Enhancing the security of E-Health services in Bangladesh using blockchain technology

The telemedicine service concept was mainly established to benefit the underprivileged people from rural areas of a country. However, due to the low literacy and awareness rates among rural population of Bangladesh, the service is not much effective. This paper represents a study on the awareness of the rural population of telemedicine service in Bangladesh and few key findings indicate how the awareness could be increased. The research also suggests that utilizing blockchain technology can enhance the data security and privacy. The research reveals some of the findings which can raise the awareness and popularity of telemedicine service among rural population. We have proposed implementation of blockchain technology which can vastly improve the security issue.

Global Corporate Policy for Financing Health Services in the Third World: The Structural Adjustment Crisis

Western nations and international financiers are usually the donors for most of the Third World countries. International funds allocated for development projects in these nations are under control of such groups, in which global corporate policy, bureaucracy, and neo-liberalization play a major role. International financiers also bias the socio-political, environmental, local administration, and even public health policy of the poor nations. Financial packages are usually sanctioned, distributed, and reimbursed under strict terms and conditions that Third World nations must heed and agree to with the fundamental commitment to change accordingly. Obviously, these terms and conditions are complicated for local governmental authorities. In most of the implementation phase of a project supported by foreign loan/aid, the efficient features of their own or the donors may be reflected, while the proposal and prospects for the actual benefits are left to the local populace. Cutting government spending and neglecting the benefits to poor people, global capitalism maintains corporate policy that may also focus on the goals of profit making instead of public benefit. As such, enhancing privatization, structural adjustments have been devised by the international financiers in many sectors. The reason is that private sectors must necessarily comply with the market dynamics of free choice and with the belief that it could be more efficient and equitable than the local government's action. It is thus important that healthcare professionals, government officials, and others solicit their opinions about international policy on privatization programs through a range of cost-benefit analyses. In order to identify and evaluate the negative effects of structural adjustment, this article comments on international policy for financing health services in the Third World.

WHO DOES WHAT IN HUMAN FACTORS/ERGONOMICS IN MALAYSIA?

Individuals' expertise in human factors and ergonomics in Malaysia was studied with a view to aiding in gauging the confusion and conjectures of the expertise in this area. The choices and preferences of individuals in dealing with the current issues of human factors and ergonomics were examined. The authors suggest the ways to meet ethical challenges in their work and professions.

Work-related research, education, and training in developing countries

Work-related research, education, and training (WRET) have not been widely recognised in many developing countries (DCs) as the most important factor for sustainable workplace improvement. There are many reasons why WRET is still neglected or remains unrecognised. Empirical research, advanced studies, and training abroad do not seem to be cost-effective for many people living in DCs because of enormous obstacles. Therefore, it is not easy to demonstrate that WRET result in workplace improvement in diverse situations in each DC. Taking into consideration poor health and safety in various workplaces, this paper aims to stimulate critical opinions and discussions on WRET, which are yet to be given high priority in the national agenda to ensure industrial production and social progress.

Motion analysis measurements of body movements during standing: association with age and sex

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between balancing movements and age and sex in standing on two legs with the eyes open and closed using the motion analysis system. The collected data may help in developing balance evaluation and training in rehabilitation. The study sample consisted of 100 healthy, randomly selected people from the City of Oulu (men and women aged 31 to 80 years). The participants were divided into 10 groups by age decade and sex. The body movements in standing on two legs with the eyes open and closed were measured with the Mac Reflex motion analysis system (Qualisys AB, Partille, Sweden) and calculated as maximal anterior-posterior and total movements. The associations between movement values and age and sex were analysed. During standing on two legs with the eyes open, there was a statistically significant difference in the maximal anterior-posterior head movement between the age groups (P < 0.05) but the results did not show any other statistically significant differences between the balancing movements of the separate body parts of the groups or between the balance measurement values of men and women in standing on two legs with the eyes open and closed. In standing on two legs with the eyes closed all the measured body parts moved more than in standing with the eyes open (P < 0.001). It was concluded that healthy men and women seem to control their steady standing position with quite similar ranges of body adjustment. Standing balance control should also possibly be evaluated and trained in more difficult circumstances, because some changes do not necessarily appear in easier balance tasks or performance.

Legacy of implementing industrial health and safety in developing countries

Aiming to develop public attention to the hindrance of national and international efforts on industrial health and safety, this paper explores some important issues, such as the reasons for the lack of motivation to implement necessary measures in developing countries. Examples are likewise given to show why working people are significantly exposed to a number of occupational problems that are reflected in a deterioration of their health, safety and well being. In lieu thereof, an introduction of health and safety is not itself a solution, if certain changes are not rationalised according to the local need. While health and safety intervention is concerned, then local need is of prime importance. If individual situation is not clearly outlined, then preventive and control measures can be treated as a de facto measure. Hence immediate attention, collaboration and co-operation is needed from all the concerned parties such as local government authorities, semi-government or private organisations and international communities for proper implementation of work regulations as well as industrial acts and rules in various workplaces in each of the developing countries.

Adaptation to night shifts and synchronisation processes of night workers

Human beings are accustomed to being active and awake during the day, and asleep and rest at night. Since we live in a society which is organised predominantly along daytime activity, therefore working in the night shift may deeply disrupt our social and family life. It is also a well-known fact that night shift causes fatigue and circadian disruption. The basic manifestation of fatigue and circadian rhythm has been linked to health and safety problems, involving decrements in psychophysical and physiological functions, plus subjective complaints. In this context quantitative relationships between shift work and circadian rhythm need to be assessed to explore suitable time schedule, and to minimise sleep depth and fatigue. There is also a great need to discuss circadian disruption, sleepiness and the increasing cost of work related illness among night workers. In this regard, some aspects of fatigue and circadian disruption caused from night shift work are revealed in this paper aiming to increase workers' health, safety and well being as well as productivity. Light/dark cycle and social stimuli issues acting on the circadian timing systems are also explored to solicit opinions and discussion on the controversy of night work. Suggestions are therefore likewise given to enhance workers' adaptation to night shift and synchronization process.

HFs/ergonomics of assistive technology

An assistive device is designed to accommodate the special needs of disability that can help people with physical, mental or cognitive challenges go through their day-to-day activities with less difficulty. An assistive device usually provide alternatives to functional limitations imposed by the client's disorder, and thereby minimising rehabilitation costs. It is therefore important to know about how assistive technology will function in all the possible aspects of such disabilities and impairements. When designing a technical device, particularly in conjunction with the target user group, ergonomic issues are therefore important to find out the extent to which an assistive device is convenient or not, and to check the quality performance of assistive technology. Since the question of the match or mismatch of an assistive device and a disabled person requires much attention, it is therefore suggested that paying attention on how an assistive device be ergonomically designed and developed is important. Ergonomic applications are to be applied for increasing motivation of prospective customers through innovative performance of AT. The authors believe that there are opportunities in ergonomic applications to manufacture an assistive device as unique, cost saving, and allows less exertation and reduces energy consumption when it is used. Hence this paper highlights human factors and/or ergonomics consideration in the process of design and development of assistive devices synchronising with gerontechnological research and development aiming to emphasise user's requirement.

Ergonomics of living environment for the people with special needs

A safe, convenient, sound and healthy living environment is the prerequisite for a good house for the people with special needs. The intention of making a house in such a way that it solves basic problems of fixture and fittings. However the construction phase of a good house is a critical to design inside and outside structures. Often the builders do not know all the factors to be considered that can maintain a safe, hygienic and healthy environment. It is believed that when housing is ergonomically furnished, then a maximum benefit will be achieved. To meet with an individual's specific needs, an analysis of user's requirement is the most important factors to be considered in the design of special houses. Users' data such as anthropometric dimension, users' choices and preferences are also necessary to design a suitable living environment. In this regard, this paper illustrates some ergonomic features to design and develop good houses in terms of how people with restricted mobility and communication can truly be helped residing in their homes and performing their daily living activities. Users' social, medical and engineering needs are highlighted following the process of disability, ageing, or impairments to achieve the maximum level of benefits, and ensuring safe and sound living.

Human aspects of shift work in the developing countries--I: A case study in Bangladesh

There currently is little information available that allows objective prediction of psychosocial risks and benefits associated with the shift work in the developing countries. To provide such information, this study assessed possible differential effects of fatigue associated with the shift workers' attitude, job satisfaction, psychosocial problems, and other difficulties. Data were collected from the subjective responses on various scales using questionnaire among sixty adult male subjects working on a weekly rotating three-shift system in a shoe factory in Bangladesh. The results indicated that shift work is associated with negative aspects of disturbing their family, conjugal and social lives, curtailed leisure activities, created difficulties in meeting their friends, caused irregularity of their mealtime, affected sleep and caused health problems. However, the effect is significant only for such feelings of social and family aspects, as well as sleepy and lively hood but no significant main effects of shift schedule are observed for any of the behavioural and organizational context.

Collaboration between developing and developed countries and between developing countries in occupational health research and surveillance

Collaborative occupational health and safety studies between counterparts in developing and developed countries and between developing countries have demonstrated their potential for improving occupational health and safety. Such collaboration in occupational health and safety is encouraged in the development of infrastructure in research empowerment and capacity building. This action includes the setting of priorities, the identification and documentation of problems, sponsorship, data bases and surveillance systems, technical support, methodology, publishing, research and training programs, controlled intervention, information exchange, and networking. Examples of priorities in occupational health and safety in the developing world include the informal sector (informally hired and independent workers), temporary work, pesticides, accidents, dusts, carcinogens, solvents, ergonomics, women and child labor, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiencey syndrome (HIV/AIDS), and transfer of hazardous materials and technologies. The sustainability of occupational health and safety structures and functions in the developing countries is a primary concern. Socioethical principles emphasize local, national, mutual and global gains. Examples of collaboration are given. Pervasive problems and strategies toward their solution are highlighted.