Hybrid journal * Containing 1 Open Access article(s) in this issue * ISSN (Print) 1833-3583 - ISSN (Online) 1833-3575 Published by Sage Publications[1084 journals]
Authors:Thomas Cloney, Jessele Vinluan, Andrew Chen, Claudia Retegan, Philip McCahy Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:Clinical audits can vary in their effectiveness depending on how the information is provided and the relationship between those giving and receiving feedback. In the Australian state of Victoria, the Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality (VASM) is a state-wide mortality audit that, prior to this study, did not have a bidirectional feedback mechanism in place to gauge perception of the audit held by its stakeholders.Objective:We aimed to investigate the perceived quality of the audit’s information and the effectiveness of the audit’s communication strategies from the stakeholder population.Methods:We used a mixed methods approach to provide open-ended explorations into stakeholders’ views while also providing structured tools for conducting annual reviews. The qualitative data were analysed using an inductive content analysis.Results:Between 2015 and 2017, 240 VASM stakeholders were contacted, of whom 82 (34.2%) agreed to be interviewed. The VASM’s data were perceived to be of high quality and used in a variety of ways. The audit’s communication strategies were seen to be adequate but could be more targeted to the stakeholder. There is a perception that the audit might not be relevant to hospital stakeholders that are not themselves clinicians, despite direct involvement with the audit.Conclusion:This study helps to explain the role the audit plays among its stakeholders and offers three overarching recommendations for improvement strategies: produce data sharing strategies that are relevant to rural or highly specialised surgical centres, improve communication to be targeted at stakeholders and explore methods to provide feedback to hospital management with more individualised feedback. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-11-29T10:55:37Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319885223
Authors:Neil G Barr, Glen E Randall Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has tremendous potential to enhance communication among physicians, leading to improvements in service delivery. However, the protection of health information in digital/electronic format is an ongoing concern.Objective:The purpose of this study was to examine guidance for the protection of health information when using ICT from all 10 of Canada’s provincial regulatory colleges for physicians and to discuss the potential policy and service delivery implications.Method:A search of the regulatory college websites was conducted, followed by a document analysis (content and thematic).Results:The college website search identified 522 documents; 12 of these documents (from 8 of the 10 colleges) met the study criteria. These documents were notable for the considerable variation in the scope and detail of guidance provided across the colleges.Conclusion:While the federal–provincial division of powers in Canada enables different jurisdictional approaches to health service delivery and, thus, opportunities for policy learning, this governing structure may also contribute to a lack of incentive for collaboration, leading to an absence of standardised guidance for health information protection when using ICT. This, in turn, may result in unequal and inequitable protection of health information across the provinces. Therefore, a macro-level approach to policy development in this area may hold the greatest promise for enhancing the protection of health information and doing so in a more standardised manner in countries with federal systems of governance. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-09-12T03:47:57Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319873968
Authors:Reza Safdari, Hossein Rezaeizadeh, Goli Arji, Alireza Abbassian, Mehrshad Mokhtaran, Reza Dehghan, Sara Shekalyou Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:Classification of disease and interventions in traditional medicine (TM) is necessary for standardised coding of information. Currently, in Iran, there is no standard electronic classification system for disease and interventions in TM.Objective:The current study aimed to develop a national framework for the classification of disease and intervention in Persian medicine based on expert opinion.Method:A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2018. The existing systems for the classification of disease and interventions in TM were reviewed in detail, and some of the structural and content characteristics were extracted for the development of the classification of Iranian traditional medicine. Based on these features, a self-administered questionnaire was developed. Study participants (25) were experts in the field of Persian medicine and health information management in Tehran medical universities.Results:Main axes for the classification of disease and interventions were determined. The most important applications of the classification system were related to clinical coding, policymaking, reporting of mortality and morbidity data, cost analysis and determining the quality indicators. Half of the participants (50%) stated that the classification system should be designed by maintaining the main axis of the World Health Organization classification system and changing the subgroups if necessary. A computer-assisted coding system for TM was proposed for the current study.Conclusion:Development of this classification system will provide nationally comparable data that can be widely used by governments, national organisations and academic researchers. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-09-10T03:08:05Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319872820
