FDA has approved the first medical device to prevent migraine headaches. The device called Cefaly is the first Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device specifically authorized for use prior to the onset of pain. (more…)
Connecting Providers to Regional HIE
Low doctor-patient ratios and the historically high cost of HIE software has made it more difficult for rural health providers than their urban counterparts to share health information with other providers. (more…)
Predicting Sepsis Risk Using EHRs
University of California at Davis researchers have found that routine information such as blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature, and white blood cell count obtained from the EHRs of hospitalized patients can be used to predict early stages of sepsis, a leading cause of death and hospitalization in the U.S. They have also determined that just three measures including lactate level, blood pressure, and respiratory rate can pinpoint the likelihood that a patient will die from the disease. (more…)
CHCF Accepting Applications
Community Health Center and clinics want to build their capacity to care for the twenty million Americans who will be newly insured under the ACA. To help them, the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) in partnership with the Kresege Foundation is accepting applications for the “Partnering for Impact Initiative” from U.S based companies to collaborate on the current issues that community health centers face. (more…)
Rural Health Clinics and EHRs
The Working Paper “Meaningful Use of EHRs by Rural Health Clinics” issued by the Maine Rural Health Center discusses why it is clear that some RHCs are unlikely to adopt an EHR or will struggle with implementation. It was noted in the working paper that close to 64 percent of RHCs are very small clinics with few providers. (more…)
mHealth in China & U.S.
The Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings released the study “mHealth in China and the United States: How Mobile Technology is Transforming Healthcare in the World’s Two Largest Economies” at a briefing held March 13th. (more…)
Senate Hears from FDA’s Commissioner
Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D, FDA Commissioner reported on FDA’s health information technology actions when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on March 13. (more…)