One of the largest telemdicine programs in the US kicks off

A telemedicine program which began 18 months ago with an $11.5 million grant from WellPoint, owner of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is now online in 39 rural counties, where patients and their doctors can visit a local presentation center and meet remotely with one of 75 specialists in areas such as dermatology, cardiology and pediatric medicine. The service is accessed at least once every hour of the working week.

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Wi-Fi Ward

Hospitals Go Wireless To Cut Noise, Boost Electronic Records

Orange base hospital turns to Cisco to aid the the use of wireless networks to boost communication amongst its staff. St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton already has tried and adapted wireless networking and its doctors, nurses, therapists and technicians have access to wireless phones and even rolling computer carts with wireless links.

Leavitt Announces Steps Toward A Future of "Personalized Health Care"

Great article about the steps being made to introduce "personalized healthcare"

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HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today outlined a course for achieving gene-based medical care combined with health information technology, which he called "Personalized Health Care." He said the initiative has the potential to transform the quality, safety and value of health care for patients in the future.

"Personalized health care will combine the basic scientific breakthroughs of the human genome with computer-age ability to exchange and manage data," Secretary Leavitt said. "Increasingly it will give us the ability to deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time - every time."

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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."

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.'"

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."

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.

Doctors moving toward paperless practices

Doctors moving toward paperless practices
George Morgan wasn't surprised to see his ophthalmologist typing medical notes into a computer in the eye exam room rather than writing them on a paper chart. After all, Morgan's son, a plumber, travels with a computer in his work van.

It didn't even faze the Richmond resident that his eye exam took longer than usual as the doctor wrestled with software snags.

'It is all new to him,' Morgan said.

When Dr. David Weissgold opened his solo, specialty eye practice in Burlington in October, he chose to go totally electronic. His Retina Center of Vermont on St. Paul Street lacks the usual floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with patients' medical charts. Instead, Weissgold and his staff create and store patients' medical records in a computer database. "

Donating Health Information to Technology Physicians

Donating Health Information to Technology PhysiciansIn his January 20, 2004, State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush announced his plan to ensure that most Americans have electronic health records within 10 years: "By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care." The White House?s website states that the President?s Health Information Technology Plan will address long-standing problems of preventable errors, uneven quality and rising costs in the nation?s health care system. The President?s plan includes adopting health information standards, increasing funding for health information technology demonstration projects, using the federal government?s clout as one of the largest purchasers of health care in the world to create incentives for health care providers to adopt health information technology, and creating a subcabinet level position to provide the national leadership and coordination to achieve the President?s goals. HIT includes electronic medical records, computerized prescribing and ordering of diagnostic tests, clinical decision support tools, and the technology necessary to assure the secure exchange of electronic health information.">McDermott Will & Emery - United States - Donating Health Information to Technology Physicians (22/11/2005) from Mondaq: "In his January 20, 2004, State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush announced his plan to ensure that most Americans have electronic health records within 10 years: 'By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care.' The White House?s website states that the President?s Health Information Technology Plan will address long-standing problems of preventable errors, uneven quality and rising costs in the nation?s health care system. The President?s plan includes adopting health information standards, increasing funding for health information technology demonstration projects, using the federal government?s clout as one of the largest purchasers of health care in the world to create incentives for health care providers to adopt health information technology, and creating a subcabinet level position to provide the national leadership and coordination to achieve the President?s goals. HIT includes electronic medical records, computerized prescribing and ordering of diagnostic tests, clinical decision support tools, and the technology necessary to assure the secure exchange of electronic health information."