CareFlex HydroTilit, SmartSeat, and SmartSeatPro: evaluation of pressure and comfort

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of WaterCell Technology® in the redistribution of pressure of adults with mobility problems who remain seated for extended periods of time and self-reported comfort and discomfort scores using three chairs: HydroTilt, SmartSeat, and SmartSeatPro

Evaluating the impact of WaterCell® Technology on pressure redistribution and comfort/discomfort of adults with limited mobility

Aim of the study The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of WaterCell® Technology on pressure redistribution and self-reported comfort and discomfort scores of adults with mobility problems who remain seated for extended periods of time. Methods Twelve participants, were recruited and ranged in gender, age, height, weight, and body mass index. Five were male, seven were female, and five were permanent wheelchair users. Each participant was randomly allocated a chair, whose seat comprised of visco-elastic memory foam, high-elastic reflex foam, and watercells, to trial for a week. Data collected at day one and day seven included: interface pressure measurements taken across the gluteal region (peak and average); physiological observations of respiratory rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure; skin inspection and comfort and discomfort scores. Results Watercell® technology was found to offer lower average pressures than those reported to cause potential skin injury. Peak pressure index findings were comparative to other studies. No correlation was found between discomfort intensity rating and pressure redistribution. Discomfort intensity rating was low for all participants and general discomfort ranged from very low to medium. Physiological observations decreased for 50% of participants over the seven days. Conclusion From our study we have found that WaterCell® technology offers comparable pressure redistribution for people with a disability who need to sit for prolonged periods of time and the chairs were found to be comfortable

Understanding the association between pressure ulcers and sitting in adults what does it mean for me and my carers? Seating guidelines for people, carers and health & social care professionals

The aim of the publication was to develop a practical guide for people, carers and health and social care professionals on how the research and evidence base on pressure ulcer prevention and management can be applied to those who remain seated for extended periods of time. This publication was developed at the request of the Tissue Viability Society in order to revise the original seating guidelines from 2008 as evidence and subsequent care has moved forward in relation to this area. Since 2008, the costs for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers have increased significantly and there is limited published advice from health and social care organisations on seating and preventing pressure ulcers. These guidelines have been written for: • People • Carers • Health and Social Care professionals • Education and training staff • Independent sector Who live or work in primary, secondary, and tertiary settings

Evaluation of night time therapeutic positioning system for adults with complex postural problems

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of night-time positioning sleep systems for adults using the Simple Stuff Works Limited® system. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to assess the impact on a variety of factors; pain, physiological observations, oxygen saturation, nutrition and fluid intake, weight, Waterlow risk score, sleep score, choke risk score, skin integrity, comfort and quality of life. The project objectives were to: Evaluate the knowledge and skills of care staff in the delivery of night-time positioning (with and without equipment). Evaluate the equipment used in night-time positioning. Assess the impact of night-time positioning on activities of daily living. Measure the difference between pain, sleep scores, physiological observations, oxygen saturation, nutrition and fluid intake, weight, Waterlow risk score, choke risk score, skin integrity, comfort and quality of life before and after the intervention. The role of the company in the study was to provide the equipment. An independent clinician assessed the participants sleep system equipment requirements, demonstrated the first fitting and drew up the plan of care when using the equipment. Ethical approval to conduct the study was sought and granted by the University of Salford Ethics committee (see appendices, for the letter of approval)

Inflammatory or rheumatoid arthritis patients’ perspectives on the effect of arthritis gloves on their hand pain and function (A-GLOVES TRIAL) : a qualitative study

Background: Arthritis (compression) gloves are frequently provided to people with inflammatory (IA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the NHS, to help reduce swelling and alleviate hand pain by providing compression and improving circulation. However evidence for their effectiveness is limited.[1] Objectives: Nested within a randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the effectiveness of intervention (compression) gloves with control gloves (fitted at least one size too big) in people with RA and IA, this qualitative study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives on the effect of the arthritis gloves on their hand pain and function. Methods: Once randomised, participants were provided joint protection and hand exercise booklets and fitted with either the intervention or the control glove(s) by a trained occupational therapist.[2] Both gloves had similar thermal qualities but control gloves did not apply compression. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants, purposively selected from each group (n=20) following 12 weeks of glove wear. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed by three researchers using thematic analysis with a critical realist perspective. Results: Participants’ perspectives on the effects of the arthritis gloves had three emergent sub-themes. These were: Usage: both groups predominantly used the gloves for activities such as wearing them outdoors to keep hands warm, night-time wear to help with sleep, and doing light domestic activities (e.g. dusting). Gloves were not used for cooking or washing-up or for personal activities of daily living (e.g. toileting, grooming) “What didn’t help as such, obviously was with washing etc. and toileting because I had to keep taking them off and putting them back on again”; Symptomatology: while some reported that gloves helped to keep their “hand pain in check” others said that gloves had no effect on their hand pain or that they’d found “it’s made them worse”. Participants from both groups frequently mentioned the warmth element of the gloves, as a positive attribute to help with their symptoms; Aesthetics: participants had opposing views on the appearance of the arthritis gloves. Some felt that the intervention gloves “look a bit ugly with the seams outside” or stated that they “would not want to wear that colour” but did not think they were obtrusive. Most noticeably, patients seemed to view the arthritis gloves as ordinary everyday gloves, rather than a medical device “if it was cold I wore them outside”. Conclusions: Trial participants reported experiencing similar effects from wearing either the intervention or control gloves, with varied perspectives on whether or not gloves affected hand pain and/or function. Overall, patients did not reflect on the compressive but rather the thermal qualities of the gloves, as warmth was the main effect perceived. References: Hammond, et al. Clin Rehabil 2016 30:213–24 Prior, et al. Rheum 2017(Supp1) Acknowledgements: This project was funded by the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme (PB-PG-0214–33010). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health

Data-Driven Approaches to Measuring a Social Licence to Operate

Companies in the energy and resources sectors often conduct surveys to understand their acceptance within the community. Such surveys generate rich data, yet sometimes key insights can be missed using conventional plots of average responses for each question. Here, we investigated how multivariate statistics might be used to analyse and communicate information from a Social Impact Assessment of an Australian coal seam gas (LNG) project. The drivers of community acceptance were complex and impacts with the greatest/least average scores were not necessarily those most correlated with acceptance. For example, while housing affordability and availability were consistently seen as negative impacts, individuals’ views on employment and economic opportunities were better correlated with acceptance - even though these were, on average, not seen as positive or negative impacts of development. Consistent with previous statistical (path analysis) assessment of the same data, a perceptual map based on r-mode analyses suggested relational factors such as trust and perceptions of good environmental regulation were the most important drivers of acceptance of the LNG industry. Community response maps created using q-mode analyses represented the diversity of opinions for multiple drivers, highlighting that “the community” is not a uniform entity. For example, although those involved in (non-LNG) industry generally reported greater levels of acceptance and trust than others in the community, there were still some individuals within this group that did not trust or accept the LNG industry. While a SLO can be complex and is likely to constantly change, our study shows multidimensional scaling may be a useful tool for communicating social survey results to engineers and managers in a way that encapsulates some of the important details of a SLO, yet still be intuitive enough to include in reporting dashboards

Does wearing arthritis gloves help with hand pain and function? A qualitative study into patients’ views and experiences

Objectives: Arthritis gloves are frequently prescribed to people with undifferentiated inflammatory (UIA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to help reduce hand pain and improve function. Nested within a randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of arthritis gloves (Isotoner gloves versus loose-fitting placebo gloves) in people with RA and UIA, this qualitative study aimed to explore participants’ views on the impact of wearing arthritis gloves on their hand pain and function. Methods: Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with purposively selected participants following 12-weeks of glove wear. Participants and the interviewer were blinded to the treatment allocation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants (intervention n=10; control n=9) recruited from 13 NHS hospital sites in the UK participated in the interviews. Two main themes, with sub-themes, were elicited from the data: (1) Mechanisms determining glove use: ‘As soon as your joints get a bit warmer, the pain actually eases’ (thermal qualities; glove-use in daily activities; glove-use during sleep); and (2) Ambivalence about benefits of arthritis gloves: ‘I suppose a normal pair of gloves would do the same sort of thing?’ (are they a help or hindrance?; aesthetic appeal; future use of gloves). Conclusion: Participants had ambivalent views on the impact of both the intervention and loose-fitting placebo gloves on their hand pain and function, identifying warmth as the main benefit. Ordinary mid-finger length gloves widely accessible from high street suppliers could deliver warmth and provide perceived benefits to hand pain and function

Doctors and nurses benefit from interprofessional online education in dermatology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Benefits of online learning in the health sector have been demonstrated in previous studies. We examined the potential benefits of a joint web-based curriculum on atopic eczema for health personnel.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Enrolled doctors and nurses had access to the curriculum for 8 weeks. After the course learners completed a questionnaire. Two dermatologists rated the quality of the submitted homework assignments. Based on data from the project's budget and the Norwegian Medical Association, we estimated the saved travel expenses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty-eight learners (46 doctors) registered for the course. We received 55 questionnaires (response rate 63%). Twenty-seven learners (31%; 16 doctors, 11 nurses; χ²= 0.03; P = 0.87) used the discussion forum. We found no significant differences in the total questionnaire scores between doctors and nurses. The homework assignments were given an average score of 3.6 for doctors and 3.5 for nurses (P = 0.8) by rater 1. Rater 2 scored 3.9 and 3.6 for doctors and nurses respectively (P = 0.2). The break-even between travel/hotel expenses and course development costs occurred at 135 saved travel refund applications.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Doctors and nurses were equally satisfied with a joint web-based course on atopic eczema. The use of an online discussion forum was limited but similar between doctors and nurses. There were no significant differences in the quality of submitted homework assignments. The cost of developing the course was 716 841 NOK and the first 86 learners saved 455 198 NOK in travel expenses.</p

Cytogenetic and histological studies of the brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), and the Arctic char, S-alpinus (L.) hybrids

Although brook trout and the Arctic char hybrids are able to reproduce, individuals with decreased fertility or even fish that are unable to produce any gametes have been also described. Abnormal gonadal development and disturbances in the gamete production in the char hybrid offspring may be triggered by the odd chromosome number and disturbances in their pairing during meiosis. To verify this hypothesis, cytogenetic examination and the gonadal histology analysis of the brook trout x Arctic char hybrids were carried out. Diploid chromosome number in the studied char (F-1) hybrids varied from 82 to 84 (FN = 99-102). Among 28 hybrids, 12 males, three females, nine intersex individuals and two sterile specimens were described. In the case of two individuals, gonads were not found. Diploid chromosome numbers in the males and intersex individuals varied from 82 to 84. Chromosome numbers in the females were 82 and 83 chromosomes. Two sterile fish exhibited karyotypes composed of 82 and 84 chromosomes. Predominance of the ovarian component in the intersex gonads and gonadal sex ratio distortion towards the males suggested hybrid females had problems with gonadal differentiation. However, the lack of the clear relationship between chromosome number and gonadal development in the studied hybrids did not support our hypothesis that odd chromosome number may be responsible for such reproductive disturbances in the hybrid individuals. We have presumed that sterility and intersexual development of the gonads may be caused by interactions between brook trout and Arctic char genes on the sex chromosomes and autosomes rather than unpairing of the parental chromosomes.Polish National Science Center (NCN) [N N311 525240]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio