Two-thirds of patients with chronic endocrine health problems who need close monitoring say they would like to continue with telemedicine follow-up visits after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to a survey that will be presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting. Three-quarters of providers also said they want to continue with telehealth after the pandemic.

"Endocrinology clinics have significant number of patients who need long-term close follow-up for medication adjustments, symptom checks and counseling," said lead researcher Maryam Nemati, M.D., of San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, Calif. "Our survey found most patients felt that quality of telehealth visits both via video and phone were like in-person visits, and telemedicine is less expensive and timesaving. However, our providers felt that phone visits lack a physical examination component and therefore preferred video visits to phone visits. Given these survey results, telemedicine--particularly video visits--can be incorporated as part of follow-up visits after the COVID crisis ends."

Nemati wanted to evaluate patient and provider satisfaction with telehealth visits, which were initiated in 2020 to decrease COVID-19 transmission. The survey included 109 patients who had a telehealth endocrinology visit via video or phone call from January 2020 to May 2020. They were asked about the benefits and limitations of telehealth visits compared with in-person visits. Providers were also surveyed, and the researchers analyzed the patient no-show rate for six weeks before and after telehealth visits were implemented.

Among the patients surveyed:

•65% said they would like to continue with telemedicine after the pandemic

•77% stated the quality of care with telemedicine, both video and phone visits, are almost the same as an in-person visit.

•45% said they liked spending less time with a telehealth visit

•54% said the duration of the visit itself was about the same

•54% believed they spent less money with telemedicine

•90% said all their questions and concerns were addressed

•37% reported no connectivity issues

•25% reported technical difficulty

Among providers:

•75% wanted to continue with telehealth after the pandemic

•50% reported patient satisfaction as a benefit of the telemedicine

•25% reported that telemedicine saves time

•46% of the providers mentioned lack of physical exam

•40% mentioned connection issues as the limitation for video visit

•60% believed lack of physical exam is the limitation of phone visit

•75% believed the quality of care is similar in video and in person visits

•87% of the providers believe the quality of care is better with in-person visits than phone visits

The no-show rate decreased from 30% to 27% after the implementation of telehealth visits, the researchers found.

"Telehealth can be more efficient for both patients and providers, but there are challenges with connectivity issues, particularly for patients and community hospitals in rural areas like our hospital." Nemati said. "These issues need to be addressed, possibly through collaborations with local government and insurance companies."

Source: EurekAlert!

Telehealth initiatives expanded rapidly to meet pandemic needs. But what happens to remote care as organizations navigate a new road to normalcy?

Virtual care became a valuable resource in the fight to deliver efficient and effective healthcare services even as the first wave of COVID-19 tore across the country. One year later, telehealth initiatives have become common features of care infrastructure nationwide.

But what happens next? With ongoing vaccination efforts now offering a slow and steady solution to pandemic pressures, what role does virtual care play? Is remote healthcare here to stay, or are the days numbered for connected care initiatives?

How Telehealth Allows for Diverse Care Options

According to the American Medical Association, there’s little doubt that virtual care will remain in some form even after crisis conditions ease. Although approximately 50 percent of healthcare providers deployed virtual health services for the first time during this pandemic, the likely future of these frameworks is optimization, not obsolescence.

That projection stems in part from the opportunity presented by crisis-driven care challenges.

“What we found, in being forced to pivot, was that we can better identify which type of visit — in person, telephone or virtual — is best for each patient,” says Steph Willding, CEO of Chicago’s CommunityHealth, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-based healthcare organization. “While you don’t usually think about a free health center being a hub for innovation, 40 percent of our visits are now by video or phone.”

At Tucson Medical Center, virtual healthcare technology innovation started with a new approach to patient visits, says Susan Snedaker, information security officer and interim CIO for TMC HealthCare.

“In our hospital, we had virtual visits within the walls of the building to reduce the need for PPE use,” she says. “With limited supplies and time needed for doctors to put on required PPE — sometimes up to 20 minutes — we found a lot of value in real-time text, video and chat solutions.”

Telemedicine Places Care Where It’s Most Needed

In traditional healthcare settings, space and place are critical. Care facilities need enough space for doctors, patients, administrative staff and equipment, and all the necessary parties must be in the same place at the same time.

From Willding’s perspective, the pandemic offered healthcare enterprises the chance to “rethink space and place for patient-centered care.” CommunityHealth’s approach is to create a hybrid model by establishing telehealth hubs — or “microsites” — throughout Chicago.

“These hubs are colocated in existing community organizations, making them incredibly sustainable,” says Willding. “Patients can come to a site in their own community and receive an assisted medical visit. Medical assistants are onsite to help with vital statistics and basic care, and to set up patients in rooms for virtual visits with an expert.

”

CommunityHealth plans to open its first microsite in April, with the goal of opening a new one each quarter.

In practice, solutions like this highlight the need for healthcare agencies to understand where they can make best use of telemedicine’s advantages. For CommunityHealth, creating a hybrid in-person/telemedicine model made the most sense for their client base.

Remote Care Technology Empowers Patients with Greater Choice

Organizations must also account for the changing nature of the healthcare market at large.

“Thanks to the consumerization of healthcare technologies, the balance of power has shifted,” says Snedaker. “Providers still have a schedule, but they’re effectively on-demand for patients. As a result, both the provider and the patient benefit, and this drives critical mass for adoption.”

In effect, this disconnect between care and location — much like the emerging shift in space and place — creates an opportunity for asynchronous assistance. It’s no longer necessary that patients and providers be in same place at the same time.

Payment policies and regulations are also changing in response to evolving virtual care deployments. For example, in December, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its list of covered telehealth services for the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly expanded providers’ ability to deliver on-demand care without breaking budgets. In effect, the broader coverage allowed them to remain profitable while offering patient-centric services.

Although there’s no guarantee that CMS’ coverage schedule will remain the same as pandemic pressures ease, it represents a significant step forward in the recognition that asynchronous service has the same fundamental value as in-person visits.

Compliance will also play a critical role in the ongoing impact of virtual health services. It makes sense: The more patient data is collected and stored by healthcare agencies on local servers and in the cloud, the more that oversight around data transmission, use and eventual erasure will increase.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has noted that it “will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements under the HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency.” Even so, that suspension won’t last forever, and healthcare organizations must deploy effective identity, access and security management controls to ensure that, as normalcy returns, risk remains under control.

Post-Pandemic Care Reflects the Momentum of Change

For Snedaker, hybrid models form the future of telemedicine.

“We’ll continue to see both telehealth and face-to-face services,” she predicts. “While a lot of people like the convenience of telehealth, they’re missing that connection with providers. Virtual health services will get dialed back to some degree, but they will stay.”

Ultimately, she makes a compelling case for the evolving value of virtual care.

“Never waste a crisis,” she says. “The most impactful thing about this pandemic was breaking through the barriers that kept us from thoughtful technology adoption. Over time, we will end up in a much better place.”

Source: HealthTech

Smart cities are no more a thing of the future. They’re here

How will smart cities provide new ways of living and working? Ever thought about that?

Smart Cities, also called Smart and Connected Communities, are being permitted thanks to the development occurring in the Internet of Things (IoT). There is a rapid growth of devices in our personal and business lives which are digital, linked, and worthy of data sharing.

In order to make effective decisions and enhance the quality of life, smart cities put data and digital technology to function. More extensive, real-time data gives companies the chance to view events that occur, understand how market trends change, and react appropriately with strategies that are faster and less expensive.

According to Rattle Tech, “This is an area of great interest as more than 50% of the world population are currently living in cities and projections are for this to increase to 70% by 2050. Cities will face challenges from sustainability, energy, safety and service delivery and the solutions being framed to address these challenges rely heavily on the Internet of Things.”

What makes a Smart City smarter?

Urbanization globally is apparently invincible, and the living cost in cities is rising exponentially with ever more citizens, risking increase in social disparities, slowing down the economic growth and bumping up the rate of violence. By introducing technology into city projects to help cut prices, smart cities are said to provide the solution to the issue.

Technology has now taken city infrastructure to the center of our priorities, and progressively people are adopting smart homes. Also, government bodies are encouraging smart technology projects, from smart streetlights to autonomous vehicles transportation systems. Smart cities are no more a thing of the future. They’re here.

There are four important elements required for flourishing smart cities, in addition to residents, housing, trade, and conventional urban infrastructure:

• Wireless Networking Connectivity

• Open Data

• Protection on which you can rely

• Versatile payments strategies

IoT’s role in the Smart City

IoT devices such as linked sensors, lighting, and meters are used by smart cities to acquire and process data. This knowledge is then used by cities to develop infrastructure, utility services and facilities, and much more. Two outstanding applications are the growth of the smart home and the smart city.

The more IoT is incorporated into the urban landscape and our everyday lives, the more data will be available on growth, problems, and infrastructure and environmental improvement opportunities. IoT could have the greatest effect on the development of the cities of the future, among all the innovations that have recently emerged.

You can see that most cities have developed entire IoT ecosystems when you compare the past and the present, surrounding their citizens with significant advantages of autonomy, protection, medical care, and greater productivity. The world is shifting, heading toward the next industrial revolution with confidence.

The role of 5G Connectivity in Smart City

If you take 5G for instance, there’s far more to it than just speed. It’s about volume growth as the network expands, ability to respond, internet of things, virtual reality and automated vehicle technology. With 5G, healthcare services will develop as this will allow for telehealth conferencing.

A consistent framework will be available that will allow more users to use the network, exchanging data with a more consistent connection at the same time. 5G has a higher capacity, which means that a lot more devices connected can be handled & it is worthy of using different frequencies, and less interruption will occur.

5G will unlock the doors for innovations that have been silently evolving in the backdrop, such as smart homes, power management, transport services that will work smoothly and enable smarter education systems as well.

The Future of Smart Cities

As cities develop and smart technology continues to progress, both will become interconnected. Improved decision making can enhance the infrastructure of cities as a result of using big data and other smart technology. Better choices could be very important to the society, of course. We will not only focus on improving how we communicate with our surrounding atmosphere by looking towards the future, but also how cities connect with us, making sure that we get the best quality possibilities and end up wasting limited resources.

Source: Analytics Insight

Palo Alto Networks has announced the most comprehensive Internet of Things (IoT) security solution for healthcare.

According to the vendor, its IoT Security simplifies the challenge of securing the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) through Machine Learning powered visibility, prevention and enforcement, while offering deep insights on healthcare-specific devices and vulnerabilities. This helps improve data security and patient safety while meeting the needs of both IT teams and biomedical engineering teams.

While IoT has opened the door for innovative new services across industries, it also presents new cybersecurity risks. This is particularly true in healthcare. According to a recent report from Unit 42, 83% of medical imaging devices are running on unsupported operating systems, making them potential avenues for attackers. Attacks on medical devices like these can potentially disrupt the quality of care and allow attackers to steal patient data.

The Palo Alto Networks IoT Security is designed to ensure Healthcare Delivery Organisations (HDOs) can realise the benefits of IoT for patient care — without sacrificing security. It is the industry’s only solution to use Machine Learning and crowd-sourced telemetry to quickly and accurately profile all devices on the network — even those never seen before. IoT Security also offers Machine Learning powered policy recommendations to reduce manual effort; intrusion prevention to block exploits; sandboxing to detect and prevent IoT malware; and URL and DNS security to stop IoT attacks via the web.

