A Medical Device Daily
CDW Healthcare (Vernon Hills, Illinois) reported that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC; Boston) is collaborating with it to deploy a solution that will enable affiliated physician practices to access BIDMC's electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) software.
The implementation, which includes standardized hardware products, wireless technology and network solutions, ultimately will provide more than 300 physicians located in 175 offices with the infrastructure to support vital pay-for-performance data capture and valuable decision-support tools, the organizations said.
BIDMC is enlisting the help of CDW Healthcare to pre-configure and deliver the infrastructure and desktop solutions that will enable physician offices to access the Medical Center's patient information and practice management databases. The deployment includes a variety of wireless-capable products such as desktops, laptops and tablet PCs, all of which will be pre-configured by CDW Healthcare to be truly plug-and-play upon arrival. CDW Healthcare also worked with BIDMC to enhance the server capacity of the EHR project data center, ensuring that the Medical Center has the capability to support project demands.
CDW Healthcare is a provider of technology products and services focused exclusively on healthcare organizations.
In other agreements:
• SomaLogic (Boulder, Colorado) reported that it and Otsuka Pharmaceutical (Tokyo) entered into collaboration for Otsuka to use SomaLogic's aptamer technology to develop diagnostic products and to design research tools that will enhance its pharma R&D.
SomaLogic will receive research funding and a royalty on any marketed products developed as a result. Otsuka also received an option to acquire distribution rights in Asia for certain SomaLogic clinical diagnostics products. SomaLogic also received an equity investment from Otsuka.
SomaLogic is a privately held biomarker discovery and proteomics company.
• UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits (Golden Valley, Minnesota) said that it now provides coverage under all of its insured dental plans for a new oral cancer screening test for potential abnormalities inside the mouth, including premalignant lesions and oral cancer.
The test, which uses light-contrast technology, can improve a dentist's ability to identify, evaluate and monitor lesions that are difficult to see using visual inspection under conventional lighting.
"Evidence shows that dentists can serve as a valuable 'early warning' system for patients who have signs of oral cancer," said Michael Weitzner, DMD, VP of clinical product development for UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits dental unit.
By covering this type of oral cancer screening, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits dental unit is renewing its longstanding commitment to early detection of oral cancer. In addition to oral cancer screening, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits dental plans have covered brush biopsies since 2005 when the American Dental Association (ADA; Chicago) first introduced a current dental terminology (CDT) code for the procedure.
Screening is covered once a year for individuals, starting at age 30. UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits' focus on wellness continues to build programs and plan enhancements that promote individuals' ability to better manage their overall health as well as their future medical and dental costs.