Determining whether ICT improves social interactions

[Abstract]: Governments are increasingly aware of the power of the Internet as medium for communication and social interaction. Using the Internet Technology on broadband provides fact access to information and communication. In Western Australia, a network neighborhood is built on the combination of these technologies as a pilot project. This technology is expected to be used by the Western Australian government in order to provide services that would realize in a better quality of life to the residents of this neighborhood. This paper presents the results of a study conducted to test whether ICT actually improves the quality of life by facilitating social interactions as this appears to be a major cause for concern. The aim of the study is to present evidence that ICT is capable of enhancing social interactions and then to justify the use of this technology for improving the quality of life. For this purpose, after studying the Network Neighborhood by a team of students, a survey was conducted among residents of a small township in Western Australia to determine the positive effect of technology or otherwise. The initial survey administered prior to the implementation of the technology indicated that people in the Picton Waters neighbourhood were socially isolated and needed social interactions to improve the quality of their lives

GM crops and gender issues

Correspondence in the December issue by Jonathan Gressel not only states that gender issues in rural settings have not been adequately addressed with respect to weed control biotech but also asserts that such technology can increase the quality of life of rural women in developing countries. Improved weed control is a labor-saving technology that can result in less employment in a labor surplus rural economy. Often in rural areas, wage income is the main source of income and an important determinant of the quality of life, particularly where employment opportunities are generally limited. Apart from soil preparation, planting and weeding, harvesting is also 'femanual' work that can generate more employment if yields are higher. Biotech can enhance the quality of life of women but only if the technology is associated with overall generation of rural employment

Life Cycle Costing Applications in Sustainable Building

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) which is defined ISO 15686-5:2005 is used to assess the sustainable and renewable technology used in building. The results indicate that the premium cost of sustainable/renewable technology in building is surprisingly lower than many have expected. The life time saving benefits are mainly coming from energy savings. However benefits might also come from improved indoor environmental quality, greater employee comfort/productivity, reduced employee health costs and lower operations and maintenance costs. These benefits will normally greatly exceed any additional upfront premium costs. The information derived from this study will assist people to be aware of the life cycle cost and benefit of sustainable and renewable technology in building. It will also provide the architect/engineer the information about energy conservation potential acquired via energy saving and conservation

Complex Care Management Program Overview - Technology

This report provides an overview of technology based complex care management programs, including:Cook County Health and Hospitals System - Computer Assisted Quality of Life and Symptom Assessment of Complex PatientsUniversity of Missouri - TigerPlaceWenatchee Valley Medical Center - Health Buddy -- Patient Telemonitoring Progra

Interaction design and emotional wellbeing

The World Health Organisation has concluded that emotional wellbeing is fundamental to our quality of life. It enables us to experience life as meaningful and is an essential component of social cohesion, peace and stability in the living environment [21]. This workshop will bring together a diverse community to consolidate existing knowledge and identify new opportunities for research on technologies designed to support emotional wellbeing. The workshop will examine uses of technology in mental health settings, but will also consider the importance of emotional needs in physical healthcare and wellbeing more generally. The design of technology to provide social support and to extend traditional care networks will be key workshop themes

Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid groups – delivering cognitive stimulation with technology

INTRODUCTION: Group-based cognitive stimulation is the only nonpharmacological intervention recommended by the UK National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) for people with dementia. The potential of technology to extend the availability of group-based cognitive stimulation has not been tested. METHOD: One hundred and sixty-one people with dementia participated in an 8-session group activity using Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA). Cognition, quality of life and general health were assessed pre-, post- and three-months later. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in cognition and quality of life at the end of the CIRCA group intervention, which was further improved at three-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: CIRCA group sessions improved cognition and quality of life similar to group-base cognitive stimulation approved by NICE. These benefits were maintained at three-month follow-up. The data confirm the potential of CIRCA, which can be populated with different cultural and language contents for different user groups

Towards the alternative measurement: Discovering the relationships between technology adoption and quality of life in Indonesia

The vast majority of the studies investigating telecommunication development (diffusion of mobile phone, Internet, the broadband, etc.) that have been carried out in the literatures aim at assessing the impact on economic indicators, mainly the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whereas little attention has actually been paid to investigate the other measurement which reflects a more direct linkage to the individual welfare, for instance the quality of life (QOL) indicators. Following the current counterargument for using the GDP as the goal of economic development, this paper investigates a survey data in Indonesia, observing the relationships between the experience to technology (the length of mobile phone ownership) and technology adoption (internet access) in affecting quality of life (QOL) at individual level. The QOL index is proxied by two indicators which are equally weighted; the objective measurement represented by income level and subjective perceived QOL following the study by Costanza et al., (2007). To operationalize these aims, the model is investigated in two sequential ways; first by determining binomial probit on the Internet access demand equation and then putting the predicted probability of the first equation into second equation of the ordered probit model. The model is further analyzed through the return to education-type equation (Card, 2001) to see the impact of experience to technology and internet access on the QOL index. The results indicate that whereas the access to the Internet is not statistically significant affecting QOL, experience to technology plays an important role. Additionally, the experience of technology (measured at its mean value of 3.5 years) affects the likelihood to have a lower QOL index around 49% and to achieve a higher QOL index in Indonesia around 12%. A year additional of ownership reduces the likelihood on a lower QOL by 3.6% and increases the likelihood to obtain a higher QOL by 2%. --technology,quality of life,ordered-probit,Internet

Telehealth: acceptability, clinical interventions and quality of life in peritoneal dialysis

Introduction: Telehealth technologies are being widely adopted across the globe for management of long-term conditions. There are limited data on its use, effectiveness and patient experience in end-stage renal disease. The aim of this pilot project was to explore patient acceptability of technology and evaluate its effect on clinical interventions and quality of life in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Methods: Peritoneal dialysis patients were provided with computer tablets (PODs). PODs contained a knowledge database with treatment- and symptom-based questionnaires that generated alerts for the clinical team. Alerts were reviewed daily and followed up by a telephone call or clinic visit. Interventions were at the discretion of clinicians. Data were recorded prospectively and quality of life and Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology questionnaires evaluated at the start and end of the programme. Results: In all, 22 patients have participated over 15 months. The mean age was 61.6 years and PODs were utilised for an average of 341.9 days with 59.1% choosing to continue beyond the study period. We received a total of 1195 alerts with an average of 2.6 alerts per day. A total of 36 admissions were avoided and patients supported to self-manage on 154 occasions. Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology scores remained high throughout the programme although no improvement in quality of life was seen. Discussion: Telehealth is useful to monitor patients with renal failure on peritoneal dialysis. It is acceptable across age groups and provides an additional resource for patients to self-manage. Satisfaction scores and retention rates suggest a high level of acceptability

`Everyone is a winner, help is just a push of a button away. . . ' : the Telecare Plus service in Malta

This paper reports on a research study on the role of assistive technologies in later life. Re- search questions included what is the impact of assistive technologies on the quality of life of older service-users, and to what extent does assistive technology lead to an improved quality of life for subscribers and in- formal carers? The chosen method of enquiry was a case-study of the Telecare Plus service in Malta. A total of 26 semi-structured interviews were held with a convenience sample of 26 people aged 60-plus about their use and experience of this particular telecare system. The Telecare Plus service was found to contribute positively to subscribers' levels of emotional and physical wellbeing, interpersonal relations and personal develop- ment, as well as towards the quality of life of informal carers. However, research also highlighted a range of challenges that stood in the way of increased adoption rates of the Telecare Plus service by older people. The fact that the fi eld of assistive technologies in Malta lacks effi cient and clear business models constitutes another barrier towards the take up of such services.peer-reviewe