Have a seat, be calm.  The Wall Street Journal manages to publish an entire article about telehealth without once mentioning the name of a system (except for a vague reference to Intel).  Instead it’s a tale of insurers–Aetna, Humana, Wellpoint/Anthem, MetroPlus.  And the numbers are revealing:  MetroPlus, a NYC Medicaid and Medicare plan, estimates that a heart patient’s hospital stay is $6300 while their (unnamed) remote monitoring system is worth approximately $626 (and rented!)  Hospital 30-day readmissions:  40% may be avoidable (Aetna).   The numbers appear self-evident.  Yet…

It looked like something was up when TeleMedCare’s UK website address started redirecting to its parent Australian company site, and this item from Proactive Investors indicates what: Pharmaceutical and healthcare group Stirling Products has reported it proposes to acquire a… Read moreTeleMedCare trading under administration (Australia)

Here are two highly contrasting stories. In the first a woman’s life is saved by quick response to her pendant alarm call. Woman With Head Injury Uses Medical Alert System to Summon Aid. In the second, a woman survives despite… Read moreMedical (pendant) alarms: who's the lucky one?

As more information on Telefónica’s recent ‘global e-health’ announcement [here and here] is coming to light, the extent of its ambition to become the dominant e-health player in the countries in which it has networks is starting to sink in…. Read moreMore on Telefónica's telehealth and telecare ambitions

On Wednesday 14th July members of the London Telecare group debated the future of telecare services in London at a session sponsored by Cirrus. Three speakers presented their views on what will shape telecare in 2010 and beyond. They were:… Read moreCirrus/London Telecare event: 'The Future of Telecare' (UK)

We flagged up in February that changes were happening in the relationship between Age UK (ex Age Concern and Help the Aged – refresh your memory of the issues here) and Aid Call. Today’s announcement that the telecare operation [not… Read moreTynetec acquires Aid Call Healthcare (UK)

The latest battle for spectrum (the last in the US being non-digital TV) before the FCC (back in their other business) is now in the area of ‘short range health devices’ or BSN–body sensor networks to replace all those bedside cables.  According… Read moreGiants battle for spectrum rights: Boeing vs. GE, Philips, IBM (US)

The Charleston, West Virginia Gazette profiles a five-year old telemedicine/telehealth program centered in the Clarksburg, West Virginia VA Hospital.  95% of their patients live in rural areas, and many are WWII veterans who are now older and sicker than the general… Read moreW. Virginia VA demonstrates eHealth effectiveness

Part of the much-touted ‘National Broadband Plan’ to subsidize internet access for rural healthcare facilities, considered to be key to telehealth and mobile health, has run across an unexpected snag–underutilization.  The $400 million set aside would, under new proposed regulations, pay for… Read moreExpanded broadband subsidies for rural health proposed (US)