Steve Jobs: Is His Cancer Back?

Has his cancer come back? There is so much speculation going on right now. He was treated for pancreatic cancer in 2004 and most seem to think that he had the Whipple procedure. With all his weight loss and "hormonal imbalance" that he describes, no one seems to know what's going on. We ought to respect his privacy, but I'm sure the media won't do a good job at that.

Windows 7 still disappointing on my UMPC

I've heard some people are having good experiences with Windows 7 build 7000 on their Samsung Q1 UMPC. Now, since my device has a really slow processor, I wonder if those individuals are using a different device that has a faster processor.

800 MHz just isn't fast enough to run either Vista or Windows 7. Plus, when the processor clocks down to 600 MHz, it's even worse. The Q1 Ultra Premium runs a Intel Core Solo 1.33 MHz processor. However, it's also a thicker device.

So, are you willing to sacrifice weight and size for performance? You can be like me and just continue running XP Tablet. It runs fine on my device and works for me.

Thank You Sermo for the Free iPod Nano

Thank you Sermo for the free 8 GB iPod nano. I was able to refer enough people in December. Have you joined Sermo yet? What are you waiting for? If you're a licensed physician, then join today.

BlackBerry in Healthcare

More and more doctors are checking their e-mail on the go. Traditionally, they've relied on the Palm Treo. However, many have recently switched to the iPhone and even more and now going with a BlackBerry.

So what role will the BlackBerry play in the healthcare sector? The Palm OS is dying, unless the Palm Pre really takes off and recaptures dedicated users. Windows Mobile is still a dominant platform for healthcare professionals. The iPhone has been a bit hit among medical students, residents, and recent grads. Where will the BlackBerry fit into all of this?

Since these devices all have internet connectivity, the need for a standalone application is diminishing. All you need is a web portal that is optimized for mobile browsing. Once you make that available, then you can look up medical information without installing an application. Will that be the future trend?

Beta testing Windows 7 Build 7000

Now that anyone can download Windows 7 (build 7000), I'm very eager to see if Microsoft will use this public testing ground to develop a really robust operating system. I run both XP and Vista on many of my computers. I try to use Vista on all my touch-screen/tablet devices. However, I think Windows 7 will be a significant improvement over Vista.

The big question for me is: will Apple release a tablet computer this year? If so, will it run OS X? Presumably the answer is yes to both questions. If that's the case, then the demand for such a device may be extremely high, especially if it's coupled with a very user-friendly EHR application. After all, the iPhone and iPod touch are both so easy to navigate and operate. That's probably why so many PC users are switching to Apple.

CES 2009

Now that CES is over, I have time to write about topics that are probably a bit more medically relevant. I'm eager to see how netbooks and other mobile devices get incorporated into the healthcare field.

• Will the uptake on UMPCs increase as prices fall and as more physicians adopt EHRs?
• Will touch technology revive the tablet PC industry? Many doctors probably aren't used to writing on a digital screen, so they use their convertible tablet as a standard laptop.
• Will mobile smartphones become more powerful and replace devices like the iPod, GPS, and PDA?
• Will doctors give their lectures using micro projectors?
  

2009 is a very promising year for mobile technology. If the Apple tablet gets released this year, then the tablet buzz will definitely get revived.

E-IMPACCT (Elderly IMProvements & Advances in Chronic Constipation Treatment)

E-IMPACCT (Elderly IMProvements & Advances in Chronic Constipation Treatment)

This is a major educational initiative on the topic of chronic constipation. Yes, that's right: chronic constipation. It may not be the most popular educational topic out there right now, but when you're treating elderly patients, the topic is very relevant and important.

To learn more, visit: www.ElderlyConstipation.org

E-IMPACCT is sponsored through a collaboration of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), AKH Inc., and Medical Communications Media, Inc. and supported by an educational grant from Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.

Association of Clinical Research Professionals ACRP

Thinking about getting certified in 2009 to boost your clinical research skills? The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) provides certification for each of the following:

• CRA
• CRC
• CTI
• CPI

Do you know what each of those acronyms stand for? To learn more, visit the ACRP website here:
http://www.acrpnet.org

FDA lets drugmakers advise doctors on unapproved uses

It's not what you think. The FDA is allowing drug reps to distribute reprinted journal articles that may include information about off-label use. However, the reps are not supposed to talk about the article.

Off-label use happens incredibly frequently. However, health insurance plans may not be willing to pay for expensive drugs that are used off-label. Additionally, may physicians have prescribed agents inappropriately, and this has resulted in harmful outcomes.

So will the distribution of peer-reviewed publications that discuss off-label use be beneficial to patients? Since discussions about off-label use is OK in the world of CME, I think it could be very beneficial. After all, if a doctor is going to prescribe drugs off-label, he or she should be very educated about the evidence behind that use. Physicians need to know what types of risks and adverse effects may occur.