Guy Paré

Rigor in information systems positivist case research: current practices, trends, and recommendations

Case research has commanded respect in the information systems (IS) discipline for at least a decade. Notwithstanding the relevance and potential value of case studies, this methodological approach was once considered to be one of the least systematic. Toward the end of the 1980s, the issue of whether IS case research was rigorously conducted was first raised. Researchers from our field (e.g., Benbasat et al. 1987; Lee 1989) and from other disciplines (e.g., Eisenhardt 1989; Yin 1994) called for more rigor in case research and, through their recommendations, contributed to the advancement of the case study methodology. Considering these contributions, the present study seeks to determine the extent to which the field of IS has advanced in its operational use of case study method. Precisely, it investigates the level of methodological rigor in positivist IS case research conducted over the past decade. To fulfill this objective, we identified and coded 183 case articles from seven major IS journals. Evaluation attributes or criteria considered in the present review focus on three main areas, namely, design issues, data collection, and data analysis. While the level of methodological rigor has experienced modest progress with respect to some specific attributes, the overall assessed rigor is somewhat equivocal and there are still significant areas for improvement. One of the keys is to include better documentation particularly regarding issues related to the data collection and analysis processes.

The Influence of High-Involvement Human Resources Practices, Procedural Justice, Organizational Commitment and Citizenship Behaviors on Information Technology Professionals' Turnover Intentions

The present study investigates the relationships between a multidimensional, theoretically grounded configuration of high-involvement human resources (HR) practices and turnover intentions. Precisely, it addresses two research questions: What high-involvement HR practices are needed to implement an effective strategy for retaining highly skilled professionals? Do procedural justice, organizational commitment, and citizenship behaviors mediate the effects of high-involvement HR practices on turnover intentions? A survey instrument containing previously validated measures was developed and sent to Quebec members of the Canadian Information Processing Society. Data from 394 respondents were used to test the research model. Key findings reveal that nonmonetary recognition and competency development, and, to a lesser extent, fair rewards and information-sharing practices, are negatively and directly related to turnover intentions. The authors also observed that procedural justice, affective and continuance commitment, and citizenship behaviors partially mediate the effects of high-involvement HR practices on the turnover intentions of highly skilled professionals.

Clinical Effects of Home Telemonitoring in the Context of Diabetes, Asthma, Heart Failure and Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Background Home telemonitoring figures among the various solutions that could help attenuate some of the problems associated with aging populations, rates of chronic illness, and shortages of health professionals. Objective The primary aim of this study was to further our understanding of the clinical effects associated with home telemonitoring programs in the context of chronic diseases. Methods We conducted a systematic review which covered studies published between January 1966 and December 2008. MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, and the INAHTA (International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment) database were consulted. Our inclusion criteria consisted of: (1) English language publications in peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings and (2) studies involving patients with diabetes, asthma, heart failure, or hypertension, and presenting results on the clinical effects of home telemonitoring. Results In all, 62 empirical studies were analyzed. The results from studies involving patients with diabetes indicated a trend toward patients with home telemonitoring achieving better glycemic control. In most trials in which patients with asthma were enrolled, results showed significant improvements in patients’ peak expiratory flows, significant reductions in the symptoms associated with this illness, and improvements in perceived quality of life. Virtually all studies involving patients with hypertension demonstrated the ability of home telemonitoring to reduce systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure. Lastly, due to the equivocal nature of current findings of home telemonitoring involving patients with heart failure, larger trials are still needed to confirm the clinical effects of this technology for these patients. Conclusions Although home telemonitoring appears to be a promising approach to patient management, designers of future studies should consider ways to make this technology more effective as well as controlling possible mediating variables.

Global Virtual Teams

Recent interviews with GVT leaders and members offer criticaladvice from the trenches regarding the challenges and copingstrategies for collaborating on a global scale.

Determinants of Internet use as a preferred source of information on personal health.

OBJECTIVE To understand the personal, social and cultural factors likely to explain recourse to the Internet as a preferred source of personal health information. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a population of 2923 Internet users visiting a firmly established website that offers information on personal health. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the determinants of site use. MEASUREMENT The analysis template comprised four classes of determinants likely to explain Internet use: beliefs, intentions, user satisfaction and socio-demographic characteristics. Seven-point Likert scales were used. An analysis of the psychometric qualities of the variables provided compelling evidence of the constructs validity and reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the correspondence with the factors predicted by the theoretical model. FINDINGS The regression analysis explained 35% of the variance in Internet use. Use was directly associated with five factors: perceived usefulness, importance given to written media in searches for health information, concern for personal health, importance given to the opinions of physicians and other health professionals, and the trust placed in the information available on the site itself. CONCLUSION This study confirms the importance of the credibility of information on the frequency of Internet use as a preferred source of information on personal health. It also shows the potentially influential role of the Internet in the development of personal knowledge of health issues.

Using case study research to build theories of IT implementation

In this paper, we present and illustrate how the approach proposed by Eisenhardt (1989) for building theories from case study research can help researchers understand and explain the inherently dynamic nature of numerous IT phenomena. The approach, which adopts a positivist view of research, relies on past literature and empirical data as well as on the insights of the researcher to build incrementally more powerful theories. We describe in some detail how this methodology was applied in a particular research study on IT implementation and how the use of this approach contributed to the discovery of a number of new perspectives and empirical insights. Furthermore, we discuss when it is appropriate to follow, to ignore, or to modify the suggestions made by Eisenhardt. Overall, using Eisenhardt’s approach as a starting point, our objective is to provide a more complete and detailed guide for using case studies to build theories within the MIS field.