“The Internet of Medical Things has the potential to improve healthcare, save lives and bring massive savings. But if not properly secured, these same devices can pose huge risks,” said Anand Oswal, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Firewall as a Platform, Palo Alto Networks. “Our vision is to give healthcare organisations complete visibility, in-depth risk analysis and built-in prevention so they can get the maximum benefits from this transformative technology while reducing risks to patients and their data.”

“Initially, Valley Health System’s primary objective was to better understand and enable vulnerability management of medical devices that connect to our network. As the initial step, we needed to identify those devices and understand how and where they connect within our infrastructure. As we looked at and explored various products, we saw great potential and benefits to identify not only biomed, but all network connected devices and systems. After several months of comparing various systems, we landed on IoT Security by Palo Alto Networks. IoT Security is simple, cloud-delivered, and can be deployed quickly,” said Miroslav Belote, Chief Information Security Officer, Valley Health System. “The installation, configuration and initial device discovery was straight forward. Within hours of turning on the system, we began seeing results – inventory, classifications, device and device risk profiles on thousands of devices. With Palo Alto Networks’ IoT Security, we gained complete visibility to over 4,000 non-traditional IT devices, about 30% more devices than what we had prior. We now plan to extend our inventory, vulnerability detection, and prevention process and practice as an integral part of our ongoing efforts to protect our IT and IoT assets.”

Source: INTELLIGENT CIO

Healthcare is now one of the largest sectors in India both in terms of revenue and employment, and it is booming thanks to increased investment by private players and the growing popularity of medical tourism. The government is looking for the best way to deliver quality medical treatment to the influx of foreign patients traveling to India for low-cost treatments, and the most promising technological advantage is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which has become a gamechanger in the healthcare sector.

“IoMT brought the most remarkable impact on humankind by connecting the healthcare ecosystem and its stakeholders in real time, delivering better services,” says Stanton Chase India Managing Partner Ashwini Prakash. “The Indian healthcare sector leapfrogged and adopted the technology, helping it transform drastically in a short span of time.”

Like the Internet of Things, IoMT offers the connection of smart medical devices and software applications to improve the services offered by hospitals, medical equipment, outsourced expertise, telemedicine, medical tourism, and health insurance. Used effectively, IoMT reduces healthcare costs and improves better patient outcomes effectively and efficiently.

According to a Frost & Sullivan analysis, the global IoMT market was worth $22.5 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach $72.02 billion this year. The proliferation of IoMT has skyrocketed as healthcare providers witness firsthand how much it improves and safeguards their services.

“IoMT has the potential to significantly reshape the healthcare sector. With COVID-19 acting as a catalyst, IoMT has helped to monitor, inform, and notify not only caregivers but provide healthcare providers with real-time data to identify health issues in advance, thus allowing prompt intervention,” says Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. “The technology has given access to customer-centred holistic solutions that will make a difference.”

With the advent of technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and 3-D printing, to name but a few, the healthcare sector worldwide is going through an unprecedented phase of disruption. In almost every instance, however, this disruption is positive – resulting in both better healthcare for patients and improved operations for businesses in the medical sector. IoMT enables smart medical devices for quality patient treatment, and pharmacovigilance — the practice of studying, managing, and helping prevent adverse effects from drugs — is being heavily impacted by technological developments.

Data can now be collected in more sophisticated ways than ever before, such as using mobile sensors to collect patients’ biometric data. Artificial intelligence can help life science organizations filter through vast reams of this data to discover how patients are impacted by the pharmaceuticals they are using. Along with 3-D printing, which can be used to customize everything from drugs to prosthetics, this is changing the way new treatments are developed.

Moving Healthcare From Hospital To Home

COVID-19 has ramped up technological disruption in the healthcare industry. While the pandemic brought a slate of new challenges to the industry, it has also provided opportunities for innovation. One of the biggest changes that’s already underway is the transition of healthcare services away from the hospital and into the home. Many procedures still require an in-patient hospital stay, but an increasing amount of care is accessible outside of primary hospitals. The pandemic also accelerated the need for remote patient monitoring and usage of IoMT in ambulatory and home care, which has led to a boom in teleconsultations and monitoring, which in turn reduces the number of in-hospital visits and prevent contamination.

Secondary and tertiary hospitals in smaller population centers are now able to provide higher levels of care thanks to advancements such as telemedicine. Specialists who are employed only by primary hospitals in large urban centers are no longer limited to only serving patients in-person. They can virtually attend to patients at secondary hospitals, tertiary hospitals, and even remote clinics.

Smart devices allow both patients and providers to monitor conditions at a previously unprecedented level. Apps for consumer devices such as smartwatches and fitness bands provide patients with real-time data and allow providers to view information over time. Medical-specific devices such as monitoring patches and heart rhythm detectors make it possible to monitor specific conditions.

Services like DocBox, which collects and transmits up to 3 gigabytes of structured data per patient per day, could make telemedicine even more effective as lower-level hospitals can transmit more information to specialists at primary facilities.

“There is a paradigm shift to accommodate digital outreach through telemedicine and e-pharmacy, as the new normal,” says Anish Bafna of Managing Director Healthium. “Remote patient monitoring and home monitoring may increase especially for chronic disease management, personal IOT devices for tracking vital signs and enabling remote care, chatbots/machine learning tools for initial diagnoses based on symptoms of patients – these will all shape the future of the medical devices sector. PocketECG represents one way that preventive healthcare can enter the home. The IoMT device remotely sends cardiac data from a patient’s home to their healthcare provider.”

Making Inventory Management And Equipment Maintenance More Efficient

Managing backend operations of healthcare and pharmaceutical businesses is a massive logistical undertaking, and maintaining inventory levels and managing equipment maintenance are major challenges.

“The adoption of IoMT calls for enabling a data-driven business model which creates value for the medical device industry as well as healthcare delivery stakeholders,” notes Indranil Mukherjee, Managing Director at B. Braun. “With an ever-increasing need for medical equipment in the treatment domain, IoMT helps improve operational effectiveness of technical services, especially in predictive maintenance but also in reducing mean time between failures and improving turnaround time.”

The four dimensions of data involved in IoMT – generation, collection, transmission, and analysis – are also driving innovation in medtech through “advances in wireless technology, miniaturization, cloud as storage and computing speed and power,” Mukherjee adds.

In order for patients to have reliable access to the medications they need, healthcare businesses must be able to track and predict their inventory level requirements. Primary hospitals must do this across tens of thousands of products, and even secondary and tertiary facilities frequently handle thousands of items.

Basic technology has already made tracking inventory much faster in that scanning an item is a lot quicker than manually entering it. However, more advanced technology will truly revolutionize this aspect of the healthcare industry.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make inventory need predictions much more accurate, and IoMT can connect inventory management between pharmaceutical and healthcare businesses. When these two systems are fully developed and implemented, India could have a comprehensive inventory management system that tracks, predicts, and adjusts inventory across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.

Medical equipment maintenance is especially challenging because the equipment is so specific and complex. There are many finely tuned components to monitor, and each piece of equipment must be monitored uniquely. Computers are a well-established part of medical equipment monitoring, but IoMT capabilities are changing how computers can be used.

An example of the impact that IoMT is having is Philips Healthcare E-Alert. The sensor-based system monitors MRIs to ensure the imaging systems are working properly. Should something go awry, the system immediately informs the appropriate person so that they can address the issue. This allows multiple MRI machines to be monitored from a centralized location, thus reducing the time that a technician spends going between machines.

AI Draws Insights From Patients’ Electronic Health Reports (EHRs)

Since the government pushed for electronic health record adoption, more patients have their files in electronic form. This not only makes it easier to share records for individual patient care, but the wealth of information available is also opening up possibilities that only come with big data.

Artificial intelligence is gleaning insights from conglomerate EHR data at a rapid pace, and the potential of this information is only growing as more patients get electronic files. These insights may prove useful to researchers and clinicians alike as they try to better understand and treat conditions.

The power of AI to draw insights from EHR data will only increase as India continues to move toward an entirely digital healthcare record system.

5G Connectivity’s Role In The Continued Transformation

All of these advancements and the changes they bring rely on one essential upgrade: 5G wireless connectivity. 5G is the next generation of wireless, and it’s particularly well-suited to inter-device communication. 5G definitely seems to be the next big disruption in healthcare with faster Internet speeds, lower latency, virtual networks, and a greater number of connected devices. It helps accelerate remote patient monitoring and increase access to healthcare without the current perils of travel, expenses, and time. According to Mukherjee, the advances in technology will speed up downloads of bulky patient data and improve the quality of telemedicine without video lags and buffering. Robotic surgeries and AR/VR will aid in increased skills and precision, thereby improving quality of care.

5G wireless is the next permutation of connectivity. Nishith Mohanty, Global HR Head and CHRO for the Manipal Group, says 5G is going to “change how we consume data, run business and how we take care of ourselves.”

With the promise of more stable mobile connections with low latency and high speeds, he adds,

“5G will transform healthcare and the patient experience, entire industries, and how we communicate with our friends and family.”

With 5G connectivity, multiple devices can communicate with one another through embedded sensors. Numerous things are being computerized through these sensors, and the broad network expands communication beyond traditional computers and phones. Having many devices interconnected with one another makes it possible to share information in real time, while simultaneously reducing the data rates and power that are primary cost drivers. The result is better information, better management, and lower costs when compared to the predecessors of wireless communication.

If India’s healthcare sector is going to make these changes, 5G will have to be rolled out across the country. It will first need to be implemented in major cities, where primary hospitals and pharmaceutical companies with major inventory challenges are located. The upgraded connection will then have to be rolled out to smaller cities so that everyone can benefit from the changes that technology is bringing.

The Future Of Wearable Devices

Digital wellness is creating a niche market for itself. As people are becoming increasingly aware of and concerned about their day-to-day health, there has been a rise in health and fitness apps, smartwatches, and wearable devices for fitness tracking. IoMT has been the catalyst to accelerate the sudden demand of wearable devices. According to research from Business Insider Intelligence, more than 80% of consumers are willing to wear fitness technology.

The future is trending more toward personalized and data-driven wearables as there is a vast amount of data being collected and we would see a greater convergence of AI and ML in analyzing this data. It is also becoming useful in managing diseases such as Parkinson’s by tracking body movement, and in cardiovascular therapeutics by monitoring heart rhythms and alerting those who experience atrial fibrillation. Biosensors with the advent of self-adhesive patches are opening up new frontiers that allow patient mobility while collecting data on body vitals and alerting physicians of any changes or danger alerts to attend to without losing time.

“All this is quite evident of an aggressive CAGR in this segment in India this decade,” Mukherjee says. The India wearables market has shown steady growth and saw an impressive 168% year-on-year growth in 2019, closing the year with 14.9 million units. It recorded 80% growth in the first quarter of 2020 and registered 4.2 million unit shipments, according to data by market research firm IDC.

A Brighter Future For Indian Healthcare Through Technology

IoMT innovation is already taking place in India. The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and Ansys created a startup that’s developing a modular, power-efficient and low-cost ventilator. The startup, Nocca Robotics Private Limited, intends to design these ventilators with an IoMT functional design, making it possible to control them from a centralized location so that resources can be used more efficiently. The ventilator has obvious usefulness in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the benefits of IoMT projects in India will be even farther-reaching.

The changes that IoMT, AI and 5G are enabling will create a bright future for India’s healthcare sector. Primary hospitals are already seeing updates that will increase the potential for IoMT, and more integrated devices will be available in the coming years. 5G connectivity may still be years off at secondary and tertiary hospitals, but 5G holds the capability to give a new face to the healthcare services and treatment. In the meantime, improved Internet access for both these facilities and the patients they serve will improve remote and specialized healthcare.

A deeper focus on preventive care is essential if India’s healthcare system is to substantially improve. Improving overall wellness reduces the strain on the medical sector’s resources, and it lessens the cost of care for patients. In a country that has only about 15 percent insurance penetration, reducing costs is a major factor when trying to increase accessibility for people.

Together, the changes that IoMT, AI, and other technological advancements are bringing about have the potential to transform India’s healthcare sector. As accessibility, monitoring, inventory reliability, and new research all increase, providers will be in a better position to offer more preventive services — which naturally leads to a reduced need for reactive treatments.

Technology is changing how people in India receive the treatments they need. The country’s huge population and fewer resources demand continuous development and innovation to reduce the gap. The healthcare industry fully understands the importance of utilizing the data generated from their devices and leveraging it will ensure accurate diagnostics and on-time treatment to better serve the patient.

The information generated using IoMT is intelligent and measurable to help improve the speed and accuracy of diagnostics and target treatments more efficiently and effectively. IoMT enables remote clinical monitoring, preventive care, and chronic disease and medication management, and it supports people who require assistance with daily living – such as the elderly and those with disabilities – to live more independent lives.

Through the implementation of IoMT, providers will be able to better educate the public, patients will be able to get earlier diagnoses, medications will be more consistently available, and everyone will better understand the medical needs of India’s population. Conventional healthcare is up to witness a paradigm shift as digital transformation is enabling better access of technologically advanced treatments even in the remotest of areas through online consultation and connected products.

Source: DHN

A modern IoMT has evolved by consolidating IoT growth with advances in telemedicine and telehealth. This approach involves the use of multiple wearables, including ECG and EKG sensors.

FREMONT, CA: The technical development in the healthcare system is transforming the environment for a healthier future. Advances such as AR/VR, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, 3D printing, and Nanotechnology are reforming healthcare firms' operations. 2020 has become a test for the healthcare sector as an industry with more responsibilities and commitments in the pandemic.

2021 and the pandemic situation is still unclear, but technical advancement will never stop to facilitate the transition and bring about a healthier outcome in the healthcare sector. Below are some technologies that will have an undeniable effect in 2021.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine, or the conduct of physicians treating patients remotely instead of in actual offices and hospital facilities, has risen exponentially since the pandemic when people across the globe have little physical knowledge. This experience has demonstrated that remote consultations are feasible yet, in addition, simple and sometimes preferable. A few experts estimate this is only the beginning, and soon the scale of telemedicine will increase.

Virtual Reality

The life of the patient and the doctor is being revised to virtual reality. Later, as one is working on it, they can redirect the pain patients you've brought to a holiday place. Growth and effects are struggling to fulfill standards for virtual reality progress from 2020 onwards, but the coming years will be reliably positive. Technologies are useful for patients in the treatment of pain. In comparison, women are fitted with a virtual reality headset to forget the agony of labor.

The Internet in Medical Things (IoMT)

Various devices and smartphone applications have come to play an essential role in diagnosing and preventing chronic diseases for specific patients and their physicians. A modern IoMT has evolved by consolidating IoT growth with advances in telemedicine and telehealth. This approach involves the use of multiple wearables, including ECG and EKG sensors. Numerous other medical estimates can also be used, such as skin temperature, glucose level, and pulse readings.

The IoT business will be worth 6.2 trillion dollars by 2025. The healthcare services sector has become so focused on IoT advancement in 2020 that 30 percent of the market share for IoT devices will come from healthcare.

Source: CIO Review

Healthcare IoT, in combination with cutting-edge technologies, can lead to numerous advancements.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced people and organizations to face new challenges and concepts -- such as social distancing -- and prioritize technologies such as cloud, IoT and AI that push technologists to explore new use cases. This trend places IoT as a big technology for healthcare in 2021 and beyond.

Organizations might face some implementation challenges at first, but tech adoption will continue to accelerate in healthcare because of the ongoing pandemic. In a recent global survey, 42% out of 350 CIO and CTO participants said they expedited the adoption of IoT technologies due to the pandemic, according to IEEE.

The internet of medical things (IoMT) has undergone several innovative revolutions to address the current state. A recent MarketsandMarkets report revealed that experts predict the global healthcare IoT market size will grow from $72.5 billion in 2020 to $188.2 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 21.0% during the forecast period.

Further, it highlighted that many Asian countries, such as China, Japan and India, use information-intensive IoT technologies to cater to increasing healthcare service demands.

New uses and IoT trends in healthcare

IoT may significantly enhance the way people interact with the world. IoT technology, whether high-level healthcare devices or common household gadgets, facilitates seamless communication between networks and devices.

Moreover, IoT has the ability to change the entire healthcare industry because of a variety of new uses, such as:

• smooth communication between patients and doctors, including virtual prescriptions;

• home-connect programs for patients to decrease potential exposure to the coronavirus;

• virtual and augmented reality to teach students healthcare courses;

• smart sensor-based ambulance service at road-junctions;

• emergency vehicular networks; and

• medical data collection at the user level through sensors.

These use cases promote trends that hospitals and patients will adopt in 2021, including:

Telemedicine and remote healthcare. Many hospitals across the globe use AI-based patient monitoring tools to collect and treat the patient based on real-time reports.

Personalized healthcare. Home healthcare devices can sufficiently decrease the risk of human loss. Personalized healthcare predicts and informs patients about their real-time monitoring parameters and intelligent analytical data. Healthcare providers can share the collected data simultaneously with family members and doctors in case of emergencies.

Health management. Hospital facilities can use IoT devices to manage and track the movement of all patients, doctors and staff across wards in real time, which can decrease any delay to address emergency situations or physical damage. A typical hospital visit requires patients to follow a procedure that includes registration, ward allocation, operation or medication, doctor supervision, medicine allocation and release after positive results. Healthcare providers can automate each step in the procedure and digitally track a patient with IoT devices to generate data for medicine sale analysis, number of patient intakes, temperature-sensing tools and test report analysis. The data can be deployed into one common cloud-based architecture with edge nodes, commonly known as a health information management system.

Source: IoT Agenda

The influx of COVID-19 cases has raised several challenges for healthcare systems around the world. As hospitals are overburdened with the virus cases, realizing ‘social distance’ as a critical containment measure, healthcare experts and researchers have innovated technologies that help in monitoring patients remotely. Considering the ongoing health crisis and the requirement to deliver care more cost-effectively, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) technology reassures accessibility and caters to the need for safe out-of-hospital management especially for kidney failure patients. RPM technology such as Sharesource has the potential to share treatment data with clinicians at the completion of therapy daily to proactively manage the condition of Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) patients.

These systems eliminate the need of in person and regular visits to the hospital for dialysis, keeping the patient away from being exposed to COVID-19 and have reduced the mental stress experienced by patients on dialysis. They also help hospitals manage their staff which is essential during the pandemic when resources are falling short to treat the growing number of COVID-19 positive patients

In-depth understanding of RPM System

PD is a home-based treatment for kidney failure patients that uses the lining of the patient’s abdomen to filter wastes from the blood. It can be carried remotely at any clean and enclosed environment. PD is done frequently which eliminates the chance of build-up of waste and toxins in the blood. There are two kinds of PD— Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and APD. CAPD involves carrying dialysis manually whereas APD requires a machine called cycler to deliver and drain dialysate.

Today, we also have cyclers that are embedded with RPM technology that allow clinicians to monitor the patient’s treatment on a regular basis. This allows them to make changes to the patient’s prescription if necessary, review and proactively manage any clinical issues recorded during the dialysis and allows early intervention.

While carrying dialysis at home with the help of APD, real time health data related to the patient’s dialysis condition, is well managed through the RPM system. After the completion of PD, the information collected gets automatically transmitted to a secure platform accessible by the doctor in a different location for recommendations. From the patient’s treatment history, the doctor can track events that may have flashed certain issues during the dialysis and make clinical decisions in a more-timely manner. Considering the nature of the disease, kidney failure patients require different settings for each therapy session. Using the remote monitoring system, doctors can now customise dashboards that can be organised as per individual patient needs.

How is RPM redefining renal care in India?

As a part of telehealth, RPM provides virtual and continuous connection between the patient and the doctor. Telehealth as defined by the WHO, is the use of virtual technology and telecommunications to deliver healthcare facilities, going beyond the traditional way. As per reports, the global telehealth market is expected to reach $55.6 billion by 2025 from USD 25.4 billion in 2020. The rapid increase in prevalence of chronic diseases, shortage of healthcare infrastructure, the need to make healthcare accessible to all and advancement in medical technologies are the major driving factors for the growth in telehealth services in the last three decades.

The growing use of remote technologies has helped the population that has witnessed disproportionately high rates of chronic diseases and barriers such as inflexible work schedules, limited transportation, and financial crunches. When people learn that their kidney has lost its ability to function and dialysis becomes a necessity, the instinct is to get it, even if it entails out-of-pocket expenses. This pushes families into incurring expenses beyond their means. The long-term costs are lower of RPM technology that comes with APD, as it allows smooth and efficient treatment from the comfort of home and helps in proactive management of kidney failure patients reducing the need of emergency hospitalizations.

With two lakh kidney patients who require 34 million dialysis therapy in total every year, India has many battles to fight to address this burden, at a time like this. Fortunately, today, we are observing an onslaught of technologies that are aiding in managing kidney diseases better, giving respite to millions of patients. However, their usage remains abysmally low due to lack of awareness. As per current estimates, there are about 6,500 patients on PD in India. Hence, there is a dire need to address the treatment barriers kidney patients’ face by spreading awareness and giving patients access to much-needed RPM technologies that will define the future of healthcare in India.

Source: TIMES OF INDIA

As the demand for dermatologic care continues to increase – the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that more than 5 million new cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer are diagnosed each year – wait times for consults grow longer.

But utilizing telemedicine can reduce that wait significantly, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Independence Blue Cross.

The response time for a dermatology consultation drops from nearly 84 days to less than five hours when primary care doctors take and share photographs of their patients' areas of concern.

Patients typically must book a visit with their primary care physician and obtain a referral before they can receive a consult with a dermatologist. Wait times for new patients visits are notoriously lengthy.

The researchers said their study offers evidence that photo-based telemedicine can be a more efficient way to deliver care in dermatology and other specialities.

"Telemedicine offers the opportunity to accelerate health care access by getting around infrastructure barriers: namely, heavily booked dermatology practices," Dr. Jules Lipoff, study senior author and assistant professor of clinical dermatology said in a statement.

In the study, five primary care practices sent photos over a secure application to a rotation of eight dermatologists for consult.

This process was used for 167 patients between June 2016 and May 2017. The findings were then compared to a retrospective control group of 1,962 people that followed the traditional process.

The doctors used a shared digital photography service known as "Store-and-Forward" to send the photos. Similar models have been tested in smaller patient groups.

The extra step didn't increase the doctors' workloads or add medical costs either, according to the study, published in the journal Telemedicine and e-Health. And it didn't lead to an increase in overall consultations.

Although the data was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is particularly relevant now, researchers said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated just how important it is to ensure patients have the ability to access the care, education and support they need virtually," said co-author Aaron Smith-McLallen, director of Health Informatics and Advanced Analytics at Independence Blue Cross.

"We see a future where more and more of our members will be using digital tools to complement in-person care, and we are working with our provider partners to make that a reality."

Source: Phillyvoice

The European Commission has launched an €8 million project that aims to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to increase and enhance the remote care provided by hospitals. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is stretching health systems to their limits, the project is one of several actions the EC is funding with the aim of developing "Next-Generation Internet of Things" tech that could help hospitals and other organisations operate more efficiently.

Dubbed IntellIoT, the project is a consortium of 13 participating companies and institutions, including Siemens, Philips, EURECOM, Aalborg University, University of Oulu, Philips, Sphynx Analytics, and the University of St. Gallen.

Over the next three years, the 13 partners will trial a range of initiatives and tools intended to autonomously conduct health monitoring and interventions, while also analysing large quantities of medical data. Their aim is to save hospitals valuable time and money, while also reducing unnecessary (and currently risky) face-to-face contact between patients and practitioners.

Hospitals + Internet Of Things = Less Coronavirus Pressure?

One of the trials will see the University General Hospital of Heraklion in Greece team up with health technology firm Philips. Their aim will be to develop AI algorithms that can be used with diagnostic healthcare devices and sensors, potentially accelerating the diagnostic process while improving its accuracy. They will also evaluate and test new Internet of Things-based technologies that can act as intermediaries between patients and medical professionals, allowing for remote patient management.

According to Heraklion’s Prof. Fragkiskos Parthenakis, the project offers the opportunity to plug the gap in patient information that has worsened over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

"In the beginning of the pandemic we all faced a lack of information and data, be it patients, doctors and political decision makers," he says. "Intelligent IoT solutions that provide humanised, trusted and secure data will help facilitate the use of distributed AI for decision making and better service in healthcare in the future."

While the Internet of Things is the headline technology being highlighted by the IntellIoT project, it will incorporate other emerging technologies to provide healthcare in a way that doesn’t exacerbate the coronavirus pandemic and doesn’t endanger patient safety. This includes 5G, distributed computing, augmented reality, tactile internet, and artificial intelligence.

"By applying AI in a way that improves decision-making for healthcare providers, IntellIoT has the potential to help capture and make sense of each patient's data throughout their unique care pathway, ultimately supporting the quadruple aim: an improved experience for staff and patients, better health outcomes and a lower cost of care," says Anca Bucur, Senior Researcher at Philips.

In other words, the project isn’t aiming simply to insert existing Internet of Things applications into health care, but to also improve the intelligence and adaptability of devices used at the ‘edge’ (i.e. at the user-end) of IoT systems.

"There is … a need to rethink healthcare in light of this pandemic," explains Rolf Riemenschneider, Head of Sector for Internet of Things at the European Commission. "Accelerated through Covid-19, IoT applications now need to look beyond connecting a variety of different wearable devices, by adding intelligence, autonomy and security to the IoT edge node, close to the users."

The specific details of the individual technologies, applications and systems likely to be developed by the IntellIoT project haven’t yet been divulged by its members. It’s therefore hard to say whether the project will produce solutions that can replace a substantial number of functions currently fulfilled by medical professionals and existing technologies. Nonetheless, even replacing only a small number could make a crucial difference to how hospitals cope with the current coronavirus crisis.

One other worry is privacy and data security. IntellIoT’s participants have provided assurances that the systems they use will process data securely. But without specific details on the cybersecurity protocols and standards likely to be employed, the public at this moment can’t be sure that the growing use of IoT in healthcare will enlarge the attack space for bad actors to target.

Not Only IntellIoT

The IntellIoT project is not the only organisation harnessing the power of the Internet of Things in order to relieve coronavirus-related pressure on hospitals.

At the original epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals in China quickly began using telemedicine and robots to provide health care in the first quarter of the year. In Wuhan, the Smart Field Hospital opened in March, ‘staffed’ largely by robots and various Internet of Things devices. Inpatients were screened by 5G-connected thermometers to alert staff for anyone with fever, while they also wore smart bracelets and rings linked to CloudMinds’ AI platform, which received data regarding such vital signs as heart rate and blood oxygen levels.

Such deployments are only just beginning, with telemedicine beginning to be used more widely in Japan and the United States, among other nations. But while the actual use of such solutions remains at an early stage, there’s already a considerable body of research–published by universities around the world–which has concluded that the use of the Internet of Things will be necessary to relieve the workloads faced by hospitals, and to keep patients safe from contagion. Researchers in Tunisia even proposed a "home hospitalization system based on the Internet of things" in an article published in June in the Informatics in Medicine Unlocked journal.

It’s still too early to tell just how extensive IoT will be in healthcare. But with the coronavirus potentially remaining with us for several years to come, it’s very likely that we’ll witness a noticeable increase in its use.

Source: Forbes

코로나19 세계적인 대유행으로 감염병에 대한 백신 개발 등 바이오산업이 유망 분야로 떠오르고 있다.

바이오산업은 또한 급속한 성장과 글로벌 주도권을 차지할 신산업으로 주목받고 있는데 국내에서는 그 중심지로 포항시가 눈길을 끄는 행보를 보이고 있다.

포항은 연구 개발에 따른 포스텍의 우수한 인력과 4세대 방사광 가속기를 기반으로 하는 최첨단 시설인 바이오오픈센터, 세포막단밸질 연구소 건립, 식물백신기업지원시설 건립 등 바이오인프라와 연구 개발 및 혁신기술이 한미사이언스 등 사업화로 연계될 수 있는 바이오클러스터가 선순환되는 바이오산업의 최적화된 도시로 성장하고 있다. 바이오클러스터 중심으로 글로벌 시장에 내놓을 수 있는 고부가가치의 신약이나 획기적 제품이 개발되면 포항은 K-바이오를 이끌 바이오산업 선도 도시로 입지를 굳혀 나갈 것으로 기대된다.

포항에서도 바이오산업의 중심지는 단연 포항융합기술산업지구다.

포항융합기술산업지구는 포항경제자유구역 내 흥해읍 대련리와 이인리 일원 147만㎡(약 45만평) 규모에 3천789억원을 투입해 개발되는 자족형 복합신도시다. 지난해에 도시브랜드 네임을 ‘펜타시티’로 정하고 분양에 들어갔으며, 바이오 관련 기업을 비롯한 각종 업계에서 뜨거운 관심을 내비치고 있다.

(주)포항융합티앤아이에 따르면 펜타시티는 올해 7월 31일 공동주택 분양공고를 시작으로 산업시설용지, 공동주택용지, 상업용지, 업무용지, 단독주택 용지 31필지에 대해 2차 분양을 진행했다. 그 결과 펜타시티는 지난 1차 분양에 이어 최고 21대 1의 경쟁률을 보이며 모두 완판됐다. 업무용지가 21대 1로 가장 높았고, 상업용지와 단독주택용지는 각각 14대 1, 13대 1의 경쟁률을 기록했다. 이 외에도 펜타시티는 (주)바이오앱을 비롯해 지난 1차 분양에서 의료법인 한성재단, (주)HMT가 입주를 확정 지었으며 한미약품의 지주회사인 한미사이언스와 3천억원 규모의 스마트헬스케어 인프라 구축을 위한 투자 발표 이후 전국 기업들의 관심이 뜨겁다.

또한 최근에는 펜타도시 내에 국제학교 유치를 위한 본격적인 행보와 더불어 경북도와 포항시, 포스텍이 공동으로 추진하는 포항 의과대학 유치 추진위원회가 출범하면서 모든 인프라를 갖춘 프리미엄지구에 대한 기대감이 크다.

올해 7월 취임한 최삼룡 대구경북경제자유구역청장은 취임 이후 얼마 지나지 않아 포스텍 생명공학연구센터를 방문해 제약•헬스케어 등 포항의 바이오산업 발전방향에 대한 논의하고, (주)바이오앱을 방문해 돼지열병 그린백신 제조 등 식물공장을 둘러보는 등 큰 관심을 나타낸 바 있다.

포항시 역시 모든 지원을 아끼지 않는다는 입장이다. 최근 정부가 발표한 ‘그린바이오 융합형 신산업 육성방안’에 선제적으로 대처하고자 발빠른 움직임을 보이고 있으며, 같은 맥락에서 지난 9월에는 ‘스마트 식물공장형 그린백신 생산기술 개발’ 용역 중간보고회를 개최하기도 했다. 이 자리에서 이강덕 포항시장은 “용역결과를 바탕으로 농림축산식품부, 과학기술정보통신부 등 중앙부처와 적극 소통해 정부에서 예타를 준비 중인 ‘(가칭)동물감염병대응 다부처기술개발사업’에 반영될 수 있도록 노력할 것”이라고 말했다.

철강산업에 이은 포항의 미래 신성장동력으로 떠오르고 있는 바이오 산업과 관련해 포항그린바이오 현주소와 포항융합산업기술지구(상), 그린바이오 중심 포항융합산업기술지구(중), 포항 그린바이오 산업의 미래와 전망(하)에 대해 진단해 본다.

출처: 경북매일

Integrating 5G network technology and today’s digital healthcare technology will improve patients’ access to doctors, increase the availability of the latest healthcare technologies, improve patient outcomes, and increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

To improve patient access and patient outcomes, and accelerate the acquisition of large amounts of medical data for future research, the healthcare industry has undertaken initiatives in remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, robotics, and data collection and analysis.

The mobile industry is doing its part with the ongoing deployment of ultra-fast 5G networks, which support the the near-instantaneous transmission of huge amounts of data, and rolling out new, more powerful mobile and IoT devices.

Wireless operators are investing billions to build the infrastructure needed for widespread 5G coverage. This will reduce the effective distance between patients and their healthcare providers, increase access to care, and revolutionize how healthcare is delivered. There will be extreme demands for 5G coverage, and for very high network reliability. Access to a 5G network less than 90 percent of the time is insufficient for medical mission-critical functions.

What does 5G mean for healthcare?

Connecting Smart Devices and Medical Data

The speed, bandwidth and connectivity promise of 5G will serve as the basis of reimagining how the healthcare industry approaches wellness. By collecting data continuously, rather than at a single point in time, 5G will allow the healthcare provider and the patient to recognize trends early, and identify issues more accurately than ever before. As the healthcare industry drives toward more personalized care, 5G can help to incorporate more data into the decision process, leading to more successful outcomes.

Wearables

Wearables are wireless devices capable of monitoring and transmitting medical data, with the potential to give patients ownership of their healthcare decisions, untethering them from their doctors’ offices. These can be the early warning systems, identifying problems proactively while the patient goes about living their normal life.

Wearable technology will also be useful in helping patients manage chronic conditions, enabling healthcare professionals to continuously collect and analyze complex streams of data, for example, data from blood glucose monitors, pacemakers, insulin pumps, CPAPS, or sleep monitors. These devices will allow doctors to determine if a patient’s symptoms are either improving or deteriorating, and pinpoint the possible causes, all in a shorter period of time than current technology and scheduled visits to the doctor’s office allows.

Medical Imaging

One of the real virtues of 5G-enabled digital medicine is support for remote access between patients and their doctors. High-speed transmission of virtually any type of medical image is in use today, enabling doctors to view these images as soon as they are captured. This will have the effect of expanding the talent pool, bringing highly specialized and responsive health expertise to communities where they may otherwise be lacking.

