Name and Surname: assoc. prof. Boštjan Žvanut, PhD
Links: ARRS 24930, LINKEDIN
E-Mail: bostjan.zvanut@fvz.upr.si

Research facility (research activity location):
University of Primorska, Faculty of healthcare
If required: PhD candidate work organisation and organisations partipating in the research

Research field according to ARRS classification
Science: Technic
Field: Computer and information science

Science: Medicine
Field: Public health (safety at work)

Summary of research topic and field
Theme 1:

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming increasingly important in the field of promoting health and prevention. Candidates would be included in existing projects that UP FVZ is implementing in the field of using ICT for health promotion (e.g. 4Steps). As part of their doctoral disertation, candidates would develop ICT tools or approaches to promote health and prevention through ICT (e.g. use of social networks, applications, use of smart devices). The effectiveness of the developed tools or approaches would be tested on a target population (e.g. adolescents, elderly, working population). The second section relates to the issue of safe use of ICT in healthcare, especially with regard to vulnerable groups. Their use is being promoted, but vulnerable groups (e.g. elderly adults, people with disabilities) are often neglected in this process. Candidates would be included in existing projects (e.g. e@ser – Safe use of smart devices among the elderly: education-based prevention of cybercrime). Within the mentioned topic, they would develop tools for risk identification and propose approaches to improve the current situation.

Theme 2: 

Despite the introduction of different ICT in healthcare, too little attention is being paid to the issue of their safe use. This problem is particularly pressing when it comes to various vulnerable populations (e.g. elderly adults, people with disabilities, individuals with special needs). This area opens up different opportunities for conducting applied studies aimed at developing tools for risk identification and approaches to improve the current situation. In their work, the candidate will use a range of qualitative and quantitative methods and data collection techniques, with a significant part of the research work focusing on the development and validation of measurement instruments for measuring vulnerability. The key goal of doctoral dissertations in this field is to offer both theoretical models and practical tools and to propose approaches to improve the state of information security.