Margaret Edson's play W;t (1999) serves both as a guide to apprehending the dangers of a perspective that privileges the technological over the aesthetic and as a model for appreciating the magic of yielding to a performance. Inspired by William F. Pinar's (1995) examination of the place and value of ...

In a mass casualty incident, injured and at-risk patients will pass through a continuum of care from many different providers acting as a team in a clinical environment. As presented at MMVR 14 [Kaufman, et al 2006], formative evaluations have shown that simulation practice is nearly as good as, and ...

Today, the field of telehealth lacks a comprehensive taxonomy that reflects the variety of remote interactions, technologies used, and personnel involved. The Center for Information Technology Leadership (CITL) has created a taxonomy that categorizes telehealth around four factors: type of telehealth interaction, location of the controlling medical authority, urgency of ...

We examined the readiness of an elderly minority population to use various technologies for telecare. Eighty-five people with an average age of 73 years living in affordable housing completed a self-administered survey (a response rate of 43%). The technology that would be most likely to be used was environmental sensors ...

Non or minimally invasive approaches for medical applications are very important for the alleviation of patient complaints. The miniaturization of medical devices using micro & nano technologies might be one of the possible solutions. Several national research and development (R&D) programs have been launched by the Korean government to further ...

Tablet personal computers (PCs) are becoming common in the clinical environment. In a recent survey comparing mobile devices, the Tablet PC was perceived to have made the most significant difference in the delivery of healthcare. As the use of Tablet PC technology increases, understanding which features are most usable for ...

BACKGROUND: The SYMBIOmatics Specific Support Action (SSA) is "an information gathering and dissemination activity" that seeks "to identify synergies between the bioinformatics and the medical informatics" domain to improve collaborative progress between both domains (ref. to http://www.symbiomatics.org). As part of the project experts in both research fields will be identified ...

The present study aimed to improve the knowledge of the bivalve Pinna nobilis L. population distribution in Mar Grande of Taranto (Ionian Sea). Although historical references report the local abundant presence of this endangered species, there is a lack of updated information about its exact distribution. For this purpose, a ...

In 1997, after long social debates, the Japanese government enacted a law on organ transplantation from brain-dead bodies. Since 1993, on gene therapy, administrative agencies have issued a series of guidelines. This study seeks to elucidate when people became aware of the issues and when they formed their opinions on ...

In vitro fertilization, popularly referred to as IVF, has captured the attention of the public since its sensational introduction in 1978. Today assisted reproductive technology is available throughout most of the civilized world, and the practice is largely different from that used during the early days. Refinements in laboratory technology ...

This chapter describes religion in general before discussing the centrality of its concern for family formation. In light of this, the impact of infertility on religious people is considered. Recognizing religion's cautiously positive attitude towards assisted reproductive technology (ART) as a potential ally in the project of family formation and ...

Current surgical care and technology has evolved over the centuries from the interplay between creative surgeons and new technologies. As both fields become more specialized, that interplay is threatened. A 2-year educational fellowship is described which teaches both the process and the discipline of medical/surgical device innovation. Multi-disciplinary teams (surgeons, ...

OBJECTIVE: In this article, the authors ask three questions. First, what will physicians need to know in order to be effective in the future? Second, what role will technology play in achieving that high level of effectiveness? Third, what specific skill sets will physicians need to master in order to ...

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study provides firsthand feedback from medical students and residents in training regarding their perceptions of technology in medicine. METHOD: The authors distributed an e-mail invitation to an anonymous Web-based survey to medical students and residents in two different U.S. training institutions. RESULTS: Respondents unanimously expressed that technology ...

This paper, the last of 3 that discuss the reimbursement challenges facing new medical device technology in various issues of this journal, addresses the structural diversity of Medicare's various payment systems. These systems vary widely in how they establish prices, how they incorporate new technologies and procedures, and the means ...

RNA interference (RNAi) and small-molecule approaches are synergistic on multiple levels, from technology and high-throughput screen development to target identification and functional studies. Here, we describe the RNAi screening platform that we have established and made available to the community through the Drosophila RNAi Screening Center at Harvard Medical School. ...

This paper, the second of 3 that discuss the reimbursement challenges facing new medical device technology in various issues of this journal, explains the key aspects of coverage that affect the adoption of medical devices. The process Medicare uses to make coverage determinations has become more timely and open over ...

Technology and equipment are often identified as contributors to adverse medical events, however technology is seldom the focal point of investigation as a source of medical error or adverse event. It is often seen as both a means of reducing error (e.g., automated drug dispensing machines) or as a major ...

In Israel, updating of the National List of Health Services is performed on a yearly basis by means of a systematic and structured mechanism for almost a decade. The existence of such a mechanism is vital for keeping medicine up to date, since many innovative and breakthrough medical technologies continuously ...

Although reimbursement shapes medical practice, it is hard to get a handle on this issue because reimbursement requirements seem to change and evolve over time, and different insurers approach it in different ways for different technologies. This paper and the 2 that follow attempt to explain the reimbursement challenges facing ...

Medicine, as an industry in which human lives depend on the skill and performance of operators, must create and maintain a culture of safety, in addition to promoting the design of systems to mitigate errors. The use of medical simulation as a mechanism for training healthcare professionals in a safe ...

CONTEXT: Digital technology is commonly used for documentation of specimens in anatomic pathology and has been mainly limited to still photographs. Technologic innovations, such as digital video, provide additional, in some cases better, options for documentation. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the applicability of digital video to the documentation of surgical specimens. ...

Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) located in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state in Northern India, is a tertiary level referral academic medical center involved in teaching and training of super specialist medical professionals with 22 academic departments. It is the first tertiary care hospital in ...

Medical technology trade is one of the most affected health areas by global regulations in the developing countries. The aim of the study is to examine recent changes in medical technology import and export and their results in Turkey. Data show that the total medical technology imports (MTI) increased from ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Monopolar radiofrequency has emerged as the standard for non-surgical tissue tightening. However, its role, usefulness, and value remains unclear to many clinicians. Techniques and treatment parameters used by various practitioners can also be highly variable. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: The role of monopolar radiofrequency in our cosmetic ...

Online options for continuing medical education (CME) are multiplying, thanks to technologies such as really simple syndication (RSS) feeds, podcasts, and blogs. As with traditional CME modalities, there are issues of accreditation, quality, cost, and relevance. Physician-directed syndication technologies are especially significant in the area of relevance, because they provide ...

We believe non-invasive prenatal diagnosis is about to have a massive impact on the way fetal medicine is practised. There will be many great advantages and improvements, but the technology also has the potential to be used for non-medical reasons such as sex selection and paternity testing. We discuss some ...

The notion of nanotechnology has evolved since its inception as a fantastic conceptual idea to its current position as a mainstream research initiative with broad applications among all divisions of science. In the first part of this series, we reviewed the structures and principles that comprise the main body of ...

OBJECTIVE: Examine Medicare's local contractors' claim payment rules, focusing on how technology affects the balancing of competing demands to respond to local medical markets (rule heterogeneity) with concerns about national consistency in payment rules (rule homogeneity). DATA SOURCES: Local medical review policies (LMRPs) posted in policy sets by contractor organizations ...

BACKGROUND: New medical technologies are used at different rates among whites and blacks. This variation may be partially explained by racial differences in patient innovativeness-the propensity of patients to adopt unfamiliar therapies. OBJECTIVE: To measure how innovativeness varies among patients and how it may influence patients' attitudes toward new medical ...

This commentary draws attention to and raises awareness of forthcoming pharmacogenetic technologies amongst the pharmacy profession. It aims to stimulate debate around the potential role that the pharmacy profession can play in the introduction of pharmacogenetic technologies into primary healthcare. This commentary discusses potential new roles for pharmacists involving pharmacogenetic ...

PURPOSE: The medication safety infrastructure of critical-access hospitals (CAHs) in Florida was evaluated. METHODS: Qualitative assessments, including a self-administered survey and site visits, were conducted in seven of nine CAHs between January and June 2003. The survey consisted of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Medication Safety Self-assessment, the 2003 ...

As medical science progresses and the life spans of patients with serious illnesses increase, the process that leads to death is becoming more feared than death itself. This fear is particularly intense in technologically advanced cultures with access to advanced medical care. The lives of patients who previously would have ...

The first electric projecting microscope and the first published photomicrographs harnessed recent technological developments to provide improved methods of medical illustration for educational purposes. Both projects were the work of two Frenchmen. The impetus came from the microscopist Dr Alfred Donné (1801-78), discoverer of trichomonas vaginalis and leukaemia. Implementation was ...

Breakup of thin threads is widely observed in nature and technology. As a surfactant-covered liquid jet approaches breakup, its profile consists of a periodic pattern of drops connected by thin threads. Near the locations where the threads join the drops, simulations show that a series of thinner threads arise as ...

Telemedicine is starting to play an important role in the health field in India. In this case report we describe the successful use of telementoring to remove a parathyroid tumor in a patient with residual hyperparathyroidism after two previous unsuccessful attempts in tumor excision. A 21-yr-old patient crippled with advanced ...

Use of implantable chips can make a big difference in care of patients with altered mental status. With unconscious patients, staff can wave a reader over their arm to get information about their medical history and current medications. Since the chip has an identification number, but not medical records themselves, ...

The material for this paper is based on approximately 60 face-to-face interviews with specialist doctors, consumers, administrators, policy makers, various officials, researchers and company representatives. It is a case study of the development of the Australian Bionic Ear (or cochlear implant prosthesis) providing an analysis of the key social relationships ...

The purpose of this study is to identify barriers to the adoption of new technology in rural settings. Specifically, this paper focuses on identifying and overcoming barriers to the adoption of a medication error reporting system in eight rural hospitals. Prior research has generally focused on barriers to the adoption ...

Procurement of IT-based medical technology requires new thinking and understanding for a variety of healthcare professionals. New technical, clinical, and legal issues must be addressed. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities among the various members of a multi-disciplinary technology assessment committee for IT-based medical technology will improve the odds that the ...

Today's movement towards the democratization of knowledge and dissemination of technology creates an opportunity for health care providers to reform medical education, bridge disciplines, and contribute to the correction of social inequalities. The question is whether this generation of physicians will have the courage to bring down the barriers that ...

Standards for the economic evaluation of medical technologies were instituted in the mid-1990s, yet little is known about their application in medical information technology studies. In a review of evaluation studies published between 1982 and 2002, we found that the volume and variety of economic evaluations had increased. However, investigators ...

In 16th Century Prague, Rabbi Loew created a Golem, a humanoid made of clay, to protect his community. When the Golem became too dangerous to his surroundings, he was dismantled. This Jewish theme illustrates some of the guiding principles in its approach to the moral dilemmas inherent in future technologies, ...

Medical information systems are being recognized for their ability to improve patient outcomes. While standards for the economic evaluation of medical technologies were instituted in the mid-1990s, little is known about their application in medical information technology studies. In a review of medical information technology evaluation studies published between 1982 ...

With the increasing globalisation, immigration and travel there are increasing opportunities for the exotic diseases to be seen in different settings. This paper highlights pulmonary diseases seen in the Indian subcontinent. It discusses briefly the clinical features and management of Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia, Hydatid disease of the lungs, Malarial lung ...

Two papers, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Regulation and Development of Engineering Achievements in Medical Technology parts I and II were written in 1990 by three authors of diverse backgrounds and published in the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine in March of the same year. Part I ...

Telemedicine is most commonly associated with a "long-distance" surgery in macro or micro dimensions. An example is a doctor operating on a patient who is in space or on a submarine, while he himself is in a telemedicine center found thousands of kilometers away. The basis for telemedicine is the ...

The Department of Biophysics ensures practical training in biophysics and related subjects for students of medical and health study programmes. Demonstrations of medical technology are an important part of this training. Teaching for Faculty of Sciences in biophysical study programmes becomes also very important. Some lectures and demonstrations of technology ...

As the global Internet evolves into today's more highly mobile and broadband service offerings, it is anticipated that the applications of new services to support telemedicine and eHealth operations using these offerings will result in increasing healthcare benefits for all and generally a lower cost. The one concern that must ...

The management of medical technology raises a range of complex issues including those associated with planning, prioritisation, and procurement. In Australia there is a significant and developing interest at National, State, and Hospital levels in issues relating to the effective management of medical technology, with drivers including service planning & ...