Brian T. Horowitz

On May 24, the Federal Communications Commission approved new rules that set aside spectrum for the development of Medical Body Area Network devices. MBANs consist of wireless sensors patients wear to capture vital signs and transmit them to devices that physicians can monitor. The FCC unveiled its proposal for the new wireless medical spectrum on […]

As the Summer Olympics approaches, U.S. athletes’ medical records are headed to London in electronic format and leaving loads of paper behind. The U.S. Olympic Committee announced on May 24 that it will deploy GE’s Centricity Practice and Centricity PACS-IW electronic health record (EHR) applications to ease the workflow for doctors tracking athletes’ health across […]

North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has conducted an investigation of Medicaid fraud by using IBM predictive-analytics software similar to that of IBM’s Watson supercomputer. For its fraud detection, the state is using two IBM applications: IBM Fraud and Abuse Management System (FAMS) and IBM InfoSphere Identity Insight to analyze claims of […]

Bluetooth and Ant+ use will grow faster among consumers than managed telehealth services, according to new findings from IMS Research. Devices such as the latest Apple iPad incorporate Bluetooth low-energy technology, allowing people to track data such as heart rate, speed and elevation during a workout. They can transmit info from glucometers and fitness sensors […]

DLI, a maker of rugged mobile devices, has unveiled its new DLI 9000 tablet, which enables salespeople in a retail store or doctor’s office staff to handle transactions away from their desks. A five-in-one mobile point-of-service (POS) module allows patients to take care of payments, such as for medication at their hospital bedside or at […]

The Federal Communications Commission is set to discuss new rules governing remote monitoring that would make the United States the first country to allocate spectrum for Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski unveiled the new proposal on May 17 at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., along with executives from […]

Look out for emergency messages from the government on your smartphone. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and wireless carriers are rolling out emergency alerts, called the Wireless Emergency Alert, or WEA, system, via text-like messages on mobile phones to allow federal, state and local governments to issue critical alerts. The free alerts could come from […]

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning about the role of medical devices in compromising IT networks and patient data. In its alert “Attack Surface: Healthcare and Public Health Sector,” issued on May 4, DHS says medical devices that connect to IT networks may pose a threat to security. Network-attached medical devices […]

InterSystems, an IT vendor that powers many state health information exchange (HIE) platforms, has introduced a new version of its HealthSense record-exchange software that adds new data modeling and analytics capabilities. Announced May 14, the latest version features InterSystems’ iKnow technology, which allows doctors to search through unstructured narratives of patient histories. Most clinical data, […]

Healthline Networks, which operates a health reference site called Healthline.com, has launched its Consumer Engagement Platform to enable health insurers and businesses to offer members and employees contextual searching of health data from electronic health records and medical claims. The platform also provides electronic messaging tools and educational video content. Available as a software as […]