Archive for July, 2007
KP Online offers more features
July 31, 2007
Kaiser Permanente Health Connect launched in 2005 for Northern California. It has the standard features for a teathered PHR – appointments, test results, and now includes secure email with providers. Some procedures are described step-by-step as an example of its integration with health information. Adoption has been steadily increasing, now up to 42,000. In this same article in scabee.com (Sacramento Bee newspaper), UC Davis’ MD Online boasts 25,000 patients online, although it does not mention if they are using a specific PHR product.
Maybe the tipping point for PHRs is those which are teathered to an EMR because basic services are offered up front despite the lack of ability to add one’s own content. There is also the advantage of a trusted source owning the PHR, the hospital or provider group.
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Healthcare Unbound
July 29, 2007
Medical Connectivity Consulting reports on this conference which was held in Cambridge, MA, last week. With a focus on Remote Patient Monitoring, eDisease Management and consumer health technologies. Sponsored by The Center for Business Innovation, the conference included some interesting presentations, such as, “Connected health implications for the patient-provider relationship”, “The Paradox of Self-Management” and “Personal health technologies for home health solutions.”
Vince Kuraitis said in his talk “If we had a platform like Google Health to plug into to support HU applications and products, this would hasten market development.”
Check out the end of the Agenda to see some of the up and coming companies in this space.
Unfortunately, the conference is going the traditional route of selling CDs of the program rather than offering them as free podcasts.
Share this:Medicine 2.0 and Healthcare 100
July 28, 2007
Although it dates back to June, this post of 10 tips for How to Use Web 2.0 in Medicine has a nice list of tools. Second Life is at the top of the list. Medical blogs, medical wikis, medical search engines are all in the lineup. The growth of Web 2.0 in health care is exponential and will continue to spread.
On a related note, eDrugSearch.com has created the Healthcare 100 – top blogs in health and medicine. Not only are there 100 with some familiar names like Clincial Cases and Images and the Krafty Librarian, but another 150 give honorable mentioned. The ranking is based on a combine algorithm from Google, Bloglines and Technorati.
This blog is not there yet but will be added soon.
Streamlined online medical records among proposals
July 27, 2007
Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer focused on one of the recommendations of the Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors. Specifically, they note the recommendation to improve family and veteran access to online medical records and disability benefits. Touting C. Martin Harris, CIO of the Cleveland Clinic, the article notes:
“Using aspects of the Clinic model, the federal commission has recommended that the VA and the Pentagon create a Web
site called “My eBenefits” that would allow doctors and service members to access private medical information as the injured move from facility to facility to receive treatment.” The recommendation also includes better sharing of information between the military and Veteran’s Administration medical systems.
Let’s hope these are implemented in a timely manner to fix this shameful problem.
Share this:Patient Advocate Blog
July 25, 2007
A recently launched blog by George Van Antwerp, focuses on consumer-directed health care and process improvement in healthcare. His perspective is from a consultant from the pharmaceutical industry but his thoughts are broad and deep. The most recent post is a summary of a Wired article on healthcare costs noting that the average family spent “$1,361 (3%) on health insurance and $405 (1%) on prescription drugs”.
Share this:International eHealth websites
July 24, 2007
The term eHealth is used more commonly in Canada and the European Union than the U.S. Here are some helpful sites to get those perspectives.
- http://www.ehealthdirectory.eu
- http://www.ehealthnews.eu
- http://www.ehealthinitiative.org
- http://www.euro.who.int/telemed
- http://www.ehealthinnovation.org/splash/ehealthflash
In addition, the Wikipedia definition of eHealth is worth reviewing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EHealth
Share this:Problems at Dossia?
July 19, 2007
The Dossia Consortium is reportedly in crisis according a to report by Information Week. This major PHR initiative (PHR for Life) includes some major employers but the story Dossia has sued the company they contracted with to build the PHR to prevent from being sued and that the company failed to deliver (mid-July was meant to be the first online evidence of the PHR for some users). TMCNet reports on a history of disappointments.
Generally it is a disappointment that more could not be accomplished with that kind of corporate financial backing. But maybe it was a choice of the wrong contractor to build such a comprehensive solution in a PHR market which has yet to see much consolidation or adoption.
Share this:PHRs on Cell Phones?
July 13, 2007
According to a piece in Health Data Management, Capmed has purchased a company with this technology. Here is the pitch from ICE First: “ICE First is a web- and mobile phone-based software application that allows you to quickly and easily store and manage emergency medical information and contact numbers right on your mobile phone.” You can actually download the software from their website based on your wireless provide. Only a $10 fee with $5 per year to maintain data on their website. You can get a sticker for your phone indicating it has emergency information.
Cell phones make sense because of their pervasiveness in the market – this could be more popular that thumb drive PHRs or other devices. The only downside it the potential for losing your phone or running low on battery.
Share this:eHealth in Canada
July 12, 2007
In a Canadian publication, InterGovWorld.com, there is a length article discussion the state of eHealth in Canada. eHealth is defined in broad terms to include EMRs, electronic prescribing, etc. They note that one of the government’s key goals is the “Development of a network of interoperable EHR solutions across Canada.” The article is very upbeat about the state of eHealth without going into specifics but notes that there are variation in the provinces. They also cite Australia as leading them in eHealth.
Share this:PHR Patents
July 11, 2007
MarketIntellNow blog is covering PHRs all week. Specifically, they are citing patents for major PHRs, such as, Medem and CapMed. They have a helpful discussion of adoption of PHRs:
“Our PHR polling approach drills first into Awareness (it’s low), then examines those who are aware (likely your early adopters) as to Need (it’s high among the chronically sick, which has a tilt towards an older demographic), then queries regarding Willingness to Pay (or suffer ads) and finally drills into those who have need and a willingness to pay but indicate they won’t act– they thus have Objections we uncover that can be overcome at some cost, or not.”
I agree with these basic steps. They need to get wider coverage.
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