Net News Archive

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Relief Central Helps Medics Get Through a Disaster

Unbound Medicine just released a mobile app specifically developed to help disaster workers operating in the field. Relief Central, available for free on all the major mobile platforms, provides access to relevant reference material and supplies news feeds from government and private relief agencies.

Users can search The World Factbook from the CIA for detailed information on over 250 countries and territories or review disaster assessment and response guidelines in The Field Operations Guide from the USAID. Relief News gives you up-to-the-minute RSS feeds from trusted government, non-profit, and international resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Red Cross, ReliefWeb, and more. With Unbound Medicine's selected MEDLINE Journals users can link to the latest abstracts and articles in relevant scientific and medical literature.

Product page: Relief Central...

Press release: Unbound Medicine Releases Relief Central...

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Health Tweeder Hopes to Distill Medical Twittersphere

Twitter has in many ways become a major medium for discussion on just about any topic. Health and medicine certainly has its presence on Twitter and the folks at Pixels and Pills, a collaboration between two pharma marketing firms, have developed a visualization tool to give a perspective of what issues most concern people. The Health Tweeder scans for keywords from a large group of twitter posts and organizes them by "petri dishes". These are then clickable and lead to specific tweets within the given topic. Once more thoroughly developed, the tool may provide public health officials a better understanding of what the public is thinking and doing, such as during healthcare emergencies.

Link: Health Tweeder...

(hat tip: ScienceRoll)

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Recently on EchoJournal

We are very pleased with EchoJournal, our echocardiography video sharing community. We now have more than 200 user contributed videos, many members, and solid traffic stats. So, if you are a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, radiologist, medical student, or just a person interested in cardiac echoes (TEEs and transthoracic), you can browse through our video archives, upload your own clips, and discuss individual cases. The site is curated by David E. Winchester, MD, a Cardiology Fellow at the University of Florida. He is also getting lots of help from Lebanese cardiologist Dr. Maged Al-Ali. EchoJournal is offering users many choices: keep videos private for storage or post them for discussions, embed videos on your own page , organize groups, channels, and more.

Check out this video puzzle from Dave Winchester, and answer his question: RA collapse, is this tamponade?

In this apical TTE clip, the right atrium is collapsing. It is a little hard to say whether this is occurring as a result of atrial systole or during ventricular systole consistent with tamponade.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Gas Guide App for iPhone Provides Handy Access to Anesthesia Info

A free new application is now available for the iPhone platform that provides clinically useful information for anesthesia residents and practicing anesthesiologists. Quick access is available to preoperative checklists, procedures, patient guidelines, and drug information. The Gas Guide app was developed by a group of clinicians but comes with a disclaimer to double check any information before putting it into practice.

Emergencies: Acute Stridor, Anaphylaxis, Cardiac Arrest, Cardiac Devices, Common Problems, Crisis Algorithm, Hemorrhage & Transfusion, Malignant Hyperthermia, Tension Pneumothorax.

Operative Safety: ASA Daily Check, ASA Pre-Anesthesia Check, FDA Apparatus Checkout, JCAHO Universal Protocol, Operating Room Fires, WHO Surgical Safety Check.

Pre-Operative Setup: Anesthesia Care Plan, Patient History, Physical Exam, Cardiac Clearance, Cardiac Devices, Neuro Information, Patient Positioning, Psychological Prep, Spanish Translation.

Airway Management: Evaluation, Mask Ventilation, Ventilator Settings, Supraglottic Airway, Endotracheal Intubation, Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI), Difficult Airway Algorithm, Transtracheal Jet Ventilation, Cricothyroidotomy.

Common Medications: Anesthesia Med Classes, Emergency Medications, Endotracheal & IV/IO, Induction Agents, Inhalation Agents, IV Concentrations, Local Infiltration, Muscle Relaxants, Pain, PONV, & PRN.

Nerve Blockade: General Principles, Ankle Block, Axillary Block, Fascia Iliaca Block, Femoral Block, Infraclavicular Block, Interscalene Block, Neuraxial Epidural Block, Neuraxial Spinal Block, Popliteal Block, Sciatic Block.

Patient Monitoring: Arterial Line, Bispectral Index, Capnography, Echocardiography, Electrocardiography, Fluids & Equations, HR, RR, BP, SpO2, Nerve Stimulator, PA Cath & CV Cath.

Vascular Access: Arterial Line, CVC Femoral, CVC Internal Jugular, CVC Subclavian, Intraosseous, Peripheral IV, Pulmonary Artery.

Additional: Anesthesia Aphorisms, Glossary of Pain Terms.

Product page: Gas Guide: A Quick Reference Guide For Anesthesia Professionals...

iTunes link...

