Healthcare Headlines, Part 1

By Rick Fromme

Photo credit: digitalworksconsulting.com

By its very nature, healthcare has always been a perpetually changing profession. Advances in research, clinical procedures, infection control, new devices and drugs, plus an array of governmental and administrative policies all demand that clinical and administrative personnel be flexible, educable and mentally pliant. 

It seems like nearly every day, there’s a new study. A new device. A new procedure. A new law. A new policy. 

Given healthcare’s dynamism, its inherent propensity for change, and sometimes paradigm-shifting information, I thought I’d feature an ongoing blog series entitled “Healthcare Headlines,” which will address some of the newest, most up-to-date stories and news items pertaining to our field. 

  

As many of you know, throughout two of our ongoing blog series, we’ve been featuring some of healthcare’s newest, most innovative technological devices and advances worldwide — covering such breakthrough innovations as the ReWalk, 3D organ printing, nanotechnology robots, non-invasive skin closures, etc.(See “FascinatingCaptain!” and “The Land of Milk & Honey and Med Tech Boom.”) 

And, of course, over the past few decades Healthcare IT (HIT) has been improving the practice and delivery of medicine via technology as well. In case you hadn't heard, last week, September 15-19, was National IT Health Week (NHIT Week).

Photo credit: blogs.scientificamerican.com

One of HIT’s main areas of concern pertains to Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which have been shown to improve the delivery of healthcare, enhance patient safety, diminish medical errors, and improve the interaction between healthcare providers and patients. (See our previous blog  “A Look Inside Healthcare IT Jobs.”)    

     

During NHIT Week, one of the major reports that was published dealt with how individuals are accessing and utilizing their EHRs. The report, entitled, Individuals’Access and Use of their Online Medical Record Nationwide showed that while the general public is taking advantage of EHRs, there is still room for improvement. 

“The ability of individuals to access and use their online medical records serves as one of the cornerstones of national efforts to increase patient engagement and improve health outcomes,” the report states from the outset. Some of its key findings:  

When seeking care for a medical problem within the last year, about one in three individuals experienced gaps in information exchange. Common gaps included patients having to recount their medical history because a healthcare provider had not received records from another provider or having to bring test results to an appointment. 

The report also found: 

•  Almost three in 10 individuals were offered access to an online medical record.

• Among those who were individuals given access to the online medical record, almost half were provided access by only their health care provider; and another four in ten individuals were given access by both their health insurer and health care provider.

Photo credit: executivegov.com

• Less than one in ten individuals were given access to their online medical record by only their health insurer

Furthermore, the report showed that individuals who accessed their online record used it for a variety of purposes:

• To monitor their health

• To share information with someone else such as another healthcare provider or family member

• Nearly half downloaded the information to their PC or a storage device

• 1 in 10 forwarded the information to use as an app or Personal Health Record (PHR)

• 1 in 10 requested that errors contained within their EHR to be corrected. 

New Study Recommends Lifting Ban on Blood Donations from Gay Men 

 

Photo credit: www.abc.net.au

No doubt about it, this news item is generating lots of discussion. 

According to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA, if the FDA were to lift its current ban on gay men donating blood, hundreds of thousands of pints would be available every year for patients in need of transfusions, which in turn could save millions of lives each year.If the ban were lifted in the U.S., approximately 615,300 pints of blood would become available every year. Currently, the UK permits gay men to donate blood if they haven’t had a sexual partner in a year.  If donations were limited to gay men who haven’t had sex within a year, some 317,000 pints of blood would be available. Canada’s policy current stipulates five years of abstinence.  Enacting Canada’s five-year policy would yield in an extra 300,000 pints.

“The American Red Cross suggests that each blood donation has the potential to be used in life-saving procedures on three individuals,” said the study’s co-author Ayako Miyashita.  “Our estimates suggest that lifting the blood donation ban … could be used to help save the lives of more than 1.8 million people.”

The American Medical Association, the American Red Cross, and the American Association of Blood Banks, have all called on the FDA to end its ban, describing it as “discriminatory and not based on sound science.”

An FDA spokeswoman stated the agency would continue to re-evaluate its policies, but it currently has no plans to ease the ban until further studies indicate that patients receiving transfusions won’t be at an increased risk.

The FDA enacted its ban back in 1983, after discovering HIV was being transmitted through blood transfusions. But that was during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and since then mainstream behavior and understanding has changed significantly.

Wearing Google Glass Shown to Benefit Surgeons’ Response Time 

Photo credit: rte.ie

You may have heard some of the stories about people who were found to be wearing Google Glass in public where ― at the very least ― they had been challenged by others for invading their privacy. Some depicted incidences where Google Glass wearers were physically accosted. 

Turns out that while some may not approve or enjoy Google Glassers recording their every public move, the new device is making a positive name for itself in healthcare. 

Patient care, particularly through the use of EHRs (as stated above) is data-driven. However, physicians, particularly surgeons, need a way to receive and manipulate data while remaining hands-on with patients. Enter Google Glass. 

A recent joint study was conducted by Stanford Medical School and VitalMedicals that analyzed surgeons' response time during various procedures. The study sought to determine if Google Glass in the OR could improve clinical outcomes. A group of 20 Stanford residents performed two types of routine surgeries on dummies, one group wearing Google Glass, the other without. 

The experiment was programed so that during the mock operation, a sudden complication would occur, which required the residents to perform an urgent procedure on "the patient."

The result? Residents who used Google Glass during the procedure performed measurably better. 

One test had the residents perform a bronchoscopy, whereby the surgeon makes an incision in the patient’s throat to access a blocked airway. The surgeon might also insert a camera into the lungs to locate issues. In this control group, the residents using Google Glass/VitalStream software recognized critical desaturation 8.8 seconds faster than the control group (which didn’t wear the glasses). 

Photo credit: ubergizmo.com

In another test, the patient required a thoracostomy tube placement through the chest wall to drain fluids. Here, the residents using Google Glass/VitalStream software recognized hypotension in the patient 10.5 seconds sooner than the control group.

The residents wearing Google Glass didn’t need to look up at the monitoring equipment as frequently, thereby allowing them to be more focused on "the patient" during the operation. The preliminary evidence of the study indicates that Google Glass’ head-mounted display can be used in clinical settings to enhance surgeon response time and patient safety.

Hands-free Vital Sign Monitoring on Google Glass

In this first segment of “Healthcare Headlines,” I explained why, given healthcare’s constantly changing nature, I decided to create this series. I went on to feature three recent and significant news stories. The first highlighted findings from a key report issued during last week’s National Healthcare IT Week convention.  The second segment discussed how several major healthcare organizations are requesting the FDA terminate its ban prohibiting gay men’s blood for transfusions. The third segment highlighted a recent study that found surgeons using Google Glass in the OR were more responsive and patient-focused. If you found this article useful, please feel free to click “Like” as well as share and repost it. If you have any questions or comments, as always, I’m eager to read them.

Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com. Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com, Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may also reach Rick by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube.