Thesis (M.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1987. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-113).

Includes bibliographical references. / Three problems are addressed in this dissertation. They are intracranial volume extraction, noise suppression and automated segmentation of X-Ray Computerized Tomography (CT) images. The segmentation scheme is based on a Seeded Region Growing algorithm. The intracranial volume extraction is based on image symmetry and the noise suppression filter is based on the Gaussian nature of the tissue distribution. Both are essential in achieving good segmentation results. Simulated phantoms and real medical images were used in testing and development of the algorithms. The testing was done over a wide range of noise values, object sizes and mean object grey levels. All the methods were first implemented in two- and then three-dimensions. The 3-D implementation also included an investigation into volume formation and the advantages of 3-D processing. The results of the intracranial extraction showed that 9% of the data in the relevant grey level range consisted of unwanted scalp (The scalp is spatially not part of the intracranial volume, but has the same grey level values). This justified the extraction the intracranial volume for further processing. For phantom objects greater than 741.51mm³ (voxel resolution 0.48mm x 0.48mm x 2mm) and having a mean grey level distance of 10 from any other object, a maximum segmentation volume error of 15% was achieved.

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<p> A new prefabrication building system using modular construction is proposed. </p> <p> The existing housing systems, the requirements of both the housebuilding system and the dwelling house are discussed. The effect of innovation in building and the use of standardization, coordination and preferred dimensions are described.</p> <p> A study of the space allocation problem; its definition, importance, and solving techniques is presented.</p> <p> The computerization of plans based on the proposed system of building is achieved through the use of the user oriented program developed in this thesis. It designs the optimum plan configuration given the user requirements and constraints.</p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

The Bioloqy Department at McMaster University is interested in courses for which students can generate computerized text presentations around a computerized data base of biological images. The student texts are to be added to the pre-existing data base at the end of the semester. This project describes the problems encountered when developing a CD-ROM to contain the images. The images were initially incorporated onto Kodak photo CDs. To place all the images on a single CD-ROM they were compressed into a JPEG file format. The suitability of Asymetrix Multimedia ToolBook 3.0 and Microsoft PowerPoint 4.0 for use by students preparing accompanying text is then assessed. A development strategy for the data base is then explored. Hypertext is judged to be the environment of choice. Research into the structuring of hypertext to enhance student learning reveals that the development of tutorials to accompany the students' texts and the computerized data base will be a crucial step. Behaviourist and cognitive psychology strategies for learning are used as a platform to suggest a structure for the data base. Finally interface design research is used to outline the format of the student presentations. / Thesis / Master of Science (Teaching)

<p> In many organizations, the working activities of individuals are accounted for on the basis of projects to which they are assigned. Usually all such information and the descriptions of the projects are recorded manually during the advancement of each project. This primitive procedure is not efficient to maintain information for enabling ongoing project control and analysis of the allocation of personnel resources. Hence there is a need for a computerized system. Such a system has been designed and partly implemented by employing the CDC DMS-170 Database Management System using COBOL as the host language.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is one of the most widely used methodologies for Operations Research (OR) modeling and analysis. However, designing and implementing DES can be a time-consuming and error-prone task. This thesis designed, implemented and evaluated a tool, the Event Graph Graphical Design Tool (EGGDT), to help OR analystsin the design, implementation, and maintenance of DES reducing the development and debugging times. The Unified Modeling Language was used to document the development of the EGGDT, which was programmed in Java using J2D and Swing. Human Factors techniques were employed to help in the design process and to evaluate the final prototype of the EGGDT. During the design process, two formative experiments were performed to evaluate the Graphical User Interface design decisions. A final summative experiment was done to test if the potential users consider the tool a useful means to develop OR simulations. Participants of the experiments agreed that tools like the EGGDT are an essential instrument when developing simulation. / Spanish Navy author

ANESTHESIA RECORDKEEPING: ACCURACY OF RECALL WITH COMPUTERIZED AND MANUAL ENTRY RECORDKEEPING By Thomas Corey Davis, PhD A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in Health Related Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Dr. Chuck Biddle Director of Research, Department of Nurse Anesthesia And Dr. Jeffery A. Green Assistant Chief of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesia Introduction: Anesthesia information management systems are rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. Aggressively promoted as an improvement to manual-entry recordkeeping systems in the areas of accuracy, quality improvement, billing and vigilance, these systems record all patient vital signs and parameters, providing a legible hard copy and permanent electronic record. At risk is a potential loss of “connectedness” to the patient with the use of computerized recordkeeping, perhaps jeopardizing vigilance. Methods: This research analyzed differences in the accuracy of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists' (CRNAs) recall of specific patient variables during the course of an actual anesthetic case. CRNAs using computerized recordkeeping systems were compared to CRNAs using manual entry recordkeeping. Accuracy of recalled values of 10 patient variables was measured - highest and lowest heart rate, systolic blood pressure, inspiratory pressure, and end-tidal carbon dioxide levels, lowest oxygen saturation and total fluid volume. In addition, a filmed educational vignette was presented to evaluate any effect on accuracy of recall following this presentation. Four tertiary care facilities participated in this research. A Solomon four-group research design was selected to control for the effect of pretesting on results of the filmed educational treatment. Results: 214 subjects participated in this study; 106 in the computerized recordkeeping group, and 108 in the manual entry recordkeeping group. Demographic covariates were analyzed to ensure homogeneity between groups and facilities. No significant statistical differences were identified between the accuracy of recall among the groups. There was no statistically significant effect of the educational film vignette on accuracy of recall. Conclusions: There was no difference in the accuracy of practitioners’ recall of patient variables when using computerized or manual entry recordkeeping systems, suggesting little impact on vigilance. The educational film presented did not have an effect on accuracy of recall following the discussion of benefits and limitations of methods of recordkeeping.

The Institute of Medicine reported seven thousand deaths annually due to medication errors. It is estimated that two out of one hundred admissions experience a preventable adverse medication event resulting in an average cost of $4,700 per admission, which is $2.8 million dollars annually for a 700 bed hospital (Institute of Medicine, 1999). In Canada, medication related errors were identified as the most common adverse event (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2007). A medication error is “any error that occurs during the process of history taking, ordering, dispensing, administering and surveillance of a medication regardless of whether harm occurred to the patient or if there was potential harm (Eslami, Abu Hanna, & de Keizer, 2007; Ong, 2007). Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) can play a vital role in the prevention of medication errors in the drug ordering stage. It was reported that the occurrence of Adverse Drug Events (ADE) was decreased by fifty-five percent with the addition of CPOE system (Berger & Kichak, 2004). However, the literature review on CPOE impact is heavily focused on the physicians’ perspective (Eslami et al., 2007; Reckmann, Westbrook, Koh, Lo, & Day, 2009; ). Nurses play a significant role in the medication process, as traditionally, nurses are involved in all the medication process stages. Research on the impact of CPOE in the entire medication process is still lacking (Househ, Ahmad, Alshaikh, & Alsuweed, 2013). Understanding the perspective of nurses on the impact of CPOE in their work will increase awareness and understanding of CPOE use among health care professionals and health informaticians. This research adopts a grounded theory approach to explore the question of “how do nurses perceive the impact of CPOE on the medication process and on collaborative practice?” Ten participants were interviewed and out of the ten, eight participants were observed during a portion of their work. The information collected was analyzed using a constant comparative method. Participants described that the CPOE supported legible order communication between care providers and departments. CPOE use removed the requirement to transcribe orders to the medication administration record, as well as, the necessity to fax the order sheet to the pharmacy. However, in the ordering stage the nurse is also involved in providing information for order decision-making. Nurses discuss probable medication orders in cases of urgent situations, or nursing assessments of the patient. In this decision-making, the information requirements of nurses involve not only the medication information, but also information about other orders such as diagnostics, laboratory, and patient care orders. Future CPOE design and CPOE implementations should consider including mobile devices, alerts, and workflow modeling with the nursing information needs. / Graduate / 0710 / 0569 / vitor@uvic.ca

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 128-130. / by Philippe J.M. Coueignoux. / Ph.D.