Medgadget » Informatics

Interview with QuantiaMD, the Largest Online Network of Physicians

Shiv Gaglani — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:51:35 +0000

Given all of the recent media buzz surrounding Facebook – the Emperor of all Social Networks – we at Medgadget wanted to reflect some of that light onto the social networks that are most influencing medicine today. One such network is QuantiaMD, whose membership exceeds 150,000 physicians, according to the company, or one in five in the US!

We have previously covered two apps developed by the company: DiabetesIQ and Pri-Med. This editor first met up with QuantiaMD’s CEO, Eric Schultz, and Chief Communications Officer, Mary Modahl, at the mHealth Summit and just touched base again to produce the interview below.

LowestMed’s New App Uses GPS to Find Best Prescription Prices Near You

Paul Pisklak — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:30:43 +0000

LowestMed is a discount prescription service that shops for the lowest price for prescription medications. The idea is that you enter the medication prescribed, and whether you are at the doctor’s office or out looking for a refill, the app tells you (and shows you, via GPS), the pharmacy with the best deal on that prescription.

The app launched Wednesday, and we had a chance to interview Brad Bangerter, CEO of LowestMed.

Kaiser Permanente Makes Electronic Medical Records Accessible to Patients Through Android App and Mobile Website

Wouter Stomp — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:47:36 +0000

Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed care organization in the United States, has unveiled an Android app and mobile-optimized website through which its 9 million patients can access their own medical information anywhere in the world on their mobile devices. The app and mobile website contain the same information and possibilities that were already available through kp.org, i.e. lab results, diagnostic information, secure email access to doctors, ordering of prescription refills, scheduling appointments and locating of healthcare facilities. It is also possible for family members to get access on behalf of a patient and accomplish the same tasks.

The Android app is available for free from the Android market. An iPhone app will be released in the coming months, but for now iPhone users will have to do with the mobile website.

Riverain Chest X-Ray Temporal Comparison Software Highlights Differences in Chest X-Rays Over Time

Wouter Stomp — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:08:38 +0000

Riverain Technologies has received FDA clearance for its Temporal Comparison software for chest X-rays. The software compares current and previous chest X-rays of the same patient and highlights the differences in order to improve detection of new nodules which may be early lung cancer.

The software uses pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms (including its existing bone suppression algorithms) to normalize each image to make it consistent with a standard format. The lung field is then identified for comparison. The current and prior image are then aligned and processed by subtracting the current image from the prior image. The system integrates seamlessly with the PACS system, saving the resulting difference image as an additional image in the patient’s folder ready for the radiologist’s interpretation.

Withings Introduces the Smart Baby Scale; Ready to Keep the World Posted on Your Baby’s Growth

Wouter Stomp — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:05:12 +0000

If your company already released innovative “connected” versions of the body scale, blood pressure monitor and baby monitor, what’s next? For Withings, the answer is a smart baby scale. The Withings Smart Baby Scale is an internet-connected baby and toddler scale with WiFi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Low Energy) connectivity. It has many of the same features as the adult body scale, and we can imagine the Twitter and Facebook integration on this device to be quite a bit more popular than on its adult counterpart.

The Smart Baby Scale is one of the devices that has been awarded with the CES Innovation Award and it will be available in the second quarter of 2012.

AirStrip Receives CE Mark for Mobile Monitoring Solutions

Wouter Stomp — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:59:56 +0000

AirStrip Technologies has received European CE Mark certification for its mobile patient monitoring applications. The apps provide mobile access to vital live and historical patient data including waveforms, ECGs and other information and it received FDA clearance last August. Applications currently available include AirStrip OB, AirStrip Cardiology and AirStrip Patient Monitoring. AirStrip Cardiology was recently featured as the best US medical application for the iPhone as part of Apple’s App Store Rewind 2011.

Airstrip Cardiology and Patient Monitoring are available for iOS devices only, while Airstrip OB is available for almost all current mobile platforms including iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile. In addition to the physicians installing the apps on their mobile devices, the hospital must purchase the interface, server and individual subscriptions from AirStrip for the system to operate.

Predicting the Future of Health IT: How It Could Curb Medical Costs and Transform Healthcare Delivery

Brian Klein — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:08:41 +0000

Health IT is a big deal these days. While there has been some controversy surrounding it, there is no doubt that, if implemented well, it can improve everything from disease monitoring to noncompliance with doctors’ orders. Such transformation seems inevitable because of IT’s ability to transform other aspects of our lives. Within the last 20 years, for instance, information technology has vastly simplified banking, performing research, and making travel arrangements. But, as people such as Mark Smith, president and CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation have pointed out, healthcare has lagged far behind other industries in its implementation of IT.

To get a better sense of what its role in healthcare will be in the near future, Medgadget had the opportunity to interview Eric Marx, Vice President of Healthcare IT Services at Modis—an IT staffing agency.

HealthVault Windows Phone App Launched by Microsoft

Ronney Shantouf — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:48:54 +0000

Microsoft has released an official mobile app for its HealthVault PHR platform. It is available free for smartphones using the Windows Phone 7 OS. The app enables users to quickly input personal medical information such as allergies, immunizations, blood pressure and glucose readings, and much more. The app links with a cloud-based service and the can serve as a tool for patients to provide information to health care professionals such as nurses and doctors.

The HealthVault service first went mobile in June when it created a mobile optimized layout of its website and the app is a follow up to that.

Mobile MIM 3.0 Gets FDA OK for Portable Radiology Diagnostics

Gene Ostrovsky — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:28:21 +0000

MIM Software‘s new Mobile MIM 3.0 software for diagnostic X-ray and ultrasound image review has been cleared by the FDA. It displays volume histograms, isodose curves, contours, and images for treatment plans, and allows clinicians to consult with each other wherever they are. The convenience of displaying radiological images to patients right at the bedside without having to bring in printouts is another welcome benefit.

The company also announced it is working with Accuray to soon launch a new app, called PlanTouch, that will allow a review of a CyberKnife interventional radiation oncology treatment plan right on an iOS device.

Happtique Custom Mobile App Delivery for Clinical Settings

Gene Ostrovsky — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:35:25 +0000

Mobile apps for tablets and smartphones are rapidly transforming how clinics and hospitals conduct business, treat patients, and provide post-op therapy and follow ups. A challenge has arisen with apps, though, that pits ease of use against privacy and security considerations. Hospitals want to control access to software used by their clinicians and patients while keeping usability painless and intuitive for everyone involved.

Happtique is a new company that is offering healthcare facilities the ability to have their own branded app stores that can be designed specifically for clinicians and patients at each facility. Access can be granted and revoked as patients come and go, and employees that no longer work at the clinic automatically lose their permissions. Happtique is currently running a beta trial of the system at a few East Coast hospitals.