SAMSUNG DEBUTS OMNIA i900 Cell Phone…Windows Mobile Tool for Healthcare…coming soon..

If you like the iPhone, there’s a new Windows Mobile phone, rumored to be coming out from AT&T around September or so. It will have the nice increased real estate for the screen, what we all want and like.  In addition, the camera on the unit is  5 megapixels and that’s better than my regular digital camera!   8 GB storage and of course room for more with an expansion SD card.  It is out in Europe this month, so exactly when it hits the states is still really not known for sure.  

Some other nice features are GPS, FM radio, TV-out and there will be no keyboard, all onscreen with a 3.5  inch touch screen.  These are the specs right now for the international market and it will be unlocked. 

2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100

It will also have a “Mouse”.  I can see this being a real potential tool for healthcare with the larger screen and basically it is designed for conferencing with the camera.  A bigger screen for using Outlook is wonderful.  To view images and health records on a larger screen is huge.  Sure there are times when you want a larger unit when in the office by using a Tablet PC, but for being on the go, this sure looks to have all the elements set.  HTC is also due to have a phone out soon to compete.  Here are a couple videos from You Tube that give a better idea of how it looks and works.  BD   

SEOUL, KOREA – June 9 2008: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of Samsung OMNIA (model name: SGH-i900). It brings together high performance business content, top of the range style and a fun, dynamic multi-media experience, to ensure consumers are always connected both at home and at work. OMNIA, meaning ‘everything’ in Latin and ‘wish’ in Arabic, goes beyond the current top-of-the-line features available in today’s mobile phones. The OMNIA will be available to the market from June 2008.

   

If you want to watch a hands on comparison with both phones, there’s a video on You Tube, not in English, but you can watch and get the idea.  BD

Bringing a PC environment to Mobile  The new Samsung OMNIA allows users to switch seamlessly between Microsoft Outlook email and productivity applications that replicate the look and feel of their PC - with a stroke of their finger.
Based on the most up to date Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, Samsung OMNIA gives users a mobile extension to their PC experience, with access to MS Office documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word. Users can also send and receive email and manage their appointments in Outlook while on the go. The Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system means users can download additional programs as they would on their PC and customize it for their individual needs. For ease of navigation an optical mouse similar to those on laptop computers offers improved usability and one-handed control.

Technorati Tags: Omnia i900,Cell phones,Windows Mobile,Technology,Touch Screen

http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/news/newsIrRead.do?news_ctgry=irnewsrelease&news_seq=8999&search_keyword=&from_dt=&to_dt=

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They Shoot Pigs, Don’t They…

I would think there are better ways with technology to perhaps do this, instead of having to shoot the pigs but the technology may be expensive.  There are simulation processes that can pretty much do the same thing, hospitals use them now for training for emergency treatment in the ER rooms.  Texas A and M University has a program they developed and now market.  Here’s another simulation that actually talks.  Anyway, it might just be that the exercise with pigs could be coming around to perhaps being outdated soon.  BD 

Despite opposition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Army proceeded to shoot live pigs and treat their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise Friday at Schofield Barracks for soldiers headed to Iraq. Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said the training was conducted as scheduled under a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and the careful supervision of veterinarians and a military Animal Care and Use Committee.

The Associated Press: Army shoots live pigs for medical drill

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Ed McMahon sues Cedars-Sinai hospital over injury

Ed McMahon has been in the news lately over financial issues with his home and now he claims the hospital failed to X-ray his neck after a fall and he left with a broken neck.  The hospital has not commented yet.  This is sad to see someone we loved for years on television every night to go through the agony of both pain and financial issues, plus it is all being played out in the media. 

This may be a long battle as it moves forward with all medical records being scrutinized and a couple other surgeries at the hospital are reviewed.  I remember well all the publicity he had for years giving away the money for publisher’s clearing house and now it appears he could stand to win a little for himself.  BD 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ed McMahon, the long-time sidekick to talk show host Johnny Carson, sued a Los Angeles hospital on Friday, claiming its doctors failed to diagnose his broken neck after a fall and discharged him without taking an X-ray. McMahon, 85, also accused Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of botching two subsequent spine operations, and the entertainer claims to have suffered months of discomfort and pain.

Technorati Tags: Cedars-Sinai,Hosptial,Surgery,Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon sues hospital over injury | Entertainment | Reuters

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Drug Wars – FDA, Ranbaxy, the Department Of Justice and Congress…

The issues at hand goes back to 2006 with deviations from specifications on drugs, and now it is up to the Congress and the FDA once more.  Did the FDA knowingly allow suspected drugs to continue to be sold?  Ranbaxy makes a lot of different generic drugs and there’s no mention of the ones in question.  This one could get hot depending on what the investigations return, federal agents raided the New Jersey plant earlier this year.  I just hope there’s not another “economic decision” somehow involved. I sure hope this is not a widespread condition.  BD    

The U.S. Department of Justice has accused $1.6 billion (sales) Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest pharmaceutical firm, of selling adulterated drugs. In a motion filed July 3 in federal court in Maryland, the Justice Department alleged that Ranbaxy, one of the world's biggest generic drug makers, has engaged in a "pattern of systematic fraudulent conduct," including false and fabricated information submitted to the Federal Drug Administration, as well as attempts to conceal from the FDA "violations of current good manufacturing practices regulations."

Technorati Tags: FDA,Ranbaxy,Drugs,Congress

Drug Wars - Forbes.com

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VeriChip Closes Sale of Subsidiary - RFID

It appears having a “chip” implant is perhaps not as popular as one might have thought as least on the consumer medical records side.  Stanley, the tools folks, have purchased one portion of the business , Xmark which makes RFID chips for a number of purposes from tracking people to medical equipment.  The Veri-Med portion of the business is still looking for a buyer and there are only a few individuals with the implant that carries all their health information, but a special scanner is needed to read the chips as well.  BD 

Xmark sells radio frequency identification technology to tag and track newborns, adults prone to wandering and medical equipment. The Stanley Works is a major manufacturer of tools and security products.

VeriChip Closes Sale of Subsidiary

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Should a Surgeon Be Punished for Operating on the Wrong Side?

