Information Technology in Healthcare: ICT-enabled Self-management of Chronic Diseases and Conditions

Information Technology & People

Information Technology in Healthcare (track title)
ICT-enabled Self-management of Chronic Diseases and Conditions (minitrack title)
**Fast Track to Journal Publication** (at the discretion of minitrack chairs)

Description of the minitrack:

According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, a disease is chronic when its course lasts for more than three months. Chronic diseases and conditions, persist an entire lifetime and generally cannot be prevented by vaccines or cured by medication (Adams, Kirzinger, & Martinez, 2013). This mini-track characterizes Chronic Diseases and Conditions very broadly to include, illnesses (such as diabetes, Alzheimer asthma), conditions (such as physical, sensory, mental, and cognitive disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autistic spectrum, Tourette syndrome, old age related conditions).  Recurrent illnesses and conditions caused by chronic diseases, if not managed carefully, cannot only diminish quality of life and ability to work, but can also result in health emergencies, complications, and even death (World Health Organization, 2015). According to World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and 80% of chronic disease deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Advancing patients’ ability to engage in self-managed health through information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile technologies and machine learning, is increasingly a top priority (e.g., The National Health Service, 2013, The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 2014). Effective self-management is a proven way of improving the lives of individuals suffering from chronic diseases (Dadgar and Joshi, 2018). Self-management refers to a care management approach in which patients actively take responsibility for treating their chronic diseases (Bodenheimer et al., 2002). It is a self-regulating, dynamic, continuous, interactive process (Schulman-Green et al., 2012). Despite technological advances in healthcare ICTs that improve care and reduce costs, patients often avoid using them (El-Gayar, Timsina, Nawar, & Eid, 2013). Although, ICTs have improved the health in healthcare services in terms of the delivery of high-quality patient care at low cost, but the development of ICTs that focus chiefly on patient-centered care is still in its infancy (Jacelon, Gibbs, & Ridgway, 2016).

With that in mind, we are looking for papers taking a variety of approaches to answering research questions related to the design, development, and use of ICTs on patient-centered care. Such approaches might be described as experiments or quasi-experiments, design science, case studies, surveys, action research, psychometrics, and ethnography. We invite papers that use variety of advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), or Machine Learning (ML). We call for the papers that investigate use of ICTs for patients with chronic physical and psychological conditions, from diabetes and asthma, to obesity and fitness SM programs, to autism, dementia, bipolar disorders, and depression.

Authors are invited to submit papers that address issues related to the design, development, and implementation of ICTs in self-management of chronic diseases and conditions. Potential issues and topics include, but are not limited to:

•    Learning about condition and health needs
•    Learning self-management regimen, skills, and strategies ( e.g., Monitoring and managing symptoms, side effects, and body responses, Adjusting treatment regimen to manage symptoms and side effects, Managing/taking medications, Goal setting, decision making, problem solving, planning, prioritizing and pacing in the self-management process)
•    Managing lifestyle changes (e.g. modifying diet, nutrition, smoking, and physical activity, Changing behaviors to minimize disease impact, Balancing living life with health needs, Managing disruptions in school, work, family, and social activities)
•    Managing psychological aspects of chronic diseases and conditions (e.g. Developing confidence and self-efficacy, Reducing stress caused by the chronic disease, Identifying and benefiting from psychological resources drawing on intrinsic resources, e.g., creativity, strength and wisdom from past experiences, Maintaining positive outlook, hope, and self-worth, Dealing with the shock of diagnosis, self-blame, and guilt)
•    Managing relationships with healthcare providers (e.g. Creating and maintaining relationships with healthcare providers)
•    Managing and sustaining relationships with family, friends, relatives, and peers (e.g. Creating a community of peers with similar experiences, Obtaining and managing social support from family and friends)
•    Cultivating courage, discipline, and motivation
•    Working through issues of dependence/independence
•    Seeking resources, such as financial assistance (e.g., prescription subsidies), environmental support (e.g., assistive devices), and community resources (e.g., transportation)
•    Exploring and expressing emotional responses
•    Making sense of the chronic disease (e.g. Finding meaning in work, relationships, activities, and spirituality)
•    Identifying and confronting change and loss (e.g., changes in physical function, role, identity, body image, control, and mortality)
•    Developing coping strategies (e.g., self-talk)
•    Focusing on possibilities (e.g., envisioning the future, reframing adversity into opportunity)
•    Designing virtual coaches
•    ICT designs for elder care and home care
•    ICT enabled preventative approaches

Important dates:

•    April 15: Paper submission begins
•    June 15: Paper submissions deadline
•    August 17: Notification of Acceptance/Rejection
•    September 22: Deadline for authors to submit final manuscript
•    October 1: Deadline for at least one author to register for HICSS-54

Minitrack Co-Chairs:

Majid Dadgar (Primary Contact)
University of San Francisco, CA, USA
[email protected]

Bahae Samhan
Illinois State University, IL, USA
[email protected]

K.D. Joshi
University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
[email protected]

Conference Website: http://hicss.hawaii.edu/
Author Guidelines:  http://hicss.hawaii.edu/tracks-and-minitracks/authors/

References

•    Adams, P., Kirzinger, W., & Martinez, M. (2013). Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2012 (Vital Health Stat No. 10(259)). National Center for Health Statistics.
•    Bodenheimer, T., Lorig, K., Holman, H., & Grumbach, K. (2002). Patient Self-management of Chronic Disease in Primary Care. JAMA, 288(19), 2469–2475.
•    Dadgar, M. and Joshi, K.D. (2018) "The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Self-Management of Chronic Diseases: An Empirical Investigation through Value Sensitive Design," Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS), 19(2), 86-112.
•    El-Gayar, O., Timsina, P., Nawar, N., & Eid, W. (2013). A systematic review of IT for diabetes selfmanagement: Are we there yet? International Journal of Medical Informatics, 82, 637–652.
•    Jacelon, C. S., Gibbs, M. A., & Ridgway, J. V. (2016). Computer technology for self-management: a scoping review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 25, 1179–1192.
•    Schulman-Green, D., Jaser, S., Martin, F., Alonzo, A., Grey, M., McCorkle, R., … Whittemore, R. (2012). Processes of Self-Management in Chronic Illness. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(2), 136–144.
•    The National Health Service. (2013). Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2014/15 to 2018/19. Retrieved from https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/5yr-strat-plann-g…
•    The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (2014). Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020 - by The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/9-5-federalhealthitstratpl…
•    World Health Organization. (2015). Noncommunicable diseases. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/