Enhancing and accelerating stroke treatment in Eastern European region: Methods and achievement of the ESO EAST program

Introduction Despite the availability of prevention and therapies of stroke, their implementation in clinical practice, even of low-cost ones, remains poor. In 2015, the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) initiated the ESO Enhancing and Accelerating Stroke Treatment (EAST) program, which aims to improve stroke care quality, primarily in Eastern Europe. Here, we describe its methods and milestones. Patients and methods The ESO EAST program is using an implementation strategy based on a ‘detecting-understanding-reducing disparities’ conceptual framework: stroke care quality is first measured (after developing a platform for data collection), gaps are identified in the current service delivery, and ultimately feedback is provided to participating hospitals, followed by the application of interventions to reduce disparities. The ESO EAST program is carried out by establishing a stroke quality registry, stroke management infrastructure, and creating education and training opportunities for healthcare professionals. Results Program management and leadership infrastructure has been established in 19 countries (Country Representatives in 22 countries, National Steering Committee in 19 countries). A software platform for data collection and analysis: Registry of Stroke Care Quality was developed, and launched in 2016, and has been used to collect data from over 90,000 patients from >750 hospitals and 56 countries between September 2016 and May 2019. Training in thrombolysis, nursing and research skills has been initiated. Discussion ESO EAST is the first pan-Eastern European (and beyond) multifaceted quality improvement intervention putting evidence-informed policies into practice. Continuous monitoring of stroke care quality allows hospital-to-hospital and country-to-country benchmarking and identification of the gaps and needs in health care.

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Ten Years of Improving Acute Stroke Management in a Metropolitan Area: A Population-Based Quantification of Quality Indicators

European Neurology ◽

10.1159/000518428 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Anna Alegiani ◽

Michael Rosenkranz ◽

Leonie Schmitz ◽

Susanne Lezius ◽

Günter Seidel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Metropolitan Area ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Care Quality ◽

Acute Stroke Care ◽

Stroke Units ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Acute Stroke Treatment ◽

Over Time

Background and Purpose: Rapid access to acute stroke treatment improves clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke. We aimed to shorten the time to admission and to acute stroke treatment for patients with acute stroke in the Hamburg metropolitan area by collaborative multilevel measures involving all hospitals with stroke units, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and health-care authorities. Methods: In 2007, an area-wide stroke care quality project was initiated. The project included mandatory admission of all stroke patients in Hamburg exclusively to hospitals with stroke units, harmonized acute treatment algorithms among all hospitals, repeated training of the EMS staff, a multimedia educational campaign, and a mandatory stroke care quality monitoring system based on structured data assessment and quality indicators for procedural measures. We analyzed data of all patients with acute stroke who received inhospital treatment in the city of Hamburg during the evaluation period from the quality assurance database data and evaluated trends of key quality indicators over time. Results: From 2007 to 2016, a total of 83,395 patients with acute stroke were registered. During this period, the proportion of patients admitted within ≤3 h from symptom onset increased over time from 27.8% in 2007 to 35.2% in 2016 (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who received rapid thrombolysis (within ≤30 min after admission) increased from 7.7 to 54.1% (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Collaborative stroke care quality projects are suitable and effective to improve acute stroke care.

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Design and Implementation of a Connection between Augmented Reality and Sensors

Robotics ◽

10.3390/robotics9010003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 3

Author(s):

Marlon Aguero ◽

Dilendra Maharjan ◽

Maria del Pilar Rodriguez ◽

David Dennis Lee Mascarenas ◽

Fernando Moreu

Keyword(s):

Augmented Reality ◽

Data Collection ◽

Real Time ◽

Strain Gauge ◽

Low Cost ◽

Contextual Information ◽

Wireless Sensor ◽

Infrastructure Management ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

The Way

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are used by engineers to record the behavior of structures. The sensors provide data to be used by engineers to make informed choices and prioritize decisions concerning maintenance procedures, required repairs, and potential infrastructure replacements. However, reliable data collection in the field remains a challenge. The information obtained by the sensors in the field frequently needs further processing, either at the decision-making headquarters or in the office. Although WSN allows data collection and analysis, there is often a gap between WSN data analysis results and the way decisions are made in industry. The industry depends on inspectors’ decisions, so it is of vital necessity to improve the inspectors’ access in the field to data collected from sensors. This paper presents the results of an experiment that shows the way Augmented Reality (AR) may improve the availability of WSN data to inspectors. AR is a tool which overlays the known attributes of an object with the corresponding position on the headset screen. In this way, it allows the integration of reality with a virtual representation provided by a computer in real time. These additional synthetic overlays supply data that may be unavailable otherwise, but it may also display additional contextual information. The experiment reported in this paper involves the application of a smart Strain Gauge Platform, which automatically measures strain for different applications, using a wireless sensor. In this experiment, an AR headset was used to improve actionable data visualization. The results of the reported experiment indicate that since the AR headset makes it possible to visualize information collected from the sensors in a graphic form in real time, it enables automatic, effective, reliable, and instant communication from a smart low-cost sensor strain gauge to a database. Moreover, it allows inspectors to observe augmented data and compare it across time and space, which then leads to appropriate prioritization of infrastructure management decisions based on accurate observations.

