| 1. |
- Andersson, Annika, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Citizen Diversity in e-Government Research : Moving the Field Forward
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 54th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. - : University of Hawai'i at Manoa. - 9780998133140 ; , s. 4828-4837
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Whereas broad launch of public e-services ensures equal and homogenous treatment of citizens, citizen diversity is often set aside. By means of a literature study we describe how research has addressed diversity in the field of eGovernment. we analyzed the papers according to the following codes: group; application domain; unit of analysis; and technology in use or design. Results showed that the most common application domain was e-services with access and use as the most common units of analysis. The most frequently researched groups are based on classical socio-demographic variables such as economy, education and age. Also, the majority of papers discussed services in use. We conclude by suggesting that future research focuses underrepresented user groups; adds further granularity to the classical sociodemographic variables; identifies groups within groups; targets policies and policy implementation; and changes focus from use to development. We also call for conceptual clarity of the concept ‘diversity’.
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| 2. |
- Botling Taube, Amelie, 1966-
(författare)
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Molecular and epidemiological studies on eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome is an age-related condition characterized by the production and accumulation of extracellular fibrillary material in the anterior segment of the eye. PEX predisposes for several pathological conditions, such as glaucoma and complications during and after cataract surgery. The pathogenesis of PEX is not yet fully understood. It is multifactorial with genetics and ageing as contributing factors. We aimed to study the proteome in aqueous humor (AH) in PEX in order to increase the knowledge about its pathophysiology. Therefore, we developed sampling techniques and evaluated separation methods necessary for analyzing small sample volumes. Other objectives were to study the lens capsule in eyes with PEX regarding small molecules, and to investigate the association between PEX and cataract surgery in a population-based 30-year follow-up study.Samples of AH from eyes with PEX and control eyes were collected during cataract surgery. In pooled, and individual samples, various liquid based separation techniques and high resolution mass spectrometry were utilized. For quantitation, various methods for labeling, and label free techniques were applied. Lens capsules were collected from some of the patients, and analysed by imaging mass spectrometry. A cohort of 1,471 elderly individuals underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination at baseline. Medical information was obtained by questionnaires, and from medical records. Incident cases of cataract surgery were identified by review of medical records. In the initial study, several techniques were explored for protein detection, and a number of proteins were identified as differentially expressed. In the individually labelled samples, changes in the proteome were observed. Eyes with PEX contained higher levels of proteins involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, and coagulation, suggesting that these mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis in PEX. The levels of β/γ-crystallins were significantly increased in PEX, which is a novel finding. In the lens capsules from individuals with PEX, changes in the lipid composition was observed with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. These changes remain to be elucidated. By multivariate analysis, lens opacities were the first, and PEX the second most important predictor for cataract surgery, the later accounting for a 2.38-fold increased risk for cataract surgery.
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| 3. |
- Grönlund, Åke, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Effective use of assistive technologies for inclusive education in developing countries : issues and challenges from two case studies
- 2010
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Ingår i: ijEDict - International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology. - 1814-0556. ; 6:4, s. 5-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Developing countries face many obstacles in the process of implementing inclusive education (IE). Effective use of assistive technologies (AT) can help governments in developing countries achieve inclusive education by helping children with disabilities in schools. Despite the importance and positive impact of AT, prior research on the use of AT in inclusive education especially in developing countries is limited. To fill the research gap in this area, this paper investigates the research question of, How can AT be effectively used for IE in developing countries? To address this question, we conducted an in-depth case study of two developing countries, Bangladesh and Tanzania, and thoroughly reviewed existing IE projects around the world and other relevant literature. Three experts in the field and 18 informants of the two selected countries were interviewed in person, by phone or by email. The analysis of findings from interviews and literature review shows that obstacles to effective use of AT for IE come from three different levels – school, national, and network. Because AT is only part of the equation for a country to achieve IE, a high level national perspective is required and other related factors also need to be considered. We recommend governments in developing countries adopt a systematic approach in tackling obstacles at each level and pay attention to five management challenges: establishment and maintenance of professional networks: identification and maintenance of knowle ge and expertise; funding management; coordination among ministries, and implementation, maintenance, and monitoring of a national program. Overall, governments are suggested to adopt a “network” approach that includes a constructive view of development drawing on incentives-based cooperation from all stakeholders. The results of this research shed light on the status quo of the use of AT for inclusive education in developing countries and provide useful guidance to parties who are interested in using assistive technologies to achieve inclusive education.
