Studies in health technology and informatics
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2012
Viability of healthcare service delivery alternatives for the Australian mining sector.
The changing and demanding nature of the mining workforce in rural and remote Australia brings unique challenges to the delivery of healthcare services. In an attempt to control costs whilst delivering cost effective and quality healthcare, new models of delivery must be considered. ⋯ A cost-benefit framework is analysed comparing three models of service provision using travel to a major location, locum services and remote health monitoring. Ultimately, new models of care must be considered to address the issues of increasing workforce turnover, to cater for rising healthcare costs, and to improve the health of such communities.
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Mobile health apps are proliferating, but they fail to deliver on a key patient and caregiver requirement - the ability to collaborate using key phone features while leveraging existing web services. Typically, mobile health apps are for single use, proprietary, and deliver closed-world solutions. By making use of web services, both open and proprietary, mobile health apps can be created to support the caregiver network in the community. The full value of telehealth will only be achieved when the spectrum of trusted health care services (preventive, promotion, curative, and rehabilitative) is delivered to the collaborating network of caregivers.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2012
The Rib Vertebra Angle Difference and its Measurement in 3D for the evaluation of early onset scoliosis.
The Rib Vertebra Angle Difference (RVAD) as defined by Mehta (1972) is used to predict the progression of early onset scoliosis. No clear physical significance has been established for this measurement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RVAD along the thoracic spine and the equivalent measurement on 3D reconstructions of the spine and rib cage of early onset scoliosis patients in order to determine their relationship with the geometry of the chest wall and evolution along the spine. ⋯ Results indicated that RVAD 3D provides additional information to Mehta's RVAD on the torsional nature of the deformity. Considering the importance of clinical indices to assess the progression of early onset scoliosis, this study raises some questions on looking solely at the RVAD measured on radiographs at the apical vertebra of Phase I patients and suggests considering also levels above the apex of the scoliotic curve and 3D measurements. Further investigation is required to fully understand the 3D nature of the spine and rib cage deformities.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2012
An ICU clinical information system - clinicians' expectations and perceptions of its impact.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an information intense environment where Clinical Information Systems (CISs) can greatly impact patient care and the workload of clinicians. With the introduction of an ICU CIS imminent across New South Wales hospitals, we aimed to understand how ICU clinicians perceived a new system would impact on work practices in Australian ICUs, as much of the current evidence is generated from overseas. We conducted interviews with 66 doctors and nurses in 3 ICUs without a CIS. ⋯ This information provides valuable evidence in the Australian setting regarding clinicians' expectations of a new ICU CIS to assist with future implementations. It also provides baseline data as a foundation for future research once the CIS is implemented. It is clear that robust quantitative studies are required to gain a detailed understanding of how a new CIS will impact clinicians' work processes and that appropriate training is crucial for full benefits to be achieved.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2012
Use of a malleable bougie and curved forceps with videolaryngoscopy in airway management training in a cadaver model - a pilot study.
The wider angle of view of videolaryngoscopy versus standard direct laryngoscopy requires an assessment of the adjunctive devices used to facilitate intubation. In this study, subjects performed malleable bougie-assisted intubation and curved forceps removal of a glottic foreign body using videolaryngoscopy on a lightly embalmed cadaver and completed a post-procedure questionnaire. All subjects valued access to the malleable bougie available at their hospitals and 82% valued access to the curved forceps. Malleable bougie and curved forceps seem well-suited to facilitate videolaryngoscopic airway management.