A "Virtual Dementia Tour" is giving caregivers and medical personnel a chance to experience what it's like to live with Alzheimer's. Developed by geriatric psychologist P.K. Beville, founder of the advocacy group Second Wind Dreams (SWD), the tour is designed to "give any outsider a good understanding of the behaviors that Alzheimer's caregivers see, face, and deal with all day long every day of the week." Participants are given goggles that distort their vision, headphones that supply "chaotic noise," and gloves that hinder their sense of touch. They are then asked to perform everyday tasks such as finding a sweater, writing a note or even folding clothes in about 10 minutes--things that are difficult, if not impossible for the Alzheimer's afflicted. "I thought this would be easy," said Cassie Ferrier, community sales director at Atria Hacienda, a care facility in Palm Desert, Calif. "I got so frustrated I finally just threw up my hands." More than 5 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's, according to SWD. Full Story Further Information 'Next generation' wrist-worn telemedicine device will check lung, blood pressure Hospitals routinely use electrocardiogram (ECG) tests to check a patient's heart condition. Now a cardiac telemedicine company hopes to extend that care to a patient's lungs, blood pressure and body temperature. Manchester, United Kingdom-based Broomwell Healthwatch is developing a "next generation" monitoring system for lung disease sufferers, who can wear a wrist unit at home to monitor their blood pressure, temperature, pulse, oxygen saturation, heart rate and breathing. Data is then transmitted to physicians via Internet or phone line. As with the ECG version, the system is expected to speed up analysis of a patient's medical condition, and eliminate unnecessary referrals. According to BH Chairperson Joshua Rowe, the system can be combined with existing monitoring care effort for persons dealing with heart, stroke or diabetes. The system is currently being tested at 31 of the UK's 152 Primary Care Trusts. Full Story FCC on verge of approving bandwidth for first Mobile Body Area Networks Mobile body area networks (MBANs) are a step closer to reality, with the Aerospace & Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) now favoring the idea of allocating additional broadband width for medical devices. In 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a plan to set aside bandwidth for MBANs, which allows healthcare professionals to remotely monitor patients' body temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose level and other vitals through disposable wireless devices, using short-length radio waves. AFTRCC opposed the proposal because it would use the same radio bands that aircraft manufacturers do for testing planes, according to Delroy Smith, technical product design lead for Philips Healthcare's informatics and patient-monitoring business. In the past six months, however, healthcare industry officials and AFTRCC, which represents manufacturers such as Raytheon, Boeing and Cessna, reached an agreement on mitigation measures that would help manage any interference that could result from sharing the wireless spectrum. The FCC is expected to decide on the MBAN final rules later this year. Full Story At-home medication dispenser to keep patients on track with prescription drugs A Canadian manufacturer of remote healthcare technologies is developing an at-home drug dispenser to help ensure patients have access to and take medication when they need to. The National Research Council of Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Program awarded $300,000 to Ottawa, Ontario-based PharmaTrust Inc. to build the "MedHome" unit, a home version of the $1.5 million pharmacy-style MedCentre it developed in 2009. According to Minister of Industry Tony Clement, MedHome will dispense medical doses personalized to the patient at preset times and sends out reminders, which is particularly effective for people with dementia. The technology also includes an Internet connectable monitoring system, including a monitoring bracelet that can send medical information about the patient to a healthcare provider such as a physician or pharmacist, Clement said. PharmaTrust hopes to have the product in the commercial trial stage this summer, company Chief Executive Officer Don Waugh said. Full Story USDA to award $34.7 million in distance learning telemedicine grants The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to award telehealth grants totaling $34.7 million to 106 projects in 38 states and one territory as part of its Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program. According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the funds will funds will help communities enhance their educational and training programs, and deliver improved healthcare services for their residents. The DLT Grant Program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas, Vilsack said. Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the grant agreement. Full Story Further Information Thailand to launch first online doctor-patient consultation system A new online medical system will allow residents in Thailand to communicate and consult with doctors while at home, a first for the tiny Asian country. According to Khanat Kruthkul, manager of Ramathibodi Hospital Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre in Bangkok, the "Home Medical" project will be launched this year, with an initial focus on Ramathibodi's elderly and disabled patients. Initially, those patients will be able to use the Web to access and communicate with doctors, and the doctors can monitor patients' conditions and ask them to describe symptoms while they are home, Kruthkul said. Home Medical will "help reduce the complexity of patient information among hospitals, which will lead to reduced time needed when consulting a doctor," Kruthkul added. Full Story Health IT Regional Extension Centers receive unexpected funding increase The federal government is continuing for two more years the first part of a plan that provides most of the funding for regional extension centers (RECs) that help healthcare providers adopt health information technology. According to a notice in the Federal Register, RECs since 2009 have received federal grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that covered 90 percent of their costs. That amount was to decrease to 10 percent in 2011 and 2012. However, current economic conditions have "increased the importance of the cost-sharing requirements," according to the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT. As a result, RECs will receive funding for 90 percent of their operational expenses for another two years. Full Story Absence of health IT means less-effective healthcare for rural and ethnic Americans Lack of health information technology affects healthcare for rural and Native Americans, ethnic minorities in poor, urban communities and Alaskan Natives more than other ethnicities, according to a series of reports by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation. The results indicate that absence of different forms of health IT--including telehealth and mobile health technologies--lead to inferior health outcomes for those groups. AHIMA's reports examined the use of health IT in diabetes and self-health management, challenges to the use of health IT among minorities, the role of mobile healthcare in linguistically diverse populations, and efforts to improve provision of telemedicine by facilities in Georgia and Alaska. The reports appear in the Winter 2011 edition of AHIMA's Perspectives in Health Information Management. Full Story Wireless patient monitoring to top $6 billion by 2012, grow 26 percent per year The remote and wireless patient monitoring market is expected to grow by 26 percent annually through 2014, according to a report from New York City-based healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information. The report notes that the growth is expected to result from increased concern over extreme wait times at doctors' offices, to the point where "some employees may have to take a sick or personal day to see the physician for what might be a routine visit. Technology might help avoid that scenario." One example cited is at Houston-based NuPhysicia, which uses video telemedicine to connect board-certified doctors with employee patients for examinations, diagnoses, medical care and wellness coaching. The company asserts that its service can minimize sick days for employees and improve efficiency. Such innovation will help the wireless patient monitoring market surpass $6 billion in 2012, the report notes. Full Story EHRs, clinical decision software not the best mix for patient healthcare Electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support software do little to improve healthcare quality at clinics, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University. The study, which involved data from more than 250,000 outpatient visits between 2005 and 2007, found that only one index of care quality--diet counseling for high-risk adults--out of 20 scored significantly higher in clinics using EHRs compared with clinics using paper-based records. According to lead author Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, the study also found that EHRs were used in 30 percent of U.S. outpatient visits, with clinical decision support software in place for 17 percent of all visits. Also, EHRs were more likely to be used in the western United States and in group and hospital-affiliated practices than in practices that were smaller or located elsewhere in the country. Full Story ATA Expo named one of nation's 50 fastest-growing tradeshows The Annual International Meeting and Exposition of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has been named as one of the top 50 fastest-growing tradeshows, according to a report by Trade Show Executive. The ATA Annual Meeting is the world's leading conference and exhibition focusing solely on telemedicine, telehealth, mHealth and remote medical technologies. ATA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Linkous said the show's annual growth is "a reflection of the hard work of our members and increasing recognition of telemedicine as a cost-effective delivery system for quality healthcare services." Since 2009, the ATA Annual Meeting exhibit hall has grown by 68 percent net square footage; the number of exhibiting companies has increased by 16 percent; and total attendance has grown by 25 percent. More than 4,000 attendees and 250 vendors are expected to convene in a 200,000 square foot exhibit hall at ATA 2011, to be held May 1-3 in Tampa, Fla., according to Linkous. Full Story
Lori Evans Bernstein, former CEO of a division of ActiveHealth Management, has been named president of GSI Health...Eric Miller, former senior director of IT at Ascension Health, has been named president of IT for the Indiana Health Information Exchange...Patricia Ping, former information security officer for Wishard Health Services, has been named information security officer for the Indiana Health Information Exchange...Dave Marver, president and CEO of Cardiac Science Corporation, announced the company's automated external defibrillator and diagnostic cardiac monitoring devices have completed certification with Allscripts Professional Electronic Health Record...Madhav Kumar Nepal, Prime Minister of Nepal, announced the country has launched a telemedicine service, the SAARC telemedicine centre...Sean Patten, Senior Technology Manager, Montana State University, announced that the U.S. Army is looking for industry partners to license and commercialize their Battlefield Medical Information System-Tactical (BMIST) developed by the Army's Telemedicine & Advanced Research Center...Aileen M. Gunther, New York State Assembly Woman, introduced AB 422 in early January, which would enable demonstration rates or payments to pay for telehealth services provided by certified home health agencies in the state of New York...David J. Valesky, New York VP Pro Tempore, introduced SB 662 in early January that would promote the development and accessibility of telehealth and telemedicine services to undeserved areas in the state of New York...Suzi Wizowaty, Representative in the Vermont legislature, introduced bill H 37, which would requires all health plans including Medicaid to cover telemedicine services in Vermont....Please send us your news on Movers and Shakers in the field
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