South Korean eHealth Connections

Today's post is about recent random connections between eHealth and South Korea.

I came across a South Korean eHealth company called Health Connect, which is collaboration between one of the largest telecommunication companies SK Telecom and the premier university in South Korea - Seoul University. Seoul University Medical Centre is one of the top NIH funded clinical trial research centres in the world. I like their website design. 


Earlier last year I was contacted by someone at Samsung Medical Centre about eREB (Research Ethics Board) online systems. They developed one of their own in-house systems for online research ethics review and I have a research interest in "in-house" eREB systems development ( having programmed and designed one myself). Too bad my Korean is still not good enough to understand everything on their website in Korean, even though I lived in Korea for almost 4 years, have a Korean family, and still watch Korean TV dramas every day!


I would like to bring to your attention the prevalence of the Fitbit device. I went to a Health & Safety meeting and noticed that half of the people were wearing Fitbits on their wrists. There are activity competitions with teams at work and people are buying more Fitbits because the cheap pedometers reset unexpectedly and data is lost. A year or so ago I read an article that Fitbit was a fading fad, but that just does not seem to currently be the case. Outside of work, I am seeing more and more people wearing and connecting to these devices. Some days they even look ubiquitous.

Now here is the surprising Korean connection - the President and inventor of the Fitbit, James Park, is Korean!


One of the major problems I am having now with my Fitbit device is Ubuntu. The Fitbit dongle and sync tracking isn't supported for Linux or Ubuntu. A program called Galileo was written for free by Benoit Allard. I had it working just fine when I was using Ubuntu 14.0 but then I just upgraded to Ubuntu 16 and it isn't working. I am hopeless trying to share two Fitbits on the Mac and the iPad so I really need to try to get this working again on Ubuntu 16 so I can sync and see my online data. I have started to sink my toes into the murky depths of the Ubuntu Galileo setup, without too much hope. Posted the bug on the Allard Galileo website though.

An interesting direction for Googles' Deepmind appeared in the news & I immediately tweeted it out on my eHealth Twitter feed: "Why does Google want British patients' confidential records"? http://ibt.uk/A6XCB  

I have blogged about Deepmind before < http://earthspiritendless.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ethics-boards-for-googledeepmind-end-of.html >. Deepmind recently was the technology behind Alphago, an artificial intelligence Go program that beat the best Go player in the world. The best Go player in the world is the South Korean Lee, Seodol, fitting for this slightly Korean blog post. It doesn't surprise me that Deepmind is following the way of IBM and Watson, using AI to find discoveries using big health data.

Well that is the South Korean eHealth Connection for now. 

Mobile Health Apps Interactive Tool - Which privacy laws apply?

This is an interesting and useful screening tool for health app developers who want to know which privacy laws they may be subject to. Developed in the US, but good for anyone to think about:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/mobile-health-apps-interactive-tool#which

Life as a Healthcare CIO: Introducing Snapchart

Life as a Healthcare CIO: Introducing Snapchart: Check out this game changer - Snapchart deletes patient information as soon as it’s viewed. What could be more secure than an empty EHR? ...

I am just copying and pasting and posting this article and giving all credit due. I am thinking however along these same lines for an article on researching health records, big data analytics, and consent for the use of patient records for research. Mostly I have been studying research data management plans and the trend towards sharing research data on well preserved data library repositories. I'd like to find out where the health data repositories are and I don't just mean with organizations like ICES.

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/About-us/Policy/Spotlight-issues/Personal-information/Patient-records/index.htm

Sharing your patient record can help researchers save and improve lives

The NHS is creating a new system to share information from patient records to improve care and research, while protecting each person's confidentiality. Everybody in England can choose how information from their patient record is shared in this new system.
As you make up your mind about sharing your records, more than 40 medical research charities and organisations have joined together to tell you more about how your information can be used for medical research and help you find out more about how your information will be kept safe.

Every time you visit an NHS hospital or your GP, information about your health is recorded and stored in your patient record. The NHS uses this information to help provide the best clinical care for you.

Because your patient record contains personal information about your health, it must be handled very carefully and accessed safely and securely, protecting your confidentiality.
Information from your record can also be used to improve healthcare delivery for all patients, and by health researchers who use it to help them understand the causes of disease and to find better treatments.

Update
NHS England has announced that it plans to delay the collection of data from GP surgeries until the autumn and that it will work with patients and professional groups to ensure information is accessible and reaches all sections of the community in order to build confidence in the initiative.

We understand this decision as we believe that, whilst sharing information from medical records is important for medical research and healthcare delivery, the systems for achieving this need to be trusted and understood by everyone. This delay should allow for fuller communications that ensure people are aware of how their data will be collected and used, the safeguards that are in place, and how to exercise their right to object.

Your choices The NHS is contacting you now with information about the changes and your options

FAQs How researchers may access your information

Why do researchers need your information? Read examples of how researchers have used patient information to save and improve lives

Find out more Links to useful websites

Health Informatics is Coming to Hamilton

More than several news stories are reporting about Health Informatics projects coming out or going into Hamilton in the last week or so. The first story was about CareKitHealth, which was a start-up company at The Forge and McMaster Innovation Park. This story broke for me when I read that the company was bought by the British Columbia based mHealth group Moseda.

The second story that really caught the attention of all Hamiltonians was IBM moving into six floors of the seemingly derelict Stelco Tower. The reason why is to do Health Informatics research. I would really like to find out what kind of Health Informatics research IBM will do there but it sounds like Watson Big Health Data Analytics to me. There will probably be many jobs and co-op opportunities for McMaster and Mohawk Health Informatics students, as IBM is partnering with Hamilton Health Sciences.

Then to top that off McMaster Health Sciences researchers scored a very large grant and funding:

A Hamilton team of researchers led by McMaster is receiving a total of $12.3 million to advance a remote monitoring and care system, called SMArTVIEW, for post-operative patients.

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $750,000 grant for the project through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP).

An additional $11.6 million of in-kind support is coming from industry and other partners for the development and testing of the SMArTVIEW technological system that could save people facing life-threatening complications after surge

See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/innovations-in-wireless-patient-monitoring-and-care-attract-federal-support/ 

Now every time I hear about another Health Hackathon I wish I could have participated more!

Research

March 3, 2016

Innovations in wireless patient monitoring and care attract federal support

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A Hamilton team of researchers led by McMaster is receiving a total of $12.3 million to advance a remote monitoring and care system, called SMArTVIEW, for post-operative patients.
The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $750,000 grant for the project through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP).
An additional $11.6 million of in-kind support is coming from industry and other partners for the development and testing of the SMArTVIEW technological system that could save people facing life-threatening complications after surgery.
Tens of thousands of seniors undergo cardiac and vascular surgeries in Canada and the United Kingdom each year, but studies have measured chronic postoperative pain in up to 40 per cent of patients at three months after surgery and hospital readmission at up to one in five patients.
Current systems for monitoring those patients after surgery are “inadequate,” says Michael McGillion. An associate professor of the School of Nursing, McGillion is principal investigator for the project. Co-principal investigator is P.J. Devereaux, professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics and medicine for McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
With SMArTVIEW, a wireless information system connects specially-trained nurses to patients through tablets and other wireless devices. The nurses will monitor patients remotely and keep track of vital signs and provide education to improve patients’ recovery.
THE SMArTVIEW stands for TecHnology Enabled remote monitoring and Self-MAnagemenT: VIsion for patient EmpoWerment.
The research, to take place in Ontario and the U.K., will focus on remote, continuous monitoring and recovery support for eight weeks post hospital discharge. Several studies over four years will measure the effectiveness and efficiencies.
The Hamilton-based research team includes members of McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences, the Population Health Research Institute and Mohawk College, along with members from the University of Toronto and Coventry University in the U.K.
“With SMArTVIEW and this research, we’ll be able to move from futuristic concepts to real-life care that’s in widespread use, based on evidence of real-world impact,” said McGillion.
“We are fortunate to be working with drivers of eHealth innovation including our lead technology partner, Philips Canada, along with QoC Health, a patient-engagement platform; XAHIVE, a secure communications service, and mPath, a mobile application developer.
“Looking ahead, we have the opportunity to reduce the global risk of serious complications following cardiac and vascular surgery by making continuous patient monitoring and virtual support, from hospital to home, a reality.”
The CIHR eHIPP was established to identify patient-oriented eHealth solutions that will improve health outcomes, patient experience and lower health costs, as well as foster partnerships between researchers and industry.

- See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/innovations-in-wireless-patient-monitoring-and-care-attract-federal-support/#sthash.DYvts11Q.g8hE1sD3.dpuf

Research

March 3, 2016

Innovations in wireless patient monitoring and care attract federal support

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A Hamilton team of researchers led by McMaster is receiving a total of $12.3 million to advance a remote monitoring and care system, called SMArTVIEW, for post-operative patients.
The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $750,000 grant for the project through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP).
An additional $11.6 million of in-kind support is coming from industry and other partners for the development and testing of the SMArTVIEW technological system that could save people facing life-threatening complications after surgery.
Tens of thousands of seniors undergo cardiac and vascular surgeries in Canada and the United Kingdom each year, but studies have measured chronic postoperative pain in up to 40 per cent of patients at three months after surgery and hospital readmission at up to one in five patients.
Current systems for monitoring those patients after surgery are “inadequate,” says Michael McGillion. An associate professor of the School of Nursing, McGillion is principal investigator for the project. Co-principal investigator is P.J. Devereaux, professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics and medicine for McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
With SMArTVIEW, a wireless information system connects specially-trained nurses to patients through tablets and other wireless devices. The nurses will monitor patients remotely and keep track of vital signs and provide education to improve patients’ recovery.
THE SMArTVIEW stands for TecHnology Enabled remote monitoring and Self-MAnagemenT: VIsion for patient EmpoWerment.
The research, to take place in Ontario and the U.K., will focus on remote, continuous monitoring and recovery support for eight weeks post hospital discharge. Several studies over four years will measure the effectiveness and efficiencies.
The Hamilton-based research team includes members of McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences, the Population Health Research Institute and Mohawk College, along with members from the University of Toronto and Coventry University in the U.K.
“With SMArTVIEW and this research, we’ll be able to move from futuristic concepts to real-life care that’s in widespread use, based on evidence of real-world impact,” said McGillion.
“We are fortunate to be working with drivers of eHealth innovation including our lead technology partner, Philips Canada, along with QoC Health, a patient-engagement platform; XAHIVE, a secure communications service, and mPath, a mobile application developer.
“Looking ahead, we have the opportunity to reduce the global risk of serious complications following cardiac and vascular surgery by making continuous patient monitoring and virtual support, from hospital to home, a reality.”
The CIHR eHIPP was established to identify patient-oriented eHealth solutions that will improve health outcomes, patient experience and lower health costs, as well as foster partnerships between researchers and industry.

- See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/innovations-in-wireless-patient-monitoring-and-care-attract-federal-support/#sthash.DYvts11Q.g8hE1sD3.dpuf

