Current medical news and unique business news for anyone who cares about the healthcare industry.
Europe e. coli aftermath. There isn’t much science behind the claim that bean sprouts from a German farm caused the deadly E. coli outbreak that killed 22 people and spread to multiple continents. The final results – and closure – are expected today. It was more a process of elimination: the sprouts were tied to every outbreak.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
No one seemed to heed scientists a year ago when they warned of the risks of such an outbreak. “Even if kept refrigerated, there’s the possibility of quick microbial spoilage and the danger of contamination with sickening bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli,” Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment wrote about sprouts in June 2010.
What’s also interesting is the deep economic connection coupled with the demand for reparations made regarding the steps involved in chasing the outbreak. Investigating the source of an outbreak is always going to have false leads. It’s in the public interest to have people follow leads and disclose them. But Spainish farmers are demanding $584 million in damages to, in part, repair consumer confidence after an early report said Spain’s organic cucumbers had E. coli (Germany later said this wasn’t the case).
The European Union will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday on the economic impact of the E. Coli outbreak.
Health social media misstep? Did Cardiac Science overreach when it posted on its Facebook page that an automated external defibrillator could have helped a 13-year-old killed when he was hit in the chest by a baseball? Some say yes.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
As I noted above, AEDs are useful in the first 3-5 minutes after cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation. This unfortunate young man died the next morning while in the hospital. Not, while at the ballpark. There is no report that he needed to be defibrillated at the ballpark or that there wasn’t a defibrillator available when he needed one. He died many hours after leaving the ballpark while in a medical facility.
That leads me to conclude one thing – that Cardiac Science is taking advantage of our fear of unexpected death to sell a few more AEDs.
The path to single payer. How did Vermont get a single payer health insurance system? Higher levels of “social capital;” less income and racial diversity; a small state with fewer insurance-company customers; an effective campaign by proponents; and a governor who believed in it.
Microsoft’s HealthVault goes mobile. Someone who hasn’t looked at Microsoft’s HealtVault in awhile will be pleasantly surprised. HealthVault is now available on Windows 7, patients can securely use their Facebook accounts to login and check their records, and the overall interface is cleaner. However, it seems like it’s still a little behind Google Health.
New medical residencies. Ten residency programs have launched focusing on substance abuse issues.
Gene therapy outlook. Global gene therapy will be a $310 million market by 2015 with most of the work coming in cancer.
