23,860 research outputs found
M-health review: joining up healthcare in a wireless world
In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver health and social care. This trend is bound to continue as providers (whether public or private) strive to deliver better care to more people under conditions of severe budgetary constraint
Harnessing Openness to Transform American Health Care
The Digital Connections Council (DCC) of the Committee for Economic Development (CED) has been developing the concept of openness in a series of reports. It has analyzed information and processes to determine their openness based on qualities of "accessibility" and "responsiveness." If information is not available or available only under restrictive conditions it is less accessible and therefore less "open." If information can be modified, repurposed, and redistributed freely it is more responsive, and therefore more "open." This report looks at how "openness" is being or might usefully be employed in the healthcare arena. This area, which now constitutes approximately 16-17 percent of GDP, has long frustrated policymakers, practitioners, and patients. Bringing greater openness to different parts of the healthcare production chain can lead to substantial benefits by stimulating innovation, lowering costs, reducing errors, and closing the gap between discovery and treatment delivery. The report is not exhaustive; it focuses on biomedical research and the disclosure of research findings, processes of evaluating drugs and devices, the emergence of electronic health records, the development and implementation of treatment regimes by caregivers and patients, and the interdependence of the global public health system and data sharing and worldwide collaboration
How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRRâs Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers
Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a âtotal approach to rehabilitationâ, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970âs, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program
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The role of user requirements research in medical device development
Aims and Objectives: This research aims to suggest a concise framework to help in the better
conceptualisation and integration of users in the medical device development (MDD) process. The
current economic, political and social climate concerning the matter of healthcare delivery has
resulted in the emergence of numerous users and user groups for whom the healthcare system has not
previously catered for. These users have created ambiguity for the designers and manufacturers of
medical devices as the boundaries between their needs and requirements have blurred, outdating
current methods of MDD to meet consumer needs.
Research Design and Methodology: The research methodology begins primarily with conducting a
literature search on the theories relating to user requirements and medical device development. The
paper outlines these findings through initially describing users and user involvement and relating
them to medical devices. The cross-disciplinary nature of healthcare influenced the investigation into
multiple disciplines including; IT, Ergonomics â particularly participatory research, Psychology and
Design. These disciplines expose various methods and processes, which are useful to user
requirements research. These methods were analysed for their compatibility, and then used to
construct a conceptual framework for user involvement in MDD.
Results: The research insinuates the true significance of user involvement and hence resulted in the
formation of a conceptual framework to aid user involvement in the MDD process. The framework is
produced by the amalgamation of relevant methods examined across the disciplines, in a
complimentary fashion.
Conclusion: The originality of this research lies in its use of a multidisciplinary approach. Previous
research claiming multi-methods has dealt with combining two disciplines or methods at a time i.e.
Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) with participatory research (Scandurra et al, 2008)
for the needs analysis of healthcare professionals only. Collaboration across disciplines has also been
investigated (Johnson et al, 2005), but this was for the purpose of redesign rather than initial designs.
This framework can help medical device designers to fully access all user requirements through more
extensive collaboration right at the start. It reduces the risk of high costs involved in device rejection,
usually associated with belated recognition of user needs in the design cycle
Human Rights, Persons with Disabilities, ICF and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Training Toolkit
No abstract available
Review of Safety Evaluation of Thermal Wearable Power Harvesting Device
Thermal wearable power harvesting device is developing fast nowadays. The increasing demand on simple and easily handled devices forcing researches to find a better on improving the performance and safety of the devices. Thermal power harvesting is using the heat from the surrounding and human body to generate power. So, the safety precaution needs to be taken in order to keep it safe to use. This paper reviews the use of wearable technology, the basic concept, methods and future of power harvesting technology, ideas of thermoelectric power generators and its related work as well the safety evaluation for international standard of wearable devices
Life sciences accomplishments
From its inception, the main charter of Life Sciences has been to define biomedical requirements for the design and development of spacecraft systems and to participate in NASA's scientific exploration of the universe. The role of the Life Sciences Division is to: (1) assure the health, well being and productivity of all individuals who fly in space; (2) study the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe; and (3) to utilize the space environment as a tool for research in biology and medicine. The activities, programs, and accomplishments to date in the efforts to achieve these goals are detailed and the future challenges that face the division as it moves forward from the shuttle era to a permanent manned presence in space space station's are examined
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