Michigan Hospital Uses Robotic Surgery for Kidney Removal

Surgeons at the Henry Ford Hospital have just announced their use of a three-dimensional robotic surgical technique they used to successfully remove a cancerous tumor from a 50 years old patient.  The technique, SIRS nephrectomy, allows the removal of all or part of a damaged kidney with much less trauma than conventional surgical techniques do. Read more

STRokE DOC Puts Experts at the Scene

One out of every three US residents lives in a rural area that makes getting immediate medical care in times of emergency a sometimes-risky predicament.  Speed of emergency medical care is especially important with medical emergencies such as stroke, a situation that benefits most from the earliest treatment. Read more

High-Tech Contact Lenses Dispense Glaucoma Meds

Biomedical engineers at the University of California (UC) Davis have devised materials they plan to turn into contact lenses outfitted with pressure sensors and medication stores.  When the sensors detect changes in eye pressure that signal the need for medications, the contact lenses will dispense the medications themselves. Read more

WEIRD Puts a Virtual Doctor in Every Ambulance

Calling their work the WEIRD project, a team of technology researchers has devised a communications system that uses the latest technologies in an easy-to-use format that can be installed in an ambulance.  The technology allows the ambulance team to relay, in transit, vital signs and other medical data to the emergency team at a hospital.  The hospital team, in turn, can advise the ambulance team how to best treat the patient in transit, getting critical medical procedures and medications started even before the patient reaches the hospital. Read more

Medicare Will Offer Incentives For ePrescribing

Have your ever been frustrated by your doctor’s handwriting? Illegibly written prescriptions may soon be a thing of the past and medication errors will be drastically reduced if Medicare’s new incentives for ePrescribing are embraced by physicians. The incentives include a bonus program that would give doctors an additional 2% bonus on top of their fee if they choose the ePrescribing option. Read more

FDA Approves Intel’s In-Home Health Management Device

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced approval of a healthcare management tool developed by the innovative, high-tech company, Intel.  The device, the Intel Health Guide, allows patients to take a more active role in their health care when chronic conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart failure are present while remaining in closer contact with their caregivers. Read more

Rogue Internet Pharmacies Sell Controlled Drugs Without Prescriptions

A new report issued by the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) warns consumers against the vast array of drugs sold by unregulated online pharmacies.  These pharmacies not only sell controlled drugs without an accompanying prescription, they do so without verification of age, a practice that allows even children to order drugs that are otherwise available by prescription only.  Valium and Xanax seem to be in big demand. Read more

Doctors, Pharmacies, Benefits Managers Embrace ePrescriptions

Earlier today, two of the leading entities in the pharmacy industry announced collaboration with Medco Health Solutions, Inc., to promote the use of e-prescriptions.  The collaboration has earned the approval of many of the nation’s doctors, some of whom already use electronic means for writing prescriptions instead of the paper-based methods traditionally used. Read more

New Device Zaps Migraines Before They Start

The possibility of easy, sweet relief for migraine pain was the subject of conversation at the recent annual meeting of the American Headache Society (AHS) in Boston.  Dr. Richard B. Lipton, representing Neuralieve, a company that specializes in medical technologies, reported the completion of a study that tested a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device for use in patients experiencing migraine with aura.  The device proved to be effective in reducing the pain of migraine headaches and was even able to stop them before the pain developed. Read more

Wide Spectrum Collaboration on Online Medical Records Announced

Leaders in several industries have joined forces to provide the utmost level of security and accuracy in the emerging field of online personal health records (PHRs), according to the Markle Foundation, the organizing force behind the collaboration.  According to the results of a survey conducted in May, the vast majority of American adults, almost 90%, said they welcome the idea of accessing personal medical data online but have reservations regarding privacy, accuracy, and widespread integration of data. Read more

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