FDA Met with Painkiller Pharma Companies to Deal With Abuse To Develop Risk Management Plans

Wait a minute, don’t these same companies have business models to sell painkillers?  As you can see pharma suggested more education, which is always a good thing and there has been talk along with one company submitting a reformulated version of a drug to the FDA for approval.  Pharma no doubtedly will offer help and add suggestions, but don’t touch that business model that generates profits for us.  If you are not part of a solution then you could very well be part of the problem so pharma is of course a participant here.  Granted pain killers can’t be removed from the market as there are short term use and some long term use that is needed.  If you have ever gone under the knife or had some major dental work done, you know what I am talking about as aspirin and Tylenol for a a few days won’t cut it. 

I have had pain killers for both dental and surgical procedures to take for a short while afterwards to get through the first couple or 3 days, and after that it seems the need was gone as pain subsided.  Actually I was on the other side of the fence, afraid to take too many and got chewed out by my doctors not to wait until the pain level would build up to where I was in agony.

So doctors have “whack jobs” like me to deal with too on the other side.  My theory of waiting until when I thought the first Vicodin was out of my system before taking another one didn’t hold water in those instances.  It’s been a number of years but I remember the first pill did give me a buzz, but the second one would make me uncomfortable as I felt I started getting lethargic and stupid and felt a bit like a zombie of sorts.  I will say this, the feeling of stress would disappear so I can understand how individuals could get addicted easily, especially if there was something going on in their life where taking a pill could offer some relief.

I don’t know how much more pharma could really do in this area myself as a doctor has to write a prescription based on diagnosis, and there are folks who will pay extra to have a physician cater to their addiction, not that they may want to, but patients also pressure doctors in other ways besides money as well.  We may be a long time on this one, but again education through all channels is the key here, changing some of the ways such pills are prescribed.  I don’t want to see them go away either as if I ever have major surgery again, I may need a few.  I mention this as there was talk to completely remove many from the market and I don’t think we need to go that route.   Science is making strides though with devices that are being able to substitute in some areas instead of pills too but we are not completely there yet as medical devices need to be specifically targeted for the most part, a pill does not and can be prescribed to cover a myriad of pain symptoms and conditions throughout the body.  BD

Representatives of 24 pharmaceutical companies met with representatives of the Food and Drug Administration to try to sort out the current prescription drug abuse problem. This is the first time that the organization has asked drug companies to form a risk-management plan for an entire class of drugs. 5.2 million Americans abuse prescription drugs each year according to a 2007 a survey on the subject. This February 16 companies were asked to come up with risk-management plans for prescription painkillers like morphine, oxycodone, and methadone which through abuse lead to hundreds of lethal overdoses every year.

Executives from Johnson & Johnson and King Pharmaceuticals suggested including patient medication guides, sending letters to doctors and additional physician training, but agency officials said more specific plans are needed to prevent the misuse of prescription painkillers.

FDA Asks Painkiller Makers to Help Prevent Abuse | Testing It Up – Drug & Health Testing News – Test Country Blog

Technorati Tags: pain killers, prescription drugs, FDA, pharma, business models, risk management, heatlhcare, pills, medication

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Study – Men Who Stare At Female Breasts Have Lower Blood Pressure, Better Circulation And Will Live Longer

Don’t you just love studies anymore!  There was actual group of 200 men who participated.  There is not a listing of any females though providing the necessary view so I guess this was looking at any, you think?  The study didn’t appear to define what method of looking so fully clothed and exposed I guess were all in the study results but it did mention “well endowed”.   This study went on for 5 years, so I guess some participants if caught gazing too long had an excuse, you think?  Yeah, right try and pass that one over on me!  Don’t tell me you are trying to reduce you risk of stroke here because I may not be buying here(grin).  

Participants were required to spend a few minutes every day and the results of this study suggest that a man can improve his life expectancy by 4-5 years with this process.  This is really quite funny too with the recommendations here too, that men over 40 should engage in at least 10 minutes a day.  The source here also states this should be published in the New England Journal of Medicine, so would some of my readers here keep a tab on this trinket?   Women, let’s all unite here and come to terms with the fact that we will probably never have a male look at us in eyes again; however the “well endowed” clause may be enough protection for many of us.

I do have to think there might be a study related to female side of this to follow, maybe?  One thing I got out of  reading this study is that the gerontologists are having a lot of fun here so think about that if you are studying for your PHD.  Also just to note, this study does NOT mean you can safely stop taking your blood pressure medicine, I don’t care what the study says. 

You might want to inquire further and possibly make your physician aware of these results and see what he/she has to say after thinking your have lost your mind.  You can refer them back to this post if you like.  It does make me wonder how 10 minutes of this type of activity replaces a 30 minute aerobics work out, and if in fact that is true, gyms all over the world may need to start to worry about the potential of declining membership.  The apparel business could also be hard hit by this change in activity too as the required “gym rat” clothes we all buy could also stand to decline.  BD 

Frankfurt, Germany, December 6 -- A rather bizarre study carried out by German researchers suggests that staring at women's breasts is good for men's health and increases their life expectancy.

According to Dr. Karen Weatherby, a gerontologist and author of the study, gawking at women’s breasts is a healthy practice, almost at par with an intense exercise regime, that prolongs the lifespan of a man by five years.

She added, "Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female, is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out.

Stare at boobs for longer life: Study | TheMedGuru

Technorati Tags: Boobs, blood pressure, circulation, study, New England Journal of Medicine, healthcare, humor, gerontologist, social studies

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U.S. Halts Airlift of Haiti Quake Victims – Dispute Over Cost

Here we go, back to healthcare costs, when helping other countries now too.  Some of the patients airlifted to Florida have insurance, some are eligible and some don’t have insurance.  Florida is struggling with their own hospital costs with taking care of us at present and still taking in patients from Haiti.  HHS said they did not stop the airlifts and that it was the military’s decision. 

