Healthcare activities

TABLE 33.1 Differential Applicability of Major Healthcare System Components to High-Level Healthcare Activities... 

Finally, we presented a method for analysing the work domain within whieh healthcare activity takes place. This method can be used to identify the Unks between an organisation s goals, priorities, activities and physical feamres. In so doing, it provides a way of eliciting the factors that shape the formation and... 

Health information technology—electronic tools and services such as secure e-mail messaging between patients and providers, or (mobile health applications—have created new opportunities for communications connectivity and interactions between health practitioners (and individuals) to participate actively in monitoring and directing healthcare activities and processes. 

A European survey of available statistics of waste in Europe has revealed that the sohd waste generated from hospitals constitutes approximately only 0.35% of society s total solid waste. Because of great difficulties regarding the handling of waste from different healthcare activities the EU member states wished in the beginning of the 90s that certain aspects of healthcare waste be subjected to European harmonisation. 

Pharmacopoeia publications provide a final important source of information for the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities, and the healthcare professions. These are concerned with establishing quality standards. These publications include monographs that define specifications for the purity and identity of established pharmaceutical ingredients, both active and non-active, together with recognised analytical methods that may be used to evaluate them. The most relevant are the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur). 

In healthcare, the incorrect medication or the incorrect content of active ingredient in a tablet can be catastrophic for the patient. 

The likelihood of a successful resuscitation outcome is enhanced if each of four critical elements in the chain of survival is implemented promptly (1) early recognition of the emergency and activation of emergency medical services (2) early bystander basic life support and CPR (3) early delivery of a shock with a defibrillator and (4) early ACLS followed by resuscitation care delivered by healthcare professionals. 

Technology—involve pharmaceutical companies and distributors to develop innovative solutions, such as radiofrequency identification (RFID) to track movements of drugs, tamper-proof packaging to deter tampering, and printing technologies aimed at end user compliance Risk communication—IMPACT to develop and coordinate effective mechanisms to alert and respond to counterfeit drug activities inform and educate users and healthcare professionals to be alert and report suspicious cases... 

For example, methiciUin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a strain of bacteria that has become resistant to methicUhn. In healthy individuals, the S. aureus, though present, does not cause active infection. But in the immune suppressed and the elderly, S. aureus infection can result in morbidity and mortality. Worse still is the fact that MRSA is spread in healthcare institutions and community centers such as hospitals, medical centers, nursing homes, childcare centers, gymnasiums, and confined living quarters. The terms HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA refer to hospital-associated and community-associated MRSA. 

Nagamaik P, Batt A, Boulanger B (2011) Source characterization of nervous active pharmaceutical ingredients in healthcare facility wastewaters. J Environ Manage 92 872-877... 

What are the health-economic consequences of a disease, in terms of healthcare utilization (number and duration of hospitalizations, frequency of use of healthcare resources, direct and indirect cost of treatment, lost productivity and activity, the overall burden of a disease on the environment and society) ... 

Fig. 2. Structure of the ABLl kinase portion of the BCR-ABLl protein. The activation loop (blue) is in the closed (inactive) conformation on the left and in the open (active) conformation on the right. A molecule of imatinib is positioned in the ATP-binding site and is in green. (Reprinted with permission from U S. Healthcare Communications, LLC. LitzowMR, Tefferi A. Chronic myeloid leukemia problems propel progress. Amer J Hematol/Oncol, 2007 6(5) supplement 7 19-22).

Like many organizations today, the USP has a mission statement and this was stated in the 27th edition the objective of a pharmacopoeia is to provide and disseminate authoritative standards for medicines, other healthcare technologies and related practices to maintain and improve public health, and to provide information for practitioners and patients. In addition, the compendial activities of the USP are also designed to support the availability of safe and good quality medicines for consumers everywhere. In parenthesis, the term quality is not defined here because it is intuitively understood by everyone. One working definition holds that a quality item is one suitable for a stated purpose, but this is somewhat unsatisfactory and a better definition is required. 

If you are a religious person, you may want to contribute your services totally to your church. If you like to help people who are ill, and you would be comfortable in the atmosphere of a hospital or nursing home, look carefully at the opportunities in healthcare. If you love children and work well with them, you may want to make your contribution in the educational field. Cultural activities appeal to many, especially those who like activities with prestigious organizations. The opportunities are many. 

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