Asus Intelligent Cloud Services (AICS), Asustek Computer’s AI R&D center, has cooperated with Chung Shan Medical University Hospital in central Taiwan to develop an AI-based electronic medical record search engine and an AI-based de-identified medical big data search system, with the two to be adopted by 15 medical centers and hospitals, according to AICS director and Asustek corporate vice president Tai-yi Huang .

The hospital has used the medical big data search system in evidence-based medical education, practice of preventive medicine and management for quality of medical care, said vice president of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital Ming-che Tsai.

For application to evidence-based medical education, in case of cystitis, information on common cystitis-causing bacteria and the most frequently prescribed antibiotics can be searched, Tsai noted.

As used in management for quality of medical care, hospitals can regularly check important indicators, such as the proportion of emergency treatment patents for those hospitalized within three days and the number of patents hospitalized again within seven days after being discharged, as reference for minimizing repeated hospitalization, Tsai said.

NYU Langone Health has opened its first outpatient orthopedic practice on Staten Island, making it more convenient for residents to access care from one of the top-ranked hospitals in the country for orthopedics.

Specialists at NYU Langone Orthopedic Associates—Staten Island, located at 1534 Victory Boulevard in Sunnyside, provide advanced, personalized care for conditions affecting bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues. Patients also benefit from the latest technology, enhanced care coordination across the entire health system, and a commitment to quality that is a hallmark of NYU Langone.

“We continuously look for opportunities to better serve our patients where they live and work,” says Andrew Rubin, senior vice president for clinical affairs and ambulatory care at NYU Langone. “Adding to a range of clinical services available at NYU Langone on Staten Island, this new practice brings high-quality orthopedic care directly to our patients in their community.”

Expanding its orthopedic care team, NYU Langone has welcomed foot and ankle surgeon Raymond Walls, MD, from Yale School of Medicine, to treat patients at NYU Langone Orthopedic Associates—Staten Island alongside surgeons Vinay K. Aggarwal, MD; Jadie E. De Tolla, MD; Tina Raman, MD; and Spencer Stein, MD.

On-site X-ray imaging services, nonsurgical therapies, and video doctor visits also are available. In addition, patients soon will be able to participate in a portfolio of clinical trials at the practice through NYU Langone’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

Surgical procedures, if necessary, are performed nearby at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, or at the world-renowned NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital and the Joan H. and Preston Robert Tisch Center at Essex Crossing outpatient surgery center in Manhattan. To minimize travel between boroughs, pre- and postsurgical appointments are scheduled at NYU Langone Orthopedic Associates—Staten Island.

World-Class Orthopedic Care

NYU Langone’s orthopedic surgery program is one of the largest in the nation, and it’s ranked among the top five hospitals in the country for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report.

The department has a history of pioneering innovative techniques that improve patient outcomes. For example, NYU Langone recently implemented a new spinal fusion surgery technique that reduces operating room time and length of stay for patients, as well as a same-day hip replacement surgery program for eligible patients that allows them to recover at home the night of surgery. In response to the opioid epidemic, the care team is also leading efforts to help patients manage pain safely and effectively with fewer opioids.

“Our team provides comprehensive musculoskeletal care that takes the whole patient into consideration,” says Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, the Walter A.L. Thompson Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone. “Using the latest evidence-based medicine, we help improve our patients’ quality of life and mobility so they can lead full and rewarding lives.”

NYU Langone’s orthopedic care is available throughout New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester County, Long Island, and New Jersey. High-Quality, Integrated Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

NYU Langone is committed to providing the highest level of medical care during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We are taking extraordinary precautions during the pandemic to make sure our physician practices, emergency departments, and hospitals are as safe as they can possibly be, so patients can safely schedule annual checkups and not delay care for a health concern,” says Rubin.

NYU Langone has maintained its position as a leader while growing its ambulatory care network throughout the region and in Florida. NYU Langone consistently comes out on top nationally, in New York state, and the metro area across the leading healthcare quality ratings, including Leapfrog, U.S. News & World Report, Vizient, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Patients of NYU Langone have access to more than 350 locations—more than 70 of which are located in Staten Island and Brooklyn.

ViiV Healthcare and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are continuing their innovative partnership to transform HIV patient care with the launch of a new service, Klick, which leverages digital technology to provide patients with improved access to the most appropriate care. Created under a Joint Working Agreement, Klick uses digital clinic tools to triage patients according to clinical need and is supported by a mobile app allowing patients to manage appointments, complete health assessments, review results and communicate with their healthcare team.

The new service is being gradually launched to patients at the Kobler Outpatient Clinic, one of the largest centres of HIV care in Europe and is then planned to expand to larger patient populations across multiple sites at the Trust in the coming months. The launch follows impressive results generated through a pilot, also in the form of a Joint Working Agreement, which were presented at last year’s British HIV Association (BHIVA) Annual Congress and demonstrated exceptionally high levels of patient satisfaction and quality of care.

Dr Thomas Van Every, Global Medical Affairs Director at ViiV Healthcare, said: “All too often, innovations in healthcare fail when placed into the complex environment of a health system. ViiV Healthcare’s innovation specialists design solutions which leverage technology but are also rooted in the science of implementation. This demonstrates our commitment to understanding the drivers and barriers to implementing innovations in real-world settings. Our partnership with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has combined experience in innovation with delivering quality care to patients within the NHS. The output is a robustly tested service for HIV patients, designed to be fit for the future of HIV care.”

Klick has also been designed to respond to the current demands on HIV healthcare services brought by the COVID-19 pandemic allowing outpatient clinics to rapidly evaluate clinical needs, provide access to care remotely and communicate effectively with patients. The design and implementation of the service has been led by a project team comprising individuals from ViiV Healthcare’s innovation team, along with clinical and non-clinical staff from the Kobler Clinic. The service has been designed with a focus on ensuring digital solutions can integrate with and enhance the service model, whilst delivering a positive experience for patients.

Dr David Asboe, Clinical Director for HIV at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We have made significant advances in the care of people living with HIV, but this work is not finished. In many regards, it has just begun. Our combined efforts have shifted HIV from an acute to a predominantly long-term condition. This brings its own challenges and responsibilities. It is our duty to understand the emerging needs of our patient cohort, to design care that is responsive to these needs, and to provide care in a sustainable fashion. We must achieve these things with a backdrop of the challenges we now also face with COVID-19. Health systems are under more pressure than ever and using new technologies in a way that genuinely enables our services to evolve is absolutely critical to ensuring we can continue to improve how we deliver quality care to our patients. The collaboration between the Trust and ViiV Healthcare has provided an opportunity to produce an evidence-based and practical service concept that provides a strong platform on which we can build.”

About ViiV Healthcare

ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established in November 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) dedicated to delivering advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV and for people who are at risk of becoming infected with HIV. Shionogi joined in October 2012. The company’s aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before and take a new approach to deliver effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and prevention, as well as support communities affected by HIV.

About GSK

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer.

Workwear management company Polytex has announced that the demand of hospitals over the globe for its hygienic workwear management solution has risen sharply in 2020. The fully automated, hands-free end-to-end solution, which includes machines, software, and a smartphone application, supports the entire workwear lifecycle. The system monitors turnover and inventory level and ensures 24/7 availability of the workwear at multiple location points across the entire hospital.

Covid-19 has strengthened the understanding that hygiene standards in hospital units must be maintained at a high level. To achieve this, medical teams need a consistent supply of clean scrubs to prevent contamination and the spread of viruses and bacteria. Polytex solutions ensure that medical teams get clean and fresh workwear via a fully automated closed system unit featuring hands-free dispensing and returning of items.

There are currently over 3,000 Polytex units operating in 20 countries, including Israel, the U.S., Spain, Germany, and France, alongside countries in east Europe and Asia. The healthcare sector and specifically hospitals are the largest customer for the Polytex automated workwear management solution. Hotels, health clubs and industrial facilities where hygiene is important, are also target markets of the company.

