Technology Solutions
The Ethics Of EMR: How Unproven Technology Affects Patients
February 5, 2013 9:35 am | by Wes Fisher, MD | Blogs | CommentsWe should acknowledge that there might be cause, ethically, to deploy a technology that truly benefits patients at some cost. After all, you have to break a few eggs to make a good omelet. If interoperability of EMR systems between facilities were commonplace and clinical data were shared with ease while patient privacy was vigorously upheld flawlessly, the cost of these systems might be ethically justified.
Some Abdominal CT Scans Unnecessary, Avoidable For Children
February 4, 2013 2:01 pm | News | CommentsA study of more than 12,000 children from emergency departments throughout the country in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) has identified seven factors that can help physicians determine the need for a computed tomography (CT) scan following blunt trauma to the abdomen.
Pairing Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction And CABG Benefit Patients
February 4, 2013 1:04 pm | News | Comments“In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) plus surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR), a survival benefit was realized compared with bypass alone in patients where the left ventricular volume was reduced below 70mL/m2."
Half Of Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Can Avoid Chemo
February 4, 2013 12:44 pm | News | CommentsThe prospective, outcome-based study of 427 breast cancer patients used a genomic test that analyzes 70 key genes, accurately determines which patients are at low risk of breast cancer recurrence and can therefore safely choose not to undergo chemotherapy.
EMRs Could Help Prioritize ICU Resources
February 1, 2013 12:02 pm | News | CommentsA national shortage of critical care physicians and beds means difficult decisions for healthcare professionals in determining which of the sickest patients are most in need of access to the intensive care unit. Emerging health technologies – including reliable methods to rate the severity of a patient’s condition – may provide powerful tools to efficiently use health resources.
EASY-TAG Tracking System
February 1, 2013 9:51 am | by Scanlan International | Scanlan International, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsScanlan International offers the EASY-TAG Tracking System to meet the unique needs within hospitals.A custom print EASY-TAG will be developed and printed to the user's specific needs. A custom message, combined with the unique advantages of the EASY-TAG Tracking System provide a cost-effective, secure method of tracking instruments, trays, equipment, and repairs through cleaning, decontamination, and sterilization processes.
The Smartphone: The Future Of Medicine?
January 31, 2013 10:23 am | by NBC News | Videos | CommentsDr. Eric Topol has long been one of the world's foremost cardiologists. He has now become the foremost expert in the exploding field of wireless medicine. This explosion, he says, is about to make healthcare better and cheaper. Watch what he does with his cell phone.
A Universal Translator For Surgeons
January 31, 2013 9:19 am | by TED | Videos | CommentsLaparoscopic surgery uses minimally invasive incisions -- which means less pain and shorter recovery times for patients. But Steven Schwaitzberg has run into two problems teaching these techniques to surgeons around the world -- language and distance. He shares how a new technology, which combines video conferencing and a real-time universal translator, could help.
Beer’s Bitter Compounds Could Help Brew New Medicines
January 30, 2013 12:25 pm | by Vince Stricherz, University of Washington | News | CommentsThere is documentation that beer and its bittering acids, in moderation, have beneficial effects on diabetes, some forms of cancer, inflammation and perhaps even weight loss.
Sanofi Launches Breakthrough Technology For Cardiovascular, Vascular Surgery Procedures
January 30, 2013 11:36 am | News | CommentsSanofi US announced the commercial launch of LeGoo, a biopolymer gel that allows surgeons to temporarily stop blood flow during surgery without the use of clamps, elastic loops or other conventional occlusion devices, which may increase risk of trauma to blood vessels. The atraumatic occlusion technique potentially provides clear visualization with less clutter while maintaining vessel integrity.
When Should Physicians Hire An IT Consultant?
January 30, 2013 9:49 am | by Rosemarie Nelson | Blogs | CommentsAccording to recent Medical Group Management Association surveys more than 50% of physicians used the services of a healthcare consultant or firm at least once in the previous 3 years. But did they have to? Was it a smart move?
Just 'Cause It's New And At Mayo Doesn't Mean It's Better
January 29, 2013 11:49 am | by Gary Schwitzer | Blogs | CommentsI’m a big fan of Minnesota Public Radio and usually a big fan of their healthcare news coverage. They’ve done some bold and innovative coverage in recent years. But when I heard (on the radio) and saw (online) MPR’s story, “Prostate cancer scan advance helps Mayo doctors with early detection,” I saw some red flags immediately.
