An interventional informatics approach to development and evaluation of population-based health and web technologies

Abstract

Interventional informatics is the use of health information technology (HIT) that drives evidence-based and evidence-generating practices to inform an improved health delivery system. Current HIT lacks movement towards data-driven infrastructures designed to promote information gathering, sharing, and new knowledge discovery in several areas. This thesis undertakes three specific areas where gaps exist. First, in undertaking quality improvement initiatives aligned with fidelity to program models, a web-based practice exchange was designed, built, tested and launched. Second, a systematic review of eHealth technology instruments for outcomes and evaluation components geared towards patient outcomes was conducted, uncovering gaps in the availability of psychometrically sound measures to evaluate eHealth technologies. Third, a study was conducted to establish a baseline of satisfaction and usability among medical care providers with the current advance care planning process (ACP) and documentation within the electronic medical record (EMR). This study discovered barriers to use of the EMR to retrieve ACP documents and prioritization areas for improvements to begin.