In Israel, the company’s end to end solution is currently in operation at all the mid to large size hospitals in the country. Israel’s Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, the country’s largest hospital, typifies how the pandemic has impacted hospitals. In 2019 the hospital ran a pilot program with one scrub dispensing and return unit at the Rehabilitation Department. By the end of 2020 Sheba had deployed 20 stations around the hospital and is planning further installations.

According to a Sheba case study, the major advantages of using Polytex technology have been a 45% reduction in annual uniform purchase costs, improved staff satisfaction and no less important, improved hygiene levels. More than 4,500 doctors, nurses, and lab workers – over half the entire staff – now have clean and hygienic uniforms waiting for them at convenient locations through the Sheba campus, eliminating the need for a central storeroom. In addition, the deployment of the Polytex solution at Sheba was in line with the hospital management’s strategy of adopting innovative technologies to improve efficiency while at the same time receiving the support of the workers’ committees for pooled uniforms and automation.

The Polytex solution is fully automated and enables hands-free dispensing and collecting of individual uniforms. The system itself is sealed, keeping garments in a clean environment that is opened only by laundry professionals during collection and restocking. The system is available on a 24/7 basis and often installed at multiple locations enabling staff to receive and return garments in seconds thereby avoiding unnecessary crowding. The units can also be moved to special temporary wards dedicated to infectious diseases like Covid-19. The Polytex automated system is backed by a centralized cloud-based management and monitoring applications for end-to-end tracking.

“Medical staff uniforms have become a potential health hazard as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has led to tremendous interest in our solution from medical institutions around the world new and existing markets,” said Yariv Matzliach, CEO of Polytex. He added that “our solution allows medical staff to change uniforms faster, often many times a day, without fear of contamination. In the coming weeks, we expect to sign agreements in new markets.

At any given time, there are millions of bacteria living in your mouth, and they can build up to cause cavities and gingivitis. It is crucial to observe good oral hygiene, not just for a beautiful smile, but for oral health benefits as well. Oral health is more important than many people might realize. The health of gums, teeth, and mouth affects your overall health.

Although most bacteria found in the mouth are harmless, the mouth is the entry point to your respiratory and digestive tracts, and some of these bacteria can lead to illnesses. Problems in your mouth can affect other body parts, and your oral health gives clues about your overall health. Protect yourself and family members by observing the following best oral health practices.

1. Start early with children

Although there have been big strides in tooth decay prevention, 25% of children still develop tooth decay signs before they begin school. Additionally, 50% of kids aged 12 to 15 years have cavities. Dental care for your kids should begin after the first tooth appears. Remember to have dental insurance coverage for the whole family, especially when you have kids to cover for all the dental visits.

2. Seal off trouble

You can use sealants to prevent permanent molars from decaying or cavities. Sealants are protective coatings applied to the molars. They are an effective way to prevent cavities and tooth decay in children who can’t reach their back teeth when brushing.

3. Brush regularly and properly

Almost everyone knows that brushing their teeth twice every day is the best way to remove bacteria and plaque and keep their mouth clean. However, brushing is only effective when done properly. The correct way of brushing is using small circular motions and making sure you brush the front, back, and top of every tooth.

Brushing should take about two to three minutes. Don’t use a hard-bristled toothbrush or brush too aggressively, as it can damage your gums and tooth enamel. This may result in tooth sensitivity, gum erosion, and permanent damage to the tooth enamel.

4. Use a fluoride toothpaste

Flavour and whitening power are important elements to consider when buying toothpaste, but fluoride is more important. Whichever toothpaste flavor you choose, make sure it contains fluoride.

Fluoride comes from fluorine, and it helps to prevent cavities and tooth decay. Research suggests that lack of fluoride can result in tooth decay, no matter how well you take care of your teeth. If you don’t use fluoride, flossing and brushing won’t help you to prevent cavities.

