Short-shorts for an autumn Friday

November 13, 2014 | by

As we in the US get our first, much too early blast of Polar Vortex this season with New York area temperatures dipping into the 30s F with a snow alert tonight, we should reminisce about what seems only a few weeks ago when the keyword was ‘short’….

Coming up short in the data breach this past Monday was Anthem Blue Cross of California with their TMI emailer–containing in the subject line specific targeting/sorting patient information that direct marketers love, but don’t want you to know they see, such as “Don’t miss out — call your doctor today; PlanState: CA; Segment: Individual; Age: Female Older; Language: EN; CervCancer3yr: N; CervCancer5yr: Y; Mammogram: N; Colonoscopy: N”. Ooops!…Another day, not quite another breakthrough for Mount Sinai Hospital here in NY, which had your typical laptop theft compromising over 10,000 records but fortunately not SSI or insurance information….More alarming were the malware/hacker attacks. In North Carolina, Central Dermatology of Chapel Hill was compromised by malware in a key server. And further south, Jessie Trice Community Health Center of Miami, Florida was hacked by a criminal identity theft operation accessing personal data of almost 8,000  patients.  iHealthBeat, also Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, NY Times (Anthem)

A short opinion piece in HealthWorks Collective promisingly leads with:

What if we paid for patient recovery rather than just patient services? What if we paid to treat patients rather than just conditions? What if we paid to personalize care rather just population health quality measures? (more…)

Tunstall adopts new Tactio in patient management

November 13, 2014 | by

Tunstall Healthcare is partnering with Canadian mHealth developer Tactio Health Group in what is a distinct first for them: creating a mobile care management system that is 1) smartphone-based for the patient and 2) prominently integrates non-Tunstall apps and devices. The patient uses the smartphone and the Tactio-developed mTrax app to collect a wide spectrum of data–everything from activity, sleep, pregnancy, body fat and mood tracking to the traditional constellation of vital signs. This uploads to the care provider’s tablet mPro Clinical App which overviews, details and reports the data for each patient and patient groups in care. The data comes from well-known mHealth apps outside the Tunstall world: BodyMedia, Fitbit, Fitbug, Garmin, Jawbone UP, Medisana and Wahoo Fitness, as well as connected (presumably Bluetooth) medical devices from A&D Medical, Mio, iHealth, Telcare, Withings and Nonin. Tunstall has also added two-way patient coaching and  health journal features.

Tunstall’s positioning for what they call Active Health Management or AHM is “supported self-management” and “shift(ing) from reactive care to cost-effective active care.” (more…)

Follow up: Xerox invests in HealthSpot Station kiosks (US)

November 13, 2014 | by

The day after this Editor posted on telehealth/virtual consult kiosk HealthSpot Station‘s new partnerships with Mayo Clinic and major drug retailer Rite Aid, Xerox announced their investment in the company. Xerox is not a business services organization one immediately associates with healthcare technology, but perhaps not anymore, based on this quote from Connie Harvey, Xerox’ chief operating officer of Commercial Healthcare: “HealthSpot is at the center of healthcare’s shift to a patient-centered model of care, and our investment in the company demonstrates Xerox’s commitment to transforming traditional healthcare into a high-value delivery system for patients, providers and payers.” Xerox will also be supplying BPO–business process outsourcing–services for cloud hosting, system integration, claims eligibility and claims submissions. But there’s more…. (more…)

Telehealth kiosk HealthSpot gains trials with Rite Aid, Mayo Clinic

November 11, 2014 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Healthspot-stationbooth.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /] HealthSpot Station, which was one of the higher points of this past May’s ATA, in the past month has announced two significant pilots. The retail pilot is with Rite Aid, the US’ third largest drug store chain (4,600 stores), with telehealth/telemedicine kiosks located in select Rite Aid locations in Ohio–Akron/Canton, Cleveland and Dayton/Springfield areas. The usage of the kiosks will be limited to common health conditions, such as cold, earaches, sore throat, sinus infections, upper respiratory infections, rashes, skin and eye conditions. HealthSpot Station kiosks are enclosed, free-standing units which use both video consults and real-time interaction with telehealth devices for remote diagnosis. They connect to a network of board-certified medical professionals at Cleveland Clinic and other major health systems across Ohio. Start date and duration were not disclosed.