This is a tough one as everyone has an angle on it, but there are no worse angles than the surgeon and the patient are experiencing by all means.  I had commented on a wrong side surgery that had occurred in Worcester that was in the local paper on July 15th.  Someone else had commented about how the airline industry compares with check lists, etc. and my take on the situation revolved around what is going on in the immediate environment at the time as that effects everything.  In other words using the airline comparison:

“Just one other note from the aviation side of things, they mess up too and when you have a blizzard going on, the crew rushed to meet their schedule, they have mistakes too, as the first officer might have a better overall inspection in 70 degree sunny weather versus below zero weather with a physical inspection of the jet in preparation for flight.   Point in case is what’s happening at the time in the environment makes one big difference too on how the checks and balances are done, both aviation and healthcare, thus the real need for a time out to double check and take a deep breath.”

The Worcester hospital stated they had followed procedures with a time out according to the paper, but it was not enough and stated corrective action was being taken, but hospital officials declined to comment beyond the prepared statement.  So how transparent was the other hospital and what are they doing? 

2 patients, 2 surgeons, 2 hospitals with a similar issue and 2 different environments at the time of surgery.  I think the fact that Paul Levy was up front and spoke about the problem was commendable and is soul searching through the blog on this one for suggestions.  It’s a tough spot to be in, but by making the events public, perhaps there’s something for everyone of us to learn and think about as well.  The surgeon will no doubt have this to live with his own mental torture of the error for a long time and that in itself is more punishment than any administrator or board could dole out in my opinion.  BD 

A few weeks ago, a surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center operated on the wrong side of a patient. This is a grievous error, one of the so-called “never events” that’s just not supposed to happen anymore. It still does happen though, so what was perhaps most striking about this incident was the openness with which the hospital administration handled the whole thing.

Technorati Tags: Medical Errors,Surgery,HealthCare,Hospital

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/07/18/should-a-surgeon-be-punished-for-operating-on-the-wrong-side/

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HHS cracks down: provider to pay $100,000 in HIPAA penalties over lost laptops

Something to think about when using confidential data with patient records, better make sure it is encrypted for sure.  Also, many network administrators have also disallowed the use of portable USB drives on company computers as well.  If there are certain individuals that need this access, it can be done through group policy on Windows and thus tracking software can also keep track of such actions taking place as well.

With today’s situation with data breaches, you can’t be too careful.  I am still somewhat surprised when I do see healthcare facilities still allowing free use of USB drives from PCs.  BD  

WASHINGTON - The Department of Health and Human Services has levied a $100,000 fine on Seattle-based Providence Health and Services for alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. The violation, involving unprotected backup tapes, optical disks and laptops three years ago, compromised the protected health information of more than 386,000 patients, HHS officials said.

Technorati Tags: HPAA,Security,Laptops,USB drives,Healthcare

HHS cracks down: provider to pay $100,000 in HIPAA penalties over lost laptops

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Web App Brings the Internet to the Blind

This is nice, and no software to be installed, Software as a Service for the Blind to access the Internet.  Watch the video from the University of Washington to see how it works.  Web Anywhere looks to be something of real value as it continues to be developed for helping the blind with access to the web.  In time,  a blind individual would be able to use a service like this to review their personal health records too.  BD 

Unfortunately, the blind face great obstacles in getting online, especially from public computers, like those in a library or Internet cafe. Screen reading software is rarely installed on these PCs, and portable options are often prohibitively expensive. A new Web app from a graduate student at the University of Washington aims to help break down these barriers by bringing screen reading technology to any Web-connected computer. If the user can navigate, or have someone navigate, to

http://Webanywhere.cs.washington.edu/ they'll be able to launch an in-browser screen reader. The reader, called Web Anywhere, will work on any computer with any modern Web browser, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer 7.

Technorati Tags: Blind,Handicapped Access,Internet,PHR,Healthcare

Web App Brings the Internet to the Blind - Switched

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Blue Shield sued for allegedly lying about its coverage – Are those fightin’ words…

It used to be we would hear some type of concern, but the comments here sound like a torrid of anger, hope this is not a sign of the times when it comes to working with carriers for health care.  It makes it sound more like a war than a negotiation process towards working to achieve better healthcare and coverage.  BD 

“Blue Shield spokesman Tom Epstein defended the cancellation of the Simoes' coverage and called the suit "a cheap political stunt" that was "totally without merit."

The cancellation was highlighted by Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo as an example of the allegedly abusive practices at the heart of a lawsuit he filed Wednesday on behalf of the residents of Los Angeles against Blue Shield. The suit contends that Blue Shield has illegally canceled the coverage of more than 850 policyholders including people like the Simoeses since 2002.
In the past, Blue Shield has said that it cancels policies rarely and that the practice is a legal and necessary tool to combat fraud. The Blue Shield suit is similar to those that Delgadillo filed earlier this year against insurers Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net. Like Blue Shield, those companies have denied wrongdoing and say they rescind coverage only when necessary.

Technorati Tags: Health Insurance,Blue Cross,Healthcare

Blue Shield sued for allegedly lying about its coverage - Los Angeles Times

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Can Today's Doctors Be Competent Without Computers, It’s not easy…

I agree here with the context, with all the information that is flying at all of us at a speed of more than most of us can fathom half the time, how can a physician expect to keep on top of all of this as well?  The mind is not as good as a computer for retaining information and when used as a “tool” it will make you better. 

Myself, I was in outside sales for many years and you know what, it made me better, so much in the fact that it caused resentment among peers as I could run circle around them.  That was a few years ago when information technology was still young, but I had my PDA with me with my full customer base and could look up  pricing and other reference items in a flash, while my peers had to go to the phone and call headquarters or perhaps go visit the trunk of their car to look through all those paper files they maintained. 

Did customers appreciate it, yes they did, and all it took for acceptance was to see it in action just once. The same holds true for the physician/patient relationship, does the patient like it, yes they do!  Simply equate the trip to the trunk of the car to having to locate a paper chart somewhere in the office and it’s right about the same principle. 

When used as a tool, computers and electronic charts will make you better, and this goes for both patients and physicians.  If you want to add a little mobility, then get a Tablet PC so you can feel free to walk the corridors of the office and not be tied down to a desktop computer as well.  It’s less distracting to the overall visit to have the tablet with you instead of having to sit down and type in front of a patient as you stand to lose a bit of eye contact in the process.  The workload is heavier today than it has ever been in the practice, so help yourself to some technology and you will be glad you did!  BD 

Physicians who do not use the tools of information technology (IT) such as electronic health records and computerized entry of prescriptions could fall short of professional standards, according to a new review. Although technology cannot replace thoughtfulness and caring, it is increasingly difficult to be a competent doctor without tech support, contends David Mechanic, Ph.D., of Rutgers University in the June issue of The Milbank Quarterly. However, it is important to view health information technology "as a tool and not as a substitute for physicians' vigilance and judgment,'" said Mechanic, who analyzed scientific literature, Web sites and his own experience working with medical professionals.

Technorati Tags: Technology,Medical Records,Physician,Patient,Healthcare,Tablet PC

Can Today's Doctors Be Competent Without Computers?

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FDA unveils plan to recruit young science staffers

One item mentioned is that the average age at the FDA is 54 and that 30% are eligible to retire.  It sounds like perhaps a move to bring some new faces in to action.  In a related story there’s an anonymous website with both former and present  employees who’s goal appears to be to expose any and all flaws of the FDA relative to how the agency functions and treat employees, perhaps somewhat of a “National Inquirer” scenario type of site regarding the FDA.  Recently under question was the bonus program used within the agency and that discussion doesn’t appear to have dissipated as well.  BD 

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The Food and Drug Administration has unveiled a plan for recruiting young staffers to replace the hundreds of scientists retiring from the agency. The FDA said Thursday it will launch a two-year fellowship program for physicians, chemists, statisticians and other science professionals interested in food and drug regulation. About 30 to 40 fellows will be accepted for the first program, which begins in October.

Technorati Tags: FDA,Bonuses

FDA unveils plan to recruit young science staffers

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FDA Clears Newest Version of Celera's HIV-1 Genotyping Software

More news on personalized medicine, sequencing for HIV research and distributed by Abbott Labs.  Sequencing software will continue to grow.  BD 

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Celera said today that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing clearance for the firm’s ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System Software v2.8.

The Alameda, Calif.-based firm’s HIV-1 Genotyping System detects mutations in the HIV-1 viral genome that confer resistance. It is used by physicians in monitoring and treating HIV-1 infections.

http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148267-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

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ASCO launches Cancer.net Website

New site and easy to navigate.  Makes it easy to remember and one place to start for patients and physicians.  BD 

The American Society of Clinical Oncology today launched Cancer.net, a comprehensive, doctor-approved patient website that provides reliable, up-to-the-minute information on more than 120 types of cancer and cancer-related syndromes. The site replaces ASCO's PeopleLivingWithCancer.org and adds new features, including toolkits to help newly diagnosed patients and survivors navigate their care.

Hematology & Oncology News & Issues - ASCO launches Cancer.net

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IHHI Hospital exec framed doctor on gun charge, lawsuit says – Orange County CA

The battle continues with IHHI hospitals and the CEO, Bruce Mogel, and this time there’s a bit more at stake in the new lawsuit.  They all have said that he has lied about his past and in general state that he’s not what they call honest.  The physician’s group and Bruce Mogel continue to battle, but nobody’s making any money at this either.  The doctors have asked that the board sue Mr. Mogel for wrongful conduct as well.  He still owns 40% of the corporation through his relationship with Dr. Kali Chaudhuri.  Who knows how much longer the battle will continue as the updates float in and out of the news as events occur.  BD

A group of doctors is accusing one of Orange County's top hospital executives of setting up a physician on a phony gun charge. When Santa Ana police briefly arrested Dr. Michael Fitzgibbons at Western Medical Center Santa Ana in June 2006, the lawsuit says, Mogen was watching from a window. "People don't know how powerful I am," he said, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit by Orange County Physicians Investors Network charges Mogel, Integrated Healthcare Holding Inc.s' chief executive, with breach of fiduciary duty and fraud. The suit also names IHHI.

News: Hospital exec framed doctor on gun charge, lawsuit says | mogel, ihhi, medical, company, lawsuit - OCRegister.com

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San Francisco hijacker pleads not guilty to network tampering

Security story of the week, this is big, but under control, well somewhat.  He took control of the San Francisco City WAN (wide area network), reset passwords to the switches and routers and has refused to hand them over.  The City has not yet recovered control of the city’s network.  So far the network continues to work, but there’s no administrative access. 

A security audit uncovered his activity on the network, accessing email accounts in Exchange among other things.  The software had been broken that traced administrative changes, so it was not automatically reported.  Could be one big bill to come in with new routers and reestablish security.  He won’t release the passwords and is in custody. This could happen anywhere and goodness forbid at a healthcare facility or hospital.  BD 

A disgruntled network administrator pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of computer tampering for allegedly setting up an unauthorized access system and holding much of the city of San Francisco's computer network hostage Terry Childs, 43, entered the plea before Judge Paul Alvarado in San Francisco Superior Court on Thursday morning. His next court appearance is a bail hearing set for July 23.

Technorati Tags: Networking,Security,Passwords

CIO - San Fran hijacker pleads not guilty to network tampering

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Jury finds J&J not liable in Motrin lawsuit

Ibuprofen is the active ingredient and used by other manufacturers, which many rely on for pain relief.  Genomics when it reaches a bit further could offer insight for all of us down the road, but hard to say in a case such as this one as it was a question of packaging warnings that was in question and even more than that, there is plenty of information on the web too on all drugs.  BD

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Malibu, California, jury found Johnson & Johnson not liable on Thursday in a $1 billion lawsuit involving an 11 year-old girl who claimed she was blinded after using the drug Children's Motrin. The painkiller is made by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil consumer healthcare unit. The jury voted 9-3 against liability, after a six week trial. Jurors found for the plaintiffs in seven of eight issues but decided that the ninth -- that Children's Motrin caused the injury to the girl, Sabrina Johnson -- was not proved.

Jury finds J&J not liable in Motrin lawsuit - Yahoo! News

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Liver disease therapeutic patents from CellPoint Diagnostics Up on the Auction Block..

