Mehrdad Roham - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mehrdad Roham

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting the impact of hospital health information technology adoption on patient satisfaction

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Oct 1, 2012

Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction thro... more Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction through the hospital adoption of health information technology (HIT) in order to help understand the benefits of increased HIT investment. Data and Methods: The solution proposed is based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which integrates artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic and can handle certain complex problems that include fuzziness in human perception, and non-normal and non linear data. Two surveys were combined to develop the model. Hospital HIT adoption capability and use indicators in the Canadian province of Ontario were used as inputs, while patient satisfaction indicators of healthcare services in hospitals were used as outputs. Results: Seven different types of models were trained and tested for each of four patient satisfaction dimensions. The accuracy of each predictive model was evaluated through statistical performance measures, including root mean square error (RMSE), and adjusted coefficient of determinationR 2 Adjusted. The impact of HIT adoption on patient satisfaction was obtained for different HIT adoption scenarios using ANFIS simulations. Conclusions: The results revealed that ANFIS simulations provide good accuracy and reliability for predicting the impact of health information technology adoption on patient satisfaction in hospitals. These simulations can therefore be helpful as decision support mechanisms to assist government and policy makers in understanding and predicting the effects of successful implementation and use of HIT in hospitals.

Research paper thumbnail of A Systematic Review of Knowledge Visualization Approaches Using Big Data Methodology for Clinical Decision Support

IntechOpen eBooks, Feb 3, 2021

This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big ... more This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big data knowledge visualization for clinical decision support (CDS). The aims were to identify and synthesize sources of big data in knowledge visualization, identify visualization interactivity approaches for CDS, and summarize outcomes. Searches were conducted via PubMed, Embase, Ebscohost, CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore in April 2019, using search terms representing concepts of: big data, knowledge visualization, and clinical decision support. A Google Scholar gray literature search was also conducted. All references were screened for eligibility. Our review returned 3252 references, with 17 studies remaining after screening. Data were extracted and coded from these studies and analyzed using a PICOS framework. The most common audience intended for the studies was healthcare providers (n = 16); the most common source of big data was electronic health records (EHRs) (n = 12), followed by microbiology/pathology laboratory data (n = 8). The most common intervention type was some form of analysis platform/tool (n = 7). We identified and classified studies by visualization type, user intent, big data platforms and tools used, big data analytics methods, and outcomes from big data knowledge visualization of CDS applications.

Research paper thumbnail of A technique for enamel diagnostics using results of the infrared optical non-destructive control examination

International Conference on Systems, Jul 10, 2006

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy systems modeling of ease of doing business indicators

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation of national business environments, and to strategy formulations of business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many complications and uncertainties involved in their work. This paper proposes a new systematic approach that employs fuzzy set theory to generate composite EDB indicators for ranking and classification problems. In this paper, we implement the proposed approach and illustrate its process and procedures. A ... case study example for Canada is also presented in which EDB indicators are evaluated, linguistically identified, and ranked. This approach demonstrates the ease of using this fuzzy application, and its potential benefits for future research. We also compare ranking results, obtained from our proposed approach, with the World Bank's results.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Linguistic Modeling of Ease of Doing Business Indicators

International Journal of Uncertainty, Fuzziness and Knowledge-Based Systems, Aug 1, 2009

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to overall understanding and evaluation of ... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to overall understanding and evaluation of national business environment, and strategy formulation for business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many complications and uncertainties involved in the work. This paper proposes a new systematic approach that employs fuzzy set theory to generate composite EDB indicators for ranking and classification problems. We implemented this approach and illustrate its steps and procedures. A case study example for Canada is also presented in which EDB indicators are evaluated, linguistically identified, and ranked. This approach demonstrates the ease of using this fuzzy application, and its potential benefits for future research. We also compare ranking results, obtained from our proposed approach, with the World Bank's results.

Research paper thumbnail of PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF HOSPITAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON PATIENT SATISFACTION By

Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction thro... more Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction through the hospital adoption of health information technology (HIT) in order to help understand the benefits of increased HIT investment. Data and Methods: The solution proposed is based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which integrates artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic and can handle certain complex problems that include fuzziness in human perception, and non-normal and non linear data. Two surveys were combined to develop the model. Hospital HIT adoption capability and use indicators in the Canadian province of Ontario were used as inputs, while patient satisfaction indicators of healthcare services in hospitals were used as outputs. Results: Seven different types of models were trained and tested for each of four patient satisfaction dimensions. The accuracy of each predictive model was evaluated through statistical performance measures, including root mean s...

Research paper thumbnail of AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ON PHYSICIAN SERVICE EXPENDITURES By

1 Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increas... more 1 Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more like...

Research paper thumbnail of An Exploration of Consumer Health Information Search Patterns and Information Sharing with Physicians in Canada

Objectives: To investigate the patterns and predictors of individual online health information se... more Objectives: To investigate the patterns and predictors of individual online health information seeking, including socio-demographic characteristics, Internet activities and level of use, type of health information sought, and likelihood of sharing health information with physicians. Data and Methods: Secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional survey of a representative national Canadian consumer sample in 2007 (n=26588). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between Internet search for health information, sharing Internet health information with physicians, and the socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage levels, and Internet activities of respondents. Results: 61% of the Canadian population more than 16 years old had home Internet access, and 59% of these, or 36% of the population, sought health information via the Internet. Searching for health information was the second most popular online activity, following general Internet activities. Socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage experience, privacy and security concerns, and Internet activities were significantly associated with health information search. Disease-specific information was the most frequently sought health information, followed by lifestyle information and disease symptoms. Women, individuals who had used the Internet for 2-5 years, and those who lived in megalopolises, were very concerned about Internet privacy and security. Individuals who used the Internet for other activities (general, government and online shopping) were more likely to discuss health information found on the Internet with their physicians. Conclusions: This study reveals that income, rural/urban residency, and the number of persons in households were not significant determinants of Internet use for online health information searches by Canadians. Our study indicates a low level of communication between physicians and patients about health-related information found on the Internet. Strategies to increase Canadian access to the Internet for health information will likely help them to become better informed and active participants with their physicians on health related decisions.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

ABSTRACT Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to ... more ABSTRACT Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely to have medium and high technology treatment than males. Overall, the increases from applying high technology accounted for almost 60% of the growth of Ontario government health expenditures on physician services during the period investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of Health information needs and health information provider segmentation among chronically ill people with comorbidities

60 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (p.34-39). ; "December 2013." ; We grateful... more 60 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (p.34-39). ; "December 2013." ; We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for its financial support of this investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of A technique for enamel diagnostics using results of the infrared optical non-destructive control examination

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy systems modeling of ease of doing business indicators

56 p. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; "August 2008." This work was supported b... more 56 p. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; "August 2008." This work was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.

Research paper thumbnail of A Systematic Review of Knowledge Visualization Approaches Using Big Data Methodology for Clinical Decision Support

Advances in Intelligent and Personalized Clinical Decision Support Systems [Working Title]

This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big ... more This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big data knowledge visualization for clinical decision support (CDS). The aims were to identify and synthesize sources of big data in knowledge visualization, identify visualization interactivity approaches for CDS, and summarize outcomes. Searches were conducted via PubMed, Embase, Ebscohost, CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore in April 2019, using search terms representing concepts of: big data, knowledge visualization, and clinical decision support. A Google Scholar gray literature search was also conducted. All references were screened for eligibility. Our review returned 3252 references, with 17 studies remaining after screening. Data were extracted and coded from these studies and analyzed using a PICOS framework. The most common audience intended for the studies was healthcare providers (n = 16); the most common source of big data was electronic health records (EHRs) (n = 12), followed by microbiology/pathology laboratory data (n = 8). The most common intervention type was some form of analysis platform/tool (n = 7). We identified and classified studies by visualization type, user intent, big data platforms and tools used, big data analytics methods, and outcomes from big data knowledge visualization of CDS applications.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases... more Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The obj ective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely to have medium and high technology treatment than males. Overall, the increases from applying high technology accounted for almost 60% of the growth of Ontario government health expenditures on physician services during the period investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity & Physician Expenditure: Methodology, Algorithms

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity Calculations: Illustrative Example, Sensitivity Tests, and Robustness Results

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Business Regulations and their Enforcement Around the World: Enriching Ease of Doing Business Indicators

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation of national business environments, and to formulating strategies for business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many underlying uncertainties in the data. This paper proposes a qualitative analytical monitoring tool for revealing implicit knowledge from data, using fuzzy set theory. It involves a detailed systematic framework to capture, measure, classify and evaluate administrative burdens of business in countries around the world. The analysis is based on linguistic identification of aggregated indicators of business activity regulations that measure the degree to which policies support or restrain business in countries and in groups of countries. The results establish differences and trends in business regulation among these world groups. Although regulation trends showed a slight decline over a recent ...

