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At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

A multimedia approach to raising awareness of information and communications technology amongst healthcare professionals.

This study is concerned with the application of advanced multimedia technology to the development of a programme aimed at raising awareness of information and communications technology (ICT) amongst health professionals in Ireland. The programme is delivered in the form of a symposium supplemented by a multimedia CD and associated web site. It examines how ICT can be used effectively in healthcare across all sectors - primary, secondary and tertiary - with a strong emphasis on supporting shared care. The aim is to empower users to make informed technological choices and to actively participate in the exploitation of ICT in the health sector. The programme was successfully completed and delivered to over 2300 health professionals across Ireland and follow-up activities include the active encouragement of leaders and champions within the sector. This will be supported by interactive web-based education and training material focused on specialised topics of particular interest within the broader context of continuing medical education (CME).

Computer Literacy↗
PubMed1999

Management of obesity in low-income African Americans.

The Bariatrics Clinic at Howard University Hospital was initiated to help low-income African-American adults with low literacy skills in obesity control. Fourteen African-American women and two men participated in the study. Essential components of the treatment included nutrition education, exercise, and behavior modification related to food intake. The nutrition education component involved teaching nutritional needs, taking into account low literacy skills, low economic status, and individual food preferences. A realistic diet plan was based on individual needs, economic status, availability of food, likes and dislikes, lifestyle, and family dynamics. On average, patients lost 2 lb a week on this program. On average, a 14-lb weight loss occurred in seven weeks. There has been a 10% dropout from this program as opposed to drop out rates of 40% to 50% with other treatments. The main reasons for the success of this program is that it is individualized and is sensitive to food preferences.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Literacy and health research in Canada: where have we been and where should we go?

This article reviews current literature and research on literacy and health and identifies priorities for research on this topic in Canada. Information sources included documents found through an environmental scan, the Alpha Plus collection and a computer search of recent documents. The information was analyzed using a conceptual framework. The review found that low literacy has direct and indirect impacts on health. Families are at risk due to difficulty reading medication prescriptions, baby formula instructions and health and safety education materials. People with lower levels of literacy tend to live and work in less healthy environments. They have more difficulties obtaining employment and income security. Determinants of literacy include: education, early childhood development, aging, living and working conditions, personal capacity/genetics, gender and culture. Action is needed to improve literacy and health through a combination of health communication, education and training, community development, organizational development, and policy development. There is some evidence that such interventions can have a positive effect on health, particularly when combined with one another. Further program and policy development requires greater evidence and evaluation of existing initiatives, more cost/benefit analyses, more culturally specific studies, and greater attention to current social trends and needs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Closing the comprehension gap: low literacy and the Cancer Information Service.

An estimated one in five Americans is functionally illiterate; they lack the literacy skills to access information or to perform many other basic tasks vital to their health and well-being. The National Cancer Institute and its Cancer Information Service have been working since 1990 to develop cancer-education strategies and materials to reach people with limited literacy skills. This paper reviews the link between cancer and illiteracy, the magnitude of the problem, and the association between cancer, certain health-related behaviors, and educational attainment. It also examines innovative National Cancer Institute and Cancer Information Service programs and materials designed to reach this high-risk population.

Educational Status↗
PubMed1995

Implementation and evaluation of computerized patient management problems.

We developed and implemented computerized patient management problems (CPMP) for medical school education as a simulation of case management and evaluated its efficacy in the School of Medicine at Chiba University. PMP was first developed in the USA; it was used for examinations by the board of American College of Physicians and then introduced to Japan for examination purposes. This test is a practical clinical test for decision making in various medical situations. PMP is, however, a kind of case simulation from a doctor's point of view; it is also a sophisticated tool in training medical students. PMP had many disadvantages in the past, but by computerizing PMP, we solved many problems. We developed the CPMP system for bedside teaching and evaluated its efficiency in terms of education by giving the same test twice and analyzing a survey.

Audiovisual Aids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Telecommunications and multimedia systems in education: what developments for radiology?

What are the new perspectives for the radiologist with the development of new technologies of telecommunications? At present, when digitization of most biomedical images has become a reality, problems of remote transmission are simplified. However, telematic literacy is necessary to the radiologist. It is already possible through multimedia supports, as CD-ROM and Internet "navigation". Which are the modalities to access "the network of networks"? Through Internet, hypertexs can be consulted, databases can be accessed, programs and printings can be retrieved, electronic mail can be exchanged. The CD-ROM is a further source of knowledge, especially effective in education due to multimedia and hypertext technology. In this context in the education of the radiologist, the hypertext version of a radiology text, finds its place. It is conceived to offer to each user an individualized approach to learning.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1996

Involving parents in cancer risk reduction: a program for Hispanic American families.

The authors explored changes in dietary behavior, nutrition knowledge, and parental support among inner-city, low-income, Hispanic American families. Thirty-eight families were randomly assigned to receive a 12-week, culture-specific dietary intervention or be in a control group. Results showed that parental support was related to changes in diet, nutrition knowledge, and attendance for both mothers and children. Dietary behavior changes (e.g., reduction in dietary fat) were seen only in the treatment group. Distribution of health-related pamphlets to the control group may have promoted cognitive changes (e.g., increased nutrition knowledge) seen in this low-literacy sample. Further research is needed to document behavioral changes after ethnic-specific interventions and the maintenance of those changes over time.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Mental health first aid training for the public: evaluation of effects on knowledge, attitudes and helping behavior.

BACKGROUND: Many members of the public have poor mental health literacy. A Mental Health First Aid training course was developed in order to improve this. This paper describes the training course and reports an evaluation study looking at changes in knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes and help provided to others. METHODS: Data are reported on the first 210 participants in public courses. Evaluation questionnaires were given at the beginning of courses, at the end and at 6 months follow-up. Data were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: The course improved participants' ability to recognize a mental disorder in a vignette, changed beliefs about treatment to be more like those of health professionals, decreased social distance from people with mental disorders, increased confidence in providing help to someone with a mental disorder, and increased the amount of help provided to others. CONCLUSIONS: Mental Health First Aid training appears to be an effective method of improving mental health literacy which can be widely applied.

Caregivers↗
PubMed1988

Women, work and computers.

The introduction of computers into the working environment may raise fundamental issues about the organization of work, the working environment and other fundamental social and health issues. This paper delineates some of these social and health issues and describes governmental and private initiatives designed to understand them and to prevent potential adverse effects. In addition, results of an ongoing study of a research project, the RAM project, on computerization and the psychosocial environment of work are described. Based on these data, recommendations for future programs and actions designed to maximize worker health and well-being, with a particular emphasis on women's roles and needs, are made.

Computer Literacy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Meeting the computer technology needs of community faculty: building new models for faculty development.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the evolving computer technology needs and interests of community faculty in order to design an effective faculty development program focused on computer skills: the Teaching and Learning Through Educational Technology (TeLeTET) program. METHODOLOGY: Repeated surveys were conducted between 1994 and 2002 to assess computer resources and needs in a pool of over 800 primary care physician-educators in community practice in East Texas. Based on the results, we developed and evaluated several models to teach community preceptors about computer technologies that are useful for education. RESULTS: Before 1998, only half of our community faculty identified a strong interest in developing their technology skills. As the revolution in telecommunications advanced, however, preceptors' needs and interests changed, and the use of this technology to support community-based teaching became feasible. In 1998 and 1999, resource surveys showed that many of our community teaching sites had computers and Internet access. By 2001, the desire for teletechnology skills development was strong in a nucleus of community faculty, although lack of infrastructure, time, and skills were identified barriers. The TeLeTET project developed several innovative models for technology workshops and conferences, supplemented by online resources, that were well attended and positively evaluated by 181 community faculty over a 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified the evolving needs of community faculty through iterative needs assessments, developed a flexible faculty development curriculum, and used open-ended, formative evaluation techniques to keep the TeLeTET program responsive to a rapidly changing environment for community-based education in computer technology.

Community Health Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Implementing a local area network for nursing in a large teaching hospital.

The authors describe the assessment, planning, implementation, and benefits of a local area network (LAN) for the nursing service of a 504-bed urban teaching hospital. The major goals of the network were to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the nursing administrative areas and improve communication systems. A network of more than 90 workstations, spanning 12 buildings, was installed. The network provides access to multiple programs that support clinical, managerial, and research activities. Gateways provide access to the hospital's two mainframe computers. Network benefits identified by nursing management include: improved communication and access to information; increased accuracy, efficiency and timeliness of data; and improved computer literacy.

Boston↗
PubMed2006

Sunflower therapy for children with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia): a randomised, controlled trial.

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical and perceived effectiveness of the Sunflower therapy in the treatment of childhood dyslexia. The Sunflower therapy includes applied kinesiology, physical manipulation, massage, homeopathy, herbal remedies and neuro-linguistic programming. A multi-centred, randomised controlled trial was undertaken with 70 dyslexic children aged 6-13 years. The research study aimed to test the research hypothesis that dyslexic children 'feel better' and 'perform better' as a result of treatment by the Sunflower therapy. Children in the treatment group and the control group were assessed using a battery of standardised cognitive, Literacy and self-esteem tests before and after the intervention. Parents of children in the treatment group gave feedback on their experience of the Sunflower therapy. Test scores were compared using the Mann Whitney, and Wilcoxon statistical tests. While both groups of children improved in some of their test scores over time, there were no statistically significant improvements in cognitive or Literacy test performance associated with the treatment. However, there were statistically significant improvements in academic self-esteem, and reading self-esteem, for the treatment group. The majority of parents (57.13%) felt that the Sunflower therapy was effective in the treatment of learning difficulties. Further research is required to verify these findings, and should include a control group receiving a dummy treatment to exclude placebo effects.

Acupressure↗
PubMed1999

Integrating information literacies into an undergraduate nursing programme.

The development of support for a more research-based approach to care has created the imperative for nursing education to tackle the issue of information literacy. Information literacy means the ability to locate, evaluate and apply information in critical thinking and problem solving. This paper outlines and provides a rationale for a curriculum-integrated information literacy programme, implemented in the pre-registration Bachelor of Nursing course at the University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. It also describes a multidimensional evaluation process for determining nursing students' growth in cognitive and affective domains. Results of the programme evaluation will be featured in a future paper.

Computer Literacy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality of health care: patient satisfaction in a university hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient characteristics and satisfaction in an outpatient service at a university hospital, aiming at obtaining subsidies for standardization of a quality assessment program. METHOD: Patient-representative sample was selected. It consisted of users of the Ophthalmology Outpatient Service at the Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). A structured questionnaire was applied through interview, including the following variables: personal characteristics (gender, age, literacy, job), type of appointment (new patient, follow-up), waiting time for the first appointment, opinion regarding ease of access to the hospital, assistance at the front desk, time spent in the waiting room on the appointed day, quality of care, degree of satisfaction with the consultation and general evaluation of the assistance. RESULTS: The sample was characterized by patients with low literacy and socioeconomic level; 21.7% had a steady income. The majority of them think that it is easy to obtain an appointment. According to patients, the mean waiting time for the appointment was 94.6 minutes and 45.3% of them received no orientation after the appointment. Final evaluation of the quality of assistance was positive and patients were satisfied with the provided assistance. CONCLUSION: Although a high level of satisfaction regarding the provided service was observed, when the various factors that can affect patient satisfaction are considered, users reported limitations as concerns quality. Evaluation allowed a better knowledge about the provided service in a university hospital and pointed to the possibility of implantation of quality assessment routines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Evaluating a programme to enhance vocabulary development in pre-schoolers.

This study was set up to investigate vocabulary development in a population of urban Indian socio-economically impoverished pre-schoolers. Since research has shown that a correlation exists with vocabulary and reading skills, hence better vocabulary would be indicative of fewer reading related problems. The introduction of an oracy programme in a nursery was evaluated and the results compared with those from a similar nursery not exposed to the programme. There was a significant difference in the growth of receptive vocabulary for the experimental group relative to the comparison group but no improvement in the expressive lexicon of either group. Results shed light on vocabulary development and its implications on later literacy progress, as well as changes to nursery practice in India.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

Medical informatics training programme to support the Romanian Health Care Management Information System.

The Health Management Information System (HMIS) project initiated by the Ministry of Health as a component of the healthcare reform is aiming to ensure the technical, functional and operative support for: i) a better overview of the population health status, of the medical care needs and of the Health System performances; ii) the improvement of the resource allocation and consumption; iii) reform support. This system is supposed to assure a better information flow from the lower to the upper levels of the healthcare network by help of a modern IT support. In the first development stage the system is planned to link the Ministry of Health with the 41 District Health Authorities (DHAs) and with more than 200 pilot health units. The implementation of such a large system raises serious problems of acceptability and a thorough training programme for both technical staff and end users must be considered in order to face this challenge.

Computer Literacy↗
PubMed2005

Situated, strategic, and AI-Enhanced technology introduction to healthcare.

We work hard on creating AI-wings for physicians to let them fly higher and faster in diagnosing patients--a task that physicians do not want to automate. What we do not work hard on is determining the ENVIRONMENT in which physicians' AI wings are supposed to function. It seems to be a job for social/business analysts that have their own separate kingdom. For the sake of all of us (potential patients!) social/business consultants and their methodologies should not be treated as a separate kingdom. The most urgent task is to achieve synergy between (1) AI/Fuzzy/Neural research, (2) Applied medical AI, (3) Social/Business research on medical institutions. We need this synergy in order to assure humanistic medical technology; technology flexible and sensitive enough to facilitate healthcare work while leaving space for human pride and creativity. In order to achieve humanistic technology, designers should consider the impact of technological breakthroughs on the organizations in which this technology will function and the nature of work of humans destined to use this technology. Situated (different for each organization), Strategic (based on an in-depth knowledge of Healthcare business), and AI-Enhanced (ended with a dynamic model) method for introducing technology to Healthcare allows identifying areas where technology can make medical work easier. Using this method before automating human work will get us closer to the ideal where there is no discontinuity between design and use of programs; where the technology matches users' needs perfectly--the world with humanistic technology and healthcare workers with AI-wings.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of Blackboard as a platform for distance education delivery.

The Hampton University School of Nursing has implemented a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Distance Education Program that utilizes the Blackboard Learning System, which was designed to transform the Internet into a powerful environment for the educational experience. The Interne, however, may be a new learning environment for many nurses seeking a graduate degree. The Blackboard platform allows for synchronous, real-time activities such as chat rooms, and asynchronous, delayed, activities such as discussion boards and digital drop boxes that can be used for student-to-instructor and instructor-to-student document transfer. This article focuses on the skills and challenges of navigating a course on the Internet using Blackboard. Recommendations for improving the teaching-learning process using a Web-based environment are included.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