Ethnography is bound up with travelling, both literally and metaphorically. Travelling to foreign lands has always been both an adventure and a metaphor for adventure – no one can predict what will befall the traveller – it is an inherently unpredictable activity. Few, perhaps, are lucky enough to combine research and travel in such pleasant lands as northern California and Hawaii. But …
In this section, we will describe some of the basic principles of how drugs work (pharmacology), how drugs are used (therapeutics) and how drugs are handled by the body (pharmacokinetics). We also need to remember that posology (drug doses) can be fundamental in differentiating between benefits and toxicity. Mammalian cells consist of a cellular membrane surrounding groups of specialize…
The healthcare sector has experienced a significant transformation in past years, due to the digitalization of the healthcare service and ecosystem. Digitalization refers to the socio-technical process of utilizing digital technologies to catalyze the connectivity of individuals, organizations, industries, and society as a whole. Technologies including the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT),…
The healthcare sector has experienced a significant transformation in past years, due to the digitalization of the healthcare service and ecosystem. Digitalization refers to the socio-technical process of utilizing digital technologies to catalyze the connectivity of individuals, organizations, industries, and society as a whole. Technologies including the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT),…
The purpose of this book is to examine the evidence relating to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health promotion policies and projects, specifically but not exclusively in the UK. First, it is appropriate to clarify, as far as possible, what is generally understood by the key concepts in the health promotion literature. Since this book focuses on health promotion, this phrase …
Clinical epidemiology provides the scientific basis for the practice of medicine, because it focuses on the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of human disease. It is a relatively recent science that initially focused on longitudinal studies, randomized controlled trials, and evaluation of diagnostic tests, and progressed to evidence-based decision-making revolving around critical apprais…
Since the introduction of anesthesia to obstetric prac- tice by James Young Simpson in 1847, there have been controversies concerning its use. In addition to the larger issue of any medical intervention during normal childbirth, the lay public and medical community have struggled with the balance between the benefits and the risks of analgesia and anesthesia to the mother and fetus dur…