BACKGROUND: Understanding of the consequences of a neuromuscular disease (NMD) can improve when a valid sample of disease-specific categories based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities, and Health (ICF) is available.OBJECTIVE: To examine the content validity of the initial ICF Core Set for neuromuscular diseases (NMDs). The initial ICF Core Set was developed for three chronic neurological diseases.DESIGN: A qualitative method.METHODS: To examine the content validity of the initial ICF Core Set for NMD, concepts in established disease-specific health-related Quality of Life Questionnaires (HRQOL) were compared with ICF categories. Next, the selected ICF categories were linked to the ICF categories in the initial ICF Core Set.RESULTS: All concepts in the HRQOL questionnaires, except one body function concept, were covered by the initial ICF Core Set. However, the NMD Core Set reflects a broader scope concerning health problems than the concepts in the HRQOL questionnaires do, especially concerning the "Participation" and "Environmental Factors" components.CONCLUSION: The NMD Core Set, as well as a measurement based on this Core Set, can contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of NMDs and can also serve as a basis for clinical practice, research, social security systems, and educational programs.CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The newly developed NMD Core Set can be a basis for enhancing the development of rehabilitation interventions and improving overall health care for patients with a NMD.
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Background. Patients may develop primary (congenital) or secondary (acquired) lymphedema, causing significant physical and psychosocial problems. To plan treatment for lymphedema and monitor a patient's progress, swelling, and problems in functioning associated with lymphedema development should be assessed at baseline and follow-up. Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability (test-retest, internal consistency, and measurement variability) and validity (content and construct) of data obtained with the Lymphoedema Functioning, Disability and Health Questionnaire for Lower Limb Lymphoedema (Lymph-ICF-LL). Design. This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Methods. The Lymph-ICF-LL is a descriptive, evaluative tool containing 28 questions about impairments in function, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in patients with lower limb lymphedema. The questionnaire has 5 domains: physical function, mental function, general tasks/household activities, mobility activities, and life domains/social life. The reliability and validity of the Lymph-ICF-LL were examined in 30 participants with objective lower limb lymphedema. Results. Intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability ranged from.69 to.94, and Cronbach alpha coefficients for internal consistency ranged from.82 to.97. Measurement variability was acceptable (standard error of measurement=5.9-12.6). Content validity was good because all questions were understandable for 93% of participants, the scoring system (visual analog scale) was clear, and the questionnaire was comprehensive for 90% of participants. Construct validity was good. All hypotheses for assessing convergent validity and divergent validity were accepted. Limitations. The known-groups validity and responsiveness of the Dutch Lymph-ICF-LL and the cross-cultural validity of the English version of the Lymph-ICF-LL were not investigated. Conclusions. The Lymph-ICF-LL is a Dutch questionnaire with evidence of reliability and validity for assessing impairments in function, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in people with primary or secondary lower limb lymphedema. © 2014 American Physical Therapy Association.
Background: A hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has a major impact on the functioning and perceived quality of life of patients. To describe the functioning of patients, a preliminary set of 53 categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as relevant for HSCT patients has been selected earlier by a Delphi study. For the implementation of this preliminary ICF core set for patients after HSCT in clinical practice, a feasibility study was requested.Methods: A feasibility study was conducted in an explanatory mixed-methods research design. Qualitative data were collected cross-sectionally by semi-structured interviews based on specific topics related to feasibility regarding the use of the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients from the perspective of nurses (five in ICF-trained nurses and five regular, untrained, nurses). Quantitative data, were collected longitudinally by using a mobile health application based on ICF in which the ICF trained nurses registered HSCT patients ' functioning.Results: Qualitative analysis indicated that using the preliminary ICF core set is practical and acceptable for providing information about the functioning of HSCT patients from the perspective of nurses. In addition, nurses indicated a demand for this information due to its impact on multidisciplinary meetings and clinical decision-making by involving relevant aspects of the functioning of patients. Management support, trained staff, and designated time to focus on functioning are mentioned as requirements for successful implementation. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the most used 30% (n = 17) ICF categories are included in the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients (n = 24). Energy (b130) was the most used ICF category. Family relationships (d760) was the most frequently and highly positively associated ICF category.Conclusions: From the perspective of nurses, the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients is feasible and relevant in gaining information regarding functioning. Applying this preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients in the anamnesis and the nursing consultations contributes to this information. Further research is needed to look at the perspective of other professionals and HSCT patients themselves.
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In het ziekenhuis kan elke fout een leven kosten. Zo kan al een kleine bereidingsfout bij het klaarmaken van intraveneuze medicijnen (IV) leiden tot levensbedreigende omstandigheden voor de patiënt. Bereiding van dit type medicijnen gebeurt in de apotheek en op de verpleegafdeling. Met name op de verpleegafdeling is het een drukke en onvoorspelbare setting. Wereldwijd komen in deze setting ernstige bereidingsfouten nog te frequent voor. Om deze menselijke fouten te reduceren, wordt in deze KIEM aanvraag een proof-of-concept ‘slim oog’ ontwikkeld die vlak voor de toediening detecteert of de juiste dosis aanwezig is, of het type medicijn correct is en geen vervuiling aanwezig is. Het slimme oog maakt gebruik van hyperspectrale technologie en artificial intelligence, en is een samenwerking tussen de Computer Vision & Data Science afdeling van NHL Stenden Hogeschool, de automatische medicijncontrole specialist ZiuZ, en het Tjongerschans ziekenhuis. De unieke combinatie tussen nieuwe AI-technieken, hyperspectrale techniek en de toepassing op intraveneuze medicijnen is voor dit consortium technisch nieuw, en is nog niet eerder ontwikkeld voor de toepassing aan het bed of in de medicijnkamer op de verpleegafdeling. De onvoorspelbare setting en de urgentie aan het bed maakt dit onderzoek technisch uitdagend. Tevens moet het uiteindelijke device klein en draagbaar en snel werkzaam zijn. Om de grote verscheidenheid aan mogelijke gebruik scenario's en menselijke fouten te vangen in het algoritme, wordt een door NHLS ontwikkelde simulatie procedure gevolgd: met nabootsing van de praktijksituatie in samenwerking met zorgverleners, met opzettelijke fouten, en computer gegenereerde beeldmanipulatie. Het project zal geïntegreerd worden in het onderwijs volgens de design-based methode, met teams bestaande uit domein experts, bedrijven, docent-onderzoekers en studenten. Het uiteindelijke doel is om met een proof-of-concept aan-het-bed demonstrator een groot consortium van ziekenhuizen, ontwikkelaars en eindgebruikers enthousiast te maken voor een groter vervolgproject.
The textile industry faces a significant environmental challenge, annually generating 45 million tons of waste cotton textiles, of which 75% are incinerated or sent to landfills, causing environmental harm. Additionally, 67% of garments are made of plastic fibers, and when disposed of in landfills, 5% of them turn into microplastics that can end up on our plates. Chicfashic proposes an innovative biotech process to address these issues by recovering and recycling plastic fibers while transforming natural fibers into bio-based molecules. These molecules are then used as secondary raw materials to produce bio-based pigments for textiles. The project aims to optimize this process and test it on a larger scale with the assistance of HAN BioCentre. This initiative aligns with Dutch government and EU regulations mandating textile recycling by 2050. The technology used is patent pending and does not involve the use of toxic chemicals or the release of harmful wastewater or fumes, contributing to a shift towards a more circular and sustainable textile industry by reintegrating natural colorants into textile production.
