Impact of Game-Based Interventions on Health-Related Outcomes in Hospitalized Older Patients: A Systematic Review

ObjectivesTo examine the effectiveness of game-based interventions compared with usual care on health-related outcomes for acutely hospitalized older patients.DesignSystematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and nonrandomized trials.Setting and ParticipantsAdults aged 65 years or older admitted to an Acute Care for Elderly unit were selected.MeasuresHealth-related outcomes (eg, functional capacity, quality of life, adherence to treatment).ResultsFour RCTs were included in the review. The interventions were based on the implementation of serious-game programs using Nintendo Wii in acute medical patients. Across the included studies, no significant differences were observed between groups on functional capacity and health-related quality of life. Significant differences were found between groups on the adherence to treatment (in favor of the control group), but no differences were obtained in other outcomes such as enjoyment and motivation.Conclusions and ImplicationsIn general, there is very limited evidence for the efficacy to reach conclusions about the effects of game-based interventions on health-related outcomes in acutely hospitalized older patients. Future studies are needed to improve our knowledge in the field; however, we consider that these strategies should be considered in the future complementary to usual care.     

The Association of Changes in Physical Performance During Geriatric Inpatient Rehabilitation With Short-Term Hospital Readmission,Institutionalization, and Mortality: RESORT

ObjectivesGeriatric inpatient rehabilitation aims to restore function, marked by physical performance, to enable patients to return and remain home after hospitalization. However, after discharge some patients are soon readmitted, institutionalized, or may die. Whether changes in physical performance during geriatric rehabilitation are associated with these short-term adverse outcomes is unknown. This study aimed to determine the association of changes in physical performance during geriatric inpatient rehabilitation with short-term adverse outcomes.DesignObservational longitudinal study.Setting and ParticipantsGeriatric rehabilitation inpatients of the REStORing health of acutely unwell adulTs (RESORT) cohort study of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne, Australia) were included.MethodsThe change from admission to discharge in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, balance, gait speed (GS), chair stand test (CST), and hand grip strength (HGS) were calculated and analyzed using logistic regression analysis with readmission, incidence of institutionalization, and mortality, and ≥1 adverse outcome within 3 months postdischarge.ResultsOf 693 inpatients, 11 died during hospitalization and 572 patients (mean age 82.6 ± 7.6 years, 57.9% female) had available physical performance data. Within 3 months postdischarge, 47.3% of patients had ≥1 adverse outcome: readmission was 20.8%, institutionalization was 26.6%, and mortality was 7.9%. Improved SPPB score, balance, GS, CST, and HGS were associated with lower odds of institutionalization and mortality. Improved GS was additionally associated with lower odds of readmission [odds ratio (OR) 0.35, 95% CI 0.16-0.79]. CST score had the largest effect, with a 1-point increase associating with 40% lower odds of being institutionalized (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.86), 52% lower odds of mortality (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.81), and a 24% lower odds of ≥1 adverse outcome (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59-0.97).Conclusions and ImplicationsImprovement in physical performance was associated with lower odds of short-term institutionalization and mortality indicating the prognostic value of physical performance improvement during geriatric inpatient rehabilitation.     

The relationship between rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions and local access to primary healthcare in Manitoba First Nations communities: Results from the Innovation in Community-based Primary Healthcare Supporting Transformation in the Health of First Nations in Manitoba (iPHIT) study

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to assess the performance of models of primary healthcare (PHC) delivered in First Nation and adjacent communities in Manitoba, using hospitalization rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) as the primary outcome.MethodsWe used generalized estimating equation logistic regression on administrative claims data for 63 First Nations communities from Manitoba (1986–2016) comprising 140,111 people, housed at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We controlled for age, sex, and socio-economic status to describe the relationship between hospitalization rates for ACSC and models of PHC in First Nation communities.ResultsHospitalization rates for acute, chronic, vaccine-preventable, and mental health-related ACSCs have decreased over time in First Nation communities, yet remain significantly higher in First Nations and remote non-First Nations communities as compared with other Manitobans. When comparing different models of care, hospitalization rates were historically higher in communities served by health centres/offices, whether or not supplemented by itinerant medical services. These rates have significantly declined over the past two decades.ConclusionLocal access to a broader complement of PHC services is associated with lower rates of avoidable hospitalization in First Nation communities. The lack of these services in many First Nation communities demonstrates the failure of the current Canadian healthcare system to meet the need of First Nation peoples. Improving access to PHC in all 63 First Nation communities can be expected to result in a reduction in ACSC hospitalization rates and reduce healthcare cost.     

