Oncology center uses Web-based tool to connect patients, physicians

“The Mark Zangmeister Center, which provides outpatient services to patients with cancer and blood disorders, is using a Web-based communication tool to help its patients connect to the right physician.”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 13 November 2008

All MRIs Are Not Created Equal

“Gina Kolata’s must-read article, “The Scan That Didn’t Scan,” in last week’s Science Times points out vast differences in the quality of MRI’s as well as vast differences in the expertise of the radiologists who interpret them.
Patients need to understand this, because physicians sure as Hades aren’t going to tell you.
Kolata uses sports injuries as examples. With suspected cancers, the stakes are life and death.”
Article
Christina Gray, e-Patients.net, 20 October 2008

Kansas a telemed leader, schools also connecting

“Kansas has been a leader in the development of telemedicine technology.
�Kansas has been involved since, really, the very early stages. It�s one of the pioneers � especially the people at the University of Kansas Medical Center,� said Jonathan Linkous, CEO at the American Telemedicine Association.”
Article
Dave Ranney, KHI News Service, 15 September 2008

Rh�n Klinikum says EPR key to particle therapy

“German hospital group Rh�n Klinikum AG, believes its new web-based electronic patient record will be a key success factor for its �120m new centre for particle therapy.
To cover expenses, the specialist facility will need to attract patients from all over Germany and possibly across Europe. The managers of Rh�n Klinikum hope that the electronic patient record will enable the group to attract and treat the volumes of patients required and make the workflows more efficient.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 10 September 2008

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, TOC, September 2008

Telemedicine can improve the health of youths in detention
“Young people in correctional care facilities often have physical or psychological disorders that contribute to their behavioural problems. In the US, the need for medical services in youth facilities far exceeds current resources, especially for paediatric mental health and specialty services. There is obvious potential for telemedicine to improve access to care and thus the level of health care for juvenile detainees. A few studies have indicated that in specific instances telemedicine has improved access to care, referrals, contact between providers, and has also reduced unnecessary referrals. The question remains, however, whether this improved access and timeliness to care has any effect on the major goals of the incarceration: treatment, education and rehabilitation. Further investigation of this linkage is needed.”
Abstract
Karen C Fox and Anna Lyn Whitt, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 275-276, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.008002

Emergency telepsychiatry
“Telepsychiatry can be used in two kinds of psychiatric emergencies: one-time clinical events and public health situations associated with mass disaster. Emergency telepsychiatry delivered by videoconferencing has the potential to improve patient care in many settings. Although experience is limited, it has been found to be safe and effective, as well as satisfactory to both emergency department staff and the psychiatric patients treated. The development of comprehensive and standardized guidelines is necessary. There has been little use of acute telemedicine in disaster situations to date. However, telemedicine is becoming part of routine emergency medical response planning in many jurisdictions. Emergency telepsychiatry has the potential to reduce emergency department overcrowding, provide much needed care in rural areas and improve access to psychiatric care in the event of a natural or manmade disaster.”
Abstract
Peter Yellowlees, Michelle M Burke, Shayna L Marks, Donald M Hilty, and Jay H Shore, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 277-281, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080419

Hageseth’s principle of extraterritorial jurisdiction and international telemedicine
“At what point does an international telemedicine transaction create a sufficient commercial nexus to allow one country the authority to impose its laws on a foreign telemedicine providers? Some light on this matter was shed by the US case of Hageseth versus Superior Court. The authority for extraterritorial jurisdiction is found in the US Constitution, which requires the states to cooperate in matters of law enforcement. Similar cooperation from foreign nations cannot be expected. Unless a defendant is charged with a capital offence, nations are rarely willing to extradite their citizens. As the unlicensed practice of medicine is not a capital offence, it is unlikely that an unlicensed telemedicine provider would be extradited to the US. Because low-volume unlicensed offshore telemedicine providers are unlikely to be extradited or to be subject to trade sanctions, they may be able to operate beyond the law.”
Abstract
Thomas R McLean and Alexander B McLean, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 282-284, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080416

The use of information and communications technology for health service delivery in Namibia: perspectives of the health service providers
“We surveyed health service providers in Namibia to find out how they used information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver health services to their patients. A structured questionnaire was administered to 21 health service providers in two regions of the country (one urban, one rural). There was overwhelming consensus among the health service providers that ICTs were very important, especially for medical services (100%). Ninety-one percent of health service providers viewed ICT as helping them to interact with other providers in other health institutions. The most commonly used ICT was the telephone, which was used in the admission areas of most health institutions (36%); the next most commonly used ICT was the PC (23%). The most commonly used channels for communication with patients were the telephone followed by TV. Some of the problems common to all health institutions in Namibia were poor budgetary resources and lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity or telephone lines. There is a need to promote ICT use for health service delivery and also to stimulate patients to use ICT to access health services and relevant information.”
Abstract
Meke I Shivute, Blessing M Maumbe, and Vesper T Owei, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 285-289, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.071204

Assessment of a remote monitoring system for implantable cardioverter defibrillators
“We conducted a multicentre study in five Italian hospitals to assess the feasibility of a remote monitoring service for the follow-up of implanted cardiac devices. The system was designed to monitor device performance as well as physiological aspects of the patient’s condition. Sixty-seven patients (mean age 64 years) affected by chronic heart failure and with a biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator for cardiac re-synchronization therapy (CRT-D) were enrolled for a three-month observation period. A total of 267 device recordings were transmitted through the ordinary telephone network, with a success rate of 99%. The telemonitoring service was more efficient than conventional face-to-face follow-up in terms of the time savings: both for physicians (4.7 minutes versus 15 minutes for remote and conventional monitoring) and for patients (6.6 minutes versus 116.3 minutes). In addition, a total of 23 clinical events occurred during the study, but only two cases required a clinic visit, thus reducing inappropriate hospital admissions. Finally, the service was well accepted by all the users.”
Abstract
Cristina Masella, Paolo Zanaboni, Francesca Di Stasi, Serena Gilardi, Patrizia Ponzi, and Sergio Valsecchi, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 290-294, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080202

Quality of diabetes care among patients managed by teleconsultation
“We studied a new teamwork-based teleconsultation model for treating patients with diabetes, where a specialist in diabetes care, a diabetes nurse and a patient attended by videoconference. The study series consisted of all the patients (n = 101) at three health centres in northern Finland whose care was provided by a single physician at a remote diabetes clinic. A total of 101 patients with diabetes (19 of type 1 and 82 of type 2) were studied at baseline and at 10�14 months after the first consultation. Mean HbA1c was 8.0% at baseline and 7.6% at follow-up (P = 0.007). The proportion of patients with poor glycaemic control decreased from 32% to 13%. Mean LDL cholesterol was 3.3 mmol/L at baseline and 2.7 mmol/L at follow-up (P < 0.001). The percentage of patients with optimum lipid levels increased from 20% to 50%. Mean systolic blood pressure was 146 mmHg at baseline and had decreased by 6 mmHg at follow-up (P = 0.004). The percentage of patients with poor blood pressure control decreased from 19% to 8%. The most common changes in medication were the introduction or modification of insulin treatment and the introduction of statin and antihypertensive drugs and acetylsalicylic acid. Although the study was uncontrolled, there were improvements in glucose and LDL cholesterol levels and blood pressure in patients who were managed by teleconsultation.”
Abstract
Tuula Nikkanen, Markku Timonen, Kirsti Ylitalo, Olavi Timonen, Sirkka Kein�nen-Kiukaanniemi, and Ulla Rajala J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 295-299, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080313

Impact of telemonitoring at home on the management of elderly patients with congestive heart failure
“We studied the effects of home telemonitoring in elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) on mortality and rate of hospitalization, compliance with treatment, quality of life and costs of CHF management, by comparison with a group receiving usual care. Fifty-seven elderly CHF patients were randomized to standard care or to home telemonitoring-based care and followed for 12 months. In the subjects who were monitored, weekly reports on their clinical status were obtained and their management was modified accordingly. Home telemonitoring was associated with improvements in the composite endpoint of mortality and rate of hospitalizations (P = 0.006), a better compliance with therapy, more frequent use of beta-blockers and statins, lower total cholesterol level and a better reported health perception score. The improved results with home telemonitoring in CHF were probably due to better compliance and to closer monitoring of the patients.”
Abstract
Roberto Antonicelli, Paolo Testarmata, Liana Spazzafumo, Cristina Gagliardi, Grzegorz Bilo, Mariaconsuelo Valentini, Fabiola Olivieri, and Gianfranco Parati, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 300-305, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.071213