Information technology sophistication in health care: an instrument validation study among Canadian hospitals

Several empirical studies have shown that the use of computer-based information systems could have positive impacts on organizational performance. Many agree to say that health care organizations are no exceptions. But if one wishes to identify the effects of information technology (IT) on the delivery of care, one must be able to characterize IT for operationalization purposes. The primary objective of this research project is to develop and validate a measurement instrument of IT sophistication in the hospital milieu. Such instrument should provide hospital managers with a diagnostic tool capable of indicating the profile of their respective institutions in regard to IT adoption and comparing this profile to those of other similar medical centers. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in order to assess the psychometric properties of the measurement instrument. Overall, findings suggest a high-moderate level of functional sophistication, a somewhat low level of technological sophistication, and an even lower level of integration sophistication in all of the sampled medical centers. Hence, future investments shall therefore be directed towards the integration of clinical and administrative applications and the acquisition of more advanced technological devices, more specifically those, which allow direct capture of clinical data at the bedside.

Synthesizing information systems knowledge: A typology of literature reviews

Abstract In this article we develop a typology of review types and provide a descriptive insight into the most common reviews found in top IS journals. Our assessment reveals that the number of IS reviews has increased over the years. The majority of the 139 reviews are theoretical in nature, followed by narrative reviews, meta-analyses, descriptive reviews, hybrid reviews, critical reviews, and scoping reviews. Considering the calls for IS research to develop a cumulative tradition, we hope more review articles will be published in the future and encourage researchers who start a review to use our typology to position their contribution.

Internet use and the logics of personal empowerment in health

OBJECTIVES The development of personal involvement and responsibility has become a strategic issue in health policy. The main goal of this study is to confirm the coexistence of three logics of personal empowerment through health information found on the Internet. METHODS A theoretical framework was applied to analyze personal empowerment from the users perspective. A well-established Canadian Web site that offers information on personal health was used as a case study. A close-ended questionnaire was completed online by 2275 visitors and members of the Web site. RESULTS The findings confirm that the development of feelings of competence and control through Internet use is structured around three different logics. This implies three types of aptitudes that are fostered when the Internet is used to seek health information: doing what is prescribed (the professional logic), making choices based on personal judgment (the consumer logic), and mutual assistance (the community logic). CONCLUSIONS A recurring issue in three logics is the balance of roles and responsibilities required between the individual and the health provider.

Effects of Home Telemonitoring Interventions on Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

BACKGROUND Growing interest on the effects of home telemonitoring on patients with chronic heart failure (HF) has led to a rise in the number of systematic reviews addressing the same or very similar research questions with a concomitant increase in discordant findings. Differences in the scope, methods of analysis, and methodological quality of systematic reviews can cause great confusion and make it difficult for policy makers and clinicians to access and interpret the available evidence and for researchers to know where knowledge gaps in the extant literature exist. OBJECTIVE This overview aims to collect, appraise, and synthesize existing evidence from multiple systematic reviews on the effectiveness of home telemonitoring interventions for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) to inform policy makers, practitioners, and researchers. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library to identify all relevant, peer-reviewed systematic reviews published between January 1996 and December 2013. Reviews were searched and screened using explicit keywords and inclusion criteria. Standardized forms were used to extract data and the methodological quality of included reviews was appraised using the AMSTAR (assessing methodological quality of systematic reviews) instrument. Summary of findings tables were constructed for all primary outcomes of interest, and quality of evidence was graded by outcome using the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system. Post-hoc analysis and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted to gain further insights into the various types of home telemonitoring technologies included in the systematic reviews and the impact of these technologies on clinical outcomes. RESULTS A total of 15 reviews published between 2003 and 2013 were selected for meta-level synthesis. Evidence from high-quality reviews with meta-analysis indicated that taken collectively, home telemonitoring interventions reduce the relative risk of all-cause mortality (0.60 to 0.85) and heart failure-related hospitalizations (0.64 to 0.86) compared with usual care. Absolute risk reductions ranged from 1.4%-6.5% and 3.7%-8.2%, respectively. Improvements in HF-related hospitalizations appeared to be more pronounced in patients with stable HF: hazard ratio (HR) 0.70 (95% credible interval [Crl] 0.34-1.5]). Risk reductions in mortality and all-cause hospitalizations appeared to be greater in patients who had been recently discharged (≤28 days) from an acute care setting after a recent HF exacerbation: HR 0.62 (95% CrI 0.42-0.89) and HR 0.67 (95% CrI 0.42-0.97), respectively. However, quality of evidence for these outcomes ranged from moderate to low suggesting that further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the observed estimates of effect and may change these estimates. The post-hoc analysis identified five main types of non-invasive telemonitoring technologies included in the systematic reviews: (1) video-consultation, with or without transmission of vital signs, (2) mobile telemonitoring, (3) automated device-based telemonitoring, (4) interactive voice response, and (5) Web-based telemonitoring. Of these, only automated device-based telemonitoring and mobile telemonitoring were effective in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and HF-related hospitalizations. More research data are required for interactive voice response systems, video-consultation, and Web-based telemonitoring to provide robust conclusions about their effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS Future research should focus on understanding the process by which home telemonitoring works in terms of improving outcomes, identify optimal strategies and the duration of follow-up for which it confers benefits, and further investigate whether there is differential effectiveness between chronic HF patient groups and types of home telemonitoring technologies.