Digital Transformation

This evolution of healthcare involves using technology to improve diagnosis, treatments, monitor patients, enhance hospital operations and culture, and bolster consumer-focused care. This includes virtual reality tools, wearable devices, workflow software, health apps and other digital health tools.

RSNA: TeraRecon boosts mobile options

TeraRecon highlighted mobility and flexibility, showcasing Aquarius Mobile and iNstance Launch licensing at the 96th meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) held in Chicago, Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.  

Disaster Recovery & Archiving: Best Outcomes in the Worst Cases

The saying hope for the best and plan for the worst is more than good advice. When hospital servers crash or vital equipment and patient data are underwater, a well-thought-out disaster recovery plan with redundant archiving is crucial to weathering the crisis and getting systems back up and running as quickly as possible. Now a HIPAA requirement, disaster recovery planning enables hospitals to determine their risks and plan for the worst.

Cloud Computing & Clinical Apps: Beyond Storage

Compared with other industries, cloud-based clinical application development has been rather slow. However, as algorithms and computing power ramp up, healthcare providers are finding more choices and expanding capabilities among cloud apps.

From the Editor: Why Health IT May Fare Better than Healthcare Reform

Did you know that 10 of the new legislators headed to Capitol Hill next month hail from healthcare backgrounds? And they all ran on the anti-healthcare-reform platform? Even some of the returning senators and representatives who dont want an outright repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act want to trim the bad parts of it. Whats to keep HITECH and other IT-related efforts out of the 112th Congress line of fire?

The AMDIS Connection: Effective Disease Management Combines the Best of High & Low Tech

At the University of Michigan, with allergist Mark Morris, MD, we converted regular clinics for severe asthmatics into a disease management program. Caring for patients went from frustration with the amount of time it took to do all of the processespatients waiting in the lobby for long periods of time, then being routed all over the hospital to get lab work to creating a much more compact, home-like setting that allowed us a lot more time to talk with the patient.

JAMA: Ultrasound obviates some lung cancer staging surgeries, thoracotomies

Endosonography performed better than traditional surgical staging in detecting nodal metastases in patients with lung cancer, while combining both procedures improved sensitivity to 94 percent and cut unnecessary thoracotomies by half, according to a study published Nov. 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Bos Sci splashes into aortic valve market with $225M purchase

Boston Scientific is set to make headway in the aortic valve market by entering into a definitive agreement to purchase Sadra Medical for $225 million.

Enterprise Image Management: A New Dimension in Storage & Access

Hospitals nationwide are scrambling to handle what is literally a growing image problem higher-quality, volume-rich imaging studies are pushing storage needs to the terabyte realm and beyond. Accessing these images from longer-term storage and across systems also is a growing challenge.

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.