SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

Innovative Health, Inc. today released a new economic analysis that revealed today’s electrophysiology (EP) labs are missing out on an estimated $500 million in savings each year due to underutilization of reprocessing in Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and other catheter ablation procedures. The analysis, presented in the company’s new whitepaper, “EP Single-Use Device Reprocessing by the Numbers,” notes that fuller implementation of single-use device reprocessing programs could provide the economic infusion into the hospital supply chain needed to help offset recent losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The high costs of single-use devices used in catheter ablation procedures puts severe strain on the economics of an EP lab,” said Innovative Health CEO Rick Ferreira. “Using reprocessed single-use devices in ablation procedures can dramatically reduce the costs of catheter ablation, especially in AFib procedures, where the most expensive devices are used. In fact, U.S. healthcare can reduce device costs in AFib procedures by approximately $728 million per year if single-use device reprocessing is fully utilized. When other catheter ablations are included, total potential savings increase to $773 million. Unfortunately, the average EP lab today only realizes about 35 percent of the reprocessing savings potential, leaving nearly half a billion dollars in savings on the table.”

Additional key findings of Innovative Health’s first-of-its-kind analysis include the following:

• 
  In 2020, there will be more than 360,000 ablation procedures in the U.S., and more than two-thirds of these (240,000) are AFib procedures.
• This year, U.S. hospitals will spend more than $2.5 billion on devices used in AFib procedures. That number increases to more than $3.1 billion when including other catheter ablation procedures.
• Device costs in AFib procedures are approximately $10,500 per procedure. Some of the devices used are very expensive, with ablation catheters (~$3,456), ICE catheters (~$2,650) and mapping catheters (~$1,750) making up 75 percent of procedure device costs.
• When replacing new mapping catheters and ICE catheters with reprocessed ones, costs are reduced by approximately $2,200 per procedure.
• Hospitals get paid approximately $20,690 for each AFib procedure. However, device costs are still more than half of the reimbursement amount, which is generally considered unsustainable for any hospital activity. Using reprocessed single-use devices instead of new drives device costs down to approximately 36 percent of reimbursement.

“In 2019, the average U.S. hospital had an operating margin of around 2 percent. According to Modern Healthcare, by March 2020, the average hospital had a year-to-date operating margin of -8 percent,” Ferreira added. “In the current economic climate, single-use device reprocessing must be part of the supply chain strategy, and it’s our hope that this new economic analysis and whitepaper will give hospital administrators the information they need to ensure their reprocessing programs are leveraged for maximum savings.”

Administrators and clinicians can learn more and download the full whitepaper here.

About Innovative Health

Innovative Health is an advanced medical device reprocessing company that offers smarter utilization of medical devices in hospitals’ cardiology and electrophysiology programs.

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MEDFORD, Mass. (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

Language Scientific, Inc., the leading medical and scientific translation company, is pleased to announce a new innovative collaboration with Oxford University Innovation Ltd, the premier provider of Clinical Outcome Assessment (COA) management services. This strategic collaboration will allow for COA copyright owners and authors to reduce the time they spend managing health outcome measures as well as enable their instruments to be widely used in global study sites through robust translation, linguistic validation and cognitive debriefing of clinical questionnaires.

Reaching the widest possible audience whilst protecting the integrity of the instrument can be difficult when managing a COA instrument in house. It can become burdensome keeping track of users, licensees, translations, platforms and unauthorized or improper use of your COA. The Clinical Outcomes Team at Oxford University Innovation (The University of Oxford’s wholly owned technology transfer company) specializes in the dedicated, world class professional management of COA Instruments. They offer industry leading expertise assisting with COA development through their experience in managing all aspects of the licensing process, user support and comprehensive creative marketing.

