Electronic Medical Records and Electronic Health Records: Overview for Nurse Practitioners

Electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) have become essential systems by which nurse practitioners (NPs) communicate vital patient information to other members of the health care team as well as to patients. In this article we examine the important distinctions between EMRs and EHRs; review the genesis of these types of records; summarize applicable provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act from a recent legal case centered around NP utilization of EMRs and EHRs; address open patient access to medical information; and examine threats to security. Suggestions are offered on ways in which NPs can safeguard confidential patient information.     

Quantification Methodology of “Health Human Resources” Related to “Health Technologies” Based on Indicators “RhSan”, “TechSan” and “RhTech”: Application to Senegal

ObjectivesAfter a century of spectacular advances, healthcare systems are facing unprecedented crisis, linked to shortage of health human resources and health technologies. In fact, availability of care depends on both technological and human resources of health. The objective of this study is to develop indicators that can measure qualitatively human resources and technologies of health in healthcare facilities, in order to assess availability of care in sub-Saharan African countries.Materials and MethodsRegarding “health technology” related to “medical devices”, an indicator called “TechSan” for “Technologies de Santé” was previously developed and published (Ndione FB et al. (2019) [6]). To address the deficiencies in usual indicators related to health human resources, a second indicator called “RhSan” for “Ressources humaines de santé” in French is proposed. This indicator assigns a weight to each health worker taking into account his specific “level of medical knowledge” and “experience”. In order to correlate “RhSan” with “TechSan”, a third indicator called “RhTech” is also developed to assess matches between “health technologies” and “health human resources” and establish realistic availability of care. These indicators have the advantage to be consolidated by specialty such as laboratory, imaging, surgery, and “mother and child care”.ResultsThe application of TechSan, RhSan and RhTech to data collected in Senegal in 2016, enabled to assess the distribution of “health technology” and “health human resources” in this country. They also permit the mapping of care availability per specialty in Senegal. The results show a strong oversupply of Dakar in terms of both human resources and technologies of health compared to other Senegalese regions. Oppositely, Sedhiou, Kaffrine, Matam and Kédougou are poorly endowed showing limits of the Senegalese health pyramid system.ConclusionTechSan, RhSan and RhTech can provide reliable decision-making tools in order to elaborate health policies in sub-Saharan African countries on more rigorous basis.     

神木“全民免费医疗”的可推广性探讨

神木模式是我国＂全民免费医疗＂的一次创造性探索,虽然它不是真正意义上的全民免费医疗制度,但对比目前新医改推广的＂全民医保＂制度而言,它在解决群众＂看病难、看病贵＂的问题上起到更积极的作用,对全国也起着一定的借鉴意义。     

通过患者满意度调查评价护理质量

目的：通过患者满意度调查,进一步了解我院护理工作中的成效及存在问题,评价护理工作的质量,探索医院管理中护理科学管理方法。方法：①住院病人：采用问卷调查法;②出院病人：采用电话或上门随访方法;两种方法共对568例进行满意度调查,针对病人反馈的问题进行原因分析,提出改进措施并落实。结果：在疾病宣教及护理质量方面存在问题。结论：以医院管理年及创建优质护理服务为契机,以病人为中心,以质量为核心,逐步完善各项护理规章制度,加强护理安全管理,强化“三基三严”的训练,努力改善护理管理,提高护理服务质量。     

通过患者满意度调查评价护理质量

目的:通过患者满意度调查,进一步了解我院护理工作中的成效及存在问题,评价护理工作的质量,探索医院管理中护理科学管理方法。方法:①住院病人:采用问卷调查法;②出院病人:采用电话或上门随访方法;两种方法共对568例进行满意度调查,针对病人反馈的问题进行原因分析,提出改进措施并落实。结果:在疾病宣教及护理质量方面存在问题。结论:以医院管理年及创建优质护理服务为契机,以病人为中心,以质量为核心,逐步完善各项护理规章制度,加强护理安全管理,强化"三基三严"的训练,努力改善护理管理,提高护理服务质量。     

