Don't miss the Health IT Summit in New York City by iHT2

The 2013 iHT2 Health IT Summit in New York City will bring together over 250 C-level, physician, practice management and IT decision-makers from North America’s leading provider organizations and physician practices. For two days, executives will be able to interact with a national audience of peers, thought leaders, and solutions providers at one of New York's finest resorts. Areas of discussion will include: Meaningful Use, Health Information Exchange, Telehealth, Accountable Care, mHealth, Cloud Computing, and more.

iHT2 Health IT Summit in New York City, NY
Sept 17-18, 2013

Learn more here: http://ihealthtran.com/newyorkhome.html

ATA 2014 Call for Presentations Now Open

Speak at the largest telehealth event of the year! The American Telemedicine Association 2014 call for presentations is now open.

The ATA Annual Meeting is recognized throughout the world as the primary forum for healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs in the telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth space. Whether you are a novice or expert, clinician or engineer, CEO or industry partner, ATA 2014 presents opportunities to engage with thousands of thought-provoking leaders in the field and learn about telemedicine best practices and emerging applications from around the world.

Click here to submit an abstract.

Don't miss ATA 2014 which is scheduled for May 18-20, 2014 in Baltimore, MD.

Join me as we discuss the evolution of telemedicine on June 11th

The world of medicine is changing rapidly as technology enables "televisits" and virtual consultations with medical experts. I hope you will join me on June 11th as I speak about the evolution of telemedicine:

Evolution of Telemedicine
Tuesday June 11th, 2013
9 to 10 am Pacific Time (12 to 1 pm Eastern Time)


Today, the majority of patients still receive care in a medical setting, but the future of health care may involve more “televisits” and virtual consultations that rely on digital communication technologies. In this webinar, we will review how the landscape of telemedicine has been evolving. We will also explore some innovative telemedicine concepts that are emerging and revolutionizing the way patients are receiving their health care.


This webinar is being hosted by InDemand Interpreting.

RP-VITA telemedicine robot may be coming to your hospital

The next time you go to the hospital, you may run into a telemedicine robot like the RP-VITA.  At ATA 2013,  InTouch Health & iRobot announced the first hospitals and medical centers that will be using the RP-VITA telemedicine robot. Here's a snippet from their press release:


Austin, TX (May 6, 2013) -- Top academic medical centers and leading healthcare systems across North America are now introducing their patients to RP-VITATM, the first FDA-cleared telemedicine robot that combines state-of-the-art telecommunications and AutoDrive technology. InTouch Health, the leader in acute care telemedicine, today announced at the 18th Annual American Telemedicine Association’s International Conference the first hospitals to integrate this new telemedicine platform into their TeleStroke, TeleICU, TelePsych, and TelePediatric programs. RP-VITA, jointly developed by InTouch Health and iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic technology-based solutions, is a class apart from any other telemedicine device available, providing a new level of ease of use and independence that frees doctors and nurses to focus solely on patient care and to forget the technology.

The first hospitals that will get RP-VITA include:



Dignity Health
Sacramento, CA

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Orange County, CA

Instituto de Salud del Estado de México
Mexico City, Mexico

Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Columbus, OH

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Burbank, CA

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA

St. Mary’s Medical Center
Huntington, WV

Keynote Speakers at ATA 2013

Don't miss ATA 2013 for the latest updates on telemedicine. This year, the keynote speakers are:

Lynn Britton, President & CEO, Mercy. Mercy, a 31 hospital healthcare system serving hundreds of communities in the Midwest, is transforming the patient experience through comprehensive telemedicine and HIT services. Mercy gives patients online access to doctors and medical records, utilizing telemedicine for a wide array of clinical services, include pediatrics and rural healthcare. Moreover, Mercy SafeWatch is the largest teleICU service in the United States. Under Britton’s leadership, Mercy was named the 2012 “Most Wired” healthcare organization by the American Hospital Organization. Lynn Britton will speak at the ATA 2013 Opening Plenary on Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Jeffrey Henley, Chairman, Oracle Corporation. Oracle is helping to transform the economics of healthcare by enabling patient-centered technology for health engagement. Oracle has invested heavily in developing software and IT infrastructure for disease management and health management, as well as accountable care, connected health and public/private insurance exchanges. As Chairman, Henley has been instrumental in this mission, working with leading hardware and healthcare providers to streamline the delivery of medical services. Jeffery Henley will speak at the ATA 2013 Monday Morning Plenary on Monday, May 6, 2013.

