The CMS Request for Information (RFI) seeks information on innovations in advanced primary care http://innovation.cms.initiatives/Advanced-Primary-Care in order to encourage a more comprehensive primary care delivery system. Specifically, CMS wants to improve care for complex patients, facilitate robust connections to medical neighborhood and community-based services, and move reimbursement from encounter-based towards value-driven care. (more…)
Technology to Help Amputees
Despite recent advances in technology for upper-limb prostheses, artificial arms and hands are still unable to provide users with sensory feedback, such as feeling when touching things or enable the user to be aware of limb position and movement. (more…)
Geisinger Connects to PennREN
Geisinger Health System www.geisinger.org has become the first healthcare organization to be connected to the Pennsylvania Research and Education Network (PennREN) http://noc.pennren.net. PennREN is a public network exchange built and managed by the Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER) www.kinber.org to provide broadband connectivity, foster collaboration, and promote innovative use of digital technologies. (more…)
Robotic Technology to Expand into Space
Researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) collaborating with General Motors and Oceanseering Space Systems www.oceaneering.com designed a dexterous humanoid robot called “Robonaut 2” (R2). R2 is made up of multiple component technologies and systems that includes vision systems, image recognition systems, sensor integrations, tendon hands, control algorithms, and much more. (more…)
Technology to Improve Hearing Devices
With the support of a $522,000 two year grant from NIH, a University of Texas Dallas (UT Dallas) www.utdallas.edu team is working to harness the power of smartphones to help improve the quality of life for people who wear Hearing Assistive Devices (HAD). These devices include hearing aids, cochlear implants, and personal sound amplifiers. (more…)
Senators Announce Bipartisan Initiatives
Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) www.alexander.senate.gov Chairman and Patty Murray D-WA) www.murray.senate.gov Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, (HELP) www.help.senate.gov have launched a bipartisan initiative to examine the process for getting safe treatments, devices, and cures to patients and the role for FDA and NIH in that process. (more…)
Health Affairs: Biomedical Innovation
A briefing on February 5, highlighted biomedical innovation ideas and articles appearing in the February issue of “Health Affairs” www.healthaffairs.org/content/34//2/294.abstract. Panel discussions were held on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, accelerating and diffusing innovation, financing innovation, and on medical devices. (more…)