Seminars Designed to Showcase Technology Solutions to Help Healthcare Organizations Go Paperless and Maximize Federal Stimulus Funding

Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment announced it will host Ricoh Healthcare InfoBriefs, seminars for healthcare professionals seeking to streamline paper-intensive medical processes. Held in seven cities across the country, attendees will hear from experts from both the healthcare and information technology industries on critical steps to maximize federal stimulus funding for healthcare, as well as achieve overall efficiency for the industry. Attendees will also participate in a technology showcase that will acquaint them with solutions that can securely integrate paper records, such as patient data, billing and claims, to an electronic-based system. Online registration is available at www.ricoh-healthcare.com.

A primary focus of the Ricoh Healthcare InfoBriefs will be the $20 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allocated to healthcare IT. The package, which is set to be released in late 2010, rolling into early 2011, will include incentive payments to physicians who implement and use eligible electronic medical records systems. Healthcare organizations that achieve “meaningful use” – as defined by the federal government – will benefit from near-term stimulus funding for patient care, as well as long-term incentives and investments in core healthcare technology. Attendees will gain the knowledge and insights necessary to successfully navigate funding requirements, integrate qualified technology and follow key dates issued by the government.

Each InfoBrief will feature keynote speaker Dann R. Lemerand, FHIMSS who is currently serving his second two-year term as the president of the Michigan chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and is a HIMSS Fellow. Dann is also vice president of marketing and business development for RelWare and has been with the healthcare information technology company since it was founded in 1999. At each InfoBrief, Dann will address the stimulus package requirements, the timing of incentives and the steps providers and hospitals should take to maximize available funding through ARRA/HITECH. In addition to Dann’s keynote presentation, Ricoh’s Mark Minshull will provide a technology overview, describing how solutions from Ricoh will enable healthcare organizations to shave operating costs as well as achieve “meaningful use.”

“The healthcare allocation of the ARRA stimulus provides a tremendous opportunity for the industry to enhance efficiencies that will ultimately benefit patients,” said Mark Minshull, vice president and chief technologist, Ricoh Americas Corporation. “By offering the Ricoh Healthcare InfoBriefs in advance of the release of these federal funds, healthcare professionals will be educated on the value technology solutions provide today, and be prepared to maximize the stimulus when it is available.”

In addition to the educational benefits of the InfoBriefs, attendees are eligible to win a $500 donation to the charity of their choice on behalf of their company. The Healthcare InfoBriefs kick off in Tustin, California on January 12, 2010 and wrap up in New York City on February 25, 2010. The full schedule is listed below:

January 12, 2010 Tustin, California
January 14, 2010 San Francisco, California
January 19, 2010 Chicago, Illinois
February 3, 2010 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 11, 2010 Dallas, Texas
February 23, 2010 Boston, Massachusetts
February 25, 2010 New York, New York

To learn more about and to register for the Ricoh Healthcare InfoBriefs, visit http://ricoh-healthcare.com/.


Same Activities as #1 Brain Training System in Senior Living Communities

The first dementia-fighting brain fitness software for seniors will soon be released by Dakim, Inc., developer of the #1 brain training system used in senior living communities. The new Dakim BrainFitness software edition helps the post-55 generation maintain mental acuity with the same entertaining, scientifically based activities as the hardware-based institutional unit, providing an affordable $495 solution for home users to thwart dementia symptoms such as memory loss.

Fight Mental Decline in 20 Fun Minutes a Day

The Dakim system transforms standardized neurological tests into senior-friendly interactive brain games reminiscent of a TV game show, complete with oldies music, film clips, newsreels, story exercises, colorful graphics, humor and variety to maintain interest. The have-fun design encourages consistent long-term use in keeping with medical research indicating that ongoing mental stimulation can reduce dementia risk by more than 60%.

Each 20-minute Dakim session exercises short- as well as long-term memory, critical thinking, visuospatial orientation, calculation and language for a thorough brain workout.

Activities self-adjust for five general ability levels ranging from normal brain function to moderate dementia, automatically increase or decrease difficulty levels in real time based on user performance, and are automatically updated almost daily over the Internet to keep users coming back for more.

Activities range from anagrams and word association games to interactive puzzles, visual comparisons and grocery-store math challenges. “Keep Your Eyes Open,” for example, trains short-term memory by showing old movie clips and then questioning users about what they saw. “Phunny Phrases,” on the other hand, exercises language and deductive reasoning by presenting nonsense words and asking users to add the correct letters to turn them into real phrases.

Top Choice of Senior Living Communities

Originally designed for use in senior living communities, Dakim BrainFitness is the best-selling product in the industry with adoption by more than 350 independent retirement, assisted living and skilled nursing communities, adult day care centers and senior centers across the U.S. That dominance stems from compelling and continually updated multimedia activities that keep users engaged, as well as a community package that utilizes a touchscreen computer requiring no mouse, keyboard or computer skills. The touchscreen form factor enables use by individuals who have never used a computer or those with arthritis, Parkinson’s or fine motor impairment issues, while also reducing or eliminating the need for caregiver assistance.

The new software-only edition extends the brain-building benefits to home users on their personal computers, providing an enjoyable cognitive stimulation program specifically designed to help prevent or slow the development of dementia symptoms.

“Virtually every family has been touched by dementia, and anyone who has seen the effects is looking for a way to save themselves or their loved ones,” said Dakim CEO Dan Michel. “Given years of medical research showing the ability of long-term cognitive stimulation to reduce dementia risk, regular brain workouts are the most promising strategy available for preserving brain health. We have spent nearly a decade developing Dakim BrainFitness specifically for seniors and specifically for that purpose, and now anyone with a computer can use it to help build their defenses against mental decline.”