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| 4. |
- Jalasto, Juuso, et al.
(författare)
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Occupation, socioeconomic status and chronic obstructive respiratory diseases – the EpiLung Study in Finland, Estonia and Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 191
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To study occupational groups and occupational exposure in association with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases.Methods: In early 2000s, structured interviews on chronic respiratory diseases and measurements of lung function as well as fractional expiratory nitric oxide (FENO) were performed in adult random population samples of Finland, Sweden and Estonia. Occupations were categorized according to three classification systems. Occupational exposure to vapours, gases, dusts and fumes (VGDF) was assessed by a Job-Exposure Matrix (JEM). The data from the countries were combined.Results: COPD, smoking and occupational exposure were most common in Estonia, while asthma and occupations requiring higher educational levels in Sweden and Finland. In an adjusted regression model, non-manual workers had a three-fold risk for physician-diagnosed asthma (OR 3.18, 95%CI 1.07-9.47) compared to professionals and executives, and the risk was two-fold for healthcare & social workers (OR 2.28, 95%CI 1.14-4.59) compared to administration and sales. An increased risk for physician-diagnosed COPD was seen in manual workers, regardless of classification system, but in contrast to asthma, the risk was mostly explained by smoking and less by occupational exposure to VGDF. For FENO, no associations with occupation were observed.Conclusions: In this multicenter study from Finland, Sweden and Estonia, COPD was consistently associated with manual occupations with high smoking prevalence, highlighting the need to control for tobacco smoking in studies on occupational associations. In contrast, asthma tended to associate with non-manual occupations requiring higher educational levels. The occupational associations with asthma were not driven by eosinophilic inflammation presented by increased FENO.
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| 5. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-
(författare)
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Ambiguities in the early stages of public sector enterprise architecture implementation : outlining complexities of interoperability
- 2011
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Ingår i: Electronic government. - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 9783642228773 ; , s. 367-377
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years the development of eGovernment has increasingly gone from service provision to striving for an interoperable public sector, with Enterprise Architectures being an increasingly popular approach. However, a central issue is the coordination of work, due to differing perceptions among involved actors. This paper provides a deepened understanding of this by addressing the question of how differing interpretations of interoperability benefits affect the coordination in the early stages of implementing a public sector Enterprise Architecture. As a case-study, the interoperability efforts in Swedish eHealth are examined by interviews with key-actors. The theoretical framework is a maturity model with five levels of interoperability issues and benefits. The findings highlight the need to clarify decision-making roles, ambiguities concerning jurisdictions between authorities and that differing perceptions of IT-infrastructure is connected to overall goals. The paper also suggests a re-conceptualization of eGovernment maturity by moving away from sequential models.
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| 6. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-
(författare)
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Evolving structure in the implementation of healthcare information systems : an actor-network analysis
- 2011
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Ingår i: Electronic Journal of e-Government. - 1479-439X. ; 9:1, s. 30-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Public sector ICT use is now moving towards integration of services and processes across departments, for instance in the healthcare sector. This is a challenging issue as it involves distributed decision making, often across both public and private organizations, which implies a multitude of issues. Enterprise Architectures (EA) aim at providing a common framework that includes data, resources and processes, through which all aspects of the enterprise can be directed towards a common goal in an efficient manner. It as been argued that architectures should be perceived as evolving (rather then as carefully planned roadmaps), although more research on how EA evolves is needed. This paper addresses the general question of, how does an EA evolve during implementation? A case study is used to illustrate how an EA evolves throughout the process of implementation. The case is the implementation of a national patient record system in the decentralized Swedish healthcare system. The project is part of a larger effort to implement an EA in the healthcare sector aimed at further integrating the whole sector. Data is collected by means of observations, interviews and document analysis. Using an Actor-Network Theory perspective, this paper presents four episodes during which an EA evolves through interactions. In this way the paper contributes with a deepened understanding of how EA evolves by arguing that EA programs should be seen as something that needs to be planned with regard to that it will, and should, evolve in order to respond to needs discovered in the process. The contribution is a deepened understanding of how sub-projects co-evolve with a national EA project, thus mutually affecting each other. This should not be perceived as something unequivocally negative as this might also be strategic, and leads to evolution of other parts of the EA to suit each other.
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| 7. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Future-oriented eGovernance : The sustainability concept in eGov research, and ways forward
- 2014
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Ingår i: Government Information Quarterly. - San Diego : Elsevier. - 0740-624X .- 1872-9517. ; 31:1, s. 137-149
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- eGov (eGovernment/eGovernance) is a complex endeavor involving many actors, ambitions, and perspectives. The field has, in research and in practice, over the years expanded its focus from service orientation to a comprehensive perspective with the ambition to integrate all of government in coherent action. Comprehensive integration requires a future-oriented perspective so investment is made in robust and flexible solutions meeting not only today's demands but also sustainable to meet those of the future. This paper addresses the use of the sustainability concept in eGov research. We discuss definitions and elements of sustainability and conduct a structured review of eGov literature investigating how various sustainability areas (social, economic, environmental and technical) are addressed. We find 21 overall themes in 94 papers, with the highest number in the “social” category. Two cross-cutting themes to which 21 overall themes relate are also identified; Decision-making and Infrastructure. Findings show that sustainability is mainly addressed narrowly, focusing on projects rather than general issues, and shallowly with a focus on single factors rather than the complex interaction among them, and with little foundation in sustainability theory. The paper contributes with an overview of themes in previous research as well as theory-based input for future research efforts on eGov sustainability, from a dynamic and sociotechnical sustainability perspective.
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| 8. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-
(författare)
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On the road to interoperability : Complexities of public sector enterprise thinking
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Increasingly, eGovernment (the use of ICTs in order to achieve better government) is moving its focus from web presence and electronic service provision to striving for an interoperable public sector. Interoperability refers to the ability for information exchange across organizational borders, concerning technology as well as business aspects. Policy for such change has been formulated and implementation is currently taking place in many government sectors. In such programs there is a strong need for coordination with regard to the way in which interoperability is to be implemented. Interoperability work requires coordination, as it is a complex endeavour because of the interrelatedness of information systems, public services, departments and organizations, as well as policies, constraints and regulations. In order to achieve interoperability, architectural approaches are increasingly used in the public sector to try to coordinate interoperability work. One such approach, Enterprise Architecture (EA), is becoming increasingly influential. EA has been defined as an overview of the complete business processes and business systems, both in terms of how they overlap and their interrelatedness. However, previous research show that state-of-the-art EA is seldom fully applied in practice. Previous research has also proposed that information infrastructures and architectures should be seen as evolving dynamically during the implementation process through changing relationships between actors. The