Hopefully not lost in all the comings and goings of more than 8,500 people at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco last week were some important take-home messages about the future of med-tech, a future that promises many challenges for the industry, but also many rewards for those willing to follow promising trends. 1. Healthcare Information Technology is going to be big this year and probably into the foreseeable future. This is the final year in which hospitals and physicians can demonstrate meaningful use and get maximum healthcare dollars under the stimulus, so there should probably be some clarification...
Prometheus v. Mayo has had its day at the Supreme Court, but the Court has yet to render a verdict. This leaves everyone with a couple of months on their hands to speculate as to what the outcome might be. Let's take a quick look at some of the opinions that have been offered on this subject. In a Dec. 8 posting at IPWatchdog.com, attorney Ryan Chiromas of Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian (Washington) said he was “surprised at how little Bilski was mentioned,” a reference to the business method patents case that seemed to send the message that...
My wife and I are very cautious when we spend. Every penny is accounted for, and every surprise is documented. With a new baby in the household - we cannot afford any surprises that could possibly lead to longterm extra expenses. It's an interesting position that we find ourselves in - a position that isn't so different from what small med-tech companies have stated they're facing with the upcoming med-device tax. Already, we've seen Stryker send a loud message to the industry, by announcing a reduction of 5% of its staff. Aanalysts are saying that we could see more companies...
Screening for various diseases is controversial these days thanks to the U.S. Public Services Task Force and similar agencies in other nations, which have suggested a more cautious approach to screening. These suggestions have been blasted by doctors and patient groups for obvious reasons. Former Medical Device Daily executive editor Jim Stommen took up prostate cancer screening in a posting at this blog a few weeks back, and while I agree with Jim on a lot of things, I felt one perspective was missing; that of the federal budget. The problem is that no national economy can support indiscriminate...
By JIM STOMMEN Medical Device Daily Contributing Writer Talk about eating from the public trough: The folks who run Medicare are putting their money where our collective mouths are. The nation’s largest health insurance plan reported awhile back that it will pay for screenings and preventive services aimed at helping recipients battle obesity and its attendant medical ailments. For those who screen positive for obesity, the newly covered benefits include initial weekly counseling for the first month, followed by five months of every-other-week appointments. Presuming weight loss continues, another six months of once-monthly sessions may follow. My initial response...
Just call me Pinocchio because I lied. Last week I said I would review the Sleep Cycle app for this week’s mobile health review, but over the holiday weekend I came across an app that I am so excited about I just have to tell you about it first. But don’t worry, the Sleep Cycle app is already downloaded on my iPhone and I promise to tell you all about it next week. For Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis patients like me, GIMonitor by WellApps is a must-have mobile app. If I didn’t already own a smartphone I would buy...
It’s that time of year again when millions of us in the U.S. make New Year’s resolutions to improve ourselves in some grand way – often by means of getting in shape and/or leading an overall healthier lifestyle. And this year we’re sticking to it – right? Well, at least until mid-February. Fortunately this year there are dozens of free mobile health apps that can help us with our resolutions - or at least make it more fun trying. There’s literally an app for everything from helping you lose weight to tracking your menstrual cycle, monitoring your heart rate, and...
Ah, modern medical imaging. You can bet your car payment that I get a lot of mileage out of medical imaging as the Washington editor for Medical Device Daily. All those cuts under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 have just littered the Washington roundup practically since the day I took this job. What's not to like? Still, imaging is not just another pretty face or another bunch of pretty pictures, as the doctors like to say. There's some real substance to modern imaging technology beyond providing the occasional nutcase at...
Donald Berwick's tenure at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services was brief, but should come as no shock to anyone who knows how the former physician came to the job. What's stunning is how many believe the Obama administration and House and Senate Democrats bear no responsibility for the brevity of his stint at CMS. Let's take things in chronological order. First, President Obama and Democrats in Congress drafted what is probably the largest piece of legislation ever to pass without any input from the legislative minority. They then rammed the vote through Congress with only feeble support...
“Okay, hon. I’m headed over to MammothMart. Need to grab some beer and munchies for the Monday night game, a replacement shower head for the bathroom and maybe that new Michael Connelly book." “I might as well get the oil change and lube done on your SUV while I’m there. And while I’m there, I’ll get that loose pair of glasses tightened at the optical shop. Oh yeah, and I guess I’ll have them check out that stomach pain I’ve been having off and on.” If any of the above seems to border on crossing the line between imagination and...
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