Healthcare

Catholicism, Contraception, and Conscience: Church Imposed Teaching, God’s Gift of Free Will, and Political Rhetoric by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

ertainly one cannot turn on the news without seeing a story about the feud over the Catholic Church’s stance on... more ertainly one cannot turn on the news without seeing a story about the feud over the Catholic Church’s stance on forbidding the use of contraception and Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that mandates free contraception to women.  In preparing this article, I took the time to review many articles from liberal and conservative news outlets, law professors who are experts on constitutional law, and statements from the USCCB and Bishops.  Before asking questions, I want to outline the following points:

    *In the literature reviewed, only two women, Sr. Carol Keehan and Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, made a statement against this policy stating that the government is interfering with the working of the Church.  Most voices heard and shouting the loudest are members of the clergy.

    *Hospitals considered “Catholic” hire people of all faiths and various beliefs.  They also treat patients of all faiths.  They are not exclusively “Catholic.”

    *Catholic identified Colleges hire professors and staff that are not Catholic.  Moreover, their student body is not totally Catholic.

    *Catholic Charities, once again, hire non-Catholics.

  * Insurance plans currently in place often offer contraception prescriptions at a zero to low co-pay price.  These plans are in-force at many Catholic Institutions.

    *Under HIPAA, healthcare of employees are protected and the Employer, even the Catholic Church cannot violate the privacy of the patient, even if it is an employee.

    *Birth Control Pills are often prescribed for women with endometriosis or other “female” reproductive disorders and not birth control.

    Women pregnant, carrying a dead baby, cannot have surgery due to risks are given medication to induce abortion are given

Emerging healthcare issues and needs of young MSM & TG in India: needs assessment from multi-stakeholders perspective

by Maheswar Satpathy

Health Expenditure Financing as Incentive for Participation in ROSCAs

by Jayant Anand

Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (roscas) are a common informal saving method recognized as a social... more Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (roscas) are a common informal saving method recognized as a social protection system that can be used to deal with the monetary consequences of different types of economic shocks. This paper tests the hypothesis that current participation in roscas will be encouraged when funds saved during previous membership in such associations were useful for financing extraordinary as well as unexpected expenses related to health needs. The probit model estimation supports this hypothesis and also suggests that savings from roscas used for preventive health services encourage further participation.

ROSCAs as a health prevention financing mechanism

by Jayant Anand

The Rotating Savings and Credit Association (ROSCA) is an informal savings method that has important social protection... more The Rotating Savings and Credit Association (ROSCA) is an informal savings method that has important social protection features. Even though the literature considers ROSCAs as a mitigation risk mechanism, households could spend accumulated savings for diseases prevention. This paper examines whether the likelihood of householdRs high health expenditures decreases when funds allocated in savings clubs are used for health protection. We found that funds saved in ROSCA are used to finance health expenditures but those that have been spent for preventing diseases are not related to high health expenditures. Our findings corroborate the extant literature by confirming that ROSCAs are a shock mitigation mechanism.

Classification of Health Structural Indicators Using Scalogram Model in Golestan Province, Northern Iran

by Mostafa Nejati

Iranian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 41, No.5, May 2012, pp.58-65
Authors: M Bahadori, L Shams, J Sadeghifar, P Hamouzadeh, Mostafa Nejati

Background: One of the main and basic pillars of health system promotion is the equitable distribution of health... more Background: One of the main and basic pillars of health system promotion is the equitable distribution of health facilities in order to ensure fair access of people in the community to the health services. The goal of this study was to classify the health structural indicators in Golestan Province using Scalogram analysis model.
Method: A descriptive study was conducted in 2010. Data related to indicators in 3 categories of institutional, human resources and rural health and their indicators were collected using statistical yearbook. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and scalogram analysis model.
Results: There is large gap between health structural indicators in cities of Golestan Province. Aq Qala City with 97 score and Azad Shahr City with 41 score were the most and lowest scores respectively from enjoyment of health structural indicators. Generally, 18% of cities were in less developed level and only 27% of cities were developed level.
Conclusion: To achieve a fair and balanced healthcare status in different provinces based on their state of development, plans should be arranged in order to reduce the gap in the access to healthcare facilities.

The neural basis for the salutogenic method of healthcare design. Dopamine, perception and the need for aesthetic engagement.

by Jan Golembiewski

Golembiewski, J. (2012). The neural basis for the salutogenic method of healthcare design. Dopamine, perception and the need for aesthetic engagement. Paper presented at the Design and Health Australasia: Global Perspectives, Local Identities, UTS, Sydney.

Objectives: Because evidence that can be used to guide the design of healthcare settings can be difficult to come by,... more Objectives: Because evidence that can be used to guide the design of healthcare settings can be difficult to come by, a salutogenic method was formulated which allows reasonable design decisions to be made on the fly, when evidence just isn’t available.

The theory of salutogenics has a basis in the empirical testing and ideas of Antonovsky, which state that health outcomes improve when a sense of coherence is fostered. A sense of coherence in turn, depends on the net resources that support meaning, comprehensibility or manageability. The reason that manageability is important for health is obvious, but why abstractions like meaning and comprehensibility are important is more difficult to understand.

Methods: Current neurological models are explained with a focus on these abstractions; the need to know, the need for clarity, beauty, spiritual meaning and love, with a view to locate the neural mechanisms that underpin the salutogenic effect.

Results: The human need for beauty is closely related to somatogenic perception. This area of perception is responsible for seeing to bodily and emotional needs. There is evidence furthermore, that somatogenic perception is lost in many mental illnesses. Although it is impossible to say at this stage whether it is subject to atrophy in non-mental conditions, it is logical that a strong coherence between the ‘body and mind’ will improve health generally.

Conclusions: Within the dopamine system, the D2LOW heteromers appear to moderate both aestheic perception and somatogenic perception. The ability to ‘connect’ with one’s surroundings is thus directly equivalent to ‘connection’ with the body. The practice of connecting with the aesthetic environment is predicted to directly improve somatogenic perception and vice versa.

Not only are salutogenic principles explained by the function of the dopamine system, but it evidence is presented that promote aesthetics in healthcare settings.

Keywords: Salutogenics; neuro-scientific evidence; aesthetics

So you’re going to design a mental health facility? How to make it future-proof.

by Jan Golembiewski

Golembiewski, J. (2012). So you’re going to design a mental health facility? How to make it future-proof. World Health Design Scientific Review, 5(2), 74-79.

The prevailing model of psychiatric design (the world over) does not fulfil its potential in supporting the healing... more The prevailing model of psychiatric design (the world over) does not fulfil its potential in supporting the healing process. In order to design for future usability, design teams must have a vision beyond current paradigms and understand the direction healthcare is going.  More importantly still, models of care that will actually improve mental health outcomes instead of just managing patient behaviour must be considered. 

To create this vision, a methodological salutogenic approach can be employed for the project development and management phases – from design of the buildings through to the design of the models of care. This approach advocates taking an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to actively improve a sense of coherence for all users including patients and staff. This can be done at every decision point by choosing to foster manageability, comprehensibility and most importantly meaning.

Toward Automated Consumer Question Answering: Automatically Separating Consumer Questions from Professional Questions in the Healthcare Domain

by Feifan Liu

Women’s human rights- The global intersection of gender equality, sexual and reproductive justice, and healthcare

by Journal of Research on Women and Gender

Catherine Hawkins, Texas State University-San Marcos

The need to make a concrete connection between human rights and women’s rights is ironic considering that one half of... more The need to make a concrete connection between human rights and women’s rights is ironic considering that one half of humanity is female. Gender inequality is the most pressing contemporary human rights issue, including disparities in education, employment, healthcare, power and decision-making, violence, and poverty that impact billions of women and girls from every part of the world throughout their lifetime (UN Statistical Division, 2010; UNWomen, 2011a). Despite a long and documented history of virtual “gendercide” against women and girls, this disparity has been treated as non-existent or ignored or, if acknowledged, regarded as unimportant or insignificant by the global community. Led by the United Nations (UN), there is a growing global human rights effort to redress deeply rooted gender inequality. This paper will focus on sexual and reproductive health, examining both the extent of the problem and exploring some real and potential solutions. Specific topics addressed include an overview of gender-based inequality, female reproductive justice and healthcare, a brief history of women's health rights, the UN human rights framework, current global human rights initiatives focused on women, and action taken by women human rights defenders.

Health and the financial crisis in Greece

by ILIAS GRAMMATIKOPOULOS

Published in "The Lancet"

Three papers in The Lancet have suggested a link between suicide rates in Greece and the economic crisis. The evidence... more Three papers in The Lancet have suggested a link between suicide rates in Greece and the economic crisis. The evidence does not support such an association....
The negative cycle of poverty and mental ill health is well established in high-income countries. Conditions of poverty can increase the risk of mental illness, and people with mental health problems are more likely to be pushed into poverty through increased health costs, loss of employment, reduced work hours, and stigma......
So far there are no data to support a causal link between the economic crisis and suicide, and reports in the mass media and journals are premature overinterpretations.

Beyond FMEA: The Structured What-If Technique (SWIFT)

by Alan Card

Card AJ, Ward JR, Clarkson PJ. Beyond FMEA: The Structured What-If Technique (SWIFT). Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. 2012;31(4):23-9.

If you would like a copy of the final published version of this paper, and do not have access to the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, feel free to write me at: alan.j.card [at] gmail.com.

