A new office in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is focusing on using health information technology in the agency’s programs for the nation’s poor. The office will have three major components, a Division of Health IT Policy, an Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, and a Division of Health IT State and Community Assistance. Read more.
Archive for January, 2006
US to set up an Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
Monday, January 23rd, 2006Broadband a key to reducing US health care costs?
Monday, January 23rd, 2006Leading US economist announces that the US has at its disposal an overlooked ‘secret weapon’ that could significantly reduce health care costs and kickstart the nation’s sluggish economy: accelerated deployment of broadband benefiting an estimated 70 million Americans who are either over 65 or under that age but disabled. Read more.
PSA target on homecare, and European statistics on aging
Monday, January 23rd, 20061) Health and Social Care Information Centre publication provides information about the Public Service Agreement (PSA) on home care 2004/05. Data is provided at local authority level, to asses the progress being made towards the target. (The past three years have seen a steady increase in the proportion of older people receiving intensive help to live independently at home rather than in residential care.) More…
2) The trend toward ageing is most pronounced in Europe, which by 2025 will have eight of the 10 “oldest” populations—that is, percentage of people above age 60—among countries worldwide with at least 10 million people. Report on the statistics.
This is reportedly from a press release by the Alliance for Health and the Future although we cannot find it on its site. However, it’s a site that many of our readers will be interested to explore.
More scope for DIY telecare?
Monday, January 23rd, 2006Further to our note of Motorola’s Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit in November (Check it here), Creative’s WebCam Live! Has a pan and tilt head, and software that automatically moves to follow its subjects. Costs about £95.
Alzheimer’s telecare from la pharmacie
Monday, January 23rd, 2006Medical Intelligence introduced the Columba bracelet in Paris last June to move forward with its final market testing with its partners – Orange, France’s largest mobile telephony operator, and AXA Assistance, the leading provider of medical assistance. Since the spring of 2005, the company has signed agreements with Pasteur Mediavita, an affiliate of the Pasteur Institute, to assess institutional and governmental distribution opportunities, and with DGX Pharma, a major pharmaceutical distributor through which the Columba bracelet will be getting into France’s 22,400 pharmacies.
(After that summary you probably don’t need to read the press release.)
Policy event on aging in Washington DC
Friday, January 20th, 2006Every decade the White House holds a policy event on issues around aging. The following links give a flavour of the matters raised in December, when telecare and telehealth matters put in a strong appearance.
Conference: Telecare 2006
Friday, January 20th, 2006Early alert of conference in May organised by BJHC Events featuring case histories. Call for exhibitors and register expressions of interest in attending. No pricing information yet.
Chronic disability overestimated
Friday, January 20th, 2006Researchers at Yale School of Medicine report that the rates of chronic disability in older Americans have been substantially overestimated. Read more.
Smart socks
Friday, January 20th, 2006In cases of poor blood circulation, imagine having socks with built-in pressure sensors that would alert you to put your feet up for a while. And bandages that warn of the beginnings of an infection and identify the responsible bacterium and the appropriate antibiotic needed to treat it. A future trend.
You want publicity?
Friday, January 20th, 2006Three examples of the kind of publicity you want – and one of the kind you don’t.