As co-chair of the State Alliance for e-Health, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has been heavily involved in the health IT policy debate. He's also frustrated with the slow progress of technology adoption that's holding back gains in quality and efficiency (read "cost savings" from a governor's perspective). And Monday at the World Health Care Congress, he was not afraid to share his thoughts, as this short audio clip demonstrates. more»

I am delighted to tell you all about a brand new conference that THCB is putting on with Etude Scientific , in conjunction with the World Health Care Congress. more»

The Washington Convention Center was abuzz as nearly 2,000 health industry and policy wonks gathered for the 4th annual World Health Care Congress. The standard policy topics of cost, quality, and coverage were up for debate, along with competition, effectiveness, transparency, and, of course, reform. For comprehensive blogging on the event, check out the official World Health Care blog. Here are a few “snapshots” from yesterday’s speakers: more»

Millions of people - most of them children - die each year in developing countries from diseases that are preventable and treatable. Tragically, little research is done to prevent or cure some of the world’s biggest killers, such as malaria and tuberculosis. more»

Dr. Thomas J. McNulty, Chief Clinical Officer, Ancillary Care Management, Inc. (ACM) has been invited to join other national thought leaders from across the country in presenting at the 4th Annual World Health Care Congress. more»

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB: CVBT), today announced that it will host a panel discussion at the 2007 World Health Care Congress on Monday, April 23rd, at 10:00 a.m. The panel, titled “Cardiovascular Diseases - New Medical Therapies to Reduce Cost,” will be moderated by Daniel C. Montano, co-founder, co-president and CEO of CVBT. The World Health Care Congress will be held April 22-24 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. more»

Het huidige zorgstelsel kent te weinig prikkels voor de ontwikkeling van kwaliteit en innovatie. Door de nadruk op standaardisatie en kostenreductie worden gemiddelde prestaties overmatig beloond. Dat stelt het Strategy Center van de Nyenrode Business Universiteit. more»

A bill to ease federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research seems destined to die from an all-but-certain presidential veto, but supporters of the measure are envisioning alternate routes forward while lauding the progress they’ve made. more»

The first day of this week’s two-day conference on nanotechnology hosted by the National Academy of Sciences (Washington) included discussions of technological advances as well as the public perceptions faced by those who would do business in nanotechnology. more»

Two days after a deadline expired in a hostile bid to acquire it, Biosite’s (San Diego) board of directors said it will consider the possibility of an acquisition by new suitor Inverness Medical Innovations (IMI; Waltham, Massachusetts) and begin negotiations, after determining it is likely to lead to a superior proposal than its current offer from Beckman Coulter (BC; Fullerton, California). more»

Er moet een einde komen aan het “criminaliseren van verzorgingshuizen”. Dat vindt Tom Vroon, vice-voorzitter van het Bouwcollege. Hij pleit voor opheffing van de bouwstop op verzorgingshuizen. more»

The conference will convene CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation’s largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and leading government agencies. more»

De algemene ziekenhuizen kunnen gezamenlijk 100 tot 120 miljoen euro besparen door efficiënter beheer van hun werkkapitaal. Dit becijfert adviesbureau Roland Berger Strategy Consultants op basis van onderzoek onder een kwart van de ziekenhuizen. more»

Auf dem Kongresses versammeln sich vom 26. bis 28.3.2007 März über 500 Experten, darunter Gesundheitsminister und Regierungsmitglieder. Diskutiert werden Ansätze in der Telemedizin und eine ökonomische Behandlung chronisch Kranker. DocCheck TV war vor Ort und wird ausführlich berichten. more»

NHS chief executive, David Nicholson, has described the National Programme for Information Technology as “not fundamentally an IT programme, but a high quality enabler that will improve the way the NHS system operates.” more»

With Democrats winning control of the House and Senate, the election results are likely to shift momentum away from consumer-directed health plans, according to Allan Hubbard, assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council. more»

The Democratic Party’s move into power in the House and Senate last week may be significant more for what won’t happen as a result than what will. The Democrats are now in a key position to stall, alter or kill Republican-backed moves regarding Medicare, health savings accounts, specialty hospitals and stem-cell research. more»