.; Sutrisno; Sugiyanta

    2018-05-01

    Nowadays, the preferences of organic products such as organic rice have been increased. It because of the people awareness of the healthy and eco-friendly food product consumption has grown. Therefore, it is very important to ensure organic quality of the product that will be produced. Certification is a series of process that holds to ensure the quality of products meets all criteria of organic standards. Currently, there is a problem that traceability information system for organic rice certification has been not available. The current system still conducts manually caused the loss of information during storage process. This paper aimed at developing a traceability framework on organic rice certification process. First, the main discussed issues are organic certification process. Second, unified modeling language (UML) is used to build the model of user requirement in order to develop traceability system for all actors in the certification process. Furthermore, the information captured model along certification process will be explained in this paper. The model shows the information flow that has to be recorded for each actor. Finally, the challenges in the implementation system will be discussed in this paper.

  17. Annual reports in the Pacific: transforming data into information and knowledge.

    PubMed

    Hodge, Nicola

    2012-04-01

    Annual Reports provide a wealth of raw data. However, they are often comprised of pages of complex tables with little interpretation or descriptive analysis provided, thus limiting their usefulness in monitoring and evaluating health patterns. This article provides an overview of research carried out as part of a Masters Dissertation, which was concerned with what Annual Reports from Pacific Island Countries can tell us about the quality of data being produced from Health Information Systems (HIS). Five dimensions of quality were selected for assessment (comparability, disaggregation, interpretability, presentation and timeliness), and methods of measurement developed accordingly. Findings from the research are two-fold. Firstly, reports are often excessively long, with a wide range of information on the entire Health System and include pages of dense tables with little critical analysis on implications for policy or decision-making. The second main finding relates to the concept of quality. Overall, the research found that the quality of data produced from HIS, as presented in Annual Reports, is poor. The wealth of data contained within Annual Reports deserve wider dissemination and use, and could play a crucial role in evidence-based decision making and the monitoring and evaluation of health systems and health outcomes. As such, four key recommendations are proposed: (1) comprehensive review of reporting practices; (2) development of quality assessment tools; (3) development of regional reporting templates; and (4) development of a minimum data set.

  18. Dot-gov: market failure and the creation of a national health information technology system.

    PubMed

    Kleinke, J D

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. health care marketplace's continuing failure to adopt information technology (IT) is the result of economic problems unique to health care, business strategy problems typical of fragmented industries, and technology standardization problems common to infrastructure development in free-market economies. Given the information intensity of medicine, the quality problems associated with inadequate IT, the magnitude of U.S. health spending, and the large federal share of that spending, this market failure requires aggressive governmental intervention. Federal policies to compel the creation of a national health IT system would reduce aggregate health care costs and improve quality, goals that cannot be attained in the health care marketplace.

  19. Development of the supply chain oriented quality assurance system for aerospace manufacturing SMEs and its implementation perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussein, Abdullahi; Cheng, Kai

    2016-10-01

    Aerospace manufacturing SMEs are continuously facing the challenge on managing their supply chain and complying with the aerospace manufacturing quality standard requirement due to their lack of resources and the nature of business. In this paper, the ERP system based approach is presented to quality control and assurance work in light of seamless integration of in-process production data and information internally and therefore managing suppliers more effectively and efficiently. The Aerospace Manufacturing Quality Assurance Standard (BS/EN9100) is one of the most recognised and essential protocols for developing the industry-operated-and-driven quality assurance systems. The research investigates using the ERP based system as an enabler to implement BS/EN9100 quality management system at manufacturing SMEs and the associated implementation and application perspectives. An application case study on a manufacturing SME is presented by using the SAP based implementation, which helps further evaluate and validate the approach and application system development.

  20. Relationships of cotton fiber properties to ring-spun yarn quality on selected High Plains cottons

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The objective of this research was to evaluate the adequacy of High Volume Instruement (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) fiber quality parameters for predicting quality parameters of ring-spun yarns considering differences in harvest method. Fiber properties measured using the HVI (...

  1. 42 CFR 431.806 - State plan requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... processing assessment system. Except in a State that has an approved Medicaid Management Information System... Medicaid quality control claims processing assessment system that meets the requirements of §§ 431.830...

  2. ICDTag: A Prototype for a Web-Based System for Organizing Physician-Written Blog Posts Using a Hybrid Taxonomy-Folksonomy Approach

