Studies in health technology and informatics
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2010
Combining vital events registration, verbal autopsy and electronic medical records in rural Ghana for improved health services delivery.
This paper describes the process of implementing a low-cost 'real-time' vital registration and verbal autopsy system integrated within an electronic medical record within the Millennium Village cluster in rural Ghana. Using MGV-Net, an open source health information architecture built around the OpenMRS platform, a total of 2378 births were registered between January 2007 and June 2009. ⋯ Building additional clinics to reduce distance to facility and using the CHEWs to refer women for delivery in the clinics are possible explanations for the success in the vital registration. The integration of vital registration and verbal autopsies with the MGV-Net information system makes it possible for rapid assessment of effectiveness and provides important feedback to local providers and the Millennium Villages Project.
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This study addresses the question of the respective impact of organizational vs. technical environment variables on the collaborative aspects of healthcare work situations. It analyzes the physicians-nurses communications during the medication use process, according to both the organization of their work and their technical environment. ⋯ The study (i) presents the identification and description of the communications' processes involving doctors-nurses face-to-face communications and the supports that mediate medication information and (ii) focuses on the amount of face-to-face communications depending on the organization of work and the technical system used. The analyses demonstrate that the organizational variables have a larger impact than the technical environment on the quality and quantity of the communications and cooperation activities.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2010
Patient safety and sociotechnical considerations for electronic handover tools in an Australian ehealth landscape.
The Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) coordinates national improvements in a range of complex health system problems including clinical handover, and has funded a range of handover improvement projects in Australia. One of these, the SafeTECH project in South Australia has developed guidelines for safe use of electronic handover tools. These guidelines were developed using evidence from three hospital case studies into the use of an electronic tool to support different types of shift-to-shift handover. ⋯ The paper then considers these challenges within the broader context of the Australian ehealth landscape. Australia's National eHealth Transition Authority (NEHTA) is actively developing ehealth standards and infrastructure requirements for the electronic collection and secure exchange of health information. The paper argues for flexible standardisation in the design and implementation of electronic handover tools to ensure that all key dimensions of the challenges faced in ensuring patient safety are addressed.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2010
A framework for the development of patient safety education and training guidelines.
Patient Safety (PS) is a major concern that involves a wide range of roles in healthcare, including those who are directly and indirectly involved, and patients as well. In order to succeed into developing a safety culture among healthcare providers, carers and patients, there should be given great attention into building appropriate education and training tools, especially addressing those who plan patient safety activities. The framework described in this policy paper is based on the results of the European Network for Patient Safety (EUNetPaS) project and analyses the principles and elements of the guidance that should be provided to those who design and implement Patient Safety Education and training activities. ⋯ Setting these principles into practice when planning and implementing interventions, primarily aims to enlighten and support those who are enrolled to design and implement Patient Safety education and training teaching activities. This is achieved by providing them with a framework to build upon, succeeding to build a collaborative, safety conscious and competent environment, in terms of PS. A guidelines web platform has been developed to support this process.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2010
Development and initial validation of a disease specific outcome measure for early onset scoliosis.
Treatment of children with early onset scoliosis (EOS) seeks to improve natural history and health related quality of life (QOL). QOL measurement presents a significant challenge given the young age, comorbidities, and heterogeneity of this population. ⋯ The EOSQ reflects QOL and caregiver burden in the EOS population. The EOSQ will expand options for outcome assessment in this unique population.