Health IT in Medical School

Medical Students
We have a new wave of medical students that are coming out of medical school in this new generation of technology, social media, and healthcare innovations brought on from departments from hospitals such as Kaiser Permanente. Students now acknowledge that they need access to smartphones, tablets, and any devices that helps them integrate into an advanced society where textbooks are even read on electronic devices. It keeps those already practicing older physicians on their toes as they may feel like they are being weaved out. The Kaiser innovation team are continually improving their health IT each and everyday, I am sure that we are poised to see a huge jump in technological health devices to improve healthcare for patients and online doctor alike.

And as students are being educated through devices, I am sure the implementation of such devices to practice medicine through teleHealth will be a necessity as students will not be educated on the "older" way of practicing. Newly board certified and licensed graduate medical students will be using technology to communicate with their patients via Facebook, Twitter, etc. The influx of positions to employ such an online doctor will increase exponentially in the upcoming years with telemedicine poised to be well-received with benefits and government funding. Using devices to monitor their vital signs, using iPads and other tablets that can generate a front facing camera consultation to watch over patients, or simply using a cellular devices to speak and see with a patient at home.

Two Way Real-Time consultation is making a huge step in the world of medicine with even physician professors broadcasting lectures and PowerPoints through Podcasts and Live Stream Sites. Current board certified students are giving advices over the phone for elders who can't make it to the office. It also gives the patients the comfortability of being at home. Home is where most patient's sanctuary remain and if one can be diagnosed in their sanctuary, I'm pretty sure their healthcare would improve. Of course, there remains the security of information using already made applications like Skype and so there have been services where they have employed their own developers to develop a private video application with encryption to protect the patients' confidentiality.

TeleHealth implementation in medical schools in Arizona and Chicago have been pushing for students to receive or buy iPads because companies are moving towards digital images of the human anatomy and scrubbing through slides on a touchpad. It has been much easier on the school with it saving cost, preserving the environment and adapt to a consumer lifestyle. So when graduating, they will be able to connect with their patient who are probably now technologically literate.
In my foreseeable future, more hospitals will need to hire doctors that are well-trained with technology and trained with these new health devices that can monitor a patient's vital signs via broadband and WiFi. The ability to follow-up with patients outside of the hospital no matter whether either are will make these future medical students a much needed prospect. A medical school doesn't have to stand by the old generation of medicine when government funding and private funding are increasing the use of online doctor with telemedicine/telehealth to lessen the cost of running hospitals and free clinics.

Tara Jones - Medical Student 2014
"Technology and Health - Advancement in Medicine Practices"

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GPS Location Technology - Moving Beyond Vehicle Tracking to Protect Non-Vehicle Based Lone Workers

The use of GPS Fleet Management, also known as Vehicle Tracking or Vehicle Telematics, is increasingly common in today's business environment, both in the private and public sectors.

As the use of GPS Location technology has developed and become more widespread, so has the scope of its use widened. Once the domain of the Fleet Manager used as part of Vehicle Tracking system, GPS Location technology has now extended beyond the fleet department and into the hands, literally, of non-vehicle based staff.

Many organizations with a reliance on a vehicle based workforce have invested in GPS Vehicle Tracking technology to help administer a number of functions related to fleet and driver management, including: Vehicle journey time calculations, Vehicle mileage monitoring, Route planning, two way messaging, Driver behaviour analysis, Fuel usage reporting, Vehicle Service Scheduling and Job Schedule Adherence reporting.

Being able to monitor the real-time location of vehicles across a fleet, means organizations are now more able to respond dynamically to changing events and meet the increased expectations of their customers. Assigning the nearest available fleet asset, based on actual and accurate information produced by a vehicle tracking system improves response times and improves customer service levels.

The advent of person based GPS Tracking can complement existing Vehicle Tracking systems and ensure that non-vehicle based mobile personnel, such Street Cleaners, Park Rangers or Community Support Officers can now also be efficiently deployed, based on precise and accurate Location information.

Increasingly defined rules and guidelines pertaining to employers responsibilities under Health and Safety and Duty of Care legislation, means the benefits of this technology is increasingly being as much more than just a tool used to increase efficiency and productivity.

Advice published by both the HSE and Business link says that if you employ lone workers, you have the same responsibilities for their health and safety as for any other employees. You may, however, need to take extra precautions to ensure lone workers are at no greater risk than your other employees.

What is a Lone Worker? According to the same advice, a lone worker is anybody who works alone. The term itself makes is quite clear. The advice continues; A Lone Worker can include; self-employed people and employees who work away from their business base. This occurs in a wide range of business activities, such as transport, construction, maintenance and repair.

In addition to being a tool that provides a location and journey history, Lone Worker GPS Tracking devices, now also serve as personal security devices and include the ability to make and receive voice calls, send a Panic Alarm, which when pressed, transmits an Alarm message with the precise location of the device carrier. Many units also include a Motion Sensor which transmits an alert location if the carrier falls, is lying prone and perhaps requires emergency assistance.

Businesses and organizations, who may have initially introduced GPS Location technology such as vehicle tracking, primarily to maximize the efficient use of their fleet and drivers, are now finding that GPS Location and Tracking technology can also help them meet their other duties and responsibilities.

Matthew Wright is the publisher of the UK Telematics Online website. Vehicle Telematics solutions such as vehicle tracking are now widely available from a huge number of suppliers; many of whom promote themselves as the "market leader" and promise to deliver 'cost benefit' and 'return on investment.' With extensive experience of working with both suppliers and customers "I feel that users of vehicle telematics, if they are actually to see the benefits promised by suppliers and manufacturers, want and need to be better informed."

UK Telematics Online is an independent source of free information, tips & advice to assist visitors with buying decisions and to aid better implementation of vehicle telematics and vehicle tracking solutions.

