Recognizing the need for nursing support through energy data : a pilot project

Bei Personen im hohen Alter passieren 90 Prozent der Unfälle – wie zum Beispiel Stürze – zu Hause. Ein großer Anteil der Unfälle in Häusern betrifft Personen die älter sind als 65 Jahre. Das Erkennen von Aktivitäten kann dazu beitragen, dass Notfallsituationen frühzeitig erkannt werden. Bislang haben nur wenige Technologien zur Aktivitäts- und Notfallerkennung, welche in eine bestehende häusliche Infrastruktur integriert werden können, das Potenzial, die Sicherheit älterer, zu Hause lebender Personen zu erhöhen, indem Veränderungen im Alltag automatisch erkannt werden. Das Institut für Pflege (IFP) und das Institut für Energiesysteme und Fluid Engineering der ZHAW (IEFE) der Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) will mit einer Pilotstudie aufzeigen, dass Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens durch Energieverbrauchsdaten identifiziert werden können. Dazu wird untersucht, ob Daten aus einem Aktivitätsmonitoring-System dazu verwendet werden können, um einen pflegerischen Unterstützungsbedarf zu erkennen. Vor allem gebrechliche Personen über 70 Jahre, die sowohl kognitiv als auch sinnesbeeinträchtigt sind, könnten von intelligenten Technologien profitieren, was dazu beitragen kann, dass Personen im Alter länger zu Hause leben können. In older adults, 90 percent of accidents – such as falls – occur at home. A large proportion of accidents in homes affect people who are older than 65 years. Recognition of a pattern of activities can help ensure that emergency situations are detected early. Not many technologies for activity and emergency detection have the potential to improve the safety of older adults living alone. These technologies, which can be integrated into an existing domestic infrastructure, may automatically recognize changes in everyday life. The Institute of Nursing (IFP) and the Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE) of Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) wants to show with a pilot study whether activities of daily living can be identified by energy consumption data and whether data from an activity monitoring system can be used to detect needs that would benefit from nursing support. Especially elderly persons over 80 years who have cognitive or sensory impairments could benefit from intelligent technologies, which can help older adults to continue to live at home

Perceived sounds and their reported level of disturbance in intensive care units: A multinational survey among healthcare professionals

The noise levels in intensive care units have been repeatedly reported to exceed the recommended guidelines and yield negative health outcomes among healthcare professionals. However, it is unclear which sound sources within this environment are perceived as disturbing. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how healthcare professionals in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria perceive the sound levels and the associated sound sources within their work environment and explore sound reduction strategies.; An online survey was conducted among 350 healthcare professionals working in intensive care units. The survey consisted of items on demographic and hospital data and questions about the perception of the sound levels [1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)], disturbance from sound sources [1 (not disturbing at all) to 5 (very disturbing)], and implementation potential, feasibility, and motivation to reduce sound reduction measures [1 (not high at all) to 5 (very high)].; Approximately 69.3% of the healthcare professionals perceived the sound levels in the ICUs as too high. Short-lasting human sounds (e.g. moans or laughs) [mean (M) ± standard deviation (SD) = 3.30 ± 0.81], devices and alarms (M ± SD = 2.67 ± 0.59), and short-lasting object sounds (M ± SD = 2.55 ± 0.68) were perceived as the most disturbing sounds. Reducing medical equipment alarms was considered to have greater implementation potential [M ± SD = 3.62 ± 0.92, t(334) = -7.30, p < 0.001], feasibility [M ± SD = 3.19 ± 0.93, t(334) = -11.02, p < 0.001], and motivation [M ± SD = 3.85 ± 0.89, t(334) = -10.10, p < 0.001] for reducing the sound levels.; This study showed that healthcare professionals perceive short-lasting human sounds as most disturbing and rated reducing medical equipment alarms as the best approach to reduce the sound levels in terms of potential, feasibility, and motivation for implementation

Setting new priorities for nursing research: The updated Swiss Nursing Research Agenda—a systematic, participative approach

Aim To identify current key areas for nursing research in Switzerland, we revised the Swiss Research Agenda for Nursing (SRAN) initially published in 2008. Background By developing a research agenda, nursing researchers internationally prioritize and cluster relevant topics within the research community. The process should be collaborative and systematic to provide credible information for decisionmakers in health care research, policy, and practice. Sources of Evidence After a participative, systematic, and critical evaluation within and outside of the Swiss Association for Nursing Science, the updated SRAN 2019–2029 defines four research priorities (new models of care, nursing care interventions, work and care environment, and quality of care and patient safety) and four transversal themes (organization of research, research methodologies, research in health care policy and public health perspectives). Conclusion Adding to other national nursing research agendas, the categories are organized in a framework of key research priorities and transversal themes. They relate to the importance of global and local foci of research as well as challenges in health care services and policy systems. The agenda is an important prerequisite for enhancing the influence of nursing research in Switzerland and provides guidance for the next decade.Implications for Nursing PracticeThe revised agenda ensures that research projects target key knowledge gaps and the discipline's core questions in respective countries.Implications for Health PolicyNursing research should inform and influence health policy on all institutional and political levels. Therefore, the integration of public health perspectives in research is one of the most important new aspects of SRAN 2019–2029

