EHI’s news roundup 25.07.08

E-Health Insider’s news round up for the week ending 25 July 2008 featuring supplier news and information on newly published research reports.

Supplier news

Norfolk NHS website struck by Asprox virus

The personal details of thousands of internet users who visited several key government and consumer websites are at risk because of a new form of computer virus known as Asprox. The infected websites include those run by Norfolk NHS  and 12 local councils. Security experts say that it has so far spread to about two million computers worldwide. Any computer not protected by the most up-to-date anti-virus software is vulnerable to the virus.

BlueWare earn women’s business certification

BlueWare has been certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the Michigan Women’s Business Council. Certification as a Women Owned Business will allow BlueWare to promote their offerings in areas that require a Women Owned Business or where minority status is a favorable route to business, such as public sector engagements, the company says. 

Fujifilm reach 20 millionth PACS mark

Fujifilm celebrated their 20 millionth image saved at Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust. The milestone was achieved in 17 months. The trust serves a population of over 600,000 people in South-East Wales and comprises of 22 hospitals, all with the ability to view radiology images via the PACS system. The Fujifilm Synapse PACS service went live on 1 January 2007.

Frimley Park choose Manpower e-rostering software

Manpower Software, specialists in workforce optimisation software applications and rostering solutions in the UK healthcare market, have announced that Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has selected the MAPS Healthroster solution for nurse rostering, with the intention of trust-wide rollout to over 2,000 staff

Appointments

DeJarnette Research Systems has announced the promotion of Fredrick Ganong to the position of vice president of engineering. Ganong has most recently acted as the technical project lead for the company’s successful xDL product development.

Product launches

Zebra launch new healthcare wristband printer

Zebra Technologies, specialists in delivering on-demand speciality printing solutions for the healthcare industry, has introduced the first cartridge-based patient I.D. solution to make wristband printing easier and more cost-effective for healthcare organisations. “By utilising bar-coded wristbands, hospitals can ensure that clinicians have the ability to accurately identify patients before collecting specimens, administering medications or transfusing blood,” says Cristina De Martini, global practice leader, healthcare, at Zebra Technologies.

NHS Choices launch Black health guide

NHS Choices, the digital ‘front door’ to the NHS, has launched a new Live well section aimed to help African and African Caribbean people, and mixed-race people of African or African Caribbean descent, protect their health. The website is designed to promote conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and prostate cancer, which are more prevalent in people from these communities in the UK. Based on NHS accredited information, the Black health section, enables users to find out about the conditions that are more likely to affect them and provides them with clinically approved guidance to help them reduce their risk.

Research Reports

EHI publishes new report focusing on web 2.0

Internet developments that brought us sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia are now set to revolutionise healthcare, according to a new research report from E-Health Insider. Titled ‘Web 2.0 in the Health Sector: Industry Review with a UK perspective’ the report concludes that new applications based on social health networks and content generated by health service users themselves will rapidly evolve to challenge existing healthcare systems and create new ways of delivering our healthcare. An executive summary of the ‘Web 2.0 in the Health Sector: Industry Review with UK Perspective’ report is available here.

Wireless Healthcare publish report on mobile medicine

The increase in the level of healthcare being delivered by mobile medical practitioners outside of hospitals will become a key driver within the medical device market over the next decade. According to a report by Cambridge UK based analysts Wireless Healthcare, as healthcare providers are pushing more diagnostic and monitoring processes out to the edge of their care networks, medical device vendors are responding by adding more advanced communications technology to their products. The report “Wireless Healthcare 2008.” is available from www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk.