Telemedicine and e-Health News

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July 22, 2008

NIH awards $33 million in advanced telemedicine research grants to colleges
The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Research Resources has awarded $33.3 million in high-end instrumentation grants to fund the latest generation of advanced research equipment, including robotic electron microscopes, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers and remote-driven DNA, biomarker and protein imaging devices. The 20 one-time grants, ranging from $750,000 to $2 million each, include awards to Johns Hopkins University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Florida State University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota. "Innovative biomedical research requires frequent access to the newest and most advanced technology," said NCRR Director Barbara Alving, M.D. "High-performance equipment provides NIH-funded researchers with new discovery tools enabling a new generation of data and a new dimension of information...ultimately leading to new advances and treatments for diseases." http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2008/ncrr-16.htm

E-prescriptions could cut federal expenses by $29 billion over next decade
Federal health expenditures could be reduced by up to $29 billion over the next decade if all Medicare prescriptions were transmitted electronically by 2010, according to a new study by Atlanta-based technology trade association AeA. But "eHealth 301: Electronic Prescriptions" notes that although e-prescribing has increased over the past several years, only two percent of all prescriptions were transmitted electronically in 2007. Recent Congressional legislation, such as the just-approved Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, should help promote ePrescribing, according to AeA Vice President of Research and Industry Analysis Matthew Kazmierczak. Now, "We need to ensure that policymakers at the state level do the same," Kazmierczak said, "and that medical practices across the country embrace the technology." http://www.aeanet.org/publications/AeA_CS_eHealth_ePrescribing.asp

VDE wants German insurers, politicians to push IT drive into high gear
Germany's electronics industry association VDE is calling for greater participation by politicians and insurance companies in information technology-related projects for a potentially booming ambient assisted living (AAL) market. VDE's position paper, "Intelligent Assistance Systems for a Mature Society," proposes to build a Europe-wide AAL community to promote technical standards for interoperable homecare technology, using devices such as surveillance and home telemonitoring equipment to improve medical care. But such a community can't take place without involvement by the government and corporate sectors, according to Dieter Czogalla, co-author of the VDE paper. "We also urgently need studies that are backed by insurance companies to show the financial benefits of AAL projects for the social security systems," he said. http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/3965/...

National Quality Forum releases draft healthcare IT standards
The National Quality Forum has released draft healthcare information technology standards that encourage use of electronic health records certified by the Certification Commission for Health Care IT. NQF also recommends harmonized standards for using electronic prescribing systems, drug-event report generation, creation of interoperable databases and participation in data exchange registries. NQF's draft report notes that harmonizing how data is recorded, stored and shared will increase effectiveness and safety of care delivery. NQF members have until Aug. 1 to review and vote on the report. http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2008/7/15/...

'iStan' is the man at England's U of Portsmouth - or almost
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England are perfecting 'iStan,' a wireless, portable mannequin that can be used as a remote-controlled trainer for healthcare professionals. iStan, the first of its kind in the world, can talk, bleed, sweat, vomit and have a heart attack, all for the benefit of medical students, according to UoP Prof. Lesley Jane Earles-Reynolds. "For paramedic students, he can be put in a crashed car or collapsed at the foot of some stairs, which is precisely the sort of situation they are likely to encounter in the real world," Earles-Reynolds said. "Or he can have a cardiac arrest or an adverse drug reaction in a dental chair, allowing staff and students in dentistry to practice skills that they could not keep honed using their patients." The $60,000 [USD] unit is one of six "living and dying" simulators at the school. http://www.port.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/...

New telemedicine robot gives N.Y. doctors a futuristic view of patients
Doctors at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. are unveiling a $200,000 robot designed to save them time and gas money - and possibly put them on par with the futuristic TV show "The Jetsons." With a Rosie the maid-like body that resembles a clothes iron with a camera and TV monitor attached to it, the InTouch Health Robot allows physicians to remotely connect with patients without having to physically travel miles away. The camera allows patients and doctors to see each other. The robot also includes a telephone, printer and digital stethoscope, and can even upload X-rays, according Dr. Ralph Madeb, medical director of the hospital's Department of Telehealth. "It really extends the specialist's hands," he said. "The great thing with this is a doctor can show up anywhere in the world." http://www.mpnnow.com/news/...

Advanced electronic records systems are even rarer among doctors
Government and industry associations continue to embrace the idea of electronic records systems (ERS), while 5 of every 6 doctors do not, according to a study by Massachusetts General Hospital's Institute for Health Policy. Eighty-three percent of physicians remain reluctant to use such systems primarily due to concerns about implementation costs and return on investment. Of the 17 percent that do use an ERS, four percent use a fully functional system - defined as one encompassing patients' medical records, prescription lists, problems, notes from past visits, and which allows doctors to order prescriptions and tests, and review results from those tests. The other 13 percent use a more basic system that primarily tracks patient medical records only. "When you use a good definition of what a record system is, very few physicians appear to have one," said study author Catherine DesRoches. http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;1630977546

Louisiana governor OKs bill for healthcare comparison Web site
Louisiana Gov. Bob Jindal has signed into a law a bill that creates a one-stop Web site where state residents can compare healthcare options. Senate Bill 287, the Louisiana Consumers' Right to Know Act, allows residents to compare cost, quality and performance of healthcare providers and options in Louisiana. Typical comparison points include complication rates for procedures, average cost of a procedure and the number of procedures a healthcare provider has performed. Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services officials expect the new Web site to be up by April 2009. A Health Data Panel consisting of healthcare and technology experts will advise the state on what to include on the site. http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...

East Tennessee State to create database for online stroke data
A newly created Tennessee stroke database will help improve treatment for one of the state's leading killers, according to researchers and health advocates. The stroke registry, created by legislation signed into law in June, will include stroke treatment and outcome data from as many Tennessee hospitals as possible, with an eye to identifying and improving weaknesses in stroke care, said Dr. Patti Vanhook, chairwoman of the stroke registry committee and assistant professor in the college of nursing at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. The university's college of public health will start and maintain the stroke registry. Participation in the registry is voluntary; 15 Tennessee hospitals already have agreed to report stroke data to the registry, Vanhook said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008...

Alcatel-Lucent seeks U.S. telemedicine partner for Canadian deal
Following up its recent launching of a telemedicine service plan in Saskatchewan, Canada, French telecommunications giant Alcatel-Lucent is searching for a U.S. partner to help deliver the service in America. Alcatel-Lucent and Canadian partner SaskTel have implemented its LifeStatTM Remote Monitoring and Health Management system, which records and transmits daily blood glucose and blood pressure readings, creating confidential reports that can be viewed online by the client, their caregivers and the client's healthcare professionals. The two companies wish to expand the service beyond Canadian borders, according to Jonathan Segel, Alcatel's director of systems development. "[Alcatel's] contribution has been figuring out how to make this more of a global product as opposed to one that was only suitable in Saskatchewan," Segel said. Thus far, a number of mobile operators in the U.S. have expressed interest, he noted. http://telephonyonline.com/global/...

Guam Telemedicine Act of 2008 signed into law
Guam Acting Gov. Michael Cruz has officially brought telemedicine to his nation, recently signing a controversial bill into law. The Telemedicine Act of 2008 outlines numerous requirements that must be met by non-resident physicians before they are allowed to provide consultations to local doctors and patients. One of the guidelines ensures that non-resident licensed consulting physicians cannot provide final written or documented final medical opinions concerning the diagnosis or treatment of Guam patients. Public and private officials debated the measure for months before Cruz signed the bill last week. http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index...

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

Pioneers in Telemedicine Interview with COL Ron K. Poropatich, M.D.
Interview by Vicki Glaser
COL Ron Poropatich, M.D., is assigned to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) at Fort Detrick, Maryland as the Deputy Director to the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and the USAMRMC Military Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). COL Poropatich is also the Medical Informatics Consultant for the U.S. Army Surgeon General where he works toward wide-scale implementation of IM/IT solutions across the Army Medical Department. He is a former President and Board Member of the American Telemedicine Association and a practicing Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine physician at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC. He is also an Associate Editor for Telemedicine and e-Health Journal. 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.

Telemedicine and e-Health is the Official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.
To learn more, click here.

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