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Journal of Medical Internet Research Jul 2023The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transition in health care, which required a rapid adaptation for stakeholders. Telemedicine has emerged as an ideal tool to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transition in health care, which required a rapid adaptation for stakeholders. Telemedicine has emerged as an ideal tool to ensure continuity of care by allowing remote access to specialized medical services. However, its rapid implementation has exacerbated disparities in health care access, especially for the most susceptible populations.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to characterize the determinant factors (facilitators and barriers) of access to hospital medical specialty telemedicine consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the main opportunities and challenges (technological, ethical, legal, and social) generated by the use of telemedicine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A total of 4 databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register) were searched for empirical studies published between January 3, 2020, and December 31, 2021, using established criteria. The protocol of this review was registered and published in PROSPERO (CRD42022302825). A methodological quality assessment was performed, and the results were integrated into a thematic synthesis. The identification of the main opportunities and challenges was done by interpreting and aggregating the thematic synthesis results.
RESULTS
Of the 106 studies identified, 9 met the inclusion criteria and the intended quality characteristics. All studies were originally from the United States. The following facilitating factors of telemedicine use were identified: health insurance coverage; prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection; access to internet services; access to technological devices; better management of work-life balance; and savings in travel costs. We identified the following barriers to telemedicine use: lack of access to internet services; lack of access to technological devices; racial and ethnic disparities; low digital literacy; low income; age; language barriers; health insurance coverage; concerns about data privacy and confidentiality; geographic disparities; and the need for complementary diagnostic tests or the delivery of test results.
CONCLUSIONS
The facilitating factors and barriers identified in this systematic review present different opportunities and challenges, including those of a technological nature (access to technological devices and internet services and level of digital literacy), a sociocultural and demographic nature (ethnic and racial disparities, geographic disparities, language barriers, and age), a socioeconomic nature (income level and health insurance coverage), and an ethical and legal nature (data privacy and confidentiality). To expand telemedicine access to hospital-based specialty medical consultations and provide high-quality care to all, including the most susceptible communities, the challenges identified must be thoroughly researched and addressed with informed and dedicated responses.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Pandemics; Transition to Adult Care; SARS-CoV-2; Telemedicine; Health Services Accessibility; Referral and Consultation; Hospitals
PubMed: 37262124
DOI: 10.2196/44188 -
Education and Information Technologies 2021There have been giant leaps in the field of education in the past 1-2 years.. Schools and colleges are transitioning online to provide more resources to their students....
There have been giant leaps in the field of education in the past 1-2 years.. Schools and colleges are transitioning online to provide more resources to their students. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided students more opportunities to learn and improve themselves at their own pace. Online proctoring services (part of assessment) are also on the rise, and AI-based proctoring systems (henceforth called as AIPS) have taken the market by storm. Online proctoring systems (henceforth called as OPS), in general, makes use of online tools to maintain the sanctity of the examination. While most of this software uses various modules, the sensitive information they collect raises concerns among the student community. There are various psychological, cultural and technological parameters need to be considered while developing AIPS. This paper systematically reviews existing AI and non-AI-based proctoring systems. Through the systematic search on Scopus, Web of Science and ERIC repositories, 43 paper were listed out from the year 2015 to 2021. We addressed 4 primary research questions which were focusing on existing architecture of AIPS, Parameters to be considered for AIPS, trends and Issues in AIPS and Future of AIPS. Our 360-degree analysis on OPS and AIPS reveals that security issues associated with AIPS are multiplying and are a cause of legitimate concern. Major issues include Security and Privacy concerns, ethical concerns, Trust in AI-based technology, lack of training among usage of technology, cost and many more. It is difficult to know whether the benefits of these Online Proctoring technologies outweigh their risks. The most reasonable conclusion we can reach in the present is that the ethical justification of these technologies and their various capabilities requires us to rigorously ensure that a balance is struck between the concerns with the possible benefits to the best of our abilities. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such analysis on AIPS and OPS. Our work further addresses the issues in AIPS in human and technological aspect. It also lists out key points and new technologies that have only recently been introduced but could significantly impact online education and OPS in the years to come.
