Cyborg bodies and the search for self: an ethnographic exploration of supportive technologies as tools to mitigate daily distresses
- Authors: Kibane, Lebogang Zandile
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Posthuman , Posthumanism , Anthropology , m-health , Wireless communication systems in medical care , Cyber-ethnography , Distress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408625 , vital:70510
- Description: This dissertation explores the ways in which individuals embody cyborg realities through engaging with technological aids. It examines how these interactions have the potential to bring to light new ways of thinking about and experiencing daily distresses. Pertinent human technology interaction was observed through an overarching cyborg lens, embedded in posthumanist thought. The study began with a “human as cyborg” ontology that sought to impress upon readers the intimacy with which technology is entangled in our lives. It aimed to call to attention the use of the cyborg myth as it is concerned with “transgressed boundaries, potent fusions, and dangerous possibilities” (Haraway, 1985:7). The study followed a cyber ethnographic strategy, where cyber ethnography refers to a virtual research method that observes social and cultural phenomena that are mediated by online interactions. Data was collected over a period of eight months, beginning in December 2020 and ending in July 2021. It was collected through the following means: a short self-administered online questionnaire, computer mediated in-depth interviews, and group interviews. I also kept a journal on reflections of my own use of these supportive technologies. After analysing the results of in-depth interviews with nine primary participants and twenty-six online questionnaires, the following key themes were brought to light: Firstly, the tethered self, or cyborg self, engages in evolved acts of ‘care of the self’ mitigated through supportive technology use. Secondly, access to new technologies brings about new ways of performing the self. Thirdly, engagement with supportive technologies provides opportunity for aiding distress in the way of encouraging self-reflective and self-interrogation behaviours as seen in mobile health app use. This constant self-interrogation behaviour in turn develops a kind of technological dependency, characterized by escapism and evolved methods of self- soothing. Lastly, exploring the use of technology to aid distress revealed that technologies generate equal opportunities for improved well-being, as they do for a decreased sense of connectedness and security. The research demonstrates that supportive technology use is entangled in the fabric of our everyday lives. Through it we fashion our identities, alleviate distress, evade distress, and discover new causes of distress. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Kibane, Lebogang Zandile
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Posthuman , Posthumanism , Anthropology , m-health , Wireless communication systems in medical care , Cyber-ethnography , Distress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408625 , vital:70510
- Description: This dissertation explores the ways in which individuals embody cyborg realities through engaging with technological aids. It examines how these interactions have the potential to bring to light new ways of thinking about and experiencing daily distresses. Pertinent human technology interaction was observed through an overarching cyborg lens, embedded in posthumanist thought. The study began with a “human as cyborg” ontology that sought to impress upon readers the intimacy with which technology is entangled in our lives. It aimed to call to attention the use of the cyborg myth as it is concerned with “transgressed boundaries, potent fusions, and dangerous possibilities” (Haraway, 1985:7). The study followed a cyber ethnographic strategy, where cyber ethnography refers to a virtual research method that observes social and cultural phenomena that are mediated by online interactions. Data was collected over a period of eight months, beginning in December 2020 and ending in July 2021. It was collected through the following means: a short self-administered online questionnaire, computer mediated in-depth interviews, and group interviews. I also kept a journal on reflections of my own use of these supportive technologies. After analysing the results of in-depth interviews with nine primary participants and twenty-six online questionnaires, the following key themes were brought to light: Firstly, the tethered self, or cyborg self, engages in evolved acts of ‘care of the self’ mitigated through supportive technology use. Secondly, access to new technologies brings about new ways of performing the self. Thirdly, engagement with supportive technologies provides opportunity for aiding distress in the way of encouraging self-reflective and self-interrogation behaviours as seen in mobile health app use. This constant self-interrogation behaviour in turn develops a kind of technological dependency, characterized by escapism and evolved methods of self- soothing. Lastly, exploring the use of technology to aid distress revealed that technologies generate equal opportunities for improved well-being, as they do for a decreased sense of connectedness and security. The research demonstrates that supportive technology use is entangled in the fabric of our everyday lives. Through it we fashion our identities, alleviate distress, evade distress, and discover new causes of distress. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
A framework for guiding the interdisciplinary design of mHealth intervention apps for physical activity behaviour change
- Authors: Thomson, Callie Deborah
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems in medical care , Exercise Health aspects , Behavior modification , Mobile apps , Medical care Technological innovations , Medical informatics , Health promotion Technological innovations , Application software Development , Design Science Research (DSR)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232193 , vital:49970 , DOI http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/232193
