TeleSonography platform could reduce birth defects by up to 70 percent
In an effort to dramatically reduce birth defects in India, Chennai, India-based MediScan Systems has partnered with Bangalore-based telemedicine software maker i2i TeleSolutions to develop a TeleSonography platform to link sonographers and medical experts worldwide. According to Arindam Sen, senior vice president at i2i TeleSolutions, the project will use Apple's iPad and iPhone as screening platforms for detecting fetal abnormalities. Experts would be able to monitor pregnancies as well as review and report on fetal health via the Internet or a wireless mobile network. Every year an estimated 7.9 million children, or 6 percent of all births worldwide, are born with a serious birth defect of genetic or partially genetic origin. Nearly 1.5 million to 2 million of the 30 million children born in India each year are born with these serious birth defects, 70 percent of which could be prevented, or detected and treated to reduce the effects of childhood disabilities, according to MediScan Systems Director Dr. S. Suresh. Full Story

Integrated sensor project aims to turn homes for elderly into 'safe' homes
Researchers at De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom have developed an integrated home sensor system to monitor elderly people in their homes and summon help in emergencies. According to DMU researcher Dr. Eric Goodyer, the Distributed Integrated Care Services and Systems (iCARE) project also includes a mobile telecare device for monitoring older people when they are away from their home and raise an alarm if the person gets lost or needs medical assistance. The sensors include motion and fall detectors, and other devices that can monitor typical actions in the home, such as opening the refrigerator, boiling water in a kettle or flushing the toilet. Temperature sensors will also help maintain a comfortable household environment. "We live in an aging society and increasing numbers of older people want the opportunity to continue living independently in their own homes," Goodyer said. "There's a lot of technology out there that aims to help people do this, and this project will develop a way of ensuring that these devices can be connected and work together towards this goal." Full Story

Barcode-reading handsets will speed medical data transmission, reduce error
Polycom has unveiled barcode-reading wireless Voice over Wi-Fi (voWi-Fi) handsets, designed to improve transmission of medical data and improve worker mobility. The SpectraLink 8400 Series allows people to stay in contact and easily access important data from any location within the Wi-Fi network, according to Ben Guderian, Polycom's vice president of wireless solutions. An integrated barcode scanner allows doctors and nurses to scan prescription barcodes and transfer the data to another device over Wi-Fi. The reader should ensure accuracy when transferring medical data and reduce errors by more than 90 percent, Guderian said. SpectraLink is also the only device in the industry that offers enterprise voWi-Fi, the wireless version of Voice over Internet Protocal (VoIP) technology designed for mobile devices such as smartphones and laptops. Full Story

Aetna, LifeWatch offer program for home monitoring of sleep apnea
Swiss telemedicine services provider LifeWatch Services Inc. has partnered with Aetna to provide the health insurer's members access to LifeWatch's NightWatch Home Sleep Testing (HST) program, which monitors persons afflicted with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). According to LifeWatch Chief Executive Officer Brent Cohen, a large percentage of the 38 million Americans suffering from OSA are reluctant to go to a lab for testing because they find the process intimidating. But HST is clinically equivalent to sleep lab testing for diagnosing OSA and is conducted in the privacy of the patient's home. Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, diabetes, and serious accidents due to fatigue and sleepiness. Healthcare costs for patients with untreated sleep apnea are also double that of persons who have been diagnosed and treated. Fewer than 1 in 7 patients who suffer from sleep apnea in the U.S. have been diagnosed. LifeWatch allows physicians to integrate electronic medical records (EMR) with remote telemedicine services, resulting in more cost-effective and timely services, and clinically relevant decisional information, LifeWatch Services notes. Full Story

VA to upgrade eBenefits Web site for veterans; improve access to medical data
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a program designed to improve its eBenefits Web site and telephone services to give veterans better access to benefits, care and other health information. According to VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, the Veterans Relationship Management (VRM) will enable veterans to reach a call center agent faster, and access the eBenefits site (www.ebenefits.va.gov ) through an easier sign-in. This effectively "puts the veteran in the driver's seat for information" when it comes to items such as military personnel records, VA home loan eligibility certificates, and status information on compensation and pension claims. The program will also help VA employees deliver accurate, up-to-date information to veterans. The program will begin with call center improvements at the end of 2010, with enhancements rolled out every six months, according to Shinseki. Full Story

Many doctors know about EMR incentives-but not penalties
Eighty-five percent of physicians are aware of the federal government's financial incentives for implementing electronic medical record (EMR) systems, but more than 35 percent do not know that they face government-assessed financial penalties for not complying, according to a survey by insurance underwriter Physicians'Reciprocal Insurers. The penalties are equal to a 1 percent reduction of the physician's annual Medicare payments per year, beginning in 2015. Designed to spur doctors into implementing EMRs over the next few years, those penalties do not seem to be having the intended effect. More than 65 percent of physicians who were unaware of the financial penalties said this would not cause them to implement an EMR system. Most physicians who do plan to convert--85 percent--said they were concerned about cost, with 70 percent expecting to pay more than $15,000 for the systems. But despite cost and staff training concerns, 58 percent of the physicians surveyed believe EMR systems will be a valuable resource in medical practices, according to the survey. Full Story

