Evaluating the utility and challenges associated with "unknown" and fictional patients in the electronic medical record.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) allow for the creation of "fictional" and unknown patients within the EMR production environment. Surprisingly, there is sparse literature regarding the use cases for these patients or the challenges associated with their existence in the EMR. Here, we identified three classes of patients in regular use at our institution: true fictional patients with medical record numbers (MRNs) used to test EMR functions in the production environment, "confidential patients" used to store sensitive data, and "unknown" patients that are assigned temporary MRNs in emergency situations until additional information can be acquired. A further layer of complexity involving the merging of records for unknown patients once they are identified is also explored. Each class of patients, real or fictional, poses a variety of challenges from a clinical laboratory standpoint, which are often dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Here, we present a series of instructional cases adapted from actual patient safety events at our institution involving fictional, confidential, and unknown patient records. These illustrative cases highlight the utility of these fictional and unknown patients, as well as the challenges they pose on an institutional and individual level, including issues that arise from merging clinical data from temporary MRNs to identified patient charts. Lastly, we provide recommendations on how best to manage similar scenarios that may arise.

Effect of emphysema on AI software and human reader performance in lung nodule detection from low-dose chest CT.

BACKGROUND: Emphysema influences the appearance of lung tissue in computed tomography (CT). We evaluated whether this affects lung nodule detection by artificial intelligence (AI) and human readers (HR). METHODS: Individuals were selected from the "Lifelines" cohort who had undergone low-dose chest CT. Nodules in individuals without emphysema were matched to similar-sized nodules in individuals with at least moderate emphysema. AI results for nodular findings of 30-100 mm3 and 101-300 mm3 were compared to those of HR; two expert radiologists blindly reviewed discrepancies. Sensitivity and false positives (FPs)/scan were compared for emphysema and non-emphysema groups. RESULTS: Thirty-nine participants with and 82 without emphysema were included (n = 121, aged 61 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation), 58/121 males (47.9%)). AI and HR detected 196 and 206 nodular findings, respectively, yielding 109 concordant nodules and 184 discrepancies, including 118 true nodules. For AI, sensitivity was 0.68 (95% confidence interval 0.57-0.77) in emphysema versus 0.71 (0.62-0.78) in non-emphysema, with FPs/scan 0.51 and 0.22, respectively (p = 0.028). For HR, sensitivity was 0.76 (0.65-0.84) and 0.80 (0.72-0.86), with FPs/scan of 0.15 and 0.27 (p = 0.230). Overall sensitivity was slightly higher for HR than for AI, but this difference disappeared after the exclusion of benign lymph nodes. FPs/scan were higher for AI in emphysema than in non-emphysema (p = 0.028), while FPs/scan for HR were higher than AI for 30-100 mm3 nodules in non-emphysema (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: AI resulted in more FPs/scan in emphysema compared to non-emphysema, a difference not observed for HR. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In the creation of a benchmark dataset to validate AI software for lung nodule detection, the inclusion of emphysema cases is important due to the additional number of FPs. KEY POINTS: • The sensitivity of nodule detection by AI was similar in emphysema and non-emphysema. • AI had more FPs/scan in emphysema compared to non-emphysema. • Sensitivity and FPs/scan by the human reader were comparable for emphysema and non-emphysema. • Emphysema and non-emphysema representation in benchmark dataset is important for validating AI.

Comparison of consistency in acute stroke: Automated ASPECT score software tools and manual consensus scores.

PURPOSE: The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) is a standardized semi-quantitative scoring system. It is widely used to assess the extent of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We evaluated the consistency of three automatic software packages with the overall and region-specific manual ASPECTS scores of AIS patients. METHODS: Retrospectively, we gathered patients who presented with stroke symptoms between February 2019 and June 2022, and 174 cases were eventually included in the trial. Two radiologists reviewed the NCCT images independently; After four weeks, the same two radiologists began randomly reviewing the DWI images, discussed different scores and give consistent results as ground truth. RESULTS: Median ASPECTS of the expert consensus reading was 7 (5-9). Good to excellent correlation of ASPECTS total scores among the three software tools (0.70, 0.74 and 0.83). Correlation among ground truth and Rapid-ASPECTS, RealNow-ASPECTS, ShuKun-ASPECTS (ICC = 0.51, Cronbach's α = 0.53), (ICC = 0.60, Cronbach's α = 0.70) and (ICC = 0.52, Cronbach's α = 0.64) respectively. The AUCs for Rapid, RealNow and ShuKun were 0.61, 0.67, and 0.62 respectively. The region-specific results showed a poor to good correlation. The correlations between the non-dominant and dominant cerebral hemispheres and the ground truth were statistically different (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the scoring consistency between the three automated scoring software and the ground truth is comparable, with RealNow-ASPECTS being no less consistent and effective than Rapid-ASPECTS and ShuKun-ASPECTS, and even better than both. But the consistency grade that still is developable.

