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Big data and Decision-making: How Big Data Is Relevant Across Fields and DomainsBig data is a buzzword of our times, and yet the awareness of what big data is, how it permeates our daily lives, and how it is applied either in the policy-making process or in the business sector remains relatively low. From a different perspective, while specialists, that is, practitioners and researchers, dealing with the technical facets of big data successfully uncover new features, new domains, and new opportunities related to big data, there is a need of evaluating and examining these findings through the lens of social sciences and management. This chapter offers an insight into key issues and developments that shape the broad and multi-directional big data debate. To this end, the content of the book is elaborated and the key findings are highlighted. In this way, this chapter serves as a very useful guide into the question of how big data is applied across issues and domains and how it is valid and relevant to all of us today.
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Mapping and Conceptualizing Big Data and Its Value Across Issues and DomainsIn today’s world, the possibility to collect and analyze unprecedented quantities of data pertaining not only to the operation of private and public sectors, but also to the lives of individuals, bears the potential to employ the data as invaluable source of information, and possibly knowledge. The latter, in turn, may lead to innovation, and innovation-led sustainable growth and development of our societies. Inasmuch as the promise inherent in – what tends to be termed – big data is huge, so are also the caveats related to the prospect of exploiting the benefits of big data. In this chapter, it is argued that four challenges beset the possibility of effective and efficient use of big data today. These include: a substantial degree of ignorance as to what big data actually is; the challenge of obtaining quality data; the challenge of the utilization of big data in the decision-making process; and, finally, the twin ethical and legal challenge pertaining to the acquisition and the use of big data. It is also argued that the awareness of the existence of these caveats enables a critical insight into the promise big data brings about for our societies today. This chapter dwells on these issues.
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Transformative Learning as a bold Strategy for the Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia: Moving Higher Healthcare Education ForwardSaudi Arabia is currently undergoing a comprehensive transformation program aimed at achieving a prosperous and dynamic society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. The Vision 2030 plan, initiated by the government, aims to unlock the full potential of the kingdom's people and resources, with a focus on its citizens and the Islamic religion. The vision includes a range of strategic objectives, such as expanding cultural and entertainment opportunities within the kingdom, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and developing the nation's infrastructure. One of the key objectives of the Vision 2030 plan is to diversify the economy and create exciting job possibilities for the people of Saudi Arabia. This will be achieved through a focus on education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The country will diversify its economy by privatizing state-owned assets, including the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, which will be financed through partial initial public offering of Saudi Aramco. The government will also open up underdeveloped sectors like manufacturing, renewable energy, and tourism. In order to achieve these objectives, the curriculum and standards of Saudi educational institutions will be modernized, starting from early childhood. This includes a focus on developing a highly skilled and innovative workforce that can drive the country's economic growth. To this end, the government has set a target of having at least five Saudi universities among the world's top 200 universities by 2030. Higher education in Saudi Arabia has undergone significant changes over the past decade. In 2013, the Ministry of Education launched an initiative aimed at improving the quality of higher education in the kingdom. The initiative, known as the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA), has worked to enhance the quality of higher education by establishing national academic standards and accrediting universities and academic programs.
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FORTY DEFINITIONS AND METAPHORS FOR ACTIVE AND TRANSORMATIVE LEARNING IN CHAT GPT TIMES: CHAT GPT AS AN ACTIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING BOOST IN HEALTHCARE EDUCATIONHealthcare Education is a huge industry with significant social footprint and resilient impact on well being and on the quality of life. It integrates diverse scientific domains and needs to continuously update its value proposition to reflect the need for preparing top quality health professionals. It has also to support the professional development and also to manage effectively the accreditation of programs and the certification of skills and knowledge. In this chapter we expand on a theoretical framework about Active and Transformative Learning we have introduced on the volume of Active and Transformative Learning for STEAM disciplines and we discuss how Artificial Intelligent tools such as OPENAI Chat GPT can serve as transformers and value carriers for the implementation of Active and Transformative Learning activities and use cases in Healthcare Education.
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Digital transformation from a health professional practice and training perspectiveThis chapter discusses how Digital Transformation (DT) challenges health professional practice and training. A thorough argumentation on barriers, opportunities, and intersection areas of DT in the health domain sets the ground for understanding the wide context and application domain of DT in health organizations. The authors exploit further the key ideas and introduce significant use cases for DT projects in the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). Special focus is paid to the core functional areas of the SCFHS and the ways that these can be digitally transformed. A pivotal project on stakeholder analysis and enhancement of value cocreation is also presented as an exemplar DT project in the SCFHS. The main ideas communicated in this chapter can be used as a reference approach for potential DT projects in healthcare and health education organizations.
