For years, many providers of specialist accommodation for older people, social housing or people with other needs have been offering panic alarm/telecare services funded wholly or in part from the public purse, particularly through Supporting People funding, which has now been cut off. This has left the housing providers with practical, financial and ethical dilemmas as highlighted a month ago in the comments on this TTA item: Supporting People funding reductions – telecare panic. Now specialist housing consultancy Support Solutions reframes the question and re-imagines the solution: Funding Alarms & Proactive Communication Systems for Vulnerable People.
text4baby: positive study results (US)
Results from a year-long evaluation provide evidence that text4baby benefits users. text4baby is a free mobile health information service of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) that provides pregnant women and new mothers with health and safety information via text message. The content includes messages about immunization, nutrition, birth defect prevention, safe sleep, etc. A survey developed by researchers from the National Latino Research Center (NLRC) at California State University San Marcos and the University of California San Diego, with support from the Alliance Healthcare Foundation, was administered to 631 text4baby users in San Diego. Findings indicate that text4baby is increasing users’ health knowledge, facilitating interaction with health providers, reminding them of their appointments and immunizations, and improving access to health services. More information and link to the study results. Heads-up thanks to Bob Pyke.
Australasian Telehealth Society national strategy white paper (AUS)
The Australasian Telehealth Society has issued a five-year (2013-2018) white paper that outlines how Australia can transition toward a National Telehealth Strategy which would improve the delivery of health care. Australia, not unlike the US but with less population, has extremes of population gathered in dense urban and regional areas, then scattered in distant, sparsely populated rural or remote areas. The idea is to improve access and quality, with essential elements being a national broadband strategy and current healthcare resources. Importantly, the Society’s defines ‘telehealth’ at the outset broadly as “enabling health care services and related processes delivered over distance, using information and communication technologies” including telecare, telehealth and telemedicine. The paper was initiated during the roundtable discussion session at their Global Telehealth 2012 Conference held in Sydney on 26-28 November 2012. Authored by Colin Carati and reader George Margelis (hat tip once again). Society link and download PDF
Task And Finish Group recommendations (Northern Ireland)
The NI Task and Finish Group was established under the remit of the Connected Health and Prosperity Board, to aid the exploitation of opportunities from Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. The work has implications for the developing telemonitoring industries and the Group’s final report is now available. TANN Ireland for more information.
Assisted technology: Roundtable discussion videos (UK)
Connecting Communities is a website/organisation in the UK to promote discussion of the concerns about introducing technology of all sorts, but predominantly so far, telehealth and telecare into everyday practice. It has light-touch sponsorship from Bosch Healthcare. The videos in the following link show snippets from a recent discussion held in Leeds that was chaired by David Brindle, Public Services Editor, The Guardian. If nothing else, the principal 11-minute video is worth watching. Connecting Communities/Communities for Life.
Boys win Lego award for medication reminder robot and app (Ireland)
It’s great to see young people working as an effective team in developing technology – although it is not clear from the article what the robot element does. However, isn’t it time that there was more recognition in the media that the issues around prompting and monitoring medication compliance are more complicated than just how to get the person to receive a reminder? Dublin boys win Lego award for robot reminding people to take medicines. The Journal.
Being online aged 90 has made my old age less lonely
An article in the UK’s Guardian newspaper should be essential reading for those younger people who write off the interest of older people in getting online, or the benefits it can bring in reducing social isolation. Browse the comments too. This editor especially liked the exchange on 17 May between Decadere “…Maybe I shouldn’t get so angry at my mum when I have to explain 5,000 times that sometimes she has to double click. Not always mother, just sometimes” and welovelucytoo’s response “@Decadere – you will get your comeuppance. When you get to be your mum’s age, your children will similarly be frustrated at your total inability to control your quantum computer with the simplest of thought patterns…” Being online aged 90 has made my old age less lonely. Others aren’t so lucky.
Robots in older adult care: a debate
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/20disrupt-pic2-tmagArticle.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]An article in The New York Times ‘Bits’ tech blog has raised debate on the appropriate role of robots in care for older adults. Illustrated by a picture of two PARO robots being recharged (a strange sight indeed) and a lead about the movie ‘Robot & Frank’ [TTA 23 Aug 12], it discusses the ethics of robots (and robotic pets) in care for the elderly versus humans which continues in the comments. One position is that it is not ethical to entrust your aging loved one’s care to a machine, and that human care is always preferable even if not high quality, because we all need human interaction. The other is that the same loved one might very well prefer having a robot efficiently assist them versus a human helper who talks down to them, doesn’t listen, is incompetent, unable or dishonest. The older person may very well interact with a robot better and demonstrate more directive control. A middle position is that robots for assistive care and robotic pets are quite acceptable as an adjunct to human support. After all, we do tend to anthropomorphize objects, not only cars (ask this Editor about Big Blue, Homer, The Bug and the Cherry Bomb) but also in studies robotic pets such as Sony’s now defunct AIBO. It is also the theory behind the virtual pet-in-a-tablet GeriJoy. And who hasn’t ‘talked’ to their balky PC or printer? Certainly Frank demonstrated ‘greater independence’ when he enlisted his pal Robot in a little heist! Disruptions: Helper Robots Are Steered, Tentatively, to Care for the Aging
Medical apps largely missing medical expertise: study
A recent Ohio State University study, presented at the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) conference in April, analyzed 222 pain-related smartphone apps available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices. Their findings:
- One third had no input from a health care professional
- Professional input could not be determined for an additional one third
- 27 percent of the apps had obvious input from an MD or DO
- 8 percent had input from a non-physician health care professional
The OSU study in 2012 was modeled after a UK study in 2011 that examined 111 pain-related apps, with similar findings. As our readers know, in the US Happtique had taken on the role of a health app certifier through its Health App Certification Program (HACP), and presumably despite their internal changes that certifying process will continue and information will be accessible to the public. The FDA is still debating (and debating) app approval processes (along with the FCC, HHS…) while approving a few [TTA 22 Mar]. AAPM has also expressed interest in ‘gatekeeping’ for pain management apps. American Medical News/Amednews.com Hat tip to reader George Margelis of Australia
FDA goes a bit easier on digital pill classification (US)
Good news for digital pill developers such as Proteus and Carnegie-Mellon’s digestible devices [TTA 15 April]. In FDA’s final order issued 16 May in the Federal Register, ‘ingestible event markers’ (IEM) are now classified as a Class II medical device, which does not require the premarket approval and the longer approval cycle that new devices (‘de novo’) under Class III must have. According to The Hill’s’ regulation blog ‘RegWatch’, “FDA granted the device class 2 status shortly after its approval in 2012, but the legal order sets a permanent standard for the technology.” Proteus’ FDA approval for their IEM was granted in July 2012 [TTA 2 Aug 12] and this now formalizes subsequent IEM classification. iHealthBeat
Management, direction changes at app certifier Happtique
When an entrepreneurial venture, nurtured by a large parent, ‘goes sideways.’
Management and directional changes at Happtique, a subsidiary of the Greater NY Hospital Association (GNYHA), have rocked the still rather insular, and small scale, New York health tech world. Background talk has been in the air for some months. Reading through the exclusive report from Brian Dolan at Mobihealthnews, followed by GNYHA Ventures’ statement, plus your Editor in NYC, several shoes have officially dropped.
