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September 26, 2008

Ag Dept.'s Rural Development Agency awards $28.2 million in telemedicine grants
A selection of 105 recipients, ranging from school districts to hospitals in 41 states will share $28.2 million in Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency. Forty-seven of the grants will provide access to medical services, while 58 will be used to improve educational opportunities, according to Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr. "These funds will increase the range of educational opportunities available to students in rural communities and improve access to healthcare for countless numbers of rural Americans," Dorr said. "The projects will also open the door to the expansion of technology, increasing rural economic opportunities, promoting strong and vibrant communities." A list of recipients can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/newsroom/2008/09-18-2008-DLTrl.pdf. http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/newsroom/2008/20080918-DLTnewsrelease0908.pdf

Technology Strategy Board to invest in $46 million community healthcare plan
Britain's Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will help fund $46 million [USD] of research and development into new technologies that will help bring healthcare closer to the community. TSB is contributing funding toward 22 research and development projects aimed at improving healthcare by bringing medical diagnosis, condition monitoring and care and analytical capabilities to patients. TSB will invest $18.4 million in the projects, with the balance provided by the British companies involved in the research. In late 2007, TSB challenged British companies and researchers working in medical science and device technology to develop innovations that could help localize healthcare services, while improving patients' quality of life. More than 100 proposals were received. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/news/...

World Health Organization advises public to 'Just Say No' to e-cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes - mechanical units designed to help recent quitters from falling off the wagon and going back to lighting up - may not be as effective as promoters claim, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, no clinical trials have been conducted to prove they are indeed safe or have helped smokers break the habit, according to WHO Acting Director Douglas Bettcher. Yet marketers maintain that the stainless steel devices, which come complete with wisps of smoke, a glowing LED end and piezoelectric nebulizer that vaporizes liquid nicotine contained in replaceable cartridges, effectively quell the physical, social and chemical triggers that lead to relapse. "This has really taken countries and [WHO] by surprise," Bettcher said. "It is a product that has appeared on the market in a very short period of time." http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr34/en/index.html

States urged to take action, overhaul healthcare IT adoption efforts
As national healthcare dialogue continues to mount, a Washington, D.C.-based group of bipartisan health policy and technical experts have released a report calling for accelerated adoption and use of health information technology (HIT) and electronic health information exchange (HIE) to speed improvements in the U.S. healthcare system. "Accelerating Progress: Using Health Information Technology and Electronic Health Information Exchange to Improve Care" from the State Alliance for e-Health, also recommends promotion of standards-based, interoperable technology, a streamlined provider licensee process to enable cross-state e-health, and development of a workforce capacity to support HIE efforts. "We must harness our American ingenuity to bring about a technological revolution in America's healthcare system," said Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, co-chair of the State Alliance. "HIT and electronic HIE are essential tools in states' efforts to control costs and improve healthcare in the United States." http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/... http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0809EHEALTHREPORT.PDF

AHRQ launches $1 million computer-based breast cancer tool program...
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is funding a $1 million, 16-month program to develop, implement and evaluate four computer-based decision-support tools to help clinicians and patients make better use of genetic tests to evaluate and treat breast cancer. The project, to be completed by Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based non-profit research institute RTI International, will consist of two pairs of decision-support tools: one to assess whether a woman with a family history of cancer should be tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations; and a second pair for women already diagnosed with breast cancer that will help determine appropriate patients for a Gene Expression Profiling (GEP) test. "Genetic testing can be a powerful tool for assessing the risk of breast cancer and treating the disease effectively," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "But clinicians need better support in identifying which patients will benefit from specific tests." http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/gtestbrcpr.htm

...while new tool for early diagnosis could mean fewer deaths from breast cancer
Scientists from Finland, Germany and France have developed a new 3D X-ray technique for early detection of breast cancer that could help doctors detect tumors with greater precision than current X-ray mammography. The new X-ray computed tomography technique allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer, according to Jani Keyriläinen, main author of a research paper on the process. This technique could be used in the next few years in hospitals. Although X-ray mammography is currently the most widely used tool in diagnostic radiology, it fails to identify 10 percent to 20 percent of palpable breast cancers because some breasts, especially in young women, are very dense and can mask lesions. Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer affecting women in industrialized countries, according to the World Health Organization. http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/breastcancer/

Insurers, IT service providers offer free e-prescription service to Florida doctors
No-cost e-prescription services are coming to Florida. Health insurers Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, and Humana, are teaming up with healthcare information network and IT services providers Availity and Prematics to offer state physicians free e-prescribing software and hardware within the Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Humana networks. Prematics will provide doctors with necessary software, servers, PDAs, printers, a wireless network and Internet service, while Availity will handle e-prescription claims. "Practices in today's economic environment face a difficult challenge when it comes to evaluating, selecting, and implementing technologies designed to improve care quality and efficiency," said Julie Klapstein, Availity chief executive officer. "Working with Prematics, we're able to simplify this process for Florida prescribers by delivering a comprehensive, fully-managed solution that offers everything they need to start e-prescribing without the costly investment." http://www.prematics.com/pressReleases.092208.html

UN initiative strives to bring digital health benefits to African nations
The United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) plans to use telecommunications to bring mobile-health applications and services, and telemedicine to rural Africa through its new Digital Health Initiative (DHI). DHI is a public/private partnership that works to create models for development and delivery of global health to millions in developing countries, according to Amir Dossal, UNOP's executive director. Founding members of DHI include the Commonwealth Business Council, Pfizer, the Global Business Council for AIDS, TB and Malaria, the African Business Round Table, and Ericsson, which has a history of helping to establish telemedicine service in emerging nations. Ericsson's Gramjyoti project brought a range of services including telemedicine, m-learning and m-governance to rural communities in India, while its Alokito Bangladesh project brought high-speed, Internet-enabled mobile learning and healthcare to the region of the capital, Dhaka, according to company president Carl-Henric Svanberg. http://www.ericsson.com/ericsson/...

eHealth Inc. unveils consumer learning site about COBRA benefits, options
In response to a recent national survey indicating that many consumers are not aware of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and its related health insurance alternatives, Mountain View, CA-based online insurance provider eHealth Inc. has launched a new Web-based educational initiative. The COBRA Learning Center at www.cobralearning.com features eligibility guides, educational content, and printable brochures and materials, according to Gary Lauer, e-Health Inc. president. Visitors can also use a new, interactive COBRA calculator to compare COBRA premiums to some of the more affordable individual and family plans that may be available to them. eHealth Inc.'s subsidiary, eHealthInsurance, recently surveyed 1,000 respondents to gauge awareness of COBRA; 4 in 10 adults knew "little or nothing" about the program, according to Lauer. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix... and http://www.cobralearning.com

Health IT company MedPlus declares regional HIE trial a success
Cincinnati-based health information technology provider MedPlus says it has successfully demonstrated HIE-to-HIE (Health Information Exchange) patient data sharing as part of the Nationwide Health Information Network's (NHIN) Trial Implementations Core Content Testing Event. The trial represented the largest such demonstration of NHIN capabilities to date, according to MedPlus President Richard Mahoney. Sponsored by the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the NHIN seeks to establish a secure, nationwide, interoperable health information infrastructure to connect providers, consumers and others involved in supporting health and healthcare. MedPlus currently provides technology and support to NHIN contractors in New Mexico, New York and California. "The outcome has shown that the NHIN goals can, and will, be met," Mahoney said. Further testing of NHIN functionality is scheduled for the remainder of this year, according to Mahoney. http://www.medplus.com/news/news.cfm?news_id=2434

SwiftMD debuts 24-hour Web- and phone-based telemedicine service
Arlington, VA-based telemedicine service provider SwiftMD has introduced a 24-hour Web- and phone-based medical diagnosis service for consumers. SwiftMD is reportedly the nation's first telemedicine company staffed exclusively with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, available "24/7" to diagnose and treat non-critical healthcare problems. According to company founder Elliot Justin M.D., SwiftMD provides a phone consultation with an emergency medicine physician within 30 minutes of a member's initial request, diagnosing non-critical illnesses or conditions. Physicians can order lab tests and prescribe and refill medications, as well as facilitate follow-up care with an ER, specialist or primary care physician. Later this Fall, SwiftMD members will have access to enhanced benefits that will include bi-directional video consultations with SwiftMD doctors, Justin said. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/... and http://www.swiftmd.com

• 2008 AHIMA Convention and Exhibit
  October 11-16, 2008 - Seattle, WA
  The 2008 AHIMA Convention and Exhibit presents incomparable opportunities to connect with colleagues and learn from key leaders who influence change in health information management. Take advantage of the exceptional educational sessions, explore the exhibit hall and network with fellow HIM professionals.
  
  
• Canadian Society of Telehealth conference
  October 4-7, 2008 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  Joint meeting of Canadian Society of Telehealth and International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth
  
  
• 2008 5th Annual Connected Health Symposium
  October 27-28, 2008 - The Conference Center at Harvard Medical, Boston, MA
  Who Provides, Who Decides, Who Pays: Consumers, Clinicians and Business Models in the Connected Care Era

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

Is It Time for a Telemedicine Breakthrough?
Ronald C. Merrell, Charles R. Doarn
Telemedicine and e-Health. August 2008, 14(6): 505-506.
In the last few months, a number of reports suggest an alignment of technology that could make telemedicine ubiquitous, affordable, and effective. Really! This would certainly be timely! The world economy looks rather bad. Donor fatigue is getting more prevalent. Crisis follows political and meteorological crisis. Could there be good news somewhere? The answer is an emphatic yes in telemedicine with a strong hope to meaningfully alleviate human suffering by e-health as we progress toward ubiquitous health or u-health. Here are some simple and yet striking announcements. First, Qualcomm has introduced a chip that requires half the power of the customary chip for computers or cell phones. This is stunning. It means the cell phones could power up and take on computing functions previously only associated with high-end laptops. 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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