May 30, 2008

Armed forces want to expand use of EHRs on the battlefield
The U.S. Army wants to expand its use of medical information technology on the battlefield in support of its electronic health record (EHR) system Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4). MC4, used at all Army and Air Force medical facilities in Sinai, Egypt and by Army Special Forces, Navy and Marine providers throughout Southwest Asia, provides digital recording capabilities and access to battlefield medical information via laptops and handhelds used in combat zones to document patient care. Although more than 5 million EHRs have been captured through 24,000 medical systems in Iraq and 13 other countries since MC4 started in 2003, much more could be done with the system, according to Air Force Lt. Col. John Mansfield, M.D. Most military bases already have joint operability, so a single platform "just makes sense," Mansfield said.
For details, visit http://www.armymedicaltechnology.com/

Microsoft ups funding for NFP research program to $4.5 million
Microsoft Corp. has increased funding for its not-for-profit research HealthVault Be Well fund by 50 percent after receiving nearly 200 proposals from leading academic and research health organizations across the United States. Earlier this month the company announced it would award $3 million toward the program, but strong interest has resulted in Microsoft raising the total to $4.5 million, according to Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Health Solutions Group. "We are delighted with the response and have increased the funding to help more organizations move faster to turn ideas into real online health solutions," Neupert said. Recipients will be announced at the second annual Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference on June 9-10 in Bellevue, WA.
For details, visit http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...

One-third of Texas doctors now use EMRs
One in three Texas physicians now use an electronic medical record (EMR) system, up from 27 percent in 2005, according to a survey by the Texas Medical Association. The number could be higher, except many doctors are unhappy with the time it takes to make the switch from paper to electronic records. Forty-five percent of survey respondents complained it was too awkward and time-consuming to input data, and 43 percent said productivity was lost during implementation of the system. Still, once the system is in place, many physicians can't imagine living without it. Ultimately, EMRs will help prevent medication errors and allow easier sharing of information among doctors, respondents note.
For details, visit http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...

New European health service industry to thrive on patient quality of life
The European health service industry should focus on high medical quality for premium health services and emphasize quality of life for citizens and patients, according to a study from the European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL). "Sustainable Telemedicine: Paradigms for Future-Proof Healthcare," which offers a series of recommendations for achieving sustainable telemedicine services in Europe by 2020, also calls for creation of a European support framework to coordinate progress and future deployments of sustainable telemedicine. A new type of health service industry - one driven by small- and medium-sized businesses - is emerging in Europe, according to EHTEL President Martin Denz. The industry will "have an enormous positive impact on the quality of chronically ill patients and elderly people and alleviate pressure on national health systems and boost European economy by creating possibly millions of new jobs," Denz said.
For details, visit http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news... and http://www.ehtel.org/...

Electronic prescription use expected to double among doctors
More than 85,000 U.S. physicians are expected to use electronic prescription services by the end of 2008, more than double the number who currently do, courtesy of efforts by a handful of medical associations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics and Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. The associations are urging their members to adopt the technology, which could prevent up to 1.9 million medication errors and save the federal government billions of dollars over the next decade. Seventy percent of pharmacies nationwide can accept e-prescriptions, and several services allow doctors to use their own desktop, laptop or handheld computers and wireless access cell phones to transmit prescriptions over the Web.
For details, visit http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/...

Cut-free surgery may be next medical frontier
Physicians may one day be able to routinely remove an appendix or other organ through a patient's mouth - or other location below the belt - through the use of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). The surgical method is designed to use tubes or catheters passed through a patient's mouth or other orifice in conjunction with a small internal incision where tiny surgical instruments are inserted to remove the organ. The biggest benefit, according to Michael Phalen, president of Boston Scientific's endoscopy business, is lack of surgical scars and reduced healing time. The technique is in its infancy, but has been successfully attempted. In 2007, doctors in France reported successful removal of a woman's gall bladder through her vagina. And if the procedure takes off, no one wants to be left behind, Phalen noted.
For details, visit http://www.twincities.com/...

New microscopy procedure uses robots for cancer detection
Breast cancer detection could benefit greatly from the use of high throughput microscopy, a technology using robots and special microscopes to generate thousands of images of a cell in a short time, according to a study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The report describes how the genetic message of estrogen receptor-alpha is regulated, and the role played by robots to fix slides with cells, stain them, put them under a microscope, focus and take photographs. "All of this is leading to personalized medicine," said Dr. Michael Mancini, BCM's associate professor of molecular and cellular biology. "We will some day be able to get functional assays of this kind on individual people. We have laid the groundwork to do patient samples."
For details, visit http://www.bcm.edu/... and http://www.plosone.org/article/...

E-health needs to 'permeate' care in rural Scotland
E-health should "permeate" every aspect of rural healthcare, according to a report on healthcare in remote parts of Scotland by the Remote and Rural Steering Group. "Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare: What it Means for You" calls for Scotland's eHealth Strategy Board to ensure that the level and quality of connectivity is the same nationwide and notes that remote and rural communities should be supported by a "first class IT infrastructure." In response to the recommendations, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's health secretary, noted that the government is "committed to ensuring that access to healthcare is as local as possible to everyone in Scotland, no matter where they live." After years of uncertainty, "this report sets out a blueprint which will secure these vital services for our remote and rural communities," Sturgeon said.
For details, visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/222087/0059735.pdf

Wireless and mobile phone-based healthcare to grow rapidly
The market for wireless and mobile phone based healthcare platforms will grow rapidly as healthcare providers seek ways to drive down costs, according to a report from London-based business intelligence firm Piribo. "Wireless eHealth Platforms" notes that many information technology vendors want to bring to the healthcare sector technologies and business processes that they have already used to increase efficiency and reduce costs within the financial services and travel industries. The report also sees an important role for platforms that are flexible enough to allow medical devices that use a range of wireless standards, such as Bluetooth 802.11 or ZigBee to communicate with a mobile phone or wireless healthcare hub. "These types of services, which free up clinicians by automating routine tasks, are essential if we want recession-proof healthcare services," the report notes.
For details, visit http://www.prlog.org/10075252...

Popularity of remote monitoring devices to grow with aging of elderly
Motion sensors and remote monitoring systems are becoming increasingly popular among consumers who wish to keep track of the health of aging relatives. The systems, which typically cost $50 to $85 per month, can track whether users leave their beds or take medications from a dispenser. More comprehensive packages can track blood pressure, weight or respiration. The systems are expected to become commonplace as the nation's 76 million baby boomers age. "We are at the beginning stages regarding the availability of such services and before business models are developed," said Dr. Jeremy Nobel, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "I expect we'll see a significant increase in the adoption of such systems in two to five years, and widespread adoption in 10 years."
For details, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/...

Telehealth program successful in lung disease management
A program that uses video conferencing, the Internet and other technologies to provide pulmonary rehabilitation helps improve the condition of chronic lung disease patients in rural and remote areas, according to a Canadian study. The 113 participants in the eight-week telehealth program showed significant improvements in how far they could walk in 12 minutes, and in quality of life, according to Tina Jourdain, a respiratory therapist with the program. The program enables patients to consult with pulmonologists and respiratory therapists, and to take part in guided exercise that uses video and communications technologies. "Many patients are hesitant to exercise without supervision out of the fear of 'doing more harm than good' when they experience shortness of breath," Jourdain said. "This results in the patient becoming more sedentary and deconditioned."
For details, visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20080523/...

Nigeria could see major healthcare benefits through telehealth
Telehealth could go a long way toward preventing uncomfortable delays, high travel expenses and family separation in Nigeria by bringing specialized medical care directly to the people who need it, but obstacles remain, according to participants at the country's recent Computer Technology and Office Equipment exposition. With adequate infrastructures in place, there would be improved healthcare delivery through better diagnosis, better mapping of public health threats, better training and sharing of knowledge among health workers and supporting health workers in primary healthcare, according to Dr. Adabola Daramola, president of Nigeria's Society for Telemedicine and ehealth. "The future of e-health is here - we have already started the process," Daramola said. "It is just a matter of time."
For details, visit http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?...