Evaluating a Competency-Based MOOC for Paediatric Training.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a critical aid to effective healthcare delivery; however, the percentage of adoption of EHRs remains low, especially in the paediatric domain. Usage can be fostered through enhanced training based on competency models. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) may increase the use of EHR data. This paper outlines the evaluation procedure of a designed competency-based MOOC training program, provided to users through an LMS framework and embedded into an EHR system to optimally train at any time, even at the point of healthcare delivery.

Effect of prone and supine positioning on the diaphragmatic work of breathing in convalescent preterm infants.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the work of breathing in the prone and supine positions in convalescent prematurely born infants. WORKING HYPOTHESIS: The work of breathing would be lower in the prone compared to the supine position. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. PATIENT-SUBJECT SELECTION: Consecutive preterm infants breathing unsupported in room air with a gestational age of 28-34 weeks in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit were studied before discharge from neonatal care. METHODOLOGY: The diaphragmatic pressure time product (PTPdi) was used to assess the work of breathing, calculated as the integration of transdiaphragmatic pressure over the inspiratory time. The PTPdi was measured in prone, supine, and supine with 45° head-up tilt (supine-tilt) positions. RESULTS: The mean (SD) PTPdi was lower in the prone (259 [68] cm H2 O*s/min) compared with the supine position (320 [78] cm H2 O*s/min, p= .005). The mean (SD) PTPdi was lower in the supine-tilt position (262 [76] cm H2 O*s/min) compared with the supine position (p = .032). The PTPdi was not different between the prone and supine-tilt positions (p = .600). The difference in PTPdi between prone and supine was not independently associated with gestational age (standardized coefficient = 0.262, adjusted p= .335), birth weight (standardized coefficient = -0.249, adjusted p= .394) or postmenstrual age at study (standardized coefficient = -0.025, adjusted p= .902). CONCLUSIONS: In convalescent preterm neonates, the work of breathing may be lower in the prone and supine-tilt positions, compared with supine.

Enabling the use of enhanced medical SOPs by an mLearning training solution.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has been introduced as a way to provide direction, improve communication, reduce training time and improve work consistency. In healthcare, SOPs may be considered as a means that can fundamentally change the way healthcare is provided, affecting all types of healthcare stakeholders and improving healthcare decisions and patient safety. Nowadays, providing ehealth services is a necessity, even though some healthcare organizations are reluctant to fully use them. An online mobile training facility embedded within ehealth services may increase the likelihood of their adoption by healthcare professionals, who feel that, when needed, they are provided the necessary support for performing each task, as handheld devices and other mobile technologies are showing increased adoption rates. This paper presents a mobile service that provides training content on SOPs, that can be embedded in a relevant ehealth service and can be accessed by authorized healthcare professionals where and when needed.

A conceptual security framework for personal health records (PHRs).

Electronic personal health record (PHR) is a citizen-centric information tool that allows citizens to control their personal information. However, an ideal PHR should also allow citizens to connect with their formal and informal caregivers (e.g. a family member, a caregiver) and together manage citizen health and social information. This introduces specific challenges in terms of security since multiple parties make entries and require access to PHR data. Since citizens are typically non-security and non-domain experts is considered impossible to control all this information. To this end, this paper presents a conceptual security framework for the employment of an attribute-based PHR access control policy that is continually updated according to providers' local security policies and individual professionals and citizen sharing preferences.

Healthcare system evolution towards SOA: a security perspective.

Healthcare providers often face the challenge of integrating diverse and geographically disparate IT systems to respond to changing requirements and to exploit the capabilities of modern technologies. Hence, systems evolution, through modification and extension of the existing IT infrastructure, becomes a necessity. This paper assumes a healthcare systems evolution towards a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and places emphasis on the development of an appropriate authorization model and mechanism that ensures authorized access to integrated patient information through web service invocations.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and respiratory muscle function in infants.

OBJECTIVE: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene contains a polymorphism consisting of either the presence (I) or absence (D) of a 287-bp fragment. Recent studies have suggested that the I-allele may be associated with superior exercise endurance; respiratory muscle function may be similarly influenced. The pressure-time index of inspiratory muscles (PTImus) is a measure of the load-capacity ratio of the inspiratory muscles. The objective of this study was to determine whether infants homozygous for the I-allele have lower PTImus compared to infants homozygous for the D-allele or heterozygous I/D. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-two infants were studied. ACE genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction amplification, using DNA from peripheral blood. PTImus was calculated as (Pi(mean)/Pi(max)) × (T(i)/T(tot)), where Pi(mean) was the mean inspiratory pressure estimated from airway pressure, generated 100 ms after an occlusion (P(0.1)), Pi(max) was the maximum inspiratory pressure and T(i)/T(tot) was the ratio of the inspiratory time to the total respiratory cycle time. Pi(max) was the largest pressure generated during brief airway occlusions performed at the end of a spontaneous crying effort. RESULTS: Infants with I/I genotype had significantly lower PTImus than infants with either D/D or I/D genotypes (P = 0.000007). ACE genotype was significantly related (P = 0.005) to PTImus measurements, independent of other factors that may affect respiratory muscle function. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that an association of ACE genotypes with PTImus measurements may exist in infants.

Association of circulating angiotensin converting enzyme activity with respiratory muscle function in infants.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene contains a polymorphism, consisting of either the presence (I) or absence (D) of a 287 base pair fragment. Deletion (D) is associated with increased circulating ACE (cACE) activity. It has been suggested that the D-allele of ACE genotype is associated with power-oriented performance and that cACE activity is correlated with muscle strength. Respiratory muscle function may be similarly influenced. Respiratory muscle strength in infants can be assessed specifically by measurement of the maximum inspiratory pressure during crying (Pimax). Pressure-time index of the respiratory muscles (PTImus) is a non-invasive method, which assesses the load to capacity ratio of the respiratory muscles.The objective of this study was to determine whether increased cACE activity in infants could be related to greater respiratory muscle strength and to investigate the potential association of cACE with PTImus measurements as well as the association of ACE genotypes with cACE activity and respiratory muscle strength in this population. METHODS: Serum ACE activity was assayed by using a UV-kinetic method. ACE genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction amplification, using DNA from peripheral blood. PTImus was calculated as (Pimean/Pimax) x (Ti/Ttot), where Pimean was the mean inspiratory pressure estimated from airway pressure, generated 100 milliseconds after an occlusion (P0.1), Pimax was the maximum inspiratory pressure and Ti/Ttot was the ratio of the inspiratory time to the total respiratory cycle time. Pimax was the largest pressure generated during brief airway occlusions performed at the end of a spontaneous crying effort. RESULTS: A hundred and ten infants were studied. Infants with D/D genotype had significantly higher serum ACE activity than infants with I/I or I/D genotypes. cACE activity was significantly related to Pimax and inversely related to PTImus. No association between ACE genotypes and Pdimax measurements was found. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a relation in cACE activity and respiratory muscle function may exist in infants. In addition, an association between ACE genotypes and cACE activity, but not respiratory muscle strength, was demonstrated.