Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has improved the lives of thousands of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) since it was approved by FDA in 2002. By delivering electrical currents to the basal ganglia, the region of the brain that controls movement, the so-called “brain pacemaker” can relieve tremors, rigidity, and other motor symptoms that debilitate PD patients. (more…)
CMS Awards Round 2 SIM
In general, the State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative provides financial and technical support to develop state-led, multi-payer healthcare payment and service delivery models. CMS has just announced the recipients of Round Two awards for the SIM Initiative. (more…)
Improving Treatments for Concussions
Of the 1.7 million TBI injuries in the U.S each year, more than 750,000 are considered mild, and over 173,000 are related to recreational and sports activities. In the last decade, emergency visits for mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) among highly vulnerable populations such as children and developing youth have increased by more than 60 percent. (more…)
National Labs & New Research
DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory www.lanl.gov released an updated bioinformatics software version called Sequedex that is capable of identifying DNA from viruses and all parts of the Tree of Life. This helps researchers identify pathogen-caused diseases and select therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. (more…)
Update: Healthcare in Croatia
Croatia is a small country is central Europe bordering the Adriatic Sea with a population of 4.4 million. To provide services to the citizens, there are 61 hospitals, 2337 general practitioners, 1961, dental practices, 1117 pharmacies, and 143 laboratories. (more…)
NTIA Updates Priorities for 2015
Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) www.ntia.doc.gov updated the Public Law Institute and the Federal Communications Bar Association Telecommunications Policy and Regulation Institute meeting in Washington D.C on December 4, 2014. (more…)
Monitoring Device Helps Patients
A biomedical device originally developed to monitor the health of astronauts in space is now available to help doctors remotely monitor their patients. The device vMetrics developed under NASA-sponsored research and sold by FlexLife Health Inc., http://flexlifehealthl.com is a lightweight, compact, and wireless device to monitor patients in the home. (more…)