Thursday, April 2, 2009

Everyware Healthcare: IT in the LTACH and beyond

I'm visiting my dad who recently was transferred to a LTACH. LTACH stands for Long Term Acute Care Hospital. One of the goals of an LTACH is to work with people who have medically complex issues, often after a longer-than planned stay in an intensive care unit at a "regular" hospital, and then get them to the point where they can return home, with the maximum degree of independence as possible.

Given the fact that my dad has been deeply immersed in the medical/health care system lately, and the given the fact that I'm a techie, it has been difficult to ignore the wellspring of health care-related technology news peculating around, especially since
the new stimulus plan has a provision for the funding of health care IT. This is explained in detail the following presentation from the McKessen EMRresource blog:



I'll comment a bit on the following articles and links in my next post:

iPlan Net

http://www.brainlab.com/english/physician_info/neuro/images/23040834_2498-Digital_Lighbox_iPlan_full.jpg
"iPlan Net Session Sharing enables two or more clinicians at different locations to work on the same plan simultaneously. With Session Sharing, physicians no longer need to be in the same room to collaborate—it's all possible over the iPlan Net browser...iPlan Net connects entire surgery, radiotherapy and radiology departments—increasing cooperation, productivity and efficiency."

G.E. and Intel Working on Remote Monitors to Provide Home Health Care
Steve Lohr 4/2/09 New York Times

Intel Health Guide


http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/healthcare/ge_alliance/images/t01.jpg
"The Intel® Health Guide offers interactive tools for personalized care management and includes vital sign collection, patient reminders, surveys, multimedia educational content, and video conferencing and alerts."

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/healthcare/ge_alliance/images/t02.jpghttp://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/healthcare/ge_alliance/images/t03.jpg



GE HealthCare

http://www.gehealthcare.com/usen/telehealth/quietcare/images/technology.jpg

GE Healthcare Community Technology Update: Aging in Place
pdf

New Touch Screen Monitors to Reduce Hospital Patient Waiting Times

Kindred Hospitals Customer Story (pdf)

Effective Healthcare Identity Management: A Necessary First Step for Improving U.S. Healthcare Information Systems Brief (pdf) (Smart Card Alliance)

FDA Probes Potential Overlap Between Electronic Health Records and Devices

DOD, VA set new target for lifetime health record
Government Health IT, Peter Buxbaum 3/27/09

The Stimulus Plan's Impact on the Healthcare Business Model

Scott Anthony, Harvard Business

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