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Telehealth and the global health network in the 21st century. From homecare to public health informatics
Abstract
The Information Era we live in has created new challenges and opportunities. This age of information highways has an economic price, which has not been properly evaluated. Detailed studies are needed to prove the cost and medical effectiveness of these technologies as well as its effects in the quality of life. Our society's future may depend on it. People are living longer, discoveries in genetics and in information technology are not only helping produce newer drugs faster but also providing the opportunity to exploit new areas such as disease prevention. These technologies provide a variety of opportunities to address public health challenges such as universal access for the uneducated, counter-bioterrorism, telemedicine, distance education, and home care. These opportunities present new challenges such as: surveillance, privacy/confidentiality/security of personal information which will affect all of our lives. No strategy has been presented publicly (yet) addressing (neither) the benefits (n)or the pitfalls of such technologies. From an economic point of view it is an imperative necessity to understand the importance of the Information Technology Infrastructure (ITI) and what it is. The investments in creating and maintaining this ITI will not come from a single application area such as healthcare, but rather from a combination of sources such as electronic commerce, banking, financial, manufacturing, entertainment, travelling, weather forecasting, pharmaceuticals, education, defence and many other 'industries' or application areas.
... Many studies suggest that telemedicine, assistive technology and smart home resources can reduce costs, improve healthcare services and can be more convenient for clinicians and patients than face to face consultations (Allen et al.,1999;Bynum et al., 2003;Chan et al., 2008;Dansky et al., 2001;Kun, 2001), but there is little empirical evidence to support these arguments (Reeder et al., 2013). End users need to be convinced of the value of Smart Home Technology for it to be adopted in homes around the country or the world (Ehrenhard et al., 2014;Elers et al., 2018). ...
... It is suggested that public and private sector organizations have the ability to come together to share information and overcome barriers to technology adoption. The goal here is to ensure that network infrastructure can be affordable and put in place so that cost efficiency can be achieved in the most appropriate and timely manner (Kun, 2001). ...
... Subsidizing product development can be very beneficial when set-up costs are high, but benefits can also be found in the long term. Collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as through interdisciplinary teams, could help reduce infrastructure costs (Kun, 2001;Peek et al., 2016) and increase innovation . Finally, increasing older adults' awareness of Smart Home Technology and training them in its use has also been suggested as a facilitator to adoption (Ehrenhard et al., 2014;Peek et al., 2016). ...
This research explores the principle barriers to and facilitators of the use of Smart Home Technology, telemonitoring and telemedicine systems to support healthcare and enable older adults to maintain their independence. The research focuses on organizational rather than technological issues. Semi-structured interviews explored the perspectives of three populations of stakeholders (N = 17): managers of rest homes/retirement villages, technology developers in a university setting and older adults (age 65 years and older). Key barriers to and facilitators of adoption are identified for the stakeholder groups. The results indicate that a lack of information about the capabilities and availability of the technologies is a key barrier to adoption. Other issues identified in previous studies are also found to be relevant, such as costs, platform management and infrastructure, and human issues such as privacy. The research provides practical recommendations for directions to be explored by developers and researchers in New Zealand and elsewhere.
... Although the elderly may suffer from chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, and functional limitations, mobilization of their self-care resources can minimize such health problems and enhance their health and well-being (Hoy et al., 2007). By reducing face-to-face consultations and shortening hospital stays, home care technology can help to compensate for inadequacies in health care resources while maintaining or improving care quality (Kun, 2001). Moreover, an increasing number of tools such as websites and smartphone applications have been designed to help individuals to manage their own health care. ...
... Such data may also aid the patients in self-care management and their families and relatives to ensure that the medications are taken as prescribed. Moreover, a reminder system is an important part of remote health care services (Kun, 2001). For people with chronic conditions, such a reminder system and documentation may assist the patient, doctor, friends, and relatives in proper medication consumption. ...
The increasing burden of chronic illness is currently a significant challenge due to the aging of the global population. For most people who suffer from chronic illnesses, lifelong treatment is needed for their health management. This study is focused on the needs of elderly people with chronic conditions who require lifelong treatment for disease management in taking medications as prescribed. A face-to-face survey and a multiple case study were conducted to elicit the reasons why elderly s use pill box and to determine the effectiveness of the smart medication reminder system. The results indicated that 60% patients need a tool for assistance in taking their medication as prescribed. The experimental results showed that the smart medications reminder may effectively assist users in taking their medications as prescribed. The patients’ needs for the smart mediation reminder include reminder design, mobile medication reminder, ease of use, flexible design, and Modular Design. By using the smart medication reminder, the pressure of taking medications as prescribed may be relieved for the most elderly users. Furthermore, economic, social support, and elder care subsidies are the important factors for patient welfare.
... Information Science is a social science discipline concerned with how we use and manage information including the technology behind it. Information Technology (IT) is the engineering side of information science and is primarily concerned with computer hardware and software and telecommunications, which are engineered into information systems (Kun, 2001). The technologies produced by information scientists and engineers have enabled public health officials to improve access to health care for all populations, especially those in rural areas. ...
... Software engineers have developed online platforms and software applications for computers, smartphones, and tablets. Network security engineers have developed software to protect patients' private health information, as well as medical and billing data, to provide privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal information (Kun, 2001). Technological developments introduced by information scientists and engineers are changing the delivery of health care in rural areas. ...
This chapter details the evolution of research and practices, in community health informatics systems, with implementation for sustainable community health. Community health informatics utilizes internet applications, and associated health information delivery systems to improve community health information access. It also accomplishes the reduction of community health disparities, inequity, and social injustice. In this regard, this chapter provides a brief overview of the history around community health informatics. Followed by a detailed discussion of the current and potential implementation of health informatics systems for sustainable community health, grounded in community action theories. Community health informatics is an emerging interdisciplinary science. This chapter considers the role of disciplines related to community health informatics practices, for sustainable community health. In this regard, this chapter provides a brief overview of the history around community health informatics, followed by a detailed discussion of the current and potential implementation of health informatics systems for sustainable community health.
... Here knowledge and skill sets of different fields such as psychology, management, computer science, food and agricultural science etc are also very much valuable [2], [4], [7]. ...
... Hence there are huge potentialities on running Information Systems on different subjects including Food and Nutrition domain. And such established may be called as Food Information Systems or Nutrition Information Systems that may deal with many other stakeholders such as academician, researcher, common mass, food professionals etc [4], [13]. ...
... Here knowledge and skill sets of different fields such as psychology, management, computer science, food and agricultural science etc are also very much valuable [2], [4], [7]. ...
