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Results for “Pilot Projects”

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At least 1,117 records · Page 62Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Using a CQI team to produce a more efficient nursing home placement process.

BACKGROUND: Caldwell Memorial Hospital, a 120-bed not-for-profit community facility in a rural area in western North Carolina, is within a 12-mile radius of three 120-bed skilled nursing facilities. Generally, one-fourth to one-third of its inpatients are from a nursing home. THE NURSING HOME PLACEMENT PROCESS PROJECT: Since 1992 Caldwell has utilized the data-driven, six-step Juran method for its continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects. A CQI team working on social workers' efficiency and visibility recommended that another team begin work on the nursing home placement process. Area nursing homes complained that they were not receiving their fair share of referrals and that transfer documentation was, at times, lacking. THE TEAM ARRIVES AT REMEDIES: The nursing home placement process was streamlined and forms were improved and standardized. A notebook was created and procedures for nursing home placement and for using forms were placed in this notebook. In addition, the team identified and created the long term care fax list, which included all 28 facilities within a 50-mile radius. IMPLEMENTATION: A pilot project involving 23 patients was conducted from July 24, 1995, until August 31, 1995. With successful results, the decision was made to replicate the new nursing home placement process with all other nursing homes. The team held an open house at the hospital. RESULTS: There have been no complaints from the nursing homes through 1996. The team spirit that originated during the team time carried over into everyday work, resulting in a better relationship between the hospital and nursing home staffs.

Decision Making↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Placebo-controlled pilot study of centromedian thalamic stimulation in treatment of intractable seizures.

Stimulation of centromedian (CM) thalamic nuclei has been proposed as a treatment for seizures. We implanted programmable subcutaneous (s.c.) stimulators into CM bilaterally in 7 patients with intractable epilepsy to test feasibility and safety. Stimulation was on or off in 3-month blocks, with a 3-month washout period in a double-blind, cross-over protocol. Stimuli were delivered as 90-microseconds pulses at 65 pulses/s, 1 min of each 5 min for 2 h/day, with voltage set to half the sensory threshold. Stimulation was safe and well-tolerated, with a mean reduction of tonic-clonic seizure frequency of 30% with respect to baseline when stimulator was on versus a decrease of 8% when the stimulator was off. There was no improvement in total number of generalized seizures with stimulation, and treatment differences were not statistically significant. Stimulation at low intensity did not alter the EEG acutely, but high-intensity stimulation induced slow waves or 2-3 Hz spike-waves with ipsilateral frontal maximum. In an open-label follow-up segment with stimulator trains continuing for 24 h/day, 3 of 6 patients reported at least a 50% decrease in seizure frequency. There were no side effects. This pilot project demonstrated the feasibility of controlled study of thalamic stimulation in epilepsy, but further study will be needed to demonstrate efficacy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Telephone monitoring of patients with pacemakers in the west of Scotland.

A regional telephone pacemaker follow-up service has been established in the west of Scotland. Medical care is provided by clinics at district general hospitals in Ayrshire, and the pacemaker signals are transmitted by telephone from these clinics to a pacemaker centre in Glasgow. The success of the pilot project in Ayrshire will allow expansion of the service to include hospitals in other areas of the west of Scotland. The scheme is carefully monitored to ensure that patients with pacemakers receive adequate attention with a minimum of inconvenience.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed1999

Using cable television networks for interactive home telemedicine services.

Most recent cable television network infrastructures can be used to deliver broadband interactive telemedicine services to the home. These facilities allow the provision of social and health services like medical televisiting for elderly, disabled and chronically ill patients; health tele-education; and teleconsultation on demand. Large numbers of patients could benefit from these services. There is also the increasing European tendency to offer customized home-care services. These applications are being developed and validated by a pilot project in Madrid as part of the ATTRACT project of the European Commission. The long-term aim is to develop broadband applications on a large scale to support low-cost interactive home telemedicine services for both patients and institutions.

Aged↗

PubMed1975

American Indian suicide--Fact and fantasy.

This is an epidemiology report on American Indian suicide patterns in the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of this report is to: (1) describe the first three years of a pilot project in suicide epidemiology, (2) demonstrate significant differences in tribal rates, (3) show that the total American Indian population has equally significant differences in tribal comparisons, and (4) clarify previous misconceptions about the "American Indian suicide phenomenon".

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

NLP-based information extraction for managing the molecular biology literature.

We present research aimed at devising a tool for using natural language processing to identify and extract biomedical information from text for the purpose of assisting researchers in molecular biology manage large amounts of information. A pilot project based on the molecular genetics of diabetes demonstrates our ability to explore the interaction of genomic phenomena and clinical findings. We suggest the cooperation of this extracted information with systems for clustering text and constructing labeled networks of data.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Guidance for using a pilot study: an example of research on minority children.

