Improvements at NonClinicalJobs.com

Over the last few years, I've been approached by many physicians and other clinicians who are looking for either full-time or part-time non-clinical jobs (either as a complete career change or to find for some supplemental income). As a result, I've decided to leverage my personal contacts in the healthcare industry to provide a platform where employers and employees can come together.

Stay tuned by frequently visiting NonClinicalJobs.com and telling others about the FREE non-clinical healthcare network. We currently have almost 500 members registered on that growing network.

Medicine, Technology, and the Economy

Thanks to President Obama, Health IT (or HITECH) will play a huge role in helping today's economy recover. Medicine is changing rapidly and there are many new drugs and biologic agents in the pipeline. The FDA has been on the slow side approving new drugs, so sometimes I wonder how that's impacting the economy. Technology is allowing medical device companies to come up with innovative devices to help patients manage their disease. Doctors are getting more sophisticated with the use of medical technology. Small healthcare companies are expected to grow rapidly in the recession. This is especially true for medical companies focused on using information technology. How will they leverage electronic health records (EHRs) or electronic medical records (EMRs) to improve patient care?

No new NPSGs for 2010

Earlier this month, the Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) announced that there will no new NPSGs for 2010. Translated: there will be no new National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) next year. Are you current on the NPSGs for 2009? If not, then take a look at them here:
http://www.jointcommission.org/patientsafety/nationalpatientsafetygoals/

Patient safety issues are becoming increasingly important as patients get older and require more medications. My hope is that the increased use of electronic health records (EHRs) will improve patient safety and result in fewer medical errors. Speaking of patient safety, are you up-to-date on your risk management CME? More and more states now require risk management CME credits in order for you to renew your medical license.

OQO Future is Uncertain

What's going to happen to OQO? I've had my OQO model 02 for a while now and I'm torn about the news that the company might not survive. I wonder if Dennis saw the writing on the wall and decided to leave the company. I was scarred when Apple decided to kill the Newton. Now I'll be scarred again if OQO dies. The company is managed by MIT and Harvard alumni, so you'd have to think that they're doing everything they can. Jory Bell is an MIT alumni and one of the founders of OQO. I wonder what he's up to these days.

Epocrates has a Surprise Waiting for iPhone Users!

I can't say much more. If you're an iPhone user, wait to hear about some exciting developments from the folks at Epocrates. I've been a long-time Epocrates user and I'm glad to see that they're keeping up with all the different smartphone platforms.

Exercise Pool in Your Home

What type of pool would I want in my home? A swim spa! Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. However, unless you have a gym membership, you may have a hard time finding a pool where you can swim some laps and get some cardio exercise. Have you seen those indoor exercise pools where you can swim against resistance as jets of water flow against you? They don't require a tremendous amount of space in your home and you can exercise all-year. Advances in technology now allow manufacturers to use innovative resistance jets that are also therapeutic. Imagine walking against a stream of water that's flowing against you. As you feel the resistance, you'll be building your muscles and getting a therapeutic massage at the same time. You won't get that in a standard swimming pool!

Aquatic therapy has been shown to help people who have specific medical conditions. If you have arthritis, you may have difficulty exercising. Have you ever walked on a treadmill that's underwater? If you need to find something more strenuous, then fire up the resistance jets so that you have to walk against streams of water. Now that's a workout! Hydrotherapy pools have gotten quite sophisticated over the years. Perhaps you have a joint problem. Maybe you're recovering from an injury and you need to start with some gentle exercise. By walking on an underwater treadmill, your weight is reduced because you're surrounded by water. Plus, you don't have to worry about falling suddenly because the buoyancy of the water will slow you down. At the end of your workout, you can enjoy a relaxing and therapeutic massage that's delivered by the high-powered jets that are built into the pool.

Health 2.0 is One Week Away!

I really miss Boston. For those of you who are looking for an excuse to head up to Beantown, why don't you make Health 2.0 your excuse? While you're in Boston, make sure to visit Killian Court at MIT.

