International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management (10 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Application of GIS and SPSS for prostate cancer and health disparity detection in Texas  
  by Jose Huerta, Gayle Prybutok, Victor Prybutok 
  Abstract: This study uses a geographic information system to create and analyse choropleth maps determining the distribution of prostate cancer in Texas and uses SPSS software to analyse social determinants of health that may explain prostate cancer mortality. The data, collected for period 19992009, was furnished by the Texas Health Rankings and VitalWeb. The dataset was for 19992004 and 20042009. It comprised age-adjusted data specific to the 2000 US Standard Population data, based on an age-distributed and -weighted methodology to create age adjustments for statistical purposes. The study found there was a statistically significant (P < .05) percentage of African Americans with age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality, but no statistically significant correlations were found in other races. The study indicates a number of ways in which medical communities and public health agencies can employ GIS and SPSS to screen for and treat prostate cancer more effectively.
  Keywords: GIS; prostate cancer; social determinants of health; spatial patterns; SPSS; choropleth maps; geographic information systems.
  
  
• Differences in manufacturing and healthcare supply chain management: an overview  
  by Sahand Ashtab, William Anderson 
  Abstract: Given the growing costs in the healthcare supply chain management, optimising the healthcare supply chain configuration, accurate demand forecast and efficient distribution of products, and increasing the efficiency of processes and operations in healthcare organisations via deployment of innovative ideas and technologies are critical to maintain a sustainable healthcare supply chain system. A descriptive review approach is used to systematically study the different echelons in a typical healthcare supply chain system and provide insight into understanding of its structural characteristics that make it different from manufacturing supply chain networks. Particularly, the structure of healthcare supply chain network, the goal of a healthcare supply chain system, complexities associated with healthcare products, criticality of reliable product transportation, and complex dynamics in the physician-hospital-vendor loop are studied. A better understanding of the differences between manufacturing and healthcare supply chain management can provide a guideline to systematically improve healthcare supply chain management.
  Keywords: healthcare supply chain; healthcare innovation; healthcare networks.
  
  
• Navigating co-design of actor networks  
  by Signe Pedersen, Søsser Brodersen 
  Abstract: In this article, we illustrate the importance of involving different types of user in collaborative design and innovation processes to allow end-users to speak on their own behalf. However, involving multiple actors with diverse concerns requires designers to carefully stage spaces for negotiation. Through a case study of the design of a pilot program to make insulin more accessible to marginalised diabetes patients in India, we explore how designers navigate the design process by staging and facilitating several spaces for negotiation populated by patients with diabetes, doctors, company representatives, design games and management templates.
  Keywords: navigation; participatory design; matters of concern.
  
  
• Narcissism and perceived stress among Italian hospital nurses during COVID-19: The moderator role of age.  
  by Simona Leonelli, Emanuele Primavera 
  Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the reorganisation and creation of new hospitals, shocking healthcare workers’ routines. This study investigates nurses’ stress perception in COVID-19 time and how some antecedents (i.e., narcissism and age) impact it. The paper focuses on two facets of narcissism, i.e., Leadership/Authority and Entitlement/Exploitativeness. We recruited 281 nurses who completed an online survey investigating their stress perception levels and personalities. Data are analysed using hierarchical linear modelling and simple slope analyses. Results show that Leadership/Authority negatively influences stress perception, while Entitlement/Exploitativeness positively influences it. Furthermore, nurses’ age moderates the above relationships. The study contributes to narcissism, stress and nursing literature, showing some positive facets of narcissism that might be useful for reducing stress perception and facilitating human relationships in the work environment, both in emergency and non-emergency contexts.
  Keywords: perceived stress; narcissism; Leadership/Authority; Entitlement; Exploitativeness; age; COVID-19.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2022.10053609
   
  
• Performance evaluation of public healthcare supply chain management: a critical literature review  
  by Andre Longaray, Newton Marube, Leonardo Ensslin, Ademar Dutra, Sandra Ensslin 
  Abstract: Performance evaluation tools have been widely used in many areas of healthcare, and supply chains in specific. However, the adoption of performance appraisal in the public sector has lagged. The present study sought to explore current literature and highlight the state of the art of performance evaluation in public healthcare supply chain management. A structured and systematic literature review method was used to identify research articles covering the study theme. Through the resulting bibliographic portfolio of 13 relevant articles, we examined the application of performance evaluation methods employed to measure the overall performance of supply chain management in public healthcare and to highlight the key indicators and focus of the studies. Most studies focused on operational efficiency indicators, material management efficiency, and financial performance. The small number of studies identified in this review raises the question of whether the sub-field is mature enough to warrant a literature review.
  Keywords: performance appraisal; healthcare; decision aid.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2022.10054715
   
