Precision Metrics: A Narrative Review on Unlocking the Power of KPIs in Radiology for Enhanced Precision Medicine.

() Over the years, there has been increasing interest in adopting a quality approach in radiology, leading to the strategic pursuit of specific and key performance indicators (KPIs). These indicators in radiology can have significant impacts ranging from radiation protection to integration into digital healthcare. () This study aimed to conduct a narrative review on the integration of key performance indicators (KPIs) in radiology with specific key questions.

Exploring Augmented Reality Integration in Diagnostic Imaging: Myth or Reality?

This study delves into the transformative potential of integrating augmented reality (AR) within imaging technologies, shedding light on this evolving landscape. Through a comprehensive narrative review, this research uncovers a wealth of literature exploring the intersection between AR and medical imaging, highlighting its growing prominence in healthcare. AR's integration offers a host of potential opportunities to enhance surgical precision, bolster patient engagement, and customize medical interventions.

The Integration of Deep Learning in Radiotherapy: Exploring Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions through an Umbrella Review.

This study investigates, through a narrative review, the transformative impact of deep learning (DL) in the field of radiotherapy, particularly in light of the accelerated developments prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed approach was based on an umbrella review following a standard narrative checklist and a qualification process. The selection process identified 19 systematic review studies.

A Remote Assessment of Anxiety on Young People: Their and Their Different Pet Interaction.

The lockdown was imposed in Italy on 9 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Restrictions severely limiting individual freedom were indispensable to protect the population and reduce virus diffusion. Italian people had never before experienced similar restrictions that undoubtedly tested psychological health.

The Newfound Opportunities of Wearable Systems Based on Biofeedback in the Prevention of Falls. Comment on Tanwar et al. Pathway of Trends and Technologies in Fall Detection: A Systematic Review. 2022, , 172.

We are writing to you as the corresponding authors of the interesting study "Pathway of Trends and Technologies in Fall Detection: A Systematic Review" [...

Information Security in Medical Robotics: A Survey on the Level of Training, Awareness and Use of the Physiotherapist.

Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important aspect to investigate for the adoption and use of care robots, in term of both patients' safety, and the availability, integrity and privacy of their data. This study focuses on opinions about cybersecurity relevance and related skills for physiotherapists involved in rehabilitation and assistance thanks to the aid of robotics. The goal was to investigate the awareness among insiders about some facets of cybersecurity concerning human-robot interactions.

Opportunities and Problems of the Consensus Conferences in the .

Care robots represent an opportunity for the . The use of these devices has important implications. They can be used in surgical operating rooms in important and delicate clinical interventions, in motion, in training-and-simulation, and cognitive and rehabilitation processes.

The Social Robot and the Digital Physiotherapist: Are We Ready for the Team Play?

: We are witnessing two phenomena. The first is that the physiotherapist is increasingly becoming a figure that must interact with Digital Health. On the other hand, social robots through research are improving more and more in the aspects of social interaction thanks also to artificial intelligence and becoming useful in rehabilitation processes.

The Vaccination Process against the COVID-19: Opportunities, Problems and Support.

The vaccination against the COVID-19, finally available, has the potential to represent an important defence against the pandemic. The identification of both obstacles and tools to combat them are, at this moment, of strategic importance. Previous experiences on vaccinations have shown solutions and paths to take, also based on the behavioural sciences.

Health in the palm of your hand-part 1: the risks from smartphone abuse and the role of telemedicine and e-Health.

Background: The evolution of the Telemedicine and e-Health is strictly related to the evolution of the mobile-technology. If today it is possible to successfully use a wide range of mHealth applications, playing an important role in Telemedicine and e-Health, health care has surely a gratitude debt with the smartphone. However, it is increasingly becoming clear that excessive use of the smartphone has implications for health in terms of risks and it is therefore necessary to tackle the various gaps and/or the role that Telemedicine and e-Health itself has in this field.

Health in the palm of your hand-part 2: design and application of an educational module for young people on the risks from smartphone abuse and the opportunities of telemedicine and e-Health.

Background: The evolution of mHealth is strictly related to the evolution of the mobile-technology and in particular of the smartphone. However, it is increasingly becoming clear that excessive use of the smartphone has implications for health in terms of emerging risks and in particular (I) the text neck, (II) the addiction, (III) the use of deceptive Apps in mHealth and today telemedicine and e-Health solutions to face this are strongly needed. What young people need is a package of solutions that allow them to tackle all three of these problems at the same time through dedicated tools and specific material on these topics.

Medical Apps and the Gray Zone in the COVID-19 Era: Between Evidence and New Needs for Cybersecurity Expansion.

The study focuses on emerging problems caused by the spread of medical apps. Firstly, it reviews the current role of cybersecurity and identifies the potential need to widen the boundaries of cybersecurity in relation to these apps. Secondly, it focuses on the pivotal device behind the development of mHealth: the smartphone, and highlights its role and current potential for hosting wearable medical technology.

The mHealth in the canine assisted therapy: the design and application of a kit for the wearable monitoring during a walking session.

Background: We are today assisting to an increasing interest to the animal assisted therapy (AAT). Among the goals of the AAT there is to improve a patient's psychological and physiological condition during the rehabilitation therapies. Several studies showed the health benefits (psychological and physiological) for the human subject thanks to the AAT.

The in the canine assisted therapy: the proposal of a conceptual model for the wearable monitoring.

