A Patient-Centered Framework for Evaluating Digital Maturity of Health Services: A Systematic Review

© Kelsey Flott, Ryan Callahan, Ara Darzi, Erik Mayer.Background: Digital maturity is the extent to which digital technologies are used as enablers to deliver a high-quality health service. Extensive literature exists about how to assess the components of digital maturity, but it has not been used to design a comprehensive framework for evaluation. Consequently, the measurement systems that do exist are limited to evaluating digital programs within one service or care setting, meaning that digital maturity evaluation is not accounting for the needs of patients across their care pathways. Objective: The objective of our study was to identify the best methods and metrics for evaluating digital maturity and to create a novel, evidence-based tool for evaluating digital maturity across patient care pathways. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature to find the best methods and metrics for evaluating digital maturity. We searched the PubMed database for all papers relevant to digital maturity evaluation. Papers were selected if they provided insight into how to appraise digital systems within the health service and if they indicated the factors that constitute or facilitate digital maturity. Papers were analyzed to identify methodology for evaluating digital maturity and indicators of digitally mature systems. We then used the resulting information about methodology to design an evaluation framework. Following that, the indicators of digital maturity were extracted and grouped into increasing levels of maturity and operationalized as metrics within the evaluation framework. Results: We identified 28 papers as relevant to evaluating digital maturity, from which we derived 5 themes. The first theme concerned general evaluation methodology for constructing the framework (7 papers). The following 4 themes were the increasing levels of digital maturity: resources and ability (6 papers), usage (7 papers), interoperability (3 papers), and impact (5 papers). The framework includes metrics for each of these levels at each stage of the typical patient care pathway. Conclusions: The framework uses a patient-centric model that departs from traditional service-specific measurements and allows for novel insights into how digital programs benefit patients across the health system

Electronic aperture control devised for solid state imaging system

Electronic means of performing the equivalent of automatic aperture control has been devised for the new class of television cameras that incorporates a solid state imaging device in the form of phototransistor mosaic sensors

Fundamental results from microgravity cell experiments with possible commericial applications

Some of the major milestones are presented for studies in cell biology that were conducted by the Soviet Union and the United States in the upper layers of the atmosphere and in outer space for more than thirty-five years. The goals have changed as new knowledge is acquired and the priorities for the use of microgravity have shifted toward basic research and commercial applications. Certain details concerning the impact of microgravity on cell systems is presented. However, it needs to be emphasized that in planning and conducting microgravity experiments, there are some important prerequisites not normally taken into account. Apart from the required background knowledge of previous microgravity and ground-based experiments, the investigator should have the understanding of the hardware as a physical unit, the complete knowledge of its operation, the range of its capabilities and the anticipation of problems that may occur. Moreover, if the production of commercial products in space is to be manifested, data obtained from previous microgravity experiments must be used to optimize the design of flight hardware

Nitrogen Heterocycles Form Peptide Nucleic Acid Precursors in Complex Prebiotic Mixtures

The ability to store information is believed to have been crucial for the origin and evolution of life; however, little is known about the genetic polymers relevant to abiogenesis. Nitrogen heterocycles (N-heterocycles) are plausible components of such polymers as they may have been readily available on early Earth and are the means by which the extant genetic macromolecules RNA and DNA store information. Here, we report the reactivity of numerous N-heterocycles in highly complex mixtures, which were generated using a Miller-Urey spark discharge apparatus with either a reducing or neutral atmosphere, to investigate how N-heterocycles are modified under plausible prebiotic conditions. High throughput mass spectrometry was used to identify N-heterocycle adducts. Additionally, tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to elucidate reaction pathways for select reactions. Remarkably, we found that the majority of N-heterocycles, including the canonical nucleobases, gain short carbonyl side chains in our complex mixtures via a Strecker-like synthesis or Michael addition. These types of N-heterocycle adducts are subunits of the proposed RNA precursor, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). The ease with which these carbonylated heterocycles form under both reducing and neutral atmospheres is suggestive that PNAs could be prebiotically feasible on early Earth

Patient with t(4;12)(q11;p13) with therapy-related MDS and known history of stage II metastatic colorectal cancer

Case report of a translocation : Patient with t(4;12)(q11;p13) with therapy-related MDS and known history of stage II metastatic colorectal cancer

Development of Biomarkers Based on Diet-Dependent Metabolic Serotypes: Concerns and Approaches for Cohort and Gender Issues in Serum Metabolome Studies

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/omi.2004.8.209Mathematical models that reflect the effects of dietary restriction (DR) on the sera metabolome may have utility in understanding the mechanisms of DR and in applying this knowledge to human epidemiological studies. Previous studies demonstrated both the feasibility of identifying biomarkers through metabolome analysis and the validity of our approach in independent cohorts of 6-month-oId male and female ad libitum fed or DR rats. Cross-cohort studies showed that cohort-specific effects distorted the dataset The present study extends these observations across the entire sample set, thereby validating our markers independently of specific cohorts. Metabolites originally identified in males were examined in females and vice-versa. DR's effect on the metabolom e is partially gender-specific and is modulated by environmental factors. DR reduces inter-gender differences in the metabolome. Univariate statistical methods showed that 56/93 metabolites in the female samples and 39/93 metabolites in the male samples were significantly altered (using our previous cut-off criteria of p ^ 0.2) by DR. The metabolites modulated by DR present a wide spectrum of concentration, redox reactivity and hydrophilicity, suggesting that our serotype is broadly representative of the metabolome and that DR has broad effects on the metabolome. These studies, coupled with those in the preceding and following reports, also highlight the utility for consideration of the metabolome as a network of metabolites using appropriate data analysis approaches. The inter-cohort and inter-gender differences addressed herein suggest potential cautions, and potential approaches, for identification of multivariate biomarker profiles that reflect changes in physiological status, such as a metabolism that predisposes to increased risk of neoplasia

