Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-10"
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- Health data risks In 2026 – The future european health data ecosystemPublication . Curado, HenriqueThere are two types of purposes for the European Health Data Ecosystem – EHDE (scheduled to come into force in 2026). The primary uses are for healthcare delivery, so it is important to have access to health information for citizens outside their country to prescribe and buy medicines. A novelty is the secondary use of data, i.e. sharing information for scientific research purposes, given its relevance for medical innovation as well for the development of health policies and regulations. The European Union believes that the EHDE will strengthen patients’ rights. However, the protection of personal data is unclear. The information includes several categories of elements: patient summary, electronic prescription, electronic dispensation, medical image and image report, laboratory result and discharge report. The aim of this study is to analyze the vulnerabilities of the future EHDE for the protection of personal data. Indeed, being more universal, it creates greater vulnerability than if the data were contained in a Member State (MS). Moreover, the system does not create special rules for information security, referring to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which, paradoxically, states that it has not had uniform application in all MS.
- Forest bathing environments in virtual reality: enhancing well-being through immersive nature experiencesPublication . Almeida, Raquel Simões de; Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Marques, António; Pereira, JavierThe present study proposes an innovative approach to promote wellbeing by developing forest bathing environments in virtual reality (VR). Forest bathing, a practice rooted in traditional Japanese culture, involves immersing oneself in a forest atmosphere to enhance physical and mental health. VR technology enables the opportunity to recreate and simulate these natural environments, allowing individuals to experience the benefits of forest bathing regardless of their physical location and limitations of physical access to natural environments. This study aims to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a VR forest bathing environment in improving well-being, stress reduction, and overall relaxation.
- Distributed database model for mobile health telemonitoring applicationsPublication . Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Curado, Henrique; Marques, António; Gomes, Bárbara; Pereira, JavierTelemonitoring interventions in patients allow to collect and transmit information to health professionals bringing recognized advantages in the personalization of health care services. Those applications deal with sensitive data, raising ethical and legal issues that must be considered. Guarantee the quality and accuracy of the data collected in telemonitoring and ensure confdentiality to protect the patient privacy is a fundamental requirement. The patient’s informed consent implies that he is aware of the potential benefts and risks of the system, how telemonitoring will be used, what data will be collected and with whom it will be shared. This work proposes a database model ensuring that sensitive data is handled securely and accessible only to authorized health professionals.
- Extended reality in the operating room: robot-assisted orthopedics surgery with live and interactive streaming for medical studentsPublication . Magalhães, Renato; Veloso, Rita; Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Marques, António; Pereira, JavierTraditionally, medical education comprises both theoretical learning in classrooms and clinical training in hospitals where students can gain clinical experience. This is mostly done on face-to-face teaching models, focused on the educational philosophy of “see one, do one, teach one”, was the standard teaching methodology in medical education. Medical education is transforming thanks to medical schools adopting innovations to new clinicians, such as immersive prepare techniques (extended reality): virtual reality, augmented reality and virtual reality. Immersive learning technologies, such as extended reality, can provide an engaging and interactive platform to generate a stimulating learning environment and with the recent development and increased accessibility of immersive technologies, educators have the potential to make simulation-based training more effective. By using holographic devices, such as Microsoft HoloLens 2®, and 5G wireless communications we intent to explore the innovative experience of a robot-assisted orthopaedic surgery, where the procedures were transmitted live stream to Pregraduate Medical Students using the Microsoft Remote Assist®. In addition, students had the opportunity to interact directly from a classroom to the operating room, asking to the surgeon about the procedures performed during surgery and get involved in the surgery, even remotely. At the end, students completed a questionnaire to evaluate the experience and the preliminary results made possible to assess the effectiveness of this experience and identify areas for improvement for future surgery transmission, revolutionizing the teaching and practice of surgery.
- Equity in the access of chinese immigrants to healthcare services in PortugalPublication . Nunes, Rui; Aparício, Sandra Lopes; Castro, Luísa; Duarte, IvoneThe aim of this study was to identify the barriers that Chinese immigrants face when accessing the Portuguese National Health Service. An observational, cross-sectional and quantitative study was carried out via a bilingual Portuguese/Mandarin self-completed paper questionnaire was applied. The study population consisted of individuals with Chinese nationality who were residing in mainland Portugal for at least one year and aged 18 years or over. A total of 304 individuals answered the questionnaire. The results show that 284 (93.4%) of the participants had already sought healthcare in Portugal. The participants identified language difficulties and health professionals’ lack of knowledge of Chinese cultural habits as the most significant barriers to accessing healthcare in Portugal. Of a total of 165 participants who sought healthcare in China, confidence in treatment outcomes and health professionals’ knowledge of Chinese cultural habits were the reasons given by 151 (91.5%) individuals. This study reveals the existence of linguistic and cultural barriers that can condition the access of the Chinese immigrant population to healthcare systems.
- The use of artificial intelligence in interactive virtual reality adaptive environments with real-time biofeedback applied to phobias psychotherapyPublication . Gomes, Paulo Veloso; Sá, Vítor J.; Donga, João; Marques, António; Gomes, Bárbara; Almeida, Raquel Simões de; Pereira, JavierExposure therapy is a type of psychotherapy where the patient is gradually exposed to a fear situation. Patients may present different degrees of phobia, and the degree of phobia of each patient changes throughout the treatment. The use of Interactive Virtual Reality Adaptive Environments, where the interaction is personalized through real-time biofeedback mechanisms, allows the environment to adapt to the patients and their evolution throughout the treatment. The Artificial Intelligence affective algorithms continuously monitor the patient’s behavioral data and physiological responses to adjust the intensity and number of the stimuli. This real-time adaptation aims to personalize and optimize the exposure process, gradually desensitizing patients to their fears
- Ciência da Informação: Perfis diversificados formações especializadasPublication . Carvalho, Milena; Martins, SusanaAs tecnologias de informação e da comunicação influenciaram, ao nível macro, o funcionamento da sociedade e da indústria, e, ao nível micro, o papel dos sujeitos enquanto indivíduos, estudantes e profissionais. A educação não foi exceção, e também ela foi forçada a sofrer alterações, seja ao nível dos recursos físicos, dos recursos humanos e metodologias de ensino e de aprendizagem bem como dos conteúdos ministrados.Efetivamente, a influência das tecnologias de informação e da comunicaçãonas funções desempenhadas pelo profissional da informação é grande e as atuais políticas educativas, a par com a atual conjuntura (nacional e global) aumentam a necessidade de um profissional da informação capaz de enfrentar os desafios que se colocam. Considerando que os cursos de especialização pós-graduada proporcionam competências, ou a sua atualização, em áreas específicas, são muitas vezes a opção de estudantes recém-licenciados ou de profissionais que pretendem redirecionar a sua carreira. Assim, esta comunicação tem como objetivo, apresentar os três cursos de especialização pós-graduada criados por duas docentes do grupo disciplinar de Ciência da Informação do Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto, Politécnico do Porto,como possíveis caminhos para uma especialização promovedora de perfis diferenciados ou para uma hipótese de alterar o caminho profissional até então traçado, de forma relativamente célere.A flexibilidade profissional, voluntária ou não, é uma realidade.Cumulativamenteverifica-se uma crescente consciencialização da importância da Informação para as organizações. A contextualização do trabalho do profissional de informação e a resposta às necessidades informacionais das organizações, transversais a qualquer organização, são um elemento essencial na formação deste profissional.A metodologia empregue baseia-se na revisão da literatura e na recolha e análise de evidências, através de questionário, seguindo, por isso uma abordagem mista: será usada uma combinação de técnicas quantitativas e qualitativas, permitindo melhores possibilidades analíticas.É convicção que a mudança de paradigma que subjaz à implementação efetiva dos princípios contidos na Declaração de Bolonha pressupõe uma adequação dos cursos à nova realidade profissional e social.De facto, a evolução da Ciência da Informação conduziu a um paradigma centrado no utilizador e no realce da importância do papel social do sucesso à informação para a formação de uma sociedade mais democrata e inclusiva. É agora certo que o profissional da informação deve basear-senasnecessidadeseinteressesdosutilizadorese,em simultâneo, deve sustentar a sua atividade na mediação da informação, ou seja, na construçãoeconsolidaçãodemecanismoseinstrumentosquepermitamaos utilizadoresapropriarem-sedainformaçãodequenecessitam,estimulandoe facilitando o acesso e o uso da informação. A formação dos profissionais e o aumento das suas competências em tecnologias de informação e da comunicação, é necessária para se atingir uma plenavalorização dainformaçãoenquanto fenómeno humano e social. Ao longo dos anos foram surgindo programas e projetos para a sensibilização, formação e adaptaçãodosprofissionaisdestaárea. O conjunto de ofertas formativas apresentadas permitem uma diversificação e/ou especialização de perfis complementando aquela proporcionada ao nível da licenciatura, alinhando-se com as variadas exigências do mercado de trabalhoe da transformação digital.
- Challenges and singularities of Energy Poverty in Portuguese society: A case studyPublication . Silva, Paulo; Felgueiras, CarlosThe impossibility and lack of accessibility for several households in Europe to resort to efficient heating and cooling technologies in their homes or to carry out energy rehabilitation in buildings has been a growing concern, not only in the European Union, but also in many Member States. These households that are energetically vulnerable belong to the statistics of the phenomenon identified as energy poverty. Multiple factors justify the growing concern about this problem within the European Union, either due to the need to assess the consequences of the liberalization of energy markets on the most vulnerable consumers, or due to the creation, exposure and identification of situations of poverty, social exclusion, health problems public health, decrease in comfort and living conditions. These factors tend to influence the country's macroeconomic outlook to the extent that they undermine energy policy options, reducing their efficiency and making it difficult to implement energy policies that are more environmentally friendly and capable of facing the challenges of climate change. Since the built environment is the largest consumer of energy, the fight against energy poverty should be encouraged in this sector due to the impact it may have on the country's socioeconomic indicators.
- Reimagining art: Virart, a platform using virtual reality for creative expression and cultural engagementPublication . Donga, João; Azevedo, João; Carrapa, Marta; Gomes, Paulo VelosoVirart is an immersive experience that showcase the potential of Virtual Reality in recreating artistic works. By leveraging the capabilities of VR, users can explore and interact with digital recreations of Julio Maria dos Reis Pereira artistic creations. The VR environment enhances the sense of presence and enables viewers to explore the art from different angles, offering a deeper level of engagement compared to traditional mediums. By showcasing the possibilities of virtual reality in recreating artistic works, Virart opens new avenues for artists, art enthusiasts, and the general public to appreciate and engage with art in innovative ways. It demonstrates the potential of virtual reality technology in preserving and promoting cultural heritage, allowing art to be experienced beyond physical limitations.
- Applicability of mixed reality in operating roomPublication . Magalhães, Renato; Veloso, Rita; Vilaça, Adélio; Oliveira, Ana; Terroso, DavidMixed Reality (MR) technology has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing surgical procedures and training in the operating room (OR). The applicability of MR in the OR has potential benefits and challenges. In this study, we conducted a systematic review to comprehensively evaluate the use of MR in the OR, specifically focusing on training, remote support, and surgical planning. Additionally, we analysed available tools, assessing their usability and integration into existing workflows. The analysis highlights MR solutions that improve surgical precision, visualization, decision-making, and educational experiences. The conclusions derived from the systematic review are presented, emphasizing the applicability of MR in OR and its potential contributions to training and surgical planning.