- Well-known co-founder Ben Chodor is no longer CEO, but according to GNYHA remains with the company as co-founder, focused on strategic growth as well as an outside evangelist of sorts. He will continue to host the mHealthZone on BlogTalkRadio and will be at the WLSA Convergence Summit on 29-30 May. Also already departed is Chodor’s leadership team. (more…)
GSMA mHealth Grand (cycle) Tour – Europe
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/mhealth-cycle-tour-route-2013.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]The mHealth Grand Tour will be a cycle ride with a difference. Going from Brussels to Barcelona in 13 days (5 – 19 September 2013), it is a 2,100km tour with more than 22,000 meters of climbs. But it is also an opportunity to help demonstrate ways of managing diabetes using mHealth. The ride is “also intended to be fabulous experience, incorporating breathtaking scenery, quiet country roads and the opportunity to sample fabulous food and wine. And, in the spirit of the Grand Tours of old, we have also designed the ride to take in the outstanding cultural sights on the way.” The tour is open to individuals, and sponsoring organisations are putting together some cycling teams too. More information on the tour website.
Med-e-Tel 2013 presentations available
Copies of the presentations at Med-e-Tel 2013 (10-12 April 2013) are now available. Click on the ‘full presentation’ links to access the presentations. The Med-e-Tel Knowledge Resource Center also still contains the presentations from previous events (2002-2012). You can access the Resource Center here.
The Med-e-Tel 2013 proceedings, published as Global Telemedicine and eHealth Updates – Knowledge Resources, Vol. 6, 2013 (610 pages) are now also available for purchase. It contains 133 short papers of presentations that were submitted for the Med-e-Tel 2013 conference program. To order a copy contact info@medetel.eu.
Gloucestershire telehealth: PCT oversold; GPs undersold (UK)
A news item from the BBC (link below) takes the shine off the story of the Gloucestershire ‘big roll out’ of telehealth as it is generally presented (3ML PDF).
Dr Tim Macmorland, a GP in Churchdown, said the systems were ineffective. “I think it’s been handled poorly. It was rolled out to GPs without discussing anything about the system before it was implemented…We already knew it was working in the heart failure service, [see item here, paragraph 5. Ed.] but then we were asked to find patients who had these other chronic diseases for whom the system might work as well, and I don’t think it has to be honest, it’s been an absolute waste of money.”
For many years suppliers – and we – have been calling for an end to small scale pilots and for going straight for mainstream adoption. However, we may be seeing that in reality this is not possible, at least not with the approaches tried so far. Perhaps the ‘not invented here’ effect is stronger than we all supposed and telehealth adoption will only be achieved one doctor at a time.
BBC item: Gloucestershire health monitors investment a ‘waste of money’.
Google Glass ‘hacked’ for hospital facial recognition
Your Editor hid this one from The Gimlet Eye, but according to VentureBeat, Google Glass has been successfully ‘hacked’ for what may be a significant–and useful–medical app. MedRefGlass uses facial recognition to permit doctors to pull up patient files, and also to create patient folders by voice, take photos, and add voice notes–all hands-free. The development team has posted more here at NeatoCode Techniques on Tumblr. New Google Glass hack gives doctors the power of face recognition. Watch the video demo (04:44).
[This video is no longer available on this site but may be findable via an internet search]
The Friday robo-alert: Five ways robots are invading hospitals
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ri-man.png” thumb_width=”150″ /]Having watched the delightful ‘Forbidden Planet’ (1956) on Turner Classic Movies last night, marking the debut of the robot paragon Robby the Robot, this overview of hospital robotics from VentureBeat is on point. No Robbies here (despite our picture, this article does not cover robots that lift or design dresses with options of diamonds, emeralds or star sapphires) but does highlight:
- Germ and infection reduction (the ultraviolet Xenex)
- Remote consult robots (iRobot’s RP-VITA, now FDA approved)
- Prosthetics (BioOM prosthetic ankle)
- Surgical robots
- Therapeutic robots for the elderly (PARO, which is a ‘1.0’)
Previously in TTA: RP-VITA’s FDA approval and profile; prosthetic advances, surgical microgripping robots and BriteSeed’s SafeSnips; the debate on the $6,000 PARO; better and more affordable robots and aids for older adults such as GeriJoy (virtual pet) and Clevermind (stimulation); and the vast area of humanoid robots such as Roboy, Hector and Kompaï. (Or just search ‘robots’ in TTA for our wealth of coverage.)
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