Reed Tuckson, MD, Managing Director, Tuckson Health Connections. Reed Tuckson is the immediate past Chief of Medical Affairs for UnitedHealth, the nation’s largest private healthcare insurer, serving approximately 70 million Americans. Under his guidance, UnitedHealth embraced telemedicine, demonstrating compelling advances in data and communication technologies for better, more efficient service and better health for everyone. Reed Tuckson, a former Senior Vice President of the American Medical Association and former Commissioner of Public Health for the District of Columbia, was also instrumental in United Health’s establishment of a national telehealth network aimed at serving rural, difficult to access and underserved patient populations. Reed Tuckson, MD will speak at the ATA 2013 Tuesday Morning Plenary on Tuesday, May 7, 2013.

For 18 years, the ATA Annual International Meeting & Exposition has been the premier forum for the fields of telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth. It is one of the fastest growing meetings in the country and ATA 2013 is projected to be ATA’s largest meeting ever, with 500 educational sessions, 300 exhibitors and over 6000 estimated attendees. For more information, visit www.ATA2013.org.

Register now for ATA 2013 - American Telemedicine Association

Register now for ATA 2013 - American Telemedicine Association
May 5 - 7, 2013
Austin, TX

Used code "LinkedInATA" for $50 off your full meeting (non-member) registration. After April 1, the registration price goes up.

Join 6,000 healthcare and technology professionals at the world's largest telemedicine meeting. Featuring over 450 presentations on telehealth and mHealth and industry expo.

This year at ATA, get there a day early and don't miss the ATA 2013 Telemedicine Venture Fair: Connecting capital, telehealth startups.

Learn more at http://www.americantelemed.org

Telemedicine Venture Fair at ATA 2013

Don't miss the Telemedicine Venture Fair at ATA 2013. This is a new event and requires separate registration, but I'm sure you'll see some very unique and novel concepts presented at this meeting.

Telemedicine Venture Fair at ATA 2013
Sunday, May 5; 8:30am - 12:00pm
Austin Convention Center

The Telemedicine Venture Fair provides a collaborative environment for the investment community and emerging telehealth to unite. The Fair begins with an educational panel of experts from the investment community to share words of advice and experiences on strategic partnerships, venture financing and the state of the telehealth market. The panel will be followed by a series of presentations from some of the most exciting emerging companies in the industry. The session closes with a networking period. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of important connections and partnerships between business community and investors as we learn about the keys to successful financing and strategic ventures from those who know how it is done.

Got a Telehealth Start-Up?

The call for companies interested in presenting at the Telemedicine Venture Fair is now officially open. ATA is seeking dynamic, developing companies to participate in our 2013 event. Companies in ALL stages of growth and development (including EARLY STAGE) are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submitting a proposal is March 15.

More information about the Telemedicine Venture Fair at ATA 2013 is available here.

First satellite-based telemedicine services

Most doctors don't use satellite phones, but maybe these will become much more popular and affordable in rural areas.

According to Network World: Hughes Network Systems will provide broadband satellite services to the New England Telehealth Consortium under a four-year contract that the satellite ISP says is its first deal in the area of mobile telemedicine. Hughes won a $500,000 contract to provide 8Mbps data transmission services to mobile healthcare units operated by the New England Telehealth Consortium. These units -- three truck-based, one boat-based and one fixed-location -- provide medical care to migrant farm workers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Free ATA Videocast: "Telemedicine after Two Decades"

2013 marks the ATA’s 20th Anniversary as the leading membership association for telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth services. To set the stage for this milestone, join ATA CEO, Jonathan Linkous as he discusses the past and explores future directions for telemedicine with Dr. Jay Sanders. This high-level overview looks at the market forces, technology developments and changing service models that are re-shaping our industry. Both presenters will share their predictions for the coming year—and the next 10 years—for telemedicine.

Live broadcast: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20; 2-3pm ET
(An archived recording of the presentation will be available afterwards.)

Presenters:

• Jonathan Linkous, Chief Executive Officer, American Telemedicine Association, Washington, DC
• Jay H. Sanders, MD, FACP, FACAAI, President Emeritus, American Telemedicine Association; President & CEO, The Global Telemedicine Group; Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, McLean, VA

TO ACCESS THIS VIDEOCAST:

Shortly before the start time, open the following URL in your browser: http://services.choruscall.com/links/ata121220.html

This videocast is free and open to both ATA members and non-members. Pre-registration is NOT required.

How much do you know about telemedicine or telehealth?

There are a growing number of organizations around the country that have received funding from the U.S. government to provide telemedicine education, training, and support to regional health care provider groups. Given that I went to medical school in Arkansas (UAMS), I wanted to share what the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences was up to these days. The UAMS Center for Distance Health (which didn't exist when I was a student back many years ago) has set up a website called LearnTelehealth.org and they are featuring courses and even a telehealth game so that you can test your knowledge regarding the telemedicine industry. I had a chance to say hello to the folks from UAMS when I was attending the 2012 American Telemedicine Association (ATA) conference in San Jose, CA earlier this year.

