scholarly journals Designing a Smart Pillow for Sleep Quality Remote Monitoring

Author(s):  
VINICIUS OLIVEIRA ◽  
Felisberto Pereira ◽  
Nuno Carvalho ◽  
Sérgio Lopes

Abstract This paper proposes a low cost IoT solution to detect head movements and positions of a patient by means of Force Sensing Resistors positioned on a pillow and connected to a micro-controller collecting patient data anytime, when sleeping, sending it to the cloud and making it available to healthcare professionals. The impact of this work is focused on monitoring sleep quality, using low-cost and easy to use pillows in an ambulatory scenario, without the need of expensive and dedicated sleeping rooms for sleep monitoring, which most of the times affect patient sleep and degrades the quality of the measurement.In this case it is possible to monitor the patient’s behavior throughout the entire sleep, important for detecting factors causing minor head and neck injuries and even checking for events of long pauses in respiratory rate.

2021 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 101849
Author(s):  
Kiley J. McLean ◽  
Shaun M. Eack ◽  
Lauren Bishop

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristotelis Koinis ◽  
Vasiliki Giannou ◽  
Vasiliki Drantaki ◽  
Sophia Angelaina ◽  
Elpida Stratou ◽  
...  

Workplace stress can influence healthcare professionals’ physical and emotional well-being by curbing their efficiency and having a negative impact on their overall quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact that work environment in a local public general hospital can have on the health workers’ mental-emotional health and find strategies in order to cope with negative consequences. The study took place from July 2010 to October 2010. Our sample consisted of 200 healthcare professionals aged 21-58 years working in a 240-bed general hospital and the response rate was 91.36%). Our research protocol was first approved by the hospital’s review board. A standardized questionnaire that investigates strategies for coping with stressful conditions was used. A standardized questionnaire was used in the present study Coping Strategies for Stressful Events, evaluating the strategies that persons employ in order to overcome a stressful situation or event. The questionnaire was first tested for validity and reliability which were found satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=0.862). Strict anonymity of the participants was guaranteed. The SPSS 16.0 software was used for the statistical analysis. Regression analysis showed that health professionals’ emotional health can be influenced by strategies for dealing with stressful events, since positive re-assessment, quitting and seeking social support are predisposing factors regarding the three first quality of life factors of the World Health Organization Quality of Life -BREF. More specifically, for the physical health factor, positive re-assessment (t=3.370, P=0.001) and quitting (t=−2.564, P=0.011) are predisposing factors. For the ‘mental health and spirituality’ regression model, positive re-assessment (t=5.528, P=0.000) and seeking social support (t=−1.991, P=0.048) are also predisposing factors, while regarding social relationships positive re-assessment (t=4.289, P=0.000) is a predisposing factor. According to our findings, there was a notable lack of workplace stress management strategies, which the participants usually perceive as a lack of interest on behalf of the management regarding their emotional state. Some significant factors for lowering workplace stress were found to be the need to encourage and morally reward the staff and also to provide them with opportunities for further or continuous education.


Author(s):  
Andrzej Zyluk ◽  
Konrad Czernikiewicz ◽  
Joanna Antoniak ◽  
Urszula Abramczyk

Abstract Background Microsurgery is a specific surgical expertise that involves operating on very small structures, and requires the assistance of a magnifying device: a microscope or loupes. Several factors have been identified that could affect the quality of microsurgical performance in training or surgical procedures. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the selected factors – caffeine, alcohol and physical exercise – on a microsurgical task prior its performance. Methods Ten students from the 5th and 6th years of medical studies who had completed the advanced microsurgical course performed a “6-stitches test” on a latex glove spanned over a cup prior to and after consumption of caffeine, alcohol and performing physical exercises. The times taken to complete the task at baseline and post-exposure were recorded. Results The results of the study show a statistically significant positive effect of caffeine and a statistically significant negative effect of physical exercise on microsurgical performance when performed shortly before the task. Small dose of alcohol taken before the task showed had little effect on performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisen Dellenborg ◽  
Margret Lepp

AbstractThis article describes the development of ethnographic drama in an action research project involving healthcare professionals in a Swedish medical ward. Ethnographic drama is the result of collaboration between anthropology and drama. As a method, it is suited to illuminating, addressing and studying professional relationships and organisational cultures. It can help healthcare professionals cope with inter-professional conflicts, which have been shown to have serious implications for individual well-being, organisational culture, quality of care and patient safety. Ethnographic drama emerges out of participants’ own experiences and offers them a chance to learn about the unspoken and embodied aspects of their working situation. In the project, ethnographic drama gave participants insight into the impact that structures might have on their actions in everyday encounters on the ward.


