|
Welcome to the Med-e-Tel newsletter!
This newsletter is your source for Med-e-Tel updates, news from the Med-e-Tel partners, exhibitors and speakers, as well as other telemedicine and ehealth news from around the world.
Med-e-Tel 2008 is just around the corner (April 16-18). If you are coming over there, we look forward to meeting with you and hearing about your telemedicine and ehealth activities and projects.
Click here for venue information and travel directions.
Online registration is closed, but registration can also still be done on-site upon arrival at the event!
Past newsletters contain more information about some of the exhibitors, partners and sessions that will be part of the Med-e-Tel conference.
Med-e-Tel 2008 is accredited by the EACCME to provide CME credits to healthcare professionals.
|
|
Featured Partner
The International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH) is looking forward to meeting you at next week's Med-e-Tel.
The ISfTeH will feature posters and information on its exhibition stand from member organizations in Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, South Africa, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Venezuela and others. Many of these organizations will also be represented personally at Med-e-Tel, and so the event is the ideal opportunity to meet and network with people who are at the forefront of telemedicine and ehealth development in their country.
Also several conference sessions on Thursday and Friday will feature more updates from ISfTeH members. ISfTeH members are invited to join the annual ISfTeH Breakfast Meeting at Med-e-Tel on Friday 18 April. A chance to get to know each other better and to advance and enhance international cooperation.
ISfTeH Board Members will convene on Friday afternoon at Med-e-Tel. So meet with us at Med-e-Tel and learn more about how you can become part of our growing international telemedicine and ehealth network.
Med-e-Tel works together with a distinguished academy of organizations, associations and institutions who are active in the fields of ehealth, telemedicine, and health ICT.
Click here for a full list of supporting organizations and partners. |
Featured Media Partners
E-Health Europe is the independent news and business information source for Healthcare Information Technology across Europe.
www.ehealtheurope.net is an English language service providing unbiased, incisive original news and analysis. The service is delivered by an award-winning editorial team from London and Berlin.
The EHealthEurope.net portal provides high-level coverage of key policy, technology and industry trends in the sector, including major national, trans-national and regional procurements, initiatives and projects.
EHealthEurope.net has been developed by E-Health Media Ltd publishers of E-Health Insider www.e-health-insider.com the online health IT news service covering the UK, which has over 20,000 registered readers.
www.ehealtheurope.net offers you a raft of marketing solutions to reach a senior audience of Healthcare IT buyers, influencers and decision makers right across Europe.
No other media can deliver your communication as quickly or as effectively.
The Journal of Assistive Technologies is a new peer-reviewed journal, providing a user focus on current and enabling technologies, telecare and e-inclusion in health and social care. Articles focus on how people use assistive and enabling technologies, rather than solely on the technology itself, and raise awareness of available technologies. It debates definitions and concepts and addresses ethics, policy, legislation, and issues for day-to-day practice.
Informatics in Primary Care, published by Radcliffe Publishing, aims to provide information, help and guidance to all those concerned with information technology and information management in primary care, both nationally and internationally. Informatics is a new and exciting discipline, cutting across medicine, nursing, computing, technology, communications, education, statistics, psychology, and sociology, but its primary purpose is the application of information and communications technology to support health care.
The Arab Health World (AHW) magazine is a specialized business to business magazine that delivers information about the latest developments and technologies in the medical, laboratory, pharmaceutical and nutrition sectors. AHW circulates to the desktops of leading decision-makers engaged in the above mentioned sectors throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It is published on a bimonthly basis in a bilingual format (English-Arabic).
TeleHealth World is the new magazine serving the rapidly expanding fields of telelhealth, telemedicine and connected health. It is a comprehensive news and analysis resource for healthcare providers and technology providers who are leading today's revolution in remotely monitored and administered healthcare, medical treatment and fitness/wellness enhancement. TeleHealth World helps professionals involved in telehealth, telemedicine and fitness/wellness keep abreast of the latest developments, innovations and market news.
Telemeditalia is a monthly journal which focuses on all aspects of information and communication technology, ehealth, telemedicine, homecare and health technologies in general. The webjournal is widely read by doctors and other health professionals, as well as by health institutions.
The Med-e-Tel media partnerships provide you with a look at a wide range of healthcare and medical journals, magazines and on-line news and information services that will help you to stay abreast of what is going on in the field of ehealth, telemedicine and healthcare IT and to make better informed decisions in your daily business or healthcare practice.
Pick up your personal copy of these publications in the Media Corner at Med-e-Tel 2008! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Med-e-Tel 2008 just around the corner  Med-e-Tel 2008 is just around the corner, taking place next week (April 16-18) at the Luxexpo Exhibition and Congress Center in Luxembourg.
To all those of you who are making their final preparations to attend the event, below are some links and information that will be of help:
- The general schedule of the event
- A detailed conference program
- Important for medical and healthcare professionals: Med-e-Tel 2008 is once again accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide CME activity for medical specialists (for a maximum of 18 hours of European external CME credits). More information can be obtained at the event.
