Economy

Limited Hospital Budgets Prepare Europe for a Breakthrough in Refurbished Medical Imaging Equipment

Already popular in private healthcare, increasing global acceptance of refurbished equipment encourages uptake in the public sector.

New UK diagnostic imaging guidelines

United Kingdom – The Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Radiologists and the Society and College of Radiographers have worked together on recommendations that outline improvements for patients by ensuring that timely and appropriate medical imaging services are provided to them and their referring doctors.

Global financial crisis linked to higher death rate

The current financial crisis is having a major impact on European economies, especially that of Spain. Past evidence suggests that adverse macro- economic conditions exacerbate mental illness, but evidence from the current crisis is limited.

UK’s hospitals find ways to boost income

This year a further one in six of England’s hospitals started to offer patients the choice of ‘self-funding’ for treatments and services that are subject to restrictions or long NHS waiting times. These include IVF treatment, cataract surgery, varicose veins, carpal tunnel syndrome therapy and hernia repair.

Samsung BioLogics Signs a Strategic Manufacturing Partnership with Roche

Samsung BioLogics today announced that Samsung BioLogics and F. Hoffmann-La Roche have entered into a long term strategic manufacturing agreement under which Samsung will manufacture Roche's proprietary commercial biologic medicines at its two manufacturing facilities in Incheon, South Korea, of which one is currently under construction.

Carefully selected devices reward MHH with 50% cost cuts

In intensive care units (ICUs) little can be automated to relieve staff pressures – with the exception of point of care testing (POCT)

Diagnostics: Market trends

Nat Whitney, President of Whitney Research, sums up the ups and downs of the international IVD market and reports on a fitting finale for 17 years of dedicated service

Rushed deal leaves patients and jobs in second place

Eucomed, the European medical technology industry association, expresses disappointment and strong concern at the outcome of a vote in the European Parliament’s Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

Chronic disease

There is a global shortage of doctors that is getting worse every year. With the demographic shift in many countries from a predominantly young to an increasing aging population, a steep increase in chronic disease is occurring.

An international impact on immunoassay

Snibe, the Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Company Ltd., is a leading Chinese biomedical technology company dedicated to developing and manufacturing clinical laboratory equipment and in vitro reagents. Founded 18 years ago and a growing force in the Chinese market, the firm is based in Shenzhen, China’s fourth largest city, situated in Guangdong Province.

A burden of € 17.5 billion for unnecessary measures

The results of a survey amongst medical device companies in Europe about the financial impact of the upcoming changes in the European medical device regulation show a significant increase in costs for bringing new devices to patients.

The potential of ultrasound looks inexhaustible

Experts from DEGUM, the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine, are convinced that the use of ultrasound in preclinical and clinical emergency medicine can be further optimised, according to interim study results that indicate, in cases of unclear symptoms, the diagnosis and therefore decision for appropriate A&E treatment can be accelerated by using ultrasound.

Hospital in a lab

The new Hospital Engineering Lab in Duisburg, Germany, which was officially opened in July by Barbara Steffens, Health Minister for the German federal state, is a project of four Fraunhofer Institutes.

Heart failure

About 500,000 people in France people suffer heart failure (HF). In Europe the figure is six million and the same in the USA.

Renal denervation

A new procedure may help people with persistent hypertension. By burning or ablating the nerves in the renal arteries, blood pressure levels can be reduced significantly.

TAVI will surpass heart surgery for aortic valve replacement

Each year the case grows stronger for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI). And it is only six years since the procedure was introduced in Europe.

Article • Healing hearts 2

Stem cell cocktails

Nothing new has been invented in heart failure in the last 15 years, according to Christian Homsy, CEO of Belgian-based Cardio3 Biosciences. This explains the excitement surrounding an emerging treatment among cardiologists, patients and investors.

Molecular US therapy, computer diagnosis and customized medication

Which technological advancements can we expect to see in the field of medical technology? How well can diagnosis and therapy be customized for each patient?

Enhancement in minimally-invasive treatment of heart rhythm disorders

The Catharina Hospital (Eindhoven, the Netherlands) and Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced the results of a clinical study involving the treatment of 136 patients with complex heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (AF).

Interactive patient care

Previously, we outlined how interactive technologies at the point of care support the goals of personalizing the patient experience and improving patient satisfaction.

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery

A record 1,700 participants from 84 countries confirmed the dimension and international importance of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery Congress held recently in Vienna, where Hans-Christian Pruszsinsky caught up with Congress President Professor Selman Uranüs, Head of the Section for Surgical Research, Medical University of Graz, for our interview.

Another fine MES for healthcare equipment finance

Managed Equipment Service (MES) contracts have the potential to transform equipment-supply financing for healthcare, according to Siemens Financial Services’ Ulrich Stark, Head of Debt Origination for Healthcare in EMEA, and Anthony Casciano, CEO of Project, Structured & Leveraged Finance Healthcare