Studies in health technology and informatics
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2002
Self-administered decision support tool for triage: results of a retrospective study.
This study was designed to evaluate the safety of a self-administered triage tool. ⋯ The system disposed 51.1% of cases appropriately and under-disposed 4.4% of cases. Comparison between the system and the emergency physician shows that all cases under-disposed by the system are also under-disposed by the physician.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2002
Spine-rib rotation differences at the apex in preoperative patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: evaluation of a three-level ultrasound method.
This paper evaluates a new real-time ultrasound method to assess the difference between axial spinal (laminal) rotation and rib rotation at the apex of the scoliosis curve. An Aloka SSD 500 portable ultrasound machine with a veterinary long (172mm) 3.5 MHz linear array transducer was used to assess the reproducibility of the method in 13 preoperative patients with AIS. With the subject in a prone position and her head supported, readings of laminal and rib rotation were made directly on the back at 18 and 12 levels respectively The subject was repositioned after walking around the room and a second set of spinal and rib rotations obtained (repeats). ⋯ Real-time ultrasound can assess the difference between spinal and rib rotation about the apex of the scoliosis curve without the altered position detectably affecting the findings. The error (2-3 degrees) is high relative the mean apical SRRD (6-7 degrees). The apical SRRD findings have relevance to the pathogenesis of AIS.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2002
Augmented reality and training for airway management procedures.
Augmented reality is often used for interactive, three-dimensional visualization within the medical community. To this end, we present the integration of an augmented reality system that will be used to train military medics in airway management. The system demonstrates how a head-mounted projective display can be integrated with a desktop PC to create an augmented reality visualization. Furthermore, the system, which uses a lightweight optical tracker, demonstrates the low cost and the portability of the application.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2002
Assessment of a three-year experience with a Belgian Primary Care data Network.
The paper describes the experiences with a Belgian Primary Care data Network from 1999 till 2002. Three cycles of data collection have been performed. ⋯ For the coming next years, efforts should be focused on solving some frequently occurring problems with the data collection through the EPR, such as a considerable number of data lacking and the fact that GPs do not always use the problem oriented structure of the EPR (Electronic Patient Record). Afterwards, more promising usage could be considered and developed such as repeated data collection using a same GPs' sample, long-term recording studies, usage of larger GPs' samples, etc.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2002
Clinical TrialIn vivo quantitative analysis of scoliotic vertebrae.
An in vivo method based on CT images and finite element meshing had been developed to quantify and visualize the bone density distribution of scoliotic vertebrae. CT examination (axial acquisition of the apical, superior and inferior adjacent vertebral bodies) had been performed on seven girls presenting an idiopathic scoliosis. Using an in-house image processing software and the pre-post processor Patran, a surfacic finite element mesh of each body slice was proposed allowing an automatic mapping of the cancellous bone slices and a volumic mesh for the bone density distribution visualization. ⋯ The shift forward by slice was made in a same way for each slice, excepted at the end plates. Besides, one can observe that the scoliotic deformation evolution seemed to modify the mechanical property distribution. The results may also suggest predictive criteria of evolution of the scoliotic deformities.