Application of Information Technology in Health Care Essay

Application of Information Technology in Health Care - Essay Example It is good to embrace technology, but the question of ethics reminds us to evaluate fully its repercussions to general welfare of humankind. New technologies are beneficial if used in the right way. However, sometimes they can be a source of human suffering. Gabrielle Olivera (2005) points out that, the use of Radio Frequency Identification dates back in1940s. VeriChip was used for security purposes and tracking of livestock. Gabrielle Olivera continues to elaborate on the modern uses of chips such as, tagging of medical bottles, packaged foods, rental cars, and drivers licenses. Implantation of chips into human body has sparked debates among human rights activist and other organizations (Tavani, 2009). This is controversy, which remains unresolved to date. This paper seeks to compare the pros and cons regarding the use of chip technology in Medical Record System. The paper attempts to raise legal and ethical awareness of the technology in question. It will use evidence-based argumen ts to compare the pros and cons of Electronic Health System in order to declare my stand on this matter. It will finally provide recommendations and conclusion based on the weight of the cons and pros. Implantation of chips to human is not new in the field of medicine. Installation of pacemakers prolongs the lives of patients. Goran Hermeren, the chairperson on European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, carried out a research on implantation technology in 2005. In his report, to the European Commission, he highlights that the usage of implantable chips dates back to 1960s. He lists some examples such as cardiovascular pacemakers used in heart failure patients and cochlear implants, which aid in signal transmission to the ear. It is evident from this report that chips have restored human capabilities. However, it is necessary to compare the benefits of electronic implants on one hand and the risks on the other hand. These are pros and cons. Some of the pros of Electron ic Health Records include its usage during an emergency. Glaser and Salzberg (2011), reveals that the electronic health records play an important role during this time. This is because the patients do not have their health records with them and therefore Electronic implants acts as a source of reference. In addition, they are unconscious and there fore cannot give their personal details. In such cases, Electronic Health Records provide patients’ health information. They give useful information such as the patients’ health history there fore save lives. During disasters and natural calamities, they are sources of useful information. It is clear that Electronic Health Records inform of implants achieve highest degree of accuracy. Patients may forget to provide some important facts of their health history. For example, they may have some allergies to certain medicines and failure to give this information brings disaster to their health. On the other hand, opponents of the electronic health records cite their unresolved issues concerning respect for fundamental rights to oppose its adoption in the health sector. To begin with, these chips lack insurance covers. Hammaker (2010) depicts that manufactures of chips do not assume responsibility in case of any danger that may arise from their usage. Some these implants are quite expensive and it is unfair to compel patients to have them in their bodies. The technology violates human dignity. Insertion of implants is violation of human dignity. Security issues are also matters of great concern. Tavani (2009) notes that patients are not ready lose their identity to a third party. Moreover, Health Record implants can cause electrical hazards, which can result into death of patients. This

Foundations of Biblical Principles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Foundations of Biblical Principles - Assignment Example They should also give their beliefs primacy in their lives, and should endeavor to understand the nature of their beliefs. According to the author, knowledge may be gained through seeing or acquaintance, believing and having utter confidence and certainty in it. The latter is what people should strive towards. Moreland (2007) also states that Christian knowledge expands through deliberate efforts to improvements. People need to make yearly plans to stretch their faiths, read more books and share with others the works of faith in their lives.Principle #14 states that â€Å"Each person builds, starting even in the womb, an internal model of the world.† (Cox n.d. p 1) Everyone perceives their environment in a certain way regardless of age. Luke 1:44 states that baby John rejoiced in the womb when Mary, the mother of Jesus visited his mother. Therefore, educators must cultivate a sense of biblical truth in students regardless of their age (Ledbetter, 2003). I have found that Princ iple #33 is quite useful in expounding the centrality of a biblical worldview. It states that â€Å"People respond to the world by way of their internal mode of the world rather than via how the world really might be.† (Cox n.d. p 3)This principle focuses on how human beings reason. A person’s perception of reality mostly depends on their internal worldview. Christian educators ought to strive to learn Christ’s mind (Wilson, 1991). Extreme familiarity with it leads to a type of knowledge defined by Moreland as know—how.

