Changing Healthcare Institutions with Large Information Technology Projects

This article reviews the development of institutional theory in direct relations to historical changes within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) with an eye to contributing to the theoretical specification of healthcare information processes. This is done partly by extending certain paradigms (see Meyer & Rowan, 1991; Powell & DiMaggio, 1991; Tolbert & Zucker, 1994) through a proposed model of causes and consequences of variations in levels of institutionalisation in the healthcare industry. It reports findings from a 5-year study on the NHS implementation of the largest civil ISs worldwide at an estimated cost of $10 billion over a 10-year period. The theoretical basis for analysis is developed, using concepts drawn from neo-institutionalism, realisation of business value, and organisational logic, as well as mixed empirical results about the lack of IT investments value in the NHS. The findings suggest that large scale, IT change imposed upon a highly institutionalised healthcare industry is fraught with difficulty mainly because culturally embedded norms, values, and behavioural patterns serve to impede centrally imposed initiatives to automate clinical working practices. It concludes with a discussion about the nature of evaluation procedures in relation to the process of institutionalising IS in healthcare.

On Bias-Variance Analysis for Probabilistic Logic Models

Deliberate exploitation of natural resources and excessive use of environmentally abhorrent materials have resulted in environmental disruptions threatening the life support systems. A human centric approach of development has already damaged nature to a large extent. This has attracted the attention of environmental specialists and policy makers. It has also led to discussions at various national and international conventions. The objective of protecting natural resources cannot be achieved without the involvement of professionals from multidisciplinary areas. This chapter recommends a model for the creation of knowledge-based systems for natural resources management. Further, it describes making use of unique capabilities of remote sensing satellites for conserving natural resources and managing natural disasters. It is exclusively for the people who are not familiar with the technology and who are given the task of framing policies.

A Generic Framework for Bluetooth Promoted Multimedia on Demand (BlueProMoD)

In recent years many technologies have converged to integrated solutions and one of the hottest topics has been the deployment of wireless personal area networks (WPANs). In this article we present a generic architecture scheme that allows voice and other real-time traffic to be carried over longer distances. The proposed scheme is a novel framework that combines a wired backbone network including Bluetooth access points (APs) with the mobile Bluetooth-enabled devices of the end users. This scheme is called Bluetooth Promoted Multimedia on Demand (BlueProMoD). BlueProMoD is a hybrid network and provides free-of-charge communication among customers, multimedia advertisements, as well as location-based and other value-added services.

Agile Software Processes for the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory Environment

The growing adoption of outsourcing and offshoring concepts is presenting new opportunities for distributed software development. Inspired by the paradigm of round-the-clock manufacturing, the concept of the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory (24HrKF) attempts to make similar transformations in the arena of IS: specifically to transform the production of software and allied intangibles to benefit from the notion of continuous development by establishing multiple collaborating sites at strategically selected locations around the globe. As the sun sets on one site, it rises on another site with the day’s work being handed off from the closing site to the opening site. In order to enable such hand offs to occur in an effective manner, new agile and distributed software processes are needed, as delineated in this chapter.

Analysis and Modelling of Hierarchical Fuzzy Logic Systems

In this article the design and development of a hierarchical fuzzy logic system is investigated. A new method using an evolutionary algorithm for design of hierarchical fuzzy logic system for prediction and modelling of interest rates in Australia is developed. The hierarchical system is developed to model and predict three months (quarterly) interest rate fluctuations. This research study is unique in the way proposed method is applied to design and development of fuzzy logic systems. The new method proposed determines the number of layer for hierarchical fuzzy logic system. The advantages and disadvantages of using fuzzy logic systems for financial modelling is also considered. Conclusions on the accuracy of prediction using hierarchical fuzzy logic systems compared to a back-propagation neural network system and a hierarchical neural network are reported.

Offshoring in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Offshoring has been adopted as a tool for reducing costs and for gaining strategic advantages by financial services, software development, and other competitive industries. For a variety of reasons, the pharmaceutical industry has been slow to take advantage of the benefits that offshoring can provide. The purpose of this article is to explore the internal and exogenous factors motivating global pharmaceutical firms to increase and expand their sourcing activities. And, instead of discussing global sourcing in general, India has been analyzed as a unique and explanatory case study for this new, emerging trend. The reasons behind this decision include India’s position as a renowned global IT hub, the country’s “home grown” biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries, the numerous strategic partnerships and offshoring relationships between global and Indian firms, as well as its significant advances in IT and information management.

Information Technology / Systems Offshore Outsourcing

The offshore outsourcing of information technology and information systems (IT/IS) is being increasingly practiced among firms that are focusing on core competencies and cost-effectiveness. With the increase in offshore IT/IS operations, a growing number of companies are encountering negative experiences and unpredicted results. The analysis performed in this chapter reveals the possible risks and perceived success factors of companies outsourcing IT/IS operations offshore. The major points of interest are operational and strategic risks; legal contracts; cultural, security, and financial issues; and noted success factors by companies that participate in offshore outsourcing. The research indicates the importance of risk identification and the formulation of strategic plans that include preventive, detective, and corrective control methods of implementation and evaluation. Effective methods and metrics for measuring the success or failure of IT/IS offshore outsourcing operations is expected to be a continuing development with the increasing growth of this phenomenon.

Fuzzy Logic in Medicine

This article explores the use of fuzzy logic in the medical field. While giving a comparison of classic and fuzzy logic we present the various uses of the applications made possible by fuzzy logic, focusing on diagnosis and treatment. The ever evolving technology making the line between medicine and technology thinner every year, is helping to make the treatment of disease and the mending of injury easier for medical professionals. We also propose several questions that arise from, and may by answered by, fuzzy logic and its applications.

Voice-Based Approach for Surmounting Spatial and Temporal Separations

This article describes a new voice-based tool for global collaboration. This tool, called EchoEdit, attempts to provide multimedia capabilities to program source code editing for the purpose of eliciting in situ vocal commentary from active developers.

Social Interaction with a Conversational Agent

Conversational agents that display many human qualities have become a valuable method business uses to communicate with online users to supply services or products, to help in online order process or to search the Web. The gaming industry and education may benefit from this type of interface. In this type of chats, users could have different alternatives: text display, photo of a real person, or a cartoon drawing and others. This is an exploratory study that reviews five randomly chosen conversations that an animated chatbot has with Web users. The character simulates human gestures, but they are stylized to reproduce animation standards. The goal of this exploratory study is to provide feedback that will help designers to improve the functionality of the conversational agent, identify user’s needs, define future research, and learn from previous errors. The methodology used was qualitative content analysis.