Fluoride should be used sparingly in children. Too much of it can cause white spots on the teeth. Additionally, do not rinse with mouthwash immediately after brushing; otherwise, you won’t realize the benefits of fluoride. Wait for about 15 minutes to let fluoride work on your enamel.

5. Brushing is important, but flossing is equally important

A lot of people brush twice a day but forget to floss. Apart from removing food debris stuck in between the teeth, flossing helps to lower inflammation, stimulate the gums, and reduce plaque.

6. Use mouthwash

A lot of people don’t use mouthwash because they don’t know how they work. Mouthwash helps to clean the areas around the gums that are hard to brush, remineralizes the teeth, and decreases the amount of acid in the mouth. Mouthwash helps to bring things into balance. It is particularly helpful in seniors and young children who don’t have the ability to floss and brush properly.

7. Regular dental checkups

Brushing twice a day, flossing, and using a mouthwash are all important for your oral health, but you still need to see a dentist regularly. Make sure you visit your dentist at least twice a year. Your dentist will look for cavities, remove calculus, and spot potential problems before they happen. If your dental insurance company covers for more than two checkups a year, take advantage of it.

8. Consider Orthodontics

Getting properly aligned teeth is about more than just your smile. Even a fairly mild case of dental crowding can cause plaque to build up in hard to reach places, producing cavities. And bite disorders, such as crossbite or overbite, can produce strain on the jaw, leading to headaches and TMJ. Though many associate braces with teens, people of all ages can benefit from orthodontic treatment.

9. Eat vegetables and fruits

Ready-to-eat foods may be convenient but maybe not so much when it comes to your oral health. Crunchy fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber and are also good for your teeth.

10. Limit acidic and sugary foods

Sugar in the mouth ultimately converts to acid, which results in enamel erosion and cavities. Tea, coffee, acidic fruits can also lead to enamel erosion. It doesn’t necessarily mean you stop taking them, but you should be mindful.

Endnote

Observing good dental practices from infancy to adulthood can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy. Additionally, good oral health contributes positively to your overall health.

Healthcare is arguably one of the most important aspects of life that you need to invest in. The pandemic has shown us how valuable it really is to be covered by a healthcare plan as well as insurance. For healthcare providers, now is the perfect time to encourage more people into availing healthcare packages before it is too late. However, marketing such products is easier said than done.

In 2019, 92% of people had health insurance coverage.  Private health insurance was availed by 68% of the population. Of the respondents, 34.1% got their health insurance just by that year. People are just more concerned with their health than ever and healthcare companies are taking notice.

The problem you need to solve now isn’t how you can attract people to get healthcare. They’re now already interested in it. Instead, the main problem is how you can attract people to avail your plans specifically considering that competition is tough within the healthcare industry. Here’s how you can execute a perfect marketing strategy for your healthcare offerings.

Plan Ahead

Any excellent marketing strategy starts with a plan. It’s even more important to plan ahead if you are hoping to lead to conversion healthcare marketing. Converting leads is one of your goals as you want to have more people picking your healthcare package over the others.

The strategic planning begins with you setting the target market. Pick a specific demographic instead of just going through the entire population. Next, you set up a schedule for the marketing materials you are going to produce and the platforms you are going to release those on.

If you want to get better results, you need to have a plan that you’ll stick with. It’s okay to veer from the strategy every once in a while but what’s important is that you stay on track of your schedule at all times.

Pick A Branding, Stick With It

Branding is important in every industry. It’s basically what helps people relate to your company which then helps them decide whether it’s good to choose you over the competition. As you proceed with your marketing strategy, you need to define your branding first, and you need to stick with it for as long as possible.

Are you a healthcare company offering affordable healthcare packages for the general public? Or are you a healthcare company offering premium packages for those with a little more to spend? You need to be specific when it comes to your branding. Ideally, it should be something that people will want to associate themselves with as well.

