eHealth Nursing: Mednet 2006 Toronto, Canada 

The 11th World Congress on the Internet & Medicine (Mednet 2006) was held in Toronto, Canada, October 14-19, 2006, with nearly 500 attendees from 43 countries participating. 

The conference offered workshops, tutorials, informative and inspiring poster sessions, and keynotes from world leaders as well as a lively "VIP Panel: Barriers to the Internet in Medicine and Possible Solutions" panel, shown below:

Themes of the conference were vast including: eHealth in chronic disease, the application of the Internet in public health, EMR's, telehealth IP technologies, eHealth business, web-assisted interventions, next generation Internet use, and web based nursing and medical education to name a few.

eHealth Nurses - Vital to the Future of eHealth

As use of the Internet in healthcare delivery continues to evolve, nurse educators must take a leading role to prepare students and providers in meeting the eHealth challenges and opportunities they will face in 21st century practice.  Several eHealth nursing presentations offered important findings and validate the need for continued research, pilot projects, and group research in this area.  A listing of representative eHealth nursing presentations with brief comments follows.  (Click on link to complete abstracts).

eHealth in Nursing & Medical Education Presentations

eHealth Nursing: A University Pilot Course
Carol M. Stock, Dept. of Nursing Northwest University, Kirkland, Washington, USA
Topic: Web-based medical education
Track: Research
Type: Oral presentation
A graduate level eHealth nursing course was designed and implemented utilizing web-based medical devices which monitor patient blood pressure, peak flow, weight and glucose levels.  The main objectives of this research were to evaluate nurse practitioner’s ability to perform patient monitoring and management of common chronic conditions via the web and to describe the dynamics of provider/patient interaction utilizing online patient eCare.  This study illustrated a method by which eHealth technology could be introduced to healthcare providers, learned quickly and applied to practice.  Further collaborative research with other graduate nursing programs is warranted. 

Lessons from interprofessional E-learning: piloting a care of elderly module
Anitta Juntunen, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, School of Health, Finland
Topic: Web-based medical education
Track: Practice
Type: Poster presentation
This paper reports on the effects of combining inter-professional education and web-learning for teaching elderly care.  Results indicate that a web-based environment is well suited in teaching inter-professional care of the elderly.  Web-based teaching enabled discussion and collaboration between nursing, social work and rehabilitation teachers and students from universities located in different parts of Finland.  The pilot study proved the need for further long-term evaluation in inter-professional e-learning.

Subjective computer training and management support factors in using computers
Farideh Yaghmaei, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shaheed Behesthi University of Medic Tehran, Iran
Topic: Evaluation and methodological issues in ehealth
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of subjective computer training and management support on attitudes to computers, computer anxiety and subjective norms to use computers.
A Nurses’ Computer Attitudes Inventory (NCATT), with three variables: Patient care, computer anxiety, and patient confidentiality was developed.  Questionnaires were sent to 430 health workers employed in community health centers in a local area.  Results indicated that users with higher levels of computer training had more positive attitudes towards computers. 

Subjective Computer Training: Development a Scale
Farideh Yaghmaei, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shaheed Behesthi University of Medic Tehran, Iran
Topic: Evaluation and methodological issues in ehealth
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure computer training.  Subjective perspective of users in four dimensions: quantity, knowledge, skills and satisfaction were measured.  Results of the study indicated that computer training is a complex multi-dimensional concept and that the Subjective Computer Training Scale (SCTS) can serve as a diagnostic tool for measuring computer training within organizations and as a guide for course development.

International Communication via the Internet: Turkish Nursing Students' Experiences
Meryem Yavuz, The University of Ege School of Nursing in Turkey
Topic: Web-based medical education
Track: Research
|Type: Poster presentation
The purpose of this study was to heighten Turkish nursing students' global awareness while improving computer skills.  Thirty-one first-year baccalaureate nursing students emailed first-year nursing students from 20 different universities in five countries.  Despite some process problems, all students found the assignment challenging and exciting.  Students were enthusiastic about their improved computer and Internet skills, the knowledge they gained about different cultures and healthcare practices, and having nursing students in other countries as e-mail contacts.

