Microsoft completes purchase of Fast Industries

A couple big users in health care include Tenet and Catholic Healthcare...other industries using Fast include UPS...whether it's a retail presentation or media with ads Fast drills down beyond the usual search word....offering "search" as a platform...manages the entire search application - hosted...easily find reports for top queries and maintains a full search index....Search as a Service...BD 

Search solutions have enormous value in every industry and in every market that you can think of. Whether it involves locating, filtering and presenting the data that can help a bank to improve loss avoidance or providing rapid recommendations that boost the loyalty of online shoppers, FAST has a wide range of easily assembled modular solutions that have proved their worth time and time again.

"Give your users richer content –everything from user-generated content to video on demand. Allow them to discover and buy it on the Web, on the set top or on the handset. And help your marketing teams and call centers to dig deeper into customer data. FAST’s solutions are the power behind portals, wireless devices and business intelligence systems that already reach nearly 400 million cable and phone customers worldwide.  FAST also helps you provide personalized portals that let your online users find the right content, contribute their own content and quickly connect to people like them."

FAST - Industries Overview

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Medical marijuana patients face transplant hurdles

This is the story of Timothy Garon, lead singer of the group Nealy Dan a group who does the music of Steely Dan, who can't get a transplant...due to his use of marijuana...he needs a liver transplant to continue living; however there appears to be more concern over his past life and discussion of whether or not he can be "worthy" of the transplant....BD 

SEATTLE - Timothy Garon's face and arms are hauntingly skeletal, but the fluid building up in his abdomen makes the 56-year-old musician look eight months pregnant. His liver, ravaged by hepatitis C, is failing. Without a new one, his doctors tell him, he will be dead in days. But Garon's been refused a spot on the transplant list, largely because he has used marijuana, even though it was legally approved for medical reasons.

At some, people who use "illicit substances" — including medical marijuana, even in states that allow it — are automatically rejected. At others, such as the UCLA Medical Center, patients are given a chance to reapply if they stay clean for six months. Marijuana is illegal under federal law.  Dr. Brad Roter, the Seattle physician who authorized Garon's pot use for nausea, abdominal pain and to stimulate his appetite, said he did not know it would be such a hurdle if Garon were to need a transplant.

Further complicating matters, Blumberg said, is that some insurers require proof of abstinence, such as drug tests, before they'll agree to pay for transplants."Everyone agrees that marijuana is the least habit-forming of all the recreational drugs, including alcohol," Gieringer said. "And unlike a lot of prescription medications, it's nontoxic to the liver."

Medical marijuana patients face transplant hurdles - Yahoo! News

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The Interactive Simulated Patient - Cat Scratch Fever...

Funny parody from Stanford....love the diagnosis here...BD 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K546pruIa0A&feature=related

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Charitable Contributions to Health Care

Just wanted to take a few moments here to reflect on the fact that charity is still alive and well.   There are many areas and ways to contribute and just wanted to show a couple recent examples of how companies and individuals are still donating to a good cause....the first example shows a Facebook application called "Causes" which can be added to your Facebook page and members can easily join.  In order to view the pages though, you will need to establish a Facebook account to see how this works.  This first example shows the use of donations to provide soft and beautiful music at the hospital, lead by Paul Levy, the hospital CEO....nice!

This second example comes from an Electronic Medical Records company, E-MDs.  Dr. David Winn, the CEO took the time to donate $5000.00 to help the returning troops....to help build a wheelchair ramp...one item worth mentioning in both these efforts is the use of social/forum entities on the Internet...technology and individuals working together for better health care...all brought together via the Internet and individuals who care to make a difference....BD 

http://www.emrupdate.com/forums/t/14165.aspx

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Using a digital ECG in the EMR - with a Tablet PC...

This video was created by a physician, Dr. Biggs showing his current use of technology with his electronic medical records system and a portable ECG machine and how it all comes together...mobility is the name of the game here as well..as stated below there's "no more cart to trip over"...and he uses it with his Tablet PC....both the ECG machine and the Tablet PC are portable...thus both can go from room to room as needed!...great video and thanks for taking the time to produce the video!...BD 

Once you store your ECGs online in your EMR, they will be accessible from anywhere you can access your EMR. We can look at these from the hospital, the Emergency Room, or from home. In addition, you can immediately compare up to 4 EKGS at the same time.

 

The MidMark unit is really small, it weighs about 1/2 pound, and is the size of my hand. Most of the weight is from the 12 lead wires. It plugs into a USB port in any of my exam room desktop, or my tablet PC. The nurses  find it much easier to use than the old unit that was on a cart. Oh yeah, no cart in the hallway to trip over anymore!

New Video : Using Midmark digital ECG in the EMR - emrupdate.com

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$1.5 Million Robot Cuts Risk Of Drug Errors - Loyola University

 PillPick was the solution chosen...packages are bar coded and labeled for automatic dispensing and serialized bags enable medication tracking through out the facility...read up by clicking on the pictures for more information...BD 

A new pharmacy robot at Loyola University Hospital is designed to eliminate the type of life-threatening human medication errors that injured actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins.
Loyola's pharmacy recently began filling patient prescriptions with the two-armed, $1.5 million dollar robot. The robot places single doses of medication in small plastic bags. Each bag has a bar code that identifies the drug. When the system is fully implemented, the nurse will scan the bar code on the medication bag, along with the bar code on the patient's wrist band. If the computer detects it's the wrong drug or wrong dose, a pop-up warning will appear and the computer will sound an alert.

"PillPick is an automated unit dose packaging, storage and dispensing system . It utilizes bar-code technology to improve the pharmacy’s productivity and enhance patient safety."

