HP 'mini' PC - the HP 2133

HP is finally joining the mini PC, or pseudo-UMPC, or very tiny PC market. How does it compare with the Asus Eee? Reviews seem to indicate that the HP has a better build, a larger screen, but also runs very warm. Of course, Asus has other models coming out soon.

Do you think airports and coffee houses will start filling with people carrying these tiny computers? Will everyone have a computer in their bag?

In Asia, so many people use mobile devices and they are constantly connected. Whether it's a MID, or an UMPC, or a smartphone, or a micro PC, something is in the hands of people on the train, buses, cars, and streets. Will corporate America start looking like that soon? Or will the Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and iPhone suffice?

Boutique practices, retainer fees, concierge medicine

People often ask me about these so-called boutique practices (AKA: retainer fees, concierge medicine, patient financed medical care, etc.). I usually refer them to the SIMPD. The Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design (SIMPD) is an organization of physicians promoting a direct financial relationship with their patients. Translated = patients who are willing to pay for personalized health care can have more one-on-one time with their physicians by paying cash and bypassing insurance companies.

I think that's fine for patients who have that type of money. If doctors want to offer personalized services and cater to those who can afford it, so be it. However, in today's world, the leading cause of bankruptcy is healthcare bills. As the population ages, fewer can even keep up with the bills. Fewer patients can afford their medications. And, when people reach 65, they can hardly understand the instructions to sign up for all the appropriate Medicare plans. What does this say about our healthcare system?

Working adults (and non-working adults) face different types of struggles. Insurance premiums are escalating, and many have a difficult time keeping up with these rising costs. Consumer directed health plans (CDHP) are starting to get more popular for healthy patients who don't have any serious problems. Fewer physicians are accepting Medicaid, so those who accept Medicaid are getting all the patients in the area. Patients on Medicaid often can't afford medications, so now you have non-compliant patients all going to a single clinician. That clinician will never excel based on pay-for-performance standards since none of his/her patients are being compliant and reaching goal levels. So who gets punished for accepting Medicaid?

The entire system needs a serious overhaul. I wonder what American's health system will look like in a few years. Will these presidential candidates make a dent in the way healthcare is delivered? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Plaxo

If you use Plaxo, you can find me here:

http://mdjosephkim.myplaxo.com/

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT

Experiencing the blue screen of death (BSOD) on one of my older laptops. Could this be the end? Installation of XP and Vista are failing. I've wiped the HD clean. Hardware problem? Still not sure. I will track the various error codes I get and let's see what happens.

The first error code is: PFN_LIST_CORRUPT

Could this be due to bad RAM on the system board? If so, this machine is toast. Maybe I could still convert it to a digital picture frame.

Next error code: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

Faulty RAM? Or corrupt HD? It's going to be very difficult to replace the HD on this machine, since it's a tiny little laptop that uses a 1.8" drive instead of the standard 2.5" notebook HD.

The RAM is on the motherboard and I'm not replacing that. So, what to do? Maybe I can configure it so that it boots to an external HD or USB flash drive. This way, it may still be functional as a picture frame.

Next error code: CACHE_MANAGER

This really isn't looking good.

word of the day: afflatus

This Dictionary.com word of the day caught my attention:

afflatus \uh-FLAY-tuhs\, noun: A divine imparting of knowledge; inspiration.

Afflatus is from Latin afflatus, past participle of afflare, "to blow at or breathe on," from ad-, "at" + flare, "to puff, to blow." Other words with the same root include deflate (de-, "out of" + flare); inflate (in-, "into" + flare); soufflé, the "puffed up" dish (from French souffler, "to puff," from Latin sufflare, "to blow from below," hence "to blow up, to puff up," from sub-, "below" + flare); and flatulent.

Can't help but think of the flatus in afflatus...

Transdermal Continuous Glucose Monitoring (tCGM) System

It's about time someone came up with a non-invasive glucose meter. Looks like echo therapeutics may have something really novel here. Their Symphony transdermal CGM system uses no needles and provides continuous glucose readings and trends.

Once again, the wireless transmitter uses Bluetooth technology. Security standards will need to increase if sensitive health information is being transmitted wirelessly. What types of security protocols and data encryption will be necessary?

It's really exciting to see all the R&D advances focusing on the "artificial pancreas." Soon, people with diabetes may have automated devices that monitor and control their glucose levels. Wouldn't that be something?

"wireless implantable passive micro-dosimeter"

Engineering + medicine = advances in healthcare technology.

Engineers at Purdue have created what they are calling a "wireless implantable passive micro-dosimeter." This tiny device is to be injected into tumors to indicate the precise dose of radiation.


One of the great challenges of radiation therapy (radiotherapy or XRT) is delivering just the right dose so that you treat the tumor without injuring the surrounding healthy tissue. Researchers have been looking for ways to effectively measure the actual dosage delivered, and now they may have something.

This reminds me a bit about my research at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology where I explored the utility of thermistor-based probes to measure temperature during hyperthermia treatment prior to radiotherapy. This was based on an underlying idea that increasing perfusion to a tumor can enhance the efficacy of XRT (free radicals, oxidative injury, etc.) I was able to create some prototype probes by modifying biopsy needles and attaching thermistor-based temperature sensors.

Medical technology is advancing so rapidly. The collaborative efforts between innovative engineers and physicians will ultimately lead to some remarkable breakthroughs. I'm still waiting for the nano-robot that will fly through the bloodstream and destroy microorganisms, repair DNA, and remove malignant cells.

Wearable Computers

After that last post about the "carry a desk," I thought about my times at MIT. I've seen MIT students walking around with wearable computers on their bodies. They even have a lab at MIT called the BorgLab. Unless you've watched Star Trek, that term won't mean anything to you. For the rest of you Trekkies, yes - people do walk around the MIT campus looking like the Borg. Unfortunately, I never became one of them. I suppose resistance isn't futile after all.

TRUE mobility at work?

Coming soon to all your local hospitals: Connect a Desk

Who needs a tablet PC if you can just carry your desk on your shoulders? Can you imagine the world if everyone had one of these? I can just picture people crashing into others as they walk down the hallway. You'll need some rugged notebooks.

I think I'll stick with my Tablet PC or UMPC for now. I'll pass on developing further shoulder and neck pain.

Where is the American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians (AAPP)?

What happened to the website for the:American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians?

According to a Google search performed today, the URL is supposed to be: http://www.aapp.org

Tried to send an e-mail to the office@aapp.org and got a Permanent Failure Notice.

Where did you go AAPP? Do you still exist?

Very interesting posts on Sermo

It's fascinating to read what other physicians are writing on Sermo. Doctors need a sense of security and trust before they start rambling about personal frustrations, mishaps and mistakes they've made, etc. People are disclosing salary information, looking for creative ways to fire employees, and even talking about politics and religion. Oh, and there are some discussions about interesting medical findings and clinical challenges...

If you haven't had a chance to join Sermo yet, click here to join.

Have you prescribed the Nintendo Wii?

Many people are finding health benefits by playing with the Nintendo Wii. People are losing weight, the elderly are maintaining coordination and balance, and everyone's having fun.

However, patients are also developing signs and symptoms of overuse. These sports injuries are being documented in the literature. Already, the "Wii Knee" has been described. Clinicians are talking about "Wii Shoulder" and other "Acute Wiitis." Forget diagnosing tennis elbow or rotator cuff injuries. Soon you'll be giving steroid injections to teenagers and nursing home residents who are spending too much time on the Wii.