Hanlie Smuts

Pregnant radiographers require more stringent radiation dose monitoring than general radiographers due to the sensitive nature of the developing fetus’s cells towards radiation. Occupational radiation safety measures include the use of personal dosimeters. Ineffective dosimetry practices among pregnant radiographers in South Africa were observed, which led to the current technological innovation. The prototype and final mobile application were developed using a user-centred approach following the situational analysis. (1) A design thinking phase was executed through a participatory design workshop (PDW) consisting of 12 participants. (2) A mobile application development lifecycle method with software engineers was used to produce the final artefact. Pregnant radiographers need an effective way to monitor and track their fetal doses. There is a need for access to educational resources for pregnant radiographers and the need for psychosocial support. The final mobile app was guided by the prototype design and rigorous consultation on its appearance and behaviour and the functionality and testing processes emanating from three core domains, namely, dose tracking, education, and well-being. PregiDose is a mobile application developed for the user by the user. Therefore, the app directly addresses key challenges pregnant radiographers face and aligns with several World Health Organisation Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) using technology.

Background: South African higher education institutions (HEIs) face challenges such as suboptimal student performance despite growing numbers of enrolments, which are projected to reach 1.6 million by 2030. This necessitates immediate intervention. Empirical evidence supports the assertion that data-driven decision-making (DDDM), enabled by technologies and innovations in data analytics, improves the success of HEIs and their students in turn, by leveraging actionable insights from data for making decisions regarding pedagogy, research and institutional management. Objectives: The study explored how South African HEIs could enhance DDDM to improve their performance. If HEIs wish to embark on improving DDDM, they required insight into their current DDDM state. Method: An exploratory study with an empirical research design was conducted to obtain such insights. Professionals in information and computer sciences participated in an online survey that yielded mixed data (N = 102). Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. Associations were uncovered with Spearman's correlation. Results: Participants considered DDDM to be crucial for institutional success and highlighted a necessity for substantial improvements in data attributes. Numerous associations between PCA factors were revealed. Qualitative findings revealed high receptivity towards DDDM. Conclusion: Institutions have considerable scope for improving DDDM, including data access, the use of data analytical tools and employee engagement in business practices. Contribution: The findings provide insight into the current state of DDDM to support management and education in HEIs, and the considerable scope for improvement, while informing actionable recommendations to direct institutions in taking immediate action towards advancing DDDM.

The built environment has a significant impact on knowledge workers' productivity. Work environments should be designed to address the needs of the workers who inhabit the space to ensure optimal effectiveness in executing their work tasks, thereby increasing their productivity. This paper proposes a user-centered process for workspace design that would allow organizations to improve the capabilities of their work environment continually and address the needs of knowledge workers. A structured literature review was conducted to identify principles for effective workplace design as well as dimensions for testing workplace usability. A focus group was facilitated to enrich the findings emanating from the literature review, where the love and breakup letter method (LBM) was implemented to elicit the needs of office workers. The findings determined that the most significant negative impact on knowledge worker productivity was the implementation of a hot-desk system, and suggested a move towards activity-based workspaces.

Background: The fast rate of technological advances in the health care sector remain as a pressing need for effective solutions that address the unique health care needs of sexual and gender minorities. If these innovative solutions are considered, societal challenges such as stigma, discrimination, and a lack of tailored health care resources, as experienced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) individuals could be addressed at lower cost. Objective: This study aimed to develop a mobile health (mHealth) app specifically designed to address the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) individuals in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: This study used a Design Science Research (DSR) framework and a mixed-method exploratory sequential approach. DSR was executed in three cycles: cycle one followed an ethnography approach; involved 33 health care providers (HCPs) and 22 LGBTQIA+ individuals, focusing on identifying specific SRH and the challenges encountered in accessing and providing these services. Participants shared their views on the potential role of mHealth apps in addressing these issues. Cycle two engaged 13 experts through Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to collaboratively identify essential content for the app, fostering a co-creation process. Lastly, cycle three followed an interventional pre-experimental approach by involving software developers and principal investigator working together to develop a functional prototype of the mHealth app. Results: This study revealed critical insights into the specific SRH of LGBTQIA+ individuals, alongside the barriers faced by health care providers in meeting these needs. The co-created app prototype named “Queery wellness hub” was developed and incorporated features tailored to enhance accessibility, confidentiality, and user engagement, addressing both user and provider perspectives. Conclusions: The findings underscore the potential of mHealth apps in transforming the delivery of SRH for LGBTQIA+ individuals in South Africa. Continued collaboration with stakeholders is essential for further refinement and successful implementation of the app, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes for sexual and gender minorities.