Some hospitals have set up their own charities to help out.  Florida seems to be getting the bulk of patients simply due to location, but other hospitals have cared for patients too.  The Governor of Florida has also asked for federal assistance.  People being airlifted are those who need surgery and procedures that can’t be done in Haiti.  Some reports the article states would not accept additional patients until arrangements have been made for compensation.  Also, the National Disaster Medical System needs to be activated to cover costs which would take care of anyone.  Here’s a report on New Orleans for comparison, 4 years later and there’s no replacement or refurbishing Charity Hospital in New Orleans from our own disaster, Hurricane Katrina.  

How Long Does It Take to Get Federal Funds to Rebuild Charity Hospital After the Hurricane – 4 Years

Hopefully this will get resolved, but in the meantime the patients from Haiti are joining the ranks with some of the same battles we have as citizens, will patients from Haiti be taken care of?  Is Miami up to the limit on their budgets and facilities?  Until Congress gets their act together and figures out healthcare we don’t appear to know what we can and can’t afford.  BD   

MIAMI — The United States has suspended its medical evacuations of critically injured Haitian earthquake victims until a dispute over who will pay for their care is settled, military officials said Friday.

The military flights, usually C-130s carrying Haitians with spinal cord injuries, burns and other serious wounds, ended on Wednesday after Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida formally asked the federal government to shoulder some of the cost of the care.

Hospitals in Florida have treated more than 500 earthquake victims so far, the military said, including an infant who was pulled out of the rubble with a fractured skull and ribs. Other states have taken patients, too, and those flights have been suspended as well, the officials said.

Florida officials, meanwhile, said the state’s hospitals had not refused to take more patients. Jeanne Eckes-Roper, the health and medical chairwoman of the domestic security task force for the South Florida region — where the Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 7 — said she had requested only that new patients be taken to other areas of the state, like Tampa.

The Health and Human Services spokeswoman, Gretchen Michael, who works for the assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said the agency was reviewing Mr. Crist’s request for financial assistance. The request would involve activating the National Disaster Medical System, which is usually used in domestic disasters and which pays for victims’ care.

Some of the patients being airlifted from Haiti are American citizens and some are insured or eligible for insurance. But Haitians who are not legal residents of the United States can qualify for Medicaid only if they are given so-called humanitarian parole — in which someone is allowed into the United States temporarily because of an emergency — by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Only 34 people have been given humanitarian parole for medical reasons, said Matthew Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. The National Disaster Medical System, if activated, would cover the costs of caring for patients regardless of their legal status.

In Cost Dispute, U.S. Halts Airlift of Haiti Quake Victims - NYTimes.com

Technorati Tags: Haiti, emergency services, airlift servcies, cost, military, HHS, politics, Florida, hospital, earthquake, healthcare

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Meteorite Part Two – Lawyers Are Involved to Determine Ownership and Smithsonian Has It On Hold

This was a pretty neat story until now, the owners of the building where the doctor’s lease space now claims the meteorite belongs to them and is making plans to recoup the rock from the Smithsonian.  In case you missed the original post here’s the link and there’s a couple videos that tell the story. 

Doctor’s Office Gets Hit By A Meteorite – Nobody Hurt in the Exam Room Where It Landed

It was fully verified by scientists and the local news agency in Virginia took it to the Smithsonian.  It came through the roof and the firewall and pushed ceiling tile into the carpet and into the floor; lucky neither doctor nor patient were in the exam room when it came barreling in.  This was the 4th recorded meteorite to fall in Virginia. 

It moved at 223 miles per hours and it weighs just over a half a pound, not big at all, but one heck of a lot power when arrived.  BD

 

Who is the real owner of the meteorite that crashed into a doctor's office in Lorton, Va.?

The doctor's, not surprisingly, said they are and they handed it over to the Smithsonian.

But the landlords of the building where the doctor's office is said the meteorite belongs to them.

They told the Smithsonian they're coming to take it back.  Right now the Smithsonian says it's holding on to the space junk until ownership is established

Ownership of Meteorite in Question

Technorati Tags: Meteorite, Virgina, Meteor, physician, science, Smithsonian, outer space, earth, doctor, practice, Blue Moon, Legal Suit

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FDA Directs US Marshalls to Seize 77 Ozone Generators – Ozone Medical Devices

The company in October originally refused the request of the FDA not to search the factory and then they returned later to seize the devices.  In some countries this therapy is legal, but not in the United States and the FDA warns against some of the products use due to infections, etc. that could result.  BD 

SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals today seized 77 ozone generators, models AOS-1M and AOS-1MD, from Applied Ozone Systems of Auburn, Calif. The seized goods, which are medical devices, are valued at $75,900.

The FDA advises health care professionals and consumers to discontinue use of these devices, which Applied Ozone Systems claims can treat cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, herpes, and a number of other diseases and conditions. The FDA has not determined that the seized products are safe and effective in treating the diseases or conditions, and officials at Applied Ozone Systems never responded to a Dec. 21, 2009 FDA request for a voluntary recall of these ozone generators.

In addition, the agency is concerned that patients who use these AOS ozone devices as directed by the manufacturer may believe that ozone therapy serves as an appropriate treatment and as a result delay or stop conventional or prescribed effective treatment. There is also a risk of infection from potential contamination of the applicator or catheter.

The FDA inspected Applied Ozone Systems in October 2009 after obtaining an inspection warrant when the owner of the company refused to allow agency staff to inspect the facility. The agency's inspection revealed significant deviations from the FDA's current good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements for medical devices, and confirmed that the company has not obtained FDA marketing approval or clearance for these devices. The unapproved status of these devices and the conditions under which they were manufactured cause them to be adulterated and misbranded.

Today's seizure action was jointly conducted by the FDA and the State of California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch as part of ongoing to efforts to ensure that unapproved medical devices that have not been found to be safe and effective do not enter the marketplace.

United States Seizes Unapproved Ozone Generators -- SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Technorati Tags: Applied Ozone Systems, FDA, recalls, medical devices

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Edwards LifeSciences/Baxter Recalling the Aquarius Hemodialysis System – Software Modification Required

The devices are used on a 24 hour a day basis for patients with life-threatening kidney disease to keep fluid levels even.  This is not a big recall unless it is you or someone you know depending on this device.  As with many of devices today, the problem lies in software and an update is being issued. 

