The web-based TRICARE Assistance Program (TRIAP) uses web-based technologies to bring short-term professional counseling assistance closer to the people who often need it the most to include service members and veterans recently back from overseas.
From the security of their homes, or anywhere else, a service member with a computer, webcam and associated software can speak face-to-face with a licensed counselor over the internet at any time 24/7. Counselors give the returning service members an opportunity to discuss matters such as relationship issues, sleep disturbances, or readjustment difficulties from the comfort and security of their own homes. The counselor then determines if more specialized care is needed, and if so, the service member will be referred to a more comprehensive level of care. A referral or prior authorization is not needed to use the system.
Also, service members are helped after returning return from Iraq and Afghanistan if they have suffered life threatening injuries causing intense pain requiring the constant use of prescription medications. The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Pharmacoeconomic Research and the Milwaukee’s Columbia College of Nursing are studying a robotic device capable of dispensing the proper dose of oral prescription medications to soldiers suffering from TBI, PTSD, and other stressful conditions.
The study is looking at the use of an electronic medication management assistant or the EMMA delivery unit designed to remotely deliver, manage, and monitor a patient’s drug therapy. This delivery unit can help service members adhere to their medications in the outpatient setting under the guidance of a physician, nurse case manager, and pharmacist. EMMA was directed in development by Dr. Mary Anne Papp of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the system is manufactured by INRange Systems, Inc.
The study of the robotic device with $1.35 million in funding will be administered by TATRC as part of the Army Medical Research & Material Command located at Fort Detrick. The study will initially take place at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital in California and at the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital and Polytrauma Facility in Tampa Florida. If successful, the program many expand to include additional DOD sites.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Texas Investing in Innovation
The state of Texas is actively funding companies with innovative ideas. The state recently invested $600,000 in Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (CSI) to help the company manufacture their arterial disease treatment system called “Diamondback 360. The funding was made available through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF).
CSI has developed a minimally invasive catheter to treat peripheral artery disease. The device treats calcified and fibrotic plaque throughout the leg in small and large vessels and addresses many of the limitations associated with existing surgical, catheter, and pharmacological treatments. Since its launch in 2007, the device has been used to treat more than 15,000 patients at nearly 600 hospitals across the country.
The legislature created TEF in 2003 and re-appropriated funding in 2005, 2007, and 2009 to help ensure the growth of Texas businesses and to create more jobs in the state. To date, the TEF has invested more than $383 million and closed the deal on projects generating an estimated 56,000 new jobs and more than $14 billion in capital investment in the state.
The TEF has also invested more than $1 million in Azaya Therapeutics Inc. of San Antonio to develop their “Azaya Liposome Encapsulated Radiation Therapy” (ALERT) to treat cancerous tumors. ALERT uses liposomes, or tiny bubbles made of cell membrane material to deliver cancer therapy drugs through an injection directly to a tumor.
Current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation do not focus specifically on cancer cells, and are therefore often detrimental to the overall health of a patient. ALERT solves this problem by focusing drug therapy on a specific cancerous tumor, and thereby improving the outcome and safety of oncology treatments. ALERT will be used as a post surgery treatment for several types of tumors and potentially treat a variety of cancers including prostate, breast, rectal, head, and neck.
In the university sector, the state Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) is investing $5 million to expand and recruit researchers for the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s College of Medicine’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
“Commercialization of adult stem cell research will provide solutions for Texans suffering from various tissue and organ disorders while protecting the unborn from exploitation,” Texas Governor Rick Perry said. “This investment will promote innovation and commercialization in the evolving biotechnology sector and attract top researchers and outside investment to the Institute.
Initial research has shown that regenerative medicine has the ability to improve quality of treatment and to decrease healthcare costs by replacing or repairing the malfunctioning tissues rather than treating them with therapies such dialysis, implanting replacement devices, or transplanting organs.
More than 70 researchers have been recruited from Tulane University to come to Texas through the ETF award. In addition, the ETF award will recruit additional members to the research team to commercialize 20 existing patient applications including five issued patents for regenerative technology. These researchers will have the opportunity to continue to work on identifying new commercialization opportunities.
The ETF is also investing $3 million in the Patton Surgical Corporation to commercialize their PassPort double shielded trocar device for use in laparoscopic surgeries. Trocars are used to insert instruments into the abdominal cavity during a laparoscopic surgery, and the PassPort device makes laparoscopic surgery even less invasive. The device also has several structural designs that allow adaption for use by different surgeons.