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical blogs have emerged as new media, extending to a wider range of medical audiences, including health professionals and patients to share health-related information. However, extraction of quality health-related information from medical blogs is challenging primarily because these blogs lack systematic methods to organize their posts. Medical blogs can be categorized according to their author into (1) physician-written blogs, (2) nurse-written blogs, and (3) patient-written blogs. This study focuses on how to organize physician-written blog posts that discuss disease-related issues and how to extract quality information from these posts. Objective The goal of this study was to create and implement a prototype for a Web-based system, called ICDTag, based on a hybrid taxonomy–folksonomy approach that follows a combination of a taxonomy classification schemes and user-generated tags to organize physician-written blog posts and extract information from these posts. Methods First, the design specifications for the Web-based system were identified. This system included two modules: (1) a blogging module that was implemented as one or more blogs, and (2) an aggregator module that aggregated posts from different blogs into an aggregator website. We then developed a prototype for this system in which the blogging module included two blogs, the cardiology blog and the gastroenterology blog. To analyze the usage patterns of the prototype, we conducted an experiment with data provided by cardiologists and gastroenterologists. Next, we conducted two evaluation types: (1) an evaluation of the ICDTag blog, in which the browsing functionalities of the blogging module were evaluated from the end-user’s perspective using an online questionnaire, and (2) an evaluation of information quality, in which the quality of the content on the aggregator website was assessed from the perspective of medical experts using an emailed questionnaire. Results Participants of this experiment included 23 cardiologists and 24 gastroenterologists. Positive evaluations on the main functions and the organization of information on the ICDTag blogs were given by 18 of the participants via an online questionnaire. These results supported our hypothesis that the use of a taxonomy-folksonomy structure has significant potential to improve the organization of information in physician-written blogs. The quality of the content on the aggregator website was assessed by 3 cardiology experts and 3 gastroenterology experts via an email questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire demonstrated that the experts considered the aggregated tags and categories semantically related to the posts’ content. Conclusions This study demonstrated that applying the hybrid taxonomy–folksonomy approach to physician-written blogs that discuss disease-related issues has valuable potential to make these blogs a more organized and systematic medium and supports the extraction of quality information from their posts. Thus, it is worthwhile to develop more mature systems that make use of the hybrid approach to organize posts in physician-written blogs. PMID:23470419

  3. ICDTag: a prototype for a web-based system for organizing physician-written blog posts using a hybrid taxonomy-folksonomy approach.

    PubMed

    Batch, Yamen; Yusof, Maryati Mohd; Noah, Shahrul Azman

    2013-02-27

    Medical blogs have emerged as new media, extending to a wider range of medical audiences, including health professionals and patients to share health-related information. However, extraction of quality health-related information from medical blogs is challenging primarily because these blogs lack systematic methods to organize their posts. Medical blogs can be categorized according to their author into (1) physician-written blogs, (2) nurse-written blogs, and (3) patient-written blogs. This study focuses on how to organize physician-written blog posts that discuss disease-related issues and how to extract quality information from these posts. The goal of this study was to create and implement a prototype for a Web-based system, called ICDTag, based on a hybrid taxonomy-folksonomy approach that follows a combination of a taxonomy classification schemes and user-generated tags to organize physician-written blog posts and extract information from these posts. First, the design specifications for the Web-based system were identified. This system included two modules: (1) a blogging module that was implemented as one or more blogs, and (2) an aggregator module that aggregated posts from different blogs into an aggregator website. We then developed a prototype for this system in which the blogging module included two blogs, the cardiology blog and the gastroenterology blog. To analyze the usage patterns of the prototype, we conducted an experiment with data provided by cardiologists and gastroenterologists. Next, we conducted two evaluation types: (1) an evaluation of the ICDTag blog, in which the browsing functionalities of the blogging module were evaluated from the end-user's perspective using an online questionnaire, and (2) an evaluation of information quality, in which the quality of the content on the aggregator website was assessed from the perspective of medical experts using an emailed questionnaire. Participants of this experiment included 23 cardiologists and 24 gastroenterologists. Positive evaluations on the main functions and the organization of information on the ICDTag blogs were given by 18 of the participants via an online questionnaire. These results supported our hypothesis that the use of a taxonomy-folksonomy structure has significant potential to improve the organization of information in physician-written blogs. The quality of the content on the aggregator website was assessed by 3 cardiology experts and 3 gastroenterology experts via an email questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire demonstrated that the experts considered the aggregated tags and categories semantically related to the posts' content. This study demonstrated that applying the hybrid taxonomy-folksonomy approach to physician-written blogs that discuss disease-related issues has valuable potential to make these blogs a more organized and systematic medium and supports the extraction of quality information from their posts. Thus, it is worthwhile to develop more mature systems that make use of the hybrid approach to organize posts in physician-written blogs.

  4. 77 FR 33225 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-05

    ... progress towards a high-quality home visiting program or towards embedding their home visiting program into a comprehensive, high-quality early childhood system. Of State applicants to the competitive grant...

  5. Strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of maternal and perinatal death reviews in Tanzania: perceptions, processes and practice.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, C E; Lange, I L; Magoma, M; Ferla, C; Filippi, V; Ronsmans, C

    2014-09-01

    Tanzania institutionalised maternal and perinatal death reviews (MPDR) in 2006, yet there is scarce evidence on the extent and quality of implementation of the system. We reviewed the national policy documentation and explored stakeholders' involvement in, and perspectives of, the role and practices of MPDR in district and regional hospitals, and assessed current capacity for achieving MPDR. We reviewed the national MPDR guidelines and conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Thirty-two informants in Mara Region were interviewed within health administration and hospitals, and five informants were included at the central level. Interviews were analysed for comparison of statements across health system level, hospital, profession and MPDR experience. The current MPDR system does not function adequately to either perform good quality reviews or fulfil the aspiration to capture every facility-based maternal and perinatal death. Informants at all levels express differing understandings of the purpose of MPDR. Hospital reviews fail to identify appropriate challenges and solutions at the facility level. Staff are committed to the process of maternal death review, with routine documentation and reporting, yet action and response are insufficient. The confusion between MPDR and maternal death surveillance and response results in a system geared towards data collection and surveillance, failing to explore challenges and solutions from within the remit of the hospital team. This reduces the accountability of the health workers and undermines opportunities to improve quality of care. We recommend initiatives to strengthen the quality of facility-level reviews in order to establish a culture of continuous quality of care improvement and a mechanism of accountability within facilities. Effective facility reviews are an important peer-learning process that should remain central to quality of care improvement strategies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Interprofessional Communication of Clinicians Using a Mobile Phone App: A Randomized Crossover Trial Using Simulated Patients