Computer Courses in the Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum in Turkey
Meryem Yavuz, The University of Ege School of Nursing in Turkey
Topic: Web-based medical education
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
This study surveyed how Turkish nursing schools have integrated computers and computer courses into their undergraduate programs.  Information was exchanged between nursing students at 45 different universities in Turkey.  This study shows that one method used by undergraduate nursing schools in Turkey is to integrate computer courses into their curricula, thereby providing students with important practical technology skills.

eHealth in Patient/Caregiver Teaching/Information Presentations

Other eHealth Nursing presentations showcased research on Internet patient and caregiver teaching, information and support.

Virtual Clinic as a support and tool for pregnant parents
Pirkko Kouri, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Health Professions Kuopio, Finland
Topic: Health communication on the internet
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
The purpose of this study was to describe both pregnant families’ and professionals’ experiences of a new maternity clinic service and virtual clinic.  Families attending virtual clinic were found to develop a sense of community which gradually evolved into a real-life sense of community.  The group discovered the similarity of their life situations by describing moments of their pregnancy, by giving parent-to-parent concrete help or support for life events, and by giving feedback concerning the maternity care service, such as the timing of instructions at departure related to childbirth.  By providing  real-life views of daily family life, the virtual clinic gave maternity care professionals a deeper understanding of how to support safe pregnancy and growth of families.  Further study regarding increased health informatics literacy and its affect on maternity care professionals’ delivery of care is also warranted.

Japan-Korea Joint project on monitoring people with dementia
Kiyoko Makimoto, Miyae Yamakawa, Osaka University, Dept. of Nursing, Nobuyuki Ashida, Kohshien University, Younhee Kang, Kyung-Rim Shin, Ewha Womans University
Topic: eHealth for chronic diseases
Track: Research
Type: Oral presentation
This paper compares the similarities and dissimilarities in movement patterns of institutionalized elders with dementia between Korea and Japan using a new Integrated Circuit tag (IC) monitoring system.
Results showed that this system can be used to examine factors influencing behavioral patterns, to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation, improve resident safety, and evaluate the quality of care by observing changes in resident behavioral patterns.

An Automatic Communication System between Nursing Home and Residents’ Families
Yoshie Ashida, Setsuko Sagawa, Youko Ohashi, Makoto Fukui, Nobuyuki Ashida, Koshien University; Kiyoko Makimoto, Osaka University
Topic: Next Generation Internet Health Applications
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
This project studied dementia wandering patterns of residents in a nursing home using an automatic monitoring system with IC tags. Observational studies on dementia elders’ routine actions were conducted in three nursing homes in Japan and South Korea utilizing the IC tags.  A summarized daily profile was sent to a family of a resident by e-mail or by the IC tag system.  It was concluded that the automatic monitoring system through the use of IC tags improved communication between nursing home and residents’ families without increasing the burden on nursing home staff.

eHealth Services for Family Caregivers of Dependent Elderly People: An Exploratory Spanish Case Study
Trinidad Carrión, Nursing Department. University of Málaga. Málaga. Spain
Manuel Armayones, Psychology and Sciences of the Education Department. Open University of Catalonia. Barcelona. Spain
Topic: Health communication on the internet
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
This study examined the assistance the Internet could provide to family caregivers of elderly dependants and evaluated the suitability of the eHealth services and information available.  eHealth services for family caregivers of elderly dependents using Google searches and review of selected websites was performed.  Selected websites were found to provide little useful health information or assistance for Spanish family caregivers of elderly dependents.  The study concludes that strategies need to be developed to better enable Spanish persons involved in social and health care to benefit from the advances in information technology.

