The unexpected convergence of gaming and enterprise IT

“As they become increasingly dependent on information and communications technologies, healthcare enterprises must learn from whatever other disciplines have the most to teach them. The gaming world is a cardinal exemplar.  will the healthcare IT and informatics gurus perceive this and exploit the opportunity, or will they adopt a “not-invented-here” attitude or suffer from narcissistic blindness? only time will tell.”
Article
Dale Hunscher, Future of Health IT, 20 October 2008

Paramedic students trained using Second Life

“Paramedic students in London are being trained in how to deal with emergency situations using the virtual world of Second Life.
The Second Life training system uses online avatars of patients in Second Life, in a series of different scenarios, to teach future paramedics how to respond to different situations. Students work in groups of three or four to treat the virtual patient.”
Article
e-Health Insider, 20 October 2008

Silent Assassin in Second Life

“Diabetes UK has taken its Silent Assassin campaign into Second Life. Virtual posters have been put up around the 3D virtual world to inform its 15 million “residents” about the campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of how diabetes can cause a range of other conditions that leading a healthier lifestyle can help to control.”
Article
e-Health Insider Primary Care, 16 October 2008

Bringing you Medicine 2.0

“Last week, PatientsLikeMe presented a keynote address at the inaugural Medicine 2.0 Congress in Toronto, Canada in front of 200 researchers from 20 countries. A new, annual international conference on Web 2.0 (social web) applications in health and medicine, this year�s event was centered around the theme: �Building Virtual Communities and Social Networking Applications for Patients and Consumers.� You can view the entire conference proceedings online.� The event is organized by Gunther Eysenbach, MD MPH, who is the editor and publisher of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, where Jeana Frost and I recently published our paper - �Social Uses of Personal Health Information Within PatientsLikeMe�.”
Article
PatientsLikeMe, 12 September 2008

Versatile, Immersive, Creative and Dynamic Virtual 3-D Healthcare Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature

“The author provides a critical overview of three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds and �serious gaming� that are currently being developed and used in healthcare professional education and medicine. The relevance of this e-learning innovation for teaching students and professionals is debatable and variables influencing adoption, such as increased knowledge, self-directed learning, and peer collaboration, by academics, healthcare professionals, and business executives are examined while looking at various Web 2.0/3.0 applications. There is a need for more empirical research in order to unearth the pedagogical outcomes and advantages associated with this e-learning technology. A brief description of Roger�s Diffusion of Innovations Theory and Siemens� Connectivism Theory for today�s learners is presented as potential underlying pedagogical tenets to support the use of virtual 3-D learning environments in higher education and healthcare.”
Article
Margaret M Hansen, J Med Internet Res 2008;10(3):e26, doi:10.2196/jmir.1051

Parallel universe: Entering an online 3-D world

“In Second Life, a computer world where just about anything goes, several physicians and health care professionals are finding that “anything” can include work that makes real life easier for themselves, their colleagues and their patients.
But in a world void of the laws and protections governing real-life medical professionals, taking advantage of the opportunities a virtual world offers comes with risks.”
Abstract
Pamela Lewis Dolan, Amednews, 8 September 2008

Unique Medical Simulation in Second Life!

“We organize medical exercises and meetings at the Ann Myers Medical Center in Second Life. Now the e-Learning Faculty of Imperial College London created a spectacular and useful Second Life tool in medical education. Here are some screenshots that can describe what the learning process looks like.
Article
Bertalan Mesk�, ScienceRoll, 17 August 2008

A Second Life for eHealth: Prospects for the Use of 3-D Virtual Worlds in Clinical Psychology

“The aim of the present paper is to describe the role played by three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds in eHealth applications, addressing some potential advantages and issues related to the use of this emerging medium in clinical practice. Due to the enormous diffusion of the World Wide Web (WWW), telepsychology, and telehealth in general, have become accepted and validated methods for the treatment of many different health care concerns. The introduction of the Web 2.0 has facilitated the development of new forms of collaborative interaction between multiple users based on 3-D virtual worlds. This paper describes the development and implementation of a form of tailored immersive e-therapy called p-health whose key factor is interreality, that is, the creation of a hybrid augmented experience merging physical and virtual worlds. We suggest that compared with conventional telehealth applications such as emails, chat, and videoconferences, the interaction between real and 3-D virtual worlds may convey greater feelings of presence, facilitate the clinical communication process, positively influence group processes and cohesiveness in group-based therapies, and foster higher levels of interpersonal trust between therapists and patients. However, challenges related to the potentially addictive nature of such virtual worlds and questions related to privacy and personal safety will also be discussed.”
Article
Gorini A, Gaggioli A, Vigna C, Riva G, J Med Internet Res 2008;10(3):e21, doi:10.2196/jmir.1029

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 Kuusim�ki, 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

Developing new models of Personal Health Records: Health 2.0, Second Life and beyond

Presentation
W. Scott Erdley, Peter J. Murray, SINI2008

New Web site sends virtual house calls knocking

“A new Web site launched Tuesday offers the ability to talk to local physicians online through text, voice or video.
TalktoaDoc. org aims at giving patients a more convenient way to communicates with their physicians and is done in real time.”
Article
Bernie Monegain, Healthcare IT News, 8 July 2008

Video games get into shape

“I’ve had my share of gaming injuries.
Alongside the calluses and cramps that extended play sessions can produce, I’ve suffered Tempest-induced Dry Eye, and only narrowly escaped a tendon inflammation brought on purely by the Dreamcast controller’s right trigger.”
Article
Margaret Robertson, BBC News, 2 July 2008

Using virtual reasoning to redefine health care

“The Internet is redefining the health care industry. Major transformations can be expected because Internet-based technology will deliver certain health care services more effectively and at lower costs. In the near future, much of the information that is currently imparted to consumers by clinicians will be delivered through and by web-based technology. If the web-based tools that deliver this information mature to the point of becoming reimbursable, beyond their current usefulness as value add-ons, the health care industry could experience a dramatic shift.”
Article
Marlene Beggelman, Health 2.0, 1 July 2008

ICT BIO 2008 - Combining the Power of ICT with Biomedical Sciences

“Major diseases like cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases are complex in nature involving environmental, life style, ageing and genetic components. One of the future challenges is to integrate the knowledge of all these different components into robust and fully reliable computer models and “in silico” environments that will help the development and testing of new therapies for better prediction and prevention tools in healthcare.”
Article
eHealthNews.eu, 30 June 2008

Cigna rolls-out virtual world program pilot for healthcare

“Cigna is rolling-out a pilot project of its virtual world for the healthcare industry, a computer simulated community that aims at positively changing healthcare behaviors.
The program is called GET (go, experience and thrive) and is based on the Second Life platform.”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 30 June 2008

New tech helps physically impaired enter virtual worlds

“Relying on fleeting brain waves, a futuristic technology enables people with severe muscle disorder to operate computers and enter a 3-D virtual world to chat or stroll.
The technology, demonstrated by Junichi Ushiba of Keio University, opens up a world of possibilities for serious motion-impaired people to communicate with others and to work normally.”
Article
Malaysia Sun, 16 June 2008

S.J. General to link patients, doctors via video

“San Joaquin County’s drastic shortage of physician specialists could improve rapidly with the announcement that San Joaquin General Hospital has been selected as one of six initial telehealth programs using video technology to link out-of-area doctors with local patients.
The half-dozen sites spread throughout the San Joaquin Valley are at the forefront of what is expected to become a larger project using telemedicine technologies to connect physicians with patients in some of the region’s most rural and underserved communities.
Article
Joe Goldeen, Reecordnet.com, 6 June 2008

Virtual Health Care Worker Could Save Patient Time And Nursing Resources

“With search engine companies establishing online personal health records for their users and surgeons on the brink of making robotic surgery routine, it makes sense to have a remote medical care system that can support nursing staff, care managers and other healthcare workers. Writing in the International Journal of Web and Grid Services from Inderscience Publishers, a Japanese team describes a proposal for such a system.”
Article
Science Daily, 27 May 2008

Virtual medical care approach could save patient time, nursing resources

“A team of Japanese experts says that the time has come when researchers should start working on a virtual medical care system that might support nursing staff, care managers and other healthcare workers.”
Article
New Kerala.com, 25 May 2008

Virtual Visits Moving Into Medical Mainstream

“Virtual house calls — or virtual visits to the doctor, depending on your perspective — are making major strides toward the mainstream in North America.”
Article
George Lauer, iHealthBeat, 18 April 2008

Intelligent information system for treatment response monitoring and prognosis establishment on genital neoplasia patients

Abstract:
Cancer is the second death cause in the majority of countries, including Romania. Nowadays the main cause of this very aggressive disease is still unclear, the study of cancer risk factors being the object of research. This article is presenting an intelligent virtual system, which has as a main purpose the monitoring of treatment response at genital area cancer patients as well as the assessment of their life expectancy and prognosis. The intelligent system is being developed by an undergoing national research project and will be implemented at The Oncology Institute of Bucharest, Romania.