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Maximilian; Cookson, Natalie; King, Dominic; Arora, Sonal; Darzi, Ara

    2016-01-01

    Background Most hospitals use paging systems as the principal communication system, despite general dissatisfaction by end users. To this end, we developed an app-based communication system (called Hark) to facilitate and improve the quality of interpersonal communication. Objective The objectives of our study were (1) to assess the quality of information transfer using pager- and app-based (Hark) communication systems, (2) to determine whether using mobile phone apps for escalation of care results in additional delays in communication, and (3) to determine how end users perceive mobile phone apps as an alternative to pagers. Methods We recruited junior (postgraduate year 1 and 2) doctors and nurses from a range of specialties and randomly assigned them to 2 groups who used either a pager device or the mobile phone-based Hark app. We asked nurses to hand off simulated patients while doctors were asked to receive handoff information using these devices. The quality of information transfer, time taken to respond to messages, and users’ satisfaction with each device was recorded. Each participant used both devices with a 2-week washout period in between uses. Results We recruited 22 participants (13 nurses, 9 doctors). The quality of the referrals made by nurses was significantly better when using Hark (Hark median 118, range 100–121 versus pager median 77, range 39–104; P=.001). Doctors responded to messages using Hark more quickly than when responding to pagers, although this difference was not statistically significant (Hark mean 86.6 seconds, SD 96.2 versus pager mean 136.5 seconds, SD 201.0; P=.12). Users rated Hark as significantly better on 11 of the 18 criteria of an information transfer device (P<.05) These included “enhances interprofessional efficiency,” “results in less disturbance,” “performed desired functions reliably,” and “allows me to clearly transfer information.” Conclusions Hark improved the quality of transfer of information about simulated patients and was rated by users as more effective and efficient, and less distracting than pagers. Using this device did not result in delay in patient care. PMID:27052694

  7. Interprofessional Communication of Clinicians Using a Mobile Phone App: A Randomized Crossover Trial Using Simulated Patients.

    PubMed

    Patel, Bhavesh; Johnston, Maximilian; Cookson, Natalie; King, Dominic; Arora, Sonal; Darzi, Ara

    2016-04-06

    Most hospitals use paging systems as the principal communication system, despite general dissatisfaction by end users. To this end, we developed an app-based communication system (called Hark) to facilitate and improve the quality of interpersonal communication. The objectives of our study were (1) to assess the quality of information transfer using pager- and app-based (Hark) communication systems, (2) to determine whether using mobile phone apps for escalation of care results in additional delays in communication, and (3) to determine how end users perceive mobile phone apps as an alternative to pagers. We recruited junior (postgraduate year 1 and 2) doctors and nurses from a range of specialties and randomly assigned them to 2 groups who used either a pager device or the mobile phone-based Hark app. We asked nurses to hand off simulated patients while doctors were asked to receive handoff information using these devices. The quality of information transfer, time taken to respond to messages, and users' satisfaction with each device was recorded. Each participant used both devices with a 2-week washout period in between uses. We recruited 22 participants (13 nurses, 9 doctors). The quality of the referrals made by nurses was significantly better when using Hark (Hark median 118, range 100-121 versus pager median 77, range 39-104; P=.001). Doctors responded to messages using Hark more quickly than when responding to pagers, although this difference was not statistically significant (Hark mean 86.6 seconds, SD 96.2 versus pager mean 136.5 seconds, SD 201.0; P=.12). Users rated Hark as significantly better on 11 of the 18 criteria of an information transfer device (P<.05) These included "enhances interprofessional efficiency," "results in less disturbance," "performed desired functions reliably," and "allows me to clearly transfer information." Hark improved the quality of transfer of information about simulated patients and was rated by users as more effective and efficient, and less distracting than pagers. Using this device did not result in delay in patient care.

  8. Quality and Safety in Health Care, Part IV: Quality and Cancer Care.

    PubMed

    Harolds, Jay A

    2015-11-01

    The 1999 Institute of Medicine report Ensuring Quality Cancer Care discussed the difference between the actual cancer care received in the United States and the care that the patients should get, as well as some points to consider in delivering optimum care. In 2012, a follow-up review article in the journal Cancer entitled "Ensuring quality cancer care" indicated that there had been some interval progress, but more are needed to be done. The 2013 Institute of Medicine report Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis indicated that there are continuing major problems with cancer care and that they advocated a national system of quality reporting and a major information technology system to capture and help assess the data.

  9. Assessment of timeliness, representativeness and quality of data reported to Italy's national integrated surveillance system for acute viral hepatitis (SEIEVA).