Acceptability to primary care providers of telemedicine in diabetes case management
“We studied the perceptions of primary care providers (PCPs) about the telemedicine intervention in a trial of telemedicine for management of diabetes in medically under-served areas of New York State. A survey was mailed to 206 rural and 159 urban PCPs. The response rates were 25% and 22%, respectively. Eighty percent of respondents believed that a diabetes telemedicine case management system would help their practice. An overall satisfaction score (possible range 0�80) suggested good acceptability (mean 66, SD 12). In multiple linear regression, the rural location and younger age of the PCPs were independent predictors of higher satisfaction (both P < 0.01). Within-PCP comparisons showed a higher perceived impact on patients, as compared to impact on PCP practices (P < 0.001). However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the low response rates."
Abstract
Walter Palmas, Jeanne Teresi, Ruth S Weinstock, and Steven Shea, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 306-308, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080410

The use of telemedicine to aid in assessing patients prior to aeromedical retrieval to a tertiary referral centre
“We evaluated the effect of telemedicine compared with traditional telephone conversations when evaluating patients for aeromedical retrieval. A convenience sample of consecutive patients referred for retrieval from Palm Island over a six-month period was compared retrospectively with patients referred during the previous six months. There was a significant difference (P = 0.014) in the number of patients referred in the telemedicine period (113) compared to the previous six months (78), which may have been a seasonal fluctuation. There was a smaller proportion of aeromedical retrievals in the telemedicine period (78%) compared to the control period (92%), P = 0.009. Other significant differences between the telemedicine and control period included a larger proportion of patients not transferred at all (16% compared to 5%, P = 0.022) and a smaller percentage of rotary flights (52% compared with 73%, P = 0.004). Retrieval coordinators perceived that telemedicine use prevented 10 aeromedical flights and six night flights. The coordinators and referrers felt that telemedicine improved patient care in 75% and 65% of consultations, respectively. The coordinators felt that it improved communication with the referring doctor for 84% of the consultations.”
Abstract
Kate A Mathews, Mark S Elcock, and Jeremy S Furyk, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 309-314, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080417

A pilot study of videotelephone-based support for newly diagnosed paediatric oncology patients and their families
“As part of the preparation for a randomized controlled trial, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of providing videotelephone-based support to a sample of families (,em>n = with a child diagnosed with cancer, returning home for the first time after diagnosis and initial treatment. Seven of these families received support via videotelephone over a three-month period. Twenty videotelephone calls were made totalling 400 minutes (median 21 min, IQR 16�24). All videotelephone calls involved the specialist nurse providing support to mothers (85%) or fathers (15%) and involved communicating directly with the patient in most of the calls (55%). Social workers were involved in three calls (15%). All families expressed satisfaction with services delivered in this way. There were few technical problems. The use of a hybrid approach to providing videotelephony, using the family home computer and Internet connection for video and the home telephone line for full-duplex audio, was less costly than the custom-made device used in past studies.”
Abstract
Mark Bensink, Nigel Armfield, Helen Irving, Andrew Hallahan, Deborah Theodoros, Trevor Russell, Adrian Barnett, Paul Scuffham, and Richard Wootton, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 315-321, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080505

