Chemical substances can bring miracles: they kill bacteria, prevent viral multiplication or stop cancer cell growth. Thus they offer a huge reservoir of potential drugs. However, seeking substances and their biological effects is a mammoth task and cannot be undertaken alone. The Preparatory Phase Project EU-OPENSCREEN (European Infrastructure of Open Screening Platforms for Chemical Biology) was…
Cornelis Van De Velde, Professor of Surgical Oncology at the Leiden University Medical Centre, in the Netherlands, and President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), describes the work and aims of the society within the EU.
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.
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.
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.
Siemens Healthcare and the Cardio-Thoracic Center of Monaco (CCM) signed a partnership contract in Monaco. Within the framework of this contract, CCM was nominated the first “Siemens European Reference Center Cardiovascular Medicine". The strategic partnership is dedicated to the entire spectrum of cardiovascular medicine with the objective to develop innovative solutions for the treatment…
The 3-year Translational Research On Combating Antimicrobial Resistance (TROCAR) project, a consortium of 14 European institutes, has completed its first year of molecular study of high-risk antibiotic-resistant bacteria. With expertise ranging from medical microbiology to computational analysis, this network of excellence is on track to identify and target the resistant and multi-resistant…
GE and Intel Corporation have announced the entry into a definitive agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture to create a new healthcare company focused on telehealth and independent living. The new company will be formed by combining assets of GE Healthcare’s Home Health division and Intel’s Digital Health Group, and will be owned equally by GE and Intel.
In April, the Asklepios Future Hospital (AFH) Programme, a multinational cooperation of 25 business partners, gained a new partner, Prof. Rupert Gerzer, Director of the German Aerospace Centre, an expert in distance medical services. In a partnership begun over five years ago with Microsoft and Intel, Asklepios designed the AHF to develop special hospital and entire healthcare system information…
The border between Germany and the Netherlands in the so-called EUREGIO region is of no particular importance in the daily life of the people who live there. Every day, thousands commute between towns and cities in both countries, to work, shop or even receive medical treatment. The latter, however, presents Dutch hospitals with a problem.
In 2011 more than 30,000 hospital caregivers in 10 European countries will participate in an exchange of electronic patients’ records (EPRs) in the world's largest, first-ever cross-border connection of e-health systems. Brussels refers to this as a ‘large-scale e-health implementation’, and while it is easy to laugh about the bureaucratic language, it was the careful, go-slow approach of…
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has launched NHS Global, a new branch of the organisation that aims to generate additional funding from other countries and organisations, and to explore new international opportunities to export its knowledge, skills, products, ground-breaking treatments, cutting edge research and other services.
"Digital technology has come a long way: today, it is easy to produce thousands of radiological images – but who will read them?" Good question. In her presentation, Maria Lohm, MSc, Manager of RadiologiResurs AB, Unilabs AB, Sweden, provided an answer. Her company Unilabs offers teleradiology services as an excellent alternative in times of radiologist shortage.
Increasingly, hospitals have to find ways to optimise the capacity, efficiency and utilization of their MRI services. David Wormald, Integrated Assistant Vice President for Diagnostic Services at Hamilton Health Sciences & St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Canada, knows this problem in and out – and a few solutions on top of it.
The introduction of digital imaging in all fields of radiology and digital workflow using RIS and PACS has led to fundamental changes in the daily work of radiologist. Professor Davide Caramella, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, University of Pisa, Italy, described how IT supports radiologists in their daily work and why radiologists need to keep up-to-date in IT.
iSOFT Group Limited, Australia's largest listed health information technology company, today announced that St Jansdal Hospital in the Netherlands extended its contract for iSOFT’s Lorenzo solution for a further three years, in a deal worth €4.5 million.
From 1 April 2010, the Olympus Group will be pooling its expertise in the field of minimally invasive diagnostics and therapy under a common “Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe” umbrella. To this end, Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH, Celon AG and Olympus Medical Products Czech SPOL. S.R.O. will be joining forces to accomplish a shared presence under a new, single brand.
Claudia Wild PhD (Phil.), Director of the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Health Technology Assessment in Vienna, Austria, studied communications & psychology at the University of Vienna and political sciences at the Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA.
The eHospital Census is a comprehensive historical record of healthcare IT installations at the functional level. Regarding hospitals in 12 European countries and 44 software applications (like Radiology Informations System or PACS) the eHospital Census contains descriptions of the installed base including availability, scope, market share, age profile, and life span of installations. The…
There are huge differences in the quality of medical IT systems, particularly in some East European countries. However, recent political and economic changes in that region have been accompanied by improved quality standards. In Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Russia, Portugal, Ireland, Turkey and Switzerland, the privately funded group Euromedic…
The mobile healthcare provider Vanguard Healthcare, which reports unprecedented success in the UK in recent years, is planning to expand into the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Scandinavia - an international push implemented, in part, by the firm´s new partnership with the multinational healthcare company Alliance Medical.
Two members of the Heart Center at the University of Leipzig teamed up during Medica for a tour de force presentation on Future Trends in Cardiac Surgery. "The aim of the game is opening the chest through little keyholes to operate in the most minimally invasive way possible and avoid sternotomy," said Prof. Friedrich Mohr, Program Director at the Leipzig Heart Center, who review new surgical…
Don’t forget – Friday will be an important day for discussions on cross-border healthcare, travel medicine and growing liaisons with India, all subjects highlighted in special sessions at Medica Media.
The future of radiology is fast approaching -- with big steps. In some places it has already arrived, its appearance notable for the increased decentralisation of work, increase in the number of digitally generated images and a corresponding amount of digital data. Sounds straightforward? Well, it is not: the technological prerequisites to facilitate such a scenario are extensive.
Bettina Döbereiner reports on theories, policy strategies and current projects aired in the Berlin conference Reducing Health Inequalities. What do we really know about successful strategies?