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Post-Stroke Quality of Life Outcomes After Instituting New Stroke Care Quality Indicators

European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences ◽

10.24018/ejmed.2021.3.1.641 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 9-15

Author(s):

Khaled Awawdi ◽

Carmel Armon ◽

Itzhak Kimiagar ◽

Mahdi Tarabeih ◽

Riad Abu Rakia

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Quality Indicators ◽

Stroke Care ◽

Care Quality ◽

Care Process ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Post Discharge ◽

Stroke Treatment ◽

Quality Of Life Outcomes

Background: In 2013 the Israel Ministry of Health identified the care and treatment of acute cerebral ischemic stroke as failing to achieve expected standards. The Ministry decided to raise standards by defining and instituting, nationwide, a battery of linked care quality indicators to be applied across all relevant facilities and contexts. Five indicators were selected for five key junctures in the AIS care process. Methods: This paper presents and analyses the effects of the implementation of these new care quality indicators on the post-discharge quality of life outcomes of Israeli stroke sufferers. The patient sample comprises patients from Israel’s Central region, where stroke care provision and access is relatively high, and from the peripheral North region, where provision and access are limited. Results: Those who were not treated with thrombolytic treatment and/or cerebral blood vessel catheterization, those who suffered severer strokes, women, the older age groups, non-Jews and North region residents display significantly worse physical functioning outcomes and worse quality of life outcomes on all indicators. Conclusions: Stroke care access and provision disparities translate into significantly higher rates of post-discharge disability, impaired physical and social functioning, and a lower quality of life. The effectiveness of healthcare improvement by the deployment of care indicators is closely associated with the lifestyle, socio-demographic and socioeconomic status of different population groups. The effective implementation of quality care indicators also relies heavily on closing the access and provision gaps between the populations living in central and peripheral areas. Two obvious directions for action are to expand and improve the rehabilitation care network and to combat the age discrimination in hospital stroke treatment.

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A low-cost microprocessor-based data collection and analysis system for an EPR spectrometer

Journal of Magnetic Resonance (1969) ◽

10.1016/0022-2364(82)90205-0 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 365-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P.N.T Lindsay ◽

B.M Peake

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Low Cost ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

Analysis System

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Ideas and Perspectives: Enhancing research and monitoring of carbon pools and land-to-atmosphere greenhouse gases exchange in developing countries

10.5194/bg-2021-237 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dong-Gill Kim ◽

Ben Bond-Lamberty ◽

Youngryel Ryu ◽

Bumsuk Seo ◽

Dario Papale

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Data Collection ◽

Low Cost ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Appropriate Technology ◽

Local Staff ◽

Moral Importance ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

C Cycle

Abstract. Carbon (C) and greenhouse gas (GHG) research has traditionally required data collection and analysis using advanced and often expensive instruments, complex and proprietary software, and skilled technicians. Partly as a result, relatively little C and GHG research has been conducted in resource-constrained developing countries. At the same time, these are the same countries and regions in which climate-change impacts will likely be strongest, and in which major science uncertainties are centred, given the importance of dryland and tropical systems to the global C cycle. Increasingly, scientific communities have adopted appropriate technology and approach (AT&A) for C and GHG research, which focuses on low-cost and low-technology instruments, open source software and data, and participatory and networking-based research approaches. Adopting AT&A can mean acquiring data with fewer technical constraints and lower economic burden and is thus a strategy for enhancing C and GHG research in developing countries. However, AT&A can be characterized by higher uncertainties; these can often be mitigated by carefully designing experiments, providing clear protocols for data collection, and monitoring and validating the quality of obtained data. For implementing this approach in developing countries, it is first necessary to recognize the scientific and moral importance of AT&A. At the same time, new AT&A techniques should be identified and further developed. All these processes should be promoted in collaboration with local researchers and through training local staff and encouraged for wide use and further innovation in developing countries.

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How to Reduce Motorcycle Theft in Parking at a Manaus Shopping?

International Journal for Innovation Education and Research ◽

10.31686/ijier.vol7.iss11.1978 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 1139-1163

Author(s):

Jonas Gomes da Silva ◽

Caroline Sousa de Oliveira ◽

David Barbosa de Alencar

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Customer Service ◽

Claims Data ◽

Service System ◽

Low Cost ◽

Shopping Centers ◽

Shopping Malls ◽

Data Collection And Analysis

According to a survey conducted by the Brazilian Association of Shopping Centers in 2016, every nine days, a mall is robbed in Brazil. Faced with this scenario, shopping malls are increasingly concerned with customer safety, as they sell to consumers the idea of safety, convenience and comfort. In mall X, located in one of the busiest Manaus (Amazon capital in Brazil) city avenues, it was found that expenses with robberies and theft reimbursement in parking areas increased considerably in 2015. Thus, this article aims to propose low cost actions to reduce robberies and theft in the parking areas of this mall with the highest incidence of claims. Data were collected through spreadsheets and reports from the Customer Service System (CSS) and the outsourced contractor to operate the parking service. After data collection and analysis, it was concluded that motorcycle parking is the part of parking most affected by the problem, and possible solutions such as control by labels and helmet locks are suggested, and it is up to the mall managers to choose which of the improvement proposals are more feasible.

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Low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops for medical students in Pakistan: a creative, scalable, and sustainable solution for student research

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02996-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ronika Devi Ukrani ◽

Ayesha Niaz Shaikh ◽

Russell Seth Martins ◽

Syeda Sadia Fatima ◽

Hamna Amir Naseem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Data Collection ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Low Cost ◽

Healthcare Research ◽

Feedback Form ◽

Minimum Requirement ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

Minimum Criteria

Abstract Background Pakistan has not been a major contributor to medical research, mainly because of the lack of learning opportunities to medical students. With the increase in online learning systems during COVID-19, research related skills can be taught to medical students via low-cost peer taught virtual research workshops. Aim of the Study To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops amongst medical students in Pakistan. Methods This quasi-experimental study assessed the effectiveness of five virtual research workshops (RWs) in improving core research skills. RWs for medical students from across Pakistan were conducted over Zoom by medical students (peer-teachers) at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan, with minimal associated costs. The content of the workshops included types of research, ethical approval and research protocols, data collection and analysis, manuscript writing, and improving networking skills for research. Improvement was assessed via pre-and post-quizzes for each RW, self-efficacy scores across 16 domains, and feedback forms. Minimum criteria for completion of the RW series was attending at least 4/5 RWs and filling the post-RW series feedback form. A 6-month post-RW series follow-up survey was also emailed to the participants. Results Four hundred medical students from 36 (/117; 30.8%) different medical colleges in Pakistan were enrolled in the RWs. However, only 307/400 (76.75%) medical students met the minimum requirement for completion of the RW series. 56.4% of the participants belonged to the pre-clinical years while the rest were currently to clinical years. The cohort demonstrated significant improvement in pre-and post-quiz scores for all 5 RWs (p < 0.001) with the greatest improvement in Data Collection and Analysis (+ 34.65%), and in self-efficacy scores across all domains (p < 0.001). 166/307 (54.1%) participants responded to the 6 months post-RWs follow-up survey. Compared to pre-RWs, Research involvement increased from 40.4 to 62.8% (p < 0.001) while proportion of participants with peer-reviewed publications increased from 8.4 to 15.8% (p = 0.043). Conclusion Virtual RWs allow for a wide outreach while effectively improving research-related knowledge and skills, with minimal associated costs. In lower-middle-income countries, virtual RWs are a creative and cost-effective use of web-based technologies to facilitate medical students to contribute to the local and global healthcare research community.

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Sera Çevre Koşullarının Nesnelerin İnterneti Tabanlı İzleme ve Analiz Sistemi ile Denetlenmesi

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology ◽

10.24925/turjaf.v5i11.1279-1289.1282 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (11) ◽

pp. 1279 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ali Çaylı ◽

Adil Akyüz ◽

Abdullah Nafi Baytorun ◽

Sedat Boyacı ◽

Sait Üstün ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Ieee 802.15.4 ◽

Data Transfer ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Indoor Climate ◽

Time Data ◽

Data Collection And Analysis

Wireless sensor networks applications and inter-machine communication (M2M), called the Internet of Things, help decision-makers to control complex systems thanks to the low data-rate and cost-effective data collection and analysis. These technologies offer new possibilities to monitor environmental management and agricultural policies, and to improve agricultural production, especially in low-income rural areas. In this study, IoT is proposed with a low cost, flexible and scalable data collection and analysis system. For this purpose, open source hardware microprocessor cards and sensors are stored in the greenhouse computer database using the IEEE 802.15.4 Zigbee wireless communication protocol. The data can be analyzed by greenhouse computer analysis software, which is developed with the PHP programming language. It is possible to monitor the real time data from the greenhouse computer. Also alert rules definitions can be made and the system was tested in greenhouse conditions. It has been observed that it performs operations steadily such as data transfer, sensor measurements and data processing. The proposed system may be useful for monitoring indoor climate and controlling ventilation, irrigation and heating systems, especially for small enterprises due to the modular structure.

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