Nursing, Healthcare Informatics and Technology 2006

Scientists Turn Stem Cells Into Disease-Fighting T-Cells

2006-07-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderful time to be alive and to see what scientists are doing to assist patients afflicted with chronic diseases. For example, the author of this article points out how Stem Cell research is assisting our immune system to stave off disease. The online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences tells us of the first time scientists have derived T-cells (produced by the thymus) from embryonic stem cells. This is a major breakthrough for the possible treatment of T-cell and other blood diseases. Perhaps this is a lead in the cure for the AIDS epidemic. Let's hope so.

Nursing Shortage Predicted

2006-07-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

A "new" nursing shortage is reported in the NCEMNA news. The purported "crisis" could bear a shortage of 1 million nurses or more and there is a grave concern about how healthcare managers will deal with such a shortage. Fortunately, the report points out the need for the profession to create a better image and to look carefully at the nurse educator shortage problem. What do you think is the primary problem with the image of nursing? Why do you think nurses are still underpaid? Your comments on this news article are appreciated.

Education Times Are A Changing!

2006-05-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

A professor in the United Kingdom is podcasting his lectures and taking questions from his students via Instant Messaging. Those questions will be answered via a blog. This is one example of distance education!

Hospitals Train Staff With iPods

2006-03-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

Hospital administrators at two Glasgow hospitals are using Mp3 technology to train novice staff members. The hospital managers have provided hospital "tours" for providing information about "super" bugs, how to provide mobility for patients and how to handle violent behavior in the hospital setting. Following the hospital tours the staff are provided a follow-up computer-generated test.

"Using technology - the iPod - means we can make sure all new staff are trained to exactly the same standard," said Alastair Kirk, training and development manager at NHS Greater Glasgow.

Computer Technology Opens a World of Work to Disabled People

2006-03-04T06:57:00.001-08:00

Thousands of people across the United States that suffer from various forms of disabilities are finding hope and work by using advanced technologies. Even those individuals who are plagued by spinal cord injuries or vision loss may benefit from the great amount of technology that is present in today's society. Steven Singley, 41, who is quadriplegic as a result of a car accident 20 years ago, has a special setup that helps him take calls for Office Depot from his home in Centerville, Utah. His right arm, which has limited movement, is strapped to the armrest of his wheelchair, allowing his hand to pivot on a trackball and his pinky knuckle to tap a clicker. A splint with a rubber tip is hooked to his palm so he can type on a keyboard sitting on his lap.

Faster Than Fiber

2006-03-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

A Virginia-based telecommunications company, Giga Beam, has developed WiFiber, a wireless high-speed data transferring system that can stream 90 minutes of video from one point to another in as little as six seconds. Blasting beams of data through free space is not a new idea. LightPointe and Proxim Wireless also provide such services. What makes GigaBeam's technology different is that it exploits a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Their systems use a region of the spectrum near visible light, at terahertz frequencies. Because of this, weather conditions in which visibility is limited, such as fog or light rain, can hamper data transmission.

Conference Focuses on Nursing Excellence

2006-03-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

Nursing students and renowned nursing leaders converge on March 23, 2006 in Augusta Georgia to advance their knowledge and showcase "excellence" in nursing. Dr. Joan Shaver will be the keynote speaker of this conference sponsored by the Beta Omicron Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. Dr. Shaver, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago will speak about leadership skills that foster "innovation and development for individuals and organizations."

"Other conference activities will cover topics such as innovations in bio-behavioral nursing research, sexual risk reduction, health literacy interventions, reducing inpatient mortality, family-centered care, and inter-hospital nursing education consortiums."

Research Focuses on Heart Health

2006-02-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

It is a fact. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in this country. Nurse researchers at Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University are embarking on a grant funded research study on the improvement of heart healthy behaviors of women living in rural areas. Researchers will use two techniques in an effort to encourage study participants to be physically active, eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily and not smoke.

ASC-TSJC Nursing Program Expands

2006-02-16T00:09:00.000-08:00

The nursing shortage experienced in this country is twice the national average in the state of Colorado (11%). It is even more accenuated in rural areas. And, the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence predicts the shortage will perhaps nearly triple by 2020. There needs to be a significant increase in the number of nursing students and educators in order to stave off this estimate.
The joint nursing program received a major boost this summer, with the award of a 3-year, $330,048 Health Professions Initiative Grant from the Colorado Trust. The grant funded the addition of two nursing faculty members at Adams State, providing greater mentoring for program faculty and allowing time for TSJC instructors to upgrade their qualifications. Program faculty teach on both campuses.

U.S. agency pushes use of electronic health records

2006-02-15T05:42:00.000-08:00

There has been much discussion regarding the adoption of the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Havenstein reports the involvement of the government in encouraging citizens to embrace the adoption of EHRs by twirling "breakthrough projects" at the Health Information and Management Systems Society conference. In the past the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology has focused their efforts on encouraging physicians and hospitals to adopt the EHR. However, now the ONC is narrowing in on informing patients about the EHR in order to create a certain "demand" by the public. I think that ONC's efforts may work with patients that have a higher level of education, however I am concerned about those patients that are not aware of the uses of technology in healthcare environments. As in education, healthcare officials need to be constantly aware of the digital divide and look to reduce the division so all citizens have an opportunity to understand the advantages and disadvanatges of healthcare technology.

DataLabs Announces eClinical Collaboration Software to Manage Clinical Trial Processes

2006-02-15T05:29:00.000-08:00

A recent press release informed readers of Data Lab's "Site Manager (TM)." Site Manager is an innovative clinical trial software that affords researchers the opportunity to efficiently select clinicl trial sites. This program was created by "Broadpeak," and then purchased by DataLabs in 2005. Site Manager facilitates all internal and external collaboration for study activities, from start to finish and it accelerates the time for recruiting qualified investigators, initiating each site (including the collection and versioning of regulatory documents), communicating with investigative sites, and providing a central portal in which to manage the progress of each clinical trial.

Disaster Preparedness

2006-02-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

Jossi reports on the importance of data backup and adequate storage- especially in the event of a natural disaster. Last year's storms that devastated the Gulf Coast reminds us about the need to prepare for natural disasters. Humans become complacent and believe it will never happen to them or their environment. This article points to some very interesting facts and suggests what one needs to do to have adequate plans in place.

Thoughteracy for All

2006-02-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

A colleague sent me this "thoughtful article" on literacy. Interesting for educators to ponder.

Such limited and primarily alphabet-based definitions of literacy may have been appropriate, and perhaps even sufficient, until the emergence of sophisticated tools of information and communications technologies, such as the computer, cell phone, video cameras, text scanners and text-to-speech converters, and voice recognition and language translation technologies. These new and versatile technologies will slowly but surely initially diminish and then eventually altogether do away with peoples’ reliance on soon to be obsolete skills such as reading and writing.

Soarian's Innovative Workflow Technology Enhances Care Delivery; Live Customer Workflows Show Increased Quality, Safety and Efficiency In Care Delive

2006-02-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

It is working. Technology is improving healthcare delivery outcomes and reducing costs simultaneously. Siemens Medical Solutions, "Soarian (R)" health information solution is demonstrating to be effective. Soarian's core differentiator is its unique-to-healthcare workflow engine that facilitates and tracks technology-driven "workflows" designed to help users increase efficiency, improve patient safety, and achieve desired clinical and financial outcomes - while supporting key quality and regulatory initiatives.

For example, at The Chester County Hospital (TCCH), West Chester, Pa., 4 percent of patients entering the hospital have a history of Methicillin Resistant Staphylcoccus Aureus (MRSA) infection and they account for 8 percent of all patient days. Before TCCH began using Soarian's workflow management tools, a study of 30 patients showed that approximately 25 percent of MRSA patients with prior positive results who should have gone into isolation upon admission were missed at initial bed placement, but likely detected during admission assessment. This would necessitate an immediate transfer to isolation status.

Health Language, Inc. Delivers for HL7 Vocabulary Mapping Project

2006-02-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

Health Language, Inc. was selected last year by Health Level Seven, Inc (HL7) to render services to map the HL7 version 2 and 3 vocabularies. This mapping project was a part of helping meet the goals of the HL7 National Library of Medicine contract of ensuring that the HL7 Vocabulary Standards were in step with the Consolidated Health Informatics (CHI) vocabularies.

Nursing college makes gains in federal money

2006-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

The school of nursing at The University of New Mexico is making great strides in obtaining federal research dollars. It is ranked 40th out of a listing of 5o0 schools of nursing competing for research funding. The NINR is a component of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NINR supports clinical and basic research to establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the span of their lives.

Allevo Adopts RFID-Based Nursing Program

2006-02-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

A radio frequency Identification technology is being implemented in the Netherlands to improve the provision of care to patients in this European country. The Nokia's RFID technology being used allows the health care providers to "maintain up-to-date, accurate information real-time," van Campen said. The way it works is with iO, every client is provided with a contact free chip card when they become Allevo clients. At each visit, the nurse touches the chip card using a Nokia 3220 phone with RFID reader to register their visit, eliminating the need to fill in forms and giving the nurse the most up-to-date information on the client.

Of course the use of this technology as implanted chips is an ongoing controversial issue that is being discussed by healthcare providers worldwide.

Technology Provides Nursing Staff Access to Open Shifts Across Six Campuses

2006-02-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

Organizing and providing adequate staffing at hospitals has been an ongoing challenge. However, "Bid-Shift" has announced the implementation of a bidding system at a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas that allows for a computerized approach to staffing nurses at various hospitals. In the past, staffing nurses has been a labor intensive and time-consuming job. And, now with the use of this new system, hospitals are able to look across a network of hospitals and open up opportunities for nurses to work across various hospitals.

CHRISTUS Spohn Health System is implementing BidShift as a means to leverage the existing resource pool across all six campuses, gain process efficiencies in the filling of open shifts, and assure optimal coverage. One of the health system's primary goals is also aimed at giving nursing staff more choice and flexibility over the shifts they work, which is reflected in their theme for the program, "It's your time, your choice." The health system is using regular pay with targeted incentives for the hardest-to-fill shifts to optimize deployment of nursing resources where they are needed most.

His Subject: Highly Evolved and Exquisitely Thirsty

2006-02-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

It amazing that bloodsuckers that spread parasites among frogs and fishes are used in medicine as anticoagulants. Carl Zimmer reports on a researcher, Dr. Siddall, from Canada that has an affinity for leeches. Actually, to the point of traveling to far off exotic places to find different kinds of leeches. Turning himself into bait is paying off. Dr. Siddall's research has shown that the ancestors of leeches were probably freshwater worms that fed harmlessly on the surface of fish or crustaceans, as the closest living relatives of leeches do. Not only do these worms have the most leechlike DNA of any animal, but they also grow the same sucker on the base of their tail that leeches use for crawling.

So Many Pills, So Little Clarity

2006-02-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Duenwald reports on the increasing numbers of medications that Americans are taking each year. An all time record (3.36 million billion) of prescriptions were filled last year. And, many times patients are not fully educated on the potential side effects of the medications or contraindications. Therefore, more and more Americans are at risk for harmful side effects unless they receive adequate information about the drugs that are being prescribed. Unfortunately the drug manuals are cumbersome and online guides may not be reliable. "To find a good online site, look for those that offer unbiased information, said Eileen Early, the editor of electronic health information for the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Doing a key-word search using a specific drug name may get you to a site operated by the pharmaceutical company that makes it, Ms. Early said."
This is good information for healthcare providers who wish to educate their clients.

Mississippi's 'Heart Man' Examines Links Between Race and Disease

2006-02-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Dr. Taylor, also known as "heart man" in Jackson, Mississippi, practices what he "preaches." While the "plat du jour" for many people living in the southern states is eggs fried in lard, Dr. Taylor reaches for fresh fruit and granola. He undestands that role modeling is a powerful tool.

From now until 2014, Dr. Taylor and his team will be following 5,302 black residents of three Mississippi counties — Hinds, Rankin and Madison — observing their lives and how their heart health is related to their environment.

For the study's participants, there will be periodic medical examinations and referrals for care when problems are detected. The ultimate aim of the $54 million investigation, Dr. Taylor said, "is to gain the information we need to stop an epidemic of cardiovascular diseases within the African-American community."

Hospitals may want to rethink cell phone bans

2006-02-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Britt reports that physicians use cell phones in hospitals that prohibit their use due to reported electronic magnetic interference. However, researchers report the use of cell phones rarely causes any interuption of electronic magnetic interference. Furthermore, it has been reported that when physicians communicate via their cell phones, thre are less medical errors due to quick communication to various healthcare providers. "The study is published in the February issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia. It was based on 4,018 responses from attendees at the 2003 meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Of those who responded, 65 percent reported using pagers as their primary mode of communications, and of those, 40 percent reported delays in communications."

Rapid communication in clinical settings...saves lives!

Monster and the AACN

2006-02-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to increase the number of nurse educators, Monster Healthcare has joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to create a scholarship program. "All efforts to address the shortage of nurses in the U.S. will fail unless we focus on increasing the supply of faculty needed to prepare new nurses," said AACN President Jean E. Bartels. "AACN applauds Monster Healthcare for recognizing one of the root causes of our nation's current nursing shortage and taking decisive action to address this concern."

This year's recipients of the scholarship program have been announced and may be viewed at
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/MonsterWinners.htm

Congratulations to the recipients of this year's awards!

Need for nurses spawns building

2006-02-02T00:11:00.000-08:00

Feldstien reports a $40 million building will be constructed to meet the increasing need for nurses in the United States. The construction of the new Barnes-Jewish hospital in St. Louis will assist the school in becoming one of the top ten nursing schools in the United States. It replaces one constructed more than 75 years ago. It will include simulated operating rooms and patient rooms as well as wireless Internet access and video conferencing. "It's really getting us to the 21st century of technology," said Coreen Vlodarchyk, vice president of patient care services and interim dean of the college. "Right now our labs are old and tired and not where we want them to be."

National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, JVC Develop 8-megapixel High-resolution Robotics Technology

2006-02-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

Robotic technology is being proposed for telemedicine and nursing application purposes. The "humanoid" robot has a vision resolution of 8 megapixels (similar to the limits of human vision) and arms, hands, and fingers. A person wearing data gloves embedded with joint bending sensors can manipulate the robot's arms and fingers via a network.

Microsoft would put poor online by cellphone

2006-02-01T00:19:00.000-08:00

It is good to hear that MIT's researcher, Mr. Negroponte, is willing to consider the idea of building a low-cost computer using a cell phone. "He said his research group at the M.I.T. Media Lab had experimented with the idea of a cellphone that would project a computer display onto a wall and also project the image of a keyboard, sensing the motion of fingers over it. But the researchers decided the idea was less practical than a laptop." However, what is more important is that Mr. Negroponte is supportive of the use of open sourceware.

SCHOOL OF NURSING LAUNCHES NEW RECRUITING TOOL: STUDENT BLOGS

2006-02-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

Student blogs are popping up everywhere! Nursing students at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing are blogging their experiences as student nurses. And, students' stories are helping to recruit future students. "Prospective students can view a slice of real life as a Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing student through student "blogs" now posted on the School's website. In the blogs - website-based journals kept online for others to view - eight Hopkins nursing students write about all aspects of their lives, both on and off campus."

Nursing demands drive Web courses

2006-02-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

I think it is time to undestand that the term "learning" is becoming more ubiquitous then ever before. Hopefully, one day we will not differentiate between e-learning and "face-to-face" learning. And, various schools of nursing across the country are responding to students' requests to take online nursing courses from an accredited school. Zaleski reports "A record number of graduate students at Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions online learning program will earn their degrees without ever having to step foot in a classroom. More than 500 students have enrolled for the winter 2006 term, and will take classes entirely through the World Wide Web. "

Old touches for new hospital

2006-01-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

It is refreshing to learn that hospital administrators are paying attention to detail when it comes to the quality of a hospital's interior design. A blend of history and technology is ideal. The aesthetics of a patient's environment is critical for healing purposes. "Comfort, light and brightness also are key when designing a hospital’s interior, Nichols Kennedy says. “Most of the time, just the thought of having to go to the hospital brings anxiety."

“Anxiety is not conducive to healing.”

So, if we may strive to create an environment that is conducive to healing or perhaps a peaceful death- patients and their loved ones will have a decreased level of anxiety and memories of the hospital environment will be pleasant. I often tell my students, bring in a small token of beauty to place at your patient's bedside...and watch the smile that comes across the patient's face! Wonderful! Let us not forget that surroundings do affect our health and well-being.

Area colleges heed the need for health care professionals

2006-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

Daneman reports on the critical need for more health care providers in this country. More and more schools of nursing are expanding their physical space to allow for more students to become educated and enter the depleted workforce. Many schools are expanding their programs, as well.

"RIT this academic year started a medical informatics undergraduate degree, which replaced its biomedical computing program. "It's a hot item right now in this country and the world," director Nicolas Thireos said of the science that organizes, analyzes and manages health care information. RIT also hopes to start a master's program in medical informatics.

Nazareth College began a doctor of physical therapy program in the fall. Last year the school started a post-master's nursing education certification program."

The need for nursing education certificate or degree programs are essential if we want to increase the number of nurses in this country. And, nursing students need to know the technologies that are available to them in order to provide competent nursing care to clients in various settings.

Surgery Goes High Tech

2006-01-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

A new state-of-the-art video-conferencing system has been showcased at St. Joseph's hospital and medical center in Phoenix, Arizona. "MedPresence," a $1.1 million system, may assist with the training of new health care providers, allow for new treatments to be given to people residing in rural areas, and offers real time assessment of various medical devices at a distance. "The system uses powerful microscopes to let viewers see an operation as surgeons see it. The images, 10 to 15 times as large as actual size, can be beamed into a conference room or sent to portable displays anywhere in the world." This new system provides education for many students living all over the world and ultimately offers improved health care for many people.

Computer Classes Spur Student Absenteeism

2006-01-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

Is too much online higher education a bad thing? "Despite concerns about absenteeism, schools increasingly are experimenting with ways to let students watch or listen to lectures on their computers or digital music players, such as Apple's iPod. Last month, Harvard Medical School began ``podcasting'' lectures that its students can download onto digital music players, enabling them to study while they walk."
Students are responsible for their own learning. Professors are to spark "curiosity" in the traditional classroom. If this happens, students will come to class despite the technology that is available to assist with their learning. Perhaps the professors need to look at their own style of teaching.

'Stanford On ITunes' Is For Everybody

2006-01-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

Stanford University is opening its doors to the world. Life-long learning opportunities are readily accessible because Stanford University is now working with Apple Computer to provide the public with open access to lectures, discussion series, and debates via iTunes. "“Stanford on iTunes” are available to anyone willing to spend the few minutes it takes to download them from the Internet."

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

2006-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have developed an "Healthcare 411" podcast seires. In order to access quality healthcare related podcasts visit the url in the title of this blog.
I am very interested in sharing with my students the "nurse fatigue" and "personal and electronic health records" podcast. There are also a plethora of other audio offerings at the site.

Health Alert: iPod for the heart

2006-01-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Imagine you have been diagnosed with a cardiac dysrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, and you want to listen or view an expert explain the disorder while taking the train or bus to work. Now you can. Podcasting technology is being used by healthcare professionals to assist patients' learning. Grayson Wheatley, a thoracic surgeon at the Arizona Heart Institute, constructed a website that offers videos about heart disease that the public may access and download to MP3 palyers. The podcasts may illicit questions that patients have not thought of, and therefore the patient may ask the physician the next time they have an appointment. Wheatley reports patients who listen to the heart podcasts are better informed and ask more pertinent questions when compared to the patients who do not access the educational podcasts.

PM Backs Off E-Health

2006-01-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, the Australian e-health reform agenda is faltering. "Frustration is rising over changes to plans for the centrepiece HealthConnect network, and a perception the federal Government is trying to duckshove responsibility for health technology to the states."

"Australian College of Health Informatics spokeswoman Evelyn Hovenga said the federal Government had "totally changed its tack" over the past 12 months."

"Professor Hovenga said local informatics experts were increasingly frustrated that work they had done on e-health projects, including HealthConnect, "had not been published or necessarily made available to the public"; nor were consultants permitted to reveal details."

"Everyone's very frustrated because a lot of good work has been done, and it's just not being taken up," she said.

"We have in Australia people who are leading work that is being hailed internationally. Yet we're having terrible trouble even getting fundamental support."

Like with so many things in life, it does not appear electronic health information accessibility or international recognition will happen overnight.

tech.life@school | Edublogs: Where to find vision and new direction

2006-01-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

The "Ed-Tech Talk Show" won the best audio and/or video blog at the second annual edublog-awards (2005). http://edtechtalk.com/
There are various upcoming educational webcasts offered at the site. Enjoy the innovative Ed-Tech show! And, check out the other awards at the url listed above. Congratulations to all of the bloggers!

Quicktime 2 RSS to Aid Professors

2006-01-23T00:10:00.000-08:00

I found this article to be of particular interest because I have been recording lectures with my iPod photo, Griffin Lapel Microphone and iTalk during this past year. Students' reports indicate they like the e-pod lectures because it enables them to listen to the lectures after class while they are waiting for the bus, crossing campus and before an exam. Now Apple Computer is developing the Quicktime 2 RSS to assists professors with providing enhanced podcasts for their students.

If any of you are recording your higher education lectures via this technology, please let me know because a colleague and I are working on a grant funded project that will enable individuals to access academic podcasts via an online repository.

Software Leads to Better Care

2006-01-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Wechsler reports a system that was developed by a New York state group is now being used by more than 400 skilled nursing facilities around the country. The grant funded project, that started in 1996, was to develop a computer program that would assist in the prevention of decubitus ulcers and elderly falls. "The secret to the program is modeling software not unlike programs used to predict the weather or stock prices.The variables in this case are health criteria taken quarterly from patients, as required by the federal government.Nursing home staff keep track of a patient's coherence, eating habits, medications, socialization and mobility, among other indicators.All those variables are added to the program, and used to determine the likelihood of a patient falling or suffering from pressure ulcers, otherwise known as bedsores.The program is now being improved to look at other issues, such as pain or urinary tract infections."

Science Creates a Living Bandage for Broken Hearts

2006-01-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

A report about a viable "beating" tissue patch for a "broken" (diseased) heart was released a few moments ago. This living tissue is applied to a part of the heart that has been affected by a prior heart attack or cardiovascular disease. " "We joke that this is really 'a patch for a broken heart,'" said Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, and co-director of the Tissue Engineering Resource Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md." The researchers state the thumbnail size patch is not ready for humans yet and how important it is that the patch "integrate" with the syncronicity of the heart.

Three new podcasts available from Dartmouth

2006-01-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

Three new academic podcasts have been added to "Views from the Green" at Dartmouth University. "Blending medicine and engineering" addresses the need for technology in medicine.
"In this podcast, Michael B. Mayor, the William N. and Bessie Allyn Professor of Surgery at Dartmouth Medical School and an Adjunct Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, talks about how his career has blurred the lines between medicine and engineering, and how he thinks this should be the model for the future." The other two podcasts may be located at the url link above this textbox.

Search Engines, Blogs Lead Top E-Health Trends for 2006

2006-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Versel reports that healthcare professionals and organizations marketing e-health products would benefit from paying attention to blogs and vodcasts. "Consumers and physicians alike increasingly are turning to search engines to find health information on the Internet, rather than pointing their browsers toward specific, known Web sites. This, according to Manhattan Research, is the No. 1 trend in e-health marketing for 2006. The New York-based company today released its annual list of top trends for e-health marketing professionals to consider."

Online Point-of-Care Solution Assists Physicians, Nurses, and Healthcare Professionals in Accessing Evidence-Based Information and Improving Patient H

2006-01-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

"The launch of ClinicalResource@Ovid, a new point-of-care tool that gives medical professionals quick, precise access to peer-reviewed, evidence-based information so that they can make clinical decisions faster and provide higher quality patient care."

Positive outlook mixes with fear of loss

2006-01-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

Online breast cancer support groups have helped women express their fears of being separated from their loved ones. "Women with more positive outlooks about their physical, social and psychological lives use online breast cancer support groups more frequently." Here is an example of how online communication may facilitate the expression of one's feelings and provide a nurturing and caring environment for physical and emotional healing. Such groups exist at Stanford University Hospital, as well. It would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between women with more positive outlooks about their physical, social and psychological lives use the computer to communicate more often that their counterparts.

University of Illinois at Chicago Surgeons First to Use Robot for Living-Donor Kidney-Pancreas Transplant

2006-01-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

The transplant of an organ is not an easy task. In the past, the donor would sustain a large scar and actually be at risk for hemorrhage and infection. However, today it is a different story. Surgeons report on the successful transplantation of a kidney and part of a pancreas for a man suffering from Type 1 diabetes and kidney failure. Robotic arms were used to remove the organs after a small incision was made in the patient's abdomen. The transplant was successful and both the recipient and donor are in good condition. "Surgeons at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago are the first in the world to use robotic surgery to successfully remove a kidney and pancreas from a living-donor as part of a successful transplantation." Wonderful!

Gene Increases Diabetes Risk, Scientists Find

2006-01-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

Imagine if one could determine at an early age that they carried a variant gene that predisposes them to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is extremely prevalent. It accounts for 95% of all diabetes diagnoses. One third of the American population is thought to carry this identified variant gene that predisposes them to adult onset dibetes. The wonderful aspect of being able to diagnose diabetes early is that one may take preventive measures to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Dogs Excel on Smell Test to Find Cancer

2006-01-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Man's best friend comes to the rescue one more time!
Three Labradors and two Portuguese water dogs have been trained to detect human lung cancer by sniffing the breath of patients diagnosed with cancer. The researchers working at a Northern Californian clinic have found the accuracy to be ninety-nine percent. Tumors are known to secrete small amounts of alkanes and benzene byproducts. These dogs are doing double duty. They are borrowed from the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization and they are rewarded whenever they detect the correct scent from a variety of smelling pots. This research supports the fact that the breath of lung cancer patients differs significantly from a healthy human's breath.

Digital Literacy

2006-01-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

Blackall reports the importance of "digital literacy" for educaators in Australia. Furthermore, "consideration is given to understandings of digital literacy, the impact of open source software and the place of content within the worldwide rapid publishing and networked learning revolution (Web 2.0)." Blackall suggests a "participatory research action" approach to ignite curiosity about novel models for online education, enhancing digital literacy and promoting networked communities within Australian educational settings.

For those of you interested in "participatory research action," please visit http://hum.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/46/2/175

Apple helps `mere mortals' create a personal Web site

2006-01-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

John Boudreau reports that Apple Computer has released an updated version of iLife(06). This software package allows individuals to create their own websites without much knowledge in technology. "It's easy to use and it spurs creativity. Now with iWeb, there is a way to share what you have done." Individuals may drag and drop photographs, personal videos, and upload podcasts. The downside to the software package is that it is now only available for Mac users. However, for those individuals who own Macs, users may easily access the iWeb via a .mac account.
For more information on how to obtain a .mac account, go to: http://www.apple.com/dotmac/

Heart Disease Predictors Are Deficient

2006-01-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women living in the United States. According to cardiologists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (as reported in the Online Journal of Business), the frequently-used risk-factor scoring tool fails to identify one-third of the females that are at risk for developing heart disease. Lifestyle changes, such as an increase in exercise, weight reduction, and medication prescriptions are methods to help prevent cardiovascular disease. Therefore, knowing in advance the risk-factors is beneficial before the disease process ensues. "The Hopkins findings, the latest of which appeared last month in the online American Heart Journal, is believed to be one of the first critical assessments of the Framingham Risk Estimate (FRE) as the principal test for early detection of heart disease. The researchers wanted to determine why many women at risk for heart disease aren�t identified earlier."

Better Technology for the EMS

2006-01-17T00:05:00.000-08:00

A lack of information may mean life or death when paramedics are attending to emergency situations in the community setting. According to Bob Shepard, researchers are now investigating a new system that allows dispatchers to locate patients' medical records and report the medical data to the paramedics tending to the client. " "Past medical information, allergies, history of medical problems, and actually a detailed record of what's been going on today," Dr. Pigott tells Ivanhoe, is sent to directly to the EMS."
Once the paramedics receive the information they send it wirelessly to the emergency room. This quick transmission allows for more effective healthcare decisions and better client health outcomes. This new system is expected to be available within the next five years.

