Broadband and mobile internet access is spreading to more Americans, making them more likely to access health information whenever and wherever they need it. The always-on, always-with-you internet enhances people's online experience and creates a positive feedback loop, reinforcing their interest in using the internet to gather and share information. And yet, those who are online have a trump card. They have each other. Pew Internet’s research finds that having a chronic disease increases the probability that an internet user will share what they know and learn from their peers. They unearth nuggets of information. They blog. They participate in online discussions. And they just keep going.

(Source: Pew Internet Research Center)

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Pew Internet Research Center

Canada is seeing e-health gains in the area of medication, with an estimated $436 million in cost savings and efficiencies this year, a report released Wednesday says. Drug information systems, which are hooked up now mainly in the western provinces and Prince Edward Island and to a lesser extent elsewhere, allow pharmacists and health-care providers to electronically access records of a patient's prescription medications. And they provide a full and accurate medication history so that potential drug interactions or allergies can be caught before they happen. The $436-million tally and report were compiled by Deloitte for Canada Health Infoway, a federally funded organization that was founded in 2001 and charged with helping provinces and territories to adopt electronic health-record projects.

"We expect that number to increase over time as drug information systems are more widely used in the country, and we get more experienced with their use," said Jennifer Zelmer, senior vice-president of clinical adoption and innovation at Infoway.

(Source: CBC)

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CBC

Countries all over the world are facing manifold challenges regarding their healthcare delivery. Due to limited budgets and increasing demand for high-quality healthcare services, new cost-efficient, reliable and interconnected systems need to be developed. E-health can make a significant contribution to ensure high-quality, sustainable healthcare systems. The Global E-Health Forum, which will take place on October 25 + 26, 2010 in Hamburg, Germany, will address these challenges.

The primary aim of the organizers of the Global E-Health Forum, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, IBM and the European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL), is to provide a cross-sector forum for representatives from hospitals and clinics, governments, health insurance organizations, service providers and the media. Policymakers, users, suppliers and implementation managers will have the opportunity to learn from each other and to develop collaborative working relationships.

(Source: Global E-Health Forum)

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Global E-Health Forum

ICT For Health Projects Exhibiting

27 September 2010 - 29 September 2010 Brussels, Belgium

The ICT for Health projects present at the ICT2010 conference. CD-Medics, Epilepsiae, HeartCycle, Hamam and Oldes will be exhibiting. Three eHealth related networking sessions will also take place on the following topics: Patient empowerment, EU-ASEAN Cooperation opportunities and Low-cost Imaging Technologies for Healthcare.

(Source: Europe's Information Society)

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Europe's Information Society  

The 12th International Conference on e-Health Networking, Application & Services aims to bring together interested parties from around the world working in the healthcare field to exchange ideas, to discuss innovative and emerging solutions and to develop collaborations. Participants include clinicians, hospital administrators, IT professionals, researchers, educators, healthcare solutions vendors, and consultants. It will also offer an important forum for discussions on e-Health projects supported by world bodies such as ITU, WHO and the EU, including FP6 and FP7 European projects.

(Source: IEEE Communications Society)

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IEEE Communications Society

At the eighth Ministerial eHealth Conference in Barcelona today, EU ministers have outlined a joint vision and policy priorities on how to make eHealth more accessible, interactive and customised to patients. The Declaration outlines a vision and identifies key objectives to be achieved in the next ten years.

The Declaration calls for policy coordination amongst the various areas where eHealth can have an impact on citizens' health in order to enhance benefits for patients, healthcare systems and society. It recognises the need for stronger synergies with policy areas like competitiveness, research and regional development both at European and national levels.

(Source: Europe's Information Society)

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Europe's Information Society

From 15 to 18 March 2010 the Ministry of Health of Spain and the Regional Government of Catalonia in cooperation with the European Commission are organizing a ministerial Conference in Barcelona. It will co-locate with the World of Health IT conference. High-level eHealth conferences organised by the presiding countries since 2003 represent important annual milestones in this specific field. Spain therefore will carry on the tradition and host this Conference in Barcelona as a part of its presidency in the first half of 2010.

