Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Technology”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

The diffusion of new hospital technologies in the United States.

Increases in the real resources used in hospital care have been an important cause behind rising hospital costs in the United States. Many of these resources have taken the form of new hospital technologies, and this paper begins by reviewing the trends in adoption of new hospital technologies over the years 1950-1974. The resource requirements, costs , and to the extent possible the patient benefits, of two of these technologies are then discussed in more detail: intensive care, a widespread facility with many variations, has been a major contributor to hospital costs; radiotherapy has been characterized by a succession of competing technologies. Regulatory efforts such as certificiate-of-need reviews would be more effective if they viewed hospitals as flexible collections of such technologies-with the costs and patient benefits of each to be weighed separately-rather than primarily in terms of numbers of beds. A national center to collect information on the separate technological functions of hospitals and make it available to interested groups would make a useful contribution to hospital regulation.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed2003

How adolescents use technology for health information: implications for health professionals from focus group studies.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents present many challenges in providing them effective preventive services and health care. Yet, they are typically the early adopters of new technology (eg, the Internet). This creates important opportunities for engaging youths via eHealth. OBJECTIVE: To describe how adolescents use technology for their health-information needs, identify the challenges they face, and highlight some emerging roles of health professionals regarding eHealth services for adolescents. METHODS: Using an inductive qualitative research design, 27 focus groups were conducted in Ontario, Canada. The 210 participants (55% female, 45% male; median age 16 years) were selected to reflect diversity in age, sex, geographic location, cultural identity, and risk. An 8-person team analyzed and coded the data according to major themes. RESULTS: Study participants most-frequently sought or distributed information related to school (89%), interacting with friends (85%), social concerns (85%), specific medical conditions (67%), body image and nutrition (63%), violence and personal safety (59%), and sexual health (56%). Finding personally-relevant, high-quality information was a pivotal challenge that has ramifications on the depth and types of information that adolescents can find to answer their health questions. Privacy in accessing information technology was a second key challenge. Participants reported using technologies that clustered into 4 domains along a continuum from highly-interactive to fixed information sources: (1) personal communication: telephone, cell phone, and pager; (2) social communication: e-mail, instant messaging, chat, and bulletin boards; (3) interactive environments: Web sites, search engines, and computers; and (4) unidirectional sources: television, radio, and print. Three emerging roles for health professionals in eHealth include: (1) providing an interface for adolescents with technology and assisting them in finding pertinent information sources; (2) enhancing connection to youths by extending ways and times when practitioners are available; and (3) fostering critical appraisal skills among youths for evaluating the quality of health information. CONCLUSIONS: This study helps illuminate adolescent health-information needs, their use of information technologies, and emerging roles for health professionals. The findings can inform the design and more-effective use of eHealth applications for adolescent populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Technology use, cesarean section rates, and perinatal mortality at Danish maternity wards.

Fifty-eight Danish maternity units, managing 99% of Danish deliveries, participated in a cross sectional study to assess the relationship between use of birth-related technologies, cesarean section rates and perinatal mortality for births after 35 completed weeks of gestation. A regional technology index (0-10) was calculated for each maternity unit according to its use of ante and intra partum fetal heart rate monitoring (FHM), hormone analysis (human placental lactogen (HPL) and/or estriol (O3)), fetal blood samples (scalp-pH), intrauterine catheter and umbilical cord-pH. Maternity units using FHM had a 15% higher cesarean section rate (not planned) than units not using FHM (p < 0.05). The referral of potentially complicated deliveries to central units, which at the same time relatively often use FHM, is probably responsible for this association. Trying to encounter this selection bias a technology index was calculated for eight regions in Denmark, weighting the index of each unit in a region according to its number of deliveries. There was no association between the technology index in these eight regions in Denmark and their cesarean section rates. Use of FHM, technology index, and unplanned cesarean section rates in the eight regions were all without significant association to the perinatal mortality in the same regions. For births after the 35th completed week of gestation, this study could not confirm a relationship between different degrees of use of birth-related technologies and perinatal mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Bovine somatotropin: review of an emerging animal technology.

One of the first potential biotechnology products for animal production is bST. Research in the technology of bST has involved scientists and support from federal agencies, universities, and private industry. As a consequence of this extensive cooperation, more than 1000 bST studies have been conducted, which involved over 20,000 dairy cows, and results have been confirmed by scientists throughout the world. This quantity of published research is unprecedented for a new technology and greater than most dairy technologies in use. In contrast to steroids, bST is a protein hormone. Milk yield and persistency responses to bST have been observed for all dairy breeds examined. Quality of management is the major factor affecting magnitude of milk response to bST. The mechanism of action of bST involves a series of orchestrated changes in the metabolism of body tissues so that more nutrients can be used for milk synthesis. It is these coordinated changes that allow the animal to achieve an increased milk yield while remaining normal and healthy. Bioenergetic studies demonstrated that bST-supplemented animals are not stressed. Similarly, there are no adverse health effects from bST even under poor management conditions. Composition of milk (fat, protein, lactose, cholesterol, minerals, and vitamins) is not substantially altered when bST is used and does not differ in manufacturing characteristics. Public perception is of paramount importance if bST or any new technology is to be effectively implemented. New technology must be understood and perceived as safe and beneficial both by farmers, who would utilize it, and consumers, who would purchase the dairy products. With bST use, a unit of milk is produced with less feed and protein supplement and with a reduction in animal excreta (manure, urine, and methane). Nationally, the use of bST simply reinforces, but does not fundamentally change, dairy industry trends of increased milk yield per cow, reduced number of cows, and declining dairy farm numbers. For individual farms, bST technology is size-neutral. However, poorly managed farms where animals are stressed, underfed, or sick are at an economic disadvantage because they will achieve negligible milk response to bST.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Differentiation between malignant and benign nodules in the liver: use of contrast C3-MODE technology.

AIM: To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced C3-MODE technology in differentiating malignant nodules of liver from the benign ones. METHODS: Forty-six nodules in 36 patients (29 men and 7 women) were studied by contrast-enhanced C3-MODE technology and contrast-enhanced CT in 1 wk before the biopsy or operation. A low MI monitor and a high MI flash imaging were intermittently performed. After the injection of contrast agent, the period from 10 to 30 s and the time later than 100 s were respectively defined as early arterial phase and the late phase. The vascularities of the liver nodules in the two phases were combined for differential diagnosis. Corresponding to the pathological diagnosis, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of contrast-enhanced C3-MODE technology were compared to those of contrast-enhanced CT. RESULTS: By C3-MODE technology, 33 of the 46 liver nodules were demonstrated as defected area in the late phase and were diagnosed as malignant tumors. Of them, 28 with hypervascularity in the early arterial phase were assessed as hepatocellular carcinoma, the other five nodules with rim-like enhancement in the early arterial phase were diagnosed as metastatic tumors. Thirteen nodules were shown as iso or hypervascularity in the late phase as well as centripetal filling in the early arterial phase and we made a diagnosis of hemangioma. Corresponding to the pathological results, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of contrast-enhanced C3-MODE technology in differentiating malignant and benign nodules in the liver were 97.0%, 92.3% and 95.7%, respectively. With comparison to those of contrast CT (sensitivity, 94.1%; specificity, 91.7%; accuracy, 93.5%), the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced C3-MODE technology can effectively differentiate malignant liver tumors from the benign nodules. It highly agrees diagnostically with the pathology. We suggest that it provides a new approach for differential diagnosis of liver nodules in addition to contrast-enhanced CT.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Staff attitudes: monitoring technology in long-term care.

1. Overall, care staff members displayed positive attitudes toward resident monitoring technologies, especially staff members working in facilities with more of this technology. 2. It is necessary to place nurses and other front-line health care workers in the center of the policymaking process that determines the technological versus human composition of any long-term care facility. 3. The ethnicity of the health care worker, and to a lesser extent their age and education, are more important than the job status in determining attitudes toward monitoring technology. 4. Comprehensive evaluations of technology used in care facilities should include the overall value of the technology, its impact on a facility's liability, its effect on the quality of care on residents, and whether use of the devices in question is ethical.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2003

Results of a national survey indicating information technology skills needed by nurses at time of entry into the work force.

A national survey was conducted to determine the information technology skills nurse administrators consider critical for new nurses entering the work force. The sample consisted of 2,000 randomly selected members of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. Seven hundred fifty-two usable questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 38%. The questionnaire used a 5-point Likert scale and consisted of 17 items that assessed various technology skills and demographic information. The questionnaire was developed and pilot tested with content experts to establish content validity. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed that using e-mail effectively, operating basic Windows applications, and searching databases were critical information technology skills. The most critical information technology skill involved knowing nursing-specific software, such as bedside charting and computer-activated medication dispensers. To effectively prepare nursing students with technology skills needed at the time of entry into practice, nursing faculty need to incorporate information technology skills into undergraduate nursing curricula.

Computer Literacy↗
PubMed2005

Authentication, antitamper, and track-and-trace technology options to protect foods.

Many security technologies (Anonymous, Effective supply chain protection, 2002) have been developed to protect a wide range of products, documents, and individuals. The food industry has very specialized needs, and food products may be affected by criminal activities such as tampering, relabeling, unauthorized diversion, and counterfeiting. It is important to understand the attributes associated with security technologies so that the benefits may be weighed against the restrictions that arise when selecting appropriate solutions to protect the food supply chain. Security technology may be split into a number of categories: authentication, coding, tamper evidence, and tracking. Within each category the technology may be subdivided into overt, covert, and forensic features. No single technology provides an infallible solution to all problems, so the most enduring and effective solutions almost always comprise a combination of technologies that provide deterrence, aid detection, and assist with subsequent prosecution of perpetrators.

Bioterrorism↗
PubMed1987

Technology applications in occupational therapy.

The products of today's research will be available to clinicians in the future. Many occupational therapists are involved in technology research in rehabilitation engineering and other technical programs. As part of the research teams they are designing new positioning systems and monitoring the effects of these new systems on the posture and skin of people with disabilities. They are designing new interfacing strategies for equipment. They are developing training strategies for accessing computer-based augmentative communication aids. They are providing functional design criteria for the modification of personal vehicles for use by disabled people. They are involved in the development and clinical application of robotics. In summary, the field of rehabilitation technology provides a fertile area for therapists wishing to pursue research careers. RESNA provides continuing education courses with a focus on technology application in conjunction with its annual meeting and encourages regional meetings with educational program components. RESNA is also very concerned with the issues of quality assurance. Only one formal training program for training rehabilitation engineers exists in this country, yet many engineers and others are providing technology in clinical settings. Current legislation is alerting many professionals to the value of technology, and yet there is no mechanism in place to monitor the quality of technical programs or the qualifications of many of the professionals providing the technical services. A major challenge is to address the formal training and quality assurance issues in a sensible way. The application of technology as a component of our clients' rehabilitation is an exciting development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMed2006

Medication dispensing errors and potential adverse drug events before and after implementing bar code technology in the pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: Many dispensing errors made in hospital pharmacies can harm patients. Some hospitals are investing in bar code technology to reduce these errors, but data about its efficacy are limited. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether implementation of bar code technology reduced dispensing errors and potential adverse drug events (ADEs). DESIGN: Before-and-after study using direct observations. SETTING: Hospital pharmacy at a 735-bed tertiary care academic medical center. INTERVENTION: A bar code-assisted dispensing system was implemented in 3 configurations. In 2 configurations, all doses were scanned once during the dispensing process. In the third configuration, only 1 dose was scanned if several doses of the same medication were being dispensed. MEASUREMENTS: Target dispensing errors, defined as dispensing errors that bar code technology was designed to address, and target potential ADEs, defined as target dispensing errors that can harm patients. RESULTS: In the pre- and post-bar code implementation periods, the authors observed 115,164 and 253,984 dispensed medication doses, respectively. Overall, the rates of target potential ADEs and all potential ADEs decreased by 74% and 63%, respectively. Of the 3 configurations of bar code technology studied, the 2 configurations that required staff to scan all doses had a 93% to 96% relative reduction in the incidence of target dispensing errors (P < 0.001) and 86% to 97% relative reduction in the incidence of potential ADEs (P < 0.001). However, the configuration that did not require scanning of every dose had only a 60% relative reduction in the incidence of target dispensing errors (P < 0.001) and an increased (by 2.4-fold) incidence of target potential ADEs (P = 0.014). There were several potentially life-threatening ADEs involving intravenous dopamine and intravenous heparin in that configuration. LIMITATIONS: The authors used surrogate outcomes; did not mask assessors to the purpose of study; and excluded the controlled substance fill process (a process with low error rates at baseline) from the study, which may bias the combined decrease in error rates toward a larger magnitude. CONCLUSIONS: The overall rates of dispensing errors and potential ADEs substantially decreased after implementing bar code technology. However, the technology should be configured to scan every dose during the dispensing process.

Drug Labeling↗
PubMed1998

From legacy systems via client/server to web browser technology in hospital informatics in Finland.

