Understanding the role of the bring-your-own-device policy in medical education and healthcare delivery at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Medicine
Information and Learning Sciences
ISSN: 2398-5348
Article publication date: 11 January 2022
Issue publication date: 10 March 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Seeking to leverage on benefits of personal mobile device use, medical schools and healthcare facilities are increasingly embracing the use of personal mobile devices for medical education and healthcare delivery through bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies. However, empirical research findings that could guide the development of BYOD policies are scarce. Available research is dominated by studies that were guided by technocentric approaches, hence seemingly overlooking the complexities of the interactions of actors in mobile device technologies implementation. The purpose of this study was to use the actor–network theory to explore the potential role of a BYOD policy at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Medicine.
Design/methodology/approach
Purposive sampling was used to select the participants and interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis were used to collect data. Data were collected from 27 participants and analysed using grounded theory techniques. Emerging themes were continually compared and contrasted with incoming data to create broad themes and sub-themes and to establish relationships or patterns from the data.
Findings
The results suggest that the potential roles for BYOD policy include promoting appropriate mobile device use, promoting equitable access to mobile devices and content, and integrating mobile devices into medical education, healthcare delivery and other institutional processes.
Research limitations/implications
BYOD policy could be conceptualized and researched as a “script” that binds actors/actants into a “network” of constituents (with shared interests) such as medical schools and healthcare facilities, mobile devices, internet/WiFi, computers, software, computer systems, medical students, clinical teachers or doctors, nurses, information technology technicians, patients, curriculum, information sources or content, classrooms, computer labs and infections.
Practical implications
BYOD is a policy that seeks to represent the interests (presents as a solution to their problems) of the key stakeholders such as medical schools, healthcare facilities and mobile device users. BYOD is introduced in medical schools and healthcare facilities to promote equitable access to mobile devices and content, appropriate mobile device use and ensure distribution of liability between the mobile device users and the institution and address the implication of mobile device use in teaching and learning.
Originality/value
The BYOD policy is a comprehensive solution that transcends other institutional policies and regulations to fully integrate mobile devices in medical education and healthcare delivery.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Author contributions: KK conducted all data collection. All the authors contributed to the study design, data analysis and interpretation. All authors contributed to the conceptualisation of the first draft developed by KK, made revisions to all versions of the manuscripts and approved the final version. Therefore, all the authors are accountable for all aspects of the work.
Conflicts of interest: The principal researcher and the corresponding author, KK, is a medical librarian at UB, Department of Library Services (serving the UB FoM) and was part of the UB FoM mLearning Implementation team and has read extensively about BYOD initiatives.
Citation
Kadimo, K., Mutshewa, A. and Kebaetse, M.B. (2022), "Understanding the role of the bring-your-own-device policy in medical education and healthcare delivery at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Medicine", Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. 123 No. 3/4, pp. 199-213. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-09-2021-0077
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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