Discussion of “Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?”

N. Al-Shorbaji; L. Hanmer; R. Hussein; F. Magrabi; A. Moen; L. A. Moura; H. -A. Park; P. Scott

doi:10.3414/ME14-02-0119

Methods of Information in Medicine, Table of Contents

Methods Inf Med 2015; 54(04): 308-318
DOI: 10.3414/ME14-02-0119

Original Articles

Schattauer GmbH

Discussion of “Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?”

N. Al-Shorbaji

¹World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

,

L. Hanmer

²Burden of Disease Research Unit and WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

,

R. Hussein

³Biomedical Informatics Center of Excellence, Information Technology Institute, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Giza, Egypt

,

F. Magrabi

⁴Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

,

A. Moen

⁵Institute for health and society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

,

L. A. Moura

⁶AM eHealth, Sao Paulo, Brazil

,

H. -A. Park

⁷College of Nursing and Systems Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

,

P. Scott

⁸School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

This article is part of a For-Discussion-Section of Methods of Information in Medicine about the paper “Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?” written by Elske Ammenwerth [1]. It is introduced by an editorial. This article contains the combined commentaries invited to independently comment on the Ammenwerth paper. In subsequent issues the discussion can continue through letters to the editor.

With these comments on the paper “Evidence-based Health Informatics: How do we know what we know?”, written by Elske Ammenwerth [1], the journal seeks to stimulate a broad discussion on the challenges of evaluating information processing and information technology in health care. An international group of experts has been invited by the editor of Methods to comment on this paper. Each of the invited commentaries forms one section of this paper.

Keywords

Medical informatics - evaluation studies - publication bias - meta-analysis - qualitative research - review literature - information science - evidence-based medicine

