Studies in health technology and informatics
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What started in Berlin in May of 2000 as an idea to create the telemedicine program of Kosova in order to help the country rebuild the broken medical system and change the miserable face of medicine, has now spread to other countries in the Balkans. Today, June 29, 2007, as I am rewriting this chapter, ten doctors and engineers from Kosova, Montenegro and Macedonia graduated from a three weeks intensive course on telemedicine, e-health and medical electronic library. This international telemedicine fellowship is organized by the very entity that was created in Berlin 7 years ago: The International Virtual e-Hospital (IVEH). ⋯ Soon we will be traveling to Atalaya, Peru and other communities of Amazon River, then Africa. We will not stop. One country at a time!
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
ReviewDiversity in preoperative-assessment data collection, a literature review.
The appropriate anesthetic techniques and care during and after operation rely on data gathered during the preoperative assessment. Because various people are involved, standardization of this process is important. This paper provides a systematic literature review about which data items are collected in the preoperative assessment. ⋯ Our study showed a high diversity of data items in the preoperative assessment. Because of the diversity of patients and treatment options available one undisputed preoperative assessment data set is hard to define. However, to solve the problem of exchangeability of the information at least anesthesiologists should use a same core set of data.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialTransfer of systematic computer game training in surgical novices on performance in virtual reality image guided surgical simulators.
We report on a pilot study that investigates the transfer effect of systematic computer game training on performance in image guided surgery. In a group of 22 surgical novices, subjects were matched and randomized into one group training with a 3-D first person shooter (FPS) game and one group training with a 2-D non-FPS game. We also included a control group. ⋯ Furthermore subjects who underwent systematic FPS game training performed better in the MIST-VR than those training with a 2-D game. Our findings indicate a transfer effect and that experience of video games are important for training outcome in simulated surgical procedures. Video game training can become useful when designing future skills training curricula for surgeons.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Image registration assists novice operators in ultrasound assessment of abdominal trauma.
Transcutaneous ultrasound imaging may be used to detect abdominal hemorrhage in the field setting. The Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) examination was developed to characterize blunt abdominal trauma and has been shown to be effective for assessing penetrating trauma as well. However, it is unlikely that a minimally trained operator could perform a diagnostic examination. ⋯ The operator will be directed through the examination by prompts from a computer system or outside expert, potentially with knowledge of the anatomy of the injured patient. The key elements of the tele-operated FAST exam capability have been demonstrated; the exam is performed with real-time guidance from anatomic images registered to the body. It appears likely that Image Registration will assist hemorrhage detection at the point of injury or in the initial evaluation by a trauma response team.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2008
Improving pain & symptom management for advanced cancer patients with a clinical decision support system.
In palliative medicine, healthcare providers aim to provide end-of-life cancer patients with a plan of care to minimize pain and manage symptoms, while providing psychosocial and educational support to patients and their families. Unfortunately, it has been reported that patients often experience unnecessary suffering due to ineffective symptom management as they near end-of-life. ⋯ In this paper, we present a unique clinical decision support system that incorporates case-based reasoning and evidence-based standards of care. It is anticipated that this user-friendly, web-based CBR system will improve decision making for pain and symptom management for end-of-life cancer patients.