We come back around to users overriding an alarm and continue the therapy, which could result in either too much or too little fluid.  The software alert when changed will only allow a patient to override the settings no more than 5 times in 20 minutes.  There could be something like a kink in the line that would cause this and the user may not see or understand that a kink or perhaps a clamp needs attention and focuses on bypassing the settings with an over ride.  In having written software myself and trying to anticipate every move or change a user can make is difficult. The FDA has a page but there is no information as now available but will be posted when available.  BD

Irvine-based Edwards Lifesciences Corp. is working with its former parent on the recall of a medical device that traded hands between the pair last year.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it recalled the Aquarius Hemodialysis system, which is owned and distributed by Baxter International Inc.

Regulators said they issued a Class I recall, its most severe action, after reports of clinically significant fluid imbalance and the potential for patients to repeatedly override an imbalance alarm.

The FDA said that could result in serious injuries or death because of a decrease or increase in circulating blood.

Baxter, based in the Chicago area, said the recall affected fewer than 150 units, and that it would put in a software update to solve the problem at the end of the current quarter.

Edwards sold Aquarius and other devices that help patients with malfunctioning kidneys to Baxter last year for $65 million as part of Edwards' focus on its mainstay heart valves.

Orange County Business Journal Online

Technorati Tags: Edwards Life Sciences, Baxter, Aquarius Hemodialysis, dialysis, kidney disease, FDA, recalls

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Do Algorithms Run Your Life – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Commits $10 Billion for Vaccine Research Over the Next 10 Years To Use Them Wisely And Save Lives – Davos 2010

This is a double hit here today from the Davos World Economic Forum.  They are discussing which Algorithms are running our lives, check out the meaning of the word here on the blog, it’s smack dab in the center if you don’t know what these are!  Microsoft was built on them and so are so many of the decision we make today inside and outside healthcare.  Mr. Gates wouldn’t be sitting where he is today without those algorithms:)

In short, algorithmic processes are here to stay and we need to learn how to live with this process and educate ourselves on where they can benefit, like the creation of life saving drugs for one, and on the other hand be aware of algorithms for greed only, both kinds are out there, so be alert and read up.  Everyone somewhat has maybe laughed or not quite understood this process, but let’s face it, they are on the agenda of DAVOS with world leaders talking about them, think it’s time to tune in? 

Be sure to visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation page to watch a video on how their donation will help research.  Public/Private partnerships are an important part of why the project will be a success.   Research and cures depend on technology and algorithmic formulas to find the answers, so the right algorithms can be your best friend and treat or cure your disease.  The Gates are asking for the commitment of the global community to help in the cause.  Vaccines are the focus and they way to save lives.  Algorithms have been kind to Bill Gates for sure and now the knowledge contained and well as generous donations are being shared for the betterment of human kind.  Under the related section below are a few other past posts on what the foundation is doing and has committed to.  BD 

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Bill and Melinda Gates announced today that their foundation will commit $10 billion over the next 10 years to help research, develop and deliver vaccines for the world’s poorest countries.

The Gates said that increased investment in vaccines by governments and the private sector could help developing countries dramatically reduce child mortality by the end of the decade, and they called for others to help fill critical financing gaps in both research funding and childhood immunization programs. 

“We must make this the decade of vaccines,” said Bill Gates. “Vaccines already save and improve millions of lives in developing countries. Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before.”

Bill and Melinda Gates made their announcement at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, where they were joined by Julian Lob-Levyt, CEO of the GAVI Alliance. 

Many of the recent advances in vaccine development and delivery have been driven by public-private partnerships such as the GAVI Alliance and the Rotavirus Vaccine Program at PATH, which coordinate the resources and expertise of vaccine companies, donors, UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, and developing countries. Mr. Gates said these partnerships are “transforming the business of vaccines.”

Bill and Melinda Gates Pledge $10 Billion in Call for Decade of Vaccines | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Former US NIH Director Joins the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Technorati Tags: Bill and Medinda Gates Foundation, Vaccines, Algorithms, cures, GAVI alliance, healthcare, innovation, research and development, humanity, philanthropy, Davos, World Economic Forum

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Pee Wee Gets an IPAD (Video)

More IPad humor, great video!  He’s confused a bit on the female version.  BD

 

Technorati Tags: Ipad, Humor, Pee Wee, technology, need a laugh, Apple

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Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program – 1.2 Million for 29 Hospitals

Additional hospitals were added this year to include hospitals in Philadelphia and Denver.  If I were running a hospital, this might be something I would look into and apply for to help those who need to travel for healthcare procedures and treatments!  The program has been in existence for 3 years now and is growing.  This is a nationwide campaign and more can be read here.  The M.D. Cancer Center patients have shared some letters of appreciation in Houston who have used the program.  BD 

DALLAS, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines announced today that nearly 30 hospitals and charities from across the nation will be participants in its Medical Transportation Grant Program this year. Southwest is proud to announce the Company has increased its giving by 23 percent in 2010, the program's third year. In total, the airline will donate $1.2 million in transportation to 29 medical organizations who then provide tickets to patients and family members in need. The grant list includes 11 hospitals and three medical transportation charities that assist patients nationwide. This year, Southwest has added hospitals in Philadelphia and Denver. To see a full list of recipients, please visit: www.southwest.com/cares.

Southwest Airlines Announces Recipients of its 2010 Medical Transportation Grant Program -- DALLAS, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Technorati Tags: Southwest Airlines, Grants, medical transportation, healthcare, hospitals, Medical transportation grant, donations, patients

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Little Progress on Fighting Healthcare Fraud – Look At Who’s Getting the Anti-Fraud Contracts

Health Insurance and preventing fraud need to work together and you almost need some non profit organizations to have this be successful and truly look out for the consumer interest.  What are we doing here, awarding contracts to companies that have created a backlog of legal court cases and potentially misrepresented themselves, to contribute to the fact that progress is moving at a snail’s pace with anti fraud solutions?   How can a company that is traded on the open market have the consumer interest at heart, or perhaps I should say as a top priority, the shareholders are the top priority and there’s no stroke of genius required to figure that out.  This appears to be a part of the problem and adds to the escalating cost of healthcare. 

