Highlights of the important and the interesting from the world of healthcare:
iPhone video chat a “game-changing tool” for doctors: Two doctors participated in what may be the first documented medical consultation conducted via the iPhone’s new FaceTime video chat function. An Arizona surgeon and a California counterpart used the application to discuss a patient who had undergone foot reconstruction at the University’s Southern Arizona Limb Salvage Alliance, which goes by the enjoyable acronym SALSA. The video call feature is “a game-changing tool” that adds convenience and speed for physician consultations, according to the Arizona surgeon.
The beginning of a big week for GSK: Beginning Tuesday, an FDA advisory committee will hold a two-day meeting that will go a long way towards determing the future of Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline’s lucrative diabetes drug. Critics of the drug, such as Cleveland Clinic doctor Steve Nissen, maintain that it can be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and think the drug should be pulled from the market. One analyst thinks the FDA won’t go that far, but that the more likely outcome is a further tightening of Avandia’s label or a restriction on its use.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Who will succeed Tauzin? PhRMA, the trade group representing big drugmakers, is rumored to be ready to announce its new chief, The In Vivo Blog reports, but who could it be? “If PhRMA is ready to make the pick, it will surely be someone with management experience (rather than a ‘big name’ political figure).”
On to Duluth: After a labor dispute involving Twin Cities nurses and 14 area hospitals garnered lots of attention in recent weeks, the next nurses-hospitals labor battle in shaping up in another Minnesota city, Duluth. Like the previous dispute, Duluth nurses are holding out for new requirements on staffing and the number of patients under a nurse’s care.
Five questions to ask before taking a job: Key questions to ask yourself before accepting a job include whether you’ve met the team(s) you’ll be working with and for, and whether your new supervisor will be invested in your growth and development.
More insurers won’t help: Healthcare economist Uwe Reinhardt says that because healthcare isn’t like the average commodity simply adding more insurers (thus increasing competition) won’t make health insurance more affordable for consumers.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Photo from flickr user Jorge Quinteros