Patton Surgical is partnering with the University of Texas, Austin Department of Biomedical Engineering and the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston for further development and commercialization of the device.
CSI has developed a minimally invasive catheter to treat peripheral artery disease. The device treats calcified and fibrotic plaque throughout the leg in small and large vessels and addresses many of the limitations associated with existing surgical, catheter, and pharmacological treatments. Since its launch in 2007, the device has been used to treat more than 15,000 patients at nearly 600 hospitals across the country.
The legislature created TEF in 2003 and re-appropriated funding in 2005, 2007, and 2009 to help ensure the growth of Texas businesses and to create more jobs in the state. To date, the TEF has invested more than $383 million and closed the deal on projects generating an estimated 56,000 new jobs and more than $14 billion in capital investment in the state.
The TEF has also invested more than $1 million in Azaya Therapeutics Inc. of San Antonio to develop their “Azaya Liposome Encapsulated Radiation Therapy” (ALERT) to treat cancerous tumors. ALERT uses liposomes, or tiny bubbles made of cell membrane material to deliver cancer therapy drugs through an injection directly to a tumor.
Current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation do not focus specifically on cancer cells, and are therefore often detrimental to the overall health of a patient. ALERT solves this problem by focusing drug therapy on a specific cancerous tumor, and thereby improving the outcome and safety of oncology treatments. ALERT will be used as a post surgery treatment for several types of tumors and potentially treat a variety of cancers including prostate, breast, rectal, head, and neck.
In the university sector, the state Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) is investing $5 million to expand and recruit researchers for the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s College of Medicine’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
“Commercialization of adult stem cell research will provide solutions for Texans suffering from various tissue and organ disorders while protecting the unborn from exploitation,” Texas Governor Rick Perry said. “This investment will promote innovation and commercialization in the evolving biotechnology sector and attract top researchers and outside investment to the Institute.
Initial research has shown that regenerative medicine has the ability to improve quality of treatment and to decrease healthcare costs by replacing or repairing the malfunctioning tissues rather than treating them with therapies such dialysis, implanting replacement devices, or transplanting organs.
More than 70 researchers have been recruited from Tulane University to come to Texas through the ETF award. In addition, the ETF award will recruit additional members to the research team to commercialize 20 existing patient applications including five issued patents for regenerative technology. These researchers will have the opportunity to continue to work on identifying new commercialization opportunities.
The ETF is also investing $3 million in the Patton Surgical Corporation to commercialize their PassPort double shielded trocar device for use in laparoscopic surgeries. Trocars are used to insert instruments into the abdominal cavity during a laparoscopic surgery, and the PassPort device makes laparoscopic surgery even less invasive. The device also has several structural designs that allow adaption for use by different surgeons.
Patton Surgical is partnering with the University of Texas, Austin Department of Biomedical Engineering and the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston for further development and commercialization of the device.
Access to Physicians Notes
Patients and consumers across the country are voicing a growing interest in having more control over their own medical care. Geisinger Health System is a participant in a new study to examine the impact of adding a new layer of openness so that patients will have access to the notes from their doctor visits. Patients do have the legal right to obtain their paper records, which usually includes notes, but very often they have to wait to get copies and must pay a fee. Online access would be quick, easy, and free.
The Journal of General Internal Medicine reports that consumers want full access to all of their medical records and they are willing to make some privacy concessions in the interest of making their medical records completely transparent.
The 12-month OpenNotes © Project is being funded by a $1.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Pioneer Portfolio. The project will bring together 100 primary care doctors and 25,000 patients to evaluate the impact on both patients and physicians when sharing the comments and observations made by physicians after each patient encounter.
The study is being led by Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and includes primary care physicians and patients at Geisinger and at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Researchers hope to learn whether the increased transparency will increase patient-physician trust and communications and whether it will help patients to manage their own care better.
By early next year, the Geisinger team hopes to provide several thousand patients who use the “MyGeisinger” web portal with online access to their primary care physician’s notes. Patients will receive reminder e-mails that the notes are accessible. By contrasting the experience of trial participants with non-enrolled physicians and patients, the researchers hope to measure the impact access to the notes has on patients’ engagement in their care.
According to Jonathan Darer, M.D., Geisinger’s lead investigator on the project, patients generally retain only a portion of the information that is exchanged with their doctor. While some doctors have been quick to sign up, others are more pragmatic and worry that the notes could be misinterpreted and create more communication issues than they solve.
The Journal of General Internal Medicine reports that consumers want full access to all of their medical records and they are willing to make some privacy concessions in the interest of making their medical records completely transparent.
The 12-month OpenNotes © Project is being funded by a $1.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Pioneer Portfolio. The project will bring together 100 primary care doctors and 25,000 patients to evaluate the impact on both patients and physicians when sharing the comments and observations made by physicians after each patient encounter.
The study is being led by Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and includes primary care physicians and patients at Geisinger and at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Researchers hope to learn whether the increased transparency will increase patient-physician trust and communications and whether it will help patients to manage their own care better.
By early next year, the Geisinger team hopes to provide several thousand patients who use the “MyGeisinger” web portal with online access to their primary care physician’s notes. Patients will receive reminder e-mails that the notes are accessible. By contrasting the experience of trial participants with non-enrolled physicians and patients, the researchers hope to measure the impact access to the notes has on patients’ engagement in their care.
According to Jonathan Darer, M.D., Geisinger’s lead investigator on the project, patients generally retain only a portion of the information that is exchanged with their doctor. While some doctors have been quick to sign up, others are more pragmatic and worry that the notes could be misinterpreted and create more communication issues than they solve.
Patent Bank Web Portal Launched
A new web portal called the “New Jersey Patent Bank” is designed to spur innovation in the state and to foster technology transfer between the state’s academic and business communities. The Patent Bank is a user-generated central clearinghouse for the state’s patented technologies. Users can post any patent that is licensed or unlicensed in the state to market their intellectual property as well as search for patents that match individual or business needs.
In addition to highlighting the state’s cutting-edge research and technologies and encouraging technology transfer between the academic and business communities, the Patent Bank is designed to help new technologies find their way to commercial markets. As innovations are developed, they can provide societal benefits by making health and life quality improvements available to the public.
“Governor Corzine’s Economic Growth Strategy places a high priority on encouraging innovations,” said Jerry Zaro, Chief of the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth. “In addition to supporting economic growth in the state, the Patent Bank will create a potential source of revenue for the state’s inventors and universities.
The Patent Bank was created by the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth, the State of New Jersey’s Office of Information Technology, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Commission on Science & Technology.
For more information, go to www.njpatentbank.com.
In addition to highlighting the state’s cutting-edge research and technologies and encouraging technology transfer between the academic and business communities, the Patent Bank is designed to help new technologies find their way to commercial markets. As innovations are developed, they can provide societal benefits by making health and life quality improvements available to the public.
“Governor Corzine’s Economic Growth Strategy places a high priority on encouraging innovations,” said Jerry Zaro, Chief of the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth. “In addition to supporting economic growth in the state, the Patent Bank will create a potential source of revenue for the state’s inventors and universities.
The Patent Bank was created by the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth, the State of New Jersey’s Office of Information Technology, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Commission on Science & Technology.
For more information, go to www.njpatentbank.com.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Targeting DOD Opportunities
How companies can best approach the military with hot technologies was discussed by Dave D. Hood, President DH3 and Associates at the AdvaMed2009 Conference held in Washington D.C. October 12-14, 2009 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The military at present is targeting specific areas such as infectious diseases, combat casualty care, military operational medicine research, medical chemical and biological defense research, and regenerative medicine to help with vision restoration, pain management, and prosthetics.
According to Hood, one of the first places to start targeting ideas is to go to http://defensesolutions.gov where it is possible for innovative companies, entrepreneurs, and research organizations to propose potential solutions new products, services, prototypes, and concepts to DOD. DOD is constantly reviewing ideas and if DOD is interested, companies will be invited to submit a white paper.
As Hood pointed out, TATRC at Fort Detrick Maryland and other laboratories are good places for the medical community to look for opportunities. TATRC is developing product lines and core competencies in medical robotics, health IT, imaging, advanced prosthetics, computational biology, simulation, and in other areas.
Another viable program is the Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative (FDTTI). The program provides awards to small businesses to support technology development projects. Emphasis is on developing those technologies that meet the medical needs of the Army as well as the commercialization of technologies developed at research laboratories at Fort Detrick.
FDTTI, companies can apply for and receive awards for up to $50,000 for eligible projects. Since the initiative was launched in 2005, 16 companies have received awards totaling $800,000
Also the Congressionally Directed Medical Research (CDMR) overall program looks for funding opportunities to find solutions to advance the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of military relevant psychological health issues and TBI. The funding is focused on innovative projects that can make a significant near-term impact on helping soldiers, veterans, families, caregivers, and communities.