Evaluation of CINA® LVO artificial intelligence software for detection of large vessel occlusion in brain CT angiography.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the ability of the CINA® LVO software to detect large vessel occlusions eligible for mechanical thrombectomy on CTA using conventional neuroradiological assessment as gold standard. Methods: Retrospectively, two hundred consecutive patients referred for a brain CTA and two hundred patients that had been subject for endovascular thrombectomy, with an accessible preceding CTA, were assessed for large vessel occlusions (LVO) using the CINA® LVO software. The patients were sub-grouped by occlusion site. The original radiology report was used as ground truth and cases with disagreement were reassessed. Two-by-two tables were created and measures for LVO detection were calculated. Results: A total of four-hundred patients were included; 221 LVOs were present in 215 patients (54 %). The overall specificity was high for LVOs in the anterior circulation (93 %). The overall sensitivity for LVOs in the anterior circulation was 54 % with the highest sensitivity for the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (87 %) and T-type internal carotid occlusions (84 %). The sensitivity was low for occlusions in the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery (13 % and 0 % for proximal and distal M2 occlusions respectively) and in posterior circulation occlusions (0 %, not included in the intended use of the software). Conclusions: LVO detection sensitivity for the CINA® LVO software differs largely depending on the location of the occlusion, with low sensitivity for detection of some LVOs potentially eligible for mechanical thrombectomy. Further development of the software to increase sensitivity to all LVO locations would increase the clinical usefulness.

Design, implementation, and validation of an application for childbirth preparation classes to improve the performance of midwifery students: Study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Childbirth preparation classes are incredibly useful for midwifery students as future medical personnel. Nowadays, given the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and as mobile applications are extensively welcomed, virtual space can be used for education in the area of childbirth preparation classes. Given the lack of an application for childbirth preparation classes, this study will be conducted to design, implement and validate such an application to improve the performance of midwifery students in the areas of pregnancy and safe delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study will be conducted in three phases. In the first phase, content will be provided to Information Technology experts based on the content of the national guidelines for physiological delivery in Iran, and the application will be designed and validated for the use of midwifery students, then develop app for other medical students, midwives and physicians. In the second phase, the assessment will be based on Kirkpatrick's model. In the third stage, develop app for other medical students, midwives and physicians based on the results of the first and second phase. SPSS version 17 will be used in this phase for analysis of data through descriptive and analytical tests. CONCLUSION: Owing to the expansion of virtual space and the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, design, validation, and evaluation of an application for childbirth preparation classes is an exceptionally significant necessity which contributes to the process of educating midwifery students.

Accuracy of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Software in Predicting the Size of Impacted Canine: A Preliminary Study.

Objective: To compare and analyze the precision, accuracy, and reliability of commonly used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) software in predicting the mesiodistal diameter of impacted canines. Methods: This study was conducted on 11 patients (six males and five females, mean age: 17.5±5.5 years) with either unilateral or bilateral impacted canines in the maxilla or mandible. DICOM data sets of the patients obtained from CBCT scans were then loaded and visualized with four selected CBCT software to measure the widest mesiodistal diameter of the impacted teeth. Physical measurements using a digital vernier caliper, kept as a control, were also made on the extracted teeth and orthodontically erupted teeth. The collected data underwent statistical analysis, and the statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: The Bland-Altman analysis was performed to quantify the agreement between different software to the digital caliper, showing a narrow difference for all plots. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test followed by a post hoc test was performed to determine whether there was any difference in measuring the mesiodistal diameter of the impacted canine among the five methods, and tend no statistically significant difference was found among the five methods. Intraclass correlation (ICC) was performed, and measurements made with all CBCT software yielded an ICC greater than 0.95, indicating high reliability of the selected software. Conclusion: All the evaluated CBCT imaging software exhibited a high degree of reliability, and accuracy in precise measurement of the mesiodistal diameter of an impacted tooth.

Validation of two automated ASPECTS software on non-contrast computed tomography scans of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Purpose: The Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) was designed for semi-quantitative assessment of early ischemic changes on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We evaluated two automated ASPECTS software in comparison with reference standard. Methods: NCCT of 276 AIS patients were retrospectively reviewed (March 2018-June 2020). A three-radiologist consensus for ASPECTS was used as reference standard. Imaging data from both baseline and follow-up were evaluated for reference standard. Automated ASPECTS were calculated from baseline NCCT with 1-mm and 5-mm slice thickness, respectively. Agreement between automated ASPECTS and reference standard was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Correlation of automated ASPECTS with baseline stroke severity (NIHSS) and follow-up ASPECTS were evaluated using Spearman correlation analysis. Results: In score-based analysis, automated ASPECTS calculated from 5-mm slice thickness images agreed well with reference standard (software A: ICC = 0.77; software B: ICC = 0.65). Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the mean differences between automated ASPECTS and reference standard were ≤ 0.6. In region-based analysis, automated ASPECTS derived from 5-mm slice thickness images by software A showed higher sensitivity (0.60 vs. 0.54), lower specificity (0.91 vs. 0.94), and higher AUC (0.76 vs. 0.74) than those using 1-mm slice thickness images (p < 0.05). Automated ASPECTS derived from 5-mm slice thickness images by software B showed higher sensitivity (0.56 vs. 0.51), higher specificity (0.87 vs. 0.81), higher accuracy (0.80 vs. 0.73), and higher AUC (0.71 vs. 0.66) than those using 1-mm slice thickness images (p < 0.05). Automated ASPECTS were significantly associated with baseline NIHSS and follow-up ASPECTS. Conclusion: Automated ASPECTS showed good reliability and 5 mm was the optimal slice thickness.

A multicenter evaluation of a deep learning software (LungQuant) for lung parenchyma characterization in COVID-19 pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The role of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and characterization of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia has been widely recognized. We evaluated the performance of a software for quantitative analysis of chest CT, the LungQuant system, by comparing its results with independent visual evaluations by a group of 14 clinical experts. The aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of the automated tool to extract quantitative information from lung CT, relevant for the design of a diagnosis support model. METHODS: LungQuant segments both the lungs and lesions associated with COVID-19 pneumonia (ground-glass opacities and consolidations) and computes derived quantities corresponding to qualitative characteristics used to clinically assess COVID-19 lesions. The comparison was carried out on 120 publicly available CT scans of patients affected by COVID-19 pneumonia. Scans were scored for four qualitative metrics: percentage of lung involvement, type of lesion, and two disease distribution scores. We evaluated the agreement between the LungQuant output and the visual assessments through receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (AUC) analysis and by fitting a nonlinear regression model. RESULTS: Despite the rather large heterogeneity in the qualitative labels assigned by the clinical experts for each metric, we found good agreement on the metrics compared to the LungQuant output. The AUC values obtained for the four qualitative metrics were 0.98, 0.85, 0.90, and 0.81. CONCLUSIONS: Visual clinical evaluation could be complemented and supported by computer-aided quantification, whose values match the average evaluation of several independent clinical experts. KEY POINTS: We conducted a multicenter evaluation of the deep learning-based LungQuant automated software. We translated qualitative assessments into quantifiable metrics to characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia lesions. Comparing the software output to the clinical evaluations, results were satisfactory despite heterogeneity of the clinical evaluations. An automatic quantification tool may contribute to improve the clinical workflow of COVID-19 pneumonia.

A comparative study of two automated solutions for cross-sectional skeletal muscle measurement from abdominal computed tomography images.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of cross-sectional muscle area (CSMA) at the mid third lumbar vertebra (L3) level from computed tomography (CT) images is becoming one of the reference methods for sarcopenia diagnosis. However, manual skeletal muscle segmentation is tedious and is thus restricted to research. Automated solutions are required for use in clinical practice. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the reliability of two automated solutions for the measurement of CSMA. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of CT images in our hospital database. We included consecutive individuals hospitalized at the Grenoble University Hospital in France between January and May 2018 with abdominal CT images and sagittal reconstruction. We used two types of software to automatically segment skeletal muscle: ABACS, a module of the SliceOmatic software solution "ABACS-SliceOmatic," and a deep learning-based solution called "AutoMATiCA." Manual segmentation was performed by a medical expert to generate reference data using "SliceOmatic." The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to measure overlap between the results of the manual and the automated segmentations. The DSC value for each method was compared with the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: A total of 676 hospitalized individuals was retrospectively included (365 males [53.8%] and 312 females [46.2%]). The median DSC for SliceOmatic vs AutoMATiCA (0.969 [5th percentile: 0.909]) was greater than the median DSC for SliceOmatic vs. ABACS-SliceOmatic (0.949 [5th percentile: 0.836]) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AutoMATiCA, which used artificial intelligence, was more reliable than ABACS-SliceOmatic for skeletal muscle segmentation at the L3 level in a cohort of hospitalized individuals. The next step is to develop and validate a neural network that can identify L3 slices, which is currently a fastidious process.

Evaluation of Two Post-Processing Analysis Methods of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Glioma Tumors.

Background: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive diagnostic and the neuroimaging method of choice for the noninvasive monitoring of brain metabolism in patients with glioma tumors. 1H-MRS is a reliable and non-invasive tool used to study glioma. However, the metabolite spectra obtained by 1H-MRS requires a specific quantification procedure for post-processing. According to our knowledge, no comparisons have yet been made between spectrum analysis software for quantification of gliomas metabolites. Objective: Current study aims to evaluate the difference between this two common software in quantifying cerebral metabolites. Material and Methods: In this analytical study, we evaluate two post-processing software packages, java-based graphical for MR user interface packages (jMRUI) and totally automatic robust quantitation in NMR (TARQUIN) software. 1H-MRS spectrum from the brain of patients with gliomas tumors was collected for post-processing. AMARES algorithms were conducted to metabolite qualification on jMRUI software, and TARQUIN software were implemented with automated quantification algorithms. The study included a total of 30 subjects. For quantification, subjects were divided into a normal group (n=15) and group of gliomas (n=15). Results: When calculated by TARQUIN, the mean metabolites ratio was typically lower than by jMRUI. While, the mean ratio of metabolites varied when quantified by jMRUI vs. TARQUIN, both methods apparent clinical associations. Conclusion: TARQUIN and jMRUI are feasible choices for the post-processing of cerebral MRS data obtained from glioma tumors.