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Future Smart Cities Research: Identifying the Next Generation ChallengesThe recent debate on smart cities research is challenged by the arrival of brand-new technologies and new ideas on their social impact. Beyond the hype and the expectations, the next generation smart cities research has to be grounded on the lessons learnt and the experience of the current extensive implementations of smart cities projects worldwide. Additionally, it is required to revisit the basic assumptions for the added value of smart cities research to the strategic blueprints around the world. This chapter is aiming to communicate a new agenda for future smart cities research including social, economic, technological, and community factors. The main contribution is organized around a framework that intends to integrate the technology sophistication, the human and social dynamics, and the strategy orientation of smart cities.
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ACTIVE AND TRANSORMATIVE LEARNING (ATL) IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TIMES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CHAT GPT: INVESTIGATING A NEW VALUE-BASED FRAMEWORKActive and Transformative Learning challenge the new era of teaching and learning in Higher Education. In this chapter a systematic approach to Active and Transformative Learning theories and methodologies is provided. Authors provide a unique methodological framework for the integration of active learning practices in modern higher education curricula. This chapter also provides an integrated context for the overall discussion of the phenomenon in the volume. The recent arrivals of new disruptive artificial intelligence enabled technologies such as OpenAI Chat GPT, Deep AI and others, are only few aspects of a new challenging era for the Teaching, Learning, Innovation and Sustainability in the Higher Education.
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A strategic framework for digital transformation in healthcare: Insights from the Saudi Commission for Health SpecialtiesThis chapter elaborates on the key ideas of digital transformation as they are communicated in the recent literature. The authors synthesize complementary aspects for the study of the phenomenon and introduce a novel framework for a strategic approach to digital transformation in modern organizations. They also present the key determinants of digital transformation strategy with key emphasis on the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. In their approach, three functional pillars of synergetic efficiency and performance for the digital transformation are highlighted: Pillar 1. Business Process Reengineering (Data, Knowledge, and Process Management); Pillar 2. Technology-Driven Value proposition for Digital Transformation; and Pillar 3. Quality Assurance (KPIs & Benchmarks). Additionally, the authors introduce five pillars of strategic aspects and impact for the digital transformation framework: Pillar 4. Policy Recommendations and Strategic Implications; Pillar 5. Digital Transformation Digital Innovation Foundations; Pillar 6. Value Creation and Cocreation; Pillar 7. Technology Enhancement; and Pillar 8. Platform-Mediated Ecosystems. Finally, the authors present the key challenges for the digital transformation of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties in Saudi Arabia.
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Redesigning the global healthcare system through digital transformation: Insights from Saudi ArabiaAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) “a health system consists of all the organizations, institutions, resources, and people whose primary purpose is to improve health.” According to the same report, the building blocks of a modern health system consist of service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing, and leadership/governance.
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The potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare: Perceptions of healthcare practitioners and current adoptionThe aim of this research is to assess and investigate the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare practitioners toward the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the health field. An observational descriptive cross-sectional mapping study was organized in Saudi Arabia from June 6 to July 6, 2021. The study population and sampling included all healthcare practitioners from all specialties who agreed to be included in our study. AI has the potential to further improve patient care due to its ability to interpret more detailed and comprehensive data. As such, AI in medicine should be welcomed, especially after the power of various forms of AI has been proven in different aspects of healthcare, which is highly reflected in enhanced patient care and satisfaction. In this chapter, we provide initial findings, and we elaborate on some indicative aspects of the perceptions and the attitudes of healthcare practitioners for AI in Saudi Arabia.
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Preface: Digital Transformation in Healthcare in Post-Covid-19 TimesThe reactive nature of current healthcare systems globally forced their attention toward addressing acute and active chronic medical problems. As a result, healthcare has become practitioner and facility focused. Over time, care provision in such health systems has grown to be fragmented, inefficient, and expensive. Systems leaders must return the focus to people and populations to solve this challenge. Health reform in the current era is characterized by shifting focus from volume-based to value-based care. As a result, health systems direct their resources and targets toward generating larger impacts on population health. Health systems must prioritize the screening, prevention, and early detection of chronic diseases to achieve this shift successfully. Furthermore, primary care becomes a central active component of new healthcare systems. As a result of population expansion and vast geographic distributions, extending health services to remote areas beyond urbanized areas becomes necessary to transform health systems successfully.