Changes to Crime Rates in the UK

Changes to Crime Rates in the UK Crime has devastating consequences to the economic and social dimensions of any country. Unfortunately despite increased efforts to fight crime halting it seems to be impossible. Slack (2009) points out that official crime figures indicate that the country has the worst rate essentially for all types, or categories of violent crimes when compared to the United States and other countries that appear on the list of the most dangerous countries in the world. Hicks and Allen (1999, 5) indicate that the figure of homicides which include offences of manslaughter, murder and infanticide have doubled since 1960s however, the state that recorded crime fell considerably in the 1990s. They assert that the rising trend of crime that was reported began in 1954 seemingly declining starting 1992 when reported crime peaked. Nonetheless the British Survey reports show the 1990s estimates of unreported crime as standing at fifty six percent and thus making it unclear whether there was indeed a decline in the 1990s. Additionally the rate of crime might have not reduced since statistics show that the average prison population has been increasing since 1940s to approximately sixty five thousand in 1998. Nonetheless the police insist that the crime rates have been declining over the years starting that they did peak in 1995 but have steadily reduced since especially due to government efforts. Home office (2008) statistics also indicate crime rates peaked in 1995 but have since dropped by 42 percent. In 2009 police reports show that crime decreased by five percent when compared to 2007/2008 rates while BCS reports show no significant change in the rates. NIMS (2008) are however of the idea that the overall crime rates have been decreasing over the past few years although some years have experienced slight increases in the rates. In general from the reports it can be concluded that on average the rates of crime have slightly decreased. On the most recent figures, what percentage of all crimes recorded by the police do the following constitute: Murder? Rape? Theft? Car theft? 2008/09 provisional data by the police show 648 occurrences of homicide. This is the lowest recorded figure in the last twenty years. Attempted murders, whose figure stood at 621 in 2007/2008 decreased by approximately forty six incidences or seven percent in 2008/2009. While there was a decline in the homicide offences that involved sharp instruments by approximately 18 incidents, attempted murders that involved knifes rose from approximately 245 to 271 incidents. Generally, of all crimes that the police recorded in the period 2008/09 murder accounted for less than two percent of them. Police records also show that while sexual offences recorded a 4 percent drop women rape increased by 12,000 cases which translates to five percent. Additionally car theft accounted for thirteen percent of all the crimes committed in 2008/09 (Home Office 2009, 16). On the most recent British Crime Survey figures, what is the most commonly experienced form of crime? According to Home Office (2009, 16), British Crime Survey statistics present property crime as the most common misdemeanor experienced by individuals. Property crime accounts for nearly eighty percent of the crimes that were recorded by BCS. Nevertheless this current figure is still lower since the high or peak point in 1995. What is meant by clear-up rates? Tarling (2008, 148) explains that while crime rate refers to the total figure of crimes that the police recorded per 100,000 people, clear up rate is described as the percentage of crime recorded that is solved or detected by the police. Home Office (2009, 131) clarify that the clear up rates may not be definitive indicators or measures of the police investigative performance and thus need to be evaluated or interpreted with care. Give examples of variations in clear up rates between crime categories. What reasons might be given for these variations? According to Home Office (2009, 131) just like in the previous years there was a variation in the clear up rates for the distinct crime types in 2008/09. For instance there was a 95% clear up rate for drug offences but 11% for vehicle offences. Additionally while the clear up rates for burglary stood at thirteen percent, criminal damage rates stood at 14%, robbery at 21%, fraud and offences at 28%, sexual offences 31% and violence against persons 47%. One of the main reasons that have been given for these differences is the nature of crime. For instance drug offences which record the highest rate are easy to clear since they are relatively straightforward to handle; to deal with an offender in possession of such substances a warning may simply be issued to the delinquent. However the rates are much lower in offences against vehicles or burglary since the offences typically come to light much later or days after they have been committed and the offenders have disappeared from the crime scene. Crime mix and the methods that are put into use by the police to detect the various offences can also lead to a variation in the clear up rates. What is the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) and why is it important? The NCRS provides general rules and regulations for recording offenses and has been approved and adopted by police forces since 2002 in England and Wales. It requires that all incidents reports whether from witnesses, third parties or victims and whether crime linked or not need result in an incident report registration. The NCRS represents the government attempt to overcome crime recording variations and provide accuracy and consistency in data entry between police divisions and forces. It is also important since it is meant to provide reliable data that is used to measure and compare police divisions and forces performance creating room for improvements (Hallam 2009, 38-41). NCRS also allows a crime recording approach that is victim oriented allowing the forces to fairly serve the populace. Which groups in the population are most at risk of becoming victims of violent crime? The general characteristics of adults that are susceptible or are most at risk of being violent crimes victims has not changed over the years. Essentially the overall risk of one becoming a violent crime victim in the period within 2008/09 was reported as being approximately 3%. Reports also indicate that males were twice as likely as women to become victims of violent crimes. According to the BCS survey the figure for men that had fallen victim to such crimes a year before the analysis stood at about 4 percent compared to 2% for women. Therefore the risk is highest for men than women. In addition risk of facing violent crimes for men decreased as their ages increased. Risk levels were found to be less than 1% for men that were sixty five years and older while those aged between sixteen and twenty four had a risk calculated at 13%. Similar trends were observed in females although the risk rates differed, with those between sixteen and twenty four facing a risk of about 5%. The unempl oyed people risk of becoming victims to such crime stood at 7.6 percent while that of the employed people was recorded at approximately 3%. Unmarried males and females (7.6 percent), students (8.6 percent) and individuals with mixed ethnicity (7 percent) also showed a higher than average risk of becoming violent crimes victims (Home Office 2009, 47). In terms of age and gender, which groups in the population are most likely to be known as  offenders? Offenders are likely to be young and male in terms of gender. In half of the reported violent crimes the offenders were believed or found to be between sixteen and twenty four years of age. Additionally from eighty percent of the incidents male offenders were found to be the main culprits as compared to fourteen percent for their female counterparts. The probability of males committing crime was in fact higher for all crimes. As age increased it became less likely that individuals would commit an offense. While individuals between 16 and 24 had a 55% chance, those between 25 and 39 had a thirty percent chance while those that were forty years and older had a 13 percent chance of committing crime (Home Office 2009, 70). Compared with other countries, is the crime rate in England Wales high, low, or average? Reports by the United Nations and the European Union indicate that the UK has been ranked second based in terms of overall crime rates in the EU, with higher percentages of homicides than those in Italy, German, Spain and France (Slack, 2009). Furthermore the UK is fourth in burglary rates and fifth in robbery rates when compared to most of the western European countries. The UK basically records the highest absolute burglary figure in the EU actually with double the total number of offenses that are recorded in France and Germany. Moreover Britain has been named as the most violent nation in the EU. According to Slack (2009) there are 2034 offenses occurring in every 100, 000 people in the UK, Austrias figures stands at 1677, US 466, South Africa 1609 and Canada 935. The crime rate is therefore generally high when compared with the other countries (Slack, 2009). In comparison with other jurisdictions, is the use of imprisonment in England Wales low, high or average? The proportion or percentage of the population that is imprisoned in any country varies with the conviction rates, crime rates, prison sentences length and tendency to issue prison sentences as opposed to community service or fines. Despite the declining crime rates in the UK imprisonment rates have steadily increased leading to overcrowding in prison facilities. When compared to Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain and Canada the use of imprisonment in the UK is high (US BJS, 2005). Nonetheless when the compared to the United States, Singapore and Portugal, England and Wales use of imprisonment is average. According to BBC (2005) in every population of 100,000, 726 were in prison in the US, 142 in the UK and 58 in Japan in the year 2005.

Physics of Image Processing Essay -- physics photo photograph digital

Missing Figures Characteristics of Light There are a few fundamental characteristics of light that are useful to be aware of before proceeding with the discussion on how CCD's and Film can function to save a useful, meaningful image. One of these important fundamental qualities is the fact that visible light is electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic Radiation, Photons, and Energy Levels Electromagnetic radiation has many different classifications. Some such classifications include AM/FM Radio Waves, microwaves, visible light, x-rays, and gamma rays. A key factor in these classifications is that each different type or "level" of electromagnetic radiation contains different energy levels. These energy levels are determined by the speed or rate that charges from a given source move to create an electric field (for instance, moving charges through an antenna or lightbulb) (Serway 1090). Hence, this oscillating electric field has two very important characteristics: it has a frequency and a wavelength. Furthermore, light can also behave as a particle in some instances. This particle of light is called a photon, and is essentially the amount of energy that a light wave has at a certain frequency (the energy of a photon is not dependent on the intensity of the light, but rather only dependent upon its frequency) (Serway 1107). It is this "duality of light" that allows CCD's and film to function as they do, as energy is transferred to materials through light via. photons. Since the energy of a photon is only related to its frequency, an equation (discovered by Einstein) relates photons to the electrons they produce by: E = h * f Where E is the energy of the produced electron, h is Planck's constant (6.63 * 10^-34 J... ...graphic Sensitivity. 2001. 31 Mar. 2003 Gambhir. The Photographic Process: Silver Bromide Crystals. 1 April 2003 Harris, Tom. How Cameras Work. How Stuff Works. 1 April 2003 Light - Part VIII. 1 April 2003 Spectral Configuration Guide. 31 March 2003 Thompson, Tom. "Charge-coupled device." Computerworld 6 Aug. 2001: 49 Visible Light Waves.2 April 2003 Woodworth, Charles. How Photographic Film Works. How Stuff Works. 1 April 2003

Pathogens Essay

Pathogens are everywhere. They are in people, animals, and the environment. Pathogens come in a wide variety. The types are fungal, bacterial, viral, and other parasites. All pathogens can be dangerous, but two of them are more dangerous. These two types that more dangerous are fungal and bacterial. While both fungal and bacterial pathogens cause illness, they differ in the way they are transmitted, the way they are treated, and the diseases they cause. First, the way fungal and bacterial pathogens are transmitted is different.Most fungal pathogens are not transmitted person to person but instead by inhaling fungal spores. On the other hand bacterial pathogens are transmitted in many ways like through touch and air. Bacterial pathogens are also transmitted by bodily fluids. The most common infection that is transmitted by airborne pathogens is Tuberculosis. Some of the Bacterial diseases that are transmitted Group A Streptococcus, Invasive Group B Streptococcal, Haemophilus influenza . Some bacterial diseases transmitted by bodily fluids are Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and Chancroid.Second, they are different in the way they are treated. Bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics pills. Penicillin was discovered in the 1920s by a British scientist named Alexander Fleming. Fleming almost accidently discovered the natural growing substance. He named it Penicillin after the Penicillium mold that made it. The first antibiotic discovered that could attack certain bacteria was Penicillin. In 1940 two scientists, Howard Florey and Ernest Chain, were researching projects in bacteriology looking for ways to enhance or continue with chemistry.Using chemistry they created a brown powder that kept its power for more than a few days. After experimenting they found it to be safe. It was needed right away on the front lines of World War II so mass production started right away. Penicillin saved many lives that would have been lost due to bacterial infection even in minor wounds (Rosenberg, n. d. ). On the other hand fungal infections are usually treated using antifungal creams or injections. Antifungal creams are used to treat things like athlete’s foot, ringworm of the groin and body, skin infection because of Candida yeast.A serious systemic infections like crypotococcal meningitis. Antifungal injections are used to treat infections like Candidiasis, Coccidiomycosis, and Crypotococcal Meningitis. Antifungals work by exploiting differences in mammalian and fungal cells to kill the fungal organisms with no dangerous effects on the host. Fungal and human cells are alike at the molecular level. Antifungal drugs can cause side effects; some could be fatal if the drug is not used properly (Antifungal medication, n. d. ). Finally, the diseases that fungal and bacterial pathogens cause are completely different.Fungal diseases are rarer and more likely to be fatal. One of the most fatal fungal pathogens is Candida. Candidiasis infectio ns have many types the most common non-fatal type is oral also known as thrush. Invasive Candidiasis infections occur if Candida yeast gets in your bloodstream and you have a weakened immune system and a yeast infection goes untreated. Candidiasis infections have a forty to fifty percent mortality rate for systemic infections (Hidalgo, 1994-2013). Bacterial diseases are more common and there are so many different types.Some bacterial infections are Botulism, Lyme disease, and gonorrhea. Botulism is a disease that causes neuroparalysis because of a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum. The three types of botulism are infant botulism, foodborne botulism, and wound botulism. Infant botulism is caused by ingested C Botulinum spores that germinate in the intestine and produce toxin. Infant botulism has less than a one percent mortality rate. Foodborne botulism is most commonly caused by improperly canned or home-prepared foods. Foodborne Botulism carries a mortality rate of five to ten percent.Wound botulism is caused by contamination of a wound with toxin producing Botulinum. Wound botulism has a mortality rate of fifteen to seventeen percent (Chan-Tack, 1994 – 2013). Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called borrelia burgdorferi. It is carried by black legged ticks that have bitten mice or deer infected with Lyme disease. Stage one of Lyme disease is when the bacteria has entered the body but has spread throughout the body. Stage two is when the disease has spread through the body some. Stage is a widespread infection.Each stage of Lyme disease also has different symptoms. Stage one symptoms are like the flu. The symptoms include fever, body-wide itches, and muscle pain. Stage two symptoms are paralysis or weakness of face muscles, pain or swelling the knees or other large joints, muscle pain, and heart problems. Stage three symptoms are muscle weakness, numbness and tingling, abnormal muscle movement, and speech problems. Stage three of Lyme disea se can cause long term joint inflammation, heart rhythm problems, and brain and nervous system problems.These problems include concentration problems, memory problems, nerve damage, sleep disorders, and vision problems. (Lyme Disease, 2013). Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The bacteria grow in warm, moist areas of the body, like the tube that carries urine out of the body. In women the bacteria can be found in the reproductive tract. Symptoms normally appear in two to five days after infection. Sometimes symptoms take up to a month to appear and some people never have any symptoms. Some symptoms are burning and pain while urinating, sore throat, and discharge from the penis or vagina.Complications like joint infections, heart valve infection, or meningitis may occur in both men and women. Scarring or narrowing of the urethra or pus around the urethra may occur may occur in men. Pelvic inflammatory disease, scarring of the fallopian tubes, infertility may also occur in women (Gonorrhea, 2013). In Short, while fungal and bacterial pathogens are different in the way they are transmitted, the diseases they cause, and the way they are treated. They are dangerous to us because the hold a form we can’t see without a microscope.They cause diseases like Candidiasis and Botulism. The infections are treated with pills, creams, and injections. These pathogens are most commonly transmitted by touch, inhalation, bodily fluids, and air. They can’t be avoided all of the time. We will never see them coming but, we can increase our knowledge about them. Increasing our knowledge will decrease our chances or getting them by knowing what causes them we can avoid them better. References: Rosenberg, J. (n. d. ). Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin. Retrieved from http://history1900s. about. om/od/medicaladvancesissues/a/penicillin. htm Antifungal medication. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Antifungal_medicatio n Hidalgo, J. A. (1994-2013). Candidiasis. Retrieved from http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/213853-overview#showall Chan-Tack, K. M. (1994-2013). Botulism. Retrieved from http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/213311-overview#show Lyme Disease. (2013). Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002296/ Gonorrhea. (2013). Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004526/

Family Relationships Essay

Whatever form they take, family relationships are a central feature of most of our lives (Wyse and Hawtin, 2000). The family is the basic social unity of a society. A family is made up of members and there exists a relationship between members of a family. A family plays a very important role in the life of an individual. It is for this reason that it becomes very important for people to enhance good relations with members of their family. Depending on the type of family, people in a family are related either by blood or marriage. One thing that cannot be disputed however is the fact that although family members are related family relations sometimes can be challenging as members of a family attempt to get along with each other. The following paper takes an in-depth look at the changing nature of family life and the roles and responsibilities of people within the family. As already mentioned although a family is made up of people who are close sometimes handling relationships in a family can be challenging. The saying that ‘it takes two to tango’ is very relevant in a family relationship. A single individual does not have control of family relationship solely. Every member of the family plays a role either in building or destroying family relationships. Many a times family members experience internal wrangles majorly caused by different interests by the members. During such times the best way forward is to attempt to understand one another and change is key to ensure that such wrangles are solved. Sometimes family members try to change others so that they can get along. But this is not always easy and when you realize that you cannot change the personality of another member of the family then it is always best to understand them. Yet another alterative would be to change and adjust yourself in a manner that will help you get along with other members of the family (Pryor, 2001). Family life is dynamic. This means that it keeps changing with time and the kind of change that takes place are dependent on the circumstances that surround an individual family member as years pass by. For instance the relationship that a person has with his or her parents while growing up is not the same as one grows older. During the adolescent stage there are many changes that take place both physical and emotional. It is during the adolescent age for instance that a person begins to appreciate more those outside the family especially those of the opposite sex. This is one factor that contributes to the dynaminism in nature of family relationships. Eventually a person finds that they are spending more time away from home than they used to. Relationships with one’s parents become more difficult as one keeps growing and becomes more independent than before. It is during this time that when a young person is asked something which they consider personal they get irritated and they feel that the parents are intruding on their privacy. The other factor that changes family relationships as children grow is that at some stage during growth especially during adolescence children discover some things that they didn’t know previously especially matters related to sexuality and they are not as comfortable to discuss with their parents as they would with their peers. So they prefer spending much of their time with their peers discussing the â€Å"new discoveries† and thus the close relationship with their parents is gradually and slowly eroded (Wyse and Hawtin, 2000). The expectations that parents have on their children as they grow up also contribute to dynamism in family relationships. Although parents will always have good will on their children they may unknowingly put undue pressure by demanding that they must behave in a certain manner or that they must conduct things in a particular manner which is opposed to what they (children) would want. A young person may more often than not tend to disagree with some of the beliefs, practices or the general way of doing things by their parents. This mainly happens due to generational gap. This usually leads to conflicts and changes the nature of the family life. For parents and children to have good and successful relationship respect is of utmost importance. As much as the children will want their parents to respect their freedom and independence they must also respect their parents’ views and opinions (Pryor, 2001). Having looked at some of the factors that bring about change or dynamism within the family life let us now shift or focus on the roes and responsibilities of family members. Although these two terns are used interchangeably in the practical sense they are actually different. The roles of a person basically emanates from the dictation of the society by virtues of the person being a man, a woman or a child (Morrow, 1998). For instance in many societies, the roles of a man include providing to the family and offering protection to his family while his responsibilities many include among others helping out on the difficult tasks around the homestead like fixing the fence or the bulb. For a family to exist in harmony and to strengthen their relationship the roles and responsibilities of each ember of the family must be well spelt out. This helps to ensure that no member of the family feels oppresses with work around the house while the rest are left with nothing to do. However one important thing to note is that the responsibilities should be not fixed in form of timetable. It is enough to notify family members their roles and responsibilities. This gives room for flexibility so that family members can also get to experience what other family members do. In any given family parents are always in charge and it is of paramount important that children understand this. However the best approach in parenting as recommended by psychiatrists is the one where parents do not act as dictators (Morrow, 1998). Decision making ought to be shared among all members of the family. Whenever all members re involved in decision making they feel that they are part of the family and it becomes easier to implement that decision. In conclusion, a family though made of people who are close can be difficult to manage. It is therefore of paramount importance that family members respect each other’s views and opinions in order to relate harmoniously. Bibliography: Morrow, V (1998). Understanding Families. Children’s Perspectives. London: NCB Wyse, D. & Hawtin, A. (2000). Children a Multi-Professional Perspective, London: Arnold. Pryor, J. & Rodgers, B. (2001). Children in Changing Families. Oxford: Blackwell.