One prime example that has been in the news for years and has a ton of lawsuits in court is the case of the corrupted Ingenix data base, where the Attorney General of New York brought this to light.  This data base was used for 8-9 years to calculate out of network customary charges, not only for their own claims (United) but all the other major carriers subscribed to it as well and now it is going to be revamped to be run by a non profit, and yet the company secures contract with hospitals and government entities to fight fraud?  Remember, shareholder profits come first, so if there’s some money to be saved here it comes after priority #1 has been satisfied.  I’m only connecting dots here with multitudes of articles that have been posted for a number of years.  Ingenix is the technology arm of United Healthcare and puts more money to the bottom line today than selling policies.  

“Fair Database” to Replace Unfair Ingenix Data Base – Run by Non Profit ...

Ingenix Data Base Has Some Long Reaching Legal Tentacles with Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Humana

So how can a “for profit” company who’s #1 loyalty is to shareholders provide a non-bias picture?  Certainly from the technology side they have spent time and money creating the very complicated and substantial algorithmic codes to “score” and look for signs of fraud via claim processing, but remember there are algorithmic codes for profit that fit in here too. The company also makes a ton of revenue selling your medication records for underwriting, so by seeing if you are for example taking Lipitor, the underwriter might interpret your risk factor as being higher as this medication indicates you may have some cholesterol issues, right?  Why else would you be taking the medication, again connecting dots for dollars.  There are other companies that provide such anti fraud services, and a few have been purchased by Ingenix, so kind of the same stuff we are looking at as far as fair competition here with insurance and we know there will be more mergers and acquisitions to come. 

The State of Washington uses their services to prevent fraud.  It was just in June of this year that HealthNet decided to stop using the out of network Ingenix claims data base, so again many of the major insurers were all using this as their guideline.  One more example, we have Sutter Hospital using their services to help with business intelligence decisions, again it’s the algorithms here for profit at work.  These are just a few examples and I’m sure the number of contracts out there goes way beyond what I have cited here. 

How does these algorithms work? A group of dermatology offices within 5 days had every carrier stop honoring their claims, and this was for services already provided by doctors to patients.  They were “scored”.  Algorithmic formulas detected potential “fraud” through automated processing and the word was sent out to every carrier on the list, so in 5 days, the money stopped coming in.  I don’t have the current details on the progress but the physicians offices said the decisions came from the special investigations unit of Ingenix and they believe they were singled out due to a high number of claims, again it’s those algorithms that are in use to detect and score.  This is a pretty ugly situation and pitted doctors against patients and is now of course in court and adds more cost with legal expenses in southern California and affected offices from Beverly Hills down to San Diego with refusals to pay for skin cancer and acne treatments.  Scoring claims can be a contributing factor to claims being denied and we truly want to identify fraud; however, are these scoring algorithms designed for fraud detection or profit and which one comes first?  

Skins game With Dermatology Offices in California – All Insurance Carriers Quit Paying For Treatment Within a 5 Day Period

EHR/EMR software companies go to great lengths and expense to certify that their software works and aggregates data with patient medical records; however, on the other side of the coin, when it comes to payments, I have not heard or seen a case where an insurer can certify their payment algorithms to be correct and pay the appropriate amounts, as a matter of fact how would they do that with stock holders wanting their dollars first?  Is this something we should look at and create an agency to certify that they too as well as the software vendors are following a regulatory procedure? 

“Department of Algorithms – Do We Need One of These to Regulate Upcoming Laws?

One group of doctors took them to court and won in New Jersey over the out of network customary charges, in December of 2009. 

HealthNet Algorithms – When Do they Prevent Fraud and When Do They Cross the Line and Not Pay Out – Court Case Where the MDs Win

In summary the question here is can a for profit company, traded on the stock exchange, be a solution to efficiently help prevent fraud when stockholder profits are the #1 priority?  I’m sure there are a few others out there who might fit into this same category as well, so perhaps taking a look at who gets the contracts and where their interests lie, and again consider some non profits in here too, might make some real inroads to helping prevent fraud without using algorithmic scores to hinder those who “might” have some false positives identified in their claims based on the formulas used.  This stands to certainly add to the cost of healthcare through over taxing the legal system to investigate and find out if whether or not it is fraud or just the algorithms creating false positives, and of course who suffers the most, the doctors and the patients. 

Algorithmic formulas are used for profit and you need to look no further than Wall Street and read up on what Goldman Sachs had done for a very visible example, and this continues to flourish in all areas of business, again just spending a little time today connecting some dots and questioning how we determine who’s contracts are in the overall interest of preventing fraud and providing better healthcare.  I believe non profits might stand a pretty good shot at entering into this arena.  BD

 

WASHINGTON — Two years after the federal government started its latest push to crack down on Medicare fraud, the number of people charged with ripping off health care insurers has barely changed, Justice Department records show.

That effort comes at a critical time, because the White House and lawmakers are hoping to use savings from anti-fraud measures in the government-run health plan to help pay for health care legislation. Fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion a year, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday.

Little progress seen against health insurance fraud - USATODAY.com

Technorati Tags: healthcare, fraud, Ingenix, United Heatlhcare, HealthNet, algorithms, non profit, shareholders, Wall Street, false positives, contracts, healthcare reform, technology, EHR, EMR, claims

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Technology in Use at El Camino Hospital – Mountain View, CA (Video)

When it comes to using technology and having a facility that has all the modern conveniences, who wouldn’t want to work here if you are on the clinical side of healthcare.  This is another view of how things operate and what I like seeing is the robot, making deliveries to the nurses station.  In addition, look at the operating room commitment to interventional procedures, 5 surgical rooms.