- Description: The global pandemic of noncommunicable diseases and its associated premature mortality rates and socioeconomic burden have led to increasingly intensified efforts towards designing and delivering health promotion interventions aimed at addressing the leading modifiable health risk behaviours, such as physical inactivity. Developing physical activity behaviour change interventions that target individuals at the dual intra-interpersonal socioecological levels of health promotion has become a key objective worldwide. Digital and mobile technology is revolutionising the ways in which health behaviour change interventions are delivered to individuals across the world, with mobile health applications (mHealth apps) increasingly recognised as a powerful means of promoting physical activity behaviour change. However, with the growth and opportunities of mHealth apps, come several design challenges. Key design challenges concern the integration of theory, the incorporation of evidence-based behaviour change techniques, the application of persuasive systems design principles, and the importance of multi- and interdisciplinary collaborative design, development and evaluation approaches. These key challenges influence the output product design and effectiveness of mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. There exists a paucity of approaches for guiding and supporting the multi- and interdisciplinary collaborative design, development and evaluation of mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. To address this gap, this research study proposes an Interdisciplinary mHealth App Design Framework, framed by a novel boundary object view. This view considers the diverse communities of practice, boundary objects and supporting artefacts, process activities, and knowledge sharing practices necessary and relevant to the design of effective mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. The framework’s development is guided by a Design Science Research (DSR) approach. Its core components are based on the findings of a critical theoretical analysis of twenty existing multi- and interdisciplinary digital health development approaches. Once developed, the framework is evaluated using a qualitative DSR linguistic interpretivist approach, with semi-structured interviews as the research instrument. The thematic analysis findings from interviews with thirty-one international academic researchers and industry practitioners informs the iterative modification and revision of an enhanced Interdisciplinary mHealth App Design Framework, constituting the main DSR artefact contribution of the research study. In addition, four theoretical contributions are made to the mHealth intervention app design body of knowledge, and a practical contribution is made through the provision of guideline recommendations for academics and industry practitioners. Methodological contributions are also made in terms of applying DSR, adopting a hybrid cognitive reasoning strategy, and employing a qualitative linguistic interpretivist approach to evaluation within a DSR project. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
- Authors: Thomson, Callie Deborah
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems in medical care , Exercise Health aspects , Behavior modification , Mobile apps , Medical care Technological innovations , Medical informatics , Health promotion Technological innovations , Application software Development , Design Science Research (DSR)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232193 , vital:49970 , DOI http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/232193
- Description: The global pandemic of noncommunicable diseases and its associated premature mortality rates and socioeconomic burden have led to increasingly intensified efforts towards designing and delivering health promotion interventions aimed at addressing the leading modifiable health risk behaviours, such as physical inactivity. Developing physical activity behaviour change interventions that target individuals at the dual intra-interpersonal socioecological levels of health promotion has become a key objective worldwide. Digital and mobile technology is revolutionising the ways in which health behaviour change interventions are delivered to individuals across the world, with mobile health applications (mHealth apps) increasingly recognised as a powerful means of promoting physical activity behaviour change. However, with the growth and opportunities of mHealth apps, come several design challenges. Key design challenges concern the integration of theory, the incorporation of evidence-based behaviour change techniques, the application of persuasive systems design principles, and the importance of multi- and interdisciplinary collaborative design, development and evaluation approaches. These key challenges influence the output product design and effectiveness of mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. There exists a paucity of approaches for guiding and supporting the multi- and interdisciplinary collaborative design, development and evaluation of mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. To address this gap, this research study proposes an Interdisciplinary mHealth App Design Framework, framed by a novel boundary object view. This view considers the diverse communities of practice, boundary objects and supporting artefacts, process activities, and knowledge sharing practices necessary and relevant to the design of effective mHealth physical activity behaviour change intervention apps. The framework’s development is guided by a Design Science Research (DSR) approach. Its core components are based on the findings of a critical theoretical analysis of twenty existing multi- and interdisciplinary digital health development approaches. Once developed, the framework is evaluated using a qualitative DSR linguistic interpretivist approach, with semi-structured interviews as the research instrument. The thematic analysis findings from interviews with thirty-one international academic researchers and industry practitioners informs the iterative modification and revision of an enhanced Interdisciplinary mHealth App Design Framework, constituting the main DSR artefact contribution of the research study. In addition, four theoretical contributions are made to the mHealth intervention app design body of knowledge, and a practical contribution is made through the provision of guideline recommendations for academics and industry practitioners. Methodological contributions are also made in terms of applying DSR, adopting a hybrid cognitive reasoning strategy, and employing a qualitative linguistic interpretivist approach to evaluation within a DSR project. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
