Low-cost video technique checks a patient's vitals by measuring reflected light
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., are developing a video camera technique that can monitor changes in a person's vital signs by tracking small changes in how light reflects off his or her face as blood flows under the skin. According to MIT graduate student Ming-Zher Poh, measuring these health indicators requires little more than placing a person in front of a laptop computer's built-in webcam or a cell phone camera, while using public domain software. An alternative to physical touch or sensors that are attached to the body, the non-invasive process could also prove useful for monitoring newborn infants or burn victims, or in telemedicine health screenings or remote patient monitoring. Such a system could also be built into a bathroom mirror to allow patients who need ongoing monitoring to routinely check their pulse, respiration, oxygen saturation and blood pressure while they brush their teeth or wash up. "It's not going to be easy," Poh said. "But it theoretically should be possible." Full Story

Telemedicine makes cardiac care for children faster, more efficient
Telemedicine has helped identify potential heart problems in more than 70 percent of pediatric care cases reviewed remotely by physicians over an 11-year period, according to a study by researchers from Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo. Researchers reviewed 1,285 pediatric echocardiograms conducted between April 1998 and October 2009 at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., and transmitted to Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics. Nearly 72 percent of the echocardiograms were ordered due to the local physician hearing a heart murmur. Although nearly 74 percent of those echocardiograms were determined by Children's Mercy specialists to be normal, the process went a long way toward relieving parents' fears about their children's health, according to study co-author Seiji Ito. "This study helps illustrate how telemedicine can save families significant worry, time and expense," Ito said. "It alleviates the need to make appointments with an unfamiliar doctor in a city far away, and endure a lengthy road trip that ultimately could prove to be unnecessary." Full Story

Telehealth care could offer 'great encouragement' to depressed elderly
Telehealth-based care could be an effective way to treat depression in the elderly, according to preliminary findings of a study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I., and the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt. Telemedicine services were set up with 19 elderly patients whose depression had been diagnosed as "markedly severe," according to study leader Thomas Sheeran, a clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital. By follow-up, the average depression severity scores were in the "mild" range, with many patients agreeing that the system had improved their mental health. While the findings need to be replicated in a more rigorously controlled randomized trial, "we believe these results offer great encouragement for reaching this population who can experience a better quality of life from this program," Sheeran said. The research also suggests that telemedicine can be used to address mental health needs of the elderly in community settings, he added. Full Story

Asthma patients could avoid hospital stays through telemedicine, study notes
Healthcare delivered via telephone or Internet could keep persons with severe asthma out of the hospital, according to a study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The study, involving more than 10,000 adults and children from the United Kingdom, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Australia, Croatia, Japan, Taiwan and the United States, noted that telemedicine could reduce the time and cost of care for the severely asthmatic, and possibly make treatment more accessible to a wider number of people. The quality of remote care delivered to asthma patients was virtually no worse than for those who received face-to-face care, according to study lead researcher Susannah McLean. However, there is some question as to why telehealth care benefitted some asthma patients and not others, she said. Also, more studies are needed on whether telehealth care for asthma is cost effective, and whether different forms of telehealth care are more effective than others, McLean added. Full Story

Navy, Hazelden launch online drug addiction treatment program
The U.S. Navy, and alcohol and drug addiction treatment center Hazelden have partnered on a $3.25 million initiative to provide a Web-based program to help sailors battle drug addiction. The program, Navy My Ongoing Recovery Experience (Navy MORE ), links sailors to support programs, even when they're deployed. Navy MORE is primarily tailored to younger sailors, who are at greater risk and are comfortable navigating the Internet and social programs, according to Hazelden Vice President Nick Motu in Center City, Minn. The free service includes 12-step recovery programs, a suicide hotline, and treatment programs designed specifically for sailors or retired personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 1,000 people are expected to enroll in Navy MORE by the end of this year. Hazelden is in talks with other branches of the military to develop similar programs, Motu said. Full Story   Further Information

AHRQ awards $473 million in grants for decision-improving health IT projects
The Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded $473 million in grants and contracts for health information technology projects that help people make healthcare decisions based on the IT systems' level of effectiveness. According to AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, the projects will support numerous patient-centered comparative effectiveness research efforts, including healthcare interventions in real-world settings, advanced use of the research findings by diverse populations, development of effective patient registries, and training and career development for future researchers. The research will "give patients the information they need to talk with their doctors about their options for medical treatment," Clancy said, as well as "ensure that the care... is based on the best possible evidence and informed decisions." A complete list of reward recipients is available at AHRQ's recovery awards Web site.   Full Story

BlackBerry-compatible medical record 'super app' unveiled in UK
CSC has partnered with Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) to offer a smartphone "super application" that allows doctors to access and update patient information with a BlackBerry. The Patient in Your Pocket System, currently used by general practitioners in the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), enables workers outside a hospital or practice to use a password and NHS smartcard to view and enter up-to-date information about a patient and his condition. Patient data is encrypted locally and on the network; if the smartcard is moved away from the phone then data is lost. "This is the first 'super app' in healthcare that can really make a difference," RIM UK Healthcare Director Daniel Morrison-Gardiner said. Full Story

