No abstract available.
Education* ; Informatics*

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: With the rapid growth of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) in the healthcare industry, this article describes the users' satisfaction with PACS by employing functional PACS features and the two concepts of perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU), based on the extended technology acceptance model (TAM). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with dentists in 25 dental hospitals which were cluster sampled from the national registry of 132 dental hospitals. Of the 204 respondents (response rate 81.6%), the data of 159 PACS users were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. RESULTS: The fitted model showed significant relations between the technical components and the TAM variables, via the following three significant paths: hardware to PEOU, and software to PEOU and also to PU. Moreover, the critical path of TAM variables was observed: PEOU-->PU-->SAT. Therefore, the model produced three significant routes: hardware-->PEOU-->PU-->SAT, software-->PU-->SAT, and software-->PEOU-->PU-->SAT. CONCLUSION: Contrary to expectations, the direct effect of PEOU on user satisfaction was not significant. The final model provided critical paths from technical components to user satisfaction, by utilizing PEOU and PU as intermediary, latent factors.
Computers ; Critical Pathways ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dentists ; Health Care Sector ; Humans ; Radiology Information Systems ; Software

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: Technological advances using telemedicine and telehealth are growing in healthcare fields, but the evaluation framework for them is inconsistent and limited. This paper suggests a comprehensive evaluation framework for telemedicine system implementation and will support related stakeholders' decision-making by promoting general understanding, and resolving arguments and controversies. METHODS: This study focused on developing a comprehensive evaluation framework by summarizing themes across the range of evaluation techniques and organized foundational evaluation frameworks generally applicable through studies and cases of diverse telemedicine. Evaluation factors related to aspects of information technology; the evaluation of satisfaction of service providers and consumers, cost, quality, and information security are organized using the fishbone diagram. RESULTS: It was not easy to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for telemedicine since evaluation frameworks for telemedicine are very complex with many potential inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and stakeholders. A conceptual framework was developed that incorporates the key dimensions that need to be considered in the evaluation of telehealth implementation for a formal structured approach to the evaluation of a service. The suggested framework consists of six major dimensions and the subsequent branches for each dimension. CONCLUSIONS: To implement telemedicine and telehealth services, stakeholders should make decisions based on sufficient evidence in quality and safety measured by the comprehensive evaluation framework. Further work would be valuable in applying more comprehensive evaluations to verify and improve the comprehensive framework across a variety of contexts with more factors and participant group dimensions.
Delivery of Health Care ; Logic* ; Patient Safety ; Program Evaluation ; Quality of Health Care ; Telemedicine*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the burden of disease through an analysis of Years of Life Lost due to premature deaths, one component of the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY). In addition, the cause of death statistics were adjusted to improve validity, and the results were compared with those of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). METHODS: In closely following the approach taken in the original GBD study, most of the explicit assumptions and the value judgments were not changed. However, the statistics for some problematic concerns such as deaths of infants or those due to senility, were adjusted. Deaths, standard expected years of life lost (SEYLL), and potential years of life lost (PYLL) were computed using vital registration data compiled by the National Statistical Office. RESULTS: The burden for males is 1.8 and 2.3 times higher than that for females, according to SEYLL and PYLL, respectively. The proportions of deaths due to Group I, II, and III causes are 5.4%, 80.4%, and 14.3%, respectively, for PYLL, but in a major shift from Group II to III they are 6.3%, 66.2%, and 27.5%, respectively, for SEYLL. The proportion of Group III causes in Korea, 27.5%, is extremely high when compared to 10.1% for the world, 7.6% for developed countries, and 10.7% for developing countries. CONCLUSIONS: Estimation results showed that the total burden due to premature deaths is smaller than that for the entire world but larger than that for developed countries. The disease structure of Korea has changed to resemble that of developed countries. Also, an overly large portion of the total burden in Korea stems from injuries arising from car accidents.
Cause of Death ; Cost of Illness ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Female ; Health Transition ; Humans ; Infant ; Judgment ; Korea* ; Life Expectancy ; Male ; Mortality, Premature*

No abstract available.
Delivery of Health Care*

OBJECTIVES: The number of healthcare institutions adopting smartphones continues to increase, implying that their utilization is undoubtedly gaining attention. Understanding the needs of smartphone users will provide a greater opportunity for successful information technology acceptance by expanding the scope of its utilization. This study focuses on how smartphones are accepted and utilized in hospitals and analyzes the factors influencing users' attitude, social influence, and intention of use. METHODS: For the study model, the researcher has mainly adopted the Theory of Reasoned Action and further modified and used the models of Technology Acceptance and Information Systems Success. To test the model empirically, a survey was conducted with 122 professionals on information development teams in Korean tertiary hospitals. RESULTS: The common smartphone usage modes were Internet searching, e-mail, scheduling, and social networking in consecutive order. Phone calls consisted of 51.4% of work-related purposes, while other functions, such as text message, Web browser, and scheduling, were mostly used for personal purposes. Costs, contents quality, innovation, ease of use, and support were shown to have statistically significant effects on user attitude, and social influence, portability, security, content quality, and innovation were significant. User attitude and social influence were both statistically significant with respect to intention of use, with user attitude greater than social influence. CONCLUSIONS: The participating staff were analyzed as having strong personal faith and principles, independent from their external environment. Timely information exchanges among medical staff will facilitate appropriate communication and improved health services to patients in need.
Consumer Health Information ; Delivery of Health Care ; Electronic Mail ; Health Information Management ; Health Services ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Intention ; Internet ; Medical Staff ; Smartphone ; Telecommunications ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Text Messaging ; Web Browser ; Wireless Technology

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the functional characteristics of hardware and software in Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) in dental hospitals and examined the impact of the functional characteristics on user satisfaction, ease of use, and usefulness of PACS. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on dentists at 20 dental hospitals. The dentists assessed the functional characteristics of PACS, and also evaluated the outcomes of PACS use such as user satisfaction, ease of use, and usefulness. For each outcome variable, regression analysis was performed to determine the significant functional characteristics influencing each outcome variable. RESULTS: The image quality of device and the diagnosis-supporting function served as the most important factors in user satisfaction. Experience of the PACS system was correlated with ease of use. Dentists specialized in oral maxillofacial surgery evaluated PACS very useful, and intention to participation in education in the future showed significant correlation with usefulness. The more experience of using PACS system and concern about education, the higher usefulness for the system. CONCLUSIONS: This study has significance in that it can be used as reference for constructing high-efficiency system in dental hospitals adopting the PACS system and also in companies producing the system.
Consumer Satisfaction ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dental Informatics ; Dentists ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Intention ; Surgery, Oral