$1.5 Million Robot Cuts Risk Of Drug Errors

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Intellectual property - more than just software

Intellectual property is quickly becoming the buzz word in the world economy, we see counterfeit drugs advertised all the time on the Internet...and according to this article, it is getting to be more difficult by the day to enforce....BD 

The United States on Friday named China and Russia as among the worst protectors of intellectual property rights, flooding global trade with counterfeit items such as DVDs, designer bags, medicines and software.

"Pirates and counterfeiters don't just steal ideas; they steal jobs, and too often they threaten our health and safety," the top US trade official said.

US cites China, Russia for failing to protect intellectual property

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Have the Insurers priced themselves out of the market

As more small and medium sized employers are opting to not offer insurance to employers, the insurers are competing for what is left of the shrinking pool of consumers who can qualify and afford insurance coverage as the opportunities for growth continue to shrink....BD

It is never a good thing if many of your customers can no longer afford what you are selling.

The UnitedHealth Group, which announced disappointing first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, said the weakening economy was causing fewer businesses and employees to sign up for its health insurance. UnitedHealth, whose stock fell sharply on the report, also cut its overall profit outlook for 2008.

But Ms. Skolnick says that UnitedHealth, like many insurers, has priced its product beyond the reach of too many people and is now fighting with its competitors over a shrinking pool of customers.

Insurer Says Economy Has Dented Its Prospects - New York Times

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Did Congress Just Kill Private Health Insurance?

This opinion article poses some very good questions on the topic...how can the 2 objectives on each side live together...just straight talk on the issue and a bit of visionary talent put in to words based on current economic trends and how health care is delivered and paid for...BD 

As you may have heard, the U.S. Senate passed the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act yesterday. Once through the house, President Bush is expected to sign it. The law will have a huge effect on private health insurance—and may even hasten its demise.

If you, Joe Sixpack, get genetically tested and the results reveal that you’re predisposed to a bunch of different medical conditions, you’re likely going to run out at buy as much insurance as you can, and this new law will enable you to omit mention of your test results.

So, this is the nightmare scenario for private insurers:

1. Everyone gets genetically tested.
2. Every sick (or soon to be sick) person buys insurance, and subsequently racks up gi-normous medical bills.
3. Insurers pay out the nose and are forced to raise premiums for everyone.
4. Healthy people, feeling the sting of higher premiums, drop their coverage. (Their genetic crystal ball says they don’t need health insurance, anyway.)
5. Insurers are left with a bunch of sick (read: expensive) policyholders (and are forced to keep enrolling them).
6. Private health insurance goes belly-up.

InsureMe Agent Blog: Did Congress Just Kill Private Health Insurance?

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What it's like to buy medical marijuana - Los Angeles

A reporter goes somewhat under cover to report what it is like...interesting story and well documented on each portion of her experience and how the process works...BD 

The advertising flier left no doubt about its pitch: a giant marijuana leaf with a phone number that ended GOT KUSH. A friend's teenage daughter brought it home from last weekend's Earth Day celebration on the Santa Monica Pier.
What else would I expect from a concert held on 4/20 -- a shorthand reference to smoking pot -- that featured reggae artist Ziggy Marley, son of Bob?

His 10-minute exam was about as thorough as the one I'd received last year from the hand specialist at the orthopedic center, who sent me home with Celebrex. This new doctor told me marijuana could help. He recommended I not smoke it. Bad for the lungs. Better to use it with a vaporizer. Or ingest it, infused in tea or baked in brownies. Then he handed me a prescription for marijuana. Good for one year; no refill limits.

I was struck by how ordinary it all seemed, trying to decide between marijuanas. A sativa or an indica? I felt like I was at the apple bin at Trader Joe's choosing between Fuji and Gala. I left with a red vial of sweet-smelling Yumbolt, at $55 for an eighth of an ounce. I carried it home in the trunk of my car, convinced that every cop I passed could tell I was transporting marijuana.

What it's like to buy medical marijuana - Los Angeles Times

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How to Live Longer Without Really Trying

Good advice...article worth the read with a few surprise elements...keep in mind Bruce is the computer guru through all of this...BD 

In desperation, I was ready to take the final bit of Mr. Buettner’s advice (“Maybe you should minimize time spent on the Internet as a way to reduce stress”) and spend some quality offline time “surrounded by those who share your blue-zone values.”

So I made a pan of calorie-laden chicken tetrazzini and went across the street to Bruce’s house with it. There my husband and I found him poring over the score sheet from a Little League game (his team won 20-5, which had to have diminished his stress).

“That looks good,” Bruce said, pointing to the casserole.  He had seconds. I didn’t.

How to Live Longer Without Really Trying - New York Times

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The Market for RFID Tags and Systems in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Will Rise from $85.24 Million in 2007 to $2.05 Billion in 2017

The article has a pretty good listing of many companies already invested...BD 

The RFID business is growing so fast that few applicational sectors can beat that scorching rate of growth. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals is one of them thanks to the new tagging of drugs, real time location of staff and patients and other developments including automated error prevention. This unique report gives a full technical and market analysis illustrated by 70 case studies. It is a vital resource for the healthcare profession and all who wish to support it.

The market for RFID tags and systems in healthcare and pharmaceuticals will rise rapidly from $85.24 million in 2007 to $2.05 billion in 2017. Primarily, this will be because of item level tagging of drugs and Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) for staff, patients and assets to improve efficiency, safety and availability and to reduce losses.