围手术期综合护理对脊柱损伤并四肢骨折疗效的影响

目的:探讨围手术期系统综合护理对脊柱损伤并四肢骨折疗效的影响。方法:收集50例脊柱损伤并四肢骨折患者,按手术编号随机分为观察组和对照组,每组各25例,两组患者均采用内固定手术及常规治疗,但观察组围手术期配合综合系统护理,对照组不配合,连续观察至出院并随访6个月,比较护理对比两组患者临床疗效、并发症情况及疾病恢复时间的影响。结果:经治疗,两组患者均较前好转,且观察组临床有效率92%明显高于对照组84%(P<0.05);观察组并发症发生率28%明显低于对照组44%(P<0.05);术后疾病恢复时间观察组明显短于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:围手术期综合系统护理有助于脊柱损伤并四肢骨折术后恢复,能显著提高疗效、减少并发症,缩短疾病恢复时间,临床值得应推广实施。     

Continuing dental care for Highlands elderly: current practice and attitudes of dental practitioners and home supervisors

Objective : To investigate current practice and attitudes of Highland dentists and home supervisors to continued dental care of elderly residents. Methods : A cross‐sectional questionnaire was designed to survey the current practice and attitudes of Highland dentists and residential care supervisors in their provision of dental care for the elderly at home and in long stay accommodation. Results : The response rate was 94% of dentists and 79% of homes. Despite 86% of dentists providing domiciliary care and 93% of homes transport to a surgery, no more than a quarter of residents had had contact with a dentist in the previous year. The distribution of residents varied with dependant individuals living in nursing units and the least dependant in residential homes. Only 1% of all residents were totally bed bound. Domiciliary patients were less likely to receive continuing care compared with those seen in a surgery and 75% of homes had to initiate dental care. In terms of patient referral, the majority of GDPs would refer uncooperative patients, salaried dentists would refer those with complex medical histories and community dentists would refer those requiring complex treatments. A dental assessment was undertaken in 46% of homes and 81% of these kept a record of dental care. Conclusion : This study highlights the need for a co‐ordinated, seamless continuing dental care service, tailored to the actual needs of the elderly individuals it is designed to serve, particularly in a remote and rural area.     

Paternal care declines with increased opportunity for extra-pair matings in fairy martins

Following the discovery that extra-pair fertilizations are common in many birds, it has been predicted that male participation in parental care may be influenced by their opportunity for extra-pair copulations. However, such a trade-off between male contribution to parental care and the availability of fertile females has not been confirmed. Here we use a novel remote monitoring technique to show that participation in incubation by male fairy martins, Hirundo ariel, declines with the increasing availability of fertile females in the breeding colonies. Furthermore, male contribution to incubation is most responsive to change in the availability of fertile females in the early morning, when most copulations occur, and also if their clutches are smaller than average. Both of these patterns support the presence of a trade-off between parental and extra-pair copulation effort. We suggest that this trade-off may be widespread among the 90% of bird species where males contribute to parental care.     

Female choice of matings to maximise parental care.

We address the question of how many males a female should mate with in the context of species in which males provide care for potential offspring. Our analysis is based on the evolutionarily stable levels of parental effort of a female and a group of males. In the case of one female and two males we give a complete analysis of how the female''s preference for monogamy or polyandry depends on the fitness functions assumed in the model. We then go on to consider the question of how many males a female should mate with to receive the highest level of male care. Our results are relevant in particular to the mating system of the dunnock (Prunella modularis) and also to the general question of whether a species should be monogamous as opposed to polyandrous.     

Development of a Canine Care and Welfare Knowledge Scale: Implications for Welfare and Preventing Dogfighting

The objective of this study was to develop a Canine Care and Welfare Knowledge (CCWK) Scale for use in educational intervention development and evaluation and validate the instrument. The study population was 504 children, aged 11 to 19 years old, from Detroit, MI. In this cross-sectional study, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for scale development. The EFA and CFA of the CCWK Scale revealed a 2nd-order model with 6 factors to be a good fit of the data (chi-square [df = 269] = 433, p < .05, Comparative Fit Index = .94, Tucker-Lewis Index = .93, root mean square error of approximation = .05) with a Cronbach’s alpha of .78. The scale is valid and reliable to assess the study population’s CCWK.