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- Andersson, Linnea, et al.
(författare)
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Flash visual evoked potentials are unreliable as markers of ICP due to high variability in normal subjects.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Acta neurochirurgica. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0942-0940 .- 0001-6268. ; 154:1, s. 121-127
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Previous publications have suggested a high correlation between flash visual evoked potential (F-VEP) N2 peak latency and intracranial pressure. This would enable F-VEP to be used as a non-invasive and inexpensive method to estimate ICP in a number of settings. However, basic knowledge about variability across subjects and test-retest properties of the F-VEP is lacking. METHODS: Fifteen healthy adult subjects were tested on three different occasions. F-VEP responses were recorded using international standards. FINDINGS: For the tested population, mean N2 latency was 65.7ms (SD 10.7ms) and the range was 48-110ms. Intra-individual variability was high, in four of the 15 subjects more than 15ms between testing sessions. The same was found for P2 latency and for N2 and P2 amplitudes. The response waveform was very variable and unambiguous marking of peaks was often diffucult. One out of the 15 subjects had a very poorly developed F-VEP response, but a normal pattern-reversal VEP response. CONCLUSIONS: F-VEP has a wide range of latency, amplitude and waveform across normal subjects. A large proportion of subjects also had a high intra-individual variability over time. This variability makes F-VEPs unreliable as a marker for intracranial pressure, and caution in interpreting F-VEP changes in clinical work is advised.
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| 4. |
- Bränström, Richard, et al.
(författare)
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Reasons for and factors associated with issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than necessary : results from a nationwide survey of physicians.
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 13, s. 478-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Physicians' work with sickness certifications is an understudied field. Physicians' experience of sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary has been previous reported. However, the extent and frequency of such sickness certification is largely unknown. The aims of this study were: a) to explore the frequency of sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary among physicians working in different clinical settings; b) to examine main reasons for issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than necessary; and c) to examine factors associated with unnecessary issued sickness certificates.METHODS: In 2008, all physicians living and working in Sweden (a total of 36,898) were sent an invitation to participate in a questionnaire study concerning their sick-listing practices. A total of 22,349 (60.6%) returned the questionnaire. In the current study, physicians reporting handling sickness certification consultations at least weekly were included in the analyses, a total of 12,348.RESULTS: The proportion of physicians reporting issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than actually necessary varied greatly between different types of clinics, with the highest frequency among those working at: occupational medicine, orthopedic, primary health care, and psychiatry clinics; and lowest among those working in: eye, dermatology, ear/nose/throat, oncology, surgery, and infection clinics. Logistic analyses showed that sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary due to limitations in the health care system was particularly common among physicians working at occupational medicine, orthopedic, and primary health care clinics. Sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary due to patient-related factors was much more common among physicians working at psychiatric clinics. In addition to differences between clinics, frequency of sickness certificates issued for longer periods than necessary varied by age, physicians' experiences of different situations, and perceived problems.CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that physicians issued sickness certificates for longer periods than actually necessary quite frequently at some types of clinics. Differences between clinics were to a large extent associated with frequency of problems, lack of time, delicate interactions with patients, and need for more competence.
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| 5. |
- Bränström, Richard, et al.
(författare)
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Reasons for and factors associated with issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than necessary : Results from a nationwide survey of physicians
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Nature. - 1471-2458. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPhysicians' work with sickness certifications is an understudied field. Physicians' experience of sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary has been previous reported. However, the extent and frequency of such sickness certification is largely unknown. The aims of this study were: a) to explore the frequency of sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary among physicians working in different clinical settings; b) to examine main reasons for issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than necessary; and c) to examine factors associated with unnecessary issued sickness certificates.Methods In 2008, all physicians living and working in Sweden (a total of 36,898) were sent an invitation to participate in a questionnaire study concerning their sick-listing practices. A total of 22,349 (60.6%) returned the questionnaire. In the current study, physicians reporting handling sickness certification consultations at least weekly were included in the analyses, a total of 12,348.ResultsThe proportion of physicians reporting issuing sickness certificates for longer periods than actually necessary varied greatly between different types of clinics, with the highest frequency among those working at: occupational medicine, orthopedic, primary health care, and psychiatry clinics; and lowest among those working in: eye, dermatology, ear/nose/throat, oncology, surgery, and infection clinics. Logistic analyses showed that sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary due to limitations in the health care system was particularly common among physicians working at occupational medicine, orthopedic, and primary health care clinics. Sickness certifying for longer periods than necessary due to patient-related factors was much more common among physicians working at psychiatric clinics. In addition to differences between clinics, frequency of sickness certificates issued for longer periods than necessary varied by age, physicians' experiences of different situations, and perceived problems.
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| 6. |
- Bränström, Richard, et al.
(författare)
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Sickness certification at oncology clinics : perceived problems, support, need for education and reasons for certifying unnecessarily long sickness absences
- 2014
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer Care. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0961-5423 .- 1365-2354. ; 23:1, s. 89-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Physicians' work with sickness certifications is an understudied field. The aims of this study were to gain knowledge of experiences concerning the sickness certification process among physicians working at oncology clinics. In 2008, all physicians working in Sweden (n = 36 898) were sent a questionnaire concerning sick-listing practices. All respondents working at an oncology clinic (n = 428) were included in the current study. Most of the physicians had sickness certification consultations at least weekly (91.3%). More than one fifth (22.3%) reported that they worked at a clinic with a workplace policy regarding the handling of sickness certification and 61.1% reported receiving at least some support in such cases from their immediate manager. Issuing unnecessary long sickness certificates were related to experiencing delicate interactions with patients and to lack of time. To a moderate degree, further competence was requested regarding: different types of compensation in the social insurance system, responsibilities of the Social Insurance Agency and employers, and sickness insurance rules. The large majority of physicians working in oncology reported regularly having consultations involving sickness certification. Overall, they reported few problems, low level of need for more competence regarding sickness certification, and low frequency of issuing sickness absences for longer periods than necessary.
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| 8. |
- Dumitrescu, Delia, et al.
(författare)
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Smart Textiles as raw materials for design
- 2014
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Ingår i: Shapeshifting. - Auckland, New Zealand : Textile and Design Laboratory and Colab, Auckland University of Technology. - 9781927184271
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Materials fabricate the designed artefact, but they can also play an important role in the design process; as a medium or method used to develop the design. Textiles can, with their soft and flexible properties, be easily transformed and altered in numerous ways; for example, by cutting, folding orprinting on the material. This transformative character makes textiles interesting sketching media for surface explorations when designing artefacts. The development of transformable materials; for example, fusible yarns and colour changing pigments, have expanded these inherent transformative qualities of textiles and have opened up the design field of smart textiles. Accordingly, this new material context has created a new area for textile designers to explore, where it is possible to enhance and play with the alterable character of their textiles, and control their transformation through physical manipulation and programming. However, these expanded transformative properties also open up a new task for textile designers; to design "smart textiles as raw materials for design". By this term we mean, textiles that are not finished in their design but that can be developed and enhanced when they take part in a product or space design process. In this article, we explore and start to define what smart textiles as raw materials for design can be, and look at how these materials can come into and add something to another design process. The foundation for this exploration is a number of textile examples from the “Smart Textiles sample collection” and our experiences when developing and designing with them. (The Smart Textiles sample collection is a range of textiles that is designed and produced by the Smart Textile Design Lab, to give students, designers and researchers direct access to different types of smart textiles). The possibilities and limitations of smart textiles as raw materials for design are explored by looking at the textile examples from two perspectives: firstly, by looking at the considerations that come with designing this type of textile design, and secondly by looking at what these transformative textiles can bring to another design process. Each example is analyzed and classified according to what transformable design variables for structure and surface change can be embedded in the textile design, and what design variables this subsequently creates for a design process that uses these materials i.e., describing what type of transformation different examples of smart textiles introduce to the design process/design space; whether the change is reversible or irreversible, and whether the change occurs through physical or through digital manipulation of the material. This article ends with a discussion of how smart textiles in the form of raw materials for design could influence how we design textiles and how we design with textiles. Can transformative materials enrich material explorations in a design process? Can further development and alteration of the material design be introduced or defined by the textile designer? Could smart textiles as raw materials for design open up a stronger connection between the design of textiles and the design of the product or spaces where they will be used?
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| 9. |
- Eklund, Britt-Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Why do smokers diagnosed with COPD not quit smoking? - a qualitative study
- 2012
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Ingår i: Tobacco Induced Diseases. - : E.U. European Publishing. - 1617-9625. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is currently one of the most widespread chronic lung diseases and a growing cause of suffering and mortality worldwide. It is predicted to become the third leading cause of death in the near future. Smoking is the most important risk factor, and about 50% of smokers develop COPD. Smoking cessation is the most important way to improve prognosis. The aim of the study was to describe difficulties of smoking cessation experienced by individuals with COPD who are unable to stop smoking. MethodsTen smokers (five women) with COPD, GOLD stage II, participated in semi-structured interviews in 2010. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The participants were recruited from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden (OLIN) studies. ResultsThe participants lives were governed by a lifelong smoking habit that was difficult to break although they had knowledge about the harmful effects and the consequences of COPD. The participants described incidents in their lives as reasons for never finding the time to quit smoking. Demands to quit smoking from other people could lead to continued smoking or get them started again after cessation as they did not want to be patronized. They wanted to receive support from relatives and care providers but they wanted to make the decision to quit on their own. ConclusionFor successful smoking cessation, it is important to understand the difficulties smokers are experiencing that influence their efforts to quit smoking. To achieve a successful lasting smoking cessation it might be more effective to first ensure that the smoker has the right internal motivation to make the decision to quit, then assist with smoking cessation.
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| 10. |
- Gustavsson, Catharina, et al.
(författare)
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Problems experienced by gynecologists/obstetricians in sickness certification consultations.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 92:9, s. 1007-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To explore frequencies and experiences with problems in sickness certification consultations among gynecologists and obstetricians in two different years.DESIGN: Cross-sectional surveys on two occasions; in 2004 and 2008.SETTING: Gynecological, obstetric and maternal health care.SAMPLE: Physicians working in gynecology, obstetrics or maternal health care in two Swedish counties from two samples: in 2004 (n = 315), and in 2008 (n = 327).METHODS: Data regarding sickness certification consultations were obtained from comprehensive questionnaires that had been mailed to the physicians in two Swedish counties in 2004 and in 2008, respectively.OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequencies and types of problems in sickness certification consultations, organizational support, and need to acquire more competence.RESULTS: The majority experienced that patients requested to be on sick leave for a reason other than work incapacity due to disease or injury, at least a few times per year (85% in 2004 and 88% in 2008). The most problematic situation to handle was when the physician and the patient had different opinions about the need for sick leave (2004: 66% and 2008: 58%). The physicians expressed a need for more competence about the options and responsibilities of employers, social insurance officers and physicians in sickness certification cases.CONCLUSIONS: Most gynecologists/obstetricians find sickness certification consultations problematic and especially when encountering patients requesting to be on sick leave for reasons other than disease. The physicians expressed a need for more competence in insurance medicine, especially about their own and other stakeholders' options and responsibilities.
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