On the Economics of Industrial Safety

Diabetic foot complications are associated with substantial costs and loss of quality of life. This article gives an overview of available and emerging devices for the monitoring of foot temperature as a means of early detection of foot disorders in diabetes. The aim is to describe the technologies and to summarize experiences from experimental use. Studies show that regular monitoring of foot temperature may limit the incidence of disabling conditions such as foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations. Infrared thermometry and liquid crystal thermography were identified as the leading technologies in use today. Both technologies are feasible for temperature monitoring of the feet and could be used as a complement to current practices for foot examinations in diabetes.Original Publication: Kerstin Roback, An overview of temperature monitoring devices for early detection of diabetic foot disorders, 2010, EXPERT REVIEW OF MEDICAL DEVICES, (7), 5, 711-718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/ERD.10.35 Copyright: Expert Reviews http://www.expert-reviews.com/</p

L'enjeu de la personnalité dans le scrutin présidentiel

Dans tout scrutin uninominal, la personnalité du candidat joue un rôle important. A fortiori dans une élection présidentielle, toujours puissamment médiatisée. A cette occasion, on voit l'édition produire des biographies ou des témoignages, les quotidiens de la presse écrite publier des portraits, tandis que la télévision montre abondamment des visages, des attitudes, des gestes ... On relèvera avec intérêt la popularité de ces émissions et reportages qui montrent les candidats "en famille", "en vacances", avec des amis, des proches ou encore en conciliabules mystérieux avec leurs collaborateurs (...)

Система с мобильным клиентом управления персоналом ОАО «Гомельский литейный завод «Центролит»

Objective: In Sweden, reports indicate surprisingly large regional variation in prescription of biological drugs, despite a growing number of clinical studies describing their beneficial effects and guidelines by professional organizations and agencies. Our objective was to ascertain whether there is also variation between individual rheumatologists in prescribing biologics to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate reasons for treatment choices. Methods: Ten hypothetical patient cases were constructed and presented to 26 rheumatologists in five regions in Sweden. The cases were based on actual cases and were thoroughly elaborated by a senior rheumatologist and pre-tested in a pilot study. The respondents were asked whether they would treat the patients with a biological agent (YES/NO) and to explain their decisions. Results: The response rate was 26/105; 25%. Treatment choices varied considerably between the rheumatologists, some prescribing biologics to 9/10 patients and others to 2/10. In five of the ten hypothetical cases, approximately half of the respondents would prescribe biologics. No regions with particularly high or low prescription were identified. Both the decision to prescribe biologics, as well as not to prescribe, were mainly motivated by medical reasons. Some rheumatologists also referred to lifestyle-related factors or social function of the patient. Conclusion: The choice of initiation of biologics varied substantially among rheumatologists presented with hypothetical patient cases, and there were also disparities between rheumatologists practising at the same clinic. Treatment choices were primarily motivated by medical reasons. This situation raises concerns about a lack of consensus in RA treatment strategies.DOI does not work: 10.3109/03009742.2014.997286</p

Värmemätning för diagnos av begynnande fotproblem vid diabetes : Metodöversikt samt försöksanvändning av fotindikatorn SpectraSole Pro 1000

Fotsår och andra fotkomplikationer vid diabetes orsakar stort lidande och tar stora sjukvårdsresurser i anspråk. Mycket talar för att frekvensen och svårig-hetsgraden av fotkomplikationer kan minskas med god förebyggande vård och effektiva metoder för att diagnostisera problemen i ett tidigt stadium. I rapporten redovisas resultatet av en systematisk genomgång av den vetenskapliga litteraturen om värmemätning som metod för prevention av fotproblem hos personer med diabetes. Rapporten innehåller också resultat som inte publicerats tidigare från en försöksanvändning av fotplattan SpectraSole Pro 1000, en ny bildgenererande teknologi som baseras på värmekänsliga flytande kristaller och som visualiserar värmefördelningen i fötterna. Målgrupper för rapporten är beslutsfattare, vårdpersonal samt patienter. Inledningsvis beskrivs epidemiologi samt riktlinjer och vårdpraxis för prevention och behandling av fotkomplikationer vid diabetes. En redogörelse ges för samhällets kostnader för fotsår samt värdet av en tidig diagnos för prevention av allvarliga komplikationer. Därefter beskrivs kunskapsläget vad gäller sambandet mellan värmeförändringar och fotproblem. Vidare ges en beskrivning av utveckling och användning av olika teknologier för värme-mätning, varefter SpectraSole-studien avrapporteras. Baserat på litteraturgenomgången har kostnaden för diabetiska fotsår beräknats. Men variationen i ingångsvärdena har varit stor eftersom de ingående studierna utförts i olika länder och med olika studiepopulationer. Detta har lett till en hög osäkerhet i de estimerade värdena, särskilt vad gäller medelkostnaden generellt för ett fotsår, där populationer med mycket varierande sjukdomsgrad använts. Totalkostnaden för diabetiska fotsår i Sverige kan uppskattas ligga i intervallet 851 - 1625  miljoner SEK per år och medelkostnaden för ett fall av fotsår som lett till amputation är 249 000 - 462 000 SEK. Sjukhusvård är det som kostar mest, medan förebyggande vård och diagnostik har relativt låga kostnader. Att reducera antalet dagar på sjukhus borde därför ha förutsättning att vara lönsamt. Preventiva insatser och ett förbättrat omhändertagande av patienterna i multi-disciplinära fotteam har reducerat amputationsfrekvensen betydligt under senare år men litteraturen pekar på att det fortfarande finns mycket att vinna på en intensifierad förebyggande vård och ett tidigt omhändertagande. Ett uppskattat antal fotsår per år i Sverige är idag 8600, vilket med en amputationsincidens på 15 procent innebär att cirka 1300 fotsår leder till amputation. Kostnaden för dessa beräknas till 324 - 601 miljoner SEK per år. Studier har visat att det finns ett samband mellan ökad temperatur och begynnande fotproblem hos patienter med diabetes. Smärta förekommer sällan på grund av perifer neuropati hos patienten och förhöjd temperatur kan därför vara en viktig indikator för fotkomplikationer som inte kan observeras på annat sätt. Rekommendationer om temperaturundersökning av diabetesfötter ges i konsensusdokument och riktlinjer, både i Sverige och utomlands, men mätning med något instrument utförs mycket sporadiskt. Skanning med IR-termometer är en möjlig metod men detta är tidsödande och praxis idag är att man med handen känner av fotens hudtemperatur. Försök har gjorts med daglig monitorering av fottemperaturen i hemmet och dessa studier indikerar att frekvensen fotsår skulle kunna minskas med över 60 procent. Det finns dock inget i den studerade litteraturen som tyder på att metoden införts som standard någonstans. Det är främst två metoder för värmemätning som fått klinisk tillämpning på experimentell basis. Dessa är skanning med IR-termometer samt termografi med flytande kristaller (LCT). Båda teknikerna har en låg kostnad och är okomplicerade att använda. Vid försöksanvändningen av fotindikatorn SpectraSole Pro 1000 har patienterna först undersökts enligt nuvarande praxis för fotundersökning och därefter med fotindikatorn. Fynd från undersökningen med fotindikatorn jämfördes sedan med den information som framkommit i standard-undersökningen. I studien gjordes 69 mätningar och antalet patienter var 65. En undersökning med fotindikatorn upplevdes som enkel och snabb att utföra och de bilder som genereras av problemområden kan eventuellt göra patienterna mer delaktiga i vård och inspektion av sina fötter. SpectraSole Pro 1000 detekterade 75 procent av förväntade problemområden bland de fall som hade sämst fotstatus och i hela materialet upptäcktes sex temperaturskillnader som missats i den ordinarie undersökningen. Av detta kan man dra slutsatsen att instrumentet tillför information, men att det inte kan ersätta den inspektion som är standard idag. För att kunna avgöra i vilken grad fotsårs- och amputationsfrekvensen påverkas, samt betydelsen av detta för livskvalitet och överlevnad, krävs en större studie med långtidsuppföljning av fotkomplikationer i studiepopulationen. Baserat på den undersökta litteraturen kan man konstatera att det idag finns indikatorer på att regelbunden värmemätning av diabetikers fötter är av värde. Värmemätning kan dock endast utgöra ett komplement till nuvarande under-sökningspraxis. Vid en eventuellt ändrad praxis, där värmemätning ingår som standard, kommer resursanvändningen