The Market for RFID Tags and Systems in Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Will Rise from $85.24 Million in 2007 to $2.05 Billion in 2017 - Yahoo! Canada Finance

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Thanks to the Readers and Supporters of the Medical Quack

Recently I took time out to look at where some of my audience came from and found that there are many regular readers from several universities and several teaching hospitals and wanted to say thank you for your readership and support.  Until recently I didn't realize how large of a following I had in this area!  I hope to bring not only current medical news to the blog everyday, but also add some other twists, including HIT information and some tidbits of humor along the way.

Also, on the right hand side there are several additional resources, including direct links to the $4.00 generic retail pages, from the retailers who offer 300-400 generic drugs for a 30 day $4.00 cost, less than a co-pay.  The links go directly to the pages so you don't have to spend time navigating the individual retailer sites to find them!  The Kroger listing is one of the heaviest hit items on this site, so feel free to pass the word along to patients and others.  Thank you once more for everyone who reads and supports the blog as that's what makes it all worthwhile!  BD 

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Microsoft brings Xbox therapy to Seattle Children's Hospital

One more hospital gets the XBox....nice break for kids...as the hospital can be a a humdrum and perhaps boring experience for the young...and perhaps someday "Hospital Tycoon"will make it over to the XBox as well...BD 

SEATTLE - Children who spend a lot of time in hospitals are there to focus on healing, but sometimes the doctor's order can include just having fun. 

Patients at Seattle Children's Hospital are trying a new medicine: an Xbox 360.  Microsoft and a non profit organization called Companions in Courage have teamed up to bring Xbox games to children's hospitals across the country.  Seattle Children's Hospital is among the first to launch the live network.

A hospital in California and New York launched the network with Seattle.  The goal is to bring the games to children's hospitals across the country.

Microsoft brings Xbox therapy to Seattle Children's Hospital | Health Link | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington

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Who's next? Many Mass. biotechs ripe for acquisition

 Is this a race between big pharma and investment firms...who's has the deep pockets to enable continued financing for research...big pharma is certainly motivated...but so are many others...so it can be somewhat of a gamble as well...is FDA approval in the stars...something that has to be though about in the process...and between now and then, there's a lot that can happen...so what is the future for many of the biotech companies...good question...BD 

Pick the names of any number of Massachusetts biotechnology companies. Industry observers say many could be likely targets for acquisition in the coming months.

In the wake of news that Cambridge startup Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: SIRT) and biotech stalwart Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM) would be acquired by far larger international biotechs, experts see many more Bay State biotechnology companies as ripe for the plucking, from small startups to larger established companies with products on the market.

He said smaller biotechs are increasingly prepared to sell themselves to owners with deep pockets because "these (smaller) companies are going to require a lot of capital to ultimately bring a product to market."

Who's next? Many Mass. biotechs ripe for acquisition - Boston Business Journal:

Source:  http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/mass.-biotechs-ripe-for-buyouts/2008-04-25?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&cmp-id=OTC-RSS-FB

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Exodus of specialists from ERs raises concerns - Southern California

Teaching hospitals have an advantage, but not so for community hospitals...and if the proposed Medi-Cal cuts go in to place...well chances of finding a specialist might become slim and none...and most of the physicians are electronically tied to the hospitals...stop and think about their lifestyle...that's a bit of stress in itself...how many hours can they dedicate before they run out of hours to sleep...BD

When Dr. Mark I. Langdorf began practicing emergency medicine more than 20 years ago, finding a specialist to help with a complicated case was easy. Newly minted surgeons and fledgling ear, nose and throat doctors would show up in the emergency room with boxes of doughnuts, hoping to pick up patients and build their practices.
Today, specialists not only have dumped the doughnuts, they've abandoned emergency rooms in droves. One more sign of a deteriorating safety net, their exodus is both a cause and a result of the backlogs that plague hospital emergency rooms across Southern California. Their dwindling numbers affect the uninsured and the insured alike.

California hospitals don't directly employ physicians. Under a state law that seeks to limit hospital pressure on a doctor's professional judgment, hospitals contract with emergency physicians or physician groups, who do their own billing. (The law does not apply to university and county hospitals.)

Exodus of specialists from ERs raises concerns - Los Angeles Times

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Your Business Intelligence Program Managing Spin with a Common Vocabulary

One great article here that drives the point home, the lack of understanding that exists between top management and IT Consultants or in house IT management...the fear of more technology is rampant and very prevalent...this writer of this article uses an HMO at its example and in a simple understandable manner draws a simplistic picture on the vocabulary...and how IT relates and the more commonly used responses of top management...definitely a lack of communication here...IT knows they need the data and software to provide management with the foundations they need for intelligent business decisions, yet, there's still the loose end of dealing with those outside the data world that don't understand what is realized with immediate real time information.  They still rely on a staff of individuals to crank out tons of spreadsheets, and that takes a lot of time!  Why waste valuable staff time to complete the job in a number of days, when business intelligence software can do this for you in a few clicks? 

Gartner has a nice page with a lot of information relative to Business Intelligence for health care as well....below are a couple health care solutions with Business Intelligence...and one announcing the partnership of Microsoft with ASG Software solutions...personally I like the Microsoft solution as it can be used by small, medium and large businesses...and the reporting functionality is that of an Excel Spreadsheet, and it uses SQL server, mining data from other programs already contained within SQL server, even from your CRM software whether it be Siebel or Microsoft Dynamics. (rated #1 by Gartner) .and the process with a programmer to incorporate with Visual Studio applications is already there for custom applications, I learned a bit about this at the latest Microsoft launch project.  It also integrates with Microsoft Office easily.  The NFL uses business intelligence quite extensively.  BD

http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/7265   

http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/7228

ASG Software Solutions, the originator of the Business Service Platform (BSP), recently announced that through a partnership with Microsoft, the company will offer a comprehensive data warehouse package that combines ASG's metadata management strength with the ease and reliability of Microsoft's SQL Server.

