Health Tech
Emerging research, products, and human factors
The Calgary Herald has been named a finalist in a prestigious international media awards competition for a 2016 project called Without Limits: Kids With Special Needs. Our Special Children. Taking a break from lunch, 7 year old Emily
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Results from this study demonstrated superior outcomes with the addition of Schroth physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises to the standard of care vs. the standard of care alone for patients with adolescent idiopathic
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Enjoy the use of a custom-fit bike for $75. Trix youth wheels. Hase Come out and try a bike! Register for the 2017 Adapted Bike Program in Calgary. We will have specialists on hand experienced in fitting your child with an adaptive
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A Calgary mom is raising money so teenagers can benefit from a program that’s changed her daughter’s life. Christina Ryan dances with her daughter Emily Pitchers in 2016. Leah Hennel, Calgary Herald Photo Annalise Klingbeil,
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A Singular Rise for Arthritis and Obesity. A Canadian study spanning 18 years confirms that arthritis is more prevalent today, but also that people are increasingly being diagnosed at a younger age and with an increasingly higher BMI.
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Quality improvement program cuts time for life-saving drug treatment from 70 to 36 minutes. The clot-busting drug tPA (tissue Plasmonogen Activator) can be used with ischemic stroke patients to greatly improve their care. John
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Women who are overweight or obese during pregnancy may be increasing the chances that their baby could be born with cerebral palsy, a new study suggests. Excess pre-pregnancy weight may slightly raise baby’s cerebral palsy risk.
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Researchers at the University of Granada warn that 23 percent of the girls carry a load over 20 percent of their body weight in their backpack or trolley — well above what is recommended. Backpack or Suitcase? The Travel Hack
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Results from this study demonstrated women, patients 70 years and older, obese patients, those with diabetes, depression disorders and rheumatoid arthritis had a higher chance of conversion to total knee arthroplasty 2 years following
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Success rates for meniscus surgery were similar for those with average and higher BMI. Some surgeons may be hesitant to repair a torn meniscus on heavier patients, assuming there is a higher chance of the repair failing. But a study
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Mark Pickup is a gifted writer who chooses words thoughtfully, methodically and philosophically. So it’s no big surprise to hear the phrase he used to describe his experience last week. I have been disabled with aggressive multiple
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‘The hardest hit people would have been the working poor or people who are struggling to get by.’ Alberta Health Services has backed away from planned changes that would have restricted physiotherapy services now covered.
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Navigating the U.S. health care system can be frustrating for anyone, but for adults with chronic medical conditions, the frustration can become overwhelming as they juggle multiple providers, medications and treatments. A pain point
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The province’s largest public sector union has some concerns about an anticipated move by the government to outsource the Aids to Daily Living program. Alberta Aids to Daily Living, AADL helps Albertans with a long-term disability,
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Study shows how the effects of horseback riding improve learning in children. Recent research published in Frontiers in Public Health shows that the effects of vibrations produced by horses during horse-riding lead to the activation
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Open Style Lab’s ten-week interdisciplinary research program teams designers, engineers, and occupational therapists to create wearable solutions with and for clients with disabilities. Open Style Lab 2016 fellows and clients. New
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Universal public coverage of 117 essential medicines could address the needs of most Canadians for pharmaceutical drugs, and possibly save more than $4 billion a year, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical
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Physical activity affects pain modulation in older adults. A 2015 study examined physical activity data from 15 European countries and concluded that high levels of activity were associated with higher levels of happiness. Bluearth
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The Falls Risk Assessment Toolkit identifies patients at risk of falls and, potentially unplanned hospital admissions, and is available to all UK healthcare professionals to implement a review of patients at risk of potentially
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Vanessa Milne, Joshua Tepper & Sachin Pendharkar, Healthy Debate February 23, 2017 Two weeks ago, we reported on some of the difficulties around referrals to specialists. Shortly after our story ran, the Canadian Institute of
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Structured exercise training can significantly improve brain function in stroke survivors, according to research presented at the International Stroke Conference 2017. American Heart Association, MedicalXpress February 22, 2017
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A suite of online interventions provided substantial pain relief and improved mobility for patients with chronic knee pain, according to a study published online February 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The interventions
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Stanford University School of Medicine Clinical research led by Stanford University investigators has demonstrated that a brain-to-computer hookup can enable people with paralysis to type via direct brain control at the highest speeds
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GazeSpeak runs on a smartphone and uses artificial intelligence to convert eye movements into speech, so a conversation partner can understand what is being said in real time. The eyes say it all. GazeSpeak, Enable Team, Microsoft
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For all the talk of self-driving vehicles revolutionizing transportation, the technology promises to do even more for the elderly and disabled by allowing them to enjoy sustained independence. Autonomous vehicles will allow aging Baby
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Emily Pitchers, 16, plucks the strings on a guitar with JB Music therapist Catherine Mitchell during a weekly session at the teenager’s family home. Christina Ryan, Calgary Herald. In celebration of National Music Therapy Month, we
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The OrbIT controller was custom designed to help children with cerebral palsy. David Hobbs photo. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability, affecting more than 34,000 Australians, and more than 17 million
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Higher perceived mobility barriers in the environment were associated with increased risk in difficulty with life situation engagement in adults with knee osteoarthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Carmel Majidi and Jonathan Malen of Carnegie Mellon University have developed a thermally conductive rubber material that represents a breakthrough for creating soft, stretchable machines and electronics. The findings were published
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Very little in life slows Jillian Peters down. If you catch her in a hallway, the spunky seven-year-old is likely to race you in her hot-pink wheelchair. Cerebral palsy doesn’t define her. Video games are helping children with
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