Within CDMR, the Advanced Technology Therapeutic Development program is supporting promising new products, pharmacologic agents, behavioral interventions, devices, clinical guidance, emerging technologies, along with the possible integration of informatics and advanced computational research to better understand the intersection of psychological health and TBI.
Small businesses need to target products or services to the right government places and offices. In other words, treat the Government like a customer. For example, it is important to know what the Army Medical Command Health Care Acquisition Activity specifically buys in the area of direct healthcare and ancillary healthcare services.
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) buys through the Medical Research Acquisition Activity and conducts programs in medical research, materiel development, medical logistics, medical information systems, and other new technologies. The USAMRMC is involved in basic research in the lab, interested in innovative product acquisition, and interested in the life cycle management of medical equipment and providing supplies for deploying units.
Hood recommends small companies to look into the SBIR and the STTR programs. DOD’s SBIR program funds early stage R&D projects at small technical companies where DOD has a need and there is a potential for commercialization. The DOD part of the SBIR program was funded at $1.23 billion in FY 09. The STTR program is a companion program and only differs in that the work must be performed by a small business in collaboration with nonprofit research organizations.
For a successful example, Ascension Technology Corporation through help from the DARPA SBIR program has produced a commercial medical system called 3D Guidance that can simultaneously track up to eight low cost disposable sensors. The technology is able to measure the position and orientation of each sensor in the patient and then is able to generate data for 3D visualization. Medical device manufacturers have an interest in this technology to be used in minimally invasive and image-guided products.
For more information, go to www.mrmc.smallbusopps.army.mil. For more information on the conference, go to www.advaMed2009.com.
According to Hood, one of the first places to start targeting ideas is to go to http://defensesolutions.gov where it is possible for innovative companies, entrepreneurs, and research organizations to propose potential solutions new products, services, prototypes, and concepts to DOD. DOD is constantly reviewing ideas and if DOD is interested, companies will be invited to submit a white paper.
As Hood pointed out, TATRC at Fort Detrick Maryland and other laboratories are good places for the medical community to look for opportunities. TATRC is developing product lines and core competencies in medical robotics, health IT, imaging, advanced prosthetics, computational biology, simulation, and in other areas.
Another viable program is the Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative (FDTTI). The program provides awards to small businesses to support technology development projects. Emphasis is on developing those technologies that meet the medical needs of the Army as well as the commercialization of technologies developed at research laboratories at Fort Detrick.
FDTTI, companies can apply for and receive awards for up to $50,000 for eligible projects. Since the initiative was launched in 2005, 16 companies have received awards totaling $800,000
Also the Congressionally Directed Medical Research (CDMR) overall program looks for funding opportunities to find solutions to advance the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of military relevant psychological health issues and TBI. The funding is focused on innovative projects that can make a significant near-term impact on helping soldiers, veterans, families, caregivers, and communities.
Within CDMR, the Advanced Technology Therapeutic Development program is supporting promising new products, pharmacologic agents, behavioral interventions, devices, clinical guidance, emerging technologies, along with the possible integration of informatics and advanced computational research to better understand the intersection of psychological health and TBI.
Small businesses need to target products or services to the right government places and offices. In other words, treat the Government like a customer. For example, it is important to know what the Army Medical Command Health Care Acquisition Activity specifically buys in the area of direct healthcare and ancillary healthcare services.
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) buys through the Medical Research Acquisition Activity and conducts programs in medical research, materiel development, medical logistics, medical information systems, and other new technologies. The USAMRMC is involved in basic research in the lab, interested in innovative product acquisition, and interested in the life cycle management of medical equipment and providing supplies for deploying units.
Hood recommends small companies to look into the SBIR and the STTR programs. DOD’s SBIR program funds early stage R&D projects at small technical companies where DOD has a need and there is a potential for commercialization. The DOD part of the SBIR program was funded at $1.23 billion in FY 09. The STTR program is a companion program and only differs in that the work must be performed by a small business in collaboration with nonprofit research organizations.
For a successful example, Ascension Technology Corporation through help from the DARPA SBIR program has produced a commercial medical system called 3D Guidance that can simultaneously track up to eight low cost disposable sensors. The technology is able to measure the position and orientation of each sensor in the patient and then is able to generate data for 3D visualization. Medical device manufacturers have an interest in this technology to be used in minimally invasive and image-guided products.
