Tag: computer science

  • Telemedicine Facing Financial, Regulatory Headwinds

    Health care organizations with telemedicine programs run into challenges implementing their services, particularly in getting acceptance from payers, and meeting legal or regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions. These issues arose in two sessions today at the mHealth + TeleHealth World Congress in Boston. A key financial issue is reimbursement by insurance companies for telemedicine services.…

  • Walgreens App Improving Customer Loyalty, Health Outcomes

    Abhi Dhar, chief technology officer for electronic commerce at the Walgreens drug store chain, says the company’s mobile app helps build stronger connections with its customers, which is paying off in more customer loyalty and more medication adherence. Dhar described the Walgreens mobile app today at the mHealth + Telehealth World Congress meeting in Boston.…

  • Kaiser-Permanente Putting Big Data Behind Personalized Care

    Philip Fasano, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Kaiser-Permanente, the California health care network and insurance provider, says the organization is making big data part of its plan to provide more personalized care to its 9 million members. Fasano made his remarks today at the mHealth + Telehealth World Congress meeting in Boston.…

  • Thin Illuminating Touch-Sensitive Electronic Film Developed

    Engineers and materials scientists at University of California in Berkeley created an interactive electronic film with a network of pressure sensors built into flexible plastic. The findings from the lab of Berkeley engineering professor Ali Javey, with colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, appear online in yesterday’s advance issue of the journal Nature Materials (paid…

  • Venture Funding Down in 2Q, Health Companies Score in Exits

    Venture capital (VC) funding of start-up companies in the U.S. continued its decline in the second quarter of 2013, but biotechnology start-ups figured prominently in gaining liquidity during that quarter. The data, compiled by the investment industry research service Dow Jones VentureSource, shows U.S. companies raised $7.2 billion in 801 deals during the second quarter, registering declines…

  • Research to Develop Peer-to-Peer VoIP Security Protocol

    A computer science research group at University of Alabama in Birmingham is studying a new security scheme to better protect voice- and video-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications. The team led by Birmingham computer science professor Nitesh Saxena is funded by a two-year $150,000 grant from Cisco Systems. Saxena, with Birmingham computer science colleague Purushotham Bangalore, will…

  • Eye-Tracking Shown Feasible as Alternative to Passwords

    Engineers at University of Washington in Seattle and Texas State University in San Marcos found eye-tracking can be an acceptable alternative to passwords for computer authentication if it can be made easy for users. The research team led by Washington’s Cecilia Aragon presented its findings last month at a meeting of the International Association for Pattern…

  • Health IT Group Documenting Medical Automation Results

    HIMSS, an organization in Chicago promoting information technology in health care, is collecting case studies of automation to show its impact on medical practice and health care outcomes. The group unveiled the program, named the Health IT Value Suite, today at a press conference in Washington, D.C., although the collection is not yet available to…

  • System Analyzes Baby Cries to Detect Development Disorders

    Engineers and clinicians at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence designed a system that can analyze a baby’s cry for signs of developmental problems or disorders. The findings of the Brown team are scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research. The…

  • Lightning Detection System Upgraded for Houston, Texas

    A meteorologist at Texas A&M University in College Station developed an enhanced lightning detection system for the Houston region, one of the most lightning-prone areas in the U.S. Richard Orville, an atmospheric sciences professor, led the $1.2 million project, which was funded by National Science Foundation. Houston averages some 1,700 lightning strikes in the months…