Use of systems change and health information technology to integrate comprehensive tobacco cessation services in a statewide system for delivery of healthcare

Despite the availability of effective treatments and recommendations for systems change, full application of the USPublic Health Service clinical practice guideline for the treatment of tobacco use is seldom achieved. The present report describes a comprehensive, structured approach used to implement the guideline and to integrate evidence-based cessation services into a system for delivery of health care. The PRECEDE-PROCEDE model and systems strategies were employed to design and implement the Tobacco Control Initiative (TCI), which provides evidence-based cessation services for the patients of a statewide public hospital system. For the TCI, multi-level assessments, pilot programs, electronic data collection, and performance feedback were needed to produce system-wide changes in workflow and in the quality of care for tobacco users. Although there are advances in health information technology (HIT), systems approaches are required for responding effectively to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HI-TECH) Act and to standards governing use of electronic data related to treatment of tobacco use and dependence.

Determining Requirements for an Optimal Ad-Hoc Multicast Protocol in Mobile Health Care Training Systems

Nowadays, Health Care Training-based System (HCTS) is a vital component in the education and training of health care in 3D Virtual Environment (VE). The practice of HCTS continues to grow at rapid pace throughout all of the healthcare disciplines, however research in this field is still in its early stage. Increasingly, decision makers and developers look forward to offer more sophisticated, much larger, and more complex HCTS to serve the desired outcome and improve the quality and safety of patient care. Due to the rapidly increasing usage of personal mobile devices and the need of executing HCTS applications in environments that have no previous network infrastructure available, Mobile Health Care Training-based System (MHCTS) is an expected future trend. In such systems, medical staff will share and collaborate in a 3D virtual environment through their mobile devices in an ad-hoc network (MANET) in order to accomplish specific missions’ typically surgical emergency room. Users are organized into various groups (Radiologists, Maternity departments, and General surgery etc...), and need to be managed by a multicast scheme to save network bandwidth and offer immersive sense. MHCTS is sensitive to networking issues, since interactive 3D graphics requires additional load due to the use of mobile devices. Therefore, we need to emphasize on the importance and the improvement of multicast techniques for the effectiveness of MHCTS and the management of collaborative group interaction. Research so far has devoted little attention to the network communication protocols design of such systems which is crucial to preserve the sense of immersion for participating users. In this paper, we investigate the effect of multicast routing protocol in advancing the field of Health care Training-based System to the benefit of patient’s safety, and health care professional. Also, we address the issue of selecting a multicast protocol to provide the best performance for a particular e-health system at any time. Previous work has demonstrated that multicast operates at least as efficiently as traditional MAODV. A comprehensive analysis about various ad-hoc multicast routing protocols is proposed. The selection key factors for the right protocol for MHCTS applications were safety and robustness. To the best of our knowledge, this work will be the first initiative involving systematic literature reviews to identify a research gate for the use of multicast protocol in health care simulation learning community.

Performance Evaluation of Healthcare Monitoring System over Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The wide diffusion of healthcare monitoring systems allows continuous patient to be remotely monitored and diagnosed by doctors. The problem of congestion, namely due to the uncontrolled increase of traffic with respect to the network capacity, is one of the most common phenomena affecting the reliability of transmission of information in any network. The aim of the paper is to build a realistic simulation environment for healthcare system including some of the main vital signs model, wireless sensor and mesh network protocols implementation. The simulator environment is an efficient mean to analyze and evaluate in a realistic scenario the healthcare system performance in terms of reliability and efficiency.