Telemedicine in the work site: a study of feasibility, and patient and provider satisfaction
“We examined the use of telemedicine for improving access to care in a work-site clinic. A prospective study of 100 patients was conducted over a four-month period in a work site that housed 700 employees. Sinusitis (10 visits), upper respiratory tract infections (9 visits), otitis media (9 visits), hypertension (9 visits) and back pain (8 visits) were the most common reasons for the visits. In 99 visits, clinicians were of the opinion that the telemedicine visit felt similar to a face-to-face visit. For most of the visits (67), patients strongly agreed or agreed that telemedicine had a positive effect on their relationship with the health-care provider. The otoscope, microscope and stethoscope telemedicine peripherals were important in aiding diagnosis (and ruling out other causes) in about 55% of the visits (upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, otitis media, cough, sore throat, nevi, rhinitis and ear wax related concerns). The ability for the patient to watch their ENT examination and see any associated abnormalities was appreciated by many patients. Physicians, nurses and patients were capable of using the technology with little training.”
Abstract
Prathibha Varkey, Kay Schumacher, Claudia Swanton, Barbara Timm, and Philip T Hagen, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 322-325, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080512

Health 2.0 for cancer trials

“The traditional meaning of Health 2.0, according to Jane Sarasohn-Kahn’s “Wisdom of Patients” has been the use of social software and light-weight tools to promote collaboration between patients, their caregivers, medical professionals and other stakeholders in health.
An example of this in cancer medicine is Individualized Online Clinical Trial Protocol Version 1.0 by the Weisenthal Cancer Group, a Phase II evaluation of individualized cancer treatment with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted anti-kinase drugs and anti-angiogenic agents.
Article
Greg Pawelski, The Health Care Blog, 14 August 2008

Video Game Helps Young Cancer Patients Take Meds

“Cancer patients stick to their medication regimen thanks to Re-Mission, a specially designed video game that teaches adherence to treatment plans. Re-Mission players control a tiny robot called Roxxi who moves around in a 3-D environment representing the inside of the body of a young cancer patient. Players can use Roxxi to blast cancer cells and control side effects, and winning the game requires taking chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics, using relaxation techniques, eating food, and keeping up with other types of self-care.”
Article
eWeek.com, 7 August 2008

Medicine meets the mouse

“Is it ready? Is there something for everyone? No, Health 2.0 is in its infancy, as we recently found out. A few months ago, a friend and I plunged in. Using blogs, syndication and social networks similar to Facebook, we developed the ‘’New'’ Prostate Cancer InfoLink. Its resources unite doctors, patients, wives, ministers, government officials –anyone with an interest in prostate cancer.”
Article
Arnon Krongrad, Miami Herald, 6 July 2008

ICT BIO 2008 - Combining the Power of ICT with Biomedical Sciences

“Major diseases like cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases are complex in nature involving environmental, life style, ageing and genetic components. One of the future challenges is to integrate the knowledge of all these different components into robust and fully reliable computer models and “in silico” environments that will help the development and testing of new therapies for better prediction and prevention tools in healthcare.”
Article
eHealthNews.eu, 30 June 2008

A second opinion, available from afar

“Although he had never met her, Dr. William Marshall knew a lot about Paulette Schlander.
He knew that Schlander, who lives in Duluth, had gone to Africa on safari with her husband last fall.
He knew, too, that the 58-year-old dental assistant started experiencing strange muscle pains about a month later.
Now he was trying to figure out whether the two events were connected.
In the past, Marshall, an infectious disease expert at the Mayo Clinic, would have invited her to Rochester for a full exam. This time, he didn’t have to.
For the past year, he and other Mayo physicians have been offering “virtual consults,” or second opinions by e-mail, to a Duluth clinic, SuperiorHealth Center, where Schlander is a patient.”
Article
Maura Lerner, Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul), 8 June 2008

Map of Medicine partners with DH cancer networks

“The Map of Medicine is partnering with all cancer networks across England to localise the cancer care pathways already provided by �the Map�.
The Department of Health say the partnership is key to enabling the networks to achieve targets set out in the �Cancer Reform Strategy�, including improving early detection of cancers, reducing referral times and extending screening programmes.”
Article
e-Health Insider Primary Care, 5 June 2008

ICMCC Event Preview 3

The second part of the Monday also has 2 sessions, each having 2 parallel tracks.

Read the rest of this entry »

ICMCC Event Preview 1

This is the first of a series of blogs in which I will give a preview of the various aspects of the upcoming ICMCC Event.