 Intellectual Property on the auction block, patents with FDA approval.  This is the first time I have noticed technology with health care just up on the open auction block, especially as it relates to cancer research.  With the acquisition, it must not fit into the same business model as the one from the new owner, CellPoint.  Bidding starts at 25K.  As biotech moves so quickly, as well as the potential funding and mergers, I would imagine there could be more of this type of activity in the future.  Again, it just struck me as being strange as I see mergers and buyouts all the time, but have not seen an auction of such yet.  BD 

IpAuctions, Inc. will auction the worldwide biotherapeutic patents previously owned by Cell Works Inc., a Maryland-based biotech company, and acquired by CellPoint Diagnostics, Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif. These patents primarily consist of organ-targeted drug delivery systems to combat liver disease.  Fifteen major U.S. and worldwide medical patents and applications in three major treatment areas will be auctioned, including one associated with a liver cancer therapeutic drug that has been granted orphan drug status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Technorati Tags: Biotech,genomics,research,Drugs

Sale of liver disease therapeutic patents

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Siemens to Resell Kiosks

Recently Seimens just announced major layoffs, so perhaps adding a new product line will prove beneficial in down times to increase sales on items less expensive than their starship MRIs.   BD 

Malvern, Pa.-based Siemens Healthcare has become an authorized reseller of patient self-service kiosks from the Galvanon unit of NCR Corp., Dayton, Ohio. The MediKiosk, sold to hospitals and clinics, enables patients to use a kiosk to register, confirm demographic and insurance information, complete health history forms, electronically sign consent forms and make co-payments, among other tasks.

Siemens to Resell Kiosks

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World Medical Tourism Congress Announces Two New Speakers From AETNA and CIGNA

Over 30 insurance companies have registered for the event in September, along with 100 hospitals.  Insurance companies are attending to meet the hospitals, not the hospitals here in the US, those abroad.  I did see the AMA mentioned as an attendee.

After the meeting, who knows what will be the next stipulations in heath insurance policies with efforts and incentives to promote tourism, to save money of course.  Website is located here for more information.  BD

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress, the largest Medical Tourism Convention in the world and the official event of the Medical Tourism Association, announces two new speakers from CIGNA and AETNA, two of the largest health insurance companies in the United States for its upcoming congress this year on September 9-12th in San Francisco, California, USA.

The Congress has a line up of expert senior healthcare leaders from organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and Procter & Gamble, one of the largest employers in the US, to large US insurance carriers such as United Healthcare, Aetna, Assurant Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Symetra Life Insurance Company, and Guardian Life Insurance Company.

Technorati Tags: Medical Tourism,Health Insurance,Aetna,Cigna

World Medical Tourism Congress Announces Two New Speakers From AETNA and CIGNA - MarketWatch

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Veterans Have Medical Claims Denied To Reduce Backlog

This goes back to 2006 when the backlog was cleared by eliminating quality assurance check of their work, so no double check or time outs, errors. If you had a claim turned down by the VA, might be worth looking again to check for errors on the denial.  They have no idea as to how many errors took place, so it’s up to the patient to once more check all their information, this information was released as a Congressional report.  BD 

At least 28,283  veterans have had their medical claims denied by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service because of efforts to reduce a large backlog of claims, according to a report released on Tuesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Domestic Policy Subcommittee, AP/Long Island Newsday reports.

Technorati Tags: Veterans Administration,Medical Claims,Healthcare

Veterans Have Medical Claims Denied To Reduce Backlog, According To House Subcommittee Report

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The IShoe – hook it to your notebook and check your balance

This looks to be very promising to help locate balance problems and offer data helpful to keeping folks from falling!  Nobody wants to fall.  Patent pending, and no word on when we could see this yet.  BD 

It’s always sensible to fix your habits lest you fall prey to them. Don’t misunderstand this to be a piece of advice you never wanted; it’s attested by iShoe developed by MIT and NASA researchers who have their own route of instructing one to keep balance so that he/she doesn’t tumble. iShoe has got a sensor-laden insoles for computing the pressure sharing across a person’s feet. It’s passed on to a computer equipped a unique algorithm to analyze the data. I can bet it’s going to be extremely useful for doctors in catching balance problem and for elderly people to avoid fatal

Technorati Tags: Healthcare,Shoes,Technology

http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/now-jack-would-never-fell-down-thanks-to-ishoe/#comments

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Surgeon sued for giving anesthetized patient temporary tattoo

What’s a tattoo worth in court?  Maybe as much as the water to wash it off?  Waste of the legal system on this one.  BD 

In a lawsuit filed yesterday, a Camden County woman accused her orthopedic surgeon of "rubbing a temporary tattoo of a red rose" on her belly while she was under anesthesia. The patient discovered the tattoo below the panty line the next morning, when her husband was helping her get dressed to go home after the operation for a herniated disc, her attorney, Gregg A. Shivers, said in a phone interview yesterday.

Surgeon sued for giving anesthetized patient temporary tattoo | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/16/2008

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L'Oreal May Have Use Banned Chemicals….

What is in our make up, lipstick?  Another potential whistle blower case coming to surface here and no doubt another potential inspection job for the FDA might be coming around.  We already know they took the lead out of lipstick a while back, but now there are some questions on what is legal in the US and what is legal in Europe.  The products in question were sold to South Africa according to the report.  BD  

Cosmetics giant L'Oreal USA sold products overseas containing potentially carcinogenic chemicals, falsely advertised products containing animal-derived ingredients as "100 percent vegan," and failed to comply with regulatory laws, according to a lawsuit filed by the company's former regulatory affairs director.

Chevallier's lawsuit claims that L'Oreal sold Maybelline products in South America containing dibutyl phthalate, "a material banned in those countries for its carcinogenicity and risks to reproduction." Though the chemical is legal in the United States, it has been banned in Europe, and L'Oreal publicly said in 2005 that it would stop using it.

ABC News: Worth It? L'Oreal May Use Banned Chems

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Surgeons taking kidneys through the navel

Kidney donors will have a shorter recovery time and little or no scarring.  The recipient still goes through the same procedure, but nice to make it easier for the donor to recover from the procedure and may serve to encourage donor programs.  BD 

CLEVELAND - Brad Kaster donated a kidney to his father this week, and he barely has a scar to show for it. The kidney was removed through a single incision in his bellybutton, a surgical procedure Cleveland Clinic  doctors say will reduce recovery time and leave almost no scarring.

