Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Offline UpToDate MobileComplete for iPhone

I received the following email regarding UpToDate MobileComplete, the fastest mobile version of UpToDate:

Clinical answers. Stat!

UpToDate MobileComplete lets you download UpToDate’s clinical content locally to your iPhone and iPad. Upgrade to the offline version of UpToDate and

  • Get the fastest version of UpToDate on iPhone and iPad available.
  • Use UpToDate without an Internet connection1 — even in dead zones!
  • Reduce data usage if you have a limited data plan.


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Smartphone App Use Among Medical Providers in ACGME Training Programs

Here's an abstract from a recent journal article around smartphone adoption in residency programs. Over 85% using smartphones and the iPhone is still the most popular device. No surprises here.

The past decade has witnessed the advent of the smartphone, a device armed with computing power, mobility and downloadable "apps," that has become commonplace within the medical field as both a personal and professional tool. The popularity of medically-related apps suggests that physicians use mobile technology to assist with clinical decision making, yet usage patterns have never been quantified. A digital survey examining smartphone and associated app usage was administered via email to all ACGME training programs. Data regarding respondent specialty, level of training, use of smartphones, use of smartphone apps, desired apps, and commonly used apps were collected and analyzed. Greater than 85% of respondents used a smartphone, of which the iPhone was the most popular (56%). Over half of the respondents reported using apps in their clinical practice; the most commonly used app types were drug guides (79%), medical calculators (18%), coding and billing apps (4%) and pregnancy wheels (4%). The most frequently requested app types were textbook/reference materials (average response: 55%), classification/treatment algorithms (46%) and general medical knowledge (43%). The clinical use of smartphones and apps will likely continue to increase, and we have demonstrated an absence of high-quality and popular apps despite a strong desire among physicians and trainees. This information should be used to guide the development of future healthcare delivery systems; expanded app functionality is almost certain but reliability and ease of use will likely remain major factors in determining the successful integration of apps into clinical practice.

Franko OI, Tirrell TF. Smartphone App Use Among Medical Providers in ACGME Training Programs.
J Med Syst. 2011 Nov 4

PMID: 22052129

Mobile app rating system based on content and context

CTIA-THE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION® AND ESRB ANNOUNCE MOBILE APPLICATION RATING SYSTEM

Provides Parents and Consumers Reliable Information about Age-Appropriateness of Applications Based on Content and Context

WASHINGTON, D.C. – CTIA-The Wireless Association® and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) today announced a newly-developed rating system that six mobile application storefronts will voluntarily support as part of their application submission (or onboarding) process. The CTIA Mobile Application Rating System with ESRB will utilize the well-known and trusted age rating icons that ESRB assigns to computer and video games to provide parents and consumers reliable information about the age-appropriateness of applications. Today’s announcement is an extension of CTIA’s 2010 Guidelines for Application Content Classification and Rating.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Cyber Monday sales on smartphone medical apps

Here are some Cyber Monday sales on smartphone medical apps:

All Tarascon Mobile Apps are now on sale at iTunes App Store, Android Market and BlackBerry AppWorld. 15% off sale will only last until midnight tonight EST, Monday November 28, 2011.
http://www.tarascon.com/

PEPID is having a sale where you can save over $150 on some of their bundled solutions. Offer expires at 11:59 PST on Monday, November 28th.
http://www.pepid.com/

Lexicomp had a sale last week. Maybe they'll extend it?
http://www.lexi.com/

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

AMA launches "My Medications" app for iPhone

Here's the description of an iPhone app released by the AMA titled, "My Medications."

Whether you’re keeping track of multiple medications, recording allergy information or storing emergency contacts, the My Meds app from the American Medical Association is your solution.

Developed specifically for patients by health care professionals, My Meds lets you store, carry and share your critical medical information in one secure place that you can take with you.

With My Meds, you can share up-to-date medical information with your primary care physician, specialists, pharmacist, or family members and friends quickly and easily.

My Meds gives you the ability to:

• Create and update a list of medications, including dose and frequency information
• Save time entering your medications by using a comprehensive database of generic and brand name drugs
• Email your medical information to your health care providers, family members or friends
• Enter and keep track of immunizations and allergies
• Maintain a list of your medical team and their contact information
• Store information on your device, not on the Internet

More information here.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Continua Health Alliance Supports GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge

Continua Health Alliance Supports GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge; Releases Free Design Guidelines

Beaverton, Ore. – November 22, 2011 – Continua Health Alliance, an international not-for-profit organization of healthcare and technology companies dedicated to establishing guidelines on how to combine and apply existing standards to create interoperable personal connected health products and services, today announced it will make its 2011 Public Design Guidelines available free of charge to university students as part of its commitment to support the 2011-2012 GSMA Mobile Health University Challenge.

