Hospital CIOs name health IT, telemedicine as top priorities through 2012
Nearly 6 in 10 hospital chief information officers have named e-medical records and electronic ordering systems as their top information technology priorities of the next two years, according to a study by Bellevue, WA-based research firm NewGrowth Consulting (NGC) Inc. In contrast, only 1 in 4 hospital IT managers and directors say those initiatives are the most important areas for their facilities to focus on, according to the study. NGC's report, commissioned by Palo Alto, CA-based Hewlett-Packard Co., also notes that nearly 6 in 10 hospital CIOs said their organizations did not have a telemedicine program, while 41 percent said their hospitals did have such initiatives underway. Most CIOs with telemedicine programs plan to expand those efforts in the next 24 months. The results are in alignment with the government's efforts to encourage hospitals and physician practices to implement electronic medical records, computerized physician order entry, and other e-health systems over the next several years, NGC reports. Full Story

Olympus Medical, Siemens to develop magnetically guided endoscope
Japanese medical device manufacturer Olympus Medical Systems Corp. and Siemens Healthcare are developing technology for a magnetically guided capsule endoscope system that allows physicians to easily navigate through and take high-resolution images of a patient's digestive system. According to Olympus Medical Systems President Haruhito Morishima in Tokyo, the endoscope allows stomach examinations to be performed easily and comfortably by having the patient simply swallow the capsule-sized unit. The patient then lies down in a magnetic guidance system, and the physician, via a joystick, easily navigates the capsule to the areas of interest. The capsule can then provide real-time high-resolution images on a display in the examination room. Traditionally capsule endoscopes are moved only by peristaltic motion in the gastrointestinal tract, which often makes it difficult to guide the capsule to a specific location, Morishima said. Full Story

Medtronic starts clinical trial for chronic pain neurostimulator
Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. has begun a U.S. clinical trial for its RestoreSensor neurostimulator for the treatment of chronic pain. According to Don Deyo, vice president of Product Development and Technology in Medtronic's Neuromodulation business, the RestoreSensor automatically adjusts the amount of stimulation delivered to a patient's spine based on body position and activity. Currently, most patients must use a remote to change the level of stimulation, Deyo said. The RestoreSensor device also records and stores the frequency of a patient's posture and activity changes to provide feedback to clinicians. The device already has received European approval and is under consideration by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. Full Story

Duke University begins health informatics program for disease prevention
Medical specialists at Duke University and in Durham County, N.C., are using health informatics to identify chronic disease interventions and improve community health. According to Durham County Health Director Gayle Harris, the Durham Health Innovations (DHI) project uses data from Duke's electronic health record system in combination with geocoding software that assigns geographic locations to the data. Using the technology, DHI can track progress and develop real-time interventions to prevent health problems from escalating, Harris said. The software also allows DHI to locate disease hot spots at the neighborhood level. The project involves nearly 1,000 participants from Duke, the Durham community and 90 agencies that volunteered to assist with the project. Full Story

Bar code system dramatically reduces hospital medication errors
A new system that uses bar codes to check medications and doses has significantly reduced the number of hospital drug errors, according to a report by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Lead researcher Dr. Eric G. Poon, the hospital's director of clinical informatics, estimates that the system prevents 90,000 serious errors each year. The system resulted in a 41 percent drop in administration errors, a 51 percent drop in potential adverse drug events, and a 27 percent drop in errors in the timing of medication administration. Medication orders appear electronically in the patient's chart after pharmacist approval; if giving a medication is overdue, an alert is electronically sent to nurses. Nurses must also scan bar codes on a patient's wristband and on the medication itself to determine if the two match the patient's medication order. The report appears in the May 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Full Story

GlobalMedia imaging software approved for use with VistA system
GlobalMedia Group LLC's CapSure Store and Forward DICOM image automation software has been validated for use within the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) PACS servers, the Scottsdale, AZ-based company announced. According to GlobalMedia Managing Director Joel E. Barthelemy, the CapSure and CONI Server applications provide clinicians with the ability to work with, store and forward high resolution, digital images—including real-time video and still images—for secure storage in electronic medical record systems. Unlike proprietary systems, the CapSure and CONI software are standards-based units that further telemedicine and create an experience like a traditional medical office visit, Barthelemy said. Full Story

