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December 16, 2008

DoD considers mobile telemedicine units for remote treatment of brain injuries
The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity is considering acquiring van- or shipping container-sized mobile units equipped with telemedicine technology to treat troops with traumatic brain injuries or psychological conditions in remote locations. The Department of Defense is looking for mobile units that support Internet connectivity, various telemedicine and face-to-face psychological and traumatic brain injury treatments, and video conferencing. Such mobile units are not available on the market, according to Gary Sharpe, government sales manager at Scotty Tele-Transport Corp. in Norcross, GA., a data and video transmission system customizer. But the technology sought by the DoD is in the research and development stage, according to Laura Bennett, Business Development Director at Silver Spring, MD-based telehealth software maker Amdex. http://www.govhealthit.com/online/news/350701-1.html

Daschle nominated as Director of new White House Office of Health Reform
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has been nominated to oversee a new White House Office of Health Reform when the Obama administration takes over Washington D.C. in January. Daschle plans to establish a Federal Health Board, similar to the Federal Reserve, to determine medications, medical devices and other treatments to be covered by federal healthcare programs. President Barrack Obama will nominate board members, and nominations must be confirmed by the Senate. “We’re going to bring the American people into this conversation and make healthcare reform an open and inclusive process that goes from the grassroots up,” Daschle said. “And we want to make healthcare in this country as affordable and available as it is informative." Jeanne M. Lambrew, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress who worked on health policy in the Clinton administration, will be the new office's Deputy Director. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/us/politics/...

Improved doctor-patient communication may lie in the ‘Palm’ of your hands
People suffering from mood swings, bad habits or cravings may literally be able to find help in the palm of their hands – as in, their Palm Pilots – according to a study by the University of Missouri. The four-year study, commissioned by the National Institute of Mental Health, concludes that the hand-held digital devices work better than doctor-patient interviews in chronicling patient behavior. According to MU psychology professor Timothy Trull, six times a day study participants with borderline personality disorder were buzzed randomly on the Palm Pilots to gauge their mood. Trull said researchers got an in-the-moment response to how the patient was feeling, rather than asking the patient once a week during an office visit to “remember how they felt several days earlier and what led to those feelings.” The device helps “bridge the gap in doctor-patient communication,” he said. http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/928550.html

Doctors have new tool in battle against cardiovascular disease: text messaging
Mobile technology is helping physicians identify patients who are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease by effectively establishing smoking status, according to a study by the British Heart Foundation. The study found that the use of text messaging to request a patient's smoking status resulted in significantly higher response rates than other methods of communication, enabling a patient's medical record to be updated quickly and efficiently. The risk of mortality from any cardiovascular disease is 60 percent higher in smokers compared to non-smokers, making identification of this "at risk" group crucial, according to Peter Dawson, Practice Manager at Brook Green Medical Centre in London, location of the study. "Response rates were much higher than expected, and we have since received very positive feedback from patients who thought it a novel and efficient use of technology," Dawson said. http://www.healthcareitnews.eu/content/view/1303/43/

Rural Texas hospitals to share $1.6 million grant to implement health IT
A $1.6 million federal grant is allowing the introduction of telemedicine systems to critical access hospitals in rural Texas. Farmer County Community Hospital in Friona, and Collingsworth General Hospital in Wellington will share the funds from the Department of Health and Human Services’ FLEX-CAH HIT program, which has made 16 grants of $1.6 million each in different states, according to Dave Darnell, Senior Program Administrator for the Texas Office of Rural Health. Both hospitals will implement OpusClinicalSuite technology from Austin-based Opus Healthcare Solutions. “Information technology can play an important role in improving healthcare quality at rural hospitals,” Darnell said. “We will be monitoring the results of the project for lessons learned and will look to incorporate them in future initiatives.” http://www.healthcareitnews.com/printStory.cms?id=10582

Democrat-controlled Congress considered positive factor in health IT adoption
Nearly 50 percent of health information technology professionals believe Democratic control of the White House and Congress will strengthen efforts to promote safety and use of health IT, while another 1 in 8 believe the opposite, according to a survey from the Health Information and Management Systems Society. In addition, 40 percent of respondents think the new administration will move in a direction that will positively impact HIT adoption, while another one-third feel the new President’s actions will be consistent with work already done. Twenty percent of respondents said the incoming President’s proposal to spend $50 billion over five years on health IT would be sufficient to advance adoption, and 46 percent say additional funding will be needed to “truly accelerate adoption.” http://www.himss.org/content/files/vantagepoint/vantagepoint_200812.asp

Sharing of patient EHRs receives approval by Australian health ministers
Health ministers in Australia have agreed on a national plan that allows the sharing of electronic health records (EHRs) between physicians and health agencies. EHRs for patients are currently held separately – if at all – by general practitioners, surgeons, hospitals, government agencies and other health centers, allowing only patchy sharing of information. Lack of a common information technology system has resulted in duplicate consultations, tests and treatments, and prescribing mistakes. Estimates say the country could save up to $5.7 billion [USD] over the first 10 years if a better e-record-keeping system was used. Australia could also move toward more sophisticated innovations, such as remote robotic surgery and electronic monitoring of patients. http://www.ehealthonline.org/news/news-details.asp?newsid=15742

EMR use by office-based doctors increases 33 percent from 2006
Use of electronic medical records (EMRs) by U.S. physicians has increased by nearly 33 percent from 2006 to 2008, according to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics. Thirty-eight percent of doctors – up from 29 percent in 2006 – say they are using full or partial clinical EMR systems, according to the study. Nearly 20 percent of office-based physicians use a “minimally functional” EMR system – up from 12 percent two years earlier – and another 17 percent of such doctors use a basic EMR system, up from 11 percent in 2006. Only 4 percent use a fully functional one, the report notes, although this still represents a 33 percent increase from 2006. http://www.govhealthit.com/online/news/... and http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/...

Financial crisis leads to delays, reduced funding for health IT projects
More than one-third of U.S. hospitals are delaying health information technology projects and slashing IT budgets in response to the nation’s growing financial crisis, according to a survey by The National Alliance for Health IT (NAHIT). The report, co-produced with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and AHA Solutions Inc., also found that 1 in 4 surveyed hospitals have laid off workers or instituted a hiring freeze in recent months. Still, some providers are moving ahead with strategic clinical IT projects, according to Jane Horowitz, NAHIT’s Chief Operating Officer. “Despite the economic turmoil, hospitals are using a scalpel rather than a chainsaw to make cuts,” Horowitz said. “Instead of abandoning entire projects, they are proceeding cautiously with key IT and other initiatives, often by stretching out or delaying their implementation.” http://www.nahit.org/pandc/press/... and http://www.nahit.org/images/pdfs/HealthCareITSpendingSurveyReport...

Tech support needed to improve Britain’s campaigns against unhealthy living
Britain’s National Health Service must make better use of advanced technology if it is to successfully tackle the nation’s unhealthy lifestyles, according to a report from the King’s Fund. The think-tank’s study said public health campaigns aimed at smoking, alcohol misuse, poor diet, and lack of exercise would be more effective if the government used more innovative methods, such as geodemographics, which uses computer technology to map and classify small geographic areas and identify the “type” of people who live there. The NHS should also partner with other organizations to use social marketing tools to tailor information and support for areas and individuals. “The reasons people persist with bad habits are complex,” said King's Fund Co-Director Dr. Anna Dixon. “It’s often about changing deep-rooted social habits that become addictive, rather than just helping people make better choices as individuals.” http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/...

Unsupervised use of health IT may jeopardize safety and quality of care
Some uses of information technology may jeopardize the safety and quality of care for provider organizations, according to a report by the Joint Commission. In a Sentinel Event Alert issued by the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based accreditation organization, users of health IT and “converging technologies” – the interrelationship between medical devices and health IT – should study and resolve workflow issues before putting the technology in place; train users and provide refresher courses; clarify who is responsible for the technology; and report errors and “near misses” to find the causes. “The overall safety and effectiveness of technology in healthcare ultimately depends on its human users, ideally working in close concert with properly designed and installed electronic systems,” according to the alert. “Any form of technology may adversely affect the quality and safety of care if it is designed or implemented improperly or is misinterpreted.” http://www.jointcommission.org/SentinelEvents/...

Paper records are more secure than electronic ones, privacy rights advocate says
In the latest salvo of the “Which is better?” debate, Patient Privacy Rights founder Dr. Deborah Peel argues that paper records are more secure than the electronic version due to the large number of people who have access to a patient’s e-records. The Austin, TX-based Peel said the “primitive state of health technology” offers far more risks with electronic records than with paper. “The public is not aware that hospital systems allow anyone who’s a staff member to see your records,” Peel said. “They can limit employees to certain parts of your record, but most hospital-based systems don’t even have that.” But hospital and insurance officials, such as Ohio Hospital Association spokesperson Tiffany Himmelreich, strongly disagree. Patient data, she said, is encrypted so “Joe off the street doesn’t have access to it.” http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/...

• Home Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring for Hospitals & Health Systems Forum
  January 21-23, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA
  Home Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring for Hospitals & Health Systems is a three-day industry forum highlighting the latest trends, best case studies, hands-on experiences, and innovative strategies from America's top telehealth hospitals, facilities and other prestigious organizations.
  A special discount is being offered to the first 15 people who register early; mention the code MLP when registering. To learn more, contact Gia Bosch at (414) 221-1700, ext. 130, or gbosch@acius.net.
  
  
• The World Health Care Congress 2nd Annual Leadership Summit on Consumer Connectivity
  February 23-24, 2009 - The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
  This Summit will offer compelling strategies for providers, insurers and employers to revolutionize health care through the integration and adoption of eHealth applications and personal health management tools.
  
  
• Med-e-Tel - The International eHealth , Telemedicine and Health ICT Forum
  April 1-3, 2009 - Luxembourg
  In its 7th edition and with a proven potential for global networking, Med-e-Tel 2009 will attract healthcare providers, industry representatives, researchers, and government officials from 50 countries around the world. The event showcases new technologies and solutions, and its comprehensive conference program focuses on a wide range of current telemedicine and ehealth experiences, business cases and research results. Med-e-Tel is organized in collaboration with the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth and several other national and international stakeholder organizations. Details are available at www.medetel.eu, where also a library with presentations and abstracts from previous events can still be found.
  
  
• IHE-Europe to hold Connectathon 2009
  April 20–24, 2009 - Vienna
  The Connectathon is a 'connectivity marathon' during which systems exchange information with complementary systems from multiple vendors, performing all of the transactions required for the roles they are implementing. At the IHE Connectathon, all companies which have implemented IHE's Technical Framework specifications in their products have the chance to test them with many other companies' products in a real interoperability environment.
  
  
• ATA 2009 - Focus on Hot Topics and Outcomes
  April 26-28, 2009 - Las Vegas, NV
  Recognized throughout the world as the primary forum for the telemedicine industry, ATA's peer-reviewed oral and poster presentations and certificate courses set the standard for medical education on the topics of telemedicine and telehealth. The ATA Expo offers over 100,000 square feet of the latest in telemedicine products and services.

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In the Current Issue of the peer reviewed publication Telemedicine and e-Health

Telemedicine for Urban Uninsured: A Pilot Framework for Specialty Care Planning for Sustainability
Roxana Maffei, Yelena Hudson, Kim Dunn
Telemedicine and e-Health. November 2008, 14(9): 925-931.
A pilot framework to plan and cost-justify telemedicine specialty care for uninsured and marginally insured is presented. An assessment tool, including three dimensions (clinical, business, and technical), was developed and presented to 10 Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-defined Federally Qualified Health Centers. A key objective was to determine whether such a tool could decrease avoidable emergency room visits. An initial pilot study shows great promise in reducing ER utilization for nonemergent conditions. Full Article

Published 10 times a year in print and online, Telemedicine and e-health covers all aspects of clinical telemedicine practice, technical advances, enabling technologies, education, health policy and regulation and biomedical and health services research dealing with clinical effectiveness, efficacy and safety of telemedicine and its effects on quality, cost and accessibility of care, medical records and transmission of same.

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