The Smartphone Technology in the Healthcare Sector

Background

On September 25, 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations confirmed its collective commitment to making the world a better place through extensive utilization of information technology in various spheres of life. It formulated and embraced 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets for global attainment by 2030. The third SDGs is “good health and well-being,” and the associated targets include:

1. Decreasing worldwide maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 births
2. Decreasing worldwide neonatal mortality to less than 12 per 1,000 for newborns and 25 per 1,000 for those below the age of five
3. Eradicating malaria, tuberculosis, AIDs, and tropical diseases
4. Decreasing non-communicable diseases-related [premature] deaths
5. Preventing and dealing with substance and drug abuse
6. Decreasing road traffic-accidents-related deaths and injuries
7. Guaranteeing universal access to reproductive and sexual health services
8. Attaining universal health coverage
9. Decreasing hazardous chemicals- and toxic-air-related illnesses and deaths
10. Supporting medicine and vaccine development for communicable and non-communicable diseases

The health SDG and its target are achievable through best practices in sustainable project management, which could be improved through the extensive application of available smartphone technologies. According to Walker (2011), mobile technologies can facilitate green or sustainable project management [in healthcare], leading to better outcomes and effective resource utilization. In any project, advanced technologies, including those relating to smartphones, can help project managers to:

1. Reduce goods and services’ material intensity
2. Reduce goods and services’ energy intensity
3. Decrease or eradicate toxic dispersion
4. Enhance material re-use and recycle
5. Maximize renewable resources’ sustainable utilization
6. Extend product durability
7. Increase products’ service intensity

In healthcare, the application of project management concepts is crucial in fulfilling the planned objectives within the specified requirements and constraints. With optimum resource utilization, adequate planning, managing, organizing, and controlling, healthcare project managers can experience can achieve increased productivity and better patient outcomes. As such, this paper will explore smartphone technology utilization in the healthcare sector for sustainable project management. The researcher will examine how various smartphone technologies can help healthcare project managers and teams function effectively by enhancing objective setting, implementation, communication, resource utilization, monitoring, evaluation, and closing. With effective project management in the healthcare sector, countries will make significant steps towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals specified by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2015. That process would not be effective and sustainable without the use of the latest smartphone technologies and advances.

Aim and Objectives

The main aim of the study will be to explore smartphone technology use in sustainable project management in the healthcare sector. Specific healthcare projects include mass immunization, community mobilization, and emergency response. Notably, the focus of the projects in this regard is the provision of healthcare services rather than the construction of healthcare facilities and infrastructure. This distinction is important because it outlines the focus of the study and specifies the role of smartphone technologies. Thus, the specific objectives of the study include the following:

1. To understand the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable mass immunization health care projects management;
2. To understand the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable community mobilization health care projects management;
3. To understand the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable emergency response health care project management.
4. To provide recommendations for strengthening the utilization of smartphone technologies in sustainable health care project management

The aim and objectives can be converted into a series of questions to guide and direct the study. Thus, the main research question is: what is the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable project management in the healthcare sector? The three specific research questions that the researcher will consider include the following:

1. What is the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable mass immunization health care project management?
2. What is the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable community mobilization health care project management?
3. What is the role of smartphone technologies in sustainable emergency response health care project management?
4. What are the recommendations for strengthening the utilization of smartphone technologies in healthcare project management?

Significance of the Study

The study is crucial because it shows the importance of smartphone technologies in sustainable project management in the healthcare sector. The information will help healthcare project implementers determine the effectiveness and desirability of smartphone technologies in the healthcare sector, helping them make decisions on its use or exclusion in such projects. Therefore, the study will contribute important information to the existing body of scientific knowledge.

Literature Review

Project Management: Definition and Theories

Project management is an essential qualification and skill that allows individuals and groups to implement tasks successfully. It is defined as the application of skills, techniques, knowledge, and tools to temporary endeavors to meet their requirements (Project Management Institute, n.d.). Project management was practiced as an informal undertaking until the mid-20^th century when it emerged as a distinct profession and research area (Project Management Institute, n.d.). The recurring project management elements – which are independent of the project size – are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing (Project Management Institute, n.d.). Its success draws on integration, time, quality, human resources, risk management, scope, cost, procurement, communications, and stakeholder management. Each project’s goals, schedule, and resources shape the project management approach and brings a unique focus to it. Therefore, project management is a strategic and recognized organizational competence based on the theory of management as planning, the thermostat model theory, and the dispatching model theory.

