Development of an Instrument for Assessing the Maturity of Citizens for Consumer Health Informatics in Developing Countries: The Case of Chile, Ghana, and Kosovo.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a survey instrument to assess the maturity level of consumer health informatics (ConsHI) in low-middle income countries (LMIC). METHODS: We deduced items from unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), UTAUT2, patient activation measure (PAM), and ConsHI levels to constitute a pilot instrument. We proposed a total of 78 questions consisting of 14 demographic and 64 related maturity variables using an iterative process. We used a multistage convenient sampling approach to select 351 respondents from all three countries. RESULTS: Our results supported the earlier assertion that mobile devices and technology are standard today than ever, thus confirming that mobile devices have become an essential part of human activities. We used the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test (WSRT) and item response theory (IRT) to reduce the ConsHI-related items from 64 to 43. The questionnaire consisted of 10 demographic questions and 43 ConsHI relevant questions on the maturity of citizens for ConsHI in LMIC. Also, the results supported some moderators such as age and gender. Additionally, more demographic items such as marital status, educational level, and location of respondents were validated using IRT and WSRT. CONCLUSION: We contend that this is the first composite instrument for assessing the maturity of citizens for ConsHI in LMIC. Specifically, it aggregates multiple theoretical models from information systems (UTAUT and UTAUT2) and health (PAM) and the ConsHI level.

Access to assistive technology (AT) information in Spanish on state and territory program websites: United States, 2018.

BACKGROUND: Compared to non-Hispanic white individuals, assistive technology (AT) utilization is lower among Hispanic individuals.1-7 In the US, Spanish is the 2nd most frequently spoken language. Greater than one-fifth of Spanish-speaking households are limited English proficiencty (LEP) households (i.e., all individuals over age 14 in the household speak English less than "very well").8 Availability of AT materials in Spanish is one factor influencing knowledge about and utilization of AT among Spanish-speakers. OBJECTIVE: To examine the availability of Spanish-language AT information on state AT program websites and to assess the relationship between availability and state demographic and linguistic characteristics. METHODS: In 2018, we evaluated 56 state and territory AT program websites for the availability of AT information in Spanish. We calculated 4 measures (US Hispanic population in the state/territory; Hispanic individuals as a proportion of state population; overall Spanish-speaking households, and Spanish-speaking, limited English proficient households) from the 2016 American Community Survey and created ranked lists for each measure. Point biserial (rpb) correlations were calculated to test associations between each measure and availability of AT information in Spanish on each program's website. RESULTS: Sixteen program websites (15 states, 1 territory) provided access to Spanish-language AT information. None of the 4 measures were strongly associated with this outcome (rpb ranged from 0.30 to 0.42). For any of the 4 measures, no more than half of states in the top 10 ranks offered online access to AT information in Spanish. CONCLUSIONS: Improving the online availability of AT information in Spanish is necessary to increase equity in AT utilization among Spanish-speaking people with disabilities.

Ferramenta digital para organização da logística dos atendimentos nas clínicas da Faculdade de Odontologia da UFRJ / Digital tool for the organization of the logistics of dental care at the dental school of UFRJ

A logística de atendimentos nas clínicas odontológicas da FO-UFRJ é baseada no ensino do aluno de graduação por meio de disciplinas teórico-práticas que visam a formação integral dos futuros cirurgiões-dentistas. Durante o processo prático da educação verifica-se a interação entre três usuários com diferentes papéis na dinâmica dos atendimentos clínicos: alunos, pacientes e professores. Por meio da observação da rotina clínica o objetivo desse estudo foi organizar e otimizar a logística dos atendimentos da FO-UFRJ, na tentativa de humanizar o atendimento oferecido. Com o foco na percepção dos pacientes sobre os benefícios recebidos, foi desenvolvido um aplicativo web (AppClin), baseado na metodologia do Design Thinking, com funções individualizadas para cada usuário. Estimou-se que o benefício para o paciente será sua participação efetiva durante o atendimento odontológico, ao ter acesso ao seu plano de tratamento, à visualização de agendamentos futuros e à avaliação do serviço recebido. Para o aluno, o App poderá proporcionar o estreitamento da relação paciente/profissional, aprimorando seu aprendizado e desenvolvimento como cirurgião-dentista, além de possibilitar o acompanhamento da sua produção clínica nas disciplinas e, também, facilitar o gerenciamento das consultas. Para o professor, a função de supervisionar os atendimentos na clínica, tanto individualmente por aluno ou no conjunto da turma, poderá ser acessível, a partir dos relatórios de dados de produção clínica e de satisfação do paciente, ambos gerados em cada atendimento. (AU)

The logistic of dental care at FO-UFRJ is based on the instruction of undergraduation students through theoretical-practical disciplines aiming the whole formation process of the future dentists. During the pratice of education process, the interaction between three users is verified with differents role in the dynamic of the clinical care: students, patients and professors. Based on the observation of the clinical routine, the objective of this study was to organize and optimize the logistics of dental care at FO-UFRJ, aiming to humanize the clinical care offered. With the focus on the perception of patients about the benefits received, a web app was developed (AppClin), based on design thinking methodology, containing individual functions for each user. The benefits for the patient will be the effective participation during the dental care with the access of his treatment plan, the checking of future schedules and the evaluating of the service received. For the student, the app provide a closer patient/professional relationship, improving the learning and their growth as a dentist, allowing him to monitore his clinical production and the management of the dental care. For the professor, the function of supervising the dental care in the clinics is available, either individually per student or by the whole class, throughout the student´s clinical production and the patient satisfaction data reported, both generated in each clinical attendances. (AU)

An Exploratory Analysis of Questions Submitted to a Brazilian Telemedicine System.

The Rede NUTES telemedicine question submission system provides second opinions to remote healthcare professionals in the northeastern state of Pernaumbuco, Brazil. Submitted questions to the telemedicine system by general practitioners and nurses were analyzed using big data exploration techniques to summarize topic, trends and lexical features.