för att fastställa fotstatus hos patienterna att öka, medan eventuellt sparade kostnader står att finna längre fram i vårdkedjan. Snabba insatser är avgörande för den vidare utvecklingen av nyupptäckta skador på fötterna och en omfördelning av resurser till diagnostik och tidigt omhändertagande skulle sannolikt bli nödvändig.Diabetic foot complications impose a major economic burden to society and lead to decreased quality of life for the patients. Preventive measures and effective diagnostic methods are necessary to limit the incidence of foot ulcers and lower limb amputations. This report covers a systematic review of the scientific literature on temperature measurements for prevention of diabetic foot disorders and a feasibility study of a new LCT-technology that shows the warmth distribution of the feet. The target readers for the report are decision makers, medical professionals and patients. The epidemiology of the diabetic foot is explored as well as guidelines and current practices for prevention and treatment. Further are the costs of diabetic foot ulcers estimated, based on the literature, and the value of early diagnosis is discussed. There is, however, a large variation in the basic data, depending on variations in study populations and country of origin in the included literature, which has lead to fairly indefinite estimates. Foot ulcer costs in Sweden are estimated to 851 - 1625 million SEK each year. The average cost for a case of foot ulcer, from diagnosis to healing, is 99 000 - 189 000 SEK. The highest costs are for hospitalisation, while prevention and diagnostic measures incur relatively small expenses. This means that reduction of hospital admissions through preventive care has a potential to be cost effective. Implementation of multi-disciplinary foot-care teams during the past years has led to dramatic reductions in the frequency of lower limb amputations, but there is still a lot to be gained by early diagnosis and prevention. The estimated number of foot ulcers in Sweden today is 8600. With an amputation incidence of 15 % this indicates that 1300 ulcers each year will result in an amputation, incurring costs estimated to be 324 - 601 million SEK. Studies show that increased temperature can be used as a predictive sign of future ulceration of the diabetic foot. The patient seldom feels pain because of peripheral neuropathy, and thus, temperature can be an important indicator of foot disorders that otherwise would have passed undetected. Recommendations about temperature evaluation are given in consensus statements and guidelines, in Sweden and elsewhere, but instrumental measurements are seldom performed. Scanning with an IR-thermometer is one available, but time consuming, method and today's practice is palpation of the foot temperature. Studies of daily home monitoring of foot temperature points at a more than 60 % decreased incidence of ulcers. There is, however, nothing in the studied literature to indicate that the method has been adopted for standard use anywhere. There are mainly two technologies for temperature measurement that have had an experimental clinical application. They are scanning with IR-thermometer and liquid crystal thermography (LCT). Both technologies have low costs and are easy to use. Results that have not been published previously are reported from the feasibility study of the new LCT foot indicator SpectraSole Pro 1000. The patients initially had their foot status determined in a standard examination, according to current practice, and were thereafter examined with the LCT instrument. Findings from the examinations with SpectraSole Pro 1000 were then analysed and compared to the preceding ordinary examinations. 69 examinations were performed in 65 patients. An examination with SpectraSole Pro 1000 was considered easy and quick to perform and the instrument clearly visualised problem areas of the foot, which might motivate patients to a higher compliance and contribute to a better foot-related behaviour. SpectraSole Pro 1000 detected 75 % of the foot problems among the patients in the three groups with the worst foot status. Among all patients the instrument detected six cases that had been missed in the ordinary examination. This leads to the conclusion that the foot indicator gives additional information, but cannot replace the standard inspection of the foot. To be able to assess how the incidence of ulcers and amputations is influenced, a larger trial must be performed in the primary care setting, preferably with a long term follow up to assess the outcome of prevented foot complications. Based on the studied literature, the conclusion can be drawn that regular temperature monitoring of diabetic feet probably is of value. However, temperature monitoring can only be a complement to the current practice for foot examination. If temperature monitoring was to be included in a regular practice, costs for determination of foot status and primary foot care would increase, while potential savings would be on specialist care and hospitalisation. A rapid diagnosis and early intervention is crucial for the healing of lesions of the diabetic foot and a redistribution of resources to early interventions might be necessary

