Home telehealth monitoring of cardiac patients slashes hospital readmission rates
A home telehealth monitoring program developed by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) has reduced hospital readmission rates by 54 percent among heart failure patients after only six months and by 79 percent after two years, according to UOHI researchers. The remote nursing program has also saved more than $2 million – or roughly $20,000 per patient safely diverted from the emergency room – that would have otherwise been spent in hospital costs, according to Christine Struthers, UOHI’s Advanced Practice Nurse of Cardiac Telehealth. Treatment for heart failure is a long-term process, with one of the biggest setbacks being failure of patients to continue taking their medication while recovering at home. The institute’s monitoring program required patients to measure their own vitals – including weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and medication side effects – and report the results to UOHI through an automated calling system. A nurse followed up immediately if the vitals indicated a problem, Struthers said. The institute monitored 121 heart failure patients in 2007 and 2008; prior to monitoring, 69 percent had been readmitted to hospitals at least once in the previous six months. But six months after monitoring began, the readmission rate dropped to 14.8 percent. The program now supports more than 1,200 patients across Canada.  http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2009/09/c4835.html

EHRs result in better, faster care for high-risk kidney disease patients
Patients with a high risk of kidney disease can receive improved medical care through use of electronic health records (EHRs), according to a study by researchers at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. The five-year study, in which researchers used electronic laboratory results to rank more than 10,000 patients by their risk of kidney failure, found that use of an EHR consultation system led to earlier intervention for higher-risk cases. The procedure also reduced the number of late specialist referrals – those occurring within four months of the start of end-stage renal disease – by two-thirds, according to Brian J. Lee M.D., the study’s lead author. “The goal with kidney disease is to detect it early enough to make changes that will slow the disease down,” Lee said. “If you’re more likely to end up with kidney failure, we want to reach you in time to help prepare you for successful dialysis treatment.” A patient who can consult with a nephrologist well before the onset of kidney failure is less likely to be hospitalized and more likely to survive longer, Lee noted. The study was published in the July 8, 2009 issue of the British Medical Journal. http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/...

Obesity, chronic disease could meet their match in wireless medical devices
Wireless medical devices of the future will play a key role in combating obesity and chronic illness, particularly among the elderly, according to a report by Cambridge, MA-based technological innovations firm Cambridge Consultants Inc. The report “Fat Managing Tech” in Cambridge Consultants’ Interface magazine notes that the upward trend in chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, combined with an aging worldwide population, will require the next generation of medical devices to “connect seamlessly to one another.” Devices currently in play range from ones designed to make people more physically active, such as three-way accelerometers that track an individual’s activity levels throughout the day, to remote patient monitoring systems that connect chronic care patients to their doctors through home televisions. These devices can also be combined with personal incentives, such as an insurer-sponsored rewards program that lowers the patient’s premium if they lead a healthier lifestyle. “Widespread development and systemic adoption will take time, and further evidence will be required to demonstrate the cost benefits in detail,” said report author James Wong. “What is clear though, is that a significant and diversified wireless medical market is emerging, providing a great many opportunities for device developers, and a great many benefits for the users.” http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/downloads...

Keele’s Virtual Patient takes on the sore, the sick, and now the allergy-stricken
Researchers at Keele University have expanded the school’s Virtual Patient system to help train pharmacists on how to dispense medication and provide advice on the treatment of hay fever and allergies. The Staffordshire, UK-school’s Virtual Patient system, currently used by Keele School of Pharmacy students as a training aid on how to properly diagnose and respond to patients, allows physicians to interact with computer-generated avatars who exhibit the same symptoms and complaints as everyday humans, according to pharmacy school director Prof. Stephen Chapman. The “patient” responds verbally or with a range of non-verbal gestures to indicate emotions such as pain, stress, or anxiety. The newest training program will focus on patients with allergic rhinitis, which should “prove extremely useful to community pharmacists facing an influx of people suffering from allergies over the summer months,” Chapman said. http://www.keele.ac.uk/marketing/press/...

Telemedicine, face-to-face speech therapy are equals in treating stuttering
When it comes to treating chronic stuttering, telemedicine is as effective as in-person therapy, according to a study by researchers at the University of Sydney’s Australian Stuttering Research Centre (ASRC). According to “Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial of a telehealth treatment for chronic stuttering: the Camperdown Program,” ASRC randomly divided 40 participants into two groups of 20, one of which received face-to-face speech therapy and the other treatment through telehealth. After nine months, there was “no statistically or clinically significant difference” in speech impediment between the two groups. And, the telehealth-exposed group actually required less contact time during treatment, according to the study. The findings could mean greater access to treatment for the afflicted in a very rural Australian environment, researchers note.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19424889?dopt=Abstract

‘Elite’ wrist sensor takes e-health approach to dementia patient safety
Developers in Israel have created a watch-like bracelet that uses electronic motion detection and wireless communication to keep patients suffering with Alzheimer’s and dementia from wandering away. The HomeFree Elite Personal Watcher™ by Tel Aviv-headquartered HomeFree Systems Ltd. keeps real-time track of a person wearing the unit, continuously relaying information to a monitoring center with healthcare professionals. Medical staff and caregivers can detect whether the patient is inside the facility or has moved out, or is in some type of danger, according to the company. Such a device also allows dementia residents to take part in activities outside of a care facility’s monitored areas. The watch also has an automatic self-check feature that activates every few seconds, and a low battery alert. http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/...    http://www.homefreesys.com/elite.htm#resident

UK charity shows ‘Concern’ with new personal alarm system for seniors
United Kingdom-based charity Age Concern has launched a personal alarm system that summons aid for independent-living seniors at the touch of a button. The device, Aid Call, was developed in response to a recent survey that indicated 70 percent of persons age 70 or older would rather continue living on their own instead of moving in with relatives or into a care home, according to Aid Call Ltd. Chief Operating Officer Chris Last. The Aid Call unit, worn as a pendant or a wristband, is “like the friend that’s there when you need it,” Last said. “It provides real assurance [for] people who want to remain independent in their home for as long as possible.” http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/otherfeatures/...   http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/...

Pager errors put patient health at risk – but don’t blame the pager, study notes
Electronic medical devices can’t solve every medical problem: According to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine , 14 percent of medical pages – half of which were urgent or emergency in nature – were misdirected, resulting in “potential threats to public safety.” In “Frequency and Clinical Importance of Pages Sent to the Wrong Physician,” a review of more than 10,000 pages sent at two Canadian hospitals during a two-month period revealed that 1 in 7 never reached the intended doctor. The doctor was either unavailable – not on call or on vacation – or the page was routed to someone else by mistake, according to Brian Wong, a physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and lead author of the study. Joseph Kvedar, M.D., director of the Center for Connected Health in Boston, said the study is relevant because “new technology is useless unless the patient or hospital knows whom to contact, and at what address or number.” There is also the question of how long a patient should wait for a message to be returned before seeking help elsewhere, Wong said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/...    http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/...

Few hospitals will meet definition of ‘meaningful use’ by fiscal 2011
Three-fourths of health information technology professionals believe that less than 25 percent of hospitals will be able to meet the standards for “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHRs) by the start of the 2011 fiscal year, according to a survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The federal government has set fiscal 2011 as the start date for Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and physician practices that implement EHR systems in a “meaningful” fashion. According to the HIMSS survey, slightly more than one-fourth of respondents believe that less than 1 in 10 hospitals will be able to meet the measures of meaningful use by that date. Forty-nine percent of respondents believe only 10 percent to 24 percent of hospitals will be ready. At best, only 74 percent of all hospitals will meet all metrics of meaningful use by fiscal 2011, the survey notes. http://www.himss.org/content/files/vantagepoint/...

Senate amendment okays Internet drug purchases from Canada
A plan that allows patients in the United States to purchase lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet passed the Senate last week by a 55-36 vote. Supporters of the prescription drug amendment by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) say “reimportation” gives the public access to U.S.-made drugs from other countries where government policies have lowered prices. But critics argue that it will expose U.S. residents to Internet scams and unsafe medications. The amendment could still be dropped from a final bill during House-Senate negotiations later this summer, lawmakers note. http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul...

Louisiana governor signs bill to establish state EHR loan program
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed legislation creating a new loan program to help the state’s healthcare providers go digital with their electronic health records (EHRs). The Electronic Health Records Loan Program Act (S.B. 246) allows the state Department of Health and Hospitals to apply for a federal grant of up to $25 million through the economic stimulus package. Louisiana would supply another $5 million in matching funds. The law also allows the state to supplement the loan program with other funding sources, such as partnerships with financial institutions. “This is another step in updating and improving Louisiana’s health delivery system for all Louisianians,” Jindal said. “With [EHRs], we will improve the patient’s health and reduce system costs by reducing medical errors, promoting evidence-based care and increasing provider efficiency.” http://gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&catID=2&articleID=1409

Civil lawsuit claims stimulus act’s health IT provisions violate patient privacy
A registered nurse in Durham, N.H., has filed a civil lawsuit against three officials of the Obama Administration, alleging that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s health information technology provisions violate patients’ privacy rights. The lawsuit by Beatrice Heghmann, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Acting Administrator Charlene Frizzera as defendants. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to limit access to patients’ personal health information and prevent distribution of $22 billion allocated for electronic health record systems. The government’s effort to get all residents’ health records online by 2014, the lawsuit notes, will place their health information “a mouse click away from being accessible to an intruder.” The stimulus act also gives medical data release authority to Sebelius instead of a doctor, and allows the government to link that information to other forms of personal identification, such as a driver’s license number or Social Security number, according to Heghmann. http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/...