TELE-MONITORING SYSTEM OF RISK IN RESPIRATORY PATIENTS

Author(s):  
Awad Al-Zaben ◽  
Lina M.K. Al-Ebbini ◽  
Badr Qatashah

In many situations, health care professionals need to evaluate the respiration rate (RR) for home patients. Moreover, when cases are more than health care providers’ capacity, it is important to follow up cases at home. In this paper, we present a complete system that enables healthcare providers to follow up with patients with respiratory-related diseases at home. The aim is to evaluate the use of a mobile phone’s accelerometer to capture respiration waveform from different patients using mobile phones. Whereas measurements are performed by patients themselves from home, and not by professional health care personnel, the signals captured by mobile phones are subjected to many unknowns. Therefore, the validity of the signals has to be evaluated first and before any processing. Proper signal processing algorithms can be used to prepare the captured waveform for RR computations. A validity check is considered at different stages using statistical measures and pathophysiological limitations. In this paper, a mobile application is developed to capture the accelerometer signals and send the data to a server at the health care facility. The server has a database of each patient’s signals considering patient privacy and security of information. All the validations and signal processing are performed on the server side. The patient’s condition can be followed up over a few days and an alarm system may be implemented at the server-side in case of respiration deterioration or when there is a risk of a patient’s need for hospitalization. The risk is determined based on respiration signal features extracted from the received respiration signal including RR, and Autoregressive (AR) moving average (ARMA) model parameters of the signal. Results showed that the presented method can be used at a larger scale enabling health care providers to monitor a large number of patients.

Author(s):  
Eva Oldenburger ◽  
Inge Neyens ◽  
Annemarie Coolbrandt ◽  
Sofie Isebaert ◽  
Aline Sevenants ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Pradeep Nair

The reason for considering ICT-based communication platforms, especially mobile phones, as the most efficacious media tool to interconnect health care providers, practitioners and other stakeholders to a substantially large number of consumers in the healthcare system is that the mobile phone subscribers in India has reached to 1,013.23 million in the third quarter of 2018. The prices of smartphones have also come down by 11 percent with a demand for 4G devices capturing 6 percent of smartphone unit demand in India. Hence, it is an appropriate time to understand that the future of healthcare business in India lies with mobile based healthcare services. This chapter explores some of the significant innovations taking place in mobile healthcare business in India and examines the emerging approach of integrated health care ecosystems to provide quality health services to everyone where and when it is required.


1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara L. Andersen

Women treated for gynecologic cancer represent approximately 45% of cancer survivors. Many report significant sexual difficulties during follow-up, and data suggest these difficulties are direct consequences of their cancer treatments. Health care providers can identify at the time of initial therapy those women who will be at greater risk for problem development. Clinical observations are provided on the development of sexual problems for these women as they attempt to resume sexual intercourse, and the psychologic and behavioral therapies that can be used for treatment are discussed.


CJEM ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (05) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn K. Dowling ◽  
Ian Wishart

ABSTRACT: Introduction: A number of studies have assessed the diagnostic accuracy of the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) in children; however, the role of the OAR in guiding physician radiograph use is unclear. Objectives: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which Canadian pediatric emergency physicians report using the OAR. Secondary goals included determining current diagnostic and management strategies for Salter-Harris 1 (SH-1) injuries of the ankle and which fractures physicians deem to be clinically significant. Methods: A self-administered piloted survey was distributed by mail to 215 Canadian pediatric emergency physicians using a modified Dillman technique. Participants were selected through Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC), a national network of health care professionals with an interest in pediatric emergency medicine research. Results: Of 209 surveys, 144 were returned, for a response rate of 68.9%. Of those, 87.5% (126 of 144) reported applying the OAR in children to determine the need for radiographs in acute ankle or midfoot injuries. Of those, 65.1% reported using the OAR always or usually, and 64.5% (93 of 144) of physicians stated that they believe all ankle fractures are clinically significant. Although physicians report that they most commonly order the radiographs, 36.2% of participants indicated that radiographs were requisitioned by nurses or other health care providers at their facilities. SH-1 fractures were reported to be most commonly managed by immobilization (83.3%; 120 of 144), with most patients going on to follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon. Conclusions: The majority of Canadian pediatric emergency physicians indicate that they use the OAR when assessing children with acute ankle and midfoot injuries. Most physicians believe that all ankle fractures, including SH-1, are clinically significant and have a management preference for immobilization and orthopedic follow-up.