Moreover, consensus between the business and IT on critical success factors lit a fire under management, whose understanding of the role of data-as-asset was sketchy at best. “You mean in order to actually succeed at these things, we need to harness our data?” asked the CEO when we explained the list along with the rest of our deliverable. The answer was, “Yes. And soon.”

My point here is that for better or worse, managing perception is as much art as it is science, and that goes for business intelligence and master data management (MDM) projects. That’s why there’s so much spin. People need to position new initiatives in order to sell them, often mislabeling them to enhance their glow. For example, I have a client who has just branded its data warehouse a “CDI hub.” They’re also calling operational reports “strategic BI.” Don’t get me started about their ETL programs.

"A journalist once asked country chanteuse Dolly Parton about her look. She commented that she liked to spend time primping but that “…I could look cheap in so much less time!” The point is to know what you’re ready for, what existing capabilities to leverage, and when to paint the toenails pink."

Your Business Intelligence Program Managing Spin with a Common Vocabulary

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House Passes Medicaid Bill 349-62

There's a lot at stake for all...and if the bill is vetoed, a big loss for the health care market is at stake...is this the way to solve the physician shortage...make health care not accessible for many?  Hope this one can get through with enough votes to override another potential veto waiting in the wings...BD 

The bill seeks to delay Medicaid regulations that could reduce health care coverage for pregnant women, low-income children, nursing home residents and other groups. The seven rule changes at issue aim to restrict services covered by some states' case management plans; limit Medicaid reimbursement to public hospitals; narrow federal Medicaid reimbursement eligibility for outpatient hospital services; bar federal reimbursement for transportation to school and school-based care for Medicaid-eligible children; restrict the types of "rehabilitative" services covered by federal funding; reduce federal Medicaid reimbursement for students at teaching hospitals; and limit taxes some states charge health providers.

House Passes Medicaid Bill 349-62

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As Economy Slows, So Do Laser Eye Surgeries

Other areas such as Botox and elective plastic surgeries are also being affected...and the FDA has a new ongoing investigation into some consumer complaints regarding their Lasik surgeries...BD 

Call it the Lasik indicator. With the weak economy forcing consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, the number of laser vision-correction surgeries has been falling — as it did during the last recession.  Besides the economic challenge, the industry is contending with a small but growing number of complaints about the results of Lasik procedures — an issue to be discussed at a federal regulatory hearing on Friday.

But as long as the economy slumps, even many of the suitable patients may never walk in the Lasik doctor’s front door.

As Economy Slows, So Do Laser Eye Surgeries - New York Times

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For the Brain, Cash Is Good, Status Is Better

A different way to look at how we value social status...but you still need some cash for stress reduction therapies....BD 

New research shows for the first time that we process cash and social values in the same part of our brain (the striatum)—and likely weigh them against one another when making decisions. So what's more important—money or social standing? It might be the latter, according to two new studies published in the journal Neuron.
"Our study shows that both behaviorally and in the brain, people place an importance on social status," says Caroline Zink, a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Md., and co-author of one of studies. "It's hugely influential even [when we're not] in direct competition with someone else."

He notes that this new insight into how the brain processes social standing may have important public health consequences, possibly even paving the way to new stress-reduction therapies.

For the Brain, Cash Is Good, Status Is Better: Scientific American

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With Senate Vote on Genetic Discrimination, Godot Finally Arrives

Let's hope it has some real teeth here and will be enforceable...so a person's genetics do not impose more forms of discrimination for health care...BD 

The Senate yesterday passed a bill barring genetic discrimination that has been floating around Congress for more than a decade. It’s expected to sail through the House and be signed by the president.

The bill is supposed to prevent insurers from charging higher premiums or denying coverage based on risks in a person’s genetic code; it also bars employers from using genetic info to make hiring and firing decisions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has opposed the bill as unnecessary and likely to create “more paperwork, more expense and more litigation,” the WSJ notes.

Health Blog : With Senate Vote on Genetic Discrimination, Godot Finally Arrives

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Allergic Teens Face Deadly Dating Scene

Interesting article about the potential "kiss of death" for those with severe allergies...more restaurants are catering to those with food allergies as well...with more allergies identified today and treatment plans available, so goes the prevention side of things...no kiss available...BD 

Victoria Richards was ready to spend Sunday -- date day -- with her boyfriend. He was nice, funny and he had the bluest blue eyes. That afternoon, as they sat together on her porch, he leaned in for a kiss, and Richards leaned back.A kiss can be deadly if your loved one has eaten a food to which you are allergic. And for teenagers in particular, an allergy can add yet another degree of difficulty in the dating arena."It's a difficult icebreaker to say, Please don't eat peanuts or, I can't kiss you if you have that milkshake," said Dr. Robert Wood, director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

One 2006 study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that about 60 percent of teenagers with severe allergies, such as one to peanuts, reported "always" carrying lifesaving devices such as EpiPens.

ABC News: Allergic Teens Face Deadly Dating Scene

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Nanotechnology Consumer Products Are In Your Mouth And On Your Face

Here's a link to the site filtered on consumer health products...there are many and the field is growing...I looked and saw some familiar products along with many items I was not aware of as well...but again, what is useful and how much and which products will be successful remains to be seen....BD 

New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of 3-4 per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN).

The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has grown from 212 to 609 since PEN launched the world's first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006. Health and fitness items, which includes cosmetics and sunscreens, represent 60 percent of inventory products.

