IT measures in stimulus package receive support from medical industry
More than eight in 10 physicians, medical group executives and staff believe the information technology measures in the economic stimulus package under consideration by Congress would be good for the medical industry as a whole, according to a new survey conducted by innovation technology firm Allscripts. Eighty-two percent of the 1,888 medical specialists responding to the survey agreed that the government should provide funding for electronic health records (EHRs) in the stimulus package passed by the House on Jan. 28. The Senate has still to consider the package. Seventy-three percent of respondents also support government funding to upgrade existing EHR implementations. But respondents were split on whether funding should be used to purchase grants for EHRs or supply incentives to encourage EHR adoption. http://investor.allscripts.com/phoenix....

Robotic rehab device helps stroke survivors regain control of paralyzed limbs
A new high-tech arm brace being tested at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City may improve the odds of stroke survivors being able to recover full control of arms paralyzed during the stroke. The Myomo e100 NeuroRobotic System™ works by sensing electrical impulses in the muscles that indicate intended movement and then provides patients with motorized assistance. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell is the first metro-area hospital to offer the device. “Stroke destroys brain cells and neurological pathways that control movement. Through repetition of specific movements, patients relearn how to control their bodies,” said Dr. Joel Stein, director of the rehabilitation medicine service and physiatrist-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “We believe that the Myomo device could be effective in helping our patients to achieve greater use of the arm and independence.” An estimated 50 percent of stroke survivors suffer from partial paralysis on one side of their body, and only 5 percent who receive conventional therapy regain complete control of that arm. http://news.med.cornell.edu/wcmc/wcmc_2009/02_03_09.shtml

Australian flying doctor service prepares to roll out first national e-health database
Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is deploying what may be the nation’s first e-health records management system to unify disparate medical databases across its four regional sites. RFDS national and sectional ICT manager Gary Oldman said the $1.8 million [USD] government-funded e-health records system will replace siloed databases and manual processes throughout the organization. “Electronic records are being deployed to other regions following the success of the first roll out in our South East division,” Oldman said, adding it will be the first time the RFDS’ 25 sites have cooperated in 80 years. The national deployment, dubbed E-Health for Remote Australia (EHRA), will mirror an initial e-health system deployment which centralized nine isolated databases. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/...

Telehealth Solutions to introduce home monitoring pods to rural Scotland
Telemonitoring health pods that allow patients to monitor their own vital signs, such as weight, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels, are being introduced in Argyll, Scotland in an effort to reduce Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which kills more than 4,000 Scottish residents every year. The telehealth home monitoring pods, manufactured by Telehealth Solutions, will be installed at 15 locations on the Isle of Bute as a trial run. The technology could be expanded to other parts of Scotland in the coming months, according to National Health Service Highland Project Manager Lynn Garrett. “This technology provides an improved quality of service to patients through a proactive and preventive approach to healthcare,” Garrett said. “It engages the patient in a partnership approach to the management of their condition with local health professionals. [And] in rural areas it could contribute to the reduction in unnecessary patient travel, as this information can be viewed by clinicians remote from the patient.” http://www.computescotland.com/2022.php and http://www.thsl.co.uk/index.php/podoverview

Greater Rochester Health awards $2 million in telemedicine and technology grants
The Greater Rochester Health Foundation has awarded nearly $2 million to community health organizations and healthcare systems to update medical technology and services at 14 facilities in the Rochester, NY area. The one-time grants, which range from $41,216 to $300,000, will be administered over a two-year period, according to foundation president and chief executive officer John Urban. The grants cover a range of activities, from telemedicine to prevention of teen pregnancy, and are intended to help organizations develop programs that will eventually be self-sustaining, Urban said. Recipients include the Center for Youth Services, $300,000; Medical Motor Service of Rochester and Monroe County Inc., $278,816; University of Rochester, $253,990; and St. Ann’s Foundation, $207,990. http://www.thegrhf.org/Default.aspx?RD=358&RN=GRHF

Scientists begin using nanotechnology to probe effectiveness of antibiotics
Researchers from the London Centre for Nanotechnology and the University of Queensland have discovered how to use tiny nano-probes to help understand how an antibiotic is effective against bacteria. The two facilities began studying the issue because bacteria such as Golden Staph are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, which poses a major community health problem, according to Prof. Matt Cooper at the University of Queensland. To study antibiotic action, the London team made nano-probes coated with molecules found in bacterial cell walls from normal bacteria and bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Probes from normal bacteria were stressed and changed shape, whereas probes from resistant bacteria were only weakly affected. This allowed the researchers to quickly assess the effectiveness of an antibiotic and propose new ways in which antibiotics may be acting to cause the bacteria to burst and die. The team is now screening other novel antibiotics to find a drug that can bind strongly to resistant bacteria and cause substantial structural weaknesses to the cell wall. http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=17323

Cyprus heart defects association readies launch of national medical records system
In March, Cypriot doctors of patients with congenital heart defects will have electronic access to their patients’ medical records when The Adult Congenital Heart Defects Association Cyprus (ACHDAC)’s new e-health project comes online. ACHDAC also plans to use the project to map all of the island’s teenagers and adults with congenital heart defects, according to ACHDAC President Katerina Papadopoulou. Eventually, all such patients will be on the system, including children, teens and adults. “This is very exciting, both as a breakthrough and as a patient,” Papadopoulou said. “They will be able to see exactly what operations patients have had, what drugs they are allergic to, when they last had a check up, what medication they are on, [and] what condition they have.” The project will allow doctors anywhere to access patients’ complete medical histories, she said. http://www.homeboy.gr/?p=4374

Republic of Cameroon set to unveil new telemedicine service this month
The Republic of Cameroon will launch a telemedicine program later this month that could soon be expanded to other African nations, according to national scientist and economist Jacques Bonjawo. Bonjawo, who is also chairperson of Noida, India-based software maker Genesis Futuristic Technologies Ltd., said the program will begin with a several-month pilot project involving four sites in rural parts of the West African nation. Geographically slightly larger than California, Cameroon has a population of 18 million but very limited “modern” healthcare. “For us, it is essential to address problems in Africa caused by the shortage of medical facilities,” Bonjawo said. “This is nothing less than opening rural areas by providing access for the greatest number of patients to specialists.”http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/cameroon...

USDA accepting applications for rural Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants
Applications are being accepted for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2009. Application submission deadline date is March 24. Distance Learning and Telemedicine grants are specifically designed to provide access to education, training and healthcare resources for people in rural America. The DLT Program provides financial assistance to encourage and improve telemedicine services and distance learning services in rural areas through the use of telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies to be used by students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents. The maximum amount of an application for a 100 percent grant is $500,000, and the minimum amount of a grant is $50,000, subject to the availability of funding. Application guides and materials may be obtained at www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm or by contacting the DLT program at (202) 720-0413. http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm

India views telemedicine as way to solve healthcare and unemployment issues
The Orissa Trust of Technical Education and Training (OTTET) plans to establish a series of telemedicine centers covering at least 51,000 villages throughout the crowded Eastern Indian state within the next three years. The project, performed in conjunction with the state government and Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, is also viewed as a way to generate employment for uneducated youth, according to OTTET. The project would involve imparting training and skills in the area of information technology-based applications in health delivery, and providing assistance to set up and run village telemedicine centers. The same model could be expanded to the urban areas involving unemployed urban youth and women, OTTET added. http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?...

American Medical Association launches new interactive Web site
The American Medical Association (AMA) has launched a new Web site at www.ama-assn.org to help physicians, residents and medical students easily obtain resources and tools relevant to their professional needs. The site features dedicated sections filled with information and resources for each specialty that are updated on a daily basis. Topics include physician resources, education and the profession, legislation and advocacy, and AMA news and events. The site also includes advice for medical students on choosing a medical specialty, obtaining financial aid and understanding medical ethics. “Physicians rely on the Internet to find accurate professional information when they need it,” said AMA President Nancy H. Nielsen, M.D. “The new AMA Web site presents a wealth of valuable information designed with physicians’ needs in mind.” http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/...

Details still forthcoming on new Australian e-health adoption strategy
Despite finally agreeing to a national strategy for e-health adoption, Australia’s government is keeping quiet about the details of its new plan until it resolves questions on how it will be integrated, according to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon. The National E-Health Strategy, endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference (AHMC) in December 2008, will ultimately save billions of dollars annually by preventing costs resulting from medical errors. But the $850,000 plan [USD] does not have a timetable for rollout or details on how much the strategy will cost to implement. A spokesperson for Minister Roxon said the full report could not be released without the consent of all AHMC members. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24998724-5013040,00.html