Prompted by the Telecare Soapbox: Complicity between UK telehealth commissioners and providers item in December and by the increasing overlap between devices that have health-related and ‘social alarm’ functions, Editor Steve has been researching the topic of medical devices and telecare/telehealth equipment but there seems to be almost no specific guidance available. Even sites which one would expect to discuss the topic (TSA, various consultancies and the UK’s MHRA, for example) are silent about it. [FRI: See document links update in comments]

The 24 page Telecare LIN March 2012 newsletter is out, with its usual comprehensive coverage of recent events and extensive list of links to news items such as: the recent King’s Fund International Congress on Telehealth and Telecare further updates… Read moreTelecare LIN March 2012 newsletter published (UK)

To disambiguate the headline, it’s evaluating jointly, not evaluating joint technology…GE Healthcare and Intel have announced the creation of an evaluation lab in Israel. It is located at the GE Healthcare premises in Tirat Carmel, close to the Intel R&D… Read moreGE Healthcare and Intel to establish companies' first joint technology evaluation laboratory in Israel

The following SeNd Technology press release is an excellent example of one that focuses on a positive user-oriented story. There is not a ‘market leader’, ‘cutting edge’ or any techno-babble in sight. The result is that it is a great… Read moreCarer who lied about time spent with elderly woman is clocked by telecare monitor (UK)

We do not normally bother with ‘we have a new customer’ press releases because they are usually full of puffery. However, when these three popped up on the same day it felt a little like good news: Red Alert Telecare/Telehealth… Read moreGood news Thursday (UK and US)

An item on the medtechinsider website by Andrew Parton, Joint Managing Director, of Hugo Technology manages to redefine both ‘telecare’ and ‘telehealthcare’ (as promulgated by Tunstall and adopted across the West Midlands, where Hugo Technology is based). At least he… Read moreChanges in practice ahead for medical device technicians (UK)

At a sponsor’s session at the Kings Fund Congress last week, a member of the Care Innovations team said that he did not regard their Guide as a telehealth device, more of a disease management tool. [Well, any company worth… Read moreIntel-GE Care Innovations Guide "not telehealth"

Several readers have asked me [Editor Steve] to substantiate by references to Government documents my assertion that the 2006-2008 Preventative Technology Grant (PTG) funding was “an addition to the baseline funding of councils with social services responsibilities” and that it therefore continues to the present in council funding, year-on-year. (3millionlives Plan D item).

Well, it is extremely difficult. Let me begin by telling you, dear reader, as it was told to me when I was contracted on project management work for the Department of Health (DH) in 2003-2005…

The winner of the Amazon voucher is Mark, of SeNCit, since his was the only comment! Friday March 9th is ‘Share Telecare Aware Day’! Use the ‘share’ buttons, or email a friend about one of the current home page items,… Read moreIt's Share Telecare Aware Day! (And the winner is…)