Performantiemaatstaven voor ontslagmanagement. Een aanzet tot kwaliteitsmeting

peer reviewe

Measurement of Magnetic Flux in a Hall Thruster for Comparison to Mathematical Model

As part of the early development of a Hall-effect thruster, a type of advanced electric propulsion system, a prototype thruster body was built for the purpose of experimentation. To be as close as possible to reality, the prototype was designed and built under the assumption that it would be fireable. As such, it is equipped with a ceramic discharge chamber, as well as with customized electromagnets which use 28 AWG magnet wire and 1010 steel for the cores. The field is measured using Hall sensors for comparison with a mathematical model of the field. Physical systems and mathematical models can be used to iteratively improve one another, so this experiment serves as a beginning to the much larger project of fully developing a fully functional thruster system. Results of this experiment will affect the progress of development, either requiring system modifications or allowing for further system design

Reorienting adolescent sexual and reproductive health research: reflections from an international conference

On December 4th 2014, the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University organized an international conference on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and well-being. This viewpoint highlights two key messages of the conference - 1) ASRH promotion is broadening on different levels and 2) this broadening has important implications for research and interventions – that can guide this research field into the next decade. Adolescent sexuality has long been equated with risk and danger. However, throughout the presentations, it became clear that ASRH and related promotion efforts are broadening on different levels: from risk to well-being, from targeted and individual to comprehensive and structural, from knowledge transfer to innovative tools. However, indicators to measure adolescent sexuality that should accompany this broadening trend, are lacking. While public health related indicators (HIV/STIs, pregnancies) and their behavioral proxies (e.g. condom use, number of partners) are well developed and documented, there is a lack of consensus on indicators for the broader construct of adolescent sexuality, including sexual well-being and aspects of positive sexuality. Furthermore, the debate during the conference clearly indicated that experimental designs may not be the only appropriate study design to measure effectiveness of comprehensive, context-specific and long-term ASRH programmes, and that alternatives need to be identified and applied. Presenters at the conference clearly expressed the need to develop validated tools to measure different sub-constructs of adolescent sexuality and environmental factors. There was a plea to combine (quasi-)experimental effectiveness studies with evaluations of the development and implementation of ASRH promotion initiatives

A prospective study of changes in anxiety, depression, and problems in living during chemotherapy treatments: effects of age and gender

PurposeMonitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress.MethodsNewly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3).ResultsAt T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40-55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04).ConclusionsFor most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress

Reorienting adolescent sexual and reproductive health research: reflections from an international conference

On December 4th 2014, the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University organized an international conference on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and well-being. This viewpoint highlights two key messages of the conference - 1) ASRH promotion is broadening on different levels and 2) this broadening has important implications for research and interventions – that can guide this research field into the next decade. Adolescent sexuality has long been equated with risk and danger. However, throughout the presentations, it became clear that ASRH and related promotion efforts are broadening on different levels: from risk to well-being, from targeted and individual to comprehensive and structural, from knowledge transfer to innovative tools. However, indicators to measure adolescent sexuality that should accompany this broadening trend, are lacking. While public health related indicators (HIV/STIs, pregnancies) and their behavioral proxies (e.g. condom use, number of partners) are well developed and documented, there is a lack of consensus on indicators for the broader construct of adolescent sexuality, including sexual well-being and aspects of positive sexuality. Furthermore, the debate during the conference clearly indicated that experimental designs may not be the only appropriate study design to measure effectiveness of comprehensive, context-specific and long-term ASRH programmes, and that alternatives need to be identified and applied. Presenters at the conference clearly expressed the need to develop validated tools to measure different sub-constructs of adolescent sexuality and environmental factors. There was a plea to combine (quasi-)experimental effectiveness studies with evaluations of the development and implementation of ASRH promotion initiatives.IS

Ontslagmanagement in de psychiatrische ziekenhuizen: vijf jaar later

Discharge from a psychiatric hospital is a vulnerable phase in the continuity of care. In particular, patients with complex healthcare needs and a disrupted network need additional support when leaving the hospital. Discharge management endeavors to bridge the hospital and the home care by means of systematic, patient-oriented discharge preparation in collaboration with healthcare professionals or organizations involved in the after-care. Discharge management has been used in psychiatric hospitals in Belgium since 1999. The most significant achievements of the implementation of discharge management are improvements in the discharge process with active involvement of the patient and his/her network and the establishing a formal collaboration with aftercare organizations. Over the last 5 years, discharge management evolved from a strictly research protocol to pragmatic implementation in daily clinical practice embedded in the social services of psychiatric hospitals. Functional partnerships between the hospitals and regional aftercare organizations were established.status: publishe