Mohammad Saidul Islam, Sharmin Shams Farah

ABSTRACT

Medical information found in the online sources is not often reliable because of lack of proper substantiation of sources. However, such information is commonly used in the drug promotional brochures as references in many countries worldwide. The main purpose of this exploratory study was to evaluate the characteristics and reliability of online sources of information cited in the pharmaceutical promotional brochures in Bangladesh. Online sources of information presented in the conveniently collected drug promotional brochures were separated from other citations and were accessed for required information in the present study. The reliability of the online sources cited in those brochures was assessed using a short checklist based on five basic questions adopted from available and authentic literatures. A total of 53 online references from 50 pharmaceutical promotional brochures were obtained during the study. Sponsors of most (94.87%) of the online sources were recognizable. The majority (n=27, 72.97%) of the accessible online sources were found to be commercial websites. Only 27.03% (n=10) citations were adopted from reliable websites. Contact information was absent in about 31% websites. E-mail was used in about 87% of cases as the main address for correspondence. Nearly 72% websites did not provide any information about the timeline regarding the updates of contents. Information contained in a significant number (38%) of websites seemed ‘too good to be true’. Online references used in the pharmaceutical promotional brochures of Bangladesh failed to comply with the basic requirement of reliability..
 

Elsa Marziali, PhD

ABSTRACT

Reported are several developmental feasibility studies that focus on the use of an interactive Internet environment to replicate clinic-based face-to-face health care support programs for chronically ill older adults and their caregivers. A series of studies of consumer response to online, interactive communication and video-based technologies for the delivery of health care services were designed and implemented. An initial pilot study with a small group of older adults provided feedback for website design and content. Following this initial usability study and modifications to the website, two feasibility studies were implemented. The first study randomized family caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease to an Internet-based videoconferencing support group intervention or ‘services as usual’ (community-based health services). The second study examined pre-post responses of older, disabled adults to participation in an Internet-based videoconferencing support group. Analyses of both qualitative and quantitative outcome data for both feasibility studies showed clinical benefits for the intervention group participants. We assessed participants’ responses to receiving health care via the Internet. Most reported high levels of involvement in the groups, and in many instances preferred the online group to meeting face-to-face. There were unanimous positive responses to being able to participate in a support group from the comfort of home. This Internet-based videoconferencing intervention programs can be viewed as a prototype for setting technology and professional practice standards for the delivery of health services to home-based chronically ill older adults and their caregivers.
 

S.Venkatesan, C.Chellappan

ABSTRACT

e–Health is an emerging field in the intersection of medical informatics, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through the internet and related technologies. Mobile agent technology is suitable for the e-Health system to get the medical tips from the doctors or other medical information. The proposed model of this paper uses the advanced mobile agent technology for the distributed e-Health model is Free-Roaming Mobile Agent. It will roam around the network to collect medical information and suggestions. In addition this paper provides protocol to protect the security for the information collected by the FRoMA.
 

Howell Ho, MS, Michael Ples, MD, Glenn Sia Su, PhD

ABSTRACT

Call centers in the Philippines provide customer service to various multinational companies. They operate as the basis of work shifts in order to provide continuous service around the clock without interruption. This study investigated common work-related health complaints and assessed problems relating with the complaints of inbound call center agents in Quezon City, Philippines. Copies of self-administered questionnaire were pre-tested and distributed to 96 randomly selected call center agents. Work-related health complaints were verified from the company's clinic. Factors related to workers' health complaints were determined by correlation analysis. Common complaints of respondents included eyestrain (35%), cough (29%), worsening eyesight (26%), and back pain (26%). Respondents identified work stress as the main reason for their health complaints. Stress, irritability, insomnia, sleepiness, and interrupted sleep were significantly related with the occurrence of the work-related health complaints (P < 0.05) among the workers. Call centers provide lucrative incomes but they also create occupational health problems. That are associated with sleep problems and stress.