PubMed: 34177348
DOI: 10.1007/s10639-021-10597-x -
International Journal of Medical... Sep 2021Long-distance caregiving (LDC) technologies play a significant role in enabling distant care and facilitating living-alone older adults to keep socially connected.... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Long-distance caregiving (LDC) technologies play a significant role in enabling distant care and facilitating living-alone older adults to keep socially connected. However, there is scarce research exploring the older adults' attitudes towards and intention to use such technologies. This paper is based on a systematic review of existing literature to explore the multifarious factors influencing independent community-living older adults' attitudes towards and intention to use LDC technologies.
METHODS
Articles published in English between 2006 and 2020 were reviewed by searching electronic databases of PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost. The inclusion criteria were limited to quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies that involved: 1) distant caregiving; 2) older adults aged 60 years or above, who were living alone or with only their spouse in the community (even though the samples might also involve other non-older adults); 3) technologies including ICT-based devices, systems, or programs enabling data transmission were used; 4), intention to use or behavioral usage in regard to the technologies were reported or discussed.
RESULTS
In total, 41 out of 8674 articles were included. Both determinants and moderators of affecting the use of the ICT-based LDC technologies were identified with theoretical guidance. To summarize, there are personal factors involved, such as personality, concerns regarding security and privacy, health conditions, requisite knowledge, financial conditions, and influence from significant others, encompassing formal and informal caregivers; and factors related to the devices, in terms of their user-friendliness and functionality.
CONCLUSION
This review highlights the importance of striking a good balance between functionality and privacy concerns, besides considering the direct and indirect cost to users. LDC technology education should be promoted at the societal level to facilitate older adults' better understanding of the device utilities by enhancing their technological literacy. Implications for various stakeholders to cope with the challenges of an aging population are also discussed.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Attitude; Humans; Independent Living; Intention; Technology
PubMed: 34325206
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104536 -
The Lancet Regional Health. Western... May 2023A systematic scoping review of digital contact tracing (DCT) interventions for COVID-19 was conducted to describe the implementation, adoption, use and effectiveness of... (Review)
Review
A systematic scoping review of digital contact tracing (DCT) interventions for COVID-19 was conducted to describe the implementation, adoption, use and effectiveness of DCT interventions implemented as part of the COVID-19 response in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). A systematic search identified 341 studies and 128 grey literature sources, of which 18 studies and 41 grey literature sources were included. 17 (46%) WPR countries and areas implemented DCT interventions. Adoption ranged from 14.6% to 92.7% in different adult populations and epidemiological contexts. Trust in authorities, and privacy concerns and beliefs, were the most frequent determinants of adoption and use. Only two studies analysed DCT effectiveness, which showed limited to no effectiveness of DCT interventions in low transmission settings. Overall, there is limited evidence available to evaluate the contribution of DCT to mitigating COVID-19 in the WPR. Preparedness for future health emergencies should include developing robust frameworks for DCT effectiveness evaluations.
PubMed: 37256207
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100647 -
Computers, Informatics, Nursing : CIN Nov 2017This systematic review describes characteristics of portal users and their perceptions of this emerging technology. Recent empirical evidence (2010-2016) was reviewed to... (Review)
Review
This systematic review describes characteristics of portal users and their perceptions of this emerging technology. Recent empirical evidence (2010-2016) was reviewed to answer three questions: (1) What are the characteristics of electronic patient portal users? (2) What are patient-perceived facilitators of electronic patient portal use? (3) What are patient-perceived barriers to electronic patient portal use? Characteristics of portal users are described according to three broad categories: demographic characteristics, patterns of use, and complexity and duration of disease. Three themes were found related to patient-perceived facilitators of use: provider encouragement, access/control over health information, and enhanced communication; two themes were found related to patient-perceived barriers to use: lack of awareness/training and privacy and security concerns. Understanding a patient's perception of technology is paramount in optimizing use. These insights will allow for development of better products and clinical processes that facilitate broad goals of improved use of information technology. Policy and practice implications are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research.
Topics: Electronic Health Records; Health Literacy; Health Records, Personal; Humans; Patient Participation; Patient Portals; User-Computer Interface
PubMed: 28723832
DOI: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000377 -
International Psychogeriatrics Jul 2013Social networking sites can be beneficial for senior citizens to promote social participation and to enhance intergenerational communication. Particularly for older... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Social networking sites can be beneficial for senior citizens to promote social participation and to enhance intergenerational communication. Particularly for older adults with impaired mobility, social networking sites can help them to connect with family members and other active social networking users. The aim of this systematic review is to give an overview of existing scientific literature on social networking in older users.
METHODS
Computerized databases were searched and 105 articles were identified and screened using exclusion criteria. After exclusion of 87 articles, 18 articles were included, reviewed, classified, and the key findings were extracted. Common findings are identified and critically discussed and possible future research directions are outlined.
RESULTS
The main benefit of using social networking sites for older adults is to enter in an intergenerational communication with younger family members (children and grandchildren) that is appreciated by both sides. Identified barriers are privacy concerns, technical difficulties and the fact that current Web design does not take the needs of older users into account.
CONCLUSIONS
Under the conditions that these problems are carefully addressed, social networking sites have the potential to support today's and tomorrow's communication between older and younger family members.
Topics: Communication; Female; Humans; Internet; Male; Social Media; Social Networking; Social Participation
PubMed: 23552297
DOI: 10.1017/S1041610213000355 -
International Journal of Medical... Oct 2016Older people generally prefer to continue living in their own homes rather than move into residential age care institutions. Assistive technologies and sensors in the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Older people generally prefer to continue living in their own homes rather than move into residential age care institutions. Assistive technologies and sensors in the home environment and/or bodily worn systems that monitor people's movement might contribute to an increased sense of safety and security at home. However, their use can raise ethical anxieties as little is known about how older persons perceive assistive and monitoring technologies.
OBJECTIVES
To review the main barriers to the adoption of assistive technologies (ATs) by older adults in order to uncover issues of concern from empirical studies and to arrange these issues from the most critical to the least critical.
METHOD
A 4-step systematic review was conducted using empirical studies: locating and identifying relevant articles; screening of located articles; examination of full text articles for inclusion/exclusion; and detail examination of the 44 articles included.
RESULTS
Privacy is a top critical concern to older adults, registering a 34% of the total articles examined. Two other equally potent barriers to the adoption of ATs were trust and functionality/added value representing 27 and 25 per cent each respectively of the total studies examined. Also of serious concerns are cost of ATs and ease of use and suitability for daily use (23%) each respectively, perception of "no need" (20%), stigma (18%), and fear of dependence and lack of training (16%) each respectively. These underlying factors are generation/cohort effects and physical decline relating to aging, and negative attitudes toward technologies such as the so-called "gerontechnologies" specifically targeting older adults. However, more and more older adults adopt different kinds of ATs in order to fit in with the society.
CONCLUSIONS
The identified underlying factors are generation/cohort effects and physical decline relating to aging, and negative attitudes toward technologies. The negative attitudes that are most frequently associated with technologies such as the so-called "gerontechnologies" specifically targeting older adults contain stigmatizing symbolism that might prevent them from adopting them.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aging; Diffusion of Innovation; Humans; Monitoring, Physiologic; Privacy; Self-Help Devices; Trust
PubMed: 27573318
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2016.07.004 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2021Cloud Computing and Cloud Platforms have become an essential resource for businesses, due to their advanced capabilities, performance, and functionalities. Data... (Review)
Review
Cloud Computing and Cloud Platforms have become an essential resource for businesses, due to their advanced capabilities, performance, and functionalities. Data redundancy, scalability, and security, are among the key features offered by cloud platforms. Location-Based Services (LBS) often exploit cloud platforms to host positioning and localisation systems. This paper introduces a systematic review of current positioning platforms for GNSS-denied scenarios. We have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of each component of the positioning and localisation systems, including techniques, protocols, standards, and cloud services used in the state-of-the-art deployments. Furthermore, this paper identifies the limitations of existing solutions, outlining shortcomings in areas that are rarely subjected to scrutiny in existing reviews of indoor positioning, such as computing paradigms, privacy, and fault tolerance. We then examine contributions in the areas of efficient computation, interoperability, positioning, and localisation. Finally, we provide a brief discussion concerning the challenges for cloud platforms based on GNSS-denied scenarios.