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Digital Transformation and Smart Cities: Insights from the Healthcare DomainDigital transformation is one of the key concepts attached to the smart cities’ domain. The requirement to enhance strategically the way that business is delivered around different areas is a critical milestone for the digital transformation agenda and also for business performance management. In this short position chapter, we are focusing on the area of healthcare and we are providing key insights and lessons learned from Saudi Arabia. The main contribution of the chapter is a structured discussion on a digital healthcare strategy in the context of smart cities.
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Preface: Smart Cities and Digital Transformation: Empowering Communities, Limitless Innovation, Sustainable Development and the Next GenerationSmart Cities and Digital Transformation: Empowering Communities, Limitless Innovation and Sustainable Development is a Smart Cities Handbook putting together on a single volume a three-tier approach to smart cities: Limitless Innovation, Sustainable Development and Empowering Communities. The active learning approach that is adopted helps the reader to exploit comprehensive social sciences and computer science knowledge into real-world problems, building critical thinking skills and competencies. The exploratory journey to the Smart Cities and Digital Transformation research domain compensates the reader with a significant enhancement of intellectual skills and problem-solving capability.
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The Role of Open Data in Transforming the Society to Society 5.0: A Resource or a Tool for SDG-Compliant Smart Living?Open data are characterized by a number of economic, environmental, technological, innovative, and social benefits. They are seen as a significant contributor to the city’s transformation into smart city. This is all the more so when the society is on the border of Society 5.0, that is, shift from the information society to a super smart society or society of imagination takes place. However, the question constantly asked by open data experts is, what are the key factors to be met and satisfied in order to achieve promised benefits? The current trend of openness suggests that the principle of openness should be followed not only by data but also research, education, software, standard, hardware, etc., it should become a philosophy to be followed at different levels, in different domains. This should ensure greater transparency, eliminating inequalities, promoting, and achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Therefore, many agendas (sustainable development strategies, action plans) now have openness as a prerequisite. This chapter deals with concepts of open (government) data and Society 5.0 pointing to their common objectives, providing some success stories of open data use in smart cities or transformation of cities toward smart cities, mapping them to the features of the Society 5.0. We believe that this trend develops a new form of society, which we refer to as “open data-driven society.” It forms a bridge from Society 4.0 to Society 5.0. This chapter attempts to identify the role of openness in promoting human-centric smart society, smart city, and smart living.
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A bibliometric analysis of GCC healthcare digital transformationThis study focuses on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in digital transformation, particularly in the healthcare industry. It highlights the significant progress made in global research during the COVID-19 pandemic, where digital technology played a crucial role in fighting the virus and developing solutions. The World Health Organization launched strategic response plans and the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to address the challenges posed by the pandemic. The study also emphasizes the need for scientific investment to achieve smarter development and addresses the lack of bibliometric analysis on AI and COVID-19 in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The chapter outlines the research methodology and presents bibliometric visualizations and trends. It discusses the scientific output and relationships among publications in the GCC region, with a focus on digital transformation and COVID-19 mitigation measures. The chapter concludes with future research directions.
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Reflecting on oikos and agora in smart cities context: Concluding remarksSmart cities, seen as a concept and policy strategy, have firmly established themselves as the key tenet of contemporary academic and political debates. The thrust of these debates is formed by the tacit recognition tha—if used in socially and ethically sensitive ways—information and communication technology (ICT)–enhanced tools and approaches may allow addressing challenges cities face very effectively. From a different angle, with the onset of sophisticated ICT, the social reality seems to have become more complex than ever, and the city space attests to it. As the traditional binary division between oikos (οίκος) and agora (αγορά) in city space has been challenged by the emergence of parallel channels of communication and consolidation of “virtual” public and private space, several foundational questions emerge. This chapter highlights them.
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Policy implications for smart healthcare: the international collaboration dimensionThe recent evolution of information and communication technology leads to a significant shift in the agenda and promise of medical informatics. Smart healthcare is promoted as a unified paradigm of novel insights for personalized medicine worldwide. In this era of early adoption, investments in medical informatics, especially in the context of research and development projects as well as in commercialized technologies, envision the ultimate objective: to facilitate a sociotechnological ecosystem of data, services, applications, and applied medical systems for the promotion of health and wellbeing. The purpose of this concluding chapter is to set up a context for further dialog related to the integration of innovation in medical systems and advanced policy making.