Sound research requires careful definition of the research problem, identification of critical variables and the sources of data for variables, design of procedures and instruments to ensure valid and reliable data, and appropriate and comprehensive data analyses. Additionally, adequate personnel, time, and budgetary resources are required. To help ensure that research addressing minority health issues meets these requirements, this article provides investigators with practical guidance for using pilot projects, not simply as small nongeneralizable studies but also as techniques to address each of these issues. The authors provide examples from real-life research, addressing the health outcomes of minority children who receive care through the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis.

Child↗

PubMed2004

The challenge of promoting integration: conceptualization, implementation, and assessment of a pilot care delivery model for patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The Côte-des-Neiges diabetes pilot project strove to conceptualize, implement, and assess an integrated health care system for Type 2 diabetes. Using a disease management and population-based approach, a multidisciplinary team sought to (1). organize health care in an integrative framework, (2). promote behavior changes in patients to foster self-care, (3). introduce tools to allow family physicians to modify their practices, and (4). encourage local community action to support patients and providers. METHODS: Information from a needs assessment helped guide the development of the care model, which was implemented over a 1-year period. A preliminary assessment was undertaken using qualitative methods. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and document analysis. RESULTS: (1). Physicians and patients appreciated having access to a multidisciplinary team and related services, and personalized communication was preferred to computerized links. (2). Patients also perceived the benefit of individualized assessment and self-care educational sessions allowing them to participate in their illness management. (3). A diabetes care flow sheet altered the management strategies of physicians. (4). Limited time prevented full development of networking efforts to promote community mobilization. CONCLUSIONS: Approaches to chronic diseases such as diabetes require integrative health care strategies to support patients and providers in their community. In spite of time constraints, patients perceived the value of education with increasing involvement in their illness, physicians reported changes in their practice, and steps were initiated to mobilize community resources.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Use of handheld computers as bedside information providers.

Access to clinical reference information at the point-of-care is a goal that is difficult to achieve by lack of really portable reference material. Handheld computers have matured to the point where they are powerful enough to be used as clients of a distributed knowledge system serving reference information and decision-aid applications in a highly portable form factor. We describe a pilot project launched at the Geneva University Hospital studying the use of handhelds and associated clinical applications in two internal medicine clinics. Results garnered by this study will help answer the many questions raised by the use of handhelds in medical practice, in term of cost, benefits, risk and change in workflow.

Hospitals, University↗

PubMed1990

Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in Colorado beef cattle serum--a pilot environmental monitoring system.

A pilot project was initiated to test an existing animal disease surveillance system for use in monitoring environmental pollutants. Eleven chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides were assayed to provide an indication of environmental contamination. A total of 241 bovine serum samples from 53 Colorado beef ranches was tested; 123 samples (51%) were found to contain detectable concentrations of 1 or more of 11 chlorinated hydrocarbons. There were a total of 203 occurrences of a compound being found at a level exceeding the detection limit. Heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, lindane, and oxychlordane were the insecticides detected most frequently in bovine sera. This pilot study supports the use of domestic food-producing animals as sentinels of environmental contamination with insecticides.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Motivation and drug dependency: a preliminary evaluation of an assessment tool.

This paper describes a pilot project examining whether two research-based assessment instruments following a conflict model of dependency are of any clinical use. It is argued that the information they provide about client motivation towards treatment and about supporting and hindering influences during withdrawal is important for clinicians of any profession involved in a service to drug users.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

ResourceLog: an embeddable tool for dynamically monitoring the usage of web-based bioscience resources.

The present study described an open source application, ResourceLog, that allows website administrators to record and analyze the usage of online resources. The application includes four components: logging, data mining, administrative interface, and back-end database. The logging component is embedded in the host website. It extracts and streamlines information about the Web visitors, the scripts, and dynamic parameters from each page request. The data mining component runs as a set of scheduled tasks that identify visitors of interest, such as those who have heavily used the resources. The identified visitors will be automatically subjected to a voluntary user survey. The usage of the website content can be monitored through the administrative interface and subjected to statistical analyses. As a pilot project, ResourceLog has been implemented in SenseLab, a Web-based neuroscience database system. ResourceLog provides a robust and useful tool to aid system evaluation of a resource-driven Web application, with a focus on determining the effectiveness of data sharing in the field and with the general public.

Bibliometrics↗

PubMed2005

The development of the model for recognition of prior learning for nurses in South Africa. Implementation of the RPL guidelines by three nursing education institutions.