What is a "swicki?"

2006-01-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my colleagues, Rod Ward and Peter Murray, I learned about "swickis" today. A swicki is a customized search engine that is very easy to create. Give it a try! And, let me know what you think!

Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions Surpasses 500 Online Graduate Nursing Students

2006-01-13T00:16:00.000-08:00

Drexel University College of Nursing reports that 500 graduate students will be studying totally online during the Winter 2006 academic term. "According to a recent U.S. Department of Labor report, Nursing has been identified as the top occupation for career growth through the year 2012. Many new challenges currently exist in the health care industry and as the US population is growing older, the demand for more service from nurses and health professionals is increasing; at the same time there is a severe nursing shortage and an even more severe nursing faculty shortage."
"Online students can choose from over a dozen NLN and CCNE accredited online nursing programs in the areas of nursing education, clinical trials, adult acute care, leadership and management, adult psychiatric mental health and more. For more information about Drexel University’s online nursing programs, visit www.drexel.com/Fields_of_Study/Nursing."

Hopefully, one of the online programs is for nurses who wish to become nurse educators. There are some nurses interested in becoming educators, however, due to their busy schedules they do not see the opportunity to learn how to become educators. Imagine an online program that will train the trainer! The University of Kansas offers an online nurse educator program. Perhaps more universities will embrace online learning in order to reach professionals that live in rural areas or who are not able to commute to various universities. Offering advanced degrees in nursing via asynchronous and synchronous learning methods has the potential to increase the number of nurses and nurse educators. Let' give it a try! Effective education can take place via online learning environments.

OpenClinical

2006-01-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

OpenClinical is a non-profit organisation created and maintained as a public service with support from Cancer Research UK under the overall supervision of an international technical advisory board.

Here is a wonderful resource for healthcare professionals that are interested in advanced technologies for knowledge management in healthcare environments.

UT nursing school recognized for recruiting male students

2006-01-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

When I graduated from Seton Hall University (many years ago) there were no male nurses in my graduating class. However, today approximately 13% of the nurses in the state of California are males. And, now a university is being recognized for recruiting male students.

The University of Texas School of Nursing received the "2005 Best School or College of Nursing for Men Award" from the American Assembly for Men in Nursing.

Emerging Health Information Technology Helps Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Become a Fully Integrated Digital Hospital

2006-01-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

Jan. 11, 2006--Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center has reached a milestone that less than 15 percent of U.S. hospitals have achieved: the replacement of paper-based physician orders with 100 percent direct computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to delivery better quality of care, increase patient safety and improve health outcomes. With the help of Emerging Health Information Technology, an experienced provider of healthcare information management solutions, Bronx Lebanon's physicians and clinicians now have access to a comprehensive view of patient history, test results and current medications at the exact time and place it is needed.

It is amazing that less than 15 percent of the U.S. hospital have switched over to a CPOE. Perhaps if companies would interface their systems so the transition would be easier for more hospitals the percentage would increase. Patient care and safety may improve with the use of technology in clinical settings. A team approach is necessary!

Nursing Professor Receives National Award for Research on Tube Feedings

2006-01-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

As a medical-surgical nurse and professor of a skills course, I found this article about Dr. Metheny to be so important. "Norma A. Metheny, Ph.D., professor of nursing at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences, has received a national writing award for her research on tube feedings.

MEDSURG Nursing: The Journal of Adult Health recognized Metheny, the Dorothy A. Votsmier Endowed Chair in Nursing at SLU, as the 2005 MEDSURG Nursing Research for Practice Award winner for her journal article, �Verification of Inefficacy of the Glucose Method in Detecting Aspiration Associated with Tube Feedings,� published in that journal in April 2005.

I commend her on her research findings and the writing award for her research findings is so well deserved. Many lives are saved each year because nurses are turning to evidenced base practice for their interventions.

Arizona rates D-plus in ER care

2006-01-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

The scarcity of nurses, physicians, funding, and facilities is having a detremential effect on emergency rooms in Arizona. "Emergency medical care in Arizona ranks near the bottom in a state-by-state report released Tuesday — with too few specialists available, inadequate spending and a critical need for trauma centers." Since the data was collected, the state legislature has passed measures to improve the training of nurses. "Emergency care is a window on the entire health-care system," Taylor said. "When things are bad in the emergency department, they're bad everywhere." Hopefully, the emergency room care in Arizona will improve in the future.

Detecting MRSA Outbreaks

2006-01-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

Healthcare providers are aware of the increase in the number of methcillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) cases in clinical settings. "The rising global incidence of MRSA outbreaks in hospitals is a major concern because of the high mortality rate and the stringent hygiene requirements needed for patients who become infected." But, now there is a fast and efficient method of typing a single locus- the S aureas protein gene with a software program. Medical informatics and laboratory techniques are helping healthcare providers with the detection of MRSA clusters before a large outbreak occurs.

