News & Updates
With more and more time each day spent in one’s car, Ford is collaborating with Microsoft and Healthrageous to study how connected health devices can be embedded within vehicles. At CES last week, Ford debuted a prototype system developed by BlueMetal Architects that feeds information collected from blood pressure, activity and glucose monitors into a hands free voice and touch-screen interface inside Ford cars.
A new study in JAMIA finds that most web-based diabetes tools do not yield clinically meaningful benefits and are plagued with a high prevalence of usability errors. The study authors reviewed over 10,000 citations and analyzed 57 studies.
UK pharmacy chain Lloydspharmacy announced a partnership with Proteus Biomedical to commercialize Helius, a pill containing an edible microchip that communicates with a disposable monitoring patch attached to the user’s shoulder. The patch will collect information on physical activity and medication adherence which it will transmit wirelessly to the user’s phone. Lloydspharmacy will sell the system through selected pharmacies.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) launched a new, free asthma management app, called MyAsthma, for iPhone and Android users in the UK. The app provides users with information on local asthma triggers, helps with symptom tracking and includes Asthma Control Test (ACT), which provides users with an numerical score indicating how well they are managing their asthma overall. GSK sells the asthma drug Advair.
BitGym has released a new fitness app for iOS that takes advantage of the device’s motion sensing and camera functionalities. To play the racing game, users simply place their iPhone or iPad on a cardio machine, steer using their head motion and accelerate based on their workout pace.
Researchers at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax are currently testing a new iPhone headache diary intended to help headache sufferers become more aware of their headache patterns, and monitor their progress over treatment. They are recruiting iPhone users between the ages of 14-28 who suffer from recurrent headaches. More information about the study can be found here.
Take Care Health Systems, Walgreen’s retail clinic subsidiary, has launched a new online scheduling function on its website. Patients can now see available appointment times and schedule visits in real time online or in the clinic.
PeriGen, provider of perinatal-specific clinical decision support systems, announced a new Chief Executive Office. Matthew Sappern joins PeriGen from his position as Senior Vice President, Client Sales at Allscripts.
DocuTrac, creator of health IT solutions for the behavioral health industry, announced a new billing service tailored for behavioral health clinics, called Office Therapy Billing Services.
A new study in the Journal of Nursing Administration surveying more than 16,000 nurses across 4 states found that nurses working in hospitals with basic EHRs consistently reported that poor patient safety and other quality outcomes occurred less frequently than reported by nurses working in hospitals without an EHR. The study authors conclude that “the implementation of a basic EHR may result in improved and more efficient nursing care, better care coordination, and patient safety.”
Humedica announced the launch of a new, predictive model supported by EMR data to identify patients at high-risk for a hospitalization secondary to Congestive Heart Failure. The hope is to deliver early focused interventions to the most at-risk patients as to prevent costly hospitalizations.
Global venture capital fund Canaan Partners closed a new $600 million fund for investing in heathcare and technology.
UK company Geko released a new electronic device designed to reduce the likelihood of developing blood clots. The disposable device attaches to the back of the patient’s knee and two electrodes micro-contract the calf muscle, increasing local blood circulation.
Health 2.0 Developer Challenges