First, the theory of management as planning is evident from the emphasis and structure to the project management body of knowledge, which divides the project management process into five phases noted above, key among them being planning, execution, and controlling. According to Koskela and Howell (2002), the planning and controlling phases are structured into core and facilitating processes that make project management successful. Second, the dispatching model theory is apparent from the discussion of execution in the project management body of knowledge. Execution is based on creating an interphase between plan and work through system authorization (Koskela & Howell, 2002). Notably, authorization is a formal procedure that sanctions project work, ensuring it is done in the proper sequence and at the right time. Often, the authorization is in the form of a written communication instructing team members to begin work on a given package or activity. Lastly, the thermostat model theory is embodied in planning, execution, and controlling’s closed loop, as shown in figure 1 below. The interdependence of these processes ensures project success because activities in one phase affect processes or outcomes in the next step.

All the three theories mentioned above are management models applicable in large and small projects. Although Koskela and Howell (2002) assert that management as planning and the thermostat and dispatching models dominate project management, both Turner (1993) and Koskela and Howell (2002) note that there is little to report on project management theories either because they are nonexistent or insignificant. Nonetheless, project activities remain related by sequential dependencies, leading to practical and useful associations between the labor rate profile and the network structure of the project. Since different theoretical models exhibit variable behaviors with time, there is a need to match project types to appropriate theories as this will lead to better outcomes. As such, while creating the theory of project as a system, Warburton and Cioffi (2014) “derived a fundamental relation between the project network structure and the labor rate profile, which then becomes a legitimate project observable.” It relates the network structures of a project to its observables.

Mobile Technologies

Wireless and mobile technology use in healthcare has increased significantly over the past few decades. According to World Health Organization (2018), this positive trend in the healthcare sector has the potential to improve processes and deliver high-quality health outcomes. Indeed, rapid advances in commercially available mobile applications and technologies have created new opportunities for integrating mobile health into the existing electronic health services (Burkoski et al., 2019). Advancements in mobile network coverage mean that these technologies are now available even in some of the most remote parts of the world and could be effective in aiding various health care projects around the world.

Global mobile coverage is increasing every year. According to the International Telecommunication Union (2021), almost 85 percent of the global population was covered by a 4G network at the end of 2020, representing a twofold increase in global 4G coverage between 2015 and 2020. In most regions of the world, more than 90 percent of the population has access to a mobile broadband network (3G or above) (International Telecommunication Union, 2021). Africa is the only region facing the biggest gap in mobile communications; approximately 23 percent of its population lacks access to a mobile broadband network. Improvements in technology in communications are now focusing on Africa, which will catch up with the rest of the world in a few decades.

An increase in the utilization of mobile technologies is also now possible, thanks to improvements in signal coverage and speeds. According to GSM Association (2020), since 2015, one billion people have gained access to the internet through a mobile phone – many for the first time. By the end of 2019, almost half of the global population was using mobile internet (GSM Association, 2020). Therefore, mobile communication technologies have become popular and extensively utilized in the world. Not surprisingly, they are now emerging as a new potential enabler of quality, effective, accessible, and affordable healthcare. Their utility is particularly important in low-income countries with high poverty rates.

Even so, not all people have access to mobile network coverage or mobile internet connectivity. GSM Association (2020) notes that while there has been significant and positive growth in the adoption and utilization of mobile technologies, 51 percent of the population is still not using mobile internet. Possible reasons for the lack of utilization of mobile communication technologies by a section of the global population include lack of awareness, affordability issues, lack of mobile broadband coverage, illiteracy, and lack of digital skills (GSM Association, 2020). As communication giants and governments worldwide collaborate more, these barriers to mobile communication use will be eradicated, ushering more people into the digital world.