Factors influencing the adoption of mobile health monitoring and care systems by the elderly living at home in South Africa: a case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
- Authors: Fotoyi, Yolande Odwa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20406 , vital:45662
- Description: The gradual increase of elderly people around the globe necessitates intensive dialogue amongst government, the healthcare sector and elderly communities as per MPAA 2002 resolutions. Literature identifies technology as the enabler to drive the facilitation of improved living conditions beginning with an affordable, accessible and integrated health information system (HIS). The attainment of a better quality of care to meet the elderly’s needs requires the re-engineering of current modalities. The diverse nature of South Africa is more suited to a people-based rather than a process-centric approach currently in existence. Access barriers, affordability, the digital divide, lack of government buy-in, and fragmented HIS are considered major impediments to adoption of mobile monitoring and care systems (MMCs) for the elderly’s healthcare. Given the complications brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of MMCs cannot be more pronounced. However, despite available literature regarding elderly issues in both developed and developing countries, the elderly plight has still not been considered a national priority. The main purpose of this research was to investigate why elderly people do not adopt MMCs to improve their quality of life, with MMC technologies as a general area of research. The main objective of the study was to develop critical success factors to improve the adoption of MMCs by the elderly living at home. This would potentially alleviate the burden on healthcare resources and also improve the elderly’s quality of life. Primary data collection took place from 21 February to 28 February 2020 in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants comprising one male and 14 females who represented the elderly Black, Coloured, Indian and White people. This qualitative research tool and purposive sampling method were chosen in order to fully capture the participants’ experiences in the home environment, which excluded those living in frail care or step-down facilities or state institutions. Despite the sample size being small and not being generalizable, it delivered rich information which provided a deeper understanding and fresh insights into the landscape of the elderly and their healthcare needs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. The study found that elderly communities are not entirely averse to adoption of MMCs but challenges like affordability and chronic shortage of technical skills prove to be impediments to adoption of MMCs for the elderly’s healthcare. The lack of standardisation and data governance pertaining to data sharing in HISs also serve to exacerbate the matter. The study, therefore, recommends collaborative engagements amongst government, business and the elderly to facilitate the availability of affordable and accessible ICT infrastructure for the elderly communities. Improved adoption of MMCs carry the potential benefit which emanates from the assumption of a pro-active role by the elderly and optimising available MMCs thus reducing strain and freeing-up healthcare workers to concentrate on core duties. The onus thus falls on the healthcare sector to revise the available strategies which seek to enhance the quality of life of the elderly people living in the home environment. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Fotoyi, Yolande Odwa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20406 , vital:45662
- Description: The gradual increase of elderly people around the globe necessitates intensive dialogue amongst government, the healthcare sector and elderly communities as per MPAA 2002 resolutions. Literature identifies technology as the enabler to drive the facilitation of improved living conditions beginning with an affordable, accessible and integrated health information system (HIS). The attainment of a better quality of care to meet the elderly’s needs requires the re-engineering of current modalities. The diverse nature of South Africa is more suited to a people-based rather than a process-centric approach currently in existence. Access barriers, affordability, the digital divide, lack of government buy-in, and fragmented HIS are considered major impediments to adoption of mobile monitoring and care systems (MMCs) for the elderly’s healthcare. Given the complications brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of MMCs cannot be more pronounced. However, despite available literature regarding elderly issues in both developed and developing countries, the elderly plight has still not been considered a national priority. The main purpose of this research was to investigate why elderly people do not adopt MMCs to improve their quality of life, with MMC technologies as a general area of research. The main objective of the study was to develop critical success factors to improve the adoption of MMCs by the elderly living at home. This would potentially alleviate the burden on healthcare resources and also improve the elderly’s quality of life. Primary data collection took place from 21 February to 28 February 2020 in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants comprising