PubMed: 35009652
DOI: 10.3390/s22010110 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Data from the Internet of Things (IoT) enables the design of new business models and services that improve user experience and satisfaction. These data serve as... (Review)
Review
Data from the Internet of Things (IoT) enables the design of new business models and services that improve user experience and satisfaction. These data serve as important information sources for many domains, including disaster management, biosurveillance, smart cities, and smart health, among others. However, this scenario involves the collection of personal data, raising new challenges related to data privacy protection. Therefore, we aim to provide state-of-the-art information regarding privacy issues in the context of IoT, with a particular focus on findings that utilize the Personal Data Store (PDS) as a viable solution for these concerns. To achieve this, we conduct a systematic mapping review to identify, evaluate, and interpret the relevant literature on privacy issues and PDS-based solutions in the IoT context. Our analysis is guided by three well-defined research questions, and we systematically selected 49 studies published until 2023 from an initial pool of 176 papers. We analyze and discuss the most common privacy issues highlighted by the authors and position the role of PDS technologies as a solution to privacy issues in the IoT context. As a result, our findings reveal that only a small number of works (approximately 20%) were dedicated to presenting solutions for privacy issues. Most works (almost 82%) were published between 2018 and 2023, demonstrating an increased interest in the theme in recent years. Additionally, only two works used PDS-based solutions to deal with privacy issues in the IoT context.
PubMed: 38610408
DOI: 10.3390/s24072197 -
Depression Research and Treatment 2020Prison populations tend to be marginalized and disadvantaged of the rights and freedoms that other people in the community benefit from. Their separation from families,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Prison populations tend to be marginalized and disadvantaged of the rights and freedoms that other people in the community benefit from. Their separation from families, a narrow room and lack of privacy in the prison, violence between prisoners, and the uncertainty about the future result in psychological distress, for example, depression. The review has synthesized previous studies conducted on the topic and summarized to formulate recommendations for future prison health care services.
METHODS
We systematically searched the databases: PubMed, Psych Info, and SCOPUS, as well as manual Google Scholar searches, were conducted to retrieve published literature globally. We have included observational studies, written in English language. Estimates were pooled using a random-effects model. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO with protocol number CRD42020156108. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis was conducted, and heterogeneity across the studies was evaluated using Q and the -test. Publication bias was assessed by inspection of the funnel plot and Egger's regression test.
RESULT
A total of 1313 studies were initially identified through the electronic database; among these, a total of 73 full-text articles were retrieved for further appraisal. Further, 32 full-text articles were included in the final systematic review and meta-analysis. In this meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence of depression among prisoners was 36.9% (95% CI; 27.3-47.6). The pooled prevalence of depression among prisoners in the developing and developed countries was 39.2% and 33.1%, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of depression was 19.1% and 54% for the studies that used diagnostic and screen tools to diagnose or screen depression, respectively. A leave-one-out analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence of depression among prisoners was not dependent on a single study removal or addition. Thus, the pooled prevalence of depression ranges between 35.3 and 38.0%.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of depression among prisoners was high. Therefore, regular and continuous screening of depressive symptoms for prisoners along with its appropriate management is highly recommended.
PubMed: 33294222
DOI: 10.1155/2020/3695209