For more information, go to www.mrmc.smallbusopps.army.mil. For more information on the conference, go to www.advaMed2009.com.
NIH Seeks Ideas
NIH’s Clinical Center Pharmacy Department is conducting a market survey to use for planning purposes to look for ideas from small businesses to determine their availability and technical capabilities to provide a dispensing system for outpatient/take-home medications. This “Sources Sought Synopsis” was published October 16th and is not considered a Request for Proposal nor will a purchase order or contract be awarded based on this announcement.
The equipment is needed for the pharmacy that fills approximately 400 prescriptions per day. The dispensing system needs to have an information system that includes workflow management features with a dispensing robot plus devices to support dispensing medications not filled by the robot. The system must be able to be interfaced to Eclipsys’ Sunrise Acute Care 5.0 (SAC) to allow medication orders entered in SAC to transfer to the outpatient system.
The system must be able to handle entry of medications not contained in the usual drug databases. The system also needs to produce container labels, auxiliary labels, and patient information sheets. The system needs to be able to refill medication request via interactive voice response or web-based technology and be able to record dispensing medications when picked up by the patient.
The response date for the information is October 30, 2009. For more information, email Ann G. Argaman, Contract Specialist, at ann.argaman@nih.gov, call (301) 594-5919, or go to www.fbo.gov.
The equipment is needed for the pharmacy that fills approximately 400 prescriptions per day. The dispensing system needs to have an information system that includes workflow management features with a dispensing robot plus devices to support dispensing medications not filled by the robot. The system must be able to be interfaced to Eclipsys’ Sunrise Acute Care 5.0 (SAC) to allow medication orders entered in SAC to transfer to the outpatient system.
The system must be able to handle entry of medications not contained in the usual drug databases. The system also needs to produce container labels, auxiliary labels, and patient information sheets. The system needs to be able to refill medication request via interactive voice response or web-based technology and be able to record dispensing medications when picked up by the patient.
The response date for the information is October 30, 2009. For more information, email Ann G. Argaman, Contract Specialist, at ann.argaman@nih.gov, call (301) 594-5919, or go to www.fbo.gov.
CalRHIO's First Site Goes Live
The first site in CalRHIO’s statewide health information exchange system went live in Orange County at Coastal Communities Hospital. As a result of collaboration between CalRHIO and the local HIE effort; the Orange County Partnership Regional Health Information Organization’s (OCPRHIO) 23 hospital emergency departments will have secure electronic access to critical medical information over the next five months.
Initially data will be provided on 380,000 patients enrolled in CalOptima, covering people in Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Healthy Kids. During 2010, more data sources will be added to include prescription histories, laboratory results, and additional clinical claims information. Additional Orange County providers will have access to the data as well in support of OCPRHIO and State of California strategic plans.
“The launch demonstrates how communities can affordably and efficiently bring the benefits of electronic health information exchange to their residents. While we are starting with emergency departments, CalRHIO will also bring patient data to physician offices and clinics around the state”, said Molly Coye, MD, MPH, CalRHIO’s President and CEO.
“Our physicians and nurses are very excited about having this new source of information”, said Nova Stewart, OCPRHIO Chair and Chief Information Officer for Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc. She continues to report that four integrated Healthcare Holdings hospitals will be among the first to use the new HIE system along with Coastal Communities Hospital, Western Medical Center Anaheim, Western Medical Center Santa Ana, and Chapman Medical Center.
Initially data will be provided on 380,000 patients enrolled in CalOptima, covering people in Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Healthy Kids. During 2010, more data sources will be added to include prescription histories, laboratory results, and additional clinical claims information. Additional Orange County providers will have access to the data as well in support of OCPRHIO and State of California strategic plans.
“The launch demonstrates how communities can affordably and efficiently bring the benefits of electronic health information exchange to their residents. While we are starting with emergency departments, CalRHIO will also bring patient data to physician offices and clinics around the state”, said Molly Coye, MD, MPH, CalRHIO’s President and CEO.
“Our physicians and nurses are very excited about having this new source of information”, said Nova Stewart, OCPRHIO Chair and Chief Information Officer for Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc. She continues to report that four integrated Healthcare Holdings hospitals will be among the first to use the new HIE system along with Coastal Communities Hospital, Western Medical Center Anaheim, Western Medical Center Santa Ana, and Chapman Medical Center.
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