OR.NET: multi-perspective qualitative evaluation of an integrated operating room based on IEEE 11073 SDC.

PURPOSE: Clinical working environments have become very complex imposing many different tasks in diagnosis, medical treatment, and care procedures. During the German flagship project OR.NET, more than 50 partners developed technologies for an open integration of medical devices and IT systems in the operating room. The aim of the present work was to evaluate a large set of the proposed concepts from the perspectives of various stakeholders. METHOD: The demonstration OR is focused on interventions from the head and neck surgery and was developed in close cooperation with surgeons and numerous colleagues of the project partners. The demonstration OR was qualitatively evaluated including technical as well as clinical aspects. In the evaluation, a questionnaire was used to obtain feedback from hospital operators. The clinical implications were covered by structured interviews with surgeons, anesthesiologists and OR staff. RESULTS: In the present work, we qualitatively evaluate a subset of the proposed concepts from the perspectives of various stakeholders. The feedback of the clinicians indicates that there is a need for a flexible data and control integration. The hospital operators stress the need for tools to simplify risk management in openly integrated operating rooms. CONCLUSION: The implementation of openly integrated operating rooms will positively affect the surgeons, the anesthesiologists, the surgical nursing staff, as well as the technical personnel and the hospital operators. The evaluation demonstrated the need for OR integration technologies and identified the missing tools to support risk management and approval as the main barriers for future installments.

Psychosocial problems in adults with epilepsy: comparison of findings from four countries.

Psychosocial problems in groups of adults with epilepsy from Canada, Finland, the German Democratic Republic, and the United States were evaluated by the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory. A number of similarities in psychosocial concerns were found across the four countries. At the forefront for each group were emotional problems, followed by concerns pertaining to adjustment to the seizures themselves. Where far-reaching governmental support of a financial and vocational nature was lacking, difficulties in these areas were also noted. In all cases, few problems were found in matters pertaining to family relationships and to medical care. Hypotheses to account for differences between the groups were discussed.