Comparison of User-Oriented Information Services on the Websites of Large Hospitals in China and the United States: Cross-sectional Study

Background Many people use the internet to access health care information to support health care decisions, and hospital websites can be the first point of contact to provide health care information services for consumers. However, little is known about the current information services provided by the websites of large Chinese hospitals. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the information services of the websites of large hospitals in China and the United States. We hope that our findings will benefit hospital managers worldwide in providing service information on the web. Methods This study adopted a cross-sectional analytical approach to evaluate the websites of large hospitals in China and the United States in 2020. A total of 300 large hospitals were randomly selected, of which half were in China and half were in the United States. Based on the 7Ps marketing mix, we identified 39 items that represent typical hospital website information services, covering the following seven dimensions: product, price, place, propagation, people, process, and physical evidence. Results Most of the items (34/39, 87%) related to information services offered by hospital websites were less covered in China than in the United States; however, 5 items (appointments by a third-party platform, mobile payment, hospital value, hospital environment display, and physicians’ profiles) had higher coverage in China. The average scores for hospital websites in China and the United States were 13.25 (SD 2.99) points and 23.16 (SD 2.76) points, respectively. Generally, high scores were given to the south areas of China and north areas of the United States. Conclusions Hospital websites in China lagged behind those in the United States with regard to information services offered. We recommend that hospital managers in China place more emphasis on the people, product, and propagation dimensions of the 7Ps marketing mix in the construction of information services on hospital websites. Through the comparison of the websites of large hospitals in China and the United States, our study findings can provide suggestions for forming standard hospital website construction guidelines worldwide.

The Use of Information Technology in the Construction of a Nursing Communication Platform System

In order to effectively connect patient care information and reduce the amount of administrative work, a nursing care communication platform can effectively achieve 1. Real-time display of patient information while protecting patient privacy; 2. Integration of hospital information system, with individualized medical care team information; 3. Accurate and timely delivery of need for patient report; 4. Increase of interaction between the patient’s family and staff and breakthrough from the limit of paper-based health education information.

Designing and Evaluating an Educational Website for Osteoarthritis

Aim: Using educational websites can be effective in enhancing the health-related knowledge of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. This study aimed to design and evaluate an educational website to improve the awareness of patients with osteoarthritis. Method: This is a descriptive-applied study. Having reviewed valid scientific articles retrieved from Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, the contents required for the website were identified and classified. Then, the scientific content extracted from the articles was evaluated by general physicians and Ph.D. of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Different sections of the website were designed by "Google sites," and the content was published. In the last stage of the research, the osteoarthritis educational website was evaluated by students of medicine and health information technology in terms of technical performance by a standard questionnaire. Results: In this study, an educational website was designed to educate patients with osteoarthritis. Users can log in to the website and learn about symptoms, consequences, predisposing factors, pain relief exercises, nutritional information, and self-care programs. The content provided on the website includes three main sections of general disease information, clinical information, and disease self-care information, which physicians evaluated in the first phase. According to the content evaluation results extracted from the studies and the questionnaire's analysis, the designed website had a good quality. The average scores of the questions related to website usability, screen capabilities, terminology and information, learning ability, and overall website capability were 7.79, 8.15, 8.4, 8.08, and 8.03, respectively, which were at a "good" level. Conclusion: At the end of this research, an educational website for osteoarthritis was created. Patients can access the site via the link and receive educational information about symptoms, consequences, predisposing factors, exercises to reduce pain, self-care, and nutritional information.

Dementia Careblazers YouTube: Public Education Tool for Sharing Evidence-Based Dementia Care Information

Dementia Careblazers, created and hosted by Dr. Natali Edmonds, board certified Geropsychologist, offers weekly YouTube videos to family caregivers of people living with dementia. These free brief videos provide actionable, evidence-based information and resources focused on dementia caregiving. This virtual modality is particularly relevant for caregivers of people living with dementia given the difficulty family caregivers have in finding supervision and care for the person with dementia in their absence and considering recent health risks through face to face interactions. Furthermore, the free archive of Dementia Careblazers videos allows for access to evidence-based dementia care information at any time, regardless of geographic location or time zone. During this session, Dr. Edmonds will discuss the role YouTube videos play in public education and share tips for starting an evidence-based YouTube channel.