Health 2.0 Meets Ix
April 22-23, 2009
Boston Park Plaza Hotel

You can expect to hear about some exciting developments by these companies:

• Health 2.0 Advisors
• Myca/Hello Health
• Philips
• Optum Health

If you're thinking about finding some non-clinical opportunities, you may have that chance by attending Health 2.0 and networking with some of the leaders in this industry.

New Template on Medicine and Technology

I'm trying out a new template for Medicine and Technology. Thank you lawnydesignz! I hope you like it!

RadioShack Trade-In Program

Have you heard about the RadioShack trade-in program? You can trade your old gadget for a gift card. Let's save the planet and go green! Dig up your old computers, mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets. See if any of them qualify for a gift card.

Thinking About a Business Degree?

Healthcare professionals (especially physicians) who are interested in non-clinical careers often have a strong interest in business. However, they also frequently lack proper education and training in business. How many business majors do you know who went to medical school? Chances are, most of the people who were pre-med were either biology or chemistry majors. Business degrees can improve your market potential and also increase your salary if you find the right position. If you don't think you have time to pursue a business degree, keep in mind that many programs allow you to take a single course at a time. This way, you can take your time and get an MBA over several years. If you're not in a rush, this may be a good option.

I've always wanted to pursue an MBA. In fact, I'm seriously thinking about taking some courses this fall. I need to look at my workload and my schedule to see if this makes sense. I just finished my MPH last year and I would like to have a little break from studying, but if I'm going to take my time to get a business degree, then I'd like to start sooner rather than later. I've been collecting information from several different business schools and researching my options. If I don't start this fall, then I may begin some courses next year.

Sensei Launches iPhone Application for Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you're probably used to gadgets. If you have type 1 diabetes, you probably wear an insulin pump and you're really familiar with gadgets. In the world of diabetes, you have glucose monitors (from companies like Accu-Check. LifeScan, and others), insulin pens, insulin pumps that look like pagers, and even continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems (from companies like Medtronic, Abbott, and DexCom). It's great to see advances in healthcare technology and medical devices. I always had a passion for the medical device industry and as a kid, I thought that I would be a biomedical engineer.

The iPhone is a great medical smartphone and there is now a new diabetes application for diabetes. Sensei (a subsidiary of Humana) has released My Diabetes Guide. Looks pretty cool! LifeScan is also coming out with a diabetes application for the iPhone that may sync glucose readings from blood glucose monitors (glucometers). Hopefully, all these gadgets for diabetes will ultimately help patients improve glucose control.

Dell XT2 Tablet

Speaking of the Dell XT2 Tablet, I've noticed that Dell knows who they are targeting on their website. This image was taken from their tablet site and you can see that they are advertising the "touch feature" of this tablet PC. My Lenovo Thinkpad X200 Tablet also has this feature. I can use my stylus pen (active digitizer) to write on the tablet and enter data. I can also use my finger (or any other passive device) to tap on the screen. This type of multi-touch allows you to quickly enter information and navigate without always relying on your digital stylus pen. I love where technology is taking us in the computing field.

Bio Pharma Career Fairs

There are several different BioSpace career fairs coming up in bio/pharma. If you've been interested in a non-clinical medical career, then you may want to visit one of these events. If you're a student waiting to graduate, you may find some exciting opportunities at these events:

BioCapital Career Fair
Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 11am to 4pm
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland

BIO Career Fair
Monday, May 18, 2009, 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Georgia World Congress Center
Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom
Atlanta, GA

For more info, visit: http://www.biocareerfair.org/

The End of Mainstream XP Support

It's finally happened:

"On April 14, Windows XP will transition from the mainstream support phase to the extended support phase, as planned and previously announced."

I'm so glad that Windows 7 is coming soon. I've been running a beta version of Windows 7 build 7077 and it has really impressed me. The engineers at Microsoft have done an outstanding job creating this operating system and I'm very pleased. I think most people will have similar experiences with Windows 7.What's great is that Windows 7 runs quite efficiently, even on older and slower computer. That certainly wasn't the case with Vista. You can get ready to kiss all those Vista-related headaches goodbye as you prepare for Windows 7.

Smartphone Use Among Physicians on the Rise

According to a recent study by Manhattan Research, the use of smartphones among physicians is now at 64%. The study is titled, "Taking the Pulse v9.0." The use of mobile devices like the iPhone and BlackBerry increased by 20% in one year. It's not a surprise that the number of physicians who use the iPhone more than doubled in the past year. Now with the availability of the touch screen BlackBerry Storm, I anticipate that more doctors will be using the BlackBerry. Overall, physicians are spending more time online and are using both computers and smartphones to stay current and access medical information. They are also using mobile devices to access CME activities. So smartphones have a bright future ahead in the medical industry. As these devices become more powerful and ubiquitous, they will permeate the healthcare space and play an even larger role in the daily workflow of medical students, residents, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.

I currently use a Windows Mobile device (the Verizon Wireless XV6800, also known as the Sprint Mogul and the HTC Titan). If I were on the AT&T network, I'd be an iPhone user. If I had to buy a new phone on Verizon, I'd probably get the new BlackBerry Storm that will have Wi-Fi. If I were on T-Mobile, I would get the G1 running Google Android.

eClinicalWorks, Dell, and Walmart

The eClinicalWorks package at Walmart will include Dell computers. Which Dell tablet PC will be included in the package? That's right, the expensive Dell XT2 Tablet running Microsoft Windows. No Apple tablet running OS X for those who are Mac lovers. I wonder if we'll actually get the chance to play around with an XV2 in the Walmart stores. People don't recognize the value of a tablet PC and most will probably use this convertible tablet as a notebook/laptop. However, for those who take advantage of the pen-based input system, they will quickly learn how efficient they can be by using the digital stylus. What about the ultra-mobile PC platform? Sometimes I wonder about these tiny devices and netbooks. Will they gain momentum in the healthcare field?

iPhone Application for OB/GYN

If you're on your OB/GYN rotation and you have an iPhone, then you should take a look at this application if your hospital has the Airstrip application. AirStrip Technologies has developed an iPhone application called AirStrip OB. Looks like a great application for those sleepless nights on the OB floor.

Experimenting with Windows 7 (Build 7077)

I have to admit: I did not have high expectations for Microsoft Windows 7. I had the chance to test some of the earlier beta versions of Windows 7 (including the public beta) and they didn't really impress me. However, I recently installed the latest build (build 7077) and I have to say that I've been very impressed. I installed this version on a convertible tablet (Fujitsu) and an ultra-mobile PC (Samsung Q1 Ultra) It's very fast and responsive and it doesn't lock up like Vista. If you have an older notebook/laptop, you may want to give it a try.

Tablet PCs on CSI

I don't usually watch television at home. I'm too busy blogging. However, when I'm at the gym, I'll turn on the television and watch shows like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation). Here's what draws me to the show: they use tablet PCs and other cool gadgets in the lab. You don't see many slate tablets out there among consumers. Slates are primarily used in the vertical market. However, I use a convertible Lenovo Thinkpad X200 tablet and I love it. I'm a huge fan of tablets and I think that they are underutilized in both healthcare and education. They are much more interactive than standard computers and I think we're going to see them make a comeback someday. They're gaining some traction within the medical community, but once again, this is a vertical market. Will the release of an Apple Tablet put fire back into the tablet market?

Google Android 1.5

Google has an operating system for smartphones called Android. The latest announcement on their developer site includes information about Android 1.5. Some of the most exciting features include:

• On-screen keyboards
• More widgets
  
• Video recording
• Stereo Bluetooth (so you can practice your cardiac auscultation skills with both ears)
  

The most popular smartphone that runs Android is the T-Mobile G1. Will Google Android offer features that are unique enough to set it apart from the iPhone?

What's Happening at OQO?

There are many rumors floating around the web about the future of OQO. I've had an OQO model 02 for a while now and I love this tiny little device. It's a fantastic micro PC (or ultra-mobile PC if you prefer) and I hope that the company survives these economic times of uncertainty. The OQO has been piloted in various healthcare settings and as more patients require digital monitoring and electronic devices, ultra-mobile PCs are needed in the clinical setting. I hope we see the model 02+ that was revealed at CES this year.

Dr. Kim's Blogging Network

I've diversified and I now have several blogs that I should lump into "Dr. Kim's Blogging Network."

• http://www.medicineandtechnology.com
• http://www.nonclinicaljobs.com
• http://www.medicalsmartphones.com
• http://www.mobilehealthcomputing.com/

There are thousands of people out there named "Dr. Kim" so imagine what this network would look like if I went to all of them and included them in the list?

I'd love to have Dr. Arnold Kim and his http://www.macrumors.com on my list. He's probably the most famous Dr. Kim who has a blog.

Then, you have Dr. Kim the chiropractor who keeps a blog here: http://drkimsf.com/blog

You may have even seen Dr. Kim Okamura's blog titled, "Dr. Kim's Blog" about dentistry here:
http://www.kimokamuradds.com/dr-kims-blog/

Express Scripts to Buy WellPoint's NextRx

We live in a day of M&As (mergers and acquisitions) in the healthcare industry. Pfizer is buying Wyeth, but that's old news. Why should pharma have all the fun?

Express Scripts is buying WellPoint's NextRx for $4.7 billion. Actually, maybe that's $4.68. In either case, it's a huge amount of money. So who's next? According to Express Scripts, NextRx manages prescription benefits for about 25 million customers and handles more than 265 million prescriptions a year.

Quit Smoking

What's the best way to help patients quit? Are there any evidence-based smoking cessation strategies that really work? What is the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking? These are some of the questions that frequently come up when you ask healthcare professionals about smoking cessation.

Clinicians need to remind patients that the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking is to try, try, and try again. In fact, you may need to try again after you quit successfully because you may relapse. But then you have to try again, and again, and again... (I think you get the picture). According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine titled, "Effect of Varying Levels of Disease Management on Smoking Cessation", healthcare professionals need to treat smoking as a chronic condition that needs to be addressed at every office visit. Furthermore, patients may require some intensive interventions that include medication and counseling, as well as continued dialogue with their healthcare provider. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and included 50 rural primary care practices.

Clinicians need to approach smoking cessation management as "disease management." The news was so compelling that the ACP had a press release go out on Business Wire. So what is the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking? Try, try, and try again.

Upgrade Your Treo 700wx to Windows Mobile 6.1

You may have heard that some developers have gotten their hands on Windows Mobile 6.1 for the Palm Treo 700wx. If you want to learn more, then take a look at this forum on XDA-Developers:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=397134

Flashing a phone's ROM is not for beginners. This is true especially when you're loading a custom ROM. If you make a mistake, then your phone may turn into a permanent brick that you can use as a paperweight. I always advise people to ask for assistance or to hand the phone over to an expert who can do the flashing correctly.

In my opinion, there are significant advantages to running Windows Mobile 6.1 over Windows Mobile 6.0. That change from ".0" to ".1" at the end of 6 makes a big difference. Now we have Windows Mobile 6.5 but that's not available for the Treo (at least not now). Not sure about the version differences? Take a look at this chart that provides an overview of Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, and 6.1:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/meet/version-compare.mspx

Wrist Bands for Nausea

P6 acupuncture or acupressure wristbands have become really popular these days. You have some brands like Sea-Band calling the acupressure point as the Nei-Kuan Point. Others refer to it as P6 acupuncture. Do you believe that acupuncture works? What is your view of alternative medicine (or complementary medicine)? If you're a big advocate of holistic medicine, then you may want to consider joining the American Holistic Medicine Association.

Sometimes, old technology is the best medicine. Acupuncture has been effectively used for centuries in Asia. One of the major challenges with acupuncture in the United States is this: you may not know whether your healthcare practitioner is adequately qualified. You can get licensed and certified in acupuncture.

Here are some groups you may want to get familiar with:

• National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
• American Academy of Medical Acupuncture
• American Board of Medical Acupuncture
• Acupuncture Society of America
  

Nokia RX-51 MID

I admit that whenever I go to the airport, I swing by the technology stores to browse gadgets and play with the Nokia N810 tablet Mobile Internet Device (MID). The N810 is a really nice device that runs a simple Linux OS and has a full-featured web browser. It doesn't support business applications such as Microsoft Office, so it really is a device intended to be used for digital media and web browsing. I never purchased one because I already have so many gadgets that it would be impossible to justify.

I think the new Nokia RX-51 is going to be a really nice MID. In fact, Nokia has been very receptive to feedback and improved their tablet by adding a slide-out keyboard, internal GPS, and additional capabilites. What more can they do? Let's see what Nokia delivers later this year with the RX-51. I'm optimistic that it will be a really versatile device that may help physicians who are on-call and who need to have Internet access while they're out of the house. No one wants to carry around a laptop computer, but people may slip a tiny MID in their pockets.

MedicalSmartphones.com

I've registered a new URL: MedicalSmartphones.com

I've been an avid PDA/smartphone user for many years. During medical school and residency, I used to provide advice about these devices. I've been blogging about it for a while, but now I want to keep a dedicated blog about this topic. I hope you'll visit and find some useful information.

Health 2.0 Meets Ix

The Health 2.0 Conference and the Center for Information Therapy (Ix®) are having their first joint conference this year. It's coming up in a few weeks in one of my favorite cities: Boston, MA. April 22-23, 2009 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. How do you define Health 2.0? As this industry grow, more and more jobs and opportunities are becoming for clinicians who wish to shape the future of Health 2.0

What's the Best Electronic Health Record (EHR) for My Practice?

What is the best electronic health record (EHR) or electronic medical record (EMR) for your clinical practice? Can you confidently answer that question? Which vendor will you choose? Nextgen? GE Centricity? Allscripts? Epic? Cerner? eClinicalWorks? e-MDs? MedPlexus? McKesson? Hopefully you're only considering EHRs that are Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology or CCHIT certified. ASP of server-based?

Maybe you're even considering some free EMR options like Practice Fusion. How do you plan to make your decision? Do you feel like you could make an informed, educated decision about EHR selection? When you start adding billing and other practice management capabilites. Have you considered e-Prescribing? What if you're a cardiology or oncology practice? Do you know what type of subspecialty solutions are available? I feel like there are so many questions that need to be answered for hospitals and clinicians who are looking for an EHR solution.

Windows 7 Build 7077 Runs Well on the Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC

I'm happy to report that Windows 7 (build 7077) actually runs quite well on the Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC (or Q1U, for those who like to differentiate them from the original Samsung Q1). I had tested a few of the earlier builds on my device and they did not work well at all. Somehow, the engineers at Microsoft have refined Windows 7 so that it actually runs fairly well on a slow machine that has an 800 MHz processor. I've been pleasantly surprised by Windows 7, so I've removed the Vista partition on my device and I've replaced it with Windows 7. I still have XP as a backup, but over the next few weeks I'll be mainly using Windows 7 to see how well it works on my mini tablet device.

Reading List 2009: What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School: Notes From A Street-Smart Executive

I'm going to start keeping a reading list of the books I hope to read in 2009. I had a really interesting phone conversation with a physician on the west coast this morning. As we started talking, our conversation drifted to the book titled, "What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School: Notes From A Street-Smart Executive." I haven't read it, but I'd really like to. Therefore, I'm adding it to my 2009 reading list and I'll probably get it from Amazon. Thanks to Sermo, I have some Amazon gift certificate credit that I need to use.

The author is Mark H. McCormack and ironically, he didn't actually attend HBS (Harvard Business School). Instead, he was a Yale-trained attorney. But was he qualified to write such a book? Absolutely! He is considered the Pioneer of Sports Marketing and he died in 2003. He was an entrepreneur with a lot of street smarts and we can all probably learn a lot from him.

Happy Easter!

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Easter today!