... Hence there are huge potentialities on running Information Systems on different subjects including Food and Nutrition domain. And such established may be called as Food Information Systems or Nutrition Information Systems that may deal with many other stakeholders such as academician, researcher, common mass, food professionals etc [4], [13]. ...
Cloud Computing is a kind of virtualization technology based on internet. In cloud computing, central remote server plays an important role for healthy data management and applications. It offers handsome efficiency in the field of Computing as well as Information Technology for providing centralized storage, money, processing, and bandwidth. Thus regardless of the size of the institute (i.e. big or small) there is no additional requirement for the establishment of own as well separate IT infrastructure for more and higher business units. Networking Technology and Internet Technology play a vital role in the establishment of cloud computing in different settings. Today it is treated as an emerging technology among the other applied Information Science & Technology. India is strong as well as developed in many senses with a good amount of educational institutes for diverse sectors and community. Cloud computing is applicable in a different field in the current scenario, such as Education, Public Administration, Business & Commerce, Health, and Medicine etc. Interestingly, cloud computing may be applicable in the field of Food and Nutrition. This is a conceptual paper deal with cloud computing related aspects which include benefits, advantages, challenges, and issues. Moreover, the paper also talks about cloud computing applications in different and diverse areas of Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics. Further, the paper discusses some of the contemporary and future challenges to build Cloud Computing based Food Information Systems.
... subcounty data (25/49) and real-time data (20/49). Less frequently, interviewees mentioned having an ability to meaningfully compare themselves to other jurisdictions (5), having more qualitative data around consumer preferences and behaviors (2), and having better access to vital statistics (2). A small number of interviewees (9) described their various additional desired capacities in the context of a centralized, accessible database. ...
... subcounty data (25/49) and real-time data (20/49). Less frequently, interviewees mentioned having an ability to meaningfully compare themselves to other jurisdictions (5), having more qualitative data around consumer preferences and behaviors (2), and having better access to vital statistics (2). A small number of interviewees (9) described their various additional desired capacities in the context of a centralized, accessible database. ...
Context:
Health informatics can play a critical role in supporting local health departments' (LHDs') delivery of certain essential public health services and improving evidence base for decision support. However, LHDs' informatics capacities are below an optimum level. Efforts to build such capacities face ongoing challenges. Moreover, little is known about LHD leaders' desires for the future of public health informatics.
Objectives:
Conduct a qualitative analysis of LHDs' future informatics plans, perceived barriers to accomplishing those plans, and potential impact of future advances in public health informatics on the work of the public health enterprise.
Methods:
This research presents findings from 49 in-depth key informant interviews with public health leaders and informatics professionals from LHDs, representing insights from across the United States. Interviewees were selected on the basis of the size of the population their LHD serves, as well as level of informatics capacity. Interviews were transcribed, verified, and double coded.
Results:
Major barriers to doing more with informatics included staff capacity and training, financial constraints, dependency on state health agency, and small LHD size/lack of regionalization. When asked about the role of leadership in expanding informatics, interviewees said that leaders could make it a priority through (1) learning more about informatics and (2) creating appropriate budgets for integrated information systems. Local health department leaders said that they desired data that were timely and geographically specific. In addition, LHD leaders said that they desired greater access to clinical data, especially around chronic disease indicators.
Conclusions:
Local health department leadership desires to have timely or even real-time data. Local health departments have a great potential to benefit from informatics, particularly electronic health records in advancing their administrative practices and service delivery, but financial and human capital represents the largest barrier. Interoperability of public health systems is highly desirable but hardly achievable in the presence of such barriers.
... (16) Nowadays, older adult population and life expectancy are increasing. (17,18) In addition, the risk of falling is enhanced with aging and simultaneously the proprioception which is critical for proper balance function is weakened. (4) Massage has been suggested to improve proprioception by providing sensory input. ...
Background: Proprioception is critical for older adults to maintain their balance and prevent falling. However, massage is a convenient intervention that its beneficial effect on the proprioception is suggested. Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether one session of stimulating massage of the muscles around the knee joint improves position sense in older adult men. Methods: Twenty healthy older adults participated in this blind, randomized, crossover trial. The two treatment phases were massage and rest. The washout period between interventions was a 1-week interval. The massage protocol was as follows: deep effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement for 5 minutes for the anterior (tensor fascia lata, quadriceps, sartorius, and gracilis) and posterior (ham-strings) muscles of the knee (10 minutes in total). Results: Outcome measures were absolute, constant, and variable errors (AE, CE, and VE). Participants were assessed immediately before and after the intervention by a blinded investigator. Independent t-tests were used for statistical analyses. Massage reduced absolute error (2.77°, p = 0.01). Conclusion: The finding of this study confirms the beneficial impact of the massage on the joint position sense in healthy older adult men.
... In its purest form, telemedicine refers to treatment by a physician who is professionally responsible for providing this service remotely to a patient without face-to-face contact [9][10][11]. Other medical services that do not necessarily include direct interaction with a physician are generally referred to as telehealth or eHealth [12][13][14]. Telehealth includes health services in the form of various applications [15]. An operational definition of telemedicine stimulates the discussion of its role in the healthcare system and the global economy [16]. ...
The progress in telemedicine can be observed globally and locally. Technological changes in telecommunications systems are intertwined with developments in telemedicine. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the potential of teleconsultations and telediagnosis solutions in all areas of medicine. This article presents: (1) an overview of milestones in the development of telecommunications systems that allow progress in telemedicine and (2) an analysis of the experiences of the last seven conferences of telemedicine and eHealth in Poland. The telemedicine and eHealth conferences have grown steadily in Poland since their inception in the late 1990s. An exemplary conference program content was used to assess the scientific maturity of the conference, measured by the indices of research dissemination and the impact of publications. The overview presents progress in selected areas of telemedicine, looking at local developments and broader changes. The growing interest in telemedicine in the world’s medical sciences is demonstrated by visibility metrics in Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science. National scientific events are assumed to raise interest in the population and influence the creation of general policies. As seen in the example of Poland, the activity of the scientific community gathered around the Polish Telemedicine Society led to novel legal acts that allowed the general practice of telemedicine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Local scientific conferences focusing on telemedicine research can be a catalyst for changes in attitudes and regulations and the preparation of recommendations for the practice of telemedicine and electronic health. On the basis of the results of this study, it can be concluded that the progress in telemedicine cannot be analyzed in isolation from the ubiquitous developments in technology and telecommunications. More research is needed to assess the cumulative impact of long-standing scientific conferences in telemedicine, as exemplified by the telemedicine and eHealth conferences in Poland.
... Unlike childhood, most diseases of old age are non-communicable and chronic. Changes in disease patterns have been associated with a reduction in the incidence of infectious diseases and an increase in life expectancy and chronic diseases, and this, in turn, has led to increased attention to health concepts in old age [5]. In health, prevention has always taken precedence over treatment [6,7]. ...
Background: Self-care ability is a determinant factor in managing the daily lives of the elderly.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate self-care ability in the elderly and related factors.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, elderly people admitted to educational and medical hospitals in Zanjan in 2021 were selected by convenience sampling and 175 people over 60 years old evaluated with questionnaire including demographic information and self-care ability scale for elderly. Mean (standard deviation), frequency (percentage) and independent sample t-test were used to analyze data in SPSS 23.
Results: The mean (SD) score of elderly self-care in this study was 53.86 (1.41). The results showed that self-care ability is low in most participants (68%). Women have significantly higher self-care ability than men (P=0.018). With increased age, Self-care ability decreased (P=0.0001). In illiterate and lower educated people, self-care ability is significantly lower (P=0.0001), and also rural residents have significantly less self-care ability than urban residents (P=0.0001). Elderly people who were married (P=0.0001) and had a source of income (P=0.0001) had a better level of self-care.
Conclusion: Self-care ability is low in most elderly people, and self-care ability is worse in men, illiterate people, and villagers and self-care ability decreases with increasing age. It is suggested that simple programs be developed according to the age and level of literacy of the elderly.
... On the other hand, the elderly population is growing in the world. While only13% of the world population in 2000 were older than 65 years old, in 2040, 20% of the world population will be older than 65% [18]. Neck pain is more prevalent in middle-aged adults, which leads to severe disability in 5% of the individuals afflicted with the problem. ...
Background:
Chronic non-specific neck pain is the most prevalent neck pain with notable impacts on the quality of life in the elderly.
Objective:
The impacts of the neck, core, and combined stabilization practices on pain, disability, and improvement of the neck range of motion in the elderly with chronic non-specific neck pain were examined.
Method:
A quasi-experimental (open label) study was carried out through a cluster sampling in two phases in Tehran-Iran in 2017. Totally, 102 patients were randomly allocated to three groups of specific neck stabilization, specific core stabilization, and combined practices through envelope method. The intervention took 12 weeks. To measure the severity of pain and neck disability, the visual analog scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), and neck pain and disability scale (NPDS) was used. A goniometer was used to measure the range of the motion. To examine data, used SPSS (v.20).
Result:
The results, confirmed a significant decrease in pain over the time in the three therapeutic groups (p = 0.000). In addition, there was a significant difference between neck, core, and combined stabilization groups. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the angle of motion in all treatment groups with different treatment duration (P = 0.000). The highest increase in the angle of motion was after 12 weeks of practice in right lateral flexion (RLF) (p = 0.000).
Conclusion:
Twelve sessions of the neck, core, and combined stabilization practices can alleviate the pain and improve the strength in the elderly with chronic non-specific neck pain. In addition, compared to two other methods, the combined method was a more efficient way to improve the range of motion in patients.
... On the other hand, the elderly population is growing in the world. While only13% of the world population in 2000 were older than 65 years old, in 2040, 20% of the world population will be older than 65% [18]. Neck pain is more prevalent in middle-aged adults, which leads to severe disability in 5% of the individuals afflicted with the problem. ...
... [6] As age increases, many changes occur in the various aspects of the elderly's health such as physical, mental, intellectual weakness, and a variety of illnesses, and the elderly will experience some degree of self-care-related problems. [7] According to the definition of the World Health Organization, self-care behaviors include health promotion, disease prevention and control, adherence to the use of medicines, and referral to health-care centers such as hospitals if necessary. [8] Increased self-care ability in older adults could lead to self-fulfillment. ...
Background:
With the increase in the elderly population in the world and the consequent increase in diseases and their physical and mental problems, improving self-care behaviors by increasing self-efficacy in the elderly plays an important role in promoting their health and can increase their life satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of self-care self-efficacy program on life satisfaction of the elderly referred to selected health centers in Isfahan, Iran, in 2014.
Materials and methods:
This study was a quasi-experimental study with two experimental and control groups and was performed on 64 elderly people referred to selected health centers in Isfahan. The samples were randomly divided into experimental and control groups, and a self-care self-efficacy program was performed on the experimental group. Data collection tools included demographic information questionnaire and life satisfaction indexes A questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the statistical tests such as Chi-square, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Least Significant Difference (LSD) post hoc test.
Results:
There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics. Before the intervention, the mean score of life satisfaction was not statistically significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.88). However, immediately and 1 month after the intervention, the mean score of life satisfaction in the experimental group increased, and this score was significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The results of this study showed that the self-care self-efficacy program has been effective in increasing the life satisfaction of the elderly. Therefore, using this self-care self-efficacy program is recommended to promote life satisfaction in the elderly.
... (published in 2015), and two monographs -"Honorary Fellows of EFMI" and "Honorary Fellows of IMIA" (published in 2017 and 2018). Also some other authors, most influental medical informatics academics and experts described some important historical facts about development of Medical informatics in the past (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39). ...
Background: Medical informatics is regarded as a scientific discipline dealing with theory and practice of information processes in medicine, comprising data communication by information and communication technologies (ICT), with computers as an especially important ICT. It means Medical informatics history can be stated connected with the beginnings of computer usage in medicine. Objective: The aim of this review was to describe most important facts about historical backgrounds of development of Health/Medical/Biomedical informatics based on facts searched through systematic scientific literature. Methods: Author used descriptive method for explanation history of medical informatics based on published facts in the scientific literature deposited in online databases. Results and discussion: The development of medical informatics began in the 1950’s of 20th century, when the earliest reference to applications of electronic digital computers in medicine appeared. Historical facts in this article reflect on the development of the discipline of Medical that is now part of all medical disciplines of all health professionals. Applications of computer and information technologies in all segments of society and knowledge of information technology is now part of general literacy (1). The classical way to present a “history” is to list major events in chronological order, with more or less detailed comments about the persons, ideas or events. A distinction between periods brings a systematization flavor, easing the comments. Conclusion: During last 70 years Biomedical informatics became one of the most prominent biomedical disciplines included in almost all other academic and scientific medical disciplines.
Keywords: Medical informatics, Biomedical informatics, IMIA, EFMI.
... In India as well initially only deemed universities offered the program and gradually in recent past, some of the universities started to offer the program on Health Informatics. The growth of private universities is the main reason behind this [4,6]. Though, sometimes allied branches are also offered in Health Information Sciences. ...
Health is a major concern of today's age. The development of information technology and computing changes the entire arena of life and the gradual development became responsible for the emergence of Digital Society. Information Technology is about the collection, selection, organization, processing, management and dissemination of information and similar contents viz. data and knowledge. For this task and affairs, several information technological tools have been used and it is increasing rapidly. Today it is very difficult to find out an area where utilization of information technology is absence. Hence healthcare is not an exception. Digital Health becomes an important concept these days for the creation of digital health and medical contents. Similar to other areas like Digital Business, Digital Marketing, Digital Education, Digital Health become a concept and key strategy for the development and modernization of healthcare affairs powered by Information Science and Technology. The integration and combination of information technology and computing create a separate domain and branch called 'Health Information Science'. However, it is important to note that it is also known as Health Informatics nomenclature in the line of UK based academic units. Initially, the branch was mainly popular in the western countries and developed countries but gradually it is rising as a branch of study in a country like India. Private universities in India are rapidly increasing and the growth, initiative of private initiative is noticeable. This paper is conceptual in nature and deals with aspects of Health Informatics including its growing trends as a program of study in private universities in India.
... Though, in recent past health informatics gained popularity in the Private Universities. Among the bio information science areas most popular in India are bio informatics, and health informatics [10,13,17]. However, the IIITM Kerala has started another bio focused informatics called eco informatics with MPhil award. ...
Informatics is an interdisciplinary field of practice and study and treated as an alternative to information technology as well as computing education. Informatics foci have two ways first is computational and another is information oriented. Informatics is useful and applicable to different types of organizations viz. IT organization, universities, research centers, governments department, social places
and so on. Informatics is less mathematical and hence much
useful in the interaction of people, information, and technologies. Informatics is thus widely used in diverse
areas viz. healthcare, hospitalities, transportation, society, commerce, and business etc. Information technology is closely associated with the Informatics but it has higher components of information fundamentals and basics of information management. Though, Information Science is much similar and synonymous with informatics in many contexts. Universities around the world are offering degrees, training and research programs in the informatics and its subfields. India is a leading education hub in the world and has numerous educational institutions. Use of informatics nomenclature in India is still very much limited.
Though, some of the universities (mainly private) have started programs in the field. The paper is conceptual in
nature and thus theoretical. It provides a detailed account of informatics, its nature, and types emphasizing the
availability of the degree/programs in India with reference to private universities. The paper mainly highlighted the bio-informatics and related areas at a large as far as private universities are concerned.
... It is normally offered with BSc/ MSc/PhD Degree. However, it is important to note that except few universities all these are offering the program as full-fledged degrees rather specialization in other allied degrees [7], [8], [11]. ...
... It is normally offered with BSc/ MSc/PhD Degree. However, it is important to note that except few universities all these are offering the program as full-fledged degrees rather specialization in other allied degrees [7], [8], [11]. ...
Information Science is an interdisciplinary domain and plays a great role in the development at large. Information Science and Informatics normally treated as a synonym in academia worldwide. Information Science/Informatics is an applied science branch and thus with the combination of other areas and subject created many other knowledge cluster and field viz. Geo Information Science, Chemo Information Sciences, Environmental Information Science. Bio Information Sciences may be considered as a field of intersection of Biology and Information Science. Bio Informatics may be treated as one of the areas of Bio Information Sciences. Indian universities moving towards education, training, and research in interdisciplinary fields and as a result Bio related Informatics become vital. Higher Educational Institution’s number wise India also holds a rank in the world. In recent past private universities expanded rapidly. Many of them started offering Bio Informatics program in different level of study. This is a theoretical framework in terms of research paper and here several knowledge on information sciences, informatics with reference to Bio Informatics have been provided. The paper also highlighted emerging other allied areas including future potentialities in brief.
... As individuals become older, they witness changes in different aspects of their body which can include physical weakness, pain in the joints, musculoskeletal lesions, imbalance while walking, Osteoporosis, loss of bone tissue, overconsumption of drugs (Kun, 2001;Rao, 2000). Decreased physiological functionality depends on the physical changes individuals experience as well as their personal experience in their response to these changes (Lena, Ashok, Padma, Kamath, & Kamath, 2009). ...
Living to an old age is considered by many elderly women to bring about a decreased quality of life.
Hydrotherapy allows individuals to engage in certain physical activities that cannot be done outside the water.
The purpose of this study was to explore elderly women’s experience of the role of hydrotherapy in their health
and was conducted in selected pools of Guilan province in Iran in 2015-2016. Twenty-three elderly women
were selected using a purposeful sampling strategy. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews;
Researchers used a qualitative design, based on a content analysis approach. Analysis results were identified as
3 main themes and 12 subthemes. Improved physical health: reduced consumption of painkillers, improved
balance, pleasant breathing, easy menopause; Moving toward ability: increased independence, role fulfillment,
application of efficient strategies, will to health; Psychological and social relief: sense of liveliness, reduced
stress, peaceful sleep and re-emergence in society. “Competence development” was identified as the central
code. Results indicate that participation in hydrotherapy by elderly women supported the benefit of advising
them to participate in hydrotherapy sessions, as well as government’s cooperation with regard to creating
proper conditions for improving the health and life quality of this valuable population
... Generating and creating a repository on nutrition and health based on users need is an another important function of a food information systems [4], [6], [9]. ...
Informatics is an important domain that deals with several kinds of information activities by the manual knowledge organization tools as well as computational tools. Informatics deals with many foci and it also has many domain dependencies. Informatics may also concentrate on other domains and in this way new domains may be created. The integration of Food Science with Informatics provides Food and Nutritional Information solution. Food Informatics may be treated as a practicing field for Organization of Information, Infrastructure building which includes designing and development of Information Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning, Decision Support Systems, Documentation solution with the help of manual tools and computerization systems for the Food and Nutritional facets. Till Food Informatics as a subject not received a wide scale of popularity but yes it has healthy possibilities to become an important interdisciplinary subject. This conceptual paper provides an overview of the possible role, challenges, and issues of the domain.
... Most previous studies evaluated mRNA myostatin in skeletal muscle. Before converting to myostatin protein or forming in circulation, mRNA myostatin bears adjustments and reforms so that it cannot represent the myostatin in blood circulation [2]. Therefore, monitoring changes in blood flow also becomes necessary. ...
Objectives The decline in muscle mass and strength, which are associated with aging, is called sarcopenia. Resistance training is one of the effective methods to deal with sarcopenia. Correspondingly, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 8-week resistance training on muscle mass, strength, and myostatin concentration in old and young men.
Methods & Materials The present study included 14 old men (age range of 55 to 70 years) and 11 young ones (age range of 20 to 35 years) who were randomly chosen from the volunteers. They participated in a progressive resistance training (gradual increase in training load, 50% of one repetition maximum in the first week to 85% in the eighth week) for 8 weeks, 3 days a week. Daily calorie intake, strength, muscle mass, muscle cross-sectional area (by CT scan), and myostatin concentration were measured before and after the training.
Results The findings of the study indicated that after 8 weeks of training, muscle strength significantly increased in the old group in comparison with the young group (P
... Mobile health or mHealth has potential applications in public health issues since it grants access to healthcare resources to a wide array of people, and without saturating the system since it reduces consultations, hospital stays, and healthcare costs. 1 In industrialized countries it is seen as an alternative that may solve the problem of costs and access to healthcare of an increasingly ageing population, while in developing countries and thanks to the arrival of mobile technologies to these countries, it will grant access to healthcare to the majority of low income-populations who live in rural areas. ...
Technological advances have played a key role over the last century in the development of humankind. Critical Care Medicine is one of the greatest examples of this revolution. Smartphones with multiple sensors constitute another step forward, and have led to the development of apps for use by both professionals and patients. We discuss their main medical applications in the field of Critical Care Medicine.
... Igual que el resto de los campos, la Medicina también ha experimentado los cambios de esta revolución informática a través de la visión de la salud electrónica, eSalud o eHealth, basada en las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones. La salud móvil o mHealth tiene potenciales aplicaciones en problemas de salud pública, permitiendo un acceso a los recursos sanitarios de amplios sectores de la población, sin saturar el sistema al reducir consultas y hospitalizaciones, con la consiguiente reducción de costes sanitarios 1 . En los países industrializados se plantea como una alternativa para resolver el problema de los costes y el acceso a la salud de una población cada vez más envejecida, mientras que en los países en vías de desarrollo, gracias a la alta penetración de las tecnologías móviles en estos países, permitirá el acceso a la sanidad a gran parte de la población dispersa en áreas rurales con medios escasos. ...
Technological advances have played a key role over the last century in the development of humankind. Critical Care Medicine is one of the greatest examples of this revolution. Smartphones with multiple sensors constitute another step forward, and have led to the development of apps for use by both professionals and patients. We discuss their main medical applications in the field of Critical Care Medicine.
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... As individuals become older, they witness changes in different aspects of their body which can include physical weakness, pain in the joints, musculoskeletal lesions, imbalance while walking, Osteoporosis, loss of bone tissue, overconsumption of drugs (.kun, 2001(.kun, & Rao, 2000. ...
... However, continuity and collaboration problems of care remain and persist. These problems have already been emphasized by several works (Kun, 2001 andBricon-Souf et al., 2005). We could observe them in our home healthcare processes case study, where continuity and collaboration are ensured in an unorganized manner, and need more improvements. ...
Organizations strive to improve the quality of provided services to their customers by making efficient use of Business Process Management (BPM). Home healthcare structures are considered as an enabler for linking daily life of patients with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). BPM relies first on business process model specifications that capture the desired workflows in the organization and how exceptional conditions should be handled. Home healthcare is still less developed in Tunisia than in other countries such as Canada, United States, Australia, France and Italy. This is due to many reasons, being one of the most relevant the expensive cost of hospitalization at home with no support from health insurances. In addition, it is badly organized, with many ad-hoc processes, making them hard to implement and improve. In this paper, we assess a real-world case scenario of home healthcare in Tunisia through interviews with involved actors in a private clinic. Also, we present the derived process models of home healthcare for this case. Our main goal is to have a sound starting point for the BPM cycle, by accurately modelling all business processes involved in home healthcare. With these models, we intent to: 1) optimize the processes by automating and rationalizing some activities, 2) implement them in a Business Process Management System (BPMS), 3) execute them, and 4) improve them through instance harvesting and remodeling.
... Telemedicine, TeleHealth, eHealth, telehomecare, and similar ICT-based systems are assumed to be critical in providing healthcare solutions in the future with ageing population, healthcare system under financial pressure, and with the "epidemic" in life-style chronic diseases (Kun, 2001). Traditionally, healthcare in industrialized societies has been built upon a physical, direct contact between healthcare professional and the citizen (patient). ...
The healthcare system is in many countries operated by the governments, and interaction with the healthcare system is one of the most frequent interactions between citizen and government. Demographic, medical, and technological changes are likely to bring new aspects of connectedness into the everyday life of people and place healthcare and homecare professionals in new roles. A transformation is taking place where hospital best practices are constantly reducing patient's in-hospital stays to alternative, less-costly care-notably at home. Telemedicine, telehealth, eHealth, home monitoring, and self-care are essential aspects of this transformation. Many issues are influencing this transformation, and new barriers are showing up where others are removed. A broadly oriented enterprise architecture effort is presented for the underpinning of the change process. The architectural approach encompasses views of the citizen, the healthcare system, the information infrastructure, and the citizen-oriented technology. A case of telemonitoring and self-care is presented using mobile hypertension measurement on a large-scale population cohort. Evaluation of the acceptance and success of the solutions is done within a combined understanding including technology, economy, organization, and culture.
With the advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the concept of Smart homes has become widely common. Smart Homes act as an intelligent house with the ability to acquire knowledge about inhabitants to adapt and meet the goals of efficiency and automation. However, with this wide advancement in Smart Home technologies, there is a gap between early adopters and the mass market. Prior research on IoT has focused on the technical functionalities of the IoT, the communication standards, and the security protocols. Some previous attempts have used established adoption models to analyze the user acceptance and adoption of IoT and Smart Home Technologies. However, none of them have studied the individual differences between users as antecedents impacting the intention to adopt and use smart home technologies. This research explores and integrates the level of importance of different tasks at home to form a positive factor named Perceived Task Necessity. In addition, drawing from previously validated research, Privacy & Security Risk, and Trust are introduced as antecedents of perceived behavioral control. Then integrated with the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Big-Five Factors personality model to propose a theoretical model to explain the users’ intention to adopt and use Smart Home Technologies. A 32-item survey measure is built to test the proposed model and validate the hypotheses. The instrument is being tested in an online survey. The results of the survey will be used to verify the validity of the proposed model and show the relationship between the individual differences, the perceived task necessity, and their attitude with the intention to adopt and use Smart Home Technologies.KeywordsInternet of ThingsHome automationSmart homesTechnology disruptionTheory of planned behaviorConscientiousnessPerceived task necessity
In response to health access barriers, telehealth and telemedicine have grown as a supplemental healthcare delivery system to mainstream medical care. For rural and remote communities, which are mostly less well resourced, telehealth and telemedicine is increasingly a major system enabling health access and availability, bridging population health disparities by geography and socioeconomic gradients. People in low resources settings have less access to health care, while commuting for health services to the cities would be costly in terms of time, effort, and money, resulting in health inequities and social injustices on them. In this chapter, we examine the role of telehealth and telemedicine as health systems for providing sustainable community health in low resource settings. In doing so, we provide a historical overview of the research and practice in telehealth and telemedicine, followed by a discussion of current leading practices in telehealth and telemedicine. We consider the cultural and legal influences on telehealth and telemedicine services across jurisdictions highlighting responsiveness to local contexts and needs. Finally, we consider the issues for research and practice in telehealth and telemedicine, including security and privacy associated with telehealth; education for sustaining telehealth delivery; engaging high-risk populations from low-resource settings in telehealth services; and use of social networks to ensure telehealth care access for poor and remote regions.
The revolution in information technology and in information and knowledge management contributed to the generation of actionable information and actionable knowledge required to address critical problems of national and global health care. Yet, despite expectations, e-based approaches are far from fulfilling the dream of equitable and universal access to health across the globe. A dramatically new approach is needed if health care is to be brought “among the people.” Based on maximum integration of computer technology (CT), information technology (IT), information management (IM), and knowledge management (KM), and multidimensional human expertise, the concept of “Teams of Leaders” (ToL) provides a foundation for such an approach. Utilizing the entire spectrum of IT/IM/KM, irrespective of specific platforms, and harnessing globally distributed human expertise, Teams of Leaders transcend bureaucracies and politics, create “bottom-up” flows of ideas and knowledge, and generate horizontal and vertical collaboration among hitherto isolated actors. By empowering people rather than concentrating on technology-facilitated improvements of processes, ToL may prove to be one of the pivotal concepts behind the desperately needed healthcare revolution.
Objectives To investigate the effect of 12 weeks of neck stabilization, core stabilization, and combined stabilization exercises on pain and disability among elderly people in Tehran City, Iran.
Methods & Materials This study was a 12 weeks open-label clinical trial. A total of 18 elderly patients with chronic neck pain were randomly assigned into three groups: neck stabilization training (6 people), core stabilization training (6 people), and combined stabilization training (6 people). The severity of neck pain and disability before the beginning of the training, 8 weeks after training and one week after the completion of the exercises were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDI). To investigate the effect of time, repeated measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the data in SPSS version 21.
Results The Mean±SD scores of pain before and after neck stabilization treatment were respectively 6.08±0.58, 4.83±0.52 for VAS and 49.17±2.86 and 39.17±2.79 for NDI; and 56.4±2.11 and 50.0±1.64 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant. The Mean±SD scores of pain before and after core stabilization treatment were respectively, 6.00±0.55, 4.92±0.20 for VAS; 49.67±1.86 and 39.17 ±1.94 for NDI; and 56.01±2.44, and 48.92±1.16 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant. Also, the Mean±SD scores of pain before and after combined stabilization treatment were respectively, 6.00±0.45, 4.00±0.32 for VAS; 49.83±2.23 and 37.17±2.86 for NDI; and 55.25±0.28 and 47.51±1.44 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant (P0.05).
Conclusion The findings of this study showed that 12 sessions of neck, core, and combined stabilization training in the neck region could improve the tolerance and pain of the elderly with non-specific chronic neck pain.
Objective: To investigate the effect of 12 weeks of neck stabilization, central and combined stability exercises on pain and disability of non-specific chronic neck pain among elderly people in Tehran.
Methods: This study was a 12 weeks open-label clinical trial. 18 elderly patients with chronic neck pain were randomly assigned into three groups: neck firmness training (6 people), central stability training (6 people) and combined training (6 people). The severity of neck pain and disability before the beginning of the training, at the end of the 8 weeks and one week after the completion of the exercises Were measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDI). To investigate the effect of time, repeated measure analysis of variance (RMANOVA) was used to analyze the data in SPSS version 21.
Results: The mean score of pain at before and after in neck stability treatment group using VAS, NDI and NPDI indices was 6.08± 0.58, 4.83± 0.52 and 49.17± 2.86, 39.17± 2.79, and 56.42±2.11, 50.03± 1.64, respectively that difference between pairs was significance. The mean score of pain at before and after in central stabilization treatment group using VAS, NDI and NPDI indices was 6.00± 0.55, 4.92± 0.20 and 49.67±1.86, 39.17±1.94, and 56.01± 2.44, 48.92± 1.16, respectively that difference between pairs was significance. Also The mean score of pain at before and after in combined stabilization treatment group using VAS, NDI and NPDI indices was 6.00± 0.45, 4.00± 0.32 and 49.83± 2.23, 37.17± 2.86, and 55.25±0.28, 47.51± 1.44, respectively that difference between pairs was significance (P <0.05).Among the underlying variables of gender (F=6.21, P=0.02), there was a significant effect on pain relief in the elderly, while other variables were not significant as pain relief (P> 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that 12 sessions of cervical, central and combined stability training in the neck region could improve the tolerance and pain of the elderly with Non-specific chronic neck pain.
Background & Purpose: Assessment of quadriceps muscle cross-section area and volume is of great diagnostic value. The purpose of this study was to provide a model to predict quadriceps muscle cross-section area and volume based on anthropometric parameters in old and young men.
Methodology: 101 sedentary and health male subjects (52 old men aged 50 to 70 and 49 young men aged 20 to 49) participated in this study. Computed tomography imaging scans as basic method and thigh anthropometric parameters as predictor variable were taken from thigh. Multiple regressions was used to designing estimation models.
Result: A significant correlation between criterion variable with predictor variable was shown (P≤0.05). Regression model to estimate muscle volume was -0/125(TTC)2 +40/142(TTC) +26/544(L) -39/895(TSF×10-1) -2639/144 in the elderly subjects and -0/295(TTC)2 -88/217(TTC) +26/313(L) -53/908(TSF×10-1) +7242/579 in the young subjects. In these models, the TCC means the total tight circumference in three areas of upper, middle and lower to centimeter, the L means thigh length in centimeter and the TSF means skinfold thickness in three areas of upper, middle and lower in millimeter in the anterior region of the thigh. The correlation coefficient and standard error of the estimate was 0/781 and 5/195 percent respectively for the elderly subjects and 0/845 and 3/169 percent respectively for the young subjects.
Conclusion: It seem that results are provide relatively valid models for estimating the cross section area and volume of quadriceps based on anthropometric variables in young and old men, that can useful for research in the field of clinical, exercise physiology and science.
Background: Ageing is a crucial juncture of human life and Given the issues and needs at this stage is a social. With this in mind special needs of the elderly is important in That are largely neglected. The present study compares the quality of life for elderly men and women Elderly nursing home resident by Alborz Province. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive - analytical (cross) . Classification of simple random sampling method proportional to size classes were selected. Information using a standardized questionnaire WHOQOL: BREF questionnaire concerning demographic characteristics and background to face interviews, were collected. 62 patients were studied. Data using SPSS 16 statistical software and For analysis of test data one way ANOVA and t-test is used. Results: There was a significant relationship between quality of life and, gender, education, marital status, disability, but there was no a significant relationship between quality of life and age, children, income. Conclusion: Overall quality of life in the present study were higher in women than men. Improving quality of life for this group of community planning and executive training seems necessary.
Introduction: In order to help establish appropriate treatment goals, increase awareness of fall risk, and assign appropriate assistive device, balance assessment is necessary for most of the elderly in health setting. Falls have significant relationship with the health of elderly people; and its early identification will lead to reducing future fall risk. Therefore, the present study was done with the aim of comparing three functional tests in identifying elderly non-fallers and fallers. Methods: In this causal-comparative study, 52 elderly men and women were selected from Subjects three parks in Tehran. Having Completed a consciousness evaluation questionnaire through convenience sampling and based on participants' self-reports, the subjects were divided into an elderly group (27 people) with a history of one or more falls in the previous one year and an elderly group (25 people) with no history of falls. The data were collected through Timed up & Go test, Functional Reach test and Berg Balance Scale and they were analyzed via MANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient tests(P<0.05). Results: The results showed significant difference between elderly fallers and non fallers in fall risk dependent variable (P=0.0005) so that, in all tests, the elderly with no falling history had a better performance. There was also a significant correlation between the three tests. Conclusion: In general, it can be said that the two groups showed significant differences in all three tests and these instruments can be used to identify the elderly with balance impairment.
Keywords: Elderly, Fall, Non-Fallers, Fallers, Balance.
This chapter examines how technology is supporting the health and health care system for rural/remote people, specifically telehealth and the Internet, with a focus on the Canadian context. I will begin by outlining the opportunities and the challenges that technology presents to rural people and communities. This is followed by highlighting the divide between rural and urban in the Canadian context, with a focus on inequities related to health. This is followed by exploring the role of ICTs in health and health care with a focus on changes in the Canadian healthcare system, telehealth and the Internet as a source of health related information. These issues are then examined through a rural lens, asking the question what, if any are the implications for rural people and communities. I end with a section of reflections followed by the conclusion that ICTs present new opportunities for rural people and communities, but if they are to be able to take advantage of these opportunities they must learn to develop the necessary capacities, both as individuals and as a community. Their challenge is a learning challenge.
Background and Objective
Self-management in healthcare can allow patients managing their health data anytime and everywhere for prevention of chronic diseases. This study established a prototype of ubiquitous health management system (UHMS) with healthy diet control (HDC) for people who need services of metabolic syndrome healthcare in Taiwan.
Methods
System infrastructure comprises of three portals and a database tier with mutually supportive components to achieve functionality of diet diaries, nutrition guides, and health risk assessments for self-health management. With the diet, nutrition, and personal health database, the design enables the analytical diagrams on the interactive interface to support a mobile application for diet diary, a Web-based platform for health management, and the modules of research and development for medical care. For database integrity, dietary data can be stored at offline mode prior to transformation between mobile device and server site at online mode.
Results
The UHMS-HDC was developed by open source technology for ubiquitous health management with personalized dietary criteria. The system integrates mobile, internet, and electronic healthcare services with the diet diary functions to manage healthy diet behaviors of users. The virtual patients were involved to simulate the self-health management procedure. The assessment functions were approved by capturing the screen snapshots in the procedure. The proposed system development was capable for practical intervention.
Conclusion
This approach details the expandable framework with collaborative components regarding the self-developed UHMS-HDC. The multi-disciplinary applications for self-health management can support the healthcare professionals to reduce medical resources and improve healthcare effects for the patient who requires monitoring personal health condition with diet control. The proposed system can be practiced for intervention in the hospital.
Objectives Malnutrition is a clinical disorder and a common risk factor in older patients with diabetes that may impact their health. This study aimed to assess nutritional status and associated factors in elderly with diabetes in Kerman City, Iran.
Methods & Materials This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kerman in which 190 older patients with diabetes were included. Their nutritional habit was measured using the MNA. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and correlation among variables, analyzed by the Chi Square, T-test, and One Way ANOVA.
Results The findings showed that 5.3% of elderly patients were suffering from malnutrition, and in 51.6% nutritional status was normal. Also, there was a statistically significant association between nutritional status and gender (P=0.036). There was a significant negative relationship between duration of diabetes and nutritional status in the elderly (r=0.192, P=0.008).
Conclusion It is necessary to maintain and improve the status of elderly diabetic patients with malnutrition by administering normal nutritional status and special attention
Introduction: Today increased life expectancy is not merely a sign of development, but life quality of the elderly and the role of social factors in its promotion should be also taken into account. This study is intended to investigate the role of social support on the quality of life of the elderly in the city of Mashhad.
Method: In this study a survey method was adopted and the data were collected by questionnaire. Accordingly, the quality of life was measured by F36 standard questionnaire and social support was assessed by Philips standard questionnaire. The population consisted of all senior citizens over 65 years in mashhad and a sample size of 265 subjects was selected. A combination of stratified cluster samplings method were used for this purpose and data were selected from 9 neighborhoods in the city of Mashhad in the year 2014. Moreover, data analysis was conducted using SPSS 16 software, regression tests, Pearson correlation and mean comparison.
Results: The mean score of quality of life for the elderly was 52.64 with the subscale of social functioning scoring higher than other subscales. Also, the average total score for social support was 49.65 with the subscale of emotional support (mean score= 64.87) obtaining the highest score. The results of mean comparison indicated a significant association between two variables of quality of life and gender so that male elderly had a significantly higher quality of life compared to their female counterpart (P =0.000).
Also, there was a significant difference only in physical dimension of quality of life (P=0.000) with men displaying better physical quality of life compared to women. There was no significant relationship between general social support and gender. Among the dimensions of social support, there was a significant difference between men and women in terms of information support (P=0.000). Finally, social support and its dimensions had a significant effect on the quality of life of the elderly so that they explained 35% of variation in the quality of life. In this regard, emotional support had the greatest effect on the life quality of the elderly.
Conclusion: Emotional support had the dramatic effect on the quality of life of older adults, but it should be noted that because of special social, economic and physical status, they also require other types of support such as instrumental and informational support
Background and aims: With increasing age in old era, it happens some changes in different dimensions including physical weakness; reduce in brain power, and mental disorders in elderilies. One of the best actions is self-care to promote elderlies health. The aim of this study was to determine the level of self-care behaviors and its related factors in community dwelling elderlies in Sari, 2014.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 on 120 elderlies in Sari city. Multi-stage randomized sampling metod was done from 10 health centers. Data were collected using a self-care questionnaire made by researcher (adoption from Ministry of Health). Reliability of this questionnaire was calculated 0.83 with Cronbach's alpha test on 30 elderlies. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software with using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency and median) and t-test, Spearman and Pearson correlation and chi-square tests at significant level of P<0.05.
Results: Of 120 elderlies, 50% were man that the most of them were married (64.5%), with average economic status (56.7%) and illiterate (60 persons). The mean and standard deviation of total self-care were 128.42±11.98 and the mean and standard deviation of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions were: 39.10 ± 4.22, 18.15 ± 3.07, 34.75 ± 4.35 and 36.40 ± 5.16, respectively. There is a significant relationship among psychological self-care with education level (P=0.001), and lifestyle of elderlies (P=0.026). Also, there is a significant and meaningful relationship among spiritual self-care with educational level of elderlies (P=0.001) and lifestyle of them (P=0.003).
Conclusion: According to results of this study, the most level of elderly’s self-care was good and demographic factors such as level of education, economic efficiency and life style were effective on self-care. Regarding to the possible effects of education and economic efficiency on aspects of self-care, it is recommended to provide some actions to improve quality of life and education of this peoples.
Abstract
Background & Aims: Nowadays the elderly population is growing all over the world. Diseases and conditions
resulting from this evolutionary process can be costly to governments and cause many disabilities which severly
affect the erderly’s quality of life. This study aims to determine the effect of self-care training program on
quality of life of elderly.
Material & Methods: It is a controlled randomized trial which was carried out on 60 elderly referred to Omid’s
elderly care center in Borougen city. After convenience sampling, the elderly were randomly assigned to two
groups of experimental (n=30) and control (n= 30) groups. The experimental group participated in a three
months self- care training program. Data was collected by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and analyzed
using SPSS-PC (v.11).
Results: The findings showed a significant difference in the mean scores of quality of life between the
experimental and control groups (P<0.05) after intervention.
Conclusion: Self- care education to elderly about the practices of proper nutrition, exercise, rest and medication
can prevent a lot of problems and help them to improve their quality of life.
Key words: Quality of Life, Self- Care, Aging, Elderly, Training
Este trabajo presenta la interfaz de comunicación hombre-máquina (HMI) en desarrollo en el contexto del proyecto AMICA, orientada a la autogestión de pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). Esta plataforma trata de solucionar eventuales problemas de interactividad de los pacientes con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, ofreciendo diferentes interfaces alternativas al clásico ratón o teclado: la pantalla táctil o el diálogo por voz. El estado actual de este tipo de tecnologías permite una gran adaptabilidad a las necesidades de los pacientes con este desorden, caracterizados fundamentalmente por su edad avanzada.
In the homecare domain, workflows are in the mainstream for supporting the coordination and monitoring of care processes which involve managing a sequence of care workflow (careflow) activities, transmitting the information required for providing care and supporting the invocation of appropriate human and/or IT resources. However, the design of these careflows for later enactment by a Workflow Management System remains a complex task, heavily dependent on patients’ profiles and accordingly requiring to be distinctly personalised. This paper proposes an ontology-driven design approach for careflows, to facilitate the construction of personalized careflows. Following an approach grounded in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE), our methodology is based on the matching of ontologies between conceptual models of homecare and a semantic representation of Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) which is associated with both Actor and Case Profile ontological models.
Introduction:
Changes in the modern medical science caused significant reduction of mortality and every day increase of the elderly in the world. According to prevalence of physical and mental problems in elderly, it is necessary to take some actions. Self care in one of the best way to improve elderly health and life satisfaction that seems have a relation to self-esteem.
Methods:
This descriptive and analytical study was performed on 180 elderly in rural areas of the Sari city. Elderly selected by multi-stage randomize sampling method. Data were gathered by using standard questionnaires of self-care and Rosenberg self-esteem. Data were analyzed by Spearman and Pearson's correlation using SPSS software (V16).
Findings:
The mean±SD of the ages of the elderly were 66.85±7.661. The score of self-care varies between 99 to 155 and most of them (66.7%) had good level of self-care. Also, most of elderly (52.2%) had high level of self-esteem. Also there was a significant relationship, between self-care and self-esteem (P<0.001, r=0.426).
Conclusion:
According to significant relationship between self-care and self-esteem of elderly, by the planning for improving the self care of elderly, can increase their health and significantly reduce from physical and mental complications.
New technology can vastly improve the accumulation and dissemination of information on public health.1 Vice President Al Gore has written that the United States's current national information policy “resembles the worst aspects of our old agricultural policy, which left grain rotting in thousands of storage files while people were starving. We have warehouses of unused information ‘rotting' whole critical questions are left unanswered and critical problems are left unsolved.”2 This also reflects the status of global public health: we have vast repositories of “warehoused” information on health, nutrition, the environment, demography, and society. Telecommunication systems will give us access to this. Moreover, much of public health and prevention depends on the transfer of information, which telecommunication systems provide very cost effectively.
From Bitnet to Internet
Discussions about the applications of networking to health care have typically focused on the potential of networking to transmit data (in particular, images) and to reduce the cost of health care. But the vast potential of telecommunications to prevent disease has gone undiscussed.
Telecommunication networks began with electronic computer-to-computer correspondence among scientists.3 In the early 1980s networks began forming among academic institutions; one of the first was a system called Bitnet (Because It's Time Network).4 Although it linked institutions that granted degrees, Bitnet was handicapped because government agencies and industry were not represented. During the 1980s Internet evolved.5 Internet represents a “meta-network” - a network of networks. It provided a way of joining many diverse network, including those of governments and very recently industry.
The number of its users is growing by 12% a month: 10 million people in 91 countries now have access too the system. Internet was initially used for electronic mail and allows “bulk” mailings, with over 2500 electronic newsletters and 4000 discussion groups. Bulletin boards supply information of …
The Information Era we live in has created new challenges and
opportunities. This age of information highways has an economic price
which has not been properly evaluated. Detailed studies are needed to
prove the cost and medical effectiveness of these technologies, as well
as their effects on the quality of life. Our society's future may depend
on it. People are living longer, while discoveries in genetics and in
information technology are not only helping to produce newer drugs
faster but are also providing the opportunity to exploit new areas such
as disease prevention. These technologies provide a variety of
opportunities to address public health challenges, such as universal
access for the uneducated, counter-bioterrorism, telemedicine, distance
education and home care. These opportunities present new challenges,
such as surveillance and the privacy/confidentiality/security of
personal information which will affect all of our lives. No strategy has
been presented publicly yet, addressing the benefits or the pitfalls of
such technologies
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Highway to health: trans-forming the US health care in the information age
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AMIA policy statement by its Board of Directors. a proposal to improve quality, increase efficiency, and expand access in the US health care system
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