This follows the October announcement with Mayo Clinic of an in-house pilot in Austin and Albert Lea, Minnesota with approximately 2,000 Mayo Clinic Health System employees (more…)

NYeC Digital Health Conference is one week off

November 11, 2014 | by

A reminder for those in the US that the two-day NYeC Digital Health Conference at New York City’s Chelsea Piers starts next Monday. Spaces are still available, and for Telehealth & Telecare Aware readers, there’s a bonus of 10 percent off registration using code TTA. Agenda for Monday and Tuesday 17-18 November is here including the Patient Shark Tank on Tuesday afternoon. TTA is a media partner of the 2014 Digital Health Conference.

Concise analysis of mHealth regulatory environment (US)

November 7, 2014 | by

If you–like most rational people–have some confusion in deciphering the current FDA state of affairs as it applies to mHealth, this summary from major law firm Foley & Lardner will be helpful. Written by special counsel for healthcare/mobile health Monica R. Chmielewski, it defines in few words FDA’s classifications, which mHealth technologies are, and which are not, subject to FDA oversight. In particular, MDDS (medical device data systems) were recently downgraded from Class III (the greatest oversight with pre-market approval) to Class I. FDA has also recently finalized recommendations in a guidance document for medical device manufactures for managing cybersecurity risks. mHealth Technology – Development in an Uncertain Regulatory Climate (Health Care Law Today)

A Canadian view of ‘Healthcare Systems of the Future’

November 7, 2014 | by

Do we wait for the interconnected, seamless future of consumer-driven healthcare, or work with what we have now? Michael Smit of Canadian virtual consult provider Medeo argues for the latter: “The component pieces for a connected healthcare system exist today. We simply haven’t connected them yet.” He argues that Medeo’s Equinoxe platform, because it uses simple PC equipment, retains patient records securely and creates a health record, is a step more advanced than what Canada has seen in fixed telemedicine settings. Mr Smit also draws a picture of health management, the “3 D’s”–Data, Device, and Decision, integration with telehealth and the increasingly mobile-driven patient group, advocating that the health record should not have to be actively managed by the patient, but be a byproduct of cumulative patient interactions with the healthcare system. The Catalysts Of Virtual Care

Now a (virus) killer robot

November 7, 2014 | by

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Xenex-robot.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]And it’s not a computer virus, either. The US Air Force’s 633rd Medical Group (MDG), based at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia has adopted Saul The Virus Killer Robot. Developed by Xenex Healthcare Services, it zaps viruses human cleaners can’t reach or disinfect. According to the article, Saul sweeps the room with “pulses of high-intensity, high-energy ultraviolet rays 25,000 times brighter than florescent lights to split open bacterial cell walls and kill dangerous pathogens commonly found in hospitals”. The pulses are verified in killing 22 microorganisms including single strand ribonucleic acid (RNA), like that of a virus similar to Ebola, at a range of two meters out in any direction, within five minutes, and at an efficiency rate of 99.9 percent. A useful fighter against more common and nasty MRSA, C.diff and other hospital-borne infections. Armed With Science

Australia’s med device ‘Fast Track’ changes–webinar

November 7, 2014 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Australia-flag.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]For over a decade, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has had a ‘fast track’ expedited review program in place for medical device importers–including mobile health–with existing CE Marks. Now this program, after a long campaign, will be extended to Australian manufacturers–and there are other changes. Arthur Brandwood, who spearheaded this effort, will be conducting a free webinar on Tuesday 18 November, noon Eastern Time (US). It will cover Australia’s aggressive deregulatory agenda, their tax incentive (43.5 percent for R&D expenditure), the simple process for regulation of clinical trials and TGA’s web based submission process for device approvals. (more…)

Short Tuesday takes

November 4, 2014 | by

Alere, Optum, Wyss, Proteus, Soreon Research, Baywater Healthcare

Alere Health to be acquired by Optum. Alere is selling its condition, wellness and case management group for $600 million to the health services subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. The surprise is that Alere Health, which presently serves 22 million patients in 29 states, includes two service lines considered hot: analytics and connected health. Alere Connect, the former MedApps, is included in this sale. Alere (the parent company) will be concentrating on rapid diagnostics. Alere Health release, fact sheet….Vibrating insoles may help to guide the balance-impaired, eventually. Research on stochastic resonance as an aid to balance and gait has been researched for nearly ten years–our earliest article on it was written by former EIC Steve in 2006. The current study tested ‘white noise’ to help lower the level of buzzing needed to generate stimulus in the feet. Conducted by the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, and Merck Sharpe and Dohme (MSD) Consumer Care. (more…)

Philips finally gets to GoSafe

November 4, 2014 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/img-gosafe-button.jpg” thumb_width=”160″ /]At long last… the Philips Lifeline GoSafe mobile PERS with fall detection and GPS, announced with fanfare at International CES 2013 and delayed well over 18 months from its original debut date, has quietly entered the market. The chunky and somewhat ‘cartoon alien’-ish pendant, while connected in-home to a conventional base station communicator, also uses GPS, ‘intelligent tracking’ to determine the user’s last known location, Wi-Fi, audio beaconing and voice response via cellular to alert for assistance. Pricing has settled at $149 for the device and a $54.95 monthly subscription. GoSafe joins the Philips Lifeline mPERS smartphone app introduced in August [TTA 28 Aug] and Lifeline with AutoAlert extensively debated here. No indication of distribution outside the US. PRNewswire release, Lifeline website, Mobihealthnews.

Tunstall Americas finds a Mountain Home

November 4, 2014 | by

Gold in dem der hills? Tunstall Americas, Tunstall Healthcare Group’s US subsidiary, on Monday announced the acquisition of Mountain Home Medical, a Denver, Colorado-based telehealth provider of medical alarm and medication manager systems for the home market. In its announcement, Tunstall Americas gave the reason as “The acquisition demonstrates Tunstall’s commitment to expand its service footprint across the United States through acquiring or partnering with highly regarded regional, state, and local providers… ” Mountain Home is certainly the latter with business only in the state’s 53 counties, serving Medicaid eligible and private pay customers. Industry estimates put their subscriber base at under 5,000 customers.

A change in US strategy? Unlike Tunstall in the UK and Europe, the Americas subsidiary has maintained a low profile since the 2011 acquisition of AMAC, which at time of sale (more…)

Tunstall Healthcare asks lenders for covenant extension

October 31, 2014 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Big-T-thumb-480×294-55535.gif” thumb_width=”175″ /]Breaking News. A report in S&P Capital IQ LCD (McGraw-Hill Financial) published Thursday (subscription required), states that Tunstall Healthcare Group has asked its lenders to extend for one year the step-down provisions in its loan covenants, from this December to December 2015. ‘Step-down’ is the process whereby a company begins to de-leverage over time by reducing the ratio of debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization–EBITDA) and thereby add value to the company for its lenders.  Responses are due by mid-November.

The extension request indicates that the decline in UK and US revenues evident in our July report on their FY 2013 results continue, as do the perils of leveraged debt. (more…)

Google X developing nanoparticle/sensor diagnostic

October 31, 2014 | by

The research skunkworks of Google, Google X, is investigating combining nanoparticles introduced to the bloodstream via a pill, with a wrist-worn sensor that would detect where the nanoparticles attach. They could attach to cancer cells, fatty plaques in blood vessels, or analyze the chemical composition of blood to detect imbalances. The wrist-worn sensor (which looks awfully like a smartwatch) would upload the readings of the nanoparticles via light and radio waves one or more times a day. By going public at this stage, the intent of Google X is to license out the technology for further development and to find partners. The BBC News Technology article has an unfortunate headline not backed up in the article: Google is developing cancer and heart attack detector

Hospitals snooping on your shopping and eating

October 31, 2014 | by

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Doctor-Big-Brother.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]Another charming use for Big Bad Data. Hospitals are investigating whether available data on patients–prospective and current–on shopping patterns and other purchase behavior such as gym memberships can be used to predict patient risk of disease. Leading the way is Carolinas HealthCare System, which operates the largest group of medical centers in North and South Carolina. With more than 900 care centers including nursing homes, they have 2 million patients to analyze for risk, using data points such as purchases a patient has made using a credit card or store loyalty card, to create predictive models on patient risk and eventually to reach out to patients. Of course this data crunching  has a purpose, and that is to meet quality metrics imposed by HHS and CMS. The goal would be to change the risk curve (more…)

Journal starts peer review process–at a price–for mHealth apps

October 28, 2014 | by

If the rosy future of mHealth apps [study here] is to be achieved, some form of validation and review is needed, but is ‘pay to play’ the way to go?. The Journal of Medical Internet Research has come up with a peer review process which gives, in the words of mHealthNews, “developers a chance to have their products evaluated by “medical and mHealth experts from the JMIR peer-reviewer database (possibly complemented by consumers/patient experts) for a cool $2,500 per app.”  Aside from the price, (more…)