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Biomedical subjects

Thomas K S Wong

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas K S Wong.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Auriculotherapy on low back pain in the elderly.

The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of auriculotherapy using magnetic pellets for the elderly suffering from low back pain (LBP). Sixty participants who were 60-years old or above and had been suffering from LBP were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to receive auriculotherapy on a 3-week basis using either Semen Vaccariae (control group=30) or magnetic pellets (experimental group=30). Seven auricular acupoints that are believed to have an effect on LBP were selected. Treatment effects were evaluated using the Chinese Pain Intensity Verbal Rating scale (VRS). The experimental group had indeed experienced a significant improvement in pain relief when compared with the control group; and the therapeutic effects were sustained at 2 and 4-week follow-up periods after the therapy. Findings of this study demonstrated that auriculotherapy using magnetic pellets significantly reduce the pain intensity level of the elderly suffering from non-specific LBP.

Acupressure↗
PubMed2006

Evaluation of the Morse Fall Scale: applicability in Chinese hospital populations.

BACKGROUND: Patient falls have been identified as a significant health problem in the general hospital patient population. The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) is an individualized criterion-referenced assessment tool designed for measuring the likelihood of patient falls in hospitals. Despite the scale has demonstrated high validity and reliability in the previous researches, this study is to provide additional validity tests to determine the applicability in the Chinese hospital population. OBJECTIVES: To examine the predictive power of the MFS to predict patient falls. To conduct reliability tests on internal consistency, item analysis, inter-rater and test-retest reliability. DESIGN: The study was a cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: The medical and geriatric units of three rehabilitation hospitals in Hong Kong participated in the study. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 954 Chinese patients was recruited sequentially upon admission in the hospital ward units. They ranged in age from 17 to 100 years, with a mean of 70.2 years. METHODS: The patients were assessed for fall risk using the MFS on admission. Data was collected on the number of patients who fell rather than the number of falls. RESULTS: The scale had a sensitivity of 31% and a specificity of 83% when the cut-off point was determined at 45. The field test demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability with an ICC value of 0.97 (95%CI 0.94-0.98). Repeatability was high with an ICC of 0.98 (95% CI 0.98-0.99). The evaluation revealed a low Cronbach's alpha coefficient and a low to moderate item-to-scale correlation. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence collected in this study has shown both the positive and negative aspects of using the MFS in assessing the fall risk of Chinese patients during rehabilitation. The discriminative validity and internal consistency reliability provide researchers and clinicians with a major step in further developing or modifying the scale.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2006

Are there gender differences in pain perception?

Chronic pain conditions are increasingly prevalent. However, very little is known about the relationship between pain and gender. The purposes of this study were to determine gender differences in pain threshold and tolerance among Chinese adults in Hong Kong and to examine the role of anxiety in pain perception. One hundred seventy-eight healthy, pain-free adults (89 men and 89 women) were recruited from a local university by convenience sampling to participate in the study. All participants completed the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and underwent a laboratory pain task to determine their pain threshold and tolerance levels. Pain was assessed by using the Pain Intensity Verbal Rating Scale-Chinese version. Compared to men, women had a lower threshold (p < .001) and tolerance (p < .001) for pressure pain, and women reported more pain (p < .01) at the pain tolerance level. Higher trait anxiety scores were associated with higher pain report in men only (r [89] = .22, p = .04). The study indicated that gender differences in pain perception exist among the Chinese population in Hong Kong. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to gender differences in pain perception could reduce gender bias in pain management.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

An evaluation of nursing practice models in the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in Hong Kong: a preliminary study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: Like other health-care workers, Hong Kong nurses had their professional knowledge and skills seriously challenged during the SARS outbreak. Could current nursing practices support the care of SARS or SARS-like patients in the future? If not, alternative practices would be needed. Providing a preliminary understanding, this paper compares the conventional with different nursing delivery models in a simulated SARS ward and focuses on nurses' efficiency, infection control practices and views of the two models. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was conducted in three phases. First, a baseline understanding of nursing practices was achieved through four workflow observations. In an eight-hour day, four research assistants observed nursing activities in the medical and fever wards. These data were used in the second phase to construct two sets of clinical vignettes, pertaining to SARS patient care in both conventional and alternative practice models. These scripts were discussed with nine nurses of various ranks from the hospital under study for their expert validation and input. In the third phase, nurse participants and patient actors enacted the vignettes in a simulated setting. Video-taped observations and four nurse participant interviews were employed. Observational data were analysed through descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. Textual data were coded and categorized for common meanings. RESULTS: Conventional practice from the findings consisted of cubicle and named nurse nursing. While the former reflected modified team and functional nursing, it did not confine patient care within a cubicle as suggested by its name. The latter depicted a modified primary nursing approach in a team, with delegation of care. Preliminary findings concerning infection control and nurse satisfaction revealed that the alternative model had an advantage over the conventional. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study findings lay the foundation for clinical trials, which would evaluate the significance of patient-care quality, cost-effectiveness and better human resource management by restructuring current nursing practices.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2006

Effects of an education programme on family participation in the rehabilitation of children with developmental disability.

