Product evaluation and adaptation
Project Title: The Consequences of Changing the Lengths of Prostheses on Ambulatory Capability in Transtibial Amputees
Research Problem: Which compensatory changes occur in the movement characteristics of joints of the lower limb when the length of the prosthesis is changed? What happens to the ground reaction force, walking speed and length of stride with changed prosthesis length? What happens with the length of standing and swing phases when the prosthesis length is changed?
Contact at FHS: Assistant Professor Jarle Aga, Jarle.Aga @hf.hio.no
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Project Title: The Use of Diagnostic Radiology
Objective/Research Question: This project will present knowledge about the use of radiological services in Norway; developmental trends and geographical variations (in cooperation with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority). Factors influencing the use of services will be investigated as well as the professional roles as experienced by radiologists and radiographers in regulating the use of their services. The project aims to clarify the ethical dilemmas raised by these descriptive analyses, and to evaluate them normatively in the light of principle based ethics, theories of justice and professional ethical positions.
Contact at FHS: Assistant Professor Kristin Bakke Lysdahl, Kristin.Bakke@hf.hio.no
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Project Title: Compliance With – and Effect of – Soft Hip Protectors Compared to Hard Hip Protectors in Preventing Hip Fracture in Nursing Homes
Objective/Research Question: The main objective is to find out whether soft hip protectors provide as good protection as hard protectors, especially at night and in other situations with extended bed-rest. The consequence of this would be increased compliance regarding the use of these protectors in order to reduce the incidence of hip fractures.
Partial objective: Prevention of hip fractures in the nursing homes involved in this study by addressing these topics:
a) Optimal compliance, ie as many patients using the protection for as many hours throughout the day as possible
b) Optimal registration of information on their use, and on falls, necessary for the subsequent work on the primary objective of the study. Relevant topics are:
-How much better compliance would be achieved with soft protectors than with rigid ones?
-To what degree would a soft protector function almost as adequately as hard protection in the event of a fall?
-Would the use of soft hip protectors lead to a reduction of incidents involving hip fractures to the same extent as the use of hard protectors?
Contact at FHS: Associate Professor PhD Astrid Bergland (co-supervisor), Astrid.Bergland@hf.hio.no
Cooperating in the project: Hege Bentzen (doctoral fellow), Lisa Forsen ( main supervisor) Institute for Public Health, and Clemens Becker, StuttgartHospital
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Prosjekttittel: Development of new tattooing colourants which satisfy the requirements of the European Commission.
Hensikt/problemstilling Tattooing colourants can be heavily contaminated with bacteria. However, new proposals from the Europoean Commission will suggest that colourants in the future be produced without preservatives. We are currently testing a new range of colourants which use an ion exchange mechanism (instead of preservatives) as antimicrobial factor.
Kontaktperson på HF: Associate Professor PhD Colin Charnock, Colin.Charnock@hf.hio.no
Prosjektmedarbeidere: Ralf Michel, Deep Colours GmbH.
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Prosjekttittel: Would Clinical Audit Work in Norway
Is clinical audit, the quality assurance method mandatory under the Council Directive 97/43/Euratom (Article 2) suitable for improving medical radiation protection routines in Norway? Radiation safety practice is often haphazard and non-standardised in Norwegian X-Ray departments. New legislation and guidelines require optimised radiation protection routines in depts. medical radiology in Norway.
A pilot audit carried out in cooperation with the radiological department of an Oslo university hospital showed that Clinical Audit is a suitable quality assurance tool in Norway. Re-audit after a year showed greater awareness and reflectiveness amongst radiographers and improved radiation safety routines, although familiarity with the method may take time.
Kontaktperson: Assistant Professor Ann Torday Gulden Dr. Art., Dept. Health Sciences, OsloUniversityCollege
Cooperating in the project was Herbjørg Raaen, Superintendent Radiographer, Radiology Dept., AkerUniversityHospital, Herbjorg.Raaen@akersykehus.no
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Project Title: Use of Anti-epileptic Medication for Patients at a SpecialistEpilepsyHospital (SSE)
Objective/Research Question: How are anti-epileptic drugs administered to in-patients at a specialist hospital, with focus on the introduction of new drugs, co-morbidity and combination treatment? This study relates the drug administration to user statistics and therapeutic recommendations.
Contact at FHS: Associate Professor PhD Cecilie Johannesen Landmark, Cecilie.Landmark@hf.hio.no
Cooperating in the project: Elisif Rytter and Svein I. Johannsesen, SSE
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Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms Effected by Anti-epileptic Drugs
Objective/Research Question: Anti-epileptic medication is used today for a range of other problems than epilepsy, e.g. bipolar disease, migraine, pain management. What are the mechanisms involved in the use of such drugs to treat these conditions?
Contact at FHS: Associate Professor PhD Cecilie Johannesen Landmark, Cecilie.Landmark@hf.hio.no
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