A platform will be provided to encourage the development of on-line health services in Europe. The politicians, health administrators, researchers and suppliers, along with health professionals, are meeting to share their experiences and to discover what is new in this fast-evolving area.

(Source: Europe's Information Society)

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European Comission

The 'Health-e-Space' website has gone online in Moray, Scotland, aiming to encourage individuals to play an active role in personal health matters by providing them with a series of online tools and information.

The website allows anybody living in Moray to become a member and to obtain local health information, links to recommended websites and suggestions on how to live with health conditions. Its sister website, the 'Health-e-Space Community', serves as a social networking platform for people to share their health concerns and experiences among them in the Moray area.

(Source: eGov Monitor)

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eGov Monitor

For the first time, the Ministerial High Level Conference on eHealth and the World Health IT Conference and Exhibition are being held in the same week in a joint initiative called “e-Health Week 2010”, the most prestigious event in the European eHealth sector. Barcelona International Conventions Centre (CCIB) will open its doors from March 15 to 18 to receive the European meeting most attended by the healthcare sector interest groups.

March 15 will see the start of the High Level eHealth Conference, an E.U. event organised by the Spanish Presidency of the E.U., the European Commission, the Government of Catalonia and the TicSalut Foundation. The conference is presented under the motto of “eHealth for sustainable healthcare: global changes through local actions”

(Source: eHealth Week)

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eHealth Week

ISO will develop a technical report (TR) to help emerging and developing countries implement a solid and internationally harmonized health informatics system. The report will present information in an accessible way to guide and facilitate the adoption of relevant International Standards by countries with limited resources and infrastructure.

International Standards can help by providing globally harmonized specifications for establishing the architectural framework used to design eHealth systems, plan implementation, make build-or-buy decisions, decide on acquisitions and undertake related activities.

(Source: ISO)

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ISO  

Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said.

Lack of broadband Internet access deprives countries of the possibility of building up offshoring industries, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report late on Thursday. It also prevents people from tapping into all the advantages of mobile phones, whose use is exploding in poor countries. "What is known as the broadband gap for example is becoming a serious handicap for companies in many poor countries," he told a briefing to launch UNCTAD's Information Economy Report.

(Source: Reuters)

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Reuters  

Privacy and security are foundational to health care reform. Patients will trust electronic health care records only if they believe their confidentiality is protected via good security.

As vice chairman of the federal Healthcare Information Technology Standards Committee, I have been on the front lines in the debate over the standards and implementation guidance needed to support the exchange of health care information. Over the past few months, I've learned a great deal from the committee's privacy and security workgroup.

(Source: ComputerWorld)

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ComputerWorld

The clock is ticking, people are dying and a flu virus is sweeping the globe -- that is the scenario of a new computer game designed to make people think about how to respond to the swine flu pandemic. In "The Great Flu", players must choose whether or not to stockpile anti-viral drugs and deploy research teams to new areas of outbreak as the number of infections and deaths rises and more countries are affected.

"The game is very realistic and has an educational value. It informs people how the virus spreads, what the flu is and on the ways to fight the pandemic."

(Source: AFP)

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AFP

A mobile phone-based health project is helping the Peruvian military to keep disease at bay. The initiative, dubbed Alerta DISAMAR, has allowed doctors in the navy to report disease outbreaks and ask for help with treatment. The scheme was set up following the deaths of two Peruvian sailors in 2001 from malaria and is part of a wider mHealth project by the United Nations-Vodafone Foundation. Since it was set up in 2003 it has provided invaluable information for epidemiologists and enabled them to track the spread of diseases. It is also a useful way of gathering statistics on disease for health planning. To date, over 80,000 cases have been reported - everything from snakebites to yellow fever.

Source: BBC

Read full Report: here

Experts on information and communication technology (ICT) from the United Nations, private industry, non-governmental organizations and government agencies have met in Geneva to look at ways to use the latest digital innovations to fight poverty and improve public health.

“The objective is to introduce cutting-edge, innovative knowledge, experiences, expertise and best practices” to the work of the UN, and the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development in particular, according to the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), which organized the one-day meeting. “New technologies can boost education through distance learning, content creation and delivery, and teacher training,” GAID noted in a news release. “They can help create new job opportunities for people living in poverty. These technologies can also empower women and the disadvantaged to increase their access to information and participate in the economy.”

