Systematic Analysis of Readability of Patient Information on Internet Pages from Departments for Trauma Surgery of German University Hospitals

Author(s):  
Simon Paul ◽  
Marc-Daniel Ahrend ◽  
Jan-Christoffer Lüers ◽  
Kersten Sven Roth ◽  
Peter P. Grimmiger ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The need-based information transfer in education as well as for the recruitment of patients becomes more and more relevant. Here, the internet has emerged as an increasingly important factor in recent years and therefore information pages on hospital homepages can be very helpful. However, it is known that basic text comprehension skills are lacking among large populations. Method The aim of the present study was to evaluate the readability of the patient information available on the websites of trauma departments of German university hospitals. For this purpose, a search for information material on 10 different diagnoses was carried out. Out of 360 texts possible, 185 were found and assigned to 2 superordinate thematic areas (emergency vs. elective operations), subjected to a systematic text analysis via software “Text-Lab” and rated using 5 known readability indices (Amstad, G-SMOG, LIX, HIX, WSTF). Results The indices used for both thematic complexes consistently showed poor readability, so that the texts only seem sufficiently comprehensible to readers with higher education. (Amstad: 21.4 ± 20.8; G-SMOG: 11.6 ± 2.0; WSTF 13.3 ± 2.1; LIX: 60.9 ± 7.6; HIX: 4.1 ± 3.2). Conclusion For the medical information provided by university hospitals, there is a clear need for improvement in order to make the adequate acquisition of knowledge accessible to a broader spectrum of patients.

Author(s):  
Luciana Cardoso ◽  
Fernando Marins ◽  
César Quintas ◽  
Filipe Portela ◽  
Manuel Santos ◽  
...  

With the advancement of technology, patient information has been being computerized in order to facilitate the work of healthcare professionals and improve the quality of healthcare delivery. However, there are many heterogeneous information systems that need to communicate, sharing information and making it available when and where it is needed. To respond to this requirement the Agency for Integration, Diffusion, and Archiving of medical information (AIDA) was created, a multi-agent and service-based platform that ensures interoperability among healthcare information systems. In order to improve the performance of the platform, beyond the SWOT analysis performed, a system to prevent failures that may occur in the platform database and also in machines where the agents are executed was created. The system has been implemented in the Centro Hospitalar do Porto (one of the major Portuguese hospitals), and it is now possible to define critical workload periods of AIDA, improving high availability and load balancing. This is explored in this chapter.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianchen Luo ◽  
Jing Ma ◽  
Liangliang Xu ◽  
Lian Li ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The Internet has gradually become the most important way for people to search for information. Increasing number of people searched for relevant information or even treatment plans on the Internet when they get health problem. The reliability of the medical information provided online remains to be proved. Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia are the most widely used search engines in English and Chinese, respectively. The quality of the medical information they provide needs to be assessed. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the quality and timeliness of medical information related with digestive system malignancy retrieved from Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia. Comparison was made between the 2 encyclopedias. We conducted a 3-year follow-up to find out if the quality and timeliness of articles improved. METHODS We conducted a search based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision Version 2016 codes in Wikipedia and Baidu Encyclopedia, and evaluated articles related to digestive system malignancy by using the DISCERN instrument. We calculated the update interval of the webpages to evaluate the update timeliness of these websites. RESULTS In 2017 and 2020, we searched out a total of 50 and 52 articles from Baidu Encyclopedia, with 2 articles increased and no article missed. 30 and 32 articles were found in Wikipedia, with 1 article increased and no article missed. According to the scores evaluated by DISCERN instrument. In both 2017 and 2020, Wikipedia scored higher than Baidu Encyclopedia in section1 and section2, and it's statistically significant. Wikipedia scored higher than Baidu Encyclopedia in Section3, but it's not statistically significant. The total score of Wikipedia was higher than Baidu Encyclopedia, and the difference was statistically significant. The update interval of Wikipedia is shorter than that of Baidu Encyclopedia, with better timeliness and statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The quality and timeliness of digestive system malignancy relative articles on Wikipedia are better than those on Baidu Encyclopedia. Both Baidu Encyclopedia and Wikipedia articles have improved in quality over the past three years. However, the treatment information obtained from the Internet still can’t guarantee its comprehensiveness or reliability. Patients should consult a medical professional directly.


2011 ◽  
pp. 958-974
Author(s):  
Guy Paré ◽  
Jean-Nicolas Malek ◽  
Claude Sicotte ◽  
Marc Lemire

The primary aim of this study is twofold. First, the authors seek to identify the factors that influence members of the general public to conduct Internet searches for health information. Their second intent is to explore the influence such Internet use has on three types of personal empowerment. In the summer of 2007 the authors conducted a household sample survey of a population of Canadian adults. A total of 261 self-administered questionnaires were returned to the researchers. Our findings indicate that use of the Internet as a source of health information is directly related to three main factors: sex, age and the individual’s perceived ability to understand, interpret and use the medical information available online. Further, their results lend support to the notion that using the Internet to search for information about health issues represents a more consumer based and participative approach to health care. This study is one of the first to relate Internet use to various forms of personal empowerment. This area appears to have great potential as a means by which consumers can become more empowered in managing personal health issues.


2000 ◽  
Vol 39 (04/05) ◽  
pp. 353-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Takahashi ◽  
T. Kiuchi

Abstract:In Japan, a high speed, bidirectional digital satellite communication system called Medical Information Network by Communications Satellite for University Hospitals is currently available in 30 national universities, and many programs, including clinical conferences, lectures and tutorials, have been broadcasted. Its characteristics are: (1) a state-of-the-art digital high-definition television system, (2) excellent security protection using digital encryption (3) bidirectional communications using two satellite circuits simultaneously, and (4) easy operability. High-quality motion images, and security protection mechanisms are essential for use in clinical medicine.


2020 ◽  
pp. 977-1003
Author(s):  
Chinmay Chakraborty ◽  
Bharat Gupta ◽  
Soumya K. Ghosh

Telemedicine can be defined as the delivery of health care and sharing of medical information at a distance using telecommunication platforms. This chapter describes the implementation of a mobile telemedicine system for patient's chronic wound (CW) monitoring using a smartphone. The system proved to be quick and reliable for providing health care at door step. The tele-wound technology network (TWTN) framework in telemedicine systems using smartphones for remote wound monitoring has been proposed. This framework is effective for both rural as well as urban people; it gives good performance in terms of wound monitoring and advanced diagnosis. The main objective of this work is to design and develop a TWTN system model that can acquire, process and monitor CW related problems with using a low cost smartphone to increase the overall performance of the system. Specifically, the TWTN system is developed for biomedical information like CW processing to monitor important patient information inexpensively and accurately.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 1558-1575
Author(s):  
Puvvadi Aparna ◽  
Polurie Venkata Vijay Kishore

Abstract A reliable medical image management must provide proper security for patient information. Protecting the medical information of the patients is a major concern in all hospitals. Digital watermarking is a procedure prevalently used to secure the confidentiality of medical information and maintain them, which upgrades patient health awareness. To protect the medical information, the robust and lossless patient medical information sharing system using crypto-watermarking method is proposed. The proposed system consists of two phases: (i) embedding and (ii) extraction. In this paper, we securely share three types of patient information, medical image, electronic health record (EHR), and face image from one hospital to another hospital. Initially, all the three inputs are encrypted and the information is concordant. In order to enhance the robustness of the crypto-watermarking system, the obtained bit stream is compressed, and the compressed bit streams are embedded into the cover image. The same process is repeated for the extraction process. The experimentation result is carried out using different medical images with EHR, and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is analyzed with the help of peak signal to noise ratio.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Ramasubbu ◽  
Emma Stewart ◽  
Rosalba Spiritoso

Objective To audit the quality and safety of the current doctor-to-doctor handover of patient information in our Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. If deficient, to implement a validated handover tool to improve the quality of the handover process. Methods In Cycle 1 we observed the verbal handover and reviewed the written handover information transferred for 50 consecutive patients in St George’s Hospital Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. For each patient’s handover, we assessed whether each section of the Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations tool was used on a scale of 0–2. Zero if no information in that category was transferred, one if the information was partially transferred and two if all relevant information was transferred. Each patient’s handover received a score from 0 to 10 and thus, each cycle a total score of 0–500. Following the implementation of the Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations handover tool in our Intensive Care Unit in Cycle 2, we re-observed the handover process for another 50 consecutive patients hence, completing the audit cycle. Results There was a significant difference between the total scores from Cycle 1 and 2 (263/500 versus 457/500, p < 0.001). The median handover score for Cycle 1 was 5/10 (interquartile range 4–6). The median handover score for Cycle 2 was 9/10 (interquartile range 9–10). Patient handover scores increased significantly between Cycle 1 and 2, U = 13.5, p < 0.001. Conclusions The introduction of a standardised handover template (Identification, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendations tool) has improved the quality and safety of the doctor-to-doctor handover of patient information in our Intensive Care Unit.


2020 ◽  
pp. 66-73
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan K ◽  
Prakash E.P

The In-service Training Web-centred Delivery (ITWD) of medical data is a fundamental investment option for financial analyst that plays a critical role in supporting the competencies of medical practitioners. In this paper, a critical analysis of the training and education aspect of medical information was conducted in the process of identifying fundamental training methodologies for medical practitioners as Continued Professional Education (CPE). The paper also evaluates the possible evidences and results retrieved from CPE. This paper includes a literature review from many databases such as Cumulative Index, Cochrane Library and PubMed library for medical practitioners which includes the information published from 2011. The articles under review, selected in this research were used to retrieve quality reviews based on systematic analysis, programme analysis and randomized controlled trials for peer-reviewed articles published from 2011. In this paper, the research questions concentrate on the evidence that effectively support the educational frequency, media, setting and techniques meant to deliver the medical instructions for the CPE.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huriye Çolaklar

Medical sciences constantly conduct research on combating diseases, healing, developing treatment methods, preventing diseases, and increasing the quality of health. Medical education, which supports and fosters medical sciences, has a very long history and it ensures that well-qualified and competent physicians are trained in the medical faculties of universities. States pay particular attention to health services and education in their health policies so as to have healthy individuals. Today, it is inevitable for medical librarians to participate in clinical practice, take part in scientific research activities, support medical education, and take part in university hospitals as an integral part of the medical team, both in the delivery of medical education and in the provision of quality health care. Physicians, academics, students, and other healthcare professionals should receive a high-quality medical education, as well as obtain accurate, up-to-date, evidence-based information about their field in the most economical, fastest and easiest way. Medical libraries provide the evidence-based, medical information and documentation required in this field. The services offered in medical libraries and the processes of managing medical information obtained through their own information resources have unique features. In the current study, the information seeking behaviors of medical library users, the characteristics of the information they seek and the information services offered in these libraries were analyzed using the method of description and literature review. To present the exemplary information services practices of some important and large medical libraries both in Turkey and the world, their web pages were analyzed by their content, collection, design, services and innovations. The change of medical libraries in the 21st century and the role of medical librarians were also analyzed. Based on the results, it can be highlighted that besides offering information management, medical libraries offer new services, while assuming new roles and responsibilities by drawing on evidence-based medicine and technological developments.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.33) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Hee-kyung Moon ◽  
Sung-kook Han ◽  
Chang-ho An

This paper describes Linked Open Data(LOD) development system and its application of medical information standard as Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership(OMOP) Common Data Model(CDM). The OMOP CDM allows for the systematic analysis of disparate observational database in each hospital. This paper describes a LOD instance development system based on SII. It can generate the application-specified instance development system automatically. Therefore, we applied by medical information standard as OMOP CDM to LOD development system. As a result, it was confirmed that there is no problem in applying to the standardization of medical information using the LOD development system.  


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