As the population ages and healthcare costs continue to soar, the focus of the nation and the healthcare industry turns to reducing costs and making the delivery process more efficient. Demonstrating how improvements in information systems can lead to improved patient care, Information and Communication Technologies in Healthcare explains how to cr

We are what we eat. That old expression seems particularly poignant every time we have our blood drawn for a routine physical to check our cholesterol levels. And, it's not just what we eat that affects our health. Whole ranges of behaviors ultimately make a difference in how we feel and how we maintain our health. Lifestyle choices have enormous impact on our health and well being. But, how do we communicate the language of good health so that it is uniformly received-and accepted-by people from different cultures and backgrounds? Take, for example, the case of a 66 year old Latina. She has been told by her doctor that she should have a mammogram. But her sense of fatalism tells her that it is better not to know if anything is wrong. To know that something is wrong will cause her distress and this may well lead to even more health problems. Before she leaves her doctor's office she has decided not to have a mammogram-that is until her doctor points out that having a mammogram is a way to take care of herself so that she can continue to take care of her family. In this way, the decision to have a mammogram feels like a positive step. Public health communicators and health professionals face dilemmas like this every day. Speaking of Health looks at the challenges of delivering important messages to different audiences. Using case studies in the areas of diabetes, mammography, and mass communication campaigns, it examines the ways in which messages must be adapted to the unique informational needs of their audiences if they are to have any real impact. Speaking of Health looks at basic theories of communication and behavior change and focuses on where they apply and where they don't. By suggesting creative strategies and guidelines for speaking to diverse audiences now and in the future, the Institute of Medicine seeks to take health communication into the 21st century. In an age where we are inundated by multiple messages every day, this book will be a critical tool for all who are interested in communicating with diverse communities about health issues.

In response to a request from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Medicine convened a committee to identify possible demonstration projects that might be implemented in 2003, with the hope of yielding models for broader health system reform within a few years. The committee is recommending a substantial portfolio of demonstration projects, including chronic care and primary care demonstrations, information and communications technology infrastructure demonstrations, health insurance coverage demonstrations, and liability demonstrations. As a set, the demonstrations address key aspects of the health care delivery system and the financing and legal environment in which health care is provided. The launching of a carefully crafted set of demonstrations is viewed as a way to initiate a "building block" approach to health system change.

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to deliver psychological services has been emerging as an effective way of increasing individual access to mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment. This Special Issue brings together different contributions focusing on the acceptability and feasibility, (cost-)effectiveness, potentialities, and limitations of ICT-based psychological services for mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment. In each paper, the implications for the implementation of ICT tools in different settings (e.g., primary care services) and for future research are discussed.

Over half the world's rural population, and many in urban slums, have minimal access to health services. This book describes how to set up new, and develop existing, community-based health care for, by and with, the community.

This book, with its strong international orientation, introduces the reader to the challenges, lessons learned and new insights of health information management at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

SMART SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS The prime objective of this book is to provide an insight into the role and advancements of artificial intelligence in electrical systems and future challenges. The book covers a broad range of topics about AI from a multidisciplinary point of view, starting with its history and continuing on to theories about artificial vs. human intelligence, concepts, and regulations concerning AI, human-machine distribution of power and control, delegation of decisions, the social and economic impact of AI, etc. The prominent role that AI plays in society by connecting people through technologies is highlighted in this book. It also covers key aspects of various AI applications in electrical systems in order to enable growth in electrical engineering. The impact that AI has on social and economic factors is also examined from various perspectives. Moreover, many intriguing aspects of AI techniques in different domains are covered such as e-learning, healthcare, smart grid, virtual assistance, etc. Audience The book will be of interest to researchers and postgraduate students in artificial intelligence, electrical and electronic engineering, as well as those engineers working in the application areas such as healthcare, energy systems, education, and others.