Research

March 3, 2016

Innovations in wireless patient monitoring and care attract federal support

share this article

2

0

Google +

3

A Hamilton team of researchers led by McMaster is receiving a total of $12.3 million to advance a remote monitoring and care system, called SMArTVIEW, for post-operative patients.
The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $750,000 grant for the project through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP).
An additional $11.6 million of in-kind support is coming from industry and other partners for the development and testing of the SMArTVIEW technological system that could save people facing life-threatening complications after surgery.
Tens of thousands of seniors undergo cardiac and vascular surgeries in Canada and the United Kingdom each year, but studies have measured chronic postoperative pain in up to 40 per cent of patients at three months after surgery and hospital readmission at up to one in five patients.
Current systems for monitoring those patients after surgery are “inadequate,” says Michael McGillion. An associate professor of the School of Nursing, McGillion is principal investigator for the project. Co-principal investigator is P.J. Devereaux, professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics and medicine for McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
With SMArTVIEW, a wireless information system connects specially-trained nurses to patients through tablets and other wireless devices. The nurses will monitor patients remotely and keep track of vital signs and provide education to improve patients’ recovery.
THE SMArTVIEW stands for TecHnology Enabled remote monitoring and Self-MAnagemenT: VIsion for patient EmpoWerment.
The research, to take place in Ontario and the U.K., will focus on remote, continuous monitoring and recovery support for eight weeks post hospital discharge. Several studies over four years will measure the effectiveness and efficiencies.
The Hamilton-based research team includes members of McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences, the Population Health Research Institute and Mohawk College, along with members from the University of Toronto and Coventry University in the U.K.
“With SMArTVIEW and this research, we’ll be able to move from futuristic concepts to real-life care that’s in widespread use, based on evidence of real-world impact,” said McGillion.
“We are fortunate to be working with drivers of eHealth innovation including our lead technology partner, Philips Canada, along with QoC Health, a patient-engagement platform; XAHIVE, a secure communications service, and mPath, a mobile application developer.
“Looking ahead, we have the opportunity to reduce the global risk of serious complications following cardiac and vascular surgery by making continuous patient monitoring and virtual support, from hospital to home, a reality.”
The CIHR eHIPP was established to identify patient-oriented eHealth solutions that will improve health outcomes, patient experience and lower health costs, as well as foster partnerships between researchers and industry.

- See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/innovations-in-wireless-patient-monitoring-and-care-attract-federal-support/#sthash.DYvts11Q.g8hE1sD3.dpuf

Research

March 3, 2016

Innovations in wireless patient monitoring and care attract federal support

share this article

2

0

Google +

3

A Hamilton team of researchers led by McMaster is receiving a total of $12.3 million to advance a remote monitoring and care system, called SMArTVIEW, for post-operative patients.
The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $750,000 grant for the project through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP).
An additional $11.6 million of in-kind support is coming from industry and other partners for the development and testing of the SMArTVIEW technological system that could save people facing life-threatening complications after surgery.
Tens of thousands of seniors undergo cardiac and vascular surgeries in Canada and the United Kingdom each year, but studies have measured chronic postoperative pain in up to 40 per cent of patients at three months after surgery and hospital readmission at up to one in five patients.
Current systems for monitoring those patients after surgery are “inadequate,” says Michael McGillion. An associate professor of the School of Nursing, McGillion is principal investigator for the project. Co-principal investigator is P.J. Devereaux, professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics and medicine for McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
With SMArTVIEW, a wireless information system connects specially-trained nurses to patients through tablets and other wireless devices. The nurses will monitor patients remotely and keep track of vital signs and provide education to improve patients’ recovery.
THE SMArTVIEW stands for TecHnology Enabled remote monitoring and Self-MAnagemenT: VIsion for patient EmpoWerment.
The research, to take place in Ontario and the U.K., will focus on remote, continuous monitoring and recovery support for eight weeks post hospital discharge. Several studies over four years will measure the effectiveness and efficiencies.
The Hamilton-based research team includes members of McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences, the Population Health Research Institute and Mohawk College, along with members from the University of Toronto and Coventry University in the U.K.
“With SMArTVIEW and this research, we’ll be able to move from futuristic concepts to real-life care that’s in widespread use, based on evidence of real-world impact,” said McGillion.
“We are fortunate to be working with drivers of eHealth innovation including our lead technology partner, Philips Canada, along with QoC Health, a patient-engagement platform; XAHIVE, a secure communications service, and mPath, a mobile application developer.
“Looking ahead, we have the opportunity to reduce the global risk of serious complications following cardiac and vascular surgery by making continuous patient monitoring and virtual support, from hospital to home, a reality.”
The CIHR eHIPP was established to identify patient-oriented eHealth solutions that will improve health outcomes, patient experience and lower health costs, as well as foster partnerships between researchers and industry.

- See more at: http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/innovations-in-wireless-patient-monitoring-and-care-attract-federal-support/#sthash.DYvts11Q.g8hE1sD3.dpuf

BlueCloud clinical research informatics

I got this email from Dr. Greg Koski and the ACRES group the other day.  Dr. Koski is working in area which I have alluded to in a few previous blog posts on clinical research informatics.

ACRES Announces Second Phase of Collaborative IT Platform to Support Clinical Research
Cambridge, MA -- The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) announces a major advance toward a shared, open information technology platform for all-user integration across the biomedical research enterprise.   

 Follow us on Twitter @acresglobal
The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES), the global public-interest collaboration building a comprehensive system to transform clinical research, today announced a major second step toward full implementation of a multi-stakeholder shared information technology platform.
Technology solutions to enhance clinical trial performance are multiplying rapidly, but their usefulness is limited by their lack of connectivity and inter-operability. The new platform, dubbed Apollo, provides a shared infrastructure to support the functional integration of existing technologies, including electronic health records (EHRs), electronic data capture (EDC) systems and clinical trial management systems (CTMS), and to enable data exchange and aggregation critical for development and implementation of “big data” analytics essential for next-generation methods for remote monitoring and auditing, real-time pharmacovigilance, and continuous quality improvement enterprise-wide. 

The first phase of the ACRES global IT platform, built on the BlueCloud® 2.0 Networking Technology developed by ACRES’ Austin-based strategic ally HealthCarePoint, provided a common platform for users worldwide to share vital research study documents, including training documentation and verifiable professional credentials essential for study start-up. 

With nearly 1,000,000 current member-users in healthcare, research, and industry globally, the BlueCloud® is already benefiting sponsors, CROs, investigators, research sites, regulatory agencies and ethics committees worldwide. Now, the second phase of this global collaborative platform, spearheaded by ACRES strategic partner HealthIDx, includes initial roll-out of a federated trust framework for secure enterprise-wide identity management and single sign-on access to multiple end-user applications on the ACRES Apollo platform. Apollo utilizes a proven cloud-based integration platform—originally developed by Detroit-based Covisint to support the complex supply chain, distribution and marketing logistics of the automotive industry—to enable seamless connectivity and inter-operability of multiple applications across the industry’s diverse stakeholders, including sites, sponsors, CRO/SMOs, regulatory agencies and supply chain providers and ethics committees.
“We are delighted to be working with ACRES and its many allies in this important effort,” said J. Scott Lowry, Founder and CEO of HealthIDx. “In this next phase, which includes secure cloud-based data exchange, aggregation, visualization, and analysis, we are addressing critical challenges of security, multi-user identity management, and fine-grain access control.” Lowry further noted that several technology applications, including the BlueCloud®, have been integrated via open APIs onto the ACRES Apollo platform and more such integrations are planned, including platforms of other organizations, thereby extending their power, connectedness and effectiveness. 

“The ability to acquire and exchange data seamlessly among a wide array of EHR, EDC and CTMS platforms within a secure cloud-based environment and move them into shared data vaults where they can be used in real-time will support clinical research performance, quality, safety and oversight as never before,” said Greg Koski, ACRES co-founder and CEO. “Apollo provides the ability to achieve true connectivity among the many applications already in use, as well as new applications being developed, across the entire drug development and clinical trials endeavor, saving time and money for all, while creating innovative opportunities for creativity, efficiency and effectiveness.” 

“This is a collaborative effort,” added ACRES COO Matt Whalen. “Rather than create a proprietary platform, ACRES is deploying a robust integration platform that can connect all stakeholders, whatever applications they currently use, in a timely and cost-effective manner. The power of this approach lies in what can be done through the application of soft systems engineering and the use of standards developed by organizations like OASIS, ICE, CDISC, GS1 and SAFE Biopharma.” 

