29,588 research outputs found
Impact of Mobile and Wireless Technology on Healthcare Delivery services
Modern healthcare delivery services embrace the use of leading edge technologies and new
scientific discoveries to enable better cures for diseases and better means to enable early
detection of most life-threatening diseases. The healthcare industry is finding itself in a
state of turbulence and flux. The major innovations lie with the use of information
technologies and particularly, the adoption of mobile and wireless applications in
healthcare delivery [1]. Wireless devices are becoming increasingly popular across the
healthcare field, enabling caregivers to review patient records and test results, enter
diagnosis information during patient visits and consult drug formularies, all without the
need for a wired network connection [2]. A pioneering medical-grade, wireless
infrastructure supports complete mobility throughout the full continuum of healthcare
delivery. It facilitates the accurate collection and the immediate dissemination of patient
information to physicians and other healthcare care professionals at the time of clinical
decision-making, thereby ensuring timely, safe, and effective patient care. This paper
investigates the wireless technologies that can be used for medical applications, and the
effectiveness of such wireless solutions in a healthcare environment. It discusses challenges
encountered; and concludes by providing recommendations on policies and standards for
the use of such technologies within hospitals
An Analysis of issues against the adoption of Dynamic Carpooling
Using a private car is a transportation system very common in industrialized
countries. However, it causes different problems such as overuse of oil,
traffic jams causing earth pollution, health problems and an inefficient use of
personal time. One possible solution to these problems is carpooling, i.e.
sharing a trip on a private car of a driver with one or more passengers.
Carpooling would reduce the number of cars on streets hence providing worldwide
environmental, economical and social benefits. The matching of drivers and
passengers can be facilitated by information and communication technologies.
Typically, a driver inserts on a web-site the availability of empty seats on
his/her car for a planned trip and potential passengers can search for trips
and contact the drivers. This process is slow and can be appropriate for long
trips planned days in advance. We call this static carpooling and we note it is
not used frequently by people even if there are already many web-sites offering
this service and in fact the only real open challenge is widespread adoption.
Dynamic carpooling, on the other hand, takes advantage of the recent and
increasing adoption of Internet-connected geo-aware mobile devices for enabling
impromptu trip opportunities. Passengers request trips directly on the street
and can find a suitable ride in just few minutes. Currently there are no
dynamic carpooling systems widely used. Every attempt to create and organize
such systems failed. This paper reviews the state of the art of dynamic
carpooling. It identifies the most important issues against the adoption of
dynamic carpooling systems and the proposed solutions for such issues. It
proposes a first input on solving the problem of mass-adopting dynamic
carpooling systems.Comment: 10 pages, whitepaper, extracted from B.Sc. thesis "Dycapo: On the
creation of an open-source Server and a Protocol for Dynamic Carpooling"
(Daniel Graziotin, 2010
Mobile Apps Catalog
The Mobile Apps Catalog is a collection of emergency management and assistive mobile applications intended to assist first responders, emergency managers, and the public, specifically people with disabilities or others with access and function needs. Highlighted in this catalog are readily available preparedness and response apps that can be accessed by wireless devices, as well as assistive resources to advance the usability of wireless devices for consumers with disabilities. The apps are also helpful for the whole community. “Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s “Whole Community” approach to emergency management recognizes that individuals, families and communities are assets and keys to success (Fugate 2011).
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Mobile assistive technologies for the visually impaired
There are around 285 million visually impaired people worldwide, and around 370,000 people are registered as blind or partially sighted in the UK. Ongoing advances in information technology (IT) are increasing the scope for IT-based mobile assistive technologies to facilitate the independence, safety, and improved quality of life of the visually impaired. Research is being directed at making mobile phones and other handheld devices accessible via our haptic (touch) and audio sensory channels. We review research and innovation within the field of mobile assistive technology for the visually impaired and, in so doing, highlight the need for successful collaboration between clinical expertise, computer science, and domain users to realize fully the potential benefits of such technologies. We initially reflect on research that has been conducted to make mobile phones more accessible to people with vision loss. We then discuss innovative assistive applications designed for the visually impaired that are either delivered via mainstream devices and can be used while in motion (e.g., mobile phones) or are embedded within an environment that may be in motion (e.g., public transport) or within which the user may be in motion (e.g., smart homes)
Cohesion, commonality and creativity: youth work across borders
No abstract available
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Homelessness and Public Health in Los Angeles
Los Angeles faces a housing crisis of unprecedented scale. After years of underinvestment, in 2016/2017 LA County voters approved Measures H and HHH, which provided an infusion of resources for homeless services, permanent housing, and integrated outreach through the LA County Homeless Initiative (HI). An estimated 58,936 individuals in LA County remain homeless as of January 2019, 75% of them unsheltered and living on streets, in tents, or encampments. Our best estimates suggest that the homeless population has grown since 2017.HI takes a Housing First approach to homelessness, with the largest amount of total funds allocated to housing solutions. However, rehousing is often subject to delays in construction and case management. These delays, combined with persistent market forces driving new homelessness, have left the county well short of its targets. While no forecasts were issued, the initial gap analysis for HI had assumed a 34% reduction in the total homeless count from 2016 to 2019. The count has in fact increased by 26% over that period, meaning 28,000 more homeless clients than anticipated on any night. Whereas cities with comparable homeless crises such as New York have focused on increasing the availability of emergency shelters and safe havens in addition to permanent housing, LA County’s relatively low investment in transitional options has resulted in persistent levels of unsheltered homelessness.Research has shown that homelessness has severe health consequences. Homeless individuals have a high risk of mortality, with a recent LA County Medical Examiner report finding an average age of death of 48 for women and 51 for men. Homeless individuals have much higher risks of mental illness, substance abuse, infectious disease, chronic illness, violence, and reproductive health risks than the general population. Much less is known about the health burdens associated with being unsheltered, but most evidence points to substantially greater health risks given the more intense exposures to violence, weather, pollution, poor sanitation, and behavioral risk. Research is just beginning to quantify the burdens of living on the streets.Our analysis of the LA County homelessness response drew on expert interviews, data analysis, and document review. Beyond the growing numerical gap between HI’s targets and actual trends, we identified five critical service gaps that require immediate attention: Taking a person-centered approach that recognizes both the diversity of client needs and the limitations of existing resources, yet honors the principle that everyone deserves housing; Improving access to emergency shelters by reducing legal and political barriers to construction and adopting “low barrier shelters” that facilitate entry; Delivering comprehensive street medicine and other services to unsheltered homeless populations using evidence-based models that support the path to housing and recovery Adopting more extensive outreach models that engage citizens, empower homeless clients and leverage mobile technology so that case workers can focus on clients most in need; Strengthening data collection and research methods to understand the consequences of unsheltered homelessness, pilot new service models, and evaluate rehousing efforts
Chasing Efficiency Can operational changes fix European asylum systems? Bertelsmann Stiftung Migration Policy Institute Europe March 2020
The heightened arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants on European shores in 2015–16 sent policymakers
across the continent scrambling for new strategies to manage migration. Proposals to reform the European
Union’s legal framework for asylum were the first out of the starting blocks but, several years later, no
such agreement has been reached. And with new EU leadership having taken office in late 2019, Brussels
is hungry for fresh ideas that will either revive or reform the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
Crucial to this search will be a recognition that, while deficiencies still plague Europe’s asylum systems, these
systems have changed significantly since the onset of the migration and refugee crisis—even in the absence
of legal reforms
Rethinking the transition process in Syria: constitution, participation and gender equality
A just and sustainable peace for Syria can only be attained through the equal participation of women\u2019s rights defenders at the negotiation table and throughout the transitional process. Understanding the legal framework within which such participation takes place \u2013 and the challenges of promoting women\u2019s rights through a gender-responsive constitution \u2013 is crucial. This publication, resulting from a collaboration between Euromed Feminist Initiative and the University of Padova, builds on the knowledge of academics and advocates, shedding new insights on those challenges. It aims at supporting institutional efforts being made to guarantee women\u2019s participation in the Syrian reconstruction, as well as advocacy initiatives carried out to ensure women\u2019s participation in political and economic decision-making in the country\u2019s future
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