  
• Intentional non-compliance: influencing employees' compliance decision in healthcare services  
  by Maryam Memar Zadeh, Nicole Haggerty 
  Abstract: Ensuring service execution compliance with the requisites of day-to-day operational tasks continues to be a major managerial challenge for service systems, particularly in the healthcare context where patients’ safety is at stake. In this qualitative inquiry, we use the data collected from a nursing care organization to report on one underexplored category of employee failures: intentional noncompliance at the service execution stage. This specific category of failures happens when employees knowingly choose to deviate from the standards of the planned care, yet they have no malicious intention for sabotaging the organization and/or its stakeholders. Based on our findings, preventing employees’ intentional noncompliance requires designing compliance enablers that dampen the negative impact of socio-psychological inhibitors, which manifest in the form of personal and interpersonal traits and legitimize the employees’ choice of deviation from the requirements. This study contributes to the healthcare service management research by specifying the nature of employees’ intentional failures (types, causes and influential factors).
  Keywords: Intentional failures; Employee compliance; Healthcare; Operational risk; Nursing.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2023.10055800
   
  
• Medical device industry in Iran: key driving forces of domestic production up to 2040  
  by Majid Gholi Motlagh, Hakem Ghasemi, Babak Mohammad Hosseini, Reza Masaeli, Safar Fazli 
  Abstract: The medical device industry (MDI) has excellent potential for development in Iran due to the current domestic production (DP) potential and the increasing global demand for medical products. The present study aimed to identify the driving forces of the DP in the MDI in Iran. This explorative study was conducted by a three-round Fuzzy Delphi method. The fuzzy weighted means of each factor paved the way for the final ranking. A total of 19 key driving forces of the DP in MDI were obtained. The most important factors were: 1) access to medical-grade raw materials, energy, and physical infrastructure, 2) medical device demand, 3) research and development, 4) complying with international regulations, 5) economic stability, 6) human resources expertise, and 7) emergence and integration of technologies. The findings offer practical implications for policy-making, developing futures scenarios, and road mapping. Additionally, they provide components of production strategy development.
  Keywords: driving forces; domestic production; fuzzy Delphi method; healthcare technology; high-tech industry; Iran; medical device industry; medical products; medical regulatory directives; STEP model.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2023.10056151
   
  
• Assessing the effectiveness of performance indicators in health organisations and professionals  
  by Alexandre Ferreira, Álvaro Dias 
  Abstract: Several questions have been raised regarding the credibility, and consequent real value, of the assessment of professional performance as a management tool, considering that there are reports of situations in which the professionals are being evaluated based on objectives to be accomplished. rather on the excellence of the performance of its task. As such, this study aims to analyse the introduction of metrics for evaluating the performance of health professionals’ performance indicators, and to identify the changes resulting from the introduction of performance indicators in the evaluation of physicians. Results reveal that physicians feel conditioned in the exercise of their professional activity by the need to comply with established performance indicators. Furthermore, it was also found that the cost reduction in primary health care may be insignificant when compared to the increase in secondary health care costs.
  Keywords: health indicators; KPI; metrics; professional performance assessment; management control systems.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2022.10056249
   
  
• The policy environment of remote patient monitoring: evaluating stakeholders' views  
  by Rotem Dvir, Carol Goldsmith, Ian Seavey, Arnold Vedlitz, Julie Hammett, Samuel Bonet, Arjun Rao, Karim Zahed, Farzan Sasangohar 
  Abstract: Technological innovations in healthcare are becoming more common and offer many benefits. Trust is central for individuals' views about the efficacy and adoption of technological solutions to improve healthcare. In this study, we explore remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices and how trust in managing institutions and in the technology shapes acceptance and adoption for improved healthcare. Data collected from professional stakeholders (n = 198): managers in public and private organizations who are responsible for administrating RPM devices into the US medical system. We implement multiple imputation to correct for missing data and regression models for analysis. Results show that both dimensions of trust (institutional and technological) are strong predictors of attitudes about different public policy options. We also find that costs affect views of proposed policies. Our findings expand existing knowledge by illustrating the need to consider trust in institutions when designing public healthcare policies that involve innovative technologies such asRPM devices.
  Keywords: remote patient monitoring; technology innovations; healthcare policy; research methodology; professional stakeholders; institutional trust; technology trust; regression models; public policy.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2023.10056860
   
  
• The impact of text messaging on minority women's mental well-being  
  by Cynthia Williams, Jasper Xu 
  Abstract: The study proposed to determine if text messaging is a viable means to promote mental well-being among minority women with postpartum stress and depression. A retrospective design was used to examine the study objectives. Assessment tools included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale. Scores from the discharge assessment were used in the analysis. Chi-Square Test of Independence and Analysis of Variance method were applied to the categorical data and continuous variables, respectively. The results suggest text message does not have an aversive effect on mental health and could be viable alternative in women's mental health.
  Keywords: postpartum depression; mental health; text message; mobile health.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2023.10056888