Full Text

References

References
1 Ammenwerth E. Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?. Methods Inf Med 2015; 54 (04) 298-307.
2 World Health Organization. World Health assembly resolution WHA58.28. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2005. http://www.who.int/ehealth/about/en/ [access on 21 April 2015].
3 World Health Organization. Proposed Programme Budget 2014/2015. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. http://www.who.int/about/resources_planning/A66_7-en.pdf?ua=1&ua=1 [access on 23 April 2015].
4 World Health Organization. Proposed Programme Budget 2016/2017. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. http://www.who.int/about/resources_planning/EB136_34-en.pdf?ua=1 [access on 23 April 2015].
5 World Health Organization. World Health assembly resolution WHA66.24. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_R24-en.pdf?ua=1 [access on 21 April 2015].
6 Call to action on global eHealth evaluation: consensus statement of the WHO Global eHealth Evaluation Meeting, Bellagio, September 2011. In: eHealth evaluation evidence. Bellagio: The Bellagio eHealth Evaluation Group; 2011. Available from http://www.ghdonline.org/uploads/The_Bellagio_eHealth_Evaluation_Call_to_Action-Release.docx [accessed 15 April 2015].
7 Bulletin of the World Health Organization. Special theme issue: eHealth, Volume 90, Number 5, May. 2012: 321-400. http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/5/en/ [accessed 15 April 2015].
8 Al-Shorbaji N, Geissbuhler A. Establishing an evidence base for e-health: the proof is in the pudding. Bulletin, of the World Health Organization. V. 90. 5 http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/5/12-106146.pdf?ua=1 [accessed 20 April 2015].
9 Piette JD, Lun KC, Moura LA, Fraser HS, Mechael PN, Powell J, Khoja SR. Impacts of e-health on the outcomes of care in low- and middle-income countries: where do we go from here?. Bull World Health Organ 2012; 90 (05) 365-372. doi:10.2471/BLT.11.099069.
10 UMIT, EFMI WG Eval. Health IT Evaluation Database. 2014. [accessed 01 May 2015]; Available from http://evaldb.umit.at.
11 Nguyen L, Bellucci E, Nguyen LT. Electronic health records implementation: An evaluation of information system impact and contingency factors. Int J Med Inform 2014; 83 (11) 779-796. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2014.06.011.
12 Moja L, Kwag KH, Lytras T, Bertizzolo L, Brandt L, Pecoraro V, et al. Effectiveness of computerized decision support systems linked to electronic health records: A systematic review and meta-analysis. A J Public Health 2014; 104 (12) e12-22.
13 A new global partnership: eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development. Report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. New York: United Nations Publications; 2013. Available at http://www.un.org/sg/management/pdf/HLP_P2015_Report.pdf [accessed 9 April 2015].
14 Hussein R. A Review of Realizing the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Goals by 2030; Part 1-Status quo, Requirements, and Chal- lenges. J Med Syst 2015; 39 (07) 254 doi: 10.1007/s10916–015–0254-y.
15 World Health Organization and World Bank Group. Monitoring progress towards universal health coverage at country and global levels: framework, measures and targets. Geneva: WHO; 2014. Available at http://www.who.int/healthinfo/universal_health_coverage/en/ [accessed 9 April 2015].
16 Hussein R. A Review of Realizing the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Goals by 2030; Part 2-What is the Role of eHealth and Technology?. J Med Syst 2015; 39 (07) 255 doi: 10.1007/s10916–015–0255-x.
17 Mechael P. Evaluation of IDRC-supported eHealth projects: final report. 2011. [cited 2015 Apr 10]; Available from http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/handle/10625/46411.
18 Sinha C, Garro-Strauss D. Research on eHealth Across Health Systems: Contributions to Strengthen a Field. In Elder L, Emdon H, Fuchs R, Petrazzini B. editors Connecting ICTs to Development the IDRC Experience. Ottawa: Anthem Press; 2013. Available at http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/52228/1/IDL-52228.pdf [accessed 9 April 2015].
19 Labrique AB, Vasudevan L, Kochi E, Fabricant R, Mehl G. mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework. Glob Health Sci Pract 2013; 1 (02) 160-171.
20 Mehl G, Labrique A. Prioritizing integrated mHealth strategies for universal health coverage. Science 2014; 345 6202 1284-1287.
21 Mehl G, Vasudevan L, Gonsalves L, Berg M, Seimon T, Temmerman M, Labrique A. Harnessing mHealth in low-resource settings to overcome health system constraints and achieve universal access to health. In Marsch LA, Lord SE, Dallery J. editors Behavioral Healthcare and Technology: Using Science-Based Innovations to Transform Practice. Oxford University Press; 2014: 369.
22 Walshe K, McKee M, McCarthy M, Groenewegen P, Hansen J, Figueras J. et al. Health systems and policy research in Europe: Horizon 2020. Lancet 2013; 382 9893 668-669.
23 Ammenwerth E, Schnell-Inderst P, Siebert U. Vision and challenges of Evidence-Based Health Informatics: a case study of a CPOE meta-analysis. Int J Med Inform 2010; 79 (04) e83-88.
