The OptoLabCard
Researchers funded by the European Union have devised OptoLabCard, a system that prepares samples and performs DNA tests on bacteria in a portable, easily used, cost-effective lab-on-a-chip.
Economy
Update UniCel integrated systems
This summer, California-based Beckman Coulter Inc. began general distribution of its UniCel DxC 880i's integrated system in Europe.
The needs of migrant patients
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.
Laboratory Outsourcing: What next?
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.
Ethical concerns over clinical trials in India
As an increasing number of international drug companies are moving their clinical trials business to India, the clinical trial industry has been raising concerns about the lack of regulation of private trials carried out there, including the uneven application of requirements for informed consent and proper ethics review.
Patients views on pay for their personal self control
To reduce health costs as well as improve health, many large employers and insurers are introducing pay for the performance of patients (P4P4P).
Integration of POCT into the clinical laboratory
Unlike regular laboratory analyses, which is performed by clinical pathologists and technicians in the clinical laboratory, Point of Care Testing (POCT) are devices to perform laboratory analyses in the vicinity of the patient by the attending physician or nurses.
PACS: Netcentric clinic services based on JiveX product line
Hospitals must digitally keep medical documents audit proof, which involves a lot of material and personnel efforts.
Economic recession: a cause of later CVD?
Bad economic conditions, e.g. a recession, at the time of birth may lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality much later in life, according to a recent study published by researchers at the Institute for the Study of Labour (IZA) in Bonn.
EHFG
The programme for this year's European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) - its 10th gathering - covers a far broader range of topics than before. During over 20 plenary sessions, forums and workshops, with about 120 lectures, key topics that embrace European and the national health politics of EU member states will be presented and discussed by experts.
UK poll: Public healthcare won't stay free
The British public doesn't believe in the tax funded healthcare system. Within the next ten years they will have to pay for some NHS services, they assume in a BMA poll. Also the will to go abroad for medical services rises within the public.
Gleam of hope for people living with HIV
The “Project Connect”, a program designed to build Public Private Partnerships to combat HIV and tuberculosis in India recently recorded a huge success:
A vicious cycle
Researcher have found that overcrowding and understaffing in hospitals lead to a failure of MRSA control programmes, which in turn results in increased inpatient hospital stay, bed blocking and further infection control failure.
LIFE Nutrition founded
B. Braun Melsungen AG laid the foundation stone for a new manufacturing plant for production and development in nutrition solutions. The new production site includes a research lab and costs around 190 million Euro. In the future 270 employees will work on innovative denouements for the world market.
Seniors got more - prescriptions
Compared to 1997 people aged 60 and over receive a lot more from their physicians: Not more attention but more drugs or other medical aids. The average number of prescriptions for elder people doubled from 1997 to 2007, a report from The NHS Information Centre reveals.
Rising of unrecognised dementia in the developing world
The 10/66 Dementia Research Group warns that dementia is often not diagnosed in low-income and middle-income countries. Latest research shows that these figures has been underestimated and the economic costs of dementia and other age-related illnesses are rising.
Many more strokes
Even in 2004, the medical costs for the care of stroke patients in Germany came to 7.1 billion euro. The neurologist Tobias Neumann-Haefelin of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt and his colleagues have calculated the projected number of strokes in the German federal state of Hesse for the year 2050.
German healthcare system: lack of transparency
The German healthcare system is designed for corruption, since the its organisation is delegated to statutory health insurers, physicians' associations, etc. which are all self-controlled, says Anke Martiny from Transparency Germany in an interview with EH online. In spite of a whistle blowing system that was established in 2004, it still needs more transparency.
RFID technology may mess up medical equipment
Considered optimal transportation and identification tools, they have become a symbol for modern hospitals: RFID tags. But according to a new study radio frequency identification devices (RFID) may disrupt medical devices. Moreover, the FDA is concerned that the increase in digital technology might be dangerous for patients.
In vitro diagonstics market boosted by new technologies
The future of the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market looks promising. According to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Western European IVD Market is estimated to reach $12.65 billion in 2014. The reason: Diseases depending on an aging population, such as infections, hike the demand for automated diagnostic tools.
Recast of the Medical Devices Directives is “not needed”
The European Medical Device Industry associations resist the European Commission's proposal to build up a centralized European agency for Medical Devices. The new authority is planned to regulate MD affairs, e.g. classification and pre-market approval of “highest risk” devices. According to the MD Industry, the concerns of the EU Commission can be addressed through improved implementation of…
Private medicine
Olga Ostrovskaya reports on the first St Petersburg medical forum Private medicine in Russia: Problems and ways of evolution, which took place in June. Organised by various medical associations, the main goal was to exchange experiences in private medicine and shape proposals to create a productive state policy in this sphere
Medi-Clinic steps into Europe
Last August, when the South African hospital group Medi-Clinic Corporation acquired Hirslanden, Switzerland's biggest private hospital group, the company not only took its first step into Europe, but progressed its strategy for the geographical expansion of its core business — acute medicine 'in conjunction with superior nursing care'.
Lean principles applied in path labs
Lean Laboratory and Lean Automation are vital ingredients for the efficient and productive running of today's modern pathology laboratories. Automation serves as an essential endorsement to Lean, says Paul M Button, Senior Consultant at ValuMetrix, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics*
Switzerland to adopt DRGs system
The Swiss hospital system is facing a radical change. Billing by Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) is about to be introduced. European Hospital's correspondent in Switzerland, Dr André Weissen,* approached Dr Carlo Conti, President of SwissDRG AG to discuss some of the controversial issues involved in the switch to DRGs
