Google have put up a log-in page for Google Health.

Life Record have a video on YouTube of their EMR running through an iPhone:

News on Meridian Health Informatics’ DIY Clinical Information Management System - the IDME:

Meridian is close to release of Version 2.5 of its DIY Clinical Information Management System - the IDME. This version adds the ability to chart clinical data and store and annotate graphic files (ie Ultrasound). Additionally photographs captured by mobile tablet PCs are immediately stored to the patient file. IDME Systems are widely used in Obstetrics management in Australia with a growing Healthcare customer base in Asia. All IDME ‘models’ have been designed by hospital based clinicains.

Read more (pdf)

About Meridian Health Informatics:

In business since 1990, Meridian Health Informatics Pty Ltd (Meridian) devolved from the Meridian Information Services group in 2000, when growing business in the Australian Healthcare sector demanded an exclusive and dedicated focus on, and expertise in, this market.

Meridian has prospered through its exclusive focus on Healthcare IT, whilst Meridian Information Services continues to work, primarily, within the financial and banking sectors

Based in the city of Sydney, Australia, Meridian maintains a multi-disciplinary team of commercial and technical staff, with deep healthcare knowledge, expertise and experience.

In addition to the development, marketing, implementation and support of packaged software applications, Meridian also maintains a solid custom development business, serving large Australian clients such as NSW Health, the Cancer Institute and the Brisbane Mater Hospital group.

Recognised as a supplier of quality system solutions, software products and services, Meridian has an extensive user base across NSW Hospitals with additional interstate clients. Most major NSW hospitals are running several Meridian authored solutions, with a state-wide roll out of two major departmental products currently underway.

Meridian was the first company to sign the new NSW Health ’Procure IT’ agreement in December 2005.

The following has been sent through from Epocrates:

Epocrates, Inc., and Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc., today announced the results of the second annual Future Physicians of America survey, which explores the opinions of more than 1,000 medical students across the U.S. about a range of issues, including the role technology plays in medical practice today and in the future.

Below are some highlights from this year’s Future Physicians of America survey results:
• 44% strongly feel that the use of clinical reference information on their mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants or smartphones, gives them an advantage over their classmates
• Over 60% believe EMR adoption will be driven by younger physicians making practice decisions
• 70% of students anticipate EMRs will be fully implemented within five to 10 years
• 42% believe EMRs could have the greatest impact on reducing errors
• 88% report using an EMR system, and the majority believes EMRs can enhance the quality of patient care

Link to Full Press Release

Practice Fusion have annouced a free EMR funded by running Google Adsense on the program. This is a great approach to offering free software for doctors. I imagine as time progresses that users of the software will simply ignore the ads completely but new users will probably generate enough revenue to keep things going. They will certainly be busy blocking all the other EMR companies that will be bidding to appear on their pages though…

Practice Fusion Inc., a San Francisco startup, offers systems to put medical records in digital files, a move experts say is one of the keys to controlling health care costs.

Electronic medical records systems generally cost doctors upward of $20,000 to install. But Practice Fusion offers the service at a price that’s hard to beat — free.

The company is set to announce a deal today with Google Inc. to offer physicians and medical groups a Web-based digital medical records system at no cost. The service will be funded by advertising.

Source: SF Gate

Blogged by:

Linux Med News

The Healthcare IT Guy:

I hope they can succeed where other EMRs have failed (or at least not done so well). The technology behind EMRs is embarrassingly easy to create nowadays — most EMRs are just simple databases that act like electronic typewriters and simple filing cabinets.

Scott Shreeve

I believe that conceptually, Practice Fusion is absolutely on the right track. Having a functional (user friendly), web-based (ubiquitous), interoperable, no cost (OS equivalent), highly functional, seamless software solution for physicians, providers, and related healthcare entities is fabulous.

Kevin MD

MAeHC Blog:

Finally, but most important, how will patients feel about this? The first time a patient sees a Paxil ad pop up on his physician’s screen, the questions will start flying. And the physician will be in the awkward position of saying that those ads don’t affect his/her decision-making, that the company generating those ads is Google, but not to worry, through the magic of technology, Google has no access to private medical records (and the physician will be crossing his/her fingers hoping that that’s true).

Innovative IT for Healthcare:

No word as to whether the initial model has been scrapped or if this new concept is complementary. One thing’s for certain, it still raises the hackles of privacy advocates.

With Philips joining Motion in creating new Tablet PC based devices many may be wondering why Intel is getting so much of the limelight. Well, the answer is their new ‘Mobile Clinical Assistant’ platform that Intel has been developing.

It seems that Intel has been working with Electronic Medical Records software companies and various hardware companies to help both optimize their products for each other.

The current list of software partners includes: Cerner, Cardinal Health, Eclipsys, Epic, GE Healthcare, iSoft, McKesson, McKesson France, Nexus, Siemens Medical, Siemens Medical France and Welch Allyn.

For software developers, there’s an SDK with tools and applications for linking with the Mobile Clinical Assistant API which is present on all MCA devices.

For more information on the Mobile Clinical Assistant platform see the MCA pages on Intel’s website.

Another new Tablet PC designed specifically for medical use is about to be announced from Philips and Intel. From Engadget:

Philips’ new tablet device will sport a 10.4-inch, 1,024 × 768 touchscreen as well as WiFi and a digital camera, aiming to streamline data entry and better monitor wounds and healing. The device will allegedly read both barcodes and RFID tags to prevent medication errors and confirm staff and patient ID

Links: Engadget, AP, The Register

Barbara Duck has profiled Dr Jack Rubin, an internist and nephrologist who uses an EO UMPC:

Dr. Rubin makes the maximum use of his EO by being able to have the ability to have his patient records with him at all time. In addition, he also responds to emergency calls as needed. By maintaining a synchronized copy of his EMR (electronic medical records) with him, he is able to look up patient information in the matter of a couple minutes, the time it takes to boot the computer if it is not currently running. By having his records available and up to date, he can view all past notes, current medications, etc. relative to the patient chart and avoid creating needless errors.

Read the article here.

Via Medical Tablet PC

Via Scobleizer

Additional Video here - shows nurses using the C5 on the wards.

Motion computing have annouced the release of the first product in their Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) category of Tablet PCs.

Flash Presentation of the Motion C5

Specifications:

Genuine Windows® Vista™ Business or Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition.

Mobile Intel® Core Solo Processor U1400 (1.20GHZ) and integrated high-speed wireless connectivity.

First mobile clinical assistant that integrates technology from Intel® Health.

Identify patients, medications and assets with Radio Frequency (RFID) technology.

Use the optional integrated barcode reader to manage medicines or costly supplies.

The convenient integrated camera allows you to easily take pictures and capture video for patient education and required documentation.

Highly sealed design is wipeable for quick cleaning and disinfecting.

The durable C5 is designed to handle the rigorous demands of the healthcare environment.

Integrated Bluetooth® provides wireless connectivity to peripherals.

The C5 helps you confidently enforce the 5 rights of medication administration: right drug, right patient, right dosage, right route and right time.

Healthcare-oriented security features. Integrated Fingerprint Reader prevents unauthorized access.

Embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) protects data by enabling hardware-based encryption.

View Anywhere® technology offers optimum viewing in any lighting, indoors or outdoors.

The Motion C5 is supported by a wide range of Accessories, including the C5 Docking Station with battery charging bay, power and storage solutions.