How many children tell their parents they should be allowed to play video games because it improves their hand-eye coordination, critical thinking skills, and ability to work in a cooperative setting? In all fairness, probably very few put it just like that but maybe they should. It turns out that playing video games, and using other forms of interactive electronics, can be quite beneficial for people. A new journal looks at specific games, and other emerging technologies, that are beneficial for mental and physical health. There are numerous indications that gaming may one day be part of speech therapy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy.

The name of the new journal is Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications, (G4H). This is a peer reviewed journal that will delve into the research, development, and results of personalized healthcare that revolves around games. It will have an online forum to compliment the print editions. This should be an excellent resource for therapists who have an interest in gaming technologies and how it may help their patients as well as for practitioners who are currently utilizing this type of technology.

In addition to articles on the latest research, there will also be information on conventions and books of interest, field news, game reviews and more. Some of the disorders that could benefit from game therapy include patients with autism, games that increase patient interest in physical activity, exercise games for families, games that increase cognitive functions in the elderly, simulations to improve interpersonal skills or to treat patients suffering from PTSD.

Platforms that lend themselves well to this type of game therapy include game systems that easily track body movement such as Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii, and Sony PlayStation Move. Every year these platforms, as well as others, make leaps forward in their ability to interact and help consumers. The medical field is beginning to appreciate the options that are currently available and become more interested and invested in options that are under development or have the potential to be developed if commercial interest continues to grow.

Some games from these developers have already been receiving wide media attention for their ability to entice sedentary gaming obsessed consumers into getting out of the chair and onto their feet. Some of the most popular titles include Wii Sports and Kinect Dance Central. The most frequent compliment for these games, and others like them, is that they make exercise fun and entertaining rather than something that is a chore. Yoga and stretching components of some games are therapeutic devices that can increase flexibility, range, and help patients calm their minds.

The editor of the new journal will be Bill Ferguson, PhD. He will be joined by a large editorial team comprised of researchers, physicians, professors, and developers. G4H will be available bi-monthly beginning in the fall of 2011.

Games for Health: A New Journal Examines the use of Technology and Therapy is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

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While the medical profession is, by nature, a cutting edge business driven by new technology, new science and new treatments, the medical office is mired in the same antiquated record keeping described by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, which was written in 1843. Handwritten and kept on paper. Making the switch to Electronic Medical Records (EMR) won’t be easy for most healthcare providers, but in the long run, it will be less costly and far more useful.

The reluctance to make the change to EMR is reasonable. Medical histories are filled with intensely personal information. Some patients aren’t concerned about the security of their medical records, but others are justifiably worried about the implications of a breach on their insurance, the outcome of a lawsuit, or even their career. Combined with the threat of computer hacking, the cost of upgrading to a new and secure system has kept medical offices in the dark ages of record keeping. Insurance companies and pharmacies are already online, though, and patient medicine has been tracked electronically for many years. The information is already out there, and the technology has proven itself. Healthcare providers just need a way to tap into the benefits.

This transition will be beneficial to every facet of patient care from the insurance companies and the medical staff to the patient himself. Unfortunately, the burden and cost of transition falls solely on the healthcare provider, who is unlikely to have the same kind of deep-pocket resources enjoyed by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Finding affordable software that meets the requirements of the medical office, or having software custom-built, can be quite a challenge. Before undertaking the search, it’s a good idea to define your needs. What should the software do? The first step is to define a list of goals.

Here are some ideas to begin with:

• Track dates – This may seem obvious, but think forward to the next level. Instead of simply recording historical data, make the dates work. For example, imagine Mary, a 47 year old patient who had her first baseline mammogram at 45. She should have a new one every one or two years, but who is responsible for remembering? A well designed system can send Mary an email, text message, or a digitized phone message to remind her to make an appointment, and flag her record for staff follow-up is she does not respond. I know I would greatly appreciate this if my primary care physician’s office or my women’s care office would adopt this practice.
• Appointment times – What if patients could log in and see available appointment times and claim them? Furthermore, what if the system then sends email, text message, or digitized voice message reminders? Elderly patients may even have a backup contact for a caregiver.
• Doctor’s instructions – Patients can log in to check details, instructions or request refills, cutting down on staff time spent on the phone. Information regarding their medicines can be linked to their records, in case they have general questions.
• Prescriptions – The patient’s pharmacy of choice can be included on the record, and drug refills can be transmitted directly to the pharmacy, eliminating lost and forged prescriptions.
• Templates – During flu season, for example, a doctor will see many patients with the same symptoms, make the same diagnosis, prescribe the same medicines, and dispense the same advice. Common problem templates can cut down much of the daily data entry, saving time and improving workflow for doctors and staff.

Electronic Medical Recording is far more sophisticated than simple scanning of paper documents. In order to make a system searchable and workable, to access the patient data in any meaningful way, the records must be abstracted; that is, the data must be pulled from the documents and typed in. Chances are data entry of patient histories will be the most time consuming part of the transition. It’s a daunting proposition, but well worth it in terms of quality patient care.

Making the Transition to Electronic Medical Records is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

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