Tech 'n' Health

iPad and Health

2010-02-02T03:42:00.000-08:00

Now that the initial hype has subsided and people have had a chance to digest what the iPad can and can't do, it has been interesting to read comments and articles on how it could be used in a health setting.

Working in community health, tablets could provide many benefits to clinicians but the issue of price is still a major factor. Looking at the pricing structure for the iPad, I doubt whether I will see my community nursing staff using the device in the future.

The following articles offer some insight into how we might see the iPad and tablets used in the medical setting.

iPad Medical Software

iPad, anyone? Hospitals looking at the mobile device

What Could the iPad do for Global Health?

AMA joins e-health records ownership debate

2009-08-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Australian IT reports:

AUSTRALIAN Medical Association president Andrew Pesce has signalled concerns about plans for patient-controlled e-health records.
Dr Pesce believes provider-controlled input is needed to improve quality of care and reduce adverse health outcomes.

"The current debate is very much about who should control the e-health record, with the National E-Health Transition Authority and the National Health and Hospitals Commission pushing a patient-controlled model," he told the Health-e-Nation conference in Canberra.

"We are open to patients controlling access to their summary e-record, with some exceptions such as access by emergency physicians.

"But summary e-records are fundamentally a clinical tool to aid doctors and other health professionals in sharing accurate information about an individual, and will be an adjunct to the comprehensive patient record kept by the doctor."

Dr Pesce said e-health records must find the balance between efficiency and privacy, with protection of patient privacy the critical factor in gaining acceptance.

Practical issues were also still be resolved, including whether a national database was the most appropriate storage method, and whether portable devices such as memory sticks held by the patient posed usage barriers and undermined the integrity of the record.

Blackberry finally comes to Mac

2009-08-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

For all you BlackBerry users out there that also have an equal passion for your Mac's, you will be pleased to hear that there is now software available to make syncing a little easier.

I know from experience that in the hospital setting, BlackBerrys are still widely used. There appears to be take-up of use in the iPhone but certainly where I am located, physicians prefer the BlackBerry. Of course, it may also be the case that the people responsible for deploying hardware including telecommunications to staff are slow to review or recommend a change. Cost is also a huge factor so this may be another reason for the slow delivery of the iPhone.

Okay, back to the desktop software application RIM has provided for BlackBerry/Mac users.

RIM says BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac will enable users to sync their calendars, contacts, notes and tasks, update the BlackBerry software, add and remove applications, back-up, restore and encrypt data, manage multiple devices and sync iTunes playlists.
news.com.au

You can get a copy of the software by visiting: www.blackberry.com/mac

The Benefits of Mobile Health During Epidemics

2009-06-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

I've just read an interesting article on how mobile phones are proving to be an important tool in preparing developing nations of potential disease threats.

What struck me was the initiative shown by officials to quickly find a solution to a problem and then implement it. Not only did they find a product that suited their needs, they found one that was open-source.

Perhaps it is more interesting to me as working for Government, it is rare to see Departments find and implement solutions quickly. Red tape can often bog down and complicate what initially started out as a rather simple requirement.

Good article and worth a read: Weapon against epidemics: Cell phones

Australia's Lack of IT Infrastructure During Disease Outbreaks

2009-05-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading an article that discusses Australia's lack of connected health IT infrastructure and how it may hamper containment of current and future disease outbreaks.

iSoft chief operating officer Andrea Fiumicelli says it best "If there is an e-health infrastructure, we have the potential to deal with disease outbreaks before they become pandemics. The technology is already available.

Interesting article worth reading: Continue Reading The Australian IT - Real-time data vital in swine flu fight

Effectiveness of Micro-blogging during a Pandemic event

2009-04-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

It has been quite interesting to follow the spread of the recent swine flu outbreak that started in Mexico in terms of media and information coverage.

Our world is now so connected by air, road and sea that outbreaks cross borders quickly, proving a real challenge for health agencies around the globe.

This morning while reading my local papers, I decided to jump online and find out what the world media was reporting on the outbreak. Without even thinking about it, my first port of call was Twitter. For those of you who don't know, Twitter is somewhat of a huge hit in the online world.

Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that enables users to send and read updates from other users. Known as Tweets, these updates, no more than 140 characters long allow for a very quick method of communication between users or followers as they are known on Twitter.

Logging into my Twitter account this morning I went straight to trending topics. This is a snapshot of the most frequent Tweets occurring at any given time. Not surprisingly Swine Flu was at the top of the list.

Some of the Tweets are quite amusing, many are just plain stupid (fear mongering) but there are plenty of Tweets providing links to some really interesting reports, articles and resources on the subject.

This got me to thinking about how useful a service like Twitter or other micro-blogging sites might be if the world is faced with a Pandemic event.
A few years back when Health organizations were monitoring the Bird Flu outbreaks, we were asked to document how our skills (assuming we could not go to work) might be utilized during a Pandemic event and also to identify if our offices could be utilized as make shift medical facilities.

As an IT professional, my skills in terms of offering any medical assistance were non-existent but I did state that I could maintain and update our departments health information via the website I managed at the time. Of course, in the event that we were restricted to our homes, gaining access to any Department website is extremely difficult so I noted that security and firewalls would need to be reviewed and changed.

This was well before Twitter and some of the other micro-blogging sites out there today.

Given how quickly you can setup an account on Twitter, I would now include this in my Emergency Preparedness Plan. You could quite easily establish several people within your health organisation with access to a Twitter account and get them to update followers on any current issues, events, concerns and recommendations. The fantastic thing about micro-blogging, especially Twitter is it's flexibility.
You can send and receive Tweets from your desktop computer, web based applications and your mobile phone.

Smart phones have really started to make many in the health industry consider how they might utilize these powerful devices in a medical setting. I wonder what applications and technologies will be built in the coming years that combine services like micro-blogging along with smart applications delivered right to our phones? It's pretty cool to think about what we might be using in the future to communicate with patients, clients and the community.

Baby robot - CB2

2009-04-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

I must admit that when I first saw pictures of the latest child like robot, CB2 I was quite put off by it.

Little confession here, I am a mad keen Terminator fan. I have always loved the premise of these movies, that one day we advance technology so far that they eventually turn on us. Yes folks, I am a complete and utter nerd, and quite proud of it ;)

Ever since I watched the Terminator movies and TV series, I have been a little wary of robots. But I told myself that as long as they remain robot like with awkward movement and snail paced actions, we could probably outrun them should they attempt a revolt.

So seeing the CB2 robot was a little disconcerting because he does look human and to top it off, he reads our facial expressions and learns from them. Pretty amazing and scary at the same time.

But looking past my possibly irrational fear of robots, it got me thinking about the potential of such technology in the health industry.

Not so much as a substitute for health professionals but more in the area of rehabilitation and education.

I could see fantastic potential as an aid in children's hospitals helping kids prepare for procedures, especially given it's ability to read human emotions. The application in this area could be quite significant.

Clearly the technology has a long way to go but I wonder where and when we will see advanced robots used by the health industry in ways we never thought possible.

Troubleshooter to manage tensions between bureaucrats and medical staff at hospitals

2009-03-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

It will be interesting to see how this works out. If they can measure any type of success then perhaps it should be rolled out to other States and Territories in Australia!

smh.com.au reports:

A troubleshooter will be appointed to every major hospital in NSW in an attempt to ease the deep-seated tensions between bureaucrats and the doctors, nurses and other health workers they manage.

The Premier of NSW, Nathan Rees, announced the government would adopt the vast majority of the 139 recommendations made by Peter Garling in his wide-ranging review of the public hospital system.

He said the position of executive medical director would be established in every area to "improve communication with staff and give staff more of a say on decision making at a local level."

Read rest of article.

Join me on LinkedIn

2009-03-20T03:18:00.000-07:00

If you would like to connect with me, please feel free to do so over at LinkedIn.

I've already developed some fantastic connections on Tech'n'Health and would love to create more.

I look forward to connecting with you!

The Doctor Kiosk

2009-03-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

This could provide a really positive outcome for those who don't like visiting doctors.

There is no suggestion that these kiosks replace the need to see a doctor but I think it could be an excellent first step for people who, for whatever reason are uncomfortable visiting a doctor.

I think this is an excellent use of technology and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of the proposed field tests.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are developing a kiosk that can capture a patient's medical history, blood pressure, pulse, weight and other vital signs. It can also perform blood tests for glucose and cholesterol with results then sent to your provider. A message is sent back to you either by text or email advising the next course of action. Information might include whether prescribed medications are working for you right through to the requirement for further in depth exams if required.

Looking under the hood so to speak you will find the kiosk consists of a computer with peripherals including a blood-pressure cuff, a scale, a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen levels, and a peak-flow meter to determine whether someone's airways are constricted. Blood testing devices commonly used in emergency rooms that can measure cholesterol and glucose levels are also installed.

The kiosk is due to begin field testing in the UK in June and physicians hope it will one day bring relief to an overburdened healthcare system.

Read the full article at Technology Review

Thanks to carlosrizo for original twitter

Parkinson's sufferers embracing Wii

2009-02-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

I love reading articles that show how technology is helping people of all ages.

This one caught my eye this morning.

thewest.com.au reports:
A group of seven older people with and without the degenerative condition took part in a NSW pilot project, and they were put through an almost daily regime of playing the Nintendo Wii.

The home entertainment device is controlled through arm movements, while a Wii Fit "board" was also added requiring the seated users to interact with on-screen objects using their feet.

Southern Cross University Associate Professor Rick van der Zwan said the initial findings were positive, as it showed the older people were prepared to embrace an unfamiliar technology.

"Lots of older people when you talk to them about computer games they think about shooting up spaceships ... they're not so interested," Dr van der Zwan says.

"They are quite prepared to try it as a therapy or potential form of treatment, but when they do they are quite surprised.

"They find it fun ... not a chore like taking your blood pressure, it becomes an engaging part of their routine and that's exactly what we want."

Read rest of this article.

America's Agenda Health Summit

2009-01-27T18:32:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note to remind you that America's Agenda Health Summit webcast starts January 28.

This is the first of 10 planned for different US Cities. The webcast starts 6.30pm EST.

http://www.americasagenda.org

Using Social and New Media Tools to Improve Practice Management

2009-01-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

I read a great post earlier today that discusses the need for physicians to look for practical solutions to improve office efficiency and increase revenue during this economic downturn.

It looks at several social media and Health 2.0 solutions that may have a positive impact on the bottom line of physician's offices.

I find it really encouraging to see some in our medical profession looking at ways they can improve their patients health outcomes and their own practice by reviewing and adopting technology.

Read the article: Improving Practice Health - Using Social and New Media Tools to Improve Practice Management

Other articles of interest

Software as a Service Market Will Expand Rather than Contract Despite the Economic Crisis, IDC Finds

Are You Going To Health 2.0?

2009-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

The next Health 2.0 conference is coming up this April 22-23 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

I've just checked out the agenda and there will be some really exciting debates including:

Knowledge creation: Expert vs Wiki

How do you build Health 2.0 into the delivery system?

What is the future role of the doctor?

I really wish I could attend this one! Oh well, perhaps next year.

Let's hope some friendly Tweeps keep us posted via Twitter. If you are going and plan on using Twitter to share details, feel free to leave a comment so that we can follow you :)

Health and Web 2.0 Update

2008-12-29T02:59:00.000-08:00

For just over a year I've been working on building a social networking site that I had hoped would be used by the Health Department in an effort to improve communication between our nursing staff and their clients.

Perhaps I had a feeling of things to come after posting recently about an article dealing with the lack of innovation within Government Departments.

I was informed on the 24th of December that my site has not been supported by the Executive which effectively means it will not be launched for our community groups in 2009 as I had hoped.

Obviously, I am very disappointed in this decision as I firmly believe health 2.0 has a place in Australian Health. I have not been given a full explanation regarding this decision so cannot really blog about it in detail at this stage.

Hopefully in the new year I will be given some details and will be happy to share my thoughts and opinions.

Although I am terribly disappointed that my site, CommunityConnect was not launched, I have learnt an incredible amount and have become quite a huge fan of Drupal, the platform used to build the site.

100 Global Health blogs you should read

2008-12-14T23:46:00.000-08:00

I love finding resources online and it's even better when you find posts that list them for you!

Check out the 100 Global Health Blogs That Will Open Your Eyes. I'm pleased to say that Tech'n'Health made the cut :)

Integration of health treatment

2008-12-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

Another interesting article from watoday.com.au discussing the need to accommodate changing trends by developing integrated health treatments which include the referral of patients to alternate or complimentary therapy.

Professor Kerryn Phelps said patients today wanted more health information resources and were increasing their use of complimentary medicines furthering the need for an integrated health system.

Speaking at the Vario Health Institute conference at Edith Cowan University this morning, she said Australia needed to continue to develop an integrated system which made room for alternative treatments.

"It's time we did something of a reality check, our health care system is reforming itself with or without government reform," she said."

She said Generation Y would benefit from credible health information online, in chat rooms and on reputable websites.

"This new generation demand high-quality information to guide their own self medication... patients of the information age have a growing amount of information available to them - but also a lot of misinformation," she said.

I can see this will be quite a long journey especially trying to change the attitudes of some GP's towards alternative therapies.

Ultimately, the client will help force change. It may take longer than many of us desire but eventually it will happen.

Bureaucracy kills innovation

2008-11-30T04:17:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reading an interesting essay on TechCrunch called The Cost of Prudence that has really resonated with me.

It discusses the impact bureaucracy has on innovation, or more to the point that it kills innovation. It is well worth the read, especially if you work in Government or a large organization that has gone down a similar path.

Speaking from experience with almost 7 years working in Government, trying to be innovative is almost impossible. As Government Departments and Agencies grow and evolve, processes and procedures can seriously hamper innovation, especially when it involves technology.

Unless you have management willing to take risk, it is a battle to get anything off the ground. I started developing a social network for our many community groups over two years ago. I am yet to get approval. Every time I think it is close to being launched another obstacle or as my managers call them, checks are put in my way. I continue to comply to their requests and get the required information necessary to move the project to the next level. I am not sure how many levels there are but have a sneaking suspicion that they are endless and possibly designed to avoid ever launching my network!

Connecting People: Changing Lives in Asia

2008-11-28T02:57:00.000-08:00

The longer I work in health care, the more interested I become in some of the fantastic initiatives happening in developing countries. I think this comes from seeing people who are in great need and with little in terms of material or financial means getting access to health that utilizes technology.

This video is the first of a 4 part series showcasing ICT in Asia.

When properly applied, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help the developing countries in Asia - home to 60% of humanity -- to generate wealth, create more jobs and improve living conditions for millions of poor people. Finding strategic ways to accomplish this is what the Pan Asia Networking (PAN) programme has done successfully for over a decade.

A project of Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), PAN has played a pioneering role in introducing, popularising and promoting the tools of ICT across developing Asia. In recent years, PAN has focused on applying Internet and online technologies to meet the region's development needs, and has supported action research projects in Rural ICT, Distance Education, ICT Localisation and e-commerce. All projects are implemented by local experts and partners.

tags technorati : ICT technology telehealth telemedicine technology

Sometimes the answers are not always technology

2008-10-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

It's often easy to get caught up in the wonderful world of technology and even easier to forget that sometimes the best answers are not necessarily found in developing applications or hardware.

Apart from my love of technology, my other great love are dogs. In my eyes dogs are one of the most beautiful creatures on this planet. They are loyal and loving pets and we see them in a variety of therapeutic environments, helping people live productive lives.

This video (at the end of this post) really shows just how important animals can be to the life of people who need a hand just doing every day activities and proves that sometimes technology just can't offer the same support. Of course, with some of the advances recently seen with robo pets, perhaps one day Fido will be replaced but I hope not. I still think real dogs have it over their robot versions!

From CNN:
ALPHARETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
Colise Johnson, 42, spent two weeks in September at a canine training camp getting acquainted with Ben.

Colise Johnson, 42, spent two weeks in September at a canine training camp getting acquainted with Ben.

But Ben, a gangly golden retriever, is more than a family pet. He is a specially trained seizure dog who may one day be able to save the life of his new owner, Colise Johnson.

"Having epilepsy and cerebral palsy is kind of like having a nonstop roller coaster ride," said Johnson, 42, of Portland, Oregon. "You never know what's going to happen, but with him, he slows the ride down so it's manageable."

Read more

Pakistan Telemedicine Project

2008-10-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

I've posted previously about the use of WiMAX in remote regions.
Here is another video showcasing another great project.
The U.S. Department of State and IBM extend the reach of Telemedicine to remote regions of Pakistan. Public-private partnership showcases power of technology and connectivity to improve quality of life for remote populations.

mHealth programme expanded in Africa

2008-10-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

How cool is this, the United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation's Technology Partnership will expand their mHealth (mobile health) programme to 22 sub-Saharan countries by the end of 2008.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and DataDyne.org (non-profit) will now join to use EpiSurveyor, an open-source application that helps health care workers track health data.

EpiSurveyor can be downloaded to devices like mobiles and PDA's making it highly adaptable for staff working on the ground. It has already been successfully piloted in Kenya and Zambia improving availability and timeliness of health care data involving preventative programmes and immunizations against malaria.

I'd love to see this in action. It pleases me to see technology really helping to improve productivity and accuracy of information which in turn helps those at great risk.

I found a short video showcasing EpiSurveyor if you are interested.

Health and Web 2.0 Update

2008-09-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

It has been months since I last posted an update on my social networking site so I thought I'd give you a brief history and current status of where I am currently placed.

The idea of building a secure social network came about 2 years ago after chatting with some of the nurses based at my office.
They were telling me that many of their clients were now emailing and texting them on a regular basis as well as communicating with other members of the groups run by the nursing staff.
The result being that quite a bit of information was being shared among the group that the nurses weren't necessarily aware of. In a few cases, misinformation was being shared on a range of topics including nutrition advice on their babies.

Around the same time sites like Facebook, Digg and quite a few others had really set the trend in delivering rich communication and content to users. I decided that utilising web 2.0 technologies might offer our staff a way to communicate more effectively with their clients and groups and ensure that the right information was being shared.

After reviewing many of the open source products on the market, I settled on Drupal. I had read that it can be quite a beast to tame and boy, it has certainly stood up to that reputation! It is one of the most challenging, frustrating, mind bending, stress ball inducing products I have ever worked with....I love it! Make no mistake, Drupal is not for the faint hearted, you can spend considerable time working on what you assumed would be a relatively quick modification. At times it is baffling. But when you figure it out, the results are powerful. I love working with Drupal. It is well supported by it's users and most are quite happy to offer advice and eager to see you succeed in developing a strong application.

Rather naively, I thought the project would take no longer than about 6 months. Unfortunately, it has taken me well over a year and a half! The reason? It has nothing to do with Drupal and everything to do with lack of resources, direction and organization restructures.
In short, I fell victim to losing the two resources that worked with me resulting in an increased work load, structural changes that saw no less than 6 managers take on my project and a complete lack of direction during this phase.

Don't get me wrong, I love change. I embrace it. But when you spend almost 2 years in the mix of a major restructure it is easy to lose control and direction. Having so many managers during this period grew tiresome. Every new manager meant spending time with them explaining what I did, why I was developing this new application, justifying my role and the direction I was taking it and working within a new set of guidelines.
The biggest challenge though was not one of my managers had I.T knowledge or any real understanding of web technologies. Some had no real understanding of what was going on out there in the web world which is incredibly challenging, especially for a self confessed tech geek.

I must say that not one of those managers ever stood in the way of me developing the site. They all saw the potential and I think that says a lot about their ability to not let their lack of knowledge get in the way of making a decision.

Fast forward two years and I am close to finally getting my site rolled out. I still have to get approval from the Executive Director but my immediate Director has seen the site and believes there is potential so hopefully it will be approved. What has me rather excited is that I showed the site to Ambulatory care and our population health unit and both are as excited about it's potential as I am.

So the plan now is for me to write a briefing paper and then most likely present the site to the Executive Director. If it gets the go ahead then it will be piloted by a few select community groups that are currently run by our nursing staff.

Although the site is not live, I have included a couple of screen shots. It will no doubt change based on what feedback is received from Executive and the groups using the site.

Oh, I forgot to say that the site is called Community Connect.

I'll keep you all posted. If you wish to find out more about Drupal or any technical aspects, please feel free to comment or email me.

Of course, the Executive Director may say no to piloting the site. I am not going to think about that though!

Cochrane Web Content Advisory Committee (WCAG)

2008-09-27T02:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I accepted an invitation to join the Cochrane Web Content Advisory Committee (WCAG).

WCAG discusses issues relating to requested or planned content for cochrane.org and other cochrane websites.

You can read about Cochrane and the great work they do by visiting their About Us page.

Doctors...challenge your patients!

2008-09-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

I read this really interesting article earlier today asking doctors to challenge their patients.

Given the growth of online health applications and a wealth of reliable health information now available on the net, we are seeing more and more patients taking a proactive role in the management of their health.

Read article: Want to Empower Your Patients? Don’t Be Afraid to Challenge Them!

Personal pages for patients

2008-06-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

I found this excellent article earlier this morning on an Australian News website.

It details two social networking sites designed to help patients quickly setup personal pages to share information with friends and family.

CaringBridge and CarePages are the two websites described and what's great is that the article provides both sides in terms of the patient and the hospitals perspective. It is really great to see Hospitals seeing the value in these types of technical solutions.

I can only hope that more adopt this technology as the ability for people to communicate and share their health story with friends and family is all part of the recovery process.

Hit my home page for my health update

Looking for Opportunities - Update

2008-06-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I posted about looking for opportunities.

I must admit that I really didn't expect to hear from anyone but have been really surprised with the amount of emails I've received!

It looks like there are many people out there in a similar situation to mine with plenty of ideas, drive and enthusiasm.

So thank you to everyone who has emailed and feel free to continue either commenting or emailing. Perhaps we are onto something here....

Looking for Opportunities

2008-06-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

It has been such a long time since I posted on the Tech 'n' Health blog.

I was quite shocked when I saw the last post date. How on earth has this time gone by so quickly!

This post is more of a plea than anything else so I apologize in advance to those expecting a different kind of post today.

I am putting a call out for any opportunities that might be floating around out there in this big wide world of ours.

The request comes mostly from a strong desire to change direction. Specifically, I don't want to work in Government anymore and I really like the idea of either working for a start-up or on a project that may offer further opportunities in the future.

You might be wondering why I haven't just started searching for opportunities. Well, I have. Google is an amazing tool, no doubt about that but it is almost impossible to find anything of real relevance. Work from home opportunities seem to be the most popular results and that certainly isn't what I am looking for! Well, actually it is ideally but not the ones advertised which seem to involve spending countless hours sending emails on behalf of companies..dodgy!

I would love to connect with others out there who are in a similar situation. Sick of working for the man (or woman!), lots of ideas, driven to succeed and a strong desire to challenge yourself.

Seems to me that there must be others out there that feel a little trapped or perhaps you have an idea you just haven't quite been able to get up and running. I may not suit every project but no harm is trying, is there?

You can either comment or email me if you prefer :)

Vipassana

2008-03-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I post about something that doesn't really relate to health and technology but if I like something then I figure, why not share it. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it!

I am home early today and was doing a little bit of channel surfing when I happened upon a really interesting documentary. It is called Doing Time, Doing Vipassana. What struck me about this documentary was the underlying message of changing things within yourself.

Even though I have worked in health care for such a relatively short period (6 years) of time, I have realized quickly that you can't force people to change their habits or lifestyle. The desire for change really does have to come from within and I think as health professionals, one of the most challenging roles is encouraging people to make those positive steps to better health.

I guess it's the old adage, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. This is true for health care as it is for pretty much everything in life.

So this documentary called "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana" is is an award winning, 50 minute documentary about the introduction of a 10-day Meditation program in a violently corrupt Tihar prison in New Delhi.
After the ten-day course in Vipassana, violent criminals were said to have been miraculously and drastically transformed.

Like I said in the beginning, I realize this video is not related to health care but I really enjoyed it and hope you do as well.

They are YouTube videos so are approximately 10 minutes a piece and 5 in total.

Avatar to Help Doctors Visualize Patient Records and Improve Care

2008-03-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

CeBIT 2008 is on at the moment and IBM have been showing off their Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME).

The technology uses an avatar -- a 3D representation of the human body -- to allow doctors to visualize patient medical records in an entirely new way. Called the Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME), this innovative visualization method allows a doctor to click with the computer mouse on a particular part of the avatar "body" to trigger a search of medical records to retrieve relevant information.

"It's like Google Earth for the body," said IBM Researcher Andre Elisseeff, who leads the healthcare projects at IBM's Zurich lab. "In hopes of speeding the move toward electronic healthcare records, we've tried to make information easily accessible for healthcare providers by combining medical data with visual representation, making it as simple as possible to interact with data that can improve patient care."

Source: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/22375.wss

One thing that needs to improve before this technology could be utilized effectively will be the EHR. Once that is working as required, this technology could be a really exciting advancement in patient information management.

tags technorati : Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME) IBM electronic health records

Sharing the Link Love

2008-02-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be a good idea to list any websites or particular posts that I am currently enjoying reading. They will vary and some may not even relate to Health or Technology but some of you may enjoy visiting the sites I mention.

So here is a short list (no particular order) to start to ball rolling:

Mark's Daily Apple - Lots of really great articles here on health and wellbeing

Online Nursing Degree Directory - Has some interesting articles which aren't related to nursing degrees as the name might suggest

InDenialHealth.com - okay, this is shameless self plug, it's one of my own sites but it does have some good articles to read ;)

I'm an amateur photographer so this is one site I visit regularly, heaps of tips and ideas to help improve your next shot

Health and Web 2.0, evaluating success

2008-02-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last posted on the project I've been working on to develop a social health community site for the Health Department I work for. You can read those previous posts here, here and here.

The plan is to utilize web 2.0 technologies to provide patients and the community with a way of communicating with our staff. In the testing phase, I plan on using our community nurses, their parenting groups and our sexual health nurse to run online groups with their existing clients.

As I have mentioned previously, progress has been painfully slow due to staff shortages and being pulled away to work on another project for a time.

The good news is that I am very close now to releasing the site and I'm getting a little excited and also quite nervous. I feel like a great deal is riding on the success of the project. I will be enlisting the services of a couple of Health promotion staff who will help to establish an evaluation criteria. This will pretty much determine whether the project continues after the testing phase or not.

The evaluation will be quite challenging for me as I tend to gauge success via usage and site stats but I understand that in health, you need much more to determine it's value to ongoing patient care and outcomes.

For me, I've always had a very clear picture of what I want this system to do. I don't mean technically but more how I want it to benefit the users. I've pretty much built the system around this concept and I really hope it was the right way of doing it.

I hope that during testing, I'll get the chance to pick the brains of our testers who in this case will be several mother's groups and an at risk teenage mothers group who are dealing with addiction. Ideally, I would have liked to have met with them before building the system but due to a few factors, this was not possible. Instead, I had to rely on what the community nurses were telling me. This generally occurred through random chats about their work, their challenges, issues, etc.

So next week I meet with the Health promotion team and I'll post an update on how they plan to evaluate my site.

After that, I have a bit of fine tuning and I'll be releasing it to a select group. I may even post the link but you won't see much other than a homepage at this early stage!

Wiihabilitation

2008-02-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

I just love reading about technology that is seen as having one role but is utilized for another.

A perfect example of this is the Wii video game controller. To most people, Wii is a game console which offers entertainment and keep the kids quiet during those long school vacation breaks.

But increasingly, I've been reading how Wii is being utilized by physical therapists to help in the rehabilitation of patients. The term being used is Wiihabilitation and judging by the number of facilities using it, is quickly becoming a favorite with patients and therapists.

Wiihabilitation is a popular change from the more traditional forms of physical therapy which patients often refer to as Pain and Torture. The Wii game controller has a unique motion sensor which requires certain body movements that are similar to therapy exercises.

Humans are competitive beasts by nature and I speak from experience when I say that time really does fly when you are engrossed in a video game. So it's no great surprise that patients are really enjoying this new form of therapy.

Of course, no-one is saying that Wiihabilitation is going to take over from the current forms of therapy but it is certainly offering a change for patients who are facing lengthy periods of recovery.

There are quite a few things to really like about this technology use in my opinion;

1: being the very fact that they are using technology in such a neat way

2: utilizing a core objective of the technology for another use (i.e. - competitiveness and our need to beat something!)

3: crosses the age gap. Regardless of your age, the game console offers games that cross the age divide. Whether patients are young or mature, the console is easy enough to pick up. Mature patients are using this technology at home with the grandkids now, how cool is that!

4: engages people. PT can be boring. I know this because my Nan (85) required extensive therapy about two years ago after a leg amputation. It was often tedious and mentally draining for her and provided quite a challenge for therapist to keep the motivation up. Wiihabilitation engrosses people.

5: it's just fun!

Some of the most popular Wii games used in therapy include baseball, bowling, boxing, golf and tennis.

I've included a video showing Wiihabilitation in use plus a great article over at news.yahoo.com.

tags technorati : Wii Wiihabilitation physical therapy

2 Stories on Florida Hospital's Interactive Care Experience

2008-01-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

Florida Hospital Altamonte delivers Interactive Patient Care to Central Florida through a partnership with GetWellNetwork. IPC is a relatively new concept that leverages HD LCD screens inside each patient room to deliver education and entertainment while engaging a patient to take an active role in their own clinical care. Patients are now empowered to become a part of the care team alongside their doctors and nurses so that they move from a passive 'things happening to me' role to an active, informed and better prepared patient that is able to communicate with and make decisions with the team.

Florida Hospital Altamonte is providing the GetWellNetwork to patients in their new 72 bed patient tower. Patients now have access to rich patient education, medication databases, full high-speed internet, on-demand movies -- all deigned to empower patients, provide comfort and connect them with family beyond the walls of the hospital.

Altamonte is one of eight hospitals in the Orlando, FL area, all of which make up Florida Hospital. Florida Hospital was founded in 1908 and is one of the largest hospitals in the country, serving more than 1,000,000 patients a year. For the last seven years, Florida Hospital has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

www.floridahospitalaltamonte.com

2007-12-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings and....

Well, another year is almost over. I really can't believe just how quickly it has gone.

This will more than likely be my last post for 2007, I would like to thank everyone who has commented on my posts and emailed me directly. It is quite a buzz when people take time out of their busy schedules to interact and I really do appreciate it.

For me this year hasn't quite gone as I had planned. Drastic reductions in staff numbers at my work place resulted in delays to my health 2.0 project which has left me feeling a little drained and somewhat frustrated. I am going to take 3 weeks holiday beginning Christmas Eve which I truly hope will recharge my batteries and spark my creative spirit which is currently in hiding, or possibly already on holidays!

Next year might bring change for me. I feel that after almost 6 years in Government (Health) that it is probably time for me to move on to greener pastures. Unfortunately for me, I live in a State (Western Australia) that really doesn't have much in terms of Health 2.0 opportunities so I will need to really think long and hard about what I want to achieve in this industry. One thing is for sure though, I have no plans on moving away from it if I can help it. I know this sounds terribly corny but I believe I have found what I am meant to do in my life.

Rather than dwell on the negative, I would like to throw the microphone (so to speak) over to my readers and subscribers and invite you to share your achievements this year. It can be anything from your professional achievements right through to any personal ones you have made and met this year.

I'd also love to hear what your thoughts, hopes, goals and dreams are for 2008. Where will Health 2.0 take us next year I wonder? It really is an exciting time to be in Health. Regardless of how my year has panned out, I look forward to seeing the new directions and technologies that hit the market next year and beyond.

So that is it for me this year. Finally, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday over the Christmas break.
All the very best for 2008, stay safe, drive safe and be well!

2007-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Think your way around

Nov. 27 - Japanese researchers offer people with paralysis a second life in online virtual worlds by using technology that allows them to control computers with their brainwaves.

The project is still in its early days and the students experimenting with the system must practice for a while and find the best spots on their scalps for the electrodes before they can stroll smoothly around in the virtual world.

Researchers are also looking into merging with similar robot technology to help create eventual cybernetic body parts that can also be controlled just by thoughts alone.

Puja Bharwani reports.

Soundbites:

Yasunari Hashimoto, a 23-year old student testing the product
Creator of Programme, Junichi Ushiba

2007-11-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

The Long Last Mile: Part 2 of 2

Early warnings can save thousands of lives when disasters strike. Science can now anticipate or detect tsunamis, cyclones and floods but the bigger challenge is to communicate that knowledge quickly and effectively to everyone at risk. Following the 2004 tsunami which arrived without warning, civil society groups, telecom operators and researchers collaborated in Sri Lanka to find out how technologies, training and community organisation can carry official warnings through the crucial 'last mile'.

2007-10-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Long Last Mile: Part 1 of 2

This video isn't strictly to do with telehealth but any advance warning provided is obviously going to offer better odds for people to survive disasters and avoid serious injuries.

Early warnings can save thousands of lives when disasters strike. Science can now anticipate or detect tsunamis, cyclones and floods but the bigger challenge is to communicate that knowledge quickly and effectively to everyone at risk. Following the 2004 tsunami which arrived without warning, civil society groups, telecom operators and researchers collaborated in Sri Lanka to find out how technologies, training and community organisation can carry official warnings through the crucial 'last mile'.

tags technorati : Community participation Disasters ICT Development Natural disasters Space technology

2007-09-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

A Web of Deceit?

Have a migraine? Go online and find out why.

At least, the idea of online doctoring seems to be what more Americans are programmed to do these days when it comes to gathering health, nutrition, and even information on medical conditions.

In fact, more than two-thirds of the people surveyed by the Opinion Research Corp. for the Kellen Co., reported obtaining some form of medical information on the Internet. More than 1,000 adults across the U.S. were studied and 82 percent said that they search for specific health and nutrition advice while 62 percent believe it is actually accurate information, and 89 percent said that they would follow the advice that they found.

Read rest of story @ FoxNews.com >

2007-09-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

Quick Update - If only...

Wow, I just checked the date of my last entry and was shocked that it was way back in August!

It has been a hectic time for me both professionally and personally so I thought I'd give a quick update of what has been happening.

Luckily for me I've been away on a wonderful vacation which took my partner and I to Queensland where we spent time swimming at the Great Barrier Reef and hiking the Daintree Forest. It was a childhood dream of mine to see both of these most wonderful world treasures and it was a special time for me to finally realise it.

Spending time away also created a few emotional delimmas for me. I don't know if this is just something that happens only to certain people but I feel really unsettled. I have found it very difficult to settle back into a routine of 9 to 5 life. I'm not sure if it's simply a case of catching the travel bug or something deeper than that. It has left me wondering what exactly I am contributing. To be honest, when you go to somewhere like the Great Barrier Reef, you just feel the complete enormity and power of nature. It's actually hard to put into words just how much this trip has impacted me. A part of me wants to just sell up, find good work somewhere rural (south western Australia) and get away from city life. One problem, finding good paying work in rural areas is difficult in this field!

I then got back to work to find that my position is now under review. I don't think this means they will let me go but possibly change the scope of my role altogether. This did not help with my current feelings about work at all! I guess this is one downside of Government. At any rate, I really have no idea what the powers that be will want me to do or change. It is a little dis-heartning. I was told (off the record) that there is a concern at a higher level about what I do because they don't undertand the technology. This just totally shocked me on a couple of levels. The first being that I find it hard to believe that people in positions of importance can be so ignorant of what is happening in our world with technology.

The second being that because they don't understand it, they immediately put up barriers and panick about keeping a role that is dedicated to advancement.

Needless to say, it's been an unwelcome stress and not something that I want to be dealing with at the moment.

I'm not sure if it's female intuition or just me taking it too seriously but I am starting to look at other options and opportunties. I really don't want to leave because I believe strongly in the technology but perhaps I'm working for a employer who just isn't going to be able to grasp it in the future.

I think another trip to the Great Barrier Reef is in order! I need to win lotto.....

2007-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

World's Highest Resolution HDTV Surgical Camera

A very interesting documentary by National Geographic has utilized HD to capture a surgery using the world's highest resolution HDTV surgical camera.

This is the first time a surgery has been captured using HDTV and used a 3CCD camera with an acquisition resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The output image is progressively scanned and displayed at 60 FPS (Frames-per-second) providing some pretty amazing shots.

Stephen Palter, one of the physicians involved in capturing these amazing shots for the program has a blog that provides more detailed information on the surgery and technology.

Stephen Palter's blog - docinthemachine.com

tags technorati : hd surgery hdsurgery health medical operating surgery

2007-07-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

Center for Connected Health's Annual Symposium "Building the Connected Health Economy: Innovation, Implementation and Investment" Conference Center at Harvard Medical - Boston

Just a note to let you know that the Center for Connected Health is running their annual Symposium, details can be found by visiting their website. https://www.connected-health.org/connectedhealth/Symposium.aspx

Key topics will include: patient self-management and information technology, disease management and information technology, business viability, revenue models including pay-for-performance and consumer-driven healthcare, consumer self-pay market, employee health and wellness, Web 2.0, patient compliance, personal health records, and wireless solutions.