Author(s):  
Royce W. Waltrip ◽  
Nancy Mahler ◽  
Alina Ahsan ◽  
Leslie B. Herbert

Abstract Background: Treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse include intravenous corticosteroids and repository corticotropin injection. Despite available treatment, in the Multiple Sclerosis in America 2017 survey, only 47% of patients reported always/often contacting their MS health care provider (HCP) during relapse. In this study, the Multiple Sclerosis in America 2017 survey participants who received intravenous corticosteroids or repository corticotropin injection for treatment of past relapses completed a follow-up survey to understand how patients characterize relapse severity and to explore predictors of patients contacting their HCP during a relapse. Methods: Patients were18 years and older, diagnosed as having MS by an HCP, and currently using disease-modifying therapy. Patients completed an online survey assessing relapse characteristics and interactions with the HCP treating the patient’s MS. Regression analysis identified predictors of patients contacting their HCP during relapse. Results: Mean age of the 126 respondents was 49.2 years, 81.0% were female, and most (80.2%) had one or more relapses in the past 2 years. Patients estimated that 38.3% of their relapses were mild; 45.1%, moderate; and 16.6%, severe. Number and frequency of symptoms increased with relapse severity. Less than half (46.0%) reported they were extremely likely to contact their HCP during a relapse. The best predictors of being likely to contact the HCP during relapse were the HCP having previously discussed the importance of immediately communicating a relapse and patients’ willingness to accept the HCP’s recommendation for relapse treatment. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of HCPs’ advance discussions with patients with MS regarding relapse management to increase the likelihood patients will contact their HCP during relapse.


Author(s):  
Nahid Sharifzadeh ◽  
Hadi Kharrazi ◽  
Elham Nazari ◽  
Hamed Tabesh ◽  
Maryam Edalati Khodabandeh ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Serious educational games have shown effectiveness in improving various health outcomes. Previous reviews of health education games have focused on specific diseases, certain medical subjects, fixed target groups, or limited outcomes of interest. Given the recent surge in health game studies, a scoping review of health education games is needed to provide an updated overview of various aspects of such serious games. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the design and evaluation of serious educational games for health targeting health care providers, patients, and public (health) users. METHODS We identified 2313 studies using a unique combination of keywords in the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. A total of 161 studies were included in this review after removing duplicates (n=55) and excluding studies not meeting our inclusion criteria (1917 based on title and abstract and 180 after reviewing the full text). The results were stratified based on games targeting health care providers, patients, and public users. RESULTS Most health education games were developed and evaluated in America (82/161, 50.9%) and Europe (64/161, 39.8%), with a considerable number of studies published after 2012. We discovered 58.4% (94/161) of studies aiming to improve knowledge learning and 41.6% (67/161) to enhance skill development. The studies targeted various categories of end users: health care providers (42/161, 26.1%), patients (38/161, 23.6%), public users (75/161, 46.6%), and a mix of users (6/161, 3.7%). Among games targeting patients, only 13% (6/44) targeted a specific disease, whereas a growing majority targeted lifestyle behaviors, social interactions, cognition, and generic health issues (eg, safety and nutrition). Among 101 studies reporting gameplay specifications, the most common gameplay duration was 30 to 45 min. Of the 61 studies reporting game repetition, only 14% (9/61) of the games allowed the users to play the game with unlimited repetitions. From 32 studies that measured follow-up duration after the game intervention, only 1 study reported a 2-year postintervention follow-up. More than 57.7% (93/161) of the games did not have a multidisciplinary team to design, develop, or assess the game. CONCLUSIONS Serious games are increasingly used for health education targeting a variety of end users. This study offers an updated scoping review of the studies assessing the value of serious games in improving health education. The results showed a promising trend in diversifying the application of health education games that go beyond a specific medical condition. However, our findings indicate the need for health education game development and adoption in developing countries and the need to focus on multidisciplinary teamwork in designing effective health education games. Furthermore, future health games should expand the duration and repetition of games and increase the length of the follow-up assessments to provide evidence on long-term effectiveness.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe D´Ancona ◽  
Monica Murero ◽  
Sebastian Feickert ◽  
Hilmi Kaplan ◽  
Alper Oener ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) management guided by the measurement of intracardiac and pulmonary pressure values, obtained through innovative permanent intra-cardiac micro-sensors ("embodied"), has been recently proposed as a valid strategy to individualize treatment and anticipate hemodynamic destabilization, hoping to reduce patients´ hospitalization rate and optimize their quality of life. OBJECTIVE The present manuscript has focused on the analysis and interpretation of an empirical survey evaluating usability and patients’ attitudes towards a new permanent intra-cardiac device implanted to remotely monitor left intra-atrial pressures (V-LAP™, Vectorious Medical Technologies, Tel Aviv, Israel) of chronic HF patients. METHODS The V-LAP system is a miniaturized sensor implanted totally percutaneously across the inter-atrial septum. It communicates wirelessly with a "companion device" (a wearable belt) that is placed on the patient's chest at the time of acquisition /transmission of left heart pressure measurements. At first follow-up after implantation the patients and the health care providers were asked to fill out a questionnaire on the usability of the system, the ease in performing the various required tasks (data acquisition and transmission), and overall satisfaction. Replies to the questions were mainly given using a 5-point Likert scale (1: very poor, 2: poor, 3: average, 4: good, 5: excellent). RESULTS Use and acceptance of in-body technology from the first 8 patients implanted with the V-LAP technology worldwide have been analysed. No peri-procedural morbidity/mortality was observed. Before discharge, a tailored educational session was performed after the device implantation with the participation of patients and health care providers. A pre-determined appropriate measurement position for the external measuring unit (thoracic belt) was identified before discharge to guarantee, for each patient, good communication with the internal cardiac sensor and via wireless/RF communication. At the first follow-up, the overall comfort in technology use was 3.7±1.3 with 87.5 % (7/8) of patients succeeding in applying and operating the system independently. An average score of 3.5±1.4 points was given to the ease in positioning the external measuring belt in the pre-determined measurement position. All health care providers (8/8) were able to support patients with the technology. Health care providers’ average overall ease and comfort in operating the system was 3.8± 0.8 points with 4.1±0.8 points for the ease in positioning the thoracic belt in the appropriate measuring position. CONCLUSIONS Despite the gravity of their HF pathology and the complexity of their comorbid profile, patients are comfortable in using the V-LAP technology and, in the majority of cases they can correctly and consistently acquire and transmit hemodynamic data. The overall patient/care provider satisfaction with the V-LAP system seems to be high. Patients and respective health care providers have reported a score between average to good when assessing the ease in performing simple but crucial tasks such as wearing and fastening the thoracic belt and more specifically in consistently finding its appropriate position for ideal measurements. Improvements in the external thoracic belt design have been very recently introduced and will hopefully further optimize patients´ and health care providers´ acceptance and adoption of this technology. CLINICALTRIAL NCT03775161


Author(s):  
Iraj Sedighi ◽  
Mohammad Yousef Alikhani ◽  
Samira Ramezani ◽  
Mansour Nazari ◽  
Amir Sasan Mozaffari Nejad

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