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November 11, 2008

Defense Department links VA, military care portals for service members
In timing with Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and Warrior Care Month in November, the Department of Defense (DoD) has launched a one-stop Web site to give service members and their families access to needed health information and medical programs. The site, www.warriorcare.mil, includes links to medical resources from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, DoD and Veterans Affairs. The site also links to the Wounded Warrior Resource Center, designed to help soldiers and their families with the recovery process, and the new Compensation and Benefits Handbook for injured or seriously ill Armed Forces members. "As important as it is to publicly recognize the service of our troops returned from the battlefield, it is more important - indeed a sacred obligation - that we make sure they receive the care, benefits, and compensation they've so courageously earned," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said. http://www.govhealthit.com/online/... and http://www.warriorcare.mil/

Microsoft starts up online health user group for Europe, Middle East and Africa
Microsoft has followed through with plans to establish a health user group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa by unveiling a new online forum. Known as the Microsoft EMEA HUG, the site at www.mshug.org is a virtual sibling to the version that has served more than 5,000 members in America, according to Tim Smokoff, general manager of worldwide health at Microsoft. The European HUG will connect healthcare communities throughout the EMEA region, Smokoff notes. "This collaboration enables the ecosystem to strengthen itself," he said. "Partners can further support their businesses, customers can improve their services, and both achieve a stronger return on their investments by learning from others facing similar challenges - all while working towards the goal of improving health costs, quality and access for citizens." http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/4311/... and http://www.mshug.org/

European economic crisis could be good news for e-health deployment
Electronic healthcare reform may finally get the jumpstart it needs in Europe, thanks to a growing demographic crisis and even more critical global financial crisis, according to Finland's former Prime Minister Esko Aho, whom Europeans still consider a leading thinker on innovation, recently said he believes the substantial cost savings that can be recouped from investment in electronic health records could provide the stimulus needed for European governments and healthcare groups to seriously begin investing in e-health. "The problem is not the technology, which is there, but buy-in at the government level," Aho said. "Currently, we underestimate the risks related to the present system, even though people are dying through lack of information, and we overestimate the risks attached to reform. This is what needs to change." http://www.healthtechwire.com/The-Industry-s-News...

The more useful IT appears, the greater chance of use by elderly and chronically ill
Lack of convenience - and of a perceived benefit in general - is the biggest barrier to the use of information technology by the elderly, chronically ill and underserved, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report, which reviewed findings outlined in almost 700 articles and more than 8,500 abstracts, also noted that the patients were less likely to use systems that "did not fit seamlessly into their normal daily routines." On the other hand, the most frequent factor associated with increased use of interactive health IT was a patient's perception of a health benefit. The "useful" interventions were ones that "were delivered on devices familiar to patients and used routinely for other purposes." Clinician involvement and rapid response was also shown to increase patient satisfaction, the report notes. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/hitbartp.htm

Telephone hearing test hotline proves a hit for rural Australians
In the past year, more than 100,000 rural Australians have called a telephone hotline that diagnoses hearing problems, according to a report from Hearing Australia, a national ear health organization based in Chatsworth, New South Wales. The Telscreen program, launched in September 2007, indicates that 1 in 6 Australians suffer from some type of hearing loss, according to Senator Joe Ludwig, Minister for Human Services. "Potentially hundreds of thousands of people are being complacent or possibly in denial about their hearing problems," Ludwig said. Persons using the system have been primarily in remote areas, giving those residents successful access to hearing tests that they otherwise might not have had, according to Steven Grundy, Hearing Australia's managing director. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/... and http://www.hearing.com.au/ViewPage.action?...

New UK database to examine causes of sudden cardiac death
The United Kingdom's Department of Health has developed a database to identify the incidences and causes of sudden cardiac death, and save lives of people who may be at risk from the inherited heart condition. Designed by pathologists and cardiologists, the new database will help pathologists record cases referred to them by coroners and ultimately allow doctors to better understand where and why these inheritable heart conditions are occurring, according to Health Minister Ann Keen. "By funding this database, the Department of Health is committing to recommendations in the Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework to reduce mortality from sudden cardiac death and improve services for families who have had the tragic experience of losing a close relative," Keen said. Sudden cardiac death typically strikes persons under age 35 who are apparently fit and healthy. http://www.ehealthnews.eu/content/view/1392/27/

When it comes to an HIS, Michigan hospitals get one for the 'thumb'
Hospitals in Michigan's "thumb" region will be linked through a new health information system that demonstrates how critical care access facilities - and the hospitals to which they transfer patients - use technology to deliver better care. The Michigan Thumb Health Information System (THIS) will initially be used by three hospitals - Deckerville Community, Harbor Beach Community and Mercy Hospital-Port Huron - but it will eventually be expanded to several other critical access and tertiary hospitals in the region, according to Ed Gamache, Chief Executive Officer of the Deckerville and Harbor Beach facilities. THIS has also been "scalably" designed, meaning the network can be expanded to include access to and from other regional healthcare systems. THIS is being implemented by Detroit-based developer Covisint, a subsidiary of Compuware Corp. http://www.compuware.com/...

Australians give government mandate to introduce individual EHR system
A national opinion poll reveals that 9 out of every 10 responding Australians support the introduction of an Individual Electronic Health Record (IEHR) system, and nearly 8 of 10 would agree to their records being included in the service. The survey by Sydney-based UMR Research also found that 97 percent of the poll's 2,700 respondents thought it was important for people to know who had accessed their records. Eighty percent think participation in the scheme should be voluntary. "This research confirms Australians endorse the use of e-health records if they are introduced with all the necessary levels of privacy and security," said Peter Fleming, chief executive of the National e-Health Transition Authority. However, 18 percent of respondents said those "necessary levels" can't be maintained because it's impossible to prevent hackers from getting into the system. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/... and http://www.nehta.gov.au/index.php?...

Videoconferencing to help bring counseling to tsunami-impacted kids in India
Officials in Nagapattinam, India say they will begin using telemedicine services to provide psychological treatment to children exposed to the tsunami that that hit the area in December 2004. Some 1,247 children in the district diagnosed with psychological problems will begin receiving counseling through videoconferencing, according to region District Returning Officer K.S. Kandaswamy. Services will be provided by doctors in Chennai, India's fourth-largest city, about 16 miles away. http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?gid=153&id=629577

IT can generate new questions for merging medical practices
Mergers are posing a difficult problem for information technology-savvy companies: For example, if the joining companies use different electronic medical record programs, which one do they keep? And if companies don't have such systems in place now, will the possibility of an acquisition or merger affect their choice of what program, if any, to install? Those are questions being posed by companies as IT takes hold in the marketplace, according to various business consultants. On one hand, it doesn't have to be a major problem, as practices do not have to use the same system and can merely continue to do so. But using multiple systems is not cost efficient, as doctors face double service fees, licensing fees and staff fees. Having one system also makes it easier to qualify for pay-for-performance bonuses based on quality reporting, experts note. http://www.cg-ins.com/news/?p=1707

NHS to review effectiveness of med plan's referral and self-care services
Britain's National Health Service Direct (NHSD) plans to review the clinical effectiveness of its referrals and the self-care advice provided to patients. A 12-week evaluation will help ensure these are "fit for purpose" in comparison with other patient pathways and that they are evidence-based, according to Helen Young, NHS clinical director. In the coming year, the organization will hold seven workshops across the country at which health and social care professionals will analyze the top 10 reasons people contact the plan's telephone helpline, as well as their views on the quality of advice received. In 2007, the British Medical Association called for an inquiry into NHSD, arguing that it referred two-thirds of cases onto general practitioners or emergency services and was "putting a strain on the system." http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/4291/...

Nepali teacher introduces Internet, telemedicine network to mountain communities
A Nepali teacher has fulfilled a longstanding dream and brought telemedicine to his and other remote mountain villages. In 2001 Mahabir Pun wrote to the BBC World Service's technology program, "Go Dig," asking for advice on how to connect his village to the Internet when it didn't have a telephone line. Several people suggested wireless networking, which led to the piecemealed creation of a system that now connects 42 villages with a total population of 60,000 people. "We had to actually smuggle in all the wireless equipment from America and Europe and build the network illegally," Pun said. There is now a telemedicine project, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone calls, Internet terminals and places where people can trade goods from live yaks to handicrafts, he said. Another 19 villages are set to be connected by the end of this year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7708558.stm

• BitNet co-hosting eHealth seminar at Burlington Art Centre
  November 18, 2008 - Burlington Art Centre, Burlington, Ontario
  www.bitnet.ca - BitNet and the Golden Horseshoe Bioscience Network, together with the McMaster University and McMaster eBusiness Research Centre, will provide an opportunity for many technology companies, healthcare providers, medical device companies, students and entrepreneurs to become more aware of the issues and opportunities for eHealth and to encourage collaboration on the issues. The BitNet seminar begins at 7:30 a. m. with registration, networking and breakfast. The meeting begins at 8 a. m. with and keynote speaker Dr. Jim MacLean. At 9 a. m. there is further networking followed by a panel discussion with four presenters from 9:30-11:45 a. m. A light lunch will be served at noon. Cost to attend the seminar is $25 for BitNet nonmembers and $15 for members. You can register and pay online or at the door.
  
  
• Home Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring for Hospitals & Health Systems Forum
  January 21-23, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA
  www.acius.net - 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.
  
  
• 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.

To showcase your event here, please email us at events@telemedicinealerts.com

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

A Brief Retrospective Review of Medical Records Comparing Outcomes for Inpatients Treated via Telehealth Versus In-Person Protocols: Is Telehealth Equally Effective as In-Person Visits for Treating Neutropenic Fever, Bacterial Pneumonia, and Infected Bacterial Wounds?
Aristides Assimacopoulos, Rabiul Alam, Manuel Arbo, Jawad Nazir, Ding-Geng Chen, Susan Weaver, Marilyn Dahler-Penticoff, Karla Knobloch, Mary DeVany, Cheryl Ageton
Telemedicine and e-Health. October 2008, 14(8): 762-768.
A retrospective, comparative study of 107 medical records from a metropolitan hospital and a frontier hospital was conducted. The review focused on those who received treatment from an infectious disease specialist as inpatients (metropolitan) versus those who received treatment through telehealth (frontier). Patients treated via telehealth had fewer days of antibiotics and fewer days of hospitalization. In addition, fewer inpatients from the frontier hospital required transport to the larger metropolitan setting. 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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Telemedicine and e-Health is the Official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.
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