Medical Device Innovation : The integrated processes of invention, diffusion and deployment

An increased use of medical devices has been assumed to be a major cause of rising healthcare expenditures. Nations around the world are trying to keep costs down, but strong incentives still exist for the development and use of new devices. Innovation is, however, never exclusively good or bad and it is not easy to evaluate the net effect. Theories and empirical research on innovation have been produced for more than 100 years. In this, the diffusion of innovations has attracted the most interest, while other areas, such as the integration of technologies, have been less thoroughly researched. This thesis presents a model of medical device innovation in hospitals – from the first idea and invention effort to regular use of a new technology. The suggested model is built on three fundaments: (1) academic innovation literature, (2) empirical studies, and (3) observations of on-going innovation processes. The model is a synthesis of the accumulated knowledge in different innovation research traditions, and of empirical studies of the Swedish healthcare system and the medical device industry. The aim is to give a comprehensive picture of the innovation process, and to provide a theoretical model, which can be used for studying and influencing the paths of medical device innovations into healthcare practice. In order to achieve a balanced rate of change, with long-term societal benefits, an inter-disciplinary approach is necessary in the planning and regulation of medical device innovation. The new model combines academic views with political/entrepreneurial and healthcare views. Innovation, in this model, is suggested to occur in three integrated activity domains: invention, diffusion, and deployment. A great number of factors that influence these activities are investigated and described, and different roles and incentives are discussed. Deviations from traditional innovation theory are for example: (a) integration of invention activities as having an impact on later events; (b) inclusion of the inventor/developer as a main actor also in the diffusion and deployment domains; (c) increased focus of the concept of technology cluster innovation, and (d) the rationality of use and abandonment of knowledge as factors to be included in the estimation of consequences of innovation. Finally, the thesis suggests a number of model and methodology improvements and policy implications for management of innovation in hospitals

deployment

The integrated processes of invention, diffusion an

Facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety in Swedish hospitals: a qualitative study of nurses&apos; perceptions Facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety in Swedish hospitals: a qualitative study of nurses&apos; perceptions

Abstract Background: Sweden has undertaken many national, regional, and local initiatives to improve patient safety since the mid-2000s, but solid evidence of effectiveness for many solutions is often lacking. Nurses play a vital role in patient safety, constituting 71% of the workforce in Swedish health care. This interview study aimed to explore perceived facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety among nurses involved in the direct provision of care. Considering the importance of nurses with regard to patient safety, this knowledge could facilitate the development and implementation of better solutions. Methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured individual interviews was carried out. The study population consisted of 12 registered nurses at general hospitals in Sweden. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The nurses identified 22 factors that influenced patient safety within seven categories: &apos;patient factors&apos;, &apos;individual staff factors&apos;, &apos;team factors&apos;, &apos;task and technology factors&apos;, &apos;work environment factors&apos;, &apos;organizational and management factors&apos;, and &apos;institutional context factors&apos;. Twelve of the 22 factors functioned as both facilitators and barriers, six factors were perceived only as barriers, and four only as facilitators. There were no specific patterns showing that barriers or facilitators were more common in any category