HHS awards $27.8 million in IT grants to community health
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $27.8 million in grants to 27 community health organizations and clinics to help them implement information technology at their sites. According to National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal, most of the funds – $22.6 million – will go toward 18 grants designed to help centers install electronic health record systems (EHRs); another $2.6 million will support four grants to create health data exchanges and health IT in dental clinics; and $2.5 million is for five grants to improve patient outcomes through EHRs. The grants are part of $2 billion in federal economic stimulus funds designed to help boost healthcare services to low-income and uninsured populations. HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration will provide the grants over the next few months, Blumenthal said. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090929a.html

Neurosurgeon removes brain tumor through virtual simulator
In a world first, a Nova Scotia neurosurgeon has conducted the removal of a brain tumor through use of a virtual simulator, according to officials at the Center for Health Sciences Queen Elizabeth II in Halifax. Dr. David Clarke used the simulator, developed by the National Research Council of Canada, to create an action plan for the tumor’s removal. The procedure allows for a screening test that helps determine the best way to remove the tumor, making it possible to resolve potential problems before they arise. The simulator will become an important part of training in neurosurgery, officials note. http://scienceniche.com/medicine/cancer-research...

University performs first-ever telemedicine-assisted laryngoscopy
The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson’s Department of Emergency Medicine has performed the nation’s first telemedicine-assisted video laryngoscopic intubation, university officials announced. According to Dr. John Sakles, professor at UA-T’s Department of Emergency Medicine, an elderly woman at Northern Cochise Community Hospital in Southern Arizona, suffering from a severe COPD exacerbation that failed to respond to conventional treatments, was given an emergent intubation using the GlideScope Video Laryngoscope. Dr. Sakles remotely supervised the procedure while at the University Medical Center telemedicine office in Tucson. Sakles said the procedure “went extremely smoothly” and demonstrates the potential that telebation has in assisting remote hospitals with difficult patient airway situations. http://www.verathon.com/PDFs/0900-2721-00-86.pdf

Care at home, hospitals may be equal for heart failure patients
When it comes to treating patients with chronic heart failure, hospital-at-home care may be as effective as traditional hospital inpatient care, according to study by researchers at the University of Torino. For one year, the study examined level of care for 101 elderly patients of age 75 or older who suffered from acute decompensation of chronic heart failure. Fifty-three were treated in a general medical ward, while 48 used a physician-led hospital-at-home service. After six months, there was no significant level of care differences between the two groups, according to the study. However, those with at-home care experienced improvements in depression, nutritional status, and quality of life issues. The report authors add that recent trends in healthcare favor alternatives to traditional acute hospital care, including “advancement in telehealth technologies and increased demand for treatment at home.” http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/169/17/1569?home

CDC issues $4.4 million in health informatics grants
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has awarded $4.4 million in grants for creation of four new Centers of Excellence in Public Health Informatics. According to Dr. Stephen B. Thacker, acting director of CDC’s National Center for Public Health Informatics, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Boston will use the funds to integrate electronic health records and personal health records with public health capabilities; Indiana University in Indianapolis will review how to integrate health information exchange methodologies and standardize health data sets; the University of Pittsburgh will research ways to improve the nation’s ability to handle disease outbreaks; and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City will study the decision-support needs of public health officials working on disease control. http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/...

Mobile patient monitoring system approved for sale in Europe
Corventis’ mobile patient monitoring system, AVIVO, has received CE mark approval, allowing the product to be marketed in Europe. AVIVO, a wearable sensor that monitors heart rate, respiratory rate, fluid status, and other vitals, is designed to track the cardiac health of patients and enable earlier treatment of cardiovascular conditions or prevent them altogether, according to Corventis President Ed Manicka. Chronic cardiac conditions are responsible for approximately 1 in 20 acute medical admissions in Europe and affect 15 million Europeans overall. AVIVO has already obtained clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Manicka said. http://ehealtheurope.net/news/5249/wearable...

