Ensuring the Continuity of Care of Cardiorespiratory Diseases at Home

Objectives: A significant portion of care related to cardiorespiratory diseases is provided at home, usually but not exclusively, after the discharge of a patient from hospital. It is the purpose of the present study to present the technical means which we have developed, in order to support the adaptation of the continuity of care of cardiorespiratory diseases at home.

Methods: We have developed an integrated system that includes: first, a prototype laptop-based portable monitoring system that comprises low-cost commercially available components, which enable the periodical or continuous monitoring of vital signs at home; second, software supporting medical decision-making related to tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, as well as fuzzy-rules-based software supporting home-ventilation optimization; third, a typical continuity of care record (CCR) adapted to support also the creation of a homecare plan; and finally, a prototype ontology, based upon the HL7 clinical document architecture (CDA), serving as basis for the development of semantically annotated web services that allow for the exchange and retrieval of homecare information.

Results: The flexible design and the adaptable data-exchange mechanism of the developed system result in a useful and standard-compliant tool, for cardiorespiratory disease-related homecare.

Conclusions: The ongoing laboratory testing of the system shows that it is able to contribute to an effective and low-cost package solution, supporting patient supervision and treatment. Furthermore, semantic web technologies prove to be the perfect solution for both the conceptualization of a continuity of care data exchange procedure and for the integration of the structured medical data.

Extending the use of DRGs to estimate mean Home-Care cost by employing an adapted ASTM E2369-05 Continuity of Care Record

The purpose of this study is the presentation of a system appropriate to be used upon the transition of a patient, from hospital to homecare. The developed system is based upon the creation of a structured subset of data, complying with the ASTM E2369-0 Standard Specification for Continuity of Care Record, concerning the most relevant facts about a patient's healthcare, organized and transportable, in order to be employed during the post-discharge homecare period. The system allows for the extension of the use of DRGs to estimate mean Home-Care cost, taking advantage of the planning and the optimal documentation of the provided homecare.

Estimation of the DRGs related mean surgical treatment cost for 535 patients in Greece by employing custom-made software

The purpose of the present study was the development of a Medical Procedure Resources-Allocation and Cost-Capturing Software for the Estimation of the Mean DRGs associated Treatment Cost and its initial implementation in the specific context of the Surgery Department.

An integrated system supporting training in medical and administrative decision making in the emergency department

The aim of the present project was the development of an integrated computer-based system supporting training in medical and administrative decision making in the Emergency Department. The system comprises of, first, a module supporting on-line acquaintance with Emergency Medical Guidelines, second, a vital-signs monitoring and processing module, and finally an administrative module organizing the most relevant facts about a patient's health status in compliance with the ASTM E2369-0 Standard Specification for Continuity of Care Record, in order to be employed after discharge from the Emergency Care to a hospital ward or to homecare.

A homecare application based on the ASTM E2369-05 Standard Specification for Continuity of Care Record

The purpose of this study is the presentation of a system appropriate to be used upon the transition of a patient from hospital to homecare. The developed system is structured according to the ASTM E2369-05 Standard Specification for Continuity of Care Record and its function is based upon the creation of a structured subset of data, containing the patient's most relevant clinical information, enabling simultaneously the planning and the optimal documentation of the provided homecare.

Enhancing continuity in care: an implemantation of the ASTM E2369-05 Standard Specification for Continuity of Care Record in a homecare application

Sharing of healthcare related information among the different healthcare providers is a crucial aspect for the continuity of the provided care The purpose of this study is the presentation of a system appropriate to be used upon the transition or the referral of a patient, and especially in transition from hospital to homecare. The function of the developed system is based upon the creation of a structured subset of data, concerning the most relevant facts about a patient's healthcare, organized and transportable, in order to be employed during the post-discharge homecare period, enabling simultaneously the planning and the optimal documentation of the provided homecare. The structure and the content of the created data sets are complying with the ASTM E2369-0 Standard, Specification for Continuity of Care Record.