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity & Physician Expenditure: Methodology, Algorithms

Advances in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice can lead to increases in healt... more Advances in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice can lead to increases in healthcare costs. This presentation will assess the impact of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age groups. We have developed a novel algorithm that classifies an exhaustive set of 1.5 trillion healthcare services that are provided by physicians, and the costs associated with them, into three levels of technological intensity. The resulting health technological intensity measure, HTI, takes account of the technological complexity of the services provided, the technological knowledge required of the service providers, and the unit cost of providing the technology. The algorithm has been implemented to evaluate five years of administrative records and CCHS linked to administrative data of physician billing claims covering the ten year period 1994-2004 for...

Research paper thumbnail of A Technique for Enamel Diagnostics Using Results of the Infrared Optical Non-Destructive Control Examination

WSEAS Transactions on Systems

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases... more Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely...

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting the impact of hospital health information technology adoption on patient satisfaction

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Oct 1, 2012

Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction thro... more Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction through the hospital adoption of health information technology (HIT) in order to help understand the benefits of increased HIT investment. Data and Methods: The solution proposed is based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which integrates artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic and can handle certain complex problems that include fuzziness in human perception, and non-normal and non linear data. Two surveys were combined to develop the model. Hospital HIT adoption capability and use indicators in the Canadian province of Ontario were used as inputs, while patient satisfaction indicators of healthcare services in hospitals were used as outputs. Results: Seven different types of models were trained and tested for each of four patient satisfaction dimensions. The accuracy of each predictive model was evaluated through statistical performance measures, including root mean square error (RMSE), and adjusted coefficient of determinationR 2 Adjusted. The impact of HIT adoption on patient satisfaction was obtained for different HIT adoption scenarios using ANFIS simulations. Conclusions: The results revealed that ANFIS simulations provide good accuracy and reliability for predicting the impact of health information technology adoption on patient satisfaction in hospitals. These simulations can therefore be helpful as decision support mechanisms to assist government and policy makers in understanding and predicting the effects of successful implementation and use of HIT in hospitals.

Research paper thumbnail of A Systematic Review of Knowledge Visualization Approaches Using Big Data Methodology for Clinical Decision Support

IntechOpen eBooks, Feb 3, 2021

This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big ... more This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big data knowledge visualization for clinical decision support (CDS). The aims were to identify and synthesize sources of big data in knowledge visualization, identify visualization interactivity approaches for CDS, and summarize outcomes. Searches were conducted via PubMed, Embase, Ebscohost, CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore in April 2019, using search terms representing concepts of: big data, knowledge visualization, and clinical decision support. A Google Scholar gray literature search was also conducted. All references were screened for eligibility. Our review returned 3252 references, with 17 studies remaining after screening. Data were extracted and coded from these studies and analyzed using a PICOS framework. The most common audience intended for the studies was healthcare providers (n = 16); the most common source of big data was electronic health records (EHRs) (n = 12), followed by microbiology/pathology laboratory data (n = 8). The most common intervention type was some form of analysis platform/tool (n = 7). We identified and classified studies by visualization type, user intent, big data platforms and tools used, big data analytics methods, and outcomes from big data knowledge visualization of CDS applications.

Research paper thumbnail of A technique for enamel diagnostics using results of the infrared optical non-destructive control examination

International Conference on Systems, Jul 10, 2006

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy systems modeling of ease of doing business indicators

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation of national business environments, and to strategy formulations of business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many complications and uncertainties involved in their work. This paper proposes a new systematic approach that employs fuzzy set theory to generate composite EDB indicators for ranking and classification problems. In this paper, we implement the proposed approach and illustrate its process and procedures. A ... case study example for Canada is also presented in which EDB indicators are evaluated, linguistically identified, and ranked. This approach demonstrates the ease of using this fuzzy application, and its potential benefits for future research. We also compare ranking results, obtained from our proposed approach, with the World Bank's results.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy Linguistic Modeling of Ease of Doing Business Indicators

International Journal of Uncertainty, Fuzziness and Knowledge-Based Systems, Aug 1, 2009

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to overall understanding and evaluation of ... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to overall understanding and evaluation of national business environment, and strategy formulation for business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many complications and uncertainties involved in the work. This paper proposes a new systematic approach that employs fuzzy set theory to generate composite EDB indicators for ranking and classification problems. We implemented this approach and illustrate its steps and procedures. A case study example for Canada is also presented in which EDB indicators are evaluated, linguistically identified, and ranked. This approach demonstrates the ease of using this fuzzy application, and its potential benefits for future research. We also compare ranking results, obtained from our proposed approach, with the World Bank's results.

Research paper thumbnail of PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF HOSPITAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON PATIENT SATISFACTION By

Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction thro... more Objectives: To develop and explore the predictability of patient perceptions of satisfaction through the hospital adoption of health information technology (HIT) in order to help understand the benefits of increased HIT investment. Data and Methods: The solution proposed is based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which integrates artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic and can handle certain complex problems that include fuzziness in human perception, and non-normal and non linear data. Two surveys were combined to develop the model. Hospital HIT adoption capability and use indicators in the Canadian province of Ontario were used as inputs, while patient satisfaction indicators of healthcare services in hospitals were used as outputs. Results: Seven different types of models were trained and tested for each of four patient satisfaction dimensions. The accuracy of each predictive model was evaluated through statistical performance measures, including root mean s...

Research paper thumbnail of AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ON PHYSICIAN SERVICE EXPENDITURES By

1 Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increas... more 1 Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more like...

Research paper thumbnail of An Exploration of Consumer Health Information Search Patterns and Information Sharing with Physicians in Canada

Objectives: To investigate the patterns and predictors of individual online health information se... more Objectives: To investigate the patterns and predictors of individual online health information seeking, including socio-demographic characteristics, Internet activities and level of use, type of health information sought, and likelihood of sharing health information with physicians. Data and Methods: Secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional survey of a representative national Canadian consumer sample in 2007 (n=26588). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between Internet search for health information, sharing Internet health information with physicians, and the socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage levels, and Internet activities of respondents. Results: 61% of the Canadian population more than 16 years old had home Internet access, and 59% of these, or 36% of the population, sought health information via the Internet. Searching for health information was the second most popular online activity, following general Internet activities. Socio-demographic characteristics, Internet usage experience, privacy and security concerns, and Internet activities were significantly associated with health information search. Disease-specific information was the most frequently sought health information, followed by lifestyle information and disease symptoms. Women, individuals who had used the Internet for 2-5 years, and those who lived in megalopolises, were very concerned about Internet privacy and security. Individuals who used the Internet for other activities (general, government and online shopping) were more likely to discuss health information found on the Internet with their physicians. Conclusions: This study reveals that income, rural/urban residency, and the number of persons in households were not significant determinants of Internet use for online health information searches by Canadians. Our study indicates a low level of communication between physicians and patients about health-related information found on the Internet. Strategies to increase Canadian access to the Internet for health information will likely help them to become better informed and active participants with their physicians on health related decisions.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

ABSTRACT Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to ... more ABSTRACT Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely to have medium and high technology treatment than males. Overall, the increases from applying high technology accounted for almost 60% of the growth of Ontario government health expenditures on physician services during the period investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of Health information needs and health information provider segmentation among chronically ill people with comorbidities

60 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (p.34-39). ; "December 2013." ; We grateful... more 60 p. ; Includes bibliographical references (p.34-39). ; "December 2013." ; We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for its financial support of this investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of A technique for enamel diagnostics using results of the infrared optical non-destructive control examination

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of Fuzzy systems modeling of ease of doing business indicators

56 p. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; "August 2008." This work was supported b... more 56 p. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; "August 2008." This work was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.

Research paper thumbnail of A Systematic Review of Knowledge Visualization Approaches Using Big Data Methodology for Clinical Decision Support

Advances in Intelligent and Personalized Clinical Decision Support Systems [Working Title]

This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big ... more This chapter reports on results from a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies related to big data knowledge visualization for clinical decision support (CDS). The aims were to identify and synthesize sources of big data in knowledge visualization, identify visualization interactivity approaches for CDS, and summarize outcomes. Searches were conducted via PubMed, Embase, Ebscohost, CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore in April 2019, using search terms representing concepts of: big data, knowledge visualization, and clinical decision support. A Google Scholar gray literature search was also conducted. All references were screened for eligibility. Our review returned 3252 references, with 17 studies remaining after screening. Data were extracted and coded from these studies and analyzed using a PICOS framework. The most common audience intended for the studies was healthcare providers (n = 16); the most common source of big data was electronic health records (EHRs) (n = 12), followed by microbiology/pathology laboratory data (n = 8). The most common intervention type was some form of analysis platform/tool (n = 7). We identified and classified studies by visualization type, user intent, big data platforms and tools used, big data analytics methods, and outcomes from big data knowledge visualization of CDS applications.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases... more Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The obj ective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely to have medium and high technology treatment than males. Overall, the increases from applying high technology accounted for almost 60% of the growth of Ontario government health expenditures on physician services during the period investigated.

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity & Physician Expenditure: Methodology, Algorithms

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity Calculations: Illustrative Example, Sensitivity Tests, and Robustness Results

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Business Regulations and their Enforcement Around the World: Enriching Ease of Doing Business Indicators

Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation... more Ease of Doing Business (EDB) indicators are essential to the overall understanding and evaluation of national business environments, and to formulating strategies for business policy and regulations. The World Bank does an annual study of these indicators for over 170 nations, but there are many underlying uncertainties in the data. This paper proposes a qualitative analytical monitoring tool for revealing implicit knowledge from data, using fuzzy set theory. It involves a detailed systematic framework to capture, measure, classify and evaluate administrative burdens of business in countries around the world. The analysis is based on linguistic identification of aggregated indicators of business activity regulations that measure the degree to which policies support or restrain business in countries and in groups of countries. The results establish differences and trends in business regulation among these world groups. Although regulation trends showed a slight decline over a recent ...

Research paper thumbnail of Health Technology Intensity & Physician Expenditure: Methodology, Algorithms

Advances in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice can lead to increases in healt... more Advances in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice can lead to increases in healthcare costs. This presentation will assess the impact of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age groups. We have developed a novel algorithm that classifies an exhaustive set of 1.5 trillion healthcare services that are provided by physicians, and the costs associated with them, into three levels of technological intensity. The resulting health technological intensity measure, HTI, takes account of the technological complexity of the services provided, the technological knowledge required of the service providers, and the unit cost of providing the technology. The algorithm has been implemented to evaluate five years of administrative records and CCHS linked to administrative data of physician billing claims covering the ten year period 1994-2004 for...

Research paper thumbnail of A Technique for Enamel Diagnostics Using Results of the Infrared Optical Non-Destructive Control Examination

WSEAS Transactions on Systems

A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnost... more A safe technique based on the infrared optical non-destructive control (IONC) method for diagnostics of enamel defects is suggested. The technique permits diagnostics of a dental disease at very early stages, when the enamel recovery is still possible. The minimum dimensions of the defect area that should be found have been determined by processing the data received from professional dentists. For each type of enamel defects including caries and demineralization the standard values have been determined on the basis of the laboratory research of the IONC method. The information obtained by the IONC method is processed by fuzzy modelling in MATLAB. The linguistic rules are defined on the basis of analysis of information received from dentists who answered a specially prepared questioner. The diagnosis results received using the technique are shown.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation of the impact of medical technology on physician service expenditures

Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases... more Innovations in technology and subsequent changes in clinical practice have often led to increases in healthcare costs. The objective of this paper is to assess the role of health technology intensity and adoption in the evolution of average health expenditures on physician services as well as on the changes in the distribution of expenditures by age and sex. We used patient-level administrative data on physician service expenditures in the Canadian Province of Ontario for the years 1 994 to 2004. The data set provides information about diagnoses, treatments, and payments to physicians with corresponding service dates, according to patient age and sex. We developed an algorithm to classify services into three levels (High, Medium, and Low) of technology and decompose changes in expenditures into these three categories of services. We found that those over the age of 65 received more high technology treatments than the younger population. Moreover, females of all ages were more likely...