Changing for the better does not depend on the number of hospitals, physicians or beds you have; it’s about eliminating inefficiencies in the pathways of patient care. The organising principle for healthcare needs to be quality. ‘It is the one industry where quality is cheaper,’ emphasises Ari Darzi, renowned pioneer in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, holder of the Hamlyn Chair of…
According to Medica organisers, November’s medical diary highlight was again a success: around 137,200 visitors from 100 countries entered the massive and many halls of Messe Düsseldorf to scour the world’s largest medical fair. From the world of politics came German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German and Healthcare Minister Philipp Rösler, as well as the Right Honorable The Lord Darzi of…
With its initial launch at the start of 2010, the Xplorer® electronic pipette has already been awarded 3 design prizes in its first year on the market. Immediately following its market launch in March 2010, the Xplorer won the "red dot: best of the best" award in the product design 2010 category (Life science and medicine division).
The manufacturers of medical technology and medical products have weathered the phase of economic and financial crisis well, now noticing a strong tailwind for their businesses and proving a driver for growth with their innovations.
COCIR* issued an easy-to-use tool to help determine whether software is a medical device or not. Since the revision of the European Medical Device Directive, in force as of 21 March 2010, the definition for medical devices also includes software used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In December 2009, the European Commission decided to develop a European guidance document to clarify which…
Companies in the German medical technology sector continue to be strong on innovation and growth, creating additional new jobs, according to the 2010 autumn survey 139 member companies carried out by BVMed, the German Medical Technology Association.
Philips Electronics and Atom Medical Corporation, a major manufacturer of neonatal medical equipment, announced today that they are expanding their relationship to serve customers with a more complete portfolio of perinatal care solutions.
It was the premier in 41 years of Medica. Germany’s Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel came to Düsseldorf for the launch of MEDICA 2010,. In her speech she spoke about the importance of German medical engineering, the position of its high export share, the health industry and other major areas in medicine.
GE Healthcare in Europeand AeroScout announced today that they have integrated GE’s AssetPlus™ application with AeroScout’s Wi-Fi RFID solution targeted for European markets. The combined solution adds real-time asset location information to GE’s Maintenance and Facility Management software and helps streamline key business processes. Additionally, the integration enables hospitals to…
What connects these: dementia research; the development of a procedure for fast, cost efficient gene sequencing; protein research; modern IT infrastructures, and the determination of reimbursement structures for medical procedures? Answer: Two extremely small common denominators: Bits and bytes. This means data and, increasingly, mass data, which now forms the foundation of medicine. The question…
A senior IT executive has warned hospitals of the need to create an effective healthcare disaster recovery strategy to protect the huge increases in digital information they are now generating. With a growth in electronic patient records and digital imagery, it is now estimated that 30% of the world’s digital storage is found in healthcare.
When seca gmbh & co. kg presents the new product system seca 360° wireless at MEDICA 2010, the focus will be on saving time when weighing, measuring and analyzing results, preventing measurement errors, streamlining the analysis and presentation of measurements and optimizing patient consultation. Developed specifically in response to the needs of medical weighing and measuring, the futuristic…
A statement by Jochen Franke, CEO of Philips Healthcare Germany, Austria and Switzerlandand, Head of the Advisory Council at MEDICA 2010.
Visiting an exhibition is exhausting enough – having luggage or a briefcase stolen is even worse. Opportunity makes the thief – and Medica is a great opportunity! With more than 130,000 people moving through narrow walkways some can become easy prey to thieves. The Düsseldorf police are advising visitors and exhibitors on safety: ‘Protect what is near and dear!’
Held every three years, a very important healthcare IT event is to be held in Europe after a gap of 14 years. From November 15-19, healthcare managers and suppliers from 37 countries will arrive in Milan to discuss the future of world’s electronic health services at the 16th Congress of IFHRO (International Federation of Health Records Organisations), held in collaboration with the WHO.
Approx. 250 delegates from more than 30 countries followed the invitation to the inaugural Global E-Health Forum on October 25 + 26, 2010 in Hamburg. In presentations, workshops and discussion forums, the attendees learned about e-health strategies, solutions and services from all over the world.
An RFID transponder (also known as a tag) consists of a chip and tiny antenna. Thanks to their small size these transponders can be integrated into almost any object, including clothing, boxes or even sheets of paper. Thus the logistics industry numbers amongst the prolific areas of application for wireless frequency identification using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology.
In a European Hospital interview Professor Herman Requardt, Head of Corporate Technology and CEO of Siemens Healthcare Sector, offered his views on current and future healthcare manufacturing needs as well as the market challenge arising from the dynamic economic ascent of other nations.
At first glance everything looks real, from the equipment and fittings to gleaming white bed sheets and the pallor of the patient. But something is incongruous: a large mirror opposite the bed is reminiscent of a police interview room. It is the sole suggestion that this hospital room may be unusual. It is. Behind the mirrored glass, medical students indiand a tutor are observing a ‘doctor’…
EIZO GmbH, Display Technologies and Ondal Industrietechnik GmbH announce their partnership to provide monitor carrying systems, monitors and accessories as system solutions. These are suitable to use in interventional radiology as well as in standard and hybrid operating rooms.
Given that European countries have very diverse healthcare systems with special types of hospitals and even special information systems, comparison of healthcare systems and hospital performances is difficult. Thus, the first HIMSS Europe Leadership IT Summit, which took place in Rome, has provided a platform from which to discuss quality patient care based on IT and particularly the…
Facing the risk of an invasion by big international operations, French medical laboratories drew inspiration for their defence from a national hero - Asterix. While the newly launched reform of the French laboratory system will bring the traditionally independent medical labs into conformance with international quality standards, the law builds an elaborate defence against foreign operators to…
Clear transparency of the flow of products and information in hospitals not only results in increased patient safety but also, because the documentation of treatments and recording of products used ensures compliance with legal requirements. The ability to retrace all steps is also an economic asset in terms of comprehensive cost control over product consumption.
How to finance the healthcare system? It’s an ongoing dilemma, particularly for in-patient care. According to a German Hospital Federation (DKG) estimate, the country’s hospitals currently suffer an investment backlog of €30-50 billion.
Today, healthcare professions make up ten percent Europe’s workforce. The EU Commission calculates dramatic shortages in healthcare provision in the next decade unless countermeasures are taken now. Thus, at this year’s European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), held in October in Bad Hofgastein, Austria, international experts discussed ways to make health employment more attractive.