Development of Biomarkers Based on Diet-Dependent Metabolic Serotypes: Practical Issues in Development of Expert System-Based Classification Models in Metabolomic Studies

This is the publisher's official version, also available electronically from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/omi.2004.8.197Dietary restriction (DR)-induced changes in the serum metabolome may be biomarkers for physiological status (e.g., relative risk of developing age-related diseases such as cancer). Megavariate analysis (unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis IHCAJ; principal components analysis [PCAJ) of serum metabolites reproducibly distinguish DR from ad libitum fed rats. Component-based approaches (i.e., PCA) consistently perform as well as or better than distance-based metrics (i.e., HCA). We therefore tested the following: (A) Do identified subsets of serum metabolites contain sufficient information to construct mathematical models of class membership (i.e., expert systems)? (B) Do component-based metrics out-perform distance-based metrics? Testing was conducted using KNN (k-nearest neighbors, supervised HCA) and SIMCA (soft independent modeling of class analogy, supervised PCA). Models were built with single cohorts, combined cohorts or mixed samples from previously studied cohorts as training sets. Both algorithms over-fit models based on single cohort training sets. KNN models had >85% accuracy within training/test sets, but were unstable (i.e., values of k could not be accurately set in advance). SIMCA models had 100% accuracy within all training sets, 89% accuracy in test sets, did not appear to over-fit mixed cohort training sets, and did not require post-hoc modeling adjustments. These data indicate that (i) previously defined metabolites are robust enough to construct classification models (expert systems) with SIMCA that can predict unknowns by dietary category; (ii) component-based analyses outperformed distance-based metrics; (iii) use of over-fitting controls is essential; and (iv) subtle inter-cohort variability may be a critical issue for high data density biomarker studies that lack state markers

Development of Biomarkers Based on Diet-Dependent Metabolic Serotypes: Characteristics of Component-Based Models of Metabolic Serotypes

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/omi.2004Our research seeks to identify a scrum profile, or serotype, that reflects the systemic physiologic modifications resultant from dietary restriction (DR), in part such that this knowledge can be applied for biomarker studies. Direct comparison suggests that component-based classification algorithms consistently out-perform distance-based metrics for studies of nutritional modulation of metabolic serotype, but are subject to over-fitting concerns. Intercohort differences in the sera metabolome could partially obscure the effects of DR. Further analysis now shows that implementation of component-based approaches (also called projection methods) optimized for class separation and controlled for over-fitting have >97% accuracy for distinguishing sera from control or DR rats. DR's effect on the metabolome is shown to be robust across cohorts, but differs in males and females (although some metabolites are affected in both). We demonstrate the utility of projection-based methods for both sample and variable diagnostics, including identification of critical metabolites and samples that are atypical with respect to both class and variable models. Inclusion of non-statistically different variables enhances classification models. Variables that contribute to these models are sharply dependent on mathematical processing techniques; some variables that do not contribute under one paradigm arc powerful under alternative mathematical paradigms. In practical terms, this information may find purpose in other endeavors, such as mechanistic studies of DR. Application of these approaches confirms the utility of megavariate data analysis techniques for optimal generation of biomarkers based on nutritional modulation of physiological processes

Validity and reliability of the Self-Reported Physical Fitness (SRFit) survey

BACKGROUND: An accurate physical fitness survey could be useful in research and clinical care. PURPOSE: To estimate the validity and reliability of a Self-Reported Fitness (SRFit) survey; an instrument that estimates muscular fitness, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, BMI, and body composition (BC) in adults ≥ 40 years of age. METHODS: 201 participants completed the SF-36 Physical Function Subscale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Older Adults' Desire for Physical Competence Scale (Rejeski), the SRFit survey, and the Rikli and Jones Senior Fitness Test. BC, height and weight were measured. SRFit survey items described BC, BMI, and Senior Fitness Test movements. Correlations between the Senior Fitness Test and the SRFit survey assessed concurrent validity. Cronbach's Alpha measured internal consistency within each SRFit domain. SRFit domain scores were compared with SF-36, IPAQ, and Rejeski survey scores to assess construct validity. Intraclass correlations evaluated test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Correlations between SRFit and the Senior Fitness Test domains ranged from 0.35 to 0.79. Cronbach's Alpha scores were .75 to .85. Correlations between SRFit and other survey scores were -0.23 to 0.72 and in the expected direction. Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.79 to 0.93. All P-values were 0.001. CONCLUSION: Initial evaluation supports the SRFit survey's validity and reliability