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Strengthening the Public Mental Health Addictions Safety Net

Much needs to be done to ensure that national healthcare reform and parity live up to their promise for persons with mental illness and addiction disorders, Congressmen and advocates pointed out during a recent policy briefing on mental health.

There is an unfortunate dual crisis of increased demand and service reduction. Coverage expansion under healthcare reform will result in 1.5 million new patients entering the public safety net for mental health and addictions treatment, which already struggles to care for 8 million+ children and adults. Approximately 2.5 million people with serious mental disorders, individuals with major addiction disorders and homeless persons will remain uninsured, relying on services delivered by the safety net. The economic recession has resulted in over $2 billion in cuts to public mental health services -with more cuts on the horizon - leading to the elimination of services for the uninsured.

Another public health emergency was highlighted during the policy briefing: Persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression die, on average, at the age of 53 -the highest death rate among any population served by any agency of the United States Public Health Service. Co-occurring chronic illnesses -asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and cardio-pulmonary conditions -and lack of access to primary care and specialty medicine is a critical factor in these tragic outcomes.

The time has come for parity between community behavioral health and other parts of America's safety net including public hospitals and Community Health Centers. All of us (including Congress and regulators) must pay attention to three issues critical to the success of parity and healthcare reform:

• Passage of HR 5636, the Community Mental Health and Addiction Safety Net Equity Act, that offers a new definition for Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers and identifies core services, creates nationwide cost based reimbursement, and establishes clearly-defined national accountability and reporting requirements.
• Regulations to ensure that the healthcare reform's new Medicaid Health Home State Option requires mandatory subcontracts with behavioral health; and that behavioral health organizations serve as medical homes for people with serious mental illnesses and addictions to advance this population's overall health and improve life expectancy.
• Passage of the HR 5040, the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act, to support the use of technology to create treatment transparency, eliminate errors and better coordinate care to improve the health outcomes of persons with serious mental illness.
• Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), said there were four keys to a successful implementation of healthcare reform for people with mental and addiction disorders -a vigorous outreach and enrollment program by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; regulations that ensure parity in Medicaid state exchanges and parity in Medicare managed care plans, inclusion of intensive community based services and residential addiction services in the mandatory minimum benefits package offered through the new state exchanges, and inclusion of community mental health centers in every medical home funded via the law's Health Home State Option.
• Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), pressed for passage of legislation that would extend federal health information technology incentives to behavioral health services. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), would make behavioral and mental health providers eligible for federal grants to acquire electronic health records that are interoperable, integrated, intelligent and easy to use. But bills improving access to mental health services "only matter if we make sure we integrate care together," Murphy said. "Mental health services are not stand-alone and that is something we need to continue to educate the community around."

Linda Rosenberg is the president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. TNC specializes in lobbying for mental and behavioral healthcare reform. Lean more at http://www.thenationalcouncil.org.

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Mobile Technologies In Healthcare

The union of mobile technologies and applications is a growing opportunity for healthcare. There is no denying the innate factor of modern mobile technology. Morgan Stanley Research reports that mobile Internet usage is growing faster than desktop Internet usage, and will reach parity in late 2013. The basis for this expansion in mobile Internet usage may seem evident at first. Among computing technologies, mobile computing devices are typically only an arm's reach away, making them easy to get to and extremely handy. The abundance of specialized downloadable applications, often available at low or no cost, increases the efficacy of devices over time.

Mobile technologies have colossal potential as an apparatus to promote healthy behavioral transformation, to enhance the caregiver-patient relationship, and to modernize the way healthcare is delivered in various countries around the globe. In fact, mobile technologies are already being used to promote lifestyle changes, encourage patients' active involvement in their treatment and reduce waiting times in doctors' offices, with the goal of improving healthcare outcomes.

Pharmacies can also gain several benefits from the emerging trends of mobile technologies. Drug stores are initiating various services that can be made available through mobile technology by launching their respective mobile applications. Being registered with the mobile application of a drug store would allow you to access the history of your prescriptions, research on the drug prices, refill your prescriptions, place requests for new prescriptions and also check the status of your order. They also facilitate payment for your prescriptions through the application. This does not only enable the customer to take care of his health in an easier manner but also simplifies the internal transactions within the pharmacy and enables them to serve the customers better, leading to an increased customer satisfaction.

Few years ago, this would have sounded more like science fiction but today it stands as a reality that has changed the way people perceive healthcare. Mobile technology has brought a revolution into the lives of those patients who were forced to visit their doctors' everyday by skipping a few important meetings. We now have mobile applications that record your daily blood pressure and other data and directly send it to your doctor's or physician's smartphone. It allows your doctor to have a daily check on your physical fitness while you absorb yourself in those important meetings that you otherwise had to skip. This technology also gives the patients a peace of mind as their doctors can monitor their condition on a daily basis.

Moreover, the power of mobile technologies is now assisting people to transform their mobile applications into personal fitness trainers that give them daily workout plans and instruct them on when to warm up, run, jog and relax. It acts as a peer support which is a key component to any behavioral change program. Such applications are transforming their fitness goals into wonderful actions that give results.

However, there are known challenges in developing mobile technologies. It involves conducting research with end-users, understanding their psychology and then designing applications that overcome their challenges by providing solutions that enable them to remain fit. Mobile technology is a part of the thread that connects patients, care providers and individuals in several ways while also having access to endless information to promote wellness and good health. For today's innovators - mobile is not just a part of the thread, it is their cornerstone!

Bansi Raja is a poet by passion and a content writer by profession. She has had a brief experience with professional content writing as well as seo content writing. She has also extended her skills to copy writing for a couple of ad campaigns.

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