Healthcare IT News - September 2007 - (Page 52)

52 Healthcare IT News September 2007 ■ new products www.HealthcareITNews.com GE, Sprint to offer in-building wireless for hospitals By BernIe MonegaIn, Editor WAUKESHA, WI - GE Healthcare and Sprint have teamed up to launch new in-building wireless services for hospitals. GE brings to the table its CARESCAPE Enterprise Access, a single, universal wireless platform powered by MobileAccess. Sprint will add voice and data transmission and handsets. CARESCAPE Enterprise Access is part of GE Healthcare’s CARESCAPE portfolio, released last May. It includes an integrated suite of patient monitoring devices, communications networks and IT systems. GE officials say Enterprise Access “enables critical patient data to be securely coordinated, managed and distributed without the type of communications failures, interference or interruptions that can be caused by un-integrated systems.” “By harnessing the power of in-building cellular communications, hospitals will be able to offer secure, reliable voice and data communications throughout a campus, which can support improved communication and ultimately, patient outcomes,” said Munesh Makhija, general manager of systems and wireless for GE Healthcare’s monitoring solutions business. “The CARESCAPE portfolio represents our commitment to providing customers with a wide range of products and services that work together to help clinicians improve patient care,” said Makhija. “Our agreement with Sprint reflects this commitment. By harnessing the power of in-building cellular communications, hospitals will be able to offer secure, reliable voice and data communications throughout a campus, which can support improved communication and ultimately, patient outcomes.” ■ More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: wireless 0907 ● PageRouter designed for healthcare professionals – PageRouter paging management system, by Canamex Communications Corp., is making it possible for hospitals to deliver and confirm transmission in as little as two seconds while integrating onsite-offsite paging. It’s also providing capabilities such as two-way communication and administrative grouping and regrouping of staff on-the-fly from any computer browser screen, even remotely. Advanced paging management technology is able to “Whether for medical emergencies or rou- integrate communication among a full range of sources tine care, responding with the right treat- and destinations. HCITNewsMNeAd_2007_4-5625x7-5_0907:Layout 1 8/23/2007 2:01 PM Page ment at the right time can save and sustain lives,” says Gary Steiner, St. Clair Hospital’s1 MARKHAM, ONTARIO Telcom Administrator in Lebanon, Pa., where the PageRouter is used. “We wanted to minimize the time patients or staff spent waiting for help or input from others.” “By getting both critical and routine information to the right people as soon as it’s available, the paging management system allows us to focus on effective patient care,” says Steiner. “It’s a simple, cost-effective way to help medical professionals take care of patients better and faster by removing communicative and administrative bottlenecks.” Fujitsu offers two new convertible tablets – Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp. released the palm-sized LifeBook U810 mini and the ultra-portable LifeBook T2010 convertible notebooks. Weighing 1.56 pounds with a 5.6-inch WSVGA Crystal View LED display and a newly designed, ultra slim QWERTY keyboard, the LifeBook U810 notebook is the SUNNYVALE, CA world’s smallest tablet convertible, the company says. As a standard notebook, it’s easy to access mail, work on presentations, or just surf the web. Twist the screen and the LifeBook U810 notebook is now a handheld tablet PC with a touch screen for finger or pen input. “The LifeBook U810 and LifeBook T2010 convertibles are the latest additions to the innovative line of Fujitsu convertibles ushering in the new generation of lightweight devices that offer exceptional mobility and extended computing time,” said Paul Moore, senior director of mobile product marketing, Fujitsu Computer Systems. Healthcare finds use for Voice XML from Envox – Envox Worldwide, an IP-based voice solutions provider, announced the availability of their VoiceXML Studio 7, the newest addition to their VoiceXML lineup. With this release, new enhancements WESTBOROUGH, MA proDUCTs see page 53 pHrs Continued from page 37 medinotes.com 877.6 33.6683 Call about our Fall Specials! Get it Right the First Time 9 out of 10 new customers experience success* with MediNotes eTM EMR e ● Connect: eMr 0907 electronic medical records MediNotes e version 5.0 is proud to be CCHIT CertifiedSM for Ambulatory EHR 2006. *Based on 2006 new customer implementation survey. believe this is a direct result of employer engagement and promotion of the PHR to their employees.” Cigna rolled out its PHR at myCIGNA. com to its approximately seven million plan subscribers in May 2005. The 2007 adoption rate is less than 9,000 per month, according to spokesman Joseph Mondy. “PHR adoption and use is relatively small compared to Cigna’s other online tools,” he said. Cigna plans to provide more in-depth information, improve consistency and timeliness of information, provide better education for members, add consumer research and offer incentives. Other payers are pursuing parallel projects. WellPoint’s PHR has been available to all members for two years. With ideal utilization still a challenge, the health plan is educating its employer groups and trade associations, building new functionality and creating incentives. Health plan-based PHRs may eventually evolve into portable “longitudinal patient records” by incorporating data transfer standards currently being developed by AHIP, said Charles Kennedy, MD, vice president of healthcare information technology. “In this way, your PHR can become a life-long record, following you from plan to plan,” he said. In mid-June, WellPoint announced its individual health record, or IHR, pilot with partners Kettering Health Network of Ohio and technology provider CentriHealth. The IHR offers PHR and EHR capabilities with a single record, including radiology data, lab results and clinical data from more than 150 individual data sources, used by both physician and patient. “Integrated claims and clinical data on a near real-time basis give the physician and patient actionable information for better care management,” Kennedy said. Florida’s AvMed Health Plans rolled out its PHR to its 220,000 members in July. Nearly 300 people have selfpopulated their records, said John Higbee John Higbee, vice president and CIO. While the program has started out slowly and is in the early stages, Higbee said, “We believe it’s the right path to be on.” Through the Medem iHealth Web site, AvMed members can create printable summaries of their medical treatment in the last six months. AvMed is averaging 600 mini health records a month since the summer of 2006. Higbee said AvMed is aligned with Medem’s long-term approach of getting data from practitioners to support the continuity of care record. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee is following a different path. Although the plan offers PHRs to all members, it is investing efforts in its clinical health record with Shared Health, spokesman Scott Wilson said. “What’s more useful is physicians having access to a common file,” he said. “This holds much more promise for change.” ■ More at HealthcareITnews.com e Connect: pHrs 0907 ● http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=7699 http://www.medinotes.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=7686 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=7745

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare IT News - September 2007

Contents Alaska Sweep SiCKO Debate Data Exchange Rx EDITH knows Hold That Script IT in the Sun Breathing Easy IT on the Menu Ambulatory EMRs Identity Crisis

Healthcare IT News - September 2007

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