Halfpenny Technologies releases new critical value alerting, reporting feature for ITF-GoDoc solution. Health information exchange (HIE) vendor, Halfpenny Technologies, Inc., which specializes in laboratory, pathology and physician electronic medical record (EMR) system interoperability, has introduced a new critical value alerting and reporting feature for its ITF-GoDoc solution. ITF-GoDoc enables physicians to securely access laboratory, pathology and radiology result reports from their iPhone, Droid or Blackberry Storm-powered smartphones. The critical value alerting and reporting feature of ITF-GoDoc delivers laboratory results and critical value alerts from any hospital or laboratory information system directly to clinicians’ smartphones to ensure failsafe notification, instant documentation, automatic tracking, escalation and reporting of serious alerts.

WebMD makes a house call on the iPad. WebMD has released an iPad version of its popular website. The application provides access to detailed information about hundreds of health conditions, from the ordinary to the obscure. What’s more, the new app has an added feature that lets you search local health listings. If that’s not enough, the symptom checker provides hours and hours of stress-filled worry for the hypochondriac in the family… Primary care docs are going to love this!

A few interesting things in the news related to privacy and security…

McAfee to acquire Trust Digital. McAfee entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned Trust Digital. Trust Digital is a leading technology provider of enterprise mobility management and security software targeting Global 2000 companies and is deployed by a growing number of businesses to deliver mission critical data to the point of service using Apple iPhones and iPads.

Verizon Business introduces data discovery and identification services for healthcare. The telecom giant is offering the Data Discovery, Identification and Security Classification (DDISC) suite of security consulting services to assist healthcare IT administrators in safeguarding personal health information. The Verizon Security Management Program-Healthcare allows the health care organizations to practically evaluate the strength of security measures via an easy-to-use online dashboard.

Symantec invests in internet gadget protector Mocana. Private Mocana has secured an undisclosed amount of strategic funding from Symantec, along with venture firms Southern Cross Ventures and Shasta Ventures. Mocana delivers the industry’s only comprehensive Device Security Framework, designed to protect the integrity of non-PC, internet-connected devices using a combination of device-resident software and services delivered from the cloud. Mocana’s security software protects all aspects of any connected device, including the applications and services that run on them.

NetMotion Wireless and Motion Computing announce joint marketing agreement. NetMotion Wireless, a provider of mobile productivity and management software, and Motion Computing, provider of integrated mobile computing solutions, announced a joint marketing agreement for delivering solutions for their customers.

Finally, there’s an article in IN Denver Times (INDT) by Maria Schmitt about one of my personal “high-intererst” apps, iTriage. Of note, the article mentions that iTriage will be available on Blackberry and Palm webOS devices next week, and will be integrating into Google Health in the next few weeks. 

2010 Mobile Merit Awards announced. The Mobile Merit Awards recognizes companies, individuals and technologies that have shaped the way in which the world communicates. Winner of the mHealth category is WellDoc. Runner-up goes to PatientKeeper. Congratulations to both companies!

The mHealth Initiative, in conjunction with Brandman University School of Nursing and Health Professions, announces the 2010 Awards for Nursing Innovation Using Mobile Technology in Clinical Practice. According to Claudia Tessier, President of mHealth Initiative, “We particularly want to recognize the adoption of mobile apps in nursing as this important component of healthcare is often overlooked.”… I personally couldn’t agree more. I hope there are plenty of nominations that highlight new solutions and use-cases, as well as just great success stories. I’m happy to pass them along in this forum if you know of any.

CIBA VISION creates mobile ‘app’ to train eyecare professionals. The Academy2GO iPhone app by CIBA VISION, a Novartis business unit, is a free download providing convenient, mobile availability of educational videos, feature articles, product news and everyday eye care tips. The app is part of the CIBA VISION Academy for Eyecare Excellence continuing education service for eyecare professionals.

KoamTac introduces ultra mobile Bluetooth barcode scanner for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The KDCi range of Bluetooth barcode scanners designed specifically for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are two cubic inches in size and weigh only 1.2 ounces… Another possible solution for the many people who’ve lamented the lack of a built-in barcode scanner on the iPhone or iPad. Takers?

American Medical Alert Corp, Hughes Telematics Inc, and Qualcomm form Lifecomm to offer cellular personal emergency response system (PERS) solution. The company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Telematics, Inc, and aims to have its first fully mobile cellular solution ready for the market in 2011. 

Finally, there’s an interesting article at MSNBC by Jim Finkle and Franklin Paul which discusses Dell’s smartphone strategy. Bottom line: Dell is focused on the business user. With 70 percent of its business already coming from the business market, Dell’s in no hurry to jump into the consumer smartphone melee. Among the industries they will be targeting? You guessed it – healthcare. In addition to the Aero smartphone running Android (due out this summer), the company will be releasing the Streak tablet in Europe next month. At half the size of the iPad, it just may prove a better form factor for healthcare… Look for this to heat up over the next couple of months.

BTW… Just installed AT&T’s 3GMicrocell at the house. Anyone else live in a dead zone? It’s about as true “plug-and-play” as I’ve ever worked with… and I’ve spent more time than I care to admit configuring and re-configuring home networks, including modems, routers, gateways, and WAPs. Once it’s up and running, the coverage is unbelievable. 5 bars instead of none. The microcell, which is manufactured by Cisco, is a fairly attractive device as far as network appliances go. You simply plug it into your home network, place it within 3 feet of a window so that the device can acquire a GPS lock (I think this has to do with the fact that the microcell is using licensed frequency), give it 90 minutes or so, and voila… As you might notice, I prefer to entertain myself with the technical aspects of the gadget rather than to ask the question: “Why did I just pay my carrier $150 to shore up a hole in their network?” After all, the minutes used on the microcell still count against my balance… Ah, the things we do to stay connected.

Palm Pre Plus now available on AT&T… I just read through a bunch of reviews from people who purchased the Pre from AT&T and have had the device for all of two days. Pretty much all glowing reviews, mostly from people coming off of an iPhone. I, on the other hand, have just started using an iPhone 3GS after using the Pre on Sprint for nearly a year. I love the iPhone. I also loved the Pre when I first got it. I was coming off a Blackberry at the time. I feel like the iPhone is just a much more evolved device, but who knows? Maybe it’s just new gadget infatuation. I will say this to Pre newbies – the battery life is atrocious (which many have already identified), but worse, the software freezes periodically and it takes like 5 minutes to reboot. I kid you not. When I fly, it literally takes from the time the plane touches down until it reaches the gate for it to turn on. Everyone else has already checked their email and made a phone call. It’s a little embarrassing actually. It will be interesting to see how webOS evolves under HP.

PatientKeeper announces availability of mobile clinical results on the iPad… Not much to add to this other than kudos to PK for being among the first out the gate on the iPad, and more importantly for doing so as a native application. I think it is a key approach that separates true mobility companies from those that dabble… i.e. a smartphone, or a slate for that matter, is not just another end-point.

And for such effort… HMA chooses PatientKeeper for enterprise-wide CPOE. Health Management Associates, Inc, with 55 hospitals and 8,400 licensed beds in non-urban areas located throughout the US, has selected PatientKeeper CPOE software because of its focus on supporting the way physicians work and its ability to integrate into Health Management’s existing technology infrastructure. I have to say, right in PatientKeeper’s sweet spot – community-based hospitals, leverage existing infrastructure, help organizations achieve meaningful use through engaging software that supports clinical workflow. In other words, if more organizations focused on the details (native application vs. web app), including overall user-experience, they might be able to get some mileage off of meaningful use. There are a number of companies out there that could take a similar tact, so it will be interesting to see how PatientKeeper’s marketing strategy pays off.

Hoag hospital selects emergency department automatic patient tracking from Patient Care Technology Systems for their new Irvine facility.

ResMed partners with Mach Communications and KORE Telematics to deliver the world’s first wireless sleep telemetry solution. KORE Telematics, the world’s largest digital wireless services provider specializing in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, announced it has partnered with Mach Communications, Australia’s leading specialist M2M network provider and leading sleep-apnea equipment developer, manufacturer and distributor ResMed, Inc. to provide a robust global communications platform for the company’s new series of respiratory medical devices, the S9 Series.

