bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Movement Capture and Control Platform Applied Towards Autonomous Movements of Surgical Robots
Authors: Daluja Sachin  , Golenberg Lavie  , Cao Alex  , Pandya Abhilash K.  , Auner Gregory W.  , Klein Michael D.
Published: February 2025

Robotic surgery has gradually gained acceptance due to its numerous advantages such as tremor filtration, increased dexterity and motion scaling. There remains, however, a significant scope for improvement, especially in the areas of surgeon-robot interface and autonomous procedures. Previous studies have attempted to identify factors affecting a surgeon's performance in a master-slave robotic system by tracking hand movements. These studies relied on conventional optical or magnetic tracking systems, making their use impracticable in the operating room. This study concentrated on building an intrinsic movement capture platform using microcontroller based hardware wired to a surgical robot. Software was developed to enable tracking and analysis of hand movements while surgical tasks were performed. Movement capture was applied towards automated movements of the robotic instruments. By emulating control signals, recorded surgical movements were replayed by the robot's end-effectors. Though this work uses a surgical robot as the platform, the ideas and concepts put forward are applicable to telerobotic systems in general.
Needle Bending in a VR-Puncture Training System Using a 6DOF Haptic Device
Authors: Färber Matthias  , Dahmke Thorsten  , Bohn Christian A.  , Handels Heinz
Published: February 2025

The use of virtual reality techniques opens up new perspectives to support and improve the puncture training in medical education. In this work a 3D VR-Simulator for the training of lumbar and ascites punctures has been extended to support the bending of the puncture needle. For this purpose the needle is designed as an angular spring model. The forces that restrict the user from bending the needle are calculated using a multiproxy technique and given to the user via a 6DOF haptic device (Sensable Phantom Premium 1.5). Proxy based haptic volume rendering is used to calculate the proxy movement. This way it is possible to integrate original CT-patient data into the rendering process and generate forces from structures that have not been segmented. The bending technique has been integrated in a VR-training system for puncture interventions and shows good results concerning update rate and user acceptance.
The eFOSTr PROJECT: Design, Implementation and Evaluation of a Web-based Personal Health Record to Support Health Professionals and Families of Children Undergoing Transplants
Authors: Popkin James  , Kushniruk Andre  , Borycki Elizabeth  , Guarin Desmond  , Mozley Lynne  , Kilarski Norm  , Robson Laurie  , Creed Walter
Published: February 2025

We describe the eFOSTr PROJECT, which has involved the design, implementation and testing of a unique Internet-based Personal Health Record (PHR) to support the families of transplant children and their healthcare providers. There are many gaps in the way that information is stored for children undergoing or about to undergo transplants. This group of children presents the most challenging exercise in information support between geographic and institutionally separated medical teams. They are, however, supported by highly motivated parents and families in life-threatening circumstances. A PHR was designed that allows for secure data entry, data storage, and easy controlled data access by the children's guardians or parents. The record includes contact and team member names, and medical data such as growth charts, immunizations, allergies, medications, lab values and scanned or digitized medical reports. Families can record the progress of their child as they would with a paper binder and customize their child's record with a photograph gallery and Internet link section for personal and general interest. Extensive computer-based testing of the PHR is complete. The system is being evaluated to determine the extent to which it meets the information needs of families and health providers in differing situations across Canada. The effectiveness of the system as a means for providing continuity of information and education is also being assessed. To conduct these evaluations, new users are being interviewed and tracked in a qualitative longitudinal study. Characteristics of the needs of the transplant families known to the David Foster Foundation (DFF) in Canada are described so that comparisons can be made to other patient groups who could benefit from their own adapted and specialized PHRs.
Ongoing Evaluation of Ease-of-use and Usefulness of Wireless Tablet Computers Within an Ambulatory Care Unit
Authors: Murphy Kevin C.  , Wong Frances L.  , Martin Lee Ann  , Edmiston Dave
Published: February 2025

This ongoing research is to assess user acceptance of wireless convertible tablet portable computers in their support of patient care within the clinic environment and to determine their impact on workload reduction for the information staff. A previous publication described our initial experience with a limited wireless environment. There, we tested the premise that wireless convertible tablet computers were equivalent to desktop computers in their support of user tasks. Feedback from users demonstrated that convertible tablet computers were not able to replace desktop computers. Poor network access was a weakness as well as the “cognitive overhead” encountered due to technical problems. This paper describes our further experience with a centre-wide wireless implementation while using a new wireless device. The new tablets, which have some unique functions that existing desktop computers do not provide, have been well received by the clinicians.
The University of Victoria Interdisciplinary Electronic Health Record Educational Portal
Authors: Borycki Elizabeth M.  , Kushniruk Andre W.  , Joe Ron  , Armstrong Brian  , Otto Tony  , Ho Kendall  , Silverman Howard  , Moreau Jeannine  , Frisch Noreen
Published: February 2025

Use of Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems is increasing globally. However, adoption rates of Health Information Systems (HISs) continue to remain poor. To improve adoption rates, there is need to provide greater HIS experience to health professionals and informaticians in health and biomedicine during their undergraduate and graduate education. A recent review of the health professional educational curricula (i.e., medicine, nursing, allied health and health/biomedical informatics) revealed that they provide only limited exposure to EHRs. In response to this educational need, the authors have developed the University of Victoria Interdisciplinary Electronic Health Record Educational Portal (UVicIED-EHR Portal). This unique, web-based portal allows students of the health professions and practicing professionals to access and interact with a set of representative EHR HIS solutions using the web. The portal, which links to several EMRs, EPRs and PHRs, has been used by several health professional educational programs in medicine, nursing and health informatics. It provides practicing health and health/biomedical informatics professionals, for example, managers and directors, with opportunities to access and review EHR systems. The portal has been used successfully in the classroom, laboratory and with distance education to give hands-on experience with a variety of HISs and their components.
Notes on Factor Graphs
Authors: Palmieri Francesco
Published: February 2025

Many applications that involve inference and learning in signal processing, communication and artificial intelligence can be cast into a graph framework. Factor graphs are a type of network that can be studied and solved by propagating belief messages with the sum/product algorithm. In this paper we provide explicit matrix formulas for inference and learning in finite alphabet Forney-style factor graphs, with the precise intent of allowing rapid prototyping of arbitrary topologies in standard software like MATLAB.
Evaluation of fuzzy quantities by means of a weighting functions
Authors: Facchineti Gisella  , Pacchiarotti Nicoletta
Published: February 2025

We consider here fuzzy quantities, i.e. fuzzy sets without any hypothesis about normality nor convexity. Two main topics are examined: the first one consists in defining the evaluation of a fuzzy quantity, in such a way that it may be applied both in ranking and in defuzzification problems. The definition is based on α-cuts and depends on two parameters: a coefficient connected with the optimistic or pessimistic attitude of the decision maker and a weighting function similar to a density function. The second aim is showing that the proposed definition is suitable for defuzzifying the output of a fuzzy expert system: we treat a classical example discussed in [1], using several t-norms and t-conorms in aggregation procedures.
Rule-based classification of SPOT imagery using object-oriented approach for detailed land cover mapping
Authors: Lewinski St.  , Bochenek Z.
Published: February 2025

Preparation of land cover / land use maps for large areas, based on automatic classification of high-resolution satellite data is the objective of many application programmes, e.g. GSE Land Monitoring Services. The crucial point for this kind of activity is to apply optimal classification approach, which will ensure high class recognition accuracy and classification repeatability. Among different approaches object-oriented approach seems to give the best results, as it allows to use various spectral and non-spectral features in the classification process and enables to have more control of the final map accuracy.
Landscape structure variation of protected area of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship
Authors: Kunz M.
Published: February 2025

Knowledge of a landcover is very essential to understand and know relations between a man and an environment. The landcover is closely related to the rest elements of geographic environment. It also illustrates the variety of the structure of geographic environment. Till the end of the last century, there were no data representing full, reliable and covering the whole country information about the landcover. Maps and studies over this element of landscape were based on other methods of mappings, various scales and spatial ranges. This fact made it impossible to make comparison analysis and to have proper conclusions concerning processes that were taking place. The realization of National Geographic Information Systems (NSIG) and works connected with the creation of CORINE Land Cover (CLC) is a big help in this field. It was impossible without the development of spatial imagery, universality of the application of spatial information systems, and the use of army materials in the civilian, formal cases. Source spatial data used on the paper, mutually supplement and cover one another. Research connected with the analysis of a landscape structure was done in the chosen protected areas in Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship. All (8) landscape parks were in the Voivodeship. Total area of the preserved territories is almost 12% of the total Voivodeship area, and represent various types of a natural landscape. The structure of the landscape in landscape parks was analyzed with the application of landscape indices. The following indices describing the structure of landscape were calculated and compared: a number of landcover classes, a number of patches, total length of the edge, a shape index, a fractal dimension, and Shannon's diversity index. Comparisons of indices among parks were done in relation to various scales of source materials.
Web Services Feature Interaction Detection Based on Graph Transformation
Authors: Xuan Huili  , Xu Jiuyun
Published: February 2025

Once Web Service is deployed, other Web Services can discover and invoke the deployed one. When two services merge, it seems that the combination of their features occurs in actual in the user's view. As the number and scale of this feature are greater and more complex, undesirable interactions will expose, similar to the domain of telecommunication. The paper proposes a formal method of detecting feature interactions in Web Services before deployed. The manipulation of the graphical representation of Web Service feature as graph patterns of explicit semantic business process model is supported with a graph grammar-enabled editor AGG. We represent each feature as an operation flow which is formalized as a set of Graph Transformation based rules in AGG. Feature interactions are detected probably including the reason of conflict by the exact conflict reasoning between rules. As a visual approach using graph transformations, the result in this paper is static detection of Web Service feature interactions in planning phase.
Cybertherapy Meets Facebook, Blogger, and Second Life: an Italian Experience
Authors: Graffeo Ignazio  , La Barbera Daniele
Published: February 2025

Our project is based on the study of Cybertherapy in the international sphere (USA, Northern Europe) and on the application of this discipline to the Italian psychiatric and psychological reality. CyberTherapy can be used as an “aim”, referring to it as real and proper therapy, which lives on personalized paths created by a qualified staff, conceived as ludic, for recreational, psycoterapic, and educational purpose. Moreover, Cybertherapy can be used as a “mean” (and in this way we want to propose it) with the aim of making the user, who feels a psychiatric or a psychological uneasiness, to become closer to qualified staff; a considerable advantage of this discipline is to reduce to a minimum the initial embarrassment which is created between the specialist and the psychiatric patient, uneasiness stirred up and accentuated by the problem, which is unfortunately not resolved in the Italian sphere of the Stigma.
The Use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The Intrepid Project
Authors: Repetto Claudia  , Gorini Alessandra  , Algeri Davide  , Vigna Cinzia  , Gaggioli Andrea  , Riva Giuseppe
Published: February 2025

In our protocol for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorders we use Virtual reality (VR) to facilitate emotional regulation and the relaxation process. Using a biofeedback biomonitoring system (GSR, HR, Thermal) the patient is made aware of his or her reactions through the modification of some features of the VR environment in real time. Using mental exercises the patient learns to control these physiological parameters and using the feedback provided by the virtual environment is able to gauge his or her success. To test this concept, we planned a randomized controlled trial (NCT00602212), including three groups of 15 patients each (for a total of 45 patients): (1) the VR group, (2) the non-VR group, and (3) the waiting list (WL) group.
Virtual Reality for the Upper Limb Motor Training in Stroke: A Case Report
Authors: Trotti Claudio  , Menegoni Francesco  , Baudo Silvia  , Bigoni Matteo  , Galli Manuela  , Mauro Alessandro
Published: February 2025

In this report we describe the effects of a virtual reality (VR) training addressed to the upper limb of a stroke patient. After 20 days of rehabilitation sessions consisting of physical therapy and VR rehabilitation, the subject was evaluated by means of kinematics and clinical scales. Results showed the improvement of paretic arm mobility, in terms of quantitative parameters and clinical scales, suggesting that VR training could represent a valuable tool to supplement the traditional rehabilitation provided by the physical therapist.
Social Network and Addiction
Authors: La Barbera Daniele  , La Paglia Filippo  , Valsavoia Rosaria
Published: February 2025

In recent decades, the rapid development of innovative Internet-based communication technologies created a new field of academic study among scholars. Particularly, the attention of researchers is focusing on new ways to form relationship-thought social web. Social Network sites constitute a new form of web communities, where people meet and share interests and activities. Due to exponential growth of these sites, an increasing number of scholars are beginning to study the emergent phenomena in order to identify any psychopathological risk related to use of social web, such as addiction. This article examines the recent literature about this issue.
Virtual Reality to Maximize Function for Hand and Arm Rehabilitation: Exploration of Neural Mechanisms
Authors: Merians Alma S.  , Tunik Eugene  , Adamovich Sergei V.
Published: February 2025

Stroke patients report hand function as the most disabling motor deficit. Current evidence shows that learning new motor skills is essential for inducing functional neuroplasticity and functional recovery. Adaptive training paradigms that continually and interactively move a motor outcome closer to the targeted skill are important to motor recovery. Computerized virtual reality simulations when interfaced with robots, movement tracking and sensing glove systems, are particularly adaptable, allowing for online and offline modifications of task based activities using the participant's current performance and success rate. We have developed a second generation system that can exercise the hand and the arm together or in isolation and provide for both unilateral and bilateral hand and arm activities in three-dimensional space. We demonstrate that by providing haptic assistance for the hand and arm and adaptive anti-gravity support, the system can accommodate patients with lower level impairments. We hypothesize that combining training in virtual environments (VE) with observation of motor actions can bring additional benefits. We present a proof of concept of a novel system that integrates interactive VE with functional neuroimaging to address this issue. Three components of this system are synchronized, the presentation of the visual display of the virtual hands, the collection of fMRI images and the collection of hand joint angles from the instrumented gloves. We show that interactive VEs can facilitate activation of brain areas during training by providing appropriately modified visual feedback. We predict that visual augmentation can become a tool to facilitate functional neuroplasticity.
Virtual Reality and Gaming Systems to Improve Walking and Mobility for People with Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Conditions
Authors: Deutsch Judith E.
Published: February 2025

Improving walking for individuals with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions is an important aspect of rehabilitation. The capabilities of clinicians who address these rehabilitation issues could be augmented with innovations such as virtual reality gaming based technologies. The chapter provides an overview of virtual reality gaming based technologies currently being developed and tested to improve motor and cognitive elements required for ambulation and mobility in different patient populations. Included as well is a detailed description of a single VR system, consisting of the rationale for development and iterative refinement of the system based on clinical science. These concepts include: neural plasticity, part-task training, whole task training, task specific training, principles of exercise and motor learning, sensorimotor integration, and visual spatial processing.
Initiatives to Support the Emergence of Nursing Informatics
Authors: Honey Michelle  , Newbold Susan
Published: February 2025

A major event, such as a nursing informatics conference or course has been used successfully as an impetus to gather nurses interested in informatics together. This paper reflects on a 2008 nursing informatics event held in Singapore and the author's previous experiences with initiatives to support the emergence of nursing informatics in countries without a strong nursing informatics presence. Possible next steps and potential barriers are identified. It is hoped that countries new to informatics, and without an established nursing informatics group may gather ideas on how to better support nursing informatics involvement.
How Different Technologies Can Fit Nursing Processes to Empower Staff and Increase Quality of Care. An Italian Case Study
Authors: Bollini Giovanna  , Lolli Angela  , Zaza Raffaele  , Origgi Gianni  , Bragagia Silvia  , Locatelli Paolo  , Restifo Nicola
Published: February 2025

The rapid evolution of healthcare and the need to contain costs, to decrease the time of patients' hospitalization, and to improve the quality of care has led the nursing profession to face new challenges. This paper describes the case study of A.O. Ospedale Niguarda in Milan (Italy), a public healthcare provider where the key role of Nursing is being recognized according to international common practice. Also considering the context of Italian healthcare, attention will be drawn to concrete actions carried out on the organizational side and also for what concerns IT tools supporting nursing activities. This was done aiming with success at rising nurses' knowledge level of the patient, support its activities, increase quality of care, in a precise managerial and methodological framework. We will describe four cases of projects (Intensive Care Unit patient record, First Aid Station care reporting, pressure ulcers management, transfusion traceability) carried out by Niguarda with the support of its partner Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, set up to support bedside nursing activities with the most suitable technology for the purpose.
The Role of IT in Facilitating the Centralised Co-ordination of Agency and Bank Nursing within an Acute Hospital
Authors: Brown Suzanne
Published: February 2025

Healthcare organisations have to operate within finite resources. It is widely acknowledged that supplementary agency and bank nurses are needed to fill vacant hospital shifts that cannot be filled by permanent staff. In Ireland a project was initiated in the main Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals, to centralise the coordination of all Bank and Agency activity within each individual institution. This paper outlines the necessity for such a move, and describes the steps one hospital has taken in developing and implementing an electronic Nursing Bank Management System.
The ICNP BaT – From Translation Tool To Translation Web Service
Authors: Schrader Ulrich
Published: February 2025

The ICNP BaT has been developed as a web application to support the collaborative translation of different versions of the ICNP into different languages. A prototype of a web service is described that could reuse the translations in the database of the ICNP BaT to provide automatic translations of nursing content based on the ICNP terminology globally. The translation web service is based on a service-oriented architecture making it easy to interoperate with different applications. Such a global translation server would free individual institutions from the maintenance costs of realizing their own translation services.
The Use of Nursing Terminology in Electronic Documentation
Authors: Häyrinen Kristiina  , Saranto Kaija
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study is to describe the use of nursing terminology in nursing documentation in the neurological care setting. The use of standardized terminology in nursing documentation allows the visualization of nursing practice and makes it quantifiable. Once collected, data can also be reused for administrative purposes. In Finland the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) is part of the core data set of patient electronic health records. The Nursing Minimum Data Set has been complied using the Finnish Classification of Nursing Interventions (FiCNI) and Finnish Classification of Nursing Diagnoses (FiCND), both based on the Clinical Care Classification. Standardized terminology was introduced in nursing documentation in 2004. The data form part of a wider set of electronic health record data (2003-2006). The data consist of 40 neurological nursing care plans. The data were analysed using statistical methods and content analysis. Nursing terminology had been widely used in nursing documentation. However, there remains a clear need for both training in and further validation of the terminology currently used.
Developing a Taxonomy and an Ontology of Nurses' Patient Clinical Summaries
Authors: McLane Sharon  , Esquivel Adol  , Turley James P.
Published: February 2025

Nurses prepare a summary of patient information that they consult and update throughout the shift. This document is believed to be integral to cognition, working memory, and decision-making. While serving as a key support to nursing practice, this summary also represents risks to patient safety. Characterized as a PCCAT, or Personally Created Cognitive Artifact, studies of this document in the context of nursing practice have not been reported. The absence of reported research, the importance of the document to nurse cognition and practice, and related safety risks prompted the research that this paper discusses.
Interdisciplinary Communication in the ICU
Authors: Collins Sarah A.  , Currie Leanne M.
Published: February 2025

Interdisciplinary communication in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is complicated by the dynamic workflow of clinicians, instability of patients, and highly technological therapies, equipment and information systems. Many countries have examined methods to improve clinician communication and to understand common patient care goals. Using focus group and interview transcripts of ICU nurse practitioners, medical residents, medical fellows and attending physicians about antibiotic prescribing, we performed a secondary analysis of themes related to interdisciplinary communication with registered nurses (RNs). This qualitative descriptive user analysis utilized Baggs and Schmitt's Interdisciplinary Collaboration Model as a coding framework. We found that the clinicians studied value the availability of time sensitive information when it impacts their decisions and workflow and trust RNs' judgment of clinical information and situations. Future work should include analyses of RN perceptions of interdisciplinary communication in the ICU.
Severity of Illness – Implications for Information Management by Patients
Authors: Hellesø Ragnhild  , Eines Johannes  , Sorensen Lena  , Fagermoen May Solveig
Published: February 2025

As more and more people are living with chronic diseases, there is a greater need for patients to have access to accurate and reliable information about health in general and their own health care in particular. In this study we explored how patients suffering from chronic heart insufficiency who needed post-hospital home nursing care assessed their need for health information and their use of the health information they received. Fourteen patients were interviewed in their homes one week after their discharge. Using a thematic approach, we identified three main areas: the hospital systems for providing information to patients, how patients processed the information, and how patients managed the information. Next of kin had a significant role in information management for the patient. The patient's condition has implications for his or her ability to manage the information, and therefore it seems important to customize information according to the patient's level of comprehension.
Development and Testing of an Observational Method for Detecting Medication Administration Errors Using Information Technology
Authors: Westbrook Johanna I.  , Woods Amanda
Published: February 2025

One-third of medication errors that cause patient harm arise from medication administration errors (MAEs). Research regarding rates of MAEs is limited and has predominantly relied upon voluntary incident reports or observational studies. Traditionally, observational studies have used paper-based data collection. This is time intensive and creates distraction from actual observation, limits the amount of information recorded and requires transcription of data. Incorporating the use of handheld computers for data collection in MAE studies provides an opportunity to overcome some of these limitations. Our objective was to develop and test an observational method which incorporated the use of data collection software on a personal digital assistant (PDA, a handheld computer) for use in observational studies to monitor MAEs within hospitals.
The Online Managed Knowledge Network that Shares Knowledge for eHealth in NHS Scotland
Authors: Dallest Kathy  , Strachan Heather  , Flett Gillian
Published: February 2025

The Managed Knowledge Network (MKN) for Nurses, Midwives and the Allied Health Professions (NMAHPs) in NHS Scotland was launched in November 2007. The online portal supports the NMAHP network to manage its knowledge and information sources that facilitate engagement with the national eHealth programme and realisation of benefits that eHealth offers to improve healthcare and service delivery. It is an integrated change management and knowledge management initiative. Web2 technologies support the social networking side of knowledge management and learning, allowing people to contact each other and collaborate. MKN resources are managed within the e-Library also giving access to over 5000 online journals and over 500 bibliographic databases.
Getting eHealth into Basic Nursing Education: Report of the RCN Information in Nursing Project
Authors: Clark June  , Baker Bernice  , Baker David
Published: February 2025

This paper reports the results of a project undertaken in 2008 by the Royal College of Nursing's Information in Nursing Forum. The project, undertaken by the RCN IN Forum in association with the RCN Education Forum and the RCN Association of Nursing Students, was in two parts. The first part consisted of an on-line survey of nursing students to discover their “readiness” for working in an electronic environment. The second part consisted of a workshop for invited stakeholders – organisations responsible for commissioning and providing basic nursing education, regulators, nurse teachers, and nursing students themselves – the objective of which was to consider the results of the survey and other information, in order to develop a consensus on how best to incorporate eHealth issues into basic nursing education. The survey was undertaken during April 2008 via the RCN website. Students were asked how well they felt their nursing education had prepared them for competencies set out in a previously published model curriculum [1]. 1120 students responded. 565 students who had used electronic patient records during their most recent clinical placement were asked about their experience. Students rated their basic computer skills much higher than their understanding of eHealth. While they felt competent to document assessments and care plans using paper records, few felt competent to do so using electronic records. Few know anything about telehealth (remote diagnosis and delivery of healthcare) or telecare (assistive technology in people's homes). Among those who had used computers in their most recent clinical placement there were clear breaches of the protocols designed to ensure security and confidentiality. Twenty seven invited participants attended the workshop held in October 2008, plus 12 members of the participating Forums and relevant RCN staff. Following presentation and discussion of the findings of the survey, participants worked in three groups to identify and discuss issues arising from the survey, and to identify barriers using a Force Field Analysis [2]. All participants agreed eHealth should be an integral part of nursing education and not an “add-on”, and that the responsibility for “Getting eHealth into basic nursing education” had to be shared by university based educators, placement supervisors, and regulators.
An Analysis of Published Nursing Informatics Competencies
Authors: Carter-Templeton Heather  , Patterson Ramona  , Russell Cynthia
Published: February 2025

Nursing informatics competency lists can provide a clear picture of required skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for today's nursing workforce in a high-tech environment. Many stakeholders such as employers and educators have a vested interest in defining nursing informatics competencies for nurses. The primary objective of this paper was to compare and contrast published nursing informatics competencies. A literature search was conducted using the terms “informatics competencies” and “nursing informatics competencies” via PubMeb and CINAHL for relevant articles. The search captured 37 articles; however, only six met the inclusion criteria set prior to the search. These six competency lists were reviewed for audience, sample size, design, categories used to classify competencies and operational examples of competencies. Findings revealed that there is variation among published informatics competencies in regard to content, presentation, and audience. A general list of competencies that can be utilized by nurses at all levels is needed. As a result nurses could operationalize and measure the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to execute safe and effective nursing care in today's health care setting.
Problem-Based Learning and e-Learning Methods in Clinical Practice
Authors: Jauhiainen Annikki  , Pulkkinen Raija
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study is to describe the curriculum development and introduction of problem-based learning pedagogy (PBL) in the undergraduate nursing education at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi unit. The main points to be described are the integration of PBL and e-learning methods and nursing students' learning outcomes in clinical practice. PBL pedagogy develops information literacy skills, critical thinking and evidence-based nursing skills, communication, co-operation and team working skills, problem solving and self-assessment skills. Integration of PBL and e-learning methods in clinical practice has developed nursing competencies, reflection of learning and peer support of nursing students. The most important results are peer support, feedback and a teacher's encouragement when using e-learning methods.
The Potential of 3-D Virtual Worlds in Professional Nursing Education
Authors: Hansen Margaret M.  , Murray Peter J.  , Erdley W. Scott
Published: February 2025

Three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds (VWs), such as Second Life®, are actively being explored for their potential use in health care and nursing professional education and even for practice. The relevance of this e-learning innovation on a large scale for teaching students and professionals is yet to be demonstrated and variables influencing adoption, such as increased knowledge, self-directed learning, and peer collaboration, by academics, and health care professionals requires empirical research.
The Impacts of Informatics Competencies and User Training on Patient Information System Implementation
Authors: Lemmetty Kaisa  , Häyrinen Kristiina  , Sundgren Sirpa
Published: February 2025

User training of information systems is crucial for the employees. However, it is not only the basic skills of information technology that determine what kind of training is required for the implementation. This study describes the users' professional competence and the implementation training, including information of the computer user training and learning methods. The target group consisted of the employees trained first to implement electronic health record systems in the Central Finland hospital district (n=290). Statistical methods such as frequency and percentage distributions, mean values and cluster averages were used in the analysis. The sum variables were made up by using factor analysis. Respondents were mainly satisfied with the classroom teaching. Almost half of them had practised the use of information systems after the teaching in the training environment. Good learning results were obtained when practising with personal guidance.
Developing a Cost-effective Home Care Management Support System for Small Nursing Homes in Taiwan
Authors: Tu Ming-Hsiang  , Chang Polun
Published: February 2025

Home care is important in Taiwan but most of the institutes are small and cannot afford computerization. We develop a support system based on InterRAI case management system using Excel VBA which is the most “free” application in institutes. The prototype system shows promising.
Introducing Nursing Informatics and Innovation Into a Professional Practice Model
Authors: Kennedy Mary
Published: February 2025

The American Medical Informatics Association has recognized the need to educate 10,000 healthcare professionals in health informatics by 2010. This is one organizations effort to integrate nursing informatics, innovation and competency into clinical nursing practice.
Developing Internet-Based Health Services in Health Care Organizations
Authors: Leskinen Salme  , Häyrinen Kristiina  , Saranto Kaija  , Ensio Anneli
Published: February 2025

It is often said that we are living in an information society and information technology (IT) is a normal part of life in many fields. But IT is not used effectively in health care. The purpose of this study was to survey what kind of Internet-based health services and related electronic services are offered to clients by the web-pages of health care organizations in Finland.
What Does Your IV Smart Pump Infusion Data Tell You about IV Clinical Practice and Patient Safety?
Authors: Starenkyj Elizabeth  , Wolfe Patti  , Hoh Tim  , Mamer Nadia  , Soliven-Llaguno John
Published: February 2025

Nursing in the era of ehealth integrates ‘clinical systems data’ in all domains of nursing practice to improve patient care outcomes. As clinical consultants at Baxter Canada, a nursing informatics approach to clinical IV data analysis was completed at (2) Canadian hospitals in 2008. A summary of the hospitals' clinical infusion data results will be outlined in relation to IV clinical practice, patient safety and hospital accreditation standards, as a leading practice in innovation. A total of 536 infusion pumps, capturing infusion starts over (3) days of infusion pump activity was collected. The preliminarily key infusion data results include: (24) Near Misses/Averted and (80) Drug Dose Overrides that clinicians were alerted to confirm the correct dose.
Nationwide Survey on the Introduction of Nursing Diagnosis at Nursing Schools in Japan
Authors: Oya Nobuko  , Kawaharada Eiko  , Kozawa Yukie  , Takeshita Mieko
Published: February 2025

We conducted a nationwide survey to grasp the current status of the introduction of nursing diagnosis at nursing schools. This survey showed that there was a gap in awareness between hospitals [1], which require nursing diagnosis skills, and nursing schools, more than half of which do not teach nursing diagnosis. The survey thus demonstrated the importance of collaborations and information sharing in nursing education.
Efficiency of Blended E-learning Classes using Nursing Practice Example
Authors: Nakamura Yumiko  , Majima Yukie  , Horii Satoshi  , Mizuno Satomi  , Izumi Kyoko  , Kurusu Kiyomi  , So Yoichiro
Published: February 2025

We are developing a nursing education system utilizing e-learning. The objective of the study project we conducted and are describing herein is to show how efficient e-learning is when applied for nursing education along with ordinary face-to-face teaching classes held in parallel. We call this instruction mode blended e-learning. This paper reports the efficiency of such an education method based on a survey of the evaluations produced by students who actually attended e-learning classes in 2007
Teaching Undergraduate Nursing Students Renal Care in a 3D Gaming Environment
Authors: Foster Joanne  , Dallemagne Catherine
Published: February 2025

The original program on renal care was developed between 1995–1997 using ‘Toolbook’ software, which presented the content in a non interactive graphical way without tracking student progress or recording of results and was available to students via a CDRom. The content described the clinical decision making process that practitioners had to follow when diagnosing and managing renal diseases. These processes followed a learning sequence whereby a series of decisions lead to the next phase of the diagnosis and treatment. The purpose was to simulate the live clinical decision making processes for practitioners. An additional build-in ‘Ask the Expert’-button (Help function) guided students in correct clinical decision making. One of the problems encountered in the original program is that the navigation is not intuitive to the user and students could get easily lost while going through the step-by-step introduction as well as the lack of interactivity. The original program still has relevant learning content, but the software, illustrations and tracking of learning outcomes are out-of-date. Therefore a re-design of the original program using a 3D Gaming Environment with updated content is being undertaken. This paper will discuss the methodology underpinning the new development, a demonstration of the program and the results from student feedback which will be undertaken in February – March 2009.
A Web-Based Training System for Elevating Nursing Students' Risk Sensitivity
Authors: Muranaka Yoko  , Adachi Miyuki  , Toda Yumiko  , Hattori Keiko  , Yoshitake Yukie
Published: February 2025

On-site training through role plays and the use of audio-visual resources has been effective to enhance nurses' capacity to foresee potential risks. Nevertheless, reports on accidents by nursing students or novice nurses continue to exist. This paper proposes a web-based training system as a new teaching strategy for elevating nursing students'risk sensitivity. It introduces two case studies involving possible falling risks. It consists of simulation based on these case studies and diagnostic tests. It is suggested this system should be used to examine nurses' capability of avoiding risks.
Education for Japanese Informatics Nurses
Authors: Yamanouchi Kazushi  , Ota Katsumasa
Published: February 2025

We compared the certification system for Healthcare Information Technologists (HITs) with that for Informatics Nurses (INs). HITs lacked only two items. If these items could be made part of graduate education, it would be possible to use the HITs certification as a basic part of the qualification, and develop a graduate program for Japanese INs.
Using Change Theory to Examine the Nursing Informatics Development in Taiwan
Authors: Cho Chi-Szu  , Chang Polun
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study is to apply Kurt Lewin's change theory to examine the nursing informatics development in Taiwan. The first stage, Unfreezing, is using Excel VBA training program to educate the nurses; the second stage, Change, is establishing the “Taiwan Nursing Informatics Association (TNIA)”; in the final stage, Refreezing, we are still working on new strategies to promote the NI nationwide. The recent challenge of nursing informatics in Taiwan is lack of programs to introduce the NI more systematically and thoroughly.
Development Opportunities for Nursing
Authors: Ciesla Danuta  , Vehviläinen-Julkunen Katri
Published: February 2025

Factors which ensure correct functioning of health services are quantity and quality of medical personnel, including nurses whose roles are specific. No one but nurses are largely responsible not only for the quality of medical services in a given country, this phenomenon being especially noticeable in the developed countries, but also directly or indirectly for approximately 70% of expenditures in health services.
Business Aspects and Sustainability for Healthgrids – an Expert Survey
Authors: Scholz Stefan  , Semler Sebastian C.  , Breitner Michael H.
Published: February 2025

Grid computing initiatives in medicine and life sciences are under pressure to prove their sustainability. While some first business model frameworks were outlined, few practical experiences were considered. This gap has been narrowed by an international survey of 33 grid computing experts with biomedical and non-biomedical background on business aspects. The experts surveyed were cautiously optimistic about a sustainable implementation of grid computing within a mid term timeline. They identified marketable application areas, stated the underlying value proposition, outlined trends and specify critical success factors. From a general perspective of their answers, they provided a stable basis for a road map of sustainable grid computing solutions for medicine and life sciences.
Semantic Security: Specification and Enforcement of Semantic Policies for Security-driven Collaborations
Authors: Sinnott R.O.  , Doherty T.  , Gray N.  , Lusted J.
Published: February 2025

Collaborative research can often have demands on finer-grained security that go beyond the authentication-only paradigm as typified by many e-Infrastructure/Grid based solutions. Supporting finer-grained access control is often essential for domains where the specification and subsequent enforcement of authorization policies is needed. The clinical domain is one area in particular where this is so. However it is the case that existing security authorization solutions are fragile, inflexible and difficult to establish and maintain. As a result they often do not meet the needs of real world collaborations where robustness and flexibility of policy specification and enforcement, and ease of maintenance are essential. In this paper we present results of the JISC funded Advanced Grid Authorisation through Semantic Technologies (AGAST) project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/agast) and show how semantic-based approaches to security policy specification and enforcement can address many of the limitations with existing security solutions. These are demonstrated into the clinical trials domain through the MRC funded Virtual Organisations for Trials and Epidemiological Studies (VOTES) project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/votes) and the epidemiological domain through the JISC funded SeeGEO project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/seegeo).
DockFlow – a prototypic PharmaGrid for Virtual Screening Integrating Four Different Docking Tools
Authors: Wolf Antje  , Hofmann-Apitius Martin  , Ghanem Moustafa  , Azam Nabeel  , Kalaitzopoulos Dimitrios  , Yu Kunqian  , Kasam Vinod
Published: February 2025

In this paper we present DockFlow, a prototypic version of a PharmaGrid. DockFlow is supporting pharmaceutical research through enabling virtual screening on the Grid. The system was developed in the course of the BRIDGE project funded by the European Commission. Grids have been used before to run compute- and data-intensive virtual screening experiments, like in the WISDOM project. With DockFlow, however, we addressed a variety of problems yet unsolved, like the diversity of results produced by different docking tools. We also addressed the problem of analysing the data produced in a distributed virtual screening system applying a combinatorial docking approach. In DockFlow we worked on a grid-based problem solving environment for virtual screening with the following major features: execution of four different docking services (FlexX, AutoDock, DOCK and GAsDock) at locations in Europe and China remotely from a common workflow, storage of the results in a common Docking Database providing a shared analysis platform for the collaboration partners and combination of the results. The DockFlow prototype is evaluated on two scientific case studies: malaria and avian flu.
An Analysis and Feedback Infrastructure for Argumentation Learning Systems
Authors: Scheuer Oliver  , McLaren Bruce M.  , Loll Frank  , Pinkwart Niels
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we discuss design considerations and our plans to develop a generalized framework for intelligent support in educational argumentation systems. Our goal is to develop a framework that will support the development of argumentation learning systems across a variety of domains (e.g., the law, ethics).