Healthcare Technology Featured Article

December 15, 2012

HealthTechZone Week in Review


It was yet another huge week in healthcare, and that left us with plenty of news to bring out your way. With plenty of news in the offing, it's time for us to break it down for you with our Week in Review coverage.

So settle in and let's check out the biggest news from around the healthcare sector!

First, we had a look at some possible answers to a major problem thanks to a line of new breast cancer solutions from GE. The firm went to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium to show off its line of new solutions, geared toward early detection methods like screening and diagnosis, to full-on treatment options.

Given that GE Healthcare previously won an award from Frost & Sullivan for its breast imaging product line strategy, it's a good bet the company has some impressive things in the pipeline.

Text messaging in the emergency room (ER) gave us our next piece of news, as the Baptist Health System's four hospitals recently established a new service that allows patients to send a text message with their zip code to the hospital, and directly after, receive a message themselves telling them how long the wait is at the nearest emergency room – along with information about which hospitals accept which kinds of patients.

Congestion in the ER is a major problem for many healthcare providers, and this measure looks to help keep wait times at least somewhat in check.

Then, we had a closer look at a recent agreement between AMC Health and Crystal Run Healthcare. The agreement allows the two healthcare concerns to provide services to their own specific strengths, with AMC Health focusing on chronic diseases like diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as remote patient monitoring services to augment Crystal Run's already substantial lineup of services.

The two sets of services working together look to provide more value under one roof for their patient base.

Next came a look at the role of mobile technology in healthy living. As it turns out, the use of mobile technology in an exercise program is actually a significant benefit to physical fitness, especially when used properly. The study called for two groups, one of which was given mobile hardware like a PDA and a mobile phone, and the other group which did not. The group with the hardware had a much higher chance of losing at least 5 percent of their baseline weight thanks to better engagement in the process with the introduction of feedback, as well as more information.

Lastly, there was exciting news about the life-saving potential of mobile apps and medical websites, as they actually seem to have some life-saving capability. A recent survey from Royal Philips Electronics says that, on average, one in 10 people in the United States has used a medical website or mobile app to get information that might very well have either saved their lives or kept them from being permanently incapacitated.

That was the week that was in healthcare technology, and it was a huge week in saving lives. Mobile apps brought a lot to the table, and we also saw the power in prevention and early detection. Our global online community is constantly on the lookout for fresh news to bring back, so be sure to come back next week for plenty more healthcare news, and of course, every weekend for our Week In Review coverage!



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