ABSTRACT
Intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) involves irradiation of an unresected tumour or a post-resection tumour bed. The dose distribution is calculated from a preoperative computed tomography (CT) study acquired using a CT simulator. However, differences between the actual IOERT field and that calculated from the preoperative study arise as a result of patient position, surgical access, tumour resection and the IOERT set-up. Intraoperative CT imaging may then enable a more accurate estimation of dose distribution. In this study, we evaluated three kilovoltage (kV) CT scanners with the ability to acquire intraoperative images. Our findings indicate that current IOERT plans may be improved using data based on actual anatomical conditions during radiation. The systems studied were two portable systems ("O-arm", a cone-beam CT [CBCT] system, and "BodyTom", a multislice CT [MSCT] system) and one CBCT integrated in a conventional linear accelerator (LINAC) ("TrueBeam"). TrueBeam and BodyTom showed good results, as the gamma pass rates of their dose distributions compared to the gold standard (dose distributions calculated from images acquired with a CT simulator) were above 97% in most cases. The O-arm yielded a lower percentage of voxels fulfilling gamma criteria owing to its reduced field of view (which left it prone to truncation artefacts). Our results show that the images acquired using a portable CT or even a LINAC with on-board kV CBCT could be used to estimate the dose of IOERT and improve the possibility to evaluate and register the treatment administered to the patient.
Subject(s)
Electrons/therapeutic use , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods , Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/instrumentation , Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/methods , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional/instrumentation , Intraoperative Period , Multidetector Computed Tomography/instrumentation , Multidetector Computed Tomography/methods , Neoplasms/surgery , Radiotherapy Dosage , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/instrumentationABSTRACT
Training in Biomedical Informatics is essential to meet the challenges of a globalized world. However, the development of postgraduate training and research programs in this area are scarce in Latin America. Through QUIPU: Andean Center for Training and research in Iformatics for Global Health, has developed the first Certificate and Masters Program on Biomedical Informatics in the Andean Region. The aim of this article is to describe the experience of the program. To date, 51 students from Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela have participated; they come from health ministries, hospitals, universities, research centers, professional associations and private companies. Seventeen courses were offered with the participation of faculty from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, USA, Mexico and Peru. This program is already institutionalized at the School of Public Health and Administration from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Subject(s)
Certification , Computer-Assisted Instruction , Education, Graduate/methods , Education, Graduate/organization & administration , Global Health , Medical Informatics/education , Humans , Latin America , Online Systems , PeruABSTRACT
El entrenamiento en Informática Biomédica es fundamental para enfrentar los desafíos de un mundo globalizado. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de programas de entrenamiento e investigación en posgrado en esta área son escasos en América Latina. A través del QUIPU: Centro Andino de Investigación y Entrenamiento en Informática para la Salud Global, se ha desarrollado el primer programa de Diplomado y Maestría en Informática Biomédica en la Región Andina. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la experiencia del programa. A la fecha han participado 51 alumnos de Perú, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia y Venezuela; procedentes de ministerios de salud, hospitales, universidades, centros de investigación, colegios profesionales y empresas privadas. Diecisiete cursos se impartieron con la participación presencial y virtual de profesores de Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Estados Unidos, México y Perú. Este programa está ya institucionalizado en la Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Training in Biomedical Informatics is essential to meet the challenges of a globalized world. However, the development of postgraduate training and research programs in this area are scarce in Latin America. Through QUIPU: Andean Center for Training and research in Iformatics for Global Health, has developed the first Certificate and Masters Program on Biomedical Informatics in the Andean Region. The aim of this article is to describe the experience of the program. To date, 51 students from Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela have participated; they come from health ministries, hospitals, universities, research centers, professional associations and private companies. Seventeen courses were offered with the participation of faculty from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, USA, Mexico and Peru. This program is already institutionalized at the School of Public Health and Administration from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Mentoring , Program Development , Medical Informatics , Biomedical Research , PeruABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the information quality about pregnancy symptoms in Spanish available in the internet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an analytic, cross-sectional study. In order to evaluate the selected websites, we used a methodology previously validated by Curró et al. The websites were selected from Google, MSN.com and Yahoo.com. The quality evaluation included three components: medical contents, accountability and usability of the website. The medical content was compared with the data available in the national guidelines for Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health, from the Peruvian Ministry of Health. RESULTS: Ninety nine websites in Spanish were evaluated. From them, 26.3% had medium adherence to the gold standard document. In 37.4% the websites were of low quality. A total of 24.2% were blogs, they were associated (as a protrective factor) to sites of poor quality (OR: 0.1, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of websites in Spanish related to pregnancy symptoms have low quality. These findings indicate the need to properly educate patients and general public, and a critical evaluation of the information quality found at the Internet as well.
Subject(s)
Consumer Health Information/standards , Internet , Pregnancy , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Guidelines as Topic , Humans , PeruABSTRACT
Objetivos. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar la calidad de páginas web en español, que contengan información sobre los síntomas del embarazo. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal y analítico, empleando la metodología previamente validada por Curró et al. para evaluar la calidad de páginas web; estas páginas fueron recuperadas a través de búsquedas en Google, MSN.com y Yahoo.com. La evaluación de la calidad incluyó tres componentes: contenido médico, responsabilidad y usabilidad de la página web. El contenido médico fue contrastado con la información disponible en las guías nacionales de Atención Integral de la Salud Sexual y Reproductiva, del Ministerio de Salud del Perú. Resultados. Se evaluaron 99 páginas web con contenido en español. El 26,3% presentó media adherencia al patrón de oro. En el 32,3% se encontraron los tres factores evaluados de las guías nacionales; 37,4% eran páginas web de mala calidad. El 24,2% eran blogs los cuales estaban asociados, como factor protector, a páginas web de mala calidad (OR: 0,1, IC 95%: 0,02-0,5). Conclusiones. La mayoría de páginas web evaluadas en español, relacionadas con síntomas del embarazo, son de mala calidad. Estos resultados indican que se requiere educar adecuadamente a los pacientes y al público en general así como evaluar la calidad de información que se encuentra en Internet.
Objectives. The objective of this study is to evaluate the information quality about pregnancy symptoms in Spanish available in the internet. Materials and methods. This is an analytic, cross-sectional study. In order to evaluate the selected websites, we used a methodology previously validated by Curró et al. The websites were selected from Google, MSN.com and Yahoo.com. The quality evaluation included three components: medical contents, accountability and usability of the website. The medical content was compared with the data available in the national guidelines for Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health, from the Peruvian Ministry of Health. Results. Ninety nine websites in Spanish were evaluated. From them, 26.3% had medium adherence to the gold standard document. In 37.4% the websites were of low quality. A total of 24.2% were blogs, they were associated (as a protrective factor) to sites of poor quality (OR: 0.1, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.5). Conclusions. The majority of websites in Spanish related to pregnancy symptoms have low quality. These findings indicate the need to properly educate patients and general public, and a critical evaluation of the information quality found at the Internet as well.
