ECG Wave-Maven: An Internet-based Electrocardiography Self-Assessment Program for Students and Clinicians

Purpose: To create a multimedia internet-based ECG teaching tool, with the ability to rapidly incorporate new clinical cases. Method: We created ECG Wave-Maven (http://ecg.bidmc.harvard.edu), a novel teaching tool with a direct link to an institution-wide clinical repository. We analyzed usage data from the web between December, 2000 and May 2002. Results: In 17 months, there have been 4105 distinct uses of the program. A majority of users are physicians or medical students (2605, 63%), and almost half report use as an educational tool. Conclusions: The internet offers an opportunity to provide easily-expandable, open access resources for ECG pedagogy which may be used to complement traditional methods of instructio

Identifying Gender-Preferred Communication Styles within Online Cancer Communities: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Analysis

Background: The goal of this research is to determine if different gender-preferred social styles can be observed within the user interactions at an online cancer community. To achieve this goal, we identify and measure variables that pertain to each gender-specific social style. Methods and Findings: We perform social network and statistical analysis on the communication flow of 8,388 members at six different cancer forums over eight years. Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to measure the difference between the number of intimate (and highly intimate) dyads, relationship length, and number of communications. We determine that two patients are more likely to form an intimate bond on a gender-specific cancer forum (ovarian P = <0.0001, breast P = 0.0089, prostate P = 0.0021). Two female patients are more likely to form a highly intimate bond on a female-specific cancer forum (Ovarian P<0.0001, Breast P<0.01). Typically a male patient communicates with more members than a female patient (Ovarian forum P = 0.0406, Breast forum P = 0.0013). A relationship between two patients is longer on the gender-specific cancer forums than a connection between two members not identified as patients (ovarian forum P = 0.00406, breast forum P = 0.00013, prostate forum P = .0.0003). Conclusion: The high level of interconnectedness among the prostate patients supports the hypothesis that men prefer to socialize in large, interconnected, less-intimate groups. A female patient is more likely to form a highly intimate connection with another female patient; this finding is consistent with the hypothesis that woman prefer fewer, more intimate connections. The relationships of same-gender cancer patients last longer than other relationships; this finding demonstrates homophily within these online communities. Our findings regarding online communication preferences are in agreement with research findings from person-to-person communication preference studies. These findings should be considered when designing online communities as well as designing and evaluating psychosocial and educational interventions for cancer patients

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de alerta para prevenção de quedas em pacientes hospitalizados

The present study describes the analysis of an online patient assessment system developed to prevent inpatients falls. A chart review was performed in order to identify risk factors present in the Nursing Assessment tool. The identified variables were Functional status including walking, transferring and toilet, sex and patients self-care ability. Authors developed a system using these variables, that is available since February 1997. In a second phase of this study, authors aim to evaluate the effectiveness of this computerized intervention.Este estudio describe el análisis de un sistema de computación en enfermería para desarrollar un sistema de alerta para prevenir caídas de los hospitalizados. Una revisión de las historias clínicas fue realizada para identificar los factores de riesgo presentes en el referido instrumento de evaluación. Las variables identificadas fueron: estado funcional del paciente incluyendo andar, desplazamiento, limpieza, sexo y habilidad para realizar el autocuidado. Usando estas variables un sistema de alerta fue desarrollado e incorporado en el sistema desde febrero de 1997. En una segunda fase de este estudio nos preponemos evaluar la eficacia de esta intervención automatizada en la calidad del cuidado de enfermería..Este estudo descreve a análise de um Sistema computadorizado de avaliação do paciente no desenvolvimento de um sistema de alerta para prevenir quedas de pacientes hospitalizados. Foi realizada a revisão de prontuários para identificar os fatores de risco presentes no referido instrumento de avaliação. As variáveis identificadas foram: estado funcional do paciente incluindo andar, transferir-se e toilete, sexo e habilidade de realizar auto-cuidado. Usando tais variáveis, foi desenvolvido um sistema de alerta que encontra-se disponibilizado desde Fevereiro de 1997. Em uma segunda etapa, pretende-se estudar o impacto deste sistema na qualidade do atendimento de enfermagem

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de alerta para prevenção de quedas em pacientes hospitalizados

The present study describes the analysis of an online patient assessment system developed to prevent inpatients falls. A chart review was performed in order to identify risk factors present in the Nursing Assessment tool. The identified variables were Functional status including walking, transferring and toilet, sex and patients self-care ability. Authors developed a system using these variables, that is available since February 1997. In a second phase of this study, authors aim to evaluate the effectiveness of this computerized intervention.Este estudio describe el análisis de un sistema de computación en enfermería para desarrollar un sistema de alerta para prevenir caídas de los hospitalizados. Una revisión de las historias clínicas fue realizada para identificar los factores de riesgo presentes en el referido instrumento de evaluación. Las variables identificadas fueron: estado funcional del paciente incluyendo andar, desplazamiento, limpieza, sexo y habilidad para realizar el autocuidado. Usando estas variables un sistema de alerta fue desarrollado e incorporado en el sistema desde febrero de 1997. En una segunda fase de este estudio nos preponemos evaluar la eficacia de esta intervención automatizada en la calidad del cuidado de enfermería..Este estudo descreve a análise de um Sistema computadorizado de avaliação do paciente no desenvolvimento de um sistema de alerta para prevenir quedas de pacientes hospitalizados. Foi realizada a revisão de prontuários para identificar os fatores de risco presentes no referido instrumento de avaliação. As variáveis identificadas foram: estado funcional do paciente incluindo andar, transferir-se e toilete, sexo e habilidade de realizar auto-cuidado. Usando tais variáveis, foi desenvolvido um sistema de alerta que encontra-se disponibilizado desde Fevereiro de 1997. Em uma segunda etapa, pretende-se estudar o impacto deste sistema na qualidade do atendimento de enfermagem

Patient-To-Physician Messaging: Volume Nearly Tripled As More Patients Joined System, But Per Capita Rate Plateaued

Patients want to be able to communicate with their physicians by e-mail. However, physicians are often concerned about the impact that such communications will have on their time, productivity, and reimbursement. Typically, physicians are not reimbursed for time spent communicating with patients electronically. But under federal meaningful-use criteria for information technology, physicians can receive a modest incentive for such communications. Little is known about trends in secure e-mail messaging between physicians and patients. To understand these trends, we analyzed the volume of messages in a large academic health care system’s patient portal in the period 2001–10. At the end of 2010, 49,778 patients (22.7 percent of all patients seen within the system) had enrolled in the portal, and 36.9 percent of enrolled patients (8.4 percent of all patients) had sent at least one message to a physician. Physicians in the aggregate saw a near tripling of e-mail messages during the study period. However, the number of messages per hundred patients per month stabilized between 2005 and 2010, at an average of 18.9 messages. As physician reimbursement moves toward global payments, physicians’ and patients’ participation in secure messaging will likely increase, and electronic communication should be considered part of physicians’ job descriptions

Cognitive Phenotypes and the Evolution of Animal Decisions

Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical approaches to characterize them as evolvable traits

Cognitive Phenotypes and the Evolution of Animal Decisions

Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical approaches to characterize them as evolvable traits