贵阳市慢性病综合防控示范区居民重点慢性病死亡及早死概率分析

目的 分析贵阳市慢性病综合防控示范区重点慢性病死亡及早死概率情况,评价慢性病综合防控示范区居民健康水平。方法 利用贵阳市2018年5个慢性病综合防控示范区死亡监测数据,根据WHO推荐的早死概率计算方法,计算慢性病综合防控示范区居民心脑血管疾病、恶性肿瘤、慢性呼吸系统疾病和糖尿病等四类重点慢性病死亡水平和早死概率。结果 贵阳市慢性病综合防控示范区四类重点慢病报告死亡率为463.26/10万,其中男性死亡率为520.27/10万,女性死亡率为402.62/10万;城市居民死亡率为425.87/10万,农村为509.07/10万。四类重点慢病早死概率为15.95%,其中男性早死概率为20.64%,女性为10.87%,男性四大类重点慢病均高于女性;城市居民为14.75%,农村为17.39%,除糖尿病外,其余三类重点慢病农村地区早死概率均高于城市。结论 贵阳市慢性病综合防控示范区创建对降低因慢性非传染性疾病死亡具有积极的影响,应持续加大和推广慢病综合防控示范区建设。同时应对农村地区和男性群体的重点慢性病防控工作给予更多的政策和防控支持。     

使用自相关和时间序列检测的方法检测心室纤颤信号

心室纤颤信号必须准确而及时地识别,如果不使用除颤器及时进行除颤,病人会迅速死亡。另一方面,如果心室纤颤信号没有发生,而误判为心室纤颤信号,给予电击,则病人的心脏受到不应有的损伤,这也属于严重的医疗事故。因此快速与准确的识别显得十分重要。自70年代以来,世界上许多科学家都在探讨各种方法,以期望使用计算机自动识别心室纤颤信号,但均因达不到实时判别的要求或准确率不够高而不能用于自动除颤器检测的设计方案。本文介绍了一种准确率高而又较简易的快速识别法。这一方法是取一秒心电信号,进行有限长度离散信号的自相关,然后对该自相关函数作零切割,让自相关函数变成一串二进制脉冲串,接着以一秒信号的脉冲串数作为特征参数,设计分类器。经证明,心室纤颤信号(VF信号)(Ventricular Fibrillation)和心动过速信号(VT信号)(Ventricular Tachycar-dia)的特征参数均属于高斯分布。因此可用Wald时间序列检测方法对VF信号和VT信号分类。这个算法可用于计算机进行实时处理和分析,同时此法与取样率无关,适用于各种取样系统,是一个较理想的方法。     

Human V5/MT+: comparison of functional and cytoarchitectonic data

To date, the delineation of the human visual “motion area” still relies on functional paradigms originally devised to identify monkey area MT. Using fMRI, we have identified putative human area V5/MT+ in normals by modelling the BOLD responses to alternating radially moving and stationary dot patterns. Functional activations were compared with cytoarchitectonic probability maps of its putative correlate area hOc5, which was calculated based upon data from histological sections of ten human post-mortem brains. Bilateral visual cortex activations were seen in the single subject dynamic versus stationary contrasts and in the group random-effects analysis. Comparison of group data with area hOc5 revealed that 19.0%/39.5% of the right/left functional activation was assigned to the right/left hOc5. Conversely, 83.2%/53.5% of the right/left hOc5 was functionally activated. Comparison of functional probability maps (fPM) with area hOc5 showed that 28.6%/18.1% of the fPM was assigned to hOc5. In turn, 84.9%/41.5% of the area hOc5 was covered by the respective fPM. Thus, random-effects data and fPMs yielded similar results. The present study shows for the first time the correspondence between the functionally defined human V5/MT+ and the post-mortem cytoarchitectonic area hOc5.     

Combining clinical judgement and statistical data in expert systems: Over-the-telephone management decisions for critical congenital heart disease in the first month of life

When a new-born baby with congenital heart disease is referred to a regional specialist centre, the transportation management is crucial but must be decided on the basis of clinical information obtained over the telephone. We consider algorithmic and naive statistical approaches to helping in this decision, and on the basis of preliminary results the relative strengths and weaknesses are discussed. A synthesised logical and probabilistic approach appears to have the best potential and could be implemented on hand-held computers.Paper presented at symposium on Computer-assisted Decision Support and Database Management in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Cardio-pulmonary Medicine, Rotterdam, 1988.