The majority of hospital information system installations in Finland are based on a legacy technology from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This paper presents an architecture and a tool set which provide a migration path from terminal-based to client/server technology, conserving much of the investments in existing applications. It is argued, though, that a new technological revolution is required in the form of extending the web browser/server technology to operational information systems in hospitals. A blueprint is presented for a further migration path from client/server to browser/server technology. The browser technology is regarded as a major challenge to hospital information systems in the next few years.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed2001

Technology evaluation: SAGE, Genzyme molecular oncology.

Genzyme Molecular Oncology (GMO) is using its SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) combinatorial chemistry technology to screen compound libraries. SAGE is a high-throughput, high-efficiency method to simultaneously detect and measure the expression levels of genes expressed in a cell at a given time, including rare genes. SAGE can be used in a wide variety of applications to identify disease-related genes, to analyze the effect of drugs on tissues and to provide insights into disease pathways. It works by isolating short fragments of genetic information from the expressed genes that are present in the cell being studied. These short sequences, called SAGE tags, are linked together for efficient sequencing. The sequence data are then analyzed to identify each gene expressed in the cell and the levels at which each gene is expressed. This information forms a library that can be used to analyze the differences in gene expression between cells [293437]. By December 1999, GMO had identified a set of 40 genes from 3.5 million transcripts that were expressed at elevated levels in all cancer tissue but not seen in normal tissue. The company hope these may provide diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. The studies also provided data furthering the understanding of the way cells use their genome [349968]. GMO has signed a collaborative agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to search for new drug candidates in the field of cancer chemotherapy. The collaboration combines GMO's SAGE technology with the NCI's extensive array of 60 cell-based cancer screens. Under the agreement, the NCI will evaluate Genzyme's library consisting of one million compounds against selected cancer screens to identify compounds with anticancer properties [255082]. Xenometrix granted a license agreement for gene expression profiling to GMO in February 1999, giving company access to claims covered in issued US and European patents. The license is non-exclusive and covers the collection of gene expression profiles utilizing all methods including high-density microarrays [315329]. Ontogeny (now Curis Inc) and GMO have entered into a collaboration to study genes for the potential discovery of therapeutic products. GMO will use its SAGE technology to produce libraries of RNA supplied by Ontogeny. The libraries will be put through Ontogeny's screening program [279417]. Under an agreement made in August 1998, Bayer will use SAGE technology to identify genes and thus potential therapeutics [317452]. GMO and Hexagen signed an agreement in March 1998 on the use of SAGE technology in Hexagen's disease gene discovery programs. The first phase of the collaboration will focus on the use of SAGE in studies within Hexagen's type II diabetes gene discovery program. Hexagen has designed these studies to discover susceptibility genes for diabetes and to provide gene expression information for genes associated with type II diabetes [280012]. GMO signed a five-year agreement with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU) in July 1997 for research leading to the identification of cancer-related genes. Under the terms of the agreement, JHU researchers will use the SAGE technology to identify and analyze gene expression in cancer. The power of SAGE in finding rare genes was confirmed in a study of gastrointestinal cancer by JHU researchers published in the May 27, 1997 issue of Science. The study showed that of almost 50,000 genes expressed in normal gastrointestinal cells and gastrointestinal tumor cells, 86% of the genes were present at five or fewer copies per cell. Only 51% of those low-abundancy genes were recorded in the GenBank database of known genes in the human genome [257128].

Biotechnology↗
PubMed2001

Point mutation detection technology for the new-century laboratory.

The READIT system represents the newest contribution to point mutation detection technology. Specifically, the system involves hybridizing DNA or RNA probes using phosphorylation chemistry and luciferase as the detection method. The two primary features that distinguish the READIT technology from the competition are its versatility and the ability of users to design its own probes. The automated genotype assignment and statistical analysis simplify the use of this system even more. In the year 2002 more than a million tests will be performed in molecular diagnostics with significant contributions from both research and private laboratories.(1) The most important attributes for laboratorians when reviewing a new technology are cost, accuracy, automation, and ease of use. The advent of unique point mutation detection technologies will certainly assist the role of the laboratory in demonstrating the positive impact of testing on future applications of these technologies. Cost savings, accuracy, simplicity, and flexible throughput are the must-have features of successful point mutation detection technologies for the new-century laboratory.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An overview of assistive technology for persons with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurologic disease clinically characterized by episodes of focal disorder of the cranial nerves, spinal cord, and the brain. MS affects a significant number of young adults, and they most often face a future of progressive functional losses as more of their central nervous system and cranial nerves are affected. As the disease progresses, they have new impairments with accompanying limitations in activities, restrictions to their participation in life, and compromised quality of life. Assistive technology includes any item that is used to maintain or improve functional capabilities. The rehabilitation healthcare provider has many opportunities to intervene with assistive technologies to decrease activity limitations and participation restrictions. The purpose of this article is to (1) review the impairments and associated activity limitations and participations restrictions experienced by persons with MS, (2) provide an overview of high- and low-tech assistive technologies appropriate for persons with MS, (3) discuss funding opportunities for assistive technologies, (4) review current studies of assistive technology used for persons with MS and discuss future research directions, and (5) consider assistive technology as an intervention for disability prevention.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

[Review of Recent Medical Ultrasonic Technology]

This paper was reviewed in recent progress of medical ultrasonic technology. Obviously in 21 century we face to the second generation of ultrasonic technology in medicine. First of all, B-mode imaging and Doppler color flow mapping have been improved by the digital beam forming technology. This technology leads to high research activity in the field of image processing such as automated tumor segmentation. Harmonic imaging is also newly developed technology. This technique uses harmonic component of echoes while the ultrasound waves are traveling through the nonlinear media such as biological tissues so that high quality images are obtained. Contrast echo method is expected to detect small echo signals from slow and small blood flow. Harmonic power Doppler imaging using micro bubbles is expected to detect early stage of cancer. Three dimensional real time imaging is next generation of ultrasonic image diagnosis system. Two dimensional array is a key technology to realize this imaging. Finally, ultrasonic therapy is described.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Point of care technology: a sociotechnical approach to home health implementation.

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes an ongoing evaluation study of the design and implementation of Point of Care (POC) technology in a home health agency. METHODS: During the implementation of POC technology data about user acceptance were collected with the help of surveys and statistically analyzed. The survey also allowed for entering non-structured observations. A time series study was conducted to identify factors associated with technology change and its effect on professional competency. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare markets and consumers are demanding that providers use sophisticated information technology to document, transmit and access clinical and financial information across all delivery points. Newly adapted Patient Care Information Systems (PCIS) are available for clinical use in home care. The factors associated with home care nurses' end user acceptance and use of the POC technology in clinical work are described. A sociotechnical approach with selected change management strategies appears to have positively influenced the nurse end users' POC technology adoption and use in clinical work.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2004

Emerging biomarker technologies.

New technology offers great potential for advances in cancer biomarker research. Here, we describe a number of new technologies and discuss their potential for use in molecular cancer epidemiology. The successful sequencing of the human genome has revealed several new insights, including the fact that the human genome consists of only 40,000 genes and is highly variable, with approximately 60,000 functional polymorphisms. High-throughput genomic technologies continue to facilitate the identification and analysis of mutations and polymorphisms in key genes and expand the spectrum of available genomic biomarkers. The next major challenge is the identification of novel proteins and understanding the structure, function and interaction of proteins and other molecules--information that cannot be obtained from genomics alone. Emerging technologies including arrays, proteomics and nanotechnology provide new platforms for high-throughput, highly sensitive, functional assays. These technologies will complement existing and emerging genomic technologies and result in the identification of new biomarkers of cancer risk. They will, however, require extensive validation in epidemiological studies.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2004

Case payment and the adoption of new technology: an empirical study of cataract surgery in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Case payment for cataract surgery with Government Employee Insurance (GEI) was implemented at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) in March 1994, and fee-for-service (FFS) was retained for cataract inpatients with or without other health insurance. We examined the impact of this change in the reimbursement policy from FFS to case payment on the health care provider's practice behavior towards a new emerging technology, using cataract surgery as an example. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was performed using 1 year of CGMH data before (period 1, from March 1993 to February 1994) and after (period 2, from March 1994 to February 1995) implementing the new policy. Inpatient records for cataract surgery using either extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE, the old technology) or phacoemulsification (Phaco, the new technology) were included. Logistic regression models were employed to assess how case payment affected the health care provider's adoption of new technology. RESULTS: The percentage of cases treated using the new Phaco technology grew from period 1 (6.6%) to period 2 (23.6%) among all 4 study groups, despite Phaco being more expensive than ECCE. More importantly, the increment ratio of Phaco use from periods 1 to 2 was the smallest for GEI patients (3.26-fold) when compared with the other 3 groups (4.16-5.29-fold). CONCLUSIONS: Both new technology and cost containment strategies should be taken into account when setting up a reimbursement policy.

Adult↗