Home Support of Elderly via Website Algorithms
Florence Puno, University of Kansas Medical Center, Jan Schiefelbein, RNC, PhD, Pittsburg State University, Carol Smith, Ubolrat Piamjariyakul, University of Kansas Medical Center
Topic: Web-based medical education
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
The purpose of this study was to describe the design and implementation of home support intervention via website algorithms in a randomized study of elderly living at home with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).  The website included illustrations, information, and guided problem solving care step models.  It is concluded that the website and telehealth nursing improved subjects’ confidence for solving common health management problems. 

Health Information Needs of the Low Income Elderly
Robert Campbell, David Nolfi, Duquesne University Gumberg Library, Lenore Resick, Duquesne University School of Nursing, Maureen Leonardo, Duquesne University School of Nursing
Topic: Health information on the web: Supply and Demand
Track: Practice
Type: Oral presentation
This paper describes an outreach program, “The Elderly and the Internet: A Partnership in Health,” designed to train and analyze how low to moderate income elderly adults use the Internet to locate, retrieve, and evaluate health care information.  The program allows residents within two nurse wellness centers to participate in a five week course that provides them with skills needed to locate Internet based health information.  This paper describes the program in detail and presents initial findings.  (The program is an interdisciplinary joint effort between Duquesne University’s School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, the School of Pharmacy, and the University Library.)  

The Individual and the Information Society: Consumer Access to Own Health Information and Services on the Internet
Gyda Halldorsdottir, The University of Iceland, Asta Thoroddsen, Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
Topic: Open Access publishing in medicine
Track: Research
Type: Poster presentation
Objectives of this research were to study Icelandic consumers’ perceptions and attitudes regarding access to their own health information and State Social Security Institute of Iceland (SSSI’s) interactive services on the Internet and provide information about their preferences.  This research is the first of its kind in Iceland.  Results indicate that consumers favor electronic health records and expect access will improve communication and understanding of their own health.  Beneficiaries’ and public consumers’ viewpoints were significantly different.

Mednet 2007 October 7-10th, Leipzig, Germany

The 12th World Congress on the Internet & Medicine  (Mednet 2007) will be held in Leipzig, Germany, October 7-10th, 2007, hosted by the Leipzig Graduate School of Management Center for Healthcare Management. (HHL)

Christian Elsener, MD MBA (left) and Prof Wiesmeth, Dean of HHL

Mednet 2007 will have a special focus in two areas: Economics of Internet Applications in Medicine and Business Plans and Models; and, EHR (Electronic Health Record applications) with special focus on the German eGK - Electronic Health Card.  This emphasis should provide stimulating conversation among a variety of participants.

Other themes of Mednet 2007 include:

• Putting electronic health records online
  
• Open Source Initiatives in Internet & Healthcare
   
• Integrated care & Workflow Management over the Internet
   
• Patient Education and Information
   
• Etrials: using the web and etechnologies for clinical trials
   
• Public (e-)health, population health technologies, surveillance
   
• Telemedicice and Heart Failure Management
   
• Internet-based Management of Pace-Makers
   
• Legal aspects of Internet and Medicine
   
• Web-based medical education
   
• Health communication on the internet
   
• Online pharmacies
   
• Internet publishing in medicine
   
• Other topics

Why Attend Mednet 2007

Mednet is one of the foremost Medical Internet conferences in the world, bringing together a variety of healthcare industry leaders, researchers and academicians in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, IT, business and economics with a focus on thought-provoking interchange and real world application.  Nurse participation and dialogue in that interchange is critical to the advancement of 21st century healthcare delivery.  Consider attending, presenting and exchanging ideas with new friends and colleagues at the 12th World Congress on the Internet & Medicine. 

Other Mednet 2006 Photos       

 

VIP Panel: Barriers to the Internet & Medicine dinner

© Copyright 2007 - Carol M. Stock & Associates. All rights reserved.