New electrocardiogram app for Android phone is part of bigger picture
Belgian nanoelectronics developer Imec, and Dutch research and development firm Holst Centre have designed an application that allows the viewing of an electrocardiogram on an Android mobile phone. According to Imec Communications Officer Hanne Degans, the innovation is a low-power interface that completes a Body Area Network (BAN). When connected to a mobile phone, the BAN enables reliable long-term ambulatory monitoring of various health parameters, such as cardiac performance (ECG), brain activity (EEG), and muscle activity (EMG). Data collected by the wireless sensors is transmitted to the phone, where it is collected, processed, and stored, as well as sent over the Internet if doctors need to view it remotely. Alarm thresholds can also send out automatic alerts. "The aging population, combined with the increasing need for care and the rising costs of healthcare, has become a challenge for our society," Degans said. "[BANs] provide long-term monitoring, while maintaining user mobility and comfort." Full Story

Microsoft joins Continua Health Alliance, maintains HealthVault platform
Software giant Microsoft has joined the Continua Health Alliance (CHA) to contribute to the non-profit group's efforts to develop standards for connected personal health systems. According to David Cerino, general manager of Microsoft Health Solutions Group, until now the company has remained separate from CHA to focus on its HealthVault personal health platform. HealthVault is a Web-based program that helps users collect, store and share health information with family members and participating health and wellness services. The CHA membership "extends our commitment" to providing organizations with options for using HealthVault, Cerino said. CHA Director Chuck Parker said Microsoft's presence in the alliance will "help foster the Continua vision of personal connected health." Full Story

EHR drug data to save Canada $436 million in 2010, up to $1 billion later
Use of drug data obtained through electronic health records in Canada has resulted in a savings of $436 million in costs and efficiencies this year, according to a study by Deloitte for Canada Health Infoway. And that's just the start, according to Jennifer Zelmer, senior vice-president of clinical adoption and innovation at Infoway. The report projects that once drug information systems are more widely implemented across the country, and people are more experienced in using them, they will generate about $1 billion a year in benefits. No timeline has been established as to when that might be. Much of Canada--including Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island—has fully implemented the systems, and British Columbia and Alberta are about 90 percent operational, Zelmer said. In addition, half of all hospital emergency rooms in Canada are currently linked to the drug information systems. Full Story

Ideas sought for healthcare information network development contest
Hollywood, Fla.-based nonprofit health network developer The Joseph H. Kanter Family Foundation has launched a contest to solicit ideas for creating a collaborative activist network to advocate sharing healthcare information through electronic health records. According to Dwayne Spradlin, chief executive officer of InnoCentive, the Waltham, Mass. firm facilitating the contest, the best submission will win $5,000. Preference will be given to solutions whose solvers can carry out their proposed strategies, or who can identify other organizations or partners who are capable of doing so. Submission deadline is Oct. 24. For more information, visit the Web sites for InnoCentive or The Joseph H. Kanter Family Foundation.   Full Story

Medical device trade group opposes FDA's proposed 510(k) changes
Efforts to revise the way the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants 510(k) certification for new medical devices should be kept to a minimum to avoid being disruptive, according to one of the medical technology industry's largest trade groups, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed). The FDA is considering toughening up its 510(k) approval process--including revoking some existing device approvals—in response to criticism that current standards are too inconsistently applied. But in a 107-page report, AdvaMed maintains that such actions are unnecessary, noting that only a fraction of devices approved through the 510(k) process since 1998 were involved in serious recalls. Some areas do need updating, such as additional training for FDA reviewers, but "wholesale changes to a program that has such a strong record of protecting American patients while facilitating innovation and timely patient access to improved medical devices and diagnostics are not needed," said AdvaMed President Stephen J. Ubl. The FDA's proposals are under review by the Institute of Medicine and should be complete by early 2011. Full Story

Movers & SHAKERS

Mohit Kaushal, former head of the FCC's connected health team, has been named executive VP of business development and chief strategy officer of West Wireless Health Institute...Mark Harwood former VP of Baxter International, has been named president of RF Technologies...Ken Ruby, founder of MCA, was named chief technology officer, a newly created role...Eric Depew, formerly VP of MCA, has been promoted to president...Frederick Downs, Jr., Chief Procurement and Logistics Officer for the VA's Veterans Health Administration, appeared before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Health Subcommittee to discuss the VHA's contracting and procurement practices...Dr. Norman Makous published the book, Time To Care: Personal Medicine In The Age of Technology...Michael Seringer, VP for Chronic Care Management, Inc., announced the launch of MyVirtualHealthCheck.com, a web-based tool for people to manage chronic conditions...Frank Ulrich Montgomery, MD, VP of the Federal Medicine Society, announced the results of the organization's eHealth Report survey. 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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		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 an Official Journal of the American Telemedicine Association.