    PubMed

    Tosti, M E; Longhi, S; de Waure, C; Mele, A; Franco, E; Ricciardi, W; Filia, A

    2015-05-01

    Periodic assessment of surveillance systems is recommended to verify whether they are appropriately monitoring the public health problem under surveillance. The aim of this study was to evaluate timeliness, data quality and representativeness of data reported to the Italian Integrated Epidemiological System for Acute Viral Hepatitis (SEIEVA). Cross-sectional analysis of surveillance data. Quantitative indicators were used to evaluate representativeness of reported cases, data quality, and timeliness between surveillance steps, for reports of acute viral hepatitis cases with date of onset of symptoms from 2009 to 2012 (N = 4516). Representativeness was 75%. Over 95% of records reported information on age, sex, city of residence, risk factors for hepatitis A and vaccination status. Information on risk factors for hepatitis B and C were reported less consistently (83%), as was information on early outcome (60%). Wide delays were found between surveillance steps. The system collects high quality data on acute viral hepatitis cases in Italy. Timeliness was found to be the main limit and needs to be improved by optimizing web-based reporting procedures, increasing communication with participating centres, improving feedback and increasing dissemination of surveillance results. The study highlights the importance of reporting timeliness to detect outbreaks of acute viral hepatitis. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Cost-effectiveness of an electronic clinical decision support system for improving quality of antenatal and childbirth care in rural Tanzania: an intervention study.

    PubMed

    Saronga, Happiness Pius; Duysburgh, Els; Massawe, Siriel; Dalaba, Maxwell Ayindenaba; Wangwe, Peter; Sukums, Felix; Leshabari, Melkizedeck; Blank, Antje; Sauerborn, Rainer; Loukanova, Svetla

    2017-08-07

    QUALMAT project aimed at improving quality of maternal and newborn care in selected health care facilities in three African countries. An electronic clinical decision support system was implemented to support providers comply with established standards in antenatal and childbirth care. Given that health care resources are limited and interventions differ in their potential impact on health and costs (efficiency), this study aimed at assessing cost-effectiveness of the system in Tanzania. This was a quantitative pre- and post- intervention study involving 6 health centres in rural Tanzania. Cost information was collected from health provider's perspective. Outcome information was collected through observation of the process of maternal care. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for antenatal and childbirth care were calculated with testing of four models where the system was compared to the conventional paper-based approach to care. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine whether changes in process quality score and cost would impact on cost-effectiveness ratios. Economic cost of implementation was 167,318 USD, equivalent to 27,886 USD per health center and 43 USD per contact. The system improved antenatal process quality by 4.5% and childbirth care process quality by 23.3% however these improvements were not statistically significant. Base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of the system were 2469 USD and 338 USD per 1% change in process quality for antenatal and childbirth care respectively. Cost-effectiveness of the system was sensitive to assumptions made on costs and outcomes. Although the system managed to marginally improve individual process quality variables, it did not have significant improvement effect on the overall process quality of care in the short-term. A longer duration of usage of the electronic clinical decision support system and retention of staff are critical to the efficiency of the system and can reduce the invested resources. Realization of gains from the system requires effective implementation and an enabling healthcare system. Registered clinical trial at www.clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT01409824 ). Registered May 2009.

  11. Evaluating Health Information Systems Using Ontologies

    PubMed Central

    Anderberg, Peter; Larsson, Tobias C; Fricker, Samuel A; Berglund, Johan

    2016-01-01

    Background There are several frameworks that attempt to address the challenges of evaluation of health information systems by offering models, methods, and guidelines about what to evaluate, how to evaluate, and how to report the evaluation results. Model-based evaluation frameworks usually suggest universally applicable evaluation aspects but do not consider case-specific aspects. On the other hand, evaluation frameworks that are case specific, by eliciting user requirements, limit their output to the evaluation aspects suggested by the users in the early phases of system development. In addition, these case-specific approaches extract different sets of evaluation aspects from each case, making it challenging to collectively compare, unify, or aggregate the evaluation of a set of heterogeneous health information systems. Objectives The aim of this paper is to find a method capable of suggesting evaluation aspects for a set of one or more health information systems—whether similar or heterogeneous—by organizing, unifying, and aggregating the quality attributes extracted from those systems and from an external evaluation framework. Methods On the basis of the available literature in semantic networks and ontologies, a method (called Unified eValuation using Ontology; UVON) was developed that can organize, unify, and aggregate the quality attributes of several health information systems into a tree-style ontology structure. The method was extended to integrate its generated ontology with the evaluation aspects suggested by model-based evaluation frameworks. An approach was developed to extract evaluation aspects from the ontology that also considers evaluation case practicalities such as the maximum number of evaluation aspects to be measured or their required degree of specificity. The method was applied and tested in Future Internet Social and Technological Alignment Research (FI-STAR), a project of 7 cloud-based eHealth applications that were developed and deployed across European Union countries. Results The relevance of the evaluation aspects created by the UVON method for the FI-STAR project was validated by the corresponding stakeholders of each case. These evaluation aspects were extracted from a UVON-generated ontology structure that reflects both the internally declared required quality attributes in the 7 eHealth applications of the FI-STAR project and the evaluation aspects recommended by the Model for ASsessment of Telemedicine applications (MAST) evaluation framework. The extracted evaluation aspects were used to create questionnaires (for the corresponding patients and health professionals) to evaluate each individual case and the whole of the FI-STAR project. Conclusions The UVON method can provide a relevant set of evaluation aspects for a heterogeneous set of health information systems by organizing, unifying, and aggregating the quality attributes through ontological structures. Those quality attributes can be either suggested by evaluation models or elicited from the stakeholders of those systems in the form of system requirements. The method continues to be systematic, context sensitive, and relevant across a heterogeneous set of health information systems. PMID:27311735