Availability

The Dakim BrainFitness software edition will be available this spring at www.dakim.com. It will be compatible with Windows 7/XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, as well as touchscreen computer/monitor platforms.

Source: Dakim, Inc.


Brain imaging may help diagnose Autism

Subtle Language Delay, Visible in MEG, May Flag Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) process sound and language a fraction of a second slower than children without ASDs, and measuring magnetic signals that mark this delay may become a standardized way to diagnose autism.

Researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia report their findings in an online article in the journal Autism Research, published today.

“More work needs to be done before this can become a standard tool, but this pattern of delayed brain response may be refined into the first imaging biomarker for autism,” said study leader Timothy P.L. Roberts, Ph.D., vice chair of Radiology Research at Children’s Hospital.

ASDs are a group of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders that cause impairments in verbal communication, social interaction and behavior. ASDs are currently estimated to affect as many as one percent of U.S. children, according to a recent CDC report.

Like many neurodevelopmental disorders, in the absence of objective biological measurements, psychologists and other caregivers rely on clinical judgments such as observations of behavior to diagnose ASDs, often not until a child reaches school age. If researchers can develop imaging results into standardized diagnostic tests, they may be able to diagnose ASDs as early as infancy, permitting possible earlier intervention with treatments. They also may be able to differentiate types of ASDs (classic autism, Asperger’s syndrome or other types) in individual patients.

In the current study, Roberts and colleagues used magnetoencephalography (MEG), which detects magnetic fields in the brain, similar to the way electroencephalography (EEG) detects electrical fields. Using a helmet that surrounds the child’s head, the team presents a series of recorded beeps, vowels and sentences. As the child’s brain responds to each sound, noninvasive detectors in the MEG machine analyze the brain’s changing magnetic fields.

The researchers compared 25 children with ASDs, having a mean age of 10 years, to 17 age-matched typically developing children. The children with ASDs had an average delay of 11 milliseconds (about 1/100 of a second) in their brain responses to sounds, compared to the control children. Among the group with ASDs, the delays were similar, whether or not the children had language impairments.

“This delayed response suggests that the auditory system may be slower to develop and mature in children with ASDs,” said Roberts. An 11-millisecond delay is brief, but it means, for instance, that a child with ASD, on hearing the word ‘elephant’ is still processing the ‘el’ sound while other children have moved on. The delays may cascade as a conversation progresses, and the child may lag behind typically developing peers.”

A 2009 study by Roberts and colleagues sheds light on how changes in brain anatomy may account for the delays in sound processing. The study team used MEG to analyze the development of white matter in the brains of 26 typically developing children and adolescents. Because white matter carries electrical signals in the brain, signaling speed improves when neurons are better protected with an insulating sheath of a membrane material called myelin.

In this previous study, the researchers showed that normal age-related development of greater myelination corresponds with faster auditory responses in the brain. “The delayed auditory response that we find in children with ASDs may reflect delayed white matter development in these children,” said Roberts.

Roberts says his team’s further studies will seek to refine their imaging techniques to determine that their biomarker is specific to ASDs, and will investigate other MEG patterns found in children with ASDs in addition to auditory delays.

Grants from National Institute of Health, the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, Autism Speaks, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health supported this research. In addition, Roberts holds an endowed chair, the Oberkircher Family Chair in Pediatric Radiology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Roberts’ co-authors were from Children’s Hospital, including the Hospital’s Center for Autism Research.

Source: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia


Sweating the interview: Excessive sweaters need not apply?

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Jan 9,2010

If success is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration, then it might follow that the Hyperhidrosis sufferer should have no trouble gaining employment. Not so fast. According to a recent International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS) employment survey of people dealing with issues of excessive sweating, the condition, also known as hyperhidrosis, can deter potential employers from hiring otherwise capable candidates and even deter those afflicted from seeking employment altogether.

“It comes as no surprise that our survey has confirmed the debilitating effect of hyperhidrosis on employment,” says Dr. David Pariser, president of the world-renowned American Academy of Dermatology and founding board member of IHHS. “In today’s tough economy, job seekers need every possible edge to make a good first impression on potential employers. Unfortunately, the excessive sweating disorder is often misinterpreted as a lack of confidence, negatively influencing chances of being selected as a job candidate.”

Conducted by the IHHS, the survey reveals the impact of the sweat condition on job interviews and career choices. The findings are dramatic, especially among those living with the affliction. The survey numbers clearly show the personal and professional toll experienced by individuals with hyperhidrosis. Because of concerns about excessive underarm sweat;

– 86% of those surveyed say they are fearful of going on job interviews,
– 27% avoid job interviews altogether,
– 88% say they avoid professions which are likely to reveal their ailment,
– 67% avoid speaking in public while in a professional setting, and
– More than half (56%) has had to avoid giving a presentation due to excessive underarm sweat.

The survey’s most shocking find is that nearly 1-in-4 adults (24%) don’t know that chronic excessive sweating is a treatable medical disorder. The social stigma and lack of understanding about this life-altering condition, even by those who live with it, is especially tragic when help and hope are so easily attainable.

Human resources consultant and transformational life coach Suzanne Eder is a strong proponent of job seekers utilizing all means of assistance to become advocates for their personal success and happiness. “The most essential element required to develop a deeply satisfying career is maintaining a state of inner peace and confidence. Without that strong foundation, self-doubt can erode the creative potential of even the most qualified person for a given opportunity. I would strongly encourage anyone dealing with the challenges of hyperhidrosis to reach out for the support and treatment they need and deserve.”

Source: International Hyperhidrosis Society


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