EMR use may have long-term healthcare cost reductions
Increased use of electronic medical records (EMRs) will help keep healthcare costs in check by providing doctors with precise information on the price of tests and drugs, according to a report in the New York Times. Various studies over the past 20 years have demonstrated a decreased need for medical tests for patients, or a substantial decrease in annual costs for hospitals, the Times reports. Such studies have involved a limited number of hospitals nationwide, meaning the real impact could change dramatically. Meanwhile, experts hope that using health information technology to educate doctors and medical students about the costs of tests and medications can also help reduce healthcare costs over the long term, the Times notes. Full Story

Online insurer eHealth Inc. acquires PlanPrescriber for $28.7 million
Mountain View, CA-based online health insurance provider eHealth Inc. announced that it has acquired privately held PlanPrescriber Inc. for $28.7 million in cash. According to eHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Lauer, the PlanPrescriber acquisition will help eHealth "accelerate its penetration of the large and expanding senior market." Maynard, MA-based PlanPrescriber, formerly known as Experion Systems Inc., provides online and pharmacy-based tools to help seniors select Medicare plans. PlanPrescriber has developed a proprietary comparison and shopping platform for Medicare-eligible seniors, allowing them to compare Medicare prescriptions drug plans and Medicare Advantage health plans from all providers nationwide, Lauer said. Full Story

Implantable hearing aid maker Envoy Medical to go public by 2011
Executives at Envoy Medical, maker of the world's first implantable hearing aid without microphones and speakers, plan to take the company public next year, according to company President Shelly Amann. The St. Paul, MN-based company has raised $5 million thus far in venture capital and hopes to raise another $16.5 million by 2011. For 15 years, Envoy Medical, formerly known St. Croix Medical, has been trying to develop the surgically implanted Esteem, which uses the natural shape of the ear to transmit sound. It is implanted behind the ear and therefore invisible. And because it uses the natural shape of the ear, the Esteem does not cause irritation in the way regular hearing aids do, Amann said. In March, the company received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market Esteem in the United States. Full Story

Savings from EHRs to be greater than Congress expected, VP Biden says
When electronic health records (EHRs) are fully implemented in 2014, along with health information exchanges and other technologies associated with healthcare delivery, the cost of healthcare will be significantly less than the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has calculated, according to Vice President Joe Biden. Although he does not have specific figures, the new equipment will mean hospitals and other healthcare facilities will save millions of dollars due to fewer emergency room visits, less paper processing and greater efficiencies from EHRs. These cost savings are greater than those reflected by the CBO's numbers, Biden said. In March, the Budget Office estimated that the healthcare reform bill would cost $940 billion over the first 10 years and reduce the deficit by $138 billion during that period. In the second 10 years, from 2020 to 2029, it will reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion.Full Story

Switch to paperless records may not guarantee fewer medical errors
Converting to paperless records is not a guarantee of reduced medical errors and improved efficiency, according to a study by researchers at Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business in Tempe. The study, "Electronic Medical Records, Nurse Staffing, and Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes: Evidence from California Hospitals, 1998-2007," found that health information technology implementation was associated with up to a 10 percent higher cost per discharge in medical-surgical acute care units. ASU Associate Prof. and study co-author Raghu Santanam said registered nurses had trouble juggling demands of managing computer records and getting enough time with patients. Also, patients generally had more complications, perhaps because the computerized systems helped medical workers detect more health problems. Full Story

IMPORTANT! Make sure you receive your chosen Mary Ann Liebert e-Newsletters, alerts and news updates. Add telemed@liebertpub.com to your Address Book or Safe Senders List. It's easy! View instructions HERE.

Forward Alert to a Colleague

For advertising
Contact us to maximize your print and/or online opportunities


This email was sent by: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor, New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215, USA
Phone: 914-740-2100 or 1-800-M-LIEBERT    Fax: 914-740-2101    Email: info@liebertpub.com