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1 – 5 of 5Dimitris Theodorou and Padelis Giannelos
The purpose of this paper is to highlight changes in ISO 15189:2012 and ISO 15189:2007 concerning management review requirements and to present a management review checklist…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight changes in ISO 15189:2012 and ISO 15189:2007 concerning management review requirements and to present a management review checklist, which includes all the revised ISO 15189’s requirements.
Design/methodology/approach
The recent revised and updated ISO 15189:2012 standard recommends a management review using a process approach and includes some additional topics.
Findings
The management review is a key element in many quality management systems, including medical laboratory management systems in accordance with ISO 15189. The process approach enables laboratory top managers and personnel to achieve all the quality management system’s important inputs and outputs.
Originality/value
As laboratory staff often encounter difficulties fully exploiting the management review process, this checklist helps laboratory staff carry out an effective management review covering all the quality management system’s important aspects.
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Petros Kostagiolas, Panagiotis Tsiligros, Panagiotis Theodorou, Nikolaos Tentolouris and Dimitrios Niakas
The purpose of this paper is the investigation of type 2 diabetes patients' information seeking behavior in terms of their information needs, sources and barriers faced by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is the investigation of type 2 diabetes patients' information seeking behavior in terms of their information needs, sources and barriers faced by patients when seeking information. The information seeking behavior is associated with clinical patient data.
Design/methodology/approach
The relevant literature is reviewed, and the results of a cross-sectional survey informed by Wilson's macro-model of information seeking behavior are reported. The survey includes 106 outpatients from the diabetes clinic of a Greek major university hospital and includes information seeking behaviors and patient's clinical evidence.
Findings
The most important health information needs are related to the complications, symptoms and causes of diabetes, to the proper diet for diabetics and the measures adopted to avoid foot complications. Furthermore, the most important information resources were physicians, ophthalmologists, books, broadcast media and family members. Obstacles encountered during information seeking include the complicated nature of health information, which involves scientific terms as well as psychological issues. The diabetes stage is correlated with information needs for diabetes medication, while the years from the first diagnosis are negatively correlated with the use of informal sources.
Research limitations/implications
The information needs and sources of diabetic patients, as well as the main obstacles to this pursuit, could potentially have important implications in designing a future information campaign and information services for diabetes patients.
Originality/value
The Wilson's macro-model of information seeking has been applied to the diabetic patients' information seeking behavior; while information needs, information sources and information obstacles are correlated with clinical evidence from patients’ hospital records.
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Petros Kostagiolas, Charalampos Platis, Alkeviadis Belitsas, Maria Elisavet Psomiadi and Dimitris Niakas
The higher-level aim of this study is to investigate the impact of health information needs satisfaction on the fear of COVID-19 for the general population. The investigation is…
Abstract
Purpose
The higher-level aim of this study is to investigate the impact of health information needs satisfaction on the fear of COVID-19 for the general population. The investigation is theoretically grounded on Wilsons’ model of information seeking in the context of inquesting the reasons for seeking health information as well as the information sources the general population deploy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional survey examines the correlations between health information seeking behavior and the COVID-19 generated fear in the general population through the application of a specially designed structured questionnaire which was distributed online. The questionnaire comprised four main distinct research dimensions (i.e. information needs, information sources, obstacles when seeking information and COVID-19 generated fear) that present significant validity levels.
Findings
Individuals were motivated to seek COVID-related health information to cope with the pandemic generated uncertainty. Information needs satisfaction as well as digital health literacy levels is associated with the COVID-19 generated fear in the general population. Finally, a conceptual framework based on Wilsons’ macro-model for information seeking behavior was developed to illustrate information needs satisfaction during the pandemic period. These results indicate the need for incentives to enhance health information needs satisfaction appropriately.
Originality/value
The COVID-19 generated fear in the general population is studied through the information seeking behavior lenses. A well-studied theoretical model for information seeking behavior is adopted for health-related information seeking during pandemic. Finally, digital health information literacy levels are also associated with the fear of COVID-19 reported in the authors’ survey.
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Petros Kostagiolas, Anastasios Milkas, Panos Kourouthanassis, Kyriakos Dimitriadis, Konstantinos Tsioufis, Dimitrios Tousoulis and Dimitrios Niakas
The ultimate aim of this study is to investigate how health information needs’ satisfaction actually makes a difference to the patients' management of a chronic clinical…
Abstract
Purpose
The ultimate aim of this study is to investigate how health information needs’ satisfaction actually makes a difference to the patients' management of a chronic clinical condition. The literature falls short of providing evidence on the interaction between patients' health information seeking behaviour and the successful management of a clinical condition. On the other hand, patient education and good information seeking practices are deemed necessary for hypertension management daily decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
A specially designed questionnaire study was developed: The survey design was informed by the information seeking behaviour model of Wilson for studying hypertension patients' information needs, information resources and obstacles patients face while seeking hypertension-related information. Moreover, clinical information was collected in order to make associations and inference on the impact of information seeking on patients' clinical outcomes.
Findings
The study included 111 patients submitted to the outpatient hypertension clinic of a university hospital in Athens for a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM). The analysis showed that those reporting higher satisfaction level of their information needs achieved lower values in ABPM (ABPM<130/80mmHg, p = 0.049). Stepwise the logistic regression analysis revealed three independent factors to predict the possibility of being optimally treated (ABPM<130/80mmHg). Dipping status (OR: 14.052, 95% CI: 4.229–46.688, p = 0.0001) patients with high satisfaction level of their disease (OR: 13.450, 95% CI: 1.364–132.627, p = 0.026) and interpersonal relationships were used as the main source of information (OR: 1.762, 95% CI: 1.024–3.031, p = 0.41).
Originality/value
Hypertensive patients with high satisfaction level of information achieve better disease control. Among different sources of information, interpersonal relationships emerge as the most appropriate factor for patients' disease control.
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