Mobile Technologies and Healthcare

Healthcare organizations have been releasing new service approaches that rely on mobile communications. These new developments have improved patient-provider interactions and lead to the attainment of set objectives and goals. According to the World Health Organization (2018), mobile technologies’ unprecedented spread and advancements in their application in health priority resolution have metamorphosed into mobile health (mHealth), a new form of electronic health (eHealth). The new frontier has the potential to improve health care access, costs, and quality because billions of people already utilize mobile communication resources and technologies for other aspects of their lives. Today, given mHealth’s potential, governments are expressing interest in it as a health system strengthening the strategy and attaining health-related development goals, particularly in low- and middle-income economies. With this interest from the government, a series of mHealth deployments worldwide has been evident, providing evidence of the likely efficacy of the approach in addressing healthcare issues (World Health Organization, 2018). Throughout the world, governments, healthcare representatives, and non-profit organizations are applying mHealth in maternal and child health and programs that reduce the burden of poverty-linked diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.

The full application of mHealth in developing countries has not yet been fully realized. For example, there are ongoing investigations about numerous scenarios that improve timely access to care and information, reducing drug shortages in dispensaries and public hospitals, managing patient care, enhancing clinical diagnosis, and promoting treatment adherence, among other things (World Health Organization, 2018). The use of mobile communication technologies is also appealing because, in addition to being accessible, it is also comparatively affordable (Thomairy et al., 2015). For example, mHealth capitalizes on a mobile phone’s core utility of voice calls, short messaging service (SMS), internet services, global positioning systems, and Bluetooth technology (Vashist & Luong, 2019). These core utilities are available in mobile phones, personal digital assistants, patient monitoring devices, and other small, portable, wireless devices. Stakeholders use these technologies in:

1. Call centers
2. Emergency services
3. Appointment reminders
4. Treatment compliance
5. Community mobilization
6. Mobile telemedicine
7. Health promotion
8. Raising awareness
9. Health emergency response
10. Decision support systems
11. Health surveys
12. Patient monitoring
13. Patient records
14. Information initiatives

Definition of Terms

• Smartphone Technology: Mobile and wireless communication
• Sustainable: Maintainable at a given level
• eHealth: Electronic-based health services
• mHealth: Mobile-based health services

Methodology

The researcher will conduct qualitative research to explore smartphone technology for sustainable project management in the healthcare sector. One of the advantages of qualitative studies is that they allow researchers to understand people’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions about a given phenomenon. Therefore, most of the information researchers collect from qualitative studies is deeply personal and subjective and not always generalizable back to the community (Fisher & Buglear, 2010). The use of commercially available technologies is thought to improve sustainable project management in the healthcare sector; hence a need to collect the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders to measure this assertion exists. The desirability of the qualitative approach is that the collected information has depth (through lacking breadth) and can influence future decision-making (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2016). When a deep understanding of a given issue is sought, qualitative research is the best approach. There is also a great deal of flexibility in applying qualitative research. For example, an author can ask each participant different sets of questions depending on their experiences and circumstances.

Qualitative research has some disadvantages that make it less applicable in some situations. One of those drawbacks is the focuses on individual experiences, feelings, emotions, and perceptions. Consequently, it is rare, if possible, for information obtained from two participants to be the same in every aspect. Because individuals live in different circumstances and experience events differently, their thoughts and opinions about a given issue may not always reflect those of others. Although dissimilar opinions are welcome, analyzing such data and understanding any trends that may exist is difficult. Another disadvantage of qualitative research is that it can be time-consuming. For the researcher to truly understand the opinions and feelings of a given group of people, enough time may be needed to interact with them and see their points of view. It is also difficult and even more time-consuming to get data from a large number of people in qualitative research (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2016). For this reason, qualitative researches involve only a few people, and the findings from these studies are rarely, if ever, generalized back to the population from where the author derived the participants.

Research Design

The researcher will conduct both primary and secondary research to collect more reliable data and information about the topic under investigation. The secondary research will involve searching for, retrieving, and analyzing existing studies about the use of smartphone technologies in sustainable health care project management. The review of literature will help the researcher understand what scholars think about the topic from an objective examination of their works.

In the primary research, the author will use interpretivism, which is a form of qualitative assessment. As the name suggests, interpretivism is about decoding the data obtained from interviews and ethnographic and phenomenological studies (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). Its main assumption is that access to given or socially constructed realities is through such human constructions as language, shared meanings, consciousness, and instruments (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). Its development as a research design or approach is the critique of positivism, which is why it emphasizes qualitative over quantitative approaches (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). Because it is closely related to idealism, interpretivism groups together diverse approaches rejecting the objectivist view that meaning is independent of consciousness (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). Such approaches include, without limitation, phenomenology, constructivism, and hermeneutics. One of the main ideas in interpretivist approach is that the researcher should, as a social worker, appreciate and respect differences between and among individuals. Additionally, since interpretivist approaches focus on the identification of meaning in a given scenario or setting, they may employ multiple approaches to the issue under investigation’s manifold faces. It allows for the collection of objective data from the sources without attempting to change them.

Phenomenology and hermeneutics are notable variations of interpretivism. Both are based on the collocation of data using naturalistic approaches like surveys and interviews (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). These designs allow the researcher to have deep and candid discussions that reveal personal thoughts and opinions about a given issue or concern. Often, the longer the researcher engages with participants, the deeper the more information the researcher obtains (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). In this regard, meanings tend to emerge towards the end of the research process. As an interpretivist variation, hermeneutics is the interpretation and understanding philosophy based on wisdom and biblical texts. Therefore, hermeneutics has little relevance to business studies, unless a relationship between business and religion exists (Interpretivism (interpretivist) Research Philosophy, n.d.). Phenomenology, on the other hand, is a research approach seeking more information about the earth by living in those experiences and being part of the phenomenon. In all these three approaches, the primary beliefs include relativist ontology and transactional and subjectivist epistemology. Their goals also remain understanding phenomena, and the focus of interest is anything unique, interesting, and specific. Most importantly, the researcher-participant interaction is participative and cooperative.

Primary Research Data Collection Approaches

The researcher will collect the data through in-depth interviews with the selected participants. As noted, these participants are deemed by the researcher to have relevant knowledge and experiences in the phenomenon under investigation. The researcher will create a series of guide questions to use during the interviews with the participants. The researcher will ask the questions and allow the participants to respond, and, based on these responses, the researcher will ask additional questions. The supplementary queries will mine more information from the participants or encourage them to clarify ambiguous responses. The researcher will record all the communications and transcribe them later. Interviews will be held with one person at a time, depending on that individual’s schedule. The researcher will then organize a discussion that involves all the participants. This final engagement will occur through a zoom meeting or similar approach, and the schedule will be prearranged with all the participants.

Potential Ethical Issues

The study will involve individuals aged 18 years and above who will offer their informed consent to the study. An informed consent form will be sent to the participants, and the interviews will begin once the filled informed consent forms have been received. The data collection process will proceed objectively, with the effort being made to avoid personal biases. The author understands that external forces may negatively affect the honest and accurate reporting of data. Therefore, several changes will be made and care taken to ensure data quality is preserved during and after the study. First, the researcher will include an accurate and complete description of all the participants and the inclusion criteria. This piece of information will help those who will use the research findings later to gauge the relative accuracy of the study and determine its validity, reliability, and authenticity. The next consideration is that the researcher will report data as is, including negative results. Because the interviews represent the opinions and feelings of the participants, the researcher will not attempt to unduly change them or cause them to represent a certain more favorable point of view.

Qualitative data may reveal intimate and sensitive information about the participants. Therefore, the researcher will cautiously guard the research data to preserve the identity and confidentiality of the participants. The author will respect the people and the information they give because it represents their honest opinions about the subject under investigation. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the participants is an ethical practice because it ensures that sensitive information does not get into the wrong hands. Protection of participant information is also important because it upholds scientific research principles that ensure that that the public does not lose its trust in the scientific process. Because the aim of scientific research is the honest pursuit of knowledge, partnering with members of the public ensures that the process becomes successful. If potential research subjects fear that the researcher will not protect their information, they will be less willing and able to take part in the research, and this will impair the process in the future. Other ethical considerations that the author will observe include a careful and objective examination and presentation of information to avoid biases.

Primary Research Design

The researcher will apply random sampling in the study to collect and analyze information about people’s experiences with the use of smartphone technologies in sustainable project management in healthcare. The information will help the researcher to understand what participants believe are the consequences of using these technological advancements on the effectiveness and sustainability of community mobilization, mass immunization, and emergency response. The author will recruit individuals in the United States who have used smartphone technologies in healthcare projects. COVID-19 offers a case example of where healthcare projects for community mobilization, immunization, and emergency response are needed for timely and effective responses. Smartphone technologies to be assessed in this regard include the utility of voice calls, short messaging service (SMS), internet services, global positioning systems, mobile applications, and Bluetooth technology. The author speculates that these technologies have been useful in pushing sustainable project management in healthcare, particularly in mass immunization, community mobilization, and emergency response.

The recommended sampling method will give the researcher access to individuals with the right experiences to participate in the study. Part of the reason for this is that the opinions and perspectives of the participants matter only if they have the right experiences with these smartphone technologies as used in healthcare projects. The author will seek to understand the participant’s opinions and take on the matter. Therefore, it is necessary to include experts as their relevant experiences would be valuable. Patients and other stakeholders who have experienced the use of commercially available mobile technologies in healthcare projects will also provide adequate information to help the researcher create the final report. Only ten individuals will be considered because this qualitative research is focused on obtaining high-quality, in-depth information rather than superficial statistics. Interviews will be conducted through mobile phone calls, emails, or zoom, depending on what the participant will prefer. The researcher will create a set of interview questions to ask each participant to ensure that the interactions focus on cost, quality, and access. Any conversational interview (such as phone calls and zoom meetings) will be recorded and transcribed later.

The research will lead to the collection of qualitative data in the form of opinions, thoughts, and experiences. The collected data will reflect the emotions and feelings of the participants regarding the use of commercially available mobile technologies in healthcare project management. Although it is generally believed that these technologies make healthcare project management better, some users have likely had bad experiences with them. For example, users can struggle with poor coverage in some areas or poor response to voice calls and short messaging. In some instances, patients may correspond with healthcare representatives that are less friendly than they expect through mobile technologies. The effectiveness of some mobile applications also depends on the collection of user data, which can raise some ethical and privacy concerns. The delivery of some health information on the phone can also harm a person. For example, when patients receive negative laboratory test results on their mobile phones on a random day, the uncontrolled reaction to such information may lead to adverse effects like injury or accident, especially if the patient was risky area or workplace.

In other instances, overdependence on mobile communication can prevent timely decision-making on the part of both the health provider and the patient. For example, some patients are more confident in communication with healthcare providers through mobile phones and less confident in face-to-face engagements. Another potential issue with mobile communication is data security. Since these correspondences depend on a third-party service provider, patient information may be at risk of getting stolen or lost if regularly communicated through mobile phones. The confidentiality of patient information is one of the most crucial considerations in healthcare, but this may be significantly compromised if patients and doctors over-rely on mobile phones and similar wireless communication technologies. In emergency situations, sending messages to the wrong number can also lead to missed opportunities to save lives. Therefore, the researcher will use this study to collect information about the experiences of various stakeholders in the United States who have used commercially available mobile technologies in health care project management in one way or another. The study will focus only on a few individuals who have had the experience to ensure its outcomes are valid and reliable.

Organization of the Study

The study will be organized into five chapters. The first chapter will be the introductory one, containing background information and aims, objectives, and significance of the study. In the second chapter, the author will conduct a comprehensive literature review to understand current trends about the issue under investigation. The third chapter – methodology – will show how the researcher collected and analyzed data. In the fourth chapter, the researcher will include research findings and discussions. The fifth and final chapter will include conclusions and recommendations.

References

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Vashist, S. K., & Luong, J. H. (2019). Point-of-Care Technologies Enabling Next-Generation Healthcare Monitoring and Management. Charm, Switzerland: Springer.

Walker, L. W. (2011). Enabling green project management by using information technology (and other stuff!). Project Management Institute. Web.

Warburton, R. D. H. & Cioffi, D. F. (2014). Project management theory: Deriving a project’s cost and schedule for its network structure. Project Management Institute. Web.

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