Australasian Medical Journal
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Touchscreen Technology to Assess Psychological Distress
Get PDFBackgroundCancer impacts on the psychological well-being of many cancer patients. Appropriate tools can be used to assist health professionals in identifying patient needs and psychological distress. Recent research suggests that touchscreen technology can be used to administer surveys. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a touchscreen system in comparison to written questionnaires in a large tertiary hospital in Western Australia (WA).Method Patients who were scheduled to commence treatment for gynaecological cancer participated in this study. Patients were assigned to complete either a written questionnaire or the same survey using the touchscreen technology. Both methods of survey contained the same scales. All participants were asked to complete a follow-up patient satisfaction survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals to elicit views about the implementation of the technology and the available referral pathways. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. ResultsThirty patients completed the touchscreen questionnaires and an equal number completed the survey on paper. Participants who used the touchscreens were not significantly more satisfied than other participants. Four themes were noted in the interviews with health professionals: usability of technology, patients’ acceptance of technology, advantages of psychological screening and the value of the instruments included.ConclusionAlthough previous studies report that computerised assessments are a feasible option for assessing cancer patients’ needs, the data collected in this study demonstrates that the technology was not reliable with significant practical problems. The technology did not serve these patients better than pen and paper.
Seafood: Nutritional Gold for Seniors
No full textObjectivesTo conduct a systematic review of published evidence around seafood, health and seniors.MethodData sources reviewing included: Proquest; PubMed; Science Direct; Taylor and Francis; Cochran Collaboration; Web of Knowledge and Web of Science. Key search terms included seniors, ageing, fish, seafood, protein, health and various lifestyle conditions Results A diet high in marine source Omega-3 poly unsaturated fatty acids affords particular benefits for seniors in a reduced risk of all cause mortality, with the strongest evidence around coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke. Other benefits include reduced inflammation associated with arthritis and delay to onset and slowed progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusion There is increasing evidence to support the regular seafood consumption (particularly oily fish) as being protective against a number of aged-related health conditions. Seniors should be encouraged to consume 3500mg- 4000mg of marine source Omega-3 PUFAs each week
Study Rationale and Protocol
Get PDFBackground: Supporting self management is seen as an important health service strategy in dealing with the large and increasing health burden of chronic conditions. Several types of self-management programs are available. Evidence to date suggests that disease specific and lay-led self management programs provide only part of the support needed for improved outcomes. The Flinders Program is promising as a generic self management intervention, which can be combined with targeted disease specific and lay-led interventions, but it has yet to be evaluated for a range of chronic conditions using a rigorous controlled trial design. This paper gives the rationale for a randomised controlled trial and process evaluation of the Flinders Program of chronic condition self-management in community practice, and details and justifies the design of such a study.Method: The design for a randomised trial and associated process evaluation, suited to evaluation of a complex and behavioural intervention as it is applied in actual practice, is presented and justified.Conclusion: A randomised trial of the Flinders Program is required and a functional design is presented. Results from this trial, currently underway, will test the effectiveness of the Flinders Program in improving patient competencies in self-management of chronic conditions in practice conditions. A process evaluation alongside the trial will explore system, provider and patient factors associated with greater and lesser Program effectiveness
Unregulated Sale of Nimesulide in India
Get PDFIntroductionNimesulide has been withdrawn from a number of countries. However it continues to be available over the counter in India.MethodsA survey of 1460 drug stores and 1531 families in India on their perceptions of the potential side effects of Nimesulide.Results A high proportion (78.96%) of the drug stores sold the drug without prescription from a licensed physician. More than one in four families (26.95%) preferred Nimesulide to other drugs. A relatively small proportion drug store owners and families (12.14% and 9.6% respectively) were aware of the potential adverse effects of this drug. DiscussionThere is an urgent need to tighten regulation of dangerous drugs freely available to Indian consumers. Further research to increase public awareness about drug side effects is required in order to reduce the potential for harm from under regulation
Wayshowing in Hospital
Get PDFThis paper describes the causes of the wayfinding problems in hospitals and suggests ways to solve them. The paper is by and large based on the author’s personal experience and observations. Several causes make wayfinding in hospitals difficult. One group of causes concerns the complicated environment. Another group of causes concerns the users, a broad group out of which several constituents have reduced sight, mental and other capacities. The combination of a complicated environment and possibly weak wayfinders calls for carefully planned wayshowing
Patient-Centred Design
Get PDFPatient-centred design is a relatively new term, but a long standing concept in clinical practice. This discussion looks at patient-centred design and explores the relationships of patient-centred design to universal design, user-centered design and the newer human-centred design. It also explores why interdisciplinary approaches are needed for patient-centred design and how interdisciplinary collaboration works to address the challenges of patient-centred design. Successful patient-centred solutions can grow from collaborations which include shared visions, understanding of both the nature and degree of variation in the patient, materials, and the designed solution, clear regular communication among all parties with careful definition of terms, and respect for the inherent cultures of all disciplines involved.
Patient Centered Diabetes Care
Get PDFDesign plays a marginal part in the discourse of diabetes care, mainly in visualizing the form and packaging of medical technologies. The authors however have a practice that advocates that design orientated solutions can add much needed dimensions to problems that have traditionally been the exclusive preserve of expert discourses. This position has for long been a validated and largely accepted approach in design’s engagement with sustainability issues. A similar approach in the area of medicine has been constructed by the authors and marks out a position of advocacy where the designer takes on agency to intervene on behalf of the user community. This position contains a healthy critique of the traditional approach of product design for manufacture while simultaneously amplifying a desire to intervene and make a substantial improvement in the quality of life of diabetics. This article first opens out contemporary diabetes care as a contested domain and then goes on to sketch out the key aspects of a design practice focussed upon delivering positive health outcomes in diabetes care. The specific context of discussion for this article is the practice of teaching in design studios where students of design listen to the voices of the individual diabetic and visualize ways for design to provide products and service solutions that transform the lived experiences of diabetics