  12. The Effectiveness of Health Care Information Technologies: Evaluation of Trust, Security Beliefs, and Privacy as Determinants of Health Care Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Kisekka, Victoria; Giboney, Justin Scott

    2018-04-11

    The diffusion of health information technologies (HITs) within the health care sector continues to grow. However, there is no theory explaining how success of HITs influences patient care outcomes. With the increase in data breaches, HITs' success now hinges on the effectiveness of data protection solutions. Still, empirical research has only addressed privacy concerns, with little regard for other factors of information assurance. The objective of this study was to study the effectiveness of HITs using the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model (DMISSM). We examined the role of information assurance constructs (ie, the role of information security beliefs, privacy concerns, and trust in health information) as measures of HIT effectiveness. We also investigated the relationships between information assurance and three aspects of system success: attitude toward health information exchange (HIE), patient access to health records, and perceived patient care quality. Using structural equation modeling, we analyzed the data from a sample of 3677 cancer patients from a public dataset. We used R software (R Project for Statistical Computing) and the Lavaan package to test the hypothesized relationships. Our extension of the DMISSM to health care was supported. We found that increased privacy concerns reduce the frequency of patient access to health records use, positive attitudes toward HIE, and perceptions of patient care quality. Also, belief in the effectiveness of information security increases the frequency of patient access to health records and positive attitude toward HIE. Trust in health information had a positive association with attitudes toward HIE and perceived patient care quality. Trust in health information had no direct effect on patient access to health records; however, it had an indirect relationship through privacy concerns. Trust in health information and belief in the effectiveness of information security safeguards increases perceptions of patient care quality. Privacy concerns reduce patients' frequency of accessing health records, patients' positive attitudes toward HIE exchange, and overall perceived patient care quality. Health care organizations are encouraged to implement security safeguards to increase trust, the frequency of health record use, and reduce privacy concerns, consequently increasing patient care quality. ©Victoria Kisekka, Justin Scott Giboney. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.04.2018.

  13. The Development and Validation of a Special Education Intelligent Administration Support Program. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Utah State Univ., Logan. Center for Persons with Disabilities.

    This project studied the effects of implementing a computerized management information system developed for special education administrators. The Intelligent Administration Support Program (IASP), an expert system and database program, assisted in information acquisition and analysis pertaining to the district's quality of decisions and procedures…

  14. 40 CFR 57.402 - Elements of the supplementary control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... capable of routine real time measurement of maximum expected SO2 concentrations for the averaging times of... emission curtailment decisions based on the use of real time information from the air quality monitoring... meteorological information necessary to operate the system; (iv) The ambient concentrations and meteorological...

  15. 40 CFR 57.402 - Elements of the supplementary control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... capable of routine real time measurement of maximum expected SO2 concentrations for the averaging times of... emission curtailment decisions based on the use of real time information from the air quality monitoring... meteorological information necessary to operate the system; (iv) The ambient concentrations and meteorological...

  16. 40 CFR 57.402 - Elements of the supplementary control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... capable of routine real time measurement of maximum expected SO2 concentrations for the averaging times of... emission curtailment decisions based on the use of real time information from the air quality monitoring... meteorological information necessary to operate the system; (iv) The ambient concentrations and meteorological...

  17. 40 CFR 57.402 - Elements of the supplementary control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... capable of routine real time measurement of maximum expected SO2 concentrations for the averaging times of... emission curtailment decisions based on the use of real time information from the air quality monitoring... meteorological information necessary to operate the system; (iv) The ambient concentrations and meteorological...

  18. IS 2010 and ABET Accreditation: An Analysis of ABET-Accredited Information Systems Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saulnier, Bruce; White, Bruce

    2011-01-01

    Many strong forces are converging on information systems academic departments. Among these forces are quality considerations, accreditation, curriculum models, declining/steady student enrollments, and keeping current with respect to emerging technologies and trends. ABET, formerly the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology, is at…

  19. A combined report for freight information real-time system for transport (FIRST). Part A, final evaluation. Part B, detailed test plans

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-05-30

    The ultimate goal of this evaluation is to identify any benefits in operational efficiency, air quality, and customer satisfaction with the implementation of the FIRST information technology system for the intermodal freight industry at the Port of N...

  20. 77 FR 50495 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Information...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which means EPA will not know your... public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select ``search,'' then key in the... homes under Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and ENERGY STAR's HVAC Quality Installation program...

  1. GRIN-Global: An International Project to Develop a Global Plant Genebank and Information Management System

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Many of the world's national genebanks, responsible for the safeguarding and availability of their country's Plant Genetic Resource (PGR) collections, have lacked access to high quality IT needed to document and manage their collections electronically. The Germplasm Resource Information System (GRI...

  2. 40 CFR 57.402 - Elements of the supplementary control system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... capable of routine real time measurement of maximum expected SO2 concentrations for the averaging times of... emission curtailment decisions based on the use of real time information from the air quality monitoring... meteorological information necessary to operate the system; (iv) The ambient concentrations and meteorological...

