GE, Intel to invest $250 million in healthcare IT development through 2014
General Electric and Intel Corp. plan to spend $250 million over the next five years to develop healthcare products such as health information technology and home health monitoring, the companies announced. Under the partnership, GE will sell and market the Intel Health Guide, which is designed to help patients track their health and transmit data over the Internet to doctors. The two companies will also combine their skills to expand current development programs such as fall prevention, medication compliance, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and personal wellness monitoring. Santa Clara, CA-based Intel specializes in technology development, while Fairfield, CT-headquartered GE specializes in distribution of electronic medical records, healthcare IT and passive monitoring. “We think this partnership offers the potential to lower costs by keeping people out of hospitals while giving healthcare professionals the data they need to deliver the best possible care,” said GE Chief Executive Officer Jeff Immelt. http://www.genewscenter.com/content/...

After four years, prescription monitoring bill NASPER finally gets off the ground
The four-year-old National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) bill, designed to coordinate a prescription monitoring program in all 50 states, has received $2 million in preliminary funding to begin implementation, according to Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), the bill’s sponsor. NASPER, signed into law by Pres. George W. Bush in 2005, was originally drafted to protect patients and physicians from the effects of prescription drug abuse, and prevent the practice of doctor shopping across state lines, according to Whitfield. NASPER was to receive $52 million in funding over a five-year period, but has been delayed due to appropriations matters. The initial $2 million was included as part of the recently signed Omnibus Appropriations Act for 2009. Thirty-eight states currently fund their own prescription monitoring programs based on guidelines set forth in NASPER. “I am pleased the NASPER has, at long last, received the funding that it needs to be implemented and start saving lives,” Whitfield said. http://whitfield.house.gov/news/press.aspx?id=313

EHTEL, ISfTeH join forces to improve telemedicine’s reach across Europe
The European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL) and the International Society of Telemedicine and e-health (ISfTeH) have entered a “synergistic partnership” in an effort to improve their respective efforts in making telemedicine more widespread. The formal agreement combines ISfTeH’s repository knowledge resources and best practice models with EHTEL’s networking platform, according to EHTEL President Martin Denz. “We found that both organizations were researching the same things, using the same data and finding the same results,” Denz said. “To eliminate overlapping, we have joined forces.” The two organizations say they hope to “combine efforts and activities that may contribute to the realization of the common goal to use telemedicine and e-health for better health and care.” http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/4718/...

Hospitals significantly closer to implementing EHRs than first believed
Two-thirds of U.S. hospitals are close to completing implementation of a comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) system, according to data from HIMSS Analytics. The HIMSS database, which includes information from 5,166 hospitals, notes that two-thirds of facilities need to add only one or two more applications to meet the criteria of a comprehensive EHR system. The finding runs in contrast to a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine, which noted that only 1.5 percent of U.S. hospitals have such a program in place. Hospitals with such a program are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments, per terms of the recently signed economic stimulus package. http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/... and http://www.himssanalytics.org/

Hong Kong takes user-friendly approach with e-healthcare plan to attract members
Hong Kong is making its e-health system more user-friendly in an effort to encourage providers to join the program. According to Hong Kong’s Department of Health, changes to the national Health Care Voucher Scheme (HCVS) will allow healthcare service providers greater flexibility in entering and submitting data, and will also reduce paper usage. Changes were introduced in response to comments and suggestions made by healthcare service providers who have already signed up. More than 2,100 physicians have been enrolled thus far, and the department has handled more than 93,000 voucher claims in the past three months. HCVS was launched on a three-year pilot basis beginning this past January, with the goal of subsidizing the elderly for using private primary care services. http://www.cw.com.hk/content/...

Aetna offers new suite of PHR-based health and wellness programs for work sites
Aetna has begun offering work site health and wellness services to employers as it continues to promote use of personal health records (PHRs) by large and small businesses. The Aetna Health Connections Direct2You^SM product suite offers biometric screenings that measure cholesterol, blood pressure, weight and height, wellness services such as counseling about preventive care, healthy eating and regular exercise, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), prescription drug consultations with a licensed pharmacist, disease management, and acute care services. Information gathered at the work site is connected to other health programs purchased by the employer, giving them a complete health and wellness picture of their employee population while assuring confidentiality of personal health information, according to Dan Fishbein, M.D., head of New Product Businesses at Aetna.   http://www.aetna.com/news/newsReleases/...

Medical practitioners expected to develop e-portfolios for license renewal by 2010
General practitioners in England are being asked to set up electronic portfolios for use in medical license revalidation by the General Medical Council (GMC). GPs have until April 1, 2010 to comply, which is when the government’s revalidation program takes effect. According to a revalidation guide for GPs released by the Royal College of General Practitioners, GPs will be expected to provide the portfolio when they seek to renew their medical licenses after 2010. A paper portfolio could still be used, but the clear preference is for an e-version, according to Prof. Mike Pringle, revalidation lead for the Royal College of General Practitioners. The guide will be regularly updated for consultation and future policy decisions made by the GMC, departments of health, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and other agencies.http://www.ehiprimarycare.com/news/...

Stimulus package could be major deal for telehealth services in California
Thanks to funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), California is in a position to improve healthcare for state residents and expand on its telehealth and broadband programs. But the state must work quickly to gain full benefit from the Act, according to a report by the CaliforniaCenter for Connected Health (CCCH). Funding for $4.7 billion in telehealth and broadband programs under ARRA will be released within 90 days of the law’s enactment and must be expended by Sept. 30, 2010, according to the report. The report recommends that the state lawmakers immediately engage with federal officials and policymakers to “ensure that California has a meaningful voice at the table” when the federal government sets specific requirements for disbursement of ARRA funds. The report also recommends that California coordinate its state agencies to help make telehealth a priority in the state’s health information technology strategy, and also develop a plan to tap multiple ARRA sources. http://www.connectedhealthca.org/pdf...

Despite safety risks, remote patient monitoring is still beneficial for patients
Remote e-health monitoring carries more than a dozen risks but is still one of the most beneficial forms of medical treatment for patients, according to a report by the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA). ENISA’s “Emerging and Future Risks” report identifies 14 areas where remote health monitoring and treatment may be less than secure, including data protection legislation, data loss or theft, system failures and service disruption. The report is the agency’s first on the topic. “Caution seems to be the prudent answer at this point,” according to the report. “The benefits are clear, but also the risks entailed cannot be ignored.” ENISA Executive Director Andrea Pirotti added that the beneficial services “are definitely worth deploying for the general good, [but] we must at least identify and understand the various challenges posed, in particular in respect to security and privacy.”   http://www.enisa.europa.eu/pages...

New Canadian EHR agency met with skepticism after predecessor’s failure
The Ontario Liberal government spent five years and $526 million [USD] trying to develop an electronic health record (EHR) system before quietly shutting it down and starting over again, allege members of the province’s two opposition parties. The province’s Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats say the Liberal party pulled the plug on the old Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA) last fall and conveniently replaced it with the ongoing e-Health Ontario organization, which has been given the same task of trying to create an EHR system. Critics charge that the government spent the money and time under SSHA and have very little to show for it. “This is a complete failure,” New Democratic Party critic France Gelinas said. “There is no way this government will ever be able to account for the [$526 million] that they’ve scattered with no result.” Health Minister David Caplan said the old agency had its accomplishments, such as setting up a secure computer network linking 7,000 public health agencies and family health teams throughout the province. http://news.therecord.com/article/514563

Congestive heart failure is No. 1 use for remote patient monitoring
More than 9 out of 10 healthcare organizations use remote patient monitoring services to focus on patients with congestive heart failure, according to a study by Spyglass Consulting Group. “Healthcare Without Bonds: Trends in Remote Patient Monitoring 2009” also notes that 63 percent of surveyed U.S. healthcare organizations use remote patient monitoring on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Fifty-nine percent use the technology for patients with diabetes. More than 100 U.S. healthcare organizations – all using telemedicine technology – took part in the survey, according to Spyglass. http://www.ihealthbeat.org/data-points/2009/... and http://www.spyglass-consulting.com/...

Telehealth still has a lot to offer the industry, says the ‘Father of Telemedicine’
The use of telemedicine remains a growing trend among rural hospitals, according to the industry’s “Father of Telemedicine.” Dr. Jay H. Sanders, president and chief executive officer of the Global Telemedicine Group in McLean, VA, also predicts that the technology will be increasingly used in the area of stroke care because of its ability to deliver care in a timely manner. Sanders, one of the pioneers in the telemedicine field, developed the nation’s first statewide telemedicine systems and the first “tele-homecare” technology, known as “The Electronic House Call.” He noted that the field has great growth potential, but still faces challenges from reimbursement regulations and legal restrictions related to licensure.  http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090330_digital_doctors.html