Surgeons taking kidneys through the navel - Health care- msnbc.com

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The Pfizer Exec And The $300K Helicopter Bill

It sounds like helicopter rides will not be part of the future budget plans for Pfizer. BD

Some people drive to work. Others take a commuter train, subway or bus. There are myriad ways, after all, to travel to Pfizer’s corporate headquarters on East 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan. One exec, however, preferred helicopter rides and that expense, among others, caused a dilemma for CEO Jeff Kindler who, for a time, wanted the drugmaker to pay for such luxuries, our sources tell us.

http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/07/the-pfizer-exec-and-the-300k-helicopter-bill/

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FDA Chief Threatens Red Cross With Criminal Action

At the rate of additional levels of responsibility are coming down on the FDA, they might still yet need another budget increase.  No doubt, things are pretty well stressed from all angles, but the issue with the Red Cross is serious by all means.  Back in 2006 the FDA fined the Red Cross for failure to meet blood safety laws and it appears there the same issues have returned or never went away.  BD 

The continuing problems with the American Red Cross’ blood business land on the front page of this morning’s New York Times. Earlier this year, FDA Commissoner Andrew von Eschenbach went to a Red Cross board meeting and “warned members that they could face criminal charges for their continued failure to bring about compliance” with safety regulations, the article says.

This is a long-running problem for the organization, which has spent the last 15 years operating under a federal court order sought by an earlier FDA chief. Things have improved, and the Red Cross does do a good job of screening blood for the worst pathogens, such as HIV and hepatitis B.

Technorati Tags: FDA,Blood,Red Cross,Safety

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/07/17/report-fda-chief-threatens-red-cross-with-criminal-action/

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SanDisk WORM secure memory card

New Secure Data storage made simple.  It only writes the data once, and then locks, so this means no tampering with the data written, and no adding additional information to the USB device.  If you are looking to store data without a need to once again write to the drive and secure the information, this is worth looking at, and not that expensive either.  Good for storing information under the rules and regulations of HIPAA.  BD

THE SD WORM is intended for storing files from police investigations, court testimony, electronic voting, cash registers, security cameras, black box flight recorders and other highly sensitive records. The cards are locked as soon as they are recorded, and can be read in any standard SD drive. 128-megabyte SD WORM cards are currently available, with the capacity expected to increase with time.

SanDisk WORM secure memory card

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YouTube Comes to Tivo Soon…

You Tube as we all know is no longer just entertainment, there’s many good sites for good educational purposes too, such as the FDA Channel and one other new Channel from Johnson and Johnson.  So now physician have another way of reaching patients with referring health educational material for those who won’t touch a computer.  BD 

We just can’t get enough You Tube, but this looks to be a good thing for those folks who don’t leave the TV to to to a computer.  BD 

   And I need a little humor here too, one of my favorite FDA You Tube spoofs on Pot Pies….

Just in case you weren't already watching enough YouTube at work and on your home computer, on your iPhone, Ocean, etc., or on your Apple TV, now TiVo's getting in on the action as well. Originally announced earlier this year, TiVo users can finally expect the update to pop over your TiVo's regularly scheduled updates over the next couple of weeks.

Technorati Tags: YouTube,Johnson and Johnson,J & J,FDA,Video,Education,Tivo

YouTube Comes to Tivo - Switched

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MacroGenics Acquires Raven Biotechnologies

Cancer technology and stem cell research coming together.  In other related news, another biotech is running short on cash due to inability to sign deals with major drug companies among other issues.  BD 

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 17 -- MacroGenics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company that develops immunotherapeutics to treat autoimmune disorders, cancer and infectious diseases, today announced the acquisition of Raven Biotechnologies, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company in South San Francisco, California, focused on the discovery and development of monoclonal antibody therapeutics for oncology through its cancer stem cell program. Raven has developed a portfolio of proprietary cancer stem cells from many types of primary tumors. These cancer stem cells are maintained in vitro, and small numbers of these cells can form both localized and metastatic tumors in vivo. Using its proprietary technology platform, Raven has generated more than 1,300 monoclonal antibodies, including many that target cancer stem cells and cancers of the lung, colon, pancreas, prostate, breast and ovary.

MacroGenics Acquires Raven Biotechnologies - FierceBiotech

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Teva mulling $7.5B deal for Barr – Generic Pharmas on the move

 Teva also stated it plans to sue Novartis and Momenta for patent infringement.  Recently in the news was the announcement to buy Bentley Pharmaceuticals.  “Teva USA products are marketed to chains, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, managed care entities, and government agencies.”  A listing of their generic products can be found here at the website.  BD 

“The world's biggest generics firm may be about to get bigger--a lot bigger. Teva is reportedly in talks to buy Barr Pharmaceuticals for upwards of $5 billion; some reports quote a price as high as $7.5 billion. The latter figure would be a 50 percent premium for Barr, which closed the regular trading day at $46.82 but after hours leapt 19 percent to $55.51 on the news. Reports of the negotiations appeared in two Israel dailies, and a UBS analyst issued a note ticking off reasons a Barr buyout would make sense for Teva: It would give the Israeli company access to the oral contraceptive market, strengthen its European presence and boost efficiencies by "eliminating duplicate infrastructure in the U.S."--which sounds like shutdowns and layoffs to us, but given the fact that no deal's been struck, that's getting the cart before the horse.”

Technorati Tags: Pharmaceuticals,Generic Drugs

Rumor mill: Teva mulling $7.5B deal for Barr - FiercePharma

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LabCorp Takes Over as 23andMe's Genotyping Service Provider

Last month several Genomics companies received warning letters from the State of California and were told they needed to be licensed.  23andMe, which is an offshoot of Google may have a potential solution on the dilemma of the licensing issue with working with LabCorp,  one of the largest labs in the US. 

Until issues are resolved, you can perhaps explore genomics in Second Life until then.  You can also read more here about the National Genetics Institute, a subsidiary of LabCorp. LabCorp already has a pretty large stake invested in the genomics business.  BD

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - Although 23andMe is keeping mum on which contract laboratory it is using to conduct its DTC genomic testing services, GenomeWeb Daily News has learned that Laboratory Corporation of America is providing the necessary genotyping services for the personal genomics company. “I can confirm that we are doing lab work for 23andMe,” Eric Lindblom, LabCorp’s senior vice president for investor and media relations, told GWDN.

Lindblom also noted that LabCorp is CLIA licensed in California and New York, the two states that recently warned 23andMe, along with several other personal genomics firms, to stop marketing genetic tests directly to consumers. One of the reasons cited by regulators was that the consumer genomics firms were not licensed in these states to provide laboratory services.

Technorati Tags: LabCorp,Genomics,DNA,Labs,Genetics

http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148241-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

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Can we have our tomatoes back? Ask the FDA

  They are rotting on the vines and even though never associated with the recent salmonella scare, they are included under the embargo.  They are calling for a closer working connection as well with the FDA and Department of Agriculture.   Where do we stand with the “attack of the killer tomatoes”?  BD 

IRVINE, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Western Growers' President and CEO Tom Nassif sent a letter yesterday to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach urging him to make a strong public announcement that all tomatoes grown in the United States, regardless of variety, are safe to eat. "Although tomatoes in California were never associated with this outbreak our growers are suffering," wrote Nassif in the letter. "Some have left fruit to rot on the vine. Others have disced their tomatoes into the ground. The market is suppressed and demand is low. Exporters are having great difficulties selling to overseas markets.

Technorati Tags: FDA,Tomatoes

Western Growers Asks FDA Commissioner to Lift Tomato Consumption Advisory - MarketWatch

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FDA comes under Congress scanner over Ranbaxy issue as well as the Department of Justice..

Congress and the Department of Justice now join the inquiry about the FDA actions investigating the alleged falsification of test records.  This is where joint committees could also stand to shed some light here as both Australia and the UK are working with the FDA in reference to drug factories in China and India.  As the Congressional investigation continues this certainly sets a real precedence to keep active inspections alive and going at all times as it stands to endanger the safety of lives with those taking the generic drugs.

I certainly hope this is not the case, but the “economic decisions” of what happened in China with the Heparin scandal still remain fresh in my mind and I’m sure others may render the same feelings when it comes to drug safety.  BD 

NEW YORK: The US drug regulator FDA, which has charged Ranbaxy with selling unsafe medicines in the country, has come under the Congress  scanner and will be probed for its conduct in approving the Indian pharma major's products and other potential violations in the matter. A Congressional Committee has said that it would examine Ranbaxy's drug approvals in the US and potential violations of manufacturing regulations, a media report said. Besides, the House Energy and Commerce Committee would also "look at why the FDA continued to approve medicines made by the company and allow shipments into the US while it was questioning Ranbaxy's manufacturing processes," the Star Ledger newspaper reported.

Technorati Tags: FDA,Generic Drugs,Pharma,Congress

FDA comes under Congress scanner over Ranbaxy issue- Policy-Economy-News-The Economic Times

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Medical Device Pioneer Pluromed Le Goo- Controls bleeding during surgery to clamp without a clamp

The process is approved and in use in Europe and awaiting trial results and FDA approval for the US.  An actual procedure with a open heart surgery use can be seen here.  Private investors have recently contributed financing for the product.  BD 

Pluromed's lead product, LeGoo" temporary vascular occluder, is already approved for human use in Europe. Vogel summarizes the feedback he is getting from European surgeons using LeGoo" in their clinical practice as follows: "For years, surgeons have been looking for a simpler,

atraumatic method to control bleeding during surgery, but it simply didn't exist... Now, with LeGoo, surgeons can "clamp" without a clamp, using a phase-changing liquid/gel. No more squeezing and pressurizing, and thus no more fear of damaging fragile or calcified blood vessels. LeGoo" has the potential to revolutionize the practice of surgery." Proceeds from the Series B funding will be used to continue clinical and marketing studies in Europe and Canada, where the company has products approved for human use, and to further the FDA approval process in the United States.

Technorati Tags: Medical Devices,Surgery,Open Heart Surgery,Healthcare

Medical Device Pioneer Pluromed Closes $4M Series B Financing

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Wasp Knife Injects Compressed Gas To Fatally Freeze Victim's Organs – Healthcare alert for the ER

This is just downright scary, but thought it was definitely worth a mention as a victim could show up in the ER as a victim of a weapon of this sort.  It freezes tissues and organs and can lead to death.  BD 

http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/wasp-knife-injects-compressed-gas-to-fatally-freeze-victims-organs/#comments

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Association Between Genetic Variation And Antidepressant Treatment Response Replicated By New Study – Personalized Medicine…

Personalized Medicine study to determine which series of antidepressant medications would the selected choice.  FKBP5 is a gene that codes for a protein that influences the molecular actions of a class of stress hormones.  For more information watch a video here on how personalized medicine is evolving and what it means to you.  BD 

Pharmacogenetics, the study of genetic variation that influences an individual's response to drugs, is an important and growing focus in all of medical research, including psychiatry.

 Association Between Genetic Variation And Antidepressant Treatment Response Replicated By New Study

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Approval For Wireless Transmitter That Monitors Implanted Cardiac Devices

St. Jude has also been working with the Microsoft HealthVault folks to incorporate information in to personal health records.  View prior post here.  The information can also be imported in to electronic medical records through a software interface.  

The information goes from the implantable device to EHRs and PHRs and all that is needed is a live Internet connection.  BD

St. Jude Medical has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Merlin@home transmitter, an RF wireless technology that remotely monitors patients’ implanted cardiac devices. The transmitter supports the St. Jude Medical Current RF and Promote RF family of devices and works in conjunction with the St. Jude Medical data management system, Merlin.net Patient Care Network (PCN), to provide complete remote care service for patients and their physicians. 

The Merlin@home transmitter is transportable and can be set-up wherever a standard phone line is available, typically by the bedside for data transmission while the patient sleeps. Data downloaded by the Merlin@home transmitter is sent to Merlin.net PCN, a secure, Internet-based data management system, where it is stored for review by the patient’s physician.

Technorati Tags: Medical Devices,FDA,Healthcare,St. Jude,Wireless Healthcare

http://www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk/wh/news/wk30-08-0005.htm

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Sound Way To A Sound Heart

According to the article, the use of a wireless computer can help with analyzing a heartbeat normally heard with a stethoscope and create more detailed readings and explanations.  BD  

A disturbing percentage of medical graduates cannot properly diagnose heart conditions using a stethoscope, the researchers explain, and the poor sensitivity of the human ear to low frequency heart sounds makes this task even more difficult. The automatic classification of heart sounds based on Ari and Saha's technique could remedy these failings.

The analysis thus produces a signal based on twenty five different sound qualities and variables, which can then be fed into a computer-based classification system. The classification uses an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a Grow and Learn (GAL) network. These are trained with standardized sounds associated with a specific diagnosis.

Sound Way To A Sound Heart

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Radio Shack and Select Medical pay $1.5 million to settle ID theft claims

One cure for this:  Shred!  It’s hard to beleive that this is still happening with paper records not being shredded, one persons’s garbage is another’s treasure.  BD

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced today that two companies have agreed to pay the state a total of nearly $1.5 million for violating laws aimed at curbing identity theft. Fort Worth-based Radio Shack and Select Medical Corp. of Pennsylvania were charged with violating state laws about properly disposing of customer records that could be used by identity thieves, Mr. Abbott said.

RadioShack and Select Medical pay $1.5 million to settle ID theft claims | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Regional News

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Advocating a Treatment, but Denied Access to It

Working for the biotech company didn’t help this women get access for her son, even though she was one of their biggest fans and promoters, now she’s on the other side, suing as she stated her son would be given access to the trial.  She is appealing for a compassionate use provision.  The attending pediatrician is behind her as well and states it could possibly save her son’s life. 

When her son was still able to walk the company officials said not to enroll him in a preliminary 28-day study to determine if the drug had any effect at all, and a later enrollment would be an option.  Who gets access and who does not?  BD 

She also says she worked on behalf of PTC Therapeutics, the biotechnology company that is developing what she thinks is the most promising treatment for a genetic mutation aimed at about 15 percent of the boys with Duchenne. Many of the boys and young men who have the disease — it is nearly always a male condition — do not live past their 20s.

Because Jacob is no longer walking, he is not eligible for the clinical trial under way, which involves about 165 patients. And the company says it will not provide the experimental compound, PTC124, to any boy who is not involved in one of the drug’s studies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/business/17dystrophy.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1216278051-lKPgjcNrdhy3AT9xPCWaTw

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U.S. still flunks healthcare test, group says

We do lead in spending though, but the rest of the results were not real attractive and dropped down 2 points from 2006.  The one big plus was the reduction of blood pressure in the survey.  Efficiency was 53 because minimal use of information technology, and high insurance administrative costs, and a couple other items.  Lack of electronic records and insurance are biting us even on the global scale.  BD 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries, a report released on Thursday said.  Americans squander money on wasteful administrative costs, illnesses caused by medical error and inefficient use of time, the report from the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund concluded.

U.S. still flunks healthcare test, group says - Yahoo! News

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New Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payment Rates

The new updates from Medicare, sounds like another 10 days before the ball gets rolling and contractors will need to reprocess some claims, did you get all of this?  BD 

The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 was enacted on July 15, 2008.  As a result, the mid-year 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rate of -10.6 percent has been replaced with a 0.5 percent update, retroactive to July 1, 2008.    

Physicians, non-physician practitioners and other providers of services paid under the MPFS should begin to receive payment at the 0.5 % update rates in approximately 10 business days, or less.  Medicare contractors are currently working to update their payment system with the new rates.

In the meantime, to avoid a disruption to the payment of claims for physicians, non-physician practitioners and other providers of services paid under the MPFS, Medicare contractors will continue to process the claims that have been on hold on a rolling basis (first in/first out) for payment at the -10.6% update level.  After your local contractor begins to pay claims at the new 0.5% rate, to the extent possible, the contractor will begin to automatically reprocess any claims paid at the lower rates.  

Under the Medicare statute, Medicare pays the lower of submitted charges or the Medicare fee schedule amount.  Claims with dates of service July 1 and later billed with a submitted charge at least at the level of the January 1 – June 30, 2008, fee schedule amount will be automatically reprocessed.  Any lesser amount will require providers to contact their local contractor for direction on obtaining adjustments.  Non-participating physicians who submitted unassigned claims at the reduced nonparticipation amount also will need to request an adjustment.

Contractor websites are being updated with the new rates and these should be available shortly.Be aware that any published MLN Matters articles affected by the new law will be revised or rescinded as appropriate. Finally, be on the alert for more information about other legislative provisions which may affect you.

Further instructions regarding other provisions of MIPPA will be forthcoming.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/

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Drugs industry protecting 'morally unacceptable' patent system

Thomas Pogge, Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs at Yale University in the United States to speak out on reform with the pharmaceutical industry on July 17th in the UK with a new proposal and business model proposition called the Health Impact Fund in the interest of protecting human rights.  It would be deemed to be a global agency to reward patentees of new medicines and annual payments based on the impact the drug has to global health.  I’m sure there will be much to say, since this would propose uprooting the current method of practice that has been in place for years.  AstraZeneca is sponsoring the lecture.  BD 

In his AstraZeneca-sponsored lecture entitled, 'Advanced Medicines: Must We Exclude the Global Poor?', Pogge will propose an alternative licensing system called the Health Impact Fund (HIF) which he says is "required as an add-on to the existing system to render it human-rights compliant". The HIF would be a global agency, says Pogge, underwritten by governments. It would offer to reward the patentee of any new medicine, during its first decade or so, with annual payments proportional to this medicine's demonstrated global health impact.

Technorati Tags: Pharmaceuticals,Drugs,Patents

Drugs industry protecting 'morally unacceptable' patent system

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House Atwitter Over Rules Governing Video, Blog Posts

The debate continues with the separation of what is official and what is campaign related material.  No doubt this will be a debated issue for a while.  One thing about the Internet though is that everything is absolutely trackable, so one move in a wrong direction is recorded almost forever, so that means content on the web is there for everyone and anyone to see and hear, thus personal responsibility is key. 