The growth and development of children with developmental disability depend very much on the parents. The present study was designed to examine whether family-focused education could enhance parental skills, knowledge and competency. The enhancement would in turn result in greater parental participation in the rehabilitation process of these children. The parental needs of Chinese parents were reviewed for the formulation of the Family-Focused Education Programme, which was then implemented, and evaluated using a pre-test/post-test control group design. Forty parents were invited to participate in the study using a convenience sampling technique. The mean scores of these variables were in the direction of increasing after the programme, though repeated measures ANOVA did not indicate any statistically significant changes in parenting knowledge, attitude and stress. It was apparent that the Family-Focused Education Programme enhanced parental competence. Undoubtedly, the family-focused approach is crucial for enhancing parenting competency, and education is fundamental to enabling parents.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Feeling the digital pulse: Consumer-centered approach to individual health profiling.

New technologies from the new digital era are overcoming temporal, spatial and physical hurdles in the development and realization of individual health profiling and consumer health monitoring devices. Mature wireless and networking technologies promise more accessibility and portability of health data and records, and health monitoring. The increase in convenience and efficiency underlie the technological foundation for development of telehealth systems, which make personal health care available anytime, anywhere. On the one hand, advances in information technology are aiding in the creation of lifelong health records and hence in the tracking and understanding of the health history of individuals, which in turn will help shift the public health care delivery model toward more primary and secondary care and prevention from the current emphasis on curing. On the other, health monitoring devices are also benefiting from technological progress, and are increasingly moving toward more self-assistive, compact and appealing to consumers. However, although most of the necessary hardware and technologies are already mature and widely available, they have yet to be fully exploited for personal health care, and the general public also need to be educated and encouraged to adopt the concepts of individual health profiling and regular health monitoring into their lives. In this regard, the School of Nursing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been working proactively on two fronts. First, a telehealth system has been installed in community-based venues such as clinics, hospitals and, most important, schools and youth centers in order to promote lifelong health profiling for all individuals. Second, the School of Nursing is committed to utilizing advanced technologies for developing more compact and user-friendly consumer health monitoring devices such as non-invasive meters. This is with a view to encourage individuals to take more responsibility for their own health and behavior, which fits in with the Hong Kong government's aim of shifting the burden of public health care provision away from hospitals to community-based primary and secondary care. The ultimate goal of the School of Nursing's efforts in telehealth and consumer health monitoring devices is the wide adoption of home-based telehealth systems that will subsequently spur individual health profiling, which will in turn encourage personal responsibility for improving one's health.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed2006

Experience sharing on the implementation of telehealth system in Hong Kong.

With the growth of the ageing population in Hong Kong, healthcare professionals believe that there will be a great demand of healthcare service at the community level. In 2000, the first prototype of telehealth system was developed, tested and validated by the School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With the advancement of information technology and inexpensive video- conference facility, an inter-clinic patient-centered healthcare information system has been evolved and used by a number of satellite clinics since 2003. In order to foster the importance of personal healthcare education at the community level, different versions of the telehealth system were designed and developed for school children and teenagers. Now the research team is focusing on the development of the pocket PC's version. Experience on the deployment of such technology-intensive system in healthcare was discussed in this paper.

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMed2006

Using pulse oximetry level to indicate the occurrence of sleep apnoea events.

