This study has been carried out as a part of the EC funded project, SMARTDOC IST-2000-28137, with the objective of developing application components that provide highly interactive visualization and collaboration functionalities. The low-level components from the graphics library AVS OpenViz 2.0 are used as the development basis. The application components can be inserted into electronic documents that allow embedded controls such as web documents or Microsoft Word or PowerPoint documents. Instead of displaying results as static images, a SMARTDOC component provides the ability to visualize data and interact with it inside the document. Although the principal goal of the SMARTDOC project is to create components in a number of different application domains this study concentrates on developing a Medical imaging application component in collaboration with the project partners AETmed and professor Alan Jackson at the University of Manchester.

A report on my thesis developing an algorithm to automatically classify a mammogram image as containing an implant or not and segmenting and masking any present breast implant in the image..

The Swedish field of digital X-ray imaging has since several years relied heavily on distributed information systems and digital storage containers. To ensure accurate and safe radiological reporting, Swedish software-firm eCare AB delivers a system called Feedback?the first and only quality assurance IT support product of its kind. This thesis covers several aspects of the design and implementation of future versions of this software platform. The focus lies on distributed directory services and models for secure and robust data propagation in TCP/IP networks.

This paper deals with testing the method Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) on the copy of the Piraeus-lion in Historic Museum in Stockholm. The purpose is to find out if it is possible to gather more information about the runic inscriptions. RTI is a method that records the surface normal of individual pixels in a digital photograph by analyzing the impact of light coming from different angles of entrance. RTI produces sort of a 3D-image of the object. There will be an overview of earlier interpretations of the runic scripts written on the lion as well as an overview of Varangians in the southeast.

This essay concerns medical- and dental tourism. The main purpose with the essay was to study which factors that affects Swedish choices to seek medical- and dental care abroad and therefore reach an understanding for Swedish medical- and dental tourism to other countries. The aim has also been to try to reach an insight in how Swedish medical- and dental tourism might develop the future. The study is based on qualitative interviews with five officials who were well-grounded in the field. The theoretical framework concerned the need of travel, push- and pull factors, Maslow?s hierarchy of needs and the thinking about needs within business activities.

The purpose of this Masters thesis is to analyze the research front within medical ethics. We wish to identify which research themes that are included in the subject field of medical ethics. The research themes can be identified by a couple of bibliometrical methods and techniques. In our case, it is bibliographic coupling combined with a cluster analysis. The analysis is accomplished by the extracted references from articles in the two journals Bioethics and Journal of medical ethics.

The aim of the study was to support the ongoing kaizen work at a medical centre. Two main topics have been addressed in this study:? Find a solution to ensure that the kaizen decisions are followed and will get a strong grip in the organisation.? Support the kaizen process by giving advice on how to structure the meetingsand how the kaizen work could be done more effectively.The study started with a visit to the medical centre to observe the kaizen process and the attitudes among the employees. The employees were asked to fill in a survey about the kaizen work at the centre. The final recommendations given have been based on this and also information gathered from other medical centres which work after the same kaizen principles.

In the essay, the view of mistakes and disciplinary sanctions within the military aviation and health and medical service, are compared. The comparison shows that military aviation and health and medical service could have several points in common on how mistakes may occur, but that the present view of mistakes is different betwen the sectors. The view of mistakes and disciplinary sanctions is explicit within military aviation, and is based on a clear ideology on how mistakes occur, which is characterised of a systematic approach. Within health and medical service, an explicit and unequivocal ideology on how mistakes occur is missing, but, however, there are implicit ideas about infallibility and perfection. The comparison indicates that the view of mistakes is also, possibly directed by a bureaucratic model (instead of an ideology on mistakes), which aims to legitimacy, but that this may happen on the expense of not taking surrounding circumstances into consideration.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common non-melanoma skin cancer. It can be divided in different subtypes. The most common type is superficial and is most frequently occurring on the trunk and on the face. In severe cases it can be difficult to differentiate basal cell carcinoma from other skin tumors, therefore a skin biopsy is conclusive diagnostic method. In terms of treatment, curettage is a common non-surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

Talking about sexuality -Medical staffs´ experiences of conversations about sexuality with patients at a cardiology unit The background of this essay is the taboo to talk about sexuality among people who suffer from some kind of illness. When a person gets ill and need medical attention, his or her life changes dramatically. The patients get treatment for their symptoms. The illness and treatment have often an influence on the patient?s sexuality.

Background: Health economic evaluations are becoming an increasingly important means of analysing which care alternative resource utilisation is the most cost effective. It is a new topic in the medical device industry that causes much uncertainty and unstructured use of the actors involved.Study questions: Why is it difficult to develop, implement and disseminate this standardized health economic evaluation models in medical technology? Is there a possibility to standardize health economic evaluations within the medical device industry?Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the standardization issues for health economic evaluations within the medical device industry.Method: A qualitative approach was used in the form of interviews with five actors that are active or have a connection to the medical device industry. The data collection consists of journals, reports, Internet searches and literature among other things.Conclusion: It is possible to standardize, but with certain restrictions such as the county council's budget, influence of industry-specific factors, lack of knowledge and the important interaction between actors..

This thesis is a systematic review of the Swedish healthcare and hospital-library?s authorities on the consumer health information. The goal is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses that are inherited in two professions (medical and LiS) with two completely different perspectives on mediating information.The method used is a mix between conceptual analysis of the Swedish term ?patient information? and a Critical conceptual analysis, according to Fairclough, of published native theses and international professional journals.Conclusion of the thesis is that although the nursing and medical staff has the necessary medical expertise it does not, in many cases have either the time or skill to completely satisfy a patient or his/her next of kin´s information needs when exposed in a uneasy situation as when in need of treatment or help in any kind.The hospital librarian on the other hand does have the intermediating skills and most often the time to explain complex treatments or medical procedures, but the lack in medical or nursing expertise.In a perfect setting there is an inter-professional cooperation which brings a lot of positive results. The problem today is often to overcome the gap in awareness of one and other that exists in a modern Swedish hospital..

This thesis aims to explore how medical social workers/counselors perform their workwith people during crisis and how they accumulate and practice scientific crisisknowledge. This study is an empirical research paper based on qualitative interviewsconducted with eight medical social workers. The data was analysed with Kvalesmodel for categorization, which constitutes the basis of the research. The results ofthe research was then analysed with the use of Cullbergs crisis theory and a model ofevidence based practice which is described by Topor and Denhov. The results showthat the medical social workers practice the evidence based practice model, describedby Topor and Denhov, in combination with Cullbergs crisis theory.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of large amounts of straw in the farrowing pen on thermal regulation of the newborn piglet in different weight classes. 20 sows were given 15 kg of straw in the farrowing pen 2 days prior to until 7 days after parturition. A control group of 18 sows had no straw in the pen. 6 litters from each treatment were observed. Measurements of piglet body temperature were made at 0h, 2h, 4h, 8h and 24h after parturition. At ?8h? the body temperature of the piglets in the Straw group were significantly higher (P=0,0149) than the piglets in the Control group.

This Master thesis discusses the development of a virtual human soft tissue object for use in exercise applications of various medical procedures.The soft tissue object to be developed shall look like, feel like and behave as living human tissue. It shall give the user a realistic feeling of weight, softness and roughness, and shall behave in a correct way for exercise purposes. The soft tissue model is to be used in a three dimensional stereo graphic environment with haptic feedback. A prototype for practicing the procedure of inserting a catheter is built. The prototype is used to evaluate the potential of the virtual environment for medical exercise applications, and to assess the realism and usability of the soft tissue object.