Latest headlines
Mobile devices are taking over healthcare
Medical device company Carestream Health has published an interesting piece about the increasing capabilities of mobile devices in healthcare. Click here to read the article on Carestream's "Everything Rad" blog.
ESHG welcomes the Council of Europe’s new protocol on genetic testing
The Council of Europe’s protocol on genetic testing for health purposes* came into force on Sunday, July 1st. The protocol, an addition to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, lays down rules on the conduct of genetic tests, including direct-to-consumer testing. It specifies the conditions under which tests may be carried out on persons not able to consent, with particular attention to children, and addresses privacy issues and the right to information obtained through genetic testing. It also covers counselling and screening.
The protocol enters into force thanks to its ratification by five Council of Europe member states (Norway, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Slovenia and Portugal). It has also been signed by five others – the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Iceland and Luxembourg.
“At a time when genetics and genomics are advancing so rapidly, issues surrounding genetic testing take on an even greater importance than before,” says ESHG President Professor Gunnar Houge, University of Bergen, Norway. “New technologies and discoveries provide huge potential for the improvement of human health, but alongside that can go the potential for misuse. The ESHG therefore welcomes the Council of Europe protocol and believes that it will be an important factor in ensuring that genetic progress continues to be applied in the most ethical way possible to the benefit of all concerned.”
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2986683/pdf/ejhg200984a.pdf).
GE to spin off healthcare division
General Electric (GE) has announced it will spin off its healthcare business over the next 12 to 18 months, and sell its Baker Hughes stake over two to three years. This move is effectively breaking up the 126-year-old conglomerate which was once the most valuable U.S. corporation and a global symbol of American business power. Detailed information on the breakup can be found at Reuters.
Startup wins first Lithuanian investment with AI to diagnose cancer
Lithuanian Business Angels Network (LitBAN), together with Co-Investment Fund “Koinvesticinis Fondas”, announced the first official investment in a Lithuanian startup. A unique investment of 100K € will go to Oxipit, a startup developing innovative diagnostic tools that allow to recognize cancer and other pathologies in radiograms using AI. More information on the startup can be found at www.oxipit.ai.
SonoVue® receives approval in China
Bracco Imaging S.p.A., a global leader in diagnostic imaging, recently announced that its ultrasound contrast agent SonoVue® (sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles) has been the first approved in China for use in ultrasonography of the urinary tract (voiding ultrasonography) for the evaluation of suspected or known vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in pediatric patients. For more information about SonoVue, visit bracco.com.
New study: Improving the lives of people with dementia
Across the OECD countries, nearly 19 million people are living with dementia.The organisation's newest report presents a comprehensive cross-country assessment of the state of dementia care in OECD countries and advises a set of policies that could help improve diagnosis, strengthen access to care services, improve the quality of care, and support the families and carers of people living with dementia. The study can be assessed on the OECD website.
Launch of Multi-Stakeholder Health Roadmap to support Integrated Care
The Integrated Care Alliance (ICA), of which COCIR is a founding member, has launched its ‘Multi-Stakeholder Digital Health Roadmap’ in support of Integrated Care. The Roadmap is being launched at the 18th International Conference on Integrated Care in Utrecht hosted by the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC). The Roadmap follows up on the ICA’s successful Call to Action ‘United Towards Integrated Care’ launched in the European Parliament in June 2016. Details on the COCIR website.