Exploring Quality Management Strategies to Mitigate Culture Shock Among Cochlear Implant Users

AbstractAfter the cochlear implant (CI) activation period and therapy, adult CI users who travel overseas encounter culture shock factors that paralyze their coping capability, which need normalization through management strategies during the post-cochlear-implantation process (PCIP). In the structure of the conceptual framework, a plan is presented for addressing the management strategy. An integrated system of product-process-service-care portrays the product as an active implant within an individual bearer fostering a CI user’s physical, physiological, and psychological traits. The problematic aspects alter the end users’ coping capability in an unfamiliar host environment abroad. The qualitative research approach used was a single case study with five embedded units. The bounding of the study was to the United States and English-speaking regions of Canada, from which CI users may travel into host countries abroad. Participants are adult PCIP program managers. NVivo tools allow coding managerial opinions before analysis. The study results shed light on ways for innovation managers to (a) prevent inconsistencies producing a loss of quality during culture shock crisis, (b) positively integrate adult CI users for social change by locally or remotely mitigating culture shock factors through the social exchange, and (c) manage expectations. The management strategies needed to mitigate culture shock among adult CI users in crisis consists of (a) predicting the quality of the process, (b) executing mitigation strategy drivers, and (c) overcoming both standing disability and environmental factors. Total quality management aims at reducing the cost of quality and thus the PCIP system cost for raising the quality of a positive social exchange of adult CI users in a culture shock crisis

2023 Medical Student Research Day Abstracts

Medical student research day is designed to highlight the breadth of research and scholarly activity that medical students have accomplished during their education at The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. All medical students are invited to present research regardless of the area of focus. Abstract submissions represent a broad range of research interests and disciplines, including basic and translational science, clinical research, health policy and public health research, and education-related research

Technology applications

A summary of NASA Technology Utilization programs for the period of 1 December 1971 through 31 May 1972 is presented. An abbreviated description of the overall Technology Utilization Applications Program is provided as a background for the specific applications examples. Subjects discussed are in the broad headings of: (1) cancer, (2) cardiovascular disease, (2) medical instrumentation, (4) urinary system disorders, (5) rehabilitation medicine, (6) air and water pollution, (7) housing and urban construction, (8) fire safety, (9) law enforcement and criminalistics, (10) transportation, and (11) mine safety

Advances in closed-loop deep brain stimulation devices

BACKGROUND: Millions of patients around the world are affected by neurological and psychiatric disorders. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a device-based therapy that could have fewer side-effects and higher efficiencies in drug-resistant patients compared to other therapeutic options such as pharmacological approaches. Thus far, several efforts have been made to incorporate a feedback loop into DBS devices to make them operate in a closed-loop manner. METHODS: This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the existing research-based and commercial closed-loop DBS devices. It describes a brief history of closed-loop DBS techniques, biomarkers and algorithms used for closing the feedback loop, components of the current research-based and commercial closed-loop DBS devices, and advancements and challenges in this field of research. This review also includes a comparison of the closed-loop DBS devices and provides the future directions of this area of research. RESULTS: Although we are in the early stages of the closed-loop DBS approach, there have been fruitful efforts in design and development of closed-loop DBS devices. To date, only one commercial closed-loop DBS device has been manufactured. However, this system does not have an intelligent and patient dependent control algorithm. A closed-loop DBS device requires a control algorithm to learn and optimize the stimulation parameters according to the brain clinical state. CONCLUSIONS: The promising clinical effects of open-loop DBS have been demonstrated, indicating DBS as a pioneer technology and treatment option to serve neurological patients. However, like other commercial devices, DBS needs to be automated and modernized

Applications of aerospace technology in the public sector

Current activities of the program to accelerate specific applications of space related technology in major public sector problem areas are summarized for the period 1 June 1971 through 30 November 1971. An overview of NASA technology, technology applications, and supporting activities are presented. Specific technology applications in biomedicine are reported including cancer detection, treatment and research; cardiovascular diseases, diagnosis, and treatment; medical instrumentation; kidney function disorders, treatment, and research; and rehabilitation medicine

Effectiveness of intensive physiotherapy for gait improvement in stroke: systematic review

Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of functional disability worldwide. Approximately 80% of post-stroke subjects have motor changes. Improvement of gait pattern is one of the main objectives of physiotherapists intervention in these cases. The real challenge in the recovery of gait after stroke is to understand how the remaining neural networks can be modified, to be able to provide response strategies that compensate for the function of the affected structures. There is evidence that intensive training, including physiotherapy, positively influences neuroplasticity, improving mobility, pattern and gait velocity in post-stroke recovery. Objectives: Review and analyze in a systematic way the experimental studies (RCT) that evaluate the effects of Intensive Physiotherapy on gait improvement in poststroke subjects. Methodology: Were only included all RCT performed in humans, without any specific age, that had a clinical diagnosis of stroke at any stage of evolution, with sensorimotor deficits and functional gait changes. The databases used were: Pubmed, PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) and CENTRAL (Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials). Results: After the application of the criteria, there were 4 final studies that were included in the systematic review. 3 of the studies obtained a score of 8 on the PEDro scale and 1 obtained a score of 4. The fact that there is clinical and methodological heterogeneity in the studies evaluated, supports the realization of the current systematic narrative review, without meta-analysis. Discussion: Although the results obtained in the 4 studies are promising, it is important to note that the significant improvements that have been found, should be carefully considered since pilot studies with small samples, such as these, are not designed to test differences between groups, in terms of the effectiveness of the intervention applied. Conclusion: Intensive Physiotherapy seems to be safe and applicable in post-stroke subjects and there are indications that it is effective in improving gait, namely speed, travelled distance and spatiotemporal parameters. However, there is a need to develop more RCTs with larger samples and that evaluate the longterm resultsN/