Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies

Advances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters.This study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies.Transcripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis.Although interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science.Early adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research

Technology-enhanced Professional Learning

Societal and technological changes are transforming the ways people work and learn. As work roles evolve, learning for work becomes continual and personalised. These transformations evidenced in work and learning practices are partly governed by advances in technology. Consideration of work practices, professional learning processes and technologies mediating work and learning within a single domain of "Technology-enhanced Professional Learning" enables analysis of the dialectical relationship between technology and practice. This chapter begins by presenting a single framework that integrates perspectives across the domains of work practices, learning processes and digital technologies. Key trends are outlined from the literature within each domain. Using a framework for TEPL as an analytical lens, emerging work and technology practices and their implications for professional learning both in and for work are examined. Finally, the chapter outlines the implications of these developments for work and learning

Microneurolysis and decompression of long thoracic nerve injury are effective in reversing scapular winging: Long-term results in 50 cases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Long thoracic nerve injury leading to scapular winging is common, often caused by closed trauma through compression, stretching, traction, direct extrinsic force, penetrating injury, or neuritides such as Parsonage-Turner syndrome. We undertook the largest series of long thoracic nerve decompression and neurolysis yet reported to demonstrate the usefulness of long thoracic nerve decompression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Winging was bilateral in 3 of the 47 patients (26 male, 21 female), yielding a total of 50 procedures. The mean age of the patients was 33.4 years, ranging from 24–57. Causation included heavy weight-lifting (31 patients), repetitive throwing (5 patients), deep massage (2 patients), repetitive overhead movement (1 patient), direct trauma (1 patient), motor bike accident (1 patient), and idiopathic causes (9 patients). Decompression and microneurolysis of the long thoracic nerve were performed in the supraclavicular space. Follow-up (average of 25.7 months) consisted of physical examination and phone conversations. The degree of winging was measured by the operating surgeon (RKN). Patients also answered questions covering 11 quality-of-life facets spanning four domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thoracic nerve decompression and neurolysis improved scapular winging in 49 (98%) of the 50 cases, producing "good" or "excellent" results in 46 cases (92%). At least some improvement occurred in 98% of cases that were less than 10 years old. Pain reduction through surgery was good or excellent in 43 (86%) cases. Shoulder instability affected 21 patients preoperatively and persisted in 5 of these patients after surgery, even in the 5 patients with persistent instability who experienced some relief from the winging itself.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Surgical decompression and neurolysis of the long thoracic nerve significantly improve scapular winging in appropriate patients, for whom these techniques should be considered a primary modality of functional restoration.</p