- A list of exhibitors/sponsors who will be represented at the event
- Med-e-Tel's supporting organizations, many of which will also be personally represented by some of their members or officials at the event next week
- Med-e-Tel's media partners, whose information, magazines or journals will be available in the media corner at the event next week
- venue information and travel directions
- interesting links for local airport, city, tourist and weather information
|
|
Vitalog PSS solutions for mobile life style and wellbeing primary and secondary prevention tools
 A marked trend towards increasing levels of overweight and obesity can be found throughout Europe. Obesity (BMI > 29.9) rates range from 10% to 27% in men, and up to 38% in women. In parts of Europe, the combination of reported overweight and obesity in men exceeds even the 67% prevalence found in the USA's most recent measured survey. Finland, Germany and Greece all have overweight rates which surpass those of the USA.
Researches shows that the most efficacious, non-medical, weight loss treatment for moderate overweight and obesity is a structured behavioural weight loss program. Treatment is built on the principles of self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, stress management, social support, physical activity and relapse prevention while being supported by behavioural counselor. Weight loss produced by this level of treatment approximates 10% of baseline weight, or 9-10 Kg over a period of 20-26 weeks. However, this intensity of care is usually localized near research-based universities and hospitals and is cost-prohibitive owing to the level of professional support required.
Vitalog PSS (Proactive Support System) was built by a group of experts from the medicine and technology areas as an automated solution that will use mobile phones and internet technologies in order to deliver a cost effective behavioural therapy, their goal was to build a consumer solution and a professional medical solution (including EMR application). The basic assumption was that the consumer is passive, meaning that the solution should take the action and coach the consumer - be proactive.
The advantage of leveraging technology for nutrition and wellness care is the number of channels that can used in order to provide the proactive support. The most effective one is the mobile channel.
On Vitalog PSS, the daily interaction with the consumers is done using a mobile phone. Vitalog has developed a unique technology named Remote Mobile Wakeup - RMW. This technology allows the platform to remotely connect the user's handset and perform actions such as: show text and image, stream music (in the future stream video). Vitalog PSS is using the RMW to remind patients that it is time for dinner, and to tell them for instance to hold their spoon with their left hand (in case they have a problem of eating fast).
The mobile agent also includes a set of tools that enable the users to deal with changing events in their daily schedule, for example: if the users happen to eat lunch in a restaurant, he or she can open the agent and look for substitutions that exists in the restaurant with only few clicks - there is no need to type letters or numbers in the PSS mobile agent, it is very easy to use, it is based on click and browse interaction.
Meet Vitalog at Med-e-Tel 2008! Or contact miodezky@etg.be. More information is available at www.vitalog.be and www.vitaloginc.com. |
|
Towards a European ehealth infrastructure: ehealth and telemedicine associations of Germany, Austria and Switzerland join forces  Across Europe and worldwide, telemedicine and telehealth services
respond to today's health and social demands, i.e. treatment of chronic
patients, support for the quality of life of elderly people living at
home and the empowerment of citizens/patients to make healthcare
choices. With the evolving European-wide availability of eHealth
infrastructures, new opportunities for highly interconnected
telemedicine services emerge. Given the ubiquity of networks and the
mobility of patients in Europe it is impossible to deploy sustainable
telemedicine services without international, European and worldwide
dimensions.
 To accomplish this joint vision, the three National eHealth and
Telemedicine Associations of Germany (DGG), Austria (ASSTeH) and
Switzerland (SATMeH) have recently joined forces and enforced their
cooperation by a formal agreement. The agreement was signed at the "1st D-A-CH Cooperation Meeting"
held in Mannheim, Germany, in the premises of Vitaphone, one of the
pioneers in the provision of telemedicine services supported by a
highly professional Telemedicine Service Centre. The cooperation agreement foresees close, cross-border collaboration
for various subjects of eHealth and telemedicine supported by regular
consultations and joint meetings of the associations. Foreseen results
are joint publications, conferences and exhibitions at medical and
eHealth fairs. Even more important will be the development of agreed
guidelines for various aspects of telemedicine, educational curricula
and providing harmonised advice to model and pilot projects.
 As Günter Steyer, President of the DGG states "The significance of telemedicine in practice is vastly increasing throughout Europe. Following the introduction of health telematics infrastructures like e.g. the German eHealth card, clinical teleservices become increasingly important. Also the European Commission has prioritised telemedicine in its 2008 action planning. Especially for chronic diseases and patients at risk, telemedicine is an essential module to cope with the challenges of the European Healthcare systems, particularly those induced by the demographic changes. The cooperation of the European Associations for eHealth and telemedicine is hence of utmost importance to pave the way for a coherent European eHealth infrastructure, which has to be build on international standardisation while still recognising National developments and regulations."
These three national associations are also the national member organizations for their country within the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH), an international umbrella organization of telemedicine and ehealth associations and institutions, currently covering about 45 countries around the world. DGG, ASSTeH and SATMeH representatives will also be available for meetings on the ISfTeH exhibition stand at Med-e-Tel 2008, and they have various presentations scheduled in the Med-e-Tel conference program.
|
|
Clinical strategy and the use of balanced scorecards
The annual, regional (BeLux) hospital seminar that is being organized each year at Med-e-Tel in cooperation with the Luxembourg CRP-Santé (Public Institute for Research in Healthcare, Public Health and Biotechnology) will focus this year on showing how to create and successfully use and computerize balanced scorecards to improve clinical outcomes and overall management.
This objective is high on the agenda of many hospitals, but few projects succeed or provide the expected results, despite large HR, financial and IT efforts. The seminar provides a look at experiences from some of the leading hospitals and organizations in Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and investigates the IT, medical, nursing and financial dimensions of the projects.
The seminar is supported by companies such as C-Consult Advice, Cockpit Group, GFI, SAS, YUSE and also by SIXI (Soins Infirmiers et Informatiques), a Belgian nursing informatics association.
The whole day seminar is scheduled for Thursday 17 April and will be held in French as main language. (All other Med-e-Tel conference sessions are held in English.)
|
|
Using the balanced scorecard to improve OR efficiency
 Nowadays, hospital computerization is often still done based on individual and departmental initiative. The most effective approach to computerize hospital processes is nevertheless taking the patient's course and pathway through the care processes as a red thread. From the first hospitalization, or first line health care until release from the hospital and the follow-up after release.
Belgian based healthcare IT company YUSE proposes a total and multidisciplinary solution to the hospital world, that integrates all internal and external care processes. A modular system that can possibly also be linked to existing applications.
The YUSE Matrix Box assures and optimization and improvement of health care quality; a more effective organization, planning and administration; and real and proven profitability.
In a presentation at Med-e-Tel 2008 on "Piloting the OR based on balanced scorecards: a success despite encountered difficulties: why and how?" by Dr. Cathy De Deyne of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at the Hospital Oost-Limburg in Genk, Belgium, more information will be provided. The presentation will be part of the regional hospital seminar that is taking place on 17 April (see above). YUSE will also present its products and experiences on the Med-e-Tel exhibition floor.
|
|
Pilot and increase hospital performance with the Management Cockpit  Cockpit Group, an expert in the selection and automation of ergonomic Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) using the Management Cockpit method, improves companies' and organizations' efficiency by improving transparency and accountability.
The Management Cockpit helps to translate strategy into operational terms, to focus on key issues (Management by Exceptions) and to improve people commitment and accountability (Management by Objectives).
In the past few years, Cockpit Group has become a reference in the field of Key Performance Indicators selection and automation. This leading position was built thanks to the simple and pragmatic Management Cockpit concept. The output offered, provides customers with a set of tailor-made KPI's structured in a scorecard framework allowing a simple but effective process for data collection, aggregation and flexible means to distribute them on standard supported formats.
In the regional seminar at Med-e-Tel on "Clinical strategy and the use of balanced scorecards" (see above), Cockpit Group will present the methodology and an overview of experiences on piloting and increasing hospital performance using the Management Cockpit. You can also find Cockpit Group on the Med-e-Tel expo. |
|
Honeywell HomMed wins 2008 Medical Design Excellence Award  Honeywell HomMed won the 2008 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) for its Genesis DM remote patient care device. The Genesis DM won in the rehabilitation and assistive-technology products category.
The award-winning Honeywell HomMed remote patient monitoring device is ideal for both the patient and the medical professional, using text or voice prompts to guide patients through a series of yes/no questions that allow medical professionals to monitor and receive a thorough health assessment.
The Honeywell HomMed remote patient monitoring device is part of the LifeStream Ecosystem and provides patients with an easy-to-use device for the home. The three-part LifeStream ecosystem, providing cost-effective care for patients at home, includes the patient-facing Genesis DM device, software applications and service. Patients suffering from a variety of chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes and hypertension, can use the Genesis DM device to assess their condition in the privacy of their homes. This information is transmitted securely over the internet to their caregiver for monitoring and the appropriate intervention if necessary.
"When designing the Genesis DM, we listened to the ultimate customer -- patients. Without more consistent patient use of telemonitoring, the delivery of telehealth cannot be optimized," said Mike Benjamin, president of Honeywell HomMed. "We're honored to receive this recognition and proud of the team at Honeywell HomMed who made this possible. Our focus continues to be ensuring chronically ill patient's independent living with dignity for at an affordable cost."
The Medical Design Excellence Awards, now in its eleventh year, recognizes companies and individuals worldwide involved in the design, engineering, manufacture or distribution of finished medical devices or medical packaging. Entries are evaluated by a multidisciplinary panel of jurors with expertise in engineering, medicine, industrial design, manufacturing and other design- and healthcare-related fields.
Visit Honeywell HomMed at Med-e-Tel 2008 to find out more about their telehealth solutions. |
|
Newsbriefs To follow are links to some interesting and recently published articles, studies and reports (if you would like to suggest an article for inclusion into a following newsletter, feel free to send details to info@medetel.lu):
| |
|
|
|