Patients' self-diagnosis via online medical sites has doctors worried
Physicians are growing increasingly concerned about patients who go online to self-diagnose their illnesses, because they often draw the wrong conclusions. According to Karen Albritton, president of marketing and public relations firm Capstrat, "crowdsourced" medical information is changing the patient-doctor relationship, and ultimately, the business of healthcare. "Misinformation on the Internet makes it harder and more challenging to deal with a patient who has developed preconceived opinions about a prognosis," she said. According to a recent Capstrat survey on the public's most influential health information sources, Google now ranks second to face-to-face doctor visits. Patients say they prefer the online option because it is faster than waiting for a doctor's appointment. Doctors worry that they could become a bigger target for malpractice lawsuits no matter which way patients try to acquire medical information. Full Story
Further Information

UK healthcare trusts opt out of national EPR program, plan to create own systems
A growing number of healthcare trusts in the United Kingdom are tired of waiting for the creation of a national health information technology system and are deciding to do it themselves, according to a poll by E-Health Insider. The poll suggests that trusts in North Midlands and Eastern UK that have traditionally remained committed to implementation of the National Health Service's Lorenzo electronic patient record (EPR) system have finally given up and are ready to "follow their own destiny." Many of the trust in the North, Midlands and East of England say they will focus on enhancing their existing regional records systems, and not wait for a national program that is already two years overdue. The decision means many large EPR system manufacturers, already on extended hold, will be "left out in the cold," according to E-Health Insider. Full Story
Further Information

Applicants sought for international healthcare technology Master's program
The Institute of Clinical Medicine at Tallinn University of Technology in Tallinn, Estonia is seeking applicants to a new Master's program in Health Care Technology. The program, set to begin in January 2011, will prepare e-health technology specialists to work in different healthcare sectors, increasing their knowledge of the client- and patient-centered approach, and behavior characteristics of the modern healthcare system, the university reported. To be considered for admission, applicants must have a Bachelor's degree, preferably in information technology; health, social, medical or natural science; mathematics or mathematical statistics; economic science management; or law. Up to 35 students will be accepted to the Master's curriculum. The curriculum also offers professional training courses for healthcare specialists who would like to acquire new skills and keep up with technological changes and improvements. For more information, visit the Institute of Clinical Medicine or the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth. Full Story

U.S. Health IT office selects third accredited certifier of EHRs
San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based IT security tester InfoGard Laboratories has been named as an official certifier of electronic health record (EHR) systems by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT). The designation allows the company to begin certifying products of EHR vendors that enable healthcare providers to qualify for Medicare incentives. Hospitals and physicians are required to put EHR systems in place by 2015 or undergo federal penalties. InfoGard becomes the third certifier selected by ONCHIT, following The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology in Chicago and the Drummond Group Inc. (DGI), of Austin, Texas. Applications for additional certifiers, known as ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies, are under review. Full Story

Most physicians believe hospitals want federal Medicare incentives
Nearly three-fourths of physicians believe their healthcare facilities will pursue federal incentives offered under the federal "meaningful use" regulations, according to a survey by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The survey, conducted online among 126 healthcare professionals, also found that nearly three-fourths of organizations have completed some form of cost analysis to gauge the effects of incentive payments. Forty-five percent of respondents said their organization will be able to demonstrate meaningful use for 90 consecutive days sometime in 2011. Under meaningful use, healthcare practices and hospitals that implement electronic medical record systems and can demonstrate by 2012 that they are being used to track patient health qualify for incentives based on their federal reimbursements from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Full Story

Movers & SHAKERS

James L. Conway, CEO of Netsmart Technologies, announced their e-prescribing system had received additional Surescripts certifications...John Crossin, president of 10Blade, Inc. (Plymouth, MA), is leading a project led by NSBRI Smart Medical Systems and Technology, to develop a remote health monitoring system for astronauts...Jason Hess, with KLAS, a research firm, recently published a report finding that nearly twice as many electronic health record systems were sold to hospitals in 2009 as in 2008...Michael Steinman, associate professor of medicine at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, authored a study questioning the reliability of a web-based tool to gauge heart risk in the Journal of General Internal Medicine...Edward W. Savarese, CEO of Com-Guard, Inc., announced they have signed a License Agreement with American Diversified Holdings Corp. to create a secure mobile application platform in the mHealth arena...Ivan Boyd has been named senior VP of U.S. sales for Diversinet. Please send us your news on Movers and Shakers in the field.

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