Nanotechnology Consumer Products Are In Your Mouth And On Your Face

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Cutting Edge Genome Technologies And Applications: Advances In Diagnosing, Treating More Diseases

Overall the technology is wonderful with finding new prevention and treatment of disease and ailments, but this meeting is addressing another area, the fact that it stands to be the most potentially disruptive innovation affecting our lives today...BD 

Cutting-edge genome technologies and their applications to the diagnosis and treatment of disease continue to advance in laboratories and on campuses around the world. The recent discoveries of new genetic variants are giving both scientists and patients new hope for helping reduce suffering from a wide range of diseases, from Alzheimer's and diabetes to many forms of cancer.

To help put the latest achievements in perspective, noted experts will convene at the 2008 BIO International Convention from June 17 to 20 in San Diego, featuring a session entitled Genomics Drives Disruptive Innovations in Biotechnology.

Cutting Edge Genome Technologies And Applications: Advances In Diagnosing, Treating More Diseases

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Court reduces Genentech damages in royalty suit

Ruled that contract disputes over patents are not subject to punitive damage...but the City of Hope through a very complicated contract was still short changed on the agreement...this was one of the first DNA products and lead to a hepatitis B vaccine and the development of human growth hormones...and the contract dated back to 1976.   BD

Biotechnology giant Genentech must pay a Southern California medical center $300 million for withholding royalties from the sale of breakthrough gene-splicing technology developed by the center's scientists, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a dispute that dates to the origins of the biotech industry. The jurors had found that Genentech not only violated the contract but also defrauded City of Hope, violating a fiduciary duty to look out for the medical center's interests when marketing the technology its scientists developed. Similar obligations can be found in some other types of contractual relationships, like stockbrokers' obligations to investors, allowing juries to award punitive damages for flagrant violations.

The unanimous ruling upheld a Los Angeles jury's verdict that Genentech had breached a 1976 contract with City of Hope National Medical Center to pay it 2 percent of all income Genentech received from licensing the technology to other companies.

Court reduces Genentech damages in royalty suit

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GetBack Home - Take a break and revisit the Past....

This absolutely has nothing to do with health care, but is a site whereby you can take a break now and then and re-visit the past....and I got hooked...so I had to make sure to share this with everyone else...for those times when you need a break...now if you're old enough it's not hard to remember Muskrat Love...by the way the site goes back to 1968...but that was good enough for me....BD

http://www.getback.com/

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FDA Head: We're Boosting I.T.

It's about time...in previous posts there have been articles that stated some of the top ranking individuals at the FDA didn't have computers!  At that point I put out a call to Intel to at least get them some inexpensive Classmates computers.  There's even a section on the Intel website that talks about their use with government agencies. and they are only $400.00.   With the power they have to watch over the citizens of the US in determining what is safe and what is not, they need IT and Computer power...I about choked when I read the one article written by someone else that stated some of the reports are still written in longhand on paper!  But this too could be old dogs not wanting to learn new tricks and we have plenty of that in Congress, as stated in previous posts "who feel uncomfortable talking about technology"...which goes back to an article about Congress asking software security vendors for help.  Granted IT solutions for the FDA go beyond the devices used with data base and server updates/installations, but it's a good place to start to at least get off the paper.  BD 

Updating the Food and Drug Administration’s information systems is one of the top priorities in the agency, FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., told Congress in recent testimony.

He spoke on April 22 before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, which is studying FDA actions to improve the safety of medical devices and products made with foreign components.  “FDA plans to enhance its I.T. systems in ways that will enable the agency to better utilize risk-based information from the entire life-cycle of imported products,” von Eschenbach testified. “Many of these improvements will be implemented in the next two years; implementation of a few will extend beyond 2010.

FDA Head: We’re Boosting I.T.

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Best Practices for Medical Device Profitability

 Survey Says.....findings to be used by medical device manufacturers to improve performance and reduce business risk...regulatory compliance perhaps...and hopefully to increase profits and growth in the business.  In another related story there is the Annual Meeting of the Medical Device Manufacturer's Association on June 12th and 13th in Washington D.C. whereby leading medical technology executives come together with healthcare's most influential and respected decision-makers. "MDMA's Annual Meeting is the premier event for innovative, entrepreneurial industry executives," said Joe Kiani, Chairman and CEO of Masimo Corporation. "The meeting provides industry leaders with the opportunity to network with colleagues and hear from lawmakers and leading government officials about current and future trends in our industry."...between the survey and annual meeting there's a lot going on with the implementation and use of medical devices...in writing this blog, I focus on new devices and the number of posts relative to this issue and new devices are numerous...perhaps too numerous at times to allow for an intelligent and decisive clinical decision to be made in a short time frame...BD 

FDAnews and Industry Directions Inc., in close association with research analysis partner Cambashi Ltd, today invited medical device manufacturers to respond to a new survey on current industry challenges and practices. The survey asks about company objectives, business processes and practices, information systems and applications, and performance.

The research team is seeking responses from all companies in the medical device industry -- of all sizes, all classes of devices, and in every geographic region. The initial online survey is open for industry response from now until early May. All responses will be aggregated to formulate report findings. Individual responses will remain strictly confidential. The results of this survey will be released at the Fifth Annual Medical Device Quality Congress June 25-27 in Cambridge, MA.

The online survey is available at: http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?F4D0BCA5F6BEA6A6 or through www.fdanews.com or www.industrydirections.com. The survey is open to medical device manufacturers of all sizes worldwide. All survey respondents will receive a copy of the public findings report when it is released. Research sponsors for the study are: Camstar Systems (www.camstar.com ), IBS America (www.ibs-us.com), IQMS (www.iqms.com), MasterControl (www.mastercontrol.com) and Pilgrim Software (www.pilgrimsoftware.com).

Risk Management: Best Practices for Medical Device Profitability

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Tyco Stay In Touch With Healthcare Workers

Some interesting thoughts come to mind here with using the monitor in working with a Tablet PC or UMPC as the mobile device can as an example capture a signature or any information done while being mobile and then port the software application to the larger screen to view and be available for further editing or vice versa...done wirelessly....BD 

The chip will enable Elo TouchSystems to port Acoustic Pulse Recognition touch technology to small, hand-held and mobile devices (including cell phones, PDAs, UPMCs and Tablet PCs) and signature capture devices.

Elo Touchsystems, part of Tyco Electronics, supply LCD touchmonitors for maintaining electronic medical record management, computerized physician order-entry systems, nurses' stations, and mobile point-of-care units. They say they enable healthcare professionals to input data quickly and efficiently at the touch of an icon, reducing tedious tasks and eliminating the potential for error. The touchmonitors include options for a magnetic stripe reader (MSR) and, for areas where security is key, a biometric fingerprint recognition device.

Tyco Stay In Touch With Healthcare Workers

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Maryland officials propose rationing inmates' toilet paper

Are local government budgets getting this tight?  BD 

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Labor leaders are recommending that Montgomery County ration toilet paper for inmates to help save costs. The request comes as council members try to resolve a $297 million budget deficit. The director of Montgomery County's department of corrections says he doesn't find the use of toilet paper excessive.

Md. officials propose rationing inmates' toilet paper - Yahoo! News

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Web 2.0 Pharma Marketing Tricks for Dummies

In light of the recent Viagra commercial controversy this seems very appropriate to mention this book by John Mack....are these some of the secrets of Big Pharma?  BD 

Pharmaceutical marketers are having a field day pushing the envelope on the Internet and especially in the social networking, Web 2.0 arena -- the new WILD, WILD WEST of the Internet. Many, however, are getting caught trying to perform the "tricks of the trade." With just a little bit of guidance and tips from the masters, you can perform these tricks WITHOUT getting caught!

Secrets of the topics covered are: 

• Consumer-Generated Content - some data
• Why Neither the FDA nor PhRMA Will Be the Wiser
• HealthTrain, the Open Healthcare Manifesto
• The So-called "One-Click Rule"
• Posing as a Consumer on Social Networks
• Google "BAdwords"

Web 2.0 Pharma Marketing Tricks for Dummies

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Blue Cross to Pilot Diabetes Smart Phone Application

260 patients will be a part of the program and I guess they will all need to have or will be supplied a cell phone to participate, information goes to the physician and to the payer for study of the results and may connect to a live person who is assigned to coach and connect immediately upon troubled information...it will remind you to enter the information and the information on the patient readings goes to the phone from the Blue Tooth device used to create the readings...and if things are out of line a virtual coach comes on immediately with additional information to contact your physician or will provide formatted help on how to avoid a reoccurrence.  The virtual coach will also give you immediately nutritional reading material on suggested diet habits as well..this product is focused for patients with diabetes 2...looks good in design, but how much information will this phone shove in your direction and how much will be read by patients, in other words is there a balance between helpful information and perhaps an overload for what one can deal with per incident...I guess the pilot program will give the answers....and of course this will cut costs for healthcare...as stated by the web site...BD 

Owings Mills, Md.-based CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield will conduct a pilot study in which it will offer 260 patients mobile phone-based diabetes management software from WellDoc Communications Inc., Baltimore. The 12-month study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of such disease management software on reducing Ac1 hemoglobin levels of patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The application enables diabetic patients to enter their blood sugar readings into their mobile phone and receive real-time feedback on what they should eat and other ways they can help stabilize it. The software also can alert patients when they need to test their levels. Further, the application sends the data to the vendor's servers, where it is analyzed and can be accessed by the patient's physicians and disease management case workers. It also can support glucose meters that can send data via Bluetooth wireless technology.

Payer Pilots Diabetes Smart Phone App

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Database of Low Quality Nursing Homes Added to CMS Web Site

The data base will be updated on a monthly basis...so now you can find the ones who have low grades by the reports and statistics gathered....BD

On Thursday, CMS added to the Nursing Home Compare Web site a searchable database with the names of nursing homes that rank in the lowest 5% to 10% in quality based on state inspection results, the Wall Street Journal reports.
CMS first released the information in the database as a list of Special Focus Facilities that includes about 130 of the 16,000 nursing homes in the U.S.

Database of Low Quality Nursing Homes Added to CMS Web Site - iHealthBeat

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NACDS Seeks Passage Of E-Prescribing Bill To Finance Medicaid Reimbursement Rule Change

In California, finding physicians who still take Medicaid is getting to be more difficult...and thus the pharmacy organization wants to have e-prescribing in effect...not only for ease of use, but it does cut down on the associated costs...and the pricing associated with generics also affected in the proposal...BD 

National Association of Chain Drug Stores CEO Steven Anderson on Tuesday in a letter asked lawmakers to pass a bill (HR 4296) that would require physicians who participate in Medicare to adopt e-prescribing by 2011 to finance legislation (S 1951, HR 3700) that would revise a new rule related to Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies, CongressDaily reports.

The rule, which would redefine the average manufacturer price for brand-name and generic medications, would reduce Medicaid reimbursements for treatments. States use AMPs to calculate Medicaid reimbursement rates for medications. Under the rule, the federal government would post AMPs on a Web site that consumers could access. In addition, the rule would limit the federal share of the cost of brand-name medications when at least one generic version is available.

NACDS Seeks Passage Of E-Prescribing Bill To Finance Medicaid Reimbursement Rule Change

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Personalized Medicine - What's it all about?

