Europe's unequal healthcare
Christian Pruszinsky reports from the 11th European Health Forum Gastein in Austria: `Achieving the level of healthcare of the older EU member states will remain a long-term project for new members´ .
Christian Pruszinsky reports from the 11th European Health Forum Gastein in Austria: `Achieving the level of healthcare of the older EU member states will remain a long-term project for new members´ .

The COMPAMED, the leading specialist international trade fair for suppliers to the medical manufacturing market, is held parallel to the MEDICA, the world's largest medical trade fair, each year and showcases the dynamism and innovative power of the medical technology sector. The COMPAMED 2008, High tech solutions for medical technology, will, with around 500 exhibitors from 30 nations, once…

The world's first permanent international healthcare marketplace and education center will open in less than five years, the key players driving the project said today, as plans for the Midtown Manhattan tower have been finalized and marketing has begun.

Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming ever more interconnected which raises many health policy issues. On 2 July 2008, in the context of the Renewed Social Agenda, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a directive on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. Essential precondition for cross-border healthcare is the existence of electronic health record systems…

For several year, experts have been deploring the lack of physicians' and healthcare workers' attention to hand hygiene and equipment sterilisation. Now, hospital clothes are also in the line of fire. How dangerous are the scrubs really?

A long overdue prize finally recognises successful management teams and concepts in German hospitals: the RFH Hospital Innovation Prize, jointly sponsored by the College for Applied Sciences, Cologne, and the Institute for Healthcare Economics and Medical Care Research. With 12,500 EUR the purse is not (yet) particularly stellar, but it's the thought that counts.

Scientists found out that particles of titanium dioxide, which is e.g. contained in the white lines at tennis courts, can kill bacteria and destroy dirt when activated by fluorescent light. Added in paints, the nanotitanium can kill superbugs on all surfaces in hospitals.

"Should nurses replace GPs as frontline providers of primary care?" This question was discussed controversy by Bonnie Sibbald, Professor of Health Service Research, University of Manchester, (pro) and Rhona Knight, portfolio GP, Leicester, (contra) who alleged their reasons on the British Medical Journal website

Researchers from the Center to Advance Palliative Care and from the National Palliative Care Research Center, New York, found out that US-hospitals can save more than $300 per day and patient receiving palliative care while even enhancing the quality of care. Palliative care programs provide a way for hospitals to meet the needs of these patients while staying financially viable.
High-quality health services are a priority issue for European citizens. Rights to healthcare are also recognised in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming more interconnected than ever in the past.

The “quality medicine initiative” aims at ensuring and improving the quality of diagnostics and therapy. It was launched today by six German hospitals and hospital groups and will be supported by the physicians' association of Berlin.

To fight hospital infections and increasingly resistant bacteria Normeditec has developed Toul Mobile Laminar Airflow
bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics (IVD), offers the most comprehensive diagnostic solution on the market to help hospitals and healthcare facilities fight Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI).

Knowing that good hygiene practice is critical to the prevention of cross contamination, New Style Healthcare services are introducing a range of unique hospital furniture to the UK which incorporates Microban® built in antibacterial technology.

At this year's European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting, GE Healthcare will celebrate a decade of achievements since it acquired Diasonics Vingmed Corporation.

Hospitals must digitally keep medical documents audit proof, which involves a lot of material and personnel efforts.

This summer, California-based Beckman Coulter Inc. began general distribution of its UniCel DxC 880i's integrated system in Europe.

A quiet revolution is occurring in clinical laboratory services. In any business model, laboratory services are cost centres, and cost centres can be moved around, services outsourced, amalgamated, contracted out. Globally, diagnostics and laboratory outsourcing are following the already trodden path of information technology.

Today hospital managers have to meet varied and complex requirements. Their field of activities covers multiple disciplines and the decisions they make are of far-reaching significance for the future positioning and economic viability of their hospitals or hospital group.

The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) is the biggest of 20 hospital districts in Finland. It provides specialised and university level health care services in and around city of Helsinki, with regional responsibility of 1.5 million people.

But how is this best achieved? Although various authors suggest methods to attain effective leadership, their approaches are not always uniform. Here he reviews some of the literature and authors' advice.

A new Turkish patient is admitted. What would almost any nurse think? "The whole family will always be there", says health economist Fatemeh Pohl-Shirazi. "In Muslim cultures illness makes someone the centre of attention and the whole family wants to show compassion — which unavoidably changes normal hospital routine. The patient's room will always be full, with visitors coming and going, and…

Britain is a primarily Christian country. It is also home to people with various religious beliefs who have migrated here from many parts of the world, or are British born. In a 2001 census, 72% of the population identified itself as Christian.
In hospitals all over the world people of very diverse cultural backgrounds come together, whether as employees in various roles, or as patients. This means that hospital teams must deal with diverse needs, cultures and languages.

The relationship between England's GPs and hospitals is currently at a sensitive stage, with a review of health services across the country set to impact on the way the two groups work and liaise with one another.