Assessing Online Courses in Health Education

Internet-based health education is being used increasingly around the world for two related purposes: 1) to train a global health workforce of nurses, physicians, health educators, and other health workers, and 2) to educate the public about disease prevention and management (e.g., in outbreaks of SARS in China and Ebola in Africa). Assessment of online health education is vital to maintain quality control and to share best practices. Online health education has been found to have significant positive effects on e-learners, comparable to those of traditional face-to-face instruction. In developing countries where there is a critical shortage of health workers, distance education is needed to train large numbers of health workers rapidly and effectively. In developed countries, online health education is a cost-effective means of providing access to 1) higher education for individuals who are employed full time and wish to pursue training in the health professions, 2) workplace continuing education for health professionals, and 3) public health campaigns that promote healthy behaviors. In this chapter we look at what is going on in the field now, and what can be done in the future to use technology to advance the mass dissemination of health education.

An Intelligent and Secure Framework for Wireless Information Technology in Healthcare for User and Data Classification in Hospitals

Real time data acquisition and evaluation are required to save lives. Such data with utilization and application of the latest technologies in hospitals around the world can improve patient treatments and well beings. The delivery of patient's medical data needs to be secure. Secure and accurate real time data acquisition and analysis of patient data and the ability to update such data will assist in reducing cost while improving patient's care. A wireless framework based on radio frequency identification (RFID) can integrate wireless networks for fast data acquisition and transmission, while maintaining the privacy issue. This chapter discusses the development of a framework that can be considered for secure patient data collection and communications in a hospital environment. A new method for data classification and access authorization has also been developed, which will assist in preserving privacy and security of data. Several Case studies are offered to show the effectiveness of this framework.

Inclusive Learning for the Rural Healthcare Professional

The focus of this chapter is on health care manager's need to develop equal learning opportunities in rural communities. Educational opportunities for healthcare professionals in the rural facilities often get overlooked and/or require more effort to obtain the same level of training as their urban counterparts (Buzza, Ono,Turvey, Whittrock, Noble, Reddy, Kaboli, & Schacht, 2011; Hartung, Hamer, Middleton, Haxby, & Fagnan, 2012). Education and self-directed learning (SDL) promotes emancipatory learning and social action (Lindeman, 1926; Merriam & Caffarella, 1999). It provides a way to minimize the gap in learning opportunities for those serving rural communities. Intentionally integrating socio-cognitive and critical pedagogy (Kincheloe, 2008) into their learning engagement can influence the necessary emotional, motivational, and cognitive engagement. The factors considered for this rural population---- include: diversity of staff (i.e., socioeconomic background, cultural differences, learning abilities, and lived experiences), available resources (i.e., computer equipment, speed of internet connection, funding, and staff resources), and the connectedness between the learner and the educator.

Integrating Technology in Nurse Education

This chapter explores how nurse educators can better integrate technology in their professional development, teaching and learning, and clinical experiences in a purposeful and meaningful manner. The authors explore how and why nurse educators should be mindful of the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK) in developing teaching and learning plans. The authors contend that nurse educators should consider and employ TPACK on a routine basis, so that using technology purposefully becomes the traditional approach in one's teaching. Examples of how technology can become more meaningful in three areas that nurse educators routinely work within are: professional development, teaching, and clinical experiences.

An Education Driven Model for Non-Communicable Diseases Care

Patients with chronic diseases should be made aware of their planned treatments as well as being kept informed of the progress of those treatments. The Chronic Prediction model was designed not only to educate patients and assist them with some chronic non-communicable disease, but to control the risk factors that affect their diseases. The model utilizes Bayesian networks to map three things: to identify the cause and effect relationships among existing risk factors; to provide treatment recommendations about these risk factors and; to aid caregivers in the treatment of the patients.

Health Information Technology and Change

Even in in health healthcare and health information technology change will not vanish or disperse. Technology, civilization, and creative thought will drive this force increasingly forward. Health care managers will continue being judged on their ability to efficiently and effectively manage (Patton & James, 2000). The pace of change has significantly increased since the days of the cave dweller who walked the earth until the “technology convergence” of using the ox and horse as tools. This article is to investigate the background, controversies, and problems surrounding Health Information Technology and change, and will include an overview of current changes. This will be coupled with solutions and recommendations, further research, and conclusion.

Diversifying Clinical Research Participants

The diversification of clinical trial participants to include women and minorities is one of the biggest challenges for the clinical research industry. The lack of diversity in clinical trials prevents the tailoring of healthcare interventions specifically for women and minorities. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how health information technology and online strategies can be applied in the clinical trial research process to increase the recruitment and retention of women and minorities in clinical trials. By examining this issue from both the individual (participant) and clinical stakeholder perspective, appropriate strategies utilizing available technology are proposed. In the health care environment, strategies to diversify clinical trial participants include the secondary use of Electronic Health Records, and disease registries, as well as e-learning to raise awareness and train health professionals and clinical trial staff. In order to recruit diverse participant populations, the use of online advertising, social media, e-newsletters, tablets, smartphones, and apps are detailed. Lessons from previous use of technology in recruitment are outlined as well as future trends. In summary, while there are recognized challenges to implementation, the current health information technology and online strategies available seem promising as methods of increasing the participation of women and minorities in clinical trials.

Turning PAGES with Health Coaching and Family Involvement

This narrative provides a foundation for the PAGES family coaching program. PAGES is an acronym for practice patience, accept the present, gather information, encourage, and self-care. Each part of the acronym represents advice that family members of patients in hospitals can implement into their lives. When patients attend group physical therapy classes in a hospital after surgery, it helps to have family members present to offer support during the healing process. However, sometimes when coaching loved ones, family members can get emotionally involved and lose their objectivity. A health coach can provide the missing link of “teaching the teachers” by demonstrating effective coaching practices. The goal of the chapter is to introduce you as the reader to the PAGES program so you will simultaneously learn about a new initiative as well as reflect on ways to apply the information to your own life.

Are Adult Women or Men Who Use the Internet as a Health Information Resource More Health Literate?

The purpose of this study was to compare health literacy of adult men and women who use the internet for health purposes. It was conducted on 229 adults, who live in Bursa, Turkey, aged 30-69. As data collecting tool, personal along with health information (seeking) forms and 14-item health literacy scale were used. The results showed that although statistically not significant, men used the internet for health purposes more when compared with women. However, it was also calculated that health literacy scores of women who used the internet as a health information resource were higher than those of men in the same category. It can be inferred in this study that women are more health literate compared to men.

The Rural Learning Challenge

This chapter examines how technology is supporting the health and health care system for rural/remote people, specifically telehealth and the Internet, with a focus on the Canadian context. I will begin by outlining the opportunities and the challenges that technology presents to rural people and communities. This is followed by highlighting the divide between rural and urban in the Canadian context, with a focus on inequities related to health. This is followed by exploring the role of ICTs in health and health care with a focus on changes in the Canadian healthcare system, telehealth and the Internet as a source of health related information. These issues are then examined through a rural lens, asking the question what, if any are the implications for rural people and communities. I end with a section of reflections followed by the conclusion that ICTs present new opportunities for rural people and communities, but if they are to be able to take advantage of these opportunities they must learn to develop the necessary capacities, both as individuals and as a community. Their challenge is a learning challenge.