The Alliance also noted that advances in health information systems based on ICT are improving patients care and healthcare providers’ productivity worldwide. However, developing countries lag behind in employing ICT to these ends. “While diseases in developing countries account for over 90 per cent of the global disease burden, it is estimated that only 10 per cent of the more than $100 billion spent annually on health research is allocated for health problems prevalent in these countries,” it stated.

Source: UNESCO

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A UK man successfully delivered his baby boy by following instructions on a YouTube video. Marc Stephens had the foresight to watch the videos a few hours ahead of time, however his skills would be called upon as his wife went into labour before the ambulance arrived.

Mr Stephens told the BBC, "I Googled how to deliver a baby, watched a few videos and basically swotted up".

(Source: BBC)

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BBC Website

"Digital technologies, or Information and Communications Technologies as they are commonly known, offer massive opportunities: Innovation and technology are "the backbone of the modern economy," says Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the deputy leader of the Government in the Senate.

As part of the Government of Australia's efforts at reducing carbon emissions by 2020, the energy sector providers plan to use broadband to improve the way they monitor and manage power distribution. Using broadband to connect power consumers with power generators will allow them to harness means of distribution in a more efficient and reliable manner. Smart grids connected by broadband will also raise the potential to not only monitor energy use but to allow remote adjustment of lights or temperature. This implies the very real possibility of significant carbon emission reductions for the country. 

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ITU is pleased to announce the launch of its 2009 Cybersecurity and ICT Applications Essay Competition.

The 2009 ITU Cybersecurity and ICT Applications Essay Competition is open to current students and recent graduates in economics, political science, law, literature, telecommunications, computer science, information systems and related fields between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. The winners of the 2009 Essay Competition will be offered the opportunity of a consultancy contract within the ITU Development Sector's ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Division for three months. The winners will be given a contribution towards the cost of an economy class flight from their place of residence. In addition, they will be paid the sum of CHF 6000 towards living expenses for the duration of the contract.

To enter the competition you need to submit an essay on one of the following essay topics:

• Mobiles for Development: Enabling Low-Cost e-Applications for Rural and Remote Areas (e-Health, e-Government, e-Environment)
• Protecting Children and Youth in the Internet and Mobile Age: Innovative Technical and Social Solutions
• Connecting the World Responsibly: Empowering Women and Girls Through Creative Uses of ICTs
• Personal Information Online (internet/mobiles): Responding to User Safety Concerns

All applications should be submitted online through the competition website.

The deadline for applications is 14 June 2009.

We look forward to reviewing your applications and wish you the best of luck in the competition!

According to an article on The Citizen (Dar es Salaam) on 10 May 2008, toll-free mobile services are on its way to selected remote areas in Africa aiming to save lives by connecting people with emergency medical cases to health personnel. Under the initiative launched in Nairobi on Wednesday, health workers will also be trained through mobile phone sessions on day to day skills like collecting and sharing basic household health information.

Telecommunication equipment provider Ericsson and mobile phone service provider Zain have entered into a partnership that will ensure they provide network access, mobile phone handsets, sim cards and toll-free emergency numbers in remote areas in order to stimulate demand for cellular phone solutions in those areas. The initiative is being rolled out in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. In Kenya, Ericsson and Zain subsidiary, Celtel, are rolling out a pilot programme in North Garissa in Dertu village targeting some 5,200 inhabitants.

According to the President of Ericsson, Mr Carl-Henri Svanberge, the partnership also includes the Earth Institute and will benefit 400,000 people in Africa. "The partnership will provide the development of a comprehensive voice to data coverage and a telecommunication strategy in the villages to drive up mobile connectivity," said Mr Svanberge. The phones will use solar charges which according to Ericsson are capable of charging 30 mobile phones a day.

According to a press release of the European Commission, published on 25 April, a pan-European survey on electronic services in healthcare (eHealth) shows that 87% of European doctors (General Practitioners) use a computer, 48% with a broadband connection. The survey shows that there are considerable differences between the countries, with broadband penetration ranging from 93% in Finland to 5% in Romania. An increasing number of doctors in Europe store and send patients' data such as lab reports electronically.