The Usability and Acceptability of the mHealth "Health and Voice" for Promoting Teachers' Vocal Health.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usability and acceptability of "Health and Voice" for the promotion of vocal health, and to analyze the same with sociodemographic data, work data, self-knowledge data on vocal care, voice disadvantage, and vocal fatigue symptoms in elementary school teachers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study, with a sample of 277 elementary school teachers from a Brazilian capital. Teachers were invited to access, interact and evaluate the mHealth: "Health and Voice". The evaluation instruments were the questionnaire with information on socio-demographic and work data, the System Usability Scale (SUS), the questionnaire with questions about acceptability, the Voice Handicap Index Protocol (VHI-10), and the Vocal Fatigue Index Protocol (VFI). Descriptive and association analyses were performed by the Chi-square, Fisher exact, Mann-Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests (P ≤ 0.05) RESULTS: the mean SUS score was 81.9 points; the mean of the acceptability questions was 17.24; the VHI-10 was 6.96 points; the VFI was 21.11 points. Most participants rated the acceptability of mHealth as high. There was an association between acceptability and working in two shifts (P = 0.019); between acceptability and usability (P < 0.001); and between usability and self-perception of knowledge about voice care after using mHealth (P = 0.000). The activity perceived as most important was guidance on voice care. CONCLUSION: "Health and Voice" is a vocal guidance tool for teachers that promotes vocal health. It has high usability and acceptability by elementary school teachers. Self-reported knowledge about vocal care increases after its use and those who evaluate the technology with high acceptability are 3.6 times more likely to also classify it with high usability.

Validação de conteúdo e semântica de aplicativo para adolescentes com diabetes mellitus / Content and semantics validation of an application for adolescents with diabetes mellitus / Content and semantics validation of an application for adolescents with diabetes mellitus / Validación de contenido y de semántica de aplicación para adolescentes con diabetes mellitus

Resumo Objetivo Validar o conteúdo e a semântica do aplicativo Glicado para dispositivos móveis voltado a adolescentes com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1. Métodos Pesquisa Metodológica, baseada no Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos, tendo sido desenvolvido em três etapas: pré-desenvolvimento, desenvolvimento e pós-desenvolvimento. O conteúdo foi validado por 16 juízes e a semântica por 14 adolescentes. Resultados O processo de validação de conteúdo e semântica do aplicativo indica que ele está adequado em termos de funcionalidade, confiabilidade, utilidade e eficiência. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo foi 0,93% o Índice de Validação Semântica foi 0,90%. Conclusão O aplicativo Glicado disponibiliza informações importantes e confiáveis, podendo ser usado por adolescentes como tecnologia auxiliar no autocontrole da doença e na promoção da saúde.

Resumen Objetivo Validar el contenido y la semántica de la aplicación Glicado para dispositivos móviles direccionado a adolescentes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1. Métodos Investigación metodológica, basada en el Proceso de Desarrollo de Productos, desarrollada en tres etapas: predesarrollo, desarrollo y posdesarrollo. El contenido fue validado por 16 jueces y la semántica por 14 adolescentes. Resultados El proceso de validación de contenido y de semántica de la aplicación indica que es adecuada en lo que se refiere a funcionalidad, fiabilidad, utilidad y eficiencia. El Índice de Validez de Contenido fue del 0,93 % y el Índice de Validación Semántica del 0,90 %. Conclusión La aplicación Glicado provee información importante y confiable y puede ser usada por adolescentes como tecnología auxiliar para el autocontrol de la enfermedad y para la promoción de la salud.

Abstract Objective To validate the content and semantics of the Glicado application for mobile devices aimed at adolescents with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Methods Methodological study based on the Product Development Process developed in three steps: pre-development, development and post-development. Content was validated by 16 judges and semantics by 14 adolescents. Results The content and semantic validation process of the application indicates its appropriateness in terms of functionality, reliability, utility and efficiency. The Content Validity Index was 0.93% and the Semantic Validation Index was 0.90%. Conclusion The Glicado application provides important and reliable information and can be used by adolescents as an auxiliary technology in self-control of the disease and health promotion.

