Medtral New Zealand has joined forces with Global Medical Conexions (GMCx) of California, creating a strategic alliance that is expected to open opportunities for client base expansion as well as the best priced medical travel options. While New Zealand is said to be an ideal choice for healthcare services, as it provides top-quality, affordable care, GMCx is at the forefront of the industry and thus well poised to bring such care to American patients.
Ronald Miles, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon, talked to me recently about Aspirus Wausau (WI) Hospital's strategy to expand its target area by participating in a domestic medical travel network. Aspirus Wausau is one of a handful of U.S. hospitals trying to compete for consumers using a value-based approach to medicine.
SingaporeMedicine has become more accessible to patients worldwide through its recent addition to Facebook. A government-industry partnership, the group's growing online presence is expected to help strengthen Singapore's reputation as a leading global healthcare destination. The country touts 13 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International, and is known for its exemplary medical services at a fraction of the cost of healthcare facilities elsewhere in the world.
Following unsuccessful renegotiation efforts, the Private Hospitals Association (PHA) in Jordan has opted to withdraw from an agreement with the country's Health Ministry as of October 1 that required association hospitals to provide discounted medical services to national health insurance beneficiaries. According to PHA leaders, hospitals are consistently reporting losses as a result of increasing operational costs and higher demand for medial services.
A Titusville woman's month-long vacation in India ultimately served two purposes when she took a break from sightseeing to visit Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, which is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The woman was able to get a wellness checkup that included diagnostic tests for her heart, cancer tests, and blood tests, all for what she estimates is a fraction of the cost she would have been charged in the United States.
ENSR's International Audit Protocol Consortium has joined forces with Citation Technologies to create a compliance assurance and regulatory research tool "IAPC Interactive."
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society will host its fourth Virtual Conference & Expo on Nov. 19-20 that features added education sessions, exclusive concurrent sessions, and opportunities to gain product knowledge and network, according to HIMSS representatives.
The emerging Nationwide Health Information Network was put through its paces on September 23 as live operations were demonstrated before a large audience at the Health and Human Services Department and via a Webcast. The demonstration involved records created for the test but stored in actual health systems. The exercise showed that a healthcare provider could easily use a Web browser to obtain basic records on a patient stored by another healthcare system. The next step is to prepare to go live by the end of the year, said Ginger Price, NHIN program coordinator at HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
At least three-quarters of all Internet users look for health information online, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Of those with a high-speed connection, 1 in 9 do health research on a typical day. And 75% of online patients with a chronic problem told the researchers that “their last health search affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition,” according to a Pew Report released in August. Reliance on the Internet is so prevalent, said the report’s author, Susannah Fox, the associate director at Pew, that "Google is the de facto second opinion" for patients seeking further information after a diagnosis.
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and the American Hospital Association want the DEA relax a proposed rule that would allow tightly monitored use of computer technology to electronically transmit prescriptions for controlled substances. "While the proposed rule doesn't affect a physician's ability to prescribe everyday non-controlled prescription drugs, it would create unnecessary burdens and workflow issues for physicians and pharmacists regarding controlled substances," said PCMA President & CEO Mark Merritt in a statement.
