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 'health informatics'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:27:35 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841639&cid=t_99746_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fdrowning-in-too-much-health-information.html There's no question that it's important to be well informed if you are ill. Knowledge is power ( which is why you go to your doctor - he knows more about medicine than you do !)While not having enough information can result in poor care, today unearthing too much information has become a much bigger problem, thanks to google.Any one can search for any health topic on google and instantly come up with thousands of results. It's become very easy to search , but to find the relevant information is much harder. Making sense of these results is hard to do - and causes a lot of heartburn !Users get lost and confused and this often results in paralysis by analysis. In fact, after trying this a few times, many give up all together, thinking it's too complex and way above their heads and ability to... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841639 Thu, 19 May 2011 03:17:00 +0100 4841639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813390&cid=t_99746_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fhealthwise-patient-education-solution.html The Healthwise Patient Education Solution provides evidence-based patient instructions for virtually any moment in care. The meaningful health content includes instructions on how to prepare for upcoming procedures, after-care instructions, drug leaflets, and guidelines for when to call for help. And the patient instructions include “Go to Web” codes that directly link patients to more health information and interactive decision aids in the Healthwise® Knowledgebase, an online health encyclopedia. The Patient Information Education Trust is the Indian distributor for Healthwise ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813390 Wed, 11 May 2011 12:14:00 +0100 4813390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734111&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F0PUl5FELmM4%2F Juggling work commitments, family life and writing can be tricky. However, new vigour and inspiration has been instilled with the arrival of some geeky new toys from Samson and Sanuk Australia. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734111 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 03:37:17 +0100 4734111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684772&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Fwsome-types-of-cancer-more-prevalent-among-the-wealthier-australians.html Frequently, but now always, cancer strikes people in the lower socioeconomic groups. The development of cancer can be related to poverty or lifestyle issues including poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, and access to care. A recent article took a difference tack and discussed cancers that are more prevalent among the wealthy in Australia (see: Some cancers more prevalent in the wealthy), Below is an excerpt from it: A new report has shown that Australians living in wealthy areas are more likely to get breast, prostate and skin cancers than those living in poorer zones. The report from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare...also shows that those living in disadvantaged parts of the country are more likely to have bowel, cervical and lung cancers. Not so much with bowel ca... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684772 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:23:52 +0100 4684772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4606058&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F03%2Fcameras-monitoring-traffic-lights-shown-to-save-lives.html It had never occurred to me before, but it makes perfect sense that cameras positioned at red lights to monitor traffic infractions can save lives (see: Red-Light Cameras Save Lives). Below is an excerpt from an article discussing this topic: A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has shown that red-light cameras saved 159 lives over a four-year period in the 14 large U.S. cities where the study took place. The scientists claimed that more than 800 traffic fatalities would have been prevented during the course of the study if the cameras had been deployed in all large U.S. cities. The scientists compared fatal car crash rates in U.S. cities with populations of at least 200,000 for two four-year periods: 1992 to 1996 and 2004 to 2008....In the 14 cities that used red-l... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4606058 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:56:51 +0100 4606058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372052&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2F06q9U-Q4HJk%2F aka Trauma Tribulation 008 A 26 year-old male was BIBA after falling off his stationary motorbike at a set of traffic lights. C-spine precautions were removed following palpation of his neck and assessment of his sphincter tone. Initially, his only complaint was pain to his right thumb, presumably from a hyperextension injury. However a detailed [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372052 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:30 +0100 4372052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361314&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fhealthy-days-per-month-as-a-measure.html A recent article about racial health disparities in the New York Times using CDC data was fascinating and I recommend it for anyone interested in general health issues (see: Broad Racial Disparities Seen in Americans’ Ills). To whet your interest, here are three short statements extracted from it: Babies born to black women are up to three times as likely to die in infancy as those born to women of other races. American Indians and Alaska Natives are twice as likely to die in car crashes as any other group. More than 80 percent of all suicides are committed by whites, but young American Indian adults have the highest suicide rates by far — 25 per 100,000 population at age 21, compared with 14 for whites, 10 for blacks and 8 for Asians and Hispanics. Compared with whites, blacks have d... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361314 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:35:11 +0100 4361314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4338271&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fwfewer-hospital-admissions-for-health-failure-among-better-educated.html I have long been interested in the correlation between good health and level of education (see: Correlation of Sociodemographic Status with Personal Engagement in Cancer Screening Programs). Here's a quote from an article in the NYT that succinctly summarizes this issue (see: A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School): James Smith, a health economist at the RAND Corporation, has heard a variety of hypotheses about what it takes to live a long life — money, lack of stress, a loving family, lots of friends....But what, he asks, is cause and what is effect? And how can they be disentangled? He is venturing, of course, into one of the prevailing mysteries of aging, the persistent differences seen in the life spans of large groups....But the questions for researchers like Dr. Smi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4338271 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:29:39 +0100 4338271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214121&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FIGz3MSQO44U%2F Introducing Life in the Fast Lane's new searchable and sortable online Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Podcast Database (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214121 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:14:20 +0100 4214121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151803&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FPzb-70upAEc%2F If you silence the alarm for any reason and there is subsequent oxygen supply failure within the next 2 minutes you will have no audible alarm. Unlike other ventilators on the market the Oxylog® 3000 cannot ventilate without an oxygen supply. This issue has been raised with Dräger but they have elected not to perform a software upgrade as they don’t see the need to offer a breakthrough alarm system for this potentially lethal fault... (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151803 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:29:38 +0100 4151803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036651&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FI2KXB7sr2R8%2F Reviewing the latest applications for health professionals including iDoctor, CPR PRO app and the CPR PRO cradle (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036651 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 06:42:53 +0100 4036651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003261&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FUzrv0EUWPa4%2F Software engineers working for UCEM at the Symantec Health Institute of Technology have confirmed slugtrails of the Stuxnet worm on several of the UCEM servers. Whilst initial reports suggest that US and Mossad agents might be using the worm to infiltrate the Siemens SCADA Management System of the Bushehr Nuclear Reactor in Iran, Professor Inglebert Struvite Staghorn of UCEM is concerned that a far more sinister motive, aimed at disrupting operations at Emergency Department Waiting Rooms is more likely. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003261 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:56:54 +0100 4003261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993921&cid=t_99746_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FqvdyIPG4b-I%2F The one shot answer to electrical restraint and DC cardioversion. Drop the patient rendering them harmless in less than 0.47 seconds with the Police Grade, twin aeroflex gold tipped electrode 'stingers', with a range of up to 200 feet. Then defibrillate the victim out of excited delirium with a synchronized life saving biphasic 50,000 volt shock, and gift them the current of life. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993921 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:10:10 +0100 3993921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929464&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F09%2Frising-rate-of-esophageal-cancer-in-the-uk-relationship-to-obesity.html I came across an interesting news items about the rising rate of esophageal cancer in the U.K. This initially surprised me because I assumed that smoking/drinking were declining in the U.K. These behaviors have a causal relationship to squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, but read on (see: Oesophageal Cancer Rates In Men Up 50 Per Cent In A Generation, UK), Below is an excerpt from the article:Oesophageal cancer rates in men [in the U.K.] have risen by 50 per cent over the last 25 years, according to new figures....In 1983 around 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer ...and according to the latest figures around 5,100 men were diagnosed with the disease. The most dramatic rise was among men in their 50s, as rates increased by 67 per cent over the same period. Rates in women... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929464 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:34:12 +0100 3929464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494560&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Foptical-scanning-of-sputum-smears-for-tubercle-bacilli-1.html The fastest growing technology in the field of pathology and lab medicine is digital imaging and, tangentially, the use of algorithms in the interpretation of digital images. This latter technology is commonly used in connection with IHC and FISH-stained slides to quantify a previously subjective interpretation. Now it turns out that image analysis and algorithms may also be of value in the identification of tubercle bacilli in microbiology labs in developing countries (see: Technology: For Nations That Lack the Expertise, an Automated System for Detecting TB):One of the difficulties of diagnosing tuberculosis is that there is no simple blood or urine test. Instead, a laboratory technician must take a sample of sputum coughed up from the lungs, stain it and inspect it under a microscope f... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494560 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3494560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463869&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fbinge-drinking-in-wales-trends-in-alcohol-consumption.html The Wall Street Journal recently ran a fascinating article on the increase in binge drinking with special attention to Cardiff, Wales (see: U.K. Drinking Problem Gets Political; subscription required). One of the take-home lesson in it was that much of the excessive drinking by the youth in the U.K. was related to cheap alcoholic beverages offered in supermarkets, causing the pubs compete by lowering their prices. Contained in the article was a fascinating chart tracking alcohol consumption in OECD countries. I present it here for your review.   Spend a little time examining these data. Here are just a few of my own observations and questions: Note the decline in alcohol consumption in Turkey as the country has moved from a secular political orientation to broader adoption of Islam. ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463869 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:14:39 +0100 3463869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374401&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Ftax-on-soda-pop-for-better-health-gains-momentum.html Excise taxes on unhealthy foods or substances like tobacco have an irresistible appeal to state and national politicians. They help to correct budget deficits, particularly in hard economic times. They can also be said to improve consumers' health status. For many, however, they represent an unwarranted intrusion of public policy into our lives. Others reply, in response, that the benefits of such taxes outweigh the harm. I have written previously about this same topic (see: Federal Tax on Soda Pop Proposed: Can This Be Justified?). Below is an excerpt from a recent article that summarized recent activity in this area (see: Health officials ready to make push for statewide soda tax):Health officials are ready to make the final push for a statewide tax on sugary drinks [in the state of ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374401 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:41:51 +0100 3374401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342921&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fcorrelation-of-socioeconomic-status-and-engagement-in-cancer-screening-programs.html Of great interest to me is the strong correlation of good health and long life with one's level of education. It's a much stronger correlation than even wealth and socio-economic status. On the face of it and in order to explain this finding, one might surmise that more educated people have a better understanding about how to preserve their health or seek therapy when sick. There is also an interesting parallel theory that educated people have invested time and money over many years in themselves, postponing their high-earning years to later in life. A conclusion, based on this scenario, is that their concern for better health results from a desire to extend their careers and earning power later in life. A recent article about sociodemographic status and cancer screening provides a... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342921 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:31:48 +0100 3342921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298624&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F02%2Fobesity-as-a-cause-of-death-on-death-certificates.html This article touches on a number of key points in the relationship of obesity to autopsy findings and the cause of death as recorded by clinicians on death certificates. The following questions come to my mind as I consider this general topic: (1) should obesity be viewed as a disease or medical condition; (2) at the time of death, should morbid obesity be considered as a primary or a contributing cause of death; (3) what criteria should be used to determine whether obesity is a primary or contributing cause of death. In order to explore these questions in greater depth, I Googled the terms obesity and cause of death. I first discovered a 2004 article quoting the CDC and indicating that obesity was a common underlying and preventable cause of death (see: Obesity approaching tobacco as top ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298624 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:47:06 +0100 3298624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259294&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F02%2Fththe-use-of-irony-in-appealing-to-young-male-adults-for-std-testing.html It can be a challenge to reach young adults with public health messages, particularly adult males (see: The Mind of the Young Adult Male and On-Line Health Education; More on Reaching Young Males with Public Health Education Messages). Hold that thought while I briefly discuss web-based direct access testing (DAT). These are web sites that enable the ordering of lab tests at a reasonable price, paid for with a credit card, and without the intermediation of a physician. Some state laws prohibit this practice. A niche market of direct access testing are those web sites that offer only lab tests to diagnose sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).I blogged about this topic in November three years ago (see: Direct Access Testing for STDs). Michelle Sobel of Analyte Media is an expert at cra... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259294 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:14:34 +0100 3259294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212620&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F01%2Fthe-mind-of-the-young-adult-male-and-online-health-education.html Previously discussed here has been the topic of on-line public health education and the use of smartphones as efficient channels to reach the young adult population (see: Placing Public Health Announcements on Google as Paid Ads, Seeking Solutions to the Chronic Disease Epidemic, Making e-Health Information Accessible with Smart Phones, The Mobile Web and the Future of eHealth). This approach is particularly relevant for messages relating to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as Chlamydia. It is for this reason that I paid close attention to a recent article regarding the adult male television viewership, or rather the lack thereof, of Conan O"Brien (see: O’Brien Undone by His Media-Hopping Fans). For those of you who distance themselves from popular culture, O'Brien rece... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212620 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:39:08 +0100 3212620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071487&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F12%2Fred-baloons-darpa-and-social-networking.html For those of you who may have missed the news, DARPA recently sponsored a "balloon-finding" contest to test the capabilities and robustness of web-based social networking sites for information-gathering (see: With Lure of Cash, M.I.T. Group Builds a Balloon-Finding Team to Take Pentagon Prize). The interest of DARPA in intelligence-gathering is self-evident. This is very serious business. Below is an excerpt from the report of the successful conclusion of the project:A group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology edged out about 4,300 other teams on Saturday in a Pentagon-sponsored contest to correctly identify the location of 10 red balloons distributed around the United States. The contest, which featured a $40,000 prize, was organized by the Defense Advanc... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071487 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:26:52 +0100 3071487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786289&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F09%2Fthe-power-of-aggregating-lis-databases-in-multiple-client-sites.html Neal Patterson, CEO and one of the founders of Cerner, has always been ahead of most his competitors in terms of strategic vision. For example, he has always had a keen understanding of the feasibility and power of aggregating the databases of Cerner LIS clients. Needless to say, some of them have been reluctant to use their LIS databases for any use other than serving their local patient needs. However, I think that this is a short-sighted view if patient records are appropriately anonymized, although much of the decision will be based on the value for the hospital and lab of the merged lab data. Continuing in this same vein, Mr. HIStalk reports on a Cerner database aggregation initiative in pursuit of epidemiologic data for the H1N1 virus:[Here is a] letter from HHS Secretary Kathleen Se... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786289 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:43:50 +0100 2786289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626298&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F07%2Fassessing-illegal-drug-use-by-analyzing-municipal-wastewater.html The assay techniques for illegal drugs have now reached a sensitivity such that the use of such substances can be quantified  and tracked by analyzing samples of the municipal wastewater (see: New study uses wastewater to map large-scale patterns of illicit drug use). I discussed this same topic in December, 2007, referring to it as community urinalysis (see: The Community Urinalysis: A New Lab Testing Opportunity). Below is an excerpt from the current article:A team of researchers has mapped patterns of illicit drug use across the US state of Oregon using a method of sampling municipal wastewater before it is treated. Their findings provide a one-day snapshot of drug excretion that can be used to better understand patterns of drug use in multiple municipalities over time. Municipal ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626298 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:40:16 +0100 2626298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602254&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F07%2Fcdc-releases-online-environmental-health-tracking-system.html The future of tethered personal health record (PHR) products, as in the case of HealthVault and Google Health, lies on the web. The term tethered here means that these electronic records have links to hospital and physician office EMRs such that data from them can be copied to the PHRs. Moreover, web-based PHRs also provide the opportunity to link to other valuable medical information resources on the web. For example, a consumer might highlight the name of a drug or disease in his or her personal health record and launch a search of trusted web resources to learn more about the topic. A recent article (see: CDC Launches Online Health Tracking Network) alerted me to another possibility -- tracking environmental exposures and chronic health conditions on the web. Below is an excerpt from th... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602254 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:25:32 +0100 2602254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513367&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F06%2Fputting-public-health-messages-on-google.html I have posted previous notes on the topic of smartphones as platforms for e-health campaigns (see: Making e-Health Information Accessible with Smart Phones, The Mobile Web and the Future of eHealth). It is also understood that healthcare consumers frequently turn to the web for health advice (see: Paging Dr. Google! We Are Waiting for a Second Opinion). Now comes news that the New York City Health Department was purchasing ad space on Google to disseminate information about the recent flu outbreak (see: NYC Health Dept. Buys Google Ads for Flu Searches). Below is an excerpt form the article with boldface emphasis mine:When the [Wall Street Journal] Health Blog Googled “flu” this morning, we were surprised to see an ad for the New York City Health Department show up at the top of the se... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513367 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:59:00 +0100 2513367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2448204&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F06%2Fassessing-the-cost-of-undiagnosed-disease.html I have posted a number of previous notes about the cost of care for various chronic disease (see: Seeking Solutions to the Chronic Disease Epidemic, Cost Savings Associated with Home-Based Physiologic Monitoring) with a special focus on diabetes (see: The Staggering Cost of Treating Diabetes, Mandatory Pre-employment Lab Testing for Acute or Chronic Disease). Now comes an article discussing the cost of undiagnosed cases of diabetes (see: Costs Are High From Undiagnosed Diabetes). This new idea poses a number of interesting issues and challenges. Below is an excerpt from the article with boldface emphasis mine:Scientists used data from more than 3 million people included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate costs and numbers of people in the U.S. with undiagno... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2448204 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:09:54 +0100 2448204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398872&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhealth-it-stimulus-and-fqhcs-dont-forget-about-us There is a critical element in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that targets funds for Federally-Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs).  (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398872 Fri, 08 May 2009 15:48:31 +0100 2398872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365481&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F04%2Fyounger-patients-as-consumers-and-conduits-for-health-information-.html One of the interesting features of the web is its echoic or multiplier effect. This is based on the fact that bloggers will frequently pick up a story that interests them and then republish it, frequently analyzing it or giving it a new twist. This effect is a key element in web marketing.  In Twitter, the process of republishing a tweet from one person so that it can then be presented to one's own followers is called retweeting.In addition to blogs, this web multiplier effect is also illustrated by the habit of younger users to pass on to their friends items of interest that they discover on the web. This phenomenon was described in a recent article (see: Finding Political News Online, the Young Pass It On). Below is an excerpt from it with boldface emphasis mine. It makes the k... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365481 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:36:26 +0100 2365481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2341998&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2009%2F04%2Furgent-need-for-more-chlamydia-screening.html Chlamydia may not be as well known as gonorrhea or syphilis but it is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States with more than 2.8 million new cases estimated to occur each year according to the CDC. I have posted previous notes about this problem (see: Chlamydia Reports to CDC Hit All Time High, Direct Access Testing for STDs). Now comes the news that screening for chlamydia in the U.S. is inadequate (see: Fewer than half of U.S. women screened for chlamydia). Below is the story with boldface emphasis mine:Fewer than half of vulnerable U.S. women are being screened for chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted disease that often causes few symptoms but can lead to infertility....Screening rates have spiked up from 25 percent in 2000 to nearly 42 perc... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2341998 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:51:16 +0100 2341998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1938929&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2008%2F11%2Fincreasing-pati.html I am a strong advocate of measures that empower healthcare consumers to take more responsibility for their own health. This is one of the key planks in the Health 2.0 movement. One way to achieve this goal is to provide them with accurate health information via the web. Another is by the use of alerts when various preventive and diagnostic services are available for them. Mr. HIStalk makes a key point with regard to such an approach in connection with a program at Kaiser Permanente:Kaiser Permanente Southern California has the highest rate of breast cancer screening in the country according to an NCQA analysis, crediting KP HealthConnect’s record flagging that allows any KP employee to remind the patient that they can get a no-appointment mammogram or make an immediate appointment. Criti... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1938929 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:33:57 +0100 1938929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1862660&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2008%2F10%2Fseeking-a-secon.html In case any of you have missed this, the web with the help of "Dr. Google" is a major source of medical information for a broad swath of healthcare consumers in the U.S. Whenever I make this point to clinicians, the response from a few is always: Tisk, tisk. What a shame. There is so much bad stuff out there. To which I usually reply: Uhhh, there's also a few bad docs. Informed patients can help to weed them out Let's just agree on one thing. The process of healthcare consumers seeking medical advice on the web will not go away. The important role of healthcare professionals should be to direct consumers to the best web sites. A recent article in the New York Times addressed some of these issues (see: Logging On for a Second (or Third) Opinion). Below is an excerpt from it: ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1862660 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:59:46 +0100 1862660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480571&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Farmchair-involvement-for-using.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480571 Sat, 31 May 2008 10:22:00 +0100 1480571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1439449&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fnew-book-on-history-of-uk-health.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1439449 Tue, 13 May 2008 14:56:00 +0100 1439449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347267&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fcall-for-research-proposals-evaluation.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347267 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:53:00 +0100 1347267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1322323&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2008%2F03%2Fhpv-causing-ora.html I must admit that the research discovery described here now seems totally predictable -- it turns out that HPV is a major cause of oral cancer in men (see: HPV causing more oral cancer in men). In my mind, this predictability became obvious once HPV was shown to be the major cause of cervical cancer since the oral mucosa is also susceptible to infection by the virus and is similar to the stratified squamous epithelium of the cervix. Below is an excerpt from the article (boldface emphasis mine): The HPV virus now causes as many cancers of the upper throat as tobacco and alcohol, probably due both to an increase in oral sex and the decline in smoking....The only available vaccine against HPV, made by Merck & Co. Inc., is currently given only to girls and young women. But Merck plans thi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1322323 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:09:49 +0100 1322323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1280672&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2008%2F03%2Fpersonal-health.html I have posted a number of previous notes about personal health records (PHRs) and predicted that they will not be used by a large swath of healthcare consumers. The reasons for this are, first, that most people are healthy and lack strong incentives to maintain such records. Secondly, the lion's share of the most important clinical information is locked up in hospital and office EMRs. Hospitals and physicians lack both the technology and financial incentives to replicate "their" information to consumer-controlled PHRs. Lastly, many consumers lack the technical facility and time to maintain their own PHRs on a continuing basis. I recently listened to a podcast interview of HIMSS CEO Steve Lieber (see: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog; Podcast with HIMSS CEO Steve L... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1280672 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:57:01 +0100 1280672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1274762&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fhelp-needed-classifying-keywords-for.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1274762 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:58:00 +0100 1274762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1055603&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2007%2F11%2Fpharmacists-and.html I have posted a number of previous notes about the evolving and extended role of pharmacists in the healthcare delivery system (see: Local Pharmacies Emerge as Centers for Care of Diabetics; Pharmacist-Staffed Coagulation Clinics in a Large Health System). Another recently published article suggests that the role of the pharmacist as a manager and coach for patients with diabetes will be pushed even further in some settings soon (see: UT professor hopes to revolutionize medication prescription process). The business model proposed by CeutiCare involves the integration of pharmacists into the actual primary care clinic setting. They meet with patients after their physician visit for assistance in developing a drug regimen with the highest probability of achieving the therapeutic goal with t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1055603 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:07:23 +0100 1055603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=989615&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2007%2F10%2Fdeployment-of-a.html Driven by a need to provide a national LIS, a web-based system was deployed in the Peruvian national TB laboratory, two regionals labs, and twelve health centers at a very low cost (see: A web-based laboratory information system to improve quality of care of tuberculosis patients in Peru: functional requirements, implementation and usage statistics). The core functionality of the system, called e-Chasqui, has been implemented using the open source medical record system OpenMRS. Below are excerpts from the article describing the new system by the open access publisher BioMed Central (boldface emphasis mine): A web-based laboratory information system “e-Chasqui” has been designed and implemented in Peru to improve the timeliness and quality of laboratory data. It was deployed in the ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=989615 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:15:24 +0100 989615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811739&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=38059&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchirad-at.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fthis-week-must-be-vienna.html Peter Murray, and a number of other members of CHIRAD and BCS Health Informatics Forum, wil be in Vienna, Austria this week for the 'World of health IT' event (www.worldofhealthit.org).I will be blogging the event, although probably mainly on a couple of other blogs, so keep an ee on them - or you can check the 'uCru6' widget that aggregates posts from our various blogs. As BCS are funding the trip, many of the posts will be on the 'Release Zero' blog.More later in the week; this post from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. (Source: The CHIRAD blog) The CHIRAD blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811739 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:33:00 +0100 1811739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811741&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=38059&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchirad-at.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fsouth-africa-and-london.html CHIRAD members Graham Wright and John Bryant are teaching this week in Mthatha, South Africa, on the MSc in Health Informatics (>>>) (>>>).Today (17 September), Peter Murray is attending the KIDMM 'Metaknowledge mashup' day at BCS HQ in London. He will be blogging 'live' throughout the day - posts can be found on the BCS blogs site at his 'Release Zero' blog - http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConBlog.6 (Source: The CHIRAD blog) The CHIRAD blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811741 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:38:00 +0100 1811741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=736207&cid=t_99746_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2007%2F07%2Fstaggering-cost.html I have made mention in previous notes about the high cost of treating chronic medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus and chronic congestive failure. Below is a quote from one of my previous notes note about the prevalence and cost of the disease entitled Local Pharmacies Emerge as Centers for Care of Diabetics: The fifth deadliest disease in the nation, diabetes costs more than $130 billion per year in medical expenses and lost productivity in the workplace. Now comes another article emphasizing the cost of this disease (see: Study finds staggering cost of treating diabetics). Below is an excerpt from it (boldface emphasis mine):One out of every eight U.S. federal health care dollars is spent treating people with diabetes, a study found, and advocates are calling for the creation o... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=736207 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:00:00 +0100 736207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=484081&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-personal-telehealth-and-continua.html I decided that I couldn't stand to listen to any more Microsoft propaganda, so skipped the first session of the morning, which was John Coulthard, Director of Healthcare, Microsoft talking about the 'Common User Interface'.However, I did go to listen to David Whitlinger, Director of Healthcare Device Standards and Interoperability, Intel Corporation, talking about 'Personal health'. The exact title of his talk was 'Fostering independence through personal telehealth solutions' and was focused around the Continua Health Alliance (http://www.continuaalliance.org), of which he is President and Chair of the Board of Directors – so not really what was advertised. Continua started in June 2006 and brings together a large number of organisations (including medical device companies, technology an... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=484081 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 484081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=484080&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-bcs-nursing-specialist-group.html The annual satellite session organised by the British Computer Society's Nursing Specialist Group (www.nursing.bcs.org/) took place on Tuesday moring, and was titled 'Challenging boundaries or grappling with fuzzy edges?' There were 4 short presentations, followed by discussion. Richard Hayward, NSG Chair, opened the session. The first speaker was Janette Bennett, Senior Clinical Advisor with the BT Health Executive; she quoted Florence Nightingale as saying 'I look forward to the abolition of all hospitals ... but it is no use talking about the year 2000'. In looking at boundaries and challenges, and making changes in practices, she looks at professional issues, education issues, the research needed to inform decisions, and finally the management aspects, including roles, skill mix, etc. ... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=484080 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 484080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=484079&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-more-on-exhibitors.html A couple more honourable mentions to exhibitors who are doing a good job of seling their wares, not just to those who they think might buy, but doing a broader good promotional job. Being registered as press for HC2007, I have over the past 10 days or so had a deluge of emailed press releases; most quickly got deleted, but sometimes the PR people seem to hit the hooks just right. AxSys Technology's (www.axsys.co.uk) release talked about real life examples of their systems, in particular in Scotland and in cancer services - and they had an invite to their Monday evening reception. They put on a good spread, even if not too many people attended, and were helpful and honest in their discussions of their products. Their 'Excelicare' system for collaborative work looks interesting and worth hav... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=484079 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 484079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=484078&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-strategies-and-technologies.html The day closed with two good presentations. Justin Keen, Professor of Health Politics, Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, posed the question 'Is an IT strategy possible?' He began with the premises that IT programmes have myths surrounding them, that are often not examined in a systematic way until things go wrong; they persist because we have so little rational evidence, but are often based in gut feelings. Some of the myths he posed are that electronic services will save money, improve patient safety, will enable joined up government, and that they will transform healthcare – but he says we have no evidence base to support any of these. He asked why this keeps happening, especially in regards of IT in healthcare. Among possible explanations we could consider, which may ... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=484078 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 484078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482502&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-starts-today.html The HC2007 conference and exhibition begins today. The Press Office is set up - and like a sauna as usual - but at least I have managed to connect to their wireless network. The event programme is at www.health-informatics.org and I will be reporting from a range of the conference sessions and the exhibition. The opening session is supposed to feature Nigel Shadbolt, BCS President, talking about the semantic web and e-health, and a ministerial speech by Lord Hunt - will be interesting to see if he actually turns up, given ministers' previous attendance records.Technorati Tags: HC2007,BCSHIF, health informatics (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482502 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 482502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482501&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Flord-hunt-speech.html Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE, Minister of State for Quality, Department of Health has responsibility for IT in the NHS, and for patient safety. Those who were expecting any significant new announcements were disappointed; as far as I could see, he did not say a great deal that was new, but focused on an overview of some of the benefits to date from NPfIT.He says his number one issue is improving care and reducing errors. The NHS needs national standards for treatments of conditions, regulation to ensure local provision is to satisfactory standards, and money – and supported by the IT system.The biggest challenge now is local ownership of NPfIT – engagement with local NHS organisations is where energy needs to be put. The creation of NHS Local Ownership Programme (NLOP) aims to fully en... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482501 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 482501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482500&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fopening-keynote-nigel-shadbolt-on.html Steven Kay opened the conference, which has the theme of 'Challenging Boundaries', by outlining the range of boundaries that may challenge us – social, organisational, political, national, economic, technical etc. He said that we need to make the computers fit for the health service, and that we need to challenge the boundaries of silo mentalities that many people have been working in. He closed his opening remarks with a quote from Bertrand Russell - 'In all affairs, it is healthy to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted'.Prof. Nigel Shadbolt, President of the British Computer Society (BCS) and from University of Southampton, whose field is AI and knowledge technologies (http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.4551) gave the opening keynote, titled 'The... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482500 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 482500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482499&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-mobile-clinical-assistant.html Wandering round the exhibition, it seems very quiet. One piece of hardware that caught my attention was on the Intel stand, and their 'new mobile clinical assistant platform and Motion Computing's C5 product' (http://www.motioncomputing.com/products/tablet_pc_c5.asp). At first glance, it looks very neat, but a short play with it revealed that there is still a lot of work to do on it (IMHO).It is advertised as 'the first point of care solution that was designed for clinicians with clinican input' (according to the text of their launch invitation); looking at tghe functionality, I'm wondering just how much clincian input there was. The device itself seems pretty much like a standard tablet PC, although with a few tweaks. My first issue is with the weight of it - my Toshiba Portege is lighter... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482499 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 482499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482498&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F03%2Fhc2007-do-exhibitors-not-want-publicity.html You know how it is; you're just composing a blog post and something happens to disprove your theory and your nicely crafted words. After spending some time wandering around the HC2007 exhibition this afternoon, I was coing to the conclusion that most of the exhibitors were not interested in talking to the press. They look at your press badge and look away, or are not as interested in talking as they are if you have a badge that indicates you might have some money to spend.A couple of honourable exceptions, though - two exhibitors who are here for the first time were happy to talk, so I will give them a mention. Remind Patients have a text and voice messaging system to remind patients to attend appointments - I hope it works better than NHS Healthspace (https://www.healthspace.nhs.uk/), whi... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482498 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 482498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462713&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-congress-bill-hersh-presentation.html It is Friday already, the final day of the VI International Congress on Health Informatics. The day's opening keynote presentation came from Bill Hersh, from Oregon Health Sciences University, and titled 'Training the health and biomedical informatics workforce: competencies and approaches'.Bill began by quoting Nelson Mandela – 'education is the most powerful weapon [that] you can use to change the world'He said that many of the issues in developing professional practice in health informatics are common to all countries. He sees the future as being bright for information technology in healthcare, as there is increasing recognition of the value of EHR (although he acknowledges that USA is by no means a world leader in the area), and of need for patient information to be available to all ... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462713 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462712&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-health-informatics-reflections.html Sitting here in the Hotel Nacional, watching the north wind whip the sea up and waiting for it to stop raining, is a useful pause point for a few reflections on the past few days. The conference has been well-organised and interesting; out hosts have done a great deal of work to proviede translation facilities for us lazy English who don't know any Spanish. We have had an interesting range of presentations, about developments in Cuba and other parts of the world; similar issues are being addressed in many countries, but, of course, local solutions differ with local circumstances. Cuba is an interesting place to visit; we hope many colleagues will join us here for future health informatics events. The Cubans are great hosts and love having people from other countries visit them, to discuss ... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462712 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462715&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-congress-imia-blogs-et-al.html We start today (Thursday) with reports from yesterday, as I was too tired last night after a full day to try and post anything. Yesterday did not start over-well - we arrived early to hear Richard Stallman (as did many other people), only to find that her had been moved to an afternoon slot, ie the same time I was speaking. However, I hope one of our colleagues will provide a report.My first presentation of the day was about IMIA, its Working Groups and Nursing Special Interest Group, and its Strategic Plan. I included materials and comments sent by Nancy Lorenzi, IMIA President, which were well-received and appreciated. The session was focused on how Cubans in particular, and people in any other country, can become more involved in IMIA's WG/SIG and wide range of other activities. Some in... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462715 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462714&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-congress-ohsu-and-education.html The main afternoon session on Thursday was a round table lead by Dr William Hersh, from the Dept. of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU – www.ohsu.edu/dmice), USA, with several of his colleagues addressing issues from their experiences in health informatics education. He pointed out that there is a major interest in OHSU on global health research and education. Steven Bedrick, PhD student at OHSU spoke about their educational programmes. Steven began with an introduction to Portland, pointing out that three major things it is known for are music, free software and craft brewing. The OHSU informatics training programme began in 1992, and reflects many aspects of health informatics, with much use of distance education (relying on Blackb... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462714 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462717&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-congress-and-imia-lac.html The Tuesday afternoon session began with a presentation by Dr Alvaro Margolis, from Uraguay, in his role as President of IMIA-LAC, the Latin-America and Caribbean region of IMIA (www.imia.org). IMIA-LAC was established in 1983, with representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba (the Cuban Society for Medical Informatics, founded in 1970) and Mexico. He outlined the strategic objectives of IMIA-LAC for 2006-09, which include strengthening the network of societies in the region, through both the national societies and through universities and other institutions. He talked of the need to try and encourage the development of health informatics societies in the various countries that do not have one. Other objectives include identifying specific areas (and related groups) where health informatic... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462717 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462716&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuba-congress-education.html The second part of Tuesday afternoon was a round-table devoted to various aspects of health informatics and education. It began with a presentation by Graham Wright titled 'Exploring the knowledge base for health informatics: the Otley duckfest and beyond'. He briefly discussed the background to the project, from the original 'Education Steps' project at Otley in early 2005, including the origin of the research methods used and the rationale for using Bloom's taxonomy for focusing on the cognitive, rather than psychomotor, aspects of health informatics.He described the process of participants identifying the elements of health informatics and then grouping them, by use of post-it notes for smaller elements and tables for the larger themes, so that people could walk around and get a feel fo... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462716 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462718&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fcuban-health-informatics-congress-opens.html The VI Congreso Internacional de Informatica en Salud (6th International Congress in Health Informatics) began at 10:00 this morning (Tuesday, 13 February) in the Palacio de Convenciones de La Habana, Cuba (Convention Palace, in Havana). The opening session is well-attended, with about 100 people, and while the opening presentations have been in Spanish, there is also simultaneous translation into English.The opening presentation, titled 'Informaticization en el Sistema Nacional de Salud de Cuba' (Informaticisation in the national health service in Cuba) was given on behalf of the Vice Minister for Public health, who is away in India. Are developing software systems for national health system. The presenter explained how in Cuba they are using free software for web services, eg the Infomed... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462718 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462721&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Fnursing-informatics-in-cuba.html This morning, Graham and I presented at the 3rd National Exchange in Nursing Informatics (3er Intercambio Nacional Informatica en Enfermeria). It was held at the Giron University campus in Havana, and was attended by about 50 nurses, nurse informaticians, and others. I gave a version of tghe presentation I will be making later in the week, on IMIA (www.imia.org), its Working groups and the Nursing Special Interest Group, and the IMIA Strategic Plan. The focus of the talk was on how nurses and others in Cuba can be involved in IMIA activities.Graham spoke on clinical information systems in the UK, outlining some of the systems that have been used, some of the mistakes that have been made in the UK, and some of the issues around use, or non-use, of computer systems in health care in both pri... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462721 Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462723&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2007%2F02%2Ffrom-our-men-in-havana.html Greetings from Havana, Cuba. Graham Wright and I are here to participate in the Sixth International Congress in Health Informatics (VI Congreso Internacional de Informática en Salud - http://www.informatica2007.sld.cu/), which takes place from 12-16 February. The event is part of the larger Informatica2007 Congress.We are staying at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (http://www.hotelnacionaldecuba.com) where we have wireless Internet access. We will try to post more or less daily reports at the end of the day.Tomorrow (Monday) we have unscheduled presentations to make an additional nursing event that is being held locally.Peter MurrayTechnorati Tags: Cuba, health informatics, informatica en salud (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462723 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 462723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462727&cid=t_99746_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2006%2F12%2Fdigital-healthcare-impact-of.html The influential Royal Society has today published it's long awaited report into "The impact of information and communication technologies on healthcare."I'm still making my way through its 59 pages but it does seem to provide an interesting contribution to current and future debates. A few of their comments and recommendations jumped out at me as being particularly significant and useful:"The single most important factor in realising the potential of healthcare ICTs is the people who use them. The endusers of any new technology must be involved at all stages of the design, development and implementation,taking into account how people work together and how patients, carers and healthcare professionals interact.""We recommend that the higher education institutions and professional bodies res... Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462727 Fri, 08 Dec 2006 05:00:00 +0100 462727