Veterans Affairs starting to build prototype of mobile MyHealtheVet
The Veterans Affairs Department, in an attempt to improve the health outcomes of veterans, is exploring wireless technology applications with a particular focus on rural areas several hundreds miles from the closest VA clinic or hospital. One project is a prototype mobile version of MyHealtheVet, the VA's online personal health record (PHR). The project would make the VA's PHR available via mobile phones. To-date, the VA has installed very small aperture terminals (VSATs) on its 50 mobile veteran centers to allow satellite communications. These efforts are part of a broad group of changes the VA is making to how it approaches care delivery. The plan involves designing new systems around the needs of patients and attempting to improve care coordination and online access using wireless and digital technology such as secure messaging, social networking, and telehealth. Full Story

Boston-based Vitality presents results of the impact of GlowCap e-bottle cap
A division of Partners HealthCare, the Center for Connected Health recently presented the results of a study that looked at the effectiveness of the use of a wireless electronic bottle cap on compliance in blood pressure patients. The result of the study, which focused on the impact of the GlowCap developed by Vitality (Boston, MA), determined that use of the e-bottle cap resulted in a 27% higher rate of patient medication compliance compared to patients that did not use the device. The GlowCap uses a wireless chip that has four different services: the device flashes a light or plays a ringtone as a personal reminder; the device has social network support that sends weekly e-mail updates to a friend or family member; the device can order refills from the pharmacy; the device sends the patient and the doctor a monthly printed report with incentives if they exceed compliance goals. Full Story

MyHealth Clinic to expand mall-based clinics linked via telemedicine
MyHealth Clinic, based in Manila, Philippines, has announced plans to expand in the next five years by building three to four new clinics per year. In 2011, they intend to have five mall-based clinics. The company opened its first MyHealth Clinic in January 2009 at Festival Supermall in Alabang. As part of the expansion plan, MyHealth will link their clinics via an internet-based consultation and diagnostic service. Currently, MyHealth Clinic has more than 50 doctors in specialties such as cardiology, pulmonology, obstetrics and gynecology, as well as primary care. Services include multi-specialty consultations, laboratory and drug testing, diagnostic imaging, dental services and ancillary procedures. MyHealth Clinic serves insurance companies, HMOs and walk-in patients. Full Story

ONC to establish health information network governance rules
The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT plans to develop rules of governance for the nationwide health information network (NHIN Exchange), which will also determine what types of organizations may participate. Currently participation in the NHIN Exchange is limited to: federal health agencies; healthcare organizations and institutions that contract with federal health agencies; and federal grantees. In August 2010 the ONC will publish a request for public comment on the governance process, with plans to release a proposed rule in early 2011. The ONC hopes to finalize the governance regulations in the summer of next year. Current participants in the NHIN Exchange are Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, the Social Security Administration, and Kaiser Permanente. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act requires the ONC to devise a way to secure health information exchanges. Full Story

Push to utilize telemedicine to expand health coverage for the poor in Indian state
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the northernmost state of India, has developed a Task Force on Health Sector Reforms, which hopes to promote efficient utilization of modern healthcare practices through a variety of initiatives, including: telemedicine, management and operation of healthcare institutions, and drug policy and medicine procurement systems. The Task Force recently met for the second time, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Abdullah pointed out that the final objective of the government is to ensure total coverage of people living in the region, even if they are in remote areas. One of the top priorities is Rs. 141, the National Rural Telemedicine Network Project. Full Story

Video chats can help with diabetes treatment and weight loss
The American Diabetes Association is holding its annual convention in Orlando, Florida and part of the meeting's focus has been on the effectiveness of various programs involved in weight loss, nutrition, and diabetes management. Several programs were presented that have been found to be effective, including video chat, house visits, YMCA, and lifestyle coaches. It was found that when diabetics discussed nutrition and other health aspects of diabetes care with nurses online, they dropped their blood-glucose levels as low as diabetics who received the same information in person. Telemedicine and video applications have the potential to expand diabetes education into rural areas. It was reported that community interventions such as this can have a significant positive impact on minority communities, who tend to have more cases of diabetes than the general population. "Hospitals don't always reach African Americans and Hispanics," said Robin Whittemore, associate professor at the Yale School of Nursing. "As you move into the community, you're meeting people where they live." Full Story

Satellite used in historic South Pole telemedicine emergency to retire
Even satellites retire. NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) 1 is retiring. Initially launched in 1983, TDRS-1 was used from 1983 to 1998 to allow NASA to talk to other orbital satellites. From 1998 to 2009 TDRS-1 was reassigned to support the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its U.S. Antarctic Program partners. Although the satellite was involved in numerous groundbreaking communications around the globe, in 1999 it was fundamental in allowing South Pole personnel at the Amundsen-Scott Station to conduct telemedicine conferences; most notable during that period, doctors in the U.S. guided Dr. Jerri Nielsen in performing a self-biopsy and administering chemotherapy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2002, TDRS-1 was again used to help physicians assist with knee surgery on a meteorologist spending the winter in Antarctica. The satellite was moved 200 miles above its previous orbit and shut down, with future plans to retire it so it will not pose a risk to other geo spacecraft. Full Story

