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December 6, 2013
"Tomosynthesis" a Key Area of Focus at RSNA 2013
mammograms
Among the many trends and buzzwords floating around RSNA 2013, one of the key areas that seems to be popping up everywhere is “tomosynthesis,” which is 3D imaging using X-Ray technology. Yesterday, Carestream presented “Stationary Chest Tomosynthesis System using Distributed CNT X-ray Source Array."[read more]
December 6, 2013
RSNA 2013: Putting the "Ultra" into Ultrasound
Siemens Ultrasound
It’s not every day that you can sit down with a company CEO at a huge annual meeting/trade show like the RSNA in Chicago, so when Jeffrey Bundy, CEO of Ultrasound for Siemens Healthcare offered to drop by, I was very pleased. He had something to show off, of course, but it is no idle boasting.[read more]
December 6, 2013
Cancer Immunotherapy: Combination Therapy May Be the "Way of the Future"
chemotherapy (Phil and Pam/Flickr)
Efforts to overcome the unusual ability of cancer cells to dodge the body’s immune response have reached an inflection point this year. And, at least according to some experts, commercial interest in cancer immunotherapies has gone through the roof.[read more]
Pfizer to Expand Clinical Trial Data Access, Takes Step Toward Transparency
Clinical researchers (shutterstock)
Pfizer Inc. updated its clinical trial data access policy yesterday, and will soon begin to share data and results with study participants. The pharmaceutical giant also said it will offer researchers access to anonymous patient-level data from trials of already approved products.[read more]
May the SOMATOM Force Be With You (Siemens Hopes)
Peter Seitz and the SOMATOM Force
Exploring the Siemens “booth” at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America is a bit like coming aboard the Starship Enterprise -- a vast vessel with a crew to match. There I found Peter Seitz, ready to show me the spanking new SOMATOM Force, the next generation in Dual Source computed tomography (CT).[read more]
More From the Nursing Shortage Myth Annals
nursing shortage myths (HikingArtist.com)
If there were a real nursing shortage you’d expect employers to be talking about it, yet I almost never hear a hospital clamoring for more nurses to be trained. Contrast that with the situation in high technology where employers are constantly beating the drum for more STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) graduates.[read more]
FDA Warning Letter Highlights Disconnect Between Regulator and Biotech Industry
23andMe
On November 22, the FDA issued a warning letter to 23 & Me requesting the company to halt marketing of the $99 genetic testing kit because it does not have marketing clearance for certain claims of the product. There's a question as to why the agency finally issued a warning letter after almost six years since the company started to sell the testing kit.[read more]
Will ObamaCare Finally Cause American Seniors to Turn Against Government Health Care?
Seniors and Obamacare
ObamaCare has accelerated Medicare’s crisis. It is increasingly clear that Obamacare needs to be repealed and replace with alternative reforms. The opportunity to reform Medicare alongside it might be an added benefit.[read more]
RSNA 2013: Siemens' Artis One - An Answer for Life
Artis One
Perhaps due to the 510(k) pending regulatory status -- we always want what we cannot immediately have -- the Artis One Angiography System attracted a lot of attention at the Siemens booth at the RSNA annual meeting in Chicago. This new system is currently under review by the FDA and its availability in the U.S. is unknown.[read more]
7 Counterintuitive Tips: Creating Content That Actually Means Something
how to win at healthcare marketing
The overwhelming deluge of information spewing from the Internet—on any and every imaginable topic—implies that “more is better.” There’s value hidden somewhere in that digital torrent. But information overload is a disadvantage and a barrier to meaningful content. More isn’t always better.[read more]
Selling Insurance Across State Lines
state lines / shutterstock
Most insurance companies are multi-state, but have “franchises” that are state corporations. Think of it like a restaurant company: national restaurant chains have to comply with local and state laws, so they have national standards but they also comply with the local and state health laws.[read more]
Generic Adderall XR to Be Sold in 2016 Under Agreement Struck Between Shire and Sandoz
(image: FtWashGuy, CC-BY-SA-3.0-migrated)
Adderall XR producer Shire has agreed to supply an authorized generic version of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug to Sandoz Inc., the generic division of Novartis. The agreement calls for Shire to manufacture and supply Sandoz with all dosage strengths of the controlled-release form of the product.[read more]
RSNA 2013: Obamacare and Manufacturers - A Siemens Perspective
Dave Fisher, VP of Siemens health policy in North America
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, is a hot topic here at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago -- that is for certain. I sat down with Dave Fisher, vice president of Siemens’ health policy division in North America, to get his take on the controversial health care law.[read more]
RSNA 2013: Advancing Towards an HIV Cure?
Dr. Ekaterina Dadachova
Can radioimmunotherapy (RIT) be effective in helping to find a cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)? Researchers have used RIT to destroy remaining HIV-infected cells in the blood samples of patients treated with antiretroviral therapy, offering the promise of a strategy for curing HIV infection.[read more]
BioPharma Beat: 23andMe - Now What?
BioPharma Beat with David Davidovic
By now everyone has heard of the very pointed and frustration-toned warning letter that 23andMe received from the F.D.A., which ordered the company to immediately stop selling and marketing their consumer genetic testing service. The question is: Now what?[read more]
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HealthWorks Collective Series
David Davidovic David built and led commercial functions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for 33 years and has been di More »
Barbara Ficarra Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA is an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, health educator, speaker and consultant More »
David Harlow David Harlow is Prinicipal of the Harlow Group LLC, a healthcare law and consulting firm based in Boston, MA. More »
Stephen Schimpff Stephen C. Schimpff, MD is the retired CEO of the Univ. of MD Med. Center and the COO of the Univ of MD Medical System. More »
Andrew Schorr Andrew, a leukemia survivor and respected medical journalist is the founder of PatientPower, an excellent web resource. More »
John Sharp John Sharp has interests in social media in healthcare and clinical research informatics including secondary use of EMR More »
Christina Thielst Christina Thielst is a hospital administrator, consultant, educator and author with 30 years of healthcare experience. More »
“Money is still considered the "easy" thing to measure, and of course is still the ultimate measure of "success".I love the ROO alternative that you suggest though Paul, this makes a whole lot more sense. As David notes, if you're getting things right for your customers then the money will follow. Perhaps the problems arise when the financial indicators don't increase despite extensive ...”
“Excellent article Paul, very much on point.What I find fascinating is the high ROI bar that every new channel or vehicle is asked to jump over, when there is no clue as to what the ROI is for the miriad of expensive things companies do and have been doing for a long time.Because of the interaction dynamics among all the activities, it is impossible to determine the ROI for any one of them, unless ...”