Gut ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 1555-1563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Ianiro ◽  
Benjamin H Mullish ◽  
Colleen R Kelly ◽  
Zain Kassam ◽  
Ed J Kuijper ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an exponential increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections and associated deaths, and represents a significant challenge to healthcare professionals and facilities. Individual countries have taken several prevention and containment actions to control the spread of infection, including measures to guarantee safety of both healthcare professionals and patients who are at increased risk of infection from COVID-19. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has a well-established role in the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection. In the time of the pandemic, FMT centres and stool banks are required to adopt a workflow that continues to ensure reliable patient access to FMT while maintaining safety and quality of procedures. In this position paper, based on the best available evidence, worldwide FMT experts provide guidance on issues relating to the impact of COVID-19 on FMT, including patient selection, donor recruitment and selection, stool manufacturing, FMT procedures, patient follow-up and research activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 101204
Author(s):  
Priscilla Caetano Guerra ◽  
Danilo F. Santaella ◽  
Vania D'Almeida ◽  
Rogerio Santos-Silva ◽  
Sergio Tufik ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadeel Shanshal ◽  
Harith Kh. Al-Qazaz

Abstract Background: COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the entire world and one of its impacts was the increased level of stress and anxiety, especially among healthcare workers. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the quality of life (QoL) and sleep quality of healthcare professionals in Iraq.Methods: This study assessed the QoL and sleep quality by using World Health Organization Quality of Life Instruments (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) respectively. The questionnaires were administered through an online cross-sectional survey targeted at workers in medical fields in Iraq from 1st to 20th of August 2021. Results: Three hundred medical health workers participated, and females constituted 75.3%. The two questionnaires had very good internal consistency. The highest scoring domain was the social relationships, followed by physical health. Significant difference was found in the mean scores of psychological health domain between males and females, with higher scores observed in males. The mean of the total ISI score was 11.58 ± 6.88 with a range between 0 and 27. Severe insomnia was observed in only 9.7% of the participants. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.118) was found between age and ISI scores of the participants. Significant differences were found between males and females with higher ISI mean score observed among males. Conclusion: The quality of life and sleep pattern can be impacted by COVID-19 infection with the psychological aspect of QoL being the most affected and some degrees of insomnia being observed in many participants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksander Litovchenko

The book presents the path of production development of honey wine, from the times of Kievan Rus to the present. A deep analysis of culture, honey winemaking, one of the best in its time in world practice, shows what heights were achieved, and how more than a century ago this art was lost. There were many different unsubstantiated sentences, primitive literature, in no way restoring the glory of our great ancestors and not meeting modern requirements for making wines in general. In the last century, as in the entire post-Soviet space, and in Ukraine, the use of honey in winemaking was prohibited and there were ao standard documents on its use for this purpose. The author, with the support of the country's government, while fulfilling the task of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to improve the quality of fruit and berry wines, produced at that time, it was possible to convince the country's leadership of the need to use honey for the preparation of high-quality honey fruit and berry wines. For this purpose, technical conditions TUU 202.13.022-99 were proposed, developed, and approved "Fruit and berry dessert wines with aromatic additives", where, in addition to the use of fruit and berry, spicy, aromatic, and medicinal raw materials, the use of honey was first laid. For the first time according to TUU, a number of honey wines were developed, approved, and mastered in produccion. At international competicions, such wines have received the highest awards, gold medals, and Grand Prix cups. Subsequently, with the participation of the largest scientific centers, GOST (DSTU 6036: 2008) was prepared. Fruit and berry wines, general technical conditions, in which the production of honey wines arc separated into another group. These regulatory documents fully regulate the production, release, and quality control of honey wines in Ukraine. The author offers a broad overview of the basic terrns and designations necessary for the production of high-quality fruit and berry honey wines. Provides and explains the modem requirements for the classification of honey wines, measures on safety, sanitation, and hygiene are seriously discussed, analyzes the main conditions and factors that detennine the quality of the necessary components, and the preparation of honey wines in general. Since honey wines can only be prepared using fruit and berry wines, including grape juices, the book provides the necessary overview in the processing of fruits, berries, grapes, the reception and quality control of raw materials, and the preparation of juices. Very important and inforrnative material is presented in the chapters on the selection and procurement of honey, for the preparation of honey fruit and berry and honey grape wines. Important sections on the impact of wine on the health and culn,re of wine consumption. The most common diseases and disadvantages of honey wines are described. A very informative and impressive list of honey wines, first developed in Ukraine under the guidance of the author, professor, doctor, technical sciences, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology Litovchentko A.M., in the amount of 48 items, practically from all raw materials available in Ukraine. To facilitate the work on the preparation of high-quality honey wines, 12 additional applications are presented, providing the main technological process of production. The book is of important practical, theoretical, and scientific interest.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumei Cai ◽  
Junlei Wang ◽  
Liwen Hou

The current research aims to prove the impact of resilience on sleep quality and to investigate the mediating function of perceived stress in the paths from resilience to sleep quality among disabled Chinese elders. The participants were 196 elders with visual and physical disability who resided in the nursing houses in Shanghai, including 102 males and 94 females whose mean age was 74.5 years old (standard deviation = 6.81). All the elders were measured with the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Perceived Stress Scale. The results showed that all the demographic variables were significantly related to perceived stress and PSQI scores. High levels of resilience could significantly enhance the quality of sleep in disabled Chinese elders. In addition, the two-step mediation models also confirmed the impact of resilience on sleep quality as mediated through perceived stress in this special aged population. Better knowledge on the mechanisms of sleep quality among older adults could benefit the prevention and treatment of some geriatric diseases.


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