Determinants of frequency and longevity of hospital encounters’ data use

Cruz-Correia, Ricardo et al, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making,10(1)

BACKGROUND:
The identification of clinically relevant information enables improvement in user interfaces and in data management. However, it is difficult to identify what information is important in daily clinical care, and what is used occasionally. This study aims to determine for how long clinical documents are used in a Hospital Information System (HIS).
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18 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Tags: HIS

Improve Office Efficiency by Putting Your Patients to Work: Patients’ Perspectives Regarding Online Self-service Appointment Scheduling in Family Practice (Part 3 of 3)

Ludwick, Dave A., and John Doucette, ElectronicHealthcare, 8(4)

This case study is the third part of a three-part study examining the impact of an online appointment scheduling system on physician office scheduling. The purpose of the study was to understand patients’ experiences when booking appointments through an online appointment scheduling system. A 24-question patient survey gathered perspectives from registered adult patients who had booked by either channel from August 8, 2008, to February 28, 2009. The online scheduling system was used by 128 unique patients, while 1,831 booked by telephone. Of the respondents, 186 were aware of the system but had not booked online, 107 were not aware of the system and 105 had booked online.
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18 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Canada | Tags: Appointments, Efficiency, GP, Patient

Health information technology: A new world for pharmacy

Webster, Lisa, and Rachelle F. Spiro, Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 50(2)

Objectives:
To provide a health information technology (HIT) primer for pharmacists, including the current state of HIT, future expectations, basic information and vocabulary, HIT vendors, communication standards, barriers to implementation, and strategies for pharmacists to ensure success.
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17 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Tags: Health Information Technology, pharmacist

Self-adaptive robot training of stroke survivors for continuous tracking movements

Vergaro, Elena et al, Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 7(1)

Background
Although robot therapy is progressively becoming an accepted method of treatment for stroke survivors, few studies have investigated how to adapt the robot/subject interaction forces in an automatic way. The paper is a feasibility study of a novel self-adaptive robot controller to be applied with continuous tracking movements.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Italy | Tags: Rehabilitation, Robot, Stroke

Widespread Adoption of Information Technology in Primary Care Physician Offices in Denmark: A Case Study

Protti, Denis, and Ib Johansen, The Commonwealth Fund, 2010

Denmark is one of the world’s leading countries in the use of health care technology. Virtually all primary care physicians have electronic medical records with full clinical functionality. Their systems are also connected to a national network, which allows them to electronically send and receive clinical data to and from consultant specialists, hospitals, pharmacies, and other health care providers. Under the auspices of a nonprofit organization called MedCom, over 5 million clinical messages are transferred monthly.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Denmark | EHR: EHR, EHR Denmark | Tags: Health Information Technology, Primary Care

Reorganizing Adult Critical Care Delivery: The Role of Regionalization, Telemedicine and Community Outreach

Nguyen, Yên Lan et al, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2010

Variation in the quality of critical care services across hospitals coupled with an emerging workforce crisis necessitate system-level change in the organization of intensive care. In this review, we evaluate three alternative organizational models that may expand access to high-quality critical care: tiered regionalization, intensive care unit telemedicine, and quality improvement through regional outreach. These models share a potential to increase survival and reduce costs. Yet there are also major barriers to implementation, including the lack of a strong evidence base and the need for significant upfront financial investment. Reorganization of intensive care will also require the support of all involved stakeholders: patients and their families, critical care practitioners, administrative and public health professionals and policy makers.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: USA | Tags: Critical Care, Hospitals, Implementation, Telemedicine

The e-Network Solution for Mental Health and Addictions Information Management

Wighton, Jan, ElectronicHealthcare, 8(3)

ConnexOntario Health Services Information’s genesis was over 18 years ago. Back then, it was known as the Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (DART). At that time, it was – and remains today – an innovative initiative that acted as an e-network solution for mental health and addiction information management. Using state-of-the-art technology and professional information management standards, DART was designed to offer a form of electronic healthcare by way of resource matching and referral for those who were seeking treatment for substance abuse problems. DART was also designed as a means to help improve the alcohol and drug treatment system in Ontario by providing easily accessible, up-to-date and accurate data about the availability of those services.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Canada | Tags: Addiction, Information Management, Information Sharing, Lifestyle