Wireless’ role in diagnosis

Currently in use, artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision support systems are giving physicians access to the latest knowledge on patient diagnosis and treatment. Now broadly accepted, it’s a given that AI will play an even more important role in healthcare.

Ultimately, these systems rely on the collection and retreival of huge amounts of data. The intensive data processing needed to drive AI technology, and the transmission of the huge amounts of data required to make good and accurate decisions, requires high-bandwidth, and low-latency networks, which 5G offers by its very design.

Remote Medicine

The real prerequisite for the widespread use of remote medicine is the availability of networks with the necessary bandwidth, latency and reliability. Receiving and viewing medical images in real time, surgeons will be able to use tools such as Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and robotics to conduct procedures locally or from great distances. This would enable experienced doctors to advise and assist in areas lacking access to certain medical specialties. There are already robots assisting in procedures in operating rooms in the US, but they haven’t yet been integrated with advanced telecommunications networks, except in a few pilot trials.

Accelerating the 5G healthcare promise

The challenge is to expand the integration between medical technology and 5G, and to make wearables a reality. There are a number of steps needed to realize the 5G healthcare vision: assuring interoperability through standardization, continuing to deploy 5G infrastructure, and working jointly to educate and solve the needs of the thousands of clinics and hospitals across America that are lacking in wireless expertise.

Standardization and Interoperability

With the complexity of interconnected networks and devices, it is crucial that the wireless and healthcare industries work with standards bodies to ensure data security, privacy and interoperability. Maintaining standards between networks sharing data, and the easy and reliable exchange of trusted information, is vital for the success of 5G. Without them, we won’t realize the $4 trillion to $6 trillion economic opportunity that we envision.

Reimbursement policy

Government officials need to review their current reimbursement policy in light of the new advances in digital medicine. Currently, it is difficult for healthcare providers to receive reimbursement for telemedicine, video conferencing, or home health therapy. In Maryland, for example, while doctors and patients are using telephone and videoconferencing to see patients during the COVID-19 virus, the largest health insurance carrier in the state is only paying doctors a $20 flat fee for telephone consulations regardless of the length of the call.

Driving a better patient experience

Integrating 5G and healthcare technology will improve patient’s access to doctors, increase the availability of the latest healthcare technologies, and monitor and collect diagnostic data from patients as they go about their lives, driving greater efficiency of healthcare delivery and an improved patient experience. Mobile devices, remote monitoring, and the instantaneous transmission of huge volumes of data will result in a dramatic increase in the numbers of patients receiving treatment remotely, reducing the distance between patients and their healthcare providers, broadening access to care, and revolutionizing the way healthcare is delivered. The implications are nothing short of staggering.

Source: RCRWireless

Jane Van Aken, Development Director at Spirit Digital, outlines the five key necessities for successful implementation and use of remote monitoring.

While digital healthcare has existed since the early 1970s, Covid-19 has acted as a catalyst for the NHS’s digital transformation. In order to continue to care for vulnerable patients, including those with chronic conditions and care home residents, the healthcare system has had to embrace innovative technologies, including remote monitoring and telehealth services.

The 2020 NHS Framework for Enhanced Health in Care Homes recognised remote monitoring as an opportunity to enhance the quality of care for residents and alert staff in the wider health system about patients’ health deterioration, while reducing call-outs and hospital admissions. Remote monitoring can also be used in patients’ own homes, allowing healthcare providers to communicate with them and track their conditions within a “virtual ward”. Clinical teams can use digital technology to triage their patients and respond as quickly as possible, often via video conferencing in real time.

This proactive model of care expands health system capacity, empowers patients to better self-manage and minimises the risk of cross-contamination at a time when the collective focus is on protecting vulnerable patients and the NHS. However, in order to gain the greatest benefit from remote monitoring, there are five key necessities for successful implementation and patient care.

Easy access

In a previous Microsoft study, results found that the average human attention span has reduced from 12 seconds to eight seconds over a period of 13 years. The way digital platforms look, feel and respond to the user play an important role in the likelihood of the individual using and engaging with the technology. According to Google, more than half of mobile web traffic leaves a landing page if it takes more than three seconds to load; users want information to be readily available and easy to use, or they lose interest. This is relevant to the way healthcare systems use remote monitoring, as patient and clinical teams require easy-to-use software which is quick and convenient for both parties.

Making informed decisions with data

Data collection is a crucial part of effective remote monitoring to help healthcare providers better understand their patients’ health, indicate which patients should be prioritised, and identify any signs of deterioration before a crisis occurs. Likewise, digital healthcare has the ability to improve research into the impact of drugs and interventions on patients by connecting clinicians to patients on a more regular basis, improving efficiency and enabling them to collect a greater amount of higher quality data. This will help healthcare providers model the most effective treatments for patients based on the data collected.

Nurses and/or carers can use remote monitoring tools to take patients’ vital signs readings and get answers to simple, clinically appropriate questions. This information, supported by sophisticated algorithms, can provide a risk assessment to the clinical teams. By gathering data about the individual’s condition, the clinician is empowered to make well-informed and quicker decisions that best meet the patient’s needs, by remotely providing health and wellbeing advice and intervening where and when more urgent care is needed.

Additionally, clinicians need to ensure the data collected is stored in a safe and private way, as well as presented so that it’s easy to report on and interpret. This will help the healthcare teams to quickly identify any patient concerns by clearly tracking their condition and how they interact with the platform. With this insight, clinicians can provide extra support when it is necessary.

Investment and training

One of the key obstacles that will need to be dealt with in order for the NHS to embrace new technology on a more permanent basis is a lack of access to the right tools that facilitate digital healthcare, as well as a robust IT architecture in place. Remote monitoring can only be effective if it is underpinned with the right connectivity. Without this essential factor, organisations and clinicians will not be able to realise the fullest potential of remote monitoring.

This was recently supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners in its recent publication, General Practice in the Post-Covid World, which said: “Digital technology to aid remote monitoring and self-care is a fast-moving landscape… In order to facilitate and expand remote monitoring of health conditions, we will need significant investment in digital telecare tools and training for both staff and patients to use these tools.”

Patient self-management

One of the main benefits of remote monitoring is the ability to educate the patient so that, if possible, they can reach the stage of self-management in the comfort of their own home – helping to reduce hospital admissions and costs and improve quality of life. This is an important part of the NHS Long Term Plan to offer patients the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health and care.

Having access to approved and reliable education resources in one place means patients can use these tools to manage their disease on a daily basis without being in hospital, and ultimately living a healthier, more informed and improved life with their condition.

Meeting the needs of patients and clinicians

Remote monitoring is a personalised care service, which is why taking user feedback into consideration is a crucial part of software development, to ensure it meets the needs of both clinicians and patients. To help the platform improve and gain the most value from it, developers need to be open to both constructive feedback and praise to ensure the technology can engage with users more effectively.

There may be clinicians who are reluctant to adopt this new way of working with software, but in order to combat this barrier there needs to be added emphasis on how remote monitoring can enhance and support care without being a substitute for their clinical judgement and expertise. Similarly, remote monitoring can help patients manage their condition, allowing them to stay out of hospital while being virtually connected to their clinician.

A post-Covid-19 world

Healthcare is experiencing a revolution as Covid-19 heralds new ways of thinking and using technology within health and care settings. Digital technology holds many great opportunities for improving the way healthcare is delivered, giving more people easier access to better care, while saving significant time and costs for the NHS as we become a more connected nation.

As we move into the next phase of the pandemic and look to the future of community care, the potential for remote monitoring and virtual wards is evident. Unquestionably, remote monitoring will continue to make headway based on what we learn and to meet the changing demands and expectations from patients and healthcare providers alike.

Source: Business Reporter

Covid-19 has seen a massive increase in the use of telemedicine. While it may seem novel, it’s actually been around for decades and research shows it’s frequently just as effective as face-to-face interventions, if not better. But how well it works for you mostly depends on your healthcare system.

When it comes to telemedicine, we already know what we’re doing

Telemedicine has been around for decades, but it never really took off in the way you might expect—that is, until now.

“This has been a real-world experiment, if you like,” says health economics and policy expert Nkiru Eze.

“All the barriers that we were facing previously, it’s almost as if they’ve melted away because we’ve had no other option but to access remote care.”

Ms Eze has just published an umbrella review of telemedicine in the OECD, identifying what the state of play was before Covid-19 in terms of clinical and cost-effectiveness, patient experience, and implementation of telehealth.

What her team found was that although not all healthcare can be delivered remotely, telemedicine has mostly been as effective as normal care and, in some cases, better.

Telehealth diabetes management, for example, was reported to have better than or comparable results to face-to-face interventions.

When it came to cardiovascular disease, remote monitoring and phone support were “superior to usual care in reducing the odds of mortality and hospitalization related to heart failure, improve survival rates and reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors such as weight, BMI and blood pressure.”

Telemedicine has helped manage pain effectively and increase exercise levels, improved mental health and diet, and aided in the control of respiratory diseases like asthma.

And, according to studies, people like using it (patients more so than health practitioners), whether it takes the form of mobile apps, remote monitoring, online support, or picking up the phone.

Healthcare is not like other markets

So, if the reviews have been so good, why haven’t we taken it up in greater numbers before now? Other industries have been transformed by remote service provision. Why not primary healthcare?

“If you look at it from a health economics perspective, the healthcare market is different,” says Ms Eze.

“That’s part of the reason why it’s not been implemented at the scale that you think it would be.

“It’s not as easy as saying, for example, because we used to shop in stores before and now online shopping has come, most people are going to move online. Healthcare is not really the same.”

For one thing, it’s generally not discretionary.

“There’s things like inelasticity of demand. If you were sick, you’d literally pay anything to get better. So there are no real alternatives,” explains Ms Eze.

“If you’re on a budget you can either buy butter or vegetable spread, which is cheaper. But in most cases for healthcare there’s not that option for you to choose. And even if there were, you wouldn’t know what drug to choose instead of another. You don’t have all the information.”

Success comes down to the healthcare system where you live

When you look at what’s happened with telehealth around the world, Ms Eze says it’s not about who does it better.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘better’,” she says.

“It has to do with policy, with the reimbursement models. It’s the way that healthcare systems are set up.”

Canada, for instance, has recently implemented new policies to reimburse doctors for telemedicine.

“Reimbursement was the biggest barrier. Telemedicine takes as much time as face-to-face. Sometimes it could take longer. And time is money. So if you’re not reimbursing for telemedicine there wouldn’t be that much uptake for it, or else doctors are providing healthcare for free,” Ms Eze explains.

She says the fee-for-service model of healthcare provides more of a challenge for telehealth than, say, a salary structure.

“It comes down to your healthcare system and what policies are in place. So if the policy makers want it to work, then you need to give doctors incentive to provide telemedicine.”

And then there are the barriers faced by patients. While technology is cheaper and more advanced than it’s ever been, it still costs a significant amount of money to buy equipment—even just a smart phone, which is often the bare minimum—and pay for internet. People also need access to appropriate training and support.

“The people most likely to benefit are those who are normally marginalized from accessing face-to-face care: people who live in remote areas, people that are disabled, those who are house-bound, some older adults, those who don’t have transport and so on,” says Ms Eze.

But she says these are the people telemedicine is less likely to reach.

“That’s who interventions should be targeted to when everything normalizes. It’s a bit of a paradox. Telemedicine is more likely to reach those who are tech savvy and who live in urban areas.”

