Nursing students at Seminole Community College use patient simulators to learn new medical procedures without risking patient safety. The students also use video iPods to study medical procedure demonstrations and listen to lectures. Orlando Sentinel.
With the state facing a nursing shortage, the technology is intended to ensure that students graduate ready to work in hospitals. The nursing school uses three simulators -- "SimMan," SimBaby" and "Noel," a simulator of a pregnant woman. The simulators can help students learn "decision-making without hurting the patient," Cheryl Cicotti, director of nursing at Seminole Community College, said.The patient simulators also let nursing students experience rare medical conditions that they might not have the opportunity to treat in a clinical setting because more experienced doctors or nurses would handle them.
In addition to the patient simulators, nursing students also use video iPods to study new concepts and skills. Students can load the iPods with lecture videos, demonstrations of medical procedures and electronic flash cards to review medical terminology, the Sentinel reports.Cicotti said students sometimes bring the iPods with them to the hospital so they can review an instructional video before they perform a procedure themselves
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl-nursetech2508jan25,0,2029650.story
Friday, January 25, 2008
Preparing the 2008 "1st Medicine 2.0" Conference -- How social networking and Web 2.0 technologies revolutionize medicine and health care
How social networking and Web 2.0 technologies revolutionize health care, wellness, clinical medicine and biomedical research (Medicine 2.0)
In the past few years we have seen the rapid evolution of new tools and programming techniques collectively called "Web 2.0 tools", which facilitate the development of collaborative and user-friendly Web applications. Typically, the Web 2.0 is a term which refers to a) improved communication between people via social-networking technologies,b) improved communication between separate software applications ("mashups") via open Web standards for describing and accessing data, andc) improved Web interfaces that mimic the real-time responsiveness of desktop applications within a browser window. Semantic web applications (sometimes called Web 3.0) and 3D environments (Second Life) can also be seen as second generation Web technologies.
These technologies have led to a flurry of new applications and speculation on their potential to revolutionize health care and the entire spectrum of health and medicine - from consumer-led preventive medicine, home care, to clinical care. This coincides with a strong push towards personal health records, with major players such as Microsoft and Google entering the scene. High-profile takeovers and valuations of companies such as YouTube or Facebook also have led to a flurry of investment activities - Venture Capitalists are once again investing in Web start-ups, but much of the linguistics and hype is reminiscent of the Web 1.0 bubble in the late 90ies.
As the leading peer-reviewed journal in eHealth, JMIR, together with a number of sponsoring organizations, is currently preparing the first academic international "Medicine 2.0" (TM) conference in 2008.
This cutting edge conference will bring together academics and business leaders and is hoped to catalyze new collaborations between academia, health providers, and the private sector. We envision this to be an annual conference, with peer-reviewed contributions, panels, and invited speakers, focussing on "next generation medicine", which incorporates ideas of collaboration and consumer empowerment.
To celebrate the first Medicine 2.0 conference in 2008, JMIR will publish a "Medicine 2.0" Theme Issue focussing on Web 2.0 applications for health, health care, and the future of medicine. Submission deadline for full articles: February 15th, 2008.
Examples for topics that are within the scope of the theme issue as well as the conference include the following:
Collaborative Filtering and recommender technologies
Consumer empowerment
Personal health records and Web 2.0
New models of academic / scholarly publishing and peer review, e.g. what is the role of blogs and wikis?
New models of e-learning, patient education, medical training and continuing medical education
Youth and digital learning
Business models in a Web 2.0 environment: User-generated content is free - so who makes money how? What is the role of the private sector?
Developing and nurturing online communities for health
The nature and dynamics of social networks
Web 2.0 approaches for clinical practice, clinical research, quality monitoring, public health and biosurveillance
How patient - physicians relationship change based on Web 2.0 platforms
Virtual health care learning environments (web 3D: eg second health and the ALIVE project at U of Southern Queensland, Australia)
Use of Web 2.0 applications in health care and education (eg YouTube... UC Berkeley is the first US university to put lectures online via YouTube)
Semantic Web applications
Manuscripts must follow the JMIR Instructions for Authors. Note that JMIR is an Open Access journal and our regular publication fees apply (submission fee and - for non-institutional members - Article Processing Fee in case of acceptance).
