drneelesh

Quantros looks at improving health care quality in Bangalore / India

drneelesh — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:15:42 +0000

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

“FIRST , Do No Harm”- Hippocratic oath.

Fatal medical errors in health care services are much commoner than generally believed.

The number of years of potential life lost from potential medication errors is greater than the number of years of potential life lost from all accidents combined, including falls and drowning! A recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine showed that deaths due to medical errors are increasing exponentially, with increase of fatal medical errors by 360% over 2 decades. So much so, that doctors are discussing the best ways to disclose fully and in clear language, any possibilities of medical errors. Dr. Sanjaya Kumar’ is a Medical informatics and healthcare technology expert bringing message of patient safety and quality to Bangalore hospitals. His mission is his passion- working to make healthcare safer worldwide, and promoting hospital safety. Widespread use of HCIT is important to improve quality of care delivered and reduce medical errors.

Dr. Sanjaya Kumar, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Quantros, Inc., along with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom shall visit Bangalore during Late November as part of a San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Initiative.

Kumar founded Quantros, Inc., a web-based SaaS vendor that provides software and services to healthcare organizations in the areas of patient safety, quality, risk management, performance improvement, accreditation and compliance, real-time surveillance and centralized business and clinical decision support solutions.

And Kumar is not alone in this mission. As a mentor to Kumar, a board member of Quantros and a founding director of the San Francisco-Bangalore alliance, businessman Vish Mishra has a particular insight into Kumar. “I am very happy to see Dr. Kumar taking his message to hospitals in India about patient safety and promoting use of technology to address this problem,” said Mishra, Venture Director of Clearstone Venture Partners of California and India, and President of TiE Silicon Valley, the founding and largest chapter of TiE, the largest not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship.

Surviving the US healthcare system

Vish Mishra added, “Medication errors are among the leading causes of deaths in U.S. hospitals. By some estimates, it’s 100,000 patients. Given India’s size, this figure could be much larger there. I’m glad that the Sister City Initiative can create an historic opportunity to share these types of best practices from America to promote safer patient care.”

In advance of the trip, Kumar has pledged to donate to Indian hospitals 500 copies of his book, Fatal Care, which features detailed personal stories of medical errors and practical tips for patients how to safeguard themselves in hospitals.

You can listen to the first chapter here .

PHAT: Mash-Up on Healthcare IT (chilmarkresearch.com)
Healthcareworld 2010- Medical tradeshow in India (neeleshbhandari.blogspot.com)
Web 2.0 in health (neeleshbhandari.blogspot.com)

Ranking e-nabled Hospitals in India

drneelesh — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:18:33 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

The Cybermetrics Lab recently published their world ranking of hospitals, taking into account the instituion”s activities in field of e-knowledge and their use of digital media for communications.

Supporting Open Access initiatives, electronic access to scientific publications and to other academic material are our primary targets…The Web covers not only only formal (e-journals, repositories) but also informal scholarly communication.

The Web indicators measure electronic contents, especially those used for scholarly communication, but also basic information about the hospital, its organization, services and personnel. The rank takes into account both the volume of information published and the impact or visibility of such contents measured by the number of external links the web pages receive from others. As expected, about 45 % of top 200 and 38% of top 1000 hospitals are situated in North America.
The Laparoscopy hospital at N.Delhi is the only Indian hospital to figure in the top 100 hospitals from Asia ( 47/100, Asia), and also the only Indian hospital in top 500 worldwide. Amongst the others, Sir Gangaram hospital scores much better than Apollo and Tata Memorial.

L.R.S Institute of Tuberculosis and respiratory diseases records a very enviable world rank of 19, in number of papers and citations visible on Google Scholar., a noteworthy list headed by The Institute of Cancer Research, London.
Below is the list of 9 hospitals from India in the first 2000 worldwide , and their world rankings ( as per Cybermetrics Lab).

WORLD RANK	HOSPITAL	SIZE	VISIBILITY	RICH FILES	SCHOLAR

279	Laparoscopy Hospital	406	749	599	140

624	Sir Ganga Ram Hospital	2,351	788	1,834	225

632	Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre	1,015	1,429	1,174	179

921	Aravind Eye Care System	1,567	2,717	766	146

1178	Sankara Nethralaya Hospital	2,690	984	1,224	2,200

1349	L.R.S. Institute of Tuberculosis & Respiratory Diseases	2,845	6,679	1,070	19

1407	Apollo Hospitals	3,045	938	3,453	2,200

1819	Tata Memorial Centre	2,459	3,469	322	1,497

1885	Sri Ramachandra University & Medical Centre	1,742	3,787	1,660	426

Propofol as Drug of Abuse

drneelesh — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:20:00 +0000

Is Propofol, or Diprivan what Michael Jackson Used for ( Drug) Abuse ?

According to Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who operates a Los Angeles-based nutritional counseling business, in California, “Jackson was complaining of insomnia and pleaded for her to get him some (Diprivan)”. Other reports claim Propofol was recovered from his residence. This conversation reportedly occurred in April of this year. Preliminary reports say that M.J died of cardiac arrest, which is within the possible effects of unmonitored Diprivan use. (A rapid bolus injection can result in undesirable cardiorespiratory depression including hypotension, apnea, airway obstruction, and oxygen desaturation.)

Diprivan is a general anesthetic, used to start or maintain anesthesia during certain surgeries, tests, or procedures. It is available in a white vial of 20, 50 and 100 ml (containing 10mg/ml.).Most adults require 2 to 2.5 mg/kg of the drug ( approx. 10 ml). DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion is an IV sedative-hypnotic agent and can cause potentiation of other narcotic drugs and benzodiazepines when used together. The most common side-effects include Change in mood or emotions; dizziness; drowsiness; lack of coordination. It is given intravenously, usually within the operation theater or in a clinic. It has a rapid onset of action ( less than 1 min) and short duration of action (approximately 10 min but is dose dependent).It has direct cardiodepressant effects, leading to decreased blood pressure and heart rate in higher doses. Its actions causing decreased heart rate and respiratory rate mean that use of propofol is done only under continuous monitoring of vital signs.Diprivan is not meant for use in pediatrics and elderly population since its safety has not been established in these populations. Prolonged use of propofol results in accumulation of the drug in body tissue and increases the duration of action as well as chances of overdose.

Rarely, Cases of death due to propofol have been discussed in medical literature. All these cases have occured in hospital settings only.It is definitely not meant for home use and this is the first time I have heard of Diprivan being used as a drug of abuse outside hospital settings.

Euphoria, sexual hallucinations and disinhibition have been described on recovery of propofol anaesthesia. These effects could explain the recreational use of the drug. Moreover, several experimental studies strongly suggest the potential for abuse and dependence on propofol,and few cases of abuse and dependency have been described, mostly in medical professionals. As propofol is generally not recognized as a substance of abuse, and because of its safe profile, it is important to remember that rare adverse reactions of propofol could produce death in a context of abuse, even at therapeutic dose range, in the absence of ventilatory and medical assistance.

British Journal of Anaesthesia 2006 97(2):268; doi:10.1093/bja/ael168

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Marketing prescription drugs in India- Guidelines

drneelesh — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:47:00 +0000

The guidelines for pharmaceutical marketing are typically debated all over the world, more so in India. Many issues are not clear and the drug industry interprets the rules the best it can . Cases of unethical promotion of drugs to the health care industry come up with regularity in the western world. Fortunately, no major case has been reported in the Indian media at present. But thats because many such unethical promotional activities havent come to light. There is an urgent need to inform all the concerned parties of the regulatory Dos and Donts of pharmaceutical marketing in India.

Promotion of drugs in India is governed by three major documents. THE DRUGS AND COSMETICS ACT, 1940 is defined as An Act to regulate the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs and cosmetics in India. It has last been amended in 1995 and new amendments are overdue. The Rules 96 and 97 of THE DRUGS AND COSMETICS RULES, 1945 describe the essential information to be provided regarding labeling of drugs. The product monograph should comprise the full prescribing information necessary to enable a physician to use the drug properly. It should include description, actions, indications, dosage precaution, drug interactions, warnings and adverse reactions.

The OPPI code of conduct ( effective since 1st January 2007) sets out the guidelines to be followed for promotion of prescription drugs to the health care industry. It is based on the IFPMA code and incorporates local region ( India) specific guidelines. it sets out certain principles basic to the ethical promotion of pharmaceuticals in the country. Though it is widely followed, it is not legally binding and the final responsibility for implementation lies with the pharmaceutical marketing organizations themselves.

Below is a short presentation document outlining the Major points in marketing pharmacutical products to the health care industry.
–http://bit.ly/nHqwE–

Open publication – Free publishing – More pharmaceutical

Scientic animations awards ceremony, China

drneelesh — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:55:00 +0000

The 1st Annual International Science Animation Awards being held August 8th 2009 in Guiyang China

Deadline for DVD submissions to “Sci-An” Awards is July 15th 2009

Guiyang, China (PRWEB) June 17, 2009 — Honoring the works of visual wonder that depict what science perceives beyond our eyes, The 1st Annual International Science Animation Awards (ISAA) are being presented in Guiyang, China August 8th 2009.

The ISAA “Sci-An” will be awarded for 2D and 3D works that demonstrate both the highest achievements in scientific and medical communication and superb attention to aesthetic, creative and technical presentation

This is an industry that will grow exponentially with the compounding demands from various science sectors in the years ahead

This year marks the first in what will be an annual juried salon, bringing together in China the work of scientific animators from around the world. Professional and student work is welcome, and will be judged separately.

The event will include presentations and panels with industry leaders from across Asia, the United States and Europe.

The two judging categories are commercial and educational, in short form of under three minutes’ run time. Long form work and compilations from longer projects may be entered and will be evaluated separately.

“The need for recognition in this dynamic emerging field has grown to the point of launching this inaugural event” said founding co-chairman, Sander Johnson, who with founding co-chair, David Bolinsky initiated the concept for this international forum at last year’s Guiyang Animation Festival, in Guiyang, China. That festival is the launch for this year’s Sci-An Awards, which will next year become an independent event.

“Hosting this unique forum and awards ceremony in China truly invites pan-Asian and East-West interaction with leaders in the industries and major universities” said Bolinsky, a leading American creator of 3D scientific animation for Harvard University Medical, the Smithsonian, most major pharmaceutical companies, NOVA and additional broadcast clients. “And it promotes further advances in these various industries of science and animation”.

ISAA General Secretary, Liuyi Wang, founding Director of China’s Asian Youth Animation & Comics Contest sees great benefit in highlighting achievements in these advanced new fields of science animation as 21st Century career paths for talented young computer animators. “This is an industry that will grow exponentially with the compounding demands from various science sectors in the years ahead” said Wang.

ISAA “Sci-An” Awards will be given to first, second and third place, plus awards of merit and best in show. The judges this year will include David Bolinsky, XVIVO Scientific Animation Partner; Jane Hurd, Hurd Studios Founder; and Elizabeth Rega, chief anatomical consultant Walt Disney Feature Animation and SONY Pictures Imageworks, with prominent Asia judges to be announced soon.

Deadline for submission is July 15th 2009 and entries cannot be returned.

In welcoming all applications; there are no entry fees required with submissions.

Applications can be downloaded from www.ayacc.org/Sci-Ansubmissionform

Interactive Quizzes for Health Communication

drneelesh — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:09:00 +0000

Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer (or answers) out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections– when a person chooses between multiple candidates, parties, or policies.

- What is Public Health ? MCQ quiz -This website was developed by the Association of Schools of Public Health and was made possible by support from Pfizer Public Health.

- Stroke information MCQs from Virginia Health Services

1. A stroke usually comes on gradually.
True.
False.

Diabetic Eye Disease:
How much do you know?

Do you know that diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness? If you have diabetes, do you know how to reduce your risk of visual loss? To determine what your Eye-Q is, answer the following questions.

Indian OTC markets

drneelesh — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:55:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to prescription drugs. These items can be found on the shelves of grocery/ cosmetic stores and bought like any other packaged product in some countries or in others may be bought “over the counter” from the pharmacy, while prescription drugs are sold at a pharmacy counter.

Below is an interactive flash presentation on the subject. It contains the latest public domain data on the potential of OTC markets in India and provides the facts for its bright future. All the references used in this presentation have been enumerated at the end. You can navigate the presentation by quick links, previous/Next buttons or as a simple play video.

Best channels for Consumer Health online

drneelesh — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:14:00 +0000

A large number of people are increasing turning to the internet for their information needs. But when it comes to online activity, everyone has a short attention span. Garnering potential audiences for medical content websites, and then retaining them is a big challenge. How do websites and other applications draw and hold consumers for long-form media like podcasts and video-downloads?

The Alexa ranking for two years, WebMD beats all other competition hands down, followed by everydayhealth.com. Allothers fare way behind these leaders in daily reach.

The important issues identified for such patient or consumer centric multimedia medical websites are,

—high.quality.content

— Accuracy

—Individualization tools

— Good medical imagery

—short 2 minute animation /user experience videos.

Below are quotes by a few top online medical/patient education resources.

Nan Forte EVP, consumer services, WebMD – (The WebMD )content staff blends award-winning expertise in medicine, journalism, health communication and content creation to bring you the best health information possible. Our esteemed colleagues at MedicineNet.com are frequent contributors to WebMD and comprise our Medical Editorial Board. Our Independent Medical Review Board continuously reviews the site for accuracy and timeliness. # Health news for the public,Creating and maintaining up-to-date medical reference content databases,Medical imagery, graphics, and animation, Communities, Live web events, User experience, Interactive tools

More consumers visit WebMD than any other health site in search of health information. Our editorial and programming teams work closely with our product and technology groups to create the appropriate balance of compelling content together with an engaging user experience. The high level of user engagement on WebMD can be attributed to the high degree of personalization combined with the mix of sight, sound and motion across our network. For example, video is presented as part of the integrated user experience. In the past year alone, we’ve seen an increase in the way consumers are interacting with long-form media. We credit our programming expertise and the fact that many of our visitors are engaged information-seekers who will take time to engage in relevant programming.

Michelle Johnson Manager, pharmaceutical public affairs, Abbott -(The podcast series shares insights and tips from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships. Each Crohn’s Cast also includes a first-hand account from a person living with Crohn’s disease.)

Abbott’s decision to create its “Crohn’s Casts: Speaking from the Gut” series was about addressing the needs of patients by combining the right online tools with relevant topics. Each of the podcasts is under five minutes and shares insights from health professionals regarding diet and nutrition, the emotional impact of the disease and its effect on relationships, and accounts from people living with or impacted by Crohn’s disease. CrohnsOnline.com is a site dedicated to people with Crohn’s disease, a gastrointestinal disease that often strikes between ages 15-35. Since 50% of people with chronic diseases go online to find healthcare information, a podcast was a simple, creative vehicle for this young and web-savvy group.

David Best, President, The Doctor’s Channel- (site includes short one- to two-minute streaming video clips designed to get to the point, with insights and opinions from experts in 35 different specialties, as well as community and lifestyle features that help doctors stay on top of the latest news, ideas and information.)

I have found that the best way to draw and hold consumers is to sell them on the idea of shorter content that is packed with more information. The world is media snacking, getting their information in bite-sized bursts. Here at The Doctor’s Channel, we have decided that our best chance to grab the attention of the medical community is not to fight the urge for media snacking, but rather to embrace it. We offer the same content you would find in an 8-minute video, but we provide it in four segments, each 2 minutes long. More often than not, people end up watching all four segments anyway. So consumers end up viewing 8 minutes of content, but because it is presented to them in smaller doses, they are more engaged. But remember, no matter what the “dose,” interesting content is paramount!

Marjorie Martin SVP & general manager, Everyday Health Network - (..help you manage your own and your family’s conditions and overall well-being through personalized advice, tools, and communities)

Online health users have a reputation for being impatient; however, it may be because they’re not finding what they need. Internet users are generally in search of answers to specific questions as opposed to casual browsing. When they find relevant content they stick with it. Audio and video perform best online when they’re specific to a condition and use the visuals and audio to provide important information. For instance, someone in search of content on weight loss surgery is more likely to view animation of the procedure and an interview with a former patient (including visuals of the scar) than watch video of two doctors sitting in a studio talking about it.

Medical Animation- How is it Used ? (medical-communication.blogspot.com)

Based on a December ,2008 article in MMM-Online.com

Boring PCR revisited

drneelesh — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique to amplify a single or few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating millions or more copies of a particular DNA sequence. Primers (short DNA fragments) containing sequences complementary to the target region along with a DNA polymerase (after which the method is named) are key components to enable selective and repeated amplification. As PCR progresses, the DNA generated is itself used as a template for replication, setting in motion a chain reaction in which the DNA template is exponentially amplified.

Simply put, “Primers” are prepared complementary to target genes, Polymerses are added and they work together to produce millions of copies of the target genetic sequence.

A few uses of PCR include-

Genetic fingerprinting
Paternity testing
Detection of hereditary diseases
Cloning genes
Mutagenesis
Analysis of ancient DNA
Genotyping of specific mutations
Comparison of gene expression

But talking about PCR need not be so boring. This is a very creative music window created by BioRads to popularize and inform the uses of PCR. Medical communications as i like it. Focus on the receiver and the message and break the boredoom barrier.

Patient education Info on Swine Flu.

drneelesh — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Image by mmatasic via Flickr

The head of the World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States could develop into a pandemic.WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says the outbreak involves “an animal strain of the H1N1 virus, and it has pandemic potential.”

But on surfing the Web, I didn’t really find too much information on this. So i decided to make a short educational brochure on this. You can find it below as an embed or click on this link.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14627912/Swine-Flu-in-North-America

Swine Flu in North America Swine Flu in North America

Prevention of Swine Flu Prevention of Swine Flu NeeleshBhandari Information on prevention and chemoprophylaxis of swine flu.

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Brochures & Catalogs treatment prevention