I have posted here about El Camino a few times with their brand new facility up and working, complete with a genomics center and they also used Microsoft Amalga during the H1N1 Swine flu time period to allow us to track and see where cases were being reported.

Also with the use of technology in the ICU, at the end of the beds is a monitor that translates for the doctor and staff, so if the patient does not speak English, doctor talks and patient hears it in their language.  This video has captured some great examples on showing how it works, in other words seeing it in actions versus just reading about it, so you can see the automated biometric check in, the robots moving and staff communicating and more. 

 Of course there’s a view of the Da Vinci Robot, and the facilities director explains how much of the technology, like wireless, lives in the ceilings and the walls, thus you don’t see as many devices sitting around.  The hospital is quiet too, that was achieved with special design as well.  The link below has another video with additional birds eye views of additional technology use.  BD   

Patients at El Camino Hospital Check in with Biometric Authentication – Patient Security

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (KGO) -- It was promised to be the hospital of the future and now that it is up and running, the new El Camino hospital facility in Mountain View is employing a complex mix of high technology and new innovation. 

Strolling into El Camino Hospital in Mountain View these days is a bit like stepping into the future. It is a place where nurses and staff are linked together with Star Trek-like communicators.

El Camino Hospital filled with new technology seems futuristic - 1/26/10 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com

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Technorati Tags: Health IT, Technology, healthcare, Silicon Valley, El Camino Hospital, earthquakes, hospital, speech recognition, Amalga, California, wireless, Microsoft, interventional procedure

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Oregon Has a State Lottery – Holds Annual Drawing to Add More to the State Medicaid Plan

This is how one state handles allowing enrolling in the State Medicaid program as there’s not enough money to go around for all who qualify.  States are all wresting with covering the costs for Medicaid and the practice in Oregon is different than most.  There are still many more who qualify.  BD

Low income Oregonians can sign up for a Feb. 1 drawing to get medical insurance coverage under Oregon Health Plan, the state's Medicaid plan.
The state has enough funding to add up to 35,000 more adults 19 to 64 to the health insurance plan. That's a small fraction of the estimated 140,000 Oregonians whose incomes qualify for the plan. But the state doesn't have enough money to enroll everyone who would qualify, so it selects new plan members at random from a pool who have put their names in the running.

State lottery for health insurance approaches | Health & Fitness News - OregonLive.com

Technorati Tags: Oregon, Medicaid, healthcare reform, Lottery, Oregon Health Plan, Budget

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UCLA Cancer Researchers Sequence Complete Brain Cancer Cell Line

This is a large breakthrough in the fact that new drugs can be designed and perhaps less toxic to attack specific targets.  As mentioned this study will appear in PLos Genetics journal.  Look at the computing power here, as the article states results were analyzed more than a billion times. 

As the press release additionally states, this is going to potentially move some research in new directions and help predict the potential return of cancer, as well as further personalized medicine for specific cancer treatments.  The research was a combination of NIH funding and private philanthropy.  BD   

Press Release: 

Researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have performed the first complete genomic sequencing of a brain cancer cell line, a discovery that may lead to personalized treatments based on the unique biological signature of an individual’s cancer and a finding that may unveil new molecular targets for which more effective and less toxic drugs can be developed.

The study also may lead to new and better ways to monitor for brain cancer recurrence, allowing for much earlier diagnosis and treatment when the cancer returns. Clinicians also could use the finding to develop a test to determine when the brain cancer has been killed, preventing overtreatment with harmful drugs that can later cause debilitating health problems.

Using the latest technology, the sequencing was done in less than a month and cost about $35,000. By comparison, the sequencing of the human genome took years, required huge teams of scientists and cost more than $1 billion, said Dr. Stan Nelson, a professor of human genetics, a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior author of the study.

“This is very exciting because we, as scientists, can now move forward with revealing complete cancer genomes,” said Nelson, who directs the cancer center’s Gene Expression Shared Resource. “Cancer is at its heart a genetic disease. Cancer cells have acquired mutations that allow them to invade tissues and to not live by the normal rules. The changes from normal (mutations) that have given the cancer these special properties are encoded in DNA, and the entire DNA sequence has just been too complex and costly to decode until now.”

The study appears in the Jan. 29, 2009 issue of PLoS Genetics, a peer-reviewed journal of the Public Library of Science.

The sequencing was done on a much studied glioblastoma cell line called U87, which is being used in more than a dozen UCLA cancer laboratories and studied in more than 1,000 laboratories worldwide, Nelson said. They picked the cell line, he said, because it has been so thoroughly examined. The sequencing will allow scientists who have studied the cell line to reinterpret their findings and may prompt researchers to move in new directions going forward.

The sequencing revealed virtually all potentially cancer-causing chromosomal translocations and genetic deletions and mutations that may have resulted in this cancer’s development. The study involved taking the very long strands of genetic material from the cancer cells and sheering them, or cutting them up randomly. Billions of different DNA fragments from this cancer were simultaneously read with next generation sequencing technology. The genetic material was analyzed more than a billion times to ensure the results would be both highly sensitive and accurate, Nelson said.

“This was the most thorough sequencing analysis of an individual cancer cell line that has been performed to date,” Nelson said. “We developed specific informatics tools to help with the analysis and used the most powerful technology available. As scientists, we previously didn’t know most of the mutations that occur within a given cancer – we’re blind to them. Now this new technology allows us to look at every single cancer and decode that cancer genome completely so there’s no chance we’re missing a mutation that may be causing the disease.”

Knowing the genes that are mutated and driving the cancer’s growth could allow clinicians to choose therapies most suited to attack the specific molecular signature of that patient’s disease to provide more effective treatment. The sequencing also could reveal a molecular abnormality that is driving the cancer, unveiling a target that could lead to the development of new therapies that home in on cancer cells and leave the healthy cells alone.