To submit, please register as author and make sure to select the section "Special Theme Issue: Medicine 2.0" when you submit the paper.
For further information, please visit: http://www.jmir.org/ojs/index.php/jmir/announcement/view/12
In the past few years we have seen the rapid evolution of new tools and programming techniques collectively called "Web 2.0 tools", which facilitate the development of collaborative and user-friendly Web applications. Typically, the Web 2.0 is a term which refers to a) improved communication between people via social-networking technologies,b) improved communication between separate software applications ("mashups") via open Web standards for describing and accessing data, andc) improved Web interfaces that mimic the real-time responsiveness of desktop applications within a browser window. Semantic web applications (sometimes called Web 3.0) and 3D environments (Second Life) can also be seen as second generation Web technologies.
These technologies have led to a flurry of new applications and speculation on their potential to revolutionize health care and the entire spectrum of health and medicine - from consumer-led preventive medicine, home care, to clinical care. This coincides with a strong push towards personal health records, with major players such as Microsoft and Google entering the scene. High-profile takeovers and valuations of companies such as YouTube or Facebook also have led to a flurry of investment activities - Venture Capitalists are once again investing in Web start-ups, but much of the linguistics and hype is reminiscent of the Web 1.0 bubble in the late 90ies.
As the leading peer-reviewed journal in eHealth, JMIR, together with a number of sponsoring organizations, is currently preparing the first academic international "Medicine 2.0" (TM) conference in 2008.
This cutting edge conference will bring together academics and business leaders and is hoped to catalyze new collaborations between academia, health providers, and the private sector. We envision this to be an annual conference, with peer-reviewed contributions, panels, and invited speakers, focussing on "next generation medicine", which incorporates ideas of collaboration and consumer empowerment.
To celebrate the first Medicine 2.0 conference in 2008, JMIR will publish a "Medicine 2.0" Theme Issue focussing on Web 2.0 applications for health, health care, and the future of medicine. Submission deadline for full articles: February 15th, 2008.
Examples for topics that are within the scope of the theme issue as well as the conference include the following:
Collaborative Filtering and recommender technologies
Consumer empowerment
Personal health records and Web 2.0
New models of academic / scholarly publishing and peer review, e.g. what is the role of blogs and wikis?
New models of e-learning, patient education, medical training and continuing medical education
Youth and digital learning
Business models in a Web 2.0 environment: User-generated content is free - so who makes money how? What is the role of the private sector?
Developing and nurturing online communities for health
The nature and dynamics of social networks
Web 2.0 approaches for clinical practice, clinical research, quality monitoring, public health and biosurveillance
How patient - physicians relationship change based on Web 2.0 platforms
Virtual health care learning environments (web 3D: eg second health and the ALIVE project at U of Southern Queensland, Australia)
Use of Web 2.0 applications in health care and education (eg YouTube... UC Berkeley is the first US university to put lectures online via YouTube)
Semantic Web applications
Manuscripts must follow the JMIR Instructions for Authors. Note that JMIR is an Open Access journal and our regular publication fees apply (submission fee and - for non-institutional members - Article Processing Fee in case of acceptance).
To submit, please register as author and make sure to select the section "Special Theme Issue: Medicine 2.0" when you submit the paper.
For further information, please visit: http://www.jmir.org/ojs/index.php/jmir/announcement/view/12
Monday, January 7, 2008
Children's hospital upping transparency with site
Children's hospital upping transparency with site
Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, based in Palo Alto, Calif., announced its new Web site that allows patients to view performance data.
Visitors to the site will be able to see reports on six quality measures—mortality rates, 31-day readmission rates, catheter-associated bloodstream infection rates in the pediatric intensive-care unit, and rates on the likelihood that patients would recommend Lucile Packard to other families for inpatient, obstetric and clinic care.
The 260-bed hospital said that it will add additional performance measures in the future as it continues to focus on patient safety and quality issues.
http://www.lpch.org/aboutUs/quality/index.html
Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, based in Palo Alto, Calif., announced its new Web site that allows patients to view performance data.
Visitors to the site will be able to see reports on six quality measures—mortality rates, 31-day readmission rates, catheter-associated bloodstream infection rates in the pediatric intensive-care unit, and rates on the likelihood that patients would recommend Lucile Packard to other families for inpatient, obstetric and clinic care.
The 260-bed hospital said that it will add additional performance measures in the future as it continues to focus on patient safety and quality issues.
http://www.lpch.org/aboutUs/quality/index.html
Panasonic unveils wireless HD video system and don't discount playstation as a telehealth platfrom either?
Panasonic unveils wireless HD video system
Hmm, there are some implications here for telehealth that I don't think Panasonic thought of??
Matsushita Electric Industrial's Panasonic unit said on Sunday it developed a system allowing consumers to send high-definition video to a television from a video player or gaming console without cables.
The system is based on a technology called "WirelessHD" that enables high-definition video transmission without compromising quality.
Users of the new technology could hang a high-definition television on a wall, far from a digital video recorder or disc player, without running wires between the products.
Panasonic did not give details on which of its products would be fitted with the technology, or when it would be widely available. The announcement was made here at the Consumer Electronics Show.
http://ces.cnet.com/?tag=st.nl
Companies including Panasonic, Intel, LG Electronics, Sony Corp, Samsung Electronics and SiBEAM have been working together to develop the WirelessHD platform, hoping that it will become an industry standard.
And on another note Skype and Sony gives me some interesting ideas on telehealth too?
Sony: Skype coming to PSP this month
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9842113-67.html?tag=ces_promo
The rumors were true: Skype is coming to the PSP. The leading voice-over-IP phone service will be made available to PSP users worldwide in a free firmware update scheduled for later this month. The catch? The service will only work on the new Slim PSP model, not the original bulkier "PSP 1000" (which, as of fall 2007, is no longer produced). The press release lists the other obvious caveats: you'll need to have access to Wi-Fi; have a Skype account (it's free, with paid upgrades for calling to and from non-Skype numbers); and a Skype-compatible "audio input device" (a headset).
Hmm, there are some implications here for telehealth that I don't think Panasonic thought of??
Matsushita Electric Industrial's Panasonic unit said on Sunday it developed a system allowing consumers to send high-definition video to a television from a video player or gaming console without cables.
The system is based on a technology called "WirelessHD" that enables high-definition video transmission without compromising quality.
Users of the new technology could hang a high-definition television on a wall, far from a digital video recorder or disc player, without running wires between the products.
Panasonic did not give details on which of its products would be fitted with the technology, or when it would be widely available. The announcement was made here at the Consumer Electronics Show.
http://ces.cnet.com/?tag=st.nl
Companies including Panasonic, Intel, LG Electronics, Sony Corp, Samsung Electronics and SiBEAM have been working together to develop the WirelessHD platform, hoping that it will become an industry standard.
And on another note Skype and Sony gives me some interesting ideas on telehealth too?
Sony: Skype coming to PSP this month
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9842113-67.html?tag=ces_promo
The rumors were true: Skype is coming to the PSP. The leading voice-over-IP phone service will be made available to PSP users worldwide in a free firmware update scheduled for later this month. The catch? The service will only work on the new Slim PSP model, not the original bulkier "PSP 1000" (which, as of fall 2007, is no longer produced). The press release lists the other obvious caveats: you'll need to have access to Wi-Fi; have a Skype account (it's free, with paid upgrades for calling to and from non-Skype numbers); and a Skype-compatible "audio input device" (a headset).
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Are Health Care Vendors Providing High-Quality IT Applications for Nurses?
The majority of nurses surveyed said vendors are not yet providing high-quality health care IT targeting nursing workflow. In addition, 64% of nurses said they were concerned that their facilities lacked the appropriate infrastructure to support point-of-care technology.
About one-third of nurses surveyed in September said they were ready to adopt computing applications at point of care. This represents a 325% increase from June 2004, when just 8% of nurse surveyed said they were ready. However, just 34% of nurses said their organizations are investing in point-of-care computing technology, down from 35% who said the same in June 2004.
Results are based on a September 2007 survey of 100 nurses and a June 2004 survey of 100 nurses.
Source: Spyglass Consulting Group
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Physicians in Wales Use Online Videos To Educate Patients
I mentioned this web site about a year ago, but I see they updated their site and its still pretty cool. http://www.builthsurgery.co.uk/
GP launches YouTube health films
A GPs' surgery in mid Wales has launched a series of health education films on YouTube, better known as a website featuring home videos.
Advice about flu vaccination and cervical screening are two of the topics covered by Builth and Llanwrtyd Medical Practice in Powys.
Doctors said they wanted to help educate their 7,700 patients and a wider global audience.
Last year, the surgery launched a series of podcasts to advise patients.
YouTube allows users to upload their home videos and other clips online.
Dr Richard Walters, who helped to develop the practice's project, said surgeries normally printed leaflets to advise patients, but added that things were changing.
Sometimes getting patients to watch a quick video on the computer screen is a lot easier.
Dr Richard Walters
He told the Western Mail newspaper: "There are a lot of things that we do in a GP practice that have to be conveyed to patients, some of which are not easy to demonstrate within the surgery.
"Sometimes getting patients to watch a quick video on the computer screen is a lot easier."
He added: "We are a practice in rural mid Wales, shops in Hereford and Aberystwyth are an hour away, Cardiff an hour-and-a-half, so although broadband access is not ideal, people tend to use the internet for all sorts of things."
The practice, which covers more than 500 square miles (1,295 sq kms), hopes its advice online will avoid unnecessary travelling to a see a doctor.
The videos include tips about asthma inhalers, smear testing, blood sugar testing and the winter flu vaccine, and are made by two practice nurses.
New topics are planned to be added every month.
As well as being available on YouTube, the videos are posted on the practice's own website and can be downloaded onto an MP3 player.
The surgery is no stranger to using modern technology to get across its health messages to patients.
Last year, it launched podcasts demonstrating, among other topics, how to use an asthma inhaler properly.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/6234141.stm
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Selected Examples of Cell Phone Technology Used in Healthcare
Selected Examples of Cell Phone Technology Used in Healthcare
Thanks to Leslie atVirtual Medical World for the link.
http://www.hoise.com/vmw/07/articles/vmw/LV-VM-12-07-8.html
In the examples below, you will see a variety of ways that cell phones and PDAs are already beginning to be used in healthcare to monitor vital signs and respiration rates, analyze EKG patterns and send the information to a call center or EHR systems, store emergency medical information, maintain personal health records, locate wandering patients, connect providers to patients, put accurate information immediately at the clinician's fingertips when needed, and so much more.
SkyScape's MedAlert is a new service that delivers comprehensive medical reference alerts by specialty to your cell phone. Now, it's easier than ever to stay updated on your specialty without having to read voluminous articles and news releases. You simply choose Journal summaries and breaking medical news resources that interest you and have them sent directly to your cell phone. MedAlert allows you to instantly improve your efficiency and productivity while greatly enhancing patient satisfaction at point of care. See http://www.skyscape.com/estore/productdetail_medalert.aspx
CellularMD is the first mobility suite available that healthcare enables the device providers already carry: their cell phone. CellularMD isn't a cell phone, but a suite of healthcare applications that can be loaded on many of today's cell phones and PDAs. The suite mobilizes the healthcare tasks of dictation, document signature, prescription, billing and more. To complete the picture, remember all of the functionality of today's organizer applications: calendar, scheduler, address book, e-mail, instant messaging and more. See http://www.softsource.net/products-CellularMD.htm
MedicTouch Pulse Meter - MedicTouch LLC, developer of the first cellular wearable health and wellness devices, and Sun Microsystems Inc., launched the Pulse Meter mobile health solution for Java technology-enabled mobile phone in 2004. MedicTouch Pulse Meter is the first mobile health and wellness monitor that allows users to monitor their pulse, view the results in a high-resolution screen on a Java technology-enabled mobile phone, and transmit the data to a Java compliant server. The Pulse Meter and Java mobile phone combination creates an ideal health monitoring solution for sport enthusiasts, the elderly, rehabilitation outpatients and health care providers; providing health monitoring anytime, anyplace, anywhere. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/04/articles/vmw/LV-VM-05-04-25.html
Wherifone - Wherify Wireless Inc. is a developer of patented wireless location solutions and services for family safety and communications. In 2006 it was reported that their Wherifone was the world's first GSM/GPS locator cell phone designed specifically for children and seniors. The two-way cell phone has built-in Aided-GPS location and "managed dial" features that allow family and care providers to quickly locate and communicate with their elderly patients and relatives.