Health Care System in Portugal for People with Motor Problems

Purpose: From a social and labor inclusion perspective, the article presents a digital prototype conceptualized to provide a “Diagnostic Page”, which delivers various prescribers and suppliers of support products that mitigate the problems of the respective patients. It also provides a “Patient Card Page”, where all the information about financing the respective products is placed, as well as all the documents likely to be needed for the commercial transactions to be carried out by all the parties involved. It also aims to provide a digital medium to grow a community in this niche market. In the action research methodology approach, the prototype was taken to funding competitions and conferences, where interviews and surveys were carried out, and a number of suggestions were collected on the type of platform to consider in order to respond to the concerns and needs of end users, such as patients, prescribers, suppliers and associations. Methods: The digital platform where the system is hosted uses algorithms that, on the diagnostic page, consider keywords used by patients and return a series of prescribers and suppliers of support products, in which the corresponding percentage of attenuation is taken into account and the best solution found to overcome the level of difficulty presented by the respective patients is delivered. Results and Conclusions: It is hoped that, with this platform, people with motor problems will be able to obtain their diagnosis instantly, through the algorithm implemented, and that they will immediately be provided with a series of prescribers, suppliers and support products best suited to their needs, as well as all the information or conditions necessary to purchase or finance them. On the other hand, prescribers, suppliers and associations have an online platform where they can offer their consultations, products and other support as freelancers who are part of a community.

Primary Healthcare System of Pakistan: Challenges to Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes

This review article is aimed at describing the primary healthcare system of Pakistan and its challenges in the face of epidemic of type 2 diabetes, focusing particularly on the middle-aged population of rural area of Pakistan. The main concern in Pakistan is that its middle-aged population is facing the onslaught of obesity and overweight due to lack of physical activity. In addition unhealthy eating habits making it more difficult for this population to control their weight. All these factors are contributing to a high risk of type 2 diabetes for the population of Pakistan. This article provides insight into the primary health care system of Pakistan and highlights its deficiencies by identifying that its primary healthcare system has a poor utilization of health care services, the poor accessibility to health system and poor management of diabetes by the healthcare system, gender disparity and inequity in the health care system. The primary objective of this study is to provide an overview of self-management of diabetes among the middle-aged population of Pakistan and to identify the overall deficiencies in the primary healthcare system, its delivery and access to the system, barriers to self-management of diabetes and quality of life in that region.

Health care needs need to be focused on health

In the past decades health care and medicine in most countries got more or less in a state of crisis. This is not surprising because, so far, there is no consensus about the nature of health. This shortcoming inhibits constructive, interdisciplinary dialogues about health values. It renders priority setting controversial and subject to power struggles. A new definition of health, known as the Meikirch Model, could correct this deficiency. It states: “Health is a dynamic state of wellbeing characterized by a physical, mental and social potential, which satisfies the demands of a life commensurate with age, culture, and personal responsibility. If the potential is insufficient to satisfy these de-mands the state is disease.” The potential is composed of a biologically given and a person-ally acquired component. Thus this definition characterizes health with six essential features, which are suitable for an analysis of and priority setting in medical consultations and in health care policy decisions. A wide discussion about this definition of health followed by its imple-mentation is expected to render health care in-dividually and socially more beneficial.

HEALTH SERVICE SYSTEMS IN CHINA＇S MINORITY AREAS：HEALTH POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH STATUS

This paper discusses the development of health care system,health expenditure,disease model, and health status on the minority areas in China. The article also puts forward some policy suggestions,such as clearly defining the government responsibilities,adding the investment in the minority regions;combining the development of health service with helping-the-poor program;exploring the moderate health care system in minority rural areas;making classification instruction to PHC in minority;establishing the relevant evaluation system.

Using Fingerprint Features as Personalized Cryptographic key in Personal Health Record Systems

An embedded method which can provide privacy-safeguard and data-security layer for the Personal Health Records (PHR) is proposed. In our method, the fingerprint image of a patient or doctor is obtained with fingerprint scanner and the values of fingerprint features points are calculated and saved in an IC card. As a result, saving the fingerprint image is not required in our method. Based on the user's password, a transformation is applied on the fingerprint topology structural values. After that, we take these points' coordinates on the transformed topology structure as a cryptographic key, which is used with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm to encrypt the users' privacy information, such as prescription, laboratory sheet, medical certificate, etc. The experimental results demonstrate that our method could bring patients the self-control and self-management on their own medical privacy information.

