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Medical Equipment (medical + equipment)
Selected AbstractsEquipment, Supplies, and Pharmaceuticals: How Much Might It Cost to Achieve Basic Surge Capacity?ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006Dan Hanfling MD The ability to deliver optimal medical care in the setting of a disaster event, regardless of its cause, will in large part be contingent on an immediately available supply of key medical equipment, supplies, and pharmaceuticals. Although the Department of Health and Human Services Strategic National Stockpile program makes these available through its 12-hour "push packs" and vendor-managed inventory, every local community should be funded to create a local cache for these items. This report explores the funding requirements for this suggested approach. Furthermore, the response to a surge in demand for care will be contingent on keeping available staff close to the hospitals for a sustained period. A proposal for accomplishing this, with associated costs, is discussed as well. [source] Factors Affecting Plan Choice and Unmet Need among Supplemental Security Income Eligible Children with DisabilitiesHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5p1 2005Jean M. Mitchell Objective. To evaluate factors affecting plan choice (partially capitated managed care [MC] option versus the fee-for-service [FFS] system) and unmet needs for health care services among children who qualified for supplemental security income (SSI) because of a disability. Data Sources. We conducted telephone interviews during the summer and fall of 2002 with a random sample of close to 1,088 caregivers of SSI eligible children who resided in the District of Columbia. Research Design. We employed a two-step procedure where we first estimated plan choice and then constructed a selectivity correction to control for the potential selection bias associated with plan choice. We included the selectivity correction, the dummy variable indicating plan choice and other exogenous regressors in the second stage equations predicting unmet need. The dependent variables in the second stage equations include: (1) having an unmet need for any service or equipment; (2) having an unmet need for physician or hospital services; (3) having an unmet need for medical equipment; (4) having an unmet need for prescription drugs; (5) having an unmet need for dental care. Principal Findings. More disabled children (those with birth defects, chronic conditions, and/or more limitations in activities of daily living) were more likely to enroll in FFS. Children of caregivers with some college education were more likely to opt for FFS, whereas children from higher income households were more prone to enroll in the partially capitated MC plan. Children in FFS were 9.9 percentage points more likely than children enrolled in partially capitated MC to experience an unmet need for any type of health care services (p<.01), while FFS children were 4.5 percentage points more likely than partially capitated MC enrollees to incur a medical equipment unmet need (p<.05). FFS children were also more likely than partially capitated MC enrollees to experience unmet needs for prescription drugs and dental care, however these differences were only marginally significant. Conclusions. We speculate that the case management services available under the MC option, low Medicaid FFS reimbursements and provider availability account for some of the differences in unmet need that exist between partially capitated MC and FFS enrollees. [source] Reliability factors in business software: volatility, requirements and end-usersINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002Paul L Bowen Abstract. Many business-oriented software applications are subject to frequent changes in requirements. This paper shows that, ceteris paribus, increases in the volatility of system requirements decrease the reliability of software. Further, systems that exhibit high volatility during the development phase are likely to have lower reliability during their operational phase. In addition to the typically higher volatility of requirements, end-users who specify the requirements of business-oriented systems are usually less technically oriented than people who specify the requirements of compilers, radar tracking systems or medical equipment. Hence, the characteristics of software reliability problems for business-oriented systems are likely to differ significantly from those of more technically oriented systems. [source] Kaiser Permanente Community Partners Project: Improving Geriatric Care Management PracticesJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2003Susan M. Enguidanos MPH This article describes a geriatric care management project that is testing whether geriatric care management plus a brief purchase of service (POS) intervention will lower medical costs, improve satisfaction with care, increase care plan adherence, and improve perceived quality of life. Kaiser Permanente members aged 65 and older who were eligible for geriatric care management and consented to participate in the study were randomized to one of four study groups: information and referral via mail, telephone care management, geriatric care management, or geriatric care management with POS capability. The POS intervention provides up to $2,000 of designated, paid services including in-home supportive services, transportation, respite, or medical equipment within the first 6 months of care management enrollment. Approximately 1,400 senior members were referred to the geriatric care management program, and 451 were randomly assigned to one of the four study groups. Those enrolled in the geriatric care management program were significantly more likely to be ethnic minorities and have lower income than the general Kaiser Permanente senior enrollment. Barriers encountered in implementing the POS intervention included establishing contractual agreements between Kaiser Permanente and private and community agencies, locating adequate and sufficient community agencies to provided needed services, monitoring service contracts, and delaying use of the POS benefit. [source] Anaphylactic Reactions on the Beach: A Cause for Concern?JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2009Alexander D. Karatzanis MD Background The commonest causes of anaphylaxis include hymenoptera bites, high-risk food, exercise, and jellyfish bites and may often be encountered on the beach. Therefore, millions of visitors at popular touristic locations are exposed to increased risk of anaphylactic reactions every year. At least 35 cases of acute allergic reactions requiring medical attention took place on the beaches of Crete, Greece during the previous summer. Objective To evaluate the level of training of lifeguards working on the beaches of the island of Crete, Greece, with regard to emergency management of anaphylaxis as well as to assess the sufficiency of medical equipment that lifeguards possess to treat an anaphylactic reaction. Methods A questionnaire was prepared by the authors and administered to 50 lifeguards working on various beaches of Crete. Queries included the definition of anaphylaxis, proper medical treatment, and the existence or not and composition of an emergency kit with regard to the management of acute allergic reactions. Results Our series consisted of 50 lifeguards, 39 (78%) male and 11 female (22%). Although 41 (80%) lifeguards were aware of an acceptable definition of anaphylaxis, no one knew that epinephrine is the first-choice treatment, and 32 (60%) lifeguards replied that steroids should be used for emergency treatment. Additionally, no one possessed an emergency kit that would qualify for management of acute allergic reactions. Conclusions The beach should be considered as a high-risk place for the appearance of anaphylactic reactions. Lifeguards who would be the first trained personnel to encounter this condition should be sufficiently trained and equipped for emergency treatment. Our department is currently introducing a training program to local authorities for the proper training and equipping of lifeguards in the island of Crete. [source] Reflection on the relationship between technology and caringNURSING IN CRITICAL CARE, Issue 3 2005Christopher Johns ABSTRACT Being attached to a piece of medical technology may cause patients physical and emotional distress. Critical care nurses need to empathize and respond to the patient's experience on being attached to all forms of medical equipment. The use of sedation must be carefully considered in response to agitation. Critical care is also palliative care. Compassion is a virtue. [source] Inter-hospital transfers of acutely ill adults in Scotland,ANAESTHESIA, Issue 2 2010M. J. Fried Summary The transfer of acutely ill adults who were transported between hospitals by the Scottish Ambulance Service was audited in order to determine the number of transfers and to quantify the incidence of adverse events. Patients over 16 years of age requiring intervention/vital signs monitoring during transfer or a nursing/medical escort from the outset were defined as acutely ill adults. Three thousand and forty-eight audit forms were received, of which 2396 were suitable for inclusion in the audit. Transfers primarily occurred for specialist management (1580; 66%) or specialist investigation (550; 23%). Clinicians escorted 825 (34%) patients and were away from their hospital a median (IQR [range]) of 2 h (01:24,3:30 [00:05,17:33]) h:min Clinical intervention was required in 84 transfers (4%). The median (IQR [range]) time for 248 transfers (10.3%) requiring assisted ventilation was 28 min (00:17,00:50 [00:04,02:55]). The incidence of unsecured medical equipment (in escorted transfers only) was significantly lower in dedicated transport teams (2/205, 1%) vs non-dedicated (113/620, 18%; p = 0.004). Medical equipment failures were less common in the transfer of patients requiring assisted ventilation (1/156, 0.6% vs 9/97, 9%; p = 0.001). [source] Mobile phones in the hospital , past, present and futureANAESTHESIA, Issue 4 2003A. A. Klein Summary The phenomenon of electromagnetic interference by mobile phones is real and potentially clinically significant. This has been recognised by the Department of Health and the Medical Devices Agency, leading to bans on phone use in hospitals. Current evidence suggests that mobile phones can cause malfunction of medical equipment, but only when used in close proximity. Allowing phone use in non-patient care areas and improving staff education may improve compliance with hospital policies. [source] Charity and self-help: Migrants' social networks and health care in the homeland (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 4 2010Abdoulaye Kane This article examines the delivery of healthcare by Haalpulaar immigrants' village association in France to their rural villages in Senegal. In the context of the neo-liberal reforms in Senegal, the Haalpulaar immigrants have been very active in funding community project in the health sector for their communities of origin left to fend for themselves by the State. Haalpulaar migrants associations like TAD (Thilogne Association Developpement) and Fuuta Santé are improving access to healthcare in the Senegal River valley through the remittances of biomedicine, medical equipment as well as the organization of annual health caravans with the participation of French health professionals and local partners. [source] Epidemiology of Adverse Events in Air Medical TransportACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2008Russell D. MacDonald MD Abstract Objectives:, This observational study determined frequency and describes all-cause adverse event epidemiology in a large air medical transport system. Methods:, Records of a mandatory reporting system were reviewed and a data set containing all of the patient care records was searched to identify aviation- and non,aviation-related adverse events. Two reviewers independently identified adverse events and categorized them using an established taxonomy. Descriptive statistics were used to report adverse events, with frequency calculated per 1,000 flights and 1,000 hours flown. Results:, Between January 1, 2002, and June 30, 2005, there were 1,447 reports, of which 598 included an adverse event. Case-finding identified an additional 125. A complete report was available in 680 of 723 (94.1%) events. There were 58,956 flights and 103,632 hours flown during the study period, for a rate of 11.53 adverse events per 1,000 flights (95% CI = 10.7 to 12.4 adverse events) or 6.56 per 1,000 hours flown (95% CI = 6.1 to 7.1 adverse events). The frequencies of events by category were as follows: communication (229; 33.7%), transport vehicle (143; 21.0%), medical equipment (88; 12.9%), patient management (77; 11.4%), clinical performance (68; 10.0%), weather (30; 4.4%), unclassified (24; 3.5%), and patient factors causing death (21; 3.1%). There was possible patient harm in 117 events. Conclusions:, Air medical transport is associated with a low incidence of adverse events and possible patient harm. Communication problems were the most common cause of an event. Determining event epidemiology is necessary to identify modifiable factors, propose solutions to decrease the adverse events, and direct future efforts to improve safety. [source] | ||||||||||