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Biomedical subjects

Karen L Courtney

Publications and source records attributed to Karen L Courtney.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Defining obtrusiveness in home telehealth technologies: a conceptual framework.

The literature of home telehealth technology recommends that systems be designed to minimize their obtrusiveness to end users. However, this term is neither explicitly defined nor consistently used. This paper presents a definition of the concept of obtrusiveness. Within this definition, twenty-two categories of what may be perceived as obtrusive in home telehealth technology are proposed based on a review of the literature. These categories are grouped into eight dimensions. This effort represents an initial step toward developing measures of obtrusiveness associated with home telehealth technology. A validated and reliable instrument would allow for evaluation of individual applications as well as theory-building across applications.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2006

Telehospice support for elder caregivers of hospice patients: two case studies.

This project reports on the experience of two hospice caregivers using videophone technology to enhance communication with their care providers. The data show the overall satisfaction and technical feasibility with videophone technology in home hospice. The case studies have great implication for future research because they reveal many unexpected issues relevant for future large-scale interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Facilitating interdisciplinary design specification of "smart" homes for aging in place.

"Smart homes" are defined as residences equipped with sensors and other advanced technology applications that enhance residents' independence and can be used for aging in place. The objective of this study is to determine design specifications for smart residences as defined by professional groups involved both in care delivery to senior citizens and development of devices and technologies to support aging. We assessed the importance of specific devices and sensors and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the interdisciplinary expert team. This work lays the ground for the implementation of smart home residencies and confirms that only an interdisciplinary design approach can address all the technical, clinical and human factors related challenges associated with home-based technologies that support aging. Our findings indicate that the use of adaptive technology that can be installed in the home environment has the potential to not only support but also empower individual senior users.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Visualizing nursing workforce distribution: policy evaluation using geographic information systems.

Health services literature suggests that geographic information systems (GIS) are useful policy evaluation tools when policy success is dependent on location. Nursing workforce distribution is an inherently local issue and nursing shortages present serious concerns for local, state and national governments. In 1991, Missouri enacted a nurse recruitment and retention policy targeting underserved (HPSA-designated) counties. Following Institutional Review Board approval, policy effectiveness was explored using a combination of GIS data visualization, spatial and classic statistics. Results of both data visualization and statistical methods do not demonstrate an expected trend of decreasing group differences between HPSA and non-HPSA-designated counties over time. Only two of the five time periods studied had significant group differences. Between 1993 and 1995, the loss in nurse to population ratios in HPSA counties was significant (U=1020, p<0.001); however, between 1999 and 2001, the growth in nurse to population ratio changes in HPSA counties was significant (U=1032, p=0.001). The GIS data visualization and statistical techniques performed suggest that current policy definitions of underserved areas may not be effective in defining areas of nursing shortages and the existing policy implementation may not be achieving the stated goals.

Geographic Information Systems↗
PubMed2005

Users' needs and expectations of electronic medical record systems in family medicine residence settings.

While physician informational needs have been examined in the literature, rarely do the findings have the specificity required to drive development of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) features. Using Delphi methodology, a comprehensive list of desirable, ranked EMR features was developed for physician residency practices. The identified EMR features and implications for system development are explored in this paper.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed2005

Exploring electronic conversion of behavioral instruments for telehealth.

As research interests in telehealth applications increase, traditional behavioral instruments need to be adapted for use for new mediums in telehealth evaluation. Display and method of presentation changes can affect the reliability and occasionally the validity of the revised instruments. This paper explores critical concerns to be addressed with electronic conversion of psychometric instruments and provides an example of testing methodology and psychometric properties for an instrument measuring quality of life (CQLI) converted in electronic format for use within a telehealth intervention.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Factors to weigh when considering electronic data collection.

Researchers are increasingly considering the adoption of electronic data-collection methods--which entail the use of the Web, e-mail, and desktop and handheld computers--for surveys, diaries, research instruments, and focus groups. Based on prior research findings on electronic data collection, the authors delineate the key factors, which incorporate population, data, and resource characteristics, that guide researchers in selecting the data-collection method most appropriate for their research question. Population factors to consider in data-collection decisions are age, gender, socio-economic status, and access to technology. Key data factors influencing the selection of collection method include sensitivity of the topic, time sensitivity, longitudinal data, and contextual data. Data-collection decisions are also based on financial, time, and technological resources. Technology and demographics will continue to change and affect data-collection methods and possibilities. By examining these key factors, however, researchers will be able to reach data-collection decisions that are appropriate for each project.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2005

Internet quality indicators for health professional agencies and associations.

Building on work within public administration research, five categories of quality indicators are proposed for evaluating World Wide Web (web) sites belonging to state health professional agencies and associations. The five measures include: transparency, transactions, connectivity, personalization and usability. This project describes the construction of each quality indicator index and a calculation of quality scores. This project applies these methods to state Boards of Nursing and nursing association websites.

Information Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Information technology: changing nursing processes at the point-of-care.

Changing societal demographics, increasing complexity in healthcare knowledge, and increasing nursing shortages have led healthcare strategists to call for a redesign of the healthcare system. Embedded within most redesign recommendations is the increased use of technology to make nursing practice more efficient. However, information technology (IT) has the potential to go beyond simple efficiency increases. If IT is perceived truly as a part of the redesign of healthcare delivery rather than simply the automation of existing processes, then it can change nursing processes within institutions and furthermore change the point-of-care between nurses and patients. Nursing adoption of technology within the workplace is a result of the interactions between technical skills, social acceptance, and workplace culture. Nursing needs for information not only influence their adoption of particular technologies but also shape their design. The objective of this article is to illustrate how IT can change not only nursing practice and processes but also the point-of-care. A case study of the use of IT by nurses in telehomecare is presented and administrative implications are discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethical considerations for the utilization of tele-health technologies in home and hospice care by the nursing profession.

Home care, including hospice care, is a growing component of the current healthcare system and pertains to care services that are provided to individuals, their family members, and caregivers in their own residence. Both domains face funding limitations as life expectancy and the segment of the population older than 65 years increase. Tele-health, defined as the use of advanced telecommunication technologies to enable communication between patients and healthcare providers separated by geographic distance, is perceived as a concept that can enhance both home and hospice care and address some of the current challenges. This article discusses ethical challenges associated with the utilization of tele-health technologies by the nursing profession in the home setting. These factors form a framework for the ethical considerations that result from the introduction of these technologies in nursing practice. Specifically, the article discusses the issue of privacy and confidentiality of patient data, informed consent, equity of access, promoting dependency versus independence, the lack of human touch and the impact of technology on the nurse-patient relationship, and the medicalization of the home environment. These issues constitute a road map both for nursing practitioners who are aiming to provide an efficient delivery of services in the home and for nursing administrators who are asked to make judgments about the use of tele-health technology as a supplement to traditional care and as a cost-saving tool.

Confidentiality↗