ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to quantify tongue protrusion force and compare its characteristics between participants with severely weak tongues and those with normal lingual strength. The sample consisted of 11 participants with severe lingual strength deficits and 11 age- and sex-matched participants with normal lingual strength. Tongue force was evaluated quantitatively using the Forling instrument, and the average force, maximum force, average force application rate, and area under the graphic curve were analysed. These parameters were compared between the groups. In the participants with severely weak tongues, the average and the maximum forces in N (Newton) were 2.03 ± 1.17 and 3.56 ± 1.77, respectively. The average force application rate in N/s (Newton per second) was 1.25 and the area under the graphic curve in Ns (Newton times second) was 18.6. The values of the participants with normal lingual strength were, respectively, 13.27 ± 6.15 N, 18.91 ± 7.95 N, 10.46 N/s, and 108.08 Ns. All parameters analysed differed significantly between the groups. The data collected could aid speech-language pathologists in diagnosing problems related to tongue force.
Subject(s)
Muscle Strength/physiology , Tongue/physiopathology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. In 2004, São Paulo City Department of Health decided to implement a Healthcare Information System that would support managing healthcare services and provide an ambulatory health record. The system was designed to build on from national standards that identify healthcare workers, organizations and the relationships among them and reuse as much as possible existing concepts and software. At the same time, the system should reduce fragmentation, not only by integrating existing redundant or competing systems but also by providing a framework in which new modules would be naturally integrated to each other. Today, the web-based system, known as SIGA Saúde, runs in more than 370 healthcare units, processes some 8 thousand appointment scheduling daily and more than 10 thousand high-cost procedure authorizations monthly. This paper profiles the São Paulo City and its needs and describes the project, obstacles and results so far.
Subject(s)
Health Services Administration , Information Systems , National Health Programs/organization & administration , Ambulatory Care Information Systems , Brazil , Database Management Systems , Humans , Information Management , Information Systems/organization & administration , Systems IntegrationABSTRACT
This paper describes the construction of the Brazilian Health Information Policy. The Introduction gives an overview of the health informatics scenario in the country and the motivation for the definition of a national policy for the area. The process adopted and the strategies to reach consensus among the different players of the healthcare arena are discussed. The interface with the national health card project and the standards already established are also depicted. The current document and the strategies so far proposed are presented with their respective time table and goals. At the end, a comparison with other national initiatives is drawn.