Higher ed's money tied to vision for improvement

2006-01-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

"A state Senate leader said lawmakers might be a little more generous to higher education if they could see a clearer picture of how schools plan to use state money to reach long-term goals." This article explores " a new Center for Health Innovations to house its nursing and health profession programs, and the construction of a Center for Informatics for information."

ANA Calls on Policymakers to Act on Nurse Staffing Legislation

2006-01-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

"A study published today in the journal Health Affairs provides new evidence that if hospitals invest in appropriate Registered Nurse (RN) staffing, thousands of lives and millions of dollars could be saved each year. Specifically, the study shows that if hospitals increased RN staffing and hours of nursing care per patient, more than 6,700 patient deaths and four million days of care in hospitals could be avoided each year." This study shows that there is definitely a need for more nurse professionals in order to provide safe and humane care conditions for our society. Moreover, it is absolutely necessary for nurse educators to find ways to recruit more nurses into the world of academia.

Employers and universities ignore IT skills crisis

2006-01-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

I guess the question is if employers and professors should be involved in designing and implementing IT courses for employees and students? Ranger reports in this article that experts are not providing IT skills for future employees and students. "Separate research shows that nearly half of IT graduates surveyed (46 per cent) believe their degree course has "failed to provide them with relevant IT skills"." If we do not take the time to train and educate our future employees, who will?

Doctors Advise Against Sleeping Pills

2006-01-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to read about the effects of a $60 million ad campaign can influence people to take a sleeping pill that has been clinically proven not to work any better than other sleeping pills. The inability to sleep, or "insomnia," affects 70 million Americans and physicians attempt to dissuade clients from taking the sleeping aids due to the potential side effects. Primarily, the reason for their dissuasion is habituation. Physicians are attempting to teach their patients to try alternate methods of sleep induction. "We encourage (insomniacs) to read something kind of boring, not a romance novel or a suspense novel," he said. "Teach yourself Latin. That should make you drowsy." No matter what the physicians tell their clients, sleeping pills remail popular for many Americans. However, many experts are teaching patients relaxation techniques while reminding patients they can't force themselves to sleep.

"People have to be reminded sleep is not an Olympic sport," Smolley said. "You can't turn your mind off like a computer, but you can turn your mind on to something relaxing. Think about walking on the beach, or walking in the woods. Enjoy this fantasy and allow yourself to go to sleep."

City of Hope Cancer Center Receives $1.4 million NCI Cancer Survey

2006-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

Marcia Grant, RN, DNSc, a research scientist and the director of City of Hope's Dept. of Nursing Research and Education is the principle investigator of the four year, $1.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. This project will enable 400 professional caregivers to be trained in specific ways that will increase the follow-up care of cancer survivors.
"Advances in treatment and screening contribute to more people surviving cancer every year. Survivorship issues are key to improving the quality of health care,� Grant says. �This NCI grant will help City of Hope train caregivers to properly monitor cancer survivors for any delayed effects of treatment and to ensure the best quality of life for them.�"

Overwhelming Evidence

2006-01-09T00:10:00.000-08:00

Nurse educators are encouraging today's students to look toward evidenced based practice. What is evidenced based practice?

"What Schmidt is describing is the essence of an evidence-based practice (EBP), one in which the process of searching for information can be as important as the product. EBP is a kind of three-legged stool. One of the legs rests on the evidence information scientists have produced on the research process. Another leg stands on the librarians understanding of how her individual patrons learn bestvisually, aurally, by reading, or all three. The third leg consists of data, measurable proof that the librarians guidance has a real impact on learning. Keeping this wobbly stool upright isnt easy. Its very labor intensive on the librarians side, Schmidt says, and also on the kids side. This is not something you can sleep through."

This article explores EBP and how it is being used in high school science courses.

Stop Smoking Vaccine

2006-01-08T00:29:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine going to the physician's office to receive a "stop smoking" vaccine! Think of the lives this vaccine may save.

According to a recent study, the vaccine blocks nicotine from the brain, and therefore lowers the addiction rate.

Introduction to Nursing Informatics at Athabasca University

2006-01-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

A 3 unit online Nursing Informatics course is available at Athabasca University. The course will provide the learner an understanding of current hospital information systems and the importance of being literate in computer hardware, software, databases, and communication applications. The learner will receive information about the latest developments in computer technologies, such as telehealth, e-health, distance education, and nursing research.

Enjoy the course!

NIST Provides Health IT Standards Source

2006-01-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

A web site, created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has been developed to search for and publish information in its repository for health care standards. The Health Care Standards Landscape located at http://hcsl.sdct.nist.gov:8080/hcsl/index.html is a spot where you may search for data on healthcare standards and organizations developing and promoting such necessary standards. The great aspect of the repository is you may enter new data on healthcare standards' documents, as well as search the repository for current healthcare standards documents.