The aim of this research study was to identify an alternative to nasal airflow as a prompt and unobtrusive indicator of sleep apnoea events. This study attempted to select pulse oximetry (SpO2) level as an alternative parameter to indicate the occurrence of sleep apnoea. Ten subjects diagnosed with sleep apnoea underwent an overnight polysomnography (PSG) study. Signals of nasal flow and SpO2 level were recorded. Time differences were compared between the "onset of nasal airflow cessation" (ONAC) and the "onset of three percent oxygen desaturation from the baseline" (OOD) during sleep apnoea events. The results of this study showed that measuring SpO2 level was more comfortable for patients, but that there was around a twenty second delay after the onset of the cessation of nasal airflow. It was concluded that the measurement of SpO2 level was useful for screening suspected sleep apnoea patients, but it might not be able to provide "online detection" of the occurrence of sleep apnoea events.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Evaluating the efficacy of an integrated curriculum on adolescent health and development for pre-service nursing education in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: An integrated adolescent curriculum on health and development (ADH) was implemented in a pre-service nursing programme in a university. AIM: This study examined the efficacy of an ADH curricular framework in improving the competency variables of student nurses in delivering ADH services. METHOD: The design of the study was quasi-experimental with the systematically designed ADH training curriculum as an intervention. Pre- and post-tests incorporating an experimental group and a control group for a sample of 101 student nurses were used. FINDINGS: Reports from 50 student nurses in the experimental group indicated that there was a significant increase from the pre-test to the post-test phase in the total score for the variables in the ADH Competency Checklist (Z=-5.71, p<0.001) and its four subscales: the professional development subscale (Z=-5.37, p<0.001), the psychosocial and physical well-being subscale (Z=-5.66, p<0.001), the health behaviours and lifestyles subscale (Z=-5.07, p<0.001), and the identity and reproductive health subscale (Z=-4.86, p<0.001). Significant changes were detected in the ADH competency variables for the control group in the post-test phase. CONCLUSION: The findings reveal that the systematic integration of ADH in the nursing curriculum had the positive impact of increasing the competency of student nurses for the examined variables.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among elderly nursing home residents in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: Depression in the elderly has become a serious health care issue worldwide. However, no studies have compared the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among institutionalized Chinese elders living in different regions. OBJECTIVES: To explore and compare the prevalence and risk factors for depressive symptoms among elderly residents of nursing homes in Taiwan and Hong Kong. METHODS: Random sampling was used to recruit participants from eight nursing homes in each region. A total of 150 elders from Taiwan and 214 elders from Hong Kong participated. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was significantly higher in participants from Hong Kong (65.4%) than in Taiwan (43.3%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that gender, satisfaction with living situation, perceived health condition, and perceived income adequacy significantly predicted depressive symptoms in elderly nursing home residents in Taiwan. Significant predictors of depressive symptoms in the Hong Kong sample were satisfaction with living situation, cognitive status, and functional status. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to consider risk factors specific to a target population when developing depression intervention programs.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

An exploratory study of nurses suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

In 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) came to be recognized as a newly emergent form of disease that is highly contagious. The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of nurses with SARS in Hong Kong, as the perceptions of nurses who have suffered from SARS have not been studied. Ten nurses who had suffered from SARS were interviewed, either face-to-face or by telephone, about their subjective experiences. These interviews provided in-depth, descriptive data, which were analysed using content analysis. Nine broad categories were identified: uncertainty, information control, feelings of anger and guilt, lack of preparation and fear of death, feelings of isolation and loneliness, physical effects, support, change of perspective of life, and change of perspective of nursing. Although the dreaded disease affected the nurses tremendously, both physically and psychologically, it has also had its positive side. As a result of experiencing the illness, the participants came to treasure relationships, health and everyday life more. In caring for patients, they came to see the world more from the perspective of the patients. They found that they need to take the time to reassure patients and families and to seriously listen to all of their concerns.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Experiences of online learning: students' perspective.

This paper explores students' views of an online learning initiative within a post-registration degree in nursing in Hong Kong. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. One hundred and ninety eight students completed the study. Online learning was seen to be convenient allowing students to study at their own pace and time. Students reported that online learning enabled them to hold a higher level of accountability for their own learning and to learn independently. Not all experiences were positive. A major hindrance to online learning was the inadequate opportunity for human interaction which was deemed necessary for establishing peer support and developing in-depth group discussion on subject matter. These findings provide a guide for further development and improvement in online teaching and learning methodologies.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
PubMed2004

The effects of light therapy on depressed elders.

BACKGROUND: Elderly depression has gradually become a severe issue in the health care system. No studies have focused on evaluating the effects of light therapy on the elderly with depression in a subtropical climate area. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of light therapy on hospitalized, depressed elders living in a subtropical climate area. METHODS: Experimental design was used. For the experimental group, patients sat in front of a light box, receiving 5000 lux in the morning. The light therapy course was administered for 50 minutes per day and lasted for 5 days. The control group did not receive any treatment. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were significantly reduced in the experimental group at post-test but no significant decline was found in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Based upon the results of this study, light therapy could be used to decrease depressive symptoms in the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Effective personal protective clothing for health care workers attending patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Optimal usability is crucial in providing protection for health care workers who are exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome day and night while taking care of patients with the virus. No research study has yet tested the usability of personal protective clothing (PPC). METHOD: The study was carried out in 3 stages. PPC available in Hong Kong were sorted by their physical properties in the first stage. The second stage was a single-blinded study examining the different usability aspects of the PPC. The third stage was a simulated viral load test. RESULTS: Four types were identified: good water repellency and water resistance, poor air permeability (Type A PPC); good water repellency and air permeability, poor water resistance (Type B PPC); poor water repellency, poor water resistance, and fair air permeability (Type C PPC); and good water repellency, poor air permeability, and fair water resistance (Type D PPC). Type D PPC had a significantly higher number of contamination sites on the subjects' dorsum and palm. Type C PPC had the highest contamination over the trunk. Findings in the viral load test showed that there was a significant difference in the contamination of the face (t=4.69, df=38, P<.00) between 1 and 2 strokes. CONCLUSION: Type A PPC is effective in providing a desirable protective function against droplet splash, if a disposable PPC is required. Type C PPC, the surgical gown, is also appropriate, as the cost is low, air permeability is fair, and the level of possible hand contamination is lowest among the 4 groups in the current study.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The symptom experience of hospitalised Chinese children and adolescents and relationship to pre-hospital factors and behaviour problems.

