Online health videos becoming public's top way to learn about prescription drugs
Nearly half of all U.S. consumers now use online health videos for prescription drug information, according to a report by Manhattan Research. The report, which explores consumer demand for online health video and the impact of the format on health behavior, notes that as of 2009, 48 percent of consumers hit the Web for their drug information, up from 21 percent in 2007. "Consumers tend to watch health video where they are already getting health information and don't necessarily go online intending to find health video," Manhattan Research Senior Director of Research Monique Levy said. For marketers, this finding suggests a distributed video strategy is best, although it can be more costly than focusing on a single channel, she added. Full Story

Online consultations could reduce in-person surgical appointments by 40 percent
Online consultations could cut primary care surgery appointments by 40 percent, according to a two-year pilot study by the Mayo Clinic. In the study, believed to be the largest of its type, 4,282 patients who pre-registered for an "e-visit" service during a face-to-face visit were given access to an online portal for consultations with their primary care physician. More than 2,500 e-visits were made and only 13 percent of patients were actually asked to book a face-to-face appointment. According to study lead author and Mayo Clinic Professor of Primary Care John Bachman, the digital world offers the medical facilities an opportunity to reduce expenses and still be more effective. The study's results answered the major concerns clinicians had about online consultations: Physician access to patients was better, and patients were willing to pay money to avoid coming into a clinic. Patients still saved though; on average, they paid $35 for an e-visit compared to $120 to $130 for a surgery appointment, Bachman said. Full Story

New 3-D medical imaging and training tool receives approval from FDA
Medical simulation and training products maker Simbionix Ltd. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its newest medical simulation software in the United States. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company's PROcedure Rehearsal Studio software interface and image segmentation system allows transfer of 3-D imaging data from a medical scanner to an output file. It is also intended as pre-operative software for simulating and evaluating surgical treatment options. PROcedure offers new and advanced technologies for use in physicians' daily clinical practice as well as in training, according to Simbionix Chief Executive Officer Gary Zamler. The product is designed "to help clinicians deliver better patient care and to enhance patient safety through timely and realistic practice," Zamler said. Full Story

Institute of Medicine receives nearly $1 million to study health IT and patient safety
The Institute of Medicine has been awarded a $989,000 grant from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to conduct a one-year study aimed at ensuring that health information technology can achieve its full potential for improving patient safety in healthcare. According to ONC Coordinator David Blumenthal, the study will examine a comprehensive range of patient safety issues, including prevention of health IT-related errors and rapid reporting of health IT-related patient safety matters. It will make recommendations concerning potential effects of government policies and private sector actions in maximizing patient safety and avoiding medical errors through health IT. And it will discuss the roles of key agencies charged with public health and safety, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Blumenthal said. Full Story

HIMSS online dashboard tracks state health IT legislation, grants
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has launched an online "dashboard" that gives healthcare professionals and lawmakers timely access to information and resources on major health information technology initiatives. According to HIMSS Vice President Carla Smith, the State Health IT Dashboard tracks current health IT initiatives through an interface offering data on state resources, awards to Regional Extension Centers, new and existing Health Information Exchanges, Davis Award recipients, and HIMSS chapter locations. The tool also includes a state legislation tracker, with descriptions and reference information on pending state legislation. "Rather than endless searches to uncover all the initiatives going on in each state, users can access the Dashboard," Smith said. "We're providing the most comprehensive public resource available on (health IT) initiatives across the United States." Full Story   Further Information

Personal robot market – including medical aids – to top $19 billion by 2017
By the end of the decade, personal robots will become an available household tool for everything from housekeeping to patient monitoring, according to a report by ABI Research. The market, which is expected to top $19 billion by 2017, currently sees only a limited use for such devices, such as domestic cleaning, according to Larry Fisher, research director of NextGen, ABI's emerging technologies research division. But that's about to change, due to development and sale of high-quality cameras, microphones and processors, which will serve as interactive human substitutes, Fisher noted. "Robotics vendors are beginning to introduce telepresence robots which allow the user to have a virtual presence in another location, saving business users travel time and expenses," he said. Telepresence robots can also help shut-ins join family events, or allow families to monitor and interact with the elderly or infirm "in a way that a quick telephone call can't match." Full Story

International social media healthcare network launched, seeks members
The Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media (MCCSM) is developing a new international health network to encourage use of social media among healthcare providers. According to MCCSM Medical Director Victor Montori, the network will be "a vehicle for us to share what we've learned about social media, including our training resources, and for others to join us in learning together and developing best practices." In particular, the network wants to expedite adoption of social media applications that fight disease, offer more reliable online health information, and promote health. Charter members include Bon Secours Health System in Marriottsville, Md.; Inova Health System, in Falls Church, Va.; Mission Health System, Asheville, N.C.; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, in Nijmegen, Netherlands; and Swedish Health Services in Seattle. Mayo is also seeking organizations to serve as continental community leaders for Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. The Social Media Health Network Web site (socialmediahealthnetwork.org) is expected to launch Oct. 25. Full Story

St. Jude's wireless spinal cord stimulator a 'go' in Japan
St. Jude Medical has received regulatory approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to market the company's Eon Mini spinal cord stimulator in Japan. According to Chris Chavez, president of St. Jude's Medical Neuromodulation Division, the Eon Mini is the first rechargeable neurostimulator to manage chronic pain. It is also the world's smallest, longest-lasting rechargeable neurostimulator. Slightly larger than a man's watch, the device has spinal cord stimulators that manage chronic pain of the trunk or limbs and pain from failed back surgery by delivering mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord, which interrupt or mask the pain signals' transmission to the brain. The device's battery is functional with recharges for up to 10 years. The Eon Mini's battery longevity may mean that patients will require fewer battery replacement surgeries, and its smaller size gives physicians increased flexibility in selecting the implant location. Chronic pain affects up to 1 in 5 persons worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Full Story

EMRs used after abnormal Pap tests can speed diagnosis of cancer
Use of an automated electronic medical record (EMR) tracking system on patients with abnormal Pap test results can increase the chance of discovering cancer, according to a study by researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). Screening for cervical cancer with a Pap test is only as successful as the follow-up rate for an abnormal result, according to lead author Elizabeth Dupuis, MD. If a patient has a Pap test, yet does not receive appropriate follow-up for an abnormal result, the opportunity to prevent or treat pre-cancerous lesions or cervical cancer is missed. BUSM researchers compared abnormal Pap test follow-up rates for the 24 months prior to implementing the tracking system with rates 12 months after its implementation. The adjusted time to diagnostic resolution decreased from 108 days prior to implementing the tracking system to 86 days after implementation, according to the study. "Most EMRs in use today do not have such tracking systems developed," Dupuis said. "Our data suggests that such systems can improve patient safety and patient care." Full Story

Patient self-monitoring technology could save needed funds in Britain
Britain's National Health Service could meet a substantial part of its $31.6 billion [USD] cost savings program simply by using technology that enables patients to monitor their own conditions, according to the health department's chief information officer. DOH CIO Christine Connelly said patients need 21st century technology to help them make informed health choices and "take control of their health and experiences." Experts note that home-based technology could reduce hospital admissions, physician call-outs and patients with repeat problems, however current access to health information is too hard, jargon-ridden and fails to reach people in their homes. The challenge, they note, is for software developers to create applications that can overcome these issues. Full Story

HHS software wins WSJ's Most Innovative Technology award
Software from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been selected as 2010's Most Innovative Technology in Health Information Technology by the Wall Street Journal. The HHS CONNECT software, designed to assist healthcare providers in use of electronic health records (EHRs), won the Healthcare IT category of the WSJ's annual Technology Innovation Awards. The software, according to judges, addresses EHR costs, patient privacy and security needs, which are the major roadblocks in getting doctors and facilities to use the systems. Runners-up were Life Image Inc., for its cloud-based platform for sharing and storing diagnostic images; and Ingenix Inc., for its Disease Precursor Identification software, which can identify people at risk of developing costly, difficult-to-manage diseases, such as diabetes. The Innovation Awards has winners in 17 different categories, including Medicine-Biotech, Internet Technologies, Robotics and Wireless. Full Story   Further Information

Movers & SHAKERS

Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Director, Center for Connected Health, published a paper regarding the use of text messages and patient adherence in the journal Dermatology Research and Practice…Ravi Mehta, MD, professor of medicine at UCSD, David Price, MD, executive director of clinical affairs at DexCom, Leslie A. Saxon, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and Mark Carlson, MD, CMO and senior VP, clinical affairs, for the Cardiac Rhythm Management Division of St. Jude Medical, will participant in a panel discussion during the Wireless Health 2010 conference at Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines on October 5-7…Morgan Kendrick, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, announced they have added new tools to their online presence to assist businesses in navigating changes in healthcare…Sanjiv Ahuja, CEO of LightSquared, announced they signed an agreement with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to donate satellite phones and associated services to help American Indian and Alaska Native persons…Donald Berwick, head of CMS, and Mark McClellan, former CMS head, voiced support for adoption and reimbursement for telemedicine services at the American Telemedicine Association's 2010 summit in Baltimore…Subir Biswas, electrical engineering professor at Michigan State University, and Karin Pfeiffer, assistant professor of kinesiology at MSU, published their development of RFID-enabled sensors to track body movement and location in RFID Journal…Bruce Peterson, CEO of Rochelle Community Hospital, announced it is the first rural hospital in Illinois to use a "robot" via telemedicine to diagnose stroke patients…Jeff Silverman, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Sandata Technologies, LLC, announced it has launched Santrax Agency Management, a suite of IT solutions for the home healthcare industry…Susan Driscoll, President and CEO of Wolters Kluwer Health, Professional & Education, announced Lippincott Williams & Wilkins had launched 5MinuteConsult.com, a clinical decision support site for healthcare professionals…Cory Hall, former director of diagnostic intelligence and health IT initiatives for CAP, has been named executive VP for medical informatics of REACH Call. Please send us your news on Movers and Shakers in the field.

Upcoming EVENTS

• The Forum 10
  October 13-15, 2010 - Washington, D.C.
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• 2010 Connected Health Symposium
  October 21-22, 2010 - Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
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• Global TeleHealth 2010
  November 10-12, 2010 - Perth, Western Australia
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• Med-e-Tel 2011
  April 6-8, 2011– Luxembourg, G.D. of Luxembourg
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