Healthcare IT News - October 2007 - (Page 20)

20 Healthcare IT News ■ October 2007 hoSpItalS & IdNs www.HealthcareITNews.com Arizona hospitals link to teletrauma specialists By Molly MerrIll, Contributing Writer – Three rural Arizona hospitals now have real-time access to teletrauma specialists through the “telemedicine for teletrauma” program at University Medical Center. The Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, Benson Hospital and Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales join Southeast Arizona Medical Center (SAMC) in Douglas, the program’s first participating hospital, and Copper Queen Community Hospital in Bisbee, which went live in March. SAMC TUSCON, AZ reported that teletrauma consultations have increased 60 percent in the past year. “It is an incredible feat that, in just 12 months’ time, the teletrauma program has connected the expertise of the University Medical Center to five rural Arizona hospitals,” BlueCross BlueShield Arizona President and CEO Richard L. Boals said. The Arizona Telemedicine Program is a statewide, university-based program intended to increase access to healthcare to Arizona residents by providing telemedicine services, distance learning, informatics training, and telemedicine technology assessment capabilities to communities throughout the state. A closed-circuit system of videoconferencing and remote monitoring equipment serves to link to specialists, in real-time, who help guide care for injured patients, reducing the amount of time it takes for a patient to receive specialist trauma treatment in rural areas. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: teletraUMa 1007 ● Patient record labeling with SLP-SRL Smart healthcare and SmartLabels. Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah receives radiation technology hardware. TuMors Continued from page 1 X-ray labeling with SLP-FN or SLP-FW ID badges using high-density symbology with SLP-NB or SLP-NR Specimen, X-ray or unit dose labeling, claims coding, personnel and visitor security badges, patient privacy or medical records tracking. When the demands of healthcare management and HIPAA compliance require labeling, the Smart Label Printer® from Seiko Instruments has the answer. Easily create custom labels with 1-D and 2-D bar coding, such as FDA recognized Codabar, Code 128, highly secure PDF417 or Data Matrix using our bundled Smart Label software. Simply plug the SLP into your PC or Mac ®, via the built-in USB or Serial port, and print labels quickly, as fast as one label per second, in clear, legible, machine-scannable 300 dpi. The SLP is ideal for healthcare with no ink, noise or hassle thanks to our clean and quiet thermal printing technology. Choose from three great SLP models and our expanding line of SmartLabels™ See all the Smart Label Printer products at . www.siibusinessproducts.com or at our authorized resellers. Prescription labeling with moisture and smear resistant SLP-TRL or SLP-TMRL States to go clinical with the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion, said Dennis Leavitt, the center’s chief medical physicist, radiation therapy. Leavitt described how it works: The patient lies down and a head frame or ring will be attached to a device called a collimator to map coordinates for the radiation. He said patient safety was achieved by building into the treatment sequence a series of tests to confirm proper positioning of the patient and proper engagements of all safety devices. This is done using information from an image, such as a PET scan or MRI. The treatment team uses computers to create a three-dimensional image map of the patient’s brain and an individualized plan that calculates how the treatment should be performed using x- y- z coordinates as reference points to target the radiation doses. “The entire treatment is delivered under the control of the treatment file, so that the sequence of collimator adjustments, source shielding, and isocenter repositioning is done by pressing a single button to begin treatment, delivering 192 precise cobalt-60 gamma ray beams to the treatment area,” Leavitt said. “In the previous gamma knife generation, the field combinations and collimator diameter had to be reset when there were multiple areas to be treated,” said Mendenhall. He said that this fully - automated “onepush button” approach saves 30 minutes to an hour depending on the patient because resetting the collimator consisted of a series of mechanical steps. Perfexion’s treatment planning system can be accessed remotely, providing instant access to databases where patient information is located. “Tumor volume can be defined remotely but the treatment occurs at the facility,” explained John Crudo, IT specialist, radiation therapy, Intermountain Medical Center. “We are then able to collaborate with other specialists such as neurologists and be able to remotely approve or have a secondary opinion on a plan.” ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: tUMors 1007 © 2007 Seiko Instruments USA Inc. All rights reserved. “Smart Label Printer” is a registered trademark and “SmartLabels” is a trademark of Seiko Instruments USA Inc. “SII” and “SII” logo are registered trademarks of Seiko Instruments USA Inc. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective companies. ● e ● Connect: seiKo 1007 SeikoHITNewsMarAd.indd 1 2/16/07 5:09:43 PM http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=7841 http://www.siibusinessproducts.com http://www.siibusinessproducts.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=7828 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=7899

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

Healthcare IT News - October 2007 Contents Global Harmony Telegrowth New Rules Keeping Tabs What's Free? PHR of Its Own Intelligent Closing Practice Management Paper Tiger

Healthcare IT News - October 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.