Reluctance to Accept Palliative Care and Recommendations for Improvement

Although insurance companies are increasingly paying for home-based palliative care (HBPC), enrollment remains low. To identify patient and caregiver perceived barriers to HBPC and their recommendations for overcoming these barriers, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews. Our interview protocol elicited participants’ perspectives on HBPC services; positive and negative aspects of the palliative program explanation; and suggestions for improving HBPC messaging. Seventeen patients and eight caregivers who were eligible for a randomized controlled trial of HBPC were interviewed. Themes related to HBPC referral barriers included reluctance to have home visits, enrollment timing, lack of palliative care knowledge, and patients’ self-perceived health condition. Themes related to recommendations for overcoming these obstacles included ensuring that HBPC referrals come from healthcare providers or insurance companies and presenting HBPC more clearly. Findings reinforce the need for palliative care education among seriously ill patients and the importance of delivering palliative care information and referrals from trusted sources.

Information System for Screening and Automation of Document Management in Oncological Clinics

Introduction: Automation of business documentation workflow in medical practice substantially accelerates and improves the process and results in better service development. Methods: Efficient use of databases, data banks, and document-oriented storage (warehouses data), including dual-purpose databases, enables performing specific actions, such as adding records, introducing changes into them, performing an either ordinary or analytical search of data, as well as their efficient processing. With the focus on achieving interaction between the distributed and heterogeneous applications and the devices belonging to the independent organizations, the specialized medical client application has been developed, as a result of which the quantity and quality of information streams of data, which can be essential for effective treatment of patients with breast cancer, have increased. Results: The application has been developed, allowing automating the management of patient records, taking into account the needs of medical staff, especially in managing patients’ appointments and creating patient’s medical records in accordance with the international standards currently in force. This work is the basis for the smoother integration of medical records and genomics data to achieve better prevention, diagnosis, prediction, and treatment of breast cancer (oncology). Conclusion: Since relevant standards upgrade the functioning of health care information technology and the quality and safety of patient’s care, we have accomplished the global architectural scheme of the specific medical automation system through harmonizing the medical services specified by the HL7 international.

Security Engineering of Patient-Centered Health Care Information Systems in Peer-to-Peer Environments: Systematic Review

Background Patient-centered health care information systems (PHSs) enable patients to take control and become knowledgeable about their own health, preferably in a secure environment. Current and emerging PHSs use either a centralized database, peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, or distributed ledger technology for PHS deployment. The evolving COVID-19 decentralized Bluetooth-based tracing systems are examples of disease-centric P2P PHSs. Although using P2P technology for the provision of PHSs can be flexible, scalable, resilient to a single point of failure, and inexpensive for patients, the use of health information on P2P networks poses major security issues as users must manage information security largely by themselves. Objective This study aims to identify the inherent security issues for PHS deployment in P2P networks and how they can be overcome. In addition, this study reviews different P2P architectures and proposes a suitable architecture for P2P PHS deployment. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) reporting guidelines. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. We searched the following databases: IEEE Digital Library, PubMed, Science Direct, ACM Digital Library, Scopus, and Semantic Scholar. The search was conducted on articles published between 2008 and 2020. The Common Vulnerability Scoring System was used as a guide for rating security issues. Results Our findings are consolidated into 8 key security issues associated with PHS implementation and deployment on P2P networks and 7 factors promoting them. Moreover, we propose a suitable architecture for P2P PHSs and guidelines for the provision of PHSs while maintaining information security. Conclusions Despite the clear advantages of P2P PHSs, the absence of centralized controls and inconsistent views of the network on some P2P systems have profound adverse impacts in terms of security. The security issues identified in this study need to be addressed to increase patients’ intention to use PHSs on P2P networks by making them safe to use.

Virtual Reality-Based Analysis of Pressure Ulcer Care Information Related to Medical Equipment for the Prevention of Pressure Ulcer Skin Foam Dressings in the Elderly

As the standard of life has increased with the advancement of the time, there has been an increasing stress on healthcare with the aging diet, and pressure sores occur in elderly hospitalized subjects. Of course, the emergence of related medical devices, especially auxiliary foam dressings, is constantly improving. Pressure ulcers are extremely harmful to the elderly. The use of virtual reality technology to simulate the treatment of foam excipients is to test the role of medical devices in virtual reality. In particular, the use of foam dressings in the management of pressure deposits is the most relevant study for this paper, which reviews the relevant literature and conducts a thematic study on patients in a specific urban hospital. The relevant materials were designed, the experiments were designed, and the relevant research data were obtained. Studies show that virtual reality-based preventive medical devices can improve the efficiency of pressure ulcer treatment in hospitals by about 12%. Pressure ulcers have different incidences among people of different ages. The probability is much higher than that of adolescents. Foam dressing is very effective in preventing pressure ulcers. The probability of pressure ulcers after using foam dressing is about 35% lower than that when it is not used.