For those of us who have food allergies, or even sensitivities, any new food or prepared dish holds a level of risk, but current testing is bulky, lab-based and for professionals only. A new device may be able to simplify the testing process with similar sensitivity, broadening usage to restaurant, facility or home settings. UCLA’s Aydogan Ozcan and a research team has developed a much shorter testing process using an attachment to an iPhone that runs the same test that a lab would. As developed, it takes about 20 minutes to process the food into a test tube sample, which is then analyzed by the iTube attachment using its camera and a smartphone app that runs an allergen-concentration test known as a colorimetric assay. The team’s study was published in Lab on a Chip (abstract). Ozcan also recently developed the iPhone based LUCAS miniature microscope which can detect E.coli [TA 2 March]. Got Food Allergies? You Can Now Test Your Meal On the Spot Using a Cell Phone (Science Daily)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the formation of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) with LifeScience Alley (LSA), a Minnesota-based biomedical trade association. More exactly, the MDIC consists of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and the LSA. For FDA this is unusual–according to the release it is “the first public-private partnership to promote medical device regulatory science with a focus on speeding the development, assessment, and review of new medical devices.” LSA includes in its nearly 700 organization membership the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, St. Jude Medical and University of Minnesota. While this is about biomedical devices, if successful in 1) creating a review model and 2) speeding up the process, it will definitely impact the relations that FDA has with the connected health area, or even expand to include it. (Now if we could also get the FCC into this streamlining….) But the Feds give with one hand and take away with another, with the ACA’s 2.3% excise tax on medical devices (all those implants and stents) starting in January and IRS final regulations now released. FDA release LSA/MDIC release CBS News article

Simon Arnold, Tunstall’s UK & Ireland Managing Director has been elected [by whom?] to be the TSA Director to represent supply sector members. In the TSA press release Tunstall’s Managing Director joins TSA Board (PDF) Chief Executive Trevor Single says “We are delighted that Simon as MD of the industry’s largest technology solutions provider has joined the TSA board [sic] at this pivotal time…” And Simon says “I’m delighted to be elected to the TSA Board to represent the industry. This is such a pivotal time…”

We wonder what readers make of this strengthening of Tunstall’s presence within TSA?

Pre-filled multi-day medication boxes (versus large dispensers meant for an external service area) are becoming increasingly common both in the community and individual home setting, but there is always the risk of an individual’s confusion in taking more than one day’s dose, or the medications all at once versus at the right time. MedMinder’s Jon model, a new seven-day wireless M2M dispenser, can be controlled by the caregiver through their monitoring website to let the individual access only the correct compartment and also at the correct dosage time. It has reminders (beeps, phone calls, emails or text messages) and notes when the compartments have been accessed, similar to its existing Maya model. Their website feature page has a brochure link, but it is for the Maya, not the Jon, model. Editor Donna also finds interesting their payment model of no upfront cost and a monthly fee. (Note to MedMinder’s marketers/general counsel: ‘medminder’ is becoming a generic term for dispensers–the MedMinder team is well advised to register their trade name.) Website release (mind the typos)  Also noted is that Bosch is using MedMinder with its HealthBuddy and T400 programs. 

It is a long time (March 2009 and September 2011) since we drew attention to the UK Disabled Living Foundation’s brilliant AskSARA ‘self-assessment’ and recommendation system which contains much useful advice and links to specific items of equipment for older and disabled people. It includes a telecare-related section and could be a good starting point for professionals who lack specific telecare training and who are asked to recommend equipment. (The reports do come with warnings about getting appropriate ‘live’ help.)

However, now is a good time to point readers back to AskSARA because it has now started to give a better, app-like experience to users reaching the site from a smartphone. Users can now go through the self assessment easily without any horizontal scrolling or straining to see small text. The ensuing report is also clear and can be printed out or a link can be emailed for viewing on a larger screen device later. However, the telecare information is a little buried – one has to choose the ‘Daily Activities’ topic tab and then ‘Help in Emergencies’ to start the self assessment. Worth exploring, though.

A UK study indicates that people with diabetes have a significantly raised risk of heart problems. Quite a good argument for increasing the uptake of remote diabetes care, surely? Diabetes patients face 65% higher risk of heart failure. GP Online.

After a very bumpy ride Cornwall Council has voted in favour of outsourcing telehealth and telecare services to BT as a part of a shared service programme. BT lands Cornwall outsourcing deal eHealthInsider

Last week the GP’s publication Pulse held a ’roundtable’ discussion session on the issues for GPs around telehealth. It was funded by the 3millionlives (3ML) team, commissioned by the Department of Health (DH) 3millionlives (3ML) programme, and editorially controlled by Pulse to a brief agreed with 3ML. The 3ML contingent was headed by Paul Hitchcock who is the NHS workstream lead for 3ML at DH.

If you are interested in telehealth it is worth reading for some snippets from Professor Stan Newman and the ever-sceptical GP Margaret McCartney, and for the indication of the direction for 3ML from Paul Hitchcock “From my perspective at the Department of Health, our immediate next step is much closer engagement with the GP community than we’ve achieved to date.” This looks like it was a reasonable start, but will Pulse articles become less negative about telehealth from now on? The future of telehealth in Pulse – free registration required. Heads-up thanks to Mike Clark.

Not telecare or telehealth, but a sharp reminder how easy it is to slip into writing nonsense (and have it approved). And don’t forget these are the kind of people who will be advising commissioners, possibly on telehealth procurements, in the brave new NHS. Local NHS unit picks up top award for ‘the worst written nonsense’ of 2012 Wirral Globe.

Congratulations to Phil O’Connell for the further recognition afforded by winning the NHS Leadership Academy’s Innovator of the Year Award last night for the Simple Telehealth system (Florence) that he has developed and championed for the NHS. Here is the citation.

This research evaluates how smartphones and tablet PCs at two points–2010 and 2012–have affected healthcare professionals and influenced the way they practice, including the most in-demand information. Compared are providers in the EU Big 5 and the US. Conducted by EPG Health Media (UK). Abstract. Link to full PDF (registration required)

Get a cuppa’ and an aspirin, shut the door, turn off your phone and other distractions and get stuck into reading the free, 28-page Remote Care PLC: Developing the capacity of the remote care industry to supply Britain’s future needs report. Despite the pedestrian title it is a cracker and, despite the UK focus, it has messages for anyone in the ‘remote care’ (telecare and telehealth) industry, wherever their market is.

Given the lack of definitions and data in this arena it is as solid as any such market research could be and pulls no punches, not to mention delivering many smack-on-the-forehead moments. Hence the need for aspirin!

And if you are thinking of making a killing on the back of the 3millionlives (3ML) campaign, you may need something stronger than aspirin…the report suggests that the potential market for remote care may indeed reach 3 million – but not until 2050!

The report was authored by James Barlow, Richard Curry, Theti Chrysanthaki, Jane Hendy and Nael Taher and published by the Health and Care Research and Innovation Centre (HaCIRIC) – a collaboration between research centres at Imperial College London and the universities of Loughborough, Reading and Salford – and was funded partly through the Whole Systems Demonstrator (WSD) programme and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council’s IMRC programme. Download it from the HaCIRIC website or directly, here (PFD).