The Biotech & Healthcare IT Blog

Monday, December 19, 2005

State health network pondered

State health network pondered: "Imagine going to your doctor's office or the hospital without having to write down all of your personal information and trying to remember each detail of your medical history.

A statewide health information system would allow patient data, details about health care coverage and medical procedures to easily move between doctors' offices, hospitals and insurance companies.

That's exactly what health and information technology officials want in Michigan. They're meeting with hospitals, insurance providers, physicians, universities and IT companies to lay the groundwork for a system intended to improve health care in the state."

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Fraud and Abuse Barrier to Health IT: Time To Give Up on HHS?

Fraud and Abuse Barrier to Health IT: Time To Give Up on HHS? : "In my last column - 'A Closer Look at Proposed Fraud, Abuse Exceptions for Health IT' - I commented on the then-recently released proposals to create new health IT exceptions and safe harbors to the federal fraud and abuse laws. While I mostly summarized the substance of the proposals, I also said, 'While initial impressions can be dangerous, the substance of the proposals makes a fair amount of sense.'"

Friday, December 09, 2005

Docs tune in to technology

Docs tune in to technology: "When Teresa Arbes' daughter was sick, the Peoria mother's instinct told her to take the child to a doctor.

But it was early in the morning. With doctors' offices closed, she turned to the Internet for options. What she found was a West Valley urgent care center offering online check- in. Ten minutes later, the office called her and told her to head into the office - an exam room was waiting for them."

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Linux and the NHS - Computer Business Review

Linux and the NHS - Computer Business Review: "I remember once seeing a T-shirt with the following words printed on it:

Apple for style, Linux for security, Windows for Solitaire
I also remember the much trumpeted agreement with Microsoft in 2004 to provide desktop software for the National Health Service (NHS) in England that was so large, it brought down the contract costs through volume discounts for the rest of the UK public sector. Last week we had the announcement that Novell would be providing security and systems management software for the English NHS through the NPfIT, but it may be another part of the contract that will take some shine off the earlier deal for Microsoft."

Wireless Patient Tracking Demonstrated

Wireless Patient Tracking Demonstrated : "Patient Care Technology Systems (PCTS), a provider of advanced clinical information systems for high acuity departments, today announced details of their emergency department information system, Amelior ED 2.0. PCTS demonstrated their latest software at the National Symposium on Emergency Department Information Systems in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Wired And Wireless Hospital Solution

Wired And Wireless Hospital Solution

Draeger Medical is using Packeteer's PacketShaper system to converge wired and wireless patient monitoring and hospital clinical and administrative networks under its Infinity OneNet Architecture. Headquartered in Luebeck, Germany, with U.S. headquarters in Telford, PA, Draeger Medical employs some 6,000 people worldwide with US-based R&D and production facilities in Telford, PA, and Danvers, MA.

Infinity OneNet is a breakthrough architecture that creates a single, seamless wired-wireless LAN/WAN infrastructure, allowing hospitals to add a wireless patient monitoring system to an existing network. Infinity OneNet reduces costs by simplifying network administration and fully leverages and protects a hospital's current network investment. The solution conforms to industry standards, including IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, 802.11b wireless LANs and 802.11Q virtual LANs, allowing it to be implemented in most environments. The quality of service (QoS) needed to support patient monitoring is provided by a strategic solution between Draeger Medical and Packeteer.