Ambulance Reliability Problems and Potential Technological Advancements to Solve Them

The goal of this IQP project was to discover flaws within the current ambulance design and outline solutions to fix them. The IQP team conducted interviews, polling, and participated in data collection. Through these methods it was discovered that the main problems in ambulance design are associated with the lack of dampening of road surface induced vibrations transmitted into the patient compartment. These vibrations decrease the ability of paramedics to perform the tests and treatments needed while simultaneously increasing the stress experienced by patients. The IQP focuses on technological advancements and design alternatives which may be implemented to decrease the road induced vibrations and increase ambulance efficiency

Modeling and Measuring Nasal Airflow Characteristics

Studies have shown that more than 50 million Americans suffer from a form of chronic rhinitis. To fix this problem surgeons perform a partial nasal turbinectomy, which may improve the patient\u27s condition or lead to an iatrogenic condition, Empty Nose Syndrome. The goal is to design and construct a machine that is able to control tidal volumes and respiration rates so one can explore various breathing patterns for any age or possible physical activity level. The machine will allow the team to analyze various unsteady state nasal flow patterns. Experiments were conducted on a model nasal cavity to measure the pressure and airflow rate in the nose pre and post surgery. The data will help verify computational calculations and enhance the understanding of a proper turbinate alteration

Education and practice developments: Addressing the psychosocial concerns and support needs of LGBT+ people

BACKGROUND: There has been recent interest in the unique healthcare needs and concerns of diverse groups from human rights, social inclusion and healthcare access and utilisation perspectives. However, the distinct psychosocial experiences and needs of LGBT+ people remains under-researched. AIMS: The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of people who identify as LGBT+ in relation to their distinct psychosocial support needs. DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative study. SETTINGS: Hospital and community mental health services. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 20 people identifying as LGBT+ who had used mental health services participated in the study. METHODS: Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews. Participants who consented to take part were recruited to the study and undertook an interview of between 45 and 60 min. RESULTS: Thematic analysis was utilised to systematically highlight the emerging themes within and across the participant interviews. The main themes were: social aspects and help-seeking; concerns around supports; psychological treatment options; and LGBT+ culturally competent services. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings inform the discussion and the implications for nursing practice, education and research are presented

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015:a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Background Healthy life expectancy (HALE) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) provide summary measures of health across geographies and time that can inform assessments of epidemiological patterns and health system performance, help to prioritise investments in research and development, and monitor progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We aimed to provide updated HALE and DALYs for geographies worldwide and evaluate how disease burden changes with development.Methods We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost (YLLs) and years of life lived with disability (YLDs) for each geography, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using the Sullivan method, which draws from age-specific death rates and YLDs per capita. We then assessed how observed levels of DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends calculated with the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator constructed from measures of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate.Findings Total global DALYs remained largely unchanged from 1990 to 2015, with decreases in communicable, neonatal, maternal, and nutritional (Group 1) disease DALYs off set by increased DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Much of this epidemiological transition was caused by changes in population growth and ageing, but it was accelerated by widespread improvements in SDI that also correlated strongly with the increasing importance of NCDs. Both total DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates due to most Group 1 causes significantly decreased by 2015, and although total burden climbed for the majority of NCDs, age-standardised DALY rates due to NCDs declined. Nonetheless, age-standardised DALY rates due to several high-burden NCDs (including osteoarthritis, drug use disorders, depression, diabetes, congenital birth defects, and skin, oral, and sense organ diseases) either increased or remained unchanged, leading to increases in their relative ranking in many geographies. From 2005 to 2015, HALE at birth increased by an average of 2.9 years (95% uncertainty interval 2.9-3.0) for men and 3.5 years (3.4-3.7) for women, while HALE at age 65 years improved by 0.85 years (0.78-0.92) and 1.2 years (1.1-1.3), respectively. Rising SDI was associated with consistently higher HALE and a somewhat smaller proportion of life spent with functional health loss; however, rising SDI was related to increases in total disability. Many countries and territories in central America and eastern sub-Saharan Africa had increasingly lower rates of disease burden than expected given their SDI. At the same time, a subset of geographies recorded a growing gap between observed and expected levels of DALYs, a trend driven mainly by rising burden due to war, interpersonal violence, and various NCDs.Interpretation Health is improving globally, but this means more populations are spending more time with functional health loss, an absolute expansion of morbidity. The proportion of life spent in ill health decreases somewhat with increasing SDI, a relative compression of morbidity, which supports continued efforts to elevate personal income, improve education, and limit fertility. Our analysis of DALYs and HALE and their relationship to SDI represents a robust framework on which to benchmark geography-specific health performance and SDG progress. Country-specific drivers of disease burden, particularly for causes with higher-than-expected DALYs, should inform financial and research investments, prevention efforts, health policies, and health system improvement initiatives for all countries along the development continuum. Copyright (C) The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.</p