Methods for Measuring and Identifying Sounds in the Intensive Care Unit

BackgroundDespite many studies in the field examining excessive noise in the intensive care unit, this issue remains an ongoing problem. A limiting factor in the progress of the field is the inability to draw conclusions across studies due to the different and poorly reported approaches used. Therefore, the first goal is to present a method for the general measurement of sound pressure levels and sound sources, with precise details and reasoning, such that future studies can use these procedures as a guideline. The two procedures used in the general method will outline how to record sound pressure levels and sound sources, using sound level meters and observers, respectively. The second goal is to present the data collected using the applied method to show the feasibility of the general method and provide results for future reference.MethodsThe general method proposes the use of two different procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the intensive care unit. The applied method uses the general method to collect data recorded over 24-h, examining two beds in a four-bed room, via four sound level meters and four observers each working one at a time.ResultsThe interrater reliability of the different categories was found to have an estimate of &gt;0.75 representing good and excellent estimates, for 19 and 16 of the 24 categories, for the two beds examined. The equivalent sound pressure levels (LAeq) for the day, evening, and night shift, as an average of the sound level meters in the patient room, were 54.12, 53.37, and 49.05 dBA. In the 24-h measurement period, talking and human generated sounds occurred for a total of 495 (39.29% of the time) and 470 min (37.30% of the time), at the two beds of interest, respectively.ConclusionA general method was described detailing two independent procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the ICU. In a continuous data recording over 24 h, the feasibility of the proposed general method was confirmed. Moreover, good and excellent interrater reliability was achieved in most categories, making them suitable for future studies

Plateforme d'échanges destinée aux bibliothèques de lecture publique et mixtes du canton de Fribourg: partage d’animations

Ce travail étudie la mise en place d’un prototype de plateforme d’échanges d’information et d’animations destinée aux bibliothécaires fribourgeois. Les plateformes analysées sont un blog, un réseau social, une plateforme e-learning, une plateforme extranet et un espace de stockage partagé. Le cahier des charges a été rédigé suite à une discussion avec des bibliothécaires témoins. Les deux besoins principaux évoqués sont un espace d’échanges pour des contenus ainsi qu’un forum. L’analyse finale montre que SharePoint constitue probablement le meilleur choix

Greater blood volume and Hb mass in obese women quantified by the carbon monoxide-rebreathing method affects interpretation of iron biomarkers and iron requirements

Background/objective: Iron deficiency (ID) is common in overweight and obese individuals (OW/OB) but the mechanism is uncertain. Greater blood volume (BV) in OW/OB may increase hemoglobin (Hb) mass and iron requirements, and confound iron biomarkers by hemodilution. Quantification of BV/PV changes in OW/OB is challenging and a formula to estimate BV/PV based on anthropometric indices would be valuable. In normal weight (NW) and OW/OB women, we aimed at: (1) measure BV and assess whether differences in BV affect concentrations and total circulating mass of Hb and iron biomarkers; (2) develop an algorithm describing BV in OW/OB. Subjects/methods: In a cross-sectional study, we measured BV in NW, OW, and OB non-anemic women (n = 62) by using the carbon monoxide-rebreathing method, body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and iron and inflammatory status. Results: OW and OB women had 11 and 16% higher mean BV and PV compared to NW (P 2 = 0.76). Conclusion: An equation based on anthropometric indices provides a good estimate of increased BV in OW/OB women. In OW/OB women, there is an increase in Hb mass that likely increases iron requirements for erythropoiesis and circulating TfR mass. At the same time, higher hepcidin concentrations may lower serum iron mass. Both these mechanisms may increase risk for ID in OW/OB women.</p

Methods for Measuring and Identifying Sounds in the Intensive Care Unit

Despite many studies in the field examining excessive noise in the intensive care unit, this issue remains an ongoing problem. A limiting factor in the progress of the field is the inability to draw conclusions across studies due to the different and poorly reported approaches used. Therefore, the first goal is to present a method for the general measurement of sound pressure levels and sound sources, with precise details and reasoning, such that future studies can use these procedures as a guideline. The two procedures used in the general method will outline how to record sound pressure levels and sound sources, using sound level meters and observers, respectively. The second goal is to present the data collected using the applied method to show the feasibility of the general method and provide results for future reference.; The general method proposes the use of two different procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the intensive care unit. The applied method uses the general method to collect data recorded over 24-h, examining two beds in a four-bed room, via four sound level meters and four observers each working one at a time.; The interrater reliability of the different categories was found to have an estimate of >0.75 representing good and excellent estimates, for 19 and 16 of the 24 categories, for the two beds examined. The equivalent sound pressure levels (L; Aeq; ) for the day, evening, and night shift, as an average of the sound level meters in the patient room, were 54.12, 53.37, and 49.05 dBA. In the 24-h measurement period, talking and human generated sounds occurred for a total of 495 (39.29% of the time) and 470 min (37.30% of the time), at the two beds of interest, respectively.; A general method was described detailing two independent procedures for measuring sound pressure levels and sound sources in the ICU. In a continuous data recording over 24 h, the feasibility of the proposed general method was confirmed. Moreover, good and excellent interrater reliability was achieved in most categories, making them suitable for future studies