Studies in health technology and informatics
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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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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Network design for telemedicine--e-health using satellite technology.
Over the last decade various international Information and Communications Technology networks have been created for a global access to high-level medical care. OP 2000 has designed and validated the high-end interactive video communication system WinVicos especially for telemedical applications, training of the physician in a distributed environment, teleconsultation and second opinion. WinVicos is operated on a workstation (WoTeSa) using standard hardware components and offers a superior image quality at a moderate transmission bandwidth of up to 2 Mbps. ⋯ The development of virtual hospitals and digital medicine helps to bridge the digital divide between different regions of the world and enables equal access to high-level medical care. Pre-operative planning, intra-operative navigation and minimally-invasive surgery require a digital and virtual environment supporting the perception of the physician. As data and computing resources in a virtual hospital are distributed over many sites the concept of the Grid should be integrated with other communication networks and platforms.
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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
Using a low-cost simulation approach for assessing the impact of a medication administration system on workflow.
This paper describes the analysis of the impact of a medication administration system on clinical workflow. The methodological framework employed was based on in-depth analysis of simulated user interactions with a medication administration system. ⋯ Methodological considerations and issues in conducting such studies are discussed. The study indicated that use of the system would have a significant impact on nurse and physician workflow and that this impact could be accurately identified using simulation approaches prior to widespread release of such systems in real clinical environments.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Inclusion and assessment criteria for conservative scoliosis treatment.
The efficacy of brace or conservative treatment in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is controversial due to variations in inclusion and assessment criteria. This makes the interpretation of brace studies and their comparisons difficult. The Scoliosis Research Society recently introduced new standardized inclusion and assessment criteria for future brace studies. ⋯ The assessment criteria include: percentage of patients with < or = 5 degree curve progression and percentage of patients with > or = 6 degree curve progression at skeletal maturity, percentage of patients who had surgery or recommended before skeletal maturity, percentage of patients with curves exceeding 45 degrees at maturity, and a minimum of 2 years follow-up beyond skeletal maturity for those patients felt to have been successfully treated. All patients treated irregardless of compliance are to be included in the results (intent to treat). The use of these criteria should assist in the determination of the effectiveness of brace treatment, as well as accurate comparison between patient groups and different braces.