Unified Approach To Non-Surgical Stroke Interventions
January 29, 2013 11:36 am | News | CommentsThe first outcome-based guidelines for interventional treatment of acute ischemic stroke—providing recommendations for rapid treatment—will benefit individuals suffering from brain attacks, often caused by artery-blocking blood clots.
Less Invasive Treatment Improves Early Stage Cancer Survival
January 29, 2013 11:26 am | News | CommentsPatients with early stage breast cancer who were treated with lumpectomy plus radiation may have a better chance of survival compared with those who underwent mastectomy, according to Duke Medicine research. The study, which appears online in the journal Cancer, raises new questions as to the comparative effectiveness of breast-conserving therapies such as lumpectomy, where only the tumor and surrounding tissue is surgically removed.
Soldier Who Lost Four Limbs Has Double-Arm Transplant
January 29, 2013 11:08 am | by Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer | News | CommentsOn Facebook, he describes himself as a "wounded warrior...very wounded." Brendan Marrocco was the first soldier to survive losing all four limbs in the Iraq War, and doctors revealed Monday that he's received a double-arm transplant. Those new arms "already move a little," he tweeted a month after the operation.
Good Showing For Robotics In Gastric Cancer
January 25, 2013 6:28 pm | by Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today | Articles | CommentsPatients with non-metastatic gastric cancer had similar survival and other outcomes following robotic or conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy, according to a large retrospective series from Korea. Both surgical techniques led to a five-year survival of 94 percent and disease-free survival (DFS) of 92 percent.
New Target For Rheumatiod Arthritis
January 25, 2013 6:15 pm | News | CommentsResearchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a potential new target for drugs to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a protein known as IRHOM2.
Blocking Cancer Spread By Tissue Scarring
January 25, 2013 5:54 pm | News | CommentsWhat to fear most if faced by a cancer diagnosis is its spread, as this accounts for over 90 percent of deaths. Researchers at BRIC, University of Copenhagen have shown that the enzyme Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) can create a “scarred” microenvironment that enhances cancer spreading. By blocking LOX activity, researchers succeeded in decreasing metastasis in a model of breast cancer.
Half Of What We Teach You
January 25, 2013 11:52 am | by Editor | Blogs | CommentsWe searched for information in older textbooks with trepidation, fearing encounters with long-discarded details and theories. We marveled that previous generations of physicians had never been taught tobacco and cancer were somehow linked to each other. How could they have not known? And then there were changes we encountered in surgery.
Surgery Improves Survival With GI Stromal Tumors
January 25, 2013 11:42 am | by Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today | Articles | CommentsImatinib therapy with surgical removal of residual tumors outperformed imatinib therapy alone among patients with recurrent and metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Limited Lymph Node Removal Effective In Early Stage Breast Cancer
January 25, 2013 10:41 am | News | CommentsWomen with early-stage breast cancer and one or two positive sentinel lymph nodes who undergo a procedure called sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) fare just as well as those who have a more aggressive procedure called axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). In addition, the majority of women with small tumors could avoid ALND altogether if they elect to undergo breast-conserving therapy (lumpectomy and radiotherapy).
Woman Without Tongue Has Groundbreaking Procedure
January 24, 2013 1:15 pm | Videos | CommentsAfter a decade of seemingly ineffective treatments, a team of doctors finally decided to go for a more extraordinary option. In a process which required two operations, doctors expanded Silva's chin and jaw to create more space in the interior of her mouth. She also had to use braces for her teeth.
Image-Guided Endoscopic Sinus Surgery For Bilateral Nasal Polyps
January 24, 2013 12:45 pm | Videos | CommentsLive surgical footage from Dr. Robert Guida performed on a young woman to remove her nasal polyps. This image guided sinus surgery allows for exact precision with real time guidance.
Quadruple Amputee Undergoes Hand Transplant Surgery
January 24, 2013 12:30 pm | Videos | CommentsFour months after the dramatic surgery, a young woman can pick up small objects. Nine months post-op she is flexing her wrists and fingers, sensing hot and cold, but the use of steriods to help prevent rejection has resulted in a 40-lb. weight gain.
Monitor Shows When Patients Wake Up During Surgery
January 24, 2013 12:15 pm | Videos | CommentsThe new device helps surgeons understand a condition termed "anesthesia awareness", where patients wake up during surgery but are unable to communicate this to surgeons and OR nurses.