I have not had the chance to go to their Symposium but would love to, especially as they are discussing Web 2.0....maybe next year, shall start saving now!

tags technorati : Center for Connected Health symposium ehealth telehealth telemedicine

2007-07-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Parkland Hospital implements ER Check-in Kiosk

DALLAS-Parkland Memorial Hospital's Emergency Services Department has launched a new self-service check in called MediKiosks, for ER patients. A video from NBC is available over at The Consumerist.com and is worth watching: Visit now

The stations have been added to the triage area in an effort to decrease wait times, improve patient safety and enhance efficiency.

The kiosk, three in total, are available in both English and Spanish.

Using a computer touch screen, patients enter registration information and use a body diagram and brief definitions to describe the nature of the visit. The information is then sent to a main computer system where a nurse will be in constant view of the patients' information. Emergency technicians and paramedics are available to patients should they have any questions or emergent medical needs.

Related links

Video link
Galvanon - MediKiosk
Parkland Hospital

tags technorati : MediKiosk ER Check - in ehealth e - health telehealth

2007-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Diagnosis by internet wastes time

The SMH.com.au website has an article that will be of interest to many of you in healthcare/IT related fields.

Apparently doctors in Australia say they spend 1 day per week reassuring patients who have misdiagnosed themselves due to using the Internet to find health related information.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this one. Comments please?

Read article here: SMH.com.au website

tags technorati : health online online diagnosis

2007-07-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 - Do people in health get it?

I've posted a few times now about a project I am working on to convert a static health Government run website using DRUPAL to incorporate some of the more popular web 2.0 technologies.

Things are progressing but I must admit that some frustration is creeping in with regards to support. I was one of the first people employed in Australia with the word e-health in their title and I think it might have created a problem for me. People in health just don't understand what I do so I have to spend some time explaining it. You would think that after almost 6 years in my current position that I would have a descent description of what I do all sorted out.

The problem is that people, both in Health and outside have varying levels of understanding. Offering one description of my role just doesn't cut it. Many factors come into play here. Whether it is age, experience, understanding of technologies, professional bias or health knowledge, it is just too difficult to accurately convey what I do.

This brings me to my current frustations. I've recently held presentations among senior health professionals which I had hoped and continue to hope will be bring ideas and hopefully partnerships. This is critical to success, especially in Government.

Many continue to look blankly as I try to explain all the wonderful things I believe we can deliver to the population.

I have demonstrations, facts and figures to back up my ideas so it's not a weird science project I am trying to undertake. So why aren't they more excited? Why aren't they seeing the potential?

A couple of days ago, an email was CC'd to me from a co-worker. Someone in health who happened upon a report from a well known health professional (health promotion) from the USA sent it to everyone in management. He has written a report on the benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies specifically, healthy virtual communities. He announced that after careful consideration and research that it is indeed, a good idea to pursue online services.

All of a sudden I am getting requests for presentations. People have ideas and concepts.

Of course, I've been trying to get these very same people excited now for over 6 years. Not all have been based around web 2.0 but I have pushed the need for better online services.

I am very happy to see that some people in health are now actively promoting this trend and I am glad that it's finally getting through. But sometimes I wish that those same people could be a little more open to ideas from people in other professional fields rather than waiting for someone in health to tell them that it's okay to go ahead.

Reflecting on the past 6 years of trying to promote online services, I am not sure what I could have done differently other than source a well respected health professional to endorse it before spending countless hours looking at blank stares!

tags technorati : web 2 . 0 health drupal

2007-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Are you suffering from Teenage Affluenza?

Are you suffering from Teenage Affluenza? This is a great satirical video that reminds us we lead such lucky lives. Isn't it time you give back? To do something real?

Try: www.40hourfamine.com (Australia) www.30hourfamine.org(USA)
or...
Become a world Stirrer (no matter where you live) @ www.stir.org.au and receive free monthly StirMails.

tags technorati : 40 hour famine Teenage Affluenza

2007-06-18T21:11:00.001-07:00

Re-Mission, how computer games are helping kids fight cancer

These videos are really great and well worth watching.

The first shows how games, in this case, Re-Mission is helping and encouraging kids with leukemia to fight their cancer. It helps kids learn about their cancer while having fun. Children are better able to keep up with their treatment regimen. They can gain a better understanding of cancer, and so can their siblings - all of which helps add to the quality of life of these children, and ultimately, hopefully to higher remission rates.

The second shows HopeLab who funded the development of the game. This video goes into detail about the science behind the game and is a really great example of how medical science, technology, patients and gamers can come together to make a difference.

I found the videos via the Games For Health website. G4H is an organisation established by The Serious Games Initiative. Their goal is to develop a community and best practices platform for the many games being built for health care applications.

It's a neat website and for someone like me who believes strongly in the role technology plays in health care, reinforces with best practices, just how important it will be in the future.

Games For Health website

Re-Mission

HopeLab

2007-06-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Heartbeat indicator Mouse

This gadget has not yet hit the market.

Some might question the need to monitor your heart rate while working on your computer but hey, nothing quite like adding a new, glowing, nifty gadget to your desk!

The heartbeat indicator mouse uses sensors inside the mouse so that when your thurm or palm touches it, heart rate information is sent to the little display panel.

This could actually be of benefit to many of you that have stressful jobs or for those who don't even realise you are getting all wound up over something you are working on. It will let you know that it's time to get away from your desk and maybe go for a walk or just chill out in the staff room.

The information can even be sent to your hospital or health carer, especially handy if you have a medical condition that requires monitoring.

It would be cool if you could have this information sent to a website so you can get graphs, etc on a long term basis.

Looking forward to seeing this hit the market.

tags technorati : Heartbeat indicator Mouse, stress, health, heart rate monitor

2007-06-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

Gates Foundation gives $105 million to the UW institute to evaluate health programs

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $105 million to the University of Washington to open a new research center to assess the performance of global health programs.

Dr. Christopher Murray will head the new Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

When the institute is fully operational, it will have more than 100 faculty and staff members.

In a statement, Dr. Murray said "Global health spending is on the rise, yet too often there are gaps in information about where these funds can have the greatest impact," Murray said in a statement.

The research center will collect and analyze data on health indicators and trends, such as the availability of health care and the spread of disease. It will study the results of health programs and will make health data freely available to policy makers, researchers and the public.

It will be really interesting to see the results as they start coming through over the coming years. Hopefully, they will be encouraging!

2007-06-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

Intel co-founder's view on IT in health care

Unfortunately I wasn't able to embed this video so you will have to visit CNET to watch but well worth it.

Intel co-founder, Andy Grove talks with ZDNet about his views on the current use of IT in health care. It will probably come as no suprise to hear that he believes there is still a long way to go before IT is well established in health and gives his thoughts as to what might prompt pickup in the future.

Watch video - will take you to the ZDNet site.

tags technorati : INTEL Andy Grove health care ICT

2007-06-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

Mission 2007 - Brining ICT to India

Another informative video for those with an interest in ICT and rural or remote regions throughout the world.

Several dozen Indian government, civil society and private sector organisations have joined hands as the National Alliance for Mission 2007 to take the benefits of ICT-led development to 600,000 villages across India.

tags technorati : ICT Mission 2007

2007-05-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

PSP to go Wi-Fi

BT and Sony have announced that the next shipment of the popular PlayStationPortable (PSP) will ship with Wi-Fi software capable of messaging, voice and video calls.

I am really excited about this announcement.

You might be wondering what this has to do with health and technology, well it's quite simple. Young people use medical services.

Go to any children's hopsital in the Western World and you will see wards full of kids playing on some sort of gaming device. If we can tap into products in-built capabilities (ie. Wi-Fi), we can send relevant education and information to their devices when they want it.

In addition, they could access a hospitals network, espeically designed just for them to use. Imagine being able to offer them web 2.0 services like blogging, forums and chats on an internal network. It gives them more power to determine what information they want to get and I think that is a very positive step forward.

Kids have this amazing ability to adapt quickly to technology and they are quite demanding in what they want. They expect information to be delivered quickly and conveniently and preferably using the products they take with them everywhere. iPods, mobile phones and now their PSP gaming console. How cool is that!

I for one would love to start developing secure health networks for kids. It's an exciting market with loads of potential!

2007-05-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

Reflect ICT Project

I have another great video from the CNN Global Challenges program.

It shows the fantastic work being done in rural communities from Western Uganda. Utilising solar power, communities are now able to utilise computers and telecommunications to help with literacy, education and health including HIV and AIDS programs.

Although the video does not talk in detail about telehealth, I felt it was worth posting about as it is clear how easy it would be to establish telehealth solutions.

The great thing about the project (Reflect ICT Project) is that the computers and other services are made available to everyone in the community. The staff (only a few people manage these centres) help everyone to learn how to use the computers including advice on using search tools, like Google. When people are confident enough, they can use one of the provided computers to look up whatever they need.

The computers were donated by Inveneo who do amazing work in this area.

The one thing that should be noted is that funding, long term, is going to be an issue. If you happen to work for a company who would like to give back, then perhaps you could help ensure that people in remote communities like those from Western Uganda have the same opportunities we have grown accustomed to.

tags technorati : Reflect ICT Project Inveneo ICT telehealth

2007-05-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

WHO launches clinical trials registry search portal

I was really pleased to read late last week that the World Health Organization has launched a search portal aimed at providing researchers, physicians and patients with reliable information that could help them avoid potentially harmful side effects of drugs.

Data submitted to the portal must meet a minimum quality standard protocol and all trials are registered before patients are solicited.

In addition, they are required to reveal their ownership, governance structure and for-profit status. Data will not be accepted directly from drug companies (Nebehay, Reuters, 5/4).

This is a really important step forward in the delivery of medical information to the public. If an organization like WHO are prepared to provide this type of information, it helps to break down barriers between patients and medical professionals.
Providing unbiased, accurate information of this type is a positive step forward.

Commentator Michael Millenson, a health quality expert at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management spoke more about it, you can listen to the audio segment by clicking here.

tags technorati : WHO World Health Organization clinical trials Clinical Trials Registry Platform

2007-05-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Blackberry with curves

Research In Motion has released a new smart-phone which is sure to entice many more health professionals to the joys of blackberries.

Curve, the latest smartphone to the market includes all the usual blackberry features and now comes with a 2 mega-pixel camera with 5x zoom, built-in flash and a full-screen viewfinder.

It lets users watch videos and play music like other BlackBerries, but also comes with an advanced media manager program and a photo editor as well.

"For those that were eagerly awaiting for a Pearl-like design with a full QWERTY keyboard, this is it," RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said in an interview.

The Curve's bells and whistles are aimed at high-end customers who are willing to pay top dollar for stylish looking smart-phones with multimedia capability.

I work with many health professionals who are totally addicted (known generally as crackberries) to their blackberry. At the moment, they tend to use them for general business, checking and responding to emails. I'd like to see them used more in patient care including video education which can be shown to patients during consultations and connection to web 2.0 enabled sites.

tags technorati : Blackberry Curve health web 2 . 0 telehealth

2007-05-02T02:15:00.000-07:00

A Digital Revolution for the World's Remotest Regions

Following on from my previous post and video on telehealth in Northern Pakistan, this video showcases some of the amazing work Intel is doing as part of their World Ahead Program, an initiative to spend $1 Billion developing technology in remote regions throughout the world.

Two prime examples are in Egypt and in the middle of the Amazon River. Working with Egypt's government, business and education leaders, Intel installed a state-of-the-art WiMAX network to connect two public schools, a health care center on wheels, a municipal building and an e-government services kiosk in the small rural town of Oseem. Intel also donated and installed computers in the mobile health center and PC labs at the two schools where students and teachers can regularly connect to the outside world for the first time.

My interest in this area is growing. It must be a truly amazing experience to be part of a team helping people in this way.

Working in I.T, spending hours in front of a computer screen can really separate you from the rest of the world. It's ironic really, I develop solutions that are actually designed to keep people connected but I work alone and often feel disjointed from the world.

I imagine people working for Intel and others like the Center for Connected Health, get to communicate with those in remote regions and really develop a sense of purpose that would be incredibly rewarding.

tags technorati : Intel World Ahead Program telehealth ehealth WiMAX

2007-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Telehealth project in Northern Pakistan

This short documentary is worth watching. It shows how telehealth is helping people in Northern Pakistan. The project was established by the non profit organisation, Baltistan Health and Education Foundation.

It is so wonderful to see technology helping people in remote regions in 3rd world and developing nations.

I'm am always interested to hear of any projects going on out there so if you are lucky enough to be involved or know of similar work, please contact me. I will be more than happy to post a story on your work.

tags technorati : telehealth Baltistan Health & Education Foundation

2007-04-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Starlight Children's Foundation to launch social networking site

Great news from Australia with the Starlight Children's Foundation announcing that they are currently developing a social networking site for kids undergoing treatment.

The pilot will include approximately 500 children and is due for launch in June. The site will be then phased in stages over the next two to three years.

The site will target kids between the ages of 10 and 18 and will give them the ability to share their thoughts, feelings and advice with other kids going through the same things.

When registered, kids will be able to create personal profiles, view/upload pictures and videos, instant message each other and run their blogs. There will also be some other cool features like the ability to setup a webcam chat.

I'm really excited about this. It is wonderful to see such a prominant foundation taking the initiative and developing something that kids will get great benefit from. I've talked many times here and at other forums about social networking and the role I believe it will play in health care. Given the target audience (10 - 18 year olds), I have no doubt the anticipated pickup (approx 280,000 people) of the system will be achieved.

I have not seen the site but design will be critical to it's success. Developing a site for such a broad age range must have created some challenges for the project group. One thing is for sure though, the Starlight Children's Foundation know kids, so I am sure it will be an amazing website that will be great for kids going through some pretty awful challenges so early in life.

Another thing I am keen to see is what additional *plug-in* technologies they employ as time goes on (ie, ipods, mobiles, internet enabled game consoles, etc). Also, connecting hospital staff and physicians to their patients could be another option, if not already planned.

I look forward to the launch and well done!

tags technorati : Starlight Children's Foundation social networking health ehealth

2007-03-22T01:12:00.000-07:00

It just takes a few simple words - Health and Web 2.0

As many of you know, I've been developing a new health site for a Government Department that utilizes web 2.0 technologies.

Prior to this development, I had really struggled to get any interest from internal staff in using the system, promoting it or contributing content to the various health sections. This is by no means a criticism. The fact was and still is that conventional web development can be time consuming. Asking already work overloaded staff to write content, reply to public forums and emails was just too much.

When I first started talking to my colleagues about the potential of web 2, their attitudes to participating changed pretty much instantly. Reflecting on that change, I'd have to say that the words collaboration, sharing and creation were the words that changed it all.

It was amazing to see how keen people became in helping to get this project up and running. I think that they love the idea of giving the public the ability to have control of what they do when using an online tool.

It meant that instead of the burden of content creation coming solely from our staff, we could start providing tools that gave people the ability to collaborate online via blogs, forums and the uploading of health diaries.

Sure, we have challenges and many of those revolve around maintaining the system and ensuring protocols are in place to protect our clients and our services. But those issues are not big enough to discourage the staff.

Health promotion in particular are right on board and see huge potential for them to communicate better with their community partners and in the delivery of health education and information.

Exciting times!

tags technorati : health sites web 2.0 health

2007-03-02T02:46:00.000-08:00

Consumers embrace online health care tools, Physicians slow to take up

A recent commissioned study conducted by Cisco Systems for Illuminas has shown that one in three US residents say that the Internet has changed the way they manage their health care.

Some of the great statistics that have come out of the study include:

62% of respondents said they have used online health tools.

56% of respondents report that personal technology has improved their health management.

25% say they are healthier because of the Internet.

The bad news is that physicians are slow to take up online technology. 62% of respondents said that their physician does not offer online tools including the ability to email their doctor. This is something I recently posted about, you can read it hear.

Study results are based on a survey conducted between January 29 and February 14 of 4,105 adults.

A similar survey by Accenture showed that the majority of respondents said that the availability of electronic health records influences their physician selection and that they would be willing to pay for the service.

I'm a little surprised that physicians are looking more seriously at internet online tools as part of their business model.

tags technorati : ehealth, electronic health records, health management, online health tools

2007-02-28T03:30:00.000-08:00

Web 2.0 - Policies and Guidelines

I've posted a few times about the project I am currently undertaking to build a web 2.0 community health site.

Progress has been a little slow of late due to a few factors. First of all, the two people who worked with me have moved on to new positions, I've taken time off for holidays and my work load has increased significantly, compounded by the fact I'm now working solo on this project. All in all, it's been a very busy time for me.

Now that I'm back and focused on the project, I've been thinking alot about the practical day to day running of the site once it's finalised. Specifically, what guidelines, policies and procedures will I need to have in place. I'd be lying if I said that some aspects of community social networking doesn't concern me. There are so many issues that could surface when people start communicating via the site.

With that in mind, I'm trying to formulate some general guidelines that will form the basis of the terms of use for the site.

Ideally, I'd love to be able to ensure that every comment and post from users is moderated and verified before going live. But I'm one person so this could become time consuming. The down side of that is that people have a very low threshold of the amount of time they are prepared to wait. Plus, social networking is normally spontaneous. You think it, you write it, the thing goes live for all the world to see.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has or is currently tackling these issues. I don't want to get bogged down in guidelines and policies. In my experience, projects can often get caught up in the endless circle of documentation.

No doubt, there is a need for policies and guidelines but it needs to be streamlined and sensible in it's delivery.

tags technorati : web 2.0, ehealth, Health

2007-02-23T00:06:00.000-08:00

Insulin Pen - Too expensive?

I read an article this morning from Yahoo News about a new Insulin Pen ready to hit the market.

The new insulin pen comes from the makers, Eli Lilly and Co and could help prevent some punctures.

The drug maker's Memoir pen, the first on the market with a memory device, is for use with its top-selling insulin, Humalog.

The pen which is battery-operated uses a computer chip to remember the last 16 insulin doses delivered.

Unfortunately, the cost will be $100US plus a separate fee for the insulin cartridges.

I posted mid August last year about the issue I have with health technology solutions being out of reach of many. You can read the original post here: TV Doc treat outside the box

I just think it's a real pity that makers can't produce or sell these technologies at a more reasonable rate. Health solutions should not only be available to those who can afford it, but, more importantly for those who can't. They are more often than not the ones who need it the most.

Related links
Yahoo News story

tags technorati : insulin pen, diabetes, obesity, Health, ehealth

2007-02-09T00:45:00.000-08:00

The benefits of Health Promotion

A change of pace for todays post. I usually like to write about health with a technical slant as that's what this blog is all about, but today I want to show you a video which I think is really great.

For the last 4 years, I've been lucky enough to work with two amazing health promotion professionals, Elizabeth Buckton and Lisa Courtis. When I started working in Health, I really had no concept of the demands or the many issues facing health providers.

I doubt that I would be as passionate or committed to health care as I am now without the knowledge these two people have shared with me over the years. The one sad thing I have found though is that as a profession, they are under-valued.

This video shows clearly just how powerful health promotion is as a tool to helping the community to improve health care and really make a difference in the world. Next time you see a health promotion professional, thank them for all the amazing work they do and if you know them well enough, give them a hug ;)

Video details
UNICEF's Lydia Lubon reports on Village Health Promoters who provide basic health care to remote communities in Malaysia.

Some quick stats
In 30 decades, health promotion initiatives helped to:

Maternal mortality rates dropped from 141 deaths to 40 deaths in 100,000 births in 2003

Infant and child mortality rates dropped to less than 9 deaths in every 1,000 live births in 2002

tags technorati : health promotion village health rural health

2007-02-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Doctors slow to take up email

I read a great article from USAToday regarding the slow take up of Doctors using email to regularly communicate with patients.

Apparently only 8% of patients received email from their doctors, according to an online survey conducted in 2005 by Harris Interactive for The Wall Street Journal Online.

Many experts have noted many reasons for why take up has been so slow, some include:

•Patient confidentiality will be compromised.

•Doctors will be deluged by patient e-mail, which would add hours of uncompensated labor to their work weeks.

•Patients will send e-mail about urgent matters — for, example, heart attack or stroke symptoms — that doctors won't see in time.

Interestingly, the majority of these issues have already been resolved using technology and for those who do offer email consultations, evidence would suggest that these fears are not being realised.

For patients, email offers them a very quick and effective way of communication with their doctors and some say that it has helped them to build a relationship with their physician.

I thought about this a little bit last night and while I can see many issues, as mentioned above, being factors in the slow take up I'd also like to flag the possibility that perhaps the technology makers and suppliers aren't selling it effectively to Doctors.

I think it is easy to put the blame on slow take up of technology into the Doctors corner. The majority want to provide effective service to their patients and are more than happy to adopt technology to help them deliver it.

So is it possible that the technology has been lost in translation? Maybe the benefits of email between Doctor and patient has been lost due to the sheer take up of the technology. Email is so common that it's now a standard form of communication. It might need a makeover in terms of how it's marketed to health professionals.

So Doctors, tech suppliers and makers, do you have a point of view on this topic? Lets start communicating!

tags technorati : email health technology doctor

2007-02-03T04:34:00.000-08:00

Interactive Health Podcast Show 9

The latest podcast from Interactive Health (co-hosted by myself) is now available for download.

To listen or subscribe, visit Interactive Health's site and download podcast

2007-01-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

Health and Web 2.0, Update

I've been posting recently about my current project which is to convert the health site I manage to the social networking platform of Web 2.0. You can read previous posts here and here.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks as I've invested considerable time planning. I cannot stress enough just how important it is to plan and then plan some more. Site structure including how you want people to use your site is vital to the overall design. Equally as important is defining roles of your various users and editors. I found out quite quickly that I had more types of users than I initially thought. All of this information is needed to determine how you will create and manage your site long term.

Another important step is to start informing potential clients and internal (by this I mean inhouse staff) clients about what you are doing and the benefits you believe it will bring to how they conduct their work. I have started doing this and must say that it has been overwhelmingly positive! Infact, the majority have taken the ball and run with it, so to speak. They are coming up with new ideas and taking the technology and using it in a way that can be adapted to their needs. All have said that social networking means they can communicate better with their client base. How cool is that, they get it!

So I will continue planning and buidling. Will keep you all posted.

tags technorati : Web 2.0 health ehealth

2007-01-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

Another great video - Telehealth delivered by inveneo

Another great video showing a group called Inveneo helping to deliver health care in rural areas and 3rd world countries. I think it's tremendous that there are companies and organisations out there doing this much needed work.

---------------------------------

Institute of Rural Health Think Tank Series Chaired by Rameshsharma Ramloll

Date and Time: Feb 16, 2006 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM MST Presenter: Kristin Peterson Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer, Inveneo

Kristin Peterson reviews how providing Information and Communications Technology to people and the organizations who serve them, can make a huge impact on peoples lives in developing countries and underserved regions. In this presentation, she will also discuss possible ways to use this technology for Telehealth Initiatives.

tags technorati: rural health, Inveneo, telehealth

2007-01-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

Health and Web 2.0, Update

In a recent post, I talked a little bit about the opportunities for developing web 2.0 social networking components to health related sites and applications. You can read my original post here.

I mentioned that I am currently in the process of converting a health site to the Web 2.0 platform. I thought I'd give you an update on where I am and what tools I am using.

I also mentioned that it can be very challenging obtaining funding for such a project. It seems that many in the Australian health industry have little to no interest in exploring new ways of delivering health to the population. That certainly seems to be case where I am located. There is a general lack of interest in exploring this form of delivery. I have lost count of the amount of Executive meetings I have been asked to present at. I show them the website, then I start handing out ipods with health videos and podcasts produced by our staff, mobile phones showing text messages with health alerts and health videos sent via the website and all of our online streaming media capabilities.

Obviously I'm biased but it's pretty darn impressive. Generally speaking, the response I get, if you can call it that is a half smile and that's about it. The majority, sit there, arms crossed, no expression at all and then they just walk out mumbling as they leave that it was an interesting presentation. I know these people are busy, after all, they are responsible for running an entire States hospital system. I find it interesting though they aren't just a little more excited about the potential.

Anyway, back to what this post is about. I tested several content management systems. The main priority for me was that it had to be free. I have no funding so that's a priority. I wanted a CMS that had modules and theme development built in along with an active online community. When you are developing a product using an opensource application, active communities are vital. That's their lifeline.

I ended up settling on a product called Drupal. I love this product. There's a reasonably steep learning curve but once you get your head around the basic concept, it's a great product. The modules, some created by the developers and others by the community make it a a great social networking platform. You can pretty much build anything you want with this product. Whether it be simple forums for your users right through to peer reviews, blogs for readers, uploading of video and audio content, it has alot to offer.

Right now I'm building templates based on the original design and I've spend a fair bit of time thinking about how I want people to use the site and most importantly, what they need to get from the site. This is all about giving people the tools to empower their own health management.

tags technorati : drupal, web 2.0, Health, ehealth, telemedicine

2007-01-04T23:40:00.001-08:00

Google Tech Talks
October 30, 2006

Paul Epstein

ABSTRACT
Climate change has multiple direct and indirect consequences for human health. Heat waves affect health directly and are projected to take an increasing toll in developed and underdeveloped nations. The 2003 summer heatwave in Europe – an event six standard deviations from the mean – led to 21-35,000 excess deaths in five nations, extensive wildfires, crop failures, nuclear plant shutdowns and melted 10% of the Alpine glacial mass. This event and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrate that climate change and its impacts may be surprisingly non-linear.

tags technorati : climate change, Health

2007-01-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

Health and Web 2.0

Recently I was invited to be a guest editor at the Connected Health Initiatives discussion forums. My entry focused on the potential of utilising web 2.0 technologies in online health care. You will see that we had some interesting responses. Visit post

I came across this website the other day which I am very excited about, it utilises web 2.0 to encourage online participation of health discussions. The site is called DailyStrength.org and users can join support communities, start a wellness journal, share advice, recommend physicians and link to Web sites that contain disease information.

It's all about empowering people to take control of their own health needs and I hope that sites like these will be able to encourage health professionals to develop similar initiatives.

I have been developing a similar website for the Health agency I work for in Australia. Progress is slow as I am working on it alone. As many of us know, getting Government agencies to commit $ to IT projects in health can be very challenging! But all going to plan I am determined to get my website converted to web 2.0 by mid year.

tags technorati : ehealth, web 2.0

2006-12-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

Tech 'n' Health will be taking a short break over the festive holidays but will be back in 2007.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

2006-12-22T18:06:00.001-08:00

Interactive Health Show #8

The latest podcast from Interactive Health (co-hosted by myself) is now available for download.

To listen or subscribe, visit Visit Interactive Health's site and download podcast

2006-12-21T18:36:00.001-08:00

A truly special gift this Christmas

Well, another year is drawing to a close and most of us have purchased all our presents for loved ones for Chistmas. But as we know, in many countries, people are just trying to survive another day. Many people simply do not have access to food and water, the basic essentials.

I'd like to draw your attention to a couple of wonderful programs Heifer International and Oxfam Unwrapped . You can help hungry families feed themselves by helping to purchase livestock. How cool is that!javascript:void(0)

One of my dearest friends in Sydney, Australia purchased a goat on my behalf from Oxfam Unwrapped today and I think it's just a wonderful program. (Oxfam will be better suited to our Australian readers)

If you have a spare few dollars, I would encourage you to visit the sites and make a contribution.

tags technorati : Christmas donation Oxfam Heifer International

2006-11-30T03:21:00.000-08:00

Children's hospital adding telemedicine

Australian IT has published an article about the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane utilising telemedicine with an $18 million grant.

A range of services will be made available including wireless networks that will enable remote telemedicine and radio-frequency identification technology in wristbands. You can read the full story here

Great to see an IT Department in Health taking the initiative and utilising technology to help people! Well done. Let's hope others will follow...

tags technorati : telemedicine radio - frequency identification Royal Children's Hospital Brisbane

2006-11-22T02:57:00.000-08:00

Partners Telemedicine unveil latest innovations

I've previously posted about some of the great work Partners Telemedicine are doing with their Operation Village Health programme.

At the TeleMed and eHealth 06 conference, Dr Kvedar showcased four new systems as part of the Connected Health Initiative.

The systems include a heart failure monitoring system, the SimPill medication adherence system, a 'virtual coach' and a scheme that allows patients to e-mail pictures of their own skin conditions to their dermatologist.

I'm really impressed with the work Partners Telemedicine are doing. They seem to have a great understanding of community health needs and can design and build products that meet these requirements.

Well done!

tags technorati : telemedicine ehealth Partners Telemedicine Operation Village Health Connected Health Initiative

2006-11-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Interactive Health Show #7

The latest podcast from Interactive Health (co-hosted by myself) is now available for download.

To listen or subscribe, visit Visit Interactive Health's site and download podcast

2006-11-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

IT could help improve healthcare in India

Times of India has reported that Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss is in talks with Intel to deliver telehealth initiatives to rural areas.

Intel recently announced that they were investing $1 Billion on initiatives to accelarate technology access to people in developing countries.

The Government is currently establishing an Accredited Social Health Activist or dedicated health facilitator in each of the six lakh villages so that people with medical needs in these remote areas can be treated.

Craig Barrett, the Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corporation said that they are working on a pilot project "Aarogya Jaal" at the community health centre located at Baramati and Pune districts of Maharashtra.

It is refreshing to see telehealth initiatives being established so quickly in areas that really need the help. Some of the more wealthier countries in the world that have many resources available to them are unable to deliver solutions like this, perhaps they could learn a thing or two about just getting in there and doing it rather than getting caught up in beauracracy!

tags technorati : telehealth India Intel World Ahead Program

2006-10-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

The value of nurses

Just a quick post today. I have been reading many articles this week dealing with some great telemedicine stories offering services to rural areas in the USA.

One common element throughout all is the role nurses play in the initial assessment of patient data and communicating results to physicians. Isn't it interesting that as far as we have come with providing people with technical health solutions that nurses continue to play such a vital role in health delivery.

I wonder what challenges will face nursing in the future with regards to their need to be technically savvy? Will they need to study IT related courses in the future or will technology be so transparent that no additional knowledge is required to monitor the devices and translate the data?

Will nurses of the future have the same role they do today? I have no idea but one thing is for sure, nursing continues to be one of the most valued and respected professions and long may that continue!

2006-10-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note

Firstly, I must apologize for taking so long to post on my blog.

It's been a busy few weeks but that isn't the main reason for not blogging. I haven't been in a good place with my work and I think it had a flow on effect here.

As you know, I work for a Health Department in Australia and whilst I truly love my work and believe strongly in ehealth and telehealth, I find it a constant struggle to get health professionals as interested in it as I am.

After 4 years of slogging hard to make a difference, I am feeling jaded and a bit fed up with Government. It's my first stint working for Government, I've always worked for private enterprise and must admit that I am missing it a little.

I think it must be health in Australia that is backward. I read on a daily basis some of the most amazing stories of 3rd world countries adopting IT to better their health services and countries like the USA and UK are doing some incredible work. Telehealth seems to be alive and well. More over, health professionals in these countries don't seem to have the same fear or apprehension to adopt technical solutions.

I know that some of you have been working in this area for many more years than I have in Australia and are probably thinking that I'm just whinging, which I am! But honestly, why is it so hard for Australian Government departments to just try something different once in a while? Why are we still struggling with one patient record systems? I know, it's bureaucracy. I think people in high places are afraid to take the chance of it failing so just go with the wait and see approach.

That's the situation I am in. Working with people who just want to wait and see. Meanwhile, the opportunities are flying by.

I genuinely want to help people. I want to make a difference. I am beginning to wonder if there are some people involved in Health that don't care as much about those things.

I wish I could work in the US or the UK, maybe I could find an organization that would take a few measured chances and just see where it goes. I guess those days are gone but you can't blame me for dreaming a little!

tags technorati : Health Australia bureaucracy ehealth telehealth

2006-09-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

McDonalds - Make up your own mind

Last week in Australia, McDonalds started a new ad campaign called: Make up your own mind.

Apparently, McDonalds wants to set the record straight and provide it's consumers and the population with the right information about their products.

The ads are sleek, no surprises there. They use young people, who are fit, thin and healthy looking. Of course, if they continue to eat from the regular menu and not the healthy choice selection, they won't stay fit and healthy for long.

They tell their audience that they are sick of their friends saying bad things about Maccas and they are going to find out for themselves exactly what the deal is.

We see them visit a factory where a woman stands next to a cow diagram that shows the rump and other good cuts of meat. Apparently they don't use off cuts and parts of the cow I wouldn't feed to my dog.

I don't have a problem with McDonald's having their say, they have every right to defend their business and offer the public a menu that they want. I don't have a problem with people eating McDonalds. In small quantities, and I mean very small, it's okay. But this company is delivering media that in my opinion, is bordering on propaganda. Most people know it's not good for you.

I had a chat yesterday with my Manager. She watched the ad on the weekend with her husband who is fit and healthy as well. They don't eat fast food, in fact, my Manager has never eaten food from any of the major chains. They were both incredibly mad with the ad. We started talking about health agencies and how we can offer the public a balanced view of these companies and the products they sell.

We know that eating this stuff, long term, can contribute to leading health conditions. There is plenty of evidence to back this up. Health Departments around the world spend considerable amounts of money trying to educate the public on the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet.

The problem is though that no matter what we do as health professionals, we can't make sexy, sleek ads. We don't have the budget that McDonalds has to spend on marketing.

Many citizens have got the message and stopped eating large quantities of fast food, that's great. But how do we get to the kids? McDonalds does a brilliant job of it. They even have their restaurants in some children's hospitals. Of course, they do charity work so it's all fine. Of course, we have kids in hospital who are obese, suffering from Diabetes and at risk of dying well before their parents but hey, McDonalds does charity.

Also, they have those funky healthy choices for you. Interestingly, their new website Make Up Your Own Mind gives details of their healthy choice menu but not the burgers and other fatty products. You can go to their kitchen link though and see some info. on just how good they are in using a 75% less saturated fat product than previously used.

I'm an IT professional working in the Health industry. I don't claim to know all the facts about fast food but my eyes have been opened to the problems facing our communities with regards to childhood obesity and other related health issues.

I am biased, I admit it. I don't like McDonalds as a franchise. I think they are as bad as tobacco companies. I find their business models repulsive. They seem to put stores close to schools and parks where kids play. I find it ironic that you have fast food restaurants next to a facility where kids are encouraged to be active. They play and then run across the road for some fattening fast food. It infuriates me.

Our society is sick. Why aren't people doing more to counter it? Is it okay that our kids are going to die before their parents?

tags technorati : McDonalds Make up your own mind advertising ads

2006-09-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Operation Village Health

Another great telemedicine story that goes to show just how powerful utilizing technology can be for rural areas.

Partners Telemedicine has established a telemedicine initiative in Cambodia called Operation Village Health.

A nurse from Phnom Penh travels six hours by truck to two remote villages. The nurse conducts interviews, takes digital pictures of patients and then transmits the information via satellite using a solar powered computer to physicians in Boston. Within hours, the physicians provide medical opinions and treatment recommendations. Since it's inception, over 600 clinical consultations have been performed.

Partners Telemedicine's website states "Operation Village Health has been able to mobilize the village community towards improved public health. Villagers are more aware of common local illnesses and their prevention, and are more likely to seek care. Villagers are also more likely to adhere to prescribed treatments for chronic disease, helping to alleviate the chronic disease burden in this area. Through education and practical experience, local doctors are also recognizing and addressing important public health problems in the region."

Visit the Partners Telemedicine site

tags technorati : Telemedicine Cambodia Operation Village Health

2006-09-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Wireless monitors helping heart patients

Seattlepi.com is reporting on a new wireless device that collects data from a heart patient and sends the information back to the physician.
The data is transferred to a website that is then checked daily by staff for alerts and monitors trends. For the patient, they have peace of mind knowing that someone is monitoring their heart condition and for the physician, ensures quality and consistency of care.

tags technorati : wireless device heart disease heart condition

2006-09-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Indiana Physicians Offer E-mail Consultations

Another great story about care delivery from Indystar.com. Dr. William J. Fisher, a pediatrician in Indiana is utilising email to communicate with his patients. Read story

The great thing about this story is that Dr. Fisher is not charging his patients for this service. Typically, he receives 3 to 6 emails per day from patients and tries to answer their queries within 24 hours. Longer emails from patients often require that Dr. Fisher organize an appointment but general questions from his patients are answered via email. They include general queries including whether aloe vera is good for burns or more particular like a young patient needing an antibiotic for a cough.

I think that any physician that can utilize technology to better communicate with their patients deserve a great deal of credit. All too often these days you feel rushed and almost like a number when you visit your doctor. I'm sure that most genuinely do care and if they had more time would be happy to sit and really try to make a connection with their patients. There can be no doubt that if this were possible, the health and well-being of many would improve because taking an active interest in someone is usually a positive thing. But I think the days of a strong doctor/patient relationship built on mutual communication via traditional channels are going and if we can use technology to help keep open lines then I support the initiative. Better still, when a physician chooses not to abuse his or her relationship by charging patients for the very act of communicating, then they deserve a big round of applause. Even better would be if Government Agencies offered these physicians even more incentive to reward their initiative. Chances of that happening? Unlikely!

2006-09-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Childhood obesity - urban design

At the moment Sydney, Australia is hosting the International Congress on Obesity. It has been a really interesting week to hear from various experts around the world discussing the issues currently facing health agencies dealing with obesity concerns.

One topic that caught my eye was from Dr Jo Salmon, senior research fellow from Deakin University who told the Congress that local and state government policies on urban design actually discourage children from outdoor activity. This article from news.com.au details the findings.

tags technorati : childhood obesity urban planning

2006-09-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Farewell Steve

This post has nothing at all to do with technology or health. Just a personal note on the very sad passing of a great Australian, Steve Irwin.
He has done so much for wildlife around the globe and helped to raise awareness of just how precious animals are.
He was a good man, a great father, a proud Australian and animals No. 1 supporter.
He is a true hero and will be sadly missed.
As Steve would say: Crocs Rule!

tags technorati : steve irwin crocodile hunter

2006-08-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Youth and Transitional Care

I had a very interesting meeting last week with a clinical nurse manager based at one of our major children's hospitals about transitional care for youth.

In Western Australia, after a child reaches the age of 16, they must be transferred to an adult hospital. I must admit that the issue of transitional care has not even entered my mind, nor did I realize the impact it can have on the young person in question, their families and their long term management and outcomes. In fact, after spending a couple of hours discussing the issue in more detail, I was alarmed to learn that in extreme cases, some of our young people can face life threatening illness that can be traced back to their initial transition from a children's hospital to an adult hospital.

The problems faced are that in many cases, children spend a great deal of their youth at one facility. The very nature of children's hospitals is one of a vibrant, family focused facility. The staff try their hardest to make a kids stay at hospital as enjoyable as possible and you feel this from the moment you walk through the front doors. In fact, on the day I had this meeting, I couldn't help feel and notice just how warm and friendly the staff were. There were kids in a classroom doing school work and in one room I saw some kids just chilling out playing some video games. In the waiting area I watched a young boy, probably 9 or 10 sitting in a chair. I could tell straight away from just looking at him that he was very upset. I smiled and said hi but did not bother him any further. Shortly after that, a young nurse came bounding up to him and with a beaming smile told him to follow her to their fun room. With that the young boy began to cry and the nurse immediately sat down with him and comforted him. She didn't have to ask him what the problem was, she gave him a cuddle and put her arm around him and said she knew it was. She told him that it was okay to feel down and that he had every right to be angry and fed up with being in hospital. With that he smiled at her and after a few minutes, he got up and slowly walked with her to the fun room. You could tell he is a very unwell boy indeed. What struck me at the time was that the nurse knew enough about this boy to be able to really identify with him and his emotions. This sort of bond is more difficult to find in an adult facility. More on that later.

So with this in mind, I met with the clinical nurse manager who explained to me that quite often, once a child turns 16 they are so overwhelmed by the transfer to an adult hospital that they simply stop going for checkups or treatments. The whole process is traumatic. The hospitals are bigger, more clinical and often do not have the feel of a family orientated facility. All of a sudden they are meeting with new doctors and nurses who do not have the time to spend with them. This is not the fault of our medical staff, it's simply a reality now that they are working to provide help and support to an over-stretched health system. As for the parents of these young people, they are all of sudden dealing with a different set of medical staff, in some cases having to detail again their child's individual issues or medical anomalies that may not be on the various medical records. As the child begins to take more control of their own health condition, the process of transition can mean that they lose focus, confidence in their ability to self maintain and in extreme cases, stop visiting hospitals for their regular consults.

Enter technology, the meeting quickly got around to discussing what we could develop to help youth in the months, years before transition cope better with the process. We looked at a few areas, the easiest and most fun was looking at technical options, the second was partnering with various education institutions to have some of this technology available to students at school and the third was educating adult hospital medical staff on the issues facing kids in this situation.

I am very fortunate indeed to be able to work on this project for a couple of reasons, first, transitional care is quite new in terms of how it's seen in medical circles in Australia. The second is that our target audience just happens to be in the age group that takes to technology likes ducks to water. It's almost natural for kids to just know how to use gadgets. I don't quite know how they have this ability, but they do.

We are now investigating the types of technology we can use to empower kids to manage their conditions and make them more aware of their patient rights and just exactly what to expect when they visit an adult hospital. Some obvious technology types will be podcasts and website access but we have a few other ideas which for the time being, I am unable to disclose. They are however, very exciting and I believe we can make a big difference to these kids. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has worked in this area of transitional care or has an interest in learning more about it. I got the feeling from the clinical nurse manager that she has really struggled to gain acceptance of the issue. As part of her Masters thesis, she investigated this area and this would seem to have given more prominence to the issue.

I hope this entry has got some of you thinking and when I have finalized my thoughts on other technology opportunities I will post a new entry.

Sally

tags technorati : transitional care adult hospital childrens hospital chronic disease management health podcast

2006-08-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Telehealth - cost effective health care

This article from news10now.com showcases how using telehealth for seniors is cutting costs. By giving people access to telecommunication devices, physicians can consistently monitor patients which long terms means they have better care and hopefully less trips to ER's. Read article

There is a video which showcases one such patient using her telehealth monitor. The great thing is that it all seems so easy which is very important especially when you are dealing with seniors who sometimes can be quite scared of technology. Watch video

tags technorati : telehealth, emergency room

2006-08-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Health Podcasts on the rise

This article from WashingtonPost.com talks about the rise of health related podcasts. There are now over 2,000 which supports what I think most of us are seeing as a trend. Read article here.

I am very interested to see that many of these podcasts are being produced by leading health organisations which I believe is important in establishing strong and reliable content on the web. It's great to see that the health industry is picking up on new technologies so quickly and adapting them to suit the needs of patients. I would like to see more podcasts out there that are not necessarily focused solely on disease but on preventative and education for the community. We are now in a unique position of having access to some really amazing and cool technology that youth are using. For many in population or community health, targeting youth is a strong focus so it seems sensible to develop podcasts for this particular group.
Related articles:
New patient support program using iPod Technology

tags technorati : health podcast

2006-08-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

EMR - The Mac way

This is a great example of how sometimes going for simplicity can be the best option and cheaper! Read Now

It details a low cost EMR solution that will be of interest to many of you. EMR’s can cost between $50,000 and $200,000, but an occupational therapy center in Cincinnati, Ohio set theirs up for around $6,000.

tags technorati : EMR, Apple, Mac

2006-08-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

WiFi access in the cities

I came across this article today in the SMH. Adelaide poised to lead WiFi pack. It talks about Adelaide (South Australia for those of you not from Downunder) is planning on rolling out the largest metropolitan WiFi network in Australia. This is part of an on-going bid to get more people into our cities. As we are now becoming so dependant on our gadgets, having free broadband access is a plus for many of us to visit our cities.

This is all good news for people working in ehealth. The more accessible broadband access is, the better the coverage of ehealth solutions including chronic disease management tools and online video education.

I am now thinking more and more about developing strategic partnerships, something I mentioned in an earlier entry (Read Now - Remote crash scene videos may speed treatment of victims). Perhaps we should be also working closer with city councils and community groups to look at ways of providing the public with access to technology. The more we can offer, the better our odds are of really getting to those who don't currently have access. We also need to consider our homeless and look at developing solutions that they can benefit from as well. I don't know the statistics but it is fairly clear that homeless people in particular are at high risk of developing serious health issues. Many suffer from mental illness and we should not forget them in our push to develop ehealth strategies and solutions.

wifi ehealth

2006-08-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Internet Tablets

I am really interested to see how quickly these nifty little devices from Nokia and other providers get picked up by health providers. They need to make them phone capable though but it's still a step in the right direction. A lot of us use Blackberries and they are great but for the majority, they are used more by corporations and execs than for private use. The great thing about what Nokia and others are doing is that they are making this technology available to everyone. It means that we can develop some really exciting solutions for the public that they can access via their phone and it makes it completely mobile. That is even better because people are so busy these days, they need access to education, information and management applications on the fly.
You can read a recent article here: Nokia to announce upgraded 770 Tablet

2006-08-18T02:41:00.000-07:00

Listen to the Interactive Health Podcast

Interactive Health Podcast - Show 5

This week we continue our discussions on how to establish online video education in health, utilising technology for aged care, a new product called the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, throw a challenge to fast food chains, discuss saving whales and a little beagle called Rose. And most importantly, we finally get hold of our roving reporter, Regan! It’s a great show with lots of information for anyone in health with a genuine interest in helping to make health more user friendly utilising technology!
Download our fifth podcast
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Interactive Health Podcast - Show 4

This week we discuss the H.264 video format which provides excellent image quality at very low data rates and is perfect for health professionals to deliver video across the internet, 3G Mobile and video conferencing.
We also discuss how health services can start the process of implementing video for clients or for the population.
Download our fourth podcast
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Interactive Health Podcast - Show 3

Download our third Interactive Health Podcast
Click here to download

Interactive Health Podcast - Show 2

Download the second Interactive Health Podcast
Download our second podcast!
Click here to download

Interactive Health Podcast - Show 1

Download the first Interactive Health Podcast
Download our first podcast!
Click here to download

2006-08-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

TV doc treats outside the box

I was pleased to read this article this morning. Read Story In short, telemedicine is now available in the suburbs. I eagerly read this story which explains that in Peachtree City, anyone can walk in, get a username and password and speak to a doctor who is somewhere else and get a regular consultation. How it works is that after a patient receives their logon and password, they go to a computer and answer medical history questions. A medical assistant then checks the patient's vitals and then both meet with the doctor who is on a TV screen in another room. Via the Doctor's instructions, the medical assistant puts a otoscope in the patient's ear or points a camera down the throat or uses an electric stethoscope against the chest. By computer, the sensations from these devices are trasmitted back to the doctor who can then prescribe the necessary medication.

Now, I think this is brilliant and will certainly fill a niche market, especially for people who are in a hurry or just generally don't have time to sit and wait in a doctor's clinic. But what disappointed me was that the cost for this is $65.00 or if you just want to talk to a Doctor, $25 per 5 minutes. I realise that in the US especially, the cost of visiting a doctor or any medical professional is usually ridiculously high, it's something I cannot understand and am so thankful that I live in a country that does offer reasonable rebates. For instance, I can see my doctor and I pay $40 Australian dollars and will receive $32 back from Medicare which is available to every Australian. Whilst I don't wish to get into why some governments offer better medical services to their population than others I do think that offering a technical option like this should definitely be more cost effective. Let's face it, you are paying to get a medical professionals opinion. This often involves prodding and poking of various body parts, and if I am going to pay out $65 big ones, I want the actual doctor to be doing this. Instead, I get a medical assistant using devices that transmit back to a doctor in a remote location. I just feel that we are really missing a golden opportunity here. Finally, we can offer citizens who are not fortunate enough to have medical services offered at a reasonable rate an alternative. It should be cheaper, a lot cheaper. People go without seeing a doctor in the US because they simply cannot afford it. Some get so sick that by the time they go to a hospital they are facing a very long and expensive recouperation and in some cases, no help can be given. This is a tragedy and telemedicine should be able to offer a good altenative. If we can give people in remote regions of India who are dirt poor access to telemedicine, then why can't people living in the US have the same access? I realise that business is in the business of making money and I appreciate the need for these companies to make a profit but is there anyone out there that just genuinly wants to help their fellow man? I just don't get it, and it disappoints me to think that we can produce some great technical options that do not cost as much as setting up a practice, staffing and insurance considerations and still, it's damn expensive!

Consumers or as I like to call them, people, have the right to health at an affordable rate. Rich nations should be ashamed of themselves for not doing more to encourage IT and medical corporations to develop solutions for average folk. Why not offer tax subsidies? I just hope that we can get past the almighty dollar and really help people in need. It's not right.

2006-08-10T00:42:00.000-07:00

HITSphere

The Tech 'n Health Blog is now listed on a great resource called HITSphere which provides a network of premium weblogs on healthcare, medical and clinical informatics and IT.
Visit HITSphere

2006-08-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

Telemedicine - Not just for affluent countries

A read this story over the weekend and it really does emphasize a very important point I like to make in my role at work that using technology to help deliver health is not simply just for affluent countries or people. Read this story

One of the great aspects to utilizing technology is that it can have a huge impact for third world countries and those that are slowly emerging with better economies, technology and health. Take India for instance, 10 years ago most would have considered the delivery of telemedicine to remote regions in India as being almost impossible due to infrastructure short-comings. But with a Information Technology boom has come some very interesting advances that will help people in poorer regions throughout the country. Right now, bicycle rickshaws are being used to help physicians in Uttar Pradesh deliver video conferencing to nearby villages. They provide a variety of education resources and access to healthcare. They have the computers on board with special casing and cushioning to ensure no damage whilst transported over rough terrain. I just love the fact that you have two extremes here, one, a rickshaw, probably one of the most basic and necessary forms of transport in India and the other, computers and wireless hi-fi access providing leading edge technical solutions.

Developed Countries could learn a lot from emerging countries about providing health care solutions. I sometimes think we over complicate things resulting in lengthy delays in providing solutions to people. Here, you have an example of necessity bringing a terrific solution using old and new to great affect.

Read the story, well worth it: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?action=dspItem&itemID=104982

2006-08-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

New patient support program using iPod Technology

To say that I found this article very exciting is an understatement. Clarian Health Partners are now doing something that I have been trying for about 12 months now to do, providing patients with access to education and support information via iPods. They have gone one step further and given patients in the HealthPod program an iPod! Health related video and audio segments are loaded onto their iPod during the entire Program, which in this case is the Bariatric Program. It is very refreshing to see medical practitioners taking advantage and utilizing technology in a positive way to help their patients.
To the staff at Clarian Health Partners who have implemented and supported this, congratulations!

Tomorrow I am presenting my e-health Network to an Executive group for one of the Hospitals we are now rolling our programs out to. I will be mentioning what Clarian Health Partners are doing as it all helps to add weight to our argument. One thing I must say is that I rarely get negative feedback from the many Specialists, CEO's and Executive Directors of the various Health Agencies I deal with but having a real example to showcase will hopefully help them to see it's potential for use.

Check out the article, definitely worth a read! Clarian Health Partners

2006-08-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

Outpatient Care - Can technology help and is there a better way?

I read with great interest an article from the Sydney Morning Herald regarding outpatient delays in Victoria. The story covers claims that patients are dying waiting to be seen by specialists. Read Article
Apparently, a survey has found that 15% of Doctors have lost at least one patient due to delays accessing hosptial specialists and 83% feel that access to outpatient care has become worse in 3 years. 79% believe access to outpatient care was poor or very poor for surgical patients.

Can technology made accessible to outpatients provide interim measures or possibly help prevent some from returning back to Emergency Departments? I’m not sure that if a person requires a knee replacement for instance, that they are going to be able to benefit from technical resource. Yes, we could provide them with information on managing their pain or details on minimizing further injury whilst waiting to be seen by a specalist. But I doubt that we could ever really claim to be able to reduce the burden in this instance. We can, however, provide valuable information and education to people waiting to see a specialist. This can assist them in managing their condition until they are seen. Hopefully, we can help to minimize the chance that they may need to visit an Emergency Department.

We could, for instance, video specialists talking about various conditions and get them to talk about some practical and important preventative measures they can take. It could be really basic information, like resting, not lifting heavy equipment, etc. We can take it even further though. A specialist could go into detail about certain procedures, explain the process before and after surgery. Talk about what they need to be doing now and what should be done when they return home. Information for carers is also critical. Also, detail what happens when they come to hospital and what outcomes to expect. These types of technical solutions can help reduce numbers of patients going to their doctor to ask the very questions that we could potentially cover.

Again, this all focuses on the end result. The band-aid approach. I see this everyday and I find it frustrating. I realise that there is an immediate need for Health agencies to be seen to be doing something. Votes for political parties are won and lost on health policy. Providing more beds, employing more staff seem to be familiar promises. But no where near the amount invested in hospital care is spent on prevention and education. I know that in some cases preventative education is not going to help. I understand that some people are just going to develop disease due to genes or other factors. But, can someone please explain to me why Government officials and those employed to run our Health Care systems don’t invest in prevention? It doesn’t make good practical business sense to me. We will never be able to get ahead of the game because more people are becoming ill and we simply can’t employ enough people to support their needs. We need to be positioned at the beginning the game, educate and support people to be healthy. I’m not talking about printing brochures that tell someone to keep active. It’s boring and clearly, not working. Our rates of childhood and adult obesity are rising, across the board. Diseases are also going up. People still smoke, drink, do drugs. Many, will end up in an ED somewhere, sometime in the future.

We should be investing in support services, putting people on the ground, the front-line. Developing programmes and initiatives for communities, schools, pre-school and so on. And, investing in technology. We all know that the adults of tomorrow are incredibly tech savvy. They want to use technology and we have the opportunity and ability to provide them with some brilliant, innovative initiatives that help them to learn about keeping fit, healthy and happy.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth A Pound of Cure. We all know this saying and I would challenge anyone out there who doesn’t agree with it.

We need to start practicing what we preach.

2006-08-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

Too much tech talk by tech folk in Health

I had an interesting dicussion yesterday with a work colleague regarding how best to implement video education to the community. After spending about 2 hours coming up with different concepts, I pondered later that night on just how much I had changed, professionally. In my role, I am responsible for delivering the technical infrastructure to the e-health Network but have been very fortunate to learn a great deal about Population Health and Health Promotion in particular. If you had asked me 4 years ago, I would given you a very technical overview of how I would implement video education with little thought about the end user, their needs or their problems. But with the benefit of spending 4 years learning about preventative education in the community, I now think more along the lines of developing programmes and initiatives that utilise video education rather than just a technical solution to the question.

In many health organisations throughout the world, Information Technology Departments maintain a clear separation to the clients they support. This has been the case in most of the positions I have held in IT Departments. We provide a service to clients and rarely take off our technical hats to really learn about the Departments and clients we support. With the benefit of hind sight, I wonder how many opportunities I may have missed to develop solutions for my clients that could have really impacted and improved how they went about their business. I would urge anyone in IT who works in health to really take up the challenge to learn as much as possible about the core functions of your workplace. In my case, I have a greater understanding and appreciation of the challenges and rewards that come with working in Health and now see my role as much more than just a tech person. Indeed, I believe now that I have found my vocation, I genuinely want to help people in my community to be healthy. I want to provide tools and education to help them manage their conditions and hopefully minimise or eliminate the risks they face. This greater appreciation and knowledge of my workplace has helped me to build along with a great team, an e-health Network that I am very proud of and I feel will provide great benefits to our community. For me, not focusing so much on how I will build something but how we might help someone is far more rewarding.

If you are a health professional, I think it would be very beneficial to really try and educate your fellow IT professional about what you do and what your organisations core functions are. Most tech folk are always keen to develop solutions for you but if they don’t know what your core function is, they can’t really get an understanding of your requirements. It can be challenging and a bit daunting trying to communicate with different professions within a health organisation. And I know that many people have a pre-conceived idea of what a tech person is, the word nerd is often used. True, I have my nerd moments and my work colleagues, at first, weren’t quite sure how to really work with me but after 4 years, we have a mutual respect for each others profession and have very clear vision and goals for what we want to achieve.

So my message is, if you're in IT try and learn as much as you can from the clients you support in Health. I guarantee that you will find your work more rewarding and your skills will improve in all areas. It’s a win, win situation.

2006-07-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Podcasting - A health persepective

I’ve been interested in podcasting now for some time, I even have my own which I co-host with Michael Campbell, a colleague. Click here to visit

Of interest to me is whether or not we can utilise podcasting in the health sector. I’ve read quite a few blogs on this subject and the one thing that comes across, quite clearly, is that the focus is on the health professional and how they would use it. Often, I read that there might be some use for it in terms of delivering lectures or utilising the technology to voice opinions on various topics. There is no doubt great potential and use for this form but the one thing that seems to be missed, time and again is that podcasting has great benefits for patients, clients, the community.

I work in health and I don’t mean to be rude or offend anyone here but why is that we focus so much on how we might benefit. I mean, aren’t most of us in health to help others? So why is it then that when we discuss the potential of utilising new technology, we often look at how we, as health professionals will adopt and adapt it to benefit us?
So let’s think about what types of initiatives that would work well in podcasting terms. Let’s take for instance childhood obesity. We know that generally, children are far more aware and comfortable using technology. In fact, many expect services to be available online. Kids see their mobiles as an extension of their hand. I often see them walking, talking, even skate-boarding and texting at the same time, a skill I am yet to acquire. Of course, some kids that are suffering from childhood obesity are probably not doing any or little exercise but they still know how to use technology. Why not develop a podcast that helps motivate the kids to excercise. Develop a programme that encourages kids, interview style, to discuss how they feel about their own experiences with obesity and talk about how they work towards motivating themselves to keep active.

In terms of chronic disease, providing cancer patients with access to interviews, group session discussions or the process for various forms of treatments can do a great deal to empower patients. It would also make them feel that they have as much information and support possible to help them through the process.
Mental Health is also another area which has huge potential to utilise technology. I could go on and on about these areas but it really is just massive and I’m sure that most of you will already be thinking about how you can use podcasting for your patients and community. The great thing is that hopsitals, outpatient facilities, non government organisations (NGO’s), population health, community health and so on and all benefit by delivering targeted podcasts to various sections of the public.

All too often the focus is on internal education of health professionals. There is no reason why we can’t be delivering solutions to the community. Of course, having great ideas for podcasts and actually finding time to deliver them can be very challenging. In Australia, we have some wonderful Health Promotion professionals that work in various Health Departments in each state. I am fortunate enough to have several that I can rely on to help me source content and find health professionals willing and able to contribute to podcasts. We also utilise our community nurses who have a wealth of knowledge and many are very willing to record sessions whilst working with various community groups. Many of you may have access to resources that you aren’t aware of, they can be referred to as population health, health promotion, community health, the list goes on, but you may find a great untapped resource. Also, speak with your Information Technology Department, they may be able and willing to help you. If all else fails, take some time off and get podcasting, only joking, I know you are all busy people!

Now that we have video capabilities, like the ipod video, we can do even more amazing things that can quite often be easier to produce that podcasts as it’s a case of setting up a camera and recording it. Again, I am doing this in my work and for a couple of hours work, the results have been amazing, not to mention the fact that we have received much publicity. This all helps to encourage the community to use your resource and contribute.

I can only hope that in the coming years, more health agencies and professionals start to really think long and hard about establishing programmes that really do aim to help educate and empower people to take ownership of their health, thus helping to reduce that ever increasing burden on health we all hear so much about.

2006-07-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Telemedicine - does this qualify?

Okay, so this is quite an unusual one to get the ball rolling but I found it fascinating.
We are currently in the 6th season of Big Brother, a reality TV show where people are locked in a house for 3 months and every move is shown on TV. I am not a fan of this show although will admit that I did watch the first season, I was younger then!

Every Friday night they televise a show called Friday Night Games. One of the commentators, Bree Amber, an ex-housemate from a few years ago was being watched, closely by a viewer who also happens to be a doctor who I assume was sitting in his loungeroom. He had noticed weeks before a lump on the side of her neck and had become very concerned that it may require urgent medical treatment. Read article here

He called the Producers of Big Brother and urged them to get Amber to see her GP. It is believed that Amber did seek medical advice and has recently had a lump biopsy which was 5 centimeters long and apparently clearly visible on television. We are told that the results did show irregular cells, a further biopsy is planned with surgery to follow.
So, back to my original thought, is this Telemedicine? If you search Wikipedia, it defines Telemedicine as: "The term Telemedicine is the delivery of medicine at a distance."

It really does speak to the power of this form of health care. For those living in remote locations, third world countries and disaster areas, Telemedicine has really helped to change the way we care for and treat those utilising this technology.
In one of my recent podcasts (Interactive Health Podcast Show 3), I talked a little bit about the history of Telemedicine. Not surprisingly, NASA has been heavily involved right from the beginning. They have relied on it heavily to keep close health tabs on their astronauts and have even deployed some of their Doctors complete with Telemedicine technology to disaster areas to aid medical staff in initial diagnosis and determination of level of care needed by patients.

I will be establishing an online counselling service for our e-health Network in the coming months which will allow mental healh professionals to conduct counselling in private and group sessions to those in remote Western Australia.

If you have any stories similar to the Big Brother one or have been involved in a Telemedicine project then let me know, it's an amazing area of health and one that has really helped shaped technology solutions in health.

telemedicine