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When personal records become electronic,

how is the information made secure and


what does it mean for the information
system to be usable?

Trust LAURIAN
VEGA

Exploring personal record keeping in practice, Fall 2009 Project


system of engagement between the person does ownership mean when it comes to digital
Background and provider where they must interact and records?
Keeping and maintaining personal make information sharable and In the pilot projects this summer the
records is a growing concern. As people’s documentable. Both parties are both made Usable Security team started to examine
personal information becomes increasingly responsible to not share personal information current practices in two different settings:
segmented across place and space, people with people who are not trustworthy and to childcares and medical practices. Both studies
also have an increasing need to retain keep that information secure. involved interviewing directors of centers who
responsibility for their distributed information. Currently, this system of practice has managed personal information. They were
Adding to this concern is the fact that been fairly successful: keeping a piece of asked about what information is collected,
personal information documentation and paper secure is as easy as physically locking when it is collected, how it is made secure,
access has been further digitizing. These it in a box. Similarly, trusting, or as we have who has access, and how access is managed.
concerns have emerged as a need for a operationalized trust to mean sharing or The projects proposed are to build on this
secure information system that is not only having access information, is as easy as work for a better understanding of current
usable, but trustworthy. making a copy of a piece of paper. These practices.
This summer the usable security team metaphors breakdown though when moved
engaged in two pilot research projects that into an electronic space. What does it mean
focused on the area of personal information to share someone’s personal information?
record keeping. In this area a person is not What does access mean in an electronic Project 1: Parent Interviews
only responsible for providing personal system? What is the practice of keeping of childcare information
information for a service, but the service information secure when hundreds or turn over...
provider is dually required to document thousands of people now have access? What practices
information about the person. This creates a

Usable Security
What do current information
security practices in childcare
settings look like?
Additional
Readings
1. Pratt, W., K. Unruh, A. Civan
and M.M. Skeels, Personal health
information management.
Commun. ACM, 2006. 49(1): p.
51-55.

2. Sillence, E. and P. Briggs,


Ubiquitous Computing: Trust Issues
for a" Healthy" Society. Social
Science Computer Review, 2008.
26(1): p. 6-6.

3. Goodwin, C. and J. Heritage,


Conversation Analysis. Annual
Review of Anthropology, 1990.
19: p. 283-307.
This project is the second part of the observed, a use of grounded theory for
4. Glesne, C., Chapter 4, Making
study of childcare information practices. The conceptualizing the content, and a report is
first half the study garnered that official study what is required for this project. A short Words Fly: Developing
of how information is managed by the amount of training on observation protocols, Understanding from Interviewing
childcare. Our concern now is to get the a background reading and comprehension of in Becoming qualitative
‘other side of the story’ by talking to parents. the previous study, and co-writing and researchers: An Introduction.
What are their concerns about keeping their submitting an IRB application are also 1992, Longman: White Plains,
child’s information secure? How aware are necessary. New York.
they of the current practices at the childcare? People required on the team: maximum
Are they satisfied with these? What does it of 3
5. Lee, J.D. and K.A. See, Trust in
mean for them to keep their child’s
Automation: Designing for
information secure?
Appropriate Reliance. Human
The project involves interviewing
Factors, 2004. 46(1): p. 50-80.
approximately 20 parents who have their Project 3: Create you own
child(ren) current enrolled in a local childcare
using an interview protocol already There are many open questions here. If 6.Song, J. and F.M. Zahedi, Trust
developed. Transcription of the interviews, a this is an area that you are interested in and in health infomediaries. Decis.
use of grounded theory for conceptualizing have you own ideas about what might be Support Syst., 2007. 43(2): p.
the content of the interviews, and a report is interesting to pursue, please talk to me and
390-407.
what is required for this project. A short Dr. Kafura about your ideas.
amount of training on interview protocols will I can see a project that explores what
be required. people feel responsible for when it comes to
People required on the team: 2 their own personal health record. What
information will they share versus not share?
Who do they share information with? I could
see another study that looks into the fears

Project 2: Follow a director around government organized online health For more information:
records by both medical professionals and lay
for day people. Is it the fear of the government or

This project could take place in a


fear of online health records? or something
else? Laurian@vt.edu
childcare or a medical practice. The idea is
How would you study this area and the
that you would do an observation study
where you would shadow a director for a
current practices involved?
Talk to me after class!
period of time, about 3 hours, to get a
deeper understanding of their information
practices.
This project involves half day long
sessions at at least 5 practices per team
member. Transcriptions of the practices

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