news
EHR
EHRs among top technology priorities for health care executives Electronic health records are among the top 10 technologies that health care executives should pay close attention to this year, according to a new report from research firm ECRI Institute, Healthcare IT News reports. The report -- titled, “Top 10 C-Suite Watch List: Hospital Technology Issues for 2012” -- aims to help health care executives prioritize their efforts to implement
Education
Medical students using virtual human bodies to learn about anatomyfor health care executives New York University’s School of Medicine is pioneering the use of 3-D sim-
ulation technology to teach medical students about human anatomy, the New York Times reports. In a laboratory at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, anatomy students wear 3-D glasses to dissect
virtual human bodies that are displayed on a projector screen. Using a computer, students can examine closeup views of simulated 3-D organs and other anatomic structures that are animated to function as they would in a living body. John Qualter -- an assistant professor of educational informatics at NYU’s School of Medicine and the founder of BioDigital Systems, which created the virtual human models -- said the program is “like a living
digital textbook.” Qualter said BioDigital plans to further develop the technology on its medical education website to provide a searchable, customizable map of the human body that could be used by physicians and medical websites. NYU administrators said they plan to use the virtual human bodies as a complementary teaching method that will not replace the use of real human cadavers, which provide a more tactile understanding of anatomy.
and improve health care technologies. In its discussion of EHRs, the report notes that medical device integration and the federal meaningful use program ultimately aim to improve health care and patient safety. Successful deployment should not only ensure reimbursement, but also enhance patient safety and quality of care, facilitate nursing workflow and increase physician and nursing satisfaction.
Corporate Update
Bharti Airtel Religare Technologies to offer medical advisory Airtel, India’s largest mobile phone operator, has recently tied-up with Religare Technologies, a company controlled by promoters of the Fortis hospital chain, to offer healthcare solutions and guidance over telephone. By paying an introductory tele-consultation fee of Rs 15 a call, Airtel customers can get basic medical guidance on non-emergency health problems through this service, 24 hours, seven days a week. Airtel charges just 50p for this call. With a customer base of 173 million, Airtel’s latest value addition is expected to provide a productive platform for Religare to promote their e-health service. Airtel is not the first to introduce a mobile health scheme in the country, a recent trend. Some months earlier, telecom operators Aircel and Idea had launched a similar service in association with the Apollo Hospital group-promoted Healthnet Global.
Diagnostics
US diagnostic market to witness unprecedented growth The US diagnostic market holds a significant share in the global diagnostic market, and accounts for the majority of the total healthcare market. A huge investment in research and development, and commercially successful innovations in the diagnostic industry has facilitated the US to outperform other prominent diagnostic markets, including the EU and Japan. According to a latest report, “US Diagnostic Market Outlook 2014”, by RNCOS, the increasing prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases, emergence of new technologies in molecular diagnostics, and awareness among health professionals and patients will lead to a further growth in the US diagnostic market. The report, which is spread over 60 pages, provides an in-depth research and rational analysis of the current demand for the diagnostic products and clinical lab services market in the United States. It also provides the forecasts for IVD products, medical imaging equipment and clinical lab services market for 2012-2014.
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february / 2012 www.ehealthonline.org