Claudiu PLAISANU^a, Daniel NICULAE^b, Cristina OGESCU^b, Cristina STEFAN^b
a Project coordinator, SC IPA SA, Romania
^b Project developers, SC IPA SA, Romania

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

Virtual Health Platform for Medical Tourism Purposes

Abstract:
This paper introduces an overview of the Virtual Health Platform (VHP), an alternative approach to create a functional PHR system in a medical tourism environment. The proposed platform has been designed in order to be integrated with EHR infrastructures and in this way it expects to be useful and more advantageous to the patient or tourist. Use cases of the VHP and its potential benefits summarize the analysis.

Debora MARTINEZ^a, Pedro FERRIOL^a, Xisco TOUS^a, Miguel CABRER^b and Mercedes PRATS^a
a e-Government, e-Business and e-Health, Fundaci� IBIT, Spain
^b Innovation, Research and Communication Consulting, S.L., Spain

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

Virtual Telemicroscope Permits Off-site Medical Diagnosis

“After nearly ten years of research and development, scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn and Peking University in Beijing were awarded a United States patent for their virtual telemicroscope. This patented software permits off-site pathologists to diagnose cancer or other diseases in patients living in remote locations around the world.”
Article
Science Daily, 28 March 2008

Virtual reality and computer technology improve stroke rehabilitation

“Israeli hospitals have recently started to use virtual reality therapy for stroke patients.
One commonly used program has the patient watch his virtual image on a screen. For example, tennis balls are virtually thrown at the patient from all directions and the patients’ actual hand motions are recorded on screen.”
Article
Amir Gilat, Innovations Report, 11 March 2008

IBM Builds Virtual Healthcare Island

“To promote IBM’s vision of the future of healthcare information management, the company setup a virtual island within Second Life to demonstrate potential possibilities. As more ideas in healthcare IT are developed, IBM plans to continue working on their virtual property, integrating new components into the island.”
Article
MedGadget, 7 March 2008

The Upsides of Virtual Medicine

“I applaud the careful critique of the trend to involve patients more in their care. At the same time, I keep coming back to the idea that there aren�t very compelling arguments for limiting patients� access to their care providers or their medical information. I�ve practiced medicine in both worlds, and now around 2 million patients and counting (if you look at Kaiser Permanente and Group Health Cooperative) have received care in both. For me, I can finally be the kind of physician I hoped I could be, and I don�t plan to go back. Does anyone else?”
Article
Ted Eytan, PCHIT, 9 February 2008

The Downsides of Virtual Medicine

“I love the Internet. I love convenience, and technology. The creation of new inequalities at a time of profound disparities in health care, however, isn�t my cup of tea. So I have mixed feelings about the fact that online medical consultations are gaining steam.
On the one hand, the pluses are obvious. As I�ve written in a previous post, Tom Delbanco from Harvard Medical School estimates that 50 percent of visits to the physician are unnecessary and could probably be dealt with online. Yet a measly eight percent of doctors use e-mail to communicate with patients, let alone set up their webcam to talk shop. That seems foolish.”
Article
Niko Karvounis, Health Beat, 5 February 2008

Providers increase mobility, savings with virtual desktops

“Kindred Healthcare of Louisville, Ky, Ala-based Huntsville Hospital and Fla-based Metropolitan Health all recently deployed VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions, reportedly increasing caregiver bedside mobility and reducing money spent on technical support.
As more healthcare providers turn to virtual desktop solutions to access patient information at the point of care, analysts predict that by 2011 the market will exceed $1 billion.”
Article
Molly Merrill, Healthcare IT News, 6 February 2008

‘Robin’, el ciberamigo sanitario

The Spanish Health Ministry and Microsoft have created a virtual person (robot) Robin, as a source of health and healthy behaviour information for youngsters between 15 and 24.

Article (Spanish)
Emilio de Bonito, El Pa�s, 10 January 2008

ICU patients get online visits

“Tonight, on the eve of one of her favourite days of the year, Michelle Babineau will be lying in a Toronto hospital, hooked up to the myriad machines that keep her alive.
Nearly 2,000 kilometres away, in Lower Sackville, N.S., most of her family � her sisters, her favourite brother-in-law, her nieces and nephews, her aunts and uncles � will be kicking up their heels at the Babineau annual Christmas Eve party.”
Article
Megan Ogilvie, TheStar.com, 24 December 2007