It’s equitable now and cost-effective in the long term

Ms Eze explains that providing telehealth to rural areas, for instance, may not appear cost-effective in the short term, but will provide a long-term economic benefit.

“You’re averting a worsening of their condition,” she says. “If you look at the long-term horizon, it’s potentially cost-effective when you look at the hospitalizations that you’re going to avoid by intervening early.

“You will reap the benefits in 10 or 20 years’ time.

“And it’s like any other intervention. [You have to] to put those cost controls measures in place to make sure the costs don’t spiral out of control.”

Ms Eze believes telehealth is here to stay.

“I know a lot of healthcare systems are looking at their reimbursement models again and thinking about how we can deliver care remotely. And I think it will be the future, definitely.”

“But I don’t have a glass ball,” she laughs. “So, I don’t know.”

Source: Forbes

Discuss the establishment of a medical science consortium with joint investment from industry, university and government.
The Cornerstone of substantializing Hanmi Science' Six Visions

Hanmi Science is drafting a “Medical Science Center” in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, with the goal of fulfilling the vision of being the world's top three medical players.

It is reported that Hanmi Science is currently discussing the establishment of a “Medical Science Center” that will help concretize the vision of the Hanmi Pharm.Co.,Ltd. in Pohang.

"We will hold a discussion with Pohang and POSTECH on the establishment of a medical science foundation in cooperation with hospitals with more than 100 beds and those with less than 1000 beds located in Pohang”, said an official from Hanmi Science.

This has shaped up the collaborative work between Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, POSTECH and Hanmi Science, which has continued since last year. At the same time, through the world's outstanding medical talents, it is planned to maximize the research and development potential in the health care field established in Pohang in the future.

In order to make Pohang a global healthcare cluster city like Basel in Switzerland, it is extremely important to attract excellent enterprises and R&D facilities and to train and distribute competitive research and clinicians.

In particular, the fact that it is a cornerstone for the concrete realization of the 6th vision “Cydio Cigma” recently announced by Hanmi Science CEO Chong-Yoon Lim, which also accelerates this move.

It is expected that Hanmi Science will first consider the construction of a “Medical Science Center” of joint investment methods of industry (Hanmi), university (POSTECH), and government (Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do).

The Medical Science Center uses the research and training courses of existing doctors in cooperation with existing local parliamentarians, hoping to minimize the increase in the number of doctors. It will not only improve the local medical environment, but also steadily foster world-competitive practical research doctors.

Hanmi Science is also planning to include the research-oriented hospital and medical science college campuses in Pohang Penta City in the future.

Relevant sources said: "In order to become one of the world's three major medical powers and centers for training research doctors, careful discussions are under way on whether to set up a new medical university in Pohang and a medical science consortium capable of upgrading various medical institutions such as affiliated hospitals." He also added that, "In addition to Pohang City, POSTECH and Kyungpook National University are also interested in this ambition.”

Source: Seoul Cable News

讨论设立产学政联合共同投资方式的医疗科学财团
实现韩美6大愿景的基石

韩美科技正在为在庆北浦项建设“医疗科学中心”绘制蓝图，旨在实现世界3大医疗强国愿景。

据悉，最近韩美科技正在讨论在浦项构建“医疗科学中心”，使韩美药品集团的愿景具体化。

韩美科技相关人士表示：“据我所知，将与浦项市、浦项工科大学等一起讨论成立医疗科学财团，与目前位于浦项的100张床位至1000张床位规模的医院合作。”

这使得从去年开始延续至今的庆北道和浦项市、浦项工科大学、韩美间的合作变化具体化，同时通过全球优秀医疗人才，计划将今后在浦项建立的保健领域的研发潜力最大化。

这是因为，为了使浦项成为像瑞士巴塞尔一样的世界级保健医疗集群城市，应引进优秀企业和R&D设施、培养和分配具有竞争力的研究及临床医生无比重要。

这其实也是为落实最近韩美科技的代表林钟润发表的6大愿景“Cydio Cigma”做铺垫，无形中也带来了很大的压力。

韩美科技将优先考虑以产（韩美）、学（浦项工科大学）、政（浦项市、庆尚北道）共同投资方式构建“医疗科学中心”。

医疗科学中心采用现有医生的研究培训课程与当地现有议员合作的方式，期待能够将医生人数的增加降至最低的同时，不仅能改善当地医疗环境，还能稳定地培养具有世界竞争力的实战型研究医生。

据悉，韩美科技计划今后在浦项彭塔市建立的研究中心医院及医疗科学专科学校校区也纳入医疗科学中心。

相关人士表示：“为了成为世界3大医疗强国和培养研究医生，关于是否在浦项新设医科大学、 设立能够升级附属医院等多种医疗机构的医疗科学财团等问题正在缜密讨论中。” 知情人士还透露，“除了韩美科技、浦项工科大学、浦项市以外，浦项工科大学、庆北大学也在关注此事。”

来源：首尔电缆新闻

산학정 연계 공동투자 방식의 의료과학재단 설립 논의
한미 6대 비전 실현 초석

한미사이언스가 세계 3대 의료강국 비전 실현을 목표로 경북 포항에 ‘메디칼 사이언스 센터’ 구축을 위한 밑그림을 그리고 있다.

최근 한미사이언스가 포항에서의 한미약품그룹 비전을 구체화하는 구심점 역할을 할 ‘메디칼 사이언스 센터’ 구축을 논의 중인 것으로 알려졌다.

한미사이언스 관계자는 “현재 포항에 위치한 100병상 이상 1000병상 미만 규모의 병원들과 협력하는 의료 과학 재단 설립에 관한 논의를 포항시, 포스텍 등과 함께 진행할 예정인 것으로 알고 있다”고 언급했다.

이 같은 행보는 작년부터 이어지고 있는 경상북도와 포항시, 포스텍, 한미간의 협력 사업을 구체화하면서도, 향후 포항에 자리잡게 될 헬스케어 분야 R&D 잠재력을 글로벌 역량을 갖춘 우수 의료 인력을 통해 최대치로 끌어내겠다는 계획으로 읽힌다.

포항을 스위스 바젤과 같은 세계적인 헬스케어 클러스터 도시로 도약시키기 위해서는 우수 기업 유치와 R&D 시설은 물론, 경쟁력 있는 연구 및 임상 의사 육성과 배치가 무엇보다 중요하다는 판단 때문이다.

특히 최근 한미사이언스 임종윤 대표가 발표한 6대 비전 ‘싸이디오 시그마’의 구체적 실현을 위한 포석이 된다는 점도 이 같은 행보에 무게를 싣고 있다.

한미사이언스는 산(한미), 학(포스텍), 정(포항시, 경상북도)의 공동 투자 방식의 ‘메디칼 사이언스 센터’ 구축을 우선 고려할 것으로 보인다.

메디칼 사이언스 센터는 기존 의사의 연구 교육과정과 기존 지역 내 의원들과 협력하는 방식으로, 의사 인력 증원을 최소화하면서도 지역 의료 환경 개선은 물론 세계적 경쟁력을 갖춘 실전형 연구 의사를 안정적으로 육성해 나갈 것으로 기대를 모으고 있다.

한미사이언스는 향후 포항 펜타시티에 건립할 연구 중심 병원 및 의료 과학 전문대학 캠퍼스도 이 메디칼 사이언스 센터에 포함시킬 계획으로 알려졌다.

관계자는 “세계 3대 의료강국 도약과 연구 의사 육성을 위해 포항내 의대 신설, 부속병원 등 다양한 의료기관을 업그레이드 할 수 있는 의료 과학 재단 설립에 대한 논의가 조심스럽게 진행되고 있다”면서 “한미사이언스와 포스텍, 포항시 외에도 포스텍, 경북대에서도 관심을 갖고 있는 것으로 안다”고 말했다.

출처 : 서울와이어

‘혁신 유전자’ 한미의 남다름이 유감없이 증명된 또 다른 사례 하나가 눈길을 끌고 있다. 코로나 이후 시대를 대비해 한 달 전에 발표한 한미의 비전이 문재인 대통령이 최근 발표한 ‘한국판 뉴딜’과 놀랍도록 닮아 있는 것. 개량신약, 복합신약, 혁신신약 기술수출에 이르기까지 고비고비 마다 한발 앞선 대응으로 산업의 미래를 선도해온 한미가 포스트 코로나 시대 대응에 있어서도 그 혁신성을 발휘하고 있다. 한미가 선도적으로 제시한 비전이 정부의 한국판 뉴딜과 조화속에 어떤 성과를 낳고, 산업의 미래를 또 어떤 방향으로 끌어갈지 벌써부터 관심이 모아지고 있다.

지난 14일 문재인 대통령이 발표한 코로나19 사태 이후 경기 회복을 위한 국가 프로젝트 ‘한국판 뉴딜’은 그 지향점 등에서 지난달 15일 한미약품 지주회사 한미사이언스가 발표한 6대 비전, ‘싸이디오 시그마’와 상당부분 맥을 같이한다는 분석이다.

한국판 뉴딜의 양축인 ‘디지털 뉴딜’과 ‘그린 뉴딜’이 한미사이언스의 6대 비전을 관통하는 핵심 키워드이기 때문인데, 한미사이언스는 대통령 주재로 한국판 뉴딜 정책이 강력히 추진됨에 따라 한미사이언스의 미래 비전을 위한 정책적 동력을 확보하게 됐다고 평가하고 있다. ‘포스트 코로나’를 대비한 정부의 강력한 의지가 담긴 성장동력 방안이라는 점에서 한미사이언스의 향후 행보가 기대된다.

한미사이언스의 ‘싸이디오 시그마(Cydio cigma)’는 대표이사인 임종윤 사장이 6가지 비전의 앞 글자를 따서 직접 작명한 비전이다. 6가지 비전은 '교육', '디지털', '경구용', '도시', '친환경', '해양'의 주제어를 함축하고 있다. 6개 사업에 대한 각각의 항목은 사이버 교육(Cyber Education), 디지털 바이오(Digital Bio), 오럴 바이오(Oral Bio), 시티 바이오(City Bio), 그린 바이오(Green Bio), 마린 바이오(Marine Bio)를 내포한다.

한미사이언스는 정부의 디지털 뉴딜(데이터/네트워크/인공지능) 방면에서의 혁신을 이미 시도하고 있다. 한미사이언스는 정보통신기술(RFID 등)과 빅데이터를 접목해 연간 60억정 생산이 가능한 스마트 플랜트를 가동하고, 전자유통망 관리 시스템과 무인처방 시스템 등 차세대 혁신 의료 인프라 시스템을 개발하고 있다. 계열사인 한미약품은 AI 기반 신약개발 전문기업 스탬다임사와 공동연구 계약을 체결하고, 혁신적인 신약 후보물질 발굴에 나서고 있다. 또다른 계열사 온라인팜은 비대면 자동 처방 접수 시스템인 ‘온키오스크’를 전국 약국에 접목하고 있다. 이와 함께 한미사이언스는 약국 자동 조제 및 관리 시스템 기술을 보유한 제이브이엠을 계열사로 두고 자동조제 분야의 4차 산업혁명을 주도하고 있다.

한미사이언스가 투자한 빅데이터 전문기업 ‘에비드넷’은 전세계 의료기관에서 생성되는 진료 정보를 개인정보 침해 없이 안전하게 일원화해 빅데이터를 생산하고 있다. 코로나19에 따른 펜데믹 상황에서 에비드넷이 구축한 코로나19 표준 데이터가 글로벌 의료 빅데이터 컨소시엄이 개최한 연구마라톤에도 공유된 바 있다. 이 연구마라톤에는 미국 NIH(미국국립보건원), 존스홉킨스대학, 영국 옥스퍼드 대학 등에 소속된 전 세계 30여개국의 연구진 350여명이 참여했다. 특히 이 데이터는 빌게이츠 재단이 후원한 재원으로 마련돼 의미를 더했다.

한국판 뉴딜의 두 번째 축인 ‘그린 뉴딜’ 역시 한미사이언스의 ‘그린 바이오’와 맥을 같이 한다. 한미사이언스는 유망 바이오벤처 ‘바이오앱’과의 공동 연구를 통해 식물 기반의 백신 개발을 진행 중이다. 그린 바이오를 통한 백신은 계란이나 동물세포 등을 활용하지 않기 때문에, 기존의 탄소 배출 공정의 대규모 설비에서 비롯되는 각종 문제를 해결할 수 있다.

특히 그린바이오는 펜데믹 상황에서 환경오염의 우려 없이 단기간에 백신을 대량생산할 수 있다. 실제 계란 기반 백신은 공정에 약 6개월이 소요되지만, 식물 기반 백신은 한달 정도(4주-6주)가 소요된다. 코로나19가 계절독감 유행과 겹칠 경우, 전세계적인 백신 적정 생산량 확보는 매우 어려울 것으로 예측되기 때문에 그린 바이오 기반 공정 시스템을 갖춘 전문 GMP 시설의 국내 구축이 시급히 요구되는 상황이다.

한미사이언스는 정부의 한국판 뉴딜 정책에 발맞춰 앞서 발표한 6대 비전 실현을 위한 다양한 사업적 기반을 마련해 나간다는 계획이다. 한미사이언스 관계자는 “정부가 ‘그린’과 ‘디지털’ 분야를 한국판 뉴딜로서 집중 육성해 나가겠다고 한 발표를 환영한다”면서 “정부와 함께 그린과 혁신 디지털 4차 산업을 한미도 함께 주도해 나갈 수 있도록 최선을 다하겠다”고 말했다.

출처: 의학신문

지난 14일 정부가 오는 2025년까지 총 160조 원을 투자한다는 구상을 담은 ‘한국판 뉴딜’이 발표된 가운데 한 달 전 한미약품그룹이 발표한 6대 비전 ‘싸이디오 시그마(Cydio cigma)’가 주목받고 있다. 비대면과 디지털, 그린 등 주요 핵심 키워드가 판박이처럼 빼닮았기 때문이다.

한국판 뉴딜 양축인 ‘디지털 뉴딜’과 ‘그린 뉴딜’은 한미약품 지주회사 한미사이언스의 6대 비전을 관통하는 핵심 요소이기도 하다. 한미사이언스는 대통령 주재로 한국판 뉴딜 정책이 강력히 추진됨에 따라 그룹 미래 비전을 위한 정책적 동력을 확보하게 됐다고 평가하고 있다. ‘포스트 코로나’를 대비한 정부의 강력한 의지가 담긴 성장 동력 방안이라는 점에서 자연스럽게 한미사이언스 향후 행보에도 관심이 몰린다.

한미사이언스 싸이디오 시그마는 대표이사인 임종윤 사장이 6가지 비전의 영문 앞 글자를 모아 직접 작명한 비전이다. ▲사이버 에듀케이션(Cyber Education) ▲디지털 바이오(Digital Bio) ▲오랄 바이오(Oral Bio) ▲시티 바이오(City Bio) ▲그린 바이오(Green Bio) ▲마린 바이오(Marine Bio) 등을 말한다.

한미사이언스 측은 정부가 제시한 디지털 뉴딜(데이터•네트워크•인공지능) 방면에서 이미 혁신을 추진하고 있다고 전했다. 정보통신기술(RFID 등)과 빅데이터를 접목해 연간 60억정 생산이 가능한 스마트 플랜트를 가동 중이고 전자유통망 관리 시스템과 무인처방 시스템 등 차세대 혁신 의료 인프라 시스템을 개발하고 있다고 설명했다.

여기에 계열사인 한미약품은 인공지능(AI) 기반 신약개발 전문 업체 스탬다임과 공동연구 계약해 혁신 신약 후보물질 발굴에도 나서고 있다. 다른 계열사인 온라인팜의 경우 비대면 자동 처방 접수 시스템인 ‘온키오스크’를 전국 약국에 접목하고 있다. 이와 함께 한미사이언스는 약국 자동 조제 및 관리 시스템 기술을 보유한 제이브이엠(JVM)을 계열사로 두고 자동조제 분야 4차 산업혁명을 주도하고 있다고 강조했다.

또한 한미사이언스가 투자한 빅데이터 전문 업체 ‘에비드넷’은 전 세계 의료기관에서 생성되는 진료정보를 개인정보 침해 없이 안전하게 일원화해 빅데이터를 생산하는 기술을 갖췄다. 신종 코로나바이러스감염증(코로나19)에 따른 팬데믹(세계적 대유행) 상황에서 에비드넷이 구축한 코로나19 표준 데이터는 글로벌 의료 빅데이터 컨소시엄이 개최한 연구마라톤에 공유된 바 있다. 해당 연구마라톤에는 미국 국립보건원(NIH)와 존스홉킨스대학, 영국 옥스퍼드대학 등에 소속된 전 세계 30여 개국 연구진 350여명이 참여했다. 특히 이 데이터는 빌게이츠재단이 후원한 재원으로 마련돼 의미를 더한다.

한국판 뉴딜 두 번째 축인 ‘그린 뉴딜’ 역시 한미사이언스가 제시한 ‘그린 바이오’와 맥을 같이 한다. 한미사이언스는 유망 바이오벤처 ‘바이오앱’과 공동연구를 통해 식물 기반 백신 개발을 진행 중이다. 그린 바이오를 통한 백신은 계란이나 동물세포 등을 활용하지 않기 때문에 기존 탄소 배출 공정의 대규모 설비에서 비롯되는 각종 문제를 해결할 수 있을 것으로 기대를 모은다. 특히 그린 바이오는 팬데믹 상황에서 환경오염 우려 없이 상대적으로 단기간에 백신을 대량생산할 수 있는 것이 특징이라고 한미사이언스 측은 설명했다. 실제로 계란 기반 백신은 공정에 약 6개월가량이 소요되지만 식물 기반 백신은 약 한 달(4~6주)에 불과하다고 전했다.

코로나19가 계절 독감 유행과 겹칠 경우 글로벌 백신 적정 생산량 확보가 매우 어려울 것으로 예측되기 때문에 그린 바이오 기반 공정 시스템을 갖춘 전문 GMP시설의 국내 구축이 긴급하게 요구되는 상황이기도 하다.

한미사이언스는 정부의 한국판 뉴딜 정책에 발맞춰 앞서 발표한 6대 비전 실현을 위한 다양한 사업적 기반을 마련해 나간다는 방침이다.

한미사이언스 관계자는 “그린과 디지털 분야를 집중 육성한다는 정부의 한국판 뉴딜 발표를 환영한다”며 “한미약품그룹도 그린과 혁신 디지털 4차 산업 분야를 함께 주도해 나갈 수 있도록 최선을 다할 것”이라고 말했다.

출처: 동아일보

Enthusiasm for IoT devices is soaring. The Internet of Things is which makes it easier for all to do everything–whether they’re finding a new recipe for roast turkey (I’m talking to you, Alexa), decorating the house for Spring, or turning up the thermostat since it snowed again. Here is IoT and healthcare, when technology comes into play to improve lives.

There is definitely a lot of fun surrounding IoT, it’s easy to overlook what’s arguably the technology’s most significant focus: healthcare.

From tracking people’s fitness real-time to monitoring health remotely, IoT devices are making healthcare increasingly convenient and accessible. Let’s take a look at a number of the ways IoT is improving lives:

Encouraging physical health.

An annually physical exam won’t fundamentally get people to stick to their exercise regimens–but smart fitness tracking devices might.

IoT devices like the Fitbit and the Apple Watch allow users to track physical exercise metrics such as for example their amount of steps or miles walked per day. Having a fitness tracker close at hand reminds users to keep an eye on physical health and keeps them self-aware of the activity levels throughout the day.

The Internet of Things further supports day-to-day health by boosting awareness about personal sleep hygiene. An estimated one-third of adults aren’t getting enough sleep, and sleep health technologies–from apps to smart beds–aim to fix this issue.

While sleep monitoring apps such as Sleep Cycle analyze sleeping patterns to wake people up in moments of lighter sleep, more sophisticated tools, such as the interactive Balluga bed, react to sleeping patterns in real-time, such as elevating the sleeper’s head to minimize snoring.

Improving treatment methods.

IoT is further used to target specific diseases and enhance the treatment process.

The smart monitoring system CYCORE helps cancer patients undergoing treatment. The monitoring system sends updates to patients’ physicians regarding their symptoms and responses to treatment so that physicians can identify emerging dilemmas right away.

Another example is MyndYou’s chronic infection management solution, which harnesses cognitive-driven changes through voice and activity monitoring to predict and prevent exacerbations and hospitalizations.

The company’s Cognitive Complexity Algorithm passively monitors activity patterns (such as speech, walking, driving, and sleep), which serves as a proxy for predicting health outcomes by measuring their brain ability.

For healthcare professionals and clinicians, these AI-driven insights and predictive tools are specially helpful since they can raise a flag on changes within their patient’s functional health status that could indicate elevated risk, allowing them to intervene early to prevent deterioration.

Monitoring infant health.

On the other end of the spectrum is IoT support of infant health. The IBM Watson baby movement monitor uses sensors to anticipate when an infant will wake up, helping parents preemptively meet the baby’s needs.

Another device, Pacif-i, is just a smart pacifier that measures the infant’s temperature to allow parents to monitor illness and treatment progress. There’s also the Owlet baby monitor, an ankle-worn tracking device that monitors a baby’s oxygen levels and heartbeat to alert parents of potential health problems.

Upgrading hospitals.

Just as IoT improves healthcare monitoring within your home, it also enhances hospital operation and management. IoT-enabled radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags track the real-time location of medical equipment–such as defibrillators, oxygen pumps, and more–to administer life-saving procedures right away.

Similar IoT-connected sensors may be used to determine whether the equipment is out of date and needs replacing.

The Internet of Things also assists in maintaining hospital hygiene. Special sensors can detect the cleanliness of hospital staff to ensure a clean and hygienic hospital environment.

Conclusion

Smart technology isn’t almost work or play; it’s also saving lives. The Internet of Things helps alleviate a range of health concerns, boosting physical fitness and cognitive health while preventing health issues for infants and older adults alike.

Intelligent, connected technology is all about staying conscious of the data real-time–something we all need when it comes to health.

Source: DMN

정부가 의과대학 신설과 입학정원을 늘리는 정책을 발표한 가운데 지역균형발전을 위해서 경북 포항이 추진하는 연구중심의과대학•병원 설립 필요성이 대두하고 있다.

이번 의료인력 확충 계획에 포항 연구중심의과대학•병원이 거론되지 않아 정부의 낙후된 지역의료 발전에 대한 강력한 의지가 요구되고 있다.

