A NOVEL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING INFORMATION OVERLOAD IN THE DIABETES CLINICS OF THE HOSPITALS IN JORDAN

This thesis introduces a study for knowledge management of information overload in the healthcare domain. The study selected the diabetes clinics of seven hospitals in Jordan as a case study based on obtaining consent letters from these hospitals. First, a comprehensive literature was conducted in order to explore the existing information overload problem in-depth and to investigate existing solutions that assist in developing a new framework for reducing this problem. The literature findings integrated six theoretical factors adopted from the literature to form a data collection survey representing the initial primary research stage where the mixed approach methodology was considered. The data was collected by approaching the medical staff in person, and was analysed to determine the arising problems affected by information overload, and to find out about the information type that is used, the way information is used/communicated, and how information is going to be held. The findings from the primary research analysis showed that the results were statistically approaching the average indicating to an average problem. The researcher afterwards produced an information flow and processing models for the information that is running into these clinics. Thus, a knowledge management framework is proposed in order to reduce information overload affecting these clinics by enhancing an appropriate existing method from the literature, and by enhancing the analytical primary research findings. The framework is based on sharing the information to the right person at the right time in the right place with the right quantity. Furthermore, a validation of the framework was conducted with the assistance of a subset of medical experts in the field existing in these clinics. In conclusion, the future research is that the framework will form the basis of teaching by future researchers for further possible enhancements.