About Social Media Today
December 7, 2012
An Economic Primer on Care Delivery at Home
The potential cost savings to payers from care provided at home compared to an institutional setting has been well documented. According to CMS, it costs $50 per day to create an in-home hospital room compared to $1,500 per day for in-patient hospital care.[read more]
December 7, 2012
Person-Centered HealthCare; FDA Approves EarlySense Bedside System
The EarlySense System reports respiratory signs, heart rate and motion in real time via a sensor placed under the hospital bed’s mattress. The information is transferred immediately to a monitor in the patient’s room, the system’s Patient Care Manager installed at the nurses’ station, as well as to the nurses’ handheld devices.[read more]
December 7, 2012
2012 State of Mobile Health IT
The 2nd Annual HIMSS Mobile Technology Survey, sponsored by Qualcomm Life, found that over 90 percent of respondents reported physicians using mobile technology in their everyday operations. Eighty percent of physicians use mobile technology to provide patient care, and nearly two-thirds of respondents reported their clinicians viewed patient information or other health data using an app.[read more]
Recent Infographics
mHealthSummit Day 2 - Innovations and Devices
While at the mHealthSummit, I had the opportunity to interview more than a couple of very cool companies that were doing some very cool things in the way of using mobile for healthcare. Patient monitoring and in-home sensors were trending as were fitness and tracking apps and devices.[read more]
How To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
People who are watching their weight know that the holiday season can be a caloric minefield. Many diets have been laid to waste by the holidays. But with a little planning and some awareness you can make it through the holidays relatively unscathed.[read more]
Health Care + IT: A Brave New World
The passing of the controversial $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009 brought the subject of Medical Informatics to the forefront, among both consumers and health care professionals. The law provides $19 billion for health care companies to implement information technology systems such as Electronic Health Record (EHR), in order to make the industry more efficient. This is better known as Title XIII, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH).[read more]
Following the Money
On The Health Care Blog, veteran analyst Vince Kuraitis reviews a report from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman (OW), arguing that the trend toward reconfiguring health systems to deliver more accountable care is more widespread than any of us suspect.[read more]
Is mHealth Ready for Prime Time?
Like everyone else, I believe that we will eventually see smartphones playing significant roles in healthcare, but there are some hurdles that we need to clear.[read more]
Retirement Communities: Not Your Momma's "Old Folks Home" Anymore
There is a common misconception about retirement homes and communities. People think of them as old folks homes, just one last stop on your way out. That may have been the case in the past, but is certainly is not the case anymore! Today’s retirement communities are vibrant places where retirees can live the lifestyle they want and truly enjoy the next stage of their lives. Let’s take a look at some of the many benefits to living in a retirement community.[read more]
The Crown Jewel of ObamaCare Failures
Now we get to the biggest failure of them all — the individual mandate. The premise was simple: If people aren’t buying what they should (in this case, health insurance), pass a law telling them they have to, and they will. Presto, Change-o problem solved![read more]
Text Messages Now Help People Kick the Smoking Habit
We all know the health effects smoking causes. We’re familiar with the various ways people use to quit – some working better than others. Some involve old-fashioned methods and some use technology, including social media! Still, only 5 percent of smokers succeed the first time they try to quit.[read more]
On Cleveland Clinic’s Top 10 Healthcare Innovations of 2013
Earlier this week I reflected on the Cleveland Clinic predictions for 2012's top 10 innovations in healthcare, today I'll review the 2013 predictions. The themes for these 2013 innovations strike me as cost reduction and re-purposing. The Medicare Program, if only because of its sheer size, could make dramatic differences in healthcare spending while handing responsibility for healthcare to the patient/consumer.[read more]
Long-Term Care Insurance May Be a Dying Breed
A report earlier this fall by Moody’s Investors Services - “Long-Term Care Insurance: Sector Profile” - says that despite the need for long-term care insurance, the product’s future is in question because of persistent losses and a challenging operating environment.[read more]
Can Cosmetic Dentistry Fix Tetracycline Staining?
Cosmetic dentistry gives the dentist the ability to mask tetracycline staining. Tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline are types of antibiotic that are absorbed into developing teeth causing deep stains (tetracycline staining). If tetracycline is taken by someone during functional tooth development years (age 3-10), tetracycline stains are likely to occur. Permanent teeth start developing at around three years of age and continue into the teenage years (last teeth to erupt are the wisdom teeth).[read more]
FDA Approves a New Laser System For Removing Tattoos–PicoSure
Westford-based Cynosure Inc. said today is has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a new laser system for removing tattoos and certain lesions.[read more]
The Ultimate Battle for Supremacy: Doctor versus Machine
For many years, authors and movie studios have imagined a world where humans are replaced by mechanized overlords–think Terminator and Matrix. In medicine, as technology continues to evolve, computers and other diagnostic aids are readily available. Many offices and hospitals utilize tablet computers, iPads and other fancy tools when managing patients.[read more]
Barbara Ficarra Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA is an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, health educator, speaker and consultant More »
David Harlow David Harlow is Prinicipal of the Harlow Group LLC, a healthcare law and consulting firm based in Boston, MA. More »
Stephen Schimpff Stephen C. Schimpff, MD is the retired CEO of the Univ. of MD Med. Center and the COO of the Univ of MD Medical System. More »
Andrew Schorr Andrew, a leukemia survivor and respected medical journalist is the founder of PatientPower, an excellent web resource. More »
John Sharp John Sharp has interests in social media in healthcare and clinical research informatics including secondary use of EMR More »
Christina Thielst Christina Thielst is a hospital administrator, consultant, educator and author with 30 years of healthcare experience. More »
“Roger, great article. Next year our company VideoKall - MEDEX Spot plans to launch our Unmanned Micro Clinic (UMC) which we plan to deploy in drug stores, supermarkets, airports and hospital ER waiting rooms. The MEDEX Spot UMC is a 5ft x 6ft cabin equipped with a variety of vital signs monitoring devices and a two way video terminal linked by satellite to a hospital triage center in ...”
“Hi MisdiagnosedMe - thanks for your thoughtful comment. Although we have a long long way to go, there are some incredible people and organizations (e.g., The Society for Participatory Medicine) that are trying to change the paradigm (sorry for the cliche - but it fits). Those docs who poo-poo apps and wont email will either change or retire and the new generations of docs will think those ...”