I did tune in to the Town Hall meeting, just being curious and to see how it would work and  it was handled just as a phone call would have been, except it was live and had video, nothing out of the realm of a Congressman reaching out to constituents.  Having not been for Twitter and the notice, I would have not been aware of the broadcast, and the same today with Senator Obama, getting a Twitter notice to watch a broadcast whereby health issues and security were being addressed. 

Again, I think if anyone were out of bounds, there’s going to be many permanent records of it, thus those choosing to communicate in this fashion will exercise professionalism.  I personally enjoyed the meeting and wished more members would choose this manner of communication to reach out the citizens of the US and keep us informed.  Myself, I’m wondering if HIPAA will include some guidelines related to Twittering someday (grin).  BD 

WASHINGTON —  Texas Rep. John Culberson uses his Blackberry to post blurbs about his work onto Twitter, a social networking site on the Internet. The Internet has set him free from unfair media reports and other barriers between him and his constituents, enabling him to better represent them in Congress, he says.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,383444,00.html

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$2 million computer will help unravel major medical ailments at Johns Hopkins…

With this I learned a new word for my vocabulary, “petabyte” which is equivalent  to 1 quadrillion bytes or 1,000 terabytes, 1,024 gigabytes of data equals 1 terabyte.  In short, that’s a lot of data space.  Right now many linked computers across domains are used and it can be time consuming, so the data storage capabilities will help speed up the research process.  This is the first of a clustered system to exploit power for biomedical research in healthcare.  BD  

A federal grant will allow Johns Hopkins researchers to purchase a powerful $2 million computer that will speed up their efforts to find new ways to diagnose and treat brain disease, heart illnesses, cancer and other medical ailments. The Institute for Computational Medicine, based at Johns Hopkins' Homewood campus in Baltimore, will receive one of the 20 High-End Instrumentation Grants for 2008 awarded by the National Center for Research Resources, a part of the National Institutes of Health. The one-time grants, announced today, are awarded to support the purchase of sophisticated equipment costing more than $750,000, machines with the potential to impact a wide range of biomedical research. The $2 million grant to the Johns Hopkins institute was the maximum amount allowed for any single project.

$2 million computer will help unravel major medical ailments

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Miami Genome Center to Use GeneGo's Biomarker Software

Universities investing in genomics software for research and training.  BD 

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – The University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine will use GeneGo’s MetaCore software through the company’s Center of Excellence program.

Under the agreement, scientists at the school, including the Miami Institute for Human Genomics, will have access to the software. The Center of Excellence also will train researchers in using GeneGo’s products, the company said today. 

The company’s MetaCore 4.7 software is used by drug researchers to help target, identify, and validate biomarkers for disease states and toxicology.

http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/148211-1.html

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San Francisco IT worker arrested in hijacking of city network

Even inside IT, things can go haywire. 

This sounds like it was an extreme case of “desk rage” 

Many organizations are creating new positions just to help and listen, in other words someone who will listen and perhaps offer some kind words to defuse and keep a situation from growing worse to help create a better working environment, and the tech side of things is right up there, the first item on the list as as matter of fact in many areas.  BD

Childs, who has worked for the city for five years, is accused of tampering with the new Fiber Wide Area Network after allegedly being disciplined for poor performance. He is accused of electronically spying on his supervisors and their attempt to fire him, according to authorities.

San Francisco IT worker arrested in hijacking of city network | News - Security - CNET News

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Thank You For Smoking On International Flights

This is wild, what comes first, money from sales and advertising or the promotion of good health…go figure.  It appears you can buy, but still no smoking on the aircraft.  BD

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is concerned that Qantas has reintroduced tobacco sales on board its international flights. The sale of tobacco products will begin at the end of July. Despite restrictions preventing Qantas from advertising cigarettes in the on-board shopping catalogue, the airline is allowed to display these products on the duty-free trolley in the cabin.

Technorati Tags: Healthcare,Smoking,Quantas

Thank You For Smoking On International Flights

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Nephrologist Quits Medicine to Blog Full-Time

 Does he blog about healthcare, heck no, he blogs about MACS…maybe this should tell me something here. (grin) .  His blog has been around for 8 years though, so he is well established and healthcare is a niche topic as far as blogging topics are concerned, but I think we are picking up ground quickly.  BD 

Health and medicine might not be as popular online topics as technology and entertainment. While highly interesting and engaging within focused communities, there might not be enough traffic to support a lot of big health properties. Which in turn makes it unlikely that we will see many physicians quitting their practices to pursue medical blogging or other Internet projects.

Technorati Tags: Blogging,Healthcare,Physician

Nephrologist Quits Medicine to Blog Full-Time: Personal vs. Professional Use of Social Media | Trusted.MD Network

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Healthvision Targets Canadian Market with healthcare integration company…

Resellers and Consultants are also in the merging and buy out business in health care. Healthvision currently resells for AllScripts and NextGen Healthcare solutions.  BD 

Health care integration services firm Healthvision has signed a definitive agreement to acquire most of the assets of MediSolution Ltd., a Quebec-based vendor of health information systems for provider organizations in Canada. Terms of the acquisition, which do not include MediSolution’s blood bank or research product lines, were not disclosed.

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/acquisition26628-1.html?CMP=OTC-RSS&user_id=120588

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Update: Intel FDA Approved Home Care System…

This video gives a littler closer look at the device recently approved by the FDA and can be found on Channel Intel on You Tube.   The FDA also has some beneficial videos on their channel on You Tube as well, look for the links in the resources column at the blog.

The device will be going through some test pilots before it becomes commercially available later this year.  It is one of 2 recently FDA approved devices from Intel.  BD 

FDA Approves Intel Home-Care Touch Screen Device This is not where you usually see the Intel name associated with FDA approvals, but they are working on their own device to be used in the home to collect data from a imagemultitude of medical devices, and will send it over the web to medical facilities monitoring patient vitals. BD The chip maker said it received FDA clearance for Intel Health Guide, a set of technologies that includes a special-purpose touchscreen computer. The system is to be attached to medical devices, including blood-pressure monitors, glucose meters and weight scales, to gather data that is sent over the Internet to medical professionals.

Technorati Tags: Intel,FDA,Healthcare,Medical Devices

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/07/fda-approves-intel-home-care-touch.html

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