PANGAEA information system for glaciological data management

Specific parameters determined on cores from continental ice sheets or glaciers can be used to reconstruct former climate. To use this scientific resource effectively an information system is needed which guarantees consistent longtime storage of data and provides easy access for the scientific community.An information system to archive any data of paleoclimatic relevance, together with the related metadata, raw data and evaluated paleoclimatic data, is presented. The system, based on a relational database, provides standardized import and export routines, easy access with uniform retrieval functions, and tools for the visualization of the data. The network is designed as a client/server system providing access through the Internet with proprietary client software including a high functionality or read-only access on published data via the World Wide Web

Development of a Cost-Effective Database Software for Psychiatric Research: A Study From Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Background: Technological progression made drastic changes in health care. Still there is a growing concern about proper utilization of health information within hospitals for various research activities. Huge volumes of such health information in majority of hospitals are redundant due to lack of appropriate and cost-effective technological tools for retrieving relevant health information for research purpose. Objective: To develop a cost-effective and user-friendly computerized medical record database for psychiatry using available technology with the department. Methodology: Study performed at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Udupi district of South India. Various datasets from psychiatry medical records were utilized for the design and creation of database. A computerized database called PsyCase was developed with the help of technology available within the department. A 4612 patient’s data were entered into the PsyCase and subjected to various analyses. Results: Applications of PsyCase in various epidemiological studies were explored through performing numerous analyses with actual data. PsyCase was found effective in supporting psychiatric research as well as routine clinical and administrative activities. Conclusion: This study emphasizes need of appropriate use of technology available within a healthcare system to facilitate medical research in psychiatry and role of health information professional in such initiatives. Healthcare organization must focus on collective utilization of resources within the system to improve the utilization of health information for medical research

Technology based Health care an Indian perspective : opportunities and challenges

Healthcare technology is in use for a decade or more in India. The use of technology in healthcare especially in public health is very common due to the recent development in Information Communication Technology. The cost of equipments in ICT in general are falling. But in healthcare, some of the equipments costs very high. Such equipments are commissioned in various locations in India. This includes some of the remote areas. The present talk is an attempt to assess the effect of such technology on the public health system. The utilisation of such systems depends on various factors. They include, costs involved in maintaining such systems, the benefits of such systems to the health personnel and the general population, what are the advantages of such systems over the traditional systems, what are the benefits of such systems on the administration, the impact on the managerial efficiency, how does the system address the HR needs in the public health, what the skills expected out of the health personnel and the general population for using such systems.IT facilitated Health, Health, Telemedicine, Telehealth, HIS

Digital communities: context for leading learning into the future?

In 2011, a robust, on-campus, three-element Community of Practice model consisting of growing community, sharing of practice and building domain knowledge was piloted in a digital learning environment. An interim evaluation of the pilot study revealed that the three-element framework, when used in a digital environment, required a fourth element. This element, which appears to happen incidentally in the face-to-face context, is that of reflecting, reporting and revising. This paper outlines the extension of the pilot study to the national tertiary education context in order to explore the implications for the design, leadership roles, and selection of appropriate technologies to support and sustain digital communities using the four-element model

The People’s College, Nottingham: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 34/95 and 40/99 )

The Further Education Funding Council has a legal duty to make sure further education in England is properly assessed. The FEFC’s inspectorate inspects and reports on each college of further education according to a four-year cycle. This record comprises two of these reports for periods 1994-95 and 1998-99