Lexi-Comp awarded contract as drug information provider for the Military Health System (MHS). Under the contract, which is valued with option years at $10 million, all MHS Active Duty, Reserve, and Guard healthcare personnel across all military treatment facilities, including 59 hospitals and 364 health clinics, have access to Lexi-Comp’s 23 medical and 9 dental databases.

PEPID launches its application for the Google Android smartphone. The company’s content and clinical decision support tools already operate on iPhone, Blackberry, Palm webOS, and Windows Mobile operating systems.

Projects in Knowledge launches iPhone app. The continuing medical education provider releases its first iPhone app, Living Medical Textbook Neurology: Multiple Sclerosis 2010 Edition.

neXante turns Apple’s iPhone into skin cancer surveillance tool and health record. Developed by Bright 50, the neXante Skin Cancer Surveillance Support Suite includes applications titled xBCC Skin, xSCC Skin, and xMM skin, respectively on Basal Cell Cancer, Squamous Cell Cancer, and Malignant Melanoma of the skin. Each application has neXante’s DermTracker, a customized electronic health record that not only tracks and stores images of the skin, but also allows for recording the diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of each skin lesion.

Finally, two worthwhile reads in InformationWeek, both by Nicole Lewis: “Execs view telehealth as a game changer” and “Healthcare lagging on enterprise mobility”.

Mayo Clinic, Dossia partner to offer online health help. Employer organization Dossia and Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic have partnered to integrate the Dossia personal health record (PHR) with the Mayo Clinic’s EmbodyHealth portal. EmbodyHealth is an online application that helps individuals to better manage their health and wellness by offering resources such as health assessments, behavior change programs, tailored behavioral messages, instructional videos, questions and answers from Mayo Clinic specialists and a health reference library.

Medtronic launches new cellular accessory for the Medtronic Carelink Network. The new Medtronic M-Link cellular accessory provides cardiac device patients with an option to securely send information stored in their implanted devices to their clinics via the CareLink Network using cellular signals, rather than a telephone landline.

And, not to be outdone… St. Jude Medical launches wireless USB adaptor for Merlin@home transmitter. St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, announced the U.S. launch of its Wireless USB Adaptor for the Merlin@home transmitter, a system that allows important patient data from an implantable cardiac device to be wirelessly downloaded and securely transmitted via telephone for review by a physician.

IDEAL LIFE presents first option for “Universal Mobility” in health and wellness. IDEAL LIFE’s wireless remote health monitoring system is now the first to offer universal mobile connectivity through compatibility with communication brands from Apple (including iPads) and AT&T to Verizon, Virgin Mobile and US Cellular.

Honeywell HomMed and eDevice expand connectivity solutions for telehealth. Honeywell HomMed announces the expansion of its partnership with eDevice to bring extended connectivity to its LifeStream remote patient care system and Genesis DM monitor.

A few new noteworthy iPhone apps…

Medline University releases iPhone app. Medline Industries, Inc’s free online clinical education resource provides clinicians access to a number of free resources, continuing education credits and healthcare industry information.

New iPhone application comes to the aid of food allergy sufferers. MyFoodFacts is a first-of-its-kind smartphone application designed to help food allergy sufferers identify and shop for allergy-free products. Using the iPhone camera, shoppers simply scan the UPC barcode to gain instant access to food label information.

Greenway’s PrimeSuite available on Apple handheld devices. Greenway Medical Technologies, Inc., provider of the integrated electronic health record (EHR) and practice management solution PrimeSuite, announces the availability of its remote clinical and financial solution PrimeMobile onto Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Amcom software expands hospital smartphone messaging with Android support. Amcom Mobile Connect enables hospitals using Android smartphones to send and receive critical messages, logging all activities for full traceability… Interesting. “Support for other popular smartphones on the way.” Apparently Amcom’s not all that interested in losing market share to the upstarts.

Gary and Mary West add $20m to their $45m donation for wireless health institute. The namesake family foundation that launched San Diego’s West Wireless Health Institute last year with a $45 million donation has just announced another $20 million grant to support biomedical engineering research in mobile health.