Patient-specific diagnostics also could be developed to monitor for cancer recurrence, Nelson said.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if a cancer is coming back or if what you’re seeing is scar tissue,” Nelson said. “Scientists could develop a sensitive molecular assay that looks for a unique mutation found only in the cancer cells and not in the healthy cells. If that mutation is found by the assay, the cancer has returned and patients could be promptly treated when the recurrence is at its earliest stage and easiest to treat. Conversely, such an assay could be used to determine when the cancer has been effectively eliminated and it’s safe to discontinue what are harmful treatments.”

Just that one simple assay, Nelson said, would have an amazing impact on how cancers are treated.

“Oncologists would be able to know, definitively, when they can stop giving chemotherapy because it’s no longer needed or when they have to resume chemotherapy because the cancer has returned,” he said.

Nelson and his team created a web site where researchers can access and retrieve the sequencing data for use in their own experiments, a sort of mini human genome project. Nelson believes sequencing all cancer genomes will result in a significant paradigm shift in the way cancers are treated.

The team of scientists within Nelson’s lab has set up a process at UCLA to sequence other cancer cell lines in a highly accurate and cost effective way. His goal is to be able to sequence a patient’s individual cancer and turn the data around quickly enough to provide oncologists with the information they need to make immediate treatment decisions.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and private philanthropy.

UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment and education. One of the nation's largest comprehensive cancer centers, the Jonsson center is dedicated to promoting research and translating basic science into leading-edge clinical studies. In July 2009, the Jonsson Cancer Center was named among the top 12 cancer centers nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it has held for 10 consecutive years. For more information on the Jonsson Cancer Center, visit our website at http://www.cancer.ucla.edu.

 

Technorati Tags: UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center, brain cancer, heatlhcare, genomics, personalized medicine, healthcare, genomes, research and development, DNA, NIH, Oncology

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Why Was Michelle Obama 'embarrassed' by The Standing Ovation As Obesity Program for Children Was Announced

I don’t know if you watched the State of the Union address last night, but here’s my take on why she may have been embarrassed.  If you watched the various cameras were panning the entire room during the entire speech by the President.  Obesity with children is a big problem and kudos to Michelle Obama for taking on the task.

Now why was this maybe an embarrassment?  Going back to the cameras panning the audience, there were enough overweight and semi obese people listening to the President in the House to fill up a clinical trial on weight reduction and battling obesity! 

Ok, so are we examples for the children or are we exempt and allowed to pack on the pounds and tell them not to do that.   As we get older, we all have more trouble taking them off, self included.  So I offer this as my simple explanation on why the embarrassment, when you have a whole room with many over weight and obese, and you are being acknowledged for beginning a program to help children and you look at your surroundings, maybe not much more needs to be said. 

If you read between the lines we have a large group of non participants that are creating laws and supposed to be working in the best interest of the the American public and with the focus on reducing obesity, sitting on a “fat” bottom kind of takes away from being any kind of role model, anyway my 2 cents on this topic. (grin).  BD 

First Lady Michelle Obama received some applause of her own during last night's State of the Union — not for her dress, not for her hair (which, by the way, were both fabulous), but for her efforts to curb childhood obesity in one of the fattest countries on Earth.

As President Obama discussed his plans for health insurance, he paused to acknowledge the First Lady's agenda, gesturing to her and saying:

"I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier. Thank you."

As the crowd rose to its feet for a standing ovation, Ms. Obama looked nonplussed. Remaining seated, she gestured with both hands and mouthed, "sit down."

Michelle Obama 'embarrassed' by standing ovation: State of the Union - Posted

Technorati Tags: obesity, State of the Union, healthcare, over weight, Michelle Obama, President Obama, healthcare reform, opinion, non participants

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Myomo – A New Portable Device for Rehabilitation After a Stroke

This is great making rehabilitation for those who have had a stroke portable.  In the video he mentions teaching hospitals using devices to help that are not portable, and I covered that a short while back as there’s a clinical study going on at UCI here in southern California with such a device. 

Free Robotic Stroke Therapy to Be Offered at UCI – Clinical Study

There’s also another device made by a company by the name of Saebo with similar efforts.  Great news for those after having a stroke with new ways and technology to regain use of their arms and hands! 

Medical-device maker Saebo Retrains Stroke Patients To Regain Use of Hands and Other parts of the Body

To find out more you can read the entire interview at MassDevices on how their product works.  BD 

Steve Kelly's spent three decades watching new technology that originated in consumer electronics wreak havoc on well-established industries. The CEO of Myomo Inc. bore witness as new technologies redefined the home computing market in the 1980s, the telecom space in the 1990s and the changes voice-over-IP technology brought to telephony in the last decade.

MassDevice Q&A: Myomo CEO Steve Kelly | Medical Device Industry Features & Profiles - MassDevice

Technorati Tags: strokes, rehabilitation, Myomo, healthcare, patients, medical devices, MassDevices

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FDA to Scrutinize Ads on Television for Drug Companies – Way Too Many Anti-Depressant Ads Filling the Airwaves

I don’t watch that much television but when I do it’s usually catching late night television like Nightline or one of the talk shows and you know what, all I see are these ridiculous ads about “Depression”.  The one that really gets me is the one with the video with the person blending into the landscape behind them, with the voice suggesting all kinds of symptoms.  Viagra is a focus here and I have taken pot shots at their ads too, but when it comes right down to it, I would much rather see those than this huge myriad of commercials selling anti-depressant drugs.  Those commercials are depressing to watch!  At least the ED commercials show some happy folks.   As you can tell I can’t even remember which drugs they are as all these commercials are the same in my eyes and have no value. 

I guess I can next look forward to a study showing that people who watch late night television are more likely to be depressed, right, and guess what caused this?  In the midst of the address made by our President last night on the resilience of the American Public, those anti depressant ads are working in reverse for goodness sakes!  Hopefully this post may get a little attention and at least get some of those anti-depressant commercials off the air.

I’m not the only one that feels this way either, doctors look at them with ho-hum attitude of disgust too.  Has anyone heard of the “power of suggestion”?  That is what I see happening here to sell drugs and to silently convince more that they are depressed.  Depression, if it is occurring will happen on it’s own accord without creating additional cases of those who “think” they might be depressed with a steady diet of this in front of us on the TV all the time, so hopefully perhaps the FDA might look at these too, they are more harmful than the Viagra and the ED commercials in my opinion and truly represent a very negative effect. 

With the efforts of trying to build levels of confidence with American citizens, can we cut this out?  Economic times bring on enough and all of this just creates more for to deal with, so FDA look at this stuff too, slap Viagra on the hands if you need to and get rid of these counter productive ads. Since placebos are doing so well in this area why don’t we market those?  BD    

Pfizer isn’t alone in bringing a more serious tone to its ads. New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. now devotes half of a 60-second Plavix spot to side effects, twice the time in a 2005 ad for the blood thinner. The changes, tied to tighter enforcement of U.S. regulatory guidelines, are “increasingly noticeable” industry wide, said Maura Musciacco, an analyst with Datamonitor Plc. While the changes benefit consumers, they may hurt business, she said.

“Ads are becoming more subtle, and being subjected to much more scrutiny,” said Musciacco, whose research company is based in London, in a telephone interview. “There has been a major change in the last few years. If we continue down this route, it may become counterproductive to advertise to consumers.

Less Sex, Rock-n-Roll as Drugmakers React to FDA TV Ad Scrutiny - BusinessWeek

Technorati Tags: pharma, FDA pharma, television, anti depressants, drugs, marketing, heatlhcare, economic depression, politics

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Microsoft HealthVault and Siemens Bringing PHR Platform to Germany – And a Look at a German EHR

I think this will make perfect sense with integrating HealthVault for use with connecting to German EMR Systems.  Back in October of 2009 I had the opportunity to meet many different representatives from different countries at the World Medical Tourism Conference and one of the most interesting was Dr. Kunhardt from Germany, from the University of Deggenndorf.  Here’s a portion of that post below with some links to an active sample German EHR.

“Probably one of the most interesting conversations I had was with a professor in Healthcare Management from Germany.  Of course being a geek and not clinical, this area of international healthcare was more than just interesting to talk about how Health IT is handled elsewhere and to be able to speak with an individual who wrote an entire EHR system used in hospitals in Germany.  What made this conference also very interesting too was the high level of the people manning the booths, just like the professor, top level healthcare individuals everywhere and not just marketing and sales people totally.

This is the work of Mr. Prof. Dr. Horst Kunhardt, Department of Business Informatics, University of App. Sc. Deggendorf and you can use the link here to a live demo to see how it works.  I was curious having written an ambulatory EMR years ago myself just to see how it all came together.  The system is created with open source software with my SQL and PHP for the demo shown.   If you want to read up a bit more on German Medical Tourism, here’s a link to follow.”

The match makes perfect sense to me and and after the discussion I had with the professor, I think this will be something to integrate.  Dr. Kunhardt and I talked about a lot comparisons on the differences between the US and Germany on healthcare. 

NHS Trust Becomes First UK Client Using Microsoft Amalga for Healthcare Aggregation

Also here’s a glance back to an interview I did with Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand and their use of not only HealthVault but the entire Amalga System. 

Interview with Curtis Schroeder, CEO Bumrungrad International Hospital and Nate McLemore, Health Solutions at Microsoft – International Personal Health Records with HealthVault

The full press release is below so it looks like PHRs are becoming the way to bring your records with you, no matter where you go.  BD 

Press Release:

Unterschleißheim/Mannheim, January 28, 2010 - Microsoft Corp. and Siemens AG (through its Siemens  IT Solutions and Services division) have announced the signing of a licensing agreement to introduce Microsoft HealthVault in Germany. HealthVault, a personal health application platform, enables individuals to store their health information including immunizations, disease history and prescriptions in an online account. The vision of the Microsoft-Siemens relationship is to enable German citizens to connect to various systems run by physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and even fitness facilities for a comprehensive view of their personal health information.  Siemens will be the exclusive operator of HealthVault in Germany and will market the platform to developers, application providers and device manufacturers to join the service and provide citizens with tools that will help foster dynamic, trusted and personalized healthcare.

HealthVault is a personal health application platform that enables individuals to store, share and manage their health information online and make them available to healthcare providers and family members that they select. Users can store information from multiple sources, including medical monitoring devices, to measure things like blood pressure, pulse and weight; diagnostic findings from general practitioners and medical specialists; imaging procedures; and training plans developed by physiotherapists and rehabilitation facilities. In addition to manually entering the information, data from certified devices can be transferred through a personal computer into HealthVault accounts using HealthVault Connection Center.

Security-enhanced platform for health data

The security-enhanced platform enables individuals to confidentially manage their personal health data. Users are able to access their data virtually anytime, from anywhere, and decide for themselves who is granted access to the information. Siemens will host all stored health data in security-enhanced data centers in Germany. To help protect consumer privacy, user data is transmitted through an encrypted connection over the internet. As their own health managers, users keep control of the information stored in HealthVault and can decide the people who are permitted access.

“In Siemens IT Solutions and Services, we have found a reliable and competent partner with whom we can jointly bring innovative solutions to the German healthcare system. With HealthVault, we provide citizens with a platform that allows them to better manage their health and the health of their families, and facilitates their communication with providers,” said Angelika Gifford, Senior Director, Public Sector and Member of Management at Microsoft Germany.

“With the deployment of the HealthVault technology, Siemens contributes to the supply of affordable and personalized healthcare. At the same time, Siemens IT Solutions and Services completes its eHealth portfolio and expands the existing good relationship with Microsoft in the healthcare market,” says Frank Hauber, Head of Business Unit Industry, Energy, Healthcare of Siemens IT Solutions and Services Germany.

First market launch in Europe

Microsoft initially launched HealthVault in the United States in 2007. Germany is now the third country worldwide where the platform will be available. With the operation of this platform, Siemens IT Solutions and Services is expanding its eHealth portfolio and opening up ways for organizations in the German healthcare sector and the fitness and wellness industry to develop citizen services based on this technology. In the United States, over 150 companies, ranging from health insurance companies and manufacturers of medical devices to pharmacies, are currently offering online applications for the HealthVault platform.

About Microsoft in Health

Microsoft is committed to improving health around the world through software innovation. Over the past 12 years Microsoft has steadily increased its investments in health, with a focus on addressing the challenges of health providers, health and social services organizations, payers, consumers, and life sciences companies worldwide. Microsoft closely collaborates with a broad ecosystem of partners and develops its own powerful health solutions, such as Amalga and HealthVault. Together, Microsoft and its industry partners are working to advance a vision of unifying health information and making it more readily available, ensuring the best quality of life and affordable care for everyone.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Siemens IT Solutions and Services is an internationally leading provider of IT solutions and services. It covers the entire IT service chain from a single source, from consulting to system integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures. In addition, Siemens IT Solutions and Services complements the portfolio offerings of the Siemens Sectors with IT solutions. With its comprehensive know-how and industry-specific knowledge, the IT provider creates measurable added value for its customers. Siemens IT Solutions and Services employs more than 35,000 people, and in fiscal 2009, which ended on 30 September, posted annual sales of around 4.7 billion euros, of which over 75 percent are generated outside of the Siemens Sectors. Further information at: www.siemens.com/it-solutions/healthcare.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, HealthVault, medical tourism, Germany, medical records, PHR, EHR, EMR, healthcare, Health IT, Prof. Dr. Horst Kunhardt, Siemens

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IPO Effort – Personal Health Record Format at Revolution Health Sinks – Profit Algorithms and Business Intelligence

Yesterday it was noted in healthcare news all over that Revolution Health will be discontinuing the free PHR, personal health record offered to consumers.  All is not lost though, the consumers will be able to get their records sent to them in a pdf format.  This is better than nothing, but with all the talk today about integrating health care systems with data that can be used in another program, Adobe pdf is not one of them for data transfers. 

You can read more here on the details at Chillmark Research.  I agree with everyone else out there too, this is not doing a lot for consumer confidence in the personal health record department.  Revolution Health in it’s early days was the “cat”s meow” as far as being a credible and good solid source of information and still today there’s value, but what we are seeing here once again are some algorithmic formulas that calculate profit, otherwise would we be seeing a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission? 

To formulate the provisions we are once again using business intelligence software, as used by banks and health insurance companies to maximize the potential profitability here for investors.  The fact that you had your personal health records here at this point doesn’t mean much at all and your information is being shoved back to you in a form that is not friendly to being re-used.  This is a cold hard fact and I don’t particularly care for this either as it is the same provisions that are practiced by health insurance companies.  The once free and taunted PHR now is simply in the way of profits and “hey we can’t afford to keep this going” now that we are wanting to really secure some “hard” profitable business.  After the announcement, I looked on the website and they are still offering consumers the opportunity to sign up, so the lure of the “free” and helpful resources are going away in the sake of profits. 

So the conglomerate begins selling stock and out goes what is not profitable perhaps or what is now seen as not necessary as the group is not making money as reported here, so to the exchange we go.  This might just make you sit and and wonder about the world of investing today too, from a very simple stand point would someone invest in a company not making money or is this an area to being hedging?   Who do you trust today?  I have said time and time again with PHRs on this blog to ask where your records are being stored and who has access.

Last evening I watched the State of the Union address and was impressed with a President committed to forging ahead, but then also, as I have been for a long time, disappointed to see the reactions, comments, etc. of those in Congress and in the Supreme Court for that matter.  Long and short of all of this is that we have reached a stage with technology being wrapped into daily life, laws, you name it and we have people in roles that live their lives so far outside of this reality that it scares me to death on what will run down the tubes next.  When the layer of understanding is not there, we end up with some very strange and what I call “crazy and unrealistic” laws and provisions.  We have all noticed that and it will continue until our leaders catch up here.  For those of you reading here that don’t know what a PHR is, you are not alone and the video at the link below will show you what I mean.

Do You Know What a PHR is? Heck No, Do I Need to Know - Video worth 1000 Words

One of my other favorite topics here too is the lack of educations all the way around.  I’m still watching that CMS Pilot program to help seniors with PHRs too, which won’t work until there is value to be shown and like what the President said last night “trust”.  Politicians today are making promises that use technology and algorithmic formulas to make this happen and unfortunately understanding any of the operating portions doesn’t exist sadly.  It makes them look bad too when technology creates a change and then they are up in front trying to explain why something happened, and truth is, they don’t know why as non participants. 

Where Are the PHR Mentors – Education Required as the Arizona Senior Project is Finding Out with Little Participation

In the meantime we need to speak up and learn all we can so as consumers we can continue to be heard and not just shoved aside when algorithmic formulas generate a IPO filing and an attempt to pull some dollars out of a hat where they don’t exist.  Software is very good at doing this and there’s a lot of that going on all over the world, and unfortunately the average citizen is caught and left holding the bag once more.  Do keep in mind that all the big profits and salaries on Wall Street were all algorithmically derived, formulas that crank out numbers, not by the hard work really of any brokers.  BD

Everyday Health Inc., which operates more than two dozen consumer-oriented health content Web sites, has filed a Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct an initial public offering of stock.

The Brooklyn-based company, which recently changed its name from Waterfront Media Inc., has experienced strong revenue growth and heavy losses since inception in 2002. It hopes to raise up to $100 million before expenses from the IPO, with unspecified net proceeds going to the vendor and selling private shareholders.

The number of shares being offered and the expected price range has not been determined. Managers of the IPO include Goldman Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Jefferies & Company Inc. and Needham & Company LLC.

The company's portfolio of Web sites includes EverydayHealth.com, RevolutionHealth.com, Drugstore.com, CarePages.com, and WhatToExpect.com, among others. The sites combined have 38 million registered consumers and attract an average of 25 million unique visitors a month. Revenues primarily come from advertising, sponsorships, and the sale and licensing of content.

Consumer Web Site Firm Eyes IPO

Technorati Tags: algorithms, IPO, healthcare, health insurance, PHR, personal health records, Wall Street, Revolution, EverydayHealth

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