eHealth and People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

eHealth is the transfer of health services and health care by information and communications technology. People with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) use the Internet for general and health-related reasons. Yet, it is unclear what kind of schizophrenia-related health information this population finds online. eHealth literacy is the ability of Internet users to find, understand, and apply the health information they acquire, to make appropriate health decisions. People with SSD exhibit cognitive deficits and consequently, their eHealth literacy can be affected. The goal of the study was to describe schizophrenia-related health information, to investigate eHealth use among adults with SSD in Finland and Greece, and to compare the country groups. The methodology consisted of three principle procedures. First, a mixed methods study was conducted with descriptive, cross-sectional design, in order to describe and compare schizophrenia-related health information and videos found online when searched in Finnish and Greek language. Content analysis was performed. Data were analyzed with quantitative and descriptive statistics. Second, a survey study with a descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted to describe and compare eHealth use among Finnish and Greek people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD). Data were collected by a structured questionnaire and analyzed with quantitative, descriptive statistics, partially, group comparisons were made with logistic regression techniques. Third, a systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the potential effectiveness of social media interventions for people with SSD. Our findings, first, showed that assessed online schizophrenia-related health information tended to be of low quality, with no significant differences between the two countries. Furthermore, schizophrenia-related videos tended to present mental illness in a negative, not medically-oriented way, again, without significant differences between the countries. Second, Internet use (FI: 87% vs. GR: 33%) and eHealth literacy (FI: mean 27.05 vs. GR: mean 23.15) of Finnish people with SSD was significantly higher (P<.0001) than their Greek counterparts. The interest component of attitudes toward computer/Internet was significantly higher (P=.006) among the Greek group (FI: mean 2.60 vs. GR: mean 3.16). Third, the systematic review and meta-analysis did not show superiority of social media mental health interventions than treatment as usual. In conclusion, it is recommended that in the future, better quality mental health information and videos need to be made available in several languages and to be easily accessible through the most popular search engines and social media sites. eHealth literacy instruction and training is necessary so that people with SSD can find, understand, and apply the health information they retrieve online.Sähköiset terveyspalvelut skitsofreniaspektrin sairauksien hoidossa eHealth –käsite tarkoittaa terveyspalveluja, jotka välitetään informaatio- ja kommunikaatioteknologian avulla. Skitsofreniaspektrin häiriöitä sairastavat henkilöt käyttävät Internetiä yleisiin ja terveyteen liittyviin tarkoituksiin. On kuitenkin epäselvää, minkälaista skitsofreniaan liittyvää terveystietoa he löytävät Internetistä. Sähköinen terveyslukutaito kuvaa Internetin käyttäjien kykyä löytää ja ymmärtää löytämäänsä terveystietoa sekä käyttää sitä tarkoituksenmukaisesti terveyteen liittyvissä päätöksissä. Koska henkilöillä, joilla on skitsofreniaspektrin häiriö, ilmenee usein kognitiivisia vajavaisuuksia, heidän terveyslukutaitonsa saattaa olla alentunut. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvata skitsofreniaan liittyvää terveystietoa sähköisissä palveluissa, selvittää näiden terveyspalvelujen käyttöä aikuisten, skitsofreniaspektrin häiriöitä sairastavien henkilöiden keskuudessa sekä Suomessa että Kreikassa ja verrata maiden ryhmiä toisiinsa. Aluksi toteutettiin tutkimus eri tutkimusmenetelmiä yhdistämällä (mixed methods) deskriptiivisellä, poikkileikkaavalla tutkimusotteella. Tarkoituksena oli kuvata ja verrata Internetistä suomeksi ja kreikaksi löytyvää terveystietoa ja videoita skitsofreniaa koskien. Aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin sekä kuvailevin tilastomenetelmin. Seuraavaksi suoritettiin kysely samalla tutkimusasetelmalla, jossa kuvattiin ja verrattiin sähköisten terveyspalvelujen käyttöä suomalaisten ja kreikkalaisten skitsofreniaspektrin häiriöitä sairastavien henkilöiden keskuudessa. Aineisto kerättiin strukturoidulla kyselylomakkeella ja analysoitiin kuvailevin tilastomenetelmin. Ryhmien väliset vertailut tehtiin logistisen regressioanalyysin avulla. Kolmanneksi tehtiin systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus ja meta-analyysi, jossa arvioitiin sosiaalisen median vaikuttavuutta skitsofreniaspektrin häiriöitä sairastavien henkilöiden hoidossa. Tulokset osoittivat, että skitsofreniaan liittyvää terveystieto oli yleisesti ottaen huonolaatuista molemmissa maissa; tutkittavien maiden välillä ei ollut tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja. Skitsofreniaan liittyvät videot kuvasivat mielisairauksia negatiivisessa, ei-lääketieteellisessä valossa; tulokset eivät eronneet tilastollisesti maiden välillä. Suomalaisten skitsofreniaspektrin häiriöitä sairastavien henkilöiden Internetin käyttö (Suomi 87% vs. Kreikka 33%) ja sähköisen terveystiedon lukutaito (ka 27.05 vs. ka 23.15) oli korkeampi suomalaisilla kuin kreikkalaisilla potilailla; maiden väliset erot olivat tilastollisesti merkitsevät (P<.0001). Tietokoneisiin/Internetiin kohdistuvat asenteet olivat merkittävästi positiivisimmat kreikkalaisen keskuudessa (ka 2.60 vs. ka 3.16, P=.006). Systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus ja meta-analyysi eivät osoittaneet sosiaalisen median olevan tehokkaampi kuin perinteiset hoitomenetelmät. Tulevaisuudessa korkealaatuista mielenterveysinformaatiota ja videoita olisi oltava helposti löydettävissä eri kielillä suosituimpien hakukoneiden ja sosiaalisen median avulla. Potilaat tarvitsevat koulutusta sähköisten palvelujen medialukutaitoon.Siirretty Doriast

From a literature review to a conceptual framework for health sector websites’ assessment

Health sector institutions’ websites need to act as effective web resources of information and interactive communication mediums to address the versatile demands of their multiple stakeholders. Academic and practitioner interest in health sector website assessment has considerably risen in recent years. This can be seen by the number of papers published in journals. The purpose of this paper is twofold to further establish the field. First, it offers a literature re-view on hospitals’ websites assessment. Second, it offers a conceptual framework to address the website assessment issue in health sector. The proposed assessment framework focuses on four main criteria: content, technology, services, and participation being evaluated by the use of several indicators. Academics, hospital practitioners, public officials and users will find the review and the framework useful, as they outline major lines of research in the field and a method to assess health institution websites.This paper is a result of the project “SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, methods, Tools) / NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037”, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Literature on website evaluation in health sector

A critical element in the evolution of health sector services provided through the internet is the development of appropriate websites that adequately serve the patients' needs. Hospitals, in order to deliver superior online services must first understand and then satisfy users’ expectations. Health sector website assessment is built on identifying underlying dimensions, and conceptualizing relative metrics. Research and practitioner interest in health sector website assessment has considerably risen in recent years. In this article aspects of relative academic studies in health sector website assessment are reviewed and a holistic health sector websites’ assessment framework is proposed, defining criteria and their relative indicators.This paper is a result of the project “SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, methods, Tools) / NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037”, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR).This paper is a result of the project “SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, methods, Tools) / NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000037”, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Patient safety in Europe: medication errors and hospital-acquired infections

The Report was commissioned by the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) in November 2007 in order to support its policy statements on Patient Safety (June 2004). In that statement the EFN declares its belief that European Union health services should operate within a culture of safety that is based on working towards an open culture and the immediate reporting of mistakes; exchanging best practice and research; and lobbying for the systematic collection of information and dissemination of research findings. This Report adressess specifically the culture of highly reliable organisations using the work of James Reason (2000). Medication errors and hospital-acquired infections are examined in line with the Reprt´s parameters and a range of European studies are used as evidence. An extensive reference list is provided that allows EFN to explore work in greater detail as required

The prevalence of credit risk in Greek Banking: Risk management & methodology for evaluating corporate credit risk and Greek Business Environment

Our article consists of the following 4 parts: - In the first part: documented the importance of credit risk with the presentation - analysis of the growth of 6 Greek major financial institutions loan portfolio, for the period 2001 to 2008 and comparison of the loan amount with their own funds and total assets them (based on published accounts). - In the second part: we refer to the approval and monitoring procedures that should be followed by banks using the internal ratings (IRB) methods for corporate loans. Our interest is focused on linking credit ratings to the terms of financing (collateral costs) and on the importance of evaluation / assessment and collateral for the balance of exposures. For typesetting the above is estimated the Risk Weight Assets for PD rating scale (National Bank of Greece published data) and relevant Figure/diagram. - In the third part: we analyse the methodology of key criteria for evaluating the creditworthiness of companies. At the same time for a short description of Greek Business environment we used the -List Easy of Doing Business index 2010- of the World Bank and the results of the assessment of business sectors in Greece according to the model of Credit Risk Tracker Greece's Standard & Poor's, as published by the Hellastat. (The key criteria for evaluating creditworthiness of companies mainly come from research on the websites of the companies Fitch, S & P, Moody's KMV, Hellastat, Easy of Doing Business index). - In fourth part: presented, properly treated, the results of empirical research conducted through distribution of questionnaire to 25 experienced in Risk Management, executives, which was called to assess 20 companies on the basis of their specific quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Finally it is noted that in this final part are also presented all the findings and related conclusions, resulting from the scientific research throughout this paper.

Barriers to business relations between medical tourism facilitators and medical professionals

This paper examines facets of the developing business relations between two important actors in the supply-chain of transnational healthcare: medical tourism facilitators and medical doctors (MDs) practicing privately and internationalising their services. The empirical focus is Greece, an emerging destination for medical care. Drawing on the sociology of the professions as an analytical framework, rich qualitative data reveals a conflictual aspect in the relation between the two actors, and informs the literature on transnational healthcare of barriers to market development. Particularly, MDs practicing privately often resist what is perceived to be medical tourism facilitators' pressures to control the 'rules of the game' in the submarket which inhibits their collaboration. The paper contributes, thus, to the sociology of the professions by bringing to light a new challenge for MDs engaged in the transnational business arena, represented here by the facilitators; and encourages tourism practitioners to consider MDs' self-understanding, attitudes, and expectations

Legionella Resources on the World Wide Web

Internet resources that focus on Legionella and legionnaires disease are presented. Web sites were selected on the basis of their content and adherence to suggested standards of medical Internet publishing. Free, accessible, English-language Web sites were categorized according to users' needs as follows: (1) those with comprehensive information on Legionella infection (including pathophysiologic characteristics, symptoms, and treatment of legionnaires disease), (2) those with information on outbreaks and epidemiology (including information for travelers), (3) those with information for researchers, (4) those about prevention, and (5) those with information for layperson