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Topic of the Month March: Blood
App to Help Weight Loss Developed
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[14/05/2013] Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed a smart phone app that helps users lose weight by carefully recording their food consumption. App to Help Weight Loss Developed - Read more
OMRON: “Our challenge is to present body metrics in a way that is simple and relevant”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/05/2013] OMRON provides advanced technology in sensing and control – both as an independent manufacturer and to industry partners. MEDICA.de talked to Matthieu Valk, Marketing Communications Manager for the EMEA region at OMRON Healthcare Europe, about OEM partnerships and OMRON’s expectations of their own products.OMRON: “Our challenge is to present body metrics in a way that is simple and relevant” - Read more
Usability Engineering: Patient-Centered Product Development
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/05/2013] Developers of medical devices have to ensure a good usability of their devices, because mistakes in handling can endanger a human life. This is especially true for equipment used by patients or family members autonomously. This is where usability engineering that involves users and their needs into the development process comes in: From the early concept right up to product testing.Usability Engineering: Patient-Centered Product Development - Read more
Scientists Map Drug-like Compounds
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[23/04/2013] Drug developers may have a new tool to search for more effective medications and new materials. It is a computer algorithm that can model and catalogue the entire set of lightweight, carbon-containing molecules that chemists could feasibly create in a lab. Scientists Map Drug-like Compounds - Read more
Models Predict Treatment Outcome
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[22/04/2013] Mathematical prediction models are better than doctors at predicting the outcomes and responses of lung cancer patients to treatment. This applies even after the doctor has seen the patient and knows what treatment plan and radiation dose will be. Models Predict Treatment Outcome - Read more
Support for Health of Older People
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[16/04/2013] The use of social media by older people can offer valuable additional support in cases of sickness and diseases, new research from the University of Luxembourg has shown. Support for Health of Older People - Read more
Hospital Hygiene: Large Sterilization Plant Against the Tiniest Danger
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/04/2013] Sterilization is among the most important aspects of hospital hygiene. This is why facilities have Central Sterilization Supply Departments (CSSD) and face the invisible dangers posed by viruses, spores and bacteria. Since October 2012, the Marienstift Hospital in Braunschweig fights the tiny culprits on a grand scale with its new CSSD (ZSVA in German).Hospital Hygiene: Large Sterilization Plant Against the Tiniest Danger - Read more
Medical Textiles: “Most germs are spread through hand contact, not through textiles”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/04/2013] Whether it’s implants, medical drape sheets or surgeons’ attire – medicine relies on textiles every day. Their main task is to protect patients and physicians from infection. Even though most germs are not transmitted through textiles, they have to meet hygiene requirements.Medical Textiles: “Most germs are spread through hand contact, not through textiles” - Read more
Wanted in Medical Technology
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/02/2013] Data processing is essential for medical devices. For the development process, experts have to know data processing, but also need to have knowledge about medicine, biology, processes and management. They acquire these skills in medical informatics. Wanted in Medical Technology - Read more
Fast Mobile Testing via Cloud
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[29/01/2013] An innovative lab-on-a-chip checks a patient's HIV status anywhere in the world with just a finger prick. It also synchronizes the results automatically and instantaneously with central health-care records. Fast Mobile Testing via Cloud - Read more
Digital Diagnostic Tools Lead to Patient Dissatisfaction
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[28/01/2013] A University of Missouri researcher says the increased use of computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) leads to greater patient dissatisfaction and could increase noncompliance with preventative care and treatment recommendations. Digital Diagnostic Tools Lead to Patient Dissatisfaction - Read more
Why Americans Rather Risk Flu Infection
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[15/01/2013] With 41 states having reported widespread and severe outbreaks of flu this season, timely new research sheds light on why less than half of the American population has gotten a flu shot. Why Americans Rather Risk Flu Infection - Read more
Using Gestures to Control a Computer
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[11/01/2013] Doctors may soon be using a system in the operating room that recognizes hand gestures as commands to tell a computer to browse and display medical images of the patient during a surgery. Using Gestures to Control a Computer - Read more
Ties to Fewer Hospitals Work Better
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[09/01/2013] Experience working for a particular hospital matters when it comes to the performance of radiologists who work for outsourcing teleradiology companies. This finding could have important implications, given the growing use of telemedicine. Ties to Fewer Hospitals Work Better - Read more
Cost-effective for Hospitals, Good for Patients
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[18/12/2012] Telestroke networks that enable the remote and rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke can improve the bottom line of patients and hospitals, researchers report. Cost-effective for Hospitals, Good for Patients - Read more
One in Four Uses Social Media Daily
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[11/12/2012] A new survey shows that about one in four physicians uses social media daily or multiple times a day to scan or explore medical information, and 14 percent use social media each day to contribute new information, according to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. One in Four Uses Social Media Daily - Read more
Unique Treatment for Neurological Disorder
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[26/11/2012] An Indiana University study proposes an innovative treatment for developmental coordination disorder (DCD), a potentially debilitating neurological disorder in which the development of a child's fine or gross motor skills is impaired. Unique Treatment for Neurological Disorder - Read more
Physicians Fail to Disclose Conflicts of Interest
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[12/11/2012] As the use of Twitter and other social media by physicians and patients rises, more and more physicians seem to forget to do what many consider crucial for building doctor-patient trust: disclose potential conflicts of interest. Physicians Fail to Disclose Conflicts of Interest - Read more
Cancer Data in The "Cloud"
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[07/11/2012] Storing music and photos on distant computers via "cloud" technology is nothing new. But Johns Hopkins researchers are now using this tactic to collect detailed information from thousands of cancer cell samples. Cancer Data in The "Cloud" - Read more
Locating Defibrillators via Smartphone
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[05/11/2012] Participants in a "crowdsourcing" challenge in Philadelphia used a smart phone application to locate, photograph and map more than 1,400 automated external defibrillators in public places, according to research. Locating Defibrillators via Smartphone - Read more
T-Systems: Making mobile medical rounds with Smartphones and tablets
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/10/2012] More and more hospital employees appreciate the potential of mobile working with Smartphones and tablets. Quick access to clinical data in day-to-day work life streamlines information search processes, can relieve physicians and supports the quality of medical care of patients. Deutsche (German)Telekom presents new solutions for healthcare. T-Systems: Making mobile medical rounds with Smartphones and tablets - Read more
App Lets You Monitor Lung Health
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[19/09/2012] A new tool from researchers at the University of Washington, UW Medicine and Seattle Children's hospital lets people monitor their lung function at home or on the go simply by blowing into their smartphones. App Lets You Monitor Lung Health - Read more
Inconsistent Consultant Websites Could Try Patients’ Patience
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[27/08/2012] There is a lack of consistency in the amount of information available to patients to help them make informed choices about their healthcare, say researchers at Northumbria University. Inconsistent Consultant Websites Could Try Patients’ Patience - Read more
Cancer Drugs with Gene Targets
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[17/07/2012] A new study of NIH/National Cancer Institute details how a suite of web-based tools provides the research community with greatly improved capacity to compare data derived from large collections of genomic information against thousands of drugs. Cancer Drugs with Gene Targets - Read more
“An overview for science and the public”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[09/07/2012] Every day, patients and test persons give blood or tissue samples. Every day this increases the material quantities and data volumes in biobanks. The German Biobank Registry (Das Deutsche Biobanken-Register) now gives scientists and the interested public an overall view of the national inventories. “An overview for science and the public” - Read more
Hospital Communication 2.0 still in its Infancy
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/06/2012] Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – by now, Social Media has become an integral part of daily life for many of us. That is why more and more companies call attention to themselves and their products via social networks. The health care sector is also a part of this. Yet it is primarily hospital facilities that still lag behind.Hospital Communication 2.0 still in its Infancy - Read more
Improving Diet and Physical Activity Behaviour
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[29/05/2012] A new study, supported in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, suggests that a combination of mobile technology and remote coaching holds promise in encouraging healthier eating and physical activity behaviour in adults. The study focused on the best way to change multiple health behaviours. Improving Diet and Physical Activity Behaviour - Read more
Anywhere Access to Medical Images
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/05/2012] Patients can successfully pull their medical images from the "cloud" making it faster for them to distribute them to their physicians regardless of where those physicians might be, according to a preliminary report of an image share project that involves five different academic institutions. Anywhere Access to Medical Images - Read more
Web-Based Support Helps Women with Breast Cancer
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[06/03/2012] Every day 18 Swedish women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Although there is a real need for support and information, many women struggle and get lost in the deluge of information. In a study of 227 women, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed a web-based programme to guide patients all the way from diagnosis to rehabilitation. Web-Based Support Helps Women with Breast Cancer - Read more
New Software Key for Personalised Medicine
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[14/02/2012] DNA Sequencing technologies provide massive amounts of data that are not easily processed and translated by scientists. That is why Georgia Tech has created a new data analysis algorithm that quickly transforms complex RNA sequence data into usable content for biologists and clinicians. New Software Key for Personalised Medicine - Read more
Sound Rather than Sight Can Activate ‘Seeing’ for the Blind
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[08/02/2012] Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have tapped onto the visual cortex of the congenitally blind by using sensory substitution devices (SSDs), enabling the blind in effect to “see” and even describe objects. Sound Rather than Sight Can Activate ‘Seeing’ for the Blind - Read more
“Our findings are especially interesting for cancer research”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[02/01/2012] Today, genome analyses can take up to 30 days. A new database technology is meant to help in analyzing and evaluating vast amounts of medical data in real-time. Doctor Matthieu-P. Schapranow from the Hasso Plattner Institute for Software Systems Engineering (HPI) explains how in-memory technology works and how it benefits personalized medicine. “Our findings are especially interesting for cancer research” - Read more
“Data protection for the insured person is unquestionably guaranteed”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[08/12/2011] Since October 2011, Germany’s electronic health insurance card (“elektronische Gesundheitskarte” eGK) has been adopted into the everyday lives of patients and physicians for good. After a long and tedious process, it finally meets the required regulations to ensure data protection for the insured. “Data protection for the insured person is unquestionably guaranteed” - Read more
Scientists Develop Sensitive Skin for Robots
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[05/07/2011] Robots will soon be able to feel heat or gentle touching on their surfaces. Researchers of the Excellence Cluster CoTeSys at the Technical University Munich are now producing small hexagonal plates which when joined together form a sensitive skin for “machines with brains.” This will enable robot self-perception for the first time. Scientists Develop Sensitive Skin for Robots - Read more
“The time until the doctor sees the patient is used efficiently”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[10/01/2011] After an accident or in case of an acute illness fast help is needed. Ambulance vehicles, the flying ambulance and the walking patients – they all seek help at the accident and emergency department of a hospital. But how can you achieve to care for a number of critical patients simultaneously in an optimal way? “The time until the doctor sees the patient is used efficiently” - Read more
Virtual Food Causes Stress
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[05/07/2010] Advanced imaging technologies have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward imaging-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a new study. Virtual Food Causes Stress - Read more
Click Me – Fair Grades for Doctors
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/07/2010] With its suggestion to grade doctors on the Internet, the German National Health provider AOK caused a big stir one year ago. Supporters expected more transparency and quality health care from this. Critics feared that physicians are being put on a digital chopping block. Now the first step was made. Whether hopes are being fulfilled or fears prove to be true: MEDICA.de has taken a closer look. Click Me – Fair Grades for Doctors - Read more
“Quality Requires Transparency“
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/07/2010] The introduction of quality standards in hospitals is in vogue. This does not just apply to legally required records, but also for “self-imposed“ quality management. For some hospitals the competition has just started: They publish and analyze data and face direct comparison. It still is disputed how quality can be measured best. “Quality Requires Transparency“ - Read more
Computers Can Detect Eye Problems
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[20/05/2010] Cost-effective computerized systems to detect early eye problems related to diabetes can help meet the screening need, an analysis shows. Computers Can Detect Eye Problems - Read more
A "Fat Forward" Research Tool
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[12/05/2010] Researchers in tissue engineering have developed a "fat finder", a microscope-based cell scanner, that can help scientists accelerate their research into new fat-melting drugs. A "Fat Forward" Research Tool - Read more
In Search of a Master Controller
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[10/05/2010] New research suggests that a closely connected trio of regulatory proteins are the “master regulators” in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the self-renewing cells the body uses to make new blood cells. In Search of a Master Controller - Read more
Big Brother Is Integrated
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/03/2010] In former times, folded cartons were sufficient: pills were packed in boxes and given to the patient. This has not complied with modern standards for a long time. Medicine packaging is advancing and Smart Labels are all the rage: they are able to assure product quality as well as to protect against drug fakers.
