User evaluation of the DEMentia-specific Digital Interactive Social Chart (DEM-DISC). A pilot study among informal carers on its impact,user friendliness and,usefulness

Objective: The need for information about the disease and coping with the consequences, as well as on available care and welfare services, is frequently unmet in people with dementia and their carers. To provide carers of community-dwelling people with dementia with tailored information, the DEMentia-specific dynamic interactive social chart (DEM-DISC) was developed. The impact on the daily life of people with dementia and their carers, the user friendliness and usefulness of a first prototype of DEM-DISC was evaluated.

Method: DEM-DISC was tested among informal carers in a pretest–posttest control group design. Fourteen informal carers could access DEM-DISC at home during a two month period. Fourteen controls did not have access to DEM-DISC. Data were collected by separate interviews with people with dementia and carers at pretest and posttest, by means of digital logging, short telephone interviews, and a bottleneck checklist during the intervention period.

Results: People with dementia and informal carers reported more met and less unmet needs after DEM-DISC use and carers in the experimental group reported higher levels of competence than controls. Although they were not explicitly satisfied with this first prototype of DEM-DISC, carers found DEM-DISC easy to learn and relatively user friendly. Carers acknowledged the system's benefits.

Conclusion: The positive effects might be caused by the systematic and tailored individual way of information provisioning by DEM-DISC. It would be worthwhile to continue to develop DEM-DISC and to conduct randomized trials on the impact on patients and carers as well as the impact on nursing home admission and healthcare expenditure.     

Cost-effectiveness of telemonitoring for high-risk pregnant women

PURPOSE: Cost-minimization is a main topic in present-day health care. Clinicians are urged to keep hospital stays as short as possible, also in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Departments. At present stabilized high-risk pregnant women stay in hospital for the sole purpose of being monitored. METHOD: In this retrospective study the cost-effectiveness of telemonitoring of such high-risk pregnant women was calculated by analyzing the data of 456 episodes originating from 415 patients of the Ghent University Hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that telemonitoring made a cost-reduction of euro 145,822 per year possible. However, variables such as educational level, psychosocial situation, time-travel distance from home to the hospital, reimbursement system and actual clinical status were not included. Furthermore, the Belgian health authorities does not provide for a specific code to allow the billing of teleinterpretation of transmitted results.     

Evaluation of the NOW Malaria Immunochromatographic Test for Quantitative Diagnosis of Falciparum and Vivax Malaria Parasite Density

The NOW® Malaria Test, an immunochromatographic test (ICT), was evaluated to determine its ability to quantitatively detect malaria parasites using 100 blood samples from Thailand, including 50 Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infections and 50 P. vivax (Pv) infections. Intensities of the thickness of the visible bands of the positive ICT were compared with the parasite densities. In cases of Pf infection, the intensities of both HRP-2 bands (T1 bands: Pf specific bands) and aldolase bands (T2 bands: pan-Plasmodium bands) correlated with the parasite densities. The intensities of T2 bands in Pf positive samples showed better correlation with the parasite densities than the T1 bands. In the cases of Pv infection, the intensities of T2 bands were also well correlated with parasite density. These results suggest that the ICT is useful not only for rapid detection of malaria parasites but also for estimating parasite density.     

Quality of life differences in patients with typical atrial flutter following cavotricuspid isthmus ablation

Introduction and objectives

The aim of the study was to assess and measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes in patients with typical atrial flutter following catheter ablation. The outcome was standardized and normalized to the Spanish population adjusted by age and sex.

Methods

Ninety-five consecutive patients who had undergone cavotricuspid isthmus ablation were included. The SF-36 questionnaire was self-administered before the procedure and at 1-year follow-up. We used the effect size and the standardized response mean as measures of responsiveness to quantify the change in HRQoL and the minimum clinically important difference to assess the smallest difference in score that patients perceived as beneficial.

Results

Of the 95 patients initially included, 88 completed the 1-year follow-up. We observed a large improvement (effect size ≥0.8) on the physical functioning, role-physical , general health, and vitality scales and on the physical component summary. We detected a moderate improvement (effect size ≥0.5) on the role-emotional, social functioning, and mental health scales and on the mental component summary. On all scales except bodily pain and social activity, the improvement was clinically perceived by patients.

Conclusions

A clinically significant improvement in HRQoL measures was found in patients with typical atrial flutter who underwent cavotricuspid isthmus catheter ablation.Full English text available from: www.revespcardiol.org     

快速免疫色谱测试法诊断恶性疟的初步观察

目的：评价快速免疫色谱测试法（ＩＣＴ）在我国疟区门诊疟疾的适用性。方法：以镜检结果为对照，用ＩＣＴ方法检测门诊“四热”病人中的恶性疟。结果：ＩＣＴ检测恶性疟的敏感性和特异性分别为９４．７％和９０．３％，与间日疟无交叉，检测不同性别和民族人群阳性率间的差别无显著意义。结论：ＩＣＴ较镜检诊断恶性疟更为快速且简便，更适于在疟区门诊应用。     

Parent–child role reversal in ICT domestication: media brokering activities and emotional labours of Chinese “study mothers” in Singapore

ABSTRACT

The adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the domestic sphere has the potential to challenge the existing power hierarchy and relational structure of the household. In particular, new dynamics of parent–child relationship may emerge due to different accessibility to, experiences of, as well as values about ICTs between adolescents and their parents. Becoming proficient with a variety of ICTs since an early age, adolescent children in many contemporary families serve as technological experts on whom their parents rely to access and survive the digital world. This “role reversal” between parents and children indicates the detraditionalization of parental authority and parent–child interactions, which could strengthen family cohesion in some households, while triggering tensions and conflicts in others. Drawing on technology domestication theory and theory of emotion work, this article proposes an in-depth investigation into the multi-dimensional technological role-reversal activities of Chinese “study mothers” and their children, with special focus on subjective attitudes and invisible emotional labours of both mothers and children. An innovative “content-context diary” cum participant observation was employed to obtain a comprehensive and profound understanding of parent–child interactions in the process of household ICT domestication.     

Playful and creative ICT pedagogical framing: a nursery school case study

This article reports on the findings of a one-year qualitative study in which a nursery school used information and communication technology (ICT) and a digital media consultant as a catalyst for cultural change leading to teachers’ improved pedagogical framing and children's enhanced learning dispositions. The pedagogic framing included the children making mini-movies and avatars which were uploaded onto the nursery website. It is argued that such innovative and creative ICT pedagogy was strongly motivational and afforded opportunities for co-construction and sustained shared thinking (SST) as it engaged with children's and families’ digital cultural habitus. The research reports on field notes, interviews and observations (n?=?15) of child peer interactions and teacher child interactions.     

Gender Differences in Children's Internet Use

This paper analyses comparative empirical data from across Europe on gender differences in children's Internet use, and through a new interpretive framework on young people's experiences, seeks to add new findings to this growing international knowledge base. Linking feminist theory on gender and technology with theories of youth gender identity construction, four key areas are investigated. Firstly, the impact of increased Internet access and use in schools and in homes on gender equality is examined. Secondly, youth communication and content creation practices are investigated to explore whether the Internet is facilitating flexibility in gender identity and the transcendence of traditional gender roles. Thirdly, gender differences in skills and perceptions of expertise are discussed. Finally, Internet activities which demonstrate overtly gender-stereotypical masculine attributes—pornography and action/violent game playing—are discussed. We argue that gender remains a salient factor in researching the complexity of young people's Internet use and call for multiple theoretical perspectives to contribute to further research on this topic.     

基于ICT的虚拟社区活动与教师专业发展

随着信息通讯技术(ICT)的迅猛发展,虚拟社区的概念及其研究领域应运而生,并成为教育学习的重要空间和平台.基于ICT 的虚拟社区将成为教师专业发展的重要舞台,成为教师超越时间和地域限制,相互联系、相互学习、协作共进的新方式.