implementation of IS architecture for interoperability is thus seen as an evolving process of social production. As the research field is still immature further research on the evolution of public information infrastructures and architectures is needed, as well as how the strategic alignment of handling of goals, and ambiguities in implementation is done. This thesis hence addresses the challenges of implementing national public sector interoperability as an evolving process by addressing the research question: How is interoperability interpreted and enacted by different actors in public sector implementation? In order to approach the research question, an interpretive case study is performed. The case studied in this thesis is from the implementation of the Strategy for eHealth in Sweden, where healthcare is mainly publicly funded, and catered for by 20 county councils (who mainly focus on healthcare, and 290 municipalities (who also cater for a great deal of other public services). The case is an example of how interoperability is implemented, from the early stages of outlining a general picture of goals and requirements, to the formulation of a strategy and an architecture. This case is also an example of how EA influences an interoperability program through enterprise thinking. The research uses an interpretive case study approach influenced by Actor-Network Theory (ANT). ANT is used as a toolbox for telling stories about technology in practice, as emergent in socio-material relations. A number of complementary qualitative methods are used. These include semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis, with the foremost part of the empirical material being first-hand. In order to understand interoperability implementation in the public sector I examine the background to eGovernment implementation, by contrasting conceptualizations of eGovernment evolution to contemporary theories of public policy implementation. It is shown that, during the last decade, stage models have been used as tools for describing, predicting and directing the evolution of eGovernment. The stage model approach has been criticized for presenting a linear development which has little empirical support and delimits the understanding of eGovernment development as a dynamic process. Newer stage models have started to take this criticism into consideration and alternative models on eGovernment have also been developed. Consequently, eGovernment implementation is in this thesis perceived as a process in which technologies, policies and organizations are in a process of mutual shaping, where policymaking and policy implementation are intermingled. Implementing interoperability is hence not a matter of disseminating a policy that is to be implemented in every setting exactly as stated on paper, but a process in which the goals and means of interoperability are constantly being negotiated. Also, EA has been proposed as an approach to treat technology and business in the public sector as interrelated. However, since previous research show that state-of-the-art EA is seldom fully applied in public sector practice, the concept of enterprise thinking is developed in this thesis. Enterprise thinking is intended to be a concept that describes EA as a contemporary zeitgeist which in practice is adopted in varying ways. The results of the thesis show how interoperability in eHealth was roughly outlined before implementation although still containing conflicts and ambiguities. Central to this thesis is the controversy of defining “the enterprise”, as the health care sector was delimited as one enterprise, which became increasingly problematic during implementation. This to a large extent concerned municipalities, whose business area stretched much wider than just the health care sector, and hence the definition of the enterprise became problematic. Another central aspect was legal obstacles to cooperation, as there was a clash between the values of efficiency and patient privacy as a result of a new law that had been implemented in order to allow for information sharing. The legal grounds for sharing information proved to be problematic, which lead to that several involved actors perceived that a large portion of the patients in health care could not benefit from interoperability as their information could not be shared despite this law. The legal challenges also dampened the enthusiasm for the eHealth program as a whole. The program had also outlined a technology architecture before implementation. This architecture was however treated in conflicting ways, both as a blueprint (something to be implemented) and a tool for communication (as a way of discussing what was to be implemented). For instance, several municipalities perceived that the planned infrastructure was unsuitable to their business needs (as it did not meet the requirements of other actors in eGovernment), and thus questioned it, using it as a tool for communication rather than a blueprint. Meanwhile, other actors argued that the blueprint had already been decided, and thus needed to be implemented. The case also shed light on the use of informal networks, outside traditional bureaucracy, as a means to deal with interoperability. Such networks were used in order to align actions and perceptions of a large number of autonomous municipalities. This revealed issues concerning local decision as knowledge of, and resources for, ICT and architectural work was lacking in several municipalities. Also, as the networks lacked formal power no decisions could be taken jointly, but in the end had to be negotiated locally. This made coordinated decision making hard as the processes were lengthy and often lacked clear incentives. Furthermore, ambiguous feedback from national authorities, as well as an overall lack of understanding among local actors, concerning what was legal to do in terms of procurement and information sharing, complicated the situation further. These findings are summarized in four main conclusions; The process of defining which organizations are to be