Teleworker's Security Risks Minimized with Informal Online Information Technology Communities of Practice

2009 ◽  
pp. 1387-1390
Author(s):  
Loreen Marie Powell
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Organizational Benefits ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Informal Information

The advancements of technology have altered the way many small businesses operate in the United States of America (USA) (Butcher-Powell, 2006). Small businesses have been forced to embrace technology or lose valuable employees and business. As such, many small businesses have merged to wireless networks and adopted various forms of telework. Today, it is estimated that more than 60% of the workforce are teleworkers (Butcher-Powell, 2006; DecisionOne, 2002). While moving to a remote workforce is good for small businesses, it also places a substantial amount of security risks upon the small business. Butcher-Powell (2006) documented some of the security risks associated with corporations employing a remote workforce, indicating that teleworker’s lack of information systems and security training can compromise the corporation’s network. The study investigates one particular method for aiding teleworker’s: informal information technology communities of practice in cyberspace. One hundred and forty four teleworker’s were surveyed on what sort of IT-related activities they devote time to, how much problem-solving they attempt via technology discussion groups with respect to those activities, and their perceived community and organizational benefits to participating in such discussion groups. The study found significant differences in perceived value of technology discussion groups among teleworkers.

Teleworker’s Security Risks Minimized with Informal Online Information Technology Communities of Practice

2011 ◽  
pp. 777-781
Author(s):  
Loreen Marie Powell
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Organizational Benefits ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Informal Information

The advancements of technology have altered the way many small businesses operate in the United States of America (USA) (Butcher-Powell, 2006). Small businesses have been forced to embrace technology or lose valuable employees and business. As such, many small businesses have merged to wireless networks and adopted various forms of telework. Today, it is estimated that more than 60% of the workforce are teleworkers (Butcher-Powell, 2006; DecisionOne, 2002). While moving to a remote workforce is good for small businesses, it also places a substantial amount of security risks upon the small business. Butcher-Powell (2006) documented some of the security risks associated with corporations employing a remote workforce, indicating that teleworker’s lack of information systems and security training can compromise the corporation’s network. The study investigates one particular method for aiding teleworker’s: informal information technology communities of practice in cyberspace. One hundred and forty four teleworker’s were surveyed on what sort of IT-related activities they devote time to, how much problem-solving they attempt via technology discussion groups with respect to those activities, and their perceived community and organizational benefits to participating in such discussion groups. The study found significant differences in perceived value of technology discussion groups among teleworkers.

Perceived Effectiveness of E-Government and its Usage in City Governments

2011 ◽  
pp. 213-229
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Reddick
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
City Governments ◽  
Service Channel ◽  
Effective Service ◽  
Overall Effectiveness

This article examines the perceived effectiveness of e-government by Information Technology (IT) directors in local governments in the United States. Most of the existing empirical research has examined the level of adoption of e-government; it does not focus on what is the overall effectiveness of e-government for city governments as this study does. This is accomplished through a survey of IT directors exploring their perceptions of e-government to determine whether this is related to the overall usage of e-government in cities. Websites were the most effective service channel for getting information; the telephone was the most effective service channel for solving a problem; while in person at a government office was most effective service channel for citizens’ to access city services. E-government usage was positively related to managerial effectiveness, having a champion of e-government, and perceived effectiveness of citizen access to online information.

scholarly journals Risk in Healthcare Information Technology: Creating a Standardized Risk Assessment Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Schmeelk
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Information Technology ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Healthcare Information ◽  
Data Breaches ◽  
United States Federal Government

Data breaches are occurring at an unprecedented rate. Between June 2019 and early October 2020, over 564 data breaches affected over 36.6 million patients as posted to the United States Federal government HITECH portal. These patients are at risk for having their identities stolen or sold on alternative marketplaces. Some healthcare entities are working to manage privacy and security risks to their operations, research, and patients. However, many have some procedures and policies in place, with few (if any) centrally managing all their infrastructure risks. For example, many healthcare organizations are not tracking or updating all the known and potential concerns and elements into a centralized repository following industry best practice timetables for auditing and insurance quantification. This chapter examines known and potential problems in healthcare information technology and discusses a new open source risk management standardized framework library to improve the coordination and communication of the aforementioned problematic management components. The healthcare industry would benefit from adopting such a standardized risk-centric framework.

Business: The Electronic Health Record: Front Line Experience

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Rosemary Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Electronic Health

National legislation is in place to facilitate reform of the United States health care industry. The Health Care Information Technology and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) offers financial incentives to hospitals, physicians, and individual providers to establish an electronic health record that ultimately will link with the health information technology of other health care systems and providers. The information collected will facilitate patient safety, promote best practice, and track health trends such as smoking and childhood obesity.

scholarly journals Actors, Partisan Inclination, and Emotions: An Analysis of Government Shutdown News Stories Shared on Twitter

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110088
Author(s):  
Colin Agur ◽  
Lanhuizi Gan
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Responses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Online Information ◽  
News Frames ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
News Stories ◽  
News Sharing ◽  
Government Shutdown

Scholars have recognized emotion as an increasingly important element in the reception and retransmission of online information. In the United States, because of existing differences in ideology, among both audiences and producers of news stories, political issues are prone to spark considerable emotional responses online. While much research has explored emotional responses during election campaigns, this study focuses on the role of online emotion in social media posts related to day-to-day governance in between election periods. Specifically, this study takes the 2018–2019 government shutdown as its subject of investigation. The data set shows the prominence of journalistic and political figures in leading the discussion of news stories, the nuance of emotions employed in the news frames, and the choice of pro-attitudinal news sharing.

scholarly journals Responsibility for chemical exposures: perspectives from small beauty salons and auto shops in southern metropolitan Tucson

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda A. Lee ◽  
Maia Ingram ◽  
Carolina Quijada ◽  
Andres Yubeta ◽  
Imelda Cortez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Chemical Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chemical Exposures ◽  
Study Partner ◽  
Chemical Products ◽  
Beauty Salons ◽  
Exposure Risks

Abstract Background Throughout the United States, low-wage, minority workers are disproportionately affected by occupational illnesses and injuries. Chronic exposure to hazardous chemicals at work can lead to serious illnesses, contributing to health inequities. In this article, we expand on theories of ‘responsibilization’ in an occupational health context to reveal how responsibilities for workplace chemical exposures are negotiated by workers and owners in Latinx-owned small businesses. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with a total of 22 workers and owners in auto repair shops and beauty salons – two high-risk industries – in Southern Metropolitan Tucson. Participants were asked about their insights into workplace chemical exposures and health. A qualitative analysis team with representation from all study partner organizations collectively coded and reviewed the interview data in QSR International’s NVivo 11 and identified overarching themes across the interviews. Results We identified three primary themes: 1) ambivalence toward risks in the workplace; 2) shifting responsibilities for exposure protection at work; and 3) reflections on the system behind chemical exposure risks. Participants discussed the complexities that small businesses face in reducing chemical exposures. Conclusions Through our analysis of the interviews, we examine how neoliberal occupational and environmental policies funnel responsibility for controlling chemical exposures down to individuals in small businesses with limited resources, obscuring the power structures that maintain environmental health injustices. We conclude with a call for upstream policy changes that more effectively regulate and hold accountable the manufacturers of chemical products used daily by small business workers.

scholarly journals Using online information technology for deaf students during COVID-19: A closer look from experience

Heliyon ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e06915
Author(s):  
Abdallah A. Alshawabkeh ◽  
M. Lynn Woolsey ◽  
Faten F. Kharbat
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Deaf Students

Patients' Perceptions of Different Information Exchange Mechanisms: An Exploratory Study in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (04/05) ◽  
pp. 162-178
Author(s):  
Pouyan Esmaeilzadeh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
The United States ◽  
Exchange Mechanism ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Direct Exchange

Abstract Background Patients may seek health care services from various providers during treatment. These providers could serve in a network (affiliated) or practice separately (unaffiliated). Thus, using secure and reliable health information exchange (HIE) mechanisms would be critical to transfer sensitive personal health information (PHI) across distances. Studying patients' perceptions and opinions about exchange mechanisms could help health care providers build more complete HIEs' databases and develop robust privacy policies, consent processes, and patient education programs. Objectives Due to the exploratory nature of this study, we aim to shed more light on public perspectives (benefits, concerns, and risks) associated with the four data exchange practices in the health care sector. Methods In this study, we compared public perceptions and expectations regarding four common types of exchange mechanisms used in the United States (i.e., traditional, direct, query-based, patient-mediated exchange mechanisms). Traditional is an exchange through fax, paper mailing, or phone calls, direct is a provider-to-provider exchange, query-based is sharing patient data with a central repository, and patient-mediated is an exchange mechanism in which patients can access data and monitor sharing. Data were collected from 1,624 subjects using an online survey to examine the benefits, risks, and concerns associated with the four exchange mechanisms from patients' perspectives. Results Findings indicate that several concerns and risks such as privacy concerns, security risks, trust issues, and psychological risks are raised. Besides, multiple benefits such as access to complete information, communication improvement, timely and convenient information sharing, cost-saving, and medical error reduction are highlighted by respondents. Through consideration of all risks and benefits associated with the four exchange mechanisms, the direct HIE mechanism was selected by respondents as the most preferred mechanism of information exchange among providers. More than half of the respondents (56.18%) stated that overall they favored direct exchange over the other mechanisms. 42.70% of respondents expected to be more likely to share their PHI with health care providers who implemented and utilized a direct exchange mechanism. 43.26% of respondents believed that they would support health care providers to leverage a direct HIE mechanism for sharing their PHI with other providers. The results exhibit that individuals expect greater benefits and fewer adverse effects from direct HIE among health care providers. Overall, the general public sentiment is more in favor of direct data transfer. Our results highlight that greater public trust in exchange mechanisms is required, and information privacy and security risks must be addressed before the widespread implementation of such mechanisms. Conclusion This exploratory study's findings could be interesting for health care providers and HIE policymakers to analyze how consumers perceive the current exchange mechanisms, what concerns should be addressed, and how the exchange mechanisms could be modified to meet consumers' needs.

scholarly journals From Communities of Practice to Epistemic Communities: Health Mobilizations on the Internet

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Akrich
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Internet Media ◽  
Self Help Groups ◽  
Activist Groups

This paper describes the emergence of new activist groups in the health sector, spinning off from internet discussion groups. In the first part, it shows how self-help discussion groups can be considered as communities of practice in which, partly thanks to the Internet media, collective learning activities result in the constitution of experiencial knowledge, the appropriation of exogenous sources of knowledge, including medical knoweldge and the articulation of these different sources of knowledge in some lay expertise. In the second part, it describes how activist groups might emerge from these discussion groups and develop specific modes of action drawing upon the forms of expertise constituted through the Internet groups. Activists groups together with self-help groups might form epistemic communities ( HAAS 1992 ), i.e. groups of experts engaged in a policy enterprise in which knowledge plays a major role : in the confrontation of health activists with professionals, the capacity to translate political claims into the langage of science appears as a condition to be (even) heard and be taken into consideration.

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