Innovation in ALC – Evaluation and Lessons Learned from a Pilot of Electronic Resource Matching and Referral to In-patient Rehab/CCC in an Acute Care Organization

Mastouri, Negin et al, ElectronicHealthcare, 8(3)

Introduction:
One of the root causes for Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding stems from challenges with patient flow from acute to post-acute care institutions. Significant improvements to the referral process can be made by moving to an electronic Resource Matching and Referral (RM&R) system, which could be used to facilitate accessing accurate and consistent data relating to referral patterns, waitlists, response times, referral efficiencies, and gaps in programs/services.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Canada | Tags: Acute Care, emergency, Referral

Improving Communication in Acute Trauma

Juhra, Christian et al, ElectronicHealthcare, 8(3)

In 2008, approximately 4,500 people in Germany died in traffic accidents and around 71,000 people were badly injured. Altogether, yearly productivity loss caused by these injuries is estimated to be around 5 billion Euros. International and national studies revealed the trauma centre level of the primary hospital as the major predictor for trauma-related mortality. In 2006, the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU) called its members to form regionally based networks of hospitals engaged in trauma care. In April 2008, 45 hospitals in the north-west region of Germany, two hospitals from the Netherlands, and the local emergency services founded the “TraumaNetwork NorthWest (TNNW).” The major goals of these networks are: 1) To shorten the time between accident and admission to the appropriate hospital, 2) to create effective ways of communication, and 3) to implement common pre- and in-hospital standards for trauma care. In order to improve acute trauma care, we looked for new ways of communicating from hospital to hospital, as well as from emergency services to hospitals.
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15 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Germany, Netherlands | Tags: Acute Care, Communication, Data Exchange, Trauma Care

CASE: a framework for computer supported outbreak detection

Cakici, Baki et al, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 10(1)

Background
In computer supported outbreak detection, a statistical method is applied to a collection of cases to detect any excess cases for a particular disease. Whether a detected aberration is a true outbreak is decided by a human expert. We present a technical framework designed and implemented at the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control for computer supported outbreak detection, where a database of case reports for a large number of infectious diseases can be processed using one or more statistical methods selected by the user.
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14 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Sweden | Tags: Infectious Diseases

Effects of Internet Use on Health and Depression: A Longitudinal Study

Bessière, Katie et al, J Med Internet Res, 12(1)

Background:
The rapid expansion of the Internet has increased the ease with which the public can obtain medical information. Most research on the utility of the Internet for health purposes has evaluated the quality of the information itself or examined its impact on clinical populations. Little is known about the consequences of its use by the general population.

Objective:
Is use of the Internet by the general population for health purposes associated with a subsequent change in psychological well-being and health? Are the effects different for healthy versus ill individuals? Does the impact of using the Internet for health purposes differ from the impact of other types of Internet use?
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14 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Tags: Depression, Health Information, Internet

Security and Privacy Issues in Wireless Sensor Networks for Healthcare Applications

Al Ameen, Moshaddique et al, Journal of Medical Systems, 2010

The use of wireless sensor networks (WSN) in healthcare applications is growing in a fast pace. Numerous applications such as heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor and endoscopic capsule are already in use. To address the growing use of sensor technology in this area, a new field known as wireless body area networks (WBAN or simply BAN) has emerged. As most devices and their applications are wireless in nature, security and privacy concerns are among major areas of concern.
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14 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Tags: BAN, Networks, Privacy, Security, Sensors, Wireless

An Approach Towards Semantic Interoperability using Domain Models

Heidenreich, Georg, and Pantelis Angelidis, electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 5(1)

This paper introduces so-called Domain models to support semantic interoperability of connected IT-systems. The focus of the paper is to motivate the combination of technical and informal specifications and to present a procedure of modelling independent IT-systems at the semantic level for the purpose of semantic interoperability.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | EHR: EHR | Tags: Interoperability, Semantic

The Use of Standard Content Specifications in a National Health Interoperability Framework

Heard, Sam, electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 5(1)

The openEHR community has developed a specification that has been taken up by the standards community and has this year been adopted as ISO 13606. The specification offers an engineering and semantic framework for implementing an electronic health record (EHR) service within a service-oriented architecture.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | EHR: EHR | Tags: Interoperability, openEHR, Semantic, Standards

Electronic Health Records, Semantic Interoperability and Politics

Hovenga, Evelyn J.S., and Sebastian Garde, electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 5(1)

An opinion paper exploring links between sustainable health systems, electronic health records, semantic interoperability, standards and national e-health strategies. It provides a rationale for why there needs to be a paradigm shift in thinking and explains the need for adopting a set of technical standards and establishing a supporting national infrastructure.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | EHR: EHR | Tags: e-Health, Interoperability, Semantic, Standards, Terminology

Putting Health Record Interoperability Standards to Work

Atalag, Koray et al, electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 5(1)

This paper provides a snapshot of the current interoperability standards landscape and investigates how different standards are adopted in different jurisdictions. The aim is to provide useful insights for decision makers by looking from a wider angle to include political, social and business drivers rather than taking a purely technical approach. Semantic interoperability, which is a major bottleneck to achieving eHealth systemic interoperability, is dependent on terminology, content and messaging standards. In particular, the architectural aspects of content and messaging standards seem to be critical and currently the subject of many heated debates. A considerable amount of effort into international harmonisation is underway and evidence shows that it may be possible to use different standards and yet still be able to accomplish semantic interoperability.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | EHR: EHR | Tags: CCD, HL7, Interoperability, openEHR, Standards

Are physicians ready for patients with Internet-based health information?

Ahmad, Farah et al, J Med Internet Res, 8(3)

Background: An increasing number of patients bring Internet-based health information to medical consultations. However, little is known about how physicians experience, manage, and view these patients.

Objective:
This study aimed to advance the understanding of the effects of incorporating Internet-based health information into routine medical consultations from physicians’ perspectives, using a qualitative approach.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Tags: Clinician-Patient Relationship, Consultation, Education, Health Information, Internet, Patient, Physicians

Information therapy

Burrington-Brown, Jill, Journal of AHIMA, 80(6)

Information therapy (Ix) is of interest in health information management, particularly as it relates to the growing use of personal health records (PHRs). It is vitally important for any HIM professional interested in patient advocacy and the promotion of the PHR to understand Ix and how it can be used in the education and participation of individuals in their health and healthcare.
Ix is the “timely prescription and availability of evidence-based health information to meet individuals’ specific needs and support sound decision making. Ix prescriptions are specifically targeted to an individual’s needs at a particular moment in care and are delivered as part of the process of care.”
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: USA | EHR: EHR, EHR USA | Tags: Education, health-information-system, Information Management, information-therapy, Ix, phr

The current state of PHRs

Burrington-Brown, Jill et al, Journal of AHIMA, 80(6)

Healthcare providers have always relied on information patients bring to their appointments, either in a verbal interview or in the paper records they carry with them. As patients begin to use personal health records (PHRs), HIM professionals can help promote their integration by readying their organizations with the appropriate policies and procedures.
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12 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: USA | EHR: EHR, EHR USA | Tags: Patient Centric, phr

Illness stories on the internet: what do breast cancer patients want at the end of treatment?

Overberg, Regina et al, Psycho-Oncology, 16(10)

The study aims to elicit user requirements for internet-based applications disclosing fellow patients’ illness stories for the benefit of breast cancer patients. Twenty-six breast cancer patients, recruited via the Dutch Patient Organization for Breast Cancer, were interviewed about their preferences with regards to content, appearance, and search options concerning fellow patients’ illness stories online. The interviews were analysed quantitatively (SPSS) and qualitatively (NVivo). Participants were mainly interested in fellow patients’ experiences about how to cope with emotions, the impact of cancer in daily life, and physical discomforts.
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11 March 2010 | No Comments »
Categories: Science | Country: Netherlands | Tags: Internet, Satisfaction, support