made interoperable, or what is to be considered as “the enterprise”, is a political process which might be brought into question and require re-negotiations throughout implementation, as the drawing of boundaries of “the enterprise” can be filled with conflict. Different perspectives on an enterprise, from different architectural viewpoints, are often described as complementary, and it has previously been shown that different architectural metaphors can be used by different actors during implementation. However, in practice, different use of metaphors for architectures can open up for discussion and conflict. These may not only be different, but may also contradict other actors’ use of metaphors, since different metaphors might clash. Interoperability work can be a novel task for some local governments. Therefore, there is a need for negotiation and to establish forms of formal decision making and informal dissemination because such structures might be lacking. It should be anticipated that implementation might be slow because of a lack of understanding about interoperability programs (particularly in terms of something other than ICT). In addition, there may be few forums for coordinated decision making, or there may be obstructions in the form of prior formal and legal arrangements. Enterprise thinking is interconnected with Enterprise Architecture as a zeitgeist for interoperability work. It draws upon EA as an ideal, whilst acknowledging that public organizations are influenced by this zeitgeist, although practical conditions might not allow for adoption of an EA approach. Enterprise thinking thus refers to the notion of EA as an ideal, not as a specific way of applying EA. Enterprise thinking has a process focus on interoperability. ICT, business goals, and work practices are perceived as interconnected, and hence need to be treated from a holistic perspective. How this is approached is, however, dependent upon the context in which it is implemented. Further research efforts could approach how enterprise thinking affects interoperability work in the long run with a longitudinal approach. Also, as this thesis has shown how the use of different architectural metaphors can clash, further research could focus on the positive and negative effects of negotiations being in
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| 9. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable eGovernance? : Practices, problems and beliefs about the future in Swedish eGov practice
- 2016
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Ingår i: Government Information Quarterly. - : Elsevier. - 0740-624X .- 1872-9517. ; 33:1, s. 105-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of ICTs in the public sector, eGovernance, is understood as a complex phenomenon intricately embedded in a continuously changing environment, including multiple actors with disparate interests. A need for research that takes this complexity into account has been identified, and previous research has suggested employing a sustainability perspective. The use of the sustainability concept in the eGovernance context is an emerging area without a common focus or use of the concept. There is a lack of research with a thorough basis in sustainability theory, and a need for empirical research focusing on sustainable eGovernance. In order to respond to this need the research question of this paper is, How can current eGovernance practice be interpreted from a sustainability perspective? A case study is performed in the context of Swedish eGovernance practice, at national and municipal level. Interviews are used to investigate practitioners’ views, which are analyzed by using a framework, developed based on eGovernance literature that highlights sustainability. We find that sustainability in eGovernance practice in this case revolve to a large extent around how actors struggle with achieving continuity and implementing a holistic view of the use of ICT in the public sector. We also highlight the issue of trade-offs between different sustainability dimensions.
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| 10. |
- Larsson, Hannu, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable eGovernance? : decision making, coordination and continuity in Swedish eGov practice
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of ICTs in the public sector, eGovernment, is increasingly understood as a complex phenomenon intricately embedded in a continuously changing environment including multiple actors, rather referred to as eGovernance. A need for research that is “future oriented” has been identified, and previous research has suggested a sustainability perspective. Research employing the sustainability concept has increased recently but is still a fledgling research area without a common focus or use of the concept. There is a lack of research with a thorough basis in sustainability theory and a need for empirically founded theoretical development regarding sustainable eGovernance. Hence, the research question of this paper is, How can current eGovernance practice be interpreted from a sustainability perspective? A case study is performed in the context of Swedish eGovernance practice, at national and municipal level. Inductive interviews are used to investigate practitioners’ views. Thereafter we test a framework of eGovernance sustainability, developed based on the eGovernance literature, against the views of the practitioners. We find that sustainability in eGovernance is most prominently related with decision making and coordination related to infrastructure, as actors struggle with achieving continuity and implementing a holistic view of the use of ICT in the public sector. We also find that eGovernance research, while still shallow, has a focus that corresponds well to the issues that practitioners find most crucial for the future. Hence, the results provide a consolidated framework of eGovernance sustainability issues, both theoretically and empirically informed.
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