Testing of the Content Validity of a Modified OPCq Instrument—A Pilot Study in Norwegian Home Health Care

Aim: To test the content validity of a modified Oulu Patient Classification instrument (OPCq), part of the RAFAELA Nursing Intensity and Staffing system in home health care (HHC) in Norway. Background: Due to the growing number of patients in HHC, a Patient Classification System (PCS) whereby the systematic registration of patients’ care needs, nursing intensity (NI) and the allocation of nursing staff can occur is needed. The validity and reliability of the OPCq instrument have been tested with good outcomes in hospital settings, but only once in an HHC setting. In this study, the OPCq is tested for the first time in HHC in Norway. Methods: A pilot study with a descriptive design. The data were collected through a questionnaire (n = 44). Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used. Results: The OPCq fulfills the requirements for validity in HHC, but the manual may need some minor adjustments. Discussion: The OPCq seems to be useful for measuring nursing intensity in HHC. Staff training and guidance, high-quality technological solutions and that all technology works satisfactorily are important when implementing a new PCS. Further research is needed in regard to NI and the optimal allocation of nursing staff in an HHC setting.

Mental Health Care in Saudi Arabia: Past, Present and Future

We review the past, present and future state of mental health care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The past is reviewed prior to the modern era, discussing early explanations and treatments for mental health illness up through the establishment of the first mental hospital in the 1950s, tracking advances in mental health care over the past 60 years. The present is explored in terms of the current need for mental health care based on the prevalence of mental health problems in KSA. We also discuss the role of the family in caring for the needs of the mentally ill today. Finally, we look forward into the future, discuss the current education system that will produce the next generation of mental health professionals, examine areas of mental health care that need improvement, and provide a research agenda to guide the continued development of the mental health care system in KSA. Our goal is to present a blue print for the development of a state-of-the-art mental health that may serve as a model for other countries in the Middle East, while taking into account the political, cultural and religious factors that are unique to this region of the world.

China's Oral Care System in Transition:Lessons to be Learned from Germany

Aim The objective of this discussion paper is to investigate whether the experience gained through the German paradigm shift in dental care can be of benefit in China＇s deliberations on the introduction of universal dental care for its people. Methodology A comparison of representative oral health outcome data from China and Germany, two countries at different stages in their development, is presented here in order to analyse whether the findings meet expected outcome and confirm the presumption that more developed countries perform better. Results The epidemiological comparison reveals surprising findings concerning the severity of dental diseases and, in particular, missing teeth per person in adults and rates of total edentulousness in seniors. In all of these areas German adults and seniors show significantly inferior outcomes compared with the Chinese population. The mainreason for these striking discrepancies, as it turned out, is the decisive role played by the treatment philosophies and strategies of German dentists. Conelusion and recommendations If dentists take a less interventionist approach, checking as well as treating dental diseases with preventive and strictly tooth-preserving methods, dental treatment results in oral health. Under these condi- tions it can be assumed that modem dentistry is generally good for the teeth. These findings are important for developing countries that are seeking to integrate dental care into their health care system. On the basis of long-term experience from highly industrialized Western countries and especially from Germany we will attempt to put forward proposals for creating an effective and efficient dental care system in China.

A Study on the Public Awareness of Hierarchical Medical System in Taiwan

The purpose of hierarchical medical system is to lead in terms of improving efficiency, differentiating healthcare services and promoting labor division by changing the healthcare seeking behavior. The purpose of this research aims to discuss the public awareness of hierarchical medical system in Taiwan for the reference of health policy makers. We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey;the total number of qualified patients was 1340. This research finds that more subjects agreed to the hierarchical medical system and medical referral system, but many people still disagreed with changes to their healthcare seeking choices due to policy promotion. Subtle changes, therefore, are observed that imply a crisis in terms of the trust in healthcare. The healthcare seeking behavior will not change if there is a difference between the medical awareness of patients and policy implementation, and the government needs to be concerned with this result when making policies.

Significant Differences in Elderly Health between Urban and Rural Communities: A Literature Review

This study aimed to examine measures pertaining to elderly health in urban versus rural settings, and to identify differences in the health of elderly people living in urban and rural communities through a literature review. An electronic literature search was performed using PubMed for English articles published in peer-reviewed journals up to August 2018, with the following search terms: “urban”, “rural”, “comparison of community”, “elderly health”, and “comparison of community health”. A total of 35 articles were extracted for a critical full-text review, and six articles that met the inclusion criteria were subjected to analysis. Measures related to elderly health in urban and rural communities were classified into the following three categories: functional abilities, health, and health perception. Five of the six articles described functional abilities (e.g., social function) and health (e.g., mental health, depression) as categories with significant differences in elderly health between urban and rural communities. The results suggest that elderly health measures related to social function and mental health or depression are more important outcome measures of effective person-centered integrated community care systems from the perspective of community characteristics. As there were only a few articles reporting on elderly health according to differences in environment between urban and rural communities, further investigation is globally warranted.

家庭医生服务制度的健康伦理、现实挑战与机制完善

人文关怀、契约精神与资源分配是家庭医生服务制度健康伦理的核心指向,该制度在实践运作中存在诸多健康伦理的现实挑战。人文关怀理念的培养,必须强化全科医学人文教育的规范化与家庭医生执业中人文教育的制度化;签约服务信任关系的养成,应力求实现家庭医生服务制度的规范化且应充分考虑不同人群的特殊需要,加强家庭医生服务平台的信息化建设;签约服务首诊秩序的形成,除了人文关怀理念与签约服务信任的相关制度完善外,还应采取诱导性的制度设计,合理调整与配置医疗卫生资源,引导居民逐步养成科学的健康理念与有序的就医习惯。

Relationship between information technology functionalities and hospital-acquired injurious fall rates in US acute care hospitals

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine health information technology functionalities in inpatient care units that were associated with reduced fall risk among adult patients aged 65 years or older in acute care hospitals in the United States. This study compared the differences in the hospital-acquired injurious fall rates for hospitals in California, Florida, and New York with and without fully implemented IT functionalities in their general medical and surgical inpatient units. It used publicly available 2007 datasets, the hospital was the unit of analysis, and teaching and non-teaching hospitals were analyzed separately. Hospital-acquired injurious falls were identified based on fall-related primary and secondary diagnoses and were flagged by the hospitals as not “present on admission” in the 2007 California, Florida, and New York State Inpatient Database data. The 4 health IT functionalities in general medical and surgical inpatient units were 1) electronic clinical documentation, 2) results viewing, 3) computerized provider order entry, and 4) decision support. The research question was What are the effective health IT functionalities in the general medical and surgical units for reducing fall risk among adult patients aged 65 years or older at their hospitals? Independent t tests were used. The results showed that no significant difference was found in the hospital-acquired injurious fall rates between hospitals with and without each of the 4 functionalities and between the teaching hospitals with and without each of the 4 functionalities. Significant differences were found in the injurious fall rates between non-teaching hospitals with and without electronic clinical documentation and result viewing. Future research may focus on assessing the clinicians’ use of the IT functionalities of electronic clinical documentation and results viewing, as well as the effect of the clinicians’ use patterns on patient outcomes.