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2010 Cryptogram Challenge Announced

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News is again featuring a cryptogram challenge from Dr. Peter C. Johnson of Scintellix, Inc. This year's puzzler is based on RNAi. The contest site will be providing a new clue every Monday until someone discovers a solution.

From the announcement:

GEN and Scintellix are coupling the art of cryptography, which was first leveraged in the military, with life science applications. Just as cellular arrays depict biological processes and require skill to interpret, cryptograms when deciphered reveal a hidden message. GEN’s Cryptogram Challenges use the colors displayed in arrays to encrypt text.
This latest puzzle will not only engage your lab skills but also pique your interest. Peter C. Johnson, M.D., President and CEO of Scintellix, has encoded a message in an image that depicts siRNA’s control of gene expression. “I created Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi as a distinct departure from previous Cryptogram Challenges,” says Dr. Johnson. “It will require a different mindset to solve—mirroring some of the complexities in the application of RNAi technology itself."

Link: 2010 Cryptogram Challenge...

Press release: GEN Launches Another Tantalizing Cryptogram Challenge...

Flashbacks: Amateur Cryptobiologists Invited to Take On Cipher Challenge; MicroArray $1500 Challenge... Hurry Before Jethro Ciphers It First!

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Craig Venter on Genetics, Synthetic Life at TEDMED 2009

At TEDMED 2009, Craig Venter spoke of the work his research group has been doing to catalog the DNA of animal life on our planet and the steps they're taking to bring synthetically derived life to reality.

Link: TEDMED Videos...

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

iPhone AED Locator May Help Save Lives in a Hurry

First Aid Corps, an organization working on helping the public respond to sudden cardiac arrests, has unveiled an iPhone app that can pinpoint the location of the closest automatic external defibrillator (AED) within seconds.

Currently the database is just beginning to fill up but First Aid Corps has partnered with The Extraordinaries, a volunteer organization, to have people locate and photograph AED's in their community.

The app is free and you can download it and get started mapping AED's and maybe help save someone's life.

Here's a promo video for the project:

Demo of the AED Nearby app:

AED Nearby iTunes link...

Flashbacks: AED Location Database Points to Nearest Life Saving Device; Do You Know Where Your AED Is At?

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

iMicroscope Turns Your iPhone Into a Practical Lab Tool

The iPhone platform now has a new application for lab rats that makes measuring distances seen through a microscope easier than ever. Simply take a picture of the sample through the microscope's own viewfinder, set the magnification ratio, and the app gives you a scale bar next to your image which adjusts as you zoom in and out.

See for yourself:

iMicroscope on iTunes...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

MedlinePlus Now Available for Mobile Phones

The National Library of Medicine has just launched Mobile Medline Plus service that brings much of what is available on the mother site to mobile devices. The service offers consumers trusted medical information at absolutely no charge.

From the press release:

The National Library of Medicine's Mobile Medline Plus builds on the NLM's MedlinePlus Internet service, which provides authoritative consumer health information to over 10 million visitors per month. These visitors access MedlinePlus (http://medlineplus.gov) from throughout the United States as well many other countries, and use desktop computers, laptops and even mobile devices to get there.
Mobile MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish (http://m.medlineplus.gov/spanish) and includes a subset of content from the full Web site. It includes summaries for over 800 diseases, wellness topics, the latest health news, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, and information on prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Mobile MedlinePlus can also help you when you're trying to choose an over-the-counter cold medicine at the drug store.

And if you're traveling abroad, you can use Mobile MedlinePlus to learn about safe drinking water.

Press release: National Library of Medicine Launches Mobile MedlinePlus to Meet the Health Information Needs of an On-the-Go Public...

Link: Mobile MedlinePlus...

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

PEPID Expands Support to The Palm Pre

PEPID, the popular mobile software platform for clinical information, is now available for the Palm Pre smartphone. The platform allows users to purchase data modules specific to their specialty and practice, including drug guides and specialty products for paramedics and medical students.

PEPID’s reputable clinical and pharmacological content is designed to support clinicians through every stage of the decision support process, from the initial content, all the way through treatment and follow-up care — increasing patient safety through better-informed patient care. PEPID contains the most extensive drug database on the market today, thousands of disease profiles and medical conditions, medical and dosing calculators, a drug interactions checker, along with numerous illustrations, laboratory values, and a differential diagnosis generator, all available on the Palm Pre.

Product page: PEPID for Palm Pre

Press release: PEPID RELEASES ITS MEDICAL APPLICATION FOR THE PALM PRE

Flashback: PEPID Is Embracing iPhone Platform

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WeatherMD Helps You Manage Environmental Triggers of Disease

AccuWeather is now offering an iPhone app that helps translate current and forecast conditions into medically relevant information. WeatherMD provides weather/health maps and charts that predict how conditions will influence people with a number of relevant ailments. Probably most useful for people with conditions like hay fever, asthma, and arthritis, it is also practical for anyone planning to exercise outdoors. The app costs $4 and currently only provides info for US locations.

You'll appreciate accurate forecasts and current conditions that include wind speed and direction, sky conditions, as well as AccuWeather.com patented RealFeel temperature, Healthy Heart Exercise, and Running indices so you know how to plan and dress for your daily run or bike ride.
Do you suffer from chronic health challenges? WeatherMD helps you manage multiple conditions from which millions of Americans suffer. WeatherMD helps you determine how weather conditions might impact your conditions and comfort level if you suffer from arthritis, asthma, migraines, allergies, sinus problems and much more.

Features Include:

Patented, easy-to-read health indices for Arthritis, Asthma, Cold, Flu, Migraine, Sinus, Air Quality, UV, Lawn Mowing, Mosquito (forecast conditions up to 15 days)

Patented, easy-to-read exercise indices such as Healthy Heart Exercise, and Running indices (forecast conditions up to 15 days)

Current Conditions including temperature, icon, text description, RealFeel temperature, today's high/low, humidity, wind speed/direction, dew point, and pressure

Our unique Pollen, Grass, Tree, Ragweed indices for 2 days

Highly visual Pollen, Grass, Tree, Ragweed U.S. maps for 2 days.

GPS location sensitivity- Forecast for 15 days and nights (icon, high/low temp)

Ability to store multiple locations

Easy links for more detailed current conditions, forecasts, and additional weather maps

iTunes link: WeatherMD...

(hat tip: mobihealthnews)

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

TEDMED Kicks Off Video Site With David Blaine's Talk

Last October's TEDMED 2009 is long over, remaining only as a pleasant memory and leaving us with an expectation for more fascinating talks again this year. Covering TEDMED was one of the most interesting projects we've had at Medgadget, as it gave our readers a chance to get an inside look at one of the more exclusive and exciting medical conferences.

Of course, reading about lectures is far different than actually listening to them, and TEDMED just started releasing some of the best talks from the gathering onto YouTube. The first video is of David Blaine describing his journey to smash the world record for breath-holding.

Link: TEDMED videos...

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

FitnessBuilder Monitors At-Home Physical Therapy Progress

A new iPhone application from PumpOne helps patients and physical therapists to efficiently communicate during the course of an exercise regimen. Essentially, therapists use the FitnessBuilder to assign exercises to perform, the notifications for which patients receive on their iPhone. The messages include instructions of what routines need to be completed, along with photos and videos of how to properly do each exercise. Patients in turn mark off how much of the routines they have completed, the data for which is sent back to the therapist's iPhone to monitor the progress of recovery.

PROBLEM. Payers and patients cannot afford long term therapy and yet the need has led to the customary offering of a home or gym-based program. Hence, much of the time in therapy is now spent preparing the patient for their home-based program. Unfortunately, the tools the therapist can offer the patient are limiting the therapist's effectiveness. A static image with text on a piece of paper leads to a compliance rate of 20-30%. These tools lack compliance checks and motivational incentives for the patient and offer very little customization to potential progress and/or variation. Additionally, the therapist must attempt to deliver a full repertoire of education early in the course of recovery knowing full well that much of the education will be lost by the time it is used - if at all.

SOLUTION. This is a paradigm shift in your ability to effectively educate and deliver long term home Physical Therapy programs to patients. Armed with theraProfessional, your therapist can now extend branded, feature-rich, best-in-class, real-time, drag & drop customized routines from any iPhone/iPod touch to another or sent directly as a PDF. You and your team will now be able to communication, incentivize and review patients' results, progress and compliance, remotely.

Product page: FitnessBuilder...

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

How to Harness Google for Better Health

A post on Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational draws our attention to Google as a source of data for all sorts of research into human emotions. Dan Ariely, the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University, believes that by using drop down suggestions in Google, we can gain insights into "what people might care the most about concerning a given topic. When people search a particular political leader, what are their main concerns? What are people secretly guilty about? For better or for worse, Google's obsession with collecting and refining data has given us a window into each other's fascinating and telling curiosities."

But we think that this argument can go some additional distance. When it comes to medicine, this kind of data insight could be used to formulate and implement well designed public policy initiatives. If properly searched and defined, the data could be stratified according to sex, social class, age, etc. Using Dr. Ariely's example, shown above, we gain a look at sexuality issues of young people. But the same technique, for example, can help us take a look at how the elderly understand diabetes.

The other side of the same coin, as we have argued before, is Google's responsibility to deliver accurate and responsible medical search results. Even though some might argue that what is delivered in search results is not Google's responsibility per se, as these reflect the conversations on the internet, nevertheless we do think what Google suggests in the drop down menu is indeed Google's responsibility. According to a discovery by PZ Myers, Google has a mechanism to control the drop down suggestions.

We hope that with Google's help in balancing the forces of responsibility and transparency that we can harness the implicit data that exists when millions of people are trying to learn more about their health.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Historic Medical Video Archive Blossoming on Youtube

The Wellcome Trust recently setup a YouTube channel of historic medical videos, and the collection already has over 250 uploads. Medicine has been one of the most quickly developing sciences lately, and it is absolutely fascinating to see what it looked like throughout the last century. Here are a couple videos to get you started:

British blood transfusion service operations during WWII (1941):

Radical amputation (mastectomy) of the left breast (1930):

Link: Wellcome Film on Youtube...

(hat tip: ScienceRoll)

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Bayer's New Blood Glucose Meter With USB Connectivity

Bayer has recently released the CONTOUR USB blood glucose meter that plugs directly into a Windows or Mac computer for uploading of readings for later analysis and for sharing them with your doctor. The device shows readings on the screen and you can mark whether they were taken before or after a meal. Conveniently, there's also about 500 megabytes of empty storage space on the unit, so it can be used as a traditional USB thumbdrive as well.

A bright color display screen visible in any light that shows average, high and low readings with

Customizable features such as intuitive pre- and post-meal marking

500MB extra memory for storage of personal diabetes information

Rechargeable battery that can charge from any USB port or via the CONTOUR USB wall charger provided

Glucofacts™ DELUXE diabetes management software

Here's Grandfather Walter Mossberg's review of the CONTOUR USB at the Wall Street Journal:

Thursday, December 17, 2009

UnitedHealthcare Releases App to Find Qualifying Doctors and Medical Facilities

UnitedHealthcare, the insurance company, has released an iPhone app to help its customers locate doctors by specialty and location. In emergencies, you can use the iPhone's internal GPS system to quickly find all the emergency departments and clinics within 100 mile radius.

After locating a doctor or hospital, the application can then show the office location on a map, provide detailed directions, and enable the user to call the medical professional or facility with a single tap on the search result.
DocGPS is ideal for individuals on the road who are not familiar with health care providers in their area, such as families traveling on vacation or professionals on business trips.

DocGPS also works with first-generation iPhones running 2.0 software or higher, enabling users to search UnitedHealthcare's health plan networks by zip code, or city and state.

Press release: UnitedHealthcare Puts its Physician, Facility Network on the iPhone...

(hat tip: mobihealthnews)

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Introducing The New Medpolitics

A year and a half ago we unveiled Medpolitics, a website for doctors to blog about the legislative, regulatory, and public policy issues revolving around the business of medicine.

Today we'd like to present the new and much improved Medpolitics, that anyone can join and participate in using the new, more intuitive and much spiffier interface. Whether you are a health care strategist, doctor, nurse, patient, or just a citizen concerned about the state of medicine, this is the place for you to bring up debates, offer solutions, announce events, organize groups, or find friends and establish professional contacts.

Healthcare is obviously a major topic today in society, and we feel that there should be a real forum for everyone to express their views, offer new ideas, and discuss details that are often ignored by all the noise in the media. Medpolitics allows anyone to blog, post videos from YouTube, and create discussion forums by topic.

If the future of healthcare is important to you, this network will be an ideal outlet for expressing your individual voice. Registration takes seconds and you can start right away.

Link: Medpolitics.com...

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Build Teen Confidence in Immunology? There's an App for That

In an attempt to make cell biology a bit more intuitive for modern teenagers, the Federation of American Scientists has developed a freely downloadable video game that simulates some of the processes going on in the body. The FAS has even initiated a study to see whether kids become more receptive of the relevant concepts.

The mission in Immune Attack is to save a patient suffering from a bacterial infection. In the game environment, proteins, molecules and cells behave as they do in nature... Melanie Ann Stegman, PhD, a program manager at FAS will discuss the results from the ongoing evaluation of Immune Attack.
Stegman will discuss her collaboration with teachers to conduct controlled evaluations. The evaluation tests students' knowledge of biology and immunology, their comprehension of game dynamics, and their confidence in the material. For example, results find that students who play the game show significant gains in confidence with the molecular science-related material and gains in their knowledge of cell biology and molecular science.

"Our most exciting results demonstrate that Immune Attack players appear more confident in their abilities to understand a diagram about white blood cells than students who did not play Immune Attack," said Stegman.

Hmmm... We're not sure why they're reporting results in terms of "player confidence" rather than "student learning" -- unless for some reason they didn't examine the student knowledge or performance, or they did and players didn't do better than traditional learners.

Still, confidence is a valuable commodity, shown to improve health and fight off infection. Maybe Dr. Stegman is subtly giving clues on how to win the game.

Free game download : Immune Attack...

Press release: Immune Attack Sheds Light on the Molecular World...

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