Authors:Morteza Hemmat, Haleh Ayatollahi, Mohammadreza Maleki, Fatemeh Saghafi Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:Policymakers require a systematic approach when planning for information technology needs in healthcare.Objective:The aim of this study was to obtain experts’ predictions of future health information technology (HIT) needs until 2025 for Iran in relation to the relative importance of key technologies, expected timeframe of realisation, areas that may be impacted upon and obstacles to achieving these goals.Method:This article presents results from the third phase (a Delphi study) of a larger mixed-method study. Policymakers from the Iranian Ministry of Health and faculty members from different medical universities across the country who were expert in the field of HIT were invited to participate (n = 61).Results:Participants (39) completed the first-round questionnaire and 24 completed the second. The development of personal health records (n = 32, 82.0%), the development of clinical decision-making systems (n = 30, 76.9%) and the use of business intelligence for collecting and analysing clinical and financial data (n = 32, 82.0%) were predicted to occur after 2025. The healthcare areas predicted to experience the greatest impact from most HITs were facilitating patient–provider communication and improving healthcare quality. Key barriers to achieving HITs were related to weaknesses in planning and limited financial resources for most technologies.Conclusion:By identifying the areas of impact and the barriers to achieving the HIT goals, more accurate planning is possible and resources can be allocated according to priorities. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-08-16T02:43:10Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319868445
Authors:Louisa Walsh, Bronwyn Hemsley, Meredith Allan, Maria R Dahm, Susan Balandin, Andrew Georgiou, Isabel Higgins, Shaun McCarthy, Sophie Hill Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:This study examined the health literacy demands of My Health Record (MyHR) in the context of preparing for a government-announced opt-out system by repeating two studies of health information and usability conducted in 2016.Objective:To examine whether Australia’s MyHR meets the information and usability needs of people at risk of low health literacy and changes since 2016.Method: Content analysis: Informed by the 2016 methods and findings, measures of information quality, themes and target audiences were recorded and reported for each online consumer-facing health information resource. Heuristic evaluation: An evaluation of the MyHR and supporting information website was conducted using a predetermined checklist of usability criteria. A list of usability violations for both websites was identified.Results:Total number of resources grew from 80 in 2016 to 233 in 2018. There was little change since 2016 to average readability levels, target audiences, presentation style, links between resources and usability of MyHR. Compared to 2016, this study demonstrated increases in resources from non-government organisations; video resources; translated resources; and resources with themes of privacy, security and post-registration use.Conclusion:This study identified some improvements in information quality since 2016, but gaps remain in information quality and usability which may negatively impact the ability for people with low health literacy to access and use MyHR.Implications:This study provides a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the suitability of MyHR for people at risk of low health literacy. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-08-02T01:51:29Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319864734
Authors:Patricia Hay, Kathy Wilton, Jennifer Barker, Julie Mortley, Megan Cumerlato Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) is a recent initiative gaining increased momentum in Australia. The benefits surrounding its success internationally include improved quality and patient safety outcomes and increased reimbursement. The premise of CDI is simple: engage clinicians to improve the clinical documentation in the medical record in “real time” so that it is fit for reporting, analysis and reimbursement. Every country has differing healthcare systems and this article has focused on validating the relevancy of CDI for the Australian healthcare environment. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-07-15T03:15:35Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319854185
Authors:Chelsea Doktorchik, Mingshan Lu, Hude Quan, Cathy Ringham, Cathy Eastwood Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:It is essential that clinical documentation and clinical coding be of high quality for the production of healthcare data.Objective:This study assessed qualitatively the strengths and barriers regarding clinical coding quality from the perspective of health information managers.Method:Ten health information managers and clinical coding quality coordinators who oversee clinical coders (CCs) were identified and recruited from nine provinces across Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, which included questions on data quality, costs of clinical coding, education for health information management, suggestions for quality improvement and barriers to quality improvement. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using directed content analysis and informed by institutional ethnography.Results:Common barriers to clinical coding quality included incomplete and unorganised chart documentation, and lack of communication with physicians for clarification. Further, clinical coding quality suffered as a result of limited resources (e.g. staffing and budget) being available to health information management departments. Managers unanimously reported that clinical coding quality improvements can be made by (i) offering interactive training programmes to CCs and (ii) streamlining sources of information from charts.Conclusion:Although clinical coding quality is generally regarded as high across Canada, clinical coding managers perceived quality to be limited by incomplete and inconsistent chart documentation, and increasing expectations for data collection without equal resources allocated to clinical coding professionals.Implications:This study presents novel evidence for clinical coding quality improvement across Canada. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-07-09T03:15:32Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319855031
Authors:Jerneja Sveticic, Nicholas CJ Stapelberg, Kathryn Turner Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:The accuracy of data on suicide-related presentations to Emergency Departments (EDs) has implications for the provision of care and policy development, yet research on its validity is scarce.Objective:To test the reliability of allocation of ICD-10 codes assigned to suicide and self-related presentations to EDs in Queensland, Australia.Method:All presentations due to suicide attempts, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation between 1 July 2017 and 31 December 2017 were reviewed. The number of presentations identified through relevant ICD-10-AM codes and presenting complaints in the Emergency Department Information System were compared to those identified through an application of an evolutionary algorithm and medical record review (gold standard).Results:A total of 2540 relevant presentations were identified through the gold standard methodology. Great heterogeneity of ICD-10-AM codes and presenting complaints was observed for suicide attempts (40 diagnostic codes and 27 presenting complaints), NSSI (27 and 16, respectively) and suicidal ideation (38 and 34, respectively). Relevant ICD codes applied as primary or secondary diagnosis had very low sensitivity in detecting cases of suicide attempts (18.7%), NSSI (38.5%) and suicidal ideation (42.3%). A combination of ICD-10-AM code and a relevant presenting complaint increased specificity, however substantially reduced specificity and positive predictive values for all types of presentations. ED data showed bias in detecting higher percentages of suicide attempts by Indigenous persons (10.1% vs. 6.9%) or by cutting (28.1% vs. 10.3%), and NSSI by female presenters (76.4% vs. 67.4%).Conclusion:Suicidal and self-harm presentations are grossly under-enumerated in ED datasets and should be used with caution until a more standardised approach to their formulation and recording is implemented. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-07-05T06:52:30Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319857188
Authors:Nathalia Costa, Mandy Nielsen, Gwendolen Jull, Andrew P Claus, Paul W Hodges Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print. Background:The popularity of the Internet as a source of health-related information for low back pain (LBP) is growing. Although research has evaluated information quality in health-related websites, few studies have considered whether content and presentation match consumer preferences.Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate whether LBP website content and presentation matched preferences of consumers with LBP, whether matching preference of consumers changed over 8 years as recognition of people-centred healthcare has developed and whether this differs between countries of Internet searching.Method:The most prominent and top 20 LBP websites were identified using common search engines in 2010, 2015 and 2018. Websites identified in the top 20 in 2010 were followed up if not identified in 2015 and 2018. Two reviewers independently evaluated websites with a 16-item checklist developed from research of consumer preferences. In 2015, websites were identified using searches conducted using IP addresses from Australia, the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom and Canada. After removal of duplicates, 55 websites were evaluated in 2010. In 2015 and 2018, 33 and 28 new sites, respectively, were identified, and 37 previous websites were re-evaluated.Results:In 2010 and 2015, websites predominantly originated from USA and were sponsored by “for-profit” organisations. In 2018, most websites originated from Australian “not-for-profit” organisations. None of the websites provided information on all content areas. At least 55% of websites were rated as poor or fair. No site rated as excellent overall. There was some worsening over time. Country of search did not affect results.Conclusion:Websites retrieved using typical searches did not meet information and presentation preferences of people with LBP. Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-07-03T02:57:50Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319857354
Authors:Julio Souza, João Vasco Santos, Veronica Bolon Canedo, Amparo Betanzos, Domingos Alves, Alberto Freitas Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-05-02T03:05:55Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319840575
Authors:Merilyn Riley, Kerin Robinson, Natasha Prasad, Barbara Gleeson, Emma Barker, Dennis Wollersheim, Julie Price Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-04-22T04:05:23Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319839296
Authors:Michelle A Krahe, Julie Toohey, Malcolm Wolski, Paul A Scuffham, Sheena Reilly Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-03-12T03:20:50Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319831318
Authors:Vera Alonso, João Vasco Santos, Marta Pinto, Joana Ferreira, Isabel Lema, Fernando Lopes, Alberto Freitas Abstract: Health Information Management Journal, Ahead of Print.
Citation: Health Information Management Journal PubDate: 2019-02-12T03:53:02Z DOI: 10.1177/1833358319826351