The Joint Commission says "not acceptable" to text orders for patients

Last week, the Joint Commission issued a notice that said that it was not acceptable for physicians and other health care professionals to text orders for patients in hospitals. Here's the excerpt:

Texting Orders

Is it acceptable for physicians and licensed independent practitioners (and other practitioners allowed to write orders) to text orders for patients to the hospital or other healthcare setting?

No it is not acceptable for physicians or licensed independent practitioners to text orders for patients to the hospital or other healthcare setting. This method provides no ability to verify the identity of the person sending the text and there is no way to keep the original message as validation of what is entered into the medical record.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich features for medical professionals

Where does Google get all these strange names for the Android operating system? For one thing, they're following the alphabet. The most recent versions have been G, H, I:

  • Gingerbread
  • Honeycomb
  • Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is the latest version of the Android platform for phones, tablets, and more. It builds on the things people love most about Android — easy multitasking, rich notifications, customizable home screens, resizable widgets, and deep interactivity — and adds powerful new ways of communicating and sharing.

Let's look at some of these new features that could be very helpful for medical professionals who rely on their smartphones each day:

Powerful voice input engine
Android 4.0 introduces a powerful new voice input engine that offers a continuous "open microphone" experience and streaming voice recognition. The new voice input engine lets you dictate the text you want, for as long as you want, using the language you want. You can speak continously for a prolonged time, even pausing for intervals if needed, and dictate punctuation to create correct sentences. As the voice input engine enters text, it underlines possible dictation errors in gray. After dictating, you can tap the underlined words to quickly replace them from a list of suggestions.

Face Unlock
Android 4.0 introduces a completely new approach to securing a device, making each person's device even more personal — Face Unlock is a new screen-lock option that lets you unlock your device with your face. It takes advantage of the device front-facing camera and state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to register a face during setup and then to recognize it again when unlocking the device. Just hold your device in front of your face to unlock, or use a backup PIN or pattern.

Given that data security is so important, is the face lock/unlock a safer option for medical professionals?

You can learn more about Android 4.0 here.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Securely Managing Mobile Medical Devices & Apps

Here's information about a free webinar (sponsored by BoxTone) on this topic:

Securely Manage Mobile Medical Devices & Apps: A Healthcare IT Network How To Guide

Thursday, November 17, 2011
2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

Mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad and new Android devices represent one of the biggest opportunities of the last decade to improve service delivery at the patient point of care. Driving the charge are mobile medical apps for EMR, imaging, lab orders and clinical decision support, with FDA 510(k) clearances for apps coming weekly.

But whether the devices are hospital issued – or BYOD owned by staff practitioners – healthcare IT needs an automated framework for secure device provisioning, app development and deployment, compliance monitoring, ongoing support, change management and retirement. Ideally the same systems would also provide "reasonable safeguards" for the protection of ePHI sent, received or stored by a mobile device in accord with HIPAA guidelines.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Special Sessions at the mHealth Summit

Don't miss these Special Sessions at the upcoming mHealth Summit (December 5-7 in D.C.):

StartUp Health: Bridging the Gap between Health and Wellness Entrepreneurs and Providers
Monday, December 5, 2011, 12:00–2:00 PM

National Stakeholders: Learning from the Global South
Monday, December 5, 2011, 4:30–6:00 PM

ONC TownHall Meeting on Consumer Engagement
Monday, December 5, 2011, 4:30–6:00 PM

Monday, November 14, 2011

Geonovo Limited Wins UK Trade & Investment Competition

Developers of telecare solutions and mobile GPS alarms, Geonovo, win UK Trade & Investment Competition

British technology designer and manufacturer of personal emergency mobile phone systems wins prize to present new device to the world.

November 14th 2011 - Geonovo Limited, the designers and manufacturers of the Romad RSP-100 have won first prize at a “Dragon’s Den” type competition held by the UKT&I on 31st October 2011 at Centerpoint in London.

The prize; a stand place on the UK Trade & Investment exhibition area at the renowned Mobile World Congress Expo in Barcelona 2012.

The format was for twelve contestants to deliver a three minute pitch followed by a grilling by a panel of industry experts handpicked by the UKT&I.

Peter Lusty, CEO of Geonovo gave a polished performance and won over the judges with flying colours, beating some stiff competition.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Start Up Mobile Health Pavilion Launched at 2011 mHealth Summit

The StartUp Mobile Health Pavilion joins the 2011 mHealth Summit as a launch showcase for 40 of today's most innovative seed and early stage startups that are impacting mobile from across the US, most which were founded within the last year…some with the last few months. Attendees will have a chance to engage directly with the entrepreneurs and founders and discuss their mHealth applications and how the use of wireless technology can improve healthcare delivery and patient care. The StartUp Mobile Health Pavilion is a collaborative effort from Blueprint Health, Healthbox, Rock Health, and StartUp Health.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Who are the Top 11 Mobile Health Innovators in 2011?

Voting begins for the Top 11 in 2011 Innovators Challenge

WASHINGTON, DC (November 8, 2011) – The mHealth Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation have announced the voting period for the Top 11 in 2011 Innovators Challenge is now open. The Challenge, which accepted nominations from October 5 to November 4, has launched a virtual voting process on HealthUnbound.org (HUB). The Challenge’s goal is to recognize individuals who have used mobile technology in innovative ways to improve health systems and outcomes particularly in the most remote areas of the world.

U.S. Surgeon General To Deliver Keynote Address at mHealth Summit

Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, the Surgeon General of the United States, joins the all star lineup of keynote speakers at the 2011 mHealth Summit. Dr. Benjamin will deliver an address on December 6th at 9:45 in the morning following John Stratton, EVP & COO, Verizon Wireless.

Only 4 Weeks until the 2011 mHealth Summit!
Dec 5-7, 2011
Washington DC

http://www.mhealthsummit.org

Monday, November 07, 2011

The popHealth Tool Development Challenge

Want to create an app and enter a contest by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology? Build something for popHealth.

Under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, eligible health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specified objectives. These "Meaningful Use" objectives include measureable benchmarks providers must meet to qualify for the incentive payments. popHealth is an open source software service developed under the guidance of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) that automates the reporting of the Stage 1 Meaningful Use clinical quality measures. popHealth integrates with a healthcare provider’s electronic health record (EHR) system using continuity of care records. It streamlines the automated generation of summary quality measure reports on the provider’s patient population.

Kathleen Sebelius to speak at 2011 mHealth Summit

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will open the 3rd annual mHealth Summit with a keynote address on December 5th at 9:45 in the morning.

Secretary Sebelius will address how the Obama Administration is using mobile technology to improve health.

mHealth Summit
Dec 5-7, 2011
Washington DC

Learn more here: http://www.mhealthsummit.org

Friday, November 04, 2011

How the Zeo Motivated Me to Get a Sleep Study

First, let me explain that I've recently been exploring the Quantified Self (QS) movement. If you're not familiar with QS, make sure to read this first.

I've been using different mobile devices like the FitBit, the BodyMedia FIT Arm Band, and the Zeo Sleep Manager.

The first time I used the Zeo, I saw that my sleep was very interrupted. I've also slept with the FitBit and it also confirms that I move a lot during my sleep. There were times when the Zeo would fall off my head because of my movement. My wife has always told me that I should get a sleep study (she's a physician), but I've put it off for years because I didn't want to face the possibility that I could have a sleep disorder. After all, I'm not overweight (my BMI is 22 and the normal BMI range is 18.5–24.9), I'm fairly active, and I am relatively healthy overall. So, why would I have a sleep disorder?

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

2011 mHealthcon Conference

The 2011 mHealthcon Conference®: Focused on mobile health apps

The new mHealthcon Mobile Health Conference® is the first healthcare gathering of its kind – an accessible marketplace with a single-minded focused on next-generation mhealth apps.

mHealth Conference on Mobile Apps in Medicine
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 8:30 AM (ET)
New Brunswick, NJ

The conference features C-level speakers, and workshop leaders that will equip industry players with the tools to identify pivotal market opportunities and uncover sustainable mhealth business models.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Smartphones and Improving Neurologic Care on ReachMD

Is there an app for helping your patients improve their health? In fact, there are many. Dr. Neil Busis, chief of the division of neurology, department of medicine, at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside and Practice and Technology editor of AAN.com, talks with host Dr. Anthony Alessi about the latest mobile technologies used to monitor patient experiences with chronic neurological issues, such as migraines and epileptic seizures. They also discuss how even standard smartphone functions can be used to improve the health and medical care of patients, and why text messaging is changing healthcare around the world.

Listen to the program here on ReachMD.