Under the microscope
The Netherlands needs greater integrated care and fuller governmental co-operation with healthcare professionals.
More distributors wanted
France - Danube, one of the world's biggest manufacturers of both flatwork dryer ironers, barrier washers, and tumble dryers, as well as front-loading washer extractors for the OPL market, has distributors in over 52 countries.
Thermofocus
"Thermofocus* is the first non-contact clinical thermometer in the world and the only one working at an accurate and determinate distance," Tecnimed srl, its manufacturer, reports. "Body temperature is measured in less than one second by pointing Thermofocus at the centre of the forehead."
Touch-less sensor dispenser
The Japanese firm Saraya, which for 50 years has successfully manufactured hygiene products and programmes for healthcare, facility management and the food industry, has launched a touch-less hand disinfection unit in Europe. According to Mr ter Woort, General Manager, Saraya Europe, the company has already sold over 100,000 of these units in Asia & the USA.
Progressing towards the EPR
Today, the Local Healthcare Company ASL Nº 11, of Empoli, Florence, is a highly advanced public utility, able to face the challenges of technological innovations and to perform long-term objectives with leadership and competence.
Article • Internationalising IT systems
Agfa climbs over language and healthcare practice barriers
In recent years, Agfa HealthCare has dramatically expanded its IT portfolio in line with its strategy to be an international leader in healthcare IT. At the recent ITeG exhibition in Frankfurt, the company's ambitions were clearly visible: Agfa very much focused on ORBIS, its leading Hospital Information System. Daniela Zimmermann interviewed Eric Maurincomme, Vice President Business…
Brunel University offers unique Public Health Doctorate
UK - Brunel University is to provide a new three-year course offering a Doctorate in Public Health. The doctorate course, which will commence in October this year, is unique because it is cross-disciplinary, involving internationally recognised academics in medical anthropology, biostatistics, health economics, epidemiology, environmental sciences, health promotion, health services research,…
Air pollution
Whilst the harmful impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on various medical conditions was already known, only now is there evidence that NO2 in air pollution is a killer. According to the APHEA-2 study the chief culprits are emissions from diesel engines, which are increasingly popular in Europe.
Dealers are not reponsible for faulty CE marked products
In a recent preliminary ruling the European Court of Justice decided that dealers are not required to ensure that an industrial product bearing a CE (European conformity) mark meets European health and safety requirements.
Low nurse levels cause deaths
Geneva - Inadequate staffing is reaching crisis levels in all regions, according to the International Council of Nurses (ICN). Among studies reviewed, one showed that an increased workload from four to six surgical patients resulted in a 14% increase in the chance of a patient in that nurse's care dying within 30 days of admission.
Exposanita 2006
Bologna, Italy - With 670 exhibitors - 595 domestic and 78 international companies from 18 countries as well as 344 represented companies from 36 countries - and close to 28,000 visitors, the medical event Exposanita was, once again, a huge success.
3-month doctors strike partly over
Berlin, Germany - The three-month university hospital doctors` strike was nearing its end at the time of EH going to press.
Cleaning up the confusion over hand hygiene
According to Federal Office statistics around 30,000 Germans die annually due to nosocomial infections.
Antimicrobial curtains
Even hospital curtains could attract and harbour germs.
France and Spain gain the first region-wide speech recognition systems
In an effort to optimise efficiency and patient service, Spain's Castilla-La Mancha region and the Paris Hospital network AP-HP have become the first in Europe to introduce speech recognition to thousands of physicians and transcribers on a regional level.
iSOFT Switzerland joins NEXUS AG
Nexus AG, which develops and markets healthcare IT-solutions, supporting an integrated approach for the exchange of data between general practitioners, hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, has acquired 100% of the shares of iSOFT Switzerland GmbH, which produces administrative IT-solutions (the HOSPIS brand) for Swiss healthcare.
Elaborate, evolving network to link radiology and cardiology
During an EH interview, Professor Stefan Osswald MD described this complex system and its future potential
Developing the electronic health card
For a number of years, both the Communications and Medical Solutions Groups of Siemens AG and the Bamberg-based firm DOCexpert Computer GmbH have been actively involved in creating IT-based end-to-end solutions for medical practices, medical care centres, clinics and integrated care networks.
In response
In this timely article Karen Dente highlights the consequences of failing to see the design and provision of health and social care as essentially a system. It has long been understood that adverse incidents within health and social care are rarely to be laid at the feet of individuals alone.
Bringing Toyota production to the healthcare industry
In a widely publicised, groundbreaking report titled 'To Err is Human', issued in 1999 by the Institute of Medicine in the United States, the magnitude of unwanted deaths resulting from medical errors inside the hospital was uncovered. Since then this has achieved much media attention.
A professional approach to laundry
Analysing needs and layout a suitable technique: This is the secret of success of Danube International.
The gigantic impact of dwarf technology
It occupies approximately the same space as one to three atoms.
Protection for lone healthcare employees
In 2002-2003 around 116,000 incidents of abuse were recorded in the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS).