Studies in health technology and informatics
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2015
What are the Costs of Improving Access to Specialists through eConsultation? The Champlain BASE Experience.
Excessive wait times and poor access to care are among the most significant problems facing health care service delivery in Canada and beyond. We implemented the Champlain BASE eConsult service in the region of Ottawa, Canada to increase access to specialist care. We have collected ongoing utilization data and provider surveys over a three year period, providing a unique opportunity to explore the economic aspects of this multispecialty eConsult service. ⋯ This is one of the first studies to examine costs across a multispecialty eConsult service. We saw a marked decrease in the cost per eConsult over each annual period. Future research is needed to identify and examine similar outcomes that may lead to cost savings.
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2015
Design and development of an EMR for Ebola Treatment Centers in Sierra Leone using OpenMRS.
Ebola treatment presents unique challenges for medical records because strict infection control requirements rule out most conventional record-keeping systems. We used the OpenMRS platform to rapidly develop an EMR system for the recently opened Kerry Town, Sierra Leone Ebola Treatment Centre. This system addresses the need for recording patient data and communicating it between the infectious and non-infectious zones, and is specifically designed for maximum usability by staff wearing cumbersome protective equipment. This platform is interoperable with other key eHealth systems in the country, and is extensible to other sites and diseases.
-
The pHealth 2015 Conference is the 12th in a series of scientific events bringing together expertise from medical, technological, political, administrative, and social domains, and even from philosophy or linguistics. It opens a new chapter in the success story of the series of international conferences on wearable or implantable micro and nano technologies for personalized medicine by presenting keynotes, invited talks, oral presentations, and short poster presentations provided by close to 100 authors from 20 countries from various parts of the world. Starting in 2003 with personal health management systems, pHealth conferences have evolved to truly interdisciplinary and global events by covering technological and biomedical facilities, legal, ethical, social, and organizational requirements and impacts as well as necessary basic research for enabling future proof care paradigms. ⋯ The editors are also grateful to the dedicated efforts of the Local Organizing Committee members and their supporters for carefully and smoothly preparing and operating the conference. They especially thank all team members from the School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden, for their dedication to the event. Bernd Blobel, Maria Lindén, Mobyen Uddin Ahmed (Editors).
-
The hearing healthcare scenario is rapidly evolving due to the pervasive use of m-Health solutions, in particular mobile apps. This brings along significant advantages and opportunities (e.g., accessibility, affordability, personalized healthcare, patient empowerment) as well as significant potential risks and threats (e.g., safety, misuse, quality issues, privacy). Our research aims at the identification and assessment of apps in the hearing healthcare domain. In this article we present an overview of the current availability, variety, and penetration of hearing-related apps.
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2015
Le Bon Samaritain: A Community-Based Care Model Supported by Technology.
The effective care and well-being of a community is a challenging task especially in an emergency situation. Traditional technology-based silos between health and emergency services are challenged by the changing needs of the community that could benefit from integrated health and safety services. Low-cost smart-home automation solutions, wearable devices and Cloud technology make it feasible for communities to interact with each other, and with health and emergency services in a timely manner. ⋯ Le Bon Samaritain model is scalable, community-based and can help people feel safer, less isolated and more integrated in their community. It could be the key to reduce healthcare cost, increase resilience and drive the change for a more integrated emergency and care system.