February 1, 2008

HRSA to offer $4.5 million in rural hospital tech grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)'s Office of Rural Health Policy plans to award $4.5 million in technology grants to up to 60 rural healthcare facilities. Deadline for a letter of intent for The Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Rural Grant is Feb. 8, with an application deadline of March 20. HRSA's program will provide up to $75,000 in annual funding for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. An eligible applicant must be a rural public or rural non-profit private healthcare provider. The applicant cannot be a previous grant recipient or be a faith-based or community-based organization. Grants will be awarded on Sept. 1.
For details, visit http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/SHCPQI.asp

Democrats launch task force to advance health IT
The House New Democrat Coalition has launched a healthcare task force to advance stalled bipartisan health IT legislation. The task force, led by Reps. Lois Capps (D-CA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Jason Altmire (D-PA) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), will push legislation it believes that can pass in 2008, such as bills on management of chronic disease care, the adoption of electronic prescriptions and development of pay-for-performance programs. Tauscher, the task force chairperson, said one of the task force's goals is to establish consensus among lawmakers toward bills that involve privacy, immigration and liability, areas that typically block advancement of legislation.
For details, visit http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/...

Scottish hospital debuts virtual 'doc in a box'
A virtual-reality doctor's surgery-in-a-box system unveiled this week at a Scottish hospital is being touted as the future face of healthcare. The system, known as "Health Presence," allows patients to receive full medical care from a doctor located hundreds - potentially thousands - of miles away. Health Presence was developed by American technology company Cisco and is being assessed in a series of world-first patient trials at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, in partnership with the Scottish Centre for Telehealth (SCT) and NHS Scotland. Thus far, it has received rave reviews from patients and other doctors, according to Gordon Peterkin, director of SCT. Eventually, SCT hopes to install hundreds of virtual-reality pods at rural facilities nationwide.
For details, visit http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/...

Marriott goes national with error-tracking PHR
Marriott, one of the nation's largest hospitality vendors, has launched a company-wide, Web-based personal health record (PHR) system to lower its medical costs, reduce errors and encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health. Employees go online to fill out a health risk assessment and provide other medical history information that is eventually combined with other patient data collected by ActiveHealth Management, the program's coordinator. Marriott, with 50,000 employees, piloted the program with smaller groups of users last fall and "loved it," said Jill Berger, Marriott vice president of health and wellness. Although many companies are rolling out PHRs, ActiveHealth also taps into a sophisticated clinical rules engine that tries to avert potential medical mistakes or gaps in care that could lead to serious complications and costs.
For details, visit http://www.informationweek.com/news/...

'Evidence gap' will keep telehealth out of mainstream
Telehealth will not enter the mainstream until more work is done toward filling an "evidence gap," according to a report from Britain's Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP). The agency recently issued a review of academic literature on the use of telehealth in management of patients with long-term conditions and noted a strong lack of available or reliable data for researchers to use. The briefing, written by CSUP's Dr. Simon Brownsell, hopes to encourage those involved in telehealth projects to work together to create a best practices model and robust evidence base. Brownsell adds that until the evidence gap is filled, service commissioners face difficult decisions at a time when resources must support a growing number of potential recipients. Safeguarding sensitive personal information will also be a key to building confidence in telehealth services, he notes.
For details, visit http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/... and http://www.csip.org.uk/

HHS needs database to gauge studies
Creation of a single public database that measures the effectiveness of drugs and health services could help solve some of the nation's most pressing health problems, according to a report from the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Medicine (IOM). Such a database could also reduce the $2 trillion spent annually on ineffective treatments. IOM called for Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the database; the report features a blueprint for a private- or private-publicly run national program that would provide "credible, unbiased information about what really works in health care," according to report author Barbara McNeil, M.D.
For details, visit http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/...

Belfast to be home for new Connected Health center
The European Centre for Connected Health's new home will be in Belfast, North Ireland. According to North Ireland Minister Michael McGimpsey, the new centre - which offers technology to help people with chronic conditions live independently at home - will be a major quality of life aid to more than 5,000 residents with long-term conditions such as diabetes or respiratory diseases. The Centre will focus on developing the region as a connected health economy, introducing new technologies, and working closely with the health and social care system, McGimpsey said. Plans are also under consideration to roll-out Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) across the province to enable switching to digital x-rays.
For details, visit http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/3418/...

Telemedicus joins ATA
Houston-based Telemedicus Inc., a provider of life-saving mobile medical communications technology, has joined the American Telemedicine Association. According to Telemedicus Chief Executive Officer Thomas Cloud, the company joined the association because of mutual interest with the ATA in expanding the practice of healthcare through telecommunications technology. Telemedicus' flagship product is its Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services Dreams™technology, which "turns practically any ambulance, clinic or medical transportation vehicle into a mobile trauma center," Cloud said. The system allows a doctor to provide treatment immediately through the medical technician because the doctor can see the patient and diagnostic data.
For details, visit http://www.alphatrade.com/news/stories/...

Bulgaria, Russia plan medical info Web portal
The Bulgarian-Russian work group Information Society and Information Technologies (ISIT) is attempting to develop a Bulgarian-Russian Web portal that will allow free exchange of information between 40,000 health officials in the two countries. Bulgaria and Russia began efforts in December 2007 to launch the national e-health portal within five years; the agreement was signed by Bulgaria Healthcare Minister Radoslav Gaydarski and his state administration counterpart Nykolay Vassilev. ISIT plans to conduct its fourth meeting on the topic in Sofia, Bulgaria in March. Other topics to be discussed include digital radio and television, space connections, information technologies, cooperation in the field of telemedicine and e-education.
For details, visit http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1365002596

St. Joseph's, Riley announce telemed partnership
South Bend, IN-based Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) and Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis have announced a long-term partnership to enhance outpatient pediatric specialty care and complement current children's primary care services in the Michiana area. Riley Hospital for Children at SJRMC will offer expanded services in outpatient pediatric management, consultation, education and telemedicine services. SJRMC will improve access to outpatient pediatric care through the telemedicine program, which allows Riley specialists to effectively diagnose and treat patients remotely, saving patients and their families the trip to Indianapolis. The telemedicine technology also makes it possible for SJRMC and Riley to offer a greater variety of educational opportunities to local providers, hospital staff and the community, according to Nancy R. Hellyer, SJRMC's president and chief executive officer.
For details, visit http://www.rileyhospital.org/information-desk/...

Canadian electronic data transfers may be risky
An electronic health record (EHR) system being rolled out across Alberta may not be as secure as first thought, according to opponents of the system. NDP House Leader Ray Martin last week called the Calgary Health system a "big worry" following a computer glitch that delayed the transmission of 40,000 radiology reports from Calgary hospitals last year. Because half of the doctors' offices in Alberta use the EHR system, computer mishaps should be considered a major warning sign of potential problems involving patient health. But Linda Slocombe M.D., incoming president of the Calgary and Area Physicans' Association, said electronic records are still safer than those on paper. Computer health records are also routinely backed up, according to Alberta Health spokesperson Howard May.
For details, visit http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/...

WIME launches online 'Telephone Triage' class
Wild Iris Medical Education, an online provider of continuing education for healthcare professionals, has released a new course, "Telephone Triage," in recognition of the growing number of HMOs that are using telephone nursing or telehealth. Telephone nursing is the practice of appropriate disposition of health-related problems by trained RNs using guidelines or protocols; "telephone triage" is defined as the interaction between patient and nurse that takes place exclusively by telephone. The six-hour course offers a concise introduction to telephone nursing, including best practices, areas of controversy, protocols, documentation forms, red flags, rules of thumb and "red herrings."
For details, visit http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/... and http://www.wildirismedicaleducation.com/