New global remote cardiac monitor
Netherlands-based monitoring device manufacturer RS TechMedic B.V. has released Dyna-Vision, an international heart monitor designed to track patient vital signs in real time. The PDA-sized unit, which uses an embedded SIM card and cellular technology, works on all national networks, according to RS TechMedic B.V. Chief Executive Officer R.A. Brest van Kempen. The easy-to-use device may be worn on a belt and will monitor up to 12 clinical parameters – including 12-lead ECG, heart rate, plethysmogram and oxygen saturation – through non-invasive sensors attached to the skin. Dyna-Vision is available in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia; the company has also applied for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the device in the United States. http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/54892/

Insurer promotes telemedicine with grants, mobile clinic
UnitedHealthcare is hoping to expand telehealth within the state of Tennessee – and eventually nationwide – through $330,000 in grants and a new telehealth mobile clinic unveiled last week. UnitedHealth's AmeriChoice affiliate awarded a $290,000 grant to the Tennessee Community Health Network to support equipment, infrastructure, and staffing. Another $40,000 grant by AmeriChoice went to the Tennessee Primary Care Association to fund programs for continuing medical education. Meanwhile, a new $1 million telehealth mobile clinic – a joint effort by UnitedHealthcare and Cisco – that allows doctors to interact with patients, make a diagnosis and prescribe needed treatment was introduced at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. The mobile clinic will make other stops in Texas, Wisconsin, and Colorado in future weeks. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/...    http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/29/...

Robot technology welcomed by nurses
Frontline staff in the nursing home sector say sensor and robot technology would free up their time and make life easier for the elderly, according to a study by Scandinavian research firm SINTEF. The study found that “care and nursing” robots would be most helpful with everyday items such as cleaning, and moving and lifting of patients. Also, development of new technology should be done in a manner that allows the level of social support robots provide to be maintained or improved. Nurses still prefer to perform tasks that require personal contact, according to SINTEF Technology and Society project leader Kristine Holbø. She adds that the report results do not mean that modern technology is the answer to all problems in the nursing care sector, only that mechanical solutions may be a better option in certain cases. http://www.sintef.no/Home/Press-Room/Research...

Mobile software firms target medical device arena 
Boston- and India-based mobile software products company Aquilonis and Vernon, VT-based medical device research firm Clinical Solutions International LLC are joining forces to market their mobile communications products to the medical device community. The two companies say they plan to focus on the home healthcare and pre-hospital emergency medicine markets. Aquilonis caters to companies that use popular mobile platforms such as Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian, Palm, and Android, while CSI works with clients and device manufacturers in the medical products arena. The companies say that, working together, they will “offer customers a broader scope of high-quality innovative solutions to today's rapidly expanding global market of telemedicine.” http://8536.hostednr.com/p/pr/30072

Canada to expand high-speed broadband access
Canada's federal government has launched a $211 million [USD] expansion of high-speed Internet services to rural parts of the nation. The program calls for the government to subsidize up to half the cost of installing new high-speed broadband infrastructure to areas that currently do not have such a service, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He said the nation's future will depend on people having “consistent and reliable” access to broadband services such as telehealth coverage, distance education, and new online business opportunities. Telecommunications companies are being asked to submit proposals on how they intend to increase their broadband access. Nearly 1 in 5 of all rural Canadian households do not have high-speed Internet service available, compared to service being available to nearly all urban households, according to Industry Canada, the government's economic and marketplace affairs department.  http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Labour-Industry/2009...

Michigan plans to launch regional HIEs
Healthcare stakeholders in southwest Michigan are attempting to develop a regional health information exchange (HIE) that would use a secure online database to connect hospitals and physicians from the area's seven counties. Since February, Birmingham, MI-based healthcare management advisory firm ChangeScape Inc. has been meeting with physicians, hospitals, healthcare systems, employers, business leaders, and others in an attempt to get the Southwest Michigan Health Information Exchange off the ground. ChangeScape is now approaching HIE service providers in Indiana for additional input, according to ChangeScape President Mindy L. Richards. The Southwest Michigan Health Information Exchange is one of nine proposed regional HIEs throughout the state of Michigan. http://www.mlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/...

August 10 deadline for EU e-health study bids
The European Commission will undertake a study on benchmarking the use and adoption of e-health deployments in hospitals internationally. The objective is to get a better understanding of the current level of digitalization and its effectiveness at medical facilities in all European Union countries, Norway, Iceland, and Croatia. The effort also forms part of the EC's i2010 strategy, a framework on development of an open and competitive digital economy through use of information and communication technologies (ICT). This is the third benchmark study commission by the EC; the first two focused on use of ICT by general practitioners in Europe, Iceland and Norway, and on e-health monitoring and data gathering approaches in Europe. The deadline to submit an offer is Aug. 10, with opening offers beginning on Aug. 19. http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/5083/...    http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/...

Increased IT testing for pandemic planning needed
Despite a demonstrated need for information technology services in the government's pandemic disease management planning, some federal, state and local agencies have not been testing their IT capabilities, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). “Influenza Pandemic,” based on the ongoing H1N1 influenza outbreak, notes that important planning gaps remain at all levels of government. The report calls for increased testing of IT systems, strengthened performance monitoring, and boosted accountability. It also emphasizes shared federal leadership to manage pandemics, and increased monitoring of and reporting on plans to protect employees. This is not the first time GAO has made such recommendations; 11 of 24 recommendations made by GAO over the past three years have yet to be fully implemented, the agency notes.    http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-909T

Seniors prefer Internet for health management
Medicare beneficiaries who use the Internet to help manage their health are highly satisfied with the system and are in better health overall than seniors who do not use the Web, according to a survey by Kaiser Permanente. The e-mail survey, sent to users of Kaiser's My Health Manager electronic records system, examined respondents' comfort in using computers, Internet use habits and current health status. Eighty-seven percent of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the product, especially with its prescription refill feature, and 70 percent reported being in good or better health. The survey also noted that the typical Kaiser Permanente Medicare beneficiary is very comfortable with computers, uses the Internet daily and reviews his or her medical record a few times each month. http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/...

Bill offers loan guarantees for EHRs
Federal lawmakers are considering a House bill that would help provide loans to doctors who want to purchase electronic health record (EHR) systems. H.R. 3014, “The Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act” by Rep. Kathleen Dahlkemper (D-PA), would guarantee up to 90 percent of loans of up to $350,000 for individuals and up to $2 million for group practices. The bill would also allow deferral of loan repayment for up to three years. Proponents say the deferral is an important element, as it typically takes several years for an EHR-equipped practice to regain the level of productivity it had prior to implementing the system. H.R. 3014 has been referred to the House Committee on Small Business for review. http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news...