Monitoring weight and physical activity using an amI setting

We have an increasingly sedentary population without the care to make a healthy diet. Therefore, it becomes necessary to give the population the opportunity, despite living a very busy and tiring life, to have control over important aspects to their health. This work aims to present a model of an ambient intelligence system for monitoring the weight and physical activity in active individuals. To accomplish this objective we have developed a mobile application that allows users to monitor their weight over a period of time, identify the amount of food they consume and the amount of exercise they practice. This mobile application will give information to users about dietary and physical activity guidelines in order to improve their lifestyles. It is expected that students improve their lifestyles.(undefined

Development of a Step Counting Algorithm Using the Ambulatory Tibia Load Analysis System for Tibia Fracture Patients

Introduction: Ambulation can be used to monitor the healing of lower extremity fractures. However, the ambulatory behavior of tibia fracture patients remains unknown due to an inability to continuously quantify ambulation outside of the clinic. The goal of this study was to design and validate an algorithm to assess ambulation in tibia fracture patients using the ambulatory tibial load analysis system during recovery, outside of the clinic. Methods Data were collected from a cyclic tester, 14 healthy volunteers performing a 2-min walk test on the treadmill, and 10 tibia fracture patients who wore the ambulatory tibial load analysis system during recovery. Results The algorithm accurately detected 2000/2000 steps from simulated ambulatory data. (see full text for full abstract

Surveying human habit modeling and mining techniques in smart spaces

A smart space is an environment, mainly equipped with Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, able to provide services to humans, helping them to perform daily tasks by monitoring the space and autonomously executing actions, giving suggestions and sending alarms. Approaches suggested in the literature may differ in terms of required facilities, possible applications, amount of human intervention required, ability to support multiple users at the same time adapting to changing needs. In this paper, we propose a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that classifies most influential approaches in the area of smart spaces according to a set of dimensions identified by answering a set of research questions. These dimensions allow to choose a specific method or approach according to available sensors, amount of labeled data, need for visual analysis, requirements in terms of enactment and decision-making on the environment. Additionally, the paper identifies a set of challenges to be addressed by future research in the field

Managing lifestyle change to reduce coronary risk: a synthesis of qualitative research on peoples’ experiences

Background Coronary heart disease is an incurable condition. The only approach known to slow its progression is healthy lifestyle change and concordance with cardio-protective medicines. Few people fully succeed in these daily activities so potential health improvements are not fully realised. Little is known about peoples’ experiences of managing lifestyle change. The aim of this study was to synthesise qualitative research to explain how participants make lifestyle change after a cardiac event and explore this within the wider illness experience. Methods A qualitative synthesis was conducted drawing upon the principles of meta-ethnography. Qualitative studies were identified through a systematic search of 7 databases using explicit criteria. Key concepts were identified and translated across studies. Findings were discussed and diagrammed during a series of audiotaped meetings. Results The final synthesis is grounded in findings from 27 studies, with over 500 participants (56% male) across 8 countries. All participants experienced a change in their self-identity from what was ‘familiar’ to ‘unfamiliar’. The transition process involved ‘finding new limits and a life worth living’ , ‘finding support for self’ and ‘finding a new normal’. Analyses of these concepts led to the generation of a third order construct, namely an ongoing process of ‘reassessing past, present and future lives’ as participants considered their changed identity. Participants experienced a strong urge to get back to ‘normal’. Support from family and friends could enable or constrain life change and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle change was but one small part of a wider ‘life’ change that occurred. Conclusions The final synthesis presents an interpretation, not evident in the primary studies, of a person-centred model to explain how lifestyle change is situated within ‘wider’ life changes. The magnitude of individual responses to a changed health status varied. Participants experienced distress as their notion of self identity shifted and emotions that reflected the various stages of the grief process were evident in participants’ accounts. The process of self-managing lifestyle took place through experiential learning; the level of engagement with lifestyle change reflected an individual’s unique view of the balance needed to manage ‘realistic change’ whilst leading to a life that was perceived as ‘worth living’. Findings highlight the importance of providing person centred care that aligns with both psychological and physical dimensions of recovery which are inextricably linked

Urban ozone concentration forecasting with artificial neural network in Corsica

Atmospheric pollutants concentration forecasting is an important issue in air quality monitoring. Qualitair Corse, the organization responsible for monitoring air quality in Corsica (France) region, needs to develop a short-term prediction model to lead its mission of information towards the public. Various deterministic models exist for meso-scale or local forecasting, but need powerful large variable sets, a good knowledge of atmospheric processes, and can be inaccurate because of local climatical or geographical particularities, as observed in Corsica, a mountainous island located in a Mediterranean Sea. As a result, we focus in this study on statistical models, and particularly Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) that have shown good results in the prediction of ozone concentration at horizon h+1 with data measured locally. The purpose of this study is to build a predictor to realize predictions of ozone and PM10 at horizon d+1 in Corsica in order to be able to anticipate pollution peak formation and to take appropriated prevention measures. Specific meteorological conditions are known to lead to particular pollution event in Corsica (e.g. Saharan dust event). Therefore, several ANN models will be used, for meteorological conditions clustering and for operational forecasting.Comment: Sustainable Solutions for Energy and Environment. EENVIRO 2013, Buchatrest : Romania (2013

Competition and Quality: Evidence from the NHS Internal Market 1991-1999

Payer-driven competition has been widely advocated as a means of increasing efficiency in health care markets. The 1990s reforms to the UK health service followed this path. We examine whether competition led to better outcomes for patients, as measured by death rates after treatment following heart attacks. Using data on mortality as a measure of hospital quality and exploiting the policy change during the 1990s, we find that the relationship between competition and quality of care appears to be negative.competition, health care, mortality, quality of care

Competition and Quality: Evidence from the NHS Internal Market 1991-1999

Payer-driven competition has been widely advocated as a means of increasing efficiency in health care markets. The 1990s reforms to the UK health service followed this path. We examine whether competition led to better outcomes for patients, as measured by death rates after treatment following heart attacks. We exploit differences in competition over time and space to identify the impact of competition. Using data on mortality as a measure of hospital quality and exploiting the policy change during the 1990s, we find that the relationship between competition and quality of care appears to be negative.competition, health care, mortality, quality of care

Avoiding 30-day Readmissions of Acute MI Patients Utilizing Cardiac Rehabilitation

A significant number of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) patients were readmitted to an urban San Francisco Medical Center within 5-7 days post discharge this year. Two of the main identified causes were symptom management issues and medication instructions, both of which are part of the discharge instructions. It’s not surprising that 80% of all discharge teaching is forgotten by patients by the time they hit the parking lot. With the recommended timeframe for post discharge follow up appointments at 48 to 72 hours post discharge and as those appointments are not typically available within the recommended timeframe, patients are more likely to be readmitted unless an alternative for post discharge follow up can be created. The intent of this project is to propose the implementation of a hospital based Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) program that allows AMI patients to participate as early as 48 -72 hours post discharge. This first part, or intake to the CR program would reinforce discharge teaching inclusive of medication reconciliation, symptom management, and all other components taught at discharge. The evidence to be duplicated is that enrollment in a certified cardiac rehab program as early as 48 hours post discharge can prevent readmissions by enhancing the patient/family’s retention and understanding of discharge instructions that include symptom management and medicatio

Green Housing = Improved Health: A Winning Combination

The case studies in this paper explore the relationship between housing and health. It explains how building affordable green housing provides health benefits to low-income residentsand it identifies the benefits of green housing for the environment and energy efficiency

Delivering elder-care environments utilizing TV-channel based mechanisms

In this paper, we present a smart environment for elderly. What makes the development of such system challenging is that the concept of smartness for elderly brings to the extreme the idea of invisibility of the technology. In our experience, elders are well-disposed to new technologies, provided that those will not require significant changes - namely, they are invisible - to their habits. Starting from this consideration, 200 caregivers responses were collected by questionnaire, so as to better understand elders' needs and habits. A system was subsequently developed allowing elders to access a number of "modern web services" as standard TV channels: at channel 43 there is the health status, at channel 45 the photos of the family, at 46 the agenda of the week, just to mention few of the available services. The content of such services is automatically generated by the smart devices in the environment and is managed by the caregivers (e.g., family members) by simple web apps. Fourteen families were asked to install the system in their house. The results of these experiments confirm that the proposed system is considered effective and user-friendly by elders