Although it is probably the best-known Prospective Hazard Analysis (PHA) tool, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis... more Although it is probably the best-known Prospective Hazard Analysis (PHA) tool, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is far from the only option available. This paper introduces one of the alternatives: The Structured What-If Technique (SWIFT). SWIFT is a flexible, high-level risk identification technique that can be used on a standalone basis, or as part of a staged approach to make more efficient use of bottom-up methods like FMEA.

In this paper we describe the method, assess the evidence related to its use in healthcare using a systematic literature review, and suggest ways in which it could be better adapted for use in the healthcare industry. Based on the limited
evidence available, it appears that healthcare workers find it easy to learn, easy to use, and credible. Especially when used as part of a staged approach, SWIFT appears capable of playing a useful role as component of the PHA
armamentarium.

Using lifeworld-led multimedia to enhance learning

by Andy Pulman

Presented at the 10th European Conference on e-Learning - ECEL 2011, Brighton, 10-11 November 2011.

Co-authored with

Professor Kathleen Galvin, Professor of Health Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University

Dr Maggie Hutchings, Academic Lead E-Learning and Educational Enhancement, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University

Professor Les Todres, Professor of Qualitative Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University

Ms Anne Quinney, Senior lecturer in Social Work, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University

Dr Caroline Ellis-Hill, Lecturer in Qualitative Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University

Peter Atkins, Service User/Carer Forum representative

In 2010, the School of Health and Social Care developed a collaborative lifeworld led transprofessional curriculum for... more In 2010, the School of Health and Social Care developed a collaborative lifeworld led transprofessional curriculum for health and social work disciplines harnessing technology to connect learners to a wider view of evidence based practice. The purpose was to increase use of technology-enhanced learning, introduce lifeworld-led philosophy to the curriculum, release staff potential, and expose students to research undertaken within the School. Delivered to over 600 undergraduate students from community development, midwifery, nursing fields, occupational therapy, paramedic science, physiotherapy and social work, the Exploring Evidence to Guide Practice Unit was facilitated by a number of resources including lectures, group work and a variety of web-based learning materials.

Central to the unit were seventeen web-based case studies which included the human experience of the impact of specific illnesses (such as stroke and living with dementia) and more general experiences (such as social isolation and homelessness). Each case study provided stories and poems, qualitative and quantitative research and policy and practice issues related to specific topics. At the heart of the philosophy underpinning the case studies and unit was an opportunity for students to integrate understandings about different kinds of knowledge for practice, conventional evidence, understandings about the person’s or service user’s experience and the student’s own insights that came from imagining ‘what it was like’ for the person experiencing a condition or situation and encountering human services (Galvin and Todres 2011). The project built on the successful development of Wessex Bay, a virtual community of case scenarios, used as problem-based triggers to engage students in learning activities relating to the residents (Pulman, Scammell and Martin 2009).

This paper discusses the development of the web based case studies and how they integrated visual and audio materials with the aim of enhancing the lifeworld experience of students.

Empathy and Dignity through technology: using lifeworld-led multimedia to enhance learning about the head, heart and hand

by Andy Pulman

Coming soon !

Co-authored with

Professor Kathleen Galvin, Professor of Health Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University 

Dr Maggie Hutchings, Academic Lead E-Learning and Educational Enhancement, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University 

Professor Les Todres, Professor of Qualitative Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University 

Ms Anne Quinney, Senior lecturer in Social Work, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University 

Dr Caroline Ellis-Hill, Lecturer in Qualitative Research, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University 

Peter Atkins, Service User/Carer Forum representative

(To be published in a future edition of EJEL)

A person’s sense of dignity is a complex phenomenon and is intertwined with their sense of feeling human and being... more A person’s sense of dignity is a complex phenomenon and is intertwined with their sense of feeling human and being respected as a human being. In 2010, the School of Health and Social Care developed a collaborative lifeworld led transprofessional curriculum for health and social work disciplines harnessing technology to connect learners to a wider view of evidence based practice. The purpose was to increase use of technology-enhanced learning, introduce lifeworld-led philosophy to the curriculum, release staff potential, and expose students to research undertaken within the School. Delivered to undergraduate students the Exploring Evidence to Guide Practice Unit was facilitated by a number of resources including lectures, group work and a variety of web-based learning materials.

Central to the unit were seventeen web-based case studies which included the human experience of the impact of specific illnesses (such as stroke and living with dementia) and more general experiences (such as social isolation and homelessness). Each case study provided stories and poems, qualitative and quantitative research and policy and practice issues related to specific topics.

At the heart of the philosophy underpinning the unit was an opportunity for students to integrate understandings about different kinds of knowledge for practice, conventional evidence, understandings about the person’s or service user’s experience and the student’s own insights that came from imagining ‘what it was like’ for the person experiencing a condition or situation and encountering human. The project built on the successful development of Wessex Bay, a virtual community of case scenarios, used as problem-based triggers to engage students in learning activities relating to residents.

This paper discusses the development of the web-based case studies and how they integrated visual and audio materials with the aim of enhancing the lifeworld experience of students and helping to show the importance of humanising healthcare.

BeWell: A Smartphone Application to Monitor, Model and Promote Wellbeing

by Afsaneh Doryab

Proposed Design of a low-cost mhealth System

by Rajat Kumar

Rajat Kumar and Arvind Rehalia ,Published in International Journal of Modelling and Optimization, IACSIT Press, Singapore.

This paper proposes a model for low cost design of mhealth solutions. The model presented here is based on RF... more This paper proposes a model for low cost design of mhealth solutions. The model presented here is based on RF transmitter and receiver, microcontroller and cellular network integration and uses F-BUS protocol for transmitting and receiving data using a NOKIA 3310 handset. The proposed design aims at eliminating the need of smart-phone dependent costly mhealth solutions. Also, the current paper presents the essential comparative data and statistics to support the concerned proposed design.

Cite: Rajat Kumar and Arvind Rehalia, "Proposed Design of a Low Cost mHealth System," International Journal of Modeling and Optimization vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 15-18, 2012.

Rajat Kumar is with the Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Engineering, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University , New Delhi , India (e-mail: rajatk489@gmail.com).

Arvind Rehalia is with the Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Engineering, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India (e-mail: rehaliaarvind@gmail.com).

Using financial modelling for integrated healthcare databases

by Alexei Botchkarev

Business Model Innovations in Healthcare

by Ivanka Visnjic

Co-authored with Sophie Tersago.

Healthcare is a fast evolving sector, where global trends shape industry architecture. Healthcare providers are... more Healthcare is a fast evolving sector, where global trends shape industry architecture. Healthcare providers are starting to innovate their business models in order to respond to new trends, which is also redrawing the industry architecture of the sector. This article focuses on the recent changes of healthcare providers in Belgium and discusses their drivers, characteristics and the effect they have on the sector as a whole. The obtained empirical insights are explained by the constructs and theory of business model innovation, where the activity system perspective (Amit & Zott, 2010) proves to be particularly helpful in explaining the changes. The recent business model innovations of Belgian healthcare providers reveal that incremental business model innovations, such as within-discipline grouping, aim for conservative forms of value gains such as cost reductions and efficiency and rely on strong forms of grouping, such as mergers and acquisitions to accomplish that. On the other hand, more radical business model innovations, such as competitor-groupings, are incited with value drivers such as novelty and innovation potential and implement these business model innovations through more novel and less stringent governance mechanisms.

Successful Risk Assessment May Not Always Lead To Successful Risk Control: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Control after Root Cause Analysis

by Alan Card

Alan J. Card, James Ward, P. John Clarkson. Successful Risk Assessment May Not Always Lead To Successful Risk Control: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Control after Root Cause Analysis. Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. 2012;31(3):6-12.

Root cause analysis is perhaps the most widely used tool in healthcare risk management, but does it actually lead to... more Root cause analysis is perhaps the most widely used tool in healthcare risk management, but does it actually lead to successful risk control? Are there categories of risk control that are more likely to be effective? And do healthcare risk managers have the tools they need to support the risk control process? This systematic review examines how the healthcare sector translates risk analysis to risk control action plans and examines how to do better. It suggests that the hierarchy of risk controls should inform risk control action planning and that new tools should be developed to improve the risk control process.

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Wiley's copyright policies do not allow me to post the published version of the paper, but they do allow me to send out individual copies. So if you don't have access to the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management and would like a copy of this article, please email me at:
alan [dot] j [dot] card [at] gmail [dot] com

O’Donnell, P. J. (2007, November). Integrating psychology into the health care system. Pennsylvania Psychologist, 67(10), 3-6.

by peter o'donnell

Information and communication technology in health: a review of the literature

by Michael Rowe

Information and communication technology has been shown to be increasingly important in the education and professional... more Information and communication technology has been shown to be increasingly important in the education and professional practice of healthcare workers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) discusses the benefits of using ICT in the Primary Healthcare setting in terms of better access to information, improved communication between colleagues, facilitating continuing professional development and providing learning tools for healthcare professionals, patients and the community as a whole. This review of the literature describes the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in the education and professional practice of healthcare workers and goes on to outline the challenges facing the widespread adoption of ICT. The conclusion is that ICT does indeed have a positive role to play in both the education and professional practice of healthcare workers, including physiotherapists, as long as it is implemented as an adjunct to established and proven practice, and not a replacement.