EHRs can lead to earlier ID of domestic abuse
Electronic medical records can help doctors identify likely victims of domestic abuse an average of two years before a diagnosis is actually made, according to researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. According to study co-author Ben Reis, after studying six years of hospital admissions and emergency visits for patients more than 18 years old, researchers found that the patient’s history, including injuries and assaults, determined whether patients met the definition of domestic abuse. They then reviewed actual diagnoses of domestic abuse and found that their model predicted the abuse two years before it appeared on medical records, Reis said. The study appears in the Sept. 29 issue of the British Medical Journal.http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/09/post_31.html    http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/sep29_1/b3677

Consumer wellness products to drive mHealth market
The market for “mHealth” – medical health practice supported by medical devices such as mobile phones and patient monitoring tools – will be driven by consumer wellness products for years to come, according to a report by analyst firm Berg Insight. The report notes that although manufacturers of medical monitoring equipment have begun to adopt wireless technology, it will be a while before remote monitoring becomes standard procedure in healthcare. Consumer-oriented health applications will lead the mHealth segment, according to Berg Insight senior analyst Tobias Ryberg. He noted that eventually, health and medical monitors will be networked to the personal handset via Bluetooth or other short-range technologies, and that the market will one day offer a large number of health-related smartphone applications that can receive and analyze data from medical devices. http://healthcare.tmcnet.com/topics/healthcare/articles/...     http://www.berginsight.com/ReportPDF/...

NY health system offers doctors subsidies for EHR adoption
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (NS-LIJ) in New York is offering each of its 7,000 affiliated doctors up to $40,000 over five years if they install an electronic health record system. Under the plan – the largest in metropolitan New York – affiliated physicians can receive a subsidy of 50 percent of the total cost of installing the system. The subsidy increases to 85 percent if the doctors share unidentifiable data, such as prescriptions for heart patients, with North Shore-Long Island. The subsidies are in addition to the $44,000 over five years offered by the federal government under its EHR incentive plan. Although other hospital groups have launched similar incentive programs, North Shore’s large size makes its program unique, according to NS-LIJ Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling. http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/North+Shore...

Impact of European e-health expansion efforts still unknown
An updated report by the European Commission indicates that it is still too early to tell whether the past year’s efforts to make the European e-health market more user- and vendor-friendly have made much of an impact. The lead market initiative (LMI), launched in January 2008, was designed to accelerate growth of the e-health market by removing regulatory and legal barriers, and promote interoperability over the next two years. Barriers include market fragmentation, lack of legal certainty, lack of financial support, and procurement issues. E-health was considered one of six markets that are key to the future growth of Europe’s economy. The report notes that the LMI has, if nothing else, helped create a favorable political environment that could eventually contribute to market growth and increased employment in the field. http://www.ehealtheurope.net/news/5250/commission_says_e-health_is_on_track

Blogs can be powerful hospital communications tool
While some hospitals avoid blogging for fear of sparking bad publicity, blogs can actually help hospitals advance their communication goals, according to a report by HealthLeaders Media. When used appropriately, they can be an effective means of damage control by easing readers’ minds without giving away too much delicate information, according to the report. The blog can also be a powerful way to get a hospital’s message out to the public, allowing for quick sharing of information among stakeholders, and stopping misinformation and rumors during a time of crisis, according to Mark Whitman, vice president of digital marketing at Northlich, a brand consulting firm in Cincinnati. He recommends that hospitals establish blogs during calm times to build a loyal following of readers who can support the hospitals if trouble occurs. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/239676...

Some doctors with patient e-health alerts still ignore follow-up
Even with a computerized medical records system, some doctors still fail to provide patients with timely follow-up care when test results indicate health problems, according to a study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs. The study, conducted at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and its clinics, found that almost 8 percent of doctors with electronic e-mail alerts did not follow-up with patients in regards to possible serious medical conditions. The results show that “we still have a lot of work to do,” according to Dr. Hardeep Singh, VA administrator and Baylor College of Medicine professor overseeing the study. But the study also notes that over the past five years, the electronic alert system has resulted in an overall increase in timely patient follow-up care compared to when primarily paper-based systems are used. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/17/1578