Introductory Algebra is a primer for students considering an entrance level college algebra course. The textbook should not be considered a comprehensive treatment of algebra. The goal of the textbook is to teach a set of problem solving skills in some of the more fundamental areas of algebra. The author uses a step-by-step problem solving technique that is demonstrated in an exacting format…
Since the creation of MySpace and LinkedIn in 2003 and Facebook in 2004, online social networking has quickly become a pervasive way for people to connect and interact all over the world. A trend that largely began with students is now featured on the cover of AARP. Yet schools are one of the last holdouts, where many of the most popular social networking sites are often banned for students, a…
In response to a request from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), and with support from the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health and from the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) initiated a study in October 1995 on maintaining privacy and security in health care applications of the national info…
The Internet has great potential to improve Americans’ health by enhancing communications and improving access to information for care providers, patients, health plan administrators, public health officials, bio- medical researchers, and other health professionals. Ongoing research and development (R&D) efforts, such as the federal government’s Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative an…
Over the last 10 years, the impact of wireless communications on the way we live and do business has been surpassed only by the impact of the Internet. Cellular phones, pagers, and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs) have become so com- monplace in our lives that it is easy to forget that 10 years ago, they were a rarity. But wireless communications technology is still in its infancy, a…
Health services research (HSR) exemplifies some of the greatest hopes and greatest fears for collecting and analyzing computerized personal health information. Information routinely collected in the course of providing and paying for health care can be used by researchers to investigate the relative effectiveness of alternative clinical interventions, of alternative methods of organizing, deliv…
This appendix presents several case studies that illustrate various problems that arise in MIS. They are based on publically available information regarding different organizations. It might be nice to have additional inside information, but this level of detail is rarely available to students (and teachers). Instead, most of these cases look at larger problems over time—which provides useful…
Health care reform has changed the financial base upon which the modern academic medical center is structured. The cost-containment efforts of managed care organizations have reduced the institutions' net revenues from the provision of clinical care that have traditionally been used to support research and training. Concomitantly, the amount of time that faculty can spend conducting research an…
Historically, coastal development in the United States was dominated by major urban regions oriented to commercial ports and defense installations. Elsewhere, coastal settlements were typically quiet fishing villages, vacation refuges, and older seaside resorts gradually evolving into year-round communities. Since the advent of the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s, increasing demand for c…