Background: We are today assisting to: an increasing interest to both the animal assisted therapy (AAT) and to the pet quality of life and health. The animal-assisted therapy is an alternative or complementary type of therapy that involves animals as a form of treatment. Among the goals of AAT there is to improve a patient's psychological and physiological condition during the rehabilitation therapies.

Toward the Integration of Devices for Pulmonary Respiratory Rehabilitation in Telemedicine and e-Health.

Respiratory rehabilitation is a therapeutic path based on performing regular physical exercise. It aims to modify the impact that the respiratory disease has on the patients' quality of life, reducing the severity of the symptoms, and improving their ability to adhere to the activities of daily life. After an initial assessment, they are prescribed (1) different forms and modes of physical exercise and (2) exercise of pulmonary musculature to improve individual performance and the consequences of the symptoms of the emotional sphere related to the pathological condition.

Design, construction and validation of a portable care system for the daily telerehabiliatation of gait.

When designing a complete system of daily-telerehabilitation it should be borne in mind that properly designed methodologies should be furnished for patients to execute specific motion tasks and for care givers to assess the relevant parameters. Whether in hospital or at home, the system should feature two basic elements: (a) instrumented and walking aids or supports, (b) equipment for the assessment of parameters. Being gait the focus, the idea was to design, construct and validate - as an alternative to the complex and expensive instruments currently used - a simple, portable kit that may be easily interfaced/integrated with the most common mechanical tools used in motion rehabilitation (instrumented walkways, aids, supports), with feedback to both patient for self-monitoring and trainer/therapist (present or remote) for clinical reporting.

Portable kit for the assessment of gait parameters in daily telerehabilitation.

Background: When designing a complete process of daily telerehabilitation, it should be borne in mind that patients should be furnished with properly designed methodologies for executing specific motion tasks and the assessment of the relevant parameters. In general, such a process should comprehend three basic elements in both the hospital and the home: (a) instrumented walkways, (b) walking aids or supports, and (c) equipment for the assessment of parameters. The objective, with gait being the focus, of this study was thus to design a simple, portable kit-as an alternative to the complex and expensive instruments currently used-to be easily interfaced or integrated with the instrumented walkways and aids/supports both for self-monitoring while patients are exercising with their own aids and for clinical reporting.

A monitoring tool of workers' activity at Video Display Terminals for investigating VDT-related risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Today the risk factors related to the use of Video Display Terminals (VDT) are assessed by investigating the actual activities at the VDT through subjective questionnaires and/or quantitative measurements. Questionnaire outcomes are quite imprecise and seldom objective. Quantitative measurements (EMG recordings, electrogoniometers, motion analysis systems) mostly prevent subjects from moving freely while working at the VDT.

Virtual microscopy and digital cytology: state of the art.

The paper approaches a new technological scenario relevant for the introduction of the digital cytology (D-CYT) in the health service. A detailed analysis of the state of the art on the status of the introduction of D-CYT in the hospital and more in general in the dispersed territory has been conducted. The analysis was conducted in a form of review and was arranged into two parts: the first part focused on the technological tools needed to carry out a successful service (client server architectures, e-learning, quality assurance issues); the second part focused on issues oriented to help the introduction and evaluation of the technology (specific training in D-CYT, health technology assessment in-routine application, data format standards and picture archiving computerized systems (PACS) implementation, image quality assessment, strategies of navigation, 3D-virtual-reality potentialities).

A novel approach to mechanical foot stimulation during human locomotion under body weight support.

Input from the foot plays an essential part in perceiving support surfaces and determining kinematic events in human walking. To simulate adequate tactile pressure inputs under body weight support (BWS) conditions that represent an effective form of locomotion training, we here developed a new method of phasic mechanical foot stimulation using light-weight pneumatic insoles placed inside the shoes (under the heel and metatarsus). To test the system, we asked healthy participants to walk on a treadmill with different levels of BWS.

A web based health technology assessment in tele-echocardiography: the experience within an Italian project.

Due to major advances in the information technology, telemedicine applications are ready for a widespread use. Nonetheless, to allow their diffusion in National Health Care Systems (NHCSs) specific methodologies of health technology assessment (HTA) should be used to assess the standardization, the overall quality, the interoperability, the addressing to legal, economic and cost benefit aspects. One of the limits to the diffusion of the digital tele-echocardiography (T-E) applications in the NHCS lacking of a specific methodology for the HTA.

Toward the design of a wearable system for fall-risk detection in telerehabilitation.

Telemedicine represents a valid aid in rehabilitation process. A remote therapist in a telerehabilitation program could monitor daily motion activity and assign motion-rehabilitation tools on the basis of the fall risk. However, one problem is detection of the fall risk itself.

Toward the design of a wearable system for contact thermography in telemedicine.

Thermal imaging of the skin has been used for several decades for monitoring of temperature distribution of human skin for the detection of thermal abnormalities indicating pathologies (malignancies, inflammation, infection, and vascular, dermatological, and rheumatic disorders). Literature has shown that to detect and monitor the thermal abnormalities related to pathologic conditions, there is a need to extend acquisition over 8, 12, 16, or 24 hours. A wearable device is strongly needed in contact thermography to reach the objective of long-term monitoring of contact thermography, especially in telemedicine applications.

Toward the integration of novel wearable step-counters in gait telerehabilitation after stroke.

In the management of stroke, after the first critical care period at the hospital, it is important for the subjects to plan a neural and motion rehabilitation program at home. Telerehabilitation could represent a valid aid for subjects involved in a rehabilitation process at home. Motion and neural rehabilitation are strictly correlated.