특히 포항지역은 포스텍과 방사광가속기연구소 등 최첨단 과학 인프라가 구축돼 있고 세계 최초로 식물 백신을 개발한 바이오 앱과 국내 최대 제약회사인 한미사이언스가 신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나 19) 백신 후보 물질 개발에 나서는 등 연구중심의과대학•병원 설립의 최적지로 떠오르고 있다.

송경창 포항 부시장은 “포항 연구중심의과대학•병원이 설립되면 국내 최초 연구 중심 모델로서 세계적인 주목과 동시에 한국 의료의 우수성을 알리는 메카가 될 가능성이 충분하다”며 “따라서 대한민국의 선진 의료 연구 집적단지로 포항을 지정하는데 지역이나 정치적 관계를 극복해야 한다”고 강조했다.

9일 정부의 ‘의대 정원 확대 및 공공 의대 설립 추진’ 자료에 따르면 정부는 10년간 △지역의 중증•필수의료 공백 해소를 위한 지역 의사 3천명 △역학조사관•중증외상•소아외과 등 특수 분야 의사 500명 △기초과학 및 제약•바이오 등 응용 분야 연구인력 500명 등 총 4천명의 의사 인력을 추가 확보하기로 했다.

지역 의사는 ‘지역의사제 특별 전형’ 방식으로 의대에서 뽑는다. 장학금을 지급하는 조건으로 지역에서 일정 기간 필수의료에 복무하도록 하고, 의무복무 규정을 지키지 않으면 장학금을 회수하고 의사면허는 취소 또는 중지한다.

특수 전문과목 의사는 대학의 양성 프로그램 심사한 뒤에 정원을 배정한다.

정부는 의대에 정원을 배정한 3년 이후부터 인력양성 실적을 평가하고, 미흡하면 정원을 회수한다.

의대정원 확대와 별개로 ‘공공의대’ 설립도 추진한다. 우선 폐교된 서남대 의대 정원 49명을 활용해 전북권에 1곳을 설립하고, 장기 군의관 위탁생 20명을 추가해 70명 규모로 운영한다.

17개 광역시도 중 유일하게 의대가 없는 전남 지역 의대 신설은 별도로 검토하기로 했다.

의사인력 확대는 21대 총선 당시 더불어민주당의 총선 공약이었다.

인구 1천명당 활동의사가 2.4명으로 경제협력개발기구(OECD) 평균 3.4명에 미치지 못하는 등 의사가 부족하고, 이들 인력이 수도권과 종합병원급 이상의 의료기관에 쏠려 있어 지역 불균형 문제가 심각해지고 있다는 문제 인식에 따른 것이다.

청와대와 정부, 여당은 협의를 마무리하는 대로 이달 중 의사 인력 확대 방안을 발표할 예정이다.

지역의사제 도입을 놓고 청와대와 여당이 한때 혼선을 빚었지만, 지난달 29일 청와대 수석•보좌관회의에서 도입 원칙을 확정한 것으로 알려졌다.

현재 한 해 의대 정원은 3천58명이다. 의대 정원은 김영삼 정부 시절 정원 40명 규모의 의대 9개를 신설하면서 3천3천253명으로 늘어났지만, 2000년 의약분업 반대 의사 파업 과정에서 정원이 10% 감축됐고 이후 15년간 동결된 상태다.

출처: 경북일보

신종 코로나바이러스 감염증(코로나19) 사태를 계기로 바이오 클러스터를 구축하려는 국내 제약•바이오 기업들이 늘고 있다. 지역 거점지역에 집중적으로 투자하면서 융합 기술 복합단지를 조성해 시너지 효과를 기대하는 것이다.

한국을 대표하는 바이오클러스터로 성장한 인천 송도에는 셀트리온 (305,500원▼ 500 -0.16%)과 삼성바이오로직스 (775,000원▲ 0 0.00%)의 대규모 바이오의약품 생산시설이 입주해있다.

29일 제약⋅바이오업계에 따르면 셀트리온은 최근 인천광역시와 인천경제자유구역청이 송도에 조성하는 ‘인천 스타트업 파크’ 사업 참여의사를 밝혔다. 인천 스타트업 파크는 연내 인천시 송도동 투모로우시티에 개장할 예정이다. 송도에 공공 자원과 민간 역량이 융합된 자생적인 스타트업 지원 생태계를 조성해 ‘한국형 실리콘밸리’를 조성하는 것이 목표다.

앞으로 셀트리온은 4년간 스타트업 파크의 민간 운영사로 참여해 송도 바이오 밸리 구축을 위한 교두보 역할을 수행한다. 이번 사업은 지난해 셀트리온이 발표한 ‘셀트리온그룹 비전 2030’의 일환이기도 하다.

셀트리온은 이번 사업을 통해 스타트업의 혁신 신약 개발을 지원해 자가면역, 암, 심혈관질환, 안과질환 등 동물시험에서 효능이 검증된 업체를 선정, 해당 업체가 임상에 진입하고 후속 개발을 진행할 수 있도록 지원할 방침이다.

셀트리온은 디지털헬스케어 분야 신규사업 개발과 의약품 원부자재 국산화 지원에 앞장선다. 셀트리온 관계자는 "스타트업 파크 사업 참여를 통해 역량 있는 바이오 및 헬스케어 스타트업을 육성하고 송도가 세계적인 바이오 밸리로 거듭날 수 있도록 적극 지원하겠다"고 밝혔다.

현재 송도에 공장 3개를 가동 중인 삼성바이오로직스도 네 번째 공장 착공을 준비하고 있다. 아직 제4공장 부지는 정해지지 않았지만 3공장의 옆 부지가 유력한 것으로 알려졌다. 가동률은 1•2공장은 최고수준에 이르고 있고, 지난해 생산 능력의 35%까지 물량을 채운 3공장이 연내 가동률 60%를 넘어설 전망이다.

한미약품그룹의 지주회사 한미사이언스 (33,050원▼ 250 -0.75%)는 경북 포항 융합기술산업지구(펜타시티) 내 5만1846제곱미터(㎡) 부지에 ‘한미 스마트 헬스케어 시티’를 건립한다. 오는 2030년까지 3000억원을 투입해 포항경제자유구역 5만1846㎡에 스마트 헬스케어 임상센터, 바이오 오픈 혁신 연구개발센터, 시제품 생산시설을 건립할 계획이다.

스마트 헬스케어는 건강관리서비스와 의료IT를 융합한 개인맞춤형 건강관리 서비스를 가리킨다. 한미사이언스는 임상센터와 연구개발, 시제품 생산시설을 함께 갖춰 연구 결과를 신속하게 산업화할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.

한미약품그룹은 ‘포스트코로나 시대’를 맞이해 6대 혁신성장 비전을 제시한 바 있다. 한미약품그룹의 사업과제로 △사이버 교육(Cyber Education) △디지털 바이오(Digital Bio) △오럴 바이오(Oral Bio) △시티 바이오(City Bio) △그린 바이오(Green Bio) △마린 바이오(Marine Bio)다. 이 중 시티 바이오 분야에서 ‘스마트 헬스 케어 시티(Smart Healthcare City)’를 조성해 포스트 코로나 시대에 맞는 행정 지역 단위 의료 자원 관리를 지원할 계획이다. 시민 모두가 출생에서 삶의 질까지 일생을 IT 기술로 관리할 수 있는 시스템이다.

삼성제약 (3,710원▲ 0 0.00%)은 국내 바이오산업의 ‘메카’로 불리는 충청북도 오송에 신사업 둥지를 만든다. 삼성제약은 호텔 하얏트와 함께 충북 오송 지역에 1200여 평 규모의 ‘하얏트 플레이스’를 세울 계획이다.

약 400억원을 투자하는 이번 사업은 내년 초 착공을 시작으로 오는 2022년 하반기 완공하고, 2023년에 여는 것이 목표다. 삼성제약은 지역적 특성을 반영해 하얏트 플레이스 오송 내에 바이오 헬스 산업 분야에 특화된 대규모 콘퍼런스센터 및 다양한 메디컬 서비스 등의 요소를 조화롭게 구현, 바이오 헬스 산업과의 시너지를 창출한다는 계획이다.

출처: 조선비즈

한미사이언스(한미약품그룹 지주회사)가 포항융합기술산업지구(펜타시티)에 한미약품그룹 미래비전 실현의 주춧돌이 될 '한미 스마트 헬스케어 시티'를 건립한다.

한미사이언스는 15일 포항시청에서 경상북도와 포항시,대구경북경제자유구역청과의 투자협정에 관한 양해각서(MOU)를 체결하고, 펜타시티 내 5만1846㎡ 부지에 '한미 스마트 헬스케어 씨티'(HSHC) 건립을 추진할 계획이라고 밝혔다.

이날 MOU체결식은임종윤 한미사이언스 대표이사와이철우 경북도지사,이강덕 포항시장,김진현 대구경북경제자유구역청장 대리,안성일 산업통상자원부 경제자유구역기획단장 등 30여명이 참석한 가운데 진행됐다. 행사에는 이관순 한미약품 부회장,임종철 자문위원 등 한미약품그룹 관계자들도 다수 참석했다.

한미사이언스는 이번 투자 결정이 포스트 코로나 시대를 맞이해, 혁신을 통한 지속가능 성장을 주도해 나간다는 6대 혁신성장 비전 계획의 일환으로 결정됐다고 설명했다.

이날 오전 한미사이언스 임종윤 대표이사는 한미약품그룹의 6대 사업과제(싸이디오 시그마•Cydio Cigma)를 발표하고, 글로벌 바이오기업으로서의 거시적 비전을 밝힌 바 있다.

임 대표가 직접 작명한 싸이디오 시그마는 사이버교육(Cyber Education), 디지털 바이오(Digital Bio), 오럴 바이오(Oral Bio), 시티 바이오(City Bio), 그린 바이오(Green Bio), 마린바이오(Marine Bio) 등 6개 비전이다. 한미사이언스는 이 과제를 토대로 각 분야에서의 혁신을 주도해 나가겠다는 계획이다.

이번 MOU체결은 한미사이언스와 경상북도, 포항시, 대구경북경제자유구역청이 3000억원에 달하는 HSHC건립 사업에 참여하는 첫번째 걸음이다. HSHC에는 향후 한미그룹의6대 비전을 실현할 R&D센터를 비롯해 교육센터, 제조 및 지원시설 등이 조성될 예정이다.

이번 MOU는 지난해 11월 25일 한미사이언스와 경북도•포항시•포스텍이 K-바이오 경쟁력 제고를 위해 체결한 상호 업무협약의 성과다. 상호 업무협약 이후 한미사이언스는 방사광가속기와 극저온 전자현미경 등을 활용한 세포막단백질 구조연구, 표적 단백질 구조에 기반한 신약개발 연구 등을 위해 경북도•포항시•포스텍과 긴밀한 협력을 이어나가고 있다.

임종윤 한미사이언스 대표이사는 "병원에서 산업화할 수 없는 R&D를 하거나 산업에서 의료에 적용하기 어려운 R&D를 하는 등 연구, 의료, 산업화가 비효율적으로 운영되면서 혁신의 속도가 더디게 진행됐다"며 "메디컬 서비스, R&D, 제조(Manufacturing)가 함께 하는 바이오클러스터 조성으로 글로벌 의료산업을 선도하고 인류의 건강한 삶을 위해 공헌하겠다"고 말했다.

출처: 파이낸셜뉴스