MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with ' technology'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:42 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182342&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F09%2Ffuture-of-pathology-jim-harrison.html This is a guest blog note by Jim Harrison, M.D., Ph.D. He is a pathologist and Associate Professor at the University of Virginia. It's a repost of a document that he circulated on the Association for Pathology Informatics (API) listserv earlier in the year and is, in part, a compilation of input from other pathologists about anticipated changes in AP and CP. Earlier this summer I posted a request to the API list for thoughts about key changes that might occur in AP and CP within the next five years and how those changes might be best supported by IT. A similar request was passed around in CAP's informatics-related committees, and the results were compiled for distribution to the CAP Pathology Transformation project. I did receive several responses from this list, so I'm summari... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182342 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:42:49 +0100 5182342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181814&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1846 This is a phenomenal essay on the things college students need to realize, and how they must begin to prepare for a changing economy.  Pass it on to any kid you know who is in college, or going to college.  And to their parents! http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2011/09/01/back-to-school-2/#comment-41405 (Source: edwinleap.com) edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181814 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:15:12 +0100 5181814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181957&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F_VlWsGVP6dk%2F Normally this time of year, I’m making plans to attend the many fall conferences in health IT and related industries. This year, my decisions are harder. You see, it seems like everyone decided to schedule their events during the last week of October: AMIA 2011, Oct. 23-26, Washington MGMA Annual Conference, Oct. 23-26, Las Vegas TEDMED 2011 Oct. 25-28, San Diego CHIME11 Fall CIO Forum, Oct. 26-28, Austin, Texas Just for kicks, I’m scheduled to participate in the Institute for Health Technology Transformation’s Health IT Summit, Nov. 2-3 in Beverly Hills, Calif. All are worthwhile, and all will be great places to find relevant stories for this blog and my various media clients. It probably makes most sense to go west, hitting MGMA and TEDMED, then spending the weekend in ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181957 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:47:10 +0100 5181957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181974&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-evaluate-hipaa-security-compliant-data-center If you host your healthcare data with a data center, certain administrative, physical and technical safeguards should be in place, as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule. Although all service providers tout their data centers as secure, how do you confirm it truly is HIPAA Security Rule compliant?  read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181974 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:57:30 +0100 5181974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181897&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F09%2F01%2Fsxsw-2012-psychology-picks-need-your-vote%2F Time is running out to vote for some of your favorite SXSW 2012 Interactive panel ideas through the SXSW panel picker (Friday at midnight is the deadline). Yes, you need to register a free account in order to vote, but it takes only a minute to do so. I’ve organized a panel again for consideration, as have some other psychologists and professionals. I’ve highlighted three panels I’d like you to vote a big thumbs-up on, if you have a minute today. While people’s votes only constitute 30 percent of how a panel idea is chosen to present at SXSW Interactive, it’s an important part of the process that helps the organizers make the tough decisions. The panel I’ve proposed is about online therapy. But not your everyday kind of online therapy… Click on th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181897 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:14:46 +0100 5181897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181802&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmisdiagnosis-happens-all-the-time-tips-to-avoid-it%2F2011.09.01 Billionaire Teddy Forstmann has apparently been diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer.  There’s a tragic twist to the story: according to Fox Business News, Forstmann believes that for more than a year, he had been misdiagnosed with meningitis. ABC News wonders: How could such a misfortune befall a billionaire —- a man able to afford the best doctors, best technology and the most sophisticated diagnostic tests? They’re missing the point.  Misdiagnosis happens with shocking regularity – as much as (more…) *This blog post was originally published at BestDoctors.com: See First Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181802 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00:03 +0100 5181802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181959&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FTHPZrzE1cCI%2F In a post on EMR and EHR about Social Media and EMRs, Andre Vovan, MD MBA from Mitochon Systems offered an interesting insight into the comparison between EMR and social media. Social media and EMR are a natural fit. Think about what social media really enables. The ablity to stay connected, following different strings of info/story weaved by connected people. Say for instance you and your friends went to the Grand Canyon, one person took pictures while the other did the cooking, planning, and was responsible for entertainment during the trip. When they try to retell the story to their friends, each will be able to add different aspect of the story and with social network platforms such as facebook, this is possible. Now take the story above, and insert 2 doctors and change the trip taken ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181959 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:44:38 +0100 5181959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174713&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fend-beginning-and-launch-i2o When Dr. Farzad Mostashari, the national coordinator for health information technology, addresses more than 4,700 healthcare professionals at the Allscripts Client Experience in Nashville on Monday morning, Aug. 29, he’s likely to discuss one of the most exciting developments in healthcare today – and perhaps surprisingly, it won’t be the meaningful use of electronic health records.  read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174713 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:48:46 +0100 5174713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169596&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F08%2F27%2Fbook-review-the-googlization-of-everything%2F In conclusion, the author proposes a bold new project, The Human Knowledge Project, which appeals to the need to have more public control over knowledge through libraries and democratic processes rather than commercial interests. One might agree with him since the recent demise of Google Health. If Google Books are not profitable in 5-10 years, will this project also be abandoned leaving the legacy of digitalized books behind? Yet much of the books skepticism about Google and fears are overdrawn. Perhaps Google’s service to higher education through Gmail and other services will help it keep a commitment to educational and knowledge resources in the future. This book by Siva Vaidhyanathan has the provocative subtitle “And why we should worry”, which defines the subtext o... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169596 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:19:43 +0100 5169596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169548&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-app-allows-physicians-to-view-high-quality-interactive-medical-images%2F2011.08.27 Fujifilm Synapase Mobility is now available in the U.S., and not just on the iPhone, but for the Android and iPad as well.  Fujifilm makes a variety of medical images devices, from ultrasound devices to computed radiology devices (x-rays). If you use their backend server (Synapse PACS and Synapse RIS), you can now view your images on your mobile devices. What’s really interesting about their mobile suite is that it’s browser is independent, scalable, and doesn’t just display static images. Currently the system isn’t FDA approved, but with the amount of business Fujifilm already has in the medical ecosystem, one would think this would happen sooner than later. ..It provides (more…) *This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169548 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:00:11 +0100 5169548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174587&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2F26%2Fthe-cost-of-medicare-you-get-what-you-pay-for%2F In the battle over bending the cost curve in Medicare, a recent article in Health Affairs should set off alarms.  In it, Francis Lukas and colleagues describe the proliferation of new cardiac surgery programs—300 in 10 years–at exactly the same time that the number of cardiac bypass grafts fell.  Moreover, the new programs generally did [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174587 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:11:24 +0100 5174587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169544&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F8O-7TWWsOwk%2F More than 1.7 million Americans are currently living with limb loss, and each year, more than 150,000 more face either full or partial amputation. For many of these people, the option of prosthetics proves invaluable, allowing them to maintain their quality of life. And now, other members of the animal kingdom are getting in on the act! As HuffPost’s Weird News reports, Winter the dolphin, of Clearwater Beach, Fla. is one such fortunate recipient of a prosthetic limb. Winter, who lost her tail to a crab trap at only three months old, had her quality of life restored when experts from Hanger Prosthetics were able to successfully design her a prosthetic tail. For her part, Winter earned a starring role in the forthcoming Warner Brothers film, Dolphin Tale. You can read the full HuffPost st... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169544 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:00:10 +0100 5169544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159861&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Ffepic-beaker-ready-or-not.html There is going to be a lot of money made as the result of the potentially large-scale deployment of Epic's immature LIS called Beaker. One of the first in line to shake this money tree will be KLAS. Here is their announcement of a report on this topic by the company (see: Epic Beaker: Ready or Not?): The laboratory market typically sees little movement. Because of the expense and complexity from a laboratory system’s deep penetration into a hospital, laboratory systems are not changed frequently. If providers do change, it is rarely from a more sophisticated solution to a more immature one. One product that seems to be bucking that trend is Epic Beaker, Epic’s newly available laboratory solution. Of surveyed Epic hospitals currently using other laboratory solutions, over half are p... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159861 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:19:45 +0100 5159861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158977&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FuWUbQhdO2ls%2F Yesterday, Healthcare IT News reported that a study due out later this month found that the addition of social media tools to online health programs seemed to positively influence the effectiveness of the programs. The study, which is being published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that “adding an interactive online community to an Internet-based walking program significantly decreased the number of participants who dropped out.” This is just the latest in eHealth innovations – from mobile health apps to electronic medical records and so, so, so much more – leaving the medical community wondering how eHealth will fare moving forward. How do you feel about health-related social networking? Would you join an online health program? What concerns – privacy, quality... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158977 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:15:49 +0100 5158977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159862&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fdoes-epic-have-a-near-monoply-for-large-hospital-emrs.html Joseph Conn, who writes for ModernHealthcare.com, picked up on one of my blog notes about the Epic EMR dominance in larger hospitals (see: Not yet an Epic monopoly or conflict). Here is his note: Bruce Friedman, in a post on Lab Soft News says, "Epic has achieved a near monopoly of the (electronic health-record systems) installed in the largest U.S. hospitals." And writing in the Washington Examiner, Lachlan Markay, an investigative writer with the conservative Heritage Foundation's Center for Media and Public Policy, reveals that Epic Systems Corp. CEO Judith Faulkner not only has made campaign contributions to Democrats but also has served as a member of the federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee, which "holds in its hands the future of health informat... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159862 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:51:59 +0100 5159862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159863&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fapathology-informatics-2011-conference-only-six-weeks-away-1.html The second annual Pathology Informatics 2011 conference is only about six weeks away. It will be held in Pittsburgh on October 4-7, 2011. It's the merged version of two prior, long-standing informatics conference, APIII and Lab InfoTech Summit. You can review the entire conference schedule as well as register on-line. Three separate content tracks are being offered: Clinical Information Management, System Support and Connectivity, and Digital Imaging. The 3 1/2 day conference with a venue at the Pittsburgh Wyndham Grand offers an opening day with three workshops, included in the registration fee, 10 plenary lectures, and 27 track lectures. A total of 43 faculty members will participate. Also presented will be about 40 scientific presentations and 15 e-posters that have been selected fr... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159863 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:47:29 +0100 5159863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159080&cid=t_391796_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-water-deficit.html In today's TheScientistDaily is an interesting opinion piece about the problem of current farming practices and deficits in fresh water supplies. What isn't mentioned, and should be of increasing concern, is that each specialist group focuses on their own interest without looking at the larger picture. Part of this is the problem of training with use of grant funds, all of which focus on special interests and fail to develop generalists who can look at the big picture. My view of the big picture in relation to this article is that farming is important for the increasing world population resulting from immunization, chronic disease prevention, and in adequate family planning without any reference to the big picture. Without a broader picture of the human ecosystem much of the specialty rese... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159080 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:53:17 +0100 5159080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159081&cid=t_391796_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhospitals-seek-more-er-patients.html From today's Washington Post we learn that he learned that “Many hospitals are actively recruiting people to come to the ER fornon-emergency reasons,” said Anthony Keck, South Carolina’s Medicaid director, citing facilities that tout their speedy ER service on highway billboards.“ <strong>Comment</strong>: at a time when many are discussing the problems of the affordable care act and the excess cost of healthcare, hospital self interest has no concern for the community or managing the nation's health care bills. Comments by the president of the emergency physician association is self-serving and it is clear that business ethics does not exist among most health care providers. It is still "caveat emptor" (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159081 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:26:46 +0100 5159081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159864&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fepic-as-a-victim-of-its-own-success.html Katherine Rourke, who blogs over at Hospital EMR and EHR picked up on one of my recent notes about Epic (see: The Feasibility of Using the Epic EMR as a "Platform" to Extend Its Functionality) and posted the following note: Could Epic End Up The Victim Of Its Own EMR Success? Here is a copy of her commentary with a few minor edits. Boldface emphasis is mine: In essence, the [recent Lab Soft News] post makes three key points: Epic is implemented, or soon will be, in virtually every large U.S. hospital Epic keeps very close control of how its system is implemented and developed in an effort to control performance Given this desire for control, Epic isn’t likely to let other vendors create software to interoperate with its EMR If the Lab Soft News author has his facts right, Epi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159864 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:46:33 +0100 5159864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159204&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fweb-surfing-at-work-helps-you-be-more-productive%2F Thank goodness the Wall Street Journal isn’t known for its outstanding health reporting. In a story written by Rachel Emma Silverman, she reports on some preliminary research recently presented at a management conference. Like a lot of research that gives us “surprising” results, it was done on a single group of 96 undergraduate students at a single college campus. And the task designed for the college laboratory setting by the researchers would be difficult to characterize as analogous to most people’s work environment or jobs — it was highlighting every single letter “e” or, in the second part, “a,” while reading. The question the researchers asked — Can surfing the Internet help you to become a more productive employee? The an... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159204 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:23:31 +0100 5159204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159865&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fsix-major-disruptions-still-to-come-in-halthcare.html Predictions about strategic shifts in healthcare intrigue me. There is always the question in one's mind about whether you agree with the list. A recent article was labeled as a list of healthcare "disruptions" but otherwise caught my attention (see: 6 Major Disruptions Still To Come In Healthcare). Here's the list stripped of the accompanying brief explanations: Conversion of physicians to electronic health records. Removing the responsibility of records-sharing from the patient. The rise of the genomic signature as part of the medical record. Moving the responsibility [for] care and outcomes from the provider location to the consumer location. The rise of health avatars. The change in physician compensation from fee-for-service to fee-for-outcomes. What interested me... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159865 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:15:33 +0100 5159865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159789&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F08%2Ftwitter-phenomenon-in-america%2F Almost everyone in the US, above the age of 12, is aware of Twitter according to the most recent Edison “The Social Habit” survey. According to the 2011 survey, 92% of American teenagers and adults are aware of Twitter today. Yet as powerful as this seems only 8% of those actually tweet!   2011 Edison Research survey on Twitter AwarenessQuick facts every marketer should know :: 46 million Americans check their social status multiple times a day Social Media platforms now reach the majority of Americans with 52% having at least one social sharing profile Over 51% of Americans use Facebook The majority of Americans are familiar with Twitter but only 8% use it 64% of social media users update their status via a mobile device 30% of Americans are aware of FourSquare but only ... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159789 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:51:22 +0100 5159789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159482&cid=t_391796_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Ftechnology-time-management-and-adhd.php What concerns me is what technology may be doing to our brain. Read Gary Small’s book, iBrain, and you will have to agree that our brain is indeed evolving. Two brains that start off the same at birth can be drastically different at two years of age if one has been deprived of play, talk, touch, love, proper food and so on. That’s been known for a long time. What is more surprising is that the adult brain remains malleable – ‘neuroplasticity’ is the term used – as we grow older, and it continues to rewire itself throughout life. That’s good news for old folks like me because it means you can become smarter the older you get. We used to think intelligence was 80% genetic and 20% environmental, but it’s actually the opposite. The bad news is th... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159482 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5159482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139935&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Fmore-on-health-apps%2F The Mobile Health LaunchPad will be announce winners who will pitch their products on September 19. They want apps that are more than content, in an early stage and ones that can actualize utilize capital. The Blue Button initiative from the VA  will award $50,000 for a non’government provider to add the Blue Button on a PHR website or create a PHR with one. The blue button is a function to allow patients to download their medical records. Submissions open until Oct. 19th. The Cleveland Clinic announced a incubator for Health Care Apps. This according to according to Scott Linabarger, the Clinic’s director of Internet marketing, speaking at the World Congress Leadership Summit on mHealth. Jen McCabe is making news with combine HealthMonth and Contagion Health to make a new com... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139935 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:32:59 +0100 5139935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139732&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-difficulties-of-managing-implanted-medical-devices%2F2011.08.18 With the explosion of medical devices to treat various medical ailments in medicine, we have seen significant improvements in quality and quantity of life. An underappreciated consequence of all of these electronic device therapies, however, has been the manpower and expertise required to manage these implanted electronic medical devices long-term. Problems with electromagnetic interference (EMI) with medical devices are real. Innovations in medicine have come from various portions of the electromagnetic spectrum including analog and digital wireless technology, diagnostic and therapeutic radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging. The effects of these technologies on implanted electronic medical devices can vary and specialty physicians, ancillary health care providers, and medical ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139732 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:17:00 +0100 5139732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139951&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncing-metadata-pilots-realize-pcast-vision Those of you keeping a close eye on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and its activities might have noticed the advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) that was published on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, requesting public input on a set of proposed metadata standards recommended to ONC by the HIT Standards Committee. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139951 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:25:30 +0100 5139951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140317&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-most-important-iphone-app-for-pathologists.html In response to a blog note about iPhone ecosystems (see: The iPhone Effect: Smartphones and Their App Ecosystems Have Changed Everything), a reader, Christopher Metts, asked the following question as a comment: If [you] wanted to create an app for a practicing pathologist, what do you think it should do? It's an interesting question and, for me, the answer seems to be obvious.  However, I need to qualify my answer. First, it will encompass all smart phones and not just the iPhone as well as tablets such as the iPad. Secondly. my response will include two broad functions rather than specific app products. Various apps with these functionalities do exist but I don't want to single out any of them. The two functional categories that come to mind for smartphone/tablets that will ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140317 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:42:01 +0100 5140317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139748&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=38153&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozemedicine.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D992 THE HON NICOLA ROXON MP Minister for Health and Ageing MEDIA RELEASE 15 August 2011 ACCENTURE TO BUILD AUSTRALIA’S PERSONAL EHEALTH SYSTEM Accenture, a world leader in IT, has been selected to lead the building of the IT infrastructure for Australia’s national personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) system in another major milestone for national health reform. “A consortium led by Accenture has been selected as the National Infrastructure Partner for the development of the PCEHR system,” Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon said. “Accenture will be responsible for designing and building the physical PCEHR system, which will be used by people to register for and view their eHealth record. “People will also use this system to allow their GP and other health ... Oz E Medicine - emergency medicine in Australia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139748 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:51:28 +0100 5139748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5131063&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fdeclining-autopsy-rates.html Discussion About Reinventing the Autopsy; Reinventing the Autopsy: CT Imaging as a Routine Part of the Procedure; NYT Highlights the "Virtopsy" Used for All Military Autopsies). The virtopsy would undoubtedly be more accurate than the classic autopsy. It also could be performed less expensively and more quickly. You can refer back to my previous notes for more details about its advantages. It is currently the norm for the U.S. military and also widely adopted in countries such as Switzerland. As noted in the excerpt above, one of the major reasons for the decline in the autopsy rate is that it's time-consuming and thus expensive. It's also an uncompensated hospital service. Needless to say, family members are also often reluctant to allow the procedure on relatives withou... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5131063 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:40:33 +0100 5131063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130746&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-enjoys-the-ease-of-a-new-emr%2F2011.08.15 Seven months into 2011, things look very different than they did this time last year at my office. Not only have I been using an electronic medical record for nine months now, but I’ve also been submitting claims electronically (through a free clearinghouse) using an online practice management system. I’ve also begun scanning patients’ insurance cards into the computer, as well as converting all the paper insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) into digital form. I’ve even scanned all my office bills and business paperwork and tossed all the actual paper into one big box. As of the first of the year I even stopped generating “daysheets” at the end of work each day. After all, with my new system I can always call up the information I want whenever I need it. How did such a comm... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130746 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:48 +0100 5130746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130995&cid=t_391796_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F14%2Fovarian-cancer-awareness-through-social-media-technology-are-you-ready%2F The median age of a women at the time of initial ovarian cancer diagnosis is 63.  How important is social media technology to ovarian cancer awareness? Let us know what you think. The median age of a women at the time of initial ovarian cancer diagnosis is 63. In light of that fact, we are [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130995 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:08:09 +0100 5130995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125739&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmobile-application-shown-to-enhance-diabetes-care%2F2011.08.12 It seems intuitive (at least to Medgadgeteers) that mobile technology can be used to improve health outcomes, but we still need studies to actually put data behind this idea.  A recent study of the DiabetesManager mobile health platform from WellDoc is a step in this direction. We last reported about WellDoc’s mobile diabetes application in 2010, and since that time it has been tested in a clinical trial and was shown to reduce HgbA1c by 1.9%. The DiabetesManager is a behavioral coaching and clinical decision support system.  Patients enter details about blood glucose values, medications, and behaviors via mobile phone, and health care providers receive quarterly summaries based on this information. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125739 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:00:14 +0100 5125739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125830&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhit-acos-need-part-i-analytic-data The Accountable Care Organization draft rule (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-7880.htm) is out, and the political, clinical and technical trek to establishing these lynchpins of the Affordable Care Act and health reform is on. Community physicians and hospitals are jockeying for potential shares of the incentives that will be distributed via the ACO program. Health Information Technology has been so frequently cited as being a critical part of making ACOs successful that it is now de rigueur. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125830 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:17:53 +0100 5125830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125758&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=38153&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozemedicine.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D973 The hospital healthcare environment poses many important factors which impact upon the successful uptake of clinical software, these include: increasing staff dependence upon computers to document their clinical work and access timely patient information and clinical decision support. lack of physical space for additional desktop computers or computers on wheels to address the above point current laptops and Windows-based tablets are too heavy for carrying around by staff. this means we need wireless networks throughout hospitals and staff will increasingly use their Apple iPads, perhaps their iPhones and Android phones and other devices to help them manage the increasing pressures to find an available computer when and where they want it. the resultant need for high performing, rapid dat... Oz E Medicine - emergency medicine in Australia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125758 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 02:00:00 +0100 5125758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118745&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fo3AjHrDVXpM%2F You’ve undoubtedly heard the argument before: EHR certification is about assuring that systems meet minimum requirements for functionality and interoperability, but the certification process falls way short in terms of usability, privacy and security. But have you heard the argument from one of the ONC-authorized certification bodies? This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received today: Meaningful Use criteria have become a massive EHR certification driver for healthcare organizations. Hospitals and other providers rely on the criteria to ensure that their health IT systems meet minimum government-specified functionality and interoperability requirements to support Stage 1 of Meaningful Use.  Achieving Meaningful Use also ensures a health care organization qualifies for reimbursement... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118745 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:21:33 +0100 5118745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118889&cid=t_391796_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F08%2F11%2Frobot-skin-captures-super-detailed-3d-surface-images%2F Engadget posted an announcement under this title in which they present a technology that could be more than useful in dermatology, forensic medicine or education: Researchers at MIT have taken the idea one (or two) steps further with “GelSight,” a hunk of synthetic rubber that creates a detailed computer visualized image of whatever surface you press it against. It works as such: push the reflective side of the gummy against an object (they chose a chicken feather and a $20 bill) and the camera on the other end will capture a 3-D image of the microscopic surface structure. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118889 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:07:03 +0100 5118889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5119007&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fethical-questions-posed-by-office-emr-by-epocrates.html Epocrates is a very successful smartphone app for physicians. The company recently announced the availability of an electronic health record (EHR) (see: Epocrates electronic health record raises new possibilities and ethical questions). Below is an excerpt from an article about this new product that may raise some ethical concerns: ...Targeted to small and solo physician practices, the [Epocrates EHR product] is a web-based software-as-a-service platform which will be offered on a monthly-subscription basis. At launch , it includes a native iPhone app that appears to include access to patient records as well as e-prescribing functionality, with iPad support reportedly in the works. Epocrates EHR will also include support for billing/coding, data analysis and reporting, and an interesting t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5119007 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5119007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118712&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Ffacebook-tied-to-poor-mental-health-in-teens-kids%2F You know it’s a good time of the year for psychology “news” when the American Psychological Association holds its annual convention. Why? Because they push out a bunch of sexy press releases about presentations at the conference. Case in point, “Social Networking’s Good and Bad Impacts on Kids,” a presentation that presents a seemingly-random selection of research findings about social networking websites like Facebook from the past few years. This quickly gets turned into an exclusive focus on the negative aspects of the talk — “Facebook tied to poor mental health in teens: What parents must know” (CBS News), “Too Much Technology Breeds Health Problems in Teens” (Patch.com), and of course the inevitable, “Is constant &#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118712 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:43:50 +0100 5118712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107559&cid=t_391796_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fnhs-scraps-plans-for-centralized.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107559 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:33:00 +0100 5107559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107560&cid=t_391796_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fare-electronic-medical-records-really.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107560 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:08:00 +0100 5107560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107607&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2F5VEgkyaRWG0%2F The digital revolution opens up difficult new choices for publishers and writers -- new risks and opportunities alike. The same is true for readers: it's a huge leap, after all, from the familiar feel of a paper book-in-the-hand to an electronic book. And what about the economy and the environment -- is paperless technology really beneficial?Tags: book, character disturbance, marketing, technology, writing (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107607 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:02:03 +0100 5107607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107515&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcould-twitter-be-used-to-predict-epidemics%2F2011.08.09 Do you remember when Google Flu Trends was announced to be able to track and predict flu outbreaks in US states based on the search queries focusing on flu symptoms? Do you remember when a study pointed out although it was interactive and neat but was not as useful as CDC national surveillance programs? Well, now Twitter is meant to fill this gap. If you ask me, it won’t. *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107515 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:00:43 +0100 5107515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107608&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2F-9B42nkZYDk%2F I am pleased as punch to welcome South Africa-based clinical psychologist Pat Orner Oliver to the CounsellingResource.com team -- both as our new Assistant Editor and as the latest member of our International Advisory Board. (And speaking of site news, we're still looking for a new clinical psychologist contributor to our Ask the Psychologist column, so if that could be you, drop us a line!) Tags: in practice, site news, technology, writing (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107608 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:45:41 +0100 5107608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107603&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Fnegawatts-the-positive-psychology-behind-negative-energy%2F Almost every way we make electricity today, except for the emerging renewables and nuclear puts out CO2. And so, what we’re going to have to do at a global scale, is create a new system. And so, we need energy miracles. ~Bill Gates A typographical error led Amory Lovins to coin the phrase negawatts. In a brilliant 1989 keynote address to the Green Energy Conference in Montreal he outlined what has become the blueprint for a radical business and energy concept. Pay people to do nothing. Twenty-plus years later the idea is deeply taking hold. Fast-forward to Dr. Ron Denbo who was recently featured on a TED global ideas project. He is the Founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, an international company that provides software to measure and manage carbon footprint.  Individuals, governments ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107603 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:24:31 +0100 5107603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103338&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-finds-success-in-small-cheap-and-strong-test-for-hiv-and-syphilis%2F2011.08.06 Researchers from Columbia University have developed a “lab on a chip” HIV and syphilis test, and are now reporting the first results from tests in the field conducted in Rwanda. The mChip, as it is called, is the size of a credit card and replicates all steps of an ELISA test, at a lower total material cost and within 20 minutes. After application of a blood sample, the chip is inserted into a $100 battery-powered handheld analyzer. It needs only 1 μl of unprocessed whole blood and does not require any user interpretation of the signal, providing a clear-cut yes or no result. Right now, HIV testing in developing countries either relies on expensive laboratory testing taking a long time, or uses cheaper methods based on lateral flow, which, although very rapid, do not provide very reli... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103338 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:00:08 +0100 5103338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107648&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fneil%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2Frandom-thoughts-emr-projects-decentralized-problems-persist-despite-solutions%2F Once in a while, I run out of Big Ideas to share and resort to a rundown of short items. This is one of those times. Often, though, that approach turns out to be more interesting than a well-thought-out commentary. (Thus, the popularity of Twitter, right?) Speaking of Big Ideas, I’m thinking that the age of the massive EMR project may be coming to an end. You may have seen my piece in InformationWeek today about the reported end of the national EMR in England. London’s The Independent reported earlier this week that the Cameron government will announce next month that it will scrap the national strategy in favor of allowing local hospitals and trusts to make independent EMR purchasing and implementation decisions. This news comes on the heels of a decision by the government of ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107648 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:22:35 +0100 5107648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096205&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-patients-accept-the-patient-portal-as-the-next-big-thing%2F2011.08.04 There seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of spin one hears about “the next big thing”…and reality.    First it was EMRs and virtual e-visits, then social media, and now patient portals seem poised to be next big thing.  The drumbeat of vendors and pundits is unmistakable….physicians that don’t adapt will be toast.   It can all sound pretty convincing until you ask to see the evidence.  What do patients think? Take the physician patient portal.   If you read between the lines, patient portals are frequently being positioned as the new “front door” to physician practices.   By signing on to a secure website patients will have real time access to the electronic health record and will be able to communicate with their physicians by e-mail.   Addit... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096205 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:00:59 +0100 5096205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096340&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F04%2F8-practical-pointers-to-help-your-child-pay-attention%2F Getting kids to pay attention is hard enough. But thanks to today’s technological advances, it can become an even bigger challenge. For instance, a University of Washington study found a link between toddlers watching TV and diminished attention spans by seven years old. Another study from UCLA found that kids who used technology had less reflective thought. Interestingly, however, they did have greater visual-spatial skills. “Technology is producing learners with a new set of cognitive strengths and weaknesses,” said Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D, psychologist, attention expert and author of Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School, a guide for kids who are inventive thinkers, crave novelty and are strongly drawn to dist... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096340 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:49:03 +0100 5096340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096673&cid=t_391796_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FxkuDhxV1aZ4%2F This is the transcript of my recent podcast interview with Jeff Terry of GE Performance Solutions. David E. Williams:            This is David Williams, co-founder of MedPharma Partners and author of the Health Business Blog.  I’m speaking today with Jeff Terry.  He’s Managing Principal of Clinical Operations for GE Performance Solutions.  Jeff thanks for being with me today. Jeff Terry:            Good morning. Williams:            Jeff, tell me about capacity management.  Why is that something hospitals have to be concerned about? Terry:            Capacity management is important because it’s among the top two or three financial levers available for hospitals today and it’s becoming more important. However ACOs play out, however in... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096673 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:13:23 +0100 5096673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096208&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fan-alternative-to-a-colonoscopy%2F2011.08.03 Most of us born several decades ago, recall the futuristic book Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov, where a miniaturized crew traveled through a human body to cure a scientist who has a blot clot lodged in his brain. Ironically, miniaturized medical care is now upon us while books are at risk of becoming obsolete. I hope that gastroenterologists won’t become obsolete, at least until my last kid graduates from college. I perform an amazing diagnostic procedure called wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE), when patients swallow a camera. Once swallowed, this miniaturized camera takes its own fantastic voyage through the alimentary canal. The test is used primarily to identify sources of internal bleeding within the 20 feet of small intestine, which are beyond the reach of gastroenterologists’ c... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096208 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:30:00 +0100 5096208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096268&cid=t_391796_105_f&fid=34896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorrw.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fdoes-clinical-decision-support-in.html (Source: Notes from Dr. RW) Notes from Dr. RW blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096268 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:55:00 +0100 5096268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086234&cid=t_391796_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2011%2F08%2F01%2Fwe-never-were-posthuman%2F Part of my summer reading has been N. Katherine Hayles very interesting and stimulating book, How We Became Posthuman – Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature and Informatics. The book details the rise of the informational logic of life from the rise of the cybernetic paradigm in the late 1940s and onwards. Hayles writes the book in order to caution against a disembodied and anti-material view of information. She details how an informational mode of thinking came to foreground pattern and randomness over presence and absence, and gave way to a systematic devaluation of materiality and embodiment. As she notes in the introduction: “A defining characteristic of the present cultural moment is the belief that information can circulate unchanged among different material substrates. It is... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086234 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:19:53 +0100 5086234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086560&cid=t_391796_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfEJZC4F4xVU%2F Good morning, everyone. Hope you had a nice weekend. Now, of course, the routine resumes, although this is often a slow time of year. Nonetheless, there is much to be done here in the official Pharmalot c-suite, where we are catching up on interesting documents and conversations. And of course, we are brewing that mandatory cup of stimulation and invite you to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few tidbits from around the world. Hope your day goes well and you accomplish much… Teva’s Copaxone Successor Fails In Latest Clinical Trial (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Says FDA Delays Prevnar Review For Three Months (Bloomberg News) Cuba Sentences Pharma Execs For Corruption (Associated Press) Japan’s Shionogi Acquires C&O Pharmaceutical Tech (ChannelNewsAsia) New FDA Commish Asks Co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086560 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:25 +0100 5086560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086258&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Flifesaving-list%2F Help save lives by sharing this list. Online Suicide Prevention Resources is a small wiki focussed on crisis resources available online without a telephone. There are listings for social media, secure IM chat, and public forums. It was inspired by the International Suicide Prevention Wiki, created by Post Secret, which features a table of links and directories for telephone crisis hotlines and resources all over the world. The list I created today is solely for non-phone contacts. Included are details of the hours for each service. Why make such a list? In today’s cell phone family plan homes, calls show up on bills read by parents, and youth might want privacy for a long list of reasons including the parents being the problem. By using the Internet, people can connect one on one to ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086258 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:00:50 +0100 5086258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086174&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-care-attorney-warns-about-hipaa-privacy-issues-in-social-media%2F2011.07.31 This is the first of a three part post addressing the legal concerns of social networking in the health care arena. Legal expert, David Harlow, Esq., Health Care Attorney and Consultant at The Harlow Group, LLC in Boston, addresses the legal issues. Q:  Barbara: What are the legal implications for doctors, nurses and hospitals engaging in social media? A:  David: Health care providers are concerned about HIPAA privacy issues – HIPAA violations may occur as a result of staff posts, or as a result of patient, family or caregiver posts – as well as potential liability for medical advice provided on line.  Physicians and nurses have been sanctioned and fired for privacy breaches via social media, so these are real concerns.  Some communications that folks think are OK may in fact be v... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086174 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:00:39 +0100 5086174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086187&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1756 This is my column in today’s Greenville News opinion page.  (Actually viewing online requires a subscription.) ‘Telecommuting would help our representatives.’ Dealing with the public requires a commitment to accountability. I mean in person, face-to-face, eye-to-eye accountability for one’s work and actions. As a physician, if I’m unkind, unprofessional or incompetent, eventually I’ll meet someone at a store, WalMart for example, who was less than impressed with my performance. They may glare at me. They may walk away. I may see them and hide before we can talk. Or they may corner me and express their dissatisfaction. What could be worse than being ‘read the riot act’ in front of the ice cream case, or worse, in the presence of my of my wife... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086187 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:48:10 +0100 5086187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086455&cid=t_391796_133_f&fid=35095&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAutismsEdges%2F%7E3%2FHQoGbqyp8As%2Fsummmmertime-and-livin-part-2.html (Source: Autism's Edges) Autism's Edges blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086455 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:44:00 +0100 5086455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077719&cid=t_391796_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fhow-should-we-define-health.html The British Medical Journal today contains an interesting analysis of the term "Health". Some 14 commentators are concerned that the WHO definition is restrictive and absolute. The authors are also concerned that the current definition leads to medicalization of society and particularly in the US to an inappropriate increase in treatments that produce little benefit a t great cost. This interesting discussion suggests that “health” be a social contract that accepts the current aging society and increases in chronic diseases in functional rather than biologically. This discussion is well worth reading. (BMJ 2011; 343:d4163). (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077719 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:04:12 +0100 5077719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077863&cid=t_391796_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fnefsis.mp3 Nefsis provides cloud-based, multi-point HD video conference solutions for a variety of industries, including health care. In this podcast interview, Nefsis VP Tom Toperczer describes telemedicine applications including hospital/remote clinic consultation and tele-psychiatry. He also describes how health care applications differ from those in other industries. Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077863 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:47:22 +0100 5077863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069642&cid=t_391796_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fcapacity.mp3 Capacity management is one of the top two or three drivers of hospital profitability. With continued reimbursement squeezes and the emergence of global payments, strong capacity management will be needed for survival. In this podcast interview, Jeff Terry of GE Performance Solutions and I discuss: The difference between capacity utilization and occupancy The microeconomic and macroeconomic consequences of improved capacity management The interrelationships among strategy, technology, operations, process improvement, scheduling and governance in capacity management Similarities and differences with other industries This topic may sound dry to you, but it’s one of my favorites! Share (Source: Health Business Blog) Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069642 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:24:16 +0100 5069642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069531&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-dangers-of-letting-your-online-persona-do-the-talking%2F Last week, while taking a break from work, I found myself reading through a friend’s personal blog. While everything was well written, and while the author herself did a careful job remaining anonymous to most of her readers, I couldn’t help but cringe at some of the stuff she was writing about. Personal stuff. Stuff that, once it’s out there, you just can’t take back. Part of my cringing was due to the fact that about a year ago, I was right there with her. I’ve had a personal blog for years, and it used to be the one place where I could completely dump my emotions. A creative writer who has to work (on non-creative writing) quite a lot to pay the bills, I don’t always get to spend the hours a day I’d like to on my own pieces — so whenever I... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069531 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:13:22 +0100 5069531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069832&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fbetter-quality-services-when-doctors-manage-hospitals.html I have most commonly worked in hospitals where the CEO's major strengths were in financial management -- they were not MDs. Once, in the Army, I worked in a hospital where both the commander and deputy commander were physicians. My general impression has been that the former executives tended to stress the need for quality of care but often had little real understanding about the processes for achieving quality or the true cost of these processes. A recent article caught my attention and asks the question whether hospitals should be run by physicians (see: Should Hospitals Be Run by Doctors?), Below is an excerpt from it: The conventional wisdom is that doctors should focus on patient care, and managers with a business or administrative background are better suited to running the day-t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069832 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:15:43 +0100 5069832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069849&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2F_QufFu4sp6A%2F If you are a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, or small business person, you may find the need to create a website for yourself. This can be an overwhelming task for many people. Where do you even start? Do you need to learn HTML, buy hosting, and pay a few hundred dollars for a program like Dreamweaver? Will this get you what you need? Do you need to hire someone to do the work for you? While this is the course that many people took in the past, designing a professional website now is much easier. You need three things to get started… Web hosting from a reputable company Make sure they have good uptime Look for a hosting account that allows multiple domain accounts Look for a good initial price Look for a good upgrade path for future traffic expansion WordPress installed on your ho... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069849 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:06:54 +0100 5069849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069480&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-stories-in-medicine-that-need-to-be-told%2F2011.07.26 I can’t help but think that as time passes we’ll forget about how much medicine has changed with the introduction of the Internet.  We’re witnessing a transition that hasn’t been seen in generations.  We live with the end result but the memory of how we got here is fading quickly.  Like any kind of cultural shift, once we’ve arrived it’s hard to remember what it was like along the way. How did patients think before the information revolution?  And how did it go down when patients began to search?  How specifically did information clash with the old model of doctor and patient and how did we deal with it?  There are stories here that need to be told.  I think the real stories are in the small details of what went down between doctors and patients. But as early adopters, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069480 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:00:15 +0100 5069480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069466&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fkacp3b2MFJc%2F The sky is the limit it seems when it comes to mobile health. Proving once again the myriad possibilities for that smartphone apps present to every facet of the health sector, Orca MD — a company dedicated to producing apps aimed at educating patients and helping them find the most effective treatment for their ailments — just released two new patient education apps – these focusing on cosmetic procedures. The new apps (FaceDecide & BreastDecide) come in addition to their six existing Orthopedic patient education apps — including an orthopedic app called ShoulderDecide, which was recently reviewed by iMedicalApps.com. While these latest apps are obviously less focused on chronic medical conditions than the original six, they do call attention to just how great the ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069466 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:05:56 +0100 5069466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062240&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhich-generation-of-physicians-uses-the-most-mobile-technology%2F2011.07.25 Smartphones and tablets have reached 80% of physicians across all practice types, locations and years in practice, and 25% of users are “Super Mobile” physicians who use both types of mobile devices. This is far beyond the general population’s 50% adoption of smartphones and 5% adoption of tablets. QuantiaMd, a free, online learning collaborative, released survey results that showed 44% of physicians who do not yet have a mobile device intend to buy one this year. While younger physicians have higher adoption rates than older ones, current use of mobile devices by physicians longest in practice is above 60%, the survey showed. Among physicians with 30 years or more of practice, almost 20% already use a tablet device for work, and another 25% say they are extremely likely ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062240 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5062240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062487&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Feverything-is-marketing-an-introduction-to-hugh-macleod%2F I am a super-giant fan of Hugh MacLeod and his “cartoon art drawn on the back of business cards”! He is a genius at depicting social media and marketing in new and original ways that inspire and sometimes reprimand us for our use of social objects. You can learn more about Gaping Void and Hughs work here. I hope you enjoy this segment as much as I do.   Hugh MacLeod is a superb artist and has a true gift in the ability to take complicated topics reduce them into a few perfect words and scribbles. The effect can be devastatingly funny or deeply poignant, so find out for your self and enjoy  Hugh’s wit and insights. Learn more about Hugh’s social object campaign on Hugh’s blog is www.gapingvoid.com . (Source: Nicola Ziady) Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062487 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:40:44 +0100 5062487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062241&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthrombolytics-to-give-or-not-to-give%2F2011.07.25 For years now, we’ve all heard the drum-beat.  Bill-boards in cities have proclaimed it.  Various medical associations have touted it’s importance.  Stroke symptoms have to be treated immediately!  Give clot-busting drugs, also known as ‘thrombolytics!’ Until, of course, those in favor of giving the drugs (namely neurologists)  realized that a)  Not everyone with a stroke, aka ‘brain attack’ has insurance and b) people have a very inconsiderate habit of having said strokes at the most inconvenient of hours.  For instance, after 5PM, on the weekend, on holidays.  The nerve! So across the country, physicians in emergency departments like mine are finding themselves expected by the court of public opinion to give a potentially dangerous drug (albeit a sometimes useful drug... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062241 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:00:57 +0100 5062241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062488&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fgreat-ted-talks-about-social-media%2F I have found a couple of great videos about interactive marketing and the future potential of social technologies. I have selected these two speakers based on their visionary views on social media and its impact on global scale. [1] Clay Shirky, is an adjunct professor in New York University Graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program. He teaches a course named “Social Weather.” His work focuses on the rising use of decentralized technologies such as peer-to-peer, wireless networks, social software and open-source development. New technologies are enabling new kinds of cooperative structures to flourish as a way of getting things done in business, science, the arts and elsewhere, as an alternative to centralized and institutional structures, which he sees as self-limiting. In his w... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062488 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:43:22 +0100 5062488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062489&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Frebecca-mackinnon-discusses-taking-back-the-internet%2F I came across this fantastic presentation by Rebecca MacKinnon as she discusses the future of the internet. I think this is something that effect both you, me and our children. Enjoy .. In this powerful talk from TEDGlobal, Rebecca MacKinnon describes the expanding struggle for freedom and control in cyberspace, and asks: How do we design the next phase of the Internet with accountability and freedom at its core, rather than control? She believes the internet is headed for a “Magna Carta” moment when citizens around the world demand that their governments protect free speech and their right to connection.  About the speaker :: Rebecca MacKinnon looks at issues of privacy, free expression and governance (or lack of) in the digital networks, platforms and services on which we a... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062489 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:46:03 +0100 5062489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062338&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcertifications-do-i-need-one It is often asked today whether obtaining certifications in health IT is of benefit to a healthcare career path and/or will obtaining a certification guarantee securing employment? Well, first thing nothing is ever a guarantee in securing employment because so many variables play into that next career step. But to level set the certification question, various professional certifications are found in almost every industry of today. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062338 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:46:43 +0100 5062338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062525&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2FCEhqG7Kd9sI%2F This was our second theme based week on Success Begins Today. The theme was communication and featured a free book giveaway. Theme: Communication Monday: Making A True Connection We all communicate, but do we truly connect? Tuesday: Communicating Your Title The words you use in your title say a lot about you. Choose wisely. Thursday: Google Plus: What Will You Write? A post about creating your about page for Google Plus and the Throne of Agony. Friday: Good Morning, Mike Guest post by Sarah McGaugh on using a greeting to change someone’s life. Links mentioned during the week: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. Sally Hogshead Fascinate Test Throne of Creative Agony Career Builder Article Google Plus Bird in your Hand Additional References: John Maxwell: Everyone Communicates Book Page K... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062525 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:16:23 +0100 5062525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057909&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealthcare-is-the-most-trusted-industry-by-consumers%2F Bingo for us healthcare marketing folks! According to a recent Harris Interactive poll the hospital and healthcare industry is the most trusted by consumers. Perhaps this data can help us the next time we have a HIPPA violation or regulation to uphold? Regardless, well done #hcmkg! A Harris Interactive report, from December 2010,  found that the hospital and healthcare industry are top of the short list of industries that consumers trust. 60% of consumers say they trust hospitals and the healthcare industry This is very beneficial to healthcare marketers – as some of us tend to question the high level of compliance required by HIPPA. The results from this survey show us that our dedication and observance of HIPPA is appreciated by the general public.  Harris Interactive posed the q... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057909 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:24:25 +0100 5057909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057910&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fthe-history-of-social-media%2F While researching for an article I am writing for “Thought Leaders in Healthcare” I came across this amazing infographic from OnlineSchools.org. So whether this infographic is just a fun stroll down memory lane or entirely new knowledge plane for you, I hope you enjoy and share it!     (Source: Nicola Ziady) Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057910 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:21:27 +0100 5057910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050784&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=22291&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedgadget%2F%7E3%2F551pYVef_DQ%2Fscientists-create-artificial-neural-network-from-dna.html Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully created an artificial neural network using DNA molecules that is capable of brain-like behavior. Hailing it as a “major step toward creating artificial intelligence,” the scientists report that, similar to a brain, the network can retrieve memories based on incomplete patterns.  Potential applications of such artificially intelligent biochemical networks with decision-making skills include medicine and biological research. The researchers predict that, eventually, neural networks could be developed that operate within cells to gather information for disease diagnosis. More details from Caltech: Consisting of four artificial neurons made from 112 distinct DNA strands, the researchers’ neural network... Medgadget blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050784 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:33:15 +0100 5050784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050777&cid=t_391796_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F07%2Ftaylorism-technopoly-and-medicine.html Nicholas Carr's new book, The Shallows has a great quotation, which he uses to describe Google's intellectual ethic." In his 1993 book Technopoly, Neil Postman distilled the main tenets of Taylor's system of scientific management. Taylorism, he wrote, is founded on six assumptions: "that the primary, if not the only, goal of human labor and thought is efficiency; that technical calculation is in all respects superior to human judgment; that in fact human judgment cannot be trusted, because it is plagued by laxity, ambiguity, and unnecessary complexity; that subjectivity is an obstacle to clear thinking; that what cannot be measured either does not exist or is of no value; and that the affairs of citizens are best guided and conducted by experts”.What struck me forcibly is the fact that P... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050777 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:50:00 +0100 5050777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051261&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fsmartphone-app-ecosystems-thrive.html I firmly believe that the iPhone "changed everything" by introducing us to what is now referred to as the smartphone app ecosystem (see: New Definition for "Apps": The Smartphone Market for Medical Software). Think about the rules of this ecosystem and how they differ from what we were accustomed to when using only PCs: (1) we shop for new apps online and many of the best ones are free; (2) we are promptly notified about operating system and app upgrades when they become available and can make these changes quickly and online; (3) the device easily fits in our pocket, giving us ready access to all of our apps including a rapidly improving camera and video recorder; and (4) most of the available apps are easy to learn and useful. A recent article discussed this iPhone ef... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051261 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:38:08 +0100 5051261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051262&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Forchard-integrated-diagnostics.html Integrated diagnostics can be achieved by breaking down the sub-specialty silos in the diagnostic specialties like pathology, laboratory medicine, and radiology. The current standard of practice is to present the procedure and test-ordering clinicians with individualized reports from the various specialty labs (e.g., surgical pathology, immunology, microbiology) and radiology units like MRI and CT. This approach results from the super-specialization and subdivision of the diagnostics specialties. Under the integrated diagnostics mantra, the goal of integrating the diverse diagnostic reports is moved upstream and becomes the responsibility of the diagnosticians themselves rather than the clinicians. In my mind, the first major movement toward integrated diagnostics on the manufacturing side... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051262 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:38:01 +0100 5051262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051325&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Finfluence%2F8738%2F Much of what it takes to do anything in life comes down to influencing human behavior. Solving the technical issues is often the easy part.  Getting people to use the solution is what takes the real effort. This is important to recognize because it isn’t how we are trained to think.  We are trained to think that if you build a better mousetrap, everyone will want one.  That is simply not true. Lets say you are trying to solve the problem of sickness in a remote tribe.  After visiting it is obvious that sanitation is a big problem.  You bring in a work crew, build public toilets and feel like you’ve accomplished something, but you haven’t.  You may have solved the technical problem, but the big question is “will people use the new toilets?”  The real pr... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051325 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:52:31 +0100 5051325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050607&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=39185&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedwinleap.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1728 For years now, we’ve all heard the drum-beat.  Bill-boards in cities have proclaimed it.  Various medical associations have touted it’s importance.  Stroke symptoms have to be treated immediately!  Give clot-busting drugs, also known as ‘thrombolytics!’ Until, of course, those in favor of giving the drugs (namely neurologists)  realized that a)  Not everyone with a stroke, aka ‘brain attack’ has insurance and b) people have a very inconsiderate habit of having said strokes at the most inconvenient of hours.  For instance, after 5PM, on the weekend, on holidays.  The nerve! So across the country, physicians in emergency departments like mine are finding themselves expected by the court of public opinion to give a potentially dangerous drug (albeit... edwinleap.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050607 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:27:57 +0100 5050607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051263&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fa-different-paradigm-for-analyzing-the-competition-between-cerner-and-epic.html In a recent note, I discussed the competition between the Cerner and Epic EMRs and quoted another blog, Chilmark Research, to the effect that Cerner was moving in new strategic direction, emphasizing a network of services to provide communities of care (see: Cerner Fights Back in the EMR Market: A Community Network of Services + PHR). Such an approach is sometimes referred to as the development of a care coordination platform. I concluded that Epic's approach closely coincided with the business model currently favored by hospital executives and would probably continue to succeed in the market. Vince Kuraitis responded to my note with a comment that included a link to a lecture he had recently delivered titled Platform Wars (see: Platform Wars). The presentation can also be accessed at ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051263 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:43:40 +0100 5051263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036486&cid=t_391796_133_f&fid=35095&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAutismsEdges%2F%7E3%2FGtRh1qZyrxI%2Fsummmmertime-and-livin-is.html (Source: Autism's Edges) Autism's Edges blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036486 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:58:00 +0100 5036486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036232&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fteamwork-and-good-communication-make-everything-better%2F2011.07.16 What? Just what am I talking about? Give me a minute. More and more people are telling me too often they are encountering doctors who 1) don’t look them in the eye 2) don’t listen to them 3) don’t touch them or get anywhere near them and 4) stay focused on their a) computer b) smartphone or c) iPad. More of us are saying we are “mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore” just like the character in the movie “Network” years ago. We find another doctor. I am happy to report that an increasing number of the gray haired doctors who run medical schools are agreeing with us. Doctors need to be better communicators. They need to celebrate human contact rather than devote themselves to only technology and leading edge science. The professors also want tomorrow’s doctors to ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036232 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:00:48 +0100 5036232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029239&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Ffemr-based-order-sets-as-a-locus-of-control-of-hospital-based-physicians.html In a recent note, I discussed the evidence-based physician order sets that were being deployed at the University of Kansas Hospital (see: Evidence-Based Order Sets Deployed at the University of Kansas Hospital). At the end of the piece, I commented on the very large number of them and speculated that many of them would probably never be used as a practical matter. Here is the specific quote: Here's what I don't understand about the deployment of standardized order sets. Why develop 240 when most physicians will use only a small number of them? In the current case, I am sure that Zynx Health wants to prove the worth of its product to the University of Kansas Hospital and it provides bragging rights to have 240 of them. Even differentiating them by type of patient, my guess is that p... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029239 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:06:50 +0100 5029239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5027266&cid=t_391796_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2011%2F07%2Fpcr-troubleshooting-review.html Excerpt from a book review of PCR Troubleshooting and Optimization: The Essential Guide: "The information is wholesome and appears to target both students and scientists knowledgeable in molecular applications. The comprehensive and comprehendible content indeed qualifies the text as an essential guide to the development, optimization and toubleshooting of PCR assays." from Christopher J. McIver writing in Aus. J. Med. Sci. (2011) 32: 68 read more ... PCR Troubleshooting and Optimization: The Essential GuideEdited by: Suzanne Kennedy and Nick OswaldISBN: 978-1-904455-72-1Publisher: Caister Academic PressPublication Date: January 2011 Cover: hardback"an essential guide" Aus. J. Med. Sci. (Source: Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists.) Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5027266 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:47:43 +0100 5027266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028451&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Ftelehealth-wait-theres-online-therapy%2F Stop the presses! Randall Stross over at the Digital Domain at The New York Times has just discovered online therapy. Acknowledging that the idea has been around for a long time, Stross begins the piece by digging up an American Journal of Psychiatry article from 38 years ago, written by Thomas Dwyer describing one of the first telepsychiatry systems ever devised (at Massachusetts General Hospital). How quaint. (Confusing telepsychiatry/telehealth systems — which have been around for decades utilizing private networks and closed video systems, and that are well-researched — with online therapy is a common mistake made by journalists who explore this area.) The hook, apparently, is to highlight yet some more companies who’ve decided to take the plunge into exploiting this ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028451 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:10:09 +0100 5028451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029240&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fcerner-fights-back-in-the-emr-market-network-of-services-for-a-community-of-care.html In my opinion, Cerner is facing a formidable competitor, Epic, in the high-end, larger hospital EMR space (see: Why Does Epic Keep Hammering Cerner? Mr. HIStalk's Opinion; Is Cerner Modifying Its EMR Business Model?). John Moore who blogs over at Chilmark Research recently posted a long piece suggesting that Cerner is crafting a new strategy in order to compete more effectively with Epic. He suggests, first, that It emphasizes support for "communities of care" (i.e, city, region, state, employer). Cerner also intends to provide a "PHR with an ecosystem of third party apps." This will serve as a replacement for the now departed Google Health product (see: Google Health Calls It Quits; Lessons Learned about PHRs or Not). Here is a link to John's note (see: Steppin... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029240 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:02:53 +0100 5029240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028058&cid=t_391796_86_f&fid=34464&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDavidrothmannet%2F%7E3%2F0WkffJxJd0Y%2F I once worked with a CIO who, on my first day, told me that his philosophy was: “never let ‘perfect’ get in the way of ‘good enough’” I thought this was a curious philosophy and something about it seemed familiar, so I dug around a bit and found many versions of this line. “Perfect is the worst enemy of Good Enough” “Perfection is the enemy of Good Enough” “Better Than Is the Enemy of Good Enough” “Better Is the Enemy of Good Enough” It didn’t take long to figure out that these were all misquotations of Voltaire: “The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.” I guess I took that point reasonably well (as I understood it). In the context of this talk with the CIO, it meant that it was often not ... davidrothman.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028058 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:28:30 +0100 5028058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028538&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F07%2F13%2Fhealth-app-development-and-innovation%2F Two quick notes: HHS kicks off $5M ‘i2′ Health IT app development program – contracts awarded for this, more innovation opportunities looking to: Allow an individual to securely and effectively share health information with members of his or her social network. Provide patients, caregivers and/or clinicians access to rigorous and relevant information that can support real needs and immediate decisions. Allow individuals to connect during natural disasters and other periods of emergency. Facilitate exchange of health information while allowing individuals to customize the privacy allowances for their personal health records. Also announced, the Cleveland Clinic Medical Pavilion on Innocentive and the first challenge posted. (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028538 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:54:52 +0100 5028538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029309&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fdigital-signatures-encryption%2F4710%2F Conclusion And there you have it.  You now understand encryption  and digital signatures better than 99% of the population.  If you are interested in starting to use email encryption, I recommend getting  a free set of certificates from Thawte or Comodo. (Thawte may be canceling their free program, so Comodo may be the better choice.) The setup process is fairly simple and they have instructions on how to get various email clients configured. As I said before, this article is me trying to do my part to help society move from paper to digital.  If you want to help, please take a few minutes to share this with someone else. Want to go paperless? Checkout the Paperless Office website. This article was useful when looking for:digital certificate (514)email encryption (304)digital signatur... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029309 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:05 +0100 5029309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028542&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FU5Yy6DMMSVE%2F I recently was asked by Deanna from Mighty Oak to check out a demo of their Chart Talk EHR software (previously called DC talk). It’s always a challenge for me since there are only so many hours in a day to be demoing the more than 300 EHR companies out there. So, instead of doing a full demo, I asked Deanna to highlight a feature of Chart Talk that set them apart from other EHR software companies. She told me that Chart Talk’s killer feature was its integration with Dragon Naturally Speaking’s voice recognition software. I was very familiar with DNS and other voice recognition software, so I was interested to see if they really could create a deep integration of Dragon Medical over the other EHR software I’d seen that integrated it as well. I have to admit that I w... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028542 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:08:17 +0100 5028542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028386&cid=t_391796_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fbrain-gear-a-conference-on-neurodevices%2F I am repeatedly thrilled by news of events arranged by the European Neuroscience & Society Network (ENSN). If it does not clash too much with my planned research stay at BIOS in London in September, I will definitely find my way to Groningen for this conference as it fits very nicely with the next part of my ph.d.-project. See the conference description below. In a museum context, I am also curious to see what kinds of objects the conference will contain. I have been thinking that it is very difficult to make neuroscience tangible, but maybe this will give some clues as to how it might be done. Neurodevices could be seen as very powerful objects in the sense that they literally touch upon (or mess with) the merging of self and materiality. Interesting stuff! BRAIN GEAR – Discuss... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028386 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:17:19 +0100 5028386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028871&cid=t_391796_131_f&fid=35008&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscienceroll.com%2F2011%2F07%2F11%2Fdigital-cane-helps-track-of-vital-signs%2F I’ve recently come across this digital cane designed by a Lithuanian designer Egle Ugintaite for the Fujitsu 2011 design award in which he won the grand prize. Great idea! The cane, which is known as the Aid, has a built-in navigator that provides the user directions to a certain location. So if you get lost, this cane will point the way home. Additional features include monitors for the user’s pulse, blood pressure, as well as body temperature. These important numbers are displayed on the LCD screen on the cane’s clasp. It even has a button for sending out an SOS in case of emergency. (Source: ScienceRoll) ScienceRoll blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028871 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:56:49 +0100 5028871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008235&cid=t_391796_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fpatient-care-in-rural-hospitals.html In this week’s JAMA there’s an interesting article looking at the quality of care delivered in rural hospitals when Medicare patients are treated for heart attacks, congestive heart failure and pneumonia. It appears the rural hospitals with emergency access provide worse care than those seen in large cities with tertiary care hospitals. This is not particularly surprising considering the cost of a fully staffed the emergency room is often greater than the cost of an entire rural hospital. the issue should not be whether rural hospitals should be closed, but whether transportation should be provided to centers more capable of treating the serious conditions. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008235 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:30:13 +0100 5008235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008505&cid=t_391796_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FvyjA7VE6e1k%2Fthe-value-of-a-patient-portal-increasing-compliance-while-reducing-cost.html As patients become more and more interested in engaging and communicating with their healthcare providers online, the demand for portal applications will only increase.  Patients are looking for innovative ways to access their health information and care providers – what better way than online patient portals?  Portals are healthcare related online applications that allow patients to interact with their healthcare providers through secure websites or integrated electronic medical records (EMRs).   These applications can give patients the ability to request prescription refills, make appointments, receive medical reminders, view billing statements, and ask providers questions about ongoing treatment regimens (2).  The key is engagement and it’s a growing trend among individuals wh... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008505 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:29:38 +0100 5008505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008681&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fthe-epic-emr-as-a-platform-extending-its-functionality-with-other-products.html For a number of reasons, Epic has achieved a near monopoly of the EMRs installed in the largest U.S. hospitals (see: ShandsHealth Goes Live with Epic; Company Penetration of the Hospital Market; Why Does Epic Keep Hammering Cerner? Mr. HIStalk's Opinion). In my opinion, this trend poses a significant challenge for healthcare in general. Here's a quote from the first of these two notes describing the nature of this challenge: Epic...has a reputation of closely controlling the installation and development of its EMR software products. This is the basis for its record of successful system installations and part of the appeal of the product to hospital CEOs and CIOs. Furthermore, the evolution of clinical hospital systems (e.g., EMRs, LISs, RISs, etc.) is a critical element in the over... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008681 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:31:58 +0100 5008681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008208&cid=t_391796_88_f&fid=38153&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozemedicine.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D960 I attended the EMA Course in New York last month and although IT systems were not directly part of the course, the topic did arise and the general feeling of the many US emergency physicians appeared to be that current commercial ED software in place in the USA is NOT efficient and comments such as “terrible” were not uncommonly expressed. It seems that the consensus was that for EP’s to be productive with such software they each need to have a personal scribe to ensure adequate timely documentation while allowing them to have adequate time at the bedside with the patients. Furthermore, it seems that the majority of prescibing mistakes are now because of software design issues and how the software interfaces with end users. Perhaps Australian administrators should be taki... Oz E Medicine - emergency medicine in Australia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008208 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:59:42 +0100 5008208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008682&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fshould-diagnostic-test-scheduling-be-personalized.html I have posted previous notes about the need for periodic mammograms including the frequency of routine screening based on age (see: Shift to Digital Mammography Results in Increased Patient Recalls; Confusion Caused by Conflating "False Positive" and "Overdiagnosis" in Breast Cancer). Now comes news of research suggesting that mammogram screening should be personalized (see: Mammogram scheduling should be personalized, not based on age alone: study). The article caught my attention because of the use of the term personalized. Here is an excerpt from the article: Mammograms should not be done on a one-size fits all basis, but instead should be personalized based on a woman’s age, the density of her breasts, her family history of breast cancer and other factors includin... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008682 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:12:55 +0100 5008682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008306&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F07%2Ftherapists-online-a-new-norm%2F Therapists, psychologists and even psychiatrists are dotting the online landscape with websites, blogs and even with their activity on social networking sites!  Has a new norm in our field been established? It’s been almost two years since the first post in my Psych Central series on the paradigm shift occurring for therapists in how we present ourselves on the web.  In October 2009, in Psychotherapists Unmasked on the Internet, I used an exchange between my psychiatrist father (of 45 years) and myself, a new Marriage and Family Therapist, to demonstrate the clash of eras and belief systems occurring.  He had given me a hard time about putting my picture up on my website several years back but in the end asked me to help him figure out how to get a website up for himself (sheepish gri... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008306 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:23:57 +0100 5008306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008183&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FbRJcm-h-R3I%2F   mHealth Summit to Highlight Groundbreaking Research Abstracts and Innovative Presentations TOPIC AREAS: RESEARCH: Ground-breaking health research using mobile technologies in clinical medicine and public health outcomes. TECHNOLOGY: Categories that examine the technologies being deployed today while also exploring new technologies currently under development.  BUSINESS: Focus on moving the debate forward by addressing the business models that impact mHealth with a focus on lessons learned, best practices, and the emergence of commercially viable models to scale mHealth globally. POLICY: Showcase of healthcare, technology and investment communities seeking regulatory clarity on wireless medical technologies to accelerate this promising engine of health care innovation The subm... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008183 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:19:47 +0100 5008183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008309&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F06%2Fwhen-does-flirting-become-cheating-9-red-flags%2F According to psychologist Michael Brickey, author of Defying Aging and many other relationship experts, playful bantering or gentle flirting with someone outside of your marriage is harmless if proper boundaries remain intact. Those boundaries differ with each relationship, of course. What would be considered a violation in one marriage might be perfectly acceptable for another couple. Difference of opinions even occur within a marriage. For example, I know a woman who recently asked her husband to either give her his Facebook password or close out his account after she found an email that he had sent to a former classmate that she found to be rather suggestive. He disagreed and thought it was perfectly appropriate. Social media sites and online interaction are pushing this issue to dinner... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008309 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:33:01 +0100 5008309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008507&cid=t_391796_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FonTV5z357PE%2Favoiding-the-breach-is-our-patient-data-really-protected-.html Electronic 
health 
records
 (EHRs) 
are 
the 
future
 of 
the
 provider‐patient
 relationship.

 As 
the
 storage,
 retrieval
 and
 sharing 
of 
information 
via 
EHR 
accelerates, 
providers 
benefit
 from
 the 
most 
accurate
 and
 up‐to‐date 
information 
available.

 The 
delivery 
of 
care 
is 
optimized 
through 
these
 systems
 giving
 providers 
the 
information 
necessary 
to 
make 
the 
most 
effective 
clinical 
decisions
 for 
their 
patients.
 The
 issue
 of 
patient 
security 
is 
an 
ongoing
 concern.
 Privacy 
of 
our 
medical
 data 
is 
one 
of 
the
 cornerstones 
of 
our
 healthcare 
system. 

This 
co... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008507 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:55:43 +0100 5008507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997586&cid=t_391796_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fcollection-impossible-distributed-curatorship-as-an-alternative-to-centralised-acquisitioning%2F I thought of sending this abstract to the Artefacts meeting in the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden, 25-27 September (this year’s theme is ‘Conceptualizing, Collecting and Presenting Recent Science and Technology’): COLLECTION IMPOSSIBLE: Distributed curatorship as an alternative to centralised acquisitioning Centralised collecting of the artefacts from contemporary science, technology and medical (STM) visual and material culture seems to have rather bleak prospects. The looming financial and social global crisis is not conducive to centralized efforts by big museums to save the contemporary STM heritage, not least because the modern state-subsidised museum institution is running out of funding (at least in the West). What can curators then do to uphold their professional obligation to ... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997586 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:00:04 +0100 4997586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057911&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fhealthcare-seeker-demographic%2F Four in five internet users have researched health info on the web. Health information seekers account for 59% of all US adults. Yet as healthcare marketers we spend millions trying to find, reach and convert these evasive surfers! Who are they? What do they look for? I have sourced a demographic breakdown from the Pew Internet and Life Project research which breaks down our audience and will share it with you today. It is also common for health info seekers to be research on behalf of someone else, such as a parent. According to Pew, nearly half of web users who looked for health info online most recently did so for another person. Seven in 10 health info seekers were currently caring for a loved one. Gender Breakdown :: As common healthcare decision makers it is no surprise that women m... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057911 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:58:46 +0100 5057911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992729&cid=t_391796_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdrug-side-effect-linked-with-increased-health-risks-for-over-65s.html More than 13,000 men and women aged 65 and over from across the UK were included in the two-year study from the University of East Anglia. Around half were found to use a medication with potential anticholinergic properties.In the study, each drug taken by the participants was given a ranking based on the strength of its anticholinergic activity, or AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) - 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.The key findings were:• Twenty per cent of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only seven per cent of those taking no anticholinergic drugs - the first time a link between anticholinergics and mortality has been shown.• For every additional ACB point ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992729 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:13:07 +0100 4992729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992877&cid=t_391796_130_f&fid=34938&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEvidenceInMotion%2F%7E3%2FS4t9IVHBgPM%2Fthe-dawn-of-the-super-mobile-clinician.html There seems to be no doubt that the adoption of technology into clinical settings has the potential to make a clinic more efficient and improve the quality of care.  Healthcare professionals use technology to enhance clinical decision making, to retrieve health information and to monitor patient outcomes.  Wider adoption of such tools will inevitably transform the health care process and begin to repair a broken and fragmented health system. The introduction of smartphones and tablet computers has been an important catalyst of innovation. Products like the iPhone and iPad have literally reinvented the way we communicate and manage our daily lives.  From corporations to local businesses, use of these devices has revolutionized the way industries communicate with themselves and, ultimate... MyPhysicalTherapySpace.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992877 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:39:34 +0100 4992877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984705&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fwupmc-patient-portal.html In a recent post, I speculated about some of the reasons why I thought that Google Health was exiting the personal health record (PHR) business (see: Google Health Calls It Quits; Lessons Learned about PHRs or Not). Shortly after posting this note, an article came across my desk discussing the success of UPMC's patient portal and the fact that it was now going mobile (see: UPMC's patient portal goes mobile). Below is an excerpt from the article: A health portal used by patients and doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is now accessible on iPhones and iPads, thanks to the new mobile HealthTrak application. With its innovative approach to managing patient health - through technology like eVisits and tethered records - easy access to the portal is becoming mor... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984705 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:11:10 +0100 4984705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984400&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F06%2F30%2Fmeet-epatient-dave%2F A great video from TED The Internet is really empowering patients. On the other hand with great power comes with great responsibility (to paraphrase Peter Parker) – those less discerning are as likely to be misinformed as much as informed.. from the Malaysian Medical ResourcesMeet ePatient Dave (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984400 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4984400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976215&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fevidence-based-order-sets.html I am generally unenthusiastic about the term "evidence-based-medicine" (EBM) because it's often used synonymously with high-quality care. For the most part, however, I do see value for what are called "evidence-based order sets." The University of Kansas Hospital has recently gone live with 240 such order sets developed by Zynx Health’s clinical decision support unit. Here is an excerpt from the press release (see: The University of Kansas Hospital Goes Live with ZynxOrder and ZynxCare Integrated into EHR): ...The University of Kansas Hospital has gone live with 240 evidence-based order sets deployed via computerized provider order entry (CPOE)....The implementation of evidence-based order sets and plans of care within an EHR will enable The University of Kansas H... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976215 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:12:07 +0100 4976215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976216&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fon-the-demise-of-google-health.html I am an unabashed fan of Google. However, if the company suffers from anything, it's a corporate sense of hubris. The founders think that almost any problem can be solved by their engineering mentality and their "search" business model. It turns out that launching a personal health record product was not that easy a nut to crack so the company is now withdrawing from the business (see: Google Shuts Down Medical Records And Health Data Platform). Here's Mr. HIStalk's take on the demise of Google Health (see: Monday Morning Update 6/27/11): Google predictably did what its know-it-all technology company predecessors have done over the years: dipped an arrogant and half-assed toe into the health IT waters; roused a loud rabble of shrieking fanboy bloggers and reporters...... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976216 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:33:50 +0100 4976216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968635&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FSOeBOOgwLXA%2F This is a great video that does a great job showing how big the world is, how fast technology is growing and a number of amazing perspectives about what’s going on in the world. I’d seen this video a while back, but Wes Kemp just emailed it to me again and it was great to be reminded of the amazing world we’re living in. I hope you’ll enjoy it as well: Related posts:Video on EHR TV I got an email from EHR TV telling me that... Healthcare at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas I’m attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today.... Memorial Day and CCHIT 2009-2010 Criteria Revealed In honor of Memorial Day, I took the weekend off.... (Source: EMR and HIPAA) EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968635 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:02:05 +0100 4968635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968634&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fcan-social-media-save-lives%2F This provocative title of a webinar to be held next week is part of the growing optimism about the potential for social media in the process of health care. Some recent examples come to mind: Report from the Change Foundation in Toronto on Using social media to improve the quality of patient experience (I was on the advisory board for this report) An App that Looks for Signs of Sickness – Mobile-phone activity can provide a warning of disease flare-ups. Community Health Data Initiative – more on this later Case Study: Radboud Hospital Supports Young Cancer Patients With An Online Community We are witnessing a shift from social media for pure marketing toward engagement and beyond, to changing the care process. (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968634 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 02:58:56 +0100 4968634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968582&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Ffrustrated-by-devices-read-the-manual%2F Handsome, well-made tools are a joy to use; confusing devices are a drain. So often, I find, things once easy to operate — TVs, irons, dishwashers, alarm clocks, washing machines — are now humiliatingly challenging. Cognitive-science professor Donald Norman points out that when we expect a device — like a toaster or video camera — will be fairly simple to operate, and it’s not, we assume we’re at fault, instead of holding the object responsible. One Sunday afternoon, when I was frantically trying to synchronize the data on my laptop with my desktop, I kept getting strange error messages. In desperation, I asked my husband to take a look. “Oh. Our internet service isn’t working,” he announced after fifteen seconds on the computer. I’d assumed I was doing ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968582 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:22:03 +0100 4968582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968921&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fpathology-resident-travel-awards-available-for-pathology-informatics-2011-conference.html The Association for Pathology Informatics is awarding a limited number of stipends of $1,500 to attend the Pathology Informatics 2011 Conference at the Pittsburgh Wyndham Grand hotel in Pittsburgh. The conference will take place on October 4-7, 2011. Awardees must be residents, post-doctoral students, or fellows in accredited teaching programs. This is the premier pathology informatics conference in the country with three workshops, three discipline tracks, multiple keynote plenary lectures, 44 participating faculty members, and more than 40 exhibitors. Last year's PI-2010 presentation marked the first of these events. The conference represents a merger of two long-standing pathology informatics meetings, APIII and Lab InfoTech Summit. The application deadline for awards is August 1, 2... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968921 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:55:56 +0100 4968921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960202&cid=t_391796_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FKL0ko4TEcXU%2F A couple of very interesting recent announcements show (in a military context) how well-targeted brain training can complement and augment existing approaches, both to help “normal” and “clinical” populations, in ways that silo-based, rear-mirror thinking often misses: U.S. Department of Defense Awards $2 Million to Brain Plasticity Inc. to Study Impact of Brain Training for Traumatic Brain Injuries (press release): “Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI), a technology incubator dedicated to the discovery and development of novel technologies that harness the basic principles of brain plasticity to improve the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric disorders, was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense.” “The grant will fund a two-year... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960202 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:21:27 +0100 4960202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960336&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fpfizer-integrating-telemedicine-into-clinical-trials.html I have a special interest in clinical trials dating back to my five-year stint on the IRB (Institutional Review Board) at my hospital. I therefore read with some interest the news that Pfizer was integrating telemedicine (i.e., remote subject participation) into one of its clinical trials (see: Pfizer Integrating Telemedicine into Clinical Trials). Here is an excerpt from the article Pfizer is starting enrollment of its first ever investigational drug trial with remote patient participation. The trial, aptly named Research on Electronic Monitoring of OAB Treatment Experience (REMOTE), is a study to assess the safety and efficacy of Detrol LA (tolterodine tartrate), a treatment for overactive bladder. The main goal is to determine whether the results of the pilot REMOTE “virtual trial” ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960336 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:59:22 +0100 4960336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960355&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2F0yI5wEdGR3w%2F While I love my iPad, there are a few items that would make the current model easier to use. I’m surprised that they aren’t included with the standard iOS interface. 1. Arrow Keys. When typing on any of the built in keyboard interfaces, Apple has not included any arrow keys. If you hook up an external Bluetooth keyboard, they are there and work well. Arrow keys make editing text fast and easy. Sure you can enlarge the text screen and use your finger to move the cursor, but arrow keys are more intuitive and would be much faster to use. 2. Forward Delete Button. This should be a no brainer. When editing text in a word processor, email, or blog interface, there currently is no forward delete button. Currently you either have to micro place the cursor or back delete the whole word... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960355 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:19:28 +0100 4960355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960003&cid=t_391796_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fageing-society-2011-vol-31-no-5%2F This article looks at the need for further understanding of routine, mobility and daily activities that may be taken for granted and whether these issues are important when it comes to designing methods that mitigate the negative impacts of falls and fear of falling for people living independently. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Assistive Technology, Falls, Independent Living, Older People (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960003 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:16:12 +0100 4960003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960357&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fmore-efficient-emails%2F2792%2F This article was useful when looking for:efficient emails (9)how to be more efficient with organizing emails (1)ideas on how to be more efficient emails (1) If you liked this, please consider sharing it with others: --- at Productivity501:Mobile Me Email Down for a week.Reader Question – Emailing Your BossSetting Up GmailIMAP for GmailGTDInbox (Source: Productivity501) Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960357 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:00:22 +0100 4960357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953345&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2F2011_Research_Day.flv Do you make videos? Do you share your videos? Do you want to make your videos social? If you answered yes to the questions and you want to learn social video best practices, read on … here are a few pointers that will help your video get shared ::   [1] Make a great first impression You need to grab viewers in the first seconds of your video [2] Make a short video Long-form video content is beginning to perform well in the online world, it is not the target of social sharing. Keep your videos under 3 minutes and you will find that people are more willing to share them. [3] Be funny Humor is something people want to share. People tend to want to share things that make them laugh out loud, rather than things that are sad. [4] Remix Spoofs and parodies do well in social media. Pic... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953345 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:31:09 +0100 4953345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953346&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F06%2F5-tips-to-socialize-your-online-videos%2F Recent studies show 50% of all web traffic is now video And it’s share of the internet `pie’ keeps growing.  To prove it, Youtube alone today accounts for 12% of ALL web traffic. This makes locally optimized video content even more important to having a competitive advantage in the marketplace. There are a few key things we can do to ensure our videos, content and players are optimized for social media. Enable social sharing buttons in players ::  keeping them “on” makes it easy for viewers to start sharing your videos. Promote sharing at video completion :: remind viewers that their next step can be to share your video. Embed click-able calls to action :: consider equipping your video player with clickable call to action overlays that draw engaged viewers back to your s... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953346 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:25:32 +0100 4953346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953413&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2FF1IUAhpiph4%2F The iPad is a revolutionary product. It allows me to do things I’ve never been able to do before with a PC. While it has it’s limitations, I find myself using this device more and more instead of my Windows computer. Here is a list of six things that Microsoft and the legion of PC makers should take into consideration when designing new products. 1. Instant On. This is a big time saver. If I had the time I’ve wasted over the years waiting for computers to boot, I could take a long vacation. The main factor here is OS design and the use of flash memory. My iPad starts instantly when I open the smart cover. My netbook either tries to boot from hibernation, locks up, or has to boot from scratch. My last couple of notebooks had trouble with suspend mode. My desktop PC has trouble in... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953413 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:50:13 +0100 4953413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953380&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fshands-installs-epic-interesting-facts-about-epic-coverage-in-the-us.html ShandsHealth is a large health system located in Gainsville and Jacksonville, Florida. Like many of the high-end and academic health systems with 500 beds or more, it is converting to the Epic EMR (see: Shands' new records system should simplify things). Here is a brief listing of the new features of this EMR as listed in the press release: Shands patients will no longer have to fill out their medical history and prescription information every time they visit a Shands hospital, faculty clinic or emergency room.... All Shands patient records are instantly available to all Shands health-care providers. Patients will no longer have to fill out their medical history and prescription information every time they visit a Shands hospital, faculty clinic or emergency room. Prescriptions are se... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953380 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:32:33 +0100 4953380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945219&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Foffice-emrs-as-a-risky-investment-for-physicians.html Although some may view physician office EMRs and hospital EMRs as first cousins, I view them in a much different light. In previous notes, I discussed how community-based physicians and the professional societies that represent them are complaining to governmental bodies about the inadequacies and cost of office EMRs, particularly those for small practices (see: Cost of Deployment of EMRs in Physician Offices;  Barriers to the Deployment of Physician Office EMRs; "Usability Failures" of EMRs Frustate Physician Users). Here's a quote from my most recent post regarding physician office EMRs: It's no surprise to me that the "usability of [physician office] EMRs doesn't appear to be the focus of the federal government when establishing meaningful use standards ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945219 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:08:48 +0100 4945219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934439&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Finnovation-opportunities-abound%2F A new conference has been announced by the NIH: Crowdsourcing: The Art and Science of Open Innovation. Speakers incude Tim O’Reilly and ” will focus on the key aspects of this new approach that include: how to identify problems that can be solved through open innovation; how to communicate a scientific problem across disciplines.” Another open innovation opportunity has been recently announced called Merit Awards which is offering $50,000 on the topics of citizen engagement, defense, emergency response, entitlement reform, work force management and motivation, back office operations, results achievement and waste. Another opportunity is a developer community called TopCoder “revolutionizing the software design and development process by tapping in to our unlimited g... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934439 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 02:36:39 +0100 4934439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934435&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FcaoEF1XUOg0%2F That’s the subject of my weekly post on EMR and HIPAA, based on two stories I’ve written in the last 24 hours and a conference I attended last week in Madison, Wis. Check it out.   Related posts:CDS commentary on EMR and HIPAA blog A business opportunity and a milestone Deborah Peel on Fox Business (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934435 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:05:28 +0100 4934435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953046&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F3WSCeHECGNo%2F Two articles I’ve written in the last 24 hours have gotten me thinking that we’ve already entered the post-implementation era of EMRs, even as implementation remains in progress at so many healthcare organizations. While the vast majority of hospitals and physician practices in the U.S. still don’t have full-featured EMRs in place, many are already looking well into the future. As you may already know, HIMSS on Tuesday released its first-ever survey on “clinical transformation.” According to HIMSS and survey sponsor McKesson, “Clinical transformation involves assessing and continually improving the way patient care is delivered at all levels in a care delivery organization. It occurs when an organization rejects existing practice patterns that deliver in... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953046 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:59:25 +0100 4953046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934329&cid=t_391796_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Fwe-need-better-filters-smart-alerts%2F When I review the research and write about the intersection of human behavior and technology, I’m constantly amazed by how far we’ve come. In just 5 years, social networks have become not only “all the rage,” but also a must-have for a significant portion of the U.S. population. In just 10 years, video online went from a mess of different, incompatible formats to YouTube and its competitors, revolutionizing the way many people engage with entertainment online (and to a lesser extent, information). In just 15 years, the Internet and technologies it has enabled has transformed not only many people’s workplaces, but the very connectedness and relationships we have with others. Let that sink in for a few minutes. In just 15 years, a set of technologies has started... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934329 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:48:03 +0100 4934329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945220&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fthomson-reuters-to-sell-its-healthcare-unit.html The healthcare unit of Thomson Reuters is up for sale. John Moore who blogs over at Chilmark Research has posted two blog notes about this news (see: Likely Suitors as Thomson Reuters Exits Healthcare; also see Additional Thoughts on Thomson Reuters). Here's an excerpt from the first of them: ...Thomson Reuters (TR) announced that it intends to sell off its healthcare unit. A logical first response is: What they heck, why would they sell right now when the healthcare market is so hot and shows no signs of letting up? Thomson Reuters is a well-respected brand in healthcare and as healthcare organizations (providers and payers) of all sizes look to more effectively run their operations, TR’s portfolio of healthcare solutions are well positioned. This isn’t the first time they have tr... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945220 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:46:36 +0100 4945220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934305&cid=t_391796_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fscoop-the-gloop.html – Japanese technology known as "SWITL" uses a hydrophobic (water hating) material to scoop up gels and other semi-liquids on to a motorized conveyor-belt system without disturbing the material’s shape. Watch the video, it looks like a trick, but seemingly is just great tech. This first did the rounds in March, but the demo video is beginning to stick now. The applications for automated food processing and packing are endless, but for parents everywhere the possibility of a de-toddlerizing spill reversal gadget is perhaps too good to be true. Related Posts:New Harry Potter TrailerThree touches of scienceViscosity Corn Syrup Science TrickListening to digitized vinylVideo Lecture Search and Natural LanguageScoop the gloop is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog (Source... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934305 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:17:45 +0100 4934305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953047&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FI5q0SctUFvw%2F Boy, back in the good old days, protecting patient data was comparatively easy. All you had to do was make sure that nobody got their hands on a patient’s paper chart who shouldn’t be looking at it. After all, simple stuff like locking file rooms and making sure charts never get left in a public place are pretty easy to understand. Sure, paper records get stolen or rifled through now and then — no system is perfect — but putting processes in place to prevent unauthorized chart access isn’t that complicated. On the other hand, introducing electronic medical records  – plus e-prescribing, digital sharing of lab results and more — is a completely different kettle of fish. For one thing, providers must control access to medical information stored in t... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953047 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:11:05 +0100 4953047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945221&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Falgorithms-as-the-next-generation-of-innovative-laboratory-and-clinical-tests.html I was somewhat surprised by a recent article suggesting that algorithms themselves will constitute a new type of medical test. The short article cited the work of Predictive Medical Technologies as a basis for this claim. The company software generates health predictions based on previous clinical data for ICU patients (see: Algorithms are the new medical tests; How data and algorithms help doctors make use of real-time data). Below is an excerpt from the article: Predictive Medical Technologies claims that it can use real-time, intensive care unit (ICU) monitoring data to predict clinical events like cardiac arrest up to 24 hours ahead of time. Effectively, the startup's algorithms are new types of medical tests that an ICU doctor can take into consideration when deciding on a course ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945221 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:05:24 +0100 4945221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934149&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FsAVKosrZ1Iw%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Over 85% of the world’s population is covered by wireless phone signals. The global proliferation of wireless phones provides a technology platform to move health services to people — broadly referred to as ”mobile health” or “mhealth.” mHealth: New Horizons for health through mobile technologies, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) second report on mobile health, summarizes a survey of mobile health developments around the world, published in June 2011 based on survey data from 2009 collected in 114 nations. WHO learned that mHealth is most easily deployed into health applications where voice communication via traditional phone networks has been used. Thus, in important applications like surveillance and decision support, mHealth is less like... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934149 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:28:24 +0100 4934149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934113&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBwNYJ3ZXGhg%2F By Andrew J. Coulson In the video clip above, President Obama blames America’s current unemployment problem on… automation. ATMs and airport kiosks are singled out. These words could only be uttered by someone who knows very little about economics or the history of human progress. In fact, they could only be uttered by someone who has never reflected on this question before in his  life. Because if you reflect for one moment, you come up with this glaringly obvious counterfactual: we use a lot more  labor-saving technology today than in previous generations, and yet we also employ far more people. Therefore, increased automation does not lead to decreased national employment. If you do more than just think for a second — if you read an economic history book, for instanc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934113 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:45:21 +0100 4934113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945300&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2Fi0jD70ryD9o%2F I have had an iPad since they first came out. The device works well for so many tasks. With the version 2 refresh this spring, Apple added two cameras that makes the iPad 2 even more appealing. But you can do only so much with hardware alone. To make a device truly great you need powerful software. Here are three programs I use everyday that have revolutionized my workflow. 1. Flipboard: This powerful display program will take your everyday tweets, Facebook notes, and blog posts and turn them into display magic. All of a sudden your friends messages are turned into beautiful quotations, your Facebook pictures are arranged into photo albums, and those blogs that you follow are displayed in a compelling news format. This program arranges all the items you would currently read into one beauti... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945300 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:37:25 +0100 4945300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945307&cid=t_391796_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fhow-to-create-a-scanned-signature%2F357%2F This article was useful when looking for:electronic signature (14455)DIGITAL SIGNATURE (3543)how to create a digital signature (2014)create digital signature (1855)how to create an electronic signature (1747)Create Electronic Signature (1655)how to make an electronic signature (1099)how to make a digital signature (880)how to create electronic signature (848)electronic signature how to (818)how to create digital signature (814)create a digital signature (784)creating a digital signature (706)creating an electronic signature (566)how to do an electronic signature (533)electronic signature in word (530)electronic signatures (491)create an electronic signature (448)e signature (448)Creating Electronic Signature (424)how to make electronic signature (424)how to make digital signature (395)crea... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945307 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:17:45 +0100 4945307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934486&cid=t_391796_114_f&fid=34646&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthCareBlogLaw%2F%7E3%2F3lERUzK0Rz8%2Fjp-morgan-healthcare-conference-hit.html If you follow health information technology and are interested in the future of health care take time and listen to this panel discussion on Innovation Opportunities for the Health Information Technology Market with Eric Schmidt, Chairman of Google, Aneesh Chopra, Federal CTO for the United States, Todd Park, CTO of HHS, and moderated by John Doerr, venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins.The panel discussion was part of the Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference held in January 2011.To start off moderator, John Doerr has the audience rattle off a bunch of great questions for the panel to address. Just listening to the questions will make you want to listen to the panel discussion.Thanks to Susannah Fox and Claudia Williams for tweeting the link. Thanks to Brian Ahier (@Ahier) for posting ... Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934486 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:01:24 +0100 4934486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945126&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F06%2Fmobile_health_conference.flv The objective is for teenage students to realise that a crying baby is a huge responsibility. More than one million teens have used Baby Think It Over since its creation in 1993. Over 40,000 infant simulators have been sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Studies have shown that the use of Baby Think It Over is effective in changing the attitudes of adolescents toward parenting. Reductions of up to 50% in the rate of teen pregnancy have been reported by some schools and teachers who have used the infant simulator. Diet.com SMS service: text in name of food to “DIET1,” receive nutritional analysis via text message HealthPhone STOMP – smoking cessation support via SMS [See post to watch Flash video] Want to learn more about Captology? This ye... Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945126 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:53:28 +0100 4945126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934550&cid=t_391796_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fr7ddNltOXQU%2F (Editor’s Note: the recent trade book Computer Games and Instruction brings together the leading edge perspectives of over a dozen scientists in the area of videogames and learning, including a very insightful analysis –excerpted below– by Harvard’s Chris Dede. Please pay attention to his thoughts on scalability below, and enjoy!) — The research overview provided by Tobias, Fletcher, and Dai (this volume) is very helpful in summarizing studies to date on various dimensions of educational games and simulations. The next challenge for the field is to move beyond isolated research in which each group of investigators uses an idiosyncratic set of definitions, conceptual frameworks, and methods. Instead, to make further progress, we as scholars should adopt common research strategies ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934550 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:24:20 +0100 4934550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921424&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcell-phones-and-brain-cancer-evidence-of-a-link-is-limited%2F2011.06.10 If the recent announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that cell phones may cause brain cancer has you worried, you might want to wait a bit before trashing your mobile phone and going back to a land line. Last week, the IARC convened experts from around the world to assess what, if any, cancer threat cell phones pose to the 5 billion or so people who use them. After reviewing hundreds of studies, the IARC panel concluded that cell phone use may be connected to two types of brain cancer, glioma and acoustic neuroma. That sounds mighty scary. But the IARC said the evidence for this conclusion was “limited.” Most studies have shown no connection between cell phone use and brain cancer. In the relatively small number of studies that have observed a connectio... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921424 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:11 +0100 4921424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921728&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fgenerations-and-the-gadgets-they-own-infographic%2F As some of you know, I LOVE INFOGRAPHICS and I also love Pew Internet and American Life Project data. So when they both collide a mass of brilliance is created that I am going to share with you today … enjoy!   (Source: Nicola Ziady) Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921728 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:48:35 +0100 4921728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921729&cid=t_391796_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F06%2FSocial-Media-is-about-People.flv Erik Qualman recently released a 2011 version of his famed “Social Media Revolution” series. This video is based on #1 International Best Selling Book Socialnomics by the same creator. Enjoy this shorter version that includes new social media statistics for 2011. [See post to watch Flash video] “In God we trust. All others must bring data.” W. Edwards Deming (Source: Nicola Ziady) Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921729 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:11:26 +0100 4921729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953051&cid=t_391796_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FWTfa7200mAM%2F I was witness to an interesting discussion earlier this week at the Wisconsin Technology Network’s Digital Healthcare Conference in Madison, Wis.: Is meaningful use a floor or a ceiling? One panelist, Judy Murphy, VP of information services at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, said Stage 1 meaningful use has caused the health system to alter its own IT plans by activating a patient portal and moving more toward interoperability sooner than intended. “We wouldn’t have decided to give electronic copies of clinical summaries at discharge [without meaningful use],” Murphy said. But Murphy believes it’s a floor for many of the criteria, such as the requirement that 30 percent of patients have at least one medication order entered electronically. “No one would ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953051 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:16:34 +0100 4953051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911482&cid=t_391796_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-dont-more-people-use-health-apps-for-iphones-and-droids%2F2011.06.08 I have been musing about why, despite our fascination with gadgets and timesaving devices, so few of us use the apps and tools that have been developed to help us take care of ourselves. The range of options is staggering – my iPhone coughed up 52 applications for medication reminders just now – but most of us don’t make use of the (often free) high-tech help available to us.  There are hundreds of websites and portals to help us monitor our diets, physical activity and blood sugar, talk to our doctors by e-mail and understand our test results.  Apps can help us watch for drug interactions, unravel our test results, adjust our hearing aids and track our symptoms.  Devices can monitor whether our mom is moving around her house this morning or continuously monitor our vital signs. I... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911482 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:00:13 +0100 4911482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911833&cid=t_391796_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Ffda-gearing-up-to-regulate-apps-and-social-media-or-not-2.html I have gotten used to a degree of vacillation from the FDA regarding various lab regulatory issues. A  recent chapter in this drama was the agency's ambiguity about lab tests originally called IVDMIAs and subsequently referred to as laboratory developed tests (LDTs). Now comes news that the agency may, or may not, regulate medical smartphone/tablet (i.e., mobile) apps and the use of social media by pharmaceutical companies (see: FDA Reportedly Gearing Up to Regulate Apps). Below is an excerpt from the article: From a no less august source than American Medical News comes a report that the FDA is considering the regulation of medical apps.  See “FDA Signals it Will Regulate Medical Apps“.   The article quotes a source who relayed that at a town hall meeting h... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911833 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:03:11 +0100 4911833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911548&cid=t_391796_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2011%2F06%2F08%2Fmalling-hansens-braille-writing-ball-on-display%2F A very special artefact from Medical Museion’s collections in on display in a new exhibition at the Copenhagen Post and Tele Museum, celebrating the centennial of the Danish Association for the Blind. The insect compund eye looking thing is actually a Braille version of the writing ball patented by Rasmus Malling-Hansen in 1870. Selling well in Europe (Remington was the favourite typewriting machine in the US), it received prizes at a number of international exhibitions, including the World Exhibitions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1878. The most famous owner of a Malling-Hansen writing ball was in fact Friedrich Nietzsche, who got one in 1882, but apparently didn’t use it much. (More about the writing ball on the Malling-Hansen Society website.) Malling-Han... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911548 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:00:40 +0100 4911548