Telemedicine and e-Health News Alert for December 21, 2007

Philips Healthcare to acquire Visicu Inc. for $430 million
Philips Healthcare is buying telemedicine software maker Visicu Inc. for $430 million in cash, both companies announced. The offer, expected to close at the end of first quarter 2008, represents approximately 35 percent of the closing price of Visicu stock on Dec. 17. Visicu, based in Baltimore, provides critical care software and telemedicine technology for hospitals and healthcare systems. Philips, a division of Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics, specializes in patient monitoring systems. Philips noted that its acquisition of Visicu will accelerate growth in its existing business and give customers a wide variety of patient monitoring solutions. Visicu Chairman Frank Sample said the company is "excited to be teaming up with Philips."
For complete story, visit http://www.newscenter.philips.com/about/news/press/20071218_visicu.page

Congress passes new budget, telehealth and healthcare IT escape unscathed
More than $20 million in appropriations for telehealth and healthcare IT programs will go through as planned, following approval of a 2008 fiscal budget by federal lawmakers Wednesday. President Bush, in a live telecast Thursday, said he would sign the bill. Lawmakers debated for several days as to how to make the spending plan acceptable to the President, who said he would not sign it because it was over his preset spending limits for 2008. President Bush also disagreed with Democrats over the budget's proposed expansion of the alternative minimum tax, which would have affected 21 million Americans when they filed their 2007 tax returns. The $555 billion budget package includes an omnibus bill with $6 million toward telehealth projects and $17.7 million in member-designated healthcare IT projects.
For complete story, visit http://www.telehealthlawcenter.org/?c=118&a=1876

New tax on private health insurance could mean big $ down the road for health IT
It's a case of paying for the privilege: A new federal tax on private health insurance premiums, coupled with $12 billion in annual promotional subsidies toward healthcare information technology, could actually save the U.S. more than $88 billion over the next 10 years, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund. "Bending the Curve: Options for Achieving Savings and Improving Value in U.S. Health Spending" notes that states would ultimately receive $3 in federal funds for every $1 spent on programs that subsidize the cost of IT for providers. States would also receive $15 for every $1 invested in promoted health information exchange programs.
For complete story, visit http://www.commonwealthfund.org/newsroom/newsroom_show.htm?doc_id=615937

Diabetes-related blindness program to go statewide in California
A project designed to prevent diabetes-related blindness through specialized telemedicine software has worked so well at a local level that it is being expanded for use throughout California, according to the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF). The Foundation's Better Chronic Disease Care program was launched in 2005 to help treat diabetes in the state's Central Valley region, an area with some of the largest numbers of diabetics and lower-income persons, according to CHCF. The program, which used telemedicine software developed by the University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry, treated more than 12,000 patients in a two-year period, according to CHCF. CHCF is funding a $1.8 million project expansion and has selected a group of 40 California safety net and rural clinics as participants for the expansion's first phase.
For complete story, visit http://www.chcf.org/press/view.cfm?itemID=133540

Bosch Group acquires Health Hero Network
In a private deal, The Bosch Group has acquired a controlling interest in Health Hero Network, the Stuttgart, Germany-based company announced. The Health Hero Network, based in Palo Alto, CA, develops and sells remote monitoring and patient health data management technology. Founded in 1992, the company has been issued 63 patents. All 44 of the company's employees will be retained by Bosch. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services, including automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods and building technology. The company spends more than 3 billion euros each year on research and development.
For complete story, visit http://www.bosch-presse.de/TBWebDB/en-US/PressText.cfm?id=3428

Patient monitoring and IT are on 'inevitable' crash course, study notes
The integration of patient monitoring devices with information technology solutions is "inevitable" and will define the future of medical technology, according to a new report from British consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. But the London-based group also notes that the convergence process is being slowed down by the limited availability of different technology and lack of standards. "Communication between information solutions and medical devices has become a key trend, with an increasing number of hospitals demanding seamless transfer of information," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst C.R. Hema Varshika. "The distinction between information systems and patient monitoring devices is blurring, greatly driving convergence and integration."
For complete story, visit http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?docid=115199322

CHA releases new telehealth standards for in-home monitoring devices
Beaverton, OR-based Continua Health Alliance has unveiled a set of interoperability guidelines designed to help connect patients' in-home health monitoring devices with long-distance personal caregivers and electronic personal health records. The standards, called Version One Guidelines, include ones for transporting data from wireless devices to personal health records systems, remote medical devices, cell phones, PCs and TV set top boxes. Because more than 860 million people worldwide deal with a chronic disease - including 600 million over the age of 60 - the need for such guidelines is essential, according to Dave Whittlinger, Continua's president. Continua, a nonprofit coalition of 133 medical technology companies, was established in June 2006 to help people and organizations better manage health and wellness.
For complete story, visit http://www.continuaalliance.org/news_events/newsletters/november_2007/

Study: Robotic bedside manner is just as good as a human's
It doesn't always have to be a human doctor making the rounds in a hospital for the patients to be happy. In fact, a robot can be just as good, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery. While bedside interaction has long been a symbol of physician compassion and patient happiness, the use of robotic teleconferencing to monitor patients after urologic surgery resulted in similar patient outcomes and satisfaction, according to the AOS report. In the study, 270 adults with hospital stays of 24 to 72 hours were randomly assigned to receive either traditional or robotic bedside rounds. There was no difference in length of stay for either group, and the number of patients developing complications post-surgery was slightly less in the robot-monitored group.
For complete story, visit http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2007a/1217.dtl#2

Health information exchange's success lies in proper identity management
Proper management of the identities of providers working with confidential healthcare information is essential to the continued growth of health information exchange (HIE), according to a new research paper from SAFE-BioPharma and the eHealth Initiative. "Interoperable Digital Identity Management in the Electronic Exchange of Health Information: An Expert Panel Report" examines methods available to stimulate use of identity management in communities nationwide. Findings include the fact that technology is continuing to evolve, meaning HIE initiatives will need to take advantage of these changes; and that health quality can be improved through the use of HIE. SAFE-BioPharma and the eHealth Initiative are nonprofit organizations working to improve healthcare through use of information technology.
For complete story, visit http://www.safe-biopharma.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=276&Itemid=124

Tis the season for heart check-ups - by telephone
During the Christmas holiday season, more than 100 general practitioners in northwest England will offer patient heart checkups - by telephone. People living in the Greater Manchester area who experience cardiac symptoms will be able to go to the local practice or walk-in clinic and be tested on the spot, with results then phoned in to a cardiac center, according to NHS North West and Broomwell HealthWatch. The potential to save lives and reduce hospital admissions is huge, according Joe Rafferty, NHS North West director of commissioning and strategy. Heart incidents are common during the holiday season, and many people put off getting a medical diagnosis because they worry about traveling to a hospital and having to wait for test results, Rafferty said.
For complete story, visit
http://www.prlog.org/10041896-heart-checks-by-telephone-could-save-lives-over-christmas-cardiac-season.pdf

Blue Shield awards $6 million to promote technology use among nonprofits
During the fourth quarter of 2007 the Blue Shield of California Foundation awarded more than $6 million in grants to nonprofit organizations that use technology to improve care and control costs, BSCF announced. More than $3 million went to programs specializing in health and technology, including $650,000 to the Schools of Medicine's cancer center and telemedicine program at the University of California at Davis, and $935,900 to the disease management program at the Tides Center of San Francisco. For the year, BSCF awarded $29.1 million, up from $27.1 million in grants in 2006.
For complete story, visit
http://www.blueshieldcafoundation.org/news-events/pr_12.18.2007.cfm

Telemedicine could go mobile in India
All they want is wheels: the government of Rajasthan, a province of India, has filed a Request for Proposal with the state Department of Information Technology and Communication, asking for a VSAT-based mobile telemedicine van to help provide the area with "effective and efficient medical relief." The Mobile Telemedicine Unit would offer an instant, multi-way high-capacity communication link between hospitals and remote sites on demand. Connectivity supplied would support data, voice and video communication. The MTU would also be supplied with drinking water, fuel, food, medicine and reagents for long trips through relatively barren areas.
For complete story, visit http://www.igovernment.in/site/rajasthan-floats-rfp-for-telemedicine-mobile-van/

The Telemedicine and e-Health News Alert will not be published on Tuesday, Dec. 25 because of the Christmas holiday. The next issue will be published on Friday, Dec. 28.