  3. The use of quality benchmarking in assessing web resources for the dermatology virtual branch library of the National electronic Library for Health (NeLH).

    PubMed

    Kamel Boulos, M N; Roudsari, A V; Gordon, C; Muir Gray, J A

    2001-01-01

    In 1998, the U.K. National Health Service Information for Health Strategy proposed the implementation of a National electronic Library for Health to provide clinicians, healthcare managers and planners, patients and the public with easy, round the clock access to high quality, up-to-date electronic information on health and healthcare. The Virtual Branch Libraries are among the most important components of the National electronic Library for Health. They aim at creating online knowledge based communities, each concerned with some specific clinical and other health-related topics. This study is about the envisaged Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries of the National electronic Library for Health. It aims at selecting suitable dermatology Web resources for inclusion in the forthcoming Virtual Branch Libraries after establishing preliminary quality benchmarking rules for this task. Psoriasis, being a common dermatological condition, has been chosen as a starting point. Because quality is a principal concern of the National electronic Library for Health, the study includes a review of the major quality benchmarking systems available today for assessing health-related Web sites. The methodology of developing a quality benchmarking system has been also reviewed. Aided by metasearch Web tools, candidate resources were hand-selected in light of the reviewed benchmarking systems and specific criteria set by the authors. Over 90 professional and patient-oriented Web resources on psoriasis and dermatology in general are suggested for inclusion in the forthcoming Dermatology Virtual Branch Libraries. The idea of an all-in knowledge-hallmarking instrument for the National electronic Library for Health is also proposed based on the reviewed quality benchmarking systems. Skilled, methodical, organized human reviewing, selection and filtering based on well-defined quality appraisal criteria seems likely to be the key ingredient in the envisaged National electronic Library for Health service. Furthermore, by promoting the application of agreed quality guidelines and codes of ethics by all health information providers and not just within the National electronic Library for Health, the overall quality of the Web will improve with time and the Web will ultimately become a reliable and integral part of the care space.

  4. An application of Landsat and computer technology to potential water pollution from soil erosion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, W. J.

    1981-01-01

    Agricultural activity has been recognized as the primary source of nonpoint source water pollution. Water quality planners have needed information that is timely, accurate, easily reproducible, and relatively inexpensive to utilize to implement 'Best Management Practices' for water quality. In this paper, a case study shows how the combination of satellite data, which can give accurate land-cover/land-use information, and a computerized geographic information system, can assess nonpoint pollution at a regional scale and be cost effective.

  5. Multicentre analysis of treatment planning information: technical requirements, possible applications and a proposal.

    PubMed

    Ebert, M A; Blight, J; Price, S; Haworth, A; Hamilton, C; Cornes, D; Joseph, D J

    2004-09-01

    Digital data from 3-D treatment planning computers is generally used for patient planning and then never considered again. However, such data contains enormous quantities of information regarding patient geometries, tissue outlining, treatment approaches and dose distributions. Were such data accessible from planning systems from multiple manufacturers, there would be substantial opportunities for undertaking quality assurance of radiotherapy clinical trials, prospective assessment of trial outcomes and basic treatment planning research and development. The technicalities of data exchange between planning systems are outlined, and previous attempts at producing systems capable of viewing and/or manipulating imaging and radiotherapy digital data reviewed. Development of a software system for enhancing the quality of Australasian clinical trials is proposed.

  6. Effectiveness of nursing management information systems: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Choi, Mona; Yang, You Lee; Lee, Sun-Mi

    2014-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to review evaluation studies of nursing management information systems (NMISs) and their outcome measures to examine system effectiveness. For the systematic review, a literature search of the PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was conducted to retrieve original articles published between 1970 and 2014. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms included informatics, medical informatics, nursing informatics, medical informatics application, and management information systems for information systems and evaluation studies and nursing evaluation research for evaluation research. Additionally, manag(*) and admin(*), and nurs(*) were combined. Title, abstract, and full-text reviews were completed by two reviewers. And then, year, author, type of management system, study purpose, study design, data source, system users, study subjects, and outcomes were extracted from the selected articles. The quality and risk of bias of the studies that were finally selected were assessed with the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS) criteria. Out of the 2,257 retrieved articles, a total of six articles were selected. These included two scheduling programs, two nursing cost-related programs, and two patient care management programs. For the outcome measurements, usefulness, time saving, satisfaction, cost, attitude, usability, data quality/completeness/accuracy, and personnel work patterns were included. User satisfaction, time saving, and usefulness mostly showed positive findings. The study results suggest that NMISs were effective in time saving and useful in nursing care. Because there was a lack of quality in the reviewed studies, well-designed research, such as randomized controlled trials, should be conducted to more objectively evaluate the effectiveness of NMISs.

  7. Effective Materials Property Information Management for the 21st Century

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ren, Weiju; Cebon, David; Arnold, Steve

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses key principles for the development of materials property information management software systems. There are growing needs for automated materials information management in various organizations. In part these are fueled by the demands for higher efficiency in material testing, product design and engineering analysis. But equally important, organizations are being driven by the need for consistency, quality and traceability of data, as well as control of access to sensitive information such as proprietary data. Further, the use of increasingly sophisticated nonlinear, anisotropic and multi-scale engineering analyses requires both processing of large volumes of test data for development of constitutive models and complex materials data input for Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) software. And finally, the globalization of economy often generates great needs for sharing a single "gold source" of materials information between members of global engineering teams in extended supply chains. Fortunately, material property management systems have kept pace with the growing user demands and evolved to versatile data management systems that can be customized to specific user needs. The more sophisticated of these provide facilities for: (i) data management functions such as access, version, and quality controls; (ii) a wide range of data import, export and analysis capabilities; (iii) data "pedigree" traceability mechanisms; (iv) data searching, reporting and viewing tools; and (v) access to the information via a wide range of interfaces. In this paper the important requirements for advanced material data management systems, future challenges and opportunities such as automated error checking, data quality characterization, identification of gaps in datasets, as well as functionalities and business models to fuel database growth and maintenance are discussed.

  8. Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2016-06-02

    This final rule replaces the Statewide and Tribal Automated Child Welfare Information Systems (S/TACWIS) rule with the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) rule. The rule also makes conforming amendments in rules in related requirements. This rule will assist title IV-E agencies in developing information management systems that leverage new innovations and technology in order to better serve children and families. More specifically, this final rule supports the use of cost-effective, innovative technologies to automate the collection of high-quality case management data and to promote its analysis, distribution, and use by workers, supervisors, administrators, researchers, and policy makers.

  9. Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems. Volume 1; Planning and Technology Insertion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    The Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems describes a set of techniques called Formal Methods (FM), and outlines their use in the specification and verification of computer systems and software. Development of increasingly complex systems has created a need for improved specification and verification techniques. NASA's Safety and Mission Quality Office has supported the investigation of techniques such as FM, which are now an accepted method for enhancing the quality of aerospace applications. The guidebook provides information for managers and practitioners who are interested in integrating FM into an existing systems development process. Information includes technical and administrative considerations that must be addressed when establishing the use of FM on a specific project. The guidebook is intended to aid decision makers in the successful application of FM to the development of high-quality systems at reasonable cost. This is the first volume of a planned two-volume set. The current volume focuses on administrative and planning considerations for the successful application of FM.

  10. A Kind of Transformation of Information Service--Science and Technology Novelty Search in Chinese University Libraries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aiguo, Li

    2007-01-01

    Science and Technology Novelty Search (S&TNS) is a special information consultation service developed as part of the Chinese Sci-Tech system. The author introduces the concept of S&TNS, and explains its role, and the role of the university library in the process. A quality control model to improve the quality of service of the S&TNS at…

  11. Water Quality Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS): A Compilation of Abstracts to Water Quality and Water Resources materials. Supplement 31, 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH. Information Reference Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

    The Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center in Columbus, Ohio, acquires, reviews, indexes, and announces both print (books, modules, units, etc.) and non-print (films, slides, video tapes, etc.) materials related to water quality and water resources education and instruction. This publication contains abstracts and indexes to selected…

  12. Water Quality Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS): A Compilation of Abstracts to Water Quality and Water Resources Materials. Supplement 33, 1988.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH. Information Reference Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

    The Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center in Columbus, Ohio, acquires, reviews, indexes, and announces both print (books, modules, units, etc.) and non-print (films, slides, video tapes, etc.) materials related to water quality and water resources education and instruction. In addition some materials related to hazardous materials,…

  13. Water Quality Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS): A Compilation of Abstracts to Water Quality and Water Resources Materials. Supplement 32, 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH. Information Reference Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

    The Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center in Columbus, Ohio, acquires, reviews, indexes, and announces both print (books, modules, units, etc.) and non-print (films, slides, video tapes, etc.) materials related to water quality and water resources education and instruction. In addition some materials related to pesticides, hazardous…

  14. Water Quality Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS): A Compilation of Abstracts to Water Quality and Water Resources Materials. Supplement 34, 1988.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH. Information Reference Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.

    The Environmental Quality Instructional Resources Center in Columbus, Ohio, acquires, reviews, indexes, and announces both print (books, modules, units, etc.) and non-print (films, slides, video tapes, etc.) materials related to water quality and water resources education and instruction. In addition some materials related to pesticides, hazardous…

  15. Performance measurement for ambulatory care: moving towards a new agenda.

    PubMed

    Roski, J; Gregory, R

    2001-12-01

    Despite a shift in care delivery from inpatient to ambulatory care, performance measurement efforts for the different levels in ambulatory care settings such as individual physicians, individual clinics and physician organizations have not been widely instituted in the United States (U.S.). The Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS), the most widely used performance measurement set in the U.S., includes a number of measures that evaluate preventive and chronic care provided in ambulatory care facilities. While HEDIS has made important contributions to the tracking of ambulatory care quality, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the measurement set could be improved by providing quality of care information at the levels of greatest interest to consumers and purchasers of care, namely for individual physicians, clinics and physician organizations. This article focuses on the improvement opportunities for quality performance measurement systems in ambulatory care. Specific challenges to creating a sustainable performance measurement system at the level of physician organizations, such as defining the purpose of the system, the accountability logic, information and reporting needs and mechanisms for sustainable implementation, are discussed.