健康中国背景下的“看病贵”与政府支出——基于资源配置结构性失衡视角的分析

“看病贵”意味着医疗卫生资源转化为医疗卫生服务的成本高,有限资源下医疗卫生服务供给的数量和质量难以满足公众健康需求,从而直接影响健康中国建设。同时,人口快速老龄化带来的医疗卫生需求爆发式增长,将形成医疗卫生体系的额外压力,加剧供求矛盾。基于医疗卫生资源配置结构性失衡视角研究“看病贵”与政府支出之间的关系发现:政府增加卫生支出会通过加剧人力资源配置的结构性失衡而加剧“看病贵”问题;只有将增加政府卫生支出与深化医疗卫生体制改革相结合,才能真正缓解全社会“看病贵”问题。因此,应深化公立医院改革,优化政府对医疗卫生资源的配置方式,加强基层医疗卫生体系建设,重塑医疗卫生服务治理模式,构建专业化治理模式,系统性重构中国医疗卫生领域人才建设。

Oral health status and performance of oral functions in children and adolescents in the treatment for overweight or obesity

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of oral functions and oral conditions in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity, investigating possible associations with treatment for weight reduction. Developing a cross-sectional research and quantitative approach with inductive and descriptive and critical analysis of data, such as from a range of 95%, the universe was represented by children and adolescents who were overweight or obese, in both sexes, treated at reference centers for the treatment of obesity by the National Health System, in Campina Grande, Paraíba, 2010-2012. As the control group considered subjects of the same age, in the process of screening for attention in the places listed, but without the condition of overweight or obese, the research was started after the approval by the Ethics Resarch Committee of the UEPB under the protocol number 0513.0.133.000-09. As instruments for data collection were used in the questionnaire and clinical examination, of the 70 surveyed, most were female, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years, overweight, without comorbidities and carriers of deleterious oral habits;especially the nail biting, significantly associated with female sex p < 0.05. Consistency was the preferred food paste and chewing quickly, unilaterally, without discomfort or gagging constant. There was a significant difference between the values of the DMFT index, the presence of visible biofilm and the frequency of halitosis, for groups with overweight or obesity, with association between time of treatment and medications.

The impact of a computerized care records service (CRS) on doctors’ work patterns in urological outpatient clinics

Objective: Government targets to reduce waiting times are putting enormous pressures on outpatient services. The implementation of an electronic care records service (CRS) at our hospital in 2008 has led to widespread press coverage of ensuing chaos in clinical administration. We wanted to know how this new electronic system impacted on our working patterns in outpatient clinics and – more specifically – on the time actually spent with the patients. Material & methods: This study was performed 4 and 12 months after implementation of CRS to assess its impact on the time distribution in clinic. Senior doctors were monitored with a stop clock during consultations. Timings for pre- and post-consultation administration, and the actual consultation with the patient were recorded. A total of 170 consultations were evaluated in this way. Results: The key findings were that the total time needed to spend on a urological outpatient of 16 minutes remains unchanged from the pre-CRS era, but a majority (57%) of this time is spent in administration on the computer without the patient involved. Conclusion: No more than 15 patients should be seen in a 4 hour outpatient clinic per doctor. This recommendation drawn up by BAUS before CRS remains still valid. Patient administration related to the consultation that has previously been done by administrative aides is now to be done by the doctors on the computer in the same consultation session. Intended to streamline patient pathways, this does reduce the quality interaction-time between doctor and patients significantly.

养老服务新体系下推进医养与康养衔接发展的思考

人口老龄化程度加剧带来了老年人健康需求的变化,医养与康养相融合成为当前养老服务体系建设的重要内容之一,因此要通过两者的有效衔接实现服务的均等化、可及性、延伸拓展、资源共享,但是由于管理体系不顺畅、资源配置不合理、服务项目不融合、保障措施不力、主动健康认识不足等因素造成了医养与康养衔接的现实障碍。文章提出了要将医养与康养有效衔接作为促进健康老龄化的积极行动、将管理协同和有效作为推动医养与康养衔接的重要力量、将政策推动和协同作为推动医养与康养衔接的保障基础、将资源整合和可及作为推动医养与康养衔接的关键动力、将医养与康养衔接作为高质量发展“银发经济”的有效途径等建议,为养老服务新体系下推进医养与康养衔接的发展提供政策依据。