FierceHealthIT notes a new CDC study on ED overcrowding - it's getting worse.
Emergency department visits hit a new high in 2005, with more than
115 million visits, says new research from the CDC. That's a jump of
five million visits over the previous year, and a substantial 20
percent increase over 10 years.
Over the same time period, […]
According to a survey by CHIME, more hospitals are reducing restrictions on cell phones.
Twenty-three
percent of the 185 survey respondents reported their organization has
lifted all restrictions on mobile phone use, up 5.5% from a similar
survey conducted by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization in 2004.
Only 11 respondents, or 6%, indicated that cell phone use is entirely
prohibited at […]
Robert North, PhD, chief scientist of Human Centered Strategies, and participant in the AAMI committee that is updating the human
interaction standards, highlights the impact of user interface design on medical device safety. In speaking for the FDA (?), he notes correctly that the, “FDA views errors during human interaction with a device as seriously as
any […]
The Tyco International spin off of their medical division was completed a couple weeks ago. The new company, Covidien has about $10 billion in sales. With a stable of mature health care technology, Covidien is looking to acquisitions to fuel growth.
It is now investing aggressively in research and development in its
core devices business and would […]
Vocera has named Robert J. Zollars as their new Chairman and CEO. Like many health care executives, Zollars got his start at American Home Products, before moving to Baxter. From the press release:
Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Wound Care Solutions,
the leading operator of outsourced chronic wound care centers serving
275 hospital customers […]
MEMS vendor Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISSYS) announced, “that the U.S Patent Office has granted a patent entitled “WirelessMEMS Capacitive Sensor for Physiologic Parameter Measurement” (US Patent No. 6,926,670) which covers the design, manufacturing, and anchoring of miniature, wireless, batteryless, implantable sensors.” (press release - pdf) The summary from the patent:
The invention comprises a […]