This report offers a pretty good explanation of not only the progress in this area, but forecasts what you will and may be seeing in the near future...personalized medicine offers more of a focus on prevention and prediction of disease rather than a reactionary disposition, which is what we have now..and in the long run stands to of course reduce medical costs...as we hear from almost  every new technology emerging in health care...there are web sites that will also pay for you to donate your DNA...but consumer oriented genetic testing has no current regulation, so that is an option at your own choice...even though they do offer counselors to help you understand the results and processes involved...right now cancer drugs are on the forefront in this area, making the news almost every week with new break through results that are very encouraging...BD 

Genomic and personalized medicine aims to tackle more complex diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, for years believed to be influenced primarily by environmental factors and their interaction with the human genome. It is now understood that because these diseases have strong multigene components—and in some cases might be caused by errors in the DNA between genes instead of within genes—they can be better understood using a whole-genome approach.

Personalized medicine is not to be confused with "genetic medicine." Genetics, a field more than 50 years old, is the study of heredity.

What is the human genome?

What is personalized medicine?

Is personalized medicine only for sick people?

How might I get my genomic profile or learn my predisposition for certain medical conditions? What things should I consider before doing so?

Where can I look for more information about personalized medicine and genome science?

Personalized Medicine - US News and World Report

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ZS Genetics joins chase for $10M X Prize -The Journal of New England Technology

Further movement in the Genomics and personalized medicine move...as the competition heats up...related story below on what Baylor College is doing in this direction...it may be a bit technical for the average layman, but very informative overall...workforce automation and accelerated imaging capabilities...BD 

ZS Genetics Inc. has become the latest New England life sciences firm to enter the Archon X Prize for Genomics competition, which will award $10 million to the first  group to sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days for less than $10,000, the company said.

The lowest cost of sequencing an entire genome today is around $100,000 and  takes at least a day to complete. Marc Hodosh, a Boston-area entrepreneur, is senior director of the Archon X Prize contest. The contest's parent organization, the X Prize Foundation, based in Santa Monica, Calif., has launched separate competitions dedicated to space travel and automotive design.

ZS Genetics joins chase for $10M X Prize - Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology:   related story below....discusses software related services and products

Baylor College of Medicine to Use Applied Biosystems Genetic Analysis Technology as Part of 1000 Genomes Project

This project is more detailed with 1000 genomes versus the 100 mentioned in the story above. 

HOUSTON & FOSTER CITY, Calif.-Scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) will use high-throughput sequencing systems from Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, for a significant part of their contribution to the first pilot phases of the 1000 Genomes Project, sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the Wellcome Trust and the Beijing Genome Institute. This project is a worldwide research effort that will involve the sequencing of 1,000 genomes from people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation. The HGSC will acquire six SOLiD™ Systems in order to complete the work.

Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. Applied Biosystems serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services.

http://marketing.appliedbiosystems.com/mk/get/SOLID_KNOWLEDGE_LANDING

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Getting Medication Reminders by Cell Phone

So far only available from Verizon for a monthly subscription cost of $3.99...a user creates their own personalized reminder..the service is FDA approved...and uses "The Pill Book" as the data base for information and research...your phone will either ring or vibrate as a reminder to take your pills at the times you designate...BD 

Basking Ridge, N.J.-base d Verizon Wireless is offering an application designed to offer consumers drug information and medication reminders on their smart phones.

  The Pill Phone software is a mobile version of the medical reference guide the Pill Book. It offers information on more than 1,800 medications and prescription drugs commonly prescribed by physicians, including indications, dosing, side effects, drug interactions and photos. Consumers also can schedule reminders for when they need to take their medications as well as dosing instructions.

The Pill Phone is the only wireless application to have FDA approval for medication management. It is a comprehensive drug resource based on the best selling guide.

Getting Meds Reminders by Phone

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State of California adopts YouTube services

The site just opened up and like many other government agencies there will be the standard ways to email and connect to various state agencies...watch for more to be added including health care in the future...BD 

California recently launched the state’s official video channel on YouTube.com. The state Consumer Services Agency said the project would be “cost-neutral,” implemented without additional funds. The state’s E-Services Office will maintain the site, officials said. 

California worked with Google to map many of the state’s video playlists on the site. The state's YouTube content ranges from state employee-created media campaigns, such as the Franchise Tax Board’s “Ready Return,” to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ video montage of the Golden State’s scenic driving routes.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Marin County, Calif., all have used the online multimedia service.

Calif adopts YouTube services

California You Tube Web Site

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Genomic research involving computing gets financial boost from Microsoft

Microsoft grants are promoting the continued growth of genetic studies and results which in turn results in the applicable software platforms to deliver the results and findings to physicians and researchers....BD 

REDMOND, WA - The Microsoft Corporation is providing a boost to genomic research with six research grants. 

Microsoft Research, an outgrowth of Redmond, Wash-based Microsoft, announced the six grants through its Computational Challenges of Genome Wide Association Studies program.Microsoft Research officials said they received 40 proposals from 39 academic institutions.

Grant winners and their organizations are: Purdue University, Michael Kane and John Springer; Translational Genomics Research Institute, John Pearson; National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bryan Traynor; Columbia University, George Hripcsak; University of the Republic of Uruguay, Pasteur Institute at Montevideo, Raul Ruggia and Hugo Naya; and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, the Division of Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, with researchers Trey Ideker and Richard Karp.

Genomic research involving computing gets financial boost

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Standards work to gather speed as it builds on previous achievements

Progress report on working towards some IT standards with healthcare data...making sure the 2 major committees are on the same track..at least 3 years away according to the report...BD

NEW YORK - The head of the panel charged with setting technology standards to ensure interoperability among healthcare information technology systems across the country said the process of defining and creating those standards is about to accelerate.

"We're getting ready to really scale up in the future," said John Halamka, chairman of the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel, or HITSP.He said the key to achieving the one-standard goal is to make sure the work of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology aligns with HITSP efforts. CCHIT and HITSP already have a joint working group and a three-year plan for a gradual rollout of new standards, he said.

Standards work to gather speed as it builds on previous achievements

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FDA Uncovers Problems at Merck Vaccine Plant

Business is booming and perhaps the plant is working near capacity...BD 

An FDA inspection of Merck’s big vaccine plant in West Point, Pennsylvania found 49 “areas of concern,” the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Karl Stark reports this morning.

The agency’s report, which the Inquirer got under the Freedom of Information Act, cited issues including unwanted “fibers” on the stoppers of vials of MMR vaccine and a failure to follow good manufacturing practices.

“There are numerous issues where they failed to comply with their own documentation and SOP [standard operating procedure] requirements,” he told the paper. “Sometimes in a plant where everyone feels overburdened . . . they give up trying to do everything and just try to keep their heads above water.”

Health Blog : FDA Uncovers Problems at Merck Vaccine Plant

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LifeSync to sublicense patent portfolio to Triage Wireless

New partnerships developing between device manufacturers and wireless technology companies...wireless ECG system....no more having to disconnect the devices when moving a patient as everything is wireless...BD 

LifeSync Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of GMP Companies, Inc., announced it has entered into a non-exclusive sublicense with Triage Wireless Inc. for LifeSync's patent portfolio associated with the digital, wireless communication of patient vital signs.  

This sublicense will allow Triage Wireless the right to utilize LifeSync's technologies in connection with patient-worn multi-parameter monitors and associated bedside or mobile displays.The LifeSync® System is the first wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) data communications system appropriate for use in high acuity settings.   The MT is connected to lead wires that are attached to virtually any patient monitor currently installed in the hospital. The MT will receive the signal from the PT up to thirty feet or more away.  The Company received both FCC and FDA approvals to market the LifeSync® System in the U.S. in 2003 and began selling the LifeSync® System in the U.S. in March 2004.

LifeSync to sublicense patent portfolio to Triage Wireless

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Wireless technology needed to build recession proof health services

Not only wireless, but also Web 2.0 to work with many of the devices....BD

Healthcare providers are increasingly using wireless technology to minimize the cost and disruption associated with the deployment of innovative ehealth and telecare services.

"While there is a significant amount of hype regarding Health 2.0 a key component of this new healthcare concept, hosted patient records, will become increasingly important in driving demand for wireless ehealth services," states Kruger, who goes on to say, "We are seeing medical device vendors marketing products as 'Google Health ready' or building ehealth services using the Microsoft HealthVault SDK".

Wireless technology needed to build recession proof health services

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Chinese MRIs, Coming to Your Hospital

More than just drugs are moving to China...Phillips and many other industries are setting up shop and investing in Chinese companies....BD

The heparin scare may be dominating the health news in the U.S. media, but that's not stopping multinationals from boosting their ties with the Chinese medical industry. Dutch conglomerate Philips (PHG), which is switching its focus away from electronics and semiconductors and toward higher-growth areas like medical equipment, is boosting its alliances with manufacturers, universities, and hospitals in China.  The industry "will start to see more companies moving their manufacturing to China," predicts David Jin, chief executive for Greater China for Philips Health Care, which also operates a joint venture with a Chinese company in northeastern China, the Neusoft Group, making MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, and X-ray equipment

Other companies are paying attention to China, too. Siemens last September opened a medical research and development, manufacturing, service, sales, and marketing center in Shanghai that the German conglomerate expects to employ 1,000 people this year. It's the largest facility of its kind for Siemens in Asia, the company boasts. And General Electric's (GE) health-care division last August announced a plan to work with Premier Diagnostic Health Services, a Vancouver company with a Hong Kong subsidiary, to sell and operate positron emission tomography (PET) scans to Chinese health providers such as the People's Liberation Army 101 Hospital in the eastern city of Wuxi.  One of the most aggressive companies is Medtronic (MDT), which in December announced it was investing $221 million to buy a 21% stake in Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer, a Hong Kong-listed manufacturer of medical equipment based in China's northeastern Shandong province.

"We are at the same point with the medical device industry," he says. "The outsourcing trend is just starting."

Chinese MRIs, Coming to Your Hospital

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Florida Hospital Enhances IT Performance and Patient Care with Red Hat Solutions - Linux

One hospital's success with Red Hat Linux, as the article mentions, Microsoft is also working with Linux from the server levels on down with joint projects...a move many other hospitals may be looking at as well....BD 

With seven facilities totaling over 2,300 beds throughout Central Florida, Florida Hospital is the largest hospital in the state. Established in 1908, the hospital provides care to more than one million patients each year and is part of the Adventist Healthcare System—the largest not-for-profit healthcare provider in the nation. Florida Hospital’s MIS Department, which includes approximately 100 developers, manages one centralized datacenter for all of its facilities, making it one of the busiest centers in Central Florida. The hospital is also known for its excellent quality of healthcare. US News and World Report magazine has ranked Florida Hospital as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” consecutively for the past six years.

Using open source in the healthcare field is a growing trend, according to Li. A lot of proprietary Unix exists, but that solution is not meeting the needs of customers, he said.

"We see competition but not at the strategic healthcare level. Microsoft is also moving into this space," said Li.

Red Hat Customer Success Stories | Florida Hospital Enhances IT Performance and Patient Care with Red Hat Solutions

http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/The-OSS-Cure-for-What-Ails-Hospital-IT-62536.html

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