Big Brother Is Integrated - Read more
How to Treat a Pancreatic Cyst
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/03/2010] A research team has developed a new evaluation tool to help guide pancreatic cyst treatment. How to Treat a Pancreatic Cyst - Read more
Regulating Anaesthesia via Computer
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[23/02/2010] Researchers have developed a technique for automatically controlling anaesthesia during surgical operations. The new system detects the hypnotic state of the patient at all times and supplies the appropriate dose of anaesthetic. Regulating Anaesthesia via Computer - Read more
Tracing Mutations that Lead to Drug Resistance
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[09/02/2010] Chemists and statisticians have developed a new way to trace mutations in HIV that lead to drug resistance. Tracing Mutations that Lead to Drug Resistance - Read more
"Relatives Are Left Alone In Front Of Their Computer Screens"
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[08/02/2010] What used to be a secret journal is today a public Blog. One can find more and more private and personal information on the internet that is accessible to everyone. In the USA, there are even hospitals that give live accounts of every incision made in an operation, on the internet. "Relatives Are Left Alone In Front Of Their Computer Screens" - Read more
Safety Net for Fall-Prone Elderly
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[12/01/2010] Falls are the main cause of injuries among elderly people, but until now doctors have had few ways of monitoring and counteracting mobility problems among patients. New research aims to change that. Safety Net for Fall-Prone Elderly - Read more
Surgery on Beating Heart
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[15/12/2009] A French team has developed a computerised 3D model that allows surgeons to use robotics to operate on a beating heart. Surgery on Beating Heart - Read more
Brain Waves Can “Write”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[09/12/2009] Neuroscientists have demonstrated how brain waves can be used to type alphanumerical characters on a computer screen. By focusing on the “q” in a matrix of letters, for example, that “q” appears on the monitor. Brain Waves Can “Write” - Read more
Intelligent Blood Bags
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[07/12/2009] Have the blood supplies got too warm? Do they match the patient’s blood group? In the future, these kinds of questions will be answered by intelligent radio nodes attached to blood bags. Intelligent Blood Bags - Read more
Solution to Managing Imaging Utilization
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[01/12/2009] Providing physicians with a computerised support system that provides feedback regarding imaging appropriateness may be an effective solution to managing imaging utilization, according to a new article. Solution to Managing Imaging Utilization - Read more
Design Tool for Materials with a Memory
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[25/08/2009] Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM have found a quicker and cheaper way to produce shape memory alloys. Design Tool for Materials with a Memory - Read more
Responsible for Processing of Speech
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[20/08/2009] Researchers have succeeded for the first time in devising a model that describes and identifies a basic cellular mechanism that enables networks of neurons to efficiently decode speech in changing conditions. Responsible for Processing of Speech - Read more
„As if a Pedestrian Should Judge a Car Driving Past“
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[22/07/2009] Teachers and lecturers, but also hotels and restaurants – a lot of persons and objects can be rated via internet. As from 2010, physicians may be next in line since the German health insurance company AOK wants to install a rating portal. Critics fear that doctors could be in the digital pillory that way. „As if a Pedestrian Should Judge a Car Driving Past“ - Read more
Health Departments Get Mixed Marks
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[20/07/2009] State and local health departments get mixed marks for efforts to convey information about the H1N1 virus to the public using their Web sites immediately after U.S. officials declared a public health emergency in April. Health Departments Get Mixed Marks - Read more
„We Need to Prevent Conditions like those on American Idol”
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[08/07/2009] Teachers and lecturers, but also hotels and restaurants – a lot of persons and things can be rated via internet. As from 2010 physicians may be next in line since the German health insurance company AOK wants to install a rating portal. Supporters see many advantages for patients in such a website. „We Need to Prevent Conditions like those on American Idol” - Read more
Bits and Bytes in Doctors's Robes (Part 1)
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[15/01/2009] by Wiebke Heiss / MEDICA.de
The revolution began slowly: At the beginning, computer weighing tons filled whole rooms – with time they turned into tiny microprocessors. Then, the Internet and wireless communication conquered the world. Information technology changed our lives. Also that of doctors – today and tomorrow. Bits and Bytes in Doctors's Robes (Part 1) - Read more
Bits and Bytes in Doctors's Robes (Part 2)
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[15/01/2009] by Wiebke Heiss / MEDICA.de Bits and Bytes in Doctors's Robes (Part 2) - Read more
„The Patient Must Remain in Charge of Its Data“
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[08/10/2008] A chip - hanging down from the wrist or being inserted in the arm – contains data related to the person or its medical history. This sounds like a futuristic vision but some hospitals in the USA have made it come true. The intention: a better treatment for the patients and more efficient localisation of doctors. In Europe, RFID and health care are connected only in research projects so far. „The Patient Must Remain in Charge of Its Data“ - Read more
Linked to Internet, Alcohol and Sleep
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[11/07/2008] Internet, alcohol and too little sleep are factors that may contribute to weight gain in adolescent girls, according to a recent study. Linked to Internet, Alcohol and Sleep - Read more
How Internet Addiction is Affecting Lives
( Source: MEDICA.de )
[10/05/2006] The Internet – millions of people rely on it for everyday tasks. But when is the line crossed between average use and addiction? An article in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care may give answers. How Internet Addiction is Affecting Lives - Read more