The Apollo platform also incorporates an “app store” to take advantage of the several technologies and point solution capabilities available to users, working in parallel with second-level integrations of EHR, EDC, CTMS and data management systems. A live demonstration of the Apollo’s robust systems capabilities for multiple high-value use-cases is planned in the second quarter of 2016. Click here to obtain a diagram of the ACRES Global System supported by the Apollo platform or to submit information regarding integration of your application into the system.

---

The Alliance for Clinical Research and Excellence (ACRES) is a non-profit leveraging the expertise of stakeholders worldwide to collaboratively build a shared global system for clinical trials that are responsibly conducted according to the highest standards of safety, quality and efficiency, based in principles of Accountable Research™. Adapting lessons from industries that have successfully implemented principles of systems and safety engineering, this global system will employ integrated information technologies as well as interoperable standards, policies and practices to enhance clinical research safety, quality and efficiency worldwide. For more information, please contact Dr. Mary F. Tobin or call +1 (844) 60-ACRES (22737).

iiBIG (International Institute for Business Information & Growth LLC) is a boutique conference organization dedicated to producing business-to-business conferences and seminars for senior-level executives in three (3) business verticals: (1) Financial services/Investment; (2) IT/Cloud technology; and, (3) Life sciences/Clinical research sectors. We provide learning and networking settings for BIG thinkers – those who occupy the highest levels in their companies and organizations. iiBIG is also proud to be an ACRES Strategic Ally. Anti-SPAM Policy: iiBIG does not support or condone SPAM. This information is provided as a B2B service to our clients and their counterparts to assist and facilitate learning, networking and business development opportunities. To be removed from future e-mail messages, please: Opt-Out.

Cristal-Net - Quebec's Province Wide EMR Solution

C'etait tres interesant pour moi d'apprend que "Cristal-Net" devoir la seule EHR dans la province de Quebec! La seule! It started as a home grown system at the University of Laval and their affiliated hospital. I think they also had help from a programming group from France. Makes a lot of sense to have french language programmers. I am all in favour of home grown systems.

It is remarkable that the Province of Quebec government was able to pass legislation making this Hospital EHR system the only one that will be used in all the hospitals in the province! How is that possible? This is a very interesting story, one that could probably never be played out in Ontario. I remember a few years back after an eHealth Ontario scandal when the McMaster OSCAR EMR was being offered as an open source solution for healthcare records at vastly lower costs.  Of course, business and project management interests seem to drive the EHR solution in Ontario more than the government regulated healthcare system. Quebec definitely has a different culture! Smaller countries like Denmark where able to achieve 100% EHR integration for all their citizens very early. By culture I mean "the way of doing things".

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/sante/201512/19/01-4932869-dossiers-cliniques-informatises-le-choix-de-cristal-net-est-un-coup-de-maitre-selon-barrette.php

"Québec) Le gouvernement Couillard a finalement décidé qu'une seule solution informatique, Cristal-Net, sera déployée dans l'ensemble du territoire québécois pour la mise en oeuvre des fameux dossiers cliniques informatisés (DCI). Une nouvelle qui réjouit le directeur des technologies de l'information du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Jean Boulanger, qui a permis à son établissement d'obtenir l'entièreté des droits de propriété intellectuelle du logiciel pour la province."

The story in English is best read here:
http://www.canhealth.com/blog/quebec-moves-to-a-single-province-wide-ehr/

"QUEBEC CITY – Health Minister Gaétan Barrette (pictured) announced that Quebec will move toward the use of a single electronic health record system in hospitals across the province. The solution decided upon by the province is called Cristal-Net, and it has been in use at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec – Université Laval since 2003.

“The decision to deploy a single solution for Electronic Medical Record is part of our efforts to standardize practices within our health and social services, clinically and financially and administratively,” said Barrette. “This will benefit clinicians and all users.”