And finally, winners for the 2010 TripleTree I Award announced. TripleTree, LLC announced the winners of the I Award at the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA) Investor Meeting in La Jolla, CA. Following an international call for nominees in March, three winners were selected from close to 80 applicants and 12 finalists. The winners in each of the three categories are:

• CellTrak Technologies (point of care health solutions) for Best Operational Effectiveness Solution
• Calgary Scientific (medical imaging) for Best Clinical Applications
• Zeo (sleep monitoring) for Best Consumer Experience Solution

Congratulations to the winners, finalists and all nominees!

Apple sells 1 million iPads. Just 28 days after releasing the iPad, Apple sells its millionth device. That’s less than half the 74 days it took Apple to sell its millionth iPhone. Not bad when you consider that more than 45 million iPhones have been sold globally. iPad users have already downloaded 12 million apps from the App Store and over 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBookstore. Next on the slate? Upgraded iPhone hardware and OS due out this summer, not to mention the highly anticipated CDMA iPhone due out later in the year.

Meanwhile, Research in Motion is feeling pretty confident itself. The company had a record-setting fiscal year 2009 in which revenue grew 35%, to $15 billion. While the emphasis remains on email and corporate security, co-CEO Jim Balsillie says RIM is taking steps to make BlackBerrys more fun and functional. A host of new versions of the phone (probably including some touchscreen models) will be unveiled later this year, and Balsillie promises a much better web-surfing experience…BTW, I’ve been hearing murmurings for quite some time about Blackberry’s new web experience. Whether it’s a game-changer remains to be seen.

Amongst its first quarter earnings announcement, WebMD mentioned that Medscape Mobile for physicians has attracted over 300,000 iPhone and iPod touch users since its launch less than one year ago… Oh, and in case your interested, revenue was up 20% over prior year to $108.0 million. Net loss was $(3.8) million or $(0.07) per share, compared to net income of $0.4 million or $0.01 per share in the prior year period.

Another customer for Healthagen. Desert Valley Urgent Care announced a new partnership with Healthagen to put medical and facility information into the hands of smartphone users with iTriage.

PatientKeeper awards Oakwood Healthcare System the 2010 PatientKeeper Customer Innovation Award. Oakwood was recognized for its demonstration of exemplary and innovative deployment methodology and subsequent high rates of physician adoption and use of the PatientKeeper Physician Portal within the Oakwood Health System.

Secure EMR comes to the iPhone and iPad, courtesy of Dassault Systemes and echoBase partnership. echoBase’s Resonate iPhone application for doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare providers will leverage Dassault Systèmes’ ENOVIA V6 online collaboration and data management solution to deliver portability, availability and security of healthcare data.

Several new iPhone apps worth mentioning…

Clearwater clinical releases first app to help physicians diagnose and treat vertigo caused by BPPV. DizzyFIX helps doctors to accurately diagnose and treat patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) directly in their offices, versus treatment by way of a referral to specialists or by prescribing unnecessary medications.

iScrub Lite app to track hand hygiene. The free app enables medical professionals to enter data on hand hygiene compliance, which has typically been tracked using note cards and other antiquated methods… Which brings up another concern – how clean is the phone itself?

First validated iPhone medical app for depression and anxiety. Adapted from M-3 Information’s existing mymoodmonitor.com Web site, this mobile version, called mym3, provides the same validated mental health questionnaire optimized for smart phones.

Howsthepatient iPhone app helps users send health updates to friends and family.

And, Unbound Medicine releases 2011 edition of 5-Minute Clinical Consult for Mobile + Web. 

Busy week for whitepapers and reports…

Reportlinker adds Mobile Healthcare Opportunities: Monitoring, Applications & mHealth Strategies 2010-2014. This report provides five year forecasts for public sector savings attributable to m-Health monitoring, as well the number of health monitoring events per year and service revenue from health monitoring. Other key forecasts include revenue and user forecasts from fitness and healthcare apps as well as the number of users that downloaded lifestyle and healthcare apps.

Verizon releases whitepaper – “Telehealth Unites the Healthcare Ecosystem”

Voalte offers whitepaper – “Smart Hospitals: Embracing Smartphones at the Point of Care”

Finally, The Center for Global Health and Economic Development at the Earth Institute, Columbia University publishes a policy whitepaper sponsored by the mHealth Alliance entitled, “Barriers and Gaps Affecting mHealth in Low and Middle Income Countries".