"For portals, speak patients' language" c/o Healthcare IT News

Mike Miliard's 

For portals, speak patients' language 

in Healthcare IT News is a reminder of accessibility and engagement at the level of a communities languages.

This is one of the reasons why I am committed to using Drupal, to try to make use of its Internationalization capabilities amongst others. 

Thanks to Mike's post I'm now familiar with a 'full court press' as a hospital - enterprise wide no less - seeks to achieve defined patient engagement levels by accessing their electronic health record.

This begs the question of what constitutes the patients' language? I don't just mean the purely linguistic forms of Chinese, Korean, Russian and Greek mentioned in the article. The effort is driven by the statutory demands of meaningful use, but what of the patient's general literacy, IT and health literacies? How do patients make sense of their own health (or another in the role of a carer) not just in a given language, but culturally from a medical sociological and public health perspective? What is the community's vocabulary when it comes to health?

How can we assure that meaningfulness? How can we affirm that use and critically translate use into patient benefits and self-efficacy?

You could also entitle Mike's article as

4 portals speak patients' language

individual

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

Health Literacy, Accessibility	Measures (health literacy, patient engagement, health and well-being, clinical outcomes)
Cultural Diversity, Languages, Carer	Internationalization 'Meaningful Use', Standards, Legislation, Policy

When we focus on languages we must remember that listening is a great gift. Whether as health and IT professionals, educators, patients and carers, listening to the care domains can help us integrate diverse social, clinical, policy and technical objectives.

What do these portals say to you?

https://twitter.com/MikeMiliardHITN
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/author/mike-miliard

disABLED: What's behind a symbol?

individual

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

	NY State

Well done NY excellent MOVE!

(and hope to visit next year)

My source: James Moore, Clash of Symbols, The Independent 20 June 2014, p.35.
 
Image source from upper right:
http://in-abled.com/blog/2014/04/would-martin-luther-king-jr-care-about-disabilities/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disability

after Mondrian: Journey with Hodges through Politics, Sciences and Intrapersonal ...

Prompt: Tate email

Subject: "Journey with Mondrian through Paris, London and New York"


individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

Piet_Mondriaan	Cubo Grande
Photograph by Dominique Mulhem.	https://www.reddit.com/user/sverdrupian/

Image sources (from top left clockwise):
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Piet_Mondriaan.jpg
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ordep13/
http://www.fondationtanagra.com/en/article/mily-doll-by-gege/page/but-darling 
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/2ocwh3/world_map_in_the_manner_of_piet_mondrian_948730/

Book: The Empathy Exams & Michel Serres Institute

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

The Empathy Exams Interpersonal Skills	The Natural Sciences
Local, Society & Socio-	-Economics Law

As recent posts reveal I'm overwhelmed with reading at present. Material that is essential for the TEL course and reading more tangential and yet potentially enjoyable titles. It will be a busy summer as all this is brought together(!?). Especially as I've a literature search in mind as a module submission - progress permitting.

The publication of Jamison's book this (N) spring sits well after the findings last year about the benefits of reading fiction in increasing empathy.

Since 2008-2009 I've lost touch with the work of Michel Serres:

Jones, Peter, Exploring Serres’ Atlas, Hodges’ Knowledge Domains and the Fusion of Informatics and Cultural Horizons (Aug 15, 2007). SOCIAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONNECTING SOCIETY AND CULTURAL ISSUES. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1842504 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1842504

I only scratched the surface of Serres' oeuvre in the above paper and when time permits will revisit this work having just learnt of the Institute:

The resource-systems approach

"Reframing the conceptual and operational field of natural resources requires deep interdisciplinarity across fields encompassing legal and socio-economic studies, and life-sciences. And, it goes without saying, philosophy. The priorities at present are the aid to decision-making and a participative, pro-active civil society acting to (1) manage human activities while meeting the specific territorial potential and resource capacities and (2) ensure a fair re-allocation of such resources according to vital human needs and coherent public goods policies. Who are the members, what are the missions and the activities of the (...)."

Book cover image: c/o Author.

My source: The Empathy Exams
FT Weekend, June 7-8, 2014.

Book: Mapping It Out An - Alternative Atlas of Contemporary Cartographies

Published today [UK ]

Mapping It Out

An Alternative Atlas of Contemporary Cartographies

Mapping It Out

http://89plus.com/

My source:
Jobey, J.  The Shape of Things, FT Weekend Magazine, May 31 / June 1 2014,26-29.

Image source:
www.fastcodesign.com

Books: The Geometry of Meaning, Gärdenfors & Geometry and Meaning, Widdows

There are two additions to my library. They are technical in parts and beyond my math and technical abilities, but as background this is essential reading.


Widdow's Geometry and Meaning includes details of the software used in the text. See the companion website below. While Gärdenfors' book The Geometry of Meaning is new, Widdow's text is a decade old and so demands some checking of software. I notice there are broken links on the companion site. The book, both in fact are great resources even as they increase the permanence of the geometry upon my furrowed brow...

Dominic Widdows, Geometry and Meaning - Companion website

Psychiatric Bulletin - Letter: Psychiatry for medical students: need for a more holistic approach to teaching?

From: Psychiatric Bulletin -

http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/38/3/138.2.full

Kristina Rodney and Laura Wilkinson

Kristina Rodney and Laura Wilkinson are both ST4 medical students, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK, email:k.rodney AT newcastle.ac.uk.

We are two medical students who wish to offer a perspective on undergraduate education and psychiatry.

During our student placement, we attended the old age psychiatry module at the Northern Deanery MRCPsych programme focusing on dementia and ethics. This was aimed at trainees and not specifically medical students but we were surprised to find that this was not above our level of knowledge. This prompted discussion of undergraduate psychiatry training more broadly, which we felt focused too heavily on the diagnosis of mental illness and less so on the holistic approach to the patient and their presentation as covered by the MRCPsych course. From our experience of undergraduate psychiatry we feel that the assessment by means of a logbook of conditions encourages students to find patients with a certain diagnosis, and in doing so overlooks the true essence of psychiatry. To our mind this incorporates the ability to consider all aspects of a patient’s life and formulating these, while demonstrating compassion for another person at a time of most need.

Through choosing a 6-week placement in old age psychiatry we have been able to explore the specialty more thoroughly and broadly than facilitated within the standard undergraduate programme, and we have realised how little of psychiatry we have been exposed to as undergraduates. We have become more aware of the importance of considering the patient’s personal and social circumstances alongside their diagnosis, and how these can influence each other. Specifically, the importance of a sound ethical approach to practice has been highlighted through the higher-level teaching we experienced, where the Mental Capacity Act was discussed in detail.

We believe that it would benefit undergraduates to experience a more realistic and rounded placement in psychiatry and truly consider the social implications of mental illness. As it currently stands, undergraduate education in psychiatry is oversimplified to focus on diagnosis and does not acknowledge the capabilities of medical students to adopt a holistic approach. An opportunity to consider all aspects of a psychiatrist’s role may encourage more students to consider a career in this field.

<>

I have contacted the authors of this letter to inform them of Hodges' model and its scope in assuring holistic and integrated care. The model could also facilitate curriculum development. The authors of the letter are not endorsing Hodges' model, I am seeking to highlight the need for such a resource.

Thanks to:

Lucy Alexander
Rights and Permissions Manager
Royal College of Psychiatrists

h2cm - Latest paper published in International Journal of Person Centered Medicine

The latest paper on Hodges' model is now published online:

Using a conceptual framework to explore the dimensions of recovery and their relationship to service user choice and self-determination

Abstract

The concept of recovery is widely applied within service delivery in the field of mental health. The dimensions of recovery were explored using a singular conceptual framework known as Hodges’ model, which is shown to be suited to this particular task. This arises from the model’s structure, in that it encompasses the individual-group and a care domain specific to the political aspects of both health and social care. The evidence was found by relating recovery to the model’s care domains, which is also relevant to the experience of mental health service users and developments over the past decade in mental health service provision. Particular attention is given to the ‘Recovery Star’. This can be used as a key-working and outcomes tool. The discussion is also placed in a context of the current socio-economic climate, notably the ‘politics of recovery’ at a time of austerity.

With thanks to the editors, referees and to Gerry Bennison and Dawn Talbot for assisting in the beginning of this paper including their directions on the Recovery STAR; and for very helpful advice on the final drafts provided by Dr. Andrew Shepherd, and Prof. George Kernohan.

This May Hurt A Bit ...

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

Here -	Here -
- Here (especially)	and Here...

and here - all around these care domains in the Spiritual domain.

Would you let a robot take your blood?

A Robot With A Hypodermic Needle 

Written by Lucy Black
27 July 2013

Would you let a robot take your blood? The answer to this question illuminates our real relationship to machines that aspire to rise above the robot vac. Is there another sort of uncanny valley?

Veebot is a very clever use of some basic image processing plus some very accurate positioning mechanisms. It first locates a good vein using infrared. Once it has a target it switches to ultrasound to make sure that there is enough blood flow to make it worth inserting the needle.

More...

My source:
International Society for Presence Research: June
http://ispr.info/

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

trust, confidence, anxiety, expectations, 'needles' - phobia, previous experiences, model of the 'other', intelligence, physical tests to differentiate mental health problems, subjective feelings - 'creepiness' human pa	safety, measurement, imaging, mechanics, technology, electromagnetic spectrum, infra red, ultrasound, motion, accuracy, research, trials, evidence, logic, blood sample,  appearance, (surgical robots R-here) factors in             RFT - 'right first time'
public awareness, interaction, relationships, community of practice - acceptance, publicity, media, dissemination	investment, policy, certification, law, standards, testing, supervision, labour relations

L-earning a Living with McLuhan

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan predicted that the future of work would involve -

"learning a living"... .	production
communities of practice	earning a living

Source:
Parchoma, G. (2006). A proposed e-learning policy field for the Academy. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 18(3), 230-40. (p.232).
Reading for module 2.

Never give up on someone ...

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

Never give up on someone with Mental Illness – 

when 'I' is replaced with -
'We'  'illness' becomes 'Wellness'

Thanks to colleague Julie Draper - apparently this is doing the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere.