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Allscripts-Misys acquires health IT rival Eclipsys for $1.3 billion
Health information technology developer Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. in Chicago is buying Atlanta-based chief competitor Eclipsys Corp. in an all-stock transaction worth $1.3 billion, the companies announced. The merger will create the nation's largest provider of clinical software, information, and connectivity solutions for physicians and hospitals, with a combined client base of 180,000 physicians, 1,500 hospitals, and 10,000 postacute organizations, Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman said. Tullman will be CEO of the combined company, while Eclipsys CEO and President Phil Pead will be the new firm's chairperson. The merger also positions the combined company to help its clients more effectively access the approximately $30 billion in federal funding available for hospital and physician adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). “Think of this as doing (for EHR adoption) what the Internet did for computers,” Tullman said.
Eighty million dollar Department of Veterans Affairs grant program seeks ideas on ways to improve veterans' healthcare
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to award $80 million in grants through a health information technology competition for applications that could improve the quality of healthcare and other services for veterans. According to the secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, the VAi2 Innovative Initiative competition will encourage use of telehealth tools for in-home care toward treatments such as dialysis, as well as develop ways to counteract adverse drug reactions, and spur development of remote monitoring technologies and other tools that could improve care for veterans with multiple injuries. The VA seeks submissions from the general public, private companies, entrepreneurs, universities, and not-for-profit organizations. Ideas should be implementable and be able to achieve progress within 2 years of start. Deadline for proposals is September 30. For more information, visit the Federal Business Opportunities Web site at
Heartbeat-powered generators could one day power up medical implants
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta have developed a nanogenerator that could one day lead to medical implants and sensors that are powered by heartbeats or breathing. According to Georgia Tech professor of materials science and engineering and lead researcher Zhong Lin Wang, zinc oxide nanogenerators would be an ideal power source for nanoscale sensors that monitor blood pressure or glucose levels and detect cancer biomarkers. Thus far, the Georgia Tech team has successfully tested the process on a live rat and its heartbeat. Meanwhile, researcher Michael McAlpine at Princeton University has performed similar tests using PZT, a compound of lead, zirconium, and titanium. It is 10 times more efficient than zinc oxide at converting mechanical stress into electric current, McAlpine said. But the biggest challenge for both materials will be getting higher energy outputs, researchers note.
Study to examine benefits of electronically sharing doctors' notes with patients
A new yearlong study sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will examine the impact of adding a new layer of openness to a traditionally one-sided element of the doctor–patient relationship—the notes that doctors record during and after patients' visits. According to Tom Delbanco, M.D., a primary care physician at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, the 12-month OpenNotes project will evaluate the benefits, on patients and physicians, of sharing, through online medical record portals, the comments and observations made by physicians after each patient encounter. Approximately 100 primary care physicians and 25,000 patients at BIDMC, Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle will participate in the trial, Delbanco said. The study is being funded by a $1.4 million grant from the RWJF's Pioneer Portfolio.
Medtronic goes worldwide with new wireless diabetes management system
Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc. has implemented a worldwide launch of a wireless continuous glucose monitoring system to help improve diabetes management. According to Francine Kaufman, M.D., chief medical officer of the Medtronic Diabetes business, the company's iPro 2 Professional continuous glucose-monitoring system offers advanced processes for detecting high and low glucose fluctuations that can lead to dangerous health complications, which often go undetected with traditional tests performed over a 2–3-month period. Patients wear a disposable glucose sensor and a small data recorder that can be uploaded into a proprietary computer docking station for evaluation. iPro 2 has been released to market in 49 countries worldwide, with 22 more planned for coming months, Kaufman said. This includes the United States, where the product is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Department of Health and Human Services awards $83.9 million to help healthcare centers switch to electronic health record systems
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded nearly $84 million in grants to 45 organizations to help health centers switch to electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information technology systems. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the grants will support new and enhanced EHR implementation projects as well as health IT innovation projects. Eligible professionals practicing within health centers who are able to demonstrate “meaningful use” of EHR technology may be eligible for incentive payments provided under Medicaid and Medicare, Sebelius said. The funds are part of the $2 billion allotted to HHS Health Resources and Services Administration under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to expand healthcare services to low-income and uninsured individuals. A complete list of recipients can be found at the HHS Web site at
“Tattoo” of nanoparticles could provide glucose monitoring for diabetics
A tattoo under development by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge could help diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels without undergoing painful finger pricks. According to MIT postdoctoral researcher Paul Barone, the technology calls for under-skin injection of saline-based ink particles that release different wavelengths of light in response to different concentrations of blood glucose. Patients would wear a small device on top of the tattoos that could interpret the changing wavelengths as constant, accurate blood glucose measurements. Each tattoo would last about 6 months, Barone said. But Barone's partner, MIT chemical engineering professor Michael Strano, stressed that application of the product in humans is still years away.
Telehealth systems dramatically shorten cardiac patients' hospital stays
Patients with heart failure who used an interactive telehealth system with motivational support tools at home spent 73% fewer days in the hospital, according to a study by doctors at a cardiac clinic in Badalona, Spain. The CARME (CAtalan Remote Management Evaluation) study at Germans Trias i Pujol Heart Failure Clinic used Royal Philips Electronics' Motiva systems to connect patients with their providers via their television and broadband connection. The research also showed a 68% decrease in heart failure-related hospitalization. Days spent in hospital decreased from 646 to 168 days. According to Josep Lupon, M.D., head of the Heart Failure Unit and study lead researcher, patients showed a significant improvement in their perception of quality of life: at the beginning of the study, 56% of participating patients described their quality of life as “medium” or “low.” Those responses decreased to 22% by the end of the study.
Philips Healthcare to invest $33.4 million in new tomography research center
Medical imaging device manufacturer Philips Healthcare plans to invest $33.4 million over the next 5 years in a global research and development center that will open next year at Cleveland's University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center. According to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, the Global Advanced Imaging Innovation Center will be a “springboard in Philips' efforts to become a world leader in sales of computed tomography and nuclear medicine equipment.” The state, through a high-tech development program called Third Frontier, will also commit $5 million to the center. According to Dr. Pablo Ros, chairperson of the radiology department at UH, the deal is a two-way winner: Philips benefits from not having to travel to plants elsewhere in the world to test and validate equipment prototypes, while UH radiologists will be able to offer faster diagnosis and treatment at the preclinical stage, not when disease has manifested.
Arkansas Children's Hospital to test telemedicine's impact on asthma treatment
The Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute in Little Rock has launched a study to test whether school-based telemedicine sessions with doctors can help students in rural areas control their asthma. The study, made possible by a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, will compare six videoconference-equipped Arkansas schools with six schools that do not have the equipment in terms of access to healthcare specialists and students' response to treatment of the disorder. Asthma is the most common childhood disease and disproportionally affects minority and low-income children, according to study lead investigator Tamara Perry, M.D. The 3-year study begins in 2011, with participating sites using the videoconferencing equipment for 1 year, she said.
Pilot begins in Mexico for “Intelligent” portable telemedicine kiosk
Austin, TX–based Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. has partnered with Pounce Consulting to create a portable telemedicine kiosk that allows patients or physicians to routinely perform health screenings at home or remotely. According to Dr. José Fernández Villaseñor, physician, surgeon, and electrical engineer for Freescale Semiconductor, the Intelligent Hospital kiosk enables patients to remotely send their vital signs and test results to healthcare providers to proactively monitor and prevent complications of chronic disorders. The kiosks can also be displayed in public places to allow patients to perform various medical tests and transmit the data to a hospital. The product is being piloted in Mexico, in part due to grant funding by the Jalisco State Secretariat of Economic Development and the National Council of Science and Technology.
Vgo's new telepresence robot offers advanced conversation and remote piloting
A real-life “avatar” is about to make its public debut, and Nashua, NH–based Vgo Communications, Inc. (VCI) hopes this really is the droid you're looking for. “Vgo,” a 4-foot-high, 18-pound telepresence robot is, according to VCI Founder and Chief Technology Officer Tim Root, a Wi-Fi–driven mechanical “creature” that represents the future of medical robotics. Although similar units, also featuring a mounted television monitor and Web cam, have been introduced or put on the market, and more are on the way, Vgo offers something the others (so far) do not—the ability to follow you around and effectively hold a conversation. Doctors may remotely pilot the unit while engaged elsewhere, or even use it to physically take the physician's place in meetings. And, with an easily chargeable battery capable of lasting 6–10 h, and a price tag that is about one-third as much as forthcoming models from competitors, Vgo may be hard to resist, according to Root.
Department of Health and Human Services plots effort to create pediatrics patient-friendly electronic health record
The Department of Health and Human Services is developing a model electronic health record (EHR) with features tailored to the health needs of pediatric patients. According to Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), AHRQ and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are creating the pediatric record template for children enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. Studies have shown that only 21% of pediatricians use digital health record systems, and only 6% of those doctors say the systems include all the core functionalities that doctors believe necessary, Clancy said. The AHRQ-Medicaid model children's digital record project will involve an environmental scan and gap analysis to identify up to three core functions needed for the pediatric EHRs that are currently not available in most digital health record systems.
UnitedHealth Group to offer telehealth services to Delta Air Lines employees
Delta Air Lines has begun offering UnitedHealth Group, Inc.'s OptumHealth NowClinic online care services to its employees. According to OptumHealth Care Solutions Chief Executive Officer Rob Webb, Delta will be the first airline in the United States to use OptumHealth, which allows workers to have Internet-based medical visits with their doctors. Available 24 hours per day every day, employees can connect with doctors through five physician networks through live Web cams and live computer chats at a cost of $10 for every 10 min. In addition to improving access to their regular doctors, employees may also use the product to contact any physician for urgent medical care. OptumHealth will initially be used by Delta's 10,000 employees in Minnesota. Delta is also piloting a patient-oriented system in Texas.
New BRIT Systems tool helps doctors instantly update contact information
Dallas-based digital services provider BRIT Systems has introduced a new communications tool that allows referring physicians to easily verify and update their contact information via automated dialing. According to BRIT Systems President Shelly Fisher, the company's Fire Drill program, designed for the UrgentWorks Critical Results Reporting application, automates many of the processes needed by doctors to keep their contact information up to date. Fire Drill includes a tool to schedule the drill and send e-mails to the users informing them of when to expect the call, and the questions that will be asked. It also includes management reports showing which phone numbers were verified or updated, indicated as being wrong, or never answered. The application requires no installation of a client or download, not even Flash, Fisher said.
Hospital information systems market to hit $18 billion globally by 2016
Government incentives for health information technology are expected to drive the hospital information systems (HIS) market to $18 billion globally by 2016, up from nearly $8 billion in 2009, according to a forecast by New York City-based research firm GlobalData. And while the 13% annual increase is considered “extremely healthy,” the forecast is even brighter in the United States, where the HIS market is expected to grow at a rate of more than 19% over the next 7 years, according to the report. Globally, electronic health records will experience the fastest individual sector gain, rising by 15.3% annually, followed by computerized physician order entry (12.1%) and practice management market (10.8%).
Kaiser and UCSF launch medicine's largest robot-driven human genome project
In the largest effort of its kind, researchers at the Kaiser Permanente in Oakland and the University of California at San Francisco have begun an automated human genome project designed to uncover the genetic roots of disease and determine why some humans outlive others. According to Winifred K. Rossi, who is overseeing the project for the National Institute on Aging, the process involves using robotic, high-speed gene-reading machines to analyze DNA from saliva donated by more than 130,000 Kaiser members since 2008. The hope is that scientists will be able to compare genes of healthy persons against those with diseases such as cancer or multiple sclerosis and find the genes responsible for the illnesses. The process, which will ultimately utilize samples from more than 500,000 participants, is expected to be completed within 18 months, Rossi said.
Microsoft HealthVault platform goes international, debuts in Canada
Vancouver-based TELUS Health Solutions has unveiled an electronic health record system that will give patients instant online access to all of their medical files. According to TELUS Chief Executive Officer Darren Entwistle, the TELUS Health Space system, which uses Microsoft's HealthVault application, will allow patients or providers to enter or access medical data by computer or smartphone. It marks the first time HealthVault is being used outside of the United States and is Canada's first consumer e-health service. The program, to be rolled out to TELUS employees before expansion to the general Canadian populace by year end, will “revolutionize healthcare in Canada,” Entwistle said.
