Gematik to evaluate USB sticks for patient records

“The German national health IT body (gematik) has agreed to evaluate USB sticks as a means of storing and carrying electronic patient records, following months of discussions and vociferous demands from doctors.”
Article
e-Health Europe, 29 October 2008

Elektronische Gesundheitskarte: USB-Sticks werden getestet

“Die mit der Einführung der elektronischen Gesundheitskarte (eGK) betraute Projektgesellschaft Gematik wird die Einsatzmöglichkeiten von USB-Sticks in der telematischen Infrastruktur testen. Die Speicherstäbchen mit einem Fassungsvermögen von mehreren Gigabyte könnten als Alternative zur “Server-gestützten Datenspeicherung” von Versichertendaten genutzt werden. Dies gab die Bundesärztekammer in einer Presseerklärung bekannt.”
Article (German)
Detlef Borscher, Heise Online, 18 October 2008

‘EPD, Clip of Chip?’

“Tegenwoordig zijn er legio mogelijkheden om patiënteninformatie op te slaan. Naast de ouderwetse hard copy dossiers zijn er nu ook digitale patiëntendossiers. Sinds dit jaar is het UMC in Maastricht met de Cardiostick op de markt gekomen en zelfs de Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam, beter bekend als de HEMA, heeft al een Medistick.”
Article (Dutch)
Sivera Berben en Tom van de Belt, Medicalfacts.nl, 8 October 2008

Obtain your personal health data in a flash

“No more waiting for your personal health records to be transferred from one officer to another. Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare Systems is offering a new, portable records tool called the MedFlash USB flash drive.
The 1-gigabyte storage device is similar to other products that plug into a computer’s USB port, but this one automatically converts medical information entered online to a text format that can be accessed by medical personnel without loading any special programs.”
Article
Jose San Mateo, The Salinas Californian, 9 september 2008

NHS Lothian implements USB stick lock-down

“NHS Lothian is taking further action to prevent staff losing data on USB sticks, after a community health worker lost the personal details of 137 patients on a memory stick at the end of June.
Since the loss of the memory stick, which held letters to central Edinburgh GPs, the trust has run a USB stick amnesty and a data security information campaign that has included putting leaflets about its data security policies into staff payslips.”
Article
e-Health Insider, 9 September 2008

Midwives use new technology to remotely access patient info

“Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, a teaching hospital that specializes in care for women and babies, will provide its midwives with a new technology to allow them to securely access, review and update server-based medical records from patient homes.
The new technology, from Toronto-based Nortel, uses a specially-formatted USB key for Windows PCs that automates business network access when inserted and protects information and applications by completely removing them when the USB key is removed.”
Article
Healthcare IT News.EU, 27 August 2008

USB Thumb-drives: Just a Bad Idea for PHRs

“In performing the research that led up to the publishing of our iPHR Market Report in May, one step we took was to look at ll the multitudes of PHR solutions in the market and on which form factor were they offered (i.e., desktop solutions, USB-centric solutions or native Internet apps provided as a service SaaS model).  We came to the conclusion that Internet-based apps would be the preferred modality in the future and see the greatest adoption.”
Article
John Moore, Chilmark Research, 26 August 2008

Gesundheitskarte: Ärztebund fordert Tests mit USB-Technik

The NAV Virchow group of doctors is calling for tests with USB for German health card.

Article (German)
Ärzteblatt, 2 June 2008

Businessmen Create Device That Holds Medical Information

“Having already pushed floppy disks and zip drives into obsolescence, USB flash drives could soon replace another device past its prime: The medical bracelet. And one Lakeland startup plans to help spur the transition.”
Article
Kyle Kennedy, The Ledger, 13 March 2008

Destination Health signs up for VitalKey portable medical records

“VitalKey a technology developed to make portable patients’ candid medical histories, will be adopted by Destination Health, a Southlake care provider.
VitalKey, created by a group of physicians in Virginia, places a patient’s entire medical history on a USB keychain. The company keeps up with the patient’s medical history and gathers records from doctors, updating the USB device every time it is plugged in to an Internet connected computer.”
Article
Dallas Business Journal, 15 February 2008

Where are the 200 PHR Solutions?

“Over and over again I hear the oft-stated claim that there are currently over 200 personal health record solutions available in the market today.
Problem is, I can’t find them.”
Article
Chilmark Research, 28 January 2008

German doctors say no to centrally stored patient records

“Recent reports about incidents of data loss in the British healthcare system have alarmed medical doctors in other European countries.
In Germany, the national association of doctors in private practice (NAV Virchow Bund) has adopted a stance advocating the complete abandonment of all concepts of central data storage in the German national health IT project.”
Article
Philipp Grätzel, e-Health Insider Primary Care, 16 January 2008