PURPOSE: To describe the symptom experience of hospitalised Chinese children and adolescents and examine the relationship of symptoms to pre-hospital factors and child behaviour. METHODS: Data were collected at two hospital sites in Hong Kong (HK) and at five hospitals in the Chinese Mainland (CM). A total of 307 hospitalised children and adolescents (ages 2-18) and their primary caregiver (e.g., mother, father or grandparent) participated in the study. Children and adolescents completed an age-appropriate symptom diary on one evening and subsequent morning early in their hospital stay. Parents completed the diary for the children less than 6 years of age. Parents also completed an age-appropriate Chinese version of the Child Behaviour Checklist. RESULTS: Over 50% of the children and adolescents reported some degree of pain, 75% of them reported evening tiredness, and 21% reported gastrointestinal symptoms. The intensity of symptoms varied by age and region and symptoms often co-occurred. Greater symptom burden was predicted by previous surgery, higher level of worst pain prior to hospitalisation, parent report of child behaviour problems, and co-occurrence of other symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalised Chinese children manifest symptoms of pain, tiredness, and gastrointestinal distress that vary based on pre-hospital factors and are associated with child behaviour problems. Further research is needed to identify causes and treatments for children's symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Psychosocial functioning of hospitalized Chinese adolescents and their families.

The purpose of this study was to describe behavioral and emotional problems, social competence, and family functioning of hospitalized Chinese adolescents and to compare their psychosocial functioning with normative samples of Chinese adolescents and their families. A convenience sample of 103 hospitalized adolescent patients and their families participated. Families came from geographical areas in the Chinese Mainland (5 hospitals) and Hong Kong (2 hospitals). Parents completed a Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4 to 18 years and the Family Assessment Device. Adolescents responded to a Chinese version of the Youth Self-Report. Youth in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong appear to be quite similar in many domains of behavioral functioning. Hospitalized adolescents in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland exhibited behavioral and emotional profiles that were qualitatively similar to the norms reported in community samples of Chinese and Chinese-American adolescents, albeit significantly lower than their healthy counterparts. This study examined, for the first time, the psychosocial functioning of hospitalized Chinese adolescents and their families. Our findings contribute to the cultural relevance of measuring adolescent and family responses to a known stressor and are useful for international comparisons by health care providers and researchers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Towards a Chinese definition of nursing.

BACKGROUND: A theory of nursing derived from nurses' experience can reflect indigenous practice values, which in turn can act as a fertile source of ideas and inventiveness in developing a relevant knowledge base to inform practice. However, systematic study of how Chinese nurses articulate nursing in their everyday practice is lacking. AIM: The aim of this paper is to describe how Chinese nurses conceptualize the practice of nursing; and to arrive at a definition of nursing based on this common understanding. METHOD: A systematic inquiry using a modified version of Van Kaam's controlled explication was designed. In the prescientific phase, 254 written accounts of nurses' views on nursing as lived in their everyday practice were collected in eight Chinese cities. In the scientific phase, concept analysis based on Aristotle's notion of four causes was adopted to capture the richness of the phrases that explain the multi-dimensionality of Chinese nurses' concepts of nursing. This was followed by a survey of 1782 nurses to verify the findings. The most commonly held views were summarized and a Chinese definition of nursing was drafted. FINDINGS: Nursing in the Chinese sense means to understand the dynamic health status of a person, to verify health concerns dialectically, and to consider interventions with the goal of assisting the person to master the appropriate health knowledge and skills for the attainment of optimal well-being. The survey findings show that nursing has developed into a professional caring practice in China today. The definition has some similarities with those of Western nurses, but the underpinning epistemic concerns are grounded in the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine and Eastern ideologies. CONCLUSION: The findings provide Chinese nurses with a definition of nursing articulated in their own language. The identification of qing, li, zhi, and xin as its epistemic concerns, and the articulation of the process of nursing as 'dialectical verification', provides a perspective for understanding nursing based on Eastern philosophies. The findings can enhance nurses' engagement in a cross-cultural dialogue to promote better understanding of nursing as it is practised in different parts of the world.

Adult↗