FDA approves U.S. sale of anticlotting home monitoring tool
Fremont, CA–based diagnostic device company CoaguSense, Inc. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its home-based blood coagulation monitoring system in the United States. According to CoaguSense President and Chief Executive Officer Doug Patterson, many patients recovering from heart failure, strokes, or joint replacement have their blood coagulation levels checked too infrequently to reduce the risk of bleeding and thrombotic complications. In response, the company's portable point-of-care Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio analyzer—which consists of a low-cost meter and disposable test strip—directly detects blood clotting time for patients stabilized on oral anticoagulation medications such as Coumadin or warfarin. The product is also Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments waived for use by physicians in their offices, Patterson said.
Duke and Virtual Heroes to bring video gaming technology to medical training
Duke University School of Medicine (DUSM) and Raleigh, NC–based interactive healthcare products maker Virtual Heroes, Inc. have partnered on a program that uses video game technology for medical education and training. According to Dr. Jeffrey Taekman, DUSM Assistant Dean for Educational Technology, the partnership will include initiatives in healthcare team communication training, medical device and pharma product education, patient education, medical recertification, clinical trial education, continuing medical education (CME) courses, and healthcare quality assurance training. It will also allow use of Virtual Heroes' HumanSim platform, which will soon enable healthcare professionals to sharpen their assessment and decision-making skills without risk to patients in realistic, challenging, immersive 3D environments. HumanSim integrates video gaming with a real-time physiologic–pharmacologic model for “an unprecedented experiential learning experience,” Taekman said.
European Commission announces 10-year plan for continent-wide health IT
The European Commission (EC) has unveiled a 10-year plan for continent-wide health information technology and telemedicine services in an effort to limit healthcare costs as Europe's population gets older. According to EC Vice President Neelie Kroes, the commission's Digital Agenda calls for patient records to be accessed or exchanged electronically by all 27 member states of the European Union by 2012. It also expects all Europeans to have secure, online access to their medical health data by 2015 and calls for widespread deployment of telemedicine services by 2020. The agenda also outlines plans to provide effective interoperability between IT products and services to “build a truly digital society,” including new legal measures to reform rules on implementation of information and communications technology standards, Kroes said.
Investors increasingly target medical device makers for spinoffs
Taking a cue from biotech venture firms, medical device investors are increasingly talking manufacturers into spinning out their technologies into start-up firms. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, many device manufacturers have amassed more products than they can develop. But instead of fearing a backlash if a spinout turns into a success, they are starting to see nonpriority products as an opportunity to create value for patients and themselves. Spinouts can enable venture firms to capitalize on the investment a corporation has made in a product, The Wall Street Journal reports. Successful spinoffs include Minneapolis-based Inspire Medical Systems, an implantable sleep apnea technology developer that separated from medical products maker Medtronic in 2006. Inspire Chief Executive Officer Timothy Herbert said Medtronic did not consider the implant a strategic fit and could have merely let the technology “sit on its shelf.” Instead, Medtronic opted to spin-out Inspire, a “commendable” action, Herbert said.
Zargis launches application for remote transmission of stethoscope sounds
Stamford, CT–based Zargis Medical Corp. has launched a live-streamed version of its ZargisTelemed platform, allowing healthcare professionals to share stethoscope sounds in real time with colleagues anywhere in the world via the Internet or a private network. According to Zargis Chief Executive Officer John Kallassy, the platform allows healthcare professionals to record, view, and transmit heart and lung sounds, and it can be deployed as a turnkey enterprise server or accessed through Zargis' secure server. The platform supports delivery of cost-effective, expert healthcare to people in remote and rural locations by extending the use of auscultation to situations and environments where face-to-face encounters are not always feasible. The technology has been approved for sale in the United States and 36 other countries. Zargis has delivered or is scheduled to deliver trial versions of the platform to eight telemedicine groups for evaluation, with wide-scale implementation expected to take place thereafter, Kallassy said.
Requiring doctors to enter computerized orders cuts down on inappropriate tests
Making physicians personally enter computerized orders for low-yield diagnostic imaging tests instead of letting other staff do it may reduce the number of potentially inappropriate scans, according to a study by researchers at the Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Use of outpatient computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine exams decreased by nearly 3.5% and were 3.5 times more likely to be cancelled when making physicians responsible for data entry, according to study lead author Vartan M. Vartanians, M.D., of Harvard. The “relatively simple and minimally disruptive alteration” to the order entry system appeared to improve patient care, Vartanians said.
Patients with sexually transmitted diseases are treated three times faster when electronic medical records are used
Switching to electronic medical records (EMRs) can significantly boost how quickly patients with the sexually transmitted disease (STD) Chlamydia are treated, according to a study by researchers at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London. The study found that use of an EMR system more than doubled the percentage of patients treated within 2 weeks of diagnosis. According to lead author Dr. Gary Brook, the study examined the medical records of 100 STD-afflicted patients at a sexual health clinic. Before the clinic converted to computerized records, it took an average of 11.5 days for a patient to be treated after being diagnosed with Chlamydia. This rate fell to 3.5 days after the switch. And the percentage of those who were treated within 2 weeks of getting a positive test result rose from 38% to 94%, Brook said.
Department of Health and Human Services offers free software for quick, low-cost medical quality Web sites
The Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is offering free software designed to reduce the cost and time a state, hospital, or other organization needs to spend to compile, analyze, and post data on quality of hospital care, its cost, and how that care is used. According to AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., the Microsoft Windows-based MONAHRQ—My Own Network Powered software—allows users to create a customized Web site with data that can be used for internal quality improvement or reporting quality information to the public. The cost of creating a Web site with this data is estimated to be $300,000 or more, and the time required could be a year. With MONAHRQ, that time can be cut to a few days, Clancy said. MONAHRQ can be downloaded from AHRQ's Web site at
Boston Scientific, Philips, and Siemens to offer improved cardiac imaging system
Boston Scientific Corp., Philips Healthcare, and Siemens Medical Solutions are developing an ultrasound product that will give physicians a more accurate view of a diseased heart. According to Joe Fitzgerald, president of Boston Scientific's Endovascular Unit, the agreement calls for joint use of the company's iLab Ultrasound Imaging System with the Philips Allura Xper, and the Siemens AXIOM Artis and Artis zee interventional X-ray systems to provide doctors with a 360% inside view of the heart and coronary vessels. The system provides a more accurate imagery of the diseased vessels than through angiography alone, Fitzgerald said. The three systems are compatible, and the joint program can be used with most interventional X-ray systems, he added.
Dossia expands health record software platform to other companies
Dossia, a consortium founded by large employers to develop and offer electronic health records (EHRs) to their workers, is expanding the software platform and making it available to other companies. According to Dossia Chief Operations Officer Steve Munini, the new, subscription-based Software-as-a-Service package includes applications that have been developed for or are available via the Dossia platform by third parties, including Mayo Clinic, Allviant, Vitality, and MediKeeper. The consortium, whose founders include Walmart, Intel, Pitney Bowes, and Vanguard Health Systems, plans to collaborate with employers' third parties, such as benefit providers and labs, to integrate patient information into employees' EHRs. Dossia is also in the process of developing a package for small-to-medium–sized businesses, which the company hopes to be able to start offering later this year, Munini said.
More countries to have access to Intel Health Guide in Europe
Intel plans to expand availability of the Intel Health Guide in Europe and is working with strategic industry partners in France, Germany, Spain, and The Netherlands to bring localized versions of the device to market over the coming year. According to Doug Busch, vice president and chief technical officer of Intel's Digital Health Group, chronic conditions can account for 70% of total health expenditure in Europe, especially if the conditions are poorly managed. The Intel Health Guide is already commercially available in the United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, and Australia. It combines an in-home patient device with the company's Health Care Management Suite, an online interface that allows clinicians to securely monitor patients in their homes and manage care remotely. It was designed to help address the challenges of chronic conditions for patients, their family caregivers, and the healthcare professionals responsible for their care, Busch said.
Department of Veterans Affairs selects winners in employee health IT innovation competition
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has chosen 26 winning health information technology ideas in its Veterans Health Administration/Office of Information and Technology Innovation Competition. The competition, launched in February, sought health IT ideas from VA employees who could improve healthcare services to veterans. According to the secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, the agency received more than 6,500 entries, and the winners represent 23 VA medical centers, program offices, or regional healthcare facilities in 17 states. The 26 health IT ideas selected will receive funding and support for prototype development and implementation. A complete list of winners is available at the VA Web site at
Joint Commission's telehealth credentialing standards delayed until 2011
The Joint Commission's plan to implement Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-based telemedicine standards for hospitals has been pushed back until March 2011 because of proposed changes by CMS. Originally slated for implementation on July 15, 2010, the Joint Commission had intended to add new Elements of Performance that would bring the organization's requirements more in line with CMS standards for telemedicine services, specifically for credentialing of telehealth providers. According to Joint Commission Vice President for Public Policy and Government Relations Margaret VanAmringe, CMS issued the extension because the agency has issued a new proposed regulation on telemedicine, which will ultimately affect Medicare's credentialing standards—the very requirements that the Joint Commission was trying to match.
Telehealth technology put to new use in Iowa Planned Parenthood clinic
Iowa has become the first state in the nation in which physicians are using videoconferencing and a remote-controlled pill dispensing system to make abortions available in locations where few doctors offer them. According to a report in The New York Times, a physician from a Planned Parenthood clinic in Des Moines carefully visits each patient by videoconference at a clinic up to 100 miles away. If satisfied with the meeting, the doctor presses a computer button, which grants the patient access to the pregnancy-ending drug Mifeprex (RU-486). The system is drawing interest from other abortion providers around the country, according to The New York Times. Abortion opponents have filed a formal complaint with the Iowa Board of Medicine, citing a state law requiring abortions to be performed by a physician.
New medical apps make mental health treatment possible via cell phones
Increasingly sophisticated mental health applications are being developed for use in mobile phones, providing patients with additional treatment options. According to a report on National Public Radio (NPR), the applications are seen as a way to bridge periodic therapy sessions—becoming an always-available mobile therapist that can help with everything from quitting smoking to detecting relapses in psychotic disorders. The mobile technologies also let users track their moods and experiences, providing a supplemental tool for psychiatrists and psychologists, NPR reports. University of Pennsylvania researcher Dimitri Perivoliotis, who treats patients with schizophrenia, said the applications help a cell phone become “a therapist in your pocket.” Researchers say the applications can also be used to treat anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, and other mental health issues.
Make Internet technology simpler and the elderly will come, study says
Older Americans are not using Web technology, information gathering, or social networking products as much as Generation X- or Millennial-age persons, but they might if the products are simpler to understand, according to a report by The SCAN Foundation in Long Beach, CA. Internet technology might also be more readily adopted by seniors if the products are more enjoyable and personalized, appropriate for their particular physical or cognitive states, and endorsed by respected members of the local community. Bruce Cernoff, M.D., president and chief executive officer of The SCAN Foundation, emphasized the importance of getting the elderly to use the Internet and its various services. “Unless older adults have access to and embrace these tools, their voices (in society) will be muted,” he said.
Medical waiting device lets patients check if doctors are behind schedule
Physicians are beginning to test out a new Web-based tool that allows patients to check whether their doctors are running behind schedule on appointments. According to Vishal Mehta, founder of Chicago-based Medical Wait Time LLC, the application MedWaitTime enables patients to check appointment status up to 2 hours ahead of time. The patient can also opt to receive text messages alerting them about wait times. Mehta, an orthopedic surgeon, said he developed the product after feeling guilty about routinely running behind and making his patients sit in the waiting room for up to an hour or more. The company plans to charge $50 monthly per physician and $300 monthly per hospital department for using the service. Mehta also wants to develop an iPhone application for the product.
Technology may shift responsibility of healthcare to consumers and lower costs
Healthcare costs are likely to be lowered by increased use of products such as low-cost computing devices, digital sensors, and the Internet, according to a report in The New York Times. Such products will shift the responsibility of diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases from hospitals and specialty clinics, to primary care physicians and patients, which are far less-expensive options, The New York Times reports. The technology-dependent efforts emphasize early detection of health problems, prevention, and management of chronic disease. Although seemingly indicative of the proper path for healthcare, there are obstacles to change. These include getting patients to embrace healthier lifestyles and persuading the government and insurers to reimburse at-home testing and monitoring devices.