As the telemedicine industry continues to grow, expect to see more of these types of regional support and training groups popping up in your neighborhood. LearnTelehealth.org is the website for the South Central Telehealth Resource Center.

The South Central Telehealth Resource Center (SCTRC) serves Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. It functions primarily through a new website that will work in partnership with the Center for Distance Health’s Training Center based at UAMS. The resource center website, www.learntelehealth.org, targets health care and health education groups that have an interest in using telehealth.

Industry executives discussing telemedicine "Policy Priorities" here at #ATA2012

Here at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 annual conference, everyone is talking about health policy. One of the last sessions this year was the Industry Executive Panel 9: Policy Priorities. What policy issues are most critical? What kind of change do we need? Participants included: Verizon, Intel, Aligne Health Resources, and UnitedHealth Group.

Reimbursement is a recurrent theme that revolves around telemedicine. Who should be paying for these types of services? Right now, some payors are involved, but we need to see to see large employers getting involved since telemedicine is more cost-effective and efficient.

Telemedicine is not the current standard of care because patients still want the live interaction with their physicians. However, newer digital tools are overcoming certain barriers that are allowing physicians to have meaningful interactions with patients. Plus, non face-to-face care can be safer for patients who are at risk of catching dangerous infections in the clinical setting.


Interstate medical licensure is another barrier in the United States for physicians who want to engage in telemedicine. Will we see a national telemedicine license someday? Given that every state has different requirements and regulations around medical licensure, I'm not too sure that we'll see this anytime in the near future. I don't think the state licensing boards want to move in this direction. But then again, the VA Health System has embraced the concept of a national medical license by allowing physicians to provide care to veterans as long as they have an active medical license in some state. Perhaps the short-term solution is a national database of telemedicine credentialing for patients covered through government insurance plans.

See you at #ATA2012

See you at American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012! It's going to be exciting to see the latest innovations in telemedicine. More physicians are looking for ways to leverage telemedicine technologies to extend their services to patients.

This year, the education program has been built around 5 macro focus areas: Business, Finance & Economics, Model Programs & Best Practices, Scientific Research, Outcomes & Evidence, Innovative Applications and Public Policy.

Like no other event, ATA 2012 brings the entire spectrum of telehealth professionals together in one place. Network with 4500 clinicians, researchers, administrators, entrepreneurs, IT specialists, engineers and more.

ATA12 coverage is sponsored by HP. HP’s extensive portfolio of products, solutions, services and relationships can help your healthcare organization achieve quality business practices and provide quality patient care.

Hope to see you at ATA (American Telemedicine Association) 2012

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) 2012 conference is coming up at the end of this month and I hope to see you there!  There are many new and exciting developments occurring in the world of telemedicine and I'm looking forward to a great conference.

ATA 2012: 17th Annual International Meeting & Exposition
April 29 - May 1, 2012
San Jose, CA

The ATA Annual Meeting is the largest telehealth event of the year, with over 450 peer reviewed presentations and the world’s largest tradeshow focusing exclusively on telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth technologies. Join 4000+ telemedicine professionals and discover the technologies that are revolutionizing healthcare.

Teladoc Launches TeladocConnect

Teladoc Launches TeladocConnect, Helping Physicians Improve Patient Access and Address Healthcare Challenges

Physician service to be introduced at HIMSS12, demonstrations at booth 13328

DALLAS, Feb. 16, 2012 – Teladoc, the nation’s first and largest telehealth provider, will unveil its new telehealth solution for physicians – TeladocConnect – at the 2012 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition (HIMSS12) being held Feb. 20-24 at the Las Vegas Venetian Sands Expo Center, booth 13328.

TeladocConnect allows physicians to connect with patients 24/7 via telephone or secure online video. If a patient’s regular physician is unavailable, the consultation request is directed to Teladoc’s network of U.S.-based, board-certified physicians, which acts as an extension of the physician’s practice.

Telemedicine Defined

Here is how the American Telemedicine Association defines telemedicine:

Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status. Closely associated with telemedicine is the term "telehealth," which is often used to encompass a broader definition of remote healthcare that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth.

Telemedicine is not a separate medical specialty. Products and services related to telemedicine are often part of a larger investment by health care institutions in either information technology or the delivery of clinical care. Even in the reimbursement fee structure, there is usually no distinction made between services provided on site and those provided through telemedicine and often no separate coding required for billing of remote services.

Telemedicine encompasses different types of programs and services provided for the patient. Each component involves different providers and consumers.

It's really exciting to see all the advances in the world of telemedicine. As mobile devices become more powerful, they will become the foundation of telemedicine delivery.

Cisco TelePresence Transforming Cancer Care

University of North Carolina Transforms Cancer Care with Cisco

Thursday, June 23
1 p.m. EST

In this live, one-hour seminar, Michael Young, Director of Telemedicine at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, will discuss how Cisco TelePresence is helping to transform the treatment of cancer patients.

Learn first-hand how oncologists are using Cisco TelePresence to:

•Review patient cases with top specialists irrespective of distance or location
•Accelerate discussions about treatment options and facilitate timely recommendations
•Enable immersive, high-quality consultations

Cisco Survey of Global Health Leaders Reveals That Collaboration Holds Greatest Potential for Health Sector Innovation

Respondents Identify Telehealth as Untapped Area of Growth

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - April 6, 2011) - Today at the World Health Congress, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) unveiled findings from a global health leader survey on national health sector innovation. The most significant findings from the online survey, commissioned by the Cisco® Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) and conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI), reveal that collaboration and information-sharing among health professionals have the greatest near-term potential for facilitating large-scale health sector innovation.

Key Findings

Health leaders in 16 countries on six continents were asked about their views on the leading issues and opportunities in providing health services to their citizens.

The health leaders identified their top concerns as:

* Providing equitable access to health services.
* Maximizing the efficiency of health resources.
* Providing quality care consistently.

When asked to highlight options that would enable significant nationwide health transformation, the survey respondents identified technology-enabled innovations and telehealth solutions as potential breakthroughs. The survey found strong support from world health leaders for enabling innovation with telehealth models.

"Telehealth" is a broad concept used to denote new ways for health professionals to share information, work collaboratively and deliver services using a wide range of information and communications technology.

I'll be speaking at Health Journalism 2011 in Philadelphia

Next month, I'll be speaking at the Health Journalism 2011
04/14/11 - 04/17/11
Philadelphia, PA

The title of the session is: "Going mobile: The new telemedicine."
Friday, April 15 at 4:40 pm

The presenters include:
• Mohit Kaushal, M.D., M.B.A., executive vice president of business development and chief strategy officer, West Wireless Institute
• Joseph Kim, M.D., M.P.H., vice president of medical affairs and technology, Medical Communications Media Inc.
• Hemang Patel, market development manager, Microsoft Corp., Healthcare and Life Sciences
• Moderator: Eric Whitney, health reporter, Colorado Public Radio

I look forward to seeing you there as we discuss mobile health and telemedicine.

You can find more information about  Health Journalism 2011 here.

HP Helps Improve Quality and Efficiency of Care with Telehealth Programs #HIMSS11

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2011 – HP today announced new product solutions and applications that help advance telehealth adoption and accessibility for healthcare organizations and patients nationwide, promoting improved quality and efficiency of healthcare.

HP will demonstrate the following collaborative solutions introduced at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference and exhibition (booth 731):

— Lifebot® is designed to provide a secure, mobile emergency medical services (EMS) telemedicine solution.

— Canvys delivers advanced display systems for patient monitoring, bio-medical displays, ultrasound, cardiac imaging and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

— Medweb’s cloud-hosted imaging and data repository improves the speed and security of image and records storage for physicians, radiologists and specialists.

— Parental Health facilitates daily health monitoring by allowing seniors to connect face-to-face with doctors, book medical appointments or dispatch a physician in emergency situations.

“HP is committed to providing industry-leading, comprehensive telehealth solutions for cost-effective and accurate remote patient monitoring and care,” said Chris Mertens, vice president, Healthcare, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Through our close collaboration with innovative technology leaders, HP telehealth solutions bring physicians and care givers to the point of care, regardless of their location, with fast, reliable and enhanced secure technology.”

Digital Health Summit 2011

The Digital Health Summit at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show focuses on the booming market of consumer-based health and wellness innovations that sit at the convergence of technology and healthcare.

In addition to diagnosing and battling disease, today’s generation of high-tech healthcare products and services will be the catalyst for better managed healthcare, patient/doctor communication, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery time, lowered costs for health insurance, early prevention and detection, digital patient information records, medical attention over distances, and so much more. A robust industry is developing to serve the healthcare market. The Digital Health Summit and Exhibition is here to serve as its epicenter.

What You’ll See:

* Telehealth Systems
* Therapeutic & Diagnostic Medical Devices
* Remote Monitoring Devices
* Mobile Health Applications
* Secured Wireless Communication Medical Devices
* Medication Monitoring Equipment
* Mobile Health Devices
* Robotic Prosthetics
* Personal Health Records
* Communications Networks
* Telemedicine Systems

Where: At the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

Exhibit Jan 6-9, 2011
Conference Jan 7, 2011

Learn more about the Digital Health Summit  here.