Showing papers in "Journal of Medical Systems in 2004"
TL;DR: The finding suggests that 44% of public health centers in Kenya are inefficient, and studies should be undertaken in the other countries in the World Health Organization African Region with a view to empowering Ministries of Health to play their stewardship role more effectively.
Abstract: Data Envelopment Analysis has been widely used to analyze the efficiency of health sector in developed countries, since 1978, while in Africa, only a few studies have attempted to apply DEA in the health organizations. In this paper we measure technical efficiency of public health centers in Kenya. Our finding suggests that 44% of public health centers are inefficient. Therefore, the objectives of this study are: to determine the degree of technical efficiency of individual primary health care facilities in Kenyas to recommend the performance targets for inefficient facilitiess to estimate the magnitudes of excess inputss and to recommend what should be done with those excess inputs. The authors believe that this kind of studies should be undertaken in the other countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region with a view to empowering Ministries of Health to play their stewardship role more effectively.
156 citations
TL;DR: Systems and recommendations have been developed that may reduce the occurrence of such errors and thousands of medication name pairs have been confused based on similar appearances or sounds when written or spoken.
Abstract: Errors due to look-alike or sound-alike medication names are common in the United States, and are responsible for thousands of deaths and millions of dollars in cost each year. Up to 25% of all medication errors are attributed to name confusion, and 33% to packaging and/or labeling confusion. Thousands of medication name pairs have been confused based on similar appearances or sounds when written or spoken, or have been identified as having the potential for confusion. Systems and recommendations have been developed that may reduce the occurrence of such errors.
153 citations
TL;DR: Empirical and anecdotal findings are organized across five attributes affecting innovation adoption rates for the following four adopter groups: physicians, patients, hospital administrators, and payers.
Abstract: This paper utilizes the diffusion of innovation framework to discuss factors affecting adoption of telemedicine. Empirical and anecdotal findings are organized across five attributes affecting innovation adoption rates for the following four adopter groups: physicians, patients, hospital administrators, and payers. A discussion of the implications is included.
125 citations
TL;DR: There are few reported studies that address distributed synchronous learning in these undergraduate programs with an emphasis on synchronous delivery in the first 2 years, and the literature is informative.
Abstract: This paper describes the findings of a literature review conducted on the current usage, lessons, and limitations of e-learning for undergraduate medical education with an emphasis on synchronous delivery in the first 2 years. The review was conducted as part of an initiative to expand the UBC undergraduate medical program in British Columbia, Canada. The 50 e-learning articles included in the review described the deployment of various types of e-learning technology and content in different settings. The seven videoconferencing articles provided product information, health education examples, and innovative approaches. The six review articles provided general guidelines and trends on e-learning in undergraduate medical education in United States and Europe. Overall, while the literature is informative, there are few reported studies that address distributed synchronous learning in these undergraduate programs.
115 citations
TL;DR: Overall efficiency in federal hospitals improved from 68% in 1998 to 79% in 2001, however, based upon 2001 spending of $42.5 billion for federal hospitals potential savings of $2.0 billion annually are possible through more efficient management of resources.
Abstract: This study evaluates the technical efficiency of federal hospitals in the United States using a variable returns to scale, input-oriented, data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology. Hospital executives, health care policy-makers, taxpayers, and other stakeholders, benefit from studies that improve the efficiency of federal hospitals. Data for 280 federal hospitals in 1998 and 245 in 2001 were analyzed using DEA to measure hospital efficiency. Results indicate overall efficiency in federal hospitals improved from 68% in 1998 to 79% in 2001. However, based upon 2001 spending of d42.5 billion for federal hospitals potential savings of d2.0 billion annually are possible through more efficient management of resources. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the importance of establishing more specific policies to address inefficiency in the federal health care industry.
110 citations
TL;DR: A framework is constructed that links contextual components of quality with structure, structure with process, and process with outcomes, focusing on nursing care quality and is matched with a discussion of multilevel structural equation analysis for statistical application.
Abstract: Given the ongoing concerns about the quality of care in nursing homes, a theoretical framework to guide a systems approach to quality is important. Existing frameworks either do not model causality, or do so in a linear fashion in which the actual linkages between components of quality may not be well specified. Through a review of frameworks for nursing home quality, and empirical studies on the subject, the authors construct a framework for nursing home quality that links contextual components of quality with structure, structure with process, and process with outcomes, focusing on nursing care quality. Intrastructural relationships and feedback mechanisms are also modeled. The framework is matched with a discussion of multilevel structural equation analysis for statistical application. Future research should expand the framework to include non-nursing components of quality.
87 citations
TL;DR: This paper presents a GIS analysis of prenatal care need and clinic services for low-income mothers in Brooklyn, NY and identifies several underserved areas with large numbers of needy women and few clinics available.
Abstract: Many municipalities provide special prenatal care services targeted to low-income women whose access to prenatal care is constrained. For such services to be successful and effective, they must be geographically targeted to the places where low-income, high-need mothers live. This paper presents a GIS analysis of prenatal care need and clinic services for low-income mothers in Brooklyn, NY. We analyze fine-grained geographic variation in need using data on the residential locations of recent mothers who lack health insurance or are covered by Medicaid. Spatial statistical methods are used to create spatially smoothed maps of the density of mothers and corresponding maps of the density of prenatal clinics. For these mothers, clinic density is positively associated with early initiation of prenatal care. Although clinic locations conform relatively well to the residential concentrations of high-need women, we identify several underserved areas with large numbers of needy women and few clinics available.
84 citations
TL;DR: This study computed continuous spatial patterns of late-stage rates of colorectal cancer in Iowa using geocoded data from a cancer registry with methods of spatial analysis that provide considerable geographic detail in the cancer rate while controlling for rate stabilization and reliability due to the small number problem.
Abstract: This study, using geocodes of the locations of residence of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients from the Iowa Cancer Registry, computed continuous spatial patterns of late-stage rates of colorectal cancer in Iowa. Variations in rates in intrahospital service regions were as great as interhospital service regions, shown by analysis of variance tests. Some of the spatial variations observed could be explained, using a general linear regression model on individual-level data, by spatial variations in attributes of individuals and their relationships to health resources. We show how this source of variation can be removed from the original map leaving a new map showing the remaining variation in late-stage rate not explained by these relationships. We argue that it would be more appropriate to organize prevention and control activities targeted at the areas with higher than expected late-stage rates shown on this map. The originality of this approach is in the integration of geocoded data from a cancer registry with methods of spatial analysis that provide considerable geographic detail in the cancer rate while controlling for rate stabilization and reliability due to the small number problem.
81 citations
TL;DR: This study evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of three widely used tools for geocoding against a random sample of addresses from a state administrative address master file and found considerable variation in identification of census block geocodes of addresses.
Abstract: This study examined the sources of error involved in geocoding, by systematically evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of three widely used tools for geocoding. We tested them against a random sample of addresses from a state administrative address master file and found considerable variation in identification of census block geocodes of addresses. This high variation was mainly attributable to differences in preprocessing of addresses before geocoding and the reference street data used for geocoding. Preprocessing includes not only parsing and standardizing, but also correcting addresses against the US Postal Service Zip+4 Database, the master mailing address database maintained and updated regularly by USPS.
71 citations
TL;DR: This work presents a method for the automatic comparison of epileptic seizures in EEG, allowing the grouping of seizures having similar overall patterns, and observed that ANN classification of EEG signals with AR preprocessing gives better results, and these results can also be used for the deduction of epilepsy seizure.
Abstract: Approximately 1% of the people in the world suffer from epilepsy. Careful analyses of the electroencephalograph (EEG) records can provide valuable insight and improved understanding of the mechanisms causing epileptic disorders. Predicting the onset of epileptic seizure is an important and difficult biomedical problem, which has attracted substantial attention of the intelligent computing community over the past two decades. The purpose of this work was to investigate the performance of the periodogram and autoregressive (AR) power spectrum methods to extract classifiable features from human electroencephalogram (EEG) by using artificial neural networks (ANN). The feedforward ANN system was trained and tested with the backpropagation algorithm using a large data set of exemplars. We present a method for the automatic comparison of epileptic seizures in EEG, allowing the grouping of seizures having similar overall patterns. Each channel of the EEG is first broken down into segments having relatively stationary characteristics. Features are then calculated for each segment, and all segments of all channels of the seizures of a patient are grouped into clusters of similar morphology. This clustering allows labeling of every EEG segment. Examples from 5 patients with scalp electrodes illustrate the ability of the method to group seizures of similar morphology. It was observed that ANN classification of EEG signals with AR preprocessing gives better results, and these results can also be used for the deduction of epileptic seizure.
63 citations
TL;DR: The results demonstrated that patient-users tended to evaluate each system on the basis of how it fit into everyday life and corresponded to personal preferences, and allowed the system designers to understand users' concerns and the context of adoption in order to introduce necessary changes to the design to address such concerns.
Abstract: To explore to what extent observation and semistructured in-depth interviews provide effective tools for usability testing of two automated home-based systems aimed at monitoring patients' health status at home and improving self-care. Telephone-Linked Care for Diet Adherence in Dyslipidemia (TLC-DietAid) used computer telephony to interact with users and Home Asthma Telemonitoring System (HAT System) used a combination of Personal Digital Assistant (palmtops) and the Internet for similar purposes. Both systems were evaluated in two separate pilot studies. Our pilot studies uncovered “medium-specific” and “content-specific” issues that addressed either the process of the interaction or its content. The results demonstrated that patient-users tended to evaluate each system on the basis of how it fit into everyday life and corresponded to personal preferences. The methodology also allowed the system designers to understand users' concerns and the context of adoption in order to introduce necessary changes to the design to address such concerns.
TL;DR: The geographic access to community pharmacies appears to be appropriate in Illinois, however, a small portion of rural elderly who do not have a pharmacy in their nearby areas may warrant special attention.
Abstract: Community pharmacies play an important role in maintaining population health in the United States. They are large in number, distribute widely across geographic areas, and operate for long hours. Because the elderly population tends to use more medications and have more frequent interaction with pharmacies and pharmacists, this study was carried out to understand the geographic access to community pharmacies by the elderly in Illinois and to estimate the disparity in the access between rural and urban areas. The addresses of all community pharmacies operating in 2001 were geocoded to identify their locations. The Census 2000 data on demographics at the census block group level was used to estimate the geographic distribution of the Illinois population by age group. Using the centroid of each census block group and the locations of community pharmacies, the distance to a nearest pharmacy for each census block group was calculated. The distance was then weighted to compute the aggregated distance required for the elderly to access a pharmacy. There were 1373 community pharmacies operating in Illinois in 2001. Most pharmacies (93.8%) were located in urban areas. On average, there were 1.27 and 0.38 pharmacies per 10,000 people in urban and rural areas, respectively. The average distance for an elderly person in Illinois to locate a community pharmacy was 0.9 miles in urban areas, but it was six times more (5.9 miles) in rural areas. At least 10% of the rural elderly had to travel more than 11.8 miles to find a community pharmacy, but only 0.1% had to travel more than 20 miles. The geographic access to community pharmacies appears to be appropriate in Illinois. However, a small portion of rural elderly who do not have a pharmacy in their nearby areas may warrant special attention.
TL;DR: The systematic review demonstrated that methodological deficiencies in the published research impact the generalizability of findings in teledermatology applications.
Abstract: Teledermatology refers to the use of information and communication technologies (such as videoconferencing or transmission of digital images) to enable the practice of diagnostic dermatology between participants separated by geographic distance. The objective of this study was to critically review the quality of evidence about patient satisfaction with teledermatology applications. Sample size, reporting of validity and reliability, used instrument and its underlying constructs were determined for all studies where information was available. Fourteen studies were identified, five refer to store-and-forward applications, the remaining ones describe video-based systems. The systematic review demonstrated that methodological deficiencies in the published research impact the generalizability of findings. The two types of teledermatology (video-based and store-and-forward) require different satisfaction instruments as they are based on different contexts of care delivery, with video-mediated communication being key in the former and patients' absence from the diagnostic process in the latter mode of care delivery.
TL;DR: The greatest potential of GIS is its ability to clearly show the results of complex analyses through maps, and its costs, the need to adequately train staff, the use of appropriate spatial units, and the risk it poses to violating patient confidentiality are discussed.
Abstract: Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly being used in public health and medicine. Advances in computer technology, the encouragement of its use by the federal government, and the wide availability of academic and commercial courses on GIS are responsible for its growth. Some view GIS as only a tool for spatial research and policy analysis, while others believe it is part of a larger emerging new science including geography, cartography, geodesy, and remote sensing. The specific advantages and problems of GIS are discussed. The greatest potential of GIS is its ability to clearly show the results of complex analyses through maps. Problems in using GIS include its costs, the need to adequately train staff, the use of appropriate spatial units, and the risk it poses to violating patient confidentiality. Lastly, the fourteen articles in this special issue devoted to GIS are introduced and briefly discussed.
TL;DR: The instrument of the patient satisfaction developed in this study provides insights to the researches who study the improvement of patient satisfaction with service quality of hospitals, practitioners, and the decision makers.
Abstract: Patient satisfaction is an important measure of service quality in health care systems. Patients' perceptions about health care systems seem to have been largely ignored by health care managers in developing countries. The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure patient satisfaction in Turkey. A questionnaire was developed and a total of 1100 patients in 31 different hospitals were interviewed. Factor analysis was utilized to determine the factor structure. The instrument of the patient satisfaction developed in this study provides insights to the researches who study the improvement of patient satisfaction with service quality of hospitals, practitioners, and the decision makers.
TL;DR: A proposal for integrated health system in the primary care system in Greece with a major focus on equity, quality, and outcomes is reported, focusing on the provision of essential services, clinical, and organizational standards.
Abstract: Over the past few years Greece has undergone several endeavors, aimed at modernizing and improving the national health care services. A Health Care Reform Act seeking quality improvement and coordination of outpatient and hospital services at the Regional level, through the enhancement of primary care, has been recently approved. This paper reports a proposal for integrated health system in the primary care system in Greece with a major focus on equity, quality, and outcomes. The equity and quality framework of this proposal will possess the main components focusing on the provision of essential services, and clinical and organizational standards.
TL;DR: Important disparities among these community areas in mortality rates, birth outcomes, and infectious diseases were found and it is important to examine their existence to better understand how to minimize them.
Abstract: Small-area analysis in health is essential in uncovering local-level disparities often masked by health estimates for large areas (e.g., cities, counties, states). In this context, 14 health status indicators (HSIs) were examined for six Chicago community areas that reflect the substantial diversity of the city. HSIs were compared over time (from 1989–90 to 1999–2000) and across community areas. Important disparities among these community areas in mortality rates, birth outcomes, and infectious diseases were found. In many cases the disparities were in the expected direction with the richest and predominantly White community area experiencing the lowest rates. However, some surprises did manifest themselves. For example, only the poorest community area experienced a statistically significant decline in the infant mortality rate. Since so much of attention is now being paid to reducing and eliminating these disparities, it is important to examine their existence to better understand how to minimize them.
TL;DR: A computer-based system has been designed for easy measurement and analysis of lung sound using the software package DasyLAB, able to digitally record the lung sounds which are captured with an electronic stethoscope plugged to a sound card on a portable computer.
Abstract: Listening to various lung sounds has proven to be an important diagnostic tool for detecting and monitoring certain types of lung diseases In this study a computer-based system has been designed for easy measurement and analysis of lung sound using the software package DasyLAB The designed system presents the following features: it is able to digitally record the lung sounds which are captured with an electronic stethoscope plugged to a sound card on a portable computer, display the lung sound waveform for auscultation sites, record the lung sound into the ASCII format, acoustically reproduce the lung sound, edit and print the sound waveforms, display its time-expanded waveform, compute the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and display the power spectrum and spectrogram
TL;DR: Implementation within GIS of spatial analytical tools suitable for aggregated data over a region will increase the use of GIS beyond simple GIS operations in health studies.
Abstract: This study examined the extent to which health studies, mostly in public health and epidemiology, used geographical information systems (GIS). We identified a wide range of tools they used—ranging from geocoding through simple buffer/overlay functions to spatial query functions. However, studies tend to rely on tools outside of GIS for spatial statistical analyses. This may reflect a lack of spatial statistical tools that are suitable for health researchers whose data are rather geographically aggregated count data than continuous data. Implementation within GIS of spatial analytical tools suitable for aggregated data over a region will increase the use of GIS beyond simple GIS operations in health studies.
TL;DR: Medical Markup Language (MML), as a set of standards, has been developed over the last 8 years to allow the exchange of medical data between different medical information providers and it has become possible to exchange MML Version 3.0 medical documents via HL7 messages.
Abstract: Medical Markup Language (MML), as a set of standards, has been developed over the last 8 years to allow the exchange of medical data between different medical information providers. MML Version 2.21 used XML as a metalanguage and was announced in 1999. In 2001, MML was updated to Version 2.3, which contained 12 modules. The latest version—Version 3.0—is based on the HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA). During the development of this new version, the structure of MML Version 2.3 was analyzed, subdivided into several categories, and redefined so the information defined in MML could be described in HL7 CDA Level One. As a result of this development, it has become possible to exchange MML Version 3.0 medical documents via HL7 messages.