Aplicativo SARA para tratamento de pessoas com tuberculose: estudo metodológico / Aplicación SARA para tratamiento de personas con tuberculosis: estudio metodológico / SARA application for treating people with tuberculosis: a methodological study

Resumo Objetivo Construir um aplicativo para o acompanhamento do tratamento de pessoas com tuberculose. Métodos Estudo metodológico com três fases: preparação do mapa conceitual por meio de manuais do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil e da Organização Mundial da Saúde; a construção do aplicativo com a elaboração do projeto de navegação e a prototipagem; e validação por conteúdo e semântica guiada pelo método de Pasquale com validação de conteúdo por juízes especialistas em saúde em ambiente online e validação de semântica pelo público-alvo, pessoas com tuberculose atendidas em uma unidade de saúde de Natal, no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, por meio da Técnica Delphi analisada a partir do Índice de Validade de Conteúdo. Resultados Construiu-se o aplicativo em sua versão final após três etapas da Técnica Delphi. Na etapa Delphi 3, o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo global foi de 0,92, sendo avaliado por sete juízes especialistas nas regiões Norte, Nordeste, Centro-Oeste, Sul e Sudeste e validado por seis pessoas com tuberculose atendidas, alcançando um Índice de Validade de Conteúdo global de 0,98. Conclusão O aplicativo foi validado quanto ao conteúdo e à semântica por juízes especialistas, em uma perspectiva multiprofissional, e atuantes na área de tuberculose de mais de uma região do Brasil e pelo público-alvo a que se destina, sendo considerado uma ferramenta importante para somar às estratégias de controle para o fim da tuberculose.

Resumen Objetivo Elaborar una aplicación para el seguimiento del tratamiento de personas con tuberculosis. Métodos Estudio metodológico de tres fases: preparación del mapa conceptual por medio de manuales del Ministerio de Salud de Brasil y de la Organización Mundial de la Salud; desarrollo de la aplicación con la elaboración del proyecto de navegación y creación del prototipo; y validación de contenido y semántica guiada por el método de Pasquale, en la cual la validación de contenido fue realizada por jueces especialistas en salud en ambiente virtual y la validación semántica por el público destinatario, personas con tuberculosis atendidas en una unidad de salud de Natal, estado de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, mediante el método Delphi analizado a partir del Índice de Validez de Contenido. Resultados Se elaboró la aplicación en su versión final luego de tres etapas del método Delphi. En la etapa Delphi 3, el Índice de Validez de Contenido global fue 0,92, evaluado por siete jueces especialistas de las regiones Norte, Nordeste, Centro-oeste, Sur y Sudeste, y validado por seis personas con tuberculosis atendidas, con un Índice de Validez de Contenido global de 0,98. Conclusión La aplicación fue validada respecto al contenido y a la semántica por jueces especialistas, bajo una perspectiva multiprofesional y del área de tuberculosis con presencia en más de una región de Brasil, y por el público destinatario. Fue considerada una herramienta importante para sumar a las estrategias de control para el fin de la tuberculosis.

Abstract Objective To develop an application for monitoring the treatment of individuals with tuberculosis. Methods A methodological study with three phases: preparation of the concept map according to the manuals of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization; development of the application, with navigation and prototyping design; and based on Pasquale's method, content validation was performed by health experts in an online environment with semantic validation by the target audience, individuals with tuberculosis treated in a health unit in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, using the Delphi technique, analyzed using the Content Validity Index. Results The final version of the application was developed after three rounds of the Delphi technique. In the third Delphi round, the overall Content Validity Index was 0.92, as rated by seven expert evaluators in the North, Northeast, Central-West, South, and Southeast of Brazil, and validated by six patients being treated for tuberculosis, obtaining an overall Content Validity Index of 0.98. Conclusion The application was validated regarding content and semantics by expert evaluators working in the area of tuberculosis in more than one region of Brazil, from a multidisciplinary perspective, and by the target audience for which it is intended. It was considered an important tool to contribute to control strategies for the treatment of tuberculosis.

Web version of the protocol of the orofacial myofunctional evaluation with scores: usability and learning / Versão para Web do protocolo de avaliação miofuncional com escores: usabilidade e aprendizado

ABSTRACT Purpose The Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores (OMES) protocol has been validated and used in clinical practice and research. The goals of this study were to develop, analyze and improve a version of OMES for the Web and to investigate the relationship between the usability judgments and the prior experience of the evaluators and whether using the interface promotes learning, as shown by the task completion time (TCT). Methods Study steps: 1) inspection of the prototype by the team; 2) evaluation of usability by three experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs); and 3) evaluation of its usability by 12 SLPs with varying levels of experience in the use of OMES. Participants answered the Heuristic evaluation (HE), the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ), and expressed free comments. The TCT was recorded. Results The OMES-Web reached excellent usability levels, and the participants were highly satisfied. The correlations between the participants' experience and the HE and CSUQ scores were not significant. The TCT decreased significantly throughout the tasks. Conclusion OMES-Web meets the usability criteria, and participants feel satisfied with the system regardless of their level of experience. The fact that it is easy to learn favors its adoption by professionals.

