Studies in health technology and informatics
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
In vivo robotics for natural orifice transgastric peritoneoscopy.
Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is potentially the next paradigm shift in minimally invasive surgery. Currently, NOTES procedures are performed using modified endoscopic tools with significant constraints. ⋯ The design and kinematic configuration of the robot allows for its complete insertion into the peritoneal cavity, and provides intuitive visualization and sufficient force application for tissue manipulation within the dexterous workspace. The NOTES robot successfully demonstrated various capabilities in a non-survival natural orifice surgical procedure in a porcine model suggesting the feasibility of using miniature in vivo robots for performing natural orifice procedures within the peritoneal cavity.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Integrating telemedicine and telehealth: putting it all together.
Telemedicine and telehealth programs are inherently complex compared with their traditional on-site health care delivery counterparts. Relatively few organizations have developed sustainable, multi-specialty telemedicine programs, although single service programs, such as teleradiology and telepsychiatry programs, are common. A number of factors are barriers to the development of sustainable telemedicine and telehealth programs. ⋯ Inter-institutional relations may introduce additional issues when competing health care organizations are utilizing shared resources. Branding issues are preferably addressed during the initial planning of a multi-organizational telemedicine and telehealth program. Ideally, public policy regarding telemedicine and telehealth within a service region will complement the objectives of telemedicine and telehealth programs within that service area.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Comparative StudyErgonomically designed kneeling chairs are they worth it? : Comparison of sagittal lumbar curvature in two different seating postures.
General agreement among researchers suggests that poor seating posture may predispose individuals to developing low back pain. A variety of methods such as ergonomically designed chairs have been developed to assist people to maintain good posture and preserve the 'natural' lumbar curve. The aim of this study was to compare lumbar curvature on an ergonomically designed kneeling chair (EKC) with that on a standard computer chair (SCC), with reference to the standing lumbar curvature. ⋯ There was also a statistically significant difference between the two seated positions (p<0.05). This study suggests that ergonomically designed kneeling chairs set at +20 degrees inclination do maintain standing lumbar curvature to a greater extent than sitting on a standard computer chair with an overall mean difference of 7.633 degrees. Further research with a greater number of subjects and on different chair designs is warranted.
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Australia is a large country with a small and scattered population. Specialist dermatology services are concentrated in the capital cities and larger urban centers on the coast. This has meant access to these services for Australians in rural and remote areas has been limited to those able to travel the often long distances to their nearest dermatologist. ⋯ In any event Tele-Derm is not trying to provide a service that is necessarily better then the traditional mode of delivery. It wishes to provide a service where none currently exists. To this end, Tele-Derm provides teleconsultation and online education in dermatology to doctors Australia wide.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
The last challenges and barriers to the development of telemedicine programs.
Over the past several decades the concept of telemedicine has evolved to be more commonplace with many unique applications. These applications have been made possible by overcoming challenges and barriers that have been present for most of telemedicine's development. The application of telemedicine continues to undergo growth and scrutiny. ⋯ Future generations of telemedicine users will look back at this period as one of transition. The first 30 years or so of telemedicine implementation were fraught with barriers and challenges. The next 30 years will see and entirely different paradigm of practicing medicine, including consumerism and smart systems.