  16. The reliability-quality relationship for quality systems and quality risk management.

    PubMed

    Claycamp, H Gregg; Rahaman, Faiad; Urban, Jason M

    2012-01-01

    Engineering reliability typically refers to the probability that a system, or any of its components, will perform a required function for a stated period of time and under specified operating conditions. As such, reliability is inextricably linked with time-dependent quality concepts, such as maintaining a state of control and predicting the chances of losses from failures for quality risk management. Two popular current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and quality risk management tools, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and root cause analysis (RCA) are examples of engineering reliability evaluations that link reliability with quality and risk. Current concepts in pharmaceutical quality and quality management systems call for more predictive systems for maintaining quality; yet, the current pharmaceutical manufacturing literature and guidelines are curiously silent on engineering quality. This commentary discusses the meaning of engineering reliability while linking the concept to quality systems and quality risk management. The essay also discusses the difference between engineering reliability and statistical (assay) reliability. The assurance of quality in a pharmaceutical product is no longer measured only "after the fact" of manufacturing. Rather, concepts of quality systems and quality risk management call for designing quality assurance into all stages of the pharmaceutical product life cycle. Interestingly, most assays for quality are essentially static and inform product quality over the life cycle only by being repeated over time. Engineering process reliability is the fundamental concept that is meant to anticipate quality failures over the life cycle of the product. Reliability is a well-developed theory and practice for other types of manufactured products and manufacturing processes. Thus, it is well known to be an appropriate index of manufactured product quality. This essay discusses the meaning of reliability and its linkages with quality systems and quality risk management.

  17. Development of a model web-based system to support a statewide quality consortium in radiation oncology.

    PubMed

    Moran, Jean M; Feng, Mary; Benedetti, Lisa A; Marsh, Robin; Griffith, Kent A; Matuszak, Martha M; Hess, Michael; McMullen, Matthew; Fisher, Jennifer H; Nurushev, Teamour; Grubb, Margaret; Gardner, Stephen; Nielsen, Daniel; Jagsi, Reshma; Hayman, James A; Pierce, Lori J

    A database in which patient data are compiled allows analytic opportunities for continuous improvements in treatment quality and comparative effectiveness research. We describe the development of a novel, web-based system that supports the collection of complex radiation treatment planning information from centers that use diverse techniques, software, and hardware for radiation oncology care in a statewide quality collaborative, the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC). The MROQC database seeks to enable assessment of physician- and patient-reported outcomes and quality improvement as a function of treatment planning and delivery techniques for breast and lung cancer patients. We created tools to collect anonymized data based on all plans. The MROQC system representing 24 institutions has been successfully deployed in the state of Michigan. Since 2012, dose-volume histogram and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine-radiation therapy plan data and information on simulation, planning, and delivery techniques have been collected. Audits indicated >90% accurate data submission and spurred refinements to data collection methodology. This model web-based system captures detailed, high-quality radiation therapy dosimetry data along with patient- and physician-reported outcomes and clinical data for a radiation therapy collaborative quality initiative. The collaborative nature of the project has been integral to its success. Our methodology can be applied to setting up analogous consortiums and databases. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. The influence of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems' performance on earnings management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Kuen-Chang; Liu, Jau-Yang; Lin, Sin-Jin; Chou, Yu-Wei

    2012-11-01

    We analyse whether there is a linkage between performance measures of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and earnings management. We find that earnings management decreases with the higher performance of ERP systems. The empirical result is as expected. We further analyse how the dimension of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems success affects earnings management. We find that the relationship between the performance of ERP systems and earnings management depends on System Quality after ERP implementation. The more System Quality improves, the more earnings management is reduced.

  19. Electronic laboratory data quality and the value of a health information exchange to support public health reporting processes.

    PubMed

    Dixon, Brian E; McGowan, Julie J; Grannis, Shaun J

    2011-01-01

    There is increasing interest in leveraging electronic health data across disparate sources for a variety of uses. A fallacy often held by data consumers is that clinical data quality is homogeneous across sources. We examined one attribute of data quality, completeness, in the context of electronic laboratory reporting of notifiable disease information. We evaluated 7.5 million laboratory reports from clinical information systems for their completeness with respect to data needed for public health reporting processes. We also examined the impact of health information exchange (HIE) enhancement methods that attempt to improve completeness. The laboratory data were heterogeneous in their completeness. Fields identifying the patient and test results were usually complete. Fields containing patient demographics, patient contact information, and provider contact information were suboptimal. Data processed by the HIE were often more complete, suggesting that HIEs can support improvements to existing public health reporting processes.

  20. Implementation of a large-scale hospital information infrastructure for multi-unit health-care services.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Sun K; Kim, Dong Keun; Kim, Jung C; Park, Youn Jung; Chang, Byung Chul

    2008-01-01

    With the increase in demand for high quality medical services, the need for an innovative hospital information system has become essential. An improved system has been implemented in all hospital units of the Yonsei University Health System. Interoperability between multi-units required appropriate hardware infrastructure and software architecture. This large-scale hospital information system encompassed PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems), EMR (Electronic Medical Records) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). It involved two tertiary hospitals and 50 community hospitals. The monthly data production rate by the integrated hospital information system is about 1.8 TByte and the total quantity of data produced so far is about 60 TByte. Large scale information exchange and sharing will be particularly useful for telemedicine applications.

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