Medical simulation technology gets push in new bill from House legislators
Reps. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) have introduced a bipartisan bill to increase use of medical modeling and simulation (M & S) technology, as well as reduce medical errors and cut healthcare costs. The Enhancing SIMULATION (Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now) Act of 2009, H.R. 855, would encourage use of medical simulations – the training of employees through use of life-like scenarios derived from models or virtual reality – through creation of M & S Centers of Excellence across the nation. It would also establish medical M & S grants for academic and professional organizations, and create a coordinating council for federal government collaboration on medical M & S efforts. “Today we stand at a critical juncture in healthcare, as we face significantly increasing healthcare costs,” said Forbes. “The Enhancing SIMULATION Act helps to bring our healthcare industry into the 21st century through the use of technology, and creates the potential to increase doctor skill and proficiency, save money, and most importantly, save lives.” http://forbes.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=111748

Scotland takes $2.3 million leap into e-health with 16 new pilot programs
In the largest e-health investment in national history, Scotland’s National Health Service is launching 16 pilot projects totaling $2.3 million [USD], covering everything from patient home monitoring to security and privacy of electronic medical records, the nation’s health minister announced. Projects include the use of touch screens in the residences of hundreds of patients with chronic conditions in the nation’s Lothian region, allowing them to be monitored from home; online scanning for patients in the Orkney region, allowing remote diagnosis of illnesses and preventing the need to make lengthy trips to the hospital; and installation of new software to transmit records of patients in Glasgow directly to consulting rooms. “Telehealthcare technologies and e-health have huge potential to benefit patients, by harnessing all that technology can offer to make care quicker, safer and closer to home,” Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. “It also allows more efficient working and better support for our health and care staff.”   http://www.ehealthnews.eu/content/view/1514/27/

With EHRs, emphasis should be on use by patients, not doctors, according to study
Patient involvement in the use of electronic health records (EHRs) can help improve the effectiveness of the technology, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. According to the study, involving 21,860 patients and 300,000 EHRs at Harvard Vanguard, reminding a patient to take a critical test is more important than reminding physicians to give the test. Researchers note that rather than focusing exclusively on how physicians will use EHRs, the effort should be on how to get patients more involved in their own care. “When we talk about improving the healthcare system, what we should do is also talk about how we can take advantage of our patients as a resource,” said Thomas Sequist, one of the authors of the study and an Assistant Professor of medicine and healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School. The report comes just as the Obama Administration is beginning its effort to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system. http://www.businessweek.com/... and http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/...

National telemedicine bill under consideration by Philippine government
Lawmakers in the Philippines are considering a bill that would mandate implementation of a national telehealth system. Representative Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, who is also co-chair of the Congressional Commission of Science & Technology and Engineering, is set to file the National Telehealth Service Act of 2009 to promote use of information and communication technologies in the delivery of medical care. The proposed measure aims to benefit patients and medical professionals who can now use Internet technology to tap medical expertise. The bill needs the cooperation of government and public sectors “to pave way for new, better ways of delivering health services to the public, especially to marginalized sectors,” Abaya said. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/...

States have vital role in advancing policy for health IT, HIE development
As e-health initiatives nationwide head through various stages of development, state governments can determine the best regulatory and governance framework to support and advance electronic health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE), according to a new report by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. According to “Public Governance Models for a Sustainable Health Information Exchange Industry,” there is a critical need for state leaders to stay informed of key issues and strategies required to incorporate these technologies into health system improvement programs. “This report can serve as a valuable starting point for states as they consider governance strategies for building, sustaining, and protecting a system to support electronic health record,” said John Thomasian, director of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.... and http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0902EHEALTHHIEREPORT.PDF

Hospitals expect 2009 IT budgets to be tighter due to economy, plan to spend less
More than 7 in 10 of hospitals expect their information technology budget allocation to be smaller in 2009 than in past years due to the tough economy, according to a survey conducted by Health Informatics Research Series. The report, “The Economy’s Impact on Healthcare IT Spending” notes that 26 percent of the 435 hospitals surveyed do not expect a change in IT budget allocations this year. Three percent actually predict they will have more IT money in the budget. Thirty-six percent of hospitals are also closely watching expenses because of the economy. Another 1 in 5 facilities have postponed some IT purchases, and 16 percent have postponed non-essential IT projects, according to the survey. http://www.ncr.com/documents/hc_ITstudy_jan09.pdf

Health officials evaluate electronic cigarette for sale in Canada
Canadian health officials are reviewing whether to approve use of electronic cigarettes as a smoking-cessation tool, similar to already-approved nicotine patches or chewing gum. The e-cigarette delivers nicotine in a classic cigarette-like form – complete with the red light at one end to mimic burning embers – but without the tar and chemical additives that are linked to cancer and other health problems, according to manufacturers. They are slowly growing in popularity worldwide. But Canadian officials are not convinced that the amount of nicotine the artificial cigarette delivers is safe, nor are they truly the stop-smoking aids that some manufacturers claim they are. “I think that these particular devices are being marketed with the intention of keeping people smoking,” said Prof. Kelli-an Lawrance, a tobacco researcher at Brock University’s Community Health Sciences department. “[People are] not smoking them to try to quit.” No comprehensive studies have been performed on the e-cigarette’s effectiveness, according to the World Health Organization. Health Canada expects to complete its own evaluation of the product by the end of March. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story...

African nonprofit IntraHealth takes musical road to e-health fundraising
Nonprofit group IntraHealth International is selling a music album to raise money for an initiative to encourage the use of open-source software in African healthcare, especially among the continent’s cash-strapped healthcare organizations. Sales of the “OPEN Remix” album, which includes songs from Grammy-winning musician Youssou N’Dour, Nas, Duncan Sheik and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, will benefit the IntraHealth OPEN Initiative, said IntraHealth International Chief Executive Officer Pape Gaye. The initiative’s goal, he said, is to “place the latest open source software technologies directly in the hands of health workers.” The album is also available from Amazon.com. “The IntraHealth OPEN Initiative will foster a new generation of technology professionals, e-health workers, and national leaders who understand, use, and support open technologies to improve health,” Gaye said. http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9521338742.html

Medtronic to begin online posting of payments to physicians by 2011
Medical device developer Medtronic Inc. will begin voluntarily disclosing payments to U.S. physicians and posting them online as of March 2011, the company announced. The company will begin compiling payment data to physicians as of Jan. 1, 2010, and will commission an annual third party audit to ensure data accuracy. Postings of payments to physicians who receive consulting fees, royalties or honoraria of $5,000 or more annually will be made online at the company’s Web site at www.medtronic.com on a yearly basis, according to Medtronic Chief Executive Officer Bill Hawkins. Medtronic is the latest in a series of companies to announce physician payment disclosures, following efforts by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) to pass legislation requiring disclosure of financial relationships between the medical industry and doctors. Other companies to announce payment disclosures in recent months include Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Merck and GlaxoSmithKline. http://wwwp.medtronic.com/Newsroom/...

WHO urges realistic approach to e-health, cites need for international cooperation
The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging companies and physicians to take “a realistic approach” and embrace international cooperation as they consider creation of electronic health record (EHR) systems – especially when it comes to Earth’s developing nations. For those countries, the topic of EHRs is still “like talking about the moon,” said Pierre Lewall, from WHO’s Health Statistics and Informatics Information, Evidence and Research unit. “We need to acknowledge the facts. There are [digital] walls everywhere. There are dreams and there are wishes. And there are real needs,” Lewall said. “Many parts of the world need water, not EHRs.” Above all, results need to be delivered as promised, despite political, linguistic and cultural differences. “If there is a political will, put your money where your mouth is and invest the money in research projects,” Lewall said. “Let’s just do it.”http://www.healthtechwire.com/The-Industry... and http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/...

Colorado doctor enters ‘no contest’ plea in e-prescription death of Stanford student
A Colorado doctor accused of illegally prescribing anti-depressants over the Internet to a Stanford University student who later committed suicide entered a no-contest plea to a felony charge Tuesday in a California county Superior Court. Christian Hageseth, 68, pleaded no contest to one count of practicing medicine without a California medical license, according to San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. In exchange, Hageseth avoids prison time but still faces up to one year in county jail and three years probation, Wagstaffe said. The core of the four-year-old case was whether Hageseth broke the law by prescribing drugs to a patient in California, a state where he was not licensed to practice medicine. He did have a license in Colorado but surrendered it in 2005 after the death of student John McKay, according to Hageseth’s attorney, Carleton Briggs. Wagstaffe said the case sets a precedent for online pharmacies that send drugs across state lines. “The Internet does not mean you can practice in every other one of the 49 states,” he said. “You had better be licensed [everywhere].” http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11780532?source=rss

Robotics products manufacturers ROBOSOFT, PGES announce merger
In a private transaction, Bidart, France-based ROBOSOFT, a European leader in service robot products, has acquired cross-country robotics software equipment maker PGES (Perception Guidance Embedded Systems), the companies announced. Under the merger, all PGES employees and projects will become part of the ROBOSOFT environment. PGES, in Meylan, France, will become a division of ROBOSOFT. “We think it is time for consolidation in the world of service robotics,” said ROBOSOFT Chief Executive Officer Vincent Dupourqué. “Given the complexity of our business, we must continuously increase our expertise in order to better satisfy our client demands, and more rapidly. The PGES team will bring not only its invaluable and widely-recognized experience in informatics for mobile robotics, but also its knowledge of military and security applications.” PGES founder Aubert Carrel said the merger will “allow us to go from a prototype-based corporate culture, to one of the products, which was one of [our] initial goals.” http://www.robosoft.com/img/data/CP_PGES_En_V1.pdf