EHI’s industry news roundup 25.01.08

E-Health Insider’s industry news round up for the week ending 25 January 2008 featuring supplier news, events, product launches and company collaborations.

Supplier news

Pharmacy Compliance Monitored Using Wireless Sensors

Adaptive Wireless Solutions has supplied a wireless sensor network system to Facility Monitoring Systems as part of a multi-area pharmacy clean room, stores and packing area compliance monitoring solution for an unnamed major London NHS hospital. The wireless system was installed in three phases as part of a validated monitoring system by Facility Monitoring Systems for the pharmacy operations of the teaching hospital. The wireless system monitors ambient temperature and humidity and refrigerator temperatures in manufacturing clean room, packing and storage areas.

Royal Berkshire use two-way trunked radio for estates management

The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has invested in the products and services of radio communications company, Zycomm. The trust originally invested in 72 radio handsets from Zycomm, which have since been supplemented with a further 23 portable radios. It has also been provided with the radio transmitter supplied by Zycomm as well as a comprehensive and bespoke communication consultancy and full service support. Terry Morris, services manager for business estates at the trust, said: “Zycomm’s trunked radio system enables estate staff, porters, housekeeping, security and managers to communicate in two very different ways: within their groups on their own radio channel and to other facilities over an open channel.”

NHS Direct launches practical, information-packed Health Zones

NHS Direct has launched the first of many health zones on its website – and on facebook. The new ‘pregnancy and childbirth zone’ covers everything you need to know about having a baby, including advice about antenatal health and care, pregnancy services, and advice about exercise and food during pregnancy. There is also a comprehensive guide to giving birth plus information about trying for a baby and caring for your newborn. A ‘children’s health zone’ is now also available, as is a redesigned health magazine section with even more interactive tools and the latest health and medical news. Medicines, exercise and healthy eating zones are among those planned for 2008.

Events

International Health Forum, 21 – 23 April in Washington DC

The 5th Annual World Health Care Congress conference will convene over 2,000 CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and leading government agencies. Register at www.whcc2008.com.

Patient Safety Congress, 22 – 23 May in ExCeL, London

Nursing Times and Health Service Journal have announced that a full programme for the Patient Safety Congress 2008 is now available. The programme has been constructed following extensive work with event partners: The National Patient Safety Agency, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the Health Foundation and Microsoft. For full information and to register visit http://www.patientsafetycongress.co.uk/.

‘Pass the patient’ – 4 March, Aston University, Birmingham

This event offers a series of presentations, case histories and an exhibition that will give you an up-to-date picture on the practicalities of adopting electronic patient-discharge summaries. It focuses on how information exchanges can be improved between members of multidisciplinary teams and how this leads to safer and more efficient patient/client journeys. For full information and to register visit www.bjhc.co.uk.

Product launches

Acceleware launch faster electromagnetic simulation of CMOS Image Sensors

Acceleware, a developer of high performance computing applications, and Synopsys, a global software and IP for semiconductor design and manufacturing specialist, has announced a new hardware solution that enables up to 20-times faster electromagnetic simulation of optoelectronic devices such as CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) image sensors. The solution, which links Synopsys’ TCAD Sentaurus Device simulation software and Acceleware’s ClusterInABox Quad Q30 workstation, enables an order-of-magnitude speed-up of the high accuracy finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic modeling algorithm used in Sentaurus Device.

HP launch new Medical Archiving Solution

Hewlett Packard (HP) has launched a new specialised archiving platform to help global healthcare providers, hospitals and imaging clinics of all sizes meet rapidly expanding retention requirements for medical images. Using the HP Medical Archive Solution 3.0, healthcare providers can strengthen their focus on improving patient care while also adhering to strict compliance regulations by ensuring that medical image data is securely indexed, preserved and accessible, the company says.

Collaborations

BlueWare Joins EMC Velocity² Technology and ISV Partner Program

BlueWare, the providers of Wellness Connection Electronic Health Record, have announced that they have joined the EMC Velocity² Technology and ISV Partner Program. By joining the Velocity² Partner Program, BlueWare says this is the first step in building a relationship withEMC global specialists in information infrastructure solutions. The agreement will give rise to a BlueWare and EMC Documentum integration to provide a best-of-breed Electronic Heath Record solution, BlueWare says.

Joe Fernandez