Health Tech
Emerging research, products, and human factors
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
… READ MOREResults 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
… READ MORESuccess 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
… READ MOREMark 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
… READ MORE‘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.
… READ MORENavigating 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
… READ MOREThe 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,
… READ MOREStudy 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
… READ MOREOpen 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
… READ MOREUniversal 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
… READ MOREPhysical 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
… READ MOREThe 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
… READ MOREVanessa 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
… READ MOREStructured 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
… READ MOREA 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
… READ MOREStanford 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
… READ MOREGazeSpeak 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
… READ MOREFor 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
… READ MOREEmily 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
… READ MOREThe 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
… READ MOREHigher 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.
… READ MORECarmel 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
… READ MOREVery 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
… READ MOREIn the 12 months preceding total knee arthroplasty, women experienced significantly greater utilization of knee osteoarthritis-related health care than men, according to results. Boost your knee health—and help decide whether knee
… READ MORENearly one in four adults aged 65 and older has trouble walking or climbing stairs—and 3.4 million older adults have trouble taking care of their personal needs, such as dressing or bathing. As we age, these difficulties can impact
… READ MOREResearchers at the University of Michigan (UM) are implementing a new orthotics and prosthetics outfitting system: 3D printed assistive devices that will be customized to individual patients’ needs and reach them faster than ever
… READ MOREAt the age of 105, the French amateur cyclist and world-record holder Robert Marchand is more aerobically fit than most 50-year-olds — and appears to be getting even fitter as he ages, according to a revelatory new study of his
… READ MOREQuadricep strength and speed of force production (SFP) both affect physical functioning in people with, or at risk for, knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual
… READ MOREIn an active military population, the incidence of primary and secondary knee osteoarthritis correlated with chronological age, race, rank and branch of service, according to results. Maximalist shoes fail to cushion impact of
… READ MORESome—but not all—characteristics of meniscal damage on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA) severity and two-year progression, according to research from Tufts Medical Center in
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