RESUMO Objetivo O Protocolo de Avaliação Miofuncional Orofacial com Escores (AMIOFE) é validado e usado na prática clínica e pesquisas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram desenvolver, analisar e aprimorar a versão do AMIOFE para a Web e investigar a relação entre os julgamentos de usabilidade e a prévia experiência dos avaliadores, e se o manuseio da interface promove o aprendizado, baseado no tempo para completar a tarefa (TCT). Método Passos do estudo: 1) inspeção do protótipo pela equipe; 2) avaliação de usabilidade por três fonoaudiólogos experientes; e 3) avaliação de usabilidade por 12 fonoaudiólogos com variados níveis de experiência no uso do AMIOFE. Avaliação heurística (HE), Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ) e livre expressão dos participantes foram realizadas. O TCT foi registrado. Resultados O AMIOFE-Web atingiu ótimos níveis de usabilidade e os participantes mostram-se altamente satisfeitos (Escala geral do CSUQ; Média= 1,31, DP= 0,31). A relação da experiência dos participantes e a HE e o CSUQ não foi significativa. O TCT decresceu significantemente ao longo das tarefas, mostrando que o sistema é fácil de aprender e usar. Conclusão O AMIOFE-Web atende os critérios de usabilidade e os participantes sentiram-se satisfeitos com o sistema, independentemente de seus níveis de experiência. O fato de ser de fácil aprendizado é um fator favorável para a sua adoção por profissionais.

Digital platform for management of special immunobiologicals in primary health care / Plataforma digital para la gestión de inmunobiológicos especiales en atención primaria de salud / Plataforma digital para gerenciamento de imunobiológicos especiais na atenção primária à saúde

ABSTRACT Objective: to develop and validate a digital platform for managing special immunobiologicals in Primary Health Care. Method: this is a methodological study, carried out in Campinas/SP, Brazil. The platform development took place between July and December 2021. Between April and October 2022, simulation and validity were carried out by professionals, applying an instrument containing statements referring to the ISO/IEC 25010 standard characteristics and sub-characteristics, judged as in agreement, disagreement or does not apply. Values of characteristics and subcharacteristics were estimated, considering the minimum value of 70% of positive answers to be adequate. Characteristics and subcharacteristics that did not reach the minimum value had their justifications categorized according to changes made. Results: the platform was called ConectAPS-CRIE. Login, Home Dashboard, Users, Units, Immunobiological, Patients, Requests, Reports and Help areas were developed. When validated by nurses, the Accessibility (66.7%) and Protection Against Error (66.7%) subcharacteristics were considered inadequate. Information technology professionals considered the Reliability characteristic (52.8%) and the Functional correctness (69.2%), Accessibility (37.5%), Error protection (40%), Integrity (59.1%) and Non-repudiation (66.7%) sub-characteristics to be inadequate. The categories of justifications reported and changed were: disappearance of patients' record when changing it; access to the system using only a password; lack of accessibility characteristics; lack of validity of personal data; exclusion of patients with a registered request; inclusion of a request without patient registration; layout and text message adjustment in the Attach File function; request disconnected from the requesting user's unit. Conclusion: the platform can facilitate the management of requests for special immunobiologicals in Primary Care and its validity has allowed it to be improved.

RESUMEN Objetivo: desarrollar y validar una plataforma digital para la gestión de inmunobiológicos especiales en Atención Primaria de Salud. Métodos: estudio metodológico, realizado en Campinas/SP, Brasil. El desarrollo de la plataforma se llevó a cabo entre julio y diciembre de 2021. Entre abril y octubre de 2022, la simulación y validación fueron realizadas por profesionales, aplicando un instrumento que contiene declaraciones referentes a las características y subcaracterísticas de la norma ISO/IEC 25010, juzgada como de acuerdo, desacuerdo o no aplicable. Se estimaron valores de características y subcaracterísticas, considerando adecuado el valor mínimo de 70% de respuestas positivas. Las características y subcaracterísticas que no alcanzaron el valor mínimo tuvieron sus justificaciones categorizadas de acuerdo con los cambios realizados. Resultados: la plataforma se denominó ConectAPS-CRIE. Se desarrollaron las áreas de Login, Panel de Inicio, Usuarios, Unidades, Inmunobiológicos, Pacientes, Solicitudes, Informes y Ayuda. Al ser validadas por enfermeros, las subcaracterísticas Accesibilidad (66,7%) y Protección contra errores (66,7%) fueron consideradas inadecuadas. Los profesionales de TI consideraron inadecuadas la característica Fiabilidad (52,8%) y las subcaracterísticas Corrección funcional (69,2%), Accesibilidad (37,5%), Protección contra errores (40%), Integridad (59,1%) y No repudio (66,7%). Las categorías de justificaciones reportadas y modificadas fueron: desaparición del expediente del paciente al cambiarlo; acceso al sistema utilizando únicamente una contraseña; falta de funciones de accesibilidad; falta de validación de datos personales; exclusión de pacientes con solicitud registrada; inclusión de una solicitud sin registro de paciente; ajuste de diseño y mensajes de texto en la función Adjuntar archivo; solicitud desconectada de la unidad del usuario solicitante. Conclusión: la plataforma puede facilitar la gestión de solicitudes de inmunobiológicos especiales en Atención Primaria y su validación ha permitido mejorarla.