Study Feedback

One of the most important aspects of healthcare is reading through feedback and implementing the necessary changes on your package. It’s important that you get feedback as it helps you understand the gaps in your healthcare package. Once you determine what these gaps are, make them a key part of your marketing strategy so that people will be more interested and old clients will return.

Feedback can come in many forms. These can be through testimonies that you’ll post on your website. These could also be reviews that your customers will leave on your Facebook channel. What’s important is that others see these reviews and that you utilize it as well.

Reach Out Through Multiple Channels

It’s no longer viable to reach out to clients via one channel alone. The advent of social media has made it imperative that marketers need to use all available platforms if they want to get more leads and conversions. The same goes for healthcare companies who are reaching out to new clients.

According to dagmarmarketing.com, it’s a must that you have a website of course. The website should be the main hub for all the details that your clients need to know. Branch out into popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so that you have a wider reach.

Build Through Doctor Referrals

People are most likely to go to your healthcare package if it is referred to by medical professionals such as nurses and doctors. As early as possible, establish your rapport with doctors so that they have more reason to refer you to their patients. It’s a tried and tested form of marketing that can still help you out today.

The healthcare industry is growing more competitive than ever. With the pandemic still going on, companies are going to be more aggressive with their marketing strategies as well. If you want to stand out as a healthcare provider, then you need to be smarter with regard to how you approach your campaigns.

Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Capsule Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of medical device integration and data technologies for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Capsule’s Medical Device Information Platform – comprised of device integration, vital signs monitoring and clinical surveillance services – connects almost all existing medical devices and EMRs in hospitals through a vendor-neutral system. Capsule’s platform captures streaming clinical data and transforms it into actionable information for patient care management to enhance patient outcomes, improve collaboration between care teams, streamline clinical workflows and increase productivity.

The acquisition of Capsule is a strong fit with Philips’ strategy to transform the delivery of care along the health continuum with integrated solutions. Philips’ current portfolio already includes real-time patient monitoring, therapeutic devices, telehealth, informatics and interoperability solutions. The combination of Philips’ industry-leading portfolio with Capsule’s leading Medical Device Information Platform, connected through Philips’ secure vendor-neutral cloud-based HealthSuite digital platform, will greatly enrich and scale Philips’ patient care management solutions for all care settings in the hospital, as well as remote patient care

“Integrated patient care management solutions supported by essential real-time patient data and AI are core to our strategy to improve patient outcomes and care provider productivity by seamlessly connecting care,” said Roy Jakobs, Chief Business Leader Connected Care at Royal Philips. “The acquisition of Capsule will further expand our patient care management offering. We look forward to integrating our strengths, adding a vendor-neutral medical device integration platform that further unlocks the power of medical device data to enhance patient monitoring and management, improve collaboration and streamline workflows in the ICU, as well as other care settings in the hospital and beyond its walls.”

“We are very excited to become part of Philips and step up on our goal of empowering clinicians with simplified workflows and timely, actionable insights,” said Hemant Goel, CEO of Capsule Technologies. “Together, we will be even better positioned to liberate, aggregate, analyze, and share clinical data from connected devices that will support clinicians making more informed decisions, and ultimately drive the transformation from reactive care to insight-driven, proactive care delivery.”

Founded in 1997, Capsule is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts in the U.S., and serves over 2,800 hospitals and healthcare organizations in 40 countries across the world. Capsule’s innovations are developed by strong R&D teams in the U.S. and France. In 2020, the company achieved sales of over USD 100 million with strong double-digit sales growth. The majority of sales is related to recurring software-as-a-service and licensing revenues. The acquisition will be accretive to Philips sales growth and Adjusted EBITA margin in 2021.

Philips will acquire Capsule for a cash consideration of USD 635 million (approximately EUR 530 million). The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory clearances in relevant jurisdictions outside of the U.S. Through an early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have already confirmed that they allow the transaction to be completed. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. Capsule and its approximately 300 employees will become part of Philips’ Connected Care segment.

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2019 sales of EUR 19.5 billion and employs approximately 81,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.