Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts

Apr 1, 2012

3 Reasons Why Healthcare Professionals Cannot Afford To Give #hcsm a Miss


Practicing medicine is a very personal  experience. Patients don't go to hospitals to buy medicines but to access healthcare services. Healthcare professionals don't deliver a product, but a high quality personalized service.

Current hospital practices have resulted in patients in India classifying any contact with a hospital / Healthcare delivery institute as an anxiety-inducing activity. Hospitals (and doctors) who can overcome this 'communication issue' and engage patients in improving their health are considered better than others.

After Printing Press --> Telephone and Fax --> Internet, digital technologies are now positioned as the most powerful tool for 'Word of Mouth" marketing as well as medical communication campaigns. Social media is an underutilized but very very powerful tool for healthcare professionals. It seems to be another channel of communication ( like Fax and Telephone were once) destined to be rubbished and ridiculed before being accepted by all as a routine practice.
Here are three practical reasons Healthcare professionals need to use social media.
.
Why Healthcare Professionals Need To Use Social Media

View more PowerPoint from Neelesh Bhandari

Web 2.0 services like Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot, Linkedin and YouTube  are common starting blocks for most hospitals and healthcare service providers. If you are looking for a specialized Healthcare Social Media professional team comprising of doctors, coders and designers to handle your online ecosystem, send us an email at info@digmed.in.

Nov 23, 2011

Cisco Helping Provide Healthcare For All In India

The vast distances and the low density of healthcare professionals require extensive use of telemedicine to enable Healthcare For All in India. Cisco, the technology and networking giant, recently (9th November, 2011) announced the launch of its Cisco healthcare solution pilot in collaboration with Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Using the telepresence solution provided by Cisco, patients in remote primary health centers will now be able to consult specialist doctors present at far away district hospitals in real time. The patients will be helped in this by the nurses and other paramedicals present at the rural setups.In total, eleven community/primary health care centres across four districts of Sehore, Datia, Gwalior, and Chhindwara will be connected to district hospitals remotely using Cisco Healthcare Solution.

Check this video for a demonstration of how the system will work:


Aug 6, 2011

How WWW Has Changed Healthcare Over 20 Years

Nothing has overwhelmed the world as quickly as the WWW. Twenty years ago (on 6th august, 1991) the World Wide Web was thrown open for the public ( Thanks to Tim Berners-Lee). Since then, billions of people have joined each other online and converted this into a social platform like no other.

The web has also changed the way healthcare is practiced and delivered. Check this video by Life Healthcare Agency



Also See:

May 16, 2011

The 10 Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare '2011



Here's a list of 10 most innovative companies in health care ( as per Fast Company), working to provide simple but effective technology solutions in healthcare.

1) Epocrates

For creating software that gives doctors and nurses instant information on drug-to-drug interactions, treatment recommendations, and more on their mobile devices or laptops.

2) SynCardia Systems

For giving mobility to artificial-heart recipients. Syncardia makes the world's only FDA-approved completely artificial heart. During a ten-year study for the FDA, 79 percent of patients successfully lived on the man-made heart until receiving a human heart transplant.

3) Voxiva

For developing mobile apps that coach users through everything from smoking cessation to diabetes management. The company recently worked with the U.S. government to launch Text4Baby, a mobile education program for pregnant women, and its work in poor countries like Rwanda has been a lifeline.

4) Cleveland Clinic

For rethinking the entire hospital experience, from the buildings to the hospital gown, with an eye to delivering a better patient experience. Ombudsman complaints dropped over 40% last year (versus 2009), patient satisfaction scores have gone up, and medical outcomes have been better across the board.

5) SafePoint

For providing a solution for one of the most intractable global health care issues: reused syringes, which render most injections in India, Pakistan, and Africa--and a growing number in the U.S.--unsafe and sometimes fatal. Inventor Marc Koska's low-cost syringe can't be reused--one use, it locks in place. Now, after eight years in the marketplace, Koska has licensing agreements with 14 countries and SafePoint's global awareness campaigns have reached over 500 million people.

6) Envoy Medical

For creating the first FDA-approved surgically implanted hearing system to address hearing loss caused by aging, noise and viral infections. Placed under the skin behind the ear, the Envoy device comprises a sound processor, sensor, and driver that convert vibrations in the ear into electrical signals that are processed so they're perceived as sound.

7) GE

For promising to revolutionize diagnosis with the Vscan, a mobile, pocket-size ultrasound machine the size of an iPod, connected to short wand. It works just like the bulky conventional ultrasound machine, providing an instant visual image (in color or black and white) inside the body, beyond a patient's vital signs.

8) PharmaSecure

For coming up with cost-effective protection against counterfeit drugs, which are especially prevalent in developing nations. Each individual drug package is stamped with a unique code and phone number. Consumers submit the code via text message, and PharmaSecure confirms the drug's authenticity. The service launched last year and is currently being used in India, where the government has moved to mandate the technology.

9) Neurovigil

For building a database of brainwave activity to help researchers recognize disease patterns in people affected by neural or nervous system maladies. The company's iBrain headband, worn at night, uses wireless electrodes to capture brainwaves. NeuroVigil's software interprets the data to produce a map of activity during sleep that's richer than anything previously available.

10) Second Sight Medical Products

For its ground-breaking retinal-implant technology, which recently hit the European market. FDA approval is pending.

You can also see the last year's list:



May 6, 2011

Indian Medical Association Plans Programs to Make Members Tech Savvy


The potential of improving Healthcare quality by proper use of technology is immense.Recent advances in information technology offer clinicians valuable new tools to support the medical management of patients. HIT has the potential to enable a dramatic transformation in the delivery of health care, making it safer, more effective, and more efficient.

The national unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to make its two lakh members across the country, especially senior medical practitioners, more tech savvy. The National vice-president of IMA, Dr Devendra Shirole says,Short contact programs of four days will be organized at all local branches of the IMA. Doctors will be trained on how to use information technology for the betterment of medical profession and patents’ data collection.” He said the doctors will be also trained on using e-books in their daily practice.

The IMA will launch this project initially in Maharashtra and the inauguration will take place in Mumbai. Groups, formed for research purposes, will use information technology to study diseases and viruses.To undertake this vast project, talks are on with software companies to provide trainings and technical support, as well as help IMA build web pages for the same.

Also See:

Jan 25, 2011

No 'Waste Paper Basket Diagnosis' Anymore: Joe DeRisi solves medical mysteries |

Joseph DeRisi is a molecular biologist and biochemist, on the hunt for the genomic basis of illness. His lab at UCSF is focused on the cause of malaria, and he's also poked into SARS, avian flu and other new diseases as they crop up. His approach combines scientific rigor with a nerd's boundary-breaking enthusiasm for new techniques -- one of the qualities that helped him win a MacArthur "genius" grant in 2004. A self-confessed computer geek, DeRisi designed and programmed a groundbreaking tool for finding (and fighting) viruses -- the ViroChip, a DNA microarray that test for the presence of all known viruses in one step.

Joe DeRisi solves medical mysteries | Video on TED.com

Jan 23, 2011

5 Trends Which Will determine the Future of Healthcare ecoSystems.


A new report on www.csc.com looks at the 5 trends they believe will shape the future of healthcare  ecoSystems. Increasing use of collaborative tools, better data analysis and improved clinical practices will change the current business models for providing healthcare.

1) E-Power to the Patient -- Patients take on a larger, more active role in managing their wellness and health. In this new world, the patient is in charge of his or her care management on a daily basis, with “shared care” between patient and provider; the patient and primary care provider lth and wellness plan together and pull in resources as needed.

 2) Earlier Detection -- Earlier detection maximizes options for successful treatment, leading to a speedier return to good health. Detection starts with the patient – a person knows when something is not right  health-wise. Now armed with a library of medical content written especially for nonclinical professionals, many people start on the Internet with sites such as iTriage, WebMD and ADAM.

 3) High-Tech Healing -- New technologies can significantly boost outcomes and quality of life.Advances in the science of medicine using technology are leading to new treatments that improve health outcomes and quality of life with remarkable and even near-bionic capabilities.

4) Resources: More, but Different -- Solving the healthcare resource puzzle requires new players and new care models. Distance monitoring devices, Tablets and apps, Evidence databases have thrown up new resources to improve healthcare quality.

5) Global Healthcare Ecosystem Emerges -- More information, more connected, leading to better care and better research. The growing number of nations turning to electronic records will gift us an abundance of data. Better connected healthcare will let us utilize collective data better.

If you believe these trends are worth watching for, you should consider joining us on Facebook.

Dec 7, 2009

The top 10 hazards of Health care Technology



Superior technology need not always mean better healthcare. Very often, technology comes with its own attendant risks.From infections to cancer to surgical fires, this list covers the top 10 healthcare technology threats for 2010.


1. Cross-Contamination from Flexible Endoscopes
 This mainly results from failure to adhere to cleaning and sterilization procedures.
 To prevent risk, hospitals should:
  • Develop and adhere to comprehensive, model-specific reprocessing protocols;
  • Ensure that model-specific reprocessing protocols exist for each flexible endoscope model; and
  • Ensure that any automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs) are compatible with the disinfecting agent, the appropriate channel adapters are available, and staff adhere to maintenance schedules.
2. Alarm Hazards
  Alarm issues are among the most frequently reported problems, mostly due to the sheer variety of equipment – patient  monitoring, ventilators, dialysis units and many others.
To avoid potential risks:
  • Avoid alarm fatigue by configuring alarm limits to appropriate, physiologically meaningful values;
  • Look for designs that limit nuisance  (false or excessive) alarms, which can desensitize staff; and
  • Consider implementing an alarm-enhancement system to increase alarm volume or convey alarms remotely.
3. Surgical Fires
 Most surgical fires result from the presence of an oxygen-enriched atmosphere during surgeries to the head, face, back and upper chest.
 New recommendations include:
  • With certain exceptions, the traditional practice of open delivery of 100 percent oxygen should be discontinued during head, face, back, and upper-chest surgery.
  • Hospitals should implement a surgical fire prevention and management program.
  • Each member of the surgical team should clearly understand the role played by oxidizers, ignition sources, and fuels – the classic fire triangle in the operating room.
4. CT Radiation Dose
 In the United States alone, CT is thought to be responsible for about 6,000 additional cancers a year.
 To avoid potential risks:
  • Make sure the expected benefits of a CT study outweigh the radiation risks.

  • In most modern systems, the dose can be reduced by up to 80 percent. Adjust CT acquisition parameters to allow the required clinical information to be obtained with the lowest possible dose.
  • CT precations are especially important for pediatric patients – for whom the cancer risk is as much as triple that for a 30-year-old – and pregnant women.
  • Ensure that technologists performing CT exams are trained specifically for CT and that they maintain their training and certification.
5. Retained Devices and Unretrieved Fragments
 These take the form of retained devices, where an entire device is unknowingly left behind, and unretrieved device fragments in which a portion of a device breaks away and remains inside the patient
 To prevent risks:
  • Inspect devices before use. If a device appears damaged, don't use it.
  • Be alert for significant resistance during device removal, which could indicate that the device is trapped and at risk of breaking.
  • Inspect devices as soon as they are removed from the patient.
6. Needlesticks and Other Sharps Injuries 

7. Problems with Computerized Equipment and Systems

8. Surgical Stapler Hazards

9. Ferromagnetic Objects in the MR Environment


10. Fiberoptic Light-Source Burns
    To read the complete list, click on the link below.
    ECRI identifies top 10 health technology hazards for 2010 | Healthcare IT News


    Jan 10, 2009

    Healthcare and emerging technologies


    OBBeC.com: Healthcare and Emerging Rich Web Technologies – The WEB 2.0/Semantic Web Challenge and Opportunity

    With the advent of 2009, I was looking for something to overview the present situation in Health Informatics. Its time we looked at developing new applications of the technology, besides developing new technologies. Healthcare related use of the internet is a common phenomenon and an estimated 80% of internet users have used it for obtaining health information. People may receive their dose of information from Wikipedia (an albatross?) and other publishing sites like Organized Wisdom and AskDrWiki.

    Knowledge body in Health sciences is large and fragmented, and even a treating physician may not have all the data he requires. He needs a way to access all his data easily. There is an urgent need for tools that can aggregate information from multiple sources to improve health care decision making, enhance health management, and produce better patient outcomes. This is one of the main drivers for the use of the Internet in healthcare.

    Semantic Web applications and Web 2.0 technologies have yet to be applied to health care. The scope of smart new services in healthcare ecosystem is enormous. Privacy issues are of concern, but use of cloud computing within health care delivery system just cannot be held back.

    The role of IT in furthering health rights has not been realized yet. Taking a health rights approach to health IT strengthens the argument for extensive use of IT in health care. Every person has a fundamental right to health, which includes easy access to high quality and best possible care and access to medical information, besides other parameters which have to be satisfied.
    Technology can prove to be an excellent tool for pursuing Health Rights for All.
    --------------------------------------------------------

    Uploaded on authorSTREAM by drneelesh


    Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

    Healthcare and emerging technologies


    OBBeC.com: Healthcare and Emerging Rich Web Technologies – The WEB 2.0/Semantic Web Challenge and Opportunity

    With the advent of 2009, I was looking for something to overview the present situation in Health Informatics. Its time we looked at developing new applications of the technology, besides developing new technologies. Healthcare related use of the internet is a common phenomenon and an estimated 80% of internet users have used it for obtaining health information. People may receive their dose of information from Wikipedia (an albatross?) and other publishing sites like Organized Wisdom and AskDrWiki.

    Knowledge body in Health sciences is large and fragmented, and even a treating physician may not have all the data he requires. He needs a way to access all his data easily. There is an urgent need for tools that can aggregate information from multiple sources to improve health care decision making, enhance health management, and produce better patient outcomes. This is one of the main drivers for the use of the Internet in healthcare.

    Semantic Web applications and Web 2.0 technologies have yet to be applied to health care. The scope of smart new services in healthcare ecosystem is enormous. Privacy issues are of concern, but use of cloud computing within health care delivery system just cannot be held back.

    The role of IT in furthering health rights has not been realized yet. Taking a health rights approach to health IT strengthens the argument for extensive use of IT in health care. Every person has a fundamental right to health, which includes easy access to high quality and best possible care and access to medical information, besides other parameters which have to be satisfied.
    Technology can prove to be an excellent tool for pursuing Health Rights for All.
    --------------------------------------------------------

    Uploaded on authorSTREAM by drneelesh




    Oct 17, 2008

    -Obvious uses of data and technology-


    Scientists to use satellite imagery to predict disease outbreaks

    At last, scientists are correlating what they know and what they see to come up with new ways to fight diseases.

    Seen from a distance, both figuratively and literally, it is ridiculously easy to predict an epidemic or infectious disease outbreak.All you need is good dependable information about the current environment at the location. Tie this up with what we already know about the infectious agent life-cycle and the disease process and Voila!- We have our own Crystal Ball.

    Scientists now plan to use satellite imagery to predict some seasonal and climate dependent infectious diseases like Cholera. Similar models can later be developed for other diseases like Hepatitis A, Malaria and Leptospirosis.

    Hoping more money is spent on such life-saving use of Technology in preventive medicine.
    Read the original news item here


    Oct 16, 2008

    -Web 2.0 strategy for Business-

    Ten Aspects of Web 2.0 Strategy That Every CTO and CIO Should Know [Dion Hinchcliffe's Web 2.0 Blog]

    Web 2.0 has changed the way things are or can be done. Organizations need to adapt to these new trends ASAP. A few key points of note for business to survive in the new world-

    # It's not about technology, it's about the changes it enables.
    # The implications of 2.0 stands many traditional views on their head and so change takes more time than usual.
    # Get the ideas, concepts, and vocabulary out into the organization and circulating.
    # Existing management methods and conventional wisdom are a hard barrier to 2.0 strategy and transformation.
    # Avoiding external disruption is hard but managing self-imposed risk caused by 2.0 is easier.
    # Incubators and pilots projects can help create initial environments for success with 2.0 efforts.
    # Irreversible decisions around 2.0 around topics such as brand, reputation, and corporate strategy can be delayed quite a while, and sometimes forever.
    # The technology competence organizations have today are inadequate for moving to 2.0.
    # The business side requires 2.0 competence as well.
    # Start small, think big.

    -Web 2.0 strategy for Business-

    Ten Aspects of Web 2.0 Strategy That Every CTO and CIO Should Know [Dion Hinchcliffe's Web 2.0 Blog]

    Web 2.0 has changed the way things are or can be done. Organizations need to adapt to these new trends ASAP. A few key points of note for business to survive in the new world-

    # It's not about technology, it's about the changes it enables.
    # The implications of 2.0 stands many traditional views on their head and so change takes more time than usual.
    # Get the ideas, concepts, and vocabulary out into the organization and circulating.
    # Existing management methods and conventional wisdom are a hard barrier to 2.0 strategy and transformation.
    # Avoiding external disruption is hard but managing self-imposed risk caused by 2.0 is easier.
    # Incubators and pilots projects can help create initial environments for success with 2.0 efforts.
    # Irreversible decisions around 2.0 around topics such as brand, reputation, and corporate strategy can be delayed quite a while, and sometimes forever.
    # The technology competence organizations have today are inadequate for moving to 2.0.
    # The business side requires 2.0 competence as well.
    # Start small, think big.

    Oct 4, 2008

    New technology promises tests for diseases such as cancer in 15 minutes

    Scientists at Leeds University in the UK say soon, testing for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, could take as little as 15 minutes and could be as simple as using a pregnancy testing kit.

    The team of scientists have developed a biosensor technology that uses antibodies to detect biomarkers - molecules in the human body which are often a marker for disease - and they do it much faster than current testing methods.

    They say the technology could be used in doctors' surgeries for more accurate referral to consultants and in hospitals for rapid diagnosis.

    Tests already conducted have shown that the biosensors can detect a wide range of analytes (substances being measured), including biomarkers present in prostate and ovarian cancer, stroke, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and fungal infections.

    The team also believes that the biosensors are versatile enough to test for diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV.

    The technology is the result of a collaboration of European researchers and commercial partners in a 2.7 million Euro project called ELISHA and features new techniques for attaching antibodies to innovative surfaces, and novel electronic measurement methods that need no reagents or labels.

    ELISHA was co-ordinated by Dr. Paul Millner from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds, and managed by colleague Dr. Tim Gibson.

    Dr. Millner says they believe this to be the next generation of diagnostic testing as it is now possible to detect almost any analyte faster, cheaper and more easily than the current accepted testing methodology.

    Current blood and urine are tests for disease markers takes an average of two hours to complete, is a costly process and can only be performed by highly trained staff.

    The Leeds team believe their new technology, which provides results in 15 minutes or less - could be developed into a small device the size of a mobile phone into which different sensor chips could be inserted, depending on the disease being tested for.

    Dr. Millner says they have designed simple instrumentation to make the biosensors easy to use and understand, which will work in a format similar to the glucose biosensor testing kits that diabetics currently use.

    Professor Séamus Higson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Biosciences, Cranfield Health, and one of the partners within the ELISHA programme, says the speed of response this technology offers will be of great benefit to early diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, and will permit testing in de-localised environments such as GP's surgeries.

    A tangent company - ELISHA Systems Ltd - has been established by Dr. Gibson, commercial partners Uniscan Instruments Ltd and Technology Translators Ltd to bring the technology to the market.

    Dr. Gibson says the analytes used in the research simply scratch the surface of the potential applications - the team have also shown that it can be used in environmental applications, for example to test for herbicides or pesticides in water and antibiotics in milk.