RESUMO Objetivo: desenvolver e validar uma plataforma digital para gerenciamento de imunobiológicos especiais na Atenção Primária à Saúde. Método: estudo metodológico, realizado em Campinas/SP, Brasil. O desenvolvimento da plataforma ocorreu entre julho e dezembro de 2021. Entre abril e outubro de 2022 realizou-se simulação e validação pelos profissionais, aplicando-se instrumento contendo afirmativas referentes às características e subcaracterísticas da norma ISO/IEC 25010, julgadas como de acordo, desacordo ou não se aplica. Foram estimados valores das características e subcaracterísticas, considerando-se adequado o valor mínimo de 70% de respostas positivas. Características e subcaracterísticas que não alcançaram o valor mínimo tiveram suas justificativas categorizadas conforme alterações realizadas. Resultados: a plataforma foi denominada ConectAPS-CRIE. Foram desenvolvidas áreas de Login, Painel Inicial, Usuários, Unidades, Imunobiológicos, Pacientes, Solicitações, Relatórios e Ajuda. Na validação por enfermeiros, consideraram-se inadequadas as subcaracterísticas Acessibilidade (66,7%) e Proteção contra erro (66,7%). Profissionais da área de informática consideraram inadequada a característica Confiabilidade (52,8%) e as subcaracterísticas Correção funcional (69,2%), Acessibilidade (37,5%), Proteção contra erro (40%), Integridade (59,1%) e Não repúdio (66,7%). As categorias das justificativas relatadas e alteradas foram: desaparecimento do cadastro do paciente ao alterá-lo; acesso ao sistema utilizando somente senha; ausência de recursos de acessibilidade; ausência de validação de dados pessoais; exclusão de paciente com solicitação cadastrada; inclusão de solicitação sem cadastro de paciente; ajuste de layout e mensagem de texto na função Anexar Arquivo; solicitação desvinculada da unidade do usuário solicitante. Conclusão: a plataforma poderá facilitar o gerenciamento de solicitações de imunobiológicos especiais na Atenção Primária e sua validação permitiu aprimorá-la.

Desenvolvimento e implementação de sistema de gerenciamento de cirurgias voltado a um hospital universitário / Development and implementation of a surgery management system aimed at a university hospital / Desarrollo e implementación de um sistema de gestión de cirugías dirigido a un hospital universitario

Objetivo: desenvolver e implementar o sistema de gerenciamento de cirurgias contendo a Lista Cirúrgica e Mapa Cirúrgico. Método: este estudo é de natureza exploratória e descritiva do tipo pesquisa metodológica aplicada. A metodologia utilizada baseia-se no processo de desenvolvimento de software fundamentada no modelo de ciclo de vida de desenvolvimento de sistemas de Pressman. Resultados: o sistema foi desenvolvido e disponibilizado em todos os computadores do hospital em sua rede interna. Implementado em todos as áreas cirúrgicas e Centro Cirúrgico. Conclusão: o sistema de gerenciamento de cirurgias disponibiliza informações em tempo real de informações dos pacientes cirúrgicos a todos setores envolvidos com pacientes cirúrgicos

Objectives: to develop and implement the surgical management system containing the Surgical List and Surgical Map. Method: this study is of exploratory and descriptive nature of the applied methodological research type. The methodology used is based on the software development process based on the Pressman system development life cycle model. Results: the system was developed and made available on all hospital computers on its internal network. Implemented in all surgical areas and Surgical Center. Conclusion: the surgical management system provides real-time information on surgical patient information to all departments involved with surgical patients

Objetivos: desarrollar e implementar el sistema de gestión de cirugías que contenga la Lista Quirúrgica y el Mapa Quirúrgico. Método: este estudio es de naturaleza exploratoria y descriptiva del tipo investigación metodológica aplicada. La metodología utilizada se basa en el proceso de desarrollo de software fundamentada en el modelo de ciclo de vida de desarrollo de sistemas de Pressman. Resultados: el sistema fue desarrollado y puesto a disposición en todas las computadoras del hospital en su red interna. Implementado en todas las áreas quirúrgicas y el Centro Quirúrgico. Conclusión: el sistema de gestión de cirugías proporciona información en tiempo real de los pacientes quirúrgicos a todos los sectores involucrados con pacientes quirúrgicos

Validation and application of the Non-Verbal Behavior Analyzer: An automated tool to assess non-verbal emotional expressions in psychotherapy.