TL;DR: A computer-based imaging system aiming to support telemedicine examination sessions in dermatology is presented, and the effect that image compression quality factor has in the diagnostic value of the skin digital images is studied.
Abstract: The paper presents a computer-based imaging system aiming to support telemedicine examination sessions in dermatology Many studies have proved the inadequacy of general practitioners to diagnose successfully common dermatological diseasess some of them may prove fatal if not diagnosed at their early stages (eg, melanoma) Thus the need for telemedicine systems customized for dermatology becomes obvious for distant rural areas, where dermatological care is usually provided by general doctors We treat technological issues such as image acquisition, camera calibration, illumination, data transmission, and data compression, and propose a store and forward architecture for image transmission We also include a study of the effect that image compression quality factor has in the diagnostic value of the skin digital images, along with some initial results and conclusions from the pilot use of the system
TL;DR: The study shows that spatial accessibility to primary care physician for the majority of the state improved from 1990 to 2000, and areas with worsened spatial accessibility were primarily concentrated in rural areas and some limited pockets in urban areas.
Abstract: This paper examines temporal changes of access to primary health care in Illinois between 1990 and 2000 in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Census data at the census tract level in 1990 and 2000 were used to define the population (demand) distribution and related socioeconomic attributes, and the Physician Masterfile of American Medical Association in corresponding years was used to define the physician (supply) distribution at the zip code level. A two-step floating catchment method was employed to measure the spatial access, considering locations of physicians and population and travel times between them. Various socioeconomic and demographic variables were consolidated into three factors (i.e., socioeconomic disadvantages, sociocultural barriers, and high healthcare needs) for measuring the nonspatial access. Spatial and nonspatial factors were finally integrated together to assess the primary care physician shortage areas. The study shows that spatial accessibility to primary care physician for the majority of the state improved from 1990 to 2000. Areas with worsened spatial accessibility were primarily concentrated in rural areas and some limited pockets in urban areas. The worst among these worsened areas appeared to be associated with populations with high scores of socioeconomically disadvantages, sociocultural barriers, and healthcare needs. Improving the accessibility of those socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups is critical for the success of future policies.
TL;DR: Growth in computer ownership and Internet use, while offering optimism that the Digital Divide is narrowing, also illustrates that, without focused intervention, certain populations, will continue to be excluded from participation.
Abstract: Computer ownership and literacy, along with Internet access and its many applications, has become, for many, a trademark for the Americans' lifestyle. Research shows that computer ownership and literacy, along with Internet access and expertise, is rapidly changing how Americans go about their business. The technological industry is providing many opportunities for Americans to operate in markets, global and local, not previously available. These changes are apparent across all U.S. sociocultural and geographic boundaries. Yet, upon close analysis, there are individuals and communities less connected with many completely excluded from participation. Those individuals exist below a line called the Digital Divide. Growth in computer ownership and Internet use, while offering optimism that the Digital Divide is narrowing, also illustrates that, without focused intervention will for certain populations, continue. Public and private programs, focus groups, and pocks of community activism, each hope to correct the disparities among on- and-off line Americans. On many fronts, there is evidence that progress is being made by many. Income, race, age, and geographic location are often the determining factors.
TL;DR: A collection of suggestive anecdotal evidence indicating the pharmacist shortage is having a negative impact on medication errors is found.
Abstract: The paper, as part of this special issue in error prevention, reviews and discusses evidence in the literature related to the impact of the pharmacist shortage on medication errors. The paper examines past research regarding the impact of pharmacists on medication errors, as well as a recent unique survey that attempted to directly examine the impact of the shortage on medication errors. The paper finds a collection of suggestive anecdotal evidence indicating the pharmacist shortage is having a negative impact on medication errors. In addition, several suggestions are made for future research regarding the relationship between pharmacists, the health system, and medication errors.
TL;DR: The results of the study suggest that changes in physicians' behavior and in the organization of hospital activities may be effective in improving the quality and efficiency of hospital care.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of inappropriate days of stay in a Turkish military hospital, and to explore the variables correlated with these. A review was made of the medical records of surgery patients admitted to the hospital of Gulhane Military Medical Academy. To determine the appropriateness of lengths of hospitalization, a Turkish version of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) was applied retrospectively. A total of 375 patients' files were revieweds and 21.3% of the hospital admissions were evaluated as inappropriate. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that inappropriate length of stay was significantly increased with relation to age, emergency status, military rank, and distance from the hospital to the patient's home. The results of the study suggest that changes in physicians' behavior and in the organization of hospital activities may be effective in improving the quality and efficiency of hospital care.
TL;DR: The use of drug databases on the PDA was significantly more common in the control group than in the intervention group, which can be interpreted as a success of the intervention.
Abstract: There have been numerous efforts to introduce and increase the use of handheld computers, also called personal digital assistants (PDA), in health care, one of which is the distribution of PDAs to Neurology residents at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The authors examined the success of this intervention by comparing PDA use and user attitudes between residents of the intervention group and residents in another residency program where the use of PDAs is neither encouraged nor discouraged. The authors examined in particular the use of drug databases on the PDA as its currently most popular application in health care. The use of PDAs for purposes not related to health care was widespread among individuals in both programs, but the use of drug databases was significantly more common in the control group, which can be interpreted as a success of the intervention.
TL;DR: Technology's role in the diagnosis, treatment assignment, follow-ups, and prevention will be reviewed and future impact projected, and specific applications are presented and explained.
Abstract: Technology advances have changed the face of health care. This paradigm shift blurred the boundaries between public health, acute care, and prevention. Technology's role in the diagnosis, treatment assignment, follow-ups, and prevention will be reviewed and future impact projected. The understanding of shift in our expectation for each aspect of health care is critical so that levels of success are understood. Technology advances in health care delivery will be discussed. Specific applications are presented and explained and future trends discussed. Four applications are defined, and related to categories of technologies and their attributes.
TL;DR: This paper studies medical environments that can support electronicmedical transactions or/and the provision of medical information through the Web and focuses on the countermeasures that the various actor categories can employ for protecting the privacy of personal and medical data transmitted during electronic medical transactions.
Abstract: Raising awareness and providing guidance to on-line data protection is by all means a crucial issue worldwide. Equally important is the issue of applying privacy-related legislation in a coherent and coordinated way. Both these topics become even more critical when referring to medical environments and thus to the protection of patients' privacy and medical data. Electronic medical transactions require the transmission of personal and medical information over insecure communication channels like the Internet. It is therefore a rather straightforward task to construct “patient profiles” that capture the electronic medical behavior of a patient, or even reveal sensitive information in regard with her/his medical history. Clearly, the consequence from maintaining such profiles is the violation of the patient's privacy. This paper studies medical environments that can support electronic medical transactions or/and the provision of medical information through the Web. Specifically it focuses on the countermeasures that the various actor categories can employ for protecting the privacy of personal and medical data transmitted during electronic medical transactions.
TL;DR: This research presents an Index of Relative Wellbeing, a weighted basket of 10 key variables from the Census that can be used to describe the health status of a particular census area and demonstrates that the spatial distribution of health inequalities can be carefully documented and be directly used in the policymaking arena.
Abstract: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been widely used by health planners and professionals to map and describe disease occurrence, spread, and exposure Increasingly, GIS is being used to measure accessibility to health services in order to better manage scarce resources and to ensure equity and accountability We argue that health planners can use readily available census data to understand the demands and needs of particular population by identifying key indicators that have a direct or indirect impact on individual health and community well-being We present an Index of Relative Wellbeing, a weighted basket of 10 key variables from the Census that can be used to describe the health status of a particular census area Health planners can use this index within a GIS to conduct spatial and temporal analyses Our research demonstrates that the spatial distribution of health inequalities can be carefully documented and be directly used in the policymaking arena
TL;DR: MLP neural network has classified more successfully when compared with RBF neural network when it came to classify the data obtained from LICA and RICA in artificial intelligence.
Abstract: For the classification of left and right Internal Carotid Arteries (ICA) stenosis, Doppler signals have been received from the patients with coroner arteries stenosis by using 6.2–8.4 MHz linear transducer. To be able to classify the data obtained from LICA and RICA in artificial intelligence, MLP and RBF neural networks were used. The number of obstructed veins from the coroner angiography, intimal thickness, and plaque formation from the power Doppler US and resistive index values were used as the input data for the neural networks. Our findings demonstrated that 87.5% correct classification rate was obtained from MLP neural network and 80% correct classification rate was obtained from RBF neural network. MLP neural network has classified more successfully when compared with RBF neural network.