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October 31, 2008

Remote monitoring could slash nation's healthcare bill by $197 billion through 2033
The United States could cut $197 billion from its healthcare bill over the next 25 years through widespread use of remote monitoring to track the vital signs of patients with chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure and diabetes, according to a new study by Washington, D.C.-based economist Robert Litan. Litan said public policy adjustments could encourage healthcare institutions and individual caregivers to accelerate use of remote monitoring, stimulating further savings. "Remote monitoring can spot health problems sooner, reduce hospitalization, improve life quality and save money," Litan said. But failure to make the proper policy adjustments will reduce healthcare savings by up to $44 billion over the 25-year-period, Litan added. http://betterhealthcaretogether.org/news?&ctid=3&cid=11598&cgid=1

USDA grants $15 million in telemedicine funds to six rural medical programs
Six hospitals and health systems in five states were awarded a combined $15 million in loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for development of advanced telecommunications technology. The awards were part of the USDA's Distance Learning and Telemedicine program, designed to improve healthcare in rural areas. Alaskan telecom services provider Unicom Inc. will receive $10 million - $9 million in loans and a $1 million grant - while Eastern Maine Healthcare System Center in Brewer, ME, and HealthSource of Ohio Inc. in Milford, OH, will each receive $1 million - $800,000 in loans and $200,000 in grants. Other recipients were Ellsworth Municipal Hospital of Iowa Falls, IA; Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, IA; Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, NH; and Dubois Regional Medical Center in DuBois, PA. http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/newsroom/2008/10-23-08-NR-health.pdf

Blue Cross-Blue Shield of MA to require; subsidize e-prescription use by doctors
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer, will require doctors to adopt electronic prescription systems by 2011 if they want to qualify for bonus payments. The change will take place one year earlier than a similar federal requirement for doctors who treat patients under Medicare, according to Dr. John Fallon, chief physician executive of Blue Cross-Blue Shield. But the insurer plans to pay an undisclosed amount to help physicians pay for software licensing fees. E-prescriptions are considered a way to reduce medication errors, bypass legibility problems on doctors' handwritten prescriptions and reduce overall pharmacy costs. But the implementation expense - estimated at $1,000 to $3,500 per doctor - has prevented quick adoption of the technology.

German health ministry to introduce interactive drug labeling system in 2009
The German Ministry of Health plans to create an interactive labeling system to increase public confidence in online pharmacies. The new label, awarded to all online pharmacies with a license to sell to the German market, will show that the pharmacy is accredited, according to Susanne Breuer, a spokesperson with the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI). A visitor to an online pharmacy clicks on the label, which sends a query to DIMDI. If the online pharmacy carrying the label is registered in a new central database of all licensed online pharmacies, the customer will be informed that the pharmacy is trustworthy, Breuer said. If the label is an imitation or if the license has expired, a warning notice will pop up. The database and interactive label is expected to go live in early 2009. http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/4282/germany_to_accredit_online_pharmacies

Doctors slow at adopting full EMR systems, faster at installing partial services
A newly released study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that physician practices nationwide have not made major strides toward adopting electronic medical record (EMR) systems - but they are adopting portions of the systems. According to the CDC's "2006 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey" - released this week - 12.4 percent of physicians used comprehensive EMR systems in 2006, up slightly from 9.3 percent in 2005. But 25.9 percent of responding medical practices use partial EMR systems in 2006, up from 18.3 percent in 2005. In addition, nearly 1 in 4 office-based physicians plan to install the systems or replace existing ones within the next three years, and another 15 percent say they might do so, according to the study. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/printStory.cms... and http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr003.pdf

Information security makes up miniscule portion of healthcare IT budgets
Nearly 6 in 10 healthcare organizations allocate only three percent or less of their information technology budgets toward information security, according to a 2008 security survey by the Healthcare Information and Management System Society (HIMSS). HIMSS' annual survey notes that 36 percent of respondents dedicate 1 percent to 3 percent of their IT budgets to security, and another 21 percent spend less than 1 percent for those purposes. But companies are good at conducting a formal risk analysis of their security systems. Ninety-four percent analyze external threats in their risk assessments, and 93 percent include internal threats during the analysis. Forty-eight percent of respondents noted that they conducted the risk analysis annually, and another 27 percent did so every two years, according to the study. http://www.himss.org/advocacy/d/HIMSS_SecurityReport102408.pdf

ICMCC Event 2009 issues call for EHR papers
CA call for electronic health record (EHR)-related papers has been issued by the International Council on Medical & Care Compunetics (ICMCC) for the organization's 2009 Event on Patient 2.0 Empowerment, to be held in June 2009 at the University of Westminster Regent Campus in London. Main EHR paper subjects are Knowledge Management, Social Aspects, Ethical, Digital Homecare, and a Visionary Future of EHR. Deadline submission for full papers is Feb. 1, 2009. Notification of acceptance is March 2, with a March 29 deadline for final paper submission. More information can be found at http://2009.icmcc.org. http://www.ehealthnews.eu/content/view/1374/37/ and http://2009.icmcc.org/

E-health survey shows guilt-ridden employees miss out on doctor appointments
Calling in sick may be a thing of the past, but not for the reason you might think: A poll by www.ehealthforum.com shows that more than 30 percent of people surveyed feel guilty about taking the time to attend a doctor's appointment during office hours. According to the results, 29 percent of U.S. residents felt "mild to extreme" guilt, while 28 percent of Canadians and 35 percent of British respondents carried the same feelings. Mark Turkovic, co-founder of eHealth Forum, said people often want to be seen as the hardest, longest worker in an effort to preserve their jobs - especially in a down economy. "Sadly, taking the time out to visit the doctor all too often falls by the wayside," Turkovic said. Unfortunately, such actions usually lead to increased illness and death from stress, heart disease, cirrhosis and suicide, Turkovic added. http://www.webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=10295

British NHS not making enough use of everyday technology for patient care
Britain's National Health Service needs to increase use of everyday technology to make it more convenient for the public to receive necessary care, according to two new reports from The King's Fund. Well-established technologies, including e-mail and the Internet, typically are not being used to help patients with basic necessities such as appointment bookings, viewing medical records or having online consultations, according to the London-based charitable foundation. One report, "Technology in the NHS," offers a vision of pro-technology-based healthcare over the next decade, while "Engaging Patients in Their Health" offers ways to use technology to raise awareness and counteract challenges facing Britain's healthcare system in the coming years. "The patient of the future," said King's Fund Director of Policy Anna Dixon, "will demand use of technologies that make it easier for them to receive the care and treatment they need." http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/media/nhs_must_rise_to.html

Training, time and technology shortfalls impact pharmacists' quality of service
Lack of time, technology, education and privacy issues are key obstacles that keep pharmacists from providing aid to chronically ill patients, according to a new study from Purdue University. "Medication Therapy Management: Barriers and Recommendations to Overcome Barriers" notes that nearly 30 percent of respondents reported receiving no training to prepare them to counsel patients on managing their medications. Pharmacists are also hindered by reimbursement issues, communication problems with prescribing physicians, and lack of management support. "The mission of pharmacists is not limited to dispensing medications. We also strive to educate and help patients improve," said Christy Nash, an assistant clinical professor of pharmacy practice and research team member. "Many pharmacists want to see these educational services improved and expanded so we can improve patients' quality of life issues, but these roadblocks need to be addressed first." http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008b/081028MorganPharmacy.html

Consistent e-health standards are MIA in Europe, EC Directorate report declares
European health services lack a consistent set of e-health standards, and standards that are in place are not widely used or are proprietary, according to a report from the European Commission's Directorate General Enterprise. In general, there is a lack of the "right" standards, according to "ICT Standards in the Health Sector: Current Situations and Prospects." Health service providers are faced with the prospect that their computerized systems will remain stand-alone and unable to exchange data with each other in-house or externally. In particular, solutions for electronic health records are often isolated without data exchange and interoperability, the report notes. http://www.ehealthnews.eu/content/view/1377/62/ and http://www.ebusiness-watch.org/studies/...

House Speaker Pelosi to push for mandatory physician IT adoption bill in '09
During the next session of Congress in 2009, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to see passage of at least one piece of legislation requiring physicians nationwide to adopt information technology, according to one of her senior advisors. Senior Budget and Health Policy Advisor Wendell Primus said Pelosi "believes very strongly" in passage of such legislation, and that there will be "a good Democratic health IT bill early" in 2009 that will make sure "every physician's office is wired as soon as possible." Such a bill will likely incorporate facets of House bills HR 6898, which includes penalties for providers who do not opt for IT, and HR 6357, which does not include such penalties. But Pelosi "will support health IT legislation moving forward, whether it includes the penalties or not," Primus said. http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2008/...

• 12th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference
  November 10-12, 2008 - Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate hotel Orlando, FL
  www.greystone.net - Two-and-a-half days dedicated to help healthcare executives from hospitals, health systems, group practices, integrated networks and health plans pinpoint the technologies, strategies, and solutions that best position an organization for a consumer-driven future. Includes six General Sessions to inspire and broaden thinking about the impact of new technologies.
• 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. To learn more, contact Gia Bosch at (414) 221-1700, ext. 130, or gbosch@acius.net.

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

Cost Comparison Between Telemonitoring and Usual Care of Heart Failure: A Systematic Review
Emily Seto
Telemedicine and e-Health. September 2008, 14(7): 679-686.
A literature review of 10 different telemonitoring systems for heart failure confirmed the value of such systems in reducing hospital costs. Direct savings to patients were modest but the perception of improved indirect costs supported a majority of patients in their willingness to pay for such a service. 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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