one male and 14 females who represented the elderly Black, Coloured, Indian and White people. This qualitative research tool and purposive sampling method were chosen in order to fully capture the participants’ experiences in the home environment, which excluded those living in frail care or step-down facilities or state institutions. Despite the sample size being small and not being generalizable, it delivered rich information which provided a deeper understanding and fresh insights into the landscape of the elderly and their healthcare needs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. The study found that elderly communities are not entirely averse to adoption of MMCs but challenges like affordability and chronic shortage of technical skills prove to be impediments to adoption of MMCs for the elderly’s healthcare. The lack of standardisation and data governance pertaining to data sharing in HISs also serve to exacerbate the matter. The study, therefore, recommends collaborative engagements amongst government, business and the elderly to facilitate the availability of affordable and accessible ICT infrastructure for the elderly communities. Improved adoption of MMCs carry the potential benefit which emanates from the assumption of a pro-active role by the elderly and optimising available MMCs thus reducing strain and freeing-up healthcare workers to concentrate on core duties. The onus thus falls on the healthcare sector to revise the available strategies which seek to enhance the quality of life of the elderly people living in the home environment. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
Factors that impact on the user experience of a mobile school health application
- Authors: Chetty, Avineshin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems in medical care , Medical informatics Application software Technology -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21801 , vital:29780
- Description: In South Africa, the National Department of Health through its Integrated School Health Policy, use school nurses, to visit schools and perform health screening of learners which focus mainly on nutrition, eyesight and hearing. To date, this was done manually, but with the advance of technology, there is a need to investigate the use of for example, mobile applications to assist with health screening tasks. As part of the TECH4RED project in the Chris Hani district, a mobile school health assessment application was implemented and used over a period three years. As this is a new way of conducting the health screening, there is a need to understand the user experiences of the end users who interact with both the technology and the application. The objective of this study was to investigate the perceived factors that impact on the UX of the school health assessment application. The research aimed to understand the uses, advantages and disadvantages of mobile health applications. It also aimed at determining whether there are unique characteristics of the targeted end users and if so, whether such characteristics would affect the overall UX when using the application. Determining the levels of satisfaction and investigating the apparent challenges the users faced while interacting with the application provided some insights into underlying factors. A theoretical framework was constructed using existing literature. Using a case study approach, data was collected by means of end user satisfaction and user experience questionnaires. Additional data collection was done by means of an expert review to obtain feedback on the content and workflow of the school health assessment application. The resulting findings from the research included, a descriptive list of factors that impact the school health assessment application, as well as a subsequent list of recommendations for improvements. These key-findings could lead to possible guidelines, while additionally, providing valuable insight into mobile school health applications on the whole.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Chetty, Avineshin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems in medical care , Medical informatics Application software Technology -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21801 , vital:29780
- Description: In South Africa, the National Department of Health through its Integrated School Health Policy, use school nurses, to visit schools and perform health screening of learners which focus mainly on nutrition, eyesight and hearing. To date, this was done manually, but with the advance of technology, there is a need to investigate the use of for example, mobile applications to assist with health screening tasks. As part of the TECH4RED project in the Chris Hani district, a mobile school health assessment application was implemented and used over a period three years. As this is a new way of conducting the health screening, there is a need to understand the user experiences of the end users who interact with both the technology and the application. The objective of this study was to investigate the perceived factors that impact on the UX of the school health assessment application. The research aimed to understand the uses, advantages and disadvantages of mobile health applications. It also aimed at determining whether there are unique characteristics of the targeted end users and if so, whether such characteristics would affect the overall UX when using the application. Determining the levels of satisfaction and investigating the apparent challenges the users faced while interacting with the application provided some insights into underlying factors. A theoretical framework was constructed using existing literature. Using a case study approach, data was collected by means of end user satisfaction and user experience questionnaires. Additional data collection was done by means of an expert review to obtain feedback on the content and workflow of the school health assessment application. The resulting findings from the research included, a descriptive list of factors that impact the school health assessment application, as well as a subsequent list of recommendations for improvements. These key-findings could lead to possible guidelines, while additionally, providing valuable insight into mobile school health applications on the whole.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
M-health user experience framework for the public healthcare sector
- Authors: Ouma, Stella
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Communication in public health , Public health -- South Africa , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9827 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020793
- Description: The public healthcare sectors within developing nations face a lot of challenges because of constrained resources available to them. The South African public healthcare sector is no different. Although it serves the majority of the South African population, most of the financial resources are directed towards the private sector, which serves very few individuals when compared to the public healthcare sector. Apart from that, other challenges that the National Department of Health has to deal with include the lack of sufficiently trained healthcare employees who can work on the different levels of the public healthcare sector, as well as the burden of diseases such as HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and other chronic diseases. In order to improve service delivery, the National Department of Health is introducing Information and Communications Technology interventions that can increase efficiency and reduce costs, thereby improving the quality of service delivery. This research delivers an m-health application user experience framework to be proposed to the National Department of Health in South Africa, in order to assist in scaling up of m-health applications. The m-health applications that can benefit the South African population if scaled up successfully include those that can be used in remote data collection, treatment and compliance, accessing patients records, remote monitoring, communication and training for healthcare workers and applications that can be used for education and awareness. The study focused on three domains: the Human-Computer Interaction domain, public healthcare domain and Health Informatics domain. The proposed framework was realized by investigating mobile user experience components, mobile health requirements and the South African public healthcare domain components that contribute to the m-health user experience framework. This research was conducted through the interpretivist philosophy. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, an application of qualitative methodology was used. The conceptual theoretical framework was validated through a single case study approach by m-health user experience experts, who reside in South Africa. Data were analysed inductively. An m-health user experience framework was provided at the end of the study. An m-health user experience framework can assist the National Department of Health to look into design issues, address m-health requirements and put the domain needs in place, thus enabling the Department to successfully scale up implementations of m-health applications nationwide.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Ouma, Stella
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Communication in public health , Public health -- South Africa , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9827 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020793
- Description: The public healthcare sectors within developing nations face a lot of challenges because of constrained resources available to them. The South African public healthcare sector is no different. Although it serves the majority of the South African population, most of the financial resources are directed towards the private sector, which serves very few individuals when compared to the public healthcare sector. Apart from that, other challenges that the National Department of Health has to deal with include the lack of sufficiently trained healthcare employees who can work on the different levels of the public healthcare sector, as well as the burden of diseases such as HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and other chronic diseases. In order to improve service delivery, the National Department of Health is introducing Information and Communications Technology interventions that can increase efficiency and reduce costs, thereby improving the quality of service delivery. This research delivers an m-health application user experience framework to be proposed to the National Department of Health in South Africa, in order to assist in scaling up of m-health applications. The m-health applications that can benefit the South African population if scaled up successfully include those that can be used in remote data collection, treatment and compliance, accessing patients records, remote monitoring, communication and training for healthcare workers and applications that can be used for education and awareness. The study focused on three domains: the Human-Computer Interaction domain, public healthcare domain and Health Informatics domain. The proposed framework was realized by investigating mobile user experience components, mobile health requirements and the South African public healthcare domain components that contribute to the m-health user experience framework. This research was conducted through the interpretivist philosophy. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, an application of qualitative methodology was used. The conceptual theoretical framework was validated through a single case study approach by m-health user experience experts, who reside in South Africa. Data were analysed inductively. An m-health user experience framework was provided at the end of the study. An m-health user experience framework can assist the National Department of Health to look into design issues, address m-health requirements and put the domain needs in place, thus enabling the Department to successfully scale up implementations of m-health applications nationwide.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »