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January 6, 2009

U.S. EMR market expected to grow by 14.1 percent through 2012
A continuing trend toward adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) in the U.S. will help the market grow by 14.1 percent through 2012, according to a new report by Kalorama Information. The New York City-based marketing research firm projects the market will grow to $10.8 billion in 2012, up from $9.5 billion in 2007. Patients’ and physicians’ interest in viewing records online has increased because giving patients online access to their own records has enhanced the patient-doctor relationship, according to the report. “The driver for EMR sales has always been hospital-side, as in ‘this can reduce your costs,’” said Bruce Carlson, publisher of Kalorama Information. “That’s still true, but with PHRs, the driver is also on the consumer side, as in ‘this can make your organization seem friendly and modern to healthcare consumers.’” http://www.kaloramainformation.com/about/release.asp?id=1266

CA court to consider if out-of-state docs can be prosecuted for online prescriptions
In a case that could set a precedent on whether states may prosecute doctors for practicing telemedicine outside state lines, a former Colorado physician is set to stand trial in February for prescribing a drug that ultimately led to a patient’s suicide. In 2005, 19-year-old John McKay committed suicide in his car in front of his mother’s home in Menlo Park, CA. McKay’s death is believed to be due to an adverse reaction to Prozac, which he was using to treat an attention deficit disorder. Then-Colorado doctor Christian Hageseth prescribed a generic form of the drug to McKay over the Internet prior to McKay’s death; in 2006 he was charged with practicing without a license in California by the San Mateo County, CA District Attorney. In 2007, the First District Court of Appeal said a California county can prosecute someone who writes a prescription in another state for a Californian, knowing that the medicine will be delivered in California. McKay’s father believes the case will “send a clear message to individuals who are blindly writing prescriptions to patients they know nothing about,” while Hageseth’s lawyer said California can not regulate Internet-based medication prescriptions in this fashion. http://cyb3rcrim3.blogspot.com/2008/12/... and http://www.atsp.org/government/...

Credit crunch to tighten spending on British health IT projects in 2009
The impact of the credit crunch in Britain will force policy makers to make hard decisions about healthcare information technology in 2009, including what projects money is spent on, how much is allocated and how long such projects may be carried out. A survey of 15 politicians, vendors, policy makers and National Health Service (NHS) IT managers turned up a common theme: 2009 will be the last year of massive IT projects. It will even be difficult to secure funding for small programs, according to Gillian Braunhold, Clinical Director of the NHS Summary Care Record and Health Space office. “People will take hard-line positions, saying, for example, that an intensive care baby unit is more important than an IT project,” Braunhold said. “We need to be able to tell stories about how IT is delivering real benefits.” http://www.e-health-insider.com/comment...

Text messaging may help conquer tuberculosis in developing nations
A handful of new technologies designed to connect tuberculosis patients with their caregivers using text messaging could potentially help those patients adhere to complex drug regimens, according to a study overseen by the World Health Organization’s Stop TB Partnership. Treatment for tuberculosis is a combination of strong antibiotics that must be taken for at least six months. But side efforts, such as nausea and heartburn, have some patients quitting within weeks. Up to 1 in 5 patients abandon treatment. But use of text messaging, or short message service (SMS), in developing countries has kept patients on their regimens partially due to improved medical monitoring, and partly because of improved doctor/careworker-patient relations, according to Mario Raviglione, WHO Stop TB’s director. “The problem is enormous, and everything has to be done to prevent patients from defaulting,” Raviglione said. “Anything that can be done technologically to help solve this issue, like these cell phone technologies, would be useful.” http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/...

Health Systems, Emageon postpone closure of $62 million deal to February
The closing date for a proposed merger between New York City-based healthcare technology company Health Systems Solutions (HSS) Inc. and Birmingham, AL-headquartered hospital information technology systems provider Emageon Inc. has been postponed to Feb. 11. The companies, which announced merger plans last October, said the delay will allow them time to complete integration plans for their various technologies. Under the terms of the agreement, HSS will acquire all outstanding shares of Emageon common stock for $2.85 a share, or an all-cash transaction of $62 million. Emageon is best known for its Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) technology. HHS has a portfolio of healthcare products covering home care, medical staffing, and acute and post-acute facilities. http://www.hssglobal.com/news/press/...

IT, human nature team up to find new ways to diagnose cancer at disease inception
European scientists are combining what they know in nanotechnology and information technology with a dose of human nature to develop new ways of diagnosing cancer at the best possible time: when it strikes. The $2.8 million [USD] European Union-funded RECEPTRONICS project ended in September 2008 after a three-year run. But the various IT, nanotechnology, biochemistry and bioengineering partners have decided to self-fund at least another year of working together, according to Prof. Marco Tartagni of the University of Bologna in Italy. The project’s goal is to be able to detect diseases like cancer right at inception, much the way the human body provides symptoms of a cold or flu upon infection. “What is needed is a very smart sensor which can precisely detect concentrations of a wide range of molecules,” Tartagni said. “The only way to get the required precision is to count molecules one by one. Nature has developed a way to do this – receptors – and we are trying to do exactly what nature does.” http://www.receptronics.org/home.page

Telemonitoring on track to meet EC’s access goals for 2011, but much work remains
The European Commission’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Health unit is on its way to providing remote telemonitoring services to at least 5,000 people in Britain by 2011, with at least 1,500 of them receiving access through a variety of pilot programs this March. But adoption of telemonitoring services by the general public remains slow, meaning hospitals and other care centers will need to increase efforts to target high-risk persons who need rapid treatment and could most benefit from telemedicine, according to the study. There is also a need for additional business models to encourage clinicians to use and promote the concepts to patients, and a vital need for hospitals, doctors and other medical experts to abandon adoption-affecting “turf wars.” http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/...

More than half of pediatric ER visits could be handled with telemedicine
Nearly 28 percent of all visits to a pediatric emergency department (ED) could have been avoided through use of telemedicine, and an equal number stood a good chance of also being treated in that manner, according to a report from University of Rochester Medical Center. The year-long study examined 22,000 visits to the Rochester, N.Y. hospital’s pediatric ED in 2006 and discovered that more than 6,000 – typically ear infections or sore throats – could have been handled at home. Another 6,000 involved problems that can sometimes be handled by telemedicine, such as asthma attacks. “This would have not only freed up emergency resources to people who needed them more,” said Kenneth McConnochie, M.D., the study’s lead investigator, “it would also have afforded smaller co-pays for parents, and more timely, personalized care.” Eighty-seven percent of telemedicine visits are handled by the child’s own family pediatrician, according to McConnochie. http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/PR/...

Mobile Medical to launch traveling telemedicine services in Georgia
Dublin, GA-based Mobile Medical M.D. Inc. plans to establish mobile telemedicine and teleconsult services throughout Georgia, beginning with six units this year, company officials announced. The company will provide Mobile Integrated Medical Instruments (MIMIs) that use broadband or satellite links to give real time patient-to-physician audio and visual consultations in remote parts of the state. MIMIs include digital instruments, such as a stethoscope, opthalmoscope, ECG, spirometors, doppler and otoscope, and have direct links to emergency room physicians. The unit is also designed to aid in medical care during disaster scenes, such as after a hurricane, the company notes. http://www.mobilemedicalmd.com/home

Lack of coordination in Australia’s e-health program could cost nation billions
Australia must have a coordinated approach on e-health or risk wasting billions of dollars and hundreds of work hours to duplication and fragmentation, according to a new report from consultants Deloitte and Touche. The report, part of Australia’s new National E-Health Strategy, concludes that despite $3.6 billion [USD] in e-health investments over the past 10 years, the Australian health sector has made only “marginal” progress on actually implementing e-health programs. The study notes that there are a variety of e-health projects underway locally, but they are not able to be translated into a national system that can transfer patient details electronically. “Without some form of national coordination, there is a very real risk of extensive duplication of e-health effort, and expenditure and the creation of a whole range of new solutions that cannot be integrated across the continuum of care,” the report states. http://www.nehta.gov.au/index.php?option=com...

Doctors in Lagos go on strike, cease work over telemedicine equipment
Medical doctors working in Lagos State Government-owned public health facilities went on strike Monday because they feel too much money is being spent on new technology – such as telemedicine products – and not enough on basics needed to run the hospital. According to Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa, Chairman of the national Medical Guild, the strike will be indefinite. “The poor state of our hospitals is a front-burner issue in our mind,” he said. “Even the most basic hospital equipment like ambu-bags, oxygen cylinders and suction machines are not available.” The state’s health commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, has called the strike illegal. “All issues raised by the guild are being addressed by the government,” Idris said. “But these cannot be (resolved) overnight.” He also defended the government’s purchase of telemedicine equipment, noting that it will ultimately reduce workload for all doctors and improve patient care once fully implemented. http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?the...

• Home Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring for Hospitals & Health Systems Forum
  January 21-23, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA
  Home Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring for Hospitals & Health Systems is a three-day industry forum highlighting the latest trends, best case studies, hands-on experiences, and innovative strategies from America's top telehealth hospitals, facilities and other prestigious organizations.
  A special discount is being offered to the first 15 people who register early; mention the code MLP when registering. To learn more, contact Gia Bosch at (414) 221-1700, ext. 130, or gbosch@acius.net.
  
  
• The World Health Care Congress 2nd Annual Leadership Summit on Consumer Connectivity
  February 23-24, 2009 - The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa
  This Summit will offer compelling strategies for providers, insurers and employers to revolutionize health care through the integration and adoption of eHealth applications and personal health management tools.
  
  
• Med-e-Tel - The International eHealth , Telemedicine and Health ICT Forum
  April 1-3, 2009 - Luxembourg
  In its 7th edition and with a proven potential for global networking, Med-e-Tel 2009 will attract healthcare providers, industry representatives, researchers, and government officials from 50 countries around the world. The event showcases new technologies and solutions, and its comprehensive conference program focuses on a wide range of current telemedicine and ehealth experiences, business cases and research results. Med-e-Tel is organized in collaboration with the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth and several other national and international stakeholder organizations. Details are available at www.medetel.eu, where also a library with presentations and abstracts from previous events can still be found.
  
  
• The First Joint Conference - Health 2.0 Meets Ix
  April 22-23, 2009 - Boston, MA, Park Plaza Hotel
  Health 2.0 is the groundbreaking conference that showcases cutting edge web technologies and how they are transforming health care. With over 1,000 guests, 100 presenters and 2 full days of networking and discussion. The 'Spring Fling' this year will focus on the topic of consumer education and empowerment. And to do that, Health 2.0 is partnering with the Center for Information Therapy, which has worked for years on issues of getting the right health information to consumers at the right time and in the right place. The theme for the conference is "The Great Debates on the Next Generation of Healthcare."
  
  
• IHE-Europe to hold Connectathon 2009
  April 20–24, 2009 - Vienna
  The Connectathon is a 'connectivity marathon' during which systems exchange information with complementary systems from multiple vendors, performing all of the transactions required for the roles they are implementing. At the IHE Connectathon, all companies which have implemented IHE's Technical Framework specifications in their products have the chance to test them with many other companies' products in a real interoperability environment.
  
  
• ATA 2009 - Focus on Hot Topics and Outcomes
  April 26-28, 2009 - Las Vegas, NV
  Recognized throughout the world as the primary forum for the telemedicine industry, ATA's peer-reviewed oral and poster presentations and certificate courses set the standard for medical education on the topics of telemedicine and telehealth. The ATA Expo offers over 100,000 square feet of the latest in telemedicine products and services.

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

Implementation of Telenursing Within Home Healthcare
Ann-Marie Jönsson, Ania Willman
Telemedicine and e-Health. December 2008, 14(10): 1057-1062.
Two groups of patients with chronic leg wounds and caregivers within a home healthcare program in two municipalities in southern Sweden were compared in programs that either did or did not employ videophone and Web instructional materials. The program was followed for a year and survey of the patients revealed that there was no significant difference between the test and control groups in terms of the extent of time the patients had had the wounds. Preference and advantages of the videophone are presented and discussed. 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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