Language Scientific’s experienced project managers, certified translators, in-country investigators, clinicians, psychologists, linguists and other professionals, combined with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 certified processes, ensure that the linguistic validation of COAs and eCOAs are both culturally appropriate and conceptually equivalent. Language Scientific’s Linguistic Validation services verify that translations of all items are interpreted in the same way across target populations and regions and have the same content validity. This ensures that measurement properties of the items will be the same across different language versions of the instrument and that data can be validly pooled across international sites and that the process will meet FDA and EMEA guidelines.

Oxford University Innovation is collaborating with Language Scientific to provide linguistic validation and translation services because of LS’ extensive experience and highest quality reputation in assisting clinical, medical and scientific organizations. Language Scientific has over 20 years of experience providing clinical translation, linguistic validation and cognitive debriefing services in over 215 languages to customers such as Amgen, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Eli Lilly, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk and Roche. Their team of industry expert linguists and clinicians reside in over 120 countries and are assigned to a project based on their experience in the appropriate therapeutic area.

“At Language Scientific, we craft unique solutions for leading pharmaceutical companies and universities. This has enabled us to create a successful linguistic validation practice focused on providing the highest quality service to our customers” says LS CEO Sharon Blank. “By leveraging our native speaking medical professional linguists, we are able to provide the highest quality translations for our partners. Language Scientific is always looking to collaborate with highly respected organizations that put quality first such as Oxford University Innovation. I am thrilled to be announcing our partnership and look forward to leveraging our extensive Linguistic Validation and Cognitive Debriefing experience.”

“The Clinical Outcomes team at Oxford University Innovation prides itself on providing the highest quality services for our clients, so I was very pleased to find a delivery partner in Language Scientific who share our passion for quality in service delivery” says Dr. David Churchman Clinical Outcomes – Business Manager. “I am really pleased to be able to offer our clients the services of a highly specialized company such as Language Scientific, that puts the high quality of their translations first and foremost.”

About Language Scientific, Inc. ®

Language Scientific, Inc. is a US-based globalization company specializing in clinical, medical, scientific and technical language and linguistic validation services and solutions with a record of more than 20 years of excellence in over 215 languages. Language Scientific serves more than 1,500 clients in the pharmaceutical, clinical, and medical device industries, from Fortune 500 companies to small emerging companies. Our specialization, focus, innovation and customer-centered attitude have earned us the trust of many of the world’s leading life sciences companies. For more information, visit: https://www.languagescientific.com or email: info@languagescientific.com.

Certifications

ISO 9001:2008

ISO 17100:2015

https://www.languagescientific.com

About Oxford University Innovation Ltd.

Clinical Outcomes (at Oxford University Innovation) is a UK-based company, solely owned by the University of Oxford, specializing in the management and support of high-quality Clinical Outcome Assessments. The Clinical Outcomes team has been active in supporting COA users for over 14 years and represents the wishes of COA developers from within academia, healthcare providers and commercial organizations. Our international clients, which includes over 750 new users every year, covers the healthcare spectrum including academic research, publicly and independently funded healthcare providers, medical device companies and the pharmaceutical sector. For more information, visit https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/clinical-outcomes/ or email healthoutcomes@innovation.ox.ac.uk.

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MIAMI (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

June 2020 – The latest evidence indicates that total reconstruction or replacement of the shoulder joint, much like knees and other joints, can be performed effectively in an outpatient setting, with outcomes often superior to those of joint replacements done when patients are in the hospital, says noted hand and upper limb orthopedic surgeon Alejandro Badia, MD. This avoids many hospital related issues, whether exposure to Covid19, or long standing hospital acquired infections such as MRSA.

Dr. Badia was referencing the latest study, published in the first-quarter 2020 issue of Ambulatory Surgery, indicating that total shoulder arthroplasty — joint reconstruction – can be conducted safely in the outpatient setting with what scientists call “a low complication rate and a high degree of patient satisfaction.” Any prosthetic joint replacement of the upper limb, such as thumb, wrist, elbow and of course, shoulder, is best suited for outpatient setting simply because the patient does not need to walk on the new joint. Going back to the comfort, and infection free environment, of home in a sling is preferable for many reasons.

The retrospective research, which reviewed the two-year outcomes of participating shoulder-joint patients, corroborates the results of earlier reports, including one that appeared in 2017 in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery showing “no significant differences in the 30-day adverse event and readmission rates between outpatient and [hospital] inpatient total shoulder arthroplasty.”

And, it is not just shoulder patients benefitting from the outpatient trend. As early as 2006, scientists writing in the journal, Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, concluded that, with the appropriate post-operative analgesic regimen, a “subset of patients” could undergo total elbow arthroplasty as an ambulatory procedure.

“These studies are among a growing mound of evidence supporting the anecdotal experience of orthopedic surgeons who have reported performing total or partial joint arthroplasty on an outpatient basis safely and at much less cost to the patient AND overall healthcare system,” says Dr. Badia, author of the recently published book Healthcare in the Trenches. Dr. Badia is a specialist in treating joint disorders of the upper limb and is founder of the Florida-based Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a network of immediate care orthopedic clinics, where he is also Chief Medical Officer.

Despite the benefits of outpatient joint replacement, including lower infection risk and better recovery at home, Dr. Badia agrees with researchers that an effective outpatient orthopedic surgical program is not automatic. “It requires experienced orthopedic surgeons knowledgeable in the latest minimally-invasive approaches to joint replacement; specialized anesthesia protocols including regional block anesthesia, highly trained nurses and other dedicated clinical support staff; aggressive protocols for managing post-operative pain; careful, at-home patient monitoring; and selection and education of the ‘right patients’ for outpatient surgery.”

Dr. Badia says the “right patients” include those who are somewhat younger (under age 70), have a normal or only moderately elevated body mass index and are without any cardiopulmonary disorders or other major ailments. “Good candidates for outpatient joint replacement also need to have a positive mindset and be motivated participants in their recovery and typically have a good support system at home,” he says.

Noted for his application of innovative business principles and technology to enhance patient access to health services, Dr. Badia has been an early physician leader in moving joint replacement surgery to the outpatient setting and sees the trend as only accelerating in the future. A major obstacle continues to be the lack of CMS (Medicare) support for these procedures in stand-alone ASCs (ambulatory surgery centers) although that may change since, ironically, total knee replacements are now reimbursable in this environment, paving the way for other less challenging outpatient joint protocols.

According to a June 1, 2020 Orthopedic Joint Replacement Market Research Report, “the increasing prevalence of bone disease among the geriatric populations” globally will continue pushing demand for partial and total joint replacements. Even now, joint arthroplasties are among the most common surgical procedures in the United States, with more than a million performed annually.

Report authors cite continued development of new surgical techniques, including robotic surgery, and “patient-specific 3-D printed [joint] implants” as helping spur the market for partial and total joint replacements. Dr. Badia says such advancements will only enhance orthopedic surgeons’ capabilities in the future for performing outpatient joint replacements with effective long-term outcomes.

Meanwhile, he offers these tips to patients who have been told they require joint reconstruction and are considering outpatient surgery as an option:

• Select a surgeon who is experienced in performing successful outpatient joint replacements. For example, results of a 2018 online survey of active members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons indicated that only about 21 percent of 179 respondents were performing total shoulder arthroplasties. Many times the surgeons are hospital affiliated and simply don’t have good access to this option.
• Consider a facility where the surgeon is supported by a team trained specifically in joint replacement procedures and where patient education is emphasized.
• Ask questions, especially concerning postoperative monitoring and pain management.
• Have the proper mindset; determine to be a positive participant in the recovery process.
• In a 2015 paper, the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) reported that “ambulatory surgical centers and recovery care centers have proven to be lower-cost, high quality care [facilities],” saving patients and employers as much as 60 percent in health care expenses, Dr. Badia says.

“My advice to patients – in the words made famous by Indiana Jones – ‘Choose wisely.’”

Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS, internationally renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a walk-in orthopedic care clinic. He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association for Hand Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and an honorary member of many international professional hand societies. Dr. Badia specializes in treating all problems related to the hand and upper extremities, including trauma, sports injury, joint reconstruction, nerve injuries and arthroscopic surgeries. http://www.drbadia.com http://www.OrthoNOWcare.com

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TORONTO (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

The Centre for Mindfulness Studies, Canada’s leading service delivery and professional training organization in mindfulness-based interventions for mental health, today announced the launch of a new free mobile app, available on iOS, Android and the web. In one convenient place, the app contains all the mindfulness-based meditations and supports needed for individuals to continue to build their practice for mental health and well-being.

The Centre for Mindfulness Studies’ 8-week online group programs are delivered by healthcare professionals to those suffering from stress, depression, and anxiety. The app was developed to support a program participant’s ongoing mindfulness-based practice. This app provides all of the meditations that are used in the following programs offered: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). The programs are evidence-based, peer-reviewed, and effective in treating mental health concerns.

“More than 10,000 people have taken a mindfulness-based program for their mental health through the Centre and this new app will be an easily accessible resource for them to continue to benefit from their practice,” says Barry Patterson, Executive Director. “These are challenging times weighing heavily on people’s mental health and for those looking towards mindfulness the app will introduce them to the foundational meditations of our programs.”

Centre for Mindfulness Studies app features:

• Save (or “favourite”) meditations for quick access. Download meditations so that they can be used offline
• Access and filter meditations by program and duration (MBCT, MBSR, MSC)
• Scroll through our MindFeed notification board for mindfulness news and content from the Centre
• Schedule meditations and receive a notification when it is time to meditate

To download the app go to https://www.mindfulnessstudies.com/get-the-app/. The Centre is also offering a $100 savings on mindfulness programs in June, July and August find out more here.

About the Centre for Mindfulness Studies

The Centre for Mindfulness Studies is a not-for-profit, charitable social enterprise founded in 2011. It is the Canadian leader in developing and providing professional mindfulness programs for mental health. Our goal is to ensure access to those most in need, to lead change and bring mindfulness as a healthcare service to diverse populations. To learn more about us visit http://www.mindfulnessstudies.com.

Media Contact: Michelle Ragno, michelle@mindfulnessstudies.com

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ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, DC (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

Trella Health, the leading source for current and complete post-acute outcomes data and provider performance analytics, recently became a Preferred Vendor of the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI), an organization driven by passion and integrity to help people live fully through the end of life. The partnership will expand opportunities to positively impact the hospice community through strategic initiatives.

“Everyone should have the right to pass in dignity and comfort in their home, surrounded by their loved ones,” states Ian Juliano, CEO of Trella Health. “We are humbled by the opportunity to become a preferred vendor and partner for NPHI, the work their members do is so incredibly important, and we want to do all we can to help them be successful.”

As a preferred vendor, Trella Health will be involved in sponsoring NPHI activities, such as the Annual Summit, relevant Innovation Lab projects, and various forums throughout the year. Additional collaboration will include webinars and case studies with industry education for NPHI members. NPHI members will also benefit from special pricing on Trella’s solution and services. In addition, Trella Health will provide a portion of the revenue generated from NPHI members to NPHI to help fund NPHI’s mission and innovative initiatives.

“NPHI members are committed to improving upon current best practices in advanced illness, hospice, and palliative care delivery and applying hospice principles throughout the care continuum,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, NPHI President & CEO. “NPHI is distinguished through our innovative partnerships and we are excited to be able to offer every member discounted access to Trella’s strong platform.”

Recent examples of Trella’s commitment to the hospice community include a COVID-19 heatmap, which visualizes counties with large populations of high-risk Medicare patients, and an upcoming study quantifying hospice’s end of life impact on both cost and patient outcomes. As a preferred vendor, Trella looks forward to strong, mutually beneficial partnership grounded in NPHI’s goals and mission.

About Trella Health

Trella Health provides post-acute business development leaders with the most complete picture of care activity in their service areas, allowing them to increase their patient census and bottom line by identifying new opportunities for growth. As one of only a few companies in the country deemed ‘Innovators’ under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s Virtual Research Data Center Program, Trella has access to 100% of Medicare Part A and Part B claims data. Trella analyzes 1.2 billion claims annually and presents relevant insights to nearly 10,000 users so they can build higher-performing care networks, serve more patients, and reduce the cost of care. For more information on Trella Health, visit https://www.trellahealth.com/.

About NPHI

The National Partnership for Hospice Innovation (NPHI) is a collaborative of 70+ not-for-profit, community-integrated, advanced illness, hospice, and palliative care providers across the United States who play a unique role as a crucial safety net for the sickest, most vulnerable patients in the communities they serve. For more information or to find advanced illness and hospice care in your area, visit http://www.hospiceinnovations.org.

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TempTraq a disposable, wireless patch that continuously monitors patient temperature

“We are pleased that we have been able to make our technology compatible with this essential military tool that supports our armed forces medical needs,” said John Gannon, Blue Spark president and chief executive officer.”

CLEVELAND (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020

Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. today announced that its TempTraq® wearable temperature monitor — a disposable, wireless patch that continuously monitors patient temperature — has been deemed compatible with the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit (BATDOK™) remote patient monitoring software. This point-of-injury monitoring and documentation tool allows physicians or specialists to consult remotely with the U.S. military on the battlefield while also transmitting patient data and vitals in real-time to medical personnel.

The goal of BATDOK is to increase the simplicity and accuracy of documenting injury and health status in high-stress, fast-paced environments, ultimately allowing providers to treat more patients. Blue Spark worked with the United States Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to develop a TempTraq compatible plug-in that enables BATDOK users to continuously monitor the temperature of patients for up to 72 hours and have the data transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth® to a dashboard in real time.

“We are pleased that we have been able to make our technology compatible with this essential military tool that supports our armed forces medical needs,” said John Gannon, Blue Spark president and chief executive officer. “Providing constant temperature monitoring will not only provide critical healthcare information, but also be used to monitor military personnel as part of any program developed for monitoring military personnel for COVID-19.”

Beyond compatibility with BATDOK and support of U.S. military personnel, TempTraq® is being used in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. University Hospitals, one of the largest hospital systems in Ohio, is using TempTraq® for continuous monitoring of its caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that any caregivers who spike a high temperature can quickly be identified and evaluated. The technology is also being used in Australia at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital to monitor COVID-19 positive patients recovering at home as part of a virtual hospital program that was created to help mitigate a potential hospital overflow caused by the pandemic.

Implemented in hospitals across the United States, Europe and Australia, TempTraq® is supported by both patient- and clinician-facing mobile apps with data centrally stored on TempTraq connect, a HIPAA-compliant cloud service. Data monitoring is also available on the TempTraq® Clinician web portal or routed directly to hospital EMRs.

For more information about TempTraq®, visit https://temptraq.healthcare.

About TempTraq®

TempTraq®, Blue Spark Technologies’ patented innovation, is the only Bluetooth®, wearable temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch that continuously, safely and comfortably monitors body temperature for up to 72 hours and sends alerts to Apple® or Android™ compatible mobile devices.

TempTraq Connect is the HIPAA-compliant cloud service supported by Google Healthcare Cloud Platform that enables patients and caregivers to monitor body temperature from anywhere. It can also directly integrate with healthcare provider electronic medical record (EMR) systems and nurse monitoring stations, providing a secure method of storing patient healthcare data. The system is FDA, CE and TGA cleared.

TempTraq has shown proven efficacy in the most demanding environments, including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, as well as several other leading hospitals. The TempTraq system is scalable and can support a single hospital or a multi-hospital/physician group healthcare system. Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. is an innovator in wearable, medical device solutions.

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