Robot suit rentals in Japan for disabled, elderly reads brain signals to help move legs

“A robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems will be available to rent in Japan for US$2,200 a month starting Friday — an invention that may have far-reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly.
HAL — short for “hybrid assistive limb” — is a computerized suit with sensors that read brain signals directing limb movement through the skin.”
Article
Mainichi Daily News, 7 October 2008

Telehealth program serves growing elderly population

“The telehealth program, an interactive TV system for providing care and monitoring for patients in their own living rooms, is part of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Home Care Network’s efforts to keep elderly patients out of the emergency room or a nursing home.
Telehealth is a means of using technology to monitor people more frequently in their homes and keep them in their homes as long as possible.”
Article
Rhoda Amon, Newsday.com, 29 September 2008

Organizational effects of information and communication technology (ICT) in elderly homecare: a case study

“The use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support integrated healthcare services in elderly homecare is becoming more established. In particular, ICT can enable information exchange, knowledge sharing and documentation at the point-of-care (POC). The aim of this study was to explore these effects using the Old@Home prototype. Old@Home was perceived to contribute in developing horizontal links for communication between individuals who work together, independent of geographical distance or organizational affiliation, and to contribute to increased work efficiency. The prototype was further seen to reduce professional isolation by providing a holistic overview of the care process. User centred design and implementation of Old@Home was considered key to facilitating acceptance of organizational changes. Participation of care professionals not only led to a better understanding of the needs of involved organizations, but also increased end-users’ involvement and commitment, stimulating them to test and improve the prototype until the final version.”
Abstract
Vivian Vimarlund, Nils-Göran Olve, Isabella Scandurra, Sabine Koch, Health Informatics Journal, Vol. 14, No. 3, 195-210 (2008), DOI: 10.1177/1081180X08092830

Gov. Kaine announces launch of Virginia Easy Access

“Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced an online resource especially designed for seniors and adults with disabilities.”
Article
NewsLeader.com, 13 August 2008

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, TOC, July 2008

Telerehabilitation for service delivery in speech-language pathology
“Communication disorders in adults and children can have a significant effect on their quality of life and on that of their families. Speech-language pathologists face several challenges in providing assessment and treatment services to such people. Challenges include facilitating equitable access to services and providing appropriate management within a changing social and economic context. Telerehabilitation has the potential to deliver services in the home or local community via videoconferencing and through interactive computer-based therapy activities. This form of service delivery has the capacity to optimize functional outcomes by facilitating generalization of treatment effects within the person’s everyday environment, and enable monitoring of communication and swallowing behaviours on a long-term basis. A number of image-based telerehabilitation applications have been used in the management of adult neurogenic speech and language disorders, stuttering, voice disorders, speech and language disorders in children, laryngectomy and swallowing dysfunction. Further development of such applications and other computer-based therapies, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses, and professional education are needed if telerehabilitation is to become an integral part of speech-language pathology practice.”
Abstract
Deborah G Theodoros, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 221-224, doi:10.1258/jtt.2007.007044

Telehealth: a child and family-friendly approach to mental health-care reform
“Limited access to paediatric mental health services and high drop-out rates from treatment result in poor health outcomes for families with children with mental health problems. New ways of delivering care are required. Telehealth is a promising approach. The Family Help programme employs manualized, distance treatment by telephone. Participants in the Family Help programme (both adults and children) have reported a strong therapeutic alliance with their telephone coach. Participants also described how during treatment sessions they felt comfortable and safe in their own home; they did not feel stigmatized or judged; they had little apprehension about self-disclosure and they felt that treatment was delivered at their convenience. Treatment calls were often scheduled after typical working hours. Attrition rates were found to be very low and children actively engaged in the structured, distance treatment. Evidence-based, distance delivery using non-professionals is a promising approach to the delivery of paediatric mental health care.”
Abstract
Patricia Lingley-Pottie and Patrick J McGrath, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 225-226, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.008001

Effect of a behavioural health and specialty care telemedicine programme on goal attainment for youths in juvenile detention
“We conducted a pre-post study of the effect of a telepsychiatry counselling service on youths housed in three juvenile detention facilities. In the first year of the telemedicine programme, 321 psychiatry consultations were conducted via telemedicine; in the second year of the programme, 573 psychiatry consultations were conducted. Records for 190 students were then examined by two raters. The total number of behavioural goals for each adolescent increased from 8.2 in the pre-telemedicine year to 8.7 in the first year of telemedicine and then to 10.0 in the second year (P < 0.05). In Year 2 of the study, subjects also had a significantly higher number of goals in four of the five categories: education, family, health and social skills (P < 0.05). Although other changes at the youth detention facilities or in the juvenile justice system may have been partly responsible for the effects observed, the study suggests that telemedicine may be useful for improving the rate of attainment of goals associated with family relations and personality/behaviour."
Abstract
Karen C Fox, Pamela Connor, Elizabeth McCullers, and Teresa Waters, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 227-230, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.071102

