Wow!
From Cory Doctorow … Replacement ear grown on an arm - Boing Boing:
A woman whose exterior ear was removed during her fight with cancer has grown a replacement ear made from starter-tissue harvested from her rib, which was cultured and scaffolded on her arm. Once the ear was ripe, it was removed from her arm and affixed to the side of her head.
From Laura Ruane Smartphone Apps Now Playing Doctor:
We don't use our smartphones for talking as much as we once did, but we are and will increasingly be using them to detect and monitor health risks, from irregular heart rhythms to E. coli bacteria in drinking water, industry experts say.
Health app developers initially focused on consumer diet and exercise, said Brian Dolan, editor of Boston-based MobiHealthNews.com, which tracks advances in mobile health and medical technology. "Now we're seeing them look into more serious health conditions where there's a real need for innovation.
Any medical transcriptionist will tell you that the worst part of the job is all the paperwork. It’s so taxing not just because there’s a lot of it, but because a majority of it is completely pointless. Indeed, the vast inefficiencies in the US’s health care system are universally regarded as a complete waste of time and money. And even with President Obama’s healthcare reform in full swing, much work remains to be done. Check out this infographic on how all these ridiculous costs break down – and the next time you’re getting behind on transcription because of paperwork, just remember that every health care professional is right there with you. And remind your boss to switch to digital record keeping, already.
A new survey by Manhattan Research reveals that 75 percent of physicians in the United States have purchased an Apple mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone or iPod.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The firm has completed its "Taking the Pulse U.S. 11.0" survey, an annual report that examines how physicians are using technology. It studies physicians' use of the Web, mobile devices and other technology tools.
For the survey, Manhattan Research interviewed 2,041 U.S. doctors in the first quarter of 2011 on the phone or online. The company organized data among specialists such as primary care physicians, cardiologists, oncologists and pediatricians. Researchers used back-end software to avoid overlap and ensure unique responses.
Announced on May 4, the study found that the iPhone was doctors' favored smartphone platform.
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Of physicians the research firm interviewed, 81 percent were using smartphones, the company reports.
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30 percent of doctors are now using iPads to access EHRs (electronic health records), view radiology images and communicate with patients. An additional 28 percent of doctors plan to buy an iPad within the next six months, Manhattan Research reports.
Dr. Atala and his team are leading the way in the burgeoning field of bioprinting, which is exactly what it sounds like -- using printers (and sometimes the actual printer cartridges you'd use in your home or office machine) to print cells and biocompatible materials. Other major players in the field, like Organovo, have printed things including blood vessels, WIRED reports.
So the field exists, yes, and the technology is improving. But the kidney-shaped mold that Atala showed at TED was exactly that -- a mold, without the vessels or internal structures of an actual, working kidney. The hope, Wake Forest says, is that one day, the same printer from the talk will be used to print actual tissues and organs, but that day is "many years from now."
Another Atala-team advance that has gotten a lot of attention, but again, still looms on the horizon is using bioprinting to create new skin directly on wounds or, Marketplace reports, burn victims. In his speech at the TED conference, Atala said that he and his team are actively designing a printer prototype that would do exactly that.
FDA approves iPad, iPhone radiology app for mobile diagnoses:
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first diagnostic radiology app for use in viewing medical images to make diagnoses using Apple's iPad and iPhone, a title that won the Apple Design Award for "Best iPhone Healthcare & Fitness Application" in 2008.
The announcement, made earlier today, gives a green light for Mobile MIM, an iOS app component of secure medical imaging product sold by the Cleveland-based MIM Software.
The FDA said the app "is not intended to replace full workstations and is indicated for use only when there is no access to a workstation," but William Maisel, MD, MPH, the chief scientist and deputy director for science in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, noted that "this important mobile technology provides physicians with the ability to immediately view images and make diagnoses without having to be back at the workstation or wait for film."
The Mobile MIM app allows radiological images to be securely delivered to mobile doctors using an iPad or iPhone, enabling them to view images and make medical diagnoses "based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine technology, such as positron emission tomography (PET)."
The app "allows the physician to measure distance on the image and image intensity values and display measurement lines, annotations and regions of interest," the report stated.
In the winter, a mountainous region of California that the locals call the Grapevine is plagued by severe weather. The highway that winds through it is coated with snow and ice, making travel between central and southern parts of the state difficult and, sometimes, nearly impossible.
During these stormy outbursts, Dr. Gregory Smith, who specializes in treating chronic pain and prescription drug abuse, can't make it from his office in Los Angeles to his Fresno clinic. Two years ago, his only options were to reschedule appointments or cancel altogether.
But now, Smith uses his computer webcam to "see" his patients. He estimates the video technology enabled him to save 350 to 500 appointments this year.
"It's almost as good as being there," said Smith, whose two clinics have more than 1,300 patients.
Web-camera doctor appointments have their benefits and their drawbacks. Free online video-chat services let doctors check in quickly with patients, which can be more convenient for both. They let sick patients keep their germs at home, rather than bring them to an office. And doctors in some specialties, such as plastic surgery, use the technology to extend the reach of their practices by having e-consultations with patients in far-away cities.
The ECG Case physically appears like just another iPhone case except that a couple of shiny electrodes are stylishly inscribed on its back. Users can slip in the iPhone into this case and launch the corresponding application to use the iPhone -
1. For ECG
2. Heart Rate Trend Monitor
The iPhone ECG app, once launched turns your iPhone into “wireless clinical quality cardiac equipment” that can record your ECG. It allows you to store this data locally on your iPhone or wireless stream it to your doctor or other connected devices.
According to The Sacramento Bee, some hospitals are experimenting with tablet-style computers, and Apple's iPad is now on their radar. It quoted an official with nonprofit managed care organization Kaiser Permanente who said tablet computers could help doctors and nurses spend more time with patients.
In a San Francisco-based program dubbed 'Destination Bedside,' officials hope to provide superior care by giving hospital workers tablets that would provide X-rays, charts, prescriptions and notes all on one device at the tap of the finger. The company expects to settle on one tablet for company-wide distribution later this year.
And in the running is Apple's iPad, thanks in part to the popularity of the iPhone. But until the iPad can be tested for real-world use in the hospitals, officials are keeping their options open. One touchscreen device called the Motion C5, controlled by a stylus, has been in trial.
Dr. Javeed Siddiqui, associate medical director for the Center for Health and Technology at UC Davis Medical Center, told the Bee he's excited by the potential the iPad offers for the medical industry.
'It's portable and it's lightweight,' he said. 'It has touch screen, a Web browser -- and all those features can be utilized as a way to integrate technology in patient care.'
The real potential for the iPad in the medical field will lie in the ability to write custom applications for the hardware. In addition to a number of bundled applications, the iPad will have access to Apple's App Store, which now offers more than 140,000 different options.
Health care workers excited about the possibilities won't have to wait long for Apple's iPad.
It takes advantage of the touch-screen interface, and introduces new disease content, features and functionality to the platform. The premium software solution includes: drug prescribing and safety information for more than 3,300 drugs, including pill pictures, peer-reviewed disease content and evidence-based differential diagnosis developed in conjunction with the BMJ Group, publisher of the British Medical Journal, infectious disease treatment guide with empiric and specific treatment recommendations, hundreds of diagnostic and laboratory tests for interpretation and diagnostic support, 600+ alternative (herbal) medications with drug interactions, MedMath medical calculators including commonly-used pregnancy wheel and unit conversions, and more.While a little pricey (between $149 and $249) for average consumers, this could become a must have for nurses and physicians.
Epocrates has expanded its popular drug guide with new content and features, including disease information and a lab interpretation reference. View this demo by Dr. Hanh Le and see how the new Epocrates Essentials suite supports a clinical scenario.
The availability of the Epocrates Essentials content on the iPhone provides clinicians with convenient access to the critical information they need all on one device right at the point of care. The suite features cross-linking between the drug, disease and diagnostic content and can be used to support a patients consultation from diagnosis to treatment.
To purchase or for more information, visit www.epocrates.com.