Wireless Obstetrics Monitoring Device - In October 2006, Virtual Medical Worlds reported that Fairview Hospital was the first hospital in the United States to use a new wireless technology to monitor the progress of high-risk pregnancies and other obstetrics patients remotely. The wireless technology allows obstetricians to use their personal digital assistants (PDAs) or Smart Phones to remotely access fetal heart tracings, maternal contraction patterns, up-to-date nursing notes, and other critical, virtual real-time data transmitted from the hospital's labor and delivery unit. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/06/articles/vmw/LV-VM-11-06-35.html
Ring Sensor is an ambulatory, telemetric, continuous health monitoring device developed by d'Arbeloff Laboratory for Information Systems and Technology at MIT. It combines basic photo plethysmographic techniques with low-power telemetry. Worn by the patient as a finger ring, it is capable of monitoring vital signs related to cardiovascular health. Remote monitoring is possible via a wireless link transmitting patient's vital signs to a cellular phone or computer. According to an April 2004 article in Technology Review, clinical trials have been done in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital's emergency room, and researchers are now working on commercialization of the ring-sized device. See http://darbelofflab.mit.edu/ring_sensor/ring_sensor.htm
LifeComm - San Diego wireless technology giant Qualcomm is planning to launch a mobile network that would allow people to use their cell phones to manage myriad health issues including diabetes and dieting. Called LifeComm, the service would offer cell phones that could double as glucose meters to monitor blood sugar levels in diabetics, track aerobic activity in dieters or otherwise function as a medical device. The new wireless phone service is expected to launch in 2008 in the United States. See http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070518-9999-1b18mvno.html
Clinical Imaging - Use of cell phones to send images via e-mail to consulting physicians at remote locations appears to be a feasible approach for visualization of chronic leg ulcerations, according to an article in the February 2005 issue of the Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/05/articles/vmw/LV-VM-03-05-16.html
Finally, in an article from ScienceDaily.Com, it was reported that a Michigan hospital has cut in half the time it takes to begin life-saving treatment of heart attack patients by using cell phones to transmit electrocardiograms (ECG) from the field, according to a study published in the November 2005 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051015092957.htm
Cell Phones, PDAs, and EHR SystemsIn addition to the above, there are a growing number of other examples clearly showing that the use of cell phones or PDAs to view or interact with a patient's electronic health record (EHR) continues to grow and evolve rapidly. As hospitals and clinics acquire EHR systems over this next decade, cell phones and PDAs will be an integral part of the architecture that is deployed. The following are just a few examples that illustrate what is happening in this arena.
When handheld personal digital assistants hit the market in the late 1990s, the Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) immediately started exploring how clinicians could use them, both on the battlefield and in military treatment facilities. Medical PDAs - called MDAs at TATRC - can improve medical record keeping, give providers instant access to medical information and patient histories, alert providers to lab results, speed up the flow of patient information among providers and commanders, and may shorten the time first responders spend on the battlefield filling out forms. For more information about this and other innovations visit www.tatrc.org
NTT Docomo has devised a mobile phone based medical records database for nurses and doctors on the move. On Nikkei.net it was recently reported that the password-protected system is being used by the Kameda Medical Center who visit around 200 patients in the region. The data is viewed using the Docomo Foma 3G handset and lets the doctors and nurses access the patients' hospital records.
As of July 2007, Life Record was pleased to announce, that as of July 2007, they were the first and only EMR to run perfectly on the Apple iPhone. Life Record EMR is an Electronic Medical Record application for use in medical practices of all types. Given the recent buzz about the iPhone, we had to include this in the article. See http://emr.liferecord.com/
CapMed is making emergency medical information on individuals available via cell phone technology. The CapMed system, known as ICE First, is compatible with phones from several standard manufacturers. CapMed's system allows consumers to securely store and manage selected emergency medical record information in their cell phones and on the web. Using the website allows you to easily update your information, and to make sure you have a backup copy of your information in case you're ever in an emergency and don't have your phone. For more information visit www.ICEfirst.com
PocketMD - is in wide use throughout the nation's system of Veterans hospitals. Pocket MD uses Windows Mobile and Pocket PCs. With it, doctors have wireless access to complete patient records stored in the Veterans Health Administration VistA database. Pocket MD, based in Fargo, N.D., is working on extensions for its product that would enable doctors to update patient records on the fly, order medications, and record vital signs. While originally designed around the VA's highly acclaimed VistA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), PocketMD now supports a full array of commercial legacy EHR systems from McKesson to Cerner, Siemens, and MEDITECH. See http://www.pocketmd.com/
Finally, according to a recent article in Information Week, starting at the end of March 2007, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania plans to provide 100,000 of its members - and later all 600,000 - electronic access to their and their dependents' personal health records. Members will be able to access their information from cell phones, as well as PDAs and PCs. The information, which includes recent diagnoses, prescribed medications, and immunizations, will be culled from the insurer's claims data and information that members provide. "It's not a complete record, but it will have relevant diagnoses and drug information, which members can share with doctors or others", said Dr. Drew Palin, Chief Development Officer at Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. See http://www.informationweek.com/industries/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197001014
Thanks to Leslie atVirtual Medical World for the link.
http://www.hoise.com/vmw/07/articles/vmw/LV-VM-12-07-8.html
In the examples below, you will see a variety of ways that cell phones and PDAs are already beginning to be used in healthcare to monitor vital signs and respiration rates, analyze EKG patterns and send the information to a call center or EHR systems, store emergency medical information, maintain personal health records, locate wandering patients, connect providers to patients, put accurate information immediately at the clinician's fingertips when needed, and so much more.
SkyScape's MedAlert is a new service that delivers comprehensive medical reference alerts by specialty to your cell phone. Now, it's easier than ever to stay updated on your specialty without having to read voluminous articles and news releases. You simply choose Journal summaries and breaking medical news resources that interest you and have them sent directly to your cell phone. MedAlert allows you to instantly improve your efficiency and productivity while greatly enhancing patient satisfaction at point of care. See http://www.skyscape.com/estore/productdetail_medalert.aspx
CellularMD is the first mobility suite available that healthcare enables the device providers already carry: their cell phone. CellularMD isn't a cell phone, but a suite of healthcare applications that can be loaded on many of today's cell phones and PDAs. The suite mobilizes the healthcare tasks of dictation, document signature, prescription, billing and more. To complete the picture, remember all of the functionality of today's organizer applications: calendar, scheduler, address book, e-mail, instant messaging and more. See http://www.softsource.net/products-CellularMD.htm
MedicTouch Pulse Meter - MedicTouch LLC, developer of the first cellular wearable health and wellness devices, and Sun Microsystems Inc., launched the Pulse Meter mobile health solution for Java technology-enabled mobile phone in 2004. MedicTouch Pulse Meter is the first mobile health and wellness monitor that allows users to monitor their pulse, view the results in a high-resolution screen on a Java technology-enabled mobile phone, and transmit the data to a Java compliant server. The Pulse Meter and Java mobile phone combination creates an ideal health monitoring solution for sport enthusiasts, the elderly, rehabilitation outpatients and health care providers; providing health monitoring anytime, anyplace, anywhere. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/04/articles/vmw/LV-VM-05-04-25.html
Wherifone - Wherify Wireless Inc. is a developer of patented wireless location solutions and services for family safety and communications. In 2006 it was reported that their Wherifone was the world's first GSM/GPS locator cell phone designed specifically for children and seniors. The two-way cell phone has built-in Aided-GPS location and "managed dial" features that allow family and care providers to quickly locate and communicate with their elderly patients and relatives.
Wireless Obstetrics Monitoring Device - In October 2006, Virtual Medical Worlds reported that Fairview Hospital was the first hospital in the United States to use a new wireless technology to monitor the progress of high-risk pregnancies and other obstetrics patients remotely. The wireless technology allows obstetricians to use their personal digital assistants (PDAs) or Smart Phones to remotely access fetal heart tracings, maternal contraction patterns, up-to-date nursing notes, and other critical, virtual real-time data transmitted from the hospital's labor and delivery unit. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/06/articles/vmw/LV-VM-11-06-35.html
Ring Sensor is an ambulatory, telemetric, continuous health monitoring device developed by d'Arbeloff Laboratory for Information Systems and Technology at MIT. It combines basic photo plethysmographic techniques with low-power telemetry. Worn by the patient as a finger ring, it is capable of monitoring vital signs related to cardiovascular health. Remote monitoring is possible via a wireless link transmitting patient's vital signs to a cellular phone or computer. According to an April 2004 article in Technology Review, clinical trials have been done in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital's emergency room, and researchers are now working on commercialization of the ring-sized device. See http://darbelofflab.mit.edu/ring_sensor/ring_sensor.htm
LifeComm - San Diego wireless technology giant Qualcomm is planning to launch a mobile network that would allow people to use their cell phones to manage myriad health issues including diabetes and dieting. Called LifeComm, the service would offer cell phones that could double as glucose meters to monitor blood sugar levels in diabetics, track aerobic activity in dieters or otherwise function as a medical device. The new wireless phone service is expected to launch in 2008 in the United States. See http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070518-9999-1b18mvno.html
Clinical Imaging - Use of cell phones to send images via e-mail to consulting physicians at remote locations appears to be a feasible approach for visualization of chronic leg ulcerations, according to an article in the February 2005 issue of the Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. See http://www.hoise.com/vmw/05/articles/vmw/LV-VM-03-05-16.html
Finally, in an article from ScienceDaily.Com, it was reported that a Michigan hospital has cut in half the time it takes to begin life-saving treatment of heart attack patients by using cell phones to transmit electrocardiograms (ECG) from the field, according to a study published in the November 2005 issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051015092957.htm
Cell Phones, PDAs, and EHR SystemsIn addition to the above, there are a growing number of other examples clearly showing that the use of cell phones or PDAs to view or interact with a patient's electronic health record (EHR) continues to grow and evolve rapidly. As hospitals and clinics acquire EHR systems over this next decade, cell phones and PDAs will be an integral part of the architecture that is deployed. The following are just a few examples that illustrate what is happening in this arena.
When handheld personal digital assistants hit the market in the late 1990s, the Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) immediately started exploring how clinicians could use them, both on the battlefield and in military treatment facilities. Medical PDAs - called MDAs at TATRC - can improve medical record keeping, give providers instant access to medical information and patient histories, alert providers to lab results, speed up the flow of patient information among providers and commanders, and may shorten the time first responders spend on the battlefield filling out forms. For more information about this and other innovations visit www.tatrc.org
NTT Docomo has devised a mobile phone based medical records database for nurses and doctors on the move. On Nikkei.net it was recently reported that the password-protected system is being used by the Kameda Medical Center who visit around 200 patients in the region. The data is viewed using the Docomo Foma 3G handset and lets the doctors and nurses access the patients' hospital records.
As of July 2007, Life Record was pleased to announce, that as of July 2007, they were the first and only EMR to run perfectly on the Apple iPhone. Life Record EMR is an Electronic Medical Record application for use in medical practices of all types. Given the recent buzz about the iPhone, we had to include this in the article. See http://emr.liferecord.com/
CapMed is making emergency medical information on individuals available via cell phone technology. The CapMed system, known as ICE First, is compatible with phones from several standard manufacturers. CapMed's system allows consumers to securely store and manage selected emergency medical record information in their cell phones and on the web. Using the website allows you to easily update your information, and to make sure you have a backup copy of your information in case you're ever in an emergency and don't have your phone. For more information visit www.ICEfirst.com
PocketMD - is in wide use throughout the nation's system of Veterans hospitals. Pocket MD uses Windows Mobile and Pocket PCs. With it, doctors have wireless access to complete patient records stored in the Veterans Health Administration VistA database. Pocket MD, based in Fargo, N.D., is working on extensions for its product that would enable doctors to update patient records on the fly, order medications, and record vital signs. While originally designed around the VA's highly acclaimed VistA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), PocketMD now supports a full array of commercial legacy EHR systems from McKesson to Cerner, Siemens, and MEDITECH. See http://www.pocketmd.com/
Finally, according to a recent article in Information Week, starting at the end of March 2007, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania plans to provide 100,000 of its members - and later all 600,000 - electronic access to their and their dependents' personal health records. Members will be able to access their information from cell phones, as well as PDAs and PCs. The information, which includes recent diagnoses, prescribed medications, and immunizations, will be culled from the insurer's claims data and information that members provide. "It's not a complete record, but it will have relevant diagnoses and drug information, which members can share with doctors or others", said Dr. Drew Palin, Chief Development Officer at Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. See http://www.informationweek.com/industries/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197001014
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