Studies in health technology and informatics
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The arterial system can be modelled by means of distributed analogs and by lumped parameter representations, such as the Windkessel. The distributed models, together with biological data, lead to the explanation of arterial function in terms of pressure and flow. The lumped parameter models form the basis of arterial compliance and characteristic impedance estimation. They also make comparison between mammals possible and it could be shown that input impedance, when scaled, is similar in mammals.
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International experiences reveal the important role played by scientific research and systematic study a problems, in effectively tackling change in the health sector. Meta-analysis was introduced to address the problem of synthesizing the large quantity of information on a particular subject. It is viewed, only as a step in the process of developing better tools to quantify information across studies. ⋯ If there are gaps in the funnel shape it indicates that some studies may have not been published or located. In evaluating bias, we use meta-analysis studies about radiotherapy alone versus combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy in stages IIIa and IIIb non-small cell lung cancer. A simple analysis of funnel plots provides useful test for the likely presence of bias in meta-analyses, but as the capacity to detect bias will be limited when meta-analyses are based on a limited number of small trials the results from such analyses should be treated with considerable caution.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 1999
Emergency protocols in prehospital emergency medicine in Slovenia.
Emergency medicine is a branch of medicine in which prompt and accurate information is of crucial importance, because a patient's survival and the final outcome of a treatment very often depends on it. Therefore the standardization of prehospital emergency service administration with uniform documentation, methods of annotation of technical data as well as uniform gathering and data analysis are necessary. ⋯ Firstly when team members, especially physicians, are constrained to fulfill paper forms and secondly when data are entered into the computer, because all inconsistencies are being reconsidered and corrected if necessary. The developed application also gave the opportunity to the emergency team for prompt and accurate information.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 1999
MediLink: a wearable telemedicine system for emergency and mobile applications.
The practical needs of the medical professional faced with critical care or emergency situations differ from those working in many environments where telemedicine and mobile computing have been introduced and tested. One constructive criticism of the telemedicine initiative has been to question what positive benefits are gained from videoconferencing, paperless transactions, and online access to patient record. With a goal of producing a positive answer to such questions an architecture for multipurpose mobile telemedicine applications has been developed. ⋯ Structured and noise-resistant speech-to-text interfacing plus the use of a web browser-like display, accessible through either a flatpanel, standard, or headset monitor, gives the beltpack TransPAC computer the functions of a complete desktop including PCMCIA card interfaces for internet connectivity and a secure smartcard with 16-bit microprocessor and upwards of 64K memory. The card acts to provide user access control for security, user custom configuration of applications and display and vocabulary, and memory to diminish the need for PC-server communications while in an active session. TransPAC is being implemented for EMT and ER staff usage.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 1999
Southern Health Board--advanced telematic/telemedicine in healthcare services in the south west of Ireland.
The Southern Health Board has been involved in Telematic Healthcare services for the past number of years. Our involvement in a number of EU funded projects has given us extensive experience and expertise in this area. The primary focus of our telematic applications is optimising health services delivery with a particular emphasis towards people who are isolated due to social and physical boundaries and limitations. ⋯ KATE: (Killarney & Telecom Eireann) the SHB in conjunction with the Information Age Town Project in Killarney are working towards benefiting the local community through the innovative use of Information and Communication Technologies. TASTE: (Technology Assessment in Telemedicine) An EU funded trans-national initiative aimed at developing a methodology for assessing medical technology, particularly in the area of Neurosurgery. FECV: (Forward Emergency Control Vehicle) An European Space Agency project through which we are developing an advance communications vehicle for major emergence/event management through Satellite linkage to SHB systems.