Australians to receive universal healthcare ID numbers
Despite lingering concerns over privacy issues, Australians will soon receive 16-digit identification numbers that store a patient's name, address and date of birth, to be used as healthcare identification numbers. This is a first step to providing electronic health records nationwide to Australians in the wake of the government's $A467 million budget to introduce a national electronic health record program, which is expected to begin mid-2012. Australian patients will be able to decide whether to opt-in for the e-health record, although they will receive an ID number regardless. Information expected to be available in the record includes medications, test results and immunization history. The identification numbers will be distributed by the Healthcare Identifiers Service, operated by Medicare Australia. Full Story

mHealth Summit hosted by World Economic Forum in La Jolla
More than seventy-five people from eight countries descended upon the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa for an mHealth Summit hosted by the World Economic Forum on June 28. The World Economic Forum, based in Davos, Switzerland, organizes presidents, CEOs and scientists to discuss and study the world's most difficult challenges and opportunities. The event-which was closed to the public-was led by the forum's Council on the Future of Mobile Communications, chaired by Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. Among the topics under discussion were how to convince investors to invest in mobile health ventures, research into how to improve mHealth devices, and how to get Medicare and other insurers to reimburse physicians for telemedicine consultations. Full Story

Harrisburg University launches grad-level program in health informatics
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (Pennsylvania), announced the launch of a 12-credit graduate-level specialization in health informatics. The program will focus on the technical and management issues of health informatics and healthcare IT. The program consists of four courses: Healthcare Systems, Health Informatics and Information Systems, eHealth and mHealth, and Social Technical and Organizational Issues in Healthcare Information Technology. The program will start with a three-credit course, Healthcare Systems, in the Fall 2010 Semester. Graduate-level students in three programs are eligible for the program: Information Systems Engineering & Management (ISEM), Project Management (PMGT), and Learning Technologies (LTMS). Full Story

Mumbai, India-based physician helps launch heart monitor for the BlackBerry
Pavan Kumar, head of Telemedicine at the Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, India, helped develop the concept for an electrocardiogram monitor for the BlackBerry. Pavan Kumar developed the concept with Maestros Mediline, which is the eUNO R10, and was launched in association with Vodafone. The electrocardiogram (ECG) application is available to cardiologists in India. The heart monitors connect to the Internet, push the data to a medical records server, which automatically connects to the physician's BlackBerry. Although the convenience factor for physicians is obvious, Sanjay Deshmukh, vice president, India Subcontinent, Citrix Systems India, notes that the technology allows hospitals and other healthcare institutions to maximize server capacity. Full Story

Movers & SHAKERS

David Horazdovsky, president of the Good Samaritan Society (Sioux Falls, SD), announced the receipt of an $8 million grant that will be used to test the use of telemedicine and sensor technology to help the elderly...John Glaser, PhD, was named as CEO of Siemens Health Services Business Unit...Dan Frank, Managing Partner, Three Wire Systems, LLC (Vienna, VA), testified before Congress on behalf of MHN, a Health Net Company, regarding the VetAdvisor Support Program...David Cockayne, Director of Strategy for NHS North Yorkshire and York (UK), announced their plans to acquire an additional 2,000 telehealth systems to assist patients...General Peter W. Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, discussed the Army's mental health telehealth counseling efforts before the Senate Armed Services Committee...Raj Toleti, founder of Galvanon, has been named CEO of PatientPoint, a healthcare self-service applications company...Dr. Isham Jafaar, Executive Director of the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (Brunei, on the island of Borneo), announced the opening of a state of the art stroke center that will utilize telemedicine technology to connect to Germany's Krankenhaus Nordwest...Dr. Robe Fazekas, of the Hamilton Center, accepted an advocacy award on behalf of the Hamilton Center for the center's use of telemedicine from the Indiana Rural Health Association...Dr. Tore Godal, Special Advisor on Global Health to the Prime Minister of Norway, opened an international consortium's first meeting in London to promote wireless medical technology to expand the reach of maternal and newborn health interventions worldwide...Please send us your news on Movers and Shakers in the field.

• Seventh Annual Healthcare Unbound Conference & Exhibition
  July 19-20, 2010 - San Diego, CA
  Networks, platforms and applications for technology-enabled participatory medicine. Special focus on remote monitoring, home telehealth, mhealth and ehealth for chronic care management and wellness promotion. Featuring an aging services educational track. Supporting organizations include: AAHSA, CAST and DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance. www.tcbi.org



• Global TeleHealth 2010
  November 10-12, 2010 - Perth, Western Australia
  More Info
  

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