Background: Emotions play a key role in psychotherapy. However, a problem with examining emotional states via self-report questionnaires is that the assessment usually takes place after the actual emotion has been experienced which might lead to biases and continuous human ratings are time and cost intensive. Using the AI-based software package Non-Verbal Behavior Analyzer (NOVA), video-based emotion recognition of arousal and valence can be applied in naturalistic psychotherapeutic settings. In this study, four emotion recognition models (ERM) each based on specific feature sets (facial: OpenFace, OpenFace-Aureg; body: OpenPose-Activation, OpenPose-Energy) were developed and compared in their ability to predict arousal and valence scores correlated to PANAS emotion scores and processes of change (interpersonal experience, coping experience, affective experience) as well as symptoms (depression and anxiety in HSCL-11). Materials and methods: A total of 183 patient therapy videos were divided into a training sample (55 patients), a test sample (50 patients), and a holdout sample (78 patients). The best ERM was selected for further analyses. Then, ERM based arousal and valence scores were correlated with patient and therapist estimates of emotions and processes of change. Furthermore, using regression models arousal and valence were examined as predictors of symptom severity in depression and anxiety. Results: The ERM based on OpenFace produced the best agreement to the human coder rating. Arousal and valence correlated significantly with therapists' ratings of sadness, shame, anxiety, and relaxation, but not with the patient ratings of their own emotions. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation indicates that negative valence was associated with higher affective experience. Negative valence was found to significantly predict higher anxiety but not depression scores. Conclusion: This study shows that emotion recognition with NOVA can be used to generate ERMs associated with patient emotions, affective experiences and symptoms. Nevertheless, limitations were obvious. It seems necessary to improve the ERMs using larger databases of sessions and the validity of ERMs needs to be further investigated in different samples and different applications. Furthermore, future research should take ERMs to identify emotional synchrony between patient and therapists into account.

Case report: evaluation of an open-source synthetic data platform for simulation studies.

Simulation is a mainstay of comparative- and cost-effectiveness research when empirical data are not available. The Synthea platform, originally designed for generating realistically coded longitudinal health records for software testing, implements data generation models specified in publicly contributed modules representing patients' life cycle and disease and treatment progression. We test the hypothesis that Synthea can be used for simulation studies that draw parameters from observational studies and randomized trials. We benchmarked the results and assessed the effort required to create a Synthea module that replicates a recently published cost-effectiveness simulation comparing levofloxacin prophylaxis to usual care for leukemia. A module was iteratively developed using published parameters from the original study; we replicated the initial conditions and simulation endpoints of demographics, health events, costs, and mortality. We compare Synthea's Generic Module Framework to platforms designed for simulation and show that Synthea can be used, with modifications, for some types of simulation studies.

Establishing a Data Quality Baseline in the AKTIN Emergency Department Data Registry - A Secondary Use Perspective.

Secondary use of clinical data is an increasing application that is affected by the data quality (DQ) of its source systems. Techniques such as audits and risk-based monitoring for controlling DQ often rely on source data verification (SDV). SDV requires access to data generating systems. We present an approach to a targeted SDV based on manual input and synthetic data that is applicable in low resource settings with restricted system access. We deployed the protocol in the DQ management of the AKTIN Emergency Department Data Registry. Our targeted approach has shown to be feasible to form a DQ baseline that can be used for different DQ monitoring processes such as the identification of different error sources.

Smartphone movement sensors for the remote monitoring of respiratory rates: Technical validation.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) offers potential benefits to both patients and healthcare systems. Existing remote technologies to measure respiratory rates have limitations such as cost, accessibility and reliability. Using smartphone sensors to measure respiratory rates may offer a potential solution to these issues. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of a novel mHealth smartphone application designed to measure respiratory rates using movement sensors. Methods: In Study 1, 15 participants simultaneously measured their respiratory rates with the app and a Food and Drug Administration-cleared reference device. A novel reference analysis method to allow the app to be evaluated 'in the wild' was also developed. In Study 2, 165 participants measured their respiratory rates using the app, and these measures were compared to the novel reference. The usability of the app was also assessed in both studies. Results: The app, when compared to the Food and Drug Administration-cleared and novel references, respectively, showed a mean absolute error of 1.65 (SD = 1.49) and 1.14 (1.44), relative mean absolute error of 12.2 (9.23) and 9.5 (18.70) and bias of 0.81 (limits of agreement = -3.27 to 4.89) and 0.08 (-3.68 to 3.51). Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.700 and 0.885. Ninety-three percent of participants successfully operated the app on their first use. Conclusions: The accuracy and usability of the app demonstrated here in individuals with a normal respiratory rate range show promise for the use of mHealth solutions employing smartphone sensors to remotely monitor respiratory rates. Further research should validate the benefits that this technology may offer patients and healthcare systems.