Non-invasive monitoring of the activities of daily living of elderly people at home – a pilot study of the usage of domestic appliances
“We conducted a feasibility study of a system for non-invasive monitoring of subjects at home. Electrical activity was recorded from room lights and from electrical domestic appliances; this was translated into the probability of physical activity or a particular Activity of Daily Living (ADL). Thirteen volunteer subjects were monitored for a period of 6.4 months (range 3–8). The mean age of the subjects was 80 years and they all lived alone at home; one had moderate Alzheimer’s disease. A one-week validation was carried out to ascertain whether the recorded activity actually occurred. The results showed that daily and nocturnal activity could be well differentiated. The probability of having eaten, taken a bath and going to the toilet could be calculated each day. Eating was the most accurately measured ADL; toileting and bathing results were less accurate. The system appears to be a promising component of home telecare.”
Abstract
Georgina Corte Franco, Floriane Gallay, Marc Berenguer, Christine Mourrain, and Pascal Couturier, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 231-235, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.071207

A paediatric therapeutic alliance occurs with distance intervention
“We investigated whether a distance therapeutic alliance occurs when children receive manualized, cognitive-behavioural treatment via telephone, in the absence of face-to-face contact. The therapeutic alliance scores were measured in 55 child–parent pairs. The mean total Working Alliance Inventory child scores were 236 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 232, 240) and the mean parent scores were 245 (95% CI: 242, 247). Parent scores were significantly higher than child scores, although the difference may not be clinically meaningful. This study provides evidence that a strong therapeutic alliance does occur between child–coach and parent–coach pairs when treatment is delivered from a distance by non-professionals. The term ‘child’ encompasses both children and adolescents.”
Abstract
Patricia Lingley-Pottie and Patrick J McGrath, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 236-240, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080101

International telepsychiatry: a study of patient acceptability
“An international telepsychiatry service was established between Denmark and Sweden for cross-cultural patient groups, such as asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Over an 18-month period starting in mid 2006, 30 patients were treated by telepsychiatry (21 men and 9 women). The patients received mental health care by videoconferencing from providers who spoke the patients’ own language, i.e. without the assistance of interpreters. The total number of telepsychiatry sessions was 203 (range 1–22; average 6.8 sessions per patient). Patients completed a satisfaction questionnaire at the end of treatment. Seven patients (23%) were not able to complete a questionnaire, due to illiteracy and/or a psychotic condition. The rest of the patients (n=23) reported a high level of acceptance and satisfaction with telepsychiatry, as well as a willingness to use it again or recommend it to others. Any disadvantages of telemedicine were compensated by the fact that the doctor and patient spoke the same language and had similar cultural and/or national references. Mentally ill asylum seekers, refugees and migrants are under-served in their mother tongue and telepsychiatry can improve access to scarce health-care resources.”
Abstract
Davor Mucic , J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 241-243, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080301

The availability of telecardiology consultations and transfer patterns from a remote neonatal intensive care unit
“We examined records of all admissions to an isolated community neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in California between 2001 and 2006. We also reviewed the echocardiograms for diagnosis, disposition of patient and necessity for transport. In 2004, a telemedicine link (mainly store-and-forward) was established to a university children’s hospital (UCH) 290 km away. The number of NICU patients having an echocardiogram increased from 280 (27% of 1029 admissions) to 385 (40% of 963, P = <0.001) after telemedicine became available. There was an increase in the proportion of normal studies, from 31% to 37% (P = 0.03), and an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with cardiac pathology from 192 (19% of all admissions) to 241 (25%, P < 0.001). Twenty-four patients were transferred for cardiac reasons during each three-year period; however seven pre-telemedicine transfers were avoidable, compared with two post-telemedicine transfers (P = 0.06). There was a change in referral pattern (65% to the UCH pre-telemedicine, compared with 78% post-telemedicine) although it was not significant (P = 0.10). Thus the availability of the telecardiology link was associated with increases in the utilization of echocardiography, in the proportion of normal studies, and in the percentage of neonates diagnosed with cardiac pathology without an increase in the number transferred for cardiac reasons. There was a reduction in unnecessary transfers and a strengthened relationship with the centre providing the telecardiology service."
Abstract
Tannie Huang, Anita J Moon-Grady, Craig Traugott, and James Marcin, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 244-248, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080102

Feasibility of a home-based telerehabilitation system compared to usual care: arm/hand function in patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis
“We conducted a randomized controlled multicentre trial to investigate the feasibility of a telerehabilitation intervention for arm/hand function (the Home Care Activity Desk [HCAD] training) in a home setting. Usual care was compared to HCAD training. The hypothesis was that the clinical outcomes of the HCAD intervention would be at least the same as those measured after a period of usual care for patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) with respect to their arm/hand function. Eighty-one patients with affected arm/hand function resulting from either stroke, MS or TBI were recruited in Italy, Spain and Belgium; 11 were lost during follow-up (14%). The outcome measures were the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and the Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT). There were no significant differences between the two groups on the outcome measures (ARAT and NHPT); in both groups, patients maintained or even improved their arm/hand function. The HCAD training was found to be as feasible as usual care in terms of clinical outcomes, and both therapists and patients were satisfied with the HCAD intervention. A telerehabilitation intervention using HCAD may increase the efficiency of care.”
Abstract
Barbara CH Huijgen, Miriam MR Vollenbroek-Hutten, Mauro Zampolini, Eloy Opisso, Montse Bernabeu, Johan Van Nieuwenhoven, Stephan Ilsbroukx, Riccardo Magni, Claudia Giacomozzi, Velio Marcellari, Sandro Scattareggia Marchese, and Hermie J Hermens, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 249-256, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080104

Satisfaction with care in post-stroke patients undergoing a telerehabilitation programme at home
“We conducted a pilot telerehabilitation study with post-stroke patients with arm motor impairment. We compared the degree of satisfaction of patients undergoing a virtual reality (VR) therapy programme at home (Tele-VR group) to satisfaction experienced by those undergoing the same VR therapy in a hospital setting (VR-group). The rehabilitation equipment used a 3D motion tracking system to create a virtual environment in which the patient’s movement was represented. In tele-therapy, the patient equipment was installed in their homes, connected to the hospital by four ISDN lines at a total bandwidth of 512 kbit/s. Rehabilitation data were transmitted via one line and videoconferencing via the other three. Ten patients with mild to intermediate arm motor impairment due to an ischaemic stroke, were randomized into VR or Tele-VR groups. A questionnaire was used at the end of treatment to measure each patient’s degree of satisfaction. Tele-VR treated patients showed median values equal to or higher than the VR group patients in all 12 items investigated, except one. In motor performance, the Tele-VR group improved significantly (P ? 0.05), while the VR group showed no significant change. Patients assigned to the Tele-VR group were able to engage in therapy at home and the videoconferencing system ensured a good relationship between the patient and the physical therapist whose physical proximity was not required.”
Abstract
Lamberto Piron, Andrea Turolla, Paolo Tonin, Francesco Piccione, Lisa Lain, and Mauro Dam, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 257-260, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080304

Caregivers’ acceptance of electronic documentation in nursing homes
“A comparative study was conducted in two Australian nursing homes operated by the same organization. One home had implemented an electronic documentation system and the other remained paper-based. Survey questionnaires were answered by 14 of the 17 caregivers at the electronic documentation site (82%) and 10 of the 23 caregivers at the paper documentation site (43%). They provided opinions about satisfaction with their home’s documentation system, and the training and support provided. Information was also obtained on the caregivers’ attitudes towards using electronic documentation. The caregivers at the electronic documentation site quickly adapted to the use of the new technology after receiving effective training and support. Caregivers at both homes were satisfied with their homes’ documentation system, and had positive attitudes towards using electronic documentation systems. As an important communication tool, electronic nursing documentation may lead to improved efficacy of telemedicine in nursing home settings.”
Abstract
Ping Yu, David Hailey, and Haocheng Li, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 261-265, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080310

The use of videoconferencing for mental health services in Finland
“The utilization of telemental health (TMH) services in Finland was surveyed in 2006. In total, 135 health-care units provided responses. Eighty-four responses were received from primary care units (health-care centres and clinics) and eight from other clinics, in all hospital districts. The overall rate of TMH consultations was 4 per 100,000 population. The highest TMH consultation per population ratio, 22 per 100,000, was in northern Finland. Most of the sites used telepsychiatry services for less than 10% of clinical outpatient services. The sites with over 20% utilization of clinical TMH services from all psychiatric consultations were all rural health centres. Compared with Finland, the utilization rates of TMH were higher in Canada; that might be due to differences between the countries in the organization of mental health services in primary and specialized care. In Finland TMH consultations made up only a very small proportion of all mental health services. The use of TMH was particularly common in remote areas; however, there were many rural centres that did not utilize clinical TMH. TMH was widely utilized for continuing and medical education.”
Abstract
Arto Ohinmaa, Risto Roine, David Hailey, Marja-Leena Kuusimäki, and Ilkka Winblad, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 266-270, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.071212

Use of mobile phone cameras for after-hours triage in primary care
“Mobile phone images might be useful in after-hours triage of primary care. We conducted a study to identify population access to mobile phone cameras and to assess the clinical usefulness of mobile phone cameras. The survey was conducted among 480 patients attending two rural New Zealand practices. There were significantly more Maori owners compared to non-Maori (P = 0.002). Age was a significant factor influencing the ownership of mobile phones. We also conducted a clinical quiz among health professionals to assess how the provision of images on a mobile phone and on CD-ROM (to simulate the image that would be seen if email was used to transmit the images) influenced diagnostic confidence. Ten photographable clinical conditions were used to quiz 30 health professionals who were randomized into three groups of 10 each on diagnostic confidence. Images were found to significantly increase diagnostic confidence in all cases except one. It appears that mobile phone cameras are generally acceptable to patients and likely to be of practical use to rural practitioners in a range of clinical scenarios.”
Abstract
Chandra Jayaraman, Paul Kennedy, Gaelle Dutu, and Ross Lawrenson, J Telemed Telecare 2008;14 271-274, doi:10.1258/jtt.2008.080303

Der elektronische Gesundheits-Check

“Wenn der Nachwuchs noch klein ist, wollen Eltern ihn am liebsten lückenlos überwachen. Sie wollen wissen, wo er ist, was er macht und wie es ihm geht. Irgendwann aber dreht sich das um: Haben die Eltern das Rentenalter erreicht und steht es mit ihrer Gesundheit nicht mehr zum Besten, sind es die Kinder, die stets über das Wohlbefinden von Mutter und Vater informiert sein wollen.”
Article (German)
Alexander Stirn, F.A.Z., 21 July 2008

Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet

Table of Contents for Volume: 12 Issue: 1

Article: The Refugee Health Information Network: A Source of Multilingual and Multicultural Health Information
Gale A. Dutcher; Page Range: 1 - 12; DOI: 10.1080/15398280802081402
The Refugee Health Information Network is an electronic resource designed to make accessible culturally and linguistically appropriate health and medical information in order to improve health services for refugees and asylees. Much of this information will clearly be of value to immigrants as well. This is also a network designed to facilitate collaboration and sharing among state refugee health coordinators and clinics providing services to refugee and immigrant communities.

Article: My HealtheVet: Fighting for Health with Information
Janet Schneider; Page Range: 13 - 21; DOI: 10.1080/15398280802081410
Patients are increasingly demanding access to health information and their own medical records. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recognized this desire in its patient population, and developed My HealtheVet as a national Web site that serves as an authoritative portal for veterans and their families to find health and benefits information, as well as refill VA-issued prescriptions, log personal medical information, and enter daily health metrics. The site has logged over 11 million visits since its national debut in November 2003 and has proven its value to veterans.

Article: Transforming Diabetes Self-Management or Not
Catherine M. Boss, Colleen Wolfe, Yen-Hong Kuo; Page Range: 23 - 36; DOI: 10.1080/15398280802081428
Funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) in the fall of 2004 assisted in the establishment of the Health-e Learning Project by the librarians of Meridian Health, a health system in southeastern New Jersey. Health-e Learning’s project goal was to establish a self-sustaining educational initiative to steer older adults toward the reputable medical Web site MedlinePlus and to train them to navigate this site to self-manage a chronic condition. The Health-e Learning Project was not successful in transforming diabetes self-management as originally planned, with only a handful of older adults trained, too small a number to be statistically significant.

Article: Consumer Health Web Sites for Parents of Children with Autism
Robin M. Sabo, Julie M. Lorenzen; Page Range: 37 - 49; DOI: 10.1080/15398280802081436
Many parents of children with autism search the Internet to learn more about the condition. Unfortunately, variability in Web site quality, low literacy levels, and language barriers may prevent them from finding reliable information. To assist parents in locating high quality resources, this article provides an annotated list of Web sites on health aspects of autism. Both a health sciences librarian and a parent of a child with autism present their perspectives and discuss the broader is sue about how parents of children with medical conditions use the Internet.

Article: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
Donna MacLeod; Page Range: 51 - 56; DOI: 10.1080/15398280802081444
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) provides its Web site to educate, advocate, and make available research information about food allergies to the public. Many helpful features include downloadable forms, brochures, and guidelines; support groups; further medical contact information; and the Kids/Teens Web sites. This resource is reviewed for scientific accuracy by a medical advisory board. There is also a Teen Advisory Group which contributes and reviews the Teen Web site’s content and style.

European Commission Unleashes €600m for Development of New Digital Solutions for Elderly People

“By 2020, 25% of the EU’s population will be over 65. To respond to this growing demographic challenge, the Council of Ministers approved today a Commission plan to make Europe a hub for developing digital technologies designed to help older people to continue living independently at home. The proposal, presented by the Commission on 14 June 2007, will provide some additional €150 million funding to a new European Joint Research Programme, resulting in a total investment of over €600 million. Through this new programme companies will be able to develop highly innovative digital products and services to improve the lives of older people at home, in the workplace and in society in general.”
Article
eHealthNews.eu, 24 June 2008

Bainbridge warns of need for telecare

“Health and social care services have five years to develop the telehealth and telecare services they will need to cope with an ageing population, Dr Mike Bainbridge, NHS Connecting for Health’s clinical architect, has warned.
Speaking at a fringe session at this year’s NHS Confederation conference, Dr Bainbridge said that ageing combined with an increasing burden of chronic disease threatened to make current models of healthcare unsustainable within a few decades.”
Article
e-Health Insider, 23 June 2008

A New Generation of Assistive Technologies: the robot appliance for eating

The assistive robotic system are designed in order to improve the independence of disabled or elderly people, but some of them are under-utilized because of their technical complexity, high cost, poor usability, and poor mapping to user needs within home environment. This innovative system is a new eating robot appliance for high-level disabled and elderly persons that simultaneously considers the users’ requirements for a specific task within a specific environment in order to gratify users’ emotional, perceptive, and psychological needs.
The concept of “robot appliance” contains the idea of a task-restricted robot that is safe, low cost, modular, simple but effective in its task, suitable for use with various types of food and easy-to-use (flexible and accessible interface).
It is an assistive robotic system portable and re-configurable, i.e. it can be used in diverse settings such as on a dinner table or on a wheelchair. The feeder system is the integration and combination of two independent units which assist people with disabilities both in eating and drinking from a common plate and glass.

Giuseppina Anna Di Lauro
CEO DEDALO SOLUTIONS, President Club of Spin-off Companies, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy

To be presented at the ICMCC Event.

The deployment of integrated care services for chronic patients (NEXES project)

“Abstract: The societal adaptations required for reducing the burden of chronic disorders and ageing have been recently framed by the WHO initiative on Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions. With this scenario in place, a successful deployment of innovative integrated care services to support healthier and independent living for chronic patients and elderly has emerged as an urgent unmet need. The NEXES project aims at undertaking the deployment of four integrated care programs addressing various aspects of chronic disorders selected because of promising outcomes generated by previous small-scale randomized controlled trials:

• Wellness-rehabilitation: Early diagnosis, promotion of healthy life-styles and patient self-management. Physical activity and cognitive aspects being main components
• Enhanced Care Support of unplanned hospitalizations
• Home hospitalization of patients with exacerbations
• Support: Transient remote support to diagnosis and/or treatment

The project focuses on the main factors modulating the success of an integrated care approach in delivering the services, namely: a) the co-morbidity challenge; b) articulation of healthcare and community services; c) organizational and educational issues; d) modularity, scalability and interoperability of the ICT platform, and, e) identification of business models ensuring service sustainability. Accordingly, the validation strategy prioritises the discovery of evidence supporting the extensive use of the services, applicable at the level of policy decision makers.
Technologically, the Linkcare platform (Linkcare eTEN 517435) sets the reference architecture. Modularity, flexibility and scalability are based on Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) using the IBM UML 2.0 Profile for Software Services. Briefly, the platform consist of a web-based application addressed to management of chronic patients and elderly, facilitating organizational interoperability following a distributed model. The following services are available at the moment: a) Health portal, b) Call centre service, c) Professional mobile access, d) Patient wireless monitoring service, e) Collaborative work service, f) Security modules, and g) Interoperability module with hospital information systems and shared electronic patient records. In the future, it will incorporate knowledge management applications and it is foreseen its evolution towards an IMS platform.”

Bárbara Vallespín, David Fonollosa, Albert Alonso, Josep Roca
Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain

To be presented at the ICMCC Event

New e-service development in the homecare sector: Beyond implementing a radical technology

“Purpose
This paper explores the constituents of and challenges related to the innovation of technology-based services in the long-term homecare sector.
Methods
This research used purposeful extreme case sampling, a mixed methods approach to research that included focus groups and interviews, to learn from the experiences of an innovative telehomecare project. The paper uses a framework that integrates service management; information systems innovation and medical informatics theory.
Results
The findings indicate that the claimed and the rather abstract benefits of the technology espoused by information technology vendors were difficult to transform into a service concept. The organization studied is still struggling with conflicts between technological possibilities on the one hand, and the prevailing service delivery systems and user preferences on the other. Decisions about the extent to which the service needs to be reengineered, what non-technology resources are required, what should be the role of the consumer in the new care process and identifying who is actually the primary beneficiary and user of the new service remain.
Conclusions
A comprehensive development model and ‘mindfulness’ is necessary for radical service innovation in the long-term homecare sector. Creating new services that exploit the capability of radical technical innovations requires organizational development and the use of many non-technology innovations and resources. To understand what combinations of technological and non-technological resources can provide sustainable benefit, all key internal and external stakeholders must be involved from the beginning of the project.”
Abstract
Anna Essén, Moya Conrick, International Journal of Medical Informatics, Article in Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 29 May 2008, doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2008.02.001

ICMCC Event Preview 3

The second part of the Monday also has 2 sessions, each having 2 parallel tracks.

Read the rest of this entry »

ICMCC Event Preview 2

The Monday afternoon has 2 sessions, each having 2 parallel tracks.

Read the rest of this entry »

Matures Online: An Overlooked Audience

“Long dismissed as not being tech-savvy and “not on the net,” over a third of the Mature population are connected and spend an average of 44 minutes per day on the Internet. This joint report with Dynamic Logic, a Millward Brown company, takes a closer look at Connected Matures and how they respond to Internet advertising.”
Report
Focalist, April 2008

The virtues of virtual visits

“Rush-Presbyterian Medical Center’s Virtual Integrated Practice (VIP) is more evidence that remote health care can improve health outcomes.
At Rush, a team has been refining the VIP model for the past four years. The VIP’s objective is to improve chronic disease management for older people by deploying an interdisciplinary team using communications technology.”
Article
Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, The Health Care Blog, 7 May 2008

Journal of General Internal Medicin Special Issue on Health Information Technology

Journal of General Internal Medicin Special Issue on Health Information Technology, Volume 23, Number 4 / April, 2008, 0884-8734 (Print) 1525-1497 (Online)

Introduction to the JGIM Special Issue on Health Information Technology

Moving Health Information Technology Forward

Uptake of Electronic Prescribing in Community-Based Practices

Variation in Electronic Prescribing Implementation Among Twelve Ambulatory Practices

Centers Speak Up: The Clinical Context for Health Information Technology in the Ambulatory Care Setting

Employing the Electronic Health Record to Improve Diabetes Care: A Multifaceted Intervention in an Integrated Delivery System

Electronic Medical Record-Assisted Design of a Cluster-Randomized Trial to Improve Diabetes Care and Outcomes

An Electronic Medical Record (EMR)-Based Intervention to Reduce Polypharmacy and Falls in an Ambulatory Rural Elderly Population

Electronic Result Viewing and Quality of Care in Small Group Practices

Application of a Decision Support Tool for Anticoagulation in Patients with Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Use of a Handheld Computer Application for Voluntary Medication Event Reporting by Inpatient Nurses and Physicians

Overdose Rate of Drugs Requiring Renal Dose Adjustment: Data Analysis of 4 Years Prescriptions at a Tertiary Teaching Hospital

Impact of Computerized Decision Support on Blood Pressure Management and Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A Mixed Method Study of the Merits of E-Prescribing Drug Alerts in Primary Care

Comparison of Electronic Physician Prompts versus Waitroom Case-Finding on Clinical Trial Enrollment

The Effect of Computerized Physician Order Entry with Clinical Decision Support on the Rates of Adverse Drug Events: A Systematic Review

Use of an Interactive, Telephone-based Self-management Support Program to Identify Adverse Events Among Ambulatory Diabetes Patients

Informing Men about Prostate Cancer Screening: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Patient Education Materials

Screening for Chronic Conditions Using a Patient Internet Portal: Recruitment for an Internet-based Primary Care Intervention

Patient Difficulty Using Tablet Computers to Screen in Primary Care

Leveraging Computerized Sign-Out to Increase Error Reporting and Addressing Patient Safety in Graduate Medical Education

Development of a Web-based Resident Profiling Tool to Support Training in Practice-based Learning and Improvement

Reducing Diagnostic Errors through Effective Communication: Harnessing the Power of Information Technology

Health Information Technology Will Shift the Medical Care Paradigm

The Role of Systems Factors in Implementing Health Information Technology

Achieving the Potential of Health Information Technology

The Pervasiveness of Telemedicine: Adoption With or Without a Research Base

New robots can provide elder care for aging baby boomers

“Sceptical about the potential of robots to deliver in-home care and eventually replace static telecare systems? You might not be so sure after reading this article and viewing this video.”
Article
Steve Hards, Telecare Aware, 21 April 2008

Effectiveness of Telecare in Elderly Populations–A Comparison of Three Settings

Abstract
This study involved 162 elderly patients using three different types of care: a daycare center, a nursing home, and telecare service. Each participant completed a questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic characteristics and overall satisfaction. Those using telecare were satisfied 98.5% of the time as compared to the 75.3% for the nursing home and 76.5% for the daycare center.
The primary aim of this study was to assess the level of satisfaction with 3 types of formal care systems of the elderly: (1) a day care center, (2) a nursing home, and (3) telecare service in a group of oldest frail elderly, and to describe the characteristics of the population using the services. The study involved a population of 162 oldest elderly using 3 different types of formal care services. Study participants were asked to complete a questionnaire, investigating socio-demographic characteristics and degree of overall satisfaction with the service, as well as eliciting possible suggestions for improvement. In our study, nearly all subjects using the telecare service were satisfied or very satisfied (98.5%), as compared to 75.3% of those residing in a nursing home, and 76.5% of those attending the day care center. This result confirms the findings of previous studies on elderly subjects satisfaction with telecare services. Telecare, therefore, seems to be the service achieving the greatest levels of satisfaction, a service that can also be used by low-income subjects, by whom it is also perceived as a source of social support.
Article
Maria L. Onor, Marianna Trevisiol, Ornella Urciuoli, Shai Misan, Francesca Bertossi, Gabriella Tirone, Eugenio Aguglia, Elisabetta Pascolo-Fabrici, Telemedicine and e-Health, March 1, 2008, 14(2): 164-169, doi:10.1089/tmj.2007.0028

An Assisted-Living Home Architecture with Integrated Healthcare Services for Elderly People

Abstract:
Since the population of elderly people grows absolutely and in relation to the overall population in the world, the improvement of the quality of life of elderly people at home is of a great importance. This can be achieved through the development of generic technologies for managing their domestic ambient environment consisting of medical sensors, entertainment equipment, home automation systems and white goods, increasing their autonomy and safety. In this context, the provision intelligent interactive healthcare services will improve their daily life and allowing at the same time the continuous monitoring of their health and their effective treatment. This work is supported by the INHOME Project EU IST-045061-STP, http://www.ist-inhome.eu.

Andy MARSH^a, Christos BINIARIS^a, Dimitrios VERGADOS^b, Arnold EPPLER^c, Christoforos KAVVADIAS^d, Olaf BIGALKE^e, Eric ROBERT^f, Boro JERABEK^g, Alevizos ALEVIZOS^h, Michael CARAGIOZIDIS^i
aVMW Solutions, Romsey, UK
^bUniversity of the Aegean, Samos, Greece
^cAlcatel-Lucent, Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany
^dTeletel S.A., Athens, Greece
^eSiemens, Bocholt, Germany
^fThales, Lambersart Cedex, France
^gGorenje Group, Velenje, Slovenia
^hHealth Center of Vyrona, Athens, Greece
ⁱThoss & Partner GmbH, Ludwigsburg, Germany

To be published in “Medical and Care Compunetics 5″, IOSPress, 2008.
To be presented at the ICMCC Event 2008.

The State of Technology in Aging Services

“This issue brief, based on the two-part report entitled State of Technology in Aging Services published by the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), offers a vision for long-term care that includes using integrated information technology systems to support and enhance the health, safety and social connectedness of older people living in their own homes. The authors of the report identify several barriers to achieving this vision, but are confident that a combination of new knowledge, linked to effective collaboration among a variety of stakeholders, can overcome these obstacles to widespread technology adoption, so that older people will receive the support they need to lead healthy and independent lives.”

Report Summary

Full Report

Majd Alwan, Devon Wiley, Jeremy Nobel for Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST), March 2007

Profiles of older health care consumers: living longer, longing for technology

“Older Americans are healthier and more prosperous than previous generations. Furthermore, older people want to adopt technologies that will help them age well in their homes. Two new reports together provide a new look into aging in America.”
Article
Health Populi, 1 April 2008

Study: Older Adults Want Health I.T.

“Most older adults are willing to use information technology to help improve their care, but they are concerned about the cost of doing so, according to a recent study commissioned by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, San Francisco.”
Article
Health Data Management, 28 March 2008

Renowned economist touts benefits of medical technology in controlling health care costs, increasing productivity

“One of the nation’s most influential health care economists today highlighted the role of advanced medical technologies in managing costs and promoting greater productivity in the health care system.
Speaking at the Advanced Medical Technology Association’s (AdvaMed) 2008 Annual Meeting, Uwe Reinhardt, Ph.D., professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, stressed that medical technology will play a key role in containing health care costs. He estimated that at current projections, health care expenditures could account for 38 percent of the U.S. GDP (gross domestic product) by 2050.”
Article
HealthTech Wire, 18 March 2008

Wenn der Teppich Alarm schlägt

Electronic assistants allow elderly an independent life - a future market for the technology industry.

Article (German)
Dirk Asendorpf, Die Zeit nr. 10, 28 February 2008

An evaluation of second and third generation telecare services in older people’s housing

“Abstract:
In a controlled study of older people living in sheltered housing (retirement housing), 24 people provided with telecare were compared with a control group of 28 people. The intervention consisted of second generation telecare equipment, such as automatic flood or falls detectors, a third generation lifestyle reassurance system and an Internet café. After a 12-month monitoring period, there was no noticeable change in the fear of falling. There was no significant difference for eight of the nine SF-36 domains. However, the Social Functioning domain showed a significant difference (P = 0.049), with scores 8% higher in the intervention group, suggesting a beneficial effect of telecare. Positive trends were also evident in areas such as an increase in the length of time spent out of the home, improved feelings of safety during the day and night, and a reduction in the fear of crime. The Internet café was used by 25% of people for at least 20 min per week. The results suggest that second generation telecare systems and Internet facilities could be more widely used in service delivery, but that lifestyle reassurance requires further development.”
Abstract
Brownsell, Simon; Blackburn, Steven; Hawley, Mark S., Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, Volume 14, Number 1, January 2008, pp. 8-12(5)

Belfast to get European Centre for Connected Healt

“Belfast, Northern Ireland, is to be the home of a new ‘European Centre for Connected Health’, intended to help test technologies that enable people with chronic conditions live independently at home.
NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey and Economy Minister Nigel Dodds announced the establishment of the centre at last week’s Connected Health Conference, held in Belfast.”
Article
e-Health Insider Primary Care, 29 January 2008

New ICTs for Elderly Must Respect Dignity

“Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) developed to help older people stay healthy for longer should be cost effective and respect the privacy and dignity of the elderly, MEPs have stated. Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy were voting on amendments to the Commission’s proposal to set up an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) programme.”
Article
e-HealthNews.EU, 28 January 2008

Video assistance devices launched for elderly

“A new mobile video assistance technology programme funded by the European Commission’s eTEN programme and designed to aid elderly people to live independently at home is ready for deployment.
The Belgian designed Advanced TeleassisTance convErgent NeTwork for chronIc diseAse patieNts and Elders projecT - (ATTENTIANET) – offers elderly people a complete package to keep them at home, and monitor their movements ensuring instant attention should any accidents occur.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 10 January 2008

Robosoft showcase robot to help elderly

“French robotic specialist Robosoft has demonstrated a prototype service robot which can help elderly and handicapped people stay at home.
The robot, launched at Microsoft’s Innovation Day in Brussels at the end of 2007, is a home-centric robot, which combines the internet and robotics technology to provide daily-life services to people staying at home.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 9 January 2008