The purpose of the study that this article is based on, was to develop and test an appropriate model for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for nurses. To test the model it was implemented in a form of pilot projects by three Nursing Education Institutions. The study adopted a multi phase decision oriented evaluation research design. Stuffelbeam's Context, Input, Process and Product evaluation model was used as a theoretical framework to guide the research process, This article presents the second phase of the RPL development project. The first objective of this phase namely the extent to which the RPL guidelines were followed is discussed. The second objective, identification of any barriers to RPL implementation is also discussed under problems experienced by both RPL advisors and candidates. Recommendations are made based on the barriers.

Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Divalproex loading in the treatment of cocaine dependence.

The current pilot project was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of a loading dose of divalproex (DVPX) in subjects with cocaine dependence. Seventeen cocaine-dependent subjects were enrolled in an eight-week, open-label trial of 20 mg/kg/day DVPX. Subjects were seen weekly and urine drug screens were obtained at each visit. Over the eight-week trial, craving intensity and frequency as well as reported time using cocaine decreased significantly. Retention in the current study was 79% at week four and 50% at week eight. The medication and dosing strategy was well tolerated. This pilot study indicates that DVPX loading is well tolerated and may be efficacious in the treatment of cocaine dependence. A placebo-controlled trial would be of interest.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Impacting maternal and child nutrition in rural Vietnam: experiences of an American nurse-consultant.

This article describes a pilot project undertaken by the author, her physician husband and a Vietnamese physician partner in a rural Vietnamese community on the Mekong Delta approximately 80 kilometers from Saigon. The project was focused on reducing malnutrition in a community of approximately 11,000 people. Successful steps were taken, based on earlier research, to help the members of this rural community to get involved in developing a solution for maternal and infant malnutrition in their community.

Child Nutrition Disorders↗

PubMed2005

Design and implementation of Cell-PREVEN: a real-time surveillance system for adverse events using cell phones in Peru.

With more clinical trials involving evaluations of new drugs or vaccines, monitoring for early detection of adverse events is essential. The overall goal of this study was to develop an interactive-computer system using cell phones for real-time collection and transmission of adverse events related to metronidazole administration among female sex workers (FSW) in Peru. We developed an application for cell phones in Spanish, called Cell-PREVEN, based on a system from Voxiva Inc. We used cell phones to enter data collected by interviewers from FSW in three communities. Information was stored in an online database, where it could be immediately accessed worldwide and exported over a secure Internet connection. E-mail and text messages sent to mobile devices alerted key personnel to selected symptoms. This pilot project has demonstrated that it is feasible to develop a public-health-surveillance system based on cell phones to collect data in real-time in Peru (http://www.prevenperu.org).

Anti-Infective Agents↗

PubMed2004

Vocational rehabilitation at Reykjalundur Rehabilitation Center in Iceland.

This article describes a pilot project in specialized vocational rehabilitation program at Reykjalundur Rehabilitation Center in Iceland. It gives a brief historical overview of the development of the program, describes the theoretical frame used and the way the program is designed. Finally, it discusses the results of the program and ways to improve the program.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Helping members of a community-based health insurance scheme access quality inpatient care through development of a preferred provider system in rural Gujarat.

We describe and analyse the experience of piloting a preferred provider system (PPS) for rural members of Vimo SEWA, a fixed-indemnity, community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme run by the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA). The objectives of the PPS were (i) to facilitate access to hospitalization by providing financial benefits at the time of service utilization; (ii) to shift the burden of compiling a claim away from members and towards Vimo SEWA staff; and (iii) to direct members to inpatient facilities of acceptable quality. The PPS was launched between August and October 2004, in 8 subdistricts covering 15,000 insured. The impact of the scheme was analysed using data from a household survey of claimants and qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The PPS appears to have been successful in terms of two of the three primary objectives--it has transferred much of the burden of compiling a health Insurance claim onto Vimo SEWA staff, and it has directed members to inpatient facilities with acceptable levels of technical quality (defined in terms of structural Indicators). However, even under the PPS, user fees pose a financial barrier, as the insured have to mobilize funds to cover the costs of medicines, supplies, registration fee, etc. before receipt of cash payment from Vimo SEWA. Other barriers to the success of the PPS were the geographic Inaccessibility of some of the selected hospitals, lack of awareness about the PPS among members and a variety of administrative problems. This pilot project provides useful lessons relating to strategic purchasing by CBHI schemes and, more broadly, managed care in India. In particular, the pragmatic approach taken to assessing hospitals and identifying preferred providers is likely to be useful elsewhere.

Community Health Planning↗