FCC to release plan for ‘world class’ broadband service
In an effort to develop “world class broadband” that will spur advancements in telemedicine, education and energy efficiency, the Federal Communications Commission will soon unveil its agenda on how to extend the high-speed service to 90 percent of U.S. homes by 2020. According to FCC Chairperson Julius Genachowski, the Web-enabled smart grid will “close the long-standing digital divide” between high-tech firms and almost a third of the nation’s population. The plan will focus simultaneously on expanding access and increasing speeds. Households that lack broadband connections are usually concentrated in low-income and rural communities. All but about 4 percent of households have access to at least one broadband service. These households aren’t signing up because people don’t see the need or can’t afford the typical $40 to $45 monthly fee, Genachowski said. Full Story

Handheld cancer scanner could make radiation obsolete in mammograms
Researchers from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) have developed a handheld scanner to create a spectral “fingerprint” that differentiates between benign and malignant tumors within breast tissue. The device is expected to bring “radiation-free modality” to the breast cancer oncologist’s office, as well as help detect cancer in younger women, who typically have denser breast tissue, UCI surgical oncologist Dr. David Hsiang said. Unlike mammograms, the scanner provides detailed metabolic information by measuring hemoglobin, fat and water content, tumor oxygen consumption and tissue density. The UCI laser breast scanner is also proving beneficial in evaluating effectiveness of chemotherapy by supplying detailed data on changes in breast tumor metabolism during treatments. This information, which can be accessed quickly at bedside, lets oncologists tailor chemotherapy based on how a patient responds, Hsiang said. Full Story

New e-health service delivers medication reminders to patients’ cell phones
Orinda, CA-based RememberItNow! LLC has released the industry’s first e-health service designed to help people take medications correctly by sending reminders to their cell phone. According to RememberItNow! Chief Executive Officer Pamela Swingley, the service is for “the 100-plus million Americans with chronic diseases who want to spend less time worrying about following the doctor’s orders.” Swingley, whose own father had problems remembering to take his medication, said many available solutions are too complex or too simple for seniors. By comparison, it takes less than five minutes to get started with RIN’s program, and reminders are sent as text messages or e-mails. Messages can also be customized with special instructions, adjusted for time zones, and turned on or off for each activity. Patients may also use the program to maintain a personal health record. Full Story

Wireless physical fitness monitor planned for iPod, video game platforms
Video game developer Electronic Arts is finalizing a new version of its popular wireless physical fitness monitor. The system – momentarily known as EA SPORTS Active 2.0 – will feature a wireless control system, powered by new leg and arm straps with motion sensors, a heart rate monitor to capture intensity, and a new online hub to track and share workout data, according to EA Sports Executive Producer Tarrnie Williams. The product will also host a global community of EA Sports Active users who can share their fitness journeys, interact with workout groups and send messages to each other online to stay inspired and engaged. EA Sports Active 2.0 will be available this fall in the Wii, PlayStation 3, and iPod touch and iPhone platforms. Full Story

Ericsson sets sites on India with new telemedicine product
Telecommunications giant Ericsson has developed an e-health program aimed at the growing telemedicine market in India. The Mobile Health 3.0 system is perfect for India, where a substantial part of the population lives in remote areas, while the specialized physicians stay in urban areas. Ericsson’s telemedicine solutions can “help hospitals reduce care costs per patient by a great margin,” according to Rainer Herzog, director of e-health strategy and business development for central and eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. He said that the company’s primary targets for the solutions are leading hospital chains. However, telemedicine is also “an ideal avenue for mobile service providers to participate in the value-chain for delivery of such services and thereby generate much-needed new avenues of revenues.”

Great idea, but no takers so far for nerve injury detection tool
The co-founder of a Helena, MT-based OSHA products testing company believes he has the perfect portable device to help doctors easily analyze the interconnection between bones, muscles and nerves. Now all he needs is someone to help him market it. Work Wright Inc. President Charles Paske said his company’s new Time Resolved Force Technology — a computer-assisted diagnostic and testing device — could assist in the clinical detection of carpal tunnel syndrome. The device is also capable of detecting — by measuring reactions over time — delayed hand responses resulting from mild cases of traumatic brain injury. The technology could be a big aid in helping the Veterans Administration treat troops returning from combat. But few medical professionals and government officials are willing to give his instrument “a fair shot at clinical testing,” Paske said. Work Wright is in the process of petitioning VA officials. Full Story Further Information

Senate bill makes more physicians eligible for ‘meaningful use’ incentives
By a 62-36 vote, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill designed to make it easier for hospital-based physicians to receive incentive payments for the “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHRs). House Resolution 4213, “The American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010,” amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to allow all hospital-based physicians, except those who provide services at hospital outpatient facilities, to receive the incentive payments. As amended, the bill effectively means physicians furnishing substantially all services in an inpatient or emergency room setting would not qualify for incentives. The legislation now heads to the House for possible reconciliation with a House version or approval of the Senate’s changes. Full Story

Cell phone tracking technology may go beyond patient monitoring
A device designed to help physicians track a patient’s body movements through use of their cell phones may also help employers keep track of their employees’ daily activities, according to researchers from the International University of Japan (IUJ). The technology, developed by Tokyo-based telecommunications firm KDDI Corp., analyzes the movement of accelerometers, which are found in many devices, according to Philip Sugai, director of IUJ’s mobile consumer lab. On technical terms, the discovery is “very important” for areas such as telemedicine, but it could pose diplomatic issues when applied to sales or workforce optimization, Sugai said. Full Story

Increased use of telemedicine relies on less-expensive implementation
Less-expensive product implementation technology is needed for telemedicine case management to be more widely adopted, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. According to lead author Walter Palmas M.D., a telemedicine product alone will not save a facility enough money to encourage its adoption. The school’s study reviewed 1,665 cases over six years involving diabetic patients and the savings costs associated through telemedicine, and found an annual savings of about $629. Given that persons with diabetes generally incur twice the hospital care expenses of those without, the hope is that telemedicine-based care will pose a “significant” difference in cost of care. But that does not appear to be the case, the study notes. Full Story

VA’s VistA EHR system to make way for modern Aviva platform
The Department of Veterans Affairs is attempting to bring its 20-year-old electronic health record (EHR) system into the 21st century. According to VA Chief Technology Officer Peter Levin, the VA’s Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) platform is to be replaced by a Web-enabled version known as Aviva. Although VistA has undergone upgrades in recent years, the program is not very modification-friendly and does not allow VA to share information with other government entities. In contrast, Aviva will “grow with the population of veterans,” and allow multiple VA teams to install their various applications into Aviva’s platform. “Effectively, you’re replacing a tin can on a string with a cell phone,” Levin said. VistA won’t disappear entirely, however, as much of the platform will be incorporated into Aviva’s. No timeline has been set at this point, he noted. Full Story

More than 1 in 6 seniors given wrong medication in hospital ER
In another argument for patient prescription monitoring software, a recent study by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor revealed that almost 17 percent of persons age 65 and older received at least one “potentially inappropriate medication” after visiting an emergency room. According to study lead author William J. Meurer M.D., nearly 19.5 million elderly patients received one or more incorrect medications after treatment in the ER from 2000-2006. Ten medications accounted for 86.5 percent of the miscues, and two of those 10 – promethazine and ketorolac – accounted for 40 percent. Meurer said the study suggests an increased need to educate doctors about the suitability of certain medicines for older adults. The study also showed that prescribing inappropriate medication was less likely to occur if an intern or resident was involved, possibly because of the younger doctors’ recent training about medications. Full Story

Public comment accepted for ONC’s published EHR certification rules
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has officially started the public comment period for its recently published rule governing the certification of electronic health records (EHRs). According to ONC Health IT Coordinator David Blumenthal, the rule covers how an organization can receive certification to test and certify EHR systems. The rule establishes a temporary certification program and a permanent one; public comment will be taken until April 9 and May 10, respectively. ONC will eventually issue separate final rules for both programs. Full Story

Movers & SHAKERS

Greg Reed, former head of the Dundee Bank of Canada, has been named CEO of eHealth Ontario…Drew Brookie, deputy press secretary at the VA, released a list of 12 IT projects that will be eliminated that were related to redesigning the VA’s online appointment scheduling system…Casey Barton Behravesh, an epidemiologist with the CDC, discussed the CDC’s use of shopping cards to track the source of a salmonella outbreak begun with a Rhode Island meat company…Georgia state House Speaker David Ralston promoted the use of the state’s telemedicine stations during a Doctor of the Day event at the state capitol…Irina Lazarian, executive director of the Armenia Fund USA, announced the organization has established HyeBridge Telehealth, whose function is to enhance and modernize healthcare and medical education in Armenia and Karabakh...Walter Palmas, MD, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, recently published a study with The Journal of Medical informatics Association suggesting that in order for telemedicine case management to be more widely adopted it needs to be less expensive…Mondher Zenaidi, Tunisia’s Minister of Health, announced that the Tunisian Telemedicine and e-Health Company is organizing its First Telemedicine Congress…Marilyn Flack of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, recently sent letters to 350 hospitals over the FDA’s concerns over the use of digital medical equipment and patient safety… Please send us your news on Movers and Shakers in the field.

• Health 2.0 Europe Conference to be Held in Paris
  April 6–7, 2010 - Cité Universitaire International, Paris
  Health 2.0 Europe, a new conference dedicated to how Web 2.0 and social media are transforming healthcare systems in Europe. Organized by e-health specialists Health 2.0 of San Francisco and Basil Strategies of Paris, the two-day event will assemble attendees from the converging industries of healthcare, the internet, mobile applications and social media, to network and brainstorm about technologies that are revolutionizing healthcare delivery and treatment.
  
  
• Med-e-Tel - The International eHealth, Telemedicine and Health ICT Forum
  April 14–16, 2010 - Luxembourg
  In its 8th edition and with a proven potential for global networking, Med-e-Tel 2010 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 (in telenursing, cybertherapy, quality standards, open source applications, telecardiology, home telehealth, disease management and more). Med-e-Tel is organized by the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth together with 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.
  
  
• ATA 2010: 15th Annual International Meeting & Exposition
  May 16 - 18, 2010 - San Antonio, TX
  Call for Presentations Now Open » Click here for exhibiting Information 

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		Telemedicine and e-Health delivers more authoritative content from the peer-reviewed journal of record. The peer-reviewed publication, Telemedicine and e-Health , is published 10 times a year in print and online covering all aspects of clinical telemedicine practice, technical advances, enabling technologies, education, health policy and regulation and biomedical and health services research. The journal also deals with the clinical effectiveness, efficacy and safety of telemedicine and its effects on quality, cost and accessibility of care, medical records and transmission of same. For complete information and to subscribe, check out our website. Telemedicine and e-Health is the Official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.