24 Rigby M, Ammenwerth E, Beuscart-Zephir MC, Brender J, Hypponen H, Melia S. et al. Evidence Based Health Informatics: 10 Years of Efforts to Promote the Principle. Joint Contribution of IMIA WG EVAL and EFMI WG EVAL. Yearb Med Inform 2013; 8 (01) 34-46.
25 Coiera E. The guide to health informatics. third edition. CRC Press; 2015
26 Darking M, Anson R, Bravo F, Davis J, Flowers S, Gillingham E. et al. Practice-centred evaluation and the privileging of care in health information technology evaluation. BMC Health Serv Res 2014; 14: 243.
27 Eisenstein EL, Juzwishin D, Kushniruk AW, Nahm M. Defining a framework for health information technology evaluation. Stud Health Technol Inform 2011; 164: 94-99.
28 Yusof MM, Papazafeiropoulou A, Paul RJ, Stergioulas LK. Investigating evaluation frameworks for health information systems. Int J Med Inform 2008; 77 (06) 377-385.
29 Moen A, Knudsen LMM. Nursing Informatics - decades of contributions to health informatics. Healthc Inform Res 2013; 19 (02) 86-92.
30 Moen A. Nursing Leadership when an Electronic Patient Record System is Introduced in Norwegian Hospitals [Doctoral Dissertation]. Oslo: University of Oslo; 2002
31 Greenhalgh T. Outside the Box: Why are Cochrane reviews so boring?. Br J Gen Pract 2012; 62 (600) 371.
32 Koppel R, Metlay JP, Cohen A, Abaluck B, Localio AR, Kimmel SE. et al. Role of Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems in Facilitating Medication Errors. JAMA 2005; 293 (10) 1197-1203.
33 Nes S, Moen A. Constructing standards - A study of nurses negotiating with multiple modes of knowledge. Journal of Workplace Learning 2010; 22 (06) 376-393.
34 Coiera E, Aarts J, Kulikowski C. The dangerous decade. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2012; 19 (01) 2-5.
35 Hurlen P, Borthne A, Dahl FA, Ostbye T, Gulbrandsen P. Does PACS improve diagnostic accuracy in chest radiograph interpretations in clinical practice?. Eur J Radiol 2012; 81 (01) 173-7.
36 WHO-ITU National eHealth Toolkit. http://www.who.int/ehealth/publications/overview.pdf?ua=1&ua=1 2012
37 Keeley L, Doblin Inc IBF. Venturing & Partnering, February. 2011 http://corporateventuringconference.com/2012/PRESENTATIONS/2011/04LarryKeeley.pdf.
38 Winter A, Haux R, Ammenwerth E, Brigl B, Hellrung N, Jahn F. Health Information Systems: Architectures and Strategies. 2nd ed. London: Springer; 2011
39 AHRQ. Health IT Evaluation Toolkit and Evaluation Measures Quick Reference Guides. Available from. http://healthit.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/health-it-evaluation-toolkit-and-evaluation-measures-quick-reference.
40 Congressional Budget Office. Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology, May 2008. Available from. https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/05-20-healthit.pdf.
41 Scott PJ. Exploiting the information revolution:call for independent evaluation of the latest English national experiment. J Innov Health Inform 2015; 22 (01) 244-249.
42 Crump B. Should we use large scale healthcare interventions without clear evidence that benefits outweigh costs and harms? Yes. BMJ 2008; 336 7656 1276.
43 Landefeld CS, Shojania KG, Auerbach AD. Should we use large scale healthcare interventions without clear evidence that benefits outweigh costs and harms? No. BMJ 2008; 336 7656 1277.
44 Song PH, McAlearney AS, Robbins J, McCullough JS. Exploring the business case for ambulatory electronic health record system adoption. J Healthc Manag 2011; 56 (03) 169-180.
45 Craig P, Dieppe P, Macintyre S, Michie S, Nazareth I, Petticrew M. Developing and evaluating complex interventions: the new Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ 2008; 337: a1655.
46 Lilford RJ, Chilton PJ, Hemming K, Girling AJ, Taylor CA, Barach P. Evaluating policy and service interventions: framework to guide selection and interpretation of study end points. BMJ 2010; 341: c4413.
47 Liu JL, Wyatt JC. The case for randomized controlled trials to assess the impact of clinical information systems. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2011; 18 (02) 173-180.
48 Moore GF, Audrey S, Barker M, Bond L, Bonell C, Hardeman W. et al. Process evaluation of complex interventions: Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ 2015; 350: h1258.
49 De Silva MJ, Breuer E, Lee L, Asher L, Chowdhary N, Lund C. et al. Theory of Change: a theory-driven approach to enhance the Medical Research Council’s framework for complex interventions. Trials 2014; 15: 267.
50 Nykänen P, Brender J, Talmon J, de Keizer N, Rigby M, Beuscart-Zephir MC. et al. Guideline for good evaluation practice in health informatics (GEP-HI). Int J Med Inform 2011; 80 (12) 815-827.
51 Friedman C, Wyatt J. Evaluation methods in biomedical informatics. 2nd ed. New York: Springer Verlag; 2006
52 Friedman CP, Abbas UL. Is medical informatics a mature science? A review of measurement practice in outcome studies of clinical systems. Int J Med Inform 2003; 69 2–3 261-272.
53 UK Office of Government Commerce. Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. London: Office of Government Commerce; 2009
54 Scott PJ, Briggs JS, Prytherch D. Health informatics - where’s the evidence?. HI Now. 2010. 5–1 10-12. Available from http://www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/hinow-autumn-2010.pdf.