The Monday morning has 2 parallel sessions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Intelligent information system for treatment response monitoring and prognosis establishment on genital neoplasia patients

Abstract:
Cancer is the second death cause in the majority of countries, including Romania. Nowadays the main cause of this very aggressive disease is still unclear, the study of cancer risk factors being the object of research. This article is presenting an intelligent virtual system, which has as a main purpose the monitoring of treatment response at genital area cancer patients as well as the assessment of their life expectancy and prognosis. The intelligent system is being developed by an undergoing national research project and will be implemented at The Oncology Institute of Bucharest, Romania.

Claudiu PLAISANU^a, Daniel NICULAE^b, Cristina OGESCU^b, Cristina STEFAN^b
a Project coordinator, SC IPA SA, Romania
^b Project developers, SC IPA SA, Romania

To be published in “Medical and Care Compunetics 5″, IOSPress, 2008.
To be presented at the ICMCC Event 2008.

Cancer Detected Earlier, Faster, with New Medical Imaging, Stanford Study Finds

“Doctors may one day be able to detect early stages of colon cancer without a biopsy, using a new technique developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
This imaging technology is one of many new ways of detecting cancers in the body in real time, said Christopher Contag, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics and of microbiology and of immunology, who led the study. Contag said he hoped it might be one of the first to be used routinely for early detection of cancer.”
Article
Business Wire, 16 March 2008

IBM Speeds Personalized Therapies

Grid-enabled tools vastly improve microarray analysis.
Article
Catherine Vermazis, Bio IT World, March 2008

Going the distance

“Program links patients with doctors no matter how far apart they are.
Superlatives slid off Gerald Alexander’s tongue as the cancer patient described the health initiative that allows him to consult with an oncologist in St. John’s without leaving home.”
Article
John Bartlett, The Telegram, 6 March 2008

German oncologists award prizes to e-health projects

“An e-health project and a web service for patients were awarded the Best Practice Award, �More dialogue in cancer�, at the recent National German cancer conference. It is the first time that the German Cancer Society has given an award to an e-health project.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 5 March 2008

Some breast cancer websites inaccurate study finds

“Five percent of breast cancer Web sites have mistakes, with those involving alternative or complementary medicine the most likely to be misleading, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
But breast cancer information available on the Internet is more accurate than others carrying health information, the team at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston found.”
Article
Reuters, 11 February 2008

Mit dem Grid gegen den Krebs

IBM and Cancer Institute of New Jersey want to use GRID technology to better predict outcome of cancer medication, fine tune therapy and develop new drugs.

Article (German)
Heise Online, 27 January 2008

Perceptions and behaviour of access of the Internet: A study of women attending a breast screening service in Sydney, Australia

“Objectives
To describe the perceptions and behaviour in accessing health information from the Internet by women attending a BreastScreen, New South Wales (NSW) Service in Northern Sydney.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
A BreastScreen NSW Service in Northern Sydney.
Main outcome measures
Behaviour and perceptions of accessing of the Internet for breast health and screening information and other related health information.
Participants
Four hundred and fifteen women aged ?40 years who had a screening mammogram at a BreastScreen NSW Service in Northern Sydney. Data were collected from 1 October to 22 December 2004 (study interval).
Results
Four hundred and sixty-one eligible women were invited to participate in the study and of these 415 women agreed to participate in the study (participation rate = 90%). Of the 415 women enrolled in the cohort, 80% (333/415) of women accessed the Internet in general and 62% (205/333) of the women who accessed the Internet also accessed health related information from the Internet, but only 7% of the total women accessed breast health and screening information from the Internet. Two hundred and eighty (70%) women in the cohort expressed their intention to access the Internet if they were diagnosed with breast cancer. Age (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.91�0.97), marital status (OR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.45�4.83), educational status (OR = 3.26; 95% CI = 1.77�6.02) and behavioural intention of accessing the Internet if diagnosed with breast cancer (OR = 3.31; 95% CI = 1.83�5.98) were found to be associated with access of Internet for general information. Furthermore, behavioural intention (OR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.30�4.55), rating of computer skills as �average� (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.22�0.79) and �not good to poor� (OR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.11�0.49) were found to be associated with access of health related information from the Internet.
Conclusions
Information searching from the Internet is common among women having a screening mammogram. There is potential to provide guidance to women regarding accessing the BreastScreen NSW website and other reliable sources of Internet information on breast health, breast screening and cancer-related information.”
Article
Aditi Dey, Beth Reid, Robyn Godding and Andrew Campbell, International Journal of Medical Informatics
Volume 77, Issue 1, January 2008, Pages 24-32, doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2006.12.002

World Community Grid Squeezes Decades of Cancer Research Into Two Years Analysis

“Canadian researchers, in collaboration with IBM, hope to use the combined computing power of hundreds of thousands of idle computers to cram 162 years of cancer research into just a few years.”
Article
MedGadget, 8 November 2007

States and V.A. at Odds on Cancer Data

“Until recently, the nation�s cancer surveillance program was humming along. In every state, investigators were getting reports from every hospital describing every cancer patient they had seen.
The data, which include the name, address, age, race and medical history of patients, are used to compile cancer rates. They also are used to investigate survival and other issues, like unusual cancer clusters and whether patients� experiences are different depending on their racial or economic group.”
Article
Gina Kolata, The New York Times, 10 october 2007

Patient Recruitment: A Growing Role for Telemedicine?

“At the University of Maryland Medical Center, the Greenebaum Cancer Center views telemedicine conferences as occasions to remind community-based physicians of clinical trial options and the particulars of the enrollment process, says Mohan Suntha, MD, vice chairman of the center�s department of radiation oncology.”
Article
Deborah Borfitz, Bio IT World, 3 October 2007

Assessing Readability and Comprehensibility of Web-based Cancer Information

“The findings of the study suggest that using alternative methods of measuring text difficulty to assess coherence and its relationship with readability is necessary. Further work is required to devise tools and methods that can be used to easily evaluate the readability and comprehensibility of online health information.”
Abstract
Rachelle Ta-Min, Jose Arocha, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz, JITH, 1 October 2007

Study finds patients who use PCs are better prepared for doctor visits

“A recent study found that when cancer patients used tablet PCs to document their health before a doctor�s visit, physicians were better able to address their problems. ”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 19 September 2007

Utah hospital’s radiation IT takes precise aim at brain tumors

“The radiation therapy department at Intermountain Medical Center is offering a fully automated technology to treat brain tumors that makes it possible for radiologists to collaborate and create treatment plans, remotely. ”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT NEws, 4 September 2007

Finnish mammography clinics cut waits with imaging system

“Patient treatment times at Finland’s leading mammography screening provider have been cut in half due to the implementation of a digital imaging IT system.”
Article
Chip Means, Healthcare IT News EU, 24 August 2007

Vendors partner on EMR platform for oncologists

“OTN, a physician services company, and Altos Solutions, an electronic medical records software provider, announced this week that they have chosen to partner on a new EMR platform that could prove popular among oncologists.”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 22 August 2007

WAERS: An application for web-Assisted estimation of relative survival

“Net cancer survival estimation is usually performed by computing relative survival (RS), which is defined as the ratio between observed and expected survival rates. The mortality of a reference population is required in order to compute the expected survival rate, which can be performed using a variety of statistical packages. A new Web interface to compute RS, called WAERS, has been developed by the Catalan Institute of Oncology. The reference population is first selected, and then the RS of a cohort is computed. A remote server is used for this purpose. A mock example serves to illustrate the use of the tool with a hypothetical cohort, for which RS is estimated based on three different reference populations (a province of Spain, an autonomous community (Region), and the entire Spanish population). At present, only mortality tables for different areas of Spain are available. Future improvements of this application will include mortality tables of Latin American and European Union countries, and stratified (control variable) analysis. This application can be also useful for cohort mortality studies and for registries of several diseases.”
Abstract
Ramon Cl�ries; Joan Valls; Laura Esteban; Jordi G�lvez; Laura Pareja; Xavier Sanz; Luisa Alliste; Jos� Miguel Mart�nez; V�ctor Moreno; Xavier Bosch; Josep Maria Borr�s; Josepa Maria Ribes, Medical Informatics & The Internet in Medicine, Volume 32, Issue 3