scholarly journals Health-Enabling and Ambient Assistive Technologies: Past, Present, Future

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S76-S91 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-H. Wolf ◽  
R. Haux ◽  
S. Koch ◽  
N.H. Lovell ◽  
M. Marschollek ◽  
...  

Summary Background: During the last decades, health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies became of considerable relevance for new informatics-based forms of diagnosis, prevention, and therapy. Objectives: To describe the state of the art of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies in 1992 and today, and its evolution over the last 25 years as well as to project where the field is expected to be in the next 25 years. In the context of this review, we define health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies as ambiently used sensor-based information and communication technologies, aiming at contributing to a person’s health and health care as well as to her or his quality of life. Methods: Systematic review of all original articles with research focus in all volumes of the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics. Surveying authors independently on key projects and visions as well as on their lessons learned in the context of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies and summarizing their answers. Surveying authors independently on their expectations for the future and summarizing their answers. Results: IMIA Yearbook papers containing statements on health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies appear first in 2002. These papers form a minor part of published research articles in medical informatics. However, during recent years the number of articles published has increased significantly. Key projects were identified. There was a clear progress on the use of technologies. However proof of diagnostic relevance and therapeutic efficacy remains still limited. Reforming health care processes and focussing more on patient needs are required. Conclusions: Health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies remain an important field for future health care and for interdisciplinary research. More and more publications assume that a person‘s home and their interaction therein, are becoming important components in health care provision, assessment, and management.

2003 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Klecun-Dabrowska ◽  
T. Cornford

Summary Objectives: This paper examines the potential of various models relating technology to society and institutional structures to inform health policy. Among the models discussed are various versions of technological determinism, social constructivism, actor network theory and critical theory. Methods: The paper considers recent developments in policy and strategy that aim to shape the way the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) integrates Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into health care and considers what these alternative models highlight or emphasise, and how they might influence the activities of setting local implementation strategies. Results and Conclusions: Contemporary ICTs are often presented as having a particular relevance and power in reforming or transforming the delivery of health care. Understanding how such technologies might be conceived of, implemented and become an integral part of some future health care system is an important and challenging task that requires innovative theoretical treatments.


2004 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Martin-Sanchez ◽  
I Iakovidis ◽  
S Nørager ◽  
V Maojo ◽  
P de Groen ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 42 (02) ◽  
pp. 185-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Haux ◽  
C. Kulikowski ◽  
A. Bohne ◽  
R. Brandner ◽  
B. Brigl ◽  
...  

Summary Objectives: The Yearbook of Medical Informatics is published annually by the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and contains a selection of excellent papers on medical informatics research which have been recently published (www.yearbook.uni-hd.de). The 2003 Yearbook of Medical Informatics took as its theme the role of medical informatics for the quality of health care. In this paper, we will discuss challenges for health care, and the lessons learned from editing IMIA Yearbook 2003. Results and Conclusions: Modern information processing methodology and information and communication technology have strongly influenced our societies and health care. As a consequence of this, medical informatics as a discipline has taken a leading role in the further development of health care. This involves developing information systems that enhance opportunities for global access to health services and medical knowledge. Informatics methodology and technology will facilitate high quality of care in aging societies, and will decrease the possibilities of health care errors. It will also enable the dissemination of the latest medical and health information on the web to consumers and health care providers alike. The selected papers of the IMIA Yearbook 2003 present clear examples and future challenges, and they highlight how various sub-disciplines of medical informatics can contribute to this.


1974 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 79-79
Author(s):  
Anonymous

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunju Suh ◽  
Mahdi Alhaery

PurposeWhile United States is among countries with the world’s highest coronavirus infections, its approaches and policies to reopen the economy vary by state. A lack of objective criteria and monitoring toward satisfying the criteria can lead to another COVID-19 outbreak and business closures. Considering the pressing need to return to normalcy without a rebound of COVID-19 infections and deaths, an index that provides a data-driven and objective insight is urgently needed. Hence, a method was devised to assess the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the degree of progress any state has made in containing the spread of COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachUsing measures such as the weekly averages of daily new deaths, ICU bed occupancy rates, positive cases and test positivity rates, two indexes were developed: COVID-19 reopening readiness and severity.FindingsA clear difference in the pandemic severity trends can be observed between states, which is possibly due to the disparity in the state’s response to coronavirus. A sharp upward trend in index values requires caution prior to moving to the next phase of reopening.Originality/valueThe composite indexes advanced in this study will provide a universal, standardized and unbiased view of each state’s readiness to reopen and allow comparisons between states. This in turn can help governments and health-care agencies take counter measures if needed as to the anticipated demand for future health-care services and minimize adverse consequences of opening.


2017 ◽  
Vol 206 (9) ◽  
pp. 378-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith N Hudson ◽  
Kathryn M Weston ◽  
Elizabeth A Farmer

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (02) ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
Abdulfattah S. Mashat ◽  
Habib M. Fardoun

SummaryObjective: The present editorial is part of the focus theme of Methods of Information in Medicine entitled “Technologies solutions schemes for Patients’ Rehabilitation: Methodologies, Models and Algorithms”. The focus theme aims to present nowadays most innovative solutions to improve patients’ rehabilitation by applying and using sophisticated and pioneering Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and human factors.Methods: The focus theme explores the different existent research works and tools used, applied and developed for incapable people in terms of rehabilitation and health care, as to look into the extent methodologies, models and algorithms by means of ICT in this process.Results: The focus theme lists a group of research works, which are presenting various solutions using ICT systems to improve the rehabilitation process of people with physical incapacities and to help them in carrying out their daily life.


2006 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2-5
Author(s):  
Georg Marckmann ◽  
Kenneth W Goodman

Computer-based information and communication technologies continue to transform the delivery of health care and the conception and scientific understanding of the human body and the diseases that afflict it. While information technology has the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care, it also raises important ethical and social issues. This IRIE theme issue seeks to provide a forum to identify, analyse and discuss the ethical and social issues raised by various applications of information and communication technology in medicine and health care. The contributions give a flavour of the extraordinarily broad landscape shaped by the intersection of medicine, computing and ethics. In fact, their diversity suggests that much more work is needed to clarify issues and approaches, and to provide practical tools for clinicians.


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