In using such eHealth applications, doctors and medical services have already improved healthcare in Europe through, for instance, more efficient administration and shorter waiting times for patients. According to the report, a majority of European doctors agree that information and communication technologies (ICTs) improve the quality of healthcare services that they provide.

Doctors not using ICT mention a lack of training and technical support as major barriers. In order to increase the use of eHealth, they ask for more ICT in medical education, more training and better electronic networking among healthcare practitioners that are willing to share clinical information. The report also highlights where doctors could make better use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to offer services such as telemonitoring, electronic prescriptions and cross border medical services.

For more information, click here.

The 6th "Med-e-Tel Conference and Exhibition" took place on 16 -18 April 2008 in Luxembourg with about 450 participants from over 50 countries. Med-e-Tel focuses on eHealth and telemedicine applications and a wide range of other medical information and communication technology (ICT) applications and on the convergence of ICT with medical applications, which lead to higher quality of care, cost reductions, workflow efficiency, and widespread availability of healthcare services. Abstracts and presentations of annual events are soon available on the organizer's website.

The ITU/MIC Kyoto Symposium on ICTs and Climate Change closed 16 April with agreement that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) should play a significant role in the global efforts to combat climate change. The Symposium had six substantive sessions, including:

• Climate change: ICTs to the rescue?
• Corporate responsibility: Towards a climate-neutral ICT sector
• ICTs for monitoring climate change
• ICTs as a clean technology
• Towards a high bandwidth, low carbon future
• Adapting to climate change

A number of actions were recommended for ITU such as assisting countries, in particular developing ones, to raise awareness on how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help adapting and mitigating to climate change. Specific areas mentioned are, among others, strengthening the capacity of developing countries to use ICTs for sustainable development, disaster and emergency preparedness, actions on food insecurity, use of remote sensing, assistance to rural communities and coordinated action to assist the most vulnerable countries. Experts also recognized that each country should consider promoting the use of ICT applications for government services (e-Government) from national to local levels, as well as reducing the emission of greenhouse gases through environmentally friendly use of ICTs in other sectors such as public health, education, business and employment.

More information on the Symposium is available in the chairman’s report, the meeting summary and the ITU background report. Presentations from this event can be viewed here. The chairman’s report will be forwarded to upcoming meetings of the World Economic Forum, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ministerial meeting in the Republic of Korea, the G8 meeting in Japan and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The second ITU symposium on ICTs and climate change, will be held 17-18 June in London, hosted by BT. The London event will also be broadcast as a live Webinar. To register online at this event, see here.

The Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) today launched the project of "1000 Telemedicine Units for Africa". This eHealth initiative aims to support financing telemedicine units in Africa as well as to enable health professionals to obtain continuing education. The project consists of equipping district hospitals with diagnostic tools and internet connectivity to enable real-time or deferred exchanges with experts at a distance and to update medical knowledge of health professionals through e-Learning tools.

To date, DSF partners in this project are the Network of French-speaking Africa for Telemedicine (RAFT) of the University Hospitals of Geneva and the Africa Health Infoway (AHI) of the World Health Organization.

For more information on DSF, click here.

FCW.com reports that "foreign hackers, primarily from Russia and China, are increasingly seeking to steal Americans’ health care records, according to a Department of Homeland Security analyst." Two cases of intrusions to the health care systems' servers have been recorded in the past year which alarmed security officials. In early 2007, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site was infected with a virus, and in April, a Military Health System server holding Tricare records was hacked. Mark Walker, who works in DHS’ Critical Infrastructure Protection Division, said the hackers are seeking to exfiltrate health care data probably for espionage. DHS is increasing its analysis staff to monitor threats in several industries, including health care, and will be issuing more alerts about cyberthreats to health care data, he said. He added further that DHS wants to build a database of health information system intrusions so it can better analyze the threats and develop countermeasures.

More on this report here.

ITU, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, is hosting a workshop on 28-30 November 2007 entitled ITU Regional Workshop on ICT Applications for Rural Communication Development. The workshop is held in Bali, Indonesia.

The description of the event, draft agenda, invitation letter, and practical information for meeting participants are available on the event website.