News • Technology
Medical grade carrier arms
Medical grade carrier arm systems by CIM med feature integrated cable management. In contrast to open cables, for instance, the firm’s carrier systems avoid fostering germs at the monitor connections.
Architecture soothes the sick
Might spatial atmosphere play a key role in patient recoveries – or are the expertise of doctors and nurses and exquisite medical equipment the only important issues in healing? Report: Bettina Döbereiner
Electing Health – the Europe we want
For a long time the influence of the European Union (EU) on healthcare policy was considered marginal – but this has changed radically since 2010, says Professor Scott L Greer, political scientist at the University of Michigan and specialist in European healthcare policy. Report: Michael Krassnitzer
News • manufacturer
Cutting the risks of injury and contamination
Austrian firm Greiner Bio-One is presenting products for the pre-analysis and diagnostics industry at this year’s Medica. Vacuette safety products have been developed to minimise this risk of injuries from contaminated puncture devices – a significant safety hazard to healthcare workers, the firm underlines.
Switzerland is not really one country
If implementing an eHealth strategy, Switzerland faces more complexity than any of its neighbouring countries. Its federative structure, reflected in numerous health systems, health legislations and political organisations, calls for a high level of cooperation among involved stakeholders, explains Adrian Schmid, head of eHealth Suisse. Interview: Cornelia Wels-Maug
Patients pay the price of over-crowding
The medical departments of Danish hospitals routinely function at 100 percent in-patient bed capacity. Is this situation a factor of productivity and efficiency or a situation to be concerned about? Is there any clinical impact on patients admitted to such a crowded hospital? Report: Cynthia E Keen
A new tool for biochemical analyses
Although telemedicine could improve the quality of life of patients with chronic liver diseases, viable home care systems are still lacking. However, within the EU-project ‘d-LIVER’ (www.d-liver.eu) scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, in St. Ingbert, Germany, are working with European partners to develop an IT- and cell-based system that will help chronic…
A picture is worth a thousand words
Want to put a message across quickly? Answer: Show an image. A starving child with huge tearful eyes prompts an instant flow of charitable donations. Report: Brenda Marsh
Deadly virus seemingly unstoppable
Fever, vomiting, internal and external bleeding – these are the symptoms of the Ebola virus infection. The current epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is the largest recorded Ebola outbreak ever and a serious challenge for the healthcare institutions worldwide.
Article • Could the virus endanger Europe?
The welcome logic of a World Bank expert
‘Ebola does not present a direct epidemiological danger for Europe,’ according to Dr Armin Fidler, Lead Advisor on Policy and Strategy at the World Bank, but, he added, ‘Inevitably some Europeans will become infected with Ebola, such as those in the healthcare professions or aid workers.’ Report: Michael Krassnitzer
Dressing up for Ebola’s unlikely EU epidemic
Unlike some news reports the Ebola virus is not as easily transmitted as influenza or other infections. Still, healthcare and laboratory workers must take precautions to quickly identify those infected and prevent an outbreak. Report: Lisa Chamoff
France: Ready for Ebola
With strong links with the West Coast of Africa, France is among countries most likely to experience Ebola, with an estimated 20% chance of cases in the homeland before October ends - a few suspected cases have arisen.
England prepares for Ebola
More than 750 British military personnel as well as RFA Argus – the country’s medical ship – have arrived in Sierra Leone, for front line duties in the battle against Ebola. In the meantime Britain tested its readiness for a possible Ebola virus epidemic. Report: Brenda Marsh
News • Ebola
CDC Charges Johns Hopkins to Lead Development of Ebola Training Module
Johns Hopkins Medicine has been tasked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lead a group and to design an interactive Web-based learning program that guides health care workers, nurses and physicians through government-approved protocols to aid clinicians as they provide care to patients who may be at risk of contracting the Ebola virus.
Integration is key to tackling infectious diseases
World-renowned experts discussed the situation of predomonant epidemics at the International Roche Infectious Disease Symposium in Barcelona.
News • Politics
Better Healthcare For Europe: COCIR releases its recommendations
Today, COCIR releases its recommendations for the EU institutions on how to improve healthcare in Europe, promoting the importance of the medical technology sector in driving efficiency and productivity of healthcare systems, and in helping to boost the EU economy.
The Europe we want
Two years ago, following John Dalli’s resignation as Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, Tonio Borg was appointed to that role by the Council of the European Commission.
France reacts to antimicrobial resistance
France, like all European countries, is concerned about the increasing spread of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria but.
Out-sourcing hospital services
Considerable literature finds greater cost efficiency under private provision of cleaning services in hospitals. Since the 1980’s the private sector has increasingly provided public services based on the argument that this would increase efficiency through competition.
Peering into the abyss
In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that bacterial infections might lead to an increasing number of deaths because new resistance mechanisms threaten our ability to treat common infectious diseases.
New France-Germany Forum will compare structures, training, tests and costs
This year’s Journées Internationales de Biologie (JIB) in Paris (8-11 October) will include the new France-Germany Forum on its opening day.
LEAN Management
‘Why should something that works for the automotive industry not also facilitate leaner processes in pathology?’ Walter Depner decided to look at The Institute of Pathology in Bern, Switzerland, where the concept was tested for three years.
A case of the tortoise and the hare
If you were lucky – or unlucky – enough to have visited a medical central lab 20, 30 or even 40 years ago and know how such a facility looks today, you will probably think you are in some kind of time warp.
Respect it, don’t fear it
The current ebola outbreak in West Africa, which began in December 2013 in Guinea and has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Congo, is considered the largest ebola outbreak ever in West Africa. As of today more than 2,600 cases were reported and more than 1,400 people have died of the disease.
Vygon Group buys Medwin
Vygon, the specialist single-use medical devices group, today announces its acquisition of Medwin, a company based in southern France, specialized in enteral nutrition (feeding pumps) and related accessories.